CONTRACT flooring specialists, C&C Flooring (Midlands), has used UltraFloor’s subfloor preparation materials to install LVT flooring at Alver Valley Garden Centre in Portsmouth.
Your Local Garden Centre has recently opened a new store in Alver Valley, Hampshire. With a reputation of ‘supporting local suppliers, fantastic products and delicious food’, it was imperative the new Alver Valley Garden Centre lived up to the high design expectations these centres are known for.
The challenge
The power-floated concrete substrate was installed in December with a view for the garden centre to open in April 2022 – said to be an extremely short time frame for the 4,500sq m job. The project also took place during winter and therefore the cold temperatures also needed to be considered if the project was to be completed on time.
The solution
With more than 15 years’ experience in the flooring sector, C&C Flooring (Midlands) says it knew UltraFloor’s expert subfloor preparation materials would be up to the challenge. After waiting 28 days for the new cement substrate to fully cure, the team at C&C Flooring (Midlands) diamond ground the floor to expose the aggregate.
UltraFloor area sales manager, Mark Berry, tested each area prior to applying DPM IT to ensure the moisture content was less than 98% RH.
Once achieved, DPM IT was applied and allowed to cure for 12 hours. DPM IT is described as a two-component, solvent-free epoxy resin system for use as a surface dampproof membrane (DPM). ‘Designed to provide protection against subfloor moisture, DPM IT has a pot life of 45-75 minutes, a cure time of five hours and boasts a 98% RH floor moisture tolerance.’
Once cured, UltraFloor Prime IT Multi-surface Primer was applied in preparation for the application of Level IT Smooth.
The company says: ‘Formulated to promote adhesion to all UltraFloor smoothing underlayments, Prime IT Multi-surface Primer reduces pinholing, minimising the risk of costly failures. With a coverage rate of 200sq m at 3:1 dilution, Prime IT multi-surface Primer is a must-have product for all flooring installation projects.’
The company continues: ‘Pump or trowel applied from 2-30mm, Level IT Smooth has an extremely smooth finish, essential for installing LVT, and boasts a superior flow – perfect for larger flooring projects.
‘With a coverage rate of about 5.5sqm at 3mm, Level IT Smooth is suitable for underfloor heating systems, has a working time of 20-30 minutes and can receive foot traffic after just 2-3 hours – allowing you to move on to the next part of your project quickly. The superior performance of Level IT Smooth is just one reason why this much-loved smoothing underlayment is being used daily up-and-down the country.’
Once dry, Karndean LVT was then installed across the garden centre.
Results
Owing to the enormity of the project, the flooring was completed in three sections, 1,500sq m at a time. The project began in January and was completed by the end of February 2022 in plenty of time for the opening of the fantastic new garden centre.
‘DPM IT performed as expected and dried in very good time and was easy to work with. Level IT Smooth flowed exceptionally well and was perfect for such a large job,’ Andrew Williams, director at C&C Flooring (Midlands).
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