Whether you are a DIY'er (Do it yourself) or having your floors installed by a professional, the following is standard information Superior Flooring recommends to ensure your flooring is installed correctly and your warranty remains valid.
Overage
Superior Flooring Hardwood floors are manufactured under hardwood flooring industry standards which permit a defect tolerance of up to 5% of the quantity required. Customers are advised to purchase 5% more than the total square footage required for the application to allow for cutting, waste, and defect tolerance. All pieces must be inspected prior to installation, any piece that does not meet the installer or home owner's personal standard must not be installed. Once the board is installed, it is deemed acceptable by both the installer and home owner.
Moisture Levels
Drywall, plaster and concrete must be completely dry and the heating system fully operational with the temperature maintained at 22° C for one to two weeks prior to delivery. All concrete must be cured for at least 30 days.
Preparation
Your hardwood floor must be nailed in place with cleats and the sub floor must consist of plywood or OSB over joists. If the existing sub floor consists of particle board, it will be necessary to overlay it with at least 5/8" plywood before installation.
Measure the moisture content of the sub floor and the hardwood to be installed using a moisture meter. The moisture reading of the sub floor must be between 6% and 12% maximum. Hardwood strips less than 3" wide must be under 4% maximum difference when compared to the sub floor and 2% for hardwood planks over 3" wide. Increase ventilation or use a humidifier to adjust moisture levels before installation.
Remove baseboards, quarter rounds, and screw nail the sub floor securely to avoid squeaking. The sub floor MUST be clean, dry, smooth and flat.
Undercut any doorjambs on the bottom of the door frames 3/4" to permit a hardwood strip to be inserted under them.
Installation
Use 2" cleats in 3/4" thick hardwood. Test the hardwood nailer on scrap wood to see that the correct pressure is being used to drive and set the cleats without damaging the hardwood strips.
We recommend that the floor be installed across the joists at a 90° angle or a 45° angle for support and that the installation be done under natural light conditions.
Your starting location should be the longest and straightest wall within the room.
For complete step-by-step installation instructions, visit the Installation page [1].