TAKING EXTRA CARE
F. Ball advises flooring contractors on how to ensure a safe and sound installation when working in a care home setting.
Flooring installations in nursing and care homes require special considerations to help support elderly residents and minimise the risk of any hazards to which they will naturally be more susceptible. With older people more prone to trips, slips and falls, making flooring safe and secure is a priority. Similarly, the need to maintain stringent hygiene standards is equally important.
Typically, care settings employ a mixture of carpets and vinyl floorcoverings to meet different needs of its residents. To ensure that finished installations are able to withstand expected levels of daily wear, maintain their aesthetic appearance and safeguard the health and safety of users, contractors should follow best practice in subfloor preparation and floorcovering installation and choose the most suitable products at each stage of the process.
INITIAL STEPS The first procedure in any flooring installation should be to make sure that the subfloor is suitably sound and smooth and dry, including undertaking a moisture test to determine subfloor relative humidity (RH) levels, using a calibrated digital hygrometer. Where subfloor RH levels are above 75% (65% if a wood floorcovering will be installed), a moisture management solution, such as a waterproof surface membrane, will be required to supress excess subfloor moisture levels and prevent floor failure.
The application of a smoothing underlayment to create a perfectly smooth base for floorcoverings is usually the next step in the process after priming the subfloor. Smoothing underlayments that are protein free, such as F. Ball and Co. Ltd.’s Stopgap 1500 AquaPro, are often specified for areas where infection control is a priority, including hospitals and nursing homes, because they ensure that there is no breeding ground for bacteria.
Stopgap 1500 AquaPro is also low odour, meaning work can take place while nearby areas remain in use. It is fast setting, fast drying and ready to receive most floorcoverings from as little as four hours after application, ideal when working to tight deadlines and minimising the time accommodation or facilities remain out of use. Further time can also be saved in refurbishments where old adhesive residues are present as the smoothing underlayment can be applied directly over them, avoiding the need to remove them or prime beforehand.
SAFETY FIRST When it comes to adhesive selection, contractors should take into account the specifics of a flooring installation.
For example, in areas subject to high levels of humidity or surface water, an adhesive with water resistant properties is essential. An adhesive that isn’t water resistant may break down and soften if it comes into contact with water, potentially causing resilient floorcoverings to bubble or de-bond.
40 | RESIDENTIAL CARE HOMES
Extreme temperatures and temperature fluctuations, in heavily glazed areas, for example, can cause luxury vinyl tiles (LVTs) to expand and contract significantly, which can lead to ‘tenting’ and gapping at the edges of floorcoverings over time. For this reason, specialist high temperature adhesives, such as F. Ball’s Styccobond F49 Hybrid PS, are recommended for LVTs in these areas. The adhesive offers high initial grab, a particular advantage when installing vinyl tiles or planks, and develops the ultra-high bond strength required to hold vinyl floorcoverings firmly in place when exposed to extreme temperature fluctuations (as low as -20°C and up to +60°C). The incredibly strong bond formed by the adhesive is also water-resistant, making it ideal for use in areas subject to repeated wet cleaning.
Plasticiser resistance makes adhesives suitable for installing vertical PVC flooring accessories and has enabled F. Ball to make Styccobond F49 an alternative to contact adhesives for securing PVC skirting, coving and capping, a popular choice in care settings because they allow for easy cleaning of floors and prevent the build-up of dirt at the edges of the room.
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