Product Use Pre-Installation Warranty IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ! It is the duty of the installer, whether professional or DIY (do it yourself), to inspect all flooring before installation. If the installer or buyer feels the flooring is the wrong color, improperly manufactured, has finish problems, is off-grade or is the wrong gloss level, do NOT install the flooring. Please immediately contact the retailer from which the flooring was purchased. No claim will be accepted for flooring which is visibly wrong if such flooring is installed. Installed flooring is deemed to be visibly acceptable. Since wood is a product of nature, not plastic, standard industry practice allows for up to 5% of flooring shipped to have milling, handling, finish and/or grade defects. This warranty applies only to material that is in excess of this 5%. We will replace or refund the purchase price of material deemed to be defective in excess of this 5%. PLEASE NOTE: It is the duty of the installer/home owner to judge the suitability of any piece for placement in an obvious area of the room. If you feel a piece is not suitable, either do not install it or install it in an inconspicuous place. Jobsite Requirements All work involving water or moisture should be completed before installing hardwood flooring. For any new construction or remodeling project, hardwood flooring should be one of the last items installed. The jobsite should be monitored for consistent, normal room temperature of 60-70 F (16 – 22 C) and relative humidity of 35-55% for at least one week before installation. All engineered flooring should be kept in the shrink wrapped boxes until immediately before installation. Do NOT remove from packaging and acclimate like solid hardwood floors. This can make the flooring very difficult to install, as tolerances between the tongue and groove are so exact. Do not install in areas subject to moisture, such as bathrooms or laundry rooms. Although engineered plank flooring can be glued directly to concrete, do not use a concrete sealer nor install over one. The concrete must be high compressive strength. All concrete sub-floors should be tested for moisture content. Visual checks are not reliable. Acceptable test methods for sub-floor moisture content include: • Calcium Chloride test. The maximum moisture transfer must not exceed 3lbs. /1000 Square feet with this test. • Tramex concrete moisture encounter meter. Moisture reading should not exceed 4.5 on the upper scale. 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. Installation Instructions: All sub-floors must be level and clean. The maximum tolerance is 3/16" per 10'. If necessary, level down any irregularities using #20 grit paper and fill any uneven spots with leveling compound. Remove all paint, wax, oil, plaster, “sheetrock mud”, and previous or existing glues and adhesives. Grind concrete with #3 1/2 grit sandpaper if needed then sweep or vacuum thoroughly. Wood sub-floor must be: • Dry and well secured with a moisture content under 12%. • Nailed down or screwed down every 6 inches along the joist to avoid squeaking. • Leave 1/8” gap around perimeter. • Leveled by sanding down high spots and filling in low spots with an underlayment patch as necessary. Concrete subfloor must be: • Fully cured for at least 60 days. • Installed properly with minimum 6-mil Polyfilm between concrete and ground. • Dry all year round. Do not install over concrete if you are not sure it will remain dry. • Tested for moisture by using moisture meter. Sheet vinyl must be: • Well bonded to the floor. • In good condition. • Clean and level, no debris. • Do not install over vinyl tiles. Preparing for installation: Undercut or notch-out door casings to fit flooring underneath by placing a piece of flooring on the sub-floor as a height guide for sawing. Remove door thresholds and base moldings and replace after flooring installation. Always leave at least ½” expansion space between flooring and all walls and vertical objects. Use a hammer and tapping block and tap against the tongue to pull planks together. Never tap against the groove of the plank. When near a wall, use a crow or pull bar to close end joints. Be careful not to damage flooring edge. All engineered plank flooring is milled to very exacting standards, so pieces that do not go together easily usually have debris in a groove, the tongue and/or groove has been damaged, or the board is a little bowed and you just need to flatten it out, rather than forcing pieces together. Starting installation: For aesthetical purposes, wood flooring is often laid to the longest wall. However, owner upon the advice of the professional installer should make the final decision which direction the planks will run. Most professional installers will begin installation next to an outside wall, which is usually the straightest wall and used as a reference point in establishing a straight working line. A good way to establish a working line is to measure an equal distance from the wall at both ends and snap a chalk line. Measure distance from the wall at the width of the plank plus another ½ “ for expansion space for establishing your working line. It is advisable to dry lay a few rows before actually using glue to confirm your directional layout decision and working line. Adjustment of the working line may be necessary if the outside wall or other working line reference is out of square. This can be done by scribe cutting the first row of planks to match the wall and creating a straight working line. GLUE DOWN INSTALLATION: For glue down installation we recommend: • Bostik's Best or BST adhesives • Franklin 811 • Capitol Woody 600 • Stauf Ultra-Mastic PUM-950 Use the trowel recommended by the adhesive manufacturer, since tooth size is important for best adherence to the sub-floor. Usually this is 1/4” x 1/8”. Always allow for adequate cross ventilation when working with flooring