INSTALLATIONS



GUIDELINES on INSTALLATION, MAINTENANCE and USE of DÜKAP™ RUBBER FLOORING

Installation and maintenance guidelines on DÜKAP™ rubber flooring should be carefully followed for satisfactory results on installation integrity and upkeep of the flooring. If the guidelines given in this section are observed and strictly practised, installed flooring will keep its properties and appearance in service conditions and shall have a service life of decades.

However, if the flooring is improperly installed or maintained because of inadequate subfloor preparation, an error in adhesive choice, defective workmanship or faulty upkeep, they might separate from the subfloor. Consequently, the rubber flooring might be harmed, lose dimensional integrity or the subfloor might be damaged. Rubber flooring can be reinstalled in such instances, but such problems can simply be avoided by taking the necessary precautions during the initial installation.

Guidelines given in this section will enable the consumers or the technical people involved in the project, to make the right choices and to evaluate the installations. Rubber flooring installations should best be entrusted to “certified” rubber flooring technicians, as there are considerable “acquired” manual and visual skills involved.
SUBFLOOR EVALUATION and PREPARATION
DÜKAP™ rubber flooring can be installed on almost any type of subfloor such as cement screed, metal, wood, plywood, terrazzo, marble, very level concrete, hard PVC, stone or cement tiles.

  1. The subfloor must be soundly constructed, clean, dry, level, hard and consistent and capable of retaining these properties over the service span of the flooring.

  2. Rubber flooring installations on uneven subfloors will result in irregular joints and unaligned studs on the rubber flooring. If the subfloor is not adequately level, hard or smooth, this issue must be rectified by utilising a self-levelling type of screed compound before the installation process.

  3. The subfloor must be free of dust, paint, polish, wax, oil, grease, bitumen, sealant or similar elements that can impair adhesion. Subfloors polluted with such substances, should be thoroughly cleaned before flooring is installed.

All installation guidelines and instructions on subfloors given under their respective headings should be diligently followed and disregarding them will result with incorrectly installed flooring or separation from the subfloor.

Acceptable moisture levels and checking for moisture in the subfloor

In areas such as basements and ground floors, where there is a possibility of damp penetration, moisture measurements must be made and lack of moisture in the subfloor must be confirmed. In freshly laid subfloors such as cement screed, sufficient curing and drying time of approximately 30 days must be allowed for to reach acceptable moisture levels before installing the flooring.

Moisture level of the subfloor must be determined before any installation is done. The daily water vapour emission value for the subfloor must be less than 10-20 grams per square meter.

Two practical tests to check the subfloor for lack of moisture are as follows:

  1. One method is to place a 100x100 cm sized polyethylene sheet on the subfloor and completely secure and seal its edges by adhesive tape, thus fixing it to the subfloor. If the subfloor is damp, moisture droplets will form on the subsurface of the enclosed polyethylene sheet within 72 hour at the most.

  2. A simpler but less reliable method is to place some rubber tiles on the subfloor and check their undersides for moisture after the same specified period of time.

Utilising "Self Levelling" type of screed compounds

In areas of normal pedestrian traffic, self-levelling screeds can be used in thickness’ ranging from 5 to 30 millimetres. The appropriate type of the compound must be selected for the specific thickness.

  1. A coat of primer must be applied to concrete or cement screed surfaces, prior to the utilisation of self- levelling compound. Depending on the absorption characteristics of the subfloor, primer consumption should be around 0.200 kg. per square meter.

  2. When self-levelling screeds are to be used on PVC flooring, an appropriate type of the screed compound must be utilised and polish, if any, on the existing flooring must be removed.

  3. In areas where forklifts and carts are to be operated, special grades of self-levelling screeds must be utilised.

The manufacturer or the retailer of self-levelling screeds must be consulted in case of special circumstances.

INSTALLATION PROCEDURES for DÜKAP™ FLOORING

Selecting correct installation procedures and the most suitable adhesive depends on the existing subfloor, intended service conditions and maintenance routine for the flooring. These should be evaluated and the correct choices must be made before the installation process.

DÜKAP™ rubber flooring installations should be carried out by “Manufacturer” or “Dealer” certified rubber flooring installation technicians and should never be assigned to people unskilled in rubber flooring installation techniques.

Stocking and handling DÜKAP™ rubber flooring

DÜKAP™ rubber flooring must be stocked off ground in weather-proof enclosed areas.

