Installing Solid Wood Flooring

Solid wood flooring is extremely coveted because t looks elegant, classy and can give a beautifully warm feeling to you home throughout a number of years. However, there are issues with solid wood flooring if it is not installed properly. It will react to the presence of moisture, especially in winter when the heating system in your home will leave it dry and cause contraction. This will make the gaps between floorboards at that time, but when it expands in summer then the gaps will disappear and may also crack and cup. This may sound alarming but it is all down to the installation. If it is performed properly then your solid wood flooring will serve you well for years but if not then your investment will not be protected.

If you follow the installation methods laid out below for solid wood flooring then you will not have a problem:

Full Glue Down Installation

The full glue down installation of solid wood flooring requires a strong adhesive being applied directly onto the subfloor and the boards being laid directly on top of that. The subfloor underneath can be made of either wood or concrete so the method is versatile but it is also extremely time consuming because it requires a lot of floor preparation in advance. However, it is regarded by experts as one of the best installation methods available.

If you are laying the solid wood flooring over a concrete subfloor then you will need to check the latter’s moisture levels beforehand. It should be less than 4%. If it is not then use a barrier to help prevent moisture affecting the solid wood flooring. Sika MB Primer comes highly recommended. Sika MB Primer is also a good idea foe use on a wood floor as well as a concrete subfloor to ensure that the adhesive bonds correctly.

If you have laid new concrete slabs before your solid wood flooring then be sure to leave it for at least 60 days before laying your wood flooring.

If you do have a concrete subfloor then you should ensure that it is level, smooth, dry and free from structural defects before laying your engineering wood flooring on it. Uneven subfloors should be smoothed out using a self-levelling compound. There should also be no paint, oils, waxes, grease, adhesives or dirt on the subfloor. It will be necessary to remove them in advance either physically or chemically. Just do not use any strippers with solvent bases or else the glue will not take when you install your solid wood flooring.

If you have a wooden subfloor then it will be necessary to lay a half inch base of plywood before installing your solid wood flooring in order to give you a smooth and level surface on which to lay it.

Finally, you should also fully consider just which adhesive you are to use during glue down installation. Some are only suitable for narrow flooring. However, using the wrong adhesive will affect your warranty so use Sika T55 Adhesive or Sika T52 Sausage Adhesive to prevent future issues.

An essential for installing solid wood flooring is leaving a gap of 1cm around the edge of the room to allow for expansion. You can purchase installation kits with spacers in there to prevent damage to the floor and the skirting boards. To cover this gap after installation, you can install new skirting board or scotia. However, the gap has to be left around the doorways if the floor runs from one room to the next.

Nailed Down Installations

Nailed down installation is the preferred method of installation of solid wood flooring because it is the most traditional. However it can only be done on wooden subfloors unless you use battens with a concrete subfloor.

Floating On An Adhesive Backed Underlay

Solid wood flooring can also be installed on a concrete subfloor by using floating installation on an adhesive backed underlay. The X-Pro Tack is perfect for this purpose. It is glued on one side to attach the solid wood flooring to. However, it is essential that you use a 1000 gauge damp proof membrane on the concrete subfloor before laying the underlay.

Wooden Subfloor

Solid wooden flooring is perfect for use over a wooden subfloor, whether floorboards or plywood. However, it should not be used over chipboard because that is not strong enough to hold the flooring. Similarly, if the wooden floorboards are not in good condition then simply lay half inch plywood first. It is advisable to check the existing floorboards first to check for squeaking. All loose boards should be secured and you could also use a polyfoam underlay for soundproofing. A Barrier is good for that purpose.

Nailing down solid wood flooring is best performed using a Porta Nailer to ensure that the nail is driven through the boards as a 30 degree angle and into the subfloor. You can easily hi one from a DIY store to save you extra expense. Alternatively, you could use Elka Tongue Tite Screws. This can be used with tongue and groove flooring. The pack itself contains kit that will cover 10m squared and also contains drill bit that will fit your current drill to help installation and to keep costs low.

An essential for installing solid wood flooring is leaving a gap of 1cm around the edge of the room to allow for expansion. You can purchase installation kits with spacers in there to prevent damage to the floor and the skirting boards. To cover this gap after installation, you can install new skirting board or scotia. However, the gap has to be left around the doorways if the floor runs from one room to the next.

Installing Onto Battens

It is possible to nail down solid wood flooring over a concrete subfloor. However, this is only possible if you use battens. You must lay a damp proof membrane beforehand and only then can you lay out the battens. They should be laid at centres of 450mm with a minimum of 40mm depth so that they do not bow later on. The rest of the process is simply as described above so there is very little difference between the process on a concrete or wooden subfloor.

Again you will need to leave a gap of 1cm around the edge of the room to allow for expansion. You can purchase installation kits with spacers in there to prevent damage to the floor and the skirting boards. To cover this gap after installation, you can install new skirting board or scotia. However, the gap has to be left around the doorways if the floor runs from one room to the next.

ATTENTION – INSTALLER/OWNER RESPONSIBILITY

Be sure to examine all of the solid wood flooring before you begin installing it. We do provide rigorous periodic inspections but you should always make sure that there is no damage before laying it in your home. Our warranty does not cover damage incurred if the flooring has been installed.

You should also ensure that your own home and subfloor especially is environmentally and structurally acceptable for the solid wood flooring installation. We are not responsible for any damage caused to the flooring resulting from the subfloor, subsurface, job site damage, deficiencies or using inadequate accessories after the hardwood flooring has been installed.

We strongly advise you to read the manufacturer’s installation guides before installing solid wood flooring. They can be found in every 3rd pack of solid flooring.