BEFORE INSTALLATION
Acclimatise
Your Solid Wood Flooring has been specially kiln-dried to 8-10% relative moisture; 10-12% at delivery - which is the ideal level for European countries. Therefore, your Solid Wood Flooring should be stocked horizontally, in the packaging, for at least 5 days before installation. This should be in the room where you floor will be laid. Make sure that you have a room climate of about 18°c and relative humidity between 45-55%.
In winter, when the temperature may be 0°c or below, and the air is dry outside, we recommend the use of a humidifier, especially when the room temperature is high.
Take care of the following:
Wood lives and breathes, changes in humidity cause natural expansion and contraction of the flooring.
Therefore make sure that:
1. All the painting and wallpapering is done
2. All the plaster is dry
3. Floor and wall tiles have been installed for 3 weeks
4. Windows are in place
5. Make sure radiators have been bled
6. No dehumidification takes place in the room where the floor will be installed
Open several packs of flooring to allow you to mix the planks when laying, taking into consideration the texture of the wood and the change in colours. Each floor, even each board is a piece of nature, which is guaranteed to make your home a place of beauty.
The Sub-Floor
In most modern homes, we have a concrete floor. In older homes we find a structure of battens on which the flooring can be nailed, with renovation we may have a wooden floor. It is important for each base floor that it is dry, clean (no glue or residue), firm and level.
Concrete Floor
Your concrete floor must be sufffiently dry this means maximum moisture of 2.5% for concrete sub-floors with cement and only 0.5% for concrete floors with anhydryt. Your concrete floor must be level, this means no unevenness of more than 2mm over any 1m length. If so, you should make your concrete floor smooth with a proprietary levelling compound. Your concrete floor also has to be firm.
Structure of Battens
Wooden battens are the most traditional sub-floor for the installation of your Solid Wood Flooring. Make sure they are strongly fixed and that they are level. The batten distance between centres is maximum 40cm to allow perfect support.
Wooden Floor
These sub-floors are mostly softwood in 22mm, with tongue and groove. The new flooring has to be laid at right angles to the existing floor. Make sure that all loose boards are nailed down with no protruding nail heads and uneven boards are sanded or smoothed. Old paint or lacquerer has to be removed to allow good adhesion of the glue.
Under-Floor Heating
When laying a floor where under floor heating has been installed it is important to follow these guidelines ;
1. The heating has been started up at least 3 weeks before laying the floor, to make sure that there is no water leaking and to dry the concrete.
2. The concrete has to meet all the requirements for under floor heating.
3. The surface temperature of the ground can not exceed +28°c
4. The heating has to be turned off 48 hours before laying the floor.
5. 8 days after laying the floor the under floor has to be turned on gradually (i.e. 3°c every 24 hours)
INSTALLATION
There are Three Methods to Install Your Solid Wood Flooring
Adhesive (on concrete floor)
You must use a water free, alcohol-glue specially for wood, and follow the instructions of the manufacturer. With this method, you don't need a sub-floor and you don't need to glue tongue and groove. Always be aware the wood lives, so provide an expansion gap of 15mm between the wall and flooring.
Please note-with large area (lengths in excess of 10m) the floor must be divided with an expansion gap. On completion, this gap is covered by a profile that is not fixed to the floor.
Nailing onto the Battens (not for 14mm floor)
This is the most traditional method of installing your floor. Boards to be secret nailed at an angle of 45 °through the top of the tongue. Use lost head machine nails of 50mm and a pneumatic nailing-machine (to avoid damage to the tongue). For extra security, nail the boards to each batten with a pair of nails. For some extremely hard wood species, it may be necessary to predrill nail holes. Don't forget expansion gap (15mm) everywhere.
Floating Solid Floor
It is entirely possible to float most solid flooring.
However:
1. Correct in house conditions must exist
2. Expert installation personal must be employed
WOOD CARE GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
Lacquered flooring
If you have chosen a lacquered floor, it has to remain beautiful for a long time. For ongoing maintenance, make sure you use the appropriate products as advised by your retailer.
We also advise the following:
1. Protect chair and furniture legs using felt or other suitable products
2. Avoid the introduction of sand and dirt from outside by placing a floor mat at door.
3. Daily maintenance is done by wiping or vacuuming. Surplus water must be avoided.
4. Remove dirt and stains with a gentle detergent and damp (not wet) sponge.
!! Never use aggressive detergents or products conatining ammonia or silicones !!
Pre-oiled Solid Wood Flooring
If you have chosen a pre-oiled floor, you have made an environmental choice. Nowadays it is friendly to treat wooden floors with vegetable oil. In Scandinavia it is a long used and very successful method of finishing. Oiled floors have an extremely natural appearance.
There are two types of oil-natural and white. The natural oil enhances the natural structure of the wood and the white oil gives a transparent and limited appearance.
Please bear in mind the above is only a guideline and we cannot be held resposible for any fitting or after care problems. If you are in any doubt, please contact us.
