LOOSELAY

　　Introduction

　　Due to special emboss, material and formula of back layer, the resistance between Loose Lay and the ground is strong, making Loose Lay not easy to slip. Looselay installation needs no adhesives, no click systems, just laying. You can walk on the floor during and immediately after installation.

　　Tools

　　chalk, pensile, measuring instrument, spacers, utility knife, and shears for contour or curved cuts.

　　Focus points

　　● LOOSELAY is designed for interior use only.

　　● Always check the cartons to assure the pattern number is correct on all cartons to ensure proper color match.

　　● Check all planks in daylight before and during installation. Defective planks must never be used.

　　● To minimize shade variation, mix and install product from several different cartons.

　　● The ideal conditions are at least 65℉(18℃)，and no higher than 81℉(27℃) for  48 hours before installation, during installation and 48 hours after completion with a HVAC system regulating the relative humidity between 50-60% for a week prior to installation. Maintain a minimum temperature of 55℉(13℃)  and a maximum temperature of 81℉(27℃) thereafter.

　　● Room humidity can vary according to the season, so it is vital that the floor is able to expand and contract. For this reason, make sure you leave an expansion joint of minimum 4-5 mm on all sides of the floor, around pipes, thresholds, under doors and around any fixed/stationary objects (floor vents, kitchen islands, etc). If a room is smaller than 25㎡ this expansion gap can be reduced to 2-3 mm.

　　● We recommend you purchase a few extra cartons of flooring. This will be useful to you if you have some damaged pieces, miscalculate the size of the room or miss cut some pieces. This also will help you if your floor needs a repair but your product is no longer manufactured.

　　Suitable Areas:

　　Excellent for these areas of your home including living rooms, bedrooms, study-rooms, entryways, rec rooms,  and also commercial installations such as shops, salons, professional and business offices, entryways and break rooms.

　　Suitable for use with underfloor heating systems. The temperature at the sub-floor surface should not exceed 27℃.

　　Unsuitable areas:

　　Unheated dwellings such as cabins, cottages, three-seasons rooms, porches, mobile homes or unheated porches.

　　Any room where the floor will receive long-term exposure to direct sunlight.

　　Any room where moisture or water may be a problem..

　　Outdoors.

　　Preparing the subfloor

　　Concrete floors

　　Concrete must be smooth, clean, flat, and free of dust and moisture. Remove all dust, dirt, grease and adhesive residue. Sweep and vacuum floor thoroughly. Fill all cracks and holes with a suitable patch/underlayment/ embossing leveler per manufacturer’s instructions.

　　Wood Floors

　　Securely nail all loose boards. Scrape, plane or fill uneven boards with a suitable patch/ underlayment/ embossing lever. If the surface is still not smooth, then we recommend installing a 1/4’’ (6.35mm) underlayment panel over the wood subfloor.

　　Old floor coverings

　　Planks may be installed directly over any clean, well-bonded, smooth surface. Planks should not be installed over heavily embossed tiles unless the embossing has been filled in with a suitable patch/ underlayment/ embossing leveler. LOOSELAY may even be installed over ceramic tiles as long as the surface is smooth, dust-free, and the grout lines and any other irregularities are filled with a suitable patch/ underlayment/ embossing leveler. Installation is not suitable for existing foam-backed or cushion-backed flooring and stairs, or, in rooms with sloping floors or floor drains.

　　NOTE: Installation possible if the substrate temperature does not exceed 27℃ at all points and with reversible floors. Turn the underfloor heating off 24 hours prior to installation. Restart the heating gradually after installation.

　　Installation

　　1.Day layout

　　It is very important to plan your layout to avoid an unbalanced installation with narrow plank widths at the walls.

Fig.1 – Dry layout to determine width of border plank.

　　Lay the long dimension of the planks parallel to the long dimensions of the room. Draw a line with a chalk lengthwise along the middle of the room. Do a dry layout of planks from the center line to the wall running parallel to the long direction of the planks to determine the width of the last row of planks (Figure 1). Reserve a 4-5 mm expansion gap between the line a or line b to the walls. Avoid having less than a half plank width at the line a or line b. Measure the width of the room at the front, middle and back and divide the widths of each measurement by the width of a plank. If the remainder is less than half the plank width, then the planks on your starter row should be narrowed to make the last row approximately half the plank. The width of the last row of planks should be approximately the same width as the first row of planks.

