CRAFT Floor’s Simple Tips for Installing Hardwood
Installing your own hardwood is not that difficult—but it does require a pal, a plan, proper tools and time!
In our space, we installed a reclaimed Heart Pine product from CRAFT Floors called Hayloft which pairs perfectly with our cabin’s existing features and our vision for a cohesively cozy home. It took us two full days, three sets of hands, and three buckets of glue, but was fairly easy and totally doable for anyone willing to invest the time!
For those who wish to install their own flooring, I’ve partnered with CRAFT Floor’s to share our simple tips for installing floors in your home. View the video below, or scroll on for all our tips below.
Tip 1: Improve your layout by racking out at least four boxes of flooring at a time, and sort them into piles.
We actually removed all our hardwood from every box and sorted them into a bunch of piles specific to our needs and wants. We saved a pile of long ones that had stand-out grain patterns, cool defects or knots, as well as a pile of short beautiful boards. Then we did the same with planks we didn’t mind having beneath furniture. To be honest, it was hard to put any boards down in areas we know cabinets or couches will cover, but that’s less a complaint and more a testament to CRAFT’s meticulous selection and artisan hand-working of each plank.
Tip 2: When using a glue-down method, opt for a line application with a trowel instead of a lazy-S.
We have wide-plank boards, so we had to install using glue, as anyone must with wide-plank boards. And if you are, ensure you use glue recommended from your flooring manufacturer. Be sure to wipe off any excess glue on the surface of your boards with an adhesive remover should you get messy!
Tip 3: You’ll need two people for the job: one on cuts and one on installs.
It helps to have two people, but not many more when gluing because it can be messy! So wearing socks is also a great idea. You’ll get your job done quicker and have a more enjoyable time with it if you stay one row ahead, so having whoever isn’t doing installs layout the next row’s boards in advance helps a lot.
Tip 4: Avoid stacking seams and get a more organic look by randomizing board lengths.
Use the shortest pieces in your boxes as row starters, and the longest boards you have in the longest areas of your room/home.
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