Project of the Month: F. Ball products make grand entrance at Heythrop Park
The company’s products have been used to install a wide range of floorcoverings as part of the hotel’s £40 million renovation following its acquisition by Warner Hotels.
Contractors from Carter’s Flooring (Leisure) Ltd, based in Derbyshire, installed a range of high-spec floorcoverings throughout more than 6,000 m2 of the site’s public areas, including in the 300-year-old, Grade II-listed stately home and adjoining hotel complex, which are set in a 440-acre country estate in Oxfordshire.
The project included work in the entrance and atrium of the 17th century Baroque-style manor house, state rooms and orangery, as well as multiple restaurants, bars and corridors in the modern part of the hotel.
Historic setting
In the Renaissance palazzo-style courtyard of the old building, contractors installed sections of bespoke Newhay carpet surrounded by brass edging on top of the original wood flooring in seating areas and walkways, as well as on the staircase leading up to the first floor, where it was secured with custom-made solid-brass CAT stair rods affixed with F. Ball’s Stycco Flex rapid-curing, flexible tube adhesive. The high strength build-up and fast curing time of the adhesive means it can secure stair nosings and trims in as little as 60 minutes, without the need for mechanical fixings.
F. Ball’s Stopgap 700 smoothing compound was applied over timber subfloors on the corridors and upstairs landings to create a perfectly smooth surface for floorcoverings. The product is reinforced with tiny fibres that maintain the integrity of the smoothing compound when subject to minor subfloor movements to which flexible subfloors such as wood are prone.
Luxury options
Bespoke Newhay carpet was also installed in these areas, as well as state rooms and connecting corridors, with a dual bond system, whereby F. Ball’s Styccobond F3 was used to create a permanent bond between carpet and underlay and the company’s Styccobond F40 provided a peelable bond between the underlay and subfloor. This prevents floorcoverings moving laterally when subject to normal foot traffic but allows them to be easily lifted without damaging the subfloor when it eventually needs replacing.
Eatery
An adjoining indoor tennis court was transformed into a ‘Market Kitchen’ buffet and restaurant, beginning by overboarding the wooden sports flooring with plywood. F. Ball’s Stopgap Micro Rapid ultra-smooth, flexible, rapid-drying floor finishing compound was then used to fill indentations formed by screws and gaps at joints between the panels. Amtico York Oak LVTs were installed in a herringbone formation in the 180m2 dining area, which also had three sections of carpet inlays, and in straight planks in the servery section up to ceramic tiles.
Carter’s Flooring also refurbished floors in a corridor running parallel to the Market Kitchen eatery leading to guest bedrooms and adjoining WCs. In these areas, Stopgap 1200 high-performance smoothing compound was used to prepare subfloors. Amtico Regency Walnut LVTs were installed in the corridor, with a bevelled diamond border and Stucco Putty surround. In the WCs, Amtico Stucco Quartz LVTs were installed with charcoal inlays, as in the orangery, with a plain black border.
Modern areas
In the third floor ‘Brassey’ bar, within the modern part of the hotel leading from the orangery, subfloors were prepared using F. Ball’s Stopgap 1200 smoothing compound before Dark Walnut Amtico Signature LVTs were installed in straight planks up to the bar area, where there is Amtico Key Stone Mini LVTs with white inlays. An Amtico Passo inlay, in a three-colour pattern, created a walkway feature running through the bar. Altro Stronghold 30 safety flooring was also installed behind the bar using F. Ball’s Styccobond F46 pressure sensitive adhesive.
