Green Shoots Blog
Do it Yourself Installation Tips
The installation process for different types of hardwood floors is very similar for the most part but there are a few extra steps that can help to guarantee a flawless install every time. Let’s review everything you need to know about installing a hardwood floor before you even lay your first plank.
It all comes down to one easy to remember acronym P.A.C.E. which is CALI’s four-step formula for success.
P.A.C.E. stands for:
- Preparing the Subfloor
- Acclimation
- Controlling the Environment
- Expansion Spaces
By following the installation tips within P.A.C.E., you can’t go wrong so let’s get started with preparing your subfloor prior to installation.
Preparing the Subfloor before Installation
With any kind of hardwood floor installation the subfloor needs to be clean, dry, level, and structurally sound. To help smooth out any imperfections, and add comfort, you can add underlayment beneath your hardwood flooring.
Point out and fix any signs of excessive moisture. You’re going to want to get a moisture reading of your subfloor by using either a moisture meter or a calcium chloride test.
The moisture barrier to use will depend on the subfloor moisture content. When floating a floor with moisture readings below 12% on plywood, use Cali Complete underlayment.
For concrete subfloors with moisture readings under 12 pounds per thousand square feet, use Cali Complete with the metalized seal tape.
If your slab is over 12 pounds per thousand square feet use Titebond 531+ .This concrete moisture barrier has no moisture limit and can be used for any installation method. It’s fast easy to apply and you simply roll it onto the floor like paint and it dries within hours of application.
Acclimating Your Hardwood Flooring
Proper acclimation is a true key to a successful installation. The ultimate goal of acclimation is to equalize the flooring’s moisture content with the customer’s home environment prior to installation. Before you install any flooring, you want to measure the temperature and humidity levels of the home using a simple hygrometer. Every homeowner likes a different climate in their home. Whether they like to blast their AC leave their windows open year-round the key is to make sure they acclimate their flooring to their normal living conditions. First, you want to remove the planks from the cartons. Then you’ll want a sticker stack them on two by fours or a pallet as close to the installation area as possible. While you’re sticker stacking, it’s a great idea to pull planks from several cartons at a time mixing cartons when you stack, in order to create natural color variation when the flooring is installed. Next, allow the stack to acclimate for five days. For extremely dry or humid climates two more weeks may be necessary for acclamation. Moisture testing the planks is the best way to confirm when this process is complete. You can reference the CALI installation guidelines for more information about ideal values.
Controlling the Environment
After acclimation is complete try to keep the home’s relative humidity and temperature as close to the acclamation conditions as possible. If they vary more than 20%, the use of a humidifier or dehumidifier may be necessary. It’s a good idea to not turn off climate control in the home while on vacation. this will keep condition stable while
out of town.
Expansion Spaces
make sure to provide a 1/2 inch expansion space around all fixed objects. This includes walls, kitchen cabinets, fireplaces and columns. Be sure to undercut all door jams and casings, to allow for appropriate floor movement. If you’re floating the floor, you’re going to want to take special note of how many rooms are on the jobsite. You’re gonna want to use transition pieces such as t-Moldings between each room. If you have a span over 30 feet or working in a home that experiences significant moisture fluctuation, there are many different techniques to add more expansion space such as undercutting drywall combining moldings and more.
Installation Method Tips
A few additional tips for installing your hardwood flooring are specific to the installation method.
Floating Floors
One of the benefits of floating floors is it can be installed over any subfloor, underlayments can be used with floated floors, floating floors are the easiest to install or remove if needed. Click-lock floating floors can be walked on and furniture can be replaced immediately after installation. For floated installations use transition pieces between rooms and spans over 30 feet. Don’t install cabinets or other permanent fixtures on top of or through a floated floor, homeowners should not place heavy objects exceeding 500 pounds on a floated floor.
Glue-Down Installation Method
A few benefits to gluing down a floor is that they can be installed over both concrete and a plywood subfloor. Glue down floors can flow from room to room without the need for transition pieces. Glued down floors can support heavy furniture and objects that exceed 500 pounds. For glue-down installations make sure to use an appropriate flooring adhesive that is compatible with your moisture barrier. For subfloors treated with 531+, we recommend Titebond 821 flooring adhesive.
