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Piping Hot
Underfloor heating is becoming more and more popular: Floorwise saysits Thermaflow Impact carpet underlay has been engineered to work with underfloor heating systems to ensure maximum energy efficiency and provide warmth, comfortandperformancethatlasts for years. Rubber sponge Thermaflow Impact, 6.65mm thick, is designed to deliver a low-tog rating even when combined with carpet to enable maximum heat flow. It will not produce odours or degrade when exposed to high temperatures overprolongedperiodsoftime,itis claimed. Said to be...
read moreFlooring Can Help To Provide A Healthy Interior
Janet Lowe, UK market manager, at Forbo Flooring Systems looks at the factors contractors should consider when recommending floorcoverings for healthcare: IN modern healthcare facilities, the floor provides the basis for a sterile environment. Fixtures and fittings, including the flooring, are selected for their hygienic properties first and foremost – with durable and easily cleaned products top of the list. However, there are a number of factors a contractor must consider to ensure giving the client the best performing...
read moreGuidance On Designing Flooring For Dementia
Emma Goulding, of Altro, discusses the importance of flooring in healing or therapeutic environments, notably in the growing area of dementia care: THE UK has an ageing population – this year over 20m people will be over 60. As more people live longer, so too there is a rise in those with dementia. About 800,000 people are living with this condition in England and Wales, and this is set to double over the next 10 years. We at Altro have been working with the University of Stirling’s renowned Dementia Services Development Centre...
read moreWell, well, well!
Flooring faces bigger challenges in most healthcare locations: Bostik Laybond products have been used by Orchard Flooring on new build and renovation projects for Avery Healthcare, a provider of residential and nursing care homes across the UK. One recent project was in Stoke-on-Trentwhereanew residential care home offers 61 residential beds with provision for nursing care. Orchard worked with Bostik technical support department to assess products most suitable for the 3,300sq m of floorspace, This involved a site visit, which...
read moreBeing Dent-Free
Mark Brigginshaw on avoiding unwanted impressions I AM regularly asked ‘How well will my vinyl floorcovering stand up to heavy loads?’ In areas where this is a real concern, such as where pallet trucks and forklifts are used, retractable seating systems or more general storage shelving and racking, carrying out some basic calculations before choosing your flooring can make a real difference. To avoid making a permanent, unwanted impression in the newly installed floor, it is important to consider and determine the potential...
read morePlywood: There Is No Such Thing As WBP
Jim Coulson on specifying plywood WHEN flooring contractors are faced with the need to overlay an old floor surface, prior to installing a high quality flooring finish, they always seem to end up asking for – or perhaps being offered – WBP plywood. But it may come as a surprise to many, to learn that there is actually no such thing as WBP: and in fact, there probably has never been such an animal, in the world of contract flooring! The letters WBP in themselves, stood for Weather and Boil-Proof (and not Water and Boil-Proof, as...
read moreHow To Enjoy A Problem Free Cosy Winter
John Alcock on underfloor heating UNDERFLOOR heating is a topic I’ve covered in the past. I think it’s a great idea, not least because it’s often more economical to run than traditional alternatives. There are also benefits in terms of space and the appearance of rooms since you don’t need to fit radiators. However, several recent technical support visits have highlighted the potential pitfalls for flooring contractors when working on properties where an underfloor heating system, (or UFH to use the shorthand version) has...
read moreSid’s Challenge On The Apprenticeship Status
Sid Bourne on the British Wood Flooring Association I AM passionate about apprenticeships in wood flooring. So I get angry when certain companies appear to claim the credit for offering these apprenticeships, something they are not authorised to do. I wrote and got ConstructionSkills approval for a two-year apprenticeship for wood flooring for the British Wood Flooring Association. No one else other than CSkills was involved. I wrote it to help relieve the skills shortage in the wood flooring industry and also to train the future...
read moreHere Flooring Really Takes A Battering
Polyflor market manager John Mellor explains why the correct flooring in a food preparation area is vital: IN a busy food preparation area or commercial kitchen, the chosen flooring is an integral part of the design scheme. With heavy footfall, employees moving around quickly and with regular contamination of oil and grease, there is a requirement for flooring to be durable, easy to clean and to provide the sufficient sustainable slip resistance in wet conditions in order to provide employee protection and underfoot safety. The...
read moreHealth & Safety Always At The Forefront
Paul Rogers, technical specification manager at Forbo Flooring Systems, looks at the issue of health & safety: HEALTH and safety within 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 flooring recommendations within this sector. In addition, durability, ease of cleaning and acoustic performance must also be taken into...
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