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Best Practices Guide to Installing Resilient Flooring: Vinyl Tile, Sheet Vinyl, & Cork Floors
- RESILIENT VINYL or CORK FLOOR - CONTENTS
- Resilient flooring choices, installation, vinyl sheet & tile, cork floors
- Sheet Vinyl Floor Properties & Installation Guide
- How to Select & Install Solid Vinyl Floor Tiles: Solid Vinyl, VAT, VCT
- Vinyl Floor Tile Installation Procedure; instructions for installing vinyl tile over concrete
- Acclimatization Requirements for Vinyl Tile Floors
- Underlayments for Vinyl Floor Tile Systems
- Natural Alternatives to Vinyl Floors: Installing Cork or Cork Tile Floors
- Guide to Modern Linoleum Floors
- Questions & answers about how to buy, inspect, troubleshoot, repair resilient flooring
- References
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InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.
This article explains the best practices used to install vinyl tile, sheet vinyl, cork floors, and other resilient flooring including modern linoleum.
This article series discusses and provides a best construction practices guide to the selection and installation of building interior surface materials, carpeting, doors, drywall, trim, flooring, lighting, plaster, materials, finishes, and sound control materials. This article includes excerpts or adaptations from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss, courtesy of Wiley & Sons. Our page top photo shows a cork tile floor installed in the Vassar College Library, Poughkeepsie, NY.
Also see INTERIORS of buildings, our home page for information about all topics relating to building interiors.
Green links show where you are. © Copyright 2013 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Author Daniel Friedman.
Resilient Flooring: Selection & Installation Guide to Sheet Vinyl & Vinyl Tile Floors
 As described in the book, Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction Chapter 5, Interior Finish:
Multi layer sheet vinyl is by far the most common material
used in resilient floors.
It comes in a variety of grades and
a vast array of colors and patterns and, if installed well and
maintained properly, should last 10 to 20 years.
Solid vinyl
tiles are another popular option; but, with multiple seams,
they are more vulnerable to intrusions from water and dirt.
Natural alternatives to vinyl that are growing in popularity
include cork, in sheet or tile form, and old-fashioned
linoleum, which is making a comeback in residential
installations with new colors and marbleized patterns.
Sheet Vinyl Floor Properties & Installation Guide
Sheet vinyl is manufactured to be either fully adhered to
the substrate with mastic or bonded only at the edges,
called a perimeter-bond system.
Flex-type vinyl flooring,
made for perimeter-bond installation, tolerates minor unevenness
and movement in the substrate better than fully
adhered systems, but fully adhered systems are more
durable overall and less likely to be damaged from stresses
like a heavy piece of furniture being dragged across.
All modern sheet vinyl flooring has three layers:
- Backing layer. Typically, this is felt or vinyl. Better
grades generally have vinyl backing that resists
denting better than felt. To improve the tear resistance
and toughness of layered flooring, some manufacturers
laminate an additional layer between the core layer
and the backing.
- Core layer. This is a foam interlayer that gives the material
its resilience and resistance to denting. The color
and pattern are either printed on this layer or “inlaid.”
With inlaid construction, the color and pattern run
through the material from the wear layer to backing,
making it less prone to show a small nick in the surface.
- Wear layer. The top layer protects the flooring from
wear and is generally either clear vinyl or a more
durable urethane (PUR) finish, sometimes enhanced
with aluminum oxide or other additives to increase
wear resistance. Many finishes are marketed as “nowax,”
but these are not maintenance-free and require
periodic application of an acrylic dressing. Lower gloss
finishes are recommended for high-traffic areas.
Better quality vinyl floors tend to be thicker overall
and have a thicker and higher-quality wear layer. As the
wear layer gets abraded from dirt and grime, it becomes
duller and harder to clean. T
he thickness of the wear layer
can range from 5 to 25 mils, and the flooring thickness
from about 1/16-inch to 1/8-inch. Better quality products offer
better resistance to stains and scratches than lower-end
floors, and some of the top quality floors are guaranteed
not to rip or permanently dent.
How to Select & Install Solid Vinyl Floor Tiles: Solid Vinyl, VAT, VCT
Vinyl Flooring Products 1900 - 1986 May Contain Asbestos
 Similar to inlaid sheet vinyl, the color and pattern in solid
vinyl tiles run through the full thickness of the tile, making
them very durable. Because the color and pattern
extend through the tile, they do not wear away with heavy
use, but choices are limited.
Our photo (left) shows cork-pattern solid vinyl floor tiles from the 1960's. Typically vinyl floor tiles, or VAT (vinyl-asbestos tile) from this era contain asbestos, and special procedures are required if the floor is to be demolished. See ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION and
ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE PHOTO ID GUIDE and if your building contains these products, see also ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION
Modern solid vinyl tiles are cut from
a solid block of material and come with a low-gloss finish.
One type, vinyl composition tile or VCT, is essentially the
same product as solid vinyl, but with other binders and
fillers. Both types require waxing and buffing, both to seal
any gaps between tiles and to create an easy-to-clean
surface. |
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 As we detail at ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE PHOTO ID GUIDE, depending on the age of manufacture, some resilient flooring products used asbestos as a primary ingredient also see Asphalt & Vinyl Floor Tile History). s.
