How best can I install a wooden plank floor? What should I pay attention to when laying a parquet floor?

In this document, you can find information regarding the installation and maintenance of your wooden floor. Please follow these instructions as closely as possible so you can enjoy a beautiful wooden floor for many years. These instructions are not comprehensive. If you have specific questions, it is best to contact us.

Wooden Floors

You have chosen a natural product. This means that each plank is different. The color samples in the showroom may also differ from the delivered floorboards because the same oil colors each plank slightly differently. The planks may also have imperfections, small defects, and a less beautiful surface pattern. Try to use these planks in places that are less visible or completely out of sight. Small size differences and seams are normal, as it is a fully natural product. Width and height differences of a few millimeters are allowed. Variations in the wood grain and knots are part of the charm of a real wooden floor and give it their typical authentic appearance.

Environment

Belat floors are wood products and consequently sensitive to moisture. Contact with moisture, in any way, should be avoided at all times. In addition, too high or too low humidity can cause problems. The relative humidity must be kept between 45 and 60% at all times. This is true during acclimatization, during installation, and after installation as long as the wooden floor is in place. If the humidity levels fall outside these values, it is very likely that problems will occur.

Additionally, the plasterwork and screed must be sufficiently dry. Windows, doors, and sanitary facilities must be installed, and the heating must be operational. The room temperature should be kept between 18°C and 25°C.

Do you want to know how best to measure the moisture of your screed? Click here

The environment must meet the above points both during acclimatization, during installation, and after installation.

Installing wooden floors in spaces where it is always humid or in a damp environment (bathroom, sauna, and/or poorly ventilated spaces) demands extra attention. Our parquet advisors can inform you about the possibilities so that problems can be avoided.

Acclimatizing

Before you start laying the floor, it is very important to let the wooden floorboards acclimatize. Stack the wooden floorboards on small beams on a flat surface in the room where the floor will be laid. If present, the plastic packaging should be cut open on both sides or completely removed. It is important that the room is windproof and the temperature is the normal room temperature. The floor must be left in the room for at least 5 to 7 days (for solid boards) and 2 to 3 days (for engineered parquet) before it can be installed so that the planks can acclimatize to their new environment. In some climatic conditions, the terms mentioned here are flexible!

Delivery or Pickup

Check upon delivery or pickup that you receive the correct quantity of the right wood type, grade, finish, and dimensions. Check also for any damages. You need to check this upon receipt. Complaints made afterwards will not be accepted.

Subfloor

The subfloor must be flat, dry, clean, grease-free, dust-free, compression-resistant, and tensile-resistant, with no loose layers of paint, oil, or other contaminants. Remove irregularities and fill holes. Let concrete screeds or screed dry sufficiently (cement topping max. 2% moisture). A wooden floor follows the subfloor. Therefore, height differences of more than 3 mm per linear meter must be leveled. For glued installation, the subfloor must be strong enough and have sufficient adhesion with the parquet glue. This is necessary so that the subfloor does not break and the glue does not become detached when the floor begins to shrink or expand. Each type of subfloor has specific requirements for installation. For example, when gluing on screed, it is essential to check if the screed is too sandy; the glue will then adhere to the loose granules and not to the screed. Treating the subfloor with a primer is then necessary. Even when gluing on tiles, sanding is sometimes necessary if the tiles are very smooth. It is also important to degrease the tiles thoroughly. Ask our parquet advisors for more information about other methods of installation and subfloors. Sometimes, there are heating pipes or hot water pipes in the floor. If these lie too shallow in the subfloor, the heat coming from the pipes can cause the wood to show shrinkage joints or cracks.

Installation

Before and during the installation of the Belat floor, the floorboards must be checked for material defects. Floorboards with visible deviations should not be laid. Installation should only be carried out in daylight or good lighting. Because in poor lighting, possible damages or incorrect floorboards may not be noticed.

First, choose the direction of laying. You can take several points into account here:

– Technical aspect: keep in mind, among other things, the movement of the floor (5mm per linear meter in the width of the planks) and transitions to other floors or expansion joints in the screed. Ask us if you have questions about this.

– The light incidence: laying in the direction of the main light incidence gives the best result.

– Shape of the room: if they are laid in the longitudinal direction, the room appears longer and narrower. If laid in the width, the room appears wider and less long (but consider the technical aspect here).

– Position relative to the main entrance door.

Lay a few planks on the floor to see which direction looks best to you.

