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Wood Flooring Explained
Wood has been a traditional flooring material for centuries, it is relatively warm under foot, it has a natural attractive appearance and its ease of maintenance makes it a natural choice in many applications. Laminate flooring has some advantages over other floor coverings such as carpet, tile or vinyl; Laminate flooring is easier to keep clean and doesn't normally stain. It's not a 'breeding ground' for the dust mite and offers advantages for those suffering from allergies. Moisture resistant laminate can be used in areas which may...
read moreWooden Flooring
There are many ways that you can categorise wooden flooring. You can group these floors in terms of the material type, the material form and the way the floor is laid out. These are the major classes in which they can be categorised. The type of flooring that is appropriate for our homes will be based on the traffic and the level of punishment that our floor is expected to receive over its lifetime. When it comes to the wooden floor classification based on the type of wood material; the maple, walnut and oak are the most popular. There are...
read moreTypes Of Wood
Comparing American Hardwoods, Softwoods and Tropical Hardwoods Wood products are known for their natural beauty, but when selecting a type of wood for your next cabinetry, flooring, furniture or millwork project, it is important to also consider the level of durability by understanding the difference between wood types. Each type and species of wood has an individual cellular structure that creates unique physical properties that determine suitability for different uses. For example, the hardness of woods varies widely, so certain hardwood...
read moreUnderlay Guide
When you’re buying a wood, laminate or vinyl floor, you might wonder whether you need to buy underlay for your floors, and if so – what kind of underlay? Generally, you should always use underlay when installing a floor but there are some exceptions. For example, you shouldn’t need underlay when fitting a vinyl floor that is cushioned and provides a soft surface. Most laminate and wood floors are what’s known as ‘floating’ floors which means that they aren’t permanently fixed down to the ground underneath it. These are the type...
read moreHeckmondwike Sponsors
HECKMONDWIKE FB sponsored the apprentice of the year competition at the 2014 Flooring Show in Harrogate this year. Darren Simpson of Active Flooring represented Accrington & Rossendale (Accross) College, Lancashire, while Dean Davies of Wilmac Flooring, competed for Coleg Cambria College, North East Wales. Both Darren and Dean recently completed their two year apprenticeships. Heckmondwike FB supplied Diamond entrance matting with a custom-made logo integrated within the carpet. The competition over three days included ply-lining the full...
read moreResin Apprentices Begin Training
THE latest group of FeRFA Resin Flooring apprentices have started a two year training programme involving classroom and practical sessions together with onsite supervised practical experience. The group attended a recent two-day module at Sika’s training facilities in Preston. An introduction by Sika was followed by an induction from CITB, and an in-depth health & safety training session by Jane Innes, training manager of FeRFA partner Stallard Kane Associates. All 13 candidates in this group are taking the in situ resin flooring course...
read moreCITB Simplifies Its Training Levy
SKILLS body the CITB has unveiled changes to simplify the training levy system, following an 18-month consultation with employers. Under the new arrangements 84% of employers are expected to pay the same or less. PAYE levy maintained at 0.5%; Raising levy on payments to labour-only sub-contractors ends; Increases the size of the small business levy reduction from £100,000 to £300,000; and Douglas Matthew, CITB head of levy and grant, said the changes were in response to feedback from employers. ‘They told us that the current...
read moreAdvanced Wood Courses Offered
EXPERIENCED wood floor installers and renovators are invited to join the Bona Certified Contractor Scheme. The scheme comprises four days of intensive training delivered in two separate two-day sessions. As part of the scheme, contractors also receive a free Bona DCS vacuum system to enable them to offer a dust free sanding service to their customers. Other benefits include referrals from the company via leaflets in Bona’s consumer cleaning products, consumer exhibitions and Bona’s advertising and PR campaigns. Contractors who have...
read moreFlooring Installers Must Have QA Cards For M&S
MEMBERS of the Contract Flooring Association which are Marks & Spencer approved contractors are reminded that any fitters that expect to allocate to work on M&S projects must hold valid QA Cards. Members should be aware that fitters who are not QA Card accredited may not be accepted onto site. QA Card assessment dates for the remainder of 2014 are: Subfloor preparation: Wednesday December 10; sheet vinyl installation: Thursday December 11; vinyl tile installation: Friday December 12; carpet tile installation: Thursday December 17; and...
read moreFITA Now Offers NVQs
THE upskilling programme in impervious floors from FITA (The Flooring Industry Training Association) now includes an NVQ at Level 2 for successful candidates. This offer is relevant to flooring contractors who employ experienced fitters who need to apply for a blue CSCS cards for the first time, as well as companies who have fitters who currently hold a green CSCS card and need to upgrade to a blue card. In either case those fitters will need to have an NVQ at Level 2 to meet the requirements for the blue card. If they don’t have an NVQ...
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