Anyone ever lay hardwood floor?

[Diamonds]

I am thinking about attempting it myself...

 

What are some tips? Pitfalls? Would anyone show me how to do a few planks as training?

 

EDIT - it is nail down

 

EDIT - it's pre finished

 

EDIT - There would be about 3-4 feet to "feather it" to the kitchen

Edited May 6, 2010 by Diamonds

[EVILGTP98]

Nail or glue down, I recommend nail, much better in my opinion, always nail into your groove side, face nail your first piece you start with and stagger your joints, cut a few pieces to your joints dont align. That will cause a weak spot if your joints are all in a row. Go to lowes and get you a roll of red rasin(sp) paper, 500 sq ft bout 11 bucks, keeps it from squeking. I have also heard of installers using baby power spread around before install to help with squiking boards. Never done it personally but it seems sound. Thats bout it, be prepared for a sore back and invest in some knee pads. good luck.

[evan9381]

i can check with the guy thats helping me do my kitchen now. the only thing he doesnt do is carpet and HVAC. if youre interested, i can hook you up with him. hes always looking for side work as he doesnt have anything permanent right now.

[spankis]

I've done 5 rooms and a foyer in my parent's house with my dad. Some of the more recent stuff by myself once I figured it out, and it really isn't bad. We bought one of the nailers you hit with sledge hammer, although you can get pneumatic ones as well. The tool basically applies pressure to squeeze the board you're nailing against the already-laid boards while simultaneously nailing it down. Produces a much tighter fit than other methods.

 

Really though, other than that a miter saw is about all you need, and maybe a jig saw to fit boards around any weird angles your room may have. After doing it, I'd never pay somebody else.

 

^^^This all applies to pre-finished flooring. I've never done a raw floor that you then stain after it's laid or whatnot.

[Dave1647545494]

prefinished or unfinished?

 

we always used tar paper (roofing felt) under hardwood

 

my experience with the prefinished is that it chips and knicks easy, but once its down your done clean up the mess and move on

 

with unfinshed you can fix mistakes easier but you'll need to sand and finish it after it installed we always contracted out the finish part one wrong swoop with that sander and all your hard work goes down the drain you'll have extra time in it this way 2 days sanding and probably another week to put the finish on the floor and have it hard cure

 

you can't go wrong it looks nice either way

[TurboGoKart]

Do NOT get one of the nail guns you have to hit really hard. The ones you hook up to the air compressor are the best.

 

If it were my house, I would use 3/4" wood. It's solid stuff. I worked for a general contractor for 4yrs doing interior remodeling. I've done a number of hardwood floors, and the kitchen/living room in my own home. DON'T go to Lumber Liquidators for your wood. I've had nothing but baaad experience with them on every job we used it. I have 3/4" red oak in my house.

 

Make sure you chalk a line down the room so that you have something to measure off of to make sure all your rows (especially the first few) are running true.

 

Prep the subfloor. Make sure all nails/staples are out of the subfloor/floor you are covering. Also, get rid of any existing 'lips' before you lay the hardwood. You'd be amazed at what you notice after the floor is down.

 

You can use red rosin paper like above, or you can get a roll of tar paper. Don't overlap the tar paper or rosin paper. Again, the whole lip thing. Staple the paper down to the floor before you start running the wood.

 

As a general rule, we would make sure our joints weren't closer than 6". It keeps the floor looking nice, as well as holds it all together much better.

 

Get a flush cut/undercut saw for the door jambs. Don't cut the wood around the door jambs. Grab a scrap piece and mark how far up the jamb/door trim the wood goes, then give about 1/16" or so extra so you can slide the wood under what you cut out. It's a much nicer look.

 

On your first few rows, you'll notice that you can't use the pneumatic floor stapler because the handle hits the wall. You'll need a finish nailer for that. I always shoot nails straight down on the ends of the wood, but only the ends against a wall lol. The rest of those first few rows, just angle the gun at about a 45* angle, on top of the tongue and fire!

