Hardwood floor installation do it yourself

Hand Scraped What is Hand Scraped flooring? Reclaimed What is reclaimed material? Exotics What is exotic flooring? Laminate What is laminate flooring? Waterproof Floors What is Waterproof Flooring? Unfinished What is unfinished flooring?

Boardwalk Hardwood Floors. Info Email. Professional Equipment Rentals. For nail downs on the other hand, it's just a matter of keeping the same pattern and don't repeat rows with the same width.

That is unless you prefer that look. Anything goes with random plank, but you'll notice there aren't many that offer the flexibility we do. See more on random width plank and how to figure the formula in what you need. Across many pages on the site you will notice I do not recommend gluedown installations for folks wanting to do the work themselves.

Consider a professional with the experience on this one. There's a lot of hands and knees work. Gluedowns can also get extremely messy with some of the adhesives being used today. Consider it this way. When urethane based adhesives first came into play in the mid 90's my first job was a mess Thank goodness it wasn't a prefinished floor!

It was a specialty unfinished gluedown that would be sanded and finished once the installation was completed. The sanding machines took care of the excess glue, but I got a lot of heat from the finishers. Having been more familiar with the other adhesives which are now banned by the EPA that weren't as gooey, I had the stuff everywhere and considered myself a pretty clean worker.

At that time, few if any of us, knew how difficult urethane adhesives were to remove once cured on the surface of the floor. Often a warning comes with these types, clearly visible on the top of each container. With prefinished wood flooirng that is not thoroughly cleaned at the end of each day, the cleanup chore can be another nightmare. I've even heard of a few cases where cleanup was next to impossible.

Replacement of the brand new floor was the only option. Expect aching knees and fingers with gluedowns. Once again, if the product is not milled well, you're likely to be fighting it all day long. Hence the reason for sore fingers trying to pull the planks together. We have many tips on keeping that installation tight on our gluedown tips pages. It is as simple as it sounds! I really don't think it can get any easier. The lock and fold idea simply goes as easy as placing a board on the subfloor, grabbing another piece, engage the tongue and groove and move to the next board.

The locking takes place when additional boards are in reality folded over the other. Floating floor glued types will require more time than lock and fold if they're wide plank.

You'll be on your hands and knees all day long and always reaching in dozens of different positions for that hammer and tapping block. With a glued type floating floor you'll probably do just as I do and leave the glue bottle and cleanup rag more than an arms reach away.

Good exercise yes, but this type goes much quicker than naildowns or direct gluedowns. At one time manufacturers rarely had products under seven inches in width designated for floating. The DIY explosion and competition seemingly forced many into allowing more common three and five inch boards to be installed via the glue and tap method. Why the sudden switch when these same products would not be warranted previously with the glue method is beyond anyone's guess.

Now that many common three inch wide engineered planks can be floated, time involved will increase dramatically opposed to the wide plank. The fundamental reason is you'll be dealing with random sized lengths, and in some cases product lines that have many shorter pieces. De-gloss flooring as necessary to create a good adhesive bond using an abrasive pad. If vinyl appears to have a coating of wax or other maintenance materials, it must be removed with the appropriate floor stripper.

Allow ample drying time. Note: Do not sand any resilient products for they may contain asbestos fibers, which may be harmful. Do not install over floors that exceed two layers. Cork floors must have all sealers and surface treatments removed before installation begins. The surface should be cleaned and abraded to create a good bonding surface for the adhesive.

Loose tiles must be re-adhered to the subfloor or filled as above. Remove all sealers and surface treatments. Glue-Down Only Engineered flooring can be glued directly over full-spread, permanently bonded acoustic cork. The cork should have a density of no less than The cork, in general, should be pure cork combined with a polyurethane binder.

Undercut door casings. Remove any existing base, shoe mold or doorway thresholds. These items can be replaced after installation. All door casings should be notched out or undercut to avoid difficult scribe cuts.

