Installing Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors increase the beauty of a room and naturally bring out and strength the accents of a room.  This type of flooring is becoming more popular because it helps reduce natural allergens like dust mites that regular carpet flooring attracts. Putting down a hardwood floor is a time consuming task and you need to take your time to avoid improper laying of the wood which can result in gaps or even warping of the wood over time.  The tools you will need to lay down hardwood flooring includes a staple gun, drill, hammer, tape measure, barrier paper, table saw, saw, wood putty, and a pry bar.  Having or renting an air compressor with a nail gun attachment can dramatically decrease the amount of effort that is needed in putting down a hardwood floor. 

Prep Work
The first step to preparing the room you are working on for hardwood flooring is to take proper measurements.  You should make sure that you order your lengths approximately five or ten percent longer than you need them in case you make any errors when you are cutting the wood. Next you are going to roll the barrier paper across the room using the staple gun to secure the paper to the plywood floor underneath.  If you have any wooden moldings that travel along the base of your wall you will need to remove them at this point.

Cutting Wood
Now you are at the stage where you are ready to begin making cuts to your hardwood planks.  These first cuts will be made using the table saw and you should always leave yourself at least a couple of spare inches on each plank to cover the possibility of an error in measuring.  After you have finished installing the entire floor you can use a circular saw to trim away the unneeded excess wood. When you are cutting you wood you need to ensure that you don't cut off the grooves in the end of one piece as this will result in unsightly gaps in your hardwood floor.

Installation
Line up the first board approximately 3/8 of an inch away from the baseboard and use your drill to punch holes through the hardwood.  Next you will need to use your hammer and nails to nail into every point of each joist that the hardwood plank is in contact with.   This process can be used to lay all of the middle boards for the room but when you reach the last board in the room you may need to use your pry bar to properly seat this last plank.  Now that you have completed your hardwood floor you need to go back to every board and fill in each nail hole with the wood putty.  

Gaps
If during your post inspection of the hardwood floor you seem some tiny gaps don't get frustrated as this can happen.  To repair these gaps you will need to use the excess hardwood floor scraps that you have left over. 

When you are attempting a project of this nature it is important that you follow all the directions listed on the tools you use and any found on the packaging.