Bolzano

J2 Flooring Installation Guidelines for SPC Flooring

Preparation, Installation & Maintenance Guide

Preparation

1. Acclimatise The Planks

• Leave unopened packs in the installation room for 48 hours at normal room temperature (15–22 °C, 30–75% RH).
• If climate conditions are outside this 30–75% RH range, acclimatise for 1 week with opened packages.

2. Subfloor Preparation

• • Subfloor preparation is a key factor in ensuring your SPC click flooring performs and lasts for a long time. Make sure this aspect of installation is carefully considered in accordance to the below criteria.
  • Remove any old floor coverings. Subfloor must be clean, flat, dry, free of mould or insect damage.
  • Strata can be laid directly over some existing fully bonded floors such as Stone tiles, LVT flooring etc. but they must still maintain the same flatness and be structurally solid.
  • Flatness tolerance: No unevenness greater than 3 mm over 2 m SR1 standard. BS8203

Wooden Subfloor

• Secure loose boards. Ensure there is no flex in the subfloor. If too much flex structurally, secure and strengthen the subfloor prior to install.
• Within tolerance: install Strata directly.
• 3–5 mm unevenness: level with plywood. Recheck level is now within the tolerance.
• Over 5 mm unevenness: use a fibre-reinforced levelling compound or OSB. Ensure levels are rechecked once complete.
• Lay the new floor at 90° to the existing subfloor planks. If direct to floorboards.
• Ensure crawl spaces are ventilated (min. 4 cm² per 1 m² of floor).
• Moisture content of wood must not exceed 10%.

Concrete Subfloor

• If outside tolerance, apply a smoothing/levelling compound to rectify.
• Moisture must not exceed 85% RH before installation.

3. New Concrete Floors

• Drying time: 1 week per cm thickness up to 4 cm; double that for additional thickness.
• Example: 6 cm slab = 8 weeks drying.
• Max. moisture content: 2.5% CM for cement screeds, 0.5% CM for anhydrite screeds.

4. Heating/Cooling systems/General Temperature Conditions

• Floor surface temperature must never exceed 28 °C.
• Strata is a floating floor system, which requires expansion and contraction, ensure temperature is kept stable and always regulated. Areas exposed to natural sunlight, such as large windows and doors, should be covered to protect the floor during excessive temperatures changes.
• Strata is suitable for underfloor heating systems. However, the heating elements must be no closer than 8 mm from the back of the flooring, to allow the heat to dissipate evenly across the floor and avoid hot spots.
• Installer of the system must confirm compliance.

5. General Checks

• Ensure the base is clean, firm, flat, and dry.
• Do not use any additional underlay other than the underlay attached to the product.
• Ensure the product is being installed in a suitable environment for a floating floor system, which allows it to freely expand and contract without being restricted by heavy items such as large amounts of heavy furniture and units placed directly on top.

6. Tools Required

• Utility knife, pencil, tape measure, safety goggles, gloves.
• Installation kit: tapping block, spacers, pulling iron.

7. Pre-Installation Checks

• Inspect all panels before and during installation. Defective panels must not be used.
• Check door clearances and other items that may impact installation.
• Heavy kitchen islands and very heavy furniture should be installed before the floor.

Installation
8. Miz Panels for natural variation. Install along the longest wall and parallel to the main light source.
9. Plan layout to avoid final rows less than 40 mm wide. Adjust first row if necessary.
10. First row: Saw off tongues, place against wall with spacers (5-10mm expansion gap).
11. Click method: Strata uses the Uniclic locking system. Insert planks at 20–30° angle, push forward, and drop into place. No adhesive is required.
12. Tapping method: Use a suitable tapping block — tap gradually, not in one hit.
13. Tight spaces: Use pulling iron and hammer.
14. Expansion joints: Leave a minimum of 5mm-10 mm around walls, pipes, fixed units and appliances. Expansion breaks should be allowed in between doorways and on any length over 13m.
15. Remove spacers after installation is complete.

Maintenance
16. Floor can be walked on immediately after installation. Keep humidity above 50%.
17. Dry cleaning: use a suitable vacuum cleaner or brush with a soft broom.
18. Damp cleaning: allowed; do not flood or use wet-mop methods.
19. Protect floor with correct door mats, felt pads, and castors.
20. If using castor wheel chairs, place a protective mat over the floor to prevent damage to the SPC click mechanism at the edges.
21. Furniture with very small feet (e.g. pianos on wheels, bar stools with thin legs) must be protected with suitable pads or cups if heavy loads are transferred through them.
22. Do not drag furniture — lift instead.
23. Use only approved vinyl floor cleaners (no strong acids or alkaline solutions).
24. Regular PU maintenance treatment every 8–12 months is recommended.