Page 107 - CFJ_Feb26

SECTOR FOCUS FLOORING IN EDUCATION

Fast-track flooring installations in educational facilities
LOORING contractors installing Preparing smooth subfloors appropriate floorcoverings. The choice
Ffloorcoverings in schools, colleges Once it’s determined the subfloor is of adhesive will often be determined
and universities often face severe time dry enough to proceed or a moisture foremost by what type of floorcoverings
constraints, frequently having to complete management solution is in place, a are being installed and where, but there
a project over a weekend or during a smoothing compound should be applied to are options for when timesaving is a
short school holiday. Fortunately, fast- create a perfectly smooth surface for the priority.’
track subfloor preparation and flooring receipt of new floorcoverings and prevent Vinyl, which is easy to clean and
installation products are now available imperfections affecting the finished maintain, is popular in educational
that enable areas to be brought into use in installation. facilities, and is best adhered by an
as little as a day. In some areas of schools, colleges and adhesive with good initial tack and high
Just as with any other flooring universities, such as corridors, floors final bond strength. Nowadays, acrylic
installation, a thorough assessment of the will be expected to receive high levels of and vinyl adhesives are available that
subfloor should be completed before any daily foot traffic, so using a high-strength build up a strong enough bond to allow for
work begins when installing floorcoverings smoothing compound will help ensure foot-traffic in less than an hour after the
in an educational setting. long-term durability of the installation. application of floorcoverings.
Its end use and other environmental Fast-track smoothing compounds that Carpet tiles are another popular choice
factors should also be considered – floors are 'walk-on' hard in 30 minutes and for areas such as libraries or common
will be expected to endure high volumes ready to receive new floorcoverings from rooms, not least for their ability to be
of daily foot traffic while remaining secure 45 minutes are also available, allowing removed and replaced if individual tiles
and hygienic for years to come. This installations to proceed faster than ever. become worn or damaged.
necessitates following best practice in High performance smoothing For this reason, carpet tile tackifiers
subfloor preparation and using suitable compounds that can be applied directly are available that, once applied, only take
products. over bitumen and adhesive residues also 30 minutes to form a permanently tacky
Safeguarding against moisture offer significant timesaving benefits for film that prevents the tiles from moving
contractors undertaking refurbishment
Excess subfloor moisture, whether projects to a deadline. laterally under everyday traffic, while
residual construction moisture or rising One such product, F Ball’s Stopgap allowing individual sections to be lifted
damp, can attack floorcoverings and 1200, reportedly takes as little as 60 and replaced with ease.
adhesives – it’s a leading cause of floor minutes to set and is ready to receive It’s always advisable to check the
failure. This can lead to the movement of floorcoverings from as little as four hours. compatibility of particular floorcoverings and
floorcoverings and the growth of mould ‘In most applications, including when it’s adhesives. To do this, contractors should
and bacteria, which can potentially cause applied over old adhesive residues, it’s consult the adhesive manufacturer’s
Recommended Adhesives Guide or see the
a health risk to people in the immediate not essential to prime beforehand, saving
environment, as well as being a potential further time,’ says the company. floorcovering manufacturer’s guidelines. 
trip hazard. www.f-ball.co.uk
To avoid these problems, a moisture Choosing the right adhesive
measurement test should always be ‘The contractor can then select a Visit the BRAND LEADERS section on our
website to read more from F Ball and Co
conducted using a calibrated digital suitably fast-working adhesive to install
hygrometer before any flooring
installation, in old and new buildings.
If Relative Humidity (RH) levels exceed
75%, or 65% when installing wooden
floorcoverings, a moisture management
solution will be required to stop
excess subfloor moisture damaging
floorcoverings and adhesives and
potentially causing floor failure.
Water-based moisture management
systems, which are ideal for biologically
sensitive school settings, are now
available that create an effective barrier
against residual construction moisture and
rising damp where RH levels up to 95%,
with a drying time of under two hours.
Further advancements in flooring
technology mean that single-coat epoxy
waterproof surface membranes that
provide protection against RH levels as
high as 98% are also available in fast-
drying formulations that save valuable
time. Stopgap F77

www.contractflooringjournal.co.uk 107
@CFJMagazine CFJ February 2026