Brenco Exotic Woods
Hardwood Flooring
Installation, Care and Warranty Guide
Brenco Exotic Woods Recommends Following all National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) Installation Guidelines
Warranty coverage may be lost due to failure to strictly abide by all the installation instructions and recommendations in this manual. This includes the use of improper tools and materials.
Successful Installation
Successful installation of Brenco Exotic Wood hardwood Floors depends upon careful planning and execution of all stages of the installation process. To estimating the materials need, inspecting the job site inside and out, evaluation of the sub-floor, selecting the correct underlayment, utilizing the proper tools, and following the installation procedures.
Before You Begin an Installation
Take the time to review all sections of this installation manual:
Planning Your Installation
Estimating the Brenco Exotic Woods Job
Make sure you have the proper tools
Inspect the sub-floor
Review Brenco Exotic Woods Installation Procedures
Inspect the job site heating system
If you have any questions, please contact your Brenco Exotic Woods Territory Manager or Technical Services representative.
HANDLING AND STORAGE OF HARDWOOD FLOORING:
All hardwood flooring should be stored in dry, well ventilated warehouse before shipment. Carriers handling Hardwood Flooring are required to protect it during shipment to insure it is received in good condition. Abuses during shipment, especially if the shipment has been wet, should be noted, documented, photographed, and reported immediately. All shipments should be in a dry shipping van / trailer.
Unloading:
Unloading of hardwood flooring should be done only in good weather. Never unload hardwood flooring in the rain.
Delivery:
Never deliver or store unprotected flooring in rain, sleet, or snow.
Warehousing:
Hardwood flooring that has been kiln dried should be stored in an enclosed building that is well-ventilated and weatherproof. The storage area within the building should be clean and dry. Hardwood flooring should not be stacked in a manner that is too High, Un-Stable, and Un-Safe Condition. Good air circulation around the stacks of flooring and prevent water in the storage area.
Condensation:
When air in a building is warmer than outside air, moisture may form on the underside of the non-insulated roof and affect flooring. Insulation in the roof and walls can prevent condensation. A covered area can also provide protection. If this is not possible, all top pallets should be covered with polyethylene film or other waterproof covering. The building should not be heated, unless temperatures are maintained and controlled humidity provided. Continual dry heat may dry flooring below its manufactured moisture content. Too dry flooring could result in buckled floors when flooring is delivered to the job and immediately installed without proper acclimation.
Moisture Content:
Hardwood Flooring is manufactured at 6-9% moisture content. It is desirable to maintain this average moisture content as closely as possible.
Acclimate Hardwood Flooring:
Recently manufactured flooring should be allowed to acclimate to the area. This helps prevent cracks which may result if the flooring is installed while at a higher moisture content, over sized, and later shrinks.
Photosensitivity of Exotic Woods:
UV rays produced by the sun can alter the tone and color of your flooring. Exotic woods can age and natural become darker from exposure to light; therefore, Brenco does not recommend putting area rugs over new hardwood floors for at least 6 months. This will action will void any and all warranties.
Rotate Stock:
Brenco Exotic Woods maintains a first in first out policy. Flooring which is received first is shipped out first. Brenco maintains separate flooring stacks; stacks from different shipments are kept separated from new shipments. The oldest flooring stocks are used before new stocks are used.
For Additional Information
Contact NWFA
National Wood Flooring Association
111 Chesterfield Industrial Boulevard
Chesterfield, Missouri 63005
1-800-422-4556 USA
1-800-848-8824 Canada
1-636-515-9663 International
1-636-519-9664 Fax
General info@nwfa.org
Education – Technical installationschools@nwfa.org
Technical technical@nwfa.org
Membership membership@nwfa.org
Product Description:
Brenco Exotic Woods Pre-Finished Solid Hardwood Flooring planks are designed for use in multiple locations, such as ground floors, second floors, or high-rise buildings; direct nailing to wooden sub-floors. The products are pre-finished under ideal conditions that meet or exceed American, European, and International Industry Standards.
Planning Your Installation
Crawl Spaces:
If a home has a crawl space or a pier and beam construction, you should find vents located throughout the foundation area for proper airflow. For a general rule, check that there are vent openings that equal 1.5% of the crawl space square footage.
Sub-Floor Inspection:
Before beginning the installation, determine that the sub-floor is level, according to the following specifications. The sub-floor must be level within 3/16” of an inch over a 10 foot radius. If the sub-floor is above the 3/16-inch mark, it must be leveled to the acceptable 3/16-inch measurement before beginning your installation.
Wood Sub-Floors:
The plywood or other sheet wood materials used for the sub-floor should be a minimum of ¾-inch thick. Walk the floor. Creaking, loose edges, sags, twisted, weak joints, or other defects must be fixed before you install Brenco Exotic Hardwood Flooring. If you see cupped, warped, discolored wood, there may be water leaks or moisture problems below the floor. Fill in the gaps or low areas with self leveling cement or latex floor leveler. Be sure these are completely dry to manufactures recommended standards before beginning the installation.
