Okay, so I wanted to redo the flooring in my spare room. I’d been looking at all sorts of fancy stuff, but then I stumbled upon this batten dancing birch. It just looked so… clean and bright. And the price was right! So, I took the plunge.

Getting Started

First things first, I cleared out the entire room. Furniture, rugs, everything. It was a total pain, but you gotta have a blank canvas, right?

Next, I checked the subfloor. It’s concrete, and thankfully pretty level. I did find a couple of low spots, so I used some self-leveling compound to smooth things out. Gotta let that dry completely, which took like a whole day. Boring, but important!

The Battens

Now for the battens. These are just thin strips of wood that you glue down to the concrete. They give the flooring something to attach to. I used a construction adhesive – that stuff is seriously strong! I laid out the battens in rows, making sure they were evenly spaced. I used a spacer to get it just right. It’s kind of like laying down railroad tracks, but for your floor.

• Measure and cut the battens to fit the room.
• Apply adhesive to the back of the battens.
• Press them firmly onto the concrete.
• Use spacers to maintain even spacing.
• Let the adhesive dry completely (usually overnight).

Laying the Flooring

This is where it gets fun! The birch flooring I got had this click-lock system. So, you basically just snap the planks together. It’s surprisingly easy, once you get the hang of it. I started in one corner and worked my way across the room, row by row.

I used a tapping block and a rubber mallet to make sure the planks were tightly joined. You don’t want any gaps! For the edges, I used a pull bar to get the last planks in place. It’s a bit tricky, but you’ll figure it out.

• Start in a corner and lay the first row of planks along the longest wall.
• Click the short ends of the planks together.
• For the next row, click the long edge of the plank into the previous row, then tap it into place.
• Continue this process until the entire floor is covered.
• Use a saw to cut planks to fit around doorways and other obstacles.

The Finishing Touches

Once all the flooring was down, I installed baseboards around the perimeter of the room. This hides the expansion gap and gives it a nice, finished look. I used a nail gun for this, which made it super quick.

Finally, I gave the floor a good cleaning and… wow! It looked amazing! The light birch just brightens up the whole room. I’m so glad I went with this instead of something darker. It feels so much bigger and more open now.

It is so satifying to get all of job done, and I can enjoy the room with beautiful flooring I assembled.