Sissons Barn Wedding Venue

Sissons Barn is a purpose built oak framed wedding venue designed to look like an old forge barn, located in Peakirk near Peterborough. Covering over 200 square metres in the Cambridgeshire countryside, the beautiful venue was built as a prestigious setting for weddings and events. A new floor was required across all areas of the barn, which includes a stunning open-plan room for seating and a dance floor, as well as a bar, a comfortable lounge, toilets, and back-of-house areas. The main challenge was the floor screed, which was applied at 75-100 mm and required 3-4 months to dry. This was much longer than forecast, leaving a very short window for the new flooring to be installed, as the venue was needed in time for the peak wedding season. Another issue was that the entire front section of the large barn was made of oak and glass, so the floor needed a ripple-free finish.

The flooring contractor, Superior Finish Contracts Ltd worked with the client to provide a solution to the main challenges. Superior Finish Contracts Ltd turned to UZIN because minimising risk was essential on such a prestigious project, which needed an excellent finish to match the striking surroundings. To help with underfoot comfort and improve acoustic insulation, loose lay luxury vinyl tiles were chosen by the client for use in the main open plan area and lounge. To provide extra security within the large space a tackifier was recommended to help prevent any potential movement of the loose lay luxury vinyl tiles. Some loose lay LVTs and tackifiers are not compatible which can cause plasticiser migration so Superior Finish Contracts Ltd consulted with UZIN regarding appropriate tests results to ensure the LVT and tackifier were suitable.

After utilising UZIN’s support on other projects Superior Finish Contracts Ltd worked with UZIN to specify a suitable system which allowed the new floor coverings to be installed within the agreed time frame of 2 weeks. The UZIN system also enabled a flat, smooth surface to be created, which would cope with the future heavy footfall. Another bonus was that all the UZIN products used within the system had been awarded EC 1 plus certification for being totally solvent-free and meet the requirements for occupational health and safety. 

UZIN PE 360 PLUS multi-purpose primer was the first of UZIN’s premium quality products to be used and was applied over the screed within all of the areas to provide a strong bond between the screed and UZIN NC 163 smoothing compound. UZIN NC 163 was then used because it is a low-stress smoothing compound that produces an outstanding, flat, smooth surface. Superior Finish Contracts Ltd then applied a coat of UZIN U 2100 tackifier to the main open area and lounge before installing the loose-lay luxury vinyl tiles. Finally, capped and covered safety flooring was installed in the bar and the back of house areas using UZIN KE 2000 S pressure-sensitive adhesive.

The client was very pleased with the new floor, which was finished to an exceptionally high standard. The flooring has also helped create a stunning venue, ideal for weddings and events. Several wedding receptions have been held at Sissons Barn and the floor has stood up to the demands placed upon it.