Installation Instructions

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COMMERCIAL VINYL COMPOSITION FLOOR TILE

ALTERNATIVES, CHOICES, CX SERIES AND PROFILE

INSTALLATION

Temperature

Congoleum tile products are designed to be installed in

enclosed, heated areas only where HVAC has been in

operation for at least 10 days prior to installation and

thereafter.

For best results the tile should be installed at the same

temperature as the room(s) will be when occupied or in

service. The subfloor, all flooring material, and adhesive

must be conditioned at a constant temperature

between 65°F (18°C) and 85°F (29°C) for 48 hours

before, during and 48 hours after installation.

Thereafter, maintain room temperature between 55°F

(13°C) and 100°F (38°C).

Failure to condition the materials and subfloor or

maintain proper temperatures can lead to tile joint

peaking or separation. Congoleum will not assume

liability for installation or performance failures resulting

from improper temperatures.

Storage and Handling

Proper storage of tile is necessary to prevent distortion.

Store tile on a smooth floor in a clean, dry, interior area

where it is protected from the elements. Ideal long-term

storage temperatures range from 50°F (10°C) to 70°F

(21°C). Storage on an uneven surface or in extreme

temperature can cause distortion.

Limit stacking tile to five cartons high. Stack in straight

tiers. Do not double-stack pallets and do not place

heavy weight on top of cartons. Always handle cartons

carefully to avoid damage.

Suitable Substrates

For detailed information on subfloors and preparation,

please refer to supporting document Suitable Substrates

at www.congoleum.com.

Congoleum vinyl composition tiles are recommended

for installation over properly prepared suspended wood

floors and approved underlayments, concrete on all

grade levels, metal, terrazzo, ceramic and marble. The

substrate must be clean, dry, smooth, structurally

sound, and free of curing compounds, parting agents,

old adhesive, paint, varnish, oil, grease, wax, solvent and

other foreign material that can affect the flooring or

interfere with the adhesive bond.

Concrete floors must be constructed, finished and cured

in accordance with the American Concrete Institute

(ACI) 302 Guide for Concrete Floor and Slab

Construction, Class 2 or 4 and have a minimum

compressive strength of 3500 psi. Moisture vapor

emissions should not exceed 5 pounds (ASTM F1869) or

80% RH (ASTM F2170) with a pH range between 5 and 9.

Do not install tile over expansion joints or in areas

where excessive moisture, hydrostatic pressure, or alkali

conditions exist.

In light commercial applications, vinyl composition tiles

can also be installed over approved, single layer existing

resilient flooring over on and above-grade levels only.

Do not install tile over existing flooring installed below

grade level.

Note: Installation over existing flooring may reduce the

indentation resistance of the new floor. The use of an

embossing leveler is not recommended.

Note: Some previously manufactured vinyl floor

covering and asphalt “cutback” adhesive contain

asbestos. For preparation or removal of these products,

refer to the Resilient Floor Covering Institutes

publication “Recommended Work Practices for the

Removal of Resilient Floor Covering”. These work

practices must be followed. For a copy of the

recommended work practices, please contact: Resilient

Floor Covering Institute (RFCI) 401 East Jefferson Street,

Suite 102, Rockville MD 20850.

Warning: Do not sand, dry sweep, dry scrape, drill, saw,

beadblast or mechanically chip or pulverize existing

resilient flooring, backing, lining felt, asphaltic “cutback”

adhesive or other adhesive. These products may contain

asbestos fibers or crystalline silica. Avoid creating dust.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The floor should be installed with alternating tiles

quarter turned for best overall appearance and joint

quality. When using tile from two or more cartons,

make sure the SKU, shade and lot numbers are the

same. The SKU, shade and lot numbers are stenciled on

the outside of each carton. Mix tiles from several

different cartons to help blend minor shade variations.

If the shade variation is significant, do not install the

tiles.

ADHESIVE

Congoleum recommends using only Congoleum AD42

Adhesive for installing all Congoleum vinyl composition

floor tiles. The only exception is in areas of heavy rolling

or static loads, where extreme temperature fluctuations

may occur i.e. near freezer sections in grocery stores or

Summary of content (5 pages)

PAGE 1
COMMERCIAL VINYL COMPOSITION FLOOR TILE ALTERNATIVES, CHOICES, CX SERIES AND PROFILE INSTALLATION Temperature Congoleum tile products are designed to be installed in enclosed, heated areas only where HVAC has been in operation for at least 10 days prior to installation and thereafter. For best results the tile should be installed at the same temperature as the room(s) will be when occupied or in service.
PAGE 2
frequent wetting is likely. In this case we recommend the use of MAPEI Ultrabond G15 a fast-setting, two-part reactive epoxy adhesive. AD42 Clear Thin-Spread Tile Adhesive Congoleum AD42 is a clear, thin-spread adhesive designed for installing vinyl composition tile over suspended wood, concrete on all grade levels, metal, terrazzo, ceramic, marble, and approved resilient floor covering installed over on and above-grade levels.
PAGE 3
Drying time varies with temperature and humidity. A typical set-up time is 45-60 minutes. Tiles should be laid starting at the center of the room, working towards the wall. The border tiles should be scribed to the wall, cut and fitted in place after the field tiles have been installed. Figure 3: Diagonal layout If the layout includes a border, adjust the size of the border to allow whole tiles to be used at the edge of the field tiles. When using two different colors, i.e.
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Irregular Walls/Obstacles Use direct scribing or pattern scribing to fit tile to irregular shapes. Direct Scribe 1. Place tile to be cut, hereafter called Tile A, along the wall, overlapping the last whole tile. 2. Place a mark along the back edge of Tile A. 3. Set dividers to the distance between the mark and the edge of the tile. 4. Reposition the tile and scribe. 5. It may be necessary to heat the tile from the back before cutting it on intricate cuts.
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Regular Maintenance • Vacuum, sweep, or dust with an untreated mop, daily, to remove loose dirt and grit. Do not use sweeping compounds or oil treated mops. • Damp-mop floor regularly with a dilute solution of NoRinse Cleaner. Follow all label instructions. To remove heavy soil use a slow speed floor machine equipped with a medium-grade, natural fiber scrubbing brush and a concentrated cleaner. Rinse floor after scrubbing.