Installation Guidance Note:
Flotex Next
General Advice
Flotex Next is a flocked textile sheet floor covering that does not require an adhesive. A Modul’up tape should be
used to support all seams and joints between sheets, and cross joints (see general installation guidance below).
As with any floor covering, the appearance, performance and durability of the installed floorcovering will bedetermined to a large extent by the quality of the prepared subfloor and the conditions in which they are laid.
Subfloor preparation should be carried out in accordance with the National Code of practice for the installation ofresilient floor coverings. 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 and permanently dry.
Always conduct moisture tests on all substrates. All ground-based level floors should have an effective moisturebarrier.
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 18ºC to 27ºC 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. Where the floorcoverings have been stored or transported immediately prior todelivery in temperatures below 10ºC the acclimatization period should be extended to 48 hours.
Prior to installation rolls should be checked to ensure that the correct colour, batch number and quantity have beenreceived 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 and install in roll number sequence. 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.

Flotex Next 09-2023

Acceptable substrates
Flotex Next may be installed on the following substrates:- New or existing concrete or cement screed substrate- New or existing wood panel or particle board substrates- Old ceramics tiles- Old in-situ floor finish (resin) at least 2 mm thick- Old floor paint- Old compact resilient floor coverings (semi-flexible tiles, vinyl asbestos tiles, sheet vinyl flooring and linoleum).
- Existing wood block floors (on upper floors only).
For any subfloor not listed above or if any doubt exists, contact Forbo Flooring Technical Services.
Note: Where previously installed floor coverings have been stripped from an existing substrate, the substrate must be prepared toreceive new Flotex Next in accordance with the National Code of practice for the installation of resilient floor coverings.
Concrete slabs or cementitious screeds: new and existing ground floor slabs must be cast on a damp-proof membrane inaccordance with the requirements of BS8204. If an effective damp proof membrane is not present or any doubt exists, a surface
damp proof membrane should be applied.
The maximum tolerance in terms of flatness and evenness of the substrate is a 5mm deviation under a 2m straight edge
(measured by moving the straight edge in all directions across the substrate) and 1mm under a 20cm straight edge.
Flotex Next can be laid on substrates with cracks less than 1 mm wide. For cracks that do not meet these criteria contact Forboflooring for further guidance.
Structural movement joints should not be bridged by any part if the installed flooring system and suitable proprietary movement
joints should be used.
Where required, smoothing and levelling compounds rated for heavy traffic areas (if necessary) should be applied to the screeds
and slabs. Smoothing compounds are not required for clean, sound, and smooth concrete surfaces, provided that they satisfy
flatness tolerances stated above.
If a smoothing compound is not being applied, the surface of the slab/screed a suitable primer should be applied to keep thesubfloor dust free.
Wood panel substrates (tongue-and-groove boards) - plywood or particle board floors should be prepared in accordance with
BS5325.
Old ceramics tiles: laid on a concrete or cement screed substrate in sound condition, soundly adhered to the bedding screed(sealed ceramics tiles) or substrate (adhesive-bonded ceramics tiles) will require smoothing / levelling compound where grouting
is >1mmExisting in-situ resin floor finish: the old finish must be sound and fully bonded and at least 2 mm thick. If flatness, cleanlinessand bond requirements are not satisfied, the old in-situ floor finish must be removed, and the subfloor prepared in accordancewith BS5325.
Floor paint: The substrate should be clean and sound. Sanding is not necessary if the paint is sound.
Old flexible floor coverings: semi-flexible asbestos free or compact vinyl tiles or compact linoleum. Before installation, check thecondition of the existing floor covering to ensure that it is well bonded to the base. Ensure that any loose or damaged sections ofthe floorcoverings are removed and repaired. If an underfloor heating system has been installed, old flexible floor coverings must
always be removed.

Flotex Next 09-2023

Semi-flexible tiles containing asbestos: before installation, check the condition of the existing floor covering to ensure that it iswell bonded to the base and any loose or damaged sections of the floorcoverings are removed and repaired. If any tiles areremoved this should be carried out in accordance with HSE regulations and guidance and any waste materials disposed of inaccordance with current applicable legislation.
As a precautionary measure, care must be taken to not cut into the old asbestos products (floor or wall) when cutting andtrimming the new floor covering. Best practice is therefore to make all cuts with a hooked blade.
Note: Flotex Next can only be laid on a substrate that has previously received only a single layer of floor covering. The rating of
the old floor covering must satisfy the new rating required, particularly if the room is to be used for a different purpose.
Existing wood block floors: Flotex Next may be installed on existing wood block floors except for wood blocks laid at groundfloor level. Blocks should be securely bonded to the base, smooth, even, and free of any oil or wax based finishes. If necessary, theblocks should be sanded to remove any contaminants and/or unevenness between the blocks. If any doubt exists, contact Forbo
Flooring Technical Services for advice.

