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Wood Flooring Installation |
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| DIY - All our
floors are delivered with full step by step DIY instructions.
We can also gladly send you the Upofloor Real Wood Floors User's
Guide with detailed information about the preparation, fitting
and maintenance of our floors. |
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| PREPARATION IS HALF THE JOB |
| These instructions make it easy for
a do-it-yourself installer to put the Upofloor Real Wood-Floor
boards in place. The boards are pre-varnished at the factory,
so the floor is ready for use immediately. |
Subfloor
Hardwood floors are laid on a dry, flat, solid subfloor. However,
they are not usually fastened to the subfloor, but fitted as
a so-called floating floor. Boards can also be glued directly
onto the subfloor. Suitable subfloors for a floating floor include
concrete, slate, wood, plastic, linoleum and cork. Wall-to-wall
carpeting must be removed. |
| The subfloor must be level. When measured
with a 200cm ruler, the maximum allowed deviation is 3mm. If
the deviation exceeds 3mm, the floor must first be levelled
using either a suitable filler or board. An old wooden floor
should be nailed down if necessary to make sure it is solid.
You can wash the old floor first to avoid any unpleasant odour. |
| The relative humidity of a concrete floor
without a moisture barrier must be less than 60% and with a
moisture barrier, less than 80%. To check the humidity, either
use a hygrometer, or place a plastic sheet (PE) firmly over
the floor for 4-5 days. If there are water drops underneath
the plastic sheet or if the concrete has turned darker, the
floor is too moist. A moisture barrier (plastic sheet, PE) is
recommended underneath the hardwood boards and the sound insulation
material if the floor is laid on top of concrete, or above damp
spaces such as sauna, washroom or basement. |
Before laying the boards
The room temperature at the time of installation should be at
least +18°C. Keep the packages in the room where you want
to install the boards for a few days. Open the packages as you
go along, not beforehand. |
Sound insulation
Always place a sound and damp insulation material between the
hardwood boards and the subfloor. |
Expansion allowance
As wood expands and contracts somewhat with changes in air humidity,
remember to leave a 10mm gap between the wall and the boards,
and around pipe penetrations etc. Cover the gap with skirting
or cover strip. In larger floors, the gap should be 1.5mm per
each metre crosswise, for example in a floor 8m wide 8 x 1.5mm
= 12mm. |
Expansion joint
If the floor covers a large, continuous area more than 8 metres
wide, an expansion joint should be inserted into the hardwood
floor. To make an expansion joint, do not apply glue on the
board's long side, but make a so-called dry joint instead. Cut
the boards crosswise and cover the seam with a strip, if necessary.
The expansion joint should be placed under a threshold, into
a corner or other suitable place. |
How to choose the laying direction
and the starting place
It is preferable to lay the boards in the direction of incoming
light. If you lay the hardwood boards on top of a wooden floor,
it is advisable to lay them crosswise. |
| Start from a solid wall. First check with
a cord that the wall is straight. If the wall is not straight,
draw a line matching the shape of the wall on the first boards,
and saw them into that shape. |
Laying tip
When fitting boards crosswise, in a narrow hallway, for instance,
you can prevent the boards from buckling by cutting through
the conifer plywood at the bottom at two or three places. Make
the cut at an approx. 45° angle and only cut through the
plywood. |
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| INSTRUCTIONS FOR EASY INSTALLATION |
Use a sufficient number of wedges to maintain
the gap and to press the boards together. It is preferable
to lay the boards in the direction of incoming light. When
placing the boards on top of a wooden floor, we recommend
that you lay them crosswise. Start from a solid wall with
the groove of the first row of boards facing the wall. |
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| 1.
Use a guideline to check that the row is straight. If
the starting wall is not straight, draw a line matching
the shape of the wall on the boards and saw them into
that shape. |
2a.
Start the next row with a piece left over from the previous
board. The end joints of boards in adjoining rows should
be at least 50cm apart. |
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| 2b. Apply glue to
the entire joint. Apply glue to the groove of the board
through the nozzle but remember to keep the bottom of
the groove clean. (Consumption of glue approx. 10-15m²/
litre). |
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| 3. Use a 30-40cm striking
block to close the tongue-and-groove joints. Never force
the boards together. Place the board as shown in the picture
above and work towards the end joint. This way you can
ensure that the crosswise joint is tight. |
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| 4. Cut the board to
correct length. Place it on top of the board you fitted
last. Using a right angle, mark the pipe diameter on the
board. Measure the distance of the pipe from a fitted
board and mark it on the board to be drilled. Mark the
position of the other pipes in a similar fashion, by moving
the board to be drilled on the other side of the pipes.
Mark the centres of the pipes. |
5. Drill holes for the
pipes using a drill bit 20mm larger in diameter than the
pipes. Use a compass saw to saw off the piece that will
be placed behind the pipes. Hold the saw at an approximately
45° angle, also when sawing between the holes. Put
the board in place. Apply glue on all sides of the loose
piece and place it behind the pipes. |
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| 6. Place the last board
exactly on top of the one laid last. Take a short, tongued
piece of board, press the tongued side against the wall
and draw a line onto the board underneath following the
edge. Saw the board along this line. |
7. Tighten the board
in place using a crowbar or other suitable implement.
Use some protection between the wall and the tool. Insert
wedges. |
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| 8. Architraves, and
sometimes even door-frames, need to be shortened. To do
this, place a loose floorboard on the floor by the frame.
Make sure you have the same levelling material under this
board as elsewhere to get the correct height. Saw through
the architraves using the board as base to make sure the
board will fit under it. |
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| 9. Remove all wedges.
Place a piece of board on top of the skirting diagonally
towards the floor. Press the skirting down with your knee
and nail it into place. Be careful not to tighten the
skirting too much, or it will "lock" the floor
into place. |
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| 10. Remember to leave
room for expansion under thresholds as well. To do this,
remove a piece of the threshold, or fit in a suitable
threshold or edging strip. |
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| PROPER CARE HELPS KEEP YOUR HARDWOOD
FLOOR IN GREAT SHAPE |
Good doormats are essential
Preventing damage to your floor helps keep it in great shape.
A good doormat stops sand, dirt and moisture at your front
door, and keeps them away from your hardwood floor. Another
piece of good advice is to attach felt pads to the ends of
furniture legs. You can buy self-adhesive pads from hardware
stores.
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Avoid excessive use of water
Only use damp, not wet, cloth and floor mop when cleaning your
floor. Water splashed on the floor must be dried off immediately. |
Varnished hardwood floor
Regular care only involves vacuuming and wiping with a damp
cloth. When necessary, the floor can be washed with a mild detergent
(pH 6-8) using a floor mop or cloth. |
| Remove stains when they are still fresh.
Usually just water or a mild detergent (pH 6-8) will suffice.
Avoid scrubbing with abrasive equipment or using strong solvents. |
| If the floor is badly scratched, you can
wax it using floor wax made for varnished hardwood floors. |
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