Technical specifications - Magnum

1.    Base and Atmosphere

Floor components Magnum are designed to be laid in a floating manner or to be glued in the whole area. They are to be used in flats and in public areas with the corresponding operation if suitable conditions for use are secured (suitable conditions of interior climate, prevention of bringing dirt in shoes, etc.). Manufacturer?s professional staff will be happy to provide information and consultation concerning detailed conditions for the use of the floors. Guarantee cannot be asserted in case the floor is damaged by use or by unsuitable atmospheric conditions.

Atmosphere
Floor components Magnum are manufactured using the latest technologies; their humidity is regulated in the production process in such a way so that the final product is stable and free of deformations under common conditions of healthy living.
Expected atmospheric conditions:
Air temperature - 21°C is optimal; temperature fluctuations are expected in the range which is common in living areas - i.e. from 17°C to 28°C in the short run. In case of a heating failure during cold weather or in case of other long-term changes of conditions, the floor may be damaged irreversibly.
Relative air humidity - 45-60 %. Longer influence of dryer or wetter air causes deformations of floor components or other defects. 

Base
The base for floor components Magnum must be solid, hard, dry and even. The base must correspond to the ČSN 74 4505 standard. Humidity of the base concrete must not exceed 2.5%, and 0.5% for anhydrite bases, determined using the weight method. Base evenness must not be worse than 2 mm / 2 m (hollow size between 2 elevated places, measured by a two-metre-long even lath).
For instance, cement or anhydrite screeds, screeds of mastic asphalt or wood-based boards are considered suitable bases in case they meet requirements of the standard for the base. If laid in the floating manner, old PVC may also be used as well as linoleum and tiles.  However, in such cases, the bases must be checked by a specialist before the floor components are laid in order to find out whether the bases comply with requirements for cohesiveness and other necessary parameters, besides the requirements of the standard.

In case unevenness is discovered, it must be levelled out, using a suitable spatula substance which is to be connected with the base firmly. It is necessary to observe technological procedures and time-limits stipulated by the spatula manufacturer. It is not permitted to level out unevenness by means of other materials (paper, cardboard, underlays under floating floors, etc.).
It is not permitted to lay floor components directly on the grillage base (including cases when compacted insulations are used against impact sound). These components are not carrying components and they do not have a static effect. In case of a dry ceiling construction, base deflections must be prevented before the floor components are laid.
Warning for Floor Heating: Wood is a natural material, warm to touch, and it is also an excellent heat isolator. Therefore, its use for floor heating is only recommended in justified cases. Temperature for the medium to be used for hot-water heating must not exceed 40°C and surface temperature must not exceed 27°C. Minimum thickness of the concrete layer or spattle coating above floor heating is 25 mm. It is recommended to use underlays for floor heating. Common types of electric floor heating are not suitable to be used for wooden floor covering because they do not secure even distribution of humidity and temperature.
In view of the natural properties of wood, shape and dimension deformations may occur if the floor covering is used above floor heating without any humidity regulation.
Parquet floor MAGNUM may be laid on hot-water floor heating; however, this increases the risk of volume changes of installed floor components. Following woody plants are unsuitable to be laid over floor heating: beech, hornbeam, maple, tigerwood, Jatoba, steamed false-acacia and patterns covering the whole area (LHD). These woods or types of stepping surface react expressively to a change of climatic conditions and so various deformations or generation of grooves between the parts can occur. In the case of placing on under-floor heating, no warranty is valid for the above-mentioned woody plants.

2.    Tools and Aids

We recommend using the following tools and aids in order to lay the floor in a floating manner:
-    El. direct saw or circular saw (or a manual saw)
-    An instrument to force the parquets in (at least 300 mm long)* and a hammer (approx. 800 g)
-    A rule and a set square
-    A pencil
-    A wedge
-    Wedges to secure expansion joints
-    A drilling machine and other manual tools, if needed
-    A hydrometer to find out atmospheric conditions **

In order to finish the floor by means of plinth and transitional bars, the following tools are needed, too: a miter saw, iron saw, hammer drill, cement, etc.
* It is possible to use a prism made of wood or nylon or a special metal instrument. It must always be adjusted so as to prevent damaging of floor components by the bruising of feathers, scratching, etc.
** It is not necessary in case the place and base are received and approved by a specialized company.
In order to facilitate assembly and improve utility properties of the floor, joint impregnation MagLock Gel may be used. If the MagLock Gel is used, the directions for its use must be complied with.

