Flooring Installation Images

REFERENCE: READ CAREFULLY
IMPORTANT NOTE: The owner/purchaser must inspect for color, finish and the quality before installation
The manufacturer cannot be held responsible for costs incurred when a floor with visible defects has been installed.
GENERAL GUIDELINES
All instruc?ons and recommenda?ons are based on the most recent informa?on available. They should be followed for an ideal installa?on.

Flooring Installation Instructions

1. Rigid core luxury vinyl planks should be installed in indoor climate-controlled loca?ons between 18° – 29°C (65° – 85°F). Rigid core luxury vinyl should NEVER be
   installed in an outdoor/ exterior se?ng or in any type of garage.
2. Rigid core luxury vinyl planks should be acclimated in the climate-controlled loca?ons for 48 hours before star?ng installa?on.
3. Rigid core luxury vinyl planks should only be installed a?er the jobsite has been cleaned and cleared of debris that could poten?ally damage a finished installa?on.
4. During the installa?on, mix and install panels from several different cartons to minimize shade varia?on.
5. The finished installa?on should be protected from exposure to con?nuous sunlight.
6. Rigid core luxury vinyl planks cannot be installed with adhesives. The use of any sort of adhesive during the installa?on will void the warranty.
   SUBFLOOR INFORMATION
   Although rigid core luxury vinyl planks are designed to be a “floa?ng” floor installa?on, proper prepara?on of the subfloor is s?ll a major part of a successful installa?on.
   Roughness or unevenness of the subfloor may show through the new floor, resul?ng in an unsightly surface and cause excessive wear on high spots or indenta?on on
   low spots. All subfloors must be level flat to 4.7 mm (3/16 in) per 3.3 m (10 ?). All subfloor and underlayment patching must be done with a non-shrinking, waterresistant
   Portland cement patching compound.
   A. Concrete Subfloors
7. Concrete subfloors must be dry, smooth and free from dust, solvent, grease, oil, asphalt sealing compounds and other extraneous materials. The surface must be
   hard and dense, and free from powder or flaking.
8. New concrete slabs must be thoroughly dry (at least 60 days) and completely cured. The final responsibility for determining if the concrete is dry enough for
   installa?on of the flooring lies with the floor covering installer.
9. Holes, grooves, expansion joints and other depressions must be filled with a latex underlayment, and troweled smooth and feathered even with the surrounding
   surface.
10. Concrete subfloors must have a minimum of 6-mil poly film between the concrete and the ground.
    B. Wood Subfloors
11. Wood subfloors must be suspended at least 455 mm (18 in) above the ground. Adequate cross-ven?la?on must be provided, and the ground surface of a crawl
    space must be covered with a suitable vapor barrier.
12. Wood subfloors directly on concrete or installed over sleeper construc?on are NOT suitable for the installa?on.
13. All wood and wood composi?on panels, including plywood, OSB, flake board and par?cle boards, can be used providing they are smooth, flat, structurally sound
    and free of deflec?on.
14. A 6 mm (1/4 in) underlayment panel should be installed over the subfloor if the surface of the wood subfloor is not smooth.
15. Wood subfloors must be dry and well secured.
16. To avoid squeaking, hammer a nail or screw every 15 cm (6 in) along the joints of the wood subfloor.
    C. Exis?ng Floor Coverings
17. Rigid core luxury vinyl planks can be installed over most exis?ng hard–surface floor coverings provided the exis?ng floor surface is smooth, or can be made smooth.
18. Ceramic ?les should be made smooth by applying a cemen?ous overlay such as patching or leveling compound manufactured specifically to smooth out ceramic
    grout joints.
19. For exis?ng resilient floor, it may be required to apply a skim coat of embossing leveler over a deeply embossed floor. Heavily cushioned vinyl floor or vinyl floor
    consis?ng of mul?ple layers are NOT suitable subfloor for installa?on.
    D. Indoor Radiant Heat and Underfloor Hea?ng
    ? Use only recommended flooring adhesive over manufacturer’s recommended plywood substrate.
    ? Turn the heat off for 24 hours before, during and 24 hours a?er installa?on when installing over radiant heated subfloors
    ? Failure to turn the heat off may result in shortened working ?me of the adhesive.
    ? Floor temperature must not exceed 30°C (85°F).
    ? Failure to strictly follow adhesive manufacturer’s guidelines may result in failure and void warranty.
    WARNING: Hea?ng mats are not recommended for use with rigid core luxury vinyl flooring.
