Right then, decided to finally get that spare room flooring done. Been putting it off for ages. Found this stuff they called ‘rubber dancing soft maple’ flooring. Sounds a bit daft, doesn’t it? But the wife liked the look of it, said it felt nice underfoot in the shop. Soft maple, though… always makes me a bit nervous. Scratches easy, you know?

Anyway, got the planks delivered. First job, obviously, was ripping out the old carpet. What a nightmare. Stains I don’t even want to think about and about a million staples. Took the best part of a morning just getting the old stuff out and cleaning up the subfloor. Had to fill a few low spots too. Always something extra, isn’t it?

Getting Started with the Planks

So, the subfloor was prepped, as good as it was going to get. Opened the boxes of this maple stuff. It did have a sort of thin black backing, maybe that’s the ‘rubber’ part? Supposed to help with sound, I guess. Felt okay. The ‘dancing’ bit? Still no idea. Maybe ’cause it’s got a bit of flex?

Started laying the first row along the longest wall. Measured the room, did the math to avoid a tiny sliver at the other end. You learn that lesson the hard way eventually. These planks had the usual tongue and groove thing. Clicked together easy enough at first. Always start with the first row straight! If that one’s wonky, the whole room goes off. Used spacers against the wall, gotta leave that expansion gap.

• Cleaned the subfloor (again).
• Rolled out an underlayment, even with the backing on the planks. Belt and braces, maybe, but the floor felt a bit uneven.
• Laid the first row, used tapping block and mallet gently. Remember, soft maple. Didn’t want to mash the edges.
• Checked for level and straightness like my life depended on it.

The Middle Bit – Where Things Get Tedious

Getting into the rhythm wasn’t too bad. Click, tap, next plank. Click, tap… you get the picture. It’s the cuts that slow you down. Doorways are always fiddly. Had to use the jigsaw for those tricky shapes. Made a right mess with sawdust everywhere, even with the vacuum hooked up.

This ‘soft maple’ really lived up to its name. Dropped the tape measure once, left a nice little ding. Brilliant. Had to be extra careful moving around, putting tools down. Felt like I was working on eggshells. Made me think about that cheap laminate I put in the shed – tough as old boots, that stuff. This maple looks nicer, gotta admit, but practicality? Hmm.

Halfway through, my knees were screaming. Should’ve used kneepads from the start. Always think I’m tougher than I am. Stubborn, I suppose. Like that time I insisted on fixing the washing machine myself. Took me a whole weekend, saved maybe fifty quid on a repairman, and ended up flooding the utility room. Sometimes DIY isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Finishing Up

The last row is always a pain. Had to rip the planks down to fit, leaving that expansion gap again. Measuring that width accurately when the wall isn’t perfectly straight… well, let’s just say there was some colourful language involved. Got there in the end, though.

Popped the spacers out. Cut and fitted the quarter-round trim to hide the gaps around the edges. Used a nail gun for that, which is always weirdly satisfying. Caulked the edges where needed. Stood back and had a look.

Yeah, it looks alright. Pretty good, actually. The finish on the maple is nice and smooth, got a bit of a glow to it. Feels solid underfoot, maybe that ‘rubber’ backing does something after all. It definitely looks better than that monstrosity of a carpet.

Was it worth it? Well, the room looks smarter. Saved a chunk of cash doing it myself, which is the main thing, let’s be honest. But my back aches, my knees are shot, and I’ve already spotted another tiny dent where I knocked over a hammer. Soft maple, folks. Treat it gently. Would I use this ‘rubber dancing’ stuff again? Jury’s out. Ask me in six months after we see how it holds up to actual life.