ENGINEERED FLOORING INSTALLATION GUIDE

READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS THOROUGHLY BEFORE BEGINNING INSTALLATION. IN ADDITION TO

THESE INSTRUCTIONS, WE RECOMMEND THAT THE INSTALLER FOLLOWS ANY ADDITIONAL
INSTALLATION GUIDELINES SET FORTH BY THE RELEVANT NATIONAL WOOD FLOORING ASSOCIATION.

1. PRE-INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS
This installation guide involves all WOODlife ‘s oak, ash, douglas and elm engineered wooden flooring. A 5%
cutting or waste allowance must be added to the net square meters required for the site to be installed.
WOODlife recommends qualified hardwood flooring professionals for the installation of our products.
Inspect all materials carefully before installation. Warranties do not cover materials with visible defects once
they are installed. The natural characteristics of wood cause variations in color, grain etc. Even though our
products are inspected many times, some grading deficiencies may occur (in up to 3% of the boards).

2. INSTALLER/OWNER RESPONSIBILITY
It is the responsibility of the owner and or installer to inspect the flooring. It is the owner/ installer's
responsibility to ensure the jobsite conditions plus the jobsite sub floors are environmentally and
structurally acceptable before installation is started.
Prior to installation, the owner and or installer is responsible for the final inspection of materials. The
installer must use reasonable selectivity and hold out or cut off pieces with deficiencies, whatever the cause.
If material is doubtful as to grade, manufacture or factory finish, do not install it and contact the seller
immediately. Materials installed with visible defects will not be covered by warranty.
The owner and or installer is responsible for ensuring that the proper installation conditions and appropriate
sub floor surfaces meet or exceed all industry standards and/or WOODlife Flooring standards (see chapter 3
and 4). Proper installation can be affected by moisture content of the flooring, moisture content of job site,
improper or lack of preparation of job site, improper or lack of preparation of all sub floor surfaces, and
flooring layout. The sub floor must be clean, flat, dry and structurally sound. The manufacturer declines any
responsibility for floor failure resulting from or connected with subfloor, subsurface, job site damage, jobsite
environmental deficiencies or deficiencies after hardwood flooring has been installed. Use of appropriate
products for correcting subfloor voids should be accepted as a normal industry practice.
As a general rule lay out 2-3 rows of product before installing. This will allow you to properly match color,
grade, and length, and it will help to ensure end joints are properly aligned to the preceding row.

3. PROPER SITE CONDITIONS & STORAGE

All outside doors and windows must be in place. All concrete, masonry, plastering and other “wet” work must
be thoroughly dry. The wall coverings should be in place and the painting completed. When possible, delay
installation of base molding until flooring installation is complete. Basements and crawl spaces must be dry
and well ventilated. WOODlife Flooring products may be installed below, on or above grade level. Crawl
spaces must be a minimum of 600mm (24”) from the ground to underside of joists. A ground cover of 8mm
(5/16”) polyethylene film is essential as a vapor barrier with joints lapped 200mm (8”) 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. Local regulations may prevail.

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4. SUBFLOOR REQUIREMENTS
The sub floor must be clean, flat, dry and structurally sound. The sub-floor must be checked for moisture
content by an appropriate testing method. Test results must be recorded.

Concrete subfloor
WOODlife’s engineered flooring can be laid floating, or can be directly glued down to fully cured and dry
concrete. Screed/concrete subfloors must be under 2% moisture content. Floor should be flat to within 2 mm
in 2 meters (3/16" in 6,5'). Substrate should be flattened to tolerance; grind high areas and fill low areas
using a high compression leveling compound (min. 2000 N / cm2 (310 N/ in2)). When gluing, the consistency
of the concrete should be sufficient: draw a nail across the top of concrete and if it leaves an indentation, it
is probably lightweight concrete and cannot be installed using the glue down method. With light weight
concrete you must float the wood flooring.
If there is no crawl space underneath the concrete subfloor of at least 50 cm (1,7’) high, the concrete that
measures dry today may become moist in the future due to rising groundwater (risk on clay-like soils).
Installing a moisture barrier now may be viewed as an insurance policy against concrete becoming wet in the
future. This will lead to subsequent floor failure. WOODlife Flooring is not responsible for site related
moisture issues. Composition floorings with an integrated under floor heating system must always be
primed.

