How To Install Hardwood Flooring On Wood Subfloor

Wood floor installation requires a level subfloor and that your hardwood flooring is acclimated to the room s humidity and temperature according to the manufacturer s guidelines.

How to install hardwood flooring on wood subfloor.

For instance solid hardwood flooring is typically nailed down during installation while tongue and groove engineered flooring is usually clicked together or completely glued down. Measure the length and width of the room and. Installation of a wood floor over the subfloor insinuates acceptance by the flooring installer. Before we get started with how to install hardwood floors let s cover a few basics.

The subfloor must be clean dry flat structurally sound squeak free and clear of any surface bumps or fasteners. Most wood flooring goes on a typical raised wood framed subfloor that is surfaced with plywood or osb oriented strand board subflooring panels. Depending on the product you re installing you may need to install a wood subfloor over the slab. Hardwood flooring is solid wood cut from the tree.

The first is to lay two layers of 3 8 inch plywood over the slab without fastening or gluing them to the slab. The key to a beautiful long lasting hardwood or laminate floor is a well prepared subfloor. When nailing down a wood floor the subfloor should be flat to within 1 4 in 10 or 3 16 in 6. Before you install your plywood subfloor first calculate the room s square footage to find out how much flooring you ll need to buy.

Whether you re going on to install hardwood ceramic tile or laminate one of the most important steps of any flooring project is making sure the subfloor foundation is level. Level floors are critical for reducing gaps between the flooring material and substrate and preventing sagging and other structural complications. Laminate planks snap together and float above a subfloor which means tiny subfloor imperfections are okay although again a level subfloor will help prevent damage. Hardwood floors are beautiful last a lifetime and are easy to install.

Preparing subfloor for hardwood flooring. The type of installation you choose will depend on your subfloor budget lifestyle and the type of wood flooring you select. To level a subfloor for installing laminate follow the directions above to remove high and low spots. With no special tools you can go from subfloor to breathtaking in as little as a day.

It is the responsibility of the flooring installer to assess and address substrate flatness before installation. Do this by multiplying the room s length by its width. To learn how to do this watch prepping plywood subfloors. Before you get started installing any hardwood or laminate flooring you ll first want to measure the room you re going to be installing the flooring into and then checking the flooring you re going to install to see what the square footage coverage is per box.