ITS Engineered Flooring Installation Instructions
Important: Carefully inspect all boards for any defects. Boards installed with visible defects are not covered under warranty. Please remember that wood is a natural product that can vary in color, grain, and contains natural characteristics that varies from plank to plank and is to be expected. We do not warrant against these natural variations from plank to plank or variations from sample to plank. Always work from 3-4 boxes at a time.
Installation Instructions:
Applications: ITS engineered flooring may be glued, nailed, or floated.
General Conditions: In area to be installed, temperature and humidity (35%-55%) must be brought to normal “expected” usage levels at least 72 hours before installation and maintained at those levels after installation. Flooring should be allowed to acclimatize on site at least 72 hours before installation. Be sure to check moisture levels in both the sub-floor and your ITS flooring before installation.
Moisture: Perform moisture tests of sub-floor and content of wood before installation of wood. Check NWFA listing on moisture content for your area (www.nwfa.org). While ITS flooring is much more stable than most woods, it is still subject to damage when in direct contact with a constantly wet slab. The ITS flooring must be isolated from this type of slab by use of a reverse vinyl or sleeper sub floor. Urethane adhesive will usually fail when vapor pressure exceeds 3 pounds per 1,000 square feet in 24 hours. ITS flooring cannot be glued down under these conditions.
Sub-Floor: Subfloor must be leveled to NOFMA and NWFA standards before installation. Surfaces must be clean, dry, smooth and free of dirt, wax, oil, paint, curing agents and other contaminants that would interfere with adhesive bond. Old resilient floors can be installed over provided above conditions apply. Wood sub-floors must be sanded level prior to new installation. Concrete sub-floors must have all cracks and holes filled with cementitious patching material. Concrete sub-floors should be tested for moisture before installation. Moisture levels should not exceed three pounds per 1,000 square feet.
Work out of multiple (3-4) boxes: ITS flooring is a natural product and has natural color variations. ITS flooring is separated by shade at the factory. Even though ITS has implemented standards to reduce this issue at the factory level, shade difference between cartons may be noticeable. Mixing cartons creates a natural, random shade effect.
PRE INSTALLATION & JOBSITE CONDITIONS
It is the installer/ owners’ responsibility to ensure that the jobsite conditions and jobsite subfloor are environmentally and structurally acceptable prior to the installation of any hardwood flooring. The manufacturer declines any responsibility for failures or deficiencies of hardwood flooring resulting from or related to sub-floor, subsurface, or job-site environmental conditions. All substrates must be clean, flat, dry, and structurally sound.
- Subfloors must be clean and free of dirt, curing compounds, sealers, drywall mud, paint, wax, grease, urethane, or other materials that may affect the integrity of the flooring material or adhesives used to install the flooring.
- All subfloors and subfloor systems must be structurally sound and must be installed following their manufacturer's recommendations. Local building codes may only establish minimum requirements of the flooring system and may not provide adequate rigidity and support for proper installation and performance of a hardwood floor. Whenever possible install the planks perpendicular to the floor joists for maximum stability. Our warranties DO NOT cover any problems caused by inadequate substructures or improper installation of said substructures.
- Test wood sub floors and wood flooring for moisture content using a pin-type moisture meter. The moisture content of the subfloor should not exceed 13% and the moisture content of the wood should be within 4% of the subfloor moisture content.
- The moisture content for concrete subfloors registered after a calcium chloride test should not be greater than 3 pounds per 1000 square feet of area. If it exceeds these limits, DO NOT install the flooring. Before moisture testing begins, the slab must be cured for a minimum of 30 days.
- Basements and crawl spaces must be dry. Use of a 6 mil black polyethylene is required to cover 100% of the crawl space earth. Crawl space clearance from ground to underside of joist to be no less than 18” and perimeter vent spacing should be equal to 1.5% of the total square footage of the crawl space area to provide cross ventilation. Where necessary, local regulations prevail.
- The subfloor must be flat, meeting a minimum of 1/8” in 8’.
