Professional

INSTALLATION GUIDELINES

By carefully following a few basic installation and maintenance instructions you will not only enhance your room with the natural beauty of real wood, but have also gained a floor for life.

Signature solid wood floors are a 100% natural product. This means that despite our very modern wood processing facilities with their critical selection and quality controls, the intrinsic characteristics of each plank remain.

Our fitting instructions are based on our own experience and should augment traditional fitting methodology.

Please use the following links to go directly to the relevant section of the installation guidelines:

Acclimatise
Concrete Sub Floor
Wood Sub Floor
Adhesive Method
Secret Nailing Method

PREPARATION

Acclimatise
Your solid wood floor has been specially kiln dried to 8-10% relative moisture, 10-12% at delivery, which is the ideal level for Northern European countries.

The solid wood flooring should be stored horizontally in its original packaging, in the room in which it is to be laid, at least 48 hours before installation.

Make sure that the room temperature is around 18°C with a relative humidity between 45-55% (In winter, especially when the temperature outside is 0°C or below and the air is dry, we strongly recommend the use of a humidifier to control the room climate conditions within the room).

Changes in humidity cause natural expansion and contraction of solid wood floors, therefore it is imperative that prior to installation:
1. Concrete floors are completely dry (see overleaf).
2. All Plasterwork is complete and has been given time to completely dry.
3. All painting and wallpapering is complete and has been given time to completely dry.
4. Wall/Floor tiles have been installed for a minimum of 3 weeks.
5. Windows are in place.
6. Radiators are secure and have been bled.
Before opening the packs again check temperature and humidity levels in the room where the floor is to be laid.

Open several packs of the flooring to allow you to mix the various plank lengths, taking into consideration the natural features within the wood and the inherent change in colour. Remember as no two planks will ever be the same, the floor you create will be unique.

We recommend two methods of installation, either secret nailing or fixing using adhesive. In both cases it is imperative that the sub floor is dry, clean, firm and level.
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Concrete Sub Floor
The concrete must be sufficiently dry. This means maximum moisture of 2.5% for cement based concrete sub-floor and only 0.5% for concrete floors with anhydrite. The concrete sub floor must also be level and firm, this means no unevenness of more than 2mm over any area of 1m2. If you use a screed or self-levelling compound you must ensure that it has sufficiently dried out before installation. It is strongly recommended that moisture readings are taken and recorded prior to any installation.
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Wood Sub Floor
Many wooden sub-floors are made from soft wood, with tongue and groove joints. If fixing directly into the sub floor, it is recommended to lay the new floor at right angles to the existing floor. The base floor should be at least 18mm to allow secret nailing. Old paint or lacquer has to be removed to allow for good adhesion if the adhesive method is used.
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Adhesive Method
Special non-water based wood flooring adhesive only should be used. The planks should be adhered directly to the sub-floor, therefore there is no need to glue the tongue and groove. Always leave an expansion gap of at least 15mm between the wall and the floor.
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Secret Nailing Method
Planks are to be fixed, using a professional secret nailing machine, by angling the nail at 45° through the top of the tongue. It is recommended to use lost head nails no more than 50mm. With some extremely hardwood species, it may be necessary to pre-drill nail holes. Again, with this method an expansion gap of at least 15mm must be left between the wall and the floor.

Please note for a large area, in excess of 10m, the floor must be divided with an expansion gap. Solid wood profiles, beading and skirting can be used to cover the gaps, but never fix them into the floor.
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Quality work deserves its rewards