Installation Instructions

Installer Responsibility:

Somerset recommends its products be installed by a qualified hardwood flooring specialist. Many important decisions affecting the performance and appearance of the installed floor must be made on the installation site, and therefore are the responsibility of the installer and/or owner. These include, but are not limited to, complete evaluation of site conditions including moisture testing of the site and flooring, acclimation of flooring to proper site conditions, site preparation, flooring layout, milling, grade and color, proper installation methods, and clean up. DO NOT INSTALL any flooring if there is any question as to acceptability. INSTALLATION OF FLOORING CONSTITUTES ACCEPTANCE. Additional installation information can be obtained from the National Wood Flooring Association at www.nofma.org, or the National Wood Flooring Manufacturing Association at www.nofma.org.

Site Conditions, Handling, and Storage

Somerset 3/4” solid flooring should be installed on or above grade only. Never install below grade.

Somerset floors must be installed after all other construction that may affect them has been completed.

Keep flooring dry at all times

Provide good air circulation around pallets, bundles, or cartons. Do not stack flooring bundles or cartons more than three layers high.

Factory finished flooring is finished wood work, and should be handled with care to avoid damaged edges, corners, etc.

Permanent HVAC must be in operation before, during, and after installation

A temperature of 70 degrees F +/- 10 degrees and a relative humidity between 35-55% is recommended. Before beginning installation, flooring must be acclimated a minimum of three to five days. More time may be required if the sub-floor and finished floor moisture contents are not within acceptable ranges (see sub-floor types and conditions).

Moisture is the most critical of all factors. Confirm proper drainage exists around the structure. In crawl spaces, exposed earth must be fully covered with minimum 6-mil polyethylene sheeting. Crawl space vents must be open at all times, and must equal at least 1.5% of the total square footage of the crawl space. Basements must be dry and remain dry.

Heating units or un-insulated ductwork close to the flooring or sub-floor may cause “hot spots” which must be eliminated prior to installation.

Sub-Floor Types And Conditions

Wood: Exterior Plywood or OSB (oriented strand board) is recommended. The subfloor must be dry (within 4% of hardwood flooring moisture content for strip flooring, 2% if flooring is 4” or wider). Minimum single layer sub-floor thickness is 5/8” on 16” o.c. joists. The flooring must run perpendicular to the floor joists, or additional sub-floor thickness is required. Refer to the NWFA for more details.

Concrete: Somerset hardwood flooring may be installed over concrete slab foundations by first installing a sub-floor or screed system. See NWFA installation instructions for specific details.

Radiant Heat: Only 2-1/4” and 3” Somerset hardwood flooring may be installed over modern radiant heat systems. We do not recommend wider planks (4”+) be installed over radiant heat. For more specific guidelines, please consult the NWFA.

Installation

Preparation

The sub-floor must be clean, dry, flat (within 3/16” in 10’), and structurally sound. Sand any joints that are not flush. Fasten any loose boards or panels.

Always allow 3/4” expansion space between the wood flooring and any walls or other vertical objects. Undercut any door jambs, casing, drywall or moldings as needed. A clearance of 1/16” above the floor is recommended so the floor fits underneath and allows for proper expansion space.

Over the sub-floor apply 15 lb. building felt, overlapped 4” at the seams. After the felt has been applied, mark joist locations with a chalk line to assist in achieving the proper nailing schedule.

Layout

Where possible lay the floor parallel to the longest direction of the room, but always across the floor joists unless special sub-floor conditions are met (see wood sub-floors). While each job is unique, it is always best to establish a primary line for the entire job (usually through the longest continuous area on the job) and reference all flooring layout from that line.

Always rack to avoid clustered joints and repeating patterns. Work simultaneously from several cartons to achieve good color distribution.

Fastening

Use caution to avoid edge and face damage during installation. Special footer plates are available for most flooring tools to protect factory finished flooring faces and edges.

Use backer boards of 1/2” plywood ripped to an appropriate width to establish straight lines. Backer boards should be screwed securely to the sub floor and into floor joists, and carefully aligned with starter lines.

We recommend 2” fasteners (cleat or staple) unless installing over plywood attached to concrete, where 1-1/2” fasteners should be used to avoid penetrating the moisture barrier. Fastening should follow a standard NOFMA nailing schedule (8” to 10” spacing, and 2” to 3” from ends of boards).

Face nail only as required with 7d or 8d flooring nails or cleats on 10” centers, 1/2” to 3/4” from the groove and 3-4” from each end. Pre-drilling the nail holes helps prevent splitting. Face nails need to be counter sunk and covered by molding or filled with matching filler. Blind nail by hand wherever possible to avoid face nails until you are clear of walls or obstructions.

When installing plank 4” and wider, it is advisable to use both adhesive and fasteners to minimize movement. Omit the 15 lb. felt when installing with adhesives. Use a quality urethane flooring adhesive, and either full spread or apply beads of adhesive on approximately 6” centers. Follow the adhesive manufacturers recommendations for spread rates, trowel notch size, etc. Dry rack 8 to 10 rows, then mark the sub-floor only as far as flooring has been racked, spread adhesive, then install into the adhesive and fasten. Avoid allowing urethane adhesive residue to dry on the face of the flooring. Special cleaners are available (from the adhesive mfgr.) to clean off any residue. More aggressive solvents may cut into the finish, so test any cleaner for finish compatibility before using it on installed flooring.

Finishing Touches

Cut ends on hand scraped flooring should be pillowed to blend with 100 grit abrasives and blended with wax as needed.

Somerset offers five standard molding profiles factory finished to blend with your Somerset wood floor. These moldings will address most trim and transition situations quickly and cost effectively, and should be ordered with the flooring to avoid needless delays in closing.

Fill any nail holes or small cracks with the proper filler (Somerset Touch-Up Kits are available). Leave the touch up kit with your customer for their use as needed.

Clean the floor thoroughly and remove all scraps and debris. Leave care and maintenance information for the consumer. A Somerset floor care kit makes a good closing gift, and starts them on the right maintenance program.

Wax finished hand scraped flooring should be buffed after installation to remove scuffs.

Note: Applying additional finish over the factory finish may cause problems and does not improve durability or seal the joints. Since this is totally out of Somerset’s control, any materials used that are not recommended by Somerset Hardwood Flooring will void your warranty.

If you have questions about proper installation, contact your nearest Somerset distributor or the National Wood Flooring Manufacturers Association (www.nofma.org).

SOMERSET HARDWOOD FLOORING
A DIVISION OF SOMERSET WOOD PRODUCTS
P.O. BOX 1355
SOMERSET, KENTUCKY 42502

NO WARRANTIES APPLY TO ANY PRODUCTS NOT SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSED IN SOMERSET’S WRITTEN WARRANTY DOCUMENT.

Thank you for choosing Somerset Brand wood flooring products