INSTALLER/OWNER RESPONSIBILITY

Beautiful hardwood floors are a product of nature and therefore, not perfect. Our wood floors are manufactured in accordance with accepted industry standards, which permit a defect tolerance not to exceed 5%. The defects may be of a manufacturing or natural type.

TOOLS & ACCESSORIES NEEDED

WARNING: Metal wires are embedded in solid oak parquet flooring and extreme care and caution should be used when cutting or trimming this flooring to avoid the risk of personal injury. Do not use circular saws. Approved safety goggles or glasses should be worn at all times.

PRE-INSTALLATION PROCEDURES

STORAGE AND HANDLING

 RECOMMENDED SUBFLOOR SURFACES

PREFERRED: ¾" (19 mm) CDX grade plywood ¾" (23/32") OSB PS2 rated underlayment MINIMUM: 5/8" CDX grade plywood Existing solid wood flooring

Concrete slabs Acoustic concrete Vinyl,resilent tile,cork flooring 3/4" chip, waferboard, particleboard

Ceramic,terrazzo,slate and marble Acoustic Cork Metal

CONCRETE SLABS

Solid parquet flooring can be glued directly to concrete. Do not use a concrete sealer nor install over one. Surface preparation using mechanical methods such as sanding or scouring with open coat paper or a titanium disk is preferred. The concrete must be of high compressive strength. All concrete subfloors should be tested for moisture content. Visual checks are not reliable. Acceptable test methods for subfloor moisture content include:
NOTE: Test several areas, especially near exterior walls and walls containing plumbing.

 

A 3% Phenolphthalein in Anhydrous alcohol solution. Chip the concrete at least ¼" deep (do not apply directly to the concrete surface) and apply several drops of the solution to the chipped area. If any color change occurs, further testing is required. Calcium Chloride test. The maximum moisture transfer must not exceed 3 lbs./1000 square feet with this test. Tramex Concrete Moisture Encounter meter (figure #2). Moisture readings should not exceed 4.5 on the upper scale. (Figure #2 shows an unacceptable reading of over 4.5)

A "DRY" SLAB, AS DEFINED BY THESE TESTS CAN BE WET AT OTHER TIMES OF THE YEAR. THESE TESTS DO NOT GUARANTEE A DRY SLAB. ALL CONCRETE SLABS SHOULD HAVE A MINIMUM OF 6 MIL POLY FILM MOISTURE BARRIER BETWEEN THE GROUND AND THE CONCRETE.
Moisture Barrier System: If moisture is present, inexpensive sheet vinyl or "slip-sheet" (PVC) may be installed. Use a premium grade, alkaline resistant adhesive and a full spread application system to properly bond the vinyl to the subfloor. Follow the sheet vinyl manufacturer instructions for installation procedures. A patch test may be required as an adhesion test. Install several small areas (3' x 3') and allow the vinyl to set for 72 hours. Remove the vinyl; if the backing remains attached to the concrete, the subfloor should be acceptable for sheet vinyl installation. If you have any questions regarding installation or the handling of moisture problems, please contact the distributor/retailer from whom the goods were purchased.

ACOUSTIC CONCRETE

Acoustic concrete normally contains large quantities of gypsum that may inhibit the adhesive's capability to properly bond. Acoustic concrete must be primed with the concrete manufacturer's recommended primer/surface hardener.
 

WOOD SUBFLOORS & WOOD STRUCTURAL PANEL SUBFLOORS Plywood: Must be APA grade rated sheathing or CDX minimum. Oriented Strand Board (OSB): Must be PS2 rated installed sealed side down. Particleboard: Must be a minimum 40-LB density, stamped underlayment grade and ¾" thick.

Make sure existing floor or subfloor is dry and well nailed or screwed down every 6" along each joist to avoid squeaking or popping before the floor is installed. The wood subfloor must not exceed 13% moisture content. Measure moisture content of both subfloor and wood flooring to determine proper moisture content with a reliable wood moisture meter (figure #3). The difference between the moisture content of the wood subfloor and the wood flooring must not exceed 4%.
Optimum performance of hardwood floor covering products occurs when there is no horizontal or vertical movement of the subfloor. The MINIMUM subfloor recommendations described above are for 16" O/C joist spacing. The thicker, PREFERRED subfloor recommendations described above will allow 19.2" joist spacing if the joist manufacturer's recommended span is not exceeded. Spacing in excess of 19.2" O/C may not offer optimum results. Install flooring perpendicular to the floor joists when possible. Installations should not be made parallel to the floor joists or on joist spacing that exceeds 19.2" O/C unless the subfloor has been properly stiffened. Stiffening may require the addition of a second layer of subflooring material to bring the overall thickness to at least 1-1/8".

