Installing engineered floor (floating)

First things first, allow flooring to acclimate to its new environment. Wood Guys recommends your flooring sit in your house for at least one week before installation.

Install underlayment. Wood Guys suggests Fiberhush Underlayment. It has a moisture barrier and pad all in one, and is readily available in our store. Fiberhush uses a self-seal lip and tape system. Cover the floor sealing the seams as you go along.

Open your flooring and read the manufacturer’s recommendations in the packaging. Place shims around the perimeter of your floor, against the walls. Follow manufacturer’s guidelines for spacing and shim size.

Place grooved side of flooring next to shims on starting wall.

Work from right to left maintaining manufacturer’s recommended spacing between walls.

First row, apply glue into the groove on the END of each board. Slide flooring into place. Use a damp rag to wipe off any excess glue. Cut board to fit last space on board end. Tip: use cut ends to start next row.

Second row and every row hereafter, put a bead of glue in the groove at the end of the board and down the long side of the board, then slide into place. Use a block to gently hammer flooring planks into place. This will ensure that the face of the boards are not damaged. Continue this process through the room.

If needed, use a pry bar to lightly force joints together on the last board of each row.

Ensure that flooring is straight every few rows and that proper spacing is maintained. Plank joints should be spaced 6″-12″ apart. Tip: for more strength and color variation, pull and mix planks from at least three boxes at a time.

Last row, measure the width to fill the gap. Deduct the manufacturer’s recommendation for spacing, and cut the rip with a table or jigsaw.

Install the last row using a pry bar to pull the board into place.

Install base trim or quarter round. Make sure nails go into the wall studs and not into the flooring.