Tips on Hardwood Flooring and What You Need to Know Before It’s Installation
Hardwood floor installation can be tricky especially when you decide to take the DIY approach. However, a few tips and tricks can streamline the process and help you have the best hardwood flooring AZ.
Let us discuss these tips in detail.
1. Choose the right Hardwood
Make sure you choose the appropriate hardwood for the rooms where it will be installed. For example, prefinished planks shouldn’t be used in the kitchen, because they have beveled edges that can allow spillage to penetrate the boards.
Hickory, hard maple or white oak are the most durable types of wood to use in high-traffic locations like mudrooms.
2. Acclimatize the wood
Acclimatizing refers to letting the flooring adjust to its new environment.
Due to its inherent state, hardwood will inevitably expand and contract as the temperature and humidity fluctuate. It’s crucial to give your hardwood flooring enough time to acclimate once it has been delivered to your home.
Allowing your hardwood flooring to acclimate to your house lowers the possibility of damage to the wood after installation.
3. Pay attention to the subfloor
Before installing hardwood, you’ll need to take care of any subfloor issues. There shouldn’t be any fluctuations of more than three-sixteenths of an inch per 6 feet in your subfloor’s general levelness.
You can fill in low areas and sand down high ones if the subfloor only has slight variances.
4. Follow the Instruction
Installation instructions for hardwood flooring should be provided by all manufacturers. Before beginning the job, take some time to understand how they should be installed.
Additionally, you need to be aware that some manufacturers’ warranties are only valid if the installation is done correctly and following their provided instructions.
5. Right tools
Before beginning any activity, it is usually advisable to have the proper tools. Consider what you or your fitter would need to assist you in installing your hardwood flooring in AZ.
You may need to underlay if you are floating your floor.
You will probably require WPVA adhesive for the joints if your flooring is tongue and groove. You may also need glue or nails to put your floor down.
6. Make the first row straight
All the subsequent rows of your hardwood flooring will be uneven if the initial row is not straight. However, if you put the first row straight, you’ve already created a solid foundation for the rest of the space.
Remember that since walls are rarely straight, you shouldn’t use one as your straight edge; instead, many flooring experts advise placing the first plank in the middle of the space.
These are some of the tips that can help you in hardwood floor installation. However, it is always recommended to hire a professional for hardwood flooring in AZ rather than trying your hands at it.
