Things come and go out of fashion in the blink of an eye. However, there is one thing that is never going out of style: hardwood flooring. The hardwood floors are still as popular as they used to be a few decades back.
It is mainly because the hardwood floors do not just look good but are easy to clean and maintain as well.
To give your house’s interior a boost, you have to choose the right hardwood flooring and install it properly as well. Since choosing and installing the right hardwood floor requires a little know-how, people often struggle with it. If you have been struggling with choosing and installing the hardwood floor, here’s a brief guide;
How to Choose the Hardwood Floor?
There are a few things that you should keep in mind while choosing the hardwood floor. These things are:
- Type
- Wood species
- Grain pattern
- Finishing
Type
The first thing that you need to decide on is what type of flooring suits you. Whether you should go for a solid or engineered wood flooring. Solid hardwood is the option most people go for. The thick and solid wood planks allow the homeowner to sand and refinish the floor as many times as they want.
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Wood Species
Once you have decided on the type, wood species should be your concern. You have to decide between oak and walnut. Oak is durable and has natural and attractive grain. Whereas, the walnut attracts people looking for a softer, richer, and warmer tone wood.
Grain Pattern
There are three different types of grain patterns; plain swan, rift swan, and quarter swan. The plain swan has a traditional pattern(cathedrals), the rift swan has long and consistent grains, whereas, the last option has irregular specs somewhat like a 3D pattern.
Finishing
The floor can be chosen unfinished or prefinished. If you have to install it yourself or reduce the labor cost, choose the prefinished wood floor.
How to Install the Hardwood Floor?
Installing the hardwood floor is not that hard, here is what you have to do to install it to perfection;
- First of all, there are some tools that you would need for this project. Have at least a pneumatic flooring nailer, drill and drill bits, hammer, nails, pry bar, and saw to get started
- Give your hardwood floor some time(7 to 14 days) to accumulate the new environment. The more time you would give the wood to accumulate in the environment, the easier it would get to install. So, give it some time you can prepare the space meanwhile
- Inspect the space, and make sure the subfloor is clean, dry, and flat
- If it’s solid wood, install the floor with nails and if it’s engineered glue it down
- Trim, paint, or add any other finishing touch you want
- There your job is done
Tip
The hardwood floor can be installed without any professional help. However, try handing over the job to a professional as you might not be able to install it as they would.
