Installation Instructions

Installation Instructions for Rubber Flooring Rolls & Interlocking Tiles

I. Product Data
A. General Information

1. Rubber Flooring Rolls

a) Width: Nominal 48”
b) Length: Custom cut to length above 30 linear feet

2. Rubber Flooring Interlocking Tiles & Squares

a) 36”x36” squares (Tile coverage is 9 square feet)
b) 36”x36” interlocked (Tile net coverage is 8.25 square feet without the interlocking tabs)

3. Other Attributes

a) Thickness: Available from 5/32”to ½” thick, with multiple options in between.
b) Available in solid black and in standard color fleck densities of 10% or 20% in red, blue, green, gray, tan, eggshell, yellow, purple, orange, or teal fleck on a black base.
Note: The black raw material used to manufacture the product is a recycled material, with no dyes or colorants added, and as such there can be minor variations in the intensity of the black color.
c) Custom colors blends (Example: 10% red + 10% white = 20% red/white color density) or color densities up to 90% available with minimum incremental purchase.

II. Roll Installation Guide
A. Substrate

1. Suitable substrates include but are not limited to permanently dried concrete and wood.
2. To eliminate the telegraphing effect of defects in the substrate through the flooring, the substrate must be smooth.
3. Remove all dust, dirt, grease, and foreign materials from the substrate.
4. Moisture in the substrate negatively affects any adhesive product and should be eliminated prior to installation.

B. Roll Installation Procedure

1. Inspect flooring prior to installation for manufacturing defects, correct color, and size. If flooring has been installed it has been deemed as accepted. See warranty statement for details.
2. Make the assumption from the start that the walls in the room are not square or straight.
3. A Full Glued Down Installation is recommended for maximum wear and durability, but double face taped down applications are acceptable for lower traffic installations. Substrate quality is equally as important for taped down installations as it is for full glue down installations.
4. Unroll / unpack the flooring in one direction and allow it to acclimate with the installation environment for a period of 24 hours or more prior to final installation. This will allow the flooring time to relax as it is stretched somewhat during manufacturing.
5. It is highly recommended to roll out the flooring in such a fashion that will minimize excess cuts and waste during the final installation. It is very important during the layout process to start rolling the succeeding courses of flooring out from the same wall or point where the first course was started from and to not flip rolls over or reverse directions. If a double face tape down installation method is chosen, the tape can be applied to the substrate as the flooring is being laid out in this step. The top layer of the tape can be exposed when the final cuts are complete.
6. Slightly overlapping the rolls during the layout process along the long axis of the seams will help insure tight seams during the adhering process.
7. Cut all rolls to the required length making allowances to run up a wall and/or for overlap on a head seams where required.
8. Begin the final installation by starting with the roll that is against the truest wall. Square this roll with the room.
9. Proceed to butt the next roll against the first roll utilizing the factory edge. All interior seams (those not against a wall) may be butted against the preceding roll using the factory edge. Head seams or other joints may be overlapped and double cut using a sharp utility knife as necessary.
10. Starting with the first roll, fold back half of the roll lengthwise along the wall and apply the adhesive to the substrate using the manufacturers recommended coverage rates and trowel size. Note the adhesive manufacturers “open time” and only apply as much as you can install within this time period. In order to minimize trapped air gently LAY, do not “drop” the flooring back into the adhesive.
11. Trim the roll to the final length. Leaving a slight gap at the walls roughly the thickness of the material being installed is recommended and can be hidden with a cove base type molding. Under normal interior conditions, the rubber flooring is very stable and will not expand or shrink, but because it is rubber, it can stretch. Leaving the gap allows for this stretch and will help prevent any bunching at the walls.
12. Roll the floor immediately with a 75 to 100 lb floor roller to maximize contact of adhesive with the floor working from the middle of the roll to the wall or perimeter.
13. Fold back the other half of the first roll and the first half of the second roll and apply adhesive to the substrate under both being careful to not apply too much adhesive at the seams. Too much adhesive will ooze up through the seam.
14. Lay flooring into wet adhesive and roll. When laying down the second roll, the initial overlap allows you to “work” or “walk” the joint back with your hands thereby insuring a tight seam and effectively eliminating oozing adhesive.
15. Repeat this folding, spreading, trimming, and rolling procedure for each consecutive roll until complete.
16. Roll all seams after the entire floor has been rolled. Do not use Duct Tape to temporarily hold the seams in place while the adhesive sets, as it will leave a residue on the floor that is very difficult to remove.
17. Allow the adhesive to cure per the adhesive manufacturer’s recommendation prior to excess foot traffic and rolling loads across the flooring. Premature traffic could cause gaps to form in the seams.

III. Tile Installation Guide
A. Substrate

1. As with the rolled goods above, substrate preparation is critical to a good installation.

B. Tile Installation Procedure

1. Inspect flooring prior to installation for manufacturing defects, correct color, and size. See warranty statement for details.
2. A successful installation depends on several factors and your flooring contractor will help you choose the correct installation method based on your needs. Rubber Flooring Tiles have been successfully installed with “loose laid”, tape down, and full glue down applications. The entire floor should be dry laid prior to adhesive application. This eliminates problems associated with the differences in “open time” of different adhesives. Do not use Duct Tape on any seams as the residue is very difficult to remove.
a) Square Cut Tiles
(1) Starting in the center of the room. Snap a chalk line lengthwise down the center of the room.
(2) Begin laying tiles lengthwise along the chalk line towards the opposite wall.
(3) When a wall is reached, it is recommended to refrain from cutting the last tile to fit until all the tiles are installed.
(4) Continue laying the tiles in rows until the room is complete except for the areas along the walls. Some installers prefer to use a staggered “bricklike” pattern as they feel it minimizes stress between the tiles.
(5) Finish the areas along the walls by cutting in tiles to fill the gaps. Leaving a gap at the wall roughly the thickness of the material being installed is recommended.
(6) Tiles can be finish cut slightly larger than needed (~5/32”) and then undercut to ensure a professional result.

