TECHNICAL MANUAL INTRODUCTION SUBSTRATES Introduction The performance of Artigo rubber flooring depends on a number of factors such as the choice of the product, the preparation of subfloors, the installation and the correct maintenance. This technical information manual is intended as a guide to all parties involved in the process in order to get the best possible results. Our Technical Assistance is at your disposal for more analytic data and suggestions when choosing the floor. The information in this handbook are valid when printed out. We reserve the right to modify the quality standards without notice. Substrates The first pre-condition to get a good, durable and reliable installation of any resilient flooring is connected to the characteristics of the substrate which is prepared by the main contractor and must be checked by the specialised flooring layer before beginning the installation. This is why we hereby try to give a few basic principles about the substrate. The most common substrates are: a) Cement screeds; b) Existing floors; c) Special substrates. a) Cement screeds The cement screed is the base supplied by the main contractor. It should be supplied hard, solid, shock-resistant, free from cracks, with a minimum thickness of 4cm, dry and clean. As far as the cement screed is concerned, we suggest the use of at least 350 kg/m3 of Portland 325 with proper aggregate, clean river sand and a water/cement ratio as low as possible considering the workability of the mix. In case hydraulic and heating systems have to be incorporated, it is necessary to insulate the tubing, and to cast a cement screed with a minimum thickness of 6 cm, reinforced with a welded metal grid to avoid cracks and shrinkage. Resilient floorings require the substrate to be dry either at the time of the installation and during their entire life. The maximum content of moisture allowed (by weight) is 2%. This is why screeds which are direct to earth need to be properly ventilated and to have an effective damp proof membrane incorporated within them and continuous with the walls. The surface of the screed must be solid and dense but not impervious cause in this case it will have to be ground or blasted to allow receiving the smoothing underlayment. The mechanical resistance of the screed is of paramount importance since resilient flooring are not providing protection from concentrated loads. Expansion joints are to be incorporated into buildings to allow movement without cracking and they have to be extended through the floor covering. In general it is advised and economically irrelevant to lay a polyethylene sheet between the structural base and the screed to act as a damp proof membrane and to limit the water absorption of the base thus allowing a low water/cement ratio for the screed. 4 5 ENGLISH
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