PARQUET
FLOORS FOR GYMS AND CONCRETE SLABS
Rules
and verification methods prior to installation.
It’s
always better to have a detailed inspection before the installation, in order
to check if conditions are ideal. Parquet is affected by moisture and we need
to proceed as follows.
First
thing to do on site is to verify that either doors and windows have been
installed, building work and systems are completed; the sports parquet floor is
the last item to be installed before other equipment.
Testing and site
inspection.
Before starting the installation of the sports flooring
elements make an inspection and check the following site conditions with proper
means:
- Access doors and windows have to be installed.
- Make sure there are no rising damp infiltrations from
the concrete.
- Humidity within concrete slab should not exceed 2% (tested
through electronic hygrometer). If there’s doubt in the run values make a test
with calcium carbide hygrometer
– ambient humidity should be between 45% and
60%.
- Ambient temperature should not be lower than 12 C°.
- Make sure to perform a test on the concrete consistency
as well: it has to be compact.
- Verify the compliance with building regulations, which
require joints and sheath between load-bearing slab and concrete which has to
be at least 7 cm (check with foreman or project manager, usually mentioned on
the table at the entrance of the working site).
- Check the flatness of the slab with a straight edge of 2
meters. In case the slab is not perfectly flat use a self-leveling material
such as Ultra Plan or similar to achieve the required value.
In case of floor heating, it has to be pre-tested
and activated in temperature for at least two weeks (even in case of
installation during summer season).
Checking and inspections are essential for a good result
with a high-quality SPORTS-FLOORS.
A further step forward for the industry of parquet floors
was made by the National Institution UNI: in September 2010 there was the
release of the technical performance regulation UNI 11371: “Concrete slabs for
parquet and wooden floors – Properties and performance characteristics” which –
as written within paragraph “purpose and application scope” – sets properties
and performance characteristics relevant to concrete slabs or special binder
and calcium sulfate; all of them are intended for installation by gluing
parquet and wooden floors.
The SPORTS PARQUET FLOORS FOR GYMS are floating; the
standards describes in details installation on the following kinds of slabs:
·
Not adherent (the so-called acoustically separated)
·
Floating
·
With heating/cooling system
·
Adherent
To ensure the expected performance, all slabs should be realized
by inserting a vapor barrier between slab and screed, because the slab should
be protected from moisture rising from underlying layers, water condensation etc.
Humidity detected by electronic tools may often leave
doubts, so we shall make a test with a calcium carbide hygrometer (definitely
much more precise method).
For calcium carbide measurements we take a piece of
material (as much representative of the slab characteristics as possible), better
if taken from the bottom layer; this should be done with a chisel, avoiding
drills that may alter the sample.
The portion of material is then crumbled with proper
tools avoiding manual contact.
This material shall then be weighed, placed into the
instrument together with the calcium carbide phial. It’s then necessary to wait
for manometer outcome in 8 / 12 minutes.
It’s always better to check at least two points of the
surface: one close to a wall and the other in the central area; run more tests in
case of doubt or too many different values.
During summer season, a medium quality concrete slab with
a thickness of 8 cm needs about 3 months
to achieve maturity and drying to a value of 2%, an average time of 10 days for
each cm of thickness. During winter season drying time gets longer, sometimes
it’s better to use slabs with additives that speed up the drying, even though
with higher costs.
FLATNESS
Verification with rigid straight edge of
metal section - 2 meters long – placed
on the slab in any direction.
- Measurement has to be repeated at
least in 5 positions every 36 sq m of
surface;
SOLIDITY
The concrete has to be solid and
homogeneous on the surface and throughout the whole thickness.
- Verification with a 750 g mallet, beat
hard on the concrete;
- There haven’t to be any prints,
crumbling surface or dust.
STRENGTH
Evaluation of the resistance to stress ,
parallel to the laying surface, measured according to UNI 10827 provisions.
- For surfaces ≤ 20 sq m: four measurements in different
positions (average value given by two measurements left after removing maximum
and minimum value).
- For surfaces > 20 sq m: ten measurements in different
positions (average value given by eight measurements left after removing
maximum and minimum value).
- Average admitted resistance: ≥ di 1,6
N/mmq
- Minimum value of resistance admitted
of single useful measure: ≥ di 1,2 N/mmq
In case these tests and inspections have
negative outcome we can intervene: chemistry helps us with leveling,
waterproofing and consolidating products. Obviously these interventions have to
be planned with the director: there often is a cost increase and a delay in the
installation.
In
the event of really humid slabs we can use specific
waterproofing products; excellent products are easily available on the market
(Mapei, Kerakoll, Tover, etc.). Intervention needs to be done when the
concrete, once dried, shows a residual humidity higher than the values set in
the table about concrete slabs based on special binders, but not higher than 5%.
For SEICOM sports parquet floors – that
are always floating – the most important value to test on the concrete is
humidity, which has to be 2 % as set by
installation plan.
Another important element is flatness,
that in case of systems with mattress has to comply with the standards;
verification through a rigid straight edge metal section – 2 meters long –
placed on the concrete in any direction, range +- 2 mm.
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| SPORTS FLOORS : New beton concrete |
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SPORTS FLOORS : repairs old concrete
|
Legal Office: 20123 Milano (Italy) - via G. Boccaccio, 29
C.F. 00418340147 - P.iva 11901920154 - CCIAA Milano Reg. Imp. N.796358
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#sports-parquet-floors
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