Hardwood Floors Oct/Nov 2019

AT THE SITE

plywood or OSB subfloor. It’s cost- effective and doesn’t require much more than nails or staples. Since engineered wood flooring comes in various thicknesses, consult the manufacturer for the proper type of nailing gun and length and gauge fasteners. According to NWFA Installation Guidelines each plank or strip should be nailed or stapled at 3”- 4” intervals for staples or 4”- 6” intervals for cleats, and within 1”- 2” of end joints. Once the final rows are reached, there will be no space to use the floor nailer

however, must resist pressure to speed up installation for any reason without taking the necessary precautions and steps to ensure a successful installation. Proper job site preparation includes: • Always following the flooring manufacturer’s instructions to validate warranty requirements.

"Follow the specs and advice, and you will be enjoying a beautiful look and feel of having a flush mount transition floor that will last generations."

• Make sure the building is completely enclosed with interior heating and cooling systems running before

the flooring material arrives, to bring the building to normal living conditions. • Acclimate the flooring material as specified by the flooring manufacturer. • Measure the flooring planks and subfloor with a moisture meter for MC. • Measure a concrete slab for moisture in the event a subfloor is to be installed above the slab. Subfloor Preparation • According to NWFA Installation Guidelines, the concrete subfloors should be clean, dry, stable, and flat to within 1/8” over a 6’ span and 3/16” over a 10’ span. • Uneven subfloors can result in gaps, squeaks, and poor fitting planks during assembly. • To achieve floor flatness, you may need to either grind down or build up with a suitable floor leveling material. • Never apply a vapor retarder over a wood subfloor that has been installed over a slab. The vapor retarder must be installed below the wood subfloor, and over the concrete. Installation For engineered flooring, follow the manufacturer's instructions on installation methods. In most cases, the flooring is installed by blind-nailing the material through the tongue of the floorboards into the wooden subfloor. Nail-down and staple-down wood floors are the most- common and preferred methods if the installation is over a

or stapler on the tongue. It will then be necessary to glue and/ or face-nail. Rip the last boards to fit, leaving the appropriate expansion space from the wall. Fill nail holes with putty. Cut any door jams and fit floor underneath. Install any required reducers at door thresholds. Nail-down installations allow flush-in transitional moldings and vents to be used instead of overlap moldings and drop-in vents – providing the improved look and feel of a flush mount transition. With the right environment and maintenance, the chances of product failure are minimal. Should a board become damaged, replacement is seamless. Manufacturer’s Specs The last piece of advice is the most important: learn, memorize, and follow the manufacturer’s specs for all parts of the install, but most especially regarding cleat, staple, or nail sizes. Whichever you use, make sure you have the right size stipulated by the manufacturer. Follow the specs and advice, and you will be enjoying a beautiful look and feel of having a flush mount transition floor that will last generations. g Tony Morgan is a senior technician for Wagner Meters, where he serves on a team for product testing, development, and customer service and training for moisture measurement products. Along with 19 years of field experience for several electronics companies, Tony holds a BA in Management and has an AAS in Electronics Technology. He can be reached at 800.505.1283 or visit wagnermeters.com.

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