Product demonstrations were provided by experts from F. Ball’s technical service department, who also deliver training at the F. Ball Centre of Excellence, which has been created by redesigning and reconfiguring the company’s training and demonstration facility at its Staffordshire headquarters. This has coincided with the introduction of restyled course content to offer a more dynamic, hands-on learning experience.
Training programmes, which are free to attend, run year-round and include courses tailored to apprentices as well as experienced professionals, helping them to keep up to date with the latest advancements in product technology and cutting-edge flooring installation methods, in order to achieve the highest standards of subfloor preparation and floorcovering installation.
The opening of the F. Ball Centre of Excellence was celebrated with a drinks reception at the company’s stand, with delegates from all spheres of the flooring industry in attendance.
New developments
Product innovations showcased included F. Ball’s new fast-track, pressure sensitive adhesive for luxury vinyl tiles, Styccobond F58 PLUS, and flexible, rapid-drying floor finishing compound, Stopgap Micro Rapid.
The fast-drying formulation of Styccobond F58 PLUS enables LVT tiles and planks to be secured from just five minutes. Developed as a ‘transitional’ adhesive, Styccobond F58 PLUS transitions from a wet-lay adhesive when initially applied to a subfloor, through a semi-wet stage to become fully pressure sensitive. Fibres in the adhesive provide resistance to lateral movement, preventing vinyl tiles and planks from moving around when working. When used as a wet-lay adhesive, it is also suitable for the installation of rubber sheet and tile floor coverings up to 2.5mm thick.
Launched earlier this year, Stopgap Micro Rapid is an ultra-smooth, flexible floor finishing compound for ensuring a flawlessly smooth subfloor finish. The product can be applied to a seamless feathered edge to fill indentations formed by screws used to secure plywood sheets, as well as the gaps at joints between the panels. It can also be used to repair minor surface defects in a wide range of other absorbent surfaces, including sand/cement and calcium sulphate screeds. It is walk-on hard and ready to receive new floorcoverings from just 20 minutes after application, and priming is not required prior to use, making it perfect for use when working to tight time constraints and deadlines.
Awards success
F. Ball’s use of technology to support flooring contractors to carry on working while adhering to social distancing guidelines throughout the coronavirus pandemic was also recognised at the show.
The company’s virtual site visits received the gold award in the Technology category at the Flooring Innovation Awards, the winners of which were announced during the exhibition.
Using the free service, flooring contractors can arrange a video call with one of F. Ball’s technical service officers to receive an on-the-spot site assessment and advice on the best course of action for specific flooring projects, including high-performance products needed to achieve optimum results.
While site visits are still conducted in person by F. Ball’s regional technical representatives, the time-saving advantages of virtual site visits, and their resulting popularity, has led F. Ball to continue to offer them as part of the company’s industry-leading range of technical support.
Commenting on The Flooring Show, Darren Kenyon, F. Ball sales director, said: “It was great to be back in Harrogate after a two-year break, including meeting flooring industry professionals face to face for the first time in a while. The introduction of a live demonstration area at this year’s stand provided an opportunity to let people see the benefits of our latest product innovations for themselves.”