Installation Guidance Note:
Colorex SD and EC vinyl tiles
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. As with any thin floor covering irregularities
in the subfloor will be apparent in the finished flooring.
Subfloor preparation should be carried out in accordance with AS 1884:2021 “Floor coverings - Resilient sheet and tiles Installation practices”. Areas to receive flooring should be clean, free from other trades, fully enclosed and weather tight.
Subfloors should be clean and free of contaminants, smooth, sound, even and permanently dry.
Notes:• Rigid, firm and free of cracks. Patch and repair minor cracks with an appropriate cement-base patching compound.
• Level and smooth (we always recommend to level the subfloor with a cement-base self leveling compound).
• Contaminants can affect the adhesion of the new floor covering and/or cause migrating stains. It is therefore importantthat contaminants such as cleaning chemical residues, old adhesive residues and remains of old floor coverings such as
residues of carpet tile backings are removed or, where permissible, isolated with an appropriate subfloor treatment.
• Always conduct moisture tests on all substrates. All ground-based level floors should have an effective moisture barrier.
Areas to receive flooring shall be adequately lit to allow for proper inspection of the substrate, installation and forfinal inspection.
It is essential that the laying area is at a steady temperature of 18 to 27°C for 48 hours prior to, during, and for 24 hours
after installation. The material and adhesive should be conditioned in the same environment for at least 24 hours prior
to the installation. In all circumstances, the tiles must be unpacked for acclimatisation and laid on the floor in small andstraight stacks of max. 10 tiles each.
Note: Where the floorcoverings have been stored or transported immediately prior to delivery in temperatures
below 20°C the acclimatisation period should be extended to 48 hours.
Ensure that all recommendations for substrate and jobsite conditions are met prior to beginning the installation.
Beginning the installation is an implied acceptance of site conditions by the parties involved and liability for any failure
directly related to inadequate site conditions becomes the responsibility of the installer and/or flooring contractor.
Prior to installation tiles should be checked to ensure that the correct colour, batch number and quantity have been
received and that the material is in good condition. No claim will be accepted for incorrect colour, pattern or obvious
damage if the material has been fitted.
Use material from the same batch/dye lot. The use of different production batches will always result in visible
shade differences. The batch number is clearly marked on the material packaging and must be checked before
commencement of installation.
As with all newly installed floor coverings Colorex should be protected from heavy traffic, particularly high point
load wheeled traffic, for 72 hours and must not be washed for 48 hours after installation.
As with all Forbo floor coverings, Colorex can be used in conjunction with under-floor heating systems.
A separate guidance note “Installation over Underfloor Heating Systems” provides more informationon the conditions for installation in such circumstances.

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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 installationof the Forbo flooring material. The temperature of the substrate must not exceed 18°C during the installation of the flooringmaterial. 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
the installation. 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.
Adhesive recommendations and application
When installing Colorex SD and EC tiles a low emission EC1 adhesive is recommended, such as Forbo Eurocol ‘641 Eurostar Special
EL’. Use a V1 trowel to apply the adhesive, if alternative products are to be used consult with the supplier for more information,
guidance and warranty.
The adhesive must be spread evenly over the entire floor area with particular attention to edges – this will ensure that the sheet isfully bonded at the perimeters.
Place the material into the adhesive (after the appropriate waiting time) and roll with a 68 kg roller rolling in all directions toensure a firm bond. It is important to only spread sufficient adhesive that can be covered within the open time of the adhesive.
The open time of the adhesive will depend on site conditions and porosity of the base. It is best practice to conduct an adhesivebond 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.
If alternative supplier adhesives are to be used consult with the supplier for usage information, guidance and warranty.
Pressure sensitive adhesives are not recommended for use with the Colorex range.
Note: Areas that cannot be rolled with the large roller e.g. abutments such as architraves or skirting boards should be rolled witha hand roller or pressed into the adhesive with a rubbing hammer.
Note: Trowels will wear during use, check the trowel both before and during use to ensure that the proper, specified trowel notch
is used and maintained.
Electrical grounding - installation and layout:
General recommendations:
Copper strip(s) for electrical grounding must be applied first, i.e. under the conductive adhesive. In normal conditions, noconductive primer is required, in any case follow the manufacturer adhesive instructions. Self-adhesive copper strips arerecommended. They are quicker to install and provide the best conductive adhesion to the subfloor. The electrical connection to
the grounding point(s) must always be made by a qualified electrician.
Layout for rooms smaller than 50m2:
Lay a strip of copper tape extending approximately one metre onto the subfloor allowing sufficient excess to extend up to thenearest grounding point. (see fig.1 below)

Fig. 1(Drawing not to scale)Colorex SD/EC 2021

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Layout for rooms larger than 50m2 - Method A:
This layout is recommended for rooms where the shorter side of the room is less than 50m. Lay the copper tape to createa circuit as shown in Figure 2 below. Punch all strip intersections to ensure proper contact and test the conductivity of thecopper strip circuit with an appropriate testing device prior to starting installation of the tiles.

