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Resilient Flooring

Written and maintained by SynC.

Rev9
IssuedOct 19, 2026
LicenseCC BY 4.0
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1 Scope

NOTE This standard governs the materials and installation of resilient floor coverings and resilient wall base, together with the substrate acceptance, moisture mitigation, adhesive, seaming, transition, and stair tread work that make a resilient floor perform. (1.1)
NOTE A resilient floor is an assembly rather than a covering. The substrate and its moisture and alkalinity condition, any mitigation measure, the adhesive or the locking joint, the covering, the seam treatment, the wall base, and the transition accessories each carry part of the performance, and a defect in any one of them surfaces as a defect in the floor. (1.2)
NOTE Most resilient flooring failures that reach a claim are debonding, seam opening, edge curl, telegraphing, or indentation, and most of those trace to slab moisture or alkalinity above the adhesive's rating, to an adhesive used outside its open time, to a substrate that was not flat, or to material installed before it reached the service temperature, rather than to a defect in the covering. (1.3)
NOTE The product families within this scope are the following: (1.4)
  • Luxury vinyl tile and plank manufactured to ASTM F1700, and rigid core vinyl plank manufactured to ASTM F3261
  • Vinyl composition tile manufactured to ASTM F1066
  • Homogeneous sheet vinyl manufactured to ASTM F1913 and heterogeneous sheet vinyl with backing manufactured to ASTM F1303
  • Rubber tile manufactured to ASTM F1344 and rubber sheet manufactured to ASTM F1859 and ASTM F1860
  • Sheet linoleum manufactured to ASTM F2034 and linoleum tile manufactured to ASTM F2195
  • Static control grades of the vinyl and rubber products above, with their conductive adhesive and grounding strips
  • Resilient wall base manufactured to ASTM F1861, integral flash cove base formed from sheet flooring, resilient stair treads and risers, and resilient and metal transition strips at the edges of resilient flooring
NOTE The following are governed elsewhere and are outside this standard: (1.5)
  • Carpet and carpet tile, specified under CarpetCarpetResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/carpet
  • Ceramic and porcelain tile, natural stone tile, terrazzo, polished concrete, and wood flooring, specified under Ceramic TileCeramic TileResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/ceramic-tile, Natural Stone TileNatural Stone TileResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/natural-stone-tile, TerrazzoTerrazzoResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/terrazzo, Polished ConcretePolished Concrete FlooringResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/polished-concrete, and Wood FlooringWood FlooringResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/wood-flooring
  • Fluid-applied epoxy, urethane, methyl methacrylate, and cementitious urethane systems, including their static control grades, specified under Resinous FlooringResinous FlooringResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/resinous-flooring, and thin-film epoxy coatings, specified under Epoxy FlooringEpoxy Floor CoatingsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/epoxy-flooring
  • Entrance grilles, mats, and the walk-off textiles within the entrance wiper zone, specified under Entrance FlooringEntrance Flooring and Walk-Off SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/entrance-flooring
  • The raised access floor system and the finishes bonded to its panels at the factory, specified under Raised Access FlooringRaised Access FlooringResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/raised-access-flooring
  • The self-leveling underlayment and patching products used to correct a substrate, specified under Cementitious Self Leveling UnderlaymentCementitious Self-Leveling UnderlaymentResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/cementitious-self-leveling-underlayment
  • The concrete slab, its curing and sealing, its flatness as placed, and its under-slab vapor retarder, specified under Cast In Place ConcreteCast-in-Place ConcreteResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/cast-in-place-concrete, Slab On GradeSlab-on-GradeResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/slab-on-grade, Concrete Curing And FinishingConcrete Curing and FinishingResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/concrete-curing-and-finishing, and Vapor Barriers Under SlabUnder-Slab Vapor BarriersResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/vapor-barriers-under-slab
  • Wood framing and wood structural panel subfloors, specified under Wood FramingWood Light FramingResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/wood-framing and Wood SheathingWood Structural Panel SheathingResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/wood-sheathing
  • Wood base, shoe, and running trim, specified under Architectural Wood Trim And PanelingArchitectural Wood Trim and PanelingResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/architectural-wood-trim-and-paneling, and the metal nosings of metal stairs, specified under Metal Stairs And RailingsMetal Stairs and RailingsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/metal-stairs-and-railings
  • The grounding electrode system and the bonding conductor that a static control floor connects to, specified under Grounding And BondingGrounding and Bonding for Electrical SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/grounding-and-bonding
  • Cork, bamboo, and laminate flooring, which are manufactured under product rules other than the resilient flooring specifications referenced here
  • Point-elastic and area-elastic synthetic sports floor systems rated for athletic performance, and the poured gypsum underlayment product itself, which have no standard in this library
  • The removal and abatement of existing floor coverings and adhesives that may contain asbestos
1.6 Resilient flooring and wall base shall be provided in the rooms and to the extents indicated on the room finish schedule and finish plans.
1.7 The Contractor shall verify that the covering, the adhesive, the seam treatment, the wall base, and any moisture mitigation measure are approved in writing by the flooring manufacturer as compatible with one another and with the measured substrate condition before flooring is ordered.
1.8 The Contractor shall not begin installation until the substrate has satisfied the acceptance criteria of this standard and the installation area has reached the ambient conditions this standard requires.
1.9 The flooring manufacturer's written installation instructions define the conditions under which the product warranty holds, and the Contractor shall follow them in addition to this standard.
1.10 Resilient flooring furnished for an elevator car under Vertical TransportationElevatorsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/vertical-transportation shall comply with this standard.
1.11 Resilient flooring and base at casework toe spaces and beneath mobile and suspended casework shall be installed as detailed on the casework details, in coordination with Laboratory CaseworkLaboratory CaseworkResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/laboratory-casework and Wood And Laminate CaseworkWood and Laminate CaseworkResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/wood-and-laminate-casework.
1.12 The bottom elevation of corner guards, wall guards, and crash rails specified under Wall And Corner ProtectionWall and Corner ProtectionResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/wall-and-corner-protection shall be set against the installed wall base height so that no gap or overlap occurs at the floor.

2 Referenced Standards

2.1 Materials, testing, and installation shall comply with the latest edition of each of the following as adopted by the Authority Having Jurisdiction, unless a specific edition is cited.
2.2 Where the Contract Documents, a referenced standard, and the flooring manufacturer's written instructions impose differing requirements, the more stringent requirement shall govern unless the Architect of Record directs otherwise in writing.
Standard Title
ASTM F141 Terminology Relating to Resilient Floor Coverings
ASTM F1700 Specification for Solid Vinyl Floor Tile
ASTM F3261 Specification for Resilient Flooring Containing Rigid Polymeric Core
ASTM F1066 Specification for Vinyl Composition Floor Tile
ASTM F1913 Specification for Vinyl Sheet Floor Covering Without Backing
ASTM F1303 Specification for Sheet Vinyl Floor Covering with Backing
ASTM F1344 Specification for Rubber Floor Tile
ASTM F1859 Specification for Rubber Sheet Floor Covering Without Backing
ASTM F1860 Specification for Rubber Sheet Floor Covering with Backing
ASTM F2034 Specification for Sheet Linoleum Floor Covering
ASTM F2195 Specification for Linoleum Floor Tile
ASTM F1861 Specification for Resilient Wall Base
ASTM F710 Practice for Preparing Concrete Floors to Receive Resilient Flooring
ASTM F1482 Practice for Installation and Preparation of Panel Type Underlayments to Receive Resilient Flooring
ASTM F2419 Practice for Installation of Thick Poured Gypsum Concrete Underlayments and Preparation of the Surface to Receive Resilient Flooring
ASTM F1869 Test Method for Measuring Moisture Vapor Emission Rate of Concrete Subfloor Using Anhydrous Calcium Chloride
ASTM F2170 Test Method for Determining Relative Humidity in Concrete Floor Slabs Using in situ Probes
ASTM F2659 Guide for Preliminary Evaluation of Comparative Moisture Condition of Concrete, Gypsum Cement and Anhydrite Floor Slabs Using a Non-Destructive Electronic Moisture Meter
ASTM F3191 Practice for Field Determination of Substrate Water Absorption (Porosity) for Substrates to Receive Resilient Flooring
ASTM F3010 Practice for Two-Component Resin Based Membrane-Forming Moisture Mitigation Systems for Use Under Resilient Floor Coverings
ASTM F925 Test Method for Resistance to Chemicals of Resilient Flooring
ASTM F970 Test Method for Measuring Recovery Properties of Floor Coverings after Static Loading
ASTM F1914 Test Methods for Short-Term Indentation and Residual Indentation of Resilient Floor Covering
ASTM F150 Test Method for Electrical Resistance of Conductive and Static Dissipative Resilient Flooring
ANSI/ESD S20.20 Protection of Electrical and Electronic Parts, Assemblies and Equipment
ANSI/ESD STM7.1 Floor Materials, Resistive Characterization of Materials
ANSI/ESD STM97.1 Floor Materials and Footwear, Resistance Measurement in Combination with a Person
ASTM E648 Test Method for Critical Radiant Flux of Floor-Covering Systems Using a Radiant Heat Energy Source
NFPA 253 Method of Test for Critical Radiant Flux of Floor Covering Systems Using a Radiant Heat Energy Source
ASTM E662 Test Method for Specific Optical Density of Smoke Generated by Solid Materials
NFPA 258 Research Test Method for Determining Smoke Generation of Solid Materials
ANSI A326.3 Test Method for Measuring Dynamic Coefficient of Friction of Hard Surface Flooring Materials
ASTM D2047 Test Method for Static Coefficient of Friction of Polish-Coated Flooring Surfaces as Measured by the James Machine
CDPH Standard Method v1.2 Standard Method for the Testing and Evaluation of Volatile Organic Chemical Emissions from Indoor Sources Using Environmental Chambers
SCAQMD Rule 1168 Adhesive and Sealant Applications (volatile organic compound content limits)
ICC A117.1 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities
2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design U.S. Department of Justice accessibility standards under the Americans with Disabilities Act
IBC International Building Code (Chapter 8, Interior Finishes, and Chapter 10, Means of Egress)
2.3 Concrete substrates shall be prepared, tested, and accepted in accordance with ASTM F710 in every case, whatever product family is installed over them.
NOTE The reference set divides by subject: the ASTM F-series specifications define each product family and its wall base; ASTM F710, F1482, F2419, F3191, F1869, F2170, F2659, and F3010 qualify and correct the substrate; ASTM F925, F970, F1914, F150, ANSI A326.3, and ASTM D2047 measure the covering's own service properties; ASTM E648 and E662 are the flammability and smoke methods the building code references; the CDPH Standard Method and SCAQMD Rule 1168 are the emissions and content limits a project applies; and the ANSI/ESD documents govern a static control floor. (2.4)
NOTE ASTM F710 is the document every flooring and adhesive manufacturer conditions its warranty on. It defines the surface condition, flatness, moisture test methods, and alkalinity test the substrate has to meet, and a substrate accepted outside it voids the warranty regardless of what the floor looks like at turnover. (2.5)

