Background
You can lay Clean Off products on any prepared surface – provided the surface is sound, load bearing, permanently dry, and flat. Relevant national regulations apply to this work, specifically: DIN 18 365 “Flooring work”, DIN 18 299 “General rules applying to all types of construction work”, DIN 18 202, “Tolerances for building construction”.
In Austria, the following apply: ÖNORM B 2232 “Screed work – Works contract”, ÖNORM B 2236 “Laying of indoor floor coverings – Works contract” and 18 202 “Tolerances for building construction”. The following standards apply in Switzerland: SIA Standard 251 (floating floors in interiors) / SIA Standard 253 (floor coverings made from linoleum, plastic, rubber, cork, textiles and wood). Note also the requirements of the BEB (Federal Association of Screed and Floor Covering) data sheet “Assessment and preparation of substrates – heated and unheated floor constructions”. For laying in rooms with no cellar, the substrates in contact with the ground must be sealed on site in accordance with standards for rising damp.
Laying
Laying rolls and mats
All rolls should be laid according to the direction of the arrows on the rear-side coating and in the direction of the primary light source. Seam joints are cut in a double cut or in a single cut from the back. All Clean Off rolls must be bonded individually in the same direction to form a continuous surface. Only rolls from the same batch may be laid next to each other. To avoid problems regarding a possible colour fade, only the outer edges should be placed next to each other. To avoid complaints, we recommend discussing the laying direction, seams and offcuts with the client before laying. Individual rolls or smaller surfaces up to 6 m2 and mats can be laid without bonding.
Shrinkage of PVC coverings can be caused by unforeseeable external building-related influences (e.g. ambient atmospheres and temperature). Other influencing factors are inappropriate cleaning or incorrect laying. If you lay a Clean Off on smooth, colour-sensitive substrates, this can lead to discolouration of the substrate. This is particularly the case for marble or other natural stones with an open pore structure, rubber and PVC. Plasticiser migration can be prevented by using our Prima non-slip underlay. Surfaces 6 m2 or larger must always be bonded across their whole surface area.
Laying tiles
Clean Off tiles must be removed from their packaging and allowed to stand for 24 hours to acclimatise. Our Clean Off tiles are suitable for laying without bonding due to the heavy-duty bitumen coating. However, to avoid displacement/slippage of the tiles and the edges lifting during use, we recommend tiles are laid on a self-levelling tackifier. Direction of fibres: the arrow on the reverse of each tile indicates the direction they are to be laid in.
Check before laying whether the tiles are to be laid in the same direction or in a chessboard pattern. Underfloor heating: Clean Off tiles provide excellent heat insulation and therefore reduce the performance of underfloor heating. We do no recommend laying tiles on underfloor heating systems.
Laying on stairs
When laying Clean Off systems on stairs, the edges of the tread must be rounded rather than sharp. The radius of the rounding should correspond approximately to that of a 2-euro coin (radius approx. 1.3 cm) – and must not be less than 1.0 cm. For continuous laying on treads and risers, only use products with synthetic latex coating. Where stair treads have to be covered completely, always use a contact adhesive to prevent the covering shearing away from the tread edge. Make sure that the rear side of the covering is sufficiently roughened for this purpose. The Clean Off should be laid step by step from bottom to top. The tread may only be walked on after the adhesive has completely cured (in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions).
Bonding
PVC: Only use suitable dispersion adhesives. Bonding with double-sided adhesive tape is only permitted with Sigan Elements and Sigan Elements Plus. This method is not suitable for bitumen or synthetic latex. Where increased or permanent water absorption is expected (e.g. in entrance areas), 2K adhesives should be used.
Bitumen (tiles): We recommend laying on a self-levelling tackifier. During processing, the guidelines of the
manufacturer should be followed.
Synthetic latex: This material must generally be laid with a suitable adhesive across its whole surface area. During processing, the guidelines of the manufacturer should be followed.
Nitrile rubber: Please contact us for details if required.
Loose installation.
No dimensional stability.
With a loose installed clean-off mat, summer heat or winter cold can affect the temperature of the PVC coating and lead to dimensional changes and joint formation.
Full-surface bonding.
100% dimensionally stable.
Permanent dimensional changes can be prevented by firmly bonding the clean-off zone.
