What You'll Need
The typical tool list for hardwood floor
installation includes the following: a hammer, nail set, framing square,
tape measure, pencil, drill motor and bits, pry bar, chalk line, and a
skill saw, chop saw or table saw. A power nailer is an optional tool
that you may also find helpful with your installation.
Choose Your Flooring
Hardwood flooring comes in a wide variety of color and size options, everything from 2-inch strips to 10-inch planks, and in finished and unfinished versions. Today's flooring is available in both hardwood and softwood surfaces, so you can choose the color and grain that are just right for your home. Bamboo, oak, birch, maple, pecan and southern pine are just a few of the options available. Spend ample time examining your choices and talking to flooring merchants before making your final choice.Measuring Your Room
Most rooms are not exactly square. If all corners are exactly 90 degrees, then a room is said to be square. First, check all corners with a carpenter's square or framing square. If you remember the Pythagorean Theorem from geometry, then we will use the 3-4-5 right triangle to check the square of the room. To confirm that a corner is 90 degrees, measure 4 feet along the first wall and make a mark, measure three feet along the second wall and make a mark. The diagonal line connecting them, also known as the hypotenuse, should be 5 feet if it's square. Move around the room checking each corner. Measure each wall's width. If the room is more than a half-inch out of square, then we can adjust for that. If only one wall is out of square, then plan to lay the flooring perpendicular to that wall.Installing the Vapor Barrier
Remove the base shoe and baseboards from the room. If there are squeaks in the subfloor, then repair them by screwing a drywall screw through the subfloor and into the floor joist. Add screws as needed until the subfloor is solid and squeak free.If the subfloor is in good condition, then sweep or vacuum thoroughly and cover the floor with a layer of 15-pound builder's felt or red rosin paper, perpendicular to the direction of the flooring. This forms a vapor barrier, protecting to flooring from moisture below the floor. Overlap each course of paper at least 4 inches and staple to the subfloor. Mark the location of floor joists and any layout lines on the paper or on the walls. Then, staple the edges of the paper next to the walls.
Installing the Flooring
Wood expands and contracts during the seasons of the year. To accommodate this, leave a minimum of 3/8 inch between the wall and the first flooring board. Set the first long board on the starting line with the grooved edge toward the wall. Starting at the center of the board, face nail with 8d finish nails at every joist. If there is danger of splitting the flooring, pre-drill a small pilot hole for each nail. Set the heads of the nails below the face of the flooring with a nail set.After the first strip has been installed, lay out several rows of flooring and watch for warped or defective strips. Also, check the color and grain of each piece of flooring and arrange in the most pleasing order. The rest of the strips can now be nailed, at a 45-degree angle, through the tongue. When tongue-nailing, keep the nail head at the intersection of the tongue and edge of the flooring. If the nail is too high, then it will prevent the next board from closing the joint. Keep the end joints 4 to 6 inches apart, and work your way across the room. The rule of thumb is to nail every 10 to 12 inches. Always check the manufacturer's suggestions for nailing schedules and size of nails.
When planning the end joints, note that one end has a tongue and one end has a groove. This is referred to as "end matching." Always cut the wall end of the flooring piece, not the groove that fits into the tongue.
To make the installation go quicker, consider renting a compressed air power nailer. When using a power nailer, you'll need to hand-nail the last several rows when approaching the opposing wall. If there is a narrow gap for the last board, then measure and rip the final board to fit next to the wall. This is best done with a table saw. But a skill saw can be used also - with appropriate care. Face-nail the last row and remember to leave a 3/8-inch gap for expansion.
Replace the baseboards and base shoe molding, fill nail holes and paint. Putty any nail holes that show on the flooring with color matched putty.