READ BEFORE INSTALLATION

INSTALLATION WARNING:

Installation conditions—including temperature, sun exposure, and humidity—will affect this product’s performance over time. For best results, the room temperature and humidity of the installation area must be kept consistent with normal, year-round living conditions for a minimum of one week prior to installation.

• Required Conditions: All products require a specific temperature range of 60°F to 80°F with 35% to 55% relative humidity.
• Risks: Installation outside of these recommended ranges or over a wet subfloor will likely cause movement in the flooring, including potential shrinkage, tip-raising, gapping between pieces, cupping, and face-checking.

Hardwood Bargains flooring strongly recommends glue-down as the best method to install its engineered herringbone flooring. Herringbone patterns require extreme precision; any movement can throw off the entire room alignment.

INSTALLER’S / OWNER’S RESPONSIBILITY

As a natural product, hardwood contains inherent variations in color, grain, appearance, and other visual imperfections. Hardwood Bargains flooring is manufactured in accordance with industry standards which permit a defect tolerance not to exceed 5%. These defects may be the result of manufacturing or naturally occurring characteristics of the material.

• Overage (Critical for Herringbone): Herringbone installation requires significantly more cuts than standard planks. You MUST order an additional 15-20% to account for cutting, pattern matching, and grading allowance.
• Inspection: It is the sole and joint responsibility of the installer and owner to conduct a quality inspection of all flooring materials prior to installation. Flooring that has been installed will be deemed to have been inspected and accepted by the installer and owner.
• Site Conditions: It is the sole responsibility of the flooring installer to ensure the job site, subfloor, installation tools, and materials meet or exceed industry standards. Hardwood Bargains flooring voids all responsibility for any problems arising from incorrect or improper site preparations or installation procedures.

JOBSITE CONDITIONS & PRE-INSTALLATION PLANNING

General Information

• The building must be structurally completed and enclosed. All outside doors and windows must be in place and have latching mechanisms.
• All concrete, masonry, plastering, drywall, and paint must be completed. Allow adequate drying time so as not to raise moisture content within the building.
• HVAC systems must be fully operating at least 14 days prior to flooring installation.
• Acclimation: Flooring must be stored in a climate-controlled area, equal to the environment where it will be installed, for 5-7 days prior to installation. DO NOT OPEN the cartons until you are ready to install.
• Basements/Crawl Spaces: Basements and crawl spaces must be well ventilated and dry. Crawl spaces must be a minimum of 24" from the ground to the underside of joists. A vapor barrier must be established in crawl spaces using 6-mil polyethylene film with joints overlapped and taped.

Expansion Space

Hardwood flooring will expand and contract with changes in ambient temperature and humidity.

• Leave a 1/2" expansion space (or the thickness of the flooring, whichever is greater) around the entire perimeter of the floor between the flooring and the walls.
• Leave a 1/2" expansion space (or the thickness of the flooring, whichever is greater) where the flooring meets vertical obstacles, such as stairs, pipes, door sills, tiles, or cabinets.

SUBFLOOR PREPARATION

Flatness is critical for herringbone. Any "humps" or "dips" will cause the intricate pattern to drift out of square.

Subfloor Conditions

• Clean: Free of wax, paint, oil, plaster, and debris. Existing adhesives must be removed completely.
• Flat: Subfloor must be flat to 3/16" per 10' radius or 1/8" per 6' radius. Sand down high spots and fill low spots with a cementitious patch.
• Structurally Sound: Secure with nails or screws every 6" along joists to reduce squeaking.

Wood Subfloors

• Specs: 5/8" minimum thickness (preferred 3/4") exterior plywood or 3/4" minimum O.S.B. on 19.2" center floor joists.
• Moisture: Check moisture content of both subfloor and hardwood. Wood subfloor moisture must not exceed 12%, with an ideal range of 6% to 9% to match indoor relative humidity.
• Moisture Difference: The difference in moisture content between the hardwood flooring and the subfloor must not exceed 2%.

Concrete Subfloors

• Curing: Concrete must be at least 60 days old, clean, level, sound, and of sufficient compression strength (3000 lbs. P.S.I.).
• Moisture Testing: A moisture barrier is required over all concrete subfloors.
  • Calcium Chloride Test: Results should not exceed 3 lbs per 24 hours per 1000 sq. ft.
  • In-Situ Relative Humidity: Results should not exceed 75% RH.
  • Note: If using a moisture control adhesive system, refer to the adhesive manufacturer's specifications.

INSTALLATION METHOD: GLUE-DOWN (RECOMMENDED)

Note: Herringbone flooring is directional (Left and Right planks). Separate your cartons into "Lefts" and "Rights" before beginning to ensure you don't run out of one side unexpectedly.

