ESD Flooring Installation:
Bond Test and Manufacturer Oversight Are Critical to ESD Flooring Success[10 min read, 2 min videos]

Key point: The flooring supplier should be consulted prior to the start of installations to advise on due diligence – including site analysis, possible core sampling and bond testing – and to be sure the tiles are installed properly.

Staticworx was called to investigate failing ESD vinyl tiles in an electronics manufacturing facility in Southern California. The installer had neglected to perform adequate floor prep before installing an epoxy vapor barrier. As a result, the vapor barrier did not adhere to the concrete subfloor and the tiles lifted.

Test the concrete before installing a vapor barrier.

The facility in question had been built using tilt-up construction. The chemical bond used in this type of construction can contaminate the concrete subfloor. Without core samples, there was no way to know how deeply the chemical had penetrated the concrete or how to properly profile (etch or score) the concrete subfloor before installing the vapor barrier.