Alright, so I decided to tackle a project I’ve been putting off for ages – putting down some new wooden flooring in my spare room. I went with this hevea wood, ’cause it looked pretty good and the price was right. I’m no expert, but I figured, how hard could it be? Famous last words, right?

Prepping the Space

First things first, I cleared out the room. Furniture, rugs, everything. Then came the fun part – ripping up the old carpet. Let me tell you, that was a workout! Underneath, I found some pretty uneven concrete. Not ideal.

So, I grabbed some self-leveling compound and went to town. Poured it on, spread it around, and waited for it to dry. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a heck of a lot better than before.

Keel Time!

Next up, the keel. Now, I’d watched a few videos online, and they made it look so easy. I measured the room, cut the keel pieces to size, and started laying them out. I used some construction adhesive to stick them down, making sure they were spaced evenly. I even used a level to, you know, make sure they were level. Seemed pretty straightforward.

Dancing with the Wood

This is where the “dancing” part comes in, I guess. I unpacked the hevea planks and let them sit in the room for a couple of days to, like, acclimate or whatever. Then, I started laying the first row along the longest wall, leaving a little gap for expansion. That part was okay.

The trouble started when I got to the second row. These planks were supposed to click together, but some of them just wouldn’t cooperate. I ended up wrestling with them, tapping them with a rubber mallet, and generally feeling like I was in a slapstick comedy. I swear, some of those planks were mocking me.

Assembling the Puzzle

• Row by row, I kept going. Some sections went smoothly, others… not so much.
• I used spacers to maintain that expansion gap, which felt very professional, by the way.
• I learned how to cut around door, which are a kind of tricky.
• There was a lot of getting up, getting down, kneeling, and crawling around. My knees were definitely feeling it.

The Finish Line (Almost)

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I laid the last plank. I stood back and admired my handiwork. It wasn’t perfect, far from it. There were a few gaps that were bigger than they should be, and a couple of spots where the planks weren’t quite flush. But, you know what? It looked pretty darn good!

All that’s left is to add the baseboards and some trim, and then I can finally put the furniture back. I’m not gonna lie, I’m pretty proud of myself. I might not be a professional floor installer, but I did it. And I learned a lot along the way. Mostly, I learned that my knees aren’t as young as they used to be.