Installation Guide

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installation and remain off for at least 6 days after installation to allow the adhesive to fully cure. Maximum
operating temperature should never exceed 85°F. Radiant heat components must be a minimum of ½”
separated from adhesive and tile.
g. Quarry tile, terrazzo, and ceramic tile: Properly cleanse substrate using a commercial
degreasing/dewaxing solution. Grind any highly polished or irregular surfaces. Fill any low spots, holes,
chips and seams that may telegraph through the new flooring.
Material Handling and Storage:
All Shaw Tiles must be stored in a warm, dry area. Do not expose to very hot or cold temperatures. It is
required that you adapt materials to jobsite conditions a minimum of 24 to 48 hours before scheduled
installation. Shaw Tile must be stored laying flat and cartons never on edge. Check to make sure color and
lot numbers are the same on jobs requiring more than one box on tile. Mix tile from several different cartons
to blend minor shade variations.
Temperature:
Flooring and subfloor room temperature should be between 65° and 85 ° Fahrenheit. Maintain proper
temperature for 48 hours before and after installation. After that, maintain a minimum 55-degree temperature.
The building’s heating and air-conditioning system should be turned on at least one week before installation.
Failure to follow these guidelines may result in an installation failure (i.e. flooring may expand or contract
resulting in gapping).
Moisture:
Never install Shaw vinyl wherever surface or subfloor moisture is present. Excessive moisture will cause
failure. New concrete slabs must cure for a minimum of 90 days. Even existing concrete slabs can have
moisture problems. To be sure, conduct a moisture test several days before installation. The installer is
responsible for moisture testing. See adhesive buckets for details. MOISTURE GUIDELINES FOR THE
FLOOR COVERING INDUSTRY available from the World Floor Covering Association, at 1-800-624-6880.
PH Levels:
Moisture can directly affect the cure, set and bond of adhesives. On well-cured adhesives, the presence of
pH values has proven to be the most significant factor in adhesive failures. It is vital that moisture be present
for pH to be a factor. High pH levels are due to cement, type of aggregate, cement ratio of concrete and how
well cured the concrete surface is. On new or existing concrete a pH test should be taken. A pH level above
9 is unacceptable, and the floor should not be installed.
Porosity:
A non-porous substrate is one which does not absorb water. If you are not sure whether a floor is porous or
non-porous, sprinkle some water on the floor over several different areas. If the water beads up, then it’s a
non-porous floor. If it soaks in, it’s a porous floor. Use a small amount of water for the test, and allow floor to
completely dry before continuing. If a bare concrete floor is not porous, a sealer or curing compound may
have been used. Such treatments should be removed before installing a new floor or underlayment, and the
floor re-tested for porosity at that time.
HVAC:
Air conditioning is recommended whenever possible and at comfortable levels as moisture is removed
constantly and this will provide for a drier atmosphere that affects the adhesion to the subfloor favorably.
However in hot and humid climates the air conditioning can cause condensation in the floors so that the
subfloor must have a moisture barrier beneath the slab or in the crawl space.