3 Submittals

3.1 Action Submittals

3.1.1 The Contractor shall submit the following for the Architect of Record's review before flooring is ordered:
  • Product data for each flooring product, identifying the governing ASTM specification, class and type, wear layer thickness, overall thickness, tile or plank size or sheet width, factory finish, static load limit, slip resistance test result, and the manufacturer's written installation instructions
  • Product data for each adhesive, seam sealer, weld rod, moisture mitigation product, patching and leveling compound, underlayment panel, wall base, cove stick and cap strip, transition strip, stair tread, and grounding strip, including the flooring manufacturer's written statement of compatibility for the specific product, substrate, and installation method
  • Test reports for each flooring product giving the critical radiant flux and class, the smoke density where a limit applies, the static load limit, the chemical resistance where required, the dynamic or static coefficient of friction, and the electrical resistance where static control flooring is specified
  • Low-emitting materials certification and volatile organic compound content documentation for the flooring, wall base, adhesive, and seam sealer where the datasheet requires them
  • Samples of each flooring product in each color and pattern specified, of a size that shows the full pattern repeat, and samples of each wall base profile, weld rod color, transition strip, and stair tread profile and color
  • A layout diagram for tile and plank showing the installation pattern, the starting reference lines, and the direction of plank and directional tile, and a seaming diagram for sheet flooring showing roll widths, seam locations, seam direction, and the location of every welded seam and flash cove
  • A grounding plan for static control flooring showing the grounding strip layout and every connection to the building grounding system
  • Maintenance instructions describing initial cleaning, the initial finish where one is applied, the periodic maintenance program, and the cleaning agents the flooring manufacturer approves for each product
Action Submittals Requiredcheckbox
☑ Product data for each flooring product
☑ Product data for adhesives, mitigation, base, and accessories
☑ Flooring performance and fire test reports
☐ Low-emitting materials certification and VOC content documentation
☑ Samples of flooring, base, weld rod, transitions, and stair treads
☑ Tile and plank layout diagram and sheet seaming diagram
☐ Static control grounding plan
☑ Maintenance instructions
NOTE A seaming diagram reviewed before sheet goods are cut is the only point at which a seam can be moved out of a doorway or a traffic lane, and a plank layout reviewed before adhesive is spread is the only point at which a sliver cut at a wall can be avoided; after the material is cut, moving either costs a roll or a carton. (3.1.2)

3.2 Informational Submittals

3.2.1 The Contractor shall submit the following before installation begins:
  • Concrete substrate moisture and alkalinity test reports identifying the test method, the number and location of tests, the probe depths, the ambient conditions, the date, and the technician, covering ASTM F2170 internal relative humidity and the ASTM F710 surface pH procedure, and ASTM F1869 moisture vapor emission rate where the datasheet requires it
  • Substrate porosity determination in accordance with ASTM F3191 where the adhesive manufacturer publishes different trowel or coverage requirements for porous and nonporous substrates
  • Wood panel and gypsum underlayment moisture readings where resilient flooring is installed over those substrates
  • The acclimation record, including delivery date, storage location, and the daily interior temperature and relative humidity from delivery through installation
  • Qualification data for the installer, listing comparable completed projects with contact references, the heat welding training of the mechanics who will weld seams, and any certification the datasheet requires
  • The pre-installation conference report, listing attendees, decisions, and unresolved items
  • Where a moisture mitigation measure is installed, certification from the mitigation product manufacturer that the product is rated for the substrate condition actually measured
Informational Submittals Requiredcheckbox
☑ Concrete moisture and alkalinity test reports
☐ Substrate porosity determination
☐ Wood panel and gypsum underlayment moisture readings
☑ Acclimation record
☑ Installer and welder qualification data
☑ Pre-installation conference report
☐ Moisture mitigation rating certification
3.2.2 Installation shall not begin until the substrate moisture and alkalinity test reports have been submitted and reviewed by the Architect of Record.
NOTE The moisture reports are the gating submittal because they decide whether the specified adhesive is usable at all and whether a mitigation measure has to be added to the assembly, and a mitigation product ordered after the flooring is on site delays the floor by the membrane's cure time. (3.2.3)

3.3 Closeout Submittals

3.3.1 The Contractor shall submit the following at Substantial Completion:
  • Manufacturer warranty documentation for each flooring product and for the wall base, executed in the Owner's name
  • The Contractor's written installation workmanship warranty
  • The complete substrate record, comprising the final moisture, relative humidity, and pH readings, the mitigation measure installed, and the adhesive, seam sealer, weld rod, and mitigation products and lot numbers used
  • Static control floor resistance test results and the as-built grounding record where static control flooring is installed
  • Maintenance data identifying the approved cleaning agents, methods, and equipment, the initial finish applied and its recoat procedure, the recommended maintenance interval, and the stain removal procedure for each product
  • A transmittal for the attic stock delivered to the Owner, identifying the product, color, pattern, lot, and quantity
Closeout Submittals Requiredcheckbox
☑ Manufacturer warranties executed in the Owner's name
☑ Contractor installation workmanship warranty
☑ Complete substrate moisture, mitigation, and adhesive record
☐ Static control resistance test results and grounding record
☑ Maintenance data
☑ Attic stock transmittal
NOTE The substrate record is the document a flooring manufacturer asks for first when a bond failure is claimed, and it cannot be reconstructed after the floor is down; it is a closeout deliverable only because the readings were taken during the work. (3.3.2)

4 Quality Assurance

4.1 Installer Qualifications

4.1.1 The installer shall hold the qualification indicated in the datasheet.
Installer Qualificationselect
Installer with documented experience on comparable commercial resilient flooring projects
Installer holding a recognized commercial resilient flooring installation certification
Installer certified in writing by the flooring manufacturer for the specified product
4.1.2 Heat welded and chemically welded seams shall be made by mechanics trained in seam welding by the flooring manufacturer or by a recognized flooring installation training program, and the Contractor shall not assign seam welding to untrained labor.
4.1.3 Static control flooring shall be installed by an installer the flooring manufacturer approves in writing for its static control system.
4.1.4 The installer shall assign a single on-site foreman who is present for the duration of the resilient flooring work.
NOTE Documented experience is the baseline every project can verify from references; an industry certification adds a tested skill set in substrate testing, seaming, and welding that matters most where sheet goods and flash cove are specified; and a manufacturer's written certification is the qualification to select where the manufacturer conditions its warranty on it, because an uncertified installer forfeits that warranty regardless of the workmanship. (4.1.5)
NOTE A heat welded seam is the single most skill-dependent operation in resilient flooring. A seam grooved too deep cuts into the backing, a weld run too cool leaves a joint that opens under a cart wheel, a weld run too hot scorches the field, and a weld skived before it cools leaves a concave groove that collects soil; in a healthcare or laboratory room a failed seam defeats the reason a welded sheet floor was selected. (4.1.6)

4.2 Mock-Up

4.2.1 Whether a mock-up is required shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Resilient Flooring Mock-Upradio
○ Required
● Not required
4.2.2 Where a mock-up is required, the Contractor shall install a representative area of each flooring product at a location the Architect of Record directs, including at least one welded seam where sheet goods are specified, the installation pattern where tile or plank is specified, the wall base or flash cove, and one transition to an adjacent finish.
4.2.3 The mock-up shall be reviewed and accepted in writing by the Architect of Record before the balance of the resilient flooring work begins.
4.2.4 The accepted mock-up shall establish the standard for pattern alignment, seam appearance, weld appearance, flash cove and base detailing, and transition detailing for the remainder of the work.
4.2.5 An accepted mock-up may remain as part of the work and shall remain available for comparison until the resilient flooring work is accepted.
4.2.6 Where the parties disagree whether installed flooring matches the accepted mock-up, the Architect of Record shall make the initial determination.

4.3 Pre-Installation Conference

4.3.1 The Contractor shall convene a pre-installation conference not less than ten business days before flooring is delivered to the site.
4.3.2 The conference shall be attended by the Architect of Record, the flooring installer, the subcontractor responsible for the substrate, and the mechanical contractor responsible for building conditioning.
4.3.3 The conference shall review the substrate moisture, alkalinity, and porosity test results, the flatness survey, the mitigation measure, the adhesive selection, the acclimation plan, the mechanical system startup sequence, the layout and seaming diagrams, the welding plan, the flash cove and base details, the transitions, the static control grounding plan where one applies, and the protection plan.
4.3.4 The Contractor shall record the conference and distribute the report to all attendees within five business days.
NOTE Most resilient flooring disputes trace to a condition that was known before installation and not acted on: a marginal moisture reading, a slab that was not flat enough, a curing compound nobody tested for, or material still cold from the truck. The conference exists to surface those conditions while they can still be corrected rather than argued over. (4.3.5)

5 Environmental and Service Conditions

5.1 Acclimation and Ambient Conditions

5.1.1 Flooring, wall base, and adhesive shall be acclimated in the installation area for not less than the period indicated in the datasheet before installation begins.
Acclimation Period Before Installationrange
Not less than
hours
24487296
5.1.2 The installation area shall be held between 65 °F and 85 °F, or within the narrower range the flooring and adhesive manufacturers publish, for not less than 48 hours before installation, throughout installation, and for not less than 48 hours after installation.
5.1.3 The permanent heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system shall be operating and controlling the installation area before flooring is delivered.
5.1.4 Temporary heat that does not control humidity shall not be substituted for the permanent system.
5.1.5 The Contractor shall record the interior temperature and relative humidity at least once daily from delivery until the resilient flooring work is accepted, and shall include the log in the acclimation record.
5.1.6 Tile and plank shall be acclimated out of their cartons or in opened cartons, and sheet goods shall be unrolled or loosely rolled, as the flooring manufacturer directs.
NOTE Resilient flooring expands and contracts with temperature, and adhesives develop their tack and cure within a temperature window. Material installed cold grows after it is down and peaks at its joints; material installed into a space that is later cooled shrinks and opens its seams; and a pressure-sensitive adhesive spread below its minimum temperature never develops its rated grab. (5.1.7)
NOTE The acclimation period is a scheduling allowance rather than a test. Forty-eight hours is the figure most flooring manufacturers publish, a thick rigid core plank or a tightly rolled sheet in a cold truck needs longer, and a product the manufacturer ships conditioned and documents as ready to install needs none, which is why the range starts at zero. (5.1.8)

