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Selecting Wood Flooring Ideal for living rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms, hardwoods enhance the architectural style of a room, while adding lasting value to a home. Few things are more beautiful than a high-quality solid, hardwood floor. As practical as they are beautiful, solid wood floors don't retain mildew or absorb dust. Perhaps its most appealing characteristic is its beauty and natural warmth. As a bonus, with occasional sanding and refinishing, you have what is, essentially, a brand new floor. Installation Considerations Hardwood should be stored inside the room where it will be installed for at least three days to acclimate to the humidity of the room to prevent warping. Keep in mind that hardwood flooring is not suitable for use in high-moisture environments such as bathrooms or rooms that are below ground level unless specified by the manufacturer. When installing solid hardwood flooring over a wood sub-floor you can use nailing, gluing, or floating methods. When installing over concrete sub-floor the floating or gluing method can be used. See manufacturer specifications for proper installation. Make sure your sub-floor is clean, fee of any debris, leveled and properly installed before you start. Also check moisture content of your sub-floor to ensure it's in a suitable range within manufacturer's specifications. All wood flooring is subject to expansion and contraction. Be certain to leave proper expansion gaps as required by the manufacturer's specifications. |