Solid wood flooring - Installation rules
1. Inspection for material defects
Inspect your solid wood planks thoroughly for their quality prior to and during installation. Flooring planks with visible defects or damages must not be installed.
The installation must take place under daylight conditions or with excellent artificial light to make sure that any possible damages or faulty planks can definitely be detected. Surface inspections are carried out best in a standing upright posture. Conditions of angular light or back light are not to be used for inspecting or detecting things like surface defects, problems with the surface flushness or scratches within the installed area.
2. Acclimatising prior to installation
The solid wood planks must acclimatise for a period of at least 48 hours at temperatures above 17ºC and humidity between 50 - 65% in that room in which they are to be laid. That means the closed packages have to adjust to the climatic conditions in the room. If the climate in the storage location and the installation room are considerably different, the acclimatisation period should be longer. If the climate differences are very small the acclimatisation time can be shorter. Please store the packages flat on a base without opening them.
Paying attention to these guidelines is especially important for new buildings, because humidity levels tend to be particularly high here.
3. No installation in areas subject to splashing water
No installation in permanently moist rooms / wet zones
Solid wood planks must not be installed in areas where splashing shower water may get onto the floor. Standing water will permeate into the wood and can lead to permanent damages. Solid wood planks should not be installed in permanently moist rooms or wet surroundings (saunas, bathrooms etc.) because the danger of penetration with moisture can never be ruled out completely.
If solid wood flooring is supposed to be installed in a bathroom, it is important to make sure that it is not installed in areas subject to splashing water (i.e. from shower, bathtub, lavatory or sink) and that the relative humidity in the room stays within the normal range between 50 and 65% continually. Any formation of puddles and moisture penetration must be avoided all around the corners of the room, for the joints as well as for the whole flooring area.
4. Condition of the subfloor
Any existing subfloor must be even, dry and sufficiently stable. Larger depressions should be evened out using standard commercial fillers. The surface of the subfloor should be free of cracks and without any breaks or tears.
Loose subfloors or insufficiently stable subfloors (PVC-/ textile flooring) need to be removed. Mineral subfloors/ screed need to be sufficiently dry. It is always required to have the subfloor that will accommodate the sub-structure and the flooring tested and inspected by an expert/ flooring specialist (this should include professional measurement of residual moisture levels).
Please also refer to the information in the special chapter on Subfloors.
5. Moisture barrier with mineral subfloors
Generally, when installing on any dry, mineral subfloor a 0.2mm thick Polyethylene foil or alternatively Duo-Protect should always be used as a moisture barrier to prevent any residual moisture getting through to the backside of your solid wood flooring.
The purpose of the Polyethylene-foil is that of a moisture barrier only and the joints of the foil need to overlap approx. 30cm and need to be glued together. In no way does th PE-foil act as waterproofing for the building! See also the chapter on Underlays.
6. Keeping expansion joints / wall spacings
As stated before, depending on the climatic conditions the natural material wood will shrink or swell. That is why an installed flooring of solid wood planks requires sufficient spaces, called expansion gaps, towards all fixed constructional parts, i.e. walls, sustainer, heating pipes and the like. Furthermore, expansion gaps are required if the installation area exceeds certain defined values in length and width (see installation rule 7).
One of the most common installation mistakes is actually insufficient wall spacing. Often, this will only become evident during the summer months when higher temperatures and humidity levels lead to the swelling of the wood flooring.
With conventional installations (e.g. screwing on a sub-structure) the expansion gap/ wall spacing should be at least 15mmor more with very large areas. When installing wood flooring with Click-connections or when using the installation clamps the expansion gap should be at least 5mm per m installation width.
The rule-of-thumb for solid wood planks with Click-connection or installation clamps is:
For every meter of installation width the flooring requires at least 5mm expansion space on both sides. (Example: Room width 4m = min. 20mm expansion gap on each side). Lengthwise an expansion gap of 15mm is sufficient.
For solid wood flooring with Click-connection the maximum installation width is 5.50m and the maximum installation length is 10m.
With all-over adhesion an expansion gap of 15mm is sufficient.
Even if the installed material abuts only on a single point in the room the "floating material” may start to warp and press on. Popular areas where this is repeatedly seen are architraves, transition areas to stairs, heating pipes as well as end profiles.
