News
Are You Prepared For An Emergency?
Philip Crosbie with a quick health check for businesses THE provision of first aid to employees is a basic obligation enshrined within the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981. HSE guidance on this duty reminds us that ‘An employer should make an assessment of first-aid needs appropriate to the circumstances (hazards and risks) of each workplace.’ (1) Employers, particularly in the cleaning industry where there are often lone workers and employees on third party premises, should assess what first-aid provision is adequate....
read moreSanding Can Put You In The Line Of Fire
Terry Guilford gives an explosive warning THIS month I came across an online forum with the heading ‘After the fire’. And that immediately sparked (sorry) my imagination. Just like the dangers caused by airborne hazards such as dust and toxic vapours – fire is a serious concern for floor sanding contractors. The strange thing is how common the fire hazard is without actually being seen as a problem. You see it has happened to me in a small way twice; it has happened to one of our franchisees in a large way once; and it has happened...
read moreKeeping Well Bonded Night & Day
Neil Sanders on high temperature adhesives THIS month I will focus on high temperature adhesives formulated for use in areas that are subject to high temperatures or to significant temperature variations. Different floorcoverings and environments require particular performance characteristics from adhesives. As the range of floorcovering types has expanded, so too has the range of adhesives available to secure them. This has resulted in leading manufacturers developing a comprehensive range of specialist adhesives, to meet the needs of...
read moreHurrah For Something Different
Jim Coulson asks where have all the hardwoods gone? ABOUT six months ago, I wrote about hardwoods used for floors; but that was just in the context of being careful about moisture movement and so on. However, I began to think about hardwoods again only a few weeks ago – at the start of spring – when I happened to be attending a wedding in a lovely old Village Hall. What struck me immediately about the building was its beautiful hardwood floor. It was polished and ‘glowing’; and it had a rich and variegated pattern of strips, made...
read moreGurus To Get Grips With Chipboard
Martin Cummins reports on CFA manufacturer meetings THE CFA manufacturers’ meetings give a great opportunity for discussion among representatives from the various manufacturers involved in flooring. They include floorcovering manufacturers as well producers of adhesives, screed manufacturers and those who make moisture testing kits. The pool of knowledge available from both the technical and sales sides is vast and on the occasion that we all open up the conversation we can get to grips with ‘real’ industry issues and concerns....
read moreAdvice That Only Confuses Customers
Sid Bourne on clueless comments on flooring by other trades I HAVE been in the flooring industry now for over 40 years and my one pet hate through all those 40 years is other trades and people making stupid comments, causing the consumer to feel that they are being ripped off. One thing that is clear is that this type of trouble-making is much worse today than I can ever remember. Here is a case which perfectly illustrates this point. I was called in by a consumer who was completely confused and had no idea about what to do next. It...
read moreHere’s The ‘Wow Factor’ Straight From The Tin
Mark Bushell, national sales manager, flooring and refurbishment at Sika, ‘lifts the lid’ on the latest trends in decorative flooring and the practical benefits of specifying epoxy and polyurethane resin flooring systems over traditional materials: WHEN it comes to commercial flooring, certain elements are a must: High quality, value for money, design freedom and ease of application. Thanks to recent advancements in technology, commercial flooring specialists can now access an impressive alternative to traditional sheet vinyl, lino,...
read moreLogos Are More Than Just A Pretty Face
Mark Brigginshaw, Altro’s internal technical services consultant, gives the lowdown on logos and installing bespoke designs. INCORPORATING logos and bespoke designs into flooring can create a stunning first impression, and offers practical advantages too. The healthcare sector uses them for waymarking as well as fun designs for children’s wards or waiting areas. The transport sector uses bespoke design to show wheelchair and pushchair priority areas. We’ve seen an increase in schools incorporating their branding into the fabric...
read moreMade To Order
Bespoke flooring and logos enable clients and contractors to be very different: Forbo Flooring Systems was involved in the redevelopment of the largest gallery at Eureka!, the National Children’s Museum, supplying Marmoleum in a wide range of shades to create colourful designs in the floor. A combination of bright colours such as Blush and Charteuse were drawn from Marmoleum’s sheet and tile collections for installation in the new ‘All About Me’ gallery which opened last year and has since attracted over 245,000 visitors. Ned...
read moreThe Rules For Kitchens Give Food For Thought
Garry Bateman, head of technical sales and support at Forbo Flooring Systems, explains that finding a floorcovering for food service areas that is safe, easy to clean, durable and yet still aesthetically appealing can often be a difficult task: HEALTH and safety in the food preparation industry is of paramount importance and flooring plays a vital role in ensuring safety requirements are met. With spillages, hot surfaces and sharp objects presenting significant risks, slip resistance should be the primary consideration when making...
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