Gluing a Hardwood Plank to a Wood Subfloor

Place the floorboards into the room where you'll be installing them 72 hours prior to installation. This allows the boards to properly acclimate to the room's temperature and humidity, which helps prevent warping after the boards are installed.

Wash the subfloor with warm water, a soft sponge and a few drops of liquid dish soap. This removes any grease, dust and debris that might interfere with the floor adhesive. Let the subfloor completely dry before continuing.

Verify that the subfloor is straight by using a level. The maximum slope recommended is 1/8 inch every 10 feet. If the subfloor has a steeper incline than that, it requires leveling or the addition of self-leveling underlayment.

Check the moisture in the subfloor with a moisture meter. If the subfloor is plywood, it should not have a moisture content higher than 12 percent, or the adhesive won't work as well.

Measure the width of two floorboards with a tape measure and mark a line on the subfloor away from the outside wall with a marker.

Cover that marked area of subfloor with a flooring adhesive using a trowel. Set the floorboards down even to the outside wall and let them sit for a half-hour. Continue this process across the room toward the door. Use a tapping block to help guide the boards in tightly against the neighboring boards.