Installation Advice

Fitting carpet tiles is a job well within the capabilities of anyone with reasonable do-it-yourself skills. It is really just a matter of taking the time to check measurements and to cut with care. Because you are working with individual tiles you do not run into the problems of stretching and creasing that make laying carpet such a daunting task. Safety There are safety considerations to bear in mind. The boxes of carpet tiles are heavy, and you'll be using sharp knives. The fixing adhesive also needs to be treated with respect. All that's required to work safely is a responsible attitude and a clear understanding of the dangers of carelessness. Delivery Our standard delivery is Monday - Friday, between 9.00am and 5.00pm. Due to insurance restrictions, the driver can deliver to kerbside only, so you will need to be ready to move the boxes indoors. Your tiles may be delivered on a pallet. Don't stack pallets on top of each other as damage is almost inevitable. Fixing Tiles Carpet tiles can be laid without adhesive but we recommend that all installations are carried out using a tackifier adhesive. This will ensure that the tiles are held in place but can still be lifted to clean or replace damaged or stained tiles Getting Ready Batch Numbers Check that the batch numbers on all boxes are the same. Slight colour variations are normal from one batch to another, and this can be noticeable if batches are mixed. Acclimatising Like any other material, carpet tiles expand and contract as their temperature changes. To ensure a trouble free installation, we strongly recommend unpacking and laying the tiles loosely on the floor of the room where they are to be fitted. They should be left like this for 24 hours to allow them to become conditioned to the room's conditions. You should fit tiles at a temperature between 10°C and 25°C. Laying the Tiles Pile Direction There is an arrow on the back of each tile which indicates the pile direction. If you lay the tiles with all arrows pointing in the same direction you will get an even, almost seamless look to your floor, particularly if you lay the tiles in a half bond pattern (like the bricks in a wall). Alternatively you can alternate the arrow directions so that each tile is at a 90° angle to the one next to it. This give a pleasing checkerboard effect. The diagrams show how the alternative fitting methods work.