Installing a new wooden floor can transform the overall ambience of your house; however, the process is not just about selecting a colour or a style. Prior to laying hardwood floors, inspect the condition of the subfloor, indoor humidity levels, measurement of the room where the floor will be installed, and the kind of wood that will be suitable for your family.
For those who live in Brampton and the GTA area, preparing everything beforehand is especially essential since conditions inside houses vary from winters to summers. Making all necessary preparations in advance can help you avoid any delays and additional costs.
The list below can be used to make proper arrangements and know what to talk to the flooring specialist.
Selecting the Suitable Hardwood for Your House
Begin by thinking about what each room is going to be used for and how much people will walk through it. The type of wood that you install should match your preferences.
Solid or engineered hardwood?
Feature | Solid hardwood | Engineered hardwood |
Structure | Made from a solid block of wood | Has a real wood face covering a stacked core |
Looks | Wooden grains and colour | Grain and color of natural wood |
Water resistance | More sensitive to moisture variations | Stacked design increases dimensional stability |
Ideal sites | Spaces that fulfill the product’s installation criteria | More approved installation sites based on the product |
Placement | Normally nailed or stapled on a good subfloor surface | Can be nailed, stapled, glued, or floated depending on the product |
Neither one of these choices works in every situation. The choice depends on the type of subfloor, the conditions of the room, and how the flooring was manufactured.
A living room with an appropriate subfloor of wood can benefit from solid hardwood flooring installation. If there is a need for more stability, engineered flooring may be the better choice. Neither one can be used in an inappropriate condition.
Think about types of wood, colours, and finishes
For instance, oak, maple, and other types of wood vary in grain, colour, and durability against wear. Lighter finish can make small rooms look bigger, while dark floors can create contrast with lighter walls and furniture.
Remember about:
- House activity: If you have children, pets or even guests visiting your house often, then perhaps you may require something which conceals all the blemishes.
- Interior details: Get samples of the finish and compare them to your cabinet, walls, stairs and furniture.
- Lighting: Get samples of the finish both during day time and night time, as lighting can really change the look of the finish.
- Maintenance in the future: Gather information about the maintenance products and process of the selected finish.
Inspect the Existing Floor and Subfloor
The surface where you plan to install new flooring material should be inspected prior to any installation procedures. Just because the surface looks clean does not mean that it is suitable for your new floorboards.
It should be inspected by your flooring professional in Brampton after establishing what needs to be removed from there. Check for water damage, unstable areas, unevenness, cracks or any other issues while walking on this surface.
Check for flatness and stability
If the surface is not flat or stable enough it can cause some difficulties during installation or make your floorboards move, squeak or have gaps. This depends on the floorboards you choose.
- Find out whether the installation will require:
- Ripping out the old carpeting, laminate, or other floor.
- Repairing any subfloor damage or loose spots.
- Leveling of high spots.
- Cleaning up adhesives or other contamination.
- More prep work prior to attaching the new boards.
The above should be determined before the job is priced. When there is damage to the subfloor that has not been fixed, laying down new wood on top of it could cause unnecessary complications.
It is also vital that an expert check if the installation technique is appropriate for the subfloor.
Test for Moisture and Room Conditions
The following are some of the elements that should be assessed before laying the floorboards; moisture. This is because wood has the ability to absorb or lose moisture in response to variations in its surrounding. Moisture causes the swelling of wood while lack of it makes the wood shrink.
Moisture may cause cupping while insufficient moisture causes gaps between the boards. This may not have any correlation with the wood itself. It can be caused by several factors including the building and installation processes.
What should be tested?
Ask your contractor to test the moisture condition of the subfloor and the flooring material before starting the job. Different testing techniques are used for concrete and wood subfloors.
The inspection should be done based on:
- Readings of moisture content in the subfloor and wooden floor.
- Evidence of leaks, wetness, or any water damage.
- Interior temperature and humidity.
- Normal functioning of heating and ventilation systems in the building.
