1. PREPARATION 2. INSTALLATION 3. FINISHING 4.
MAINTENANCE
Quick-Step Intenso
Quick-Step Wood Flooring materials are delivered with instructions in the form of illustrations. The text below is covering a floating or glue down
installation, and is divided in 4 areas: Preparation, Installation, Finishing and Maintenance. We recommend that you read through this information
carefully while studying each illustration. In case of doubts or questions please contact your Quick-Step dealer/Technical Services. The use of the
original Quick-Step accessories is strongly recommended to benefit from the full product warranty.
BEFORE STARTING
A wood flooring is to be considered as an interior product, and should be taken care of like such prior to, during and after installation. The
installation should be done after eventual painting and other wet works are done and dried out. If other works are ongoing after installation, an
appropriate covering should be placed on top of the Quick Step Wood Flooring. Do NOT tape covering material direct to the surface since the
tape glue might harm the lacquered or oiled surface.
Yearly RH %
35%
50% 65% 8-12 mm
x = 8 mm x = 10 mm x = 12 mm
65%
1. PREPARATION
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Quick-Step Wood Floors can be bought in different formats, decors and gradings. Make sure you have received the wood flooring that you have
ordered before starting the installation. It is always a good idea to keep one end-label together with your receipt. Also write down the productioncode
mentioned at the back of a panel. Do not install planks with damaged surfaces, edges or locking systems. Check every plank carefully before and
during the installation, preferably in daylight. Bear in mind that wood is not a homogeneous material. Wood is a natural product, which means that no
wooden flooring plank will be identical to another just like no tree is identical to another one. The occurrence, amount and size of sap wood, knots and
cracks depends on the selected grading and chosen range. These are natural features of wood and cannot be considered as a product fault. Therefore
you should always check if you have the right impression of the floor before installation and that you have all the information. If a wood flooring plank
has been installed it is considered as accepted and defects or color variation cannot form any ground of complaint. We recommend that the planks are
mixed from several packs during installation.
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After receiving the packs, these should be acclimatized. This has to be done unopened and stored in a flat position free from the wall and base floor prior
to installation. Store the unopened packs at a normal room temperature (15-20°C / 59 - 65 °F) and a relative humidity(RH) level between 35-65%
for a minimum of 48 hours prior to installation. A Quick-Step Wood Floor is made of natural wood and will expand and contract upon changes in the
relative humidity. The dimensional variation of an installed floor will be slightly more in width compared to the length. At 20°C and a relative humidity(RH)
between 40-60%, the dimensional change is very limited. The Quick-Step Intenso Floor is produced and delivered with a moisture content to cope with
an RH between 35-65%.
1. PREPARATION 2. INSTALLATION 3. FINISHING 4. MAINTENANCE
Floating
In certain climates, for example in the Nordics during winter time, the RH might drop below 30% and in summertime rise above 65%. This will
create a movement of your wood flooring. To secure enough clearance for this natural movement and to avoid open joints, squeaking, etc. always
keep the correct dilatation joint to the walls, thresholds, staircases, pipes, etc. Use the spacers of the installation kit to keep the correct clearance.
If installing in regions with an average high RH level the clearance should be raised. (high RH = floor expands). The clearance should be left open
and must not be filled by any sealant, silicone or other adhesive. A floating installation must remain a floating. So never fix the flooring with nails,
glue, screws or heavy build-in objects like kitchens in any other way.
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Quick-Step Wood Flooring must be installed on a solid, self-supporting wooden or cement based subfloor. Any other type of floor coverings must be
removed first. No signs of mould and/or insect infestation should be present. Make sure the subfloor is level and nail/screw down any loose parts.
