Bellawood Naildown instructions

3/4" and 3/8 Solid Strip & Plank Products

Domestic and Exotic
INSTALLER/OWNER RESPONSIBILITIES
Beautiful hardwood floors are a product of nature and therefore, not perfect. Our
Bellawood floors are manufactured in accordance with accepted industry standards, which
permit grading deficiencies not to exceed 5% .These grading deficiencies may be of a
manufacturing or natural type.

The installer/owner assumes all responsibility for final inspection as to grade,

manufacture and factory finish. This inspection of all flooring must be done before
installation. Carefully examine flooring for color, finish and quality before installing
it. The installer must use reasonable selectivity and hold out or cut off pieces with
deficiencies, whatever the cause. If material is not acceptable, do not install it and
contact the seller immediately 800-366-4204
Prior to installation of any hardwood-flooring product, the installer must determine
that the job-site environment and the sub-surfaces involved meet or exceed all
applicable standards. Recommendations of the construction and materials
industries as well as local codes must be followed. These instructions recommend
that the construction and subfloor be dry, stiff and flat. The manufacturer declines
any responsibility for job failure resulting from or associated with sub-surface, sub
flooring or job-site environmental deficiencies.
Prior to installation, the installer/owner has final inspection responsibility as to
grade, manufacture and factory finish. The installer must use reasonable
selectivity and hold out or cut off pieces with deficiencies, whatever the cause.
Use of stain, filler or putty stick for touch-up during installation should be accepted
as normal procedure.
When flooring is ordered, 5% allowance must be added to the actual square
footage needed for cutting and grading allowance. 8-10% for exotics.
Should an individual piece be doubtful as to grade, manufacture or factory finish,
the installer should not use the piece. Once installed flooring is deemed accepted.
Use of appropriate products for correcting subfloor voids should be accepted as a
normal industry practice.

TOOLS & ACCESSORIES NEEDED NOTE: IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO USE THE

PROPER ADAPTERS AS WELL AS STAPLES OR CLEATS. IMPROPER FASTENERS, MACHINES
AND AIR PRESSURE CAN CAUSE SEVERE DAMAGE. THE MANUFACTURER OF THIS
FLOORING PRODUCT IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR DAMAGE CAUSED BY USE OF IMPROPER
TOOLS OR MISUSE.
PRE-DRILL AND HAND NAILING MAY BE RECOMMENDED FOR THE HARDER 3/4" EXOTIC
WOOD LIKE BLOOD WOOD, BRAZILIAN CHERRY, WALNUT, TEAKS AND MAHOGANY TO
PREVENT TONGUE FRACTURE OR SURFACE DIMPLING COMMON TO NAILING MACHINES.
THE 3/8EXOTIC MATERIALS REQUIRE A STRONG THINNER TYPE CLEAT NAIL 18-20 GA ,
EXAMPLES OF CORRECT NAILERS ARE THE MODEL 200 or 50P FROM THE POWERNAIL CO.
www.POWERNAIL.COM
If USING A STAPLER FASTENER FOR 3/8SOLIDS, INSTALLER SHOULD VARIFY STAPLE
HOLD AND ENSUER AGAINST TONGUE FRACTURE
STAPLES SHOULD BE 3/16or 1/4"CROWN 1TO 1-1/4 IN LENGTH
Hammer
Nail Set Chalk line &
6-7d screw-shank nails
chalk
Earplugs and
Moisture meter
safety glasses
Recommended
Correct "CLEAT
Nail/fasteners
fastening machine per Broom
product
Handsaw & Power saws
Drill with 1/16"
drill bit
Undercut or Jamb Saw
Tape Measure

