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The purpose of this section is to cover the main points
of installation for both our unfinished and prefinished
engineered products. We provide a brief overview for
lumber solids and web links for additional information
in both engineered and solid categories.
THIS INSTALLATION INFORMATION IS PROVIDED "AS IS"
WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES
OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE,
OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.
Engineered Flooring (Prefinished
& Unfinished)
 Important
Considerations for Installer/Owner
It is important that all prefinished
and unfinishshed material be carefully inspected before
installation. Wood is a natural product containing characteristics
such as natural variations in color, tone and graining.
With a natural wood floor, some variation in color is
to be expected, even in a prefinished floor. Howell
Floors are manufactured in accordance with industry
standards which permit a defect tolerance not to exceed
5%. Although our product goes through many inspections
before it leaves our plant, it is the customer and installer's
responsibility for final inspection prior to installation.
When purchasing wood flooring, add
5% to the actual square footage needed for the cutting
allowance.
Sub Floor Requirements & Preparation
Engineered Wood Flooring
Engineered Hardwood Flooring is principally designed
for a glue down installation over a concrete subfloor.
It may also be glued directly to existing wood floors,
well-bonded vinyl, particle board, plywood and gypcrete.
The "direct glue" installation is made possible
by the cross ply construction of the engineered products.
Unlike the lumber flooring, the engineered products
do not require the flooring to acclimate before installation.
This feature allows for a short installation time, which
works very well for a remodeling situation. However,
engineered products do require that the subfloor be
dry, clean, and smooth. The concrete should be at least
60 days old with a minumim of 6-mil polyfilm between
the concrete and the ground. The concrete should not
show a moisture content greater than 3%. Gypcrete should
be firm without flaking. The subfloor must also be swept
clean and be free of any dried joint compound, oil,
previous adhesive, dirt or loose concrete.
Required Tools
Tape measure, proper trowel, table
saw, hand saw, prybar, rubber mallet, and proper sanders
for the unfinished products
Preparation & Layout
Remove existing wall-base, shoe
moulding, and thresholds and undercut all door casings
with a hand or power jam saw using a scrap piece of
flooring as a guide.
Wood Flooring is typically installed
parallel to the longest wall. When laying the floor,
allow at least ¼ of an inch space between the
wall and the first row of flooring. End-joints should
be staggered by at least 9 inches. For the starter piece
of the first row use a shorter piece or cut one to give
the staggered layout. In laying the floor, the wood
should be blended from several cartons to assure a good
grading and color mix. You may also want to consider
laying out several rows without the glue to confirm
the working line and layout.
Spreading the Adhesive
Using the recommended urethane adhesive,
trowel the adhesive from the edge of the wall out 12
- 18 inches. An acrylic urethane adhesive should be
used with the prefinished flooring and a moisture cured
urethane adhesive should be used with the unfinished
flooring. It is important to use the correct trowel
at a 45 degree angle to get the proper spread of adhesive.
Use the spreading techniques that are listed on the
back of the can of adhesive for further assistance with
the spreading of the glue. Please contact
us if you have any questions about the adhesive.
Laying the Engineered Flooring
Install the flooring while the glue
is still wet. Begin the first row of boards with the
tongue facing the starter wall. It may be necessary
to secure the first row of boards into position, as
the first few rows may spring apart until the adhesive
begins to cure. Continue laying the flooring until the
adhesive is covered, working the entire length of the
room. A tapping block or rubber mallet may be used to
help fit the strips together. When the first area is
completed, continue to spread the glue and lay the flooring
until the entire room is completed. Do not walk on the
floor until the adhesive is cured, and remember to stagger
the joints every 9 inches from row to row.
Completing the Floor
Once the floor is finished, clean
off any excess adhesive with a damp cloth. If you are
installing an unfinished engineered floor, wait at least
24 hours before sanding the floor.
Sanding the Floor (For Unfinished
Only)
Before sanding the floor, make sure
all cracks or knots are filled with wood filler to the
desired color of your finished floor. Also sweep the
floor clean immediately before sanding. Howell Unfinished
Engineered Flooring has been presanded at the factory,
and a finish sand with an 80 or 100 grit paper is all
that is needed before the finish is applied.
Unless you have considerable experience with a drum
sander, it is recommended that a non aggressive vibratory
sander be used on an engineered floor. Vibratory sanders
can be rented at Big Box or equipment rental stores
in your area.
Make one or two passes with the
sander until the flooring is sanded smooth and clean
of all putty or filler. The sanding should take place
with the grain direction of the wood. It may be necessary
to use a small vibratory or orbital palm sander to sand
around the edges of the walls and in hard to reach areas.
Finishing (For Unfinished Only)
The finishing process should begin
immediately after the sanding. Remove all sander dust
with a broom and tack cloth. The finish process involves
a stain, if desired, and a protective urethane coating
to the flooring. It is important that only compatible
products be used for the stain, seal, and finish process.
Therefore, always refer to the finish manufacturer's
compatibility requirements. Stain, sealer and finish
can be purchased at a local paint or "Big Box"
retail store. There are several different types of floor
finish made by a number of different manufacturers.
Therefore, it is recommended that you follow the application
instructions for the finish you select. For additional
finish information, visit
theNational Oak Flooring Manufacturing Association's
(NOFMA) website. If you have any questions, please
do not hesitate to contact
Howell.
Solid Lumber
Flooring
SubFloor Requirements & Preparation
Solid Lumber Flooring is uniquely
designed for a nail down installation over a CDX grade
plywood or OSB (Oriented Strain Board) subfloor. It
should not be installed over particle board, fiber board
or pressed wood. The subfloor should be a minimum of
5/8 in thickness for a floor joist system on 16"
centers. A 3/4 subfloor may be used if the joist spacing
is on 19.2 centers. The subfloor must also be clean
and smooth. It should be noted that solid lumber flooring
will be slightly affected by fluctuating levels of humidity.
Therefore, care should be taken to allow for the product
to acclimate a minimum of 72 hours before installation.
Installation and Finishing
All of the solid lumber flooring
sold by Howell is NOFMA (National Oak Flooring Manufacturing
Association) certified and therefore it is recommended
that the procedures used in the NOFMA installation manual
be used for installing the solid lumber flooring. The
procedures can be found on NOFMA's
web site.
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