- 1). Place a layer of asphalt felt over the subfloor; overlap the sheets by 3 inches. Staple the felt to the subfloor with the staple gun.
- 2). Find and mark the joists under the floor by tapping the floor with a hammer. When you hit a solid sound, you've found a joist. Draw a chalk line to designate all the joists. You'll want to lay the hardwood flooring perpendicular to the joists.
- 3). Use the tape measure to measure the width of the room. Measure it from a few points so you can mark the centerline of the room. Draw a chalk line to designate the centerline that is parallel to the wall you'll be starting from.
- 4). Draw another chalk line 1/2 inch from the wall you'll start from so it is parallel to the centerline. This space will allow for any expansion in the wood and will be covered by molding. Place the first plank edge on this line.
- 5). Drill pilot holes for the finishing nails through the subfloor with the power drill near the wall where the molding will cover it later. Hammer the first set of finishing nails through the first plank into the subfloor and through the pilot holes so that they go into the floor joist below. The nails should be located on either end and then at every 10 inches. Sink nail heads by placing the nail set on the nail head and tapping the top of the nail set with the hammer.
- 6). Position the next plank so the end of the board is 6 inches or more from the end of the first. This way, the boards you lay will be in an alternating pattern, which is much sturdier.
- 7). Drill pilot holes into the tongue of the next plank at a 45-degree angle. Hammer nails into the pilot holes just as you did with the first plank. Continue each row in this manner.
- 8). Position a short piece of flooring against the edge of each plank after it has been nailed and use a mallet to tap the edge so that you tighten each plank against the one in front of it.
- 9). Wedge the last boards tightly into place with a pry bar. Drill pilot holes with the power drill where the baseboard will lie. Hammer the finishing nails through the holes into the subfloor and joist below as you did with the first plank and set the nail heads.
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