Understanding what is used underneath the flooring is vital for success.
‘Living up to expectations for the appearance and longevity of flooring installations requires an understanding of subfloor preparation in order to create a super-smooth base. Flooring adhesives need to be selected for their compatibility with different flooring, as well as specific performance features. It is also essential to know how to avoid common causes of floor failure, chief of which is still unmanaged subfloor moisture, and flooring retailers should be able to advise how certain processes and products can help achieve optimum results when installing floorcoverings,’ says Tim Green, F Ball head of training.
‘For these reasons, both flooring and design professionals would benefit from receiving an induction in the basics of subfloor preparation and floorcovering installation. Professionals should strive to continuously improve and develop knowledge throughout their careers. This has become particularly necessary as advances in technology have accelerated the development of subfloor preparation products and adhesives with advanced properties and applications.
‘For example, advancements in adhesive technology have enabled F Ball to create a specialist, solvent-free vinyl adhesive with pressure-sensitive characteristics that can hold floorcoverings in place over a wide range of temperatures. Extreme temperature fluctuations can cause floorcoverings to expand and contract significantly, resulting in tenting and gaps at the edges of flooring over time. This is often an issue in heavily glazed areas subject to solar gain, such as rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows. ‘Similarly, combinations of new, fast drying smoothing compounds, waterproof surface membranes and adhesives mean that fitters can now install floorcoverings in as little as a day, helping to meet increasingly demanding time constraints.’
Having a good knowledge of the range of new products available will also help in choosing the optimum product for a particular job and avoid compromising the finished appearance of an installation. For example, particular vinyl adhesives are recommended to avoid visible trowel serrations showing through thin vinyl floorcoverings or to allow the creation of complex designs and patterns, an advantage when installing LVT. There are also smoothing compounds designed to withstand heavy loads and high foot traffic and created to accommodate movements in subfloors of metal and wood.
‘People invested in flooring need to keep abreast of wider changes affecting the flooring industry too. For instance, calcium sulphate screeds are increasingly common in newbuilds and require specific treatment to ensure against floor failure. In such cases, traditional cement-based smoothing compounds may not be suitable and the use of a compatible calcium sulphate-based smoothing compound is often recommended.
‘As a market leader in subfloor preparation products and adhesives, F Ball believes it
has a responsibility to promote industry standards and best practice and, by extension, the positive reputation of the flooring industry. This is why flooring professionals of any skill level can attend free training courses at the F Ball Centre of Excellence, the purpose-built, state-of-the-art training centre,’ says Green.
Training programmes, which run year round, are led by experts from within the
company, cover subfloor preparation, moisture management and adhesive selection,
and provide an opportunity to use a range of F Ball products. They include specialist courses for flooring retailers and a three-day course on achieving optimum results
when installing LVT.
