The Tools You Need for Laying Wooden Floorboards

This post contains some affiliate links.

I have recently laid solid oak tongue and groove floor boards in our living room, hallway and guest bedroom, and whilst I do not profess to knowing enough to write a full tutorial, the one thing I wish I knew before starting is which tools I would need to get the job done.

Whilst with most diy tasks you can usually get by with the usual arsenal of tools in your tool kit, when laying your own floorboards, there are some essential tools that really can’t be subbed with something else and will make a huge difference not only during the process but to the quality of finish.

This tool list is written for the laying of floorboards only and assumes your sub floor is already clean and level.

Tool List for Laying Wooden Floorboards - The Basics

These are the tools you probably already have in your tool kit and therefore don’t require much explanation other than to say, if you don’t have them already, they are very much integral to this diy project.

Tool List for Laying Wooden Floorboards: The Flooring Specific Tools

Knocking Block

To get a tight fit, it is likely your tongue and groove boards will need a bit of tapping with a hammer to ensure they fit together well and you don’t have any big gaps. You don’t want to hit them directly with a hammer though as that will damage the boards and the tongue and groove, so a knocking block is essential to help you work faster and the job go more smoothly. (See Image Below #10)

Flooring Pull Bar

Something you probably won’t have in your tool kit is a Flooring Pull Bar and I highly recommend you get one before starting your project. It really is quite difficult without one!

This is used when laying planks together at the end of rows or near walls where there is no room for a knocking block and hammer to ensure the boards are tightly fitted together. (See Image Below #1)

Flooring Clamps / Ratchet Straps

Another tool you may not have heard of. These clamps fit on to the edge of your floorboard and can be attached to another floorboard, tightening the clamps to ‘squeeze’ the floorboards together whilst the glue dries.

I found that these are needed at the beginning to get your first few rows of floorboards joined well and then, all being well once you are about five rows down, the floorboards themselves are enough of a buffer to any hammering and you probably won’t require he.

It is possible to do the job without them, especially if your boards are slotting in well together, however they certainly make the task easier as you start out. If you don’t have them, you may find that as you hammer in your third or fourth row, the first and second row will nudge apart slightly. (See Image Below #3)

Floor Packer Set

These plastic packer sets are useful for all sorts of tasks but are an essential when laying wooden flooring. Because you need to leave a bit of gap between the end of your flooring and the wall (to allow for any movement or expansion of the wood), whilst laying the floor, it is helpful to place packers in the gaps so the floorboards do not move as you are attaching more floorboards.

I recommend a bag of mixed packers as you will find having the mix of thickness really helpful. (See Image Below #4)

Wood Glue

Whilst I didn’t stick our floorboards down, I did use wood glue on the tongue and grooves which not only helps them slide into one another more easily, but also helps strengthen all the joins. For a job like this it’s worth using good quality glue like this one I used from Gorilla Glue. (See Image Below #5)

Profile Gauge (not an essential but you may find it useful)

This tool helps you track the profile of a corner or a tricky area on to the floorboard for you to mark out before cutting. Whilst in theory it’s a useful bit of kit, for some reason I often find it easier just to work out the shape I need to cut with old fashioned measuring, angles and a ruler. (See Image Below #2)

Tool List for Laying Wooden Floorboards: The Power Tools

Mitre Saw

A mitre saw is a fantastic tool that looks more intimidating than it is. Whilst one must take good care when using anything with a large, sharp, rotating blade, it really is very simple to use and an essential bit of kit for this job. Whilst laying flooring you will have many many cuts to make, so you need something that will do a quick straight cut like a mitre saw.

After your floorboards are laid, this tool will also be very handy for doing your own skirting board as you can angle the cuts easily and accurately resulting in neat mitred finishes at the corners.

These don’t come cheap but you will find them so useful for multiple projects, I couldn’t be without mine now! (See Image Below #7)

Electric Jigsaw

Rooms are very rarely square and a jigsaw will come in handy when having to cut the awkward bits of floorboards, round corners for instance or into alcoves and thresholds where the shape of the room changes. (See Image Below #6)

Electric Sander

Whilst most edges will probably be hidden under skirting, depending on the layout of the room, you may find there are some edges that require sanding in which case an electric sander is the tool for the job. These also come in handy across so many other diy tasks and is probably my most used power tool after my drill. You can see my blog post reviewing three different types of electric sanders here. (See Image Below #9)

I hope you’ve found the list helpful as you prepare for your diy flooring project!

The flooring you can see in these pictures is from Luxury Flooring and is the Brimham Solid Oak in Bramble. It’s a tongue and groove system that slotted in well together. You may find other types of floorboards will require further tools, in particular those that are stuck to the floor rather than tongue and groove.

DIY & CraftsComment