Inspect ALL materials carefully BEFORE installation. Wood is a natural product containing natural characteristics such as natural variations in color, tone and graining. Some variation in color is to be expected in a natural wood floor.

Basic tools and accessories: broom or vacuum, chalk line, tapping block, Professional Choice cleaner, hand or electric jam saw, miter saw, moisture meter, safety glasses, straight edge, table saw, tape measure, 3M blue tape, square, utility knife, pry bar. Use Professional Choice urethane wood flooring adhesive, towels and trowel if gluing or staple or nail gun (see manufacturers suggestions) for nailing or stapling applications.

Caution: Improper use of a power nailer can mark the surface of the flooring

It is the responsibility of the installers/owner to determine if the job site sub-floor and job site conditions are environmentally and structurally acceptable for wood floor installation.

Concrete Sub-Floors

New concrete slabs require a minimum of 60 days drying time before covering them with a wood floor.

Lightweight concrete

Lightweight concrete that has a dry density of 100 pounds or less per cubic foot is not suitable for wood floors. Many products have been developed as self-leveling toppings or floor underlayments. These include cellular concrete, resin-reinforced cementitious underlayments, and gypsum-based materials. Although some of these products may have the necessary qualifications of underlayment for wood flooring installations, others do not.

To test for lightweight concrete, scrape a coin or key across the surface of the subfloor. If the surface powders easily or has a dry density of l00 pounds or less per cubic foot, do not install Flooring.

Concrete sub-floors must be dry, smooth (level with 3/16" in a 10 foot. Radius – 1/8" in 6 Ft.) and free of structural defects. Hand scrape or sand with a 20-grit #3-1/2 open face paper to remove loose, flaky concrete. Grind high spots in concrete and fill low spots with a Portland based leveling compound (min. 3,000 p.s.i.) Concrete must be free of paint, oil, existing adhesives, wax grease, dirt and curing compounds. These may be removed mechanically but do not use solvent-based strippers under any circumstances. The use of residual solvents can prohibit the satisfactory bond of flooring adhesives. It is important to ensure a proper bond between the adhesive and the concrete, and planks or strips. Engineered hardwood flooring may be installed on-grade, above grade, as well as below grade where moisture conditions do not exist.To ensure a long lasting bond, make sure that the perimeter of the foundation has adequate drainage and vapor barrier.

Wood sub-floors need to be well nailed or secured with screws. Nails should be ring shanks and screws need to be counter sunk. The wood sub-floor needs to be structurally sound and dry. They should not exceed 14% moisture prior to installation. If the sub-floor is single layer, less than 3/4" thick, add a single cross layer for strength and stability (minimum 5/16" thick for a total 1" thickness). This is to reduce the possibility of squeaking Wood sub-floors must be free of paint, oil, existing adhesives, wax, grease, dirt and urethane, varnish etc. Underlayment grade OSB (not the wax side) is also suitable sub-floors. Particleboard is not an acceptable sub-floor for staple or nail down installations but can be used as a sub-floor in glue-down installations. When installing over existing wood flooring, install at right angles to the existing floor.

Sub-floor moisture check

Flooring Adhesive may be used for above, on, and below grade applications and on all common substrates. On and below grade applications are susceptible to moisture and should be tested for moisture prior to installation in several locations within the installation area. Acceptable conditions for above on and below grade applications are:

<Less than 3lbs./1000 sq. ft./24 hrs. on a calcium chloride test.

Less than a reading of 5.0 on a Tramex Concrete Moisture Encounter (moisture meter).

Wood Substrates must have a moisture reading of less than 14% when using a Tramex or Delmhorst or equivalent moisture meter.

To correct any sub-floor problems concerning moisture, either wait until the sub-floor dries to meet specifications or use an appropriate moisture barrier.

Perimeter glued resilient vinyl and rubber tiles are unacceptable underlayments and must be removed.

Sub-floors other than wood or concrete

Radiant Heated Sub-floors

Before installing over a radiant-heated floor turn off heat and wait until the floor has reached room temperature. After installing the floor return the heat to the previous setting.

The slab surface must never exceed 85^o F. in temperature.

PREPARATION

Remove all moldings and wall-base and undercut all door casings with a hand or power jam saw using a scrap piece of flooring as a guide.

Note: When installing a pre-finished wood floor be sure to blend the wood from several cartons to ensure a good grain and shading mixture through out the installation.

GLUE DOWN INSTALLATION GUIDELINES

There are two ways to install when using Professional Choice adhesive (wet lay meaning to lay directly into wet adhesive and dry-lay method meaning to allow the adhesive to flash or to tack up.)

