TorFloor RdB Install Guide
| Before Starting |
|---|
As OMNIE continues to develop and improve product information and instructions it is recommended you check the OMNIE website (www.omnie.co.uk) for the latest Datasheets & Install Guides that may have been superseded post delivery of your system. Please read all stages of this install guide before proceeding with the installation. |
| Storing the System |
|---|
NOTE: If it is necessary to store the system once you have taken delivery, ensure it is kept in the following conditions:
|
| Stage 1 |
|---|
Ensure that all areas are correctly prepared, dry and protected from the weather. Check all joists are:
|
| Stage 2 |
|---|
IMPORTANT The way that the TorFloor RdB system will be installed depends on access to the floor void below and/or site sequences or requirements. If floor void IS NOT accessible from below: Stages 3-11 will need to be completed room-by-room, starting at the room furthest from the manifold. Access panels will be required for installing the flow and return pipe work. If floor void IS accessible from below: Stages 3-11 can be completed for the whole floor deck at once. No access panels will be required as the pipe can be handled from below and can be run between joists. Measure the moisture content of the TorFloor RdB panels and plywood layer this should be no higher than 8-10% ideally acclimatised together before installation. NOTE: When working with any wood or insulation based products, dust and particles can become airborne and pose a hazard to health. This is particularly relevant when machining, cutting or routing. Please follow all the relevant health & safety rules regarding required personal safety equipment and extraction/ventilation requirements are also followed. |
| Stage 3 |
|---|
A sound insulation slab is to be incorporated into the floor, friction fit snugly between floor joists. Ensure the entire ceiling area (including gaps between the end joists and the wall) are covered. Alternatively, if the ceilings are being removed and not in place on the floor below, the sound insulation slab should be fitted after the underfloor heating system. |
| Stage 4 |
|---|
Fix timber noggins/battens across any thresholds of stairs or doorways that will abut the TorFloor RdB panels to ensure the edges of panels are supported. |
| Stage 5 |
|---|
Apply the supplied sticky backed isolation strip around the bottom vertical face of the perimeter walls to reduce flanking sound transmission, when the TorFloor panel is laid it sits against this flanking strip only and have no physical contact with the wall. The isolation strip should be 2mm wider than the thickness of the acoustic flooring board. If the surface of the wall is uneven, apply a 3mm to 5mm bead of acoustic sealant at the joint between the floor and the wall. |
| Stage 6 |
|---|
Starting at the opposite corner from the door opening, lay the first panel felt side down to butt up against the isolation strip or an acoustic sealant bead. Ensure the panel does not come into direct contact with the perimeter wall itself. |
|
| Stage 7 |
|---|
Remove the tongue from the long edge of the subsequent panels and lay the panels in a run, ensuring the end of each panel falls on a centre line of the batten or joist. Use the off-cut of each run to start the following run of panels. Ensure that each row of panels has a group of return loops at each end and is laid in a brick bonded fashion. When cutting the TorFloor panels, TRADA recommends that the shortest length of panel should be supported across a minimum of three joists. For example, if the supports are set nominally at 400mm centres, the shortest panel length should be 800mm. It is recommended that carpenters should NOT fit very short lengths which are supported by only two joists, one at each end, unless supported by noggins. |
|
| Stage 8 |
|---|
Apply the supplied PU adhesive to all joints as work proceeds, (one litre for every 25m² floor area laid). Push the second panel into the joint to form a tight fit with the first panel working towards the doorway. Wipe off excess adhesive with a damp cloth. Avoid walking on the boards until the adhesive has dried. NOTE: If access panels are required, do not glue these boards until the pipe has been installed and Pressure tested. |
| Stage 9 |
|---|
Ensure all of the panels fit tightly together to avoid gaps and sound leakage through the flanking transmission. If there are any small, unavoidable gaps, fill them with acoustic sealant. For optimum acoustic performance, the acoustic flooring should not be continuous between rooms. Isolate and seal panels at perimeter edges. At doorways, allow a 5mm gap between the panels and apply a 10mm bead of acoustic sealant to the static panel and butt seal together. |
| Stage 10 |
|---|
Before installing the pipe work, it is advised to sweep or vacuum the floor area as debris may have fallen into the channels. |
|
| Stage 11 |
|---|
Referring to the OMNIE CAD design, insert the pipe into the TorFloor RdB panels. NOTE:
Access Panels If there are any access panels, drill a 12.5mm hole at a 20 degree angle through the TorFloor RdB panel at the point at which the flow pipe needs to drop into the batten space (Figure 1). Feed one end of the pipe through the hole from above through to the manifold, notching or drilling as required (Figure 2). Where there is limited access, a plain access panel can be created and/or 12mm interconnecting fittings used. Once the pipe work has been installed into the room, the access panel can then be glued as per previous stages.
Running pipe between joists Where flow and return pipework runs through the joists, there must be a notch or hole. Notching and drilling in solid wood joists must be done in accordance with Building Regulations Part A such that: a) Holes should be drilled through the neutral axis and should be positioned between 0.25 and 0.4 times the joist span length. b) Must not be less than 3 diameters (of the hole) apart. c) Notches must not be greater than 0.25 times the joist depth. |
| Stage 12 |
|---|
Continue laying the panels and pipe until all circuits are complete. Once the panels and pipe have been installed, the circuits should be hydraulically pressure tested. It is preferable for the pipe to be kept under pressure while the covering deck is laid. If this is not possible, the pressure test must be carried out for a second time once the covering deck has been installed. |
|
| Stage 13 |
|---|
A 6mm flooring grade ply covering laid in the opposing direction to the TorFloor RdB panels glued and screwed to complete the structural deck. The covering should be positioned so that each ply panel overlaps the tongue and groove edges of the TorFloor RdB panel by 300mm.
To glue the covering down, apply PVAc glue in a serpantine pattern to the 50mm wide strips of exposed TorFloor RdB panel. Do not apply glue to the foil strips of the TorFloor RdB panel.
|
| Stage 14 |
|---|
To ensure a good contact between the overlay and TorFloor panels, fix the ply where necessary by using screws or ring shank nails (at least 25mm long). Make sure to avoid any pipe work. |
| Maintaining Acoustic Integrity of TorFloor RdB |
|---|
Care and attention should be taken to maintain the acoustic integrity and to avoid rigid connections between floating floors and the adjacent structure. Please follow the guidelines below:
|