In case of textile or other vapor-permeable floor coverings it is necessary to remove both the floor covering and its base. Existing floors made from a
vapor-tight covering do not need to be removed (PVC, linoleum, etc.) if they meet all other requirements. The crawl space under the wooden base must
be ventilated. Remove any obstacles and make sure there is sufficient ventilation (min. 4 cm² of ventilation opening/m² of floor). Be aware of the fact that
any wood and/or organic material might/will dry out locally and damage your wood flooring if any heating source like hot fans, wood stoves etc. is
creating hight temperatures. The moisture content of the wood cannot exceed 10%. An installation directly on floor joists is prohibited. Make sure that the
subfloor is dry, flat, stable, clean and free from grease and chemical substances. If needed, scrape off and clean up old adhesives. Prior to installation,
carefully remove all debris (including nails), sweep and vacuum. Repair major surface imperfections and large cracks. It is recommended to remove old
skirtings and to install new ones after the installation of the floor.
Floating
For a floating installation it is always necessary to use an underlay. In case of a wooden subfloor install the new Quick-Step Wood Flooring
perpendicular to the existing wooden planks.
Glued
Glued Existing floorcovering must be removed completely before gluing down your Quick-Step Wood Floor. The subfloor must be firm, hard, dry
even and must be conform the standard.
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The entire subfloor must be carefully checked for any type of unevenness. Use a straight edge of 2 m, make sure there are no unevenness’s of more than
4 mm for floating installation and 3mm for glue down installation. Small peaks higher than 1 à 2 mm within a 200 mm radius are also prohibited and
need to be scraped away. If needed use a levelling compound to achieve correct flatness of the subfloor.
Floating
In case of a FLOATING installation we strongly recommend using a Quick-Step underlay to achieve optimal sound reduction, best walking comfort,
avoid squeaking and to level minor unevenness. A floating installation on cement screed, concrete or in case of floor heating, requires the use of
a damp screen. All Quick-Step underlays have a build-in vapor barrier. In case you use another underlay, which does not have a vapor barrier,
the installation of a 0,2 mm PE-film is required as a minimum damp screen. Make sure the PE-film overlaps with a minimum of 200 mm. A floating
installation with any other type of underlay that is not a Quick-Step underlay must meet the same technical specifications. In case of problems
caused by a non-compatible underlay, warranty will be void.
Glued
In case of a GLUED installation, an underlay can not be used. When installing the glued wood flooring on the ground floor, we always recommend
to first applying a liquid damp proof membrane. This liquid DPM is a 2 or 3 component epoxy coating which makes sure there is a moisture barrier.
The Quick-Step Wood Floor can then be bonded directly onto this DPM with a flexible adhesive such as MS or PU.
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1. PREPARATION 2. INSTALLATION 3. FINISHING 4. MAINTENANCE
Cement < 2,5% CM
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CaSo4 < 0,5% CM
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Quick-Step wood flooring must not be installed in a typical wet room or in rooms with a floor drain or in extremely dry rooms like saunas.
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Additional instructions apply if there is underfloor heating or cooling. For health and safety reasons and to avoid problems with the Quick-Step Wood
Floor, certain important basic rules need to be followed:
Floor Heating
• Firstly it is very important to ensure a floor surface temperature of maximum 27°C (80°F)
• In case of a floating installation, a suitable underlay must be chosen. The total Thermal Resistance (R) of your Quick-Step Wood floor in
combination with the underlay must be not higher than 0,15 m²K/W
• Always change the temperature gradually at the start and end of a heating period
• Finally try to avoid heat accumulation by carpets or rugs or by leaving insufficient space between furniture and the floor.
• Water based and electrical floor heating systems are permitted
Floor Cooling
• For floor cooling, a heat-resistance of < 0.15m²K/W is prescribed. The heat-resistance of Quick-Step Wood Floor 13mm is about 0.11
m²K/W.
• Ensure a proper safety system including automatic sensors that detect when the dew point (= start of condensation) is reached below or in
the wood floor and then switch off the cooling.
Visit www.quick-step.com for more detailed information about Floor Heating and Floor Cooling.
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Mineral subfloors such as concrete must be sufficiently dry prior to installation. Installation on cement subfloor requires a CM < 2,5 (75 % RH). An
installation on anhydrite subfloor requires a CM < 0,5 % (50% RH). If the moisture content is higher or may become higher other types of damp proofing
must be used. If floor heating is used, cement subfloor requires a CM < 1,5 (60% RH) and andhydrite subfloor requires a CM < 0,3 (40% RH). (see
Floor Heating Instructions) Always measure, record and keep your moisture content results. A new cement screed floor must dry at least 1 week per
1cm (3/8”) thickness up to 4cm (1-1/2”). Thicknesses over 4cm (1-1/2”) require twice as much drying time. For example, a 6cm (2-1/2”) concrete
subfloor must dry at least 8 weeks.
