The Choice of Professionals

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The Choice of Professionals
Seth Pevarnik Manager of Technical Service
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• Self-leveling Patching Materials
• Categories of flooring failure.
• Proper methods of substrate preparation.
• Selection of Self-leveling Patching materials.
• Failure modes for Self-leveling Patching
  materials.

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CELL PHONES
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Industry Studies
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WHY FLOORS FAIL . . .

• 85 OF ALL FLOORING INSTALLATIONS FAILURES ARE
  DUE TO SOME ASPECT OF SUBFLOOR PREPARATION!

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THREE MAIN CATEGORIES OF FAILURE

• EXCESSIVE MOISTURE VAPOR EMISSIONS
• IMPROPER SUBSTRATE
• PREPARATION
• IMPROPER USE OF PATCH

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Moisture
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CONCRETE MOISTURE

• Every manufacturer of floor covering has
  specific statements regarding the moisture
  content of the substrate to receive their
  flooring and the proper method of moisture
  testing.

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CONCRETE MOISTURE

• Excess moisture in concrete slabs causes a
  variety of flooring failures, disrupting building
  operations and necessitating expensive repairs.
• Consequences can be particularly serious in
  schools, hospitals and commercial installations
  where the loss of use of certain facilities, and
  hazardous conditions can jeopardize peoples
  safety, not to mention loss of business.

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When Moisture Testing Fails

• Refuse to install
• Wait for the concrete to dry
• Fix the problem
• Accept a sign off from the general contractor!?

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Subfloor Preparation

• ASTM F 710 Standard Practice for Preparing
  Concrete Floors to Receive Resilient flooring

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ASTM F 710

• Available from the American Society for Testing
  and Materials, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West
  Conshohocken PA 19428 610 832-9500
  www.astm.org
• Preparation of concrete slabs to receive
  resilient flooring

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ASTM F 710 (cont.)

• Dry, clean, smooth, and structurally sound.
• Free of dust, solvent, paint, wax, oil, grease,
  residual adhesive, adhesive removers curing,
  sealing hardening, or parting compounds alkaline
  salts, excessive carbonation or laitance, mold,
  mildew, and other foreign materials that might
  prevent adhesive bond
• Calcium chloride moisture tests ASTM F 1869
  results should be 3 pounds or less or resilient
  flooring manufacturers recommendations

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ASTM F 710 (cont.)

• Relative Humidity ASTM F2170 75 or less
• Alkalinity testing maximum pH of 10
• Dont use adhesive removers.
• Flatness requirements 1/8 in 10 feet
• Drying time for slab minimum of 60 to 90 days
• Moisture retarders recommended under all on-grade
  and below-grade concrete floors.

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Substrate Preparation The Key to Success!
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Concrete
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Concrete Subfloor Preparation

• Smooth, clean, dry
• Free of ALL surface treatments and contaminants

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Concrete Surface Treatments

• Curing Sealing Compounds
• Parting or Release Agents
• Chemical hardeners (result in non-porous surface)

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Efflorescence
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Effervescence
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Efflorescence
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Other Contaminants

• Dry Wall Mud
• Paint Overspray
• Oil Grease
• Asphalt or Tar

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Other Contaminants (cont.)

• Flooring Adhesives
• On a concrete substrate only.
• Not water soluble.
• Scrape to a thin well bonded residue.
• Asbestos Adhesive - Wet-Scrape Only! Follow the
  guidelines of the Resilient Floor Covering
  Institute and comply with state and local laws.
• Resilient Floor Covering Institute 401 East
  Jefferson Street, Suite 102 Rockville, Maryland
  20850 Telephone [phone] www.rfci.com

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Mechanical Cleaning of Concrete

• Shot Blasting
• Scarifying
• Scabbling
• Bush-Hammering
• Grinding
• Sand or Water Blasting

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Shot blasting a concrete surface
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Scarifying
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Grinding
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Scabbling
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The use of sanding equipment is not sufficient to
remove curing and sealing compounds from the
surface of concrete!
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Do not use chemicals such as adhesive removers or
acid to prepare the concrete!
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Adhesive Removers

• The only part of our industry that recommends
  adhesive removers are the adhesive remover
  manufacturers!
• The use of solvents and removers on concrete
  will result in failure!
• Mechanically clean the concrete!!!

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Acid Etching

• Cannot be 100 certain that acid is neutralized.
• Introducing a tremendous amount of water to the
  concrete.
• Mechanically clean the concrete!!!

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Other Concrete Substrates

• Lightweight Concrete must
• be structural lightweight!
• Min. 3,000 psi in compressive
• Min. 100 lb.cu.ft. in density

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Cracks
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Concrete Crack Repair

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Repair of Cracks

• All dormant cracks larger than hairline (1/32)
  must be filled
• V-out or chase
• Fill full width and depth
• Does not ensure against telegraphing in case of
  further movement

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Joints in Concrete

• Expansion / Isolation Joints
• Control / Contraction Joints

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Summary-failure to properly prepare a concrete
substrate

• Mechanical preparation not used on standard
  concrete
• Concrete inherently weak should have a tensile
  strength of at least 200 psi
• Assumed no curing compound was used or that it
  had dissipated
• Sealer remaining on concrete substrate

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Summary - failure to properly prepare a concrete
substrate

• Used adhesive removers
• or acid etching
• Adhesive residue too thick
• Went over expansion joint
• Went over moving crack
• Went over isolation joint

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Non-Porous Substrates

• Ceramic Tile
• make sure
• tile is solidly
• bonded.

