There are no adhesives that are guaranteed for use with bitumen apart from more bitumen. However you can use some solvent adhesives as they will melt the bitumen but they do take a long time to dry. Buzz Hexabond does also adhere to bitumen (although not guaranteed!). Many of our customers have been using it for years now and it does not degrade with time, plus it dries a lot faster than solvent options!

We accept returns within 14 days of delivery for unopened and unused products. Customized orders are non-returnable. Requests to return perishable goods (water based products) will not be accepted between the 1st of October and the 28th of February.

In normal use Hard Wax oil would not mark with just water unless the water was left on the floor for quite a number of hours. It is a possibility that there is insufficient finish on the floor. We would not recommend using oil in a kitchen area without explaining to the customer that these types of stains may occur. Hot oil from an oven or hob can damage Hard Wax Oil floors.

Slow curing problems normally as a result of very low air humidity in the winter especially in warmer environs. Conversely if it is skinning over too quickly it is likely because of a high air humidity in the summer, or in a damp building.

Usually as a result of either moisture in the timber coming up from below, or heat/wet forcing moisture into the finish from above.

Usually as a result of not maintaining a ‘wet edge’ during application. This can be a problem with too little being applied, a warm dry building in the winter, the UFH still running during application, too much airflow during application, and an unwise method of coating the area leaving area ‘open’ for too long.

It is imperative with any wood floor installation over UFH that there is a probe in each control area linked to room stats that have a built in floor temp limit function set to no more than 27 deg C. This is standard practice detailed in the relevant British standard and adhered to by any reputable UFH designer and installer. And this is an example of a suitable stat:- https://www.underfloorshop.co.uk/product/heatmiser-touch-thermostat-white/ - note it specifically mentions ‘floor temp limit protection’ in the tech spec list of functions. A stat with the option of a remote temp sensor is not sufficient – it must have a temp limit function. As to fitting on grooved chipboard/foam with small bore pipes in the grooves, we do not recommend this as it is very difficult to get an even surface temp. If this cannot be avoided, we would suggest that a dense cement board (‘Dry screed’ such as Gypdeck) of a minimum thickness of 18mm is laid over the UFH and the wood floor can then be bonded to this. In addition to this the water in the pipes should not be run at no more than 38 deg C. We would always recommend full bonding of wood floors on UFH, although technically it is possible to float the floor as long as sufficient expansions gaps are left, the areas are not more than approx. 5m square and there are expansion breaks in doorways. Either way there must be a probe to sense/limit the underside of the flooring to 27 deg C.

The sound reduction is a very complicated subject with several aspects to it. First we need to consider if the customer is talking about in room sound reduction, or transmitted sound reduction (to the room below). In both cases the secret to reducing noise is in increasing mass. In this context ‘mass’ means weight – we need to increase the weight of the floor (or bond it to something heavy) so that it is more difficult to move the floor. When a person walks across a floor their foot steps cause the floor to vibrate or move. The heavier we make the floor the less it will move. If the floor must be ‘floating’ then a good quality foam or rubber underlay will make a small difference to both the in room sound and the transmitted sound in comparison to having no underlay at all. If the floor can be fixed down, then we have two options for in room sound reduction. If the subfloor is concrete then fixing the wood floor to the concrete will reduce in room sound because we have fixed the (light weight) wood floor to a large mass in the form of the concrete subfloor thereby increasing the mass of the floor and reducing vibrations. If the subfloor is timber then fixing the new wood floor down will help a little but the subfloor is not really heavy enough to significantly add mass to the overall floor covering. In this case we need to add mass to the floor covering. This can be done as is described in the next paragraph. If we need to reduce sound transmission to comply with building regulations then we only have one option. This is the first layer: a very soft thick layer of foam or rubber (to act as the isolation layer) followed by a new subfloor of as much mass as possible. This is normally a thick (10mm+) dense rubber, then a thick plywood layer, and finally the new flooring. All of these 3 layers must be fixed together. The idea is that the plywood and dense rubber add significant mass to the flooring layer and help it to resist movement or vibration. If it does move at all the vibrations are absorbed by the soft layer at the bottom. However this method is both very expensive (likely to be more than the floor covering) and will increase the height of the floor by 40-50mm.

Generally most brands and types of water based lacquer are compatible for use coat on coat (you should NEVER mix lacquers on the same coat!), however you should always give the underlying coat a light sand to give it a key and increase adhesion of the different lacquer being used on top. It is a good idea to do a test patch if you can and check with adhesion with the ‘coin test’.

Leave the lacquer at least 24 hours to adhere, and then take a large round coin (or similar) and rub the edge of the coin across the floor with medium pressure (enough to lightly scratch the surface). If there is an adhesion problem the top layer of lacquer will ‘flake’ or ‘shell off’ the under layer.

There is a reason why manufacturers state an amount of lacquer to be applied per coat. If you find that you ‘can't put any more on’ or ‘I can't put it on any thinner’ then you are using the wrong tools or technique to apply the product! If you do not apply the right amount you will not get the spec that the manufacturer states on the can and the data sheet. Too little and you will have less wear resistance, an uneven finish and possibly even adhesion issues. Too much and you will slow down the drying and curing time. It isn’t just to sell more lacquer or whatever conspiracy theory you think, it is a carefully and scientifically arrived at specification to give the specified properties that were presumably why you bought the product in the first place.