5.2 Lighting for Inspection

5.2.1 The permanent lighting, or temporary lighting of equal intensity and position, shall be operating during installation and inspection.
NOTE Telegraphing of substrate irregularities, trowel ridges, pattern misalignment, and weld appearance are judged under grazing light from windows and wall-mounted fixtures, and construction lighting from above hides all of them; a resilient floor accepted under work lights is routinely rejected the week the permanent fixtures are energized. (5.2.2)

5.3 Service Loads and Radiant Heat

5.3.1 Flooring in areas that receive rolling loads from carts, beds, chairs on casters, or material handling equipment shall be a product and an installation method the flooring manufacturer approves in writing for rolling traffic.
5.3.2 Flooring installed over an in-floor radiant heating system specified under Radiant Heating And Cooling PanelsRadiant Heating and Cooling PanelsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/radiant-heating-and-cooling-panels shall be a product the flooring manufacturer approves for radiant service, and the radiant system shall be controlled so that the floor surface temperature does not exceed 85 °F.
5.3.3 The adhesive used over a radiant heated slab shall be rated by its manufacturer for continuous service at the floor surface temperature the radiant system is controlled to.
5.3.4 The radiant heating system shall be operated through the warm-up cycle its manufacturer publishes before flooring is delivered, and shall be turned off or set to the minimum its manufacturer permits during installation and the adhesive cure period.
5.3.5 Flooring in areas that receive direct sunlight through glazing shall be a product the flooring manufacturer rates for that exposure, and dark colors in those areas shall be installed with an adhesive the manufacturer rates for the surface temperature direct sun produces.
NOTE A rolling load concentrates the floor's whole service life into a wheel track a few inches wide. A loose lay or floating product that is stable under foot traffic creeps and gaps under a daily cart route, and a pressure-sensitive adhesive that holds a tile in plane lets it shift under a bed wheel, which is why the rolling load areas are the ones where full-spread hard-set adhesive is selected. (5.3.6)
NOTE Direct sun through a window heats a dark plank well above room temperature, and a product that has expanded against its neighbors in the afternoon has nowhere to go but up. The surface temperature limit over radiant heat exists for the same reason, and because an adhesive above its service temperature softens and releases. (5.3.7)

6 Substrate Acceptance

6.1 Concrete Substrate Condition

6.1.1 Concrete substrates shall be prepared and accepted in accordance with ASTM F710.
6.1.2 The substrate shall be structurally sound, clean, and free of dust, paint, oil, grease, curing and sealing compounds, residual adhesive, gypsum, and any other substance that would interfere with the adhesive bond.
6.1.3 Where the parties disagree whether a substrate is clean enough to receive resilient flooring, the Architect of Record shall make the initial determination.
6.1.4 Cracks, joints, and surface voids shall be filled with a portland-cement-based patching compound specified under Cementitious Self Leveling UnderlaymentCementitious Self-Leveling UnderlaymentResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/cementitious-self-leveling-underlayment and approved in writing by the flooring and adhesive manufacturers, so that they do not telegraph through the installed flooring.
6.1.5 Expansion joints and isolation joints in the slab shall not be filled and shall be carried through the flooring with an expansion joint cover, and the flooring shall not be bonded across them.
6.1.6 Slabs on grade and below grade shall have an under-slab vapor retarder specified under Vapor Barriers Under SlabUnder-Slab Vapor BarriersResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/vapor-barriers-under-slab, and where the Contractor cannot confirm that one is present the slab shall be treated as a slab without one.
6.1.7 Slabs on grade and below grade shall be confirmed to be above Seasonal High Groundwater ElevationSeasonal High Groundwater ElevationParameterEach project supplies its own value.seasonal-high-groundwater-elevation before flooring is installed, and where they are not, the moisture mitigation measure shall be one its manufacturer rates for hydrostatic conditions.
6.1.8 The substrate porosity shall be determined in accordance with ASTM F3191 where the adhesive manufacturer publishes different application requirements for porous and nonporous substrates.
6.1.9 The Contractor shall inspect and accept the substrate in writing before installation begins.
NOTE Accepting a substrate that is contaminated, wet, or untested transfers a known defect into the finished floor; the resulting failure is not a product defect, is not covered by the flooring manufacturer's warranty, and is charged to the party that accepted the substrate. (6.1.10)
NOTE Curing compounds and sealers left on a slab are the most common contaminant and the easiest to miss, because a slab that looks clean can carry a film that no flooring adhesive bonds through. A water drop that beads rather than darkens the surface is the usual first indication, and the ASTM F3191 porosity test is the formal version of the same observation. (6.1.11)
NOTE A resilient floor is thin and flexible and follows everything beneath it, so a filled control joint telegraphs as a line if the filler is not flush and an unfilled joint telegraphs as a groove; a moving joint, by contrast, tears a covering bonded across it. (6.1.12)

6.2 Substrate Flatness

6.2.1 The substrate shall be flat within the tolerance indicated in the datasheet, measured as the maximum gap beneath a 10 ft straightedge placed anywhere on the surface.
Substrate Flatness Tolerance in 10 ftrange
Not more than
in
0.06250.1250.18750.25
6.2.2 High spots shall be ground down and low spots filled with a self-leveling underlayment or patching compound specified under Cementitious Self Leveling UnderlaymentCementitious Self-Leveling UnderlaymentResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/cementitious-self-leveling-underlayment and approved in writing by the flooring and adhesive manufacturers.
6.2.3 The Contractor shall verify flatness after patching and before flooring is installed, and shall record the locations checked.
6.2.4 The party whose work created an out-of-tolerance condition shall bear the cost of correcting it, and where the parties disagree about the origin of the condition the Architect of Record shall make the initial determination.
NOTE The 3/16 in tolerance is the figure ASTM F710 states for resilient flooring. A tighter tolerance is the one to select for a floating rigid core plank, whose locking joints work in bending over every hollow, and for a thin homogeneous sheet under grazing light, which shows every ridge beneath it; a thicker rubber tile or a cushioned heterogeneous sheet masks a substrate that a thin tile would reveal. (6.2.5)

6.3 Concrete Moisture and Alkalinity Testing

6.3.1 Concrete substrates shall be tested for internal relative humidity in accordance with ASTM F2170 before flooring, adhesive, or mitigation material is ordered.
6.3.2 Supplementary moisture vapor emission rate testing in accordance with ASTM F1869 shall be performed where the datasheet requires it.
Supplementary Moisture Vapor Emission Rate Testing, ASTM F1869radio
○ Required
● Not required
6.3.3 The slab internal relative humidity shall not exceed the limit indicated in the datasheet.
Slab Internal Relative Humidity Limit, ASTM F2170range
Not more than
% RH
6065707580859095100
Derived — the published limits of the specified flooring, adhesive, and any mitigation measure, the lowest governing
6.3.4 Where supplementary emission rate testing is required, the moisture vapor emission rate shall not exceed the limit indicated in the datasheet.
Moisture Vapor Emission Rate Limit, ASTM F1869range
Not more than
lb/1000 ft²/24 h
123456810
Derived — the published limits of the specified flooring and adhesive, the lower governing
6.3.5 The surface pH of the concrete shall be tested in accordance with the ASTM F710 procedure at each moisture test location and shall not exceed the limit indicated in the datasheet.
Slab Surface pH Limit, ASTM F710range
Not more than
789101112
Derived — the published limits of the specified adhesive and any mitigation measure, the lower governing
6.3.6 In-situ probes shall be placed at 40 percent of the slab depth for slabs drying from one side and at 20 percent of the slab depth for slabs drying from two sides, and shall be allowed to equilibrate for the period ASTM F2170 requires before a reading is recorded.
6.3.7 Testing shall include three test locations in the first 1000 ft² of slab area and one additional location for each additional 1000 ft² or fraction thereof.
6.3.8 Test locations shall include the areas of the slab most likely to be wet, including areas adjacent to below-grade walls, construction joints, the lowest point of the slab, and areas that were exposed to weather during construction.
6.3.9 The installation area shall be held within the ambient range this standard requires for not less than 48 hours before testing and throughout the test period.
6.3.10 Where a datasheet limit and a manufacturer's published limit differ, the lower limit shall govern.
6.3.11 Where any measured value exceeds the governing limit, flooring shall not be installed until a moisture mitigation measure rated for the measured condition has been installed in accordance with this standard.
6.3.12 The Contractor shall bear the cost of retesting after a failed test and the cost of any mitigation measure made necessary by a substrate condition the Contractor's own work caused.
NOTE The acceptance limits follow from the product rather than from a number fixed here because they belong to the adhesive and the covering: a standard acrylic adhesive may carry a limit near 75 to 80 percent relative humidity, an elevated-moisture adhesive from the same manufacturer one of 90 to 95 percent, a vapor-permeable linoleum a different limit from a sheet vinyl that traps vapor beneath it, and a mitigation membrane its own. A single number in the specification either forbids an adhesive that is rated for the slab or admits one that is not, which is why the field derives its value and a project overrides it only to tighten it. (6.3.13)
NOTE ASTM F1869 measures only the top 1/2 in to 3/4 in of the slab, so a slab whose surface has dried while its interior remains wet passes it and fails in service; ASTM F2170 reads the slab at depth and is the method the flooring and adhesive manufacturers rely on. The emission rate test is selected as a supplement where an adhesive manufacturer still publishes its limit in those units. (6.3.14)
NOTE Electrical impedance meters covered by ASTM F2659 map wet areas quickly and are useful for choosing probe locations, but they are a comparative screening tool and not a substitute for an ASTM F2170 result. (6.3.15)
NOTE Alkalinity is a separate failure path from moisture. Water migrating through the slab carries hydroxides to the surface, and a surface pH above the adhesive's limit saponifies the adhesive polymer directly, so a slab can read dry enough and still debond the flooring; the failure usually presents as a dark, gummy adhesive line that is blamed on moisture. (6.3.16)

