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Altro modular flooring installation guide

Textile backed modular vinyl flooring Installation and maintenance instructions

  • Altro Ensemble

 

Last edited: September 2022

 

General points

Before installation, make sure that the floor supplied is in good condition. Check the flooring to ensure colour and batch uniformity and that it matches the sample material. If there are any inconsistencies or issues with the modular flooring, please contact us before cutting or installing. Only in these cases will a complaint for faulty material be recognised. Upon receipt of the modular floor, it should be checked to ensure that the quantities and items supplied are correct and reported to Altro if not. Any transport damage should be reported immediately. Cut or installed flooring cannot subsequently be made subject of a complaint.

All relevant national regulations must be complied with when working with Altro floor coverings. When installing modular flooring, the generally recognised rules of the trade must be adhered to and the techniques applied. These can be found in valid standards, for the UK refer to BS 8203:2017, Code of practice for installation of resilient floor coverings and for Australia refer to AS 1884 Floor Coverings - Resilient sheet and tiles – installation practices. For other countries please refer to relevant national standards. Observe the application guidelines issued by the adhesives industry when handling the adhesives and auxiliary materials. Only use installation materials from one and the same manufacturer and product series. Before using any adhesive, users should refer to the SDS (Safety Data Sheet) for correct safety advice and to determine the level of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and RPE (Respiratory Protective Equipment) that is required. A COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) assessment and risk assessment should be carried out before using the adhesive. In the case of contact with eyes or skin, rinse immediately with plenty of water and seek medical advice.

1. Climatic conditions and examination of the subfloor

A room temperature of at least 18°C, a floor temperature of at least 15°C and room humidity of between 40 and 65% are necessary for proper installation of the modular flooring. These climatic conditions must be maintained for 3 days before installation work is started, during the work and for up to 7 days following installation.

Subfloors must conform to BS 8203:2017, AS1884 or other relevant national standards. The construction regulations applicable in the respective country of installation must be complied with. The installer must ensure that the subfloor is suitable (substrates must always be clean, smooth, dry and free from dust, dirt, oil, grease, and other contamination which may impair adhesion). Absorbent subfloors and an even surface are prerequisite to proper installation.

2. Installation

The modular flooring is suitable for use in residential and commercial/public buildings (e.g. shop construction, hotels, offices, doctors‘ surgeries, homes and facilities for senior citizens). This does not apply to installation in wet rooms and certain medical areas that are subject to stricter hygiene requirements, e.g. operating theatres. The modules must be bonded across their entire surface. Depending on the format, different modules may be combined during installation. You can choose from a very wide range of different design options, e.g. herringbone or chessboard pattern. The stone designs have directional arrows on the back and it is essential that these products are laid in the same direction.

The modular floor must be acclimatised for at least 24 hours before installation and should only be removed from the box at the time of installation. The modular floor should not be left out of the box overnight or for extended periods of time. For general areas we recommend the use of a water based acrylic adhesive and the modular floor MUST be placed into the adhesive while the adhesive is wet.

Excess adhesive should be removed with a cloth and a neutral detergent in the case of acrylic adhesive or with alcohol for two component adhesives. Removal of excess adhesive should be carried out as work progresses and whilst the adhesive is still wet. Do not use contact adhesives that contain solvents under any circumstances. If such adhesives are used, there is a risk that the adhesive will seep through and discolour the flooring surface. If there are any areas where a contact adhesive has to be used, ensure that the flooring is bonded using a solvent free adhesive.

For general areas we recommend the use of a water based acrylic adhesive

We recommend use of a 2 part polyurethane adhesive such as AltroFix 19 Plus when installing in areas which could be subject to spillages.

The modular floor MUST be placed into wet adhesive, ensuring that there is complete transfer to the back of the flooring and that there are no gaps between adjacent sections of flooring. The floor covering should be rolled with a 50 kg roller after installation and again approximately 30 minutes later.

The modular flooring can be installed over underfloor heating. The temperature at the adhesive line must not exceed 27°C and relative humidity (RH) levels should not exceed 75% at the point of flooring installation. In addition to the subfloor being dry the heating should have been fully commissioned and taken through two complete cycles of heating up and cooling down prior to the flooring being installed. The heating system should then be turned off and the subfloor cool before the flooring is laid, and remain off during the flooring installation process and for a minimum of 48 after completion.

The installed surfaces should not be subjected to loads until the adhesive has set completely.

3. Important information

3.1 Wheels, rollers and slides

When used on resilient flooring, office chairs with castors must be fitted with castors of type “W” in accordance with EN 12529. Protective caps / ferrules should be affixed to the underside of the feet of chairs and other items of furniture in order to protect the areas of flooring on which they stand. Make sure that the protective caps / ferrules are perfectly flat and smooth, clean them regularly and replace when worn.

