Installation Guide

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Lowes.com
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Note: Whenjoistspacingexceedsthetraditional16in.center,manufacturerrecommendsyouapplyathinbeadoftonguegroovegluetothebottomside
ofthegroovetolockthetongueandgrooveproleinplace.Thiswillreducethepotentialformovementofthetongueandgroove,whichmaycontribute
tosqueakingorcrackle.Whenusingthismethodofinstallation,youmaycontinuetochoosetostapleornaildownthehardwood,dependingonyour
preference.
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.Crawl
spaceclearancefromgroundtoundersideofjoistshouldbenolessthan18in.andperimeterventspacingshouldbeequalto1.5%ofthetotalsquare
footage of the crawl space area to provide cross ventilation.

Concretesubstrateshouldbeatleast30daysold,constructedinaccordancewithASTME1745.Levelsubstrateandllallcracks,holesandlowspots
withapolymer-modiedcementpatchorlevelingcompound.Burnishedorsteeltroweledconcretesubstratesmustbeinspectedforporositybyplacinga
few drops of water on the surface. If the water is not absorbed within 3 minutes, the substrate should be considered non-porous. Abrade the surface with
30-gritsandpaperuntilporosityisachieved.Glueddownoorsmaybeappliedtoconcretewitharatingof3000PSIorgreater;glueddownapplication
overlightweightconcrete(lessthan3000PSI)isnotpermissible.

Theapprovedunderlaymentoorpanelsshouldmeetorexceedthefollowing:
•Plywood–MustbeminimumCDXgrade(exposure1)andmeetUSVoluntaryProductStandardPS1performancestandardorCanadianperformance
standardCAN/CSA0325-0-92.Thepreferredthicknessis3/4in.asasuboor[minimum5/8in.]or3/8in.asoorpanelunderlayment.
• Oriented Strand Board (OSB)–ConformingtoUSVoluntaryProductStandardPS2orCanadianperformancestandardCAN/CSA0325-0-92construction
sheathing.Checkundersideofpanelforcodes.Whenusedasasuboor,thepanelsmustbetongue-and-grooveandinstalledsealedsidedown.
Minimumthicknesstobe23/32in.whenusedasasubooror3/8in.asoorpanelunderlayment.
•–ConformingtoUSVoluntaryProductStandardPS2orCanadianperformancestandardCAN/CSA0325-0-92.Mustbe3/4
in.thickwhenusedasasuboorand3/8in.thickwhenusedasoorpanelunderlayment.
• Particleboard–Floatinginstallationsonly.Mustbeaminimum40lb.density,stampedunderlaymentgradeand3/4in.thick.

•Minimum3/4in.thickwithamaximumwidthof6in.installedata45°angletotheoorjoists.
•Group1densesoftwood(Pine,Larch,Douglasr,etc.)No.2common,kilndriedwithallboardendsbearingonjoists.
•Fordirectglue-downapplications,add3/8in.approvedoorpanelunderlayment.

•Existingengineeredooringmustbewellbonded/fastened.Whengluingoverexistingwoodooring,thesurfacenishmustbeabradedorremovedto
allowadequateadhesivebond.
•Existingsolidhardwoodooringthatexceeds6in.inwidthmustbecoveredwith3/8in.approvedunderlaymentandfastenedasrequired.
•DO NOTinstalloversolidorengineeredooringattacheddirectlytoconcrete.
•Woodsuboorsshouldbewellnailedorsecuredwithscrews.Nailsshouldberingshankandscrewsneedtobecountersunk.Thewoodsuboorneedsto
bestructurallysound.Ifsuboorpanelsareasinglelayer,lessthan3/4in.thick,addanothersinglecrosslayerforstrengthandstability(minimum3/8in.).
•Underlaymentoorpanelsmustbeinstalledsealedsidedown.Whenusedasasuboor,allow
1/8in.expansionspacebetweeneachpanel.Ifspacingisinadequate,cutinwithacircularsaw.Donotcutinexpansionspaceontongueandgroove
panels.Wheninstallingparalleltotheoorjoistsitmaybenecessarytoincreaserigidityofthestructuralsub-oorsystembyinstallinganadditional
minimumof3/8in.approvedunderlaymentoorpanel.

This product is NOT recommendedforinstallationoverradiantheatoorsystems.

•Gluingofengineeredwoodooringisnotrecommendedoverlightweightconcretesuboors.Totestforlightweightoracousticalconcrete,scrapeacoin
orkeyacrossthesurfaceofthesuboor.Ifthesurfacepowderseasilyorhasadrydensityofl00poundsorlesspercubicfoot,theooringshouldnotbe
installed.

•Perimetergluedresilientvinylandrubbertilesareunacceptableunderlaymentsandmustberemoved.Terrazzo,vinyl,resilienttile,corkandlinoleumor
hardsurfacesthataredry,structurallysoundandlevelaresuitableasasuboor.Asabove,thesurfacemustbesound,tightandfreeofpaint,oil,existing
adhesives,wax,greaseanddirt.Terrazzoandceramictilemustbescuffedtoassureadhesion.