6.4 Moisture Mitigation

6.4.1 The moisture mitigation measure shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Moisture Mitigation Measureradio
○ No mitigation measure
○ Elevated-moisture adhesive rated for the measured slab condition
○ Two-component resin moisture mitigation membrane in accordance with ASTM F3010
○ Sheet-applied moisture mitigation membrane
○ Cementitious moisture suppression underlayment over a mitigation primer
Derived — the measured slab internal relative humidity and surface pH relative to the limits published by the flooring and adhesive manufacturers (by default)
6.4.2 A mitigation product shall be rated by its manufacturer for the internal relative humidity and surface pH actually measured in the slab, and a generic rating shall not be accepted.
6.4.3 A mitigation membrane shall be installed over the full slab area receiving flooring and shall be continuous at penetrations, joints, and the perimeter.
6.4.4 The slab shall be prepared to the surface profile the membrane manufacturer requires before the membrane is applied, and a membrane applied over a slab that was not profiled shall be removed and reapplied at the Contractor's cost.
6.4.5 The adhesive used over a mitigation membrane shall be a product the membrane manufacturer and the flooring manufacturer both approve in writing for that combination.
6.4.6 Where a mitigation membrane is installed, the Contractor shall test the cured membrane for pinholes, holidays, and bond in accordance with the membrane manufacturer's written procedure, and shall repair defects before flooring is installed.
6.4.7 Where a mitigation membrane is installed, the patching or self-leveling underlayment placed over it shall be a product the membrane manufacturer approves and shall be applied over the primer the membrane manufacturer requires.
NOTE The measure follows from the reading, not the reverse. An elevated-moisture adhesive is the least costly measure and is enough where the slab reads modestly above a standard adhesive's limit and within the elevated adhesive's; a two-component resin membrane to ASTM F3010 blocks vapor from a slab at or near saturation and is the measure the flooring manufacturers accept for the highest readings; a sheet membrane does the same without a cure period and with a thickness that has to be reconciled at transitions; and a cementitious suppression system adds flatness correction to the mitigation at the cost of thickness and drying time. A membrane rated below the slab's reading fails as reliably as no membrane. (6.4.8)

6.5 Wood Panel Substrates and Underlayment

6.5.1 Where resilient flooring is installed over a wood structural panel subfloor specified under Wood SheathingWood Structural Panel SheathingResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/wood-sheathing, an underlayment panel shall be installed over the subfloor and prepared in accordance with ASTM F1482.
6.5.2 The underlayment panel shall be a plywood or other panel product the flooring manufacturer approves in writing for resilient flooring, not less than 1/4 in thick, with a fully sanded face free of voids, patches that can telegraph, and surface treatments that can stain the flooring.
6.5.3 Underlayment panels shall be fastened at the spacing the panel manufacturer publishes, with the fastener heads set flush or below the surface, and panel joints shall be offset from the subfloor joints.
6.5.4 Panel joints and fastener heads shall be filled with a patching compound the flooring manufacturer approves and sanded flush so that they do not telegraph through the installed flooring.
6.5.5 Wood panel substrates shall be tested for moisture content before flooring is installed, and the moisture content shall not exceed the limit the flooring and adhesive manufacturers publish.
6.5.6 Crawl spaces beneath a wood panel substrate shall be ventilated or conditioned and shall have a ground vapor retarder before flooring is installed.
NOTE Resilient flooring is thin enough to show the grain, the patches, and the fastener heads of the panel beneath it, and an underlayment panel exists to put a smooth, stable, sanded surface between the structural subfloor and the covering. A panel that flexes under load works the adhesive bond and the seams until they fail, and a panel with a tropical hardwood face can bleed tannin through a light-colored sheet. (6.5.7)

6.6 Gypsum Underlayment and Existing Floor Substrates

6.6.1 Where resilient flooring is installed over a poured gypsum underlayment, the underlayment shall be prepared, sealed or primed, and tested in accordance with ASTM F2419, and the adhesive shall be a product its manufacturer approves in writing over gypsum.
6.6.2 Where resilient flooring is installed over a poured gypsum underlayment, the underlayment shall have the compressive strength the flooring manufacturer requires for the service loads and installation method, and a gypsum underlayment that dusts, scratches readily, or is below that strength shall not be accepted as a substrate.
6.6.3 Existing resilient flooring and existing adhesive residue shall not be used as a substrate unless the flooring manufacturer approves the specific existing condition in writing, and where they are not approved they shall be removed to a clean substrate.
6.6.4 Existing flooring, adhesive, and patching that may contain asbestos shall not be sanded, ground, bead-blasted, or dry-scraped under this standard, and the Contractor shall not disturb them until the Owner's hazardous materials provisions have been applied.
NOTE A gypsum underlayment is softer and more absorptive than concrete, and it holds water differently, so the sealer the manufacturer requires is what makes a flooring adhesive bond to it, and the compressive strength is what keeps a cart wheel from crushing the surface beneath the flooring. (6.6.5)
NOTE Resilient flooring installed before the 1980s and the cutback adhesive beneath it commonly contain asbestos, and the work practices that keep the fibers bound are not within the flooring trade's scope, which is why an existing floor is either accepted as a substrate in writing or dealt with under the hazardous materials provisions before this work starts. (6.6.6)

6.7 Raised Access Floor Substrates

6.7.1 Where resilient tile is installed over a raised access floor specified under Raised Access FlooringRaised Access FlooringResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/raised-access-flooring, the tile shall be a product the flooring manufacturer approves for access floor service, attached with a releasable adhesive or connector system the access floor manufacturer approves in writing.
6.7.2 Resilient tile over an access floor shall be cut and bonded to individual panels so that each panel can be lifted with its tile, unless the Contract Documents require the tile to be laid across the panel joints.
6.7.3 The access floor panels shall be clean, level, and seated before tile is laid, and the Contractor shall not install tile over a panel that rocks or sits proud of its neighbors.
6.7.4 Where static control flooring is installed over an access floor, the tile and its adhesive shall be electrically continuous with the access floor understructure, and the understructure's grounding is specified under Raised Access FlooringRaised Access FlooringResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/raised-access-flooring.
NOTE An access floor is lifted panel by panel for its service life, and resilient tile that spans a panel joint is cut every time a panel comes up; bonding the tile panel by panel shows the grid at every joint and keeps every panel liftable, which is why it is the default for a floor that exists to be opened. (6.7.5)

7 Product Type and Construction

7.1 Product Type

7.1.1 The resilient flooring product type shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Resilient Flooring Product Typeselect
Luxury vinyl tile and plank, ASTM F1700
Rigid core vinyl plank, ASTM F3261
Vinyl composition tile, ASTM F1066
Homogeneous sheet vinyl, ASTM F1913
Heterogeneous sheet vinyl with backing, ASTM F1303
Rubber tile, ASTM F1344
Rubber sheet without backing, ASTM F1859
Rubber sheet with backing, ASTM F1860
Sheet linoleum, ASTM F2034
Linoleum tile, ASTM F2195
7.1.2 Each product shall comply with its governing ASTM specification for composition, dimensions, squareness, thickness tolerance, dimensional stability, flexibility, residual indentation, resistance to chemicals, resistance to heat, and resistance to light, as that specification requires.
7.1.3 Tile and plank sizes, the installation pattern, and the direction of plank and directional tile shall be as indicated on the finish plans.
7.1.4 Vinyl composition tile shall be ASTM F1066 Class 2 through-pattern tile unless the datasheet or the Contract Documents select Class 1 solid color or Class 3 surface-pattern tile.
7.1.5 Rubber flooring shall be delivered with any factory mold release film removed or shall be cleaned of it before the initial finish or turnover, as the flooring manufacturer directs.
NOTE The families trade durability, maintenance, hygiene, comfort, and cost against one another rather than ranking on a single scale. Luxury vinyl tile and plank carries a printed design under a clear wear layer, offers the widest range of visuals, installs by adhesive, and is replaced rather than restored once the wear layer is breached; rigid core plank adds a stone or wood polymer composite core that lets it float over a substrate the glue-down products would telegraph, at the cost of a thicker transition and a lower surface temperature limit; vinyl composition tile is the least costly material and the most costly to maintain, because its appearance depends on a floor finish that is stripped and recoated for the life of the floor; homogeneous sheet vinyl carries its color through its full thickness, welds into a seamless surface, and is the healthcare and laboratory product; heterogeneous sheet puts a thinner wear layer over a cushioned or fibrous backing that quiets the floor and masks the substrate; rubber tile and sheet give the best underfoot resilience, slip resistance, and sound absorption, resist cigarette burns and indentation, and cost the most; and linoleum is a bio-based product with inherent bacteriostatic behavior and a long service life that is sensitive to alkaline cleaners and to slab alkalinity. (7.1.6)
NOTE Sheet goods and tile or plank differ in where the water goes. A welded sheet floor has no joints for mop water or a spill to enter, which is the whole case for it in a patient room, an operating suite, or a wet laboratory; a tile floor has a joint every foot or two, each of which is a path to the adhesive and the substrate, which is why tile belongs in dry rooms and why a tile floor over a wet slab fails at its joints first. (7.1.7)
NOTE Linoleum leaves the factory with a yellow cast from the oxidation of its linseed oil binder that fades within days of exposure to light, and a sample compared against an installed floor under the wrong light reads as a different color; the color is judged after the cast has cleared. (7.1.8)

7.2 Vinyl Tile and Plank Class

7.2.1 Where luxury vinyl tile and plank is the product type, the ASTM F1700 class shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
ASTM F1700 Classselect
Class I, monolithic vinyl tile
Class II, surface-decorated vinyl tile
Class III, printed film vinyl tile
7.2.2 The surface texture shall be ASTM F1700 Type A smooth or Type B embossed as the approved sample indicates.
NOTE Class I is solid vinyl colored through its thickness, so it wears without a visible change and is restored by refinishing; Class II carries decorative chips or flakes in a clear vinyl matrix; and Class III carries a printed design film beneath a clear wear layer and is what the market calls luxury vinyl tile, offering every wood and stone visual at the cost of a design that disappears when the wear layer is worn through. (7.2.3)

7.3 Wear Layer Thickness

7.3.1 Where the product carries a clear wear layer over a printed or decorative layer, the wear layer thickness shall be not less than the value indicated in the datasheet.
Wear Layer Thicknessrange
Not less than
mil
68122022283040
7.3.2 The wear layer thickness requirement applies to ASTM F1700 Class II and Class III tile and plank, ASTM F3261 rigid core plank, and ASTM F1303 heterogeneous sheet, and does not apply to homogeneous products that carry their color through their full thickness.
NOTE The wear layer is the clear sacrificial stratum that carries the traffic and protects the printed design beneath it, and on a printed product it is the single property that sets the service life: once it is breached the design is gone and the floor is replaced rather than restored. Six and eight mil layers are residential grades; 12 mil serves light commercial use; 20 mil is the common commercial specification for offices and retail; and 28 to 40 mil layers serve corridors, classrooms, healthcare, and other heavy-traffic institutional rooms where rolling loads and grit are constant. (7.3.3)

