A variety of Bostik subfloor preparation and adhesive products have been used for the development of the £300m Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre (DNRC) in Stanford on Soar, Nottinghamshire.
The defence facility is a state-of-the-art clinical facility for injured service men and women, and features cutting-edge recovery aids including gymnasiums and hydrotherapy pools.
For the development, Unite Flooring was contracted to install new flooring in the 18th-century Stanford Hall where the centre is based. Unite turned to products from Bostik to prepare all the subfloors ready for the installation of the floor coverings, and relied on the company’s technical team to provide advice at every stage of the process.
HIGH-GRADE EXPERTISE
Bostik’s technical team visited the site several times to carry out preliminary tests, including for moisture, as well as to specify the right products to meet Unite Flooring’s needs.
Tom Waggett, Managing Director at Unite Flooring, comments: “Within a day of us initially contacting Bostik, they were visiting the site, and throughout the process they were really knowledgeable and proactive, helping us make the right decisions.
“Bostik’s input was particularly appreciated on this job, because Stanford Hall is Grade II-listed, which obviously made it very important that we carried out the work to the highest standards while not compromising the original features of the building.”
A further consideration stemmed from the centre’s use for rehabilitating predominantly wheelchair-bound servicepeople. This meant that, rather than stairs, certain areas of the building required ramps, and the creation of these fragmented the process of installing the floor coverings.
“The need for ramps and gradients slowed down the preparation as it meant we had to do it in multiple phases,” explains Tom. “This made things a bit stop-start, but it was no problem for Bostik, who were always on-hand to put specifications together whenever needed.”
AN ARMY OF PRODUCTS
To ensure that the flooring could be installed in the most effective and efficient way possible, Bostik specified a range of products, each tailored to the specific demands of the application.
First, Bostik Universal Primer was used to prime the concrete main floors and basement theatre, with Screedmaster Epoxy Primer used for the anhydrite substrates of the basement corridors due to its ability to act as a barrier primer. Unite then applied Bostik’s Screedmaster Flow smoothing compound. With high-flow and easy trowelling, Screedmaster Flow’s excellent workability characteristics made it particularly suitable for the rough-textured subfloors in the hall.
To receive the carpet floor coverings used in some areas of the building, Unite used Bostik Laybond Carpet Adhesive, which has a high-tack specially designed to prevent carpet curl.
In other carpeted areas, such as those likely to experience high traffic from patients, carpet tiles were installed, and for these Unite used Bostik Laybond Carpet Tile Tackifier. This provides a permanently tacky film when dry to allow for easy replacement of individual tiles in the future, without the need for a new adhesive.
For the laminate areas, Unite applied Bostik’s multi-functional Bostik’s BEST adhesive, while the company’s solvent-free adhesive tape, Bostik Roll, was the ideal solution for installing skirting, capping strips, and other accessories throughout the centre.
An effective alternative to water and solvent-based adhesives, Bostik Roll is supplied in ready-to-use, dry adhesive rolls – providing a convenient, easy and clean installation that resists plasticiser migration. As the adhesive is dry, there’s no curing time required, meaning no waiting around and the area remains free from any overspill.
“We work with Bostik on all our projects – which speaks for itself – and this one was another win-win for us in terms of how proactive they were and the great products they supplied us with,” concludes Tom. “I highly recommend Bostik for full-system installations from subfloor prep to receiving floor coverings and other accessories.”
