No liquid latex to add, ever!  Portland cement-based, will not stain or mildew!  Never needs priming!  Recommended by floor covering manufacturers.  Will allow most floor covering installation while patch is damp.  Economical!  Skim coat up to 30 sq. ft. per pound.  No sand or fillers. Get a true featheredge.  Exceptional bond to:  Concrete, Wood, Terrazzo, Ceramic and Quarry Tile without priming.
Use ARDEX Feather Finish for flash-patching, skim-coating and to fill in ridges, gouges, depressions and seams on virtually any type of subfloor. Product Capabilities: Ardex SD-F Feather Finish provides a smooth, permanent finish to a variety of substrates prior to the installation of today's demanding floor coverings such as sheet vinyl and VCT. ARDEX SD-F allows the installation of most floor covering in as little as 15 minutes over concrete, wood, ceramic, and quarry tile - all without priming or the use of a latex additive. Engineered around a self-drying, Portland cement-based matrix, all of the water is chemically combined within the product itself. Using this unique technology, flooring installation problems associated with disbonding, crumbling, mildew, and staining are eliminated, thus preserving the floor manufacturer's full product warranty.

Technical Information

DESCRIPTION
ARDEX SD-F Feather Finish provides a smooth, permanent finish to a variety of substrates prior to the installation of today's demanding floor coverings such as sheet vinyl and VCT. 

ARDEX SD-F Feather Finish allows the installation of most types of floor covering in as little as 15 minutes over concrete, wood, ceramic and quarry tile - all without the need for priming or the use of a latex additive. 

ARDEX SD-F Feather Finish mixes with water only to a creamy, smooth consistency for easy application.  Engineered around a self-drying, Portland cement-based matrix, all of the mix water is chemically combined within the product itself.  Using this unique technology, flooring installation problems associated with disbonding, crumbling, mildew and staining are eliminated, thus preserving the floor manufacturer's full product warranty. 

RANGE OF APPLICATION

Apply Over: Concrete Ceramic & Quarry Tile Wood Preps virtually any substrate for new floor installation

Use ARDEX SD-F Feather Finish to smooth ridges, fill cracks, gouges, and joints, and for skimcoating to a true featheredge over all types of interior concrete, masonry, wood, cementitious terrazzo, and quarry and ceramic tile.  ARDEX SD-F Feather Finish can also be used over properly prepared residues of cutback and other non-water-soluble adhesives on concrete only. The residue on the concrete must be inert to the new adhesive being installed and the floor covering must not be susceptible to adhesive migration.  If adhesive interaction and migration will be a concern, install the ARDEX K-15 + E-25 Underlayment System using the recommendations of the Resilient Floor Covering Institute available from the ARDEX Technical Service Department.  To use ARDEX SD-F Feather Finish as an embossing filler, the use of ARDEX P-82 Ultra Prime is required.  (See Embossing Filler.)

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Technical Information • Installation Instructions • MSDS

SUBFLOOR PREPARATION 
All existing subfloors must be structurally sound, solid and completely clean to include the removal of waxes, sealers, curing compounds, patching compounds, dust, dirt, oil, or any contaminant which may act as a bond breaker.  Where required, substrate preparation must be by mechanical means.  Do not use sweeping compounds, solvents or acid etching as a means of surface preparation.  Subfloors must also be dry and a minimum of 50°F. 

Consult the flooring manufacturer for the maximum allowable moisture content of the substrate and the recommended installation temperature. 

An adhesive residue over concrete must be tested to make certain it is not water-soluble and does not react with the new flooring adhesive.  In addition, the new flooring must not be susceptible to bleed-through of cutback adhesive.  With these criteria met, prepare the adhesive to a thin, well-bonded residue using the wet-scraping technique as recommended by the Resilient Floor Covering Institute.  Any existing patches below the adhesive must be completely mechanically removed. 

RECOMMENDED TOOLS 
Mixing bucket, margin trowel, and a steel  trowel.  For best results, use the ARDEX T-2 Ring Paddle and mix mechanically using a 1/2" heavy-duty drill.  To properly prepare adhesive residues, a razor scraper is required. 

MIXING
The recommended mixing ratio is two parts by volume of powder to one part water. For an entire bag, mix 2.5 quarts of water with the 10 lbs of powder.  The use of additional water will weaken the ARDEX SD-F Feather Finish and will cause it to take longer to harden.  Place the water in the container first and then add the powder while mixing by hand to a lump-free consistency.  Using mechanical mixing will produce a creamier and smoother consistency without the need for additional water. 

