Working out the material and accessories you need for installation
Surface area to be covered:
Length (in metres) x width (in metres) = m²
Number of packs you need to buy:
Surface area with cut-offs, divided by the surface area of the pack = number of packs, to be rounded up to the nearest whole number.
For rooms of irregular or complex shape, the best thing to do is to divide them up into simple elements (rectangles, triangles, etc.) and add up the individual surface areas, allowing for the cut-offs by applying the following coefficients:
Rectangular area x 1.1
Triangular area x 1.15
Circular or polygonal area x 1.2
We recommend you buy a special underlay for your flooring. It will act as a moisture barrier, provide insulation and separate the flooring from the ground. You can find the underlay at your flooring retailer - ask for one made of aluminized polyethylene foam, PE foam or polyane. It will stop moisture rising and provide better acoustic insulation and is also fully compatible with underfloor heating.
Example of the quantity of underlay needed
Comes in rolls of 25 m x 1 m
Surface area of the room(s) / roll surface area = number of rolls needed, rounded up to the nearest whole number.
Don't forget to buy your skirting at the same time as the flooring. You will find a whole range of skirting to match the various flooring patterns.
To find out how much skirting you need: length of walls around the room(s) to be covered + perimeter of obstacles (*) the flooring has to go round / 2.50 m = quantity of skirting boards needed.
NB: Obstacles (*) mean the elements for installing the skirting boards for masking the expansion joints - we are not talking about obstacles such as heating pipes.
EPI offers three types of sill bar profiles:
- Junction profile: for joining two flooring surfaces of the same height.
- Adapter profile : for joining two flooring surfaces of uneven heights.
- Finishing profile : for providing a superb finish where skirting boards are not suitable,
Wood-pattern sill bars are available in 0.90 m lengths.
Aluminium sill bars are available in 2.70 m and 0.90 m lengths
Choose the ones that best suit your needs.
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Let's now go through the tools and accessories you'll need for glueless flooring installation
- 1 tape measure
- 1 pencil
- 1 square
- 1 2m line for checking straightness
- 1 laying kit (including 20 spacers + 1 pull bar + 1 tapping block)
- 1 saw
- 1 drill for cutting round circular obstacles of diameter < 20 mm,
- 1 cutter for cutting the underlay
- 1 roll of adhesive tape for the underlay
- tensors (for product with glue)
- 1 flexible spatula for removing excess glue (for product with glue)
- 1 damp cloth (for product with glue)
To save time when laying the flooring, we would also advise getting hold of a 2 m aluminium measuring tape and, for glued products, suction cups (1 suction cup for each tensor)
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Before starting the laying process, let's have a look at a few details :
1) Check your tools and installation accessories..
• If you're using a hand-saw, it's best either to use a new one or to sharpen your existing one. A blunt saw will take longer to cut and the result will be of poor quality. When sawing a plank, hold it with the plank pattern facing you.
• If you're using an electric saw or a jig saw, you're advised to buy a new blade with fine teeth. When sawing, it's best to have the pattern facing downwards.
2) Handle the packs with care when transporting them, to avoid damaging the tongues and grooves. Any damaged plank is difficult, if not impossible to install.
3) Always store the packs flat, in a suitable, draught-free room protected from the elements. The packs must be left in clean, dry conditions, with no condensation or rising moisture. The planks must be left within the packaging during storage. 48 hours before installation, place the planks, in their original packaging, at room temperature (15 - 30° C and 75% max relative humidity). We recommend fitting the planks within 24 hours of the packaging being removed. Avoid storing for a long period before use.
4) Special cases
- When fitting the flooring in a new building or in a place which has not been occupied for some time, the heating should be brought up gradually (5° C / day) to 25° C and kept at that temperature for two weeks before installing the flooring. 2 days before you begin installation, bring ambient temperature back down to 20° C and place the planks in the room, as explained in 3.
- If tiling is being laid in a room next to the room in which you want to fit the flooring, it is strongly recommended to wait at least 48 hours before laying, to prevent moisture transfer.