    It is best to install the rigid core luxury vinyl floor over embedded floor hea?ng systems.
    TOOLS AND SUPPLIES REQUIRED
    Crosscut power saw, chalk line/string, pencil, tape measure, tapping block, rubber mallet, pull bar, painter’s tape.
    INSTALLATION
    PLANK LAYOUT
    Do not secure individual rigid core luxury vinyl planks to the subfloor as they are designed to be a floa?ng floor. All doorjambs should
    be undercut and cabinets cannot be installed on top of the rigid core luxury vinyl planks. Wall moldings and transi?on strips should be
    installed over any exposed plank edges but should not be fastened through the planks.
20. First, determine how you want the flooring to run. Typically for plank products, the flooring runs the length of the room.
    There may be excep?ons since it is all a ma?er of preference.
21. To avoid narrow plank widths or short plank lengths near the walls/doors, it is important to do some pre-planning. Using
    the width of the room, calculate how many full boards will fit into the area and how much space remains that will need
    to be covered by par?al planks. Divide the remaining space by two to calculate the width of the par?al planks. Do the
    same along the length.
22. Note that if the first row of planks does not need to be trimmed in width, it will be necessary to cut off the unsupported
    tongue so that a clean, solid edge is toward the wall.
23. 8 mm (5/16 in) expansion gaps should be kept from the wall during the installa?on. This will allow space for the natural
    expansion and contrac?on of the planks.
24. It is necessary to install a transi?on strip or T-moulding if the flooring is longer or wider than 20 m / 66 ? or between
    rooms.
25. The planks should be installed from Le? to Right. From the top Le? corner of the room, put the first plank in place so
    that both the head and side seam grooves are exposed.
26. Star?ng from the Le? with the tongue facing the wall, carefully place the first board in place (Figure 1).
27. Place the short end tongue of the second plank into the groove of the first plank. Press down firmly to lock short end,
    preferably by lightly tapping on the joint with a rubber mallet. Con?nue in this manner un?l reaching the final plank in
    the first row.
28. Cut the final plank piece to length.
29. Begin the second row with the cut piece from the first row (Figure 3). If the cut piece is shorter than 20 cm (8 in), do not
    use it. Instead, begin with a new plank that is at least 20 cm in length and allows 20 cm between the end joints on the
    adjacent planks.
30. Posi?on the first plank of the second row by angling it up slightly, pushing forward and interlocking the side tongue
    (Figure 2). Slide the plank to the right to align the edges of the end joint.
31. Carefully push the plank down un?l the tongue and groove lock together on the side and ends.
32. Press down firmly on end joint, preferably tapping with a rubber mallet to fully engage short end.
33. Install the remaining planks and rows in the same manner (Figures 3 & 4).
34. Cut the last plank to size. If necessary, complete the ?ght fit by tapping the plank into place with a pull bar.
35. Whenever prac?cal, use cut pieces from previous rows as the starter plank to reduce waste.
36. For the best look, maintain 20 cm spacing between end joints a?er the first four rows.
37. The last row may need to be cut lengthwise.
38. Place the last row of planks to be fit on top of the last row of installed planks. Use a piece of plank as a guide to trace
    the contour of the wall.
39. Mark where the plank will be cut. If the fit of the wall is simple and straight, measure for the correct fit and cut.
40. A?er planks are cut, posi?on the planks and ?ghten the fit using the pull bar.
    INSTALLING UNDER A DOOR JAMB:
41. Installa?on under moldings (such as door jambs) may require that the top lip of the groove on the end be
    reduced in size.
42. Using a small plane or u?lity knife, carefully shave off the ledge of the groove (Figure 5).
43. A?er the groove ledge has been trimmed, put the board in place and ?ghten with a pull bar to test for a ?ght
    fit. The installer must be sure that the required expansion gap has been maintained and the flooring is not pinched.
44. If the fit is incorrect, re-trim un?l the fit is correct.
45. Place a bead of wood glue on the bo?om lip of the groove.
46. Insert the tongue into the groom and ?ghten the fit with a pull bar. Hold the plank in place with painter’s tape un?l the glue is dry. Do not use masking tape or duct
    tape as they may damage the floors finish.

