Quick Hardwood Flooring Installation Tips
If you have made the first move towards buying your hardwood flooring, chances are you might be worried about installing them. While it is always recommended to avail the services of a professional for installation purposes, it is nevertheless important to take care of the following steps, when it comes to the installation of hardwood flooring.
Quick hardwood flooring installation tips:
- Choosing the right type of wooden flooring: The first step in the installation process is to choose the right type of wooden flooring for your home or office. As a customer, you will always be spoiled for choices, since there are a lot of options available in the market. You can choose between solid oak flooring, or engineered oak flooring. Hardwood flooring is available in a series of different grain patterns, plank sizes as well as surface finishes. All these factors are extremely important, since you want your floor planks to fit in perfectly.
- Consider the footfall: At the time of choosing the type of hardwood flooring, you need to give ample thought to the footfall in the installation area. If you are expecting a lot of footfall, you would need a more durable hardwood flooring type, which can handle the foot traffic with ease. Otherwise, if you end up buying soft wood type flooring, you might have to change it eventually, as it would be unable to stand the pressure of the area.
- Acclimatize the wooden planks prior to installation: As soon as the flooring is delivered, you need to get the planks acclimatized to the current temperature and moisture in your area. Hardwood, being a natural product, will expand and contract as per its surrounding areas, in response to the changes in the heat and the humidity content within the area. This way, you can reduce the risk of expansion and contraction of the wooden planks, post installation.
- Read the flooring instructions carefully: Hardwood flooring, if purchased from a reputed shop, will come with its own set of instructions for installation. It is extremely important for you to follow these instructions to the tee, to avoid any unwanted damages during the installation process.
- Using the right equipment to do your bidding: Hardwood flooring installation is not a child’s play; for this very reason, it is very important to ensure that the right equipment is available, before the installation itself. Consult a specialist to understand the type of equipment you would need to get the job done perfectly.
- Installing in the right direction: Hardwood flooring, being a natural product, shines when natural light falls on it. The beauty of the natural look and feel is accentuated, as soon as it comes in contact with the sunlight. With this thought in mind, you might want to install in the direction of the sunlight, so that there is maximum effect on the natural tones of the flooring.
- Leave space for expansion: Last but not the least; you need to leave enough space for expansion and contraction between each of the planks. As the seasons change, the wooden flooring will expand and contract, which makes it important to keep enough space between each plank, so that it does not bend upward or downward during seasonal changes.
These were some of the best hardwood flooring installation tips, which can help you during the installation process.