Floors & Floor Coverings Feature
Maintenance & Refurbishment
Avoiding floor failure
Failing to undertake proper subfloor preparation before the application of new floorcoverings can result in an unsightly finish or even complete floor failure, leading to costly remedial work. Fortunately this can be avoided by adhering to a few basic principles of subfloor preparation as Stephen Boulton of F. Ball and Co. explains
expenditure. This includes the need to guard against excess subfloor moisture – the leading cause of subfloor failure. Ensuring a long lasting, visually attractive finish involves following a few other basic steps, including making sure the subfloor is in a suitable condition before work begins, applying a levelling compound to ensure a perfectly smooth base for the receipt of floorcoverings and remembering to prime beforehand.
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SUBFLOOR PREPARATION The first step in any flooring installation is making sure the subfloor is suitably sound and smooth. If the subfloor is a newly-installed screed, contractors will need to ensure that any laitance, the crust of cement and fine aggregates that forms on the surface of the screed as it dries, is ground off. The normal method of removing laitance is using a rotary sanding or abrading machine. If the project is part of a refurbishment, the condition of the subfloor will
need to be assessed once old floorcoverings have been removed. It may be discovered that the subfloor is cracked or damaged, in which case extra preparation will be required. In most cases, cracks as deep as 50 mm can be filled with a floor repair compound. Subfloors may also be contaminated with oil, grease or other chemicals,
necessitating mechanical preparation by grinding or abrading before applying other floor preparation products. Old adhesive residues will need to be removed
lthough it should be standard practice, there is still a lack of awareness regarding the need to undertake certain procedures before installing floorcoverings and how often this results in lost time and unforeseen
by mechanical means unless a levelling compound that is suitable for use over old adhesive residues will be used.
MOISTURE TEST Contractors need to be particularly aware of the problems posed by excess subfloor moisture in the base. Whether the result of rising damp or residual construction moisture, unmanaged subfloor moisture can attack adhesives and floorcoverings, possibly causing complete floor failure. For these reasons, F. Ball and Co. recommends that a moisture test is
conducted to determine subfloor relative humidity (RH) levels as part of any flooring installation. The only method of measuring subfloor RH levels with certainty, and in
compliance with British Standards, is to use a calibrated digital hygrometer. Where a moisture test indicates that subfloor RH levels are above 75 per cent (65 per cent if a wood floorcovering will be installed), a moisture management solution will be required to supress excess subfloor moisture levels and prevent floor failure.
DEALING WITH DAMP The application of a waterproof surface membrane is the usual solution for effectively controlling damp. The best-performing epoxy waterproof surface membranes will isolate excess subfloor moisture where relative humidity values are up to 98 per cent, with a single coat application, which will fully cure in as little as three hours.
www.housingmmonline.co.uk | HMM December/January 2020 | 33
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