For The Best Hardwood Floors Utah Has to Offer Choose Workman
Workman Flooring has been serving the Greater Salt Lake, Utah Market with hardwood flooring for a long time. As Tony says, "You won't be a great Hardwood Floors Utah Contractor and last long in this business unless you install the best quality flooring with the finest installers." This commitment to quality is the key to Workman's success over time.
You Have Tons of Different Choices When Installing Your Wooden Flooring
Wood floors have been gaining popularity quite steadily over the past few years. Whether you are trying for a traditional look with natural wood colors, or going for a modern look with different widths of planks and finishes, Workman Flooring can help you choose the correct wooden and engineered wood that will make your floors be the focal point of your project.
Engineered Flooring is a New Popular Choice
Remember that Engineered Wood Flooring May be the best choice for your project. Since we are expert installers of both regular wood flooring as well as engineered floors, we won't hesitate to help you choose which kind will work best for your project.
A Step-By-Step Guide to a Successful New Hard Wood Floor Project.
Step 1: Check Out the Newest Design Trends From our Hardwoods Suppliers
- It is important that you take some time to figure out what the best look for your project will be. You need to think about the correct color wood, as well as how wide the planks of each piece of flooring will be. In addition, you need to decide what type of finish you will go with: gloss, Matte, or an unfinished look. Take some time to get some ideas of the many types of flooring options from one of our flooring suppliers.
Step 2: Choose the Best Hardwood Floors Utah Contractor in the Area
- Second. You need to make sure you are working with a reputable installer of wooden flooring. Unfortunately, there are many fly-by-night operations out there or guys trying to "moonlight". We can't tell you how many horror stories we have heard about people having problems by using companies that aren't legitimate or have now positive reviews.
- Workman has been in business for over 17 years, providing high-quality installations and attentive customer service for small jobs up to multi-million dollar commercial projects. The one thing they all have in common, is Workman's attention to customer satisfaction and getting the job done right, no matter what.
Step 3 Get a Quote
- Third. call or email your Workman Flooring contractor to get a price and schedule the installation. If you have chosen a quality Flooring Installation company, you should hear back from them within a day or so, and get a good solid quote.
Step 4 Schedule Your Salt Lake Flooring Installation
- Fourth. You will need to schedule the installation. Our office staff will give you a time for delivery of the flooring product as well as a timeline for the installation. You need to be aware, that installing flooring is a major construction project and you may have to move things, and take some time off work to answer questions. But the investment in time, will yield huge benefits to your home.
Step 5 Installation
- Fifth. This is the best part. When we come out to install your floors. It is an amazing process because our installation crews are some of the best around. It is amazing to see your room transform into a beautiful new space. If we are doing engineered pre-finished floors, then this is the last step, but if we are installing traditional hard wooden flooring, then we have some more work to do.
Step 6 Finishing
- Sixth. After installing, we will use our dustless sanding techniques to prepare your floors and then apply our specially formulated top-coat sealers to give your floors the exact look you are trying to achieve.
Hardwood Flooring, Utah's Guide to Installation for the Salt Lake Market
So You Want to Install Your Own Hardwood Flooring Huh?
No problem! Workman Flooring can help you. We represent all the major brands of flooring and can provide you the materials ready to go. If you are thinking of doing it yourself, we recommend using a pre-finished engineered wood floor, but if you know what you are doing, here are some steps that you may find helpful.
Installation Tools Necessary
- Belt sander - Rent one, good ones are expensive
- Floor leveling compound
- Moisture barrier - Kraft Paper, Tar paper, Plastic, Paintable Plastic
- Staple gun - We like the hammer style
- Paint roller - if you are using the Paintable Plastic
- Chalk line
- Cordless Drill
- Claw Hammer
- 2" finishing nails
- Chop saw - Make sure you have a good one with a stand so you don't chop off a finger.
- Floor nailer or nail gun - Usually rent one, make sure you rent a compressor also.
- Table saw - Always use a push stick!
- Nail punch
Finishing Tools and Supplies
- Floor filler - Latex
- Grouting Float - Rubber
- Palm sander - these will speed up the corner process
- Edger Sander - Again, try to rent one with dust collection capabilities
- Drum sander - Try to Rent one with good dust collection if you are doing a remodel
- sandpaper in 36-, 80- and 100-grits- you will buy these from the rental store
- Quality Shop Vacuum
- Paintbrushes
- Stain - Make sure you do a test on some scrap wood!!
- Rags - You will need a lot of them
- Finishing Applicator - Usually you can get these at a home center
- Sanding Sealer - Buy a high quality brand
- Clear Floor Finish - Quality is key with this, don't go cheap.
