Installation for Country Road, River Walk, Woodland Trail & Native Stone

(See Installation Instructions for Mountain Pass WPC Below)

 

1. Job Site Conditions

Areas to receive flooring must be well lit, clean, fully enclosed, and weather tight. The permanent HVAC system set at a minimum temperature of 65 degrees F or a maximum of 85 degrees F for 48 hours prior to, during and continued after the installation.

 

2. Material Handling and Storage

The material should be delivered to the job site in its original unopened packages. Check to make sure that all material is the same batch number. All flooring and adhesives should be allowed to acclimate to room conditions a minimum of 24 hours prior to installation. Inspect all material for any visual defects prior to installation.

 

3. Sub-Floors

It is essential that all sub-floors be rigid, finished smooth, flat, permanently dry, clean and free of all foreign materials such as dust, paint, grease, oils, solvents, curing, hardening and release compounds and old adhesives. The responsibility for determining the suitability of the sub-floor rest solely with the flooring installer. The finished appearance and performance of the floor covering will be determined by the condition of the sub-floor.

 

4. Concrete Sub-Floors

Imperfections such as chips, spalls and cracks should be repaired using only Portland based patching and leveling compound. All patching compounds should be allowed to fully cure before installing flooring. Do not install over old gypsum based products. Concrete shall be free of all paint, old adhesives, curing, hardening and release compounds. Use a mechanical method to remove surface contaminates. Concrete should have a minimum compressive strength of 3500 psi. Expansion joints are designed to allow for expansion and contraction of the concrete. Flooring products should not be installed over expansion joints. It is recommended to use joint covers designed to be used with resilient flooring.

 

5. Wood Sub-Floors

Wood sub-floors should be double construction with a minimum overall thickness of 1”. The floor must be rigid, free from movement and have at least 18” of well-ventilated air space below. Particle board, chip board, tempered hardboard and gypsum-based products are not suitable for flooring installation.

 

6. Moisture Test

It is essential that moisture tests be conducted on all concrete floors regardless of age or grade level. The test must be a calcium chloride moisture emission test and must be conducted in accordance with ASTM- F1869. The moisture emission results must not exceed 3.0 lbs. Per 1,000 sq. ft. per 24 hours or when using a Relative Humidity (RH) test the reading must be lower than 75% RH. If the test results exceed the above standards the installation should not proceed until the problem has been corrected.

 

7. PH Test

pH test shall be taken on all concrete sub-floors regardless of age or grade level. If the pH reading is greater than 9, the concrete must be neutralized prior to beginning the installation.

 

8. Adhesive

Products like Parabond 5082 or Mapei 350 are excellent products for this application. Spread adhesive using the adhesive manufacturers recommended trowel. When installing over a porous substrate the flooring can be laid into wet or tacky dry adhesive. For a wet lay installation spread the adhesive, wait approximately 10 minutes to allow the adhesive to flash off. When installing over a non-porous substrate the adhesive must be allowed to tacky dry before installing flooring. Once the flooring is installed roll the whole installation with a 100 lb. three-section roller to assure adhesive has made proper contact with flooring. Remove any excess adhesive immediately with soapy water. Do not flood the flooring. Dried adhesive can be removed with a nonflammable cleaner. Take care to remove adhesive from the surface of the tile before it dries. In all cases follow adhesive manufacturers installation requirements.

 

Installation Instructions for Mountain Pass WPC

 

SUMMARY

 

Vinyl Planks

• Constructed with the patented Uniclic locking system that enable the joints to be seamless, tight, durable and waterproof.
• Can be installed as a floating floor without glue.
• So easy to install that all you need is a smooth dry surface and a few basic hand tools.
• Once complete the installation, it can receive traffic immediately.

 

Recommended Use

• Do not install over ramps.
• Residential and light commercial applications.

 

Storage

• Lay cartons neatly onto wooden pallets.
• Do not stack more than 10 cartons high.
• Always store and transport cartons stacked neatly on a smooth, flat, solid surface.
• Avoid violent collision.

