Instructions / Assembly

should be no more than a difference of 2% between
properly acclimated wood and subfloor. Failure to test for
proper moisture content of the wood flooring and subfloor
can result in cupping and/or other problems related to or
associated with moisture and are not covered under the
manufacturer’s warranty.
 Basements and crawl spaces must be dry. Use of a 6 mil
black polyethylene is required to cover 100% of the crawl
space earth.
 Crawl space clearance from ground to underside of joist
to be no less than 18” and perimeter vent spacing should
be equal to at least 1.5% of
the total square footage of
the crawl space area to
provide cross ventilation.
 The sub floor must be flat,
meeting a minimum of
3/16” within 10
’ or 1/8” in 6’.
For nail/staple down application use layers of 15lb. felt or
wooden shims to fill low spots. Staples must be able to
penetrate for holding power.
 All “wet” work – i.e. – paint, drywall, concrete, masonry,
plumbing must be complete and dry well in advance of
delivery of hardwood flooring
 Gutters and downspouts should be in place and the
exterior grade complete to allow for proper drainage of
water away from the building’s exterior perimeter.
 Permanent HVAC should be on and operational a
minimum of 7 days and maintained between 65 – 75
degrees and a relative humidity of 35%- 55% prior to
delivery, during, and after installation of the flooring.
STORAGE AND HANDLING
Solid wood flooring should be stored in the same environment
in which it is expected to perform. Acclimate the product for a
minimum of 72 hours or as long as needed in order to meet the
proper installation requirements. Opening of the cartons will
help to better acclimate material. Material is acclimated once
it has reached moisture equilibrium consistent with the
temperature and relative humidity of the job site and normal
living conditions. Do not store materials directly on concrete –
elevate material at least 4” above concrete. Do not deliver
material in inclement weather. Always store material in a dry
place.
WOOD SUBFLOOR GUIDELINES
Subfloor panels should conform to U.S. Voluntary Product
Standard PS1-95, Construction and Industrial Plywood and/or
US Voluntary PS 2-04 and/or Canadian performance standard
CAN/CSA 0325.0-92 Construction Sheathing. Other CSA
standards also apply.
Acceptable Panel Subfloors: Truss/joist spacing will
determine the minimum acceptable thickness of the panel
subflooring.
 On truss/joist spacing of 16” o/c or less the industry
standard for single panel subflooring is nominal 5/8”
19/32”, 15.1 mm) CD Exposure 1 subfloor panels, 4x8
sheets.
 On truss/joist spacing of more than 16”, up to 19.2”
(488mm) o/c, the standard is nominal ¾” (23/32”, 18.3
mm) T&G CD Exposure 1 Plywood subfloor panels,
(Exposure 1) or nominal ¾” 23/32”, (18.3mm) OSB
Exposure 1 subfloor panels, 4’x8’ sheets, glued and
mechanically fastened.
 Truss/joist systems spaced over more than 19.2” (488mm)
o/c up to a maximum of 24” (610mm) require nominal
7/8” T&G CD Exposure 1 Plywood subfloor panels,
(Exposure 1), or nominal 1” OSB Exposure 1 subfloor
panels, 4’x8’ sheets glued and mechanically fastened – or
two layers of subflooring or brace between the truss/joist
in accordance with the truss/joist manufacturer’s
recommendations and with local building codes. Some
truss/joist systems cannot be cross-braced and still
maintain stability.
 For existing wood floors
install new flooring at
right angles to the
existing flooring.

Do not install solid
hardwood flooring over
particle board.

Do not install over
existing glue down
hardwood floors.

For information on installing a subfloor over concrete
contact the National Wood Flooring Association at
1-800-422-4556
Pre installation/ Job Preparation
Inspect the Flooring – Inspect material for color, finish,
milling, and grade. Hold out pieces that may not be acceptable
once installed. PLEASE NOTE: We do not accept
responsibility for any costs incurred when plank(s) with
visible defects have been permanently installed.
Undercut Door Casings - Undercut all door casings 1/16"
higher than the thickness of the flooring being installed. To do
this, use a scrap piece of flooring as a guide. Lay it on the
substrate and cut the casing with a handsaw or use a power
jamb saw set at the correct height.
Blending of Cartons - To achieve a uniform appearance
across the entire floor, we highly recommend that you open
and work from several cartons at a time and dry-lay the
flooring, mixing the planks from several cartons. This will
allow you to blend the planks for maximum aesthetic
appearance. Make certain the room is well lit to ensure color is
consistent and that any visual defects can be seen and
removed.
Match Transition Moldings: For best appearances blend all
transitions and moldings to planks that have similar color and
graining. Set them aside for use as needed.
Layout of Flooring: “Racking the Floor” is essential to
achieve a random appearance. Start by either using random-
length planks found in the carton or by cutting four or five
planks in random lengths, differing by at least six inches, 8-
10”s for plank flooring. As you continue working across the
floor try to maintain a 6” (8”-10” for plank) minimum space
between the end joints. Randomly install different lengths to
avoid a patterned appearance. Never waste materials; the end
cuts from starter rows should be used at the opposite side of
the room to complete rows or used to start the next row.