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The best source for your Hard Wood Floor needs |
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Installation Guidelines |
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General Prefinished Hardwood Installation Guidelines
Hardwood flooring can represent a sizable investment, therefore JV Galdino strongly recommends the services of a professional flooring contractor. If you choose to install the flooring yourself, you may find this overview valuable.
Jobsite Conditions Wood flooring is one of the last jobs of any construction project. Prior to delivery of the wood flooring a site evaluation should be done. Check for the following:
Acclimation Allowing wood moisture content to become at equilibrium with the indoor environment in which it will perform is crucial to quality installation. Acclimation depends on geographic location, interior moisture climate control and time of year. Wood flooring will become stable, not shrinking nor expanding between ideal indoor temperatures of 60°-85° and humidity of 30%-55% Flooring should be arranged to allow air to circulate through the stack. Allow at least three days and monitor moisture.
Sub floor Preferred Sub Flooring: ¾” (5/8" min) CDX Plywood subfloor / underlayment (Exposure 1), 4"X 8" sheets; OR ¾" OSB, Advantech subfloor / underlayment, with joist spacing 19" on center or less. Particleboard must be removed or covered. The sub floor should be flat to within ¼"in 10' or 3/16" in 6'. Sub floor must be flat, clean, dry, structurally sound and free of squeaks and free of protruding nails/staples. Sub flooring moisture content should be no more than 4% different than that of 2 ¼" wide x ¾" flooring or 2% a difference of 3" and wider boards.
Installation Factory finished solid plank should be installed perpendicular to the joists or on a diagonal for any single layer sub floor. (Exception, diagonal, solid sub floor boards, install perpendicular to joist or sub floor direction). CAUTION: When laying ¾" solid plank flooring parallel with the floor joists either add an additional layer of minimum ½" (15/32") CDX plywood underlayment to the existing sub floor (as previously recommended) or brace between joists with 2" X 6" or wider boards every 24" minimum. Sub floor must be within 4% moisture content of the hardwood floor before installing. A moisture barrier is needed for plywood sub flooring on concrete. Use 15 lb. asphalt saturated felt paper that meets ASTM Standard D4869 or equivalent building paper over wood sub floor. Snap a working line parallel to the starting wall allowing ¾" expansion space between the starting wall and the edge of the first plank run. A ¾" expansion space must be left around the perimeter and at all vertical obstructions for air flow. Plank is laid out in the same manner as strip flooring, alternating courses by widths. Start with the widest board, then the next width, etc., and repeat the pattern. Racking rule of thumb: Stagger end joint a minimum of 6" between pieces on adjacent rows or three times the boards width. Avoid H joints. Blind nailing, using manual or pneumatic nailing machines every 6" is sufficient for plank flooring, 8-12" for strip flooring, 2-3" from board ends. Use a piece of duct tape on the back plate of the nailer to change angle of nail entry if needed. Add each additional row of flooring, watching the pattern repeat and offsetting or staggering the end joints at least 6 inches. On floors wider than 30' to minimize expansion: More or less center or perimeter spacing may be needed depending on geographical area, interior climate control and time of the year. In some areas, additional spacing may not be necessary. (Consult a local flooring contractor for your areas information) Upon completion of installation, the floor should swept and vacuumed. Use cleaning products safe for urethane finishes.
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