This is for engineered glue down.
I really don't understand the 3rd and 4th bullet items.

IMPORTANT: boards come in two lengths only, 28" and 18 1/2" (approx. 71 and 47 cm respectively), with an equal amount packed in every carton. To avoid creating an undesirable pattern in the floor, it is necessary to begin installation using "starter boards".

• To create a "starter board", cut one board of each length in half. These two boards, plus two uncut lengths, will create random joints for the first four rows.

• Continue the process of cutting "starter boards" at various lengths intermingled with the full length units, to
complete the installation of the flooring, with joints at least 4" (10 cm) apart.

• Avoid creating a pattern of joints by varying the length of the "starter boards".

• Cuts made from the opposite wall may be used for "starter boards", just as cuts from the "starter boards" may be used on the opposite walls.

It means you want random end joints in a stagger, and not all lined up.

They are explaining how to acheive a random stagger, without having a lot of waste.


There is that one room every now and then that the dimensions, make it so the cut off from the end must be cut a little more, so it isn't exactly the same length as other row starter boards.

While it is possible that a room will equal some multiple of the material's common denominator, it has been a rare occurrence for me.

The thing to do is the same thing you do with laminate. Just chop up some starters and take the waste portion from those initial cuts and lay them aside. SAVE THEM FOR LAST. After you have done that, you can take the waste pieces from your first courses and use them to start the next series of rows. This method accomplishes two things: Your waste will essentially cut to zero and you will achieve a random look without even trying. It will also leave you with alot less junk to clean up after the room is completed.

p.s. Resist the temptation of putting full pieces against the wall. It will show up in the finished floor.