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Plan the installation direction of the planks carefully before start up. Normally we recommend installation parallel to the incoming light (= perpendicular
to windows) . If the room is long and narrow like in a hallway we would install parallel to the long walls. Be aware of the fact natural color will be
affected by sun light (discoloration by UV light is inevitable). This might lead to natural fading and color changes which are not a product fault.
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In case of a FLOATING Installation, cooking islands for kitchens and other very heavy objects should NOT be installed on top of your floor. The floating
wood floor must be able to move around the heavy objects to avoid open joints and separating planks. Possible methods to ensure this are the following:
1. First install the heavy objects followed by the installation of your Quick-Step Wood Floor around the heavy object. Do not place the heavy
objects on top of the wood flooring.
2. First install your Quick-Step Wood Floor before installing the heavy objects. As a next step, mark on your Quick-Step Wood Floor where
the heavy objects will be installed. Finally saw the spots out where the legs of your furniture will be or saw a complete expansion joint
on the perimeter of your heavy furniture.
1. PREPARATION 2. INSTALLATION 3. FINISHING 4. MAINTENANCE
90°
90°
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2. INSTALLATION
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Quick-Step Wood Floors are easy to install and require no expensive tools. In addition to a few common DIY tools (folding rule, pencil, hammer,
handsaw or jigsaw, carpenters square and possible power drill and hand gloves) you only need the Quick-Step installation kit containing a tapping
block, pull bar and spacers. Be sure you have all tools available before starting the installation. In case of a glued installation, additionally, a glue trowel
(recommended is type B11) is needed together with a suitable wood flooring adhesive.
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When cutting the Quick-Step wood plank be sure you are not creating splinters or chipping when cutting. If using a handsaw keep the decorative surface
faced up. If using a jigsaw keep decorative surface down (except for a jigsaw with down-stroke blades).
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Every Quick-Step wood plank is methodically checked for any imperfections before being packed. Still, packs can be damaged during transportation
or when the packs are opened. Do not install a plank with a damaged surface, edge or click joint. Carefully inspect each plank before installing. Be
aware of the fact wood is not a homogeneous material. There will be differences from plank to plank as there are differences from tree to tree. These
aspects provide you with the warm and natural look and feel a wood floor has to offer. Knots and cracks will also appear depending on the grading
and the chosen range. This is natural and will not be considered as a product fault. Therefore always be sure you have got the right impression of the
floor and information from the dealer before installation. An installed plank is considered as accepted and cannot be claimed. We recommend to mix
the planks, taking planks out of different boxes at the same time when installing.
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Wood panels can be installed floating or glued down. We will explain both ways of installation.
Floating
If you choose to install a floating floor you must lay the first section of underlay parallel to the length of the planks to be installed. Gradually add the
next sections of underlay as you lay the wood planks. It is vital that you use a levelling underlay to smooth away any unevenness in the floor base.
In most cases a vapor-tight foil should be used to protect the floor against rising damp or condensation.
Glued
Direct gluing can only be performed on a subfloor that is suitable for it (in terms of flatness, firmness, cracks, etc.) in conformity with general
principles and standards. The subfloor must be sufficiently dry, hard and homogeneous. Make sure to use a suitable glue. Follow the instructions
regarding drying time, consumption, application, etc. These instructions need to be provided by the glue manufacturer. If you are gluing down your
floor try to walk on it as little as possible on the glued section during installation.
1. PREPARATION 2. INSTALLATION 3. FINISHING 4. MAINTENANCE
Min. 100mm
8-12 mm 8-12 mm 8-12 mm 8-12 mm 8-12 mm 8-12 mm
>12m >12m >12m >12m
Min. 100mm
>12m >12m
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Floating
With room dimensions of more than 12m x 12m an intermediate expansion joint should be fitted. Expansion and contraction are linear so the
greater the surface the larger the expansion joint needs to be. An expansion joint must be used in typical doorways and room angles.