Concrete Sub-Floors:
If you are installing Brenco Exotic Wood hardwood floors in a new home, be aware that concrete releases moisture and transfers dampness from wet soil for up to 60 days. New concrete must be cured for 60 days before Hardwood Flooring is installed.
Excessive moisture can seriously compromise your hardwood installation. You can do a simple test by taking a 2 ft. x 2 ft. sheet of 6 mil polyethylene film. Place these in different locations where you will be installing Brenco Exotic Wood hardwood floors, sealing the edges with duct tape.
Check after two days. Observe the film before removing it. If you see fog, dampness, water, or cloudiness on the film, or if after removing the film, you see that the concrete is damp or has darkened or has discolored, the sub-floor may have excessive moisture. Have further moisture testing performed and the problem corrected before installing the hardwood floor.
SUB-FLOOR AND SUB-STRATE REQUIREMENTS
Sub-Floor Preparation
The Sub-Floor must be clean.
Before beginning your Brenco Exotic Wood Hardwood Floor installation, it is essential that you thoroughly clean the sub-floor. Remove all paint, oil, grease, sealers, drywall patch, dirt, adhesives, or any other contaminates.
The Sub-Floor must be dry.
Concrete must be cured for at least 60 days and visually dry with no history of moisture problems. When testing for moisture, Brenco suggests utilizing the industry-standard calcium chloride tests and a maximum of 5%. Wood, OSB, or plywood sub-floors must be 12% maximum.
The Sub-Floor must be level / flat.
Check the sub-floor to determine that it is level to within 3/16-inch in a 10 foot radius, or 1/8-inch in a 6 foot radius. Loose or hollow spots in hardwood flooring are mostly due to uneven variations in the sub-floor. Fill low areas with high-compression, latex based Portland self-leveling patches, adhering to the manufacturer’s guidelines. Sand or grind all high areas.
The Sub-Floor must be structurally sound.
There must be no light-weight concrete under 100lb. Test Cured. The floor joist must be no more then 16-inches on center, or the floor must be reinforced by adding additional under layment or using cross-blocking. Crawl spaces must have the soil covered with 6 mil. Black poly or industry recommend and local building code approved material, and must be allow open ventilation of 1.5% for the total floor area. OSB must be APA rated and maintained in a controlled environment, before and after installation, and not exposed to excessive moisture. Under layment-grade particleboard can only be used as a sub-floor if you are performing a glue-down installation of engineered wood flooring. IF the sub-floor is radiant-heated, you must install engineered or long strip flooring only.
Acclimate pre-finished hardwood floor according to the following:
Solid – 2 Weeks Minimum
Engineered – 2 Weeks Minimum
Long Strip 3 Weeks Minimum
Allow additional 1 Week acclimation time in very dry or humid areas Minimum.
Exotic Tropical Hardwood Species Require Extra Time to Acclimate.
Sub-Floor Construction / Materials – Flooring / Materials:
Flooring Installation Method Requirements
Solid Nail On / Above Grade Only
Staple Expansion Space – ¾-inch, length 1%, cross grain 15%
Glue with Nails Mix Cartons
Acclimate 72 Hours Minimum
Engineered Glue All grade levels allowed.
Staple Mix Cartons
Nail Expansion space – ½ inch
Acclimate 72 Hours Minimum
Long Plank Nail On / Above Grade Only
Glue Expansion Space – ¾-inch, length 1%, cross grain 15%
Glue with Nails Mix Cartons
Acclimate 72 Hours Minimum
Essential Steps:
1. Check for these conditions and if they exist, correct them before delivering flooring: water or excess moisture underneath or in the house, green or wet sub-floors or joists. Check for moisture retarder of 6 mil polyethylene over the earth in crawl spaces.
2. Plywood sub-floor, or board sub-floor and joists, should be clean, straight, and thoroughly dry. Sub-floor boards should be 6 inch wide or less lay diagonally and spaced approximately ¼- inch to 3/8-inch apart. Plywood sub-floor panels should be spaced and nailed according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
3. Proper nailing of the sub-floor and flooring is essential. Floors and/or sub-floors not properly nailed may become loose, squeak, and buckle. (See nailing schedule that follows.) Gluing plywood to joists with an approved construction adhesive strengthens the sub-floor and helps maintain a quiet sub-floor system.
4. Sub-floors with ¾-inch strip flooring, use either kiln-dried boards of No. 1 or No. 2 Common Pine or other dense Group 1 Softwoods suitable for sub-floors over wood joists, or exterior plywood per local building codes. If plywood, 5/8-inch (19/32”) or ¾-inch (22/32”) performance rated products are preferred. Also, ¾-inch (23/32”) OSB is the preferred nailing schedule. Flooring strips (no matter what length) should contain a minimum of 2 nails. Nail all pieces within the 1-3 inch of the ends.
