FAQs

Aquaflex Patch & Skim is certified SILICA-FREE, the adhesive is "0" VOC, qualifies FloorScore, has passed the California Section 01350 emissions test every year for over a decade, conforms to MAS Certified GREEN Program, LEED v4.1 ID+C, BD+C, LEED TVOC Emissions at 14 days and CHPS Core Criteria 3.0 EQ C6.1.1.  

Recently the International Living Future Institute certified Aquaflex adhesive and Patch & Skim Declare. RED LIST FREE.

DECLARE IS A PLATFORM TO SHARE AND FIND HEALTHY BUILDING PRODUCTS.

Manufacturers voluntarily disclose product information on easy-to-read Declare labels. These labels report all product ingredients and use a simple color code system to flag chemicals of concern. Further information is provided on the product’s final assembly locations, life expectancy, end-of-life options, and overall compliance with relevant requirements of the Living Building Challenge (LBC).  

Aquaflex is possibly the GREENest flooring installation system available in the world!

The initial formulation of Aquaflex was introduced in 2006. The Aquaflex system has evolved over time to include formulations for virtually all types of resilient, rubber and wood flooring. Formulators has also innovated waterproof skim-coat materials and a unique trowel design to enhance the overall Aquaflex package. The Aquaflex Waterproof Installation System is patent protected in the US, Canada, Australia and the European Union by currently 9 patents with additional patents pending.  Aquaflex has been nationally specified by many retail store clients including; Bed, Bath & Beyond, Rite Aid, CVS, Walgreens, Kroger, Burlington, TJX and Walmart, to name a few. Aquaflex is also specified by several major health care providers, residential architects, several Design/Build firms and school systems.

Aquaflex resists moisture as follows:

• ASTM F 1869 - NO LIMITS
• ASTM F 2170- NO LIMITS
• ASTM F-710 -NO LIMITS
• Aquaflex has NO pH LIMIT.
• Aquaflex actually cures under water.

When using Aquaflex it is NOT necessary to conduct ANY moisture evaluations prior to installation per ASTM F1869, F710 or F2170 respectively. Aquaflex does not require a sub-slab moisture vapor barrier exists (ASTM E-1745). Aquaflex is completely waterproof, it just doesn't matter.

We have all heard the claim, that some flooring manufacturer somewhere, will not honor their advertised warranty if an alternate adhesive is used. While many manufacturers will state this to protect their financial interests, it doesn’t square with current Federal law. In every case, warranty rests with the manufacturer, not its representative. In the United States, it’s against the law for manufacturers to withdraw warranty of a product after it has been sold. In every case, the adhesive manufacturer alone is responsible for warranty pertaining to adhesive bond performance. Flooring manufacturers DO NOT produce adhesive. Instead, they resell adhesive under a private label arrangement similar to any building products distributor. When a flooring manufacturer combines their performance warranty to an adhesive manufacturer’s bond warranty, they create what is referred to in legal terms as a “Tie-In” warranty. The “Tie-In” warranty is against the law and has been since 1975 with passage of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (MMWA). MMWA is a federal statute that was enacted by congress to protect consumers when warranties are provided by manufacturers. MMWA is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission and specifically restricts the use of “Tie-In” warranties making them illegal and unenforceable.

The warranty for adhesive bond is an implied warranty provided by the flooring manufacturer. The adhesive is manufactured by a third party and the expressed warranty of construction lies solely with them. Epoxy mitigation is of no consequence and has no legal impact on the flooring manufacturers warranty claim. Probably why they like recommending it. Epoxy mitigation is simply a recommendation, never a condition of sale.

To answer, let's start first with a short review of the history of flooring: The first floor covering introduced in the US was Linoleum invented by Frederick Walton in 1863. This early flooring material was adhered with asphaltic tar. Later the tar was replaced with asbestos adhesive commonly referred to as "cut-back". VCT was introduced in the late forties and sheet vinyl in the early sixties. These materials too were adhered with "cut-back". "Cut-back" producers began removing the asbestos from formulations in the early seventies and eventually replaced the solvent-born "cut-back" adhesives altogether with water-based acrylics in the late nineties under market pressure. That's when the trouble started. For over 150 years the flooring industry used a solvent based adhesive, for 150 years moisture was a "non-issue" related to adhesive performance and for 150 years this adhesive was WATERPROOF! No moisture testing, no ASTM, no Calcium chloride test or insitu %RH, no moisture mitigation was ever used and yet flooring installations performed. Sub-slab vapor barriers didn't exist either, yet floors never failed to the degree they do today. The answer to preventing flooring failures isn't a new idea but a re-invention of an old one. Make the glue waterproof and solve the problem.

Aquaflex should be recommended whenever moisture measurements per ASTM F2170 exceed 90%RH. Keep in mind that ASTM F 2170 has a margin of error of +/- 3% above 90% insitu RH. 90%RH is a good line of demarcation. 90%RH represents the typical performance threshold for water based flooring adhesive. Remember it's not the moisture in the concrete but the elevated pH that destroys (i.e., hydrolyzes) the adhesive. This means that the flooring industry never actually measures the true cause of flooring failure. THAT'S RIGHT!, the ASTM tests are not testing what causes adhesive failures in the first place! If the floor is expected to receive excessive maintenance procedures than mitigation may not be effective.  Topical sourced moisture is excluded from warranty consideration for all high moisture solutions available, save for one... Aquaflex.

Aquaflex has been tested with virtually all flooring materials. Aquaflex is available in several formulations suitable for use with VCT, Sheet Vinyl (VSF), Rubber, Lino, Wood, SPC, LVT and some various "One Off" specialty materials.

Formulators supplies our patented, Gundlach Versablade CBD trowel (1/32" x 1/16" x 9/64") with each unit to install resilient flooring. By design one unit covers approximately 1200 square feet.  Larger trowel sizes may be recommended for other flooring material types, such as engineered wood plank.

Each unit of Aquaflex includes:

• Aquaflex adhesive in a foil bag supplied inside a 4 or 2 gallon poly bucket.
• A separate ACTIVATOR packet is enclosed to be mixed at time of use.
• A trowel specifically designed for the flooring being installed.
• A trowel handle.
• Waterproof floor patch (skim-coat) is available.
• Adhesive remover that can be used to clean adhesive from flooring or tools.
• Repair kits are also available for 15sf, 100sf and 250sf areas.

Shelf life is limited to 12 months from the date of manufacture. Aquaflex is freeze-thaw stable but must be stored in an unopened container between 70°F and 80°F.

The Aquaflex system is sold by the square-foot and delivered by the "unit". Aquaflex is more expensive than traditional moisture resistant adhesives; however traditional adhesives simply do not measure up to the "UNLIMITED" level of moisture/pH performance, topical moisture warranty and speed of cure offered by Aquaflex.  Aquaflex is a patented system.  The polymer is created IN-HOUSE and not available for commercial purchase.  ANY manufacturer claiming similar chemistry or performance is in DIRECT or at least INDIRECT conflict with Aquaflex patent protections.