Wood-Boo installation...
Click here to download PDF of the Wood-Boo™ installation instructions
General Information
- Wood-Boo ™ flooring planks use a tongue and groove system. The planks can be placed together simply. The floor is installed with glue, nails and/or staples.
- Room humidity and temperature can vary according to the season, so it is vital that the floor is able to expand and contract. For this reason, make sure you leave a minimum expansion joint of 1/4" on all sides of the floor, around pipes, thresholds, under doors and around any fixed/stationary objects (floor vents, kitchen islands, etc.).
- Unless you’re an experienced carpenter, we recommend you hire an experienced installer.
Precautions
- Protect furniture and chair legs with proper felt or rubber caps.
- Avoid bringing dirt, water and sand indoors by providing a suitable floor mat at all outside doors. Use (office) chairs and seats with soft rubber wheels that are suitable for wood flooring and/or use a suitable desk mat.
- Ensure that humidity in the room IS always at least 50%. Use a humidifier if you need to.
Maintenance
- Never use wax or varnish coatings on the floor.
- For dry maintenance, we recommend using a micro-fiber duster (flipper) or vacuum cleaner.
- For slightly damp maintenance, we recommend using a urethane hardwood floor cleaner. Always wipe dry immediately until no more moisture is visible on the floor. The use of any oil-based cleaning products might damage your floor. For bevel edge products, we strongly recommend dry cleaning only.
- Do not use of any type of cleaning machine such as steam cleaners, wet mops or power cleaners.
- Wet maintenance IS absolutely forbidden. Remove any standing water immediately.
- To remove stubborn stains carefully, we recommend using acetone based fingernail polish remover. Never use scouring products!
- For surface scratches on your floor, Wood-Boo™ recommends an almond stick, which is available at most flooring retailers or available online.
Pre-Installation
- We recommend you purchase extra flooring; on average, a 10% (cut) waste factor is needed due to damaged pieces, miscalculation of area size, or if you incorrectly cut some pieces, and for any repairs in the future. REMEMBER: ALWAYS MEASURE TWICE! YOU CANNOT STRETCH OUR PRODUCT ONCE CUT.
- Carefully inspect all flooring planks before installation. Wood-Boo™ carries a 100% replacement guarantee on any defective products exceeding 3% of the overall order purchased, PRIOR TO INSTALLATION.
- Wood-Boo™ has a wear layer of natural wood. Color variations range with different species. Make sure that you work out of 3 to 4 boxes at a time to ensure proper color variation distribution throughout your floor. (Note: alternate boxes when selecting planks)
- The floor materials must be acclimated (adjust) to the environment at least 72 hours prior to installation to ensure that the flooring is at room temperature.
- Room humidity and temperature can vary according to the season, so it is vital that the floor is able to expand and contract. Relative humidity should never exceed 65% or go below 35%; this will ensure that your floor’s expansion and contraction is held to a minimum. If humidity exceeds 65% for prolonged periods of time, it is likely that your floor will expand and may cup or buckle. If less than 35% relative humidity for a prolonged period of time, it is likely that your floor will shrink (contract) and will affect the wood wear layer in that it could crack and may cause your floor to separate due to shrinkage in the plank.
TOOLS REQUIRED FOR INSTALLATION:
1/4” shims, pry bar, rubber mallet, hammer, tape measure, pencil, chop saw, table saw, jigsaw (for circular cuts around pipes, etc.). You may use a drill and/or flooring stapler (3/4” crown x 2” staple) finish nailer, brad nailer, chisels, flat & Phillips screwdrivers, air compressor and hosing, caulk gun and liquid nails, wood putty, sandpaper, and undercut saw (used for door jambs and
trim) For glue applications you will need flooring adhesive, trowel, no residue painter’s tape (we recommend Scott’s painters tape, 1-2 inch width).
SAFETY:
Safety glasses and earplugs. Kneepads are recommended for comfort.
Preparation
- Sub-floor must be cleaned and dry and make sure all work area debris is removed.
- Make sure sub-floor is flat. No more variance than 1/8” of an inch for any ten-foot radius. It is vital that you use a floor patch to smooth any unevenness in the sub-floor. Use floor patch manufacturer’s recommendations for drying time before installation of flooring.
- If patching is required, once cure time is met on wood substrate with wood sub-floors, 15-lb roofing felt paper can be installed. (This is a good vapor barrier) Follow manufacturer’s instructions for installation of felt paper.
- For concrete sub floors, patch requirements are the same as above for wood. Where high moisture or calcium chloride exists, vapor barrier products are available. Follow manufacturer’s instructions carefully.
Installation
- You are now ready to begin installation. It is best to use the longest, straightest wall in the room as your starting point. Once that is determined, depending upon the thickness of the base to be used, you may need to cut off the tongue to ensure the flooring is held tight to the temporary spacers. IT IS VITAL THAT THE TEMPORARY SPACERS ARE REMOVED AFTER INSTALLATION OF THE FLOOR IS COMPLETE!
- Position the plank to be installed flat on the floor horizontally to the next plank. You can either insert the tongue into the groove, or the groove on to the tongue. The tongue into the groove is the easiest method, where the groove into the tongue may require a tapping block or rubber mallet.
- Remove and replace your entire base shoe or baseboard if needed or desired.
- A 5/16” temporary spacer must be used against the starter wall, both sides and also on the finished side (opposite wall). If baseboard is to remain intact or has already been installed, the temporary spacer must be held to the baseboard. NOTE: Base shoe/quarter round may be installed against the baseboard to cover the expansion gap. Nail into the baseboard when applying base shoe/quarter round NOT the flooring, to allow expansion and contraction freely under the base shoe.
- Ensure the end joints of the planks in two successive rows are never in line. Always ensure that the joints are staggered by at least 6 inches. If installation is done in a stair-step pattern, it will allow you to go 4-5 rows continuously before having to begin a new row. If a random laid floor is what you are trying to achieve, vary the starter boards in size. (If random length flooring is used do not allow butt joints to be closer than 6”.
- For set lengths: The first row should be started with a full plank down the length of the wall. The second row should start with a half plank. The third row will start with a ¾ plank. The fourth row should start with a ¼ plank. The fifth row should start with a full plank again. By this time you have created a very secure bridging effect. Beginning with the 6th row, repeat as follows: ¾, ½, ¼, full. Repeat this pattern until floor is completed, or until you come to the other end of the room. PLEASE NOTE: To minimize waste factor, use the cut off piece on the other side of the room. They will vary in length but will minimize the overall waste of the project. These are typically called starters and finishers.
- For random lengths: Use the longest boards for the first three (3) rows to ensure the straightest bridging effect to start.
- Once you complete the last full piece in the opposite side of the room, you must take and rip down, on a table saw, the last piece to fit. This is your finished row. Make sure you maintain a 1/4” space for expansion against the wall.
- When installing planks under existing door frames/trim, cut the frame and trim to the thickness of the floor, then slide floor in underneath and pull back to interlock the floor, maintaining a 1/4” margin under the trim and the frame.
- TRIM: Transitional trim such as t-molding, stair nosing, reducers and thresholds should be placed with silicone liquid nails or a brad nailer or finish nailer depending on the piece of trim or the application.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT US AT: sales@woodboo.com