Site Conditions - acclimatisation

Installation of materials should take place in conditions as close as possible to those of the building when it is occupied.

A general room temperature between 18°C and 27°C should be maintained 48 hours prior to, during, and 24 hours after installation and a sub-floor temperature of at least 15°C is required. Ambient Relative Humidity should be between 40% and 60% R.H.

Rolls should be stored on site, upright, for at least 24 hours in the installation area and for 48 hours if transport or other storage is likely to have been made at temperatures lower than 10°C.

Check that only one batch is being used. Wherever possible, cut to length on the day before installation.

Sub-floor preparation

Sub-floors must be smooth, dry, level and free from any cracks or surface protrusions, in accordance with BS 8203. Excessively dusty surfaces should be primed before spreading adhesives, and any other surface contaminants or materials should be removed.

Moisture testing should be carried out using a hygrometer, and readings should not exceed 75% R.H.

A minimum of 3mm levelling compound should be used to smooth cementitious bases, and wooden floors should be overlaid with 6mm thick plywood.

Underfloor heating should be switched off 48 hours prior to, and 48 hours after, installation. Peak temperatures of 27°C should be reached gradually, over approximately 7 days.

Installation

Both factory edges should be trimmed back to ensure a sound, straight, even cut seam. Material should be fully bonded throughout, using emulsion adhesives, laid according to the adhesive manufacturer’s recommended open times, and using a correctly notched trowel.

The floor should then be rolled in both directions, using a 68kg roller to ensure good transfer of the adhesive to the material backing.

Joints should be hot (thermally) welded once the adhesive has cured, in accordance with the adhesive manufacturer’s guidelines.

Prior to welding the seam, the position should be grooved out to a depth of 2/3 the material thickness and a width of 3.5mm. Use a speed welding nozzle of 5mm diameter and, to avoid shiny patches on the material edges, use a nozzle with a narrow air outlet. Working temperature is approximately 450°C and working speed is about 4-5 metres a minute.

For a watertight installation, materials should be self-coved on perimeter walls laid over cove former. Alternatively, cove sections should be set in and welded after ‘picture framing’ the perimeter. The upright sections should be secured using a contact adhesive and an appropriate edging (capping) trim should be used, dependant on wall finishes.

For installation around drain outlets, follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for clamping devices, and use epoxy or polyurethane adhesives to ensure that the floor is watertight.

Whenever butting to other different adjacent floorcoverings, always use a trim which can be hot welded to the material to avoid water ingress.

For further advice, contact Armstrong's Technical Dept. on 01235 554848

Special Instructions

In the case of chair castor use, always ensure the use of soft castors (type W DIN 68131) to prevent premature surface damage.