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Tag Archives: hardwood flooring

  • Types of Hardwood Floors

    Posted on March 26, 2013 by Jennifer

    Douglas Fir flooring is a beautiful and versatile choice for your home – long-lasting and easy to look at underfoot every day. And, just like your favorite ice cream shop, AltruFir offers wood flooring in a number of different styles, to suit a variety of tastes, uses, and budgets. Here’s a rundown of our different styles of wood flooring: Continue Reading

    This post was posted in Douglas Fir Flooring and was tagged with Douglas-fir, Douglas fir flooring, douglas fir floors, clear vertical grain, reclaimed douglas fir, hardwood flooring, hardwood floors, types of hardwood floor, types of hardwood flooring, FSC wood flooring, reclaimed floors, FSC, FSC flooring

  • How to Repair Wood Floors - It’s a No Brainer!

    Posted on February 26, 2013 by Jennifer

    Are your wood floors in need of repair? Restoring them to their former beauty is no brainer! If you’re looking for a good way to spend No Brainer Day this Wednesday, Feb. 27, repairing your wood floors is just the simple but highly rewarding task you’ve been looking for. Wood floors, whether they’re old-fashioned oak, or the Northwest’s traditional favorite, Douglas fir flooring, lend beauty and charm to any home. If you’re lucky enough to have wood floors, No Brainer Day is the perfect day to make them shine. Continue Reading

    This post was posted in Douglas Fir Flooring, Care & Maintenance and was tagged with wood flooring, hardwood flooring, wood flooring repair, how to fix a scratch on your wood floors, how to remove a stain on your wood floors, how to replace a hardwood floor board, No Brainer Day

  • How to Lay Wood Flooring

    Posted on February 12, 2013 by Jennifer

    Maybe you’ve been longing for a floor that will make your heart skip a beat every time you walk in the door, but you’re worried about taking a big step like laying wood flooring. Well, wait no longer. Laying wood flooring is a great way to add beauty, value, and style to your home--and when you invest in wood flooring, you’re investing in a love that will last a lifetime.

    Decor Decisions

    First, consider what variety of wood you’d like. Of course, here at AltruFir we’re partial to the warm, rich hue and time-tested durability of clear, vertical-grain Douglas fir flooring. But even if you’ve decided on Douglas fir, you have some options. Would you like to go with brand-new floor, or do you prefer the aged look of reclaimed lumber? Is it important to you that your flooring be FSC-certified? Do you want the old-fashioned feel that comes from wide-plank Douglas fir?

    Once you’ve decided on the perfect style for your home, measure the room where you plan to lay the flooring, add 10-15 percent to ensure you have enough, and then place an order with a knowledgeable lumber company.

    Project Prep

    As with many home improvement projects, a lot of the work involved in laying wood flooring happens before you ever lay a single board. First determine which way the joists—the supporting members underneath the floor—are running. You want to lay your flooring perpendicular to these joists. Walk around the room, listening for squeaks and looking for dips and bumps in the subfloor. Nail down loose boards and sand down any ridges. You’ll also want to use a moisture meter to test the moisture level of the subfloor. Then, make sure to install a vapor barrier on top of the subfloor. Roofing felt or kraft paper are two popular options. Either material will protect your wood flooring from the possibility of any dampness seeping in that might cause warping or buckling.

    When your flooring is delivered, open up the boxes and spread your flooring planks around the room. You’re probably eager to start laying your wood flooring, but instead, the best thing you can do at this point is walk away. That’s right—don’t touch your flooring yet. Let it sit at room temperature for several days in the room where you plan to install it in. This gives your flooring time to acclimate to the temperature and humidity level—once again, this extra time up front prevents problems like warping or buckling down the road.

    While you’re waiting to start the actual installation, you can begin visualizing what your floor will look like. Sort through the boards and pay attention to variations in color and length. You want each row of flooring you put in place to include a nice mix of wood tones.

    Board Beginnings

    When you’re finally ready to start laying wood flooring, take extra care with the first row (professionals call each row of boards a “course”). If it’s not straight, the subsequent courses will be that much harder to get right. Start on the longest and straightest wall in the room; this is often an outside wall. Measure a line 3/8 of an inch away from the wall and mark this line on the floor; it’s crucial that you lay down the first course along this line, rather than flush up against the wall. You need to allow space for the natural expansion and contraction of wood to occur. You can use shims to help keep that first course at the 3/8 mark once you’ve got it lined up.

    You won’t be able to use a pneumatic nail gun at this point in the installation because you’re working too close to the wall. Instead, nail the first course of boards in place, either nailing at an angle through the side of the board into the subfloor, or nailing through the top. If you top-nail, sink the nails down into the board with a tool called a nailset.

    Once you’ve got the first row nailed down, check to make sure it’s still in line with the 3/8 mark. If it is, proceed to the next course. After a few courses, you’ll be far enough away from the wall to switch to a nail gun, which will make things go more quickly. Plan to put at least two nails in every board and aim for one nail every 10-12 inches.

    Course Continuity

    As you go along, remember to continue varying the tones you include in each course. You also want to keep board lengths random, staggering them so that two adjacent courses don’t contain boards that start and stop at the same point.

    Partway across the room, check to make sure that your courses are still running straight and true. If needed, you can use a rubber mallet to nudge the courses together more snugly as you continue.

    Don’t worry if you get to the far side of the room and there isn’t enough width to lay down a full course; you can cut your final row of boards lengthwise with a table saw so that they fit. Remember to leave a 3/8-inch gap at the far wall as well.

    Flooring Finishes

    Once you’re done laying your flooring, it’s time to fill in any nail holes with wood putty. Then let it rest for a few days so that the wood settles firmly into place before you complete it with proper sanding and finishing methods. Make sure that you allow time for your finish to cure before you begin moving your furniture in and walking on it.

    Laying wood flooring can be time-consuming, but when the result is a beautiful, timeless addition to your home, it becomes a labor of love—and it’s all the more reason you’ll be glad you followed your heart’s desire.



    This post was posted in Douglas Fir Flooring, Care & Maintenance and was tagged with wood flooring, hardwood flooring, wood floors, how to install wood floors, how to install wood flooring, how to install hardwood

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