Florence 22mm Engineered Oak Flooring Installation Guide

Engineered floors are very dimensionally stable allowing them to be installed over most types of sub floors. They are suitable for all areas of the house except bathrooms and wet areas. They are also suitable for use over underfloor heating. Florence 22mm Engineered Oak Flooring can be installed as either a floating floor or by full glue down or can be nailed down.

Tongue & Groove Floating Installation

Floating Installation is the most common and DIY friendly installation method because it is the easiest and the fastest to do, can be installed over any type of subfloor and it does not require any special skills or prior experience in installing floors. Tongue & groove floors are fixed together by running a bead of PVA glue down the groove and knocking into the tongue of the next board.

All flooring installations must use an approved underlay. Over a concrete subfloor you will need to use and underlay which has a built in damp proof membrane like Barrier Plus, while over a wooden subfloor you can use the standard Barrier underlay. For installations over underfloor heating we recommend using Tuplex underlay.

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.

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.

Nailed Down Installations

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

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.

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.

The above is a brief guideline on the installation of engineered flooring, always refer to the manufactures installation guidelines contained within packs of the flooring.

If you require any further advice on installation the please call our technical department on 0845 263 6586 or e-mail us on info@ukflooringdirect.co.uk or click the Live Help Button at the top of the page.

Maintenance Guide For Florence 22mm Engineered Oak Lacquered Floor

In order to ensure lasting satisfaction from your new Florence 22mm Engineered Oak Lacquered Floor, it is important to correctly care for the floor starting immediately after installation. With the right care, the lacquered 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.

After-Installation Care

All lacquered floors are recommended to be cleaned with WOCA Lacquer Soap 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 Wood Cleaner, which is mixed with water at a ratio of 40:1. This 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 Wood Cleaner 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 Cleaner 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 Lacquer Soap, mixed with water in a 40:1 ratio, following the guidelines above. Once this is dry you will then need to apply the WOCA Lacquer Care which strenghtens the lacquer, as it protects against wear and scratches and herby prolongs the lifetime of the lacquered surface. The Lacquer Care does not buid up a thick layer on the surface as the old layer is renewed with the next application.

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 floor is then cleaned and with WOCA Lacquer Soap.

We recommend that you purchase a WOCA Lacquer Maintenance Kit with your floor.

Each kit contains

1.0 litre Woca Lacquer Soap (Will cover 350m2).
1.0 litre Woca Wood Cleaner (Will Cover 350m2)
1.0 litre Woca Lacquer Care (Will cover 60m2)
1 Polishing Pad and 1 Cloth.