TIP OF THE MONTH STOPPING GRIN-THROUGH
Not only is it crucial to select the most suitable flooring products when undertaking a floorcovering installation, the equipment and application techniques used also play an important role in the quality of the finish. Here, Chris McQuade, one of the technical service officers at F. Ball and Co. Ltd., explains how this applies to stopping trowel serrations showing through thin vinyl floorcoverings.
Trowel serration show through, otherwise known as ‘grin- through’, is a common problem that occurs when installing thin vinyl floorcoverings, including sheets and tiles. The problem results from ridges in the adhesive, caused by application with a v-notched trowel, becoming visible through the floorcovering, a particular concern in areas exposed to lots of natural light.
F. Ball recommends that its adhesives with pressure sensitive characteristics and wet lay adhesives are both applied with a notched trowel, held at a 60-degree angle to the floor. This ensures that the optimum amount of adhesive is deposited on to the subfloor.
The solution depends on what type of adhesive the flooring contractor is using as well as how it is applied. Pressure sensitive adhesives, which are commonly used for the installation of vinyl tiles and planks, should be treated differently from wet lay vinyl adhesives.
When using a wet lay adhesive, vinyl sheets or tiles are laid while the adhesive is still wet, forcing the adhesive to spread under the weight of the floorcovering, meaning shadowing is less frequently a problem. In all instances when using wet lay or pressure sensitive adhesives, the contractor should go over the floorcoverings with a weighted roller afterwards.
Where a pressure sensitive adhesive is applied with a trowel with a larger notch size, such as A2, it will need be rolled while still wet with a paint roller that has been pre-coated with the same
adhesive to flatten the ridges formed by trowel application. It is then allowed to dry to a permanently tacky film. Not only does this reduce the instance of trowel serrations shadowing through thin vinyl floorcoverings, but additionally provides a uniform coverage that gives better contact between the adhesive and floorcovering. However, this is not recommended for some adhesives, so you will need to consider what equipment you will need at the same time as choosing the adhesive.
Instead, using a fine v-notched trowel, such as A1 size, eliminates the need for the adhesive to be rolled before installing floorcoverings as the ridges in the adhesive produced are small enough that they won’t be visible through thin vinyl floorcoverings. It is always advisable to check the data sheet before applying a product to ensure the correct equipment and application methods are used.
Before installing, it is always advisable to check that an adhesive is suitable for use with a particular floorcovering. For these purposes F. Ball produces its industry-leading Recommended Adhesives Guide (RAG), which lists adhesives recommended for use with over 6,000 floorcoverings, produced by over 200 manufacturers. A continually updated version can be found on F. Ball’s website and as a free app. It is also available as an A5 printed booklet. Alternatively, F. Ball’s technical service department are on hand Monday to Friday, 8.30am – 5.00pm, to answer your questions about F. Ball products and how to use them.
https://f-ball.com
x.com/TContractFloors
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