5. Insulate over heating plant and uninsulated heat ducts. Over a heating plant, insulation used should be non-flammable.
6. Provide adequate expansion space next to all vertical surfaces; otherwise, buckled floor may result.
Nailing Schedule:
Hardwood Flooring must be installed over a proper sub-floor, Tongue and Groove Flooring is blind-nailed on the Tongue Edge with face nailing required on starting runs (1-2) and Finishing runs (2-4). Square Edge Flooring is face nailed.
Inadequate nailing contributes to cracks and noisy floors by allowing movement of the flooring.
* Use ½-inch fasteners with ¾-inch plywood sub-floor on a concrete slab. A concrete slab with screeds 12-inch on center does not always require a sub-floor.
Size Flooring Size nail to be Used Spacing
¾-inch Tongue and Groove
Strip
1 ½-inch, 2 ¼-inch 2 inch barbed flooring cleat* 10 to 12 inches apart
through 3 ¼-inch 7d or 8d flooring nail, or 8 to 10 inches apart preferred
2 inch 15-gauge staples with ½-inch crowns*
Plank
3 ½-inch through 2 inch barbed flooring cleat* 8 inches apart
8 inch 7d or 8d flooring nail, or
2 inch 15-gauge staples with ½-inch crowns*
Blind nail along the length of strip / plank and near the ends (1-3 inch).
Minimum of 2 mails per strip / plank.
(Plank flooring may require face nailing and / or screws for additional fastening)
Widths 4 inch and over must be installed on a proper sub-floor.
½-inch Tongue and Groove
Strip
1 ½-inch, 2 ¼-inch 1 ½- inch barbed flooring cleat* 8 to 10 inches apart
through 3 ¼-inch 7d or 8d flooring nail, or
2 inch 15-gauge staples with ½-inch crowns*
Plank
3 ½-inch through 1 ½- inch barbed flooring cleat* 8 inches apart
8 inch 7d or 8d flooring nail, or
2 inch 15-gauge staples with ½-inch crowns*
MUST INSTALL OVER PROPER SUB-FLOOR
Protect your new floor:
1. Brenco Exotic Wood Hardwood Floors are extremely durable but not indestructible. Take common sense precautions to keep your floor as beautiful as when it was installed.
2. Brenco Exotic Wood Hardwood Floors are scratch resistant; NO FLOOR IS SCRATCH-PROOF, so use felt floor protectors on all your furniture.
3. Do not drag extremely heavy objects, like sofa or major appliance across your Brenco Exotic Wood Hardwood Floors.
4. To clean, vacuum or sweep with a no-beater bar vacuum cleaner
Tools Needed for Installation:
Solid Hardwood Installation:
Tools Needed: Supplies Needed:
· Hammer and Mallet Nails
· Tape Measure Screws
· Utility Knife Drill bits (Smaller than Nails)
· Broom or Vacuum 15# Felt Paper – equal to footage of floor
· Chalk Line or String Clean-Up Rags
· Tapping Block Wood Floor Cleaner
· Hand or electric jamb saw, miter saw
· Moisture meter
· Straight edge
· Table saw
· Pry bar
· Electric Drill
· Power Nailer
· Nail Set
· Power Cleats for Power Nailer
· Saw
Engineered / Long Strip Glue-Down Installation:
Tools Needed: Supplies Needed:
· Hammer and Mallet Blue Tape
· Tape Measure Wood Flooring Adhesive
· Utility Knife Safety Glasses
· Broom or Vacuum Urethane Cleaner
· Chalk Line or String Clean-Up Rags
· Tapping Block Wood Floor Cleaner
· Hand or electric jamb saw, miter saw
· Moisture meter
· Straight edge
· Table saw
· Pry bar
· Urethane towels
· Non-VOC water base urethane glue
How Much Flooring to Order
Depending on the location and installation type, order 5% to 10% more flooring than needed to compensate for cutting losses.
IMPORTANT: Examine each plank carefully; Contact the dealer immediately if the material is not acceptable. Materials installed with visible defects are not covered under warranty. Manufacturer will not assume any responsibility for installed materials. Product liability will not be implemented for damages caused by unsuitable tools or the improper use of materials.
Crucial Points to Remember:
1. Installation should not be started until the wood has been at the job site for at least 2 weeks, but materials should be allowed to acclimate for as long as necessary to meet minimum installation requirements for moisture content in your area.
2. Install your floor under good lighting conditions. Installation site should be warmed up for 5 to 6 days before wood delivery regardless of the season to remove residual moisture in the sub-floor. The floor surface must never be warmer than 85 Degrees Fahrenheit (29.5 Degrees Celsius) or colder than 50 Degrees Fahrenheit (10 Degrees Celsius) during or after installation.
