Thursday, July 25, 2024

Where Is The Best Place To Install Solid Hardwood Flooring

Jasper Mazama And Walking Horse Plank

How to Install Solid Hardwood Floors

These three less well-known hardwood brands are all retailed through online wholesaler BuildDirect because BuildDirect retail these brands direct to the consumer they can offer up to 50% off traditional retail prices which makes them particularly interesting.

Its worth noting that Build Direct also offer hardwood flooring from other brands including big names such as Armstrong, Shaw Floors and Mohawk and that all their floors are available for purchase by private homeowners or professional flooring installation companies at the same competitive prices.

The Jasper Hardwood brand currently features 161 different products, organized into several different collections depending on style, type and finish. Predominantly featuring oak, maple, birch and hickory hardwoods sourced from America, Canada and Europe, the Jasper range retails from as little as $1.49 per square foot for some of the Forest Value Strip Collection woods, up to around $5.39 per square foot for their Hickory Collection floors.

Theres a wide range of colors, widths and finishes to choose from including some lovely light toned woods such as the Pitch Blanca white oak in the Everlasting Collection .

The Mazama Hardwood brand has 96 products, almost all of them exotic hardwoods including jatoba , acacia, santos mahogany, Brazilian redwood, tigerwood, teak, Patagonian rosewood, kempas and ipe.

How To Install Hardwood Floors Over A Concrete Slab

Subfloors made of concrete typically are in the form of a solid concrete slab, such as a basement floor or a slab-on-grade foundation. A concrete slab makes for a smooth, hard, solid, and durable subfloor. Some flooring materials like tile and stone can be installed directly over concrete, but most other flooring materials will require an underlayment and/or moisture barrier. Although concrete releases water vapor and is susceptible to moisture that comes from the ground, solid and engineered hardwood flooring can be installed over a concrete slab if the proper precautions are taken. The type of flooring youd like to install and your homes environmental conditions will decide the best method of installation.

Tips For Buying Hardwood Flooring:

  • On average, engineered hardwood is less expensive than solid hardwood.
  • Although solid wood can be refinished more over its lifespan, engineered is much less sensitive to moisture.
  • For installations in your basement or over concrete, you cannot use solid hardwood you must use engineered wood.
  • Tongue and groove flooring is more time-consuming to install, but tends to be less expensive than click-lock.
  • Engineered hardwood is often preferred for DIY installations due to its design and durability.
  • Solid hardwood is usually not recommended for DIY installations due to its tendency to move and expand.
  • Installing hardwood floors yourself takes preparation and time, but is a great way to cut hardwood flooring costs.

If you decide to install yourself, you could save money by purchasing your floor materials from a floor wholesaler instead of a carpet and flooring retailer or one of the big box stores.

Kristin Warner | Floor Critics

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Pros And Cons Of Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood flooring and paint are two things that can change the entire look of a room. While theres plenty of prep work with paint, its a whole different ballgame when you have to rip up carpet or level a floor for hardwood. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of this sturdy type of flooring.

Best Places To Buy Hardwood Flooring

7 Images How To Install Tongue And Groove Wood Flooring On ...

If youre looking for hardwood flooring stores near you, the best and easiest place to buy hardwood flooring is your local big box store, their prices are competitive, their range of options pretty broad and their servicewellvariable depending on who you talk too! Nevertheless they serve the needs of many homeowners adequately, but if you dont look beyond these big national stores then youre leaving a lot of options on the table.

Specialist retailers who only operate online also offer a large range of products and, as they have much lower overheads, great discounts as well. Certain smaller niche manufacturers also sell direct and finally, for the largest choice of wood flooring, you can browse major manufacturers online and then find a local small flooring retailer to order from. Prices might be slightly higher but you often get better, more personalized service from a small family run local retailer.

In this Home Flooring Pros guide we will list 36 of the best places to buy wood flooring so that you can find the best hardwood floors for you and your budgetinformation is power! And dont forget our guides to solid hardwood flooring where we discuss buying, pricing, installation and cleaning of hardwood.

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Hardwood Flooring From Jason Brown Wood Floors

At Jason Brown Wood Floors, our commitment to quality installation is clear in all that we do, which is why our customers consistently rate us as one of the top contractors in the region. We have been awarded Baltimore Magazines Best of Baltimore Award 4 times and have been proudly serving the Baltimore Area for over 16 years. If youre ready to speak with someone about your hardwood flooring project, we want to hear from you! Contact us at 410-668-9131 or send us a message here.

Keep up with us on , , , , Houzz, and and check out our blog for more news and information!

Hardwood Flooring On A Concrete Slab

Wood flooring can be installed on an above-grade concrete slab if the slab is at least 60 days old, dry, and has been professionally moisture tested .

The slab must be flat, without high or low spots. And it must have a trowel finish that is clean.

