INSTALLATION
WoodWall must be installed by a qualified wallpaper installer
Please read these instructions completely before proceeding with the installation. The installation process is critical to the aesthetic appeal and acceptance of WoodWall®. Surface preparation, adhesive and primer selection, environmental conditions and quality workmanship are the key elements for a successful installation. WoodWall® comes from the factory pre-finished with polyurethane sealer and finish.
INSPECTION OF PRODUCT
Please inspect for damage before signing acceptance of product. If damage is noted, please advise freight carrier immediately when signing for the product. Examine all sheets of WoodWall upon receipt for quality and compliance with the approved specification before storing or starting installation. Any shortage of material must be reported within three (3) days after receipt of material. The installing contractor must verify that the correct specified species of timber veneer is present on the job site and review the hanging instructions. Take special note of flitch numbers, sheet numbers and direction markings on the rear of the sheets, to ensure sheets are installed in the correct order and direction and in accordance with the drawings.
STORAGE
WoodWall should be kept in the manufacturer’s packaging until 24 to 48 hours before installation; store in a clean, dry, secure area that has low humidity and a stable temperature range of 7C to 30C.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
Areas to receive WoodWall should be environmentally controlled by a permanent HVAC system. Maintain a temperature range of 18C to 30C, with not more than 50% relative humidity, for a period of not less than four (4) days prior to installation and maintain thereafter.
PREPARATION OF WOODWALL®
Remove WoodWall sheets from the box and allow the sheets to relax and acclimatise to the environment for approximately 24 to 48 hours. If the air is dry, or if the sheets must remain out of the box for an extended period of time, cover with a sheet of vinyl to prevent the veneer from drying out. It is best to lay the sheets face down during this period, and not directly on the floor.
After preliminary inspection, arrange WoodWall sheets in numerical sequence as labelled on the back of each. Along with the sequence number, each sheet also has a flitch number and the word ‘bottom’ printed on the back. All sheets should be installed in sequence order and in the same direction with all ‘bottoms’ down or all ‘bottoms’ up based on appearance preference. In most cases, the installation should be left to right. When the wall is taller than one (1) sheet of material, installation should start at top left descending top to bottom then left to right.
PRIMER
Prime all surfaces according to manufacturer’s instructions. For best results, apply primer with a roller and let cure at least two (2) days before installing WoodWall. The use of the primer will prevent the adhesive from being excessively absorbed into the plasterboard and stop dry pockets as well as promoting the stripability of WoodWall. Primers also allow moisture in the adhesives to wick away from the WoodWall material. Moisture content in the wall substrate should be in a range of 7% to 9% or less; check with a moisture meter if necessary. If a situation is encountered where the walls were previously painted or primed, the surface should be lightly sanded to break the seal prior to applying primer. One test strip of WoodWall should be hung to assure a strong bond between the existing paint/primer and the new primer before proceeding with the installation. Do not use alkyd/oil base primers with WoodWall.
Priming the wall surface
ADHESIVE
Apply adhesive at full strength—whip or stir to thin to desired consistency. Do not dilute adhesive with water.
Apply a uniform layer of adhesive to the back of the WoodWall sheets with standard 10 – 20mm nap paint roller, making sure there are no uncoated areas; book the sheets for 10 to 15 minutes before hanging. Allow the proper time for adhesive to tack after it has been applied to the back of the sheets.
This is important to prevent bubbling after installation. Depending on the condition of the primed substrate, the installer may choose to size the wall surface with a thin coating of the specified adhesive and allow it to tack prior to hanging. It is suggested that the installer test an area first to determine if an adhesive size is needed.
Booking the WoodWall sheet prior to installation
APPLICATION
Apply the sheets to the wall in sequence, filling in over doors and windows from consecutive sheets. After applying each sheet on the wall, smooth with an acrylic smoothing tool, or with smoothing tools which will not mar the finish, but ensure that all air bubbles are eliminated and there is a good bond between the WoodWall and the substrate. Smooth entire surface area of the sheet to ensure all air pockets are eliminated. Air bubbles must be removed, and installation errors corrected, before the adhesive dries. Remove excess adhesive from each sheet as you go prior to installing the next sheet. Use a clean, moist, natural sponge to remove excess adhesive and dry the surface with a lint free towel. It is very important to change water frequently in order to maintain cleanliness and not leave streaks on the face of the WoodWall.
