Thursday, January 28, 2010

Learn How to Install Hardwood Flooring - 3 Tips to a Successful Hardwood Flooring Installation

Hardwood floors adds beauty and value to your home...if it is done correctly. Before you even purchase your new hardwood floor, you must first do a little research to avoid starting off on the wrong foot.
Tip #1 Understand which type of hardwood flooring you can use before you install it ! Solid hardwood, engineered hardwood, wood laminate, and laminate are all types of wood flooring on the market today.
Depending on where in your home that you want to install wood flooring, as well as the sub floor that you will be going over, determines the type of hardwood flooring that you will need. Each of the types mentioned above have their recommended applications. Installing the wrong type of hardwood over certain sub floors spell disaster before even nailing in the first piece.
Tip#2 The environment that hardwood flooring is in plays a huge role in determining the success of the installation. It is essential to know what to do before, during, and after you install your floor.
Because wood flooring is considered to be a living breathing product, it reacts to environmental changes and conditions. Correcting any problems or changing the type of flooring before starting your installation is certainly worth doing to save your investment dollars.
Tip#3 Always read the manufacturers instructions that come with your new hardwood. As a professional installer, I still take the time to read the instructions. Finding out what you should have done after the fact is never fun. For instance, not installing a vapor barrier or using the wrong type fastener can be the difference between a successful job and an unsuccessful one.
The hands on part of the job is only one part of accomplishing your up and coming floor project. Starting with these 3 tips will increase the chances of your success dramatically when learning how to install hardwood flooring.
David Decker has been installing floor covering for over 35 years and knows what it takes for a successful installation. To get started, get your free report titled, Should I Buy a Hardwood Floor or a Floating Laminate Floor? by clicking the link below. Simply click this link now for your free report! http://www.howtoinstall-hardwoodfloors.com/

Installing Hardwood Flooring – Tips To Make Your Job Go Smoother

Installing hardwood flooring can take place in several ways depending on the type of hardwood flooring that you have. If you have solid hardwood, you have to look at the type of wood you have. You can have parquet flooring, which usually comes in tiles of 6 inches by 6 inches or strips or planks that can be as much as 3 inches wide. If you have laminate wood flooring then you have to look at a different method of installing hardwood flooring.
Whether you choose laminate flooring or solid hardwood flooring, the directions for installing both of them are printed on the inside of the packaging. If you have previously installed hardwood floors and now you want to install glueless laminate flooring, you do need to read the directions for installing laminate flooring. When you are installing hardwood flooring made of solid wood, you have to open the packages and let the wood become acclimatized to the humidity and temperature of your home. With laminate flooring, you have to do the exact opposite. You should not take this flooring out of the package until you are ready to start installing.
Successful installation of hardwood or laminate flooring depends upon careful planning. Even if you are installing hardwood flooring over an existing concrete or vinyl floor, you do have to sweep and vacuum the floor to remove all the dust and dirt. If you are not sure of exactly how much laminate flooring you will need, the directions for installing laminate flooring also include directions for measuring the room to calculate the amount of flooring that you need. When you intend to install glueless laminate flooring, you can also bring your measurements into your local flooring store and have the experts do the calculations for you.
If you are wondering how to install glueless laminate flooring and be able to keep it on the floor, each of the planks lock together with the tongue and groove design. When installing hardwood flooring like this, you cannot glue, nail or staple it in any way. When you start installing always consider the way the light shines into the room. Begin laying the planks toward the light and in a hallway always install glueless laminate flooring lengthwise.
The directions for installing laminate flooring will tell you that you lay the first plank with the grooves against the wall. Place spacers where they are needed when installing hardwood flooring between the wall and the plank to maintain ½ inch extension gap. You will have to mark and cut the planks as you are installing the flooring because they are of random lengths. Always begin in a corner when installing hardwood flooring and the first board in the row should be a full plank.
To find out more about Wood Flooring visit Peter's Website Wood Flooring Explained and find out about Hardwood Flooring and more, including Exotic Hardwood Floors, Wood Laminate Flooring, Refinishing Hardwood Floors and Bruce Hardwood Flooring.