Alright, so the other day I decided my old living room floor had to go. It was all scratched up and just looked sad. I wanted something tough, something that could handle a bit of roughhousing, maybe even some dancing. That’s when I landed on the idea of batten dancing hard wooden flooring.

Getting Started

First things first, I cleared out the entire room. Furniture, rugs, everything. Gotta have a blank canvas, you know?

Then came the not-so-fun part: pulling up the old flooring. It was glued down, so that took some serious elbow grease. Let me tell you, my back was feeling it the next day!

Prepping the Subfloor

Once the old floor was out, I checked the subfloor. It’s super important to make sure it’s level and clean. Any bumps or dips will show through the new floor. I found a few uneven spots, so I used some leveling compound to smooth things out. Let that dry completely, of course.

Laying Down the Battens

Next up, the battens! These are basically just strips of wood that create a framework for the floorboards. I measured and cut the battens to fit the room, making sure to leave a little gap around the edges for expansion. Then I laid them out, spacing them evenly apart, and then carefully fastened with nails, checking to see if it was firm enough. This part is crucial for good support.

Installing the Floorboards

Now for the pretty part! I started laying down the hardwood floorboards, fitting them snugly together on top of the battens. The good thing about the construction is that the battens provide space between the floor and the floor, so I don’t have to worry too much about damaging the floor when I dance.

I used a flooring nailer to secure them to the battens. That thing is a lifesaver – way faster than hammering by hand.

Finishing Touches

Once all the boards were down, I filled any nail holes with wood putty. After that dried, I gave the whole floor a good sanding to make it super smooth. Then came a few coats of polyurethane to protect it and give it a nice shine. I made sure I applied it at a consistent thickness.

Finally, after letting the finish dry completely (which felt like forever!), I moved all the furniture back in.

Man, it looks amazing! And it feels solid underfoot. Totally ready for a dance party now. Or, you know, just walking around without worrying about splinters. It was a lot of work, but totally worth it.