NOTE: Installation of a 6-mil poly vapor barrier between the subfloor and the wood flooring can reduce expansion and contraction of flooring. NOTE: Avoid installing from the surface of the flooring. If necessary distribute weight using a kneeler board. During the installation occasionally remove a piece of flooring from the subfloor and inspect the back for proper adhesive transfer. Adequate adhesive transfer is necessary to ensure sufficient holding strength. NOTE: Clean adhesive from the surface of the floor frequently using the recommended adhesive cleaner.

Do not use blue tape before adhesive is removed. Use clean towel, changed frequently to prevent haze and adhesive residue. To protect your investment and to assure that your floors provide lasting satisfaction, we have provided our recommendations below. Major damage will require board replacement, which can be done by a professional floor installer. Concrete Slabs Floating floors can be glued directly to concrete or floated over them.

In glue-down applications, do not use a concrete sealer nor install over one. Clean the surface thoroughly with a good quality household detergent. Do not direct glue to floors that exceed two layers; install as a floating system only under these circumstances.

Cork floors must have all sealers and surface treatments removed before installation begins if a direct glue-down application is preferred. Loose tiles must be re-adhered to the subfloor or filled as above for both glue-down and floated applications.

Cork Acoustic Floating floors can be glued or floated directly over full-spread, permanently bonded acoustic cork. DO NOT use cushion underlayment when floating over these surfaces.

Always refer to specific adhesive instructions on the adhesive label. Comfort Guard underlayment will not be used in this application. Use a clean towel, changed frequently to prevent haze and adhesive residue. Beautiful hardwood floors are a product of nature and therefore, not perfect. Improper fasteners, machines and air pressure can cause severe damage. The manufacturer of this flooring product is not responsible for damage caused by use of improper tools or misuse. Solid Floors should be stored in the environment in which they are expected to perform.

Deliver the materials to an environmentally controlled site. Materials should be allowed to acclimate for as long as necessary to meet minimum installation requirements for moisture content. Handle and unload with care. General Information for Nailed Applications Improper pressure settings and failure to use proper adapters can cause severe damage to the flooring.

The correct fastening machine and air pressure setting will properly set the nail in the nail pocket. Low air pressures may fail to properly set the nail and damage adjoining boards.

Set pressure at 70 PSI to begin with and adjust until proper nail setting occurs. Any water damaged, swollen or delaminated subflooring materials will not hold nails and must be repaired or replaced.

Glue-Down Floors can be glued directly to concrete using recommended adhesive. The concrete must have a minimum compressive strength of PSI. Ascertain that the nail will penetrate these materials and that breakage does not occur. Glue-Down: If the tiles or sheet goods are well bonded, clean the surface thoroughly with a good quality household detergent. Mark these points and snap a chalk line.

Use extreme care during installation. NOTE: Clean adhesive from the surface of the floor frequently. Floor Repair Minor damage can be repaired with a touch-up kit or filler. The following instructions apply to strip flooring laid on plywood-on-slab, on screeds, and plywood or board subfloors.

Nailing the floor. The bleaching process should be done only once. The installer assumes all responsibility for final inspection of product quality. This inspection of all flooring should be done before installation.

Carefully examine flooring for color, finish and quality before installing it. If material is not acceptable, do not install it and contact the seller immediately. Prior to installation of any hardwood-flooring product, the installer must determine that the job-site environment and the sub-surfaces involved meet or exceed all applicable standards and recommendations of the construction and materials industries.

These instructions recommend that the construction and subfloor be dry, stiff and flat. The manufacturer declines any responsibility for job failure resulting from or associated with sub-surface or job-site environment deficiencies.

The installer must use reasonable selectivity and hold out or cut off pieces with defects, whatever the cause. Use of stain, filler or putty stick for defect correction during installation should be accepted as normal procedure.

Should an individual piece be doubtful as to grade, manufacture or factory finish, the installer should not use the piece.

Use of appropriate products for correcting subfloor voids should be accepted as a normal industry practice. The wall coverings should be in place and the painting completed except for the final coat on the base molding.

When possible, delay installation of base molding until flooring installation is complete. Exterior grading should be complete with surface drainage directing water away from the building. All gutters and downspouts should be in place. Floating floors may be installed on, above or below grade level. Do not install in full bathrooms. Basements and crawl spaces must be dry and well ventilated.

