Cost to Install Hardwood Flooring
Installing hardwood flooring involves acclimating the planks, preparing a clean and level subfloor, and securing rows by nailing, gluing, or a click-lock method while preserving expansion gaps. The demanding parts are setting the starting line, staggering seams, keeping joints tight, and cutting final planks around obstacles.
Common reasons homeowners do this job
- Replacing flooring that is worn or damaged
- Updating the look of a room
- Changing flooring during a larger renovation
- Installing a new floor after old material is removed
DIY or call a pro?
A licensed professional should install hardwood flooring because the work involves structural considerations and is a professional project. Installation requires accurate subfloor preparation, layout, cutting, and securing methods. Safety glasses are needed around saws and pneumatic nailers, ventilation is needed for adhesives or finishes, and knee pads help prevent joint strain.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I install hardwood flooring myself, or should I hire someone?
- Hire a licensed professional. This is a hard job with structural considerations, and it requires preparation of a level subfloor plus specialized equipment such as a flooring nailer or stapler, air compressor, miter saw, table saw, moisture meter, tapping block, and level.
- What can make hardwood flooring installation cost more?
- The price scales with the size of the job, labor time, and the flooring and related materials selected. Removing old material for haul-away or disposal, as well as a minimum or trip charge for a small job, can also raise the total.
- What should be checked before choosing solid or engineered hardwood?
- Measure the room and account for waste first, then inspect the subfloor for levelness and debris. The choice between solid and engineered flooring should be based on the subfloor and humidity levels, and the planks should be acclimated in the installation room according to manufacturer instructions.
- Why do hardwood floors need spacers and transition trim?
- Spacers maintain the required expansion gap along the walls while the rows are installed. Baseboards or transition trim are then installed to cover those gaps, so omitting either part leaves the installation incomplete.
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