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Fitting and Installation Instructions

The 3 Methods Of Fitting
(And a 4th that isn’t so common)

1. Secret Nailing (for solid or engineered)
2. Glue or Stick Down (for solid or engineered)
3. Floating (for engineered only)
4. Self Adhesive Underlay (for solid or engineered)

1. Secret Nailing
The use of a special floor nailing tool drives a barbed steel cleat into the tongue of the new floor board at an angle of 45 degrees, into either a suitable sized, kiln dried batten or into a plywood subfloor. (Using non kiln dried battens can result in ‘cupping’ or warping of the floor boards due to excess moisture).

2. Glue or Stick Down
This method requires the wood floor to be stuck directly to the subfloor with a suitable flexible adhesive. We recommend the Sika range of products because of their performance and value for money.

The adhesive provides a measure of flexibility whilst maintaining a strong bond, thus allowing the oak floor to expand and contract without damaging the structure.

A rigid adhesive can be used when gluing down an Engineered floor because it does not generate as much dimensional movement as solid.

3. Floating
This is where the new floor is fitted over an underlay without being fixed to the subfloor, which is ideal when there is some doubt regarding excess moisture in the subfloor or the absence of a Damp Proof Membrane. We recommend Sonic Gold Excel or Comfort Silver underlay because of their superior performance (details available on request).

NB - This method of fitting is only suitable for the Engineered Oak flooring and must not be used for Solid Oak boards.
The underlay we recommend, Sonic Gold Excel or Comfort Silver, both incorporate a damp proof membrane to isolate the wood floor from any moisture beneath it and risk of dimensional damage due to the new floor ‘soaking up’ the excess moisture available.

This method will result in a slightly cushioned feel when walking on the finished floor surface but this is usually overcome by installing the heavier 21mm board instead of the lighter 15mm.

4. Self Adhesive Underlay (means you can ‘sort of’ float a solid floor)
We do supply a product that allows the solid to be ‘sort of’ floated and it’s called Multi Plus. T’s a self adhesive underlay that is rolled out onto the subfloor and then when the removable film is removed, the flooring is then stuck onto the underlay. You can read a little about this product in our Free Info Pack (Details are available on request)

Full and comprehensive fitting instructions are available upon request with every order, or you can click on the link at the bottom of this page.

 

FITTING GUIDELINES
(PRINTABLE VERSION AVAILABLE BY CLICKING THE BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM LEFT OF THIS PAGE)

IMPORTANT
Please note that we do not recommend that Solid flooring is installed using the floating method. The nature of the product, in our opinion, requires a definite fix, so it must be fitted using either the stick down or nail down method.

OakFloorsOnline recommends and advises that a flooring industry trained fitter is used to install our complete range of flooring products.

Owner/Buyer/Installer Responsibility
Hardwood floors are a natural product and therefore not perfect in appearance or performance. Defects must be expected and may be of a manufacturing or natural type. Prior to any installation, the installer must determine that the site environment and the subfloor to be installed upon meet or exceed all requirements within this installation guide.

We the supplier, will not be held responsible for site failure resulting from or associated with sub floor or job site environment deficiencies.
The Owner/Buyer/Installer of our flooring products has final inspection responsibility with regards to grade, manufacture and finish quality. By fitting the flooring supplied, acceptance of suitability and quality is determined.

The Installer must use reasonable selectivity methods to not use or cut off any pieces of flooring supplied with obvious defects, whatever the cause. Use of finish product, wax, filler or putty stick should be accepted as normal procedure for defect correction during or after installation.
Prior to ordering, a minimum of 8% should be added to the exact quantity required to allow for cutting waste and Installer grading.
Any individual piece that is doubtful for any reason, should be discarded and not used by the Installer. We as the supplier will accept no responsibility for the installation of defective pieces and this is the responsibility of the Installer and Buyer alone.

The liability of we the supplier is limited to replacing defective material in excess of the 8% extra ordered and no liability for labour costs will be accepted.

It is recommended that all ‘unfinished’ product is sanded before finishing.

IMPORTANT
Natural hardwood floors are a product of nature and therefore it must be expected that they will vary in shade, colour, and grain pattern from piece to piece and that they will sometimes vary from samples previously viewed. Natural hardwood will also experience colour change and sometime dimensional movement over time as they mature, and when they are exposed to varying conditions of light, heat, moisture and humidity.

PRODUCT STORAGE

The flooring must be stored within the room it is to be fitted when delivered. The packs should remain sealed and stacked with bearers in a way that allows the air within the room to circulate around them for at least 48 hours. Avoid stacking the packs near to heat sources like radiators or large windows.


