Carpet Tile

• 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). Refer to adhesive section for limits. 
• pH / Alkalinity:  Conduct ASTM F-3441 pH/Alkalinity testing. Refer to adhesive section for specification of ranges.  Test results must not exceed the ranges specified by the adhesive.                                                                                                                                           

Shaw recommends 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.
 
The following chart breaks down the carpet backing system, grade of installation, the required subfloor testing requirements and the recommended adhesive for each:
 

Carpet Tile Backing	Installation Area	Testing Requirements	Adhesive Recommendations
EcoWorx/EcoWorx BIO/ StrataWorx	Below/On Grade	Moisture and pH	LokWorx Tabs,3000,5000, 4151*,4252*
EcoWorx/EcoWorx BIO/ StrataWorx	Below/On Grade	No Testing Required	LokDots*
EcoWorx/ EcoWorx BIO / StrataWorx	Above Grade	No Testing Required	LokDots*, 3000, 5000, 4151*,4252*
EcoLogix	Below/On Grade	No Testing Required	4151*, 4252*, ES (mill applied)
EcoLogix	Above Grade	No Testing Required	3000, 5000, 4151*, 4252*, ES (mill applied)
EcoWorx ES	Below/On Grade/Above	Moisture and pH	ES (mill applied)
EcoWorx M	Below/On Grade/Above	No Testing Required	5000, 4151*, 4252*

   * LokDots,4151 and 4252 are moisture resistant products; however, they do not eliminate moisture.                                                                                                                               

Concrete Subfloors: New and existing concrete subfloors should meet the guidelines of the latest edition of ACI 302 and ASTM F710, “Standard Practice for Preparing Concrete Floors to Receive Resilient Flooring” available from the American Society for Testing and Materials, 100 Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428; 610-832-9585: HTTP://WWW.ASTM.ORG.   

Wood Subfloors: Wood subfloors must be structurally sound and conform to guidelines of ASTM F 1482 and in compliance with local building codes. 

• All substrates must be structurally sound, clean, dry, and flat prior to installation. Surfaces must be free of contaminants including, but not limited to: dust, dirt, oil, grease, paint, curing compounds, concrete sealers, adhesive residues*, loosely bonded toppings, and any other materials or conditions that may inhibit proper adhesion. 

• Substrate flatness must conform to the following tolerances: 

• Maximum deviation of 1/8” over 6 feet (3.2 mm over 1.8 m) 

• Maximum deviation of 3/16” over 10 feet (4.8 mm over 3.0 m) 

• Self-leveling or Patching Compounds: Ensure compliance with Technical Data Sheet (TDS) for substrate preparation and priming prior to application of self-leveling underlayment or patching compounds. 

• 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 (20684 kPa) are acceptable.   

• Dormant cracks wider than 1/32” (0.8 mm) may be repaired using Prepworx CJR400. 

• For cracks and saw cuts exceeding 1” (25.4 mm) in depth, the use of Prepworx MRS101 is recommended.  

• Moisture Mitigation: For new or existing concrete substrates exhibiting moisture levels that exceed the limits specified for products and/or adhesives, reference either of the two systems below for mitigation. 

• Totalworx Moisture Control Solution 

• Totalworx Vapor Barrier Solution 

• Trench Moisture Mitigation: For newly poured concrete trenches (e.g., plumbing), apply a two-part epoxy moisture barrier such as PrepWorx MCS310 to prevent moisture-related flooring failures. Ensure substrate preparation aligns with Shaw’s installation standards. 

• Use Prepworx CJR400 at the interface between new and existing concrete. 

• Extend Prepworx MCS310 coverage across the trench and a minimum of 8 inches (203 mm) onto the adjacent slab. 

• Concrete and terrazzo substrates need to be a minimum CSP 3 (maximum CSP 5) by use of shot/bead blasting. 

• Do not install flooring over substrates that have been chemically abated: Chemically treated surfaces may compromise adhesion and affect flooring performance. 

• Curing compounds: (DO NOT USE). If present, they can interfere with the bond of the adhesive to the concrete. Seek assistance from the substrate manufacturer if curing agents are detected.  

• Sweeping Compounds: 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 9050. 

*Refer to Prepare Existing Adhesive section which also includes information specific to EcoLogix/EcoWorx M.

If installed over existing resilient flooring (one layer only), all tiles must be secure to the subfloor. Strip any wax from the surface.

Wood Subfloors must be Wood Association Approved and primed with a latex primer such as 9050.

Raised Access Flooring panels 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.

• Remove existing adhesives to prevent adhesive incompatability / reactions and bonding issues. When installing EcoLogix / EcoWorx M backed tiles, removal of existing adhesive is not necessary as long as the existing adhesive is dry and tacky.  The top ridges of existing adhesive should be flattened so the existing adhesive does not interfere with adhesion of new adhesive and EcoLogix / EcoWorx M backing.  Existing ridges should be no higher than 1/32".
• Cutback Adhesive:  Wet scrape the adhesive, reduce to a well bonded residue and encapsulate with a product such as BC9000.
• Do not use adhesive removers, they will adversely affect the new adhesive and product installed. 

• 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 one 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. 

• Use a full spread adhesive application.
• A premium pressure sensitive adhesive is recommended or 4151.
• Use a 3/8” nap paint roller or a 1/16” x 1/32” x 5/64” U-notch trowel. When using a 1/16” x 1/32” x 5/64” U-notch trowel to install StrataWorx products, this application method will Increase the overall bond strength and reduce the ease of removing and replacing tiles.
• Allow the adhesive to dry completed before installing the carpet tile.  Installing into wet adhesive will result in a permanent bond.

Adhesive	CaCl/MVER Limit	RH Limit	pH Limit
4151	12 lbs.	99%	12
4252	N/A	99%	12
3000	10 lbs.	95%	11
5000	15 lbs.	97%	11
LokDots*	N/A	N/A	N/A
LokWorx Tabs*	5 lbs.	85%	12
EcoLogix ES (mill applied)	10 lbs.	99%	12
EcoWorx ES (mill applied)	5 lbs.	85%	9

* LokDots is not a moisture remediation solution. If visible moisture is present or there are known moisture issues such as hydrostatic pressure, additional steps should be taken to address the moisture issues. For older slabs or slabs with a prior history of moisture related issues, see Substrate Preparation for recommendations.  For newer slabs with an intact moisture retarder, initial moisture levels should recede over time.

* LokWorx Tabs conduct Relative Humidity and pH testing. In addition, concrete substrate moisture must be tested by the current version of ASTM F1869 anhydrous calcium chloride test. For concrete with a prior history of uncorrected moisture conditions or problems involving higher moisture levels, treat the concrete with a moisture mitigation product, prior to adhesive application.

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.
 

• 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.                                                                                                                                                                                             

• Place plywood over the carpet when heavy objects are moved. 
• 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.
• 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%.                                                                                                                                                                                                          

18 x 36 tile installation methods

 

ashlar	basketweave	boxed in
brick	half basketweave	herringbone

 

monolithic	stagger

24 x 24 Tile Installation Methods

 

ashlar	brick
monolithic	quarter turn

random

 

Hexagon installation Methods

Begin the installation by following Shaw's Hexagon Installation Guidelines  
 

diagonal	monolithic

 

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