Hardwood Floor Installation

Tim,
I've just finished laying my second wood floor and your instructions are dead on.
I'm preparing to do a hallway off the room I just finished and have 2 challenges which I'd like some advise on:
1) I'm going from a room with a 5/8" subfloor toa haalway that drops to the bare underlay. How do I bridge this?
2) I have to lay floor around a circular staircase. How do I measure, cut and lay this 3/4" plank floor?

Many thanks for the always inforamtive advise.
Ed

Hi, There. I have a newly built home that I have lived in for 7 months. The hardwood floors are doing what we call "peaking" which is they are seeming to rise on the outer edges of the wood where the seams are. The floor when you stand back and look is so wavy it makes you drunk! The builder is sending his floor guy over to look at it tomorrow and they think the floor has had too much humidity. My husband and I disagree as we had the a/c on all summer and now the heat has been on for about 2 weeks. I think the floors had started this when we moved in and think there was some problem with the installation. We are being told they will probably have to sand and refinish them. Another house in our development justhad the floors sanded and refinished for the same problem. My husband looked at them and said they were unacceptable. The floors were NOT installed by the same person. What advise can you give us? Thanks

Doris,
Please read all of my Hardwood Floor articles. The answers - in detail - are there. The bottom line is that you have tons of water vapor getting to the underside of the floor. Was a vapor barrier used under the slab if you have a concrete floor? Or, if over a crawl space, is a high-quality vapor barrier over the soil? I have articles about the best vapor barriers too. :->

I'm getting ready to lay a hardwood floor throughout my whole house. The problem is the sub floor is not wood, it's concrete. How do I install the wood planks to the concrete? Do I use glue to the planks and concrete, or is there nails or staples that can go thru the tongue part of the wood into the concrete?

Larry,
You need to install sleepers. I urge you to go to the Hardwood Association websites for precise tips. I have those listed in other hardwood articles here at AsktheBuilder.com.

hello i just installed a new prefinished hardwood floor and had the same problem as(Doris 28 Nov) with the floor rising at the seams. It was installed in a basement. I didnt use a vapor barrier. i use heavy felt paper on the concrete slab then nailed 3/4" treated ply to slab, then put treated 2 x 4's 8" apart on top of that then laid 3/4 CDX sub flooring on top of that then red rosin paper then the flooring.

Now can this be fixed with out sanding down the floor. I was hoping i could knock it down by laying a flat board with card board on the underside perpendicular to the floor, and try to bang it down.

i would appreciate any input you can give me on the matter. 646 765 9459 warren

Warren,
What am I going to do with you? Always install a high-quality vapor barrier over concrete before you install wood. Read *all* of my past vapor barrier columns to discover the ones I use.

Then you sort of goofed by using treated lumber. I know why you did that - smart idea. But treated lumber has LOTS of moisture in it. You needed to install it, and wait for *weeks* for the moisture to evaporate. Bottom Line: Stop work and WAIT perhaps a month. I know the cupping you now see will lessen, but I can't say how much. If you sand now, you will see gaps develop as the wood dries.

Do you have to go perpendicular to the joists with a hardwood floor? The long run of the room puts me parallel with the joists. Do I need to do any thing different?

Thanks
Marc

Marc,
It is best to install strip hardwood perpendicular to the run of floor joists. If you decide against this, be sure the subfloor is absolutely in the same plane so that the flooring does not dip down between the joists.

Looking to install 3/4" hardwood (4-5" wide oak) flooring over the entire 1st story. I have installed engineered hardwood floors in one room and looking for suggestions on best way to install hardwood in multiple rooms. As the flooring works up to a doorway and enters another room, the flooring will be in the middle of the room. What is the best way to work back to the wall? Should a strip be used to mate two boards together on the grove edge? This would make the tongue on opposite sides of the middle board.

Matt,
That is exactly how any number of pros would do it.

Our flooring is laminate flooring, the house is new , it echo's throughout the house , what can we do to make it sound? I already put throw rugs in
the rooms , pictures , etccc but nothing is working . You can be in one room talking normal and not loud , a person in the basement for example or any room of house can hear clearly . My point is laminate flooring to loud . In the basement we're in the process remodel it , would insulation in the ceiling of basement help any???

Thank you for your input.

Deb

Deb,
This is a common complaint with laminate flooring. All you can do is try to fill the rooms with as much fabric and things that absorb the sound waves that are racing through the house. Take some time and read ALL of my past columns about Sound Control. You will discover what a challenge you are facing.

