WHEN installing carpet over large areas that will be subject to heavy use, such as hotel corridors and events venues, contractors will typically require an adhesive that will develop a high-bond strength to hold floorcoverings firmly in place over the lifetime of an installation.

Carpet and underlay installed with this kind of adhesive will require mechanical removal when they need replacing, but there is an alternative solution to enable easy refurbishments.

For this reason, dual-bond systems have been developed, utilising adhesives with different characteristics, including ones designed to create a peelable bond to prevent floorcoverings or underlay moving laterally when subject to normal foot traffic but allow them to be easily lifted without damaging the subfloor.

For example, F Ball & Co’s Styccobond F40 is said to dry to form a transparent, permanently tacky coating to provide a release bond for underlays.

This can be part of a dual-bond system, whereby the carpet is then adhered to the underlay using a specialist adhesive for textile floorcoverings, such as F Ball’s Styccobond F3, which will reportedly develop the high-bond strength required to withstand expected levels of wear.

Permanent bond
Says F Ball & Co: ‘Styccobond F3 is a water-based rubber/resin flooring adhesive that offers excellent wet-grab and rapidly builds up a high-bond strength. This delivers a flooring installation that won’t ruck, move, or lift throughout its working life, making it suitable for areas expected to be subject to high foot traffic.

‘The adhesive is suitable for installing a wide range of textile floorcoverings, including hessian, felt, secondary latex and rubber foam backed carpets, as well as cork tiles up to 3.2mm thick. It’s also protected against bio-degradation and can withstand wet cleaning, which is essential for maintaining the appearance of carpeted venues. The adhesive offers excellent wet-grab, rapidly builds up a high bond strength and is protected against bio-degradation.

‘Styccobond F40 and Styccobond F3 are suitable for use over normal underfloor heating systems and approved for use in marine flooring installations.’

Compatibility check
F Ball & Co says it’s recommended that contractors check the compatibility of particular floorcoverings and adhesives to ensure against floor failure. For these purposes, F Ball produces its Recommended Adhesives Guide (RAG), which lists adhesives recommended for use with more than 6,000 floorcoverings, produced by over 200 floorcovering manufacturers.

It’s available on the F Ball website and as a free app, as well as a printed booklet. Contractors can also consult floorcovering manufacturers for advice.
www.f-ball.co.uk