Solid Wood Parquet Hardwood Floor

Install procedure
1) Inspecting the installation area
2) Handling and storing of materials
3) Preparation Requirements
4) Adhesives FAQs
5) How to Spread the Adhesive
6) Parquet Flooring Installation
7) Install Completion
8) Sanding and Buffing the wood paquet
9) Final Touches - Stain and Finish
10) How to Maintain
 

• Solid hardwood floor tiles or parquet must be installed on or above grade level only and must not be installed in full bathrooms. The building should be closed in with all outside doors and windows in place. All concrete, masonry, framing members, drywall, paint and other "wet" work should be thoroughly dry.
• Air condition and heater systems should be installed and operational at this point already. The installation site should maintain a room temperature of about 75° F and humidity of 55% for two weeks prior to and until installation is finished to allow for proper acclimation.
• The wall coverings should be in place and the painting completed except for the final coat on the base molding. When possible, delay installation of base molding until flooring installation is complete.
• The areas of crawl spaces and basements must be dry and must have enough ventilation.
• There should be no moisture content  in the Subfloor and must be checked using the appropriate testing method.
•  Exterior grading should be complete with surface drainage directing water away from the building. All gutters and downspouts should be in place.

2) Handling and storing of materials

Concrete should be at least 60 days old. Flooring should not be delivered until the building has been fully closed in with windows and doors in place and until cement work, plastering and all other "wet" work is completed and dry.  Air conditioning/heating systems should be in place and in operation at least 14 days prior, during and after installation of the flooring. Handle and unload with care. Store in a dry place being sure to provide at least a four-inch air space under cartons which are stored upon "on-grade" concrete floorsCheck adhesive label for storage limitations. Solid oak parquet flooring should be stored in the environment in which it is expected to perform.

To achieve good results and adhesion, we strongly recommend installing 1/4" Luan plywood underlayment over existing subfloor. Standard 4 X 8 plywood sheet should be cut in four pieces and screwed to subfloor, leaving a 1/8" gap between the sheets to allow for expansion.Installing vapor barrier (asphalt saturated paper) between subfloor and underlayer will help to keep moisture away from the wood floor. This is especially important for the ground and below ground level floors.

SUBFLOORS SHOULD BE:

• LEVEL/FLAT - Within 3/16" in 10' and/or 1/8" in 6'. Sand high areas or joints, fill low areas (no more than 1/8" at a time) with a cementitous leveling compound or milk additive latex patch of 3,000 PSI minimum compressive strength. Follow the instructions of the leveling compound manufacturer. Leveling compounds must be tested for moisture to ensure they are properly cured and within the manufacturer's specified requirements for proper installation.
• CLEAN - Scrape, broom clean, and smooth. Free of wax, paint, oil, sealers, adhesives, curing agents and other debris.
• DRY - Check moisture content of the subfloor with a reliable moisture meter.
• STRUCTURALLY SOUND - Nail or screw any loose areas that squeak. Replace any water-damaged, swollen or delaminated subflooring or underlayment. Avoid subfloor with excessive vertical movement unless they have been properly stiffened prior to the installation of the wood flooring.

RECOMMENDED SUBFLOOR SURFACES

• Concrete slabs
• PREFERRED: ¾" (19 mm) CDX grade plywood
• ¾" (23/32") OSB PS2 rated underlayment
• Ceramic, terrazzo, slate and marble
• Acoustic concrete
• Vinyl, resilient tile, cork flooring
• Metal
• Existing solid wood flooring
• MINIMUM: 5/8" CDX grade plywood
• ¾" chip, waferboard, particle board
• CONCRETE SLABS
• Cork (Acoustic) 
• Solid parquet flooring can be glued directly to concrete. Do not use a concrete sealer nor install over one. Surface preparation using mechanical methods such as sanding or scouring with open coat paper or a titanium disk is preferred. The concrete must be of high compressive strength. All concrete subfloors should be tested for moisture content. Visual checks are not reliable. Acceptable test methods for subfloor moisture content include:

NOTE: Test several areas, especially near exterior walls and walls containing plumbing.

• Calcium Chloride test. The maximum moisture transfer must not exceed 3 lbs./1000 square feet with this test.
• Tramex Concrete Moisture Encounter meter. Moisture readings should not exceed 4.5 on the upper scale.
• A 3% Phenolphthalein in Anhydrous alcohol solution. Chip the concrete at least ¼" deep (do not apply directly to the concrete surface) and apply several drops of the solution to the chipped area. If any color change occurs, further testing is required.

