The industry for flooring installers in the United States alone is worth more than $27 billion every single year! Sometimes, it is the simplest inventions that provide the most value. There are few things as common as flooring, which is some indication of how much value good flooring can provide.
This industry employs more than 185,000 people. With that many people working in flooring installation, there is a lot of commercial hardwood flooring installation expertise that has been developed. Following the right tips is crucial if you want your hardwood floor to look as good as possible.
So what exactly do you need to keep in mind when you install your commercial hardwood flooring? Read on to learn all about the most important things to understand about how to install commercial hardwood flooring!
1. Look at Your Subfloor Before a Hardwood Flooring Installation
Some people try to use quality hardwood flooring to cover up a subfloor that is lacking. However, it is important to think of your subfloor as a foundation. You're not just covering up your subfloor, you are relying on it to provide a good layer of support for your top flooring.One of the most common problems with a subfloor is that it is not properly level. If your subfloor is not level, you will need to address this problem before putting down hardwood on top of it.
Of course, before you do that, you need to know whether your subfloor is sufficiently level or not. A good rule of thumb is that you should find less than a 3/8 inch change in height over an area of floor that is 12 feet long.
Any changes in height higher than that and you'll need to level out your floor before moving on to install your hardwood. You can use a few different techniques to level out a subfloor that contains too much variation in height.
In some cases, the subfloor isn't level enough for the simple reason that it is not properly anchored. In that case, making it level can be as simple as providing some extra anchoring. Extra anchoring itself can be as simple as adding a few screws wherever the flooring is sticking up too much.
Unfortunately, even a floor that is anchored down well can sometimes have too much height variation. In those cases, you might need to add an extra layer of plywood over the top of your subfloor.
2. Make Sure to Acclimate Your Hardwood Flooring
Sometimes, the biggest problems with installation do not actually occur during the installation process. Even if you use all the right installation tools and techniques, you can end up with a bad installation job. How can this be?There is a lot of know-how that goes into preparing for an installation. One of the most important things to know about is acclamation.
Wood is a natural material. Like many other natural materials, wood is responsive to its environment. In particular, wood can expand or contract based on how much moisture is in the air.
In other words, when you first receive your hardwood flooring, it will take up a certain amount of total volume. However, once it has sat in your building for long enough, it will slightly expand or contract. If you install your hardwood flooring before it has time to acclimate, it will fit perfectly in the beginning.
Unfortunately, as the wood acclimates, it will expand or contract and ruin your installation job.
For that reason, it is important to let your wood acclimate before installing it. On top of that, you should avoid storing your wood in places that will drastically affect its volume. That means that you should start in places with normal temperature and humidity levels.
3. Proper Commercial Flooring Emphasizes the First Row
The most important role when it comes to installing hardwood is the first row. That row will affect the positioning of every other row that comes afterward. If it is crooked, it will be next to impossible to fix it after the fact.That means that you should emphasize getting your first row as perfectly straight as possible. A good rule of thumb is to triple-check the alignment of your first row before beginning to install the second row.
You should also make sure that the first row is firmly in place once you have confirmed its position.
4. Use the Right Commercial Engineered Hardwood Flooring Installation Techniques
As you lay your last board, you will probably encounter a problem. The flooring nailer may not fit perfectly. Fortunately, this is a predictable problem.All you need to do is top nail your last boards. This will make sure that they do not move around and damage any other boards.
5. Decrease Hardwood Flooring Cost by Using the Right Tools
The right tools can make all the difference in hardwood flooring installation. Some tools are vastly disproportionate in how much time they can save you and how little they cost. A simple pneumatic flooring nailer can make your job twice as easy to finish.Understanding a little bit more about how to properly install the hardwood floor is an investment. Hardwood floors can provide beauty for many years as long as you install them correctly in the first place.
Apply the Most Important Installation Tips for Your Commercial Hardwood Flooring
We hope learning about how to install commercial hardwood flooring has been helpful for you. Many businesses appreciate the beauty and other benefits that hardwood flooring provides. However, they do not get all the benefits they hope for when there are mistakes in the installation process.To learn more about how to install commercial hardwood flooring or to speak with experts in the commercial hardwood flooring installation business, feel free to reach out and get in touch with us here at any time!
