Installation Guide

Owner/Installer Checklist & Responsibility
The owner/installer assumes all responsibility for the nal inspection
of the product. Check ooring BEFORE installation and immediately
contact your dealer or retailer if you feel the material is not acceptable.
Warranties do NOT cover materials with visible defects once they are
installed.
Real wood oors are a natural product and every plank is unique. These
features can include (but are not limited to) natural color variation, knots,
worm holes, distinctive grain, etc. and are not aws. Our hardwood oors
are manufactured to accepted industry standards which permit natural and/
or manufacturing grading defects not to exceed 5%.
It is the responsibility of the installer/owner to determine if the job site
suboor and conditions are environmentally and structurally acceptable
for wood ooring installation. Manufacturer is not responsible for wood
oor failure resulting from or connected with suboor, subsurface, job site
damage or deciencies after the ooring has been installed.
The installer must document all site tests (suboor and planks’ moisture
levels, room temperature, home’s relative humidity) at the time of instal-
lation and these should be retained. These records, along with the original
proof of purchase (itemized sales receipt or customer agreement) will be
needed if a warranty claim is ever led.
Visit the National Wood Flooring Association’s (NWFA) website at
www.woodoors.org for installation and care tips.
Job Site Must Be Ready
The structure must be completely enclosed. All plumbing and dry wall
work should be complete. The heat and air conditioning systems must
be operating at 60-80 degrees F and the relative humidity (RH) should
be normal (35-55%) for 14 days prior to the ooring installation. These
temperature and RH levels must be maintained during and after the instal-
lation.
The use of a dehumidier or humidier may be required in some areas of
the country to maintain these levels. Cupping, gapping, etc. can occur if a
proper environment is not maintained.
Check basements and crawl spaces to insure they are dry and well ventilat-
ed. Earthen crawl spaces must have a minimum of 6 mil black polyure-
thane lm with seams overlapped and taped.
Installation Methods
The oor is milled with a locking prole that enables the oor to be
clicked together and oated without the use of glue or fasteners. A oat-
ing oor expands and contracts with environmental changes such as tem-
perature and relative humidity so it is imperative that an expansion space
equal to the thickness of the ooring planks be left around the perimeter of
the room and around all vertical features (such as cabinets, stairways, etc.).
The oor may also be fully glued directly to an acceptable sub-oor. Call
our Technical Services Department at 855-296-6857 for glue down instal-
lation instructions.
The oor is not designed to be stapled or nailed down.
Installation Locations
May be installed on any level: on, above or below grade (basements).
Not warranted for installation in full bathrooms due to the potential for
excessive moisture.
May be installed by oating installation method on most any clean, dry,
at and structurally sound suboor including ooring grade plywood,
OSB, particle board, lightweight concrete, concrete or existing oors that
are secured. If plywood is used over an existing oor, the combined thick-
ness of the plywood and existing oor must be at least ¾” thick. If install-
ing by fully gluing to the suboor, refer to separate glue down instructions.
Installing with Floor Heating Systems
Only Oak species are approved to install over suboor radiant heating
systems.
Closely follow the heating regulation recommendations given by the
system supplier.
The suboor temperature should never exceed 75 degrees F.
Floating oor foam underlayment that is a maximum of 1/8” thick must be
used on top of suboors with radiant heat systems.
Flooring Acclimation and Storage
Store the unopened cartons of ooring in a climate-controlled area be-
tween 60-80 degrees F and a relative humidity (RH) of 35-55%.
Flooring should be left in cartons, stored at and raised off of the suboor.
Allow the ooring to acclimate/condition in the climate-controlled area
where it will be installed for a minimum of 72 hours before installing.
Suboor Preparation
Suboors must be at to within 3/16” in a 10’ radius. Use a straight edge
to determine atness throughout. Suboor irregularities may cause any
wood ooring installation to develop hollow spots between the oor and
suboor. Irregularities should be corrected before proceeding with the
installation. If the oor exes, it may cause squeaking or over time the
locking system may weaken.
Clean the suboor by removing any paint, wax, plaster, sheetrock, mud,
etc. Sweep or vacuum thoroughly.
The suboor and ooring plank moisture must be checked. If excess
moisture is present, then the moisture issues must be addressed (utilizing
sealants or other remedies) and the suboor moisture retested. Do not
install the oor until the moisture requirements are met.
Wood suboors should be checked in multiple locations using a probe
style moisture meter. In general, wood suboors should not exceed 14%
MC (moisture content) and the MC variance between the sub-oor and the
new wood ooring that will be installed should not exceed 4%.
Concrete suboors should be tested in multiple locations utilizing one of
these methods:
▪ Electrical Impedance Test and Electrical Resistance Test
(Concrete Moisture Meters). Follow the manufacturer’s
instructions and do not install the oor if the meter shows there
is excess moisture.
▪ Relative Humidity Test (standard test method for determining
relative humidity on concrete slabs is utilizing Situ Probes). If
test shows over 75%, a vapor retarder must be used or wait for
further curing.
▪ Calcium Chloride Test (ASTM F-1869). Reading over 5 lbs.
are unacceptable and must be corrected prior to installation.
▪ New concrete suboors should be at least 30 days old.
As part of your suboor prep, remove any existing quarter round, shoe
molding or doorway thresholds. They can be replaced after installation in
such a way as to allow the required expansion space around the perimeter
of the room. All door casings should be notched out or undercut to allow
room for the required expansion space and to avoid difcult scribe cuts.
Use a piece of the new ooring on the suboor as a height guide for your
handsaw or jamb saw.
Click Wood Flooring Installation
Please read all of these instructions completely before beginning installation.
04/01/20