For complete information on preparation and installation, see Installing Hardwood Floors Over Concrete.

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How To Install Hardwood Floors

Go from subfloor to breathtaking in as little as a day. Follow this guide for installing hardwood floors in your home.

Hardwood floors are beautiful, last a lifetime, and are easy to install. With no special tools, you can go from subfloor to breathtaking in as little as a day. Before we get started with how to install hardwood floors, lets cover a few basics.

Hardwood Flooring Store In Melbourne Florida

How to Install a solid Hardwood floor- ReallyCheapFloors.com Install Series

When it is time for new flooring in your home, homeowners love choosing hardwood because of its unique style and durable character. In fact, few other flooring choices add the same level of style, luxury, and value to a space. K & Y Carpet One Floor & Home in Melbourne, Florida, is your local hardwood flooring store. We offer one of the best hardwood selections in the region, along with hardwood installation services. Our brands include popular options like Louzane® and Hydrotek® waterproof hardwood, which is a Carpet One exclusive. Carpet One is the largest flooring cooperative in North America. As a small business, our membership in the co-op gives us competitive buying power, so we can offer you everyday low hardwood prices, while staying locally-owned and operated.

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How Do You Stagger Hardwood Floors

Different Sizes Lay out your wood planks by size. Install the first row of wood planks, leaving about 1/2 inch between the row and the wall. Start your second row of planks with wood from a different stack than the first row. Continue alternating stacks when choosing the first piece of wood for each row.

Add The Finishing Touches

The finishing details can make or break the success of a professional-looking job, so dont cut corners here, says Pastrana, who notes that you may need to cut boards lengthwise for the last row. Once you are nearly finished, trace for contours to be cut and fitted according to the installation guide. When all rows are installed, remove the spacers and attach trim and moldings.

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Comparison With Other Floor Coverings

Sure, engineered wood flooring, laminate, and resilient flooring may look likesolid hardwood. But how do they compare on major points?

  • Solidity: Solid hardwood feels solid. Except for engineered wood floor, no other wood or wood-type flooring gives you that same feeling of solidity.
  • Structural properties: This solidity is due to solid hardwood’s structural properties, bridging minor gaps, smoothing minor bumps. Engineered wood provides this, but laminate and resilient flooring do not.
  • Resale value: Solid hardwood is a plus that will increase the value of your home. Engineered wood’s resale value is comparable.
  • Price: Good solid hardwood floor starts around $4.50 per square foot. Engineered flooring ranges around the same price, and laminate is far cheaper than either.
  • Installation: If you’re considering DIY-installing your solid hardwood, you may get a better result if you hire a crew. Laminate and resilient flooring are DIY-friendly.

Why Moisture Plays A Role In Hardwood Flooring

10 Fantastic Maple Hardwood Flooring Images

Moisture is the ultimate enemy of hardwood flooring. High levels of humidity or excess moisture from the slab can cause hardwood floors to warp or buckle. This is because wood is incredibly porous and will absorb moisture, causing it to expand and deteriorate. To ensure successful installation of your hardwood flooring, you have to protect it from any source of moisture. When installing hardwood over concrete, this means placing a moisture barrier between the slab and flooring. Often a moisture barrier is a type of plastic sheet laid across the slab and taped at the seams with waterproof tape. This barrier will protect your floors from any moisture coming from the slab.

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Make Sure You Have The Correct Equipment

Having the right equipment is always advisable when starting any task. Have a think about what you, or your fitter, may need to help you to install your hardwood floor. If you are floating your floor then you may require underlay. If you have tongue and groove flooring then it is likely that you will need WPVA glue for the joints. And, if you are fixing your floor down, do you need glue or nails?

Ll Flooring: Best For Hardwood Flooring

LL Flooring

LL Flooring, formerly known as Lumber Liquidators, was founded in 1993 by Tom Sullivan, a construction contractor in Massachusetts. Today, the company has expanded to more than 400 locations around the country, offering flooring materials for sale as well as professional installation services, where it specializes in hardwood floors.

The company partners with local independent contractors, all of whom are insured and licensed and offer a one-year installation warranty. It offers a simple, straightforward installation process. LL Flooring offers an overall project assessment, which consists of taking all the measurements and preparing a quote, and then you can schedule your installation.

Once your new floor has been placed, the company will conduct a final cleanup and walkthrough of the property. Before committing to a floor installation with LL Flooring, you can use its online floor visualizer feature to see how the type of floor youre interested in will look in your home.

Start by choosing your flooring style, then upload a picture of a room where you want the new floor, and youll be able to see a mock-up. To get an estimate, fill out an online form on the company’s website. If you have any questions, you can call LL Flooring’s hotline, reach out to its office, or use the live chat feature on its website.

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Laying The First Rows Of A Wood Floor

For the first three rows of flooring, choose very straight boards. Then cut one starter board for each row. The boards should vary in length by at least 6 inches so the end joints will be staggered by at least 6 inches from row to row.

