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Communal spaces: complete technical system guide

Product information and best practice installation guidance at your fingertips. Simply click on the text or a point on the photo to find out more, including links to installation videos and other resources.

Our safety floors are engineered and designed to minimise risk and provide safe movement in areas exposed to spillages. The floor that you choose depends on the level of risk and the type of contaminants in that area. We recommend a risk assessment to determine this and, following this, the filters in our products section will help you choose the best floor for your space.

For areas prone to spillages of water and other liquids, AltroFix 19 Plus solvent-free flooring adhesive is a two-part polyurethane adhesive that, once cured, is not affected by liquids.

Ensure the subfloor is smooth and flat. If not, it may require the application of a smoothing compound, applied to the surface of the subfloor, to correct any undulations and indentations.

All joints should be overlapped by approximately 20mm and cut in to form a tight joint. We offer weldrods that match our flooring, plus how to video clips on this and every aspect of installing an Altro floor. The right prep is essential here – for more information, take a look at our blog.

Take a look at our videos which detail cutting and welding internal and external mitres.

Take a look at our videos which detail cutting and welding internal and external mitres.

Altro Whiterock has been designed to fit perfectly with Altro floors, forming a sealed, watertight system. Both Altro Whiterock and Altro vinyl floors can be hot welded, have jointing and are compatible with drainage. Available in a wide range of colours and finishes and with a 20-year guarantee, this hygienic system makes spaces look good for the long term. We recommend that Altro Whiterock is installed before the floor, which must be protected to avoid spilling adhesive on a newly installed floor. If this is not an option, a concealed transition trim is available (see point 9). You can find our downloadable installation guidance here.

Cove former fitted at the junction of the Altro Whiterock wall sheet and the floor. Once adhered, this helps ensure a watertight, hygienic seal between wall sheet and floor. Use contact adhesive to install coving as regular adhesive is not strong enough to bond cove former and floor. We recommend contacting an adhesive supplier for their guidance on which adhesive to use.

A concealed transition strip, used during the installation of Altro Whiterock, makes the wall sheet ‘kick-out’ at the bottom so the floor can go underneath and sit behind it, after which it is silicone-sealed. We recommend it because it offers a neat, attractive finish but also because it ensures any water would run down the wall sheet onto the floor rather than hitting the join. Another advantage of the concealed transition strip is that, should the floor need replacing, it’s easy to remove and install the new Altro floor.

One option for joining the Altro Whiterock sheets is a hot weld, using a colour-coordinating weldrod. For full details on how to do this, we have a short video. Follow this by silicone-sealing all abutments and exposed edges.

We recommend using a combination of Altro adhesive and application tape to adhere Altro Whiterock and Altro Fortis Titanium wall sheets. The tape is positioned at the top, middle and bottom of the sheet. To help the tape stick to the substrate, use Altro W165 Primer. See this installation step in action here.

You have a choice of adhesive depending on the surface you are installing Altro Whiterock or Altro Fortis Titanium onto. AltroFix W139 is water-resistant. AltroFix W157 is recommended for absorbent walls only – if you use this adhesive over impervious substrates, such as ceramic tiles, it will not set. For more details take a look at our walls installation guide.

Altro Whiterock and Altro Fortis Titanium should be installed on a surface that is sound, dry and free of contaminants. See our short video on setting out your wall sheet.

This is a quick and simple way to join Altro Whiterock and Altro Fortis Titanium wall sheets together in a way that cannot be removed once the sheet is fixed. Single-part trims are designed for hospitals, care homes and other areas where the trim could be pulled away and used to harm the individual or others. Unlike with the two-part trim, a small chamfer is applied to the sheet to make it easier to fit the single-part trim.

Two-part trims are ideal for general purpose Altro Fortis Titanium and Altro Whiterock wall sheet applications outside of critical care and secure areas. It covers the edge of the sheet and gives a finished edge.

