Rubber Floor Tile Fitting Instructions for Contractors

A useful guide for the installation of UK Flooring Online’s Studded Rubber Floor Tiles and Marble Rubber Floor Tiles.

Introduction

UK Flooring Online Rubber Floor Tiles are manufactured from a combination of natural and synthetic rubber. This highly resilient material is ideal for areas with high-traffic, workplace interiors and public places such as airports, schools, and shopping centres, as well as, other health care, hospitality, retail and office environments.
 
The highest quality of materials and workmanship are employed in the making of UK Flooring Online Rubber Floor Tiles and careful inspection is made before dispatch. However, a quality installation is the responsibility of the installer. It is the installer's responsibility to verify the accuracy of the order and the materials is checked for damage, defects, and satisfactory colour match during the dry laid installation.
 
UK Flooring Online cannot accept any responsibility for the loss or damage that may result from the use of this information, due to processing or working conditions and/or workmanship outside our control. Users are advised to confirm the suitability of this product by their own tests.
 
UK Flooring Online Rubber Floor Tiles are for interior installations only and not suggested for environments where the product will be exposed to animal fat, vegetable oils, or petrol based materials i.e. commercial kitchens.

Handling and Storage

1. Rubber floor tiles and adhesives must be site accustomed at room temperature for 72 hours prior to, during, and after the installation. Room temperature must be maintained between 18°C and 24°C (65°F and 75°F) and relative humidity at 50%.
 
2. In rooms that are exposed to intense or direct sunlight, the product must be protected during the conditioning, Installation, and adhesive curing periods, by blocking the light source.
 
3. Rubber floor tiles are not recommended for exterior use. Exposure to excessive UV rays can result in fading and/or colour variation. 

General Subfloor Preparations

 
1. All subfloors must be clean, smooth, flat to within 1/8” in 10 ft., and dry. Dust, scale, and loose particles must be removed. The surface must be free of solvents, paint, grease, oil, wax, alkali, sealing/curing compounds, and any other foreign material, which could affect adhesive bonding.
 
2. Do not install rubber floor tiles over expansion joints or in surroundings where the product will be exposed to animal fat, vegetable oils, or petrol based materials i.e. commercial kitchens.
 
3. Concrete subfloors must be checked for moisture content. The test shall be in accordance with ASTM F-1869 Standard Test Method for Measuring Moisture Vapour Emission Rate of Concrete Subfloor Using Anhydrous Calcium Chloride. One test should be conducted for every 100 sq. m. of flooring and the results not exceed 1.5 Kg. per 100 sq. m. in 24 hours. If the test results exceed the limitations, the installation must not proceed until the problem has been corrected.
 
An adhesion-bonding test of the actual materials to be installed should be performed, every 100 sq. m., utilising a whole tile. The test pieces should remain in place for 72 hours and then evaluated for bond strength to the concrete. Excessive alkali must be removed by mechanical means i.e.: bead blasting, sanding, or grinding. Fill all depressions, cracks, and other surface irregularities with good quality cementitious underlayment filler.
 
4. Wooden subfloors must have a minimum 47cm (18 inches) of cross-ventilated space between the bottom of the joist and ground. Exposed earth crawl spaces should be covered with a polyethylene moisture barrier.
 
Wooden joists should be on 41cm  (16") centres with 2.5cm (1") boards installed diagonally and covered with 12.7mm  (1/2") A.P.A. Approved underlayment plywood. Nail on 10.2cm (4") centres around perimeter and across field. Countersink nail heads. Fill all depressions, joints, cracks, gouges, and chipped edges with a good quality latex patching compound and sand surface smooth.
 
Single Wood and Tongue and Groove subfloors should be covered with 12.7mm (1/2") or 19cm (3/4") underlayment plywood.
 
UK Flooring Online does not warranty installations over "particle board" or "chipboard" type underlayment.
 
