Installation - Maintenance - Problems
 

INSTALLATION

What precautions must be taken before delivery and installation of a solid hardwood floor in a new construction site?
Many materials, including timber wood, used in home construction or renovation are very humid. In addition, some jobs, such as the treatment of joints, concrete, and painting create a lot of humidity which can take weeks, even months, before being completely absorbed. In fact, a new home construction may take a year to completely dry. The abnormally high humidity level can impact your flooring.

Before installing a solid hardwood floor, ensure that all jobs that create humidity are complete and dry. In addition, hardwood floors should be installed last. Ideally, a waiting period of 30 days before delivery and installation would be required after high humidity jobs are complete. Since this is not always possible, other precautions must be taken, such as testing the moisture content of the plywood in the subfloor, using a hydrometer. The moisture content must not exceed 12%; using your hydrometer, also test the relative humidity in the home. If needed, aerate the building to bring the relative humidity level as close as possible to the ideal level, that is, 40% to 45%.

Ideally, delivery should take place 3 to 4 days before installation. Spread out the boxes in the various rooms to acclimate the floor to its new environment. The moisture content of the wood prior to its installation should be around 7% to 8% Install #15 felt paper between the plywood and the strips.

Does a pneumatic hardwood hammer make installation easier?
NO
With the pneumatic hardwood hammer, as is the case with the manual hardwood hammer, it’s the impact of the weight on the hammer’s piston that matters and it’s essentially the same for both types. It’s important that the force used be reasonable and constant from one impact to the next. The impact of the weight on the hammer allows the nail or staple to be inserted but also permits the strip to fit in snugly with those in the preceding row. It is easier for new users to understand the force to use on impact by using a manual hardwood hammer.

Pneumatic hammers must be used with great care. If the air pressure is too high, the physical structure of the strips can be irreparably damaged; they may even crack or split several months after installation. On the other hand, air pressure that is too low can also cause cracking and splitting. Nails that are improperly inserted can place undue stress on the strips’ mortises. A manual nailer is far better than a pneumatic one for novice installers.


Why install #15 black felt paper between the subfloor and the hardwood strips?
There are two main reasons. First, #15 felt paper acts as an additional moisture barrier between the strips and the subfloor. Without preventing it completely, it slows the migration of humidity from the subfloor or lower level under normal conditions. Second, the #15 felt paper also helps reduce mechanical friction between the strips and subfloor, which in itself can help reduce creaking.

Can the strips be installed in the same direction as the joists?
NO
Installation of strips in the same direction as the joists is not recommended. Installing the strips perpendicular to the joists reinforces the entire floor, provides greater product stability, reduces subfloor sag between the joists and greatly diminishes creaking. If it is impossible to install perpendicular to the joists, you must add a sheet of plywood at least 13 mm (1/2 ") thick that you will glue and heavily screw to the existing plywood and joists. The new plywood must be installed so that its joints are located halfway between those in the existing plywood.


Can Foresfloor strips be installed on a radiant heating system?
YES
You must follow the recommendations of the radiant heat system manufacturer and thoroughly understand how this type of heating can interact with the strips. Radiant heat systems heat the room through the subfloor. Consequently, even though heat is minimal, it can dry out the strips of the floor and reduce the moisture content of the wood, thus creating spaces between the strips. In some cases, if the moisture content in the strips drops too much, dehydration could cause them to split. The relative humidity of the installation site, the moisture content of the subfloor and moisture content of the hardwood floor must be ideal and well controlled before proceeding to install the floor.


Can Foresfloor strips be installed on an OSB subfloor?
YES
It is possible to install Foresfloor strips on an OSB subfloor. For more information, refer to the Foresfloor Installation Guide. Please note that OSBs provide an inferior hold on nails (or staples) when compared to plywood; this could cause creaking. To eliminate this possibility, it is recommended that you add a 13 mm (1/2 ") plywood which will be glued to the OSB and screwed 10 cm (4") into the joists with appropriate subfloor screws, before beginning to install the strips.

MAINTENANCE

Is it necessary to wax the Foresfloor hardwood floor?
NO
It is strongly recommended that you not wax your Foresfloor hardwood floor. Wax can damage the finish and leave a greasy film on the floor’s surface, making cleaning much more difficult.


How often should the Foresfloor hardwood floor be cleaned?

You should clean your Foresfloor hardwood floor as often as necessary. The presence of abrasives such as sand, pebbles, glass, etc. is hard on your floor. Vacuum often to eliminate these abrasives from the surface of your floor. By doing this you will prolong the beauty of your Foresfloor hardwood floor’s finish. Carefully read the Foresfloor Maintenance Guide and the Foresfloor Warranty for more information.

