Doing the right things at the right time, is vital to ensuring a successful flooring installation.

However, many basic mistakes are constantly being made on site and these could be easily remedied by following the hands-on and practical knowledge shared with us by Peter Jones, National Sales Manager: Flooring, for a.b.e. Construction Chemicals.

Peter has been in the industry for 25 years and has in-depth knowledge of the various products and which works best for each application scenario. He now brings us valuable tips on ensuring coatings success.

1. BE ORGANISED
The installer’s ability to work in a neat and methodical manner means that before the job starts, the tools are laid out in sequence of application so there is no need for a stop-start approach. Make sure that the right amount of product is available to complete the entire installation.

2. PLAN THE JOB
Plan the job beforehand. Determine where it needs to start and finish because if not, you could literally paint yourself into a corner. If the surface is too large to complete in a single day, be sure to end on an expansion joint or door so that you can proceed with ease the next day.
The golden rule – 1 litre of product per square metre at 1 millimetre thickness.

3. CLEAN TOOLS ARE A MUST
Mixing equipment must be cleaned after each job to avoid material build up. Dirty old tools lead to costly errors, from flaking to releasing cured pieces of epoxy on the final product, which will cause many unnecessary frustrations for both the client and installer. When it comes to tools, Peter’s longstanding relationship with MACTOOL, which has been built on trusted advice and excellent service over many years, means they are the first people he calls when in need of any tool assistance.

4. TIME THE JOB
A stopwatch is vital. If one does not allow the same curing time for the various areas, there will be definite colour variation, which is not ideal.

5. USE ALL THE PRODUCT
By not scraping all the pigment from the packaging, one runs the risk of extreme colour variation because you will not be able to match the mix of the subsequent batches. It is also a good idea to order the same product batch when working on particularly large installations. Communication with the supplier is key in this regard.

6. PROTECTING THE WORK AREA
Another important step is to clearly mark and protect the floor and the surrounding passageways. This will avoid people walking on the floor and will stop dust particles from the surrounding area being brought onto the site.

7. PROTECTING OTHER TRADES
Start by masking up the wall to waist height to protect the work areas of other trades and avoid leaving spray marks on the surrounding areas. This should be a mutual consideration, as the last thing one wants is to have another trade drag heavy equipment, for example an aircon, on a newly laid floor that is still curing.

8. DO NOT RUSH THE JOB
It is essential to adhere to the product’s recommended curing time of for example, a minimum of 48 hours before attempting to walk on the floor and full curing will be after seven days.

We trust that these expert tips have given some guidance on the important steps to follow to ensure that a professional coatings installation is delivered every time. We extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to Peter Jones and a.b.e. for sharing these tips with us.

For more expert advice, contact a.b.e. Construction Chemicals:
Tel: +27 11 306 9007
Website: www.abe.co.za

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