Slip Resistance
Slip resistance is always a safety concern for flooring, particularly in high foot traffic areas. When it comes to vinyl flooring surfaces, interlocking systems help guard against loose tiles sticking up and causing tripping hazards. However, it is the surface characteristics that are important when it comes to simply slipping on any flooring materials with a variety of results possible. ASTM C1028 - 07e1 is the Standard Test Method for Determining the Static Coefficient of Friction for a variety of tile types. Building codes, ADA, and OSHA all indicate minimum levels of slip resistance based on this or similar standards for walking surfaces and particularly in egress corridors. Of course a variety of factors can come into play on slip resistance, but the basic make-up of the flooring should be acceptable to begin with. Vinyl flooring can indeed meet those demands both through the inherent slip resistant qualities of the material itself and the potential for surface treatments. Therefore, specifying flooring that meets or exceeds the minimum standards is clearly possible and recommended.

Handicapped Accessibility
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) establishes specific requirements for barrier free environments including unobstructed paths of travel along walkways and floors. Much of this has been codified in American National Standard ICC A117.1 (the Accessibility Standard) which is appended to most building codes as the prescriptive requirements to achieve such barrier free environments. Chapter 3 of this Standard specifically addresses Floor Surfaces. Section 302 indicates that flooring must first be stable, firm and slip resistant. Floating flooring readily meats all of these criteria since it is firmly supported by the underlying substrate, stable when installed, and the surface can be properly slip resistant.

Changes in level are addressed in Section 303 of the Accessibility Standard. This would apply to the edges of flooring systems where people are walking or riding a wheelchair over. The maximum allowed vertical rise is ¼” which can be increased to ½” if the edges are beveled with a slope of no more than 1:2 on the bevel. Floating flooring systems can readily accommodate these handicapped accessibility requirements, since the locking mechanism between tiles or planks is designed to produce a smooth, flush surface. Where the floating floor system adjoins other types of flooring, the use of a beveled transition strip may be needed consistent with the requirements of the Accessibility Standard. There are of course other accessibility requirements for paths of travel including doorways, obstructions, etc. and those will need to be coordinated in the overall design. There is nothing about the floating flooring system, however, that should impair or impede that coordinated design effort.

Installation Procedures

The installation of a locking floating vinyl floor can usually occur unhampered by other trades. This is true since it can be installed quickly and easily at the very end of construction thus avoiding other construction traffic. Further, since there is no setting time required for adhesive, scheduling and coordinating with the larger construction schedule is simplified. It is important that the space is fully enclosed, however, and has been heated or cooled to room temperature (65 – 85 degrees F) just prior to the installation beginning. It is also important and advisable to acclimate the flooring materials for 48 hours inside the conditioned space prior to the start of installation to avoid any potential expansion and contraction issues.

The basis for any good installation, of course, is good preparation. Once a designated area is deemed ready for the flooring to be installed, the first step is to clean and prep the subfloor. This is true for any flooring product, but it is important to recognize and address the differences of some common types of subfloors. Concrete subfloors must be smooth, clean, and thoroughly dry. Vinyl floating flooring should only be installed if the concrete slab is completely cured (i.e. 6 weeks from pouring). It is also ok to install the flooring over concrete slabs that contain radiant heating as long as the floor slab does not heat up beyond 90 degrees F.