PRE-INSTALLATION PROCEDURES FOR JOB SITE INSPECTION

The building should be closed in with all outside doors

and windows in place. All concrete, masonry, framing
members, drywall, paint and other "wet" work should
be thoroughly dry. The wall coverings should be in
place and the painting completed except for the final
coat on the base molding. When possible, delay
installation of base molding until flooring installation is
complete. Basements and crawl spaces must be dry
and well ventilated.
Exterior grading should be complete with surface
drainage offering a minimum drop of 3" in 10to
direct flow of water away from the structure. All
gutters and downspouts should be in place
Solid wood flooring must be installed on or above
grade level. Do not install in full bathrooms.
Crawl spaces must be a minimum of 24"(600 mm)
from the ground to underside of joists. A ground cover
of 6-8 mil black polyethylene film is essential as a
vapor barrier with joints lapped six inches and taped.
The crawl space should have perimeter venting equal
to a minimum of 1.5% of the crawl space square of
footage. These vents should be properly located to
foster cross ventilation (see figure #1). Where
necessary, local regulations prevail.
Subfloor must be checked for moisture content
using the appropriate testing method, under 12%.
Permanent air conditioning and heating systems
should be in place and operational. The installation
site should have a consistent room temperature of
60-75 F and humidity of 35-55% for 14 days prior,
during and until occupied, to allow for proper
acclimation.

STORAGE AND HANDLING

Solid wood flooring should be stored in the environment in which it is expected to perform.
Deliver the materials to an environmentally controlled site not the garage or out
buildings. Materials should be allowed to acclimate for 72 hours or as long as necessary to
meet minimum installation requirements for moisture content. Acclimation within a closed
carton may not be adequate due to lack of air movement. Handle and unload with care.
Store in a dry place being sure to provide at least a four-inch air space under cartons,
which are stored upon concrete floors "on-grade". Flooring should not be delivered until
the building has been closed in with windows and doors in place and until cement work,
plastering and all other "wet" work is completed and dry. Concrete should be at least 60
days old.
INSTALLATION APPLICATIONS
NOTE: MINOR OCCASIONAL SQWUEAK/NOISES IN MECHANICALLY FASTENED FLOORS IS
NOT ABNORMAL DUE TO STRUCTURAL MOVEMENT CAUSED BY CHANGES IN
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS. FOLLOWING THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAN MINIMIZE THESE
FACTORS BUT OFFER NO GUARANTEE THAT THE FLOOR WILL NOT CREATE MINOR
OCCASIONAL SQUEAK/ NOISES.
General Information for Fastening Machines:
Avoid striking the edge of factory-finished products with
the fasteners mallet. Edge crushing can occur causing
unsightly cracks and splinters. Use a block to hammer
against if necessary (figure #2).
Nailer Faceplates should be covered with protective
materials to prevent damage to the surface of the flooring.
Any water/rot damaged, swollen or delaminated sub
flooring materials will not hold nails/staples properly and

must be repaired or replaced.

General Information for Manual Fastening Machines:

Improper adapter plate selection can cause severe edge damage.
Ascertain that the correct nailer or adapter has been selected and properly installed for
nailing 3/4"or 3/8 flooring.
General Information for Pneumatic Fastening Machines:
Improper pressure settings and failure to use proper adapters
can cause severe damage to the flooring. The correct adapter
and air pressure setting will properly set the fastener in the
nail pocket (figure #3). Low air pressures may fail to properly
set the staple and damage adjoining boards. Air pressures set
too high may cause damage to the tongue, preventing
installation of adjoining boards and cause blisters on the face
of the flooring. Make certain that the compressor has a
regulator in-line with the air hose for proper adjustment. Set
pressure at 70 PSI to begin with and adjust until proper staple
setting occurs. Hand nailing may be necessary for many of the
harder exotics ie. Bloodwood, Brazilian Cherry, Walnut, Teaks
SUBFLOOR REQUIREMENTS MUST BE:

