[03] IN-FLOOR RADIANT HEAT MOISTURE BARRIERS AND RETARDERS

The type of moisture barrier is usually based on the installation method and substrate. Different types of moisture barriers produce the same result in different ways. Check with local building codes and the manufacturer of the radiant heat systems for recommendations.

LAMINATE WITH ATTACHED CUSHION (IN-FLOOR RADIANT HEAT):

• Below, On, or Above Grade Concrete & Gypcrete Slabs: Cover the entire slab substrate with 6 mil plastic with all seams overlapping 12” and taped with moisture proof tape.
• Wood Subfloors: A moisture barrier is not required on a wood subfloor over a finished basement or a crawl space that meets all the “General Jobsite/Home Condition” requirements.

[04] GENERAL INSTALLATION SPECS

• Avoid installing flooring plank pieces less than 8” in total length against walls or on ends.
• It will generally be necessary to see some flooring panels during installation. To obtain a clean cut, the pattern side should face down if using a jigsaw, saber saw, or circular handsaw, and face up when you use a handsaw, table saw, or crosscut saw.
• Before installation begins, use a jamb saw to undercut all door casings (1/16” between the door casing and the top of flooring material) and vertical objects coming off the floor. To achieve the correct height, combine a piece of the vapor retardant and flooring to use as a guide for the saw. Be sure to clean out all debris from under the jambs. This will allow the flooring to slide underneath the object for a clean, professional look.
• Contractors: When setting door casings post-installation of the flooring material, make sure there is adequate space for the flooring material to expand and contract without any hindrance.
• Never fasten nails/screw nails, screws, or anything through the flooring into the substrate. The floor MUST be allowed to float freely.
• For a perfect finish around pipes, use rosettes or caulking in places where profiles or skirting cannot be placed. Fill expansion gaps with matching caulking. Silicone caulking has more elasticity than other caulking materials (e.g. acrylic or blends).
• Do not caulk the floor with any permanent or fixed object. The floor must be allowed to float freely.

[05] GENERAL SUBSTRATE CONDITIONS

• All substrates must be flat and free of dust, loose particles, paint, and drywall compounds. They must be structurally sound.
• Sand and/or flatten the substrate to within a 3/16” dip or rise in a 10’ or 1/8” dip or rise in a 6’ radius.
• If leveling of the substrate is required, use only cement-based leveling compounds. Be sure to follow the leveling compounds manufacturer installation guidelines.
• Laminate flooring can be installed over wood subfloors that are ON or ABOVE GRADE, and over concrete or gypcrete substrates that are BELOW, ON, or ABOVE GRADE.
• The substrate, when walked on, must not exceed 1/4” deflection in a 6’ radius, or more than a 1/16” between the floor joists. If it does, this condition must be corrected before any product installation begins.  If not corrected, the subfloor will not stiffen up after the flooring is installed.
• Always check and repair any loose, delaminating, or broken substrates.
• Hand-held angle grinders with special cupped diamond grinding wheels and vacuum attachments can be rented or purchased from a local rental or home-building center. This system works well with any type of substrate. Use precautions when sanding any surface, check the substrate out for any health hazards, and always wear safety equipment and an approved dust mask.

[06] APPROVED SUBSTRATES

UNACCEPTABLE SUBSTRATES:

• Solid or engineered wood floors over concrete or with any texture.
• Floors that are floating, cushioned, perimeter glued, carpet, carpet pad, lumber subfloor, or subfloors that are sticky.
• ACQ-treated plywood or exterior low-density OSB sheeting is used for general construction.

PLYWOOD/OSB: 

• Do not install overwood subfloors that test above 12% MC (moisture content).
• Note: If installing new wood subfloors from lumber yards, be sure to test the MC. Typically, they have higher levels of moisture and may need to acclimate longer. Issues caused by this condition are not covered by any manufacturer warranty.
• Fix all squeaks coming from the wood subfloor before installation. Use wood screws, a minimum of 2-1/2” lengths, fastened every 6” through the wood subfloor into the joist. Squeaks in the subfloor will not go away after the floor has been installed.
• • When joists are 16” o/c or less; the minimum acceptable thickness is 5/8” CDX plywood or nominal 3/4”, OSB 40 LB Minimum density, T&G, with a TECO or APA certification stamp.
  • When joists are 16” o/c up to 19.2” o/c; the minimum acceptable thickness is 3/4” plywood or nominal 3/4”, OSB 40 LB Minimum density, T&G, with a TECO or APA certification stamp.
  • When joists are 19.2” o/c up to 24” o/c; the minimum acceptable thickness is 7/8” plywood or nominal 1”, OSB 40 LB Minimum density, T&G, with a TECO or APA certification stamp.

ABOVE-GRADE CURED CONCRETE/GYPCRETE: A 6 MIL PLASTIC VAPOR BARRIER IS RECOMMENDED TO AVOID MOISTURE-RELATED ISSUES

BELOW/ON GRADE CURED CONCRETE/GYPCRETE: A 6 MIL PLASTIC VAPOR BARRIER OVERLAPPED 12” AND TAPED WITH MOISTURE PROOF TAPE IS REQUIRED. FAILING TO ADHERE TO THIS REQUIREMENT WILL VOID ALL MANUFACTURER WARRANTIES.

