Okay, here’s my blog post about installing that LVL dancing hard maple wooden flooring, written in a casual, conversational tone:

So, I finally got around to tackling that flooring project I’ve been putting off. The goal? Turn my sad, concrete basement floor into something a little more…inviting. I went with this LVL dancing hard maple stuff – figured it’d be tough enough to handle whatever my kids (and I) throw at it.

Getting Started

First things first, I had to clear out the entire basement. This was probably the most annoying part, to be honest. Boxes of old junk, forgotten exercise equipment… you name it, it was down there. I swear, I found stuff I didn’t even remember owning.

Once the space was clear, I needed a really clean, flat, and even floor. Leveled the concrete. Made some concrete mixture to do some filling and repairing, and spent a good few hours sweeping and vacuuming. You don’t want any little bits of debris messing with your floor later on.

Laying Down the Floor

Next up, installing the floor one by one. Seemed like a good idea to keep things consistent. It also helps prevent moisture from seeping up from the concrete, which is important in a basement.

Then came the actual flooring. I snapped the first row into place along the longest wall, leaving a little gap for expansion (the instructions said to do this – something about the wood needing room to breathe). The locking system on these planks was pretty slick, actually. Just a bit of angling and a satisfying “click,” and they were connected.

• Row after row, I kept going, staggering the seams like the instructions said. This supposedly makes the floor stronger and looks better, too.
• Cut the last one to fit, and repeat for a couple of rows.

The cutting was probably the trickiest part. I borrowed a friend’s miter saw, which made things a lot easier. Still, measuring and cutting those end pieces to fit perfectly took some patience (and a few re-cuts, I’ll admit).

Finishing Touches

Once all the planks were down, I installed the baseboards. This covered up those expansion gaps and gave the whole thing a nice, finished look. Used the same saw that I got for the end pieces, and nailed them on.

Finally, I gave the floor a good cleaning and stood back to admire my handiwork. It’s definitely a huge improvement. Feels solid underfoot, looks way better than the bare concrete, and should be able to handle years of abuse. I’m already planning the basement movie nights!