 

You want to have the groove against the wall you're starting on, and the tongue side should be seen as you are laying the wood. Reason is b/c that's what the pneumatic floor stapler needs to staple the wood down.

 

 

I think that's it. Lol.

[Otis Nice]

Anyone ever lay hardwood floor?

 

Tried once. Got splinters.

[BigZach]

Do NOT get one of the nail guns you have to hit really hard. The ones you hook up to the air compressor are the best.

 

If it were my house, I would use 3/4" wood. It's solid stuff. I worked for a general contractor for 4yrs doing interior remodeling. I've done a number of hardwood floors, and the kitchen/living room in my own home. DON'T go to Lumber Liquidators for your wood. I've had nothing but baaad experience with them on every job we used it. I have 3/4" red oak in my house.

 

Make sure you chalk a line down the room so that you have something to measure off of to make sure all your rows (especially the first few) are running true.

 

Prep the subfloor. Make sure all nails/staples are out of the subfloor/floor you are covering. Also, get rid of any existing 'lips' before you lay the hardwood. You'd be amazed at what you notice after the floor is down.

 

You can use red rosin paper like above, or you can get a roll of tar paper. Don't overlap the tar paper or rosin paper. Again, the whole lip thing. Staple the paper down to the floor before you start running the wood.

 

As a general rule, we would make sure our joints weren't closer than 6". It keeps the floor looking nice, as well as holds it all together much better.

 

Get a flush cut/undercut saw for the door jambs. Don't cut the wood around the door jambs. Grab a scrap piece and mark how far up the jamb/door trim the wood goes, then give about 1/16" or so extra so you can slide the wood under what you cut out. It's a much nicer look.

 

On your first few rows, you'll notice that you can't use the pneumatic floor stapler because the handle hits the wall. You'll need a finish nailer for that. I always shoot nails straight down on the ends of the wood, but only the ends against a wall lol. The rest of those first few rows, just angle the gun at about a 45* angle, on top of the tongue and fire!

 

You want to have the groove against the wall you're starting on, and the tongue side should be seen as you are laying the wood. Reason is b/c that's what the pneumatic floor stapler needs to staple the wood down.

 

 

I think that's it. Lol.

 

I have both these items if you want to use them .... it would have to be on a weekend though lmk

[smokinHawk1647545499]

i laid unfinished wood floors in my weight room.

i used the foam underlying stuff to prevent the squeaks.

i got the non pneumatic nailer, which works well because you have to bang it in to but the planks up together close, if you use a pneumatic one i am curious how you get it as tight.

though it is a bit of work with all that nailing, but if your a man you wont wuss out.

also its hard to use the nailer when you get close to the walls and stuff so a finish nailer would help (i didnt have one and just drilled and hand nailed it)

 

doesnt take much work, sanding it after you install it, i just got a drywall sander stick and smoothed out a little, doesnt need much if you installed it right and didnt you complete junk flooring. staining and lacquering wasnt to difficult either.

[Diamonds]

what about attempting to "feather" it into the kitchen that is already laid with hardwood.

 

Also, would anyone be willing to demonstrate (paid of course) it for me and teach me and then leave me to my own devices?

[evan9381]

i sent you a PM. my buddys main thing is finishing, and he is a perfectionist to no end. its actually gotten to the point with a couple things where im like "i don't see this "issue" you're talking about", but he sees it and gets it to where its exactly as it should be

 

if you're interested, you can stop by my house tomorrow and see the work me and him (mostly him with me helping...i dont know how to do this shit) have done in my kitchen (took out a wall, put in new flooring, cabinets, bunch of other stuff). im less than a mile from easton at morse/sunbury.

 

edit -- theres pics on here in my kitchen remodel thread, but to see some of the stuff, and how flush things sit that i would have never even thought to do, you'd have to see it up close and in person..

[truckin]

Whats the height difference between the floors? Best way is to use underlayment to desired height and then put tar paper over it.