No matter how well made they are, at some time repairing hardwood floors is needed because of squeaks. It doesn’t matter if the flooring below our carpet is hardwood or any kind of wood at all. After time, no matter how good a job was done when the flooring was installed, you will get a squeak or two at places where the joist and flooring meet unevenly. Wood is a natural material and with time, along with heat and moisture, they will shift or twist or even warp. Then they do not sit properly and will from time to time rub up against each other when weight is put on just the right place. When that happens, the only thing we can do is begin repairing hardwood floors by making sure that each place that meets up is securely fastened.

Subfloors vs Hardwood Floors

If your carpet is on subflooring that is not hardwood flooring, and you were planning on changing the carpet out, then the problem can be solved pretty easily. Simply identify the joists in the subflooring while the carpet and pad are out, and screw the subflooring down at intervals where the joists occur. By doing this thoroughly you will ensure that in the future you will not get any additional squeaks as the subflooring shifts.

But what if you are not ready to change carpet and still need to take care of these squeaks? There are several options available to you:

1.  Remove the carpet and pad, screw down the subflooring, return pad and carpet to original position. I suggest using a professional carpet installer to do the second part.
2. There is a company that makes special screws that allow you to go through the carpet and are pretty inexpensive, appropriately called Squeak No More. If you are willing to do the detective work to find the joists, this is an inexpensive way to solve the problem. You can also find some of the squeak no more supplies on sale at this page on Amazon
3. For true hardwood floors though, you will want to use face-nails to solve the problem to minimize the damage to the hardwood floors. If what you have on them is rugs instead of carpet, this will be easier to accomplish.

Finding the Joists

The trickiest part to doing the screwing down yourself will be discovering the joists. It can be done; it just needs a bit of patience, and a method to your madness. Here is simple method to find the joists, and then screw down the subflooring through the carpet using the special “sqeeek no more” screws.

•   Pound on the floor with a hammer to locate where the joists are. They will sound solid, while the areas without a joist will have a hollow sound when pounded.
• Probe the area that gives a solid sound when pounding, hammering a 10d nail through the carpet. Since a subfloor is usually around ¾ inch thick, hitting solid wood will tell you that you have located a joist.
• Leave that nail in the joist and continue to pound about a foot out to locate the direction of the joist. Again, the sound of a solid versus a hollow pounding will tell you where the joist is. Once you locate the direction of the joist, leave a nail in that direction.
• Once you have established the direction of the joist, hammer to locate the next joist – they should be 16 inches apart. Engineered i-joists are usually 19 inches apart.
• Use a tape measure to note the ends of each joist, marking them off with nails and then tying strings to begin to grid off the joists.

·        Then use the specialty screw system to screw the subfloor into place. If you follow the system outlined here, you should end up with a carpet that has no squeaky floor spots and no bumps in your carpet.

Does this all sound kinda like more than you bargained for? Check out this page on This Old House, to see for yourself that you can do this too. Sometimes all you need to do is see someone else do it to say “Hey! I can do that!”

Then just sit back and enjoy the fact that your floor no longer squeaks and you did it all yourself!

Nothing compares to the richness and warmth of when you install hardwood floor. While hardwood selections can vary from vinyl plank flooring to engineered hardwood flooring, you can also choose from a wide variety of finishes, and a range of wood species from the familiar Maple, Oak and Beech, to  Australian Jarrah or even exotics like Cocobolo and Bocote. You can even install laminate flooring that looks so close to hardwood you would never know the difference. Wherever you want to install hardwood floors, it can help create the atmosphere you want, calm or lively, warm or modern, or anything else in between.

Wood Decking Compliments Flooring

But wooden flooring isn't restricted to just inside your house. The last few decades have also seen the return of wood decking to compliment hardwood floors. There are a variety of places that offer some great decking products including decking from edecks in Great Britain.

The History of Hardwood Floors

While today the idea to  install hardwood floor is far from lacking in popularity, in the past, they have not always been an instant hit.

In medieval times hardwood floors were used for multi-story buildings and usually consisted of two-foot wide planks of elm or oak. Parquet wood flooring became very popular, but its labor-intensive process made its price beyond most of the middle class. When Europeans began developing North America with its plentiful forests, it became more common to  install hardwood floor and they were offered to the colonies at a much fairer price. However, at this time unsanded unfinished pine planks were most common.

