- The first step to installation is to roll out the cushioning
foam into place. The foam should be rolled out along the
short side of the room, as in the adjoining drawing. The
roll should be cut so that the sheet is butted firmly against
all walls in the room. You may need to weigh down the
ends of the sheets that you have cut with a light weight to
keep the foam in place until some wood is installed over
it. Tape adjoining sheets together with duct tape.
- Hardwood flooring bundles will come in 6' lengths, eight boards per bundle, totaling 20.34 square per bundle. These bundles should not be unwrapped until you are ready to do the installation. Unlike many hardwood floors, WoodFlex boards require no acclimation unless the average relative humidity level of the room that you are installing in is less than 30%. If this is the case, it would be best if the wood was allowed to acclimate for 48 hours. You will need a utility knife to open the bundles, as the plastic lining is designed to keep the bundles secure in shipment.
- The next step is to install the Installation Clips into
the clip groove on the underside of each board. The
clips should be installed so that the barbed end of the
clip is hammered into the groove, with the long end
of the clip protruding out underneath the tongue of the
board by about 4", as in the adjoining drawing. Six
clips should be evenly spaced across the length of the
6' boards. The clips should be spaced about 12"-13"
apart, with clips 3"-4" from each end.
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The board should be installed with the long side of the board parallel to the long side of the room. This should be the opposite of the way you have installed the foam. However, before you lay your first row of boards, it is imperative that you leave an expansion gap along this long wall. Expansion gaps must be allowed along the long dimension of the room, but no gap should be allowed at the en d of the boards or along the short dimension of the room. Temporary blocks or wedges should be placed between the first row of boards and the long dimension of the room. The long dimension wall at each side requires an expansion gap of 7/8" per 20' of width of the short wall, depending on whether you expect a great increase in humidity from the time of installation to the time of the year when the humidity is greatest. We recommend that if the short dimension of the 20' that a minimum of 7/8" be left anyway. At each end, or short dimension of the room, leave no expansion gap and lay the floor as tightly as possible against the wall. If the wall surface is extremely rough, a piece of angle iron should be attached to the subfloor so as to permit the floor to expand and contract with the changes in seasons.
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Each row of boards should have the head joints staggered in a brick-laid pattern. This means that the first board in the second row should be approximately 30"shorter than the board you started with in the first row. The first board of the third row should be 30" shorter yet again and so on until you can start a row with a full board again and the pattern is repeated. Make sure that when you install the full board that the clips are also staggered, as the board will not go in if two clips align. Keep all cut pieces, as they may be used to either start or finish a subsequent row.
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We recommend that you glue the head joints, or ends of the boards, to the adjoining board. No glue is necessary along the long side of the board, as it is held tightly by the clips. Make sure that you immediately clean up with a wet rag any glue that seeps out of the head joints when attached to the adjoining boards.
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The best way to install the second and third rows is to pound the boards into the starter rows with the rubber mallet while facing the first row. Make sure that the boards are tight and walk across the top of the boards, ensuring that the clips "pop" into place. On subsequent rows, it is easier to stand on top of the flooring that is already laid and drive new boards in from the
direction
- Along vertical obstruction such as columns, pipes, etc., allow an expansion gap at the end of the obstruction that is parallel with the long side of the room, but lay boards tight on the side parallel with the short side of the
room
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Do not install clips in the next to last row of boards, since the last row must be glued in place along the long side of the board as well. You may need to cut the last boards of the last row lengthwise to accommodate the dimension of the wall, but remember to cut enough to allow for the same size expansion gap that you left on the other side of the room. Glue the last row to the row before it and install blocks between it and the wall until the glue has an opportunity to harden.
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Remove blocks and wedges from both of the long walls of the room after the glue has set up.
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Before using the floor, it is best to "tack" it to remove any sawdust or dirt. This involves wrapping a damp towel around a dust mop and mopping the entire floor with it. If there are scuffs from using the rubber mallet, these may be removed by scrubbing the area with a towel or rag that has been wetted with mineral spirits.
Some Extra Tips
- To easily open bundles, flip them over and slice down the clip groove of the bottom bard with a utility knife.
- To make the rows tight to the wall lengthwise, cut the boards a little long. Put the groove end on the tongue of the proceeding board and bend the board slightly as you slide the other end in against the wall.
- Remember that you can use excess pieces that have already been cut to start or finish a subsequent row. However, these pieces must have either a tongue or a groove on one end of the board. Organize the pieces by whether the board has the tongue or the groove on it in order to be clear as to which side of the room you can use it.
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