How to Install a Hardwood Floor with Furring Strips

Prepping and Furring

• 1

  Install a vapor barrier, such as polyethylene film, on the concrete floor. Cover the entire floor, and extend the film up the walls about 6 inches. Use the adhesive recommended by the manufacturer of the vapor barrier to secure the film to the floor.

• 2

  Measure and cut 2-by-4 treated dimensional lumber to form a frame around the perimeter of the concrete floor. Lay the boards over the vapor barrier, and attach the boards to the concrete using a hammer drill and concrete screws every 2 feet. The boards must lie flat on the floor.

• 3

  Install boards that extend from one side of the floor to the other, using more treated 2-by-4s and placing them 16 inches apart. These boards are the furring strips. When you reach the opposite end, it’s OK to have the last board closer than 16 inches to the perimeter frame board.

Install the Hardwood

• 4

  Start on the longest wall that's perpendicular to the direction of the furring strips, and position the first hardwood plank along the wall with the tongue facing you. Use hardwood spacers between the side and back walls and the hardwood planks. The spacers keep the planks from making contact with the walls and are removed after the flooring is in place.

• 5

  Lift the edge of the board up and apply a dime-sized glob of wood adhesive on each joist beneath the plank. The glue holds the planks and reduces floor squeaks that result from wood rubbing against wood when someone crosses the floor.

• 6

  Position the flooring nailer on the furring strip in front of the first hardwood strip, and depress the plunger on the nailer to insert a nail through the tongue and into the furring strip beneath. Insert an additional nail over every furring strip.

• 7

  Install the rest of the row of hardwood panels in the same manner. When you reach the far end, cut the last panel to fit, and use the cut-off section to start the next row of hardwood. This reduces waste, and staggers the hardwood joints for a professional look.

• 8

  Continue installing the planks row by row until you reach the other side of the room. If necessary, cut a plank lengthwise to fit in the space nearest the wall. Measure each plank in this row individually, and use a circular saw to cut off the excess. Apply the glue as before, but this time, you’ll have to insert a finishing nail into the edge of each plank with a hammer because the nailer won’t fit against the wall.