Owner Manual

4. FLOATING FLOOR INSTALLATION
Recommended tools and materials for floor installation:
• Safety goggles
• NIOSH-certified dust mask
• Wood/concrete moisture meter
• Putty knife for removing residues from the substrate
• Steel hammer 1.5lbs to 2.5lbs (800 g to 1000 g)
• Vacuum cleaner or sweeping brush
• Expansion wedges
• Tapping block
• Tape measure
• Pencil
• Mitre saw or table saw
• Trimmer
• Knee pads
• Protective gloves
• Floor shunting tool
• Carpenter’s square
General requirements:
Before starting the floor installation, the central heating and air-conditioning systems should
remain switched on for 14 days.
The boards in the original packaging should be acclimated in the room where they will be
laid for at least 48 hours.
The floor should be laid at room temperature from +64.4°F to +75.2°F (+18°C to +24°C) and
relative humidity between 45% and 60%.
Do not install the floor if the humidity of the underlay and the air exceeds the acceptable
levels! Choose the direction of boards in the installation area. The maximum dimensions of
the floor without intermediate expansion gaps are 66 ft (20 m) x 26 ft (8 m), (66 ft (20 m) along
the longer edge of the board). Work out of several boxes at a time to ensure an even color and
shade distribution over the whole floor.
Do not use boards which show visible signs of damage! Return them to your retailer for
replacement!
Complaints concerning boards with visible damage which have been installed will not be
accepted!
When working in rooms being renovated, remove all existing skirting boards or plinths.
Make an off-cut in the door frames. Remove the existing thresholds and strips from the
frames. You can replace these elements after the floor has been installed.
When making an off-cut in the door frame, the fitter should make sure that there is the
recommended expansion gap. The floor must have a clearance of 1/16” under the door frame
to allow free lifting without vertical restrictions. The fitter should ensure that the board under
the door frame can move freely.
Do not directly use rubber hammers on the installed floorboards to avoid non-removable
marks on the surface of the boards!
Floor installation procedure:
Before installation use a putty knife to remove any residues from the substrate. Vacuum or
sweep the surface.
Cut off the tongue in the boards to be installed in the first row.
Spread the underlay under the floating floor. Read the underlay installation guide and follow
the instructions provided there.
Before installation take out boards out of several packs and choose boards with matching
color. Remember that wood is a natural product and every board is different.
When fitting floorboards using expansion wedges, use an expansion gap of minimum width 7/16”
(11mm). An expansion gap should be made along the perimeter of the room and around any other
obstructions. Start the installation at the left side of the wall and continue towards the right side.
Fit in another board next to the first board. The boards should touch each other along the
shorter edge. Begin the second row, starting with the off-cut from the first row. The recom-
mended minimum length for the board starting the next floor row is 12” (300 mm). The rec-
ommended offset between the board joints along the shorter edge is 20” (500 mm). Continue
laying the floor across the room. Continue laying the floor across the room. Lay the boards at
an angle about 30° along the longer edge.
During the installation use a tapping block and a hammer to fit in the boards together along
the longer edge. Adjust the tapping block along the entire longer edge of the board and tap
it with hammer.
Fit the last board against the wall by tapping it with floor shunting tool. Remember to leave an
expansion gap of at least 7/16” (11mm).
REMOVE ALL EXPANSION WEDGES BEFORE STARTING THE INSTALLATION OF SKIRTING
BOARDS. If the floor is to be covered/secured, use breathable material such as regular or
corrugated cardboard. Do not cover the floor with plastic materials, e.g. foil. For the product
warranty and the floor care and maintenance guide, see www.hardwood-installation.eu.
After the skirting boards have been installed, the floor is ready for use.
5. STAPLE-DOWN INSTALLATION
Recommended tools and materials for floor installation:
• Safety goggles
• NIOSH-certified dust mask
• Wood moisture meter
• Putty Knife for removing residues from the substrate
• Steel hammer 1.5lbs to 2.5lbs (800 g to 1000 g)
• Vacuum cleaner or sweeping brush
• Pneumatic stapler
• Zinc-plated staples of length 1.5” (38 mm).
• Expansion wedges
• Tapping block
• Tape measure
• Pencil
• Mitre saw or table saw
• Trimmer
• Knee pads
• Protective gloves
• Floor shunting tool
• Carpenter’s square
General requirements:
Before starting the floor installation, the central heating and air-conditioning systems should
remain switched on for 14 days.
