hardwood flooring sites.com

By Lee Dobbins

Sanding hardwood floors is not always easy. In fact, some hardwood floor owners prefer to hire a professional to do the sanding for them.

Waxing and buffing the floor does not provide as good shine when the hardwood floor is sand instead. Regardless if your hardwood floors were just recently installed in your house, or has been there for years, they could regain back their original beauty and richness of the wood when you refinish them.

Sanding your hardwood floors can be time consuming and may be a bit expensive should you decide to hire a professional to do the job. If you can spare the time, you may also opt to do it yourself. Anyways, all of the necessary equipments are available at almost all rental home depot centers. Also, the steps you would have to do are straightforward so you shouldn’t find sanding very difficult.

However, before you start to set out on the task yourself, you may want to consult a professional to estimate the total costs of the project. It might be shock to learn that it could cost a thousand dollars just to have one room refinished. If you find the difference not wide enough, then you can just contract a professional to do the sanding.

Because of the high costs of sanding all of the floors of the house, some even decide to just cover old hardwood floors with carpets. But that would be such a waste, to put beautiful hardwood floors out of sight, right? That’s why most people just go through doing the messy sanding jobs themselves to cut on costs.

Sanding can also be scary for some. Who wouldn’t be afraid to ruin their hardwood floors, especially if they were quite expensive? If you’re not careful enough, you can easily damage your floor with the sander.

If you don’t have a sander, you can rent one from your nearest hardware supply store. You’ll be needing a drum sander or a belt sander, depending on your hardwood floor type. If you’re not sure about the type of sandpaper you need to use, you could always ask the hardware store salesman for advice. Of course, you may have to get yourselves some dust masks so you could still move around even if your room will be filled with saw dust.

The sander is not as difficult to operate as you may have believed. It is self propelling making it easy for the user to move it. However, video poker classiccasino online spielecasino softwareonline spiel automatentop online kasinoscasino spiele downloadfunny games roulettewww casino on netkostenloses online kasinoslotmaschine online spielencasino automaten spielecasino online slotsonline casino wiesbadenonline roulette spielslot machines online spielenroulette pc spielwww casino spiele deonline roulette spielenonline roulette niedersachsen,roulette online games,online rouletteonline video slots,online casino slots,online slotsslot maschine online spielenkasino onnetonline casino ohne einzahlung 30 euro bonus,online casino bonus,online casino bonus ohne einzahlungswiss casino bonus codeonline casino deutschlandonline kenocasinospiele,spielkasino online,casino spielewww roulettecasino spiele online spielen,online casino spiele,kostenlose online spiele casino 14beste casino onlineinternet casino pokerblack jack spielplay baccaratjack black strategienslots gratisroulette tippsonline kasino spielencraps spielkostenlose casinospieleroulette online spielenbeste spiel raumonline casino ohne einzahlungonline roulette wiesbadenkasinospiele mit echtem geldonline casino liveoffice furniture in Bulgariacasino spiele spielenblack jack online spielenbaccarat downloadcasino games 2007glucks spiel you would have to keep a firm grip on its controls. It wouldn’t take a while when you get the hang of operating it. Some even think that operating a sander is fun.

However, you would still need to be cautious in using the sander. It is like a flat iron that when you keep it in one spot on your clothes, it could burn your clothes. You would have to keep the sander in constant motion to reduce the possibility of damaging the floors.

Also, expect your place to be a bit noisy whenever you turn on the sander. Aside from being noisy, it’ll also be creating a lot of saw dust. So you can also expect your room to be full of messy saw dust afterwards.

Sanding removes the old finish of your hardwood. Once you’re done with that you can start applying a stain on the floor. Some people though don’t apply stain and just prefer to leave the wood in its natural color. Then you would have to give the floor the finish to protect it.

There

are two kinds of floor finish. There is an oil-based and water-based floor finishing. Under these major types, are a few subtypes. For example, there are semi-gloss, satin or gloss oil-based finishes.

Satin is a great choice for your hardwood floor. It provides a good cover for hardwood flaws while letting its natural beauty show without that bright shine. Though oil-based finish are good in giving the floor a natural amber glow, it doesn’t dry as soon as water based finishes. Water based finished also have the advantage of keeping the wood from yellowing.

