INSTRUCTIONS OF THE MANUFACTURER

“QUICK PARQUET” INSTALLATION AND EXPLOITATION RULES

I. Before installation

"QuickParquet" is a product designed for direct installation in residential and public areas with normal and high traffic, excluding rooms with constantly high humidity, such as bathrooms.
The parquet should be stored in closed, dry and ventilated area, in the original, undamaged factory packagings, on a stable basis, which is located approximately 10 cm above the floor. Taking into account the fact that the packagings are not leakproof, it is necessary constantly to maintain the ambient temperature in the range of 18 - 22 ° C and the relative humidity - between 45 - 60%. These temperature and humidity ranges provide the optimum humidity of the parquet, equal to 9% + - 2%.
The package should be opened immediately prior to the installation; the acclimatization of the parquet in its original packaging, prior to the installation, should last at least 48 hours.
All other construction works (painting, plastering, tiling) should be performed before the installation of the parquet.
Before installing the parquet, check all the items in daylight, for possible visual defects and colour matching. To make colour distribution more uniform, it is recommended to lay the parquet simultaneously from several packages.

II. Installation:

During the installation of the parquet, the ambient temperature should be 18-22 ° C, and the humidity 45-60%.
An uneven or unreinforced underlayment is to be levelled and reinforced with the self-levelling mass (the maximum displacement from the plane of the underlayment is 2mm/2 lm).
The maximum permissible humidity of the cement underlayment, on which the parquet will be installed, is 2%, measured by CM method, but the allowable humidity of the anhydride underlayment is 0.5%, measured by CM method. Humidity of the wooden underlayment should not exceed 13%.
The underlayment should be protected with the waterproofing which prevents the absorption of moisture.
We recommend the use of the complex systems from the same manufacturer: a primer and preparations for the preparation of the underlayment, and only of those adhesives which are permitted by the manufacturer for the installation of the varnished parquet.
After the installation, set the plinths and treat it with protective means.

If after the installation, painting the walls is expected, the floor should be protected by cardboard or film.

III. Lacquered floors - care and exploitation:

Wood, as a natural material, adjusts to environmental conditions, therefore one should pay attention to keeping parquet humidity in ranges 45-60% during the entire period of exploitation. The excessive moisture leads to swelling of the wood, while too low - to its shrinkage, which in its turn leads to cracking.
First and foremost, it is necessary to treat the ready floor with the protective means for varnished floors, which prevent the appearance of microcracks between the parquet elements, the use of which is recommended by the shopping centre in which the parquet has been acquired or by the manufacturer of the parquet. The protective means should be used according to the should be used according to the manufacturer instructions.
For washing the floor, its protection and care for it, we recommend the use of the special means for the varnished floors. The properties of the preparation should comply with the certain kind of the floor.
All heavy items which will be installed on the floor (furniture, chairs, tables) should be equipped with felt pads preventing scratches, dents, and also protecting the lacquer coating of the parquet.

IV. Oiled floors – care and exploitation:

Ordinary cleaning

For daily care for the oiled floors, it is recommended vacuuming or sweeping, and when mopping the floors, it is recommended using liquid soap for floors. This protective agent not only cleans, but also forms a renewable protective layer on the floor, additionally protecting the floor from pollutions.

Important: Do not wash the floor with clean water - then, the protective soy and coconut oils are removed, and as well do not to use mops and brushes with a rigid structure.

Thorough cleaning

If the floor is very dirty, it should be washed with an intensive detergent, afterwards - with the liquid soap for cleaning floors, restoring the protective layer.

Removing stains

Stains should be removed with the intensive detergent or stain remover. Places from which the stains have been removed, one should treat with natural or tinted oil, or with paste.

Restoration

If after prolonged use, the floor becomes dull or grey, it can be restored by coating a thin layer of special paste or oil.
For this, the floor should be washed with the intensive detergent for floor and left to dry for several hours. Only after the floor has become completely dry, one may proceed to its treatment with the oil or the paste.
The oil should not be left on the floor in form of the layer, therefore, after the oil has been coated, the floor should be polished with a soft cotton cloth or with a white polishing cloth.

Warning: After oiling, the cloths should be burned or soaked in water. There is a risk of self-ignition. All actions with the means to care should be carried out in accordance with the given means manufacturer instructions.

Installing the parquet on the heat-insulated floor

Reliable floor heating under the parquet

Wood is a hygroscopic material, which implies its response to temperature and humidity changes. Besides, wood is a good insulator. Therefore, the idea of placement of the floor heating under the wooden parquet may seem the unsuccessful one. Is it really so?

