The installation Of High-Quality Wooden Floors

Before you start laying wooden floorboards or wooden parquets, you need to be aware of all the aesthetic and technological aspects of the installation.

Below we give you an overview to help you with the how and what.

The Art of Parquet Laying

When laying parquet, attention must be paid not only to the desired pattern but also to many other factors. The quality of the installation can determine the lifespan of the floor, so a good professional is essential. It is crucial to choose a reliable expert who has creditworthy references and carries out the work according to the regulations. But we believe that the most important thing is that our customers also know the installation process and its stumbling blocks. We therefore ask our customers to carefully read our installation instructions and product data sheets.

The installation of high-quality wooden parquet and the role of skirting boards

In the age of modern flooring, many people would like to omit skirting boards, but in the case of high-quality natural oak flooring, we cannot afford it. It is primarily a technical issue. The living wooden parquet moves according to the temperature and humidity conditions prevailing in the room, so we must keep a distance from the wall, and the resulting expansion gap is hidden by the skirting boards. But skirting boards also have other advantages. They make cleaning easier: they protect the wall against wet dirt. In addition, skirting boards can visually increase the floor surface, thereby expanding the space. This effect can be of great value in a small apartment.

Floor and design, or how are the floorboards laid?

Thanks to the latest technology, there are now various ways of laying wooden floors (in this case, floorboards). In addition to the traditional screwing to the substructure, we can also choose full-surface gluing to the screed or floating installation on Elastilon Strong. The ideal solution is determined by the conditions in the room, so we recommend consulting with experts before laying. But it is not only technical characteristics that must be taken into account. The correct laying direction is just as important. Floorboards laid perpendicular to the long walls expand the room. But floorboards running parallel to the long walls extend the room even further. That is why we recommend thinking carefully in advance about the visual effect you want to achieve.

General requirements for laying solid wood, duplex, and triplex floorboards

It is important to ensure that all wet work, especially tiling and painting, is completed before laying. Increased building moisture will cause the floorboards to absorb moisture. Once this work has been completed, the subfloor must be checked to see if it is ready for laying.

quality control of the subsoil

The moisture content must be measured (CM measurement), and you should also check the general condition/quality, evenness, and level differences of the screed. It is recommended that you ask the screed manufacturer in writing whether the subfloor is ready for laying. The room climate during laying should be between approx. 40% and 60% relative humidity, and the room temperature should be around 20 °C.

Requirements for laying wooden floors on underfloor heating

We recommend laying on a cement screed (recommended min. C30) or an anhydrite screed (recommended min. E300). Screeds with hot water underfloor heating must be heated up properly; the signed heating-up protocol must be available. The underfloor heating must be switched off for at least 48 hours before laying begins. In winter, the surface temperature must be 15 – 18°C. The temperature may only be increased again 72 hours after laying has been completed. The screed manufacturer must be asked in writing at what equilibrium or residual moisture content the floorboards can be laid. If possible, the value should be at least 0.3 CM% below.

Preparation of the substrate before full-surface bonding

Before laying, the floor must be sanded to clean and the sanding dust must be vacuumed. When bonding the floor over the entire surface to calcium sulfate or anhydrite, we recommend using a primer. Proper application of the primer usually leads to an improvement in the adhesive strength. A moisture barrier protects against subsequent moisture from the subfloor, e.g. in rooms without a basement. Filling compounds etc. must be compatible with the parquet adhesive.

If the floor is to be bonded over the entire surface not to cement or calcium sulfate screed, but to dry screed, chipboard, or other subfloors, the suitability of the subfloor must be consulted with the specialist dealer or installation company before laying. Installation on a wooden substructure must be carried out by the ÖNORM B 2218 guideline.

Maximum installation width for solid wood floorboards

The width of the planks should not exceed 8 meters. For a larger area, an expansion joint must be used. Existing expansion joints must be retained. The distance to the wall, heating pipes, or other fixed points must not be less than 15 mm. You can find more information about the correct installation of our floors here.

Floating installation of the wooden floor

If the screed does not meet the requirements for full-surface bonding (e.g. binding strength, etc.) – for example in the case of problematic subfloors during renovation – the subfloor and wooden floor must be separated by a film (ELASTILON) (floating installation). In this way, the tensile and shear forces that occur can be largely eliminated. ELASTILON is a globally patented floor underlay that is ideal for the floating installation of solid wood and triplex floorboards. ELASTILON offers a unique solution to the problem of floating installation of floors on underfloor heating. You can read more about laying on ELASTILON here, and for more installation information click here!

Acclimatization of the wooden floor and the first steps

Before laying, the floor must be allowed to acclimatize for at least 2-3 days (4-7 days in winter). The packages should only be opened immediately before laying. Before laying, several packages should be opened and the planks must be laid in a mixed pattern. This will ensure that the floor is laid evenly.

It is better to entrust the installation to a specialist, but it is useful if you are also aware of each step, since any quality defects must be reported to our colleagues before laying the wooden floor. After installation, the warranty is no longer valid.

Laying wooden floor on hot water underfloor heating

Precious wood triplex and duplex floors are suitable for full-surface bonding to hot water underfloor heating. In the case of hot water underfloor heating, the subfloor must be prepared accordingly, ie the screed must be at least 45, preferably 60 mm thick above the heating pipes.

When is the installation of wooden flooring on underfloor heating not permitted?

However, laying on electric underfloor heating is not permitted. Laying fine wood floorboards on underfloor heating that also has a cooling function (cold water in summer) is not permitted.

What should you pay attention to when laying wooden floors on underfloor heating?

Please note that the temperature of the surface of the wooden floor when the underfloor heating is in operation can be a maximum of 28 ° C, 25-26 ° C is recommended. Failure to observe these values ​​can damage the floor, deformation, cracks, and gaps can occur in the floorboards. Since the subfloor can also be damaged, heating costs can increase significantly. Incorrectly set temperatures can also affect the proper functioning of your floor. If you have underfloor heating, do not put a carpet on the floor, as the carpet reduces the effectiveness of the underfloor heating!

For more information about hot water underfloor heating and detailed installation instructions, click here!

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