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“Leather floors are durable and long lasting – and their look actually improves with age and wear. They’re so versatile, they can be used in any room of the house. Walking across a leather floor, you will instantly notice a difference compared to hardwood or stone. Footsteps are muffled, and even with shoes on, you can feel the softness and “give” of the leather beneath your feet.”
The San Francisco Chronicle, August 5, 1999
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 Acclimate
Tiles are the last thing you want to install in a room. Take the tiles out of their boxes and let them acclimate for 2-3 days depending on the level of humidity and size of the tiles. The tiles should acclimate in the area where they will be installed – and kept away from dust.
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Review and prepare the Substrate
The substrate should be smooth and free of dirt, waxes, polish, old adhesives, paint and voids. You can test the area by passing a trowel to ensure there are no protrusions. You can fill the indentations by using the Ardex Feather Finish ®. |
Layout your pattern as you would for any tile work. Chalk your lines onto the floor or walls |
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Apply Two Coats of Adhesive
Apply the adhesive first with a paintbrush at the perimeter of the wall. Should the adhesive be mistakenly applied to the edge of the wall, remove with a moist rag or, when dry, simply by rubbing it. Do not use thinners or removers. We recommend using Wilson Art H20 – a premium-grade water based contact cement with low VOCs. |
Use a paint roller with a medium nap refill, apply the adhesive to your substrate as you would in painting a substrate. Apply adhesive over the chalk lines. Adhesive will dry clear.
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To apply the adhesive to the tile, the use of a paintbrush is recommended. Apply the adhesive from the center of the tile towards the edges – this motion ensures that no adhesive will be applied on the finished side of the tile.
Once applied to the tiles and the floor, let the adhesive dry completely, following the indications of the manufacturer.
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This may take between 30-60 minutes depending on the level of humidity in the room.
Apply a SECOND COAT of adhesive on the substrate and tiles following the same procedure as described above. Let the adhesive on your tiles and the substrate dry following the manufacturer’s instructions |
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Apply the Tiles
Once the second coat of adhesive is dry and tacky (roughly an 30-60 minutes depending on humidity), carefully align the tile edge to the chalk line. Once tiles touch the adhesive, the tiles will grab to the substrate. |
You can apply pressure to the tile with your hands and then follow with a rubber mallet. Tile must be hit for positive contact between substrate and tile, especially at the perimeter and corners. Solid contact at the corners and edges is essential for a successful long-term installation |
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Once the first tile is in place, align the next tile to the edges of the first. Continue in the same fashion as above.
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Apply pressure with a 75 pound roller by passing twice on the tiles in a slow motion in a different direction each time. For wall applications, apply the J-roller on all the wall tiles in addition to the seams. Apply extra pressure by hitting corners and edges with the rubber mallet as well.
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Once you rolled your tiles with the 75 pound roller, use a J-roller to apply extra pressure on the seams and tile edges. The methodical application of extra pressure on the seams will ensure the adhesion to the substrate. As mentioned earlier.
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WAX
Now that your floor or wall is installed, you need to apply a protective coat of wax on the recycled leather. We recommend using Butchers Bowling Alley Wax or TreWax Paste Wax found in Home Depot. The wax should be applied by hand using a soft cloth in a circular motion or with a buffing machine. These machines are easily available at Sears or other locations for a nominal cost.
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Let the wax dry completely and buff (20-30 minutes). Apply wax three times, buffing each time in between coats and after it dried completely. You can use an electric buffer to do this final step. Wait for 24 hours before using the floor as the wax should be given time to completely harden.
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