A ground cover of mil black polyethylene film is essential as a vapor barrier with joints lapped six inches and taped. The crawl space should have perimeter venting equal to a minimum of 1. These vents should be properly located to foster cross ventilation. Subfloor must be checked for moisture content using the appropriate testing method.

Permanent air conditioning and heating systems should be in place and operational. Use recommended adhesive. Free of wax, paint, oil, sealers, adhesives, curing agents and other debris. Sand high areas or joints. Follow the instructions of the leveling compound manufacturer. When stapling the floor down, flatten low spots with layers of 15 builders felt, plywood or shims.

Replace any water-damaged, swollen or delaminated subflooring or underlayments. Avoid subfloor with excessive vertical movement unless they have been properly stiffened prior to the installation of the wood flooring.

DRY — Check moisture content of the subfloor with a reliable moisture meter. If any color change occurs, further testing is required. Calcium Chloride test. The maximum moisture transfer must not exceed 3 lbs. Turn off heat and let subfloor cool down to room temperature hours prior to starting the job.

Radiant heated floors must be temperature controlled or engineered for the R-rating of the floor-covering product installed upon them. Failure to do so may cause excessive heat damage and shrinkage. Install floor per the application instructions staple or glue-down. Beware of stapling through radiant tubing or mesh.

After installation, turn system back on immediately to its normal room temperature setting. This will help ensure a more favorable overall appearance of the floor.

For random and alternate width products, use the widest plank for the first row. When possible, always begin layout or installation from an outside wall, as these are normally the straightest. Align tongue of first row on chalk line. The groove should be facing the starting wall. Fasten using 4 or 6d finishing nails. Countersink the nails. Countersink nails to ensure flush engagement of groove with the following row s.

Continue blind nailing using this method with following rows until stapler can be used. Beginning rows may be blind nailed where clearance allows using a pneumatic brad nailer with 1. Use minimum 1. Set compressor at 70 PSI. If tongue damage occurs, lower air pressure. The last rows will need to be face-nailed where clearance does not permit blind nailing with stapler or brad nailer. Pre-drill and face-nail on the tongue side following the nailing pattern used for the first row. Maximum Adhesive Working Times Urethane Adhesive — 60 minutes Always read container label before proceeding Polymeric Resin Adhesive — 90 minutes Always read container label before proceeding Open times and curing times of ALL adhesives vary dependant upon subfloor porosity, air movement, humidity and room temperature.

Urethane adhesive has a shortened work time in high humidity environments whereas polymeric resin adhesive working time will be lengthened. In areas of low humidity, open time will be longer with urethanes and shorter with polymeric resins. Adjust the amount of adhesive spread accordingly. Spread sufficient amounts of recommended adhesive with the recommended trowel in an area that can be covered in minutes.

Polymeric resin adhesives should be rolled every two hours and at the end of the day. If a urethane adhesive is to be rolled, do not do so until the adhesive has cured for two hours. The trowel will leave ridges of adhesive and very little adhesive between the ridges. This will allow you to still see the chalk lines between the ridges and provide the recommended spread rate. If the adhesive skins over and fails to transfer, remove and spread new adhesive to achieve proper bonding to the subfloor.

For additional application instructions, follow the recommendations on the adhesive container. When not in use, keep the adhesive container tightly closed to prevent thickening.

Thickening will cause difficulty in spreading the adhesive. Proper ventilation within the room must be provided. An electric fan is helpful. If the floor is to be covered, use a breathable material such as cardboard. Do not cover with plastic. The first row of planks should be installed with the edge of the groove lined up on the chalk line. The tongue should be facing the starting wall.

The first row must be aligned and seated in the adhesive as all additional rows will be pushed back to this original row. When installing pieces, engage the end-joint first as close to side long tongue and groove as possible and then slide together tightly to engage side long joint tongue and groove. To avoid adhesive bleed-through and memory pullback, avoid sliding pieces through the adhesive as much as possible when placing them in position.

