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Thinking about doing your own hardwood flooring? Before you learn how to install hardwood flooring, you need to choose the type of flooring you want first. There are dozens of options for kinds of flooring these days, some of which are installed traditionally, and some of which snap together.

The nice thing about laminates and snap-together hardwood flooring is that they come with installation instructions. However, traditional hardwood flooring is more involved. Here are some steps to help get you started.

First, you need to put down a flooring base. Before you begin, remove the baseboards. Remember, the subfloor needs to be clean, dry, and level.

Now, regardless of whether you're picking up the flooring yourself from a home improvement store or having it delivered, you want to time it so that the wood will be stacked in your house for a few days before the project. Remember, wood is a natural material that's sensitive to temperature and humidity levels; it expands and contracts. It won't fit properly if you don't give it time to adjust to your home.

While you're figuring out how to install hardwood flooring, determine which direction the floor joists/supports run. Once you do that, mark the position at the base of the walls so you have a handy reference. Now you'll need to layer the top of the subfloor with 15-pound asphalt felt.

This does a few things for you: It protects the flooring from moisture and minimizes squeaking and creaking. This is especially important if you're installing the hardwoods in a kitchen or bathroom.

Mark the centerline of your room to indicate the position for the first board. When installing, leave a 1/2-inch gap at the walls.

Make sure to use a nail set to finish each nail you put in by hand, so the hammer doesn't leave indentations. Even if you're using a pneumatic flooring nailer, you should nail the first three boards or so by hand. This helps prevent things from shifting.

As projects go, learning how to install hardwood flooring isn't a difficult task. But it is a precise project, and it will take time.

Make sure to visit How to Install for more tips on everything from How to Install Carpet to How To Install a Door.