Installation Guidance Note:
Allura Flex
General key points• Loose	
lay installations up to 150 m2 in regular traffic areas allowed over existing (non-acoustic)
smooth rigid subfloors.
• For	 real loose lay installations it is important to make a tight installation, squeezing the productbetween walls or fixed objects.
• A	 tackified loose lay installation for areas >150 m2 or in case of heavy traffic.
• Always	
conduct moisture tests on all substrates, if excess moisture is found in the substrate proper
remediation steps should be taken before installation.
• Always	
prevent the use of excessive moisture on the floor.
In case of any doubt please contact your local Forbo flooring technician.

Table of content Allura Flex Installation guideGeneral Advice
Acceptable substrates
Underfloor heating
Installation methods
Fully Loose lay installation
Tackified installation
Installation
Setting out
Laying tiles or planks
On completion of the installation

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General Advice
The appearance, performance and durability of the installed floorcovering will be determined to a large extent by the quality ofthe prepared subfloor and the conditions in which they are laid. As with any resilient floor covering irregularities in the subfloor
will be apparent in the finished flooring.
The installation of Allura Flex tiles & planks should be carried out in accordance with the national code of practice for theinstallation of resilient floor coverings. Areas to receive flooring should be clean, free from other trades, fully enclosed andweather tight. Subfloors should be clean and free of contaminants, smooth, sound, even and permanently dry.
It is recommended that existing floor coverings and its residues such as glues or tackifiers are removed, and the subfloor isprepared in accordance with National Code of practice for the installation of resilient floor coverings. If any doubt exists fulladhesion is advised or contact your local Forbo Flooring technician
Always conduct moisture tests on all substrates. All ground based level floors should have an effective moisture barrier. Always
record and keep your moisture content results prior to the start of the installation. If excess moisture is found in the substrateproper remediation steps should be taken before installation; if this is not possible alternative flooring solutions are advised.
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 minimum 18°C for 48 hours prior to, during, and for 24 hours afterinstallation. The material and adhesive should be conditioned in the same environment for at least 24 hours prior to theinstallation. Where the floorcoverings have been stored or transported immediately prior to delivery in temperatures below 10°C
the acclimatization period should be extended to 48 hours.
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 thematerial 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.
Store Allura Flex tiles and planks in cartons stacked, maximum 5 cartons, and laying flat. Allura Flex can installed directly fromthe box, there is no need to shuffle tiles or planks as there is a large variation of tiles in a box.
Allura Flex is occupier ready on completion of the installation. However, if the newly installed floor is going to be subjected toheavy site traffic, particularly high point load wheeled traffic, the floor should be protected during this phase (see “oncompletion” at the end of this guide).

Acceptable substrates
Allura Flex may be installed on the following substrates (subject to the conditions in this guide):- New or existing concrete or cement screed substrate- New or existing wood panel or particle board substrates- Old in-situ floor finishes (resin) at least 2 mm thick- Old floor paint- Old compact resilient floor coverings up to 150 sqm (semi-flexible tiles, vinyl asbestos tiles, sheet vinyl flooring and linoleum).
- Raised Access floors
For any subfloor not listed above or if any doubt exists, contact Forbo Flooring Technical Services.
Note: Allura Flex can only be laid on a substrate that has previously received only a single layer of resilient floor covering. Theperformance rating of the old floor covering must satisfy the new rating required, particularly if the room is to be used for adifferent purpose.

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Concrete slabs or cementitious screeds: New and existing ground floor slabs are usually cast on a damp-proof membrane inaccordance with the National Code of practice for the installation of resilient floor coverings. If an effective damp proof
membrane is not present or any doubt exists, a surface damp proof membrane should be applied.
Where required, smoothing and levelling compounds rated for heavy traffic areas should be applied to screeds and slabs. If asmoothing compound is not being applied to 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 accordancewith the National Code of practice for the installation of resilient floor coverings. Differences in height between boards greaterthan 1mm should be sanded flush.
Old ceramics tiles: laid on a sound concrete or cement screed substrate, soundly adhered to the bedding screed (sealedceramics tiles) or substrate (adhesive-bonded ceramics tiles) require degreasing/cleaning followed by a primer a general heavy
duty self-smoothing/levelling compound suitable for the room’s intended purpose should be applied across the entire surface
area.
Existing 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 the national code of practice.
Floor paint: existing paint finishes should be clean and sound. Sanding is not necessary if the paint is sound.
Old flexible floor coverings: semi-flexible asbestos free compact vinyl sheet and tiles or compact linoleum should:
a. Be sound and bonded tightly to the sub floor.
b. Have loose or broken areas removed and replaced with sound material or levelled with a good quality smoothing compound.
c. Are level within the requirements stipulatedd.	Be abraded to remove old wax, seals and dirt (where adhesive systems such as tapes are to be applied) and then thoroughly
cleaned.
If any doubt exists, or where full adhesion is required, existing floor coverings should be removed.
Note: Acoustic floor coverings in general, including cushioned PVC and acoustic linoleum floor finishes must be removed, andthe subfloor prepared in accordance the National Code of practice for the installation of resilient floor coverings.
Textile floor finishes: textile floor finishes must be removed, and the subfloor prepared in accordance with national codes ofpractice where applicable.
Raised Access Floors:
Raised access floors should be smooth, level and clean. Degreasing may be necessary on steel faced panels. Any old adhesive
residues must be removed.
Raised access flooring panels have a tendency to settle shortly after installation and this should be taken into account whenassessing the appearance of the Allura Flex tiles or planks fitted onto raised access flooring systems. Ridges between unevenraised access floor panels and/or gaps between adjacent panels will telegraph through to the finished tile installation.
Raised access panels should be checked before commencing installation to ensure that they are close fitting and level. Uneven orloose floor panels should be levelled and/or re-fixed before installing Allura Flex tiles or planks.
Particular attention should be paid to joints in floor panels lying close to, or coinciding with, joints in Allura Flex tiles or planks.
Notes:• Incidental low-level light will exaggerate any unevenness in the subfloor.
• 	Where the above conditions cannot be met or, if any doubt exists, the raised access floor should be overlaid with plywood orlevelled using a suitable self-levelling underlayment compound.

