Interior Flooring Manual
Remove all rolls of flooring from the shipping pallet immediately and store standing on end. Rolls left on the pallet will develop indentations, which may be permanent if left too long. Rolls stored horizontally may also develop an oblong shape, causing evenly spaced humps in the flooring, which can take considerable time to relax and lay flat. These humps may become permanent if the rolls are left on their side for too long. If transporting rolls of flooring from one location to another, and they are to be secured to a pallet or otherwise, avoid placing any straps in direct contact with the rolls or packaging. If straps are overtightened, they may leave indentations that could take a considerable amount of time to recover, or may even become permanent. On the project site, wrap opened rolls tightly, face out, to avoid material distortion, and store standing on end. Pre-Installation
Site and Substrate Conditions
Site Conditions The site must be dry and should not have been flooded or exposed to excessive moisture for a minimum of two weeks prior to installation. The installation location must have a fully functioning, permanent HVAC, which must maintain the work area and substrate temperatures between 65 – 85 °F (18.3 – 29.4 °C) for 48 hours before, during, and 48 hours after installation. Relative humidity level extremes should also be avoided because of their influence on proper drying and curing of substrate preparation materials and adhesives. General recommended humidity control level is between 35 – 55%. While not recommended, use of a system other than a permanent HVAC must still provide proper control of both temperature and humidity to the recommended levels for the specified time duration. Do not use temporary gas-fired space heaters to warm the installation area. These heaters can create emissions that contaminate the substrate and raise the relative humidity level, and carbon dioxide from the exhaust can create a condition called carbonation on the surface of concrete, requiring it to be mechanically cleaned. Portable, electric space heaters or cooling fans are not recommended for use in conditioning the installation area. Both types of equipment are not able to consistently maintain the environmental conditions needed for proper installation. Additionally, they can create concentrated areas of hot or cold, dry air that will impact the curing of substrate preparation materials, and can result in inconsistent open and curing time of adhesives. Subfloor and Substrate Contamination Take precautions to ensure that the subfloor or substrate is not contaminated. Contamination can include, but is not limited to, applications of curing compounds, dyes, inks, paints, sealers, or sweeping with oil-based products. All surface contaminants must be removed and abated prior to installing the flooring. If contaminants are present, they must be mechanically removed per ASTM F710 or ASTM F1482. Substrate Repair All existing substrates must be sufficiently repaired prior to installation, resulting in a substrate that can be considered in “as new” condition. This may include, but is not limited to, the following steps to ensure this condition is met: Fill and make smooth any abandoned pipe or conduit holes in slabs using fast setting Portland cement. Holes in plywood panels require that both the affected areas of the underlayment and subfloor be sawn out and replaced with new material. Repaired substrates must be blocked, fastened, sanded, and smoothed, as needed, to restore the structure and floor components to “as new” condition. Fill or level minor surface cracks, grooves, and other irregularities using an approved patching compound. Refer to Patching Compounds on page 9. Concrete Slabs All concrete slabs, whether existing or new, must conform to the requirements of ASTM F710, including moisture testing and preparation, prior to installation of the flooring. Slabs containing lightweight aggregate, excess water, or concrete on metal decking may require longer drying time than on-grade slabs.
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Revised: 9.20.2024
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