SPECIFICATIONS for L'AIR EXCELLE III SUSPENDED FLOOR SYSTEM 17.03.10
for Permanent Studio Installation
PART 1 - GENERAL
Excelle III is an easily installed, pre-fabricated, modular-integrated suspended floor system designed for temporary or permanent installation in multi-use studios intended for dance, aerobics, martial arts, and other athletics. Excelle III is installed onto concrete, steel or wood substrate with the inclusion of an 8 to 10 mil vapor barrier. Excelle III is also designed for acoustic isolation installation. Along with acoustic isolation, Excelle II is primarily designed to provide correct, consistent, and safe suspended flooring and is to be installed with an appropriate overlay as performance surface. Excelle III is designed to interlock tongue Into groove, module to module and is installed with L'AIR DanceVinyl or L'AIR Pre-Finished Hardwood as the performance surface options, both installed onto Excelle III in the field. EXCELLE III IS NOT FURNISHED WITH A COSMETIC/SEALED SURFACE. A performance surface must be installed for designed usage. L'AIR furnishes two performance surfaces: L'AIR Professional DanceVinyl, and L'AIR Pre-Finished Hardwood for installation onto Excelle III surface. L'AIR Professional DanceVinyl overlay is designed for all dance disciplines and is to be glued to Excelle III surface, installed in the field. DanceVinyl seams are to be lap-cut then double-sided taped and chemical or heat welded, as typical. L'AIR DanceVinyl is integral to Excelle III design and is the only dance vinyl recommended for use with Excelle III Suspended Flooring. Alternate overlays not furnished by L'AIR and installed by flooring contractor may include other hardwoods, softwoods, high-pressure laminates, and carpet.
For studio installations, L'AIR furnishes suspended flooring, performance surfaces for Excelle II including high-quality dance vinyl, and pre-finished hardwood, doorway reducers, (transitions) and vented vinyl cove molding.
1.1 DESCRIPTION
Furnish 100% suspended, acoustically rated, fully integrated modular wood floor system which provides a consistent, and progressively resilient surface with controlled rebound over entirety of installed floor surface. Excelle III is designed for appropriate L'AIR Performance Surface.
1.2 ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENT
A. Direct sunlight is not to be allowed to contact finished floor surface.
B. If applicable, activate hydronic floor heating at least 12 days prior to installation of
L'AIR Floor System.
C. Facility climate shall be controlled by heating and air conditioning systems. Temperature during installation and use shall be no less than 75 degrees F and shall not fluctuate by more than 10 degrees. Ambient humidity shall not exceed 45 percent moisture content and be not less than 15 percent moisture content. Excelle III is not recommended for installation above 10,000-foot elevation without appropriate climate control of temperature and humidity levels. Excelle III is not intended for outdoor use. Check with manufacturer for outdoor use.
PART 2 - PRODUCTS
2.1 MANUFACTURER - L'AIR Excelle III Suspended Floor System, as designed and manufactured by: L'AIR International, 117 Vacek Street, Fort Worth, Texas, 76107-1908 USA
t: 817. 237.9390 x1, or f: 817. 237.9407. Email: www.lairfloors.com
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2.2 MATERIALS A. Module Dimensions
1. Suspended Floor Module sizes (includes structural panel and attached suspension towers): 48" long by 48" wide x 1" thick & (half lengths) 23-15/16" L by 48" W x 1" thick, typically cut in the field. L'AIR DanceVinyl or various hard or softwoods are installed onto Excelle III surface following installation of Excelle III.
Average weight per module: 34 pounds. Module is pre-fabricated and includes all suspension components attached and all grooves and tongues machined and ready for installation.
B. Module Composition
1. Suspended Module - Structural Panel: 1/2" (13mm) thickness or composed of void free, knot free, wood pieces (MDF with structural reinforcement) bonded under extreme pressure and heat with water resistant #2 or better glue mixtures. Panel contains no interior or exterior veneers and is entirely void free. Panel is a "green" designated product. Panel is precision sanded on both sides to assure uniform 1/2" thickness and smoothness. Panel is water resistant. Panel has excellent resistance to warping. Exceeds or meets PS2 Performance Standard for Wood Based Structural Panels as tested by PFS, TECO, or APA. Panel has manufactured with no formaldehydes, toxic chemicals, and emits no harmful emissions. Panel has no cosmetic finish. Factory attached to bottom of Excelle II panel by manufacturer: L'AIR Multi-Durometer TM Suspension Towers at 5/8" thickness, standard. Custom tower sizes can be created based on client's criteria.