Nail-Down Installs
Some benefits to nail-down floors are it can be a very fast install. Nailed floors can support heavy furniture and objects exceeding 500 pounds and can be walked on and furniture can be replaced immediately after installation. For nail-down installation, staples will not work. Use an 18-gauge pneumatic flooring nailer such as the Powernail 50P Flex and use 18 gauge cleat nails that are one and a half to two inches long.
Regardless of your installation method, always remember to P.A.C.E. yourselves. When all these steps are followed we have 100% installation success rate. Whenever you’re installing CALI flooring, we’ve got you covered. In addition to all the helpful guidelines videos, how to’s, as well as care and maintenance information available on the site, we have an entire support team dedicated to helping you every step of the way.
Contact CALI’s customer service team at [email protected] or call (858) 200-9540.
Choose Your Installation Method
Floating Click Lock Installation
Click lock flooring requires no gluing at all, simply snap each plank’s click lock system together, great for DIY installers.
Floating T&G Installation
Floating T&G flooring installation requires each planks tongue and groove connector to be glued together.
Nail Down Installation
The Nail Down method is used to secure to the subfloor and offers a fast, and cost efficient way to install a Bamboo Floor.
Glue Down Installation
The Glue Down method is commonly used when installing over concrete that is either on, at or above grade.
Items Mentioned In This Video
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We just had Fossilized 5-in Java Bamboo Smooth/Traditional Solid Hardwood Flooring floating floor installed in a 12×12 bedroom on a plywood subfloor. After completion, we moved some furniture back in the room and noticed some flex in a 3×4 area near one wall. The contractor insists he verified the subfloor was level, and that I should install blocking between the joists to remedy the issue. I have done that and the deflection/flexing is still there, just in a small area. Tonight I had another thought. We had a bunch of 3mm Pergo underlayment left from a previous job (same Cali Java wood) which was used for about 80% of the bedroom, and we used another brand which was only 1.5mm for the rest. I was not aware of the thickness difference until now. Is it reasonable to think that the flexing is caused by the difference in underlayment thickness?
Hi Jim,
I’ve seen stranger things. It could also be a combination of the uneven underlayment and a dip in the subfloor, a nail head or staple you missed or even a piece of real heavy furniture on the opposite side of the room. Have you reinstalled your baseboards yet? Sometimes installing the baseboards can fix flexy spots near walls. If I were you I’d let the floor settle in for a few weeks, if it still persists, best to pull it up and put down a few buckets of self leveler then lay down matching underlayment throughout. That should definitely fix it.
Looking for ideas on what would be the best pattern to install in upstairs bedrooms. Staggered? Random? If staggered, then how far apart from plank to plank?
Thanks,
Claudio
Hi Claudio,
Not totally sure what you mean by staggered, do you mean H-joints? Maybe send us a photo as an example? We recommend randomizing planks and plank joints to get a nice natural blended look.
Hello
I was all set to order vinyl plank flooring and I had an installer tell me today that I could not do a floating floor because I have 2 sections that have crowns I think is what they called it to where there a raised peaks over the 3/16 inch . I would have to do glue down method flooring in vinyl plank . He says he can level out possibly the sections that are raised. But would joy recommend floating bc in time it will lift and break. I was heart broken bc I spent a lot of months researching flooring . I did see today that your vinyl plank can be glued down method . Does this work can it really be glued down for my 400 sq feet living/dining rooms ? Please let me know as I need to start over again if your product will not work on project . Thanks so much in advance
Diane
Hi Diane,
You have two options, you can put down Cali Complete underlayment which will flatten out minor inconsistencies in your subfloor and float the vinyl on top, or you can glue down the vinyl plank as your installer suggests with Titebond 670 adhesive.
We will be installing C&L Eucalyptus hardwood. How do we click and lock a board in place when the board has to go under a door jamb? We will still allow the .5” expansion space against the wall. I have read to shave the Upper lip of the groove off, add glue and slide the pieces together, rather than click and lock. Is this correct? If so, how do we shave off the top lip with wood as strong as Cali Bamboo?
