LVT & VINYL or Success
of settings has seen them continue to grow in popularity. Neil Sanders, Technical Director nd Co. Ltd., explains the steps involved to achieve a flawless finish in such installations.
recommended to create the perfect base for the installation of LVTs.
When working over flexible subfloors, including plywood or steel, the application of a flexible levelling compound is advised to accommodate movements in the subfloor and prevent cracking in the levelling compound affecting the finished appearance of an installation.
Where an LVT installation is part of a refurbishment and old adhesive residues are present after the removal of old floorcoverings, levelling compounds are available that can be applied straight over old adhesive residues, without the need to prime beforehand, removing the need for mechanical preparation.
Adhesive Selection
Pressure-sensitive adhesives, such as F. Ball’s Styccobond F46, are often the best choice for installing vinyl tiles or planks. They form an instant grab upon contact, so contractors don’t need to worry about tiles or planks moving about when they are working, making them ideal for where intricate designs or patterns are being created. The adhesive is also 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 once it has dried, using a roller pre-coated with adhesive, to flatten the ridges formed by trowel application.
Priming also prevents ‘pinholing’. These are small holes in the levelling compound that have the appearance of pinholes or blisters caused by the slow escape of air from absorbent surfaces as the levelling compound cures.
General-purpose primers are available that can be used over both absorbent and non-absorbent surfaces. There are also specialist primers for use over non-absorbent surfaces and ones for calcium sulphate screeds.
Creating a Base
A levelling compound should then be applied over the subfloor to create a perfectly smooth and level surface, onto which LVTs can be installed. This ensures that the visual appearance of the floorcovering is flawless and not compromised by imperfections in the subfloor showing through.
The application of a heavy-duty levelling compound with high compressive strength and excellent self-levelling properties is
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Styccobond F46 is part of F. Ball’s ‘System LVT’ range, which comprises waterproof surface membranes, primers, levelling compounds and adhesives that, when used correctly and in combination, F. Ball guarantees will result in an aesthetically- pleasing floor finish that lasts the lifetime of the installation.
The range also features pressure sensitive adhesives with a variety of other specialist attributes, including the ability to hold vinyl floorcoverings firmly in place in areas exposed to extreme temperature fluctuations (from -20°C to +60°C).
Compatibility Check
One final piece of advice: 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 | 17
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