National Gallery, London

Extensive gallery refurbishment completed with help of F. Ball products


F. Ball’s high performance Styccobond B95 flexible wood flooring adhesive has been used to install 400m² of new timber flooring at the National Gallery, London. Prior to installation, the subfloor was prepared using Stopgap Green Bag 128 smoothing underlayment, which created a smooth and level surface for the new oak floor.

Located on London’s famous Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery is home to the nation’s collection of paintings, dating from the thirteenth to the twentieth century. ‘A gallery for all’, the National Gallery opened at its existing site in 1838 and now contains more than 2,300 paintings. As part of an extensive refurbishment programme, the floors in five of the historic building’s lower galleries were upgraded by flooring contractor, Floors Truly. As such, the existing floor was removed and a new sand/cement screed was applied and primed using Stopgap P131. A general-purpose primer, Stopgap P131 prevents smoothing underlayments drying out too rapidly and promotes their adhesion to the subfloor.

To create a smooth and level surface, Stopgap Green Bag 128 smoothing underlayment was installed directly onto the primed subfloor surface at a thickness of 3mm. Incorporating excellent flow and self-smoothing properties, Stopgap Green Bag 128 facilitated fast and simple installation over the 400m² area.

Following the installation of the smoothing underlayment, Styccobond B95 adhesive was used to secure the 20mm thick prime grade oak planks to the subfloor. A high performance flexible wood flooring adhesive, Styccobond B95 is specifically designed to accommodate the natural movement in wood flooring over its lifetime. Solvent free and non-flammable, it is quick setting and develops a high final bond strength. In addition, the product is protected against biodegradation and is suitable for use over most underfloor heating systems.

Glen Fisher, director of Floors Truly comments: “We use Styccobond B95 adhesive for the majority of our wooden floor installation projects. A proven track record and our familiarity with the product’s moisture curing times made it the ideal choice for the National Gallery.”

To ensure the long-term performance and compatibility of an adhesive with a specified floorcovering, contractors should seek advice from manufacturers. F. Ball annually updates its Styccobond Recommended Adhesive Guide (RAG), following ongoing meticulous testing of its adhesives with every type of floorcovering listed in the guide.