Installation Guide

Questions? [phone]
www.CaliBrands.com
Odyssey Flooring Installation Guide
Installation of CALI Flooring
General Guidelines - All Installation Types
• Follow CALI Care & Maintenance Guidelines to keep your floor looking its best after installation.
• Save extra flooring for future repairs.
• Do not install permanent of fixed cabinetry if you are using the floating method to install. This will automatically void
structural warranty. If gluing or nailing the floor this is still not a recommended practice, however, it will not void
warranty.
• Floor should be installed from several cartons at the same time to ensure good color, shade and appearance.
• Most installation failures result from jobsite moisture. Do not deliver flooring to the jobsite until problems are corrected.
• Engineered hardwood flooring installed below grade is warrantied with the use of an appropriate moisture barrier. CALI
recommends Titebond 531+ Moisture Control.
• CALI always recommends using a vapor barrier ona wood subfloor, especially if the moisture content of the flooring and
subfloor vary greater than 3%.
• NEVER install any flooring against any vertical fixed object such as fireplace, columns, floor outlets, etc. Failure to follow
this guideline may result in tenting or buckled floors.
• 3M blue painter tape #2080 can be used to keep rows or sections of floor boards together until the adhesive has cured.
(Incorrect or aggressive tape can harm the finish, do not leave tape on flooring for more than 4-6 hrs.)
• During installation, it is the installer’s responsibility to document all jobsite conditions and measurements including
the installation date, flooring moisture content, site relative humidity, temperature, and subfloor moisture content. This
information must be retained by the installer and left with the property owner as a permanent record.
• Depending on the application, CALI engineered hardwood flooring can be installed over an approved underlayment to
provide greater thermal insulation and sound isolation qualities. CALI recommends the use of Cali Complete® All-in-
One Underlayment, which offers several benefits that include industry-leading moisture warranty, step noise reduction,
increased walking comfort, and long-lasting durability.
• Heavy furniture (500+ lbs.) may obstruct the free, natural movement of a floated floor. Restricting this movement in
certain areas can lead to problems such as buckling or separation when the floor experiences natural expansion and/
or contraction. CALI does not warrant the use of the float-
installation method if using heavy furniture.
Expansion Space Is Required
• Since wood expands with any increase in moisture content,
we require leaving at least 1/2-inch expansion space between
flooring and all vertical objects (walls, cabinets, pipes, etc.). If
the installation area exceeds 30 feet, a greater expansion space
is required; approximately 1/16-inch for every additional ten (10)
feet. For float installations that flow into other rooms, a transition
piece must be used in doorways and openings between rooms
(halls, archways, etc.) 3 feet or less to allow separate areas to move
without interference.
• Note that proper expansion space depends not only on the size and flow of the installation, but also on expected seasonal
changes in temperature and humidity that may cause the flooring to gain or lose moisture content over time. For example, if an
installation takes place when humidity conditions are low, it’s likely that the wood flooring will gain moisture and expand later
during humid seasons. In those cases, incorporate additional expansion space through use of spacers or transition moldings.
• Hardwood floors must be able to expand/contract without interference. NEVER install flooring against any vertical or fixed
object such as fireplace, columns, islands, door jambs, floor outlets, etc. Failure to follow this guideline may result in tenting,
separation or buckled floors. Do not install cabinets or other permanent fixtures on top of on top of a floating floor. Never nail
or screw anything through a hardwood floor. If you have extremely heavy furniture items, install the floor using the glue-down
method or nail-down method as opposed to floating the floor.
• To cover your expansion space, CALI carries matching wood flooring accessories which include reducers, t-moldings, quarter
rounds, thresholds, and stair nosings. CALI also offers all of the glues and adhesives you will need for to complete your
project. Please visit CALI’s Flooring Accessories webpage.
• Undercut door casings and jambs. Remove any existing base, shoe mold or doorway thresholds. These items can be replaced
after installation. When undercutting door casings the installer should confirm there is the recommended expansion space.
The floor must have 1/16-inch clearance under the door casing to be able to float freely without vertical restriction. The
installer should ensure that the plank can move freely under the door jamb.
Installation