Installing HARDWOOD FLOORING for the FIRST TIME 🛠 How To Install Wood Floors

Learn how to install solid hardwood flooring with a few simple tools! Hardwood floors are durable, beautiful, and a great DIY project. Thanks to Zoro.com for sponsoring this video, go to zoro.com/crafted and sign up for Zmail to receive 15% off your first order!
🛠 Tools Used On The Hardwood Flooring Installation (affiliate):
DEWALT Hardwood Flooring Stapler : www.zoro.com/dewalt-hardwood-...
ROLAIR Portable Air Compressor : www.zoro.com/rolair-portable-...
DEWALT Knee Pads : www.zoro.com/dewalt-knee-pads...
SawStop Jobsite Table Saw : www.zoro.com/sawstop-jobsite-...
DEWALT Cordless Finishing Nailer : www.zoro.com/dewalt-cordless-...
Floor Staple, 15.5 ga., 2" : www.zoro.com/powernail-floor-...
DEWALT FLEXVOLT Miter Saw : www.zoro.com/dewalt-cordless-...
📦 Materials Used On The Hardwood Flooring Installation (affiliate):
Armstrong Flooring ¾" Solid Oak Hardwood Flooring, Prime Sable SAKP59L403W : bit.ly/armstrongflooring
Vapor Barrier : amzn.to/36mW4Rm
📷 MY CAMERA GEAR : www.amazon.com/shop/craftedwo...
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[@craftedworkshop]

Thanks to Zoro.com for sponsoring this video, go to zoro.com/crafted and sign up for Zmail to receive 15% off your first order! Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss my upcoming videos on the bonus room : goo.gl/V5gcNJ

[@Kpriv-ui2zs]

Thanks for the response means a lot you just made my day

[@jlee0702]

How long did this project take??? I tried to look for it in descriptions but didn't find anything.

[@MikeyB_1972]

They are only saying 10% off net 15%...how do you get the 15%???

[@skeetorkiftwon]

Jesus Christ, what's you do to your arm @ 5:30 bro? Those tack strips get you? Jk, but it looks like you were out on the bike doing wheelies!

[@chuckabrams4016]

they are only offering 10%... the "other place" is still less expensive without that 15%

[@pileofstuff]

You called the flooring nailer the "star of the show", but having done floors in the past, I'd claim the knee pads are the most important tool you used.

[@cm01]

Safety third! 1. Makin money 2. Lookin guud 3. Bein safe 😎👍🏻

[@SoEliteGamer]

Knee pads aren't usually for safety, they're for comfort. I provide my guys with them, but personally never use them.

[@craftedworkshop]

They definitely came in handy, but I didn't use them nearly as much as I would have on my laminate or vinyl flooring install. I was hunched over the flooring stapler most of the time.

[@Asbjoern]

@@SoEliteGamer Ofcourse pads are for safety. The difference is how fast the injury appears.

[@miillena5]

@@SoEliteGamer tell me you are kidding? They may be one of the most overlooked items in a hard laborer's gear list but they are def a part of PPE and can protect your knees..

[@paulbradley1983]

Dude! Just bought a home out here in PA. I was looking for flooring videos, came across yours. Awesome that you pointed out the roadblocks like the floor being a little off level, and how you fixed it. I hate those videos where everything goes perfectly as it never does for us in real life. Thanks!

[@rumsiker]

A good video is the one that show you all the difficulty you can come across in the processes , not the one cut off all that and show you how beautiful the job came out as he brag about how good of a master he is

[@markswearingen117]

Dude I'm in the process of buying a house in PA! where are you originally from?

[@michaelklein2441]

Paul . . . your "perfect video" observation is EXACTLY why I posted my comment! Too funny . . . we must be very "like minded." 😉

[@skatetocreate7]

Man I can’t thank you enough for making this video. This is the exact same job I am doing tomorrow . I just started doing flooring and I’m still a little uneasy about everything. Seeing you do exactly what I’m going to be doing and talking through it step by step gave me a lot more confidence. You’re the man 🤙🏼

[@maddiehawkins552]

how’d it go

[@Qmedjoe]

So very thankful I came across this video! I must of watched 20 different HW install videos and this one was clear and right to the point. Big thumbs up for the shingles tip. One spot on my sub floor needed it. Thanks again!

[@jimmyjam5146]

There's something about that tiny door that makes you look like a giant.

[@joshuatatum8519]

Tip for the carpet pad staples: flathead screwdriver. Beats the strain on the hands of the pliers

[@debybrooke157]

My back and knees hurt just watching this! Looks sooo much better than the carpet. Nice job!

