F. Ball and Co. Ltd.’s Styccobond F73 PLUS adhesive has been used for a rinkside flooring refurbishment at Slough Ice Arena.
The recently launched adhesive was called upon to secure Norament rubber tiles on the walkway that runs around the outside of the ice rink.
Contractors from Leicester-based Westcotes Flooring Ltd. required a replacement adhesive after the product specified for the job failed to bond.
A site visit and recommendations from F. Ball’s technical representative for the local area resulted in a switch to Styccobond F73 PLUS to complete the installation.
Styccobond F73 PLUS has been developed to provide the high bond strength required to hold a wide range of textile and resilient floorcoverings, including rubber, firmly in place in areas that will be subject to heavy loads and high foot traffic, as well as surface water. It offers high initial grab and, once cured, it is resistant to oil, grease, and water, making it an appropriate choice for use adjacent to an ice rink, where water deposited by skaters leaving the rink will be common.
As well as being a one-part adhesive, meaning no mixing and less waste compared to traditional options, Styccobond F73 PLUS is easy to apply and fast curing, requiring as little as 90 minutes to secure floorcoverings. The fast setting properties allow welding of sheet floorcoverings to take place in as little as 2 hours.
The 100m2 flooring area surrounding the ice rink had already been prepared by removing old loose lay rubber floorcoverings, and the subfloor cleared of contaminants, including old adhesive residues. A moisture tolerant levelling compound had then been installed.
Because a moisture management test found that relative humidity (RH) levels were above 75%, a two-part epoxy damp proof membrane was then applied, followed by a moisture tolerant levelling compound, to provide a suitably smooth surface for the installation of the Norament 992 rubber floor tiles, using Styccobond F73 PLUS. The adhesive offers an open time of 20-30 minutes depending on temperature, humidity, and absorbency of the subfloor, and after an initial set time from 90 minutes, cures fully in 24 hours.
Carl Nicol, Chairman at Westcotes Flooring Ltd. explains: “We quickly realised the original adhesive wasn’t working, so contacted F. Ball, who arranged a site visit by one of their technical reps and he recommended Styccobond F73 PLUS for the job.
“The adhesive was great to work with, providing very good initial tack and a long enough working time to be able to lay the material into, and its fast-setting properties helped us to finish the project on schedule, despite the initial set-back."
