Hardwood Floors February/March 2026

And NEVER, NEVER, be afraid to charge appropriately for doing it the right way the first time. Being educated will make you more confident in discussing what is necessary for success.

Here’s one example of a common mistake that many flooring contractors make: “We ran the diamond grinder across the entire floor.” That’s great and better than most, but, even if it is clean enough, does it also need to be “absorbent”? Some mitigation systems and adhesives require a more absorbent substrate. These slabs may require shot blasting and the use of other specialized equipment. So, in this case, all of your efforts still set you up for failure. Just because one particular piece of equipment works “most” of the time does not mean it will work “all” of the time. You are going to be held accountable for these requirements, so don’t get surprised by them. Get educated and be better today than yesterday.

4

NOT USING THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT Whether it is a new pour or existing,

every concrete slab is different. The equipment needed to prepare each slab to meet the industry standard or manufacturer specific requirements, also can vary dramatically. Whether you need to prepare the slab for moisture mitigation or for a direct install also will determine what will be necessary to properly prepare the slab and what piece of equipment will be needed. These different requirements are related to concrete surface profile (CSP) and absorbency.

Don Jewell is the head of technical for Loba-Wakol LLC in Wadesboro, North Carolina. He can be reached at don.jewell@loba-wakol.com.

For additional information about

concrete substrates, check out the NWFA's Installation Guidelines at NWFA.ORG/TECHNICAL- GUIDELINES/.

WOOD FLOORING INSTALLATION GUIDELINES

Revised © 2019

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