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Altro Whiterock Vantage is a co-extruded PVCu wall sheet can be used in a wide range of applications. The wall sheet can be adhered to many typical substrates used for internal wall construction. It is suitable for new and refurbishment building projects.
The wall sheet is complemented by a range of trim profiles for trimming the edge of the sheet and creating a joint between two sheets.
Sheets are 2.5 mm thick and are available in three sizes -
2500 mm x 1220 mm
2750 mm x 1220 mm
3000 mm x 1220mm
The sheets are supplied with a protective film on the face which can be left in place until the area is ready for use. This also helps protect the new surface from dust while other trades are working in the area.
Altro PVCu wall sheets have a maximum service temperature of 60ºC.
Although the sheets can be applied in most areas, they should never be installed near to a direct heat source (cookers, oven ranges, wall mounted griddles etc) where naked flame or severe heat would cause distortion or damage to the surface. It is recommended that sheets are installed at least 30 cm from a heat source.
For these situations, Altro recommends using stainless steel sheets.
All surfaces must be smooth, sound, dry and free of contamination. If necessary, the walls should be cleaned down prior to the Altro wall sheet installation, and primed using 10 parts water to 1 part PVA. - do not use AltroFix W165.
The working environment must also be clean and dust free. Failure to comply with these conditions will reduce the bond strength between adhesive and substrate, and may cause the sheets to de-bond.
The sheets can be fixed directly to most sound and dry substrates with AltroFix W139, two-part polyurethane adhesive.
The adhesive is available in two tub sizes:-
Part A is a viscous cream coloured paste supplied in a plastic tub. Part B is a catalyst (hardener) supplied in a foil bag (separated within the tub).
Pour the liquid contents of the foil bag (Part B) into the plastic container holding Part A and mix thoroughly for approximately 2-3 minutes until a uniform consistency is obtained throughout.
A low speed electric drill with mixing paddle attachment should be used to ensure complete mixing.
Once mixed, the adhesive should be applied to the (pre-cleaned) back of the sheet with a 5mm x 5mm square notched trowel.
Altro recommends the PVCu wall sheets are installed at approximately the same ambient service temperature at which the area will be used when commissioned.
A minimum temperature of 14ºC/57ºF is recommended for all installation areas. AltroFix adhesive must never be used below +5ºC.
Sheets should stored flat and be pre-conditioned for up to 24 hours to attain the ambient room temperature prior to the installation.
The sheets must be stored on a level flat surface off the ground (risk of condensation on the sheets if stored on damp surfaces).
Storage on un-even surfaces could cause the sheets to distort prior to installation.
In general, the main tools required are similar to carpentry hand tools.
You will also need a 2.5 x 1.22m workbench made from 15mm MDF board (or similar), with support bearers to prevent the MDF from bowing in the middle. The bench provides an excellent work surface for the sheets which are 1.220 x 2.500/3.000m.
Apart from the normal health and safety rules employed within the construction industry, the following points should be noted:-
Before starting work, users must refer to the SDS (Safety Data Sheets) for correct safety advice and carry out a COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) assessment and risk assessment.
Always wear appropriate PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and RPE (Respiratory Protective Equipment) when handling adhesives and ensure the area is adequately ventilated.
Contact Altro on 01462 707600 for further advice.
Set up a workstation in close proximity to the area to be clad. A minimum area of 4m x 3m will be required to set up your work bench area.
Adjacent to the workstation, set up a glue-station, where all the mixing of adhesive takes place. The floor area in this location needs to be protected with cardboard (or similar) to prevent splashes of adhesive getting onto the floor.
If an existing or new floor has been laid prior to the installation of the wall sheets, it is essential to protect the floor around the work bench and the glue-station where adhesive may get spilt.
The glue-station is also where the trowels and mixing paddles are cleaned regularly to prevent a build up of excessive adhesive on the tools.
Please note: If the adhesive gets on the floor and is allowed to set, removal can be difficult, if not impossible. Therefore if a spillage or splashes occur, they should be wiped up immediately.
Once all preparation has been carried out, walls are cleaned and free from dust, any possible contamination from grease (in kitchen and shower areas) has been removed, the datum line and tape primer (Altro W165) have been applied, the Altro PVCu wall sheets are now ready to be installed.
