INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR ENGINEERED WOOD FLOORING

1. A note of caution (click picture to enlarge)

Wood is a natural product and is subject to variations in colour, grain structure and geometry. For this reason, up to 5% of your Engineered Wood Flooring may not be usable for its intended purpose.

China Link’s guarantee does not apply should the installer:

1. install obviously defective boards.
2. fail to combine boards in an aesthetically appealing manner.

2. Preparing for Installation

2.1 Storing Engineered Wood Flooring

Please store Engineered Wood Flooring cartons flat on the ground. Keep the cartons sealed.

The storage room should be about 18 degrees and have a relative humidity of 45-60%.

2.2 Conditioning the room before installing your Engineered Wood Flooring

Before moving the Engineered Wood Flooring into the room where it will be installed, please ensure that:

· Painting and wallpapering are completed.
· Plaster is dry.
· Floor and wall tiles have been installed for at least 3 weeks.
· Windows are in place.
· Radiators have been bled.
· No re-humidification takes place in the room where the floor will be installed.

2.3 Acclimatising your Engineered Wood Flooring

Place the Engineered Wood Flooring cartons in the room at least 72 hours before installation.

Ensure a room temperature of about 18 degrees and humidity of 45-60% before, during and after installation.

In winter, particularly with low temperatures and dry air, you may wish to use a humidifier.

2.4 Planning

In square rooms, lay the floor in the direction of incoming light. In rectangular rooms, lay it length-wise.

Allow for expansion gaps every 10 meters.

2.5 Installation Tools

Ha mmer, saw, measuring tape, square, pencil, drill, chisel, fitting bar, tapping block, wedges and glue.

3. The sub-floor

The sub-floor should be dry, clean, firm and level (maximum unevenness of 2 mm per linear meter).

The sub-floor's residual moisture should not exceed 3%.

4. Under-floor heating

Please make sure you follow the heating flooring instructions.

The moisture content of the sub-floor must not exceed 1.5% (cement) or 0.3% (anhydrites).

Among other things, you should make sure that:
1. The heating has been on for at least 3 weeks before laying the floor.
2. The sub-floor surface temperature does not exceed 27 degrees.
3. The heating has been switched off for at least 48 hours before laying the floor.
4. 8 days after laying the floor, the heating is switched on and temperature gradually increased (increasing 2-3 degrees every 24 hours).

For installation on an under-floor heating system, the planks should be glued down directly onto the sub-floor. Additionally, the tongue and grooves should also be glued together.

5. Installation

We reco mmend that you "float" your Engineered Wood Flooring:

· Use PE sheets (2 mm thick) as a vapour barrier under the floating floor [1] .

· Open the Engineered Wood Flooring cartons right before installation starts.

· Work out of 4-5 cartons at any given time and select the most appropriate plank for every space.

· Up to 5% of the planks may be unusable. In case of serious defects, raise a claim and avoid installation.

· Use a guide running along the wall to ensure that the first row of planks are laid straight.

· Lay the first plank with its grooves towards the walls (corner) and work towards your right.

· Apply a continuous layer of glue on the groove tops, also on the grooves at the head joints.

· Gently ha mmer onto the tapping block so that it pushes the planks into the adjacent ones.

· Remove any excess glue with a damp cloth.

· Use wedges to create 12-15 mm expansion gaps at walls, door thresholds, pipes, stairs, etc.

· Large spaces require larger expansion gaps (2 mm increments for every 1-meter of flooring width).

· When installing through several adjoining rooms, provide expansion joints at every door's threshold.

· Start the next row with the piece of plank remaining from the previous row, as long as it is long enough.

· Stagger the heads of adjacent planks in order to produce a pleasant visual effect.

· When installing the last plank in a row, turn the plank 180˚ and place it over the next-to-the-last plank (tongue facing tongue); mark the last plank with a square and saw it; install the last piece with the help of a fitting bar; adjust a wedge between the last plank and the adjacent wall.

· You may need to cut the last row of planks length-wise as it may not fit exactly against the wall.

· Leave the wedges in place overnight and then take them out and cover spaces as appropriate.

· Screw the skirting onto the adjacent wall.

· Make sure the room is well ventilated and free from any excess building moisture.

If you decide to glue your Engineered Wood Flooring, please use the services of a professional parquet layer.

[1] PE sheets should overlap (about 20 cm) or be tightly jointed to avoid vapour leakages. PE sheets should be laid upward on the walls so that any rising residual moisture from the sub-floor can escape along the sides.

MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS FOR ENGINEERED WOOD FLOORING

1. Lacquered Engineered Wood Flooring

1. You may wish to use a protective treatment just before starting using your Engineered Wood Flooring.
2. Make sure your room temperature is about 18¡æ and relative humidity between 45-60%.
3. Place felt or alike under furniture legs.
4. Place a floor mat at every entrance.
5. Use dry cleaning methods such as wiping, dry mopping or vacuuming. Avoid water.
6. Remove sand or dirt i mmediately as it may scratch your Engineered Wood Flooring.
7. Remove dirt and stains with a gentle detergent and a damp (NOT wet) sponge, mop or cloth.
8. Never use aggressive detergents or products containing a mmonia or silicones.

Consult your local flooring shop for specialised maintenance products.

2. Oiled Engineered Wood Flooring

Please purchase quality soap and quality maintenance oil for oiled flooring at your local flooring shop.

Please follow the soap manufacturer's advice. Among others:

1. The floor should be free from dirt or residue before cleaning.
2. Dissolve soap into a warm (not hot) water solution 1/40 or as reco mmended by the soap manufacturer.
3. Always work with 2 buckets. One with soap water and the other with clean water to rinse the mop.
4. Wash the floor lengthways, using a damp (not wet) floor mop.
5. Leave the soap solution briefly on the surface of the wood floor in order to dissolve heavy dirt.
6. Never use plain water.

Please follow the maintenance oil manufacturer's advice. Among others:

1. Apply the maintenance oil evenly on the Engineered Wood Flooring.
2. Polish until the Engineered Wood Flooring appears silky matt.
3. Allow 24 hours for the maintenance oil to completely settle.