I need to have hardwood flooring installed in my house because of my severe allergies to dust.. I already have 4 seperate Hepa Airfilters in the house and thats not even enough. I need to get arid of the carpets..
I was thinking about doing this myself. Even if it takes me 2 months to do.. i will take my time and do it slowly. I would just like to ask if it is a difficult task to do? I really havent read much on it yet.. If anyone knows any good online links or has experience about this, that would be appreciated... Even if you can recommend any alternatives to hardwood flooring, that would be great too... as im not 100% convinced yet that is the route i want to go.
Oren "My doctor says I have a malformed public-duty gland and a natural deficiency in moral fiber, and that I am therefore excused from saving Universes."
i forgot to mention.. Im looking to install the cheaper kind of hardwood floors.. the ones that are bigger in size. I think its called imitation hardwood flooring. the type that alot of hospitals have.
You didn't get medical advice... doctors can recommend better advice given the allergies you have - but you already know everything about them.
Oren "My doctor says I have a malformed public-duty gland and a natural deficiency in moral fiber, and that I am therefore excused from saving Universes."
No, it is not a difficult task in that it isn't complicated. But it is a lot of work and will be hard on your back and knees. You'll want to rent a power nailer and miter saw. You can cut the wood outside if you have to and use a dust mask.
If you still have carpeting on your floors pulling it up and cutting it into sections you can haul out to the curb will create dust. So unless you just don't have the money or you enjoy doing this sort of thing, hiring a professional makes sense.
I met a couple at a party recently who refinished their own floors. The new random orbit floor sanders are nearly dust free. And this couple even used a natural finish instead of the standard polyurethane (in case the poly would bother your allergies). You can also get pre-finished flooring that you just nail in place and you're done.
I did wood floor with an el-cheapo table saw. A good one would have helped a lot. I put down about 1200 sqft, everything but 3 of the 4 bedrooms. Wear a GOOD full face mask when you remove the carpet. Also pay up for the semi hepa filter on the shop vac your going to be using.
I had put tile down in the bathrooms so there were transition issues with the wood. I ended up making my own transitions. That took a couple of weekends per door. Mostly cause I was in a hurry and rushed the product. lesson learned.
I got conned into the wood by the SO. She decided to leave and I was left with finishing the wood. I had dogs so I would do an area, then poly it just to be sure that it was sealed. Never could keep the floors nice and clean. I live in Arizona, Phoenix which is the pits for dirt in the air. The kitchen sink leaked and I ended up replacing all of the wood in the kitchen cause of the leak. Thank god I did not glue that part. Came out ~fairly well. Near the dog door there were nail marks from the dogs. Through the poly even. I ended up with a rug there so the dogs did not do any more damage. Just what I needed was another rug.
I bought a home last spring and before I move in I removed all of the carpet. I found some ceramic tile that was less than a buck a sqft (12" square). As soon as I get done with the kitchen issues I am going to start laying the tile. I bought a Harbor freight table tile saw for about $90.00.
Tile is so much easier to keep looking clean, my opinion. I will never have a home that is not tile from now on.
If have the tools and the patience. Wood can be done. I just hated the fact that every paw, or foot print showed. Your home your choice. I suggest you get a storage unit and move half of your possessions out. It helps a lot with the production.
----- Original Message ----- From: "mike" Newsgroups: alt.home.repair Sent: Thursday, December 22, 2005 5:19 PM Subject: Re: installing hardwood flooring..
OK different scenario than hardwood. Yes, you can do it with a few tools and some time. What you want is either laminate flooring or engineered wood flooring. IMO, the wood is better in appearance but the laminate may be cheaper. Price varies according to brands and qualities. Both are very durable in the better brands.
I my lower level I put in Mannington wood. In a couple of other areas, I put in Wilson Art laminate. Both still look good but when I did the laminate, the wood was not available yet.
You will find a lot of information at
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Mannington also has laminate.
Tools you will need: Miter saw with a carbide blade. Even a cheap $99 saw will do. If you use laminate, it is tough on blades! Hammer Knee pads (they help a lot) Installation kit consisting of a hammering block and puller bar (you can borrow them from the dealer) Dovetail saw with offset blade to cut under the door trim so the wood will fit under it Tape measure Cat's paw and small pry bar to remove the baseboards (they can be put back in place after the floor is done) Ed
Mike, go with a no glue micro lock laminate flooring with an underlay. Snap a chalk line on one side of a room, you can start with a full piece in the corner. Make sure you leave the flooring at least 1/4 to 1/2'' slack all the way around the room- cover after with baseboard molding. This stuff needs room to expand and contract. A good chop saw is all that is needed, you may have to run several pieces thru a table saw along one wall. Thresholds/door entrances are available with the flooring. you may not even need them depending on which way you run the flooring. I've seen several do-it yourselfer's do a decent job with this stuff, the trick is keeping it straight.
If you're talking about laminate floors, no it's not hard. It's much the same as laying vinyl tile only the pieces are bigger and harder to cut. But, you don't need glue. You do, however, need a jig saw - you can't cut the pieces with a circular saw because they have wire in them (or at least the parquet ones do).
You'll also have to take up the baseboards and undercut the doorframes. The laminate pieces have to fit under the baseboards and not flush inasmuch as the floor expands and contracts. If fit flush, you'll have either gaps or buckling.
See when your big box store is having a demo / class on the subject. The manufacturers probably have videos, too.
Alternatives include, obviously, painting the concrete or tile (vinyl, ceramic, etc.).
What is the floor under the carpet. ? You may just need to remove the carpet and have the floor sanded and finished.
Otherwise I would look at the laminated flooring. You would need a cheap circular saw with good blade. You might need to trim the doors if the laminate is thicker than the carpet.
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