Installation
Get it right the first time
Floor Trader hybrid and vinyl planks click together as a floating floor with standard flooring tools. Follow these fundamentals and your floor will stay flat, quiet and tight for decades.
1. Check and prepare the subfloor
The subfloor must be clean, dry and flat to within 3mm over a 3m straight edge. Grind high spots and fill hollows with a levelling compound. Hybrid planks bridge minor imperfections; 4.5mm LVT telegraphs everything beneath it, so smooth substrates matter more.
2. Acclimatise the boxes
Lay boxes flat in the room for at least 48 hours before installation, between 15°C and 30°C. Keep them out of direct sunlight and never store them against an external wall or in an unconditioned garage.
3. Underlay and moisture
Timba Touch hybrid planks come with pre-attached acoustic underlay — do not add a second layer. Over concrete, lay a 200µm moisture barrier first. LVT planks require a separate compatible underlay or a full-spread adhesive.
4. Expansion gaps and layout
Leave a 10mm perimeter expansion gap to every wall and fixed object, and break runs over 12m (or through doorways) with an expansion joint. Stagger end joints by at least 300mm and dry-lay the first few rows to check colour blend across boxes.
5. Trims and finishing
Cover the expansion gap with colour-matched scotia, skirting or square edge trim, and finish level changes with a reducer or stair nosing. Never pin trims through the floor — fix them to the wall so the floor can move.
6. Care and cleaning
Sweep or vacuum on a hard-floor setting and damp mop with a pH-neutral cleaner. Avoid steam mops and abrasive pads, and fit felt pads under furniture legs.
Need a hand?
Send us your room sizes and we'll work out the square metres, boxes and matching trims for you.
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