The Vinyl Collection Installation Guide
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Vinyl Flooring Installation Guide
Important Notes
Where can vinyl flooring be installed
Delivery, storage and acclimatisation of vinyl flooring
Site Preparation
Subfloor preparation
Wall installation
Underfloor Heating
Additional flooring considerations
Adhesives and installation
Cutting vinyl flooring
Post installation
Cleaning, Maintenance and Care
General notes – Cutting and wastage
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Important Notes
The purpose of this booklet is to outline the basic principles of installing your Fired Earth Vinyl
Flooring.
Installing Vinyl flooring is a straightforward process and follows the same guidelines which apply to
the installation of most flooring. Good preparation is essential as the finished appearance of the
floor will only be as good as the quality of the base and its preparation over which the vinyl is to be
installed.
For more detailed technical information, refer to British Standards Installation Guide for Vinyl tile
installation.
As we have no control of the storage and handling of the vinyl on site, site conditions or the quality
of workmanship we strongly recommend you employ the services of an experienced and
competent vinyl fitter. A list of suggested quality installers is available from our showrooms.
It is the responsibility of the owner/installer, whether professional or not, to determine that all
internal site conditions are stable and suitable for the installation of the agreed flooring.
For further information, or if any doubt exists, please telephone our Technical Department for
advice prior to installation.
Read the instructions on the packaging of all ancillaries and equipment very carefully. Keep
everything meticulously clean and orderly as work progresses.
All our installation guides are available to download from our website: www.firedearth.com
Useful Numbers:
UK Sales
Technical
Home Deliveries
Customer Care
Adhesive
0845 366 0400
01295 814271
01295 814313
01295 814396
01706 374615
Disclaimer:
The specifications and technical information given in this publication are intended for guidance and
although they are to the best of our knowledge correct, they are given without warranty.
We cannot accept any responsibility for reliance placed upon the advice contained herein since
practical expertise and site conditions are outside of our control. Neither do we accept liability for
the performance of the product arising from such use. This does not affect your statutory rights
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Where can Vinyl flooring be installed?
Vinyl flooring can be used internally in most rooms:
• Kitchen
• Lounge
• Bathroom
• Bedroom
• Loft conversion
• Playroom
• Nursery
• Hall
• Study
• Gym
• Conservatory
Vinyl flooring is not suitable for external installations or in rooms where there is no heating.
Fired Earth Vinyl flooring is suitable for use with water based underfloor heating and has been
successfully tested with Warmups Loose Wire and Sticky Mat Systems.
Delivery, storage and acclimatisation of Vinyl Flooring
Please do not arrange delivery to site until all wet works (i.e. subfloors, plastering, painting, cement
work and tiling) are completely finished and dry. Conventional heating systems should have been
run for a minimum of two weeks and water underfloor heating for a minimum of three weeks.
All material should be checked to ensure the correct product has been received and free from
defects.
Boxes of vinyl flooring should be transported and stored on a flat surface. Once on site it is
essential that Vinyl flooring is allowed to acclimatise. We recommend the Vinyl is placed in the
room where it is to be fitted or in one with a similar environment. Boxes should be separated from
one another and we would recommend removing the product from its packaging and spreading it
out to assist in the acclimatisation process. Never place boxes of Vinyl or individual tile upright.
Vinyl should not be stored in very cold (less than 2ºC) or very warm (more than 40ºC) or humid
places. The product should not be stored next to a radiator, on in any direct heat source or direct
sunlight.
Vinyl flooring will need to acclimatise in liveable conditions for 48 hours. If the Vinyl and adhesive
have been stored outside of the recommended temperature we would advise the acclimatisation
time is increased to 72 hours. The adhesive should never be stored in sub 0ºc conditions.
The vinyl flooring must be thoroughly checked prior to installation. No complaints regarding the
appearance of the product will be accepted by the company once the vinyl has been installed
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Site Preparation
Vinyl flooring can be laid on concrete, cementious screed, anhydrite screed, timber, stone and
many other subfloors, which have been suitably prepared.
The type of surface below your flooring, its quality and pre-treatment required will have a significant
influence on the final result. Good preparation is essential for a trouble free installation and is vital
for an excellent floor appearance and adhesion as the finish will only be as good as the base over
which it is installed. The base should be hard, smooth, clean, dry and free from any defects. Any
irregularities in the sub floor will show through to the final floor.
All wet works (i.e. subfloors, plastering, painting, cement work and tiling) must be completely
finished and dry. Conventional heating systems should have been run for a minimum of two weeks
and water underfloor heating for a minimum of three weeks
All possibilities of damp e.g. wall, drains, damp proof courses, plumbing, washing machines etc
must be thoroughly checked and repaired if leaking. Products must be laid on sub floors or walls
with a moisture content below 75% RH and below 2.5% CM (Tramex) when tested with
Protimeter’s MMS or Tramex test equipment. Do not use existing or previously laid floors as a
guide to the suitability of laying a new floor. Failure to carry out the correct checks and take
preventative action at this stage leads to the vast majority of Vinyl flooring problems
The quality and preparation of sub floors, walls, moisture and humidity testing and site conditions
must be assessed prior to the start of an installation to ensure they meet the necessary national
British standards.
