CSLB C-15 Flooring and Floor Covering (Trade Exam) — All Questions

An installer finds a laminate plank with a visible face defect. What do one laminate maker's installation instructions say to do with it?

• a.Set it aside; do not install it✓
• b.Install it under furniture
• c.Fill the defect and install it
• d.Install it, then file a claim

The instructions say planks showing visible defects should never be installed; they are put aside for cuts or a product claim, and claims for installed defective planks will not be honored. Hiding it under furniture or installing first and claiming later both install the defective plank. Filling the defect is not the instructed remedy.Manufacturer laminate installation instructions

How does one water-resistant laminate maker prepare the first row along a straight wall?

• a.Remove the tongue on the wall-side edges✓
• b.Leave the tongue on and push it to the wall
• c.Glue the first row to the subfloor
• d.Nail the first row through the face

This maker removes the tongue on all long-side joints of the first row and on the short side of the first plank. Gluing or nailing would pin a floating floor, which its instructions forbid. Pushing the tongue to the wall leaves no expansion space.Manufacturer laminate installation instructions (RevWood Plus)

What thickness of spacer does one laminate maker's guide list for holding the expansion gap?

• a.1/8 inch
• b.1 inch
• c.3/4 inch
• d.3/8 inch✓

The tool list calls for plastic or wood spacer blocks 3/8 inch thick, matching the 3/8-inch perimeter gap. One-eighth inch is too small. Three-quarters is a solid-wood gap. One inch is not the stated spacer.Manufacturer laminate installation instructions

What maximum subfloor deflection does one laminate maker's installation guide allow?

• a.1/2 inch
• b.3/16 inch
• c.1/4 inch
• d.3/64 inch✓

The instructions say maximum deflection should not exceed 3/64 inch. Three-sixteenths of an inch is a flatness figure over 10 feet, not deflection. A quarter and a half inch would let the locking joints flex and fail.Manufacturer laminate installation instructions

Over which existing floor does one laminate maker say its product cannot be installed?

• a.A floor with an attached cushion✓
• b.A well-adhered vinyl floor
• c.A sound plywood subfloor
• d.A flat concrete slab

The instructions say the laminate cannot be installed over existing flooring that has an attached cushion or is itself a floating floor. Well-adhered existing floors, flat concrete and sound wood subfloors are listed as suitable when prepared.Manufacturer laminate installation instructions

At a door frame, how does one water-resistant laminate maker have the planks fit under the frame?

• a.Glued to the frame with silicone
• b.1/4 in. under; 3/8 in. hidden gap✓
• c.Butted tight against the frame
• d.Stopped 1 inch short and caulked

This maker slides the flooring at least 1/4 inch under the undercut door frame and leaves a concealed expansion space of at least 3/8 inch. Butting tight leaves no expansion room. Gluing pins the floor. Stopping short leaves a visible gap.Manufacturer laminate installation instructions (RevWood Plus)

In which rooms does one water-resistant laminate maker say its product should not be installed?

• a.Rooms with forced-air heat
• b.Rooms on a second floor
• c.Rooms over a plywood subfloor
• d.Rooms with floor drains✓

This maker says the product should not be installed in rooms with floor drains or sump pumps. Plywood subfloors, upper floors and forced-air heat are compatible with its climate-controlled indoor use.Manufacturer laminate installation instructions (RevWood Plus)

What does one laminate maker's warranty ask the homeowner to keep after installation?

• a.The installer's tools
• b.One full carton, unopened
• c.Five planks, for testing✓
• d.The vapor barrier offcuts

The homeowner obligations include keeping five planks of the product after installation for testing purposes, along with proof of purchase. A full carton is not the stated requirement. Tools and offcuts are not part of the warranty obligations.Manufacturer laminate installation instructions