INSTALLATION
ARDEX SD-F Feather Finish is easily applied to any prepared surface using a steel trowel.  Apply sufficient pressure to fill all defects and to feather the product into the subfloor surface. It is not necessary to leave a certain minimum thickness of product on the substrate.  Use the least amount possible to attain the desired smoothness. 
ARDEX SD-F Feather Finish can be installed from a true featheredge up to 1/2" thick over large areas in one application.  It can also be placed to any thickness in small, well-defined areas such as thresholds and birdbaths, as well as for height transitions. 

FLOORING INSTALLATION
As soon as the ARDEX SD-F Feather Finish can be worked on without damaging the surface (in as little as 15-20 minutes), standard floor coverings such as ceramic tile, VCT, sheet vinyl and carpeting can be installed.  Parquet, athletic flooring and flooring requiring special adhesives (such as epoxies or urethanes) which can be sensitive to the presence of moisture can be installed after 16 hours.  All flooring adhesives which are compatible with concrete are compatible with ARDEX SD-F Feather Finish. 

POT LIFE
Approximately 15-20 minutes at 70°F.  Pot life will vary with ambient temperatures.  If the product begins to set in the bucket, re-mix using the ARDEX T-2 paddle and drill to re-temper.  DO NOT ADD WATER! 

COVERAGE
The unique formulation of ARDEX SD-F Feather Finish is such that its coverage is easily three times that of a sanded product.  A 10 lb unit covers up to 33.3 sq. ft. at 1/8". When skimming over concrete, coverage is 100-150 sq. ft., and over plywood, 200-250 sq. ft. can be achieved. 

EMBOSSING FILLER
Existing felt-backed embossed residential sheet vinyl must be clean and free of waxes or other dressings.  The flooring must be solidly bonded, have been installed over a suitable substrate, and
must not show any signs of moisture or alkaline salts.   Do not use as an embossing filler over cushioned-backed flooring which is thicker than .080" or over flooring which was installed using a
perimeter bonded method. 

To use ARDEX SD-F Feather Finish as an embossing filler, mix one part by volume of ARDEX P-82 Part A to one part by volume of P-82 Part B and blend to a uniform consistency.  Add two parts by volume of ARDEX SD-F Feather Finish and mix as above. 

For example, mix 1 cup (8 oz.) of ARDEX P-82 Part A with 1 cup (8 oz.) of ARDEX P-82 Part B.  Blend this to a uniform color and consistency and then add 2 cups (16 oz.) of ARDEX SD-F Feather Finish.  Mix the embossing filler to a creamy consistency using a margin trowel or an ARDEX T-2 Mixing Paddle and drill.  Apply the filler to the prepared residential sheet vinyl with the flat side of a trowel in the thinnest possible layer to fill in the existing pattern.  (Coverage of above mix is 50 sq. ft. depending on the depth of the embossing pattern.)  After the pattern is filled, should additional filling or smoothing be required, use ARDEX SD-F Feather Finish mixed with water only. 

The embossing filler blend will typically require 90 minutes of drying time prior to the installation of the new residential sheet vinyl.  The surface is ready when a twist of a shoe does not affect the bond of the embossing filler.  When dried, the surface of the filled vinyl is considered a non-porous substrate and the adhesive should be selected accordingly. 

NOTES
ARDEX SD-F Feather Finish is a cementitious material.  Observe the basic rules of concrete work.  Do not install below 50°F substrate temperature or below the minimum temperature recommended by the manufacturer of the finish floor covering to be installed.  Do not mix with additives except as directed by ARDEX ENGINEERED CEMENTS L.P.  DO NOT OVERWATER! 

ARDEX SD-F Feather Finish is intended for interior underlayment use only.  Do not use in areas which will be subjected to standing water or permanent moisture. 

Keep out of reach of children.  This product contains Portland cement.  Avoid prolonged contact with skin.  In case of eye contact, flush eyes repeatedly with water and consult nearest physician. 

PACKAGING
10 lb/4.5 kg bag. 

STORAGE
Store in a cool, dry area.  Do not expose bags to sun.  To preserve its self-drying properties, ARDEX SD-F Feather Finish powder must be protected from air while not in use.  Protect unused material by removing the air from the bag and sealing tightly.  Open and reseal as necessary. 

SHELF LIFE
6 months in original unopened container. 

View Material Safety Data Sheet

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Technical Information • Installation Instructions • MSDS