The Complete Laminate Installation Guide
About Installation
Pre-Installation Warranty
Jobsite Requirements
Preparation
Fitting Instructions
About Floating Installation
Floating installation is generally fast, inexpensive and DIY friendly. Unlike a nail or glue down installation, floated floors act as an entire unit as each plank interlocks edge-to-edge to form a single mat-like surface and the flooring material is not secured to the subfloor or underlayment. There are some crucial details that you should know before installation.
Please read carefully and follow these points for a successful project:
As all laminate floors contain a hygroscopic core and they expand and contract with the change of season.
- Always leave 5mm expansion space around all perimeters, vertical and unmovable objects. If your installation length exceeds 9.5 meters, more expansion space is required approximately 1.5mm per each extra 3 meters.
- Use expansion shims spaced every 30cm along all walls to help prevent avoidable movement during remainder of installation.
- Install T-mouldings in every doorway, archway, hallway and opening between rooms for proper expansion space to be maintained so that the rooms can expand or contract independently.
- Never install cabinet or other permanent fixtures on top of the floor. The weight of the cabinets or heavy objects will obstruct the space for expansion or contraction, and this can cause the flooring to buckle and
damage the flooring’s locking system.
Pre-Installation Warranty
To make sure you are receiving the right floor, please inspect ALL flooring carefully BEFORE installation. If during inspection 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 us. No claim will be accepted for flooring which is visually defective if such flooring is installed, the installed flooring is deemed to be acceptable.
NOTE:
Warranty coverage may be lost due to failure to strictly follow all installation instructions and recommendations and/or the use of improper materials or tools.
While the floating method offers some advantages, there are some things of which you should be aware:
- The floor may have a hollow sound when walking on it.
- The laminate rests on the subfloor with its own weight, which may cause the floor to have slight vertical movement.
- A damaged plank cannot be replaced as simply as in a staple down, nail down, or full glue down installation.
Jobsite Requirements
1. All work involving water or moisture should be complete before installing laminate flooring.
For any new construction or remodelling project, laminate flooring should be one of the last items installed. The job site should be monitored for consistent, normal room temperature of 68 deg. F (16 deg. C) in winter and 74 deg. F (22 deg. C) in summer, and relative humidity of 40~60% for at least one week before installation. This flooring should be kept in the shrink-wrapped boxes until immediately before installation.
2. All subfloors should be flat and clean.
The subfloor surfaces must be level to within 3mm in a 2.5 metre. radius and the maximum level tolerance is 5mm per 3 metres. Check this by using a 2 metre or longer straight edge to find high and/or low spots. If necessary, flatten out any irregularities using #20 grit paper and fill any low spots with levelling compound.
3. Wood subfloors must be dry and well secured, with a moisture content under 12%.
The bottom side, if facing outside (like a crawl space) must be under 15% MC and a 6mm Polyfilm placed over the dirt in the crawl space.
Adequate ventilation must exist, with clearance of 46cm to 61cm. Leave 3mm gap around perimeter. Levelled by
sanding or grinding down high spots and filling in low spots with an underlayment patch as necessary.
Preferred subfloor: 19mm CDX grade Plywood subfloor / underlayment (Exposure 1), 4' x 8' sheets or 1.90cm OSB subfloor/ underlayment grade, PS2 rated, sealed side down, with joist spacing of 49cm
on centre or less.
4. Concrete subfloor must be fully cured for at least 60 days.
Installed properly with minimum 6mm Polyfilm between concrete and ground. Dry all year round.
DO NOT install over concrete if you are not sure it will remain dry. Tested for moisture by using calcium chloride test.
Preparation
Set the unboxed floors aside for at least 48 hours before installation. This allows the moisture content of the floor to equilibrate with the surrounding environment.
Make sure your subfloors match the regulations above.
Once all requirements are met, you may open each box of floors carefully and inspect each planks visually before installation. Please note that the boards are considered accepted by the installer and the homeowner once installed.
IMPORTANT:
As an installer, it is your responsibility to be aware of the grade, Relative Humidity of the room, and moisture content of the subfloor.
You should check that each plank is free of damage or manufacturing defects.
Any unusable boards should not be used, and any boards that you find visibly objectionable should either be used in an inconspicuous place or not used at all.
Tools You May Need
- Tape Measure
- Chalk Line
- Hammer
- Knocking Block
- Expansion Shims
- Floor Protectors
- Router Bit
- Splines
Fitting Instructions
About Click-Lock System
This product uses the click-lock system, meaning that it is suggested to be installed as floating floors. The edges, attached with a self-Iocking mechanism, offers a simple installation without using any glue or nails. The flooring is installed by positioning the tongue of one panel towards the groove of another panel.
Connect the panels by exerting forward pressure. when the panel has come all the way in, angle the panel down to its final position. Should resistance be experienced do not force the panel down.
- Place the male of the long side against the wall and connect the long side first at an angle
- Slide and fold down
- Press to lock
How To Disengage
1. Lift up entire row at an angle
2. Slide the planks in opposite directions
Starting Installation
- Make sure the subfloor is level and clean.
- Use rated floating underlayment if necessary.
NOTE:
If your new laminate floor has its own acoustic underlay pad attached, then do NOT use a further floating/secondary underlay and this will cause deflection and possible unbuckling of the click system.- Begin a floating floor installation with the male of long side against the wall!
- Leave expansion space at all walls and all vertical obstructions, e.g. (fireplace, doorjambs, etc.)
Step One - First Row
Use the starter row as an alignment guide, leave space in between planks.
The numbers of planks use should correspond to the size of the space.
You may remove the starter row when the third row is completed.
Shift the floors toward the wall against the spacers and proceed the installation.
Step Two - Subsequent Rows
2-1. Start each subsequent row with cut off end of last board from previous row.
Such cut off piece must be longer than 30.5cm.
Beginning at left, stagger end joints by minimum 15.25cm (20.32cm is preferred).
2-2. Procedure for installing each board: Set cut-off board from previous row, as described in Step 2.1.
Remember to allow for expansion gap and shim accordingly. Work from left to right.
2-3. At end of row, cut board to appropriate length (allowing for expansion gap)
After Installation
Retain excess planks in case of future repairs.