Installation Guide

3
2017_12_AR_LOW
CONCRETE SUBFLOOR:
NEW CONSTRUCTION:
• A new concrete floor must dry at least 1 week per 3/8-inch thickness up to 1-1/2 inches. Thicknesses over
1-1/2 inches require twice as much drying time. For example, a 2-1/2-inch concrete subfloor must dry for
at least 8 weeks. The moisture content of the concrete must be less than 5 lb/24 hr per 1000 sq ft (ASTM
F1869) or <80% with an in situ probe (ASTM F2170).
RENOVATION:
• Remove any damp-porous floor covering (carpet, needle felt, etc.) first.
• Damp-sealed floor covering (PVC, linoleum, VCT, etc.) does not have to be removed.
• Always use underlayment and a minimum 6-mil poly moisture barrier if a moisture barrier is not attached
to the underlayment. Pergo Gold underlayment may be installed as an alternative moisture barrier. A
separate moisture barrier should not be used in conjunction with Pergo Gold.
WOODEN SUBFLOOR
• Remove any existing damp-porous floor covering first.
• Make sure the sub floor is stable. Nail down any loose parts and apply a leveling layer if necessary.
• Install the planks crosswise to the direction of the existing subfloor.
• For installations over a crawl space, the soil in the crawl space must be covered by a 6-mil non-recycled
polyethylene film with seams overlapping at least 8 inches. In addition, vents should be located
throughout the foundation. They must provide good cross ventilation and no dead air space. There must
be minimum vent openings equal to 1.5% of the square footage within the crawl space. For example, 100
sq ft of crawl space must have at least 1.5 sq ft of open vents.
• The moisture content of the wood may not exceed 12%.
INSTALLING THE FLOOR
• First install the underlayment. See Diagram 3A. For concrete subfloors, if the underlayment is pre-
mounted on the planks, use a damp-proof moisture barrier with adhesive tape. Let the membrane run up
the wall before cutting to size. A moulding will be attached to this later. Pergo Gold underlayment may be
installed as an alternative moisture barrier for products with or without pre-mounted underlayment.
• Begin the first row with a whole plank. First saw off the tongue on both the long and the short sides.
See Diagram 3B.
• Place the planks with sawn-off sides against the walls. Put spacers from the installation kit between the
planks and the wall. This will ensure that your expansion joint is wide enough: 3/8-inch. See Diagram 3C.
• The diagrams indicate where the planks are clicked together by angling up and down or where they are
tapped together flat. Follow the diagrams precisely. See Diagrams 4A-4F. For better results, the floor
should be installed with a staggered random length for the starting planks in each row - be careful not to
create a repeating pattern. For example, start the first row with a whole plank, second row with 1/3 of
a plank, third row with 2/3 of a plank, then a whole, then ½, then ½, then back to whole, then short, then
medium, etc. Alternating the length of the starting plank on each row will avoid creating a zigzag or stair
step pattern in the floor.
• In places where it is too difficult to install the planks with the tapping block (e.g. against the wall), you can
tap them together using the pull bar and a hammer. See Diagrams 5A-5B-5C.
• There must be a 3/8-inch expansion joint between the last row and the wall. Keep this in mind when
sawing the last row of planks.