KOVARA® Floor Moisture Barrier

Designed for fast and effective protection of flooring.

Overview

KOVARA® floor moisture barriers consist of a sheet membrane designed to be laid down above the concrete slab but underneath floor coverings, including carpet, vinyl, ceramic tile and more. It's designed to protect these materials as well as their adhesives from any staining, warping or mold that may result from water or alkaline salts infiltrating through the concrete slab.

When it was released, the KOVARA® floor moisture barrier represented one of the first sheet membranes for floor protection, designed to offer significant advantages over liquid epoxy. Contractors and building owners can enjoy reduced installation time, easy application and increased safety during construction. It reduces the installation time for the underlayment from days to hours and allows construction to continue around it unimpeded. With 50 million square feet installed, KOVARA® floor moisture barriers enjoy a global reputation for excellence.

Save time, money, and effort on flooring installation

KOVARA® moisture barrier is specifically designed to generate advantages for contractors over epoxy. Epoxy involves time-consuming manual application, and no other work can take place in an area of a site where epoxy is being installed. Work must continue to pause during the lengthy curing process. This halt in labor represents an expenditure of both time and money — expenditures which the KOVARA® membrane reverses.

Building on a global reputation for excellence

Our products rely on more than high-performance materials. Their reputation is ensured by globally-available technical and field support. For more information about how to use KOVARA® moisture barrier in a construction project, as well as details on flooring compatibility, contact GCP today.

A simple installation process that's miles above epoxy

The KOVARA® floor underlayment installation process is designed to be incredibly simple. The first step is to simply clean and level the existing substrate. For KOVARA® MBX moisture barrier, a double-sided tape is then put down. The KOVARA® membrane is rolled over the tape and then secured with seam tape. Flooring can then be adhered directly to the surface of the membrane. Moisture protection is provided by a polyethylene laminate on the bottom layer of the material, a fiberglass core for dimensional stability and a top coating that forms a tight bond with adhesives. Unlike epoxy, the KOVARA® membrane can be installed without a specialized crew of trained applicators, produces no fumes and requires no noisy shot blasting. As such, KOVARA® moisture barrier can shave off 50% of the time and 30% of the cost versus applying an epoxy moisture barrier.

Complete construction or renovation overnight

KOVARA® moisture barrier creates value for owners of all types of business and buildings. The KOVARA® product can be installed in half the time of epoxy moisture barriers. This allows a building, such as a retail store, to shut its doors in the evening, renovate its flooring overnight, and then return to options the next day. Therefore, the KOVARA® membrane doesn't just save money during the renovation process; it prevents businesses from having to lose money by turning away customers. For hospitals, hotels, and other buildings that are occupied during flooring installation, the lack of debris, noise, and fumes, adds convenience to the whole process, and avoids the inconvenience often associated with flooring installation.

Where new construction is concerned, KOVARA® floor underlayment offers a similar benefit.  Flooring is often applied during the final stage to construction, when builders may be forced to scramble so that tenants can occupy the space. Epoxy application represents an unwelcome delay during this critical time, but the KOVARA® membrane lets builders put the finishing touches on a project unimpeded.

Products & Accessories

Products

Vapor impermeable

  • Product Name
  • Description
  • Key Benefits
  • Applications Type
KOVARA® 95 Data Sheet

Vapor impermeable

Description

KOVARA® 95 is a rolled sheet moisture mitigation membrane that protects flooring assemblies against moisture and alkalinity in floors up to 95% relative humidity.

Key Benefits
  • Installs in half the time of an epoxy moisture barrier
  • No shotblasting needed
  • Easy installation; low risk of installation errors
  • Reduces downtime for building and business owners during renovations
Application Type

Underneath most floor coverings, over a concrete subfloor with relatively humidity up to 95%

KOVARA® 95 SEAM TAPE Data Sheet

Vapor impermeable

Description

KOVARA® 95 SEAM TAPE is applied on top of KOVARA™ 95 to protect the seams from moisture vapor penetration.

Key Benefits
  • Easy installation; low risk of installation errors
Application Type

Underneath most floor coverings, over a concrete subfloor with relative humidity up to 95%

KOVARA® AB 300 Moisture Barrier Data Sheet

Vapor impermeable

Description

KOVARA® AB 300 is a patent-pending, self-adhered, pre-fabricated moisture barrier designed to protect floor coverings from staining, warping and adhesive deterioration that may result from water vapor emissions and alkaline salts infiltrating through the concrete slab. 

Key Benefits
  • Installation in a fraction of the time of fluid-applied moisture barriers
  • Self-adhered to subfloor with a specialty designed adhesive to prevent movement under heavy rolling loads and foot traffic
  • Split adhesive release liner allows quick peel-and-stick application
  • Reduced labor costs and improved project capacity for contractors
Application Type
KOVARA® Double-sided tape Data Sheet
Description

KOVARA® DOUBLE-SIDED TAPE is applied underneath KOVARA® MBX and in some applications underneath KOVARA® 95 to seal the seams between sheets of membrane and bond the membrane to the floor.

Key Benefits
  • Easy installation; low risk of installation errors
  • Reduces risk of movement in areas with heavy traffic or high rolling loads
Application Type

Underneath most floor coverings, over a concrete subfloor with relative humidity up to 99.5%

KOVARA® MBX Data Sheet

Vapor impermeable

Description

KOVARA® MBX is a rolled sheet moisture mitigation membrane that protects flooring assemblies against moisture and alkalinity in floors up to 99.5% relative humidity.

Key Benefits
  • Installs in half the time of an epoxy moisture barrier
  • No shotblasting needed
  • Easy installation; low risk of installation errors
  • Reduces downtime for building and business owners during renovations
Application Type

Underneath most floor coverings, over a concrete subfloor with relative humidity up to 99.5%

KOVARA® MBX SEAM TAPE Data Sheet
Description

KOVARA® MBX SEAM TAPE is applied on top of KOVARA® MBX to protect the seams from moisture vapor penetration.

Key Benefits
  • Easy installation; low risk of installation errors
Application Type

Underneath most floor coverings, over a concrete subfloor with relative humidity up to 99.5%