Updated Guidelines for Installing Wood Flooring

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