First things first – take a peek at the airbricks under the floor. If they’re blocked, buried or damaged, the air can’t circulate properly. Poor airflow is one of the biggest causes of damp problems under wooden floors, so keeping those airbricks clear really is step one. No matter how dry it looks (or you think it is) always test it with a moisture meter to be sure. Even if the floor is only a little damp it will cause problems with finishes drying etc and the contractor will be held responsible!

Grab a moisture meter and keep an eye out for two very different types of damp: • Rising moisture (the nasty one) – usually caused by a missing or failed damp proof membrane (DPM) under the slab. • Latent moisture (usually less scary) – moisture trapped in the concrete itself, often in newly poured slabs or after flooding / large spillages. If the readings don’t make much sense, give us a shout – we’re always happy to help interpret the results. To treat damp concrete, you’ll normally apply a liquid, paint-on DPM. Just remember: it works up to a point – it can’t fight a tidal wave of moisture forever.

It’s the neat way of fixing boards to a timber subfloor – nails go through the tongue at an angle so they’re hidden once the next board is fitted. Just don’t skimp on nail spacing: too far apart and the floor won’t be properly secured.

Q: Is gluing really better than nailing? A: Often, yes. Especially with wide boards (200mm+), nails alone usually won’t cut it. Wide boards love to misbehave unless they’re firmly bonded down. You’ve got two main methods: • Full trowel – adhesive spread over the entire surface. • Beads from a sausage gun – often used with slatted underlay systems.

Q: Can I just float my floor on underlay? A: You can – but it’s the least solid option. Floating floors never feel quite as robust as glued or nailed ones and they’re notorious for that annoying “tick-tack” noise when you walk on them. They also demand a perfectly flat subfloor. Any dips or bumps mean the joints are constantly flexing, and once those joints fail, repairs are awkward at best. And despite the myths: click floors do still need glue in the joints if floated. Ignore that and you’re asking for trouble.

Bitumen based – Old-school, brittle and doesn’t age well. Best left in the past. Solvent based – Very strong, but smelly, environmentally unfriendly and increasingly expensive. Polyurethane (PU) – Strong and flexible, but horribly messy. Once it dries on your hands or boards, it’s there for life – hence the legendary “black hand syndrome”. MS Polymers (hybrid adhesives) – The modern hero. Strong, flexible, much easier to clean and partially moisture resistant. They’re now the gold standard.

Q: How long should I let boards acclimatise? A: Trick question. It’s the building that should be acclimatised to normal living conditions, not the other way round. New builds and refurb jobs are soaking wet environments. Letting your boards sit in that will just load them with moisture – then they’ll shrink later and leave gaps. Dry the building properly first.

• Aluminium oxide – cheap, fine for pine, not great for hardwoods. • Silicon carbide – mainly for Granwood floors. • Zirconium – tough, self-sharpening, perfect for hardwoods. • Ceramic – more expensive but outlasts every other type. They also give a much more even finish.

Q: Where do I start? A: Depends how rough the floor is, but typical sequence might run: 16 → 24 → 36 → 40 → 50 → 60 → 80 → 100 → 120 → 150 Never skip more than one grit level above 36 – those scratches will haunt you later.

Q: What filler should I use? A: It depends on your prioities - Solvent-based fillers dry fast and only shrink a little. Water-based ones will take longer to dry and shrink more, but do not have the solvent smell problems of solvent based fillers.

Q: Why oil a floor? A: Oils soak into the wood, keeping the natural texture and allowing easy patch repairs. Downside? High-traffic areas wear quickly and need regular maintenance. What are wax oils? They combine oil penetration with a hard-wax surface layer. More protection than oil alone, but still need ongoing care. Why choose lacquer? Maximum protection, minimum maintenance. For busy homes, it’s usually the smartest option – just make sure the lacquer is specified for the expected level of wear.

Q: I’ve laid prefinished boards – can I apply an extra coat on site? A: Sometimes yes… but tread carefully. Factory-applied finishes are often UV cured and can be extremely resistant to anything you try to put over the top. If you use the wrong product, the new coat may simply peel off later. Always check compatibility with the manufacturer, lightly abrade the surface to give it a key, and test a small hidden area first before committing to the whole floor.

This can be caused be a number of reasons. Lacquers have de-foaming agents and levelling-agents in them to help them to level out, and any small bubbles to disperse before the lacquer dries. These levelling and defoaming agents can be damaged by the lacquer freezing (or nearly freezing), contamination in the timber, or if the product is out of date.

 The moisture content of the concrete screed must not exceed 1.8%  Air relative humidity must be between 40% and 65%  The maximum deviation in flatness does not exceed 3mm per linear metre  The sub floor must be a closed and self-supporting surface  The sub floor must be clean and dust free  If plywood or chipboard are used as an additional sub floor, they must be of good quality.

As building timescales get shorter (we are getting more impatient!) the popularity of calcium sulphate screeds (also known as Gypsum or Anhydrite) has increased, bringing many challenges to flooring contractors. However, these screeds don't need to cause a problem provided some basic rules are followed. 1. Ensure that the surface laitance has been removed, to allow the screed to dry out. Reliable moisture readings can’t be taken until this has been done. Even with optimum conditions it will take at least 1 day per mm to dry sufficiently. 2. If there is UFH then it must have been commissioned and run for a minimum of 2 weeks (ask for our UFH laying guidelines) 3. Once the screed is dry, a primer should be used to aid the adhesion of the adhesive. 4. Don't use cement based levelling compounds without a primer. Cement and Gypsum don't like each other...