Which precautions need to be taken if you have a pet?

Pets must have their claws clipped and polished regularly. Avoid letting them run or playing with them on your Foresfloor hardwood floor. Even when clipped and polished, claws can damage hardwood floors. Be sure to immediately wipe up any mess you pet makes near its dish or elsewhere.

Satin or Semi-gloss?
These two degrees of sheen are very popular and both are equally resistant to wear. However, the satin finish conceals slight damage brought on over time, such as scuffs, better than semi-gloss. Satin has about 40% shine whereas semi-gloss has about 65%. It’s really a question of taste and decor.

PROBLEMS

Is it normal for my Foresfloor floor to change colour?
YES
Areas exposed to long periods of sunlight are more subject to colour changes. Ultraviolet rays can impact many materials (cloth, paint, plastic, wood, PVC, etc) in your home and change their colour. The DuraStar finish contains agents that help slow this process. On the other hand, even if colour changes are minimal with the DuraStar finish, wood does change colour; it’s a natural phenomenon.

Some wood species, such as American walnut, keep their original colour longer than others. At the opposite end of the spectrum, American cherry changes colour more quickly but is preferred by some for this reason. Dark-stained wood generally change colour very little since the stain hides the natural colour of the wood.
From time to time, move the furniture and decorative rugs around your rooms to even out the wear on your floor. If colour differences are visible, they will fade with time and eventually disappear.


Is it normal for spaces to appear between strips?
YES
It’s a natural phenomenon which generally occurs in winter or when the relative humidity in the room is lower than what it should be (40% - 45%). The wood’s moisture content is then also lower than normal and strips shrink in width. When the relative humidity returns to normal, the strips return to their original width. For more information on the relationship between wood and relative humidity, refer to the Information Techniques section under the heading Species Stability.

Spaces between strips can also be brought about by other causes. For example, the floor may have been installed when the product’s moisture content was higher than normal, or the relative humidity during installation was too high, or the subfloor’s moisture content during installation was too high, etc. In these last cases, you must find the source of the problem and take the necessary corrective measures. Your Foresfloor dealer can give you some tips.



Is cupping of the strips normal, that is, the sides of the strips are higher than the centre?
YES
It’s a natural phenomenon which generally occurs in summer (humid season) or when the relative humidity in the room is higher than what it should be (40% -45%). The wood’s moisture content is then also higher than normal and strips expand in width, and the resulting pressure between them gives them this cupped appearance. When the relative humidity returns to normal, the strips will return to their original width and shape. For more information on the relationship between relative humidity and wood, refer to the Information Techniques section under the heading Species Stability.

Strip cupping can also be brought about by other causes. For example, the floor may have been installed when the product’s moisture content was lower than normal, or the subfloor’s moisture content during installation was too high, or no expansion gap was left around the perimeter of the room at installation, or a water leak, or excessive relative humidity in the room above, etc. In these last cases, you must find the source of the problem and take the necessary corrective measures. Your Foresfloor dealer can give you some tips.



What causes shrinking or cupping of strips?
Most often it’s a poorly insulated heating duct or hot water pipe that produces an abnormal source of heat. This in turn reduces the moisture content of nearby strips, thereby shrinking their width.

If, on the other hand, the problem is localised cupping, seek a source of abnormal humidity, such as a poorly-ventilated room on the level below where the relative humidity is very high, or an appliance generating a surplus of relative humidity.

For more information on the relationship between relative humidity and wood, refer to the Information Techniques section under the heading Species Stability.



What are the most common questions asked at Foresfloor Customer Service?
Questions on installation and on humidity are most often asked. More than 95% of problems are directly related to improper installation or inadequate humidity levels.

Does the Foresfloor warranty remain valid if you install the floor yourself?
YES
You must have some knowledge and skill and follow the instructions outlined in the Installation Guide and other guides from Foresfloor.


Can an installed, damaged strip be replaced?
YES
The Foresfloor Maintenance Guide will take you through the steps and a list of tools required to replace a danaged strip. You must have some skill and knowledge to perform this task.


Why do some strips split?
Strip cracking is directly related to the relative humidity of the room being either too high or too low; improper installation; air pressure that is too high or too low, when installed with a pneumatic hammer; or a combination of some or all of these factors. Under these conditions, some strips cannot resist the stress and therefore split. You must then find out the cause(s) of this stress and perform the necessary corrections to minimise the problem. Since they were not split at the time of installation, there must necessarily be one or many causes involving the environment where the product was installed. Splitting generally occurs in the weeks following the installation of the floor, and strips can be replaced by the owner or a professional installer. See Replacing Strips in the Foresfloor Maintenance Guide.