Installation instructions
Carefully read these instructions before you start work. Check whether the floor panels are undamaged and fault-free, since the guarentee only applies to hidden defects.
Important note: Place the material in the room in which the installations is to be done, without opening the packing, and allow it to acclimatise for at least 4 hours. The material should be placed flat on the floor in the horizontal position, at a distance of at least 50 cm from the wall.
What you will need
The floor panels have a groove and a tongue all round, that enable the floor panels to be fitted into eachother mechanically. The only tool that you need is a hammer, a fine-toothed saw, a folding ruler, a tensioning wire (cord) along the length of the room, a set square, and a installation set that consists of a stop block, a stop iron and spacer blocks.
Storage
The room in which you will be installing the floor panels should be dry. In case of new buildings, wait until the concrete floor if any is dry. The floor panels should be installed at a room temperature of at least 16°C and a maximum 20°C. The relative air humidity in the room, to be measured using a hygromter, should not be less than 40% and not exceed 65%. The humidity should also remain within these limits during and after the installation. If the floor panels are going to be stored (in the packing) for long periods of time, such storage should always be at room temperature. The storage space should have an average relative humidity not exceeding 65%. The floor panels should not be stored in a room with a high level of humidity.
Before starting installation
Your floor has been manufactured with the best possible care. However, we would still advise you to check the floor panels for visible deviations such as damage, extreme colour differences and shape or dimensional deviations. Complaints concerning visible deviations will not be entertained after floor panels have been installed. Ensure good lighting when installing the floor. You may remove the existing skirting boards and reinstall them after installations. To enable the floor to shrink and expand freely under the skirtings boards, end-piece and transition skirting boards should be fixed on the walls. In other words, these skirting boards should not be fixed on the floor panels. Flat, self-adhesive skirting boards may be affixed to the floor panels.
Subfloors
Floor panels can be installed on practically any subfloor. This subfloor should however be permanently dry, hard, flat, clean, and have adequate loas-bearing capacity. A floor is flat if there is less thans 2 mm height difference over a distance of one continuous meter. Unevenness exceeding 2 mm/ meter should be levelled out.
Concrete subfloors
A concrete floor should not contain more than 2% moisture. You should install an insulating layer on top of this. A 3 mm (Thermopete) underlayment will be adequate from the technical point of view. You should always install a moisture insulation foil (for example building foil). Joints should be thoroughly sealed. The foil should extend behind and up the full height of the skirting board.
Wooden subfloor
If the subfloor is wooden (moisture content of wood 10%, with a tolerance of +/- 2%) check it for loose parts and tighten the same in place. Your supplier can carry out the required measurements using an OM meter. You may level the floor by sanding it down or installing a chipboard sheet. A 3 mm (Thermopete) underlayment will be adequate from the technical point of view. But a 7 mm soft board plate (SolidBase) has a better levelling effect and is recommended for floors with slight differences in height. Do not lay the boards if the crawl space is wet. Always make sure there is sufficient ventilation to allow the sub-floor to ‘breathe’. Do not install floor panels in a wet crawl space.
Underfloor heating
If you want to lay a wooden floor on top of under-floor heating, there are certain rules you must follow. It is important to know what type of under-floor heating is being used, also the type of sub-floor underlay and the type of parquet. We advise that before you buy parquet you always first ask your supplier for advice.
Requirements with regard to noise reduction
There are situations where a sound-damping subfloor is required. Your supplier has various kinds of subfloor underlay that meet these requirements. Ask for the test report.
Modification of doors
Check whether your doors can open and close with the combined height of the flooring and your subfloor if any. If not, you may modify (shorten) your doors according to the changed situation.
For further information you can download the installation instructions.