CURED CONCRETE/GYPCRETE:  (6MIL PLASTIC VAPOR BARRIER IS RECOMMENDED TO AVOID MOISTURE-RELATED ISSUES)

• Cured concrete must be over 3000 PSI. Cured gypcrete must be over 2500 PSI.
• All concrete or gypcrete substrates must be cured for a minimum of 60 days before any flooring product is installed over them.
• Concrete moisture testing should be performed by ASTM F1869 Calcium Chloride Tests with levels NOT exceeding 5LBS per 1000 ft 2 for 24 hours, or an ASTM F2170 In-Situ relative humidity test with readings exceeding 80%.
• Gypcrete dries very fast so Maxxon recommends just using the mat test or Delmhorst #B2100 moisture meter.
• Test the concrete subfloor for alkalinity (The pH of the floor should be between 5 and 9).

PARTICLE BOARD (UNDERLAYMENT-GRADE):

• The only manufacturer-recommended installation method that can be used directly over underlayment-grade particle board is the floating method, as long as there are no current or future moisture concerns from below or above. If moisture comes in contact with the particle board, it may swell. The product warranty does not cover subfloor upheavals.

OTHER APPROVED SUBSTRATES (FLOATING ONLY): (ALL MOISTURE CONTENT, FLATNESS AND DEFLECTION REQUIREMENTS WOULD APPLY.)

• Ceramic, porcelain, or natural tile with the grout joints filled flat with Portland-based patching material.
• A single layer of clean, well-adhered, non-cushioned, full-spread glued sheet vinyl, or VCT. All embossing must be feather-filled with a suitable filler patching compound.

[07] ACCLIMATION (FOR RADIANT HEAT SEE “IN-FLOOR RADIANT HEAT ACCLIMATION REQUIREMENTS” SECTION)

• Installing flooring before it has properly acclimated will greatly increase the chances of expansion and contraction issues and may make it more difficult to install.
• Do not deliver the flooring to the job site until all environmental conditions have been met.
• Acclimate for a minimum of 48 hours in the temperature-controlled room it will be installed in.
• During acclimation, do not remove the material from the box or lean boxes on walls. Only stack the boxes squarely on top of each other, no taller than 3’, and keep the stacks a minimum of 3” apart.
• During installation, floor temperature should be within 55 to 85°F.
• Never cover the flooring before, during, or after installation with any plastic or tar paper. The flooring must be allowed to breathe. Use only breathable floor-protective construction paper (FortiBoard) to protect the flooring.
• Propane heaters are not an approved source of heat and can give off extreme amounts of moisture. They also do not provide a reliable and consistent source of heat. In fact, for every gallon of propane or kerosene that is burned, they both will put approximately 1.1 gallons of moisture into the ambient space. The manufacturer warranty will be void if the job site/ home heating and cooling system is not fully operational at the time of installation.

[08] EXPANSION REQUIREMENTS

• Leave a minimum of 5/16” expansion gap for all installations under 20’ lengthwise or widthwise. For installations exceeding 20’ lengthwise or widthwise, add 1/16” per additional 5’of length or width, up to 5/8”. For example: 25 linear feet would require a 3/8” expansion gap.
• T-molds are required for rooms exceeding 50 lineal feet in length and width and 40 lineal feet for installations over in-floor radiant heat.
• Never install cabinetry, islands, or other permanent fixtures on a floated floor.
• Never use nails to secure anything to the floor. The floor must be allowed to float.
• Leave the required expansion gap around all walls, tubs/ showers, plumbing fixtures, large Sub Zero style refrigerators, exterior doors, etc.
• Once the floor installation is complete, remove all spacers used to maintain the expansion gap.
• Heavy furniture (500+ lbs) may obstruct a floated floor’s free, natural movement. Restricting this movement in certain areas can lead to problems such as buckling or separation when the floor experiences natural expansion and/or contraction.

[09 FL] APPROVED  FLOATING METHOD (ESTATE UNILIN DROP-N-LOCK SYSTEM)

The Unilin Drop N Lock system is a patented locking profile for installing flooring planks without using glue.

FLOATING METHOD TIPS:

• The panels are clicked together on the short side until the row is completed, then the entire row is engaged on the long side.
• Be sure to inspect all edges and remove debris from the click before installing.
• Either side of the panels is engaged at an angle of 20 to 30° to the panel already installed. Move the panel gently up and down while exerting forward pressure. The panels will automatically click into place. Then, lay the plank down to the floor.
• As you install the click flooring, ensure all seams are fully engaged before moving on to the next row. Visually, a row can appear to be engaged but is not. To avoid this, use an approved tapping block to tap the short side, and then the long side of the planks together. This will securely engage the locking system.

[10] HOW TO PROTECT THE FLOOR DURING & AFTER INSTALLATION (DURING CONSTRUCTION)

• After each section of flooring has been installed and thoroughly cleaned, cover the floor with breathable protective construction paper (FortiBoard). Do not apply the tape directly to the surface of the flooring, as it may damage the finish.
• During construction, vacuum the floor as often as possible to keep the floor free of dirt and construction debris. Never use a beater brush.
• If drywall repairs or any type of sanding is needed, thoroughly cover the floor. These types of dust and grit can damage the floor’s finish and are very difficult to remove if it gets into the joints. Do not wet mop these types of dust. Always use a vacuum without a beater brush to remove any construction dust if needed.
• Before furniture goes onto the new floor, apply approved 3/16” thick heavy-duty felt pads under all furniture feet.
• Furniture with metal or hard plastic rollers or casters is NOT APPROVED for use on laminate flooring.
• All rolling chairs need to be on an approved floor protector mat.
• Never roll or drag anything heavy over the new floor. It will make indentations or scratches on the surface. Always use a soft-tire dolly, a carpet piece turned upside-down, or an air-sled when moving objects.