b) Interlocking Tiles
(1) Snap a chalk line on the sub-floor 24” from one wall in your room. Snap another chalk line on the sub-floor 24” from an adjacent wall. You should then have a set of perpendicular lines making an approximate 90-degree angle.
(2) Begin laying the interlocking tiles along one of the chalk lines, snapping the locks together as you go. Typically, Interlocking tiles are not Glued Down.
(3) Leave the perimeter of the room open until the field is installed.
(4) Continue locking the tiles together in successive rows until the field area is covered.
(5) Go back and cut in the tiles along the walls in the room. Leaving a gap at the wall roughly the thickness of the material being installed is recommended.
(6) This method should maximize the usage of the tiles and the strength of the interlock mechanism while minimizing the number of cuts that need to be made.

IV. Cleaning and Maintenance Instructions

Note: Sealing the floor is not a necessary step and in fact, it is discouraged in very abusive applications (e.g., Health club free weight areas or ice hockey rink perimeter flooring). However, high color percentage floors (>50%) or areas that experience foot traffic will greatly benefit by being sealed.

A. Maintenance for Un-sealed Floors.

1. Rubber Flooring can be cleaned much like carpeting.
2. Daily vacuuming is encouraged to keep dust to a minimum.
3. If the flooring cannot be fully cleaned with a vacuum, a damp mopping with a mild soap and water solution will usually be sufficient.
a) It is important not to get the flooring too wet as this may have an adverse affect on the adhesive system employed.
b) Change the soap and water solution often!
4. Use a wet vacuum to remove excess water from the flooring.
5. Be sure to use a clean mop. This will keep your floor smelling fresh and clean.

B. Post Construction Maintenance for Sealed Floors.

1. Sweep the floor clean.
2. Dry vacuum to ensure any fine soil is removed.
3. Wet scrub floor with TASKI Profi cleaner (6-8 oz / gal. of water) using buffer or auto-scrubber with a TASKI contact pad or soft nylon brush.
a) TASKI floor care products are manufactured by JohnsonDiversey™ and can be found at many janitorial supply houses.
b) JohnsonDiversey™ customer service hotline is 800-626-5015
c) Look under institutional floor care products on their website at http://www.diverseylever.com
4. Recover soiled solution, rinse, and allow to dry thoroughly (6-8 hours).

C. Initial Treatment

1. Apply 3 thin coats of TASKI Vision Matte
2. Allow proper drying time before applying next coat.
a) Note: Apply floor finish with synthetic wax mop. While the finish is wet, buff the floor with floor buffer (150-300 rpm) and soft nylon brush. This application drives the finish into the floor and prompts proper sealing and coating of the floor.

D. Daily/As Needed Cleaning

1. Dry vacuum floor thoroughly (daily).
2. Auto scrub or wet mop floor using TASKI Combiplus or TASKI Wiwax as needed. (2-3 oz/gal. of water).
a) NOTE: In an office environment, the floor may become scuffed due to heavy foot traffic and may require weekly or as needed spray buffing or dry buffing of the floor with a mint or white pad. In application of spray buffing, use TASKI Wiwax diluted 50/50 with water.

E. Periodic Cleaning As Needed

1. Dry vacuum the floor thoroughly.
2. Wet scrub the floor with TASKI Profi (4oz / gal.). This application is done with an auto-scrubber or a buffer and wet vacuum. Use a TASKI purple pad for scrubbing the floor.
3. Allow the solution to remain on the floor for at least 5 minutes.
4. Wet vacuum soiled solution.
5. Rinse and allow to dry (1-2 hours).
6. Apply 1-2 thin coats of TASKI Vision Matte using a wet buffing process with soft nylon brush.

F. A Few Tips About Working With Rubber Flooring

1. Use a vacuum with a high CFM to pick up dust.
2. Wait for the floor to dry between applications of floor finish or sealer.
3. Apply floor finish (thin coats) with wax mop and follow with a floor buffer using a soft nylon brush.
4. For large areas, use an auto-scrubber with a contact pad or soft nylon brush to clean the floor daily.
5. For stripping a rubber floor, use TASKI Ice-It and nylon brush.
6. For poorly maintained floors, it may be necessary to continue cleaning with Ice-It for an extended period.
7. For food areas, daily cleaning should be done with Profi (2-4 oz/gal.).

V. Warranty

Cork Composites recycled rubber flooring is guaranteed to be free from manufacturing defects in material and / or workmanship. If the recycled rubber flooring is found to be defective under normal conditions for a period of five years from the date of receipt (to original purchaser),  Cork Composites will, at its own discretion, replace the defective material or issue credit not to exceed the selling price of the defective goods. This warranty does not cover installation labor costs or other related expenses. This warranty does not cover dissatisfaction due to improper maintenance or installation, damage from improper maintenance or usage or general misuse, including, without limitation: burns, cuts, tears, scratches, scuffs, damage from rolling loads on inappropriate wheels or casters and / or damage or discoloration from floor care products not recommended for use on rubber flooring. Shade or color variations due to exposure to direct sunlight, minor color or shading variation within the black rubber portion of the product and / or shade or color variations between samples or photographs in the brochure and the actual flooring product itself, are also not considered to be material defects. Although rubber flooring is used successfully in ice-rink applications, this warranty expressly excludes premature wear caused by ice skates in heavy-use areas (penalty boxes, walkways to and from the ice, etc.). This is due to the abusive nature of ice skate blades on any type of flooring material.  Cork Composites highly recommends the use of blade protectors when walking on our recycled rubber flooring with ice skates.

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