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Installation questions
Can I lay the floor myself?
Yes, these floors are designed for the DIY market. Full information on how to install your floor can be found in our advice section. If you prefer to have a professional install your floor, take a look at our installation service.
Is there anything I need to do before my floor is laid?
You need to ensure your goods are acclimatised before installation. Keep the materials within the property for a minimum of 14 days before installation. You need a constant temperature between 18C-26C which will need to be maintained throughout the installation and for at least 24hrs after installation.
Do you need to leave an expansion gap when fitting solid wood flooring?
Yes, a 10mm expansion gap will be required. This is to allow for seasonal movement that will occur with your floor, as the temperature changes. By having an expansion gap around the edge of the room, the floor will not leave gaps between boards, it will utilise the gap instead.
How does my subfloor determine which floor I can go for?
It doesn’t. With today’s technologies to facilitate installation on all sub-floor types, you may need to prepare the subfloor to a certain extent but solid wood, engineered wood, laminate and vinyl flooring can be installed over all types of sub-floors.
Therefore the only restrictions on floor type to sub-floor type is down to the preparation to ensure the subfloor is flat and moisture free. We are happy to talk you through the preparation that may be required including the appropriate products to ensure your floor has the chance to be primed in the correct manner before installing your new floor.
My concrete floor has low spots and I want to know how to solve this problem?
Prior to installing any flooring it is important to remember that preparation of your subfloor is vital. It is recommended that any cracks in the concrete be filled with concrete filler and sealed prior to installation.
If it's just a hairline crack you can simply cover the crack with duct tape. Keep in mind that underlay with a DPM must be installed prior to laying down the floor. It is not necessary to fill small holes or cracks in the concrete since it is being covered anyway. You can use self-levelling compound which you mix up and add to the low spots. If the subfloor is fairly level you will find Engineered and Laminate flooring very forgiving and with a good quality underlay can be laid right over minor imperfections.
If my concrete subfloor has a crack in it would it cause a problem?
Small cracks in a concrete subfloor should not be cause for concern but if the crack has left a high ridge this will need to be sorted before a real wood floor can be laid. The high edge will need to be removed and then the level made good with a subfloor levelling compound such as a latex screed Most building materials suppliers have a concrete levelling product. We suggest levelling any areas that are more than 3mm in variation.
Make sure you use the underlay with a DPM before installing over concrete, and consult the individual manufacturer's guidelines before attempting installation or preparation.
Must the subfloor be completely even
Some irregularity can be tolerated on the sub-floor when fitting any wooden floor with any installation system.
However, the tolerance will likely be different depending on the installation system and type of flooring used. The general rule would be a variation of ±3mm over a 2 metre length, but please check the specific installation instructions for the method chosen. The best way to test is to take a board and lay it on its edge so you can see any peaks or troughs. If either happens to be outside of the parameters some sub-floor preparation will need to be applied.
Remember that the finished flooring type can only be as good as the installation allows. We would always recommend that, for any installation type, the sub-floor preparation is vital and irregularities should always be corrected as opposed to finding another way around the problem
How much of an irregularity can there be in an existing subfloor?
Subfloors must be inspected and tested to make sure that they are within acceptable tolerance parameters before starting the installation of any flooring type. Both the flatness and levels of the sub-floor must be within tolerance. The floor installation team must also ensure that the environment in which the floor is to be installed is within tolerance. Incorrect relative humidity percentages and room temperatures will adversely affect an installation. If the wood floor is being installed above an under floor heating system, the heating system must be correctly cycled prior to installation taking place; this process alone can take up to two weeks. The following information contains industry standard tolerances for the preparation of sub-floors that are to be covered with wood flooring.
- CEMENT SCREED: Screed must be level to within a maximum tolerance of 3mm per 2 linear metres in all directions.
- JOISTS: Joists must be a maximum of 400mm centres and level to within a maximum tolerance of 3mm per 2 linear metres in all directions. Any damaged or rotten joists must be replaced.
