Home Improvements

Started by Wingspan, October 29, 2007, 02:16:00 PM

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Wingspan

There's threads about everything else...here's another...

Is installing hardwood floors (.75") as easy as it's made to sound in 2 relatively square rooms? (meaning no odd angles).

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Diomedes

Yeah, pretty easy.  What kind of floor system are you putting down?  Who made it, etc?

Make sure you got the right tools.  Since you're doing this for the first time, start on the room that doesn't matter as much/will have a rug on it; you'll get better as you go, so the second room will look better than the first.
There is considerable overlap between the intelligence of the smartest bears and the dumbest tourists." - Yosemite Park Ranger

PoopyfaceMcGee

I haven't messed with flooring yet.


I want to install a couple of dimmer switches, though.  I've installed lights and fans before, so I'm assuming it's somewhat similar.

Wingspan

Quote from: Diomedes on October 29, 2007, 02:25:28 PM
Yeah, pretty easy.  What kind of floor system are you putting down?  Who made it, etc?

Make sure you got the right tools.  Since you're doing this for the first time, start on the room that doesn't matter as much/will have a rug on it; you'll get better as you go, so the second room will look better than the first.

Havent decided yet. Only that we decided to actually do it. I want the real stuff, no laminate. This is family room and kitchen (they are connected).

The floors we think we'll do are the basic planks with the lips, that you would have to nail down, and then the nails would be hidden by the next plank.

Quote from: FastFreddie on October 29, 2007, 02:27:59 PM
I haven't messed with flooring yet.


I want to install a couple of dimmer switches, though.  I've installed lights and fans before, so I'm assuming it's somewhat similar.

Dimmer switches literally take about 5 minutes. the compact florescent bulbs that are dimmer compatible though are expensive.
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Rome

I vowed never to mess with hardwood floors again.  They're not difficult to install but they are a pain in the arse to keep clean and maintained properly.  We refinished the floors in the house we're in now but stopped after two rooms and the hallway because it was such a pain in the butt.

Never again.

I'd rather spend the dough on expensive carpet and just re-do it every 8-10 years.

PoopyfaceMcGee

Truly luxurious homes have carpet in the bathrooms and kitchen, no?

PhillyPhanInDC

#6
Quote from: Wingspan on October 29, 2007, 02:16:00 PM
There's threads about everything else...here's another...

Is installing hardwood floors (.75") as easy as it's made to sound in 2 relatively square rooms? (meaning no odd angles).

I did about 600SQ. FT. of the Bruce hardwood floors. Came out beautiful. Used an air-powered stapler. Some types of floors use nail guns. My experience with the "snap-n-lock" stuff is that it is complete shtein.

The most important bit of advice I can give is measure, then measure, then measure again. Do it until you are farging furious at measuring. Then do it one more time. Getting six feet into the floor then realizing something is farging up will not only piss you off, it's expensive. Be absolutely positive the floor is level and you are starting square.

Lay out large tracks of what you are going to install before you do it, and make sure the pattern is right. Also, let the floor sit in the boxes in whatever room you are going to install it in for at least 24 hours.

Quote from: FastFreddie on October 29, 2007, 02:27:59 PM
I want to install a couple of dimmer switches, though.  I've installed lights and fans before, so I'm assuming it's somewhat similar.

Dimmer switches are pretty simple. Same with the sliders, which get broken less if you have kids or drink too much. Don't use either with a ceiling fan. Fire is bad.

My next big project is residing the house. When we bought it had Masonite siding. The same kind of shtein brown clip boards are made out of. Apparently it's popular in the Southern states. I think it is complete shtein. I'm thinking of vinyl, but I don't like how it looks completely fake. Friend of mine told me about this stuff, anyone have any experience with it?
"The very existence of flamethrowers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, "You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done.""  R.I.P George.

Diomedes

Quote from: PPinDC on October 29, 2007, 02:52:08 PMAlso, let the floor sit in the boxes in whatever room you are going to install it in for at least 24 hours.

I've been told you want it in the room much longer than that..two weeks at least.  We did about 800 sq. feet earlier this summer and my boss let the wood sit in there for a month.  My old man (carpenter/contractor all his life) thought that was about right.    I'm no expert, so perhaps 24 hours is enough, but I'd go with letting it acclimate longer than one day.

We used a nailer similar to the pic below, except for the edges (because you can't swing the hammer onto the driving pin if there's a wall in front of it), where we put nails through the wood with a big nail gun, then countersank the nails and puttied up the holes. 



There is considerable overlap between the intelligence of the smartest bears and the dumbest tourists." - Yosemite Park Ranger

PhillyPhanInDC

I said at least 24 hours, but absolutely, the longer the better.

One more big deal with all these tools., rent them. Don't buy. Even you are silly rich, you don't need them. You'll probably never use them again.


Find a place near you: www.rentalhq.com (This is also recommended for large equipment. Rent a backhoe and tear down your icehole neighbor's tree in the midddle of the night.)

"The very existence of flamethrowers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, "You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done.""  R.I.P George.

Seabiscuit36

We did the pergo like stuff in our basement.  Its incredibly easy, the pain is cutting to make the floor sequenced.  And when you get to the edges trying to get the perfect cut.  It was the first time i've ever done it, and it seemed pretty easy to my father in law and myself.  At the same time you need at least 2-3 people to get it done quickly. 
"For all the civic slurs, for all the unsavory things said of the Philadelphia fans, also say this: They could teach loyalty to a dog. Their capacity for pain is without limit." -Bill Lyons

Sgt PSN

Quote from: Seabiscuit36 on October 29, 2007, 03:53:03 PM
We did the pergo like stuff in our basement.  Its incredibly easy, the pain is cutting to make the floor sequenced.  And when you get to the edges trying to get the perfect cut.  It was the first time i've ever done it, and it seemed pretty easy to my father in law and myself.  At the same time you need at least 2-3 people to get it done quickly. 

I did my dining room in NC with pergo and it was rediculously simple.  The room was roughly 10x10 and I completed the job in half a day.  It actually took me longer to rip up the carpet and get the staples out of the floor than it did to put the pergo down.  And it looked great once it was in. 

I will say though that if it's a home that you plan on staying in for 10+ years then go with traditional hardwood.  I'm not sure how well that stuff will hold up over time.  When I put the pergo down in my place I knew I wasn't going to be there more than 3 years so I wanted to do something that would enhance the appearance but not cost me an arm and a leg either. 

Susquehanna Birder

I did laminate in my kitchen, and it looks great. The nice thing is that once if wears out in 5-10 years, I can totally replace it and still be ahead of the game.

Also, I paid for installation. I'm pretty good with that kind of thing, but I really didn't need the PITA factor at this point, and the professional installers are much better and faster than I would be. Well worth the extra scratch.

Sgt PSN


True, Sus.  The only thing I'm not sure of is whether or not you would be able to find the same color/tone/pattern.  When I put mine down, it was very inexpensive because that particular style was being discontinued so they had it on clearance.  So if I had to worry about replacing that stuff in a few years I'd likely have to find something different.....which I guess isn't really a bad thing but if you happen to really like the particular floor you put in and find that it's not available when you need to replace it then it'd be kind of a let down. 

Diomedes

Fascinating analysis Sassy.
There is considerable overlap between the intelligence of the smartest bears and the dumbest tourists." - Yosemite Park Ranger

Sgt PSN

You're only mad because you didn't think of it first.  Now go whittle yourself a dildo and farg yourself.