9620-B Pineville Matthews Rd. Pineville, N.C. 28134
704.542.9100
Below are some guidelines we go over with every professional installation job we perform. These are points that allow us to set realistic expectations. When you don't set expectations for what a journey will entail, every aspect can be alarming and the result is rarely favorable.
J Wood Flooring and Installation is proud to be able to earn your business and would like to ensure our customers that we will do everything possible to have your project completed to your expectations. We have developed this checklist in an attempt to set realistic expectations and create an opportunity for discussion to allow our customers the ability to ask questions before we start your project. We want every floor and every customer to be our best referral.
Installation can mean so many different things when it comes to flooring. There is the classic Nail Down or Staple Down used with your 3/4" solids that most people recognize, but with the introduction of engineered wood flooring, laminates, and HDF core products, it isn't as simple as getting a flooring nailer and trying your luck anymore. Below are some of the more common forms of installation that you will come across these days.
The most traditional installation dating back decades. Used for 3/4" flooring and now with special nail/staple guns can even be the proper installation method for engineered flooring ranging from 9/16" to 3/8" or even a method of installation for thinner solids like 5/16". This method requires a wood substrate. Some OSB's and particle boards are acceptable, but make sure they are of a standard that is allowed by the flooring manufacturer to ensure full warranty coverage.
As simple as it sounds and one of the most difficult ways to install a floor. The adhesives used are serious and if you don't have experience with the timing and amounts needed, it can go badly, quickly. I don't suggest a first-timer to tackle a glue down project unless they have a LOT of time and patience. A special note about glue down flooring, many companies that offer glue down installation with the glue provided at no charge are voiding your warranty without you knowing it. Adhesives require a very low moisture rate to ensure they stay secure, the most common mistake of DIY'ers and bad installers is not reading the REST of the label on the glue. Seeing that it is for wood flooring glue is easy, reading the rest and realizing that you need to seel the concrete first is the part that most miss. If the glue is less than about a dollar a square foot, you probably need to seal the substrate first. A good all-in-one adhesive will generally run almost $1 a square foot, something to consider when you see that really low glue down floor price.
This is the one that most are NOT familiar with. This can either be a glue-together (NOT glue down, very different adhesives and a lot more forgiving), or a "click" together floor that uses a form of locking mechanism to secure the boards together. The "click" or "hinge" lock systems are the most common for laminate or HDF core products. Floating floors are the most friendly for DIY'ers and can be put in any environment when it comes to subfloor material. Often the price per square foot or the required underlayment is higher, but the effort of the installer is lower and you can save either time if you do it yourself or money if you pay to have it professionally installed.