Foreword

TCVN 7955:2008 was compiled by the Institute of Building Materials – Ministry of Construction, submitted by the Ministry of Construction, appraised by the Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality, and promulgated by the Ministry of Science and Technology.

1. Scope of application

This regulation applies to the construction and acceptance of floorboard installation.

2. General provisions

2.1. The floorboards mentioned in this regulation include wooden floorboards, bamboo floorboards and engineered floorboards.

2.2. The selection of floorboard type, color, and pattern shall be specified in the design or agreed upon in writing between the contractor and the investor.

2.3. The base surfaces mentioned in this regulation include the following types:

– Cement-sand mortar base;

– Ceramic tile, natural stone, artificial stone, clay brick, granite tile, etc. base;

– Engineered board base;

– Supporting frame.

2.4. Termite protection must be implemented as regulated.

2.5. The floor construction shall only be carried out when other construction tasks related to the room have been completed. If the room already has installed entrance and inward-opening doors, the bottom edge of the doors must be at least equal to the thickness of the floorboard plus 7 mm from the base surface before laying.

2.6. Do not install floorboards when the humidity at the construction site exceeds 85%.

3. Construction process

3.1. Preparing the base surface

To install floorboards, the base surface needs to be dry, clean and flat.

3.1.1. Cement-sand mortar base: if it is new mortar, it must be left for 28 days before laying. If it is old mortar that no longer has sufficient strength, it must be demolished and replaced with new mortar. If only a few spots of mortar no longer have sufficient strength, they must be locally demolished, patched with new mortar, and left for 28 days before laying floorboards. If methods are used to accelerate the mortar’s hardening, the time before use can be shortened but needs to be agreed upon by the design consultant.

3.1.2. If the floor surface has been laid with ceramic tiles, natural stone, artificial stone, or clay bricks, the bonding with the base must be checked. Any loose or detached tiles must be re-adhered.

3.1.3. If the floor surface has been laid with engineered boards, the board quality and tightness of nails and screws must be checked. Any damaged boards need to be replaced with new ones, and any loose nails or screws must be re-tightened.

3.1.4. If it is a supporting frame, it must be aligned to ensure the flatness of the frame.

3.2. Preparing the floorboards

3.2.1. Floorboards brought to the construction site must have quality inspection certificates meeting the requirements specified in the design. Other requirements beyond the standard need to be agreed upon in writing between the supplier, the contractor, and the investor.

3.2.2. Keep the floorboard packages in the room to be laid for at least 48 hours to adapt to the room’s microclimate.

3.3. Preparing construction tools

Construction tools include:

– Drill;

– Saw;

– Rubber mallet;

– Nail hammer;

– Air humidity meter;

– Leveling tool, water level;

– Ordinary magnifying glass.

3.4. Assembling floorboards

3.4.1. Laying the underlayment

3.4.1.1. If the design includes a waterproofing layer, a layer of waterproofing material such as bitumen-polymer membrane, oiled paper, or nylon with a thickness of ≤ 1 mm must be laid. If the membranes have a thickness of < 0.3 mm, they should overlap by about 10 cm. If the membranes have a thickness of ≥ 0.3 mm, they should only be laid edge-to-edge and joined with specialized adhesive tape.

3.4.1.2. If the design includes a sound-dampening layer, a layer of PE foam or felt with a thickness of ≥ 1 mm must be laid on the waterproofing layer. Adjacent sheets are connected with adhesive tape.

3.4.1.3. In case the underlayment combines both waterproofing and sound-dampening, the waterproofing side must be at the bottom.

3.4.1.4. The underlayment layers are laid continuously along the width or length of the room; if the waterproofing and sound-dampening layers are separate, it is recommended to lay the two layers perpendicular to each other.

3.4.1.5. In case of using a supporting frame, it is not necessarily required to lay an underlayment. If required by the design, the underlayment must be laid on the base first, then the supporting frame is installed.

3.4.2. Assembling floorboards

3.4.2.1. The floor surface will be assembled starting from the corner of the room and connecting continuously from the inside out.

3.4.2.2. The floorboards are assembled continuously according to the design. The distance between the wall base and the floor edge is ≥ 10 mm. This is the mandatory distance to be able to assemble the tongue for the last floorboard and also the safe distance for the expansion of the entire floor surface after a period of use.

3.4.3. Handling floor connections and endings.

3.4.3.1. Floor endings at edges with wall bases will be covered with molding or end strips.

3.4.3.2. Floor endings at door edges with end strips.

3.4.3.3. Floor connections when changing colors, between two rooms, or between the floor and a base of different material, use T-shaped strips.

3.4.3.4. Wall moldings should only be directly attached to the wall, not fixed to the floor.

3.4.3.5. Inject specialized adhesive into gaps adjacent to walls, door frames, etc.

3.4.3.6. In case the floorboards have not been surface-treated, after assembly, the surface must be treated according to the supplier’s instructions.

3.5. Floor cleaning

Upon completion of floorboard assembly, the entire floor surface must be cleaned.

3.5.1. For dust, use a soft broom to sweep or a vacuum cleaner.

3.5.2. For dirty streaks, use a damp cloth to wipe along the length of the floorboards. For stubborn stains, use cleaning water according to the supplier’s instructions.

3.5.3. If the floor surface is not used immediately after installation, the entire floor surface must be covered with Craft paper to avoid dust and falling objects that can scratch the floorboard surface.

3.5.4. When placing heavy furniture such as beds, cabinets, tables, or chairs, it is recommended to use pads under the legs to protect the floorboard surface.

3.5.5. It is recommended to place doormats at entrance and lobby locations to limit dirt and scratches on the floor surface.

4. Inspection and acceptance

4.1. Inspection

4.1.1. Inspecting base preparation work

If the base surface is dry, flat, without major defects, and free of dirt, it meets the requirements.

4.1.2. Checking the air humidity at the floorboard installation site

Construction of the floor can only proceed if the air humidity in the floorboard installation area is ≤ 85%.

4.1.3. Checking the floorboards’ acclimatization time

If the floorboard packages are confirmed to have been left in the room for ≥ 48 hours before assembly, the requirement is met.

4.1.4. Checking the flatness of the floorboard surface

Use a specialized flatness measuring tool to check the flatness of the entire floorboard surface. The allowable height tolerance between the edges and end joints of two adjacent floorboards is a maximum of 0.1 mm.

4.1.5. Checking gaps

Check the gaps on the floor surface; if the maximum allowable gap width is 0.5 mm, it can be accepted.

4.2. Acceptance documents

The acceptance documents for the entire floorboard construction work include the following:

– Floorboard reception minutes: time of receipt, quantity, type, label format, quality certificates, usage instructions, name and signature of the deliverer and recipient.

– Minutes of acceptance of surface quality before laying;

– Minutes of acceptance of floorboard laying steps;

– Construction diary of the contractor and the technical inspection and supervision staff;

– Handover acceptance minutes.

5. Occupational safety and environmental hygiene

5.1. People working in the room where floorboards are being installed must wear masks and protective eyewear.

5.2. Do not turn on fans when sawing floorboards and drilling walls.

5.3. Do not allow unauthorized personnel into the area under floor construction.