WHEN installing floorcoverings as part of a refurbishment, removing old floorcoverings will reveal adhesive residues. Traditionally, these would have had to be removed completely by mechanical means before proceeding to apply floor preparation products, such as a levelling compound, followed by the installation of new floorcoverings.

Added to this, when undertaking flooring installations in retail environments, contractors often face pressure to complete work as quickly as possible to minimise the time that a store is closed or areas have to remain out of service to members of the public.

For these situations a timesaving solution is a smoothing underlayment that has been specially formulated for use over old adhesive residues. This means the need for old adhesive residues to be removed is no longer required, saving valuable time and effort when needed most. In most cases, there’s no need to apply a primer beforehand, saving further time and expense. They also have the benefit of allowing contractors to use the same product in situations where newly installed subfloors and areas with old adhesive residues present are next to each other.

The latest advancements in technology have enabled F Ball and Co to create what it describes as a fast-track, water-mix smoothing underlayment that can be applied over old adhesive residues, Stopgap 1500 AquaPro. The company says: ‘The new smoothing underlayment is suitable for preparing a wide range of sound internal subfloors prior to the installation of new floorcoverings and can be applied over bitumen, carpet tile tackifiers and ceramic tile adhesives, eliminating the need for mechanical preparation.

‘Just as with market-leading bag and bottle versions, the product is walk-on hard in as little as 60 minutes after application and ready to receive floorcoverings from just four hours. As a water-mix smoothing underlayment, no bottle is required, meaning less plastic waste is produced by the flooring industry.

‘Stopgap 1500 AquaPro is also moisture resistant, meaning that it can be applied to damp subfloors prior to the application of a waterproof surface membrane. This is ideal where a rough or uneven screed would result in a liquid waterproof surface membrane pooling in undulations on the surface, often requiring a greater quantity of the product to achieve full coverage.’
www.f-ball.co.uk