Before you start applying the next coats, by the way, ensure that the previous coat is completely dry. Of course, it is as important to follow the instructions on the finish. Usually, you may not occupy the room within a ceratin amount time. Then when everything’s ok, and you’re satisfied with what you’ve done, you can move all your furniture back again.

Lee Dobbins writes for www.refinishing-hardwood-floors.com where you can learn more about caring for your floors and find out more about hardwood floor sanders.
 

By Lee Dobbins

Many of the old houses employ hardwood flooring. The use of hardwood for floors was popularized in the circa 1960s. Today, there is a resurgence of hardwood floors because people find these floors to be very relaxing to the eye. Hardwood floors are very attractive because of their natural look.

For people who purchased an old house with withered hardwood flooring, they would probably want to look into refinishing the flooring. Carpets cannot hide the hideous truth forever, and at some point, these homeowners need to refinish the flooring. A bad hardwood floor can literally ruin the whole theme of the house therefore lowering its value.

Refinishing a hardwood flooring is a great idea. Yes, it is a great idea indeed and that is why professional refinishers of hardwood floors charge exorbitant fees to their clients. These clients can’t do anything but to succumb to the demands of the contractors because they don’t have the know-how of proper hardwood refinishing.

Given the proper know-how and techniques for hardwood refinishing, homeowners can be liberated from the financial burden of paying professional contractors to refinish their hardwood flooring. If one is able-bodied and can follow simple instructions, then there would be no reason at all why he can’t refinish the flooring himself.

Let’s take a look at the pertinent steps that one needs to do to be able to successfully refinish his hardwood flooring.

1) Do the preparatory stuff

Before engaging into sanding the floor or being too excited and buying all the necessary equipment and tools for the refinishing process, one needs to lay down the foundations and do the preparatory steps in the process.

First, one needs to decide what look he would want to give his hardwood floor. There should be a design and color scheme plan that should be laid out before one starts to sand. Knowing what one really wants is as important as doing the process properly. This is to ensure that he knows what he would want to do so that he knows how he can achieve his desired look.

After the plans have been laid out, make sure that all the furniture and other things in the room are taken out and stored properly.

2) Take out the nails

Sanding is perhaps one of the most important steps in the whole process of refinishing a hardwood floor, but don’t get too excited yet. Before sanding, make sure that all the nails in the hardwood. The nails need to be taken out because they will eventually damage the sand paper or the sanding discs and perhaps one’s hands if they are not taken out. The holes that are left by the nails should be filled with wood fillers that are of the same color as that of the wood.

3) Sand, sand, sand!

If the area of the flooring is not too big, then one can actually sand the floor manually (by hand). But if one deems that there is a need to use an electric sander, then he has two options: one is to buy a new one, the other is to rent. One can buy a pretty decent hardwood floor sander for under 100 US dollars. This can be seen as a good investment, but it really depends on how frequently it will be used. One can also choose to rent a sander from the local home depot or borrow from his neighbor.

One should sand the floor at least 3 times. The first should be made with a heavier grit and the grit level goes down each time. This will ensure that the wax and the coating will be removed thoroughly.

4) Stain the floor

Try to get the correct color that you would want to apply to your hardwood floor and test it in a small wood plank that is similar to the wood that is used in the flooring. Make sure that the stain is applied equally to the floor.

5) Refinish

Refinish with a polyurethane finish. Make sure that the container is stirred and not shaken to prevent bubbles from forming. Apply the solution equally throughout the flooring and wait for it to dry. It usually takes about 3 hours for the solution to dry.

Refinishing your own hardwood flooring is not an impossible task. One only needs the right materials and the right implementation of his plans to be able to successfully refinish such floors.

Lee Dobbins writes for http://www.refinishing-hardwood-floors.com where you can learn more about installing, caring for and refinishing hardwood floors.

By Mark Hutchison

DIFFERENT METHODS OF INSTALLING A BAMBOO FLOOR

What is the best way to install a bamboo floor? You could install the floor as direct stick, floating, plank on ply, using an AcouBond system, or using joists/battens to name a few. Each method of installing a premium bamboo floor has both its positives and negatives but when weighed up you are able to determine the more suitable method of installation.

