Ardex FA20 Timber Floor Levelling Compound 20kg

Description Ardex FA20 Timber Floor Levelling Compound is an advanced fibre reinforced smoothing and levelling compound, featuring MICROTEC technology that is designed to rapidly smooth and level new and existing substrates prior to applying a floor finish. Ardex FA20 can be applied to timber floors, flooring grade asphalt and existing substrates with adhesive residues. Can normally be walked on after approximately 2 hours at 20°C. Ardex FA20 Timber Floor Levelling Compound will level and smooth, in a single application, all uneven internal subfloors including concrete, cement/sand screeds, anhydrite screeds, flooring grade asphalt, timber and non-moisture resistant chipboard; along with ceramic/porcelain tiled floors and well adhered non water soluble adhesive residues. Surface Preparation: The surface must be hard, sound and free of dust, dirt and other barrier materials such as paint, lime coatings, plaster and excessive adhesive residues, etc. Use a suitable degreaser to remove polish, wax, grease, oil and similar contaminating substances. Laitance should be removed from concrete surfaces. Damp Proof Membranes: Direct to earth subfloors must have an effective damp proof membrane, If the DPM is absent or damaged, or the substrate still has residual construction moisture within it, then consult the Ardex DPM 1 C, Ardex DPM 1 C R or Ardex MVS 95 datasheet for the most appropriate product. Priming: Although priming is often not necessary on concrete and cement/sand screeds, it may be necessary to prime very absorbent subfloors with Ardex P51 Primer as a pore sealer to maintain the flow life and prevent air bubbles rising through the applied Ardex FA20 Timber Floor Levelling Compound mortar. NOTE: All gypsum-based subfloors must be dry and primed with Ardex P51 Primer at 1:3. Please refer to the Ardex P51 datasheet prior to applying Ardex FA20. Ardex FA20 Levelling Compound can be used on flooring grade asphalt if resilient or if textile floorcoverings are to be laid, and the asphalt is sufficiently hard and sound. NOTE: Do not exceed a maximum of 10mm thickness onto flooring grade asphalt. Flooring grade asphalt must be cleaned, degreased and primed with Ardex P82 Primer, prior to applying Ardex FA20 Timber Floor Levelling Compound. When using Ardex FA20 on existing substrates, care must be taken to ensure that adhesive residues are not water soluble and sufficiently load-bearing for future loads, and that they adhere well to the substrate. Residues from water soluble filling compounds and adhesives must be completely removed. For residues of adhesives based on polyurethane, epoxy resin or bitumen, use Ardex P82 Water Dispersed Epoxy Primer as an adhesive bridge. Unglazed ceramic tile coverings should be thoroughly cleaned. For glazed tiles or ceramic tiles with a similar, nonporous, smooth surface, mechanical preparation is necessary. Alternatively, prime with Ardex P82 Water Dispersed Epoxy Primer, or Ardex P4 Ready Mixed Primer. Unglazed ceramic tiles do not require priming but must be thoroughly cleaned prior to applying Ardex FA20. Wooden Substrates: Ensure that new or existing floor boards are dry, i.e. conditioned to the environment in which they will be used and are rigidly fixed, ventilated beneath and free from barriers to adhesion. Existing tongue and groove floor boards of traditional construction should be screwed or ring nailed down to the joists to provide a rigidly fixed, flat and adequately braced surface. Any existing floor polish, wax, old adhesive, etc., should be removed, e.g. by sanding to expose a clean surface prior to smoothing. Plywood and flooring grade non moisture resistant chipboard should have the backs and edges sealed e.g. with polyurethane varnish and be at least 18mm thick and screwed or ring nailed down to the joists at 300mm centres or less. The board surface should be clean and free of barriers to adhesion e.g. fire retardants, impregnated wax etc. Some chipboard floor systems require the joints to be glued together and guidance from the manufacturer should be sought. All timber based subfloors should be primed with Ardex P82 or undiluted Ardex P51 Primer. Due to the superior properties of Ardex FA20 Timber Floor Levelling Compound it may also be used for smoothing and levelling rigid timber floors prior to applying ceramic tiles. When fixing ceramic tiles onto timber floorboards, they must be primed as above and it is also recommended that a 4mm x 4mm fibre glass mesh is mechanically fixed to the substrate prior to applying the Ardex FA20. NOTE: For fixing tiles to timber floors, refer to the Ardex X7001, Ardex S27 W or Ardex S28 W data sheets. Floating timber floors are not recommended as bases for rigid floor finishes such as ceramic tiles. Mixing: Use up to 5.5 litres of water per 20kg bag. Add the powder to the required amount of, clean water in a clean mixing container whilst stirring thoroughly until a lump free mortar is produced. The use of an Ardex mixing paddle with a 10mm chuck slow speed (600-1000 rpm) electric drill makes light work of mixing. The mixed Ardex FA20 should be applied within 30 minutes at 20°C. This time is extended at lower temperatures and reduced at higher temperatures. Application: Pour the mixed Ardex FA20 Levelling Compound onto the prepared subfloor to the required thickness in one operation. Ardex FA20 mortar can be applied and smoothed with a finishing float or a steel trowel. To achieve optimum benefit from the fibre reinforcement, it is advisable, when dealing with substrates such as floorboards, chipboard, dry screeds, etc. to apply the compound at right angles to the continuous joints. Applications over underfloor heating: The screed/concrete subfloor should have been laid in accordance with BS 8204 Part 1. The underfloor heating system should have been commissioned in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and in accordance with BS 8204 Part 1. Once thermally cycled and commissioned the underfloor heating system should be turned down to 15°C before the installation of the Ardex FA20 Levelling Compound and final floor covering. The underfloor heating system should then be gradually recommissioned to avoid rapid thermal shock and temperature variation. Thickness: The standard mix is suitable for applications from 3mm to 10mm. For thicknesses between 10-20mm on to cement/sand screeds or concrete, add up to a third by volume of Ardex Coarse Aggregate. Mixes with aggregate may require a subsequent smoothing layer of Ardex FA20. If an additional smoothing layer of Ardex FA20 is required, this should be applied as soon as the floor becomes walkable. If the surface of the Ardex FA20 has dried, then it must be primed with Ardex P51 Primer diluted 1:3 with water. Drying and hardening: Ardex FA20 dries and cures rapidly. Levelling layers up to 10mm are ready to receive floorcoverings after 24 hours at 20°C. For thicker layers the drying time is 2 days. Ardex FA20 Levelling Compound cannot be used externally, or in areas which are permanently wet. Coverage: Approximately 1.4kg of powder/m2/mm, e.g. one bag will cover approximately 5m2 at 3mm thickness. NOTE: The coverage figure above is based on a flat level surface, additional material should be allowed for where the surface is rough or uneven. Technical Data: Bulk density: approximately 1.2kg/litre Fresh weight of mortar: approximately 1.8kg/litre Pot life (20°C): approximately 30 minutes Walkability (20°C): after approximately 2 hours Product Datasheet Click here to view this product on the manufacturers website.