ADHESIVES from F Ball and Co, along with the company’s new ‘fast-setting, high-flow, two-component smoothing compound, Stopgap 1400, have been used to optimise the installation of vinyl floorcoverings at the headquarters of a UK school uniform and sportswear supplier’.

Ashdale Flooring was subcontracted by Proici Commercial Interiors to install floorcoverings in the new employee welfare areas at Schoolblazer, in Mansfield.

After mechanically abrading the new concrete subfloors to create a key for subfloor preparation products, F Ball’s P131 general-purpose primer was applied. As the screeds were installed 18 months prior, tests indicated subfloor moisture levels were low enough to proceed with the installation without the requirement of a moisture management solution.

Says F Ball: ‘Contractors then applied Stopgap 1400 in all areas (more than 200sq m in total) to create a perfectly smooth base for floorcoverings. The product uses the latest cement formulation technology to maximise ease of application. It’s walk-on hard from just 90 minutes after application and ready to receive floorcoverings from 12 hours.

‘F Ball’s Styccobond F48 PLUS was used to install LVTs in the canteen. The temperature tolerant adhesive has a high bond strength to hold floorcoverings in place when subject to high temperatures, which can otherwise cause tenting and gapping at the edges of vinyl floorcoverings as a result of repeated expansion and contraction over time. Fibres in the adhesive also provide high initial grab, a benefit when installing LVTs.

‘Contractors also used F Ball’s Styccobond F44 acrylic adhesive to install Gerflor safety flooring in the WCs. Styccobond F44 is a solvent-free, acrylic emulsion adhesive, which provides high bond strength, strong initial tack and a long open time. It’s suitable for securing a wide range of vinyl sheet and tile and rubber floorcoverings.’

Commenting on the work, Ashdale Flooring director Sam Dale said: ‘We applied the smoothing compound by hand, and the formulation of Stopgap 1400 made light work of this. The flow rate was amazing, and it dried really quickly. It also looked pristine when dry – it seemed a shame to cover it up. We’ll definitely be using it a lot from now on.’
www.f-ball.co.uk