Hardwood Installation: The How, Why, & Perks!

Hardwood flooring can be included as modern interiors in your home. Many homeowners have been opting for hardwood installation lately! Some prefer finding professionals for simple flooring with tile or carpet, and some prefer to reach experts for Hardwood Floor Installation Burr Ridge. 

But which flooring can be the right one for you? Here are some factors jotted down that will help you understand why you should go for hardwood installation.

Look and Feel of Your Home: 

Wooden floors can always enhance the look and feel of your home. It gives an elegant touch to your home with a light touch of warmth. Many homeowners feel that the space looks bigger after the transformation to the wooden floors. Depending on other decorations of your home, the wooden floors can make your room look more inviting to your guests with its unique warmth.

Durable and Strong: 

Durability is one of the fundamental reasons for upgrading to wooden floors. The strength and durability of the wooden floors make the maintenance process very easy for homeowners. Though dents and scratches can appear in the hardwood flooring, it is not easily done. However, if you can take good care or if you call experts for Hardwood floor refinishing in burr ridge regularly, then your wooden floors can stay strong for decades.

Easy Clean with Low Maintenance: 

Hardwood floors are easy to clean and can be done with deficient maintenance processes. The wood floors can be cleaned by vacuuming, steam cleaning, and sweeping as dirt or debris can be gathered. The cleaning process need not be performed very often, but it can prevent environmental hazards like pet dander or dust mites. They are very stain resistant compared to carpets. If any liquid falls on the floor, you need to wipe it off.

Appears good with any theme of decor: 

Hardwood floors can quickly adapt to different decor themes. The versatility feature of the hardwood floors helps them match any interior decoration theme of the rooms. You can keep changing your wall colors, your mirrors, or cabinets, but your floors will look as elegant as you wanted them. As your wooden floors are not contradicting any decor, you have a wide variety to choose from. You can select colorful decorative items, different shades of wall paints, and others.

Improved Air Quality: 

Hardwood floors do not accumulate dust, pollen, animal dander, or other allergens. Sometimes, the doctors also suggest wooden floors for patients who are allergic to dust. Carpets have fibers, where there is room for dust to accumulate. Tiles and laminates do not have fibers, but they have grout lines where the dirt can be gathered. So, the hardwood flooring is best with its high quality of air without the dust and dirt.

Adds Value: 

Your house's worth will increase when you add wooden flooring. When you are ready to sell your house, buyers will be happy to pay a more significant amount than the house with carpets or tiles. Many home buyers will not agree to take someone's used carpets. After the covid outbreak, any used items which may bear germs and allergens are avoided. To exchange the carpet will take a lot of money and time. On the other hand, if you possess wooden floors, the buyers will get the ready flooring without even thinking about dust and germs.

Cost-effective and Long Lasting:

Hardwood flooring is easy to maintain. They are cost-effective as such floorings don't need to be changed for decades. Compared to other floorings, hardwood flooring is expensive, but if you compare it with the long-term costs, you will understand that wooden flooring is the most cost-effective floor for your home. They are easy to clean and do not get damaged easily. The cleaning and the repairing costs can be controlled with this hardwood flooring. As wooden floors are durable, they can last for many generations. Though the flooring may seem highly expensive at first, it will save you money through its durability in the long run.

Refinish: 

The professionals for Hardwood floor refinishing in Wheaton can provide cost-effective refinishing to the wooden floors. What will happen when you do not like the color of your floor after the entire flooring has been done? This is the advantage when you are upgrading to wooden floors, as you can refinish the floors with your choice of color. Without entirely changing the floor, you can cost-effectively refinish the floor. In some other cases, where you have bought a house with wooden floors, but you did not like its color, you can change the color of the floor just by sanding it off and staining it with other shades of color according to your preference. Therefore, it can be more cost-effective than changing the entire flooring.

Never Fades Color: 

In the case of carpet, the color will start fading after some years. This is because stains cannot be removed after washes, and lots of wear and tear can also occur. But when you are using hardwood floors, you should not worry about the fading colors. The durable appearance of the floors makes them stay as it is for many years. In most cases, wooden floors are never required to be replaced. 

Improve Acoustics: 

With the help of hardwood floors, the acoustics of your home can be improved. The vibrations or the hollow sounds can improve the entire acoustics of your home. For music or a dance studio, the wooden floors are the best. If you do not want to spend so much money on wooden flooring, you can go for cork or vinyl floors, reducing the extra noise.

How Will You Do The Hardwood Installation?

3 basic types of installation methods can be applied. Here are the installation steps that can help you decide on your hardwood floor installation.

