FLOORING & TILING ADHESIVES PRICE CHECK
With ongoing cost pressures affecting both businesses and customers, it is particularly important to ensure you are getting value for money when purchasing adhesives. This includes considering coverage rates and being aware of differences in how quantities are detailed on packaging, says F. Ball.
The standard metric for adhesives in the UK has traditionally been volume (litres). However, a growing trend sees manufacturers listing quantities by weight (kilos). While there is nothing wrong with this in itself, there is the chance that it could be inadvertently misleading for contractors who might equate volume with weight. In fact, a given number of litres of an adhesive will always give a significantly greater volume than the same number of kilos of the product because of its relative density.
COVERAGE RATES
This is important because adhesives are applied by volume, not weight. Ensuring that the correct amount of adhesive is applied is critical for achieving adequate bond strength, and 15kg of product will cover less surface area than 15 litres of product. If too little adhesive is used, it may not deliver the required bond strength throughout the life of the installation, potentially leading to floor failure. Apply too much and it can extend the drying time of the adhesive or mean that it fails to dry properly, also reducing bond strength. Furthermore, excess adhesive may seep through carpet floorcoverings and cause bleeding at joints and indentations to appear in sheet or tile floorcoverings.
If two containers of adhesive (one litres and the other kilos) are being sold at virtually the same price, as is often the case, it
means that you are getting significantly less product for your money from the product that is sold in kilos. Perhaps even worse, it could give contractors the impression that they are getting the correct amount of adhesive they require for an installation while leaving them short.
CASE IN POINT
For example, F. Ball’s Styccobond F58 PLUS fast-drying, fibre- reinforced, pressure sensitive adhesive for LVTs is available in 15L and 5L units, but 15 litres of the product weighs 17.25kg, over 20% more than 15kg. The difference will depend on the density of the particular adhesive.
The problem may be exacerbated by similarly sized packaging. Visually, buckets may not appear to be too different in size, but there can be a stark difference in what’s inside, and contractors may lose out financially. F. Ball has recently refreshed the visual designs of its iconic yellow buckets used for the company’s Styccobond adhesives to aid selection as well as help flooring contractors assess value when comparing products. Product information on the front of the buckets includes key features and volume, along with coverage rates, to help flooring contractors work out how much of an adhesive they need for a particular project and compare value with alternative products.
COVERAGE CALCULATOR
Purchasing the correct amount of adhesive is also critical for avoiding unnecessary expense. For this purpose, F. Ball’s RAG app, which details the compatibility of all of the company’s adhesives with over 6,000 floorcoverings produced by over 200 manufacturers, features a handy product coverage calculator for working out exactly how much adhesive that you will need for a particular project. The app is free to download from the Apple App store or Google Play, and the same coverage calculator can be used to work out how much of an F. Ball smoothing compound or waterproof surface membrane will be required for an installation based on subfloor area.
https://f-ball.com/en
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www.tomorrowscontractfloors.co.uk
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