Installation, care and warranty

A good floor starts with a good install. Here is what to check before you start, how to keep your floor looking right, and how our warranty works.

Before you install

These follow National Wood Flooring Association guidelines. The installation guide in every carton has the final word.

  1. 1

    Check the moisture

    Wood moves with humidity. Keep the room between 60 and 80°F and 35 to 55% relative humidity for at least 48 hours before, during and after you install. Test the subfloor too. For plank this wide, the subfloor and the flooring should read within 2% of each other.

  2. 2

    Get the subfloor flat

    Aim for flat within 3/16 inch over 10 feet. Sand the high spots, fill the low ones and fix squeaks before the first row goes down.

  3. 3

    Mix your cartons

    Work from three or four open cartons at once so color and grain spread naturally across the room.

  4. 4

    Leave room to move

    Keep an expansion gap at every wall, doorway and fixed object. Baseboard or quarter round covers it.

  5. 5

    Look before you lay

    Check each board in good light. A board that gets installed counts as accepted, so set aside any you would not want in the room.

Float, glue or staple

TUF engineered plank can go down three ways, depending on your subfloor. Ask us which one fits your series and your room before you start.

Float, glue, staple badge

  1. Staple or nail down

    Over plywood or OSB on or above grade. Use a flooring stapler or cleat nailer set for engineered plank, and fasten through the tongue.

  2. Glue down

    Over concrete or wood subfloors, including below grade. Use a urethane wood flooring adhesive with the trowel its maker calls for.

  3. Float

    Over most flat, dry subfloors on a quality underlayment. The floor rests on the pad and is held together at the tongue and groove.

Tongue and groove badge

Precision tongue and groove

Every board is milled with a tight tongue and groove, so the planks pull together snug and stay level with each other. Tap boards together with a block, never straight on the edge.

Putting it over radiant heat? Call us first and we'll walk you through it.

Keep it looking right

Our WearMax finish is tough, and a little routine care keeps it that way for decades.

Every few days

  • Sweep, dust mop or vacuum on the hard floor setting with the beater bar off.
  • Wipe spills right away with a dry or barely damp cloth.

Every week or two

  • Clean with a microfiber mop and a cleaner made for urethane finished wood.
  • Spray the cleaner on the mop, not the floor. Damp is fine, wet is not.

Keep away from

  • Steam mops and wet mopping
  • Oil soaps, wax, vinegar and ammonia
  • Rubber or latex backed rugs

Protect it

  • Felt pads under every chair and table leg
  • Mats at outside doors to catch grit and salt
  • Shades or curtains on strong afternoon sun

We stand behind every board

Every TUF floor comes with a written warranty that covers the structure of the plank and the factory finish under normal home use. Terms differ by series, so call or email and we'll send you the full document for yours.

To keep your coverage:

  • Install following the guide in the carton
  • Keep indoor humidity in the 35 to 55% range
  • Clean with products made for urethane finished wood
  • Hold on to your receipt
Request the warranty (715) 555-0148