Five Tips for the Perfect Wood Floor
Nothing beats the look and feel of a real hard wood floor-except for engineered flooring. It looks, feels and acts just like real hardwood flooring with the exception of its price. Engineered wood flooring can be half of the price of conventional wood flooring and that’s what really makes it an attractive purchase for most homeowners. But what really makes it great is that most floating click-lock style engineered wood flooring is super easy to install and that translates into even more savings for the DIY homeowner. Use these five tips for installing an engineered wood floor and get the most out of your next DIY project.
Use the Right Miter Saw
There are lots and lots of different types of saws, but for cutting an engineered wood floor, nothing beats the power of a miter saw. Miter saws come in a wide variety of styles and have nearly unlimited options. If you plan on cutting engineered wood flooring, you don’t need a fancy miter saw with lots of bells and whistles. A basic cost effective miter saw will do the trick just fine.
Undercut Saws
Besides a miter saw for cutting flooring boards, you’ll also need an undercut saw. This allows you to cut door trim that touches the subfloor so the floating floor can go underneath it. It also ensures that the flooring pieces look solid and uniform and not gaped near the trim. There are electrical powered and hand powered undercut saws, but if you’re not a flooring guy; you won’t need the more costly powered version.
Glue Floors
Some engineered wood flooring uses an adhesive to attach the wood floor to the subfloor. To properly attach the wood flooring to the substrate with the glue, you’ll need a notched trowel to spread the adhesive. Always use the correct notch and notch depth that is on the adhesives directions, or else you could void the warranty.
Nailed Floors
Engineered wood floors that require nails are easy enough to install, but you need the right flooring nailer to get the job done right. There are two different types of flooring nailers available-pneumatic and hand driven. Unless you’re set on doing things the super easy way with a pneumatic floor nailer, you can get away with using a manual floor nailer to install your new engineered wood floor. Renting a flooring nailer can also help you to save money in the long run.
