News
Be Smart About Waste And Make A Packet
Top tips for dealing with waste materials Good waste management practice on site can help you save money, reduce waste, comply with environmental legislation and create a positive business image. Many construction companies are losing thousands of pounds on every contract through materials damaged on-site due to poor housekeeping or over-ordering. The average cost of materials that are disposed of in skips comes to £1,346.35 through off-cuts and unused materials. Much of the 86.9m tonnes of waste that ends up in skips...
read moreEmpties : An Issue We Can’t Throw Away
John Alcock on what to do with empty tubs NOT exactly technical, but I’m receiving an increasing number of calls from flooring contractors asking what to do with empty containers, particularly those that have a hazard warning label, because unreacted contents are classed as hazardous, such as our one-coat membrane or two-part epoxy surface resin. However, when two products – the hardener and the resin – are combined and the chemical reaction has taken place the resulting product is inert and not considered or classified as...
read moreGiving Helpful Service Makes Good Sense
Craig Pawson on what to tell customers about wooden floors COMPETITION for customers can be fierce in the flooring trade. This is why contractors need to know the business inside-out and be able to provide the perfect solution for each client. You can set yourself apart by being knowledgeable about product benefits. As a contractor, you need to think about the whole process of a job. From selling the initial idea to selecting the materials; and from installation to after-sales. When a contractor gains a client’s trust, they are...
read moreStrike Lines Or You’ll Be In Line For Trouble
Sid Bourne on the right way to install wood floors I WAS commissioned by a flooring contractor to oversee an installation of unfinished solid wood flooring with a two strip border of another species followed by sanding & finishing. The contractor contacted me because he said the last large job his installers did was followed by a complaint. He was concerned that this particular job went right because the last one cost him a lot of money to get rectified. A date and time was agreed. However, for whatever reason, the installers...
read moreOutsiders Using The CFA Logo Is A Scandal
THEY say time flies but I really can’t believe my two years as CFA President are nearly up, but what a two year tenure it’s been. Watching the impact of the UK economy on our industry has not been a highlight, and I am sure few of us have escaped its impact and will probably go on feeling its troubled effect for a few years to come. However, the troubled economy has brought more than just difficult trading conditions; more it brings a ‘cheapest quote wins’ tendering bias where quality and craftsmanship seem to matter little. This is a...
read moreThe High Street Can Reclaim The High Ground
Terry Smith, corporate account manager for Tarkett, looks at the options for flooring in retail: OVER the last decade, internet shopping has grown significantly, with online sales of clothing and footwear rising by 21% in 2011. High street stores and shopping complexes must work harder than ever to attract and retain customers. Creating welcoming and inspiring interiors will entice people in off the street. Every interior design element, from decor and lighting to displays and flooring, must deliver a retail experience the customer...
read moreRetail Interiors Can Help To Drive Up Sales
Janet Lowe, market manager at Forbo Flooring Systems, looks at the key issues when recommending flooring for retail environments: INTERIOR design aesthetics have a vital role for retailers - from enticing customers into the outlet, to ensuring they have a safe, pleasant and memorable experience inside. Flooring is central to that and the chosen floorcoverings must deliver on different fronts including visual appeal, durability, maintenance and slip resistance. A retail store’s interior plays a key in setting the buyer’s frame...
read moreShop Floors
Flooring is a major element of any retail environment: Ardex UK productsare being used during refits of McDonalds restaurants in the UK. Before each refit Ardex DGR degreaser is used to clean existing wall and floor tiles. Any damaged tiles are removed and the areas patch repaired to level using Ardex Ardurapid A45 rapid hardening and drying internal repair mortar, reportedly enabling new tiles to be fixed 90 minutes after application, regardless of thickness. To facilitate tile on tile application, Ardex P4 Primer is specified....
read moreThe Correct Profiles Help Reduce Accidents
Accessories product manager at Gradus, Rachael Robertson, explains how contractors can reduce the risk of slip and trip accidents on stairs: ALTHOUGH there are many variants that can contribute to stair safety, from the slipperiness of floor surface or floorcovering to the tread and riser dimensions of each step, a simple measure to help reduce slip and trip accidents is to highlight and provide slip-resistance at the step edge through the use of stair edgings. An essential safety feature within any public building, stair edgings define...
read moreCase The Joints
Profiles and trims give flooring a professional finish: Atkinson & Kirby manufactures its own profiles and trims at the company’s Lancashire mill. Its array of products includes stair nosing, scotia, end caps, ramps, twin, quadrants and a new flat threshold. Produced in-house, the profiles and trims can be supplied in a wide variety of lengths and species. Quick production, short lead times and tight quality control are other benefits of an onsite mill with many of the expert production staff having worked for the company for over...
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