A-Z of DIY & Building Guides How To Lay A Wooden Floor

Date Published:

27/05/2009

Contributed By

George Clarke

Solid timber floors are hardwearing, low maintenance and match almost any style of home. Wooden boards used to be plain-edged planks up to an inch thick, but most modern boards are tongue and grooved along their edges so that the boards interlock, forming a barrier against draughts and dust.

Time required:
This is a weekend project for a small to medium-sized room - any bigger and you'll need more time - or perhaps the help of a competent mate

Cost:
Solid timber starts at around £28 per square metre; underlay costs vary, depending on the quality you pick, but bank on paying from around £15 for a 15m x 1m roll; a pack of spacers will cost less than £2

Skill level:
Advanced - to get a neat finish you need to be confident you can do the job neatly, so ideally you might have some experience of carpentry

You'll need:
Timber board packs; adhesive; underlay; drill and wood bit; hand saw or mitre saw; tape measure; spacer blocks; fitting tool; edge block; mallet (hammer); try square; craft knife

Step One:

As a rule of thumb, boards look best laid in the same direction as the longest straight wall. In a square room, lay the boards in the direction of incoming light. Leave the opened packs of flooring in the room for at least 24 hours so that the boards can acclimatise to the humidity before being laid. Take off any inward-opening doors before starting work, to make the job easier.