SITE CONDITIONS PRIOR TO INSTALLATION

The building must have all windows and external doors fitted.
All ‘wet work’ such as plastering, plumbing and decorating must be complete.

The heating system should be operating as normal and should have been doing so for at least 2 weeks.

The sub floor must be dry (see below) and the temperature in the room should be 15-20 degrees centigrade.

The ambient relative humidity should be 35-65%RH.

SUB FLOOR CONDITIONS

All sub floors must be;

CLEAN - Scrape off residues of plaster, artex, paint, adhesives, etc… and sweep or vacuum the sub floor.

SOUND - The sub floor should be free of cracks, latency, loose or creaking floorboards, dry rot and extensive vertical movement.

LEVEL - The sub floor must be level and flat to within +/- 3mm over 3 metres when checked with a straight edge. High points should be sanded off and hollows should be filled with a suitable levelling compound or by use of layered plywood shims.

DRY - The sub floor must be tested in accordance with BS8201:1987 and the correct use of suitable moisture measuring devices.

Wooden sub floors must not have a moisture content of more than 15%
Sand/Cement sub floors must not exceed 75% Relative Humidity.


RECOMMENDED SUB FLOORS

Floorboards – Ensure the void beneath is adequately ventilated and overlay the boards with 6mm WBP plywood fixed as BS8201:1987.

Chipboard - Use the floating method or overlay with 6mm WBP plywood fixed as BS8201:1987 and install flooring by way of the stick down method.

Parquet - Remove tiles and grind off any adhesive residue. Apply chemical moisture barrier and levelling compound as per manufacturers instructions and install flooring by way of the stick down or floating method.

Sand/Cement - Ensure the sub floor conditions are met as previously instructed and use a water based levelling compound and primer before using the stick down or floating method of fixing

Vinyl/Cork Tiles - Remove tiles and grind off any adhesive residue. Apply chemical moisture barrier and levelling compound as per manufacturers instructions and install flooring by way of the stick down or floating method.

Ceramic or Stone Tiles - Degrease and apply levelling compound before installation using the stick down or floating method of fixing.

Anhydrate Screed - Seek advice about suitable levelling compound to use and then fit flooring by way of the stick down or floating method.

Asphalt - Seek advice about suitable levelling compound to use and then fit flooring by way of the stick down or floating method.

INSTALLATION METHODS

Stick Down Method (Suitable for Solid and Engineered)

1. Moisture test the subfloor and the flooring and record the results. Proceed if satisfactory. Continue acclimatisation if not.

2. Using a piece of the floor that is to be fitted as a guide for thickness, cut the bottoms of the doorframes and architraves in the room to suit. Chisel out as much of the cut pieces as possible because this will make the fitting of the floor easier.

3. Once the direction in which the floorboards are to be fitted is decided, measure the width of the room and divide the distance by the face width of the planks to be fitted. This will determine the size of the final row of boards. If the result is less than ¼ of the face width you will need to reduce the width of the first row to increase the size of the last.

4. Working from 3-4 boxes at any one time to ensure an even mixture of colour and shade, cut and lay the first 3 rows without adhesive for now, and place plastic wedges between the floor and the wall to maintain the required expansion gap. 1.5mm expansion for every linear metre should be allowed with a minimum of 15mm at all times. The joint spacing should be random and no closer than 200mm in an adjacent row. The first and last plank in a row should be no smaller than 200mm long. Once assembled, use a string line to make sure the floor is straight and adjust the expansion wedges if not. When satisfied, mark the floor at the edge and carefully lift and stack the boards to be fitted in order.

5. Using a suitable flooring adhesive such as SikaBond T54, apply to the marked area using the correct sized notched trowel. Then place the first row of boards into the adhesive and tight up against the expansion wedges, making sure to apply a suitable joint adhesive to the grooved end of each plank. Locate the tongue and groove correctly and then press down into the adhesive to ensure good contact. Continue this process until the first 3 rows are installed, making sure that the floor is straight by using the string line.

6. Continue to install the floor but remembering not to spread too much of the flooring adhesive to the extent of it ‘skinning over’. This will depend on the site conditions. It is good practice to occasionally lift a plank back out of the adhesive to ensure good adhesive transfer. Make sure that any excess adhesive on the surface of the floor is removed immediately because it will be extremely difficult to remove later.

