Installation for Traditional Parquetry, Chevron Parquetry, French Panels

All conventional installation procedures under accepted local standards can be applied in installations of Oakleaf solid timber flooring.

Additional care should be taken with acclimatization of solid timber products to suit the environment where the products are installed.

It is strongly recommended to conduct installations within acceptable guidelines for each method of chosen installation and to obtain professional advice prior to the commencement of any such installations.

Installation for Classic Board, Design Board, Modern Board

All Oakleaf engineered timber flooring offers a choice of installation methods, such as direct-stick (preferred method using pre-sanded boards) and/or so-called “floating floor” (mainly for pre-finished boards).

Oakleaf engineered timber boards should be unpacked prior to immediate installation only. Always obtain professional advice to most suitable method of installation for your floors.

Read these Important Points in full:
1. Sub-floor
2. Moisture barrier and sound insulation
3. Expansion Joints
4. Laying the boards
5. Use a striking block
6. Pipe penetrations
7. Tightening of the last board. Use wedges until the glue has dried.

1. Sub-floor

The sub-floor must be dry, level, solid, and clean: concrete, plywood, building boards, old wooden floor, plastic flooring is all suitable sub-floors (textile carpeting is not suitable sub-floor).

2. Moisture barrier and sound installation

Prior to installation, check that the sub-floor is sufficiently dry (the relative humidity of sub-floor without moisture barrier should be less than 60% and with moisture barrier less than 85%). Concrete floors laid on a ground slab or above warm or damp spaces such as saunas, wash-rooms, etc; always require long lasting insulation against moisture. This can be a number of plastic underlay sheeting, where the length should overlap 200 mm and the seams are to be taped.

The relative humidity of room air during and after laying should be 40-60% when the temperature is approximately +20 C.

Check the level of the sub-floor with a straight edge or a straight flooring board. The maximum allowed deviation is 3 mm in 2 metres. The sub-floors should be levelled, if necessary. Building boards or timber floors are sanded. Old timber floors should be checked, filled and nailed down.

Sound Insulation Underlay must always be placed between the sub-floor and the hardwood floor boards. Plastic sheeting is installed as a moisture barrier on concrete sub-floors.

Open the packs as the installation work progresses. Check that the boards are flawless before installing them. Should you discover a board with a manufacturing defect, do not lay it. It may be usable later on.

Timber is a natural material and hardwood floor expands and contracts along with changes in air humidity.

3. Expansion Joints

Expansion Joints must be used in spaces wider than 8 metres across the boards. The 10 - 15 mm gap should be left in a normal size room between the edge of the floor board and any wall or other surface that it meets. Use wedges to maintain the gap and to press the boards together.

A corresponding gap must be provided at pipe penetrations, etc. In large continuous spaces and/or in spaces that are separate or of different shapes the floor should have expansion joint, where the boards are not glued together (“dry joints”). The joint can be covered with strip. The expansion joints are positioned in door openings, corners or other suitable locations.

4. Laying the Boards

Boards installed as “floating floor” should not be installed under fixed furniture and household appliances.

Lay the boards in the direction of incoming light.

Begin the installation from solid wall with the groove of the first row facing the wall and check with the guide line that the row is straight.

Start the new row with left over piece from the last board of previous row. The end joints of boards of adjoining rows should be at least 500 mm apart and joints of the boards are to be glued throughout. Thin strip of PVA glue is applied into lower or upper edge of the groove through the bottle nozzle.

Any glue overflow must be immediately wiped off with a damp cloth.

5. Use a Striking Block

Use a striking block to close the T @ G joints. Never force the boards together to prevent damage to the boards.

6. Pipe Penetrations

For pipe penetrations, cut the board to the correct length. Measure and mark required location for pipe penetrations and align with existing boards.

Drill holes for the pipes with a bit 20 mm larger than pipe diameter. Put the board in place and apply glue to all sides of the sawed off piece and put it in place.

7. Tightening of the last board

Place the last board (measured and sawn to size) along the line and press the sawn board into place with cramping tool (a crowbar) using some protection between the wall and the cramping tool. Insert wedges.

Architraves and frames often have to be short-ended. Saw through the architrave using the board and underlay as a guide so that you can fit the board underneath. Do not forget to leave room for expansion under thresholds as well. This is achieved by cutting a recess under threshold or by fitting a ready-made threshold or edging strip.

When the glue has dried remove all wedges and install skirting. Do not make skirting so tight as to “lock” the floor in place. Finish off with matching wood putty, if necessary.

To protect laid floor boards during construction use clean cardboards (not plastic) taped together (not to hardwood floor).

NOTE: When fitting boards crosswise (in a narrow hallway), you can prevent boards from buckling by cutting through the conifer of the bottom layer in 2 - 3 places at 45 degree angle.

Care and Maintenance Tips

In order to maintain the surface of your pre-coated floor boards (varnished):

* Place door mats by external doors and under the coat rack.

* Attach felt pads under furniture legs to prevent scratching of the floor boards. A protective mat or sheet is used under chair and furniture on casters.

* Avoid walking on the floor with spiked heels.

* When relative humidity drops below 40% use humidifiers.

* Avoid using extensive water in cleaning. Use damp, not wet mop or cloth. Water splashed on the floor must be dried immediately.

* Remove stains while they are still fresh. Usually plain warm water should be sufficient.

* Avoid scrubbing with abrasive material.

* A scratched and worn varnished surface may be waxed with a wax intended for varnished wooden floors or re-varnished after sanding.

* Consult manufacturers of care cleaning products as to their suitability prior to use on your floor.