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 10°C is required. Ambient Relative Humidity should be between 40% and 60% RH.

The tiles should be unpacked at least 24 hours prior to installation and allowed to acclimatise to room temperature.

Check that only one batch is being used and install using sequential roll numbers. 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 BS5325.

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

Concrete screeds should be sound and any damaged areas or holes should be made good using an approved levelling compound of at least 3mm. Floorboards should be level and firmly fixed. Uneven wooden surfaces should be overlaid with 6mm thick plywood, which may need sealing to prevent absorption of applied tackifier.

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

Tackifier should be applied to the prepared surface to the manufacturer’s instructions, to provide all over cover.

Raised access floor panels should be treated carefully to ensure that the tackifier does not penetrate the joints between adjacent panels.

The tiles should be installed, when the tackifier is completely dry, using standard fitting techniques. Placement of the tiles when the tackifier is still wet will result in a permanent bond.

The tiles can be installed both in a broadloom manner, with the direction arrows all pointing in the same direction, or in a quarter-trun manner with the direction arrows on alternate tiles rotated through 90 degrees.

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

Special Instructions

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