UK Flooring Online does not recommend nor warrant rubber tile installations over existing resilient floors. All resilient flooring and adhesives must be removed prior to installing the rubber flooring system.
 
Caution: Some resilient flooring products and adhesives contain "asbestos fibres" and special handling of this material is required.
 
5. Terrazzo and Ceramic Floors - The floor surface must be thoroughly sanded to remove all glaze and waxes. Remove all loose tiles and clean the grout lines. Fill all grout lines and other depressions with a cementitious levelling compound.
 
6. Steel floors - The surface must be thoroughly cleaned by sandblasting, wire brush or other mechanical means to remove all rust and other contaminants. Paint the surface with an anti-corrosive coating to prevent rust from recurring.
 
7. Concrete floors equipped with a radiant heating system - care must be taken that the floor surface temperature does not exceed 300ºC (850ºF) during normal activity. 

Rubber Tile Installation

1. Find your centre point - To find the centre point of the room start with the 2 longest walls and measure the length of these walls. In our first example the measurement is 5m long. Divide that by 2 and mark a line on the floor at exactly 2.5m. Do this on both 5m sides of the room and measure and repeat this on the 3m walls. 



You now should have 4 lines marked, one in the middle of each wall of the room. Using a chalk line, take one end and anchor it to one of your marks, which is at the midpoint of the wall. Stretch the line across the room to the opposite wall and anchor the line at your midpoint mark. Make sure your line is tight and “snap” the line by lifting the line up a little and letting go so it snaps a nice clean chalk line across the room. Repeat this step on the other wall and when completed you should have your room divided into 4 quadrants. Where the lines intersect will be the centre of your room. Now take your tape measure and measure from the centre point to each corner of the room and each of these measurements should be equal.

Start in one quadrant by laying out one tile next to where the 2 lines cross. Follow each line and continue laying out tiles in both directions until you reach the wall. Stand back and take a look to see how the tiles will look where they meet the wall. Do this in the adjoining 3 quadrants and determine if you need to make any changes.
Follow the diagrams below and lay the tiles dry to check the fit in the room.

Lay out the tiles along the chalk line in the quadrant furthest away form the door.







Continue dry laying your tiles in the second quadrant. 



Continue laying tiles in 3rd quadrant. 



Dry lay the tiles in the final quadrant.

3. After the entire floor has been dry laid, view the floor under normal, occupied lighting conditions.
 
4. Once you are satisfied that the tiles are laid out correctly, it is now time to start with your adhesive. Only Adesilex G19 two part polyurethane adhesive is approved for installing UK Flooring Online’s Rubber Floor Tiles.
 
5. After proper mixing (epoxy and urethanes only), apply adhesive to subfloor. See adhesive label for mixing directions, trowel recommendations, and subfloor porosity conditions. Remove wet adhesive at seams or off tile surface with a cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol or water.
 
Caution: Epoxy and Urethane adhesives must be removed when wet. The removal of dried adhesive can result in tile damage.
 
6. Install the tiles point to point. Position the tile and butt the edges tightly. Lower the tiles into the adhesive. Sliding the tiles will result in forcing the adhesive out between the seams. Work off the tile surface or use a kneeling board. Periodically, lift the corner of an installed tile to ensure proper transfer of the adhesive.
 
7. After all tiles have been installed, roll the floor, in both directions, with a 45 Kg. 3-section roller. Roll a second time one hour later. Inspect the floor 2-1/2 hours after installation and roll a third time, if necessary. Use a hand roller in areas, which cannot be reached with a large roller. Inspect floor surface, especially seams, and remove any adhesive on the surface.
 
8. Avoid all traffic for at least 12 hours and only limited light traffic for a period of 72 hours after the installation. Do not allow roller traffic on the floor until after a minimum of 72 hours. Avoid cold or excessive heat, including direct sunlight during this 72 hour period.

Doing it yourself? Read our Rubber Floor Tile Fitting Instructions (DIY).