DIRECT STICK

Our preferred and the most commonly accepted method of installing a bamboo floor in WA is direct stick. This is where our boards are glued directly to the sub floor resulting in a very quiet floor to walk on. Glue is trowelled onto the floor and the boards are laid directly on top. It is a strong and permanent method of installation. We use a rubbery drying adhesive called Sikabond T55. Using alternative glue for this method of installation which is not elastic bonding will usually result in stress put on the boards causing cupping and the widening of gaps in between boards. A direct stick bamboo floor is strong and stable, stopping the boards from moving too easily and can be walked on the same day it is installed. However this floor will be difficult, but not impossible to remove if needed, and does require a reasonably level sub floor.

FLOATING FLOOR

Installing a bamboo floor as a floating floor involves using a thin high density oam underlay. The boards are not glued or fixed to the sub floor rather they are glued along the tongue and groove on all sides. The floor literally floats. This type of installation is commonly used for cheaper laminates in Perth having an inferior quality image. Floating a bamboo floor is the most common method for DIY customers as it is a cheaper and easier method of installing a bamboo floor than direct stick. It is regarded as softer to walk on, but is regarded as structurally inferior and noisy to walk on. A floating bamboo floor is easily damaged by excess water spills and can’t be lived on for a day or two until the pva glue dries.

PLANK ON PLY

Plank on ply is commonly used for fixing timber floors and is regarded by the industry as superior. In terms of timber flooring, this is usually correct. Plank on ply uses 12mm sheets of plywood that are glued and nailed onto the sub floor and the bamboo floor boards are glued and secret nailed onto the ply. The ply helps even out floor undulations and gives an easy surface for the installer to pin the timber down. It also helps protect the floor against moisture from the concrete slab. In terms of premium bamboo flooring we gain little to no benefit from installing over plywood. The reason for this is premium bamboo flooring is not required to be pinned because it is dimensionally straight and square, it is also more moisture resistant. The glue and installation technology that we have available today enables us to even out small floor undulations. Ply can be useful in building up floor heights.

ACOUBOND

Acoubond type of installation was developed in Europe by Sika International to overcome the problem of impact noise transfer from upper floors to lower living areas, such as high rise apartments. Australian building legislation now stipulates that solid floors in multi level dwellings must be installed with sound absorption systems. The bamboo boards are laid over a 5mm foam mat, which has slots cut out for the application of triangular beads of Sika T53. According to Gabriel’s Environmental Design Pty Ltd this has a reduction in impact noise by 16dB compared to a reduction of 7dB for direct stick. A bamboo floor installed with the Acoubond system is a little noisier to walk on and is not as strong as direct stick, but it does improve walking comfort and compensates for surface irregularities.

JOISTS/BATTENS

Installing on joists or battens is a traditional type of installation using timber or ply battens fixed to bearers or concrete. The bamboo floor boards are fixed using glue and nails to the Battens. This type of installation was commonly used for timber floors but is not so popular with bamboo floors, yet it is a safe, stable and an easy way to bring bamboo boards up to existing floor types by using appropriately sized battens. Joists (battens) are usually 12mm thick and 40mm wide and made from plywood or a stable hardwood like Jarrah. This floor is commonly thought to be more absorbent of foot fall and therefore more comfortable to walk on. It does however produce the sound of a traditional timber floor which is quite noisy.

While each method of installation has obvious benefits, overall we do prefer installing our premium bamboo floors as direct stick, specifically with Sika bond T55. It is by far the more suited method of installation for our product and ensures for a secure and quiet floor to walk on. It is a very convenient method of installation as you won’t need to move out of home and can walk on your beautiful bamboo floor straight away.

Mark Hutchison is the Managing Director of Bamboozle, a premium bamboo flooring company in Western Australia. Mark is a winner of Business News’ “40 under 40 Awards” for his outstanding achievements. Visit his website www.bamboozle.com.au for more information on Mark and bamboo floor coverings.

 

By Lee Dobbins

Hardwood floors are classy and add natural beauty at home like no other synthetic materials can. They can work anywhere around the home and if carefully maintained; can look great even after long years.

