T&G strip flooring, %-in. thick and 2%-in. to 3%-in. wide, is by far the most commonly installed wood flooring. Installing it requires few specialized tools and, with a modest amount of prep work, it goes down fast and lasts long.
Wood absorbs water and swells, so don’t bring hardwood flooring on site till the building is closed-in and "wet work” (such as plumbing, tiling, drywalling, plastering, and painting) are complete. Allow paint, plaster, or joint compound several days to dry. If necessary, turn on the heat-
is thin and would telegraph gaps or irregularities underneath. So most resilient-flooring and carpet makers specify underlayment beneath their products. Particleboard, fiberboard, and hardboard are often used for underlayment, but they should never be used for subflooring. Lacking the cross-grain construction of plywood, these materials just aren’t as strong, and they tend to delaminate
when wet.