Contemporary resilient flooring products such as the vinyl floor tile shown at left do not contain asbestos however.
At left is a photo of Armstrong Excelon Vinyl Floor tile, acontemporary, popular resilient floor covering, sold in 70 colors at retail outlets including Home Depot stores, this modern resilient floor tile does not contain asbestos. [Click any image to see an enlarged, detailed version]
A catalog of floor tile identification photographs for products that contained asbestos, 1952 - 1980, is provided below at Armstrong Vinyl-Asbestos Floor Tile Photo ID Catalog - 1952 - 1986. And at Armstrong flooring history we provide a history of Armstrong flooring and links to company information.
Below our photo shows a color chart for contemporary Armstrong vinyl floor tiles. |
Vinyl Floor Tile Installation Procedure
 Vinyl flooring can be installed over approved wood-based
underlayments, dry concrete, or existing vinyl or linoleum
if it is in good condition, clean, and free of wax or grease.
However, any imperfection in the underlayment will
telegraph through the finished floor, so if there are any
questions, it is best to install new underlayment. Most
problems with vinyl are caused by problems with the underlayment,
such as nail pops and swelling or delamination
due to moisture. Adhesive failures at edges or seams
can also be a problem.
To avoid these types of problems, use only underlayments
and adhesives that are recommended by the flooring
manufacturer.
Also, if possible, avoid seams—most
sheet vinyl comes in 6- and 12-foot rolls, so many rooms
can be done without a seam. If seams are required, darker
colors and textured pattern are preferable and help hide
dirt and scuff marks as well. All seams should be sealed
with an approved sealer to keep dirt out and to keep
water from penetrating and undermining the adhesive
bond.
Guide to Installing Vinyl Floor Tiles over Concrete
If installing over a concrete slab, make sure it
has a proper vapor barrier and has cured for at least
60 days. A concrete sealer is recommended. Existing slabs
should be wire brushed, swept clean, and primed with an
approved primer before gluing down resilient flooring.
Acclimatization Requirements for Vinyl Tile Floors
Because vinyl shrinks and expands
with room temperature, it should be allowed to adjust to
the room temperature before installation. In general, the
room should be heated or cooled to its normal temperature
and the vinyl allowed to acclimate for 24 hours.
Underlayments for Vinyl Floor Tile Systems
For a problem-free floor, sheet vinyl
must be installed over a smooth, hard, and dry surface
approved for use with vinyl.
- Plywood underlayment for floor tiles: The most reliable underlayment, accepted by
all vinyl flooring manufacturers, is sanded plywood
with solid inner plies (no voids) that resist denting or
puncturing. This is usually either designated “Underlayment
with sanded face” or “C-C Plugged with
sanded face.” (Other possible grades include “Plugged
crossbands under face” or “Plugged inner plies”).
Avoid plywood with plastic or resin fillers on the
surface, as these may stain the vinyl.
- Lauan underlayment for floor tiles. Type 1 exterior-grade lauan plywood is sometimes
used as an underlayment and is approved by
some vinyl flooring manufacturers. If using lauan, use
the best grade available, which is often labeled B-B.
- Particleboard underlayment for floor tiles. This is discouraged by most manufacturers
but is sometimes used in areas with limited
exposure to moisture, since particleboard has the
potential to swell at edges if wet. Also, the particleboard
surface can tear when installers pull back the
vinyl to spread adhesive at seams.
Make sure the subflooring is dry before installing the
underlayment.
Use minimum1/4-inch-thick panels so that
the underlayment plus subfloor is at least 1 inch thick.
Stagger joints in the underlayment so they are offset
from joints in the floor sheathing by at least 2 inches (see Figure 5-16). |
Most flooring manufacturers specify a 3 1/2-inch gap
between sheets, filled with a quick-setting latex-based
cementitious filler. The filler restrains the edges of the
underlayment and helps prevent ridging from movement
or the absorption of flooring adhesive at panel edges.
The nailing schedule for resilient flooring underlayment is shown in Table 5-7 below. Fasteners
should approximately equal the thickness of the underlayment
and subfloor and should not be driven into the framing.
Many contractors prefer staples to nails, because they
do not leave dimples in the underlayment. Before using
staples, however, make sure that they are approved by the
resilient-flooring manufacturer. Nails should be ring-shank
or spiral-shank and driven flush or just below the surface,
but the heads should not be filled.
Other holes, gaps, and
voids should be filled with a latex-based cementitious filling
compound before laying the floor.
Natural Alternatives to Vinyl Floors: Cork Floors
 Homeowners who want a resilient floor covering but are
looking for an alternative to vinyl should consider the new
cork products as well as traditional linoleum, which is
enjoying a comeback in residential applications.
Cork Floor Properties, Selection & Installation Procedures
Cork is a renewable resource that is harvested
every 9 or 10 years from the outer bark layer of cork
oak trees in Portugal and other Mediterranean countries.
