Laying of Engineered Wood Flooring Yourself

Engineered wood flooring is finished wood veneer placed over manufactured particle board that is almost indistinguishable from solid wood when installed. It is thinner, straighter, more uniform and somewhat easy to install. You can lay engineered wood flooring yourself using the floating method in a few easy steps.

Step 1: Assemble the materials you'll need

You will need:• Tape measure

• Broom and dust pan

• Moisture barrier (If laying on concrete sub floor)

• Pad

• Adhesive (If your wood is tongue-and-groove)

• Saw

• Rubber mallet

• Tapping block

Step 2:Determine how much wood you'll need

Measure the dimensions of the room you want to lay the flooring using your tape measure. Multiply the length of the room with its width to get the room's exact square footage.

Add about 15 per cent to the room's square footage to get the actual size of wood you will need. 15 per cent extra footage is added to cater for cutting mistakes and waste during installation.

Step 3:Clean the floor

Remove everything in the room to allow for thorough cleaning before laying the floor. Sweep and mop the floor to get rid of all visible dart particles and debris.

Step 4:Install a moisture barrier

If your sub-floor is concrete, cover it with a moisture barrier to prevent ground moisture damaging your wood flooring. Fit the pad on top of the moisture barrier once the barrier is in place.

Step 5:Lay the flooring

Lay down the first flooring board starting from the furthest corner of the room. Lock the next flooring board into place, if the wood has a snap-lock feature.

Apply adhesive at the first and second boards' point of contact to hold the boards together, if your wood is the tongue-and-groove type.

Repeat the process and lay a complete vertical row first. Measure the last board at the end of the row and cut it to the exact fit against the wall. Use your rubber mallet to fit the board perfectly against the wall.

Add a second row to the side of your first vertical row and work your way to the end of this row. Add another row to the side of the second row and repeat this working pattern with subsequent rows until you've laid out the whole room.

Arrange the rows in a systematic order from where previous rows start to ensure the end joints will look beautiful when the job is done. Finally, attach baseboards around the floor and wall joints to complete laying your flooring.

Step 6:Clean Up

Pick up anything laying around on the floor. Sweep saw dust and other debris away and mop any visible dirt on the new flooring to finish a job well done.

Tips

• Keep your new engineered wood flooring in good condition by cleaning it regularly with a soft broom. You may also use a vacuum cleaner to get rid of minuscule dirt particles on the floor.

• Never use regular floor cleaners on engineered wood flooring because these damage the wood itself and its veneer finish look.

• And, keep your wood flooring dry at all times to ensure it lasts longer.