Updated Guidelines for Installing Wood Flooring

Codes and Standards
Published

The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) has updated its comprehensive guidelines for the proper installation of wood flooring. Thanks to a collaboration between the NWFA and NAHB staff, the guidelines are available to NAHB members at no cost.

NWFA has found moisture-related flooring problems to be a long-standing issue for home builders. Many of these problems can be traced to improper installation.

NWFA spends a significant amount of time each year educating flooring contractors on the proper installation of wood flooring. In 2015, after noticing a disproportionately high number of claims for improper installation of wood flooring, NWFA reached out to NAHB to extend its education to builders.

As part of that cooperative relationship, NWFA makes its Wood Flooring Installation Guidelines available to NAHB members at no cost.

Some of the areas covered by the guidelines include:

  • Elevated moisture in the home from the construction process
  • Tighter building envelopes that greatly reduce the ability of this moisture to escape
  • Inoperable HVAC systems during the construction process (again, slowing the reduction of moisture)
  • How all of this affects the performance of wood floors

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Economics | Housing Affordability

Aug 21, 2025

New and Existing Homes Remain Largely Unaffordable in Second Quarter

While new homes remain largely unaffordable, builder efforts to improve housing affordability paid dividends in the second quarter of 2025, according to the latest data from the NAHB/Wells Fargo Cost of Housing Index (CHI). The CHI results from the second quarter of 2025 show that a family earning the nation’s median income of $104,200 needed 36% of its income to cover the mortgage payment on a median-priced new home. Low-income families, defined as those earning only 50% of median income, would have to spend 71% of their earnings to pay for the same new home.

Economics

Aug 20, 2025

Custom Home Building Grows as Broader Housing Market Struggles

An analysis of census data by NAHB economists shows that custom home building grew 4% in the second quarter of 2025 as high interest rates and home prices suppress demand for traditional spec home production.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Aug 21, 2025

Existing Home Sales Rise in July

Existing home sales rebounded in July as mortgage rates retreated from the recent peak and home price growth slowed, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

Economics

Aug 21, 2025

New and Existing Homes Remain Largely Unaffordable in Second Quarter

While new homes remain largely unaffordable, builder efforts to improve housing affordability paid dividends in the second quarter of 2025, according to the latest data from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Cost of Housing Index (CHI).

Economics

Aug 20, 2025

Retreat for Single-Family Built-for-Rent Housing

Single-family built-for-rent construction fell back in the second quarter, as a higher cost of financing crowded out development activity.