Heavy pieces like for example kitchen islands and closets (movements of the flooring are possible in one direction only) require the expansion space on one side to be doubled. For heavy pieces and fitted furniture e.g. fitted kitchens, built-in closets or aquariums) we recommend having them assembled prior to installation of the flooring. The flooring boards however should be laid to reach just under the base allowing easy dismantling of the flooring at any time. Furniture pieces that are positioned on top of a floating floor must not exceed 500kg in weight. Otherwise it is necessary to leave that particular area uncovered and install the flooring planks with appropriate expansion gaps around it.
All along the walls the expansion gaps are covered with skirtings, in other places special flooring profiles are used. With metal architraves you can also use acrylic sealants. All of the above is part of and can be found within the Parador range of accessories.
7. Layout of expansion gaps
Due to the fact that the solid wood flooring will shrink and expand depending upon the climate conditions – as described earlier – the following situations do require additional expansion gaps:
With larger areas With screwing (exceeding 7(W) x 15(L) m)
With Click- and Clamp installations (exceeding 5.5(W) x 10(L) m)
With angular areas
With installations that cover more than one room
With all-over adhesion on subfloors the existing structural expansion joints have to be adopted
Liability for missing expansion gaps or joints is always with the installer
8. Installation patterns and staggering of the joints
Solid wood flooring can be installed either in a symmetric or in a random, asymmetric pattern . We recommend installation in a random pattern.
During installation please make sure to mix flooring planks from several different packs in order to achieve an even, harmonious looking area. When working with tongue-and-groove planks it is imperative that the short-end joints are staggered at least 50 cm, with Trendtime 2 a minimum staggering of 15 cm is required.
9. Installation direction / incidence of light
For optical reasons the longitudinal sides of the planks should be installed so that they run parallel to the incidence of light. That means, the longitudinal side runs in the same direction as the light. When several windows are present, please make your decision based upon the largest one of them. With extreme floor plans the decision for a certain installation direction can also be based upon the specific room layout. (See installation rule 10)
10. Installation direction / floor plan
Again, for optical reasons the longitudinal sides of the flooring should run across to the longitudinal side of the room. That will make the room look larger and also give it slightly more "square” appearance so it won’t look quite as narrow and tube-like.
Inspect your solid wood planks thoroughly for their quality prior to and during installation. Flooring planks with visible defects or damages must not be installed.
The installation must take place under daylight conditions or with excellent artificial light to make sure that any possible damages or faulty planks can definitely be detected. Surface inspections are carried out best in a standing upright posture. Conditions of angular light or back light are not to be used for inspecting or detecting things like surface defects, problems with the surface flushness or scratches within the installed area.
2. Acclimatising prior to installation
The solid wood planks must acclimatise for a period of at least 48 hours at temperatures above 17ºC and humidity between 50 - 65% in that room in which they are to be laid. That means the closed packages have to adjust to the climatic conditions in the room. If the climate in the storage location and the installation room are considerably different, the acclimatisation period should be longer. If the climate differences are very small the acclimatisation time can be shorter. Please store the packages flat on a base without opening them.
Paying attention to these guidelines is especially important for new buildings, because humidity levels tend to be particularly high here.
3. No installation in areas subject to splashing water
No installation in permanently moist rooms / wet zones
Solid wood planks must not be installed in areas where splashing shower water may get onto the floor. Standing water will permeate into the wood and can lead to permanent damages. Solid wood planks should not be installed in permanently moist rooms or wet surroundings (saunas, bathrooms etc.) because the danger of penetration with moisture can never be ruled out completely.
If solid wood flooring is supposed to be installed in a bathroom, it is important to make sure that it is not installed in areas subject to splashing water (i.e. from shower, bathtub, lavatory or sink) and that the relative humidity in the room stays within the normal range between 50 and 65% continually. Any formation of puddles and moisture penetration must be avoided all around the corners of the room, for the joints as well as for the whole flooring area.
4. Condition of the subfloor
Any existing subfloor must be even, dry and sufficiently stable. Larger depressions should be evened out using standard commercial fillers. The surface of the subfloor should be free of cracks and without any breaks or tears.
Loose subfloors or insufficiently stable subfloors (PVC-/ textile flooring) need to be removed. Mineral subfloors/ screed need to be sufficiently dry. It is always required to have the subfloor that will accommodate the sub-structure and the flooring tested and inspected by an expert/ flooring specialist (this should include professional measurement of residual moisture levels).
