DIY Network

Hardwood Flooring Installation From "DIY to the Rescue" episode DTTR-307F

To bring a warm and exotic feel to the DeWitte's bedroom, the crew decides to start from the floor up. The old carpet will be removed and replaced with a warm cypress hardwood.

Materials:

For this Rescue, the crew used -

528 square feet of Autralian Cypress hardwood flooring
4-1/2 linear feet of square-edge trim
(4) 8' strips of quarter round
(2) 8' reducer strips for closet transitions
Safety glasses
Crowbar, pry bar and/or ripping chisel
Nail-puller or pliers
Circular saw (optional - for removing old flooring)
Hand or power saw (to cut boards to correct lengths)
Vacuum (optional)
Rubber mallet
Pneumatic nail gun (or hammer, drill and flooring nails)
Flooring nail gun (can be rented for about $50/day)
Flooring nails/staples
Table saw
Nail punch
Wood putty (to match floor color)
Measuring tape
Carpet-cutting tools (if necessary)

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1. First, determine how much hardwood you'll need for your particular area. Figure the square footage, then add 15-20% more to allow for damaged wood and installation problems. Then select the installation method: nail-down, glue-down or floating. Because the room in the this example has a sub-floor, the crew nailed the hardwood directly to the floor.

2. When the wood arrives, open the packages and let the wood acclimate to the temperature and humidity of the area in which you plan to install. The wood will expand and contract according to the moisture (or lack of moisture) in the air, so a few days of acclimation will allow for maximum contraction/expansion of the wood.

3. Next, weed out any discolored, damaged or broken pieces and be sure to check the tongue and groove areas to make sure they aren't damaged or irregular (preventing them from joining properly).

4. Remove old carpet and inspect the floor underneath. (The DeWittes had carpet with sub-floor underneath.) The sub-floor should always be level, flat and in good condition. If water damage is present, replace with clean, dry plywood. To remedy squeaks, screw a long drywall screw into the sub-floor and into the joist below.

5. If available, use a miter saw to cut the flooring to quickly produce a clean cut.

6. Begin the installation. Start at the end wall and move outward across the room. Position the groove edge flush against the wall, then move out to create a 1/2" expansion gap.

	Figure A
	Figure B

7. Set the new floorboard in place with the groove set into the tongue of the existing board (figure A). Use a rubber mallet to tap the board snugly in place. To secure, use a nail gun to nail through the tongue of the new board at a 45-degree angle, directly into the sub-floor at approximately 12" intervals.

8. When you have moved about two rows away from the wall, use a flooring nail gun to secure the boards (figure B).

9. Continue moving along, staggering the lengths of the boards and installing securely. Cut the last board to fit the space as close to the wall as possible. To install under a door jamb, simply measure the thickness and mark on the jamb. Use a saw, followed by a chisel, to remove that portion of the doorjamb that will allow the hardwood to be installed underneath (about 1/16" - 1/8").

10. Once finished, follow manufacturer's directions for the care and maintenance of your particular hardwood flooring.

Professional Floor Installation = $7,200
Cost of Materials = $5,300
Amount Saved by Doing It Yourself = $1,400

RESOURCES :

Bellawood Australian Cypress
Lumber Liquidators
Website: www.lumberliquidators.com