Adore Floors Regent Rigid Core Drop Lock Installation Guide(Monarch, Monarch X, Sovereign)

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REGENT™ RIGID CORE INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

GENERAL INFORMATION

1. Handle cartons carefully to protect the locking edges from damage.
2. Before you begin the installation, inspect the flooring material for any obvious defects. Ensure you have the correct color, pattern, quantity, and that all the material is of the same production number. Beginning the installation means that you have accepted the conditions.
3. Acclimating the flooring and the area being installed to the same constant temperature is always the best practice. The room and flooring temperature should not be below 55°F or above 90°F during the installation. Once installed the flooring does not require permanent heating or HVAC operation such as northern cabins, vacation homes, 3 season rooms etc.
4. Monarch/Monarch X/Sovereign does not need to be acclimated if the material has been stored in a temperature within 20° F of the area to be installed.
5. Monarch/Monarch X/Sovereign should not be exposed to temperatures greater than 160°F.
6. Monarch/Monarch X/Sovereign may be installed up to 60 linear feet in both directions without expansion strips.
7. To allow for building/subfloor movement Monarch/Monarch X/Sovereign require a ¼ inch gap around all walls and fixtures. Door jams should be undercut.
8. Subfloors must be rigid, flat, permanently dry.
9. Blend planks from several cartons to ensure a random variation.
10. To prevent fading and discoloration, Monarch/Monarch X/Sovereign should be protected from prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.
11. Do not install under permanent fixtures such as cabinets.

SUBFLOORS

As a floating floor, Monarch/Monarch X/Sovereign may be installed over subfloors that may not be suitable for normal glue down installations such as; particle board, OSB, chipboard, existing resilient flooring, certain ceramic tiles, etc. However, subfloors must be rigid, even and flat to within 3/16” in 10 feet.

Wood

The floor must be rigid, free from movement and have at least 18” of well-ventilated air space below. Monarch/Monarch X/Sovereign should not be installed over wooden subfloors built on sleepers over, on grade, or below grade concrete floors unless specific design has been undertaken to eliminate the chance of failure due to the excessive moisture vapor emissions from the concrete.

Underlayment

Underlayment panels are used to correct deficiencies in the subfloor and to provide a smooth, sound surface on which to adhere the resilient flooring. APA underlayment grade plywood, minimum ¼” thickness, with fully sanded face is the preferred panel. Underlayment panels such as Multiply, Tee-Ply and Ulay are also recommended. The underlayment must be free of any foreign material that may cause staining, such as patching compounds, sealers, inks, solvents, etc.

The underlayment should be installed with dispersion type staples placed every 4 to 6 inches in the field and every 2 to 3 inches along the seams. Sanding is a preferred method for smoothing joints.

The American Plywood Association offers other acceptable guidelines for proper wooden subfloor installation. The above mentioned is not considered the only procedure for a successful installation. Always install and fasten underlayment panels according to the manufacturers’ recommendations.

Concrete Floors

Concrete floors should be prepared according to ASTM F-710, Standard Practice for Preparing Concrete Floors to Receive Resilient Flooring.

It is essential that a permanent, effective moisture vapor retarder with a permeance of 0.1y, be installed under all on- or below-grade concrete floors. The water vapor retarder (vapor barrier) should be installed directly below the slab.

Floors shall be smooth, rigid, flat, level, permanently dry, clean and free of all foreign material. Corrective patching/leveling should be with cementitious based patching and/or underlayment materials. The surface of the concrete must be flat to within 3/16 in. in 10 feet.

Expansion joints, saw cuts, control joints

Expansion joints in the concrete are designed to allow for the expansion and contraction of the concrete. If the floor coverings are fully adhered to the subfloor and installed over the expansion joints, it more than likely will cause gapping or buckling of the flooring material. Isolation, construction and control (saw cut) joints may be successfully patched once the concrete is thoroughly cured, dry and climatized. If any movement occurs in the concrete it may also cause the patching material to telegraph.

