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Jesse Bartusek from Bellawood joins Bob for the installation of the Bellawood Brazilian Walnut, also called Ipe. The first step, Bartusek explains, is to monitor the moisture content in the concrete so that there will be no cupping of the wood from excessive moisture levels. A moisture barrier is put down between the concrete and the wood to ensure a dry seat. The sealer and the adhesive are both polyurethane based. Once the adhesive is troweled on, the crew has between 30 and 45 minutes to install the planks. The planks are laid out and hammered with a rubber mallet to put them in place. The crew then tapes the boards because the adhesive has memory and will pull boards back to their initial positions if not held in place. Tapping all the boards in place, or racking out the floor, can force some glue up onto the surface. It must be removed with a special adhesive remover. The patterns and colors in the wood tend to vary because it is a natural product. The eight-layer aluminum oxide finish provides long wear that is guaranteed for 50 years by Bellawood. The tape will stay in place for at least four hours but is recommended for 24.
