When you decide to build or remodel your home, hardwood flooring installation is an option that is much less expensive than it was before, due to the variety of options that exist, both in natural and artificial wood. The most collective suggestion is to hire a professional to do the installation repairs and maintenance.

Why hardwood flooring installation

Artificial woods have the advantage that they require much less care than natural ones, especially since most of them are laminated. They have plastic protection that prevents scratches, chips, and stains. Its installation is quite simple since it does not require natural wood floors' preparation.

If you choose to lay natural floors, the first thing you need to know is that the height of all your floors will increase, as space needs to be left between the floor and the plank floor. This has the purpose of allowing the wood to breathe. In other words, that it circulates in the air on both sides of it. Otherwise, the lower part of the boards can be filled with fungi, which will spread throughout the wood. The base for laying the wood must be perfectly level to avoid delays and last-minute corrections.

One of the factors that can most affect wooden floors is the humidity of the environment, especially that of the land. It often happens that the wood cracks or grooves open between the boards. This happens because the wood absorbs the moisture from the floor, which seeps through the concrete. It is possible to adapt to avoid the infiltration of humidity, such as waterproofing the floor before laying the boards or opting for artificial floors, at least on the first floor, since these types of problems do not usually occur on the second floors and above.

Sometimes the wood will crack because the boards were not dry enough at the installation time. It is important to ensure that the wood being used is ready to be laid. Otherwise, it is better to rest for a few weeks, sometimes up to a month. To avoid delays in the construction or remodeling of your home, it is worth taking these recommendations into account before starting any project.

Type of hardwood flooring installation:

Hardwood flooring installation with a frame

It is recommended that an installation be carried out for solid floors and when the surface conditions are not in good condition due to humidity, bumps, or level. The staves are attached directly to this wooden or aluminum bed.

Floating hardwood flooring installation

The staves will be glued together and rest on a polyfoam base (under a floor). Every time a plank is placed, it is important to apply pressure between one and the other with a plastic mallet to make the placement as firm as possible, without leaving gaps between one and the other, and they can be better fixed to each other. As in glued installation, it is recommended to manage 9mm of expansion on all four walls of the room to absorb the expansion and contraction of the wood on all four sides. Position the necessary trim according to the installation needs of the room.

Glued hardwood flooring installation

It is recommended in the case of a glued installation, in the case of engineered wood, in which the staves will be glued to the surface -concrete, granite, terrazzo, marble- with solvent-based contact adhesive. It is essential to leave a 9 mm expansion joint on the four walls of the room as an expansion space which will be covered with the quarter round molding to absorb the expansion and contraction of the wood on all four sides.

Every time a plank is placed, it is important to apply pressure between one and the other with a plastic mallet to make the placement as firm as possible, without leaving gaps between one and the other and it can be better fixed to the surface.

Once the hardwood flooring installation of your floor is finished, it is recommended to clean the area, sweep or vacuum all the dust generated, and then apply a professional wood floor cleaner with a semi-damp cloth.