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Underfloor heatingForbo 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 priorto, 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 tothe temperature change together. A rapid temperature change could result in bonding problems.

Installation methods

Fully Loose lay installation
Allura Flex may be laid in individual areas up to 150sqm subject to a maximum length of 20m on the longest side of the area andthe flooring being constrained by fixed walls on all sides. Areas over 150 sqm should be tackified or fully adhered. Laying theplanks in this laying pattern it is advised to use of a double sided tape around the perimeter.
Note: it is important that planks and tyles are tightly fitted between walls or fixed objects in the area. This can avoid movement oftiles/planks over time. At doorways or open walkways between large adjacent spaces the flooring should be finished at the door/
space threshold adhering the tiles or planks (double-sided plasticiser adhesive tape or fully bonded).
The separation of areas over 150sqm should be set out so as to prevent the position of the double-sided plasticizer resistantadhesive tape and the seam between each area being situated in main traffic lanes to avoid heavy traffic.
For installation in areas not constrained by fixed walls or where tiles or planks are liable to be subject to heavy static or dynamic
loads it is advised to use a tackifier or a hard set glue.
Finishing at doorways: at doorways or open walkways between large adjacent spaces the flooring should be finished at the door/
space threshold adhering the tiles or planks (double-sided plasticiser adhesive tape, tackifier or fully bonded). Where Allura Flex
is continued into adjacent areas a joint should still be formed in the same manner as described above for separating large areas.
Tackified installation
Areas above 150 sqm should be installed using a high-grab, plasticizer resistant tackifier adhesive. Forbo recommends Forbo
Eurocol 542. Lay the tiles into the tackifier and roll with a 50-70 kg roller. Areas that cannot be rolled with the large roller e.g.
abutments such as architraves or skirting boards should be rolled with a hand roller or pressed into the adhesive with a handroller or rubbing hammer.
If alternative products are to be used consult with the supplier for more information, guidance and warranty.
Use a short pile roller to apply the tackifier. It is recommended that tackifiers are allowed to dry to a tacky finish before laying thefloor covering. The adhesive must be spread evenly over the entire floor area with particular attention to perimeter edges.
Porous substrates may require priming with a diluted application of the adhesive.
Note: In most applications Forbo Eurocol 542 tackifier adhesive will be sufficient in heavy commercial usage areas, however,where tiles or planks are liable to be subject to heavy static or dynamic loads it is advised to fully adhere the floor. Always
prevent the use of excessive moisture on the floor. In case exposure to the use of excessive moisture it is advised to full adhere
the tiles.

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Installation
Tiles and planks do not require shuffling prior to installation, the tiles and planks can be directly installed from the box, but dry
laying will identify best use of design. Like the natural material, some designs will vary in tone and colour. This is intentional andgives the floor a more authentic appearance.
For the installation direction of Allura Flex tiles please note the following:
Stone, concrete and cement tiles may be laid either in bond (monolithic or tessellated) or brick pattern.
An arrow on the back helps to identify how the install the tiles in the preferred pattern in order prevent gloss differences.

Setting out
Forbo tile products are installed using conventional tile installation techniques.
The correct starting point for setting out a tiled floor is traditionally the centreof the area - although this may not be the final starting point when tile laying
begins. Some adjustment of the starting point may be required, 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 centre of 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).
Starting at centre point M, measure out lengthwise and width wise to the walls. Wherever possible, cuts of less than 60mm or soshould be avoided as these are more likely to come loose at some stage in the life of the installation. Adjust the position of lines
E-F and G-H if necessary.
Laying tiles or planks
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. Lightly roll each row of planks with a hand roller to ensure a firmadhesive bond.
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 goingout of bond.
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 skirtings.
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.

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In many cases it is customary for the initial floor preparation to be left, or subcontracted, to a professional cleaning and maintenancecontractor 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 and maintenanceprocedures 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/downloads/luxury-vinyl-tiles/pr7ka9
Cleaning and maintenance guides should be passed onto the main contractor, client or end user as appropriate oncompletion of the installation, and before any hand over clean is started.
Important note: the use of excessive moisture, either through use or cleaning, on the floor needs to be prevented. In case of
potential exposure to the use of excessive moisture it is advised to either use an alternative flooring solution; preferably a sheetproduct like Forbo Eternal, or in case alternative solutions are not possible to full adhere the tiles.
Use Entrance Systems
As much as 80% of dirt entering a building is brought in by foot traffic. Entrance flooring systems of an appropriate size (ideally morethan 6lm) and quality should be used. Forbo Coral or Nuway entrance flooring systems, are independently proven to remove andretain up to 94% of all dirt and moisture entering a building by foot traffic; reducing maintenance costs and maximising appearance
retention of adjacent flooring products as well as reducing slip risk. As with any dirt removal system all entrance flooring systems
should be regularly cleaned to release the dirt which has been removed.
If in any doubt contact us:
question@forbo.com

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