Underneath it All

February|March 2010 n Hardwood Floors 51

All Globe Inc.All Globe’s new underlayment, Silicon Va-por Shield, is designed for radiant-heated hardwood flooring. It has been tested in 100-degree-Fahrenheit conditions without detection of breakdown or odor, the company says.

www.allglobe.ca

Bostik Inc.Bostik’s MVP4 (Moisture Vapor Protec-tion) is a one-part, trowel-applied, elasto-

meric, mois-ture-cure urethane membrane designed to reduce mois-ture vapor transmission from the subfloor, cre-ate a noise reduction barrier over

the substrate, and establish an anti-frac-ture membrane that can bridge subfloor cracks up to 1⁄8 inch prior to or after installation. It contains Bostik’s Blockade antimicrobial agent.

www.bostik-us.com

Chemque Inc.Chemque’s Fortane MVS Ultra Moisture Vapor & Acoustical Urethane Membrane reduces moisture vapor transmission to

extremely low lev-els and provides enhanced acoustical proper-ties, the company

says, adding that it has excellent flow and self-leveling properties, outstanding elas-ticity, can bridge cracks up to 1⁄8 inch and is VOC-compliant. It is compatible with Fortane and Fortane LD.

www.fortane.com

DriTac Flooring Products LLC

DriTac 8000 Moisture Guard is a one-compo-nent, low-VOC concrete sealer that forms a smooth, protective membrane on concrete subfloors and significantly

reduces moisture vapor transmission. DriTac 8000 Moisture Guard is a trowel-applied urethane moisture barrier and crack-suppressant system that bridges cracks in a concrete substrate up to 1⁄8-inch wide.

www.dritac.com

Ecore InternationalQT Sound Insulation is made from 100 percent recycled rubber that can be used

under all floor finishes, gypsum or full-weight concrete. It is designed to solve almost any impact sound problem, and it can be used in any multi-level

building. QT is backed by 185 inde-pendent laboratory and field tests, the company says.

www.ecoreintl.com

Fortifiber Building Systems Group

Fortifiber manufac-tures vapor retarder membranes, includ-ing the economical HWD-15 and high-performance Aquabar “B,” for use over wood subfloors. Moistop Ultra, an imperme-able moisture barrier, is Fortifiber’s best choice for eliminating moisture migration in crawlspaces and over concrete subfloors, the company says.

www.fortifiber.com

The best installation, sand and finish job isn’t worth much if what’s under-

neath it wasn’t ready for the job. Subfloors and subfloor prep products

are essential for a successful job. On the following pages, you’ll find the

most up-to-date products that will help your installations succeed.

Subfloors + Subloor PrepProductFocus

52 Hardwood Floors n February|March 2010

Product Focus | Subfloors + Subfloor Prep

Franklin InternationalTitebond 531 Moisture Control System reduces the mois-ture vapor within any concrete slab (up to 12 pounds) to acceptable levels, the company says. The system con-sists of two pre-measured components mixed together to form an adhesive. Titebond 531 is fully warranted when used as directed with recommended Franklin International wood flooring adhesives.

www.titebond.com

Loba-Wakol LLCLoba-Wakol LLC has introduced its Wakol PU 280 Moisture Barrier. PU 280 is a one-component, solvent-free and low-odor polyurethane-based moisture barrier that can be ap-plied with a roller. After approximately two hours, Wakol MS 260 Polymer Adhesive may be applied, the company says.

www.wakol.com

MAPEI CorporationMAPEI’s Planiseal EMB epoxy moisture barrier reduces the moisture vapor

emission rate of concrete measuring as high as 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet per 24 hours to less than 3 pounds, the company says. MAPEI says one coat of this 100 percent solids, two-part product is enough to prepare concrete substrates for any floor covering.

www.mapei.com

Maxxon CorporationMaxxon’s Therma-Floor is the thermal mass any radiant heating prod-uct needs to work, the company says. It can be used in single rooms or

throughout an entire dwelling. The product contains recycled materials, making it Greenguard Children- and Schools-certified. It should be poured 1¼ to 1½ inch thick, and can be used with any hydronic heat-ing tube or cable.