[@craftedworkshop]

Hah, thanks mama!

[@dcam91]

I have carpet throughout my new (to me) house.. in reality it's probably a decade old.. I have been considering vinyl, but since the carpet gets some sun from my kitchen skylight, I've heard vinyl planking can fade over time. This wood flooring seems like a great idea!

[@kquick0238]

I seriously love and appreciate the flow of your videos. Always informative, entertaining to watch, and overall just great quality. Kudos, dude!

[@craftedworkshop]

Thanks a lot Kevin, really appreciate that!

[@c00per69]

My 125 year old house has its original hardwood floors with no vapour barrier underneath and it’s absolutely perfect

[@wilfdarr]

Yes it depends on where you are. I'm guessing he's in a climate where the vapor barrier goes on the outside to keep the outside humidity out of the walls (where I'm currently at this is the situation). But in the climate where my rental property is at, the vapor barrier is on the inside to keep the moisture from inside the house from condensing in the walls. Ask someone who knows local code before you do this. Also of concern is what is underneath: floors over a crawl space, finished basement, or concrete pad (if you're doing hardwood in the basement for example) must all be treated differently!

[@marine5480]

It’s still a smart thing to do. It’s also too inexpensive, too easy and too fast to not do.

[@mrcrossovermark1153]

I think having those setbacks in this installation is very helpful for viewers because we might come across those kinds of setbacks in our installations too.

[@CarlRMauri]

WHY is this a great video? Johnny actual discusses and showcases his mistakes (going through the drywall, uneven floor). This visualization will definitely make me think twice when approaching the job. ALSO, GREAT WAY TO LEVEL THE UNEVEN FLOOR WITH SHINGLES!! GREAT PACE, VISUALS AND TECHNIQUES. THANK YOU !!

[@tmichael39]

Great video. I'm tackling my first HW flooring project this weekend and this was one of the best installation videos out there.

[@rodw]

Hi Johnny, I'm a brand new subscriber and I live in a Mobile Home. I've been replacing all of the subfloor, only one small bedroom left to do .😁😁🤩. I found a 8 or 10 inch channel lock pliers worked best to remove the old Staples. I grabbed the top of the staple and just pushed the channel locks over the round part and it pulled up the staple with little effort. Just another idea for anybody else to try if they have this kind of project to do. I appreciate you including your mistakes or things overlooked, so we don't have to go through the same setback during our project. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and videos Rodney

[@yaroz5123]

Rodney Widger or a scraper way easier and faster

[@michaelhodgson8272]

You are a man of patience and precision! Awesome job man

[@danolson8986]

Great video had no idea about the asphalt shingle trick. Looking to do my floors very soon found your video very helpful with your tips and tricks.

[@milbertyouidiot]

Great job and video! Very thorough without being too long winded.

[@michaelklein2441]

Johnny Brooke . . . .WOW! Thank you so much for posting this "Hardwood Floor Installation for Dummies" tutorial. I watched NUMEROUS hardwood floor installation videos but yours was the best. I really appreciate your transparency, showing the mistakes you made (dry wall damage) and creating a level floor surface for the hardwood flooring material with shingles. I think you saved me from numerous train wrecks on my first go at this endeavor. Finally, I REALLY appreciated the tools that you utilized and / or recommended. I made a last minute run to Harbor Freights to secure some of the "other tools" that extended or enhanced my ability to do a "professional type job" on my first attempt . . . WELL DONE!👍😃👍

[@craftedworkshop]

Thanks a lot Michael, glad it was helpful!

[@Louayhashem]

Excellent video, the best I've seen. Gave me confidence to tackle my guest rooms. Subscribed!

[@foreignflava9666]

2 years later but thanks bruh!! Your very thorough instructional and educational video really helped me!!👍👍

[@trevorstolz8580]

I have installed hardwood flooring before. I love the Flooring Jack. Next time I install hardwood floors, I am definitely going to get one of those. I think you could use it even for stubborn boards that long and just a bit warped. You could put a long 2"x4" between that far wall and the flooring jack, cutting the 2"x4" to length as you go. Every hardwood flooring board could be in tight.

[@Christin5554]

wow, you made this look so easy. Looks really great.

[@norbertorozon4104]

What a great video , Love to see this type of videos where you learn so much planning to buy my own house

[@juansimo4097]

Dude, I feel like I can post an ad now for installing hardwood floorings, Thanks a lot for your video.