The boards in the original packaging should be acclimated in the room where they will be
laid for at least 48 hours.
The floor should be laid at room temperature from +64.4°F to 75.2°F (+18°C to +24°C) and
relative humidity between 45% and 60%.
Do not install the floor if the humidity of the underlay and the air exceeds the acceptable
levels! The moisture content of the wooden substrate should be 9% ± 2%.
Choose the direction of boards in the installation area. Work out of several boxes at a time to
ensure an even color and shade distribution over the whole floor.
Do not use boards which show visible signs of damage! Return them to your retailer for
replacement!
Complaints concerning boards with visible damage which have been installed will not be
accepted!
When working in rooms being renovated, remove all existing skirting boards or plinths.
Make an off-cut in the door frames. Remove the existing thresholds and strips from the
frames. You can replace these elements after the floor has been installed.
When making an off-cut in the door frame, the fitter should make sure that there is the rec-
ommended expansion gap. The floor must have a clearance of 1/16 inch under the door frame
to allow free lifting without vertical restrictions. The fitter should ensure that the board under
the door frame can move freely.
Do not directly use rubber hammers on the installed floor boards to avoid non-removable
marks on the surface of the boards!
Floor installation procedure:
Before installation use a putty knife to remove any residues from the substrate. Vacuum or
sweep the surface.
Cut off the tongue in the boards to be installed in the first row.
Before installation take out boards out of several packs and choose boards with matching
color. Remember that wood is a natural product and every board is different.
When fitting boards using expansion wedges, use expansion gaps at least 7/16” (11mm)
wide. An expansion gap should be made along the perimeter of the room and around any
other obstructions. Start the installation at the left side of the wall and continue towards
the right side.
Fit in another board next to the first board. The boards should touch each other along the
shorter edge. Begin the second row, starting with the off-cut from the first row. The rec-
ommended minimum length for the board starting the next floor row is 12” (300 mm). The
recommended offset of connections between the boards along the shorter edge is 20” (500
mm). Continue laying the floor across the room.
After the first floor row has been laid, fix the board tongue to the wooden substrate using 1.5”
(38mm) staples. The spacing between staples should be about 11.8” (30 cm). The staples
should go through the groove of the lock along the longer edge at an angle of about 30°.
Continue laying the floor across the room. Lay the boards at an angle about 30° along the
longer edge.
During the installation use a tapping block and a hammer to fit in the boards together along
the longer edge. Adjust the tapping block along the entire longer edge of the board and tap
it with hammer.
Fit the last board against the wall by tapping it with floor shunting tool. Remember to leave an
expansion gap of at least 7/16” (11mm).
REMOVE ALL EXPANSION WEDGES BEFORE STARTING THE INSTALLATION OF SKIRTING
BOARDS. If the floor is to be covered/secured, use breathable material such as regular or
corrugated cardboard. Do not cover the floor with plastic materials, e.g. foil. For the product
warranty and the floor care and maintenance guide, see www.hardwood-installation.eu.
After the skirting boards have been installed, the floor is ready for use.
6. HOW TO USE HARDWOOD FLOOR
The floor is factory finished and ready for use immediately after installation. However, re-
member that it is a 100% natural product made from wood. Water and sand are the biggest
enemies of hardwood floors. The recommendations in this section are in accordance with the
requirements for compliance with the warranty conditions and they will help to extend the
service life of the hardwood floor.
Requirements for use of hardwood floors
The high-quality three-layer hardwood floorboards are made of real wood. The floors provide
superior performance and an excellent aesthetic finish.
The manufacturer’s warranty will be granted if the floor is laid and used in accordance with
the manufacturer’s guidance:
• The temperature in the area where the hardwood floor will be used should be from +64.4°F
to 75.2°F (+18°C to +24°C). The relative humidity in the area should be kept between
45% and 60%.
• The maximum temperature at the surface of the boards installed over underfloor heating
should not exceed 84°F (29°C). It is forbidden to put carpets, runners, or furniture with legs
of height less than 4” (10 cm) on floors laid over underfloor heating.
• Floor maintenance should be carried out using only the floor care products designed for this
purpose. Instructions on how to take care of the floor and the maintenance schedule are
provided on the packaging of the floor care products.