  1. Pallets should not be stacked on one another and standard packing should not be stocked in stacks over 20 boxes high.

  2. Flooring tiles are packed surface to surface and back to back to prevent the “mould release” emulsion on tile surface transferring to the sanded back of the tile, as such emulsions will impede adhesion. This point must be taken into consideration in all handling activities during installations.

Installation guidelines on “Cement Screed” or “Concrete” subfloors

The recommended surface grain for cement screed or concrete subfloors should be similar to ones obtained when a wooden trowel is used to level and finish the screed, somewhat like 100 grade sandpaper. Steel trowel finished cement screed or concrete floors must be adequately roughened by sanding or sand blasting to ensure proper adhesion.

  1. The subfloor must be cleaned of all dust and dirt before any installation is done

  2. Prior to the installation of DÜKAP™ rubber flooring, small cracks, structural joints, depressions, rough areas and uneven parts of the subfloor must be repaired utilising a suitable cement, epoxy or polyurethane based filler.

  3. Likewise, all protuberances and bulges on the subfloor must be levelled by sanding. The flatness of the cement screed or concrete subfloor must be checked and ensured to be within ± 1 to 1.5 mm per meter.

  4. The subfloor must be checked for elements that might reject the adhesive. Their absence must be confirmed by an adhesion test and some test samples must be installed on different locations of the subfloor. The adhesion strength of these test samples must be checked after a period of 48 - 72 hours.

  5. DÜKAP™ rubber flooring should not be installed over expansion joints of buildings. Suitable fitting elements must be used at such locations or the flooring must be trimmed to suit the joint.

Installation guidelines on “Wood Based” subfloors

DÜKAP™ rubber flooring should never be installed on wood subfloors that are in direct contact with concrete or cement screed subfloors, if such subfloors are not absolutely safeguarded against damp penetration. Raised wooden subfloors must have adequate under-floor ventilation. Plywood subfloors must not be less then 20 mm thick, smooth, firm and with well ventilated supporting structures. Rubber flooring installations on hardboard, particle-board or chipboard subfloors are not endorsed as they might contain volatile substances. Such subfloors must be checked for adhesion and an intermediate surface layer must be placed between them and rubber flooring when necessary.

  1. Before installing the rubber flooring, raised wood subfloors must be checked to be free of all polish, paint, oil, varnish or any coating material detrimental to adhesion. All remnants of previously used adhesives if any, must be removed by mechanical action such as sanding or planing the wood floor.

  2. The structural integrity and firmness of the wooden subfloor must be tested and ensured. Repairs must be carried out whenever necessary to bring the subfloor up to the installation specifications for DÜKAP™ rubber flooring.

  3. The levelling of the floor must be ensured by planning or sanding the floor if necessary. All screw or nail heads must be sunk slightly below the wooden surface. Seams, joints, small cavities, rough areas and cracks on the wooden subfloor must be filled and repaired utilising a suitable epoxy or polyurethane filler.

Utilising wood based “Intermediate Surface” layers

If deemed necessary, a wood based surfacing material such as plywood should be placed between the existing subfloor and DÜKAP™ rubber flooring as an intermediate layer. In such instances the following guidelines should be followed.

  1. The intermediate surfacing material must be at least 8 mm in thickness and placed smooth side up.

  2. The nails or screws utilised to secure the surfacing material must be at least 30 mm in length and used with metal rings. They should be closely spaced to obtain a rigid surface and must be fixed slightly below the surface.

  3. Care should be taken to space the sheets at least 0.5 mm apart to create expansion joints.

  4. When such intermediate sheeting are placed on subfloors contaminated with adhesives, paint, mineral oils, grease, polish etc., which might emit fumes harmful to adhesion, an impervious sheeting such as polyethylene must be placed between them and the existing subfloor.

  5. The same procedures are recommended for rubber flooring installations on hardboard, particle-board or chipboard subfloors, if these subfloors fail the adhesion test.

DÜKAP™ installations on “Existing flooring materials”

DÜKAP™ rubber flooring may be installed over existing hard PVC, ceramic, wood, parquet, marble, cement flooring etc., if the existing flooring is structurally sound and firmly attached to the subfloor. When DÜKAP™ rubber flooring are to be installed on such existing flooring, steps must be taken to ensure that the subfloor surface is free of polish, wax, grease, paint, dust, oil, or any such contaminating substances harmful to adhesion. Adhesive residues left over from previous flooring installations and absorbed by the subfloor must be completely eliminated before the rubber flooring installation, as their presence will impair adhesion.