There are different hardwood floors categorized under first second or third classes. The most popular choice aside from birch and maple is oak. Oak wood can be classified as:

a. Clear - the wood has smooth or very few marks on the surface.

b. Select - woods which has few blemishes but the surface is bright.

c. Common No. 1 woods - have several flaws and the color is uneven.

d. Common No. 2 hardwoods - have numerous marks, there are little holes and the color is also uneven.

Woods can further be classified according to width. Strip floors are two and three fourth inches wide while plank flooring is generally wider with a width of seven inches.

Consider the grade of the floor to be used to add warmth to a room.

Hardwoods can be installed in a horizontal or vertical position, over plywood or above an already existing wooden floor. You can install the woods with the use of hammer, board nails, glue, stapler, etc. There are also floors nowadays with tape strips on their back. Here are the steps on the installation process:

1. The wood should be adjusted to the level of humidity or climate of the room where it will be installed. Pile the woods indoor for at least three days during damp weather to be sure that it is dry before installation.

2. Prepare your materials: (hammer) pull over hammer is also used at times to remove hollow spaces on the floor, nails, pry bar, screws, saw, etc.

3. Be sure that the floor to be installed is a clean and smooth level. Layer the floor first with plywood or other sub floorings. This is recommended for more durability.

4. Draw a reference line on where you will start and end the installation. It is essential to have at least ½ inch gap to give space for wood expansion. Test fit the boards to make sure that the floor will have a good form.

5. Carefully choose the straightest boards as first pieces for installation. These pieces would be put first on the focal points like the door area. Aligning the first row guarantees more straight rows subsequently. Face- nail or nail the first row on the top of the board and drill holes at the ends to serve as connection points for series of woods along the stretch.

6. When doing the second and succeeding rows, hammer it hard when joining and interlocking each edge before nailing it down to have a tighter fit. All the boards must be perpendicular to avoid the gaps that can be greatly visible and ugly. Accuracy is vital here!

7. Upon reaching the last row, use pry and block bar to lock the last woods in place. Drill holes on positions where baseboard will be placed and set them in place by nails. Installing hardwoods over large areas requires a heavy mallet of nails on each edge at the end of the third row. Be very careful not to scratch or damage the floor however.

8. There will be those portions on the end row wherein you will find it hard to install additional rows; using ring- shank nails will perfectly work on these areas of the floor.

9. Screw the last two rows of hardwood on the floor.

10. Complete the installation by checking for any flaws on the floor; if it has gaps, try to push the hardwood using a pry bar. Decorative borders can also be applied afterwards.

Hardwood can be installed at any part of the house but many home owners choose not to use these flooring in their bathroom because it can contract and rot when it is moisted. The technique is to give it a protective coat and a sturdy finish.

Installing hardwood floors will only take three to four hours of laborious work. The key to achieving good flooring is assuring that the first rows are straight. Using good class of hardwood will also be beneficial because it will last longer.

Lee Dobbins writes for http://www.refinishing-hardwood-floors.com where you can learn more about selecting, installing and refinishing hardwood floors.

By Abdul Martin

Installing a hardwood floor makes it secure. There are various methods to install a hardwood floor ranging from floating, staple down, and nail down to glue down.

First place to get the installation instructions is provided in the users manual provided by the manufacturer you purchased the hardwood floor from. Read the manual carefully and make the best plan.

Floating is the easiest method for floor installation.

The first step in installing a hardwood floor is laying out an accurate reference line.

There are a number of tools you can use to simplify the process.

Pneumatic Floor Stapler (rented)
Air Compressor
Power Miter Saw
Pneumatic Finish Nailer
Drill and Bits
Table Saw (or Circular Saw)
Basic Carpentry Tools
These tools are sure to simplify the entire process of hardwood floor installation process. Some resources for your hardwood floor installation ease.

www.woodfloorsonline.com/techtalk/installfin.html

www.hammerzone.com/archives/ flooring/hardwood/wh_oak1/stapled.htm

www.nofma.org/installation.htm

doityourself.com/woodfloors/index.shtml

home.howstuffworks.com/hardwood-floor6.htm

Make sure you check these resources and hardwood floor installation is a cake-walk. Also make sure you learn all about the hardwood floor cleaning tips.Installing is only half the job done,you have to constantly clean the floor and kepp it scratch free.Use the tips I gave in the other article to learn more about how to make your hardwood floor dazzle.

