- Lay the felt paper across entire surface. Staple it to the subfloor.
- Open a few boxes and arrange boards the way you will install them. Boards with minor flaws can be used for cutting. Select boards that match well with transitions, and put them aside.
- Using a chalk line trace a guideline parallel to the starting wall. Distance from the wall to the guideline should be measured as a board width plus ¾” expansion gap (4” for 3 ¼” boards, 5” for 4 ¼” boards etc.). Leave ¾” expansion gap along all walls, and ¼” at vertical ends. Expansion gap will be covered later by the baseboard and quarter round.
- Install the first board along the guideline, tongue facing the wall, groove along the line. Make sure you use the straightest boards for the first row. The first row has to be hand-nailed. Nail the board from the top as close to the wall as possible (so that nail heads would be covered by the baseboard later). Put nails every 8” to 10”, leaving 2” - 3” from board ends. Make sure there are at least 2 nails in every board, even in short ones.
- The last board in a row will be cut. Use the remainder to start the next row. Leave at least 2” gap at the end of each row.
- Because you cannot use your nailer close to the wall, the first and the last couple of rows will have to be installed using hand-nailing. Start the second row with a board which is at least 6” shorter or longer than adjacent ones.
- Nail down subsequent rows using the nailer and rubber mallet. Nail every 8”-10”, leaving 2”-3” at the ends of every board. Every floor board has to have at least 2 nails in it.
- Always alternate boards with different length to avoid repetitive pattern effect.
- The last rows should be installed the same way as the first ones. You might need to cut the last row boards to leave ¾” expansion gap at the wall.
- Install baseboards and quarter rounds, nailing them to the walls (not to the floor).
- After installation is finished, vacuum the floor and clean it with COSWICK hardwood floor cleaner. Install felt pads under all furniture legs.
ENJOY YOUR COSWICK HARDWOOD FLOORS! | 
INSTALLATION
