Country Series. 12.3mm V-Groove Edge Engineered Laminate Flooring. Laminate Flooring Care and Maintenance. Routine Cleaning

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1 Country Series 12.3mm V-Groove Edge Engineered Laminate Flooring Laminate Flooring Care and Maintenance Routine Cleaning Simply dust mop or vacuum with a soft brush or wood-floor accessory to keep your floor clean from dust, dirt or grit. Do not use a wet mop or spray solutions on your laminate floor. A damp cloth or mop can be used without damage to the laminate panels, but do not use excessive water. Dry the floor thoroughly with a clean, soft cloth. Clean up spills or water from wet feet or footwear immediately with a clean, dry cloth, sponge, or paper towel. Do not allow excess liquid to remain on the surface. Do not use soap-based detergents, abrasive cleaners, or combined "clean and shine" products on your laminate floor. Do not scrub or allow standing water in the V-Groove as this may damage or remove the edging from the V-Groove, DO NOT USE spray solutions. Do not use steel wool or other scouring pads that will scratch laminate panels. Do not wax or polish your laminate flooring. Do not steam clean or use chemicals that may damage the flooring surface. Care and Maintenance While your laminate flooring is highly resistant to stains and abrasions, it is not indestructible. In order to maximize the durability and beauty of your laminate floor, we recommend the following practices as part of your floor's normal care and maintenance. Place a doormat outside the exterior entrances to collect excess moisture, sand, grit and other potentially damaging substances from being tracked onto your laminate floor. Use only colorfast and non-scratch carpeting or pads on your laminate surface. Avoid sharp or pointed objects such as high heels, animal claws, etc on your floor. Use protective felt pads under furniture legs or wide castors under appliances levelers. If using a wheeled dolly to move furniture or appliances on your laminate floor, place a clean sheet of smooth plywood or other protective layer over your laminate surface. Rearrange furniture occasionally for increased indentation resistance Do not treat or seal your laminate floor panels after they are installed. Never sand, lacquer, or refinish your laminate flooring surfaces.

2 General Installation Guide Country Series 12.3mm V-Groove Engineered Laminate Flooring Wood is hydroscopic, it will absorb and expel moisture based on its environment and with our HDF core construction these changes are greatly reduced. A temperature of F (15-24 C) and relative humidity of 40-50%, must be brought to normal usage levels at least 96 hours before installation and maintained at those levels after installation. The HVAC system must be fully operational for 14 days prior to the installation, this not only stabilizes the building s interior environment, but is also essential when acclimating the laminate flooring to the job site. The laminate flooring must be handled with care and stored within the environmentally controlled job site. Flooring stored upon on-grade concrete floors must be elevated at least four inches to allow air circulation under the cartons. Leave the laminate flooring in closed cartons for as long as necessary to fully acclimate to the site conditions. The laminate flooring materials must be acclimated for a minimum of 48 hours in a controlled environment and under normal living conditions. Installation should only be started after the drywall and other work are thoroughly dried and all but the final woodwork and trim have been completed. Expansion allowance of 1/2" 5/8" (12.5mm-16mm) must be maintained around the perimeter of the room, the same gap must also be provided around pipes, thresholds or other obstructions. All door jambs and casings must be undercut to allow for expansion and to allow the floor to float freely. For rooms up to 25 ft. in width and 40 ft. in length, allow for 1/2 5/8 (12.5mm-16mm) expansion, for larger areas install expansion joints at each interval exceeding the maximum width or length. Ff 1