2. Suspended Module - Suspension Towers: 1/2" thick closed cell sponge (L'AIR LMD) adhered with non-toxic adhesive. Other thickness materials are available for custom installations. Chemical compounds, size, and placement of L'AIR LMD suspension material is proprietary. Suspension Tower thickness can be altered to accommodate criteria of client.
3. Tongue & Groove - Side and end tongues are factory machined into panel.
4. Surface Overlays: Install following installation of Excelle III modules: L'AIR Excelle III suspended module surface must be over-layed with appropriate material for intended purpose, including L'AIR DanceVinyl, and L'AIR Pre-Finished Hardwood. Other overlays, not available from L'AIR, include, but are not limited to high-pressure laminate floorings, carpet, hardboard, and plank softwood. Overlays should be Installed In accordance with manufacturer's Instructions. L'AIR DanceVinyl is engineered for and is integral to Excelle III design and is the only vinyl overlay recommended for Excelle III installation.
C. Engineered Transition Ramp Dimensions
1. Standard Ramp-Transition: 47-1/2" long by 7" (non-ADA) or 16" (ADA ) wide by
1-1/16"" thick at flooring to reducer contact.
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D. Engineered Transition Ramp-Reducer Composition - 1/2" (14mm) thick, void free (as defined by APA standards) wood core, Engineered panel bonded with #2 or better water resistant glue lines, Finish is non-slip, high durability lacquer based paint, factory applied. Reducers are delivered pre-fabricated for immediate installation.
E. Vented Vinyl Cove Molding Dimensions - molding is pre-fabricated vinyl casting, vented, and delivered ready for installation. Vertical: 4" x horizontal: 3" x 48" Lengths. Outside corners are furnished for columns, pilasters, door casings, etc.
F: Vinyl Vented Cove Molding Color: Standard: Black. Special Order: Brown
PART 3 - EXECUTION
3.1 SITE PREPARATION
A. Concrete Substrate
Allow at least 60 days for new concrete to cure. Surface concrete shall be dry and free of grease, oil, or contaminating agents. Eliminate cracks, nails, and other protrusions. Vacuum and damp mop concrete substrate no less than 24 hours prior to installation. Concrete sub-strate shall be smooth, on same elevation, and exhibit no greater deviation in elevation than 1/8" over 10 ft. radius. If sub-floor requires leveling with compound, use only designed leveling compound applied at least 1/4" thick having point load capability of no
less than 250 lbs per square foot static load. 1 layer of 8 mil or thicker plastic sheeting is to be used as moisture barrier. Assess moisture content of slab prior to installation based on L'AIR specifications. L'AIR International is not responsible for site conditions inclusive of but not limited to substrate conditions or assessing substrate moisture levels. Concrete substrate moisture levels are to be assessed and made available to L'AIR International no less than 7 days prior to shipping of L'AIR materials.
Below are the recommended maximum levels of moisture, based on average conditions only. Installation conditions may vary; therefore, manufacturer accepts no liability for the following data:
cement / smooth 2.0 per cent or 3 lb. density
cement coating w/ pumice 3.0 per cent or 3 lb. density
cement/bitumen 2.0 per cent or 3 lb. density
anhydrite coating 0.5 per cent
plaster coating 0.7 per cent
magnesite coating 5.0 per cent
If substrate contains excessive alkaline salts, or moisture content of substrate is beyond limits specified, substrate must be sealed accordingly to achieve a continually dry substrate surface, free of contaminants. L'AIR accepts no responsibility for substrate conditions.
L'AIR Excelle III Suspended Floor System Specifications, page 4 of 5
B. Wood Substrate
Surface of wood substrate shall be dry and free of dust, oil, grease, and cracks. Eliminate nails, splinters and other protrusions. Substrate shall be smooth, on same elevation, and exhibit no greater deviation in elevation than 1/8" over 10 ft. radius. Use hardboard, plywood, or OSB to level substrate if necessary. Moisture content shall not exceed 7-10 per cent. Must be structurally sound with point loading capability of no less than 250 lbs per square foot. Built-up wood flooring shall have beams or sleepers on at least 16" centers, surfaced by no less than 1-1/2" of composite sheeting such as plywood, plycore, OSB, or other sheeting products appropriate for conditions. Evidence of shift or instability in existing wood substrate, including but not limited to separation of floor boards, excessive or inconsistent spaces between wood substrate and walls, buckling or warpage, requires upgrading or replacement of substrate prior to installation of Excelle III.
