How to Apply Floor Leveler and Install a Wood Floor, Continued

When putting down individual panels or planks of any type, it is important to stagger the joints so Ron began the second row with a half panel. With no nails, glue or masking to slow him down, Ron worked his way more than halfway across the floor in practically no time.

Once the sub-flooring was down, he removed the spacer strips, leaving an expansion gap all the way around the room.

Once the sub-floor was in place, Ron was ready to install the hardwood flooring. The product Ron used, called Echo Strip, was a pre-finished, solid red oak strip that was only 5/16ths of an inch thick. If this product was going to be installed on top of existing flooring, this could be a very important feature, because it allows for a very subtle transition from a new floor to an adjacent room.

What Ron really likes about this product is the finish. It is guaranteed for 20 years, and especially in a high-traffic room this can be essential.

It is important to bring all of the flooring into the room where it will be installed at least two days before it is put down, so that it can acclimate to both the temperature and humidity of the new environment.

Since most walls in Ron's room were irregular, he created a straight reference line, where he would then lay the first row of flooring. After measuring out an equal distance at both ends, Ron drove in a couple of nails, stretched a chalk line and then snapped the mark.

Even though Ron had never had a problem with dampness in this room, he put down a plastic vapor barrier to make certain that the underside of the new flooring would stay dry. Ron ran the barrier it up the walls about three inches and then overlapped the seams and sealed them with duct tape.

By emptying a full box of flooring, Ron was able to sort through and lay out planks that gave him the color, grain pattern and lengths that he wanted.

Ron placed the edge of the first plank along the chalk line, which was still visible through the plastic vapor barrier.

Ron nailed through the face of the board with the tongue in groove joinery locking the ends of the planks together and anchoring them in place. To finish off the first row, Ron measured the remaining distance and then trimmed the final plank to length.

The piece was cut just a bit short allowing for an expansion gap between the floor and wall.

The groove along the edge of the second plank engaged the tongue of the edge of the first. After the first row, the fasteners were invisible due to a special gun that drives the fasteners through the base of the tongue at an angle.

The nail heads themselves are concealed by the next plank. A fastener driven in this way also has much more holding power than one driven in straight.

A plastic tapping block was used to help tighten up the joints before nailing. The pull bar that was used on the sub-flooring also worked well for the wood planks. As Ron got to the opposite wall, he placed blocking against the wall, inserted the pull bar between the blocks and flooring, and then used the pull bar as a lever to close up any open joints.

Finally Ron installed baseboard to conceal the expansion gap between the edge of the flooring and the wall.

Ron was very pleased with his results. Not only was the floor good looking (and would last 20 years), but it was also going to help insulate his new room from the cold concrete underneath.