Flooring April-May 2015

april / may 2015

Shaw’s new 2015 In Stock program Shaw Contract Group’s new 2015 In Stock In Australia program delivers the most extensive range of stocked commercial flooring options in the industry. Choose from over 250,000m2 of carpet tile and hard surface flooring in a wide variety of styles and colours available now.

See page 16 >

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FLOORS

april/may 2015 | vol 33 no 02 www.flooringmagazine.com.au

Industry News

Special Features

Regular Reports

FrontCover

05 Tarkett now bigger with Desso

16 Carpet

14 Airstep Retailer of the Month: Tassie Floorcoverings, Montrose, Tasmania

01 Shaw Contract Group

06 Letter to the Editor

26 Software 32 Resilient Flooring

07 GMK Logistics - the fastest freight on earth?

38 Timber & Parquetry

09 Inspiring Choices

40 Installation

10 New appointment for Flooring Xtra Australia 12 Tuftmaster alive and well

4 Flooring April/May 2015

20 Business: Interest Rates 36 Product Update 42 Exhibition Calendar Advertisers Index

Image courtesy of Andrew Worssam

News

The Tarkett carpet pile is now bigger with Desso in the loop Tarkett has completed its acquisition of Desso, one of Europe’s leading carpet manufacturers. Desso is widely recognised for its high quality and innovative products and its strong commitment to sustainability.

“The acquisition of Desso strengthens our product portfolio with the addition of high-end carpets and carpet tiles. Together with the acquisition of Tandus in 2012, it enables Tarkett to provide cutting edge commercial carpet solutions to all customers worldwide” explained Tarkett CEO, Michel Giannuzzi.

The innovative Desso range includes Desso Airmaster

which has been developed to contribute positively to air quality by trapping and filtering fine airborne dust particles.

Desso Airmaster has been used extensively throughout the Frank Gehry designed Dr. Chau Chak School of Business at the University of Technology Sydney to help provide a healthier learning environment for students and staff.

In Australia the extensive range of Desso products will consolidate Tarkett’s position as a market leader with a full suite of ‘front door to back door’ flooring solutions for any commercial project including offices, hospitality, retail, hospitals, aged care and education.

Techspan has moved Supplier of Plastic Welding Tools, the Techspan Group was established in 1979.

Now, 36 years on, Techspan New Zealand has just relocated into a new modern building in New Lynn, Auckland, and aims to serve

Carpet Court suppliers view The Block Triple Threat As the official flooring and blinds sponsor of The Block, Carpet Court offered its suppliers an exclusive preview of the completed apartments from The Block Triple Threat on 30 March.

A total of 21 suppliers attended the exclusive viewing including 16 representatives from Godfrey Hirst Floors, Tuftmaster, Dunlop, Embelton, Godfrey Hirst, Premium Floors, Quest, Pacific Wholesale, Fabrics, Awning Systems and Viewscape, who were each given the opportunity to explore the apartments – many of which have not yet been revealed on the show – and see the final designs and finishes as the apartments are readied for auction.

Block contestant, Charlotte, from apartment one, also stopped by to provide an insight into her time on the hit series.

As a consistent sponsor of The Block series, various Carpet Court products have been used throughout the seasons, providing contestants with the flooring needs to match their design vision and viewers the inspiration to recreate the looks in their own homes.

Twenty separate spaces on The Block featured Carpet Court products including products from Darren

Palmer’s Provincial Lane range, exclusive to Carpet Court stores.

Carpet Court Product Manager, Russell Knight, said it is always great to get all the suppliers together and build on the strong relationships they have with Carpet Court.

“Our guests were very appreciative of the tour and the opportunity to see how their products, used extensively throughout The Block, contributed to the overall design aesthetic of each of the apartments.

Godfrey Hirst Floors National Manager, Andrew Henderson, said the day was a great opportunity to see all of the apartments. “It was great to physically see the breathtaking end results of all the hard work that we’ve seen on TV throughout the series.

“Thanks to Carpet Court’s sponsorship, Godfrey Hirst Floors timber products were used to perfection in both Ayden and Jess and Anastasia and Tim’s apartments. Perfectly complementing the high-end South Yarra apartments and some very clever interior styling, the floors were a definite showstopper. The way Ayden and Jess seamlessly continued the floor up their kitchen wall was brilliant,” Andrew said.

its New Zealand and Pacific customers even better.

New face at Kenbrock Flooring Kenbrock Flooring has announced that Paul Francis Woods has joined the company as Commercial Products Manager for Queensland and NSW. Paul has spent his total working life in the flooring Industry and was previously National Key Accounts Manager Australia for Forbo

Flooring Systems. He has 42 years flooring experience in the commercial arena in Europe and Australasia and he has a passion for fit-for-purpose products, installation and maintenance and providing innovative solutions for successful project completions.

Flooring April/May 2015 5

News Letter to the Editor I have been receiving your Flooring Australia magazine for a number of years and have read articles raising the issue of the quality of installations and how to address these.

I am starting to have more and more concern about the new backings that most manufacturing companies are using on their carpets; that is, not jute.

I am sure I am not the only floorcovering contractor having trouble with these carpets wrinkling (ruckingJ and joins delaminating after a very short time. What I am finding is the manufacturers are very quick to blame the layers and we

are going back to re-stretch at our own expense.

While most of my customers have been so over many years, in fact some are second and third generation customers, it is hard for me not to just go back and rectify the problem. In most cases the home is occupied, so moving furniture and working with the owners can be quite disruptive for them and timeconsuming for everyone.

As I have been a floor layer for 43 years, I have always used a power stretcher and tip joins and can't remember when I have had to go back to do a re-stretch on a carpet

ELITE PUBLISHING CO PTY LTD ABN: 27 006 876 419 PO BOX 800, Templestowe Victoria, Australia 3106 Ph: + 61 3 9890 0815 Fax: + 61 3 9890 0087 Email: info@elitepublishing.com.au Website: www.elitepublishing.com.au

with jute backing. I could count on one-hand repairs to jute-backed carpets delaminating, but this has mostly occurred after many years, not weeks.

I feel this problem needs to be looked at, as it reflects poorly on the layers' work and the industry, while I believe the Industry has been working hard for many years to address this perception.

As this seems to be occurring more and more, I feel that the problem should be looked at, as my experience as a layer is telling me this is a product problem, not a laying problem.

If carpet with this new backing needs to be laid in a different manner than the Australian Standards specify, maybe this needs to be addressed by manufacturing companies.

I am seeking feedback from you as a flooring magazine, and relevant industry organisations, if others are having this problem. I would like to be put in touch with laying or industry organisations that may also be able to assist.

Peter Wilkinson P&D Wilkinsons Floor Services Armidale, NSW

ELITE PUBLISHING CO PTY LTD PUBLISHERS OF: Supplier Woodworking Magazine, Furniture & Bedding Magazine, Flooring Magazine Member of the International Woodworking and Furniture Supplier Magazine Associationt

PUBLISHER Vicky Cammiade Email: vicky.cammiade@elitepublishing.com.au GROUP MANAGING EDITOR Jennifer Curtis Email: jennifer.curtis@elitepublishing.com.au NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Ashley Cooper Email: ashley.cooper@elitepublishing.com.au CIRCULATION MANAGER Georgia Gilmour Email: georgia.gilmour@elitepublishing.com.au PRODUCTION For artwork and production enquiries please email: production@elitepublishing.com.au

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Jennifer Curtis – Group Managing Editor

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6 Flooring April/May 2015

Ashley Cooper – National Sales Manager

"Your Industry – Your Magazine"

GMK Logistics - the fastest freight on Earth?

GMK Logistic’s GM, Gary Satara, broke the existing world record for the World’s Fastest Jaguar in April at a massive 237mph.

Sunrise (Channel 7) ran a story on Friday 27 March interviewing Gary and a number of other racers.

Gary is a member of the Dry Lakes Racers Australia (DLRA), which is the only land speed racing club in the country.

