Flooring Installation
Our wide range of hardwoods will complement any room. Let our expert installers advise and help you at every step of the process.
INSTALL
There are many types of flooring on the market. Solid and engineered unfinished and prefinished flooring, LVP, and laminate are the main types we work with. Unfinished flooring gets sanded and finished on-site after installing. We specialize in hardwood installation, custom pattern work, and historic floor restoration. We work closely with our distributors and manufacturer representatives to provide our customers with the highest quality products.
Installing flooring involves several steps. First, ensure the subfloor is clean, dry, and flat. Second, confirm that the material is properly acclimated to the room’s humidity and temperature. Third, install the flooring according to NWFA and manufacturers guidelines. Following these guidelines and considering environmental conditions is crucial for a successful hardwood floor installation. At Ozark Flooring we pride ourselves in understanding the relationship between moisture and wood. Therefore we document all of our readings before, during, and after every job to make sure we are providing high quality floors that will not fail.
Acclimation and subfloor preparation is the first line of defense against a failed floor. Flooring needs to acclimate in a house for no less than 72 hours, but may vary depending on thickness and width of the flooring. It important to remember that time is not the deciding factor, but rather the moisture content of the wood. A key factor in acclimation is the Relative Humidity (RH) and temperature of a house. It is the responsibility of the end user to maintain a proper climate for the flooring that is being installed. The parameters required are an RH between 30%-60% and an ideal temperature between 68-72 degrees fahrenheit. Subfloor prep generally varies between what product is being used. LVP and laminate have the lowest tolerances therefore require the most preparation. This is due to the locking mechanisms that are used for these types of flooring. This type of prep generally requires extensive leveling systems. For hardwood and engineered products that are tongue and grooved, leveling may be necessary, but sanding subfloor seams will typically resolve most issues. After our prep every substrate gets a moisture barrier to help mitigate the flow of moisture. When it comes to installing flooring there are a handful of methods. These include:
NAIL DOWN
A nailed down floor is secured by fasteners called cleats using a specific nailing pattern in relation with the width of the boards. For boards under 5 inches less nails are needed. For boards over 5 inches, more nails are needed as well as glue to help secure the flooring.
GLUE ASSIST/NAIL ASSIST
These methods use specific flooring glue and cleats to secure a floor. Glue assist installation is a requirement for any wood flooring that is over 5 inches wide. It involves applying the necessary amount of glue to the floor or back of the board to help secure a section of the board that cleats cannot hold on their own. With very wide boards, 10 inches or more, a nail assist install may be necessary. A nail assist install is the same principle, but a full glue spread is used as the main source of holding power and cleats are used as a secondary source of securing the flooring. These methods only apply to wooden substrates.
GLUE-DOWN
A glue down floor installation is typically reserved for installing over concrete slabs, but may be necessary over wooden subfloors for thinner engineered products and certain LVP products. It involves fully spreading glue over the substrate (wooden or concrete) and placing flooring down in the glue, working in sections until the install is complete. Staying off of the floor over night is recommended, as it allows the glue to dry without risking movement of the flooring from walking on it.
FLOATING
A floating floor does not require any fasteners to install the flooring. This type of install uses products that have a locking mechanism to keep the floor boards attached to each other. In some cases, tongue and groove engineered flooring can be glued together and floated as well. Generally this style of installation is reserved for LVP and laminate Flooring.
LOCAL EXPERTS WITH OVER 25 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
Installing flooring requires a lot of steps, skill, and attention to detail. It is important to make sure whoever is performing the work has the knowledge and understanding to do it correctly.
For more information, contact Ozark Flooring to see what type of flooring best fits your lifestyle.
Call Us: 757-401-8520 or Schedule an Appointment
Serving the Hampton Roads area:
Chesapeake | Hampton | Newport News | Norfolk | Poquoson | Portsmouth | Smithfield | Suffolk | Virginia Beach | Williamsburg
Why should You choose Ozark Flooring?
Competitive prices
In business for over 25 years
Experienced installers
Only the highest quality flooring