How to Install Hardwood Flooring and Keep Your Sanity

Thinking about doing your own hardwood flooring? Before you learn how to install hardwood flooring, you need to choose the type of flooring you want first. There are dozens of options for kinds of flooring these days, some of which are installed traditionally, and some of which snap together.

If you decide to use laminates or snap-together hardwoods, you'll find that the kits come with their own instructions. For traditional hardwood flooring, there are several steps to follow.

You need to put down the flooring base first. You want the subfloor to be dry, clean, and level. Before you begin, remove the baseboards.

You want the wood to get acclimated to your house first, so whether you pick up the flooring yourself or have it delivered, time it so that it all gets stacked somewhere in your house for a few days or so. Unless you let the wood adjust to your home environment, it won't fit properly. This is because wood reacts to different humidity levels and temperatures by expanding and contracting.

While you're figuring out how to install hardwood flooring, determine which direction the floor joists/supports run. Once you do that, mark the position at the base of the walls so you have a handy reference. Now you'll need to layer the top of the subfloor with 15-pound asphalt felt.

This does a few things for you: It protects the flooring from moisture and minimizes squeaking and creaking. If you're installing the hardwood floor in your bathroom or kitchen, this step is especially important.

To indicate the position for your first board, mark the centerline of your room. When installing, leave a 1/2-inch gap at the walls.

To avoid marring and indenting your wood with your hammer, make sure to use a nail set when you finish hammering in each nail. Even if you're using a pneumatic flooring nailer, you should nail the first three boards or so by hand. This helps prevent things from shifting.

As projects go, learning how to install hardwood flooring isn't a difficult task. But it is a precise project, and it will take time.