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Floors For The Cold
NOT a year seems to go by without some type of extreme weather. We’re either baking or freezing in Easter, while summer can feel colder than October. But, whatever the weather, deadlines must be met, which for us in the world of flooring means finishing on time to avoid penalties. There are times when less than ideal conditions force us to make tough choices. Cold, particularly if accompanied by damp, site conditions causes problems. Obviously PVC and linoleum flooring becomes less flexible and far more likely to crack or tear...
read moreSome Specifiers Wet Behind The Ears
My four previous articles in CFJ (December 2012 - March 2013) were all about plywood. I gave you advice on which sorts of plywood to use (and which wrongly-described plywood you should avoid!). This month I want to give you some basic, but nonetheless essential, advice on how to avoid problems with wood-based flooring products. The most important thing to understand about timber is its reaction to moisture. By that, I don’t just mean avoiding spilling water on it: but avoiding using it (where possible) in areas of high – or low...
read moreCatering For All Tastes
IN today’s interiors market, there is no shortage of inspiration. Rather than singular trends that previously steered our sector, there is now a wealth of different key styles to cater for all tastes. The glamourous, opulent look is set for a big revival; the industrial trend is being given a softer edge and the natural, rustic look is as popular as ever. What a mix! Leading manufacturers are producing design-led wood flooring in a spectrum of shades and finishes. The choice is endless. But, unbeknown to many, there’s a lot going...
read moreExpert Tells Sid
I WAS called in by a magistrate as a single joint expert in a case, because the ‘experts’ employed by each of the opposing parties totally disagreed over the cause of a complaint in question. All the parties and I arranged to visit the site together at a designated time to discuss their individual findings and how each had come to their opposing conclusions. The case involved a maple floor which had cupped badly and expanded dramatically, lifting from the wood subfloor. On arriving on-site I was greeted by the consumer and...
read moreTips On Making Schools Both Stylish & Safe
Karen Burman, marketing product manager for Gradus, looks at how carpet tiles and flooring accessories can help make an education environment stylish and safe: COLOUR and design are hugely important when specifying floorcoverings for an education environment. As for carpet, neutral and natural colourways remain popular, as they do not date easily and will not look out of place in several years. The trend in schools, colleges and universities is for mid to dark tones of grey to be used with bright accent colours. Linear designs...
read moreLearning Benefits Of Carpet
Abby Chandler, marketing manager of Heckmondwike FB, examines the rising popularity of zoning for flooring in educational environments and its impact on the learning abilities of pupils: ZONING is an increasing trend in educational environments to create clear demarcation of areas for specific functions. With more use of open plan spaces in schools and colleges, zoning is a good way to segregate specific areas. Floorcoverings, particularly carpet, play an important role in demarcation, thus creating opportunities for using colour,...
read moreBalance Between Acoustics & Durability
Paul Rogers, technical specification manager, at Forbo Flooring Systems, explains what contractors should look for when selecting acoustic floorcoverings: IN a world full of noise, acoustic performance is essential in modern building design. And in education clients demand an unprecedented combination of high quality, sound reduction properties and sophisticated design choice. Noise pollution can adversely effect the human body, including sleep disorders, stress, headaches and difficulty concentrating, especially for young...
read moreClass Floors
Flooring in educationneeds to with stand the patter of many children’s feet: Altro Walkway and Aquarius safety flooring were installed at Bedford Modern School as part of a programme to convert outdated squash courts into a modern fitness studio. More than 500sq m of flooring was installed to existing timber and newly laid screeded subfloors in the school’s sports centre to construct new changing rooms, showers and circulation areas. Walkway is a 2mm safety flooring designed to provide lifelong slip and abrasion...
read moreMatch Performance With Personality
Hospitality and leisure environments have a diverse range of flooring needs, with an equally varied choice of solutions available – the trick is matching performance with personality, as Fleur Carson, key account manager from Forbo Flooring Systems explains: THE key consideration for hospitality and leisure clients is their customers’ experiences in that venue. Design is prominent in this interaction and therefore, although the practical requirements of each application area are clearly important, installers must also consider the...
read moreFloors For Fun
A variety of flooring is used in hospitality and leisure areas: Interface has launched its first carpet tile collection available globally. Urban Retreat is inspired by people’s instinctive love of nature, a science known as ‘Biophilia’. The collection comes in three distinctive designs. Interface worked with designer David Oakey, who specialises in nature inspired design, to create the collection. Biophilic designs are said to help to bring nature indoors. Colour palettes in the collection are described as being evocative...
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