Everything you need to know about hardwood.

Before you buy.

Knowing what to expect and being prepared will also be a lot less stressful on you, your family and your home.

• Get a recommendation
• Installing hardwood flooring is hard, exacting – detailed
• Have it done by our seasoned professionals

Before installation day

• Relocate furniture
• Empty china cabinets and closets
• Consider removal and disposal of old floor covering
• Remove it yourself and leave 1 day before install
• For carpet, leave tack strips and pull out staples

Trim

• Moldings and baseboards removed for additional costs
• Installers not responsible for breakage
• Painted baseboards, woodwork and paint may need retouching (your responsibility)

Sub flooring

• May need to be prepared
• New sub floor may be required
• A job best left to the professionals

Door plan

• Possibility that doors may not clear the new floor and swing free
• Installers may remove doors and re-hang for an additional cost.
• For clearance issues, arrange for a qualified carpenter to shave or cut down

Clean-up

• Waste will be produced
• Waste collected and disposed of by installers at an additional cost

Installation day

• Be home and available
• Be prepared for questions
• Presence insures the right wood is installed in the right areas
• Exact time of arrival cannot be guaranteed, only a time frame

Safety

• Installers use tools and techniques that can be hazardous
• Make sure that children and pets are out of the work area
• Follow through with a walk-thru
• Prior to completion-walk thru to ask questions and be clear on any final details

After installation day

• Established good ventilation for 48 to 72 hours
• Be prepared

Hardwood Installation

4 methods of installation

1. Glue Down:

• Adhesive is spread on with the proper sized trowel
• Engineered floors and parquets- can be glued down
• Solid strip floors and plank floors-only be nailed or stapled

2. Nail Down:

• Used with the 3/4″ solid products
• Sometimes available for thinner floors
• 2″ nailing cleats used with a nailer and mallet to attach to the subfloor
• Solid strip floors or plank floors only installed on wood subfloors on grade or above grade

3. Staple Down:

• 1-1/2 to 2 inch staples used versus nailing cleats to attach to the subfloor
• Pneumatic gun used to drive the staple into the subfloor
• Not all companies recommend the same staple gun

4. Floating:

• Padding and glue used together
• Floating installation -not fastened to the subfloor
• Thin pad placed between the floor and subfloor
• Wood glue is applied in the tongue and groove to hold planks together
• Padding advantages: protects against moisture, reduces noise, softer, additional “R” value
• Engineered floors and all Longstrip floors can be floated
• Fast, easy and clean method of installation

Acclimation

• Mandatory
• 2-3 days prior to installation
• Must be done in the area where product is installed

Hardwood Maintenance

One of the main benefits of hardwood flooring is that they are low maintenance floors that require only a little more maintenance than sweeping on a regular basis to remove dirt. Cleaners are only needed when cleaning spills, removing scuff marks or major cleanings like spring cleaning.
1. Place walk off mats at every door that are regularly maintained.
2. You can and should vacuum your floors daily.
3. Use the correct floor cleaner.
4. Don’t assume that any household cleaner should be safe for your hardwood floors.
5. Cleaners should be applied with a terry cloth head mop.
6. Less is more. Use only a small amount of cleaner.
7. Only use wax on floors with a wax finish.
8. Wipe up spills immediately.
9. For stubborn stains like chewing gum or candle wax try using a credit card.
10. Use Technical Support.