Installation Guide

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Glue Spots on Face of Finished Floor
Adhesive can damage the floor’s finish, especially when it has dried. It is extremely important to take precautionary steps NOT to leave
finger prints or footprints marks on the face of the board. If glue comes in contact with the face of the board, remove immediately
with the adhesive remover recommended by the adhesive manufacturer. Use clean towels, changing frequently to prevent haze and
adhesive residue. If the spot removal damages the appearance of the boards, replace the board.
Helpful Pointers
General Tips
• Make sure your work area is well lit. Good visibility ensures that color is consistent and that visually defective planks are
detected and removed.
• The minimum length of the first and last plank is 12”. If the last plank will be less than 12”, adjust the length of the first
plank. The remainder of the last plank can be used as a starter board on the following rows.
• Using a shorter piece at undercut door jams will help when fitting flooring in place.
Glue-Down Installation Tips
• ALWAYS REFER TO THE SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS ON THE FLOORING ADHESIVE LABEL. The information given here is for typical
installation. Adjust it according to adhesive manufacturer’s instruction.
• Dry-lay means the glue has to set before placing floor planks in it. Wet-lay means the glue does not need to set before placing floor on
it.
• Use trowel as specified by adhesive manufacturer.
• Continuously check the transfer of adhesive THROUGHOUT the installation process. If the adhesive no longer transfers to the back
of the flooring material, it must be removed and new adhesive applied.
• Work your way out of the room.
• After the installation is completed, keep the floor free from daily foot traffic for a minimum of 24 hours to allow adhesive to properly
cure.
Cutting the Last Row to Width
• Most often the entire length of the last row will need to be cut so that it is narrow enough to fit the remaining space.
• Measure the distance between the floor face edge (exclude the tongue) to the wall. Subtract ½” from this measurement for
expansion gap. Draw a line. Cut through the line. Discard the excess piece. Proceed with installation.
Pre-Install Activities
• Subfloors should be in clean condition.
• Understand the parts of the locking part of the flooring plank. The tongue is the thinner extension coming out of the side of
the planks. The groove is the wider extension coming out of the other side of the floor plank. The ends do not have tongue
and groove. There is an upper drop-lock end on one side and a lower-drop lock end on the other side.
• Lay out several cartons. Randomly rack planks to ensure good color and shade mixture and end joint spacing. Minimum end
stagger is 6”. Inspect plank quality and grading.
• Lay out trim moldings in advance and find planks whose shade closely matches. Set these aside for future use.
• Remove existing base, shoe molding or threshold carefully. They can be used to cover the 1/2” expansion gap left around the
edge of the room.
• Undercut doors and casings using a handsaw laid flat on a piece of scrap flooring.
• Install moisture barrier on concrete. For concrete, let the moisture barrier run up the wall a bit before cutting to size and
tape all seams.
• Install the underlayment (if used) according to underlayment manufacture instructions.