Do not install WoodWall with temporary lighting. Installation with permanent lighting is recommended. Sufficient lighting will greatly assist in seeing air pockets or bubbles and other installation problems that may occur. Factory trimmed edges can be butt jointed during installation, but for best results, it is suggested to overlap and double cut all seams with a razor blade. For installation of WoodWall sheets that are 3100mm and longer, all seams must be double cut in order to achieve a tight acceptable joint seam. Keep overlap to a minimum to avoid disruption of the veneer pattern repeat.
Leaving WoodWall overlapped at the seams is not acceptable.
Double cutting the seams
Vertical joints should not occur less than 65mm from all outside and inside corners if at all possible, based on the corner being in square.
The following holds true on all corners that are square. Wrapping an outside corner with WoodWall is done in the same manner as heavy-duty vinyl wallcovering with one exception. When bending around an outside corner, wet the face of the prefinished WoodWall with clean water and a clean lint-free rag. The moisture added will allow the wood to bend around the corner without breaking. Follow these same steps for an inside corner as well.
Air bubbles must be removed and installation errors corrected before adhesive dries. Sufficient lighting will greatly assist in seeing bubbles and other installation problems. After installing 3 sheets of WoodWall, inspect the material for proper installation.
TEST AREA APPROVAL
The wall-covering installer shall install not less than three (3) full-width sheets of each pattern specified, as a test area, prior to completing the installation. The test installation area shall be reviewed for conformance to the manufacturer’s standard installation instructions and recommended adhesives. Only the Architect, Designer or Owner shall approve the test installation.
Use of an unspecified adhesive, primer or any additional finishes will void the manufacturer’s warranty at time of installation. The approved test area shall remain as part of the finished installation work and as a standard of comparison for the installation throughout the project. The Contractor shall not install specified material beyond the test area prior to the approval of the test area, by the Architect, Designer or Owner.
PREPARING THE SURFACE
New Plasterboard
Finish Plasterboard to comply with the relevant NZ standards and/or architects specifications. All joints and interior angles shall have tape embedded in joint compound and 3 separate coats of joint compound applied over all joints, angles, fastener heads and accessories.
All joint compound shall be smooth and free of tool marks and ridges. The surface shall be clean, smooth and dry prior to the application of WoodWall. Check the moisture content of the wall with a moisture meter. Moisture content shall not be in excess of 7%. If you are installing WoodWall in extremely low humidity areas, primers must be used. This will help ensure that a good bond between the substrate and WoodWall occurs.
The primer prevents the adhesive from being absorbed into the substrate too quickly and it will give added time to the installer for slippage and removal of selvedge when double cutting. Allow the size to dry, then paste the back of the WoodWall and install.
Painted Plasterboard
All surfaces must be clean, dry and smooth and it is extremely important that the paint be tight and free from flaking. Allow freshly painted plasterboard to cure at least 14 days prior to priming and installing WoodWall.
Alkyd/Oil Surface
Surfaces painted with alkyd/oil paint will not allow the moisture to be absorbed into the plasterboard. Therefore, a wall liner must be applied before proceeding with installing WoodWall to allow the moisture to wick away from the WoodWall. Allow sufficient time for the moisture in the adhesive used to install the wall liner to evaporate and cure. A paper wall liner is all that is needed in this application.
Acrylic/Latex Surface
Sand painted surface to break the seal and allow for the moisture in the adhesive to be absorbed into the plasterboard. Apply one of the approved primers to ensure a strong bond of WoodWall. Size the substrate with adhesive. Allow it to dry. Paste the back of the WoodWall and install. Depending on the condition of the painted substrate, the installer may choose not to size the plasterboard. It is suggested that the installer test an area first.
Damaged Plasterboard
Prime damaged areas such as torn plasterboard facing paper, over skim coat repairs and old adhesive residue with a high performance sealer.
