Installation & Assembly

Engineered T&G – Installation Guidelines
Please contact your local dealer for questions and further information
5
§ Beginning 48 hours after installation, slowly raise the
temperature of the heating system to its preferred
operating level over a period of 5 days.
For additional information please refer to our Radiant
Heat Guide.
GENERAL INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS
All wet trades such as tiling, drywall, painting etc. must be
completed before hardwood is installed or delivered to the
site.
1. Evaluate job-site and sub floor condition to ensure
proper installation environment.
2. Read the product instructions thoroughly.
3. The completed floor is only as good as the sub floor,
and the installer.
4. Allow for an expansion space of 1/2" around all
vertical obstructions.
5. Should a piece be doubtful due to manufacturing,
color, finishing, grade or having a visual defect, do not
install it. Cut it for the wall line or place it in a closet.
Work out of multiple cartons for a random
appearance.
Never strike the floor with a hammer or mallet as this may
damage the finish. In glue down and floating applications,
do not use ratchet straps or tape to secure the floor.
For glue down or floating applications, restrict any foot
traffic for 12 hours following installation.
Note: Minor occasional noise (such as squeaking) within
the flooring is inherent to all installation hardwood flooring
applications and can occur as environmental conditions
change.
GETTING STARTED
1. Remove all doors and shoe moldings. Undercut all
door casings 1/16” higher than the thickness of the
flooring and underlayment to be installed. Place a
scrap piece of plank and a sheet of underlayment
against the door casing to act as a guide and cut the
door casing with a hand saw or power jamb saw set
to the correct height.
2. Determine the direction to run the length of the planks
and measure the width of the room, or the dimension
that is perpendicular to the chosen direction of the
length of the flooring. The last row of the flooring
should be no less than 1 ½” wide; if it is less, cut the
width of the starter row to avoid a narrow last row.
3. Select a wall to begin installation. An outside wall is
recommended as it is the most likely to be straight
and square with the room. Measure out from the wall,
at each end, the overall width of the plank plus 1/2”
for expansion. If the first row requires ripping then
measure from the wall the width of the ripped board
plus 1/2” for expansion.
4. First, install Underlayment: Unroll the underlayment,
overlap edges by 4” and seal seams with plastic tape.
Allow the sheet to run 2” up the wall, which can be
trimmed back after completing installation of the
flooring. Install 1/8” foam underlayment. Note: Use of
a floating floor 2 in 1 underlayment may be used, for
which different instructions should be used.
5. Securing a straight piece of lumber or piece of flooring
as a guide or starter board to prevent the floor from
shifting during installation is advised.
Installing the Floor
6. Insert spacers at walls to maintain the expansion
space between the flooring and the wall.
7. Lay the first two rows of flooring dry before beginning
to glue them down. From left to right, install the planks
so that the groove faces the starter board. When
reaching the end of the first row, cut the plank as
necessary to fit the room. Stagger end joints a
minimum of 16” and then 8” thereafter on the first four
rows.
8. Use the remainder of the plank from the first row to
start the second row. If the piece is less than 8” long,
cut a new plank in half and use that piece to start the
second row.
9. Lay the remainder of the planks in the second row.
Make sure that the rows are straight and no gapping
exists on the sides or ends. Once you have dry laid
the first two rows, remove all the planks in order. You
are ready to begin.