About The Author
Abdul Martin
Visit our site www.deluxehardwoodfloors.com for more information

By Natalie Aranda

If you have decided to install underfloor heating all by yourself you will be glad to learn that it is a pretty simple process.

DIY underfloor heating in the UK is growing more and more popular each and every year so the need for an easy to understand guide is very important so the entire process will be even simpler and your floor will be ready for the family to walk on in just a short amount of time.

To start the process of DIY underfloor heating installation you will need to measure where you plan on installing the system to ensure that it fits properly. You will have to make a sketch of the floor to determine the correct size of the devimat you need. On the sketch, mark where you wish the devimat to be installed. Also place mark the position of the power connections. The mat must begin and end at the same place.

For the next step in your DIY underfloor heating installation, you will need to cut a groove into the floor and wall about 10mm deep and wide for the sensor switch. It is pushed through a tube and then laid in the groove. The end will then be taped up.

Do not worry; the mat can be cut to get around corners or obstacles that might be in way. However, remember the red heating cable cannot be cut. Therefore, you must be sure that you did in fact measure the length of mat that you did before you ever start to lay the mat.

Next, you will need to use a tile adhesive and lay it over the mat. The tiles are laid on the mat just like laying regular tile however; you will a thicker coat of adhesive.

There are different types of underfloor heating systems that you can purchase that are also DIY underfloor heating and most do come with complete instructions however, if you are having problems you can always contact the manufacturer. They will be more than pleased to explain how to install the underfloor heating system all by yourself. A matter of fact, many DIY underfloor heating in the UK is done by individuals that want to save money on their heating bills.

Underfloor heating is excellent for new construction, major remodels and even in your own already built home especially for just one or two rooms. Some of the most popular areas for DIY underfloor heating are bathrooms, sunrooms, shower rooms, conservatories, utility rooms and kitchens.

Underfloor heating can be installed in any tiled, laminated, stone or wood floors in your home or business.

Natalie Aranda writes on gardening and home improvement. There are different types of underfloor heating systems that you can purchase that are also DIY underfloor heating and most do come with complete instructions however, if you are having problems you can always contact the manufacturer. They will be more than pleased to explain how to install the underfloor heating system all by yourself. A matter of fact, many DIY underfloor heating in the UK is done by individuals that want to save money on their heating bills.

By Jimmy Sturo

Wood floors are much in demand today because of their beauty, eco-friendliness, value and exotic appeal. Wood flooring has also become very easy to obtain, install and maintain with advancements in technology.

The equipment required for installing wood flooring is a broom or a vacuum cleaner, tape measure, chalk line and chalk, hammer, handsaw, moisture meter, electric miter saw, tape, color wood filler, safety glasses, floor cleaner and a pry bar. Installation guidelines are different for different kinds of wood flooring: radiant-heated subfloors, glue-down flooring, nail- or staple-down flooring, floating flooring, etc.

There are a few things that need to be done prior to installation: subfloors and their systems should be installed properly as per the manufacturers instructions; the subfloor should be cleaned of dust, sealers, paint, wax, curing compounds, grease, drywall mud and any other substance that can affect the flooring material or the adhesives; the moisture of the subfloors should be tested to ensure that it does not exceed 13%; similarly, the moisture content of the wood floor must be below 4% of the subfloor moisture content. Additionally, the sub floor must be flat and basements and crawl spaces must be dry.

Start from the wall that is straight and square with the room. The first row of the planks can be nailed to the subfloor. Spread the adhesive properly, using a trowel to keep the planks in place. Ensure that the planks are well aligned since misalignment can cause gaps to appear in the preceding rows. Spread the adhesive for only limited areas since it can dry up in the meantime. For planks that have tongues and grooves, ensure that they are in place. Do not strike a hammer directly on the plank as it can cause damage. Keep removing the excessive adhesive immediately from the flooring as you work. At the end of the row, make sure that there are enough gaps for expansion. Make sure not to walk on the floor for at least six to eight hours after installation. Clean the duct tape and the adhesive from the floor. Examine the floor for any scratches or nicks or gaps in the planks. Use touch-up products like putty to cover any scratches.

