Hardwood Floors October/November 2017

S P O N S O R E D C O N T E N T

to the touch. Vapor-Lock™ and Ultra-Set® SingleStep2™ go even further in o ering sound abatement equivalent to ¼” cork or rubber underlayments. Understanding the requirements of the speci c products is the key to ge ing the advanced performance desired. For example, Bostik’s BEST® o ers unlimited moisture vapor protection to engineered hardwood, which is more dimensionally stable than solid hardwood. Vapor-Lock™ o ers a higher level of protection, so it o ers unlimited moisture vapor protection for engineered and solid hardwood, but it does have a 15 lb moisture vapor emission rate or 87% RH limit on bamboo, which as a category is least dimensionally stable. ere are no ooring type limitations on GreenForce® or Ultra-Set® SingleStep2™, and there are no board width or length restrictions on any Bostik adhesive. e ability of all-in-one adhesive and moisture vapor membranes to achieve this exceptional level of performance requires that they form a continuous membrane to be e ective. Voids in the membrane could allow signi cant amounts of moisture through from the sub oor to the hardwood and result in failures. As a result, coverage rates must never be stretched. EMERGING TRENDS IN HARDWOOD INSTALLATION

e hardwood industry has changed quickly over the last decade. e ooring itself has trended toward wider plank, engineered is nowmore common than solid, pre nished ooring has grown in popularity as well as capability, click and oating oors are on the rise, and there are more and more types of ooring emulating the look of real hardwood. Installation systems have evolved as well. All-in-one adhesives with moisture vapor and sound reduction properties are now common. Zero VOC formulations are in nearly every major adhesive manufacturer’s portfolio. New adhesive technologies, such as Bostik’s AXIOS® Tri-Linking technology found in GreenForce® and Ultra-Set® SingleStep2™ are raising the bar in performance, not only in moisture protection, sound abatement, and zero VOC’s, but also workability, ease of clean even a er cure, and ridge retention (to prevent hollow spots). With this degree of change comes uncertainty. Understanding these new products and systems is critical to avoid installation issues, make customers happy, and extract the value for the contractor.

AVOIDING INSTALLATION ISSUES All-in-one adhesives like Bostik’s BEST®, Vapor-Lock™, GreenForce®, and Ultra-Set® SingleStep2™ are amazing, time-saving installation systems that o er a lifetime warranty for unlimited moisture vapor protection with no concrete moisture testing required – the concrete simply must be dry

One of the most signi cant causes of voids in all-in-one membranes is the condition of the sub oor. Nothing is more important than proper sub oor prep. Sub oors must be at per NWFA standards to within 3/16 inch in 10 feet, and excessive roughness of the surface can in uence the coverage

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