Flooring Installation
Hardwood flooring installation can be a difficult and time consuming task, but if you feel comfortable giving it a go personally, you may potentially end up saving quite a considerable amount of money. Properly installed hardwoods can last for generations, even under moist and humid circumstances, such as in a bathroom. With a little advice and a step by step plan, as well as plenty of time, hardwood flooring installation can be accomplished without exorbitant professional services.
Moisture causes the most damage to hardwood flooring. Moisture can gradually warp the surface of the wood as it expands and contracts. This does not imply, however, that hardwood flooring cannot be used in humid circumstances. Hardwood flooring simply requires a little maintenance in order to work well under these conditions. Installing hardwood with an asphalt felt should provide a guarantee against rotting and warping of the hardwood. Take 15 pound asphalt felt, and put it over the subfloor in overlapping sections. The felt should be tacked down with a staple gun.
Leave a small gap, around half an inch, between the asphalt felt and the wall. A baseboard or base shoe will be placed in these smaller spaces between the flooring and the wall. The initial three boards of the flooring should be placed by hand. Board lengths are usually random, so portions of the flooring should be set out as a test before nailing down. When the first boards are laid down, the rest can be put out with a flooring nailer. This will make it simpler to do a good job of laying out the flooring.
When the new flooring results in an uneven surface, you can use a reducer to create a level meeting point. When getting ready to put down a hardwood floor, be certain to safely store the wood. Placing the wood out in the open where it can get wet will lead to warped and cracked flooring that does not fit together. If the flooring must be stored outdoors, be sure to protect it with a waterproof tarp. This will reduce any possible damage from moisture, which can warp and bend expensive wood flooring very quickly. Do not transport wood flooring in an open bed when weather conditions could give rise to rain or high humidity.
