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First Hardwood Floor

NVLarry | Posted in Photo Gallery on August 28, 2007 05:10am

Hi,

Just finished my first hard wood floor install on my own house.  We tore out the old carpet and vinyl and put down prefinished 3/4 ” red oak.  Went down pretty easy and my wife loves it.  So I love it!

Thanks for looking,

Larry

View Image

View Image

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Edited 8/27/2007 10:12 pm ET by NVLarry

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  1. JMadson | Aug 28, 2007 05:19am | #1

    Great job,

    That's an amazing before and after. Looks like a different house.

     
    1. NVLarry | Aug 28, 2007 05:28am | #2

      Thanks!

      The soft yellow paint my wife picked out really made the wood pop out!  We both like how easy it is to clean.  We just dustmop it daily (about 3 minutes) and use a little hardwood cleaner/polish every two weeks. 

      Larry

  2. RedfordHenry | Aug 28, 2007 05:59am | #3

    Looks like some new base as well.  Looks nice.  Have your back and knees recovered yet?

    1. NVLarry | Aug 28, 2007 07:12am | #4

      Funny you should ask that....in the middle of tearing out the vinyl I pinched the sciatic (sp?) nerve in my hip and lost all feeling in my leg.  Hurt so bad I couldn't get up for about 15 minutes.  Finally made it to the phone and called my wife.

      Quick trip to the ER, never pinched a nerve before, and I was feeling fine thanks to some great drugs!  Two days later I was back at it, had it finished in about a week.

      Larry

      1. stevent1 | Aug 28, 2007 10:08pm | #6

        Larry,

        Looks great. You probably increased the value of your home 3 or 4 times the cost.

        Is that a new 6 panel oak door as well?live, work, build, ...better with wood

  3. tek | Aug 28, 2007 07:03pm | #5

    Yeah, looks awesome.  Hard to tell it's the same kitchen area as before.  I've pinched that nerve too, no fun at all.  Let's hear it for strong meds.

  4. Mister_Z | Aug 28, 2007 11:06pm | #7

    Great job!

    Looks like you did some fine work.

    Now are you interested in tackling some tougher hardwood projects. Perhaps a herringbone pattern for your next job??????

  5. Recko | Aug 28, 2007 11:44pm | #8

    NV,

     

    I put down 3/4 red oak in our family room and it runs thru the kitchen.  Given you name as "NV..." I assume you live in Nevada so the seasonal changes might not be much, but I'm in Mass and it does shrink in the winter (also have radiant in the floor)

     

    I did let it acclimate for about a month  (the boxes sat in our family room from Sept until I installed it in October)

     

    Yours looks great!!!

     

    http://www.grosshillrentals.com

    1. NVLarry | Aug 29, 2007 06:36pm | #9

      We don't see too much of a humdity swing here in the high desert.  About 20-30% all the time.  I am interested to see what the floor does this winter.

      Larry

  6. mizshredder2 | Sep 10, 2007 12:56am | #10

    Nice job!

    Would you share info please about the engineered HW flooring product that you used?  Specifically:  what brand was it and where'd ya buy it?

    (I ask because another thread is ranting about major problems with product by Bruce...and others pipe in and say products sold by HD or Lowe's are 2nd rate quality to that sold by same mfr but to flooring stores, etc)

    Thanks heaps!

     

    Only dead fish swim with the stream.
                                                                          
    Author Unknown

    1. NVLarry | Sep 13, 2007 05:49am | #11

      I will probably get flamed for this but I bought the Bellawood from Lumber Liquidators.  The flooring is great, nice finish and pretty wood.  It is 3/4 wood not engineered. 

      The only trouble I had was that there seemed to be 2 widths in the wood.  3 1/4 and 3 3/16.  I measured every piece as I took it out of the box and made 2 stacks.  When I had enough of the narrow stock I ran it all the way across the floor.  That was a bit of a pain, but for the price I paid, $4.29 a foot, made it worth it.

      Larry

      1. mizshredder2 | Sep 23, 2007 04:51am | #18

        Thanks for sharing that info!

        And I note:  no apology needed and no flaming occurred.

        keep smilin'!

        Only dead fish swim with the stream.                                                                       Author Unknown

  7. User avater
    Dinosaur | Sep 13, 2007 06:42am | #12

    That's a nice looking floor, there, Larry. Congrats.

    I'm wondering about one thing; you said this was pre-fininshed flooring but in the photos I can't see the typical lines caused by those damned micro-vee's I'm used to seeing on pre-finished. Did this flooring have square edges or is it just that I can't see it in the photo?

    Dinosaur

    How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not brought
    low by this? For thine evil pales before that which
    foolish men call Justice....

    1. NVLarry | Sep 13, 2007 06:48am | #13

      The grooves are there, they are pretty small.  I don't even notice them unless I walk on the floor in bare feet.

      Larry

      1. User avater
        Dinosaur | Sep 13, 2007 08:12am | #14

        Okay, thanks. I was just curious.

        Dinosaur

        How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....

  8. runnerguy | Sep 13, 2007 12:48pm | #15

    Nice job!!!

    I'll probably be laying some HW flooring but it's going to be a whole house, 3000 SF. By coincidence we went to lumber liquidators last Sat. to price out materials.

    Did you use a manual or Pneumatic nailer?

    Runnerguy

    1. NVLarry | Sep 14, 2007 05:56am | #16

      I bought a Porter Cable air nailer, worked fantastic!

      1. runnerguy | Sep 14, 2007 12:40pm | #17

        Thanks. BTW,I hope you carefully pulled up that purple carpet and were able to reuse it somewhere else in the house (wink).Runnerguy

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