Installing Solid Wood Floors

All solid wood flooring can react to the presence of moisture. In the dry winter heating months, moisture can leave the wood flooring causing the floor to contract slightly in size, which can leave unsightly gaps between each floor board. In the summer months when the humidity is higher, the solid wood flooring will expand and the gaps will disappear. If there is too much moisture in the subfloor it will cause the wood planks to cup, or buckle. Nearly all problems related to solid wood flooring are due to improper installation and sub floor preparation. This is why it is important when installing solid wood flooring that you follow the correct recommended installation methods.

Full Glue Down Installations

Glue-down installation requires the use of an adhesive applied directly onto the subfloor and can be laid onto both concrete and wooden subfloors.

If you are laying over a concrete subfloor you will first need checked the concrete moisture, if the floor has a moisture content of over 4% then either wait until the sub floor dries to meet this level or use an appropriate moisture barrier, we recommend Mapeproof ESM to ensure no damp rises up into your new floor. To ensure a correct bond of the Adhesive to the wood floor and also the concrete subfloor we always recommend using the Mapeproof ESM

Also note that new concrete slabs require a minimum of 60 days drying time before covering them with a wood floor.

All Concrete sub-floors must be dry, smooth, level and free of structural defects. If the concrete sub floor is uneven we recommend using a self leveling compound to level the subfloor out. The concrete must also be free of paint, oil, existing adhesives, wax grease, dirt and curing compounds. These may be removed chemically or mechanically, but do not use solvent-based strippers under any circumstances. The use of residual solvents can prohibit the satisfactory bond of flooring adhesives. It is important to ensure a proper bond between the adhesives and concrete and wood panels.

If you have a wooden subfloor you will need to lay a 1/2" plywood base over this before installation, this will then give you a smooth and level surface for you to install you wood flooring onto.

Another important consideration in using glue-down installation is your choice of adhesives as some are only suitable for floors up to a small width. To avoid warranty issues and the possibility of future problems we recommend Mapei Ultrabond P990 1K which is used to fully bond the floor down or Mapei Ultrabond P990 1K Sausage which is used to bond the floor down with the use of an applicator gun to run beads of adhesive on the subfloor at 150mm intervals.

You will need to leave a 10mm expansion gap around the perimeter of the room. To maintain this gap during installation spacers are provided in the installation kits (purchased separately). After you have installed the floor you can cover this expansion gap with scotia / beading or new skirting boards. The 10mm expansion gap also needs to be left in doorways where the floor follows through from one room to another; we have a full range of door profiles available to match your floor.

Floating On An Adhesive Backed Underlay

You can also install a solid wood floor over a concrete subfloor by floating it on an adhesive backed underlay such as Fast Fit Peel & Stick Underlay. This has adhesive on one side which the solid wood floor is laid onto. Before you lay down the underlay you will need to first lay a 1000 gauge damp proof membrane.

Nailed Down Installations

Nailed down installation is the traditional way to install solid wood floors and can be done either directly onto wooden subfloor or on a concrete subfloor with the use of battens.

Wooden Subfloor

Solid wood floors can be nailed into existing wooden subfloors such as floorboards or plywood but not into chipboard floors as these are not strong enough to hold the nails. The floorboards must be in good condition and level if not it is advisable to lay 1/2" plywood down first.

To avoid creaking, check over the subfloor and securely fasten any loose floorboards. For added soundproofing it is also advisable to use a polyfoam underlay such a barrier.

When you nail down a solid wood floor you use a Porta Nailer to drive a nail at a 30 degree angle through the tongue and into the subfloor. Porta Nailers can be hired from any good hire shop.

A new alternative to this is the new Elka Tongue Tite Screws these have been specially designed for use with tongue & groove wood flooring. Each pack covers 10m2 and comes with a special drill bit that fits any standard electric drill or screwdriver.

Again you will need to leave a 10mm expansion gap around the perimeter of the room. To maintain this gap during installation spacers are provided in the installation kits (purchased separately). After you have installed the floor you can cover this expansion gap with scotia / beading or new skirting boards. The 10mm expansion gap also needs to be left in doorways where the floor follows through from one room to another; we have a full range of door profiles available to match your floor.

Installing onto Battens

You can nail down a solid wood floor over a concrete subfloor with the use of battens. A damp proof membrane sheet must first be laid over the concrete subfloor before the battens are laid out at centers of 450mm. The battens must be a minimum of 40mm in depth to avoid them bowing. The solid wood floor can then be nailed down as described above.

