The moisture content of the floor to be installed on, must not be greater than the following amounts; concrete or cement covered floor: 2%, anhydrite cement covered floors: 0.5%, wood floors: 10%.
This can be measured using a hygrometer.

Bumps or dents greater than 5mm over a 2m area ( using a 2m level ) should be filled with a suitable product to level the floor prior to install.

Where necessary, remove baseboards or trim and clean the surface before laying the underlay.

To avoid or minimalize moisture from penetrating the floor from underneath, a vapor barrier such as the Alsaprotect, 2mm, polythene is recommended. Simply lay this on the subfloor with an overlap of approximately 20cm.

To level minor unevenness and offer a softer tread, lay a foam underlay on top of the Alsaprotect, before laying the laminate. For added sound guard, an acoustically graded underlay will be required.

If you have door jams, or 'lintel', take one board, turn it upside down ( to protect the wear layer ), and over the foam underlay trim to the new height with a saw.

The pattern of the boards should run parallel with the strongest light source, with the tongued side against the wall.

Joints should be staggered by at least 30cm from one row to the next. Count the boards needed lengthways and widthways. When cutting boards, check that they are at least 20cm long, and 5cm wide. It is recommended to leave a space of 8 to 10 mm between the flooring and the walls, doors, plumbing etc. This is for possible expansion. This can be done with shims, or even wasted pieces with the tongue as the gap.

Remove the tongue from the first board (and all subsequent boards against the same wall). Place the board a few centimetres away from the length of the first row. ( this will be pushed to the wall later ), but against the 8-10mm shim on the end of the board. Start the second row right away by cutting off approx 1/3 of the end closest to the wall. Fit it into the first board and against the wall with a shim between.

The CLIP Principle: Position the tongue on the groove at an angle, then push down and into the groove. If an angle is impossible, lay board flat and tap in using a tapping block or a mallet ( do not use a metal hammer ). Using a waste piece will also work as a tapping block.

Clip the 3rd board into the 1st one.Then tap the 3rd board into the 2nd one until secure.

The 4th board is fit into the 3rd board, and tapped into the 1st board as above.

Start the third row by sawing off approx 2/3 of the end nearest the wall of the 5th board and clip into the second row with a shim between the wall and the board.

Complete each row alternately with complete boards, and position the first three rows in relation to the wall. If it looks like the last row you will place will be too thin ( under 5cm wide ) undo the first row, and saw each board shifting the profile of the floor at the starting point to avoid having the last row too narrow.

After re-assembling and finishing the first row, push the entire row into the wall against the shims, making sure the shims on the end are still secure. The end board can be installed using the Alsapan floor placement bar or wedged in using a flathead screwdriver. Continue installing as above.

For the last row, lay the boards on top of the second last row, and mark the profile of the wall onto the last row boards. This will ensure a proper fit. Remember to add room for the shims.

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