　　Note: This may also be figured out by laying down loose planks across the width of the room without securing them to each other and making the necessary adjustments.

　　2.Procedure

　　● The planks will be installed starting in the corner of the room on the left side of the starting wall (Figure 2).

Fig.2 – Left corner of starting wall

　　● Begin laying the first row of planks, left to right, until you near the end and need to cut the last plank to fit. Remember to put spacers along the walls to maintain 4-5 mm expansion zone between the wall and the planks.

　　Note: Loose Lay planks are intended to be loose laid and do not require adhesive. However, a pressure sensitive adhesive (or double-sided tape) may be used if required to anchor the first couple of rows to ensure straightness of installation. The installation method of stick-down is recommended for larger areas (greater than 25㎡), higher traffic and all commercial applications.

　　● Start the second row on the left side with a piece cut to about 2/3 the length of the starting plank in the first row. It is important to keep the end joints staggered a minimum of 15.2 cm in adjacent rows (Figure 3).

　　Note: Measure the length of the room at left wall and divide by the length of a plank. If the remainder is less than 30.5 cm, then you need to cut the first plank down to make the remainder 30.5 cm or longer.

　　● Continue laying planks, one row at a time. Pause, check, and then recheck again the first three rows to make sure everything is straight and square. These three rows are the foundation for the rest of your floor. If a mistake is made in fitting, the planks can be lifted up and repositioned at the time of installation.

　　Maintain the stagger end joints between rows less than 15.2 cm. Ensure that the end joints of the planks in two successive rows are never in line. Do not forget to use spacers along the side and end walls to maintain 4-5 mm expansion zone. To fit planks around obstacles, make a pattern of the area on paper or cardboard, trace the pattern onto the plank and cut.

Fig.3

　　● When you are done, remove all spacers along the walls and install moldings over the planks. When installing the moldings, always fasten them to the wall, not to the plank.

　　Precautions

　　● Protect furniture and chair legs with proper felt or rubber caps. Furniture on casters/wheels must be easily swiveling, wide-spaced, non-staining hard rubber wheels that are suitable for a vinyl floor and/or use a suitable protective mat.

　　● Protect your floor against burns. Burns from the glowing end of a cigarette, matches, or other extremely hot items can damage the floors.

　　● Avoid bringing dirt, water and sand indoors by providing a suitable non-staining backed floor mat at the door.

　　● Avoid exposure to direct sunlight for prolonged periods. During peak sunlight hours, the use of the drapes or blinds is recommended.

　　● Do not allow pets with unclipped nails to walk on the vinyl floor. It could cause severe scratching to the surface.

　　Maintenance

　　● We recommend waiting 48 to 72 hours before washing the new Looselay floor coverings. This is to allow the tiles to conform to the substrates.

　　● Do not pour pails of water on your floor to clean. Excessive water can cause damage to your subfloor and your floor will only be as good as the subfloor.

　　● The volume of traffic on your floor will determine the frequency of maintenance needed.

　　● The type of floor, and even the color, will have some bearing on how much care may be necessary.

　　● All spills should be wiped up immediately.

　　● For dry maintenance, we recommend a dust mop or vacuum cleaner with a soft bristle brush only.

　　● For wet maintenance, use a damp mopping procedure with a diluted neutral detergent or with a regular vinyl cleaner. Avoid harsh cleaning products that may damage the floor and make sure to dry completely. We do not recommend powdered cleaners, oil soaps, dish washing detergents and other alkali cleaning products.

　　● Shoe marks and scuffs can be removed by using a spot application of multipurpose cleaner and a non-abrasive scrubbing pad.

　　● It is not recommended to use wax on vinyl planks as this can cause a slip hazard.

　　● Vinyl tiles are completely waterproof, but they do not prevent the transmittance of moisture. Care should be taken to keep moisture from collecting on either side of vinyl floor to prevent the growth of mold and mildew. If your floor has been exposed to excessive water, for example by accident or flooding, remove the water as soon as possible by moping and ventilate the room. A dehumidifier should be promptly turned on in the room to reduce the moisture level to normal. Do not dry the room below the normal moisture level that existed previously.