Okay, here’s my attempt at a blog post, channeling that “down-to-earth, experienced blogger” vibe, about my recent flooring adventure:

So, I decided to tackle laying down some new wooden flooring. The type? Larch. Beautiful stuff, but a bit of a beast to work with. The whole thing was “keel dancing” level, which, if you’re not familiar, basically means it was a bit…unpredictable. Let me walk you through the glorious mess.

Prepping the Space

First things first, I cleared everything out. EVERYTHING. Furniture, rugs, the cat (he wasn’t thrilled). Then came the underlayment. I went with a decent one—it’s gonna be under there forever, so no point skimping. I made very sure to get the surface underneath as clean as I can. I am not professional so I swept it a lot with the old broom.

The Keel Situation

Now, the “keel dancing” part. My subfloor was… not great. A little uneven in spots. Nothing major, but enough to make laying the flooring a pain. Instead of messing with self-leveling compound (which seemed like a whole other level of potential disaster), I opted for strategically placed shims. Lots of shims. And a lot of patience.

• Shimmed the low spots.
• Checked with a level. Constantly.
• Adjusted the shims.
• Checked with a level again.
• Cursed a little (okay, maybe a lot).
• Repeated until it was “good enough.”

Laying the Larch

With the subfloor as level as I could reasonably get it, it was time for the actual flooring. I started in the longest, straightest run of the room. Figured that would give me the best shot at keeping things square.

The first few rows were slow going. Lots of measuring, cutting, and tapping the boards together. Larch is pretty hard, so I used a tapping block and a rubber mallet to avoid damaging the edges. And yes, I definitely remembered to leave an expansion gap around the perimeter of the room. Don’t want the whole thing buckling when the weather changes!

The Tricky Bits

Around doorways and other obstacles, things got interesting. I used a jigsaw for the more intricate cuts. Let’s just say my jigsaw skills got a serious workout. There were a few…mishaps. But hey, that’s what wood filler is for, right?

Finishing Up

Once all the flooring was down, I installed the baseboards. It hid the expansion gap and any, ahem, “less-than-perfect” cuts along the walls. A bit of caulk to fill any gaps, and it was done. I stepped back to admire.

It’s not perfect. There are definitely a few spots where I can see my “learning curve” reflected in the floor. But you know what? It’s solid. It looks pretty darn good, and I did it myself. Would I do it again? Maybe. Would I recommend it? If you’re reasonably handy and have a high tolerance for frustration, go for it. Just be prepared for a bit of a “keel dance.”