Installation Guide

1. Decide on a focal point

Professional installers determine a room’s focal point and use that as the place to start the installation. This could be a fireplace, for example. You would start with a border around the fireplace before laying the rest of the floor to ensure that your finished floor will be symmetrical.

2. Use a chalk line for reference

Before laying the first board, measure and draw a chalk line that will serve as your reference point.

3. Line up the first row to the chalk

Aligning the first row of boards with the chalk line will make sure all the next rows will be straight.

4. Lay the boards in sections, to test the fit and stagger the points.

Boards often arrive in differing lengths. Before you secure the rest of your boards to the sub floor, test-fit the boards in sections. That way you can make sure all of the points are staggered and the joints are at least 12 inches apart.

5. Progress as your installation type dictates

In some installations, you’ll blind-nail tongue-and-groove boards to hide the fasteners. Drive each fastener through one board's tongue and cover it with the next adjacent board. In other installations, you’ll drive nails through the top of the board, a process called face nailing. You can also glue boards down, or use boards with adhesive strips on the back of the flooring.

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