An underlayment that works.
Same Product. New Name. Versashield is now Kovara.
High moisture conditions within a concrete slab and tight project schedules post challenges to building owners, general contractors and flooring installers. Practically all floor coverings require low moisture conditions within the concrete before allowing warranted flooring installation. This is particularly true for flooring projects in typically high moisture conditions, such as basement flooring installation. If a floor is not sufficiently dry, "shot blast and seal" moisture mitigation systems require extensive surface preparation followed by layers of coatings and cementitious flooring underlayment. Until now, contractors and installers were faced with two equally unattractive alternatives: wait and risk project delays while the floor dries, or install expensive multi-component moisture mitigation systems.
Kovara® provides an ideal basement flooring option for superior moisture suppression at a modest cost, and is quick and easy to install.
Kovara® flooring underlayment suppresses moisture mitigation from the top surface of the concrete for internal relative humidity levels up to 95% (ASTM F2170). Its low moisture transmission rate of 0.084 (ASTM E96) means it essentially blocks moisture to the flooring system.
Kovara®’s polymer film coating on the underside of the patented fiberglass reinforced membrane provides moisture suppression. The unique mineral top coat allows the installer to adhere the chosen floor covering to the Kovara® surface. Kovara®’s dimensional stability allows it to remain flat on the slab, so gluing Kovara® flooring underlayment to the slab is never required.
Comes in rolls 5 ft. wide by 144 ft. long – simply roll out the Kovara®, cut to fit the space, and tape the seams with Kovara® Seam Tape. Flooring can be installed as soon as the Kovara® flooring underlayment has been properly installed. Uniform coverage is achieved every time. Little waste and virtually no cleanup. Nominal subfloor prep is required – fill cracks over 1/8” wide and grind protrusions flat. Quick and simple installation procedure – refer to Kovara® Installation Instructions HVP-102 for complete details.
Kovara® is an ideal flooring underlayment for jobs that by design will likely be replaced or renovated on a shorter timeline than the typical lifetime of finished flooring, such as tenant remodeling, multi-use flexibility or interior design requirements. Kovara® is not fully adhered to the concrete subfloor, the finished floor can easily be lifted up and removed. Reduces expensive and time-consuming additional concrete subfloor preparation costs (shot blasting, stripping, or scraping). No hard chemicals are required and demolition waste of a typical replacement job can be eliminated. Kovara® benefits our environment – and your project budget.
Suppresses extreme moisture migration from the top surface of concrete for internal Relative Humidity to a maximum of 95%, based on ASTM F2170.
A dimensionally-stable, four-ply composite product, engineered as a moisture suppression system for all grades of concrete. Specify in Division 9, Section 0961 09
Kovara®Seam Tape is designed to be used with Kovara® Flooring Underlayment to ensure low moisture permeability along seams.
Tape Width x Length = 2 inches wide x 180 feet long
Store Kovara® Seam Tape indoors in a cool, dry area at temperatures between 60° F (16°C) and 80° F (27° C)
Kovara® has been approved for use with a variety of floor coverings to suppress moisture vapor in concrete slabs as noted in our literature and supported by our Limited Warranty. There are thousands of floor covering options in the market, with new products constantly being introduced. It is not possible for us to individually evaluate all of these products.
Numerous moisture remediation products are on the market available to address moisture problems in concrete sub-floors. No one product is the perfect solution for every application. Each product category and individual product is only one part of a total flooring system. Job site conditions, concrete subfloor conditions, subfloor moisture conditions, finished flooring selected, installation processes and products, commercial maintenance products and procedures, environmental conditions and how the finished flooring will be used can all impact the success of the total installation.
Kovara® is a moisture vapor retardant membrane that resists moisture movement due to its polymer film base. Its patented fiberglass reinforced layer is designed so that Kovara® lays flat on your floor. Kovara® membrane and Kovara® tape have no components known to cause finished flooring to expand, contract, or otherwise change dimension. Because Kovara® is not adhered to an underlying floor slab, Kovara® will not provide vertical restraint to finished flooring that has a propensity to move. Therefore, Kovara® cannot prevent finished flooring from cupping, peaking, curling, or other vertical movement after installation of Kovara®.
Before using Kovara® user shall determine the suitability of the product for its intended use and user alone assumes all risks and liability whatsoever in connection therewith. Always check with the finished flooring and adhesive manufacturers for approved product use, application instructions and best practices.
Initial Maintenance: When the finished flooring has been completely installed, it is imperative to comply with the adhesive and flooring manufacturers’ specification for curing time. This is particularly important with VCT, SVT and LVT installations. This can require up to 5 days (120 hours) for full curing of the adhesive before any maintenance is performed. Failure to do so may result in water damage to the adhesive and seams of the finished flooring. This damage is not the responsibility of Halex Corporation.
Kovara® Flooring Underlayment is a Moisture Barrier designed to prevent and solve moisture vapor issues when installing flooring over concrete.
Kovara® Flooring Underlayment can also be used to act as an ideal underlayment for jobs that by design will likely be replaced or renovated on a shorter time horizon than the typical lifetime of the finished flooring. If you suspect the finished flooring will be replaced due to tenant remodeling, multi-use flexibility, or interior design requirements, Kovara® can save you time and money.
• Because Kovara® is not adhered to the concrete sub floor, the finished floor can simply be lifted up and removed.
• Little or no expensive and time consuming additional concrete subfloor preparation (like shot blasting, stripping, scraping) would be required to install your new floor.
• No harsh chemicals will be required, and the demolition waste of a traditional replacement job can be eliminated.
Kovara® Flooring Underlayment is not only effective in moisture mitigation, but is also a real benefit to our environment and your project budgets.
Kovara® is a preformed vapor retardant membrane designed to reduce the upward movement of water vapor from concrete floor slabs into finished flooring systems. Kovara® can be installed on elevated slabs (structural concrete, precast, or slabs on metal decks), and on slabs on-ground (on-grade and below-grade). Kovara® is not designed, intended, or warranted to resist liquid water pressure (hydrostatic pressure).
Approved Floor Coverings are listed on Halex Bulletin HVP- 101. Install floor covering on top of Kovara® Flooring Underlayment’s mineral-coated (rough) surface in accordance with the flooring manufacturer’s written instructions.
There are many variations of each type of floor covering. Always check with the flooring adhesive manufacturer for approved product use, application instructions, and best practices.
Initial Maintenance: When the finished flooring has been completely installed, it is imperative to comply with the adhesive and flooring manufacturer‘s specification for curing time. This is particularly important with VCT, SVT and L VT installations. This can require up to 4- 5 days (96-120 hours) for full curing of the adhesive before any maintenance is performed. Failure to do so may result in water damage to the adhesive and seams of the finished flooring. This damage is not the responsibility of Halex Corporation.
PLEASE READ THE KOVARA® INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS BULLETIN HVP-102 CAREFULLY BEFORE INSTALLATION.
KOVARA® BOX GRID INSTALLATION METHOD
The Box-Grid Installation Method is used when there is a need to affix the Kovara® to the concrete slab, as in heavy rolling load situations.
Kovara® Installation Repair Instructions – Carpet Tile
Kovara® is a preformed vapor retardant membrane designed to reduce the upward movement of water vapor from concrete floor slabs into finished flooring systems. When Kovara® has been installed as a moisture barrier, it is important that the membrane is not damaged when carpet tiles are repaired or replaced. If any damage occurs, the Kovara® must also be repaired or replaced according to the instructions that follow. When a repair requires re-taping the Kovara®, it is important that ONLY KOVARA® TAPE OR KOVARA® DOUBLE-SIDED TAPE BE USED. The Kovara® tapes are made to suppress moisture vapor emissions. When used properly with the Kovara® membrane, a continuous moisture barrier is constructed. Kovara®, correctly installed, protects the finished flooring from moisture vapor where testing indicates an RH of up to 95% and pH up to 12.
The process of removing a carpet tile should be done more carefully and should take longer than if the tile was being removed directly from the concrete.
Slowly and carefully lift the corner and sides of the tile, gently removing the tile to minimize damage to Kovara®.
Once the tile has been removed, carefully inspect the Kovara® membrane for damage. If it is undamaged, or if there is only minor damage to the mineral coating, replace the carpet tile with the new tile.
If the Kovara® has a small tear, away from the edges of the adjoining carpet tiles in place, it can be repaired with Kovara® tape:
Using Kovara® Double-Sided tape to repair the Kovara® Membrane
You are covered by this warranty if you live in the continental United States, Hawaii or Canada, and are the original property owner (i.e., not a builder or installer) of a building when Kovara® Flooring Underlayment (“Kovara®“) is installed as a moisture suppression membrane, or the first subsequent owner if this warranty was properly transferred.
This Limited Warranty may not be transferred or assigned, directly or indirectly, except for one transfer, and only if the second owner notifies Halex Corporation in writing at 4200 Santa Ana Street, Ontario, CA 91761 within 60 days after the property transfer and pays a $500 transfer fee.