Please also refer to the information in the special chapter on Subfloors.
5. Moisture barrier with mineral subfloors
Generally, when installing on any dry, mineral subfloor a 0.2mm thick Polyethylene foil or alternatively Duo-Protect should always be used as a moisture barrier to prevent any residual moisture getting through to the backside of your solid wood flooring.
The purpose of the Polyethylene-foil is that of a moisture barrier only and the joints of the foil need to overlap approx. 30cm and need to be glued together. In no way does th PE-foil act as waterproofing for the building! See also the chapter on Underlays.
6. Keeping expansion joints / wall spacings
As stated before, depending on the climatic conditions the natural material wood will shrink or swell. That is why an installed flooring of solid wood planks requires sufficient spaces, called expansion gaps, towards all fixed constructional parts, i.e. walls, sustainer, heating pipes and the like. Furthermore, expansion gaps are required if the installation area exceeds certain defined values in length and width (see installation rule 7).
One of the most common installation mistakes is actually insufficient wall spacing. Often, this will only become evident during the summer months when higher temperatures and humidity levels lead to the swelling of the wood flooring.
With conventional installations (e.g. screwing on a sub-structure) the expansion gap/ wall spacing should be at least 15mmor more with very large areas. When installing wood flooring with Click-connections or when using the installation clamps the expansion gap should be at least 5mm per m installation width.
The rule-of-thumb for solid wood planks with Click-connection or installation clamps is:
For every meter of installation width the flooring requires at least 5mm expansion space on both sides. (Example: Room width 4m = min. 20mm expansion gap on each side). Lengthwise an expansion gap of 15mm is sufficient.
For solid wood flooring with Click-connection the maximum installation width is 5.50m and the maximum installation length is 10m.
With all-over adhesion an expansion gap of 15mm is sufficient.
Even if the installed material abuts only on a single point in the room the "floating material” may start to warp and press on. Popular areas where this is repeatedly seen are architraves, transition areas to stairs, heating pipes as well as end profiles.
Heavy pieces like for example kitchen islands and closets (movements of the flooring are possible in one direction only) require the expansion space on one side to be doubled. For heavy pieces and fitted furniture e.g. fitted kitchens, built-in closets or aquariums) we recommend having them assembled prior to installation of the flooring. The flooring boards however should be laid to reach just under the base allowing easy dismantling of the flooring at any time. Furniture pieces that are positioned on top of a floating floor must not exceed 500kg in weight. Otherwise it is necessary to leave that particular area uncovered and install the flooring planks with appropriate expansion gaps around it.
All along the walls the expansion gaps are covered with skirtings, in other places special flooring profiles are used. With metal architraves you can also use acrylic sealants. All of the above is part of and can be found within the Parador range of accessories.
7. Layout of expansion gaps
Due to the fact that the solid wood flooring will shrink and expand depending upon the climate conditions – as described earlier – the following situations do require additional expansion gaps:
With larger areas With screwing (exceeding 7(W) x 15(L) m)
With Click- and Clamp installations (exceeding 5.5(W) x 10(L) m)
With angular areas
With installations that cover more than one room
With all-over adhesion on subfloors the existing structural expansion joints have to be adopted
Liability for missing expansion gaps or joints is always with the installer
8. Installation patterns and staggering of the joints
Solid wood flooring can be installed either in a symmetric or in a random, asymmetric pattern . We recommend installation in a random pattern.
During installation please make sure to mix flooring planks from several different packs in order to achieve an even, harmonious looking area. When working with tongue-and-groove planks it is imperative that the short-end joints are staggered at least 50 cm, with Trendtime 2 a minimum staggering of 15 cm is required.
9. Installation direction / incidence of light
For optical reasons the longitudinal sides of the planks should be installed so that they run parallel to the incidence of light. That means, the longitudinal side runs in the same direction as the light. When several windows are present, please make your decision based upon the largest one of them. With extreme floor plans the decision for a certain installation direction can also be based upon the specific room layout. (See installation rule 10)
10. Installation direction / floor plan
Again, for optical reasons the longitudinal sides of the flooring should run across to the longitudinal side of the room. That will make the room look larger and also give it slightly more "square” appearance so it won’t look quite as narrow and tube-like.