Laying instructions

Laying instructions

Store the floorboards in their packaging. Open the packs only when needed during installation.

General requirements:

- the relative humidity must be less than 60%;
- the boards must be even and flat;
- the temperature of rooms and materials must be at least 18°C;
- to avoids soiling and moisture damage to the floor, wood floors must not be laid until all other work is completed;
- the subfloor must be dry, level, clean and solid. Check the humidity of the subfloor (3,5-5%);
- the unevenness must not exceed 3 mm over 2 m or 1.2 mm over 0.25 m.

Kahrs wood floors can be installed floating (with Woodloc® joints) or Kahrs parquet boards can be glued to the substrate (to the concrete floor or using a damp-proof sheet material – chipboard or plywood).

Gluing to the substrate (using plywood as a surface to glue the floor to):

- Gluing to the substrate (using plywood as a surface to glue the floor to):;
- the substrate must be provided with a vapour barrier;
- the plywood sheet must be screwed to the substrate and then sanded. It is installed as an intermediate layer between the substrate and the wood floor. Apply an adhesive for wood floors, for example Kahrs Adhesive for wood floors (except PVA adhesives);
- allow 1.5 mm of movement joint per meter of floor width.

Floating installation of wood floors:

A wood floor can be installed floating over any subfloor (concrete floor, damp-proof plywood or chipboard, etc). It is important that the subfloor is dry, level, clean and solid. The unevenness must not exceed 3 mm over 2 m or 1.2 mm over 0.25 m. An intermediate layer can be laid with regard to impact noise insulation. The most commonly used are polythene foam, felt paper or Kahrs Tuplex. Plastic sheeting, 0.2 mm age-resistant polythene sheeting, is used as a vapour barrier and must be laid with an overlap of at least 200 mm. Kahrs Tuplex acts as both a vapour barrier and an intermediate layer. Tuplex must never be laid in more than one layer.

Installation:

1. Begin in one corner and install from left to right with the bottom lip out towards the room. You can install the boards from right to left and vice versa.

2. Press the next floor board at an angle to the first and lay it down. Continue in the same way with the rest of the first row.

3. Cut the final board in the first row to the correct length and begin the next row with the piece that was left over. The boards' end joints are staggered by at least 500 mm (at least 300 mm when installing 1.2 meter boards).

4. Press the floor board at an angle to the board in front. Knock lightly with the hand block while carefully pressing the board down.

5. Push in a Kahrs installation key under the board you have already installed at the short end.

6. Press in the next board's short end at an angle and lay down the long side.

7. Remove the installation key and knock lightly with the hand block on the long side while at the same time carefully pressing the board down and it will move into place more easily.

8. The floor's distance to the walls can be adjusted when three rows have been laid. Place keys between the floor and wall. The keys must be removed once the installation of the floor is complete.

9. Saw the last board row to the correct width. Lay the last board on top of the next-to-last board with an approximately 5 mm allowance from the wall. Mark the saw cut. Install the sawn board. Do the same with the next one.

Problem: The first floor row must sometimes be adjusted to a crooked wall.
Solution: Draw the wall's contour on the floorboards. Then loosen the boards in the first row by gripping the long side, pulling upwards while, at the same time, knocking lightly against the joint. Saw.

Problem: Heater pipes.
Solution: Drill holes in the board for heater pipes. The holes should be at least 20 mm wider than the pipe's diameter. When the floor has been installed, cover the holes with Kahrs pipe ferrules or twin rosettes.

10. Fit the skirting boards. These must not be pressed down so that the floor is locked.
11. When making the transition to another room use level mouldings or connection mouldings.

Problem: Narrow rooms (for floors < 6 m wide).
Solution: Lay the boards in the long direction. Allow a 10 mm movement joint next to walls and fixed objects.

Problem: Large rooms (when the floor is wider than 18 m).
Solution: The floor must be divided (expansion joint).

Specific requirements for wood floors over underfloor heating:

The whole floor area must be heated (except systems, which complement ordinary heating). The surface temperature of the finished floor must never exceed 27°C at any point. A vapour barrier must be built into the floor construction, as close to the wood floor as possible. The vapour barrier must never be underneath the joist structure. Ensure that there are no air gaps between the wood floor and the surface beneath, as this could cause the wood to dry out.

Terms:

A primer – a sort of surface grounding, used to ensure a good bond by gluing.

A vapour barrier – a sheet that protects from moisture, i.e. prevents the diffusion of moisture (moisture migration) between different building materials. Lacquer and underlay are suitable for this purpose.

A concrete floor – a foundation for the flooring. Its thickness is at least 4-5 cm. Let it dry off two weeks per cm of concrete floor’s thickness.

Scraping – processing a surface after the floor installation with the aim to make it (the surface) smooth and clean by removing all the depressions, scratches and unevenness.

A subfloor – a multi-layer construction between the structural floor and the wood floor.

Leader-Parquet Company is ready to offer you its competent services as for wood floors’ installation: from the subfloor’s preparation (concrete floor, leveling, etc.) to finishing off (treatment with lacquer, oil, wax, etc.).