Hardwood floors

Well, the hardwood floors were something we knew would be done the day we looked at buying this house. The only problem was the cost and time. Even when you get things on sale, it can still have a steep cost. This house was a foreclosure without really any updates since the late 70's when it was built. Therefore, the carpet in the downstairs den, and hall was from 1978. It was NASTY! The carpet on the upper stair treads and upstairs flooring was from 1993. It was over 20 years old. So, we did the worst areas first. We got new carpet for all 3 bedrooms, and the downstairs den and hall/landing area. There was no way we were going to be sleeping in rooms with that nasty carpet, and the downstairs was on concrete so we knew we needed carpet there too. This was done a week before we moved our things into the house. Everything else we just had to live with until we could save up some money and find something that one we could afford without going into debt, and two, something we both liked a lot. We had been looking and had found something that we were saving toward since March of this year, that flooring was going to cost us $4,700 without installation.  But when we were in Home Depot one evening, we came across a large pallet of flooring, one really light and the other medium in color. It was hand-scrapped like we wanted, and it was actual hardwood flooring, not a laminate, (we are not fans of laminate). We both really liked this flooring, so we came home that Friday night and remeasured the areas that we would need the flooring and went back that next morning to get it.  I had been saving since March and this was August. I had saved $3,500 so far for the floors that we both wanted.
Now get ready for this.....the floors that were on clearance we were told because they were not going to sale this one any longer or it was a special order that didn't get purchased. Either way, we got all the flooring we needed for less than $2,500. Yep....I hit the jackpot that day!!! I was now in the black, not the red. We had over a $1,000 saved and so we put that toward other things that we wanted for the house. We were on a roll. Now to just get a few other things done before the new hardwood floors went in. We saved a little more and paid someone to come install flooring for the kitchen, and 2 upstairs bathrooms. We got the same flooring for all three (as this makes it cheaper). I got a really good quality flooring and it was about $1,395 for all three rooms. We could not do the carpet or the vinyl as we didn't have all the tools to do this with, plus if we make a mistake on the material we have to go back and replace it all. That wasn't a chance we were willing to take.

Anyway, I wanted those vinyl floors done before my hardwood was put in so they wouldn't be dragging things across them.

Here are the tools you will need for this job....

Hammer
measuring tape
pry bar
brad gun
small air compressor
jamb saw (to cut out door casings)
miter saw (to cut boards the length you need)
table saw (to cut links)

After all the carpet was pulled up in sections that we could easily carry out, and all the padding gone, we had to take up all the nail strips around the edge of the rooms, pull up all the staples, hammer down all the small nails and remove the rest. The sub floors had to be clean before the process could begin.

When we put this flooring down, we decided to buy a few rolls of vapor barrier to put on the sub floor before the new hardwood was put in place. The floors can be glued together, or nailed into place. We chose to glue the planks together as well as nail the perimeter and random pieces throughout for extra security. There are a few quick YouTube video clips showing steps in the installation of the floors, and their are photos below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AntWy65Xrc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0-ZCIm39wM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyA1tE1Quh4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kIAKkOBT1Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wao1LEjsvDg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3DH5-6akA4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ebpxgeHexk


Getting so much accomplished on this house is so exciting to us. We were sitting here at the table tonight talking about how much we love this house and how much we are enjoying this process. Granted, it is nerve racking at times, and there are days when you just want to say "screw it" (usually when you have been working too much on something, you are tired, and messing things up). That's when it is time to walk away for a few days and then come back to it with a fresh start. One rule to always remember in this and every job. Measure twice and cut once. It will save you money and a big headache.

I will tell you that it is not the hardest thing to do by any means, but the job of hardwood floors is rough on the knees and back. Be ready to take some Aleve when you are doing this job.

Bye -Bye nasty carpets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Cleaning the sub floors up good before starting on the new.

 The new floors go in....you don't want your seams to be together. The floors should have the "no rhyme or reason" to them. They should all be offset.

Here is the hallway finished (minus the door thresh holds and trim)

                                                                         

                                                                      This is the dining room floor all complete!!!

This is a picture from this past week of my upstairs living room floors. They are beautiful...especially with the Christmas tree lights reflecting on them.