Raised Access Floor Restoration in Guildford — A 1,250m² Refurbishment Project
A 1,250m² raised access floor restoration at One London Square Business Park, Guildford, restoring 1980s and 90s panels to a uniform, serviceable standard rather than replacing them.
We recently completed a raised access floor restoration project at One London Square Business Park in Guildford, Surrey, working alongside Inco Contracts and their team on a commercial refurbishment covering approximately 1,250m².
Tackifier build-up on 1980s/90s panels before treatment.
The job involved restoring the existing raised access floor panels - many dating back to the 1980s and 1990s, and preparing them for the next stage of the refurbishment. Removing the old adhesive and residue brought the floor back to a clean, uniform and serviceable standard, ready for the new finishes to go down.
Removal solution left to soak before lifting the adhesive.
It's worth being straight about one thing: with panels of this age and type, the finish will never quite match a modern galvanised steel floor, that's simply the nature of older RAF systems. What restoration does deliver is a consistent, workable surface, at a fraction of the cost and disruption of full panel replacement.
The finished floor, back to a uniform, serviceable standard.
The recent heatwave added its own challenge, but the team pulled together and delivered a great result throughout.
Projects like this are a good reminder of why restoring existing raised access floors often makes more sense than replacing them. Where panels are structurally sound, our raised access floor cleaning and adhesive removal process can save up to 70% versus the cost of new panels, with far less waste and downtime.
If you've got a commercial fit-out or refurbishment coming up and want to know whether your existing floor can be restored, get in touch. We offer a free on-site test clean, so you can see the finish before you commit.
Raised Access Floor Glue Removal in London - What Contractors Need to Know
It All Begins Here
If you're managing a commercial fit-out or office refurbishment in London, one of the most common problems you'll encounter after carpet uplift is adhesive and tackifier residue left behind on raised access floor panels.
It's a problem that stops programmes dead. New flooring won't bond correctly over old glue. Tackifier residue leaves panels sticky, uneven, and unfit for reinstallation. And replacing the panels entirely costs a significant amount of money and time you likely don't have on a live project.
What is tackifier and why is it a problem?
Tackifier is a low-tack adhesive used to hold carpet tiles in place on raised access floors. Unlike permanent adhesive, it's designed to allow tiles to be lifted and repositioned. The problem is that over time, especially after multiple carpet cycles, tackifier builds up into a thick, stubborn residue that standard cleaning methods can't remove.
Left untreated, tackifier prevents new flooring from bonding correctly, creates uneven surfaces across panels, and can cause new carpet tiles to lift prematurely after installation.
What does the removal process involve?
At Detac Systems we use a solvent-free detackifier solution applied directly to the panel surface. Once the solution has broken down the adhesive bond, residue is removed mechanically, leaving the panel surface clean, smooth, and ready for new flooring installation.
The process is safe to carry out on live commercial sites. There are no strong fumes, no hazardous chemicals, and no requirement to vacate the building. Most projects across London and the South East are completed within a single visit, keeping your fit-out programme on schedule.
What types of adhesive can be removed?
We remove all common types of raised access floor adhesive including carpet tile glue, tackifier residue, and multi-layer adhesive buildup from repeated installations. Whether you're working on a CAT A or CAT B office refurbishment, end-of-tenancy dilapidation, or pre-installation floor preparation, we can assess the panels and advise on the right approach.
Why choose restoration over replacement?
Raised access floor panel replacement is expensive, time-consuming, and generates significant waste. In most cases, panels that appear beyond use can be fully restored to a clean, serviceable condition at a fraction of the replacement cost, typically saving contractors up to 70% compared to full panel replacement.
Working across London and the South East
Detac Systems carry out raised access floor glue removal across the City of London, Canary Wharf, the West End, and throughout Surrey, Essex, Kent, Hertfordshire, Guildford and Croydon. We work directly with fit-out contractors, principal contractors, and facilities managers on commercial projects of all sizes.
If you have a project requiring adhesive or tackifier removal from raised access floors, get in touch for a free test clean and quote.