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Details Of The Job
EARLIER this year I was asked to visit the refurbishment of a public building in the West Midlands. The contractor wanted me to assess whether there was moisture in the subfloor, and then to recommend the best plan of action, including the relevant products to use. The area had been stripped of the floor finishing, and an indicative test showed that there were pockets of moisture present. This was confirmed by an independent CFA expert, who also discovered a crack in the subfloor. However, it wasn’t clear if there was a suitable...
read moreAll In A Nutshell
Paul Jarvis on good riddance to bad welds - part 4 THIS month we conclude the series on avoiding bad welds: Rigid PVCu wall cladding is often used in conjunction with sheet vinyl flooring to produce an impervious easily-cleaned wall finish. In areas where hygiene is of high importance the joints between the sheets are often welded. Whilst the methods for using the weld gun and weld rods are similar, producing a satisfactory welded joint requires slightly different techniques. To achieve the best results, follow these...
read moreBeware: Moisture Is A Movable Beast
Martin Cummins on the use of surface DPMs THE age old question of the relevance and use of surface DPMs recently reared its ugly head on few sites. The discussion, however, was not the basic: ’Do we really need a DPM or are you just trying to con us into spending more money?’ But do we really need to DPM the entire floor? Strictly speaking, he meant a surface applied damp proof membrane and wherever DPM is included below this is what he is referring to. Let me explain further. The first site visit was after an area of vinyl...
read moreWhy It Can Pay To Watch Your Weight
Stuart Whiteley on lightweight smoothing underlayments THIS month I will give information and advice on lightweight smoothing underlayments. Some products available are typically half the weight of a normal underlayment when cured. There are several environments in which the weight of a new flooring installation needs careful consideration. Large-scale, modern, multi-storey developments, for example, may have complex structural loading restrictions. Alternatively, heritage buildings may have been subject to years of regular traffic,...
read moreWe Have Moved On Since The Newton
Simon Foy on the selection of movement joints HERE I will try to unravel some of the mysteries behind the selection of movement joints. When engineers design a structure they usually consider Newtons per sq m and maximum loads. Typically they are thinking of office equipment like photocopiers, average and unmoving pedestrians and the dead weight of plant. What interests them is the impact all this weight can have on the loading on the structure. But when it comes to movement joints, like Interspan or Superspan, it’s a whole...
read moreFailed Wood Floor
Sid Bourne says not all carpenters can install wood floors HAVE said it before, but for whatever reason, nearly every consumer who books me to investigate a complaint says they deliberately employed a carpenter to install their wood flooring. It sounds sensible, I suppose. But, with all due respect, most installations I see where the installer has been a carpenter it is rare to find one with expansion being left or subfloor made good. Most carpenters also completely ignore moisture. Yet you would think that they’d get the job...
read moreGreen Claims Reveal Your Ignorance
Alan Best on the real sustainability challenge for flooring I HAVE worked in the field of environmental consultancy for many years and, through my work for a global flooring manufacturer looking after issues such as international environmental certification & performance testing, I think that I have developed a fair picture of the current sustainability scene. That is I have a fair picture of a somewhat baffling maze. There is clearly an increasing demand by key government and corporate clients for products with verifiable green...
read moreA Great Future Lies Ahead For Vinyl Flooring
Richard Hackett, Gerflor’s retail and LVT manager, explains vinyl design innovations, past, present and future: A VERSATILE flooring, vinyl offers remarkable performance, durability and ease of maintenance, yet its most noticeable asset is its appearance. Vinyl is now widely used in the retail sector to provide striking aesthetics where long- lasting, design-led solutions are essential. Vinyl flooring first became popular in the 1930s. ‘Crunchy’ homogeneous floor tiles offered marbleised or speckled designs, but there was little...
read moreBenefits Galore – Vinyl
Vinyl flooring has a range of benefits making it ideal for commercial installations: Altro products,including Aquarius and Suprema II safety flooring and Whiterock wall cladding, were used in the refurbishment of student accommodation at the University of Bristol. Aquarius, launched earlier this year, is designed for combined barefoot and shoe use in wet and dry environments. It is said to be suitable for any type of shoe, including hard and soft soled, rubber and trainers. This innovation means users no longer have to assess...
read moreHow To Effectively Clean Contract Carpets Is The Business
Justin Binks, director of Sebo UK, explains the most effective way to clean commercial carpets : AESTHETICS and comfort are usually a priority when selecting floorcoverings for commercial installations. But these are not the only considerations. Maintenance and long-term performance are frequently key issues when determining the final specification, especially when including sustainability and whole life costs. Controversy exists over whether smooth floors or carpets are easiest to maintain. Both have their place but, with a good...
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