Preparation: Furniture and carpeting or other flooring must be removed
from the installation area. The subfloor must be even before hardwood flooring can be installed. You cannot install on top
of particle board. The subfloor must either be plywood or OSB.
Acclimation: Wood
expands and contracts with changes in humidity. To prevent
cupping or warping, hardwood flooring must be acclimated before it can be sanded and finished. The duration of acclimation
is determined by the mass of the wood planks or strips. Narrow strips of wood do not take as long to acclimate as wide planks.
Prefinished wood is acclimated prior to installation. Unfinished wood is tested acclimated after installation if it is purchased
locally. If it comes from another area, we acclimate it before and after installation.
Underlayment: Underlayment lessens moisture migration
from below and works to reduce noise and prevent moisture-related cracking, cupping and warping in solid hardwood finished
floors.
Nail Down
Solid Hardwood Installation: Strips or planks are nailed to the subfloor perpendicular
to the flooring joists.
..
Glue Down Engineered or solid strip Installation:
Thin strips of engineered flooring or solid strip hardwood flooring are glued to a
concrete slab. ADVISEMENT: Use of the wrong adhesive, cheap adhesives or the application of adhesive too
thinly will compromise your flooring and likely nullify your warranty. Spend the extra money to have the floor installed
correctly! Durable adhesives with moisture protection are expensive.
Finish Wood: After unfinished wood has
been installed, we sand it. Then it is either finished with a panetrating finish, like Waterlox or Pallman Magic Oil
or stained with minwax and sealed with a water base or an oil base polyurethane.
Shoe moulding or Quarter round moulding: Space is left between the hardwood flooring and the wall or baseboard to allow for seasonal
expansion of the wood. Additionally, the boards closest to the wall have face nails, or nails on top of the boards.
Shoe moulding or quarter round moulding is nailed to the bottom of the baseboard to hide these characteristics.
