nora Flash Coving, Sanitary Base and Wall Base Systems Installation Guide

nora Flash Coving, Sanitary Base and Wall Base Systems Installation Guide

nora Flash Coving, Sanitary Base and Wall Base Systems Installation Guide Site Conditions The following shall be achieved prior to installing nora flooring. 1. Service temperature and relative humidity or 68 F ± 5 F and 50% RH ± 10% for 48 hours before, during and 72 hours after the installation. Flooring, adhesives, and accessories must also be acclimated for a minimum 48 hours in advance of the installation. Note: do not use gas fueled blowers. 2. Areas of the flooring subjected to direct sunlight (example: through doors or windows) must be covered using blinds, curtains, cardboard or similar throughout the installation and for a period of 72 hours after the installation to allow the adhesive to cure. Moisture Testing 1. nora systems, Inc. recommends the following test methods for all concrete subfloors regardless of age: ASTM F2170 Standard Test Method for Determining Relative Humidity in Concrete Floor Slabs Using in situ Probes when tested with Wagner Rapid RH meters, or ASTM F2420 Standard Test Method for Determining Relative Humidity on the Surface of Concrete Floor Slabs Using Relative Humidity Probe Measurement and Insulated Hood. Please visit www.astm.org for copies of the standards. 2. The maximum allowable results shall be as follows: ASTM F2170 = 80 % RH (with Wagner Rapid RH), when using 410, 414, PU 310 and PU 316. ASTM F2170 = 75 % RH (with Wagner Rapid RH), when using PS adhesive and nora dryfix. ASTM F2420 = 70 % RH 3. For all on or below grade concrete subfloors, a permanent effective vapor retarder with a low permeance (less than 0.1) having a minimum thickness of 10 mils, or meeting the requirements of the latest edition of ASTM E1745 (Standard Specification for Water Vapor Retarders Used in Contact with Soil or Granular Fill under Concrete Slabs) and shall be placed directly underneath the concrete, above the granular fill. 4. All on or below grade concrete slabs that do not have a permanent effective vapor retarder underneath will require a Surface Moisture Suppression System. Please contact the manufacturer of the system prior to use to confirm that the permeance is less than 0.1, and for the required coverage (sq. ft. per gallon) and any other specific usage instructions that shall be followed. Concrete Slab Dry Granular Material Vapor Retarder 5. For above grade concrete slabs with moisture readings above the maximum allowed, or slabs that have a permanent effective vapor retarder placed directly underneath with readings above the maximum allowed, use a Surface Moisture Suppression System that is fully warranted to avoid any moisture / ph related failures with the given conditions/test results. Please contact the manufacturer of the system prior to use for confirmation and specific usage and preparation instructions including the required coverage (sq. ft. per gallon) and any other specific instructions that shall be followed. 2

Subfloor Preparation Concrete Subfloors 1. Concrete subfloors shall be dry, clean, smooth, structurally sound and prepared per ASTM F710 Standard Practice for Preparing Concrete Floors to Receive Resilient Flooring. Note: all local, state and federal regulations shall be followed. 2. Test for moisture and confirm the slab is permanently dry or take corrective measures. 3. The concrete subfloor shall be smooth and flat to an acceptable tolerance to the end user, who must also be aware that undulations in the subfloor may show through the finished flooring. 4. If required, use a suitable Portland Cement based smoothing compound (minimum 3,000 PSI compressive strength). A primer may be required prior to the smoothing compound. Please refer to the manufacturer s written instructions. 5. All other manufacturer s products used shall be installed according to their written instructions and be fully warranted for product defect, product performance and workmanship. 6. The substrate shall be free of dust, dirt, wax, oil, grease, solvent, residual adhesive, adhesive removers, coatings, sealers, finishes, film forming curing compounds, silicate penetrating curing compounds, alkaline salts, mold, mildew, excessive carbonation or laitance or anything that may affect the adhesive bond. 7. Concrete subfloors shall be porous (this does not mean a skim coat of smoothing compound). To test this, place a droplet of water on the surface of the subfloor (without a skim coat). It should begin to absorb into the concrete within 5 minutes to be considered porous. If the subfloor is not porous, then please contact the nora Technical Department. 8. Do not use chemical removers; please refer to the Resilient Floor Covering Institute s (RFCI) recommended work practices for removal of existing floor coverings and adhesives available on www.rfci.com. 9. Use water based sweeping compounds or a vacuum. Do not use wax, oil or silicon based sweeping compounds. 10. Mat Bond Tests are always recommended as they can be a useful indicator in determining subfloor compatibility. 11. Saw cuts shall be cleaned and prepared correctly; follow the written instructions of the selected product manufacturer after ensuring that the product is fully warranteed for the intended use. 12. Do not install over any expansion joints. 13. For recommendations on installing over radiant heated concrete, please contact the nora Technical Department. Wood Subfloors 1. nora flooring shall not be laid on wooden substrates that are directly in contact with concrete subfloors on or below grade even if built on sleepers. All suspended wood floors shall have adequate underfloor ventilation and a permanently effective moisture vapor retarder shall be placed on the ground beneath the air space. Note: all local, state and federal regulations shall be followed. 2. American Plywood Association (APA) underlayment grade plywood shall be used and installed as per ASTM F1482 Standard Practice for Installation and Preparation of Panel Type Underlayments to Receive Resilient Flooring. 3. Please note: as plywood may expand and contract due to changes in moisture content and temperature, nora systems, Inc. can not accept any liability of the joints telegraphing through the finished floor. Other Substrates 1. Please contact nora Technical Department for specific recommendations. 3

