CHANGING a modern-day wooden floor is a relatively easy task thanks to new types of parquet and products which allow rooms to be tackled one at a time.
For those budding handymen and women brave enough to give it a go themselves there are a number of tips that can make the job go even smoother.
First of all the time of year and weather must be taken into account. Warm but not hot weather and relatively low humidity are important as wood expands and contracts depending on the temperature and air humidity.
Leaving the new floor in the room where it is to be installed for a couple of days beforehand is also a good idea as it allows the wood to adapt to the conditions, meaning changes in size afterwards will be less evident.
To avoid expansion causing problems, a small gap should be left between the edge of the wood and the wall, starting at one end of the room and working towards the door to avoid the fitter ending up stuck in the middle and having to walk over the new floor to get out.
Floating parquet is the easiest type to fit as it is placed on top of an insulating support without having to use nails or glue, although nowadays versions using glue are also relatively simple to fit.
Whichever the chosen method, it is important to ensure the surface is as clean and smooth as possible first. In some cases this may involve taking the old floor up although with floating parquet this can usually be avoided.