Patching Materials

There are many brands available but basically there are two types of patching materials for the use of smoothing and patching subfloor irregularities. One type is referred to as calcium sulfate/plaster/gypsum base compounds. The second type is a cement based compound usually with polymer additive.

Only use the highest quality materials. Many failures have been directly attributed to toppings, leveling and patching compounds because of poor indentation resistance, poor resistance to mold and mildew and separation of the product within itself.

Regardless of which patching or leveling compound is used, any failures in the performance of the compound, or the floorcovering due to the compound, are the responsibility of the compound manufacturer and/or installer, not with Adore® Floors.

Old Adhesive Residue

If a residue is asphaltic (cut-back) or other type of adhesive is present, it must be dealt with in one of two ways:

1. It may be mechanically removed such as: bead blasting or diamond grinding.

2. A self-leveling cementitious underlayment may be applied over it. Check with the underlayment manufacturer for suitability, application instructions and warranties.

Note: Never use solvents or citrus adhesive removers to remove old adhesive residue. Residue left within the subfloor will affect the new floor covering.

WARNING!

Warning regarding complete adhesive removal: some solvent based ‘cut-back’ Asphaltic adhesives may contain asbestos fibers that are not readily identifiable. Do not use power devices, which create asbestos dust in removing these adhesives. The inhalation of asbestos dust may cause asbestosis or other serious bodily harm. Smoking greatly increases the risk of serious bodily harm.

Existing Floor Coverings

Monarch/Sovereign may be installed over a single layer of resilient flooring such as VAT, VCT, sheet vinyl, ceramic tile and epoxy coatings. The flooring must be flat and smooth and non-cushioned. Do not install over carpet. Note: The responsibility of determining if the existing flooring or subfloor is suitable to be installed over rests solely with the installer and flooring contractor.

WARNING!

Do not sand, dry sweep, dry scrape, saw, bead-blast or mechanically chip or pulverize existing resilient flooring, backing, lining felt or asphaltic ‘cut-back’ adhesives. These products may contain either asbestos fibers or crystalline silica. Avoid creating dust. Inhalation of such dust is a cancer and respiratory tract hazard. Smoking by individuals exposed to asbestos fibers greatly increases the risk of serious bodily harm. Unless positively certain that the product is a non-asbestos containing material, you must presume it contains asbestos. Regulations may require that the material be tested to determine asbestos content. The RFCI’S Recommended Work Practices for Removal of Resilient Floor Coverings are a defined set of instructions which should be followed if you must remove existing resilient floor covering structures.

Radiant Heated Floors

Monarch/Sovereign may be installed over radiant heated floors provided the operating temperature does not exceed 85°F (29o C). The room temperature must be maintained at a minimum of 55°F (16o C) for 48 hours prior to and during installation.

Moisture Testing

It is essential that moisture tests be taken on ALL concrete floors regardless of age or grade level with a minimum of three tests for the first 1000 square feet. The test should be conducted according to ASTM F1869, Calcium Chloride Moisture Emission Test, and ASTM F2170, In-Situ Relative Humidity of the Concrete. One test should be conducted for every 1000 square feet of flooring. The test should be conducted around the perimeter of the room, near columns and where moisture may be evident. The results of F1869 Calcium Chloride moisture vapor emissions from the concrete shall not exceed 5.0 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft. in 24 hrs. for all installations. For the most accurate results, the weight of the calcium chloride dish should be made on the job site at the start and end of each test. The results of F2170 In-Situ Relative Humidity shall not exceed 85%. If the test results exceed the limitations, the installation should not proceed until the problem has been corrected.

Note: It may not be the floor installer’s responsibility to conduct the test. It is, however, the floor covering installer’s responsibility to make sure these tests have been conducted and that the results are acceptable prior to installing the floor covering.

When moisture tests are conducted it indicates the conditions only at the time of the test. The flooring contractor cannot be held responsible if moisture appears in the future, causing a failure.

