F. Ball and Co. Ltd. will showcase its marine-certified floor preparation products and adhesives for optimising the appearance of flooring installations on board cruise ships at this year’s Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe in Hamburg from 3 – 4 December.
All of the products in the company’s marine range are tested in accordance with International Maritime Organization (IMO) standards, the EU Marine Equipment Directive (MED) and UK Marine Equipment Regulations (MER).
Exported globally, they have been used to install flooring on some of the world’s most prestigious cruise ships, as well as a wide range of other marine and offshore applications, including Mediterranean super yachts, offshore oil rigs and polar exploration vessels.
Amongst key products is Styccobond F3 adhesive for textile floorcoverings, which can be used as part of a dual bond system to adhere carpet to underlay installed with an adhesive that creates a peelable bond, allowing it to be easily lifted without causing damage to the subfloor when it comes to refurbishments.
The marine range also features subfloor preparation products to ensure a perfect base for the receipt of floorcoverings and optimise the appearance and longevity of installations. These include F. Ball’s Stopgap 1500 high performance, water-mix smoothing compound for creating a perfectly smooth surface for floorcoverings that can be applied directly over steel subfloors as well as over old adhesives residues. This eliminates the need to mechanically remove residues before the installation can begin.
Other solutions help to ensure a long-lasting, aesthetically pleasing flooring finish when subject to conditions typically found in marine environments. For example, Styccobond F49 Hybrid PS temperature tolerant, pressure sensitive vinyl adhesive forms a water-resistant bond that is able to withstand extreme temperature changes. This means it can be used as part of a system for installing floorcoverings in areas exposed to high levels of moisture, such as bathrooms and kitchen and galleys on board vessels.
F. Ball will also use the Cruise Ships Interiors Expo to reinforce the company’s leading credentials in the manufacture of flooring installation products, highlighting the continual innovation and development of its products, supported by certification of its manufacturing and quality processes to international standards ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001.
Commenting on the company’s presence at the show, F. Ball Export Business Manager Jonathan Goold said: “Cruise ships are known for both highly luxurious interiors and demanding conditions. F. Ball’s marine range contains solutions to ensure installations maintain both their appearance and integrity over the lifetime of an installation in these environments. We are excited to showcase our latest innovations at this year's Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Europe.”