3.2 Sun radiation / sunblinds

In areas subject to higher temperatures (e.g. conservatories), the modular floor must be bonded across its entire surface with a two part polyurethane or high temperature resistant adhesive. High air and surface temperatures can lead to changes in the adhesive drying times and may also lead to dimensional and colour changes in the modular flooring. These climatic conditions require special measures (ventilation, shading, air conditioning). Areas exposed to intense sun radiation should be fitted with effective sunblinds.

3.3 Residual indentations

Residual indentations can be reduced significantly by selecting appropriate adhesives, use of the recommended quantities of adhesive, choosing the right time to move furniture in and through the use of suitable protective caps / ferrules.

3.4 Discoloration

If Altro floor coverings are in contact with certain types of rubber (e.g. certain types of doormat backing, the feet of chairs or other items of furniture) over a longer period of time, irreversible discoloration of the surface of the flooring may occur. It is therefore essential that nonstaining types of rubber are used.

Cleaning and maintenance

Basics

The contractor should provide the customer with cleaning and maintenance instructions. You can download these from www.altro.com/uk. Correct cleaning and maintenance will have a decisive influence on the service life of the installed flooring. We recommend that the amount of water used for cleaning is kept to a minimum (using only a slightly damp mop) and that leaving puddles of water on the flooring be avoided.

Preventive measures

Soiling can be greatly reduced by providing suitable “walkoff areas” with appropriate door mats at the entrances to buildings. These should have a length of at least 4–6 strides.

Please note: A distinction should always be made between adhesive and nonadhesive dirt. Nonadhesive dirt should be removed using a dry method of cleaning. Loose dust, for example, can be removed simply by brushing or using a vacuum cleaner with a hard floor brush.

1. Final cleaning after installation

Final cleaning after installation to remove any construction dirt must not take place until the flooring adhesive has hardened completely, and no earlier than after 48 hours.

Please note: Initial treatment is not necessary.

Altro Modular flooring does not require extra surface polish or treatment following installation. The surface is fully and permanently sealed during the manufacturing process and only requires ongoing cleaning and maintenance on a regular basis with the correct cleaning solution and equipment.

The exception to this is pretreatment in hairdressing salons, car dealerships, etc., where the flooring must be sealed with a suitable polyurethane sealant or some other coating such as “Altrogloss 211™”. In the case of hairdressing salons, this prevents hair from damaging the surface and increases the flooring’s resistance to substances that could stain or bleach the flooring material. The application guidelines of the sealant manufacturer must be complied with.

2. Routine cleaning

Routine cleaning should be carried out using a neutral detergent that contains no care product ingredients and leaves no residue on the surface of the flooring. Cleaning products should not contain any substances that form a film. Ensure cleaning agent manufacturers’ instructions are followed and regular cleaning protocols are maintained, in particular you must always rinse floors after cleaning even when the manufacturer recommends a “no rinse” approach, as leaving chemicals on your floors may cause damage and dirt to accumulate.

Machine cleaning

The use of a scrubbing / vacuum machine is particularly effective in large buildings. We recommend the use of cleaning machines in combination with Altro UniPad™ cleaning pad or similar cleaning pad of the correct size. to deal with outside areas and hallways. For smaller areas, please use machines with a high suction capacity; they should also be equipped with a constant suction mode when moving forwards or backwards.

Please note: Routine cleaning should be carried out using a microfibre mop in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines. As a rule, we recommend using a mop with a working width of 40 cm.

3. Basic cleaning

In the event of basic cleaning becoming necessary due to an excessive dirt, it can be carried out easily in accordance with the cleaning agent manufacturer’s instructions.

Removing stains

Stains and scuffs from the soles and heels of shoes that cannot be removed by routine cleaning can be dealt with using suitable stain removers and cleaning techniques.

4. List of cleaning agents

A list of the specific products available from the respective manufacturers for final cleaning, routine cleaning and basic cleaning can be found at www.altro.com/uk. If you have any questions, please contact Altro for technical advice +44 (0) 1462 707600.

We accept no liability for the cleaning and care products recommended by the manufacturers as regards effectiveness and fulfilment of expectations. If you have any questions, including regarding sources of supply, please contact the manufacturers directly.

Measures to maintain condition and value

Under certain circumstances, it is possible to apply coatings to the high quality, UV bonded surface of Altro floor coverings. However, you should always contact the respective cleaning agent manufacturer prior to applying a coating in order to discuss potential options with regard to the products and technologies. In individual cases, the use of coatings can lead to changes in the factory guaranteed properties, such as the slip resistance class, cleaning characteristics and gloss level. Altro will deem any claims arising from such changes to be invalid.

1. Maintaining value in the event of micro-scratches

If the high quality surface coating applied at the factory exhibits signs of wear (e.g. microscratches), suitable measures can be taken to restore the surface and preserve the value of the flooring. In such cases, the surfaces can be restored using suitable coatings.

You can find the latest issue of these “Installation and cleaning instructions” at www.altro.com/uk

Errors and omissions excepted.

For further information or technical advice
call our Customer Care Centre on 01426 707600
or email: enquiries@altro.com