Installation Guidance Note:
Flotex tiles and planks
General Advice
The appearance, performance and durability of the installed floorcovering will be determined to a large extent by thequality of the prepared subfloor and the conditions in which they are laid.
The installation of Flotex tiles and planks should be carried out in accordance with the national code of practice for theinstallation of resilient floor coverings if applicable. Areas to receive flooring should be clean, free from other trades,
fully enclosed and weather tight. Subfloors should be clean, smooth, sound and permanently dry.
The drying time of tackifiers and open time open time of permanent bond adhesives will depend on site conditions
and porosity of the base. It is best practice to conduct an adhesive bond test before starting the installation. Bond
testing will assist in identifying both the working characteristics of the adhesive (waiting and working time) for the site
conditions, and also any potential bonding problems.
Always conduct moisture tests on all substrates. All ground based level floors should have an effective moisture barrier.
Problems associated with plasticizer migration from PVC materials can lead to dimensional instability in carpet tiles. Allsubfloors of this type must be removed before installation.
It is impossible to ensure that wood block floors are not loose or contain latent defects through aging. It is therefore
strongly recommended that these are removed and that the subfloor is correctly prepared and, if necessary, a surface
damp proof membrane or an asphalt screed applied before installation of carpet tiles.
Raised access flooring panels have a tendency to settle shortly after installation and this should be taken into accountwhen assessing the appearance of the Flotex tile/plank installation fitted onto such flooring systems. Ridges between
uneven raised access floor panels will telegraph through to the finished tile installation. Uneven or loose floor panels
should be levelled or re-fixed before installing Flotex tiles or planks.
Areas to receive flooring shall be adequately lit to allow for proper inspection of the substrate, installation and for finalinspection.
It is essential that the laying area is at a steady temperature of 17ºC for 48 hours prior to, during, and for 48 hours afterinstallation. Prior to installation, the carpet tiles must be allowed to acclimatise in opened boxes for at least 48 hours in
the above conditions. This is particularly important if the tiles have been stored or delivered in conditions of extreme
temperature and/or humidity. Where national codes of practice exist they take precedence over these guidelines.
As with any floor covering, the use of different production batches will always result in visible shade differences. It isessential that different batches are not mixed in the same area. When ordering tiles, each floor area (plus spares) mustbe specified from the same batch. The batch number is clearly marked on the packaging and on the reverse side ofeach carpet tile and must be checked before commencement of installation.
Boxes should be checked to ensure that the correct tile type, colour, batch number and quantity have been received
and that the tiles are in good condition. No claim will be accepted for incorrect colour, pattern or obvious damage if
the tiles have been fitted.

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Adhesive Recommendations and application
Flotex tiles and Planks must be adhered using a high grab, all-over tackifier adhesive system; Forbo Eurocol 542 Eurofix Tack Plus isrecommended. If alternative products are to be used consult with the supplier for more information, guidance and warranty.
The tackifier adhesive must be spread evenly over the entire floor area with particular attention to edges – this will ensure any
perimeter tile cuts are fully bonded. Failure to fully bond all full tiles and tile cuts may result in individual tiles shifting and lifting.
Where perimeter tiles are not constrained by fixtures e.g. walls, edge strips etc., it is recommended that such tiles are adhered using
a permanent adhesive; Forbo Eurocol 640 Eurostar Special is recommended.
In most applications Forbo Eurocol 542 tackifier adhesive will be sufficient heavy commercial usage areas, however, where tiles orplanks are liable to be subject to heavy static or dynamic loads they should be fully adhered using Forbo Eurocol 640 Eurostar
Special.
Adhesives must be applied according to the manufacturer’s instructions and it is essential that tackifier adhesives are allowed todry to a clear, tacky finish before laying the carpet tile. Failure to do so could result in a permanent non-release bond.
Note: the tackifier must be applied with a suitable short pile roller to ensure full contact of the tile backing with the adhesive.
If alternative adhesives are to be used consult with the supplier for usage information, guidance and warranty.
Note: adhesive coverage rates will be reduced on very porous subfloors such as plywood or sand cement screeds.
Always clean away excess adhesive with a damp cloth before it is allowed to dry.
Do NOT use bleaching agents or strong solvents as they can be harmful to both people and to your floor.

