Step 1: Watch an Overview Video

Step 2: Learn the Basics of Traditional Hardwood

• Boards made of solid wood such as North American oak, maple, hickory, and ash, plus exotic hardwoods from around the world like bamboo and teak

• Widths are generally 2 1/4 to 4 inches

• Thicknesses vary from 5/16 to 3/4 inch

• Perimeter expansion gaps are generally equal to board thickness

• Plywood subfloor must be nailed or screwed to joists to prevent squeaks and movement

• Depending on style, traditional hardwoods can be nailed to plywood or glued on concrete

• With the proper moisture barrier, bamboo flooring can be glued to concrete

Step 3: Learn the Basics of Handscraped Hardwood

• Rustic finish with character

• Created by hand with wood scraping tools

• Great for areas of heavy traffic

• Surface isn’t perfectly smooth so accommodates wear from pets and children

Step 4: Learn the Basics of Engineered Hardwood

• Also called 'laminated wood flooring' but is NOT a laminate

• Can be used in almost any room

• Most are pre-finished

• Made of several wood plies stacked in opposite directions and glued together

• Ranges in thickness from 1/4 to 1/2 inch

• Top layer is usually finer wood

• Can be stapled, nailed, or floated over kitchen vinyl and plywood or glued over concrete

Tip: For best warranty, DO NOT MIX-MATCH PRODUCTS; use adhesives and moisture barriers from same product line

• Comes in varying widths for unique look

• When gluing over concrete, trowel-on a urethane moisture barrier first.

• Engineered flooring’s stability or moisture tolerance makes it ideal for basements and kitchens

Step 5: Learn the Basics of Plank Hardwood

• Engineered flooring 6 or 7 long and as wide as 7 inches

• Made of 2 to 3 rows of thin hardwood strips spliced together to form solid surface

• Can be glued, stapled, or floated

• Can be installed over wide variety of subfloors including concrete and basement floors

Step 6: Learn the Basics of Floating Engineered Hardwood

• Floating floors generally click together and float above the subfloor instead of being nailed or glued into place.

• Only products with locking edges will click together

• Tongue and Groove styles can be edge-glued and floated

• Floating wood floors make an excellent choice over radiant heat, concrete, linoleum, and hard-to-remove or repair surfaces

• Never secured directly to the substrate

Step 7: Acclimate the Flooring

All hardwood flooring must be acclimated to the installation space for at least 1 to 2 days.

All hardwood expands and contracts with temperature and moisture; always allow expansion space.

Tips:

• Choose a pre-finished hardwood and you’ll never have to seal the floor.

• Always use moisture barriers over cement, ceramic tiles, kitchen vinyl and other non-porous surfaces.