  1. DÜKAP™ flooring should never be installed directly on “glazed” surfaces like ceramic tiling. Such “glazed” flooring must first be surfaced by a self levelling screed compound prior to the installation of the rubber flooring. Before applying the self levelling screed compound, care should be taken to roughen or remove the glazing of the ceramic tiles, as glazing will diminish the bonding strength of the self-levelling compound.

  2. DÜKAP™ rubber flooring can be installed over existing hard PVC flooring, if such flooring are structurally sound and firmly attached to the subfloor. Prior to installation, care should be taken to meet the general prerequisites for the subfloor and to remove all kinds of polish, coatings and any other surface element harmful to adhesion.

  3. When installing DÜKAP™ rubber flooring over existing wood, parquet, marble, cement flooring etc., installation guidelines and instructions on such subfloors, given under their respective headings should be diligently followed and disregarding them will result with incorrectly installed flooring or separation of the rubber tiles from the subfloor.

ADHESIVE SELECTION and UTILISATION
Adhesive choice depends on the subfloor type and the projected service conditions or cleaning routines for the flooring. DÜKAP™ flooring can be installed, utilising neoprene rubber, epoxy or polyurethane based adhesives. The specified adhesives used in the installation of rubber flooring must never be thinned, modified or applied to wet surfaces. Bitumen or plastics based adhesives should never be used in DÜKAP™ rubber flooring installations.

Instructions supplied by the adhesive manufacturers on the utilisation of adhesives should be meticulously followed and additional information should be demanded from the manufacturers or retailers of the adhesives, if and when necessary.

Utilising “Neoprene Rubber” based “Contact” adhesives

DÜKAP™ rubber flooring can be installed, using neoprene rubber based “contact” adhesives, provided the flooring is to be subjected to “little” or “no moisture” during service conditions and cleaning. If the subfloor is not sufficiently smooth or strong, it must first be corrected by a self-levelling screed compound. Rubber based “contact” adhesives are not suitable to be used on non-porous subfloors, so such subfloors must be given the necessary grain and texture before utilising the contact adhesive.

  1. Ambient temperature of the installation site should be around 21ºC and never below 15ºC. The site must be kept at this temperature a minimum of 48 hours before, during and after the installation process. The flooring and the adhesive must be stored at the installation site at least 48 hours before any laying is done to ensure installation work in uniform temperature conditions.

  2. Prior to the application of the adhesive, the subfloor and the undersides of the tiles must be brushed of all dust. The entire flooring must be dry fitted in sections and the tiles should be laid "dry" matching edges, aligning joints and studs, taking care to avoid colour contrast between adjacent tiles if and when necessary. The dry-laid rubber flooring must be closely inspected for colour-shading harmony, gauge, pattern and joint quality under very good lighting conditions. Any problems on these issues must be corrected by repositioning the tiles, prior to trimming and adhesive application.

  3. The adhesive must be applied utilising a “special” brush or a 1.5x1.5x1.5 mm square notched trowel, both to the undersides of the tiles and the subfloor and allowed to dry to a suitable level before the tiles are laid. The “uncovered” drying time for the adhesive should be around 5 to 10 minutes, depending on site and subfloor conditions. Adhesive consumption should be around 0.250-0.400 kg per square meter, depending on the porosity, texture, absorption level and uniformity of the subfloor

  4. The tiles must be placed on the subfloor with a “non-sliding” perpendicular movement, taking care to align the joints and studs. When placing the tiles on the subfloor, the adhesive must not allowed to skim over the tile surfaces and joints and should not be able to, if “properly dry”. The tiles should be joined without excessive horizontal pressure since such action might result in undesired elevations at the seams.

  5. After each segment of the flooring is installed, flooring must be “rolled” using a 30-40 kg roller. They must also be rolled diagonally to the seams in both directions. A hand roller must be used in areas that can not be accessed with the large roller.

  6. Excessive, smeared or skimmed adhesive remnants must be removed without delay, utilising a wet piece of cloth. Completely dried contact adhesives can be removed with a piece of cloth moistened with spirits.

