Capstone Project: Install Flooring in a Complete Practice Room

A. Finished-Project Specification

Quantity: one capstone room with an accepted substrate, an installed underlayment and moisture-control system, an installed primary finish-flooring system, an installed secondary practice flooring zone, installed transitions and thresholds, coordinated baseboard and shoe molding, a completed repair demonstration, a passed Chapter 19 final quality inspection, and one completed capstone project file.

B. Capstone Completion Schedule

Item	Target Condition	Verification Method
Substrate and moisture re-check	Substrate identification, moisture readings, and hazard screening re-confirmed for the assigned room	Re-testing per Chapter 1 method, written record
Structural correction	No unaddressed squeaks, loose panels, or damaged subfloor	Re-inspection per Chapter 3 method
Flatness	Measured deviation within the manufacturer-specified tolerance for the selected systems	Straightedge and feeler-gauge measurement per Chapter 4 method
Underlayment and moisture control	Continuous, compatible layer installed without wrinkles, open seams, or punctures	Visual and physical inspection per Chapter 5 method
Primary flooring installation	Installed per the applicable Chapter 6–10 acceptance standards	Chapter-specific inspection procedure
Secondary flooring zone	Installed per the applicable Chapter 6–14 acceptance standards for the specified system	Chapter-specific inspection procedure
Transitions and doorway fit	Installed per Chapter 15 and Chapter 16 acceptance standards without trapping floating flooring	Fit, movement, and door-operation check
Trim coordination	Baseboard, shoe molding, and toe kicks coordinated without fastening through floating flooring	Visual inspection at every wall and cabinet line
Repair demonstration	Completed per Chapter 18 acceptance standards for the assigned material	Chapter 18 inspection procedure
Final quality inspection	Passed per Chapter 19 acceptance standards with all punch-list items corrected	Chapter 19 inspection procedure

C. Material Takeoff

• Substrate-correction materials: subfloor screws, patch and leveling compounds, and blocking materials sufficient for the deficiencies identified during the re-inspection, per the capstone plan.
• Underlayment and moisture-control materials: quantity sufficient for the full capstone room area, per the approved underlayment schedule.
• Primary and secondary flooring materials: quantities specified by the capstone product schedule, including waste allowance stated in that schedule.
• Transitions, thresholds, and trim: quantities and profiles specified by the approved transition plan and trim plan.
• Repair-demonstration materials: matching material sufficient for the assigned repair per Chapter 18.
• Documentation: one capstone project file combining the Chapter 1 Flooring-Readiness Plan, Chapter 2 work-area readiness record, Chapter 3–5 correction records, installation records for the primary and secondary systems, transition and trim records, Chapter 18 repair record, and the Chapter 19 final inspection report.

D. Acceptance Standards

Check	Standard
Substrate and moisture	Every representative location re-confirmed within the manufacturer's acceptable range, or documented as a stop-work condition corrected before continuing
Structural condition	No unaddressed squeak, loose panel, or damaged subfloor area remaining beneath finished flooring
Flatness	Measured deviation within the manufacturer-specified tolerance for every installed flooring system
Underlayment and moisture control	Continuous coverage with no open seams, wrinkles, punctures, or missed edges
Primary and secondary flooring	Both systems installed to their applicable chapter's acceptance standards, with correct layout, joints, fastening, and expansion
Transitions and doorways	Every transition seated fully, every doorway cut cleanly, and no floating floor trapped by a transition, jamb, or fixed object
Trim coordination	Baseboard, shoe molding, and toe kicks installed without a fastener driven through a floating floor
Repair demonstration	Completed repair blends in color, pattern, and plane per Chapter 18 standards
Final inspection	Every Chapter 19 inspection item passed, with every punch-list item corrected and reinspected
Documentation	Capstone project file complete with every record from Chapters 1 through 19 for this room

E. Plan Review and Substrate Re-Inspection

1. Obtain the approved capstone floor plan, product schedule, substrate details, moisture limits, transition plan, trim plan, door details, and inspection sequence. Record each reference document on the capstone project file before beginning any physical work.
2. Perform the Chapter 1 substrate and moisture inspection. Re-identify the substrate, re-test moisture at representative locations, and compare results against any existing Chapter 1 record for this room.
3. Identify hazardous legacy materials before disturbing existing finishes. Stop work and escalate to a qualified hazardous-material professional if any suspect material is found that was not previously cleared.
4. Correct squeaks, movement, damaged subfloor, proud fasteners, and unsupported edges. Apply the Chapter 3 repair procedure to every deficiency found during the re-inspection.
5. Measure and correct floor flatness. Apply the Chapter 4 procedure using the straightedge and tolerance specified for the primary flooring system.
6. Allow patching or leveling materials to cure. Observe the exact cure time specified by the patch or leveling-compound manufacturer before continuing.
7. Recheck flatness and moisture. Confirm both readings meet the manufacturer's requirement for the primary flooring system before proceeding to work-area preparation.