- Moisture control needed for the selected product.
Do not base your decision on appearance only whether the surface is dry. If there is excessive moisture in the reading, take action immediately.
Allow the Wood to Get Used to Your Environment
Wood floorboards will require some time to adapt to the indoor climate prior to installing. This procedure is usually known as acclimation, but the more accurate term for it would be conditioning the material to the actual conditions.
It would be wrong to think that all products need the same period of time. It all depends on the type of material, its moisture content, the conditions in your room, and on the recommendations from the manufacturer.
Prior to the start of works, make sure that:
- Heating and ventilation systems work normally;
- The wet trades are finished (plastering and other works tha bring significant moisture);
- The room has the conditions similar to those of the normal occupation;
- The floorboards have been stored and transported following the recommendations from the manufacturer;
- The installer has determined whether there is a need in acclimation or some other conditioning measures.
Do not open packages and stack boards in a place unsuitable just to save time. Your
flooring contractor Toronto should tell you when the material is ready and what else you need to do.
Checking List Before the Floor Estimation
Measurements of the room will help to define how much flooring material you will need and where the boards have to be cut. It will also help to estimate how the floor will look like, including its edges, alignment, and transitions between rooms.
Make sure you cover the following issues during the estimation:
- Room dimensions: measure the length and width of all the rooms, including alcoves and corners that should be covered with flooring.
- Additional materials: calculate the amount of underlayment, adhesives, transition strips, and other materials needed for the installation of the flooring.
- Direction of boards: choose which direction the boards will lay in depending on the layout of the room, its lighting and homeowner’s preferences.
- Transitions: make sure you check the meeting of the new floor with the old one (tile, carpet, or floor in another room).
- Baseboards and trim: check whether the baseboards and trim should be removed or installed again after the flooring is installed.
- Door clearance: the new floor will make the floor level higher than before and can interfere with opening of the doors. Make sure you check that in advance.
With open floor plans, take into account whether the flooring pattern will flow into the adjacent spaces. Aligning the boards can ensure the continuity of the design throughout the house. But the ultimate layout design must also factor in the room size and installation specifications of the flooring manufacturer.
Room Preparation before the Installation Crew Arrives
Room Preparation before the Installation Crew Arrives
Proper room preparation can make the whole process easier and avoid any delays. Before the appointed day, determine who will take care of furniture removal and disposal and ensure that the installation crew will be able to gain easy access to the installation site.
In the living room, begin by clearing small items like books, lamps, electronic gadgets, decorative objects, and other personal possessions.
Pre-Installation Checklist
Before the flooring team arrives, make sure you have:
- Verify the type, color, finish, and quantity of flooring material to be installed.
- Plan furniture removal to make space for installation.
- Talk about removing and disposing of old flooring.
- Identify any necessary repairs to the subfloor.
- Ensure that moisture tests and material preparation will take place.
- Identify if any changes to doors will need to be made.
- Set the schedule for the start and finish of the job.
- Ensure that your pets and children do not have access to the tools or area.
- Identify who will move the heavy objects such as refrigerators.
Find out if the team will take care of the walkways and clean up at the end of each work day.
Installation Method and Finished Appearance
There are a variety of ways to install different types of wood flooring materials. The choice of a way depends not on the convenience but on flooring material and subfloor.
Main ways are the following:
- Nail down or staple down: Boards are fastened with the help of nails or staples to appropriate wood subfloor.
- Glue down: Flooring material is glued to a proper subfloor using an appropriate glue.
- Floating installation: Boards are fastened to each other but are not fixed to a subfloor.
Not every way can be used with every type of flooring material.
Talk through the approach to edges, corners, stairs, and transitions with flooring installers near me before starting the work. The finishing details affect how completed and uniform the floor looks.
Also, it makes sense to agree on how the installation will be inspected at the end. This inspection provides a chance to look at the completed floor boards and their edges, trim, and transitions and raise any questions related to cleaning and maintenance.
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