Underfloor heating
Forbo flooring products may be installed over underfloor heated floors providing the maximum surface temperature of thesubstrate does not exceed 27°C under any condition of use. To enable a secure bond of the adhesive to the substrate, theunderfloor heating system should be turned off, or set to the lowest temperature, for a minimum of 48 hours prior to installation ofthe Forbo flooring material. The temperature of the substrate must not exceed 18 °C during the installation of the flooring material.
If necessary, an alternate heating source should be used to maintain the room temperature at a minimum of 18°C prior to, during,and for 72 hours after installation. The temperature of the underfloor heating system can be increased 72 hours following theinstallation. When raising the floor temperature, do so gradually so the substrate and flooring material can adapt to thetemperature change together. A rapid temperature change could result in bonding problems.
Installation
The following instructions are intended to draw the fitter’s attention to current “Best Practice”, and must be followed for therelevant product guarantees to be valid. Installation must be carried out in accordance with the requirements of this guidancealong with local codes of practice where applicable.
Conditioning
Prior to installation, the carpet tiles must be allowed to acclimatise in opened boxes in the laying area at a steady temperature of 18
to 27ºC, no more than six boxes high, for at least 24 hours. This is particularly important if the tiles have been stored or delivered in
conditions of extreme temperature and/or humidity.
Setting Out
The location of the starting point in an installation is usually determined by the fitter to maximize the yield. This may be anywherein the room, but would normally be located as near to the true centre as possible.
Having established the starting point for the installation, making some check measurements or dry laying a few rows of tiles will
help to identify any potential problems or necessary adjustments to avoid small perimeter cuts.

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Pile Direction
The arrow marks on the reverse of every tile indicate the direction of pile lay. The preference of the specifier as to monolithic*,
tessellated or other visual effects must be confirmed before tiles are installed.
When laying tile or planks in a monolithic format follow the direction of the arrows, which should, where possible, point towards
the main light source**.
Options for the direction of tile and plank installation will vary between product designs. The installation options are indicatedon product sample books and below, but if there is any doubt check with Forbo Flooring prior to installation.
*Note: the term ‘broadloom’ is often used as an alternative description of monolithic. Whichever term is used, it refers to theinstallation direction of the carpet tiles. It does not mean that the installation will be viewed as seamless.
**Note: To prevent potential problems of deviation of wheeled traffic travelling across the dense pile of Flotex; it is strongly
recommended that tiles and planks are laid with the pile running lengthways in the main direction of traffic when fitting inmonolithic format. We suggest that with other installation formats, some tiles are dry laid to decide upon the optimum direction
to suit the specific location requirements.
Cutting and Fitting
Flotex tiles and planks can be easily cut using a utility knife. Tiles and planks must be laid butt jointed, fitted tightly and cut
accurately at perimeters.
On completion of the installation
First impressions may have more impact on the client than hours of skilled fitting.
The completed installation should be cleared of scrap material and debris, the floor vacuumed and any traces of adhesive
residues removed from the floor and skirtings.
Note: Upright vacuum cleaners with an electrically powered brush should be used on all carpet tiles.
If the floor covering is to be protected from other trades or site traffic prior to project completion, a protection product should bechosen that is appropriate for the type and level of traffic likely to be experienced.
If the optimum performance of any new floor covering is to be achieved, it is important that the correct cleaning and maintenanceprocedures are used from day one. Cleaning and maintenance guides for all Forbo Flooring Flotex ranges are available fordownload at: www.forbo-flooring.com/floorcare
Cleaning and maintenance guides should be passed onto the main contractor, client or end user as appropriate on completion of
the installation, and before any hand over clean is started.
Flotex tile installation options:

Tessellated

Brick
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Monolithic/Broadloom

Half drop

Flotex Tile Range

Recommended laying options

Integrity2
Complexity
Pinstripe
Stratus & Cirrus

TessellatedTessellated; Brick
Tessellated; Brick; Half drop
Broadloom; Tessellated; Brick; Half drop

Flotex Plank installation options

Please note that for each installation method above we have shown two images of each method with arrows pointing in different
directions. It does not matter in which direction the design is installed but it is important that once an installation method has
been chosen all planks get installed in the same direction.
Flotex Plank Range

Recommended laying options

TriadBox Cross
LavaSeagrass
Concrete
Wood

Half drop, Herringbone, Weave
Half drop, Random drop
Half drop, Herringbone, Weave
Half drop, Herringbone, Double herringbone, Weave
Half drop, Herringbone, Double herringbone, Weave
Half drop, Herringbone, Double herringbone, Weave

If in any doubt contact us:
contact@forbo.com

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