Joists on the ground floor

Crawl spaces must be a minimum of 600mm (24”) from the ground to underside of joists. A ground cover of
8mm (5/16”) polyethylene film is essential as a vapor barrier with joints lapped 200mm (8”) 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. Local regulations may prevail.

Wooden subfloor
Wood sub-floors must be secured with screws or should be nailed. Nails need to be ring shank and screws
must be counter sunk. In the event that the wood sub-floor is less than 2 cm (3/4’’) thick, add a single
wooden cross layer with a minimum thickness of 8 mm (5/16’’) for a total of min 2,5 cm (1’’) of thickness in
order to combat possible squeaking after installation. The wooden crosslayer can consist of solid boards or
wood sheets (particle board, OSB or plywood) and should be screwed to the subfloor. When using sheets,
leave 3 to 6 mm (1/8" to 1/4") between the sheets to allow for expansion.
Floor should be flat to within 0,5 cm in 2 meters (3/16" in 6,5'), see images on the top-right. When gluing,
there must be no oil, existing adhesives, wax, grease, urethane, dirt, varnish, paint, etc. on the wood
subfloor. Particleboard is not a possible sub-flooring option for nail down installation, but is sufficient for a
glue down installation. Wooden subfloors should not measure over 12% moisture content. Additionally, the
hardwood flooring’s moisture content and that of the subfloor cannot have a difference of more than 4%.

Tiles (travertine, granite, glazed tiles, slabs, marble)

WOODlife Flooring can either be installed floating or can be glued straight on top of the tiles.
Floor should be flat to within 0,5 cm in 2 meters (3/16" in 6,5'), see images on the previous page. When
gluing, there must be no oil, existing adhesives, wax, grease, urethane, dirt, varnish, paint, etc. on the tile
subfloor. Always clean the tiles with a caustic soda; never treat the tiles with ordinary soda, thinner or
ammonia. Loose tiles should be removed; holes filled with a high compression leveling compound. Finally,
slightly sand the tiles with grain 16 or 24. In case of shale or slate there are specific regulations; contact
your seller for a more detailed advice.

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Fermacell (and plaster fibre board)
Glue down method or floating installation. Due to the high density of the fermacell subfloor the bonding of
the adhesive can be problematic. Therefore, slightly sand the fermacell with grain 16 or 24. Vacuum clean
the subfloor until it is free from dust and apply a primer coat. When the primer is dry, your WOODlife
Flooring can be glued with a parquet adhesive that matches the primer. Optionally, WOODlife can supply the
proper primer and matching adhesive. Failure to the requirements above could cause ongoing behavioral
problems with the floor and will invalidate the warranty.

5. SUBFLOOR AND INSTALLATION METHOD

Installation method Floating Glue down Screw down Nail down
Subfloor
Concrete OK OK X X
Joists X X OK X
Wooden boards OK X OK X
Wooden particle board OK OK OK OK
Oriented Strand Board (OSB) OK OK OK OK
Plywood OK OK OK OK
Tiles OK OK X X
Fermacell OK OK X X

All WOODlife floors can be floated, yet we always strongly recommend to fully glue down your WOODlife
floor. Gluing down the flooring minimizes risk caused by expansion and shrinkage of the wood, such as gaps,
cupping, bending, etc.

6. INSTALLATION TOOLS
An appropriate flooring adhesive: WOODlife PE90. On concrete slabs that are on/below grade, we strongly
recommend to primer the slab first with a moisture inhibitor. When using other flooring adhesives, we advise
you to contact your local WOODlife Flooring dealer. Always follow the adhesive manufacturer’s instructions.

For staple-down installation, you will also need:

Pneumatic stapler appropriate for 9/16” thick engineered flooring and 1-1/4” or 1-1/2” staples (always test
stapler to ensure that it is not damaging the flooring or causing dimpling before proceeding with
installation), air compressor.

