Installation Guide

WARNING: EXISTING IN-PLACE RESILIENT FLOOR COVERING AND ASPHALTIC
ADHESIVES. DO NOT SAND, DRY SWEEP, DRY SCRAPE, DRILL, SAW, BEADBLAST, OR
MECHANICALLY CHIP OR PULVERIZE EXISTING RESILIENT FLOORING, BACKING, LINING
FELT, ASPHALTIC “CUTBACK” ADHESIVE, OR OTHER ADHESIVE.
These existing in-place products may contain asbestos fibers and/or crystalline silica.
Avoid creating dust. Inhalation of such dust is a cancer and respiratory tract hazard.
Smoking by individuals exposed to asbestos fibers greatly increases the risk of serious bodily harm.
Unless positively certain that the existing in-place product is a non-asbestos-containing material, you must
presume it contains asbestos. Regulations may require that the material be tested to determine asbestos
content and may govern removal and disposal of material.
See current edition of the Resilient Floor Covering Institute (RFCI) publication Recommended Work Practices
for Removal of Resilient Floor Coverings for instructions on removing all resilient floor covering structures or
contact your retailer or AHF Products Inc. 1 800 233 3823.
The floor covering or adhesive in this package does NOT contain asbestos.
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
HYDROPEL LOCKING HARDWOOD
WITH Angle/Angle TECHNOLOGY
FOR FLOATING APPLICATIONS
RECOMMENDED CLEANER: Bruce Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner or Armstrong Hardwood & Laminate Floor
Cleaner
RECOMMENDED UNDERLAYMENT (Floating installation system only): Quiet Comfort Premium or Quiet Comfort
RECOMMENDED WOOD GLUE (Floating installation and joint gluing): Armstrong EverSeal
™
Adhesive
For complete warranty information call 1 800 233 3823 or visit www.armstrong.com/hardwoodinstallationguides.
II. PREPARATION
Tools & Accessories Needed
• Broom • Pencil • Safety glasses • Matching filler
• Moisture meter (wood, concrete or both) • Transition and wall moldings as needed
• Hand saw, table saw, circular saw or band saw
• Armstrong Quiet Comfort Premium Or Armstrong Quiet Comfort
• Tape measure • Carpenter square • Hammer or rubber mallet
• Vinyl/plastic tapping block • Pull-bar • Utility knife
• NIOSH – designated dust mask • Recommended wood glue
• 3M Scotch-Blue
™
2080 Tape
III. SUBFLOOR CONDITIONS
Floating floors may be installed over any subfloor that is structurally sound, flat, clean
and dry on all grade levels. All substrates must meet or exceed all applicable building
codes and be:
• CLEAN – Subfloor must be free of wax, paint, oil, sealers, adhesives and other debris.
• FLAT – Within 3/16˝ in 10´ (5 mm in 3 m) and/or 1/8˝ in 6´ (3 mm in 2 m). Sand high areas or joints. Fill low areas with a
latex additive cementitious leveling compound of 3,000-PSI minimum compressive strength. Follow the instructions of the
leveling compound manufacturer. Leveling compounds must be tested for moisture to ensure they are within the specified
requirements for proper installation.
• DRY – Check and document moisture content of the subfloor using the appropriate moisture test. Moisture content of wood
subfloors must not exceed 13% on a wood moisture meter, or read more than a 4% difference from the moisture level of the
product being installed.
• STRUCTURALLY SOUND – Nail or screw any loose areas that squeak. Wood panels should exhibit an adequate nailing
pattern. A typical pattern is 6˝ (15 cm) along bearing edges and 12˝ (30 cm) along intermediate supports. Flatten edge swell
as necessary. Replace any water-damaged, swollen or delaminated subflooring or underlayments.
NOTE: Avoid subfloors with excessive vertical movement. Optimum performance of hardwood floor covering products
occurs when there is little horizontal or vertical movement of the subfloor. If the subfloor has excessive vertical movement
(deflection) before the installation of the flooring it is likely it will do so after installation of the flooring is complete. As flooring
manufacturers we are unable to evaluate each engineered system. Spacing and spans, as well as their engineering methods, are
the responsibility of the builder, engineer, architect on consumer, who is better able to evaluate the expected result based on site
related performance.