Flash Coving System (Boot Method) 1. Unroll the sheet product and allow it to relax (lay flat before cutting). 2. Install any required cove cap strip following the manufacturer s written instructions. Ensure that the opening is sufficient to accommodate the thickness of the flooring material. 3. Install nora basefix (using the correct size), to a clean, dry, smooth wall (keeping it close to the subfloor). 4. Cut the nora cove stick to size, mitering all corners. 5. Cut and remove the bottom 1 of wax paper from the basefix and adhere the cove stick to the wall (no need to adhere it to the subfloor). 6. Vacuum the entire prepared area. 7. The dry lay method is required (no more than will be installed that day). The end user, architect or designer should decide the layout of the flooring. 8. noraplan rolls have arrows printed on the back; these shall all point in the same direction. 9. Locate your start line, then cut the sheets to the required lengths making sure to leave the flooring lapped up the wall (so it can be trimmed into the capping strip later) and begin laying the rolls into position. 10. Make relief cuts to avoid tears at any corners. 11. All seams shall have a minimum 1 1/4 (1.25 ) overlap. Be careful to insure the tapered edges/uncut edges are underneath. The flooring pattern does not always continuously flow into the tapered edge, so check before cutting to remove the tapered edge and be sure to maintain the flow of the flooring pattern. 12. All seams are to be double-cut using one of the methods listed below. When cutting seams, keep in mind that all seams shall have a neat fit (do not pressure fit), regardless of whether the seams are to be welded or not. For seam cutting of noraplan acoustic, please refer to Method III. 13. Cut or trim in the sides of the area using a scriber, suitable trimming tool or, if preferred, free hand. The end cuts may also be completed now or after adhering. 14. Cut all corners using either the Internal or External corner Method (detailed below). Internal Corners Method 4

a. Push the flooring into the internal corner as far as possible without damaging the flooring. b. Cut a straight line in the flooring, starting at the base of the cove stick through to the top edge of the flooring at a 45 (center of the corner). c. Place one side into position and trim off the excess material, resulting in a straight cut down the center of the corner and through to the base of the nora cove stick. d. Repeat with the second side. External Corners Method a. Using a pencil, or similar, make reference marks from the corner at a 45 angle to where the floor seam will be (for use as a guide when cutting). b. Cut the flooring from the outside corner to the guide marks (45 angle), then cut the flooring approximately 2 perpendicular to the wall. Finally, make a vertical cut up the wall. Carefully remove the excess (in one piece) for use as a template. c. Trace cut the removed section onto a new piece of flooring. The front vertical shall be cut up (large) from the 45. 15. Uplift a workable section of flooring and apply the specified adhesive system as detailed below, allowing open time etc. 16. At the walls, carefully fold the flooring back and be careful not to crease or tear the flooring. Remove the wax paper and keeping the floor tight to the cove stick, place the flooring into the Basefix tape, rubbing into place to ensure a good bond. 5

