D04B - INSTALLATION GUIDE - INSTALLATION
D04B-1 Hardwood flooring installation - General requirements
D04B-2 Hardwood flooring installation methods
D04B-3 Installation requirements - Flatness - Moisture control - Vapor Retarders
D04B-4 Installation of hardwood flooring
D04B-5 Installation problems
D04B-6 Protection
D04B-7 Maintenance Data
D04B-8 Site finishing of hardwood flooring
D04B-2 Hardwood flooring installation methods
D04B-3 Installation requirements - Flatness - Moisture control - Vapor Retarders
D04B-4 Installation of hardwood flooring
D04B-5 Installation problems
D04B-6 Protection
D04B-7 Maintenance Data
D04B-8 Site finishing of hardwood flooring
Preface:
This study guide covers the installation requirements for solid and engineered strip, plank, and parquet hardwood flooring and related materials. Specifiers and/or persons using this guide should verify all facts relative to the particular project installation requirements.
This study guide covers the installation requirements for solid and engineered strip, plank, and parquet hardwood flooring and related materials. Specifiers and/or persons using this guide should verify all facts relative to the particular project installation requirements.
1 • HARDWOOD FLOORING INSTALLATION - GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
.01 General:
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.02 Tools and Installation Materials:
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.03 Acceptable Substrates and Site Conditions:
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.04 Planning and Layout:
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.05 Shop Drawings (installation / layout drawings where required):
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4. Shop drawings shall also include the following additional information as appropriate:
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.06 Material Choices:
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.1 The following factors affect the choice of hardwood flooring to be installed:
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.07 Ordering Materials:
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.08 Material Delivery, Handling, and Storage:
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.09 Conditioning
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.10 Floor Protection
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2 • HARDWOOD FLOORING INSTALLATION METHODS
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3 • INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS
.01 Substrate Flatness Tolerances:
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.02 Substrate Moisture Control, Testing and Perm rating classifications:
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.03 Hardwood Flooring over Concrete Substrates:
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.04 Hardwood Flooring over Wood Substrates:
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.05 Hardwood Flooring Over Existing Wood Flooring:
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.06 Hardwood Flooring Over Radiant In-Floor or Below Floor Heating
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.07 Hardwood Flooring Expansion:
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10. Expansion / movement restriction: Floating Hardwood floors must be allowed to move (shrink/expand) naturally through the four season cycle and with natural changes in ambient Relative Humidity. Excessive loads on the floor can restrict such movement. Recommendations for load capacity regarding Kitchen Islands, commercial refrigerators, grand pianos or other heavy items that may restrict movement should be obtained from the flooring manufacturer. A 500 lbs maximum is a general guide only.
Each hardwood product manufacturer should be consulted for technical guidance regarding weight restrictions. Tension in joints caused by restricted movement can lead to squeaks. |
.08 Vapor Retarders and moisture Control
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1. Moisture vapor moves through materials naturally. The more porous a material is, the easier it is for moisture vapor to diffuse through it. The function of a vapor retarder is to control the entry of moisture vapor in and out of building assemblies. Protection against moisture involves utilizing moisture control systems through the entire building construction design, from the exterior of the building to the interior building envelope
A properly designed building, and quality construction practices, protect the interior living space against the infiltration of moisture, and the effects of seasonal humidity and temperature fluctuations between the inside and outside of the structure. |
2. Terminology:
a. Vapor Permeance: A property that describes the ease with which vapor molecules diffuse through a material. More specifically, vapor permeance is defined as the quantity of vapor flow across a unit area that will flow through a unit thickness under a unit vapor pressure difference. b. Perm Rating: The standard measure of the water vapor permeability of a material. The higher the number, the more readily water vapor can diffuse through the material. c. Vapor Retarder (also known as a vapor diffusion retarder): A layer of material that is used to control the rate at which moisture can move through a material. |
3. Vapor Retarder Classifications
The International Residential Code describes three classes of Vapor Diffusion Retarders (Class I, Class II, and Class III when tested in accordance with ASTM E-96 Test Procedure A — the desiccant or dry cup method): |
A. Class I vapor retarder ≤0.1 perm. Class I vapor retarders are also considered Vapor Impermeable Membranes or Vapor Barriers.