New Plaster (12mm – 20mm Thickness)
Finish all plaster to comply with the relevant New Zealand standards and/or Architects specifications. All surfaces must be clean, dry, smooth and free of defects. All undulations in the plaster must be smoothed to a flat finish. Test the wall surfaces with a moisture meter to ensure the moisture content does not exceed 7%. Ideally new plaster walls should age 60 to 90 days before painting or installing WoodWall. If you cannot wait, then wash newly plastered walls with zinc sulphate solution to neutralize the lime (1/4 to 1/2kg of zinc sulphate crystals per litre of water). Apply an approved primer, size the substrate with a recommended adhesive and allow to dry, then paste the back of the WoodWall and install.
Painted Plaster
All surfaces must be clean, dry and smooth and it is extremely important that the paint be tight and free from flaking. All efflorescence crystals should be removed before starting the installation. All undulations in the plaster must be smoothed to a flat finish. Attention must be paid to the type of paint and the number of coats the plaster has received over time. If the paint surface can be sanded and the paint surface broken to allow the moisture from the adhesive to be wicked away, then the installer may size the wall with a recommended adhesive. Allow the size to dry, then paste the back of the WoodWall and install. Painted plaster walls which have numerous coats of Alkyd /Oil or even Latex may have to use wall liner when the sealed surface cannot be broken by sanding. Install the wall liner allowing sufficient time for the moisture in the adhesive used to evaporate. Then paste the back of WoodWall and install.
Contact Adhesive over Non-Porous Surfaces
Substrates that may require the use of contact adhesive are: painted metal, stainless steel, plastic laminate, MDF and other non-porous surfaces. Never use contact adhesive on plasterboard or plaster.
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PREPARATION
Ensure both surfaces are clean and free of all dust, oils or other foreign matter and as smooth as possible. MDF edges should be sealed to prevent the expansion and contraction of the MDF due to moisture absorption. The WoodWall material and the substrate of choice should be stored in the same surroundings for 24 to 48 hours before starting the installation. This will allow both products to acclimatise together before bonding. If the metal surface has not been factory primed with a rust inhibitor, then the installer shall use a quality zinc chromate primer to prime the metal surface.
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ADHESIVE
When using a contact adhesive, always use 100% coverage on both the back of the veneer sheet and the face of the substrate. Let the adhesive have the correct amount of dry open time. You don’t want to trap gases that can later cause blisters. The time can vary depending on the airflow around your work area, ambient temperature and humidity at the time of installation. Follow manufacturer’s instructions.
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BONDING
When contact adhesive is being used the best method of pressure is a lot of pressure all at one time. This pressure can be reached by using an acrylic smoothing tool covered with a felt cloth. (Do not use a J-Roller for applying pressure) Starting in the centre of the surface to be bonded, pull the smoother toward you going with the grain. Apply pressure with both hands, pushing down as hard as possible. Keep doing this as you move over 80 – 100mm at a time (your smoother should be 100 to 150 mm wide) until you have rubbed down the entire surface.
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TIME
Don’t rush your work. In order for contact cement to work, a chemical reaction must take place. This reaction produces gas and you need to allow this gas to escape from the edges. Many jobs appear perfect and then blisters start to appear. Reasons for this may include: (1) Insufficient adhesive coverage; (2) Not enough pressure applied to form an intimate bond; (3) Insufficient amount of open time.
CLEANING
The cleaning process is a very important part of the installation process of WoodWall’s overall appearance. Adhesive and paste residue left on the surface of the wood species can become a problem later if not cleaned off during the installation process. It is recommended to clean the surface of the WoodWall with clean water once or twice during the final installation process. A lint-free cloth or a good grade sponge can be used for this process.
If adhesive or paste is not cleaned off, the surface will become cloudy or look milky white after a 30 to 60 day period following the installation. If this occurs it is recommended to use an adhesive cleaning chemical by Zinsser Co. called DIF. DIF can be purchased at paint or hardware supply stores.
MAINTENANCE
Maintenance is recommended to be done once a year and not more than twice a year as follows. Clean the entire surface of all exposed wood by using Murphy’s Oil Soap or similar, following directions by the manufacturer. The wood surface may also be cleaned with warm clean water using a damp lint-free rag or sponge.
Do not use any abrasive cleaners or pads on the surface of WoodWall® real wood wallpaper at any time.
Usually installed vertically, may also be hung horizontally