[@offgridburbia]

Thanks for the video and I agree, pull saws are great!

[@VegardKlaus]

Closing up the gaps when you’re getting close to the end wall is quite easy. Just slice a piece from a board thats waste, put another waste board towards the wall and squeeze the board in place with a crow bar.

[@Roaming_Wolf]

I need a good handyman like this in my life!!

[@dulichion]

love this video, and its prepping me for replacing hardwood floors to all my bedrooms and office

[@Brentcolo]

Really a great video and I think I will do this myself!

[@bricra8992]

This was a great video for me to confirm what I was planning to do was pretty spot on. My project is a little more involved since it is a dining room, living room combination with a long hallway in the middle. My issue was that I wanted the flooring centered down the hallway so it took way more planning and measuring in 2005 build raised ranch that for some reason doesn't have any straight walls! Gotta love builders that can be off by almost 1/2 inch from one end of the hall to the other! Thanks for the video. Hoping my extra measuring pays off!

[@NevvverXD]

when removing doors i find its handy to leave in 1 or 2 screws in the top hinge until last to avoid the door from pulling on the bottom hinge

[@gogocatmiao3087]

Best hardwood floor installation video

[@dammitmitchell]

while remodeling my home i hung my electronics with "command strips" and zip ties. got everything above shoulder high and i worked underneath my crap without knocking anything down. also thanks for the tip on the shingles!

[@SoEliteGamer]

You want to get a measurement of how much your last row needs to be cut BEFORE you do the flooring, so if need be you can cut the first row too, that way you don't end up with your last row being narrow (like 1")

[@SoEliteGamer]

@Tyler Winter Either I am misunderstanding what you are saying, or you misunderstood what I said. My comment is not about the difficulty of cutting the flooring, but about looks. You don't want a 1" wide board on the floor, it would look like shit.

[@idontthinkso666]

@@SoEliteGamer I understood you.

[@sophiag9032]

THANK YOU very much for this video. This is incredibly helpful.

[@NASTYcraftX]

When I did my office floors, I stuffed all my internet stuffs in a cloth bag, and hung it on a nail from the wall.

[@craftedworkshop]

Brilliant!

[@bg73]

Don't you hate it when people come up with good ideas AFTER you've completed the work 😎

[@user-vm9ig4zs8e]

*stuff.....nobody thinks you're cute when you type like that.

[@hzluqili]

thanks so much for all the detail sharing, I am planning to do the same thing to my dining room

[@myxomatosisity9977]

The way you reach overtop of that table saw makers me squirm lol

[@derrickyaeger6548]

Hi, I work for myself, and something I had learned from a fellow contractor was to use the wide shakes of siding cedar wood shakes as spacers. The reason I am mentioning this is that having asphalt shingles in the house is not such a good idea. Because they are tar based products. And cedar is just wood and I would use this instead, for health reasons, for my installs.

[@illegitimate0]

Thank you so much for the asphalt shingle/felt paper shim idea! I was nervous about self levelling cement if I had to nail through it, if it would leak throw the subfloor or between the floor/wall, etc. Shingles are cheap (especially when people throw out extra), sturdy, and will stay in place.

[@raymondmaglaris4149]

Nailing tge shingles wont hurt

[@laurenharper1510]

I’ve used shingles and tar paper to shim up studs when placing drywall and concrete board also.

[@bladedspokes]

Great video! I'm about to install hardwood in my master bedroom and this helped a lot! I need to go tool shopping hah.

[@judithvelez7756]

rent the tools

[@bdavis8489]

i just did mine a month ago, i watched this vid and i still had a 'do-over after about ten boards were down, so not too bad boit it turned out great thsat was after leveling the concrete floor. it looke level but the wood told a different story. youd assume the walls in your home are square..nope two were not, make sure your s are and floor had no dips or bumps.

[@IDirtbike]

Future advice. A stand up razor scraper is the fastest way to get those staples up.

[@ATG19534]

Instead of the flooring jack, you can cut a piece of flooring diagonal, keeping the groove side, and then cut a piece of plywood angled and sized to the gap to act as opposing wedges to close up the gaps. The groove protects the tongue on your board.

[@sunilshukla72]

Thanks for video, Great guidance for wood flooring.

[@ianwassink7664]

Next month we put scraps of hardwood flooring on the roof to shore up the low spots and use carpet mats that we pulled up from the bonus room to show down the rainwater flow on the 12/5 roof.

[@deandremattison9183]

Great looking floor. Thanks for the video

[@dtango8345]

Use a long scrapper to scrap staples and also you can pop the tag stripes with the scrapper Aswell.

