GENERAL INFORMATION ON PLASTI-LOCK ORIGINAL & BIG BROTHER

The Plasti-Lock vinyl fooring system is suitable for industrial, commercial and domestic use.  Your floor will provide many years of service if properly installed for your particular application. You will need to ensure that it is well maintained and looked after in order to protect your investment. Follow the instructions and don’t hesitate to contact Tuff Floors at the address on the cover should you encounter any difficulties or have any queries.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT INSTALLATION METHOD TO SUIT YOUR APPLICATION.

In some light traffic applications the flooring can be laid loose over a flat, firm and clean surface.

In most applications the floor should be installed with a suitable full spread adhesive. Examples of some conditions that would require this method of installation would be where there is:

• Pedestrian traffic
• One directional traffic
• Direct sunlight on the floors
• Trolleys, rolling loads or turning wheels

Note: The selection of the correct adhesives is most important. Acrylic or polyurethane adhesives are the types generally used, with the polyurethane being the stronger of the two. Job site conditions vary and we therefore recommend that you consult an adhesive manufacturer to make the correct choice. Manufacturers of such adhesives include Pekay Group (Pty.) Ltd. and Qualichem (Pty.) Ltd. of Gauteng, South Africa.

Please ensure that in any one area only tiles from the same batch number are used.

JOB SITE CONDITIONS

These interlocking tiles are recommended for interior applications only. The areas to receive flooring should be weather-tight. The material must be climatized at room temperature for a minimum of 24 hours before starting the installation. Failure to climatize the tiles prior to installation may result in variances in tile size and difficulty in joining the interlock.

SUB-FLOOR PREPARATION

Because of the interlocking system, only minimal sub-floor preparation is required or needed when the tile is installed in a loose lay configuration. It is not necessary to remove old paint, epoxy coatings, concrete sealers and/or curing compounds, oils, grease or other contaminants that normally must be removed. (Please note that the above does not apply when the floor is glued to the sub floor.)

• Concrete floors should be smooth, rigid, flat and level.
• Wood sub-floors must be rigid, free from movement and have at least 500mm of well -ventilated air space below.
• Remove, grind/sand down any protrusions such as: nails, bolts or lumps in the sub- floor.
• Fill any large holes, voids or cracks.
• Sweep or vacuum floor to remove all dirt and debris.

LAYING THE FLOOR

1. Identify the straightest wall in the room (Fig 1, AB).
2. Snap a chalk line at 90 degrees to this wall and a short enough distance from the other wall to allow for wastage and trimming.(Fig 1, CD)
3. Place the first tile (tile #1 in Fig 2) in the corner of the straight wall (Fig 2, AB) and the chalk line (Fig 2, CD) with the finished edge towards the corner and the dove tails facing out (Fig A).
4. Place four tiles in either direction along the chalk line and straight wall (Fig 3).
5. Place another three tiles (Fig 4) in the corner of the angle. Tiles 8,9,10.
6. Start filling in, by working diagonally across the room (Fig 5) Tiles 11, 12, 13, 14 until the room is completed.
7. Measure, trim and install the tiles around the perimeter of the room, leaving a 3mm expansion gap around the walls and fixed objects that are bolted to the floor.
8. Place a silicone sealant in these expansion gaps.
9. When complete, check all joints and tap in areas where the interlock has not properly clicked in.

FINISHING TOUCHES

SEALING THE EDGES

If your application will leave an excessive amount of fluids on the floor, it is recommended to caulk the 3mm gap between the wall and tile using a polyurethane adhesive. To provide maximum expansion/contraction capabilities and to prevent the polyurethane adhesive caulk from adhering to the sub-floor, fix a 50mm wide masking tape tight to the wall around the perimeter of the room. (Photo 1)

Install skirting so that it barely rests on top of the tile and does not restrict the tiles ability to expand and contract.

RAMP TO TILE EDGE

Tuff Floors produces 30mm wide ramp to tile edge in a black, dark grey or yellow colour.

Trim tile to desired size, apply adhesive to the tile edge that slips underneath the tile, slide edging under tile and hand roll to ensure proper adhesive transfer.