7.4 Overall Thickness

7.4.1 The overall thickness of the flooring shall be not less than the value indicated in the datasheet.
Overall Thicknessrange
Not less than
mm
1.522.533.23.544.5568
7.4.2 Vinyl composition tile shall be the nominal 1/8 in thickness ASTM F1066 references unless the datasheet indicates another thickness the specification permits.
7.4.3 Finish floor elevations and transitions at every boundary between resilient flooring and an adjacent floor finish shall be as detailed on the interior finish details.
NOTE Overall thickness governs indentation resistance, acoustic performance, the installation method, and the transition detail, but no resilient product bridges a substrate defect: a thicker product telegraphs less and the substrate is still prepared flat. Glue-down vinyl tile and plank and homogeneous sheet run 2 to 3 mm; vinyl composition tile is 3.2 mm; rigid core plank runs 4 to 8 mm and floats on the strength of its core; rubber tile runs 2.5 to 5 mm, with the thicker gauges selected for fitness rooms and stairs; and linoleum runs 2 to 4 mm, with the heavier gauges selected for the heaviest traffic. (7.4.4)

8 Performance Properties

8.1 Fire Performance

8.1.1 The critical radiant flux class of each flooring product shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Critical Radiant Flux Classselect
Class I
Class II
No critical radiant flux class required at the location
Derived — the floor finish class IBC Chapter 8 requires under Adopted Building CodeAdopted Building CodeParameterEach project supplies its own value.adopted-building-code for the occupancy group and for the location of the flooring, whether within an exit enclosure, exit passageway, or corridor or within a room (by default)
8.1.2 Where a critical radiant flux class is required, the flooring shall be tested in accordance with ASTM E648 or NFPA 253 as a system with the specified adhesive over the substrate type the test report identifies, and a report covering a different adhesive or substrate shall not be accepted as evidence for the specified assembly.
8.1.3 The smoke density limit applied to the flooring shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Smoke Density Limitradio
○ Limit required
● Not required
8.1.4 Where a smoke density limit is required, the specific optical density of the flooring shall not exceed 450 in the flaming mode when tested in accordance with ASTM E662, which is technically equivalent to NFPA 258.
NOTE Class I is a critical radiant flux of not less than 0.45 W/cm² and Class II of not less than 0.22 W/cm², both measured to ASTM E648. The class follows from the code and the location rather than from a preference: flooring within an exit enclosure, exit passageway, or corridor carries the class the code assigns to that location for the occupancy group, with Class I required in the institutional occupancies where occupants cannot evacuate themselves, and flooring within a room carries no class unless the Owner's program adds one. (8.1.5)
NOTE The radiant panel test measures how much radiant heat the floor needs before it propagates flame along a corridor, which is the hazard the code regulates in the means of egress, and the result belongs to the assembly rather than the covering alone because the adhesive and the substrate feed or starve the flame. The smoke limit is a separate requirement that healthcare, transportation, and high-rise programs add because smoke obscures the exit before the fire reaches it. (8.1.6)

8.2 Slip Resistance

8.2.1 The slip resistance of each flooring product shall be measured by the test basis indicated in the datasheet.
Slip Resistance Test Basisradio
● Dynamic coefficient of friction, ANSI A326.3
○ Static coefficient of friction, ASTM D2047
8.2.2 Where the dynamic coefficient of friction is the test basis, the wet dynamic coefficient of friction measured in accordance with ANSI A326.3 shall be not less than the value indicated in the datasheet.
Wet Dynamic Coefficient of Friction, ANSI A326.3range
Not less than
0.30.350.420.450.50.550.6
8.2.3 Where the static coefficient of friction is the test basis, the static coefficient of friction measured in accordance with ASTM D2047 shall be not less than the value indicated in the datasheet.
Static Coefficient of Friction, ASTM D2047range
Not less than
0.40.50.60.7
8.2.4 Ramps, areas that are wet in service, and areas exposed to grease or oil shall be evaluated against the use classification ANSI A326.3 assigns to that condition rather than against the level interior value.
8.2.5 Where a floor finish is applied in the field, the slip resistance requirement applies to the finished surface as maintained under the flooring manufacturer's program, and the finish shall be a product whose coefficient of friction the finish manufacturer publishes.
NOTE ANSI A326.3 measures the dynamic coefficient under a wet condition and sets 0.42 as its threshold for level interior spaces expected to be walked on when wet, with higher use classifications for ramps, wet areas, and grease exposure; it is the method the flooring manufacturers now publish against. ASTM D2047 is the older static method for polish-coated floors and is the basis an Owner's maintenance program or an older specification carries, with 0.5 as the value those programs cite. The two numbers are not convertible, which is why the basis is selected before the value. (8.2.6)
NOTE Slip resistance is a property of the surface as maintained rather than of the product alone. A floor finish, a worn embossing, a residue from the wrong cleaner, or a buffing pad each change the result, and a value measured on a new sample describes the first week of service. (8.2.7)

8.3 Static Load and Indentation

8.3.1 Flooring in areas that carry concentrated static loads from furnishings, shelving, casework, or equipment shall have a static load limit, measured in accordance with ASTM F970 with a residual indentation not exceeding 0.005 in, of not less than the value indicated in the datasheet.
Static Load Limit, ASTM F970range
Not less than
psi
751252505007501000150020002500
8.3.2 Where the datasheet states no static load limit, the flooring shall meet the static load requirement of its governing ASTM specification, and the flooring manufacturer shall report its tested static load limit in the product data.
8.3.3 Short-term and residual indentation shall be measured in accordance with ASTM F1914 where the governing ASTM specification requires it.
8.3.4 Loads that exceed the specified static load limit shall be carried on load-distributing bearing plates sized to bring the bearing pressure within the limit.
NOTE Resilient flooring recovers from the loads foot traffic applies, and a sustained point load is what defeats it: a file cabinet leg, a shelving standard, or a bed caster parked in one place presses a permanent dimple into a product rated below the pressure it applies. Vinyl composition tile carries the 75 psi limit its specification requires; glue-down vinyl tile and plank commonly carry 250 to 2500 psi depending on construction; and rubber and homogeneous sheet sit toward the high end, which is why the equipment rooms and the storage rooms are the ones where the limit is specified rather than left to the product. (8.3.5)

8.4 Chemical Resistance

8.4.1 The chemical resistance requirement applied to the flooring shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Chemical Resistance Requirementradio
○ Resistance to the ASTM F925 standard reagent list
○ Resistance to the reagents listed in the Contract Documents
● No requirement beyond the governing product specification
8.4.2 Where a chemical resistance requirement applies, the flooring shall be tested in accordance with ASTM F925 against the applicable reagents and shall show no more than a slight change in surface dulling, attack, or staining after the exposure period.
8.4.3 Where the Contract Documents list project-specific reagents, the flooring and the seam treatment shall both be documented for resistance to those reagents.
NOTE Every governing product specification already requires resistance to the household and institutional agents ASTM F925 lists, so most projects need nothing more. The full standard reagent list is selected for a laboratory, a pharmacy, or a treatment room where the floor sees reagents and disinfectants daily, and a project-specific list is written where a process chemical, a dialysis acid, or a specific disinfectant is known, because a product that shrugs off bleach can soften under a phenolic or stain under an iodine. (8.4.4)

8.5 Low-Emitting Materials

8.5.1 The flooring, wall base, adhesive, and seam sealer shall meet the low-emitting materials requirements indicated in the datasheet.
Low-Emitting Materials Requirementscheckbox
☑ Flooring and wall base emissions tested to the CDPH Standard Method v1.2 with third-party certification
☐ Adhesive and seam sealer emissions tested to the CDPH Standard Method v1.2 with third-party certification
☑ Adhesive and seam sealer VOC content within the SCAQMD Rule 1168 limits
8.5.2 Where emissions testing is required, the certification shall cover the specific product and color line submitted, and a certificate for a different line from the same manufacturer shall not be accepted.
NOTE The emissions test and the content limit answer different questions. The CDPH Standard Method measures what a product releases into a room over time, which is what the green building rating systems credit and what an occupant breathes; the SCAQMD Rule 1168 limits cap what an adhesive contains as applied, which is what the installer breathes and what the adopted air quality rules regulate. An adhesive can meet the content limit and still emit for weeks, which is why the adhesive emissions test is the one to add in a healthcare or school project that occupies the room soon after the floor goes down. (8.5.3)

9 Static Control Flooring

9.1 Requirements in this article apply where the datasheet indicates a static control requirement.
9.2 The static control requirement shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Static Control Requirementselect
No static control requirement
Static-dissipative flooring, resistance to ground 1.0 × 10⁶ Ω to 1.0 × 10⁹ Ω
Conductive flooring, resistance to ground 2.5 × 10⁴ Ω to 1.0 × 10⁶ Ω
9.3 Static control flooring shall be a vinyl or rubber product within this standard's product families whose resistance to ground, measured in accordance with ANSI/ESD STM7.1 and ASTM F150, falls within the range indicated in the datasheet.
9.4 Static control flooring shall be installed with the conductive adhesive the flooring manufacturer supplies or approves in writing for its static control system, and a standard adhesive shall not be substituted.
9.5 Copper grounding strips shall be laid in the conductive adhesive at the spacing and length the flooring manufacturer requires, with not fewer than one strip in every room and one strip for every 1000 ft² of flooring, and each strip shall terminate at a connection to the building grounding system.
9.6 The grounding connections shall be located as indicated on the static control grounding plan, and the grounding electrode system and bonding conductor they connect to are specified under Grounding And BondingGrounding and Bonding for Electrical SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/grounding-and-bonding.
9.7 Where the Owner's static control program under ANSI/ESD S20.20 specifies a system resistance in combination with footwear, the installed floor shall also be tested in accordance with ANSI/ESD STM97.1 with the footwear the program specifies.
9.8 After installation and after the adhesive has cured for the period the flooring manufacturer requires, the Contractor shall test the resistance to ground at not fewer than five locations in each room and one location for every 500 ft² of static control flooring in accordance with ASTM F150, and shall submit the results.
9.9 Flooring whose measured resistance falls outside the specified range shall be corrected or replaced at the Contractor's cost and retested.
9.10 A floor finish or sealer shall not be applied to static control flooring unless the flooring manufacturer approves the specific product in writing as maintaining the specified resistance.
NOTE The two ranges serve different programs. A static-dissipative floor drains a charge slowly enough that a person touching a grounded component is not a shock hazard and is what an electronics assembly or repair room under ANSI/ESD S20.20 ordinarily specifies; a conductive floor drains charge faster and is the range a munitions, flammable vapor, or specific equipment program calls for, where the lower resistance is required and the shock risk is managed by the program's other controls. Neither range is met by a product alone: the adhesive, the grounding strips, the connection to ground, and the absence of an insulating finish on top are each part of the measured value. (9.11)
NOTE Static control resilient flooring and static control resinous flooring under Resinous FlooringResinous FlooringResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/resinous-flooring meet the same program ranges by different constructions, and the choice between them follows the room: a resilient tile is replaced panel by panel and suits a room that is refitted, while a seamless resinous floor suits a wet-process or cleanroom condition. (9.12)

