Given the premium associated with LVT and customers’ high expectations, ensuring a flawless finish to every installation is vital.
‘A long-lasting, visually attractive finish when installing LVT involves following the basic principles of subfloor preparation, as well as taking precautions to avoid common causes of floor failure. This can be broken down into a few simple steps. Careful product selection at each stage of the process will also help optimise the installation,’ says Neil Sanders, F Ball and Co technical director.
‘Applying a smoothing compound over the subfloor to create a perfectly smooth base and ensuring that the visual appearance of an installation is not compromised by imperfections showing through is recommended. Before you apply smoothing compound, the first step in any flooring installation should be to check that the subfloor is suitably sound, smooth and dry. Any laitance and contaminants should be mechanically removed.’
At this stage, a moisture test should be carried out to make sure the subfloor is dry enough to receive flooring. Where Relative Humidity levels are higher than 75%, a moisture management solution is required to prevent moisture attacking adhesives and causing the flooring to blister and lift. The usual solution for suppressing excess subfloor moisture is the application of a liquid waterproof surface membrane.
‘The subfloor also needs to be primed. Primers promote adhesion between the subfloor and the smoothing compound applied over it. Applied over absorbent subfloors, they also stop the rapid drying of smoothing compounds, which can result in insufficient strength build-up and a reduction in the open time or wet edge of the compound,’ says Sanders.
‘Another benefit of priming is reducing pinholing: small holes in the smoothing compound that have the appearance of pinholes or blisters, caused by the slow escape of air from absorbent surfaces as the smoothing compound cures.
‘To adhere the LVT to the smoothing compound, pressure-sensitive adhesives such as Styccobond F46 are usually the best choice. They form an instant grab upon contact, so fitters don’t need to worry about tiles or planks sliding about, making them ideal for installations with intricate designs or patterns.’
Styccobond F46 is part of F Ball’s system LVT range of waterproof surface membranes, primers, smoothing compounds and adhesives, which 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 moisture tolerance and the ability to hold vinyl floorcoverings firmly in place in areas exposed to extreme temperature fluctuations (from minus 20degC to plus 60degC).
It is recommended that fitters always check the compatibility of particular flooring and adhesives by consulting the flooring manufacturer’s guidelines. Alternatively, F Ball’s Recommended Adhesives Guide lists adhesives recommended for use with more than 6,000 flooring products from over 200 manufacturers. The guide is available as a free app, printed booklet or online.
