The finished product is always worth all of the hard work, but sometimes people don't know what they are getting themselves into.
While installing hardwood flooring is hard work, it is also something that you can do if you are handy with tools.
However, there are other details that also have to be addressed and if they are not your strong points, it is time to seek some help.
As you start to get this project together, you are going to have to be honest with yourself.
There is no shame in admitting that you are not the best stain applier or always mess up a finish.
You will just need to get a couple of buddies involved that can do these things.
If not, you can always buy prepared flooring that will make it a little bit easier.
One of the biggest challenges when you start a project like this is making sure that all the prep work is done properly.
This not only included the physical prep work on site, but also getting all of the supplies together and getting the best pricing.
This is not a company you are shopping for, it's your wallet.
Every penny you save stays in the bank.
Then of course there is the prep work that has to be done on the house.
If you have never taken on a project like this before, prepare to see dust everywhere.
You of course are going to have to get the area ready so this does not get into every crack and crevice of your home.
In order to do this, you will need to seal off rooms, ducts, outlets and everything else you can think of.
If you can get it out of the room do it, it will just make things easier in the long run.
The part of the job that is one of the easier tasks but where a lot of errors happen is the staining process.
If you slop it on with a brush, you risk an uneven application.
To do the job properly, apply all of the stain with a rag and make sure it is on evenly and gets into the surface of the wood.
When done this way, the appearance is absolutely beautiful.
The next thing to do is to put on the finish.
In order to do this properly, you need to make sure that all of the stain has dried before this application.
For this, you will use a brush, but you have to make sure that you use long, even strokes that apply the finish without leaving streaks.
Once it is dry to the touch, you can apply the second coat and then keep everyone out of the room for a couple of days.
Once the floor is totally dry and you are ready to move everything back into place, you want to make sure that you don't ruin the new flooring that you have just installed.
Furniture feet can be very destructive on hardwood floors if you are not careful.
To prevent them from digging into the floor or accidentally scratching it when the kids are playing on the sofa, put pads on all of the feet.
Now the furniture can be glided across the floor without any threat of damage to all of the hard work that you have just put in.