7-Inch Engineered White Oak Installation, Site-Finished — Chateau Elan Residence, Braselton, GA
Project Overview
Classy Flooring ATL removed an existing glue-down floor, prepared the concrete slab, and installed approximately 2,000 square feet of 7-inch rift and quartersawn engineered white oak throughout a private residence in the Chateau Elan community in Braselton, Georgia, completed in 2025. The floor was installed unfinished and finished on site with two coats of Bona NordicSeal and two coats of Bona Traffic HD in satin.
The homeowners had noticed a popping noise underfoot in several areas of the house, where the original glue-down hardwood had released from the slab. Replacing it meant removing the old floor down to the concrete, correcting the slab for moisture and flatness, and then installing the new floor.
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Project type: Engineered hardwood installation and site finishing
Location: Country club residence, Chateau Elan, Braselton, Georgia
Scope: Approximately 2,000 square feet
Finish system: Bona NordicSeal (2 coats) + Bona Traffic HD (2 coats), satin
Completed: 2025
The Material
Species: White oak, rift and quartersawn
Manufacturer: Tekton
Construction: Engineered unfinished
Wear layer: 4.5mm
Thickness: 9/16 inch
Width: 7 inches
Length: Random lengths, 2 feet to 7 feet
Rift and quartersawn white oak shows a straighter, tighter grain than plainsawn boards, and NWFA notes that plainsawn wood moves more across its width than quartersawn. On a 7-inch plank glued to a concrete slab, that stability and the consistent grain support a uniform result across a large open-plan area. The 4.5 mm wear layer sits well above the roughly 3/32-inch (2.4 mm) line below which NWFA advises against sanding, which is what allows this engineered floor to be sanded and finished on site and leaves room for a future full refinish.
Why Unfinished Engineered and Site Finishing
Installing the floor unfinished and finishing it on location, rather than using a prefinished product, kept every finish decision on site. The whole floor is sanded flat as one continuous surface and finished with one system, so there are no edge bevels and no sheen difference from plank to plank, and the 7-inch boards run unbroken from the foyer through the great room with no thresholds. In an open-plan home, that continuity is what makes the floor read as one surface rather than a collection of boards.
It also meant the color, sheen, and topcoat were chosen for this home rather than set at a factory: Bona NordicSeal for a light, neutral tone on the white oak, and Bona Traffic HD in satin for protection.
How This Project Was Executed
- Removed the existing glue-down floor
- Ground the concrete to remove adhesive residue
- Tested slab moisture with an RH in-slab probe
- Applied Wakol PU 280 moisture barrier (2 coats), Wakol D 3045 primer, and Wakol Z 631 self-leveling where needed
- Acclimated the engineered white oak and confirmed moisture readings
- Installed full spread with Wakol MS 260 adhesive
- Sanded flat, dustless, with a Lägler Hummel belt sander, edger, and FG Floortec Discus planetary sander to 120 grit
- Applied 2 coats of Bona NordicSeal and 2 coats of Bona Traffic HD, satin
Subfloor Preparation
The existing glue-down floor was fully removed. The concrete was ground after removal to eliminate adhesive residue and produce a clean bonding surface. No structural cracks required repair.
Moisture testing was performed using an RH in-slab probe after the old floor was removed. Readings came in at 55 to 65 percent relative humidity, below the 80 percent level at which NWFA’s installation guidelines call for waiting or adding a moisture barrier. NWFA also recommends an impermeable vapor retarder over on-grade concrete as standard practice, whatever the readings. Under a glue-down, NWFA has the adhesive manufacturer set the moisture limits and the moisture control, and the retarder has to be compatible with the adhesive. The slab received two coats of Wakol PU 280, which WAKOL rates to 98% relative humidity; above that, WAKOL evaluates the slab first.
