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M & N Flooring, Inc.

3/4" Solid Plank & Strip Wood Flooring
For Nail Down Installation

INSTALLER / OWNER RESPONSIBILITY

Pre-Installation Moisture Warning

Do not open flooring packages until you are ready to begin installation. Store the unopened packages in the room where the flooring will be installed for at least 72 hours prior to installation. Room should be dry and at normal (60-75 degrees F) temperature.

Beautiful hardwood floors are a product of nature and therefore, not perfect. Our wood floors are manufactured in accordance with industry standards, which permit a defect tolerance not to exceed 5%.  The defects may be of a manufacturing or natural type.

The installer assumes all responsibility for final inspection of product quality.  This inspection of all flooring should be done before installation.  Carefully examine flooring for color, finish and quality before installing it.  If material is not acceptable, do not install it and contact the seller immediately.

Prior to installation of any hardwood flooring products, the installer must determine that the job site environment and the sub surfaces involved meet or exceed all applicable standards and recommendations of the construction and materials industries.  These instructions recommend that the construction and sub floor be dry, stiff and flat.  The manufacturer declines any responsibility for job failure resulting from or associated with subsurface or job site environment deficiencies.

Prior to installation, the installer / owner has final inspection responsibility as to grade, manufacture and factory finish.  The installer must use reasonable selectivity and hold out or cut off pieces with defects, whatever the cause.

Use of fillers or putty sticks for defect correction during installation should be accepted as normal procedure.

When flooring is ordered, 5% must be added to the actual square footage needed for cutting and grading allowance.

Should an individual piece be doubtful as to grade, manufacture or factory finish, the installer should not use the piece.

TOOLS & ACCESSORIES NEEDED

PRE-INSTALLATION PROCEDURES

Basements and crawl spaces must be dry and well ventilated.

Crawl space must be a minimum of 24" (600 mm) from the ground to underside of joists.   A ground cover of 6-8 mil black polyethylene film is essential as a vapor barrier with joints lapped six inches and taped.  The crawl space should have perimeter venting equal to a minimum of 1.5% of the crawl space square footage.  These vents should be properly located to foster cross ventilation (see figure #1).

Sub floor must be checked for moisture content using the appropriate testing method.

Permanent air conditioning and heating systems should be in place and operational. The installation site should have a consistent room temperature of 60-75 degrees F and humidity of 35-55% for 14 days prior, during and until occupied, to allow for proper acclimation.

STORAGE AND HANDLING

Solid products should be stored in the environment in which they are expected to perform. Deliver the materials to an environmentally controlled site.  Materials should be allowed to acclimate for as long as necessary to meet minimum installation requirements for moisture content.  Handle and unload your new flooring product with care.  Store in a dry place being sure to provide at least a four-inch air space under cartons which are stored upon "on-grade" concrete floors.  Flooring should not be delivered until the building has been closed in with windows and doors in place and until cement work, plastering and all other "wet" work is completed and dry.  Concrete should be at least 60 days old.  Air conditioning / heating systems should be in place and in operation at least 14 days prior, during and after installation of the flooring.

INSTALLATION APPLICATIONS

NOTE: MINOR SQUEAKING OF MECHANICALLY FASTENED FLOORS IS NOT ABNORMAL DUE TO STRUCTURAL MOVEMENT CAUSED BY CHANGES IN ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS.  FOLLOWING THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAN MINIMIZE THESE FACTORS, BUT OFFER NO GUARANTEE THAT THE FLOOR WILL NOT SQUEAK.

General Information for Manual Fastening Machines:
Improper adapter plate selection can cause severe edge damage.  Be certain that the proper adapter has been selected and properly installed for 3/4" wood flooring.

General Information for Pneumatic Fastening Machines:
Improper pressure settings and failure to use proper adapters can cause severe damage to the flooring product.  The correct adapter and air pressure setting will properly set the fastener in the nail pocket (figure #3).  Low air pressures may fail to properly set the fastener and damage adjoining boards.

Air pressure set too high may cause damage to the tongue which may dramatically reduce the holding power of the fastener causing loose, squeaky flooring.  Make certain that the compressor has a regulator in-line with the air hose for proper adjustment.  Set the pressure to 70-75 PSI.  Adjust the pressure from this point until proper fastener setting occurs.

SUB FLOOR REQUIREMENTS

NOTE: 15# builders felt (tarpaper) acts as a moisture retardant and may be used to reduce movement caused by changes in sub floor moisture, thereby reducing cupping and warping.   In addition, the use of these materials can give the flooring a more solid feeling, reduce sound transfer, prevent noise caused by minor irregularities and debris, and make it easier to slide the wood together across the surface of the sub-floor.

SUB FLOORS MUST BE:

CLEAN - Scrape, broom clean, and smooth.  Free of wax, paint, oil or debris.

LEVEL/FLAT - Within 3/16" in 10' and/or 1/8" in 6'.  Sand high areas or joints. Low spots can be flattened using shims or layers of builders felt between the wood and the sub floor during installation.

