Vinyl or linoleum flooring has bubbles under
Listed under: Interior, adhesives and sealants, adhesives, finishes, vinyl, floor coverings, vinyl flooring, Subfloor, floors, moisture
Cause
Moisture evaporation in the concrete floor slab due to insufficient curing of slab before flooring was laid
Repair
- lift vinyl/linoleum and allow concrete floor slab to fully dry - a newly poured concrete floor slab dries at a rate of approximately 25 mm per month, so a 100 mm thick floor slab requires at least 4 months to fully dry
- if the floor has recently been laid, contact the floor layer
Cause
Moisture evaporation in the concrete floor slab due to damaged or non-existent damp-proof membrane under slab
Repair
- lift vinyl/linoleum and apply a specialist damp-proofing coating such as a water-based epoxy coating to the concrete; lay new flooring
- this may not be successful if the hydrostatic pressure under the slab is high; for example, where the water table is high.
- if the floor has recently been laid, contact the floor layer
Cause
High subfloor moisture level infiltrating through a suspended timber floor
Repair
- address inadequate subfloor ventilation
- if the moisture source is from the ground, lay polythene over the ground
- if the floor has recently been laid, contact the floor layer
- it is possible that very old linoleum or floor tiles may contain asbestos. Removal of more than 10m2 of flooring containing asbestos must be carried out by a licensed asbestos removalist. You can find a registry of licensed removalists on the WorkSafe New Zealand website. You can also find an information sheet about removing asbestos-containing flooring on the WorkSafe site here.
Cause
Loss of adhesion due to incompatible solvents and flooring
Repair
- if the floor has recently been laid, contact the floor layer