Posted by brett on February 26, 1998 at 17:05:53:
In Reply to: Re: new vinyl floor bumpy & uneven posted by Brian on February 25, 1998 at 15:44:08:
: : Brian, I have a couple of questions if I may. I am
: : thinking that you installed this on 2/22?
: : 1. What was installed on the concrete substrate
: : before you installed the new vinyl?
: old tile, probably late 40s vintage.
1A. If the old tile was put down with black cut-back adhesive,
the residue may be part of the problem. It may be reacting
chemically with the new adhesive to create gas, ie bubbles,
or it may not have been as smooth as it appeared to the eye.
: : 2. When you say the floor looks bumpy, are the
: : bumps actually bubbles or depressions?
: Actually, many appear to be depressions.
: : 3. When you push on the bumps with your finger
: : are they hard, soft, ballon like, or do they sink?
: hard.
: : 4. How soon after the install did you notice
: : the bumps start appearing?
: immediately.
: : 5. Have the bumps changed much since installation?
: They seemed to turn from bumps to depressions. The floor is smoothing out some.
5A. Also relating to 2., as the adhesive cures under the vinyl, it will pull the vinyl
down to conform with any shape the surface has. If there is a depression, it will pull
it into a depression. If there is a bump, it may make the bump appear more pronounced.
This curing of the adhesive is common to all adhesives and the showing of any substrate
iregularities is called telegraphing. The only way to avoid telegraphing is to prepare
the surface by removing bumps and filling in the holes with a patching compound approve
by the manufacturer of the vinyl.
After about 7 to 10 days, the floor's appearance will stabilize.