[Ski01xj]

Is installing hardwood flooring something a competent homeowner can do? I'm trying to save my parents a few dollars and I believe between my dad and I, we can install hardwood flooring for our stairs and upstairs hallway. I believe we would spring for tounge in groove that essentially just snaps together.

I have pretty much any carpentry tool at work that I can take home, I just have never done hardwood floor before.

[LandRover]

Stairs are tough, but a competent fella can do it. Depending on type, you may need an air nailer/stapler. The air guns are 1000 times easier to use than the hammer type. Molding pieces for stairways get expensive, but make it much easier. I did 1000 Sq feet at my house with only a small amount of experience beforehand. There's some good resources online.

[Ski01xj]

Originally Posted by LandRover

Stairs are tough, but a competent fella can do it. Depending on type, you may need an air nailer/stapler. The air guns are 1000 times easier to use than the hammer type. Molding pieces for stairways get expensive, but make it much easier. I did 1000 Sq feet at my house with only a small amount of experience beforehand. There's some good resources online.

Air nailer and stapler we have. I counted on those two. Figured I could find some resources online as well. Just curious really. Mother is the boss, so I'm not sure what she wants to do about the stairs.

[LandRover]

Read up on what kind of moisture barriers to use on your particular subfloor, etc. Pretty cut and dry (no pun intended) after that. A good radial arm saw makes a world of difference also. Prepping the subfloor to eliminate imperfections is a huge part of a good job also.

I have mad skills with a hammer and punch now, after face-nailing all of the border pieces where the gun won't reach.

[carr51]

Get the tongue and groove kind, makes its easy. Just take your time and remember to measure twice and cut once.

Havent done steps though, but good luck on that.

[gUanoTJ]

For me the hardest part has always been the sanding/finishing. I've done a few different types of wood and have had mixed results on the finished results. In my opinion it is worth the $$ to have a pro come in and sand/finish after you've installed it. If you do it yourself rent a drum sander and spring for the best varnish available. The stuff you can get at home depot tends to do okay on oak, but anything softer it will chip, flake, or discolor.

[Btwngreengray]

Doing steps, like with prefinished hardwood stair treads and risers, or unfinished ones for that matter, can be very tough. I've done one before with my brother, whom I worked for at the time doing just this; flooring. It wasnt a quick job. There are jigs out there that really help with scribing the stair treads to fit just right, as luck will have it, ever tread will need to be cut slightly different. This little jig, or something similar, can save loads of time.
http://www.amazon.com/Wheaton-Tools-PL200-Stair-Wizard/dp/B0000224Q2 Various home improvement stores will have cheaper and simpler models to choose from, I'm sure.

The actual floor is fairly easy. Make sure you start on a very straight line. Use a snap line and fasten some strips of plywood right up against the line to give you a straight starting point. After a few rows are down, take the plywood up and fill in the missing piece. We used a finish nailer to fasten down the rows that we could use the stapler on. Glue under the first row is a good idea as well, and under toe kicks and baseboard heat or what ever. I have more pointers if you want. I've done about oh....50,000 square feet in my life..maybe more, so I have plenty of experience.

[EagerJeeper]

I've done quite a bit of it (we "tinker" with houses), and yes you certainly can do it yourself. As easy as it is you might want to go get a book on the subject. Don't be fooled into thinking it isn't hard work though. It can wear your back out if you aren't used to working on the floor.

Use felt paper as underlayment.

Use a Japanese saw to to cut off your door trim etc so the flooring can slip under. Place a piece of flooring next to the trim that you need to cut and let the saw slide on the flooring for a perfect cut. You can also rent cut off saws that have adjustable height. They are easier to use.

I've found that the best rental sander is a "EZ 8" I think Clark makes them. There is a lot of rental junk out there. Use the EZ 8.

If you finish the floor yourself and want to see how it will look you can pour some mineral spirits on the floor. For a few seconds it will look varnished. I recommend a red oak floor with no stain and an oil based varnish. They are stunning.

Avoid water based varnish. They dry quickly but they are crystal clear. They will never develop that "glow" that an oil based varnish will. Many people use them because they think they contain less V.O.C.'s. That's not always true. Many of the water based varnishes can create a very toxic atmosphere during application and cure.

If you do stain your floor check it in several places with the mineral spirits test. The stain will bring out the imperfections in your finishing job like nothing else. A red oak floor never needs stain in my opinion.

Use a satin varnish. It'll hide many imperfections in your finish work. Also I use a 1/2" nap roller on a stick to apply my varnish. Everyone will tell you not to but it works well for me. Cut in the edges with a 4" brush and roll it out. The sheepskin mop works well too but I have a hard time getting an even coat. I've never rolled out a gloss job, and I don't know how well a roller would work, but for satin it does.

Also rent a square buff sander for in between coats, at least for before the last coat.

And vacuum, vacuum and vacuum between coats.