Kronotex Clic2Clic laminate flooring can be installed without glue, quickly and easily. The specially developed tongue and groove joints make it possible to snap the individual planks together with a simple “click”. Once joined, the planks form a single, fixed unit. All edges are protected against the absorption of moisture by an environmentally friendly moisture resistant sealer.

You can load or walk upon a finished floor section immediately. When you install Kronotex Clic2Clic in a furnished room, the furniture must simply be moved away from the working area not the entire room. After installing the first rows, every thing can be moved back onto the finished portion.

IMPORTANT Do not open immediately! Before opening the packaging, acclimatize planks for 48 hours by laying each box horizontally and individually in the center of the room, in which they are to be installed.

Allow for expansion A minimum of 3/8" (10 mm) should always be left between the laminate floor and all walls, electrical conduits, pipes, doorways, etc.

A vapor barrier is necessary if installing on concrete Concrete sub-floors must always be covered with a 6 mil vapor barrier even if linoleum, PVC or resilient vinyl is firmly attached to the concrete.

Prepare the Sub-Floor Sub-floors must be level, clean, dry and solid. Areas that are not level (vary by more than 1/4" over 40" (6 mm in 1 meter) or low spots in excess of 3/16" (5 mm) must be leveled with portland cement-based filler and all ridges smoothed.

Basic Rules for all Installations IMPORTANT — Do not open immediately

Before opening the packaging, acclimatize planks for 48 hours by laying each box horizontally and individually in the center of the room, in which they are to be installed. Opened packages should be installed on the same day as opened. Check every plank for defects before installing. No refunds can be given or claims accepted for visually obvious defects after the planks are installed.

Room Conditions for Installation

Installation should take place at room temperature of at least 64° F (18° C). The following climatic conditions in the room must be ensured before, during and for at least three days after installation:

Check Doorway Clearance

Check to see if there is enough space between the floor and the bottom of all doors (minimum 3/8" or 1 cm), so that the doors can be opened and closed after the underlayment and laminate flooring have been installed. If necessary, trim the bottom of the door.

Tools and Accessories Needed for Installation

• Moisture test kit
• 6 mil polyethylene film (when installed over concrete)
• Laminate glue (if installed in a bathroom, within 5 feet of a sink, dishwasher, refrigerator, entrance from a pool, mud room where snow may still be on your boots)
• Hammer
• Tapping block
• Spacers
• Door jam/undercut saw
• Saw – fine tooth jig saw, high tooth or count circular saw
• Pull bar
• Sharp chisel
• Tape measure
• Pencil
• Carpenter level
• Felt floor protectors
• Safety glasses
• Dust mask
• Filler repair putty

Suitable Sub-Floors for Kronotex Clic2Clic Laminate Floors

Plywood or OSB single or double layer sub-floor underlayment combinations. Existing floor surfaces including:

• Hardwood lumber or engineered wood flooring
• Linoleum, PVC or resilient vinyl flooring (Existing floor surfaces must be permanently attached to the sub-floor)
• Concrete/cement floors

Sub-Floors Not Suitable for Kronotex Clic2Clic Laminate Flooring

• Any sub-floor in a wet room (shower room, sauna)
• Carpeting (carpet and carpet pad must be removed)
• Wood flooring installed over concrete sub-floor (wood must be removed)
• Composition Cement (residual moisture too high)

Preparation of the Sub-Floor Only install Kronotex Clic2Clic on sub-floors that are level, clean, dry and solid. Areas that are not level (vary by more than 1/4" over 40" (6 mm in 1 meter) or low spots in excess of 3/16" (5 mm) must be leveled with portland cement-based filler and all ridges smoothed. Be sure to allow the filler to dry completely before proceeding with installation.

Installing the Vapor Barrier

Concrete sub-floors must always be covered with a 6 mil vapor barrier even if linoleum, PVC or resilient vinyl is firmly attached to the concrete. The 6 mil film is laid in strips running in the same direction as the laminate flooring planks. The strips must be overlapped by 8" (200 mm) and joined together by moisture resistant tape. The film should be run up the walls 4" to 6" (100-150 mm) and later folded or cut back after the planks are installed to fit behind the base molding. For installation over a concrete sub-floor, a calcium chloride moisture test kit is recommended. Without a documented measurement of residual moisture content, an expansion claim against the manufacturer for damages cannot be considered.