Planning

The most important component of any installation is the project, determining the peculiarities of the room in which there will be placed the heating and laid the floor. The positioning of the components of the heating system depends on the placement of the main elements (e.g., heavy furniture). The efficiency of such an installation may reduce the extra costs connected with the heating such places, where the heating is optional. The way of using the room also affects on the kind and quantity of parquet material. The part of the premises is used intensively, and some - for rest, which has its influence on the mobility and durability of wood. Before you make an order for the floor, we recommend you to contact our specialists for advice, so that you might order the required material, in a timely manner to plan and technologically correctly to perform all the work.

Floor underlayment preparation

The preparation of the concrete or of the anhydride jointless flooring precedes laying the heat-insulated parquet floor. The duties of the first team include heating the underlayment for water evaporation from the jointless flooring, after its binding and condensation. For this purpose it is necessary to turn on the floor heating and to increase the temperature daily gradually by 5 ° C, to the maximum temperature of 26 ° C, afterwards, it is desirable to maintain the temperature at 24 ° C for about 14 days. At the end of this period, the temperature should be reduced by 5 ° C daily, until the top layer temperature reaches 15-18 ° C, and the humidity is reduced to 55%. During the heating, the moisture evaporates from the underlayment, which otherwise would be absorbed by the newly laid parquet. The heating takes approximately 21 days, and it should be carried out immediately prior to laying the parquet.

Humidity of jointless floors is measured with a hydrometer, and the figures should be as follows:

• # 1,8% - for cement jointless floor,

• # 0,3% - for anhydrite jointless floor.

If the measurements have shown the appropriate level of moisture, and there passed not more than a week from heating the jointless floor, the team of parquet layers may begin the work. For timber size not to change, the level of its humidity during the laying should not exceed certain indicators. The air temperature during the laying and in the first 48 hours after completion of the laying, should be maintained at 21 ° C, and afterwards - should be increased by 1-2 degrees every day. The temperature of the heat-insulated floor should not exceed 27 ° C.

What kind of wood?

This way of fixing plate is suitable not for all types of parquet. The parquet plank, unlike the usual parquet glued to the concrete surface, changes under the influence of climatic changes taking place throughout the year. Choosing a breed of wood, one should remember that it should be as stable as possible, and that it should preserve its technical specifications for as long time as possible, and that shrinkage factor should be as small as possible. It will permit to preserve the solidity of the parquet, to prevent occurrence of gaps between the boards, in the course of the year. Exotic, very hard and durable wood species , such as: Jatoba, Iroko, Merbau or Doussie, as well as local breeds, such as oak or acacia, have these properties.

What kind of parquet?

Monolithic wood laid on the floor heating, does not fulfil its function, as exhibits excessive heat resistance which reduces economical efficiency and heating efficiency. Besides, standard planks are too large and, because of the shrinkage of timber, large gaps are formed between them. There are commonly used two-layer planks allowing compression of wood. Their treatment is so fine that there are no obstacles to the flow of heat. Plywood is a popular material for the bottom layer, because this type of wood reacts quite well at increased temperature. There are used puff parquet planks in which all the layers are arranged perpendicular to each other. Such a design limits the shrinkage of the whole element and the formation of gaps between parquet planks even if they are of large size.

Laying without glue, limits the effectiveness of the heating equipment, since, due to air under the parquet, uniform heat circulation becomes problematic. The floor laid on adhesive, is more stable, it does not deform. After laying the parquet, one should immediately habituate it to an increased temperature, gradually warming to the maximum level.

Finishing works

More often than not, as a treatment, it is recommended oiling and / or waxing the parquet laid on the heating. The varnish may flake due to the shrinkage of wood, but oil and wax have no influence to the surface. Both of these coverings only emphasize the natural beauty of wood, as well as protect the floor from wear and tear. Of course there are available the ready parquet planks in the market, on which a layer of lacquer or of other protective layer is laid by a factory method. However, one should consult a certain manufacturer with respect to the care of such a surface and the ways of its restoration.

Exploitation

Exploitation of such floors requires specific attention. It should be remembered that the floor heating is switched gradually to avoid sudden temperature changes.

Rules for exploitation of the wooden floors

The lacquered or oiled wooden floors may be harmed if the movable furnishings, present at home and at public areas, do not pass the appropriate treatment. Any furniture, chairs, sofas, tables, etc., must be equipped with, for example, felt pads. Lacquered and oil coatings will serve much longer if there is provided a corresponding shoe cleaning system in the places where entrances into a house from a street are situated. Wooden floors of the monolithic or puff of wood are 100% natural products. Despite the fact that the manufacturer has properly prepared the wood (corresponding drying to the moisture value equal to 7-11% ), it does not lose the ability to absorb and release water vapours. As a result of this process, the wood "works", i.e. swells or shrinks. In order to minimize the results of the "work" of the wood, it is necessary to maintain a favourable climate for people in the premises. The most favourable conditions are when the relative humidity is in the range 45-60%, and temperature - in the range 15-25 ° C.