Flooring Products

Application Guidelines

Subfloor Preparation:

All substrates must be clean, dry, structurally sound, properly cured and free of dirt, oil, paint, old adhesive, wax, sealers and curing agents. General scouring with 20 grit or #3 1/2 open-coat sandpaper will remove most compounds. All loose materials must be vacuumed from the surface after scouring. The subfloor must be flat to a tolerance of 3/16” in a 10’ radius. Hollow spots, popping spots and squeaks are related to unevenness in the subfloor. Grinding concrete floors is preferred over the use of filling compounds. If filling/ flattening compounds are used, they must be Portland-based cementitious materials and have a compressive strength equal to or greater than 3000 psi when cured. When using cementitious materials, they must be rated for the moisture content in the concrete slab. Always use the highest rated materials for moisture because the moisture levels will change. Consult the cementitious manufacturer’s application directions. Use of adhesive over light weight concrete and all gypsum-based materials requires the use of an approved concrete primer prior to application of adhesive. Remove all existing base, shoe molding and door thresholds prior to continuing the installation. All door casings must be undercut with either a jamb saw or a hand saw. Use a piece of the flooring as a guide to determine the thickness needed.

Installation of Wood Flooring :

Titebond 801 Preferred can be installed using the “wet lay” or “flashed” methods, depending on your preference and the environment of your installation. In the “wet lay” method you do not flash the adhesive. Once the adhesive has been troweled, the wood flooring may be installed immediately into the wet adhesive. To reduce slippage, secure the first starter row with Titebond Tape. Remaining planks must be placed firmly into adhesive. Planks which are not flat should be weighted for several hours. In the wet lay method, you should not work on top of the wood. The “flashed”* method is when the adhesive is allowed to flash for the recommended amount of time prior to installing the wood flooring. While using this method, you are advised to trowel out larger sections of the room so that you spend most of your time laying wood rather than flashing adhesive. Be careful not to exceed 801 Preferred’s open time of 90 minutes and do not trowel more adhesive than you can comfortably cover with the flooring in 90 minutes.

* The recommended flash time for Titebond 801 Preferred is 30 minutes, depending upon subfloor moisture and humidity.

Re-sealing and Re-opening Partial Pail:

Scrape sides of pail (this will aid in removal of adhesive later). Place plastic trash bag over unused adhesive, working out any air pockets. Replace lid on pail and tightly seal. Upon re-opening pail, remove trash bag. Material should be ready for use.

Gluing Plywood Over Concrete:

1. Use 5/8" CD Exposure 1 Plywood subfloor panels, 4' x 8' sheets; cut sheets into 2' x 8' or 4' x 4' sections
2. Score the back of the panels half the thickness of the panel on a 12" x 12" grid in order to relieve tension in plywood
3. Use a 1/4" x 1/4" square-notched trowel to apply adhesive to concrete
4. Lay sections in a staggered joint pattern in the adhesive, with 1/8" spacing between sheets, and 3/4" minimum expansion space at walls and all vertical obstructions
5. Add weight as necessary to ensure adhesive remains in contact with plywood as it cures
6. Allow adhesive to dry overnight before proceeding with flooring installation

Cleanup:

As the pre-finished flooring is being installed, immediately wipe any wet adhesive from the flooring, tools and equipment with mineral spirits. Do not allow adhesive to cure on surface of the flooring, tools or equipment. Follow solvent manufacturer’s directions when working with solvents. Cured adhesive will be difficult to remove.

Limitations:

Titebond 801 Preferred may be used for above-, on- and below-grade applications and on all substrates listed in this specification guide. All applications are susceptible to moisture and should be tested for moisture prior to installation in several locations within the installation area.

Acceptable conditions of concrete for above-, on- and below-grade applications are:

• Less than 3 lbs. /1000 sq.ft./24 hours on a Calcium Chloride Test (ASTM F1869)
• Less than a reading of 4.5 on a Tramex Concrete Moisture Encounter
• Relative humidity (RH) of 75% or less when tested with an in situ probe (ASTM F2170)

Acceptable conditions of wood substrates are a moisture reading of less than 12% or be no more than 4% different from the flooring being installed when using a Tramex, Delmhorst or equivalent wood moisture meter. If subfloor moisture conditions do not meet above guidelines at the time of flooring installation, or they could exceed them at any time after installation, then a Titebond Moisture Control System should be used.

• Do not install solid wood below-grade
• Do not use on concrete with curing agents or sealers (except for recommended Titebond or Franklin products)
• Avoid allowing adhesive to cure on wood flooring surface
• Do not allow foot traffic for 8 hours after installation
• Do not use as a leveler
• Installations in dry climates or over dry subfloors will take longer to cure
• Temperature and humidity will affect the open time and the cure time of the adhesive

CAUTION: Do not sand, scour or abrade any material that is suspected of containing asbestos fibers. Asbestos is known to cause cancer. Federal law requires that asbestos be handled by a licensed and certified hazardous materials contractor.

* The recommended flash time for 801 Preferred Urethane Wood Flooring Adhesive is 30 minutes, depending upon subfloor moisture and humidity. Specific questions regarding "flash time" should be directed to Franklin Technical Service at 1-800-347-4583.