Jobsite Conditions
Areas to receive material should be clean, fully enclosed and weather tight with the permanent HVAC in operation. A minimum temperature 68º F (20º C) should be established at least seven days prior to beginning the installation, maintained during the installation, and for at least seven days following the installation. The installation should not begin until the work of all other trades has been completed, especially overhead trades. Any areas to receive material should be adequately lighted to allow for proper inspection of the substrate, installation, seaming and for final inspection.
Subfloor Preparation
The installation of a floor starts with the subfloor, which must be sound, smooth, flat, clean, and permanently dry. In order to ensure that the moisture condition of concrete substrates is within acceptable limits, it is critical that moisture testing be conducted on ALL concrete substrates, regardless of age or grade level, including those where resilient flooring has already been installed. Moisture testing should not be conducted unless a stable, conditioned environment as described under the Jobsite Conditions section has been established. The 3 moisture testes that Forbo recommends conducting are as follows: a Calcium Chloride (Moisture Vapor Emission) Test, a Relative Humidity Test, and a pH Test. Performing adhesive bond tests is also highly recommended. Bond testing will aid in identifying both the working characteristics of the adhesive (open time and working time) for the site conditions, and also any potential bonding problems.
Material Storage and Handling
Areas where materials are to be stored should be a stable, conditioned environment as described under the Jobsite Conditions section. All materials and adhesives should be acclimated to these conditions for at least 48 hours prior to the installation. Material should be delivered to the job site in original, unopened packaging, with all labels intact. Store Colorex SD/EC tiles in cartons stacked and lying flat.
Grounding
At the perimeter of the room (or at grounded steel columns) near the ground point, lay a 3’ - 4' length of grounding strap into the wet adhesive, with approximately 12" extending up the wall. Spread additional adhesive on top of the strap and lay the tile over it. A minimum of one grounding strap should be installed for every 2,000 square feet of uninterrupted tile.
Adhering
A perfectly installed floor requires perfect adhesion. Forbo recommends using our C 930 adhesive for Colorex SD/EC tile conductive installations. For non-conductive installations we recommend using our V 885 adhesive. A short open time will often be necessary to allow the adhesive to develop body. The tile must be placed into the adhesive before it has had an opportunity to dry. This enables a complete wet transfer of the proper amount of adhesive to the tile backing and is essential for a secure bond. After the tiles are placed into wet adhesive they must be rolled immediately with a 100 pound roller in both directions to ensure adequate transfer of adhesive to the backing. Re-roll the tile periodically to ensure that the tile remains in contact with the adhesive while the adhesive is drying.
Installation Guidelines
