Installation Guide

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ENGINEERED HARDWOOD

INSTALLATION GUIDELINES

Engineered flooring can be installed in one of the following manners: High quality adhesive with its corresponding vapor retarder, 18-gage ¼” crown

staple by 1 ½” long, or floating method using recommended tongue and grove adhesive. Note: We do not recommend floating 3/8” products due to the

inherent lightness of the product.

READ BEFORE INSTALLATION

STOP! IMPORTANT INFORMATION

GUIDELINE DISCLAIMER: COMPLETELY READ AND UNDERSTAND THESE GUIDELINES BEFORE INSTALLATION BEGINS. FAILURE TO DO

SO CAN/WILL RESULT IN THE FOLLOWING DAMAGE TO YOUR FLOOR: CUPPING, WARPING, BOWING, TWISTING, BUCKLING, SHRINKING,

END-JOINT PEAKING, DELAMINATION, GAPPING, CHECKING, CRACKING, SPLITTING, DISCOLORING, EARLY WEAR, DENTING,

SCRATCHING, HOLLOWS, URETHAN BLISTERS, URETHANE SHEAR, COMPRESSION STRESS, COMPRESSION SET, AS WELL AS

ADHESIVE BOND RELEASE. FAILURE TO ABIDE BY THESE GUIDELINES CAN/WILL VOID ANY/ALL WARRANTIES OFFERED BY

MANUFACTURER. (NOTE: MANUFACTURER DOES NOT WARRANTY INSTALLATIONS, NOR DO WE WARRANTY THE PERFORMANCE OF

OTHER MANUFACTURER’S PRODUCTS, I.E. IN THE EVENT THAT MANUFACTURER RECEIVES A CLAIM INVOLVING SQUEAKY FLOOR

SYNDROM, HOLLOWS, BOND RELEASE AND/OR MOISTURE EMISSION CAUSED/RELATED DAMAGE, MANUFACTURER WILL REFER YOU

OVER TO THE ADHESIVE MANUFACTURER FOR ANY/ALL APPLICABLE WARRANTY COVERAGE).

Prior to installing engineered flooring; materials MUST be tested for recommended moisture content (i.e., 7 to 10 percent. Jobsite

temperature and relative humidity levels MUST also be carefully measured and recorded daily during the installation process. The

homeowner/contractor MUST maintain the temperature and relative humidity level in the recommended ranges (60 to 80f and 35 to 55rh) to

ensure maximum performance and moisture content

Newly Constructed Building: In newly constructed buildings, hardwood flooring should be one of the last items installed. All work involving water or

moisture MUST be completed prior to the delivering of wood flooring to the job site. In addition, all doors and windows must be installed and weather

striped.

HVAC System: NEVER turn off the Heating Ventilation Air-Conditioning or Humidification (HVAC) system when you’re away from your home/building

(i.e., during times of absence such as vacations). By doing so you may return to a floor that has cupped, or has a severe case of shrinking/gapping,

splitting, checking and/or stress caused delamination.

Acclimation: Engineered wood floors do not require pre-installation acclimation for “any” specified amount of time. However, the environment MUST

represent “normal live-in conditions”, which is interpreted to mean an environment maintained at 35 to 55 percent relative humidity and a temperature

of 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit respectively. These conditions MUST have been established at least 5-days prior to delivering the flooring to the job-

site and continue for the life of the floor. All doors and windows MUST be installed and weather striped prior to delivering the flooring to the job-site.

OWNER/DEALER/INSTALLER RESPONSIBILITY

Products are manufactured according to accepted industry standards, which permit a defect tolerance of 5%.

Product Quality: The contractor/installer/end-user assumes all responsibility for final inspection of product quality. The flooring MUST be

inspected at time of delivery and prior to installation. Carefully examine the flooring for moisture content (7.0% to 10.0%), color, grade, finish quality or

any damage during transit before installing it. The installer should use reasonable selectivity to cull out or cut off unacceptable pieces. If the flooring

material is considered unacceptable, “STOP DO NOT INSTALL THE FLOOR”, but contact the dealer immediately. Once the flooring is installed,

there is no question as to its acceptability.

