Installation Guide

ManualsBrandsDec-Tec ManualsDeck Tiles74 in. x 20 ft. DIY 60mil Camouflage Gray

Use Dec-Tec DIY luxury vinyl decking to add the warm, comfortable style of real wood, marble or

concrete to your outdoor living space. Dec-Tec DIY is a highly durable, water-resistant membrane

designed for convenient do-it-yourself, residential installations, and is great for use on outdoor decks

and high trafﬁc areas. Dec-Tec DIY is simple to install over plywood, concrete, or existing vinyl substrates

with no adhesives required. The covered surface is ready for foot trafﬁc immediately after installation.

All instructions and recommendations are based on the most recent information available. For the

latest version of this guide please consult (www.homedepot.com) and search for your product SKU.

These instructions should be followed for an ideal installation.

STORAGE AND HANDLING

• Protect product edges and corners from damage. Deformed materials or edges can result from

improper handling or storage and could prevent proper bonding and ﬁtting.

• Material must be stored laying ﬂat and never on edge.

• Store in a cool, dry location and keep away from excessive heat.

• Tarp and keep elevated and dry if stored outdoors.

• Material must be acclimated to the installation area for a minimum of 24-48 hours prior to

installation.

TOOLS AND MATERIALS

• Basic hand tools and materials

• Tape measure

• Carpenters pencil

• Chalk line

• 4-inch putty knife

• Broom, shop vacuum

• Utility knife with blades

• Metal straight edge (preferably 38 -76 inches)

• Claw hammer

• Silicone hand roller (4” / 100mm)

• 100lb. 3 section roller (available at Home Depot Rental department)

• Cementitious latex based patching compound

• Primer (if needed)

• Metal drip edge (if needed to trim concrete or wood deck edges)

• Sika1A adhesive (if needed to attach metal ﬂashing to concrete)

BEFORE YOU BEGIN INSTALLING, READ AND FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS

• Always check local building codes and regulations for acceptable practices.

• Visually inspect all material prior to installation. Installation of defective material will be regarded

as acceptance of its condition regardless of the defect and will void the product warranty.

• Do not install over damp or wet surfaces. Self-stick adhesives will not stick to dirt, dust or high-

moisture content substrates.

• Dec-Tec DIY is water-resistant, however, high subﬂoor moisture or ﬂood mopping can adversely

affect the glue bond.

• Do not install on unsuitable or unstable substrates such as OSB, chipboard, luan plywood, marine

board, treated plywood, mahogany based plywood underlayment, or any other non-underlayment

grade panel.

• Do not install over previously coated substrates.

• Do not install over ﬁnished (varnished or polyurethane coated) surfaces.

• Do not install on substrate that has been painted or contains any contaminants, dust, dirt, oil,

grease, curing agents, waxes, sealers, loosely bonded toppings, loose particles, old adhesive

residues, and any other substance or condition that may prevent or reduce adhesion.

• On or below grade concrete must have polyethylene plastic ﬁlm moisture barrier installed between

the concrete and the ground.

• All concrete slabs should be tested for moisture content before installation.

• Never use solvent-based or chemical preparation materials. Do not use primers or ﬁllers that are

manufactured for use with products other than vinyl ﬂooring.

• Never add additional adhesive to Dec-Tec DIY regardless of the type of adhesive.

• Acclimate material a minimum of 24-48 hours prior to installation

• Minimum installation temperatures: 34 degrees F / 1 degrees C

SUBSTRATE

• Install only on recommended plywood or concrete substrates. All surfaces must be moisture free

structurally sound, solid and stable. Substrate should be clean and free of dust, dirt, oil, grease,

paint, curing agents, waxes, sealers, loosely bonded toppings, loose particles, old adhesive residues,

and any other substance or condition that may prevent or reduce adhesion.

• Dec-Tec DIY can be installed over existing sheet vinyl surfaces that are well-bonded to the subﬂoor.

All traces of wax, other surface coatings, or foreign matter must be removed in a way that does

not damage the integrity of the existing ﬂooring or hinder a proper bond of the new ﬂooring.

• Note: The responsibility of determining if the existing substrate is suitable to be installed over rests

solely with installer or DIY’er on site. If there is any doubt as to suitability, the existing substrate

should be removed or an acceptable underlayment installed over it.

INSTALLING OVER CONCRETE

• On or below grade concrete must have polyethylene plastic ﬁlm moisture barrier installed between

the concrete and the ground.

