A range of subfloor preparation and adhesive products from Bostik have been chosen by OSS Commercial Flooring Ltd for the development of a new health centre, which serves the communities of Hope and Caergwrle in Flintshire, North-West Wales.
Castlemead Group was taken on as the main contractor for the centre’s two-story development, who then sub-contracted the 1,300 square metres of flooring required.
Following a technical survey by Bostik, OSS Commercial Flooring selected the company’s Screedmaster One Coat Membrane to protect the new floor coverings from subfloor moisture.
Bostik’s Screedmaster Universal Primer was then applied to the surface membrane, before the Screedmaster Flow and Ultimate smoothing compounds were floated out to a 3mm thickness in various areas of the development. Bostik’s Laybond Pressure Sensitive adhesive was then used to adhere the vinyl floor coverings.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
As it was running throughout the winter months, the project provided OSS with some challenging working conditions.
Bostik’s wide product and service offering, including analytical support and on-site testing, was therefore a key driver in winning the project. The company’s technical team conducted a site visit, including moisture testing, prior to the installation of the new floor. This indicated that moisture levels in the screed were well above 75% relative humidity, so the use of a surface damp proof membrane (DPM) was recommended.
David Caldwell, Managing Director of OSS commented: “Having used them on a number of previous projects, we were confident in the quality of Bostik’s products.
“However, it was Bostik’s team of technical experts that really added value to this job. They were pro-actively offering technical advice, measurement surveys and the ideal product package in the build up to the install.
“The value added by these additional practices cannot be underestimated; it really gave us an added sense of security as to when we could proceed with the job.”
Under-floor heating was present on both levels of the development, which made the testing more complex, but Bostik was on hand to provide advice throughout the process.
James Stacey, Floor Layer for OSS added: “Bostik’s advice to use a surface DPM meant we could suppress the residual moisture quickly. This allowed us to install the vinyl floor coverings throughout the new building, safe in the knowledge that moisture would not be able to compromise their performance.”
SPECIALIST PRODUCTS
When the Screedmaster One Coat Membrane had cured, a uniform coating of Screedmaster Universal Primer was applied to enhance interaction between the subfloor and the smoothing compound.
“Screedmaster Flow was deemed the most appropriate smoothing compound in the large reception area because of its excellent workability and flow characteristics, which made it quick and easy to use,” said James.
“In other areas we used Screedmaster Ultimate, which has exceptional curing characteristics, meaning we had a high quality finish throughout on which to bond the vinyl floor coverings.
“Bostik’s Laybond Pressure Sensitive adhesive was then chosen to bond the vinyl floor coverings because of its high level of tack and flexible open time.”
David Caldwell concludes: “Bostik provided OSS Commercial Flooring Ltd with excellent support from initial pre-start meeting right to delivering the final product to the client. The conditions were testing for all concerned but the products stood up to the task admirably and ensured we could deliver a project on time, on budget and to a high standard.”
