Read on to find out how parquet blocks are installed. Start to finish!

 

For aesthetic reasons we recommend having the floor run the length of the room towards a natural light source. This will enhance the grain and provide a better overall look.

 

Before laying the floor the fitter may need to undercut the bottom of the door-frames, wardrobes, kitchen plinths etc. to allow for the planks to fit under. Doors may also need to be undercut as the new floor may end-up higher than the original one.

 

IT IS THE DUTY OF THE INSTALLER/OWNER TO HUDGE THE SUITABILITY OF ANY PIECE FOR PLACEMENT IN A CONSPICUOUS AREA OF A ROOM.

 

Nail-Down Installation (secret nailing).

 

Commonly used with tongued boards, the installer should start at one end of the room and leave an expansion gap around the entire perimeter to allow for expansion. The should carefully select several of the straightest boards and once they have been nailed in place, go back and nail the same boards through the tongue, pre-drilling and nailing at a 45* angle. After the third row or so is in place a manual or pneumatic floor-nailer can be used.

 

The floor nail or cleat used should be ring-shanked or jagged and no less than 2.5 time the thickness of the boards. They should be set into each floor joist or batten, assuming 400mm (about 16 inch) spacing and an additional nail between each set. This should result in a spacing of every 200mm (about 8 – 10 inch) as recommended by the National Wood Flooring Association. All boards must have a minimum of two nails each.

 

No two connecting boards should end on the same line so the installer should alter lengths, to stager joints at least 150mm (about 6 inch) apart. Often the last row will not fit a full strip of flooring and should be cut so the installer is able to hand nail the last row, leaving enough space for an expansion gap between the wall and the wood. For better aesthetics the installer should run the boards through the doorway and continue into the adjacent room, although it may not be possible in all property types or room layouts. 

 

 

Floating Installation. 

Using the floating method of installation will require the pre-laying of an underlay in order to provide a cushion between the floor and subfloor. This method will only lend itself to engineered boards although wide engineered planks are not recommended to be used with this method. The other downside with this method is that the floor is more likely to ‘creak’ and the glue that is commonly used can break down over the years, and the joints work loose.

 

Using the correct underlay is essential when floating a floor! Underlay combining a built-in DPM should be fitted at ground and basement levels or above concrete subfloors, where the acoustic reduction underlay should be used in multi-occupant buildings to provide some reduction between floors.

 

Once the underlay has been fitted according to manufacturer instruction, the installers should start installing the planks on one end of the room and leave an expansion gap around the entire perimeter to allow expansion. In this method no nails are to be used and the board’s either connect using a click system or the tongue and grooves are glued together using specialist adhesive. 

 

No two connecting boards should end on the same line so the installer should alter lengths, to stager joints at least 150mm (about 6 inch) apart. Often the last row will not fit a full strip of flooring and should be cut so the installer is able to fit the last row, leaving enough space for an expansion gap between the wall and the wood. Although providing a better overall look, continuing boards between adjacent rooms may not be suitable for all room layouts or property types due to excessive movement. 

 

Glue Down Installation. 

Glue-down installation is our preferred method and requires the use of an adhesive or bonding agent applied directly onto the subfloor. This method can be used on both concrete and timber subfloors, providing an extremely stable floor when done properly, although will require a slightly longer installation process.

 

For optimal application, a flexible adhesive should be used and a trowel should be worked at 45* angle so the adhesive left on the floor by trowel teeth is just the right amount. Adhesive should only be applied to surfaces that can be reasonably covered in under and hour. Most flexible adhesives are also designed with under floor heating in mind and can be used for both solid and engineered floors. Laying over a concrete subfloor may first require a liquid Damp Proof Membrane to ensure no damp rises into the new floor.

 

As with other installation methods, the installer should leave an expansion gap around the perimeter then carefully select the boards, setting aside any with imperfections or high colour variation for less visible areas of the floor. The installer should then press the planks down into the adhesive with a slight sliding movement, keeping adhesive out of board grooves and sides to ensure perfect fit with adjacent board tongue. 

 

No two connecting boards should end on the same line, so the installer should alter lengths to stager joints at least 150mm (about 6 inch) apart. Often the last row will not fit a full strip of flooring and should cut so the installer is able to glue the last row, leaving enough space for an expansion gap between the wall and the wood.

 

For better aesthetics the installer should run the boards through the doorway and continue into the adjacent room, although it may not be possible in all property types or room layouts.