“3.1.1 Floors”

The following finishes to floors satisfy the performance for impervious and easily cleaned surfaces in spaces containing sanitary fixtures or sanitary appliances. In open-plan spaces, this surface shall extend at least 1.5m from all sanitary fixtures and sanitary appliances:

The requirement for impervious and easily cleaned floor surfaces applies to spaces such as kitchens, bathrooms, laundries, and toilet facilities. This requirement applies regardless of whether containment is required by Paragraph 2.0

a) Integrally waterproof sheet material (e.g. polyvinylchloride) with sealed joints and sealed or coved at edges where water splash may occur.

b) Ceramic or stone tiles having 6% maximum water absorption, waterproof grouted joints, and bedded with an adhesive specified by the tile manufacturer as being suitable for the tiles, substrate material, and the environment of use. Edges of the tiles area where water splash may occur must be sealed or coved, and tiles be laid on the continuous impervious substrate or a membrane specified by the manufacturer as suitable for the tiles, substrate material the environment of use.

c) A slab-on-grade concrete floor with a steel trowel or polished finish, sealed at edges where water splash may occur when used in a domestic laundry within a garage or in a building containing only sanitary facilities.

“Other floor finished mat also be capable of satisfying the performance for impervious and easily cleaned, if installed in a manner that prevents gaps or cracks within the finish and at any parts of its perimeter that are exposed to water splash, and/or if the surface is sealed with a suitable durable coating. However, such other finishes are outside the scope of this Acceptable Solution.

Water can penetrate behind or underfloor finishes in situations where water splash occurs regularly (such as around shower enclosures or the fronts of built-in baths), unless these edges are sealed or coved.

Domestic laundries in garages, and buildings containing only sanitary facilities, are spaces where the consequences of any small imperfections (such as microcracking) in the imperviousness of a concrete floor are minimal and compliance with NZBC Clause E3 Internal moisture can still be demonstrated.” 

—By E3/AS1 2^nd edition, Amendment 7 page 16.

As most in the industry will be aware, under E3/AS1 there are currently six flooring options that are deemed an Acceptable Solution in wet areas where there is water splash, timber being one of them. With the new Amendment 7 which comes into effect from 4th November, this number has dropped to three options and excludes timber or timber-based products. Kitchens are now included as areas that have sanitary fixtures and floor finishes falling outside those covered in the Amendment 7, and will require an Alternative Solution to satisfy the Building Consents Authority (BCA).

Dreamwood Engineered timber, laminate & SPC flooring product an impervious and easily cleaned surface. Our products’ surface layer included, Lacquered polyurethane, PVC, and heat-cured melamine.

Impervious after installation

Sealing gap

To protect the perimeters from water ingress, please seal gaps between planks in Kitchen, toilet, laundry, and bathroom. In open-plan spaces, the flooring surface shall extend at least 1.5 m from all sanitary fixtures and sanitary appliances. Must be sealed or foam rod and transparent silicone adhesive should use at the ends of planks and the long edge of the plank, this must also include perimeter protection from water ingress.

Easily cleaned

Our wood, laminate, and SPC flooring are easily cleaned using a vacuum, a damp mop, and cleaner. Our cleaning & care guides will be helping the homeowners to make the correct way.

History

Our supplied flooring products since 2015, over thousands of project and homeowners in-service, the same product has been used overseas in up 30 years and without issue. We have an efficient and professional installation and sales team, quality and service has always been the core we follow!

Note that glue down installation is much more likely to achieve an Alternative Solution approval compared to a floating floor installation, so we would recommend this. All Dreamwood flooring products are suitable for glue down installation.

E3/AS1 Flooring Alternative solution for Kitchen, toilet, laundry, Bathroom

By Dreamwood Flooring Team