A range of high performance floor preparation products from F. Ball and Co. Ltd. have been used to create a durable, professional floor finish at St. John’s Hall in Penzance, Cornwall, as part of a major refurbishment project.
Contractors from Aztek Interiors used Stopgap F77 accelerated waterproof surface membrane system to protect the new installation from moisture damage, before priming with Stopgap P131 and using Stopgap 600 Base deep section smoothing underlayment to quickly build up floor levels on the ground floor of the Grade II listed building. F. Ball’s Stopgap 1200 Pro smoothing underlayment was then used to create a perfectly smooth surface for the installation of new carpet floorcoverings.
Aztek Interiors were contacted to complete a flooring installation in St. John’s Hall as part of a major refurbishment project, which will see all four floors of the iconic local landmark being renovated. The building is the oldest granite building in the country, and has acted as a local government office for centuries.
As the existing floors were installed in the mid-19th Century, there was no structural damp proof membrane in place. With the help of F. Ball representatives, contractors conducted relative humidity tests before applying Stopgap F77 waterproof surface membrane to protect the installation against moisture damage.
Stopgap F77 is a solvent free, high performance, two part epoxy resin system which cures to provide a waterproof surface membrane, capable of impeding the passage of rising damp where relative humidity values are up to 98%.
In one area of the ground floor, contractors found the existing sand/cement screed subfloor to be in very poor condition, with varying depths and a rough surface. Contractors prepared the subfloor, removing all loose material, before applying Stopgap F77. Stopgap 600 Base deep section smoothing underlayment was then applied to quickly raise floor levels and to provide a sound base for the application of a finishing smoothing underlayment. Stopgap 600 Base was applied at an average thickness of 45mm in a single application.
Commenting on the use of Stopgap 600, John Hudson, Owner of Aztek Interiors and an F. Ball loyalty card holder, said: “The product itself was superb. We were able to build the floor levels up a lot in one application, it flows nicely, and it sets quickly. It’s perfect for jobs like this.”
Stopgap 600 Base is a fast drying, low odour, deep section smoothing underlayment, designed for use where floor levels need to be raised quickly and economically in light to heavy-duty applications. It is suitable up to thicknesses of 5 – 50mm in a single application, and can be hand or pump applied. It has a working time of 20 minutes, and can be ready to receive smoothing underlayments from just three hours. This compares favourably to the use of sand/cement screeds, which normally take at least one day to dry per millimeter thickness.
Stopgap 1200 Pro was then applied directly onto Stopgap 600 Base, creating a perfectly smooth surface ready for the installation of new floorcoverings. Stopgap 1200 Pro is a fast drying, self-smoothing, easy to use smoothing underlayment that can be ready to receive floorcoverings from four hours.
