Installation Guide

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• A moisture test is required using a pin-type moisture meter. The moisture content must not exceed 14%.
• Wood suboors must be structurally sound and in compliance with local building codes.
• Double-layered, APA-rated wood suboors should be a minimum 1-inch total thickness, with a least 18 of inches well-ventilated air space beneath.
• Insulate and protect the crawl space with a 6-mil vapor barrier.
• It is recommended that your chosen APA underlayment be designed for installation under resilient ooring and carry a written warranty.
• Underlayment can only correct minor deciencies in the suboor while providing a smooth, sound surface on which to adhere the resilient ooring.
• Always follow the underlayment manufacturer’s installation instructions.
• Wood suboors directly fastened to concrete, or sleeper construction, are not recommended.
• APA-rated Sturd-I-Floor panels are designed as combination underlayment/suboor and are designed for carpet only. Installing this resilient ooring over
Sturd-I-Floor panels would require installation of a minimum 1/4-inch underlayment on top of the Sturd-I-Floor suboor.
• This resilient ooring is not recommended for installation directly over re-retardant treated plywood or preservative treated plywood. The materials used to
treat the plywood may cause problems with adhesive bonding. An additional layer of APA-rated 1/4-inch-thick underlayment should be installed over top
any treated suboor.
OSB
• OSB panels and joints must be fastened and reinforced according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Completely sand the oor with a oor sander, so that the oor is smooth and at.
• Some chips in OSB structure can stain vinyl ooring and may require repeated primer to eliminate the staining potential. To avoid staining, the sanded OSB
surface must be thoroughly primed using a manufacturer-approved acrylic latex primer.
NOTE: The chips in OSB overlap. Without sanding properly, OSB has high and low spots throughout the oor that could telegraph through the vinyl.
Particle Board
• Particle board underlayment panels must be underlayment grade, as specied and warranted by the manufacturer.
• Surface must be primed using the manufacturer-approved acrylic latex primer.
NOTE: Perform moisture tests using a reliable moisture meter in multiple locations. Moisture readings should never exceed 14% for plywood,
OSB, particle board, chipboard, or solid hardwood suboors. If moisture readings exceed 14%, conditions must be corrected at the job site before
installing the ooring.
Resilient Floor Covering as an Underlayment
• Must be single layered, non-cushioned backed, fully adhered, and smooth.
• Show no signs of moisture or alkalinity.
• Wax, polish, grease and grime must be removed.
• Cuts, cracks, gouges, dents and other irregularities in the existing oor covering must be repaired or replaced.
NOTE: The responsibility of determining if the existing ooring is suitable to be installed over rests solely with the installer/ooring contractor on
site. If there is any doubt as to suitability, the existing ooring should be removed, or an acceptable underlayment installed over it. Installations over
existing resilient ooring may be more susceptible to indentation.
Concrete
New and existing concrete suboors should meet the guidelines of the latest edition of ACI 302 and ASTM F 710, “Standard Practice for Preparing
Concrete Floors to Receive Resilient Flooring,” available from the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).
Moisture levels of concrete slabs before, during and after installation must be 8 lbs. or less per 1,000 square feet per 24 hours using an anhydrous calcium
chloride test according to ASTM F1869 and pH must be between 5.0 and 9.0; or, if using ASTM F2170 in-situ probes, should be less than 90% RH (relative
humidity). Three tests should be conducted for areas up to 1,000 sq. ft. Perform one additional test, for each additional 1,000 sq. ft. Always measure,
record and keep your testing results.
• Never use liquid adhesive remover or solvent cleaners for removing old adhesive residue or other substances on the substrate; their use will cause future
failures in the new ooring.
• On or below-grade slabs must have an effective vapor retarder directly under the slab.
• Concrete oors shall be at and smooth within 3/16-inch over a 10-foot span.
• F-Number System: Overall values of FF 36/ FL 20 may be appropriate for resilient oor coverings.
• Glossy or waxed oors may require a higher value FF 75/ FL 50 to prevent telegraphing issues.
Old Adhesive Residue
If the adhesive is asphalt-based (cut-back) or any other type of adhesive is present, it must be dealt with in one of two ways:
1. It may be mechanically removed using methods such as bead blasting or scarifying, using a licensed professional contractor (See Asbestos
Warning above).