To seal the space between wall sheet and ceiling, simply use a matching Altro silicone sealant, ensuring that the wall sheet has been cleaned first and that the protective cover has been removed.

Seal the Altro Fortis Titanium wall sheet and wall using a matching Altro silicone sealant, ensuring that the wall sheet has been cleaned first and that the protective cover has been removed.

Corners in corridors are particularly vulnerable to knocks and bumps. For these areas we recommend our ready-made Altro Fortis Titanium corner protection, which is part of the Altro Fortis system. There also is the option for you to thermoform the Altro Fortis Titanium or Altro Whiterock sheet to form corners.

The most attractive and hygienic way to fit Altro Whiterock around a window is to thermoform it into the frame. Fit a trim on the remaining vertical joins above and below the window and use mastic to seal the four corners that join the window frame. We work on thermoforming in our Altro Whiterock training school. For a quick refresher, take a look at our two minute video.

In areas where damp is a consideration, you can apply a DPM, such as Altro Proof. If the subfloor is uneven, use a moisture-tolerant levelling compound first. Once you have a coating of Altro Proof, if the floor is still bumpy don’t rub it down as you will take off too much of the DPM. Instead, put another layer of levelling compound on top, checking first with the manufacturer that the levelling compound is compatible. Don’t forget to ensure that the adhesive you use can cope with moisture.

It’s simple and effective to install a logo within Altro vinyl floors. Send your design to us for cutting or order one of our pre-cut designs. Once you have it on-site, position the design where you want it and mark this with pencil. Then apply adhesive to this area and stick the design in place – the same adhesive as you use for the rest of the flooring is fine. Lay your flooring over the top of your design, cut around it by feeling the edges and then hot weld (see point 3).

Our adhesive-free floors are ideal for areas where downtime needs to be kept to a minimum. They halve installation time as there’s no need for a DPM and, as there’s no adhesive, no waiting around, no tacky areas and no glue trafficked through the building. Altro adhesive-free floors hold as effectively as an Altro floor installed using adhesive: no rucks, no movement so ideal for corridors experiencing medium to heavy duty traffic. For installation guidance, you can find written guidance here.

Altro adhesive-free floor system approved installation tape is used to hold Altro adhesive-free floors in place while being installed. Ensure the subfloor is clean and free from dust before applying the tape. Absorbent surfaces should be primed with diluted pressure sensitive acrylic adhesive or diluted PVA and allowed to dry. The tape can also be used on the cove section when self-coving the floor and at any point where the flooring finishes at door entrances etc. This tape is supplied with each roll of Altro adhesive-free flooring.

Our doorsets are custom-made, hygienic, low-maintenance, tough and impact-deflective. Available to match your chosen shade of Altro Whiterock, it’s easy to incorporate them within your corridor design.

Once the walls sheets have been installed, use Altro matching colour mastic to seal to space between the sheet and the door frame.

Doorsets faced with Altro Fortis Titanium are hard-wearing, impact and scuff resistant and have a wipe clean finish for easy maintenance. In addition to fully-clad doorsets, there is the option to only protect the most vulnerable part, creating a kick or push plate. Simply cut the standard sheet using a jigsaw, alternatively a fine toothed hand saw or circular saw with pressure guide can also be used. The other option is to give us the measurements and we can cut it for you.

Custom print option utilising UV cured inks onto an Altro Whiterock sheet from your photographic image or vector art. Ideal for supporting wayfinding and communicating information. Contact us to discuss your requirements and once you receive your order, simply adhere to a clean wall surface using a strong adhesive tape.
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1. Altro safety floor

Our safety floors are engineered and designed to minimise risk and provide safe movement in areas exposed to spillages. The floor that you choose depends on the level of risk and the type of contaminants in that area. We recommend a risk assessment to determine this and, following this, the filters in our products section will help you choose the best floor for your space.

