Okay, so I’ve been wanting to get this project done for, like, forever. My living room floor was, well, let’s just say it had seen better days. Scratched, dull, and just plain blah. I’d been dreaming of this beautiful, dark, almost black, hardwood floor, the kind you see in those fancy home magazines. And after watching a ridiculous amount of DIY videos, I finally felt…brave. Or maybe just crazy enough to try it.

First things first, I ripped out that old, sad-looking carpet. Let me tell you, that was a workout! Underneath, it was just plain old plywood subfloor. Nothing fancy. I made sure to clean it all up, pulled out all the staples and nails, and vacuumed like my life depended on it. A clean slate, you know?

Then came the keel part. Now, I’m no carpenter, but I learned that these wooden strips are super important. They provide,like a gap so air can move. I laid them down across the subfloor, making sure they were evenly spaced. I used a nail gun – which, by the way, is kinda terrifying at first, but you get used to it – to secure them to the plywood.

The main event was the preparation. I’d chosen this gorgeous, pre-finished, hard wooden flooring. It was a bit of a splurge, but, you know, treat yourself, right?

The Installation!

I started in one corner of the room, laying down the first plank, making sure it was perfectly straight. I used some spacers to create a small gap between the floor and the wall – that’s for expansion, apparently. Wood moves, who knew?

  • Click and lock: The planks had this “click and lock” system, which made it…somewhat easier. You basically angle one plank into the other and push it down until it clicks. Sounds simple, but it does take some getting used to.
  • Cutting: When I got to the end of a row, or when I needed to fit around doorways, I had to cut the planks. I used a circular saw for the long cuts and a jigsaw for the trickier bits. Measure twice, cut once, as they say! I definitely messed up a few planks, but hey, that’s part of the learning process.
  • Nailing down: Some pieces were glued down, Some of them are nailed down.

It took me a few days, working on and off, but slowly, surely, the floor started to take shape. It was hard work, my back was killing me, and I definitely had a few moments of “what have I done?!”, but seeing that beautiful, dark wood spread across the room…it was so worth it.

Finally, I installed the baseboards, which covered up those expansion gaps and gave the whole thing a finished look. I even added some nice rugs and…wow. It looks amazing! It’s like a whole new room. I’m still a little shocked that I actually did it myself. My friends can’t believe I didn’t hire someone. And honestly, neither can I.

So, yeah, that’s my “keel dancing hard wooden flooring” adventure. It was tough, it was messy, but it was also incredibly satisfying. And now I have a floor that I absolutely love, and that I can proudly say I built with my own two hands. Time for a celebratory dance (carefully, on my new floor, of course)!

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