Fitting guide · dctuk.com · 0345 222 1544 · Flooring that ain’t boring
Forbo Tessera carpet tiles
How to fit Forbo Tessera carpet tiles
Tessera is Forbo's carpet tile range and it's a proper workhorse. Forbo's own guide is one of the most thorough out there — here's the short, useful version.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 3–5 hours for a 20m² room
- People
- 1 person
- Skill level
- Beginner friendly
What you’ll need to fit Forbo Tessera carpet tiles
- Carpet tile tackifier and a lambswool roller or brush
- Sharp utility knife and spare blades
- Metal straight edge
- Tape measure and chalk line
- Knee pads
Before you start
Check the batch twice
Forbo print the batch number on the packaging AND on the back of every tile. Different batches will show as a shade difference, so check before you start. Order spares from the same batch at the same time.
24 hours in opened boxes
Leave the tiles in the room in opened boxes, stacked no more than six boxes high. Make it 48 hours if they've been somewhere cold.
Warm the room
18–27°C for 48 hours before, all the way through, and for 24 hours after.
Get the floor smooth
Clean, dry and flat. Old PVC floors must come up. Wood block floors are best removed.
How to fit Forbo Tessera carpet tiles, step by step
Find the centre of the room
Start as close to the centre of the room as you can, and set your lines so you avoid small cuts both at the edges and in the field. Chalk a cross and check it's square.
Dry-lay a row first
Before any adhesive goes down, lay a loose row of tiles out to each wall. If the edge tiles would come out as thin slivers, shift your centre line over by half a tile.
Fix the tiles down
Roll the tackifier on with a lambswool roller or brush. Then wait about an hour — it must go clear and tacky before tiles go down. If your floor is very absorbent, prime it first or it'll drink the tackifier.
Check which way the tiles go
The arrows on the back show pile direction. If you're laying all one way, Forbo suggest pointing the arrows towards the main window. Tessera supports tessellated (quarter turn), brick, quarter brick, monolithic and half drop.
Work outwards from the middle
Start at the centre and build out in a staircase shape rather than straight rows. It keeps everything square and stops small errors adding up across the room.
Butt them up gently
Tiles should touch with no gap, but don't force them tight. Brush the pile back as you lay each one so nothing gets trapped in the joint.
Cut the edge tiles
Put the tile you're cutting face down on top of the last full tile, then put a third tile on top pushed against the skirting. Mark along its edge, cut through the back with a sharp knife, and fit it with the cut edge to the wall.
Don't force perimeter tiles
Forbo are clear that a cut tile pushed in under pressure will lift later. It should sit in comfortably, not be wedged.
Finish off
Fit a threshold strip in any doorway, vacuum the floor and put the furniture back. Carpet tiles can be walked on straight away.
Watch it being done
Installing Tessera carpet tiles — Forbo's own UK installation video.
The Forbo Tessera bits that catch people out
Microtuft goes quarter turn
If you've bought one of the Microtuft ranges, Forbo recommend laying it quarter turn rather than all one direction. It keeps loose fibres at the tile edges from showing.
Softbac tiles: place, don't slide
The cushion-backed Softbac ranges must be placed firmly against their neighbour, never slid or forced. They spring back and you get gaps.
Plank layouts are more adventurous
Tessera planks can be laid monolithic, herringbone, double herringbone, half drop brick or weave.
Shedding is normal
New cut pile sheds a little fibre. Forbo say it's not a fault and it stops after a few vacuums. The pile can take up to six weeks to fully recover from being boxed.
Mistakes to avoid
- Not checking the batch number on the tile backs as well as the boxes.
- Laying before the tackifier has gone clear.
- Forcing perimeter tiles into place under pressure.
- Sliding Softbac cushion-backed tiles instead of placing them.
- Using sticky protective sheeting afterwards — it can leave residue Forbo won't cover.
Forbo Tessera fitting questions, answered
What adhesive do Forbo Tessera tiles need?
A tackifier rolled over the floor and left to dry clear and tacky — usually about an hour. Perimeter tiles that aren't held by anything, and stair treads and risers, get a permanent adhesive instead.
Which way do Tessera tiles go?
Follow the arrows on the back. If you're laying them all one direction, point the arrows towards the main light source in the room.
Why are my new Tessera tiles shedding fibres?
That's normal on cut pile products and it stops after a few vacuum cycles. It's not a manufacturing fault.
Can Tessera go over underfloor heating?
Yes, as long as the surface stays at or below 27°C. Bear in mind carpet insulates, so the heating will feel less effective than under a hard floor.
Do I need to prime the floor first?
If it's very absorbent or dusty, yes — otherwise it'll soak up the tackifier before it can do its job.
Rather someone else did it?
If it's a big room, an awkward shape, or you just fancy a Saturday off, our own fitting teams cover the whole of the UK. Free site survey, tidy job, no dramas.
See how our fitting worksNationwide fitting, fully managed
Our own teams, a free site survey, and one point of contact from quote to clean-up.
Get a fitting quoteManufacturer’s own instructions: Forbo Tessera downloads. Always check the guidance supplied in the box — ranges and backings vary.