Wood Flooring :: Savannah Collection

Installation is the responsibility of the Owner and Installer. Beautiful hardwood floors are a product of nature and therefore, not perfect. Our wood floors are manufactured in accordance with accepted industry standards, which permit a defect tolerance not to exceed 5%. The defects may be of a manufacturing or natural type. This guide should be carefully followed in order to ensure proper installation of your new Savannah Collection floor. Only a qualified professional hardwood floor installer should perform the installation. Prior to installation, the Installer/Owner should perform a final inspection of the grade, manufacturing and factory finish of the purchased products. The Installer must use reasonable selectivity and hold out or cut off pieces with defects, whatever the cause. PARAGON INTERNATIONAL GROUP CORP. shall not accept responsibility for the installation of flooring with visible defects. Before installing Savannah Collection floors, the Installer and Owner should ascertain that the jobsite and sub floor meet all necessary requirements of Savannah Collection's Installation as outlined in the instructions. The Savannah Collection's Limited Warranty does not cover flooring failures resulting from poor jobsite and/or sub floor conditions.

Generally the tools needed for installation are: Handsaw or power saw, hammer, crowbar, or pull bar, tape measure, pencil, chalk line, wood or plastic spacers, tapping block, adhesive trowel, carpenter's square, urethane hardwood plank adhesive. Urethane adhesive is required in order to receive product warranty. Bostiks Best is the recommended glue for this product.

All work involving water or moisture should be completed prior to the installation of hardwood flooring. In fact for any new construction or remodeling project, hardwood flooring should be one of the last items installed. The jobsite should be monitored for consistent, normal room temperature between 60 F and 70 F and relative humidity in the range of 40% to 60% for at least one week before installation. Store Savannah Collection hardwood flooring at the installation area for minimum of 48 hours prior to installation to allow flooring to adjust to room temperature and humidity (acclimating). Do not unwrap clear plastic until you are ready to install. The wood floors must not be stored directly on concrete or near outside walls. Do not install Savannah Collection hardwood flooring in areas subject to moisture, such as but not limited to, bathrooms, saunas or laundry rooms. Savannah Collection hardwood flooring should only be used for interior, residential on grade, above grade and below grade.

Moisture Barrier system: If moisture is present, inexpensive sheet vinyl (PVC) may be installed. Use a premium grade, alkaline resistant adhesive and a full spread application system to properly bond the vinyl to the subfloor. Follow the sheet vinyl manufacturer instructions for installation procedures. A patch test may be required as an adhesion test. Install several small areas (3' x 3') and allow the vinyl to set for 72 hours. Remove the vinyl, if the backing remains attached to the concrete, the subfloor should be acceptable for sheet vinyl installation. If you have any questions regarding installation or the handling of moisture problems, please contact the manufacturer/distributor/retailer from whom the goods were purchased.

The quality and preparation of the subfloor is important in installing your Savannah Collection hardwood floors. The following are acceptable subfloor types: Plywood, concrete, existing vinyl floor covering. As long as the subfloors are structurally sound, clean and free of all debris, wax, grease, paint, sealers, old adhesives and other substances which may impair proper installation, level and flat to 3/16” per 10' or 1/8” in 6' radius, dry and will remain dry all year round. Subfloor moisture content must not exceed 2.5% for concrete or 10% for wood or ply wood. A commercial moisture meter may be utilized for testing subfloor moisture as well.

Savannah Collection floor can be glued directly to a concrete subfloor if the subfloor meets all requirements. Do not use a concrete sealer nor install over one. The concrete must be high compressive strength. All concrete subfloors must pass moisture content test. Visual checks are not reliable. Acceptable test methods include:

A “DRY” SLAB, AS DEFINED BY THESE TESTS CAN BE WET AT OTHER TIMES OF THE YEAR. THESE TESTS DO NOT GUARANTEE A DRY SLAB. ALL CONCRETE SLABS SHOULD HAVE A MINIMUM OF 6-MIL POLY FILM MOISTURE BARRIERS BETWEEN THE GROUND AND THE CONCRETE.

Sheet vinyl must be:

Undercut or notch-out door casings to fit flooring underneath by placing a piece of flooring on the subfloor as a height guide for sawing. Remove door thresholds and base moldings and replace after flooring installation. Always leave at least ½” expansion space between flooring and all walls and vertical objects. Use a hammer and tapping block and tap against the tongue to pull planks together. Never tap against the groove of the plank. When near a wall, use a crow or pull bar to close end joints. Be careful not to damage flooring edge.

For esthetical purposes, wood flooring is often laid to the longest wall. However, owner upon the advice of the professional installer should make the final decision which direction the planks will run. Most professional installers will begin installation next to an outside wall, which is usually the straightest wall and used as a reference point in establishing a straight working line. A good way to establish a working line is to measure an equal distance from the wall at both ends and snapping a chalk line. Measure distance from the wall at the width of the plank plus another ½” for expansion space for establishing your working line. It is advisable to dry lay a few rows before actually using glue to confirm your directional layout decision and working line. Adjustment of the working line may be necessary if the outside wall or other working line reference is out of square. This can be done by scribe cutting the first row of planks to match the wall and creating a straight working line.

Urethane adhesive is required in order to receive product warranty. We recommend the use of Bostiks Best.

Follow instructions provided by Bostik's Best. Instructions from Bostik's can be obtained directly from adhesive manufacturer or by visiting their website at http://www.bostikfindley-us.com/PDF/hardwood/bestds1.PDF

Remove expansion spacers. Reinstall base and/or quarter round moldings to cover the expansion space. Install transitions pieces such as reducer strips and T-moldings as needed. Do not allow any foot traffic or heavy furniture for at lest 24 hours.

Clean and remove all dirt and debris on floor by dust mopping. Follow floor care and maintenance guide to ensure longevity and lasting beauty of your new Savannah Collection hardwood floor.

Note: For general information on wood flooring, refer to National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA)(www.woodfloors.org)

Manufactured and Warranted by PARAGON INTERNATIONAL GROUP CORP.

www.paragon8.com