Installation & Assembly

TECHNICAL DATA SHEET
01.30.2018 | Page 7
Roppe Corporation | 1602 N. Union St. - Fostoria, OH 44830 | (800) 537 - 9527
RUBBER STAIR TREADS,
RISERS & STRINGERS
raised design
fiberboard or cementitious tile backer
boards, are not acceptable substrates.
Avoid preservative-treated and fire-
retardant plywood, as some may be
manufactured with resins or adhesives
that may cause discoloration or staining
of materials. Do 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 Roppe Stringer or
equivalent must be installed (the inclusion
of Roppe 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