Requirements to the Installation Workplace
• At least 3 days before, during and after installation, the floor’s surface temperature in the premises should be at least 15 °C.
• Air temperature: at least 18 °C
• Indoor humidity: from 30 % to 80 %
Requirements to the Subflooring
• Make sure that the subflooring surface is prepared to installation. The laminate should be laid only onto an absolutely even, dry, clean (of sand, dirt or construction waste) and stable surface that is free of any cracks, dents or humps.
• The subflooring surface should stay stable, not changing its geometrical dimensions under any temperature or humidity conditions.
• The floor irregularities exceeding 2 mm per 2 m of the length should be eliminated in advance prior to installation using leveling compounds.
• The floor screed should be completely dried. The screed’s residual humidity should be no more than *:
— 2 % per cm for sand-cement and concrete bases (see SNiP (Construction Norms and Regulations) 3.04.01-87)
— 1.8 % per cm for sand-cement and concrete bases with heating
— 0.5 % per cm for gypsum and anhydrite bases
— 0.3 % per cm for gypsum and anhydrite bases with heating
* * Prior to installation, to monitor the screed’s residual humidity, it is recommended to measure the subflooring’s humidity using a special device – a concrete moisture meter.
If you are unable to measure the screed’s humidity by a moisture meter, it is recommended to lay a waterproofing film onto the subflooring before installing the SPC flooring.
• The screed’s compressive strength should be in the range of 15–20 MPa.
Requirements to the Substrate
Should the panels of any of the Profield SPC flooring collections not be equipped with a substrate, you may use the EVA or IXPE substrates. In this case, the substrate should meet the following requirements:
— толщина подложки должна быть 1,5 — 2,0 мм;
— подложка должна быть высокой плотности — от 135 кг/м3 и более.
Heat-Insulated Floor
Any floating floor has the property of expansion when heated or under increasing air humidity. Therefore, the SPC laminate should be laid onto the heat-insulated floor only under the following conditions:
1. It is strictly forbidden to exceed the surface heating temperature of 28 °C.
2. Ширина компенсационного зазора от края SPC пола до стен и неподвижных объектов должна составлять 8-10 мм по периметру помещения, а также вокруг всех неподвижных объектов, включая трубы.
3. The flooring requires decoupling with the gaps of 15–20 mm in size in the doorway and in every 8 m of the flooring length using a special sill.
4. The SPC panels must be acclimatized in the installation premises. They should be kept packaged in these premises for at least 72 hours.
5. The heating system should be disabled 5 days before the flooring’s installation. It should only be started gradually 3 days after the flooring’s installation, evenly raising the temperature by no more than 3 °C a day.
Prohibited Actions:
• It is strictly prohibited to use any additional substrate. Provided that the SPC panels are already equipped with the IXPE substrate, using an additional substrate may result in damages to the panels’ locks.
• The SPC flooring cannot be used as an outdoor finishing coating (outdoor paths, terraces, etc.).
• It is not recommended to use the flooring in unheated premises.
• The flooring cannot be used on the heat-insulated floors, the heating temperature of which exceeds +28 °С.
• The flooring cannot be used on the water heat-insulated floors since the heating temperature limit (+28 °С) for these floors is quite difficult to monitor.
• The flooring cannot be used in the premises where it may be exposed to water or other liquids. Although the SPC boards are 100 % waterproof, water may accumulate at the floor base or on construction materials resulting in potential mold.
Tools required:
• measuring tape
• pencil
• measuring triangle, ruler
• utility knife
• hacksaw or electric jigsaw
• flooring spacers of 8 mm thick (to provide necessary wall gaps)
Preparation Work
• Without unpacking the SPC flooring, place the laminate packs in the installation premises horizontally and keep them for at least 72 hours for the panels to adapt to the premises humidity and temperature conditions.
• The indoor temperature should be at least 18 °С.
• The air humidity should not exceed 70 %.
Failure to comply with the acclimatization conditions may result in the flooring’s warping. All of those cases are not covered by the SPC laminate warranty.
• During storage, transportation, loading and unloading, the laminate may be damaged. Therefore, prior to installation, make sure that all the panels have no visible defects, damages or differences in coloring. The panels laid with visible defects cannot be refunded or replaced. Any complaints or claims regarding the boards installed are not accepted.
Should the flooring be unsuitable for installation, please contact the seller prior to its laying!
Laying
Provide the necessary gaps between the wall and the SPC flooring. Profield SPC Flooring should be laid with the expansion gap of at least 8–10 mm in size along the perimeter of the premises as well as around all the utilities. For this purpose, use special flooring spacers of 8 mm thick. If the continuous laying area exceeds 50 m2, those gaps should be extended. If the premises length exceeds 8 m or their width exceeds 6 m, provide an additional joint with the width of 15–20 mm, compensating for possible expansion of the panels. This joint may further be closed with a decorative single-level sill.
