Okay, here’s my blog post about installing cushions under a hard maple wooden floor:

So, I’ve been wanting to get this project done for, like, forever. My hard maple floors are gorgeous, no doubt, but they’re, well, hard. And noisy! Every footstep, every dropped toy, it all echoed through the house. I finally decided to tackle the issue and add some cushioning underneath.

Getting Started

First, I pulled up a small section of the flooring in a closet. Just to get a feel for what I was dealing with, you know? It was pretty straightforward – the planks were nailed down, but they weren’t glued or anything crazy.

• Gathered my tools: Pry bar, hammer, some work gloves (gotta protect those hands!), and a good pair of knee pads. Trust me, your knees will thank you.
• Cleared the area: Moved all the furniture out of the room. This was probably the most time-consuming part, honestly.

The Messy Part

Then came the fun part…or not. I started prying up the floorboards. This took some muscle, I’m not gonna lie. I worked slowly, being careful not to crack or damage the wood. I wanted to be able to reuse these planks!

Once I had a decent section lifted, I could see the subfloor. It was just plain old plywood. Nothing fancy.

Adding the Cushions

I rolled out the cushioning material. I went with this stuff that’s specifically designed for under wood floors. It’s supposed to help with sound dampening and provide a little extra give. I cut it to size with a utility knife, making sure it fit snugly in the space.

Putting it Back Together

Now for the reverse process. I carefully laid the floorboards back down, making sure they lined up properly. Then I nailed them back into place. I used the same nail holes as before, so it was pretty easy to get them aligned.

The Result

I gotta say, it made a noticeable difference! The floor feels softer underfoot, and it’s definitely quieter. It’s not a huge change, but it’s enough to make walking around the house a lot more pleasant. I’m no pro, but I’m pretty happy with how it turned out!

It was a bit of work, but absolutely worth it in the end! Now I have a quiet and good-looking wooden floor!