FLOORING GUIDE

1 FLOORINGGUIDEA ugust 2003(43) Xi349233_20pp GUIDE 22/7/03 1:49 pm Page 1 INTRODUCTIONThis booklet is designed to introduce you to the wide range of FLOORING materials available from WESTCO /FLOORMAKER and provide informationon preparation, fixing and GUIDE is generalised, it is thereforeessential that you read the specific onpack instructions for both the materialand accessories, such as adhesive, which you intend to use. To achieve the best results buy only WESTCO /FLOORMAKER fixing accessories asthese have been designed to complementWESTCO /FLOORMAKER floorcoverings and tested to ensurecompatibility. We hope that this booklet isinformative and useful as a FLOORING AVAILABLEFROM WESTCOFLOATING FLOORSA floating floor is laid by joining thetongue and grooves of the producttogether using either glue or gluefreemethods.

2 The floor does not have to beglued to the sub-floor this makesinstallation quick and two main types of Floating Floor areLAMINATE and REAL WOOD Plank main types of Floating Floor:-49233_20pp GUIDE 22/7/03 1:49 pm Page 21 LAMINATE FLOORINGLAMINATE FLOORING is resistant toimpact, stiletto heels, cigarettes andsolvents, yet never needs FLOORING has the beauty ofnatural products without theirdisadvantages. It is easy to keep cleanand is therefore ideal for most FLOORING is hygienic, non-allergenicand colour fast, even when installed inrooms exposed to the sun. No sanding,staining, varnishing, polishing orrefinishing is FLOORING consists of fourcomponents: the hard wearing top layer ofspecially impregnated film, a designpaper,high density fibreboard (HDF) coreor similar and a bottom layer of FLOORING is between 6 and12mm thick, which usually means doorlevels need not be raised which makesLAMINATE FLOORING ideal forrefurbishment WOOD PLANK FLOORINGT hese floors give you the beauty of atraditional parquet floor but are designedto lay quickly and cleanly.

3 Each board istongue and grooved to fit snugly andconveniently together, giving theimpression, once laid, of an original woodblock or strip LWOOD F LOORING comes in twobasic types:- solid and REAL WOOD FLOORING is madefrom 100% of the species FLOORING uses hardwoodveneers mounted on a core of plywood,MDF or Woodfloors are ready sealed or oiledand require no further :High density fibreboard orparticleboardBACKING:Coated toensuredimensional stabilityOVERLAY:(PROTECTIVE COATING):The special resincoating produces ahighly wear-resistantsurface finishDECORATIVE LAMINATE:Realistic reproductionresistant to lightCORE MATERIAL(Substrate):Can be:-Particle board (chipboard) (Medium Density Fibreboard, less than850k/m3density) (High Density Fibreboard, equal or morethan 850kg/m3)Plywood - Various numbers of layers andthicknessSoftwood 2 layers at right anglesBACKING:To balancefront veneer,irrelevantif ply coreSURFACE FINISH:Coats of acrylic seal, cured or oiledfinishREAL WOOD VENEER:Various thicknesses, to GUIDE 22/7/03 1:49 pm Page 12 FLOORS BONDED DIRECTLY TOTHE SUBFLOORCORKCork, the bark of the Cork Oak tree, is asustainable material.

4 It is removed fromthe tree every 9 years and regrowsnaturally. Corks natural cellularconstruction gives it resilience andstrength in WOOD MOSAIC PARQUETThis is formed from sets of closelygrouped timber fingers arranged in a basket weave pattern and is universallyfitted in both domestic and commerciallocations (with the exception ofbathrooms). The relatively small sizepanels and consequent ease of handlinghas made mosaic parquet particularlypopular in the DIY & MOSAIC OPTIONAL FINISHESBoth cork and mosaic parquet come in arange of Sanded,ready for Sealedto save adhesiveideal for DIY as the factoryapplied adhesive and seal saves time andeffort. (Cork only).VINYL FLOOR TILES1.

