Solid hardwood floors can be either nailed or stapled. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's recommendations carefully with wide plank solid wood floors.
Read MoreTips for making your floors last
Wood floors are great, adding a classy old-school touch no matter the location. While floors do tend to last for a very long time, especially if the owner took them from somewhere, such as an old farmhouse, and restored them, the truth is they will not last for ever. And while we at Ozburn-Hessey will be here to help you select your next floor, with a variety of options, including laminate and wood floors, there are some steps you can take to make sure that conversation is saved for when you are ready for it, not because you are forced to.
With that in mind, here are some common problems people with wood floors have, and what you can do to make it better.
Moisture: More than a gross word
When it comes to wood floors, the obvious and most common agitator is moisture. In a place like Nashville, where the weather is especially humid, the moisture problem is going to be pretty intense, so be on the lookout for things like buckling, cupping and crowning. These are all created by serious moisture issues, causing either the sides or the center to rise higher than the rest of the board. Usually this is only an issue with one or two boards, so it can be an easy fix, and most of the time the issue is solved by itself once the wood stabilizes. However, in those pesky situations when it isn’t quite back to normal, the answer is to sand down the offending edges. If the boards are buckling, which is when parts of the actual wood pieces are no longer touching the subflooring, letting it sit just is not going to cut it, and you might need to pry the whole piece up and replace it.
An excess of moisture can also lead to mold and mildew, leaving nasty, and potentially harmful, fumes and spores. If this is the case, then you need to find the source of the moisture (which won’t be caused by basic humidity) and remove it as soon as possible.
Not Always a Bad Thing
Moisture is not always a bad thing. A lack of it can be the main reason behind creaky and squeaky floorboards that make your whole house sound like an aviary, which can be fixed by adding moisture during the dry winter months. Other causes for your noisy floors include the incorrect nail type or amount, or an incorrect installation. It’s something to keep in mind when you do decide to get new floors, because installing them can be tricky. It’s why we at Ozburn-Hessey are more than happy to help with the process.
Many of these issues are not something that you will come across on a regular basis, but they are things homeowners or property managers need to be aware of in case they do come across it. You want something that is going to look nice and will be there for a while.