Hardwood Floors December 2017/January 2018

Racking Out the Floor Install the rst two or three rows from your starting position and place the boxes/bundles on the oor. When placing the boxes/ bundles on the oor to prepare for racking out, make sure that the tongues are facing the direction of installation. is will eliminate having to turn boards around while racking out. Un nished ooring is usually bundled so that the faces (wear layers) of the boards are facing upward except for the top row. e top row is upside-down. Make sure to place the bundles in such a way that there is only one row of boards to ip right side up. If you are installing material that is in cartons/boxes, carefully remove the ooring from the cartons, a en them, and stack them neatly in an area that is out of your way. If you’re dealing with factory- nished ooring, have a garbage bag handy to dispose of the protective foam that is placed between the rows of ooring. Rack the oor starting at the wall on the le or the wall adjacent to the groove side at the end of the board. Make sure you leave enough room for the nailing machine. Rack out in a direction perpendicular to the installation direction as far as you can reach, then continue to rack out the ooring in the direction of installation. is will minimize the need to travel back and forth while racking out. Place the last boards (the boards that will be cut) backward so that the tongue on the end of the board is facing the opposite direction. is board will overlap the second to last board. Choose boards

that barely overlap to minimize waste. e board that will be cut is now in a position to be marked for cu ing. Rack out as much of the oor as you can inside the room that you’re about to install. Installation Remove the doors, and pre-cut all your door jambs, plinth blocks, and casings before starting the installation. Remove tracks and feet associated with sliding doors or bi-fold doors. Always mark the doors before removal if they need to be cut to accommodate the change of the oor height.

the magazine of the national wood flooring association

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