SURROUNDINGS in healthcare settings can be influential in patient comfort and recovery. Long-term value is another consideration for public sector projects.
Therefore, ensuring a long-lasting, high performance finish is essential when installing floorcoverings in healthcare environments. Given that hospital wards and corridors are subject to high foot traffic and heavy loads, such as hospital beds and wheeled equipment, this necessitates the use of a heavy-duty levelling compound when preparing subfloors for the receipt of new floorcoverings.
One such product, F Ball & Co’s Stopgap 300 HD, is a fast-drying heavy-duty levelling compound that can be used to prepare a wide range of absorbent and non-absorbent interior subfloors prior to the installation of new floorcoverings.
It’s also protein- and latex-free, making it suitable for biologically sensitive settings, including hospital wards, theatres, and corridors.
Case study
Stopgap 300 HD, along with other subfloor preparation products and flooring adhesives from F Ball & Co, have been used to install 6,500sq m of vinyl flooring at the Spire hospital in Tollerton, Nottingham.
AJ Floorcraft of Derby was subcontracted to install flooring throughout the newly built hospital. Prior to the installation of a levelling compound, the subfloor was mechanically cleaned to remove impurities, and two coats of Stopgap F78 one-component, rapid-drying waterproof surface membrane were applied.
Stopgap F78 impedes the passage of residual construction moisture from affecting subsequent floorcovering installations, allowing early installation of floorcoverings in fast-track building programmes.
Once cured, contractors then primed the subfloor using F Ball’s Stopgap P131 general-purpose primer to ensure good adhesion is achieved between the substrate and subsequently applied subfloor preparation products.
The healthy choice
Contractors then applied Stopgap 300 HD heavy-duty levelling compound to the hospital subfloor. The product was particularly suitable for this flooring installation as it’s designed for use in areas subject to heavy loads and/or high levels of foot traffic, including hospital floors which commonly have to withstand heavy equipment and a large number of patients each day.
As well as being fast drying, Stopgap 300 HD has excellent self-levelling properties and can be pump-applied up to 1,500sq m per day, dependent on manpower, thickness applied and equipment used. This is beneficial when preparing large floor areas often found in healthcare environments.
It’s also low odour, allowing it to be used in refurbishments, where areas adjacent to work need to remain in-use and open to hospital staff and the public.
Finally, Styccobond F44 adhesive was used to secure the vinyl floorcoverings. The solvent-free acrylic emulsion adhesive is designed to give a high bond strength, strong initial tack, and a long open time. It’s protected against bio-degradation and is suitable for use over normal underfloor heating installations.
Commenting on the project, Paul Jackson of AJ Floorcraft said: ‘I use F Ball products on every job that I do, and I can always depend on them to get the job done. The F Ball representative was really helpful in aiding us to create a clinically clean and attractive floor in time for the hospital opening, using solely F Ball products.’
www.f-ball.co.uk
