Choices In New Hardwood Flooring And How It's Installed

21 February 2023
 Categories: , Blog


Hardwood flooring has long been a popular option for homeowners. Wood floors have a classic look that never goes out of style and that goes with every type of decor. If you're planning to put in new hardwood flooring, you'll need to learn about the different kinds of wood flooring and what the installation process is like. Here are things to know. 

Choices To Make When Shopping For Wood Floors

Wood flooring has different looks depending on the type of wood and the way it's finished. You'll probably want to look at samples in person so you can find the right match for your home.

Another thing to consider is how hard the wood is. This might matter to you if you have big dogs or kids that could scratch softer species of wood. You'll probably find a hardness rating scale at the flooring store so you can compare types of flooring to get the best match for your lifestyle.

Another decision to make is if you'll buy solid wood or engineered wood planks. Engineered wood planks can be installed in basements, while solid wood can't. Also, engineered planks can float above an old floor while solid wood planks can't.

In addition, you need to choose if you want prefinished wood planks or if you want to have your hardwood flooring finished after it's installed. It's more convenient to install prefinished planks because you can avoid filling your home with fumes that make you leave your house for a day or two. You may need help from a flooring professional when making all of these decisions.

Things To Know About The Installation Process

Before installation begins, the planks need to rest in your home for a few days and acclimate to the temperature and humidity. The subfloor has to be prepared too. Old flooring has to be torn up unless you're going to float engineered planks. The subfloor has to be level and in good condition. If there is damage, it should be repaired so the surface is smooth and level.

Before the contractor starts putting the boards down, they'll probably open boxes and mix the boards to ensure good color distribution. They may put underlayment down to control water vapor and then they are ready to start installing the planks. Hardwood flooring is usually secured with nails using a floor-nailing machine.

Once all the flooring is installed, it has to be finished unless you buy prefinished planks. Finishing involves sanding with a drum sander using different sizes of grit until the floor is smooth. Then, all the dust has to be cleaned up. After that, the hardwood flooring contractor can add stain, primer, and sealer.

The finishing process might take a few days, so you may need to stay out of your home for several days starting at the beginning of the flooring installation and ending once the fumes from finishing the floor have had time to air out.

Contact a local hardwood flooring service to learn more. 


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