Step 3

Install the first row of starter planks with the tongue facing the starter wall and secure into position. Alignment is critical and can be achieved by securing a straight edge along the chalk line (2"x 4"s work well), or by top nailing the first row with finishing nails (wood sub-floor), or sprig/pin nails (concrete sub-floor). This prevents slippage of the planks that can cause misalignment.

Step 4

Once the starter rows are secure spread 2-1/2 to 3 feet of adhesive the length of the room. (Never lay more adhesive than can be covered in approximately 2 hrs.)

Place tongue into groove of plank or strips and press firmly into adhesive never slide planks or strips through adhesive. Use a tapping block to fit planks snug together at side and butt-ends.

Test for proper bond by occasionally lifting a board and looking for good coverage (90%), then replace it into the adhesive.

Clean any adhesive off the surface before it cures using clean terry cloth towels and Professional Choice Urethane Remover.

Secure your starter rows with a straight edge (2"x 4"s ). Install planks and secure with 3M Blue Mask Tape as you continue through out your installation. If you must work on top of the newly laid flooring use a kneeling board.

Once the remainder of the floor has been installed go back to the beginning and remove straight edges and spread adhesive on the remainder of the open subfloor, allow to flash for the appropriate time and lay flooring as instructed. Remembering that the planks closest to the wall may need cutting to fit, due to irregularities along the wall. When using Professional Choice Flooring Adhesive it is not necessary to roll the floor.

Use clean white terry cloth towels to clean as you go, along with Professional Choice Flooring Cleaner. Both are easy and convenient to use. Adhesive that has cured on the surface of the flooring can be difficult to remove and will require the use of Professional Choice Urethane Remover. Once the floor is completed clean the flooring with Professional Choice Flooring cleaner.

Light foot traffic is allowed after 12 hours but wait 24 hours after installation to remove the 3M blue masking tape. Once the tape is removed clean any adhesive residue left from the tape with Professional’s Choice Flooring Cleaner.

STAPLE OR NAIL DOWN INSTALLATIONS

Depending on thickness engineered hardwood floors may be installed over wood sub-floors using staples or nailing cleats.

When installing engineered wood planks or strips by nailing or stapling, it is necessary to use the proper type of Flooring stapler or nailer.

Recommended Staplers and Nailers

For recommended stapler or nailer see manufactures suggestions on the proper tool.

Step 1

You must staple or nail 1" – 2" from the ends and every 4" – 6" along the edges. This will help insure a satisfactory installation. It is best to set the compressor PSI at 80 - 85lbs. to keep the staples from going through or breaking the tongues. Improper stapling techniques can cause squeaks in the floor.

Adjustments may be necessary to provide adequate penetration of the nail or staple into the nail bed. You want it flush in the nail pocket. Use a scrap piece of flooring material to set tools properly before installation.

Before installation of the engineered flooring begins, install a 6 mil polyethylene layer over the sub-floor. This will retard moisture from below and may help prevent squeaks. Keep in mind there is no complete moisture barrier system for staple or nail down installations. A 15lb roofing felt or resin paper may be substituted for the polyethylene and installed as below.

Installing 6 mil Polyethylene

Install the polyethylene parallel to the direction of the flooring and allow a 3" overhang. at the perimeter. Make sure each run of polyethylene overlaps the previous run by 6" or more.

Layout the job

Measure out from the ends of your starting wall, 2 3/4" when installing 2 1/4" strip flooring or 3 1/2" when installing 3" planks and mark both ends. Where possible lay the flooring at 90^o angles to the floor joists. Make a chalk line along the starting wall using the marks you made.

Beginning installation

Place the planks with the tongue facing away from the wall and along your chalk line. Use brads or small finishing nails to secure the first starter row along the wall edge 1" – 2" from the ends and every 4" – 6" along the side. Counter sink the nails and fill with the matching wood color putty that blends with the flooring installed. Place the nails in a dark grain spot in the board. The base or shoe molding will cover the nails when installed after completion of the installation.

Blind nail at a 45^o-degree angle through the tongues. It will be easier IF YOU PRE-DRILL THE HOLES IN THE TONGUES. Nail 1" – 2" from the ends and every 4" – 6" along the sides. It will be necessary to blind nail the next 2 rows. A Stanley BT35 brad nailer with 1"-1-3/8" brads can also be used to blind nail and no pre-drilling is needed.

Continue the installation using an engineered wood flooring stapler, using staples or nails recommended by flooring manufacturer. Nail or staple the flooring 1" – 2" from the ends and every 4" – 6" along the edge tongues.

Final Touches

Install the proper trim molding at the doorways to achieve the transition and along the walls to cover the edges of any gaps along the wall due to irregularity.

Complete the job by using Professional Choice Flooring Filler that blends with the installed flooring to fill any gapping along the joints and clean the finished floor with Professional Choice Flooring Cleaner.