Guarantee optimum results for LVT
Given the premium associated with LVTs and customers’ high expectations for finished results, it is useful to know how to
ensure a flawless finish when installing them. Neil Sanders, technical director at the UK’s leading manufacturer of subfloor preparation products and adhesives for floorcoverings, F. Ball
and Co. Ltd., talks through what is involved.
A long-lasting, visually attractive flooring finish when installing
luxury vinyl tiles or planks involves following the basic principles of subfloor preparation, as well as taking precautions to avoid common causes of floor failure. This can be broken down into a few simple steps. Careful product selection at each stage of the process will also help optimise the installation.
CREATING A BASE
F. Ball recommends that a smoothing underlayment is applied over the subfloor to create a perfectly smooth base for the receipt of floorcoverings and ensure that the visual appearance of an installation is
not compromised by imperfections in the subfloor showing through.
Before you apply a smoothing underlayment, the first step in any flooring
installation should be to check that the subfloor is suitably sound, smooth and dry. Any laitance and contaminants should be mechanically removed.
At this stage, a moisture test should be conducted to determine if the
subfloor is dry enough to receive floorcoverings. Where Relative Humidity (RH) levels are higher than 75%, a moisture management solution will be required to prevent moisture attacking flooring adhesives and causing resilient floorcoverings to blister and lift, potentially ruining the appearance of the installation. The usual solution for suppressing excess subfloor moisture is the application of a liquid waterproof surface membrane.
PRIME IMPORTANCE
You also need to prime the subfloor. Primers promote adhesion between the subfloor and the smoothing underlayment applied over it. Applied
over absorbent subfloors, they also stop the unacceptably rapid drying of smoothing underlayments, which can result in insufficient strength build up and a reduction in the open time or wet edge of the smoothing underlayment.
Another benefit of priming is reducing ‘pinholing’: small holes in the
smoothing underlayment that have the appearance of pinholes or
blisters caused by the slow escape of air from absorbent surfaces as the
smoothing underlayment cures.
ADHESIVE SELECTION
To adhere the LVTs to the smoothing underlayment, pressure sensitive
adhesives, such as F. Ball’s Styccobond F46, are usually the best choice.
They form an instant grab upon contact, so installers don’t need to worry
about tiles or planks sliding about when they are working, making them
ideal for installations with intricate designs or patterns.
Styccobond F46 is part of F. Ball’s ‘System LVT’ range, which comprises
waterproof surface membranes, primers, smoothing underlayments and
adhesives that used correctly and in combination F. Ball guarantees will result in an aesthetically pleasing floor finish that lasts the lifetime of the installation.
The range also features pressure sensitive adhesives with a variety of
other specialist attributes, including moisture tolerance and the ability
to hold vinyl floorcoverings firmly in place in areas exposed to extreme
temperature fluctuations (from -20°C to +60°C).
COMPATIBILITY CHECK
Finally, it is highly recommended that contractors always check the
compatibility of particular floorcoverings and adhesives. To do this, you can consult the floorcovering manufacturer’s guidelines. Alternatively,
F. Ball produces a Recommended Adhesives Guide (RAG), which lists adhesives recommended for use with over 6,000 floorcoverings produced by over 200 manufacturers. The guide is available as a free app or a printed booklet.
An interactive version can also be found on the F. Ball website. Alternatively, contractors can contact F. Ball’s technical service department, from 8.30am–5.00pm, Monday to Friday, for advice on adhesive compatibility.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
F. Ball & Co. Ltd. • 01538 361633 •
www.f-ball.com
