Major refurbishment is underway at the Saint-Gobain Weber HQ in Flitwick, Bedfordshire where weberfloor products are being used extensively. The work involves renovation of 240m² of industrial and commercial floor space.
The Flitwick warehouse project involves the demolition of the old training workshop to make way for a new product storage area. Here the floor area has been pre-treated and primed with weberfloor 4716 primer which is designed for use on all substrates prior to application of weberfloor products to achieve a thin but tight membrane. It regulates the porosity of the substrate and improves adhesion while reducing the formation of pinholes in the levelling layer. weberfloor 4716 primer should be diluted with clean water and can be spray-applied for use on large areas.
weberfloor 4160 industry top industrial floor screed was then applied to a thickness of 10mm. Compliant with BS8204 it is a pumpable, rapid hardening and self-smoothing floor screed for use as a surface layer on industrial flooring with a compressive strength of C35 and flexural strength F10. It is especially suitable where renovation time is limited and is ready for foot traffic 2 – 4 hours after application. weberfloor 4610 industry top is designed for intensively trafficked industrial floors with medium or heavy rolling loading where exceptional flatness is required such as factories, production areas or warehouses. weberfloor 4610 industry top does not require any finish but may be coated with a suitable resin and is ideal for use on both new floors and renovation projects.
In a separate area of the building work is ongoing in the creation of a new open plan office area. During the preparation stage a slip membrane was installed to create a floating floor and to effectively de-bond from the existing substrate. This has been reinforced with alkaline-resistant weberfloor 4945 glass fibre mesh. Mesh is normally used on weak substrates or in case the screed is laid un-bonded.
Fibre-reinforced for added durability, weberfloor 4310 fibre flow has been applied to the mesh at 25mm thickness but can be applied up to 50mm. This high performance, pumpable, levelling floor screed is ideal for solid and floating floors, in both commercial and residential applications. It has excellent spreading and smoothing characteristics, is suitable for heated or wooden floors and, importantly on this project, can receive foot traffic after only 2 – 4 hours.
“Ease and speed of application has been critical to allow early access by following trades,” says Tracey Dempster, head of marketing, Saint-Gobain Weber. “These facilities are used regularly by staff and overseas visitors so downtime essentially had to be kept to a minimum.”
“The transformation of this space is really impressive,” continues Dempster, “and no one understands more than Weber that time is money and floors must be laid in the shortest possible time.” Weber’s comprehensive floor screeds, which are manufactured in the UK, have been developed for optimum speed, durability, strength and smoothness and are the most technically advanced products on the market.
