Okay, here’s my attempt at a blog post about installing keel-dancing maple wooden flooring, written in a casual, personal style, and using simple HTML tags:

So, I decided to tackle a big project: new flooring for my living room! I went with this “keel dancing maple” stuff. The name sounded fancy, and honestly, the sample looked really good.

First things first, I had to rip out the old carpet. That was a dusty, messy job. I borrowed a crowbar from my neighbor, and it was a real workout. Pulling up the carpet was, I discover that there are many staples and I had to pull those out with pliers.

Prepping the Subfloor

Underneath the carpet was just plain old plywood. I checked it carefully, making sure it was level. I found a couple of spots that were a little low, so I used some floor leveler. I just poured it on, spread it around with a trowel, and let it dry. Took longer than I thought, by the * the instruction said on the back of the bag.

Laying the Underlayment

Next up, I rolled out this foam underlayment. It’s supposed to help with sound and make the floor feel a little softer. I cut it to size with a utility knife and taped the seams * simple job,I felt quite a sense of achievement.

The Keel System

This is where things got interesting. This flooring has a “keel” system, which means there are these plastic strips (the keels) that you lay down first. I snapped them together, end to end, and spaced them out across the room according to the *’s more like a jigsaw puzzle than real carpentry.

Dancing with the Maple

Now for the “dancing” part! The maple planks have grooves that fit onto the keels. You basically slide them in, and they lock *’s like connecting LEGOs, but on a much bigger * wasn’t as easy as the video made it look, though.I did a lot of tapping with a rubber mallet to get everything lined up.

The Finishing Touches

Once all the planks were down, I installed the baseboards. I used a miter saw to cut the corners, which was a little tricky, but I managed. A little bit of caulk to fill in any gaps, and it looked pretty darn good!

I have to installed transition strips where the new floor met the tile in the hallway. These just screw down into the subfloor, and they cover up the edges.

All in all, it was a big job, but I’m really happy with how it turned out. My living room looks totally different! And I saved a bunch of money by doing it * you are thinking of installing by yourself,be sure you are confidence to doing so.