Concrete
(Floating Installations Only)
The flooring can be glued directly to concrete with a minimum compressive strength of 3000 PSI. Do not install over a concrete
sealer or painted concrete. If present, remove by grinding or sanding. Do not install over slick, heavily troweled or burnished
concrete. Roughen the surface as necessary by sanding or grinding. Use an appropriate NIOSH-designated dust mask. Floating
floors can be installed over any structurally sound concrete.
Concrete Moisture Tests
All concrete subfloors should be tested, and results documented, for
moisture content. Visual checks may not be reliable. Test several areas,
especially near exterior walls and walls containing plumbing. Acceptable test
methods for subfloor moisture content include:
• Tramex Concrete Moisture Encounter Meter (Figure 3): Moisture
readings should not exceed 4.5 on the upper scale. (Figure 3 shows an
unacceptable reading of over 4.5.)
• Polyfilm Test: Apply 3´ x 3´ (1 m x 1 m) pieces of polyethylene film to the
subfloor and leave in place for 24 hours. Assure all edges are completely
sealed with water resistant tape. Darkened concrete or condensation
on film indicates presence of moisture and requires additional
measurements with the Tramex Meter, Calcium Chloride or RH test.
NOTE: The following tests are required in commercial applications. Either or both tests are acceptable.
• Calcium Chloride Test (ASTM F 1869): The maximum moisture transfer must not exceed 3 lbs./1000 ft.
2
in 24 hrs. With this test.
• RH Levels in Concrete Using In-situ Probes (ASTM F 2170) should not exceed 75%.
“DRY” CONCRETE, AS DEFINED BY THESE TESTS CAN BE WET AT OTHER TIMES OF THE YEAR. THESE TESTS DO NOT
GUARANTEE A DRY SLAB. ALL NEW CONSTRUCTION CONCRETE SLABS SHOULD HAVE A MINIMUM OF 10 MIL POLY FILM
MOISTURE BARRIER BETWEEN THE GROUND AND THE CONCRETE.
Moisture Retardant Systems
If excessive moisture is present or anticipated, use Professional Moisture Retardant System, Armstrong Summit Select adhesive
or inexpensive sheet vinyl to reduce vapor intrusion.
• Sheet vinyl: An inexpensive sheet vinyl or “slip-sheet” (felt-backed with vinyl wear layer) may be installed. Use a premium
grade, alkali resistant adhesive and a full spread application system to properly bond the vinyl to the subfloor. Follow the
sheet vinyl manufacturer’s instructions for installation procedures. A bond test may be required as an adhesion test. Install
several small areas (3´ x 3´) (1 m x 1 m) and allow the vinyl to set for 72 hours. Remove the vinyl. If the backing remains
attached to the concrete, the subfloor should be acceptable for sheet vinyl installation. Install the sheet vinyl and allow the
adhesive to cure for 24 hours prior to beginning installation. Degloss as necessary to create an adequate adhesive bond.
Always check for adequate adhesive bond.
Acoustic Concrete
(Floating Installations Only)
Acoustic concrete normally contains large quantities of gypsum that may inhibit the adhesive’s capability to properly bond.
Acoustic concrete must be primed with the concrete manufacturer’s recommended primer/surface hardener. Test the concrete
by scraping the surface with a nail or other sharp object. If the concrete powders or crumbles, it is not sound and suitable for
direct application of hardwood flooring and may require the use of a floating sub-floor system. Always check for adequate
adhesive bond. The concrete must have a minimum compressive strength of 2000 PSI.
Ceramic, Terrazzo, Slate & Marble
(Floating Installations Only)
All grout joints and broken corners that exceed 3/16˝ (5 mm) must be filled with a cementitous leveling compound. The surface
should be cleaned and abraded to create a good bonding surface for the adhesive. Loose tiles must be re-adhered to the
subfloor or filled as above. Remove all sealers and surface treatments. Always check for adequate adhesive bond.
I. GENERAL INFORMATION
Owner/Installer Responsibility
NOTE: Locking hardwood flooring is installed using a floating floor installation. A 1/2˝ expansion zone must be maintained at
all vertical obstructions including doorways and transition strips. The flooring cannot be fit tight against any vertical surface
such as stairways, walls or pipes. Do not attach or pinch the flooring to the subfloor at any point in the installation when using a
floating installation, including gluing, nailing or by any other methods. Do not restrict horizontal motion of the floor by wedging
planks under other surfaces, such as door jambs, base molding, or existing transition strips.
