Le Luxe Installation Instruction and Maintenance Guide

INSTALLATION & MAINTENANCE GUIDE

Le Luxe Collection
Le Luxe Collection’s SPC (Stone Powder Core) Rigid Vinyl Plank Waterproof Floor offers a Life-time residential and 35-year light commercial warranty.

General Information

  • Le Luxe Collection’s SPC material should be stored and installed in a climate controlled indoor environment with an average temperature between 65 to 85 degree Fahrenheit.
  • Installation can only begin after the jobsite has been cleaned and cleared of everything that may hinder a successful installation.
  • Mix and install planks from several cartons in order to minimize shade variation.
  • No claims will be accepted on the flooring that has been cut or installed.
  • All necessary subfloor patching must be done with a Portland based compound and must be dry completely prior to installation.
  • A minimum of 24 hours acclimation in the room where the installation will take place is required.

A) Tools needed

  • Utility knife and straight edge
  • Measuring tape
  • Shears for cutting around irregular shaped objects
  • Pull bar
  • Chalk Line
  • Chop Saw
  • Table Saw
  • Jig Saw
  • Under Cut Saw
  • 1/4″ spacers
  • Knee Pads
  • Safety Glasses

B) Acceptable Subfloor types

  • CDX Underlayment Grade Plywood (minimum of 5/8″ thickness)
  • Underlayment Grade Particleboard (only for floating installation)
  • OSB (minimum 3/4″/23/32″ thickness)
  • Concrete slab
  • Ceramic Tile

C) Planks need to complete your project

Measure the length and width of your room. If the room has alcoves or offsets, measure these separately. This will give you the square footage of the room. Purchase a minimum of 5% extra to cover mistakes, trimming and for future needs or replacement. Most installations require about 5% overage. However, this can vary depending upon the room size and layout

Warning: Do not install Le Luxe Collection’s SPC over soft surfaces.

D) Product Inspection

  • Inspection of all flooring material must be done prior to installation.
  • Materials with visible defects are not covered under warranties once they are installed.
  • Le Luxe Collection’s SPC are manufactured in accordance with accepted industry standards, which permit defect tolerance not to exceed 2%.

E) Installation Guidelines

  • Le Luxe Collection’s SPC Floors must be installed indoors
  • Le Luxe Collection’s SPC Floors should not be exposed to temperatures above 140° F (60° C) or below 32° F (0° C)

F) Sub-Floor preparation

The subfloor surface must be smooth, flat dry, clean and solid. Carpet staples or adhesive residue must be removed to ensure proper installation. Subfloors should be flat within a tolerance of 1/8″ over a span of 6 feet radius or 3/16” on a 10 feet radius. Any unevenness must be sanded down or filled with a floor leveler. Voids or humps in the subfloor will prevent SPC Floor from locking properly. Any irregularities may cause hollow spots between the flooring and sub floor in any installation method and are not warranted.
Nail or screw any loose areas that squeak. Also, replace any delaminated or damaged sub flooring.
Subfloors must be carefully checked for moisture problems. Le Luxe Collection’s SPC is waterproof, it is NOT a water proofer; any moisture problems from the subfloor needs to be addressed prior to installation. New concrete floors need to cure for a minimum of 60 days.

Wood Subfloors: All wood and wood composite panels are suitable for use under the flooring providing that they are smooth, flat, structurally sound and free of defects. If the surface of the wood subfloor is not smooth, a ¼” or 6mm underlayment panel must be installed over the subfloor. Basements and crawl spaces should be kept dry and well ventilated. Exposed earth should be completely covered by a minimum of 6 to 8 mil black polyethylene vapor barrier with joints overlapped and sealed with a moisture resistant tape.

Concrete Subfloors: The concrete subfloor must be dry, smooth, and flat to within 3/16” over a span of 6 feet radius or 3/16” on a 10 feet radius. New concrete slabs must be dry and completely cured. Maximum moisture emission rate based on the Calcium Chloride test method is 3 pounds or less per 1000 square feet per 24 hours. If moisture emission is greater than 3 pounds, use six mil poly sheeting with joints overlapped and sealed with a moisture resistant tape. Holes, grooves, expansion joints and other depressions must be filled with a Portland based patching and leveling compound. Concrete floors with a Hydronic radiant heating system are allowed. The temperature of the floor must not exceed 85 degrees F.