 

Acclimation & Preparation

• Vinyl planks and tiles should be acclimated at a constant temperature between 65ºF (18ºC) and 85ºF (29ºC) for 48 hours prior to and throughout the installation.
• During the installation, mix and install planks from several different cartons to minimize shade variation.
• Always allow a 1/4" (6.35mm) expansion space around the entire perimeter of the room and at all fixtures and pipes.
• Cover the exposed edges with trim or fill the gap with a high quality silicone caulking.
• All base cabinets must be installed prior to installing flooring.
• Do not install base cabinets or island cabinets on top of the floor.
• Remove wall and doorway trim.
• Undercut door casings.
• Clean subfloor.

 

Tools Required

• An Utility Knife
• Carpenter Square
• Pencil / Marker
• Chalk Line
• Tape Measure
• Shears for cutting around irregular shaped objects

 

Subfloor Recommendations

• Vinyl planks can be installed over a variety of subfloor surfaces including concrete, wood and many existing hard surface floors.
• The subfloors must be smooth, flat, clean, solid and dry.
• Do not install planks over floors that are sloped for drainage.
• Subfloors should be flat within a tolerance of 1/8" (3.18mm) over a span of 4 feet (1.22m).
• Any unevenness over 1/8" (3.18mm) must be sanded down or filled with a floor leveler.
• Vinyl tiles are resistant to water damage but they do not prevent the transmission of moisture.
• Care should be taken to keep moisture from collecting on either side of the vinyl floor to prevent the growth of mold and mildew.

 

Concrete Subfloors

• Vinyl planks and tiles can be installed over concrete on all grade levels, if a proper moisture barrier is used.
• Calcium chloride test method per ASTMF 1869 or In-Situ Relative Humidity test method - ASTMF 2170 test must be performed.
• Lightweight concrete: Internal Relative Humidity Test should be performed per the latest edition of ASTMF 2170.
• Three internal relative humidity tests should be conducted for areas up to 1000 s/f.
• A 6 mil polyurethane moisture barrier should be used with concrete subfloor.
• Fill cracks; saw cuts and control joints and level uneven areas that exceed 1/16" (1.59mm) in 3' (914.4mm).
• Do not install flooring over expansion joints.

 

Wood Subfloors

• Vinyl planks and tiles are suitable for installation over double layer wood subfloor that are a minimum of 1" (25.4mm) thick, or single layer subfloor constructed with APA rated Sturd-I-Floor panels, 23/32" (18.24mm) or heavier.
• Joist spacing should not exceed 19.2" (487.68mm).
• Set fastener 1/32" (0.79mm) below the subfloor surface, sand joints smooth and fill holes and gaps wider than 3.18mm.
• Install suitable underlayment when necessary to achieve a flat or solid surface.
• Wooden subfloor installed over a crawlspace should have a moisture barrier installed in it with at least 18" of ground clearance.

 

Plywood Subfloors

• Vinyl planks and tiles are suitable for installation over underlayment grade plywood, lauan plywood and other underlayment recommended by the manufacturer for use with luxury vinyl plank.
• Wooden subfloor installed over a crawlspace should have a moisture barrier installed in it with at least 18" of ground clearance.
• ATTENTION:
• Installation over oriented stand board and particle board is not recommended since these panels presents a greater risk of subfloor instability and can detract from the performance of the floor.
• Avoid subfloor with excessive vertical movement or deflection.
• Indications of excessive deflection are subfloor fasterner release, squeaking, compromised or sectional contours such as bowing or dipping in floors and uneven flooring material.
• Nail or screw subloor panels to secure boards with excessive vertical movement or deflection prior to installation.
• If the subfloor has excessive vertical movement (deflection) before installation of the flooring, it is likely to do the same after the installation is complete. Our warranties DO NOT cover any problems caused by inadequate substructures or improper installation of said substructures.

 

Existing Flooring

• Vinyl planks and tiles can be installed over a variety of finished floors.
• The surface must be in good condition – dry, smooth, flat.
• Level deep or wide grout lines with embossing leveler.
• Do not install flooring over heavily cushioned floors or over tile installed over concrete below grade level. The grout joints in ceramic tile and marble must be leveled so they are flush with the tile surface.

 

Radiant Heating Systems

• Vinyl planks and tiles can be installed over in-floor radiant heating systems, provided the subfloor surface does not exceed 86ºF (30ºC) at any point.
• The initial floor temperature should not exceed 68ºF (20ºC) for 24 h prior to and 48 h after installation.
• Thereafter the temperature should be gradually increased to the desired setting up to 86ºF (30ºC).
• Radiant heating systems that are installed on top of the subfloor surface and covered with self-leveling underlayments are not recommended.