Utilising “Epoxy” or “Polyurethane” based adhesives

If DÜKAP™ rubber flooring are to be subjected to excessive forces during service conditions or excessive moisture during their utilisation and cleaning, they must be installed using Epoxy or Polyurethane based adhesives. If the subfloor is not sufficiently smooth or strong, it must first be corrected by the use of a "self levelling" screed compound. The use of Epoxy based adhesives over wood based subfloors such as chipboard or hardboard are not recommended, as the ingredients of such subfloors might interact with the epoxy adhesive and impair adhesion.

  1. Ambient temperature of the installation site should be around 21ºC and never below 15ºC. The site must be kept at this temperature a minimum of 48 hours before, during and after the installations. The flooring and the adhesive must be stored in the installation site at least 48 hours before any laying is done to ensure an installation process in uniform temperature conditions.

  2. Prior to the application of the adhesive, the subfloor and the undersides of the tiles must be brushed of all dust. The entire flooring must be dry fitted in sections, matching edges, aligning joints and studs, taking care to avoid colour contrast between adjacent tiles if and when necessary. The dry-laid rubber flooring must be closely inspected for colour-shading harmony, gauge, pattern and joint quality under very good lighting conditions. Any problems on these issues must be corrected by repositioning the tiles, prior to trimming and adhesive application.

  3. Generally, epoxy or polyurethane based adhesives consist of two components. These two components of the adhesive must be mixed thoroughly, preferably with a slow mechanical mixer until they attain an even colour. The resulting mixture must not be allowed to stay in the container as the adhesive has a very short pot life of around 30 minutes in room temperatures and lose its tackiness in a very short time.

  4. Entire contents of the container must be poured on subfloor immediately after mixing and spread with a 2x2x2 mm. V-notched trowel. Depending on their composition, some adhesives may require a 0.8x0.8x1.6 mm V-notched trowel, so adhesive manufacturer’s instructions on this point should be checked and followed. Depending on the porosity, texture, absorption level and smoothness of the subfloor, adhesive consumption should be around 0.400- 1.200 kg per square meter.

  5. After applying the adhesive to the subfloor, the tiles must be laid immediately, again taking care to align joints and studs. When placing the tiles on the subfloor, the adhesive must not allowed to skim over the tiles and joints. The tiles must be placed on the subfloor with a perpendicular action without sliding and care must be taken not to apply excessive horizontal pressure at the tile joints as that might result in undesired elevations at the seams.

  6. After each segment of the flooring is installed, flooring must be rolled using a 30-40 kg roller within 30 to 45 minutes of installation. The installed flooring must also be rolled diagonally to the seams in both directions. A hand roller must be used in areas that can not be accessed with the large roller.

  7. Excessive or smeared adhesive remnants must be removed without delay, utilising Xylene or a similar chemical and must not be allowed to dry on the rubber flooring. Dry adhesive can only be removed by mechanical action, which will surely damage the rubber flooring.

  8. The installed flooring must not subjected to foot traffic for at least 24 hours and not cleaned before 72 hours.

INSTALLATION GUIDELINES on DÜKAP™ ANTI-STATIC TILES
General guidelines about subfloor evaluation and all relevant installation procedures should be followed. Anti-static flooring installations must be done on structurally sound, hard, smooth, level and clean subfloors completely shielded against rising dampness. Moisture during the installation process should not exceed % 2 for concrete or cement screed subfloors. Flooring should not be installed when the relative humidity of the installation site exceeds % 65. Electrically conductive “contact” adhesives should be utilised and the applied adhesive should cover the entire subfloor.

  1. If the subfloor is sufficiently grounded, DÜKAP™ anti-static flooring can be installed using an “electrically conductive” adhesive. If electrical measurements of the subfloor indicate insufficient grounding, copper strips should be used to ground the subfloor before utilising the conductive adhesive.

  2. In special circumstances, the installation can also be done without using electrically conductive adhesives, provided sufficient number of grounding copper strips are directly and properly connected to the rubber flooring. These copper strips and connections utilised under the rubber flooring, must be connected to grounding terminals of the area.

To acquire an electrical resistance value of 104 to 108 Ohm for the installed flooring, the following guidelines should be strictly observed.

“AS” installations on normal concrete or cement screed subfloors

On subfloors such as cement screed, vacuum formed concrete, concrete tile etc., preferably conductive or in some cases non-conductive self-levelling screed compounds can be used. Installations should be done utilising an electrically conductive adhesive. One earth connection for each 30 square meter of installed flooring should be provided and these in turn must be connected to the building's electrical ground potential system.

