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Web Page Title or Product/Service Name: 3. Installation and finishing Whether your floor is site- or pre-finished, there are steps common to all hardwood floor installations: Preparing the sub-floor: Your hardwood floor must be nailed into a ⅝" plywood, 13/16" oriented strand-board (OSB), or ¾" real wood sub-floor. The particleboard bases used for "glue down" floor products such as parquet do not have the holding power required for nail-down installations. For maximum strength, plank or strip flooring must be installed across the floor joists, rather than parallel to them. Staining: If you have chosen a site-finished floor, once it is laid, you may wish that it be stained according to your specifications. Remember that there will be a slight variation between the sample and finished colors. This is because the powerful drum sander used to prepare the floor cannot be used to make samples. Properly applying urethane: The urethane process is the final and most significant step in laying your hardwood floor. For best results, keep the following tips in mind: . Install carpet after the urethane process is complete. The tiny fibers shed by new carpet can settle into wet urethane causing the hardwood to have a "fuzzy" appearance. . Give your installer total control over the floor's environment, including the thermostat, windows and doors. A smooth finish requires optimum conditions. . Stay off your floors for 48 hours after the urethane has been applied. In addition, leave your floor uncovered for about a month at which time it will have reached its maximum hardness and will have cured evenly. |
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