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Hardwood floors are always in fashion. It's no wonder -- they are both handsome and functional. What's more, long-lasting hardwood is uncomplicated to repair and has the kind of good looks that only improve with age. To get your wood floor installation off to the right start, follow these 6 tips.

1. Choose Where to Install Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood flooring brings a touch of coziness and class to your living room, dining room, bedroom, study, den, and man (or woman) cave. Folks who are in love with the look of real wood may also want to put these floors in the kitchen or bathroom. While this is possible, it's tricky: the wood must be sealed around its perimeter and protected with a special finish that is highly water-resistant, but will also allow it to breathe. Only install hardwood floors above grade -- that is, no more than 3 inches below the level of the ground to avoid an overly damp environment.

2. Know the Types of Wood Flooring Materials

Solid wood flooring is available as strips (the commonest kind, which comes in only 3 set widths but variable thicknesses), planks (in a variety of widths, but just 2 set thicknesses), and parquet (wooden slats are held together to form a geometric pattern). It may be sold unfinished or prefinished. Look for a lifetime warranty. Because topnotch results require expertise to achieve, solid wood floors should be installed only by a licensed flooring contractor. Engineered wood flooring (as opposed to laminate, which contains no real wood) comes in the form of planks, made from several thin sheets of wood which have been laminated together.

3. Choose an Installation Method

Compare installation methods based on the type of wood you will be using. Nail down is suitable for installing solid wood, either strips or planks, onto a wood subfloor. Staple down is similar to nail down, with the difference that it uses a pneumatic staple gun. Glue down is the method of choice for parquet or engineered flooring. Floating means the installation of wood flooring, usually of the engineered variety, on top of a layer of padding.

4. Pick the Best Time to Install

If you are building a new home or doing major remodeling, be sure to leave the installation of your hardwood floor until the construction is almost done. Processes such as plumbing or cement work, which involve the use of water, put the flooring at risk.

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Job Site Preparation:

Prior to installation, it is the installers responsibility to determine that the jobsite, environment and subfloor conditions all meet the requirements of the National Wood Flooring Association. Do not deliver flooring to jobsite until the building has been enclosed with windows and doors, all cement, plastering, and other wet work has been completed, and a consistent room temperature has been reached. Confirm proper drainage exists around the structure. Lack of moisture protection can allow excessive water or moisture to penetrate basement walls, flow beneath concrete slabs, basement floors, and into crawl spaces. In crawl spaces, exposed earth must be fully covered with minimum 6-mil polyethylene sheeting. Crawl space vents must be open. A moisture retardant such as 6 mil polyethylene film must be placed in crawl spaces. Heating units or non-insulated ductwork close to the flooring or subfloor may cause hot spots which must be eliminated prior to installation.

During installation, it is the installers responsibility to document all jobsite conditions and measurements including the installation date, flooring moisture content, site relative humidity, temperature, and subfloor moisture content. This information must be retained by the installer and left with the property owner as a permanent record. For a complete list of points to address prior to installation, refer to the NWFAs

Subfloor Requirements:

General: Subfloor must be structurally sound and meet all NWFA guidelines. All subfloors must be flat to a tolerance of 3/16 in a 10 radius. Use appropriate leveling products for correcting subfloor deficiencies. Subfloor surfaces must be smooth, clean, dry and free of contaminants that would interfere with an adhesive bond. All subfloors should be tested for moisture content (see Subfloor Moisture Testing). If high moisture readings are found, identify the moisture source and correct the problem before installation. Do not install flooring directly over floor joist without proper subflooring.

Wood Subfloors: Subfloor must meet all above requirements. CD Exposure 1 plywood and OSB Exposure 1 subfloor panels are appropriate subfloor materials (grade stamped US PS1-95). Solid board subfloors should be 1 x 6 nominal, Group 1 dense softwoods, #2 Common, KD. Subfloor must be securely nailed or screwed to joists to minimize movement. Squeaky or loose boards should be reinforced by nailing/screwing every 12 on center along joists. High spots may be sanded down. Low spots should be cut out and repaired. Subfloor must be square with the space and run perpendicular to the joists, or additional subfloor thickness is required. A subfloor of 1-1/8 plywood over joists at 16 on center is recommended for optimal installation. Test subfloor moisture content. Flooring moisture content should be within 3% of subfloor moisture content. In no case should any wood moisture reading exceed 9%.

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