1. Substrate moisture
2. Substrate leveling
3. Wrong adhesive
4. Product acclimation
5. Poor installation practices

Resilient and wood flooring systems are extremely sensitive to moisture vapor emissions and hydrostatic pressure. Often the necessary tests designed to detect substrate moisture are not taken properly or not taken at all.

Concrete slab dry times vary greatly based on slab thickness, concrete mix and weather conditions. A new 300mm (6 inch) slab can take 8 months or more to become dry enough for many flooring products. Moisture testing is the only way to be sure the substrate is dry enough to begin installing. Relative Humidity Testing (ASTM F2170) is highly recommended. Three tests for the first 100m2 and one for each additional 100 m2 meets the industry standard.

All too often, the flooring contractor ends up rejecting the concrete slab surface because it is too rough or not level to manufacturer’s tolerances. Long delays can result while the substrate is brought up to standard. In some cases the floor installation proceeds regardless, leading to premature breakdown of the floor covering.

Leveling standards for most resilient and hardwood flooring products on a suspended slab are 3mm over a 2m straight edge in new construction, once the first concrete pour is complete, an additional layer of self-leveling, cementitious underlayment is usually needed to flatten the main concrete slab before floor coverings can be installed.

Many errors occur related to adhesive products and their application (i.e. a specified adhesive being switched for an inferior product because of price or availability; the wrong notched trowel size used to spread the adhesive). If the recommended adhesive is used incorrectly, the flooring product manufacturer will void their warranty.

Confirming that the specified adhesive is being used on site and applied properly is critical to the overall success of the flooring system.

Ireland has a very varied weather pattern, making proper product acclimation critical to its short and long term success. Gapping, buckling, bubbling, expansion, squeaks and face checking are just a few of the related problems.

The building’s permanent heat or HVAC system should be maintaining recommended temperature and relative humidity levels before, during and after installation. Flooring products should only be acclimated into approved site conditions. Every year, many floors fail due to poor installation practices at a cost of time, wasted materials and money. Many failures are preventable by ensuring that the installers on site are Trade-Qualified or Product Qualified.

Wood Floor Installations