Totalworx Hush III Cork Underlayment Installation Instructions

HUSH III Installation Instructions

Site Conditions

The installation site must be acclimated, with the HVAC system in operation. The floor and room temperature, as well as the Hush III underlayment, flooring materials and adhesives must be maintained at 65–85˚ F and the relative humidity below 60% for 48 hours prior to, during and after the installation.

Subfloor

1. All substrates shall be smooth, structurally sound, permanently dry, clean and free of all foreign material such as dust, wax, solvents, paint, grease, oils, old adhesive residue, curing and hardening compounds, sealers and other foreign material that might prevent adhesive bond.
2. Concrete subfloors shall be flat and smooth within 1/8" in 6 feet or 3/16" in 10 feet.
3. Wood subfloors need to be structurally sound and in compliance with local building codes.
4. Inspect concrete subfloors for any open cracks and fill with a high-grade epoxy filler or polymer modified cementitious floor patch.
5. Lightweight concrete or gypsum based subfloors must be free of structural cracks and prior to the application of an adhered underlayment or finish floor, must be primed with two coats of the SHAW 9050. If the underlayment is loose laid, priming is not required.
6. Remove any excess lumps or residue from the subfloor that may interfere with the installation of the Hush III underlayment or would possibly “telegraph” through the finished flooring.

Testing for Moisture – Concrete

• Calcium Chloride test method per ASTM F 1869 or In-Situ Relative Humidity test method – ASTM F 2170 test must be performed.
• Lightweight concrete: Internal Relative Humidity – Tests should be performed per the latest edition of ASTM F 2170. Three internal relative humidity tests should be conducted for areas up to 1000 sf.
• Maximum Moisture Content – CaCl 5.0 lbs and/or 85% RH per ASTM 2170.

Perimeter Isolation

It is important that the finished flooring not directly contact the perimeter walls or vertical partitions of the entire floor area, including any openings or protrusions such as electrical boxes, heating ducts, cold air returns, columns or pipes in the subfloor installation.

Perimeter Isolation can be achieved by leaving at least a ¼" expansion gap between finished flooring and the fixed partitions or walls.

Adhesives

200:Moisture vapor emissions must not exceed 12 lbs/1000 sf per 24 hrs using the Calcium Chloride ASTM F 1869 or 99% rh using the In-Situ Relative Humidity ASTM F 2170 and ASTM F-3441 ph level must not exceed 12.

S150: Spray adhesive: Moisture vapor emissions must not exceed 95% using the In-Situ Relative Humidity ASTM F 2170 and ASTM F-3441 pH 7-11.

SHAW 4200: Moisture vapor emissions must not exceed 12 lbs/1000 sf per 24 hrs using the Calcium Chloride ASTM F 1869 or 99% using the In-Situ Relative Humidity ASTM F 2170 and ASTM F-3441 pH 5-12.

For additional information on recommended adhesives see product specifications.

Installation for Glued Down LVT ONLY (Double-Glue)

1. Cut the Hush III roll material to the desired length and position the material in the space to be covered.
2. Proceed to cover the entire room, making sure the sheets are tightly butted together, without gaps. Open seams and gaps will “telegraph” through most vinyl, so the underlayment work must be as smooth and well seamed as possible.
3. Never mechanically fasten the sheets to the subfloor, as this will severely diminish the acoustical value of the product.
4. Pull the loose laid material back at least half the length of the cut material and apply an approved adhesive to the substrate.
5. SHAW 200 TPS: Use a 1/16" x 1/16" x 1/16" square notch trowel and allow adhesive to flash off 10–20 minutes. Note: For lightweight concrete primed with Shaw 9050, or other limited porosity substrates, use a 1/16" x 1/32" x 5/64" U-notch trowel, making sure to completely cover the substrate. Allow a 30–40 minute flash time and install the Hush III underlayment while the adhesive is partially but not completely dry.
6. When using SHAW S150 spray adhesive, spray an even amount of adhesive on the subfloor (approximately 100 sq ft per can) and allow the adhesive to dry to the touch before installing the Hush III underlayment.
7. SHAW 4200: Use a 1/16" x 1/32" x 1/32" U-notch trowel and allow adhesive to flash off 10 minutes.
8. Install the underlayment and, upon completion, roll the material with a roller (75 lbs or less) to insure contact with the adhesive.
9. Hush III underlayment should cover the entire floor area without gaps and be securely bonded with the joints tightly butted.
10. Allow underlayment to cure for a minimum of 3–4 hours.
11. After 3–4 hours you can then proceed to install the LVT following resilient installation guidelines for a non-porous substrate (adhesive in pressure sensative mode).

Installation for Floating Resilient Floors (Residential application only)

 

Commercial products – underlayment must be full spread prior to floating vinyl products.

1. If the underlayment is to be loose laid, the seams should be securely taped and it may also be advisable to bond it to the subfloor at the perimeter, doorways and/or areas that transition into other flooring materials, using either an adhesive or commercial grade double faced tape.

2. Cut the Hush III roll material to the desired length and position the material in the space to be covered. Proceed to cover the entire room, making sure the sheets are tightly butted together, without gaps. Open seams and gaps will “telegraph” through many resilient flooring products, so the underlayment work must be as smooth and well seamed as possible.

3. Once the underlayment is installed on the subfloor, care should be exercised to avoid having it move or shift during the installation of the finished flooring. Follow resilient installation instructions for installing the finished flooring product.

4. If a rigid baseboard or shoe molding detail is required, leave a minimum 1/8" gap between the finished floor and the bottom of the quarter round or baseboard molding. This gap can be filled with a non-hardening, color matching, paintable or clear Acoustical Grade Sealant.