Skip to main content
FamilyEducation
FamilyEducation
Family Education

FE-Menu

  • Pregnancy
    • <blank>
      • Pregnancy Tracker
      • Trying to Conceive
      • Signs & Symptoms
      • Pregnancy Health
    • <blank>
      • Baby Names
      • High Risk Pregnancies
      • Preparing for Baby
    • <blank>
      • Concerns & Complications
      • Labor & Delivery
      • Postpartum
  • Baby Names
    • <blank>
      • Browse All Baby Names (A-Z)
      • Top Names for Boys
      • Top Names for Girls
      • Baby Name Generator
    • <blank>
      • Baby Name Lists & Ideas
      • First Names By Origin
      • Browse All Last Names (A-Z)
      • Last Names by Origin
  • Babies
    • <blank>
      • Caring For Your Baby
      • Baby's Health
      • Feeding Your Baby
    • <blank>
      • Your Baby and Sleep
      • Baby's Growth & Development
      • Baby Hygiene
    • <blank>
      • Baby Safety
      • Baby Products
    • <blank>
  • Toddlers
    • <blank>
      • Toddler Growth and Development
    • <blank>
      • Toddler Behavior and Discipline
    • <blank>
      • Your Toddler and Sleep
  • Kids
    • <blank>
      • Health
      • Childhood Development
      • Fitness & Nutrition
      • Childhood Safety
    • <blank>
      • Communicating with Your Kids
      • Childhood Behavior and Discipline
      • Fostering Responsibility
      • Instilling Values & Manners
    • <blank>
      • Childcare
      • Neurodiversity in Kids
      • Adopting Children
  • Teens
    • <blank>
      • Teen Health
      • Teen Puberty & Sex
    • <blank>
      • Behavior & Discipline
      • Teen Social Development
    • <blank>
      • Values & Responsibilities
  • Activities
    • <blank>
      • Printables
      • Indoor Activities
      • Learning Activities
      • Arts and Crafts
      • Performing Arts
      • Food Activities
      • Outdoor Activities
    • <blank>
      • Books
      • TV
      • Movies
      • Online
      • Quizzes
      • Games
      • Celebrities
    • <blank>
      • Parties
      • Travel
      • Toys
      • Holidays
      • Gifts
  • Learning
    • <blank>
      • By Grade
      • By Subject
      • College
      • Preschool
    • <blank>
      • Back to School
      • Study Skills
      • Learning Styles
    • <blank>
      • Homeschooling
      • Parental Involvement
      • Your Child's School
  • Family Life
    • <blank>
      • Mom Life
      • Dad Life
      • Family Relationships
      • Having a Healthy Marriage
      • Divorce
    • <blank>
      • Health & Fitness
      • COVID Resources
      • Managing Your Home
      • Moving Your Family
      • Pets
    • <blank>
      • Family Finances
      • Work
      • Families and Food
  • NewslettersNewsletters
    Newsletters

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Family Life
  3. Managing Your Home
  4. Home Improvements and Maintenance
  5. Install Wood Strip Or Laminate Flooring

Install Wood Strip or Laminate Flooring

Put a new hardwood (or laminate) floor down in your house with these step-by-step instructions.
  • facebook share icon
  • pin
  • twitter share icon
  • email share icon
  • Print page icon

In this article, you will find:

  • Types of flooring
  • Preparation
  • Laying the floor
  • Complications
  • Sanding and finishing
  • Laminate flooring

Types of flooring

Install Wood Strip or Laminate Flooring

I'd imagine that ever since the invention of the sawmill, hardwood floors have been an essential part of homebuilding. Many houses built over the past couple of decades “feature” carpet over plywood or oriented strand board; when the carpet wears out, homeowners start thinking about something more durable, and hardwood flooring usually makes the short list.

In days of yore, unfinished “strip” flooring with tongue-and-groove edges (which hold the boards together and hide the nails) was your only choice. Now, however, you can buy tongue-and-groove prefinished. Although this stuff is extremely durable, there are fewer color options, and it's difficult to sand out high spots or damage during installation.

You'll also see a number of other ways to get a floor that looks like a traditional strip floor:

  • Engineered plank floor is hardwood veneer on plywood. One key advantage is that the planks are more stable. With changes in humidity, strip flooring swells and shrinks, but this stuff is supposed to be so stable that at least one manufacturer says it can go directly over concrete. One disadvantage is durability: Whereas you can sand a strip floor several times, giving a half-century or more of wear, sanding can be risky over the thin veneer.

  • Longstrip flooring is like engineered plank flooring, except each separate piece actually looks like several strips. The occasional joints across several strips are a dead giveaway that this is not strip flooring.

  • Laminate flooring is a wood look-alike (more or less). A plastic film is printed with a wood pattern and glued to a backing. Quick to install, and said to be tough, it's not something you'd want to “fix” with a floor sander! But it does have major advantages in terms of easy installation. See Step 7: Laminate Flooring Installation at the end of this guide for details.

Next: Preparation

What's hot

  • Eye color genetic chart Family LifeWhat Color Will My Baby'…
  • 10 Signs of Divorce Family Life10 Signs Your Marriage is Over
  • woman standing on scale Family LifeWhat's a Normal BMI for…
  • Young girl eating a oatmeal with berries after a workout Family LifeCalorie Intake for Weight…
NewslettersNewsletters
Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning.
Family Education
FamilyEducation does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Information on our advertising guidelines can be found here.

FE Footer

  • Newsletter Center
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Policy
  • Editorial Team
  • Expert Panel
  • Cookie Policy
  • Site Map
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Terms of Use
  • Do Not Sell My Info (for CA Residents)
sandbox learning logo
Family Education is part of the Sandbox Learning family of educational reference sites for parents, teachers, and students. 

factmonster logoinfoplease logoTeacherVision logo

sandbbox logo
©2022 Sandbox Networks Inc. All rights reserved. Sandbox Learning is part of Sandbox & Co., a digital learning company.