How to Install a Wooden Strips Floor

Installing a wooden strips floor is a great way to update your home decor while adding some eco-friendly features. The floor is made with wooden planks that are connected with metal rails. This combination of materials produces a sturdy floor with a soft texture that makes it comfortable to walk on. If you live in a country where winters are long and cold, this type of floor is an excellent solution since it provides better insulation against extreme temperatures. It is also a great alternative for homes with small children and pets who might want to protect their paws from getting scratched by the wooden planks. The primary material is mostly composed of wood products, which already exist in your home. Hence, you will not necessarily need to spend a lot of money buying equipment to carry out this project. It is a simple process that you can follow to achieve amazing results.

Choose The Right Place For The Installation

You need to decide on a place for the installation of the floor since there are certain places where it is not suitable to install it. For example, areas with lots of dust or dirt is not a good idea since it will make the floor look unclean during or after the installation. Another thing to keep in mind is the height of the ceilings since you need to measure how much room you have above the ceiling in order to know how high the floor should be installed. This is important because you don't want to make the room look cramped if the ceiling is high.

Measure And Cut The Materials

There are specific tools used for cutting and measuring the materials for the installation of the wood floor. You will need a power saw to cut the wood into the right size and shape. Then there is a jointer that will help you align and connect the wood planks so that they fit perfectly together. A hammer and nails will also be necessary to fasten the floor together once it is cut to size. Make sure to have both large and small nails in your collection so that you can connect the planks in the proper way. Do not underestimate the importance of these three tools in making the project successful. The power saw will help you achieve a professional finish, the jointer will ensure that the floor is flat throughout, and the hammer will help you drive the nails into their designated places. If you are installing on concrete or vinyl subfloors, you will need an adhesive to connect the planks together. After the materials are cut and ready, you can start installing the floor.

Install On A Surface That Is Level

It is important to install the floor on a surface that is level and flat if you want to achieve a professional look. Some people like to lay down a plastic sheet on the surface where the floor will be installed, and then smoothen it with a screed tool. Alternatively, you can use a spirit level to ensure that the surface is completely flat before you start nailing the wood planks in place. If the surface is not flat, it will look like there is an uneven distance between two adjacent walls or floors. This will break the visual balance between the two elements and create a feeling of uncertainty. If one floor is lower than the other, the whole house will feel low to the ground which could give you a dangerous feeling when walking around the house. Leveling the surface and installing the floor is an essential step to take before you start painting or adding accessories such as rugs or cabinets.

Drill Holes Where Nails Should Be Placed

You need to drill holes where the nails should go in order to secure them in place when the floor is installed. There are several methods of doing this. If you are using wooden planks that are 1½ inches wide, you can use a hammer and nails to drive the nails into the holes you have previously drilled in the wood. If you are using narrower planks, you can insert metal anchors into the wood and then drive the nails into the anchors. This is a quick and easy way to secure the floor since you are not required to drill holes, but you can if you want to add more stability.

Connect The Railings

While the floor is an open layout, the railings should enclose it and provide stability when walking on it or near it. You can use a variety of materials for the railings including wood, metal, and plastic. It is important to make sure that the material is compatible with whatever you will be using for the floor so that the two elements can be integrated together seamlessly when installed. If you have chosen wood for the floor and the railings, be sure to connect the planks using an adhesive and nails for extra support. Avoid using metal rails for the floor since they will not mix well with wooden elements.

Cut The Fat Holes Where Pipes Should Go

If you are running water or sewage lines in your home, you will need to cut some holes in the floor where the pipes should go so that they can be located later during the installation process. You can cut these holes using a drill or a knife and then cover them with a piece of duct tape for storage until the pipes are buried. When the pipes are in place, you can cover them with flooring materials, tile, or wood planks in order to conceal the temporary carpeting you had put down previously during the installation process. Remember, the holes for the pipes should be as close to the wall as possible in order to keep the flow of rooms open and uncluttered.

Prepare The Surfaces To Be Attached

The surfaces you will be connecting with the floor must be prepared beforehand in order to achieve a clean and professional look. This means you will need to remove any wall and/or floor covering materials that are in the way of the floor installation including anything made of paper, plastic, or cardboard. You can do this by taking out the contents of the trash and storing them elsewhere until the installation process is complete. In very small homes this may be difficult and require some improvisation due to space constraints. In that case, it may be preferable to install the floor in stages rather than do it all at once. This is especially true if you are using narrower wood planks or metal rails, where the flooring can be tricky to install without some kind of preparation. However, having said that, one floor can still be installed without removing any wall or floor coverings.

Painting The Floor

After the surfaces are prepared and the materials are in place, it's time to paint the floor. You can use any color you want but it is advisable to go for a light color rather than a dark one for the following reasons: a) it will make the room look bigger b) it will make it easier to clean c) it will make it easier to walk on d) it will make it easier to keep clean e) it will make it look like there is more space a) and e) are particularly important in the case of a wooden floor where there is a great deal of natural light entering from outside resulting in rapid growth of mildew and other organic materials d) can also be applied to metal floors although it will not always be the ideal solution since metal can scratch easily resulting in unsightly blemishes

One important thing to keep in mind is that the thicker the paint layer, the softer the texture. Thicker layers usually require multiple coats of paint to achieve the desired effect. Always test a small portion of the wall or floor first before applying the entire coat. This is to ensure that the paint is not too thin and runs out of the bucket during application. If you are doing this on an exposed surface such as an exterior wall or garage floor, it is advisable to use an exterior primer before applying the final coat of paint. Throwing on too many coats without the primer will result in the paint chipping off due to extreme temperatures caused by heat or cold weather conditions. Always patch up any areas where there is a great deal of wear and tear before applying the primer coat otherwise the paint may start chipping off during the first few months of use.

Ventilation

When you install the floor of a wooden strip you will greatly improve the air quality in your home by ensuring there is sufficient ventilation. The bigger the distance between the floor and the wall, the better so that there is ample space for air to circulate. However, in cases where there is no wall or floor space due to lack of room, you can still install the floor and achieve excellent results by keeping the gap between the floor and the ceiling as small as possible. If the room has a few air vents, make sure they are not situated near the floor since there is always the danger of dust gathering around them while they are being used for ventilation purposes thus making the room look untidy.