MAPEITechTip: Manufacturer’s Product Data Sheets—Is it necessary to read and follow their guidelines?

As an installer, you have a wide variety of installation products available to use on a project—but really aren’t all of them more or less the same?  Let’s be honest though, how often have we just ‘winged it’ —thinking I’ve used floor patch hundreds of times before on jobs without any issues. That is until we encounter an issue, the patch de-laminating or powdering out from the concrete substrate—do we reach for the instructions on the packaging or product data sheet.  Or in those rare occasions, we take a deep breath, pick up the phone and call the product manufacturer to see how we can resolve the issue.

That is why it is important to keep in mind that yesterday’s installation products are not the same as the ones being formulated today.  Particularly, with more and more emphasis on ‘transparency’—the removal of hazardous materials, using more locally sourced materials, increased recycled content, while lowering VOC emissions—formulators have to balance performance with sustainable materials.  In a word, today’s installation products are more highly engineered and less forgiving than we realize, especially if we deviate from their intended purpose.  Often many products, depending on their complexity, have spent months or even years in the design and field trial phase, before they ever reach a jobsite.

Most installation product manufacturers will outline different requirements as to, where to use, limitations, surface preparation, mixing, application, and curing timelines before final use or the next layer in the system.  All of this while keeping in mind the various finished covering manufacturer (tile, stone, VCT, sheet goods, carpet, etc...) requirements, since ALL components must work together to ensure a successful installation that will last the entire life-cycle of the building.
 
For example, some manufacturers may require mechanical surface preparation to a specific concrete surface profile (ICRI CSP 1-10) before applying a cementitious self-leveler, while others will have self-levelers that do not requiring mechanical surface preparation, apart from removal of any loose contaminants.  While some patching compounds, mortar beds or screeds require the application of a primer or a latex-additive (to improve adhesion and performance) while others simply require the concrete to be SSD (saturated surface-dry) and yet others may require a scrub slurry bond coat onto the concrete surface to be repaired. As painful as it may be, that is why it is key to read through the entire product data sheet before proceeding with the installation. Ignoring Manufacturer's guidelines in these sheets can often mean the difference between a happy customer and a call back.
 
Whether the design professional or the installer, the product data sheet provides most if not all of the information required to specify and install a product:
-Applicable Standards that were used to test the product
-Performance data such as compressive strength and abrasion resistance
-Approximate coverage
-Product shelf life
-Where to use, where not to use (limitations)
-Surface preparation guidelines
-Mix ratios (water or additive) & required mixing times
-How to best apply
-Dry time
-Cure time
-Whether it is a wear surface or must be covered with a finished floor
-Protection and maintenance of the installation prior to service

Of course if you come across an installation that is not covered in the product data sheet, don’t hesitate before you start your project to call the manufacturer(s).  Their Technical Service Departments will be more than happy to assist you with any issues or concerns you might have about your application. It is also important to verify with all the manufacturer(s) if the materials can be used for the intended application, or if the installation exceeds the scope of the product data sheet.