John McGrath, director of INSTALL (International Standards & Training Alliance) It can be “an added huge cost” that no flooring installer could see coming at the tendering stage, said Zizek. Furlano said by getting invovled early in the pre-con- struction process, flooring contractors can play an impor- tant role in mishap prevention. Hydraulic lifts, for example, can be equipped when operating on the slab with oil catch- ing “diapers” to prevent spillage. He advised flooring contractors to visit the site occasion- ally – even if they aren’t scheduled to start the job for months – to review conditions, including floor level and fin- ish. While moisture in the substrate is a major problem, moisture measurement tests can be performed well in ad- vance of the flooring installer’s arrival. Those tests should be the general contractor’s responsibility, but they are often written into the flooring contractor’s specs, said Zizek. Furlano said even when his firm performs moisture tests (for relative humidity and calcium chloride, for example), the installation can still be in danger if the vapor retarder is incorrectly used. Moisture can continue to leach up from beneath the slap – particularly on wet or swampy sites. Zizek said while moisture remains a major culprit for flooring failures, today’s high-quality moisture mitigation products provide improved protection from moisture fail- ure. In Furlano’s contracting experience, one of the leading causes of flooring failure is maintenance crews that don’t familiarize themselves with the appropriate cleaning prod- ucts and methods. Maintenance comes under the product warranty and all leading manufacturers have detailed information on proper maintenance, said McGrath. www.merx.com/events merk@merx.com www.merx.com The Canadian Design and Construction Report — Winter 2015 – 5