Page 1 - 2017-10-CFR Volume 109 - Back To Basics With Vinyl Flooring Installation - Also Polyester And Polyethylene Membranes October 2017

Volume 109—October 2017

In this issue we’re going to cover two subjects as they’re listed above so don’t be confused.

It continues to amaze me how flooring material and installation failures are so grossly misunderstood
and the dynamics of the conditions which create the failures defy logic, common sense and basic un-
derstanding. Take vinyl flooring for example and in particular Luxury Vinyl tile, a subject we’ve covered
here ad nauseum. Vinyl flooring materials are reactive to hot, cold, wet and dry conditions. Still there
are those who would have you believe that vinyl, just because it is a plastic, is not affected by moisture
but in fact it is. Water can and will effect vinyl flooring both dimensionally and in flatness.

Polyethylene and Polyester absorb almost no water. We’ll get to this subject in a bit but first some infor-
mation on vinyl flooring that I think needs to be repeated.

Following is an excerpt from a vinyl flooring material study:
In this study, composites based on polyvinyl chloride (PVC), pulp fiber (PF), and wood flour (WF) were
made by injection molding. The effects of two variable factors, namely the filler form and filler loading
level, on the composite physical properties were examined. The result clearly showed that the major
part of water absorption was due to water absorption of PF.

This is an excerpt from my article entitled “POTENTIAL FLOORING FAILURES” that appeared in my
column Flooring Forensics in Floor Focus Magazine in February 2016.

“It is possible for moisture to affect vinyl flooring, especially over concrete that is emitting moisture, as
moisture and alkalinity can affect plasticizers in vinyl, creating changes in the material. There can also
be stress on the luxury vinyl that can cause curling, cupping, doming, lifted edges and dimensional in-
stabilities, especially if the material is not properly annealed, if temperatures vary in the annealing pro-
cess, if it contains recycled content or has no stabilizing material. These problems are extremely com-
mon and generate large numbers of claims.

Another very important factor is the space where the flooring is installed. Vinyl flooring can be greatly
influenced by heat and cold, and it will expand and contract, so the environment where the flooring is
installed must be controlled constantly.”

1 Commercial Flooring Report October 2017