Wood floor installation is generally done by the supplier, although some manufacturers have do-it-yourself flooring as well that you can install. However, follow the instructions carefully.

Wood Flooring provides detailed information about wood flooring, laminate wood flooring, hard wood flooring, engineered wood flooring and more. Wood Flooring is the sister site of How To Clean Marble.

 

By Lee Dobbins

Want to bring your hardwood floors back to their former beauty, but don’t have the money? Then read on for some tips on how you can refinish the floor yourself.

If you have the time and don’t mind doing the work, then refinishing your floors yourself is a great option but before starting out, it’s not a bad idea to get an estimate from a professional so you can compare the cost of doing it yourself to what they would charge. You’ll get quite a shock at the amount that is charged. It may cost over $1000 to have just 1 room done. You could carpet over it for less, but doesn’t carpeting over beautiful hardwood floors seem, well, wrong?

It is actually rather easy to refinish a wood floor – if you pay attention to what you are doing. To sand the floor, you need a drum sander and possibly a belt sander which can be rented at your neighborhood Home Depot or hardware store. They can help you figure out which machines you need to rent, what kind of sand paper you should buy and also can help with the type and amount of stain and finish for the floor. You might also want to get some dust masks and plastic to section the room off from the rest of the house. Fine particles of dust will get everywhere – even if you section off the room, but you may be able to minimize the impact on the rest of the house.

The most important part of refinishing your floors is learning how to control the sander. The key to running the sander is to make sure it keeps moving at all times, otherwise they are simple to use, although a bit hard on the ears. If you stop in 1 spot, you will probably get a big gouge in your floor. Equate it to using an iron on your clothes – if you stop in 1 spot too long you’ll burn a hole. The sander is similar since it creates a lot of heat, keeping it in 1 spot can burn or dent your floor.

You do need to be careful with the sander as it is self propelled. When you first start it up, make sure you hold on firmly. Don’t be afraid of the machine but make sure you maintain complete control. Relax, after a few spins, it may even start to seem like fun.

After the old finish is removed, you need to apply the stain and new finish. Think of this as the same as doing your nails – first you remove the old finish, then basecoat, color and topcoat. Sometimes you don’t want color on your nails so you skip that part. In your floor you might also skip that part (the stain) but you still want to use a finish to protect the floor.

When selecting a finish you can pick from an oil based or polyurethane (water based) finish. When selecting an oil based finish you will need to decide if you want a satin, gloss or semi gloss finish. It’s probably best for you to use satin on a hardwood floor as it will help hide any flaws in the wood and is much more pleasing then a bright shine Using oil based finish is better for wood floors as it casts a warm amber glow. Water based, on the other had dries quicker and resists yellowing.

No matter which you choose, you must let each coat dry before putting down the next coat. Think back to the nail polish analogy! Follow the manufacturers instructions on the finish before you occupy the room again. Usually you can move your furniture back in after about 24 hours.

As you can see, the task of refinishing your floors need not be overwhelming. Think of it as giving your room a manicure. Take it one step at a time and use care in the process and you can have a great looking floor and save yourself almost $1000 to boot!

Lee Dobbins is a contributing writer for home improvement resources such as Refinishing-Hardwood-Floors.com. Visit our site and learn more about refinishing hardwood floors.

By Peter Leigh

Installing hardwood flooring can take place in several ways depending on the type of hardwood flooring that you have. If you have solid hardwood, you have to look at the type of wood you have. You can have parquet flooring, which usually comes in tiles of 6 inches by 6 inches or strips or planks that can be as much as 3 inches wide. If you have laminate wood flooring then you have to look at a different method of installing hardwood flooring.

Whether you choose laminate flooring or solid hardwood flooring, the directions for installing both of them are printed on the inside of the packaging. If you have previously installed hardwood floors and now you want to install glueless laminate flooring, you do need to read the directions for installing laminate flooring. When you are installing hardwood flooring made of solid wood, you have to open the packages and let the wood become acclimatized to the humidity and temperature of your home. With laminate flooring, you have to do the exact opposite. You should not take this flooring out of the package until you are ready to start installing.

