Dominating Tralee’s skyline, the six-storey property was built in 2008 but has remained largely unoccupied ever since. This presented contractor Brendan O’Brien of BOBF with the advantage of minimum moisture levels, as the existing concrete base had fully cured over the years, meaning that no waterproof surface membrane was required.
The preparation process
The concrete subfloor of the building was primed using Stopgap P131, a general-purpose primer for absorbent subfloors. Priming prevents unacceptably fast drying of adhesives and levelling compounds on absorbent surfaces, which can weaken the levelling compound and lead to floor failure. It also helps to promote the adhesion of the levelling compound to a screed or waterproof surface membrane.
With a quick turnaround required for the job, the pump-specialising contractors needed a levelling compound which, in their own words, “had a quick curing time, could be pump-applied, and had high compressive strength.” Ticking every box was F. Ball’s Stopgap Red Bag levelling compound: a water mix self-smoothing underlayment suitable for absorbent subfloors. It is also designed for areas subject to moderate levels of footfall and light-wheeled traffic, the likes of which would be expected in a care centre, and is suitable for biologically-sensitive areas. Contractors from BOBF pump-applied the levelling compound at a thickness of 8mm.
The verdict
Commenting on the project, Brendan said: “I’ve used F. Ball products regularly for 13 years, and they’ve never let me down. We were very fortunate to have our F. Ball technical representative, Chris Moore, on the site with us for the entire three-day project, ensuring that the right materials were used and that we worked under optimum conditions. He wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, even helping us out with the pumping when we were under pressure!
“As a company, F. Ball’s technical background and support is next to none. They are our go-to product brand every time.”