RESILIENT FLOORING
A flooring installer vacuums debris aſter performing an in-situ probe moisture test.
manufacturer guidelines to confirm these materials won’t damage your floorcovering.
• An uneven surface: Find uneven surfaces with a pin leveler and correct them by sanding the subfloor or by using a self- leveling compound or flooring cement.
• Adhesive residue: If you leave adhesive residue on your subfloor, you might run into problems with your new floor installation. The residue could keep your new adhesive from working correctly or cause the floor to be uneven. You can remove this residue with a floor scraper or sander.
• Nails or staples: Pluck these out of your subfloor and fill in the holes with mortar or wood filler.
Once you’re done with repairs, clean up any debris or residue left behind. This is so nothing will interfere with the new adhesive.
All of these issues are pretty easy to spot, but there’s one more thing you need to check for that’s much harder to detect.
CHECKING SUBFLOOR MOISTURE LEVELS
Though resilient floors are more water resistant than other types of flooring, the system is still susceptible to damage from moisture released by the subfloor. Changes in the subfloor itself can even affect resilient floors. For example, moisture can cause the alkali salts in a concrete subfloor to rise to the surface, causing issues with the floor bonding or unsightly bubbles.
Or, say a wooden subfloor begins to swell and warp. The resilient flooring above could warp and swell along with it, causing it to become uneven.
Fortunately, high moisture levels can be detected and corrected with a few simple steps.
If you have a wooden subfloor, measure its moisture content with a wood moisture meter. If you have a concrete subfloor, use a concrete moisture meter or relative humidity in situ probes.
If the moisture level is too high, you’ll want to wait and measure the subfloor again after giving it time to dry (with the help
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of fans or dehumidifiers). You’ll know it’s safe to install your floorcoverings when the subfloor’s moisture levels fall within the manufacturer’s recommendations.
TOOLS YOU’LL NEED FOR SUBFLOOR PREP
Here’s an in-depth list of tools you might need to prep your subfloor: • Knee pads • Dust mask • Sander or sandpaper • Floor scraper •
Industrial vacuum
• Mortar • Trowel • Pin leveller • Self-levelling compound • Dehumidifier or fan • Wood moisture meter • Concrete moisture meter •
In-situ probes
You can help ensure the quality of your subfloor prep by buying quality tools, especially when moisture testing is concerned. If your probes or meters are inaccurate, the floorcovering could still be damaged by moisture despite all of your preparation.
Protect your client’s floors – and your reputation as a thorough flooring installer – by buying moisture meters you can count on.
Check out the accuracy and ease of our wood moisture meters (the Orion line), concrete moisture meter (C555), and concrete in-situ probes (Rapid RH). Visit
WagnerMeters.com/Shop to browse our quality collection.
Any more questions about preparing subfloors or moisture testing? Email us at
info@wagnermeters.com.
www.WagnerMeters.com. 31
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