LOOSE-LAY INSTALLATION GUIDELINES
Follow These Instructions for Installation
- The installation area must be climate controlled for at least one week before installation, during installation, and continuously after installation. Proper conditions are between 65°F and 85°F (18°C-29°C). This product is not suitable for installation in non-climate controlled areas such as covered decks, porches or outdoors.
- Acclimate the product to the climate-controlled location’s temperature for a minimum of 48 hours before starting installation. It is important that the flooring be the same temperature as the area it is installed in.
- Make sure the subfloor is clean and clear of all debris before installation.
- Pull planks from different cartons when installing to ensure a pleasant blending of colors from possibly different production runs. Slight color variations are normal and expected between print runs.
- As much as possible protect the floor from long term direct exposure to sunlight.
Preparing The Subfloor
Subfloor preparation is very important for a successful installation. The better prepared the subfloor, the better looking the finished floor will be.
Roughness or unevenness of the subfloor may telegraph through the new floor. All subfloors should be smooth and flat with a tolerance of 1/8”in a 6 foot span (3mm over 1.8m) or less. All subfloor and underlayment patching must be done with a non-shrinking, water-resistant Portland cement type patching compound.
- Concrete subfloors must be dry, smooth and free from dust, solvent, paint, wax, grease, oil, asphalt sealing compounds and other extraneous materials. The surface must be hard, dense, and free from powder or flaking. The floor should have a moisture reading of less than 75% RH.
- New concrete slabs must be thoroughly dry, at least six weeks old, and completely cured. The final responsibility for determining if the concrete is dry enough for installation of the flooring lies with the floor covering installer.
- Holes, grooves, expansion joints and other depressions must be filled with a Portland cement based underlayment and troweled smooth and feathered even with the surrounding surface. Irregularities will telegraph through the floor and be visible on the finished surface and are not covered by the warranty.
- Concrete floors with a radiant heating system are allowed as long as the temperature of the subfloor does not exceed 80°F (27°C) at any point. The heating system should be covered with a self-leveling underlayment separating the flooring from the heat source by at least 1/2″ (12mm).
- Ceramic tile must be made smooth by applying a cementitious overlay such as patching or leveling compound.
- All wood and wood composite panels, including plywood, OSB, flake board and particle board are acceptable subfloors as long as they are dry, smooth, flat, structurally sound and free of deflection. Joints should be sanded if they exhibit peaking, as this will telegraph to the surface of the new flooring.
- Product can be installed over most existing hard-surface floor coverings provided the existing floor surface is smooth or can be made smooth. Existing floors must be solid. Fix any loose areas. Deeply embossed existing resilient floors require the use of an embossing leveler to avoid telegraphing to your new floor. Heavily cushioned vinyl flooring or vinyl flooring consisting of multiple layers are NOT suitable subfloors for installation.
- Metal and Painted Floors: Remove any loose paint or ether finishes.
- Existing adhesive residue must be removed or encapsulated. Never scrape adhesive residue that may contain asbestos.
Installation Requirements
This multi-fit loose lay product is for installing in the interior of any building with minimal adhesives, as long as the subfloor has been prepared to the standard as stated in Subfloor Preparation.
Tools Needed:
- Utility Knife
- Carpenters Square or Straight Edge
- Tape Measure
If using adhesive, follow adhesive supplier’s instructions.
Commercial Installation Requirements
- Before installation, make sure the subfloor is dry and dust free.
- Flooring should be laid directly against walls, fixed with a bead of silicone after installation completed. Open transition areas with no wall to lay against should be fixed with 4″ wide adhesive.
- It is important for outer planks to fit snug against the wall or cabinets (fixed items), otherwise a 4″ wide strip of tape or adhesive is required to hold the perimeter in place. It is best to fit tight against any baseboard or trim. If there is no baseboard and the sheetrock does not extend to the floor, then adhesive is required.
- Make sure each tile/plank is fit tightly to the next piece. Very light tapping to get a tight fit is fine, but take care not to compress the plank you are tapping into. Firm and tight is correct, overly tight will lead to compression and later peaking joints when the compressed planks try to return to normal length or width.
- High traffic areas, areas with large temperature variations, and areas with heavy rolling loads require full spread adhesive.
How To Install Planks and Tile
- Decide how you want the floor to run. Plank products usually look best when they run the length of the room. This is all a matter of preference, though, so feel free to lay some planks in different directions to see which way looks better.
- To avoid narrow plank widths or short plank lengths near the walls and doors, it is important to do some pre-planning. Using the width of the room, calculate how many full boards will fit into the area and how much space remains that will need to be covered by partial planks. Divide the remaining space by two to calculate the width of the partial planks. Do the same along the length.
- The planks or tiles should be installed from one corner of the room working your way out toward the other wall. Planks or tiles should be laid tight against the wall.
- Using a utility knife and straight edge, score the top surface of the plank then use more pressure to cut all the way through.
- Start the next row. Planks should be installed randomly, making sure end joints are staggered and adjoining planks have end joints at least 6″ (150mm) from the previous row’s end joint. Keep planks and tiles tight to the surrounding floor.
- When fitting around door jambs or other irregular objects first make a pattern using heavy paper or poster board. Trace the pattern onto the flooring and cut with a utility knife.
- If a seam is not tight you can easily lift the planks and reposition.
Cleaning and Maintenance
Prevent excessive dirt and moisture from being tracked on the floor with mats outside each entrance.
Use non-staining mats on your floor. Do not use rubber or latex backed mats which may permanently stain vinyl floors.
Routine cleaning is recommended to maintain the life of the floor. Use a neutral pH cleaner designed for vinyl floors.
Avoid exposure to direct sunlight for prolonged period. During peak sunlight hours, the use of blinds or curtains is recommended. Prolonged direct sunlight can result in discoloration and volatile temperature variations causing damage to the floor.
Any use of solvent material is prohibited and will not be warrantied.
For more information, call 844-296-4669.