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

Environmental Issues

May 30, 2025

NAHB Members Provide Final Recommendations for New WOTUS Rule

NAHB members concluded their participation in multiple “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) listening sessions with strong showings in Washington, D.C., and Salt Lake City. In total, 12 NAHB members and four staff members from NAHB and state home builder associations (HBAs), representing 11 states, provided oral statements at listening sessions.

Workforce Development

May 30, 2025

Statement from NAHB Chairman Buddy Hughes on DOL Decision to Pause Job Corps Center Operations

NAHB Chairman Buddy Hughes issued the following statement after the Department of Labor announced it was pausing Job Corps center operations nationwide.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

May 30, 2025

Multifamily Absorption Moves Lower for New Apartments

The percentage of new apartment units that were absorbed within three months after completion continued to trend lower, according to the Census Bureau’s latest release of the Survey of Market Absorption of New Multifamily Units (SOMA).

Economics

May 29, 2025

Treasury Yield Increase Drives Mortgage Rates Higher in May

Mortgage rates continued their upward trend in May due to market volatility triggered by fiscal concerns and weaker U.S. Treasury demand. According to Freddie Mac, the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 6.82% — a 9-basis-point (bps) increase from April. The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage increased by 5 bps to 5.95%.

Economics

May 28, 2025

Aging-in-Place Remodeling Work Fell While Familiarity and Receptiveness Remain High

Only 56% of professional remodelers undertake projects designed to allow homeowners to Age-in-Place (AIP), according to results from NAHB’s Q1 2025 Remodeling Market Index (RMI) survey.