Altro recommends, wherever possible, to use a thermoformed internal / external corner detail when installing the sheets. This is achieved by heating the sheet on a thermoformer unit and manually forming the sheet to the desired angle. An extra 8 mm should be added to the measurements for external to external corners and 8 mm removed for internal to internal corners. The same measurement as the substrate should be used for internal to external or external to internal corners. See Altro walls detailing sheets for further guidance available at www.altro.com
Internal and external two-part corner sections are colour matched to Altro Whiterock Vantage - part numbers F837/VAN or F836/VAN.
The most aesthetically pleasing method, (where appropriate), is to opt for the standard 50mm overlap detail, which has the Altro PVCu sheet fitted over the top of the self-coved PVC floor finish. See Altro walls detailing sheets for further guidance available at www.altro.com
Substrates - when installing Altro PVCu sheets with welded joints, it is imperative the substrate is to a very high standard. Surfaces should be true and level to + or – 2mm over a 3m straight edge. Recommended substrates include plasterboard, plywood, finishing plaster and most types of sand & cement render. Altro recommends all plastered surfaces are sealed with Unibond PVA sealer (or similar) diluted 1:10 parts water before fitting sheets.
Planning layout - when planning the layout of the sheets it is important to minimise the number of joints in the walling system. Ensure joints do not fall too close to corners. Altro suggests joints should not be formed any closer than 300mm from a corner. This will avoid any possible risk of misalignment between the joint when the next sheet is fitted.
Preparing the joint - Before installing the sheets, you must fit the white Foam Double Side Tape (A915) to the substrate at the centre point where the two sheets meet.
The double side tape is impregnated with a contact adhesive. Therefore, all substrates must be primed before fitting the tapes. The primer is only required where the 50mm wide tapes are to be fitted.
Sheet preparation - ensure all sheet edges (where joints are to be formed) are clean, smooth, true and level. Always inspect new sheet edges are undamaged or scored. If necessary, cut and plane to a square edge. Check there are no fines left on the edge of the sheet. These fines could burn when hot welding the joint and will leave a blemish which can not be removed from the joint. When preparing the fitting of the sheet, always ensure there is an adequate gap (2-3mm) between the sheet and any rigid abutments (ceiling, windows, doors, services etc) to allow for expansion. These isolation joints must be sealed with Altro sanitary sealant.
Application methods - after priming and fitting the foam double sided tape, leave the protective top film in place (this will be removed at a later stage). Once the sheets have been prepared and dry fitted to check everything is correct, apply the adhesive to the back of the sheet in the normal way. Mark a line 25mm in from the sheet edge and apply the adhesive to this point, this ensures full coverage up to the tape applied to the substrate. Failure to apply the adhesive to meet the tape may lead to excessive sheet movement once installed.
Install the sheet in the normal way, ensuring the sheet is temporarily supported on timber blocks (or similar) to prevent slipping. Check the sheet is aligned with the datum line before rolling the sheet to achieve a transfer of the adhesive to the substrate. When rolling the sheet, start in the middle and work outwards. At this stage do not roll right to the edge where double side tape is located. Once the sheet has been rolled (almost to the edge), carefully cut down the edge of the sheet where the tape is located, to cut through the protective top film.
Carefully ease out the edge of the sheet to facilitate the removal of that half of the protective top film. Once this has been removed, press the sheets firmly onto the tape to achieve a full bond. Finally, complete the full rolling of the sheet right up to the edge to ensure good transfer of the adhesive.
Make sure the exposed edge of the sheet is clean and free of any adhesive residue. If necessary, clean thoroughly before the adhesive cures. Prepare the next sheet in the same way as described above. Before fitting this sheet you must fit a series of spacer pins against the edge of the previous sheet. This is to provide the correct gap spacing between each sheet. The spacer pins should be 2mm thickness.
Do not exceed 2mm thickness.
Fit the next sheet as described above, ensuring the sheet is butted tightly to the spacer pins. Once the sheet has been rolled almost to the edge, remove the spacer pins and then remove the final part of the double side tape protective cover. Press the sheet firmly onto the foam tape and then complete the rolling of the sheet. Check all edges are clean and free of adhesive residue. Once the installation of the sheets is complete, the joints are ready to be welded.
On larger jobs, sheets can be welded as you go. However, Altro recommends that welding does not take place until the adhesive has completely set up. (Usually the next day).