B. Class II vapor retarder >0.1 perm and ≤1.0 perm. Class II vapor retarders are also considered Vapor Semi-Impermeable Membranes. C. Class III vapor retarder >1.0 perm. Class III vapor retarders are also considered Vapor Semi-Permeable Membranes. |
4. Vapor Retarders over Wood Subfloors
When installing wood flooring over a wood subfloor, identify if the space directly below the flooring is a conditioned space or an unconditioned space:
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A. Conditioned space is an area or room within the building that is intentionally heated or cooled, and humidified or dehumidified, to be maintained at the same conditions as the living/interior space either for the comfort of occupants, or for preserving temperature and humidity-sensitive goods.
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B. Unconditioned space refers to exterior space or spaces within the shell of a building that is neither directly nor indirectly heated, cooled, humidified, nor dehumidified.
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IMPORTANT: Never use a vapor retarder over a wood subfloor to remedy a known moisture condition, and never install a wood floor over a known moisture condition. A known moisture condition is one that you are aware of, and could pose future damage to the flooring, the building, or the occupants. It is compulsory practice to always test for moisture regardless of conditions so that any unknown conditions can become known conditions, which then can be handled appropriately. The traditional standard for protecting wood and wood products from rot or decay is to keep the moisture content below 19 percent. Studies have shown, however, that mold growth can occur on wood at moisture content levels above 15 percent, and corrosion of metal fasteners can occur when moisture content exceeds 18 percent. Reaching these moisture content levels does not mean rot, decay, mold growth, or corrosion will occur, but does raise the risk for a potential problem. In all cases, it is important that the installer consult with all involved parties including the manufacturer and customer.
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5. Vapor Retarders over Concrete Subfloors
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6. Vapor Retarders over other Substrates
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4 INSTALLATION OF HARDWOOD FLOORING
.01 General Requirements: The following applies to hardwood strip and plank flooring installed on plywood-on-slab, on screeds, and on plywood or board sub-floors.
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.02 Installation of Hardwood Strip Flooring:
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.03 Installation of Hardwood Plank Flooring:
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.04 Installation of Parquet, Block, Herringbone, and Similar Hardwood Flooring:
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Note: This section applies only to tongue-and-groove parquet flooring where tongues and grooves are engaged and does not apply to slat-type or finger block parquet.
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.05 Installation of Ornamental Hardwood Flooring Elements:
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.06 Installation of Strip Block Flooring:
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.07 Installation of Hardwood Sports Flooring:
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.08 Special Hardwood Installation Systems:
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.09 Changing nailing direction
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5 • INSTALLATION PROBLEMS
.01 Crowning and Cupping:
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.02 Panellizing:
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.03 Repair: in order to repair panellizing it is necessary to either repair the gaps and/or remove the panel sections. A number of options are available and any one or all may be required on the same floor. Some of these options are:
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.04 Caution: The remedy often demanded by unhappy owners, is to remove and replace panelized floors with new flooring material. However, if the cause has not been cured then panelizing will occur in any new flooring.
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In all cases, repairs should be performed by an experienced floor finisher whose judgement should be relied on to provide the proper remedy for each circumstance. Experience is the best teacher in deciding which gaps will hold filler, which need adjacent boards to be reinstalled, or wider boards custom fit to replace cracks, and how best to match the filler to the surface.
.05 Overwood
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.06 Inspection of wood floors
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6 • PROTECTION
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7 • MAINTENANCE DATA
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8 • SITE FINISHING OF HARDWOOD FLOORING
.01 Refer to Part D04D – Installation Guide - Finishing for site and factory finishing of hardwood flooring.
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END OF PART D04B