By the early 19th century plank floors remained the norm and were usually treated with paint. More modest houses would have random width boards simply face nailed to the joists. The introduction of tongue and grove brought the standards of common hardwood floors to a new level, with the introduction of mass production in the 1920s making this more affordable flooring and introducing a boom to those industries that  install hardwood floor. At the same time, in the 1920's and 30's wooden floors came into competition with linoleum and cork floors, which offered a more basic geometry, and less maintenance.

Modern Hardwood Floors

All of this changed at the close of World War Two, when housing built for vets could have the broadloom cost included in the loan. Carpet quickly overtook hardwood flooring in the market and was commonly installed over hardwood. For about 30 years (1950-1980) the wood flooring industry struggled just for survival. Over the years, hardwood installation techniques have been refined and innovative sealers and finishes have been introduced to the market.

Hardwood Floors Lasting Contribution

The result is that whenever you  install hardwood floor, you can be sure that it will last a lifetime when properly installed and cared for. That, combined with a modern day consumer’s desire for an easier to clean alternative to carpet, has led to hardwood flooring’s popularity. Also- with the variety of easy-to-use methods, refinishing hardwood floors is simpler then ever.

With tons of different species, shades, and other unique characteristics available, you can use the beauty of classic hardwood flooring to compliment nearly any décor.

If you have hardwood floors that are looking old and maybe even a bit grungy, you might want to consider how to paint hardwood floors to give them a lift and a new look instead of that same old refinish and stain routine.

It is not as hard as it sounds; it just takes time and some good old-fashion elbow grease. Take your time to do some research; there are many ways to consider how to paint hardwood floors.

1.      Preparation - Before you do anything else you will want to sand down the entire floor, but lightly. What you are doing is using either a palm sander or hand sander with paper using a light grit to just remove any previous finish. Go lightly over the entire floor.

2.      Cleaning – Sweep the floor thoroughly first. Once sanded, you will want to remove all grit, dust and oil from the wood. Do this by cleaning it with a solution of detergent and water. Wherever you see some mildew or mold you can take this out with a one part bleach and two parts water solution. Once you have cleaned it thoroughly with both solutions, be sure to rinse the entire floor.

3.      Priming – You want to start with a primer that is designed for wooden floors. The easiest way is to tell the paint supply person what kind of paint you intend to use. This is because a latex primer can only be used for latex paint but an alkyd primer can be used for alkyd, polyurethane and latex paints. Apply the primer first and let it dry completely before applying paint.

4.      Choosing Paint – When choosing your paint, make sure it is formulated for floors. Also, latex will give you a satin finish while alkyd or polyurethane will give you either a semi-gloss or gloss finish. Check with a paint professional for the kind of finish you want. You might also consider something a bit more adventurous and paint the floor more than one color or try doing one of the various textured finishes to give a different look to your floor.

5.      Painting – Know from the start that you will probably need to do at least two coats because wood floors tend to absorb paint. The older and drier the floor the more they will absorb. Start by painting the edges with a brush to get a nice tidy edge. Then take a roller, add an extension pole and roller paint the center of the floor. If you are doing sections in different colors, you will want to mask off each section and let each section dry in between coats.

6.      Sealing – When completed with all sections, you will want to seal your paint in to prevent damage. The best material for this is clear polyurethane for floors and it will probably need two or three coats. Always let the painted floor stand for at least two days before you apply the sealer and let each coat sit for at least 24 hours between coats.

As you can see, learning how to paint hardwood floors is mostly a matter of patience and being willing to do the work. Sure, you can hire someone to do it. But then you wouldn’t get that satisfaction that comes from looking at that floor every day and knowing you did it yourself. So make your plans, order that paint and you too can know how to paint hardwood floors yourself. You will be so proud of them you may never put those rugs back on!

And best of all, once you install hardwood floors they almost never need to be replaced and can add thousands of dollars to the value of a home.