 

INSTALLATION

Do not secure individual vinyl planks and tiles to the subfloor as it is designed to be a floating floor. All door jambs should be undercut and cabinets cannot be installed on top of vinyl planks and tiles. Wall moldings and transition strips should be installed any exposed plank edges but should not be fastened through the planks.

 

1. Determine how you want flooring to run. Typically for plank products, the flooring runs the length of the room.

There may be exceptions since it is all a matter of preference.

 

2. To avoid narrow plank widths or short plank lengths near the walls/doors, it is important to do some pre-planning. Using the width of the room, calculate how many full boards will fit into the area and how much space remains that will need to be covered by partial planks. Divide the remaining space by two to calculate the width of the partial planks. Do the same for the length.

 

3. Note that if the first row of planks does not need to be trimmed in width, it will be necessary to cut off the unsupported tongue so that a clean, solid edge is toward the wall.

 

4. 1/4" (6.35mm) expansion gaps should be kept from the wall during the installation. This will allow space for the natural expansion and contraction of the planks.

 

5. The planks should be installed from left to right. From the top left corner of the room, put the first plank in place so that both the head and side seam grooves are exposed.

 

6. Install the second plank in the first row by angling the short side tongue in the short side groove of the first plank. Continue installing additional planks along the first row using the same angling method.

 

7. To start the second row, using 1/3 of a plank. Place the cut end against the wall. Insert the tongue on the long side of the plank into the groove of the plank in the first row. Hold the plank in a 20º to 30º angle while applying pressure inward and down until they lock together.

 

8. Install the 2nd plank in the 2nd row by inserting the short side tongue into the previously installed 1st plank short side groove. To complete the second and all successive rows, it will be necessary to lock into place.

It may be necessary to lift both planks slightly to lock the joint together.

 

9. Align the plank so the long side tongue tip is positioned just over the groove lip of the plank in the first row.

 

10. Using gentle force and at a 20º - 30º angle, push the long side tongue into the groove lip of the adjoining plank by sliding along the short side seam. You may need to lift the plank to the left of it slightly to allow for the "sliding" action.

 

11. The remaining planks can be installed in the room using the same technique. Make sure the required expansion gaps are maintained against all fixed vertical parts (such as walls, doors, cabinets etc.).

 

12. The planks can be cut easily with a utility knife, just score the top of the plank and snap the plank in two.

 

REPAIRS

In the unlikely event, a plank is damaged for whatever reason.

 

For damaged planks that are closed to the two long perimeters of a room...

You may have to replace it with a new one. Disconnect the planks carefully (protecting the tongue and groove edges) until the damaged plank can be removed. Replace the damaged plank with a new one and reassembled the disconnected planks.

 

For damaged planks that are not closed to the perimeter...

You may have to remove the damaged planks and insert new pieces without the short and long end grooves.

 

1. Using a sharp utility knife and a straight edge, cut out the center of the damaged plank. Leave approximately 1" (25.4 mm) strip attached to the adjacent planks.

 

2. Carefully cut back from the four corners of the plank to the inside edges in space left by the cut out plank.

 

3. Remove the plank edges carefully from the adjacent planks. Make sure the tongues and grooves of the adjacent planks are not damaged.

 

4. Using a utility knife, remove the tongue strip on both the long and short ends of the replacement plank. In addition, remove the groove strip of the short end of the replacement plank.

 

5. Place some doubled sided carpet tape along the three sides of the adjacent planks where the tongues and the grooves of the replacement plank have been removed. Only the top side release paper of the caret tape should be removed. The bottom side release paper should NOT be taped on top of the subfloor.

 

6. Position the replacement plank.

Engage the groove of the long side into the tongue of the adjoining plank. Pushing down on the other three sides.

 

7. The carpet tape will hold the replacement plank in place with its adjacent planks.

 

8. Use a hand roller to further secure the tape.

 

POST INSTALLATION

• Remove all spacers.
• Remove all loose debris from the floor by using a soft sweeping brush or dust mop.
• Install wall trim lightly over floor surface.
• Drive fasteners into the wall and not the floor.
• When installing doorway transition moldings, allow a 1/4" (6.35mm) expansion space between the edge of the floor and the molding.
• Return appliances carefully to the room by rolling or sliding over strips of hardboard to prevent damaging the floor.