How To Lay Out A Floating Wood Floor

While personal preference is a factor the direction in which you run hardwood flooring boards is governed by visual and structural guidelines.

How to lay out a floating wood floor. Align the first board with the layout line with the tongue facing into the room. This old house general contractor tom silva shares tips and techniques for installing a floating floor. Drill three pilot holes along its center to keep the transition molding from splitting then fasten it to the subfloor not the flooring with 4d finish nails. Lay out your wood planks by size.

It can be installed over any other tightly bonded flooring making it ideal for retrofits. Place the next piece end to end. Now measure the walls for shoe molding. Next you want to determine the layout of the flooring in the space.

Hardwood flooring installation doesn t have to be a difficult task. Overlap the flooring on either side but leave a 5 16 inch gap against the floating floor. Why do you need spacers around the walls. Working my way off that point i lay out some pieces or measure the width of my finish boards to determine where they ll line up.

The floating wood floor will expand and contract as a unit with temperature fluctuations. Although this may seem to offer less stability it actually doesn t given the floor is properly installed. Some wood flooring comes with several lengths in the same package to help you stagger the seams. Hardwood flooring installation doesn t have to be a difficult task.

Floating floors are not attached to the subfloor with glue or nails. See below for a shopping list and tools subscribe. I like to start by finding the longest straight run in the room or work off the center of the room if it s relatively square. Learn how to install hardwood flooring with this step by step guide that explores the four install methods.

Lay out the first piece of square edge flooring with the groove side against the wall so it fits snugly against the spacer. The correct direction for laying hardwood floors. Set the transition on the subfloor. Laminate planks that are designed to float have a locking system similar to the tongues and grooves on hardwood boards.