Installation Guidelines

ENGINEERED HARDWOOD
INSTALLATION GUIDELINES
READ BEFORE INSTALLATION
STOP! IMPORTANT INFORMATION
flooring to the job-site and continue for the life of the floor. All doors and windows MUST be installed and weather
striped prior to delivering the flooring to the job-site.
OWNER/DEALER/INSTALLER RESPONSIBILITY
relative humidity at the time of installation, and all impacting variables that may affect a wood floor.
and record the results of those readings as well.
JOB SITE INSPECTION AND
PRE-INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS
Note: In newly constructed buildings, wood flooring should be one of the last items installed. All work
involving water or moisture MUST be completed prior to the delivering of flooring to the job site. In
addition, all doors and windows MUST be installed and weather stripping in place. Additional information
The Engineered wood flooring can be installed in one of the following manners: (1) glue-down using a “high
quality” urethane base adhesive with its corresponding vapor retarder, (2) staple-down using 18-gage ¼” crown
staple by 1 ½” long for 3/8” to ½” thick flooring, and 18-gage cleats 1 ½” to 1 ¾” for 9/16” to 5/8” thick flooring.
Or (3) the floating method using a recommended tongue and grove adhesive such as Roberts and/or Precision
Components. Note: We do not recommend floating 3/8” products due to the inherent lightness of the product.
The homeowner MUST be made aware of the effect that moisture has on wood flooring e.g. moisture gain and/or
loss can result in: cupping, crowning buckling, shrinking, gapping, cracking, splitting, checking, warping, bowing,
twisting, splinters, blisters, discoloration/darkening, mold development, side edge crush, urethane shear, ware-
layer delamination/separation and/or cross-ply delamination, rolling shear, separation from the sub-floor and
possible damage to surrounding walls, tile/stone floors, cabinetry.
During Installation: It is the installer’s responsibility to protect the flooring from any/all damage (i.e. dings, dents,
scratches, moisture, sand, debris etc.). Note: Installation/construction related damages are not covered under
our structural and or finish warranties.
Delivery/ Storage: NEVER deliver wood flooring during adverse weather conditions such as rain and or snow
unless the flooring can be completely and thoroughly protected from becoming wet and/or gaining moisture
during transit to the job-site. NEVER store wood flooring in an “uncontrolled environment” e.g. patios, drive ways,
garages, sheds, storage units, or even in the structure in which the flooring will be installed. Deliver the flooring
to the job-site ONLY when a controlled environment has been established according to us /NWFA
installation/environment requirements.
Our Premium Hardwood Floorings are manufactured according to accepted industry standards, which
permit a defect tolerance of 5%.
Product Quality: The contractor/installer/end-user assumes all responsibility for final inspection of
product quality. The flooring MUST be inspected at time of delivery and prior to installation. Carefully examine
the flooring for moisture content (7.0% to 10.0%), color, grade, finish quality or any damage during transit
before installing it. The installer should use reasonable selectivity to cull out or cut off unacceptable pieces. If
the flooring material is considered unacceptable, “STOP DO NOT INSTALL THE FLOOR”, but contact the our
dealer immediately. Once the flooring is installed, there is no question as to its acceptability.
Informing the Homeowner: Homeowner(s) MUST be made aware of color variations, graining ranges, the
effect that moisture has on wood flooring; the importance of maintaining a controlled environment (60 to 80f
and 35 to 55rh respectively) before, during and after the installation for the life of the floor. Also, the proper way
in which to maintain wood floors and the effect that UV light has on wood, especially exotic woods. All
products will change color over time. The degree of change
depends on the species and the amount of UV exposure. Typically speaking, wood usually darkens
over time, however, some wood species will actually lighten when exposed to UV light.
Waiver: Unless a waiver or letter of protest listing exceptions exists, installation constitutes acceptance of
wood flooring, the subfloor/substrate, the job site itself – including the ambient conditions i.e. temperature and
Environment: Prior to installation, the installer MUST determine that the environment of the job site and
the conditions are suitable to the material that is being installed. The installer is responsible for
determining the moisture content/emission rate of the sub floor/sub-strate as per the National Wood Flooring
Association (NWFA) installation guidelines, SECTION V – Appendix AA Moisture Testing Procedures for
Concrete Slabs, (specifically the Calcium Chloride test) and Appendix AB Moisture Testing for Wood. All test
results MUST be carefully documented and made available to the homeowner prior to installing the flooring.
