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.

HB Flooring strongly recommends glue-down as the best method to install its engineered hardwood flooring. HB Flooring engineered hardwood MUST be installed according to the National Wood Flooring Association’s (NWFA) installation guidelines in order for the Limited Warranties to be valid.

INSTALLER’S / OWNER’S RESPONSIBILITY
 

As a natural product, hardwood contains inherent variations in color, grain, appearance, and other visual imperfections. HB 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: It is recommended that an additional 5-10% be added to the total square footage for cutting or grading allowance. For diagonal flooring installs, please add an additional 15%. 
• 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. All flooring materials should be examined for quality of manufacture, finish, and color. If the product quality is deemed unacceptable, the flooring should not be installed. 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. HB 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.
• Door Casings: Undercut door casings to avoid difficult scribe cuts. Remove existing wall base, shoe molding, or thresholds.

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

The installer and owner are jointly and solely responsible for ensuring that the subfloor is suitable for the flooring application and properly prepared.

 

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. "Hills" should be sanded down and "valleys" filled with an underlayment patch. Irregularities may cause hollow spots, which are NOT covered under warranty.
• 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% for planks 3" or wider (or 4% for planks narrower than 3").

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. Some systems may warrant installations over higher moisture levels if applied correctly.
• Sealer: If gluing down on concrete that is on or below grade, it is highly recommended to use a concrete sealer approved by the adhesive manufacturer.

INSTALLATION METHOD 1: NAIL DOWN / STAPLE
 

NOTE: For planks wider than 6.5" and less than 7.5", follow the 'Nail + Glue Assist' instructions below. Nailing planks wider than 7.5" without a full spread adhesive will void all warranties.

Recommended Fastener Systems:
18 or 20 gauge pneumatic flooring stapler/cleat nailer.

Fastener Selection Schedule: