Chapter 25: LUAN / VINYL TILE

1. Introduction

At the present time, HfH St. Louis is installing vinyl tile in all of the rooms in the house. This material has proven to be the most durable for the homeowners, and can be done with volunteer labor (as opposed to carpeting and vinyl sheet materials.). On most Habitat projects the luan underlayment can be installed in one day, and then if prepared correctly during the week, the vinyl tile can be installed on the next weekend.

2. Safety Issues

• Wear ear and eye protection when using power saws and staplers.
• Don't bind the blade of any saw. When cutting long panels, the blade may bind and kick back toward the operator.
• Ear protection may be recommended during the installation of the luan, as many people/hammers will be working at the same time in confined rooms.
• When power nailers/staplers are used, assure that only qualified workers have access to the power nailers/staplers.

3. Prior tasks to have been completed before starting

• Ideally the drywall should be finished and walls painted with at least one coat of primer (and paint if possible) before installing the underlayment / tile.
• HVAC register vents cut out in subfloor.

4. Recommended Staff/Crew Assignments

On the luan underlayment workday the crew should consist of 2-3 crew leaders who should be laying out and cutting the boards. The usual limiting factor is the cutting/laying out of luan, as there are typically an abundance of willing people to nail. It is suggested that there be about 5 volunteers per crew leader, and different crews can work initially in different rooms; then later convening in the dining/living room area.

On the vinyl tile installation day, the crew should consist of 2-3 crew leaders, mainly responsible for getting the tile carefully laid straight and tight and carefully cut to tolerance around the wall partitions. Typically, about 10 volunteers should be recruited for the tile phase. It is an added bonus if the HfH site leaders / crews can spread the adhesive on Friday in preparation for the weekend crews.

6. Tools/Equipment list

Tools & Equipment Needed at Each Site:

• Twelve-Gauge Drop Cords (50'-100' as needed for power at site)
• Heavy-duty Power Strips
• Brooms / Vacuum
• Circular Saw ( 7¼")
• Pneumatic Staple Guns
• Saw Horses
• Jig Saw
• Vinyl Tile cutter(s)
• Tile roller
• Electric heat gun

Tools Each Crew Leader Will Need:

• 30' Measuring Tape
• 6' Straight-edge
• Framing Square
• Chalk Line
• Large (29oz.) Caulk Gun
• Notched adhesive trowel (1/32" notch or as recommended by manfr.)
• Tin snips
• Pneumatic stapler, air hose, and compressor (if using this method)

Tools Each Crew Member Will Need:

• Hammer (16 oz. Min.)
• Nail Apron
• Retractable Utility Knife
• Measuring Tape (16' Min.)
• 2 Pencils
• Safety Glasses
• Work Gloves (to stop blisters)
• Ear Protection
• Knee Pads (if available)

7. Material List

Underlayment phase:

• ¼" Luan underlayment board
• Staples for power stapler
• 1" ring-shank or spiral underlayment nails (for stubborn areas where staples will not hold)
• Construction adhesive (29 oz. tubes)
• Floor leveler mix

Vinyl tile phase:

• Vinyl tile adhesive
• Vinyl tile (12" x 12" typical)

8. Quality Checkpoints

____ Floors totally free of debris before underlayment installation
____ Underlayment run in same direction as subfloor, with staggered joints
____ Underlayment joints not located in high traffic areas if possible
____ Underlayment glued and nailed/stapled properly (heads flush with surface of luan)
____ Joints/cracks in luan patched with floor leveler (if applicable)
____ Tile layout predetermined / chalked out (hallway, etc.)
____ Tile adhesive spread evenly (no ridges) and allowed to dry min. 2-3 hrs.
____ Tile laid straight and level with proper tolerance around partitions and staggered "grain"
____ All materials restacked, site cleaned up, tools accounted for and put away

9. Construction Drawings and Text

NOTE: The following drawings, diagrams, and text are to be used on the job site when a question arises as to methods and procedures associated with the task. The notes on the drawings have been geared toward use as a quick reference. If a more in-depth explanation is needed, please read the text description. But most importantly, consult your Habitat Site Supervisor and Construction Manager for advice as needed.

Installing Underlayment:

Install underlayment in all rooms where vinyl flooring is to be installed, before any cabinets or doors are installed. Layout the underlayment panels with staggered joints perpendicular to the direction of the sub-flooring layout, beginning at an outside corner of the room. Arrange the layout so any saw cuts will be against a wall and all joints between panels will be with factory (untrimmed) edges. In addition, make sure the cutouts for the HVAC register vents have been marked and cut.

When all of the panels are cut and laid in place, have one crew member operating the power stapler to tack the luan to the subfloor. Staple in a pattern of every 3" along the edges of each panel and every 6" in a grid pattern over the face of the panel. Test fit the cut piece, then pull up, do a final sweep, and put construction adhesive down.

Have a couple of people following behind this crew, making sure that the staples are set at or below the surface of the luan, and that they are properly holding the luan to the subfloor. Where the staples are not holding, nail the luan to the subfloor with 1" ring-shank or spiral underlayment nails. In addition, this inspection crew can also begin filling any gaps between sheets of luan. Where the gaps are 3/16" or greater, use floor leveler or Durham's wood putty to fill the gaps. After the putty dries, the crew needs to sand down any uneven areas prior to installing the vinyl tile.

Installing Vinyl Tile:

As stated above, the tile mastic must be applied in advance. If the Friday crew can layout a starter line (offset 6" from the center line of the house) and put down the glue, this is ideal. With a Friday application of the mastic, the floor will be ready for tile installation on Saturday morning. If not, then the first thing the crew should do in the morning is clean the floor, snap the starter line by finding the center of the house (from side-to-side) and offsetting by 6", and apply the mastic. By applying the mastic in the morning, the tile can be installed after the lunch break. If desired, an area such as the dining room can be left as a staging area, to be glued and tiled at a later time. Often the stairway is also done on the next Saturday.

Start laying tile from the front doorway toward the back of the house, following the line that was struck under the mastic all the way down the hallway. NOTE: There are two preferred ways to lay the tile: alternating the "grain" of the tile 90 degrees each tile, leading to a more "checkerboard" looking pattern and lining up the "grain" of the tile to run in the same direction throughout the house. Check with the homeowner for their preference, and apply this pattern consistently throughout the house. When placing the tiles on the floor, try to keep the glue from oozing up through the cracks. Make sure to instruct the volunteers to lay the tiles tight and square up next to the adjacent tiles, or else the pattern can become skewed. Also have the workers make sure to work from 1 edge or corner out, not from both ends to meet in the middle!! (This is trouble!) Any tiles that are installed incorrectly should be removed immediately by using an electric heat gun to warm the tile and using a putty knife to pry the tile up from the floor. Care should be followed when using the electric heat gun as the temperature of the gun and the tile can become extremely hot!

When all the full tiles have been laid in a room, use the tile cutter to slice off the tile to the correct width at the edges of a room. A utility knife or tin snips can be used in doorways or irregular places. Remember that there will be base trim, so the cuts don't have to extend all the way back to the wall.

When a good portion of a room is done, have a volunteer use the heavy tile roller and roll over the completed tile at least once in both directions. Clean up any excess mastic at the tile seams with mineral spirits, or let them dry and peel them off later with a razor blade.

Printer-friendly version
Page last updated Saturday, May 3, 2008 at 6:40:12 PM