“We have approximately 1,300 members and we race once a year in Februsary or March on a dry salt lake in the middle of South Australia

called Lake Gairdner,” explained Gary. “The lake is about 160 to 180km long.

Our race track is three miles of run up to speed, three to four miles of timing and then three miles of braking area.”

Gary has been building his Jaguar XJS since 2005 and first raced it in 2013 when he attained a speed of 182mph.

“Last year was wet and slippery and the engine was off,” said Gary. “This year I ran a 224mph on the Monday straight off the trailer and backed it up with a 236.733mph on the Tuesday.”

Congratulations to the team at Floorshop As proud members of the Australian Retailers Association, Floorshop recently completed a membership satisfaction survey and were named the overall prize winner.

ARA Executive Director Russell Zimmerman was delighted to visit Lenore and Niels Walter and the team at their Brookvale showroom and present them with a brand new MSI S100 tablet.

Mr Zimmerman said the ARA truly values feedback from its members. “Tools such as our membership feedback survey allow us, as Australia’s leading retail industry body, to

keep up to date with the daily challenges and opportunities facing our members.

“We’re always looking for ways to improve our service, so it was great to hear a few suggestions from the team at Floorshop including a request for more networking and training opportunities, for example.

“We were also pleased to hear that the team were impressed with our wide variety of our employment relations services. On behalf of the ARA I would like to congratulate the team at Floorshop on being named our prize winner.”

“The fact that I don’t need to install a waterproofing membrane means my jobs are completed faster, at a lower cost and are more environmentally friendly!”

Tarkett has achieved CodeMark™ certification as an alternative waterproofing solution under the NCC on a range of vinyl floor and wall products.

See the range and learn more at www.tarkettsolutions.com.au

Matt Borg MKB Flooring

30035

News

A successful story Asia’s largest international flooring show, DOMOTEX asia/ CHINAFLOOR 2015, gathered the industry in the heart of one of the most attractive markets – China – on March 24-26, 2015 and statistics tell a successful story.

A total of 1,275 exhibitors, among which were 289 coming from 38 different countries, participated in the largest show in Asia held in 140,000 m2 of space encompassing 12 halls.

Nine countries hosted pavilions showcasing a myriad of products and services from Afghanistan, Belgium, Germany, India, Iran, Netherlands, Nepal, Pakistan and the United States. Visitors totaled 46,115 of which 11,374 came from over 100 countries outside China.

Over 60% of the space was rebooked on spot, confirming

exhibitors’ satisfaction on the value and the opportunities that this trade platform can bring to their business.

Some of the newest products and ideas presented at DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR 2015 were brought to the spotlight through the InnovAction flooring campaign.

Visitors voted for their top picks of the newest products and innovations and selected top 10 products for each of three sectors.

This year’s InnovAction centre showcased seven innovative ideas: Back to Nature with Bamboo by Dasso Industrial Group; SourceNature”by Weihai Shanhua Carpet Group; Aurora by Newspec; Carol Land by Suzhou Duolaiyun Houseware; BIO +STYListic by Gerfloor; Symphony in Colours by Novalis Innovative Flooring

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and Infinity by Star-living.

The GreenStep Asia Awards, jointly organised with US trade magazine Floor Covering Weekly, honored Asian manufacturers’ commitment to sustainability and environment protection.

At DOMOTEX asia/ CHINAFLOOR 2015, nine main green initiatives were officially awarded by a jury of experts from some of the most influential associations and media in the industry.

The winners of GreenStep Asia Awards 2015 were: Shan Dong Li Fang Jie with “Environment-friendly Floor Cleaning Membrane” who won the Green Product Category; Weihai Shanhua and Zhejiang Sunflower were both announced winners of the Green Process Category and Novalis Innovative Flooring grabbed both Green Promotion and Green Pinnacle Awards. Honorable mentions were awarded to Wuxi Huacan and Dalian Huade for Product, Beaulieu Asia for Process and Polyflor represented

by Shanghai Linkstrong for Pinnacle.

DOMOTEX asia/ CHINAFLOOR expanded the trading platform by organising concurrent events with related industries and increasing the opportunity for information

exchange, education and cross marketing. One of the top highlights of these concurrent professional forums was the 2015 China International WPC Development Forum. With Wood Plastic Composite (WPC) becoming one of the hottest products in the global flooring industry, the forum attracted around 200 attendees (buyers and manufacturers) from over 10 different countries.

The show offered an enriched interactive and enhanced product resources and activities in special venues throughout the show grounds that gave visitors the opportunity to learn more about products and technologies showcased at the show. This included the Wooden Integrated Products Show Room – a new concept that made its debut for the first time at DOMOTEX asia/ CHINAFLOOR show; the display area for the 20th Anniversary of China Flooring Industry: the timber area; the Floor Heating Installation Show; Handmade Carpet Salon; the Sports Experience Arena and more.

DOMOTEX asia/ CHINAFLOOR will return next year from 22 to 24 March, 2016.

New member announcement Over the past few months, six flooring retailers across Australia have joined the WoolSet group, the latest being Yarra Valley Floors (formally Lilydale Floorcoverings) in Victoria.

Servicing the local community for over 20 years, Mike Wale took over the business in June 2014.

Bringing over 40 years’ industry experience, across residential and commercial flooring sectors, Mike has already proven to be a strong force in ensuring the

continued success of the business.

Recognised for its outstanding service levels, last year Yarra Valley Floors won the local Word Of Mouth Customer Service Award, as well as continuing to be part of the Happy Customers Program.

Now part of the WoolSet group, Mike is very excited about the future of his business.

Sika acquires Construction Technologies Australia Sika has acquired Construction Technologies Australia (CTA), a leading Australian-owned manufacturer of tile adhesives and associated products.

The acquisition will expand Sika’s local manufacturing footprint and product range to become a leading supplier of surface preparation, adhesive and waterproofing products for tiling applications in Australia “CTA’s product range will increase Sika’s presence in new and existing distribution channels and allows the business to leverage crossselling opportunities. The range includes tile adhesives, grouts, waterproofing membranes, floor levellers and associated products, acoustics and sealants,” said Miljan Gutovic, General Manager of Sika Australia.

“The acquisition will extend Sika’s manufacturing operations in Sydney and Brisbane, and provides an opportunity to streamline and optimise the production of powder and mortars to deliver cost savings and efficiency gains,” added Mr Gutovic.

The acquisition is a further step in the expansion of Sika’s mortar business, which grew by 31% in 2014.

Key members of the CTA team will stay on with Sika to drive the continued success of the business.

Miljan Gutovic, General Manager of Sika Australia and Troy Hogan, Managing Director of CTA.

Inspiring Choices 2015 Following the success of the inaugural Inspiring Choices magazine last year, Choices Flooring has now launched its 2015 edition.

Featuring over 100 pages of the latest flooring designs (92% of which are exclusive to Choices Flooring), as well as colour, style files and editorial contributions from some of Australia’s best interior stylists and writers, Inspiring Choices 2015 will have consumers decorating from the floor up.

Partnering with Bauer Media, Inspiring Choices 2015 has been integrated into the May issue of Australian House & Garden (May edition) and will also be integrated into the June issue of Real Living (on sale Monday 11 May).

This integration is not just a first for the Australian

flooring industry, but given the size, was also a first for Bauer Media.

Adapting to new media with their consumers, Choices Flooring has also enriched the consumer experience by including Viewa technology throughout the magazine.

To support the magazine’s launch, Choices Flooring has embarked on a national eight week integrated marketing communications campaign, which will also see over 400,000 copies of Inspiring Choices 2015 distributed across Australia via Australian House & Garden, Real Living, online subscribers and most importantly, in Choices Flooring stores.

News New appointment for Flooring Xtra Australia

Gerflor’s green portfolio expands Gerflor’s portfolio of Green Tag Certified products continues to grow.

The most recent additions include Creation Clic, Taralay Impression Comfort, Taralay Impression Compact, Taraflex Sport M Evolution, Texline Pro and Mipolam Ambiance Ultra.These now join Mipolam Symbioz, Taralay Premium Compact, Taralay Premium

Comfort, and the Tarasafe ranges that already achieved Green Tag status.

