DIY How to Install Solid Wood Flooring

Solid Wood Flooring Installation Guide

Tools and Fixings

General

• Soft Brush + Shovel
• Drill bit set
• Tape measure
• Rubber Mallet
• Chalk Line + chalk
• Power Jigsaw / Power saw / Hand saw / Undercut saw
• Power Drill

Safety + Care

• Earplugs and safety glasses
• Recommended solid wood floor cleaner (see maintenance instruction sheet)
• Coloured wood filler / coloured wax (candle wax will suit)

Fixings

• Barbed cleat nails to suit manual / pneumatic secret nailer
• Tongue tight screws - suitable for DIY installation
• Adhesive + applicator

Pre-installation procedures

• The building should be closed in with all outside doors and windows in place. All concrete, masonry, framing embers, drywall, paint and other "wet" work should be thoroughly dry. The wall coverings should be in place and the painting completed. Basements and crawl/void spaces must be appropriately dry and well ventilated.
• Solid wood flooring must be installed on or above DPM level. Do not install in bathrooms or any form of “wet” room, conservatory, or high humidity environment room.
• The sub floor must be checked for moisture content using the appropriate testing method and moisture meter and the appropriate moisture levels must be achieved before installation of the flooring (see page)
• Open one box fully and check to ensure it is the correct product, acceptable colour shade, and correct length specification. If there are any product queries or concerns at this stage DO NOT open any further boxes and contact your supplier within the specified time period above.
• If you are satisfied that the product is correct and suitable for the intended end use environment then remove the protective plastic wrapping only from the boxes and open the edges and ends of the boxes to aid the acclimatisation
• Stack the packs in such a manner to provide at least a 100mm air space under the cartons. The packs should also be stacked on dry battens rather than directly onto the subfloor.
• Acclimatise your product for minimum of 48 hours, preferably 72 hours

Sub-floor Preparation

CLEAN

Scrape, broom clean, and smooth. Free of wax, paint, oil, sealers, adhesives, curing agents and other debris.

Note: Unclean or contaminated sub floors can result in adhesive bonding failure.

LEVEL/FLAT

British standards states that the subfloor must be no greater than +/- 3mm over a 3 metres span. Sand high areas or joints. Level  low spots with layers of floor grade marine plywood for wooded sub floors or a cement based floor levelling compound for concrete sub floors.

Floorboard stabalisation is also usually required when installing solid wood flooring. Use a minimum of 6mm floorgrade plywood nailed every 100mm with 20mm ring nails.

Note: Uneven sub floors can result in popping, squeaking, hollow spots and premature failure of the floor.

Note: Laminated resin/bitumen moisture barrier paper acts as a moisture retarder and is recommended to be used when installing the solid wood flooring over an existing wooden suspended sub floor or when installing directly onto existing joists.

Note: Failure to protect the floor from excess moisture from below can result in the floor cupping, expanding and bridging. Shrinking due to an excessively dry sub floor can result in gapping and splitting of the boards.

WE RECOMMEND THAT A PROFESSIONAL FLOORING INSTALLER BE CONTRACTED AND THAT THE

INSTALLATION IS BY NAILING OR FULL STICK DOWN METHOD WITH A SUITABLE SPECIALIST WOOD

FLOORING ADHESIVE.

On completion of the Pre-Installation and Sub floor preparation tasks the following steps should be followed for installation.

1. Under cut the bottom of door frames, wardrobes, etc. to allow for the floor board to fit under it, plus always leave a full 15mm(minimum) expansion gap around the full perimeter of

the floor.

2. Open 4 or 5 packs and “shuffle” the boards to ensure an even distribution of colour and character.

3. The industry standard of 5% waste shall apply for defects and cutting.

4. If you discover a defective piece DO NOT LAY IT. You are the final judge of acceptable quality. 5. Ideally boards should be laid ‘end on’ to the incoming daylight. The first board should be laid groove to the wall allowing for a minimum expansion gap of 15mm between the wall and the first board, then continue with the 15mm expansion gap around the full perimeter of the room.

DO NOT butt up against any fixed construction such as wall, door frames, pipes, partitions etc.

Nail Down Installations

It is recommended to use a professional flooring nailer for this product, this is called a Porta-nailer or Secret nailer.

Direct to joist - The joists or battens should be sound rigid and level with moisture content no greater than 12-14% at the time of fixing the solid floor. Where the solid flooring is to be fixed to ground floor joists, adequate under-floor ventilation and appropriate protection against damp

must be provided.