For floating installation, you’ll also need:

à A proper underlayment and moisture barrier. Depending on the site requirements, WOODlife can supply
the best matching underfloor.
à D3 T&G Adhesive

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7. JOB SITE INSPECTION
All outside doors and windows must be in place. All concrete, masonry, plastering and other “wet” work must
be thoroughly dry. The wall coverings should be in place and the painting completed except for the final coat
on the base molding. When possible, delay installation of base molding until flooring installation is complete.
Basements and crawl spaces must be dry and well ventilated. WOODlife Flooring products may be installed
below, on or above grade level. Crawl spaces must be a minimum of 600mm (24”) from the ground to
underside of joists. A ground cover of 8mm (5/16”) polyethylene film is essential as a vapor barrier with
joints lapped 200mm (8”) and taped. Local regulations may prevail.

The installation site should have a consistent room temperature of 15-24°C (59-75°F) and humidity of
30-70% 14 days prior installation to allow for proper acclimation and forever after installation, to allow for
proper acclimation. Room humidity should never exceed 30-80%. Due to possible shrinking or expanding it
could crack, split, bow, crook or even delaminate. The sub-floor must be checked for moisture content by an
appropriate testing method. Test results must be recorded.

8. STORAGE AND HANDLING

Handle and unload with care. Store in a dry place being sure to provide at least a 100mm (4”) air space under
bundles, 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. WOODlife Flooring products must be stored in the environment in
which it is expected to perform for at least 72 hours prior to installation. Packs are to be kept closed.

9. SUBFLOOR PREPARATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ALL INSTALLATIONS

Concrete subfloors
New concrete slabs require a minimum of 60 days drying time before covering them with a wood floor. They
must be fully cured. Concrete subfloors must be dry (moisture content lower then 2%), smooth and free of
structural defects. Grinding high spots in concrete is recommended over using filling compounds. However, if
a filling/leveling compound is used, it must be min. 2000 N / cm2 with a high compressive strength. Concrete
must be free of paint, oil, existing adhesives, wax, grease, dirt, sealers, and curing compounds. These may be
removed chemically or mechanically, but do not use solvent based strippers under any circumstances.
Residual solvents can prohibit the satisfactory bonding of flooring adhesives. It is important to ensure a
proper bond between the adhesive and the concrete and the planks. WOODlife Flooring products may be
installed on grade, above grade, as well as below grade where moisture conditions do not exist.

Below grade?
A concrete slab is considered below grade when any part of the slab is below ground level, for example,
walk-out basements are below grade! Treat with a primer first in order to create a moisture barrier.

Wood subfloors
Wood subfloors need to be well nailed or secured with screws. The wood subfloor needs to be structurally
sound (meaning subfloors without loose boards, vinyl, tiles, or OSB board or plywood) and dry. They should
not exceed 10% moisture prior to installation. Wooden subfloors must be free of paint, oil, existing
adhesives, wax, grease, dirt and urethane, varnish etc. Underlayment grade OSB (not the wax side) is also a
suitable subfloor. Particleboard is not an acceptable subfloor for staple or nail down installation, but can be
used as a subfloor in glue down installations. When installing over existing wood flooring, install at 90
degree angles to the existing floor.

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10. PREPARATION
Remove all transitions and wall-base and undercut all door casings with a hand or power jam saw using a
scrap piece of flooring as a height guide. Whether you choose to install the floor by the glue down method,
nail or staple down or floating, start by cutting four to five planks in random lengths, differing by at least
400mm (16”). As you continue working across the floor be sure to maintain the 400mm (16”) minimum
between end joints on all adjacent rows. Never waste material; use the left-over pieces from the fill cuts to
start the next row or to complete a row. Note: when installing be sure to blend the wood from several
cartons to ensure a good grain and shading mixture throughout the installation. Allow for a 15mm expansion
gap all around the room.

11. GLUE DOWN INSTALLATION GUIDELINES

Under floor heating
For instructions we refer to the separate documentation about under floor heating.