I am getting ready to install 3/4" oak hardwood floors in my downstairs (1000 sq ft). My sub-floor is osb. Can I just lay felt paper on top of the osb and then the hardwoods? Do I have to buy Plywood? Its so expensive, are there alternatives? Thanks abunch--Spencer

Spencer,
The column above says it all. You lay the felt down and get to work! No need for an additional layer of plywood.

Hi!
I have an area in my bedroom that used to be tiled, while the rest of the house is 3/4 hardwood. I have ripped out the tile and subfloor to lay hardwood, but discovered that the joist in the previously tiled area is about 3/4" higher that in the rest (this is an add-on by a previous owner.
How can I make this level with the rest?
My options seem to be to sand down the joists about 3/4" and lay plywood as subfloor for the same level.
Or could I sister the joists 3/4" lower and lay plywood in between so the plywood and existing joists would make up the subfloor?

Fredrik,
Your second option is a great way to solve this problem.

Dear Tim,
Thank you for your response.
I will go ahead and sister the joists so that the subfloor will be made up of the existing joists and 3/4 " plywood.
Thanks for a great website and videos!

New wood floors were installed three years ago, now in one room the floor has sloped almost 3/4 inch. Will I need to remove the wood flooring to correct this, or is there a better alternative/product?
Underneath, the basement is finished and there are no cracks or sloping.
Thank you

Dan,

If this is not a visible defect, what is the issue? Very few floors are actually dead level. Joists have crowns, a foundation can slope, etc. Now, if there is a structural issue, then call in a structural engineer to see what might be happening.

here is the deal.THEY framed over the existing oak floor,trashed it to the point of it not being worth refinishing.question.we decided to put down bamboo (3/4x3 1/2 t&g )i have laid many floors before but feel very reluctant installing the new floor over the old,without removing the oak.even though the the original floor is nail down pretty tied.my client thinks it can be done.have you ever done this? ira

Ira,
I have not done that, and I would be reluctant to for a host of reasons......

Hello...

I am installing hardwood in a few rooms and hallway.

from a birds eye view, you see a hallway which leads to a large master bedroom at the end of the hallway...

as you go down the hallway, there are bedrooms and closets on either side of the hall.

I am not sure where to start the installing...

I have read up on the technique of reversing the order of the tongue and groove....and that seems most logical.

What do you recommend?

SHould I start in the hallway or by the wall of the longest room?
If I do that I am afraid of not lining up the hardwood when the bedrooms all meet the hallway...(can you picture what I am talking about?)

2---If I reverse the order of the T&G how to I secure the new tongue? Carpenters glue??

Thanks for your help

Joe,
You start in the hallway and run the flooring into each room. Good luck because you couldn't have picked a tougher job for your hardwood baptism.

Tim

Thank for the tip

2 questions i need an answer for..

1---when reversing the order of Tongue and groove, how do i ensure that the hardwood wont buckle at that location


2----when reversing the Tongue and groove, do i simply put carpenters glue in the groove to bond the new tongue?

Joe,
That strip gets face nailed. You need SPECIAL milled tongue that fits in the grooves. It does not get glued.

Hello

I am in the process of remodeling a 150 yr old house. The sub floor consists on 1" plank floor with 3/4 ply wood over the planks and the joist are timbers. What I am wondering is what can I do to flatten these floors there are some spots that are out 1-2" maybe more. Is there something i can use along with the tar paper to solve this problem.

Fred,
Perhaps a pourable self-leveling compound.

Hi,

I am installing oak strip flooring in two rooms. One is a porch, the other the kitchen. The porch joists run opposite the joists in the kitchen.

We want the flooring going the same direction in the two rooms. How can I do this? I have read that if you install in the same direction as the joists, there will be waves in the floors. How thick a subfloor is needed. I cant easily use three quarter subfloor on the porch. would using blocking between the joists be sufficient? Is there any special underlaymenet that would be stiff enough at a half inch thick?

Thanks for any comments

Troy

I am installing a 3/4 in plank floor in a room that used to be a garage. I built a sub-floor from the existing house that is 3 ft higher than the old garage slab.

A Couple of Questions.

I am not sure that the exterior wall is square. How can I ensure that I start of with an aligned first strip. I am afraid to simply measure 3/4 from this exterior wall.

There is no water in the crawl space but is this a moisture issue anyway?

I have base-board heating. The planks will be layed perpendicular to this baseboard. Any suggestions?

I also have access to the crawl space through the floor and need to build some kin of hatch. I thought I could cut planks and lay on the hatch then put some type of decorative strip or should I just put furniture on top of ;)

Thanks

I am installing a hard wood floor in a house that the heat ahsn't been installed yet. I outside temp is runnin in the 40's. I need to know if I should store the wood at 70 degrees in the house next door and bring it in bundle at a time or just install it at the room tempature of the house under construction

Troy,
Consider installing it at 45 degrees to the joists.

