Solid hardwood flooring is the premium flooring option — adds significant home value, lasts 50+ years with proper care, can be refinished multiple times. The install is the most demanding of the common flooring DIY options: precision cuts, nailing through the tongue at consistent angles, allowance for seasonal expansion. The work is achievable for confident installers but requires patience and the right tools.

This guide covers nail-down installation of solid hardwood. Engineered hardwood can be glued or floated; pre-finished hardwood is faster than site-finished.

Before you start

Three things to settle:

1. Acclimate 7-14 days. Solid hardwood must acclimate in the install room for 7-14 days minimum. Open boxes, stack loosely, let temperature and humidity equalize. Skipping acclimation causes the floor to expand or contract significantly after install — buckling, gapping, cupping.

2. Subfloor must be clean and flat. Plywood subfloor (3/4 inch minimum recommended). Flatness target: 3/16 inch over 10 feet. Check for protruding nails, screws, debris — sand or remove. Any subfloor issues telegraph through the hardwood.

3. Direction and starting wall. Hardwood typically runs perpendicular to floor joists for structural stability. Start at the longest, most-visible wall. Plan layout to ensure cuts at perimeter are at least 2 inches wide.

What you'll need

Tools

Pneumatic flooring nailer (rented if not owned)
Compressor
Mitre saw or table saw
Tape measure, pencil, chalk line
Level
Tapping block
Pry bar
Spacers (5/16 inch)
Knee pads
Multi-tool (for door jambs)

Materials

Hardwood flooring (sq ft + 10% waste)
Underlayment (15 lb felt paper or rosin paper)
Flooring nails (2-2.5 inch sized to nailer)
Wood glue (for face-nailing first row)
Painter's tape

Rent the flooring nailer

Pneumatic flooring nailers are specialty tools. Renting one by the day is far more economical than buying for a one-time install.

These tools drive nails at the precise angle through the tongue of each plank — manual nailing produces inconsistent results that show in the finished floor.

Step-by-step instructions

Acclimate flooring

Open all boxes in the install room. Stack planks loosely (not pyramided tight).

Wait 7-14 days. Skipping this is the #1 cause of failed hardwood installs.

Prep subfloor

Clean thoroughly. Sweep, vacuum, fix any squeaks (drive screws into joists at squeak points).

Verify flatness. Sand high spots; self-level low spots if needed.

Install underlayment

Roll out 15 lb felt paper or rosin paper. Overlap seams 4 inches; tape seams.

Cover entire install area.

Snap chalk line for first row

Measure 5/16 inch from starting wall plus the width of one plank. Snap a chalk line on the underlayment.

First row planks align with this line, leaving 5/16 inch expansion gap from the wall.

Install first row (face-nailed)

First row sits with tongue side facing the room (groove against the wall). Nail through the face of the planks into the subfloor. Face nails are visible but will be hidden by baseboard.

Use trim screws or finish nails through pre-drilled pilot holes.

First row must be perfectly straight — chalk line is reference.

Begin nail-down installation

From row 2 onward, use the pneumatic flooring nailer.

Place plank with tongue toward installed row. Engage the nailer at the tongue's angle (45 degrees toward the floor).

Strike with mallet — nailer drives nail through tongue at the correct angle.

Stagger end joints

End joints in adjacent rows should be at least 6 inches apart. Random pattern is the goal — avoid 'staircase' or 'aligned' patterns.

Cut plank ends as needed. Use the cut tail piece from one row to start the next row when possible.

Cut around obstacles

Door jambs: undercut with multi-tool, slide plank under for clean finish.

HVAC registers, irregular shapes: jigsaw the cuts. Test fit first.

Last row with pull bar or face nails

Final row often too narrow for nailer — face nail or use a pull bar to engage the tongue/groove fit.

Maintain 5/16 inch expansion gap at the far wall.

Install transition pieces and trim

Where hardwood meets other flooring (tile, vinyl, carpet), install transition strips.

Reinstall baseboards and shoe moulding (covers the perimeter expansion gap).

Common mistakes that cost you

Skipping acclimation. Floor buckles or gaps after install. 7-14 days minimum.
Wrong nailer angle. Nails not driven correctly. Pneumatic nailer designed for the right angle; manual nailing rarely works.
Aligned end joints. Looks unintentional. Stagger joints 6+ inches between rows.
No expansion gap. Floor buckles seasonally. 5/16 inch gap around perimeter, hidden by baseboard.
Subfloor not flat. Squeaks and uneven floor in finished work. Fix before installing.

Frequently asked questions

Pre-finished or site-finished?

Pre-finished: planks come from factory with finish applied. Faster install, no on-site sanding/finishing.

Site-finished: install bare wood, then sand and finish on site. Allows custom stain, looks more 'high-end', but adds days of work and dust.

Can I install hardwood over concrete?

Solid hardwood: not recommended directly on concrete. Engineered hardwood can be glued or floated on concrete.

Solid hardwood requires plywood subfloor over concrete (sleeper system) — significantly more work.

What about engineered hardwood?

Engineered hardwood (multiple plies of wood with hardwood top layer) installs differently — typically click-lock floating or glue-down. Easier than solid hardwood for DIY.

Lasts 25-30 years vs 50+ for solid. Good middle ground.

When to call us instead

Hardwood install is one of the more demanding DIY flooring jobs. Professional installation produces consistent quality and includes refinishing options.

Book a free 60-minute site visit →

Related Ottawa services

If you're updating flooring throughout, our residential renovation team handles hardwood and finishing as fixed-price work. Book a free 60-minute consultation.