The Flooring Show
The industry returned to Harrogate for the UK’s premier flooring exhibition, with F. Ball showcasing Stopgap 1600 and new smoothing compound packaging, as well as celebrating 50 years of the RAG®.
Stopgap 1600 can be used to encapsulate electrical wired or water-fed underflooring heating and cooling systems installed over a wide range of internal subfloors in both domestic and commercial environments. Fast-drying and fast-setting, the recently launched, fibre-reinforced smoothing compound is walk-on hard from three hours after application and ready to receive floorcoverings in as little as 12 hours.
Visitors to the F. Ball stand were able to watch live demonstrations featuring Stopgap 1600 and other high performance flooring installation products, delivered by F. Ball’s head of training and other experts from the company’s Technical Service Department on the stand’s live demonstration area.
Stopgap 1600 is also the first product to feature a new packaging design introduced for F. Ball’s range of floor smoothing compounds.
The packaging has been redesigned to aid selection and achieve visual consistency across the range. Distinctive icons highlight key features of each product and support identification and differentiation together with product-specific colour schemes. Designs for other smoothing compounds are being phased in over the coming months.
Golden anniversary
Exhibition delegates were invited to attend a drinks reception at the F. Ball stand to celebrate the 50th edition of F. Ball’s industry-leading Recommended Adhesives Guide (RAG®).
The RAG® lists the compatibility of F. Ball adhesives with over 6,000 branded floorcoverings from over 200 leading international floorcovering manufacturers. Each year since 1973, F. Ball has published an update to what has evolved into the foremost guide to floorcovering-adhesive compatibility. In addition to an A5 printed book, a constantly updated version of the guide is available on the F. Ball website and as a mobile app, which is free to download from the Apple App store or Google Play.
Commenting on the company’s attendance of the exhibition, F. Ball sales director Darren Kenyon said: “There was a particularly upbeat atmosphere at this year’s Flooring Show, and it was busier than anytime in the past few years. We were delighted by the positive reception to Stopgap 1600, as well as reactions to the new packaging for our smoothing compounds. We look forward to returning next year.”