• Dec-Tec DIY should not be installed on concrete ﬂoors where there is danger of hydrostatic

pressure or water seepage.

• All cracks in the concrete should be ﬁled with a latex cement-based patching compound. Patched

areas need to be primed when dried. Do not use gypsum-based patching compounds.

• For uneven concrete use cement-based leveling compounds.

• It is highly recommended that proper moisture tests be carried out on any concrete slab before

installation. Tests can be conducted using the Calcium Chloride Moisture Vapor Emission (MVER)

Test with test results not exceeding 5 lb. per 1000 sf. in 24 hrs.’, or by using the Internal Relative

Humidity (RH) test with test results not exceeding 85%.

INSTALLING OVER PLYWOOD

• Minimum 5/8” thick, tongue and groove APA, C-D grade, exposure 1 rated plywood.

• Must be sturdy, ﬂat, and have minimal deﬂection.

• Wood substrate can be tested for moisture content using a simple pin-type moisture meter. The

ideal moisture content (MC) of plywood at the time of installation is 9% - 14% at 70% relative

humidity / 68 degrees F (20 degrees C).

• Wood subﬂoors over a crawl space should have a minimum of 18” of cross-ventilated air space

between the ground and the ﬂoor joists. In an area of high humidity due to ground moisture, a

polyethylene plastic ﬁlm should be laid over the ground in the crawl space with over-lapped widths

and lengths, to serve as a moisture barrier in addition to the cross-ventilated air space.

• Unacceptable substrates: Oriented strand board (OSB), particle board, poplar plywood, luan,

panels with medium density overlay (MDO) or high density overlay (HDO), or any type of treated

plywood (i.e. ﬁre treated, pressure treated, or panels with ﬁeld or edge sealants) either factory or

ﬁeld applied are not recommended.

SURFACE PREPARATION

• Surface preparation is key! The entire surface must be ﬂat, structurally sound, dry, and stable.

The surface should be clean and free of dust, dirt, oil grease, paint, curing agents, sealers, loosely

bonded toppings, loose particles, old adhesive residues, and any other substance or condition that

may prevent or reduce adhesion.

• Acclimate material a minimum of 24 -48 hours prior to installation in the environment where it

will be installed.

• Scrape or remove any contaminants, substance or condition that may prevent or reduce adhesion.

Some substances may require mechanical grinding for removal.

• Sand or grind down all areas as needed. All surfaces must be smooth and ﬂat or imperfections

may show through.

• Install any metal ﬂashing or trim that is required for the installation, such as a metal drip edge

around the outside perimeter of a deck.

• Fill in all depressions, joints, gaps or damaged areas as needed with a latex cement-based

patching compound and sand smooth once it has thoroughly dried.

• Sweep and thoroughly vacuum.

• Seal all patched areas, pitch pockets, pitch streaks, red chalk, wood knots construction adhesive,

wood ﬁller, etc., with an appropriate primer. Primer must be of type speciﬁcally designed for use

with self-adhesive (self-stick) vinyl ﬂooring. Follow manufacturer’s directions for proper application

and mixing. (Suggestion: Zinsser Bin Shellac Based Primer Sealer).

• Do a ﬁnal inspection to ensure the surface area is suitable and ready for the application of the

Dec-Tec DIY.

IMPORTANT

• Thoroughly inspect all material for visible blemishes or defects before starting the installation.

Installation of defective material will be regarded as acceptance of its condition regardless of the

defect and will void the product warranty.

• Ensure materials obtained are from the same lot / run number to avoid differences in shading

which can occur.

[DIY]W-2019-V.01

www.dec-tec-diy.com

DEC-TEC DIY INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

Summary of content (2 pages)

PAGE 1
DEC-TEC DIY INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS Use Dec-Tec DIY luxury vinyl decking to add the warm, comfortable style of real wood, marble or concrete to your outdoor living space. Dec-Tec DIY is a highly durable, water-resistant membrane designed for convenient do-it-yourself, residential installations, and is great for use on outdoor decks and high traffic areas. Dec-Tec DIY is simple to install over plywood, concrete, or existing vinyl substrates with no adhesives required.
PAGE 2
INSTALLATION LAYOUT 1. Plan your layout to avoid an unbalanced installation. As a rule of thumb, material should run lengthwise and parallel to the most dominant wall to achieve the best appearance. 2. If installing on an exterior deck, it is recommended to start from the outside edge of the deck surface and work towards the building. 3. Make sure the surface area is square before laying out the material. Measure the diagonals from all four corners.