Installation Instructions

READ THIS GUIDE
PRIOR TO INSTALLATION
Installaon and maintenance guides may be revised periodically to
apply to new products or reflect changes in industry standards.
In addion to these guidelines, we recommended that
our products be installed in accordance with the
Naonal Wood Flooring Associaon (NWFA) Installaon
Guidelines. You can find the NWFA guidelines at
www.nwfa.org .
INSTALLER/OWNER RESPONSIBILITY
Open the boxes and check the products to ensure the material meets
the homeowner’s expectaons. If the material is not acceptable,
contact your dealer immediately and arrange for a replacement.
Our warranes DO NOT cover materials that are installed with visible
defects, variaons from plank to plank, or variaons from sample to
plank. Accepng or rejecng the material must be done on full
quanes only, not carton by carton or plank by plank. Requests for
replacement, refund, or compensaon made AFTER installaon will
NOT be honored. A defect/irregular tolerance of up to 5% is allowed
according to industry standards.
It is the responsibility of the installer/owner to determine if the job
site condions are acceptable for wood floor installaon. We decline
any responsibility for wood floor failure resulng from or connected to
job site environmental or construcon damage or due to subfloor
deficiencies aer hardwood flooring has been installed.
CAUTION: Wood Dust
Wood dust becomes a potenal health problem when wood parcles from
sanding and cung become airborne. Breathing these parcles may cause
allergic respiratory symptoms, mucosal and non-allergic respiratory symptoms,
and cancer. The extent of these hazards and the associated wood types have
not been clearly established.
Power tools should be equipped with a dust collector. If high dust levels are
unavoidable, an appropriate NIOSH-approved dust mask should be used. Avoid
eye and skin contact. First Aid- In case of irritaon, flush eyes or skin with water
for at least 15 minutes .
CAUTION: Proper Maintenance
Please ensure proper maintenance procedures and products are used.
Some flooring lines require natural oil care, and some require
urethane-friendly cleaners. The use of inappropriate cleaners could damage
the finish and void manufacturer warranty. WARNING: Not all floor cleaning
products marketed as wood floor cleaner are appropriate for your specific
floor finish.
I. PROPER SITE CONDITIONS AND HANDLING
● The building must be complete and enclosed. Permanent HVAC
systems must be working and in operaon 7 days prior to
installaon. It is essenal that all masonry, drywall, paint, and
all other “wet” work have been completed and given me to
thoroughly dry as this will affect the moisture content on the
job site. Overly dry or wet condions must be corrected before
installaon. Room temperature and humidity of installaon
areas should be consistent with normal, year-round living
condions for at least ONE WEEK before the installaon of
wood flooring. Room temperatures of 60ºF to 80 ºF and a
humidity range of 35% to 60% should be maintained
year-round. Supplemental humidificaon may be needed in dry
environments and regions to meet above normal living
condions. The exterior grading should be complete with all
guers, downspouts, and drainage directed away from the
building. Basement and crawlspace must have adequate cross
venlaon. Crawl spaces must be a minimum of 18” from
ground to underside of joists. Exposed earth should be fully
covered by a minimum 6mm black polyethylene vapor barrier
with joints overlapped and sealed with a moisture-resistant
tape. Refer to the Naonal Wood Flooring Associaon
Installaon Guidelines.
● Engineered wood flooring can be installed on, below and above
grade level, but should not be installed in wet areas such as full
bathrooms, pool areas, etc.
● Take special care when transporng and unloading hardwood
flooring at the job site. Flooring should be stored in small lots
in the rooms where the installaon will take place and in a job
controlled environment allowing for proper acclimaon.
II. SUBFLOOR PREPARATION
● The subfloor surface must be clean, free of any wax, dirt,
paint, oil, grease, curing compounds, and other debris and
be dry, flat, and structurally sound. The subfloor should be
flat to within 3/16” in a 10- feet radius. Sand or grind high
spots and fill low spots with an approved floor patch
compound. The surface temperature of the subfloor at the
me of installaon should be at least 60˚F but never exceed
80˚F. We will not be responsible for the replacement of any
product failure due to improper subfloor preparaon or
subfloor condions.
● CONCRETE SUBFLOOR: Test for excessive moisture. A
reading of over 3lbs. /1000 sq. . by Calcium Chloride test
requires the applicaon of a vapor retarder. ALWAYS
FOLLOW LOCAL CODES AND MANUFACTURER'S
INSTRUCTIONS FOR ACCEPTABLE VAPOR RETARDERS.
Ensure concrete has a minimum of 3000 PSI Compression.
For installaon over a lightweight concrete (less than 3000
PSI) requires addional preparaon. New concrete should be
completely cured for at least 60 days. Installers should refer
to the ASTM F2170 Standard Test Method.
● WOOD SUBFLOOR: When using the floang applicaon,
cover wall to wall with an underlayment overlapped at
seams (follow underlayment manufacturing instrucons). It
is recommended to tape overlapped edges with tape.
Re-secure any loose areas to prevent subfloor squeaking.
The moisture content (MC) of a wood subfloor should not
exceed 11%. In general, the moisture content of hardwood
flooring is between 6% and 9%, and the MC difference
between the subfloor and flooring should not exceed 2% on
a 3 ¼” or wider flooring.
● INSTALLATION OVER RADIANT HEATED FLOOR: Prior to
installaon over radiant heat systems it is important to refer
to the NWFA Installaon Guidelines Secon IV. Appendix H.
Failure to follow these guidelines can void your warranty and
may produce unsasfactory results.
Version,July 2020 Engineered Hardwood Flooring – Installaon Guide 1 of 2