17. Carefully place any external corners (Boot) into the Basefix and rub into place. 18. Trim the flooring to fit the cap strip and insert. 19. All vertical seams shall be cold welded as detailed in the nora Welding Installation Guide, available at www.nora.com/us. ESD flooring installations (ed products) 1. In rooms up to 2,500 sq. ft. in size, a copper strip must be applied directly to the subfloor (minimum 4 ft under the floor) and extended to a predetermined grounding point (to be connected by a qualified electrician). In rooms larger than 2,500 sq. ft., additional grounding points shall be defined and copper strips installed as mentioned above 2. nora specified conductive adhesive shall be used for the installation of noraplan ESD protection flooring, using the recommended trowel serration. Method I 1. Double cut using the nora knife. The nora knife can be adjusted to cut left or right handed, using a standard utility straight blade. 2. Use two small pieces of scrap flooring as shown to adjust how deep you want the blade to cut. Adjust the blade to cut completely through the top sheet and about 3/4 through the bottom sheet. The blade holder (section with R and L on it) should also be set at a depth to slide on top of your straight edge. 3. Position the straight edge about 1/2 from the top edge. Slide the nora knife blade along the side of the straight edge while pressing down. This will remove the factory edge and - at the same time - cut well into the bottom sheet. 4. Using a utility knife with a straight blade and a straight edge cut the last six inches of the seam at both ends, making sure you cut completely through both while keeping the knife blade as vertical as possible. 5. Remove the trimming from the top sheet, then to remove the waste from the bottom sheet, choose one of the following to avoid a burred edge: Place a screwdriver at one end horizontally between the tapered edge waste, and the balance of the lower sheet, making sure that the screwdriver handle is over the top sheet. Slide the screwdriver along the seam and remove the tapered edge (in a downward direction). 6

Pull the tapered edge in a downward direction (pulling it under itself). Method II 1. When double cutting the seam, use a straight edge as a guide. Position the straight edge about 1/2 from the top edge. Cut through the top sheet and approximately 3/4 of the thickness of the bottom sheet using a utility knife and a sharp straight blade. When making the cut, hold the utility knife as vertical as possible. 2. Remove the trimming from the top sheet, then to remove the waste from the bottom sheet, choose one of the following to avoid a burred edge: Place a screwdriver at one end horizontally between the tapered edge waste, and the balance of the lower sheet, making sure that the screwdriver handle is over the top sheet. Slide the screwdriver along the seam and remove the tapered edge (in a downward direction). Pull the tapered edge in a downward direction (pulling it under itself). Method III (Acoustic Sheet Flooring) 1. Using Method I or II, cut through the top sheet and 3/4 through the bottom sheet. 2. Using a utility knife with a large hook blade, complete the cut through the bottom sheet, at a slight angle, resulting in a slight undercut, and remove the trimmings. 3. All noraplan acoustic sheet flooring seams must be heat or cold welded. Sanitary Base System 1. Use a pencil and straight edge to mark the subfloor 2 from the wall. 7

2. Install nora Basefix to the wall. 3. Dry lay the flooring as detailed in the Flash Coving System (Boot Method), cutting any required seams and ensuring the flooring is at a length and width between the wall and 2 pencil line (where sanitary base is required). 4. Uplift a workable section and apply the specified adhesive system, detailed below. Note: If a wet adhesive is to be used, it should be applied only up to the pencil lines (2 from the wall). 5. Trim the floor at the perimeter using a straight edge and utility knife 2 from the wall (where sanitary base is required), and flush at all doorways, etc. 6. If a wet adhesive system was used apply nora Basefix 50 to the subfloor between the flooring and the wall. 7. Dry cut the nora sanitary base to size, miter the foot and ensure an even gap between sections of about 1/8 as these seams shall be cold welded later. 8. Remove the wax paper from the tape and place the sanitary base into position and press firmly into place, keeping it tight to the flooring. 9. Tap the sanitary base with a rubber mallet or roll with a hand roller to ensure a good bond. nora Wall Base System 1. The walls shall be clean, dry and smooth. 2. nora wall base can be adhered using one of the following adhesives: a. nora Basefix 90 (applied to the wall) b. Cove Base adhesive (applied to the wall or wall base following the manufacturer s written instructions) 3. Internal corners can be cut and tightly butted or completed in one piece by heating with a heat weld gun and creasing, hold it in the creased position and allow to cool then cut and miter the foot (in situ). 4. External corners shall be heated using a heat weld gun, creased, then allowed to cool. nora systems, Inc does not recommend shaving the back as this will weaken the corners. 5. Adhere to the wall, positioning it carefully using your chosen adhesive method and press or roll (using a hand roller) to obtain a strong bond. nora Acrylic 410/414 System It is necessary to use the dry lay method (no adhesive while laying/cutting the flooring). 1. Uplift a workable area and vacuum the subfloor and back of the flooring to remove any debris. 2. The adhesive shall be applied using a 1/16 x 1/16 x 1/16 V-notched trowel (such as Gundlach ACT), without the formation of puddles or any missed patches. Note: do not overlay fresh adhesive over drying adhesive as this will create an adhesive line. 3. Allow the appropriate open time - a minimum of 10 minutes. Times will vary according to air temperature, subfloor temperature, subfloor porosity, humidity and air circulation. The adhesive must be able to transfer to your finger tips with a light touch and just start to string while the core of the serrations remains wet (resulting in adhesive transfer). If the adhesive is dry, do not install the flooring - remove and replace the adhesive. 8

