Hardwood floors can be the perfect addition to your living room, bedroom or even a basement. It catches the eye and conveys a timeless look that many homeowners and potential homeowners value. The good news is that it’s possible to tackle this project in your own.
But there are a few issues you need to consider in order to make your hardwood flooring installation a success. Here’s what you need to know.
Choose the Right kind of hardwood floor
In addition to choosing a species of wood, which is more about aesthetics than installation, there are three main kinds of hardwood flooring available. Only two are ideally suited to the do it yourselfer, unless you have a lot of expertise on the subject. Here are the available options:
- Laminate hardwood flooring. This is the cheapest type and the easiest to install, but it does come with limitations. It’s not as long lasting as other more expensive kinds and cannot be refinished. However, if you are looking for a more short-term solution for your hardwood flooring installation project, this is ideal.
- Traditional hardwood flooring. This one is built to last but has its issues. You are essentially working with an entire piece of solid hardwood, making it difficult to install. It’s also expensive. But the quality and ability to refinish multiple times can make it a good choice if you have the expertise.
- Engineering hardwood flooring. This is likely the best option if you have the budget for it. You get 1/16” to 3/16” pieces of real hardwood glued onto plywood, which you can then piece together yourself like a jigsaw puzzle. It’s stronger than laminate and can be refinished once or twice.
Consider Environmental Conditions
Setting up the right environment for your new hardwood floors is also critical to their long-term beauty. For example, if your environment has a lot of dust, it’s best to go with a pre-finished option rather than a finish in place. In addition, UV light can also cause your hardwood floor to fade or change shades. We recommend window treatments and rugs to help with this issue.
Make Sure You Check for Squeaky Subfloors
You don’t want to lay hardwood flooring directly over a squeaky subfloor floor as it will continue to squeak after the project is complete. If you find a squeaky sub floor, you can solve the problem using a long drywall screw.
Avoid Glue Down Installations
Glue down installations involve a lot of hands and knees work and can be extremely messy. For that reason, we advise against it. Consider hardwood floor options that don’t involve it.
We hope this helps you make some key decisions on your hardwood flooring project. Projects like these create a lot of waste. Have you considered getting dumpster to help with it all? Visit our ordering page to get one.
