KOVARA® Floor Moisture Barrier
Designed for fast and effective protection of flooring.
VERSASHIELD® is now KOVARA®
GCP Applied Technologies provides advanced floor moisture barriers to solve moisture problems for floor assemblies. To that end, we recently acquired VERSASHIELD® floor underlayment, a proven, easy-to-install solution that minimizes downtime and reduces the cost of protecting concrete slabs from moisture. The VERSASHIELD® floor moisture barriers and associated tape products for floors are part of GCP’s premier portfolio of moisture mitigation products. These products are now sold under the name KOVARA®, and are backed by GCP’s dedicated field support team around the world.
Contact a Flooring Specialist today
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.
KOVARA® Product Portfolio
| Product Name | Product Data Sheet | SDS/MSDS |
| KOVARA® 95 | ||
| KOVARA® 95 SEAM TAPE | ||
| KOVARA® AB 300 | ||
| KOVARA® Double-sided tape | ||
| KOVARA® MBX | ||
| KOVARA® MBX SEAM TAPE |
Technical Letters
| Product Name | |
| KOVARA® Box Grid Application Method |
Products
- Product Name
- Description
- Key Benefits
- Applications Type
KOVARA® 95 is a rolled sheet moisture mitigation membrane that protects flooring assemblies against moisture and alkalinity in floors up to 95% relative humidity.
- 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
Underneath most floor coverings, over a concrete subfloor with relatively humidity up to 95%
KOVARA® 95 SEAM TAPE is applied on top of KOVARA™ 95 to protect the seams from moisture vapor penetration.
- Easy installation; low risk of installation errors
Underneath most floor coverings, over a concrete subfloor with relative humidity up to 95%
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.
- 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
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.
- Easy installation; low risk of installation errors
- Reduces risk of movement in areas with heavy traffic or high rolling loads
Underneath most floor coverings, over a concrete subfloor with relative humidity up to 99.5%
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.
- 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
Underneath most floor coverings, over a concrete subfloor with relative humidity up to 99.5%
KOVARA® MBX SEAM TAPE is applied on top of KOVARA® MBX to protect the seams from moisture vapor penetration.
- Easy installation; low risk of installation errors
Underneath most floor coverings, over a concrete subfloor with relative humidity up to 99.5%
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.
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.
| KOVARA® Product portfolio |
|---|
| KOVARA® 95 |
| KOVARA® 95 Seam Tape |
| KOVARA® AB 300 |
| KOVARA® Double-Sided Tape |
| KOVARA® MBX |
| KOVARA® MBX Seam Tape |
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.
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.
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