[@freshoffthesaw8090]

It’s amazing what nice flooring will do to any room!

[@craftedworkshop]

Definitely a massive transformation!

[@steven8375]

I don’t know how people can live in completely carpeted houses lol

[@naimadaklaoui9778]

It’s beautiful good job.

[@rajeshpersad6001]

Really nice work buddy

[@yoospianocafe8466]

Very informative. Thank you.

[@frankalvareziii8289]

Nailed it! appreciate the information, Thanks

[@cvh627]

For the flooring jack you can take one of your parallel clamps or quick clamps and flip the bottom piece so it pushes out

[@craftedworkshop]

Why didn’t I think of that?

[@brfuzz5600]

You can also take a large flat head screw driver to pry the final few rows back. Just beat it into the subfloor right along the tongue of the board and pry. It might cause a little bit of damage to the tongue but oak usually holds up well.

[@TheRealKill4Kicks]

Thanks man, just started my own flooring company and EVERYONE wants hardwood, I've done lvp and carpet for about 8 years and this is helpful!

[@craftedworkshop]

Glad I could help!

[@gunnerhm]

Great video! Try a long handle shovel for removing the tack strips. A lot quicker than a hammer and pry bar

[@Vision000]

For the door frame if you cut the boards at a 45 degree angle you have a finished side all the way arround.

[@zero450571]

Thank you for this video

[@rav6099]

Thank you for sharing!!

[@stoneyswolf]

This video was good but twice as long as it needed to be. Also liked how you hit the flooring with the metal end of the hammer instead of using the safer plastic end.

[@TwoOnesTanks]

very nice. based on this, would you say it's possible to install hardwoods throughout an entire house one room at a time?

[@anthonywurst2548]

Thanks man. Good video

[@jesustenorio5213]

Very well explained video. 👍🏼

[@FredMcIntyre]

Nicely done Johnny! 😃👍🏻👊🏻

[@craftedworkshop]

Thanks Fred!

[@ferengiprophet2185]

Hi, amazing video. They are a thrill to watch. I have a question: is there a book I can read or a course I can take to learn the best practices for diy home projects? I feel that while KZbin videos are very informative, I'm not getting the full picture.

[@zzakcelik2637]

Good job.perfect.

[@handytbutler7380]

great job, one quick hint for you is when you cut your door and window trim , measure a 1/4 inch of reveal on the door frame and window frame and put the board on it to mark, it will save you time and you will get better results. I learned that from a seasoned pro and what a difference it made for me when i was doing it ... great looking floor though...

[@user-fv4sf7im3q]

Nice explanation video.Super duper job.👍👌

[@VanaConn]

Thanks , I did bellawood 15 years ago in my living room but didn’t know about the flooring jacks. Ordered a nice pair for $53 ea but their are cheaper ones for around $32. Doing my foyer this year. I would use quarter round along perimeter. I keep the gap at 1/2”.

[@IEnjoyCreatingVideos]

Nice job on the hardwood floor Johnny! Thank you for sharing the video with us.👍👌😎JP

[@craftedworkshop]

Thanks for watching JP!

[@IEnjoyCreatingVideos]

Your very welcome Johnny! Have a great week!😎

[@tee1562]

Hello, thank you for all your content. Very helpful. I was curious what app you used to design your bedroom?

[@craftedworkshop]

Thanks! I use SketchUp to design everything, I love it.

[@NMcCauley]

Thank you for sharing!

[@daviddonadze221]

Thanks a lot. Now I know what to do.

[@3alarm]

great video, thanks!

[@rrpp1425]

Vary helpful. Thank you!

[@northstarfly22]

Thank you very help full

[@scremingwhisper1720]

A faster way to step the stairs is putting some rows on the ground and then using the cuts to start the next row. Also you can use a small cut off to hit the flooring piece your installing and it gets a tight line and it's it's nearly impossible to damage the flooring because it's being hit inside the Grove. Another recommendation is getting a stainless steel prybar it doesn't have paint so it's less prone to damage the wall when removing base.

[@mikedrever7760]

Thanks for the video. The one thing that I would suggest be done differently, is your first row. I wouldn't offset from the sheetrock along the whole length, but mark an offset at the each end of the wall and then snap a line. I would place the tongue on the line and follow it for the first row. The sheetrock along the length of the wall can fluctuate and not be straight.

