I agree Our site saves small pieces of text information (cookies) on your device in order to deliver better content and for statistical purposes. You can disable the usage of cookies by changing the settings of your browser. By browsing our website without changing the browser settings you grant us permission to store that information on your device.
At West London Asphalt we have the capability to provide a full asphalt flooring service. We can take on small residential projects all the way through to large scale commercial roofing projects. From a full waterproofing installation to a simple repair we are happy to help. If you would like one of the West London Asphalt team to help you with a technical question, a waterproofing problem or to advise you on an upcoming project, just send us a message by clicking here or call us on 0203 9819820. We love mastic asphalt and will be happy to help you.
Asphalt flooring is used to waterproof the substrate. It can be left as a finish in mastic asphalt or can be receive a covering. The type of covering will depend on the use case. In interior domestic applications the finish would normally be wooden flooring, tiles or carpet. In exterior and commercial applications the floor is often finished with a top coat with additional aggregate to provide extra durability. Such an example, would be a loading bay or walkway.
No matter what the application, the starting point of any new asphalt flooring project is a clean, even substrate, free of moisture and a good key for the correct adhesion. Typical substrates where mastic asphalt is used as a waterproof coating include; concrete, flag stones, bricks and timber. This is achieved by the asphalt team removing anything covering the substrate before the installation begins. A lot of the time this will already be the case and there will only be a substrate present.
Once the substrate is visible the first thing to do is clean the surface down and remove any excess material attached to the substrate. This can be done using an abrasive such as a wire brush. Next the substrate should be scrubbed down and a sandblaster should be used to remove any remaining dust and debris. If there is any moisture in the substrate this should be dried out. And finally if there are any uneven surface these should be remedied with a quality screed or a mastic asphalt levelling coat. Once this is done the substrate is ready to receive a coating of high bond primer. A high bond primer is essential to ensure the integrity of the mastic asphalt waterproofing.
If it is impossible to remove a covering on the substrate, such as a liquid coating. You should clean the surface down, use a wire brush on the coating then apply a high bond primer. The reason for a high bond primer is to cancel out any contaminants. 2 contaminants we want to make sure have no probability of penetrating the asphalt floor covering are oil and bitumen.
No matter what the original condition of the substrate. By the time it is ready to receive an asphalt waterproof coating it should be even, clean, moisture free, have a good key and a high quality primer which blocks out any contaminants from entering the mastic asphalt.
Now the substrate is prepared, a separating layer should be applied, to allow movement between the substrate and the asphalt coat. This separating layer is normally black sheathing felt or glass fibre tissue. It is loose laid with 50mm laps. Not only does this separating layer allow for movement it also reduces the probability of cracks and blows developing in the mastic asphalt.
Next a single coat of mastic asphalt is ready to be applied to provide waterproofing across the surface of the substrate. The nominal thickness of this waterproofing coat is normally between 20 to 30mm. In some cases, the asphalt flooring can be as low as 15 to 20mm thick. And for heavy duty applications the asphalt coat can be as much as 50mm The type of asphalt used will depend on the application, but it will be once of the following; asphalt for flooring, asphalt for paving, asphalt for waterproofing, proprietary flooring in accordance to the specification of the manufacturer, spark resistance flooring or chemical and acid resistant flooring.
Flooring grade asphalt must comply with F1076 in BS 6925. It will be graded either Grade I, II, III or IV. Flooring grade asphalt is not suitable for special applications such as spark resistance, chemical and acid resistant flooring. For such applications the manufacturers specification must be followed. It is also not suitable to be used externally. This means for flooring applications such as loading bays, balconies and car park top decks. In these instances paving grade mastic asphalt must be used.
For the skirtings around the perimeter of any asphalt flooring. This is essential to create a seamless waterproof seal for the substrate below. A minimum of 2 coats of mastic asphalt should be applied. It is very important to make sure the correct adhesion is achieved between the first coat and the base. Once the skirting is complete it is important to apply an angle fillet to create a waterproof seal between the skirting and the horizontal of the asphalt flooring. This is done by heating and cleaning the point where the horizontal meets the vertical, then applying hot mastic asphalt to create the angle fillet.
There are two options when it comes to finishing mastic asphalt flooring. Option 1 is to provide a sand rubbed finish. And option 2 is to provide a natural float finish.
Sand Rubbed Finish For Asphalt Flooring
A sand rubbed finish is performed as soon as the mastic asphalt waterproofing is complete. It must be done whilst the mastic asphalt is still warm. Clean sharp sand is evenly applied across the surface of the mastic asphalt using a wooden float. The use of sand rubbing prevents surface crazing.
*In wet conditions a sand rubbed finish provides a much better finish than natural float when you compare them for anti-slip performance.
Natural Float Finish
A float finish is the applied with a mastic asphalt float just like a sand rubbed finish is. However, no sand is used. Sometimes this type of finish is referred to as a polished finish.
Hybrid Finishes
Recently there have been some new types of finishes to asphalt flooring applied. The most famous of these is merazzo. This was created by Bell Asphalt. Merazzo is a combination of terrazzo and a traditional mastic asphalt finish. This type of finish is where grit raises to the surface of mastic asphalt and is then cut off and polished. This gives a combination of mastic asphalt's superior waterproofing and the aesthetics of terrazzo.
Asphalt flooring can be used for a vast range of interior applications. This includes, hospital wards, school classrooms, living rooms, shop floors and car showrooms. For all of these applications flooring grade asphalt is commonly used. And the grade of this asphalt can range from Grade 1 through to Grade 4.
Grade 1: Special Hard Flooring (15-20mm)
Grade 2: Light Duty Flooring (15-20mm)
Grade 3: Medium Duty Flooring (20-30mm)
Grade 4: Heavy Duty Flooring (30-50mm)
Exterior asphalt flooring must not use flooring grade asphalt for the waterproof coating. It must comprise of paving grade asphalt. Such applications include, walkways, loading bays, railway station platforms, bridges, car park top decks and balconies. Exterior asphalt flooring can be as thick as 50mm and often contains high aggregate contents.
Mastic asphalt is an excellent waterproofing material for a wide range of flooring applications. The key advantages of mastic asphalt flooring are as follows:
• Odour Free And Does Not Create Any Dust.
• Is a Non-Flammable Finish.
• Excellent Vapour Resistance.
• Super Durable Time Tested Material.
• Extremely Cost Effective Waterproofing Membrane Over The Long Run.
• Tar-Free and Non-Toxic.
• Fully Recyclable Material.
• Is An Approved Radon Barrier.
• Can Be Used Immediately After Cooling (normally within a few hours).
• Allows For Faster Construction Time.
• Simple Installation Process.
• Provides A Joint-Free Seamless Finish.
• Compaction Not Required To Provide Final Stability.
• Excellent Resistance Against Wear and Tear.
• Stands Up Temperature Fluctuations Very Well.
• Dense, Non Porous Membrane.
• Can Withstand Various Adverse Externalities Such As Vermin and Bacteria.
If you would like one of the West London Asphalt team to help you with anything technical or require a price for an upcoming mastic asphalt flooring project, just send us a message by clicking here or call us on 0203 9819820. We love mastic asphalt and will be happy to help you.