F. BALL SUPPORTS KEY WORKERS AT


LEICESTER HOSPITAL Products donated by F. Ball and Co. Ltd. have been used to help support the wellbeing of NHS staff at a hospital in Leicester during the coronavirus pandemic.


The company’s Stopgap 1200 Pro levelling compound was used to create a base for new floorcoverings as part of The Secret Garden, a charitable restoration project at Glenfield Hospital, part of University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. The Secret Garden project aims to transform a disused Victorian walled garden and outbuildings to create a calming space, incorporating an indoor area which will eventually become a café for hospital staff, patients, and visitors to the Leicester Glenfield Hospital.


Contractors from Leicester-based W. Blackburn & Son supported the project by undertaking the refurbishment of the outbuilding’s 69m2


floor to provide the


staff who are caring for patients during the Covid-19 pandemic with some indoor sheltered space to break away from the hospital environment.


Work commenced with the removal of a heavily-stained carpet and a small area of vinyl sheet. To ensure the subfloor was the same level throughout the


RECOFLOOR HITS 5,000-TONNE


MILESTONE Recofloor has collected in total 5,000 tonnes of waste vinyl flooring since the national award-winning take back scheme was founded by leading flooring manufacturers Polyflor and Altro in 2009.


Diligent collections by participating flooring companies, contractors and distributors across the UK and Ireland saw the landmark figure reached in March 2020. The scheme collects readily recyclable smooth vinyl (including luxury vinyl tiles and loose lay) and safety vinyl offcuts and roll ends, as well as uplifted smooth vinyl.


Praising their members’ commitment and sustained efforts, Recofloor Scheme Manager, Carla Eslava said: “We always go beyond our yearly target, so the


08 | NEWS


building, it was necessary to flatten a high point, which had been created by the removal of an internal wall, by mechanical means.


After ensuring that the subfloor was sufficiently sound, dry and free of contamination, contractors proceeded to apply F. Ball’s Stopgap 1200 Pro, fast setting, fast drying, two-component levelling compound to the floor at a thickness of 3mm. The product can be applied directly over old adhesive residues, without the need to prime beforehand, allowing valuable time to be saved.


Stopgap 1200 Pro is also protein and latex free, making it suitable for use in clinical and biologically sensitive areas. The levelling compound can also be


5000-tonne milestone is something that we were looking forward to very much. We are thrilled that we reached it in our 10th anniversary year.”


Recofloor is a unique scheme established by Polyflor and Altro to take environmental responsibility for the materials they place on the market. Returning clean waste vinyl flooring through the scheme is the best and most sustainable way of ensuring that the material can be recycled back into flooring and into new items, such as traffic management products.


As well as more than 60 drop-off sites accepting waste vinyl flooring, Recofloor can also collect from large commercial projects and construction sites. The scheme helps participants to save up to 70% on disposal costs, while helping flooring companies to improve their green credentials by providing an alternative to sending waste to landfill.


used in other hospital areas, including laboratories and clean rooms.


Finally, Polyflor Polysafe QuickLay PUR loose-lay vinyl sheet was installed, with joints welded and a silicone sealant used to affix the floorcovering to skirting boards.


Commenting on the project, Gavin Hempenstall, Contracts Manager at W. Blackburn & Son, said: “We use F. Ball’s Stopgap 1200 Pro for the majority of our jobs, and it was particularly useful for this one. The hospital wanted the indoor space to be ready for VE Day celebrations, and the product’s ability to be used straight over old adhesive residues, without the need to prime, allowed for work to be completed in time.”


www.f-ball.com


Carla commented: “Flooring is at the vanguard of sustainability in the construction industry and that is all down to our members. In environmental terms, we’re proud of how Recofloor and the flooring sector is leading the way within construction on sustainability issues. We look forward to celebrating the next 5,000th tonne milestone!”


www.recofloor.org


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48