Market leading products from F. Ball and Co. Ltd. have been used in the refurbishment of the CooperVision contact lens manufacturing warehouse in Southampton. High performance Stopgap F77 waterproof surface membrane was used to cover the 2000m2 factory floor. Contractors from KC Carpets and Flooring then primed the area with Stopgap P131 and applied Stopgap 1200 Pro smoothing underlayment to prepare the subfloor to receive a new vinyl floorcovering.
Brymor Contractors led the refurbishment of the CooperVision warehouse, and contracted KC Carpets and Flooring to lay vinyl flooring over the original concrete subfloor, in order to make better use of the warehouse space. Four days were allotted to complete the flooring installation, meaning that KC Carpets and Flooring had to work to tight deadlines. The existing concrete was so smooth that it only required a light scabble before work could begin. Moisture measurement tests detected the presence of moisture within the subfloor, necessitating the use of a waterproof surface membrane to protect the lifespan of the new flooring installation.
Stopgap F77, F. Ball's ultimate single-coat epoxy resin moisture protection system, which is effective up to relative humidity levels as high as 98%, was applied to the concrete subfloor, creating a barrier against moisture. Pigmented metallic black to aid coverage uniformity, Stopgap F77 has a working time of 30 minutes and cured at the CooperVision site in approximately three hours, allowing the contractors to proceed swiftly.
Stopgap P131 general purpose primer was used over the waterproof surface membrane to prepare the area before application of Stopgap 1200 Pro, the minimum preparation, maximum performance smoothing underlayment. Chosen for its time-saving qualities, Stopgap 1200 Pro has a working time of 20 minutes, a walk-on time of 60 minutes, and was ready to receive new floorcoverings at the CooperVision site after four hours.
Although the warehouse area had previously been used for storage space, the purpose of the refurbishment was to accommodate the potential use of electronic equipment and machinery safely in future. Contractors therefore selected the anti-static Styccobond F57 Conductive Acrylic Adhesive to secure new vinyl floorcoverings. A solvent free, fibre filled adhesive, Styccobond F57 has strong initial tack, high bond strength and has been specially developed for conductive flooring installations and areas where electronic equipment will be used.
Gary Collins, Director of KC Carpets and Flooring, said: "One of the reasons that I use F. Ball products so regularly is the support that the company offers. They give great backup, particularly when it comes to moisture testing, which makes it much easier for us to do the work quickly and efficiently."
