WHEN working over retrofitted electrical wired or water-fed underfloor heating (UFH) systems that are increasingly installed over subfloors as part of newbuild or refurbishment projects, it’s advisable to allow between 5-35mm of a smoothing compound above the pipes.
The amount depends on the type of system being installed and the manufacturer’s instructions (less is generally required for electrical wired systems).
This has led F Ball to launch Stopgap 1600, which it describes as a new fast-drying, fibre-reinforced smoothing compound that is formulated especially to encapsulate UFH systems.
Says the company: ‘The product is suitable for use over a wide range of absorbent and non-absorbent subfloors, including sand/cement screed, tile backer boards, concrete, plywood, granolithic, terrazzo, epoxy and polyurethane resins, ceramic and quarry tiles, as well as Stopgap waterproof surface membranes.
‘It can be applied between 3-40mm thick installed over internal subfloors in domestic and commercial environments, and is walk-on hard from three hours after application and ready to receive floorcoverings in as little as 12 hours.’
The company concludes: ‘F Ball’s entire range of smoothing compounds and adhesives are suitable for application over underfloor heating systems that are contained in a screeded subfloor. It’s recommended systems are turned off 48 hours before the installation of floorcoverings, during and 48 hours after.’
www.f-ball.co.uk