www.maxxon.com

MP GlobalMP Global Products’ QuietWalk increases absorbency and dis-sipation of moisture. The floating wood and laminate floor underlay-

ment includes a polymer that improves moisture car-rying capacity. Its QuietWarmth is an energy-efficient heating element attached to a roll-out recycled fiber padding that serves as an insulator of the slab below.

www.quietwalk.com

February|March 2010 n Hardwood Floors 53

Product Focus | Subfloors + Subfloor Prep

Para-Chem Southern Inc. Para-Chem has introduced a one-step Intelligent Flooring System for the installation of all types of hardwood flooring. IFS is offered in acrylic for engineered wood and urethane for solids, exot-ics, bamboo and teak. Both provide great moisture protection and are LEED-compliant.

www.parabond.com

Protecto Wrap CompanyProtecto offers Whisper Mat HW for engineered hardwood, parquet and laminate flooring and Whis-per Mat HW Plus, which also offers protection from subfloor moisture emissions. Whisper Mat HW is a peel-and-stick non-permeable sheet membrane. It is

designed for use with engineered wood plank, wood parquet and laminate floors where sound control is required, specified or desired.

www.protectowrap.com

RB Rubber Products Inc.RB Silent Tread XL, an acoustical underlayment with vapor barrier, is designed to reduce room-to-room ambient noise. Easy and fast to install, RB Silent Tread XL lies flat to reduce minor sub-

floor imperfections. It can be used with most floor constructions—concrete or wood—for laminate, hardwood, engineered wood and tile flooring.

www.rbrubber.com

Signature Innovations LLCSignature Innovations’ FlexiKork is manufactured from cork and recycled rub-ber. It offers sound control, flexibility and shock absorp-tion. It is anti-microbial and has a construction height as

low as 1⁄8 inch, and the company says it’s suitable for use with all floor heating systems.

www.signaturehardwoods.com

Stauf-USA Adhesive LLCStauf offers three products for subfloors: CCF-30 Con-crete Crack Filler, FLC-500 Leveling Compound and CFP-520 Concrete Floor Patch. CCF-30 is a two-com-ponent polyester resin-based crack filler that contains no water or solvents. FLC-500 is a PVA-dispersion, powder-

based leveling compound with no solvents and no VOCs. CFP-520 is a fast-setting concrete for filling holes and building ramps.

www.staufusa.com

54 Hardwood Floors n February|March 2010

Product Focus | Subfloors + Subfloor Prep

UFloor Systems Inc.UFloor Systems offers Uzin PE 480, a two-component, roller-applied epoxy moisture barrier for the installation of all floor coverings. A water- and solvent-free compound, Uzin PE 480 completely elimi-nates moisture and vapor transmissions from concrete slab substrates, the company says. The product acts as a restriction-free, damp-proofing barrier against extremely high moisture levels.

www.ufloorsystems.com

W.F. Taylor Co. Inc., aka Taylor AdhesivesIn conjunction with Koester America Corporation, Taylor offers the Taylor 1410 Platinum MAC (Moisture Alkali Control) System. It is a two-part, VOC-

compliant system applied in a one-coat application that reduces moisture vapor transmission levels from up to 10 pounds per 1,000 square feet per 24 hours and controls high alkali conditions up to 14 pH, the company says.

www.wftaylor.com

Warmboard Inc.Warmboard radiant sub-floor can be used under any floor covering. It has a patented, low-mass design with thick, highly conduc-tive aluminum over the entire surface of 11⁄8-inch, approved tongue-and-groove subfloor material.

www.warmboard.com

WE Cork Inc.One of WE Cork’s latest prod-ucts is WECU-Quietly, a 1⁄8-inch high-density cork underlayment with die-cut rectangular holes for glue-down wood flooring. This system saves on adhesive, WE Corks says, while providing sound control and thermal insula-

tion. The product will not compress over time and is made from 98 percent pre-consumer recycled material.

www.wecork.com