ON TRACK FOR SUCCESS Here, F. Ball provides expert advice on subfloor preparation when installing safety flooring.


Prior to the installation of safety flooring, proper subfloor preparation is essential to ensure the performance of the flooring throughout its lifetime and avoid floor failure, which can cause major disruption and lost profit for contractors who are called back to start the job again, as well as creating its own safety hazards.


Contractors should begin any flooring installation by checking that the subfloor is suitably sound, smooth and free of contamination. They must then carry out a moisture test to determine subfloor moisture levels. Where subfloor relative humidity levels exceed 75%, a moisture management solution, such as a waterproof surface membrane, will be required before the safety flooring is installed. This will prevent humidity rising up and attacking adhesives, which can cause floorcoverings to form blisters, potentially leading to floor failure.


An appropriate levelling compound can then be applied to create a perfectly smooth base for the receipt of the floorcovering. In most cases it will be necessary to prime the subfloor beforehand. This promotes the optimum performance characteristics and adhesion of subsequently applied levelling compounds and stops their unacceptably rapid drying. It also prevents pinholing, caused by the escape of air from absorbent subfloors, which can affect the appearance of a finished installation and compromise the integrity of the levelling compound.


Once these steps have been followed, contractors can proceed to install the chosen safety floorcoverings using a compatible adhesive. Recommended adhesives will be listed in the adhesive manufacturer’s Recommended Adhesive Guide, as contractors should consult the floorcovering manufacturer.


CASE STUDY


A range of F. Ball and Co. Ltd. products were used to install vinyl safety flooring at the Great Western Railway train depot in Penzance. A combination of Stopgap F77 waterproof surface membrane, Stopgap F78 waterproof surface membrane, Stopgap 1200 Pro levelling compound and Styccobond F46 vinyl adhesive were used to create an aesthetically pleasing floor finish.


34 | SAFETY FLOORING


Contractors from Contract Flooring in Cornwall were subcontracted to install 400m2


of safety flooring in the


newly built depot, which is being used to house sleeper trains that will run from Penzance to London.


A moisture test on the flooring found the levels to be higher than 75% relative humidity, and therefore, the application of a waterproof surface membrane (WSM) was required. In order to combat the excess subfloor moisture, contractors used a combination of Stopgap F77 and Stopgap F78 WSMs, in areas of varying moisture levels.


When dealing with serious cases of subfloor moisture, with RH levels of up to 98%, F. Ball recommends the use of Stopgap F77, a solvent-free, two-part, one-coat, WSM. Stopgap F77 impedes the passage of residual construction moisture and rising damp from affecting subsequent floorcovering installations, allowing early installation of floorcoverings in fast-track building programmes.


When facing time pressures, water-based moisture management systems, such as Stopgap F78, can be used to isolate residual construction moisture where RH values are up to 95% in as little as two hours. Stopgap F78 is a solvent-free, one-component, ready-to-use system, which dries rapidly to provide a WSM.


Because Stopgap 1200 Pro levelling compound can be used over old adhesive residue, including bitumen and carpet tile tackifiers, without the need for priming, contractors were immediately able to apply the levelling compound directly over the area. As well as being fast-drying, the two- component levelling compound is designed for use over a wide range of subfloor types. It can also be used in clinical and biologically sensitive areas such as hospitals.


In as little as four hours, Stopgap 1200 Pro is ready to receive floorcoverings, so contractors were able to return a short time later to install the new flooring in the depot. Using Styccobond F46, a solvent-free pressure sensitive acrylic adhesive, contractors installed Altro Reliance 25 safety flooring.


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