| Have you ever wondered how to install hardwood | | | | For debris, just use your broom and dust pan to |
| floor panels to make your home beautiful inside? | | | | remove them. It's not such a big of a one-time task |
| There are many methods of installing hardwood | | | | when you consider the implications are pretty close |
| flooring currently in use. One of the best do it | | | | to permanent if you fail to remove them. |
| yourself hardwood floors is the floating hardwood | | | | -Installing a Floating Hardwood Floor |
| floor. The term floating doesn't refer to a floor that | | | | 1.Place your first panel in the corner with the ends |
| is sitting in liquid. Floating means that, while the floor is | | | | with a cavity in them towards the walls. |
| fastened to itself, it is not fastened down to the | | | | 2.Put a little bit of glue in the cavity of the next |
| subsurface. | | | | panel. |
| A floating hardwood floor has some disadvantages | | | | 3.Attach the next panel to the first panel quickly |
| you should be aware of before proceeding with your | | | | after step two. |
| installation. These floors will sometimes feel like you're | | | | 4.You may need to work with the rubber mallet |
| walking on a bubble. And, each bubble you step on | | | | gently to ensure that the two panels come together |
| will have a creaky sound. | | | | snuggly. If the wall gets in the way of the rubber |
| On the other hand, those bubbles give the floor a | | | | mallet, you can use your claw hammer to nudge it in |
| much softer feel than a well-fastened hardwood | | | | place. |
| floor. And, the floating floor is much easier to | | | | 5.Continue this until you get to the end of the row |
| maintain. Best of all, it is one of the cheapest types | | | | where you will need to mark off the excess length |
| of hardwood floors to install. | | | | of your last panel with the carpenter's crayon. Then |
| Before continuing with the installation of a floating | | | | cut the panel to fit using the circular saw. |
| hardwood floor, we highly recommend that you | | | | 6.Use the remaining piece of the panel to start the |
| consider using oak as your hardwood floor material. | | | | next row of hardwood. |
| Oak looks beautiful and provides lasting durability. | | | | 7.If you are using the glue, as in step two, you'll need |
| -Tools Needed to Install a Floating Hardwood Floor | | | | to be careful to get the entire adhesive off of each |
| Broom and Dust Pan - It is important to keep | | | | row as you complete it or it may do permanent |
| everything clean as you go. It is particularly important | | | | damage to the hardwood surface. |
| to keep the saw dust out from under and between | | | | 8.Make sure you fit your entire pieces well, especially |
| your panels where it can really throw things off kilter. | | | | the last corner piece. If you have fit everything |
| If it gets in there, there is no way to get it out | | | | together just right, your floor will be much more |
| without the very difficult process of hardware floor | | | | stable. And, it will look better after the next step. |
| disassembly. | | | | 9.Now you go around all of the room walls and place |
| Carpenter's Crayon - You'll have to cut up your | | | | the wall strips. You should nail these strips to the wall |
| panels to make them fit in the corners and make | | | | and to the floor. This will stabilize your floor. This will |
| them go around objects that cannot be removed | | | | also make the edges of your new floor look better. |
| from the room having the hardwood floor installed. | | | | -How to Install Floating Hardwood Floor - Clean Up |
| You may also want to use your carpenter's crayon | | | | As with any big woodworking project, you can |
| to mark a layout pattern of where to place your | | | | expect to have a mess as you go. There are such |
| flooring panels. | | | | debris as saw dust, cut splinters, glue spots, and |
| Circular Saw - Your saw is what you will use as you | | | | more. While you were trying to clean as you went, |
| cut along the lines you drew with your carpenters | | | | you should really do a final inspection and cleaning at |
| crayon. | | | | the completion of the project. You don't want any |
| Claw hammer - In most places, you will use a rubber | | | | saw dust or wood chips scraping across your new |
| mallet to help push the boards together, but in those | | | | floor before you even get to admire its smooth |
| places near the wall where you don't have enough | | | | shine. |
| room to swing the mallet, you can use the claw | | | | After your floor has had a day to settle you can |
| hammer to fit them together. | | | | clean it with a mildly wet mop to get everything else |
| Cushioning Surface - You can make your floating | | | | up that you might have missed. You need to dry the |
| hardwood floor feel even softer to the feet with the | | | | floor up right away after mopping, of course. |
| use of a cushioning surface under the floor. You | | | | Otherwise, your wood will swell and lumps will form. |
| would be shocked by the difference between a floor | | | | -Hindsight Tips for Installing Your Floating Hardwood |
| with the surface and a floor without the surface if | | | | Floor |
| you could try the two side by side. | | | | You do not need to be terribly careful with the |
| Cutter Knife - The cutter knife comes in handy in | | | | cushioning sheets. Don't spend all day trying to get |
| more places than you would expect as you work on | | | | exact measurements. As long as there are no major |
| your floor. But the main reason we recommend this | | | | overlaps or separations between them, your floor |
| tool is so that you can make minor cuts on the panel | | | | should be just fine. |
| ends when you just can't quite make them fit | | | | When you are working with your hardwood panels, it |
| together. | | | | is important not to rush. You should not be moving |
| Glue - Floating hardwood floors aren't supposed to be | | | | on and placing another panel until the current panel is |
| glued together. However, you might find you get | | | | completely and firmly connected to the other panels. |
| better results if you just put a bit of glue at the end | | | | But be very careful when using the rubber mallet and |
| of each panel as you connect them. Of course, this | | | | other tools on the panels not to cause surface |
| will mean you'll need to be very careful not to get | | | | damage. |
| any glue on your floor surface. | | | | The surfaces are quite fragile when they are not yet |
| Nails - You will need to nail the floating floor to the | | | | anchored in place. It is very hard to go back and fix |
| wall strips. It may help to use a drill to do pilot holes | | | | later if you missed a panel early in the installation |
| to prevent the wood from splitting, but if you're a | | | | process. |
| gambler, you can just hammer these nails in without | | | | Be careful when measuring your panels for cutting at |
| pilot holes. Most people do that anyways. | | | | the end of the row that you are marking off the |
| Rubber Mallet - The rubber mallet is what you use to | | | | right part of your panel for cutting. One of the most |
| fit the panels together at the joints. However, you | | | | common mistakes is to have the panel backwards |
| need to be very careful not to hit the panels too | | | | while measuring it and then end up with the wrong |
| hard and damage the panel surfaces. | | | | pieces being the lengths you need. Save yourself |
| -Preparing to Install Floating Hardwood Floor Panels | | | | some time and be careful. |
| Before you install your floating hardwood floor panels, | | | | -Feeling Good after You Install Your Floating |
| you need to get your cushioning sheet installed. You | | | | Hardwood Floor |
| can use your cutter knife to make it fit. Some people | | | | You have saved a lot of money by installing a |
| find that making it into many small pieces is much | | | | floating hardwood floor yourself. And, if you don't like |
| more manageable than trying to fit a large piece in | | | | it, you've chosen one of the easiest hardwood floors |
| the room. These pieces should be laid in the same | | | | to replace. But, of course you like it. |
| direction as your panel rows. | | | | Hardwood floors look great. And, your new floating |
| One of the nice parts of using a cushioning sheet is | | | | hardwood floor feels great too with its cushioning |
| that debris on the sheet or lumps in the surface | | | | surface. Your neighbor's glued down floor may not |
| below it have a less dramatic effect on the floor. | | | | creak much, but your neighbor's feet don't feel like |
| However, you should still try to get all of these | | | | they're floating when he walks on his floor. |
| straightened out to the extent you can see them. | | | | |