3.    Before Assembly

If laid on mineral bases (concrete), humidity insulation must always be applied - a polyethylene foil of at least 0.2 mm. On wooden bases the insulation against humidity is not being placed. Foil edges must be overlapped by 200 mm as minimum and pasted over with a water-proof strip along the whole length of the joint. Apply insulation against impact sound of 2-3 mm, e.g. from foam polyethylene, over the PE foil. The principle of the floating manner of laying the floor components is to permit dimension changes of the floor covering and, therefore, a dilatation gap of  10 mm as minimum must be observed around walls and all firmly set objects (pipes, thresholds, stairs, columns, door frames, etc.). In larger rooms, maintain a dilatation gap of 1.5 mm per each meter of the floor width. This gap must be maintained throughout the entire perimeter of the floor. If floor width exceeds 10 m, it must be divided by means of an expansion joint and covered by a suitable bar.  Measure the floor; if the last line of the boards results narrower than 70 mm, cut the first line, too. Place the floor components longitudinally to the direction of light impact. The dilatations must be designed taking into account future load of the floor (furniture, built-in wardrobes, pianos, etc.).
Handle the parquet packages with care to prevent their damage. Before unpacking, let the parquets settle down at the laying place for 48 hours as minimum and at a temperature of 18°C and at relative humidity of 45 - 60%. Wooden floors MAGNUM have surface treatment completed by varnish or oil. They are laid in the floating manner; this means that the boards are mutually connected to the feather and the groove by glue or without glue if the MagLock5GS system is used, but they are not fixed to the base.
Or the whole area of the floor may be glued to the base using suitable glue. Only water-free and alcohol-free glues may be used. PU-glues and elastic glues are recommended. Observe instructions provided by the glue manufacturer while gluing the floor. Contact your supplier for further information.
Before and during the laying, check each component, preferably during daylight. Cast out damaged components or components differing in colour. The person making the installation is responsible for securing that defective parquets will not be used. A guarantee claim cannot be asserted for defective components that have been laid.

4.    Work Process

MAGLOCK 5GS
1. Start in a corner of a room and lay from the left to the right so that the transversal and longitudinal feathers of the joint may be directed to a wall. (Fig. 1).
2. Put down the next parquet at an angle with respect to the first one and lay it on the floor directly. Continue in this way to the end of the first row. (Fig. 2). Cut the last parquet in the first row to the required length and don´t forget the dilatation grooves (Fig. 3). The overhangs of the transversal joints must be 600 mm at least (Fig. 4).
3. Begin the following row with the rest of the parquet of the preceding row (length of 400 mm at least). Place a panel at an angle with respect to the parquet, press it in the forward direction and put it on the floor at the same time. (Fig. 5).
4. Place the next parquet, with its longitudinal side, at an angle to the preceding row and press it downwards (Fig. 6) so that the short side of the joint may engage into the securing groove (Fig. 7). Tap through the stopper carefully on the long end till the parquet is horizontal. Tip: shift the tapping block finely along the long joint and the panel will engage easily. The short joint is locked up only after the next row has been laid i.e. with shifting the closing plastic (Fig. 8 a+b).
5. After putting down three rows of parquets, the distance between peripheral parquets and the wall must be secured by means of wedges ? the dilatation groove must be kept (Fig. 9).
6. Cut the last row of panels to a suitable width (50 mm at least) and remember to keep the dilatation groove (Fig. 10).
7. Bore holes in places where heating tubes will conduct. The diameter of the hole should be greater by 20 mm than that of the tube. According to the figure cut a part and stick it back on the place where the panel was located originally. Use a wooden rosette to cover the overlap (Fig. 11).
8. If circumstances prevent you from shifting the other floor part at an angle, remove 2/3 of the lock profile from the groove (Fig. 12). Then spread the dispersing glue on wooden floors and shift the part in the place horizontally (Fig. 13).    
9. Start to mount the plinth and transitional bars. Don?t forget to keep the dilatation groove and allow the floor to be able to move.
10. The floor can be disassembled very easily, which enables replacing a parquet during the installation. If you wish to remove a part, the whole parquet must be lifted a little while lightly tapping closely over the longitudinal joint (Fig. 14). The short joint can be disintegrated by horizontal shifting of the parquets one from the other (Fig. 15).
11. The assembling and disassembling of the joint can be simplified with a special tool (16 a+b).  In this way you can make your job easier when replacing a parquet or when locking in the floor at the end of the last row.

