Installing Hardwood Floors Doesn't Have To Be Hard!

You're ready to take the plunge: you have made your product selection and the workmen are coming out to install that long-dreamed of hardwood flooring. Congratulations! Here are some tips and pointers for you as you get ready.

Right off - you want to inform your whole household that you are going to have those floors worked on. Tell them when it is going to happen, and what will be expected from them during the install. This family meeting is very important - especially if you have kids. When the workmen get to your home and begin work, there will be lots of noise, dust and confusion, and this meeting will help everyone to prepare.

Before those workmen arrive, you will need to get into the room(s) that they will be working on and remove EVERYTHING that is presently there. Not just the furniture - but even pictures on the wall, curtains, drapes, mini-blinds must be removed.

Why remove everything? Because you don't want the workmen to break something while they are working in the room. And make sure that everything that has been moved out, can STAY out - at least for several days. That's because the newly finished flooring will need time to dry and cure before anything can be placed on it, or you can walk on it.

Do you have pets? If so, you will need to take special precautions. The best solution is to allow a trusted neighbor, friend or family member to care for them for the interim. You don't want Fido or Princess getting their hairy paws on sticky floor finish, do you?

Speaking of floor finish, after your hardwood flooring has been installed and they have sanded and applied the finish, it will have to dry for a while - usually several days at a minimum. Don't even TRY to walk on the floor during this time. Your installer will tell you how long you will have to stay off of the floor.

Once the floor has had sufficient time to dry, it will be time to move the furniture back in. A good practice is to make sure to put small protectors under the legs and bottoms of the furniture. Small rugs can also work well, as well as pads.

When walking on your new hardwood flooring, don't mark up the surface by wearing hard rubber soles. Ditto for using athletic shoes, as these have cleats and spikes that can damage it. As for spikes, ladies should not walk on hardwood floors in spiked high heels. If you have stairs and doorways that are bound to get lots of foot traffic, put down some rugs to protect those new hardwood floors that you have spent so much money on.

The author of this article, John Reynolds talks about home improvement and Hardwood Flooring Repair Learn more about how toRefinish Hardwood Floors by visiting his website.
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