[@desireemosiman3872]

Hey, great video! Thank you! Question: I will be installing hardwood for the first time in our office conference room. The room previously had carpet tiles adhered to the floor. I have removed the carpet tiles and the floor is still very sticky. Can I place the moisture barrier directly on the sticky concrete floor? Also, what might you recommend for taking care of small uneven areas where glue pulled up? There are just a few areas where using a shingle (for example) wouldn't work. Is there some sort of drywall mud for the floors? OR better yet, can I leave a small circular depression of approx 3" in diameter without compromising the integrity of the floor? Sorry no photos! Thanks for your help.

[@HackerzModz]

Use a scraper to get as much of the glue up and ensure even surface. If it is flat with the glue still there just make sure you can remove any pieces of rubble that might stick to it and make the floor pop. On concrete you can use a quick mix concrete patch to level the concrete. I wouldn't nail the floor through concrete. Glue it. You can also use glue to fill holes.

[@mygmail5470]

Very helpful

[@brendanhall5298]

A pull bar would be cheaper than flooring jack, good video 👌👏

[@tanmayshah5416]

Thanks for the very informative video. What size deck screws to use? Also, how do you mark a chalk line?

[@JTWoodworks]

This turned out looking great. You can use one of your clamps as a floor jack. You would just need to flip the end of the clamp. Also, spacers and wedges can be a good option too

[@thomasarussellsr]

Many people don't know that "quick clamps" have reversible jaws to be used as spreaders.

[@JTWoodworks]

@@thomasarussellsr a lot of parallel clamps have the same option

[@craftedworkshop]

Good call!

[@idontthinkso666]

@@thomasarussellsr Quick clamps with handles that you squeeze to apply pressure would likely lack adequate pressure to get a really tight fit. You can do better with a clamp that has a screw-type handle. You'll apply greater pressure and you can do so carefully, really dialing in the amount of pressure.

[@thomasarussellsr]

@@idontthinkso666 great observation. Most "squeeze" type quick clamps don't get great squeeze pressure. Even the best ones depend on the user having a great squeeze grip in their hand/s. You modification of my suggestion is 99.9% accurate. I concur.

[@jakobnance5277]

Dude you got badass tools

[@firstname7769]

Is the stapler machine necessary? Or can it be done with a finish nail gun like you did for the row closest to the wall? I only have to do an 18 sqr ft area.

[@Vlex24]

I don’t need a Hardwood flooring stapler. But now, I would like one 😁

[@MrPhatnguyencao]

Thank you so much.👍👍👍

[@jobanjotsingh2483]

really really helpful

[@maurolimaok]

The bedroom with 2 murphy beds and desk is beautifil. Hope you share the project! Thanks for the videos!

[@AlexOliveGrove]

Good job!

[@TehBlue1]

Last couple rows to the wall you need to use a big flat head demo screw driver to pound into the subfloor right up against the piece of flooring you want to staple and pull it towards the previous row. No need for a fancy tool. Great video! Thanks for sharing!

[@stephenrolheiser6261]

Nicely done

[@sherrys.2259]

Great job!

[@alexderus7480]

Can the floor jack, and pull bar be used interchangeably? Or do they each have specific purposes? Kinda seems like they do the same thing.

[@mattravera1096]

Great video!

[@dominglandocan1933]

this is cool and interestinG!

[@BodyByKymXclusive]

Beautiful!

[@EarMaster55]

I find it quite interesting how different this is to how wooden floors are installed here in Germany.

[@craftedworkshop]

How do you guys do them? That is interesting!

[@EarMaster55]

@@craftedworkshop It is uncommon to nail a hardwood floor, as most newer houses have screed floors (not sure if this is the correct term) and no blind floor to nail or screw into. Most hardwood floors are laid floating or maybe glued if there is an underfloor heating.

[@Affordablebath_remodel]

@@EarMaster55 we glue down engineered flooring (basements or slab homes)

[@parkerniernstein2337]

Steve Varga we do the same in the states using sika adhesive or bostic We do full spread on concrete subfloors I havent done a sleeper syatem in a long time , some architects still try

[@mybeatmhz]

@@EarMaster55 every company have variations in chicago . A few things he did are wrong in my company , but the video states for beginners not pros

[@samm1797]

Lov the vids keep them up!

[@craftedworkshop]

Thanks Sam!

[@princebi7338]

Is it ok to scatter the solid hardwood when it’s acclimating? I kinda did that.

[@NoOne-of6ie]

Hi! Do you have to remove the trim in order to install the flooring? My house was damaged by water and my contractor knew I had to replace the floors, but already added the new trim.