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Prior to the installation of any flooring material, the flooring contractor needs to be aware of the factors that may impact the success or failure of the installation. It is [...]

We all know the role adhesives play in our business: they make sure the flooring stays put. Sounds simple enough. But as every installer knows, it is not always so [...]

Building contractors are important customers to the flooring industry. They make decisions all the time that affect the way we work and the conditions we work in. The trouble is, [...]

Once again, I've gone back to my correspondence files to select various reader inquiries related to resilient installation concerns, problems and procedures. Hopefully, the 10 questions I've answered here will [...]

Underlayment joint show-through is one of the most frustrating problems faced in the resilient flooring industry today. You install an underlayment and resilient material and leave the installation looking great, [...]

Consider the following case study: The area is about 6,000 sq. ft. of concrete poured about ten years ago. The facility had been a furniture warehouse and is being converted [...]

I am constantly getting questions from NFT readers. Some are related to my column and some are general questions about resilient flooring materials, adhesives, installation techniques and concrete issues. I [...]

One of the most perplexing segments of the commercial flooring installation is how to handle joints in a concrete slab. Flooring manufacturers insist that flooring contractors 'honor' all joints that [...]

I was recently asked to name my greatest disappointment in the resilient installation field over the past 40 years. My reply didn't take long: Fast-track construction. The way I was [...]

There are few problems that will destroy a customer's confidence in their newly installed floor faster than an annoying 'squeak.' When they hear that dreaded sound rising up from the [...]

Installing a floor is a breeze--if you don't care about how the floor looks and performs over the long term. But if you want it exactly right (as very professional [...]

One of the most perplexing areas of commercial flooring installation is how to handle joints in a concrete slab. Flooring manufacturers insist that flooring contractors 'honor' all joints that are [...]

It happens all too often: You install your underlayment, then your resilient flooring, and you leave thinking the installation looks great. In a few days you return to discover that [...]

After 40-plus years in the flooring business, I have come to the conclusion that our industry is not really interested in the development of the installer. Sadly, most view installers [...]

If there is one solid fact about concrete it is this: it is prone to cracking. Cracking is a natural, expected and accepted behavior of this venerable building material. It [...]

A veteran of the flooring industry for more than 42 years and author of Focus on Resilient, Ray Thompson Jr. is a renowned installation expert and president of the Ray [...]

In-situ relative humidity (RH) probe testing can be tricky. On many jobsites where moisture testing is being done, I have encountered situations where several types of relative humidity (RH) probes [...]

Part of being a professional is knowing when to seek help or advice. Ever since I began writing this column, there have been certain questions from my readers that have [...]

It's time to answer some new letters from readers. This month, we will talk about various issues related to concrete and concrete slabs as they pertain to the installation of [...]

For years I have heard the term, 'substrate and job conditions denotes acceptance of liability' when installing floor covering products. Do you understand the term? A quote by one flooring [...]

With the slowdown of resilient flooring work, many flooring contractors have expanded to different types of flooring to install. The new construction residential contractor, especially hit hard, has moved into [...]

In the downturn of our economy many flooring contractors are looking to different materials to keep their installation crews busy. Some of them are looking at the sports flooring market. [...]

Installers frequently ask me which method of moisture testing is the most reliable. I also encounter installers who wonder: Is there a correlation between Calcium Chloride and RH Probe testing? [...]

With the ever-growing popularity of vinyl-backed sheet materials and minimal absorbency of substrates, it is necessary to go to a type of adhesive that is allowed to dry-to-touch prior to [...]

This is a question I get all the time. I hear it from flooring contractors, general contractors, rookies and veterans. It happened on all types of job sites in all [...]

Among the many questions we get from NFTreaders, there always seems to be a few regarding commercial flooring and the concrete that lies beneath. Specifically, installers and others in the [...]

All manufacturers of 'flex' products recommend the use of the straightedge and butt-seaming method. This is one of the easier seaming methods; flex materials have a great deal of lateral [...]

As much as I enjoy seeing a woman in stiletto heels, I cringe at the fact that they are going to do a lot of damage to floors they come [...]

Trouble soldering a vertical pipe due to water trapped in the line? I try to keep handy in my soldering kit a 12-inch long piece of 3/8-inch copper tubing. With [...]

There are many products being marketed today that purport to solve moisture-related flooring problems. At the same time, it has become commonplace to focus on warranties rather than product performance. [...]

The article focuses on asphalt cutback adhesive. It discusses the change in its the formulation of its resin from asbestos to olefin fiber since cutback adhesives made from asbestos were banned starting January 1983. It suggests ways to remove cutback adhesive from concrete slab, including the use of adhesive removal, encapsulating the cutback residue and the use of cementious barrier coat.