Volume: 89 |  Issue: 1 |  Download

This issue is dedicated to my dear friend Dan Blake who passed away suddenly on February 13, 2016.

In commercial flooring applications it's important to make sure the flooring being selected and specified is appropriate for the application. We've talked about making sure the right product gets into the right place but we'll look at what makes the product the right one to use so it delivers the performance, life expectancy and appearance retention expected and then some.

The most complex of flooring products for commercial use is carpet. The components and engineering that go into making a carpet a high or low performing textile floor covering material are more involved than for hard surface flooring — with all due respect. Vinyl flooring for example may have a thicker wear layer, be thicker overall or have layered in it components that categorize it for a particular application and a particular kind of backing but the list is short compared to carpet as you'll see.

 Volume: 88 |  Issue: 1 |  Download

Certified Testing of floor coverings and related materials is becoming a bigger part of our business. Most of the testing we do is in conjunction with our associated NVLAP certified testing lab. There are ASTM and AATCC tests we normally conduct but very often the tests conducted, after seeing the concern issues at the installation site, are hybrids of certified tests as we attempt to duplicate conditions being experienced in the field by clients complaining of product failures of varying kinds. In addition we conduct testing for coefficient of friction and slip resistance in the field. We also have the ability to conduct materials analysis tests which are often used to determine, for example, why an adhesive may have failed or a topping for a substrate is ineffective or creating a problem. Recently, because of the formaldehyde concerns in wood flooring products, testing equipment has been installed and technicians trained to conduct these tests. Much of this work is very sophisticated and elaborate testing equipment performed by very skilled technicians.

 Volume: 87 |  Issue: 1 |  Download

The biggest problem in the flooring industry is the wrong product specified or sold for use in the wrong place. All flooring material will not perform satisfactorily in all applications for any number of reasons. Merchantability for service and fitness for intended purpose of use is a promise, arising by operation of law, that something that is sold will be merchantable and fit for the purpose for which it is sold. An item is deemed merchantable if it is reasonably fit for the ordinary purposes for which such products are manufactured and sold. This is relative in this case to flooring material.

 Volume: 86 |  Issue: 1 |  Download

Most of you should know that Division 9 in a Construction Specification deals with flooring materials but not everyone has an understanding of the relationship this has with Division 3. Division 3 covers the concrete substrate on a construction project and Division 9 the finishes which include the flooring. The two are inextricably linked, particularly on a new construction project and knowledge of both should be understood. Hopefully the information here will aid you in future projects helping avoid problems and keep everyone out of trouble.

 Volume: 85 |  Issue: 1 |  Download

All floorcovering materials have guidelines for installation mandated by the manufacturer of that specific material.

There are also floor covering industry standards that are general in nature but specific as to the standard and common practices for installation of that flooring whether hard or soft surface products.

The new Carpet and Rug Institute Standard for Installation of Commercial Carpet — CRI 104 — has just been published and released (September 2015).

CRI 104 (and 105 for residential carpet) is an update for the installation of textile floor covering material that takes into consideration the latest technology in textile flooring materials and what is required to install them properly.

CRI-104 can be thought of as an umbrella document for the installation of carpet and repeatedly refers to the manufacturer's guidelines for more specific information on installation of a particular product.

 Volume: 84 |  Issue: 1 |  Download

Luxury vinyl tile and plank flooring is among the hottest flooring products in the market today and the use of this product is growing exponentially in the commercial market. These products are cannibalizing share from sheet vinyl and vinyl tile as well but we'll talk about them all since they are such a significant part of the commercial flooring market. There's no question these products make a beautiful floor but there are some things you should know about them to ensure you don't have a problem with them.

 Volume: 83 |  Issue: 1 |  Download

Slips and trips are the most common cause of injury at work, this issue hangs over every building owner. On average, they cause over a third of all major injuries and over 40% of all reported injuries to members of the public. Statistics suggest that most of these accidents are slips which occur when floor surfaces are contaminated with some sort of foreign substance such as water, tracked in contamination like oils and grease or in the winter, residue from ice melt pellets. Even dry soil particulate such as sand, grit or dirt can contribute to hard surface flooring being prone to create slips and falls. Paramount in every commercial facility, regardless of what it is and no matter the size, is the safety of those walking in the space.

 Volume: 82 |  Issue: 1 |  Download

It seems that the entire world is lawsuit happy and ready to bring legal action against anyone for anything and you can always find a lawyer to take the case. When it comes to floor covering issues, whether it's a concern for the flooring material, installation, substrate or another related or perceived related matter, there are always compromises that can be identified that caused the problem — flooring doesn't just fail. When the situation becomes contentious and none of the parties want to make any concessions or the matter escalates to finger pointing, the thoughts of suing pop into mind.

 Volume: 81 |  Issue: 1 |  Download

Now that's a mouthful of title but it's a subject that's just as filling. There are several issues that cause installation of flooring materials to be compromised and it's not always, as many may think, the installers fault. In this case the sword has two edges that both cut deep.

 Volume: 80 |  Issue: 1 |  Download

CFR Extra!

We've included the latest issue 'Installation Expertise' with Tim McAdoo, Installation Expert for J.J.Haines & Co Distributors with their permission. I wanted to share this with our many residential/builder flooring contractors because it is so relevant to the challenges they face in the new home/multi-family market.

 Volume: 79 |  Issue: 1 |  Download

Before we can answer the question we have to know a bit about the project and the expectations of the flooring being anticipated. To start, its best to categorize the type of traffic the space is going to receive such as light, moderate, heavy or extra heavy. Next we'll want to know if the aesthetics are luxury, such as executive offices or super heavy duty such as a mall, for example. In addition we have to know if the flooring is going to be maintained regularly or almost not at all and if the maintenance is to be done by in house or contracted services on some type of routine basis.

 Volume: 78 |  Issue: 1 |  Download

This article was written by Lee Phillips of Professional Testing Laboratory, the premier flooring testing lab in the country and an affiliate of LGM and Associates. It was instigated by the recent 60 Minutes expose on formaldehyde in laminate flooring.