National Floors Direct

National Floors Direct is a prominent installer of top quality carpets and flooring based in Astoria, NY, and serving many locations in and around New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont, and the New England area. What makes National Floors Direct special is its dedication to installing only Healthy Home Certified flooring products to protect your home’s air quality. With more than 75 years of cumulative experience, National Floors Direct delivers “white glove” service at competitive prices.

 

With the end of the Winter season in sight, many people will start looking into interior renovations for their home during the Spring and Summer. We sat down with a few National Floors Direct sales and service team members to discuss tips and best practices when installing new hardwood flooring in your home. Here’s what we learned.

  

Hardwood Floor Prep Tips from National Floors Direct

Installing a new floor is a big project. The best approach starts with fully prepping the area before beginning the installation.

 

Secure the Area

The National Floors Direct team understands that the thought of a new hardwood floor is exciting. But they strongly recommend prepping the area responsibly first. That means relocating furniture and valuables to another location. It also means making other accommodations for pets, children, family members, and anyone else you may be responsible for. There are so many things that can go wrong when a living space becomes a workspace, the National Floors Direct team explains. They recommend eliminating any possibility for error or confusion.

 

Prep the Area

Many installers make the mistake of failing to clean and dry the surface to take the new hardwood floor installation. The National Floors Direct team explained that dirt and water trapped underneath new flooring will degrade the flooring faster than the wear and tear inflicted on the wood’s top side. They stated that concrete subfloors should be thoroughly cleaned, pressure-washed, and dried. They pointed out that drying the subfloor is the most crucial part as any remaining moisture will attract mold, fungus, and pests.

 

Avoid Common Mistakes

One of the first things that came with common mistakes was a failure to plan for adjoining floors. They said it can cause a large amount of avoidable stress. The team also mentioned the importance of painting rooms before installing hardwood. Another vital step they said many installers often forget is the vapor barrier. This layer goes under the hardwood and prevents vapors like deadly radon gas from seeping up into living spaces. Not every home suffers radon gas exposure, but the National Floors Direct team says it’s well worth it not to take the risk.

 

These mistakes and complications can be avoided with professional installation.