GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR FLOATING FLOORS - Every step of the way

Congratulations on purchasing your Engineered Flooring, before starting with the installation, we advise you take time to read the following instructions carefully.
        
The floor fitter is the most important person to the final customer. He is the person who finally decides how the finished floor will look overall. Therefore it is most important he works from several boxes at the same time. (four’-five boxes recommended). This enables him to decide on a correct colour and grain structure mix, and so achieve the best looking floor possible. Discoloured or imperfect boards must be discarded at the fitter’s discretion.

A Note of Caution : Wood is a beautiful product of nature, but due to the intrinsic volatility of most species, it is always a possibility that up to 5% of the product may not be usable for its intended purpose.
         
General

Changes in moisture levels(humidity)will cause natural expansion and contraction. The result will be seen as small gaps appearing during winter (low, in house humidity levels) or boards lightening in summer (higher humidity levels). To help maintain correct humidity levels (45%’-60%) you may consider inversting in a humidifier. This machine can also have health benefits for the people who live or work in the same enviment as the flooring.
        
Preparation

Laying and storing conditions:  The flooring should be left in the room where it is to be laid for 48’-72 hours to allow for acclimatize. Always place a plastic sheet 1000 or 1200 gauge material direct on sub-floor, below the underlay.  This is most important to avoid moisture Infiltration. Overlap at all joints by about 300mm and tape securely using amoisture proof tape. Vent all edges of plastic sheet behind skirting and trim as necessary.

A floating floor requires no nailing or gluing to the sub-floor.  The relative air humidity (RH) must be between 45-60%. Temperaturte must be 18-25 C before, during and after installation. To prevent any adverse effects from damp, the room should be heated and aired for at least a month before laying, in order to achieve the right climatic conditions. For storage of wooden floors, the same climatic conditions as described above must be present. Packaging must not be removed until immediately before laying.
        

• Tools : In addition to the traditional tools such as hammer, handsaw, tenon or circular saw, measuring tape, set square, pencil, drill and chisel. A fitting bar and tapping block is also recommended. The tapping block is to be used to protect the board edges when tapping them together. Never use a cut-off piece of board, as damage to the edges of the board will result. The fitting bar makes the laying of the final board easier.
  
  
• Planning : If the room is square, the boards should be laid in the direction of incoming light. In rectangular rooms, it is better to lay the boards lengthways in the room, depending on the expansion of the wood.
  
  
• Moisture Barrier : The moisture barrier should always be laid to the sub-floor, and specially when the sub-floor is concrete direcfly on the ground, a floor over warm floor (washrooms etc), or a floor with underfloor heating. The damp barrier must consist of a durable polythene sheet (mm thickness 0.20mm), which is to be laid with overlap mm 200mm. This is to be securely taped using a moisture-proof tape.