I have installed 3/4" hardwood in my home. It is white pine with maple toe kicks. I am wanting to know what kind of wood filler to use to fill the nail holes and any gaps.

Fred,
ACCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKK ! ! ! ! ! !

Stop! You need to read all of my columns on Hardwood Installation. You MUST get the heat on inside the place you are working and it must stay on from now on....... The wood needs to acclimate in the house you are working in.

Joel,
Use wood filler that is already colored to match the wood.

Hi Tim,
I need to trim the ends of the 1/2" eng. wood flooring boards between the Dining area (wood) and the Famliy room area (carpet). I plan to tack down a temporary wood guide for my circular saw as I run the saw(new panel blade) across the room.
My question is what tool do I use to complete this cut, i.e. the first and last 5" where the saw won't reach?
Thanks!

Hello our house is 7 years old had it since new and we have existing hardwood in our living room and the wife wants to carry on from the living room down the hall.So i ripped up the carpet and underlay and noticed that the builder cut off the tongue off the piece that i have to tie into,am i ok to just nail that side .If not i have to try and get all the nails and staples out and try and put a groove in it.Am i OK.

My house was built in 1948, I want to install 3/4 X 2 1/4 maple hardwood. the 1x6 subfloor is perpendicular to the floor joists, however these are cupped, leaving little valleys at the lap seems.Installation of the maple perpendicluar to the floor joints and therefore parallel with the subfloor would leave the maple noticeably wavey, unless alot of sanding is done. Is there an elastic floor leveling compound that wouldn't become brittle when nailed into, that I could use to level between the 1x6s? cutting tiny little strips of ashphalt shingles is not practical.
tahnks!
Ian

Tom,
A razor knife and a very sharp wood chisel.

Todd,
Take that piece out. If you see a tongue on the next row, you are good to go! If you see a groove, install a spline that allows you to reverse the direction of the tongues.

Ian,
USG has a new leveling compound that may work.

I am installing hardwood floors in several rooms with only a few issues to date - the shingle suggestion was particularly helpful. The one challenge I haven't figured out is how to nail the last 4 to 6 rows as I approach the wall. Clearly the last row needs to be nailed from the top; the question is how to toe nail the preceding rows. The floor nailer is to big, the finish nailer is also to big, and there is not enough room for toe nailing the old fashion way. What is the trick?

Jim.
The flooring gets face nailed. It is that simple.... Countersink the nails and fill with a high-quality wood filler that will stain the same color as the wood.

Dear Tim,
We are currenty interviewing contractors to rip up the linoleum in our (70's) kitchen/dining room area and install new hardwood floors. My problem is our stone fireplace which takes up an entire wall that goes from ceiling to floor with stones jaggedly sticking out over the floor space. Is there a good way to cut the boards for a more unified appearance? Should I consider pouring about a 6" concrete floor in front of the fireplace to make it easier for the floor to be put flush against that? I feel this is not an easy solution. BTW, I didn't know about the moisture barrier but will ask the contractors about that. We have a crawl space. Is there a specific type of barrier that we will need to protect the floor? THANKS AND HAVE A GREAT DAY!

Sally

We are going to install hardwood flooring on slab. Trying to resolve argument over which way the planks should run. I say horizontally from the front door because that's the lenght of the room, my husband wants to do vertically from the front door because the windows will be on either end and that's how the light runs in the room. Is there a most popular this should be done?

Sally,
A great installer will be able to scribe the wood to the stone. I have seen it done.

Marlean,
Your way is best. The planks should be run parallel with the longest room dimension.

I need help! Did I screw up by laying down a 3/8 inch plywood on top of my sub floor by using 1.5 inch staples instead of nails? I stapled every three inches along the sides and every 6 inches along the plywood overlay. I also have a 1/4 inch gap between most of these overlay plywood boards. Thanks.

after removing tile and a layer of linoleum I've got some badly damaged oak strip flooring underneath (stains, nail/staple holes, mastic). I'm thinking of going over it with prefinished oak flooring. Is this advisable? Which direction should I run the new boards, the same way or perpendicular? If the same way should I install 1/2" to 3/8" plywood over the old floor.

We are moving into a house where the living room [cherry coloured maple hardwood] is off the foyer [beige ceramic tile] and we are doing the upstairs in a dark brown oak hardwood. The stairs are visible from the foyer-what do we do on the stairs? Is it a faux pas to do the stairs in the oak?

