Solid Wood Flooring - Installation Guide

Solid wood flooring is the perfect option when you are looking for timeless style and durability. If you have chosen a solid wood flooring for your home, read on to learn how to successfully install it – from preparation to aftercare.

Preparation

1. As solid wood flooring is a natural product, it will need to acclimatise to the temperature and humidity of your home before it is installed.
2. Solid wood should be left in its packaging to acclimatise as this helps the boards to keep their natural shape.
3. The time the flooring needs to acclimatise will vary depending on the species of wood, so check with your supplier if you are unsure.
4. Finally, prepare your subfloor by ensuring it is clean and dry.

Fitting

1. Once you have allowed your flooring to acclimatise and prepared your subfloor, you can start to lay your solid wood flooring.
2. To begin, position plastic spacers along the longest wall, then fix the first row of boards.
3. Your boards may have a tongue and groove system – if this is the case, start from a corner and ensure the groove of the board is facing the wall. The second board will be laid end-to-end with the first.
4. Measure the space left between the first board and the opposite wall, and cut the second board to size.
5. Be sure to allow at least 10mm for expansion around the perimeter of the room.
6. Continue across the room, ensuring that seams between boards are staggered and do not line up. Finally, re-attach your skirting boards.
7. You can also fit your floor using a secret nailing or glue-down method. Secret nailing is a method used when laying your flooring straight onto a wooden sub floor or joists. It is named ‘secret nailing’ as the boards are secured by nailing at a 45-degree angle through the tongue of the board – meaning that the nails cannot be seen once the flooring is finished.
8. Glue-down is also a popular method of installation and is usually used when laying wooden flooring over a concrete subfloor. Adhesives have a flexible quality which works well with the natural swell and movement of wooden flooring.
9. For glue or nail installation where the boards exceed 8m, an extra expansion should be left between the rows.

Aftercare

• To keep your new floor looking spick and span, remove loose dirt and dust from the floor by sweeping or vacuuming, and wipe over with a damp mop to keep clean.
• You can also maintain your solid wood floor by applying a treatment such as wood floor wax or oil.
• Browse our range of floor treatments or contact us for more info.