With its extra stable core and tight-lock installation system, AtroGuard is easy to install, and thanks to floor’s rigidity, it only requires a minimum subfloor preparation (subfloor should be leveled to 3/16” (5mm) within a 10 ft (3m) span). A do-it-yourselfer can click together a living room size floor in about a day, and start enjoying it immediately.

AtroGuard flooring can be installed in any room inside the house where the floor is solid and flat, including full bathrooms, laundry rooms and basements. Special precautions should be used when installing in some areas, such as bathrooms with showers or mudrooms, by adding a silicone sealant in the expansion spaces at the perimeter and all vertical interruptions. AtroGuard should not be installed in rooms with sump pumps or floor drains, or in motor homes, boats or planes.

AtroGuard floors are water-resistant; however, special precautions should be used when installing in some areas such as kitchens, bathrooms with showers or mudrooms, adding a silicone sealant in the expansion spaces at the perimeter and all vertical interruptions.

Water spillage as is the case in bathrooms and kitchens won’t damage the floor but standing water must be avoided at all times. Water spillage must be cleaned up as soon as possible, within 24 hours.

1. Prior to installation, inspect material in daylight for visible faults/damage, including defects or discrepancies in color or shine; check the edges of the flooring for straightness and any damage. No claims on surface defects will be accepted after installation.
2. Calculate the room surface prior to installation and plan an extra 5-10 % of flooring for cutting waste.
3. Ensure that the subfloor is flat and level.
4. Crawl space and/or room should be ventilated and dry.

For the best result, it is recommended to acclimate AtroGuard floor prior to installation. Keep the boards in room temperature for at least 48 hours in unopened package before you start the installation. The room temperature must be between 60˚to 95˚F (15° to 35°C) before, during and after installation. Relative Humidity Levels of your room should be maintained at 40-65%. For floor surfaces exceeding 4000 ft2 (400m2) and or lengths exceeding 66 ft (20m) and overlaps to new rooms and floor surface which do not join symmetrically, use expansion joints to divide the floor sections.

AtroGuard floors can be installed over most existing hard surface flooring, including wood, concrete, and vinyl sheet. You can also install over tiles, as long as it is not a floating installation.
The exceptions are laminate, floating floors of any type, loose lay, and perimeter fastened sheet vinyl. These types of flooring should be removed prior to installing AtroGuard. The existing floors still have to meet the level requirements, which is no more than a 3/16” (5mm) difference in a 10 ft (3m) span.
You should install a foam underlay, unless your product has a pre-attached pad. If you are installing over a concrete sub floor, a 6-mil poly (plastic sheeting) is to be installed under the foam underlay. Note: Many foam underlays already have this plastic sheeting pre-attached).

Please refer to AtroGuard Installation Manual for more detailed information.

DO NOT INSTALL OVER

1. Any type of carpet.
2. Existing cushion-backed vinyl flooring.
3. Floating floor of any type, loose lay, and perimeter fastened sheet vinyl.
4. Hardwood flooring / wood subfloors that lay directly on concrete or over dimensional
   lumber or plywood used over concrete.

Install parallel to incoming light from any windows or if lighting is not a concern, parallel to the longest wall in the room.

The recommended expansion space for all AtroGuard floors is 1/2″ (1cm) for all vertical interruptions, be they the walls, moldings, pillars, HVAC vents, flooring receptacles, masonry, toilet flanges, pipes, etc.Do not install your kitchen cabinets or any fixed objects directly over your floor. The floor’s quality can be guaranteed as long as the floor can move freely.

AtroGuard installation allows up to 66 ft (20m), in either direction, with no unsightly transition moldings needed as long as the flooring can freely move. That’s 4305 ft2 (400m2). Make sure to respect the 1/2″ (10mm) expansion space around the perimeters of the room. As long as you are within the limit that does not require transition strips, unsightly door transitions are fortunately not required either. AtroGuard installation allows up to 60 ft (20m), in either direction, with no transition moldings needed. Make sure to respect the 1/2″ (10mm) expansion space around the perimeters of the room.

If the floor does not have a pre-attached underlayment, an additional underlayment is recommended in order to improve acoustic performance and absorb some irregularities on the substrate. Best results can be expected with an underlayment of 1mm to max 1.5mm thickness with a high density (>180kg/m3) and high compressive strength (>200kPa) that supports the click system during daily use. Underlayment with a low density and an inadequate compressive strength could damage the locking mechanism and will void warranty. If the floor has a pre-attached underlayment, the use of an additional underlayment could damage the locking mechanism and will void warranty.

• Clean the floor regularly. For general cleaning, use a dust mop or vacuum with the correct hard surface attachment – never a rotating brush, floor scrubbers, steamers, jet mops, buffers or similar products. If necessary, the floor may be cleaned with a wet mop and a laminate cleaner.
• Avoid using too much water and be sure to squeeze the water out of the mop before mopping, and rinse the mop frequently. AtroGuard floors must never be waxed, polished, sanded or refinished, and never use a steam, wet or jet mop when cleaning. NEVER use detergents, abrasive cleaners, soaps, waxes or polishes.
• To protect from scratches, place walk-off area rugs or mats inside exterior doorways to collect small bits of gravel. We recommend using felt protectors on the legs of furniture and replacing plastic or metal casters with rubber wheels. Replace plastic or metal casters on chairs with rubber wheels and lift rather than slide heavy objects across the floor.
• We DO NOT recommend the use of steam mops on AtroGuard floors.

• For chocolate, grease, juice and wine stains, use lukewarm water and a non-abrasive cleaner. Nail polish, tar, markers, crayon, lipstick, ink and cigarette burns can be removed using nail polish remover or denatured alcohol. For candle wax and chewing gum, scrape carefully with a blunt plastic scraper.
• While no similar flooring is guaranteed against scratching or loss of gloss, the surface of Atroguard is textured with a medium graining and a tough wear layer for durability. We warrant that Atroguard will not stain from pet (domestic cat or dog) stains, including urine, feces and vomit, providing it is cleaned within 24 hours!

• Support furniture with wide-bearing, non-staining floor protectors. Ideally, the protectors should be at least one inch in diameter, made of non-pigmented, hard plastic and rest flat on the floor. Non-staining felt protectors are also acceptable. Casters with a minimum 3/4″ flat surface width or floor protectors are recommended for all moveable furniture. Make sure any metal protectors are rustproof. Replace your narrow-dome furniture rests with wide-bearing ones.
• • AtroGuard floors feature AC-4 scratch resistant commercial rating, which is highly scratch resistant but not scratch proof.

Here is some information that might help you down the road to prevent or minimize scatches:

• Use felt pads on the bottom of all chairs/tables/sofas.
• Change all plastic or metal casters on rolling furniture to rubber casters.
• Do not drag heavy furniture across the floor.