City Engineered European Ash 3 Strip Lacquered Flooring [ENG-FL-14-006]

Florence Engineered European Ash Flooring 3 Strip Matt Lacquer is 207mm wide, has a total thickness of 15mm and comes in standard lengths of 2200mm.

This is a 3 ply engineered floor so it is made from 3 different layers, one being the hardwood wear layer with the other 2 being constructed from spruce.

The floor has a 3.2mm hardwood layer which if need can be sanded and re-finished up to 4 times, but under a normal maintenance program and in a domestic environment the floor should not need to be sanded for around 20 years.

The surfaces of these floors are divided equally into uniform width slats or staves, like bricks in a wall, three-strip floors are divided into three slats. The pattern runs in the same direction throughout the floor. This design is used in modern and traditional interiors alike and works particularly well in smaller rooms, creating an illusion of space.

The edges of the boards meet squarely creating a uniform, smooth surface that blends the floor together from board to board. The overall look of this floor gives a contemporary flair and formal feeling to the room.

The floor is prefinished with a very durable matt lacquer which allows the wood to appear very natural, visually similar to oiled floor, the lacquer also gives great protection to the hardwood itself and allows for a easier cleaning and maintenance.

The family grade of this hardwood shows the true excellent appearance of the wood, the pattern of the rings beautifully depicts the annual growth of the tree and while small knots, limited character marks are allowed there is little or no sapwood, mineral streaks or splits.

Florence Engineered European Ash Flooring 3 Strip Matt Lacquer 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 under floor heating. Due to their stability they only need acclimatising for 48 hours, to correctly acclimatise your engineered floor it should be left in the room it is going to be fitted in at normal room temperature.

Florence Engineered European Ash Flooring 3 Strip Matt Lacquer has a click installation system and can be installed as a floating floor which 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 as the floors just clicks together with no need for any glue.

All floating flooring installations must use an approved underlay. Over a concrete subfloor you will need to use a underlay which has a built in vapour barrier like Cushion Plus White Underlay, while over a wooden subfloor you can use the Cushion Standard White Underlay. For installations over under floor heating we recommend using Cushion Heat Flow underlay. Superior underlays like Cushion Ultra Silver Underlay and Cushion Premium Black Underlay can be used to give better support to your new flooring which prolongs the life and also aids during installation by removing some minor imperfections from the sub-floor. Also for improved noise reduction we recommend the Cushion Acoustic Pro Underlay, bringing peace and quiet to the room.

Each board has a click profile on all four sides to join the boards together simply insert the tongue into the groove at a high angle and then push the board down; the boards will then click together.

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 you can replace you old skirting boards with new ones, this gives a much more professional finish. 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 engineered flooring; always refer to the manufactures installation guidelines contained within packs of the flooring or visit outFlooring Manufacture Installation Guides

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

Florence Engineered European Ash Flooring 3 Strip Matt Lacquer Maintenance Guide

In order to ensure lasting satisfaction from your new 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.

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.