In other environmental news, lighting at Gerflor’s Hawthorn East headquarters has been upgraded with LED tubes replacing fluorescent tubes. This will decrease lighting electricity use, costs and emissions by an estimated 60%.

Flooring Xtra Australia has recently appointed Loreta Robinson to the position of National Store Development Manager.

Loreta has worked within the flooring industry across Australia and New Zealand for over 20 years and brings with her a wealth of knowledge across many aspects of the flooring industry.

Flooring Xtra Director Scott Enno, commenting on her appointment, said: “We’re really pleased that Loreta has joined the Flooring Xtra support office team.

Her knowledge, skills and experience will help ensure that the momentum that Flooring Xtra has enjoyed over the last few years continues on for many more.

“Already, Loreta is proving to be a fantastic addition and we know our Flooring Xtra members will really benefit from her input over the coming months as she settles in.

“As we launch into the second year of our Xcellence Program, we plan to provide even more tools to help make our members successful in all aspects of their business.”

Kenbrock Flooring is on the move Kenbrock Flooring is relocating its Brisbane based operation in June to a larger office and warehouse in Brendale on the north side of Brisbane.

The new office and warehouse that will be completed early May and will better service the stock requirements of Kenbrock’s

Queensland and New South Wales customers.

Celebration of service and achievement Gerflor’s recent national sales conference at The Park on Albert Park Lake proved the ideal opportunity to recognise and reward employees for long and valued service.

Recipients ranged from five

to 25 years of service with the company that continues to grow its market share with innovative new flooring solutions for the commercial, residential and sports markets.

Gerflor Managing Director, Chris Low (Front), with the 2015 Gerflor Service Award recipients (Middle) Nicholas Cross, Linh Panteli, Jennifer Nicholas, Aureen Holt, Sylvia Malic, Ian Zegenhagen, (Back) Mark Chate, Andrew Fenner, Evan Graves, David Merriman, Robert Kerr, Jo Cichero, Jutta Fronert, Hayden Doak, Mira Bulmer and Steven Gradecak.

10 Flooring April/May 2015

Just another Member benefit of being part of

the Choices Flooring family

OVER

90

usive % excl products

Full s age 104 p ated r integ to in

For a strictly confidential discussion about the future direction of your business, please contact: Andrew Lewis Chief Executive Officer Mobile: 0400 400 036 Email: alewis@choicesflooring.com.au

Tim Drew Group Manager - Retail Development Mobile: 0425 751 756 Email: tdrew@choicesflooring.com.au

choicesflooring.com.au

News Carpet Court ladies race ahead On Saturday 11 April, 22 women from Carpet Court’s head office, stores and suppliers across NSW attended an exclusive event at the Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day at the Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney.

It was a day of fashion, good company, beautiful horses and fast finishes around the track.

The day also featured food designed by celebrity chefs, Matt Moran and Richie Dolan.

Hosted by Carpet Court ambassador, Shelley Craft, and National Marketing Manager, Natasha Gallardo, attendees rubbed shoulders with famous faces and enjoyed the atmosphere in the Chiswick Marquee.

The day is the second in a series following an event in Melbourne at the Australian Open earlier in the year.

The events are designed to celebrate female leaders across

the business and provide an opportunity to enjoy each other’s company.

“We have established these ladies days to provide a platform for social networking outside of the traditional social offerings, which have largely been golf days that many female members would not attend because they were not relevant to them. These new events resonate with female staff and are fun for all involved.

“It’s also a testament to the contribution these women make to the business and a great opportunity for them to network and share tips and tricks with one another,” Natasha said.

Jacqui Morris, owner of Lakehaven Carpet Court, attended the event and loved the opportunity to be part of the exclusive group of women.

“The event was fabulous and the atmosphere was incredible. Right from the start

we were greeted by Matt Moran on the door then surrounded by celebrities including Daniel MacPherson, Layne Beachley, as well as MKR and Home and Away stars. Meeting our ambassador, Shelley Craft, was great as well. She was so down to earth and approachable and had some interesting insights into the design world.

“It was also a great opportunity to have quality time with other female owners in the area. Previous networking events generally include our husbands and manufacturers and can be groups upwards of 200 people. In a smaller unit we were able to have a more intimate experience with the whole group.

“It was nice to be appreciated for our role in the business and to be treated to great food and wine. It was a true ladies day out,” Jacqui said.

Top: Karen Terry from Terry Bros Carpet Court in Forbes; Bianca McFarlane from Terry Bros Carpet Court in Young/ Cootamundra; Olivia Terry from Terry Bros Carpet Court in Forbes; Lois Terry from Terry Bros Carpet Court in Young/Cootamundra; Carpet Court ambassador Shelley Craft; and Tammy Terry from Terry Bros Carpet Court in Young/Cootamundra Above: Haigouhi Saryian from ABC Carpet Court; Carpet Court ambassador Shelley Craft; and Mel Kahramanian from St Leonards Carpet Court

Tuftmaster alive and well Three years after a devastating fire destroyed the Tuftmaster wool yarn and sampling areas at its Melbourne facility, the business is finally back to being fully operational.

The fire, which took hold over the Christmas holidays when the factory was closed, was caused by a defective safety lamp, which broke and fell into some wool yarn where it smouldered before finally catching alight. It took 16 fire units to put it out and then three years to rebuild the premises.

“The main problem was the asbestos in the old building, which turned out to be a major headache,” said Tuftmaster general manager

of sales and marketing, John Roberts. “We also had to clean everything that wasn’t to be replaced and order all new machinery from Europe.

“The work was done in stages but we couldn’t use any part of the building as the work was done as everything had to be signed off because of the asbestos. We just had to be patient and wait.

“Fortunately we were able to keep continuity of supply with help from our supplier in New Zealand, CCY, and our retailers were very loyal,” said John. “Now we just want all our customers to know that we are back to full strength and everything is working normally.”

n i e r o t s neAwtherton

Another Welcome Addition to the

Choices Flooring Family

Choices Flooring would like to welcome our newest Members, Vicki and Steve Milne, into the Choices Flooring family. Vicki and Steve have transformed an ordinary building into a modern and stylish Choices Flooring showroom, alongside constructing a 500m2 warehouse in Atherton (QLD). They are confident that with the support of the Choices Flooring Central Office team, they can continue to grow their new business.

“Since joining the flooring industry we’ve been in a very steep learning curve. But we now have our feet firmly on the ground, which has allowed us to take things to the next level.

We purchased a new building which we renovated into our own showroom. After a trip to Melbourne to meet with the team at Central Office, it was clear to us that Choices Flooring would give us the difference that we have been looking for.”

For a strictly confidential discussion about the future direction of your business, please contact: Andrew Lewis Chief Executive Officer Mobile: 0400 400 036 Email: alewis@choicesflooring.com.au

Tim Drew Group Manager - Retail Development Mobile: 0425 751 756 Email: tdrew@choicesflooring.com.au

choicesflooring.com.au

Retailer of the month

Filling a gap Tassie Floorcoverings, Montrose, Tasmania

14 Flooring April/May 2015

T

assie Floorcoverings is an unusual business in an industry where being part of a group and thus being similar is the norm.

Owner Dale Free has developed his business, in the northern suburbs of Hobart, Tasmania, to appeal to both the domestic and commercial clientele in the area who are time poor.

“Rather than having customers race around trying to get into a showroom to select their products and colours, I saw a gap in the market to offer my clients an on-site experience,” said Tassie Floorcoverings’ Dale Free.

“By attending the site with the client, in just one meeting I can provide a quotation, cover the selection of product style and

colour, guide the client through the installation process and the maintenance recommended after install.

“After the meeting, the client knows EXACTLY what will be done and gives us an opportunity to answer any questions or concerns the client may have whilst on-site."