10 Adhesives

10.1 The adhesive for each flooring product shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Adhesive Typeselect
Pressure-sensitive acrylic
Transitional acrylic
Hard-set acrylic
Two-component epoxy
Two-component urethane
One-component moisture-cure urethane
Conductive adhesive for static control flooring
Derived — the specified product type, installation method, substrate porosity, and the measured substrate condition, per the flooring manufacturer's written instructions (by default)
10.2 The adhesive shall be a product the flooring manufacturer approves in writing for the specified product over the specified substrate, mitigation measure, and porosity condition.
10.3 The adhesive for wall base shall be a cove base adhesive the base manufacturer approves, and a contact adhesive shall be used where the base manufacturer requires it over nonporous wall surfaces.
10.4 Adhesives shall be applied with the trowel notch, coverage rate, open time, and working time the adhesive manufacturer publishes for the product, the substrate porosity, and the ambient conditions.
NOTE The adhesive types trade bond strength against reworkability and moisture tolerance. A pressure-sensitive acrylic dries to a tacky film before the flooring is laid, lets a tile be lifted and relaid, and is the adhesive for vinyl tile and plank and for loose lay perimeters; a transitional acrylic is laid into while still wet for a stronger bond and still permits adjustment for a short period; a hard-set acrylic cures rigid, carries rolling loads, and is the adhesive for vinyl composition tile, sheet vinyl, and linoleum; a two-component epoxy or urethane gives the highest bond strength, resists moisture and rolling loads, and is the adhesive for rubber, for wet rooms, and for a slab near its moisture limit, at the cost of a short working time and no reworkability; a one-component moisture-cure urethane serves rubber and heavy sheet goods where a two-component mix is impractical; and a conductive adhesive carries carbon or metallic filler that completes the static control circuit and is used only with static control flooring. (10.5)
NOTE Using the wrong adhesive produces one of two floors: one that never bonds, because a pressure-sensitive film cannot hold a cart-loaded sheet, or one that cannot be maintained, because a hard-set adhesive under a tile meant to be lifted makes every repair a demolition. (10.6)

11 Installation Method and Seams

11.1 Installation Method

11.1.1 The installation method shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Installation Methodselect
Full-spread adhesive
Loose lay with perimeter and seam adhesive
Floating with mechanical locking joints
Interlocking tile without adhesive
11.1.2 The installation method shall be one the flooring manufacturer approves in writing for the specified product over the specified substrate.
11.1.3 Unless the datasheet selects it, loose lay, floating, and interlocking installation shall not be used in areas that receive rolling loads or that are wet in service.
11.1.4 A floating floor shall be installed with the perimeter expansion space and the maximum run between expansion breaks the flooring manufacturer publishes, and the expansion space shall be covered by the wall base or a transition and shall not be filled.
11.1.5 A floating floor shall not be pinned by cabinetry, fixed equipment, or fasteners set through the flooring into the substrate.
NOTE Full-spread adhesive bonds the covering to the substrate across its whole area, resists rolling loads, edge curl, and movement better than any other method, and is the method nearly all commercial resilient flooring is installed by; loose lay uses a heavy, dimensionally stable product held by its own weight and friction with adhesive only at the perimeter and seams, which makes it the quickest to replace and the least tolerant of carts and of direct sun; floating rigid core plank joins at its locking edges and never touches the substrate with adhesive, which lets it go over a substrate that would otherwise need patching and over an existing floor the manufacturer approves, and puts all of its movement at the perimeter, where a single pinned point buckles the field; and interlocking rubber tile serves a fitness room or a temporary floor where the tile is lifted and relaid. (11.1.6)

11.2 Sheet Seam Treatment

11.2.1 Where sheet flooring is the product type, the seam treatment shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Sheet Seam Treatmentselect
Heat welded
Chemically welded
Seam sealer applied without welding
Butt seams without sealer
11.2.2 Heat welded seams shall be grooved to the depth and width the flooring manufacturer specifies, welded with the manufacturer's weld rod at the temperature and speed the manufacturer publishes, and skived flush in two passes after the weld has cooled.
11.2.3 The weld rod color shall match the field color unless a contrasting color is indicated on the room finish schedule.
11.2.4 Chemically welded seams shall be made with the seam sealer or solvent weld the flooring manufacturer supplies for the product, applied to a net-fit seam within the period after adhesive placement the manufacturer specifies.
11.2.5 Welding shall not begin until the adhesive has cured for the period the flooring manufacturer requires.
11.2.6 In healthcare treatment rooms, laboratories, food preparation areas, and other rooms the Contract Documents designate as requiring a sealed floor, every seam and the flash cove shall be welded so that no unsealed joint remains in the floor surface.
NOTE A heat weld fuses a rod of the same material into a routed groove and produces a seam that is as impervious and as hard-wearing as the field, which is why it is the treatment for every room that is mopped, disinfected, or crossed by carts; a chemical weld dissolves the two edges into one another without a groove, is nearly invisible, and is the treatment for a heterogeneous sheet whose backing a heat weld would burn and for a residential-grade vinyl; a sealed seam closes the joint against surface water without fusing it and suits a dry room with a product the manufacturer does not weld; and an unsealed butt seam is an open joint that is selected only where the seam is temporary or the product is removed and relaid. Linoleum is heat welded, and a chemical weld does not take on it. (11.2.7)

11.3 Integral Flash Cove Base

11.3.1 Where sheet flooring is the product type, the wall base condition shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Flash Cove Baseradio
○ Integral flash cove base formed from the sheet flooring
● Separate wall base
11.3.2 Where an integral flash cove is selected, the sheet flooring shall be carried up the wall over a cove stick of the radius the flooring manufacturer specifies to the wall base height indicated under Wall Base, and shall terminate in a cap strip or a trimmed top edge the manufacturer approves.
11.3.3 The flash cove shall be welded at every seam, at every inside and outside corner, and at the cap strip where the manufacturer's detail welds it, with the same seam treatment as the field.
11.3.4 Inside and outside corners of a flash cove shall be formed as the flooring manufacturer details, with the corner piece welded on both legs.
11.3.5 The flash cove detail shall be as indicated on the interior finish details.
NOTE A flash cove turns the floor up the wall as one continuous surface with no joint at the floor line, which is the detail that lets a patient room or a laboratory be flood-mopped and disinfected without soaking a wall base joint. It costs a welded corner at every change in direction and a cove stick at every wall, and it requires that the wall be straight and plumb to the base height, which is why it is selected room by room rather than as a building default. (11.3.6)

12 Wall Base

12.1 Wall Base Material and Style

12.1.1 Resilient wall base shall comply with ASTM F1861 and shall be of the material type indicated in the datasheet.
Wall Base Materialselect
Thermoset vulcanized rubber, ASTM F1861 Type TS
Thermoplastic rubber, ASTM F1861 Type TP
Thermoplastic vinyl, ASTM F1861 Type TV
12.1.2 The wall base style shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Wall Base Styleselect
Style A, straight base
Style B, cove base with toe
Style C, butt-to base
12.1.3 Resilient wall base at walls where carpet is the floor finish shall be Style C butt-to base or Style A straight base, and a toed cove base shall not be installed against carpet.
12.1.4 Resilient wall base at walls where resilient or hard flooring is the floor finish shall be a toed Style B cove base unless the datasheet selects another style.
12.1.5 Wall base shall be provided at every wall, column, and casework toe kick where the room finish schedule indicates it, and at the exposed edge of every flash cove where the flash cove does not continue.
NOTE The three materials differ in how they hold their shape and their color. Thermoset rubber is vulcanized, holds a corner formed in the field, resists scuffing and the heat of a floor burnisher, and costs the most; thermoplastic rubber forms corners more readily and matches a wider color range at lower cost, and softens against a burnisher pad; and thermoplastic vinyl is the least costly, is formed on a heat gun rather than by hand, and scuffs and shrinks more readily, which shows at the joints. All three are available in the same profiles and heights, so the choice is a maintenance and budget one rather than a detail one. (12.1.6)
NOTE The style follows the floor it meets. A toed cove base covers the cut edge of a hard or resilient floor and sheds mop water back onto the floor, which is why it is the base against tile, sheet, and plank; a straight base has no toe and is the base against carpet, where a toe would ride up on the pile, and against a wood floor whose expansion gap the base covers without bearing on the flooring; and a butt-to base is a straight base with a relieved back edge made to sit tight against the carpet pile. (12.1.7)

12.2 Wall Base Height and Thickness

12.2.1 The wall base height shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Wall Base Heightrange
in
2.5344.568
12.2.2 The wall base thickness shall be not less than the value indicated in the datasheet.
Wall Base Thicknessrange
Not less than
in
0.080.125
12.2.3 Where a flash cove is selected, the flash cove height shall be the wall base height indicated in the datasheet.
NOTE The 4 in height is the convention for most rooms and is what the wall protection, casework, and door frame details across the trades assume. A 6 in base is selected in healthcare corridors and food service rooms where the mop and the cart hit higher, and a 2.5 in base where a millwork or reveal detail wants a thinner line. The 1/8 in thickness is the standard commercial gauge; the 0.080 in gauge conforms to an irregular wall more readily and is selected where the wall is rough, at the cost of showing every joint. (12.2.4)

12.3 Wall Base Corners and Installation

12.3.1 Wall base corners shall be formed as indicated in the datasheet.
Wall Base Cornersradio
○ Field formed
○ Preformed molded inside and outside corners
12.3.2 Wall base shall be furnished in coils or in the longest straight lengths the base manufacturer offers for the specified type, and joints shall be made with the ends tightly butted and located away from corners and door frames.
12.3.3 Wall base shall be adhered to the wall only and shall not be adhered to the floor finish or set into the flooring adhesive, so that a floating floor or a wood floor beneath it remains free to move.
12.3.4 Wall base shall be installed over the finished wall surface after the final coat of paint, and the base adhesive shall be a product the base manufacturer approves over that surface.
12.3.5 Wall base shall be rolled or pressed into full contact with the wall after placement, and base that bridges a hollow in the wall shall be removed and reset over a filled surface.
12.3.6 Wall base shall be scribed to door frames, casework, and wall protection so that no gap is visible at the top or ends of the base.
NOTE A field-formed corner is cut and wrapped from the running base and matches it in color and gauge exactly, which is the convention for thermoset rubber; a preformed molded corner is a separate molded part that never cracks or opens at the bend and is selected for thermoplastic vinyl, whose field-formed corners whiten and split, and for a healthcare corridor where the corner takes repeated cart impact. The joint between a preformed corner and the running base shows as a line, and a molded corner that is a different lot from the base shows as a color step. (12.3.7)