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Non-Porous Substrates

• Metal
• Make sure foils are solidly adhered with epoxy!

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Non-Porous Substrates

• Epoxy Coatings
• If these can be removed, do so. Dont assume
  they are solidly bonded.

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Non-Porous Substrates

• Terrazzo
• Make certain that sealers, waxes and dressings
  are completely removed.

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Summary - failure to properly prepare a
non-porous substrate

• Loose ceramic tile not removed.
• Metal foil not solidly bonded.
• Epoxy system flaky or disbonding.
• Wax or dressing not stripped from terrazzo.

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WOOD
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• Wood Subfloors

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• Wood Subfloors
• Plywood/OSB
• Solid Strip or Plank
• Make sure all are structurally sound and solid
  and installed according to code.

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Type 1 Plywood
Suitable for uses not permanently exposed to the
weather. Panels classified as Exposure 1 are
intended to resist the effects of moisture on
structural performance due to construction
delays, or other conditions of similar severity.
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All wood must be

• Prepared to bare wood
• Surface may require primer and the use of a lath
  mesh.
• Additive may be required to further accommodate
  movement.
• Joints must be filled full width and depth.

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Summary- failure to properly prepare a wood
subfloor

• Wood not structurally sound
• Inadequate fastening of wooden subfloor
• Didnt use lath or additive as required

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Preparation of Substrates using Self-leveling
Patching Materials
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Hang in there!
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Categories of Materials Used

• Gypsum-based
• Portland cement-based
• Self-leveling
• Trowel grade

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Use a Portland cement-based material

• Can be used on all grade levels
• Can handle periodic moisture
• Have similar compressive strengths to that of the
  structural concrete
• 3000 to 4000 psi

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When to use a Trowel grade or Self-leveling
Material

• Do not base it on square footage.
• Do not base it on substrate.
• Do not base it on the thought that trowel grade
  materials dry faster than self-leveling
  materials.

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When to use a Trowel grade or Self-leveling
Material

• Look at the thickness needed to achieve the
  required flatness or level of the concrete.
• 1/8 or less use a patching material
• 1/8 or greater float the substrate with a
  self-leveling material.
• Look at the whether a slope is required .

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Selecting a Self-leveling Material

• Versatility
• Installs over any common substrate concrete,
  non-porous, wood, metal adhesive residues.
• Installs to any thickness.
• Install flooring in 16 hours even at any
  thickness.
• Some Self-leveling materials can have flooring
  installed in 2 hours.

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Selecting a Self-leveling Material

• Not all Self-leveling materials are the same.
• Compare Apples to Apples.
• Some materials may be limited to certain
  substrates.
• Some materials may be limited in thickness.
• Some materials may take longer to dry 2 to 3
  days.

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Selecting a Self-leveling Material

• Select a material that fits the job.
• Select a material that has a track record.
• Select a material that is Portland Cement-based.
• Select a material that is recommended by the
  flooring manufacturers.

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Selecting a Patching Material

• Decide whether a skim coating or ramping and
  sloping material is needed

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Selecting a Patching Material

• Ramping/Sloping Material
• Fluid consistency that is easily screeded but can
  maintain slope.
• Installs up to 3
• Install flooring quickly even at 3 in
  thickness.

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Selecting a Patching Material

• Skim coating material
• Unsanded
• Installs over any common substrate concrete,
  non-porous, wood, metal adhesive residues.
• Dries quickly
• Has excellent coverage.

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Selecting a Patching Material

• Not all Patching materials are the same.
• Once again, compare Apples to Apples.
• Some materials may be limited to certain
  substrates.
• Some materials may require an additive.
• Some materials may be limited in thickness.
• Some materials may take longer to dry 1 to 3
  days.
• Coverage per pound may vary from on product to
  another.

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Selecting a Patching Material

• Select a material that fits the job.
• Select a material that has a track record.
• Select a material that is Portland Cement-based.
• Select a material that is recommended by the
  flooring manufacturers.

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What can go Wrong?
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What can go Wrong?

• Improper Product Selection
• Improper Mixing
• Improper Installation
• Surface defects

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Compatibility is critical!
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Improper product selection

• Substrate not appropriate for the Self- leveling
  or patching material.
• Gypsum product used on or below grade.
• Used self-leveling material instead of
  trowel-grade material or the reverse.
• Applied too thick.

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Improper Mixing of the Self-leveling or patching
material

• Over-watering the number one cause of
  failures when it comes to patching materials!
• Didnt use additive as required.

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Improper Installation of the Self-leveling or
patching material

• Inadequate drying time allotted.
• Primer applied too thick.
• Wrong primer for type of substrate.

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Surface defects not detected prior to
installation of flooring
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Surface defects not detected prior to
installation of flooring

• Flatness tolerance not achieved

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Dont have time to do it right!
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Discipline!
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!
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