Check for a tight fit between all edges and ends of each plank. It may be necessary to align product with a cut-off piece of scrap. To eliminate minor shifting or gapping of product during installation, use 3M Blue Mask Tape to hold the planks together. After installation is complete, remove all the 3M Blue Mask Tape from surface of newly installed flooring. Do not let tape remain on flooring longer than 24 hours.

Avoid use of masking tape, which leaves an adhesive residue. Be sure not to spread adhesive too far ahead of your work area. Complete the installation using this same technique for the remainder of the floor. Avoid heavy foot traffic on the flooring for at least 24 hours. Lift the furniture or fixtures back into place after 24 hours. Heating Season Dry — A humidifier is recommended to prevent excessive shrinkage in wood floors due to low humidity levels.

Wood stoves and electric heat tend to create very dry conditions. Non-Heating Season Humid, Wet — Proper humidity levels can be maintained by use of an air conditioner, dehumidifier, or by turning on your heating system periodically during the summer months.

Avoid excessive exposure to water from tracking during periods of inclement weather. Do not obstruct in any way the expansion joint around the perimeter of your floor. See adhesive container for specific information Re-install any transition pieces that may be needed, such as Reducer Strips, T-moldings, or Thresholds. The products are available pre-finished to blend with your flooring.

Nail moldings into the wall, not the floor. Inspect the floor, filling all minor gaps with the appropriate blended filler. Leave warranty and floor care information with the owner. Advise them of the product name and code number of the flooring they purchased.

To prevent surface damage avoid rolling heavy appliances and furniture on the floor. Use plywood, hardboard or appliance lifts if necessary. Moldings Reducer Strip: a teardrop shaped molding.

Used around fireplaces, doorways, as a room divider, or as a transition between Parquet and adjacent floor coverings that are thinner. Fasten down with adhesive or double-faced tape. Threshold: a molding undercut for use against sliding door tracks, fireplaces, carpet, ceramic tile, or existing thresholds to allow for expansion space and to provide a smooth transition in height difference. Predrill nail holes to prevent splitting. Always leave expansion beneath the undercut.

Stair Nosing: a molding undercut for use as a stair landings trim, elevated floor perimeters, and stair steps. Fasten down firmly with adhesive and nails or screws. Quarter Round: a molding used to cover expansion space next to baseboards, case goods, and stair steps. Predrill and nail to the vertical surface, not into the floor. Combination Base and Shoe: a molding used when a base is desired. Used to cover expansion space between the floor and the wall. Predrill and nail into the wall, not the floor.

T-Molding: a molding used as a transition piece from one flooring to another or to gain expansion spaces. Fasten at the heel in the center of the molding. Leave expansion beneath the undercut on both sides. Installation Methods Floating: Use floating floor underlayment appropriate for jobsite conditions.

Use joint adhesive appropriate for jobsite conditions. Glue-Down Installation Use recommended trowel to get required spread rate and ridging height. Replace any water-damaged, swollen or delaminated subflooring or underlayment. Moisture readings should not exceed 4. Subfloors with Radiant Heat System must be operational and heated for at least 7 days prior to beginning installation. Failure to do so may cause excessive heat damage, shrinkage and delamination.

Installation Tips Floor should be installed from several cartons at the same time to ensure good color and shade mixture. DO NOT remove materials from their sealed container prior to installation.

DO tighten panels by tapping against the recommended tapping block with a hammer. DO NOT tighten panels by striking directly with the tapping block or a hammer. DO glue all joints with appropriate sealer for the jobsite conditions when using a floating system. DO use a starter board that is adequately fastened to a straight starting line. DO use Comfort Guard underlayment on all floating floors over subfloors that require it. DO NOT use short tapping blocks that can damage the edge. Do Not use lightweight wooden tapping blocks.

Do Not use grooved tapping blocks. DO NOT use laminate straps to tighten the flooring panels. STEP 1: Establish a Starting Point Installation parallel to the longest wall is recommended for best visual effects, however, the floor should be installed perpendicular to the flooring joists unless subfloor has been reinforced to reduce subfloor sagging. Pre-plan the floor by counting the number of planks in width that it will take to complete the floor.