CLEAN - Scrape, broom clean, and smooth. Free of wax, paint, oil, sealers,
adhesives, curing agents and other debris.
LEVEL/FLAT - Within 3/16" in 10or 1/8" in 6. Sand high areas or joints. Build-up
low spots with layers of 15# builders felt, old vinyl, plywood or shims
(not cement leveling compounds).
NOTE: Red rosin paper or 15# builders felt (tar paper) acts as a moisture
retarder and may be used to reduce movement caused by changes in subfloor
moisture, thereby reducing cupping and warping. (This is especially helpful over
crawl spaces and basements) In addition, the use of these materials can give the
flooring a more solid feeling, reduce sound transfer, prevent noise caused by minor
irregularities and debris, and make it easier to slide the wood together across the
surface of the subfloor. Kraft paper may also be used to make installation easier.
STRUCTURALLY SOUND - Nail or screw any loose areas that squeak. Replace any
water-damaged, swollen or delaminated sub flooring or underlayments. Avoid
subfloors with excessive vertical movement.
DRY - Check moisture content of the subfloor with the appropriate moisture meter,
verify under 12%

RECOMMENDED SUBFLOOR SURFACES

PREFERRED: 3/4" (19 mm) CDX grade plywood
MINIMUM: 5/8"CDX grade plywood
OSB PS2 rated underlayment 3/4"(23/32")
Existing solid wood flooring
Screeds
T&G wood subflooring with an additional 5/8plywood over lay
Wood Subfloors and Wood Structural Panel Subfloors:
Plywood:Must be minimum APA grade rated sheathing or CDX minimum.
Oriented Strand Board (OSB):Must be PS2 rated installed sealed/waxed side down.
Do Not install over particleboard, waferboard, pressed wood or fiberboard. Ether remove
all particleboard or overlay it with 5/8 plywood to secure fasteners.
Note: When installing solid wood strip over radiant heated subfloors select woods that
have the highest stability rating. Engineered wood is the flooring of choice for radiant
heated floors as well as gluedowns on cement.
Make sure existing floor or subfloor is dry and well nailed

or screwed down every 6" along each joist to avoid

squeaking or popping before the floor is installed. The
wood subfloor must not exceed 12% moisture content.
Measure moisture content of both subfloor and wood
flooring to determine proper moisture content with a
reliable wood moisture meter (figure #4).
The difference between the moisture content of the wood
subfloor and the wood flooring must not exceed 4% or
2% for 3 and wider boards
Optimum performance of hardwood floor covering products occurs when there is little
horizontal or vertical movement of the subfloor. The MINIMUM subfloor recommendations
described above are for 19.2" O/C joist spacing with minimum recommended spans.
If the subfloor has excessive vertical movement (deflection) before installation of the
flooring it is likely it will do so after installation of the flooring is complete. Deflection may
cause the floor to become loose creating a noisy floor or cause premature finish wear.
Avoid installations over sub floors that do not meet this minimum criterion. As flooring
manufacturers we are unable to evaluate each engineered system. Other spacing and
spans as well as their engineering methods are the responsibility of the builder, engineer,
architect or consumer who is better able to evaluate the expected result based on site
related performance.
All underlayment panels should be spaced 1/8" apart to insure adequate expansion space.
T&G panels normally have built in expansion; When installing over existing T&G strip wood
floors parallel with the flooring, it may be necessary to install an additional layer of
plywood to stabilize the flooring. Applicable NOFMA Hardwood standards and
recommendations of the flooring and materials must be met or exceeded.
www.woodfloors.org

Concrete Slabs
Solid flooring can be installed over concrete once the appropriate nailing surface has been
installed. The concrete must be of high compressive strength. All concrete should be tested
for moisture content (Figure #5). Visual checks are not reliable.
NOTE: Test several areas, especially near exterior walls and walls containing plumbing.

