Installation Tools Needed Hammer & Nails Angled power nailer Hand saw or even better, a Chop Saw Tape measure Flat prybar Chalk line I personally recommend that you first lay a moisture barrier under the hardwood. Then you pick your starting point, it is usually along the longest wall. Your first run of planking should be marked with a chalk line and then if needed, be scribed to the shape of your wall. This first run should be nailed under the baseboard by hand, predrill if necessary. With the power nailer on the tongue (which is always facing outward on your planking) continue your nailing. Leave a gap at the end of your rows, against the wall, for expansion. When laying your successive

planks, always stagger your joints with at least one foot of overlap, you don’t want the seams to be collected in one area. Your nails should be spaced at 12 inches. As you continue towards the middle of the room, keep measuring the space to the final row against the wall. Before you get to that point you want to make sure that you are running parallel with it. If not you should make adjustments at a distributed pace. With your last row of planking you will need to use the prybar to squeeze it tight against the second to the last row. And just like the first row you will nail this under the baseboard where it is hidden from view. Finishing Tools and equipment needed Hand wood scraper Nail set Floor edgier Drum sander Buffer Vacuum Large bristle brush Putty Polyurethane Straining bag Start your drum sanding in the most inconspicuous area. You should start with 36 grit sandpaper, and gradually work your way to 100 grit. Always sand with the grain of the wood. This drum sander is both heavy and powerful and if left in one spot only for a second, you will gouge the wood. The areas in the corners and edges that cannot be reached with the drum sander, are left to the edger and your hand scraper. Next is your putty coat, follow instructions from the manufacturer. Your next pass with the sander is with 50 or 80 grit paper, and then lastly with 100 grit. Now you can get rid of that monster (the drum sander). Now, it’s time for the buffer, which is the last power tool used on the floor. One thorough pass, continuing with the grain and your ready for the stain. Before you start staining you must sweep and then vacuum thoroughly. When choosing your stain I recommend that you try samples out on scrap pieces of your planking. To stain you’ll need plenty of rags. Apply the stain, starting from the far side of the room. Wipe away the excess as you continue, and keep changing to dry rags. What you do with the rags is very important. You must submerge stain rags in a bucket of water or hang then to dry outside. If you do not do this and you leave the rags in a pile, you will have a fire. This is called spontaneous combustion, and is not to be taken lightly. Let the stain dry completely (over night). Now it’s time for your finish coats of polyurethane. I recommend using polyurethane with a 6 inch bristle brush. Start at the far end and do sections of about four to five feet, again as always, going with the grain of the wood. Your first coat will raise the grain, so there will be some light sanding to do. Let each successive coat dry thoroughly, if you’re using oil base polyurethane, like I recommend, each coat (3) will take overnight to dry. Let the finish cure completely, usually three days, before you have any heavy traffic Refinishing To sand and refinish your hardwood floor, you use the same steps as the above “Finishing’ procedures, but there are other considerations to be aware of. Is there enough of the hardwood left to sand? And after you sand through the existing finish, more than likely the original flooring was not laid using blind nails, so you will probably have to reset each nail by hand with a nail set and then apply putty to fill the holes before applying the finish.

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