Dale began his business in 2005 although he has been in the floorcoverings industry for 32 years. Originally a one man operation working out of a storage facility, it now employs 10 full time installers and three full time office staff. The recent appointment of an office manager has increased sales and productivity resulting in the recent signing of three new apprentices.

Operating from Hobart’s Northern Suburbs, the business services the entire south of the state of Tasmania for both domestic and commercial work.

“No job is too small,” said Dale. “We cater for anything from small repairs to large scale refurbishment.”

Some recently completed jobs include the facility upgrade of Huon Aquaculture; the Treasury Building, Hobart; South Hobart Childcare Centre and the TasTAFE facility upgrade.

“We are currently working on the upgrade of Euphoria, Hobart – one of Hobart’s most prestigious furniture outlets,” said Dale.

While the commercial work covers hospitals, offices, renovations etc, Tassie Floorcoverings also specialises in disability upgrade work, creating facilities and spaces that are specially designed to suit the needs of the client.

“It is very rewarding to see the finished

project and how it can change the lives of our clients,” said Dale.

“We provide ongoing floorcoverings maintenance services to many of our past and present clients, as well as new building fitouts, office refurbishments, showrooms and household renovations.”

Dale is continually educating his staff on new products, new procedures and providing up-to-date training. All of his employees are either qualified, carrying out an apprenticeship, or are experienced qualified contractors.

“The industry generally lacks knowledge.

Only a handful of sales staff have actually been previously employed as installers, and can give first hand advice,” said Dale.

“We have recently signed up three new apprentices as we believe more qualified installers are required in the industry.”

Obviously Dale and his business are on the right track as they are currently looking at larger premises – a good sign that things are going well.

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Carpet

Shaw delivers maximum versatility Shaw Contract Group’s new 2015 In Stock In Australia program delivers possibly the most extensive range of stocked commercial flooring options in the industry.

Encompassing over 250,000 m2 of carpet tile and hard surface flooring options, a wide variety of styles and colours are in stock now from Perth to Brisbane.

According to Shaw Contract Group Australia National Sales Director, Aaron Martin, the new program has been designed to meet demand and market trends. “The 2015 In Stock In Australia program has been designed for customers that have jobs that require quick turnarounds but they do not want to have to sacrifice design to meet the deadline,” Aaron said.

“The program includes more styles and colours than ever before enabling customers to mix and match from the different collections and also sees the addition of hard surface collections for the first time.

“The choices range from the Pacific carpet tile collection ideal for volume projects through to the design and colour focused Hexagon carpet tile collection and

the Pigment luxury vinyl tile collection.

“And better still it can all be onsite fast, in fact within 48 hours of confirming your order,” Aaron said.

New collections joining the already extensive In Stock In Australia carpet tile program include the popular Hexagon collection with 14 Plane colours and two Bevel colours and the new Color Frame collection which brings with it 36 colours to choose from.

New collection from Carpets Inter Architexture carpet tiles from Carpets Inter are available in two distinctive designs: Pace and Apex, with 13 colours offered in each design.

In the best interior architecture all elements cohere into a beautiful and functional space.

The textural and tonal qualities of the Architexture

16 Flooring April/May 2015

collection have been designed to precisely complement and enhance interior environments whilst providing a quiet and functional aesthetic.

Architexture carpet tiles

by Carpets Inter are backed with market leading EcoSoft and are available from Above Left.

There has also been seven new the additions of to the Pacific collection.

The hard surface collections joining the In Stock In Australia program include Crete, Quiet Cover and the design focused Grain and Pigment collections. Quite Cover, Grain and Pigment all feature the In*Step Locking System, a fast, simple glueless installation system.

The 2015 In Stock In Australia collections of carpet

tiles is Cradle to Cradle Certified CM Silver and uses premium Eco Solution Q fibre. All tiles feature EcoWorx backing, which is certified with the highest level of GECA certification and a Green Star Level A product rating according to the Green Building Council of Australia. EcoWorx carpet tiles are 100% PVC free and are backed with an environmental guarantee for reclamation and recycling.

Need commercial flooring ASAP? Shaw Contract Group’s 2015 In Stock In Australia program delivers the largest choice of flooring designs that can be at your door and on the floor ASAP. Choose from carpet tile and hard surface collections in stock now from Perth to

250,000m2

Brisbane including our popular Hexagon collection. Design is a rush.

OVER 50 STYLES

Contact us to find out more or to order any of our In Stock samples today.

Australia 1800 556 302 shawcontractgroup.com.au

New Zealand 09 574 0640 jacobsens.co.nz

IN STOCK NOW

Carpet

Shaw explores ancient crafts Design Journey is an exploration of deep-rooted cultures and handmade traditions. Inspired by the Shaw Contract Group design team’s travels to Cambodia and Laos, the new Novice & Master collection celebrates the culture, craft and technique of artisan weavers and captures the art of silk weaving in a luxurious and richly textured collection of designs.

“The Shaw Contract Group design team thrives on new challenges, and Design Journey builds upon our passion for travel and global craft,” said Shaw Contract Group General Manager Paul McCosker.

Plush, textural and sophisticated, Design Journey includes two broadloom and six carpet tile products.

Refined textures with a high

luster finish lend the collection well to hospitality, professional services, corporate office and high end retail environments.

Products offer varied scales of textures and eight styles in 15 colours, including warm and cool neutrals and deep rich hues.

“The styles explore the uniqueness between generations and expertise,” said Paul. “Those that represent the novice replicate the new weaver with irregular fabric and inconsistent textures, while others represent precise and complex patterns of the experienced master weaver.”

Products include: Artisan Tile: an irregular stitch pattern with a nod to the fine and smooth elements of silk; Artisan Loom: a broadloom version of artisan tile featuring an irregular stitch pattern;

Kit, Matmee and Chok tiles.

Cloth Tile: the rough coarse texture in this tile pays homage to a raw silk; Plainweave Tile: horizontal woven accent bands overlaid in the cloth texture; Kit Tile: a near solid, the masterful simplicity comes from a single continuous colour of lustrous thread; Chok Tile: precisely adds multiple colors for an intricate woven-like texture; Matmee Tile: delicate threads of lustrous yarns alternate rhythmically throughout tiles, inspired by the great skill needed to achieve the complexity of ikat resist dye patterns; Chok Loom: a delicate broadloom pattern with the

Stylish and adaptable A stylish and adaptable flooring solution that’s easy to maintain and resistant to food and drink stains, mud, sweat and blood was the requirement for the Adelaide Oval.

While often known as the city of churches, Adelaide is also renowned as the as one of Australia’s most iconic places to watch cricket and the history surrounding the Adelaide Oval is fascinating.

The brief relating to the recent upgrades was challenging in terms of accommodating an increase in patronage as well as aligning with the Oval’s original aesthetics. It included 2,800m2 of commercial flooring, which was required to be durable enough to withstand the thoroughfare of thousands of fans and the mess that is part and parcel with a crowd.

18 Flooring April/May 2015

Additionally to this, the brief stated that the carpet would also to be used in the players’ changing rooms, which meantit would have to be immune to mud, sweat and even blood. As TV cameras would frequently film the room, the carpet had to look smart and be easy to maintain.

An obvious solution came from the Autex range of nonwoven commercial carpets.

Autex Avondale carpet provides a simple, yet elegant look with a resilient carpet range that has a history of proven performance.

Guaranteed to last for 10 years indoors, Autex Avondale carpet can handle the wear and tear of a major sporting event, whilst ensuring the Adelaide Oval will continue to looks its best.

Manufactured under ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 quality and environmental management systems, Autex Avondale carpet will not absorb moisture, rot or smell making it the perfect solution for the demanding nature of the Adelaide Oval. Because Avondale carpet is non-woven it holds a lifetime anti-run and anti-fray warranty, allowing it to be used for in-lays and detailed custom cut designs.

texture of Kit combined with the detail of Chok.

Products range from 38 to 40 ounces and are constructed of Eco Solution Q fibre and EcoWorx tile or Ultraloc broadloom backing, offering a lifetime commercial warranty covering abrasive wear, tuft bind, edge ravel and delamination.

