How to Install Luxury Hardwood Flooring

I want to begin this article with one important point.

If you are purchasing expensive luxury hardwood flooring for a significant residential project, I strongly recommend having it installed by an experienced professional.

That does not mean homeowners, designers and builders should not understand how hardwood flooring is installed.

Quite the opposite.

Understanding the process allows you to ask better questions, recognize potential problems before they become expensive problems, and make certain that the beautiful flooring you purchased is treated properly.

Begin With the Environment

Before the first plank is installed, look at the building.

Is construction substantially complete?

Are the environmental conditions appropriate?

Has excessive moisture from concrete, plaster, paint or other construction processes been addressed?

Natural hardwood responds to moisture and humidity.

Ignoring the environment and immediately beginning installation because the flooring happens to have arrived is not a sensible approach.

Inspect the Subfloor

The next step is underneath the floor you are actually going to see.

The subfloor needs to be appropriately flat, clean, structurally sound and compatible with the installation method.

Moisture conditions should also be evaluated.

If there is a problem with the subfloor, correct it now.

Installing thousands of dollars of beautiful Black Walnut flooring over an unsuitable surface and hoping the problem somehow disappears is not a strategy I would recommend.

Follow the Correct Acclimation Requirements

There is no magical number of days that applies to every hardwood flooring product.

Acclimation depends upon the flooring, its construction, the job-site conditions and the manufacturer's specifications.

The objective is not simply to leave boxes sitting inside the house.

The objective is to have the flooring and environment in appropriate condition for installation.

Plan the Layout

This is where installation becomes part of design.

Before permanently fixing anything to the floor, consider the direction of the planks.

Where will someone first see the flooring when entering the home?

What are the longest sight lines?

How does the floor travel into adjoining rooms?

What happens at the staircase?

How will boards meet fireplaces, cabinetry and doors?

With wide plank luxury hardwood flooring, these decisions can have a substantial effect on the final appearance.

Open and Review the Flooring

Natural hardwood is not supposed to look like printed plastic.

There will be variation.

This is particularly true with Black Walnut flooring, where individual boards can contain beautiful differences in coloration and grain.

The installer should review the material and distribute these natural characteristics throughout the installation.

Do not install one box in one corner and then move to the next box without looking at the floor as a whole.

Choose the Appropriate Installation Method

Depending upon the flooring construction and subfloor, hardwood can be nailed, stapled, glued or installed using another approved method.

There is no reason to declare one method universally superior.

The correct installation method is the one appropriate for the specific flooring and project.

Allow for Natural Wood Movement

Wood responds to its environment.

Appropriate perimeter and expansion requirements therefore need to be followed according to the particular flooring system.

These are technical details, but they matter.

A few minutes spent understanding them before installation can prevent considerably larger problems later.

Inspect the Work as It Progresses

Do not wait until the final board has been installed to inspect the floor.

Look at the installation as it progresses.

Look at plank distribution.

Look at joints.

Look at transitions.

Look at how the natural variation is developing across the room.

Problems are much easier to address while the work is taking place.

Protect the Finished Floor

Once the flooring is installed, remember that the rest of the construction project may not be finished.

Other trades may still be walking through the house carrying tools, ladders and building materials.

Protect the flooring appropriately.

After spending the time and money to create a beautiful floor, damaging it during the final weeks of construction would be particularly unfortunate.

My Recommendation

A beautiful hardwood floor begins with beautiful material, but it ends with proper installation.

Do not spend substantial money selecting extraordinary French Oak or Black Walnut flooring and then attempt to save a relatively small amount by compromising the installation.

Use experienced professionals.

Follow the specifications.

Prepare the site correctly.

Then enjoy the finished floor for decades.

That is how luxury hardwood flooring should be installed.