Hey I have been reading non-stop about installing hardwood floors and i feel ready. I only have one question. The two rooms i am working on connect to the kitchen which has ceramic with a thin metal edging seperating the two rooms. I went to the model home, that has hardwood and I noticed they didn't leave 3/4" spacing in those spots. Their hardwood goes flush against the metal edging of the ceramic. Is it safe to say I don't have to leave the 3/4" space at those ends?

Thanks - Carolyne

Robert,
What did the written instructions say that came with the wood you purchased?????

That guy in the photo using the air nail gun should be wearing protective eyeware. That photo should demonstrate what not to do!

I have 3 1/4 x 3/4 oak hardwood flooring in a back bedroom. Can I use 4 inch in a great room and a hallway leading to this bedroom

thanks

Cindy,
No.

Carolyne,
If you have sweet carpentry skills, you will not need the strip.

Carman,
Yes.

I just had a professional install a pre finished beech floor (the floor was in my house for several days prior to the install). There are large gaps between the boards (both side by side, and end to end gaps). How big should the gaps be? What is too big? Do you have pictures of a properly installed floor to compare? Any suggestions on what to do next?

We are planning to install 4.25 inch wide 3/4 inch solid red oak. Our subfloor is good - 3/4 inch plank with 3/8 ply glued and screwed on top. I've seen some people saying never install wider than 3.25 solid wood as anything wider will shrink/expand a lot. Others say that problem starts more around 6 inches. I know badly controlled humidity will affect any floor. Is 4.25 really a bad choice? Its a good quality Canadian made flooring, by the way.

Would like to have your recommendations on which pneumatic flooring nailers are good, and worth the price....Thanks, Tom P, Charlotte, NC

Glued hardwood floors were installed in my new home. I have found many air pockets. The installer said they will not give me any problems unless they are at the end of the board. In that case, the air pocket could cause the board to lift in the future. He agreed to replace a few of the boards, but only in high traffic areas, by doorways, and only if at the end. I am not entirely pleased with his response. What is your opinion? Thank you.

Dear Ask the Builder,
I live in a very old 1800's cottage that has been added on to over the years by less than expert builders. I ripped up an old hardwood floor to install a new one to discover 1920's Newspaper Advertisements used to level the pine board subfloor. After cleaning all the boards off and ripping out countless nails ( never again!) I realized half the room was an addition with floor boards perpendicular that all have settled a few inches out of level ( along with the rest of the house). Half the subfloor planks are level and on one plane but the other half slopes down from a hinge at the center of the room. I'm stuck on what to do now.

I just installed half of my 5 inch maple floor and everything is going well. A contractor friend told me that he was told to glue the first and last 2 rows of wood together (near the walls)to prevent splitting near the walls if the floor moves. The floor is installed with wax paper and nailed every 8 inches.

Also, I am making my own thresholds from the flooring. Should they be glued down as well as nailed?

Thanks

Ok here goes. We are going to be installing 1200sq ft. of white ash - unfinished. We were told you cannot install using a regular pueumatic nailer as later on this will cause the floor to squeak. We were told you must use a cleat nailer. Is this true?

As well, they also told us we cannot install the wood until we pre-treat it or the stain we later put on it will be blotchy in places and will not cover well. What does unfinished wood need to be treated with? And if we pre-treat it, how long does it have to sit before we use it?

Love your website!

I recently bought a house and the dog that lived here has ruined the carpet from urine. The carpet was soaked past the underpad. I ripped up all the carpet and i'm going to install wood flooring. I was wondering if the concrete should be treated in anyway to fully take the urine scent out? Thanks,
Roger

Hi, I would like to know what is the best thickness to put down if using solid hardwood (Oak) on a 3/4 in. subfloor. Is a 3/4 21/4 in. board better thatn 5/16th? Lowes is trying to convince me it does not matter. Thanks L. Howgate

I am getting ready to install hardwood floors in my house but I am questioning the existing subfloor. It is 1/2" ply, with 5/8" flooring underlayment material on top. With 2" nails should I have a problem provided I install the proper moisture barrier material?

I have an inquiry about newly installed knotty pine flooring. Sap is leaking through several knots and I'm wondering if it will ever stop or how we can prevent the leaks?

I am installing 3/4 " hardwood on the second floor of a fairly new house (5 yrs old). Are there any compelling reasons to invest in a product like Insulayment rather than 15 lb felt paper as the underlayment.

We have bought a condominium in which we have a very large living room ending with a bay window, which makes the shape of the living room like an "L" turning left rather than right.

