Installation Guide

4
PREPARATION
Storage and Handling
• Handle and unload with care. Store in a dry place, being sure to provide at least a 4 in. air space
under cartons that are stored upon “on-grade” concrete oors. Flooring shall not be delivered until
the building has been enclosed with windows, doors are in place, and cement work, plastering and
all other “wet” work is completed and dry. Concrete should be at least 60 days old. Although it is
not necessary to acclimate engineered ooring it is best to store it in the environment in which it
is expected to perform prior to installation. DO NOT open cartons of locking hardwood ooring in
advance of installation. Air conditioning/heating systems should be in place and in operation at least
14 days prior, during and after installation of the ooring.
Suboor Conditions
Floating oors may be installed over any suboor that is structurally sound, at, clean and dry on all
grade levels. All substrates must meet or exceed all applicable building codes and be:
• Clean–Suboor must be free of wax, paint, oil, sealers, adhesives and other debris.
• Flat–Within 3/16 in. in 10 ft. and/or 1/8 in. in 6 ft. Sand high areas or joints. Fill low areas with a
latex additive cementitious leveling compound (not included) of 3,000-PSI minimum compressive
strength. Follow the instructions of the leveling compound manufacturer. Leveling compounds must
be tested for moisture to ensure they are within the specied requirements for proper installation.
• Dry–Check and document moisture content of the suboor using the appropriate moisture test.
Moisture content of wood suboors must not exceed 13% on a wood moisture meter, or read more
than a 4% difference from the moisture level of the product being installed.
• Structurally Sound–Nail or screw any loose areas that squeak. Wood panels should exhibit an
adequate nailing pattern. A typical pattern is 6 in. along bearing edges and 12 in. along intermediate
supports. Flatten edge swell as necessary. Replace any water-damaged, swollen or delaminated
subooring or underlayments.
Note: Avoid suboors with excessive vertical movement. Optimum performance of hardwood oor
covering products occurs when there is little horizontal or vertical movement of the suboor. If the
suboor has excessive vertical movement (deection) before the installation of the ooring it is likely it
will do so after installation of the ooring is complete. Spacing and spans, as well as their engineering
methods, are the responsibility of the builder, engineer, architect or consumer, who is better able to
evaluate the expected result based on site related performance.