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Hardwood Floor Installation
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Author:  Scorehead [ Wed Apr 25, 2012 3:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Hardwood Floor Installation

We are going to install hardwood oak flooring in our Family room & the office/den. I'm pretty handy & am thinking about doing it myself. I'm curious if anyone here has done it. I welcome your thoughts & comments.

Author:  Terry's Peeps [ Wed Apr 25, 2012 3:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Hardwood Floor Installation

Pay someone to do it. You're a big shooter.

Plus Les Chance of messing it up.

Author:  sjboyd0137 [ Wed Apr 25, 2012 3:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Hardwood Floor Installation

Honestly, it seems like more effort than it's worth.

Author:  Darkside [ Wed Apr 25, 2012 3:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Hardwood Floor Installation

Dude it's really easy and you can get how-to's on Youtube. Check it out. that's where I learned to do it.

Author:  Northside_Dan [ Wed Apr 25, 2012 3:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Hardwood Floor Installation

It's really easy. Just be sure you are good about stagnating the different length pieces. Rent a pneumatic nailer and power sander. Your back will thank you.

Author:  Brick [ Wed Apr 25, 2012 3:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Hardwood Floor Installation

Installing it is easy. The hard part is not doing a terrible job at it.

Author:  Ugueth Will Shiv You [ Wed Apr 25, 2012 4:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Hardwood Floor Installation

Installing the flooring is a snap when you have a heavy, dead, depressing wine fridge serving as an anchor to keep the first row in place.

Author:  sjboyd0137 [ Wed Apr 25, 2012 4:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Hardwood Floor Installation

Ugueth Will Shiv You wrote:
Installing the flooring is a snap when you have a heavy, dead, depressing wine fridge serving as an anchor to keep the first row in place.

:lol:

Author:  bigfan [ Wed Apr 25, 2012 4:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Hardwood Floor Installation

Boilermaker Rick wrote:
Installing it is easy. The hard part is not doing a terrible job at it.


Bingo!

I own a nailer and depending on the job, I have my guys do it or not.

1. What type of wood are using?
2. 500 SF, cost you $1500-$2000 for install, guessing you will spend at least $500 on materials for install.

Is it worth having a fucked up floor to save $1000

Just finished a 5,000 SF job on Friday, might know something about this stuff.

Author:  Stewie [ Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Hardwood Floor Installation

Image

Author:  newper [ Thu Apr 26, 2012 12:04 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hardwood Floor Installation

Along these lines, anybody ever try to hang door slabs? They seem like they wouldn't be that hard to do yourself... drill the hole for the handle, for the catch thingy, and mortise out the hinges with a jig and router (or chisel and gauge.) I haven't checked yet if the frame is still in square, but assuming that it is, this should be a lot less work than prehung door -- or am I missing something? A bunch of our doors have the veneer all chipped off, one with a hole the size of a fist through it, others with kids pens across it, etc.

Author:  Scorehead [ Thu Apr 26, 2012 12:24 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hardwood Floor Installation

Terry's Peeps wrote:
Pay someone to do it. You're a big shooter.

Plus Les Chance of messing it up.


Sure I could pay someone to do it, but occasionally I enjoy doing projects on my own.

I went to College with Les Chance.

Author:  Urlacher's missing neck [ Thu Apr 26, 2012 5:58 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hardwood Floor Installation

Installing the flloor is not that hard. Sanding the floor is where you might want to know what you are doing though. If you cross the grains or leave burn marks its going to look like shit and depending on the sander or your experience both of those things can be achieved in mere seconds.

Author:  312player [ Thu Apr 26, 2012 7:44 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hardwood Floor Installation

get the pre finished and no sanding involved...if you have dogs it is better..the baked on enamel is tough and lasts....the polyeurothane scratches off pretty easy if you do yourself...depending on traffic you could have to refinish the floors in 6 years or so..... or you could go with the floating floors and no nailing involved .

Author:  bigfan [ Thu Apr 26, 2012 7:57 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hardwood Floor Installation

U guys all must be homebuilders?

Putting bricks together is also not hard. Doing it well is another story.

Be smart, hire a professional.

Friend of mine did his own floor,it looked ok when he did it. Six years la
ter, trying to sell his house and he is having it redone because it looked like he did it.

Wont even get into the good v bad wood and sealers.

Pm me if u want a great guy.

Author:  walkrman5 [ Thu Apr 26, 2012 7:57 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hardwood Floor Installation

I hired it out. It had to tie in to existing floor though so it required some extra doing...then the whole sanding and finishing was "a thing" as well. Luckily we had an alternative pace to stay....took a week....and the guys we used did an awesome job. (western burbs).