3. Plan your project by making an installation sketch. Determine the installation starting point. Consider if it is one regular-shaped room, a number of rooms with landings, or rooms on one floor, including a hall or main room. Think about how to get the most out of your packet. If in doubt, ask your dealer for advice.
4. Choose the floor plank direction. It is strongly recommended that you install boards at a 45 degree or 90 degree angle to the joist direction.
5. Take precautions at all times not to damage the finish. For example, place tools on a protective mat during installation. Vacuum or sweep floor frequently to eliminate sawdust and abrasives. Do not use vacuums with beater bars or hard plastic attachments.
6. Before starting installation, cut the bottom moldings around door frames to insert the floor planks underneath. Expansion joint is necessary to allow the wood to react to changes in ambient humidity. The expansion joint will be hidden by wood flooring moldings, such as T-molding, quarter round, ect., which will be dialed to the walls and not the floor.
Installation Steps Engineered Pre-Finished Flooring
Step 1
· Inspect and prepare sub floor: Sub floor must be clean, dry, structurally sound and smooth. A sub floor is the surface over which your new Brenco Exotic Wood Hardwood Flooring is installed.
· Test for moisture prior to installation. Too much moisture can cause significant damage to hardwood flooring. The maximum acceptable moisture emission level for installing Brenco Exotic Wood Flooring on concrete is 3.0lb./1,000sq.ft./24 hours using a calcium chloride test. When installing over a wood sub floor, the moisture content must not exceed 12%, and the difference between the moisture content of the wood sub floor and the wood flooring must not exceed 4%.
· Engineered Flooring can be installed over most full-spread, permanently-bonded flooring materials.
· Mechanically fastened flooring requires a suitable wood or wood composite floor.
Step 2
· Remove any existing base and shoe mold or doorway thresholds. These items can be replaced after installation.
Step 3
· Floor should be installed from several cartons at the same time to ensure good color and shade mixture.
· Use the longest, straightest boards for the first two rows.
Step 4
· Install hardwood floor perpendicular to the flooring joists when possible.
· Add 3/8-inch to the widest width of the product being installed to allow for 1/4-inch expansion and the width of the tongue.
· When possible, always begin the layout from an outside wall, as these are normally the straightest.
· In at least two places 18-inch from the corner; measure out equal distance from the starting wall and snap a chalk line.
Step 5
· Align the tongue on the first row on the chalk line. The groove should be facing the wall for mechanically-fastened installations. Reverse the groove for glue-down applications.
· Stagger the end-joints of adjacent rows a minimum of 4-6 inches for the best installed visual.
Step 6Nail-Down Installations
· Set air compressor at 70 PSI (adjust accordingly if needed)
· Fasten the first few rows with finish nails (see start instructions)
Step 7 Glue-Down Installations
· Spread Stauf
Installation Steps Solid Pre-Finished Flooring
Step 1
· Inspect and prepare sub floor: Sub floor must be clean, dry, structurally sound and smooth. A sub floor is the surface over which your new Brenco Exotic Wood Hardwood Flooring is installed.
· Test for moisture prior to installation. Too much moisture can cause significant damage to hardwood flooring. The maximum acceptable moisture emission level for installing Brenco Exotic Wood Flooring on concrete is 3.0lb./1,000sq.ft./24 hours using a calcium chloride test. When installing over a wood sub floor, the moisture content must not exceed 12%, and the difference between the moisture content of the wood sub floor and the wood flooring must not exceed 4%.
· Engineered Flooring can be installed over most full-spread, permanently-bonded flooring materials.
· Mechanically fastened flooring requires a suitable wood or wood composite floor.
Step 2
· Remove any existing base and shoe mold or doorway thresholds. These items can be replaced after installation.
Step 3
· Floor should be installed from several cartons at the same time to ensure good color and shade mixture.
· Use the longest, straightest boards for the first two rows.
Step 4
· Install hardwood floor perpendicular to the flooring joists when possible.
· Add 3/8-inch to the widest width of the product being installed to allow for 1/4-inch expansion and the width of the tongue.
· When possible, always begin the layout from an outside wall, as these are normally the straightest.
· In at least two places 18-inch from the corner; measure out equal distance from the starting wall and snap a chalk line.
Step 5
· Align the tongue on the first row on the chalk line. The groove should be facing the wall for mechanically-fastened installations. Reverse the groove for glue-down applications.
· Stagger the end-joints of adjacent rows a minimum of 4-6 inches for the best installed visual.
Step 6 Nail-Down Installations
· Set air compressor at 70 PSI (adjust accordingly if needed)
· Fasten the first few rows with finish nails (see start instructions)
Step 7Glue-Down Installations
· Spread Stauf