Project overview
Contractors from Eric Miller Flooring used Stopgap 700 flexible smoothing underlayment and Styccobond F41 carpet tile tackifier to install luxury carpet tiles on both floors of the old Routemaster bus. Styccobond F66 solvent-free contact adhesive and Stycco Flex, a rapid-curing flexible adhesive were also used to refurbish the bus’s staircase. F. Ball donated the adhesive and smoothing underlayments used in the refurbishment, and the work was undertaken for free.
Top form
On the top deck of the bus, Stopgap 700 smoothing flexible underlayment was applied over a firmly-secured plywood subfloor. Stopgap 700 is fast-drying, fibre-reinforced and self-levelling. It is designed for use on plywood, sand/cement screed and steel subfloors. Applied at a thickness of 3mm, it is ready to receive floorcovering from a little as three hours.
On both floors, Styccobond F41 carpet tile tackifier was used to install premium blue Burmatex fibre-bonded carpet tiles. Styccobond F41 dries to create a permanently tacky film that prevents ‘loose-lay’ carpet tiles from moving, but allows individual tiles to be lifted and replaced easily when worn or damaged.
Staircase solution
Old floorcoverings and adhesive residues on the bus’s staircase had been removed prior to the beginning of the project. Here, Styccobond F66 solvent-free contact adhesive was used to install the carpet tiles as its instant bond-forming properties make it suitable for affixing floorcoverings onto vertical surfaces. Stycco Flex, a rapid-curing flexible adhesive, was used to attach the aluminium stair nosings.
Commenting on the project, Eric Miller said: “It was a bit of an unusual project. I’ve never installed flooring on a bus before. F. Ball kindly donated the products for this job, but we use them all the time. They’re reliable and they always do what they say on the tin.”