13 Transitions and Accessories

13.1 Transition Strips and Reducers

13.1.1 Resilient flooring shall be finished at every change in floor finish, every change in finish floor elevation, and every doorway where the flooring stops with a transition strip or reducer of the material indicated in the datasheet.
Transition Strip Material at Resilient Flooring Edgesselect
Vinyl reducer
Rubber reducer
Rubber T-molding
Extruded aluminum
Brass or bronze
Stone or solid surface threshold
Per drawings — the interior finish details (deferred by default)
13.1.2 Transition profiles shall be fastened or adhered to the substrate rather than to the flooring, so that a floating floor remains free to move beneath them.
13.1.3 The transition to carpet, ceramic and porcelain tile, natural stone tile, terrazzo, resinous flooring, polished concrete, and wood flooring shall be coordinated with CarpetCarpetResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/carpet, Ceramic TileCeramic TileResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/ceramic-tile, Natural Stone TileNatural Stone TileResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/natural-stone-tile, TerrazzoTerrazzoResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/terrazzo, Resinous FlooringResinous FlooringResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/resinous-flooring, Polished ConcretePolished Concrete FlooringResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/polished-concrete, and Wood FlooringWood FlooringResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/wood-flooring so that the transition profile, the threshold, and the finish floor elevations reconcile at the boundary.
13.1.4 The transition from an entrance grille or mat frame specified under Entrance FlooringEntrance Flooring and Walk-Off SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/entrance-flooring to the resilient field shall be detailed so that the finish floor elevations reconcile at the frame.
NOTE A vinyl or rubber reducer is the least costly transition, ramps a resilient edge down to a lower finish or up to a thicker one, and is replaced when it wears; a rubber T-molding joins two finishes of equal height and conceals the expansion space of a floating floor; an extruded aluminum profile carries rolling loads and is the transition where carts cross the edge; brass and bronze match a hospitality or civic interior and wear to a patina; and a stone or solid surface threshold is the transition at a tile or stone floor where the doorway is detailed in that material. (13.1.5)

13.2 Accessibility of the Walking Surface

13.2.1 Resilient flooring on an accessible route shall comply with the floor surface provisions of ICC A117.1 and the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design as adopted under Adopted Building CodeAdopted Building CodeParameterEach project supplies its own value.adopted-building-code.
13.2.2 A change in level between resilient flooring and an adjacent finish of not more than 1/4 in is permitted without treatment, a change greater than 1/4 in and not greater than 1/2 in shall be beveled with a slope not steeper than 1:2, and a change greater than 1/2 in shall be eliminated by adjusting the substrate or the transition.
NOTE A floating rigid core plank at 6 to 8 mm over a slab meets a 2 mm sheet floor in the next room with a change in level that is outside the untreated limit, and a transition sized to the thicker product is what keeps the doorway on the accessible route; the profile is chosen from the two thicknesses rather than from a catalog default. (13.2.3)

13.3 Resilient Stair Treads and Nosings

13.3.1 Requirements in this article apply where the Contract Documents include resilient stair treads.
13.3.2 The resilient stair tread type shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Resilient Stair Tread Typeselect
Rubber tread with integral riser
Rubber tread with separate riser
Vinyl tread with separate riser
Rubber tread without riser
13.3.3 The nosing marking shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Stair Nosing Markingselect
Visually contrasting nosing
Photoluminescent nosing insert
No nosing marking
Derived — the stair tread marking and luminous egress path marking requirements of Adopted Building CodeAdopted Building CodeParameterEach project supplies its own value.adopted-building-code for the stair's occupancy and use (by default)
13.3.4 Resilient stair treads shall be one piece for the full tread width and depth, with a square or rounded nosing of the profile and projection the adopted building code permits, and shall be of the thickness the tread manufacturer rates for the stair's traffic.
13.3.5 Treads shall be fitted to the stair nosing so that the tread nosing bears fully on the stair nosing with no void beneath it, and nosing fillers shall be installed where the stair nosing profile does not match the tread.
13.3.6 Treads and risers shall be adhered with the adhesive the tread manufacturer specifies and rolled or pressed into full contact, and the adhesive shall be fully cured before the stair is opened to traffic.
13.3.7 Landings shall be covered with sheet or tile matching the tread material and color, and the tread nosing shall be fitted to the landing edge.
13.3.8 Nosing markings shall be coordinated with the egress marking system specified under Signage And Egress MarkingsCode-Required Signage and Egress MarkingsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/signage-and-egress-markings, and the tread and nosing profiles shall be as indicated on the stair details.
NOTE A rubber tread with an integral riser covers the tread and the riser in one piece with no joint at the inside corner, which is the hygienic and the durable choice for a stair that is mopped; a tread with a separate riser lets the riser be a different color or be omitted on an open stair, at the cost of a joint at the corner; a vinyl tread is the economy product for a light-traffic stair; and a tread without a riser serves a stair whose risers are finished in another material. A rubber tread is selected over a vinyl one wherever the stair is an egress stair, because the rubber holds its slip resistance as it wears. (13.3.9)
NOTE A contrasting nosing stripe and a photoluminescent insert answer different code provisions: the stripe is a visual contrast requirement for the stair itself, and the photoluminescent insert is part of a luminous egress path marking system the code requires in certain high-rise exit stairs, which is why the marking follows the code and the stair rather than a preference. (13.3.10)

14 Installation

14.1 Layout

14.1.1 The Contractor shall establish the layout from the room centerlines or from the control lines indicated on the finish plans so that the pattern and the direction of plank and directional tile run as indicated and the cut pieces at the perimeter are balanced and not less than half a tile or half a plank wide.
14.1.2 Plank end joints shall be staggered not less than 6 in, or the greater distance the flooring manufacturer requires, and a repeating stagger pattern shall not be used unless the installation pattern indicated calls for one.
14.1.3 Sheet seam locations, seam direction, and the direction of adjacent sheets shall be as shown on the approved seaming diagram.
14.1.4 Sheet seams shall be kept to the minimum number the roll width and the layout allow, located out of the main traffic lanes and pivot points and away from doorways wherever the room geometry permits, and run parallel to the primary direction of travel rather than across it.
14.1.5 Adjacent sheets shall be laid in the same direction or reversed as the flooring manufacturer specifies for the product.
14.1.6 Patterned sheet shall be matched across every seam within the pattern tolerance the flooring manufacturer publishes.
14.1.7 Tile and plank shall be laid from not fewer than three open cartons at a time so that shade variation distributes across the field, and material from different lots shall not be mixed within one visual field.
14.1.8 The layout shall be dry-laid or chalk-lined and reviewed with the Architect of Record before adhesive is applied.
NOTE A seam across a traffic lane is walked across thousands of times a day and is the seam that opens first; a seam running with the traffic is walked along and lasts. A directional tile laid against its arrows reads as a shade change under any directional light, because the embossing reflects it differently, and a sliver cut at a wall is the first piece to lift. (14.1.9)

14.2 Adhesive Application and Rolling

14.2.1 Adhesive shall be applied with the trowel notch or roller, at the coverage rate, and within the open time and working time the adhesive manufacturer publishes for the product, the substrate porosity, and the ambient conditions.
14.2.2 A pressure-sensitive adhesive shall be allowed to dry to a clear, tacky film before flooring is laid, and flooring laid into a wet pressure-sensitive adhesive shall be lifted and relaid after the adhesive has dried.
14.2.3 A hard-set or two-component adhesive shall receive the flooring within the published working time, and flooring laid onto adhesive that has skinned over shall be lifted and the adhesive removed and reapplied at the Contractor's cost.
14.2.4 Adhesive shall not be spread beyond the area that can be covered within the working time, and trowel ridges shall be flattened by rolling before the adhesive sets.
14.2.5 Glue-down flooring shall be rolled in both directions with a roller of the weight the adhesive manufacturer specifies immediately after placement and again before the adhesive sets, with particular attention to seams and edges, and hand-rolled where the floor roller cannot reach.
14.2.6 The Contractor shall lift one tile or one sheet edge in every 500 ft² during installation to verify adhesive transfer to the flooring back, and shall record the results.
NOTE The two errors that account for most adhesive failures are opposite: laying into adhesive before its open time has passed, so that the water trapped beneath the flooring never leaves and the bond never develops, and laying after the working time has passed, so that the flooring sits on a skin that never transfers. The open time depends on the substrate's porosity and the room's temperature and humidity, which is why it is checked by lifting a piece rather than by the clock. (14.2.7)
NOTE Rolling collapses the trowel ridges and wets the back of the flooring with adhesive, which is what produces the bond; flooring that is placed but not rolled bonds only at the ridge tops, telegraphs the ridges through a thin product, and releases under the first cart. (14.2.8)

14.3 Tile and Plank Placement

14.3.1 Tile and plank shall be laid from the starting reference lines in the installation pattern, pressed into the adhesive, and butted to adjacent pieces without gaps and without compression at the joints.
14.3.2 Tile and plank shall be cut at the perimeter with a straight, clean edge and fitted to walls, columns, and penetrations with no gap wider than the base or transition conceals.
14.3.3 Tile and plank shall be scribed to door frames, pipes, and casework rather than caulked to them.
NOTE Tile compressed at its joints peaks as it acclimates; tile laid with gaps shows the adhesive as a dark line at every joint. Both are irreversible once the adhesive has set, and both are prevented by laying each piece against its neighbor without forcing it. (14.3.4)

14.4 Sheet Placement and Welding

14.4.1 Sheet flooring shall be cut to length with an allowance for pattern match and for the flash cove where one is selected, and shall be fitted to the room by scribing before adhesive is spread.
14.4.2 Sheet seams shall be cut as a net-fit butt seam, by double cutting or by trimming the factory edges as the flooring manufacturer directs, so that the seam is tight and free of overlap and gap.
14.4.3 Seams shall be welded or sealed in accordance with the seam treatment indicated in the datasheet, and welded seams shall be skived flush and shall be free of voids, scorching, and concavity.
14.4.4 Where the parties disagree whether a seam or weld is conspicuous beyond the standard set by the accepted mock-up or the approved samples, the Architect of Record shall make the initial determination.
14.4.5 Sheet flooring that is bubbled, wrinkled, or hollow after rolling shall be lifted and relaid while the adhesive is workable, or removed and replaced where it is not.

