Generally there are two kinds of people who can install wood flooring in your house: you and the specialists. Yes, that’s right, oftentimes you don’t need professionals to lay wood flooring!
You can do it yourself, providing that you know what exactly you are going to do, as there are at least four methods of wood flooring installation –
* Nailing
* Gluing
* Stapling
* Installing free-float wood flooring
This abundance might be confusing, but fortunately you will rarely have to choose between them – the choice of the method depends mostly on other factors.
Nailing down your wood flooring:
The most straightforward of all methods, nailing down is advised only if you have plywood sub-floor and the wood flooring you’re going to install is solid wood. Generally people are getting away from this method, widely regarded as messy and time-consuming.
Glue on your wood flooring:
Gluing is the most common method for installing wood flooring on concrete sub-floor. However, the time and energy needed may vary a lot. Everything depends on the evenness of the sub-floor and the amount of time needed to prepare the sub-floor correctly. Glued down wood flooring is much quieter than nailed or stapled ones.
Stapling down your wood flooring:
Excellent for most kinds of engineered wood flooring, providing you have plywood sub-floor, not concrete one. This method is much easier and less time-consuming. The only possible problems may arise from the staples’ sizes. You have to check the recommended size of staples for your wood flooring before you buy them – they may vary a lot.
Free float:
This is the simplest and most forgiving wood flooring installation method. It doesn’t depend on the kind of sub-floor, because your wood flooring isn’t going to be attached to it. The sub-floor is covered with a layer of plastic or foam that stabilizes the wood flooring above. This method is especially advised for engineered longstrip wood flooring.
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