Hi Amy,
Getting the flooring under the door frame is always a bit tricky. Sometimes you can install in front of the jamb and slide the plank over, sometimes you can cut the plank so it’s super tight against the jamb and you can force it down and under with a mallet. It’s a bit of trial and error. Sometimes when you step away and just give yourself a minute you can think of a solution you haven’t considered. When I did my floors, half my door frames look really good and half of them look really good from 5 feet away 😉
I’m thinking about installing the luxury vinyl tile (classic) on my enclosed porch. I talked to Mary and she told me that the Classic brand would handle the extreme temperatures in the north east(Syracuse N,Y. ) She also suggested using a 6ml. plastic flooring underlayment. So my question is ( there are self adhesive tile on the floor now, I know that I have to take up the old tile first) can I use a plastic sheading also, and the floor is going to have some glue left on the floor. Can I just put down the underlayment down or do I have to ad more glue.
Hi Joe,
If you are floating the floor, you don’t need any adhesive, the floor will just float on top. As long as the existing flooring is clean and level you can float the new flooring right over it. Keep in mind while Cali Vinyl Pro is waterproof and rated for below freezing environments, our warranty does not cover exterior installations.
Hi! Appreciate your help here.
We didn’t ask enough questions when working with the Cali sales team and now face a few uncertainties. Bought 2200 sq ft of the C & L solid bamboo to cover most of the house. This flooring will be used in large living areas, and run through hallways to baths & beds. We were not aware of the transition restrictions, nor the weight limitations. We are in Phoenix, AZ
Question- how can we transition room to room as seamlessly as possible?
Question 2 – our kitchen cabinets and island are not going to be ready by flooring install. Since we cannot place on top of flooring, are we okay to cut and lay flooring around future footprints? It is a large open floorplan – living and kitchen.
Thanks bunches!
Hi Meredith,
You should have ordered the T&G milled product as it’s much easier to glue or nail. Since you already have the click-lock product, you’re only option is to glue it down (very tricky with click-lock) or exchange what you have for T&G (assuming it’s available in your color) and maybe you can get a break on the restocking fee? Floating is out of the question.
How do you cut it to fit?
Hi Richard,
Wood flooring can be cut with a number of different saws, the most common being a chop or mitre box. Curved cuts and notches can be cut with a jigsaw and you can rip planks (cutting lengthwise) with a circular saw or table saw.
Hello. We recently purchased the Cali bamboo hardwood flooring. We also got the t-moulding transition pieces but it did not come with snap track. Is there a different method you recommend to install the t-molding?
Hi Elizabeth,
We only have snap tracks with the vinyl transitions and it sounds like you have bamboo? There are several ways to install t-moldings and each scenario can be a little different so it’s difficult for us to try and provide a definitive technique but for the most part, you’ll want to fix the base of the t-molding to the subfloor, this can be done with double-sided floor tape, construction adhesive or can be predrilled and nailed down. A google search for “install t-moldings” brings up a few video results that show the process pretty well.
I have the solid eucalyptus flooring and am using the glue down method on an osb subfloor. I have a 6 mil film vapor barrier. Do I install the vapor barrier on to the osb sub floor, then apply the glue onto the vapor barrier, then lay the flooring?
Hi Mary, in this case you wouldn’t use the vapor barrier, and most adhesives these days should give you enough moisture protection.
I am contemplating using Antique Java Fossilized Wide T&G bamboo flooring installed horizontally as a backslash in my kitchen. I understand that this is not the intended use of the flooring. Which installation method would give me the best chance of a durable installation? If gluing would be best which of your adhesives would be best?
Hi Steven,
This is quite popular, but it’s not covered by the warranty and we are not responsible for damages if it were to come off the wall. That said, if I were you, I’d install some thin plywood with wood screws and glue the planks to the ply with construction adhesive (Liquid Nails). I would also recommend that you get at least 2 finishing nails (pre-drill holes) per plank to hold them up while it’s drying, you can use our color-matched putty sticks to fill the nail holes. Hope this helps.
Our home experiences humidity changes from 85% to 655 in a 2 -2.5 hour time frame. We have been told that wood flooring would fail under these condition; would the same be true of the fossilized bamboo?
While solid wood (including Fossilized bamboo and eucalyptus) is riskier in areas that experience humidity fluctuations, it is a possibility with proper acclimation, moisture barriers and expansion space. Installers want to slap it down without following specific instructions, that’s where issues occur. Following directions is annoying, I get it, I can’t tell you how many pieces of furniture I’ve attempted to build with my instincts. The problem is, it’s usually the smallest detail that gets missed and causes me to go back, read the directions, identify my mistake, fix it and continue. But with a flooring installation, it’s very difficult to go back and fix a small mistake.