- Floor Buffer Machine - Rent this at the same place as the Sanders
- Sanding Screens 120-grit - You will buy this at the rental store
- Lambswool Buffing Pad - This is available where you rent the Floor Buffer
Step 1: Leveling the Subfloor
- The first thing you need to do is level out the sub flooring. The subfloor is the "foundation" of your project. Don't skip this part. If it isn't level, your final product won't be level and will end up with dips and humps all over, and can leave you with gaps and a squeaking floor. So you need to fill in any depressions with specialized floor leveling material, and take the high spots out with a belt sander.
Step 2: Install a Moisture Barrier
- Second. You will need to install a moisture barrier as necessary. You can choose from several materials that you can adhere to the subfloor with staples. Some examples are tar paper or kraft paper. You can also use clear plastic or vinyl sheeting depending on your needs. Some people also use a paintable plastic dip type coating that goes on pretty quickly. The moisture barrier will protect your floors from warping, which can cause the floorboards to separate.
Step 3: Lay Out the First Row
- Third. You need to lay out your first course of floorboards and make sure it is parallel and perpendicular to the major walls in the room. You can do this with a chalk line. Then, you set the first course with the edge against the chalk line and face-nail the planks with some 2" long finish nails. You will need to drill 1/8" holes for the nails and you need to leave about 12" of space between each pair of nails.
Step 4: Install the Rest of the Floorboards
- Fourth. Here is where it starts to go faster. If you have correctly planned out your first course, you can start setting in the next row of boards and install them by nailing them through their tongues with 2" flooring cleats. This is called "blind nailing". For best results, make sure to use a specially designed floor nail gun.
Step 5: Install the Final Course
- Fifth. Install the final course on your Hardwood floor planks. You will probably need to rip each piece on a table saw to make sure it fits tightly. Then, once in place you will need to face nail it.
Step 6: Prep the Floor for Sanding
- Sixth. Ok, you thought you were almost done, but now is when the real work begins. So if you are getting tired just thinking about it, give us a call for a free quote. So, now you need to take a nail set and countersink all of the nail heads in the floor (mostly on the last course). After this, take some latex floor filler and dilute it with water until you can pour it out in a liquid form. Then you need to spread this slurry over the entire floor and work it in to all the gaps between the boards and any nail holes. Let this dry for at least 18 hours before proceeding.
Step 7: First Sand
- Seventh. Now for the messy part. Sanding. You will need to rent a drum sander, you will want one that has a dust collection system, but it may be hard to rent one. If you can't, you will have a house full of dust, so if this is a remodel, you will want to take this into consideration. You need to use 36-grit sandpaper for the first pass. Proceed in a diagonal pattern across all the floorboards very quickly so you can get everything level. After this, you need to go parallel to the floorboards with the same grit. After this, you need to use a flooring edge sander with 36 grit paper on it. Then you need to vacuum the entire floor with a good shop vac.
Step 8: Final Sanding
- Eighth. Ok, so now you need to repeat step seven 2 more times. The first time you need to use 80 grit sandpaper and the second time, you need to use 100 grit sandpaper. You need to use the edge sander with 80 grit before you start to use the drum sander with 100 grit, or you will have to do it over again. In the corners, you need to use a hand block sander. Now you need to get your shop vac out and do a final vacuuming. Then wipe the entire floor with a damp rag. Now you are ready to stain.
Step 9: Stain
- Ninth. If you want to add a color stain to your flooring, then spread it with a paintbrush or a stain applicator. Make sure to wipe up any excess with a clean rag. Try to apply the stain in workable sections where you can apply it and wipe it off before you proceed to the next section. Once the stain is done, you need to let it dry overnight so it can be ready for sealing.
Step 10: Seal the Stained Floor
- Tenth. Ok, we are in the home stretch. Now you need to apply a coat of sanding sealer with one of those specially designed floor spreaders. Make sure you spread it quickly and completely. Make sure you don't paint yourself into a corner. (we've seen it happen) Now you should allow the sealer to dry according to the instructions on the bottle. Next, you need to sand the floor with a buffer and a 120 grit screen. Finally, use your shop vac to vacuum up the dust when you are all finished.
Step 11: Apply Clear Coat
- Eleventh. Now you need to add 2 or 3 more coats of clear coat. You will need to use the floor buffer to screen the floor after each coat. Then vacuum up after each pass with the buffing machine. On the final coat, you won't need to use the screen. Instead, you will use a lambswool buffing pad with the floor buffer to put the final shine on the floor.
