Nova Deck D3 and sheet vinyl flooring

[Kerstin]

I just found out I have Nova Deck D3 as the subfloor in my new modular home by Patriot Homes and found this site very informative. The Patriot rep I spoke with did not hide the fact that Nova Deck is similiar to the fiberboard used in manufactured houses in the past. She said it was stronger than fiberboard but will give way if saturated (I neglected to ask how long the water had to remain on the floor before that happens).

I have Congoleum sheet vinyl everywhere but my hallway and bedrooms. I am planning to install hardsurface flooring in place of the carpet and may continue with the same pattern of sheet vinyl. If I decide to go with the sheet vinyl the Patriot rep said that I will have to have the subflooring under the carpet taped and floated so the nail or screw holes and joints won't show through. She also said that if I decide to install ceramic or vinly tiles I will have to cover the Nova Deck with plywood or Hardiback because adhesives will not stick to the Nova Deck, but that laminate flooring can be installed over it.

With all this written, if I install sheet vinyl throughout the house will the sheet vinyl protect my Nova Deck if I decide in the future to install another floor over it?

Thanks for any info provided.

[rmurray]

I understand your concern..at least the factory rep is being honest..moisture..kills this product.....The floor covering might help....These floors seem particularly venerable at sources of moisture or condensation...At the base of the toilet..near showers..atr the front door..often neat a/c vents that condense moisture...The worse situations come from moisture from the under side..Ventinfg a dryer under the home can ruin the whole floor in short order..be sure there is no water going under the home..Moisture barriers must be in place.....Good Luck..

[Kerstin]

Thanks for the info. If I were to replace the Nova Deck with plywood or OSB do I remove it or cover over it? What depth plywood or OSB---5/8"? The Nova Deck is 5/8" and is supposed to be glued and mechanically (whatever that is) secured to the floor joists under it. Also, how do I go about finding someone who can do the job in the Austin, TX area?

[rmurray]

Check the bookstore on this site there is a good repair manual there which every home owner should have..its author isd the moderator of this forum...Floor replacemnt is a huge job..

[David Oxhandler]

Replacing the entire floor is not a serious consideration. Your talking about a huge and expensive project. The information your getting about adhesives is not correct. The right adhesives will stick to the Nova Deck. Go to your local Home Depot or Lowes and ask for the right product.

While we ALWAYS recommend plywood or OSB, the particle board (same thing as NovaDeck) makes a strong floor board EXCEPT if it gets wet. So at this point the best thing to do is to prevent moisture from contacting the floor boards. When we renovate older homes with particle board floors we usually install vinyl thru-out, Even under the carpet areas.

I usually find a good price on odd sized or left over pieces or ugly patterns that have been sitting in the store for some time. As you will be putting it under the areas where you will carpet you don't cared what it looks like. This will take care of the vast majority of any problems you might have.

If your home has floor registers for the heat and air, it is a good idea to cut and glue or staple the vinyl so that it flaps over and covers the cut edges of the floor board inside the vent hole. This will prevent condensation from effecting the edges of the particle board.