Installation Guide
Table Of Contents
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Installation
A. WOOD SUBFLOORS
Do not install material over wood subfloors that lay directly on concrete or over dimensional lumber or plywood used over concrete.
Refer to ASTM F1482 for panel underlayment recommendations.
1. Do not apply sheet plastic over wood subfloors.
2. Basements and crawl spaces must be dry. Use of a 6 mil black polyethylene is required to cover 100% of the crawl space
earth. Cra
wl space clearance from ground to underside of joist is to be no less than 18” and perimeter vent spacing should be
equal to 1.5% of the total square footage of the crawl space area to provide cross ventilation. Where necessary, local
regulations prevail.
3. DO NOT install over sleeper construction subfloors or wood subfloors applied directly over concrete.
4. All other subfloors - Plywood, OSB, parti
cleboard, chipboard, wafer board, etc. must be structurally sound and must be installed
following their manufacturer’s recommendations. Local building codes may only establish minimum requirements of the flooring
system and may not provide adequate rigidity and support for proper installation and performance.
5. If needed add an additional layer of APA rated underlayment, fasten and secure according
to the underlayment manufacturer’s
recommendations.
6. Resilient flooring is not recommended directly over fire-retardant treated plywood or preservative treated plywood. An additional
layer of APA rated 1/4" thick underlayment should be installed.
B. CONCRETE SUBFLOORS
NEW AND EXISTING CONCRETE SUBFLOORS 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, 100 BARR HARBOR DRIVE, WEST
CONSHOHOCKEN, PA 19428; 610-832-9585; HTTP://WWW.ASTM.ORG.
1. Floors shall be smooth, permanently dry, clean, and free all foreign material such as dust, wax, solvents, paint, grease, oils, and
old adhesive residue. The surface must be hard and dense, and
free from powder or flaking.
2. Concrete slabs must be dry with no visible moisture.
3. Required Moisture Testing - maximum moisture level per ASTM 1869 CaCl is 8 lbs. and ASTM 2170 In-situ Relative
Humidity90% per 1000 sq.ft. in 24 hours.
4. Do not install over concrete with a history of high moisture or hydrostatic conditions. Excessive moisture in the subfloor could
promote mold, mildew, and othe
r moisture related issues like the trapping of moisture emissions under the flooring, which may
contribute to an unhealthy indoor environment. Shaw Industries does not warrant nor is responsible for damage to floor covering
due to moisture related issues.
5. pH level of concrete should be between 7-10.
6. The final responsibility for determining if the concrete is dry enough for installation of the fl
ooring lies with the floor covering
installer.
NOTE: IT MAY NOT BE THE FLOOR COVERING INSTALLER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO CONDUCT THESE TESTS. IT IS,
HOWEVER, THE FLOOR COVERING INSTALLER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THESE TESTS HAVE BEEN
CONDUCTED, AND THAT THE RESULTS ARE ACCEPTABLE PRIOR TO INSTALLING THE FLOOR COVERING. WHEN
MOISTURE TESTS ARE CONDUCTED, IT INDICATES THE CONDITIONS ONLY AT THE TIME OF T
HE TEST.
LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE
All recommendations and guarantees as to the suitability and performance of lightweight concrete under resilient flooring are the
responsibility of the lightweight concrete manufacturer. The installer of the lightweight product may be required to be authorized or
certified by the manufacturer. Correct on-site mixing ratios and properly functioning pumping equipment are cr
itical. To ensure proper
mixture, slump testing is recommended.
Lightweight aggregate concretes having dry densities greater than 90 lbs. per cubic foot may be acceptable under resilient
flooring.
Concrete slabs with heavy static and/or dynamic loads should be designed with higher strengths and densities to support such
loads.
Surface must be permanently dry, clean, smooth, free of all dust, and structurally sound.
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For reference purposes only if printed or downloaded.