NOTE: ALL CONCRETE SLABS SHOULD HAVE A MINIMUM OF 6 MIL POLY FILM MOISTURE BARRIER BETWEEN THE GROUND AND THE CONCRETE. A "DRY" SLAB, AS DEFINED BY THESE TESTS CAN BE WET AT OTHER TIMES OF THE YEAR. THESE TESTS DO NOT GUARANTEE A DRY SLAB.

WOOD SUBFLOORS & WOOD STRUCTURAL PANEL SUBFLOORS

• Oriented Strand Board (OSB): Must be PS2 rated installed sealed side down.
• Plywood: Must be APA grade rated sheathing or CDX minimum. 
• Make sure existing floor or subfloor is dry and well nailed or screwed down every 6" along each joist to avoid squeaking or popping before the floor is installed. The wood subfloor must not exceed 13% moisture content. Measure moisture content of both subfloor and wood flooring to determine proper moisture content with a reliable wood moisture meter. The difference between the moisture content of the wood subfloor and the wood flooring must not exceed 4%. Optimum performance of hardwood floor covering products occurs when there is no horizontal or vertical movement of the subfloor.
• Particleboard: Must be a minimum 40-LB density, stamped underlayment grade and ¾" thick.
• All underlayment panels should be spaced 1/8" apart to insure adequate expansion space. This can be achieved by using a circular saw set at the depth of the underlayment and cutting around the perimeter of the panel. When installing over existing wood floors parallel with the flooring, it may be necessary to install an additional ¼" layer of plywood to stabilize the flooring or install the wood floor at right angles. Do not install over existing glue-down wood floors. Do not install over nailed floors that exceed 3-¼" in width. Wide width floors must be overlaid with plywood.

  RADIANT HEATED SUBFLOORS

  • Turn off heat and let subfloor cool down to room temperature 3-4 hours prior to starting the job.
    System must be operational and heated for at least 7 days prior to beginning installation.
  • After installation, turn system back on immediately to its normal room temperature setting. The subfloor surface must not exceed 85° F throughout the life of the floor.
  • Radiant heated floors must be temperature controlled or engineered for the R-rating of the floor covering product installed upon them. BEFORE installation begins, ascertain that the system is designed and controlled for wood flooring. Failure to do so may cause excessive heat damage and shrinkage. Install floor per the application instructions.

4) Adhesives FAQs

NOTE: Test the moisture content of the wood in accordance with the stain/finish manufacturer's recommendations.  Trowel filling and fillers are required to reduce the possibility of panalization caused by the finish "gluing" the slats together.  When installing UNFINISHED SOLID WOOD PARQUET flooring, allow a minimum of 72 hours adhesive curing time before applying seals, stains and finishes to unfinished flooring.Avoid installing from the surface of the flooring. If necessary distribute weight using a kneeler board.

Maximum Adhesive Working Times:

• Urethane Adhesive - 60 minutes (Always read container label before proceeding)
• Spread sufficient amounts of recommended adhesive with the recommended trowel (figure below) in an area that can be covered in 60-90 minutes.
• Polymeric Resin Adhesive - 90 minutes (Always read container label before proceeding)
• Adjust the amount of adhesive spread accordingly. The adhesive should not be applied if subfloor or room temperature is below 65° F (20° C). Open times and curing times of ALL adhesives vary dependant upon subfloor porosity, air movement, humidity and room temperature. Urethane adhesive has a shortened work time in high humidity environments whereas polymeric resin adhesive working time will be lengthened. In areas of low humidity, open time will be longer with urethanes and shorter with polymeric resins.

Hold the trowel at a minimum 45° angle (figure below) firmly against the subfloor to obtain a 50-60 sq. ft. per gallon spread rate.

• Proper ventilation within the room must be provided. An electric fan is helpful.
• When not in use, keep the adhesive container tightly closed to prevent thickening. Thickening of the adhesive will cause difficulty in spreading the adhesive.

Please follow technical specification for working time for adhesive.

5) SPREADING THE ADHESIVE

• Apply glue using trowel

NOTE: Clean adhesive from the surface of the floor frequently using the recommended adhesive cleaner. Use clean towel, changed frequently, to prevent haze and adhesive residue

