Hardwood Flooring Installation

[GullLkRltr]

Next week I will be starting the process of installing 1000 sq ft of hardwood floor. I will be putting down mostly hard maple with some oak in the hallways and I'm using 3/4" unfinished tongue & groove. I have a compressor and will be using an air powered floor nailer/stapler.

I have never installed any wood flooring so any and all tips regarding any steps of the process (best subfloor thickness, nails or staples, underlayment type felt paper or rosin paper, sanding, finishing, etc.) would be greatly appreciated. :)

[BarryPatch]

Store the wood in a dry place. You've picked a decent time of year to do it as humidity is lower. It's pretty simple as long as you keep the joints tight. if you don't it will turn out poorly. If there's a gap rip it up. 3/4 inch subfloor, red rosin, ring shank nails. Get yourself some knee pads and Tylenol for you back. First coat of finish needs to be even or you'll see it no matter what you do with the following coats.

[richard fifield]

I installed ash flooring in kitchen,dining room.Used staples and had good success.When I finished it I used a big pad sander I rented at home depot.Belt drum sanders take it down quick but if you're unexperienced you can ruin it quickly.I got some Fabulon finish at Chain Paints.Turned out beautiful.Guy at store told me to get a gallon of gloss finish and cut it for 1st.coat as it's harder and more durable then put on satin or whatever you want final coat to be.Worked real well for me and have had many compliments.Good luck.

[skittishdeer]

I Install wood floors for a living, It's not hard. run your boards across the joist, If you have any high seams grind or sand them down. Cut all your door casings up so that you can put the wood under them. It is best to acclimate the wood to where you will be installing it for a day. Lay tar paper down (same direction you'll be installing wood) it acts as a moisture barrier. When laying it out try to keep your end joints 6 to 8 inches apart. If its pre finish use a towel or pad of some sort to set your tools on scratches are easily preventable. If it becomes to much I am willing to travel for work if it means I can hunt while I am there, I work cheap too. Todd

[plugjerker]

Maple is pretty tough for a first time job,i would let it sit in the rooms to acclimate for a week.Check out the NOFMA website for installation instructions.Its a great floor but pretty unstable to moisture fluctuations,and the longer you let it acclimate,the better it will turn out in the long run.Installation is pretty easy to figure out from a looking at a few websites,but if you have never sanded a floor,it might be worth getting a quote or two from someone who does it everyday,1000 ft is a lot of material and install labor.Dont mean to scare you,but the finishing makes all the diifference when its done.If you do tackle it,check that NOFMA website on finishing,i woulndt attempt to STAIN a maple,Most professional floor sanders will not stain hard maple.I would also use a waterbourne finish,not an oil based polyurethane.Oil base ,like fabulon is great on almost any floor,but on a lighter floor like maple,it will turn a yellow color pretty fast,check out BASIC COATINGS or BONA KEMI for finish.You dont need to use their top of the line stuff,its all pretty good.

[GullLkRltr]

Thanks for all the info so far!

Started the prep work yesterday, cutting door jambs, pulling baseboard, carpet, etc. Found that the subfloor on this mid 50s ranch was "double decked" w/ 2 layers of 3/4" plywood - sweet:)

Today we're going to start putting down the oak in the hallways - should be fun.

Looks like we may be switching to 4" hickory instead of maple for the rest of the project because of availability from the supplier...
It has the same varigated light and dark wood rustic look we're after and is harder than maple. Hope it's not more of a PITA to work with:dizzy:

Plugjerker - those water based finishes from Basic Coatings and Bona look like good stuff. Have you ever used them and if so which one?

[sunsetbeachq]

hardwood floors are the best!Durability wise and price-wise.

-listone giordano pasadena

[topak]

hardwood flooring installation anyone? :gaga:
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Daniel Caffo Hardwood Flooring

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[topak]

Setting up new floorings can lead you to a very expensive home improvement venture. But this problem can be treat with proper planning and choice of high-quality tiling materials. There are several kinds of tile floorings that you can also choose from and this depends on your personal taste to be able to reach all your expectations. :SHOCKED:

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[topak]

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