TILE TALES Where vinyl tiles are being installed in areas exposed to high temperatures or extreme
fluctuations in temperature, contractors should be aware of potential causes of floor failure and how to avoid them. F. Ball discusses.
High temperatures or extreme temperature fluctuations can cause floorcoverings, such as luxury vinyl tiles and planks, to expand and contract significantly. Over time, this can lead to unsightly tenting and gapping where adjacent tiles or planks meet. This can be the case in conservatories or rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows, which are subject to ‘solar gain’.
Fortunately, innovations in adhesives technology have enabled the development of temperature tolerant adhesives for installing vinyl floorcoverings. Such products hold the vinyl tiles or planks firmly in place, restricting movements caused by changes in temperature.
More recently, hybrid adhesives have also been developed which combine temperature tolerance with pressure sensitive properties. Historically, contractors requiring a temperature tolerant adhesive would have had to forgo the high initial grab and long open time afforded by pressure sensitive adhesives, an advantage when installing vinyl tiles and planks and even more so when creating intricate patterns and bespoke designs that need precise alignment.
CASE STUDY: LITTLEDOWN CENTRE,
BOURNEMOUTH Contractors of Poole-based Status Flooring Ltd. were commissioned to replace worn carpet flooring with 170m2
of
luxury vinyl tiles in the swimming pool viewing gallery at the Littledown Centre in Bournemouth. As the area is adjacent to the heated indoor pool and surrounded by large areas of glazed windows, the flooring is subject to excess humidity and changes in temperature.
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Firstly, the old carpet floor tiles were removed and a levelling compound was applied to create a smooth subfloor.
To fit the luxury vinyl tiles, Status Flooring used F. Ball and Co. Ltd.’s Styccobond F49 Hybrid PS, a temperature tolerant, water-based vinyl adhesive with the characteristics of a pressure sensitive adhesive. It develops the extremely high bond strength and dimensional stability required to hold vinyl floorcoverings firmly in place in areas exposed to extreme temperature fluctuations (from -20°C to +60°C). The water- resistant bond formed by the adhesive allows it to be used in areas subject to water and high humidity, including wet rooms, which made it the perfect choice for installation at the swimming pool. The product is also suitable for use over normal underfloor heating systems and has been approved for use in marine installations.
Status Flooring also used Stycco Flex, a rapid curing flexible adhesive with excellent gap filling properties to install stair nosings on the steps leading up to and down from the area. The adhesive is supplied in a ready-to-use cartridge, and its fast curing time combined with high initial strength means that it can be used to install stair nosing without the need for mechanical fixing.
Gary Perkins, of Status Flooring, said: “I am so pleased that our F. Ball representative recommended Styccobond F49 Hybrid PS for this refurbishment; it allowed us to install professional, aesthetically pleasing flooring in an area that is subject to extreme temperature change and humidity. We always use F. Ball products as they are tried and tested to be reliable and successful and we are sure that Styccobond F49 will be no exception.”
www.f-ball.com/en MODULAR FLOORING | 35
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