Oh talk about Back breaking. I was trying to get a contractor to do it. i got estimates between $1600 to $4500 for the job. but NO one is available so i'm doing it myself. The job doesn't seem to require any specific skills except a strong back.
I'm putting in a Hardwood Floor, 1100 sq ft.
- Thread starter PlatinumGold
- Start date
I have done that before, lost of fun 
But its gonna look nice once its done and require less maintenance than carpet. Our house has all wood flooring, and we only had to reapply the finish to it about every five years or so, depending on wear.
But its gonna look nice once its done and require less maintenance than carpet. Our house has all wood flooring, and we only had to reapply the finish to it about every five years or so, depending on wear.wyvrn. i'm puttin my house on the market. just doing this to get a few more bucks (well, actually close to $10k more).
No kidding. I'm going all hardwood in my house when I build it, except perhaps the family room. I have full carpet in the apartment I'm in now and I hate it. So much vaccuming.Originally posted by: wyvrn
I have done that before, lost of fun
Are you putting down the "squares" or the individual pieces of toung and groove board? My parents used the latter when we added on to our house, I got to help lay it. We only did about half of what you did, but it was an all day job. And then there's the sanding and the varnishing to look forward to
. But it's worth it in the end for sure.
for the best longterm result you should store the wood flooring in the room where you plan to deploy it for several weeks to a month, in order to allow the wood to reach a stable water content. the wood is kiln dried and is shipped with a specific water content. the humidity of your home will be different, and the wood will swell slightly, or shrink slightly depending on the difference. if you let the wood lay in the same area where it will be installed, it will stabilize, and your "fit" will be tighter, and less likely to change later. this is a real concern, not imaginary.
I don't doubt you, but i'm doing this just to sell my house. so hopefully i won't see the results untill after i sell the house.
Any advice for a newbie who'd like to do this project?
I could hire a contractor, but the ones who just finished with the kitchen and bathroom were sloppy so I'd rather not retain them. I figure I could do a better job with some training (i.e. good resources). Or like PlatinumGold said, I could pay $$$ up the arse for real professionals.
Along with work advice, a quick rundown of the materials costs would be appreciated as well. TIA.
I could hire a contractor, but the ones who just finished with the kitchen and bathroom were sloppy so I'd rather not retain them. I figure I could do a better job with some training (i.e. good resources). Or like PlatinumGold said, I could pay $$$ up the arse for real professionals.
Along with work advice, a quick rundown of the materials costs would be appreciated as well. TIA.
If your going the Tongue and groove route. . .
1. It can't be on a concrete floor, i guess you probably already know that.
2. you can rent a Tongue and Groove nail machine at Home Depot rental, I paid $80 for a week.
3. I got my hardwood at Worldwide Flooring. They have a decent selection. I chose a 3/4 in hardwood piece. there are a lot of synthetics on the market that are like 1/4 in hardwood on top of basically plywood. Most of the synthetics were quite a bit more expensive than what i chose. The ONLY reason i'd consider a synthetic is that u can put a synthetic in w/ a staple gun vs tongue and groove nailer. Staple gun (especially if you rent a good one) is much quicker. Also, if you chose a synthetic, they are going to try and get you to use Glue instead of staples to put the flooring down. don't do it. GLUE is EXPENSIVE, they estimated $1500 of glue to do my floor.
4. You need a circular saw to cut pieces. The planks come in various sizes so you don't really have to cut many pieces. just when you have a 45 degree angle and so forth.
5. plan on a few days, over a 9 hour period i managed to put down about 400 sq ft of hardwood. to finish the project it'll take me probably 3 or 4 more days (only part time).
if you have any questions, feel free to pm me.
1. It can't be on a concrete floor, i guess you probably already know that.
2. you can rent a Tongue and Groove nail machine at Home Depot rental, I paid $80 for a week.
