Installation Guide

RESIDENTIAL D.I.Y. FLOATING FLOOR
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
WARRANTY GUIDELINES
May 2015 Page 3
D. When fitting around obstacles or cutting to irregular shapes, the vinyl flooring can be carefully heated and cut with
a sharp utility blade. It is beneficial to make cardboard templates of the areas and transfer this to the pieces to
be cut.
E. Full pieces of flooring can be cut by using a utility knife with heavy-duty blades. Score the face of the piece and
snap the tiles carefully along the score line. Use a steel straight edge for cutting pieces along the length in
multiple passes with the utility knife, and then snap the piece along the cut line.
F. Use of a small bristle brush for cleaning debris left from milling the locking joints will ensure a tight fit of the
pieces.
G. STAINMASTER
®
locking luxury vinyl floating flooring is designed with an angle/drop mechanism which is
installed differently than the traditional angle/angle installed floating flooring. The NovaClic™ FD flooring
requires that the top or long sides be installed first by engaging the joint at a shallow angle (25°) and then slide the
piece to line up the short or right side drop lock mechanism. See the steps below for complete information.
NOTE: The FD drop lock joints cannot be ‘lifted’ or angled apart when removing or repositioning a plank or tile. To
remove a plank or tile, first disengage the top/long angle joint by lifting at a slight angle while pulling the complete rows
away from each other. Then simply ‘slide’ the drop joint apart along the floor. Failure to slide this joint apart will
damage the drop lock mechanism and prevent proper re-installation of the affected plank or tile.
Layout and Install
1. Determine the layout of your floor prior to installation. Planks typically look better when installed parallel to the
longest walls; keeping in mind that planking need to be installed perpendicular to direct light sources as stated
above. To avoid narrow piece widths or short piece lengths, it is important to dry lay the flooring from the center
of the room and adjust the centerline to alleviate narrow pieces. Or, using the width of the room, calculate how
many full pieces will fit into the area and how much space remains that will need to be covered by partial planks.
Do the same along the length of the room. Be sure to avoid planks that are less than 9” in length and less than
half the width; tiles should not be less than 6” wide by a full length of the tile.
NOTES:
a. If the first row of flooring does not need to be trimmed in width it is necessary to cut off the unsupported
tongue so that a clean, solid edge is toward the wall.
b. Flooring should be laid with the long edges perpendicular to any significant sources of direct sunlight such
as large windows, sliding doors, etc.
c. Expansion gaps of 5/16” (8mm) must be maintained against all vertical surfaces, regardless of the
deviation in flatness of the surface. This will allow the finished flooring to expand and contract normally
during temperature fluctuations in the home.
2. From the top, left corner of the room put the first plank in place so both the head and side seam grooves are
exposed. Planks are to be installed from left to right. Cut off the tongue on the long side of each piece in the
first row with a utility knife.
3. Install the second piece in the first row by laying the short-end tongue onto the previously installed piece
short-end groove. Fasten the piece together by firmly pressing down with your thumb along the seam to lock the
planks together. Use of a soft, white No. 2 rubber mallet is also recommended to fasten the tongue & groove
together. Do not use a metal hammer as this will damage the surface of the flooring.
4. Continue in this manner for the rest of the first row. The last piece in the row should be cut to length while
maintaining the 5/16” (8mm) expansion space along the perimeter of the room.
5. Cut a piece in half of the length to start the second row, or use the cutoff from the previous row, keeping in mind
the length requirements above. Install the first piece in the second row by inserting the long side tongue into the
groove of the piece in the first row at a low angle (20° to 30°) of the piece. Then firmly lower the plank while
maintaining a slight pressure towards the installed piece. The pieces should fit snugly together and lay flat.
Ensure that expansion space is kept along this wall.