Laying Wood Strip Flooring

Wood strip flooring is not recommended for use below grade.

1. Wood strip flooring is a natural product and will shrink and swell as moisture levels change. Because of the effects of moisture, wood strip flooring is not recommended for use below grade, in bathrooms or in laundry rooms.



2. Store the flooring in the area where it will be installed to let it acclimate to the surroundings. Open the packaging and let the flooring air out for at least five days prior to installation.



3. In new construction and remodeling, wood flooring should be installed after any plumbing, drywall, painting or other projects that involve liquids. The area where the flooring will go should be kept between 60 and 72 degrees for at least five days before the flooring is installed. Keeping the area at normal living temperatures prior to installing the floor reduces the movement of the floor after installation.




4. Flooring nailer and mallet.

   Rent a flooring nailer and mallet before you start the project. It's possible to put wood strip flooring down without a flooring nailer, but the finished job looks much better if you use one.



5. Check the flooring for defects while it is acclimating. Checking the flooring before installation saves culling time later. The industry standard is for about 5 % of the product to be unusable. Don't let small bows or gentle curves over long spans put you off. The flooring nailer will do a great job of straightening out small imperfections.



6. In the beginning, take the time to pick out the straightest boards you can find. Use these boards for the first four and the last five runs of flooring. You won't be able to use the flooring nailer on the first or last few runs. It will help to have the straightest boards for those areas.

1. Measure the length and width of the room where you intend to install the flooring. Multiply the length times the width to obtain the total square footage of the room. If the room has nooks, hallways or closets, determine their square footage separately. Add the square footage of all the areas. It's a good idea to add ten percent to the final figure to allow for scrap. Click here to use our flooring calculator.



2. Take your measurements with you when you go to purchase the flooring. You will need them to determine how much underlayment and flooring you need. Most manufacturers suggest using 30 lb. asphalt felt for underlayment. To determine how many rolls of felt you need, divide the sum from above by the square footage of the roll. If the answer is a fraction, round up to the next whole number.
   
   Wood strip flooring usually comes in packages. To determine how many packages you need, divide the sum from above by the square footage in each package. If the answer is a fraction, round up.

1. If the room has base moulding, remove it carefully. Check the subfloor for level. Fill any low spots with floor leveler or sand high spots. No floor is completely level, so check the manufacturer's instructions to see what variances are acceptable for your flooring.



2. Unroll the underlayment, starting along a wall. Cut to fit with a utility knife. Lay a piece of flooring on top of the underlayment at each door casing. If the flooring won't slide under the door casing, mark the casing 1/16" above the flooring. Cut the door casing along the mark. A coping saw or a backsaw will do nicely for this cut.



3. Check to see if doors will clear the new flooring. If a door hits the new flooring, mark it 1/8" above the flooring. Take the door down and plane or cut it to the mark.



4. Butt a piece of the flooring against the wall where you intend to start laying the flooring. Tightly butt small pieces of flooring together from one side of the room to the other. In most cases there will be a space between the last board and the wall. Subtract twice the manufacturer's suggested expansion gap from the space and add that number to the width of the flooring. Divide the sum in half to determine the width to which you need to rip the first row of flooring.
   

Tightly butt small pieces of flooring together from one side of the room to the other.

Establish a base line to square the flooring to your room.


Example: The manufacturer's suggested expansion gap is 3/4".
The space between the end of the stacked boards and the wall is 3".
The flooring is 2 1/4" wide.

2 x 3/4"= 1 1/2"
3"- 1 1/2"= 1 1/2"
1 1/2"+ 2 1/4"= 3 3/4"
3 3/4"/2= 1 7/8"
The first run of flooring should be ripped to 1 7/8".

Use this method to avoid having a very narrow strip in the last run of flooring.

5. Most rooms are not perfectly square. Establish a base line to make up for slight imperfections in the room. Mark the center of each wall. Snap chalk lines between opposing marks. The point where the lines intersect is the center of the room. The line running in the same direction that you intend to lay the flooring strips is the base line. Measure from the center point to the wall where you intend to start the floor. Subtract the expansion gap from this distance.

Example: The distance from the center point to the wall is 108 1/2".
The expansion gap is 3/4".

108 1/2"- 3/4"= 107 3/4".

Measure from each end of the base line toward the wall 107 3/4" and mark. Snap a line between the marks. This is the guideline.

1. Rip the first run of floorboards to the proper width. Lay the first run of flooring. The cut edge of the flooring should be flush with the guideline and the tongue should be toward the far wall. Put spacers between the flooring and the wall. Remember to keep the flooring flush with the guideline.




2. A nail gun speeds up the face nailing process.

   Face nail the first run of flooring according to the manufacturer's nailing schedule. Then edge nail the first run of flooring according to the manufacturer's nailing schedule. Predrill holes in the flooring before you edge nail it to avoid splitting the boards. If you have access to a nail gun, use it to save time.



3. Select the flooring pieces so the end joints are at least eight inches apart in each row. Slide the second run of flooring tight to the first and edge nail the second run. You will need to get four or five runs of flooring down before you can use the flooring nailer.



4. Continue laying floorboards until you reach the far end of the room. Occasionally you may find pieces that need a little persuasion to go together. Butt a scrap piece of flooring against the piece you are installing and tap it with a hammer. The flooring nailer will help keep the tongue-and-groove joints tight.



5. You may need to rip the last row so it will fit. Remember to allow for the expansion gap. Slide the last floorboards into place. Put a piece of scrap wood against the wall and use a pry bar to pinch the last two runs together. Face nail the last run of flooring.



6. Install base moulding to hide the expansion gap between the floor and the wall. Be sure you only secure the moulding to the wall. Nailing anything to the floor defeats the purpose of the expansion gap.