Apart from being desirable for its natural appearance, wood flooring can outlast textile and man-made alternatives, potentially withstanding generations of wear and even improving with age providing it is installed properly.
‘Achieving a long-lasting, visually attractive finish with timber floorcoverings demands that the same basic principles of installation are followed as when installing other floorcoverings. However, wood is more susceptible than textile or resilient floorcoverings to damage from moisture. It can also expand and contract significantly as a result of changes in atmospheric conditions, including temperature and humidity, exerting strain on adhesives and the surface to which it is bonded. This demands a few unique considerations,’ says Neil Sanders, F Ball and Co technical director.
A subfloor must be suitably sound, smooth and free of any contaminants, including any old adhesive residues. It is essential that it is checked for moisture to determine if it is dry enough to receive a floorcovering. A moisture test should be a routine procedure as part of any flooring installation. To comply with British Standards, subfloor Relative Humidity (RH) levels should be measured using a calibrated digital hygrometer.
‘If unmanaged, excess subfloor moisture will cause wood to warp and attack adhesives, potentially resulting in the floorcovering cupping or buckling and, ultimately, complete floor failure.
‘Normally, a liquid waterproof surface membrane will be required to suppress excess subfloor moisture when subfloor RH levels are above 75%. However, the maximum permitted figure is 65% where wood floorcoverings will be installed because of the sensitivity of this type of floorcovering to moisture.’
After checking subfloor moisture and deploying a moisture management solution where necessary, fitters can apply a smoothing compound to ensure a perfectly smooth base, remembering to prime the subfloor first. F Ball usually recommends a heavy-duty smoothing compound, such as its Stopgap 300 HD, prior to installing wood floorcoverings because they are better able to withstand the added strain exerted by the natural movement of the wood.
Finally, select a specialist wood adhesive to install wood blocks or planks. Utilising the latest technology, flexible wood floor adhesives provide an elastic but strong bond, which will accommodate natural movement of wood flooring over its lifetime, ensuring a long-lasting, attractive floor finish.
‘One such flexible wood floor adhesive, Styccobond B95, provides good initial tack whilst also allowing for repositioning of floorcoverings during the initial stage of drying, a particular advantage when installing wood blocks,’ says Sanders.
To ensure correct choice of adhesive, F Ball recommends checking compatibility using its Recommended Adhesives Guide (RAG), which lists adhesives recommended for use with more than 6,000 floorcoverings, produced by over 200 manufacturers. RAG is available on the F Ball website; as a free app and printed booklet. F Ball guarantees that its products will perform for the lifetime of a flooring installation, as long as subfloor preparation and installation recommendations are followed.