Cradle to Cradle Silver CertifiedCM completely recyclable and manufactured with recycled content, all products offer a sustainable flooring solution. All EcoWorx tile products are and GECA certified and achieve a Green Star Level A product rating according to the Green Building Council of Australia.

Business

Interest rates Interest rates at 30 year lows and getting easier to access.

By Michael Ryan, Senior Finance Broker, Finlease After 25 years in finance, if someone had told me a few years ago that a 7% interest rate was way too high I would have wondered which planet they came from. But that is the reality in today's market.

We are now seeing, on a daily basis, motor vehicles and equipment financed at interest rates between 4.5% and 5.5%.

These rates are not the concoction of dealer based "sponsored" headline rates being supported by internal discounting on a recommended retail machine price, they are main stream rates.

But what does all of this really mean in dollar terms?

• A $50,000 car financed in 2012 on a five year by Nil residual term at 7% was

YOUR ONE STOP FLOORING SHOP! Checkout our full range online Concrete Grinders Concrete Cure Concrete Densifiers Concrete Repair Concrete Waterproofing

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$985 p/m. Today, at 5% it is $940 p/m, which is $2,500 less over the entire loan and, on a fleet of 10 cars, it adds up.

• A $500,000 machine financed in 2012 on a five year by Nil term at 7% was $9850 p/m. Now, at 4.75%, it is $9350 p/m, which is a whopping $30,000 less over the entire loan.

All things being equal these are savings that should drop straight to the business owners’ bottom line. If you can save $10,000 a year in finance costs and your usual profit margin is 5% that is equal to adding another $200,000 in turnover to achieve the same outcome.

Table 1 provides a ‘ball park’ indication of monthly payments on these historically low rates over various terms and residuals.

Today’s ease of finance We now live in the world where many loans can be

SBC0160

TABLE 1.

1300 044 625

www.contreat.com.au info@contreat.com.au “From time of pour, to finished floor... we’ve got you covered”

20 Flooring April/May 2015

secured without going through the process of lengthy finance submissions. The simple fact of being in business for two years, with a clean credit history and being a property owner, will secure an immediate approval for vehicles or most equipment up to the value of $150,000 per individual item.

Even more remarkably, this same criteria will also secure approvals on multiple assets up to $500,000 each, where they are replacing or upgrading other machines coming to the end of their existing finance, including the allowance for a 125% increase in monthly payments.

These new style of fast track facilities are provided at the historically low rates and are ideal for business owners who wish to spread their debt across a broader range of financiers without the hassle of submitting multiple complex finance applications.

JOIN US TODAY!

Advertorial

Inspiration for your floor Launched in April 2015, Your Floor is the latest evolution of the in-store Inspiration Stations at Choices Flooring.

Your Floor enables the consumer to visualise over 1,800 different flooring options, including carpet, timber, bamboo, laminate, luxury vinyl and tiles, all in the context of their own home.

Consumers just upload an image onto the Choices

Flooring website and then receive a code to access the Your Floor program in store.

Once the image has been uploaded and the code has been provided, they can then visit their nearest Choices Flooring store that has the Inspiration Station to see exactly how their preferred flooring options will look in their own home.

1. The customer photographs the room in their home.

2. The customer then uploads an image to the Choices Flooring website.

3. Armed with the unique code provided by the Choices Flooring website, the customer visits the Inspiration Station located in store and, using the tools provided, traces the flooring area for which they are choosing new floorcoverings.

4. The program allows the customer to add or subtract items of furniture or decor to allow for a better view of the floorcoverings selected.

5. The customer can then choose to view a variety of floorcoverings from the Inspiration Station’s menu to see which product looks best in their home.

3

1 4

2 24 Flooring April/May 2015

5

Just another Member benefit of being part of

the Choices Flooring family introducing

Changing the flooring in your home is now

just a touch away.

your floor is the latest evolutionary innovation of our in-store Inspiration Stations, which enables you to visualise over 1,800 different flooring options in your own home.

For a strictly confidential discussion about the future direction of your business, please contact: Andrew Lewis Chief Executive Officer Mobile: 0400 400 036 Email: alewis@choicesflooring.com.au

Tim Drew Group Manager - Retail Development Mobile: 0425 751 756 Email: tdrew@choicesflooring.com.au

choicesflooring.com.au

Software

A true mobile quoting solution RFMS has more than 8000 user sites around the world and over recent years we have seen a groundswell of requests from these users looking for tools that enable them to quote and close in the home.

Retailers recognise that the longer the time is between completing a measure and providing the client with a quote, the less likely they are of closing the sale. Time is of the essence in any sales process so the Holy Grail of the flooring industry has become the ability to, if not close a deal, at least leave the home having given the client a firm quote.

Software solutions such as Measure by RFMS have been around for a number of years but over that time we have seen them move from desktop computers to laptops and now to tablet devices such as the ubiquitous iPad. Measure Mobile is designed not only to work on a tablet but also on smart phones. Historically quantifying a project has been a desk based activity whether done using a scale rule, a calculator and pencil, or done on a PC based software solution. It is this step in the sales process that creates the delays and results in lost sales; it this

Simply register to receive email alerts, telling you when the latest FREE edition of Flooring Magazine is available online.

Flooring Magazine delivers to you the latest in design trends and innovative products PLUS valuable insights into how to give your business the edge.

Just in case you haven’t heard, Flooring Magazine now has an electronic version (in addition to the printed edition) and is available for you to download or read online at your convenience.

Plus, you can add your staff and colleagues to be “Registered Readers” at absolutely no cost, which means everyone can have their own copy.

Register NOW Simply go to www.flooringmagazine.com.au and click on the “Free Registration” tab.

26 Flooring April/May 2015

that Measure Mobile has been designed to eliminate.

From Measure Mobile in the customer’s home your salesperson can measure, quantify and quote a project.

If the customer wishes to purchase then Measure Mobile will record a signed acceptance and your salesperson can even take a payment. Used in conjunction with Measure PC, plans drawn in Measure Mobile are instantly available for anybody who needs access to them. In fact, plans saved to the Cloud are accessible from any device.

one more sale per week, what would that do for my profitability?

Some additional benefits of having your salespeople using Measure Mobile include: • consistent plans across all salespeople; • quickly giving new salespeople access to quantifying skills; • professional presentation of quotes; • the ability to quickly present product options; • to quickly change a quote to reflect a change to the scope of work;

“Time is of the essence in any sales process so the Holy Grail of the flooring industry has become the ability to, if not close a deal, at least leave the home having given the client a firm quote.”

Providing Measure Mobile as a tool for your salespeople will improve conversion rates and improve sales. Time spent working through a pile of plans in order to get quotes into the customer’s hands becomes a thing of the past; on leaving the home the quoting process is completed, leaving the salesperson to begin the follow up process and to focus on the next opportunity.

As you consider the potential benefits of Measure Mobile to your business, ask yourself these questions.

• How long on average is it taking my salespeople to get quotes out?

• How many plans right now are sitting on sales desks waiting to be quoted?

• How much time do my salespeople spend working on quotes at their desk?

• If my salespeople could close on average just

• almost eliminates the potential for errors when quantifying; • the ability to show, discuss and change seam placement with a client; • develop quote templates to further speed up the quoting process and to ensure that elements of a quote are not left out.

The Measure suite of products has taken a significant step forward with the introduction of Measure Mobile 3. For those retailers who embrace Measure Mobile it will be a game changer.

Chris Ogden is a consultant and Managing Director of RFMS Australasia a supplier of IT solutions specific to the flooring industry. Chris has an extensive background in all aspects of the flooring industry and he can be contacted at cogden@rfms.com.

3 MEASUREMOBILE the best mobile estimating software in the industry • EASY TO USE • STORE IN THE CLOUD • ACCESS ANYWHERE f7a921

FREE DOWNLOAD AT:

Australia: 1800 229 427 New Zealand: 0800 643 012 www.measuremobile3.com

cogden@rfms.com

Software

What is an integrated business management system? managing installers. If these various systems are not linked, if one doesn’t update when a change is made in the other, then this is not an integrated system.

