High performance subfloor preparation products and adhesive from F. Ball have been used to create a high quality floor finish at Sky News studios in central London.
As well as delivering perfect aesthetics to pass the scrutiny of roaming HD cameras, the flooring had to be super smooth and durable to accommodate the repeated movement of the cameras and other heavy broadcasting equipment.
A combination of luxury vinyl tiles and rubber sheet was installed over a total floor area of 80m2 at Sky’s Millbank Studios, in Westminster, which are often used for political interviews, in addition to general news broadcasts.
To provide a firm, smooth base over which the floorcovering could be installed, contractors from iFlor Flooring installed Stopgap 700 Superflex flexible levelling compound over the plywood subfloor, having first primed it with Stopgap P131 general purpose primer.
Flexible subfloors, including plywood, can move significantly as a result of extensive foot traffic, and weight, such as heavy TV equipment, and will naturally flex slightly when they are being used. These movements in the subfloor can cause general purpose levelling compounds to crack, and over time, show through floorcoverings and eventually cause floor failure.
Stopgap 700 Superflex, which was applied at a depth of 3mm over the entire subfloor, is reinforced with tiny fibres that maintain the integrity of the levelling compound, preventing cracks from forming as a result of subfloor movement. F. Ball’s flexible levelling compound is walk on hard in 60 minutes.
Once the levelling compound had cured, contractors proceeded to install the floorcoverings; using wood-effect LVTs for approximately half of the 80m2 area, and Norament rubber sheet floorcoverings over the rest of the room occupied by the cameras and production crew. Styccobond F58 acrylic emulsion adhesive, was used to ensure the rubber sheets would remain firmly in place.
Adam Couch, Owner and Director of iFlor Flooring Contractors, commented on the project: “We’re big fans of F. Ball and, following another successful installation using their products at Sky’s Studio 21, which houses Sky’s famous ‘glass box’ studio, we knew we had to use them again for the Millbank job. They’re tried and tested products, and we can trust them to deliver great results. This was no exception.”
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