Successful installation of hardwood or laminate flooring depends upon careful planning. Even if you are installing hardwood flooring over an existing concrete or vinyl floor, you do have to sweep and vacuum the floor to remove all the dust and dirt. If you are not sure of exactly how much laminate flooring you will need, the directions for installing laminate flooring also include directions for measuring the room to calculate the amount of flooring that you need. When you intend to install glueless laminate flooring, you can also bring your measurements into your local flooring store and have the experts do the calculations for you.

If you are wondering how to install glueless laminate flooring and be able to keep it on the floor, each of the planks lock together with the tongue and groove design. When installing hardwood flooring like this, you cannot glue, nail or staple it in any way. When you start installing always consider the way the light shines into the room. Begin laying the planks toward the light and in a hallway always install glueless laminate flooring lengthwise.

The directions for installing laminate flooring will tell you that you lay the first plank with the grooves against the wall. Place spacers where they are needed when installing hardwood flooring between the wall and the plank to maintain ½ inch extension gap. You will have to mark and cut the planks as you are installing the flooring because they are of random lengths. Always begin in a corner when installing hardwood flooring and the first board in the row should be a full plank.

To find out more about Wood Flooring visit Peter’s Website Wood Flooring Explained and find out about Hardwood Flooring and more, including Exotic Hardwood Floors, Wood Laminate Flooring, Refinishing Hardwood Floors and Bruce Hardwood Flooring.

By Jeanette Joy Fisher

If you’re lucky enough to find hardwood floors hiding under your tired carpeting, you might feel like covering the wood back up. That’s understandable because refinishing the floors yourself seems like an impossible task.

Hardwood floors were a common feature in houses until the 1960s. Before that, having wall-to-wall carpet was considered a luxury upgrade. From the 1970s on, most homes had wall-to-wall carpet in nearly every room. However, tastes change, and over the last couple decades, hardwood floors have once again become fashionable and desirable.

Oftentimes, when I’m talking with someone about fixing houses, they ask if refinishing hardwood floors is something they can do themselves. Unless the person has a physical reason why they can’t do it, I generally say yes. However, I also remind them that redoing hardwood floors takes a great deal of time, sweat, and elbow grease.

As a general rule, floors of fifty square feet or less can be sanded by hand, but for any floor larger than that, rent or buy a small orbital sander. Everything necessary for doing it yourself will be available at your local hardware store. You can buy a pretty good electric sander nowadays for less than $100, which can be a good investment, especially if you’re planning to work on your home on a regular basis.

The first layer to be removed is often a thick wax coating, followed by a coat of either polyurethane or varnish. A heavy duty commercial wax stripper can remove the wax, and then a lacquer thinner or acetone can be wiped on to prepare the wood for the next step.

If there are any carpet tacks or pieces of old nails in the wood, remove them first. The remnant of a nail can tear up sandpaper, damage a sanding pad, and do serious damage to the palm of your hand, so check carefully to make sure all remnants of tacks and nails are gone before you begin sanding.

Fill all nail holes with a quality wood filler, matching the color as closely as you can, and let it dry. Then you’re ready to begin sanding the floor with 220-grit sandpaper, whether by hand or with a sander.

When you’re done sanding, wipe the entire floor with a damp cloth to remove as much sanding dust as possible. Damp cloths work better than vacuum cleaners. Let the floor dry, and then wipe it again with a tack rag, which is a cloth impregnated with resin to pick up fine dust particles. Again, your local hardware store will have what you need.

After the floor is as clean as you can get it, apply three coats of polyurethane with a paint pad, allowing each coat to dry thoroughly, lightly sanding with 220-grit paper, and wiping the floor with a damp cloth and a tack rag between coats. If you prefer an old-fashioned finish, you can use a 50/50 mixture of linseed oil and mineral spirits and then wax the floors with beeswax or paste wax. Take caution with the chemical mixture and the rags because they can catch on fire.

You can refinish hardwood floors yourself. It just takes time and effort–and a good set of kneepads wouldn’t hurt, either! Once you finish, you’ll have a gorgeous floor to be proud of and ready for that next “do it yourself” project–perhaps the next room with hardwood floors.

Copyright © 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher

Author Jeanette Fisher, America’s “Dream Home” Maker, teaches interior design, redesign, and home staging. You can ask her questions on her Amazon blog or see http://www.designpsych.com for free home decorating teleseminars.