Glueing Laminate Planks

Helpful Hints
1. Overtightening clamps can cause tongue damage, bowed boards, or peaked joints.
2. If the first three rows are installed straight, true, and well-bonded, the remainder of the installation will proceed smoothly.
3. Apply the proper amount of glue to the top of the tongue and the bottom of the groove, to ensure a water-resistant joint. More is not better. Excessive glue can result in swelling of the joint.
4. Tap gently to close the joints. Excessive or forceful tapping can damage tongues and cause peaked joints.
5. If using stairnose moulding, refer to Flush Stairnose Installation section before beginning.

Getting Started/Estimating
Always check each board for damage before installing.
1. Avoid narrow pieces at the finish wall. Measure the distance between the starting wall and the finish wall.
2. Divide this number by the width of the board.
3. If the remainder is less than 2-1/2″ (6.35 cm), cut off 2-1/2″ (6.35 cm) from the width of the first row. Or to balance the room, add the difference to the plank width and divide by two.
4. Roll out hard-surface flooring underlayment along the starting wall and cut to length. Kitchen and bathroom installations require folding the underlayment up the wall 2″. Place additional sections with butt seams as the installation
progresses.
5. To minimize pattern repeats in the floor, always pull from at least three cartons of flooring while installing.
6. Dry fit the first three rows.

Wall Irregularities
All wall irregularities require cutting the first or last row of boards to fit the contour of the wall.
1. Use dividers or a spacer turned sideways 1″ (2.54 cm) wide to mark the contour.
2. Cut to shape.
3. Position the cut piece, using the pull bar to tighten the last piece in place.
4. Place a spacer between the end of the board and the side wall.
5. Two tapered spacers can be used as wedges to accommodate irregular walls.

Cutting
1. A good-quality carbide-tipped cutting blade that has been designed for composition and laminate materials such as melamine, coreboard, or other hard, dense, man-made materials is recommended. When extra clean cut edges are required – e.g., custom installations – you may need more elaborate cutting equipment.
2. When using a hand saw, cut with the decorative side of the board facing up.
3. When using power saws, direction of blade must cut into decorative side of the board to minimize chipping.
4. Use a square to keep your cut line straight.
5. Cut the marked piece in another area to keep the sawdust away from the installation site.

Dry Fit Row One – Do Not Apply Glue
1. Beginning on the left side of the starting wall and working right, lay out the first row.
2. Lay first row of boards with groove side facing the wall.
3. Use spacers along all sides that butt up against walls to maintain 1/4″ (6.35 mm) expansion zone.
4. Continue laying boards in the first row until you need to cut the last piece.
5. Measure the distance between the wall and the face surface of the last board. Subtract 1/4″ (6.35 mm), and cut the board. (See cutting instructions on right.)
6. If this distance is less than 8″, go back to the first full plank and cut approximately 8″ from the end closest to the wall. This will leave a longer piece at the end of the first row. 1/4″

Dry Fit Row Two – Do Not Apply Glue
1. Begin the second row of planks with the piece cut from the last plank in the first row. If the piece is shorter than 8″, cut a new plank in half, and use it to begin the second row. Whenever practical, use the piece cut from the preceding row to start the next row.
2. To help reduce the risk of installing the boards out of square, it is important that piece one from row two is shorter than piece one from rows one and three.
3. End joints of all boards should be staggered 8″or more.
4. Mark the last piece, cut and install. Make sure all the joints are tight.

