Engineered Straight Plank Fitting
Site prep, subfloor and Underlay
One of the most important stages to consider prior to laying any type of flooring installation is site prep.
Remove all furniture from the room, brush and vacuum the sub-floor.
When fitting any flooring a key factor in site preparation is ensuring the subfloor is level. Take time to look for any unevenness in the surface. This could be nails, lumps of concrete or generally anything that would obstruct the laminate from being laid perfectly flat. In some cases, levelling compound or sheets of plywood may be needed to achieve this. Also, test for dips or humps in the sub-floor using a long straight edge such as a spirit level. Place it in multiple areas of the room and get down low to look for any potential dips or humps. Anything over 2mm in a 1 metre run should be levelled out using a suitable floor levelling compound.
If you are laying onto a new concrete sub-floor, check that it is fully dried which can take anywhere from 2 - 4 months.
Suitable subfloors for floating an engineered straight plank include cement screed, flooring grade plywood or OSB Grade 3. Construction plywood is unsuitable as it has a high moisture content. The moisture reading for a concrete subfloor should be lower than 0.3% CM Moisture. Good quality underlay should be used underneath the flooring.
Expansion Gaps
It is vital to leave a consistent expansion gap of 15mm at walls, pillars, stairs, doorways and other fixed objects or boarders in the room such as kitchen islands or fitted wardrobes. When drilling a hole for pipes, the hole should be 15mm larger than the pipe itself. Objects should not be fixed to a floating floor as this prevents the floor from expanding or contracting when needed.
Materials needed:
Heavy tapping block
PVA Glue
Clamp straps
Woodworking tools
Underlay
Flooring
Tape measure
Hand Saw
Installation Guidelines
*** These instructions are a guide only. If you are unsure about anything you should refer to the instructions provided with your materials. ***
- To begin installation, select the longest board length available; in some cases all boards will be the same length. This should be placed on the right side of the room with the length of the board parallel to the wall - or the longest and straightest outside wall in the room. If necessary, cut the first row lengthwise to ensure that the last row will have a width of 2” or above.
- Place the tongue side of the first board towards the wall. Insert spacers between the wall and the first board to ensure an expansion gap of 15mm along the wall. The expansion gap may vary due to irregularities in the wall so be aware of this when throughout installation. Line up the next board and drop the end joint into place against the end of the first board. The tongue and groove should interlock when pushed down. Some slight adjustments may be required to assure that they fit correctly and that it is properly lined up with the first board. Remember to place spacers as necessary along the wall.
- Continue this until the first row is completed. The last board can be cut to length in order to fit properly against the wall keeping in mind that the spacers need to be placed against this wall also.
- To begin the second row, use the cut piece from the first row. If this is shorter than 8” do not use it and use a new board longer than 8” that allows at least 6” of spacing between the end joints. For example, the end joints on the first row should be a 6” distance from the end joints on the second row. Place the first board in place by angling it up slightly, pushing forward and interlocking the side tongue with the boards of the first row. Carefully push the board down until the tongue and groove locks together. A slight tap with a nylon-tapping block may be required.
- Continue installing all remaining boards until in the same manner. All end joints should be staggered by at least 6”. Don’t forget to use spacers in at the end and beginning of each row as you need an expansion gap against all walls. Under no circumstances should the board edges be hit with a mallet or hammer - a tapping block should always be used for this.
- When installing the last row, the boards may have to be cut lengthways to fit correctly. Take into consideration the same factors when fitting the rest of the floor such as expansion gaps and the 6” space between joints of each row.
- If you need any more assistance with this you can call our team on 01 840 4458 or email us at hello@woodfloorstore.ie.