Step 1 – Layout the job

Select a starter wall. We recommend that you start in a corner of the room which is immediately visible
when entering the room. Where possible, lay the flooring at 90° angle to the floor joists. Now, lay out the
first two rows of boards with the groove of the length facing the wall. Usually, the panels are laid
lengthways in the house (in the direction of the light). Check if the wall is perfectly straight (e.g. by
tensioning a rope along the length) and place spacers. Please make sure to keep an expansion gap of around
15 mm along walls and other objects. At the head ends of the boards an expansion gap of app 5 mm would
be sufficient. Now check whether the first row is fully straight by tensioning a rope along the length

Step 2 – Spreading the adhesive

Using the recommended trowel at a 45° angle to get the correct adhesive spread rate to insure a proper and
permanent bond. Improper bonding can cause loose or hollow spots. Working in small sections is helpful as it
will allow you to reach across the adhesive to install the wood flooring without putting any weight on it and
will ensure proper transfer of the adhesive to the wood flooring. Note: Change the trowel every 185 (2000
ft2) to 275m2 (3000 ft2) due to wear down of the notches. This assures you always get the proper adhesive
spread rate.

Step 3 – Install your starter rows

Install the first rows of starter planks and secure into position. Check if the rows are installed straight
(tensioning a rope) and adjust the spacers to modify. Once the starter rows are secure, continue with the
installation. Never lay planks further than you can comfortably reach. Place tongue into groove of planks and
press firmly into adhesive. Never slide planks through adhesive. Test for proper bond by occasionally lifting a
board and looking for good adhesive transfer (90%), then replace it into the adhesive. Clean any adhesive off
the surface of the boards before it cures. Use caution when using a rubber mallet to butt material together,
as it can burnish the finish and cause marring. Note: never work on top of the flooring when installing with
the glue down method.

Step 4 – Job completion, Final touches

Once the last row is installed, allow the adhesive to dry overnight or per manufacturers instructions. Install
the proper trim molding at the doorways for transition and skirting along the walls to cover the expansion
space.

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12. NAIL DOWN AND SCREW DOWN INSTALLATIONS
WOODlife flooring products may be installed over wood subfloors using nailing cleats. When installing
WOODlife Flooring products by nailing, it is necessary to use the proper type of flooring nailer and gage of
cleat. The flooring nailer must be adjusted to insure the cleat penetrates the board at the point of the 90º
angle formed by the tongue (insertion point). Use a scrap piece of flooring to adjust the nailer before
beginning installation. If you are using a pneumatic nailer set the compressor to the recommended pressure.
Test by driving a few fasteners, check and adjust the pressure to insure the fasteners are properly seated
but are not driven so deeply to split or break the tongue.

Step 1 – Layout the job

Select a starter wall. We recommend that you start in a corner of the room which is immediately visible
when entering the room. Where possible, lay the flooring at 90° angle to the floor joists. Now, lay out the
first two rows of boards with the groove of the length facing the wall. Usually, the panels are laid
lengthways in the house (in the direction of the light). Check if the wall is perfectly straight (e.g. by
tensioning a rope along the length) and place spacers. Please make sure to keep an expansion gap of min. 15
mm along walls and other objects. Now check whether the first row is fully straight by tensioning a rope
along the length. Install a moisture barrier. This will retard moisture from below and may help prevent
squeaks. Keep in mind there is no complete moisture barrier system for nail down installations.
Install the moisture barrier parallel to the direction of the flooring and allow a 75mm (3”) over run at the
perimeter. Make sure each run overlaps the previous run by 150mm (6”) or more. Staple the moisture barrier
to the subfloor to prevent movement.

Step 2 - Beginning installation

It may be necessary to scribe the starting row to maintain the expansion space for walls that are out of
square. Counter sink the nails and fill with a filler that blends with the flooring installed. When possible,
place the nails in a dark grain spot in the board. Next, blind nail the starter row at a 45° angle through the
tongue. It will be easier if you pre-drill the holes in the tongue. Nail 25-50mm (1”-2”) from the ends and
every 200-250mm (8”-10”) along the sides. It will be necessary to blind nail the next row. An 18 gauge finish
nailer with 38-50mm (11/2”-2”) brads can also be used to blind nail and no predrilling is needed. Continue
the installation using the recommended engineered wood flooring nailer and cleats.

