| 1. Inspection
responsibility |
Laminate flooring is produced in precise working steps in one of the most modern production sites. Half-finished as well as finished products will be constantly and strictly controlled.
Despite our strict quality controls, damages on single panels are not impossible, i.e. transportation damages. Always check the panels before and during the installation.
Attention! - Laminate flooring is not suitable for installations in wet rooms such as bathrooms, saunas or in similar rooms. |
| 2. Sub floors
requirements |
All sub floors must be prepared
for installation in accordance with normal sub floor
preparation procedures and to accepted tolerances within
the flooring industry.
Before installing Laminate flooring there
are the following points to consider: |
Moisture
test
The test will be done with CM-device and should not
exceed the following moisture level:
•
for cement based concrete 2%CM
•
for anhydrite concrete 0.5%CM
In North America, the maximum allowed moisture level
for concrete sub floors should not exceed 5 lb. / 1000
ft² / 24 hours measured with the Calcium Chloride
Test Method according to ASTM F1869-98. |
Evenness
test
Evenness requirements are based on industrial typical
standards.
Maximum tolerance of 3 mm per one meter (1/8”
per three feet). |
Load capacity
The sub floor has to be a closed and self supporting
surface. |
Cleanness test
The sub floor has to be in a clean and vacuumed condition. |
Test of the climate condition in the room
where the laminate flooring will be installed
The following conditions should be fulfilled before,
during and after the installation:
•
a room temperature of minimum 18°C (64°F)
•
a floor surface temperature of minimum 15°C (59°F)
•
a relative humidity between 40% and 70% |
|
| 3. Sub floors |
Laminate flooring installed
as a floating flooring configuration can be installed
on all sub floors which meet the above described requirements.
Following find some examples:
•
all types of concrete sub floors, including hot water
radiant sub floor systems
•
particle board sub floor constructions
•
fiberboard sub floor constructions
•
existing flooring surfaces like as PVC, linoleum, natural
stone slab, ceramic tiles
Not suitable sub floors are:
textile surfaces = carpets
Limited suitable sub floors are:
electrical radiant sub floor heating systems (controlled
through the surface temperature)
Explanation and limitation for the use of electrical
radiant sub floor heating system:
Basically, an electrical radiant sub floor heating systems
is an approved sub floor type only if the heating element
is installed within the concrete or other sub floors
and not installed as a foil heating element on top of
the concrete or other sub floors.
Attention – the surface temperature may never exceed 28°C
(83°F)!
Electrical radiant sub floor heating systems installed
as a foil heating element may be used only if it can
be insured through the manufacturer of the heating element
that the surface temperature never exceeds 28°C
(83°F).
Standard electrical foil heating systems generate at
extreme temperature variations surface temperatures
of way more then 28°C (83°F). Based on this
reason, they are not suitable as a sub floor construction.
Please note the following rules for the different sub
floor types: |
Concrete sub floors
If Laminate flooring system is installed
over a concrete sub floor, you may have to consider
that possible rest moisture in the sub floor will migrate
to the surface of the sub floor. Based on the afore
mentioned reason it is always necessary to install a
0,2 (8 mil) polyethylene film as a moisture barrier
over concrete sub floors, except for mastic asphalt.
The lanes need to overlap by at least 20 cm (8”). |
Concrete with hot water radiant heating
systems
To ensure that radiant heating systems will work properly
for many years to come, it is essential to plan and
coordinate the different elements of the flooring construction
(concrete – radiant heating system – laminate
flooring).
All existing floor surfaces need to be removed prior
to installing the new laminate flooring.
In addition to the standard sub floor tests it is necessary
to provide a certificate that the proper “heating-up
and heating-down phases” have been done. A correct
heating-up and heating-down of the concrete construction
will be necessary at every season of the year. |
The heating-up and heating-down phase:
- Start of the heating-up phase earliest 21 days after
the cement based concrete has been installed, according
to the manufacturer for anhydrite concrete but earliest
after 7 days.
- Start the heating-up phase with a flow temperature
of 25°C (77°F), which has to remain for three
days.
