Solid Hardwood Flooring

scarrylarry

Okay fellas, I have some questions on this topic, so please bear with me here.
I would consider myself handy, I usually research things quite a bit before I tackle them and lately have been asking questions on this site. I buy books pertaining to the subject I want to tackle, sometimes many books, search the internet, blah,blah.
So I have just about decided I'm going to tackle laying down hardwood flooring in our bedroom. I just ordered a book and dvd on the subject.

Would you tackle this as a DIY project? I'm very picky and like to do things the right way. I try to be an attention to detail sort of guy.
So let's hear what you think, I'm all ears.

Thanks
scarrylarry

scarrylarry

No replies?Was it something I said?
Thanks
scarrylarry

Shamus

I guess it all comes down to your level of experience and tools.

You are obviously serious about doing this and there is really no reason why anyone with the patience and some research shouldn't try it.

Pay attention to the subfloor. What is it made of, the age and strength and is it flat. Your end result will mimic the subfloor.

Measure and layout the room. They are typically not the box they appear to be. Often walls are not parallel. Do make sure you leave the recommended gap between the flooring and walls to allow for expansion.

To avoid a common mistake measure often before you cut and do your best to use up those short cut pcs on the ends of the rows.

If your handy around the house you've probably tackled everything from plumbing to electrical to woodworking projects. Why not a new floor?

Best of luck and be safe.

__________________
Shamus

firehawkmph

Scarry,
I don't think a single room would be too awful bad. I can think of a lot harder projects. Just follow the manufacturers recommendations as far as clearance around the edge, underlayment, fastening, etc. If you can measure and snap a line and follow directions, you should be fine.
Mike Hawkins

Jim F

I too am very picky and I do make small mistakes in my finish work that show. I find that my dissapointment in my workmanship is offset by the satisfaction I get in doing the job myself.

scarrylarry

Thanks you three for your replies,I was getting worried I might have said something wrong, LOL! I will post up a couple of more questions tomorrow.
Thanks Again
scarrylarry

houseinthewoods

I picked up a pneumatic floor nailer from Harbor Freight on sale for around $100. I had pretty low expectations, but it turns out to work very well. Only had a couple of jams, and they weren't too tough to clear.

I bought prefinished oak from Lumber Liquidators (also on sale), and it was very nice to work with. Straight, great finish, and appears to hold up well.

My finish nailer didn't have the oomph to nail down the first row of flooring, so I drilled and hand nailed it down. Set the nails below the surface, and a dab of putty makes the hole disappear. Once the first couple of rows were down, the floor nailer made fast work of the bedroom. Just be sure you get a nice, straight line snapped down for the first row.

The only casualties to the project were my knees and back. Lots of up and down. You really need a partner to pick through the stock of boards, and keep them laid out ahead of you as you nail them down.

scarrylarry

I have heard that a helper makes the job go a lot easier,so thanks for confirming that for me.
scarrylarry

canadaclub

Hardwood isn't really that much harder than laminate except you need a nailer. My best advice is to get the first row absolutely perfect. The way i do this is run a chalk line then lay a full course to follow it. ( leave a slight gap..say 1/4 inch) but don't nail it yet...apply adhesive like PL to the undersides of the planks. Next, run a second course and maybe even a third (again no nails) Be sure the planks are completely secured with no bows and no gaps. Then take a brad nailer and nail the first course at the edge where the b/b and q/r will cover. This will secure it for the rest of the planks.

Remove the second and third courses and re-install with the nailer. You will have to use a brad nailer for the first few courses until you have room for the floor nailer. Again, apply PL to these planks, and angle the nailer so that it nails into the grooved edge (not the top). After that, the rest is a breeze.

One more thing, obvious but worth noting, make sure the plank ends do not end up side by side anywhere, even through 4 or 5 courses.

I hope I explained that properly...I am trying to type a picture in my head

liquidvw

I just did my first floor and it wasn't too difficult. pic's here. I found that this guide was really helpful. You'll need a compressor, a flooring nailer, a finish nailer. I bought both nailers from harbor freight. Both worked great. Also, a flooring jack was a big help. Good luck. I had a lot of fun doing mine and I'm going to do more rooms now that I know I can do it.

buddy75

handy man can do it have a good serface keep boards tight togeather pleanty of glue and keep presure on floor to let floor set good

scarrylarry

Thanks to both of you for the good information you have provided me!!
Canadaclub I know your location is Ontario and I am in B.C. but did you deal with a national retailer for your hardwood?
Again
Thank You
scarrylarry

canadaclub

Nice job VW..saw the pics, but a question...

Why the transition strip when course is continuous?

Usually I use a scrap piece and a mallet to secure the planks. A hammer is no good because the strike is too hard and can shift the previous courses. The pneumatic nailer secures pretty fast.

liquidvw

Thanks for the nice words. By transition strip, I guess you mean the piece of wood that runs between the door jams? That was there prior to me starting. The 1.5" wood came with house. The 2 1/4" is the new stuff. Are you saying you would have removed this strip prior to installing the new floor?