Instructions for Installation of SPC Hybrid Vinyl Plank Flooring.

Preparation

Planks required to complete your install.

Measure the length and width of your room/s. If the room has alcoves or offsets, measure these separately. This will give you a m2 of the room. It is recommended to purchase a minimum of 10% extra to cover trimming, wastage, mistakes and some extra flooring for possible future needs and replacements.

For best results it is important to purchase flooring from the same batch number. Different batch numbers can have slightly different shade variations. It is recommended that you install planks from 4 or 5 different boxes at one time to ensure that you get a random mix of patterns and shades. This will ensure a more natural looking floor.

Caution: Do not install SPC Vinyl Planks over carpet. This type of flooring is not suitable for outside use, solariums, saunas, or rooms which have the potential for substantial flooding.

Acclimatisation

It is recommended to sit the boxed flooring in the installation area for 48 hrs prior to installation to allow it to acclimatise to the installation environment.

Subfloor Preparation

All subfloors must be clean, flat, dry and structurally sound. Preparation of the subfloor is a major part of a successful installation. Unevenness of the subfloor will cause flexing in your flooring and lead to the joins eventually failing.

Carpet staples or flooring adhesive residue must be removed to ensure proper installation.

Any unevenness of greater than 4mm must be sanded down or filled with a levelling compound. Dips and humps in the subfloor will prevent the locking system from locking properly.

Wood Subfloors

All wood or wood composite panels are suitable for use as subflooring for SPC Vinyl Planks, providing  they are smooth, flat, structurally sound and free of deflection and movement. These panels include plywood, particle board and masonite.

Concrete Subfloors

A concrete subfloor must be dry, smooth, free from dust, solvents, paint, wax, grease and oil. The surface must be hard and dense and free from powder or flaking.

New concrete slabs must be thoroughly dry and completely cured. Although SPC Vinyl Planks are not susceptible to damage from moisture, excessive subfloor moisture will create mould, mildew, or fungi under the flooring.

Holes, grooves, expansion joints, or any depressions in the subfloor need to be filled with levelling compound and feathered evenly with the surrounding surface.

Concrete floors within infloor radiant heating systems are allowed, providing the temperature of the floor never exceeds 29 Celsius. (it is always advisable to confirm with your flooring manufacturer).

Installing Over Existing Floor Coverings

SPC Vinyl Planks can be installed over most existing hard floor coverings, providing the existing floor surface is smooth, or can be made smooth.

Uneven Ceramic Tiles should be made smooth with the application of a levelling compound. When the removal of an existing floor covering is not an option, it should be covered with a levelling compound to provide a smooth subfloor surface. Any unevenness is likely to result in flooring failure.

Existing Sheet Vinyl should not be heavily cushioned and must consist of only one layer.

Never use solvents or adhesive removers to remove old adhesive residue. Solvent residue left on the subfloor may affect your new flooring.

Installation

Tools required.

Straight edge. Pencil. Chalk line. Measuring tape. Power crosscut saw (fine tooth blade). Jigsaw (for cutting irregular shapes), Rubber Mallet. Tapping Block. Pull Bar. Painters Tape. Assorted Spaces.

Note.

Before laying out the floor, check the wall you are starting from and make sure it is square to the opposite wall. Simply measure the room from opposite ends of the wall to the far wall. If the measurements are different, you can adjust on the first row, by scribing the plank. SPC Vinyl Plank is designed to be installed with a floating flooring method. Never secure the planks to the subfloor. Always undercut all door jams. Never fasten mouldings or transition strips to the planks.

1. Starting from the corner, on the far wall, lay a row of loose planks, without securing them to each other first, to determine whether you need to adjust the layout, or scribe the first row to conform to the starting wall.
2. Installation should start with the first piece in the corner and proceed from the wall, with the joining groove facing out, away from the wall. Using your spacers, allow an expansion gap of 6mm for subfloor movement, or product expansion. This gap should be covered by either skirting boards or mouldings, upon completion of the laying of the flooring.
3. Line up the end of the next piece by overlapping the first. Using a rubber mallet, tap the joint together gently until the tongue and groove is securely locked together. Continue this until you reach the end of the first row.
4. Be sure to keep the joins tight. You will feel and hear the click when locking the planks together, to create a tight seam. There should be no visible gap between the planks. If the join is not tight, you can pull apart the planks and rejoin. Make sure to carefully lift the top plank away from the bottom plank to ensure you do not damage the joint.
5. When installing SPC Vinyl Planks, it is important that you stagger the rows, so that the short edge joins are not in a straight line with adjoining rows. It is recommended to stagger the end joins by a minimum of at least 30 cms, while at the same time maintaining a random layout. Maintain a random layout to ensure you do not create a pattern.
6. To start the second row, lock the first plank tightly against the first row (alongside) at a 20 to 30 degree angle and push down to lock in place.
7. Align the end of the next plank over the end groove of the previous plank and lower the side joint together. Gently tap the end join down with your rubber mallet until the tongue and groove lock together.
8. Carefully inspect each plank after the install to ensure the long and short ends are tightly locked.
9. Continue with the installation in this manner. Use the end cuts as starters for the next rows, ensuring that your end joins are staggered and a random layout is maintained.
10. To fit around irregular objects, make a paper pattern. Place the pattern over the plank and trace. Cut along traced lines using your jigsaw. Be sure to leave a 6mm expansion gap around all fixed objects, door frames and walls.
11. When installing under door jams, you will have to undercut the door jams to allow the flooring to fit underneath, to provide a clean finish.
12. After completing your install, fit your mouldings or skirting boards to cover your expansion gap. Only nail into your wall base. Do not nail through the flooring or subfloor, as this will eliminate the ability for the flooring to expand and contract.

Flooring Care Guide

• Heavy furniture should have felt pads attached, or legs. All metal tabs or nails should be removed.
• All coasters or wheels should be easy swivelling and suitable for resilient flooring.
• Use doormats outside the entrance to your home, to prevent dirt, sand, grit and other abrasive substances being tracked onto your floor.
• Close curtains or blinds where extreme sunlight hits the floor. Prolonged exposure to extreme sunlight can potentially cause minor discoloration to your floor.
• If you need to move heavy furniture or appliances across the flooring, use strips of wood or hardwood runways as protection.
• For general maintenance of your flooring, sweep or vacuum regularly to remove dust and dirt. Mop occasionally to remove any buildup of dirt, where sweeping alone is not sufficient. Do not use wax or polish. The best cleaning solution is 3 parts warm water, 1 part white vinegar with a squirt of dishwashing liquid. Avoid using steam mops.

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