Halex Corporation warrants that the Kovara® is free from manufacturing defects that would adversely affect its performance for the warranty period specified below. Under normal conditions of use as a moisture suppression membrane under flooring products, when properly installed according to Halex’s written installation instructions, the Kovara® will protect flooring products from moisture vapor damage from the subfloor or below in areas that have a maximum 95% RH as measured in accordance with the latest version of ASTM F2170. NOTE: Halex reserves the right to conduct new moisture tests at the time of the claim to determine current moisture readings, which will be used to determine warranty compliance.
This Limited Warranty commences at the completion of the proper installation of the Kovara® and lasts for 10 years or until ownership of the building changes without coverage under this Warranty being transferred, whichever comes first.
The useful life of your Kovara® is affected by many factors, including: the conditions to which it is exposed, the quality of its installation, the type and quality of the building construction, including the subfloor, and other factors over which Halex Corporation has no control. This limited warranty covers your Kovara® in the event it is found to have a manufacturing defect which adversely affects its performance while this Warranty is in effect. This limited warranty does not assure that the finished flooring installed over Kovara® will last the entire length of the applicable warranty period.
If your Kovara® has a manufacturing defect covered by this Limited Warranty, Halex Corporation will:
During the first year, either (1) pay the original cost of defective Kovara® and the reasonable original cost of affected flooring material, seam tape, bonding adhesive, and any other affected installation materials used in an ordinary installation, and the reasonable cost of labor to install replacement Kovara® and flooring materials or (2) pay the reasonable cost of repair for the defective Kovara® and affected floor area, in Halex Corporation’s sole discretion. The cost of labor DOES NOT include costs for tear out, dump fees, concrete or foundation work, or related work.
For the next nine years, if Halex Corporation elects to reimburse you for the amount set forth in option (1) of the preceding paragraph, the amount to be paid to you will be adjusted to reflect the use you have received from your Kovara® based on the number of months that have elapsed since installation.
Halex Corporation shall not be liable for any damages to the Kovara® product, overlying flooring products, or any other property from any cause other than a manufacturing defect. In particular, this Limited Warranty does not cover damage to the Kovara® product, your building, or any parts thereof caused by:
but is not limited to, performing a moisture test in accordance to the latest version of ASTM F2170 Relative Humidity Test. The moisture test must be based on the size of the area where the installation will be done prior to Kovara® installation to determine precise RH of the subfloor. Results of your ASTM F2170 test(s) must be recorded, retained, and submitted to Halex Corporation in the unlikely event that you make a warranty claim.
To file a claim, you must send a notice in writing, together with proof of purchase to establish that you are the original owner (or proof of transfer if the second owner has properly transferred coverage), proof of application date and a copy of the original moisture test records, to Halex Corporation, 4200 Santa Ana Street, Ontario, CA, 91761, NOTE:
Notice to your builder, general contractor or installer is NOT notice to Halex Corporation. Within a reasonable time after proper notification, Halex Corporation will evaluate your claim, inspect the installation of the VersaShield® and the claimed damage, and resolve your claim in accordance with this Warranty. Any claim for the VersaShield® which has been replaced prior to Halex Corporation’s receipt of written notice and on-site inspection may be denied.
THIS WARRANTY IS EXCLUSIVE AND REPLACES ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, CONDITIONS, REPRESENTATIONS, AND GUARANTEES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WHETHER BY STATUTE, AT LAW OR IN EQUITY, INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. This written warranty is your exclusive warranty from Halex Corporation and represents the SOLE REMEDY available to any owner of Halex Corporation’s VersaShield® Flooring Underlayment. Halex Corporation makes NO OTHER REPRESENTATIONS, CONDITION, GUARANTEE, OR WARRANTY of any kind other than that stated herein. Halex Corporation WILL NOT BE LIABLE IN ANY EVENT FOR CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR OTHER SIMILAR DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, including DAMAGE TO THE INTERIOR OR EXTERIOR OF ANY BUILDING, whether for breach of this warranty, negligence, strict liability in tort, or for any other cause. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages so the above exclusions or limitations may not apply to you.
This Limited Warranty may not be changed or modified except in writing, signed by an officer of Halex Corporation. No one (other than an officer of Halex Corporation) has authority to assume any additional liability or responsibility for Halex Corporation in connection with your VersaShield® Flooring Underlayment except as described in this Warranty. This Warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may have other rights which vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. (Note: Warranty subject to change. For current information, visit www.Halexcorp.com.
This Limited Warranty is effective for VersaShield® Flooring Underlayment installed after September 4th, 2010.