The glue down method of laying hardwood floors is one of the original methods of installing hardwood flooring. If you want to learn the basics of how to install hardwood Concrete Staining Patterns using the glue down method, you’ve come to the right place. Among do it yourself hardwood floors, those done with the glue down method can be the most stable and enduring. When you are installing hardwood flooring using the glue down method, you can rest assured that you are using a technique that has been time-tested.
Tools Needed When Installing Hardwood Flooring
Square Notched Trowel – This trowel should have one quarter inch sides for the application of the glue.
Broom and Dust Pan – You’ll want to constantly be cleaning up any saw dust that could get stuck under your floor panels or get stuck in your connecting joints. The last thing you need is a lumpy hardwood floor when you’re done installing hardwood flooring.
Carpenter’s Crayon – This is what you use to mark where you’ll make your cuts on your panels. You’ll also use this to mark up the surface where you’ll be laying your panels. You’ll want to keep this handy at all times because it is particularly important with the glue down method that everything be done very precisely.
Circular Saw – You’ll use your circular saw to cut up panels as necessary. Additionally, you’ll use your circular saw to score your substrate sheets every eight inches. This is important for the prevention of curling panels.
Glue – Many hardwood panel kits come with their own glue. If you need to buy glue for your hardwood panels, I highly recommend Bostik’s Best Adhesive.
Lace Nails – You’ll use these nails when connecting the panels to walls and wall strips.
Plywood Substrate Sheets – These are placed on top of the concrete and go underneath your hardwood floor.
Soft Cloths – You’ll need these to clean up excess glue throughout the process of installing hardwood flooring. If the glue is allowed to set, it’ll take extra measure to remove it. In some cases, it requires special chemicals and glue to remove glue once it has set. You’ll also need your soft cloths to clean up after you’ve installed your hardwood floors.
Rubber Gloves – It’s much better to glue the fingers of your gloves together than your own fingers together! Besides, many people don’t like having dried glue on their hands for weeks after they finish installing hardwood flooring.
Final Preparation for Installing Hardwood Flooring
When using the glue down method for installing hardwood flooring, it is absolutely essential that the surface where you will be placing your flooring panels is properly prepared. You’ll be attaching your flooring panels to this surface, so the floor must be smooth, dry, and as clean as possible to give your hardwood floor a solid support base. Be particularly careful to clean up anything that looks like it may be grease or oil, as your glue may not properly bond.
It’s also very important that your sub floor be completely level and flat. If you notice any unevenness, get some patching cement from the hardware store to even the sub floor.
You also need to choose between one of the two methods of laying hardwood panels down with the glue down method. Your choices for installing hardwood flooring are the Walk On method or the Wet Lay method.
If you choose the Wet Lay method for installing hardwood flooring, you’ll be putting glue across the substrate followed by placing the hardwood panel on top of the glue. After the glue starts to become tacky, you proceed to the next panel. However, sometimes it is recommended for first time installers using the glue down method to place the next panels before the glue becomes tacky so that you can adjust your panels a few minutes later if they are not lined up properly.
