CFI Vinyl & Resilient Flooring 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A customer complains that their glue-down LVT is lifting at the edges. Which installation error is the MOST likely cause?
- Using too fine a trowel notch
- Not rolling the floor after installation (Correct answer)
- Insufficient expansion gap at walls
- Using a water-based adhesive on concrete
Correct answer: Not rolling the floor after installation
Failure to roll the floor with a floor roller after installation leaves air pockets under tile edges, causing them to lift as adhesive dries.
Question 2: What is 'flash time' in the context of pressure-sensitive vinyl adhesive?
- The time to sand the adhesive before tiling
- The time the adhesive must dry before becoming tacky and ready for flooring placement (Correct answer)
- The time between installing tiles and grouting
- The speed at which the adhesive sets permanently
Correct answer: The time the adhesive must dry before becoming tacky and ready for flooring placement
Flash time is the period required after troweling for the adhesive's solvents to evaporate, leaving a properly tacky surface for bonding.
Question 3: Which federal law requires installers to follow specific work practices when disturbing resilient flooring installed before 1980?
- OSHA Hazard Communication Standard
- EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule (Correct answer)
- NFPA 101 Life Safety Code
- ADA Accessibility Guidelines
Correct answer: EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule
The EPA RRP Rule mandates safe work practices to minimize asbestos and lead dust exposure when disturbing pre-1980 resilient flooring materials.
Question 4: When installing LVP around a floor vent, the installer should:
- Glue the LVP directly over the vent opening
- Cut the plank to fit around the vent and leave the vent free (Correct answer)
- Remove the vent permanently and fill with matching plank
- Install a reducer strip over the vent cover
Correct answer: Cut the plank to fit around the vent and leave the vent free
The plank must be cut to fit around the vent opening so air flow is maintained and the vent cover can be removed for servicing.
Question 5: What is the purpose of back-rolling sheet vinyl into the adhesive before pressing it flat?
- To stretch the vinyl to fit the room dimensions
- To allow adhesive to penetrate the vinyl backing for a stronger bond (Correct answer)
- To pre-cut the vinyl along the seam lines
- To remove factory creases before installation
Correct answer: To allow adhesive to penetrate the vinyl backing for a stronger bond
Back-rolling folds the vinyl onto itself against the adhesive side, allowing the adhesive to penetrate the backing fibers and improve bond strength before unrolling into final position.
Question 6: Which condition would cause a floating LVP floor to buckle after installation?
- Using too many spacers along the wall
- Leaving insufficient expansion gap at the room perimeter (Correct answer)
- Installing over a concrete slab on grade
- Using underlayment with a vapor barrier
Correct answer: Leaving insufficient expansion gap at the room perimeter
Floating LVP expands with temperature changes, and without adequate perimeter expansion gap (typically 1/4 inch), the floor has nowhere to expand and will buckle.
Question 7: SPC (Stone Plastic Composite) core LVP differs from WPC core LVP primarily in that SPC:
- Is softer and more comfortable underfoot
- Has a denser, harder core with less thermal expansion (Correct answer)
- Requires a separate underlayment in all cases
- Is only suitable for wall applications
Correct answer: Has a denser, harder core with less thermal expansion
SPC core is denser and harder than WPC, offering greater dent resistance and less thermal expansion, making it ideal for temperature-fluctuating environments.
CFI Vinyl & Resilient Flooring 5
A customer complains that their glue-down LVT is lifting at the edges.
Which installation error is the MOST likely cause?