SPOTLIGHT
up training at a well-known floorcoverings manufacturer as well as working in site support and in the technical department too. “I’ve always used F. Ball products throughout my career,” he explains. “So, when this role came up, I went for it.” Tim’s passion for his role and for F. Ball as a company is infectious and he makes everyone feel instantly at ease. All the contractors are engaged and eager to learn.
The morning starts with a potted history of F. Ball’s journey from London-based adhesive manufacturer for the shoe industry to a still family-run global specialist in floor preparation products and adhesives.
Following this, Tim passes on his technical knowledge on identifying different substrates in order to specify the correct preparation products. A key takeaway is the importance of measuring moisture in solid substrates – something that all contractors will now be able to do as a free digital hygrometer – worth £140 – is included within the goodie bag that all attendees receive at the end of the course.
After a quick lunchbreak, where a veritable feast is laid on, we’re taken on a fascinating factory tour by F. Ball technical service manager Stephen Boulton. As well as seeing the products being mixed and bagged, we’re shown where quality control takes place and the development lab where new products are created and floorcoverings tested with different adhesives for inclusion in F. Ball’s annual Recommended Adhesives Guide (RAG).
Stephen also fills us in on F. Ball’s sustainability drive to recycle your used plastic buckets and bottles. “In an average year enough buckets and bottles are used to fill Wembley Stadium,” he tells us. “Now, contractors can deposit empty recyclable f. Ball buckets and bottles at recycling points at distributor partners across the country. As well as this, much of the new recyclable packaging itself is made of recycled materials. At the moment 30% recycled PVC goes into our recyclable packaging and this will go to 80% in the future.” The recycling initiative comes at a considerable cost to the company but it’s something that they see as crucial.
Next, it’s time to get hands-on with the products. We partner up and are given a bay in which we are to lay a smoothing compound, but first we apply two coats of F78 rapid drying waterproof surface membrane. We’re then asked to choose a smoothing underlayment to work with. Quite a few of the guys are eager to trial the new water-mix Stopgap 1500 AquaPro as it has the same advantages as Stopgap 1200 Pro, which is clearly a firm favourite among the group.
After some adhesive demos where we learn about the optimum adhesives to use in different situations including in areas where there’s high solar gain and temperature fluctuations, we call an end to the day. We all receive a certificate of attendance as well one of the famous yellow mixing buckets, a measuring bucket and a backpack containing the digital hygrometer, a sample of Micro Rapid flexible floor finishing compound and a tube of Stycco Flex rapid curing flexible adhesive as well as a copy of the F. Ball RAG among other goodies.
It has been a long day but everyone, no matter their experience, has come away with lots of useful knowledge and handy tips that can only be learnt through practice.
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