Featured Flooring News

Choosing the correct flooring Resin system for each individual project is crucial for a successful installation and realisation of expectation. It is important that a person specifying the products understands the working environment and the installation process that has to be followed in order to achieve the best flooring solution.

Leading U.K. resin flooring manufacturer RSL (Resin Surfaces Limited) have decades of experience and knowledge in providing the correct resin system for all environments by ensuring that their Contractors have access to their full specification service.

Ivy Wroe Managing Director of RSL, based in Cheshire, would like people to understand the importance of considering an environment’s full requirements before choosing and applying a resin system. ‘Specifying the correct product is the most vital part of an installation. If this process is overlooked then the end result may not be satisfactory for that area or the client. We believe that it is important that we advise our customers within the realms of our experience to ensure the most suitable flooring system for a project is achieved.’

RSL feel it is important to share their knowledge of resin systems, as they have a passion about their products and they want customers to be completely satisfied with the end result.

Martin Wroe Sales Co-ordinator explains the necessary process which is needed before purchasing a resin ‘when we receive an enquiry about one of our products we always ask the same questions to ensure that we are supplying the correct product for the environment it is going into. We believe that the more information you have about the environment, site and atmospheric conditions, and its requirements the better. We are then able to suggest the correct product to meet the customers’ requirements realistically. In addition this results in a better finish and means there’s less risk of things going wrong during installation.’

The specification process

The first thing that needs to be considered is the type of area and how the system is to be used. There are factors such as is it an industrial area, will food be prepared there, is there a lot of heavy footfall etc. This will rule out some products and bring a series of products into the forefront.

The next major step is to think about the surface it is going onto. The best substrate that a resin should be applied to is concrete. Certain surface preparation may be required to prepare the subfloor, by doing this a mechanical bond is created for the resin to adhere to. In addition this nullifies any unexpected problems during installation.

The objective of surface preparation is to achieve a surface that is clean i.e. free from oil, grease, water, food or other contamination, and it should achieve the most appropriate mechanical key for the specified resin flooring system. There are a few different methods that can be carried out in order to prepare the area for installation. Some of the most common are Vacuum Assisted Shot Blasting and Diamond Grinding. The correct type of surface preparation that is required is something that RSL can help advise. As manufacturers RSL want to ensure that the end result is the best achievable and surface preparation is one of the major factors that contribute to this.

By understanding the areas subfloor you are able to recognise the type of primer that will be needed for the final resin finish.  These can be various factors such as moisture level which should be taken into consideration, for which you will use R.S. Dampshield or oil contamination, for which you will use R.S. Oil Tolerant Primer. RSL have a varied range of primers suitable for different substrates and environments.

Once this is understood then the end features that want to be achieved can be looked at, for example, what do you want the floor to look like, does it need to be colourful or decorative, how long does the floor need to last, and what type of finish is needed, gloss or matt. Considering each of these factors will start to restrict the products which will be suitable and RSL can recommend the resin system they feel will be best for your environment.

Martin explains ‘the end product will always depend on the area to which it will be applied and that is why it is important to consider this thoroughly. Sometimes someone will come to us with a specific product in mind which they want to use but we will still ensure that we ask all the appropriate questions for a full specification.  Due to the extensive range available there may be a product that has been overlooked and we may actually be able to recommend a product that has some extra properties that are needed.’

RSL also encourage people to think about colour when choosing a product. They have the ability to produce a wide range of colours to suit your needs so if you are looking for something a bit different then you may find the colour you want in RSL’s colour range.

As a manufacturer they provide a unique service as they are able to provide a full package from this initial specification to working closely with their resin contractors to help ensure a smooth installation process.

Ivy comments “We want to ensure we gain the utmost customer satisfaction and we believe the way we achieve this is by understanding what the flooring system needs to do, the environment which it will be applied and what the floor has to cope with. We then make ourselves available to contractors to get in touch if they need any advice while installing the product.’