Cork has a number of desirable attributes for a flooring
material: its air-filled, watertight cells are strong, soft to
walk on, and insulating, making it a good choice over a
concrete slab.
To make it into flooring, manufacturers
grind up the cork, mix it with a chemical binder, bake the
material, and slice it into sheets. Cork flooring products
range in thickness from 3/16 to 7/16-
inch for some laminated
products.
Most cork flooring is sold as tiles and installed with
adhesive, similarly to other resilient tiles. Tiles are available
either unfinished or prefinished with carnauba wax or
a more durable polyurethane or acrylic coating. Tiles tend
to have natural color variation and can be purchased in
light, medium, or dark tones.
As with wood floors, wax
finishes need regular buffing and periodic rewaxing,
depending on use. Polyurethane-finished cork typically
needs recoating in four to eight years. One advantage of
purchasing unfinished tiles and finishing in place is better
protection against moisture penetration between tiles. The
cork itself is moderately water-resistant.
A variety of other cork and cork composite products
are now on the market, including tongue-and-groove
(T&G) floating floors and cork and vinyl laminates.
A
number of manufacturers now offer 12x36-inch floating
T&G planks with an MDF core sandwiched between a
cork underlayment and aggregate cork wear layer. Manufacturers
include Korq, Inc., American Cork Products
Company, and Nova Distinctive Floors, which offers a
unique no-glue option.
Some manufacturers offer a composite
product with an inner layer of cork sandwiched
between a thick vinyl wear layer and vinyl backing (see Buy Interior Finish Product Resources).
While cork products appeal to healthy-house advocates,
the binders and adhesives used with tiles, and the
fiberboard or vinyl layers used in laminated products, may
not provide the completely nontoxic, non-offgassing
material desired. Using solid-cork (aggregate) tiles with a
low-VOC adhesive is probably the best choice for those
seeking natural, nontoxic materials.
Guide to Modern Linoleum Floors
 For the last 50 years or so, linoleum has
been used almost exclusively in commercial settings, but
it is making a comeback in residential settings, due largely
to its use of all-natural ingredients and reputation for durability.
Our photo (left) shows antique sheet flooring found in a home built in th3 1800's.
Linoleum is made by boiling oil to form a thick
cement paste that is mixed with pine rosin, wood flour,
and other fillers such as clay or limestone to make a
durable, resilient sheet flooring that wears well and resists
indentation.
The backing is typically jute fabric, a natural
fiber. Other than relatively minor initial off-gassing from
the linseed oil base, linoleum is considered nontoxic by
most healthy-house advocates. It is also naturally antimicrobial
and anti static, making it well suited for hospitals,
schools, and rooms with electronic equipment. If well
maintained, a linoleum floor can provide a 20- to 30-year
service life.
In response to new demand for the product in recent
years, manufacturers have responded with a wide variety
of solid and marbleized colors and attractive checkered
patterns, available in sheet form as well as 19x19-inch
tiles that can be mixed to create borders and other designs.
Unlike vinyl, linoleum colors go all the way through the
product, making scratches and wear spots less noticeable
than on vinyl. Also, scratches, cigarette burns, and other
surface wear can be removed with steel wool or a nylon
abrasive pad and buffed out.
However, since linoleum does not have a separate
wear layer like vinyl flooring and is slightly porous, it requires
somewhat more maintenance than vinyl. Applying
a sealer or polish to the new floor will help it resist stains
and make it easier to clean. Also, portions of a linoleum
floor not exposed to light will tend to darken or yellow due
to the natural oxidation of the linseed oil base. This coloration
will disappear upon exposure to light, and the original
linoleum color will be restored, or “bloom.”
All linoleum flooring is now manufactured in Europe.
The largest supplier in the United States is European-based
Forbo Linoleum, Inc., but U.S.-based flooring companies
such as Armstrong are beginning to offer linoleum products
as well. A unique floating linoleum plank floor that
can be installed with or without glue is available from
Nova Distinctive Floors.
-- Adapted with permission from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction.
Resources: Manufacturers, Industry Associations, & Sources Flooring Materials & Products
Drywall Trims and Accessories
Prefinished Wood Flooring
Alloc Inc.
www.alloc.com
Snap-together, no-glue long-strip and single-strip
laminated flooring
Anderson Hardwood Floors
www.andersonfloors.com
Laminated strip, nail, glue, and floating
Armstrong World Industries
www.armstrong.com
Bruce, Hartco, and Robbins prefinished plank and
engineered strip
BHK of America
www.bhkuniclic.com
Snap-together, no-glue laminated wood flooring
Columbia Wood Flooring
www.columbiaflooring.com
Prefinished solid strip
Duro-Design
www.duro-design.com
Floating click-lock oak flooring
Gammapar
www.gammapar.com
Engineered wood strip with oil, UV-cured urethane,
or acrylic-impregnated finish
Junkers Hardwood
www.junkershardwood.com
Floating solid strip with metal clip installation
Kahrs
www.kahrs.com
Laminated strip with UV-cured acrylic urethane,
nail, glue, or floating
Lauzon
www.lauzonltd.com
Prefinished strip, laminated strip, and click-lock
laminated plank
Mannington Mills
www.mannington.com
Laminated strip and plank with polyurethane and
aluminum-oxide finish
Medallion Hardwood Flooring
www.medallionhardwood.com
Prefinished solid hardwood strip and plank with
aluminum-oxide finish
Tarkett Wood Floors
www.harris-tarkett.com
Prefinished solid hardwood, laminated, and long-strip
flooring
MercierWood Flooring
www.mercierdurable.com
Prefinished solid strip and laminated strip with
aluminum-oxide finish
PermaGrain Hardwood Flooring
www.permagrain.com
Acrylic-impregnated laminated strip and plank
Zickgraf Hardwood Flooring
www.zickgraf.com
Prefinished solid strip with UV-cured urethane with
diamond and aluminum oxide
Bamboo Flooring Producers & Sources
Bamtex (a division of Wood Flooring International)
www.bamtex.com
Laminated bamboo and palm flooring
Duro-Design
www.duro-design.com
Laminated bamboo flooring with durable water-based
finish
Gammapar
www.gammapar.com
Acrylic-impregnated bamboo flooring
Hawa Bamboo Flooring
www.hawabamboo.com
Prefinished bamboo flooring with aluminum-oxide finish
Natural Cork
www.naturalcork.com
Prefinished glue-down or nail-down 3-ply bamboo planks
with aluminum-oxide finish
Resilient Flooring Manufacturers List
Congoleum
www.congoleum.com
Vinyl sheet flooring and tiles
Domco (division of Domco Tarkett Group)
www.domco.com
Vinyl sheet flooring and tiles
Forbo
www.forbo-flooring.com
Linoleum sheet and tiles
Mannington Mills
www.mannington.com
Vinyl sheet flooring and tiles
Nova Distinctive Floors
www.novafloorings.com
Laminated linoleum surface over fiberboard and cork
planks, floating installation
Tarkett
www.tarkettna.com
Vinyl sheet flooring and tiles
Cork Flooring Manufacturers & Sources
American Cork Products Co.
www.amcork.com
Prefinished parquet tiles and floating floor planks
Amorim Revestimentos (formerly Ipocork)
www.wicanders.com
Floating or glue-down laminated cork tiles with
UV-acrylic or oil finish
BHK of America
www.bhkuniclic.com
Snap-together, no-glue, laminated cork flooring with
UV-acrylic finish
Expanko Cork Inc.
www.expanko.com
Cork tiles with wax or polyurethane finish
Korq Inc.
(212) 758-2593
Natural Cork
www.naturalcork.com
Glue-down cork tiles and floating laminated planks with
UV-cured acrylic finish
Nova Distinctive Floors
www.novafloorings.com
Laminated cork planks with glue-down and floating
click-lock installation
WECork
www.wecork.com
Cork tiles, sheets, and floating floors
Polymer (Urethane), MDF, and Vinyl Trim Producers & Sources
Burton Mouldings
www.burton-mouldings.com
MDF(medium-density fiberboard), polymer, flex, and wood
Fypon
www.fypon.com
Polymer moldings and components
Nu-Wood
www.nu-wood.com
Polymer moldings and components
Outwater Plastics
www.outwater.com
Polymer moldings and components
RAS Industries
www.rasindustries.com
Polymer moldings and components
Royal Mouldings (formerly Marley Mouldings)
www.royalmouldings.com
Polymer, polystyrene, expanded-PVC, CPVC, and acrylic
molding profiles and components
Flexible Trim Manufacturers & Sources
Flex Trim
www.flextrim.com
Flexible polymer moldings
Resin Art
www.resinart.com
Flexible polymer moldings
Industry & Trade Associations for Flooring Products
American Lighting Association
www.americanlightingassoc.com
Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industries
www.awci.org
Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI)
www.carpet-rug.org
Drywall Finishing Council
www.dwfc.org
Forest Stewardship Program
www.fscus.org
FloorFacts
www.floorfacts.com
The Gypsum Association
www.gypsum.org
National Oak Flooring Manufacturers Association
(NOFMA)
www.nofma.com
National Wood Flooring Association
www.woodfloors.org
Painting and Decorating Contractors of America
www.pdca.org
Smartwood/Rainforest Alliance
www.smartwood.org
-- Adapted with permission from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction.
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Technical Reviewers & References
Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.
- Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss. John Wiley & Sons, 2006. ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, Hardcover: 320 pages, available from Amazon.com and also Wiley.com. See our book review of this publication.
- Steve Bliss's Building Advisor at buildingadvisor.com helps homeowners & contractors plan & complete successful building & remodeling projects: buying land, site work, building design, cost estimating, materials & components, & project management through complete construction. Email: info@buildingadvisor.com
Steven Bliss served as editorial director and co-publisher of The Journal of Light Construction for 16 years and previously as building technology editor for Progressive Builder and Solar Age magazines. He worked in the building trades as a carpenter and design/build contractor for more than ten years and holds a masters degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Excerpts from his recent book, Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, Wiley (November 18, 2005) ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, appear throughout this website, with permission and courtesy of Wiley & Sons. Best Practices Guide is available from the publisher, J. Wiley & Sons, and also at Amazon.com
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
 The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 25th Ed., 2012, is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume. Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
Or choose the The Home Reference eBook for PCs, Macs, Kindle, iPad, iPhone, or Android Smart Phones. Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference eBook purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAEHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
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- "The Elimination of Unsafe Guardrails, a Progress Report," Elliott O. Stephenson, Building Standards, March-April 1993
- "Are Functional Handrails Within Our Grasp" Jake Pauls, Building Standards, January-February 1991
- Access Ramp building codes:
- UBC 1003.3.4.3
- BOCA 1016.3
- ADA 4.8.2
- IBC 1010.2
- Access Ramp Standards:
- ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), Public Law 101-336. 7/26/90 is very often cited by other sources for good design of stairs and ramps etc. even where disabled individuals are not the design target.
- ANSI A117.4 Accessible and Usable buildings and Facilities (earlier version was incorporated into the ADA)
- ASTM F 1637, Standard Practice for Safe Walking Surfaces, (Similar to the above standards)
- America's Favorite Homes, mail-order catalogues as a guide to popular early 20th-century houses, Robert Schweitzer, Michael W.R. Davis, 1990, Wayne State University Press ISBN 0814320066 (may be available from Wayne State University Press)
- American Plywood Association, APA, "Portland Manufacturing Company, No. 1, a series of monographs on the history of plywood manufacturing",Plywood Pioneers Association, 31 March, 1967, www.apawood.org
- Animal Allergens: Dog, Cat, and Other Animal Dander - Cleanup & Prevention Information for Asthmatics and regarding Indoor Air Quality.
- Asbestos: How to find and recognize asbestos in buildings - visual inspection methods, list of common asbestos-containing materials
- Asbestos HVAC Ducts and Flues field identification photos and guide
- Asbestos products and their history and use in various building materials such as asphalt and vinyl flooring includes discussion which draws on Asbestos, Its Industrial Applications, D.V. Rosato, engineering consultant, Newton, MA, Reinhold Publishing, 1959 Library of Congress Catalog Card No.: 59-12535 (out of print).
- Asbestos Identification and Testing References
- Asbestos Identification, Walter C.McCrone, McCrone Research Institute, Chicago, IL.1987 ISBN 0-904962-11-3. Dr. McCrone literally "wrote the book" on asbestos identification procedures which formed
the basis for current work by asbestos identification laboratories.
- Stanton, .F., et al., National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 506: 143-151
- Pott, F., Staub-Reinhalf Luft 38, 486-490 (1978) cited by McCrone
- ASHRAE resource on dew point and wall condensation - see the ASHRAE Fundamentals Handbook, available in many libraries. The following three ASHRAE Handbooks are also available at the InspectAPedia bookstore in the third page of our Insulate-Ventilate section:
- 2005 ASHRAE Handbook : Fundamentals : Inch-Pound Edition (2005 ASHRAE HANDBOOK : Fundamentals : I-P Edition) (Hardcover), Thomas H. Kuehn (Contributor), R. J. Couvillion (Contributor), John W. Coleman (Contributor), Narasipur Suryanarayana (Contributor), Zahid Ayub (Contributor), Robert Parsons (Author), ISBN-10: 1931862702 or ISBN-13: 978-1931862707
- 2004 ASHRAE Handbook : Heating, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning: Systems and Equipment : Inch-Pound Edition (2004 ASHRAE Handbook : HVAC Systems and Equipment : I-P Edition) (Hardcover)
by American Society of Heating, ISBN-10: 1931862478 or ISBN-13: 978-1931862479
"2004 ASHRAE Handbook - HVAC Systems and Equipment The 2004 ASHRAE HandbookHVAC Systems and Equipment discusses various common systems and the equipment (components or assemblies) that comprise them, and describes features and differences. This information helps system designers and operators in selecting and using equipment. Major sections include Air-Conditioning and Heating Systems (chapters on system analysis and selection, air distribution, in-room terminal systems, centralized and decentralized systems, heat pumps, panel heating and cooling, cogeneration and engine-driven systems, heat recovery, steam and hydronic systems, district systems, small forced-air systems, infrared radiant heating, and water heating); Air-Handling Equipment (chapters on duct construction, air distribution, fans, coils, evaporative air-coolers, humidifiers, mechanical and desiccant dehumidification, air cleaners, industrial gas cleaning and air pollution control); Heating Equipment (chapters on automatic fuel-burning equipment, boilers, furnaces, in-space heaters, chimneys and flue vent systems, unit heaters, makeup air units, radiators, and solar equipment); General Components (chapters on compressors, condensers, cooling towers, liquid coolers, liquid-chilling systems, centrifugal pumps, motors and drives, pipes and fittings, valves, heat exchangers, and energy recovery equipment); and Unitary Equipment (chapters on air conditioners and heat pumps, room air conditioners and packaged terminal equipment, and a new chapter on mechanical dehumidifiers and heat pipes)."
- 1996 Ashrae Handbook Heating, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning Systems and Equipment: Inch-Pound Edition (Hardcover), ISBN-10: 1883413346 or ISBN-13: 978-1883413347 ,
"The 1996 HVAC Systems and Equipment Handbook is the result of ASHRAE's continuing effort to update, expand and reorganize the Handbook Series. Over a third of the book has been revised and augmented with new chapters on hydronic heating and cooling systems design; fans; unit ventilator; unit heaters; and makeup air units. Extensive changes have been added to chapters on panel heating and cooling; cogeneration systems and engine and turbine drives; applied heat pump and heat recovery systems; humidifiers; desiccant dehumidification and pressure drying equipment, air-heating coils; chimney, gas vent, fireplace systems; cooling towers; centrifugal pumps; and air-to-air energy recovery. Separate I-P and SI editions."
- Principles of Heating, Ventilating, And Air Conditioning: A textbook with Design Data Based on 2005 AShrae Handbook - Fundamentals (Hardcover), Harry J., Jr. Sauer (Author), Ronald H. Howell, ISBN-10: 1931862923 or ISBN-13: 978-1931862929
- 1993 ASHRAE Handbook Fundamentals (Hardcover), ISBN-10: 0910110964 or ISBN-13: 978-091011096
- Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss. John Wiley & Sons, 2006. ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, Hardcover: 320 pages, available from Amazon.com and also Wiley.com. See our book review of this publication.
- Decks and Porches, the JLC Guide to, Best Practices for Outdoor Spaces, Steve Bliss (Editor), The Journal of Light Construction, Williston VT, 2010 ISBN 10: 1-928580-42-4, ISBN 13: 978-1-928580-42-3, available from Amazon.com
- Brick nogging used as soundproofing is mentioned in this article on Popular Forest
- Brick Nogging, Historical Investigation and Contemporary Repair, Construction Specifier, April 2006. Historical use of brick in timber-framed buildings, drawing on the investigations of the Kent Tavern in Calais, VT.
"Brick nogging is a European method of construction which was brought to the new world in the early-nineteenth century. It was a common construction method that employed masonry as infill between the vertical uprights of wood framing." -- quoting the web article review.
- Photo of very rough in-wall brick nogging at an architects website
- Building Research Council, BRC, nee Small Homes Council, SHC, School of Architecture, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, brc.arch.uiuc.edu. "The Small Homes Council (our original name) was organized in 1944 during the war at the request of the President of the University of Illinois to consider the role of the university in meeting the demand for housing in the United States. Soldiers would be coming home after the war and would be needing good low-cost housing. ... In 1993, the Council became part of the School of Architecture, and since then has been known as the School of Architecture-Building Research Council. ... The Council's researchers answered many critical questions that would affect the quality of the nation's housing stock.
- How could homes be designed and built more efficiently?
- What kinds of construction and production techniques worked well and which did not?
- How did people use different kinds of spaces in their homes?
- What roles did community planning, zoning, and interior design play in how neighborhoods worked
- The Circular Staircase, Mary Roberts Rinehart
- Construction Drawings and Details, Rosemary Kilmer
- "An Example of Colonial Paneling", Norman Morrison Isham, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, Vol. 6, No. 5 (May, 1911), pp. 112-116, available by JSTOR.
- Dust from the World Trade Center collapse following the 9/11/01 attack: the lower floors of this building contained spray-on fire-proofing asbestos materials.
- Energy Savers: Whole House Systems Approach to Energy Efficient Home Design [copy on file as /interiors/Whole_House_Energy_Efficiency_DOE.pdf ] - U.S. Department of Energy
- "Energy Savers: Whole-House Supply Ventilation Systems [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Whole-House_Supply_Vent.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy energysavers.gov/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11880?print
- "Energy Savers: Whole-House Exhaust Ventilation Systems [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Whole-House_Exhaust.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy energysavers.gov/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11870
- "Energy Savers: Ventilation [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Ventilation.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy
- "Energy Savers: Natural Ventilation [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Natural_Ventilation.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy
- "Energy Savers: Energy Recovery Ventilation Systems [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Energy_Recovery_Venting.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy energysavers.gov/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11900
- "Energy Savers: Detecting Air Leaks [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Detect_Air_Leaks.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy
- "Energy Savers: Air Sealing [copy on file as /interiors/Energy_Savers_Air_Sealing_1.pdf ] - ", U.S. Department of Energy
- Falls and Related Injuries: Slips, Trips, Missteps, and Their Consequences, Lawyers & Judges Publishing, (June 2002), ISBN-10: 0913875430 ISBN-13: 978-0913875438
"Falls in the home and public places are the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths in the United States, but are overlooked in most literature. This book is unique in that it is entirely devoted to falls. Of use to primary care physicians, nurses, insurance adjusters, architects, writers of building codes, attorneys, or anyone who cares for the elderly, this book will tell you how, why, and when people will likely fall, what most likely will be injured, and how such injuries come about. "
- Fiberglass: Indoor Air Quality Investigations: Health Concerns About Airborne Fiberglass: Fiberglass in Indoor Air from HVAC ducts, and Building Insulation
- Gypsum Construction Guide, National Gypsum Corporation
- Gypsum
Construction Handbook [purchase at Amazon.com] H17, Technical
Folder SA920 and PM2, PM3 and PM4, United States Gypsum Company, 125 South Franklin ST., PO Box 806278, Chicago, IL 60680-4124,
- Humidity: What indoor humidity should we maintain in order to avoid a mold problem?
- Ice Dam Leaks in building attics and roof cavities, how to inspect for evidence of leaks, identify causes, and correct bad attic ventilation, improper roof venting, and these causes of attic mold or roof structure damage
- "Insulation: Adding Insulation to an Existing Home [copy on file as /interiors/Insulation_Adding_DOE.pdf ] - ," U.S. Department of Energy - tips on how to do your own check for the presence of absence of insulation in a home
- Insulation: Selecting Insulation for New Home Construction [copy on file as /interiors/New_Home_Insulation_DOE.pdf ] - , U.S. Department of Energy -
"Your state and local building codes probably include minimum insulation requirements, but to build an energy-efficient home, you may need or want to exceed them. For maximum energy efficiency, you should also consider the interaction between the insulation and other building components. This is called the
"whole-house systems design approach" [copy on file as /interiors/Whole_House_Energy_Efficiency_DOE.pdf ] -
- Insulation Types [copy on file as /interiors/Insulation_Types_DOE.pdf ] - , table of common building insulation properties from U.S. DOE. Readers should see INSULATION R-Values & Properties our own table of insulation properties that includes links to articles describing each insulation material in more detail.
- Lath & Plaster Systems [copy on file as /interiors/LathPlaster_Nat_Gypsum.pdf ] - , 092300/NGC, National Gypsum Lath and Plaster Systems, National Gypsum Corporation, 800-628-4662 describing National Gypsum's Kal-Kore brand plaster base
- Lighting, proper use of: proper aiming of a good flashlight can disclose hard to see but toxic light or white mold colonies on walls.
- Metal Lath Specifications, Specification for metal lath and accessories, Lath and Plaster [copy on file as/interiors/Amico_lath-inside.pdf ] - from Amico, a lath and plaster accessory producer.
- Mobile Home Inspections common defects unique to factory built housing, inspection methods
- The National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST (nee National Bureau of Standards NBS) is a US government agency - see www.nist.gov
- "A Parametric Study of Wall Moisture Contents Using a Revised Variable Indoor Relative Humidity Version of the "Moist" Transient Heat and Moisture Transfer Model [copy on file as/interiors/MOIST_Model_NIST_b95074.pdf ] - ", George Tsongas, Doug Burch, Carolyn Roos, Malcom Cunningham; this paper describes software and the prediction of wall moisture contents. - PDF Document from NIS
- Nogging: See this photo of exposed bricks on a building exterior on a building exterior in Canada. [Thanks to Carson Dunlop, Toronto - see References below].
- Pergo AB, division of Perstorp AB, is a Swedish manufacturer or modern laminate flooring products. Information about the U.S. company can be found at http://www.pergo.com where we obtained historical data used in our discussion of the age of flooring materials in buildings.
- Piquet Wall Construction: See this photo of
piquet wall construction - involving timber-framed wall construction with long top girts, diagonal timber bracing, and small diameter logs
placed vertically along with concrete chinking to fill in the wall plane.
- Plank House Construction: weblog from plankhouse.wordpress.com/2009/01/25/plank-house-construction/ and where plank houses were built by native Americans, see
Large 1:6 Scale Plank House Construction / P8094228,
Photographer: Mike Meuser
06/12/2007 documented at yurokplankhouse.com where scale model Museum quality Yurok Plank Houses are being sold to raise money for the Blue Creek - Ah Pah Traditional Yurok Village project.
- Plastering, PM 5, Product & Systems Technology, US Gypsum, May 1998, web search 10.5.2010, original source: http://www.usg.com/rc/technical-articles/plaster/
[copy on file as/interiors/Plastering_USG.pdf ] -
plastering-technical-guide-veneer-plaster-joint-reinforcement-systems-en-PM5.pdf
United States Gypsum Company, 125 South Franklin ST., PO Box 806278, Chicago, IL 60680-4124,
Paraphrasing from this document: USG uses the term shadowing in this document in describing the visual effect over gypsum board joints caused by the lower moisture absorption rate (take-up) and lower capacity than gypsum base face paper. Shadowing at joints occurs where veneer plaster is applied over tape joints, requiring a second coat to completely hide the tape, providing a visually uniform surface. USG Advises: "This [second] cover coat must be allowed to harden and dry before plaster application is started.
