Martyn Ryder is the CEO and owner of Ryder International Limited and major trading company and manufacturer. Martyn Ryder has extensive experience in all aspects of manufacturing and distribution world wide. Wherever we manufacture we employ local people directly which prevents hidden agendas of the locals and guarantees quality and continuity in any of our product ranges. The present main core activity in the UK is the manufacture and distribution of top quality hardwood flooring for both commercial and domestic use. You can see other activities on the Ryder international web site.
BASIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR FITTING ENGINEERED WOOD FLOORING
You have chosen an engineered wood floor which we are sure you will enjoy for years to come. Please read these instructions and advice before proceeding with installation or unpacking. Engineered wood has a natural solid wood top layer and a manufactured plywood base. This makes an engineered board stable and not liable to expansion and contraction. It is important that some basic rules are followed to ensure a trouble free installation and future enjoyment.
BEFORE INSTALLATION
Make sure that the cartons are stacked horizontally and flat. All our boards are kiln dried to 8.5% moisture content and the plywood base has also been dried to “balance” the boards at the manufacturing stage. Engineered boards do not need to acclimatise and should be installed immediately after delivery .This will ensure that an engineered board will maintain its stability and give you a trouble free installation. If you cannot lay the floor immediately then leave the cartons stacked with the shrink wrap film in place.
The following is very important
- All wet trades such as plastering and wallpapering must be finished
- All the plaster must be totally dry
- Floor and wall tiles have been installed for at least 2 weeks
- Radiators have been bled with any leaks rectified
- The concrete sub floor has a moisture content of less than 10%
- All windows and doors are fully fixed
- All painting is completed
- All other trades have finished
In most homes we now have concrete floors and they should be checked for damp proof courses and humidity.
SUB FLOORS
The surface should be firm, clean, level and grease free. If there is some possibility of dampness then use the Bona R410 to seal the floor IF YOU HAVE BITUMEN on the floor or R580 for all other DPM applications. If the concrete floor is uneven by more than 2mm then you can use a self levelling compound but in this case you will not be able to glue the floor down as the glue may cause the levelling compound to break away.
In older houses there is normally an air gap below the joists, in this case lay a damp proof membrane below before installing your engineered floor to ensure that the floor stays warm and will not absorb the moisture below.
Where you are fixing to old floor boards you must make sure that they are firmly fixed and that there are no loose boards or protruding nails.
If you want to lay your new floor over an existing one then add screws to the old boards as well as nails to make it secure
- If you want to take the old floor boards up then make sure the joists are sound and remove all the nails you can.
- If the old floorboards are substandard and you want to lay the new boards in the same direction then either get extra wide boards or screw down a plywood sub base on which you can then glue down your new floor. This will ensure that you do not get “creaky” boards and your new floor will be completely flat and secure.
- If you lay your new floor directly onto existing boards in the same direction you are likely to get problems in the future unless they are wide boards which will cross over any join. Normally it is always best to lay the boards lengthways in a room and not across the shortest space.
INSTALLATION
There are three main methods used to fix your engineered floor described below. Before starting your installation you should open several packs so that you can mix the packs to get the best layout. Random lengths mean that you will get a total range of different lengths in each pack; each pack will not always have the same length boards. If you prefer more longer boards then you should buy 1 carton of long boards to every 4 cartons of random lengths.
Wood is a natural product and nature always surprises us so you will get different colour hues and grain variation even from the same tree. Each board and each floor is unique and it is important that you get the layout correct so that you can enjoy your floor for years to come and regard it as a piece of beauty and art. With engineered boards you should leave an expansion gap between 5mm to 10mm.
Gluing: We normally recommend the Bona R850 adhesive as it dries like a hard rubber and is easy to use. We supply this at below trade price with a comb to spread the adhesive. When you use this method you glue the boards directly on to your old floorboards, concrete floor or plywood subfloor. Please follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully which you will find on each tub of adhesive. You do not need to glue the tongue and groove.
Nailing or Screwing: This is the traditional method and all boards should be secret nailed or screwed at an angle of 45% through the top of the tongue. Our comprehensive traditional installation guide shows this in diagrammatic form. You should use the lost nail heads and a pneumatic nail gun preset to the correct angle which you can hire from any good tool shop. For some very hard species you may need to use a small drill to make a guide hole so that you do not split the tongue when nailing through.
Floating Floors: This is where there is normally an underlay and the boards are just laid on top with just the tongue and groove glued together using a PVA glue, this will make sure that the boards stay together and should also stop any creaking. Always make sure that you buy the best quality underlay.
AFTER INSTALLATION WOOD CARE
Lacquered Flooring: buy a maintenance kit for pre finished UV coated floors. A quick hoover or dry dust mop will remove dust. For stubborn stains use a general mop use a special cleaner and replenishing solutions.
UV Oiled Floors: these also require little maintenance as they have been sealed and heat treated at the factory. There is a special UV oil maintenance kit and also soap oil which can be used every 6 months dependant on the level of traffic. This will keep the floor looking pristine.
Natural Oiled Floors: wooden flooring that has natural oil need to be maintained regularly, the new soap oil and maintenance kits are the perfect solution.
NEVER USE AGRESSIVE CLEANING PRODUCTS CONTAINING AMMONIA, BLEACH OR SILICONES, AND NEVER LEAVE SURPLUS WATER ON THE FLOOR.
- Always protect chair and furniture legs with felt pads
- Place mats at entrances to absorb grit and dirt from outside
- Clean with the proper maintenance kits or just wipe with a damp sponge
- Our engineered boards can easily be sanded down as they have a thick top layer
- See the wooden floor maintenance kits available
REMEMBER: Wood is a beautiful natural product and due to this the industry standard states that up to 5% may not be usable for the intended purpose.
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