C. Steel Substrate
Surface of steel substrate shall be dry and free of dust, oil, and grease. Eliminate burrs, slag, cracks, and any protrusions prior to installation. Substrate shall be smooth, on same elevation, and exhibit no greater deviation in elevation than 1/8" over a 10ft. radius.
Must be structurally sound with point loading capacity of no less than 250 lbs. per square foot.
D. Ballet Barres - Remove existing floor-mounted ballet barres prior to installation of Excelle II Floor System. Modify specific modules located under ballet barres according to manufacturer's installation instructions, and install within system. Re-install ballet barres onto modified floor modules.
3.2 INSTALLATION
Install in strict compliance with manufacturer's written instructions. Place L'AIR Floor System and related installation components within installation room and allow to acclimate no less than 96 hours prior to installation. Site conditions shall dictate acclimating time. L'AIR Floor System™ shall be considered finish material. All trowel trades, painting, wall-mounted barres and mirrors, wall and overhead electrical, lighting, and sprinkler systems shall be completed and operational. No overhead work of any type shall be conducted following installation of L'AIR Floor System. After installation, protect floor from foot traffic, ladders, carts, tool boxes, etc. Exclusive use of the installation studios or theatres is required and specified for installation of L'AIR International materials. No other personnel or contractors, unless approved by installation contractor are to be allowed within the installation studio(s) or theatre(s) during installation of L'AIR materials.
3.3 MAINTENANCE AND STORAGE
A. Pianos or other moveable equipment used on L'AIR Floor Systems™ shall be fitted with neoprene or polyurethane tired casters at least 4" in diameter with a tread width of 2". Using hardboard or other protective material to create pathway, move pianos or heavy equipment to different locations on the L'AIR Floor weekly. For permanently located pianos or heavy equipment (including but not limited to, risers, telescoping seating, and desks), contact L'AIR INTERNATIONAL for information about special modification options.
L'AIR Excelle III Suspended Floor System Specifications, page 5 of 5
B. Use extreme care when handling, transferring or storing L'AIR Floor System modules. Avoid contacting edges or corners of modules with walls, doorways, thresholds, railings, columns, and other objects. Store modules flat with furnished shipping spacers on original pallets* or stack carefully on drywall carts.
*To prevent crushing of the LMD suspension towers during flat storage, replace white, high-density Styrofoam spacers between each Excelle II module as originally placed during shipping.
3.4 SHIPPING AND DELIVERY
A. General
IF INSTALLATION IS NOT BEING CONDUCTED BY L'AIR INTERNATIONAL, customer is responsible for off-load and installation labor. L'AIR Excelle II Suspended Floor System™, including specified transition ramps, vinyl vented cove molding, installation kits s, instructions, and any other installation accessories are palletized flat. Pallets loaded to maximum capacity are approximately 48" length by 48" width by, maximum, 72" height, and weigh up to approximately 1,300 lbs. Pallets are pallet jack and fork-lift compatible from ends or sides. Pallets contain spacers between modules to prevent crushing of suspension towers during shipping or acclimatizing storage at site. Spacers must immediately be replaced if hand off-loading onto pallets. See below for greater detail
Manufacturer is not responsible for damage resulting from shipping or off-load.
B. Domestic
L'AIR Excelle III Suspended Floor System™ is typically delivered to designated destination by 75' - 85' tractor trailer. Handling: Flooring is, typically, not to be off-loaded to other equipment prior to site delivery. Pallets require up to 1,300 lb capacity forklift or pallet jack from ground or dock. L'AIR Excelle II Suspended Floor System™ should be off-loaded by pallet jacks and forklift. Excelle II System can be off-loaded by hand. Use caution, handle carefully to not damage product, and replace white, high-density styrofoam packing spacers between modules, as spaced by manufacturer, if material is to be palletized and moved to site or stored for any length of time. 2 hours are allowed for site off-load by most shippers. Following 2 hours, client may be charged for down time by shipper. L'AIR has no responsibility for materials once materials have departed L'AIR docks. All shipments F.O.B. Fort Worth, Texas
C. International
L'AIR Excelle III Suspended Floor System™ is delivered to designated destination custom packed inside 40' or 20' sea containers, typically. Client or client's agent is responsible for custom tariffs, duties, and other national charges. See "Handling" specifications in B., above.
SPECIFICATIONS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.
Copyright 2001 L'AIR INTERNATIONAL.
L'AIR Excelle III Floor System, L'AIR Professional DanceVinyl, LMD, L'AIR Multi-Durometer , Encore Theatre-Touring System , BRAVO Suspended Flooring for Permanent Theatre are registered trademarks of L'AIR INTERNATIONAL