Installing Wood Flooring

With many different choices in wood flooring, there are also several different installation methods too.

Depending on where the wood flooring is being installed, the subfloor and the type of wood may influence your decision and the best method for installation.

Some wood floors come with a fitter/DIY friendly click system incorporated in it, enabling you to install the wood floor easily and quickly, much like a laminate floor - taking out the need for gluing all the joins and the use of tightening belts to secure the boards together. This floating floor method will usually require a suitable underlay for the wood floor.

Other installation methods for wood flooring include a tongue and groove method, or T&G, which requires each plank of wood flooring to be matched up with the corresponding groove or tongue, requiring a PVA type adhesive to further secure the planks.

Secret nailing is also a very robust method of installation for the wood flooring, using a nail gun for example to secure each board discretely between the joints to the corresponding board, ensuring a secure and rigid fit, leaving your wood floor in place securely.

In instances where the floor space is large, with areas where room temperatures are likely to vary which could leave the wood floor prone to expansion, a secure method of installation is to use and adhesive as recommended by the manufacturer of the wood, to glue the boards down to the subfloor. This will minimise any movement of the boards and ensure that the wood floor is serviceable for many years.

The first thing to ensure prior to any installation of a wood floor, whether it is engineered wood or solid wood floor, is to make sure the subfloor is in very good condition.

This can involve securing any uneven floorboards, filling/replacing any missing or broken floorboards, using plywood or hardboard to prepare the subfloor to ensure it is level, or screeding the subfloor if it is concrete in order to make it level and ready for wood flooring installation.

An expansion gap is required along the walls where the wood floor is to be installed, which is especially important in large areas. Expansion gaps can be then hidden neatly with beading, that either match/compliment the wood floor, or white which can be painted to the same colour as the skirting boards.

Always ensure to follow the instructions and use the correct installation methods/equipment as outlined by the manufacturer of the wood flooring so that you achieve the correct finish and perfect fit for your wood floor.