Carpet and flooring specialist, ‘Flooring by Henton’ opted for Stopgap 1200 Pro levelling compound and Styccobond F48 PLUS high temperature grade vinyl adhesive to achieve a high quality LVT floor finish in the company’s own showroom; offering visitors instant visual endorsement of the company’s workmanship and attention to detail.
Subfloor preparation
The first point of action for contractors was to remove old carpet, LVT and wood floorcoverings from the 90m2 floor of the showroom. A moisture test was then conducted using a digital hygrometer, which indicated the relative humidity (RH) level of the subfloor was 55%. As the RH levels were well below the 75% maximum threshold, the application of a waterproof surface membrane was not required.
Contractors next applied Stopgap 1200 Pro levelling compound over the entire subfloor to create a perfectly smooth base for the receipt of floorcoverings. As well as being fast-drying and fast-setting, the two-component levelling compound can be used directly over old adhesive residues, without the need to prime beforehand, saving time and meaning minimal disruption to customers during the showroom’s opening hours.
Temperature tolerance
The main area of the showroom has a large glass front, which facilitates solar gain, causing high temperatures. Therefore, Styccobond F48 PLUS high temperature grade vinyl adhesive was selected to install wood-effect vinyl planks. Floorcoverings exposed to high temperatures can expand and contract significantly, which can lead to tenting and gapping of vinyl planks and tiles over time. When cured, Styccobond F48 PLUS develops the high bond strength required to hold floorcoverings firmly in place when exposed to extreme temperatures.
The adhesive also provides high initial grab to help prevent lateral movement of floorcoverings when placed into the adhesive, an advantage when working with vinyl tiles or planks. It is also fast-drying; ready to receive floorcoverings from five minutes, meaning the majority of the refurbishment could be completed over a bank holiday weekend and the shop could remain open to customers.
Talking point
Commenting on the project ‘Flooring by Henton’ Director James Scott said: “Using Stopgap 1200 Pro and Styccobond F48 PLUS allowed us to finish the job quickly and remain open while the work was taking place. This created a good talking point for customers coming in and out of the shop, who were intrigued to see floor fitters in action. We always use F. Ball products, because they never let us down. We also get good advice from our local Technical Representative, Phil Nightingale, who provided support throughout the showroom refurbishment.”