3 NOTE: Laminate floors are manufactured in accordance with accepted industry standards, which permit a manufacturing tolerance of up to 5%. When ordering the flooring, 5% must be added to the actual square footage for needed cutting and grading allowance. The floor should be installed from several boxes to ensure a good mix of materials and all end joints must be staggered at least 8 (200mm) for strength and stability. It is the responsibility of the installer/owner to inspect all materials carefully before installation. Warranties do not cover materials with visible defects once they are installed. It is the responsibility of the installer/owner to determine if the jobsite sub floor and jobsite conditions are environmentally and structurally acceptable for laminate flooring installation. We will decline any responsibility for floor failure resulting from or connected with sub floor, subsurface, jobsite damage or deficiencies after the laminate flooring has been installed. SUB FLOOR PREPARATION Sub floor irregularities and undulation will cause any laminate flooring installation to develop hollow spots between the flooring and the sub floor. These hollow spots are not the result of any manufacturing defect and are not covered by the warranty. These hollow spots must be leveled to 1/8" in 10' radius, by grinding down the high areas and filling the low areas with a high compression leveling compound. The subfloor preparation must be allowed to completely cure before starting the installation. Note: The manufacturer is not responsible for and does not warranty the quality of the installers work or the installation of the flooring, including materials that are used in the installation. It is the responsibility of the installer to use the proper materials and tools for each installation. The manufacturer assumes no liability arising from improper installation, improper materials, inappropriate installation location or improper care and maintenance of the flooring. See our warranty for details. Floor Protection During Construction Always protect the surface of the installed flooring during construction by laying a quality resin paper or other paper that will allow the floor to breath, and tape it to the baseboards. Never use plastic or polyethylene sheeting to cover the floor since they will trap moisture that will damage the flooring. Final Inspection After the floor has been cleaned, inspect the floor for nicks, scratches, gaps, or planks that may have moved during installation, as well as any other imperfections that need attention. Touch up nicks and scratches with touch-up products. 2

4 DROP n LOCK FLOATING FLOOR INSTALLATION The Drop n Lock floating floor installation can be used for wood sub floor, above grade concrete and below grade concrete installations as long as the room conditions meet the humidity, temperature levels and the subfloor meets the conditions noted in the heading Subfloor preparation. A 6 mil polyethylene vapor barrier must be used on all concrete floors and all installations over a crawl space. The polyethylene vapor barrier must overlap 18 (45cm) and the seams taped with a water proof Tuck tape to form an airtight seal, be careful not to make holes in the polyethylene vapor barrier. Acousticork or Acoustifelt underlayments are required for all installations, this provides a high standard of compression underlayment. 1) The laminate flooring should be installed parallel with the longest wall, since walls are often not straight and rooms are not square, use care in putting down the first row of flooring, use a chalk-line as a guide to ensure the first row is straight and scribe the first row to the wall if necessary. Use blocks or wedges to align the first row to the chalk line. It is very important that the first row is straight, do not fasten the first row to the floor (Fig.1). Fig.1 3

5 2) Measure the row before laying the first panel and cut the first panel according to the length required for the last panel, ensure that the last panel is a minimum of 8 (20cm) (Fig.2). Install the first row by laying the first panel in the left-hand corner of the room with the tongue facing the wall, leaving the expansion gap; 1/2" 5/8" (12.5mm-16mm) as required between the panels and the wall. Ensure to include the tongue in the measurement when allowing for the expansion gap or if preferred, you can cut off the tongue on the first row. Lock the ends of the panels together with the help of a fitting block (a panel off cut with a lengthwise tongue profile) until the first row is finished (Fig.3). TIP: A bead of laminate glue can be used on the first 2 rows of the end joint to stabilize the panels during installation. Fig.2 Fig.3 4

6 3) Continue to lay each remaining panel by folding the length of the panel first (Fig.4) then placing the end joint in position (Fig.5). Stagger joints so a random pattern is generated with a minimum 8 (20cm) staggered joint, this is mandatory in order to maintain the integrity of the end joints (Fig.7). Fig.4 Fig.5 Fig.6 4) When you have reached the final row, you will need to measure the width of the final planks. You may need to rip the planks to match the width of the space remaining (a minimum of 2 is required). Make sure the expansion shims are in place and take the shim width into consideration when cutting the final row. 5

