Keeping up to date with materials and circumstances is vital and can be free
When it comes to ensuring that flooring meets the standards of other design features, such as furnishings and fittings, following best practice in subfloor preparation and flooring installation can be as important as the floorcovering selection itself. Training in these areas can help achieve a design edge – and may be available to retailers for free.
‘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 compatibility with different floorcoverings, 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 and Co head of training.
‘Flooring and design professionals will benefit from receiving an induction in the basics of subfloor preparation and flooring installation. Flooring professionals should strive to continuously improve and develop their knowledge throughout their careers. This has become particularly necessary as advances in technology have accelerated the development of products.’
Such advances have enabled F Ball to create a specialist, solvent-free vinyl adhesive with pressure-sensitive characteristics that can hold flooring in place over a wide range of temperatures.
Extreme temperature fluctuations can otherwise cause flooring to expand and contract significantly, resulting in tenting and gaps at the edges over time. This is often an issue in heavily glazed areas subject to solar gain, such as rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows. Having a good knowledge of the breadth 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 create complex designs and patterns in LVT. Particular smoothing compounds can withstand heavy loads and high foot traffic, while others are designed to accommodate movements in subfloors of metal and wood.
F Ball believes that 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 its Centre of Excellence. Training programmes are run year-round, led by experts from within the company and covering subfloor preparation, moisture management and adhesive selection. These include specialist courses for flooring retailers and a three-day course on achieving optimum results when installing LVT.