Fig. 2

Layout for rooms larger than 50m2 - Method B:
This layout is recommended for rooms where the shorter side exceeds 50m. Lay the copper tape to create two circuits on
opposite side of the room as shown in Figure 3 below. Punch all strip intersections to ensure proper contact and test the
conductivity of the copper strip circuit with an appropriate testing device prior to starting installation of the tiles.

Fig. 3

Installation:
Colorex tiles should be installed in the same direction (monolithic).
The arrows on the back of the tiles show the manufacturing direction.

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Setting out
Colorex tile products are installed using conventional tile
installation techniques. The correct starting point for settingout a tiled floor is traditionally the centre of the area although this may not be the final starting point when tile
laying begins. Some adjustment of the starting point may berequired, for example, to avoid small perimeter cuts, where
the tiles are to be laid with a border.
In corridors and small spaces, it may be simpler to work lengthwise
from one end, using the centre line as a guide.
The centre line is drawn as follows: a chalk line is snapped from centreof wall A-B (=E) to the centre of wall C-D (=F). The centre of line E-F is found (M).
Draw a perpendicular line through M using the 3:4:5 method to establish G-H (Figure A).

(Drawing not to scale)

Starting at centre point M, measure out lengthwise and width wise to the walls. Wherever possible, cuts of less than 60mm or
so should be avoided as these are more likely to come loose at some stage in the life of the installation. Adjust the position oflines E-F and G-H if necessary.
Laying tiles
Begin laying tiles at the starting point, ensuring that the tile is laid exactly along the layout lines. If the first few tiles are notinstalled accurately, the entire installation will be affected.
Note: In a large area, two or more fitters may be placing tiles at the same time. As finger pressure in butting the tiles or planks
together may be slightly different, we suggest to start from a common point and work away from it to avoid tiles or planks
going out of bond.
Lay the tiles into the adhesive after the required waiting time and within the open time applicable to the adhesive being used
and roll with a 68 kg roller, rolling in all directions to ensure a firm bond. It is important to only spread sufficient adhesive thatcan be covered within the open time of the adhesive.
Note: the adhesive must be spread evenly over the entire floor area with particular attention to edges – this will ensure thatthe tile is fully bonded at the perimeters.
Areas that cannot be rolled with the large roller e.g. abutments such as door frames or skirting boards should be rolled with ahand roller or pressed into the adhesive with a rubbing hammer.
Remove fresh adhesive residue immediately with a clean white damp cloth. Dried adhesive residue can be removed with aclean white cloth and soapy water.
When laying fully adhered tiles the time it takes to mark and cut the border tiles must be taken into consideration whenplanning the installation. Without adequate planning, it is likely that the working time of the adhesive in the area of theborder tiles will be exceeded before the tiles are installed, which will result in an inadequate bond of the border tiles.
The successful installation of border tiles is best accomplished by following one of two strategies:
a. When laying out tile, determine the edge of a field tile a comfortable distance from each wall andthen snap chalk lines around the perimeter of the room. When spreading adhesive, use theselines as a guide to stop spreading adhesive and install the field tiles up to the adhesive spreadlines. Once the field tiles have been installed, the border tiles and be “dry” fitted (before spreading
the adhesive). After the border tiles have been cut, adhesive can be applied in the area of theborder tiles and the tiles can be placed into the adhesive.
b. Plan the sequence of spreading adhesive so that the border tiles can be cut and placed into
the adhesive before the adhesive working time has been exceeded.

