Installation Guide

HOMEDEPOT.COM/TRAFFICMASTER
Please contact 1-888-864-4520 for further assistance.
Installation Instructions
TrafcMASTER Angle-Angle
For assistance, call: 1-888-864-4520
HomeDepot.com/TrafcMASTER
Product Description
Gladstone Oak
Laminate Flooring Planks
Click Lock Joints
Grade Levels
Above Grade / On Grade
Below Grade
Warranty
Limited 15-Year Residential
Installation Method
Floating
Item #687452
Model #32686
Pre-installation
Please read and understand all sections in this manual before you begin the installation of your laminate ooring.
SAFETY INFORMATION
READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE INSTALLATION.
MANUFACTURER’S REQUIRED MINNESOTA DISCLOSURE – IMPORTANT HEALTH NOTICE: SOME OF THE BUILDING MATERIALS USED IN THIS HOME (OR 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 TO BE 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 CONTAMINANTS. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE HEALTH EFFECTS OF
FORMALDEHYDE, CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR OR LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
IMPORTANT: TrafcMASTER laminate ooring is intended for a oating installation only. Do not glue, nail, or attach in any other way to your existing suboor. Cabinets and kitchen islands should be
installed prior to the laminate ooring.
CAUTION:
□ Use safety glasses and gloves when cutting laminate oors. Laminate oors will create wood dust; always cut the product in a well-ventilated area.
□ Never tap laminate oors during installation.
□ Never use tools designed for other laminate ooring installation systems.
□ Never wax, polish, or use abrasive cleaners on laminate oors.
□ TrafcMASTER laminate oors should not be installed in rooms that are susceptible to moisture such as full bathrooms, entryways or laundry rooms.
WARRANTY
TrafcMASTER offers a limited warranty against manufacturing defects from date of purchase on this product. TrafcMASTER guarantees that:
□ The decorative laminate surface will not wear through.
□ The surface of the plank will resist staining.
□ The surface of the plank will not fade or discolor, due to natural or articial lighting.
TOOLS REQUIRED
□ Table or circular saw □ Measuring tape □ Carpenter’s square □ Utility knife □ Safety glasses □ Dust mask (NIOSH-designated) □ Laminate oor underlayment
□ Gloves □ Pencil/marker □ Pull bar □ 3/8 in. (10 mm) thick spacers
□ 8 mil (0.2 mm) thick vapor barrier if installing over concrete □ 2 in. (51 mm) wide moisture-resistant adhesive tape
ALLOWING THE FLOORING TO ACCLIMATE TO THE INSTALLATION AREA
Allow 48 hours for your ooring to acclimate to the conditions of the installation area before opening the cartons. Cross-stack unopened cartons in the installation area, away from outside walls, heat, and air
conditioning vents. Installation temperatures should be at a minimum of 64°F (18°C) with a maximum relative humidity of 75%.
EXPANSION CONSIDERATIONS
TrafcMASTER laminate oors expand and contract with changes in relative humidity. For this reason, leave a 3/8 in. (10 mm) expansion space around the perimeter of the room and all other objects such as toe kicks
and plumbing. The expansion space will be covered by wall base moldings or quarter rounds once the oor is installed.
MAXIMUM ROOM SIZE / ADJACENT ROOMS
TrafcMASTER laminate oors can be installed in a single room up to 33 ft. (10 m) in length and 26 ft. (8 m) in width. Installations in rooms that are over the maximum allowable length and width must use T-moldings.
Also use T-moldings when installing laminate oors to separate adjacent rooms (i.e. through doorways).
INSTALLATION LAYOUT
There are no rules when it comes to the layout of your installation. Typically, laminate ooring installations are laid out parallel to the longest wall in the room or perpendicular to the main window in the room.
Suboor Preparation
TrafcMASTER laminate oors can be installed over many types of suboors as long as they are properly prepared and meet the required criteria outlined in this section.
GENERAL SUBFLOOR PREPARATION AND PRECAUTIONS
□ Suboors must be clean and free of dirt and debris prior to installation.
□ Suboors must be structurally sound prior to installation.
□ Suboor moisture must be tested prior to installation and should not exceed 12% through the
installation area.
