Here’s a great overview of hardwood flooring installation from Tim Carter. The question asked to prompt the article is a pretty common one; is installing hardwood flooring a good idea, and can I do it myself?
Our guys here get asked that question a lot. The answer is that, yes, hardwood flooring is as durable as they say, speaking particularly of commonly available domestic species like oak and maple. And that if you’re a professional installer, hardwood flooring is made to be installed relatively painlessly.
Carter makes the point that irregularly shaped rooms offer even the experienced installer a challenge. And our guys here agree. It’s always best to hire a professional to make sure that your floor will be installed correctly with minimal wastage the first time. Also, Carter makes a great point about letting your shipment of hardwood acclimate in the space where you’re going to install it.
To me, if you’re looking for a floor that is to become something of a feature to a residence, or even an office, hardwood flooring is the one to beat. This is where the practicalities of choosing building materials like wood flooring meets the idea of aesthetics and transformation. With a solid choice in hardwood flooring, a modest space suddenly gains the potential to be a part of history. That to me is a powerful idea.
It’s this idea which drives me to blog about building materials. That at some point, the materials themselves become something other once you install them. They become a part of your life, even if after a while you take the effects they render as a given. The warmth, the richness of color and of feel that a wood floor can deliver, suddenly becomes a reflection of your own personality – because it characterises your life at home, or at work.
Cheers!