2. Adhesive

For areas prone to spillages of water and other liquids, AltroFix 19 Plus solvent-free flooring adhesive is a two-part polyurethane adhesive that, once cured, is not affected by liquids. If this is not a concern, AltroFix 15 is a single-part high tack acrylic copolymer adhesive for general use.

3. Subfloor preparation

Ensure the subfloor is smooth and flat. If not, it may require the application of a smoothing compound, applied to the surface of the subfloor, to correct any undulations and indentations.

4. Floor weld

All joints should be overlapped by approximately 20mm and cut in to form a tight joint. We offer weldrods that match our flooring, plus how to video clips on this and every aspect of installing an Altro floor. The right prep is essential here – for more information, take a look at our blog.

5. Internal mitres

Take a look at our videos which detail cutting and welding internal and external mitres.

6. External mitres

Take a look at our videos which detail cutting and welding internal and external mitres.

7. Altro Whiterock hygienic walls system

Altro Whiterock has been designed to fit perfectly with Altro floors, forming a sealed, watertight system. Both Altro Whiterock and Altro vinyl floors can be hot welded, have jointing and are compatible with drainage. Available in a wide range of colours and finishes and with a 20-year guarantee, this hygienic system makes spaces look good for the long term. We recommend that Altro Whiterock is installed before the floor, which must be protected to avoid spilling adhesive on a newly installed floor. If this is not an option, a concealed transition trim is available (see point 9). You can find our downloadable installation guidance here.

8. Cove former and adhesive

Cove former fitted at the junction of the Altro Whiterock wall sheet and the floor. Once adhered, this helps ensure a watertight, hygienic seal between wall sheet and floor. Use contact adhesive to install coving as regular adhesive is not strong enough to bond cove former and floor. We recommend contacting an adhesive supplier for their guidance on which adhesive to use.

9. Concealed transition strip

A concealed transition strip, used during the installation of Altro Whiterock, makes the wall sheet ‘kick-out’ at the bottom so the floor can go underneath and sit behind it, after which it is silicone-sealed. We recommend it because it offers a neat, attractive finish but also because it ensures any water would run down the wall sheet onto the floor rather than hitting the join. Another advantage of the concealed transition strip is that, should the floor need replacing, it’s easy to remove and install the new Altro floor.

10. Hot weld

One option for joining the Altro Whiterock sheets is a hot weld, using a colour-coordinating weldrod. For full details on how to do this, we have a short video. Follow this by silicone-sealing all abutments and exposed edges.

11. Double-sided tape primer

We recommend using a combination of Altro adhesive and application tape to adhere Altro Whiterock and Altro Fortis Titanium wall sheets. The tape is positioned at the top, middle and bottom of the sheet. To help the tape stick to the substrate, use Altro W165 Primer. See this installation step in action here.

12. AltroFix W139 adhesive or AltroFix W157 for absorbent walls eg plaster board.

You have a choice of adhesive depending on the surface you are installing Altro Whiterock or Altro Fortis Titanium onto. AltroFix W139 is water-resistant. AltroFix W157 is recommended for absorbent walls only – if you use this adhesive over impervious substrates, such as ceramic tiles, it will not set. For more details take a look at our walls installation guide.

13. Setting out

Altro Whiterock and Altro Fortis Titanium should be installed on a surface that is sound, dry and free of contaminants. See our short video on setting out your wall sheet.

14. Single-part trim

This is a quick and simple way to join Altro Whiterock and Altro Fortis Titanium wall sheets together in a way that cannot be removed once the sheet is fixed. Single-part trims are designed for hospitals, care homes and other areas where the trim could be pulled away and used to harm the individual or others. Unlike with the two-part trim, a small chamfer is applied to the sheet to make it easier to fit the single-part trim.

15. Two-part trim

Two-part trims are ideal for general purpose Altro Fortis Titanium and Altro Whiterock wall sheet applications outside of critical care and secure areas. It covers the edge of the sheet and gives a finished edge.

16. Silicone join - ceiling

To seal the space between wall sheet and ceiling, simply use a matching Altro silicone sealant, ensuring that the wall sheet has been cleaned first and that the protective cover has been removed.