- Increase the flow temperature daily by 5°C (9°F)
up to the maximum flow temperature.
- Keep the maximum flow temperature for three days without
switching off during the night.
- After three days decrease the flow temperature daily
by 10°C (18°F) until you reach a surface temperature
of 18°C (64°F).
- During and three days after the installation of the
laminate flooring panels remain at 18°C (64°F)
surface temperature.
- Three days after the installation you can start to
increase the flow temperature slowly. |
Attention – the surface temperature may never exceed 28°C
(83°F)!
It is always necessary to install a 0,2 mm (8 mil) polyethylene
film as a moisture barrier underneath the underlayment |
Natural stone slab and ceramic tiles
You may have to consider that possible rest moisture
in the sub floor will migrate to the surface of the
sub floor and therefore an installation of a moisture
barrier is required. |
Particle and fiber
boards
To improve the subsonic noise a sound proof underlayment
is recommended.
Do not install a moisture barrier. |
Hardwood
flooring boards
Screw down loose boards.
To improve the subsonic noise a sound proof underlayment
is recommended.
Do not install a moisture barrier.
A sufficient ventilation system sub floor construction
is necessary.
The laminate flooring has to be installed cross wise
to the wooden boards. |
Elastic flooring
surfaces
On this kind of flooring surfaces you don’t need
a moisture barrier because the elastic flooring works
as a moisture barrier.
To improve the subsonic noise a sound proof underlayment
is recommended. |
|
| 4. Installation
preparation |
Acclimatization of the
panels
Before starting the installation, laminate
flooring has to be brought into the room where it will
be installed or in a room with the same climate condition. |
The acclimatization will be done as following:
•
in sealed unopened carton
•
for a time period of at least 48 hours
•
flat laying with at least 50 cm (20”) distance
to the walls
•
at a room temperature of at least 18°C (64°F)
• at a floor surface
temperature of minimum 15°C (59°F)
•
at a relative humidity between 40% and 70% |
Installation direction
Laminate flooring shows its best if you install the
laminate flooring panels parallel to the incoming light
from windows.
The only required installation direction is if you install
laminate flooring over hardwood flooring boards. In
this case you have to install the laminate flooring
at a 90 degree angle to the existing hardwood flooring
boards. |
Planning the first row
After determining the best orientation of the flooring
and the starting wall, measure the width of the room
and divide by the width of the laminate flooring panels
to determine the number of rows and the width of the
last row. If the last row is determined to be less than
5 cm (2”) wide, it should be adjusted by cutting
the first row lengthwise. |
Planning
of expansion gaps
Laminate flooring as an organic material underlies
certain movement behavior (shrinkage/expansion) through
changes in the climate conditions. Through adequate
expansion gaps to all parts of structures the flooring
will not be prevented from his movement behavior.
It is necessary to leave expansion gaps in a width of
8mm to 10mm (1/3” to 2/5”) to all parts
of structure i.e. walls, door frames, stairs, around
pipes, … |
Planning of transition
moldings
Through the shrinkage and expansion behavior of laminate
flooring you have to install transition moldings at
the following conditions:
•
at all door throughways
•
at all passage ways
•
angular rooms
•
single room length and or with of more than 10 m (33
ft) |
|
| 5. The
installation |
 After the first carton has been opened and the panels have been unpacked, please detach the pre-perforated installation help from the bottom of the carton. Fold the installation help as shown in Fig. 1. The installation help provides the exact height and angel for the connection of the panels in length direction. Please continue now as described in the following points 1 through 5. |
Always check
the panels for visible damages before and during
installation. Any panels found to be faulty with
a visible damage which are then installed are
exempt from the warranty.
Begin installing the first row from the left-hand
corner of the room with both tongue sides of the
panels (Fig.2) towards the wall. Place the 8-10
mm (1/3”-2/5”) spacers between the
edges of the flooring panels and the walls to
provide room for expansion (Fig. 3). Connect the
second panel to the first by placing the interlocking
end of the new panel at an angle to the already
installed panel (Fig. 4) and then lowering it
into a horizontal flat position to lock (Fig.