So what’s not to like about the idea to install hardwood floors? For most people, the intimidation comes from the concept that you cannot install hardwood floors unless you are a professional installer. But if you take the time to do the correct preparation, you can install them yourself. In addition, there have been giant advancements in the construction of hardwood floors. These technological advances have made many types of hardwood floors easier to install. In fact, your local hardwood floor supplier can work with you to find out just how much work you really want to do on your own. For instance, you can order Bruce Hardwood Natural Choice — so there is no need to finish or seal the floor before or after installation. In fact, factory-finished floors can be installed straight out of the box. Because of these types of advancements, it is easier than ever to install a hardwood floor yourself.

Thinking about hiring a professional to install hardwood floors? Just remember that it could cost upward of several thousand dollars. True, you are paying for that installer’s craftsmanship and the quality of their specialized labor.  On the other hand, if you are installing your own floors, you only have to pay the cost of materials and tools or tool rental such as this Air Hardwood Flooring Cleat Nailer and Stapler Gun .

Here are a few tips from some professionals when you install hardwood floors:

·     When ordering hardwood flooring, allow 10-15 percent extra for irregular boards and any cutting mistake.

·     Before installing wood flooring, stack it indoors for a few days to allow the wood time to adjust to your home's humidity level.

·      If the room is seriously out of square, place the tongue of the first row parallel to the centerline and rip the groove side at an angle parallel to the wall.

·     During installation lay out a number of rows of boards, staggering them so no end joint is closer than 6 inches to an end joint in the next row. As you install the strips, cut pieces (at least 8 inches long) to fit at the end of each row and allow a 1/2-inch gap at the wall.

·     When blind-nailing with a hammer and finishing nails, don't try to drive the nails flush because then the indentations will show. Instead, leave each nail head sticking up about 1/8 inch, then place a nail set sideways over it along the upper edge of the tongue and drive the nail home by tapping the nail set with your hammer. Finally, use the tip of the nail set to recess the nail's head flush with the wood.

Finally, here is a great video that will walk you through the step-by-step procedures to install hardwood floors when using pre-finished planks:

DIY flooring video

While it is true that waxing and buffing can bring the luster back of an old floor, often the best way to regain the original richness and beauty of the wood can only be done by refinishing hardwood floors. But before you start – you need to know if refinishing will do the job or if more attention is needed.

How do you know if refinishing hardwood floors is enough? Take a close look at your floor. Walk across it – does it feel “spongy” or do some of the floor boards sag when you are walking on them? Are some of the boards buckled or warped? Before you consider starting refinishing hardwood floors, be sure to replace any boards with these kinds of problems. Look at the remaining boards.

Do they just have shallow scratches or perhaps just a dull surface? This is the kind of floor that can be corrected by refinishing. However, you will need to look closely at the boards, perhaps at the edges or near where the heat register is located. The reason to check is that you can only sand down a board so many times before you have removed too much wood. If the floor is in an older house, check and be sure you have enough good wood on the planks you need to refinish before considering whether to you can begin refinishing hardwood floors or not.

Also, in preparation for refinishing hardwood floors, you will need to check the floor for cracks and gaps between boards. Wood has a tendency to contract and expand depending upon the humidity around it.  Generally, wood is drier in the winter when home heating makes the air drier and the boards contract.

Your boards should have some room between them to allow them to expand in the summer. However, if you are checking in the summer and see gaps between the boards, you will need to fill them or you will have even larger gaps in the winter. It is your judgment call; you know how humid your area is and how much of a problem this could become. The important thing is to consider this and fill in any gaps that need refilling before sanding in preparation of refinishing hardwood floors.

You can get most of the equipment you will need to refinish hardwood floors at your nearby hardware or rental shops. Here is what you will need:

A floor sander

A Floor Sander and Edger

A Burnisher Floor Machine

An Orbit Sander

Putty Knives

Wet/Dry Vaccum

and don't forget earmuffs and respirators to keep safe!

Because the sanding is the most important step, check out this YouTube video on what grits to use and some great do’s and don’ts for finishing hardwood floors:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uUzP_R-Uic

Bill Link does a series of home improvement videos on Metacafe. Here is a great one on refinishing hardwood floors that is easy to understand and really shows you how to go about this:

Http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1627960/how_to_refinish_a_hardwood_floor/

The reason is simple: laminate flooring is a surface layer of two thin sheets of paper impregnated with melamine. This surface layer is a photograph of wood grain, not real wood, and is usually covered by a hard transparent layer impervious to anything you can name, including your kids.

