Trim door casings to the same height as the flooring so that the hardwood will slide underneath it and provide a neat and professional look. This can be done with a power jamb saw or even a simple hand saw. Lay some wood scrap on the concrete and cut the casing with the hand saw so that it is flat to the scrap wood.

The floor leveling compound should be quick-setting. Regular cement based products will have problems with moisture later on. A professional will have the experience and will be prepared to lay this down quickly.

The floor leveling compound is mixed into the water in a 5 gallon bucket with a high speed mixer which can be as simple as a paddle type attachment that is attached to a drill. The mixture should have a milkshake consistency.

Once mixed the floor leveling compound is poured onto the floor in small sections, the straight edge of a float trowel is used to flatten and smooth it out. This step is also called “screeding.”

Grind down any bumps or high areas, otherwise you will feel these bumps during installation and it will make installation more difficult. The wood will see-saw. Also the final floor is likely to buckle over time.

A professional will have a heavy duty concrete grinder that will make quick work of these problem areas.

Step 1 – Checking the floors for flatness. A level is unnecessary. A string line or a straight 2×4 or 2×8 is all that’s needed. The rule of thumbs is that “subfloor tolerances should not exceed 3/16″ of an inch over a 10 foot span.”

Floor preparation includes checking for flatness and looking for loose wood subfloors. It is of the utmost importance to ensure that the subfloor is in sound condition before installing any new hardwood flooring. The floor preparators should check for chunks of drywall mud that might have been left behind and remove it. They should look for anything that will form a void or pocket once the new floors are installed. If the subfloor is not truly flat, then the boards of the new hardwood floor will flex over time resulting in the annoying squeaky floors that we are all familiar with. The floors may also sag over time.

There is no such thing as a true floating floor that underlayment manufacturers claim. There are no shortcuts to proper floor preparation by a professional. An underlayment that promises to correct minor irregularities, will not do so in the long run. Just scraping the floor is not enough.

The first is to protect it from sun damage.  The UV rays of the sun will fade the color of wood it comes into contact with over a prolonged period of time. Drapes or window shades are a good investment. You will also want to move your rugs and furniture to different locations in the room so that the sun will age the floors evenly and to avoid dark spots surrounded by lighter wood.

Protect your floor from scratches by being careful when you drag or move heavy objects on top of it. It is recommended that you cover the bottoms of furniture legs with flannel protectors.

High heels can also cause scratches over time, as well as, your pet’s nails. It is a good idea not to wear sharp heels when walking across the floor. It is also recommended that you keep your pet’s toenails trimmed.

Screening refers to scraping down the polyurethane finish on your wood floors and applying a few fresh coats of that finish. Your floors will look good as new.

If your floors are damaged, then they might require sanding down to the bare wood and refinishing it. There is also the option of just replacing a few boards so that you don’t have to refinish the whole room. In either case, you will want to hire a professional to do the work.

Don’t

Do – Try to find a residue free cleaner

Don’t - Try to avoid using  ammonia-based cleaners or oil soaps. They can have a dulling effect on the finish of your wood floor. When you want to refinish your floors at a later time, these types of cleaners will make it more difficult.

Do – It’s a good idea to find a good professional brand of floor cleaner for regular cleaning and touch-up cleaning of your floors. Many of these come  in a spray bottle for convenience.

Don’t – Avoid using too much water to clean your wood floors. A lightly damp mop, towel or sponge  is all that’s needed. Water can get into the body of the wood, expand, and cause your floors to crack.

Do – Clean up spills right away to avoid damage from liquids

Next, use a canister vacuum and go for the areas that your broom missed. This can be underneath furniture, in corners, or other crevices.

You can also use a terrycloth mop to clean underneath furniture and along the base boards.

From time to time, you will want a professional or deep down level of clean.  There are many cleaning products on the market that will not dull the finish of your wood floors. It is good to ask a reputable flooring store for their recommendation for your particular floor.