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Solid Wood Flooring DIY Installation Guide
Installation
Installers/Owners' Responsibility
Hardwood floors are made from natural products, and therefore, have natural defects. Woodfloors4u floors are manufactured in accordance with industry standards. These standards tolerate up to 5% defects. Defects may be the result of nature or the manufacturing process. Before installing any hardwood floor, the installer must ensure that both the job site and the sub-floor meet or exceed all requirements as outlined in Woodfloors4u installation instructions.
Woodfloors4u will not be liable for any flooring that has not been installed according to the instructions as stipulated. The installer is responsible for inspecting the grade, fabrication, and finish of the product before installing it. He/She must be selective, and discard or cut off pieces with defects, whatever the source of the defect may be. The use of stain, filler, and putty to correct defects during installation is a normal procedure. When ordering a floor from WoodFloors4u, add 5-10% to the actual square footage required to allow for cutting, waste, and/or manufacturing defects.
We are not responsible for installation costs.
Tools
Important Information
Maintain humidity level between 35% and 55% as the dimensions of wood will vary with the seasons and the humidity. To protect your floors and enjoy long-lasting satisfaction, we recommend that you use a humidifier during the winter as wood and electrical heating tend to dry the air.
If you are installing directly onto a concrete floor you will need to use a flexible adhesive, applying it to the base of each plank with a 6mm v notch trowel. Glueing the tongue and groove is also essential, this can be done with standard PVA or and wood glue. The installation process is the same as if you were to use a porta nailer and nail punch, however without using these tools and using the correct glueing method where nailing would otherwise be needed.
Before laying the floor onto the concrete, the subfloor must be level and can be done with the use of self-levelling screed. The screed must be completely dry; “rule of thumb” says it takes about one month per inch of screed to dry or 1 day for 1mm of screed.
*PLEASE NOTE: Remove any outer plastic packaging and open boxes to allow the flooring to air (acclimatise) for at least 3-5 days (the longer the better).
Failure to do so can void any warranty and cause implications to the flooring*
How to Install
- Clean the surface and ensure it is dry
- Install the flooring on plywood that is ½ inch or thicker (18mm-25mm)
- If you are installing the flooring directly over a wood floor (floorboards), sand the rough and high areas and nail
- *Do not install a solid wood floor over radiant floor heating*
- Arrange the flooring in an appropriate pattern, avoiding clustering and joints
- Use flooring from several boxes to ensure a variety of shades
- Use flooring with minor flaws for cutting
- Install flooring perpendicular to the joists
- Use chalk to trace a line ¾ of an inch from the wall
- Leave a ¾ inch space along all walls (baseboards and quarter round will conceal space)
- Install the first board with the groove facing the wall and slide along the line
- Nail the board on the top at ¼ inch from the edge closest to the wall
- Nail about every 12 inches, leaving about 3 inches at each end
- Drive nails into the flooring with nail punch, and use wax to conceal holes
- Using the porta nailer, secure flooring with concealed nails
- If you are unable to use the porta nailer because of proximity to the wall, drive the nails into the tongue at a 45-degree angle
- Cut the first piece of flooring in the first row, allowing a ¾ inch distance between the wall and the end
- Start the second row by selecting a floor board that is at least 6 inches longer or shorter than the one next to it
REPEAT THE SAME PROCESS WITH ALL THE OTHER FLOOR BOARDS
- Arrange the flooring in an appropriate pattern; avoiding clustering and joints aligning with the prior row by 6 inches
- Install flooring by inserting the groove into the tongue
- Using the porta nailer, secure flooring with concealed nails
- Cut the floor boards leaving ¾ inches at each end
- Drive nails into the floorboards using the nail punch, and wax to conceal holes
- Install baseboards using finishing nails (coloured nails)
- Conceal holes using wax in a shade that matches the wood flooring
*Preferable temperature should be maintained at approximately 17-23 degrees Celsius (62-73 degrees Fahrenheit) with a relative humidity of 35-55%. Humidity should never be allowed to drop below 30% as this may cause gapping.