Begin by vacuuming the subfloor. Measure the room in width and make the necessary calculations so that you end up with a full plank at the desired places like at the door opening, for example. Also keep the expansion joints in mind in these calculations. A wooden floor will expand and contract, so a space of 1.5 cm should be left around, which are called expansion joints. The baseboards will cover these expansion joints. Place spacing blocks in the expansion joints during installation. Ask our parquet advisors for more information if there are gaps left in the subfloor or if there are different types of subfloor in the same room. Also, for large spaces (wider than 6 m or longer than 12 m), it is best to seek information regarding possible technical limitations. Be mindful that if you let the parquet continue between different rooms, this is considered as one large space. Spaces should always be dilated between themselves. An additional point of attention is, for example, the tubes from the radiators. Here too, an expansion joint of 1.5 cm must also be left around.

Floating Installation

You lay the alu foam or silent rubber subfloor with the aluminum side up. On this, you lay the parquet floor according to the previously mentioned rules. After placing, remove the spacer blocks and place parquet springs in their place. Place the parquet springs on the long sides every 50 cm and position the springs so that each end of the parquet spring supports a plank.

Glued Installation

We advise you to perform an adhesion test on each subfloor beforehand. The most favorable processing temperature is between +15°C and +20°C with a relative humidity of a maximum of 65%. Apply the glue to the subfloor using the notched trowel. Hold the trowel vertically. It is advisable not to glue more than 2 rows at a time. For a good result, it is very important to use the correct notched trowel for each type of glue. Always follow the instructions on the packaging of the parquet glue.

Installation on underfloor heating

Only engineered parquet is suitable for installation on underfloor heating. When installing a wooden floor on underfloor heating, using a temperature indicator for every 10 m² is mandatory. You must indicate its position on a plan so that we can easily find it in case of any problems. On underfloor heating systems, a moisture barrier is highly recommended. Differences in temperature in the floor can negatively affect the performance of the floor; no warranty is provided for this. Make sure that the underfloor heating never exceeds 27°C! Instructions for installing wooden floors on underfloor heating vary from system to system. Be sure to inquire with the manufacturer of the underfloor heating. Definitely follow the instructions for turning the underfloor heating on and off.

Oiling the Floor

With the woodboy: See the woodboy manual.

Manually: Wear old clothes and gloves. Shake and stir the oil well and apply the Ciranova hardwax oil with a brush, roller, or rag. Allow the Ciranova hardwax oil to penetrate for a few minutes and then wipe away the excess oil with a clean, non-fluffy dry cloth. Change cloths often enough because a dirty cloth leaves permanent stains. Work in zones of approximately 1 m². Wait at least 12 hours before applying a second coat, which is applied in the same way as the first coat. Submerge all materials that have come into contact with the hardwax oil in water after use to prevent self-ignition. Let the oil dry for 24 hours and wait 48 hours before placing furniture. The Ciranova hardwax oil may show stains after drying, these will diminish after a few weeks. Some colors are more susceptible to this than others. The color samples in the demo room may differ from the final result in your living room. The time periods mentioned above are flexible depending on the amount applied, ventilation, and climatic conditions. Our parquet advisors can inform you about the method of varnishing floors. Always follow the instructions on the packaging of the oil. The color samples in the demo room may differ from the final result in your living room. Our parquet advisors can inform you about the method of varnishing floors.

After Installation

Wood is a natural product and will shrink and expand under the influence of the environment, even after installation the environment continues to have a major influence on the floor. The relative humidity is the biggest cause of problems. In summer, the relative humidity is higher than in winter. The relative humidity can drop below 45% in winter. The consequence is that the floor shrinks: gaps and even cracks can occur. In summer, the floor will expand and if the relative humidity exceeds 60%, then the floor can expand so much that the left expansion joints are not enough and then the floor will come up.

The cupping of the planks is caused by a too large moisture difference between the top and bottom of the parquet plank. This difference can arise in many ways. Problems caused by humidity can be prevented by placing a humidifier or dehumidifier in the room with the wooden plank floor. The Ciranova hardwax oil is not fully hardened until 2 weeks after installation. During these 2 weeks, the oil layer is very sensitive. Do not mop, scrub, or rub hard. Also, be careful for damage e.g., when replacing the furniture. After these 2 weeks, you should mop weekly with parquet soap for a month. This ensures that the pores are completely filled, and the floor is better protected against stains.

