【Flooring basics chapter (III)】More on the Basic Installation Process
There are several different techniques for installing Hardwood Floors. Which one is chosen generally depends on what kind of sub-floor you have, based on the house platform, i.e. slab or pier & beam.
Let’s
imagine an hardwood floor install in a classic pier and beam home, frequently found
in older parts of Dallas and Ft. Worth. In this design, the sub-floor straddles
beams that run across the foundation, keeping your floor above the ground. In
most cases, though not all (depending on the age of the house), the sub-floor
is some sort of plywood.
If
this is the case, we first make sure the plywood base is sturdy and thick
enough to handle the kind of flooring desired. That is, can it take and hold
the nails that will attach the floor to it? This is usually the case, but needs
to be checked.
The
installer will then lay down a moisture barrier, usually roofing felt and
perhaps an additional plastic sheeting if there tends to be moisture issues
under the house. After that, the hardwood flooring is laid out in a proximate
design, mixing long and short boards and different shades in an eye-pleasing
pattern. When these pieces look right, the flooring is nailed into the
sub-floor, one piece at a time, interlocking them with the tongue-&-groove
to make a smooth surface.
As
the floor in installed, a gap is left on the perimeter approximately a quarter
of an inch wide. This is to allow the floor to “breathe,” that is, expand and
contract with the weather and the humidity. So, following the nail-down, the
gap is covered with a baseboard or a quarter-round.
If
it is a pre-finished floor, the job is done (after clean-up, of course). If it
is a raw hardwood, then we move on to the finishing, which we will discuss at
another time.
Next:
Gluing down a floor!
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