News
FeRFA Recycling Target Quadrupled
Helen McGachie, ceo of FeRFA, reports that the association’s award winning recycling scheme, now in its fourth year, has raised its target to divert waste from landfill from 200 tonnes in 2011 to 800 tonnes in 2014: IN previous years the target has been exceeded as more companies recognise the importance of recycling and join in with the scheme. One third of the way into 2014 and FeRFA members are on schedule to reach the ambitious target of 800 tonnes a year to be diverted from landfill. At the end of April of this year 99% of the waste...
read morePVC Is A Sustainable Choice
Tracy Perry, Altro’s sustainability, environmental and quality manager, gives the low down on the environmental credentials of vinyl flooring and what makes PVC a sustainable option: PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, is commonly referred to as ‘vinyl’, and a very popular material for flooring. The BRE (Building Research Establishment) Green Guide gives A+ and A ratings for a range of vinyl (PVC) floorings; excellent ratings for sustainability. Unlike most plastics, 57% of PVC is derived from salt, a natural and abundant material. The other...
read morePU Underlay Guide
l Lay the underlay as instructed by the manufacturer and cut to the shape of the room. Ensure there is sufficient underlay against the skirting board to trim or adjust as required. l Fold back one half of the underlay and, depending upon the tackifier being used, apply a coat of tackifier with a roller or trowel to the subfloor. The whole of the exposed floor area should be covered and when the tackifier is dry fold the underlay back over the tackified surface. Note: Do not lay the underlay into the tackifier whilst it’s still wet otherwise...
read moreUnderlay: Everything You Need To Know
Underlay has a surprising number of performance benefits. But to select the right underlay and install it correctly, you need to follow the advice of professionals. Look no further because what follows on this page and next is from experts at CFA, FITA and NICF, including the CFA Guide to Contract Flooring: Underlay is one of the most important aspects of a successful installation. There are many types available in today’s market place, so it is of paramount importance to select the correct one. There are many benefits to using a good...
read moreFinding The Right Underlay For Laminates
EPLF (European Producers of Laminate Flooring) has issued a summary of the technical data sheet CEN/TS 16354 which is on Laminate floorcoverings – underlays – specification, requirements and test methods. This follows the EPLF underlay materials technical data sheet published in in summer of 2013. EPLF has now created an even more compact two-page leaflet titled ‘That’s how laminate finds the appropriate underlay’. It is designed to provide a quick overview of the most important requirements of the CEN/TS 16354, serving as a...
read moreKeeping Up Appearances
Good underlay has several benefits for carpets, especially helping to improve appearance retention and reduce flattening: Beacons Products says the two most important features of underlay for rigid flooring as: 1) Spot levelling: The underlay must provide a minimum of 1.5mm thickness between the floor to be laid and the subfloor for the life of the floor; this is when it is fully loaded; and 2) Joint protection: All underlay must not deflect by more than 0.5mm to protect the joints from premature wear with a minimum value of 20kpa. If...
read moreHelp To Stop You Coming Unstuck
So you are looking to select and apply flooring adhesives. Well, you won’t do any better than following the expert advice on this and the following page from the CFA, FITA and NICF: Selecting the right adhesive: The correct selection of adhesive plays a crucial part in the successful installation of any floorcovering and it is therefore important that full details of the subfloor, site conditions, in-service conditions and floorcovering itself etc., are made fully known to all parties at an early stage. Since the basic purpose of the...
read moreThe Big Stick
Flooringcovering and tile adhesives are designed for a range of surfaces: Bona supplies a range of silane based reactive adhesives for all types of wood floor. Bona R850 is a high spec product, which has reportedly been used to successfully install hundreds of thousands of square metres of wood flooring around the world. It is described as easy to use with excellent rib stability, suitable for use on most substrates and won’t stain pre-finished surfaces. When a more economical adhesive is required, Bona R844 is a formulation based on...
read moreCFA Shows Its Real Worth To The Flooring Industry
TRADE Associations are unlike any other business I know. We share many features with purely commercial organisations, but in some fundamental ways we are very different. We employ people and, of course, have to ensure that we generate enough income to allow us to operate and remain solvent. But our financial status is actually more akin to a charity. We are classed as ‘not for profit’ and in return for our commitment to returning surplus to our members (by means of benefits) HMRC allows us and similar organisations certain tax...
read morePayment Charter Is A Farce!
YOU can tell there’s going to be a general election in nine months, the Government is busy trying to curry favour with everyone. It was the turn of sub-contractors in construction to be courted recently with the launch of the so-called ‘Construction Supply Chain Payment Charter’, highlighting the principle that subbies should be paid within 30 days. Now that’s something we fully support, every flooring contractor will say! But just a moment: Only eight of the 30 members of the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) signed up to the...
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