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Maintenance instructions for oiled parquet floors

• Use only products suitable for oiled parquet floors. Definitely do not use aggressive cleaning products.
• Never mop with plain water or any other product in the water, always mop with Wax & Clean in the water.
• Mop the parquet floor. Do not scrub, do not rub, you can rub the oil away.
• Use a large doormat at all entrances. Sand works like sandpaper.
• Remove liquid (water, milk, wine, cola etc.) from the parquet as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more chance of stain formation.
• A stain should never be scrubbed or rubbed. Lightly wipe off with a damp cloth. The stain will disappear within a few days or weeks.
• You get stains more quickly than before? Then it's time to apply maintenance oil.
• When in doubt call 0032 11 96 80 50

 

Daily Maintenance

Keep in mind that abrasive materials such as sand, dust, and mud are harmful to your oiled parquet floor. Sand and mud get under shoe soles and carpets and cause rapid wear of the finish. The best protection is a large doormat and to vacuum your parquet floor daily or every other day. The vacuum cleaner must be equipped with a parquet brush and rubber wheels to prevent streaks or scratches on the parquet floor. If you use a broom to clean the parquet floor, make sure it also has a soft brush. When you mop the parquet floor, do so with a lightly damp, lint-free cloth! The swiffer is a very effective tool.

 

Cleaning of Stains

The general rule for spilling small amounts of liquid or food is to remove it with a lightly damp cloth/mop, then dry with a dry cloth/mop. For larger amounts of liquid or spilled dirt, it is best to remove it with a damp cloth/mop with a little bit of parquet soap. Clean the spot, wipe afterwards with a dry cloth. Never clean the entire parquet floor this way. This creates an unwanted film layer on the parquet floor, which results in a dull appearance. In most cases, a stain will still be visible directly after cleaning. Do nothing further. It will disappear after a few days or weeks. Never scrub this and never rub this. By scrubbing or rubbing, the protective layer is damaged and the stain will not disappear.

 

Wax & Clean – For periodic cleaning (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly)

This method is used when you want to freshen up the worn areas of the parquet floor. For this refreshment, use the concentrated cleaner Wax & Clean.

Add 200 - 300 ml Wax & Clean to 10 liters of water. Read the entire instruction on the packaging before use.

• Instruction method 1:

Fill the mixture, Wax & Clean and water, in a spray bottle. Take a dust mop (e.g. Swiffer) fitted with a lint-free cloth. Spray the lint-free cloth until it feels lightly damp. Also spray a piece of parquet floor with the made mixture. Be careful not to apply too much! Mop the parquet floor evenly and prevent pooling. If this does occur, immediately remove with the mop. Repeat this process until the entire parquet floor is cleaned. Make sure you continue to work with a clean mop.

• Instruction method 2:

Use a mop mop and make it lightly damp with the mixture. Mop the parquet floor evenly and prevent pooling on the parquet floor. Should this occur, immediately remove the excess moisture. Let the parquet floor dry for at least 20 minutes.

 

Maintenance Oil – For periodic maintenance of the top layer (quarterly, bi-annually)

Depending on the use of your parquet floor, we recommend applying a layer of Maintenance Oil 2 to 4 times a year. This nourishes the parquet floor and maintains the protective layer. Make sure you clean the parquet floor before applying the Maintenance Oil with Intensive Cleaner. Read the instructions on the label for the use of Intensive Cleaner and Maintenance Oil!

During the cleaning of your parquet floor, superficial and deep scratches will become visible. Some persistent stains are best removed with a lightly damp cloth provided with Intensive Cleaner. Be careful not to apply too much pressure while wiping away, as this will create a raw spot. Use Maintenance Oil to patch up the raw spot if necessary. Raw spots on the parquet floor are best immediately patched up with Maintenance Oil. Apply this with a lint-free cloth and then let dry for at least 6 hours.

Superficial scratches can be patched by lightly polishing the scratch with a Scotch-Brite cleaning cloth and then covering it with Maintenance Oil. If it still looks raw after the first layer of Maintenance Oil, apply another layer of maintenance oil. It is important to clean the spot of the scratch with Intensive Cleaner before you start polishing it! For further advice, you can always contact Belat.

Contact Belat about what to do with deep scratches. For patching these scratches, specialist knowledge is needed, as these scratches have gone through the top layer and possible color layer.

 

Intensive Cleaner

For intensive cleaning (use before the parquet floor is oiled), add half a cup (75 cc) of Intensive Cleaner to approximately 10 liters of hand-warm water. Use a bit more in case of heavy soiling. Clean the parquet floor with a well-wrung mop. Make sure to rinse it regularly. Do not use in combination with other cleaners! Afterward, the parquet floor should be thoroughly mopped with clean water.

 

Preventive Measures for Maintaining Your Parquet Floor

Always protect the underside of sliding objects in direct contact with your parquet floor, like table legs, chair legs, sofas, etc. Provide these with special felt sliders. Also, clean the felt sliders regularly to prevent dirt from remaining underneath which can eventually damage your parquet floor. Doormats are recommended at all entrances. This helps prevent sand, dirt, etc., from being tracked in as much as possible. Best avoid high heels. The point pressure of such a heel is more than 100 kg