Installation Guide

2
Existing Floor Coverings
1. Floating vinyl oors can be installed over most existing hard-surface oor coverings, provided the existing oor surface is smooth or
can be made smooth.
2. Ceramic, porcelain, marble, and granite tiles are suitable and must be clean and made at by applying a cement-based embossing
leveler or patch.
3. Existing resilient oors must be rmly bonded, stripped of all nishes/waxes, single layer, and covered with an embossing leveler
if necessary. Cushion-backed vinyl and oating vinyl oors are NOT suitable as substrates for oating vinyl planks.
4. Cement terrazzo, stained concrete, and metal oors may be suitable for use as substrates provided they are properly cleaned and
prepared. All contaminants, loose particles, and akes must be removed and a suitable cement-based patch used to smooth the oor.
General
• Do not secure individual planks to the suboor. All door jambs and moldings should be undercut. Cabinets, kitchen islands, and
other xtures cannot be installed on top of oating vinyl ooring. A 5/16” (8mm) gap should be maintained around all columns,
islands, etc.
• Do not install oating vinyl ooring in unheated areas or in areas subjected to high temperatures and heavy sunlight. is includes
porches, sunrooms, solariums, and other structures without adequate temperature control and cover from direct sunlight.
• Wall moldings, including baseboard and quarter round, must not be fastened through the vinyl ooring.
• Maintain a 5/16” (8mm) gap consistently around the perimeter of the vinyl oor at all vertical surfaces. Moldings should be installed
a minimum of 1/32” (.79mm) above the ooring to allow for movement.
• Do not wrap oating vinyl oors around doors, entryways or other openings that are less than
6’ (2 meters) wide. A suitable T-molding or transition strip must be used while maintaining the 5/16” (8mm) expansion gap under
the T-molding in all openings less than 6’ (2 meters) wide. Do not install door transitions through the vinyl ooring.
• When tting around obstacles or cutting to irregular shapes, the vinyl ooring can be carefully heated and cut with a sharp utility
blade. It is benecial to make cardboard templates of the areas and transfer this to the pieces to be cut.
• Full pieces of ooring can be cut by using a utility knife with heavy-duty blades. Score the face of the piece and snap the planks
carefully along the score line. Use a steel straight edge for cutting pieces along the length in multiple passes with the utility knife, and
then snap the piece along the cut line.
• Use of a small bristle brush for cleaning debris le from milling the locking joints will ensure a tight t of the pieces.
• 5G Click Floating Flooring is designed with an angle/drop mechanism with a secure locking clip, which is installed dierently than
the traditional angle/angle installed oating ooring. e 5G Flooring requires that the top or long sides be installed rst by
engaging the joint at a shallow angle (25°), and then sliding the piece to line up the short or right side drop lock mechanism. e end
joints with the 5G drop mechanism should be carefully placed with the top side lightly touching the adjoining plank. Aer engaging
the top/long side joint at a shallow angle, the end/side joint can be rmly pressed into place until it ‘clicks’.
NOTE: e 5G drop lock joints cannot be ‘lied’ or angled apart when removing or repositioning a plank. To remove a plank, rst
disengage the top/long angle joint by liing at a slight angle while pulling the complete rows away from each other. en simply ‘slide’
the drop joint apart along the oor. Failure to slide this joint apart will damage the drop lock mechanism and prevent proper re-
installation of the aected plank.
Layout
Determine the layout of your oor prior to installation. Planks typically look better when installed parallel to the longest walls. To
avoid narrow piece widths or short piece lengths, it is important to dry lay the ooring from the center of the room and adjust the
centerline to alleviate narrow pieces. Or, using the width of the room, calculate how many full pieces will t into the area and how
much space remains that will need to be covered by partial planks. Do the same along the length of the room. Be sure to avoid planks
that are less than 9” in length and less than half the width of the plank. Lay out planks so the long edge is perpendicular to sunlight
sources.
NOTES:
• If the rst row of ooring does not need to be trimmed in width it is necessary to cut o the unsupported tongue so that a clean, solid
edge is toward the wall.
• Flooring should be laid with the long edges perpendicular to any signicant sources of direct sunlight such as large windows,
sliding doors, etc.
• Expansion gaps of 5/16” (8mm) must be maintained against all vertical surfaces, regardless of the deviation in atness of the surface.
is will allow the nished ooring to expand and contract normally during temperature uctuations in the home.
5GClickFloatingVinylFloorInstallationInstructions
2014 4


NOTE:  The 5G drop lock joints cannot be ‘lifted’ or angled apart when removing or repositioning a
plank. To remove a plank, first disengage the top/long angle joint by lifting at a slight angle while
pulling the complete rows away from each other.  Then simply ‘slide’ the drop joint apart along the
floor.  Failure to slide this joint apart will damage the drop lock mechanism and prevent proper re
installationoftheaffectedplank.

Layout
Determinethelayoutofyourfloorpriortoinstallation.Plankstypicallylookbetterwheninstalledparallel
tothelongestwalls.Toavoidnarrowpiecewidthsorshortpiecelengths,itisimportanttodrylaythe
flooringfromthecenteroftheroomandadjustthecenterlinetoalleviatenarrowpieces.Or,usingthe
widthoftheroom,calculatehowmanyfullpieceswillfitintotheareaandhowmuchspaceremainsthat
willneedtobecoveredbypartialplanks.Dothesamealongthelengthoftheroom.Besuretoavoid
planksthatarelessthan9”inlengthandlessthanhalfthewidthoftheplank.Layoutplankssothelong
edgeisperpendiculartosunlightsources.
NOTES:
• If the first row of flooring does not need to be trimmed in width it is necessary to cut off the
unsupportedtonguesothataclean,solidedgeistowardthewall.
• Flooring should be laid with the long edges perpendicular to any significant sources of direct
sunlightsuchaslargewindows,slidingdoors,etc.
• Expansiongapsof5/16”(8mm)mustbemaintainedagainstallverticalsurfaces,regardlessofthe
deviationinflatnessofthesurface.Thiswillallowthefinishedflooringtoexpandandcontract
normallyduringtemperaturefluctuationsinthehome.

Installation:
1. Fromthetop,leftcorneroftheroomputthefirstplankinplacesoboththeheadandsideseam
groovesareexposed.Planksaretobeinstalledfromlefttoright.Cutoffthetongueonthelong
sideofeachpieceinthefirstrowwithautilityknife.
2. Install the second piece in the first row by laying the shortend tongue onto the previously
installed piece shortend groove. Fasten the piece together by firmly pressing down with your
thumbalongtheseamtolocktheplankstogether.Thiswillengagethe5Glockingclipintothe
pieceyoujustplaced;youwillhearandfeelthepieceslocktogetherasthelockingtabengagesin
thejoint.Useofasoft,whiteNo.2rubbermalletisalsorecommendedtoverticallyengagethe
joint.
3. Continueinthismannerfortherestofthefirstrow.Thelastpieceintherowshouldbecutto
lengthwhilemaintainingthe5/16”(8mm)expansionspacealongtheperimeteroftheroom.
4. Cutapieceinhalfofthelengthstostartthesecondroworusethecutofffromthepreviousrow,
keeping in mind the length requirements above.  Install the first piece in the second row by
insertingthelongsidetongueintothegrooveofthepieceinthefirstrowatalowangle(25°)to
theinstalledpiece.Then firmly lowerthe plankwhilemaintaininga slightpressuretoward the
INSTALLING EARTHWERKS 5G CLICK