What to Expect During a Hardwood Floor Installation
Araujo Flooring Team
Professional Flooring Experts in Georgia
Knowing what happens during installation eliminates surprises and helps you plan around the disruption.
Week Before: Material Delivery and Acclimation
Hardwood should be delivered five to seven days before installation. Open boxes and stack them in the rooms where they will be installed so the wood can acclimate to your home's temperature and humidity. This step is not optional — wood that has not acclimated will expand or contract after installation.
Day One: Demolition and Subfloor Preparation
The crew removes existing flooring, baseboards, and transition strips. Once the old floor is out, the subfloor is inspected. Plywood is checked for flatness, moisture content, and fastener integrity. High spots are sanded, low spots filled. This takes one full day for most projects.
Days Two and Three: Installation
A professional crew typically completes 200 to 400 square feet per day for nail-down hardwood and 300 to 500 for floating engineered. A 1,200-square-foot project takes two to three days.
Planks are laid from the longest, most visible wall. Installers stagger end joints by at least six inches between rows. You will hear a nail gun firing consistently — plan to be away if noise is a concern.
Day Four: Transitions and Trim
After field installation, the crew installs transition strips, replaces baseboards, and handles details around stairs and vents. For prefinished hardwood, the floor is ready for light traffic.
Days Five Through Seven (Unfinished Only): Sanding and Finishing
If you chose site-finished hardwood, the floor is sanded in three passes, stain is applied, then two to three coats of polyurethane go on. Oil-based poly requires 24 hours between coats and 72 hours before furniture. Water-based dries faster.
After Installation: First Two Weeks
Walk in socks only for the first week. Do not place area rugs for 30 days. Use furniture pads from day one. Slide heavy items on plywood — never drag. Run your HVAC normally.
Total Timeline
Prefinished over prepared subfloor: five to seven days total. Unfinished site-finished: ten to fourteen days. Add time for unexpected subfloor repairs.
Planning ahead means fewer surprises, a smoother project, and a result you will enjoy for decades.