MAGNUM floors ? MagLock5GS can be easily dismounted and this permits easier replacement of damaged components during use. Floor should always be laid as the last constructional adjustment before mounting door frames, both in new buildings and during reconstructions.

5.    Use and Maintenance

Three-layer parquets MAGNUM are made of natural materials. The wood of three-layer parquets MAGNUM changes its colour in the course of time. This phenomenon is common for wood. These properties of the wood (colour changes as a result of sun radiation, volume changes due to climatic conditions) are not subject to guarantee claims. On floors with a stepping layer of exotic wood some mineral stains may appear (Jatoba, Dousie. Panga, etc.) on the surface after a certain time. This is the natural property of these types of wood and not a cause for complaint.

Protect the floor at the entrance door by means of a mat or a cleaning zone before and after the door to the interior. This will prevent transmission of dirt, sand, gravel and humidity and protect the MAGNUM floor and increase its service life. Cover furniture legs by felt pads that will prevent occurrence of unwanted scratches on the floor. Provide roller chairs and movable pieces of furniture with soft casters. Install plastic mats and backplates under movable office furniture in order to eliminate increased pressure on the floor. In order to maintain the floor stable during the heating season we recommend installing water evaporators on the heating or electric humidifiers. 

How to Handle and Maintain Varnished Floors

It is very easy to keep the MAGNUM floor clean. Use a gentle broom for common daily cleaning or a vacuum cleaner with a parquet attachment. If needed, wipe the floor off by a gently moistened mop or a piece of cloth. Having wiped off the floor, water must not remain laying on the floor. Use only recommended cleaning agents for wooden floating floors and always follow their instructions for use. It is not recommended to use steam cleaners and cleaning machines.
Warning:
Cleaning agents containing detergents let water soak through otherwise inaccessible places. Do not use dish detergents.
Some household cleaning agents (e.g. agents to remove furring) are aggressive solvents and even their short application (a drop on the floor) may cause irreversible damage to the floor surface.

Wipe off spilt liquids immediately. Do not use acids and solvents or detergent and powdered cleaning agents to clean the floor. The MAGNUM floors are protected by means of a very resistant varnish.  Thanks to a strong stepping layer, parquets may be re-sanded and re-varnished, if needed. Always remove stains using a recommended cleaning agent.

A few hints for stains:
Asphalt, oil, soot, grease, etc.        tech. gasoline
Indian ink, lipstick                    turpentine and water 1:1
Chewing gum, etc.                Freeze and scrape off with caution
Proceed with care and caution while using these cleaning agents because when used in higher concentrations or for a longer time they might cause damage.

How to Handle and Maintain Oiled Floors

Easier maintenance of the whole floor can be ensured by regular care of oiled floors, which will increase their service life and resistance to wear.
The MAGNUM parquets have been treated with natural oil in advance and, in this state, are ready to be laid and used in living rooms. After having finished the installation, we recommend to re-oil the floor or treat it with corresponding treating agents. If spoiled (e.g. with dust from building work, etc.), the oiled floors must always be maintained by over-oiling.
The daily maintenance is performed by sweeping with a fine broom or by suction with a vacuum cleaner. To clean the oiled parquets, some detergent for oiled surfaces must be added into water in the recommended quantity.
By using a special cleaning agent a protective film will be created on the surface of the parquets; this film increases resistance of the floor to wear and tear. Use only cleaning agents for oiled wooden floors and always follow their instructions for use.
Important warning: Always wipe oiled floor off with water mixed with an agent in such a proportion as stated by the manufacturer of the agent.

Depending on how the oiled wooden floor is used and in order to maintain high quality of surface treatment, we recommend re-oiling in living rooms once a year and even more frequently if needed and in commercial areas once every 6 months at least, depending on how the floor is used.

MAGNUM Parket, a.s., as the manufacturer, is not liable for any problems or defects that may arise out of non-professional preparation of the base, installation itself of the floor, exposure of the floor to unsuitable climatic conditions or unsuitable maintenance.
A guarantee claim cannot be asserted for defective components or components with a differing colour that have been laid.
In critical cases we recommend obtaining sufficient information on the specific needs of your construction before laying the floor. Should you have any further questions, please contact your selling agent.