All professional tradesmen know that preparation is key to a
successful job. When it comes to the installation of new floors, one of the
most common reasons for failure is lack of attention to subfloor preparation.
Here, Georgina Ramsden, product manager at Sika, discusses how the latest
levelling compounds can help achieve a professional looking floor.
In order to achieve a high standard of flooring finish it
has to be installed on a sound base and this frequently involves the
preparation of the subfloor. We all know that preparation is vital and there
are a variety of high quality products available on the market to ensure a
smooth and level foundation to begin work.
Subfloor smoothing compounds, or underlayments, are
generally cement-based products that set to form a hard, smooth surface. Floor
levelling compounds can be used to renovate existing floors to then install the
new and required floorcovering onto.
Before using any type of floor levelling compound, priming
needs to be taken into consideration. Normal, absorbent concrete or screed
subfloors do not usually require priming - just simply damp down with clean
water. If this water is absorbed immediately into the substrate, treat it as a
porous surface and seal with a product such as SikaBond PVA and allow to dry.
When it comes to selecting the floor levelling compound to
ensure the product is suitable for the application, flooring contractors need
to take a view on the condition of the subfloor.
Where subfloor conditions are generally good but there is
still a requirement for a small degree of levelling, flooring contractors
should look for a standard, but high quality compound such as Sika Levelling
Compound. This type of standard cement based product is ready to use and will
smooth and level out uneven internal floors up to 15mm to a feather-edge.
Sika Levelling Compound can be mixed using a slow speed
mixer and paddle and then the mixed compound can be poured onto the floor and
spread evenly with a steel trowel to form a thin, tight scrape coat. Further
quantities of the mixed product should then be added immediately to give the
desired thickness. In addition, Sika Levelling Compound is also suitable for
use with underfloor heating situations, as long as it is not used as an
embedment layer, making it an ideal product for new build projects.
Older buildings and applications where the subfloor is
considered to be in a relatively poor condition, will often require a higher
performing product and this is when flooring contractors should look to a latex
modified, cement based levelling compound. By adding a latex element into the
formulation this acts almost like a glue - helping to give the end product a
higher bond strength making it a higher performing compound.
Latex levelling compounds are also far more suitable for
applications where the subfloor condition is so poor that a thicker level of
compound is needed to hide the imperfections and level out the base. A latex
modified compound also offers the additional advantage that it is slightly
flexible, which makes it an ideal solution for difficult substrates that may
need installing and then given minor adjustments.
Sika Latex Self Levelling Compound is a one part, ready to
use latex modified interior floor levelling compound. Easy to use, the product
can be mixed and applied exactly the same way as a standard cement based
product. It will self level to provide a smooth blemish free finish and offer a
levelling of up to 25mm down to a featheredge.
After the subfloor has been prepared both products offer
rapid drying times allowing light foot traffic between two and four hours, and
flooring contractors can install the new floorcovering 18 hours after the
subfloor has been prepared.
To ensure every job has a high quality finish - good
preparation is a crucial element and when it comes to preparation, selecting
the right levelling compound is essential. It is also worthwhile checking that
substrate conditions comply with manufacturers covering prior to installation.
Contact Sika on 01707 363810 or visit www.sika.com
