Carpet Installation
Installation Guide
Below are guidelines for laying our Blocco flooring. Every endeavour has been made to ensure the information given here is true and reliable. It is given only for the guidance. The company cannot accept any responsibility for loss or damage that may result from the use of this information, due to the possibility of variations of processing or working conditions and/or workmanship beyond our control. Users are advised to conduct their own tests for a particular application.
Subfloor requirements
Our Blocco planks can be laid quickly and easily on almost any type of subfloor without any additional adhesive. It is especially important to ensure that the underlays listed below are clean, even, firm, dry, and free of dust and separating agents (oils, waxes, care products, etc.)
Our Blocco Planks can be installed on top of most hard surfaces such as resilient floor coverings and ceramic tiles which are sufficiently fixed, completely levelled and have no loose areas. (If the surface needs to be covered, either a 4mm or 6mm plywood can be used - the thickness selected should be determined by the quality of the surface being covered.)
Old resilient floor coverings (like vinyl, linoleum, cork) must be glued so there are no loose areas. All types of subfloor must be flat, even, rigid, dry and dust-free. Blocco may be installed over smooth, fully-cured (minimum of 90 days) concrete floors. To seal concrete surfaces, use a non-solvent based sealer. Let the surface dry completely before installing.
NB Any discrepancies in levels and any surface defects are likely to show through the flooring and prevent joints from settling properly.
The final appearance of your flooring depends on the quality of the subfloor.
Unsuitable subfloors include: -
- Subfloors with bitumen content
- Textile subfloors
- All soiled subfloors (e.g. due to paint residue, glue residue, dirt/dust, oil, etc.)
- All subfloors that are not firm/suitable for bearing loads (e.g. porous screed surfaces)
Pre-installation
Care should be taken when handling boxes to avoid damage. When stored, boxes should be stacked flat & square, with no overhang, and stacks should not be so high that they become unstable or place undue pressure on the bottom boxes. Boxes should never be stacked on their side. Protect the flooring from extreme temperatures.
Boxes are individually labelled with Quality, Colour & Batch Number. Batches should not be mixed in the same area.
The product must be conditioned in its packaging in the area in which it is to be laid for a minimum of 12 hours before installation. The ambient temperature within the area during conditioning and installation should not exceed 26°C or fall below 18°C and Relative Humidity should be maintained between 40% and 70%. These conditions must be maintained throughout the installation and for a minimum of 48 hours after installation.
Blocco can be used with underfloor heating. The system should be switched off at least 72 hours prior to installation, and remain switched off throughout, and for 72 hours after, the installation. Subsequently the surface temperature should be gradually increased to operating temperature and should never exceed 28°C.
Prior to beginning the installation all other trades should have their work completed and the area should be clear, clean and dust free.
Only remove outer packaging when ready to install the flooring.
Inspect the flooring in daylight for any visible faults or damage and report any visible faults to Colour Flooring immediately and do not install the affected material.
Installation
Planks must be laid following the directional arrows on the backs. Start the laying process by marking out a straight line (preferably using a chalk line) on the subfloor, based on the required position of the planks. In smaller rooms (20 m² or less), this line can be marked out at intervals of 25 cm from the wall; in larger rooms, we recommend marking out the line in the centre of the room so that the modules can be laid toward both sides starting from the centre.
The long sides of the first row of planks must be laid EXACTLY along this line. The subsequent plank rows should not match up with those in the adjacent row, they should be staggered, with a minimum overlap of 15 cm.
All the planks must lie flush and end-to-end against one another, and their entire surface must be pressed onto the subfloor.
A tight installation is required, however care should be taken to avoid exerting excessive pressure when butting one plank against another. This can result in peaked or buckled joints. Additionally, when installing the planks, brush back the pile at the edges (using a soft bristle brush if required) and tip into place at a slight angle. This avoids trapping pile fibre between planks which accentuates joints.
As each tile is installed ensure that the installation remains square and conforms to the chalk lines. Failure to maintain a square, accurate installation leads to stepped tile joints and gaps between tiles which results in visible seams.
Perimeter tiles should be cut from the back using a straight edge and a sharp blade. With the tile face-side down, accurately measure and mark the tile on the backing. Using a carpet knife and straight edge, cut through the backing. Double-sided tape can be used if required to fix any cut tiles around the edge of the room.
Planks can be laid on stairs using either a solvent-free contact adhesive or a stair edging profile and a suitable adhesive system.
Post installation
Once installed it is advised not to use the floor until the adhesive has fully cured. As a guide foot traffic and furniture movement should be avoided for 6 hours after completion. Do not drag heavy objects across your floor and always place some kind of protection between an object and the floor when moving it.
Before using your flooring we recommend you vacuum the entire area thoroughly using a dual motor upright vacuum cleaner with brush and beater bar to remove all dust and dirt.
Protect you flooring immediately after installation to avoid unnecessary damage by other trades. Never use self-adhesive materials (e.g. adhesive film) for this, as such materials may leave adhesive residue on the flooring, resulting in planks being marked and/or displaced when the film is removed.
Reusing your floor
Your Blocco floor can be taken up and reused as long as the self-adhesive backing remains free of dust, dirt or other contaminants. The planks should be transported in the same way as they first arrived: boxed up with the self-adhesive sides facing each other.