adhesive. Follow adhesive instruction regarding proper set time before affixing wood floor planks. With a towel at a 45-degree angle, spread as much adhesive as can be covered by flooring in one hour or as recommended by the adhesive manufacturer’s instructions. Start at the outside wall. Once adhesive has set per instructions, lay the first row of flooring with the groove facing the wall. Continue laying flooring until adhesive is covered with flooring. Remember to always check the alignment with the working line, being careful not to move the installed floor on the wet adhesive. Use a tapping block to fit the planks together. When the first section is completed, continue by repeating process section by section until installation is complete. Immediately remove any adhesive that gets on the flooring surface by using a damp cloth or manufacturer’s adhesive remover. Don’t forget to stagger joints. When required use weights to hold the flooring planks on the perimeter until adhesive cures enough. Finishing the Job: Remove expansion spacers. Reinstall base and/or quarter round moldings to cover the expansion space. Install transitions pieces such as reducer strips and T-moldings as needed. Do not allow any foot traffic or heavy furniture for at least 24 hours. Clean and remove all dirt and debris on floor by dust mopping or vacuuming. STAPLE OR NAIL DOWN INSTALLATION: Tools & Materials: Power saw, hammer, chalk line and tool listed below • Staple Gun: Stanley Mark 3 • Staples: Grecian: 1 1/4” staples, Patrician and Milano Series: 1 1/2” staples Acceptable sub-floors are the following: 1. 5/8” minimum thickness, preferred 3/4” or thicker exterior plywood installed with long edges at right angle to floor joists and staggered so that end joints in adjacent panels break over different joists. 2. 1” x 4” to 6” wide, square edged, kiln dried coniferous lumber, laid diagonally over 16”on center wooden joists. The ends of all boards are to be cut parallel to the center of the joists for solid bearing. 3. 3/4 inch minimum O.S.B. on 19.2 inch center floor joists system properly nailed. New wood type sub-floors should be checked for moisture using a moisture meter. In general wood or plywood sub-floors should not exceed 14% moisture content, or 4% moisture content difference between hardwood flooring and sub-floor. Adequate and proper nailing as well as soundness of the sub-floor should be ascertained. Foreign material shall be removed from the sub-floor surface and swept clean. The clean sub-floor should be covered, wall-to-wall, with 15-lb asphalt saturated felt. Lap edges of this felt 4” when positioning it. Double the felt around heat ducts in the floor. Basement and crawl spaces must be dry and well ventilated. Crawl spaces must have a vapor barrier below sub-floor on ground (6 or 8 mil. Poly) General Installation Instructions (see NWFA for more details): 1. Flooring should be laid at right angles to the floor joists and, if possible, in the direction of the longest dimension of the room. 2. All  products have a UV-cured factory finish. It is important to make sure that the nail gun face plate will not damage the surface finish. 3M Blue tape can be placed on the faceplate to prevent damage. 3. Starting to lay flooring: Begin laying plank flooring in a room corner with the long groove of the plank facing the wall. Provide expansion space of 1/2 inch between the floor planks and the adjacent wall. 4. End joints of plank: These should be staggered to achieve the best appearance in the finished floor. (minimum 6”) 5. Nailing schedule for flooring: The first run should be face-nailed then counter sunk. All other runs to be nailed at an angle of 50° on 8” centers at the tongue, also nail within 2” of each end joint.

The key to maintaining your floor is to protect and maintain this UV finish, and the following floor care recommendations will tell you how. After installation: Immediately after installation, vacuum or dust mop your floor to remove any dirt or debris. Then clean the floor with a neutral hardwood floor cleaner. Spray a small quantity of hardwood floor cleaner on your mop and swab a section of floor in the same direction as the floorboards. When the mop cover is dirty, reverse it or use the replacement cover. Wash mop covers as required. Warning: Never use wax, household detergent, or oil based soap on the floor. These products may discolor and damage the finish and leave a greasy film, making the floor slippery and difficult to maintain afterwards. Mixtures of water and vinegar are not recommended for cleaning prefinished flooring, since vinegar has an oxidizing effect of the finish. Never clean your floor with water or a wet mop. Excess moisture can damage your floor. Routine maintenance: Dust mop or vacuum your wood floor regularly. Periodically, clean your wood floor with an approved cleaner. Preventive Maintenance: Sand and dirt can be abrasive to wood floors. Place protective mats by doorways to keep dirt and moisture from being tracked across your floor. Area rugs are recommended in fort of sinks in kitchens. Mats and area rugs should be slip-resistant with a nonabrasive and non-discoloring backer. Move rugs occasionally so the floor is exposed to normal sunlight. There will be subtle changes in shading of all hardwood floors. Install floor protectors on furniture legs. Clean up spills as soon as possible, before they get sticky or dry. Spike or stiletto heel shoes, especially those with warn heels, can dent and scratch hardwood floors (as well as other flooring surfaced). These shoes can produce pressure of over 1000 pounds per square inch. Also be aware that pets can also scratch and damage hardwood floors due to their claws. Maintain proper humidity conditions (40-60% humidity) in your home throughout the year. This may require the use of a humidifier or dehumidifier, depending on conditions. Avoid any extreme changes in humidity from season to season.