Ok, so you need a change of pace. Maybe you’re tired of light birch floors. Maybe your old hardwood is falling apart, and it’s too sad to look at anymore. Or, maybe you decided to tear up all your carpet and didn’t like what you found. Hey, it happens to the best of us.
Whatever your reason is for wanting to tear apart your floor, we can help you pick up the pieces. With a little DIY, you can make your empty floor space something to be proud of. Yeah, you heard us- DIY. You’ve got what it takes to make your home look brand new, no crews required.
Plus, skipping the hired help will save you a lot of money on your remodel. So, let’s get into it. Here’s two easy methods for your DIY hardwood installation.
No matter your experience level, it's first important to consider what your situation is. Not every hardwood can be applied to all subfloors. So, we ask you this- what’s under your floor?
If you’re dealing with cement, tile, or a floor with radiant heat, you’re in luck. You qualify for click-lock installation (also known as floating installation). This method is less messy because it’s done with boards that magically snap into place, and it’s forgiving too! Totally easy to pick up planks and rearrange them if you make a mistake, or decide you don’t like how it looks as you’re installing it.
If you’ve got a concrete subfloor, you’ll want to use the glue-down method. Glue-down is great because you won’t have to spend extra money on buying a vapor barrier, and it’s pretty simple as well.
No matter which installation method is right for you, you’re going to have to do some similar prep steps.
For starters, make sure you let your newly bought wood acclimate to your house. Open up the boxes and let your wood air out. That way, the wood will get used to your home’s temperature, and your new floor won’t buckle.
Once your wood is ready, it’s time to get your subfloor ready. You’ll want to ensure that the subfloor is clean, dry, and flat. Yes, that might require some sanding or filling if you discover your floor isn’t flat.
You’ll also want to undercut around your door frames to make sure that there's plenty of room for your new floor. That way, the floor will fit snugly into your door frame once it’s installed.
You’re also gonna wanna do a little math here. The mark of a rookie is having one edge of the floor be a normal width, and the other edge of the floor be super skinny. The reason is simple- it’s easy to get stuck with uneven boards if you don’t measure before you begin. So, do the work now. Take your floor space and divide by the width of the planks. Now, divide that by two. That number is the width for each of your edge planks. It’ll look a lot better this way, trust us.
Lastly, don’t forget to read the damn instructions! They’re in the box for a reason. Don’t let anyone on the internet claim that they know your wood better than it knows itself. Listen to your wood when it tells you what it needs.
By now, we’ll assume that you’re either surrounded by a clean subfloor and tons of temperature-acclimated wooden planks, or you’ve taken really good notes for your future project.
So now let’s dive in. Here’s what your chosen installation method is gonna look like in practice.
Because there are no fasteners in a floating project, you’ll want to shim and brace the flooring against the wall. Then, place the first board up against the mason line so that the groove side of the plank faces away from the walls.
Note, though, that as you’re placing the planks down, the ends are not click-lock. You’ll need to place the upper drop-lock end of the second plank onto the lower drop-lock end of the first plank.
Plus, you’ll need to cut the last plank to fit against the wall using a table saw. Be sure to leave about a half inch gap between the plank and the wall- that way, the wood can expand naturally without any issue.
Now, what’s great about the click-lock install is that you’ve only gotta nail down the first row. So, once the first row is all placed, simply drive in your flooring nails and countersink them.
After that, rinse and repeat with the other rows, just minus the nailing down. Be sure to stagger the boards as well so no two boards line up exactly.
Lastly, you’ll want to put on the finishing touches. This will include cutting wood pieces to fit around your heating vents, installing shoe molding (to cover that expansion gap), and installing any transition strips as needed.
If you need help visualizing all this, no worries! Here’s a helpful video.
For this method, you’ll need hardwood adhesive, an adhesive trowel, adhesive remover, and a rag. And, of course, your planks and saws.
You’ll want to layout your planks first, and arrange them into a pattern. Make sure you like the way they’re laid out- it’s going to be a lot harder to change the layout once a bunch of them are glued.
If you’re not happy with them, move them around while they’re still unstuck until you achieve a look you like. Remember to stagger the boards so no two boards end in the same place! Also, be sure to leave about a half inch expansion gap on all sides of the room. That way, the wood can expand naturally without any issue.
Now, start locking the planks together without glueing by connecting the tongues and the grooves. After that’s done, you can pick up the planks and start glueing. Hold the trowel at a 45 degree angle to get the right amount of adhesive spread.
Each time, you’ll want to spread the adhesive in small areas- only from the chalk line to the width of approximately two planks. That way, it won’t be able to dry before you apply your planks.
Place your first row of planks down with the tongues facing the starter wall. Once those planks are down, use your rag and either water or mineral spirits to wipe off the surface of the planks. (Note: don’t use water if you used urethane adhesives for the finish, though).
Next, spread another area of adhesive- again, no more than can be used in about 30-40 minutes. Line all the planks up, stick ‘em down, and wipe off the surface with your cleaner. Rinse and repeat for the other rows.
Once you’re done, stop there. You’ll need to let everything dry, so we recommend coming back for day two. On day two, you’ll install moldings and trim to finish off the floor. Plus, you’ll want to install any transition strips you may want between this room and the flooring of other rooms, as well.
Then, clean the floor one last time with a proper hardwood cleaner, and you’ve got yourself a room!
Or, if you’re feeling stuck, here’s a helpful video to help you visualize all this.
These two methods are pretty simple, and don’t require a lot of fancy tools. However, if you’re dying to get a chance to use that nail gun you bought a while ago, you can always try the nail-down method.
Above all, know that with some careful work and planning, you too can make a great floor. Projects can be stressful sometimes, so remember: give yourself plenty of construction time (ergo: not the day before Thanksgiving), be patient with yourself, and don’t be afraid to accept help. The power of a neighbor with a circular saw should never go overlooked. Happy renovating!
