You must follow the installation and maintenance instructions to maximize the benefits / life of your floor.
Make sure you have enough cardboard boxes to complete the work, always add 5% for waste. Place unopened floor packing in the middle of the room 24-48 hours before installation. Do not open the boxes until you are ready to start the installation to get the best look and usefulness; We recommend you randomly mix panels from different cardboard boxes.
Color The difference between individual panels or packages is a normal factor in Natural Flooring, therefore it is always advisable to install floors in natural light to maximize the look (laying at night is not recommended). Cork and wood are both products of nature. The difference in structure, color and patterns (even in one box) is all part of the natural beauty of the material.
Cork or wood flooring is not suitable for wet and steam rooms.
Inspect all panels before installation. You are responsible for the installation of defective panels.
All end joints of panels should be arranged in a staggered order at a distance of 8 inches from the joints of the previous row
Like all products from nature, sunlight can cause discoloration.
An expansion space of at least 3/8 "must be used not only between walls and other floor coverings, but also between door frames, pipes or other fixed objects.) Or 26 (boards laid with intersections), expansion must be considered joints, it is necessary to take into account designs of own expansion joints that can be tiled and / or trimmed.
Technical characteristics of the base
The floor surface should be flat and level within 1/8 "within a radius of 8 feet. The base should be clean and dry.
Concrete floors should not contain more than 3 pounds. humidity (1.5 pounds with radiant heat systems) in a dry state (test for calcium chloride). The moisture content of wooden floors should be between 6 and 10% moisture content (MC).
The relative humidity range in the workplace should be 45% - 65%; The temperature setting in the room should be between 65 and 80 degrees.
Evaluation of work
Before installation, carefully check the place of work. Determine whether class, gender and ground conditions are acceptable. In homes with sliders for foundations, it is necessary to provide cross ventilation without dead space. Air vents should be located all over the base with an orifice area equal to 1 %% of the square area within the bypass area. If there is excessive moisture under the house, you must lay a 6-mile black protective layer of polyethylene or polyurethane foam (available for purchase on this site on the ground in the scanning area under the installation site.
preparation
Inspect the bases to make sure they are sound and even.
Wooden flooring: Inspect the wooden underfloor to determine that it is durable and level. Make necessary repairs and remove or install any protruding nails, brackets, or screws. Cut off any vacant plots or plots. If the underground sagging is sagging, inspect the beams below for eddies or other imperfections and repairs. Sand or flat any high areas, fill any low areas. At this point, the door jambs should be trimmed to avoid difficult cuts. Also remember to leave proper expansion under the doorframes.
Concrete floors: on or under a concrete base, are generally acceptable if an effective moisture barrier is installed. Make sure that, at a minimum, any specific underfloor layer must be at least 50-60 days before installing cork / wood floor above it. Check the moisture content by clicking on the 2-foot. x 2-ft. square polyethylene film on the stove in three or four places and, if possible, place a lamp or other heat source on top of the poly for 24 hours or test calcium chloride. Signs of excess moisture include: bleached concrete, muddy film or actual water drops on the underside of the poly. Fill any voids or low spots on the floor with a self-leveling compound. Before proceeding with the installation of a cork / tree, make sure it is completely cured. 15-pound. Roofing paper is also suitable for leveling shallow recesses in the floor. Cut out the shape of the depression and fold into layers to even out the area.
Other flooring: Cork / Wood Floors can be installed on various existing floors, including: vinyl sheet or tiles, rubber tiles, linoleum, terrazzo, ceramic tiles or other wooden floors. The same level and humidity requirements apply, and the existing floor must be reliable.
Before you start laying CORK / WOOD floor coverings on the lower level (basements, etc.). A polyethylene film with a size of 1/64 inch (0.2 mm) must be laid. Cover the film with 6 inches and secure the seams with duck tape. In addition, in installations below the class, wrap the film up the wall.
Start laying
To measure a room, it allows you to determine whether the last board in the first row will be shorter than 12. “If so, the first board in the row should be cut to maximize the overall stability of the flooring.
If the starting wall is not straight, you must use gaskets or a rail to ensure that the first row is straight. After laying the first three rows, these gaskets can be removed (however you should always leave 3/8 "expansion space)
Put the first plank in the right corner of the room from side to side against the wall. Remember to use spacer wedges along all walls or other fixed points in the room. Insert the end of the seam of the second board exactly into the end seam of the first board. This goal should be made at an angle of approximately 20-30 ° C with light pressure on the panel. Continue the installation of the first line.
With the second line, start with the rest of the board from the previous line if the board is at least 12 inches long (Note: pin seams in adjacent rows at least 8 ". If you do not want to cut a new board. Always maintain the distance from the wall. From the right side of the first row, lower this plank by about 20 ° -30 ° from the one in the first row, at the same angle.This is achieved by lifting the front side of the plank about 3-4 inches along with the previously laid plank from one row and then for a month those with slight pressure from the board from the previous row. After installing the row (slightly) to close any gaps between the panels.
If you used shims or slats to keep the first row in a row, after 3-4 rows removed them, still leaving the required distance on all walls. Make sure the spacing is set around fixed points (walls, doorframes, etc.). The floor should float freely.
If you can not use the joints of the boards under the door frames, you can use impact plates, etc. And a pulling rod. Remove all gaskets and install all base plates and strips, making sure that the floor can move freely under it. Never attach base plates or place them directly on the floor.
