PRODUCT TECHNICAL CENTER Explore the links and downloads below for information about Gilford•Johnson Flooring products, including maintenance tips, cleaning suggestions, and much more. If you have any technical questions, please call (877) 7 CALL GJ. Gaps Appear in This Wood Floor Despite Humidification…Why? The 10-inch-wide, 3⁄4-inch-thick solid white oak planks were installed in September in a new home in the Northeast. The flooring acclimated for three weeks with the HVAC running. The HVAC system included an Aprilaire humidification system, and the great room also had radiant heat, which was not operating at the time of installation. DOWNLOAD NOW Thermal Expansion of Luxury Vinyl Tile and Plank Flooring We are receiving more and more complaints of LVT, LVP, EPC, and WPC products used in rooms with glass doors, skylights, or big window areas that are growing/expanding and then gapping, especially at the end joints. If these products contain vinyl, which they do, they have a great chance of failure in areas exposed to direct sunlight over long periods of time. DOWNLOAD NOW What Is a Wood Spline? A wood spline is nothing more than a long, thin strip of wood that acts as a splice between two planks. It is the same thickness as the tongue side of a wood plank. Splines allow the flooring to be worked in opposite directions effectively cutting the installation time in half. Larger room areas over 30 ft. benefit from added center expansion and this is achieved by starting the installation at the center of the room using splines, following an establish chalkline (figl). Splines should always be glued and nailed into place. DOWNLOAD NOW Steps for Successful Wood Flooring Jobsite Preparation There are many variables that contribute to a successful wood flooring job, but some of the most important considerations occur long before the first board is ever installed. Evaluating the jobsite to determine if it is in the proper condition to receive the wood is the first step to ensuring the long-term performance of the floor. DOWNLOAD NOW Wood Flooring Shearing or Delamination? And Who’s at Fault? This engineered wood floor installed in the south-central United States was coming apart. The customers called the retailer and thought it might be delamination, which they learned about on the internet. The retailer and installation company inspected the floor, and both agreed the issue was delamination. They saw several spots where the edges of the planks were elevated on the corners. The retailer called the manufacturer, and the manufacturer called an inspector. DOWNLOAD NOW Flattening Wood Subfloors The subfloor is the foundation for the wood floor. Whatever happens below, will undoubtedly affect what’s on top. In other words, an improperly prepared or inadequate subfloor will adversely affect how the wood floor performs. Subfloor flatness is one of the many considerations that should be addressed before installation of any wood floor. DOWNLOAD NOW Educating Your Customers About Maintenance Wood flooring is one of the only floor coverings that, when properly maintained, will last for the lifetime of the home. As a professional in this trade, it is our responsibility to educate the end-user on how to maintain their wood floors to keep them looking as good as the day we deliver the final product to them. DOWNLOAD NOW Trick of the Trade: Removing Particleboard No contractor looks forward to removing particleboard—it is so weak that it breaks apart and doesn’t pull up the nails with it. Here’s a trick we use that makes it easier. Use a hole saw without the drill bit to drill a circle around the nails. That way you can remove the full sheets and easily pull out the nails afterwards. DOWNLOAD NOW Options for Fixing the Dreaded Pet Stains on Wood As a wood floor pro, I get the “pet stains on my wood floor” questions all the time. It’s mostly about stains from cats and dogs, but I have been asked about pygmy goats and potbelly pigs peeing on the floors, too. The culprits vary: older pets who have become incontinent, puppies and kittens who aren’t trained yet, dogs and cats who never did get trained, cats who couldn’t hit the litter box even while in it! DOWNLOAD NOW Tips For Gluing Down Solids On Concrete Glue down wood flooring over concrete? “Are you kidding? No way! Never!” That’s what many said to this suggestion years ago. And yet many adventurous individuals were willing to listen to such craziness and they glued down engineered wood flooring. Slowly, at