Installation Guide

Substrate Preparation
All substrates must be properly prepared and tested according to the following guidelines.
1. Concrete Subfloors
Although STAINMASTER
®
luxury vinyl Clic FD product is not susceptible to damage from moisture, excessive subfloor moisture is an
ideal breeding ground for mold, mildew and fungus-all of which can contribute to an unhealthy indoor living environment.
a. Concrete slab construction shall be in accordance to industry standards for specification related to concrete mix design,
curing methods and drying times to prevent moisture problems.
b. On-grade and below-grade slabs should be installed with a suitable vapor retarder directly underneath the concrete slab.
c. New concrete shall be properly cured and dried prior to the installation of floor covering. Curing agents, surface
hardeners and other membranes or compounds shall be mechanically removed immediately after initial cure to allow
the slab to properly dry before installation. Approximately 30 days per 1” of slab thickness.
d. All concrete substrates, regardless of grade or age of slab, must be properly tested using one of the methods outlined
below for warranty to apply. Acceptable test method is the ASTM F 2170 In Situ Relative Humidity. Testing shall be
conducted according to the relevant ASTM documentation and instructions of the manufacturer of the testing equipment.
Consult Novalis
®
adhesive technical bulletins for acceptable RH % levels.
e. Concrete Alkalinity/pH Test shall be conducted in accordance with ASTM standards and instructions provided by the
adhesive manufacturer. Acceptable level of pH in the substrate is 7.
f. Concrete Slab Preparation
i. Concrete slabs shall be clean and smooth prior to installing floor coverings. Remove all sealers, curing agents
and compounds, grease, oil, adhesive removers, old adhesive residue, dirt, paint, etc. to ensure a clean bond
surface for the adhesives.
ii. Concrete floors shall be smooth and level to prevent irregularities, roughness or other defects from telegraphing
through the new resilient flooring. The surface of the slab shall be flat to within 3/16” in 10 feet.
iii. Uneven areas should be mechanically ground to smoothness.
iv. Cracks, depressions or other similar irregularities should be leveled using a suitable Portland cement based
patching compound. Follow the patch manufacturer’s instructions regarding mixing and applications.
v. Overly porous, dusty, flaky or soft concrete surfaces are not suitable for resilient floor coverings.
It may be necessary to mechanically remove the top layer concrete in such cases and/or these surfaces may
need to be primed and covered with a cement based underlayment compound. Follow the patching or leveling
compound manufacturer’s instructions regarding preparation of the concrete surface, priming, mixing of the
product, thickness of application and drying time for resilient floor covering installation.
vi. Expansion joints, isolation joints, control joints or other moving joints in the concrete slab shall not be filled
with patching compound or covered with resilient flooring.
vii. Use of vapor barriers is allowed under NovaClic™ FD as long as proper ventilating space is allowed around
the perimeter of the room for moisture and vapors to escape the substrate.
2. Wood Subfloors
a. All wood and wood composition panels are suitable for use under STAINMASTER
®
luxury vinyl Clic FD product providing
MARCH 2017 4
Clic FD Flooring
Installation Instructions