14.5 Floating and Loose Lay Placement

14.5.1 Floating flooring shall be laid over the underlayment the flooring manufacturer requires, with the locking joints engaged as the manufacturer directs and with the perimeter expansion space maintained continuously around the entire field, including at pipes, columns, door frames, and transitions.
14.5.2 Loose lay flooring shall be laid with the perimeter and seam adhesive the flooring manufacturer specifies, in the width the manufacturer specifies, and the field shall not be adhered unless the manufacturer requires it in a rolling load area.
14.5.3 Interlocking tile shall be laid with the interlocks fully engaged and with the perimeter trimmed with the manufacturer's edge pieces where an exposed edge occurs.
NOTE The perimeter space is the only place a floating floor can put its movement, so a single restraint anywhere around the field transfers the whole floor's expansion to the remaining edges and produces a peaked or buckled floor away from the restraint. A loose lay floor relies on its weight and its perimeter bond, so a perimeter bead narrower than the manufacturer's width lets the field walk under traffic. (14.5.4)

14.6 Protection

14.6.1 The Contractor shall protect the completed floor from traffic, point loads, spills, and other trades until the resilient flooring work is accepted.
14.6.2 Protective covering shall be vapor permeable and shall be a product the flooring manufacturer approves, and shall not be applied until the adhesive has cured for the period the adhesive manufacturer requires.
14.6.3 Protective covering shall not be taped to the finished floor surface.
14.6.4 Rolling loads and equipment shall be moved over the floor on protective panels rather than directly on the covering, and the floor shall not receive rolling loads until the adhesive has reached the cure its manufacturer publishes for rolling traffic.
14.6.5 Furniture and equipment legs set on the finished floor shall bear on floor protectors of a material the flooring manufacturer approves, and rubber or latex-backed mats shall not be placed on the floor.
NOTE Non-breathable plastic sheeting taped directly to a freshly installed resilient floor traps the water leaving the adhesive against the flooring and stains or debonds it, and tape adhesive left on the surface discolors the wear layer where it sat. Rubber and latex mat backings stain a vinyl floor permanently by plasticizer migration, which is why the protectors are specified rather than left to whatever is on hand. (14.6.6)

15 Field Quality Control

15.1 The Contractor shall record and retain the final substrate moisture, relative humidity, and pH readings, the mitigation measure installed, the adhesive and seam products used, and the interior temperature and relative humidity at installation.
15.2 Where a moisture mitigation measure was installed, the Contractor shall verify and record that the product used is rated for the substrate condition actually measured.
15.3 After installation and after the adhesive has cured, the floor shall be inspected under the permanent lighting or equivalent temporary lighting at the same intensity and position.
15.4 The inspection shall cover bond, hollow spots, edge curl, open or peaked joints, seam and weld quality, telegraphing of substrate irregularities and trowel ridges, pattern alignment, shade variation, gaps at the perimeter and at penetrations, base and flash cove detailing, and transition quality.
15.5 Hollow, loose, or curled areas shall be re-adhered or replaced, and open or defective welds shall be routed out and rewelded.
15.6 Where a defect is present in more than 2 percent of the floor area in any room, the Contractor shall investigate and report the cause before making repairs.
15.7 Static control flooring shall be tested for resistance to ground as required under Static Control Flooring before acceptance.
15.8 The Contractor shall bear the cost of retesting and reinspection following a failed test or a rejected area.
15.9 Where the parties disagree whether an observed condition is a defect or is within the range of the accepted samples and mock-up, the Architect of Record shall make the initial determination.
NOTE A hollow spot found at inspection is adhesive that never transferred, and it is repaired by injection or by lifting the piece while the floor is new; found a year later it is a tile that has cracked at the edge of the void, and the record of what was measured and installed is what settles whose problem it is. (15.10)

16 Initial Finish, Cleaning, and Owner Maintenance

16.1 Initial Floor Finish

16.1.1 The initial floor finish shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Initial Floor Finishradio
● No field-applied finish
○ Field-applied floor finish
16.1.2 Where a field-applied floor finish is selected, the number of coats applied before turnover shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Initial Floor Finish Coatsrange
Not less than
coats
123456
16.1.3 Where a field-applied floor finish is selected, the finish shall be a product the flooring manufacturer approves for the product, applied after the initial cleaning and after the adhesive has fully cured, in the number of coats indicated.
16.1.4 A field-applied finish shall not be applied to rubber flooring, to static control flooring, or to a product with a factory-applied urethane or enhanced wear surface unless the flooring manufacturer approves the specific finish in writing.
NOTE Vinyl composition tile is supplied without a wear surface and depends on a field-applied acrylic finish for its appearance and its cleanability, so the initial coats are part of the installation and the recoat cycle is the floor's principal life-cycle cost. Most vinyl tile and plank, sheet vinyl, and linoleum carry a factory-applied urethane or similar wear surface that a floor finish would dull and that is maintained without one, and rubber bonds poorly to acrylic finishes and loses its slip resistance under them. (16.1.5)

16.2 Initial Cleaning

16.2.1 After the adhesive has cured for the period the adhesive manufacturer requires, the Contractor shall clean the floor of construction soil, adhesive residue, and marks by the method and with the products the flooring manufacturer approves.
16.2.2 The floor shall not be wet cleaned, flood mopped, or machine scrubbed until the adhesive has cured for the period the adhesive manufacturer publishes for wet maintenance.
16.2.3 Linoleum shall be cleaned only with neutral or mildly alkaline cleaners the flooring manufacturer approves, and a high-alkaline stripper shall not be used on it.
16.2.4 Adhesive residue on the wear surface shall be removed with the cleaner the adhesive manufacturer specifies while it is fresh, and a solvent that attacks the wear layer shall not be used.
NOTE Flooding a floor before the adhesive cures introduces water at the bond line and debonds the floor, and the failure is routinely blamed on the product; it is the most common early failure in resilient flooring and the most avoidable. A high-alkaline stripper saponifies linoleum's linseed binder and turns its surface to a powder that no finish repairs. (16.2.5)

16.3 Owner Maintenance

16.3.2 The Contractor shall demonstrate the routine cleaning procedure to the Owner's maintenance personnel before turnover.
16.3.3 Walk-off matting at exterior entrances is specified under Entrance FlooringEntrance Flooring and Walk-Off SystemsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/entrance-flooring.
NOTE Most of the wear a resilient floor takes is abrasive grit tracked in from outside, so entrance matting and a routine dry-cleaning schedule do more to extend the life of a wear layer than any property of the product, and the wrong cleaner does more damage in a year than the traffic does in five. (16.3.4)

17 Delivery, Storage, and Handling

17.1 Flooring, wall base, adhesives, and accessories shall be delivered in the manufacturer's original packaging with the product, color, pattern, lot, and production run identification intact.
17.2 Flooring shall not be delivered to the site until the building is enclosed and weathertight, the permanent conditioning is operating, and the interior is within the ambient range this standard requires.
17.3 Tile and plank shall be stored flat, in stacks no higher than the flooring manufacturer permits, in the conditioned space in which they will be installed, protected from direct sunlight, moisture, and physical damage.
17.4 Sheet goods shall be stored standing on end or lying flat as the flooring manufacturer directs, and shall not be stored on their sides or stacked across one another.
17.5 Adhesives, seam sealers, and finishes shall be stored within the temperature range their manufacturers specify, protected from freezing, and handled in accordance with the safety data sheet.
17.6 Adhesives and finishes that have frozen or are past their published shelf life shall not be used.
17.7 All material for a continuous area shall be from the same lot and production run wherever the quantity allows, and the Contractor shall order the full quantity for each area at one time.
17.8 The Contractor shall bear the cost of material damaged by storage in conditions outside those specified.
NOTE A sheet roll stored on its side develops a flat spot that never fully relaxes and shows as a ridge in the installed floor, and a roll stacked across another creases; a plank carton stored on a cold slab arrives at installation below the adhesive's minimum temperature regardless of the room's air temperature. Lot-to-lot color variation is the reason an area is ordered at once rather than carton by carton as it is needed. (17.9)

18 Warranty

18.1 The manufacturer product warranty period shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Manufacturer Product Warranty Periodrange
Not less than
years
12351015202530
18.2 The installation workmanship warranty period shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Installation Workmanship Warranty Periodrange
Not less than
years
1235
18.3 The flooring manufacturer shall warrant each flooring product and the wall base against manufacturing defects and against wear-through of the wear layer under the commercial use the product is rated for, for the specified period from the date of Substantial Completion.
18.4 The Contractor shall warrant the installation, including substrate preparation, moisture mitigation, adhesive bond, seaming and welding, flash cove, wall base, transitions, stair treads, and static control grounding, for the specified period from the date of Substantial Completion.
18.5 Warranties shall be issued in the Owner's name and shall be transferable to a subsequent owner of the building.
18.6 The Contractor shall bear the cost of removing and replacing other work that has to be disturbed to reach a warranted repair, and shall bear the cost of repairing collateral damage caused by the repair work.
18.7 Work repaired or replaced under warranty shall carry a new warranty of the full original period from the date of the repair, or the remainder of the original period, whichever is longer.
18.8 The Contractor shall retain the substrate record for the duration of the warranty period and shall furnish it on request.
NOTE Manufacturer warranties on resilient flooring run from a few years on vinyl composition tile to twenty or more on a heavy commercial vinyl plank or a homogeneous sheet, and the longest ones are wear warranties that pay out only when the wear layer is worn through under normal use. Nearly all are conditioned on the substrate having been within the published moisture and pH limits and documented at the time of installation, which is why the substrate record is the operative document in a claim rather than supporting paperwork. (18.9)
NOTE Both warranties conventionally exclude damage arising from moisture or alkalinity above the documented limits after installation, from water intrusion or plumbing failure, from loads above the static load limit, from rubber-backed mats and from cleaners contrary to the manufacturer's written instructions, and from scratches and gouges, which is why the maintenance data and the protection requirements are specified rather than advised. (18.10)

19 Spare and Extra Materials

19.1 The attic stock quantity shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Attic Stock Quantityrange
Not less than
% of installed area
123510
19.2 The Contractor shall deliver attic stock of each flooring product, color, and pattern installed, and of each wall base type, color, and height installed, drawn from the same lots and production runs as the installed material.
19.3 Attic stock shall be delivered in full unopened cartons or full rolls, labeled with the product, color, pattern, lot, and production run, and shall be stored where the Owner directs in the conditioned environment the flooring manufacturer recommends.
NOTE Color and embossing vary between production runs, and an installed floor shifts in color with light and wear. Material from the original lot is the only stock that can produce an inconspicuous repair; flooring purchased years later will match the specification and not the floor. (19.4)

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"Resilient Flooring," SynC Standards, revision 9. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Source: https://synergyinconstruction.com/standards/general/resilient-flooring. Reference material only; not professional engineering advice and provided without warranty. Verify against governing codes and have a licensed professional review before use.