first, and then with great fervor! DOWNLOAD NOW Humidity and The Affect It Has On Hardwood and Laminate Flooring When it’s cold inside your home, you turn the heat up. If it’s hot outside, you might turn on the air conditioning to cool down. But have you ever thought about how the living conditions inside your home might be affecting your Hardwood or Laminate flooring? DOWNLOAD NOW Cutback Adhesive Issues Vinyl (PVC) products such as tile, plank, sheet flooring and vinyl back carpet and tiles should never be installed directly over cutback residues. Black asphalt-based cutback adhesive is highly reactive to vinyl back flooring and must be completely removed until there are no remaining continuous film or trowel ridges. Any remaining residue or stain must also be encapsulated. DOWNLOAD NOW Luxury Vinyl and Rigid Core Performance While Luxury and Rigid Core Vinyl products are the new generation of flooring materials due to their sustainability, looks, and durability, there are some realities both consumers and installers need to know about this fabulous flooring before purchasing. DOWNLOAD NOW Why you need a Flat Subfloor to Install Floating Floors Most problems and issues with floating floors are a result of one particular glitch-an uneven subfloor. Although many people assume level subfloors are required under floating floors, the reality is a little more complicated. Having a flat subfloor ensures your floating flooring fits well. DOWNLOAD NOW How do I measure how much flooring I need for a job? Attached is a flooring formula to use to figure out the amount of flooring you need. DOWNLOAD NOW Does the retailer have to make good on his verbal promise? The consumer complained to the retailer that his engineered wood flooring needed to be replaced due to noise. The retailer and a rep from the installation company visited the home to inspect the floor, and when walked on, the floor made snap, crackle and pop noises. DOWNLOAD NOW Engineered Flooring: Acclimate or Not? Some engineered flooring manufacturers recommend acclimation, while others do not. With some products, you may have problems engaging the tongue and groove if it is acclimated to a higher moisture content. DOWNLOAD NOW Engineered Enigmas Engineered flooring has come a long way since it was first introduced to the market nearly 70 years ago. As these products continue to gain popularity, a multitude of style and construction options are available. DOWNLOAD NOW Exotic Wood Behavior Since the introduction of Exotic hardwood into the United States, very little was known about the quirky behavior of this beautiful yet temperamental wood. DOWNLOAD NOW The Correct Ways for Cleaning and Maintaining Laminate Floors Laminate Flooring’s stain and moisture-resistant surface coating makes spills and other messes easy to handle. Learning the proper way to clean and maintain laminate flooring is key to the longevity of this flooring element. DOWNLOAD NOW Preventing RH problems in Wood Wood flooring contractors, retailers and inspectors are all-too-familiar with issues associated with moisture and the shifts in relative humidity throughout the seasons that can wreak havoc on wood floors. DOWNLOAD NOW Gaps Normal and Abnormal Most normal gaps are caused by seasonal fluctuations in relative humidity; the floor expands with high humidity and contracts during periods of low humidity. DOWNLOAD NOW Cupping-Problem Causes and Cures Cupping (long edges curling upward across the width of each piece) is caused by a moisture imbalance through the thickness of the individual pieces, usually excess moisture on the underside of the flooring. DOWNLOAD NOW Steam Mops The latest product on the market for cleaning Hardwood, Vinyl, and Tile Flooring are steam mops. Many manufacturers boast that steam cleaning is an economical and safe way to clean floors because it uses steam instead of harsh chemicals. DOWNLOAD NOW Gilford·Johnson provides exceptional products and service to our customers in Alabama, Eastern Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, as well as parts of Mississippi and Virginia. LATEST NEWS G•J Expands into the Carolinas July 18, 2016 Gilford•Johnson Flooring Cements Partnership with Equity Investment from Johnson Hardwood July 18, 2016 Gilford•Johnson Flooring Ranked among Top 30 Largest Private Companies in Louisville July 18, 2016 HELPFUL LINKS Contact Us Careers Advantage Partners Order Online Privacy Policy © Copyright 2015 - 2020 | Gilford•Johnson Flooring | PRIVACY