E
Elite Edition

Do you need anything under hardwood flooring?

Author

Emma Horne

Published Apr 04, 2026

Do you need anything under hardwood flooring?

Why You Need Underlayment While underlayment isn’t always necessary for your hardwood floors, there are always benefits to it. One of the most significant reasons to install underlayment is the added stability and durability. Underlayment provides support for your floor and helps smooth subfloor imperfections.

What’s the best way to lay solid wood flooring?

Solid wood can be installed onto 2 sub-floor types. Concrete and Plywood. We don’t recommend installing over chipboard and instead would suggest a floating floor such as engineered wood flooring or laminate flooring. Use a flexible wood to concrete adhesives such as Laybond or Soudal Polymer.

What’s the best way to install click lock hardwood floors?

It only requires nails for the first row of boards. Here’s how to install click-lock hardwood flooring: Use 1/2-inch spacers to assist in maintaining the expansion gap between the first row of flooring planks and the wall. Put the first board up against the mason’s line with the groove side facing away from the walls.

What do you need to install a wood floor?

This list of tools need to install your new wood floors is going to be very helpful: Jig saw (technically not required but very helpful when making cuts around doorways etc.) All of the above, minus the hardwood flooring stapler and mallet, plus these additional items: Tapping blocks – count on using 1 for about every 100 sq. ft.

What’s the best way to prep for hardwood flooring?

These are the common steps to take when prepping for hardwood: Start by removing the baseboards in the room where your install will take place. Make sure your subfloor is level and smooth. Sand down raised spots if needed and fill low spots. Mark the walls to show the location of the floor joists.

What is the best way to install hardwood flooring?

The most common way to lay/install hardwood flooring is by aligning the planks parallel to the longest wall or run in the installation. Apart for a few exceptions like sagging joists, this is the preferred direction to lay wood floors because it provides the best result aesthetically.

How do you install wood floors?

In short, to Install a Hardwood Floor: Estimate and order the materials you need. Prepare the subfloor and fasten asphalt-laminated kraft paper flooring underlayment to it. Deliver the materials to the site and allow them to acclimate to the room’s humidity. Layout and mark the placement of flooring. Attach the first flooring row to the subfloor.

What is the price of hardwood flooring?

When it comes to hardwood floors, one of the biggest expenses is professional labor. Indeed, depending on the size and complexity of the job, it can be as high as the price of the floor itself. As we discussed above, professional installation starts at $3.5 per square foot and can be as high as $10+ per square foot.