It is usually laid as a floating floor and as this is the preferred method for most DIY installers it is the method that will be described in this article.
* Before you commence the fitting of your floor ensure that you have all of the necessary tools that you will require these are: an engineered flooring installation kit, jigsaw complete with a 2.5mm wood blades, a handsaw, workbench, mitre, measuring tape, pencil and a mallet.
* Before you lay the boards ensure that they have acclimatised to the temperature of the room by leaving them in the room for 24 hours before you commence to fit.
* Check that the sub floor surface is clean, firm, damp proof and level. Make sure any nail heads are flush or under the surface of the sub floor. If the subfloor is concrete you can nail or glue hardwood panels to it. Dampen the panels slightly by brushing them with water 24 hours before installation to ensure they lay flat.
* Place underlay over the entire subfloor surface to insulate against moisture, heat and noise.
* Commence laying the engineered oak flooring boards along the longest straight wall in the room. If the walls are not parallel, start along the wall that you see first when you come into the room. Use wedges to maintain a 10mm gap between the boards and the skirting board or wall.
* Ensure that the joints are offset in the rows of boards, use a full board to start then a 2/3 board in the second row and a 1/3 board in the third. Continue repeating this pattern across the room.
* Cut the ends of the boards at the walls allowing a 10mm gap