1. Connect and align the boards of the first row.
For this purpose, place the first board with its tenon to the wall. Use flooring spacers to maintain the necessary space of 8 mm in size between the wall and the panels. To connect the first row of the boards perfectly evenly is essential. Otherwise, there will be gaps formed in the locking connections for the next rows.
2. Insert the second panel at the angle of 15–20° into the lock of the upper panel.
The boards should be connected leaving a 1/3–2/3 (of the panel’s length) space at the edge of the previous-row board.
3. Take the third panel and, first, connect it with the front edge of the second panel.
After that, make a careful movement to push it to the lock of the first panel, sliding along the locking connection. Only then, fasten it into the longitudinal lock of the upper panel.
4. When fastening the board into the lock of the upper panel, raise the board at the angle of 15–20 °.
5. After that, remove the upper board from the fastening area of the first two panels and connect it with the upper lock of the panel on the right.
6. Connect the next panelsimilarly.
First, connect it at the front edge. Then, push it forward and fasten with the upper panel. Thus, by resetting the upper panel into the fastening areas of the first row, you will keep the locks’ fastening perfectly even, which will allow avoiding subsequent possible gaps in the locking connections.
7. Installing the last board in the row.
Turn the uncut board over and place it beneath the first row. Measure the distance and mark the cut line on the board. Use a ruler and a hacksaw to make a mark and cut the board. Insert the obtained segment into the face connection of the previous panel to finish the first row installation.
8. Installing the second and subsequent rows.
After the first row is installed, push it to the wall and press firmly to the spacers. Now you can start installing the second row.
9. Start the next row using the last cut segment from the previous row.
The first board segment’s size should be equalto about half the panel’s length. Should it be significantly less, put it aside and cut off the necessarysegment from a new panel.
10. Fasten all other second-row boards similarly, as described above.
First, connect each panel at the front edge.Then, move it to the lock of the previous (upper) row, after which fasten the longitudinal locks at the angle of 15–20°.
11. In case some lock fails to be fastened, make sure that there are no foreign particles in there, which would hinder this connection.
Clean the lock and try to fasten the boards again.The following should be considered: if a lock fails to be fastened, it is prohibited to force the panel into the locking connection.By doing this, you may damage the locking bevels. If locks fail to be fastened, this means that either the first row is installed incorrectly (fastened unevenly) or there are foreign particles in the locks of a panel in one of the rows.
12. Installing the last row.
To fit the last row in size, place the panel on the floor upside down – with its tongue to the wall. Take a ruler, place it on top of the previous row anddraw the cut line on the panels with your pencil. Then, cut the panels and fasten them to finish the row.
13. After installing the flooring.
• After installation, remove the spacers and sweep the flooring with asoft brush.
• Install skirtings and close the gaps formed in the doorwaywith decorative sills.Skirtings should only be installed to the wall. Their mounting to the floor is forbidden.
• The flooring should be protected from direct sunlight to avoid the surface heating above the allowable temperature limit. Therefore, if the windows in the SPC laminate installation room are facing south, they should be curtained immediately after installation.
Profield SPC Laminate Flooring Maintenance Recommendations and Operating Conditions
Profield Laminate Flooring is scratch-resistant and securely protected from moisture. Nevertheless, please take the following information on its maintenance into account. By following these simple rules, you will increase the service life of your flooring.
Abrasion Resistance
The SPC flooring surface is coated with a preserving layer that protects a laminate’s decorative film from abrasion. However, it may still be scratched with any object, the density of which exceeds that of the materials used in the production of the SPC panel. Thus, the presence of any scratches during the flooring’s operation shall not be deemed as defects. The scratches themselves are not covered by the warranty, which only applies to the complete abrasion of a decorative layer in the area of at least 3 % of the panel’s surface.
Operating Conditions
• At the entrance area of your residential premises, lay a dirt trapper doormat.
• Prevent your laminate flooring from constant water exposure; in the event of any puddle formation, wipe up the liquid spilled on the floor as soon as possible.
• Use rubber furniture casters for your office chairs or furniture on the caster wheels. Office chair casters should be regularly cleaned. Make sure that they slide easily on your flooring. In the event of their failure, replace them with new ones in a timely manner.
• To prevent the flooring surface from any scratches, use special felt pads for your chair, armchair and other furniture legs. They should be regularly cleaned. Periodically make sure that they are serviceable.
• When moving any heavy furniture, it should be raised and not dragged on the floor.
Prohibited Actions
When maintaining the laminate flooring, it is prohibited to:
• Drag any heavy furniture on the SPC flooring and scrape it against any solid objects.
• Use large amounts of water when cleaning the premises. Always make sure that there is no puddle formation on the floor during its wet cleaning.
• Use any abrasive cleaning products.
• Use gasoline, aggressive cleaning powders, acetone, solvents and chlorine-containing products.
Flooring Maintenance
• For dry cleaning, it is recommended to use a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush nozzle. This is the most effective tool for removing dust and sand particles, which may affect your flooring as an abrasive, prematurely wearing its surface.
• For heavily polluted areas, you may use a wet well-wrung cloth soaked in a neutral detergent solution.