Owning a Bay Area or East Bay home is all about being prepared.
Whether it’s your best friends coming over for dinner or the arrival of distant
relatives, you prepare your Bay Area home for their visit.
The installation of your new hardwood flooring and our hardwood floor installers are no exceptions.
Knowing what to expect and being prepared will also be a lot less stressful on you,
your family and your Bay Area or East Bay home.
Knowing how to install hardwood floors and Hard wood flooring installation is a significant investment in your home.
Installing hardwood flooring is hard, exacting -- detailed.
We strongly recommend that you have it done by seasoned San Francisco Bay Area hardwood flooring installer professionals. They’ve
been “visiting” homes all around the Bay Area for years.
That way you can be assured of a beautiful, efficient and correct flooring installation, hardwood floor finishes, edge hardwood flooring and hardwood floor care.
However, while installing hardwood flooring is a skill that is developed through
years of experience, your understanding of the basics of hardwood floor installation will increase
your knowledge of the process and enhance your confidence in the installation professionals working in your home.
So let’s cover some of the basics.
There are four methods of installing hardwood flooring.
1. Glue Down: this installation method is all about adhesives.
The recommended installation adhesive is spread on with the proper sized trowel to adhere the
wood flooring to the sub-floor.
You should know that engineered hard wood floors and parquets can be glued down. Solid
strip floors and plank hard wood floors can only be nailed or stapled.
2. Nail Down: today’s solid method.
This process is typically used with the 3/4" solid products; however there
are adapters available for thinner flooring sizes as well.
2" nailing cleats are used with a wood flooring nailer and mallet to attach
the flooring to the subfloor.
Please be aware that Solid Strip floors or Plank floors can only be installed on
wooden subfloors on grade or above grade.
3. Staple Down: pneumatics at work.
With this method 1-1/2 to 2 inch staples are used versus nailing cleats to attach
the hardwood flooring to the subfloor.
A pneumatic gun is used to drive the staple into the wood flooring and subfloor.
Not all hardwood flooring manufacturers recommend the same staple gun so using professional
installers will ensure that the right staple gun and right size staples are utilized.
4. Floating: padding and glue partner here.
With the floating installation method the floor is not mechanically fastened to
any part of the subfloor.
A thin pad is placed between the wood flooring and the subfloor. Then, depending
on the product and manufacturer, wood glue is applied in the tongue and groove of
each plank to hold the planks together.
The padding has its advantages: it protects against moisture, reduces noise transmission,
is softer under foot, and provides for some additional "R" value.
Some engineered floors and all Longstrip floors can be floated. This is a very fast,
easy and clean method of installing your floor.
What to know and do before installation day
Relocate your furniture.
Remove all furniture and other objects and materials from the areas to be floored.
Before moving, you’ll also need to empty the contents of china cabinets, closets
and the like.
What’s to be done with your present floor covering?
Please consider how your old floor covering will be taken up and disposed of. This
can be a time consuming and messy task. We will be happy to discuss removal options
with you prior to the arrival of our hardwood floor installers.
If you prefer to remove your present floor covering yourself, do it at least one
day prior to installation to allow for cleanup and floor preparation.
Now turn your attention to the trim.
You should know that, in many cases, moldings and baseboards need to be removed
for hardwood floor installation. Your installers may do this for an additional charge
but will not be responsible for damage or breakage due to dry or brittle wood.
Painted baseboards, woodwork and paint may need retouching after the installation
is complete. If necessary, this is your responsibility.
Get expert council on your sub flooring.
Your existing sub floor may need to be prepared to receive the hardwood, or a new
sub floor may be required. This is a job best left to the professionals and, again,
we can help you with these flooring decisions.
Include a door plan in your preparation.
When hardwood is installed, there’s always the possibility that the doors,
especially closet doors, basement and bedroom doors, may not clear the new floor
and swing free.
Your installers may need to remove doors in order to install the hardwood and re-hang them
for an additional cost. If there is a clearance issue you may want to arrange for
a qualified carpenter to shave or cut down your door(s) after the installation of
your new hard wood flooring.
Don’t let clean-up be a toss-up.
Installing new hardwood flooring will produce waste. These materials will be collected
and disposed of by your installers at an additional cost.
What to know and do during installation day
On installation day be home and handy.
Be prepared to be at home the day of installation and be available in case your hard wood floor installers
have questions. Your presence will insure that the correct hardwood is installed
in the right areas. Because it is difficult to estimate the length and circumstances
of each job, they may not be able to give you an exact time of arrival but will probably
provide a time frame.
Your family is our concern.
Your installers will use a variety of tools and techniques that can make the work
area hazardous. Please make sure that your children and pets are kept out of the
work area on installation day.
Follow through with a walk-thru.
We recommend that, prior to the completion of the installation; you walk thru the
job with your installation team. This will give you the opportunity to ask questions
and be clear on any final details.
What to know and do after installation day
Clear the air.
If you are sensitive to dust and odors, good ventilation should be established for
48 to 72 hours after installation.
Being prepared is the result of being informed.
We want you to be as well prepared as possible for the installation of your new
hardwood floor. To that end we’ve assembled the most knowledgeable sales people
and given you the names of experienced hardwood floor installers to provide you with solid information, reliable
resources and proven solutions.
We hope that the information we’ve featured here leads you to a better understanding
of how to prepare for installation day. T
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