Hardwood floor installation is a great investment. Solid hardwood floors are visually appealing, durable, provide comfort underfoot, and bring promising returns on investment if you ever plan to sell your property. Hardwood floors can offer homeowners various benefits if installed correctly. That being said, homeowners must avoid making the following mistakes when installing hardwood floors to avoid pitfalls and costly replacements in the future.
1. Not Preparing the Sub-layers
Be mindful of your home’s sub-layers before installing solid hardwood. Any bulges, dents, and imperfections on the subfloors may be reflected on the hardwood’s surface. However, you must not rush with leveling your sub-layers to expedite the process of hardwood floor installation. Remember that the stronger the subfloor, the more durable would be your hardwood flooring. Therefore, ensure to level your subfloors before installing hardwood planks to prevent them from buckling, gapping, or producing creaky noises later.
2. Not Checking Moisture Levels
Humidity can directly affect your hardwood floors, causing them to expand. For example, hardwood installed during the colder months would be in its contracted state than planks installed during the summer. Hardwood flooring installed in extreme temperature and humidity changes are more likely to crack and damage. Therefore, avoid installing hardwood floors when the humidity levels are high.
3. Ignoring the Layout
Your home might appear to have right angles at all corners, but that doesn’t mean all rooms are perfectly square. Instead of hastily evaluating your layout, take your time to understand how many planks you would have to cut at odd angles for them to fit properly. For best measures, we suggest you hire professional flooring installers near you and minimize the risks associated with the DIY project. A reliable flooring company will have the right knowledge and expertise to measure and fit every plank carefully and safely.
4. Not Nailing Enough
Another mistake that people make when installing hardwood floors is not securing the boards tightly in place. You should install enough nails to prevent the floorboards from moving, loosening, or creaking in the future.
While many homeowners consider installing hardwood floors themselves, it’s important to hire professional flooring contractors to minimize safety hazards and pitfalls. If you’re looking for a hardwood flooring installer in Redmond, we can help! At Five Star Hardwood Floors, we aim to help homeowners create a warm and cozy interior. Click here to learn more about our services.