Hardwood floors can turn your house into a home. In high traffic areas, make sure that you regularly maintain them to keep looking new.

Hardwood floors can be installed anywhere in your house, on concrete, plywood, or over existing floors. However, I would not recommend this, as it adds weight to your joists. All wood subfloors must be screwed in place before you install. While you are doing this, use a level to insure that floor is even throughout.

After the subfloor is installed, make sure that the surface is sanded and smooth.Once the subfloor is in place, sanded, smoothed or filled to provide a level, even surface, installation of the boards can begin. Some manufacturers recommend using a foam underlay that is placed on top of the subfloor and underneath the new floor. This helps minimize creeks and noise from the new floor.

Some Install Tips

When you are deciding where to start your install, use a focal point of the room, such as a mantel.

Before laying the first board, draw a line to use as a reference point. In this installation, a manufacturer’s recommended underlayment is placed on top of the subfloor.

Level the first row of planks with the draw line to make sure that all following planks will be aligned.

Before you nail in the planks to the subfloor, map out the area like a jigsaw puzzle. Fit the boards, making sure that the planks fit together and they are staggered with at least 12 inches between one another.

Blind nailing tongue-and-groove boards hides nails. Nails should be driven through one board’s groove, and hidden by the next parallel board. With other installs, nails are hammered through the face of the board, a process called top nailing. Planks can be glued together as well.