How to Install Hardwood Flooring in Unheated Homes

Measure the dimensions of the room, multiplying the length by the width to find the square footage. Determine how many boxes of engineered wood flooring are necessary to cover the floor, then add 20 percent more to allow for mistakes and cutting the flooring to fit the room.

Cut through the paint and caulking along the top of the baseboards with a utility knife. Remove the baseboards with a crowbar, pulling gently away from the wall. Remove any nails with a hammer and set the baseboards aside.

Spread a 6 mil plastic vapor barrier over the entire floor, overlapping the sheets by 8 inches and taping together with duct tape. Allow the plastic to extend 2 inches up the wall on all sides of the room.

Roll the underlayment over the vapor barrier. Do not overlap the underlayment, butt together and tape with duct tape along the seams.

Install the flooring, starting in the far left corner of the room. Place a board in the corner with the tongue facing the wall. Latch each board onto the end of the previous board, tapping into place with the rubber mallet and block from the installation kit. Continue across the room until you reach the last board.

Flip the last board upside-down, with the tongue facing the wall. Lay it over the previous board, with the end 1/2 inch from the wall. Mark where the two boards meet and draw a straight line across to mark the cut line.

Apply painter's tape to the right side of the board, aligned with the cut line. Use a circular saw or jigsaw to cut the board. Remove the tape and turn the board right side up. Install the last board at the end of the row.

Start the second row with the other half of the cut board. Fit the tongue into the groove of the previous row at a 45-degree angle, snapping the boards together according to the manufacturer's instructions. Tap the boards together with the rubber mallet and block to make a tight bond.

Slide the floating floor out from the wall after installing the third row. The floor requires a 1/4- to 3/8-inch space from each wall to allow for expansion and contraction. Place spacers from the installation kit around the perimeter of the floor to hold it in place as you continue to install rows of flooring.

Measure and trim the last row to fit 1/4 inch from the wall. Install the last row of boards tapping into place as before. Remove the spacers.

Re-install the baseboards around the room, nailing through the baseboards and into the wall studs. The baseboards may sit slightly higher on the wall due to the height of the new flooring. Do not attach to the flooring.

Trim a piece of T-molding or threshold to fit in the doorway. Install it according to the manufacturer's directions.