Concrete subfloors - Grind high spots or use a Portland Cement-based leveling material (minimum compressive strength 3000 psi) to fill all low spots. Follow the leveling compound manufacturer’s instruction. Leveling compounds must be allowed to thoroughly cure and dry prior to installation of wood flooring.
Wood subfloors - For staple down application use layers of 15lb. felt or wooden shims to fill low spots. Staples must be able to penetrate for holding power.
- All “wet” work – i.e. – paint, drywall, concrete, masonry, plumbing must be complete and dry well in advance of delivery of hardwood flooring
- Gutters and downspouts should be in place and the exterior grade complete to allow for proper drainage of water away from the building’s exterior perimeter.
- Flooring should not be exposed to extremes of humidity or moisture.
- Permanent HVAC should be on and operational a minimum of 7 days and maintained between 65 – 75 degrees and a relative humidity of 35%- 55% prior to delivery, during, and after installation of the flooring.
- If HVAC is not possible at time of installation the environmental conditions must be at or near normal living conditions between 60 – 80 degrees and at the average yearly relative humidity for the area.
It is the Installer/Owner responsibility to ensure that the conditions are acceptable prior to the installation of the hardwood floors. The manufacturer declines any and all problems with the hardwood flooring that are related to or attributed to improper jobsite conditions.
Recommended Subfloor Surfaces:
Concrete subfloors: Concrete slabs should be of high compressive strength and constructed to prevent groundwater from permeating the concrete. Engineered hardwood flooring can be installed on, above, or below-grade. In addition, it can be installed over above-ground, suspended concrete floors. The suspended concrete must be a minimum of 1 1/2 inches thick and must be structurally sound. The exception to this is lightweight concrete (which usually contains high amounts of gypsum) having a density of 100 pounds or less per cubic foot. Test for lightweight concrete by using a nail to scratch the surface of the concrete. If the concrete crumbles or turns to powder, it is not sound and you should NOT install the hardwood flooring. Use the floating installation method (products 3” or wider) only for lightweight concrete subfloors.
Wood Subfloors:
Preferred Subflooring ¾” (23/32”, 18.3 mm) CDX grade Plywood subfloor/ underlayment (Exposure 1), 4’x8’ sheets or ¾” (23/32”, 18.3mm) OSB subfloor/ underlayment grade, PS2 rated, sealed side down, with joist spacing of 19.2” (475) on center or less.
Minimum Subflooring - 5/8” (19/32, 15.1mm) CDX Plywood subfloor/ underlayment (Exposure 1), 4’x8’ sheets, maximum 16” on center joist construction.
Follow panel manufacturer’s recommendations for spacing and fastening. Typical panel spacing and fastening for joist systems, 1/8” (3.2mm) around perimeter and fastened every 6” (150mm) on bearing edges and every 12”(300mm) along intermediate supports. Installation of flooring should not be made over joists spacing greater than 19.2 on center or parallel to the joists unless the subfloor has been properly strengthened, applying a second layer of underlayment may be necessary to bring the overall subfloor thickness to 1-1/8”.
- Test the moisture content of the wood subfloor and wood flooring with a pin type moisture meter. Wood subfloors must not exceed 13% and the wood flooring should be within 4% of the wood subfloor.
- For existing wood floors install new flooring at right angles to the existing flooring.
- Do not glue, staple, or nail down hardwood flooring over particle board, floating application is acceptable (products 3” or wider).
- Do not install over existing glue down hardwood floors.
Ceramic tile and terrazzo: All wax and sealers must be removed with an appropriate cleaner/stripper. Ceramic tile and terrazzo should be abraded to allow for proper adhesion. Check for loose tiles by tapping and re-adhere. Fill grout lines with a cementitious latex fortified leveling compound.
Resilient tile, resilient sheet vinyl: Material must be full spread and secured to the subfloor. Do not install over perimeter-glued floors. Do not install over more than one layer that exceeds 1/8” in thickness.
Nail/ Staple Down Only - If old flooring is unsuitable to install new flooring then overlay with new underlayment. Test to conclude that the staples/ cleats are able to properly penetrate and secure the flooring to the subfloor.
