Here are some simple guidelines for a successful laying and caring for timber floors.

TIPS BEFORE LAYING YOUR TIMBER FLOORING

Follow laying instructions provided diligently and carefully for best results.

Wood is a natural product with natural variations of colour, grains, and characteristics; this must be expected from the species and products that you have chosen. Please ask for further explanation from your sales assistant.

Unopened packs of parquet flooring must be left in the room to be installed for at least 24 hours prior toinstalling, acclimatising and stabilising the flooring. This will ensure the limiting of bowing.

MOISTURE CONTENT (MC) OF SUBFLOOR must be checked prior to laying of timber flooring. If the subfloor is a concrete base with high moisture content, please ask your sales assistant for methods to assist you in solving this issue

Ensure that the subfloor is completely flat prior to installation. If there are any irregular heights on the subfloor, it possible that slight creaking might happen (Creaking is not a fault but is quite irritating). To stop this, ask your layer or sales assistant to help level the subfloor.

If it is required (i.e. the area to be laid is susceptible to water logging) a good humidity barrier should be used over the subfloor (ensure that the subfloor is suitably dry, especially when the concrete subfloor is newly laid).

Wood is a living material that swells if their moisture or humidity rises and shrinks if their moisture or humidity is lowered. These not only show that your floor is a natural product but can also lead to some irreversible deformation of the floor if the room climate and humidity is left too high or too low for an extended period. This can particularly happen if e.g. – in the wintertime – the humidity (RH) in a heated room goes below the specified 45 %. In this case, you should install an Air Humidifier to prevent damages to your floor. The same may also be necessary with Air-Conditioned room.

Respect the expansion joints, especially if the installation is in a building subject to great climate span.

Please note: We advise that due to the nature of the following timber, Kempas, Maple and Beech species of 3 ply engineered flooring are not recommended for flooring with under-floor heating

MAINTENANCE TIPS

Below is a simple list that will help you take care of your parquet floors to last a floorings lifetime.Our timber surface layer is protected by 7 tough but flexible layers of sealer and lacquer. To keep your floor looking like the first day it was laid, strictly follow the guidelines below.

You must:

Use Grit Removal Mats at all external doors

Use Wear Mats at heavy traffic areas such as Main entrance, Dining area, etc. Do not use mats with rubber base as it may leach and stick onto timber flooring.

Best way to keep your floor clean is to either sweep or vacuum the floor to remove any loose grit or dirt. Ensure that the vacuum suction head has felt strips to avoid scratching the floor. You may then use static mops daily to get rid of dust layer on the floor.

Do not use Thinner or solvent liquid to clean parquet flooring.

Periodically (monthly or bi-weekly) clean the floor using commercial cleaners specially prepared for timber flooring. Carefully read and follow directions on the package. Normally these cleaning solutions are applied by using a mist spray bottle and removed with an active fibre mop.

If you need use a mop to clean the floor, ensure the mop is well wrung to remove all the moisture. The mop must be dry enough that the moisture on the floor should be able to evaporate in a minute of mopping.

If there is a spill, immediately soak up the spilled liquid with absorbent paper towels and dry it. Do not allow the liquid to pool and seep into the joints of the flooring.

For spot cleaning and general cleaning avoid using normal household cleaning products or scouring pads. These damage the floor surface.

Felt pads should be placed under all furniture to avoid scratching the timber floor. Refrain from sliding or rolling any furniture or appliances across timber floor as it may scratch and damage the surface. If a trolley is used, line the floor with protective material along the trolley path.

f shoes are worn indoors, be aware that spiked heels or shoes with damaged soles can cause severe damage to the timber flooring. You may want to place runner mats or rugs along high traffic areas.

Carpets or floor covering mats should not be placed immediately on to the timber flooring. Timber flooring will change over time and equalises to its surroundings. Allow for 8 to 12 weeks before any carpets are placed to avoid colour differentiation.

If you have animals indoors, ensure that their nails are properly trimmed, and that any urination or defecation is promptly cleaned and area immediately dried.

On a regular basis, you may use commercial products such Bona Refresher or Mohawk Floor Cleaning Solutions (by Mohawk Finishing Company) as a top coat to make the renew the sheen of the lacquered floor. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and best to test the products in a hidden corner prior to application on the whole floor.

If you have installed timber flooring with prefinished UV Oiled surface, it is best to regularly (every 3 to 6 months or as and when you feel the surface has lost its lustre) recoat the surface with refinishing oil available commercially in the market for examples from The Mohawk Finishing Company. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and again make sure the product is tested on a small area in a hidden corner.

Ensure that you flooring is not exposed to excessive direct sunlight, as UV light will cause some timber to change colour. Place sheers or thin curtains to diffuse the UV rays.

Finally, it is best to maintain the area of the flooring within the relative humidity level of 30% to 65%. This way the wood is kept in ideal level to avoid any stress to deform. If you live in a dry climate, increase the relative humidity by adding a humidifier in the area or potted indoor plants. If you live in a wet climate a dehumidifier works best. Timber is natural material, which will continue to ʻbreatheʼ throughout its life by absorbing and releasing moisture from the surrounding environment.

As a result of the above, some movement and change in the surface timber will occur. This is NORMAL and may include checking or fine cracks on and between boards. This movement can be kept to a minimum by avoiding extremes in temperature and humidity. (Please read and understand laying instructions carefully for further detailed care about temperature, Environment Moisture Content (EMC) and underfloor heating.)

Your factory prefinished timber flooring was designed and produced to provide you with a beautiful floor with least amount of maintenance. It can be walked on almost immediately after installation. If due care and maintenance is carefully followed, your chosen timber flooring will last a very long time and will continue to be as beautiful as the first day it was installed.