STRUCTURALLY SOUND - Nail or screw any loose areas that squeak. Replace any water damaged, swollen or de-laminated sub flooring or underlayments, as they are unable to properly hold fasteners.  Avoid sub-floor with excessive vertical movement unless they have been properly stiffened prior to the installation of the wood flooring.

DRY - Check moisture content of the sub-floor.  Moisture content of wood sub-floor must not exceed 13% on a wood moisture meter, or read more than a 4% difference (3% for plank) than moisture level of product being installed.

RECOMMENDED SUB FLOOR SURFACES

• PREFERRED: 3/4" (19 mm) CDX grade plywood
   3/4" (23/32") OSB PS2 rated underlayment
   MINIMUM: 5/8" CDX grade plywood
• Existing solid wood flooring
• Screeds
• T&G wood sub flooring

SUB FLOOR TYPES:
Note: Do Not Install Solid Wood Plank or Strip Over Radiant Heated Sub-floors

WOOD SUB FLOORS & WOOD STRUCTURAL PANEL SUB FLOORS
Plywood: Must be minimum APA grade rated sheathing or CDX.  Oriented Strand Board (OSB): Must be PS2 rated installed sealed side down.  Do Not install over particleboard, wafer board, pressed wood or fiber board.

For optimum performance of hardwood floor covering products occurs when there is no horizontal or vertical movement of the sub floor.  The MINIMUM sub floor recommendations described above are for 16" O/C joist spacing.  The thicker, PREFERRED, sub floor recommendations described above will allow 19.2" joist spacing if the joist manufacturer's recommended span is not exceeded.  Spacing in excess of 19.2" O/C may not offer optimum results. Install flooring perpendicular to the floor joists when possible.  Installations should not be made parallel to the floor joists or on joist spacing that exceeds 19.2" O/C unless the sub floor has been properly stiffened.  Stiffening may require the addition of a second layer of sub flooring material to bring the overall thickness to at least 1-1/8".

All underlayment panels should be spaced 1/8" apart to insure adequate expansion space. This can be achieved by using a circular saw set at the depth of the underlayment and cutting around the perimeter of the panel.  T&G panels normally have built in expansion; DO NOT cut around the perimeter of T&G panels.  Do not install over existing glue down floors.  Wide width floors must be overlaid with plywood.  When installing over existing wood floors parallel with the flooring, it may be necessary to install an additional 1/4" layer of plywood to stabilize the flooring or install the wood floor at right angles.  Applicable standards and recommendations of the construction and materials industries must be met or exceeded.

CONCRETE SLABS
Solid flooring can be installed over concrete once the appropriate nailing surface has been installed.  The concrete must be of high compressive strength.  All concrete sub floors should be tested for moisture content.  Visual checks are not reliable.  Acceptable test methods for sub floor moisture content include:
NOTE: Test several areas, especially near exterior walls and walls containing plumbing.

A "DRY" SLAB, AS DEFINED BY THESE TESTS CAN BE WET AT OTHER TIMES OF THE YEAR.  THESE TESTS DO NOT GUARANTEE A DRY SLAB.  ALL CONCRETE SLABS SHOULD HAVE A MINIMUM OF 6 MIL POLY FILM MOISTURE BARRIER BETWEEN THE GROUND AND THE CONCRETE.

Moisture Retardant System: If moisture is present, install 6-mil poly to the surface of the concrete BEFORE installing the sub floor.  Several layers of builders felt (tarpaper) may also be used.  All materials should have joints lapped 6".  If you have any questions regarding installation or the handling of moisture problems, please contact the distributor / retailer from whom the goods were purchased.

Sub floor Systems
Bonded: Install a suitable moisture retardant followed by a plywood sub floor with a minimum thickness of 3/4".  Allow 1/2" expansion space around all vertical objects and 1/8" between all flooring panels.  The panel must be properly attached to the sub floor using a minimum of one fastener per square foot and more if necessary.  Use pneumatic or powder actuated fasteners.  Do not hand nail the sub floor with concrete nails.  Install a moisture retardant barrier with joints lapped 6" and begin installation of flooring using 1-1/2" fasteners.

Floating: Install a suitable moisture retardant followed by a plywood sub floor with a minimum of 3/8".  Allow 1/2" expansion space around all vertical objects and 1/8" between all flooring panels.  Install a second layer of 3/8" plywood at a right angle to the previous panels, offsetting the joints 2'.  Staple together with staples that will not penetrate the first layer of sub floor with a crown width of 3/8" or more.  Install a moisture retardant barrier as above and begin installation of flooring.

DOORWAY AND WALL PREPARATION

Large spans 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 and removed after several adjoining rows have been fastened.

STEP 1: ESTABLISH A STARTING POINT - WALL TO WALL INSTALLATION

STEP 2: INSTALLING FIRST ROWS - WALL TO WALL INSTALLATION
NOTE: Always end glue wide width (4" or more) planks with a good construction adhesive.

