Karndean LooseLay Fitting Guide

A guide to help with the installation of Karndean LooseLay flooring:

Step 1 :

It would help if you acclimatise your Karndean Looselay in its new environment for 48 hours before installation.

Step 2:

The subfloor needs to be prepared. This step is VERY important. The subfloor must be smooth, using screed or ply if necessary. The subfloor must also be level, clean and dust-free (Please refer to subfloor preparation if unsure)

Step 3:

Check the integrity of all of the room edges to make sure they are solid. All openings and thresholds must be edged with suitable tackifier adhesive.

Step 4:

Install your Karndean LooseLay flooring tight to the edges and other planks.

*Please note: If the area that you are working with is over 4m then please follow “Grid installation”. Before installing Karndean LooseLay, you should refer to the full installation instructions.

Installation Instructions

Material Acclimatisation

Karndean LooseLay must be removed from the packaging and acclimatised for at least 48 hours prior to installation (The product may be stacked but must be flat). The acclimatisation should always be done in the room that the flooring will be laid in. The room temperature should be kept at around 18°C – 29°C (65°F – 85°F).

Subfloor

Subfloor preparation must comply with ASTM F710, AS/NZS 1884, BS 8203, DTU 53.2, DIN 18365 (Teil C) or other applicable National Standards and Building Codes for the installation of Resilient Flooring and in accordance with the installation guidelines.

Subfloors must be smooth, level, dry, clean and dust-free and should be prepared using the following methods:-

Concrete Floors

Screeds & Subfloors – All joints and cracks must be filled using a cement-based patching compound. The floor needs to be level. All Gypsum-based concrete floors need to be sealed.

Damp Subfloors

Karndean LooseLay needs to be installed on a dry floor. The floor must have less than 95% RH for moisture (Or using National Standard.). If any subfloor has a reading exceeding the suggested level then DPM (Damp Proof Membrane) or moisture suppression must be applied.

Please note: that a compliant pH level is also required for the installation of concrete slabs in some countries’ Standards. (If using the calcium chloride test procedure ASTM 1869-11 the reading must not be above 5lbs per 1000sq ft. per 24hrs).

Timber Floors

It must be solid with little flexibility. Any loose boards must be fastened, gaps must be filled and undulations need to be removed. If necessary you may use plywood or similar to overlay.

Mosaic/Ceramics/Quarry/Terrazzo Tiles

Grout lines must be levelled off with a smoothing compound and the floor must be structurally sound.

Parquet/Woodblock/Linoleum/Thermoplastic/Vinyl

Make sure the floors are solid. Any loose times need to be fixed down and any surface polishes or sealers must be removed. It is recommended to remove these products if installed directly on earth or bitumen. Prepare the floor to the applicable standard.

Metal and Painted Floors

All materials must be removed from the floor including any loose paint or other finishes.

Other Floors

The above list is very inclusive but if you require information on another subfloor type then please consult your supplier.

Underfloor Heating

Karndean Looselay is suitable over underfloor heating, however, It must be insulated from the heating system to ensure that surface temperature does not exceed 27°C (80°F).

Please note: The system must be switched off for 48 hours before, during, and after the installation; then the temperature should be gradually increased to the desired level. Karndean LooseLay installation methods are then followed as recommended.

1. Loose lay:

Karndean LooseLay needs to be fitted “tight”. You must check that the room edges are solid. Thresholds and openings must be edged with a 10cm (4”) of suitable tackifier/pressure-sensitive adhesive. Tile/Planks must be fitted tight to the wall and to each other. If the floor area to be installed is longer than 4m then please refer to “Grid Installation”.

2. Heavy Traffic Areas:

Areas that carry high traffic (e.g. entrances and walkways) will require the installation of tiles/planks with tackifier/pressure-sensitive adhesive. This should also still allow for the floors to be uplifted for replacement in the future if necessary.

Please note: In areas that are likely to be subject to exposure to high levels of water spillage or extreme temperature fluctuations then the use of epoxy or urethane adhesive is recommended

3. Grid Installation

Rooms with any dimension longer than 4m (13’) require an edging strip of at least 10cm (4”) of tackifier /pressure-sensitive adhesive applied to the subfloor and also at 4m distances parallel to each perimeter wall. This will result in the floor being covered with a grid. The Karndean Looselay tiles/planks then need to be fought tight across the room to the wall and each other.

Maintenance

To keep your Karndean Looselay flooring clean sweep all loose debris then use a damp mop using the “clean” solution.

Please note: Overtime high-traffic areas may appear too dull. To restore the appearance of your floor strip the floor using the “remove” solution then rinse the floor with water and seal using “refresh” sealer.