How to Install 5/8 Hardwood Flooring
- 1). Pry the trim off of the base of the wall, using a pry bar. If you plan on reusing it, take care not to damage it when you remove it.
- 2). Remove the old flooring. Use a hammer and chisel to remove tile or hardwood. If it's carpet, tear it off the floor.
- 3). Vacuum the subfloor, then mop it with a cleaner.
- 4). Remove rotten boards from the subfloor by prying them up and replace them with new boards. Nail the new boards and any loose boards into the floor joists.
- 5). Cover the subfloor with a layer of 15-pound felt paper. Lay the paper in the same direction the hardwood flooring will run and attach it with a hammer stapler every 4 inches.
- 6). Place 1/2-inch-wide spacers along the walls.
- 7). Place the first 5/8 floorboard against the spacers in one corner of the room. Position the board so the side with the tongue is facing you and the side with the grooved edge is facing the wall.
- 8). Finish installing the first row of floorboards. If necessary, cut the last board on a table saw to fit space between the adjacent board and the spacer.
- 9). Drive nails into the boards every 8 inches, holding a straight edge pressed against the boards to keep them firmly in position as you nail them to the subfloor.
- 10
Drive 1 1/2-inch brads through the tongue of the boards and into the subfloor (this is called toenailing). Install one brad every 4 inches, and install them at a 45-degree angle. - 11
Cut a board in half with a table saw. Place it against the side wall and first row of boards to begin the second row. Fit the groove of the board over the tongue from the board in the first row. Staggering each row of boards like this makes the floor stronger and improves its appearance. Use full-length boards to finish the row (unless you need to make a cut at the other end). - 12
Place a tapping block against the edge of the boards and tap them with a hammer to tighten them, then toenail the boards to the subfloor. - 13
Continue installing the floorboards until you reach the other side of the room, staggering each row of boards. - 14
Cut floor planks to fit the gap between the last row of boards and the half-inch spacers next to the wall. Nail the cut planks to the subfloor. - 15
Remove the spacers from the perimeter of the floor. - 16
Install the trim around the base of the wall, using the hammer.
