RENOVATION Q: A: How do I choose the right installation solution for my next modular carpet renovation project? A wide range of factors will determine the installation solution best suited to a particular site. On grade or above? What kind of adhesive is on the floor? What about moisture concerns? Milliken has the answers. To find the right solution for your situation, just turn the page.
IN MOST RENOVATION PROJECTS, HERE S THE FIRST QUESTION: What s under the old carpet? Floor prep can quickly become a major undertaking. Grinding or mechanically removing existing adhesive can adversely affect indoor air quality not to mention the time it takes to do the work. Getting the floor ready may turn out to be more expensive and complicated than you think. With Milliken, just remove the old carpet. That s it. We try to make it very simple. Simply remove the existing carpet, knock down the high ridges of the existing adhesive, and you can start installing your new carpet right away. Newly Exposed Concrete Hardback Carpet Tile When using hardback carpet tile, manufacturers often require that all existing adhesives be completely removed or encapsulated before installation In some cases, rough surface textures from existing adhesives will actually be visible on the surface of hardback carpet after installation Chemical reactions between PVC- backed carpet tiles and existing adhesive can occur, sometimes with very unpleasant results Milliken cushion-backed carpet easily installs over existing adhesives and completely obscures any surface irregularities below Milliken cushion-backing is chemically inert there is no risk of reactions between the carpet and any adhesive still on the floor from previous installs PVC-backed products mixed with old adhesive can cause a nasty chemical reaction. Many manufacturers require the removal of old adhesives because there s the possibility of plasticizer migration. What does that mean? In simple terms, it means your new carpet tile could start to slide around as the adhesives dissolve into an oozing mess and stop holding them in place. It s also possible that imperfections on the floor turn out to be visible. Some newer hardback carpet tiles, with thermoplastic backings, can be quite thin. In some cases, they re so thin, that surface imperfections from adhesives left on the subfloor will actually show through the carpet tile. This is sometimes known as telegraphing. Not the best look. Milliken cushion-backed modular carpet is chemically inert. Plasticizer migration is a non-issue because our backing won t react with anything already on the floor, dramatically reducing floor prep. This is particularly important for renovation projects where timing is an essential consideration, and isn t it always? You won t see anything through the carpet. Milliken s cushion backing provides enough give and take to keep surface irregularities from old adhesives right where they belong: Under the carpet. Nothing will show through.
For on-grade renovation projects, moisture is the X-factor. For the last decade or so, building codes have specified the use of a vapor barrier a plastic membrane placed under new pours to prevent outside moisture from entering an on-grade slab. It s virtually impossible to verify if your existing slab s vapor barrier is completely intact. And the fact you don t currently have a moisture problem doesn t ensure you won t have one in the future. Milliken Modular Carpet Tufted Face Fiber Primary Backing Moisture Barrier Moisture on top stays on top, vapor stays below Open-Cell Cushion Chemically non-reactive, vapor moves easily through to vent at seams Nonwoven Felt Allows vapor from the subfloor to pass into open-cell cushion All Milliken modular carpet products have been designed to manage moisture simply and effectively: 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. Hardback carpet tile can trap moisture vapor which can lead to condensation, formation of liquid water, and some potentially serious consequences Vapor penetrates into Milliken open-cell cushion, is wicked to seams and vents naturally Rising moisture vapor is trying to escape. The worst thing to do is try and stop it. Moisture problems in renovation projects can usually be attributed to a missing or compromised vapor barrier. Water vapor naturally rises until it reaches an impenetrable barrier and that s precisely what hardback carpet is. Escaping vapor is blocked, causing condensation. Water droplets begin to form, eventually creating liquid water between the concrete and the floor covering. That isn t good when it happens under your carpet. Reactions between water and concrete can cause adhesives to re-emulsify and become viscous your glue basically turns to jelly. 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 affect indoor air quality. A compromised vapor barriers allows moisture to permeate the existing slab 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 installation guidelines are followed, our products have no ph or RH limits. In addition, no moisture testing is required on any slab when using Moisture Extreme, and there is no testing required with Non-Reactive Standard on above-grade slabs. You can even install Milliken modular carpet on moisture-stained concrete. How can we offer 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..
