Installing hardwood floors, tips and cheat codes

[MJ4H]

My wife and I were discussing putting hardwood floors in our living room and main hall the other day. I decided to look around online and see what I can find out, and I did not have much luck.

Is this the kind of thing I should have done professionally for sure or is this a potential DIY? What kind of costs am I looking at? What are the unseen pros and cons that I might not be thinking of? What is the cheat code to advance to the hardwood floors installation completed stage?

[stevew]

Subby did a thread on this a year or so ago, I'd look for that one.

[stevew]

dola,

http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=42628&highlight=hardwood

[MJ4H]

I don't think laminate flooring is what I'm looking for, but I will glance through that thread. If anyone has hardwood tips for this thread, I would really appreciate it.

[Noble_Platypus]

I did my own hardwood floors, my first time doing it. It wasnt hard at all

[Swaggs]

not very hard at all....

Can be a bit of a pain if it is in a basement (w/ cement, you have to be careful that the wood doesn't absorb moisture out of it) or your room isn't square.

[nilodor]

If the room isn't an insane shape it's a good DIY. My tip would be know what size of moulding your going to use for the transition between the hardwood and your other floors because you need to leave a gap for expansion, but you don't want too much of one. Also buy an extra box more than you need to account for wastage/replacing later (especially the latter) because it can be difficult to find the same colour match even a month later. I've done laminate and hardwood floors in this house, laminate is easier and better with spills, but it doesn't quite look as good and can scratch.