□ If installing TrafcMASTER laminate oors in bathrooms, kitchens, and entryways you must install a
vapor barrier in the manner outlined under “Concrete Suboor Preparation” and ll expansion spaces
with silicone caulk.
□ Carpet is not a suitable underlay for laminate oors. All carpet, carpet pad, and carpet tack should be
removed prior to installation.
□ Variations in the suboor atness should not exceed 3/16 in. per 10 ft. (2 mm/m). Floors must be
leveled to meet this specication prior to installation. Level by lling depressed areas with ooring
leveling compound and sanding or grinding down any raised areas.
□ Installations over hydronic radiant heated suboors are acceptable but temperatures should
never exceed 80°F (27°C). Radiant heat systems must be operating for a minimum of 3 weeks
prior to installation of TrafcMASTER laminate oors to ensure the suboor meets the moisture
requirements.
WOOD SUBFLOOR PREPARATION
□ Wood suboors must be structurally sound and screwed or nailed to supporting beams.
□ A 8 mil (0.2 mm) polyethylene vapor barrier must be used if installing laminate oors over wood
suboors applied directly to concrete.
□ If installing oors over a crawl space, install a 8 mil (0.2 mm) vapor barrier:
□ Overlap vapor barrier edges by 8 in. (20 cm) and seal with moisture resistant adhesive tape.
□ Run the vapor barrier ¾ in. (2 cm) up the wall and trim after the wall base is installed.
□ Crawl space should be dry and vented as per local building code.
□ Underlay must be installed prior to installing the laminate oors.
□ Underlay edges should not be overlapped. Butt end edges together and seal with adhesive tape.
CONCRETE SUBFLOOR PREPARATION
□ Concrete suboors must be properly cured and allowed to dry for at least 60 days prior to
installation. Test the concrete suboor for moisture prior to installation. To do so:
1. Tape 3 ft. x 3 ft. (91 cm x 91 cm) pieces of polyethylene vapor barrier to the suboor.
2. If condensation appears on the lm after 24 hours or concrete appears dark in color, moisture is
likely present and a Calcium Chloride test must be performed.
3. The maximum allowable moisture emission is 5.0 lbs/1000 ft
2
per 24 hours (2.26 kg/101.6 m
2
per 24 hours).
□ A 0.12 in. (3 mm) thick underlay and 8 mil (0.2 mm) polyethylene vapor barrier must be used when
installing over concrete.
□ Overlap vapor barrier edges by 8 in. (20 cm) and seal with moisture resistant adhesive tape.
□ Run the vapor barrier ¾ in. (2 cm) up the wall and trim after the wall base is installed.
□ The underlay must be installed prior to installation of laminate oors.
□ Do not overlap underlay edges. Butt end edges together and seal with adhesive tape.
VINYL (SHEET/TILE), LINOLEUM, AND CERAMIC TILE SUBFLOOR PREPARATION
□ If vinyl, linoleum, or ceramic tile is installed over concrete, install a 8 mil (0.2 mm) vapor barrier over
it:
□ Overlap vapor barrier edges by 8 in. (20 cm) up the wall and trim after the wall base is installed.
□ Run the vapor barrier ¾ in. (2 cm) up the wall and trim after the wall base is installed.
□ Underlay must be installed prior to installing the laminate oors.
□ Underlay edges should not be overlapped. Butt end edges together and seal with adhesive tape.
Room Preparation
WALL BASE/TRIM
□ Removal of the existing wall base/trim is optional. If the existing wall base/trim is not removed, leave
the required expansion space in front of the existing wall base/trim.
□ Install wall base or trim after the ooring installation is complete to cover the expansion space
around the perimeter of the room.
□ Always nail/adhere the wall base and trim to the wall. Never nail/adhere it to the laminate ooring.
DOORS/DOOR JAMBS
□ Undercut door jambs so that the laminate oor can be installed under them. To do this, use a
laminate ooring off-cut and a small piece of underlay to support a hand saw blade at the correct
height for undercutting.
□ Check the door clearances and make any necessary height adjustments before installing laminate oors.
□ Leave the correct expansion spacing under the door jamb.
