Floor installation can be time consuming and difficult if not done properly. These are some important strategies and tips for installing flawless floors.

The demand for new flooring has increased throughout the United States, and it’s only going to continue to grow in the coming years.

If you’ve been considering installing a new floor in your home, now is the time to take action. 

What’s holding you back from installing a new floor? Are you worried about how time-consuming or complicated the process will be?

If this is the case for you, keep reading. Listed below are some helpful tips that will make floor installation go a bit smoother.

These questions must be answered to ensure a successful installation. With that said, industry experts weighed in with some tips that contribute to a hassle-free job.

1. CLEANUP

When it comes to installing hardwood, in addition to subfloor preparation, cleaning up as you go is always recommended. When using a moisture-cured, urethane wood flooring adhesive, it is extremely important to make certain you clean up as you go. He advised keeping urethane adhesive remover and a supply of clean cloths readily available at the start of the installation. “Frequently change to a clean cloth to avoid further spreading the adhesive throughout the finished floor.

Urethane adhesives must be cleaned while they are wet, because once cured they become very hard to remove. If you find cured urethane adhesive on the surface of the wood, apply a generous amount of a urethane cleaner, be patient and allow the cleaner to work on the spot. Wipe or blot the area and repeat if necessary to remove the glue. Cloudy and shiny spots could be the result of rubbing too vigorously while cleaning the surface of the wood flooring. Attempting to scrape dried or cured urethane adhesive off the surface of hardwood flooring also increases the risk of damaging the floor’s finish.

2. CHECK FOR MOISTURE

The first and most critical installation step is to take a moisture reading of the concrete. There is no wisdom in, If it looks dry, you can lay it. The installer is simply playing Russian Roulette and will eat the job when everyone else asks, you didn’t measure for moisture? Your bad!’ A simple, quick test using any one of several moisture meters on the market will indicate if the job is safe to install, and it will protect your reputation.

Once you take the reading, write it on the floor where you take it and log it on your job sheet for your permanent records. That way, should you ever be questioned, you have absolute proof you took this critical test. If the moisture meter reads higher than recommended, then you must do a calcium chloride test to fully protect yourself.

3. KNOW YOUR SUBFLOOR

The No. 1 tip going into any installation is to know your sub- floor. The flooring installation will only be as good as the surface the installer is trying to adhere to. Dust, paint, drywall overspray, curing compounds, parting compounds, oil or any other contaminant must be removed prior to attempting to adhere to any substrate. Also, don’t forget moisture is always present in a concrete subfloor. You have to know just how much moisture is present.

4. USE THE CORRECT TROWEL

The recommended trowel is there because when properly applied this will place the correct amount of adhesive on the sub- floor, which will create the optimum bond strength. Remember, trowels wear out when being used, especially when spreading adhesive on a concrete subfloor. Trowels should be replaced or re-notched on a regular basis to ensure the proper amount of adhesive is being applied.

5. READ THE DIRECTIONS

Refocusing on basic fundamentals doesn’t hurt, as you never know when you might learn something new. Just because someone else has always performed an installation one way doesn’t mean it is the correct way. If a mechanic is not certain of the instructions, he should contact the manufacturer’s technical department and receive clarification of the procedures before he begins the installation. Too often, floors have been installed with disastrous results because of limited knowledge or under- standing by the installer. In many cases, a simple phone call could make the difference.