Wooden Floors - Woodline Floors Products
Upofloor Real Wooden floors is a natural wood flooring with a three cross ply construction and tongue and groove
edges. The surface is treated with six coats of PU varnish UV cured resulting in a more durable and hardwearing finish than
other traditional PU finishes. Upofloor Real Wood floors are covered by a 10 year warranty.
Upofloor produces a wide range of floorings whose production and marketing comply to ISO 9001 quality standards.
They are one of the largest manufacturers in the Nordic countries and the market leader in Finland.
The Upofloor Real Wood Parquet collection is targeted at an increasingly important segment of discerning UK
domestic and commercial end users who want beautiful natural floors that are durable and easy to maintain, in their homes
and working enviroments.
Upofloor Real Wood Parquet is easy to maintain and suitable for both new homes and renovation projects. It is recommended for
every area in the home except wet rooms such as bathrooms etc.
Wood Parquet from Finland has always enjoyed an excellent reputation for high quality and advanced technology.
Upofloor's 3 ply Real Wood Parquet collection is now available from stock in the UK from Woodline Floors.
DIY - All our floors are delivered with full step by step DIY instructions. We can also gladly send you the
Upofloor Real Wood Floors User's Guide with detailed information about the preparation, fitting and maintenance of our
floors.
Fitting Service - Woodline Floors operates nationwide on a supply only basis, which means we do not fit the
floors, we only supply our customers with materials. In London and the South East we can also offer a supply and fit
service at very competitive prices, using our recommended flooring contractors. Please contact us for details.
If you require a fitting service outside London and the South East, we suggest you contact your local specialist wood flooring
installer, who can be found in the Yellow Pages under Flooring Services.
PREPARATION IS HALF THE JOB
These instructions make it easy for a do-it-yourself installer to put the Upofloor Real Wood-Floor boards in
place. The boards are pre-varnished at the factory, so the floor is ready for use immediately.
Subfloor
Hardwood floors are laid on a dry, flat, solid subfloor. However, they are not usually fastened
to the subfloor, but fitted as a so-called floating floor. Boards can also be glued directly onto the subfloor. Suitable
subfloors for a floating floor include concrete, slate, wood, plastic, linoleum and cork. Wall-to-wall carpeting must be
removed.
The subfloor must be level. When measured with a 200cm ruler, the maximum allowed deviation is 3mm. If the
deviation exceeds 3mm, the floor must first be levelled using either a suitable filler or board. An old wooden floor should
be nailed down if necessary to make sure it is solid. You can wash the old floor first to avoid any unpleasant
odour.
The relative humidity of a concrete floor without a moisture barrier must be less than 60% and with a moisture
barrier, less than 80%. To check the humidity, either use a hygrometer, or place a plastic sheet (PE) firmly over the floor
for 4-5 days. If there are water drops underneath the plastic sheet or if the concrete has turned darker, the floor is too
moist. A moisture barrier (plastic sheet, PE) is recommended underneath the hardwood boards and the sound insulation
material if the floor is laid on top of concrete, or above damp spaces such as sauna, washroom or basement.
Before laying the boards
The room temperature at the time of installation should be at least +18°C. Keep the packages in the room where you want to
install the boards for a few days. Open the packages as you go along, not beforehand.
Sound insulation
Always place a sound and damp insulation material between the hardwood boards and the
subfloor.
Expansion allowance
As wood expands and contracts somewhat with changes in air humidity, remember to
leave a 10mm gap between the wall and the boards, and around pipe penetrations etc. Cover the gap with skirting or cover
strip. In larger floors, the gap should be 1.5mm per each metre crosswise, for example in a floor 8m wide 8 x 1.5mm =
12mm.
Expansion joint
If the floor covers a large, continuous area more than 8 metres wide, an expansion joint
should be inserted into the hardwood floor. To make an expansion joint, do not apply glue on the board's long side, but
make a so-called dry joint instead. Cut the boards crosswise and cover the seam with a strip, if necessary. The expansion
joint should be placed under a threshold, into a corner or other suitable place.
