Before thinking about installing real wood flooring, it’s important that the product has been left to properly acclimatise for at least seven days before laying it. This is due to it expanding under heat and damp.
The method you use is identified by which subfloor. If a concrete subfloor is being used then gluing is the advised, however if there are any uneven parts then lay plywood down to smooth it out.
It is sometimes necessary for damp proof membrane to be placed down, designed to prevent moisture rising through the wood.
Whichever method you decide on, its recommended that a threshold or relevant material is used for further expansion gaps if you are laying the flooring over 7.5 linear metres.
If this is not done, you run the risk of the floor buckling as it doesn’t have enough room to expand.
After you have left the wood to acclimatise, start by lying the flooring at the longest wall leaving an expansion gap of around 10mm.
Insert fixings ensuring that the joints at each end of the board are around 100m apart.
Lastly, remove all spacers and fit threshold strips around the perimeter of the floor to cover the expansion gaps.
Dry lay the first boards by starting at the longest wall in which the tongues of the first couple of rows should face the wall leaving expansion gap of around 10mm.
Pull up the first couple of rows and apply the adhesive evenly to the subfloor. Lay the flooring on to the adhesive ensuring spacers are used creating an expansion gap of 10mm.
It is recommended that all floor is pre-measured and to only lay a couple at a time, working from the longest wall to the other side of the room.
Once all floor is laid, remove all spacers and fit threshold strips around the perimeter of the floor to cover the expansion gaps.
The main thing to remember is take your time, do not do this in a rush. Your wooden flooring is designed to last years if installed correctly and all the recommended protection materials are used.
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Posted in Articles, Bathrooms & Toilets, Bricks & Blocks, Building Associations & Institutes, Building Industry News, Building Products & Structures, Building Services, Building Systems, Civil Engineering, Cladding, Concrete, Cement, Admixtures, Drainage, Drainage Services, Floors, Garden, Hand Tools, Hard Landscaping & Walkways, Health & Safety, Heating Systems, Controls and Management, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning - HVAC, Information Technology, Interior Design & Construction, Interiors, Landscaping, news, Paints, Paints, Coatings & Finishes, Pipes, Pipes & Fittings, Plant, Equipment and Hire, Plumbing, Power Tools, Publications, Research & Materials Testing, Restoration & Refurbishment, Retrofit & Renovation, Site Preparation, Sustainability & Energy Efficiency, Timber Buildings and Timber Products, Walls, Waste Management & RecyclingKids’ Village is delighted to have partnered with GEZE UK as their 2025 charity of the year – find out more via the article…
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