Another option is to choose a type of flooring that tolerates moisture a bit better. The next best thing to solid wood is engineered hardwood. We have lots of engineered floor colors and most every solid color comes in an engineered format. Even better moisture resistance than our engineered is our GeoWood, it’s real wood layered over a limestone composite core. This is an exciting new flooring line for us that we’ve been selling for a little over a year now and our customers just love it! Then there’s our Cali Vinyl flooring, 100% waterproof, durable as heck and budget-friendly to boot! If you have any other questions let me know!
Best,
We live in Oklahoma and have huge humidity variations, will the bamboo flooring stay locked together in the open areas as these changes occur?
We keep our house open as much as we can and usually wait until the outside temperature is in the 90″s until we close up and turn on the AC.
We have a pool table in one of the rooms does this area need to be glued?
Can the glue adhere to the moisture treatment? (Titebond 531)
Can glued areas transition into floating areas?
Are floating areas noisier than glued. We have a floating floor now and it sounds hollow when walking across it, especially in hard shoes.
As we go into spring temps and humidity will fluctuate, what acclamation time do you suggest.
We are going to be laying around 900 square feet. I am considering breaking the patter to keep it from looking like one big slab. can the edges be cut, beveled and stained to give the but end a natural look? how far do the transition joints mentioned rise above the finished floor surface.
I am considering non normal patterns for one of the rooms i.e. a square pattern the reduced down to a small patter in the middle of the room. again can this be out beveled and stained to match the factory edges giving the board a natural look?
Thank you for your help on this, and feller to call if you think www might need to discuss this further.
Fred
Hi Fred,
Sounds like you are going to want to glue down T&G flooring. It will support the piano and flowing from room to room undivided. Since you have high humidity fluctuations I would recommend using engineered flooring. Yes, if you use Titebond 821 glue, it is designed to adhere to Titebond 531+ moisture barrier. As for the beveling and staining, it doesn’t sound like something you are going to want to do, so I would recommend getting some samples to play around with before committing to a non-traditional plank pattern.
Walker
Do you have any videos that show how to specifically install Cali Vinyl Pro planks?
Hi Debrah, unfortunately, we don’t yet, its been on my to-do list for some time now. We just finished building a flooring installation area here at our office that I can use to shoot this, I’ll bubble it back up to the top of my list. Thanks for the poke!
I am having a floating click lock floor installed. What is used to butt up to carpeting.
Depends on how tall the carpeting is, if it’s lower than the flooring use a reducer, if it’s about the same height go with a T-molding.
It’s more efficient for me to lay down the cali complete running across the short wall of the room (over concrete sub floor) than to tun it the length of the room. I’m planning to lay the geo floor click lock lenghtwise down the long wall though so it will be perpendicualr to the seams (Im using your metal tape) on the cali complete. I noticed the packaging for the underlayment wanted the flooring planks to run parallel to the seams on the calicomplete.
Is it ok to do it my way?
That’s fine Andrew. Be sure to send us photos of the progress and completed project!
I currently have glue down solid sheet vinyl on floor. Can the bamboo laminate plants be installed on top? Or does flooring need to be removed?
Hi Suzanne,
We don’t carry laminate flooring, but as long as the surface is clean, level and flat, our vinyl plank flooring, solid and engineered hardwood can float over, but I’d put an underlayment between them just in case, Cali Complete would be ideal. If you are wanting to glue or nail down flooring then I would recommend removing the existing vinyl.
Would bamboo flooring glued to plywood substrate make a decent porch ceiling? Temps vary 0-95F and humidity is high spring/summer my location.
Hi Mike,
First off, it wouldn’t be warranted. Second thing, this is sold as flooring and to use it as a ceiling could result in injury from falling planks. Cali Bamboo would not be liable for this. If that doesn’t dissuade you, then due to the lack of climate control, I would consider using vinyl plus flooring over solid or engineered flooring as it is lightweight and more tolerant to temperature and humidity fluctuations. Here’s a blog post with some rather unconventional uses for flooring.
Best,