Existing Floor Coverings: The Le Luxe Collection can be installed over most existing hard surface floor coverings, providing that the existing floor surface is smooth or can be made smooth, and more importantly, free of all foreign materials. Ceramic tiles should be made smooth by applying a cementitious overlay such as patching or leveling compound.

G) Plank Layout
Important: The flooring must be randomly installed from three to five cartons at the same time to insure proper color and shade mix.
Remove the tongue on the side of the panels that face the wall. This is to ensure that the decorative surface of the extruded composite LVT floor is well under the finished trim when installed. Use a utility knife to score through the tongue several times until it easily snaps off.
Start in a corner by placing the first panel with its trimmed side facing the wall. Use space along each wall to maintain an expansion space of 8mm (5/16”) between the wall and the flooring.
Larger rooms require an additional expansion space. Add 1/16” to the width of the spacers for every 3’ the room extends beyond 25’. Dimensions exceeding 40’ requires the use of a T-molding for expansion.
To attach the second panel, insert the end tongue of the panel into the end groove of the first panel at a 20-degree angle. Lower the panel flat to the floor. Line up the edges carefully.
Continue connecting the first row until you reach the last full panel. Fit the last panel by rotating the panel 180 degrees with the pattern side upward, place it beside the row, and mark it.
Saw off the excess plank. Attach as described above.
Begin the next row with the off-cut piece from the previous row to stagger the pattern. Pieces should be a minimum of 20cm (8”) long and joint offset should be at least 20cm (8”).
Start the second row by pushing the long side tongue of the panel into the long-side groove of the very first panel at about a 45-degree angle. When lowered, the plank will click into place.
Attach the second panel of the new row on the long side as described above. Push this panel as close as possible to the previous row. To attach this second panel to the previous panel, lightly tap the end using the Paradigm professional tapping block. Continue along in the same fashion.
To fit the last row, lay a panel on top of the previous row. With the tongue to the wall, lay another panel upside down on the one to be measured and use it as a ruler. Don’t forget to allow room for ¼” spacers. Cut the panel and attach it into position.
Door frames and heating vents also require expansion room. First cut the panel to the correct length. Then place the cut panel next to its actual position and use a ruler to measure the areas to be cut out and mark them. Cut out the marked points allowing the necessary expansion
distance on each side.
Door frames can be trimmed by turning a panel upside down and using a handsaw to cut away the necessary height so that panels slide easily under the frames.
All doorways 48” to 60” must have a T-molding installed.

H) Keeping your floor clean

  • Sweep or Vacuum the floor with a soft bristle broom or suitable attachment to remove loose dirt.
  • Prevent stains by wiping spills promptly.
  • Clean the Floor with a non-abrasive, “no-Rinse” floor cleaner.
  • For sticky messes, a damp mop with warm water. Do not flood the floor.
  • Do not use soap-based detergents, abrasive, or “mop and shin” products.
  • Do not use full-strength bleaches (15% to sanitize septic).
  • Rollers Chairs must have gel wheels or a chair mat underneath.
  • Ensure furniture legs have large surface, non-staining floor protectors. Replace small, narrow, metal or dome-shaped glides with smooth, flat glides that are in float contact with the floor.
  • Heavy furniture or appliances that are not moved often should be equipped with flat, nonstaining furniture or appliances that are not moved often should be equipped with flat, nonstaining composition furniture casters or caps of appropriate size.
  • Always read the cautionary information on all cleaners. Important: NEVER push, pull, or drag heavy furniture or other items across the floor. When moving furniture or heavy items, always lift and carry the items, if possible. Otherwise, use furniture sliders available at most hardware, home improvement, and discount stores, or place the item on a piece of carpet turned upside down.

I) Warning

  • The use of latex or rubber mats may cause yellowing or discoloration.
  • Some packing tapes use plastic migrators that can permanently alter the surface.