“AS” installations on non-conductive or poorly conductive subfloors

  1. If electrically conductive self-levelling screed compounds are used on subfloors such as chipboard, hardboard, particle board, plywood, wood, etc., installation should be done utilising an electrically conductive adhesive. One earth connection for each 30 square meter of installed flooring should be provided and these in turn must be connected to the building's electrical ground potential system.

  2. If normal self-levelling screed compounds are used on subfloors such as chipboard, hardboard, particle board, wood, plywood, etc., a copper ring circuit system should be installed and installation should be done utilising an electrically conductive adhesive. One earth connection for each 30 square meter of the installed flooring should be provided and these in turn must be connected to the building's electrical ground potential system.

Installations should be done by “Manufacturer” or “Dealer” certified rubber flooring installation technicians qualified for anti-static flooring applications and should never be assigned to people untrained in anti-static rubber flooring installation techniques.

Maintenance notes on DÜKAP™ Anti-static flooring

General and routine maintenance guidelines for DÜKAP™ rubber flooring should be followed. However the anti-static rubber flooring should not be covered with any coating material that can hinder the favourable electrical behaviour of the flooring. Types of polish that may increase the electrical resistance of the flooring must not be used.

 
CLEANING and MAINTENANCE for DÜKAP™ FLOORING
DÜKAP™ flooring should always be maintained in clean and polished condition. The surface of the flooring should be kept free of grease, gasoline, paint, paint thinner, solvents, mineral oils, alkaline substances, bleaching agents and other harmful chemicals. In case of spillage, the flooring must be cleaned of such substances immediately. To avoid scratching, heavy furniture should not be dragged on the flooring. When installed with rubber based contact adhesives, the flooring must not be exposed to excessive moisture or water and if such is the case, flooring must be vacuum dried immediately. As a precaution against accidental damage, rubber flooring installations should be done when all other decorating activities are completed.


CLEANING
DÜKAP™ rubber flooring should be brushed or vacuumed free of dirt and dust, stains removed by a damp cloth or mop, using soap or a neutral detergent and rinsed by a damp cloth or mop. The flooring should then be dried with a dry cloth or mop and prepared for polishing. Solvents, petroleum derivatives, oil, grease or polish removing chemicals, alkaline substances and such chemicals harmful to rubber must never be used to clean the flooring as these will greatly harm the flooring and the adhesive.

Daily

Dust and dirt should be brushed or vacuumed. Stains removed with a damp cloth or mop, followed by a dry cloth or mop or a special machine for cleaning and polishing the floor may be utilised. DÜKAP™ rubber flooring can then be polished using a silicone based wax emulsion.

Weekly

The daily cleaning process should be repeated, using warm water and white soap or a neutral detergent. The flooring must then be dried and a suitable type of rubber flooring polish applied. Water based emulsion types should be used, as waxes containing solvents can be harmful to the flooring. The applied polish is then burnished, using a dry mop or a mechanical polishing machine.

POLISHING
A suitable type of polish, such as a wax emulsion in water solution should be applied to the flooring using a dry cloth or mop and the flooring should be left to dry. When dry, the flooring should be burnished using a dry cloth or a polishing machine. This process must be repeated at least two or three times consecutively, until a satisfactory surface finish is obtained. Polishing the flooring before initial use is highly recommended.

Polishes containing, petroleum derivatives, solvents, alkaline substances and chemicals harmful to rubber must never be used as they can damage the flooring and the adhesive. When using the polish, the manufacturers instructions should be followed.

Removing, reusing or repairing DÜKAP™ rubber flooring

Small repairs may be necessary occasionally, but given correct maintenance, DÜKAP™ rubber flooring will last almost indefinitely. As the rubber flooring product is in tile form it is very easy and economical to carry out repairs in case of damage. The damaged tile or even a part of it can easily be replaced without removing or moving the whole flooring.

DÜKAP™ rubber flooring can be removed and used again in different locations as they will not be harmed in the process. However, if the correct removal procedures are not utilised, some tiles may be damaged during removal.

Such operations should be carried out by “Manufacturer” or “Dealer” certified rubber flooring technicians. Before reinstalling the tiles their undersides should be sanded again whenever necessary and carefully checked to be clean and free of all adhesive remnants.


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