Moisture and flatness correction system:
- Wakol PU 280 — 2 coats as the moisture barrier over the concrete slab
- Wakol D 3045 — primer applied before self-leveling
- Wakol Z 631 — self-leveling compound applied where needed to bring the slab within flatness tolerance
Flatness governed this installation. A 7-inch wide plank shows subfloor irregularity through the finished surface. NWFA’s guideline for glue-down over concrete is within 3/16 inch in 10 feet or 1/8 inch in 6 feet, unless the flooring manufacturer specifies otherwise, and Wakol Z 631 self-leveling compound was applied where needed to bring the slab within that tolerance before installation began.
Installation
The engineered white oak was acclimated on site for three days, with moisture readings taken during acclimation to confirm the boards had reached equilibrium with the home’s conditions before installation began. For engineered flooring, NWFA’s guidelines defer to the flooring manufacturer’s moisture and acclimation instructions, and acclimation is measured by moisture content rather than by a set number of days.
Adhesive: Wakol MS 260, applied with a 1/4 inch V-notch trowel
Method: Full-spread glue-down
Wakol MS 260 is an elastic adhesive. NWFA’s installation guidelines require wood flooring adhesives to be elastomeric, so the bond can move with the wood as it responds to seasonal humidity. WAKOL rates MS 260 for light foot traffic after 6 to 8 hours and full traffic once cured, 24 to 48 hours depending on the room’s climate.
Sanding and Finishing
Because the floor was installed unfinished, all sanding and finishing was performed on location after the adhesive had fully cured, as NWFA’s sanding guidelines call for on a glue-down floor.
Sanding sequence: The floor was sanded with a Lägler Hummel belt sander and an edger, then refined with an FG Floortec Discus planetary sander to a final 120 grit. The planetary pass reduces visible tracking and improves surface uniformity across the full plank width, which matters on a wide-plank floor where surface consistency is clearly visible. Bona’s data sheet for Traffic HD calls for a final multidisc pass at 120 to 150 grit on an unstained floor; 120 sits inside that range. Sanding was run dustless, with the equipment connected to dust-containment extraction.
Finish system:
| Step | Product | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Coats 1–2 | Bona NordicSeal | Waterborne sanding sealer; its white pigment sets the color |
| Buffing | Between sealer and topcoat | Intercoat abrasion for a smooth surface before the topcoat |
| Coats 3–4 | Bona Traffic HD, satin | Two-component waterborne finish, 2 coats |
Bona NordicSeal is a waterborne sanding sealer that carries white pigment — twice as much as Bona NaturalSeal — so it moves white oak toward a light, whitewashed neutral without stain or bleach. It also works under the topcoat: it seals the wood so the finish does not penetrate, adds a build layer, and reduces sidebonding and tannin bleed. Tannin control matters on white oak, which contains tannic acid that can react with some finishes. Bona does not recommend NordicSeal over stain, and none was applied here; the sealer sets the color.
Bona Traffic HD is a two-component waterborne finish, activated with its hardener on site, that dries clear and colorless, so it protects the floor without shifting the tone NordicSeal sets. Bona specifies a Bona sealer followed by two coats of Traffic HD; that is the build on this floor, in satin.
Cure and return to use: Bona’s current data sheet for Traffic HD puts the finish at about 80 percent cured after one day and fully cured after about three days. The floor can be walked on in clean socks after 24 hours; furniture returns after the three-day cure, on felt pads, and area rugs wait for full cure.
The Result
The finished floor reads as one continuous surface across the main level: the 7-inch boards run without thresholds from the foyer through the great room, kitchen, and dining room, in a light, neutral NordicSeal tone and an even satin sheen. The rift and quartersawn cut contributes to that consistency, with tight, straight grain lines that stay largely uniform from board to board across the open plan.
Client Review from This Project
Source: Google Business Profile review
“5 Star Review from Orlando & Karon Martinez
Residents of Château Elan, Braselton GA
Our home, which we purchased in 2018, was built 20+ years ago. The hardwood flooring, while a bit dated, still looked good, so we chose not to spend the sizable amount of money to replace. Wrong decision.
