Church of the Good Shepherd, Surrey

Contractors keep faith in F. Ball


A range of high performance floor preparation products from F. Ball and Co. Ltd. have been used to create a stunning new floor at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Pyrford, Surrey. Contractors initially used Stopgap F77 waterproof surface membrane to impede the passage of rising moisture from the ground, before applying Stopgap 600 Base and Stopgap 1200 Pro smoothing underlayments to raise and level the surface. New linoleum tiles were then installed using Styccobond F54 emulsion adhesive.

Contractors from Progressive Flooring were first called to the Church of the Good Shepherd as the existing asphalt flooring, which ran throughout the church’s ground floor, was beginning to crumble through years of wear and tear.

After taking up the existing floorcoverings and removing the asphalt subfloor, the contractors conducted relative humidity tests and found that a waterproof surface membrane was required to protect the new installation from moisture damage. They applied a single coat of F. Ball’s Stopgap F77 high performance waterproof surface membrane, effectively guarding against moisture damage up to relative humidity values of 98%. The substrate was then primed using F. Ball’s Stopgap P131 general purpose primer, ensuring a good bond with the subsequent application of a smoothing underlayment.

In order to raise the floor levels, contractors applied 15mm of Stopgap 600 Base. This specialist deep section compound from F. Ball has been specifically designed for when floor levels need to be raised quickly and economically in light to heavy-duty applications. It can be installed in thicknesses from 5-50mm in a single application, and can be ready to receive floor smoothing compounds from just 90 minutes.

In order to create a perfectly smooth surface for the new floorcoverings, Stopgap 1200 Pro smoothing underlayment was then applied directly onto the newly raised subfloor. Stopgap 1200 Pro is a high performance, rapid setting, protein-free smoothing underlayment designed for use over a wide range of subfloor types. It can be applied in thicknesses from 2-10mm, and is ready to receive new floorcoverings from as little as four hours.

Finally, contractors used F. Balls Styccobond F54 linoleum adhesive to install the new modular linoleum tiles which, when completed, formed an image of the cross on the floor of the church. F54 is a solvent-free emulsion adhesive designed to provide a high initial grab. It is protected against biodegradation, and can be used for securing a wide range of linoleum floorcoverings.

Speaking about the church renovation, Steve Flinn, Director of Progressive Flooring, said: “We have worked closely with the F. Ball guys for many years, and we always get plenty of support from the tech team. We told them that we had a two week window to complete this phase of the renovation, and they helped us to nail it down by specifying the right products with fast drying times.”

He further commented: “All of the products we used performed very well, particularly the Stopgap 600 Base; in terms of workability it’s excellent.”