F Ball Stopgap 300 HD Self-smoothing

Product Information

The responsibility for the preparation of any substrate must remain with the installer. Because of the wide variety and uses of our materials, the Company is always more than willing to offer help and assistance with individual flooring problems. All aspects of subfloor preparation and floorcovering installation should be carried out in accordance with the appropriate British, European or International standard and follow current good working practices. The company recommends the procedures mentioned in this guide for the preparation of concrete, screeds and other surfaces prior to the installation of our products.

The substrate should be prepared by mechanical means such as contained shot blasting. If a waterproofing admixture is known to have been used, further testing should be carried out with the proposed system to ensure complete compatibility and adhesion to the host substrate.During the laying of the floorcovering an ambient temperature of at least 18°C must be maintained along with a floor temperature of at least 10°C. The type and condition of the subfloor has a direct influence on the installation and performance of a floorcovering and the importance of subfloor preparation cannot be emphasised too strongly. The asphalt should be flooring grade, comply with the requirements of BS 8204 part 5 and be the correct grade for its service condition. Providing the flooring grade asphalt is in good condition, sound, strong has not suffered rutting or any sign of softening and is free from any form of contamination, the surface should be cleaned with STYCCOCLEAN C140, rinsed with clean water and allowed to dry. The surface should then be primed with neat STOPGAP P131 PRIMER and allowed to dry followed by the application of 3mm of the appropriate STOPGAP floor smoothing underlayment. STOPGAP 1200 PRO can be applied direct without the need to prime. Cores may be taken to determine the depth of penetration and can assist in deciding on whether or not it is possible to prepare a surface for overlaying. It may be necessary to carry out adhesion tests to ensure adequate adhesion is obtained on a contaminated surface. The measurement of construction moisture can also be undertaken using the carbide bomb method. Readings of less than 2.5% for all cement based subfloors and less than 0.5% for Calcium Sulphate subfloors must be obtained.

All wooden floors must be structurally sound, level, smooth, dry and clean. Adequate ventilation should be provided to suspended timber floors at ground level to ensure that the moisture content of the wood is maintained at equilibrium. However, in the majority of cases identifying the type of paint or coating will be difficult and it is most likely it will be brittle, worn, peeling or flaking off the substrate and is therefore not good enough to receive either a smoothing underlayment or adhesive. The easiest method of removing old paint is usually dust-free shot blasting. Adhesives such as STYCCOBOND F40, F41, F46, F47 and B95 can be applied direct to epoxy STOPGAP Waterproof Surface Membranes.Typical applications are: removal of vinyl, rubber, carpets, fully bonded wood flooring, ceramic, stone and terrazzo tiles. Multistripping can also be used to remove levelling compounds, adhesives, thermoplastic markings and scrape surface contaminants. Note: 1. Most power floated slabs will be treated with a curing agent. In most cases this will be acrylic based, however, wax based curing agents or certain silicate based products may be present that will inhibit the bond to these surfaces and should The company keeps abreast of market developments by continually monitoring the needs of installers, distributors and specifiers and by maintaining on-going and close liaison with floorcovering manufacturers.

P131 PRIMER, allowed to dry and then the application of the appropriate STOPGAP smoothing underlayment. Please refer to Technical Service for product selection. Worn or uneven floorboards should either be replaced or levelled by sanding, planing or by patch filling with STOPGAP GREEN BAG/114 Liquid or STOPGAP 1200 PRO floor smoothing underlayment before finally covering with plywood conforming to BE EN 636 Class 2 (Suitable for use in humid conditions) and should be constructed with hardwood veneer and EN314-2 Class 3 (exterior) for the glue bond. Some acrylic based curing agents may be overcoated with certain STYCCOBOND adhesives and advice should be sought from F. Ball Technical Services before proceeding. If in doubt always mechanically prepare the surface. Please refer to the data sheets or F. Ball Technical Service Department for further information on these products.Ceramic, terrazzo and quarry tiles are unaffected by moisture but dependant on their water absorption may be sufficiently permeable to allow the passage of moisture vapour and are often laid in areas which do not incorporate a damp proof membrane. Where this is the case, these bases should be covered with a layer of flooring grade asphalt complying with BS 8204. Alternatively, the use of a STOPGAP F77 Waterproof Surface Membrane can be applied, providing the substrate has been sufficiently prepared by mechanical means and the grout lines lightly raked to remove any contaminants. In both cases this should be followed by priming with neat STOPGAP P131 PRIMER and allowed to dry before applying a minimum 3mm of the appropriate STOPGAP floor smoothing underlayment. If either method is not possible, lift the tiles and relay the floor. STOPGAP ISOLATOR Membrane may also be used in certain situations. Shotblasting will produce a lining effect commonly known as tramlining. This can be minimised with operator experience, but will be visible when applying sealers or thin coatings. Shotblasting will highlight surface defects in the surface being prepared, this is particularly important when applying to old concrete. The finished profile is dependent on the size of the machine and the type and size of the flail selected by the operator. This Subfloor Preparation Guide describes the different types of procedures available to produce the most acceptable substrate possible, ready for the installation of one or more of our products. Membranes such as STOPGAP F76, F77 or F78 can be overcoated with smoothing underlayments or certain adhesives. When applying a smoothing underlayment onto a waterproof surface membrane, the surface should be primed with neat STOPGAP P131 PRIMER and allowed to dry before proceeding with the underlayment. The exception is STOPGAP F78 where the smoothing underlayment must be applied direct (within 12 hours of application) without priming.