A "DRY" SLAB, AS DEFINED BY THESE TESTS CAN BE WET AT OTHER TIMES OF THE YEAR.
THESE TESTS DO NOT GUARANTEE A DRY SLAB. ALL CONCRETE SLABS SHOULD HAVE A
MINIMUM OF 6 MIL POLY FILM MOISTURE BARRIER BETWEEN THE GROUND AND THE
CONCRETE.
Subfloor as a nailing base, installed over Concrete
From N.O.F.M.A.
1)
Install suitable moisture retardant followed by a plywood subfloor with a minimum
thickness of 3/4". Allow 1/2" expansion space around all vertical objects and 1/8" between
all flooring panels. The panel must be properly attached to the subfloor using a minimum
of one fastener per square foot and more if necessary. Use pneumatic or powder actuated
fasteners, add silicone sealant over the fasteners. Do not hand nail the subfloor with
concrete nails. Install 15lb roofing felt as a moisture retardant barrier with joints lapped 6"
and begin installation of flooring using 1 to 1 1/2" fasteners.

Floating:
Install a 6-8 mm sheet plastic moisture retardant overlap seams 4 and duct tape, followed
by a minimum of 5/8plywood subfloor. Allow 1/2" expansion space around all vertical
objects and 1/8" between all flooring panels. Install a second layer of 5/8" plywood
diagonal to the previous panels, offsetting the joints 2. Screw together with screw that will
not penetrate the first layer of subfloor. Install a moisture retardant felt barrier with joints
lapped 6" and begin installation of flooring.

GENERAL INSTALLATION TIPS

Floor should be installed from several cartons at the same
time to ensure good color and shade mixture. Be attentive to
staggering the ends of boards at least 6", when possible, in
adjacent rows (figure #6). This will help ensure a more
favorable overall appearance of the floor. Large spans in areas
of high humidity may require the addition of internal or field
expansion. This can be accomplished by using spacers, such
as small washers, every 10-20 rows inserted above the
tongue and removed after several adjoining rows have been
fastened.

STEP 1: DOORWAY AND WALL PREPARATION

Undercut door casings. Remove any existing base, shoe mold

or doorway thresholds. These items can be replaced after
installation. All door casings should be notched out (figure #7)
or undercut to avoid difficult scribe cuts.

STEP 2: ESTABLISH A STARTING POINT - WALL-TO-WALL INSTALLATION

Installation parallel to the longest wall is

recommended for best visual effects, however,
the floor should be installed perpendicular to the
flooring joists unless subfloor has been reinforced
to reduce subfloor sagging.
Find appropriate subfloor from "Subfloor Type"
section in this instruction manual. If a moisture
retardant material is to be used, such as
Laminated Rosin Paper (see NOTE, Subfloor
Requirements), install this material before
proceeding, lapping joints 6" and stapling if
necessary.
Measure the width of the product being installed.
For random or alternate width products, use the
widest plank for the first row.
Add 1" to allow for 3/4" expansion and the width
of the tongue.
Using this measurement, in at least two places,
measure out equal distance from the starting wall
and 12" -18" from the corners (figure #8) and
snap a chalk line.

STEP 3: INSTALLING FIRST ROWS - WALL-TO-WALL INSTALLATION

NOTE: end glue wide width planks (4" or more) with a
PVA wood glue.

Use the longest, straightest boards available for

the first two rows.
Align tongue of first row on chalk line. The
groove should be facing the starting wall.
Pre-drill the nail holes 1" from back (groove)
edge, 1"-2" from each end, and at 6" intervals
at a 45 angle down through the nailing
"pocket" on top of the tongue (figure#9).
Face-nail the groove side where pre-drilled. When complete, blind-nail at a 45
angle through the tongue of the first row. Fasten using 6 or 8d nails. Countersink
nails to ensure flush engagement of groove. Avoid bruising the wood by using a
nail set to drive the nails the last 1/2" into the tongue.
Continue blind nailing using this method with following rows until stapler or nailer
can be used.
End-joints of adjacent rows should be staggered a minimum of 6" to ensure a more
favorable overall appearance.

Beginning rows may be blind-nailed where clearance allows using a pneumatic finish nailer
with 15 gauge, 1 1/2" (minimum) nails in lieu of above.
STEP 2 & 3: CENTER TO WALL INSTALLATION

Snap a chalk line down the center of the room.

