Okay, here’s my blog post about assembling wooden flooring, written from my personal experience and in a casual, conversational tone:

So, I decided to tackle a DIY project – installing “keel dancing maple assembled wooden flooring” in my spare room. I’d watched a few videos and figured, “How hard could it be?” Famous last words, right?

Getting Started

First, I cleared out the room completely. Furniture, rugs, everything. I wanted a blank canvas. Then, I gave the subfloor a good sweep and vacuum. Gotta get rid of all that dust and debris, you know?

Next up was checking the subfloor to be flat. I used a long level (actually, it was just a really straight piece of wood I found) and checked it in multiple directions. There were a couple of low spots, so I grabbed some self-leveling compound and filled them in. That stuff takes a while to dry, so I called it a day and let it cure overnight.

The Underlayment

The next day, after the compound was rock solid, I rolled out the underlayment. It’s this foam stuff that helps with sound dampening and provides a little cushion. I taped the seams together with some special underlayment tape. Easy peasy.

Laying the First Row

Okay, here’s where things got interesting. I dry-fit the first row of planks along the longest wall, leaving a small gap (about 1/4 inch) for expansion. This is super important, otherwise, the floor might buckle when the wood expands and contracts with temperature changes. I used these little plastic spacers to keep the gap consistent.

Once I was happy with the placement, I used a nail to nail down some of the planks. Some other people have used glues, but I find it hard to use and the holding power is not good enough.

The Rest of the Floor

From there, it was just a matter of clicking and locking the rest of the planks together. The “dancing maple” part of the name? I guess that’s because you kinda have to step on them just right to get them to lock. It took some practice, but I got the hang of it. I used a tapping block and a rubber mallet to gently tap the planks into place. Don’t go crazy with the mallet, though, or you might damage the edges.

For the last row, I had to rip some of the planks lengthwise to fit. Luckily, my buddy had a table saw, so I borrowed it and made the cuts. It wasn’t perfect, but hey, it’s a DIY project, right?

Finishing Touches

Finally, I installed the baseboards to cover up the expansion gap around the edges. I used a miter saw to cut the angles for the corners. That was a bit tricky, but I managed to get it done. A little bit of caulk to fill in any gaps, and voila! A brand new floor.

Overall, I’m pretty proud of how it turned out. It took longer than I expected (a whole weekend!), but I saved a bunch of money by doing it myself. Plus, I learned a new skill! Would I do it again? Maybe. But next time, I’ll definitely invite a friend to help – many hands make light work, as they say.