How to choose the laying direction and the starting place
It is preferable to lay the boards in the
direction of incoming light. If you lay the hardwood boards on top of a wooden floor, it is advisable to lay them
crosswise.
Start from a solid wall. First check with a cord that the wall is straight. If the wall is not straight, draw a
line matching the shape of the wall on the first boards, and saw them into that shape.
Laying tip
When fitting boards crosswise, in a narrow hallway, for instance, you can prevent the boards
from buckling by cutting through the conifer plywood at the bottom at two or three places. Make the cut at an approx. 45°
angle and only cut through the plywood.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR
Use a sufficient number of wedges to maintain the gap and to press the boards together. It is preferable to lay
the boards in the direction of incoming light. When placing the boards on top of a wooden floor, we recommend that you lay
them crosswise. Start from a solid wall with the groove of the first row of boards facing the wall.
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1. Use a guideline to check that the row is straight. If the starting wall is not straight,
draw a line matching the shape of the wall on the boards and saw them into that shape.
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2a. Start the next row with a piece left over from the previous
board. The end joints of boards in adjoining rows should be at least 50cm apart.
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| 2b. Apply glue to the entire joint. Apply glue to the groove of the
board through the nozzle but remember to keep the bottom of the groove clean. (Consumption of glue approx.
10-15m²/ litre). |
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| 3. Use a 30-40cm striking block to close the tongue-and-groove joints. Never force the boards
together. Place the board as shown in the picture above and work towards the end joint. This way you can ensure
that the crosswise joint is tight. |
Pipe penetrations
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| 4. Cut the board to correct length. Place it on top of the board you fitted last. Using a right
angle, mark the pipe diameter on the board. Measure the distance of the pipe from a fitted board and mark it on
the board to be drilled. Mark the position of the other pipes in a similar fashion, by moving the board to be
drilled on the other side of the pipes. Mark the centres of the pipes. |
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5. Drill holes for the pipes using a drill bit 20mm larger in diameter than the pipes. Use a
compass saw to saw off the piece that will be placed behind the pipes. Hold the saw at an approximately 45°
angle, also when sawing between the holes. Put the board in place. Apply glue on all sides of the loose piece
and place it behind the pipes. |
Laying the last board
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6. Place the last board exactly on top of the one
laid last. Take a short, tongued piece of board, press the tongued side against the wall and draw a line onto the
board underneath following the edge. Saw the board along this line.
7. Tighten the board in place using a crowbar or other suitable implement. Use some
protection between the wall and the tool. Insert wedges.
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Door frames
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| 8. Architraves, and sometimes even
door-frames, need to be shortened. To do this, place a loose floorboard on the floor by the frame. Make sure
you have the same levelling material under this board as elsewhere to get the correct height. Saw through the
architraves using the board as base to make sure the board will fit under it. |
Skirting
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| 9. Remove all wedges. Place a piece of
board on top of the skirting diagonally towards the floor. Press the skirting down with your knee and nail it
into place. Be careful not to tighten the skirting too much, or it will "lock" the floor into
place. |
Thresholds
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| 10. Remember to leave room for expansion under thresholds as well. To do this, remove a piece
of the threshold, or fit in a suitable threshold or edging strip. |
PROPER CARE HELPS KEEP YOUR HARDWOOD FLOOR IN GREAT SHAPE
Good doormats are essential
Preventing damage to your floor helps keep it in great shape. A good doormat stops sand, dirt and moisture at your front door,
and keeps them away from your hardwood floor. Another piece of good advice is to attach felt pads to the ends of furniture legs.
You can buy self-adhesive pads from hardware stores.
Avoid excessive use of water
Only use damp, not wet, cloth and floor mop when cleaning your floor. Water splashed on the floor must be dried off
immediately.
Varnished hardwood floor
Regular care only involves vacuuming and wiping with a damp cloth. When necessary, the floor can be washed with a mild detergent
(pH 6-8) using a floor mop or cloth.
Remove stains when they are still fresh. Usually just water or a mild detergent (pH 6-8) will suffice. Avoid
scrubbing with abrasive equipment or using strong solvents.
If the floor is badly scratched, you can wax it using floor wax made for varnished hardwood floors.
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