This leads to entering the same information multiple times as a job makes its way through the business.

At every stage where information is re-entered, the opportunity exists for an error to be made, or for the step not to take place at all, resulting in delays.

If you are considering changing the IT that you are currently using to run your business you may have done some initial research and come across “integrated” business management solutions. What does this mean?

Most flooring businesses run using a number of systems; they might have one for issuing samples, another for giving a quote, another for managing stock, another for running the finances, and yet another for

With all the elements of the flooring business running in stand-alone systems, it is virtually impossible to easily get an understanding of how the business is doing right now. By the time reports are produced out of most systems in most flooring businesses, the information is old; often months old.

An integrated business management system, on the other hand, requires you to input information only once; that information is used in

every stage of the process, from issuing the sample through to emailing the final invoice.

RFMS is a fully integrated business management system designed from the ground up, for flooring people by flooring people.

RFMS has been providing IT solutions to the flooring industry for over 30 years and has more than 8000 user sites around the world, including Australia and New Zealand.

Flooring Specific

AUSTRALASIA

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT FOR ALL FLOORING MARKETS ote

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The Flooring Software leader for more than 30 years

Sales Measure

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Time to bring the pieces together?

Clients in Australia and NZ since 1999 More than 8,000 flooring businesses already using RFMS worldwide Out of the box-requires no development Configured to your exact requirements

Australia: 1800 229 427 New Zealand: 0800 643 012 www.rfms.com

28 Flooring April/May 2015

cogden@rfms.com

BE PART OF THE BIGGER PICTURE 143 members and growing

For a strictly confidential discussion about the future direction of your business, please contact: Andrew Lewis Chief Executive Officer Mobile: 0400 400 036 Email: alewis@choicesflooring.com.au

Tim Drew Group Manager - Retail Development Mobile: 0425 751 756 Email: tdrew@choicesflooring.com.au

choicesflooring.com.au

Software

Simply better In 2013, Choices Flooring conducted a comprehensive technology review, which revealed that a new Business Operating System (BOS) was required to make the running of a store simpler for their members, while enhancing the in-store experience for their customers.

Working alongside US software developers Concepture, Choices Flooring is now ready to launch the first utopian business solution in the Australian retail flooring industry – the BOS. Amongst the many benefits, key features of Choices Flooring’s new BOS include: 1. improving sales conversion opportunities; 2. maximising business profitability; 3. enabling Choices Flooring

consultants to work with complete mobility from any location on any device; 4. speeding up the customer consultation process by simplifying each stage from initial enquiry to installation and final payment; 5. utilising electronic plan drawing and estimating through MeasureSquare integration; 6. improving communications with customers through email and SMS; 7. easily managing installations with detailed scheduling and an online system for installers; 8. managing the business administration (through MYOB integration); 9. receiving accurate reports, which members can base sound business decisions upon;

10. presenting comprehensive product and purchase information to customers in a professional manner.

With BOS about to launch at selected Choices Flooring stores, before the national rollout later in the year, Choices Flooring believes it is a game changer for the industry..

Sales professionals who can measure plan and estimate From my early days in the industry I used to hear this phase quite a lot: “It’s hard to find great sales people who can measure, plan and estimate flooring”, or “It is hard to find a great estimator who is a great sales professional”.

For many this conundrum has been solved: estimation software such as MeasureSquare Mobile iPad Apps and MeasureSquare Windows’s desktop editions provide exceptional features and functionality designed to enhance skills, improve communication and substantially increase efficiency.

One scenario applicable to MeasureSquare mobile

30 Flooring April/May 2015

highlights how this can be achieved.

A local flooring store has just employed the services of a sales professional with exceptional credentials; however, they have no knowledge of how to measure, plan and estimate flooring. The owner of the store believes the process they have implemented will not only solve the problem but prove to be very efficient.

The store has a dedicated measurer who uses MeasureSquare Mobile. Once the measurer completes the floorplan on-site, the plan is shared instantly with the store’s estimator, who also has a MeasureSquare Mobile iPad App.

The estimator applies products and services to the customer’s floorplan, estimating the customer’s job. Once complete, the estimator shares the estimated floorplan with our ‘top gun’ sales professional.

This is just one scenario; however, it highlights the possibilities and advantages of estimation technology within a flooring business.

Nigel Welsh, Laser Measure Australia

How much is your time worth?

Step: 1

Imagine . . . . . .

No No No No No No

Pencils Tape Ruler Markers Scales Paper

Download Your Free Trial from iTunes Today

What are the Benefits > Save Time > Reduce Waste > Sell More > Do more > Accuracy > Email Plans > Collaborate > Raise the Bar > Close Faster > Efficiency > Cost Effective

Step: 2

Use MeasureSquare’s extensive range of tools and functions to draw your floorplan. MeasureSquare integrates directly with the Lieca Disto D110, simply measure and watch your accurate floor-plan appear before your eyes.

Utilise, MeasureSquare’s intuitive widget functions to add openings, create room shape templates for common shapes. Add counter tops, kitchen benches anything with an elevation to remove areas not being covered. Make short work of stairways with common template based stairway widgets. Simply drag and drop products and services to your floorplan.

Step: 3

Manipulate seam locations, add cross joins, rotate installation directions, divide floor areas manage addon’s such as installation charges, underlay, pullup, adhesives with MeasureSquare’s unqiue addon functionality, simply set and forget. Utilise MeasureSquare’s powerful easy to use management functions to setup your App the way you like to work.

Step: 4

One tap provides instant costing data, make margin or markup adjustments on the fly, send your customer a quote within seconds via the integrated email function or print directly to your mobile printer.

Step: 5

Share installation plans, estimation data, and customer information with your contractors, team members and customers.

The new way to plan, measure estimate and sell flooring Specifically designed for flooringsales professionals on the move.MeasureSquare iPad can handle any in home measuring situation. Carpet, vinyl, laminate, tiles, and all associated products and services. You can throw away your pencils, tape measures, scale rules and scaled graph-paper, the only tools you will need is your index finge finger, an iPad and a Disto Laser, even the laser is optional.

www.measuresquare.com.au

ResilientFlooring

Gerflor delivers for hockey Two Gerflor Taraflex surfaces lifted the spectacle and performance of players at the recent Federation of Indoor Hockey World Cup in Leipzig, Germany.

“The surfaces provided were of an excellent quality befitting a world level indoor hockey event,” Chief Executive Officer of FIH, Kelly Fairweather said.

“With even and reliable surfaces, the flooring set the stage for a truly memorable competition. The FIH is very pleased to have worked again with Gerflor in 2015 is happy to recommend Taraflex temporary flooring for any indoor hockey event,” he said.

The exciting Dutch team took out the title.

New Pro Lock range Kenbrock AquaSmart Kenbrock has announced the launch of AquaSmart – a wood polymer (or plastic) composite (WPC) product more commonly known as WPC, which is a next generation product made up of wood fibres or wood flours and thermoplastics.

In the 1990s, wood polymer composite products started to be used in outdoor decking, fencing, railings and landscaping because of their resistance to water and the fact that they can be treated to be UV stable. WPC is the latest innovation in LVT flooring and is 100% waterproof and provides greater stability in both heat and cool than many previous PVC based products.

WPC flooring products come in two forms – LVT and laminate. One has an LVT plank top and the second has a laminate (wood fibre) top. AquaSmart…the product

32 Flooring April/May 2015

Kenbrock is launching – is an LVT top product, which it says is the superior of the two types.

AquaSmart features a contemporary colour palette to suit all decors and a 20 year domestic and seven year commercial warranty.

Ten contemporary wood designs and colours feature in the new Gerflor Pro Lock range.

This practical, hard wearing floating floor is suitable for climate controlled residential to medium commercial spaces, including wet areas.

The interlocking planks are designed for fast installation and no underlay is required.

