How to Install Flooring
Make sure your floor is level., Clean the sub-floor surface., Remove any molding or baseboards from the edges of the walls., Take off the doors., Cut underneath the doorjambs to make room for the new flooring.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Make sure your floor is level.
Using a level, check your floor for bumps or low spots.
If you are replacing old flooring, then the floor will usually be level, but if you are installing a floor in a new house you need to be sure the surface is flat.
Use a hammer and chisel to grind down high spots.
Use a leveling compound to fill in any low spots. -
Step 2: Clean the sub-floor surface.
The sub-floor is the layer of wood or concrete underneath your tiles, carpet, or wood flooring.
Use a broom to sweep up and dust and debris and remove any lingering adhesive with a paint scraper., Pry off the baseboards carefully and set them aside to reinstall after you've finished the floor.
Place a putty knife of a thin metal blade in between the wall and the baseboard.
Pry the baseboard off the wall by pulling towards you with the blade.
Work your way down the board, repeating this motion every 3-6 inches.
Use a pry bar to completely remove the baseboard if it still doesn't come off., Remove the doors so that you have more room to work and don’t have to worry about them swinging at you.
In some cases, you may have to trim the bottom of the doors or buy new doors if your new flooring is so high that the door catches.
Remember this when you reinstall the doors. , Using a jamb saw, which is available at most tool libraries or rental centers, trim away the bottom of the door jamb.
The door jamb is the frame of the door, or its casing.
Set your jamb saw to the height of the flooring and cut away so that you can slide your new flooring snugly underneath.
You can also use a regular saw if you cannot get a jamb saw.
Place a piece of laminate up against the doorjamb to see the proper height.
Using a saw, cut into the door jamb using the laminate to guide you. -
Step 3: Remove any molding or baseboards from the edges of the walls.
-
Step 4: Take off the doors.
-
Step 5: Cut underneath the doorjambs to make room for the new flooring.
Detailed Guide
Using a level, check your floor for bumps or low spots.
If you are replacing old flooring, then the floor will usually be level, but if you are installing a floor in a new house you need to be sure the surface is flat.
Use a hammer and chisel to grind down high spots.
Use a leveling compound to fill in any low spots.
The sub-floor is the layer of wood or concrete underneath your tiles, carpet, or wood flooring.
Use a broom to sweep up and dust and debris and remove any lingering adhesive with a paint scraper., Pry off the baseboards carefully and set them aside to reinstall after you've finished the floor.
Place a putty knife of a thin metal blade in between the wall and the baseboard.
Pry the baseboard off the wall by pulling towards you with the blade.
Work your way down the board, repeating this motion every 3-6 inches.
Use a pry bar to completely remove the baseboard if it still doesn't come off., Remove the doors so that you have more room to work and don’t have to worry about them swinging at you.
In some cases, you may have to trim the bottom of the doors or buy new doors if your new flooring is so high that the door catches.
Remember this when you reinstall the doors. , Using a jamb saw, which is available at most tool libraries or rental centers, trim away the bottom of the door jamb.
The door jamb is the frame of the door, or its casing.
Set your jamb saw to the height of the flooring and cut away so that you can slide your new flooring snugly underneath.
You can also use a regular saw if you cannot get a jamb saw.
Place a piece of laminate up against the doorjamb to see the proper height.
Using a saw, cut into the door jamb using the laminate to guide you.
About the Author
Eric Harvey
Committed to making creative arts accessible and understandable for everyone.
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