Installation Guide

3.4 Solid Rev 012113 Page 3
Subfloor (Beneath Felt)
String
Guide
15# Felt Nail
¾”
Tongue of wood flooring facing
center of room
¾” space for expansion at
ends and against walls
String guide
and nails
Subfloor Moisture Check:
NOTE: To increase reliability, moisture testing should be
performed after the HVAC system has been in operation for a
minimum of 14 days. Excess moisture on any flooring
substrate if not identified and corrected prior to installation
will cause floor covering failure. Warranties DO NOT cover
products installed over improperly prepared subfloors,
substrates or environmental related deficiencies.
DO NOT INSTALL FLOORING IF MOISTURE TESTS RESULTS
EXCEED RECOMMENDED LIMITS.
Wood Subfloor Moisture Content
Test both wood subfloor and wood flooring for moisture content
using a reliable pin type moisture meter. The subfloor material must
not exceed 12% moisture content. The difference between the
moisture content of the wood subfloor and the hardwood flooring
must not exceed 4%. For hardwood products greater than 3” wide,
the moisture content of the wood subfloor and hardwood floor should
not differ more than 2%.
Installer should record moisture test results in the space provided on
the page 5 of this document and leave with the owner as part of their
records.
NOTE: Basements and crawl spaces must be dry. Use of a 6 mil
black polyethylene membrane is required to cover 100% of the crawl
space earth and run approximately 6” up the foundation walls. The
seams of the 6-mil poly should overlap 4” to 6” and should be taped
to the foundation walls using an aggressive tape such as duct tape.
This will help retard moisture from below that is emitted from the soil.
Crawl space clearance from ground to underside of joist should be
no less than 18” and perimeter vent spacing should be equal to 1.5%
of the total square footage of the crawl space area to provide cross
ventilation.
To correct any subfloor conditions concerning moisture, either wait
until the subfloor dries to meet specifications or use an appropriate
moisture barrier. For more information concerning moisture
conditions, contact Technical Service Department at 888-387-9881
Option 3.
BEFORE YOU START:
• Plan your layout and determine the direction of the
installation in the room. Planks installed parallel to
windows accent the hardwood best.
• Remove existing base, shoe molding or threshold
carefully. They can be used to cover the ¾” expansion gap
left around the perimeter of the room.
• Undercut doors and casings using a handsaw laid flat on a
piece of scrap flooring. This will eliminate difficult scribe
cuts.
• Sub-floors should be clean prior to the floor installation.
Sweep the area to remove all dust and debris.
• Make sure the subfloor is dry to 12% moisture content or
less.
• Install 15 lb. felt paper to help reduce squeaks.
• Blend cartons: To achieve a uniform installation
appearance, preselect and set aside hardwood planks that
blend best with all trims and moldings. Install these planks
next to best blended moldings.
• Install planks from several cartons at the same time to
ensure good color and shade mixture throughout the
installation.
• Be attentive to staggering the ends of the boards at least
4” -6” (10-15 cm) when possible in adjacent rows.
MULTI WIDTH INSTALLATION:
Installing planks of multiple widths requires special consideration.
Multi Width products arrive in the same carton, so measure material
needs as you normally would.
Always start installation with the widest plank and install in
descending widths (example 5”, 3”, 5” 3”).
Do not try to “mix” widths within a row.
INSTALLATION
“Racking the Floor”
Start by using random length planks from the carton or by cutting
four to five planks in random lengths, differing by at least 6”. As you
continue working across the floor, be sure to maintain the 6”
minimum stagger between end joints on all adjacent rows. Never
waste material; use the left over pieces from the fill cuts to start the
next row or to complete a row.
Note: When installing a pre-finished wood floor be sure to blend the
wood from several cartons to ensure a good grain and shading
mixture throughout the installation.
Step 1 – LAYOUT
• Measure and mark 3”
From the wall at two
spots near each end
of the room. Drive a
nail at each spot.
Stretch string and tie
each end of the string
around the nails so
the nails become
posts Use the string
as your flooring guide.
Note: This dimension should be 4” when installing 3 ¼” wide
flooring. When a room is greater than 20 ft. in width, the direction of
the installation should start near the center of the room and work out
towards the walls placing a loose spline where the two grooves come
together.
Step 2 – INSTALL FIRST ROW
• Using the string as a straight
edge lay the first row of flooring
in place with the tongue facing
the center of the room.
Leaving a ¾” gap at the wall,
pre-drill and face nail using 10D
nails. Continue nailing the
entire length of the room.
• Leave a ¾” expansion gap at
each end. Set nails and fill
holes with matching putty. Remove string and nails.