Glued
In a glued installation you have no length and width restrictions. An expansion gap of 8 mm around the perimeter of the room is still obligated but
a T moulding in the doorways is not necessary anymore. Constructional dilatation joints of the building and floor heating joints in screed should be
transferred on the floor with a flexible joint or a profile.
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Before starting carefully measure the length and the width of the room to pan a precise lay-out to achieve a balanced appearance of the floor. This will
ensure also you won’t end up with the last row being too narrow. We advise to make sure that the smallest pieces are always wider than 100 mm. To
assure this, you can slide the middle line of the floor.
Ax2
Bx2
1
22
3
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Our Quick-Step Intenso floor range consists out of planks that are left oriented and right oriented. This means that in 1 pack of Quick-Step Intenso
flooring you should have left sided planks and right sided planks, please check before installation. All planks have, next to the production code, a
marking at the back. Left sided planks are marked with an “A” and right sided planks are marked with a “B”. Before start, separate the left from the right
planks and “shuffle” the boards of a specific side to ensure an even distribution of color and character.
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Start the installation with 2 planks labelled as “1” and “2”. With the wall in front of you lay the floor from left to right. Cut of the end of both planks
creating a 90° angle so they are flushed against the wall. Connect both planks (1 and 2) in the long side connection. At a slight angle of 20 to 30 °
insert the tongue of plank 2 into the groove of plank 1. Press downward until the joint locks. If the joint remains slightly open tap it in with the palm of
your hand or use a rubber hammer and tapping block. To determine the correct expansion gap we would like to refer you to the preparation part of this
instruction. The expansion gap is needed to allow the floor to move natural after installation (natural movement of the floor depends on the RH level of
the site of installation). At the end of the installation this expansion gap is concealed by our skirting’s or mouldings.
Glued
The advantage of the Uniclic system is that there is a strong pre-tension. This ensures a very strong click, which is needed for a floating installation
and less for a glue down installation. To make the glue down installation smoother, we recommend to cut off a small piece of this profile at the
groove side (see picture). This small piece can be easily cutted off using a knife or a plane tool.
1. PREPARATION 2. INSTALLATION 3. FINISHING 4. MAINTENANCE
≈ 20-30° 1 3 5
2 4 6 7
8 9 10
11 12 13
14 15 16
1 2 1 2 1
22
3 4 3 4 3
4
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Take plank 3 and 4 and tap them separately into the previous plank, For plank 3 this will be plank 1 and for plank 4 this will be plank 2. Proceed this
way until the entire row has been completed. We advise to consider a connection between a left and right plank as 1 row. This to maintain a straight
line at the beginning of the installation.
Floating
When the first row has been installed you can continue plank by plank as you would with a traditional parket floor.
Glued
We recommend to install the first 3 rows first without using any adhesive. Please follow the sequence shown in the above picture. During installation,
draw on the floor a line to mark where every panel ends. Once installed these 3 rows, uninstall the first row (panel 1 - 5) and the second row (panel
2-7) panel by panel. Row 3 needs to be kept in place. The result of these steps is a “drawn” Intenso floor on the subfloor. This will make the gluing
process more efficient.
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With the Uniclic system you can also tap the panels into each other without lifting. For this method you can create your own tapping block by using the
angled off cuts of the first 2 planks. Remove the long side locking system to prevent it from engaging when in use.
1 3 5 1 3 5 30cm
2 4 6 7 2 4 6 7
8 9 10 8 9 10
11 12
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Glued
To have a perfect alignment of you panels it is necessary to follow this procedure: Sit on row 3 (the one you didn’t remove) and spread the adhesive
for panel 2. Then install panel 2. Spread the adhesive panel by panel just upto the line starting with the next panel. This will allow the panels to
be tapped horizontally in place without contaminating tools. Continue this procedure for the rest of the installation. First glue row 2 (panel 2-8),
followed by row 1 (panel 1-7). Then deinstall row 3, spread adhesive and glue it. For the rest of the installation you can install row by row.