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Subfloor preparation
Concrete/Sand and Cement Screeds
Vinyl tile should only be installed on suitably dry concrete or sand and cement sub-floors.
Concrete subfloors at ground/basement levels must contain a damp proof membrane (DPM). If one
does not exist or is damaged then a new DPM must be fitted prior to installing the Vinyl floor.
A moisture test must be carried out and recorded to ensure the levels are below 75% RH and
below 2.5% CM (Tramex)
The Sub-floors must be mechanically cleaned of all paint, curing agents, grease, wax and other
foreign matter. Never use solvents to remove surface contaminations.
The floor must be hard, smooth, level and free from cracks. Use a suitable product to fill grooves,
cracks, holes and depressions. The floor should then be primed and apply an application of Fired
Earth Universal levelling compound to a minimum of 3mm to provide a smooth and level surface to
which the adhesive and tile can be applied. Once levelled do not apply a primer.
Anhydrite/Gypsum Screeds.
A moisture test must be carried out and recorded to ensure the levels are below 75% RH and
below 2.5% CM (Tramex)
The floor will require abrasion prior to an application of primer and a non cement based Levelling
Compound to a minimum of 3mm. Once levelled do not apply a primer.
Timber Floors
Existing wood floors must be dry, level and firmly fixed. Loose boards should be firmly secured and
worn/broken boards should be replaced. Take care if using nails and screws not to damage pipes
or electrical cables beneath. If the floor is on or below ground level the installer should ensure
there is no moisture build up beneath the boards, there is adequate ventilation beneath and
between the joists, and air bricks are present and not blocked. Suspended ground floors must have
sufficient cross ventilation to prevent condensation occurring on the underside of the flooring. It is
advisable to lay a suitable membrane over the joists to help protect the undersides of the new
boards from moisture
If necessary, the boards should be planed and /or levelled with a suitable levelling media prior to
covering with plywood. Plywood should be a minimum of 6mm thickness, flooring grade (WBP
board is not flooring grade) and a suitable product applied to the joints and fixings so they are
smooth and will not be visible through the surface of the vinyl. Any gaps, ridges or uneven surface
irregularities will show through to the surface of the vinyl.
Chipboard/Hardboard/Particleboard
Regardless of the fixing of these products, Vinyl tile should only be installed on these floors if they
have been overlaid with Plywood.
Cork and Wood Block Floors
Cork and Woodblock floors must be removed, any bitumen or adhesive residues left on the subfloor should be scraped away and all loose material removed. Prime the floor with neat Fired Earth
Primer and when dry we recommend levelling the area with Fired Earth Universal Levelling
Compound.
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Subfloor preparation continued
Laminate
Existing laminate flooring must be uplifted and removed together with the underlay and other
accessories. No solvents should be used. The sub floor should then be treated as per the sub floor
exposed.
Ceramic, Stone, Quarry and Terazzo Tile
The floor must be tested for moisture and damp proofed if necessary. Worn, unstable, damaged
tiles must be removed and repaired. The floor must then be degreased, cleaned and abraded prior
to an application of a primer and Fired Earth Levelling compound to a minimum of 3mm. Once
levelled do not apply a primer.
Painted floors
All paint residue must be mechanically removed. The floor must then be primed and Fired Earth
levelling Compound applied to a minimum of 3mm. Once levelled do not apply a primer.
Installing onto walls
Vinyl tile should be installed onto plaster board, plywood, plaster or paint only. Tiles, wallpaper and
lining paper must be removed prior to installation.
A moisture test must be carried out and recorded to ensure the levels are below 75% RH and
below 2.5% CM (Tramex)
The wall must be smooth, level and free from cracks. Use a suitable product to fill grooves, cracks,
holes and depressions. Once the substrate is smooth and level the adhesive and tile can be
applied. Do not apply a primer at any point when installing onto walls.
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Underfloor heating
Fired Earth Vinyl flooring is suitable for use with water based underfloor heating and has been
successfully tested with Warmups Loose Wire and Sticky Mat Systems.
If the vinyl flooring is being installed over an underfloor heating system other than the Warmup
system, please ensure your underfloor heating supplier is aware that a vinyl floor is to be installed
over their system. The underfloor heating must be installed according to the manufacturer’s
guidelines.
Installing with Warmup Systems
Please follow the Warmup installation guide for instructions on how to install your chosen system.
The heating wire must be covered with a layer of levelling compound, so as to provide a suitable
flat surface on which the vinyl can be installed.
