How to Prepare for Hardwood Floor Installation

A Guide on How to Prepare for Hardwood Floor Installation

Hardwood flooring provides long-lasting beauty and durability to any home. Many hardwood floors last for decades with the proper care. Installing hardwood flooring is a big project however and is often best left in the hands of professional wood floor installers such as Flawless Floors. Ahead of a professional team coming out to install your hardwood flooring what should you do? Here is how to prepare for hardwood floor installation.

Dust Control System

Dust is hands down the number one problem for homeowners during wood flooring installation. Most wood floor installers will take basic preparations to contain the dust. In addition, though you may want to help supplement their dust control efforts:

• Seal off rooms that will not be sanded. You can do this not just by closing doors but by covering the doorway with plastic sheets secured with painter’s tape.
• Install plastic sheeting around the large perimeter of the worksite. Keep the work area itself clear though so the workers have space to do their job.
• Tape plastic over the heating ducts and other openings to prevent airborne dust from circulating throughout the house. Always remember that when you seal off the ducts make sure to turn off the HVAC system as well.

Remove the Doors

Flooring installers will remove the doors, but if you want to make sure the doors are safely stored away, you could also do it yourself. Door removal overall is an easy project because the trick is to remove the doors from their hinges, while leaving the hinges in place.

• With a nail and small hammer, gently tap out the hinge pin from below. It will be easier to have a partner help you.
• While your partner holds the door in place, remove the hinge pins and set them aside.
• With the partner, slide the door off of the hinges.
• Place the door with any others you may have to remove
• Keep the hinge pins collected altogether in a plastic bag

Remove the Baseboards or Base Molding

Depending on the type of baseboards in the room, it is usually best to remove either the entire baseboard or the shoe moldings that line the bottom edge of the baseboards.

In removing the baseboards this will give the installers enough room to install the flooring planks as close to the wall as possible. Some homeowners will take this as an opportunity to install new baseboards once the project is completed.

Please note though that this can be a large project if the baseboards are stuck to the wall with multiple coats of paint or if the number of baseboards in the room is extensive.

Remove the Door Trim

The case moldings and stop moldings on doorways are more difficult to remove than the baseboards. Few, if any, flooring installers will remove these moldings. Instead, they typically cut the bottoms of the moldings in order to slip the new flooring beneath them.

A better appearance however can be achieved if you elect to remove the moldings entirely, which allows the installers to fit the flooring boards tightly around the door frame. After the flooring is laid, you can trim and reinstall the old case moldings or retrim the door with new moldings.

While the look will be more uniform and polished, removing and reinstalling the door trim is a big step to take since homes typically have many interior doors. Consider this measure if the floor installation is part of a larger home remodeling project you are completing.

Prepare the Subfloor

Most flooring installers will spend littler or no time working on the subfloor unless this was something discussed beforehand.

If your subfloor is less than perfect (having dips or other flaws), you can do some prior work to fix this up. The goal of the subfloor is to be perfectly flat and smooth while being securely attached to the floor joists. When it comes to installation this will make the process of putting in new flooring all the easier.

Prepare an Outdoor Cutting Area

With the weather and temperature permitting, dust and debris can be greatly reduced if the flooring installers have a suitable nearby outdoor location to cut the flooring.

An outdoor spot for cutting will also provide more freedom of movement. In addition, it limits the dust that can interfere with the installation team in general.

An ideal place to set up for cutting flooring will have:

• Access to an outdoor, GFCI-protected electrical outlet
• A hard work surface, such as a concrete patio or garage floor
• Protection from the elements such as a patio cover
• Good natural or secondary lighting
• Close access to an entry door to the home

These are just some of the tips when it comes to preparing your home for hardwood flooring installation. Are you looking to have new flooring installed in your home or would like to receive an expert opinion on flooring options? Contact Flawless Floors today. Flawless floors have been servicing the Baltimore region for over two decades, and is committed to the highest level of customer satisfaction. We are a family owned and operated business and are dedicated to providing our customers with superior workmanship and the most outstanding wood floors. Located in Baltimore, Flawless Floors is a professional hardwood floor contractor that is licensed, bonded, and fully insured in the state of Maryland. Whether you need new flooring or your existing flooring refinished, we can provide you with the best possible results.

Flawless Floors Services

Flawless floors has been servicing the Baltimore region for over two decades, and is committed to the highest level of customer satisfaction. We are a family owned and operated business and are dedicated to providing our customers with superior workmanship and the most outstanding wood floors. Located in Baltimore, Flawless Floors is a professional hardwood floor contractor that is licensed, bonded, and fully insured in the state of Maryland. Whether you need new flooring or your existing flooring refinished, we can provide you with the best possible results. We provide homeowners with the following services: