Installation
Wood Flooring installation in NYC from americantrustflooring.com
DIY Tips For Floating Installation Of Wood Flooring
A floating wood floor simply means that the actual panels are not secured to the floor underneath, but is kept together by its normal fastening of the tongue and groove. This can be an ideal way to lay flooring as it allows for movement due to ranging temperatures, and it is also very easy to take up if any mistakes are made, you wish to change the floor, of if just one panel gets damaged over time.
Some people however do not like this type of installation in New York as it can feel like the flooring is moving or uneven whilst walking on it. On the plus side this is the cheapest type of flooring to lay and can actually be the easiest. Typically this type of installation is best used for laminate flooring, and can be laid straight from the box.
The first thing you need to do is to make sure that you place some form of soft underlay, this helps to soften the movement when the floor is walked upon. Many people like to place a couple of layers down, this can include a first layer of foam underlay which is quite thin, then place fibre board underlay on top of this; his provides you with a more even surface too. You do not need to take long laying this down; just ensure that there are no large gaps and that it is not overlapping.
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You will need to make sure that all furniture is out of the room first and that the underlay boards are clean, dirt and dust free. The most important thing is using spacer blocks; these are used to ensure there is a gap around the edge of the walls, to allow for movement of the flooring.
First off you need to start in the top corner of the room, put a space block at the top and the edge of the skirting where your first panel is going to be, ensuring that the groove side of the panel faces the wall.
You will be working in rows going down the room, so with the next panel, connect the tongue and groove together at the end, make sure to place a space block against the wall. You may need to use a knocking block and a rubber mallet to knock the panels together, to ensure a tight fit. Continue the row like this.
You will probably find that the last panel needs cutting, make sure you mark the wood on the underside, using a pencil or crayon and a ruler. You also want to use a circular saw if possible to cut the panel; this is where you need to take care, as the remaining cut panel will be used to start the next row. This is important to create a staggered effect and looks great; it also stops any wasting of the panels too.
You then carry on this process, working each row, what you need to take with, is making sure the panels go together securely and that they are interlocked correctly. You may need to take your time getting this right but it will be worth it in the end.
Posted on January 21st, 2013 by anagyz in | Comments Off.