3. I got my hardwood at Worldwide Flooring. They have a decent selection. I chose a 3/4 in hardwood piece. there are a lot of synthetics on the market that are like 1/4 in hardwood on top of basically plywood. Most of the synthetics were quite a bit more expensive than what i chose. The ONLY reason i'd consider a synthetic is that u can put a synthetic in w/ a staple gun vs tongue and groove nailer. Staple gun (especially if you rent a good one) is much quicker. Also, if you chose a synthetic, they are going to try and get you to use Glue instead of staples to put the flooring down. don't do it. GLUE is EXPENSIVE, they estimated $1500 of glue to do my floor.
4. You need a circular saw to cut pieces. The planks come in various sizes so you don't really have to cut many pieces. just when you have a 45 degree angle and so forth.
5. plan on a few days, over a 9 hour period i managed to put down about 400 sq ft of hardwood. to finish the project it'll take me probably 3 or 4 more days (only part time).
if you have any questions, feel free to pm me.
KK
Lifer
- Jan 2, 2001
- 15,903
- 4
- 81
I'm in the process of removing my hardwoods. I'm on a slab, and the slab cracked from stress like they all eventually do. Well, termites ate some of my hardwoods, so to treat it right I had to pull all of it up. Kinda depressing, but they were starting to get on my nerves, the finish was coming off, mainly from water splashing and such. We had the about 800-900 sq feet of hardwoods. We're going to put that pergo stuff down, but it's made by wilsonart, supposedly better than pergo, in the kitchen and dining room, and then new carpet in all the other rooms.
KK
KK
You're doing it the smart way. I put down about 500 Sq. ft. of unfinished red oak several years back. I didn't rent a nail machine, but drilled all of my holes with a drill, used flooring nails and set each one with a nail set. All of the nails were concealed because they were covered by the groove of the next board that I was installing. Although it was a lot more work that I envisioned, it was well worth it. But, on our next house, we paid to have the builder install the hardwood floors. This was a much better decision - other than the fact we had them put down hardwoods that required waxing. Their selection of pre-finished polyurethane flooring wasn't as good as the Bruce waxed flooring. A few years later, we paid to have the floors sanded, stained and coated with two coats of oil-based poly (none of that water-based crap!).
Good luck with the rest of your project. You might appreciate it so much that you'll want to stay in your house instead of selling it.
Ya, we've been joking about that. but we've already signed a contract w/ a realtor to sell the house. i'm looking forward to getting out of this house. COL is just TOOO high in nj.
We have about 1500 sq ft. It's really nice once it's done. Nice and shiny. But i think we have to waxed it or something like that to keep it looking shiny and new.
If you are putting laminate look into alloc, it's the only laminate with a lifetime guarantee and can be had for $4 sq/ft.
very easy to click together and take out if you mess up or have to replace. they have metal channelling so they don't seperate. just a tip use a scrap piece to knock together before adding the next piece( they have wax edges and it seems to join the wax better that way)
i spent 1 month looking at them all, yet alloc has the best warranty. they also come with a felt backer so you don't need to get the extra padding. I have had mine down for 6 months..easy to clean with a swifter..I have 1 dog and 2 kids running around here.
KK
Lifer
- Jan 2, 2001
- 15,903
- 4
- 81
Alloc seems pretty good, I kinda was leaning toward that stuff in the beginning, since they were the first to come up with the snap stuff. My understanding though was that it required the piece to be bought in at a 45 degree agle and then laid down to snap in place. I may still ask about the alloc since they have the tile in the snap stuff. It'll probably run .50 to 1.00 more though. Less maintenance is what I'm looking for. Hardwoods, atleast mine, were a pain. Popping when you would walk on them, gaps between the boards, thin layer of finish. I hope these laminates are the answer.
KK
KK
TRENDING THREADS
-
Discussion Zen 5 Speculation (EPYC Turin and Strix Point/Granite Ridge - Ryzen 9000)- Started by DisEnchantment
- Replies: 25K
-
Discussion Intel Meteor, Arrow, Lunar & Panther Lakes + WCL Discussion Threads
- Started by Tigerick
- Replies: 24K
-
Discussion Intel current and future Lakes & Rapids thread- Started by TheF34RChannel
- Replies: 23K
-
-
Facebook
Twitter