INTERIORS 81 THE LEVELLING-UP AGENDA
Neil Sanders of F. Ball and Co talks through the steps to ensuring a fl awless fi nish when installing fl oorcoverings using Luxury Vinyl Tiles.
T
he increasing quality and variety of Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVTs) and their suitability for a wide range of settings has seen their appeal continue to grow.
Given high expectations for such installations, ensuring a long-lasting, visually attractive ooring fi nish is essential when installing them. In line with BS 8203:2017 ‘Installation of resil- ient oor coverings,’ this should involve following basic principles of sub oor preparation, as well as taking precautions to avoid common causes of oor failure, and selecting the optimum installation products at each stage of the process. he fi rst step in any ooring installation should be to check that the sub oor is suitably sound, smooth and dry. To avoid costly oor failure, any ‘laitance’ particles on the surface) and contaminants should be mechanically removed before proceed- ing with a ooring installation.
GUARDING AGAINST DAMP At this stage, a moisture test should be conducted to determine if the sub oor is dry enough to receive oorcoverings. x- cess sub oor moisture, whether residual construction moisture or rising damp, is the leading cause of oor failure, resulting in costly recalls and delays.
he only method of measuring sub oor relative humidity levels with certainty, and the method advocated by British Standards is to use a calibrated hygrom- eter. Where sub oor elative umidity levels are higher than , a moisture management solution will be required to prevent moisture attacking ooring adhesives and causing resilient oor coverings to blister and lift. Liquid waterproof surface membranes are available that will isolate excess
sub oor moisture where relative humidity values are up to , with a single coat application, and fully cure in as little as three hours.
PRIMING
In most cases, the next step in the sub oor preparation process should be to prime the sub oor. When used over non- absorbent surfaces, such as waterproof surface membranes, primers promote adhesion between the sub oor and the levelling compound applied over it. Applied over absorbent sub oors, they also stop the unacceptably rapid drying of levelling compounds.
riming also prevents ‘pinholing.’ hese 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-ab- sorbent surfaces, and others for calcium sulphate screeds.
CREATING A BASE
A levelling compound should then be applied over the sub oor to create a perfectly smooth and level surface onto which LVTs can be installed. This ensures that the visual appearance of the oorcovering is awless and not
compromised by imperfections in the sub oor showing through.
In heavy-duty areas, where installa- tions will be subject to heavy loads or high foot traffi c, the use of a heavy-duty levelling compound is recommended. The high compressive strength and excellent self-levelling properties of these levelling compounds will create the perfect base for the installation of LVTs. When working over sub oors of plywood or steel, the application of a exible levelling compound is advised to accommodate movements in the sub oor and prevent cracking in the levelling compound affecting the fi nished appearance of an installation. Where an LVT installation is part of a refurbishment and old adhesive residues are present after the removal of old oor- coverings, specialist 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. Normally, adhesive residues need to be fully removed before applying a levelling compound.
ADHESIVE SELECTION
Pressure sensitive adhesives 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
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