Telegraphing Of Subfloors Or Adhesive Through Resilient Flooring

Telegraphing is present when the irregularities, imperfections, or patterns of the substrate are visibly transmitted through the flooring.

Possible causes:

  • Improper trowel notching for spreading adhesive
  • Subfloor not cleaned properly
  • Subfloor not properly prepared and/or patched
  • Using underlayment boards which are not recommended
  • Incorrectly applying embossing leveler or patch/underlayment
  • When installing over existing resilient flooring, applying new floor directly over flooring that is too heavily embossed

BUMPS/DIMPLES: Typical of improper use of stapling/nailing equipment or even the improper equipment, such as air guns, when installing wood underlayments. The proper setting of fasteners is very dependent on the type of wood subfloor. All fasteners should be set just below the surface of the board. If not set below the surface, they will appear as dimples or bumps on the product. If they are set too deep, they will fill up with adhesive and cause indentations. They also lose most of their holding power if set too deep.

Updated on October 26, 2022