5). |
    |
Mark the last panel in the first row to the required length (place tongue to tongue) and saw – do not forget the expansion gap. Start the second row with the left over piece of the first row. The remaining piece has to be at least 200 mm (8”) long to ensure maximum strength of the connection. Please start also in the consequent rows each new row with the left over piece of the previous row.
Attention: make sure that the short ends are staggered at least 200 mm (8")! If you install panels with a beveled edge or if you want to achieve a special pattern (e.g. regular staggering or checkerboard with tiles), please make sure that you stagger the short ends according to your pattern idea. |
After the first
row has been installed, start the second row with
the left over piece of the first row or with a
panel which has been cut to achieve a special
flooring pattern. To connect the first piece,
place the interlocking tongue edge of the new
panel at an angle (Fig. 6) to the groove edge
of the already installed panel and then lowering
it into a horizontal flat position to lock.
Connect all following panels first on the short
edge as described under point 5.1. You should
use now the installation help and it should be
placed under the front right corner of the last
panel installed (Fig. 7).When the short edges
are connected, make sure to place the long edge
as close together as possible. This will help
to connect the long edges (Fig. 7 – detail).
Now remove the installation help from underneath
the previously installed panel, push the new panel
with the tongue into the groove of the previous
row and lower the panel to a flat position to
lock (Fig. 8).
Place the installation help underneath the right
front corner of the newly installed panel (Fig.
9). Keep in mind, that you will lift the previous
installed panel in this row together with the
newly installed panel because they are connected
on the short edge. Do not lift up the panels higher
than the installation help shows. |
    |
| You can now
continue to lay panel after panel, row after row. |
In order to
mark the last row of panels for cutting, take
the new panel and place it exactly on top of the
row before last. Using a cut-off piece of a panel
(panel width + expansion gap width) it is possible
to transfer the wall contour to the panels. Always
allow for the minimum expansion gap when scribing
along walls. |
Installation
in commercial areas – WITH GLUE (For products suitable regarding the classification
31, 32 and 33.)
In commercial
areas you have to anticipate additional exposure
to moisture. Therefore additional sealing with
the specially designed Laminate Floor. Strip EX sealing
glue is recommended in these areas. Apply the
Strip EX sealing glue to the top of the tongue
on the short and long edge. The glue should ooze
out along the complete long and short edge after
the panels have been connected together. It is
easy to remove excess sealing glue from the surface
either immediately, or after a short drying period.
Attention! Make sure that there is no gap in the flooring
joints under the sealing glue. |
 |
| Fitting
around pipes |
| • |
Measure
the position of the pipes and mark it on
the panel – consider also the expansion
gap (Fig. 1). |
| • |
Take measurements
from the spacers into account. Drill a hole
of16 mm (5/8”) bigger than the pipe
diameter - expansion provision (Fig. 2). |
| • |
Saw at
a 45° angle to the holes (Fig. 3). |
| • |
Apply
glue to the sawn out piece and fit in with
the pull bar (Fig. 4). |
| • |
Again,
do not forget the spacers. |
|
    |
Door Jamb Installation
If you have
a wooden door jamb, we recommend undercutting
the wooden door jamb according to the thickness
of the flooring plus the possible underlayment.
Install the flooring now underneath the door jamb
– leave the necessary expansion gaps.
In the case you should end your installation underneath
a door jamb, we recommend to remove the locking
part of the protruding groove of the already installed
panel with a utility knife or a pocket plane.
The newly laid panel can now be pushed horizontal
over the groove of the previous laid panel. Use
Strip EX glue on top of the tongue to secure
the connection.
If you have a door jamb which can not be shorted,
e.g. metal door jamb, we recommend to cover the
expansion gaps with moldings or to fill them with
elastic acrylic sealants. |
 |
Transition
and wall moldings
After a correct installation of the Laminate flooring, install the transition molding as well as wall molding.
A short installation guide for the uncomplicated installation of the molding are included with the accessories. |
