News
Why The Wear
Alec Stacey, Bona’s technical manager, explains the problem of premature wear in flooring: AS A manufacturer of floor finishes, we occasionally get called to visit a site where there is the perception of premature wear. However, on inspection the source of the problem invariably relates to the initial treatment specified for the floor and the level of maintenance it receives. Often the specification does not reflect the use of the floor such as the type and level of foot traffic. A single coat of a poor quality product on a staircase in a...
read morePoorly Maintained Floor Can Trip You Up
The financial, environmental and commercial benefits of a proficiently cleaned floor are becoming increasingly acknowledged, says Beaver Floorcare director Tom Campton (pictured). But a clean and well-maintained floor is also a crucial part of a safe working environment: A PLANNED floor cleaning and maintenance regime helps to ensure the professional appearance of any workplace environment. If the floorcovering is appropriately cared for, the lifespan of this valuable asset is also protected from the outset, as is the organisation’s...
read moreClean Sweep
Suitable cleaning and maintenance is key for flooring to keep its appearance: Altro has formed a partnership with cleaning expert Delia Cannings to promote cleaning best practice. She is showcasing a range of the company’s floors and walls in her new cleaning training centre in Birmingham. Delia now runs her own training centre, Environmental Excellence Training & Development. She has over 30 years’ experience in the cleaning industry, including most recently in the education sector where she was Business Development Director for a...
read moreThe Concrete Challenge
Mark Leigh of Tremco illbruck explores some options for badly worn or defective industrial floors: WHETHER you replace industrial floors or how you can repair them presents a challenge, particularly where underfloor heating pipework is present in the slab or screed. Most specialist flooring contractors rely on the main system suppliers for some level of support in deciding on the right specification for any remedial work. In the first instance they want to be sure of the integrity of the existing floor, with the ever increasing cost of...
read moreDecontaminating Resin Flooring
Martin Wroe, commercial director at Resin Surraces Limited (RSL), explains what happens if surface preparation is poor: RESIN floors are the most robust flooring systems available and are widely used across industrial, chemical and manufacturing environments, but the most durable floor surfaces of any type can only be achieved when the substrate is properly decontaminated and prepared. This is so that a new system can bond mechanically to it. Here are our top tips for decontamination and surface preparation: 1. Decontaminate first:...
read moreHard Working
Industrial flooring needs to stand up to a tough working environment: Flowcrete UK says its Industrial Floorzone concept provides a time proven solution, which has earned its stripes across various manufacturing environments nationwide. The system comprises Hydraseal DPM, Flowscreed Industrial Top and SF41 coating, all supplied by Flowcrete under one warranty. The system has reportedly been used extensively across the UK’s manufacturing sector, covering hundreds of thousands of sq m of floor space. As with all Flowcrete flooring...
read moreAllow For Movement
Jim Coulson on solid hardwood floors UP to now (in my series for CFJ), I have stuck more or less to discussing problems that may be encountered with wood-based panels used for flooring: primarily as overlays on older floors; but also (in the case of chipboard) as the floor substrate itself. However, the recent spell of very hot weather has prompted me to consider other, solid wood flooring products, and with them, the perennial question of moisture content. Solid hardwood floors used to be very fashionable: but they have been ‘ousted’ in...
read moreBlisters In Vinyl Will Get You Popping
John Alcock on osmosis A COUPLE of months ago I visited a recently constructed college in the North West that featured a large central hall fitted with the usual DPM, smoothing compound and vinyl covering. Problems had arisen when the contractors had come to fit furniture during the final stages of the build, and noticed that a series of blisters had begun to form on the surface of the floor. There were a number of these blisters spread quite randomly across the floor and investigating further, I pierced one which resulted in a good...
read moreDon’t Let The Subfloor Be Spoiled For Choice
Martin Cummins on choosing the right smoothing compound THE enormous choice of smoothing compounds available to the modern flooring contractor can be quite daunting. The technical needs of the substrates along with the contractor requirements and the needs of the floor covering can often have significant conflict. When the opportunity to spend time with contractors comes along I always try and break down the conflict and have a few key pointers to help you find your way through the minefield. Some are very obvious, some perhaps not. Try...
read moreNo Work Unless Qualified
Sid Bourne on the importance of installation training HOW important is installation training? Ask almost anyone who has seen the results pay off, and they’ll say it’s essential. But for all the men and women who undergo training and certification and NVQ to better themselves and their profession, there are still hundreds of people who think they can wing it, basing their belief on what has worked in the past. There are hundreds of installers in the carpet, vinyl and wood flooring industry who do it wrong every day, yet who still get...
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