High performance products from F. Ball and Co. Ltd. were used to refurbish the flooring in the main entrance of the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital in Aberdeen, Scotland. Stopgap P131 general purpose primer, Stopgap 300 HD smoothing underlayment and Styccobond F44 acrylic adhesive were used to create a bright, welcoming environment in the 200m2 area.
The entrance floor previously featured ceramic tiles, which made it feel very cold and clinical and was considered unwelcoming and intimidating by many of the patients at the hospital. General & Technical Flooring were contracted to replace the flooring to create a more positive and child-friendly environment. Faced with an extremely tight turnaround time, General & Technical Flooring contractors first contacted their F. Ball representative for advice on the products that would help them to achieve an excellent finish in record time.
After the products were selected, contractors from General & Technical Flooring cleaned the ceramic tiles and tested the floor for excess moisture. Digital hygrometer readings reported relative humidity (RH) levels of less than 75%, so a damp proof membrane was not required. Tile joints were then grouted to make sure they were sound and secure and Stopgap P131 primer was applied over the ceramic tiles ahead of the application of the smoothing underlayment.
Stopgap P131 is a general purpose primer that has been designed to promote the adhesion of Stopgap smoothing underlayments and to prevent the unacceptably rapid drying of adhesives and smoothing underlayments. Coloured green to provide visual control of product coverage, Stopgap P131 has a drying time of less than 60 minutes and can be applied over a range of absorbent and non-absorbent subfloors.
When in use, the hospital entrance area is subjected to high levels of foot traffic, so contractors selected Stopgap 300 HD smoothing underlayment to ensure that the new floor could cope with the heavy demands placed upon it. Stopgap 300 HD is a fast drying self-levelling smoothing underlayment suitable for use in light to heavy-duty areas and is protein-free, making it suitable for use in clinical and biologically sensitive areas such as hospitals – the perfect solution for this project.
Styccobond F44 acrylic adhesive was then used to adhere Forbo vinyl floorcoverings to the floor. Styccobond F44 is a solvent free acrylic emulsion adhesive which offers high bond strength, strong initial tack and a long open time. It can be trowel applied and flattened with a paint roller to minimise the effect of adhesive shadowing through thinner floorcoverings, such as vinyl, and can be used with a range of floorcoverings including rubber, vinyl sheet and tile and some textile floorcoverings with PVC and polyurethane foam backings.
John Morrison, Managing Director at General & Technical Flooring, commented: “I always use F. Ball products. I wouldn’t consider anything else, simply because the products themselves are consistent and always provide a great finish. The excellent guidance and technical support from my F. Ball representative is also invaluable, especially in situations like this where we need high quality results in a short period of time.”
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