VINYL & LVT ess Finish
in both the commercial and residential sector and, understandably, customers have steps to be aware of to ensure a perfect end product and a happy shopper.
Pressure Sensitive Adhesives
Pressure sensitive adhesives are ideal for the installation of LVTs because they form an instant grab upon contact, so, once positioned, tiles or planks won’t move about as contractors work. They also offer an extended open time, reducing the risk of placing tiles or planks too late, making them ideal for where more complex designs or patterns are being created.
One such adhesive, F. Ball’s Styccobond F46, is solvent-free, dries to a permanent tack and, as well as providing strong initial tack, develops a high bond strength, which increases as it is trafficked to hold floorcoverings firmly in place throughout the lifetime of the installation.
Additional Features
Thanks to innovations in adhesives technology, pressure sensitive adhesives are available with a range of additional features. For example, advancements in hybrid polymer adhesives enabled F. Ball to create Styccobond F49 Hybrid PS, a high-performance vinyl adhesive that combines both pressure sensitive and temperature tolerant characteristics. Previously, contractors requiring a temperature tolerant adhesive would have had to forgo the benefits of a pressure sensitive adhesive. Styccobond F49 develops the ultra-high bond strength to hold vinyl floorcoverings firmly in place in areas exposed to extreme temperature fluctuations (from -20°C to +60°C). The adhesive is also resistant to water, making it suitable for installing floorcoverings in areas subject to water and high humidity, including wet rooms and kitchens that require frequent cleaning.
With few exceptions, it is essential to prime a subfloor before applying a levelling compound. When used over non-absorbent surfaces, such as waterproof surface membranes, priming promotes adhesion between the subfloor and the levelling compound applied over it. Applied over absorbent subfloors, such as concrete, sand/cement screeds or plywood, priming also prevents the unacceptably rapid drying of a subsequently applied levelling compound to maintain its working time.
Another reason for priming is to prevent what’s known as ‘pinholing’. This is when small holes in the levelling compound form that have the appearance of pinholes or blisters, caused by the slow escape of air from absorbent surfaces as the levelling compound cures.
To create the perfect base ready for the installation of LVTs, contractors should choose a levelling compound that is high strength and offers excellent self-levelling properties, to provide a perfectly smooth and durable surface.
twitter.com/TRetailFloors
Both Styccobond F49 Hybrid PS and Styccobond F46 are specially formulated to reduce the incidence of trowel serrations shadowing through thin vinyl floorcoverings, a common problem, also known as ‘grin-through’, which will compromise the finished appearance of your bespoke flooring installation. This can be further guarded against by going over the adhesive with a roller, once it has dried to a tacky film, to flatten the ridges formed by trowel application.
Compatibility Check
Finally, it is recommended that contractors always check the compatibility of particular floorcoverings and adhesives. To do this, you can consult the floorcovering manufacturer’s guidelines. Alternatively, F. Ball produces a recommended adhesives guide (RAG), which lists adhesives recommended for use with over 6,000 floorcoverings produced by over 200 manufacturers. The guide is available as a free app or a printed booklet. An interactive version can also be found on the F. Ball website.
www.f-ball.com/en Tomorrow’s Retail Floors | 19
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
