News
Getting Customers To Make A Commitment
Leo Aspden on improving your sales DOES your sales team seem to be spending more and more of their time prospecting and qualifying than actually converting enquiries into sales? Do you find yourself handling larger volumes of leads until one of them becomes that all-important customer? n The evaluation process: It’s crucial to have a clear understanding of what type of business you want. What does a good customer look like? If you don’t have a profile of what type of customers you are aiming to reach then it’s time to head back...
read moreCarpet Is On A Roll And Becoming Greener
Keith Robertson on the relevance of carpet in the 21st century MUCH has been discussed in recent years regarding the reduction in carpet usage as more people install hard floor surfaces in their homes. It is certainly true that there has been a steady contraction within the carpet manufacturing industry over recent years, but are carpets becoming consigned to the history of floor coverings? I don’t think so. There are still plenty of interesting carpets being produced throughout the world and carpet manufacturers, in general, have...
read moreManaging Humidity In Timber
Rob Winstone on Equilibrium Moisture Content -- Part 2 LAST month I explained how and why timber moves, and the importance of Equilibrium Moisture Content (EMC). Now we can look at the effect on timber of relative humidity and temperature. The humidity has the largest effect on timber and is a product of temperature, relative humidity, humidity relative to temperature. Temperature has only a small effect on the movement of timber. As discussed last month, timber will absorb or lose moisture to be in equilibrium with the...
read moreMoisture Resistant Doesn’t Mean Waterproof
Jim Coulson on flooring grade particleboard (chipboard) IN this series of articles, I spent quite a bit of time talking about plywood. This is for good reason, since it is used a lot for overlaying old floors; and it is quite a complicated material which can often go wrong, if not bought and used with care. But I ought to say a few words about that humble product, particleboard which is more usually known by its common name of chipboard, of course. Technically speaking, particleboards can be made from things other than wood,...
read moreBig Mouth Installer
Sid Bourne on learning to sand & finish correctly IN my role as an independent inspector of failed flooring and a trainer for FloorSkills and the British Wood Flooring Association I am finding frequent complaints about sanding and finishing. Probably 95% of these are caused by basic installer errors, such as keeping the sanding areas clean and using the correct selection of grit. I recently went to a very prestigious home to view a sanding and finishing issue which had taken so long to resolve that the consumer felt that the only...
read moreIn The Bag
The correct tools and workwear are an essential part of a floorlayer’s kit: Hultafors has introduced its chalk line tools offering pinpoint accuracy for measuring and marking on site. The company’s range of measuring and marking products includes a selection of top quality chalk line products, described as ingenious and robust, top quality products to make your job easier on site, marking straight lines – indoors and outside. www.hultafors.co.uk Personna has been manufacturing top quality blades for over 100 years,...
read moreChoosing The Best Material For Insulation
Maria Morgan, product manager polyfoam at Knauf Insulation explains the requirements for insulation in non-residential floors: INSULATION is one of the key components of any floor build up, but with rising energy costs and growing pressure to reduce carbon emissions, flooring contractors need to be more clued up about different products and appropriate applications. Floor insulation should be resistant to moisture, provide thermal performance and be strong enough to withstand the load of the flooring itself, as well as the weight...
read moreScreed You Must Read
Sound subfloors and screeds are vital for any successful flooring installation: Altro claims that its new AltroScreed Quartz Rapicure can be installed by an experienced team in just two days, less than half the time of other conventional epoxy systems, and without the odours associated with MMA based systems. The new rapid cure decorative quartz screed is available in 27 Boutique colours. In an average installation of 150sq m on a suitable substrate at 20degC, it reportedly takes one day to prime and install the screed material...
read moreLimitless Possibilities To Flooring Design
Julie Dempster, marketing manager at Forbo Flooring Systems, explains what is involved in creating bespoke flooring designs: AS the largest surface area within a building, the flooring offers a real opportunity for creative design. For contractors, sourcing products and design solutions that enable them to create bespoke decorative floors is a useful way of adding value to their service, by offering clients a wholly distinctive look. There are a number of key factors that need to be considered when designing a bespoke...
read moreAdding A Designer Touch To Safety Flooring
Pat Thomas, consultant trainer at Altro’s training school, explains how to embed a bespoke design or logo into UPVC safety flooring to create a stunning impression: WE all appreciate the functional benefits of installing safety flooring but, with the increasing palette of colours available in many product ranges, there are more opportunities for including more complex designs into a room. Some flooring companies, like Altro, offer a cutting service for those contractors who may not feel creative or confident enough to attempt the...
read more