Flooring Feature F. BALL ACHIEVES 100% AT TOP LONDON SCHOOL Specialist floor levelling compounds and adhesives from F. Ball and Co. Ltd. have been used to install a mixture of hard-wearing, stylish textile and vinyl floorcoverings at Hampton School in South West London, befitting of the independent school’s prestigious status. As part of the school’s ongoing development and investment programme, it was essential that the installation was in keeping with the standards set by one of the country’s top educators for young people.
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tarting in the sixth form areas, contractors from Teddington Carpet Centre made a feature of the long and narrow atrium by mirroring the footprint of the mezzanine floor overlooking the breakout area onto the floor below, using a 50/50-split of Calgary Cement and Grey Forbo Flotex carpets.
To achieve this, the old fibre-bonded carpet in the 250m2 room was first removed, revealing a sound, dry, concrete subfloor, which was primed using diluted Stopgap P131 general purpose primer before the application of F. Ball’s Stopgap Green Bag levelling compound. The fast-setting, low odour product was selected for its high strength, making it suitable for an area which will be subject to high levels of wear for years to come. Once the levelling compound had cured, Styccobond F44 acrylic adhesive was used to secure the PVC-backed carpet. Over in the maths’ corridor, contractors had to remove fibre-bonded carpet tiles affixed to wooden parquet blocks, leaving behind old bitumen adhesive residues. To prepare the subfloor, F. Ball’s Stopgap 1200 Pro levelling compound, which is suitable for use of over old adhesive residues, including bitumen and carpet tile tackifiers, was applied. Once cured, Stopgap F77 waterproof surface membrane was applied as a moisture test had indicated the presence of excess subfloor moisture, with relative humidity levels
THE AQUAREA AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMP - PANASONIC’S QUIET REVOLUTION IN PROVIDING HEATING… As many of us get used to the reality of spending more time at home, the benefits of having a quiet, yet extremely efficient heating and domestic hot water system have become more obvious. Switching technologies from traditional systems powered by Mains Gas, Oil or L.P.G. to an Air Source Heat Pump can deliver significant cost savings, improvements to heating performance and low sound levels, thanks to Panasonic’s Aquarea Heat Pump Range this is possible. According to independent tests, the Panasonic Aquarea J Generation R32 Mini Monobloc range and 16kW Bi-Bloc T-Cap Super Quiet air-to water heat pumps have been confirmed to have impressively low levels of noise when in operation.
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The independent testing was carried out by the Danish Technological Institute in Denmark with results confirming that the new Aquarea Monobloc 5kW, 7kW and 9kW Super-Quiet Bi-bloc 16kW T-CAP Aquarea Airto-water heat pumps came out with market leading low noise levels, with 60dB(A) whilst operating at full load. The tests were carried out for the sound power level according to EN 12102-1:2017 for full load and Quiet mode 3 at A7/W55. In Quiet mode operation, Aquarea heat pumps can operate at a further 4dB(A) reduced noise level. Aquarea Super Quiet 16kW T-CAP (Total Capacity) delivers outstanding efficiency in heating and domestic hot water supply. This unit can supply all the heating and domestic hot water to a 450m2 new build property. Panasonic Aquarea Heat pumps can be connected to radiators, underfloor and fan assisted radiators to deliver heating in the winter, plus dedicated cooling can be provided during the summer if required from the units. The wide range from 3kW to 16kW in Monobloc, Bi-Bloc or All In One, ensures the right model is available for all requirements and designs. To find out more about the Panasonic Aquarea range of air source heat pumps, please visit www.aircon.panasonic.eu
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exceeding the 75% threshold for the project to progress without a moisture management solution. In its absence, subsequently applied adhesives and floorcoverings would have been liable to attack from the excess subfloor moisture, potentially resulting in floor failure. With the non-absorbent surface now in place, Stopgap P141 primer was used to promote the adhesion of a subsequently applied second layer of Stopgap 1200 Pro. Finally, the 100m2 area was finished with wood-effect luxury vinyl tiles, creating a warm environment, ready for eager students to traverse again. Robert Wilks, Managing Director at Teddington Carpet Centre, said: “Hampton School was a challenging project with a number of requirements, but with the support of F. Ball and their long-established products, we came out with a fantastic result. We have a close relationship with our technical rep, Simon Jenkins, who has a wealth of knowledge and his expertise was invaluable, as were all the F. Ball products – anyone can probably tell: we’re big fans!”