Pro Lock can be installed as a floating floor without adhesive, for a cleaner, faster installation with improved air quality.

Minimise downtime with XpressLay Altro XpressLay is a step in the evolution of safety flooring. It is installed using a tape system instead of adhesive, so that it can be installed faster and will work on subfloors with moisture problems even without a surface damp proof membrane.

Unlike traditional, gluedown flooring, which typically requires the adhesive to cure overnight, Altro XpressLay can be walked on and welded the same day it is installed.

This makes Altro XpressLay significantly faster to install and ideal for projects that

can’t afford a lengthy shutdown.

The range boasts 42 colours, featuring bright and subtle hues in both traditional (sparkle) or modern (sparklefree) safety flooring finishes.

Altro Easyclean Maxis PUR technology has been added for superior cleanability as well as chemical and stain resistance.

Because it doesn’t use adhesive, Altro XpressLay can be reused again and again, making it an excellent choice for temporary installations. It can also be fully recycled at the end of its life.

NEW FROM AFS

IN-HOUSE

DELIVERY SERVICE IN NEW SOUTH WALES

A fast, reliable service you can trust, because we do it ourselves.

Following the success of the Metropolitan Melbourne delivery service, AFS has introduced a new in-house delivery program for our customer base in and around the Sydney metropolitan, the Central Coast and Wollongong areas.

With a vehicle fleet catering for up to 10 pallets on a truck, our new dynamic delivery service can offer: Next day delivery to Sydney metro Urgent same day delivery to Sydney metro* Site deliveries to Sydney metro* Weekly deliveries to the Central Coast Weekly deliveries to Wollongong and surrounding areas

“… delivered on the day required, on time and quite often with short notice…”

– Satisfied AFS Customer

With more trade centre locations throughout NSW than any other flooring supplier, simply tell us what you need and we can get it to you. *Conditions Apply

P 1300 737 155 E afscustomerservice@qep.com www.australianflooringsupplies.com.au

ResilientFlooring

New wood designs unveiled Karndean Designflooring has expanded its collection of sophisticated wood designs as part of its Karndean LooseLay Series Three launch.

Available now, the stylish new hues tap into the trend for popular oak tones, fashionable rustics and deep greys in commercial spaces.

Inspired by nature, the collection’s six new woods feature the light, blonde hues of Cambridge LLP113 to the striking, warm ginger tones of Burlington LLP10.

Popular in commercial environments for its unique designs and easy-fit approach, Karndean LooseLay is an innovative format of luxury vinyl flooring boasting enhanced acoustic properties and excellent environmental credentials.

The collection’s large scale (41.3” x 9.85”) planks and (19.7” x 24”) tiles combined with the fact that it’s quick and easy to fit, means reduced downtime and reduced installation costs – perfect for busy office, retail and hospitality environments. It can also be installed over most hard floors as long as they’re dry, smooth, sound and dust-free.

Karndean LooseLay received the highest abrasion wear rating (Group T) meaning it provides excellent resistance to wear in high traffic areas. Offering superior fitting times, many architects, interior designers and contractors are seeing the benefits of specifying LooseLay in place of traditional carpet tiles and laminate.

Its unique wave backing reduces noise transmission

and therefore does not require a separate acoustic underlay.

It also conforms to the Building Code of Australia for multi-residential dwellings as per ISO140-6.

Karndean LooseLay is compatible with underfloor services and raised accessed

floors, making it adaptable to office and education environments With a 10 year commercial guarantee, the complete Karndean LooseLay collection will now feature 18 wood, six stone and two textile designs.

Signature’s new looselay Jupiter is the newest in the Signature stable of luxury vinyl plank and tile ranges.

One of the fastest and easiest installation types available, Jupiter Looselay vinyl planks can be walked on within minutes of installation and will stay secure on the subfloor due to its heavy product weight and specialty backing.

Extra wide planks give Jupiter a realistic true-to-life pattern. Completely family and pet friendly, it has enhanced dimensional stability, R10 slip rating, exceptional performance and a 0.50mm wear layer with scratch, stain and even moisture resistance.

They are exceptionally easy to repair and replace too, it is as simple as pulling out the old piece and dropping in the

34 Flooring April/May 2015

new; no messy adhesives and no need to pull up the whole floor.

Performance and comfort go hand in hand as Jupiter is not only comfortable underfoot with a cushioned 4.5mm thickness, but its thermal properties also keep it warm in winter and cool in summer, giving year round comfort to your customers.

Easily standing up to the rough and tumble of the everyday it has a 20 year residential warranty and 10 year commercial warranty to back it.

Ideal for one room to whole house makeovers, and even suitable for some retail spaces, its choice of contemporary colours and ease of installation adds a brand new appeal.

LUXURY VINYL PLANK RANGE Crafted with detailed embossing and a low gloss finish, the Luxury Vinyl Plank range is inspired by genuine timber flooring, giving a rich and beautiful texture to your floors.

The micro bevel edge is a subtle touch that completes the look to suit any dĂŠcor in your home.

Luxury Vinyl Plank smoked oaK Features & Benefits

Each plank is 4mm thick

other heartridge flooring ranges engineered TIMBEr

For more information contact

Laminate

*Available in a range of contemporary colours to suit any dĂŠcor.

HEARTRIDGE.COM.AU 1800 622 293

ProductUpdate

Tredfx flooring solutions The Tredfx range of transition trims and expansion joint covers from Classic Architectural Group is a solution based range of products designed and engineered for commercial flooring applications.

The all-aluminium expansion joint covers are designed for large retail areas that experience high foot traffic as well as shopping trolleys and pallet lifters. With options to suit various floor finishes available in the range, these covers have the capacity to cover expansion joints up to 50mm wide.

The Tredfx CSA and FCS series of transition trims are designed for smooth transition between different flooring surfaces and are suitable for both commercial and domestic applications. These trims provide an aesthetic solution

for overcoming small height discrepancies and eliminating tripping hazards, as well as covering joins between differing floor finishes.

The Tredfx TRP series of floor trims from Classic features an elegant design, high strength (a load capacity up to 1.5 tons) and application flexibility. The trims are available with either an aluminium flat top or ramp top while the special spiraltoothed ball joint allows the profile to automatically adjust to the height and angle of the flooring and seal tightly.

With all these products plus everything else that Classic has available for the commercial flooring contractor, there’s always a solutions to your flooring issues. Classic don’t just enhance the aesthetics of public space, they also enhance the safety as well.

Elcometer Concrete Cover Meter Locating steel reinforcement bars and metal pipes is essential in the construction and maintenance of structures. When working on structural objects one thing customers are commonly trying to avoid is steel tension rod.

Drilling through the steel tension rod is hazardous to personnel, can break expensive equipment and lead to serious structural damage as floors can partially collapse in multi-story buildings resulting in extensive and costly repairs.

The new Elcometer Concrete Cover Meter, now available from Kennards Hire Test and Measure, has simplified identifying the location, orientation and depth measurement of reinforcing bars and sub-surface metalwork.

It accurately measures the depth of cover over reinforcement bars and is also used to establish the condition of the metalwork and assess the corrosion potential, so maintenance can

Next generation hockey yarn The UK’s Bonar Yarns’ focus and commitment towards innovation has enabled it to create the next generation KdK hockey yarn — TX HD. TX HD fibres are a much needed development within the hockey market and is a huge improvement over other available KdK hockey yarns due to it’s increased durability.

Already highly durable, TX HD also outperforms in ball roll behaviour and provides a very consistent playing surface, ensuring maximum comfort for players whilst being visually attractive.

36 Flooring April/May 2015

TX HD fibres use the same polymer and extrusion technology as Bonar’s premium HD brand — providing a proven track record in prestigious sports fields. The fibres offer increase durability when compared with other Bonar KdK hockey yarns without reducing the yarn’s skin friendliness or resilience.

TX HD has been tested at Ercat, the FIH approved laboratory, and has passed the FIH Global requirement (FIH Global Edition 2014) – the highest requirement for hockey within the industry.

be scheduled as required.