Underfloor heating
Flotex Next can be used in conjunction with under-floor heating systems. It is imperative that the underfloor heating systems
have been commissioned and found to be functioning correctly prior to the floor finish being installed.
Ensure that the underfloor heating system is switched off 48 hours prior to the floor covering installation commencing andremains off for at least 48 hours after the installation is complete.
During this period, an alternative heating source should be provided, if required, to ensure that the area of installation is kept at aconstant temperature of 18ºC – 27ºC.
A separate guidance note “Installation of Forbo Floor Coverings on Underfloor Heating Systems” provides more informationon the conditions for installation in such circumstances.

Installation
Direction of laying
Always pay particular attention to the direction and planning of the sheets to avoid cross seams that coincide with areas of heavy
use or doorways. Install sheets in the same direction for seaming. Install with arrows all pointing in the same direction, the arrows
on the back of the sheet indicate the pile direction.
GeneralFlotex Next is installed loose laid using standard installation techniques. Seams are supported with 100mm wide double sided
adhesive tape with a permanent adhesive on one side and a lower adhesive on the other side (Forbo Modul’up ref 792). Before
installation, check the adhesion of the adhesive tape to the subfloor. If the bond is not satisfactory a coating of primer will need
to be applied to the areas where the tape will be installed to provide a suitable surface for adhesion. The primer must be allowed
to fully dry before the adhesive tape is installed.
Do not remove the protective film until the pieces have been laid.
Pile Direction
To prevent potential problems of deviation of wheeled traffic travelling across the dense pile of Flotex; it is strongly
recommended that sheet is laid with the pile running lengthways in the main direction of traffic.
Note: When installing Flotex Next sheet in corridors, always run arrows lengthwise. Where corridors intersect, it is recommended
that a decorative border be used as a separator to avoid pattern cross match at the intersection.
The arrows on the back of the sheet indicate the pile direction. Lay the sheets edge to edge, following the direction of the arrows,
which should point towards the main light source, NEVER AWAY.
Measure the area to be installed and determine the direction in which the material will be installed and seam placement. Seams
must be a minimum of 15 cm away from any subfloor joints such as day joints, saw cuts, etc.

Flotex Next 09-2023

Cut the rolls to the required lengths, remembering to allow for the pattern repeat. Allow at least 5cm trim at ends.
Dry lay the pieces, butting the factory edges for seaming. Make sure that the seam edges come together with a net fit with nofullness or gaps and check the pattern match.
Mark the position of the outside edge of the first sheet in pencil on the floor. Lay a strip of Modul’up tape facing the subfloor sothat it lies equally either side of the seam (see fig.1).

Fig.1
Lay the next sheet alongside the first fitted sheet with the factory edges butted together.
Once all the sheets have been cut, lift the sheet ends at each seam to reveal the Modul’up tape. Peel away the protective film,keeping the protective tape as close to the floor as possible (see figs. 2 and 3). Allow the floor covering to fall back into place
along the seams and smooth out by hand along the seam as the protective tape is removed. Once completed press the sheet
into the adhesive tape with a rubbing board or glider to ensure optimum adherence of the floor covering to the tape.

Fig.2

Fig.3

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.
Flotex Next is occupancy ready immediately after installation.
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 and the potential for impact, scratching orindentation 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 staff and equipment to do the job thoroughly.
If the optimum performance of any new floor covering 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 at: https://www.forbo.com/flooring/en-gl/installation-floorcare/p6kizp
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.
Precautions concerning furniture. When moving heavy furniture, lift carefully. In exceptional cases where moving the furniture
creates a ripple, simply stop moving the furniture and put the floor covering back in place. Use appropriate protective pads toprevent the risk of furniture or objects with pointed legs or protruding edges from damaging the floor covering.
If in any doubt, contact us your local Forbo Flooring Technical Service.

Flotex Next 09-2023