Chris McQuade advises on the best approach for creating a standalone wearing surface at a self-storage unit.

THIS month I’ll use a real-life example of where F Ball’s technical service department has provided advice on the best course of action for a particular flooring refurbishment.

While we most often advise on situations where floorcoverings will be installed, there are instances where they are not desired or even not recommended, but a smooth, durable and easy-to-maintain surface is still required, such as in storerooms, workshops and warehouses.

This was the case when we were asked to offer a specification for preparing subfloors and creating a suitably heavy-duty wearing surface in a locker room with an area of approximately 260sq m as part of the refurbishment of a self-storage unit.

The existing subfloor was uneven concrete, with old cementitious smoothing compound and adhesive residues present. The brief for the contractor was to create a smooth surface that could withstand foot and wheeled traffic.

First steps
We advised that the first thing to do should be to mechanically prepare the concrete base to remove all traces of the old smoothing compound, adhesive residues and any other contaminants to achieve a sound, clean, surface dry and dust-free surface.

The surface should then be primed with at least two coats of Stopgap P131 primer, diluted with four parts of water, and allowed to dry to promote the application characteristics of a subsequently applied smoothing compound.

If the surface was particularly absorbent and the primer dried rapidly, a further application of Stopgap P131 would be necessary to avoid the formation of pinholes caused by the escape of air from the smoothing compound affecting its final appearance – this would be especially important given that it will be left as a standalone wearing surface.

Creating the base
The flooring contractor would need to choose a suitably heavy-duty floor smoothing compound that can be left as a standalone exterior wearing surface.

It was therefore recommended that they apply Stopgap 800, which is especially designed to deliver a self-smoothing wearing surface for commercial and industrial grade floors where the installation of floorcoverings isn’t required.

It has a special class abrasion resistance, making it perfect for upgrading and renovating new and existing internal floors, in settings such as factories, warehouses and workshops.

If the area were subject to external weather conditions, such as rainwater or negative temperatures, it would be advisable to apply a purpose-designed exterior grade smoothing compound, such as F Ball’s Stopgap 850. If required, it can be finished with a suitable non-slip coating.

Surface protection
In areas where water or other fluids may come into direct contact with the cured smoothing compound, F Ball recommends that the surface is treated with a sealer, such as Stopgap Seal water-dispersed modified polyurethane sealer. It also offers a level of chemical resistance to many commonly found chemicals in industrial/commercial applications.

The final step was therefore for contractors to apply two coats of Stopgap Seal to the surface, creating a hygienic and protective surface to ease maintenance by reducing the adhesion of dirt and other debris.

F Ball’s technical service department is on hand to answer questions about technical aspects of projects involving the company’s products and regional technical representatives are available
to attend site visits from Monday to Friday.
www.f-ball.co.uk
Chris McQuade is technical service officer at F Ball and Co