1. Layout & Center Lines (Crucial Step)

Herringbone must be installed from a perfectly centered "Working Line" outward. The first row (The "Snake") acts as the anchor for the entire floor.

1. Find Center: Measure the room width and snap a chalk line down the exact center (or the focal point, e.g., fireplace center). This is your Center Line.
2. Prepare a Template: Cut a square piece of plywood (approx. 2’ x 2’) into a perfect square or right triangle. Screw this template into the subfloor so that its corners align perfectly with your Center Line. This provides a solid 90° reference for your first planks.
3. Install the "Snake": Apply adhesive ahead of the template. Place your first plank against the left side of the template and the second plank against the right, pressing the tongue outward.
4. Align the Points: Ensure the corners (the points of the V) align perfectly with your Center Line.
5. Cure Time (Mandatory): Once the first row is installed straight and true, STOP. Allow the adhesive to cure fully (refer to glue manufacturer instructions) before adding more rows. This "Snake" must be a fixed, immovable reference point for the rest of the floor.

2. Adhesive

• Use a urethane-based adhesive exclusively.
• Follow the trowel size and spread rate suggested by the adhesive manufacturer.
• Do not spread too much glue at once. Herringbone takes longer to lay than standard plank; only spread enough for 2-3 rows at a time.

3. Installation

1. Continue the Pattern: Once the "Snake" is fully cured, continue installing rows outward.
2. Check for Square: Frequently use a laser level or string line to ensure the points of the herringbone remain perfectly straight. If the pattern drifts, stop and correct immediately.
3. Expansion: Leave a 1/2" expansion space (or equal to floor thickness) around the perimeter.
4. Protection: Do not allow foot traffic for 24 hours. Cover with breathable paper (NEVER PLASTIC). NEVER apply tape directly to the surface of the flooring.

INSTALLATION METHOD: 
NAIL DOWN / STAPLE

Note: This method is more difficult for herringbone than glue-down due to the tendency of the planks to shift when nailed. Glue-assist is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED even when nailing to prevent movement.

Recommended Fastener Systems:

• 18 or 20 gauge pneumatic flooring stapler/cleat nailer.

Fastener Schedule:

• Spacing: Place fasteners every 3" to 4" along the length of the board and 1" to 2" from each end.

Instructions

1. Barrier: Apply a 15 lb. felt paper moisture barrier to the plywood subfloor with 6" overlaps.
2. Starter Row: Follow the "Layout & Center Lines" step from the Glue-Down section above. You must use a backer board/template to start, and you must adhere to the mandatory cure time for the starter row (using adhesive on the first row is required for stability).
3. Glue Assist: Apply a serpentine bead of urethane adhesive to the back of every plank before nailing. This prevents the small pieces from squeaking or twisting.
4. Blind Nailing: Blind nail through the tongue at a 45-degree angle.
5. Splines: When you reach the walls and need to change direction (turn the tongue), you may need to use splines (slip tongues) to convert a groove into a tongue.
6. Completion: Face nail the final rows where the stapler will not fit. Putty holes with matching filler.

FLOATING INSTALLATION (NOT RECOMMENDED)

Note: While technically possible with PVA tongue & groove glue, floating a herringbone floor is extremely difficult and prone to separation due to the lack of long, locking seams. Hardwood Bargains flooring does NOT recommend floating herringbone products.

If you choose to float, you must:

1. Use a high-quality D3 rated PVA wood glue in every single groove (sides and ends).
2. Strap the floor with ratchet straps while the glue dries to prevent gaps from opening.
3. Adhere strictly to expansion gap rules (T-moldings) in any room larger than 25 feet in any direction.

RADIANT HEAT SYSTEMS

NOTE: Installations over radiant heated subfloors must use the 'Glue Down' installation method ONLY. Do NOT use 'Floating' or 'Nail Down'.

• System Type: The radiant heat system must be a hydraulic system. Hardwood Bargains flooring products are not warranted over electric radiant heat systems.
• Temperature Limits: The surface temperature of the installed wood floor must never exceed 80°F.
• Thermostats: Separation of heating zones and thermostats is required.
• Operation: The system must be fully operational for a minimum of 7 days prior to delivery of flooring.
• Humidity: A supplemental humidity control system is often necessary to support ambient conditions between 35% - 55% RH.

Warranty Note: The warranty will be void if system design, installation, or operation requirements are not adhered to.

WARNING: Drilling, sawing, sanding, or machining wood products can expose you to wood dust, a substance known to the State of California to cause cancer. Avoid inhaling wood dust or use a dust mask for personal protection.