Again you will need to leave a 10mm expansion gap around the perimeter of the room. To maintain this gap during installation spacers are provided in the installation kits (purchased separately). After you have installed the floor you can cover this expansion gap with scotia / beading or new skirting boards. The 10mm expansion gap also needs to be left in doorways where the floor follows through from one room to another; we have a full range of door profiles available to match your floor.

The above is a brief guideline on the installation of solid wood flooring, always refer to the manufactures installation guidelines contained within packs of floor. View Manufactures Installation Guides.

ATTENTION – INSTALLER/OWNER RESPONSIBILITY

Inspect all materials carefully before installation. Wood is a natural product containing variations in colour, tone and graining. Some variation in colour is to be expected in a natural wood floor. Beautiful hardwood floors are a product of nature and therefore not perfect. These floors are manufactured in accordance with accepted industry standards, which permit a defect tolerance of 5%. Even though our product goes through many inspections before it leaves the plant, it is the responsibility of the customer and installer to perform a final inspection prior to installation. Any warranties offered with this product do not cover materials with visible defects once the product is installed.

JOB SITE CONDITIONS

It is the responsibility of the owner/installer to determine if the jobsite sub-floor and job site conditions are environmentally and structurally acceptable for wood floor installation. The installer/owner is responsible for wood failure resulting from or connected with sub-floor, subsurface, job site damage, deficiencies or using inadequate accessories after the hardwood flooring has been installed.

PLEASE NOTE:

Always read the full manufactures recommended installation guides before installation which you will find in every 3rd pack of flooring.

Maintenance Guide For UV Oiled Floors

In order to ensure lasting satisfaction from your new UV oil finished floor, it is important to correctly care for the floor starting immediately after installation. With the right care, the oiled floor will become increasingly easy to clean and more hard wearing over time. This is because the recommended soap used to clean the floor actually coats it with an invisible film, providing additional protection and thus making the floor more resistant to dirt. As well, the floor can be re-oiled as part of a regular maintenance program thus ensuring a lifetime of use and enjoyment.

After-Installation Care

All UV Oiled floors are recommended to be finished with WOCA Maintenance Paste right after installation and before the floor is used. As a result of this the surface will then be more hardwearing and be easier to clean and maintain in the future.

Normal Basic Cleaning

Normal cleaning to remove surface debris is accomplished using a broom or vacuum cleaner. To remove normal stains and non-loose dirt, the floor should be cleaned with water and a hard-wrung, wet cloth. In order to achieve the best cleaning possible use WOCA Natural Soap Cleaner. This soap is added to the water in a 40:1 solution. WOCA Natural Soap has two functions: it cleans the floor and at the same time forms an invisible, protective film on the surface of the floor making it even more resistant to damage from dirt. It is very important to use two buckets when cleaning the floor- one with the WOCA Natural Soap mixed solution and one with clean water for rinsing the dirty cloth or mop. Immerse the cloth or soft mop in the Soap solution, and then wring out the excess fluid before wiping the floor. Rinse the cloth or mop in the clear water, wring out the excess water, then immerse in the Soap solution again. Repeat this pattern until the floor is clean. Do not pour the Soap solution directly on the floor but instead, always use a cloth or mop to apply the solution.

Cleaning Extremely Dirty Floors

If the floor has been neglected and/or becomes very dirty, it should be cleaned using WOCA Intensive Wood Cleaner. This is added to water in a 40:1 ratio, following the guidelines above. Immediately after cleaning with the Intensive Cleaner, the floor should then be cleaned with WOCA Natural Soap (as above) in order to restore the protective soap film then finished with WOCA maintenance Paste.

Spot Remover

Difficult spots can be removed with WOCA Spot Remover. The Spot Remover is sprayed on the spot and left in place until the stain is dissolved, repeat treatment if necessary. The area is then cleaned and re-oiled with WOCA Maintenance Paste.

We recommend that you purchase a WOCA UV Oiled Maintance Kit with your floor.

Each kit contains

1.0 liter Natural Soap Concentrate (Will cover 350m2)
1.0 liter Intensive Wood Cleaner (Will cover 200m2)
400ml Maintenance Paste (Will cover 100m2)
1 Polishing Pad and 1 Cloth.