We decline any responsibility for job failure from or associated with inappropriately
or improperly prepared sub-floors or job site environment deficiencies. Also, we “HIGHLY” recommend that the
installer/contractor take daily readings of the ambient conditions (of the interior environment) in which the
flooring will be installed i.e. temperature and relative humidity levels and record the results on a daily log sheet
as well as take periodic moisture readings of the wood floor and sub floor during the installation process
GUIDELINE DISCLAIMER: COMPLETELY READ AND UNDERSTAND THESE GUIDELINES BEFORE
INSTALLATION BEGINS. FAILURE TO DO SO CAN/WILL RESULT IN THE FOLLOWING DAMAGE TO YOUR
FLOOR: CUPPING, CROWNING, WARPING, BOWING, TWISTING, BUCKLING, SHRINKING, END- JOINT
PEAKING, DELAMINATION, ROLLING SHEAR, GAPPING, CHECKING, CRACKING, SPLITTING,
DISCOLORING, FADING, ADHESIVE HAZE AND/OR RESIDUE, EARLY WEAR, DENTING, SCRATCHING,
HOLLOWS, SPLINTERING, URETHAN BLISTERS, MOLD DEVELOPMENT, URETHANE SHEAR, TAPE
CAUSED URETHANE RELEASE DUE TO USING A NON RECOMMENDED TAPE, COMPRESSION
STRESS, COMPRESSION SET, AS WELL AS ADHESIVE BOND RELEASE, SIDE EDGE CRUSH, SURFACE
ABRASIONS, URETHANE MARRING, MALLET ABRASION MARKS ETC... FAILURE TO ABIDE BY THESE
GUIDELINES CAN/WILL VOID ANY/ALL WARRANTIES OFFERED BY US. (NOTE: WE DO NOT
WARRANTY INSTALLATIONS, NOR DO WE WARRANTY THE PERFORMANCE
OF OTHER MANUFACTURER’S PRODUCTS (I.E., IN THE EVENT THAT WE RECEIVE A CLAIM
INVOLVING SQUEAKY FLOOR SYNDROM, HOLLOWS, BOND RELEASE AND/OR MOISTURE EMISSION
CAUSED/RELATED DAMAGE, WE WILL REFER YOU TO THE ADHESIVE MANUFACTURER FOR
ANY/ALL APPLICABLE WARRANTY COVERAGE).
Prior to installing the engineered flooring; materials MUST be tested for recommended moisture
content (i.e., 7 to 10 percent. Jobsite temperature and relative humidity levels MUST also be carefully
measured and recorded daily during the installation process. The homeowner/contractor MUST maintain
the temperature and relative humidity level in the recommended ranges (60 to 80f and 35 to 55rh) to
ensure maximum performance and moisture content of the floor.
Newly Constructed Buildings: In newly constructed buildings, hardwood flooring should be one of the last
items installed. All work involving water or moisture MUST be completed prior to the delivering of wood flooring
to the job site. In addition, all doors and windows must be installed and weather stripe. Moreover the HVAC
system MUST be operating at least 5-days prior to the delivery of the flooring to the job site, as well as during
the installation, and after the installation for the life of the installation. Also, the system MUST be set to create
ambient conditions of 60 to 80f and 35 to 55rh. NOTE: This may require the addition of a humidification and/or
dehumidification system in order to produce/maintain the required ambient conditions.
HVAC System: NEVER turn off the Heating Ventilation Air-Conditioning or Humidification (HVAC) system when
you’re away from your home/building (i.e., during times of absence such as vacations). By doing so you may
return to a floor that has experienced one or more of the above-mentioned issues, which are not covered under
our warranty program.
Acclimation: The engineered wood floors do not require pre-installation acclimation for “any” specific
amount of time. However, the environment MUST represent “normal live-in conditions”, which is interpreted to
mean an environment maintained at 35 to 55 percent relative humidity and a temperature of 60 to 80 degrees
Fahrenheit respectively. These conditions MUST have been established at least 5-days prior to delivering the
PLEASE REFER TO OUR WEB SITE FOR CURRENT / UPDATED
REVISIONS.