7. When you reach the other side of the floor, measure and cut the planks lengthwise remembering to allow for the expansion gap. Use the expansion wedges to tighten up the floor and allow the adhesive to set.

8. When the adhesive is completely set, remove the expansion wedges and fit your beading, skirting board, pipe covers and door threshold profiles to cover the expansion gaps.

Floating Method (Suitable for Engineered only)

1. Moisture test the subfloor and the flooring and record the results. Proceed if satisfactory. Continue acclimatisation if not.

2. Using a piece of the floor that is to be fitted as a guide for thickness, cut the bottoms of the doorframes and architraves in the room to suit. Chisel out as much of the cut pieces as possible because this will make the fitting of the floor easier.

3. Once the direction in which the floorboards are to be fitted is decided, measure the width of the room and divide the distance by the face width of the planks to be fitted. This will determine the size of the final row of boards. If the result is less than ¼ of the face width you will need to reduce the width of the first row to increase the size of the last.

4. Lay out the underlay and tape the joints (always use a 1000 gauge plastic sheet or a suitable moisture barrier over mineral sub floors such as sand/cement and concrete)

5. Working from 3-4 boxes at any one time to ensure an even mixture of colour and shade, cut and lay the first 3 rows without adhesive for now, and place plastic wedges between the floor and the wall to maintain the required expansion gap. 1.5mm expansion for every linear metre should be allowed with a minimum of 15mm at all times. The joint spacing should be random and no closer than 200mm in an adjacent row. The first and last plank in a row should be no smaller than 200mm long. Once assembled, use a string line to make sure the floor is straight and adjust the expansion wedges if not. When satisfied, take the 3 rows apart and stack in order

6. Place the first plank in position ensuring you have the required expansion gap and then, using a suitable joint adhesive, apply a constant bead of adhesive to the underside of the groove along the length and at the end of the next plank.

7. Align the planks and tap them together using a suitable tapping block at least 30cm long, remembering to only ever tap against the tongue and never against the groove. Continue this until the first 3 rows are assembled. Remove any glue from the surface of the planks immediately with a damp cloth and make sure the floor is straight with a string line.

8. Allow the adhesive to set for about 45 minutes and then continue to install the floor until you reach the opposite wall. Measure and cut the last row of planks remembering to allow for the expansion gap. Then use the expansion wedges to tighten the floor and allow the joint adhesive to set.

9. When the adhesive is completely set, remove the expansion wedges and fit your beading, skirting board, pipe covers and door threshold profiles to cover the expansion gaps.

Nail Down Method (Suitable for Solid and Engineered)

1. Moisture test the subfloor and the flooring and record the results. Proceed if satisfactory. Continue acclimatisation if not.

2. Using a piece of the floor that is to be fitted as a guide for thickness, cut the bottoms of the doorframes and architraves in the room to suit. Chisel out as much of the cut pieces as possible because this will make the fitting of the floor easier.

3. Once the direction in which the floorboards are to be fitted is decided, measure the width of the room and divide the distance by the face width of the planks to be fitted. This will determine the size of the final row of boards. If the result is less than ¼ of the face width you will need to reduce the width of the first row to increase the size of the last.

4. Working from 3-4 boxes at any one time to ensure an even mixture of colour and shade, cut and lay the first 3 rows without fixing for now, and place plastic wedges between the floor and the wall to maintain the required expansion gap. 1.5mm expansion for every linear metre should be allowed with a minimum of 15mm at all times. The joint spacing should be random and no closer than 200mm in an adjacent row. The first and last plank in a row should be no smaller than 200mm long. Once assembled, use a string line to make sure the floor is straight and adjust the expansion wedges if not.

5. Carefully lift and stack the first 2 rows and place some sacrificial blocks against the back edge of the third row and screw them to the sub floor to ensure the row is held straight. Apply a bead of joint adhesive to the grooved end only of the planks in row 3 and then place back in position. After making sure the row is straight, the row can be nailed using 50mm flooring cleats inserted using a suitable flooring gun.

6. The planks should be nailed 50-75mm from each end and every 200-250mm along their length. Continue to install the floor remembering to apply the joint adhesive until you almost reach the other side of the floor at a point where you can no longer use the nail gun. At this point you need to pre-drill a 3mm hole and secret nail the planks by hand using a punch to ensure the nails are in far enough.

7. Measure and cut the final row that will need to be face nailed along the edge closest to the wall. A 3mm hole needs to be pre-drilled every 150mm and the plank must be hand nailed down.

8. The sacrificial blocks can now be removed and rows 1 and 2 hand nailed as described above. You can now fit your beading, skirting board, pipe covers and door threshold profiles to cover the expansion gaps.