Battens fixed to a concrete/screed base - the conditions described above should be met; i.e. the

base must be dry. The battens should be not less than 36mm wide for a fixed floor and of sufficient depth to accommodate the length of the flooring fixings. End to end joists between battens should be staggered throughout the floor area to avoid creating a line of

weakness. Battens are usually laid at 300 – 400mm centres and fixed with either screws, clips or appropriate adhesive to the sub-floor.

Stick Down Installations

You must use a professionally formulated specialist wood flooring adhesive that is either alcohol or polyurethane based, always ensuring the manufacturers guidelines are strictly followed on application. Both trowel and glue batten systems are acceptable.

DO NOT add adhesive to the tongue and groove system of the solid wood flooring. This will restrict the movement of the solid wood and makes the joints very brittle.  

Always try keep glue off the surface area of the boards and do not let any surplus adhesive dry on the finished flooring as this is very difficult to remove and may require sanding.

Installation - step by step

Step 1

First row, measure out your expansion spacing and lay down the boards with the groove towards the wall and insert the spacers. You may need to cut the first row to match the wall contours to ensure the solid wood floor goes down straight even if the walls are not. When you are satisfied with the alignment, fix the first row  to the subfloor at the appropriate intervals.

Note: when using the 'stick down' method use a rapid setting flexible adhesive to adhere the first couple of rows.

Step 2

Start the second row with a short board (about 20-25cm long) to stagger your joints. Staggering should be random to prevent any 'stair-stepping'

Note: when using adhesive the first 2-3 rows must be allowed to set. This will give a firm base to tap against when installing the main floor area. If clamps are to be used then again you must let the adhesive set before attaching the clamps or they will lift the floor.

Step 3

When using the 'stick-down' method it is advised to 'weight' the floor down whilst installing. This can be acheived by using the unused packs of wood flooring, tools box, sand bags, etc. This will ensure the wood flooring 'beds' itself into the adhesive and to give full transfer of adhesive onto the wood.

'Weighting' is generally not needed when using a mechanical fix such as nails or screws.

Step 4

Nail Down method

Because your nailer/stapler may not fit between the wall and the boards face/top nailing (through the top of the board) is generally required. Dry fit last row into place. Use the mallet and pull bar to fit each board tightly to each other. On the last row mark out your expansion gap and put your spacers in place, you may have to cut the boards to fit to profile to the wall if its out or not straight.

Lay the boards with the tongue or cut edge nearest the wall and tap together so that all the boards are tight. When satisfied with the fit, face/top nail the last row in place. To hide the nail holes use a colour coded filler or coloured wax to hide the holes.

Stick Down method

Before you install the last row when using adhesive, ensure that the main floor area has had enough time to strengthen its bond, most specialist adhesives take approx 30mins to 'grab' properly. Rapid setting flexible adhesive could also used.

Step 5

Remove all weights /  clamps / spacers, fit new skirting boards or cover the expansion gap with scotia. and your solid wood floor is now ready for use.

Installation Tips

Floor should be installed from several cartons at the same time to ensure good color and shade mixture.

• When possible, preselect and set aside boards that blend best with all floor mounted moldings used to ensure a uniform final appearance. Install these boards adjoining the moldings.

• Be attentive to staggering the ends of boards at least 4″–6″ (10–15 cm),  in adjacent rows. This will help ensure a more favorable overall appearance of the floor.

• Large spans exceeding 20′ (6 m) in hardwood flooring width, in areas of high humidity, may require the addition of internal or field expansion. This can be accomplished by using spacers, such as small washers, every 10–20 rows inserted above the tongue. Remove the spacers after several adjoining rows have been fastened.Do not leave spacers in for more than two hours.

• When installing products of uniform length, begin the rows with starter boards cut to various lengths. Avoid staggering the rows uniformly to prevent stair-stepping. Boards cut from the opposite end of the row may be used for the next starter boards.

• Always allow a minimum 3/4″ (19 mm) expansion around all vertical obstructions.

If your slightly confused at this point please go straight to our recommended installers section

Installation - After Care

1. Correct humidity and temperature conditions must be maintained within the environment that the flooring is installed.

2. Mats on both sides of entrance ways, not for decoration.

3. Prevent water being walked or leaked onto the floor at all times especially at entrance ways.

4. Do not install this type of flooring in bathrooms, kitchens or conservatories where leaks or excessive humidity may occur. Consult you supplier who will advise.

5. When cleaning use water sparingly and mop dry after cleaning removing all excess water.

6. Immediately remove stains and spillages.

7. Protect your floor by using good quality felt pads under all furniture.

8. Always follow a professional maintenance program.

Congratulations! You have just installed your first Wood Floor