Author:  312player [ Thu Apr 26, 2012 8:01 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hardwood Floor Installation

huge difference in laying brick and installing floors

Author:  RFDC [ Thu Apr 26, 2012 8:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hardwood Floor Installation

Buddy of mine owns a flooring store and he has people all the time that think they are going to do a job themselves and they end up fucking it up and have to come back in to get him to fix it.

So Scorehead when you fuck this up and have to call a professional, make sure to tip him well.

Author:  Ugueth Will Shiv You [ Thu Apr 26, 2012 8:28 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hardwood Floor Installation

In all honesty, I laid my own flooring last year with the help of a couple other people. Hardest part was starting the first line of flooring to make sure everything was level. Once the first two lines were installed, however, the rest was pretty simple.

Author:  spanky [ Thu Apr 26, 2012 8:48 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hardwood Floor Installation

Installing a pre-finished hardwood floor is not hard, even if you are not a homebuilder. And most people should be able to do a good job. Assuming you have the tools to do the job.

The problem comes in when you are done with it and you have to do the trim/baseboards. That takes skill and tools that most peole don't have. Pay somebody to do that.

Author:  Chus [ Thu Apr 26, 2012 9:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hardwood Floor Installation

bigfan wrote:
U guys all must be homebuilders?

Putting bricks together is also not hard. Doing it well is another story.

Be smart, hire a professional.

Friend of mine did his own floor,it looked ok when he did it. Six years la
ter, trying to sell his house and he is having it redone because it looked like he did it.

Wont even get into the good v bad wood and sealers.

Pm me if u want a great guy.


Listen to bigfan. Everybody thinks they are Bob Vila with all of these do-it-yourself shows on TV. Don't fuck around with wood floors. Hire a pro.

This isn't painting, or putting down peel and stick tiles.

Author:  Urlacher's missing neck [ Thu Apr 26, 2012 9:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hardwood Floor Installation

Its your money so do whatever you want but there is a large difference between being "handy" and installing and finishing a hardwood floor.

I have a century old house and I took out all the shitty carpet and sanded and refinished the old pine floors......I also am related to a contractor and while not a pro in that specific trade I know what I am doing for the most part from years of working with them. As someone else mentioned....if you aren't a pro or damn near close to a pro with finish carpentry then do not attempt to put in the trim or it will look like shit and ruin the entire project. I know people who have done this on their own and I feel bad for them because they spent al ot of money on materials and it looks like shit.

Author:  Makaveli [ Thu Apr 26, 2012 9:51 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hardwood Floor Installation

You should pay a professional to do EVERYTHING.

Author:  Spaulding [ Thu Apr 26, 2012 10:00 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hardwood Floor Installation

Bigfan is right and his guy is really good.

Author:  Frank Coztansa [ Thu Apr 26, 2012 10:02 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hardwood Floor Installation

hire elmhurst steve. He guarantees a good job. Then you can sit around and talk about the Cubs while I pipebomb the place.

Author:  Douchebag [ Thu Apr 26, 2012 10:02 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hardwood Floor Installation

Spaulding wrote:
Bigfan is right and his guy is really good.

Bagels disagrees.

Author:  Ugueth Will Shiv You [ Thu Apr 26, 2012 10:19 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hardwood Floor Installation

Cowards. The whole lot of you.

In fact, go out and cut down a tree to use for your flooring. Then rip the floorboards using only your teeth.

Author:  Scorehead [ Thu Apr 26, 2012 11:51 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hardwood Floor Installation

Makaveli wrote:
You should pay a professional to do EVERYTHING.


I believe that people should do more for themselves rather than hiring others. It is good to learn these things & it feels good when you finish a job on your own. But that's just me.

Author:  Frank Coztansa [ Thu Apr 26, 2012 11:58 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hardwood Floor Installation

Scorehead wrote:
I believe that people should do more for themselves rather than hiring others. It is good to learn these things & it feels good when you finish a job on your own.
Somebody who built a tower in Pisa once said the same thing...

Author:  spanky [ Thu Apr 26, 2012 11:59 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Hardwood Floor Installation

Frank Coztansa wrote:
Scorehead wrote:
I believe that people should do more for themselves rather than hiring others. It is good to learn these things & it feels good when you finish a job on your own.
Somebody who built a tower in Pisa once said the same thing...

That thing is one of the most famous buildings in the entire world centuries later.

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