A range of high-performance products from F. Ball and Co Ltd., the UK’s leading manufacturer of floor preparation products, have been used in the refurbishment of Grosvenor House; the 5-star luxury hotel on Park Lane, London.
Styccobond F3 and Styccobond F40 flooring adhesives were used in different locations throughout the ballroom and adjoining corridors to adhere new luxury Axminster carpet floorcoverings. By using high performance, market-leading products, contractors were able to achieve the perfect finish required for such an illustrious hotel.
Flooring contractors from Welwyn Design were called to the hotel after the proprietors decided that the main ballroom and the corridors leading to it were in need of refurbishment.
On arriving at the hotel, the contractors found that the carpet floorcoverings had already been removed, as refurbishment work was already underway at the hotel. The concrete subfloors were dry, clean and in good condition, so there was no need to install a smoothing underlayment prior to the installation of the new floorcoverings.
As the areas being re-fitted receive a significant amount of foot-traffic all year round, it was crucial that the installation was both quick and durable. Once the subfloors had been prepared, contractors from Welwyn Design applied Styccobond F40 to the subfloor to create a release bond for the new installation. Once the adhesive had dried to a tacky coating, the contractors installed a new underlay to protect the carpet and provide added comfort. Styccobond F3 was then used to permanently bond the new 12-row Axminster carpet throughout the 4,000m2 area.
Styccobond F3 is a water-based rubber/resin flooring adhesive that has excellent wet grab. It rapidly builds up strength and is protected against bio-degradation.
Styccobond F40 is a high tack, synthetic polymer emulsion adhesive, which can be used as a release bond for underlays. It can also be used as a permanent or release bond adhesive when fixing carpets. It is water based and dries to form a transparent, permanently tacky coating.
The type of bond achieved when using Styccobond F40 is dependent on when the floorcovering is laid onto the adhesive. By laying the new underlay once Styccobond F40 had dried to a tacky coating, contractors ensured that the new carpet installation could be lifted when required without significant damage being done to the subfloor or the floorcoverings.
Commenting on the use of F. Ball products at the Grosvenor House hotel, Simon Gauduchon, Director of Welwyn Design, said: “We’ve used F. Ball products for 30 years and we’ve never had any issues. The products always work well, and their reps are always available if you need any advice.”
He further commented: “Obviously with such a large job for a very high-profile client, we couldn’t risk anything going wrong. With F. Ball you know exactly what you’re going to get; good, reliable products.”