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We always recommend an overlap/staggering between end joints to be about 1/3 of the plank length but never less than 300 mm.
1. PREPARATION 2. INSTALLATION 3. FINISHING 4. MAINTENANCE
+20 mm
8 -12 mm
1 8-12 mm 2
3. FINISHING
For a nice finish where the wood flooring meets a threshold we recommend undercutting the frame of the door. To secure the correct cut off turn a plank
upside down and place it on the floor up to the frame. Then place the hand saw flat against the plank and simply cut
through the frame/moulding as shown. Remove the cut out piece and vacuum away dust. Then you can simply slide the floor plank underneath the
frame/moulding and make a perfect finish.
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To install Quick-Step wood flooring around pipes, carefully measure and mark the planks with the exact center point for each pipe. Drill a hole at each
of the marked points that is equivalent to the diameter of the pipe + 16 mm in dry climate and 24 mm in wet climate. If located on the long side of the
plank make a 45 degree cut from each hole to the edge of the plank and then cut between the holes as shown. If located on the end of a plank make a
straight cut across the plank. Install the plank. Then using some regular wood glue along the cut edges of the piece you’ve cut out and glue the piece in
place where it belongs. Be sure no glue comes between the cut out piece and the subfloor. Use spacers to secure a tight glue point and remove any glue
on the floor surface directly with a damp cloth. The gap you have created between the pipes are to ensure the floor can move as expected from season
to season. In a floating installation these cannot be filled with any sealant, silicone or other adhesive. Use the Quick-Step radiator caps to conceal gaps
around radiator pipes in this case.
E
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ON
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Inspect the final surface of the installed floor, remove all spacers and install the Quick-Step wood wallbases according to the instructions.
1. PREPARATION 2. INSTALLATION 3. FINISHING 4. MAINTENANCE
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4. MAINTENANCE
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After installation it is recommended to maintain a room temperature of 15 - 22°C and a relative humidity level between 35-65%. During winter time the
air in the rooms is usually extremely dry, for this reason it is strongly recommended to use humidifiers in order to obtain a constant humidity level. In the
summer and autumn, when there is a high relative humidity the room should be well ventilated. Too low RH may cause irreversible damage to the floor
(ie. Cracks, Open Joints, Squeaking sound, ...)
Floating
When installing a floating floor you can walk on it during installation and immediately afterwards.
Glued
In case of a glued installation it is recommended to check the instructions of the used glue to know the drying time before you can walk on the floor.
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To remove dirt and dust from the floor use a damp mop, a brush or a vacuum cleaner. Make sure the vacuum cleaner is equipped with soft wheels and
a special Wood brush to avoid scratching your floor. Never use a steam cleaner to clean your wooden floor. For the first cleaning of the floor make sure
to first remove ALL dust and dirt before using a cloth. Too wet maintenance of a wooden floor is absolutely forbidden.
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Only use the recommended cleaning products for floor maintenance. Remember that using other cleaning products may damage your floor. Always
wipe the floor dry immediately so that no more moisture or liquid is visible on the floor.
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Castor chairs must have castors of the so called type “soft wheels” and a plastic protector mat should be placed under the area where the chair is
placed/used. All furniture legs should be protected by felt pads to avoid scratching the lacquered/oiled surface. Avoid sliding/dragging furniture over
the wooden surface to avoid possible scratching. Lifting the furniture is recommended. Always place a quality door mat at any entrance door to avoid
introduction of sand, dirt or water which might be harmful.
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Special cleaning instructions are at hand with your Quick-Step dealer or on the website of these products. Please read them with care before maintaining
your lacquered/oiled surface.
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The manufacturer bears no responsibility for problems or damage which arises through inexpert preparation of the subfloor, the floor installation itself or
the exposition of the floor to unsuitable climatic conditions/maintenance. The right for compensation for damaged or differently coloured panels does
not extend to wood floorings which already have been installed. In non-standard cases we recommend you to inform yourself sufficiently with regards
to the specific requirements of our construction project. In the event of further questions please contact your retailer.
