Hardwood flooring installation can be an arduous and sometimes complicated task,

but if you feel confident giving it a try, you can end up saving quite a considerable amount of money. Properly installed hardwoods can last for several years, even under wet and humid circumstances, such as in a bathroom. With a little advice and a step by step guide, as well as plenty of time, hardwood flooring installation can be done without expensive professional services.

Moisture causes the most damage to hardwood flooring. Moisture can eventually lead to the warping and cracking of the surface as it expands and contracts. This does not mean, however, that hardwood flooring cannot be used in humid circumstances. Hardwood flooring simply requires a little maintenance in order to work well under these conditions. Installing hardwood with an asphalt felt should provide a great degree of protection against rotting and warping of the hardwood. Take 15 pound asphalt felt, and put it over the subfloor in overlapping sections. The felt should be tacked down with a staple gun.

Leave a small gap, approximately half an inch, between the asphalt felt and the wall. A baseboard or base shoe will be placed in these smaller spaces between the flooring and the wall. The initial three boards of the flooring should be put down by hand. Board lengths are typically random, so portions of the flooring should be placed as a test before nailing down. When the first boards are laid down, the rest can be placed with a flooring nailer. This will make it simpler to do an accurate job of laying out the flooring.

When the new flooring results in an uneven surface, you can use a reducer to create an even surface. When getting ready to put down a hardwood floor, be sure to safely store the wood. Storing the wood out in the open where it can get wet will lead to uneven flooring that cannot be installed properly. If the flooring must be stored outdoors, be sure to cover it with a waterproof tarp. This will reduce any possible damage from moisture, which can warp and bend expensive wood flooring very quickly. Do not transport wood flooring in an open bed when weather conditions could give rise to rain or high humidity.