Can I install a hardwood floor?

I'm sure you can do it. It's not that difficult at all. As Steve said though, do some research and UNDERSTAND the procedure and then rent the tools and you'll be all set. I used to always use a manual flooring nailer. But a couple years ago I had a big job to do so I rented a pneumatic stapler. I always tried to stay away from staples because I didn't think that they would hold as well. Well on that job, I had to pull up a few strips because of a change in mid job and let me tell you that those staples hold just fine! I went out and bought myself a stapler for the next job. :)

It's not rocket science and a few basic tools is all you need.

John

P.S.
I'd recommend prefinished as opposed to raw wood and finish in place. In the long run, it's not really much more money for prefinished and you get a much better factory applied finish that way.

Just my .02
 
I assume that your hardwood floor in tongue and groove real wood. I have installed several of these and doing so was quite easy. Just be sure to take your time, measure accurately, and install the boards carefully.

Just by chance, I just took a break from my current task, which is refinishing an oak floor that I put down in our kitchen about 25 years ago.
 
Answer is yes, I know because I did it, and if I can do it .... :thumb: :rofl:

But consider doing some research as suggested and all the above answers. Might Add, Use prefinished (my neighbor did the raw stock to save money. got in over his head, well dusted his whole house and results were not professional looking is a nice way of saying it) Remember to put down the paper either Black roofing felt over an area above moisture or the red rosin paper or dry area. This will prevent squeeks down the road.
 
Dennis,

Being reasonably handy is a good start. Being in good physical shape is just as important!

I speak from experience! Have a look at my "Birth of a Shop" thread around post #568 where I'm about to start on almost three thousand square feet of oak T&G flooring! I'd never done it before, so I did some research, asked some questions, and jumped in with both knees!

I did the raw wood method, rented a sander for a few days...and am quite pleased. Getting the sanding done correctly/evenly is a bit of a challenge, but it's do-able.

Good luck...and ask questions as they arise...
- Marty -
 
Dennis,

I would recommend picking up a bood by Bruce Bollinger on installing hardwood floors (http://www.amazon.com/Hardwood-Floo...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201894176&sr=8-1). This book will tell you pretty much everything you need to know.

It's easier to install the hardwood than to finish. I've installed 3 floors but have always had a professional do the sanding and finishing.

Greg
My comment is that it is so easy that no book is needed.

I do agree that it is easier to install than to finish, but finishing is not very difficult either. It's hard work, but not at all complicated to do. (This is speaking as someone who's current project is re-finishing a hardwood floor.)
 
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No it's not difficult. But there are ways to do it that make it look better when finished. Such as the layout and how to start and finish it. The actual act of nailing (or stapling) it down is pretty easy. There are things though like how to install around doorways and such that have procedures that make it look much better when finished. I've installed thousands of square feet of hardwood flooring and by far prefer the prefinished variety. It looks much better when done IMO. You don't have the hassle of the smell and wait time either for the finish to dry.

If you can finds someone that's done it have a talk with them and see if they'll talk you through it. A book would be nice but overall not really necessary. Heck, I bet we could "talk" you through it right here. :)

Good luck, I'm sure you can handle it and there's a real satisfaction when you step back and look at a job you've done yourself!

John
 
I'm laying lengthwise myself, Which also coincides with being perpendicular to the joists, which will give a stronger/stiffer floor. (so I'm told)
 
Art, I've always been told that too. But I don't think it's absolutely mandatory to lay the flooring perpendicular to the joists. In our last house it was a spec home that was about 80% complete when we bought it. I worked a deal with the builder to do some of the finish work and we bought it. I ended up doing hardwood on a good portion of the first floor. The footprint of the main house was basically a square. But for some reason, I they used a T shape layout for the main steel beams in the basement. Therefore the joists in the rear half of the house ran side to side and the joists in the front ran front to back. This stressed me out big time when it came time to lay the flooring. I bit the bullet and decided to take a chance. I laid all of the flooring from front to back. That way in the back of the house the flooring was perpendicular to the joists but in the front it ran parallel. I also was worried about the 3/4 OSB subflooring. If I had my preference, it would have been T&T ply but again, I rolled the dice. We lived there four years and the floor was fine. As far as I know, it's still fine today.