- Plastering Skills, F. Van Den Branden, Thomas L. Hartsell, Amer Technical Pub (July 1, 1985), ISBN-10: 0826906575, ISBN-13: 978-0826906571 [purchase at Amazon.com]
- Re-Bath, tub lining products is a bath tub relining manufacturer and distributor located in Tempe, Arizona - see rebath.com
- Rubblestone Wall Filler: See this Lartigue House using exterior-exposed rubblestone filler between vertical timbers of a post and beam-framed Canadian building.
- Slips, Trips, Missteps and Their Consequences, Second Edition, Gary M. Bakken, H. Harvey Cohen,A. S. Hyde, Jon R. Abele, ISBN-13: 978-1-933264-01-1 or
ISBN 10: 1-933264-01-2,
available from the publisher, Lawyers ^ Judges Publishing Company,Inc., www.lawyersandjudges.com sales@lawyersandjudges.com and also from the InspectAPedia Bookstore (Amazon.com)
- The Stairway Manufacturers' Association, (877) 500-5759, provides a pictorial guide to the stair and railing portion of the International Residential Code. [copy on file as http://www.stairways.org/pdf/2006%20Stair%20IRC%20SCREEN.pdf ] -
- What Mold and Allergens Look Like: mold identification photos to help identify mold - choosing what to sample in buildings
- How to Clean Moldy Wood Framing & Sheathing How to clean/seal mold from/on exposed lumber or plywood subfloor or roof sheathing indoors - some suggestions based on our field and laboratory research
- Lighting, proper use of: proper aiming of a good flashlight can disclose hard to see but toxic light or white mold colonies on walls.
- Manufactured & Modular Homes: Modular Building Systems Association, MBSA, modularhousing.com, is a trade association promoting and providing links to contact modular builders in North America. Also see the Manufactured Home Owners Association, MHOAA, at www.mhoaa.us. The Manufactured Home Owners Association of America is a National Organization dedicated to the protection of the rights of all people living in Manufactured Housing in the United States.
- Mold spores in the Home - a Photo ID Library for detection and identification of mold allergens.
- How to Find and Test For Mold in buildings A "how to" photo and text primer on finding and choosing the right spots to test for mold in buildings
- Stuff that is not mold but is often mistaken for it - things you may not want to test. Also, not all "black mold" is toxic - here are examples of harmless black mold.
- Simple Adhesive Tape Sampling of Moldy Surfaces - how to send a mold sample to our lab
- Mold Sampling Methods in the Indoor Environment - In-depth article: detailed critique of popular mold testing methods - Is your mold test kit worth the bother?
- Mold-Resistant Building Practices, advice from an expert on how to prevent mold after a building flood and how to prevent mold growth in buildings by selection of building materials and by anti-mold construction details.
- Slips, Trips, Missteps and Their Consequences, Gary M. Bakken, H. Harvey Cohen, Jon R. Abele, Alvin S. Hyde, Cindy A. LaRue, Lawyers and Judges Publishing; ISBN-10: 1933264012 ISBN-13: 978-1933264011
- Slips, Trips, Missteps and Their Consequences, Second Edition, Gary M. Bakken, H. Harvey Cohen,A. S. Hyde, Jon R. Abele, ISBN-13: 978-1-933264-01-1 or ISBN 10: 1-933264-01-2, available from the publisher, Lawyers & Judges Publishing Company,Inc., www.lawyersandjudges.com sales@lawyersandjudges.com and also from the InspectAPedia Bookstore (Amazon.com)
- Steps and Stairways, Cleo Baldon & Ib Melchior, Rizzoli, 1989.
- The Staircase, Ann Rinaldi
- Common Sense Stairbuilding and Handrailing, Fred T. Hodgson
- The Art of Staircases, Pilar Chueca
- Building Stairs, by pros for pros, Andy Engel
- A Simplified Guide to Custom Stairbuilding, George R. Christina
- Basic Stairbuilding, Scott Schuttner
- The Staircase (two volumes), John Templar, Cambridge: the MIT Press, 1992
- The Staircase: History and Theories, John Templar, MIT Press 1995
- Steps and Stairways, Cleo Baldon & Ib Melchior, Rizzoli, 1989.
- "The Dimensions of Stairs", J. M. Fitch et al., Scientific American, October 1974.
- "The Elimination of Unsafe Guardrails, a Progress Report," Elliott O. Stephenson, Building Standards, March-April 1993
- "Are Functional Handrails Within Our Grasp" Jake Pauls, Building Standards, January-February 1991
- "Weather-Resistive Barriers [copy on file as /interiors/Weather_Resistant_Barriers_DOE.pdf ] - ", how to select and install housewrap and other types of weather resistive barriers, U.S. DOE
- Weaver: Beaver Board and Upson Board:
Beaver Board and Upson Board: History and Conservation of Early Wallboard, Shelby Weaver,
APT Bulletin, Vol. 28, No. 2/3 (1997), pp. 71-78, Association for Preservation Technology International (APT), available online at JSTOR.
- What Style Is It?: A Guide to American Architecture, Rev., John C. Poppeliers, S. Allen Chambers, Wiley; Rev Sub edition (October 6, 2003), ISBN-10: 0471250368, ISBN-13: 978-0471250364
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