For most consumers this is the tough part. They give little consideration to the actual installation. They assume that the installer knows his business and will do a good job completing the installation. Sometimes the store were you purchase the hardwood will recommend an installer that they like to deal with. This is probably your best choice. Since he is associated with the store . You can take advantage of this relationship if there is any kind of problem with the installation itself.
Consumers may want to learn more about the installation so that they can save themselves some money. In addition also ensure that they are totally happy with the installation when it is completed. For example the biggest complaint that many people have after their floor is installed is about squeaks the floor makes when you walk across it. As the floor dries out the floor will move a little bit and gaps sometimes form. When a person walks across the floor, the wood will move and make that squeaking noise that can be irritating to some. There are methods consumers can use to minimize the squeaks.
Wood Flooring Installation – Eliminate Squeaking Floors
You can never reduce or eliminate all of the squeaking. But you can certainly reduce the amount of squeaking if you take appropriate steps. Make sure that the sub floor is strong enough to support the wood floor that is being installed. Also that the sub floor is securely nailed to the joists below. For example your sub floor should be at least 5/8 inches in thickness to support the hardwood floor. It also should hold the nails that will be used to nail the wood floor to it. Assuming that the thickness is sufficient, consumers should make sure that the sub floor is nailed to the joists securely. Place a nail every 12 inches to make sure there is no opportunity for the sub floor to move. Many people will screw nail the floor as well. Place a screw nail beside every nail.
If your sub floor is not sufficient thickness, you may have to add additional sub floor. Screw nail or nail it to the existing sub floor. Adding an additional sub floor layer and then the hardwood floor on top of that adds additional height to the floor. Which can be a problem when matching to other floors in other rooms. Consumers should take this into account when they are making their decisions. Discuss these requirements with the hardwood flooring stores. There are products that can be purchased that will bridge between floors . They will gradually slope from one floor to the other to provide a more gradual interface. Instead of an abrupt step from one floor to another.
Discuss How the Floor Will be Laid Out with the Installer
Discuss this issue and others with your flooring provider before you arrange for hardwood flooring installation. Also before the installer begins his installation, discuss how he plans to lay the floor out. A key decision is for the grain of the wood or the planks of the wood to be lain across the joists in the floor rather than in the same direction of the joists. You may have to confirm by looking in the basement to see which direction they are running. Also the boards should run the length of the hall rather than across a hall. This makes the room look larger when viewed from the beginning or entry point into the hall.
All of the above items that were discussed are easy to control and implement. It can make a huge difference in your long-term enjoyment of your new hardwood floor. For more information about installing hardwood floors, click here.
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I recently had my house reilbut as a result of losing it to a tornado. I didn't want to spend much effort at the time in choosing a contractor, I just wanted to get the project rolling so my wife and I could get our home back and our lives back on the right track! So I gave the job to a friend/contractor and started. The job ended up way over the initial cost discussed and I just wanted to throw out the facts and get some professional feedback for my piece of mind I guess. I will share some important facts so your feedback can be accurate.I live in LaGrange,GA about an hour and fifteen below Atlanta. The heated sq.ft. of the house is 2835. This person did do the pre-construction drawings and design pro bono. The finishes in the house are mainly above standard grade Large kitchen with Kraftmaid cabinets,granite tops and stainless steel appliances. All hardwood flooring throughout except for baths and entry hall finished with a 5$ per sq ft. tile. Master bath has a customized walk-in shower and 2nd bath has some small custom cabinet and shelving. The main living and kitchen area is a cathedral area with structural beams running both ways and they are wrapped with stained pine. Exterior doors were upgrades, entry being knotty alder finish. All interior doors are solid pine,stained and poly. All case and base trim is 1 4 and 1 6 staingrade pine. Closet shelving done in stained pine as well. Hardware for doors is oil rubbed bronze finish throughout. The attic trusses were designed for storage and it is decked with plywood and has pull down stair access. There are three full baths in total.Exterior is finished with hardi plank with miratech trim. All windows are low e and aluminum cladded. Most are twins with some in living area being casement. The main entry was upgraded to stack rock step fronts and flagstone treading. The landing and walkway has flagstone as well. The exposed foundation was finished with stack rock as well(65%)Overall we are very happy with the final product and I must say that the workmanship is excellent.But I just want to feel good about the whole thing entirely and needed to get some feed back on the financial part. The project ended up costing a total of $256,000.000Any professional comments would be appreciated!Thanks for great comments so far! I also forgot to mention that the contractor spent the first week and a half or so on demolition and removal of what was left from the original house.