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Installation
Carpet Tile
For best results review the product and product specific guidelines prior to indoor installation. Shaw will not be
responsible for improper installation and installation of visual manufacturing defected tiles. Failure to follow
guidelines may result in limiting warranty coverage. Contact Shaw Technical Support at 800.471.7429 for
additional information.
CONDITION YOUR SITE AND TEST
HVAC System: Must be operational, maintaining the following conditions 24 hours prior to, during and after
installation.
Temperature: The installation site, carpet and adhesive must be between 50
o
F and 95
o
F. Adhesives will
not function properly when exposed to temperatures outside this range.Do not begin the installation if the
subfloor temperature is below 50
o
F.
Humidity: The installation site’s ambient relative humidity must not fall below 40%.
Moisture Testing: Conduct subfloor moisture testing in accordance to the ASTM F-2170 (in-situ Relative
Humidity) and/or ASTM F-1869 (Anhydrous Calcium Chloride).
pH / Alkalinity: Conduct ASTM F-710 pH/Alkalinity testing.
SUBFLOOR TESTING GUIDELINES
Shaw requires moisture testing prior to starting the installation.
If excessive moisture is present, the general contractor or building owner must be advised of the readings, and a
decision made regarding how to address the moisture or continue the installation.
Reference the Moisture Decision Tree for grade of installation and required subfloor testing requirements.
SURFACE PREPARATION
Substrate must be structurally sound, clean, level and dry.
Substrate must be free of dust, dirt, oil, grease, paint, curing agents, concrete sealers, adhesives, loosely
bonded toppings, loose particles and any other substance or condition that may prevent or reduce
adhesion.
Fill depressions or cracks with a cementitious patching / leveling compound that meet or exceed Shaw
Industries maximum moisture level and pH requirements. Use of gypsum-based patching and/or leveling
compounds which contain Portland or high alumina cement and meet or exceed the compressive strength
of 3,000 psi are acceptable.
For cracks or saw cuts deeper than 1", follow the preparation and application instructions for Shaw QuikFill.
QuikFill is a 2-part urethane treatment that prevents future damage from moisture penetrating to the
surface of the slab that may damage or breakdown adhesives or unapproved patching compounds.
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For reference purposes only if printed or downloaded.
Installation
Trenches - In order to protect floor covering from potential moisture issues in areas where new trenches for
plumbing have been poured, applya 2-part epoxy such as MoistureTEK. Utilize QuickFil where thenew
concrete meets the old concrete. Apply MoistureTEK over the
entire trench and up to 8 inches over the old concrete.
For chemically abated substrates, ensure the proper cleaning methods have been taken to remove any
residual abatement chemicals.
Green sweeping compounds can be used but must be swept and removed immediately.
For dusting / powdering / porous concrete / lightweight concrete prime with a latex primer such as Shaw
9050.
For patches / levelers prime with a latex primer such as Shaw 9050.
If installed over existing resilient flooring (one layer only), all tiles must be secure to the subfloor. Strip any
wax from the surface.
Wood Subfloorsmust be Wood Association Approved and primed with a latex primer such as Shaw 9050.
Raised Access Flooringpanels must be smooth, level, secure and free of any material that will affect the
adhesive bond. Carpet tiles must be installed offset from access panel seams. Gaps between panels must
not exceed 1/16” or (1.6mm).
Note:Do not sand or scrape Vinyl Asbestos tile (VAT) without proper attention to abatement procedures or
precautions in accordance with all state and local codes. Shaw Industries makes no claims as to the
acceptability of this procedure as a mitigation method in lieu of asbestos removal; and accepts no responsibility
if any loose asbestos containing flooring are affected upon removal of a Shaw Industries commercial tile.
Caution:Do not allow cutback asphaltic adhesive or any other non-approved adhesive to come in contact with
new adhesives. An installation failure could result. If this situation arises, contact Shaw Technical Support.
PREPARE EXISTING ADHESIVE
Removeexisting adhesives to prevent adhesive incompatability /reactions and bonding issues.
Cutback Adhesive: Wet scrape the adhesive, reduce to a well bonded residue and encapsulate with a
product such as Shaw MRP.
Do not use adhesive removers, they will adversely affect the new adhesive and product installed.
LAY OUT YOUR SITE
Start the carpet tile installation as near to the center of the room as possible and position it to use the
largest perimeter cut tile.
Snap a chalk line parallel to on major wall bisecting the starting point. It may be necessary to offset the
center chalk line to assure that the perimeter tile will be a least half the size.
Snap a second chalk line from the starting point at a 90
o
to the first line. Use a 3-4-5 or 6-8-10 triangle or
larger on the room size to verify squareness. Meters or feet may be used to lay out the triangle in these
proportions.
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For reference purposes only if printed or downloaded.
Installation
APPLY ADHESIVE
Use a full spread adhesive application of Shaw 4151
Use a 3/8” nap paint roller or a 1/16” x 1/32” x 5/64” U-notch trowel.
Allow the adhesive to dry completed before installing the carpet tile. Installing into wet adhesive will result
in a permanent bond and may cause the carpet tile to bubble.installation.
Install each full carton and complete an entire pallet before starting another pallet to minimize product
variation.All Shaw carpet tiles have directional arrows on the back of the carpet tile to help facilitate the
installation method for that product.The numbers within the arrows are for manufacturing purposes only and are
not related to the installation.adhesive
Begin the installation at the intersection of the two chalk lines. Continue until you complete one quadrant.
Proceed to adjoining quadrants until all four quadrants have been completed. Large areas may require
additional chalk lines bisecting the original four quadrants.
Install the carpet tile using the pyramid technique. This will provide alignment checks during the
installation. If the edges do not align and misalignment is noted, stop the installation and determine where
the misalignment started and correct.
Slide carpet tile into positions to prevent yarn from being trapped at the seams. Trapped yarn can
adversely affect the appearance of the installation.
EcoWorx ES and EcoLogix ES are manufactured with mill applied adhesive. For these products, remove the
release liner to expose the adhesive and install the carpet tile.
Tiles must fit snugly, but not be compressed. Press the entire surface of the tile to ensure adhesion.
After installation, roll the entire installation with a 75 lb or greater roller to assure proper adhesion to the
substrate.
Flatwire cables should be installed on top of the adhesive and centered underneath the carpet tile for better
seam quality.
Edge Trimming
Measure and cut tile from the back using a straight edge. Ensure directional arrows are properly aligned
with the installation.
Or allow tile to cove up the wall and cut the carpet tile with a carpet knife, wall trimmer or similar too.
Do not compress.
POST INSTALLATION CARE AND PROTECTION
Place plywood over the carpet when heavy objects are moved within 24 hours of installation.
Use protective chair mats under chairs and castors. This will prevent excessive wear to the face of the
carpet and possible transfer of the pressure sensitive adhesive to the back of the carpet.
Non-staining building material paper can be placed of the carpet tile to protect it if additional building
construction activity is taking place.
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For reference purposes only if printed or downloaded.
Installation
Do not use plastic sheeting. This will trap moisture.
For best results, temperatures should remain above 50F and ambient humidity should not fall below 40%.
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For reference purposes only if printed or downloaded. Revision: 02052021
