Preparations

Store the floor planks in their packaging. Open as you install. Read the installation instructions carefully before installing. Encore flooring with Woodloc-joint is laid as a floating floor. In other words, it is joined together without being attached to the sub-floor. Note that the planks are joined together without glue.

• The subfloor must be dry, level and solid.
  
• Check the level of the subfloor over a measured length of 7 ft. and a measured length of 1 ft. If any unevenness is greater than 1/8 in. over a measured length of 7 ft. or greater than ? 1/16 in. over a measured length of 1 ft, the subfloor must be leveled first.
  
• The humidity in the room must not exceed 60% RH. This applies also after the floor has been laid and means that a special dehumidifying unit may be necessary. If the RH is less than 30%, there is an increased risk of the planks becoming con-cave. Both the room and the planks shall be warmed to normal room temperature before the floor is laid. In most cases, the flooring needs to be protected against moisture from the surface below by using a vapor barrier*. We recommend 12 mil age-resistant polythene sheet that is laid with a 8 in. overlap. Note that installing a vapor barrier* is obligatory on any subfloors made of concrete or concrete joists, concrete flooring directly on the ground, crawl space foundation or underfloor heating systems. The subfloor shall be cleaned thoroughly to avoid mold. Flooring must not be installed if the moisture content in the subfloor is more than 10%.
  
• The planks shall be laid in the longitudinal direction of the room. The floor moves as the air humidity changes and therefore there must be a movement joint of at least 1/2" next to walls and fixed objects per plank of floor. This movement joint shall be provided around the entire floor. The maximum floor width for Encore Floor is 50 ft and the length 95 ft.
  
• The cove base needs to be 50% wider than the movement joint. Example: If you have calculated that you need a movement joint of 3/4 in between the floor and wall, the cove base must be at least 1 in. otherwise there is a risk that the floor's shrinkage will mean that you will get a gap between the floor and the cove base when the floor shrinks during the dry part of the year. Installation

1. Work out first how many planks you need. If the last plank is narrower than 2 in., you will need to saw the first plank as well. When installing flooring with Woodloc© joints, the work is made easier if you start with the long side that has most doors. If there are doors on the short side of the room, begin each plank row at these. Remember that the planks can be laid from the left or right.

2. Start in a corner and work from left to right with the long underlip out towards the room. The distance of the long side to the wall can be adjusted later when three rows have been laid.

3. An additional element must be installed using double-sided tape on the underside of the plank on the wall side to stop the plank "sagging".

4. Press the next floor plank at an angle against the first one and lay it down. Continue in the same way along the length of the first row.

5. Cut the last plank in the first row to the correct length and begin the next row with the piece that is left over. Check using a piece of string that the starting planks lie in a straight line. The end joints of the planks must be staggered by at least 20 in.

6. The best thing is to make a staggered pattern of planks width-wise.

7. Press the floor plank at an angle against the plank in front. Tap lightly with a hand block while carefully pressing down the plank at the same time.

8. Press in a wedge at the short end under the plank already installed.

9. Press in the next plank's short end at an angle and lay down the long side.

10. Tap lightly with the hand block on the long side at the same time as you carefully press the plank down and it will be easier to position it. Useful tip: The work is easier if you screw together two blocks so that the hand block is higher.

11. The first floor row sometimes needs to be adjusted to a crooked wall. Draw the contour of the wall on the floor planks. Saw. Saw the last plank but remember that an additional resilient element may need to be installed using double-sided tape underneath on the wall side to prevent the plank from "sagging".

12. Holes are drilled in the plank for heater pipes. The holes shall be at least twice as large as the calculated movement joint plus the pipe's diameter. Example: If the floor is 32 feet wide, 32 x .02 = .6 in. This means that the hole must be 1.2 in. larger than the pipe. Saw. When the plank is fitted, the sawn-out piece is glued in place and the holes covered with pipe collars. If you need to cut a door architrave, use a floor plank as an underlay so you get exactly the right height. If you need to knock a plank lengthways, protect the plank joint with a cut-off from a short end. Skirting boards must not be nailed or pressed down so that the floor is locked. All connection rails must be anchored in the concrete to permit natural movement of the wooden floor. If you plan to carry out more building work in the room, remember to protect the floor with protective paper that allows moisture through. Planks can be laid from all directions if necessary. Encore Floor is also easy to take up. This facilitates installation around doors for example.

13. Proceed as follows if you cannot gain access to angle in a plank under a door architrave or low radiators for example:"

13a - Cut away 2/3 of the locking edge.
13b - Glue. Tap the plank into place using a cleat.

Ask the advice of our staff if you have any questions concerning building moisture, if you plan to install a floor on a structure that is different to what we have described here or if anything else is unclear.

If you find a damaged or faulty plank, put it to one side. It could be surplus or used for finishing off. Naturally, you can exchange a faulty plank.

Completion Work

Care and Maintenance
One of the major benefits with a Encore floor is that it is so easy to keep clean and tidy. Daily care is best done by vacuum-cleaning or using a dry mop and occasional moist wiping using a well-wrung cloth. Use Pro Clean or floor cleaner with a pH no higher than 8. If a cleaning machine is used, the amount of water shall be as little as possible. The machine must not leave any watermarks when it turns or stops. Residual moisture shall have dried completely within a minute. Following the instructions for the respective surface treatment during maintenance.

Spillage will not leave any traces on Encore flooring if wiped up immediately. Do not allow any water to remain especially not in Beech flooring since this is extra sensitive to moisture. If the floor is subject to heavy wear, it is probably best to renovate it by machine sanding and applying a new surface treatment. Encore floors have a thick surface layer that can be sanded and lacquered time and time again. If you should get a mark on the floor you can try and remove it using a mild detergent (without ammonia) such as Pro Clean or floor cleaner diluted in warm water. If this does not help, the following are a few hints on how to remove difficult marks. Take care when using strong stain removal materials since using too much and applying too much pressure could affect the lacquer.

Transitions, Doorway, Access and Island Installations
1) Arrange all transition pieces so the male and female end matches the appropriate side of the encore floor. For Island installation go directly to step 3

2) On Doorway and other egress areas simply snap transition piece(s) into place. Smaller doorways may require trimming of the transition piece for proper fit

3) On Island installations start in one corner with the appropriate corner piece working your way from left to right in a counter clockwise pattern snap one piece in at a time and connect to the previous piece using the connectors and screws provided.

Note: On island installation prior to installing any transitions layout all pieces making sure the corresponding edges match the encore edge and that enough edges have been provided.

A specific layout drawling should be provide for the size island you are doing if you do not have the layout drawling do not proceed with installation until receiving a layout from technical support @ 800-523-0960 x 101

* The use of a 12mil or better vapor barrier is mandatory when installing Stagestep products over, above, on, or below grade concrete. Failure to do so will void all warranties.