Floating Flooring After Installation

• Flooring should be one of the last items installed in a project. In order to protect the floors while other projects are being completed, use rosin paper and painter’s
tape to hold the rosin paper to the floor (other tapes may damage the finish). Clean the floor thoroughly before laying the rosin paper to ensure that no debris is
trapped underneath. DO NOT USE plas?c film or other non-breathing coverings as this can cause the floor to become damaged from excess humidity.
• Dust mop or vacuum your floor to remove any dirt or debris.
• It is suggested that you buff the floor with lamb-wool pads in order to remove any loose splinters, residues, foot prints, etc.
• Install any transi?on pieces that may be needed (reducers, T-moldings, nosing, etc.).
PROTECTION AND MAINTENANCE
Las?ng beauty can be achieved through purchasing a quality floor covering and on-going maintenance.
• Furniture should be moved onto the newly installed floor using an appliance hand truck over hardboard runways.
• Avoid extended exposure to direct sunlight. It is recommended to close the blinds or drapes during peak sunlight hours. Floor coverings exposed to excessive heat
and light are subject to thermal degrada?on. Use the appropriate precau?ons to minimize poten?al effects on the floor covering.
• Oil or petroleum-based products can result in surface staining. Do not track asphalt-driveway sealer or automobile-oil drips onto the vinyl floor covering.
• Frequently moved furniture should be equipped with felt pads to avoid scratching the floor. Heavy furniture and appliances should be equipped with non-staining
large surface floor protectors. Furniture with castors or wheels must be easy swiveling, large surface non-staining and suitable for resilient floors. Do NOT use ball
type castors as they can damage the floor.
• Use walk off mats at entrances to prevent dirt and grit from being tracked on to the floor.
• Sweep or vacuum the floor regularly to remove loose dirt. Do NOT use vacuums that use a beater bar or turn beater bar off.
• Do NOT use electric brooms with hard plas?c bo?oms with no padding.
• Clean up spills immediately.
• Damp mop as needed using clean water and a diluted floor cleaner. Do NOT use harsh cleansers, chemicals, abrasive scrubbing tools, detergents, abrasive cleaners,
or “mop and shine” products.
• Vinyl flooring, like other types of smooth floors, may become slippery when wet. Allow ?me for floor to dry a?er washing. Immediately wipe up wet areas from
spills, foreign substances or wet feet.
REPAIRS
In the unlikely event that a rigid core luxury vinyl plank is damaged for whatever reason, the simplest method is to disconnect the planks carefully (protec?ng the
tongue and groove edges) un?l the damaged plank can be removed. Then replace the damaged plank with a new one and reassemble the disconnected planks. This
typically works for planks that are close to the two long perimeters of a room.
For damaged planks that are not close to the perimeter, you may have to remove the damaged planks and insert new pieces without the short and long end grooves.

1. Using a sharp u?lity knife and a straight edge, cut out the center of the damaged plank by leaving approximately 2.5 cm (1 in) strip a?ached to the adjacent planks.
2. Carefully cut back from the four corners of the plank to the inside edges in space le? by the cut out plank.
3. Remove the plank edges carefully from the adjacent planks making sure the tongues and grooves of the adjacent planks are not damaged.
4. Using a u?lity knife, remove the tongue strip on both the long and short ends of the replacement plank. In addi?on, remove the groove strip of the short end of
   the replacement plank.
5. Place some doubled sided carpet tape along the three sides of the adjacent planks where the tongues and the groove of the replacement plank have been removed.
   Only the top side release paper of the carpet tape should be removed. The bo?om side release paper should NOT be taped on top of the subfloor.
6. Posi?on the replacement plank by engaging the groove of the long side into the tongue of the adjoining plank and pushing down on the other three sides. The
   carpet tape will hold the replacement plank in place with its adjacent planks. Use a hand roller to further secure the tape.
   WARRANTY
   Golden Select Rigid core luxury Vinyl Planks are covered by a limited warranty of 35 years for residen?al use and a limited warranty of 7 years for light commercial
   use. The s?pula?ons of the limited residen?al warranty are as follows:
   • The flooring will be free of manufacturing defects.
   • The flooring surface will not wear through under normal household use.
   The following condi?ons apply to the warranty and may void the warranty if not followed correctly:
   • The flooring must be installed according to the instruc?ons provided.
   • If filing a warranty claim, it must be submi?ed within 30 days of the discovery of the damage.
   • Any damage to the wear layer must be evident and visible, measuring at least 13 cm² (2 square inches).
   • Proof of purchase, such as a bill of sale is mandatory when reques?ng warranty service.
   • The warranty is non-transferable.
   • The manufacturer reserves the right to designate a representa?ve to inspect the floor in ques?on and remove samples for analysis.
   • The warranty includes the replacement material, and excludes labor costs.
   WARRANTY EXCLUSIONS
   • Damage due to improper installa?on, care, cleaning, or maintenance.
   • Use of any adhesive or solvent material during installa?on.
   • Installa?on of Rigid core luxury Vinyl in an outdoor/exterior se?ng or in any type of garage.
   • Damage caused by severe impact, scratching, or cu?ng, fire, water damage, altera?ons, or any other wear or damage caused by acts of God.
   • Flooring dulled by soaps, detergents, harsh chemicals, dressings, one-step cleaners or wax.
   • Damage caused by high heels, burns, cigare?e burns, cuts, scratches, gouges, and indenta?ons including damage from improper floor protectors and furniture
   rests; staining caused by dyes tracked from carpet, fer?lizers, coal, tar, driveway sealers, oil drippings or other similar materials.
   • Problems due to moisture and/or alkalinity of the subfloor.
   • Flooring installed over unstable subfloors (par?cleboard, chip wood, or pressboard) or improperly prepared subfloors, and or wet/cold floor are not covered by
   the limited warranty.
   • Discolora?on from mold or from flooding, leaking plumbing or appliances, water entering through sliding glass doors or similar condi?ons.
   • Discolora?on by exposure to direct sunlight or heat genera?on.
   • Discolora?on caused by the use of area rugs or floor mats. Use non-staining mats, for rubber mats will discolor the floor.