Because what you see is actually a photograph, installing laminate flooring combines natural looking designs with a tough, durable finish and can be used in almost any area of the home. Laminate floors also offer realistic designs of more than just hardwood as well as replicate the characteristics of the popular handscraped hardwood floors. High quality photographs faithfully reproduce the grain and color of natural hardwood, and the surfaces on quality laminate flooring closely resemble real wood. Although many people insist on hardwood flooring, laminates are a long-lasting, durable, affordable option that is quickly becoming one of the most popular types of flooring.

And best of all, installing laminate flooring is so easy, with the right tools anyone can do it. Most people find they can install several hundred feet over a weekend. Generally you just snap the floor panels together or at most tap them in place using a small mallet. In addition, it can be installed in just about any room in your house (well, maybe not the sauna), and that includes above or below ground and on just about any surface including wood or concrete. It doesn’t hurt that the cost of installing laminate flooring is about half of the cost of installing a hardwood floor.

Here is a video on 5 Minute Videopedia that shows you how to install laminate flooring from the video show Michael Holigan’s Your New House:

http://www.5min.com/Video/How-to-Install-Laminate-Flooring-107125582

It is a sandwich of 1/16" to 1/8" of finish wood on top and non-finish plywood underneath. So, what you're looking at is 100% real genuine wood. In addition, it is stronger than a regular hardwood floor because the middle layer of plywood is laid cross-ways to the finish layer, providing additional strength to the flooring. It also combines the best of both worlds because with its pre-finished top-layer, you can install it and walk on it. No special work, no sanding or finishing. But unlike vinyl plank flooring, an engineered hardwood floor allows you to sand out any scratches that may develop over time (but no more than 2-3 times in any place, or you may go through the top layer and expose the plywood below). This makes it a great wood floor for an active family.

You can install an engineered hardwood floor in a number of ways, including a nail-down floor for the thinner versions (for more stability) and a glue-down floor for any thickness of 5/8 inch or more.Of course, you would not want to install an engineered hardwood floor in any area that is prone to excessive moisture, such as a basement that floods or a children’s bathroom. You might also want to consider if the area you are looking to have the floor installed is exposed to prolonged periods of sun, as this is a wood floor and prone to fading in excessive sun exposure.

Because the hardness of the top layer will determine how often you can refinish a floor and how resiliant it is to wear and tear, it is important to know the hardness, or Janka Hardness factor of your floor. This is an industry-wide recognized hardness test that measures the force it takes to lodge a .444 inch stell ball half way down into the wood. Here is a chart of the various hardwoods and their Janka Hardness Factor Rating:

 For a great video on how to install an engineered hardwood floor, check out this video on 5 minute Videopedia or this great video from Lowe’s on installing a glue-down engineered hardwood floor on You Tube:

Because vinyl plank flooring is made to imitate the appearance of real wood, it is available in a wide variety of colors, wood grains, and finishes. Most colors available imitate hardwood and softwood planks and can include a satin urethane coating which protects the floor from dirt and scuffs, as well as finishes in a high or low gloss shine.

Vinyl plank flooring has two major advantages over hardwood. One of the primary advantages for many for vinyl plank flooring over regular hardwood flooring is that it is waterproof. This makes it a particularly good material for bathrooms and kitchens, where moisture could be a problem. Spills in areas with these floors can be mopped up quickly without worrying about warping or becoming water damaged over time like traditional wood products.

Another major draw for many when looking at vinyl plank flooring is that it's less expensive to purchase and install. In some cases you can install vinyl plank flooring over an existing surface, though it's essential to have a smooth and solid surface. Vinyl planks are available in self-adhesive and regular form.

Both are good, although self-adhesive vinyl planks are lighter gauge and not as durable. The kind you choose depends on your personal preference and requirements. Vinyl Plank flooring is a great hardwood flooring alternative, because it combines the beauty of hardwood floors with the ease of installation and care of vinyl.

For a great step-by-step instruction on the installation of vinyl plank flooring go to

http://www.ehow.com/how_4855054_install-vinyl-plank-flooring.html

Also- Designing Spaces TV Show has a video of one of their shows that looks at how easy it can be to install your own vinyl plank flooring. Check this out: