How To Lay Real Wood Click Flooring

Solid wood floors should not be installed in basements or below grade.

How to lay real wood click flooring. They are available in 3 4 inch thickness as well as low profile styles that are 5 16 to 5 8 inch thick which are a good or installing over existing flooring. Installing click together flooring or click lock hardwood flooring is an easy way to get a wood look floor without forking out the big bucks. While all wood floors expand and contract due to changes in temperature and humidity engineered hardwood is more stable than solid wood floors because of the way it s constructed. Engineered hardwood is made up of layers of real hardwood and high.

I talk more about why i chose engineered hardwood in this post. Starting a 1 4 away from the wall will allow the wood to expand and contract. This is because solid wood flooring has a higher tendency towards movement and needs to be fixed to the subfloor to avoid problems in the future. Laying a solid hardwood strip floor is easier and faster if you choose a prefinished product to avoid the extra work of sanding staining and finishing.

As with so many other do it yourself jobs careful. Measure the width of the flooring plank then add 1 4 inch. Put the first board up against the mason s line with the groove side facing away from the walls. Here s how to install click lock engineered hardwood flooring.

Use 1 2 inch spacers to assist in maintaining the 1 2 inch expansion gap between the first row of flooring planks and the wall. Like unfinished hardwood floors the prefinished types typically have tongue and groove edges on all sides. Measure that number out from the starting wall then snap a chalk line at that point the length of the room. Then place a 5 16 inch spacer against the wall that s furthest from the door to give the wood floor enough room to expand without cracking.

When you are laying a solid timber floor it is best to lay it using a fixed method as opposed to floating commonly used for engineered boards. I researched a ton of different flooring options from vinyl plank to tile.