7 RADIANT HEATED FLOOR INSTALLATION GUIDE Heating System: Maximum allowable temperature is 26 C. The heating system must be fully operational at normal temperature for a minimum of 21 days prior to the flooring installation. The heating system must be turned off 48 hours prior to the flooring installation and must remain off for 48 hours after the flooring installation. Starting 48 hours after the completion of the flooring installation, gradually increase the temperature over a 7 day period at 2 C increments to the normal operating level. NEVER allow the surface temperature to exceed 26 C. Maintain the required interior humidity level between 35% 50% at all times. During cold periods with increased heating, the indoor air humidity may become too low and can be overcome with the use of a room humidifier. During hot periods, the indoor air humidity may be become too high and can be overcome with the use of a room de-humidifier. Subfloor: Concrete subfloors must be cured for a minimum of 90 days before beginning the installation. The subfloor should be completely dry and free of dirt, oil or any debris. In floor heating pipes must be covered with a minimum of 1 of concrete. A 6 mil polyethylene vapor barrier must be installed on all concrete, stone or mineral subfloors, all seams must be overlapped 18 (45cm) and the seams must be taped with a waterproof tuck tape. The vapor barrier must continue up all of the walls 1 (2.5cm). A minimum of a 3mm Acousticork underlaymernt must be used and taped at all the seams with a water proof Tuck tape. Installation: It is required to apply a small amount of a professional grade laminate flooring glue to the end joints of each panel in order to avoid any excessive end joint movements caused by Hot Spots in the radiant heated floor, do not to apply excessive amounts of glue as this could result in the peaking or swelling of the joints. An expansion gap of 5/8 is required along each wall, around all pipes and other obstacles. All door jambs must be undercut to allow the flooring to expand and contract freely. 6

8 Country Series Country Series 12.3mm V-Groove Engineered Laminate Flooring Manufacturer s Limited 25 Year Warranty. The manufacturer warrants to the original end consumer the laminate flooring panels ( panels ), from the date of the purchase, that: the décor surface of the panels will not wear through. The panels will not fade from sunlight or normal artificial lighting. The panels will resist stains. The panels are free from manufacturing defects. This guarantee applies only to the original purchaser and proof of purchase is required for all claims. The guarantee is for replacement or refund of the laminate material only, NO LABOUR. The guarantee does not cover chipping (laminate will chip if sharp objects are dropped on it), warping (laminate will warp if excessive moisture gets into the boards) or bridging (which is caused by insufficient expansion spacing), squeaking (which is caused by uneven floors and/or excessive tensile pressure on the floor). The guarantee does not cover the V-Groove surfaces as this is a décor application. Claims will not be considered any for these problems. Claims for wear must show a minimum one square inch area. This guarantee is prorated based on the amount of the time the floor has been installed. So if you have a claim after 10 years, the manufacturer would refund or replace 3/5 of the laminate value (10 years is 2/5 of 25 years). The laminate flooring panels must be properly installed in accordance with laminate flooring installation instructions, and must be used only for indoor residential applications. This limited warranty does not cover negligence, improper installation, care or maintenance, insufficient protection, improper alterations to the original materials, insects, severe accidents, exposure to extreme heat, burns, fire and all other natural disasters. This limited warranty does not cover surface wear that is the result of sand or other abrasive materials. This limited warranty does not cover any noise and/or sound issues related to the floor (e.g. squeaking, crackling, hollow sound etc.). This limited warranty does not cover installations in wet areas such as bathrooms, steam rooms or any rooms exposed to excessive moisture. This limited warranty does not cover the surface wear or damage as a result of abuse, sliding furniture or heavy objects across the floor without proper protection, severe impact, scratching, cutting, or chemical damage. This limited warranty does not cover fading due to area rugs or placemats as all laminate will fade over time. This limited warranty specifically excludes water damage from standing water, urine or other corrosive liquids, excessive subsurface penetration or moisture emissions from concrete, leaking pipes or faucets, leaking appliances or receptacles such as but not limited to washing machines, bathtubs, showers, sinks, dishwashers, and refrigerators, hydrostatic pressure, flooding, natural disasters, or Acts of God. This limited warranty does not cover mouldings or accessories. This limited warranty only covers the original materials purchased. Laminate flooring panels installed with any manufacturing defect are not covered by this limited warranty. Any known manufacturing defect must be reported prior to product installation, or under any circumstance, no longer than thirty (30) days after the date of purchase to be covered under this limited warranty. Any such defective material will be replaced at no additional cost to the customer. Any damage that occurs during shipping is the responsibility of the shipping company. Any claim under this limited warranty shall be made by contacting your retailer within thirty (30) days after the defect is detected. Proof of purchase with the date of purchase must be presented with the claim. This limited warranty covers the repair or replacement, at the manufacturer s option, of the affected laminate flooring panels. If repair is not commercially practicable, or if the design or model line that is claimed for is no longer available, the manufacturer will replace the affected materials with another design or model line of equal value. This limited warranty is not transferable, and extends only to the original end consumer. The above constitutes the customer s sole and exclusive remedy for claims under this limited warranty. This limited warranty constitutes the entire agreement between the parties.