Installation Instructions

9 10
Recommended Underlayment Panels
> APA Underlayment Grade Plywood A-C, B-C, C-C Plugged
> Accuply
®
> SurePly
®
> Tecply
®
> ULAY
> Ultraply XL
®
> C.S.A. (CanPly)
> Proboard
Tarkett
®
cannot warrant or guarantee underlayment panels used with Tarkett
FiberFloor
®
. The responsibility for warranties, guarantees and performance of the
underlayment panels rests with the manufacturer of the underlayment and not with
Tarkett.
Tarkett will not accept responsibility for the following:
> Joint or texture telegraphing.
> Tunneling or ridging over underlayment joints.
> Discoloration originating from underlayment panel unless otherwise specified in the
sheet flooring product warranty.
CAUTION:
Some plywood underlayment manufacturers use plastic or resin filler to patch
surface cracks. Some filler can cause discoloration in resilient flooring, specify
plywood underlayment with wood plugs and fills.
All underlayment panels other than those listed are not recommended for use with
Tarkett FiberFloor.
APA-Rated Sturd-I-Floor Construction
Tarkett does not recommend installation of resilient flooring directly over Sturdi-I-Floor.
Install 1/4" or thicker underlayment grade plywood over these type panels.
Lauan or Maranti Plywood
A wide variety of species and grades of Lauan or Maranti plywood have been imported
into North America and sold for use as underlayment. Although they do not have all
the preferred properties for underlayment, many retailers are using these panels under
resilient flooring with reasonable success. If Lauan or Maranti is used, it should be
classified as Type 1, Exterior (Ext), which indicates the panel has an exterior glue bond.
This may also be designated by the letters “BB” or “CC.” However, many of these panels
have caused severe problems such as discoloration, delamination and adhesive failures.
Wood Substrates
Wood Subfloor Construction: Suspended wood subfloors shall be 1" or thicker,
double-construction, strongly constructed, free from spring and deflection, and have
minimum of 18" of well-ventilated air space clearance above the ground. A moisture
vapor retarder (10 mil or thicker polyethylene sheeting) should be installed over the
ground with overlapped widths and lengths, to reduce moisture vapor transmission. The
joists shall be spaced not more than 16" (406 mm) on centers. If joists are warped or
twisted, have high crowns, or otherwise do not present a flat, true base for the subfloor,
these conditions must be corrected. All subfloor panels must be fastened to the joists
in accordance with their manufacturer’s recommendations to preserve their warranties.
Note: Protruding fasteners must be made flush with the surface of the subfloor
panels before beginning installation of underlayment.
Single Wood Floors: Single plywood subfloors are not recommended in areas where
resilient flooring is to be installed. They are the major cause of nails popping and
squeaking. These subfloors must be covered with a minimum of 1/4" or thicker
underlayment grade plywood.
Note: In new construction, the Tarkett
®
V2 Installation System using ProSheet™
may be used as a substitute for underlayment grade plywood allowing for
the glueless installation of Tarkett FiberFloor
®
over single floor
construction. Refer to the V2 System in Chapter 5.
Stripwood Substrates: For the full-spread installation of Tarkett FiberFloor
®
, single and/
or double tongue-and-groove stripwood floors should be covered with a 3/8" or thicker
underlayment grade plywood to eliminate telegraphing of the stripwood floorboard
joints.
Plywood Underlayment
Underlayment grade plywood is used to resurface an existing wood subfloor. The finished
appearance of any resilient flooring installation will be determined in part by the
underlayment over which it is installed.
Underlayment grade plywood used for resilient flooring shall meet the following
requirements:
> Be 1/4" or thicker with a fully sanded face.
> Be structurally sound with no voids and dimensionally stable.
> Designed for use with resilient flooring.
> Texturing or graining will not telegraph through the flooring.
> Withstand damage from heavy loads.
> Be free of any substances that may stain flooring.
The underlayment panels listed and the recommendations for use with Tarkett FiberFloor
are intended only as a guide. The underlayment selected is subject to the discretion of
the installer. Tarkett strongly suggests that when purchasing underlayment, a warranty
and installation instructions be obtained from the supplier.