Installation Instructions

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adhesive. Pay particular attention to the adhesive open time. If, after 72 hours, an
unusual amount of force is required to lift the material from the substrate, and if after
doing so, adhesive transfers to both the substrate and to the back of the flooring, the
flooring can be considered “securely bonded.”
Note: Regardless of the bond test or the type of surface treatment used, the
responsibility for warranties, guarantees and performance of a concrete
substrate on which a surface treatment has been applied rests with the
manufacturer of the surface treatment product for adhesion and/or
patching compound failures and not with Tarkett
®
.
Floor Flatness
The surface flatness or levelness will affect the finished appearance of resilient floor
coverings. Installation of resilient flooring products over an excessively uneven
or undulating concrete slab will require working techniques on the part of the
installation contractor that would include leveling and smoothing. It is recommended
that both flatness and levelness requirements be described by Face Floor Profile Numbers
(F-numbers). Refer to the American Concrete Institute ACI 302.1 Guide for Concrete
Floor and Slab Construction.
Painted Floors
Tarkett does not recommend installations of Tarkett FiberFloor
®
over painted surfaces.
All paint must be removed from the surface to be covered.
CAUTION:
Certain paints may contain lead. Exposure to excessive amounts of lead dust
presents a health hazard. Refer to applicable federal, state and local laws, and
Lead-Based Paint Interim Guidelines for Hazard Identification and Abatement in
Public and Indian Housing (Sept. 1990) or subsequent editions published by the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development regarding: (1) appropriate
methods for identifying lead-based paint and removing such paint; and (2) any
licensing, certification and training requirements for persons performing lead
abatement work.
Radiant Heated Floors
Tarkett resilient flooring may be installed over radiant heated floors, provided the
operating temperature does not exceed 85ºF (29.4ºC).
Note: During installation, lower the radiant heated floor temperature to a
minimum 65º F (18.3º C). This temperature should be maintained for at
least 24 hours before, during and 48 hours after completion of the
installation. On ground floors, the radiant heating system should have
a proper moisture barrier beneath it. The concrete should be tested for
moisture before the resilient flooring is laid.
behind when the moisture evaporates. Excessive alkali has been known to degrade
adhesives and resilient floor coverings leading to poor appearance, maintenance
difficulties, and in extreme cases, total floor failure. Measures of alkalinity are usually
expressed in terms of a pH number. The normally encountered pH scale ranges
from 1 to 14, with 7 being neutral. Numbers moving downward from 7 indicate increasing
acidity and numbers moving upward from 7 indicate increasing alkalinity. Readings
of pH in excess of 9 have been known to affect resilient floor coverings and adhesives,
and are usually suggestive of excessive vapor/moisture transmission. The most common
test performed for excessive surface alkali is the pH Paper Test.
Materials required:
> Wide range pH Test Paper (obtained from chemical/scientific supply house).
> Distilled Water
> Eye Dropper
The pH Test paper will change color when in contact with dissolved alkali salts.
Reading of pH on the 1 through 14 scale can be determined by comparing paper
color after exposure to chart provided by pH Test paper supplier. Concrete floors to
be tested must be clean, dust free, and at normal room temperature.
Note: Drywall dust, subfloor patching compounds and other contaminates will
influence test results.
Several drops of distilled water are deposited on the test point with the clean eye
dropper (enough to form a quarter-sized puddle). Allow to react for 2-3 minutes, pH Test
paper strips are placed into the water spot. Between 30 seconds and 1 minute after test
strips are placed into water, color of the test strips are compared to the chart and a pH
number reading is determined. Readings of pH in excess of 9 have been known to affect
resilient floor coverings and adhesives, and are usually suggestive of excessive vapor/
moisture transmission. Washing the concrete with clean water can lower alkalinity.
However, it cannot prevent future deposits of alkali on the surface of concrete. Products
are available to neutralize concrete slabs.
Sealers, Curing and Parting Compounds
Sealers, curing and parting compounds used on concrete subfloors may not be
compatible with the adhesive and may interfere with the adhesion of the flooring
material. Therefore, Tarkett
®
does not recommend the use of such products for full-spread
installations of Tarkett FiberFloor
®
. These products shall be removed using a terrazzo
grinding machine or by sanding with a drum sander. A bond test shall be performed to
determine if adhesion properties are acceptable.
Bond Test
A bond test shall be performed for full-spread installations of Tarkett FiberFloor on all
grade levels of concrete substrates to determine if the concrete is sufficiently dry and
if a sealer, curing or parting compound was used. Install 2' x 2' pieces of the flooring
material selected for the installation and adhere with the recommended Tarkett