Flooring Installation Tools and Equipment
With any flooring installation, you’ll need a few tools—some require more than others. In this article, we’ll list out the flooring tools needed for laminate, vinyl, engineered and solid hardwood installations. Also, you may need extra tools and supplies if your subfloor needs corrected. Be prepared before your start your project to ensure a smooth installation!
Underlayment Tools
An underlayment installation doesn’t need any fancy tools or equipment. Here are the basics to have handy:
- Tape
- Scissors or a Utility Knife
- Broom & Dust Pan
Laminate Tools
With a laminate flooring installation, you’ll need to have access to some power tools. Cutting the laminate will require a saw, especially if you have special edges and obstructions. We recommend purchasing a laminate installation kit to help with the install.
- Tape (packaging tape works fine)
- Safety Glasses or Goggles
- A Dust Mask
- Measuring Tape
- Carpenter’s Square
- Utility Knife
- A Saw. This can be a miter saw, power saw with dust collector, circular saw with 60-tooth carbide tipped blade, a power jigsaw, a handsaw or a laminate specific cutter (will only cut straight edges).
- Hand Saw or Door Jam saw for the door jams.
- Universal Installation Kit
- Spacer Blocks. These can be either plastic or wood and must be ¼” thick.
- Tapping Block (do not use tapping block for an angle-angle installation)
- Pull Bar
- Hammer
- Broom & Dustpan
- Scissors
Vinyl Tools
A vinyl installation will differ depending on the type of vinyl — glue-down, loose lay or drop lock. These are the main tools needed in a vinyl installation:
- Carpenter’s level
- Flooring compound (Adhesive for glue down application or stairs)
- Trowel
- Putty Knife
- Paint Stirrer
- Utility Knife
- Medium-grit sandpaper
- Vacuum / Broom
- Tape measure
- Face mask
- Seam treatments
- Double faced flooring tape
- 100 lb. floor roller (loose lay & glue down)
Engineered Hardwood Tools
An engineered hardwood floor can either be glued down, nailed, stapled or floated. The nail down tools will be the same as a solid hardwood (refer to the next section).
Glue Down
- Industry standard adhesive with moisture resistance
- 1/4˝ x 1/2˝ x 3/16˝ (6 mm x 13 mm x 8 mm) V-Notch trowel
- Concrete nails
- Blue adhesive painter’s tape
- Chalk line or chalk pencil
- Saw
- Broom and Dust Pan
- Dust Mask
- Electric Saw
- Moisture Meter
Float
- Broom
- Electric saw
- Eye and ear protection
- Glue (Wood-floor specific)
- Hammer
- Painter’s Tape
- Chalk Line
- Pencil
- Pull bar and Tapping Block
- Straightedge
- Tape measure
- Utility knife
- Wood chisel
- Moisture meter
Solid Hardwood Tools
A solid hardwood installation generally requires professional installation. This is a basic list of tools and supplies needed for a solid hardwood installation.
- Power Miter Saw
- Tenon, Circular, or Hand Saw
- Claw Hammer and Nail Punch (specified by the flooring manufacturer)
- Straight Edge
- Measuring Tape
- Moisture Meter
- Chalk line and Chalk
- Level and Leveling Compound
- #20 Grit Sandpaper
- Rubber Mallet and Tapping Block (note: hitting the hardwood without a tapping block damages the finish)
- Pry Bar
- Utility Knife
- Safety Gear, such as goggles and ear plugs
- Power Nailer
- Hardwood Flooring Nails
- Finishing Nails
- Flooring Screws
- 15 lb Asphalt Paper and/or Vapor Barrier Film
- Filler Stick and Touch Up Marker
- Broom and Dust Pan