Glue Down Only – Do not install over more than one layer that exceeds 1/8” in thickness. Clean flooring with an appropriate cleaner and allow to thoroughly dry. If necessary degloss the floor using an abrasive pad to enhance the bonding of the adhesive, if wax or other coatings are present, completely remove the material with a quality stripper, rinse the floor and allow to dry. Always check for proper adhesion bond prior to installing.
Concrete Sub-floor Nail Down:
- Float floor flat to 1/8” in an 8’ area.
- Install 5/8” or 3/4” CDX Plywood, spacing 1/4” at butt edges of plywood, 1/2” at walls. Lay plywood over 6mm vapor barrier, lapping seams 6”.
- Install 15lb. felt, rolled over sub-floor, butt edges (Do not overlap).
- Nail flooring over felt, leaving 1/16” washer run parallel within grain as needed. Leave 1/2” expansion gap at walls. Use power nailer recommend for 5/8” flooring.
Concrete Sub-floor Glue Down:
- Float floor flat to 1/8” in an 8’ area.
- Bostik’s Best has been an approved adhesive for this product.
- To spread adhesive, use a 1/4” x 1/4” notched trowel or use size recommended by glue manufacture. Spread adhesive in a 2’ wide by length of floor at a rate you are accustomed to so that he mastic does not set up to fast. Spread no more adhesives than can be worked with in a forty-minute period (100-200 sq.ft.).
- Planks shall be started square with the room and parallel to its longest dimension by positioning with a chalk line, leaving ¼” expansion space from base plate or wall.
- Once initial rows are secure, use adhesive in a Wet-Lay method of installation as follows: Apply adhesive to substrate with suitable trowel. Immediately place flooring onto “wet” adhesive
- Roll floor with 50lb. to 80lb. roller to make sure adhesive makes good contact with floor. Do not allow traffic for a maximum of 24 hours on floor or as recommended by adhesive manufacture.
Floating:
- Install Underlayment: Unroll the 6mil Poly sheeting overlapping edges 4” and seal seams with clear plastic tape. Allow the poly to run 2” up the wall and trim back after installation of flooring. Install 1/8” foam underlayment. 6mil Polyethylene required over concrete type sub-floors on grade or below grade. Use of a floating floor 2 in 1 underlayment may be used. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for application installing the 2 in 1 underlayment. Float floor flat to 1/8” in a 10’ area.
- Begin running a continuous bead of adhesive along the groove width and end with a PVA-type adhesive. You must ensure that the beads of glue are constant and not intermittent. Because this is a floating floor system the glue placement is very important. The glue should be placed along the top side of the groove and the full length of the groove (sides and ends). This can be accomplished by inverting the plank and applying bead of glue (3/32”) on the upper side of the groove. When the plank is turned back over the glue will run down the back to create total coverage. If the groove is totally filled with glue, it could hinder the closing of the seams because of excessive glue, thus not allowing a tight fit.
- Install first row of planks with groove facing the straight edge. Make sure there are no gaps between the boards. Use a tapping block, if needed, to close the boards together. At the end wall use an end pry bar, if needed, to pull the ends of the planks tight.
- After several rows of planks are installed, use tape 12” apart to hold the planks securely together. (Laminate straps may damage the flooring).
- Do not allow traffic or remove spacers for a maximum of 24 hours on floor or as recommended by adhesive manufacture.
- Do not install over carpet.
- If installing over vinyl, ensure it is secure to the sub floor. Do not install over perimeter-glued vinyl.
- If installing over an existing wood floor, install the flooring at right angles to the wood floor.
- Do not install over wood flooring glued to a concrete sub floor.
- ½” of expansion space required at all vertical surfaces.
Note: In extremely dry climates, care should be taken to avoid shrinkage by allowing flooring to acclimate under actual use conditions. Remove the planks from the box and expose to local conditions for several days. Make sure that humidity levels remain constantly between 35%-55% after installation.