News
Resin Flooring Has All You Need On A Plate
Helen McGachie, ceo of FeRFA (explains the benefits of resin flooring in the food prep sector: SEAMLESS resin floors are the ideal choice for food preparation areas where they have been successfully used for over 40 years. This is the most demanding of environments where the hygienic properties of the floor are the most important factor, followed by slip resistance and the flooring’s ability to be regularly cleaned and maintained. Three key considerations will affect the performance of the floor in this type of...
read moreGoing Down The Drain In The Best Possible Way
Frank Netherwood, technical manager for Blucher UK, explains the elements of floor drainage systems: FLOOR drainage systems are used in virtually all food preparation areas from commercial kitchens to food production factories. Several factors should be considered to ensure the drainage system meets the demands placed upon it. I Hygiene: This is paramount. Stainless steel drainage systems are selected for food applications because they are resistant to corrosion, inert, easily cleaned without loss of properties, and can be fabricated...
read moreCrunch Time
Flooring in food preparation areas must cope with extreme demands: ACC Flooring recently completed a project at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, founded by the Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth 1 in 1591. The project involved removing all existing kitchen equipment, floor surfaces and drains, before replacing the floors and drains and refitting all the kitchen equipment. As it was undertaken during the school holidays all the kitchen equipment could be removed and stored whilst the works were being undertaken. Whilst installing a...
read moreLight At The End Of The Tunnel
Trading remains difficult for most industries in the UK, but flooring distributors across the country insist that the year could have been worse. Most believe that 2013 will see the beginning of an upturn: ‘It is tough out there but better than last year,’ says Richard Bailey, md of Floorwise, one of the largest independent distributors in Europe. ‘The reality is that lots of people are competing for a limited amount of business, which inevitably hits profitability.’ Many agree that the market has been slightly more buoyant...
read moreFeeling Groovy
Peter Kaczmar on ‘stress relieving grooves’ OCCASIONALLY I like to dust off and revive old hobbyhorses. They serve, I hope, to draw attention to issues of concern or areas of ambiguity which remain unclear seemingly ad infinitum and which continue to frustrate and bemuse in the absence of a definitive explanation. One such issue is the practice of machining so- called ‘stress-relieving’ grooves – those channels machined into the backs of solid woodstrip flooring. These grooves can take the form of shallow recesses...
read moreWood Treatment Varies In Different Seasons
Craig Pawson on wood flooring finishes DID you know that wood flooring may experience different changes in different climates? The UK seasons are becoming more unpredictable, with cycles of warmer, cooler and arctic periods. With this in mind, it is important for contractors to think ahead and advise clients of precautions to take to ensure their wood remains in the best possible condition. Homeowners become concerned when they start noticing about the gaps forming in their wooden flooring during the winter, or a squeaking sound...
read moreNow Wood Passes With Flying Colours
Harvey Booth on new shades of glory WHEN exactly did colour become so important? It’s hard to pin-point. For years, it was all about species. Darker woods like walnut were incredibly popular for some time but, throughout it all, oak remained a constant. Rustic grades made way for more even timbers, and then the lively look came back. But now, colour is definitely the driving force, at all price points. This change first became evident in our dealings with interior designers and the niche press. People were specifically requesting...
read moreThe Adhesive Must Be Right For The Job
Tony Peak on installing wood floors HENRY FORD was supposed to have said ‘You can have any colour you want, as long as it’s black!’ He wasn’t a purveyor of choice obviously. Just imagine if every car was a Ford Fiesta. How would I fit a Bona Belt machine, a DCS vacuum and five boxes of our catalogues in the back? My Renault Scenic was the right choice for my requirements. So why, when I talk to some contractors about fixing wood flooring with an adhesive, do they often say they ALWAYS use the SAME product when there are...
read moreClickety Click
Ease of installation is a general feature of hardwood and laminate flooring in this feature, which also showcases suitable adhesives, acoustic underlay and accessories: B o n a products were used by Cheshire based flooring contractor, Flooring Restoration, to renovate wood floors at Alton Castle, a Victorian property now used primarily as a children’s retreat centre. The oak strip floor in the refectory needed a durable new finish to survive daily wear and tear from foot traffic, heavy furniture and food and drink spills. The...
read morePre-Vacuum And You’ll Be Home And Dry
I RECENTLY attended an excellent specialist training course run by an NCCA corporate member. The subject was low moisture commercial carpet cleaning and, as we would all expect, pre-vacuuming was a universally accepted major element in low moisture cleaning. During our break times, we all had the opportunity to network and discuss anything and everything to do with carpet cleaning. One topic of heated debate was the subject of pre-vacuuming prior to rinse/extraction cleaning. A well known colleague within our industry, who runs a...
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