Hot welding - firstly, ensure that the weld rod and joint gap to be welded is clean and free of dust and contamination. The hot welding technique used to weld Altro PVCu sheets is basically identical to that used in vinyl floor laying and the same type of tools and welding gun can be used.
The Altro wall sheet welding rod is also very similar to that which is used in flooring. Whilst most floor layers use the large Leister Hot welding gun, this can be slightly cumbersome and heavy in the hand when welding vertically. The preferred welding gun is the Leister Hot-Jet “S” welding gun, which is smaller and more compact. The weld rod is passed through a standard 5mm speed weld nozzle which softens the weld rod and sheet edges simultaneously to fuse the materials together under heat.
The temperature of the weld gun can be regulated and the settings depend on the speed at that the sheet is welded at, and this this is something that should be practiced to ascertain what suits. In most floor laying work the typical speed would be approximately 2 metres per minute.
However, this is not always practical when working vertically, and Altro Whiterock Vantage may require a different speed than with other Altro wall sheets, so Altro recommends practice welds are undertaken on off-cuts to ensure the ideal speed and temperature.
Trimming off excess weld rod - the range of trimming tools currently available to the flooring trade will achieve good results if care is taken. After completing the welded joint you should pre-cut the joint, the Mozart trimming knife is the preferred knife of most fitters.
When trimming the weldrod two passes are key to the process to ensure a flat weld. Choice of tools to trim the weld are installer lead, but care must be taken that all chosen tools are free from rust and are smooth. Failure to follow these guidelines could result in surface defects alongside the joint. The first pass should be done while the weldrod is warm. Spray a soapy water solution or Altro anti-static solution to the sheet along the weld to help lubricate the trimming knife, blade and sledge. This will reduce any friction between the cutting blade and the sheet and minimise the risk of scratching the sheet. If using the Mozart trimming tool leave a final cut thickness of 0.5 - 0.7 mm. Once the rod has cooled down, final trimming can commence with a trimming knife and soapy water.
Take care not to scratch or damage the surface of the wall sheets while undertaking this final part of the operation... “Practice makes perfect”.
The PVCu start and edge trim is generally used to close any exposed edges (i.e. top or side edges) of the Altro PVCu sheet. This is usually fitted when the sheet is installed lower than the ceiling line, or when the sheet terminates along a wall before reaching a corner or abutment.
If specified, or specifically recommended by the client, Altro wall sheets can be installed with a silicone joint detail.
The hidden transition trim allows the Altro wall sheet installation first and the flooring to be fitted at a later stage.
The trim is situated behind the Altro wall sheet (see diagram WHTT2 and WHTT3) enabling the Altro flooring to run up behind the Altro wall sheet and create the overlap detail, another advantage is it enables easier removal and replacement of the flooring from behind the sheet.
The hidden transition strip has been designed to maintain the overlap detail when replacing flooring without the need to replace the sheet, for installation guidance contact the Altro technical team on 01462 707600.
Altro wall sheets should be fitted to within 3mm of rigid abutments such as window frames, door frames, architraves, ceilings, quarry tiles, skirtings etc. Thus ensuring a 2-3mm gap at these points.
This will allow for expansion and contraction to take place. Prior to sealing the joint, clean the sheet and adjacent surfaces.
All isolation joints must be sealed with Altro sanitary sealant.
Once all sheets and joint strips are installed and silicone has been completed, remove the protective film and clean all surfaces down with Altro antistatic solution (A809). This is required as the sheet may have static build up and any dust in the atmosphere will adhere to the surface of the sheet.
Regular cleaning using a soft cloth and suitably diluted mild detergent is all that is normally required. For heavy grease contamination use Altro 44 alkaline cleaner (or similar).
Stubborn marks can be removed with Altro cleaner (ref: A859) or use a non-abrasive domestic type cream bath cleaner.
When cleaning the Altro wall sheet surface, we recommend the temperature of water does not exceed 60º Centigrade.
If cleaning with hot water lance, temperatures must be regulated to a maximum of 60º Centigrade and not to be localised.
Do not use cleaning materials of an abrasive nature.
Cleaning cards are available on request.
Altro Limited, Works Road, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire SG6 1NW. Altro, Altro Whiterock and AltroFix are trademarks of Altro Limited.
