How to Replace Flooring After Flooding

Use your hammer and prybar to remove the damaged flooring and underlayment, stripping everything down to the subfloor. (Note: If the subfloor itself is damaged and joists are exposed, there may be structural issues involved, and you should contact a professional contractor.)

Lay a piece of plywood at one end of the subfloor, leaving a 3/8-inch space between the board and the two adjacent walls. Drive flooring screws down into the board every six inches to secure it, using your screw gun.

Set the second plywood sheet at the end of the first, screwing it down in the same manner. Repeat, laying sheets end to end along the whole edge. Leave the 3/8-inch space along the edges by the wall. Cut the last piece to fit on your table saw.

Lay a second course of plywood sheets in the same manner as the first, but starting at the opposite end of the floor, so the ends of the sheets won't form any four-way intersections. Butt the sides of the sheets in the second course tightly against those in the first. Repeat and continue, covering the whole floor in plywood sheets, cutting the sheets at the end of each course as needed on the table saw.

Spread plastic underlayment over the new plywood. Connect two floating floor boards to each other by the fitting at their ends and set them on the plastic, at one end of the side of the floor where you want to start (generally, the longest side of the floor). Put spacers between the boards and the wall, so they are held 1/2 inch out from the wall.

Set the rest of the first course of boards in place in the same manner, snapping them end to end along the wall. Set spacers all along the edges as you go. Cut the last board in the course on your table saw to fit.

Lay the second course alongside the first, snapping the boards together by the fittings on their sides. Arrange the boards so the ends are offset and staggered. Repeat for each new course, cutting the last board of each one to fit. Work your way across the whole floor.

Cut the boards of the final course length-wise on your table saw, as needed, to fit along the ending wall with a 1/2 inch of space left there.

Measure each edge of the floor for floor trim. Cut the trim as needed on your miter saw and install it with your hammer and trim nails. The trim will cover the gaps around the edges of the floor.