What is the best way to go about install of a wood floor?
Question:This is for a small bedroom/office which has old linoleum. Can i just place a pad down and install the wood floor?
Answers:
I agree that for diy'ers a laminate wood floor would be much easier, less expensive and less maintenance. This type of flooring is rapidly improving. New click and lock systems go together much easier than some in years past. I recently installed a display room floor with the latest gimmick, which had the pad already glued to the bottom of each piece. Yes remember to stagger butt seams by starting 1st or 2nd row with a half piece.You may not want to start with a full or half piece if it means your finisher would be very small (you wouldn't want a finisher less than 6 or 8 inches unless you had to). This is a floating system and not nailed or glued, so be sure to leave a 1/4" gap around the edges to allow for expansion during times of high humidity. Make some 1/4"spacers(remove when finished).This will help you stay square. These boards are wide and a small room should take you 3 or 4 hours considering you will have some baseboard removal and replacement work. It may also require a jab or pull saw to cut the bottoms of your door jambs to enable each piece to slide under the jambs. Hey if your gonna do it, do it right and have fun!
Hire a professional!!!!! NOW!!!!!
you have several options they have the self locking slabs which are very durable and easy to install yourself not to mention alot cheaper... they also look nice that would be my first option...
however if you choose to go with all natural my suggestion other than hiring a pro is start from center of room and work your way to walls. and just like shingles NEVER EVER have connecting seams line up with previous one. stagger the seams
sounds like you could either go with a floating floor ( like pergo) which install over a thin pad, or remove the linoleum and install a glue down. they also have floating floors that are real wood, look great and are fairly easy to install. Pretty much all floors now have instructions printed in the box somewhere. good luck!
if you're looking for cheap and easy, get a felt pad, lay it over the linoleum and put laminate on top of it. it looks like wood and is just as durable but a lot cheaper. also, has less maintenance. if you want to go more costly but more efficient, take up the linoleum, level the floor, and either lay real wood on top of it or for quieter floors, place the pad underneath it first. tongue and groove may be a little harder to install but it'll stay in it's place a lot easier.
About 5-6yrs. ago I floored my Kitchen with Rough-Cut Cedar planks. I got about 20 or so boards for $100. 5/8" thick and ranging from 5-12" wide. I started on the outside perimiter and worked inward. I was lucky enough to come out exactly the proper width for the last two. Every now and then Ipull one out, sand it, and poly it and it pops right back in place then use a few decking screws. The only problems so far have been the scratches from the fridge and it is a BEAUTY!!!
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