Before You Begin

• Adherence to Installation Guide is mandatory to validate warranty.

• Adherence to Care & Maintenance Guide is mandatory to validate warranty.

• Flooring products must be acclimatized for at least 48 hours prior to installation in the installation area that meets the SUITABLE ENVIRONMENT guideline.

• Flooring products must be installed on a surface that meets the SUITABLE SURFACES guideline.

• In the rare event of visually defective material, Kennedy Floorings will not be held responsible for the installation of material with visual defects. It is the responsibility of the installer to visually approve material before it is installed.

• Kennedy Floorings will not be held responsible for the installation of an incorrect product. It is the responsibility of the installer and the end user to double check that the product to be installed is from the correct product collection and is the correct decor.

• Kennedy Floorings STONE CORE flooring products are manufactured in accordance with recognized industry standards allowing manufacturing tolerance of 2%; therefore, the installer/owner must use reasonable selectivity and allow for defects accordingly. Pieces of flooring with noticeable flaws such as slight film contamination are generally used for cuts or for installation in closets, along walls, or areas covered by furniture.

• The installer/owner assumes full responsibility for the final inspection of this product. Inspection should be done prior to installation and should include: print/colour/texture, factory finish and milling. If the product is not acceptable, DO NOT INSTALL IT. Contact your dealer immediately for assistance. Flooring that has been installed will be deemed to have been inspected and quality accepted.

• Kennedy Floorings accepts no responsibility for product failure extending from or related to failure to meet job area/environment and subfloor requirements. If the installation is for a newly built home or construction, the installer/owner must ensure all windows and doors are installed and that wall and floor boards are completely dry and that the homes HRV/heating/air-conditioning system is functional and running at living conditions to which the floor will be maintained. It is recommended that flooring be the last stage in a construction project.

• Before starting installation, it is important you read all instructions and warranty information. By starting installation of this product you are agreeing that you have read and understand all installer/owner’s requirements and responsibilities and are aware that deviating from the instructions and recommendations in this installation guide may result in voiding the product warranty.

→Maintenance Guide

→Warranty Information

Suitable Environment

• Flooring utilizing a 2G locking system is intended for indoor use only.

• STONE CORE flooring can be installed in environments with a temperature variation of -40ºC and +40ºC.

• The temperature variation during its occupied use is assumed to remain between 16ºC and 40ºC.

• During installation the installation area must be climate controlled at a temperature between 16ºC and 25ºC with the product given 48 hours to acclimatize to the climate controlled installation area.

Suitable Surfaces

• Adequate sub-floor preparation is necessary to ensure a successful installation. It is the sole responsibility of the installer/owner, prior to installation, to assure that the planned installation area is suitable for flooring utilizing a 2G locking system.

• The subfloor must be well-bonded, dry, smooth, level, clean, and dust-free, with a tolerance not exceeding more than 1/8’’ in a 6’ span.

• All sub-floor and leveling patch must be done with a non-shrinking, water-resistant Portland cement patching compound.

• Holes, grooves, expansion joints, and other depressions must be filled with a Portland cement-based leveling compound and troweled smooth and feathered even to the surrounding surface.

• If installing on a concrete slab, it must be dry, clean, and well-cured for at least 6 weeks prior to installation). Concrete must be free from dust, powder, flaking, solvent, paint, wax, grease, oil, and other erroneous compounds. Moisture content of concrete subfloor should not exceed 5%.

• Installing on wood and wood composite panels (plywood, OSB, flake board, and particle board) can be used provided they are smooth, flat, structurally sound, and free of deflection.

• It is acceptable to install over an existing ceramic tile provided it be made smooth by applying a water-resistant Portland cement overlay such as patching or leveling compound to smooth out grout joints.

• Moisture in the sub-floor will not damage the flooring, but excessive moisture may cause mold or mildew in the sub-floor and surrounding structures, so ensure that the subfloor is free of excess moisture.

• Flooring utilizing the Unilin 2G locking system can be installed over existing non-cushioned resilient flooring, ceramic tile, and existing wood floors, as long as the floors are clean, level, well bonded to the sub-floor and free of cupping and deflection.

• Kennedy Floorings accepts no responsibility with product failure or issues caused by an underlying flooring or failure to meet subfloor requirements.

Radiant Heated Subfloors & Sunrooms

STONE CORE flooring can be installed with concrete embedded radiant heated floors with the following exceptions below.

• Flooring must be installed using an embedded hydronic radiant heat system or electric radiant heat system that utilize embedded cables within the sub-floor.
• Radiant heat systems must be covered by a self leveling concrete and separated by the flooring at a minimum of ½”.
• Radiant heat must not exceed 29ºC and changes in temperature settings must be gradual at 1ºC everyday until the desired temperature is reached.
• It is recommended that transitions are used between areas with and without radiant heat.
• Do not allow sun rooms to exceed 40ºC.

Tools & Supplies

You will need a few tools to ensure a successful installation:

1. Measuring: straight edge, framing square, tape measure.

2. Cutting: exacto knife, laminate cutter, miter saw, or table saw.

3. Installing: spacers, tapping block, rubber mallet, and pull bar.

4. Safety: safety glasses, and a N95 respirator if using a power tool to cut the flooring.

Installation

Kennedy Floorings flooring with the Unilin 2G Angle-Tap-Click locking system is engineered to be installed utilizing the floating installation method. “Plank” and “Tile” will be used interchangeably unless stated.

• Do not install cabinets or fixed objects on top of the flooring.

• Verify locking profile prior to installation, checking for debris or damage.

• Can be installed up to 100’ by 100’ before requiring a transition.

• It is highly recommended to sort through at least 25% of your flooring material by categorizing each visual variation into its own pile to ensure a successful “blend” of the flooring. Failure to do this crucial step may result in an unsatisfactory installation as certain areas may contain more of one image variation than another.

