Okay, here’s my blog post about installing that “keel dancing maple assembly wooden flooring”, written in a casual, personal-experience style:

So, I decided to tackle a new project in the house – replacing the old, worn-out carpet in my living room with some beautiful hardwood flooring. I went with this “keel dancing maple assembly” stuff. Sounded fancy, right? Turns out, it was a bit of a challenge, but hey, I got it done!

Getting Started

First things first, I ripped out that nasty old carpet. This was probably the most satisfying part of the whole process. Underneath, I found the subfloor – which, thankfully, was in pretty decent shape. Just a few spots that needed a little patching with some leveling compound.

I let that dry overnight, because, you know, patience is a virtue (or something like that).

The “Keel Dancing” Part

This flooring has this “keel” system, which is basically like a tongue-and-groove thing, but with an extra locking mechanism. It’s supposed to make it easier to install, and maybe it is for some people, but I definitely had a learning curve.

I started by laying out the first row along the longest wall. I made sure to leave a gap between the flooring and the wall – expansion gap, they call it – because wood expands and contracts with temperature changes. I used some spacers to keep it consistent.

• Tip 1: Use plenty of spacers! Don’t skimp on these.

Then came the “dancing” part. You have to kind of angle the boards together and then tap them down with a rubber mallet and a tapping block. It took me a while to get the hang of it. There was a lot of wiggling, tapping, and maybe a little bit of cursing involved.

• Tip 2: Watch some videos online before you start. Seriously, it helps!
• Tip 3: Don’t hit the boards too hard! You can damage the edges.

Row by Row

Once I got the first couple of rows down, it got a little easier. I got into a rhythm, kind of. Angle, tap, wiggle, tap, next board. My knees definitely started to feel it after a while.

Measure twice, cut once is like commandment number one in home improvement, and it really applies to every individual plank of wood.

The Finish Line

After what felt like forever (but was actually about two days), I finally got all the flooring down. It looked… pretty darn good, if I do say so myself. There were a few imperfections, sure, but overall, I was proud of my work.

I installed the baseboards and quarter-round trim to cover up those expansion gaps and give it a finished look. A little bit of caulk and some paint touch-ups, and it was done!

It was a lot of work, but definitely worth it. The new floor completely transformed the room. It’s brighter, cleaner, and just feels… better. Would I do it again? Maybe. Ask me again in a few years.