How to Install Wood Flooring
If there is wood flooring already present in the house/apartment, it might be best to continue with the set style. This gives the overall area a custom-design feel and ensures uniformity. If you are comfortable operating a sander, you may buy hardwoods that are unfinished, saving yourself money over the finished woods. The thickness of the underlying floor will determine if the flooring to be installed can be nailed or glued. Finally, hardwood floors are better, but also more expensive than, laminate floors. On the flip side, if damaged, hardwood floors can be sanded and refinished, whereas laminate flooring will need to be replaced (it cannot be sanded). This factor should also be taken into account when considering the price of wood flooring.
Hardwood flooring, or flooring that is 100% real wood, comes in two basic styles: parquet and strip. If the strips are no wider than 2 �¾ inches, the flooring is called strip flooring. If the strips are wider, going up to 7 inches, the flooring is called plank flooring. Unfinished wood has not been sanded, stained or sealed, allowing the user to custom match the flooring to the house, though also introducing much more work. However, the cost savings can be significant, especially since one will already be paying more for wood versus faux wood, such as laminate.
To install either parquet or strip/plank wood flooring, first clear away the existing flooring, whether it be wood, vinyl, or tile. You will need to access the plywood subfloor, which is the basic/first flooring laid down upon the support beams of the house/apartment. In some cases, you may find concrete slab, not plywood, as the basic flooring. In such an event, you will need to install a 6 mil polyethylene plastic vapor barrier, followed by a plywood underlay of at least �½ inch width, before laying your wood flooring. Concrete is more common in basements, though, than in standard first or upper floors.
Once the existing flooring is cleared away, take stock of your plywood subfloor, filling in any possible holes/scratches with plastic wood. If the damage to the subfloor is too great, you may consider even replacing a few of the boards. Once that is done, you are ready to start installing your wood floor.
Parquet flooring is typically held in place by adhesive, due to the fact that nails will most likely crush and damage the little pieces of strip wood that make up the 1 ft. x 1 ft. square pieces. Strip/plank flooring is held in place by nails. Because strip/plank flooring is held in place by nails, however, you will want to assess the thickness of your plywood subfloor. If the subfloor is too thin, nails will go through it completely and show up in the ceiling below the flooring. If this is the case, consider adding another plywood subfloor, or choosing parquet flooring. Alternatively, you may go with laminate flooring.
Parquet flooring can be glued directly onto the plywood subfloor. Strip/plank flooring will require that a 15 lb. asphalt felt to be placed onto the subfloor first. Both parquet and strip/planks are manufactured with “tongue-in-groove” features, meaning that one tile/strip can actually slide into the next and form a tight fit. This greatly helps one to lay flooring that will not slide around and eventually form gaps between tiles/strips. To further prevent any future gaps, have a rubber mallet handy and use it to tap tiles/strips into place after the last one has been glued/nailed down.
Laminate flooring comes in two types: a thin strip of wood glued onto synthetic material underneath, or completely synthetic (usually plastic) material. In either case, laminate flooring can be applied directly to the plywood subfloor, using just adhesive to keep it in place. Alternatively, if going with a “floating” format, the flooring may be installed without adhesive. Simply lay down a 6 mil polyethylene plastic vapor barrier, first, followed by 1/8 inch foam padding, before installing the laminate strips. This set-up is also recommended for laminate flooring being installed on concrete. In the “floating” format, it is especially important to ensure a snug “tongue-in-groove” fit for the strips, so be sure to use that rubber mallet often.
Now that the flooring is installed, it can be sanded, stained and sealed. These tasks are not applicable if laminate flooring, or completely prepared hardwood flooring, was purchased. However, if the wood flooring is unprepared, it will now need to be sanded. Parquet tiles will require a circular sander, while strip/plank flooring will require a drum sander. Most home improvement stores rent sanders out, so there is no need to actually purchase one. Sand papers will also have to be purchased, either in sheets (for the drum sander) or circles (for the circular sander). The sandpapers come in coarseness grades, with the grade numbers being inversely proportional to the actual coarseness of the sandpapers. Thus, the sandpapers of coarseness grade 80 are especially coarse, and recommended for initial sanding. The sandpapers at coarseness grade 220 are fine, and recommended for end-point sanding/finishing. If doing a standard floor sanding, one may go through the following row of sandpaper grades: 80, 100, 160, 200, and 220. Purchase enough sandpaper to be able to sand the entire floor with one grade of sandpaper without running out. Then, progress to the next (higher) coarseness level, finishing the room with that sandpaper. It is important to go through all the grades and not skip ahead, since any “cheating” will be evidenced in a floor that has big circles/lines scratched into the wood.
On a side note, sanding is time-consuming, dirty work, and some people may opt to have professionals do this step. However, anyone can use a sander effectively, saving much money in the process.
Once the sanding is complete, sweep up the floor of any dust/dirt. In some cases, it may even help to wipe the flooring down with a wet cloth- just make sure that it has ample time to dry. Now the floor can be stained- or not. However, if choosing to stain, treat the wood first with pre-stain wood conditioner. This prevents certain sections of wood from absorbing too much stain, thus ensuring uniformity of staining. Once the conditioner has been wiped over the wood, allow about 5 minutes for it to sink into the material, then start staining. Work in small 3ft. x 3 ft. sections, wiping up excess stain after each pass. Once the entire floor has been stained, allow at least one day for it to fully dry.
The floor is now ready to be sealed. Floor sealants comes as either polyurethane or oil. Oil is cheaper and more “natural” and durable, but may result in darkening of the wood over time. Polyurethane is expensive and likely to scratch, but does not alter the wood coloring over time. In either case, pour the sealant into a trough and use a soft hair brush to apply it over the floor. Work in smooth, even strokes, in order to minimize bubbles and streaks. Let the sealant dry, then lightly sand the floor with a sander outfitted with fine grade sandpaper. Apply a second coat of sealant, letting it dry. Sand as before. Apply the third and final coat of sealant, let dry, and do not sand this final coat. Allow at least two weeks for the flooring to fully dry and set before placing furniture/carpeting on it.
