SpeedCove Installation Overview
(Please read complete installation instructions before installing.)
SpeedCove installs easily in 12 simple steps.
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Bring SpeedCove to room temperature
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Prepare the floor and wall; scrape or grind high spots so pieces fit snug (if applicable, cut and remove bottom 4, 6 or 8 inches of (FRP) fiber-reinforced wall panels**)
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Vacuum floor, wall, and SpeedCove pieces
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Dry fit all pieces without adhesive
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Cut SpeedCove to size with chop saw, utility knife, or diamond wheel grinder
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Apply FULL SPREAD of adhesive to back of SpeedCove, including all butt joints, and a FULL SPREAD to the floor at base of wall to support coving section. Use enough to eliminate all voids
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Press all pieces firmly into wall and floor starting with inside corners, pieces can be tacked with a 18 gauge pin nailing gun only where needed
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Patch joints and transitions
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Seal top transition watertight to wall
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Sand patching marks & transitions to hide joints
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Wipe down with acetone or compatible cleaner
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Install floor coating, extending seamlessly up walls to cover SpeedCove and joint to wall
** IMPORTANT: Installer is responsible to test all adhesives, patch materials, and coatings for bond strength & compatibility before installation. ** SpeedCove should not be installed over fiber-reinforced panels (FRP) on walls, it should only be directly adhered to the solid wall substrate. FRP must be terminated above the SpeedCove in the FRP manufacturer’s J-mold/termination strip; and, the joint must be sealed water tight with an appropriate adhesive and coated with the finish epoxy; or, seal joint with a #10 “food grade” silicone over the dried epoxy finish.
Tools Recommended for Installation:
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Pencil
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Speed square
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5-in-1 painter’s tool
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notch trowel
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3 to 4” wide joint patching knife
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Sheet rock knife
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½” – 1” sharp chisel (for cutting FRP in the corners)
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Quart size caulking guns
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4” grinder w/ diamond wheel works great for cutting FRP and grinding spots on the floor. (A Roto-Zip tool w/ a depth guide also works good for cutting FRP.)
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A hand held belt sander w/ about 50 grit belts (for slight alterations that need to look good.)
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A flexible 1” putty knife
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Knee pads
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Safety glasses
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Tin snips (for cutting FRP plastic channel strips.)
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Rubber spatula for smoothing out joints and transitions (take off the handle)
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Blank caulking tubes or squirt bottles work well for patching with material that flows well.
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Shop vac w/ brush attachments.
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A basic chop saw with a sharp fine tooth finish cut blade.
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A 4” grinder w/ diamond wheel also works great to cut & alter pieces (used w/ speed square).
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An 18 gauge pin nailer to tack pieces if needed until adhesives sets.
Materials Recommended for Installation:
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The best way to adhere SpeedCove to the wall & floor is with a FULL SPREAD of 2 part epoxy or polyurethane patching material, notch trowelled on the back of each piece, and a FULL SPREAD on the floor against the wall to support the base. Use enough adhesive material to fully support and eliminate all voids. Materials with various drying rates can be used to speed up total installation time. All materials should be tested for proper bond strength & compatibility before using on a job.
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Certain construction adhesives with the proper ratings for your application (non-porous substrates) can be used, they must be tested for proper bond strength before being used on a job. Adhesives must be thin and pliable so pieces can be “set” easier and voids be eliminated. Urethane & polyurethane adhesives create a very strong bond but must be kept warm to be pliable. Some urethanes & polyurethanes will bubble if moisture is present, check with manufacturer for proper application. They should also be allowed to completely dry before coatings are applied. (1 quart size tube of any adhesive will do about 15’ of 6” system, and about 20' of 4")
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For aligning pieces:
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An 18 gauge pin nailer can be used to tack pieces in place until the adhesive dries. SpeedCove Systems are designed to be adhered in place, and nailing should only be used as a support where necessary.
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An assortment of tile wedges can be used to align pieces until adhesive is set.
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Wood door shims work good where cove base is set up off floor to create slope to a drain. (Remove them after adhesive sets, before applying patching material)
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For patching joints and transitions:
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The same 2 part epoxy or polyurethane patching materials can also be used to fill joints and transitions, as long as it is non-shrinking and sandable. It is also best to use something that is slightly resilient so joints don’t show if there is any expansion/contraction in the room. Some installers even prefer using Bondo for the joints. All materials should be tested for bond strength & compatibility before use.
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For furring out and filling in hollow spots:
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Pre-cut 3 7/8” and 5 7/8” strips of ¼” and/or ½” tile backer board work great to glue in where transitions in depth are needed against the wall so cove base can be installed straighter.
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Pre-cut 3 7/8” x ¾” plywood strips are good to have for filling in under cabinets that do not have a complete toe kick to mount the cove base to.
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FRP Wall Instructions:
IMPORTANT NOTE: The FRP should be cut off the bottom of all walls, removed, and finished off with the manufacture’s channel strip so the cove base can be mounted below it to the solid wall sub straight. This will insure both more durability for the cove base as it is solidly supported; and, create an overlap joint that will keep water out.
STEP 1. SCRIBE THE FRP WALL W/ BLOCK AND FELT PEN: Using the 4” or 6” high block of plywood, scribe a line with a black permanent pen along the wall sliding the block across the floor. This will give you the correct height off the floor verses snapping a chalk line which doesn’t account for minor highs and lows in the floor.
STEP 2. CUT FRP AND REMOVE: Cut the FRP 1/8 inch deep using a 4” grinder with a diamond blade taking the entire line off. A depth gauge for cutting can be made with your scribe block built out to the correct thickness. This will leave FRP about 1/8” to ¼” above the cove base so there is room to adjust the channel strip. Don’t cut deeper than the FRP thickness or wall strength will be compromised.
STEP 3. RELEASE LOWER PORTION OF FRP ADHESIVE W/ TOOL: Slide a 5 in 1 tool under the cut and tap w/ hammer to release FRP adhesive along entire bottom of cut so channel can be installed.
STEP 4. CUT AND INSTALL CHANNEL STRIPS: Cut horizontal channel strips to fit between vertical channel strips and slide them on from one side to another using a thin putty knife to open it up. Push them up as far as possible for now.
STEP 5. INSTALL COVE BASE AND SEAL THE JOINT: Scrape and vacuum the wall and install the cove base to the solid wall sub straight. Slide the horizontal channel strip back down until it touches the top of the cove base. Seal the joint between the top of the cove base and the FRP horizontal plastic channel strip. Use an adhesive that will bond to the plastic strip, and that can be coated with epoxy; or, use a #10 “food grade” silicone over the dry epoxy finish.
Installation Instructions