Install a sacrificial row that extends the entire length of the room on the centerline.
Install three rows of flooring.
Remove the sacrificial row and insert a slip tongue (spline) in the open groove.
Always glue and nail the slip tongue in place.

STEP 4: RACKING THE FLOOR

Dry lay or rack materials to cover approximately 2/3 of the room. Begin dry laying
(racking) approximately 6" from the edge of the previously installed rows. Avoid
pulling boards too tightly together on the sides, as they must move freely when
fastening begins.
Mark the final board in each row and cut to length allowing for proper expansion
(the width of the boards you are using).
Visually inspect flooring, cull out or setting aside boards that need to have
natural character flaws, over board or milling flaws cut out.
Use these boards for starting and finishing row after objectionable characteristics
have been removed.

STEP 5: INSTALLING THE FLOOR

There is no one nailer that will nail all floor types and sizes, the harder exotics
may require hand nailing to avoid tongue splitting. Refer to above nailing and
acclimation recommendations

Fasten a test or sacrificial board to the floor. Check for surface dimpling damage,
air pressure setting, tongue damage, etc. before proceeding. Make all adjustments
and corrections before installation begins. Once proper adjustments have been
made, remove and destroy the board.
Begin installation with several rows at a time, fastening each board with at least
two fasteners, 8-10" apart and 1-1 1/2" from the ends (to avoid splitting). Tighten
boards as necessary to reduce gaps before fastening.

End-joints of adjacent rows should be staggered 6' when possible to ensure a more
favorable overall appearance.
The last 1-2 rows will need to be face-nailed where clearance does not permit blind
nailing with stapler or brad nailer. Pre-drill and face-nail on the tongue side
following the nailing pattern used for the first row.
Rip final row to fit and face-nail. If the final row is less than 1" in width, it should
first be glued to the previous UNINSTALLED row and the two joined units should be
face nailed as one.

STEP 6: COMPLETE THE JOB

Clean the floor with a recommended wood flooring cleaner.

(Compatible with your water based urethane finish) Do not wet mop wood floors.
Re-install any transition pieces that may be needed, such as Reducer Strips, Tmoldings, or Thresholds. These products are available pre-finished to blend with
your flooring.
Re-install all base and/or quarter round moldings. Nail moldings into the wall, not
the floor.
Leave warranty and floor care information with the owner. Advise them of the
product name and code number of the flooring they purchased.
To prevent surface damage avoid rolling heavy appliances or furniture on the floor.
Use plywood, hardboard or appliance lifts if necessary.
MOLDINGS ARE AVALABLE FOR MOST TYPES OF WOOD FLOORS
REDUCER STRIP: a teardrop shaped molding used around fireplaces,
doorways, as a room divider, or as a transition between wood flooring
and adjacent floor coverings that are less thick. Fasten down with
adhesive, small nails or double-faced tape.
THRESHOLD: a molding undercut for use against sliding door tracks,
fireplaces, carpet, ceramic tile, or existing thresholds to allow for
expansion space and to provide a smooth transition in height
difference. Fasten to subfloor with adhesive and/or nails through the
heel. Predrill nail holes to prevent splitting.
STAIR NOSING: a molding undercut for use as a stair landings trim,
elevated floor perimeters, and stair steps. Fasten down firmly with
adhesive and nails or screws. Predrill nail holes to prevent splitting.
QUARTER ROUND: a molding used to cover expansion space next to
baseboards, case goods, and stair steps. Predrill and nail to the
vertical surface, not into the floor.

COMBINATION BASE AND SHOE: a molding used when a base is

desired. Used to cover expansion space between the floor and the
wall. Predrill and nail into the wall, not the floor.

T-MOLDING: a molding used as a transition piece from one flooring to

another of equal height or to gain expansion spaces. Fasten at the
heel in the center of the molding. Additional support may need to be
added to the heel of the molding dependent upon the thickness of the
goods covered.
Technical & Installation

5/15/07