Laying wood flooring can be quite straightforward if you choose a locking system that does not require nails or glue.
It can be laid on any level surface, although you will need to use a damp proof membrane if there is a chance of damp, such as in a basement, and a good acoustic underlay will prolong the life of your floor.
Before you start
You will need some good knee pads, safety goggles and a dust mask when you make any cuts, and ear defenders if you are using power tools; in addition, you will need spacers, a pencil, a builders square and a ruler.
Laying your first boards
Lay your first board in the corner of the room, with the short tongue end positioned against the wall. Insert your spacers at regular intervals along the board.
Lay the next board end on, fitting the short tongue into the board you have already laid and click in place. Continue laying boards and inserting spacers until you reach the opposite wall.
Cut your board to fit
Turn the last board 180 degrees and use your builders square and ruler to draw a line straight across the board, level with the end of the last board you laid. Ensure you have inserted a spacer between the board and the wall to make the measurement accurate. Make the cut, then click in place.
If the offcut is longer than 300mm, use this as the first board in the next row; otherwise, cut a board in half. It is important to randomise the boards for the best effect.
Laying the rest of your boards
Continue in the same fashion, laying a length of boards until you reach the opposite wall. If the room is small, you could lock together several boards and click them all into place in one go.
Cut boards to fit the last row
Put each board for the last row – in the direction in which it will be laid – over the boards for the previous row. Place a board against a spacer on the wall and use the edge of this board to mark a line across the board underneath. Cut and click in place.
Other choices
There is off course other types of wood floor, like Laminate Wood Flooring sourced from links including irwintiles.ie/index.php/wooden-flooring.html which are just as simple to lay and maybe even a little cheaper ot buy.
Russell Chowdhury
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