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Seam grooving and welding
Heat welding of Colorex tiles is recommended for those areas where wet cleaning methods will be used or hygiene
requirements for the installation area require it.
Grooving
Groove the tiles along the tile joints with the grooving machine. Use hand grooving tool for difficult to reach areas.
Pay maximum attention to stay on track.
A ‘P’Type groover is recommended for manual grooving of seams, however, automatic or power groovers may be moreproductive on larger installations.
The standard blade groove width for 4 mm welding rods is 3.5 mm.
Note: Triangular or square grooves are not acceptable
Seams should be grooved to a depth of:• 1.3 - 1.6 mm deep for 2.0 mm tiles• Max 1.8 mm deep for 3.0 mm tiles

Welding
Switch on the hot air gun and allow 5 to 7 minutes for it to reach the selected temperature. Colorex should be welded at
a temperature of approximately 400 - 450° C. (see weld gun manual for setting details). Fit the welding nozzle before
switching on the hot air gun.
If the gun is resting on the flo or, ensure that the nozzle is not directed at the flo or or anywhere dangerous.
Weld guns will vary, so it is always advisable to practice weld techniques firstonapiec e of waste material to match the correct
air gun temperature with welding speed. Colorex should be welded with a 4mm Speed weld nozzle.
Make sure the groove is thoroughly clean before beginning to heat weld. Make sure that all electrical cables are laid out
without tangles and that there are no obstructions along the seam to be welded.
Cut the welding cable to a consistent and generous length or unwind suffi cient weld rod from the reel and put the reel in aposition where you are working towards it. Have the power cable ahead of you if possible.
Start at a wall. Thread the cable through and weld moving backwards, away from the wall, maintaining a slight downward
pressure so that the weld nozzle will force the weld cable into the groove. Do not let the cable melt in the nozzle.
A good weld is obtained by the correct combination of temperature, speed and downward pressure. The weld cable should beallowed to melt enough so that the melted rod reaches the bottom of the groove, making a little burr along the sides.

5Trimming
Note: To avoid unintended damage to the floor covering, Forbo recommends the use of the Mozart knife for trimming the weld
cable. If a sharp spatula is being used special care should be given to avoid damaging the sides of the seams.
While the cable is still warm trim off most of the top half of the cable down to approximately 0.5mm using a sharp spatula andslide or Mozart knife which fits over the cable. This enables the cable to cool more quickly and enables a quick first cut to bemade without risk of gouging the material.
The welding cable will dish slightly (concave downwards) as it cools. Wait until the material is completely cool before trimmingflush with the surface of the sheet with a Mozart knife or a sharp spatula angled slightly across the line of cut.

Mozart knife

SpatulaSlide

Note: Making the final trim while the welding rod and material is still warm can result in the weld cable dishing of the weld
cable. This may result in subsequent seam soiling problems or cause permanent damage to the surface of the flooring.
Welding at cross points
To obtain a visually perfect result, we recommend grooving, welding and slide trimming in one direction at a time.
The final flush trim should only be carried when welding and slide trimming of both directions has been completed.
Joining up a weld
To join a weld in the middle of a seam trim off the loose ends and chamfer down the section to be overlapped with a handgroover. Ensure hot air gets into the groove and heats the cable. As the gun travels over the un-welded section apply pressure
and carry the weld on over the section to be joined. Allow to cool and trim as normal.

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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 swept or vacuumed, and any traces ofadhesive residues removed from the floor and skirting.
If the floorcovering is to be protected from other trades or site traffic prior to project completion, a protection product should
be chosen that is appropriate for the type and level of traffic likely to be experienced and the potential for impact, scratchingor indentation damage.
In many cases it is customary for the initial floor preparation to be left, or subcontracted, to a professional cleaning andmaintenance contractor who will have the staffandequipment to do the job thoroughly.
If the optimum performance of any new floorcovering is to be achieved, it is important that the correct cleaning andmaintenance procedures are used from day one. Cleaning and maintenance guides for all Forbo Flooring products
are available for download.
Important note for conductive installations: Do not apply any wax or emulsion floor emulsion floor finishes in ESD
protected area as these may adversely affect the conductive properties of the floor.
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.

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Electrical resistance testing after installation:
Point-to-ground electrical resistance tests according to approved relevant
standards should not be carried out earlier than 14 days after installation. First
random control measurements can be made after 24 hours.
Electrical resistance readings may be higher than specifie d on floorc overing
coated with wax, acrylic emulsions etc.

If in any doubt contact us:
Forbo Flooring Systems Australia
Tel: 1800 224 471
E-mail: info.au@forbo.com
www.forbo-flooring.com.au
Additional Reference documents and information:• Forbo Floor Coverings Installation Guide: www.forbo-flooring.com.au• AS1884:2021

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