5) Although all our products are subjected to stringent quality checks, you should inspect each plank before installation. If you spot a defect on a plank, do not use it (if you do, it will not be covered by our guarantee) - no claims can be accepted for defective products which have been already installed. Either take any defective plank back to your retailer, or give him the production number printed on the back of the defective plank. Please in any case keep a record of the production number, as it will help if there are any claims after installation.
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Expansion gaps
You'll be seeing in the next few pages that expansion gaps are very important. Our products are wood-based and as such are affected by hygroscopic changes in the atmosphere. The fibers in wood have a moisture content that is constantly changing in relation to the amount of humidity in the surrounding air. As this property cannot be changed (they even used the expansion power of wood in ancient times to break off rocks weighing several tons from the sides of quarries), we have to factor it in and take the necessary precautions.
There are therefore a certain number of rules that need to be adhered to :
- Make sure you allow for an 8 mm gap all around the area where you are installing the flooring (in other words along the walls and door sills) and around any obstacle such as doorframes, piping, pillars, radiator fittings, etc.. These expansion gaps can easily be masked by coordinated skirting boards or sill bars for the doors.
Surfaces in adjoining rooms should not be laid as a single, continuous floor. Make sure you leave an expansion gap of 8 mm at the doorways between 2 rooms.
When a room has a complex shape, with various alcoves, nooks or crannies, split the surfaces into simple shapes (rectangles, triangles, etc.) leaving 8 mm expansion gaps between them.
- For rooms with a surface area of over 50m² or with a length greater than 8 m, you'll need to split up the surface into two or more smaller parts, dividing each part using 8 mm expansion gaps.
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The floor slabs of large buildings are divided up by expansion gaps. Any flooring installation needs to follow these expansion gaps.
- A sill bar can be used for masking the expansion gap. A gap of 8 mm minimum must be left on either side of the sill bar. Any plank tongues hidden by the sill bars will need to be cut off.
If you use the sill bars included in each product's range of accessories, you will therefore need to leave a total gap of 26 mm minimum – 10 mm for the sill bar itself and 8 mm on either side of it.
TIP : to avoid having to use COLORFILL to mask the expansion gaps or skirting boards to mask the doorframes, you can cut the bottom of the doorframes and leave an expansion gap (8 mm minimum) under the doorframe, between the wall and the flooring. Although this is easy to do for wooden doorframes, special equipment is needed for metal ones.
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You want to lay your flooring on a heated floor
This is possible for low-temperature underfloor heating (under 28° C).
Here are some recommendations:
The thermal conductivity of the flooring means it can be used with underfloor heating. For best results, follow the fitting instructions below, while keeping to the underfloor heating supplier's instructions and paying particular attention to certain details.
The heating temperature should be brought up gradually (5° C per day) till it reaches 25° C. The heating should be operating for at least 2 weeks before the flooring is installed. This operation allows the planks to adapt to the humidity content of the air for later use. As the flooring is an organic material, it is important that it be completely dry before installation.
- before fitting, bring the temperature down to 20° C.
- leave a gap of at least 8 mm between the planks and the walls or any obstacle in the room.
- put down the appropriate underlay(s)
- install the planks, keeping to the instructions and precautions set out in this manual.
- wait a minimum of 24 hours and then gradually bring the heat back up to the normal temperature.
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STEP 1 : Preparing the laying surface (cont.)
1) check the type of laying surface :
The flooring must be laid on a clean, flat, and dry internal backing surface that is also stable and smooth, with humidity :
< 3 % if it is made with a hydraulic-based binder
< 8 % if it is wood-based or made of any other material.
Note: You can hire a humidity tester from your retailer.
The flooring can be laid : :
on a wood-based backing surface (particles or HDF), if it is under 19 mm thick. It is recommended to use a fiber underlay with this kind of surface.
