DIY flooring install
my husband and i are planning to install our wood flooring (oak tongue in groove) next weekend. we had plywood put down by contractors, and it’s all very flat, so we have a great surface to start on. are we crazy to try to do this ourselves? any advice so as to keep out the…
my husband and i are planning to install our wood flooring (oak tongue in groove) next weekend. we had plywood put down by contractors, and it’s all very flat, so we have a great surface to start on. are we crazy to try to do this ourselves? any advice so as to keep out the gaps or bubbles come spring time? the floor will be in our house for about 5 days before we install it. any advice in general?
thanks!
You can see a demo (click on flooring guide) on ikea’s website:
http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/our_products.html
We temporarily took the radiators out to put the floor underneath. We did that ourselves, but my husband is Mr Handy.
We temporarily took the radiators out to put the floor underneath. So…you might want to know alittle about plumbing before attempting the project yourself.
We put the floor underneath the radiators. Ok, guess you have to know alittle about plumbing too if you want to do it yourself!
that’s a great question actually — (i’m the OP) — we’re wondering what to do about them. we don’t have much clearance and are hearing from plumbers that it will potentially cost a whole lot to raise them.
how do you work the flooring around the legs of the radiators? cut holes? right now my radiators’ legs are resting on the underflooring.
Ditto on the nailing being a physical job. Even with a manual nailer (rentable at tool centers), you can get the mother of all tennis elbows the next week after swinging the big mallet. I’ve had pro’s use the manual nailers, but their right arms are twice the size of their left arms.
I disagree with the start in the middle and work out method, and here’s why:
Let’s say you are laying #1 oak in your entry parlor. I would start in the doorway, and get that perfect. I’ll worry about getting the far edges (out of the way, not that visible)as nice as possible, but I want the focus of the room, the floor as you enter to be “purr-fect”.
Bruce
I’ve leveled and nailed the floors by myself (well…with the hubby), but always have a pro come to do the sanding and poly. I figure we can always pull a few planks out as we go if we screw up, but I don’t want to have an entire re-do once the whole thing is complete. It’s worth a shot, but you do need the proper tools, which you can rent at Miller on Coney Island Ave.
man, that is some great advice, but reading that whole things tells me i am not capable to do it myself…