Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Click-Lock Hardwood

Click-lock wood floors are a quick, fantastic flooring option, especially for those of us who aren’t so power tool savvy. Ordinarily, to install new hardwood floors, you’d need to get your hands on an air compressor with accompanying hoses, a finish nailer, a floor nailer (different from the finish nailer), special floor staples, a power saw, extra sticky wood glue, wood putty that matches the finish of the flooring… not to mention the flooring itself!


Snap-together wood flooring is easy to install. With its unique and secure tongue-and-groove system, you can have beautiful, durable hardwood totally installed in a weekend! Since it’s a glue free project, it’s practically mess free too. Almost always, click-lock floors come prefinished, saving you painstaking hours of sanding and finishing. They make the perfect project for a novice carpenter with a basic set of skills. Of course, if you run into trouble locking your floors into place, you can always call your friends at Flacks Flooring.


Before you start cutting and snapping your new hardwoods into place, you’ve got to measure the room or the area you want to re-floor. If you happen to be re-doing a square room, just multiply the width by the length. Always purchase a little bit more than you think you’ll need for the job (10 to 15 percent extra) tom make up for irregular boards and possible click-lock mishaps. To prevent warping, let the boards sit in your home for 48 hours to adjust to its temperature and humidity. While you wait for the wood to acclimate to its new home, you can ensure the subfloor (whatever it may be) is level, even and free of squeaks. Staple a vapor barrier underlayment to the subfloor with plenty of overlap between sheets.


Once the groundwork has been taken care of, you can start planning the layout of the planks. For a solid base, planks should be laid perpendicular to floor joists. The longest wall is the easiest place to start sliding in your first row of boards. You should lay the first row along a perfectly straight line about a quarter of an inch away from the wall. This will allow the wood to expand and contract and ensure you start along line that’s truly straight.


Between the first and last rows, installation is a snap. Other than some occasional saw work, you’ll be clicking boards into place with ease. Just insert them at a tilt and snap them in. Diagonal nails can be added between each row if desired. Complete the floor by cutting the last row to the correct width to fit against the wall. Make sure to leave expansion space again. Finally, reinstall any trim or baseboards you might have removed and enjoy your fancy new floor!



Click-Lock Hardwood

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