- On previously laid, even tiling with a surface flatness equal to that of a properly prepared concrete surface (you'll need to put down an insulating underlay), on fully glued-down fabric floors, but only for needled or short-pile carpeting (fibres < 5 mm, non curled - you'll also need an underlay here).
- On even, glued-down parquet, with a surface flatness equal to that of a properly prepared concrete surface. You'll need to put down an insulating underlay.
The flooring cannot be laid
1) on certain other types of flooring (> 5 mm) such as long-fiber carpeting , that might sag or deteriorate, thereby affecting sheet properties
2) Any difference in level of 5 mm over a length of 2 m (3mm over 2m for CARRE DECO) on a concrete or wooden surface, should be corrected or evened out. If you have a bricklayer's rule, lay it on the floor to check its flatness. The flatter the surface, the better. After resurfacing or corrective-work, you should wait 2 weeks for it to dry completely. Drying time depends on the material and the quantity used in resurfacing. The more the surface needs evening out, the longer the drying time.
3) When you want to lay the flooring in a new house or building, you need to wait a certain period after the screed has been poured before you start.
For screed 4 cm thick, you should wait about 6 weeks.
Add one month for each extra centimetre.
Any screed layer over 9 cm contains too much residual humidity for laminated flooring.
4) To avoid rising moisture in a backing surface with a hydraulic binder (cement), put down a polyane sheet and an underlay (except for on old PVC flooring, organic carpeting and existing wood parquet) . Lay the underlay edge-to-edge in strips perpendicular to the planks, without overlapping. Allow at least 5 cm extra at the walls for fitting under the skirting and at obstacles. For glued products, allow 20 cm also for overlapping.
The underlay should be chosen according to its thermal and acoustic absorption properties and to the backing surface.
- a 2, 3 or 4 mm expanded polyurethane foam (P.E.) on the high-density polyethylene (polyane) film.
2 mm underlay. Acoustic absorption: Lw = 17 dB
4 mm underlay. Acoustic absorption: Lw = 19 dB
Available in rolls of 20 or 25 m x 1 m, according to thickness.
Low thermal absorption
We recommend using the 4 mm underlay on any hard backing surface to obtain the best acoustic performance.
Or :
- the FLOORISOL poplar fiber underlay, in boards of 5 mm thickness. The boards should be laid perpendicular to the flooring planks, with a distance of 2 mm between each board and 5 mm between FLOORISOL and the walls.
Thermal resistance at 20°C : 0.04 Calm²/5/°C
Acoustic absorption: Lw = 20 dB
NB : It is important to fit the underlays facing different directions This will help prevent the rise of humidity, stop joints being laid over each other and eliminate any risk of sagging
First of all, choose what type of underlay you’re going to use. Then decide in which direction the flooring is to be fitted and from that, work out the direction of the underlays (insulating and moisture barrier) .
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STEP 2 : preparing for installation (cont.)
1) Your parquet must be loose laid as a floating floor, without using any screws, nails or glue to attach it to the backing surface. A gap of at least 8 mm must be left around the walls. Installation must be carried out at an ambient temperature of between 15° and 30° C on a smooth, dry, flat, stable floor at a maximum relative humidity of 75%. Glued products need an underlay to prevent excess glue sticking the flooring to the backing surface.
2) There are several factors that need to be considered when deciding in which direction you should lay the planks. If you’re laying it on parquet, then the flooring must be laid perpendicularly to it. For any other backing surface, there are several factors to consider:
1. the light source : the sheets should be laid in the same direction as the main light source.
2. the shape of the room : the sheets should be laid along the length of the room.
3) Check the door jamb(s) in the room(s) where you are laying the flooring. The door must be able to open and close without any problem when the underlay and planks are laid. If necessary, use a plane to cut the bottom of the door down to the right length.
4) The sill bars should be used before the flooring is laid. Install the lower part of the bar sills after laying the underlay.
- if you're laying on a heated floor, use neoprene glue.
