UNICLIC

　　Introduction

　　Uniclic system can be clicked together simply without using glue. Uniclic has increasing flexibility because the plank can be installed over existing floors such as natural wood, concrete, vinyl, linoleum, and even ceramic.

　　Tools

　　chalk, pencil, measuring instrument, spacers, bevel protractor, pull bar, rubber mallet, utility knife, and shears for contour or curved cuts.

　　Focus points

　　● Uniclic 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.

　　● 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 all areas of your home including living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, study-rooms, entryways, rec rooms, and also commercial installations such as shops, salons, professional and business offices, entryways and break rooms.

　　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

　　● Make sure that the subfloor is flat within 3/16” in a 10-foot span and any large cracks or voids must be filled in with a suitable patch /underlayment/ embossing leveler.

　　● Make sure that the subfloor is clean, dry and stable.

　　● Check whether the old molding can be removed. You can also leave the wall base and finish the floor with accessory profiles.

　　● Do not install planks over more than one layer of existing flooring, to prevent indentation or possible stress on the joints.

　　● Installation is 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.

　　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 planks unless the embossing has been filled in with a suitable patch/ underlayment/ embossing leveler. UNICLICK may even be installed over ceramic planks 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.

　　Installation

　　1.Two different ways to install the planks:

　　Method 1: Angle-In Installation method

　　Position the panel to be installed at an angle of 20°-30° to the panel already installed. Move the panel gently up and down and at the same time exert forward pressure. The panels will automatically click into place. You can either insert the tongue into the groove, or the groove onto the tongue. The tongue in groove method is the most common and the easiest way. See diagram 1 a-c.

　　Method 2: Flat installation method

　　You can also tap the panels into each other without lifting. For this method you must use the special tapping block. The planks should not be joined with a single tap and the tapping block should set flat on the floor. To avoid damaging the panels you must tap them together gradually. See diagram 2 a-b. Use this method only in cases where you are unable to use the Angle-In method (see below). The rest of your floor should be installed using the Angle In method.

　　2.Dry layout

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

Diagram 3 – 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 (Diagram 3). 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.

　　3.Procedure

Step 1  Laying first plank in corner of room with tongue side facing wall using 4-5mm spaces	Step 2 Fitting of second plank	Step3 Cutting and fitting of final plank in first row
Step 4 Use of offcut from previous row (optinal)	Step 5 Fitting of additional planks in second row	Step 6 Measure and cut final row of planks allowing for 4-5 mm expansion gap
Step7 Pullbar and rubber mallet can be used for final row of planks, ensuring a 4-5 mm expansion gap	Step 8 Refitting of skirting board with hidden 4-5 mm expansion gap	Step 9 Fixing edge trim to wall

　　● Step 1 – laying of first plank with tongue side facing wall using 4-5 mm spacers

　　The planks will be installed starting in the corner of the room on the left side of the starting wall. Always work from left to right in the laying area, with the plank’s tongue side facing the wall. Make sure that there’s a continuous expansion joint of 4-5 mm in width all around by using appropriate spacers.

　　● Step 2 – Fitting of second plank

　　Attach the second plank by laying the end connection at an angle accurately on top of the first plank and drop into position ensuring that the short edges of both planks are aligned.

　　Continue this process across the room until the maximum number of full length planks can be fitted together.

　　Measure the remaining space, cut a plank to suit and fit into place, allowing for the required expansion gap.

　　● Step 3 – Cutting and fitting of final plank in first row

　　TIP: if the last plank is less than 200 mm in length, it is recommended that a small section be cut from the other end of the row, which can be slid across the room to create space for a larger infill of plank.

　　To install the next row, again starting from the left hand side, set the tongue of the first plank into the groove of the already fitted row at an angle of about 20°-30° and lower it into place.

　　● Step 4 - Use of offcut from previous row (optional)

　　TIP: the offcut from the first row can be used as the first plank in the second row if the joints are well separated.

　　For a more pleasing appearance, the floor should be installed with a staggered random length for the starting planks in each row. Be careful not to create a repeating pattern. For example, start the first row with a whole plank, second row with 1/3 of a plank, third row with 2/3 of a plank, then a whole, then 1/2, then 1/4, then back to whole, then short, then medium, etc. Alternating the length of the starting plank on each row will avoid creating a zigzag or stair step pattern in the floor. Ensure that the end joints are staggered by at least 152 mm.

　　The second plank in this row should be located against the short edge of the first plank and the tongue of the long edge gently pushed into the exposed groove section of the planks in the first row.

　　It may be necessary to lift both planks slightly from the floor to get a good fit.

　　The tapping block and mallet can be used if necessary to complete the final locking of the planks together. Do not tap the groove directly with the mallet and any force that is applied should be kept to a minimum.

　　● Step 5 – Fitting of additional planks in second row

　　Continue across the room until the second row is completed. Repeat this procedure for all subsequent rows until all full width planks have been fitted.

　　● Step 6 – Measure and cut final row of planks allowing for 4-5 mm expansion gap

　　To lay the last row the distance between wall is measured and planks can be cut to size, again allowing for expansion gaps.

　　● Step 7 – Pullbar and rubber mallet can be used for final row of planks, ensuring a 4-5 mm expansion gap

　　The use of a pullbar in conjunction with a rubber mallet is recommended for ensuring the tongues and grooves of the final two rows are well connected.

　　● Step 8 - Refitting of skirting board with hidden 4-5 mm expansion gap

　　Remove all spacers. When replacing skirting boards or fitting edge trim and any other items, for example furniture of shelving, these should never be fixed (such as fastened, screwed, or nailed) to the planks, or through the planks to the base – the floor must remain as a floating installation.

　　● Step 9 – Fixing edge trim

　　A suitable edge trim of your choice can be used to cover expansion gaps. These should be fixed to the skirting or wall and not to the flooring.

　　Note: Apply a permanently flexible caulking material along the perimeter of the wet areas such as bathrooms and kitchens etc. to ensure a perfect watertight seal.

　　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

　　● 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 planks 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.