6) Parquet Flooring Installation

• It may help to dry lay the section of the floor first to get an idea. This is especially helpful with artistic parquet. Use drawings as your reference.
• PROPER PLACEMENT OF THE FIRST FLOOR TILE IS THE KEY TO THE ENTIRE INSTALLATION. Carefully place a parquet tile at the intersection of the two chalk lines. Straight plank boards can be used to align and secure the tiles as shown in the picture below.
• Immediately lay the floor tiles on the newly spread adhesive. DO NOT lay the floor tiles on dry adhesive (Always lay the floor tiles on wet adhesive). If the adhesive becomes too dry, scrape up the old adhesive and spread more. Installing on wet adhesive eliminates rolling the floor with a heavy roller. The working time for the adhesive is 60-90 minutes. Working time will vary depending on the job site conditions. IMPORTANT: Stand or kneel on the subfloor during the installation to avoid shifting the tiles. NOTE: Slightly slide tile diagonally about 1" back and forth to insure good adhesive spread. Tile can be temporarily secured with finishing nails.
• Continue laying the balance of the floor tiles along the starting wall area. Align each floor tile squarely.
• During the installation, occasionally remove a piece of flooring from the subfloor and inspect the back for proper adhesive transfer. Adequate adhesive transfer is necessary to ensure sufficient holding strength. DO NOT REMOVE PROTECTIVE PLASTIC TAPE ON THE TILE SURFACE. It will be removed during sanding.
• Do not push or shove the floor tiles too strenuously as this could cause the first and second floor tiles to move. Simply realign them and proceed with the installation.
• After laying the floor tiles across the first starting area, trim the last floor tiles as needed to obtain the proper ½" expansion space next to the walls. Use a small band or saber saw for final trimming. Firmly secure each floor tile when cutting with a saber saw.
• Avoid hammering or forcing the floor tiles together as this will destroy the built-in expansion spaces and may destroy the squareness of the floor tile.

If installing flooring medallion, install tiles without glue in this area. The medallion shape can be outlined first on the subfloor and then marked on parquet using the template.

• The second laying area is quite simple as you now have sufficient floor tiles installed to resist floor tile movement.
• When the starting area has been completed, including cutting to the wall, proceed to the second laying area.
• Proceed by laying areas 3,4,5, etc., repeating the installation procedure of the starting area. Trim out each laying area before proceeding to the next area.
• Again, cut the last floor tiles to allow a ½" expansion space from the end wall. 
• Fill the expansion gap along the wall with silicone.
• Maintain the ½" expansion space around the perimeter of the room and around all fixed objects.
• Avoid pressing heavily or stepping on the recently laid floor tile as this may destroy the ridging of the adhesive and positioning of the tile.
• Allow a minimum of 36 hours drying time before moving furniture or walking on the newly laid parquet floor.
• It is normal to have some gaps ( up to 2-3mm) between tiles after this phase. Use quality wood patches to cover those gaps.

8) Sanding and Buffing the wood paquet

Use a drum sander to remove plastic tape from the surface. Three sandings with progressively finer paper is recommended. The final cut should be a rotary sander.

9) Final Touches - Stain and Finish

We had very good results using finishes made by Zar and Akzo Nobel Coatings Inc. Polyurethane or wax finish can be applied. Two coats of fast drying sealer can be applied before final coat. There are technical specification for Synteco Classic finish made by Akzo.

10) How to Maintain  

Brush between parquet tiles. Vacuum as often as you would your carpet.  If wax used for finish, periodically buff the floor using paste wax. We recommend using a humidifier in the winter to keep your floor from shrinking.

For general hardwood floor question,s please check the excellent NOFMA (The Wood Flooring Manufacturers Association ) Web site. Another great source for information is NWFA (National Wood Flooring Association). Czar Floors is a proud member of this organization.

INSTALLER/OWNER RESPONSIBILITY

Beautiful hardwood floors are a product of nature and therefore, not perfect. Our wood floors are manufactured in accordance with accepted industry standards, which permit a defect tolerance not to exceed 5%. The defects may be of a manufacturing or natural type.

• The installer assumes all responsibility for final inspection of product quality. This inspection of all flooring should be done before installation. Carefully examine flooring for color, finish and quality before installing it. If material is not acceptable, do not install it and contact us immediately.
• Prior to installation, the installer/owner has final inspection responsibility as to grade, manufacture and factory finish. The installer must use reasonable selectivity and hold out or cut off pieces with defects, whatever the cause.
• Prior to installation of any hardwood-flooring product, the installer must determine that the job-site environment and the sub-surfaces involved meet or exceed all applicable standards and recommendations of the construction and materials industries. These instructions recommend that the construction and subfloor be dry, stiff and flat. The manufacturer declines any responsibility for job failure resulting from or associated with sub-surface or job-site environment deficiencies.
• When flooring is ordered, 5% to 7% must be added to the actual square footage needed for cutting and grading allowance.
• Use of stain, filler or putty stick for defect correction during installation should be accepted as normal procedure.
• Should an individual piece be doubtful as to grade, manufacture or factory finish, the installer should not use the piece.
• Use of appropriate products for correcting subfloor voids should be accepted as a normal industry practice.