The sofa will be at the base of the letter.

The floor base is concrete and the condominium requires specific deadening material (1/8" cork) glued to the cement and then the hardwood glued to the cork.

The question is in what direction to lay the hardwood: in parallel with the base of the "L" or in parallel with the length of the "L"?

Thank you!

I am about to install 3/4 hardwood in my 1 level house. I want to have no thresholds; I want it to be one continuous floor throughout all rooms. My problem is that a portion of the house is an addition. This portion is slightly 1/4" raised over the rest of the house. The rest of the house is old tongue and groove flooring. I had planned on going right over this floor with the new floor. My question now is can I install 1/4 plywood over the lower floor to raise it up? Secondly the current floor has squeaks, when I firm up the floor is it important to hit the floor joists? Or because there is subfloor under the old flooring can I just screw it down where it squeaks and not worry about the joist. I guess the same goes for the new 1/4" plywood that I would like to install do I need to hit joist or will it be ok to simply secure it to the old 3/4" floor. Please help I have my crew coming over in 2 days and need to have everything ready before they arrive.

Mark

We are installing re-claimed/ 110 year old pine 7" boards. Our rooms are not square- is there a need to find center of room to start....?

Hi Bob,
I have just installed hardwood floors, and after reading your column, read about the running the hardwood perpendicular to the floor joists. On the first level, the installer did it correctly, however, when I went to check on him yesterday upstairs in the master bedroom, I noticed he was not going perpendicual, but paralel as he said it does not HAVE to be perpendicular, but generally will be installed the longest width of the room. Well, although I appreciated his advice, it stressed me out too much, and I had him rip it all out and re-start again the proper way...he was a little upset, but I think he knew I was right and the "astetcs" is not what is important to me, but the fact to I will not have problems down to road is far more important. However, what I was wondering is what is the actual reason for ionstalling them perpendicular? What would be the long term impact if I had let him continue going paralell with the joists? Of everything I have read, this question really has not been answered (the "why").
Thanks for all the great advice and information in your columns!
Regards,
Leasa

I have a question for you concerning hardwood installation. We have a large space that makes up several rooms. We are thinking about laying one section out in a diagonal (I know it makes things difficult). But my question is this: Between the ’straight’ area and the diagonal I was going to install a perpendicular board as a transition. Do I need that or can you butt up the edge of the diagonal board to the straight one? In either case do I need to slot the end of the cut diagonal board to accept the groove (of either the transition board or the straight boards)? If so, what is the best way to do that?

Thanks,
Mark

what do I do if the sub foor is uneven?

Im putting hardwood in two adjacent rooms where 2 starting walls are not on the same plane. How do I know where to start so they line up later.

The builder is planning to lay hardwood down on 5/8" plywood the top level of a new bungalow home side to side thru-out the whole house. This would be against the floor joist and from what I'm reading is correct installation.

For cosmetic reasons I would prefer the builder lay the hardwood lengthwise especially in places like the hallway. I think the joist are 16" center 2x10

What are some of the problems I will run into if the 3/4" hardwood runs in the same direction as the floor joist?

Hi, we just had a high quality hardwood installed in our home. We are not pleased with the install, but my main concern is their is a spot in the dinning room where the seams peak(not sure if this is the right term), causing a hump that you can feel and see. I know our subfloor was flat as I hired someone to make sure it was and applied new plywood and screwed it all down. I know the installers started in the middle of the room so they could work both ways and this is where the lump is. My question is Is this Lump going to be a problem in the future?
thanks
Suzanne

I want to install hardwood flooring in my house. Can I glue it down instead of nailing. I wuill be putting it in 3 rooms that connect to each other one of them being my kitchen. Do I need to pull up the floor covering in the kitchen or can I glue over it.

Thanks
Jim Bristol In.

I'm looking to install 5" Brazilian Cherry diagnally in a 16' X 20' room. Any secrets on where to start?

Thanks,

Scott Kiser

hello, i'm getting ready to put 3/4" tounge and groove flooring down. i have particleboard subflooring . is this ok or do i need to pull it up and install plywood? thank's

I’m installing engineered hardwood over existing older hardwood. I have planned on changing the direction in all the rooms except the hall. The installer has told me not to run the new the same direction. I really do not want a long hall with perpendicularly running planks. Can I run the hall in the same direction as the old?

What are the options and pros and cons of each subflooring for hardwood floors. We are putting down solid prefinished oak on subflooring. should we be concerned about vapor leak from the petroleum-based asphalt felt paper. We know folks who have used red rosin paper instead of the roofers felt. Advise appreciated.
CS