Installation Instructions
Pre-installation Warranty IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ!
It is the duty of the installer/owner, whether professional or DIY (do it yourself), to inspect all flooring before installation. If the installer or buyer feels the flooring is the wrong colour, improperly manufactured, has finish problems, is off-grade or is the wrong gloss level, DO NOT install the flooring. Please immediately contact the retailer from which the flooring was purchased. No claim will be accepted for flooring which is visibly wrong if such product is installed. Wood is a product of nature not plastic, and standard industry practice allows for up to 5% of flooring shipped to have milling, handling, finish and/or grade defects. This warranty applies only to materials in excess of this 5%, in additional to the industry standard 4~6% cutting waste. PLEASE NOTE: It is the duty of the installer/home owner to judge the suitability of any piece for placement in a conspicuous area of the room. If you feel a piece is not suitable, either do not install it or install it in an inconspicuous place. All flooring, other than unfinished flooring, is factory finished and therefore, please before applying any further coats of oil or lacquer of any type, check with your supplier if the flooring/original finish is suitable.
We recommend that a solid floor should only be laid by a trained professional floor fitter.
All boards should be checked fully before fitting and any with defects should be laid aside and NOT be fitted. We will not accept any responsibility for any boards, obviously defective, being laid, or claims made AFTER FITTING on boards with faults which could have been picked out before installation.
- Moisture: Relative humidity of a room should be between 40%-60%
- Moisture Content of the subfloor should be less than 5% or 75% RH in Concrete
(Please note that a new concrete screed will dry out at a rate of approx. 1 inch per month – This means a new screed 6 inches deep will take 6 months before being dry enough to fit a solid wood floor.)
Solid wood flooring should be left on site to acclimatise in the room it is to be fitted for 7 – 10 days before installation, plastic wrapping should be removed during acclimatisation.
Fitting:
* This product should NOT be Floated, we do not recommend this as a fitting method for Solid Flooring.
Battens or Joists must be set at intervals designed to support header joints. The batten centre is dependant upon the grade of timber used. More support should be given to lower grade flooring. Battens must be a minimum of 36mm in depth to allow support. The very best form of fixing for solid flooring is by nailing to 18mm plywood. This offers all round support for boards.
Under-Floor Heating:
Our advice is that solid flooring is not laid over underfloor heating to do so will invalidate any guarantee or warrantee. The extremes of temperature that it would have to face when the heating is switched on and off would cause real problems.
Fixing:
To be done by nailing usually by a secret nailer gun. The secret nail will be fired at a 45% angle through the tongue to the batten or ply substructure. Where installing unfinished flooring over 130mm width, there will be a need for face fixing. This can be done by screw or by pellet. The holes can then be covered using a filler product.
Adhesion method of fixing:
There are some installations where nailing is not possible due to the height allowance – I.E.: 18mm Ply + 22mm solid timber = 40mm build up. Where this is the case a suitable adhesive will suffice. This will most probably require a trowel down application. It is important to ensure firstly that the subfloor meets the required moisture tolerances. Once this is established it is then vital to make sure that the subfloor is clean and free of any contaminants. The subfloor must be swept and free of dust.
When adhering solid wood floors to the subfloor it is important to work on small areas, no greater than 1M2 at a time. It may be necessary to clamp the floor as you go along the line, ensuring tension is kept at all times. It is advisable to face fix any boards in excess of 100mm width to restrict natural movement and avoid cupping problems.
Expansion:
Expansion gaps must be left for the floor to move and expand naturally. This must be calculated by the following formula:
1.5mm expansion x Metre width = min expansion gap required in mm.
It is important to base the calculation on the width rather than length as wood expands more widthways than lengthways. As a rule of thumb, it is always advisable to leave at least a 2mm ‘washer’ gap every 8 – 10 rows.
Please note:
Installing Solid Wood Flooring is something which we recommend only a professional fitter undertakes to ensure the best results – some product warrantees are invalid if the floor is not installed by a professional fitter however for further more detailed fitting instructions please view: