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How do I choose the right installation solution for my next modular carpet project?

A wide range of factors will determine the installation solution best suited to a particular site. On grade or above? How quickly does installation need to begin? Are there moisture concerns? Milliken has the answers. To find the right solution for your situation, just turn the page.

Q:A:

SITE-RELATED SOLUTIONSFOR NEW CONSTRUCTION

Here’s a very basic science lesson: As part of a larger ecosystem, buildings are continually subject to fundamental physical processes. Such as this one: Moisture seeks equilibrium. It essentially just wants to evaporate. Water vapor will naturally rise until something gets in its way. Concrete is fi lled with vertical capillaries and does not hinder the process.

Rising moisture vapor is trying to escape. The worst thing to do is try and stop it. Obstructing a natural process simply gives rise to another natural process. If an impenetrable barrier gets in the way of escaping water vapor, condensation is what you get. That isn’t good when it happens under your carpet. Water droplets begin to form along the bottom of the backing, eventually creating liquid water between the concrete and the fl oor covering.

Hardback carpet does not allow water vapor to vent. It’s a precise defi nition of “impenetrable barrier.” Condensation will occur. The most common solution? To hide it. To literally sweep it under the rug. That’s where the real trouble starts.

Uncovered concreteConcrete with hardback fl oor covering

Water vapor travels freely through open concrete and vents naturally, evaporating into the atmosphere

Trapped water will lead to increased alkalinity — elevated pH which will cause the adhesives to fail and also create a potential

breeding ground for mold and mildew under your fl oor covering

Water can cause all kinds of problems. Reactions between water and concrete can lead to increased alkalinity, as well as possible staining from effl orescence. Water can also cause adhesives to re-emulsify and become viscous — your glue basically turns to jelly. That’s not an eff ective adhesive.

Worst of all, dark, wet spaces lead to mold and mildew. In some cases this can create health concerns, migrate to other building systems like HVAC, and aff ect indoor air quality. The formation of water is how unseen problems can become worst-case scenarios — very, very expensive to mitigate.

With new construction, installing carpet tile can feel like a no-win situation. Moisture is the X-factor.A newly poured four-inch concrete slab takes four to fi ve months to be fully ready to accept fl ooring — and that’s under ideal conditions. To nobody’s surprise, construction schedules rarely allow for that amount of time. So — do you extend your timeline? Spend more for concrete admixtures or third-party moisture-mitigation solutions? None of these solutions is ideal. Meanwhile, there might be some unexpected problems lurking under your carpet.

Milliken installation solutions do not require moisture testing. Our unique cushion backing and its moisture vapor-wicking properties allow Milliken modular carpet to handle concrete with higher relative humidities than other products. Provided our timing guidelines are followed, our products have no pH or RH limits. Nor does Milliken require moisture testing prior to installation.

Condensation will not occur with Milliken. In combination with our Non-Reactive Standard and Moisture Extreme adhesives, Milliken cushion-backed modular carpet allows moisture vapor to evaporate at a very high rate, so the formation of liquid water is almost impossible. Expensive and time-consuming moisture-based failures are therefore virtually eliminated.

Milliken stands behind all of our cushion-backed modular carpet products with a lifetime warranty against adhesive breakdown due to moisture vapor emissions. What’s more, the relationship between various parties — manufacturers, contractors, adhesive suppliers — can often lead to very sticky liability issues. Where does the responsibility actually fall? Milliken’s warranty provides our customers with a single point of contact to deal with any liability concerns.

How can we off er this? The answer is simple: When moisture vapor becomes water, that’s where the problems start. With Milliken cushion-backed carpet, moisture vapor simply evaporates.

Tufted Face Fiber

Primary Backing

Moisture Barrier Moisture on top stays on top, vapor stays below

Open-Cell CushionVapor moves easily through to vent at seams

Nonwoven FeltAllows vapor from the subfl oor to pass into open-cell cushion

Vapor penetrates into Milliken open-cell cushion, is wicked to seams and vents naturally

All Milliken modular carpet products have been designed to manage moisture simply and eff ectively: We let natural processes happen naturally.Unlike with hardback products, water vapor has a way to escape from beneath Milliken’s cushion backing. It travels freely through our open-cell cushion, until evaporating naturally through seams at the edges of each carpet tile.

Milliken Modular Carpet

SITE-RELATED SOLUTIONSFOR NEW CONSTRUCTION

It doesn’t matter whether you’re on grade or above grade. Remember, in ideal conditions, it takes a four-inch concrete slab four to five months to be fully ready to accept flooring. So, what’s the best way to assure that retained moisture doesn’t create any future headaches?

Milliken modular carpet is a moisture mitigation solution all by itself.The use of standard Milliken cushion-backed modular carpet, together with our Non-Reactive Standard adhesive:

Prevents the possibility of moisture-related issues from occurring — under virtually every circumstance.

Moisture mitigation is built directly into every standard Milliken carpet tile — it is an inherent property of the cushion backing itself.

Installation of Milliken modular carpet can begin as quickly as 90 days after the new pour is complete.

SITE-RELATED SOLUTIONSFOR NEW CONSTRUCTION

No moisture testing. Fully warrantied. On grade or above grade, standard Milliken cushion-backed modular carpet, in combination with our Non-Reactive Standard adhesive can be installed as soon as 90 days following a new pour with no moisture testing. There are no RH or pH limits. Both carpet and adhesive are fully warrantied under virtually every circumstance.

Need to install in less than 90 days?Switching to Milliken Moisture Extreme adhesive makes it possible to install our standard cushion-backed carpet tile in as little as 45 days following a completed pour, or in situations with more severe moisture concerns. Carpet and adhesive are fully warrantied, there are no RH or pH limits, and no moisture testing is required.

Milliken requires that all new concrete pours comply with ACI 302 – 2001 guidelines.

Customer Concierge 800.824.2246 | millikenfloors.com©2016 Milliken & Company | Design ©Milliken & Company | Made in the USA

THERE ARE VERY FEW CONDITIONS — For Milliken installation solutions, we ask that a few conditions be met. They are:

a) There is no visible water

b) All new pours require the use of an ASTM E-1745 vapor retarder (Class B minimum) placed in accordance with ACI 302–2001 and directly in contact with the concrete placement.

c) Floor prep must be performed in accordance with ASTM F 710-11, except where explicitly allowed by this document and/or installation instructions.

d) All topical curing compounds must be removed prior to application of adhesive.

e) Existing adhesive must be removed when using Moisture Extreme Spray Adhesive on or below grade.

f) Bond test required

HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE (on-grade only) — We should note that Milliken does not warrant against hydrostatic pressure, instances where water is forcibly pushed into the slab and/or moisture events caused by broken pipes. In such cases the warranty will be voided. If you’d call that fine print, we won’t argue — but we think you’ll agree that’s a pretty fair stipulation.

Why has moisture become such an issue now?

Because of current trends that favor modular carpet over broadloom. Broadloom handled retained moisture in concrete similarly to Milliken cushion backing, in that it let vapor pass through and evaporate naturally. Modular carpet, however, requires a more stable backing than does broadloom in order to maintain its integrity. It turns out that hardback carpet tiles happen to be just about the perfect way to block water vapor from venting.

What’s all this talk about alkalinity and pH?

Most carpet adhesives are rated for pHs of around 9 and everything works well as long as no liquid water is present. However, elevated pH becomes a major concern once liquid water enters the equation. Liquid water will activate the Alkaline salts, inherent in all cement, which will increase the pH level at the surface of a concrete slab. Flooring failures occur when the adhesive is exposed to sustained, moist, high pH environments. This is why warranties often have language that will void them at higher pHs. Milliken cushion-backed modular carpet allows moisture vapor to evaporate at a very high rate, eliminating the formation of liquid water. No water – no problem, hence our ability to eliminate the need for pH testing and limits.

What’s the big deal about moisture testing, anyway?

It can be expensive, and there are limits to its accuracy. As to the expense issue, your final bill will depend on how many tests are required over how large an area. More importantly, a moisture test is only a snapshot in time. Moisture levels rise and fall naturally, in some cases wildly so. Though declared safe at installation, levels may no longer be safe after an issue occurs — which is exactly when crucial warranty-related testing will be required. Put simply, your warranty may be in jeopardy.

What about this bond test? You said no testing.

That’s a fair question. But here’s the thing — adhesives have to stick to the subfloor. Moisture occasionally causes adhesion problems. More often, issues arise from chemical incompatibilities between adhesives and topical treatments or admixtures that may be present in the concrete — and these are invisible to the naked eye. A bond test confirms that adhesives will maintain their integrity. As long as the adhesive will work, you’re good to go.

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