Apparatus and method for installing hardwood floors

A method of installing hardwood floors with hardwood floor panels that appear to be hardwood floors installed from individual hardwood segments, including the steps of:

• installing a plurality of hardwood panels, each hardwood panel having a substrate and a plurality of hardwood segments, each hardwood segment secured to the substrate, and further secured to adjacent hardwood segments such that the hardwood segments form an extended hardwood surface;
• arranging the hardwood segments on the hardwood panels on their substrates such that the periphery of the hardwood segments forms an irregular pattern, the irregular pattern on a selected hardwood panel is matched to the irregular pattern on an adjacent hardwood panel such that when the hardwood panels are joined together, the seams created by adjacent hardwood segments are arranged in random order to disguise the existence of the hardwood panels by eliminating continuous seams between hardwood panels, and extending at least a portion of the hardwood segments substantially past the end of the substrate and extending at least a portion of the substrate substantially under a portion of the hardwood segments;
• extending the substrate beyond at least one of the hardwood segments on a hardwood panel such that when the hardwood panel is attached to an adjacent hardwood panel, the substrate on the hardwood panel is under at least one of the hardwood segments of the adjacent hardwood panel;
• extending a portion of the hardwood segments substantially past the end of the substrate, when the hardwood panel is secured to an adjacent hardwood panel and overlaying a substantial portion of the adjacent hardwood panel's substrate such that a substantial portion of the hardwood strips are securable to the substrate on the adjacent hardwood panel, and extending a substantial portion of the substrate past the end of the hardwood segments such that when the hardwood panel is secured to an adjacent hardwood panel, it underlays a substantial portion of the adjacent hardwood panel's hardwood strips and a substantial portion of the hardwood strips are securable to the substrate on the adjacent hardwood panel;
• and
• the hardwood panel, when attached to an adjacent hardwood panel, have a substantial portion of the hardwood strips secured to the substrate of the adjacent hardwood panel, and have a substantial portion of the substrate secured to the hardwood strips of the adjacent hardwood panel;
• whereby multiple hardwood segments are simultaneously installed when the hardwood flooring panel is installed and the irregular pattern formed by the hardwood segments creates the appearance of a custom installation by preventing extended seam lines, and the irregular pattern provides a substantial overlap to secure the hardwood strips of one hardwood panel to the substrate of the adjacent hardwood panel.