Informing the Homeowner: Homeowner(s) MUST be made aware of color variations, graining ranges, the effect that moisture has on wood flooring;

the importance of maintaining a controlled environment (60 to 80f and 35 to 55rh respectively) before, during and after the installation for the life of the

floor. Also, the proper way in which to maintain wood floors and the effect that UV light has on wood, especially exotic woods. All products offered

by this Manufacturer will change color over time. The degree of change depends on the species and the amount of UV exposure. Typically

speaking, wood usually darkens over time however, some wood species will actually lighten when exposed to UV light.

Waiver: Unless a waiver or letter of protest listing exceptions exists, installation constitutes acceptance of wood flooring, the subfloor/substrate, the job

itself – including the ambient conditions i.e. temperature and relative humidity at the time of installation, and all impacting variables that may affect a

wood floor.

Environment: Prior to installation, the installer MUST determine that the environment of the job site and the conditions are suitable to the

material that is being installed. The installer is responsible for determining the moisture content/emission rate of the sub floor/sub-strate as per the

National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) installation guidelines, SECTION V – Appendix AA Moisture Testing Procedures for Concrete Slabs,

(specifically the Calcium Chloride test) and Appendix AB Moisture Testing for Wood. All test results MUST be carefully documented and made

available to the homeowner prior to installing the flooring. Manufacturer declines any responsibility for job failure from or associated with inappropriately

or improperly prepared sub-floors or job site environment deficiencies. Also, Manufacturer “HIGHLY” recommends that the installer/contractor take

daily readings of the ambient conditions of the environment in which the flooring will be installed i.e. temperature and relative humidity levels and

record the results on a daily log sheet as well as take periodic moisture readings of the wood floor and sub floor during the installation process and

record the results of those readings as well.

Summary of content (6 pages)

PAGE 1
ENGINEERED HARDWOOD INSTALLATION GUIDELINES Engineered flooring can be installed in one of the following manners: High quality adhesive with its corresponding vapor retarder, 18-gage ¼” crown staple by 1 ½” long, or floating method using recommended tongue and grove adhesive. Note: We do not recommend floating 3/8” products due to the inherent lightness of the product.
PAGE 2
The homeowner MUST be made aware of the effect that moisture has on wood flooring e.g. moisture gain can result in cupping, buckling, cracking, splitting, checking, warping, ware-layer delamination/separation and/or cross-ply delamination/separation from the sub-floor and possible damage to surrounding walls, tile/stone floors, cabinetry etc. Moisture loss can also result in splitting/separation of the segments, gapping, surface and or end checking and everything else mentioned with moisture gain.
PAGE 3
Cleanliness: For glue down applications, the subfloor MUST be free from any/all paint, oil, greases, drywall mud/dust, release agents and all other types of residues/contaminates. Floor Flatness: The subfloor should be level in general however; it MUST be flat to within 3/16” over a 10-foot radius, in all directions. When using a self-leveling or patch type product to correct for floor flatness issues.
PAGE 4
Expansion Space: Allow at least (1/2”minimum) of expansion space at all wall and vertical obstructions. Expansion space will be concealed using baseboard and quarter round trim. Wood flooring will change in size according to changes in the ambient conditions of the structure (i.e. temperature and relative humidity levels). Insufficient expansion space can result in cupping, buckling, blisters, edge crush, delamination, cracking, splits and checking in the flooring.
PAGE 5
IMPORTANT: Manufacturer requires the use of a manufacturer approved vapor retarding system be applied over the surface of the wood sub floor or concrete slab prior to installing the floor when using the floating floor system. NOTE: most 2 in one and 3 in one underlayment’s ONLY protect against 4 lbs. of moisture emission over 1,000 sq. ft. in 24 hours.
PAGE 6
Disclaimer of Non-Responsibility: Statement/disclaimer of non-responsibility (voids any/all applicable warranties offered by the Manufacturer) pertaining to labor/material costs and or damages caused to any/all cabinets, furniture, counter tops, built-in ranges/stoves, moldings/trims, fixed furniture/wall units, wall paper, painting, specialized plaster coatings, drywall etc., as a result of removal of the flooring, cupping, buckling, twisting, bowing, shrinking, lifting, moving etc.