Prime Hardwood Floors
Hardwood Floor Installation
Installation – Nailed down floor.
- Demolition
The first step in installing a hardwood floor is to remove the old flooring material. The baseboards and shoe molding need to be removed. Then the previous floor is pulled up and discarded leaving the subfloor exposed.
- Subfloor preparation
The next step is to ensure that the subfloor is securely fastened to the joists. The existing nails are set and more nails added if necessary. This helps eliminate squeaks. Next the subfloor is checked for flatness and low spots are shimmed. Any other problem spots are repaired as necessary.
- Underlayment installation
Sometimes we install a layer of plywood on top of the subfloor. This step is necessary if the subfloor thickness is inadequate or to build up the floor to match the height of an adjacent floor.
- Installation of hardwood flooring
When a proper substrate has been prepared, it's time to begin the actual installation of the hardwood floor. A straight line is marked on the floor to ensure that the flooring will be parallel to the walls. Then a paper moisture barrier is stapled to the floor. The floor boards are then nailed to the subfloor.

- Final touches
After the wood floor has been installed, various moldings may need to be applied. Shoe molding (1/2” quarter round molding) is usually used around cabinets and exterior doors. A reducer is used for a transition to a lower adjacent floor. If the original baseboards are in good condition they're reused, otherwise new baseboards are installed. If bare wood was installed as opposed to prefinished wood flooring, then it's time to sand and finish the floor.
