FREE DELIVERY ON ALL ORDERS OVER £350 Installation of solid wooden floors onto concrete/screeded floors.
These instructions are to be used as a guide only and should there be any doubt please contact technical@wood2u.co.uk where you can obtain more detailed information.
Prior to installation the flooring should be stored in a clean and perfectly dry environment and there should be no direct contact with the ground. It is recommended that the floor is laid onto bearers spaced evenly to avoid contact with the ground. The flooring should NOT be exposed to the weather or stored outside and should not be stored in an upright position i.e leaning against a wall.
Before the flooring is to be laid it should be stored for at least 24hrs in the environment where it is going to be laid with the area kept at a temperature and humidity level that is going to persist following the installation.
The key to success with solid installations are the correct site conditions both before, during and after the installation. The moisture content of the floor slab is vital to the installation process and the moisture content of the slab is recommended to be no more than 35% RH or 2% - 2.5% moisture content by volume. In practice it is very unusual for a concrete base to achieve a moisture content as low as this level and therefore the use of liquid damp proof membranes generally need to be used to prevent the moisture causing problems with the wood flooring. The introduction of new technology wood flooring adhesives has however now provided more of a safeguard against moisture and the waterproof properties will generally cope with up to 75% RH in the screed although care must be taken to follow both the flooring manufacturers instructions and the adhesive application instructions. Rewmar MS Polymer adhesive is one such product that provides the benefits of easy to use flexible wood flooring adhesive.
The products chosen to provide a solution are the latest development in flooring adhesive technology and unlike some of the more expensive systems these are free of Isocyanates and VOC's and are far more healthy to use than some of the previously used flooring adhesives.
The above products are all compatible and therefore reduce the risks of failure due to mixing incompatible products for the different stages of the process.
It is important to use a suitable adhesive that has a high bond strength and is flexible, as the wood will need to move naturally. Some adhesives are too brittle to work effectively and whilst they may appear to be a cost saving it is likely that in the long run the costs of refixing the floor will outweigh any savings made by using the incorrect adhesives (BEWARE).