Material Handling

Flooring shall be stored in a clean, dry environment, protected from the elements.

Jobsite Conditions

Acclimating the flooring and the area being installed to the same constant temperature is always the best practice. The room and flooring temperature should not be below 55°F or above 90° F during the installation.

Monarch/Sovereign does not need to be acclimated if the material has been stored in a temperature within 20°F of the area to be installed.

INSTALLATION

Remove baseboard, quarter-round and other wall base material. Under-cut door trims to allow flooring to be installed under trim and move freely.

Proper layout will prevent narrow pieces along the wall. For plank installations lay the long dimension of the plank parallel with the long dimension of the room. Plank ends should be staggered randomly. Keep end joints at least 8” apart. Start each row with planks of varying lengths. Usually the left over piece from one row can be used as the starter piece on the next row of planks.

• Measure the room to determine the center line, adjust that center line in either direction to give a balanced width of plank on each side of the room. Determine the distance from your starting wall where the first row of planks will start and snap a chalk line along the starting wall.
• If the first row is less than the full width of the plank, or if the wall is not straight, scribe the plank to fit and cut the first row to the needed size leaving a minimum 1/4” gap between the tile and the wall.
• Lay the first row of planks with the ‘tongue’ side toward from the wall, along the chalk line to ensure all pieces are cut to the width and length needed.

Note: Monarch, Monarch X and Sovereign are all ANGLE/DROP-LOCK installations using the I4F-3L TripleLock & Click4U

• Starting in the corner, install the first row of planks (groove side out, tongue side toward wall) along the chalk line. The first row must be straight as it is the foundation for the rest of the installation.
• Working from left to right in the room, start the second row with a cut piece of a minimum of 8” in order to stagger the end joints. End joints should be staggered a minimum of 8”.
• Install the first plank of the second row. Insert the long side tongue into the groove side pulling the plank in tight and use a tapping block to ensure the locking system is fully engaged, flat and there is no gap.
• Install the second plank of the second row. Insert the long side tongue into the long side groove. Slide the plank to align the end joints until tight, push the board down until the tongue and groove end joints ‘click’ together. Tap the end joint with a rubber mallet to ensure the lock is fully engaged with no gap and flat.
• Use the balance of the last cut from the row as the beginning piece for the next row.
• Continue installing planks maintaining the random staggering of the end joints.
• If small/narrow fill pieces are required it is recommended to apply a small bead of wood glue along the tongue of the small piece, use a pull bar to pull piece in tight, use painters tape to hold piece in place until glue is set.
• Upon completion remove all spacer blocks, install base shoe and quarter-round to cover gap around the wall. Take care to nail the base and quarter-round to the wall and not to the flooring.

 

 

PROTECTION AND CARE

• The single greatest cause of damage to any flooring or floor finish is abrasion from dirt and grit. Wherever possible, use walk off mats at entrances and doorways, and vacuum mats often.
• Ensure you use non-staining mats on the floor. Rubber-backed and latex-backed mats, tires, and asphalt sealers may stain or damage the surface.
• Use non-staining floor protectors under heavy furniture and equipment.
• Chairs should have clean, smooth, non-staining floor protectors. Ensure there are no nicks or burrs on the protectors. Felt protectors must be cleaned regularly to ensure there is no grit build-up. Floor protectors should be at least 1 inch in diameter and rest flat on the floor.
• When moving heavy furniture and equipment, use strips of plywood or Masonite to roll or slide the furniture or equipment.
• Avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.
• The key to successful maintenance of all flooring types is the removal of dirt and soil. Mopping with a sponge or string mop alone removes very little soil, but rather it dissolves the dirt and spreads it out evenly across the floor creating a dull, dirty film and promotes migration into the tile joints.
• Adore recommends the use of micro-fiber mops and pads for dust mopping and scrubbing. On larger installations using an automatic scrubber or wet vacuum is the preferred way to remove soiled water and rinse water.
• Do not use vacuum cleaners with rotating brushes or beater bars.