FLOORS, WALLS & CEILINGS
FAST-TRACK FLOORING INSTALLATIONS FOR EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES Flooring installations in schools, colleges and universities often face severe time constraints, as well as needing to be able to withstand significant levels of wear, including high foot traffic. Neil Sanders, Technical Director at one of the UK’s leading subfloor preparation product and adhesive manufacturers, F. Ball and Co., talks through achieving a long-lasting professional flooring finish in these locations while working to tight deadlines, including avoiding common causes of floor failure.
First steps Before undertaking any flooring installation, a thorough assessment of the subfloor should be completed to ensure it is sound, smooth and free of contaminants. If the subfloor is a newlyinstalled screed, laitance (the crust of cement and fine aggregates that form on the surface of the screed as it dries) may still be present, and floors that are being refurbished may be contaminated with old adhesive residues. To avoid costly floor failure, both laitance and contaminants should be mechanically removed before proceeding with a flooring installation. Dust or debris should also be swept away, and damaged subfloors should be repaired with an appropriate floor repair compound.
Safeguarding against moisture
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nsuring a long-lasting, professional flooring finish in any environment requires following the basic principles of subfloor preparation, as well as using products that will enable flooring to withstand anticipated levels of wear and environmental factors. Incorrect or insufficient preparation can create the potential for floor failure, leading to
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costly recalls and remedial work. Projects in educational settings also frequently have to be completed over a weekend or during a holiday. Fortunately, the latest fast-track subfloor preparation products and adhesives for floorcoverings mean that flooring installations that have once taken a week can be done in a day, without compromising on quality.
The next stage in any flooring installation should be to conduct a moisture measurement test to ascertain subfloor moisture levels. Unmanaged subfloor moisture, whether residual construction moisture or rising damp, is one of the leading causes of floor failure, causing adhesives to de-bond, carpet underlays to rot, wooden floors to warp and resilient floorcoverings to blister. Moisture can also lead to the growth of mould and bacteria, which may present a health risk. To comply with British Standards, subfloor relative humidity (RH) levels within the subfloor should be measured using a pre-calibrated hygrometer. If RH levels exceed 75%, or 65% when installing timber floorcoverings, a moisture management solution will be required to stop excess subfloor moisture potentially causing floor failure.
