Installation Instructions
These installation instructions are intended to familiarize the reader with the major concepts to consider when installing Fritztile. Fritztile is laid in the same manner as most vinyl tiles. When laying Fritztile, follow conventional procedures for installing other resilient tile. Remember that substrate surfaces must be properly assessed and prepared prior to applying underlayments, adhesives and the tile. Always lay Fritztile in accordance with adhesive directions. Follow all recommendations for notch sizes, cure times and rolling as outlined on product package instructions.
Table of Contents
Project Conditions
Fritztile can be successfully installed indoors ONLY on top of substrates and subflooring that are sound. Do not install Fritztile over unstable substrates such as particleboard, mahogany or gypsum underlayments. If the subfloor is in need of repair, use panels warranted for use as underlayment by the manufacturer, fastened, as manufacturer requires, or Fritz pozzolanic underlayments. The Installation environment and the tile must be allowed to condition at 70°F ambient or higher, for at least 48 hours prior to installation. Maintain this temperature during and after installing the tiles.
Acclimating Fritztile
Fritztile must be acclimated to a minimum of 70°F prior to installing. Fritztile is packaged in the carton face-to-face and back-to-back. As a result of packaging and/or colder temperatures, the tiles may not be flat when removed from the carton. Do not attempt to work with tile that is not reasonably flat. It is highly recommended that prior to the installation the tiles be delivered and removed from the cartons and squarely stacked upside down for a minimum of 24 hours or until they are 70°F and flat.
Substrate Preparation
Substrates must be free of all curing compounds, dust and dirt, waxes, sealers, adhesives and any other leftover residues that will prevent the underlayments or adhesives from properly bonding. OLD ADHESIVES AND SEALERS MUST BE COMPLETELY REMOVED. All surfaces must be continuous in appearance color; failure to achieve this condition may result in substrate color irregularities unacceptably being visible in the tiles laid. Substrates must be flat within 1/8 of an inch in 10 feet in all directions. With substrates that have been chemically prepared, pH levels must be neutralized, and the substrate must be washed clean and allowed to dry.
Concrete Substrates at all Grade Levels
Moisture Testing
ALWAYS test concrete substrates for moisture. Proper moisture testing is the most important step for successfully installing Fritztile over a concrete surface. All readings must indicate a dry subfloor if Fritztile is to be installed. It is required to use an Anhydrous Calcium Chloride 60-72 hour test kit for our warranty to be effective. Complete instructions are available in ASTM F-1869 or inside the concrete moisture emission test kit. The calcium chloride test kit is the single acceptable method for verifying the rate of moisture vapor emissions of concrete substrates.
Note: Power toweled concrete surfaces reduce vapor transmission and water absorption, which may affect test results and alter adhesive and underlayment curing times and rates of coverage. Conversely, extremely porous and/or dry substrates may need damp-mopping to retard the absorption of adhesives and/or underlayment wetting agents. Coarse substrates will reduce coverage rates of adhesives.
Remove projection irregularities by chipping or grinding smooth. Fill depressions and level uneven surfaces with Fritz underlayments — refer to specific underlayment bulletins for proper selection, purpose and method. Do not bridge concrete cold joints with Fritztile or Fritz underlayments as movement of these joints will telepath visibly and destructively through the tile and/or displace underlayments. Structural concrete joints must come completely up though the installation so that the purpose of these joints is not defeated. Apply Fritz underlayments to all surface cracks and concrete control saw cuts and feather smoothly. Use only Fritz Brand Poz-Patch l, ll or lll underlayments for smoothing, use Fritz F-10 for self leveling. Do not spread the adhesive until underlayments are completely dry.
Wood Floors
Double construction floors with underlayment quality panels must be sanded with joints filled smoothly. Single construction or warped floors must be stabilized with underlayment grade plywood and finished as described previously. Use Fritz Poz-Patch ll or Poz-Patch lll underlayments for smoothing, leveling or feather edging.
Cutting Fritztile
Fritztile can be cut to a raw edge with a guillotine cam/lever tile cutter, tungsten/carbide, grit edge saber saw blade, a diamond edged wet saw or a hand held 2"- 4" power grinder tool. When cutting tiles to be laid within the field of the installation, the use of a wet saw for straight cuts is recommended. Fritztile is a product that is shaped at the factory by grinding processes that with some tiles leaves a slightly thinner tile edge than the body of the tile. Determine if it would be better to lay wet saw cuts against wet saw cuts as opposed to wet saw cuts against factory edges.
Adhesive Application
Apply adhesives in accordance with directions as stated on the product package labels. Follow all recommendations on notch sizes and cure times as printed on the labels. Failing to do so will inhibit the tile from bonding properly and performing as specified. All installations require the use of Fritz FA-88, FA-1100MP, or Premium #1 adhesive. For residential applications and over steel, Fritz FA-1100MP adhesive may be used.
Fritz FA-1100MP and Fritz Premium #1 adhesive are limited to concrete moisture emission levels of 7-pounds or less while Fritz FA -88 is limited to 10-pounds or less. Once the installation is laid, the adhesive must dry for at least 12 hours before the floor can be exposed to water or cleaning products. For information on applying Fritz adhesives, refer to bulletins on FA-1100MP and FA-88. Do not use these adhesives for wall applications of Fritztile. Use a white acrylic-based ceramic tile multi/purpose or acrylic cove base adhesive for wall applications.
Laying Fritztile
Fritztile is laid in a butt joint, tile-to-tile method. It is important to be aware that Fritztile is 11.92 inches square while marking layout lines. As an example, 25 tiles laid in one row equal a covered distance of 24 feet and 10 inches — it does not cover 25 lineal feet. Determine the starting point of the installation and mark layout lines so that greater than one half (1/2) of a full tile meets the walls, and design elements or patterns are on their marks. To lay Fritztile, place each tile firmly into position. Butt each tile cleanly, evenly and snugly against adjacent tile. Remove adhesive smears as they occur. Once the tiles are set into the adhesive, roll the floor with a 150-pound roller, as per manufacturer's requirements. The tile must be rolled in a direction diagonal to the run of the tiles. Continue rolling the floor until the adhesive has set and complete bonding of the tile and adhesive has occurred. This bonding is necessary for proper adherence. Failure to roll the floor properly could result in adhesive bond failure or high tile edges or high corners in the finished installation. Always lift the roller onto the new installation — do not roll the roller onto it. Restrict foot traffic for 24 hours.
Perimeter Protection
Seal all exposed perimeters and areas where tile edges terminate at upright structures with silicone to avoid the chance of maintenance solutions from staining the natural Marble or Granite chips.
Precautions & Care After Installation
Adhesives must cure at least 12 hours before a new floor is exposed to water or cleaning materials. After the adhesive has cured Fritztile MUST be topcoated with sealers and polishes. For commercial installations, Fritztile must receive two (2) coats of FCP- 300 Duro-Gloss. DO NOT USE FCP-102 FOR RESIDENTIAL INSTALLATIONS. Using a non-linting rayon string mop, apply two (2) coats of each product with the first coat in an east/west direction, followed by the second coat in a north/south direction, allowing sufficient drying times between coatings. Additional sacrificial coatings of FCP- 300 should be applied within 30 days or as the gloss level or traffic pattern requires.
Note: Installations restricted to residential areas require three (3) coats of FCP-300 at the time of installation. For further information on maintaining Fritztile, reference product bulletins for FCP-300 Duro-Gloss, FCP-400 Stripper and FCP-500 Neutral Cleaner.
