Solid hardwood floors continue to be one of the more popular flooring options because wood adds warmth, charm, value, and style to any room in your home. In addition, hardwood flooring is durable and available in local and imported wood options.
There are two basic types of installation: nail-down, or staple-down. The type of installation method will depend on the existing subfloor. If no subfloor exists, one can be created with plywood. This, however, may increase the overall cost of the project a bit.
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Here are some things to note when considering a hardwood flooring project in Napa
- Make sure you’ve got the right amount of flooring for your space. Most manufacturers recommend a standard cutting/ordering allowance of 5 percent. You should also figure on up to 10% culling allowance if installed on a diagonal surface. Hardwood is sold in full case quantities, so round up when ordering.
- Install on or above grade.
- Always let hardwood acclimate in the room you’re installing it in for five days prior to installation. The recommended temperature of the room should be 65 degrees to 75 degrees Fahrenheit and recommended humidity levels should be 30 to 55 percent.
- Stack flooring log-cabin-style or just spread it around the room, but not directly on concrete.
- Given the variety of subfloor types, always refer to the installation guidelines for information specific to your hardwood flooring and subfloor type.
- Make sure you have a sturdy subfloor: Most 3/4-inch solid hardwood flooring can be installed using nails or staples over a wood subfloor. 3/4-inch CDX plywood is preferred.
- Often a floor will meet an obstruction such as a fireplace or counter. If so, miter boards to create a border that frames the obstruction. Position the boards so the tongue or groove mates with the rest of the floorboards. Cut off the tongue if it is on the edge that meets the obstruction. Install the rest of the floor as you normally would, fitting the pieces into the frame as you go.
- Safety is key. Be sure to use work gloves and knee pads to make installation safer and more comfortable.
- While many install methods are straightforward, some methods, such as nail-down require professional hardwood flooring installation, depending on your skill and comfort levels.
Here are the common steps your installer will take when prepping for a hardwood floor installation:
- Remove the baseboards in the room where the install will take place.
- Make sure the subfloor is level and smooth. He will sand down raised spots if necessary and fill low spots.
- Cover the floor with underlayment or a moisture inhibitor such as 15 to 30 lb asphalt-saturated felt or silicone vapor shield. Even if you have chosen waterproof hardwood, a moisture inhibitor will protect the floors and subfloors from spills and water vapor that rises from the ground beneath the foundation. As an added benefit the underlayment will also help muffle noise.
- Spread out floorboards for a while to get acclimatized.
- He will mark the walls to show the location of the floor joists.
- For added strength, he will run the strip flooring perpendicular to the floor joists.
- You might see him measuring and snapping a line or using a string to guide the installation of the first row. Then, at each end of the starting wall, he will measure out the width of the floorboard, plus 1/2-inch for the expansion gap between the flooring and the wall, and make a mark. However, don’t be surprised if you see him just using the longest, straightest wall as a guide.
- He will use his nail gun to drive nails into the marks and stretch mason’s line between them to create a straight guideline along the wall. Or, alternatively, he may snap a line on the floor with a chalk line.
- His experience will guide him to lay the hardwood planks according to room size and shape.
- He will begin by spreading the boards from several cases across the room. This is known as “racking the boards.” Flooring cases tend to be uniform in color and, if you don’t rack them, you will create noticeable light and dark areas on your floor. Mixing boards from different packages allow for greater shade and color variation.
- Once the floor is in place he will proceed with applying the top finish.
As you can see there are many steps involved in installing a hardwood floor and requires a process, not to mention many hours on your knees. Since the fruit of your labor is evident for many years to come, laying hardwood floors is best left to professionals. Pick one that has his own source of flooring materials, a crew that has many years of experience and can help you select the best wood and finish for your unique situation. Such a provider is West Coast Floor Company in Napa and Vallejo. You can call them for a design consultation in their showroom – open by appointment only – to keep you safe and get their undivided attention.
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