INSTALLATION ABOVE UNDER FLOOR HEATING

Oak, like all timber, absorbs moisture from the environment into which it’s installed and it will undergo dimensional changes as it does so, usually resulting in expansion.

Likewise, in some situations the Oak will ‘give off’ moisture too, resulting in shrinkage.

Because of this possible expansion and shrinkage, it is vital that the moisture content of the subfloor onto which your Oak Floor is to be fitted is at the correct level.

When considering these facts, an underfloor heating system can have a dramatic effect on the moisture levels of the room and also on the stability of the Oak Floorboards fitted above.

Specific installation instructions are below for a more detailed report on how to fit an Oak Floor above underfloor heating and which boards are recommended.

The Underfloor Heating System Guarantee

This guarantee is valid providing that your floor is fitted and maintained as specified according to our fitting instructions and is valid only for the original purchaser.

Our 21mm Engineered Oak Flooring provides a 6mm wear layer of solid oak and a 15mm multiply backing and is the only board that is supplied with a full guarantee for installation above underfloor heating systems.

It is supplied T&G on all 4 edges for minimal waste and easy fitting, and we know that due to its construction that it is a most stable and suitable product to install above underfloor heating systems.

This method of construction eliminates the risk of surface cracks and movement under normal varying levels of humidity, moisture and heat. The 6mm wear layer of solid oak provides an equivalent life span of solid oak boards, along with the same beautiful appearance.

Rooms fitted with 21mm Engineered Oak Flooring must be maintained at humidity level of between 40-55% and the surface temperature must not exceed 26 degrees centigrade.

The use of an appropriate air humidifier and temperature control is recommended in rooms with extreme varying conditions because failure to control and keep them consistent will increase the risk of shrinkage and expansion, which will cause cracking of the oak surface.

When the 21mm Oak Flooring is fitted in accordance to the instructions and recommendations, the floor will reach the same level of humidity as the room itself before installation. Maintaining this will result in minimal movement of the oak floor.

Prior to Installation

The subfloor must be structurally sound, clean, dust free and thoroughly dry. To ensure the subfloor is properly dried, it must be allowed to dry naturally for as long as is necessary.

Then the underfloor heating should be turned on to maximum for a full 14 days, so that any accumulated moisture is dried completely.

Installation

The heating system must not be operating during installation but should be turned on 24 hours after installation and increased by small steps of 3 degrees after starting at 0 degrees, until it reaches 26 degrees.

Then it should be reduced in steps of 5 degrees every 24 hours until the temperature has reached 0 degrees again. After this has been done, the underfloor heating system can be used normally up to a maximum of 26 degrees, ensuring that there is no change in temperature greater than 7 degrees in any 24 hours.

• The concrete screed must be completely cured and dry

• Moisture content and humidity levels must be checked

• The underfloor heating system must be fitted correctly and working as manufacturers recommendations

• The underfloor heating system must be turned off during installation but the room temperature must be maintained by using portable heaters

• 21mm Engineered Flooring must be installed using suitable adhesives

• An expansion gap of 10mm minimum must be left to all perimeters of the room

All flooring must be fitted as our comprehensive installation instruction

It is advisable to install our engineered flooring over under floor heating systems by using the stick down method because this provides the best thermal efficiency for the home. If the flooring is fitted using the floating method, Sonic Gold Excel must be used as an underlay.

When a wood floor is fitted above underfloor heating, it is not unusual to experience some dimensional movement due to the varying heat levels.

Rugs and mats should be avoided if possible because they can create ‘hot spots’ in the flooring.


CARE AND MAINTENANCE

• All furniture should have felt pads or castor cups fitted to avoid scratching the floor

• Exterior doors should have a protective barrier or mat to prevent soiling and scratching when entering the room

• Rugs should be anti-slip and should be moved regularly to reduce the effect of exposed floor changing shade differently to that under the rug. Not using any rugs or mats for 4 months will reduce this effect even more because a vast amount of the colour change that can occur will already have taken place.

• Floors should be kept clean of dust and grit to avoid scratching.

• Lacquered floors should be cleaned using a well wrung mop or cloth rinsed in warm soapy water. A mild detergent suitable for wood floors should be used and more stubborn marks can be removed with acetone on a soft cloth.

• Oiled floors should be cleaned in a similar way but by using an oil soap, and stubborn marks can be removed with a green scotchbrite pad. Once the mark is removed, use an oil paste or liquid.