Beautiful hardwood floors are a product of nature and therefore, not perfect. Our hardwood floors are manufactured in
accordance with accepted industry standards, which permit grading deficiencies not to exceed 5%. These grading deficiencies
may be of a manufacturing or natural type. When flooring is ordered, 5% must be added to the actual square footage needed for
cutting and grading allowance (10% for diagonal installations).
• The owner/installer assumes all responsibility for final inspection of product quality. Inspection of all flooring should be done
prior to installation. Carefully examine flooring for color, finish and quality before installing it. If material is not acceptable, do
not install it. Contact the seller immediately.
• Prior to installation of any hardwood flooring product, the owner/installer must determine that the job-site environment and
the sub-surfaces involved meet or exceed all applicable standards. Recommendations of the construction and materials
industries, as well as local codes, must be followed. These instructions recommend that the construction and subfloor be
clean, dry, stiff, structurally sound and flat. The manufacturer declines any responsibility for job failure resulting from, or
associated with, subfloor and substrates or job-site environmental deficiencies.
• Prior to installation, the owner/installer has final inspection responsibility as to grade, manufacture and factory finish. The
installer must use reasonable selectivity and hold out or cut off pieces with deficiencies, whatever the cause. Should an
individual piece be doubtful as to grade, manufacture or factory finish, the installer should not use the piece.
• Use of stain, filler or putty stick for touch-up and appropriate products for correcting subfloor voids is accepted as part of
normal installation procedures.
1
ATTENTION INSTALLERS
CAUTION: WOOD DUST
Sawing, sanding and machining wood products can produce wood dust. Airborne wood dust
can cause respiratory, eye and skin irritation. The International Agency for Research on Cancer
(IARC) has classified wood dust as a nasal carcinogen in humans.
Precautionary Measures: If power tools are used, they should be equipped with a dust collector. If high dust
levels are encountered, use an appropriate NIOSH-designated dust mask. Avoid dust contact with eye and skin.
First Aid Measures in Case of Irritation: In case of irritation, flush eyes or skin with water for at least 15 minutes.
If you have any technical or installation questions, or to request a Material Safety Data Sheet,
please call 1 800 233 3823 or visit www.floorexpert.com, our technical website.
IMPORTANT HEALTH NOTICE FOR MINNESOTA RESIDENTS ONLY: THESE BUILDING MATERIALS
EMIT FORMALDEHYDE. EYE, NOSE, AND THROAT IRRITATION, HEADACHE, NAUSEA AND A VARIETY OF ASTHMA-LIKE
SYMPTOMS, INCLUDING SHORTNESS OF BREATH, HAVE BEEN REPORTED AS A RESULT OF FORMALDEHYDE EXPOSURE.
ELDERLY PERSONS AND YOUNG CHILDREN, AS WELL AS ANYONE WITH A HISTORY OF ASTHMA, ALLERGIES, OR
LUNG PROBLEMS, MAY BE AT GREATER RISK. RESEARCH IS CONTINUING ON THE POSSIBLE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF
EXPOSURE TO FORMALDEHYDE.
REDUCED VENTILATION MAY ALLOW FORMALDEHYDE AND OTHER CONTAMINANTS TO ACCUMULATE IN THE INDOOR
AIR. HIGH INDOOR TEMPERATURES AND HUMIDITY RAISE FORMALDEHYDE LEVELS. WHEN A HOME IS LOCATED IN
AREAS SUBJECT TO EXTREME SUMMER TEMPERATURES, AN AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM CAN BE USED TO CONTROL
INDOOR TEMPERATURE LEVELS. OTHER MEANS OF CONTROLLED MECHANICAL VENTILATION CAN BE USED TO REDUCE
LEVELS OF FORMALDEHYDE AND OTHER INDOOR AIR CONTAMINANTS. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE
HEALTH EFFECTS OF FORMALDEHYDE, CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR OR LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
Soil Line
2nd Floor
(above ground level)
1st Floor
(ground level)
Basement
(below ground level)
Figure 1
Figure 3