Soon thereafter we began noticing a popping noise when walking over several areas of the house. The natural settling of the concrete foundation had created air pockets where the flooring glue had released. Knowing it would require vacating our home to tear out, correct, and replace all the flooring, we just complained and procrastinated. Another wrong decision.
When friends in our neighborhood experienced total interior destruction due to flooding, the General Contractor brought in [Classy Flooring ATL] to handle all the hardwood replacement. We were in awe of their skill level and the beautiful floors they installed and finished. We were finally convinced to replace our floors, and that [Classy Flooring ATL] was the company to work with.
We vacated our home for a short while, entrusting them to resurface and level the foundation, install the necessary moisture barriers, and to install premium white oak floors.
This was truly an educational experience for us, as there are so many critical elements to the proper preparation and installation of hardwoods. We were so fortunate to have met Claudiu; he is one of a handful of “certified” professional flooring specialists in Metro Atlanta. He and his Team are simply “the best”. Our hardwoods are stunning – they have completely transformed our home.”
Project Specifications
| Detail | Specification |
|---|---|
| Species | White oak, rift and quartersawn |
| Manufacturer | Tekton |
| Type | Engineered, unfinished |
| Wear layer | 4.5mm |
| Thickness | 9/16 inch |
| Width | 7 inches |
| Length | Random, 2–7 feet |
| Subfloor | Concrete slab |
| Moisture test | RH in-slab probe, 55–65% RH |
| Moisture barrier | Wakol PU 280, 2 coats |
| Self-leveling primer | Wakol D 3045 |
| Self-leveling compound | Wakol Z 631 |
| Acclimation | 3 days, moisture readings to equilibrium |
| Adhesive | Wakol MS 260, 1/4 inch V-notch, full spread |
| Sanding | Lägler Hummel belt sander + edger; FG Floortec Discus planetary, final 120 grit; dustless |
| Sealer | Bona NordicSeal, 2 coats |
| Topcoat | Bona Traffic HD, 2 coats, satin |
| Stain | None — color from Bona NordicSeal |
| Total area | Approximately 2,000 sq ft |
| Project type | Renovation — floor removal and replacement |
| Completed | 2025 |
| Location | Chateau Elan, Braselton, GA |
Related Work
For a whole-house white oak refinish finished with the same Bona NordicSeal and Traffic HD system near Château Élan, see our White Oak Floor Refinishing with Bona NordicSeal — Hoschton, GA project page.
To discuss an engineered or site-finished hardwood installation, contact us to schedule an on-site assessment.
For a similar engineered hardwood installation project, see our Monroe Herringbone Installation project page.
See all of our completed hardwood projects on our Our Work page →
For a large-scale European white oak installation with a custom border and solid brass inlay, see our European White Oak Herringbone with Brass Inlay — Woodstock, GA Estate project page.
For hardwood floor refinishing and restoration using professional finish systems, see our Hardwood Floor Refinishing & Restoration page.
For a solid white oak installation over a concrete slab with on-site sanding and finishing in a Buckhead high-rise, see our 4-Inch Solid White Oak Installation and Site Finishing — Buckhead High-Rise, Atlanta project page.
For engineered and prefinished hardwood floor installation in Atlanta, see our Engineered & Prefinished Hardwood Floor Installation page.
For more on subfloor preparation, moisture control, flatness correction, and the conditions that must be addressed before hardwood installation begins, see: Subfloor Preparation for Hardwood Installation in Atlanta
For a large-scale engineered installation with a factory-made herringbone and custom border, see our European Ash Herringbone Installation — Savannah, GA Penthouse Residences project page.
This Chateau Elan floor is the glue-down-over-concrete example in Should Hardwood Floors Be Nailed or Glued?, which covers slab moisture testing, vapor retarders, and adhesive coverage.
Classy Flooring ATL serves homeowners in Atlanta, Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Alpharetta, Roswell, Johns Creek, Braselton, and surrounding North Georgia communities.