Installation

General Rules:

¾” sold wood flooring is intended for installation on or above grade only. For installation below grade, special precautions must be taken including an assessment of the humidity level, seasonal variations in humidity, and moisture testing of the sub-floor. Your hardwood flooring dealer can best offer you advice in this area. Also, do not install over radiant heat installed within concrete floors.

Your flooring should be delivered at least 72 hours prior to installation. Heating or air conditioning should be on so that the flooring can acclimate to the conditions under which it will remain after installation. Relative humidity should fall within a range of 40%-60% at 68 F.

Moisture content of the sub-floor and the hardwood flooring should be measured. If the difference in moisture content of the hardwood flooring and the sub-floor is more than 2%, installation should not proceed until the two are within 2% of each other.

Installer should have a defined method of installation based on the following.

a. Result of the testing of the sub-floor.

b. Result of the testing of the atmosphere for relative humidity.

c. The installer or an independent agent must document all site tests.

d. All site test records must be available if the homeowner files a claim.

Hardwood flooring requires ½” – ¾” expansion space around the perimeter of the floor and at all vertical obstructions within the room. This space is covered by baseboard and quarter round after installation

Hardwood flooring should be installed at right angles to the floor joists. If this is not possible, sub-floor should be built up to a thickness of 1” for proper support and nail holding.

High spots on sub-floor should be sanded down and re-nailing should be done to eliminate any squeaks or loose boards Because of the natural variation in hardwood flooring, it is important to work out of 3 or
4 different boxes at a time to ensure a proper blend of shading. Close attention should be paid to date codes or “batches” as identified on the carton label, to ensure proper mixing or how it may affect layout of the floor.

Proper nail spacing is one nail every 8”-10” with at least 2 nails in every board. Every board should be nailed so that there is a nail within the last three inches of both ends of the board.

2” nails should be used for machine mailing of this product.

The following tools are needed: tape measure, broom, chalk line, hammer, nail set, pry bar, circular saw, miter saw or table saw, and power nailer and mallet.

Final inspection rests with the installer. No labour charges or collateral expenses will be covered if the product is not suitable to the consumer.

Installation:

Ensure sub-floor is clean with no high spots or loose boards.

From the starting wall, measure out a distance at each corner equal to the board width of the board plus ¾”. Snap a chalk line between the two points as a guide for the first row.

Lay the first row with the tongue pointing out into the room. Pre-drill and face nail this first row ¾” from the edge of the board closest to the wall, along the chalk line, maintaining the ¾” expansion space. Pre-drill along the tongue and edge nail the boards at a 45 degree angle through the tongue along this first row. Sink the nails with a nail punch. Fill holes not covered by mouldings with matching putty.

Subsequent rows can now be placed and nailed using the 45 degree nailing through the tongue only. The power nailer can be used as soon as space from the wall allows. Typically, the first few rows will need to be done by hand. Also, the last few rows will need to be hand nailed.

When fitting the last row, be sure to rip the boards if necessary to maintain the ½”- ¾” expansion space..

Warranty and Cancellations

Exotic Floors Direct is committed to fine craftsmanship and is a global leader in manufacturing processes. We are committed to top quality service as well as producing the highest quality flooring. These warranties are given to the original purchaser for as long as he, and or she owns the home and or business/facility in
which the floors are installed.

Structural Integrity Warranty: Exotic Floors Direct warrants its products to be free from manufacturing defects defined as defects in lamination, assembly, milling, dimension, and grading. Structural Integrity Warranty means that Exotic Floors Direct products will remain free from defects in lamina assembly, milling, dimension and grading for as long as the original purchaser owns the home in which the products
are installed. These products are also warranted against any buckling, cupping, and warping for the same period when properly installed in accordance with Exotic Floors Direct installation instructions and properly maintained in accordance with Exotic Floors Direct Maintenance Procedures. This Warranty is subject to the limitations and exclusions set forth herein and is the exclusive warranty as to the Exotic Floors Direct Products purchased and contains the exclusive remedies that will be provided for breach of any warranties whether expressed or implied.

Exotic Floors Direct Protection/Coverage: Exotic Floors Direct will, at its sole expense, refinish, repair, or replace, at no cost to you, with the same or equal value product, portion of a floor that should fail with respect to the provisions of these warranties. In the unlikely event that correction impossible or impractical after a reasonable number of attempts, Exotic Floors Direct will refund the original purchase price for the of the floor that failed, if requested. This warranty does not include the cost of labor if the product under warranty is installed by anyone other than professional installers. This warranty does not apply to any products designed as cabin, tavern or bargain grades, which are all sold “as is.” Exotic Floors Direct will not
be responsible for any consequential or incidental damages occurring from, or as a consequence of, the defective flooring, or any cost or expense that the purchaser may incur to obtain warranty service, such as postage, telephone expense, time lost from work or inconvenience. The foregoing remedies are the sole and exclusive remedy in the event of a warranty claim. This exclusion of consequential or incidental
damages may not apply in some states and therefore may not apply to some consumers. To file a warranty claim, contact Exotic Floors Direct.

Warranty Exclusions
– Damage or color change caused by exposure to ultraviolet light from the sunlight and other sources.
– Damage caused by low or extremely high humidity.
– Improper installation and abuse from cleats, stiletto heels, unprotected furniture legs, indentations, scratches, pet claws , sand, rocks and circumstances causing abnormal wear.
– Damage from sub-floor moisture, flooding, leaking plumbing, overflowing sinks or similar moisture related damages.
– Damage from natural disasters, weather or other extreme conditions.
– Stains including those caused by pets.
– Insect infestation after the product leaves the factory.
– Natural variations in wood tone, color and grain.
– Color variations in wood flooring are natural and new or replacement flooring may not match sample flooring or existing floor Improper maintenance, wet mopping, misuse, or improper alterations of the product
– from its original form.
– Natural expansion and contraction that may cause cracks or separation between boards.
– Exotic Floors Direct Installation over radiant applications where boiler levels exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and radiant heat must ran for a period of 14 days to assure proper acclamation. Brazilian Cherry (Jatoba) is not covered over radiant floor heat.

This warranty gives the consumer specific legal rights which may vary from state to state. The finish wear layer is a 25 year wear through warranty on residential applications, 3 year light industrial. The finish wear surface must be easily noticeable and cover at least 15% of the total floor area for a claim to be considered. Any variation or reduct ion in gloss level will not be considered under this warranty. Small cracks that develop from improper moisture control, flooding, excessive drying, will not be covered under this warranty. Hardwood flooring is made from natural products which have cells running parallel with the grain, therefore, all wood floors will expand and contract with the change of seasons. This cupping effect, expanding and
contracting, is not covered under this warranty. It is recommended that you maintain a relative humidity of 40-60% in your home by using a humidifier and/or dehumidifier to minimize movement of your hardwood floor. Color variations are a natural occurrence in flooring due to age, species and exposure to ultraviolet sunlight. For this reason, you may encounter mi color variations from board to board, or when replacing damaged boards with new product. Also, normal sunlight will cause fading/darkening, depending on the species of your floor. Area rugs should be moved occasionally as they block sunlight and ma give the appearance the floor is discoloring under the rug; this discoloring is not covered under warranty.

There will be a 10% charge on any cancellations or returns that are not due to product defects.