So have made a decision to choose engineered wood flooring for your home improvement, then here are the things you need to know all about engineered wood flooring installation.
Noticeably, engineered wood flooring is a wonderful and durable flooring that comes with the several different options of installation. It offers a beautiful look that attract so many people to look at, feel and finally purchase to install in their home sweet home.
No matter you are a DIYer wanting to install the flooring by yourself or a homeowner who just want to have such flooring at your home or even you are a contractor feeling that you need this installation information to help you get done with your job, yup, we’ve got you covered!
In this article, we are going to share you all the things related to the engineered wood flooring installation including the installation tools and materials you need for preparation and the steps by steps of the installation procedure that is highly recommended.
So let’s take a few minutes to check it up now to ensure that you have a proper installation method, leading to the high durability of the flooring.
Engineered Wood Flooring Installation Tools
There are some installation tools that you must make them ready with you before you start installing the wood flooring. It is considered crucial to have all the tools beside you when you are going to install the flooring as well as during the installation process.
It is aimed to ensure that there will no significant problem distracting your way of installing the wood flooring.
In this regards, you will need some installation tools like pry bar, hammer, drill (as needed), chalk line, flush-cutting saw or oscillating tool, flooring nailer or stapler, wood block, vacuum and hard flooring attachment.
If you cannot have one of the tools, you can simply purchase it on the home improvement stores.
Just make sure that the tools are ready with you as you can imagine that working can be much distracted when you need a tool but it isn’t there for you.
Read Also: Somerset Engineered Hardwood Flooring Review
Materials
Materials you should prepare are including the engineered wood flooring you are going to install, the flooring underlayment which is a must to help you install the wood flooring well and the finish nails for the finishing process.
Once you purchased the materials, you can start installing the engineered wood flooring steps by steps. Remember, the proper installation you are carrying out will determine the durability of the wood flooring.
In the other words, if you install the wood flooring properly based on the installation method provided by the manufacturer or suggested by the home advisor, the wood flooring will be highly durable.
Believe it or not, the wood flooring will last even for 50 years.
Steps Engineered Wood Flooring Installation
Now that you have prepared all the tools and materials, let’s check out the engineered wood flooring installation below without missing a single step at all.
In this regards, there are 10 steps you need to follow so that you can have the most desired home flooring as you wish.
Before we go through the steps by steps of installing the engineered wood flooring, you need to know that there are two types of flooring dealing with the installation techniques, which are the nail-down floor technique and the floating floor technique.
These two types of wood flooring has slightly different way of being installed. In the following installation steps, we would like to share you the complete installation procedure for the two types of wood flooring.
- Step 1
Firstly, acclimate the boards by unpacking and laying the boards out in the area you are going to install with the wood flooring. This way, check out the room’s humidity and temperature based on the manufacturer’s recommendation. One thing to remind you that you had better not store the engineered wood flooring either in the garages or basements.
- Step 2
The second step to install the engineered wood flooring is removing the base trim. Use the pry bar to remove the shoe molding located in front of the baseboard. Optionally, you can also remove the baseboards if you want.
- Step 3
If there is already existing floor such as carpets and ceramic tiles while you want to install the wood flooring, remove them necessarily. However, a certain new type of engineered wood flooring can be directly installed on the certain types of vinyl flooring. To get the highly durable wood flooring, it is much recommended that you remove the old floorings.
- Step 4
The fourth step of engineered wood flooring installation is preparing the subfloor. In this case, you can definitely clean, level and prepare the subfloor. Nail and screw down the loose areas and check out the dips as well as other flooring imperfections.
It is suggested that you must make the floor smooth and flat before installing the new wood flooring. The better you do this step, the better your new flooring installation would be.
- Step 5
Now that you have the floors cleaned and ready, what you are going to do next is trimming the door moldings. In order that the new flooring is able to slip under, you need to trim the door casing moldings at the bottom. You may use your flush-cutting handsaw to do it.
Alternatively, you can always use an electric oscillating tool along with the flush-cutting blade to provide you an easy way of trimming the door moldings.
- Step 6
The next step you must perform is laying down the underlayment. The recommended underlayment is nailing down or floating the floor as applicable as possible. This way, the standard underlayment through the nailing-down technique is the builder’s paper, rosin paper and felt.
For the floating floor, you will be required to add cushion which, in this case, is a foam underlayment. It adds not only the cushion but also helps dampen the sound.
- Step 7
This is the time when you must start the engineered wood flooring installation. Get ready with your first row of wood flooring boards. If you have a nail-down floors, you need to make a line to for the first row. Don’t forget to provide the expansion gap between the board’s trailing edges with the wall.
On the other hand, if you have floating floors, you need to position the wood or plastic spacer blocks along the wall of the starting spot. Typically, it is recommended that you provide ¼ to 3/8 inch space.
- Step 8
Now install the first row of the engineered wood flooring. On nail-down floors, place the boards along with the tongue edges facing out the chalk line. Carry out the face-nailing by fastening the boards with the finish nails directed to the top flooring face.
On the other hand, on floating floors, you must lay down the first row in its place along the starring wall and batted up in the opposite of the spacers. Secure the interlocking joints using your hammer or wood block.
- Step 9
Once you have done with the first row installation, the next step is definitely installing the subsequent rows of the wood flooring boards. This way, make sure the joints are staggered among the rows to create a natural view. If it is necessary, you can always trim and fit the flooring pieces around the floors obstruction.
On your nail-down floors, you can lay down each new board until the groove fits over the tongues of the broads. Fasten the boards through the edges of the tongue using the flooring-nailer or stapler.
Meanwhile, on your floating floor, you can set the subsequent rows by holding each of the boards at the angle and fit the tongue into the grove in the preceding installed row. To interlock the pieces, you can press the new board. Tighten the joints using a wood block or hammer and tap the board whenever needed.
- Step 10
The final step of engineered wood flooring installation is to reinstall the base trim. When all rows have been successfully installed on your floors, it’s time for you to replace the trim of the baseboard and the shoe molding as well.
Clean the floor with the vacuum and hard-flooring attachment to provide the floor with the proper maintenance. You may check the whole installation of the wood floor. If you find anything wrong, then you can fix it soon.
Read Also: Regal Hardwoods Final Touch Engineered Flooring Review
Final Words
Overall, it is pretty easy to carry out engineered wood flooring installation. As long as you know what to prepare, in this case are the installation tools, materials and steps, I am sure, you can perform the installation well without any significant problem.
Once you are ready with the tools and materials, you just need to perform the steps given in the procedure.
Don’t worry if you are just new to flooring installation, just follow the instruction given in the installation procedure. However, if you are not sure enough about being DIYer for your flooring installation, you can hire an expert or a home advisor.
