Alright, let me tell you about this flooring project I tackled recently. The old floor in the spare room was looking pretty sad, really worn down. Decided it was time for a change, something solid, you know? Wood flooring seemed the way to go.

Choosing the Stuff

So, I started looking around. Lots of choices out there. Ended up going for this rubberwood flooring. Yeah, comes from the actual rubber tree after it’s done giving latex. Heard it’s quite durable and looks pretty decent too, got a nice grain to it. Some folks hear ‘rubber’ and think of, well, bouncy stuff, but this is proper hardwood, just from that specific tree. Seemed like a solid bet.

Getting Started

First job, getting the room empty. Took longer than I thought! Moved all the furniture out. Then had to prep the subfloor, make sure it was clean and level. Didn’t want any bumps showing through later. Pulled up the old stuff, swept, vacuumed – the whole nine yards. Then I unboxed the new wooden flooring planks, let them sit in the room for a couple of days. They say you gotta do that so the wood gets used to the room’s temperature and humidity. Makes sense, prevents problems down the line.

The Assembly Part

Now for the main event – the assembly. I started along the longest wall, like the instructions suggested. Laid down the first row, using spacers against the wall. Gotta leave a little gap for the wood to expand, apparently.

Putting the planks together was… interesting. It was a click-lock system mostly.

• Lining them up carefully.
• Slotting the tongue into the groove.
• Giving it a little tap with a block to make sure it was snug.

The first few rows were slow going. Measuring the last piece in a row, cutting it, then using the leftover bit to start the next row to stagger the joints. You get into a rhythm after a while. Tap, tap, click. Measure, cut, fit. Repeat!

Had a tricky bit around the door frame. Needed some careful cutting there, used a jigsaw. Took my time, didn’t want to mess that up. Measure twice, cut once, right? Mostly worked out okay.

Finishing Up

Once all the main planks were down, it was time for the finishing touches. Removed the spacers from the walls. Then I started installing the baseboards, or skirting boards as some call ’em. Covers up that expansion gap nicely and just makes it look finished. Cutting the corners needed a bit of patience to get the angles right.

Finally! Swept up all the sawdust, gave the new floor a good clean. Stepped back and looked. Yeah, feels good. A solid wooden floor, all assembled by yours truly. The rubberwood looks great, feels sturdy underfoot. Definitely an improvement. Took a bit of elbow grease, but worth it in the end.