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Here, F. Ball & Co. Ltd. provides a comprehensive guide to choosing the right adhesives for resilient flooring installations.
To ensure that a long-lasting, aesthetically-pleasing floor finish is achieved and maintained throughout its lifetime, vinyl, rubber and linoleum flooring requires correct preparation of the subfloor, as well as the right specification of adhesive.
As with all flooring installations, subfloors should be clean and thoroughly prepared before a floorcovering is installed. It is essential that a moisture measurement test is undertaken to determine the relative humidity (RH) levels of the subfloor. When RH levels are 75% or above (or 65% when installing wood or wood-based flooring), a waterproof surface membrane should be installed to suppress excess moisture within the subfloor. A levelling compound should then be installed to create a smooth and level surface, ready to receive the new covering.
ADHESIVE SELECTION An adhesive should be selected that is compatible with the floorcovering and the intended use of the floor. Every flooring project presents unique challenges, and ongoing research and development has led to the creation of a range of adhesives to meet the needs of modern flooring products. A floorcovering manufacturer should be able to advise on suitable adhesives for their products, or alternatively, refer to an adhesive manufacturer’s recommended adhesives guide, which will indicate the most suitable adhesive for the covering in question.
Vinyl, rubber and linoleum floorcoverings require adhesives with specific properties to suit the different materials’ characteristics and performance.
VINYL For the majority of vinyl floorcoverings, F. Ball recommends the use of a solvent-free acrylic emulsion adhesive, designed to give a high bond strength, strong initial tack and long open time.
When installing luxury, high design vinyl, the aesthetic impact of an overall project can be undermined when trowel serrations in the adhesive shadow through the finished flooring, which may lead to future remedial work. To avoid this, F. Ball recommends the use of pressure sensitive acrylic adhesives. Designed to dry to a permanently tacky film, pressure sensitive acrylic adhesives can be trowel applied and then rolled with a pre-coated paint roller to obtain a smooth appearance.
New hybrid adhesives, such as Styccobond F49 Hybrid PS, are now available that combine temperature tolerance with pressure sensitive qualities. As such, Styccobond F49 has good initial tack and high bond strength, which holds vinyl sheet, tiles or planks firmly in place once positioned by the contractor and, when cured, the bond will hold vinyl floorcoverings in place from temperatures as low as -20°C up to 60°C.
RUBBER Rubber floorcoverings are widely used and a popular choice
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for schools, sports settings, healthcare settings and even ships, because they are durable, easy to clean and maintain, and offer good grip during wet conditions. The strong initial tack and high bond strength of specialist rubber floorcovering adhesives, such as Styccobond F58 acrylic emulsion adhesive, makes them ideal for securing a wide range of rubber sheet and tile. Such adhesives will have high film strength to provide good dimensional stability and prevent the rubber flooring from moving in use.
LINOLEUM When working with linoleum floorcoverings, F. Ball recommends the use of a high grab adhesive that has been specially designed to adhere linoleum. Specialist non-flammable, acrylic emulsion adhesives for linoleum floorcoverings, such as Styccobond F54, are solvent free and protected against bio-degradation. To be able to adhere hessian-backed linoleum floorcoverings, it is essential that the adhesive is able to ‘wet out’ the backing i.e. transfer enough adhesive to create a good bond and deliver the instant grab that facilitates the installation process by reducing sliding of the linoleum.
The best vinyl, rubber and linoleum adhesives are protected against bio-degradation and are also approved for marine use, so they can be used in flooring installations on ships and cruise liners. They should also be suitable for use over normal underfloor heating.
www.f-ball.com VINYL, RUBBER & LINO | 27
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