Hardwood Floor Installation: The Complete Homeowner's Guide
A great hardwood installation depends on three things most cheap installers skip: moisture testing, acclimation, and subfloor prep. Get those right and your floor lasts 100 years. Get them wrong and it cups, gaps or squeaks within 12 months.
Choosing the format
Solid ¾" nail-down for plywood subfloors above grade. Engineered click-lock or glue-down for slabs, basements and radiant-heat applications. Wide plank (5"+) needs glue-assist even over plywood.
Acclimation
Hardwood must sit in the space at final humidity for 3–7 days before installation. Skipping this is the #1 cause of gapping and cupping in new floors.
Subfloor prep
Moisture test (below 12% for wood subfloor, below 4 lbs/CaCl for concrete). Level to 3/16" in 10 ft. Fasten loose panels. Add vapor barrier where needed.
Sand and finish (unfinished only)
If installing unfinished hardwood, sanding and finishing follows install. Prefinished skips this step but has small microbevels between boards.
Quick answers
- How long does hardwood installation take?
- A 1,000 sq ft installation takes 3–5 days, plus 3–7 days of acclimation before and 24–72 hours of finish curing after (unfinished floors).
- Solid or engineered?
- Solid for main levels on plywood subfloor. Engineered for basements, slabs and radiant heat.
- Can you install over tile?
- Rarely recommended. We usually remove the tile and prep the subfloor properly.
Written by
Daniel Santos
Owner, CDS Hardwood Floors
Daniel Santos is the owner of CDS Hardwood Floors and has spent 15+ years sanding, staining and installing hardwood in Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC homes. He personally walks most projects, specializes in HEPA-contained dustless sanding, premium water-based finish systems and custom installations, and believes homeowners make better decisions when the process is explained plainly before a single board is touched.
Looking for hardwood floor installation in Maryland?
CDS Hardwood Floors handles this work every week across Gaithersburg, Montgomery County and the wider DMV.