Cutting the Flooring

• STONE CORE flooring can be scored and snapped using a high quality sharp utility knife.

• STONE CORE flooring can be cut using a laminate cutter.

• Power saws (circular saw, table saw, miter saw, or jigsaw) can be used to cut the product, but planks or tiles should always be cut away from the installation area in a well ventilated space in order to prevent debris from affecting the installation site.

• Always wear safety glasses and a N95 respirator when using a power saw.

BEFORE BEGINNING INSTALLATION ENSURE THAT SUITABLE ENVIRONMENT AND SUITABLE SURFACES GUIDELINES HAVE BEEN MET. NEGLECTING TO MEET GUIDELINES MAY RESULT IN A VOIDED WARRANTY

Planning the Installation

1.  Determine the direction you want the flooring to run. Typically the length of the plank flooring will run with the length of the room or the length of the floor plan.

2.  It is important to plan ahead in order to avoid narrow plank widths or short lengths near walls and doors. Using the width of the room, calculate how many full boards will fit into the area, and how much space remains that will need to be covered by partial planks (width of room in inches ÷ width of plank in inches = number of rows). Do the same calculation for the length of the room (length of room in inches ÷ length of plank in inches = number of planks). Adjust the starting plank as necessary to avoid a narrow row of planks along a wall or door.

3.  Based on the above calculations, if the width of the planks along the last row is less than 25% of the width of a full plank, then begin the first row using planks that are cut down to reduce the width of the first row, thus increasing the width of the last row.

4.  If the last plank (fill piece) in each row is shorter than 6’’ in length, then adjust the starting point accordingly. This is necessary in order to achieve the correct staggered effect and to maintain structural integrity of the product. Tiles should follow a 50/50 staggered installation, where the end joint lines up at the center of the tile in the previous row.

5.  Planks should be installed randomly, staggering the end joints, no less than 6’’ from the previous row end joints. Stagger the joints at a minimum of 6’’ apart.

6.  A 1/4” expansion gap off the wall plate must be used throughout the installation. This gap will be covered by the dry wall and baseboard.

Installing with the Unilin 2G Locking System

Kennedy Floorings STONE CORE flooring products that utilize the 2G Angle-Tap-Click locking system are installed in such a manner where the planks are “seeded” into the locking system then engaged with a tapping block and rubber mallet. When tapping the end joints, use some finesse as excessive force may damage the locking system, and not enough force may not allow the locking system to fully engage.

7.  Working from left to right, begin installation at the left hand corner of the installation area, lay down the first plank with the inserting tongue of the plank facing the walls. Place spacers around the wall facing edges of the plank to prevent the expansion gap from closing during installation.

8.  Install the second plank in the row by angling the inserting tongue of the end joint at a 25º angle into the receiving tongue end joint of the first plank and dropping the second plank into place. The second plank should easily be angled in and dropped into place with minimal effort. Do not force a plank to drop as this may cause damage to the locking system. Tap along the end joint of the second plank with a rubber mallet and tapping block to ensure the locking system has fully engaged. Insert spacers along the wall edge of the plank or tile to retain the expansion gap during installation. Continue in this manner for the entire first row.

9.  At the end of a row, Angle-Tap-Click the last plank but use a pull bar and rubber mallet along the end joint to engage the locking system by tapping the pull bar with the rubber mallet along the end joint ensuring the locking system has fully engaged.

Continuing the Installation...

10.  To start the second row, you may use the remainder of the last plank from the first row, if it’s longer than 6”, otherwise cut a new plank at a desired length to achieve a staggered effect throughout the installation. To ensure structural integrity, it is mandatory to always stagger the end joints from row to row by at least 6”. Tiles are installed with a 50/50 staggered pattern.

11.  Insert the planks long edge of the inserting sided tongue into the previous row of installed planks at a 25o angle and slide the plank to the end of the previous row and drop it into place. Insert a spacer to retain a 1/4” expansion gap off the wall or wall plate. Next use a rubber mallet and tapping block on the long edge of the plank or tile to ensure a tight fit of the locking system.

12.  Continue to lock the long edge of planks or tiles into the previous row by inserting the tongue of the plank or tile at a 25o angle and dropping it into place. Slide the plank down towards the end of the previously installed plank or tile until the inserting tongue rests on top of the receiving tongue of the previous plank or tile, nearly butting the two planks together. Using a rubber mallet and tapping block, tap the long edge of the plank to ensure a tight fit. Next, use the rubber mallet and tapping block along the end joint of the plank that was just laid down to tap-lock the end joints of the previous plank together. The gap on the end joint should easily close. Continue laying down planks in this fashion until the row is complete.

13.  Use a rubber mallet and pull bar to lock the end joint of the final plank in the row like in step 9. Make sure a spacer is used at the beginning of row to prevent the whole row from shifting and closing the expansion gap.

14.  On the final row, follow the same procedure from step 9, but use a pull bar and rubber mallet to tap the long edges of the planks to securely lock it in place to the previous row.

15.  Continue steps 7-14 until installation is complete.

Use a mitre saw for cutting intricate pieces to fit around door jams and cabinets.

SUPPORT

• Product support is available through your authorized dealer, and you may also contact Kennedy Floorings directly through email or phone for any questions or concerns you may have.

• This is a comprehensive installation guide to ensure our customers experience a successful installation the first time, but does not cover all tricks and knowledge of a floor covering installation expert.

• Kennedy Floorings is dedicated in providing our customers the best flooring products available. All Kennedy Floorings products are rigorously tested to ensure our customers receive the best product possible.

Support by phone: (800) 665-7424

Support by email: support@kennedyfloorings.com