Wood Floor in Hatch/Trunk/Boot

Hello, I just installed a wood floor in my Mazda 3 Hatchback and figured I would do a quick write up for anyone who is interested. The process should be the same, whether you have a SUV, hatchback, or a regular trunk.

Supplies:
Car
Saw Horses
Jigsaw
Jigsaw Blades - Use finer tooth for a cleaner cut, make sure that they are sharp
Masking Tape
Marker
Wood Flooring - I used laminate click-lock design for floating floors, so that it would be able to support itself without a sub floor
Compressed Air/Leaf blower
Degreaser/Cleaner
Drill - Optional
Drill Bits - Optional

DISCLAIMER: This is a DIY Install with all of the risks and rewards that offers. I do not promise that you will not damage anything or hurt yourself by following these instructions, they are just a guide, and may not work for every application. Take on a project like this at your own risk. Always use proper safety equipment, and take extra care when using sharp objects like the jigsaw.

Step 1: Assemble Flooring

The wood floor went together pretty well, I used a rubber mallet to press the pieces into place. Once I assembled it, it did not come apart again, so make sure that the parts you want to use are in the middle.

Step 2: Trace Outline to Cut

2a. Remove the carpet from the rear trunk floor

2b. Lay carpet on wood flooring. I had to lay mine upside down, because it had some foam supports that would allow it to lay flat if it was right side up. Line the carpet up with the way that you want the wood grain to go when it is installed in the car.

2c. Tape underneath all of the edges of the carpet. This step is hard to explain. The tape goes only on the wood, and must go partially underneath the carpet, partially sticking out. This way, it holds the edge of the wood when being cut and gives you something to draw on when you trace the outline of the carpet

2d. Trace the outline of the carpet with the marker, make sure that the carpet is oriented on the wood the way that you would like it to be when the wood is installed in the car.

Step 3: Cut

Step 3a. Take the carpet off the top and bring the flooring somewhere you can cut it. I did mine outside on the driveway, on top of 2 sawhorses.

Step 3b. Begin cutting the outline with the jigsaw. Cut with the top side of the board facing up, using a fine, fresh blade. I used a new 25 teeth per inch blade, and had no trouble with the top of the wood coming apart, especially with the tape in place. I followed the center of my line, as it was quite wide due to the marker. Use your better judgement to decide where to cut on the line, but remember, if it is far to big, it won’t fit and might be damaging going in, if it is too small, you are out of luck. Don’t forget those relief cuts!

Step 3c. Once done cutting, use the sandpaper to clean up the sides and edges, the smoother sides give less chance that you will catch the carpet or scuff plastics when installing it. Leave the tape on it, this is important for trimming later.

Step 4: Test Fit and Trim

4a. Clean the floor. Use a leaf blower or compressed air to blow the sawdust off. If you are really worried about getting sawdust in the car, you can use towels and a floor cleaner or a light degreaser to wipe it down.

4b With the seats folded down (to avoid binding/damage), carefully install the wood flooring. Mine had to go through the hatch opening on an angle to fit. BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO DAMAGE THE INTERIOR OF YOUR CAR. The floor may be to large at this point yet, so do not force it.

4c. If it does not fit, trim down the offending edge until it does. If it does fit, make sure that there are not any edges that are pressed in tightly. It is tough to get a straight line with a jigsaw, but it is just as tough to do a smooth curve, so watch for any points or tight spots. If it fits well, try to gently put the seats back up. The wood will not give way like the carpet did.

4d. If there are tight spots (almost always will be), then use a pen/marker to mark the area you need to trim/sand down on the remains of the tape.

4e. Remove the floor, trim it or sand it until you are satisfied, and then try to refit it. Repeat this until you are satisfied with the fitment.

Step 5 (optional): Installing Subwoofer Amp
I used this oportunity to add a final resting place for my subwoofer amp.

5a. While the floor is out of the car, mark the points where you want to mount the amp. I wanted mine underneath, hanging over where cavity that holds the spare tire, so I flipped the wood upside down for this.

5b. Pre-drill mounting holes into the wood to mount the amp. As the wood is very thin, I used tape on the drill bit to mark how deep I needed to drill without going through. Pre-drilling the holes in the laminate prevented it from coming apart when a screw was run into it. Laminate is extremely strong, so even the shallow holes that were drilled were more than enough to hold the amp in place.

5c. Mount the amp in the correct orientation in which you want it to be and install using self taping screws/amp mounting hardware. The screws that came with my amp were too long, so I used washers to space the screws out from the amp, so that they would hold everything tight.

Step 6: Final Installation

6a. With the floor removed from the car, peel the tape off of the top. Give the edge a final

6b. Clean both sides of the wood off using compressed air or a leaf blower, and then wipe it down with a floor cleaner or light degreaser.

6c. Carefully reinstall the floor in your car.

6d. (Optional) Connect wires to the amp before you drop the floor all the way.

6e. Put the seats back up, reinstall anything you removed from the trunk (subwoofer, cargo cover)

1. Start enjoying your new wood floor!

Thanks for reading!

This is my first one of these, so any tips/constructive criticism is appreciated, let me know if you want more of these, and I will continue to write them on my journey as a DIY Car Enthusiast.