4. Carefully replace the noraplan sheets into the adhesive and check that you have adhesive transfer before continuing. Make sure the seams are together without stress; do not pressure fit (force seams together). 5. If you have not already done so, cut in the ends of the adhered area using the free hand method or a suitable trimming tool. 6. Using a 100 lb. roller, roll slowly in both directions to remove all air bubbles and result in good adhesive transfer. nora systems, Inc. recommends using carpet off-cuts and double sided tape to cover the roller, which will help remove all air pockets from any dips in the substrate. This is far more effective and will help avoid a punch list. 7. Repeat the procedure for the second half of this area, then the balance of the project. 8. Remove any fresh adhesive from the surface of the flooring with a damp clean cloth (water). Dried adhesive shall be removed with Isopropyl alcohol and a clean cloth. 9. Do not allow any foot traffic for 12 hours. No heavy rolling loads to be allowed for 72 hours (hospital beds, operating tables or similar). 10. If required, after 12 hours protect the flooring using plywood, Masonite, or a similar product ensuring first that the flooring surface is free of all loose debris. Lay the panels so that the edges form a butt joint and tape the joint to prevent excess movement of the panel and to prevent debris entrapment under the joint. nora PU 310/316 System 1. This system is not normally recommended for use with sheet products. If needed, please contact the nora Technical Department for specific recommendations. nora dryfix System 1. The nora dryfix tape should be installed prior to dry laying the flooring. 2. Carefully vacuum the required area to remove all loose debris. 3. Unroll the nora dryfix tape into position. If required, it can be repositioned providing no downward pressure was applied. Overlap all seams by at least 1/2 and press into place using a broom to remove all air. 4. Allow a minimum of 15 minutes before cutting seams. If the tape has stretched it will return to its original size. 5. Trace cut all seams without damaging the subfloor, resulting in no overlaps or gaps, then remove the excess material. The use of a straight edge is recommended. 6. If required, the tape can now be patched to remove any debris trapped underneath (or repair any short cuts). 7. Dry lay the flooring as detailed in appropriate nora Installation Guide available at www.nora.com/us. 8. Cut in any seams and, if preferred, the perimeters, or leave them until after adhering. 9

9. Uplift a workable area and vacuum the surface of the nora dryfix and ensure the back of the flooring is clean. 10. Remove the protective wax paper, fold or roll the wax paper for ease of disposal. 11. Replace flooring onto the exposed tape and do not stand on it until you are sure of correct positioning, as it is still possible to reposition. 12. Use a carpet covered roller to remove any air bubbles and ensure a good bond. 13. Weld all seams. This can be done immediately. For detailed instructions, please refer to nora Welding Systems Installation Guide, available at www.nora.com/us. 14. nora systems, Inc. can not accept any liability for seams that open up or peak due to climate/temperature change when seams are not welded. nora Acrylic PS System (2mm flooring only) 1. nora Acrylic PS adhesive shall not be used on radiant heated floor systems or unconditioned areas (without permanent temperature and humidity controls). 2. The adhesive must be spread uniformly without the formation of puddles or missed patches. 3. The adhesive shall be applied using only a 1/32 x 1/16 x 1/32 fine U-notched trowel (such as Gundlach FFA). Do not use larger notched trowels. 4. Allow the adhesive to dry (no longer white) and place the flooring into the adhesive immediately. 5. Roll slowly with a 100 lb. three section roller in both directions, first from the center out so air does not get trapped under the material, then lengthwise. Repeat the procedure for the second half of this area, then the balance of the project. 6. Remove any fresh adhesive from the surface of the flooring with a damp clean cloth (water). Dried adhesive shall be removed with Isopropyl alcohol and a clean cloth. 7. Do not allow any foot traffic for 12 hours. No heavy rolling loads to be allowed for 5 days (hospital beds or similar). 8. If required, protect the flooring using plywood, Masonite, or a similar product ensuring first that the flooring surface is free of all loose debris. Lay the panels so that the edges form a butt joint and tape the joint to prevent excess movement of the panel and to prevent debris entrapment under the joint. nora systems, Inc. 94 Glenn Street Lawrence, MA 01843 Tel: (800) 332-NORA Fax: (978) 975-0110 E-mail: info-us@nora.com Internet: www.nora.com/us 05/2010