News
Tendering For Contracts
Caroline Duncombe advises small firms on winnng public contracts WHEN the coalition government came to power, SMEs were only winning around 6.5% of the total government procurement spend (£230bn). In a bid to change this and make the marketplace more competitive, the government aims to increase this figure to 25% by 2016. This gives SMEs a huge opportunity for rapid growth and is an area that any ambitious company in the flooring sector should be seriously considering at this time. Writing a tender bid can be an intimidating process,...
read moreA Day In The Life Of A Carpet Cleaner
Paul Pearce recounts a day in the life of a carpet cleaner I RECENTLY attended a client’s house to carry out a carpet clean. It was to be a simple job (a large through-lounge and a flight of stairs). I had visited the owners two weeks previously and had talked them through the cleaning process and the charges etc. They were an elderly couple, very house proud, and had always cleaned their own carpets, but the gentleman said he was now ready to allow someone else to clean them for him. We agreed the price and he asked me what he should...
read morePensions For Flooring Contractors
Pensions for flooring contractors B&CE has launched The People’s Pension in response to the new system of ‘auto-enrolment’, under which all workers will be entitled to a pension that comes with their job and includes mandatory contributions from their employer. The date when auto-enrolment is switched on for a business is known as the staging date. The Pensions Regulator website sets out when the staging date for a UK employer will be based on their PAYE code. www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk In advance of their staging date,...
read moreProperties Of Wood
Jim Coulson on the properties of wood IN this series in CFJ, I have written about plywoods for overlaying old floors; and about chipboard and hardwoods used as flooring materials. But so far, I have not really gone into much detail about the different wearing properties of wood, when it is used as a flooring material in its own right. (Of course, the reference should be ‘woods’ since not all timbers are the same, when it comes to their suitability for floors.) And also not all floors are the same; since the amount of wear which any...
read moreSealants
Lisa Breakspear on sealants CAN you remember the front garden? You don’t see many these days. Over the years, these green spaces have been forsaken in favour of more parking. Not surprising when you consider that the average UK household now has two cars and many (around 2.2m) have four or more on the same driveway. The practical advantages are obvious, but ill-kempt hard standings do little for a home’s curb appeal. Unlike grass, hard surfaces don’t readily soak up rain, so they tend to become damp and slippery. This in turn can...
read more‘Expert’ Unmasked By Magistrate
I HAD to go to site last year by instruction of the court. It related to the installation of solid wide oak flooring in a commercial location. The wood flooring had been glued down. It eventually cupped and lifted, leaving the commercial customer unable to carry on their work safely. As a result the flooring had to be taken up and very cheap carpeting put down after both experts had gone to the site, with the magistrate also attending. The reason it went to court follow my report which was not favourable to the main contractor. The expert...
read moreAdvice On Mixing
Jonathan Baxandall, Altro’s regional technical service manager, gives the low down on tools and techniques for mixing resins and DPMs: THOROUGH and complete mixing of any resin system is critical to the success of your application whether applying a two component liquid DPM or a heavy duty 9mm polyurethane crete product. Making use of the right mixing equipment for the product and mixing in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions are essential. Failure to do so can result in incomplete mixing, leading to poor application...
read moreTop Gear
The right workwear and tools will help floorlayers to do their jobs successfully: CL-7 manufactures the UK designed Redbacks cushioning kneepads for those who spend any amount of time kneeling in their work. It is described as a non-foam based, work-trouser pocketed, safety kneepad which maintains its maximum cushioning effect throughout consecutive or prolonged use, can reportedly help avoid osteoarthritis or even knee replacement. Cliff Lockyer, ceo of CL-7, of Northamptonshire, says: ‘With over 90,000 annually registered knee...
read moreRubber The ‘Healthy’ Choice For Schools
Guy Stanton, md of nora systems UK, explains why rubber is the ‘healthy’ choice for flooring: THOSE responsible for planning and constructing educational buildings are faced with widely differing challenges. However, all projects have one thing in common: the practically airtight construction methods that are used today to save energy. These minimise air exchange in buildings and make the use of low emission materials absolutely indispensable. A key deciding factor when specifying flooring is to ensure healthy indoor air. Clean...
read moreAs School Terms Ends Refurbishments Begin
Lynette Bowden, product manager for Gradus, looks at how choosing the correct barrier matting, carpet tiles and flooring accessories can help to make the most of the available space in today’s multi-purpose educational establishments: WITH educational establishments around the country breaking up for the summer, now is the perfect time to consider refurbishment projects. Here are some of the key points to consider when it comes to flooring. Making an entrance: Entrances are often subject to a high volume of traffic, with pupils and...
read more