Step 3- Job Completion, Final touches

The final 1-2 rows next to the wall will have to be nailed by hand or with the finish nailer. The last row must
be face nailed. It will need to be ripped and possibly scribed to maintain the 15mm (5/8”) expansion space.
When possible, place the nails in a dark grain spot in the board and countersink and fill with matching filler.
Install the proper trim molding at the doorways to achieve the transition and place skirting along the walls to
cover the edges of any gaps along the wall due to irregularity.
WOODlife Flooring products can be nailed/screwed directly over joists, provided that the joists are not
further apart than 400mm (16”) center to center.

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13. FLOATING INSTALLATION
Step 1 - Subfloor preparation:
As part of your sub floor preparation, remove any existing base, shoe mold, or doorway thresholds. These
items can be replaced after installation, but should be replaced in such a way to allow at least 15mm (5/8”)
expansion space around the perimeter of the room and at all vertical obstructions. All door casings should be
notched out or undercut to allow 15mm (5/8”) room for expansion and to avoid difficult scribe cuts. This is
easily done by placing a piece of board on the sub floor as a height guide for your hand saw. Install a
moisture barrier over the subfloor. Install the moisture barrier parallel to the direction of the flooring and
allow a 75mm (3”) over run at the perimeter. Make sure each run overlaps the previous run by 150mm (6”) or
more. If using, install resilient underlayment parallel to the moisture membrane, following manufacturers
instructions. Note: Some resilient underlayment contain a built in moisture barrier, eliminating the need for a
separate moisture barrier.

Step 2 - Layout the job

Once the moisture barrier and the resilient subfloor underlayment (if used) have been installed over the
subfloor, the jobsite is ready for the WOODlife floorboards. Never open the bundles until ready to start the
installation process. At the starting wall establish a 15mm (5/8”) expansion space along side and end walls
with the use of spacers. Now, lay out the first two rows of boards with the groove of the length facing the
wall. Usually, the panels are laid lengthways in the house (in the direction of the light). Check if the wall is
perfectly straight (e.g. by tensioning a rope along the length) and place spacers.

Step 3 – Installation, side and end gluing

The WOODlife floorboards must be side and end glued using PVAC glue. Fully apply a glue line at the bottom
of the groove. Also fully glue every end joint. The subsequent rows are installed, side and end glued, tap
together with a hammer and tapping block to prevent damage to the protruding tongue. The tapping block
should be against tongue only. Use only the flat side of tapping block against tongue. Do not tap on groove
side of the boards as this will cause damage! Check for tight fit on sides and ends. Stagger 400mm (24”)
between end joints of adjacent board rows. End joints should not repeat visually across installed floor.

Step 4 - Installing the last row, Final touches

Most often the last row does not fit in width. When this occurs, follow this simple procedure: lay a row of
boards, unglued, tongue toward wall, directly on top of last installed row. Take a short piece of board with
the face down and the tongue side against the wall. Draw a line with a pencil along the row moving down the
wall. The resulting line gives the proper width for the last row which, when cut, can then be wedged into
place using a pry bar. Make sure when the installation is complete that spacers are removed (24 hours after
installations) and the expansion space is covered with an appropriate molding. Always attach the trim to the
wall or vertical object and never to the WOODlife floorboards.

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14. LARGE SURFACE AREAS
Expansion joints in Building structure
For both glue down and nail down installation in projects with large surface areas it is always advised to
accommodate the expansion joints in the building structure by allowing the same expansion space in the
flooring. This space may be covered with a T- molding or filled with a flexible sealant.

Layout and Expansion space for floating installations

When the flooring area exceeds 10 meters (33’) in width and/or 30 meters (100’) in length, additional
expansion space must be incorporated into the field, as well as at the perimeter and all vertical obstructions.
Always allow 6.5mm (¼ “) expansion for every 3 lineal meters (10’) of flooring in either direction, but never
less than 15mm (5/8”). Example: 9 meter (30’) x 9 meter (30’) room requires 19.5mm (3/4”) expansion at all
edges.

Copyright 2018 by WOODlife Flooring BV.

All rights reserved.

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