Hardwood Flooring Installation Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can I install Hardwood Floors over radiant heat?
Yes, Engineered & Longstrip (glueless) Hardwood Floors are suitable for installing over a radiant heated concrete slab. Caution: The slab surface must never exceed 85 degrees F in temperature. Before installing over a radiant heated floor, turn off heat and wait until the floor has reached room temperature. After installing the floor return the heat to the previous setting.

Can I install Hardwood Floors over a concrete slab?
Engineered & Longstrip (glueless) Hardwood Floors can be installed over most concrete slabs (not solid hardwood). The concrete slab must be fully cured for at least 60 days, free of structural defects, clean and visually dry with no history of moisture problems. When testing for moisture, it is suggested utilizing the industry-standard calcium chloride test or the Tramex Moisture Encounter (5 max). Note: Light-weight concrete that has a dry density of 100 pounds or less per cubic foot is not suitable for hardwood floors.

Can I install Hardwood Flooring below grade (in a basement)?
Engineered Hardwood Floors may be installed on all grade levels. See the Installation Guidelines for additional information and recommendations.

Can I wax my Hardwood Floor?
No wax, no mess. Hardwood Floors are very easy to maintain. Simply use manufacturer Floor Care Essentials Hard Surface Cleaner and a specialty terry cloth flooring mop available from your local flooring store. See the Store Locator for a flooring dealer nearest you.

How should I choose a flooring contractor?
The most important thing you can do is ask for references and then go look at the floors the contractor has installed, or finished. Installing and finishing wood floors is a skill and an art that is different for every person. Also, be sure that the contractor you are considering is familiar and experienced in the type of flooring and finish you want. In fact, you may want to use the products the contractor is most comfortable working with ---just because he is good at using one product, this does not mean he would be as good with every product.

Is there a reason to choose red oak over white oak, or white oak over red oak?
The answer is yes! There are two main reasons one would choose red or white in preference to the other. The first reason is visual appeal. Some people prefer the pinkish cast of red oak, while others feel the golden hue of white oak is the best background color. Opinions vary because of personal taste, the rooms color scheme, and the species of other prominent woodwork in the room.

The second reason which should affect the white/red decision is the amount of traffic the floor will receive. Red oak works well in many residential areas. However, white oak wins hands down when it comes to the dreaded "heel pecks". Therefore, for high traffic areas like foyers and rooms for entertaining, taking a good look at white oak might save a few headaches.

Can I install my hardwood flooring parallel to the joist direction?
It is not recommend laying flooring parallel to the joist direction. Some problems encountered when flooring is installed parallel to joists are; unlevel floors, associated cracks near joists, and movement of the flooring itself. However, sometimes it may be unavoidable in small areas.

If it is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY to run the flooring in the same direction as the joists, and you have 3/4" plywood, additional support should be provided by using solid blocking on 24" centers between joists and in direct contact with the subfloor. Blocking does not have to be full joist depth 2"x 6" SYP or equivalent should be sufficient. If you are unable to add the necessary blocking, an additional layer of 1/2" plywood laid over the existing subfloor can work. Be sure that the additional plywood layer does not break at the same places as the other layer of plywood.

Can I use Particle Board as a subflooring material.
Recommendation for Subflooring: With 3/4" thick strip flooring use either kiln dried boards of NO. 1 or NO. 2 Common Pine or other dense, Group 1 softwoods suitable for subfloors over wood joists, or exterior sheathing grade plywood. If plywood, 5/8" (19/32") or 3/4" (23/32") performance rated products are preferred. Also, 3/4" (23/32") OSB is a comparable substrate. With 1/2" thick strip flooring use a 3/4" (23/32") subfloor.

The subfloor recommendation does not include particle board. Particle boards, a panel product made of saw dust and or small wood chips, does not hold fasteners properly and so cannot be recommended. The most common occurrence for encountering particle board in a floor system is with remodeling. Particle board or a composition board underlayment is frequently used beneath carpet and vinyl. When these products are encountered, and nail down flooring is to be a replacement, the products should be removed. After removal, inspect the existing subfloor and repair, re-fasten, or overlay to obtain a suitable subfloor. Where removal of the particle board is not an option, the recommended procedure is to overlay it with a minimum 5/8" plywood.

Can I install solid strip flooring over linoleum?
You can install solid strip floor over linoleum if it is securely glued and there is a recommended subfloor material underneath.

How can I install solid wood flooring over vinyl?
First the homeowner or the contractor must decide whether to leave or remove the vinyl. If the vinyl is thin, or an older vinyl (more than 7-years-old) made with asbestos, it is less of an environmental risk to leave it in place. You can pull up non-asbestos vinyl and dispose of it. Contact the manufacturer to find out if your floor contains asbestos. Second, find out what is under the vinyl. If you have a recommended underlayment, at least 5/8" plywood or 3/4" OSB, with a thin vinyl on top, you can nail solid flooring right on the old vinyl.

Many times vinyl is put on particle board or a composition underlayment that will not hold hails. If you do not have a recommended subfloor, you must either remove both the vinyl and underlayment, or install another subfloor on top of the vinyl. At minimum, this should be either 5/8" plywood or 3/4" OSB.

Installing wood flooring over a vinyl floor is a cost effective and long-term solution to what to do with an asbestos-laden vinyl floor. Experience has shown that it is best to leave asbestos intact rather than removing it. If the asbestos is kept encased, it should not pose a health risk. Wood flooring gives homeowners the ability to cover their vinyl floor with an attractive serviceable and lifetime floor.