High-performance subfloor preparation products from F. Ball and Co. Ltd. have been used in the refurbishment of the flooring in the ‘Jupiter’ ward at Chelsea & Westminster hospital in Chelsea, London. Contractors from Biswell Flooring, sub-contracted by Ensigna Construction, used Stopgap P131 general-purpose primer, Stopgap 1200 Pro smoothing underlayment and Styccobond F46 pressure sensitive adhesive to install a new floor in the 1000m2 ward, which included the main ward and adjoining wet rooms.
The ‘Jupiter’ ward, home to the hospital’s adolescent unit, was undergoing a complete refurbishment. After removing the existing linoleum floorcoverings, contractors from Biswell Flooring then removed any loose material from the sand/cement subfloor until only well bonded adhesive residue remained.
The subfloor was primed with Stopgap P131 general-purpose primer, prior to the application of Stopgap 1200 Pro smoothing underlayment. Stopgap P131 is used to promote the adhesion of the underlayment to absorbent and non-absorbent surfaces, and helps to prevent the rapid drying of adhesives and smoothing underlayments.
Stopgap 1200 Pro is a fast-setting, minimal preparation two component smoothing underlayment, designed for use over a wide range of subfloor types. It is suitable for use over old adhesive residue, including bitumen and carpet tile tackifiers, without the need for priming, and can also be used in clinical and biologically sensitive areas such as hospitals, making it the obvious choice for this installation.
In as little as four hours, Stopgap 1200 Pro is ready to receive floorcoverings, so contractors were able to return a short time later to install a selection of Polyflor floorcoverings in the ward. Using Styccobond F46, a solvent-free pressure sensitive acrylic adhesive, contractors installed Polyflor Mystique flooring in the main area of the ward, and Polyflor Polysafe Standard PUR flooring in the wet rooms.
Paul Holloway, Senior Contracts Manager at Biswell Flooring, said: “The technical support from my F. Ball representative really came in handy in this job, as I was able to get a second opinion on the products most suitable for this particular job and environment. We have been using F. Ball products for many years, so we were confident that, once the products had been selected, they would perform well on the project and within the timescale provided.