Face the tongue of the first row of boards away from the wall and dry-fit the boards in place. Use 1/2-inch spacers along the base of the wall to provide an even expansion gap between the flooring and the wall .

Use a measuring tape to measure from the guideline to the boards edge to double-check that it is the same distance at both ends. Hold the board in place and top-nail it to the subfloor with 1 1/2-inch finishing nails placed about 3 inches from the boards ends and about 1/2 inch from the grooved edge at 6-inch intervals. Set the heads below the surface using a nailset. Install all of the boards in the first row.

Fit a board for the second row so that its groove interlocks tightly with the tongue of the first row. Use a tapping block or small piece of flooring to protect the tongue and tap the second row boards tightly against the first row.

Then blind-nail through the tongue, placing a nail 3 to 4 inches from the end of each board and every 8 to 10 inches along its length where possible, nail through the subfloor into the floor joists. Until you reach the second or third row where you can fit the flooring nailer in place, youll have to do this blind-nailing by hand with a drill, hammer, and nailset.

Achim Home Furnishings Vfp20mh10 Tivoli Ii Peel ‘n’ Stick Vinyl Floor Planks Mahogany 6 X 36 10 Count

Shaw Solid Hardwood Installation | DIY Project

as of March 6, 2022 7:27 pm

Features

  • Natural Hardwood Decking Crafted with genuine Acacia wood these interlocking tiles lock together to create a small ground deck, cover a worn patio, or even upgrade your balcony space for a handsome custom look.
  • Enhanced Strength and Resilience Designed to withstand walking, deck chairs, and all your indoor or outdoor spaces these tiles can resist water, inclement weather, and heavy foot traffic and hold up year-round.
  • Quick Interlocking Design Our pre-oiled natural wood flooring not only looks amazing its easy to put together for DIYers. Simply lock them together by aligning the grooves and pushing them hard into place. No tools necessary.
  • Optimal Build Height tiles are just at 0.78 in height which makes they can easily be placed over most surfaces or ground areas and wont impact door openings. This makes them ideal for backyard decks, patios, pool areas, and more.
  • Trusted Warranty Protection Here at were focused on providing high-quality and super durable tiles you can use almost anywhere. Contact us with any issues and well be happy to help make it right.

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Make A Chalk Starting Line

After you have checked to make sure that your room is square, it is time to plan out where you will nail down your first row of flooring. We recommend starting on a long outside wall, as these walls are usually the straightest. First, make a pencil mark that is about a quarter inch away from the wall. Then, move further down the wall and make another pencil mark that is also a quarter inch from the wall.

It is important to leave this quarter inch space because solid hardwood tends to expand. The gap between the wood and the wall will not be noticeable since it will be hidden by trim.

Next, drive a nail into one of the pencil marks to act as a placeholder. Finally, hook your chalk line tool onto the nail and pull it all the way across to the second pencil mark you made. The resulting chalk line will be the start line for your first row of boards.

Is Underlayment Necessary For Solid Hardwood Floors

Why You Need Underlayment While underlayment isnt always necessary for your hardwood floors, there are always benefits to it. It allows your flooring to lay correctly over the subfloor, preventing tripping hazards or an uneven appearance. Underlayment also provides extra sound absorption for your floor.

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Where Is The Best Place To Install Hardwood

Hardwood is recommended for home settings where there isn’t significant foot traffic and moisture. Popular spots for hardwood are bedrooms and living rooms. Engineered hardwood flooring can be installed on all levels of your home, and can even be used in finished basements. Since hardwood is sensitive to moisture, we encourage customers to avoid installing it in bathrooms or kitchens.

What Is The Trend For Flooring 2020

Solid Wood Flooring

Inlaminate, vinyl plank, and hardwood floors will provide a variety of natural tones. Warm wood colors wont be able to compete. that sound, cool tones will stick around like they always do despite the decade that is approaching. Despite the cancellation of darker tones, light tone wood looks are one of the most common trends for 2020.

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Grades Of Hardwood Flooring

When youre looking for top quality wood, keep an eye out for a grading system as that can tell you a lot about the quality and character of the wood. Unfortunately, while the NWFA has a scale in place, it only applies to certain species and many manufacturers or mills often use their own terms as well.

Grades of Hardwood Flooring

You will also want to keep an eye out for the term and better when attached to a grade. If the flooring is labeled as Select and Better that means youll get a selection of boards from both grades although the ratio can be skewed in either direction.

Its Nails Or Glue Not Both

Never use adhesive to glue between boards if its being nailed down. The glue will inhibit the natural flexibility of the flooring and could cause cracks.

From all of the above it is plain to see that after browsing our extensive wood floor range to find the design you desire, it is crucial to ensure it is properly fitted to truly make the most of its natural beauty.

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