Dry Fit Row Three – Do Not Apply Glue
1. Lay the third row of planks in the same manner as the second row.
Glueing Procedure - All Joints Must Be Properly Glued
1. Place masking tape on the face of each board and number in sequence. Do not write directly on boards.
2. Laminate boards are installed in stairstep fashion to aid in proper glueing and clamping as you proceed. This is important only for the first three rows to get them straight and square since the entire installation will follow their contour. After the glue has dried on the first three rows, you may continue with the installation.
3. Disassemble the boards in the first three rows.
4. When reassembling, place spacers every 2′ (60.96 cm) lengthwise at each end of every row and one at each joint along the starting wall.
5. Install the first board in row one making sure to use spacers.
Reminder: Apply the proper amount of glue to the top of the tongue and the bottom of the groove to ensure a water-resistant joint. More is not better. Excessive glue can result in swelling of the joint.
1 3 6
2 9
5 4 8 7 10
6. Apply a thin bead of glue, approximately 3/32″ (2.4 mm) in diameter, to the top surface of the tongue of the first piece on the floor.
7. Apply a thin bead of glue, approximately 3/32″ (2.4 mm) in diameter, to the bottom lip on the groove of the first piece from row two.
8. Fit the groove over the tongue, and push together.
9. Place the groove of the tapping block over the tongue of the first piece in the second row. Gently tap against the block to tighten
the joint.
10. A thin, continuous bead of glue must ooze to the surface when the boards are brought together. This seals the joint.
11. Immediately remove excess glue with a plastic scraper card and a damp cotton cloth. Follow with a dry, clean cotton cloth.
12. Continue to glue and re-assemble the boards in a pyramid fashion. As you lay the third row, use a clamping system. Throughout the installation, use clamps as needed. Use adequate, but not excessive, clamping pressure to tightly close the joints between boards.
13. Use the pull bar to pull the end piece in each row into place. Insert the spacers.
14. Allow first three rows to dry for at least one hour before proceeding with all remaining rows. Do not walk on freshly glued boards.
15. As you proceed, clean the glue residue from the surface within one hour.
16. Be sure to dry the surface well with clean dry cotton cloths. This keeps excess water from interfering with the freshly glued joints and also allows you to see any glue haze you may have missed.
17. Change your rinse water frequently.
18. If you allow glue to dry on the surface of the flooring, removal and clean up of the glue will be more difficult and time-consuming later.

Installing Remaining Rows – All Joints Must Be Properly Glued
1. Remove clamps from starter rows.
2. Install rows of Two-in-One Underlayment.
3. Continue installing and glueing row by row.
4. If there is a need to close a small joint gap and hold it temporarily until the glue sets up, use tape or a floor clamping system.
5. Maintain the minimum 1/4″ (6.35 mm) gap around the perimeter.

Installing the Last Row
1. The last row in the installation may need to be cut lengthwise.
2. Place the row of planks to be fit on top of the last row of installed planks. Use a divider or a piece of the plank as a scribe to trace the contour of the wall.
3. Be sure to place a spacer between the marking pen and “scribe” piece of board. This adds the 1/4″ (6.35mm) space you need at the finish wall.
4. Mark where the board should be cut.
5. If the fit at the finish wall is simple and straight, just measure for the correct width and cut.
6. After the last row is installed and glued, use the pull bar to tighten the joints.
7. Insert spacers to hold the row in place until the glue sets.
8. When appropriate, remove spacers and cut the underlayment even with the top of the floor.

Finishing the Installation
1. Remove glue residue from the surface within one hour.
2. Clean up any dried residual glue using clean cotton cloths and water. Thoroughly wring out your cloth, and change the water frequently. Follow with a dry, clean cotton cloth.
3. More difficult areas may require the use of vinegar and warm water (ratio 1:16 – i.e., 1 cup of vinegar to 1 gallon of warm water) and a nonabrasive sponge (such as a blue kitchen sponge). Heavy deposits of glue found at joints will require more aggressive rubbing and possibly undiluted vinegar. Do not use coarse, abrasive scrubbing pads, steel wool, abrasive cleaners, or scouring powders.
4. Allow the floor installation to dry overnight before removing spacers or walking on floor.
5. Remove spacers and install moulding pieces. (See Coordinated Transitions and Moulding Pieces section.)
6. Always predrill transitions or mouldings prior to nailing. To allow the floating floor to move freely, do not fasten the trim to the laminate flooring.
7. For everyday cleaning, vacuum or damp mop. To remove excessive dirt buildup, use floor cleaner.
8. DO NOT WAX OR POLISH your floor.