If you are remodeling or renovating your home on your own, there are several projects you will have to tackle. One of the most important steps is installing hardwood floors. Learn how to install hardwood flooring by reading on.

The first step in installing hardwood floors is gathering the proper materials. You will need a pneumatic flooring stapler, an air compressor with a 15-foot hose (or longer), a 6-pound rubber mallet, a claw hammer, brad nailer, tape measure, miter saw, table saw, jigsaw, straight edge, chalk line, speed square, angle finder, pencil, sheet plastic, moisture retarder paper, a hand stapler, utility knife, wood glue, matching wood putty, hardwood flooring adhesive, a trowel, concrete moisture vapor barrier, tapping blocks, adhesive remover, rags, and a nail punch. You may have several of these tools laying around if you’re working on a remodeling project. If not, you can easily rent or buy these materials at a local hardware store.

Once you’ve gathered everything you need, you need to prepare the subfloor for wood flooring installation. Prepping the floor is one of the most important steps because failure to do so can result in uneven spots and loose boards. If your subfloor is concrete, you will need to sand areas that are risen too high. You will also need to fill spaces that are too low. If your subfloors are wooden, tighten down high spots with screws or sand these spots. Low spots will need to be filled with spare wood or paper.

Next, lay your underlayment. Put down your vapor barrier or padding. Depending on the product you have, you will either need to nail, glue, or simply lay down the underlayment. Overlap the pieces to be sure there are no gaps.

Finally, it’s time to install your floors! Each floor is unique, so be sure to take it one board at a time. Using a chalk line can help you plan everything out before laying your boards down. Be sure to use your tape measure to make sure your boards are even.

Now that you know how to lay floorboards, you’re ready to visit flooring.org! Check out our inventory to find the perfect flooring for your home. If you have any questions, please give us a call at 800-689-9006.