RIGHT BENEATH THE SURFACE
Here,
F.Ball and Co. Ltd. informs on the importance of preparing the subfloor before selecting and applying a smoothing underlayment.
In order to ensure a long-lasting, smooth base for the installation of floorcoverings, a smoothing underlayment should be applied over the subfloor. F. Ball and Co. Ltd., leading manufacturer of subfloor preparation products, advises that before applying a smoothing underlayment, some detailed inspection and preparation of the subfloor is required and contractors should take time to select the most appropriate one.
Before any floorcovering can be laid, a subfloor must be free from adhesive residue, and permanently dry and smooth. On large projects, mechanical removal is the usual technique for old adhesive residues.
Contractors must also take care to ensure that the substrate is dry enough to proceed with a flooring installation. A calibrated digital hygrometer will give accurate readings of subfloor moisture levels as a measure of relative humidity (RH), and will indicate whether a moisture management system is necessary. Should a moisture measurement test confirm that the relative humidity of the subfloor is 75% or above (65% for wood flooring installations), a waterproof surface membrane must be installed.
F. Ball recommends the use of a two-part epoxy waterproof surface membrane
twitter.com/TContractFloors
uniform, smooth surface on which to install the final floorcovering. Contactors should take time to ensure that they select the correct smoothing underlayment for the type of subfloor and situation for which it is required; light or heavy duty usage, the timeframe of the project or the type of subfloor, will affect the type of smoothing underlayment specified.
system, such as Stopgap F77, which can be used to isolate moisture where RH values are up to 98% or one part waterproof membrane such as Stopgap F78 which can be used to isolate residual construction moisture where relative humidity values are up to 95%. F. Ball waterproof surface membranes impede the passage of residual construction moisture and rising damp from affecting subsequent floorcovering installations, therefore allowing early installation of floorcoverings in fast track building programmes.
Prior to the installation of a smoothing underlayment, a primer should be applied to the subfloor. A primer prevents unacceptably rapid drying of floor levelling compounds over absorbent subfloors and promotes adhesion to non-absorbent surfaces.
Having ensured that the subfloor is sound and dry, the installation of a smoothing underlayment will create a
If contractors are looking for a
time saving solution, F. Ball’s Stopgap 1200 Pro smoothing underlayment can be applied directly over adhesive residues, without the need for priming or mechanical removal. With a setting time of only 60 minutes, Stopgap 1200 can be ready to receive a new floorcovering after only four hours, guaranteeing that a high quality floor finish can now be completed to tight deadlines, even in areas of residue-contaminated subfloors.
Neil Sanders, Technical Director at F. Ball and Co. Ltd., explains: “A smoothing underlayment should be applied over the subfloor to provide a smooth base for floorcoverings. However, to ensure the successful installation of a smoothing underlayment and to ensure a durable and aesthetically pleasing finish, a subfloor must be appropriately prepared prior to the installation of a smoothing underlayment.”
www.f-ball.co.uk SUBFLOOR PREPARATION | 47
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64