Normally, I try to run the flooring parallel to the longest wall. But if the customer wants it different, I'll do it that way.

John
 
I'll share my experience...it's not hard, just rent the tools. If it's the finished variety, all the better, if not just be sure to get the sander with the vacuum. In my old house I refinished the existing hardwoods as well as adding some new ones. The new ones had to be refinished as well to make them smooth and fill-in the gaps.

Here's where the advice starts...if using the large vibrating sander, remove all lighting fixture globes and covers. The vibrating ones shake a house enough to vibrate the retaining screws and nuts loose which turns the job into an interesting job of dodge ball with the falling light fixtures. :rofl:

If using the petroleum based sealer, get a hotel room for a couple of days and kill the hot water heater. Waterbased will be dry in a couple of hours, but still requires about as long to get good and hard.
 
Art shows in his photos, an important step, many omit and pay the price later... Allowing the wood to acclimate to your home.

A minimum or a week with the boxes opened and exposed but two weeks would be better. Open the boxes (although SWMBO will insist it looks messy)

This is especially true with severe weather changes going on now. If you buy it in the summer at the BORG for instance, AC and cool then truck it home and not as cool, etc. etc. Or hot from the delivery truck traversing across country to fill your order, then into an AC house. Guess what? Or Cold in delivery truck trucking across the frozen Tundra then into your happy warm home. Ta Da! :eek:

See what I mean? Let it rest at least two weeks and with the boxes opened, Cardboard is a great insulator and delays the acclimation.
 
Let it rest at least two weeks and with the boxes opened, Cardboard is a great insulator and delays the acclimation.

Unfortunately, I can only open the ends of my boxes .. we're still living here while it acclimatizes, so I can't just open them and spread it out. And I'm going to have to shift some boxes when I start ripping out carpet.
 
Art shows in his photos, an important step, many omit and pay the price later... Allowing the wood to acclimate to your home.

A minimum or a week with the boxes opened and exposed but two weeks would be better. Open the boxes (although SWMBO will insist it looks messy)

This is especially true with severe weather changes going on now. If you buy it in the summer at the BORG for instance, AC and cool then truck it home and not as cool, etc. etc. Or hot from the delivery truck traversing across country to fill your order, then into an AC house. Guess what? Or Cold in delivery truck trucking across the frozen Tundra then into your happy warm home. Ta Da! :eek:

See what I mean? Let it rest at least two weeks and with the boxes opened, Cardboard is a great insulator and delays the acclimation.

Bill,
here's a scary story. Back in October I had a big flooring job to do for a customer. I was to rip out 450 square feet of ceramic tile and replace it with marble. Also, there was 450 s.f. of carpet that they had removed and they wanted hardwood installed in its place. I gave them a price and they wanted me to get going right away. To make a long story short, this customer was a complete pain in the rear and was being completely unreasonable. I told him that I needed a minimum of two weeks for the job and that's if there were no problems. We'll problems started right away and I worked for a five days just getting the tile removed and prepped for the marble. They had already had 450 feet of solid Brazilian Cherry delivered the day I started. But I told them they needed to let it acclimate for a minimum of two weeks anyway. That way by the time I was done with the tile, it would take me just 2-3 days to install the wood. Two days into the marble install, his wife saw the color of the Cherry next to the marble and decided she hated it. So they went out and bought another 450 feet of solid walnut! They delivered the new walnut on Friday evening. Over the weekend things came to a head and I quit the job because there was just no pleasing these people and I decided to cut my losses and get out. (First time I've ever done that on a job) I showed up at 8:00 Monday morning to get my tools out of there and he had two guys there starting to install the Walnut! I just shook my head and loaded up my tools and left. I just kind of under my breath said good luck to the guys and left. He is definitely going to have problems down the road!

You've got to let the wood acclimate before installing it!

John
 
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