Prior to installation of LVTs (luxury vinyl tiles), the 350m2 dealership floor was previously made up of securely fixed ceramic tiles. Following a full site assessment undertaken by F. Ball, contractors from RF Forbes Flooring Contractors were advised to take up any loose or cracked tiles and use Styccoclean C140 floor cleaner to remove grease and other contaminants before filling in the gaps with Stopgap 400 Rapid Hardening Repair Compound.
Stopgap P141, an acrylic primer for non-absorbent subfloors, was then applied over the original ceramic tiles prior to the installation of a levelling compound. Priming helps to promote the adhesion of the levelling compound to the subfloor and also prevents the unacceptably fast drying of adhesives and levelling compounds, which can lead to floor failure. Stopgap P141 also contains recycled uPVC pulver that dries to a hard, textured surface to enhance bond performance.
Once the primer had dried, Stopgap 1200 Pro levelling compound was applied to the entire area using screed rakes and floats. A low-odour, two-component levelling compound, Stopgap 1200 Pro was selected by the contractors, in particular, for its fast setting and drying qualities.
To install the LVT floor coverings, F. Ball’s Styccobond F49 adhesive was selected for its ability to withstand extreme fluctuations in temperature, the likes of which would be regularly encountered in glass-fronted buildings such as car showrooms. Without such an adhesive, exposure to extreme temperatures causes vinyl floorcoverings to expand and contract, which can lead to tenting and gapping at the interface of adjacent tiles.
Styccobond F49 combines temperature tolerance with pressure sensitive qualities and as such, has good initial tack and high bond strength. This holds vinyl sheet, tiles or planks firmly in place once positioned by the contractor and, when cured, the bond will securely hold vinyl floorcoverings from temperatures as low as -20°C up to 60°C.
Commenting on the project, RF Forbes Flooring Contractors director (and this month’s 60 Second Interviewee), Richard Forbes, said: “I’ve been in the flooring industry for decades and I’ve walked away from every F. Ball job very happy. Our technical representative Matt went above and beyond to help us out in any way he could, and the service provided to me and my co-leader, Rod Farquharson, was absolutely second to none.”