If you’re in the process of planning a new wood floor, one of the things you’re likely to be debating is whether to try to lay the floor yourself or if you should pay someone to do it. If you’re on a tight budget, if you fancy a challenge or if you’ve got time on your hands, you may well be tempted to lay the floor yourself. Before you make that decision however, you need to be brutally honest with yourself about whether or not you have the skills, the tools and the time to make your floor fitting attempt a success.
Assuming you’ve done all the soul searching that needs to be done and you’ve decided to go ahead and take on the job singlehanded, here are our Top 10 Tips:
Place your flooring order carefully
If you decide to fit your wood flooring yourself, every buck stops with you. There’s no getting away from the fact that if you order too much, too little, or heaven’s forbid the wrong sort of floor, you have no one to blame but yourself. So, for this reason, you need to make sure you make sound decisions about which type of flooring would work best, remembering things like engineered wood flooring works in any room where there are fluctuations of temperature or moisture or if you have under floor heating. Thereafter, you need to measure carefully, allowing for 8% wastage. It’s also important to remember to include any glues and accessories you’ll need in your order.
Make sure you’ve got all the tools you need
If you’re not a regular DIY-er then the chances of you having all the tools you’ll need to fit a wood floor are pretty slim. You’ll need: some basic hand tools, including a hammer, a hand saw, a set square, a tape measure and a screw driver. You may also want to avail of some power tools, such as a chop saw, a jigsaw and maybe a cordless, power screwdriver. Whether you decide to buy, borrow or rent these tools is up to you, but do make the effort to have them to hand when you start the job in order to save delays and frustrations.
Choose your installation method wisely
The fitting methods for wood flooring include nail or staple down; glue down and floating. The simplest method for a DIY-er is most probably floating, because it’s less messy than glue down and less fiddly than nail or staple down. It’s also perfect for installation over under floor heating. All of that said, if you’re in any doubt about which method to use, either get in touch with us or seek another source of advice.
Estimate the duration of the job with care
There are few things more frustrating than a job that takes ten times longer than you imagine. Although this may be a slight exaggeration, it’s well worth over-estimating the time the job will take than underestimating. That way both you (and your family) will be pleasantly surprised rather than disappointed.
Acclimatise your flooring
Before you lay your wood floor, it’s essential that the floor boards are acclimatised to the environment where they will spend their lives. You can read our Ultimate Guide to Acclimatising Wood flooring here, and we’d encourage you to follow it to the letter to avoid problems in the future.
Clear your room of all furnishings
It goes without saying, but laying a wood floor with furnishings in the room is nigh on impossible, yet more people than you can imagine try to do it. Lack of space and desire for minimal disruption are the main reasons given, but to be honest, your room simply must be clear before you tackle laying your wood floor.
Prepare your sub floor with precision
You need to make sure that your sub floor is ready and fit to receive your new wood floor. If you have a concrete subfloor you need to check its moisture levels before you lay your floor and take remedial action if necessary. If you have a wooden subfloor, you need to decide whether you can lay your new flooring directly on top of the old wood or if you need to introduce a layer of ply to increase stability. You’ll probably find these two articles useful when it comes to preparing your sub floor: Recording Moisture Levels Before Fitting Wood Flooring and Should you lay plywood over plank sub floor?
Allow for expansion and contraction
It is essential when fitting a wood floor to leave an expansion gap around the perimeter of your room. Expansion gaps should be between 10-15mm to allow the wood to expand and contract without suffering any sort of distortion.
Stagger your boards
When laying your boards, normally, when you finish a row, you’ll have a short offcut from the final board. Using this board as the first board in your next row will create natural board staggering effect and a more professional finish.
Remember that finish counts
When you’re almost finished your job, you might be tempted to walk away without giving the floor a good look over to make sure that the finish is as perfect as you can make it. Don’t be tempted to miss out this final task, because the little things you fix and finish right at the end will be the things that’ll annoy you if you leave them undone 😉
If you’d like any advice or support for your floor laying project, why not get in touch? At Wood and Beyond we have years and years of experience in every aspect of wood flooring, so there are few questions (if any) that we don’t have the answers to.
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FAQ
What skills do I need to lay a wood floor myself?
Laying a wood floor yourself requires basic DIY skills, the correct tools, and a good amount of time. It’s essential to carefully measure your space, choose the right flooring type and installation method, prepare the subfloor, and be aware of the need for the wood to acclimate before installation.
What tools will I need to install a wood floor?
Basic hand tools you’ll need include a hammer, a hand saw, a set square, a tape measure, and a screwdriver. Depending on the complexity of the job, you may also need power tools like a chop saw, a jigsaw, and a cordless, power screwdriver.
What are the different installation methods for wood flooring?
The main fitting methods for wood flooring include nail or staple down; glue down and floating. The simplest method for a DIY project is likely floating as it’s less messy than glue down and less complicated than nail or staple down. It’s also suitable for installation over underfloor heating.
What is meant by acclimatising your flooring?
Acclimatising your flooring means allowing the floorboards to adjust to the environment where they will be installed before you lay them down. This is essential to prevent problems caused by the wood expanding or contracting due to temperature and humidity variations in the room.
Why is it necessary to leave an expansion gap when fitting a wood floor?
An expansion gap of between 10-15mm should be left around the perimeter of your room when fitting a wood floor. This allows the wood to expand and contract without suffering any distortion, ensuring the longevity and stability of your floor.