Installing Hardwood and Laminate Flooring

Many homeowners opt to install hardwood flooring for both the aesthetic beauty and durability offered by this type floor. In addition to the more traditional woods such as oak or maple, exotic tropical woods such as teak and mahogany are becoming increasingly popular.

Hardwood flooring has become widely available in pre-finished choices; sanded and finished with multiple layers of baked-on finish. Select only flooring with a high Taber test rating; a rating for finish durability. Using a pre-finished product saves time and effort, and provides a higher quality finish.

Despite their popularity, due to the staggering cost of exotic woods, many homeowners choose to install simulated hardwood laminate flooring, instead. When installing a laminate, it is best to use only top of the line products that offer the ultimate durability, performance, and appearance. Middle of the line or economy selections perform poorly and may leave the homeowner dissatisfied with their choice after a short period of time.

Both types of flooring come in “tongue and groove” boards: each board has a tongue on one side, a groove on the other. The tongue side of board fits snugly into the groove side of the board preceding it; rendering an interlocked system of floorboards for the final surface. In addition to tongue and groove sides, the ends of the boards are tongue and grooved so that joints in the middle of a run are interlocked. Be careful in planning your runs to avoid unnecessary waste.

Preparing for Installation

Begin with careful measurements and planning; keep in mind that you will need an extra 10 to 15-percent of the total square footage to allow for defective or unusable boards; plus waste from cutting.

Hardwood should be installed perpendicular to the floor joists; beginning with the longest perpendicular wall of the room. Mark the floor joists at the bottom of the wall along the room perimeters. Roll out paper or foam cushion and staple to subfloor.

A baseline must be established for the first run of boards. Take multiple width measurements of the room to establish an accurate center line; use a chalk line to mark the line in the center of the room, perpendicular to the floor joists. Using the center line, establish a base line perfectly parallel to the center line; spaced about ½-inch from the wall to allow for expansion of the floor.

This will be the line for starting the first run of boards; it will be covered by the baseboard once the floor is completed. Snap a line between the perimeter joist marks to show the joists on the floor.

The Installation Process

Hardwood is nailed to the subfloor; simulated hardwood laminate is usually left floating; only the boards are glued together.

Select the longest boards for the first run; rip the tongue edge so it is flush. Line the edges up on the wall baseline and pre-drill screw or nail holes close to the wall edge, so they will be covered by baseboards on the joist line.

Nail or screw through the subfloor and into the joists to secure the boards. Blind nail the groove edge by pre-drilling pilot holes at a 45-degree angle in the grooves, so that 1½-inch finishing nails can be nailed into the joists, at 10-inch intervals the length of the run. Recess nails with a nail set.

Complete two more runs blind-nailing in this fashion. Use a scrap piece of flooring against the board edge to tap boards firmly into place with a hammer before nailing into place.

Space joints in each run so that they are at least 8-inches from the wall ends, but no closer than 6-inches from joints in the preceding or following run. When installing wider boards, some manufacturers recommend leaving a gap the thickness of a putty knife between runs to allow for expansion.

If you are laying floor in a smaller floor area, continue on in this fashion. For larger areas, use a flooring nailer with 2-inch staples or nails. Fit the nailer snugly into the groove; strike the plunger with a heavy rubber mallet. Drive nails into the center of the joists, and one between joists. Be careful not to damage board edges in the process.

When you are ready for the final row, wedge the boards firmly into place, drill pilot holes. Nail or screw the boards to the floor near the edge, as you did with the starter row. Be careful with placement so nails or screws will be covered by baseboards.

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