Expansion Space

Since laminate flooring is a natural wood material, it expands and contracts on all sides with natural and frequent changes in the indoor environment. Therefore, an expansion space of 1/16" (1.5 mm) for every 40" (1 meter) of installed planks (minimum of 3/8"/10 mm) should always be left between the laminate floor and all walls, electrical conduits, pipes, doorways, etc. The wall spacers are used to create the required expansion space between the walls and flooring and must be removed after the floor is installed.

In a room measuring over 40' (12 meters) in the direction the long edge of the planks will be installed or 25' (8 meters) in the direction the short edge of the planks will be installed, an expansion T molding must be used in addition to the other expansion spaces. This also applies to all doorways, hallways and hallway corners.

Step By Step Installation Instructions

1. Install vapor barrier if subfloor is cement. (6 mil polyethylene film)
2. Install parallel to the main light source
3. Lay panels close together on floor
4. Lock in half-length panel with rotating motion
5. Observe clearances
6. Lock in panel lengthwise
7. Link panels transversely
8. Continue in stepped fashion
9. Rotate offcut section 180° and mark accordingly
10. Shorten last panel, rotate 180° and slot in
11. Fit panel using pull bar
12. Allow for expansion
13. Start the next row with the leftover section (min. 16")
14. Cut last row to size
15. Done!

Problem Areas

1. Some long edge joints cannot be installed using a 20-degree angle.
2. Plane off the top part of the tongue and the groove profiles.
3. Use good quality wood glue used to make the connection.
4. Slide panel into place horizontally and slot in profile. Use these modified planks under door frames, radiators, cabinet fronts, etc. Use the pull bar to slide the planks where needed.

Other Recommendations

Clic2Clic joints can be glued which is beneficial around doorway thresholds, where the floor meets a stairway or when small, left over planks are used.

Special Rules for Bathrooms, Kitchens and Similar Areas

Areas where water may occasionally be present on the surface of the floor. In full bathrooms, in kitchens around the sink, dishwasher and icemaker, laundry room and all exterior entranceways, the following additional installation procedures should be observed.

• Add a continuous bead of laminate flooring glue to all four edges of the Clic2Clic planks before installing.
• All expansion spaces in these areas must be filled with a 100% mildew silicone sealant.

Special Rules for In-Floor Heating Systems

Kronotex Clic2Clic is suitable for installation over warm water heating systems that are encapsulated into the sub-floor. Contact a certified flooring installation specialist for specific instructions. During the heating season, it is possible that due to climatic conditions in the room, the joints between the planks may open up slightly. The openings will close when the relative humidity in the room returns to the original condition and therefore is not considered a defect or cause for a claim against the manufacturer.

Special Notes

When sawing with a manual handsaw or table saw, the decorative side must be “face up” to avoid chipping the edges. When sawing with an electric saber or circular saw, the decorative must be "face down".

Planks must follow shape of the wall. If the wall is not straight enough that the required expansion space will not be covered by quarter round molding, the curvature of wall should be traced onto the first row of planks. Saw planks lengthwise, according to the marking and re-install first two rows.

Be sure to leave required clearances to all possible obstructions to the “floating floor”.

Care and Cleaning

1. Laminate flooring is scratch resistant, but no floor is “scratch or cut proof”. Protect the floor from contact with sharp or pointed objects and always use felt floor protectors under the legs of all the furniture.
2. Do not drag heavy objects like an armoire or large kitchen appliance across the laminate floor.
3. Use soft rubber casters complying with commercial standards for wheel-bearing surfaces.
4. In frequently dirty areas, mats should be laid on the laminate in order to create clean walk zones.
5. Kronotex laminate flooring is hygienic and easy to clean with a soft brush or vacuum cleaner. Wipe away footprints and clinging dirt along the length of the planks with a slightly moist cloth. Surplus moisture should be removed immediately.
6. Remove heavy soiling with small amounts of water, mild cleaning agents, small amounts of acetone or preferably, with a specially designed and commercially available brand of laminate flooring cleaner. Do not use any cleaning agents containing wax, oil or polish.
7. The manufacturer cannot be held responsible for damage to the laminate floor from the use of inappropriate or excessive amounts of cleaning agents or water.
8. You can repair slight damage to the planks yourself with laminate flooring repair products such as Color-Fill®. In the case of more serious damage, you should consult a specialist.