Product Installation Guide

All real wood flooring products supplied by Home Stories Wood Flooring are subject to specific installation and subfloor preparation requirements. The technical guidelines listed on this page are provided to assist professional installers and site managers.

All timber floors must be installed strictly in compliance with British Standard BS 8201 (Code of practice for installation of flooring of timber and timber-based products) and our manufacturer specifications. If in doubt regarding site-specific variables, please seek professional guidance from our technical team prior to fitting.

Before flooring materials arrive on site, the installation space must meet strict environmental conditions:

• Building Shell: The building must be fully weather-tight with doors and windows installed.
• Wet Trades: All plastering, rendering, screeding, painting, and plumbing trades must be complete and fully dried out.
• Heating Systems: Heating systems must be fully operable and commissioned prior to timber delivery.
• Moisture Content (MC): Our hardwood flooring is kiln-dried to a moisture content of 9% to 11% prior to dispatch.
• Ambient Climate: Room conditions at delivery and installation should mirror expected in-service conditions (typically 18°C to 20°C ambient room temperature and 50% to 65% Relative Humidity). Note: RH must not exceed 60% for floor planks wider than 175mm.

Subfloors must be structurally sound, dry, clean, level, and free from loose debris or contaminants such as plaster drop, mortar, or mastic.

Moisture Testing Requirements:

• Wooden Sub-floors: Target moisture content must be between 12% and 14%.
• Cementitious Screeds/Slabs: Target moisture content must not exceed 3.5% (or 35% to 40% RH measured via the slab humidity box method per BS 8201).

Damp Proof Membranes (DPM) & Underlays:

For cementitious subfloors, fitting a Damp Proof Membrane (DPM) is essential. This can be incorporated within a high-density acoustic underlay, or applied as a heavy-duty polythene sheet (minimum 200 microns thickness) or liquid surface DPM. Polythene joints must be overlapped by at least 200mm and sealed with damp-proof adhesive tape, extending at least 25mm up perimeter walls.

For wooden subfloors, use a breathable building paper (such as bitumen-impregnated Kraft paper) or acoustic foam underlay without an integrated vapor barrier. Voids beneath timber ground-floor subfloors must be properly ventilated with clear air bricks.

Levelling & Flatness:

According to BS 8201, subfloor height deviation must not exceed 3mm over a 2-metre distance using a straight edge. Apply a suitable levelling compound if necessary. De-nib any sharp high spots that could cause boards to rock or pivot. For uneven timber subfloors, overlay with a minimum 6mm exterior-grade plywood, ensuring panel joints do not align with underlying board joints.

Timber is a natural hydroscopic material that expands and contracts with seasonal relative humidity changes. An expansion gap of at least 15mm plus 2mm for every metre of span must be maintained around the full perimeter of the room, as well as around structural pillars, heating pipes, door frames, hearths, and threshold transitions.

For larger open-plan installations exceeding 12 metres in length or 8 metres in width, additional intermediate expansion breaks must be built into the layout.

Follow these essential rules when laying out engineered wood flooring:

• Pack Mixing: Unpack boards immediately prior to fitting and pull planks from at least 3 to 4 different packs concurrently to balance natural colour tone variations and grain characteristics.
• Defect Inspection: Inspect each individual plank before installation. Once a board is cut or fitted, it is deemed accepted and liability for surface defects cannot be accepted.
• Layout Direction: Planks are typically laid parallel to the primary light source (such as main windows) or along the longest wall.
• Row Planning: Calculate row widths to ensure perimeter rows are at least 50mm wide. Stagger header end joints in adjacent rows by at least 200mm, keeping end pieces longer than 200mm to achieve a natural, non-repeating pattern.
• Tongue & Groove Flex Technique: Engineered planks possess a slight reclinate design. Installers fitting T&G profiles should press down firmly on the centre of the board while engaging the joint to allow the natural tension to draw boards tightly together.

Engineered wood flooring can be installed as a floating floor or fully bonded to the subfloor using flexible adhesives.

Method A: Floating Installation

• Tongue & Groove (T&G): Requires a continuous thin bead of approved PVA wood adhesive applied along the bottom lip of the groove on both longitudinal and header joints. Clamp the first three rows for approximately 1 hour to establish a straight base. Allow 24 hours cure time before heavy foot traffic.
• Click/Lock System: Planks lock mechanically without glue. However, PVA adhesive should be applied to end joints or cut boards that do not lock on all four edges, as well as high-traffic commercial spaces or installations over underfloor heating.
• Wipe Down: Immediately remove any adhesive squeeze-out from the floor surface using a damp, clean cloth.

Method B: Fully Bonded (Stuck Down) Installation

All solid floors, herringbone, chevron, and parquet block patterns must be fully stuck down using a permanently flexible polymer adhesive (such as Stauf Multilayer MS Polymer Flexible Wood Adhesive).

• Apply adhesive using the recommended notched trowel or bulk gun, spreading only as much adhesive as can be covered within its 30-minute open working time.
• When bonding directly to concrete subfloors, always use a compatible liquid DPM system from the same adhesive system manufacturer to prevent chemical incompatibility.

Most engineered wood flooring collections are suitable for installation over water-borne underfloor heating systems and approved electrical systems. Adhere strictly to the following temperature controls:

Oiled Finish Preparation: Floors with UV Oiled or Natural Oiled finishes should be treated with a initial protective coat of hard wax oil immediately after installation prior to room occupancy, followed by periodic maintenance applications based on footfall levels.

Site Protection & Wastage:

• Allow 5% to 15% additional flooring footage when ordering to account for board cutting wastage and natural timber grade selection.
• Fit heavy felt protective pads beneath all furniture feet. When moving heavy items, place soft carpet offcuts underneath to protect the surface.
• Place effective dirt-trapping entrance mats adjacent to all external doorways.
• For ongoing cleaning and maintenance, use non-abrasive, damp cloths and our recommended Q Care Flooring Cleaner and restoration products.