Prior to installing the vinyl, the complete system must be operational for a minimum of one week.
Please note, the heating element should not be switched on until the self-levelling compound has
completely cured.
The system should be turned off for 48 hours prior to installation and remain off for 48 hours post
installation. After this time the system can be turned back on to its normal temperature setting,
slowly increasing the temperature by 5°C a day until the required temperature has been achieved.
The surface must never exceed 27ºC.
The vinyl flooring must be bonded to the self-levelled surface using the Stauf high temperature
adhesive (D50). All other standard installation instructions apply.
Additional flooring considerations prior to installation
Vinyl floors should be installed at the final stage, prior to decoration. Generally speaking, the wood
effect boards should be laid lengthways towards the main incoming light source and, where
possible, down the length of the room.
When fitting a floor subject to significant colour variation the board selection has a significant
influence on the overall look of the room. The fitter must be sensitive to this and distribute variation
evenly to achieve a natural looking floor. In addition, it is the installer’s responsibility to ensure the
suitable placement of distinctly featured boards. We would recommend dry laying the floor prior to
installation, ensuring the arrows on the reverse of the tile are all facing in the same direction. Any
boards deemed too conspicuous by the customer can be used as cuts or installed in less obvious
areas.
We would also recommend the client and installer agree a starting point for installation as the first
row of flooring sets the line for the entire floor. Fired Earth would recommend installing the Vinyl tile
from the centre of the room.
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Adhesives
The quality of the adhesive used is an important consideration when installing your Vinyl floor. All
Vinyl tile will expand and contract when heated and cooled. A high quality glue will allow your Vinyl
tile to expand and contract with the glue while not affecting the appearance of the floor.
Fired Earth Vinyl flooring has been tested with Stauf adhesives and we strongly recommend the
use of Stauf pressure sensitive (D37) or Stauf High temperature adhesive (D50). We are unable to
guarantee an installation where an alternative adhesive has been used.
Once the sub floor or wall is ready the adhesive can be applied as a wet adhesive. We would
recommend the use of D37 in all areas with the exception of conservatories or rooms which may
be subject to excessive dry heat (South facing rooms with large windows) where we would
recommend the D50. The D50 must also be used for UFH installation. Only the D37 can be used
on walls.
Follow all instructions for installation as detailed on the adhesive packaging.
Installation
On the reverse of each Vinyl tile is an arrow. During installation all arrows/tiles should be placed
facing in the same direction.
Using the correct adhesive for the installation follow the manufacturer’s guidelines on the
packaging for applying the adhesive. Only spread sufficient adhesive that can be covered in the
recommended working time. Please note a notch 1 trowel (TKB A2) is recommended for the
application of the D37 and D50.
Ensure the Vinyl is well seated into the adhesive and tight against the adjoining tile. When using
grout strips the same installation method applies.
Always remove excess adhesive from the surface of the tile with a damp cloth before it is allowed
to dry. Dried adhesive can be removed by carefully scraping off the excess.
Floors and walls will be ready after 24 Hours. We would recommend the floors are protected from
heavy traffic for the first 72 hours.
Cutting Vinyl Tile
Fired Earth Vinyl Tiles are easily cut using a sharp blade.
Post installation
We would recommend that the floor or wall does not come into contact with water for the first 72
hours after installation.
When Vinyl Tile has been installed over underfloor heating care should be taken in the placing of
large insulating items such as rugs on the flooring. This can result in localised ‘hot-spots’ which
may lead to distortion or discolouration of the tile.
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Cleaning, Maintenance and Care
Appropriate care and maintenance will help preserve the appearance of the floor. Loose dust and
dirt should be removed using a damp cloth or mop.
Cleaning – Warm water is sufficient to clean most floors. Should additional product be required use
Lithofin MN Easy Care.
Spills – Don’t let spills stand on your Vinyl floor. Individual spillages should be removed
immediately using a damp cloth. Do not allow moisture to remain on the floor.
Entrance Mats – To protect against dirt and grit being brought in from outside and damaging your
floor we would recommend the use of high quality entrance mats.
Pads and Castors – To prevent unnecessary scratches and damage to the vinyl fit suitable felt
pads or castors to items of furniture which move across the floor without being lifted. Sharp heels,
particularly stilettos will dent and/or scratch wooden floors.
Environmental conditions – To avoid abnormal movement in your floor we would recommend room
temperature and humidity are within normal living conditions.
Ageing – As with any natural product, direct sunlight may alter the colour of the flooring. Areas of
the surface that are covered (for example by furniture and rugs), may not change colour to the
same extent. If possible, these items should be moved regularly.
General notes
Cutting and wastage – For a standard area, a rough guide of 3% is recommended. For small, and
complicated areas or if a greater deal of consistency is required we would recommend 6%.
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