5 Homogeneous tiles are produced froma solid compressed sheet, made up ofPVC and various quantities of fillers,which is then processed into small amount of contrasting colouredchips are added at the final stage to createa slight marbling effect on the , the sheet can be constructedusing PVC chips of different colours sothat the mottled effect you see on thesurface will generally go through the Printed tiles are manufactured bylaminating a plain PVC backing to a clearwear layer. The pattern is printed on theunderside of the clear wear layer so thatthe pattern itself is fully protected. Thismethod allows the use of differenttextures, such as slate effect, beatencopper, etc.

6 See also EMBOSSED .3. Embossed or textured tiles aremanufactured by the same method asPRINTED tiles. Afterwards they gothrough a special press that compressescertain features of the pattern such asthe grout lines on a ceramic-look tile orthe brick outline on a parquet-effectpattern to give a distinctive natural look to the Cushion vinyl tiles utilise a pre-formedsheet of specifically formulated vinyl whichis passed through a number of printingcylinders, each one responsible for onecolour within a pattern. This is followed bythe application of a clear wear layer. Theprinted sheet is then subjected to heatwhich makes it expand to its cushion form. By using chemicals mixed in withselected colours this cushion process canbe stopped, to provide an embossing effectin the exact areas where the selectedcolours are printed.

7 This enables designsand textures to be produced without theneed for mechanical our PVC tiles can be used in any area of the house, including kitchens andbathrooms,and are very easy to keep YOUR FLOORINGIMPORTANT Always read alltheinstructions on alllabels on alltheproducts you are going to use before youstart laying the can also provide difficultconditions for FLOORING due to intensesunlight, high temperature and can lead to colour bleaching inconcentrated sunlight or sometimes thesoftening of the adhesive due to unusuallyhigh but sustained GUIDE 22/7/03 1:49 pm Page 2 ESTIMATINGM easure the width of the room (into thealcoves and door threshold) and multiplyby the length to find the MAIN AREA.

8 Addto or subtract from the main area the areaof any bay window or chimney pack of FLOORING states the area whichit will often helps to draw the room on a pieceof graph area of room by area of pack andround up to the nearest whole 5%. This is the number of packs may be unfamiliar with the metricsystem but most FLOORING is sold in squaremetres. If you measure in metres and workconsistently in metres it should present NUMBERSS hould the instructions request it, ensurepacks have the same batch ACCESSORIESW estco have developed a range ofaccessories specifically for our : The correct type of adhesivemust be used, which will depend on theflooring chosen. Westco Cork Tile Adhesive.

9 For sandedand sealed Mosaic Parquet Adhesive. For allsanded and sealed mosaic parquet, felt back,paper back, mesh back and Plank all floatingflooring including real wood veneer andglued Floor Accessories49233_20pp GUIDE 22/7/03 1:49 pm Page must be used on finesanded products (at least 3 coats for asatisfactory finish) or as additionalprotection on ready sealed products,choose from gloss or Timber & Cork Polyurethane Seal,which enhances the colour and grain ofthe Underlaywill be needed for allfloating foam Underlay orFibreboard Underlay should be used inconjunction with Westco Vapour barrier onground floors to prevent moisture ingress Westco High Performance Underlaycombines the underlay with a moistureresistant barrier in a single product therebysaving Cork Expansion Stripmust beused to fill expansion gaps around mosaicand all plank Threshold Strips marry the newfloor to the existing.

10 Use a Tbar forlaminate to laminate and a Reducer forlaminate to vinyl/ceramic. Scotiashould beused to cover the expansion Felt Padsprotect your newfloorcovering from point You should check what you need,which will include all or some of thefollowing: Tape measure Metal rule or straightedge Profile template (or card and scissors) String & chalk Pencil Trimming knife Cutting board Plank laying kit (for floating floors) Fine toothed saw Damp clothSUB FLOOR PREPARATIONA successful FLOORING project is alwaysdependant on the quality of the tips are relevant to all floors must be dry, clean, flat Moisture in floors is the biggestenemy of all types of floors must incorporate an effectivedamp proof membrane.