Installation Guide

08.14.2017 | Page 6
Flexco Floors | 1401 E. 6th St. - Tuscumbia, AL 35674
P: 866.955.8291 | F: 419.436.4302 | excooors.com | Made in the USA
TECHNICAL DATA SHEET
RUBBER STAIR TREADS, RISERS & STRINGERS
Distinct Designs
not install stair treads, risers or stringers
directly over solid or engineered hardwood
flooring without first installing plywood
or a suitable cementitious repair product
at a minimum thickness of 1/4" over the
hardwood flooring.
Wood substrate deflection, movement,
or instability may cause stair tread
installations to release, buckle or become
distorted. As such, do not use plastic or
resin filler to patch cracks. Do not use
cement or rosin coated nails and staples
or solvent-based construction adhesives
to adhere the plywood. Do not install on
a sleeper system (wood subfloor system
over concrete) or directly over Sturd-I-
Floor panels.
METAL SUBSTRATES
Metal substrates must be thoroughly
sanded/ground and cleaned of any
residue, oil, rust and/or oxidation.
Substrate must be smooth, flat and
sound prior to installation. When installing
in areas that may be subject to topical
water or moisture and/or high humidity,
an anti-corrosive coating must be applied
to protect metal substrate. Contact a
local paint or coating supplier for coating
recommendations. Install stair treads
within 12 hours after sanding/grinding to
prevent re-oxidation. Any deflection in
the metal floor can cause a bond failure
between the adhesive and the metal
substrate. Be sure to follow installation
procedures and trowel sizes for non-
porous substrates.
EXISTING FLOORING SUBSTRATES
The suitability of existing flooring as
a substrate depends on the specific
requirements of the adhesive being
used to install the material. As such,
refer to the adhesive requirements for
existing flooring substrates and ensure all
adhesive requirements and guidelines are
followed.
4. CRACKS, JOINTS & VOIDS
All cracks, joints and voids, as well as
the areas surrounding them, must be
clean and free of dust, dirt, debris and
contaminants. All minor cracks and voids
3/64” wide or less may be repaired with
a suitable cementitious patch, such as the
Excelsior CP-300, or an epoxy filler, such
as the Excelsior EN-610.
Due to the dynamic nature of concrete,
manufacturer cannot warranty
installations to cover cracks or other voids
(such as control cuts, saw joints and
moving cracks or voids) wider than 3/64”.
Do not install flooring directly over any
crack wider than 3/64”.
To treat through cracks (depth at least
75% of the thickness of the concrete),
chase joint or crack with a suitable saw or
grinder and open to a minimum width of
¼”. Be sure to clean all dust, dirt and debris
from crack. Joints and cracks should then
be sealed with a suitable, elastomeric
caulk (such as Ardex Ardiseal Rapid Plus,
Mapei P1 SL or equivalent) designed for
use in expansion joints. Install a closed-
cell backer rod at prescribed depth and
follow caulk manufacturer’s instructions
for installation. Ensure surface is troweled
flush with surface of concrete.
To treat other cracks and voids (such as
control cuts, saw-cut joints and surface
cracks) over 3/64”, chase joint or void with
a suitable saw or grinder and clean all
dust, dirt and debris from crack. Fill entire
crack with a rigid crack filler (such as
Ardex Ardifix, CMP CM10 or equivalent)
designed for use in control or saw-cut
cuts. Follow material manufacturer’s
instructions for installation. Ensure
surface is troweled flush with surface of
concrete.
Review all manufacturer installation
instructions and/or consult
manufacturer technical staff for all
crack or joint filling products prior to
treating joints and cracks.
5. STRINGER INSTALLATION
Prior to the installation of stair treads and
risers, any specified Flexco Stringer or
equivalent must be installed (the inclusion
of Flexco Stringers is optional). Ensure
stringer material has been properly
acclimated and that ambient conditions
are within normal operational ranges.
Ensure all stringer materials have been
cleaned with a clean, damp cloth and
denatured alcohol or equivalent solvent-
based product prior to installation.
Stringer substrates must be smooth, flat,
flush, full and complete for the entire
stairwell, in order to provide completed
and adequate support for the stringer
material. Ensure any minor gaps between
steps and stringer substrate are free of
any dirt, dust and debris. Ensure substrate
is suitably repaired and/or prepared
prior to installation, as manufacturer is
not responsible for substrates that are
inadequate or have not been properly
prepared.
Ensure adhesive is approved for use
with stringer material and that proper
trowel or applicator type and size is used,
as manufacturer is not responsible for
any and all adhesion issues related to
improper adhesive selection or usage.
Stringers are designed to be scribed and
trimmed on-site by freehand trimming or
using a pattern scribing method. Freehand
trimming is extremely difficult and should
only be attempted by experienced
installation technicians.
PATTERN SCRIBE METHOD
Prior to stringer installation, determine the
height of the stringer from the top edge
of the top and bottom steps. Mark height
on stringer substrate and create a chalk
line from the top step to the bottom step,
ensuring bottom chalk line meets the top
of the wall base along the bottom wall.
Use a light color chalk to avoid staining
substrate.
Using builders felt or equivalent, rough
cut a template using the height, width and
length of steps. Ensure that the top edge
of the template is a factory edge to mimic
straight edge of stringer material. Using
previously created chalk line, tape the top
edge of the template to the top edge of
the stringer substrate. Rough cut template
material within 1/2" of step, riser and step
nose. Cut several triangular holes in the
center of the template and tape template
to stringer substrate to hold in place
while trimming. Template should be flat,
flush and must not contain any creases
or ripples to ensure that final template is
accurate. Carefully trim template to match
step, riser and step nose.
Place the stringer template over the
stringer material and mark cut lines using
suitable marker. Rough cut using a suitable
knife that is intended for resilient flooring
materials. All final adjustments must be