Choose the method: The method of hardwood floor installation will depend on your budget, subfloor, and lifestyle. For example, the engineered flooring can be secured with glue, and the hardwood flooring can be nailed down. Let us clearly understand the different types of methods.

Click-lock: For engineered wood, this method is beneficial. The click-lock method involves locking the panels together, which avoids moisture. The click-lock method can be used when the sub-floor comprises cement, floor with radiant heat, or tile floors.

Glue Down: In engineered flooring, a glue-down method can be used. The wooden floor is generally clicked together and glued down completely.

Nail-down installation: Many homeowners choose a nail-down method for solid wood flooring. For this method, wooden subfloors are required. If you do not possess a subfloor made of wood, you need to remove the existing floor and create a subfloor. This method will not be practical as it may incur a massive cost for making the subfloor and creating the flooring.

Prepare the Space: Depending on the subfloor and the type of hardwood, you need to prepare the space for the wooden flooring. Here are the steps that can be required for preparing the hardwood.

• At first, the baseboards need to be removed where the installation can occur.

• Ensure that your subfloor is smooth and level. The raised spots require sanding, and the low spots must be filled.

• To show the floor joists' location, you are required to mark the walls.

• The floor needs to be covered with moisture inhibitors.

• For strength, strip flooring can be run perpendicular to the joists.

• A string can be used for measuring and snapping the line for the first row of installation.

• Nail guns can be used to drive the nails and stretch the line of the mason to create the proper guideline for your floor.

• According to the shape of your room, you need to figure out which hardwood you will be requiring.

• For the installation, you have required to layout the boards.

• Ensure that you finish the entire process by closing the end joints

Tips for the hardwood floor installation:  Here are some general tips you need to follow while installing hardwood floors.

• Take the longest possible wall and install your flooring perpendicular to the joists.

• Ensure that the amount of flooring is right for your required space

• Install the floor on or above the grade

• Let your hardwood acclimate before 4-5 days of the flooring procedure.

• It would help if you did not stack the hardwood directly on the concrete. 

• As safety is required, you can use knee pads and gloves before the hardwood installation.

Glue Down Flooring Installation: For the concrete floors, the glue-down installation method can be applied

• After preparing the space for flooring, the adhesive needs to be spread with the trowel

• After that, you need to hold the trowel at an angle of 45 degrees for spreading the adhesive evenly

• The first row to be laid down first

• Installation of the first row to be done from the starting line

• When going to the second row, fit the tongue of the first row and slowly place it with the rubber mallet

• For maintaining the gap of expansion, spacers can be used

• The width of the boards can be cut for making the last row fitting

• For the engineered floors, you are required to match the place for pushing the ends

• Boards need to be cut with the table saw, and the boards are to be placed in place after the cutting

• For covering the expansion gap, the baseboard needs to be installed

• Transition strips need to be installed where the floor is exposed

Nail-Down Installation Method: The nail-down installation method 

• At first, you can align the first board with the tongue facing toward the room

• Pilot holes need to be drilled

• 6D and 8D flooring nails are to be installed through the pilot holes

• Additional pilot holes can be drilled at a 45-degree angle with the tongue

• The flooring can be grooved into each other by pushing the two boards together 

• Board needs to be nailed down 

• The method needs to be continued with the second board, 3rd board, and so on 

• After installing the third row, enough room can be found for installing the flooring nailer

• Pilot holes can be drilled through the tongue of the board

• Where the edge of floors is exposed, transition strips can be installed

While using this nail-down method, the first and the last row of the boards are required to be nailed through the face of the boards. All the other boards need to be nailed down through the tongue.

Click-Lock Installation method: It can be straightforward to install a floor or floating floor, and the homeowners can do it by themselves. Hardwood Floor Installation Wheaton can guide you through the entire process of floor installation.

• Spacers can be used for maintaining the space gaps between the rows of flooring.

• The groove side of the board should face away from the walls.

• Following the instruction of the manufacturers, pilot holes need to be drilled.

• Flooring nails are to be installed through the pilot holes.

• The upper drop lock needs to be locked with the lower drop lock.

• Use a table saw to cut the last row. 

• The tongue of the board to be driven into the groove

• Ensure that the tongue is securely attached to the groove

• If there are gaps in between, fill them up by tapping the plastic mallet and the blocks.

Go With The Best!

When you can understand and use the right tools, hardwood flooring installation is easy. Depending on your budget, lifestyle, and room space, you need to decide which hardwood will best suit your space. 

As you know all the installation methods, you can also choose among them by your subfloors. With the cost guide, you can discuss the hardwood flooring cost before making the final call on wooden flooring. 

Once done with your wooden flooring, you will remain at peace for decades as they will not require any repairing or replacement costs.

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