WALL IRREGULARITIES
Walls are not always perfectly straight. TrafcMASTER laminate oors need to be cut so as to t within the
irregularities of your walls. Complete these steps:
1. Install the rst row of laminate oors (following the Installation section) and ensure that all long
edges of the laminate ooring planks are aligned.
2. Slide the whole row against the wall. You will now notice any irregularities (areas where the wall is
not straight).
3. Trace the contour of the wall onto the row of laminate ooring with a pencil or marker.
4. Once traced, uninstall the planks carefully so as not to damage the locking system and cut along the
traced line.
5. Re-install the plank, leaving the necessary 3/8 in. (10 mm) expansion space.
Preparing for Installation
Before you begin the steps in the Installation section, ensure you have completed the following:
□ Sort planks before installation to avoid plank repetition and to achieve the most natural and varied
results.
□ Inspect every plank for damage before installing it.
□ The rst and last row of the installation should be wider than 3.5 in. (9 cm):
□ Measure the width of the room and divide it by the width of the planks you are installing.
□ If the remainder is less than 3.5 in. (9 cm), cut 3.5 in. (9 cm) from the width of the rst row. If this
is not possible, ensure that both edge planks are as even in width as possible.
□ The rst and last plank in a row should be a minimum of 16 in. (40 cm) long.
□ Stagger the planks from row to row by a minimum of 16 in. (40 cm).
□ Use spacers to maintain the 3/8 in. (10 cm) expansion space between the planks and walls/vertical
objects.
□ Select a starting corner of the room and work from left to right.
TIP: It is often easiest to start at the door of the room so that the rst plank can be easily slid under the
door jamb.
Installation
1 INSTALLING THE FIRST ROW
□ Lay the rst plank with the long edge tongue facing the wall.
□ Lift the right side of the second plank to a 30 degree angle and place its short end tongue into the groove of the rst plank.
□ Lower the plank to lock the two together.
□ Continue in this manner until the rst row is complete.
□ Use the remainder of the last plank of the rst row to start the second row provided that it is a minimum of 16 in. (40 cm) long. If the cut piece is
shorter than 16 in. (40 cm) long, cut a new plank in half and use it to begin the second row.
2 INSTALLING THE REMAINING ROWS
□ Install the rst plank of the second row by installing its long edge to the previous row’s groove.
□ Hold a plank at approximately a 30 degree angle and connect end seams together about half-way
down the length of the short edge. Before lowering the right edge of the plank, slide it forward
towards the previous row.
□ Lower the right side of the plank so that its long edge tongue is sitting in the previous row’s
groove. The short end seam is now engaged.
□ Lift the long edge of the plank you are installing 2in. to 3 in. off the ground (this will lift the
previous plank as well) and apply forward pressure close to the connected short end so as to slide
the long edge tongue into the previous row’s groove.
□ Lower the planks to connect the long edge (you may need to oscillate the planks up and down
slightly for them to engage.
□ Continue in this manner until you have completed your installation.
□ When you are nished installing all rows, remove all wall spacers and install wall base and
applicable moldings/transitions.
Care and Cleaning
GENERAL CARE
□ Place mats and area rugs at main entrances to minimize abrasive debris that may be tracked in
on shoes.
□ Place protective pads under furniture legs and other movable furniture.
□ Use protective mats under wheeled ofce-type chairs.
□ Avoid using lacquers, polishes, waxes or detergent-based cleaners as they will leave a lm on
the surface of the oor and may cause irreparable damage. The surface of this ooring does not
require renishing and will maintain its original appearance.
□ Never use abrasive cleaners.
□ Never ood your oor or wet mop it. Excessive liquid on your oor may cause plank edges to
swell and become damaged beyond repair.
□ Never use a steam cleaner as the steam may cause plank edges to swell and become damaged
beyond repair
DAILY CLEANING
□ Use a dust mop or vacuum with a hard surface attachment to remove dust, loose dirt, or debris.
□ For a more thorough cleaning, where a cleaning solution may be required, use a water-based laminate oor
cleaner. Lightly mist the cleaner into the soiled surface and wipe up immediately.
3/8 in.
(10 mm)
30º
30º