When my wife said she wanted a dance corner in our spare room, I knew the cheap laminate wouldn’t cut it. After lots of research, I settled on this fixed dancing hevea assembled flooring. Heard good things about rubberwood durability and its locking system.
Unpacking & Acclimating
First thing after delivery: stacked all planks in the room for 48 hours. Wiped each one down too – some had sawdust stuck in the grooves. Stuck my digital hygrometer right beside them. Watched that humidity like a hawk until it matched our room’s level.
Prep Work Sucks
Ripped out the old floorboards – holy crap, so many uneven spots underneath. Spent three nights after work with self-leveling compound. Mixed that powder way too watery first batch. Learned quick: thick pancake batter consistency is the sweet spot.
Laying Down the Base
Unrolled that foam underlayment sticky side down. Made double sure to overlap edges by two inches. Cut around vents with my utility knife looking like a kindergartener’s craft project. Taped seams with reinforced duct tape – probably overdid it but who cares.
Plank Puzzle Time
Started on the left wall working right. That click-lock system? Thought it’d be plug-and-play. Nope. Took four ruined boards to realize you’ve gotta hold them at exactly 30 degrees when locking. Pro tip: when your knuckles bleed from hammering spacers, wear work gloves early. My pinky’s still bruised.
Cutting Nightmare
Thought measuring once cut once would work. Lies. Window trim corner took three attempts with the jigsaw. Finally drew chalk lines directly on planks and cut outside on sawhorses. Got more sawdust in my hair than on the floor.
The “Fixed” Dance Area
Here’s where it got real. Regular floating floor would’ve wobbled. Put construction adhesive under every plank in the dance zone while locking. Stomped every single board after gluing like angry Godzilla. Let it cure 72 hours before testing – longest patience test of my life.
Final Stretch
Last row against the wall was torture. Had to rip planks lengthwise with circular saw. My measuring tape was practically welded to my hand. Installed quarter-round trim to cover gaps and bam – done.
Three weeks later: zero creaks when wife does her salsa steps. Worth every splinter and bruised finger. Just don’t look too close at those trim corners.
Lessons learned the hard way:
- Buy 15% extra boards – wastage is real
- Jigsaw blades dull after 20 cuts
- Tapping blocks saved what’s left of my sanity
- Beer only AFTER power tools are put away
