News
Made To Order
Bespoke flooring is becoming more and more common: ege carpets were used in the Le Clervaux Boutique & Design Hotel which won the Boutique Design Award 2012 in the category ‘most surprising visual element’. Located in Luxembourg, the hotel wanted customised carpets for its suites, restaurant and hallways. Interior designers Corinna Kretschmar-Joehnk and Peter Joehnk, from JOI-Design GmbH, said: ‘The 22 hotel suites are in three types for different audiences, each with different materials and furniture. They added:...
read moreMystery Moisture
Rob Winstone on Equilibrium Moisture Content -- Part 1 EQUILIBRIUM Moisture Content (EMC) is a subject that has been presented numerous times in the past in CFJ. However from the inspections of floors which I have carried out in recent years, there still seem to be a lack of understanding on how important EMC is when it comes to installing a timber floor and the effect it will have on the finished project. We should all understand that timber is hydroscopic which means that it has the ability to absorb or lose moisture until it is in...
read moreSubfloor Prep
Martin Cummins on subfloor preparation THIS is a surprising title for an article for the UK flooring market, you may think. What I am really saying is that the Europeans (generally) and us have very different working practices when it comes to construction projects and more specifically, flooring projects. The main differences with subfloor preparation are the timeframes allowed on projects. In Europe there is apparently no call at all for bag and bottle smoothing compounds, which are still the main choice for UK fitters. Also, they...
read moreCement Can React With Calcium Sulphate
Stuart Whiteley on surface preparation for calcium sulphate screeds THIS month I will discuss the challenge when working with calcium sulphate screeds, and offer a simple, effective solution. The development of cement technologies has helped overcome many of the difficulties a flooring contractor may face on site. From lightweight smoothing underlayments, for projects where structural loading is a consideration to fast-track solutions that enable floors to be installed in a single day, manufacturers of subfloor preparation...
read moreWhy Some Veneers Are Not Up To Scratch
MORE and more these days, wood flooring is made from laminated components, rather than being solid hardwood or softwood boards, strips or blocks. Often, they are surfaced with very thin veneers, which ‘simulate’ the effects of timber strips or parquet blocks – and in quite a few instances, the veneer isn’t even wood: it’s either printed paper or a plastic foil. This very thin top layer can give problems, especially if the floor panels are not laid on an absolutely flat surface. This is either because the joints between the...
read moreFlooring Plywood
Sid Bourne reveals a new plywood that ticks all the boxes GREAT news for the flooring industry, I have discovered plywood that really does what it says on the can. You may remember some time back when I wrote in CFJ about the extremely poor quality of plywood available, of course due to price. That article was greeted with some concern from the plywood industry who felt that I was causing them problems. I replied that I make no apologies for ‘rubbish’ materials that are being sold in the UK. You know the one, you buy one you...
read moreDon’t Get Stuck Over Choice Of Adhesives
Paul Jarvis, regional technical consultant at Altro, explains why adhesives can be the key to flooring success or failure: THERE is no doubt about it, adhesives can be a sticky business. Every contractor may know about when and how to use adhesives but there are many times when the process can go wrong, having a potentially devastating effect on the job. Manufacturers produce different adhesives for specific purposes and selecting the right adhesive for the right job is absolutely critical. Most flooring manufacturers make...
read moreOur Words Are Your Bond
Flooring adhesives fulfil a number of different challenges: Bostik offers a range of high quality tiling adhesives. OPF is a one-part flexible tile adhesive designed to be totally non-slip with high water resistance. It has been formulated for thin and thick bed applications in fixing large format floor tiles, natural stone, porcelain, terrazzo and slate. It is said to offer exceptional flexibility, high bond strength and be suitable for use with underfloor heating. Bostik Vitri-Flex is a flexible, rapid setting adhesive for...
read moreSound Choices
Underlay products can offer acoustic benefits as well as comfort: All About Everything has launched an e-commerce website to help customers with acoustic flooring and home sound-proofing solutions. The company reports a rise in the demand for soundproofing solutions for loft renovations, garage conversions and even outside spaces such as gardens and inner city ‘backyards’. Evolving from the company’s existing specialist acoustic underlay range, it now offers retro-fit impact and airborne noise reduction solutions for walls,...
read moreBarrier Matting Keeps Shops Clean & Safe
The role of barrier matting within retail locations and how it can be used to create a safe, clean and inclusive environment is discussed by Chloe Taylor, product manager for Gradus: RECENT figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) attribute 90% of slip accidents in public buildings to wet flooring and with the increased pressure on businesses to meet rigorous health and safety standards, barrier matting has become a crucial part of specifying a safe retail environment. The favoured choice of hard, resilient flooring,...
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