Getting Started with the Floor

Okay, so I finally tackled that flooring project. Decided on hard maple, always liked the look of it. The old floor was just worn out, you know? Time for a change. First things first, had to clear out the room completely. That alone felt like half the job, moving furniture is never fun.

Prepping the Groundwork

Once the room was empty, I got a good look at the subfloor. Gave it a really good sweep, then vacuumed it. You don’t want any grit under your new floor. Found a few spots that weren’t quite level, so I spent some time sorting those out. Just a bit of patching compound, let it dry, sanded it smooth. Then came the underlayment. I rolled out this rubbery stuff, supposed to help with sound and feel a bit softer underfoot. Taped the seams together so it wouldn’t shift around.

The Assembling Begins

Now for the main event: hard maple assembling. I opened up a few boxes of the wood, let it sit in the room for a couple of days like the instructions said. Something about getting used to the temperature. Starting that first row was tricky, had to make sure it was perfectly straight against the wall, using spacers. Once that was down, things started moving. You lay the next board, angle it in, push it down. Tongue into groove, pretty straightforward mostly.

That ‘Rubber Dancing’ Part

Here’s where the work really is. Getting those boards tight together. You line them up, but sometimes they need a little persuasion. I had my tapping block and a good rubber mallet. You put the block against the edge of the plank and give it a few solid taps. It’s kind of a rhythm, tap-tap-slide, tap-tap-slide. Felt like I was doing a bit of a ‘rubber dancing’ routine with that mallet, moving down the line, tapping each board snugly into place. You gotta be careful not to hit the wood directly, always use the block.

• Position the board.
• Engage the tongue and groove.
• Use the tapping block against the edge.
• Give firm taps with the rubber mallet until the seam is tight.
• Move to the next board.

Cuts and Fits

Of course, not every board fits perfectly. When I got to the end of a row, I had to measure and cut. Same thing around the door frame. Used a jigsaw for the tricky cuts. Measure twice, cut once, right? Well, mostly. Had a couple of miscuts, gotta be honest. Annoying, but part of the process. Just grab another board and try again.

Finishing Up

Took a solid weekend, maybe a bit more. Once all the boards were down, I pulled out the spacers from the edges. Then installed the baseboards all around the room. That really finished the look, hiding the expansion gap and making it look clean. Stepping back and seeing the whole finished hard maple floor, shiny and new… yeah, felt pretty good. A lot of work, sore knees, but worth it. Looks solid.