Hardwood flooring is a beautiful touch for your home and can significantly improve its value along with the aesthetics. If you want to install your own wood flooring, there are a few tips and tricks that will make it easier and help ensure the desired result. In addition to choosing a type of wood and a stain that will match your home's decor, keep the following factors in mind.

How to Correctly Install Wood Flooring

1. Pick Your Starting Point

It isn't enough to just measure the length and width of a room when planning your layout. Rooms aren't always perfectly rectangular, and walls can curve or be set at an angle. Carefully go over the entire space, measuring at multiple points, to make sure you know the exact shape of the floor.

Next, decide where to lay your first few boards, which will guide every piece that follows. Choose a starting point in or adjacent to one of the wide-open areas of the room, since this is where any crookedness or misalignment will be most obvious.

2. Prepare Your Subfloor

The surface under your wood flooring needs to be completely clean, flat, dry, and clear of debris, or it may affect the appearance of your hardwood and cause unevenness and squeaking. The subfloor also needs to be correctly waterproofed if it's in a kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, or mudroom. Go over the entire floor carefully both in the planning stage and right before you start laying down wood.

3. Acclimate Your Wood

Wood is porous, so it gains or loses moisture depending on the humidity around it. When it absorbs water, it swells, and when it dries out, it shrinks. Your wood should sit in your home at least a few days before you start to install it so it can balance with your home's normal humidity levels.

Also, if you don't have a humidifier or dehumidifier in your house to keep the moisture in the air at a stable level between 40% and 50%, consider investing in this equipment so your wood flooring will never buckle or shrink when the weather changes.

If you're dreaming of high-quality hardwood floors, visit West Yellow Knife Trading Post in Dalton, GA. This Whitfield County discount store has the best deals on flooring, cabinets, and HVAC equipment, and their knowledgeable staff will help you find the perfect solution for your project. Call (706) 226-7914 to discuss your needs or visit their website to learn more about their inventory.