Is your installation above grade? Milliken modular carpet virtually eliminates floor prep. The benefits of standard Milliken cushion-backed modular carpet, together with our Non-Reactive Standard adhesive: No need to remove old adhesives. No moisture testing. Fully warrantied. For any above-grade installation, standard Milliken cushion-backed modular carpet, in combination with our Non-Reactive Standard adhesive, can be installed without the need to remove old adhesives and with no moisture testing. There are no RH or ph limits. Both carpet and adhesive are fully warrantied under virtually every circumstance. Backing is chemically inert Milliken modular carpet can be installed without removing old adhesives with no risk of plasticizer migration. Flaws and irregularities on the subfloor surface are sometimes visible right through hardback products with Milliken, they won t be. Are you installing on-grade? Milliken modular carpet is a moisture mitigation solution all by itself. Moisture mitigation is an inherent property of Milliken s cushion backing, virtually eliminating moisture concerns even for most on-grade slabs. No vapor barrier, no problem. Milliken Moisture Extreme adhesive makes it possible to install on-grade, with no vapor barrier and no need for moisture testing. Carpet and adhesive are fully warrantied, with no RH or ph limits. Use Non-Reactive Standard adhesive on-grade, too. With a vapor barrier in place, there s no need for moisture testing. If there s no vapor barrier or you aren t sure, testing is required, but Non-Reactive Standard adhesive is fully warrantied at up to 95% RH, with no ph limit.
FAQs SITE-RELATED SOLUTIONS / RENOVATION Isn t floor prep standard practice when installing carpet tile? 1 3 What s the big deal about moisture testing, anyway? You might say, I m doing this already. The time and resources required for floor prep has been status quo, we ve done it for years. Well, you could be spending $3-$6 per square yard and that s a conservative estimate. Add that to any timing issues and you could be wasting time and money. At Milliken we re asking, what if you could save the money and time you ve been allocating for prep? What if floor prep could be taken out of the equation entirely? Our standard cushion-backed products make this possible. 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. I thought products with a thermoplastic backing were non-reactive. 2 4 That s true, but thermoplastic-backed products are relatively thin. This means two things: 1: An aggressive adhesive is generally required to keep them down and flat over the life of the product. 2: Telegraphing can be a serious problem. Because of the relative thinness of thermoplastic-backed carpet tiles, any undulations or residue left on the floor could show through. Costly and time-consuming floor prep may be necessary to achieve a clean and smooth surface. Milliken cushionbacked products mitigate the issue of telegraphing. Our standard cushion backing accommodates any residue left on the floor during renovation projects, meaning little or no floor prep. Why is moisture a concern with renovation projects? When installing new carpet, specifically on grade, there are several moisture-related issues to look out for. For example, is there an existing vapor barrier? If you re not sure, if you re not prepared, moisture issues can ultimately creep in. Also, you never know what you re going to get when lifting up the old carpet. Is there liquid water? The old carpet might have been excellent at handling moisture, but what about the new carpet? Does the new product and adhesive combination have built-in moisture mitigation technology? And speaking of adhesive, moving from a solvent-based adhesive to a water-based one can cause big problems. Once you lift up the old carpet, there is typically a list of concerns around moisture not addressing them could spell big trouble down the road. THERE ARE VERY FEW CONDITIONS For Milliken installation solutions, we ask that a few conditions be met: a) There is no visible water. b) For on-grade renovation installations with RH above 95, Milliken Non-Reactive Standard Adhesive requires 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. Customer Concierge 800.824.2246 millikenfloors.com 2016 Milliken & Company Design Milliken & Company Made in the USA 2700011296 PS 1216