Face-nail the groove side where pre-drilled.  When complete, blind-nail at a 45-degree angle through the tongue of the first row.  Fasten using 6 or 8d nails.  Countersink nails to ensure flush engagement of groove.  Avoid bruising the wood by using a nail set to drive the nails the last 1/4" into the tongue.  Continue blind-nailing using this method with following rows until stapler or nailer can be used.

End-joints of adjacent rows should be staggered a minimum of 6" to ensure a more favorable overall appearance.

Beginning rows may be blind nailed where clearance allows using a pneumatic finish nailer with 15 gauge, 1-1/2" (minimum) nails.

STEP 1 & 2: CENTER TO WALL INSTALLATION

Snap a chalk line down the center of the room.

Install a sacrificial row that extends the entire length of the room on the center line.

Install three rows of flooring.

Remove the sacrificial row and insert a slip tongue in the open groove.

STEP 3: RACKING THE FLOOR

"Dry" lay materials to cover approximately 2/3 of the room.  Begin dry laying approximately 6" from the edge of the previously installed rows.  Avoid pulling boards too tightly together on the sides, as they must move freely when fastening begins.

Mark the final board in each row and cut to proper length allowing for expansion.  Visually inspect flooring, setting aside boards that need to have natural character flaws cut out.  Use these boards for starting and finishing row after objectionable characteristics have been removed.

STEP 4: INSTALLING THE FLOOR

Fasten a sacrificial board to the floor.  Check for surface damage, air pressure setting, tongue damage, etc. before proceeding.  Make all adjustments and corrections before installation begins.  Once proper adjustments have been made, remove and destroy the board.

Begin installation with several rows at a time, fastening each board with at least two fasteners, 8-10" apart and 2-3" from the ends (to avoid splitting).  Tighten boards as necessary to reduce gaps before fastening.

End-joints of adjacent rows should be staggered 6" when possible to ensure a more favorable overall appearance.

The last 1-2 rows will need to be face-nailed where clearance does not permit blind nailing with stapler or brad nailer.  Pre-drill and face-nail on the tongue side following the nailing pattern used for the first row.

Rip final row to fit and face-nail.  If the final row is less than 1" in width, it should first be glued to the previous UNINSTALLED row and the two joined units should be face-nailed as one.

INSTALLERS - ADVISE YOUR CUSTOMER OF THE FOLLOWING

SEASONS: HEATING AND NON-HEATING
Recognizing that wood floor dimensions will be slightly affected by varying levels of humidity within your building, care should be taken to control humidity levels within the 35-55% range.  To protect your investment and to assure that your floors provide lasting satisfaction, we have some recommendations below.

Heating Season (Dry) - A humidifier is recommended to prevent excessive shrinkage in wood floors due to low humidity levels.  Wood stoves and electric heat tend to create very dry conditions.

 Non-Heating Season (Humid, Wet) - Proper humidity levels can be maintained by use of an air conditioner, dehumidifier, or by turning on your heating system periodically during the summer months.  Avoid excessive exposure to water from tracking during periods of inclement weather.  Do not obstruct in any way the expansion joint around the perimeter of your floor.

FLOOR REPAIR
Minor damage can be repaired with a touchup kit or filler.  Major damage will require board replacement, which can be done by a professional floor installer.

FOR ALL INSTALLATIONS

STEP 5: COMPLETING THE JOB

Clean floor with a recommended wood flooring cleaner.

Reinstall any transition pieces that may be needed, such as Reducer Strips, T-moldings, or Thresholds.  The products are available pre-finished to blend with your flooring. (See moldings below)

Reinstall all Wall Base and/or quarter round moldings. Nail moldings into the wall, not the floor.  Inspect the floor, filling all minor gaps with the appropriate blended filler.

If the floor is to be covered, use a breathable material such as cardboard.  Do not cover with plastic.

Leave warranty and floor care information with the owner.  Advise them of the product name and code number of the flooring they purchased.

To prevent surface damage avoid rolling heavy appliances and furniture on the floor. Use plywood, hardboard or appliance lifts if necessary.

Place pads under all furniture to avoid damage to the wood flooring.

MOLDINGS

Reducer Strip: Provides a smooth transition between floors of different heights and materials.  Fasten down with adhesive or double-faced tape.

Threshold: a molding undercut for use against sliding door tracks, fireplaces, carpet, ceramic tile, or existing thresholds to allow for expansion space and to provide a smooth transition in height difference. Fasten to sub floor with adhesive and/or nails through the heel. Pre drill nail holes to prevent splitting. Always leave expansion beneath the undercut.

Stair Nosing: a molding undercut for use as a stair landings trim, elevated floor perimeters, and stair steps. Fasten down firmly with adhesive and nails or screws. Pre drill nail holes to prevent splitting.

Quarter Round: a molding used to cover expansion space next to baseboards, case goods, and stair steps. Pre drill and nail to the vertical surface, not into the floor.

Wall Base: a molding used when a base is desired. Used to cover expansion space between the floor and the wall. Pre drill and nail into the wall, not the floor.

T-Molding: a molding used as a transition piece from one flooring to another or to gain expansion spaces. Fasten at the heel in the center of the molding. Leave expansion beneath the undercut on both sides.

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