- if not, use screws, with dowels if necessary (concrete screed or slab)
For newly surfaced floors or new buildings, find out where the ducts go (electricity, water, etc) so you don't put holes in them. For areas where a high-density 0.2 mm P.E. moisture barrier has been put down, we recommend leaving a 5 - 100 mm overlap of the P.E. film to fold under the parquet along the bar sills.
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STEP 3 : Laying the flooring (cont)
You have followed the first steps, including determining in what direction the flooring is to be laid.
1) The first two rows can easily be fitted in together. Work out how many whole planks you need for the first row, plus the length of cut-off needed for finishing off the row. Lcutoff = Lrow - 1.29 * No. of whole planks (- 0.398 for CARRE DECO).
The unused part of the cutoff (providing it is over 30 cm and under 1 m) can be taken to start the second row. If not, cut a plank in half and begin the second row with it to ensure each row is staggered by at least 30 cm compared to the adjoining ones.
Each EPI range has different laying features, so be sure to read the instructions carefully.
2) Start off in one of the corners, with the tongue side of the planks facing the wall. Leave a gap of about 8 mm along each wall, placing a spacer every 75 cms or so between the flooring and the wall..
HINTS :
1. For glueless products, hold the second plank of the second row at an angle of 30° and ease it, tongue first, lengthwise into the grooves of the planks of the previous row. This technique also helps fitting, by removing any dust from the grooves.
3) Fit the first three rows and then check the alignment using a line and a square. If the first two rows are not straight and perpendicular to the walls, you'll have to cut a row along its length. To go about this, take a spacer supplied with the laying kit (or any other spacer of 5 or 6 cm), and fit a pencil to it. Run the spacer, with the pencil attached, along the wall so that the cutting line is traced on the first row of planks. Number each plank with chalk, take the row apart and cut each plank along the cutting line.
4) If the squaring and alignment are correct, you can continue laying the flooring, row-by-row, making sure each row is staggered by at least 30 cm. Slot each plank lengthwise into the previous row before using the tapping block to ease the plank in widthwise.
For glued products, if not already done, now is the time to start the gluing process. Apply PROGLU white glue (PVAC type, classified D3 by DIN EN 204) or DOLFY PLUS (Dolfy range, classified D4 by DIN EN 204) evenly and continuously along the grooves, both lengthways and widthways. Use enough glue to give a continuous, even layer – avoid spot gluing or putting too much glue at the angles of the planks (there needs to be enough space for any excess glue to spread out). Leave the three first rows to dry for 30 - 45 minutes to give yourself a solid base.
Wipe off any excess glue using a flexible plastic spatula or a slightly damp cloth, that should be rinsed out regularly
EPI recommends using tensors to fit the sheets together tightly. The tensors allow the planks to be fitted snugly together without damaging them. Pressure should always be evenly exerted along the plank. You should use at least three tensors for the first 2 linear metres and then one tensor per plank. The tensors should then be used to fit each row snugly into place
ASTUCE : The range of accessories includes suction cups which, used with the tensors, will help save time.
Using the suction cups:
… Moveable :
The suction cups should be placed in the last row laid and moved each time a new row is installed. The tensors are placed at the first row and are used with the suction cups to clamp the flooring. This system allows you to lay the rows without removing the tensors.
… Fixed :
The suction cups can also be used with the tensors as a fixed point for clamping in inaccessible places and for clamping lengths of over 5 metres.
6) When you reach the final row, place a loose plank precisely upon the last sheet laid. Place another plank on top , but with its edge along the skirting, leaving a gap of 8 mm. Trace a cutting line along the sheet in the middle and saw it along the line.
7) Take the cut parts and slot them in using the pull bar supplied with the laying kit. Place spacers between the wall and the final row of planks, to maintain an expansion gap of 8 mm.
8) To fit the flooring around obstacles such as heating pipes, you should first use a pencil to trace out the section you need to drill. Drill a hole leaving about 8 mm around the obstruction. Cut the plank across the centre of the holes and fit the plank around the obstacle, gluing the cut ends together.
