{"id":367,"date":"2012-12-28T02:10:33","date_gmt":"2012-12-28T02:10:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/napervillehardwood.com\/blog\/?p=367"},"modified":"2026-01-07T04:44:49","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T04:44:49","slug":"do-we-install-hardwood-floors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/napervillehardwood.com\/blog\/do-we-install-hardwood-floors\/","title":{"rendered":"Hardwood Floor Installations"},"content":{"rendered":"

At Tadas Wood Flooring we\u2019re well known for specializing in hardwood floor refinishing in Naperville and the surrounding Dupage County. But we also offer hardwood floor installation services too.<\/p>\n

\"Installing<\/p>\n

Usually when we are asked to install hardwood it\u2019s to match existing hardwood floors in other rooms.<\/p>\n

For example a client might have hardwood floors in the living room, hallways and dining room but have carpet in the bedrooms and wants wood floors in those rooms as well. Or, there may be wood floors in the living room and tile in the dining room, but they\u2019ve opened the walls up and now need a seamless wood floor to tie it all together.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a big part of the wood flooring installation services we offer.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s very satisfying to be able to blend together old wood floors with new sections then sand and refinish them to end up with a brand new seamless floor.<\/p>\n

But\u2026 apart from matching existing floors, we also install brand new unfinished hardwood floors in homes.<\/p>\n

Starting from scratch can be a lot of fun because the choices for new floors are pretty much limited only by your imagination. There are so many types of wood, sizes and colors to choose from and we can definitely help you with that process.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

So How are Hardwood Floors Installed?<\/h4>\n

Below is a few of the main steps we go through when installing a new hardwood floor in a home:<\/p>\n

The first step in installing floors is having it delivered and then waiting for it to acclimate. It’s important for the moisture content to be matched to the existing sub-floor so there are no moisture issues down the road, like cupping or excessive gaps<\/a>. This can take a couple of days or much longer, depending on the moisture content difference between them…<\/p>\n

\"Wood<\/p>\n

Once the floor is acclimated and ready to install, the existing floor has to be prepped. The old flooring \u2013 usually carpet, laminate, vinyl or tile \u2013 is removed and the sub-floor is cleaned up and inspected to make sure it\u2019s OK to be used as an adequate base for the new hardwood.<\/p>\n

It’s at this stage that any repairs to the joists or sub-floor needed are taken care of…<\/p>\n

\"Wood<\/p>\n

In the photo below, not only did the carpet need to be removed, the previous sub-floor needed to be taken up as well…<\/p>\n

\"Old<\/p>\n

Making sure you have a suitable sub-floor is incredibly important in order to have a long lasting and professional installation. There has to be a solid base for the new hardwood to be attached to ensure a strong and stable install.<\/p>\n

A good quality plywood is essential.<\/p>\n

If your sub-floor is not up to par and the staples or nails don\u2019t have proper grip, you\u2019ll be dealing with problems like creaks and squeaks and loose boards down the road.<\/p>\n

Dips, ridges, bumps and high spots all have to be leveled out during this stage as well. And while you will never have a perfectly level sub-floor, we need to make sure it\u2019s as flat as possible.<\/p>\n

The photo above shows the old particleboard sub-floor that had to be ripped up and removed because, while it was OK for a carpet install, hardwood flooring nails would never have held properly. After a few years the floor would have loosened and become a disaster.<\/p>\n

As you can see, we had to install a new solid plywood sub-floor to ensure a professional job…<\/p>\n

\"Plywood<\/p>\n

Now on to the 2 types of installations possible for your wood floors. Which one you choose will depend on a few different considerations we’ll go over below…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Nail Down Installations:<\/h4>\n

Nail down installations are the simpler, faster and cheaper of the two install options. As long as you have a good plywood sub-floor to nail to, you should have no issues.<\/p>\n

After making sure the new sub-floor is solid, flat, free of squeaks and there are adequate expansion gaps, we roll out asphalt paper and start laying out the beginnings of the new floor.<\/p>\n

During this stage many measurements are taken to make sure everything will line up and look great between all walls and doorways. A straight line is snapped and the first rows of wood are installed…<\/p>\n

\"Starting<\/p>\n

Once the first few rows are done things really start to speed up. We work in two\u2019s, with one guy racking the floor (measuring and setting out the pieces)…<\/p>\n

\"Measuring<\/p>\n

And another guy nailing or stapling them to the sub-floor…<\/p>\n

\"Nailing<\/p>\n

And below you can see the custom cuts needed for various areas, like this flush mount heating vent<\/a>…<\/p>\n

\"Wood<\/p>\n

After lots of work, the finished install. It\u2019s flat, tight and strong, all ready for the next stage\u2026 a professional sand and finish<\/a>…<\/p>\n

\"Finished<\/p>\n

As you can see there\u2019s a lot that goes into a quality install.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Glue Down or Glue-Assist Installation:<\/h4>\n

The other install option is using glue to secure the wood flooring to the sub-floor. This is more labor and product intensive, and therefore more expensive option.<\/p>\n

\"Glue<\/p>\n

This option has numerous benefits over a nailed down floor in certain circumstances.<\/p>\n