Installation & Assembly

Engineered T&G – Installation Guidelines
Please contact your local dealer for questions and further information
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10. Begin gluing the boards; Run a continuous bead of
adhesive along the groove of the short side (width)
and the plank’s side groove (length). Proper
alignment is critical. Misaligned starter rows can
cause side and end gaps to appear in proceeding
rows of flooring.
11. Install first row of planks with groove facing the
straight edge. Work from right to left. Complete the
first row. Make sure there are no gaps between the
boards. Use a tapping block if needed to lock the
boards together. Immediately wipe away any
excessive adhesive with a clean, damp cloth.
CAUTION: Allowing adhesive to dry on the surface
can make it difficult to remove after installation and
cause a haze on the flooring.
12. At the end wall use an end pry bar, if needed, to pull
the ends of the planks tight.
13. Continue to install the floor working right to left,
repeating the process until the completion of the floor.
Continue to use the spacers on all vertical surfaces to
maintain the ½” expansion.
DO NOT USE laminate straps as they may damage
the flooring
14. The last row will most likely require cutting to fit the
exact width but should be no less than 1 1/2” wide.
15. Install cut planks and pull into place with a pry bar.
Install spacing wedges between planks and wall.
16. Remove the straight edge (starter row) and install the
last row using the pry bar. Allow floor to dry for a
minimum of 12 hours before removing all spacing
wedges and allowing foot traffic.
17. Wait until the following day to install trim and
moldings. Install trim and moldings the following day.
FLOATING INSTALLATION
(Exampt for products with OSB core)
Note: Tongue and groove adhesive must be used full
length on all joints when utilizing the floating installation
method.
1. Determine starting wall and direction to lay boards.
An outside wall is normally best as it is most likely
straight and square with the room.
2. Lay underlayment in same direction as boards using
a combination of polyethylene and foam
underlayment or a 2 in 1 combined product making
sure to tape the seams and overlap the poly edges
by 4" (do not overlap the actual foam pad). The
vapor barrier must be continuous without cuts or
punctures. Tape any tears, cuts and seams.
3. Begin installing the first row in the right corner of the
base wall. Install the first board so the short grooved
side is against the expansion shims to your right and
the long grooved length of the board is against the
expansion shims in front of you.
4. Maintain expansion gap of 1/2" between first board
and the wall by using spacers regularly along the
length of the wall. Determine straightness of wall by
snapping a chalk line. If starting wall is not straight,
make notation on first row and saw to shape.
5. Holding the board finished side down, apply 1/8”
bead of tongue and groove adhesive to bottom of
the groove on the end of the second board. Connect
the end of the second board to the end of the first
board, making sure the boards are tightly connected
and firmly positioned against the shims. Use the
hammer/rubber mallet and tapping block to tap the
tongue end of the second board to ensure a tight fit.
Never use the hammer or rubber mallet directly
on the flooring as this will cause damage to the
board.
6. Continue placing additional boards moving right to
left using the same procedure until the first row is
complete.
7. You will need to cut off the end of the final board,
save the remaining piece for the next row as long as
it is at least 6” long. Use the last board Puller to
ensure the last board is tight against the preceding
board. Place shims between the end of the last
board and the wall. Use the shims to wedge the row
in tight rendering it immobile.
8. Start each new row on the right side with the
remaining portion of the previous row as long as it is
at least 6” long; otherwise cut a new starter board.
Stagger end joints (at least 6") and randomly install
different lengths to ensure natural appearance. Do
not create discernible patterns such as “H” or
“steps”. Select boards to create a uniform
appearance without clusters of short lengths or
sections of light or dark planks. Do not install any