Q. What is the best way of cleaning your Altro safety flooring?
A. The basic of cleaning a Safety Flooring is to use the correct types of cleaner at the right dilution rate, with warm water. This should be applied to the surface of the flooring and then activated, either by scrubbing manually or by machine. Once this has been carried out, you need to mop up or vacuum up the residue water, then rinse and dry the surface. View our cleaning instructions within the technical section.
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Q. How dry does the subfloor need to be before I can lay your flooring?
A. All Altro Floor coverings must be installed in accordance with the code of practice BS8203, which state that the Relative Humidity within the sub-floor must be below 75% RH prior to laying the flooring. If this is not the case and the subfloor is still damp, you can overcome this problem by applying one of Altro’s Surface Damp Proof Membranes or using Altro Everlay. View our fast-track and subfloor solutions within the flooring accessories section.
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Q. Can I use AltroMastic to seal the internal and external mitres instead of welding them?
A. Until recently Altro have always recommended the External and Internal mitres must be Hot Welded. However with the introduction of the new Altro One Cove, it is now possible to use the new Cover Plates which are adhered and sealed into place using AltroMastic. View the new One Cove System within the flooring accessories section.
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Q. Can I use under-floor heating with your flooring?
A. Yes, but you should always ensure that the under-floor heating is switched off 48 hours prior to the floor covering installation commencing and remains off for at least 48 hours after the installation is complete. Gradually increase the temperature over a number of days by only a few degrees per day until the desired room temperature is reached. The temperature should never exceed the floor covering industry agreed maximum of 27°C at the underside of the floor covering (the adhesive line). During the period of the decommissioning of the under-floor heating system, an alternative heating source should be provided, if required, to ensure that the area of installation is kept at a constant temperature between 18°C and 27°C.
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Q. What levels of falls are required in shower areas before installing your Altro Marine 20?
A. As manufacturer of the floor covering, we would always advise that it is the responsibility of the Architect / Designer to recommend what falls are required.
Many factors need to be taken into consideration which includes the size of the room, size of the actual shower floor section and the positioning of the floor outlet. The size of the shower outlet in relationship to the amount of water displaced by the shower should also be considered, it may be necessary to consult with the shower and drain suppliers for this information.
With regards to the actual falls in subfloor, as a guide we would advise that within the actual shower floor section, which would be approximately 800mm x 800m to 1m x 1m, an even fall of between 15mm to 25mm, should be sufficient. We would also advise that an additional fall within the whole bathroom area be created and again this would depend upon the size of the bathroom, but an additional fall of a minimum of approximately 25mm would be advisable.
The clamping type outlet should not be placed too closely to any wall section, ideally towards the centre of the shower tray section.
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Q. When do I have to use a two-part adhesive to adhere Altro Safety Flooring and when can I use an Acrylic adhesive?
A. In general a two-part Polyurethane Adhesive (Altrofix 19) should be used in areas which are subjected to spillages of moisture i.e. shower / kitchens etc. Also areas subjected to heavy traffic and or rolling loads.
In most other areas an Acrylic adhesive such as Altrofix 365 or Altrofix 15 will be suitable. The choice of which Acrylic to use may depend upon the absorbents of the sub-floor.
Altrofix 15 should only be used on an absorbent sub-floor such as sand / cement screeds, and latex smoothing compounds.
Altrofix 365 which is a pressure sensitive Acrylic, can be used on impervious surfaces.
View the adhesives guide within the flooring accessories section
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