Okay, let’s get started with my little project of putting in some new flooring. It’s called “batten Volleyball oak assembled wooden flooring,” which, honestly, sounds way fancier than it felt to install!

Prepping the Space

First things first, I cleared out the entire room. This was probably the most annoying part, moving all the furniture, rolling up the old rug – the whole nine yards. Once the room was empty, I gave the old floor a good sweeping and vacuuming. Gotta make sure there’s no dust or debris that could mess with the new floor.

Getting the Materials Ready

The flooring came in these pre-assembled panels, thank goodness. I am NOT a carpenter, so anything that simplifies the process is a win in my book. I unpacked all the boxes and laid out the panels to get a feel for how they would fit together. It’s like a giant jigsaw puzzle, only less colorful and more likely to give you splinters if you’re not careful.

Laying Down the Underlayment

Before I could start with the actual wood, I rolled out this underlayment stuff. It’s basically a thin, foamy layer that helps with soundproofing and keeps the floor from feeling too hard. I taped the seams together to make sure it stayed in place. No one wants a crinkly floor!

Putting Down the Floor Panels

Now for the main event! I started in one corner of the room, carefully placing the first panel. The panels have this tongue-and-groove system, so they clicked together pretty easily. I used a rubber mallet to gently tap them into place, making sure everything was snug and level.

• Line up the tongue and groove.
• Push the panel into place.
• Tap gently with a mallet.
• Repeat until the room is covered!

Dealing with Obstacles

Of course, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. I had to cut some panels to fit around doorways and corners. For this, use a simple saw. Measure, cut, place. Always double-check your measurements before you cut, though! It’s easier to cut a little more off than to magically add wood back on.

Finishing Touches

Once all the panels were down, I installed some baseboards around the edges of the room to cover up the gaps between the flooring and the walls. I nailed those in place, and that was pretty much it!

Honestly, it took longer than I expected (don’t these projects always?), but it was totally worth it. The new floor looks great, and it feels so much better underfoot. Plus, I did it myself, which is always a good feeling. Now, time to move all that furniture back in…