Wooden flooring installation
Installing a wooden floor can be a challenging but rewarding project.
1.1 Acclimatize the Wood
Before installation, the wood needs to acclimate to the environment where it will be installed. This usually involves storing the wood in the room where it will be installed for a few days to allow it to adjust to the humidity and temperature.
1.2 Prepare the Subfloor
The subfloor should be clean, flat, and dry. If you’re installing over a concrete subfloor, a moisture barrier may be necessary.
1.3 Lay the Underlayment
Depending on the type of flooring and subfloor, an underlayment may be needed to provide cushioning, sound insulation,and moisture protection.
1.4 Plan the Layout
Decide which direction to lay the flooring. Typically, it’s best to install the flooring perpendicular to the floor joists forstability.
1.5 Start Installation
Begin installation along the longest exterior wall, which is usually the most visually appealing location to start. Leave an expansion gap of around 1/2 inch between the flooring and the wall to allow for natural expansion and contraction of the wood.
1.6 Install the First Row
Place the first board with the tongue side facing the wall. Use spacers to maintain the expansion gap. Nail the boards in place, ensuring they are straight and snug.
1.7 Continue Installation
As you continue, use a flooring nailer to secure each board, ensuring that the tongue-and-groove joints fit tightly together. Stagger the end joints at least 6 inches between adjacent rows for a more stable and attractive floor.
1.8 Complete the Installation
Cut the last row of boards to fit using a saw. Leave the appropriate expansion gap at the final wall.
1.9 Install Trim and Moulding
Install baseboards or quarter round to cover the expansion gap around the perimeter of the room.
2.0 Finish the Floor
Sand, stain, and seal the floor according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.Maintenance and care for Oiled Flooring The following information is designed to provide a general guidance for UV oiled wood flooring. Please note additional measurements may be required because all flooring environments are unique with varied traffic levels and weather etc.
1. Consult with professional fitter, the finisher or the manufacturer first if there is any doubt of the kind of floor
finish.
2. Sweep or vacuum wood floors regularly to prevent grits and abrasive dust which can scratch and dull the surface . Avoid steam cleaners as they could force moisture into the wood flooring.
3. Place mats and rugs at doorways, exteriors and interiors to help prevent the tracking of grit, dirt, debris and sand etc.
4. Neverwet-mopawoodfloor.Standingwaterorliquidcandullthefinish, damage the wood and leave a discolouring residue, and affect stability.
5. Wipe up food and other spills, stain immediately with a dry or slightly dampened towel (wipe dry).
6. Do not use any household cleaners as they could be abrasive and cause damage to the flooring surface & finish.
7. Remember: cleats, sports shoes and high heels, heavy duty outdoor shoes can potentially dent any floor surface.
8. Put felt pads underneath furniture to avoid any scratching. And when moving heavy furniture, protect
wood flooring by slipping a piece of cloth or pile under the legs or covering each leg with a heavy sock.
9. For wood flooring in the kitchen, place an area rug in front of the kitchen sink to catch water.
10.it is recommended that maintenance oil to be used periodically, especially on areas of high/frequent use for example busy living or dining room.
11.Remove all dust and debris etc before applying maintenance oil (either hand applied or machine buffed).
12.Please follow woca/osmo/Blanchon/American wood Maintenance Oil maintaining instruction how to apply the oil. Due to the varieties of uv oiled applied in the origin, it is always recommended that try on a few planks/a small area first before re-fining all the areas.
13.Before the newly oiled flooring is completely dry, do not wet the floor and avoid heavy traffic ( light traffic is allowed after typically 6-8 hours after oiling, based on average 20 degrees centigrade).
Maintenance and care for Hard-wax Oiled Flooring
The following information is designed to provide a general guidance for hard wax-oiled flooring. Please note additional measurements may be required because all flooring environments are unique with varied traffic levels and weather etc.
Preventative maintenance:
Use barrier mats both inside and out on external doorways to help prevent dirt and grit from building up on the flooring. Any dust, dirt and grit will dull or even scratch the flooring finish so they need to be regularly removed using a damp cloth or vacuum cleaner with soft attachment only.
Ensure protective pads or cups are used on furniture legs or castors to help avoid scratching the flooring.
Use a soft microfibre cloth or dry mop to wipe away any spillage immediately, do not leave any liquid on the flooring for any length of time as wood will absorb liquids quickly which will lead to stains or expansion.
Maintenance:
Over time, especially in areas of heavy traffic, flooring may show signs of age. However, a Hard Wax Oiled finished wood floor is quite easy to maintain using “Wax & Clean Oil”.
Never aggressive chemicals nor steam cleaners on wood flooring. Use any house hold bleach, detergents or any other Depending on the degree of dirt, carry out weekly or monthly maintenance using this Wax & Clean oil.Thad ca 200-300 ml (2 till 3 spoons) to 10 l of, lukewarm, water. Then clean the wooden floor using a dampened,thoroughly wrung out mop (or slow buffing machine with a white pad for more thorough cleaning of the surface).Mop down the floor gently and remove the superfluous liquid immediately. After cleaning, leave it dry for at least 2- 3 hours before refreshing with Hardwar Maintenance Oil. Please note the flooring is very slippery before it dries. The maintenance oil can be applied using a cotton cloth or a microfiber brush (or a polishing machine to even out the sheen of oiled flooring). Evenly spread the maintenance oil in one fine coat in the grain direction of the wood. Do not apply the oil too thickly. After application, please allow adequate period of time to dry.
Repair:
We recommend using Wax and Clean Oil first to clean the surface before carrying out any repair work.
Worn, scratches or heel marks – to be repaired by re- waxing the area and hand buffing to a shine;
Stains – For dry stains from spillage liquid or food grease and oil etc, please first try gently rub the area with slightly damp cloth, rub from the outer circle gradually toward the middle.
If the spot remains, it will need to lightly sand the affected patch with sandpaper until the marks are removed.Clear the sanding dust before applying another coat of hard wax maintenance oil
Maintenance and care for Lacquered Flooring
The following information is designed to provide a general guidance for lacquered wood flooring. Please note additional measurements may be required because al l flooring environments are unique with varied traffic levels and weather etc.
1.U se barrier mats both inside and out on external doorways to help prevent dirt and grit from building up on the flooring. Any dust, dirt and grit wellful l or even scratch the flooring finish so they need to be regularly removed using a damp cloth or vacuum cleaner with soft attachment only.
2.Do not use a vacuum with a revolving brush for lacquered wood flooring
3.Do not leave any liquid on the flooring for any length of time
4.Never use excessive amounts of water, only a slightly damp mop. Soft microfibre mops with specialized wood floor cleaner are ideal for cleaning.
5.In high traffic areas, can place area rugs to help reduce wearing off.
6.Floor protectors or felt pads can be helpful for furniture to be moved without leaving visible markings to floors and they should be replaced at regular intervals to prevent dirt or grit becoming embedded.
7. Avoid high heels, these can easi ly exert a pressure exceeding 2000 psi and can damage you