ESD Checklist: Installation Considerations
There are several installation considerations involved with ESD flooring. Here are some of the questions you should be asking:
Does the underlying concrete pass moisture tests?
If beneath your existing flooring there is concrete, moisture could be an issue and will need to be checked first. Particularly, if the flooring you’re considering is a conductive vinyl that needs to be glued. High levels of moisture in the concrete will cause adhesives to fail. Either a moisture barrier has to be installed first or use an interlocking system that doesn’t require adhesives.
If new concrete, can you wait for the 90-day cure period?
If you can’t glue on concrete with moisture issues, it stands to reason that newly installed concrete floors must cure before you can glue down new flooring. Ninety days is the recommended amount of time. Our interlocking flooring can be installed as soon as the new concrete flooring is hard, usually within a few days of pouring.
If there is an existing floor, does it have asbestos either in the tile or adhesive?
Both the flooring and the adhesive of your old flooring should be tested for asbestos prior to gluing down new flooring or, honestly, before installing interlocking flooring. Dealing with asbestos is costly and will delay installation. Removing flooring with asbestos is a very detailed process. Areas of the floor need to be sectioned off with plastic as air pressure is used to contain any dust. In many cases, an interlocking flooring system can be installed over the flooring with asbestos to avoid creating an asbestos dust hazard.
If there is an existing floor, do you want to install without removing it?
One of the beauties of our interlock flooring is that it can be installed over existing flooring. For clients who prefer flooring that requires an adhesive, we recommend removing the old flooring first. Some clients choose not to take on that expense. It’s not preferable, but we will install glue-down flooring on old flooring. Whether or not the old flooring remains does impact the type of adhesive used.
Can the facility tolerate the dust generated from a sub-floor preparation?
When you rip out the old flooring, it will generate some level of dust. Will that have an impact on your equipment and electronics at your facility? That must be considered and assessed. It could have an impact on your decision to go with a glue-down flooring or interlock.
In the next e-newsletter, we will address how operational considerations, e.g. down time, influence the selection of ESD flooring.