If the pipe is along the length of a sheet, it’s best to make a diagonal cut (fig.1). A straight cut (fig 2). can be made if the pipe is along the width
9) You can walk on glueless parquet immediately after fitting, but with glued flooring, it's best to let it dry for about 24 hours. Once the 24 hours are up, remover the spacers and tensors.
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STEP 4 : Finishing (cont.)
1) Mask the expansion gap along the walls with skirting boards and / or quadrants. Fit the skirting bards to the walls without gluing them. Fit the quadrants to the skirting boards without gluing them to the floor. Aluminized foam overlaps can be folded up under the skirting boards.
2) Fit in the upper part of the bar sills to mask the expansion gaps.
3) Any planks left over can be kept for several years, stored flat away from any damp.,
4) Put back any furniture.
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STEP 5 : Caring for your flooring (cont.)
A mat should be placed at the entry to any room with access from outside. Pads should be placed under furniture legs to prevent scratching.
Never use a lot of water when cleaning. The manufacturer recommends using only a broom or vacuum cleaner. For more obstinate marks, use a damp cloth with a little PRONET cleaning fluid or a very diluted cleaning product (1/2 a bottle-top for 5 litres of water). Dry immediately after cleaning. Do not use wax or varnish.
Any marks should be immediately cleaned off using a dry cloth or a slightly damp sponge.
For more obstinate stains, such as coffee, tea, wine, fizzy drinks, blood, water-based paint:
sponge dampened with water
Rubber, tar, chocolate, chewing gum, grease, oil, wax, cream
cloth dampened with acetone
Lipstick, ink, ballpoint,
=> cloth dampened with alcohol
If you want to replace a plank damaged by a domestic accident
Minor damage can be repaired using putty or COLORFILL.
Replacing a glueless plank:
For more serious damage, the plank(s) in question can be replaced by those left over from installation. As the product is UV resistant, the stored planks will be the same colour as the fitted planks.
As there is no glue involved, it is a fairly easy job to replace a plank.
• Choose the rows to take out, starting from the wall nearest the damaged plank. If the damage is in the middle of the room, take the last rows to be fitted as you'll find it easier to refit the flooring after replacing the damaged plank by slotting the tongue into the groove than the other way round.
• Number each plank with a piece of chalk (row number and position in the row) so that you'll be able to put the flooring back together again once you've replaced the damaged plank
• Remove the skirting boards where needed.
• Carefully remove the rows until you reach the damaged plank, and place them flat on the floor, taking care not to damage the edges.
• Replace the damaged plank with a new one
• Fit the planks back together in the same order as before..
• Fit the skirting boards back on.
NB : the job takes very little time and your flooring will very soon again be as good as new.
Replacing a glued plank
This is a more difficult job and you'll need to follow the instructions very carefully.
Tools needed: pencil, tape measure, circular saw, hammer, wood chisel, knife, cloth, PROGLU or DOLFY PLUS glue, high-density P.E. film of 2 mm thickness, router. A spline might also be needed.
a- Before starting, make sure the other planks are protected..
b- Remove the core of the damaged plank, using the circular saw with a cut depth of 8 mm. Leave about 25 mm along all four sides of the plank.
c- Carefully remove the rest of the damaged plank, using the wood chisel. Clean the grooves and the upper parts of the tongues of the surrounding planks (glue and flooring residue).
d- If you managed to remove the tongues and grooves without any damage, you can go straight to step e). If not, use the router to remake the groove on all four sides of the fitted planks (2.5 mm thick, 5 mm deep). Insert the spline in the grooves to slot into the grooves of the new plank.
e) Take the new plank and remove the bottom part of the two grooves, using the circular saw (cut 3 mm deep). Check that the plank will fit properly into the space.
f)
f- Cut a piece of P.E. film of approx. 140 x 30 cm and fit it into the space. Slip 5 mm of film under the surrounding planks. Apply the PROGLU or DOLFY PLUS glue evenly over the tongues and in the grooves of the fitted planks.
