How to Put Down a Locking Wood Floor

Locking wood floors are "floating" floors, which means they aren't attached to anything, but just sit on the surface of a subfloor. The boards lock tightly together via connection systems at the sides, forming a flat surface. They are the easiest kind of flooring to install and the most versatile, since they go easily over any flat, solid existing surface. As with all wood floors, locking floor boards expand and contract with temperature changes, so let the boards sit in the room for a week before installation.

• 1

  Pry off the floor trim from the perimeter of the floor with a hammer and pry bar. Keep it intact as you remove it.

• 2

  Lay the first floor board next to the starting wall at one end of the room. Put plastic spacers between the board and both walls to create a small space that will allow the wood to move with environmental changes.

• 3

  Set another board off the end of the first one, pressing the ends of the boards together until they lock into place. Repeat and continue for the whole course along the wall, putting spacers between the boards and the wall as you go. Cut the final board on a miter saw to fit next to the wall while leaving a 3/8-inch gap.

• 4

  Set the next courses in place by locking them along their long edges. Stagger the ends of the boards between courses, arranging them as needed to prevent them from lining up. Cut the end boards as needed. Work your way across the whole floor.

• 5

  Cut the boards for the final course along their lengths so there's a 3/8-inch space left in front of the ending wall.

• 6

  Use your hammer and finish nails to nail the floor trim back in place, covering the spaces around the edges of the floor. Hammer through the walls, not the floor.