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INSTRUCTION FOR GLUE-DOWN CORK TILES:

PREPARATION

• Tiles should be removed from their packs and spread out in the room in which they are to be laid 12 hours prior to fixing .　At this stage tiles can be shuffled to achieve even distribution of the natural shade variation.　Surfaces to be tiled must be sound, clean and dry.
• Concrete floorings must incorporate damp-proof membrane.　New floors must be allowed to dry out completely.　The recommended time is 1 day per mm (1 inch per month), with adequate ventilation, up to 50mm thickness.　Greater thickness take comparatively longer than this.　Cold, wet weather slows the drying process.
• Porous surfaces such as sand and cement screed, plywood, hardboard and chipboard should be overlaid with hardboard, rough side up.　Existing floor coverings must be removed.　Do not fix directly on to asphalt.

FIXING

• Find the most suitable starting point to give you economical and balanced cutting at borders.　Try not to end up with very thin strips at doorways, pedestals etc.　Use D3 adhesive or an equivalent alternative, following the instructions and recommendations for use.
• . Lay all full tiles, making sure that they are pressed firmly into the adhesive, especially the edges and corners.　Do not put adhesive on floor areas that need part tiles until you have cut the part tiles to size, otherwise the adhesive may dry out before you are ready to lay them.
• To fit part tiles, lay the tile to be cut exactly over the last full tile, place another full tile against the wall and mark the cutting line where they overlap.　To fit around pipes etc., make a paper pattern as a guide and use this to draw the outline on a tile.

FINISHING

Before applying a seal, wait for the adhesive to dry, during which time you should protect the floor from dirt, water, moisture and condensation.　Brush the floor clean and remove all traces of excess adhesive and other marks.　Apply 3-4 coats of quick dry acrylic floor seal and cork polyurethane floor seal.　This process seals the tiles and the tile joints against possible water and dirt penetration.

MAINTENANCE

Sweep when necessary to remove surface grit and dust.　Polyurethane sealed tiles need only a wipe with a damp cloth or mop.　Occasionally a mild detergent can be added to the water.　Abrasive cleaners or wax polishes are not recommended.　Areas that eventually become worn can be lightly sanded and retouched with a fresh coat of seal.　Use protective pads under furniture legs.　Stiletto heels can damage floor coverings.