Foundation™ Series Vinyl Tile: Installation Guidelines

(continued from prior page)

Moisture Barrier Information

Staticworx® is not responsible for any floor installation failures associated with unaddressed pre-existing site conditions like vapor transmission, moisture permeation, contaminated concrete and damaged subfloors. Always determine if there is a vapor barrier below concrete subfloors before beginning any flooring installation. All subfloors should be tested for moisture using ASTM test methods. For information about moisture and a complete list of ASTM test methods for determining potential moisture problems visit http://Staticworx® .com/articles/articles-moisture-barrier.htm.

BEFORE YOU START… continued:

2. WOOD SUBSTRATES
A.) General Information: Wood substrates must be constructed with at least 18 inches (45.72 cm) of well-ventilated air space beneath. Installing resilient flooring on sleepers over concrete is not recommended. For recommended grades of plywood performance, refer to the APA - The Engineered Wood Association.
B.) CAUTION: Do not install resilient flooring over:
• Eroded or wet areas.
Nailed slab or adhesive secured plywood or concrete floors (sleepers).
• Over fireproof plywood.
• To crooked Floors or vibration sensed floorings.

C.) Panel Substrates: APA panels guarantee continuous product quality. Receive written descriptions and related documents from the APA for successful panel construction. Do not install Staticworx® tile flooring over OSB or luan.

D.) Other Information: Old terrazzo, sealer, wax, oil and dirt must be cleaned and removed thoroughly. Heavily worn out areas must be reinforced. Consult with the underlayment manufacturer for surface treatment.

E.) Over Existing Resilient Flooring: Do not install over plank tile on concrete gypsum or cushion vinyl products and DIY Tile. Remove chemical compounds, wax, oil, dirt completely and moisture test must be taken as well.

Apply Adhesive: Staticworx® recommends using StatBond ESD Conductive Adhesives for optimum static control performance and bonding.

IMPORTANT — USE SUFFICIENT VENTILATION WHEN USING ADHESIVE.

Install Grounding Strips: To properly ground the flooring, place a 2” X 24” copper grounding strip on top of the adhesive (but under the tiles) and extend the strip up the wall at least 6” to 8”. Be sure there is an accessible ground at the wall to tie into after the carpeting is installed. If there is no accessible ground, prior to installation a certified electrician can tap into the electrical circuitry and drop a wire (no smaller than #10 stranded copper wire) inside a wall and cut a small hole in the baseboard so the wire can emerge. Staticworx® recommends installing one copper grounding strip per 1,000 square feet throughout the installation. A thin coating of conductive adhesive should be applied on top of grounding strip to ensure good contact with flooring tile.

Installing Tiles: Measure the area to find the best starting point for a maximum size perimeter tile. Proper planning should avoid trimming perimeter tiles more than half their width. Since most rooms are not perfect rectangles, it is advisable to snap chalk lines at right angles to one another as guidelines for laying the tiles. To do this, find the center point of one wall in the room. Now check your measurement from the center point to the wall (in feet and inches.) If the measurement is less than six inches, you should move your center mark six inches in either direction so that your trim pieces at the walls are maximum size. Do the same for the remaining walls. The two center lines must bisect at right angles in the center of the room. To achieve a perfect right angle, which is essential for a proper install, form a triangle by measuring 6’ X 8’ X 10’ (figure A). Starting with the center point, measure 6 feet on one line and mark that point. Go back to the center point and now measure out 8 feet from the other bisecting line and mark that point. If the angle is a correct 90°, the distance between these two end point marks should be exactly 10 feet.

Using the chalk lines as your guide, begin laying the tiles using the pyramid technique (figure B). Install one quadrant at a time following the numerical sequence. Do not spread more adhesive than tile can be installed into and rolled before adhesive sets. For proper esd performance, a good transfer of adhesive to tile is paramount.

NOTE: Slide tile into place over adjoining tile and lower into place. Cut tile to butt tightly into corners to minimize shifting of tiles. Work off the tile whenever possible. If working off the tile is not possible, use a kneeling board.

NOTE: The following instructions are guidelines for installation using Statbond ESD Adhesive only. Some adhesives may have different installation requirements; always refer to the adhesive manufacturers instructions for specific handling information.

Porous Application:
A. Spread adhesive with a notched trowel (1/16 X 1/32 X 1/32” square or U notch). Maintain the appropriate notch throughout the installation. Do not use a larger trowel than recommended or apply excessive amounts of adhesive, since this can slow drying and cause bleeding. Do not apply this adhesive by roller or brush.

B. Flooring tile should be placed into the adhesive while wet. It is customary for the adhesive to be allowed to remain open for approximately 5 to 10 minutes but is not necessary. Tile should be rolled, utilizing a 75 – 100 pound, three-section floor roller, as soon as it is determined that shifting of tile or bleeding of adhesive will not take place. Roll again 1 hour after installation.

Non-Porous Application:
A. For non-porous applications use a 1/16 X 1/32 X 1/32” square notch trowel. Correct trowel notching must be maintained throughout the installation. Do not apply this adhesive by roller or brush.

B. Allow the adhesive to dry to the touch so that there is little or no transfer of adhesive to the finger. Once the adhesive dries to the touch, it is ready to accept flooring material. Rolling should take place immediately after the flooring material has been positioned into the adhesive.
From the time the adhesive is allowed to dry to the touch to the time it must be covered is approximately 30 minutes. If adhesive is allowed to remain uncovered, after initially drying to the touch, for periods longer than the recommended 30 minutes, a loss in adhesion will result. Care must be taken by the installer not to spread more adhesive than can be worked appropriately within the 30 minute time frame. It is extremely important to roll in both directions, utilizing a 75 to 100 pound three-section floor roller.

NOTE: The adhesive’s bond strength develops and increases over a period of several days. It is the responsibility of the user to determine whether or not the subfloor to be covered is porous.

To determine if a subfloor is porous, place two droplets of water in each of several areas. If the subfloor is porous, the water will be absorbed within a few seconds.

Clean-up:
Soapy water followed by Mineral Spirits.

DO NOT APPLY SOLVENT DIRECTLY TO FLOORING MATERIAL.

3. GROUNDING OF Staticworx® VINYL FLOORING
Staticworx® ESD Vinyl Tiles are primarily used for eliminating static electricity and should therefore be grounded so that any absorbed electricity can be discharged to outside. The method of grounding can be selected depending on the site conditions and preference of user. Copper grounding strip should be laid over the adhesive and underneath the tile.

A. Building Ground
Connect copper foil grounding strap to the structural building steel or AC electrical ground. One strip should be installed for every 1,000 s.f. of flooring.

B. Electrical Ground
Connect copper foil grounding strap to the electrical ground every 1,000 s.f.

4. QUESTIONS/ASSISTANCE
Call Staticworx® Customer Service at 617-923-2000 with any questions you may have, Monday-Friday between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm EST. IMPORTANT — USE SUFFICIENT VENTILATION WHEN USING ADHESIVE.