- FLOORBOARDS: Existing floorboards above joists must be level to within a maximum tolerance of 3mm per 2 linear metres in all directions. Any damaged or rotten boards must be replaced.
Some customers consider it not important to install flooring under kitchen units and appliances, as the thought is you will never see it. In theory that sounds fine, but consider that you may have a washing machine, dishwasher or other appliance in your kitchen that needs repairing or replacing. If there is not enough height between the worktop and the appliance, you may not be able to remove it without damaging the floor.
It is often better if you do not intend to remove any of the cabinets in the future to lay flooring under the appliances but only take the flooring up to the cabinet feet where the board edges will be hidden by the kick panel trims.
In the kitchen if you are to install the flooring under kitchen appliances be very careful when you slide the appliances over the floor to avoid scratches and scrapes you may find using a piece of hardboard under the appliance will help wheel it into place without damage to the new floor.
Can I use my existing underlay?
Please note that manufacturer’s guidelines as all manufacturers would recommend replacement for new however;
The purpose of an underlay is to level minor unevenness in the sub-floor and to provide both acoustic (sound) and thermal insulation.
The underlay for wooden and laminated flooring is type specific and underlays such as those used for carpet should not be used.
To avoid problems caused by rising damp you must always lay a plastic foil/sheet. If your underlay has all these qualities, and is in good order, then yes.
You are also recommended to check any warranty details for the individual manufacturer as some may stipulate the use of their own underlay only. Whilst your own underlay may be just as good, or maybe even better, it could invalidate the warranty.
How do you keep the planks in a floating floor from separating during installation?
Due to being a natural product, floors expand and contract when exposed to moisture. To help minimise boards from 'gapping' it is important to first acclimatise prior to installation. When you're ready to install your floor apply glue to the first three rows, fit them together and allow them to dry fully before proceeding with the rest of the floor.
To make sure the board joints are tight, ratchet straps may be used. With loc system floors this is not an issue, you can lay your floor straight away without waiting for any glue to dry.
Maintain your floor correctly. Please read our guidelines before carrying out maintenance. It is important not to expose your floor to water as this is the main cause of gapping.
Finally, control the moisture condition of the area, maybe heating the area consistently, or using a dehumidifier if extreme.
Can a real wood floor be installed over linoleum or vinyl?
Installing real wood engineered flooring over linoleum or vinyl floors is relatively simple, as the linoleum can be left in place with the engineered real wood flooring laid directly over it. Solid wood can also be installed if the subfloor below the linoleum or vinyl is wood, it can then be nailed or screwed down or it can be floated like an engineered real wood floor on the recommended underlay.
Can a real wood be installed on used on stairs?
Real wood flooring is one of the most popular flooring finish materials available. It brings warmth and character to the home goes well with almost any décor and can be used almost anywhere in your home, even on the stairs although the front edge of each step will need to be finished off with a compatible stair nosing.
Do you have to install real wood flooring under existing cabinets?
Ideally, the hardwood flooring would go under the cabinets. You can, however, cut around the cabinets if removing the cabinets would cause undue complication. For kitchen cabinets the flooring would normally be taken up to the cabinet feet then after installation the cabinet trim panel would hide the edge of the flooring
Keep in mind, however, that if you were ever to change the cabinets, you could have a problem if the new cabinets weren't the same size as the old ones!
Is it possible to install real wood flooring over a concrete floor?
Even if your home was built on a concrete slab, you can still enjoy the beauty and charm of hardwood floors. Real hardwood engineered flooring is designed exactly for this kind of application.
It requires an underlay with a DPM over the concrete floor. The floating floor system is simply installed directly over top.
Solid wood flooring is also suitable for installation over concrete and needs to be fixed either by gluing the flooring to the prepared subfloor or by using our recommended underlay system with a separate DPM sheet. However restrictions do apply so we would advise calling us, if unsure, to determine whether or not your subfloor and environment are ideal for this product.
Individual floor fitting instructions
Related links:
Ensure the subfloor is correctly prepared
Useful tools for fitting floors
Portanailer used to install the flooring
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