17. Silicone join - dado height

Seal the Altro Fortis Titanium wall sheet and wall using a matching Altro silicone sealant, ensuring that the wall sheet has been cleaned first and that the protective cover has been removed.

18. Altro Fortis corner protection

Corners in corridors are particularly vulnerable to knocks and bumps. For these areas we recommend our ready-made Altro Fortis Titanium corner protection, which is part of the Altro Fortis system. There also is the option for you to thermoform the Altro Fortis Titanium or Altro Whiterock sheet to form corners.

19. Thermoforming Altro Whiterock into window

The most attractive and hygienic way to fit Altro Whiterock around a window is to thermoform it into the frame. Fit a trim on the remaining vertical joins above and below the window and use mastic to seal the four corners that join the window frame. We work on thermoforming in our Altro Whiterock training school. For a quick refresher, take a look at our two minute video.

20. Damp-proof membrane (DPM)

In areas where damp is a consideration, you can apply a DPM, such as Altro Proof. If the subfloor is uneven, use a moisture-tolerant levelling compound first. Once you have a coating of Altro Proof, if the floor is still bumpy don’t rub it down as you will take off too much of the DPM. Instead, put another layer of levelling compound on top, checking first with the manufacturer that the levelling compound is compatible. Don’t forget to ensure that the adhesive you use can cope with moisture.

21. Including a logo or creative design

It’s simple and effective to install a logo within Altro vinyl floors. Send your design to us for cutting or order one of our pre-cut designs. Once you have it on-site, position the design where you want it and mark this with pencil. Then apply adhesive to this area and stick the design in place – the same adhesive as you use for the rest of the flooring is fine. Lay your flooring over the top of your design, cut around it by feeling the edges and then hot weld (see point 3).

22. Altro adhesive-free flooring

Our adhesive-free floors are ideal for areas where downtime needs to be kept to a minimum. They halve installation time as there’s no need for a DPM and, as there’s no adhesive, no waiting around, no tacky areas and no glue trafficked through the building. Altro adhesive-free floors hold as effectively as an Altro floor installed using adhesive: no rucks, no movement so ideal for corridors experiencing medium to heavy duty traffic. For installation guidance, you can find written guidance here.

23. Altro adhesive-free floor system approved installation tape

Altro adhesive-free floor system approved installation tape is used to hold Altro adhesive-free floors in place while being installed. Ensure the subfloor is clean and free from dust before applying the tape. Absorbent surfaces should be primed with diluted pressure sensitive acrylic adhesive or diluted PVA and allowed to dry. The tape can also be used on the cove section when self-coving the floor and at any point where the flooring finishes at door entrances etc. This tape is supplied with each roll of Altro adhesive-free flooring.

24. Altro Whiterock hygienic doorsets

Our doorsets are custom-made, hygienic, low-maintenance, tough and impact-deflective. Available to match your chosen shade of Altro Whiterock, it’s easy to incorporate them within your corridor design.

25. Fitting Altro wall sheets up to a door frame

Once the walls sheets have been installed, use Altro matching colour mastic to seal to space between the sheet and the door frame.

26. Altro Fortis door protection

Doorsets faced with Altro Fortis Titanium are hard-wearing, impact and scuff resistant and have a wipe clean finish for easy maintenance. In addition to fully-clad doorsets, there is the option to only protect the most vulnerable part, creating a kick or push plate. Simply cut the standard sheet using a jigsaw, alternatively a fine toothed hand saw or circular saw with pressure guide can also be used. The other option is to give us the measurements and we can cut it for you.

27. Altro Fortis door protection

Custom print option utilising UV cured inks onto an Altro Whiterock sheet from your photographic image or vector art. Ideal for supporting wayfinding and communicating information. Contact us to discuss your requirements and once you receive your order, simply adhere to a clean wall surface using a strong adhesive tape.