F. Work-Area Preparation and Staging

1. Prepare the Chapter 2 work area and environmental controls. Confirm the room is enclosed, dry, and within the temperature and humidity range required by every flooring product specified in the capstone plan.
2. Stage and condition flooring according to the exact product requirements. Acclimate or condition the primary and secondary flooring materials per their individual manufacturer instructions.
3. Confirm wall, cabinet, door, appliance, stair, and adjacent-floor relationships. Record every fixed object and adjacent floor elevation that will affect layout, expansion, or transitions.

G. Underlayment and Primary Flooring Installation

1. Install the approved underlayment and moisture-control system. Apply the Chapter 5 procedure for the product specified in the capstone plan, maintaining continuous coverage without wrinkles or open seams.
2. Establish the room layout and reference lines. Set the starting wall and direction specified by the capstone plan for the primary flooring system.
3. Calculate starter and final row widths. Adjust the layout to avoid an unacceptably narrow final row, per the applicable chapter's method.
4. Undercut door jambs and casing. Apply the Chapter 16 procedure before installing any flooring piece that passes beneath a jamb or casing.
5. Install the primary plank-flooring system specified for the room. Apply the complete installation procedure from the applicable Chapter 6 through 10 for the specified product.
6. Maintain expansion at all walls, columns, cabinets, pipes, and fixed objects. Use the spacer and clearance requirements specified by the primary flooring manufacturer.
7. Maintain required joint stagger and pattern. Follow the exact stagger and pattern requirement stated in the primary flooring manufacturer's instructions.
8. Fit around doorways, vents, cabinets, and obstacles. Cut and fit each piece while preserving the required expansion clearance.

H. Secondary Flooring Zone and Transitions

1. Install an approved secondary practice flooring panel or zone demonstrating another material system where required by the capstone. Apply the complete installation procedure from the applicable chapter for the specified secondary system, including its own layout, fastening, and expansion requirements.
2. Install transition strips and thresholds between flooring types. Apply the Chapter 15 procedure at every line where the primary system, secondary system, or an adjacent existing floor meet.
3. Verify transitions do not trap floating floors. Confirm the fastening method used at each transition preserves the required movement space for any floating flooring system installed in the room.

I. Trim Coordination and Repair Demonstration

1. Coordinate baseboard, shoe molding, toe kicks, and cabinet clearances. Confirm trim covers the required expansion gap without restricting floor movement.
2. Do not fasten trim through floating flooring. Fasten shoe molding and baseboard into the wall framing or wall base, not through the floating floor field, unless the approved system explicitly permits it.
3. Complete the designated flooring-repair demonstration. Apply the Chapter 18 procedure for the material and damage type assigned by the capstone plan.

J. Cleanup, Final Inspection, and Handoff

1. Clean adhesive, mortar, grout, dust, and installation residue. Use the cleaning method approved for each material before it cures beyond removal.
2. Protect the completed floor through required cure and following-trade periods. Install rosin paper, floor protection film, or other approved protection immediately after each system reaches its specified set or cure point.
3. Inspect joints, seams, expansion, flatness, lippage, movement, squeaks, transitions, doorway fit, and surface damage. Apply the complete Chapter 19 final quality inspection procedure to the entire room.
4. Inspect stair or landing interfaces where included. Apply the Chapter 17 inspection criteria to any stair or landing finish connected to this room.
5. Operate all doors and drawers crossing the finished floor. Confirm normal operation with no binding, dragging, or trip hazard at any threshold.
6. Prepare a final deficiency list. Record every remaining item by location and assign a correction method and responsible trade.
7. Correct and reinspect every item. Repeat the applicable chapter's inspection procedure at each corrected location.
8. Compile moisture, flatness, acclimation, product, underlayment, adhesive, fastener, mortar, grout, transition, repair, photograph, and inspection records. Assemble the complete capstone project file in the order the work was performed.
9. Provide cleaning, maintenance, protection, humidity, and traffic instructions. Record the manufacturer-specified instructions for each installed flooring system in the project file.
10. Hand off the room as complete, protected, and ready for Book 15 painting and surface finishes. Confirm the room meets the Capstone Continuity Rule before handoff.
11. Document remaining baseboard, shoe, threshold, appliance, plumbing, or finish-trade coordination. Record any item that must be completed by another trade before the room is fully finished.