• Never use vacuum cleaners with rotary brush which could cause damage to the floor.
• Immediately remove any spills.
• Vacuum or sweep the floor to remove any particles which could scratch the floor. Caution:
Never use vacuum cleaners with rotary brush which could cause damage to the floor.
• Do not use high-pressure jet-washers or steam to clean the floor.
• Walking in unsuitable footwear can damage the floor, causing e.g. black marks or indenta-
tions on the surface of the boards.
• Trim claws of your pets to prevent floor damage.
• Do not move or roll any heavy furniture or equipment over the floor.
• Using floor care products other than those recommended by the Manufacturer may cause
damage to the lacquer layer, color and gloss changes, spots and stains, and changes in the
floor traction properties.
• The daily care and maintenance procedure should be limited to normal floor vacuuming
or sweeping.
• Do not soak the pre-finished wood floor or wash it with wet mop. Apply the floor cleaner to
the mop and not to the floor.
• Water may cause damage to hardwood floor. Never use oil- or wax-base soap or liquid
detergents. Clean the floor by mopping the floor forwards and backwards. When the mop
is dirty, replace it with a clean one. Cleaning the floor with dirty mop may cause streaks.
• The frequency of floor care depends on the amount of traffic.
• Any sand or stones tracked onto the floor should be removed as soon as possible. Sand will
leave scratches in the lacquer layer, small indentations and marks in the top layer of wood.
• Install barrier matting at, the entrance points (entrance doors, terrace doors, etc.) of your
new hardwood flooring to effectively prevent the spread of unwanted sand, grit, water, dirt
and soil which can tracked on shoes.
• Use dry and soft brushes or a vacuum cleaner with soft brush to remove dust. You can also
use a slightly damp cloth with or without the recommended agent for floor care and main-
tenance. Under no circumstances should any wt traces remain on the floor after cleaning.
• All furniture and other equipment which remain in contact with the floor should be provided
with protective felt pads which should be replaced at regular intervals.
• Armchairs and other furniture items provided with wheels must be used on protective plas-
tic mats, floor coverings or rugs to protect hardwood floor from mechanical damage. Check
and immediately remove any sand or other particles which could be tracked under the
protective mat. Failure to remove such residues can cause scratches to the lacquer layer
under the protective mat. Castors in office chairs or castor furniture should be replaced
with castors designed for hardwood floors (in accordance with DIN-EN 12529, it is recom-
mended using castors with Shore hardness equal 40-50 and surface pressure 3-5 N/mm
2
).
• Under no circumstances should hardwood floor be covered with PE foil or other moisture
and air-tight materials.
• Multi-layer hardwood floor exposed to sunlight (UV light) will change its original color.
• The floor can be refinished by sanding and re-lacquering or re-oiling. The manufactur-
er allows floor refinishing using lacquers or designed for hardwood floors, provided that
they are applied in accordance with the relevant directions for use. The number of floor
renovations consisting in “removing” the surface layer of wood depends on the depth of
mechanical damage.
• Before starting any mechanical refinish procedure (sanding or grinding), analyze the con-
dition of the floor and determine if the floor can be refinished by mechanical methods.
• Any failure to comply with the above recommendations and instructions will void the ma-
terial and workmanship warranty.
• Only multi-layer boards fitted using the floating, staple or glue-down installation procedure
has been approved by the manufacturer for installation over underfloor heating.
• Before fitting multi-layer boards over underfloor heating, the user/developer, fitter or tech-
nician should perform the subfloor heat-up procedure in accordance with the “Subfloor
Heat-up Specifications” available on the website www.hardwood-installation.eu. A com-
pleted and signed “Subfloor Heat-up Specifications” is attached as an annex to the War-
ranty Certificate. If the heat-up report is absent, it will void the warranty for the floorboards
laid over underfloor heating.
• When installing a floating floor, the underlay materials recommended by the distributor or
retailer should be used. The use of other materials may result in improper installation of
the entire subfloor.
• If the floor needs to be refinished by mechanical methods, it should be done by a profes-
sional flooring company.
• For information on the installation of multi-layer floorboards over underfloor heating, see
the installation guide.
• IMPORTANT: The user/developer, fitter or technician is required to make sure that the
cleaning staff is made aware of the above “Instructions on how to use and take care of
lacquered or oiled multi-layer floors”.
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