All underlayment panels should be spaced 1/8" apart to insure adequate expansion space. This can be achieved by using a circular saw set at the depth of the underlayment and cutting around the perimeter of the panel. T&G panels normally have built in expansion; DO NOT cut around the perimeter of T&G panels. Do not install over existing glue-down wood floors. Do not install over nailed floors that exceed 3-¼" in width. Wide width floors must be overlaid with plywood. When installing over existing wood floors parallel with the flooring, it may be necessary to install an additional ¼" layer of plywood to stabilize the flooring or install the wood floor at right angles. Applicable standards and recommendations of the construction and materials industries must be met or exceeded.

RESILIENT TILE, RESILIENT SHEET VINYL & CORK FLOORING
If the tiles or sheet goods are well bonded, clean the surface thoroughly with a good quality household detergent. De-gloss flooring as necessary to create a good adhesive bond using an abrasive pad. If vinyl appears to have a coating of wax or other maintenance materials, it must be removed with the appropriate floor stripper. Allow ample drying time. (Note: Do not sand any resilient products for they may contain asbestos fibers, which may be harmful.) Do not install over floors that exceed two layers. Cork floors must have all sealers and surface treatments removed before installation begins.

CERAMIC, TERRAZZO, SLATE & MARBLE
All grout joints and broken corners that exceed 3/16" must be filled with a cementitous leveling compound mixed with Latex additive. The surface should be cleaned and abraded to create a good bonding surface for the adhesive. Loose tiles must be re-adhered to the subfloor or filled as above. Remove all sealers and surface treatments.

CORK (ACOUSTIC)
Solid oak parquet flooring can be glued directly over full-spread, permanently bonded acoustic cork. The cork should have a density of no less than 11.4 lb./cubic foot and no more than 13 lb./cubic foot. The cork, in general, should be pure cork combined with a polyurethane binder. Cork thickness is to be no more than ¼" (6 mm). Install cork in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations.

METAL
Abrade metal floors as necessary to remove all maintenance materials and sealer coats.
 

RADIANT HEATED SUBFLOORS

DOORWAY AND WALL PREPARATION

Undercut door casings. Remove any existing base, shoe mold or doorway thresholds. These items can be replaced after installation. All door casings should be notched out (figure #4) or undercut to avoid difficult scribe cuts.

GENERAL INFORMATION ON ADHESIVES

NOTE: When installing UNFINISHED SOLID OAK PARQUET flooring, allow a minimum of 72 hours adhesive curing time before applying seals, stains and finishes to unfinished flooring. Trowel filling and fillers are required to reduce the possibility of panalization caused by the finish "gluing" the slats together. Test the moisture content of the wood in accordance with the stain/finish manufacturer's recommendations. Avoid installing from the surface of the flooring. If necessary distribute weight using a kneeler board.

INSTALLING THE FLOOR

STEP 1: ESTABLISH A STARTING POINT

• In at least two places 12"-16" from the corner, measure out and establish a chalk line parallel to and 24½" away from the starting wall opposite the entrance doorway. THE ½" IS FOR EXPANSION SPACE (figure #7).

Snap a second chalk line 90° to the first chalk line, 24½" away from the right angle wall (figure #7). THE ½" IS FOR EXPANSION SPACE. Check accuracy with builders square. Make any necessary adjustments to allow for crooked walls before proceeding.

STEP 2: SPREADING THE ADHESIVE

STEP 3: INSTALLING THE PARQUET FLOORING

STEP 4: COMPLETING THE INSTALLATION

INSTALLERS - ADVISE YOUR CUSTOMER OF THE FOLLOWING

SEASONS: HEATING AND NON-HEATING
Recognizing that wood floor dimensions will be slightly affected by varying levels of humidity within your building, care should be taken to control humidity levels within the 35-55% range. To protect your investment and to assure that your floors provide lasting satisfaction, we have provided our recommendations below.

ALL INSTALLATIONS

STEP 5: COMPLETING THE JOB

• Clean floor with the recommended wood flooring cleaner.
• Re-install any transition pieces that may be needed, such as Reducer Strips, T-moldings, or Thresholds. The products are available pre-finished to blend with your flooring. (See moldings below)
• Re-install all base and/or quarter round moldings. Nail moldings into the wall, not the floor. Inspect the floor, filling all minor gaps with the appropriate blended filler.
• If the floor is to be covered, use a breathable material such as cardboard. Do not cover with plastic.
• Leave warranty and floor care information with the owner. Advise them of the product name and code number of the flooring they purchased.
• To prevent surface damage avoid rolling heavy appliances and furniture on the floor. Use plywood, hardboard or appliance lifts if necessary.

MOLDINGS