“It’s the only gauge on today’s market that measures the thickness of concrete cover of both stainless steel rebar and metal pipes,” explained Leo De Sousa, product specialist at Kennards Hire Test and Measure East Brisbane.

“When the search head is approaching a reinforcing bar, the Cover Meter emits a sound that increases in pitch as it moves closer to the bar,” he said, adding, “a signal strength indicator on the display simultaneously increases in length.

Reporting the depth of the concrete, the location and orientation of the rebar or metal pipe, the Cover Meter can even determine the diameter of the rebar from five to 50mm up to 120mm deep in concrete.

Kennards Hire Test and Measure has an ever growing range of equipment including hydrostatic test pumps, anchor tester, non-invasive smoke machines and service locators.

n e a h m s t e r d a Fo er Tr am rt S

Visit the Intafloors website www.intafloors.com.au

See our extensive range of Flooring Accessories & Tools

AVAILABLE THROUGH YOUR LOCAL INTAFLOORS TRADE DEPOT * Availability on certain products may vary from store to store.

Please contact your local trade depot for more details.

www.intafloors.com.au

QLD

Gibbon Group

VIC

NEW ZEALAND

Gibbon Group Newcastle: 02 4951 1002 Email: greg.gardiner@gibbongroup.com.au

Brisbane: 07 3881 1777 Email: sales@gibbongroup.com.au

Free Phone: 0508-882-288 Email: ncpsales@nuplex.com

Intafloors Trade Depot

McDonalds Flooring Accessories

Knoxfield: 03 9764 2400 Dandenong: 03 9702 7822 Geelong: 03 5521 6670 Preston: 03 9416 7878

Sydney: 02 8678 5479 Email: sales@intafloorstrade.com.au

Gold Coast: 07 5564 9999

NSW

TAS

Total Flooring North Hobart: 03 6234 9855

SA

Seal and Sons Adelaide: 08 8346 9833 Email: office@deseal.com.au

FIS Distributors

WA Kevmor Wholesale Trade Supplies Perth: 08 9277 7177 Email: sales@kevmor.com.au

Nuplex Construction Products

Timber&Parquetry

Visual interest underfoot As part of a $19.7 million redevelopment project, Hawthorn Town Hall in Melbourne has undergone a flooring refurbishment.

Varying lengths of Boral Timber Australian hardwood solid strip flooring were used to create visual interest underfoot at the historic landmark and neighbourhood hub.

Peddle Thorp Architects oversaw the redevelopment.

“We wanted the floor to be a stand-out feature and worked with Boral Timber to identify a solution that would allow us to incorporate a combination of timber boards to create texture and interest.

“We specified Blackbutt flooring for its hardness and character, which complemented the Town Hall’s existing heritage design,” said architect Andrew Gordon.

Borthwick Timber Floors installed more than 1,250m2 of Blackbutt solid strip flooring. Three varying widths – 85mm, 108mm

38 Flooring April/May 2015

and 135mm – were laid in a recurring pattern from slim to wide in the galleries and surrounds.

BTF2 uniform profile boards were used for faster installation and a consistent finish. Machined to precision, the tongue and groove profile is consistent across board widths to allow the use of more than one width in the same application.

The boards’ high quality milling was an important part of achieving a well-laid floor, according to Clinton Borthwick from Borthwick Timber Floors.

“We only work with reputable suppliers who manufacture materials with high quality milling. This ensures we can complete flooring contracts on time and with a high standard of workmanship,” said Borthwick.

Using Boral Timber Blackbutt timber flooring, Borthwick Timber Floors delivered a beautiful and

durable flooring solution, while supporting local manufacturers.

“We specify, support and prioritise Australian timber over imported timber.

Blackbutt solid strip flooring is a stable, hard wearing and good looking species that is easy to work with,” said Borthwick.

In addition to solid strip flooring, approximately

300m2 of mixed blonde and red eucalyptus parquetry was laid in a basket weave pattern in the entry way to replace existing flooring. Over 700m2 of existing flooring was also re-sanded and polished.

Boral has achieved Australian Forestry Standard (AFS) chain of custody certification (AS 4707-2006) for its solid timber products.

Big River

Pictured: Pre-finished Engineered Australian Hardwood Flooring - Spotted Gum

Become an exclusive distributor!

Be supported by four generations of expertise With 110 years in the timber industry, Big River is one of the most trusted and largest private timber businesses in Australia – and we’ll support you.

Our new products are in demand The new Big River Engineered Australian Hardwood Flooring range utilises the strength and unique beauty of native timbers, preserved in a thick layer of Australian hardwood. Harvested from managed forests, this quality flooring is fully finished, coated and ready to install.

With its unique texture and grain, Big River Oak Flooring has a natural elegance that has made oak one of the most

popular flooring products in the world. It has a durable water-based pre-finished coating and engineered oak is highly scratch resistant. An ideal choice for commercial or residential applications.

Quality merchandising to increase sales We have a range of stunning in-store display stands, consumer brochures and technical brochures.

Unparalleled technical support As both manufacturer and importer of flooring products, Big River provides the security of a total support network, backed by a century of technical expertise.

Call us today to discuss our exclusive distribution opportunities for the Big River Flooring range.

NSW / VIC / TAS / SA - Stuart McGonagle, 0437 453 527 QLD / NT - Steve Coles, 0418 717 046

www.bigrivergroup.com.au Big River Group Pty Ltd ABN 72 000 009 754 A Pidcock Family Enterprise ©April 2015

Installation

Grout with dispersible dry pigment solution Laticrete is launching its PERMACOLOR Select to the Australian market very soon.

This advanced high performance cement grout offers the industry’s first dispersible dry pigment solution.

PERMACOLOR Select is designed for virtually all types of residential and commercial installations and offers optimum performance on the most demanding exterior or interior applications.

Easy to mix, grout and clean, PERMACOLOR Select is fast setting. It is available in 40 lifestyle colours plus the top selling competitor colours.

CARPET SHOP FOR SALE FUND YOUR LIFESTYLE

• Excellent profit margin

• Beautiful part of the NSW coast • Excellent reputation • Repeat cliental including large contract businesses • Reliable sub-contractors and shop staff • Secured commercial work upcoming

PHONE: 0408 655 201

Temp floor protection in use Six stories up it’s all hands on deck with tradesmen, carpet layers, tilers, carpenters, painters, plasters, electricians and many other trades working hard to complete a new floor.

As a new tenant leases each floor, where required, a complete refurbishment begins to customise the office floor to reflect the company brand and offices/desk requirements. That’s why it’s essential to complete the office fitout and construction perfectly, on time, to ensure all goes according to plan and is completed by Anzac Day (April 25th) To ensure there is no damage to newly laid floor coverings, temporary floor protection from All Preparation Equipment is used. As you step outside the lifts a pad of Sticky Mat entrance sheeting captures each tradie’s dirty footprint to minimise the mess on site.

As each layer becomes dirty it is peeled off, removing the dirty sheet and providing a clean, fresh Sticky Mat to

welcome more dirty foot prints.

Under the Sticky Mat protection lies 3mm thick MDF board as impact protection over the tiles at the entrance to the floor.

Once the carpet was laid, self adhesive film was applied around the perimeter of the room followed by 1.8m Polyweave woven plastic for the main part of the floor. This was then joined with black cloth tape to ensure it held strongly while tradies and tools moved across the floor.

With no room for mistakes in any construction, refurbishment, make good or remodelling project, All Preparation Equipment is frequently called on to ensure no damage is made to the floor prior to handover.

With ladders, planks, insulation, tool boxes, paint tins, and tools moving across the floor it’s essential that not a drop lands on the newly installed floorcoverings.

The Next Generation Uncoupling Mat

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Adhesive Mortar Hydration Vents Accelerates thin-set curing for faster dry time of porcelain and larger format tiles – grout the next day

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©2015 LATICRETE Pty Ltd. All trademarks shown are the intellectual properties of their respective owners.

^Contact LATICRETE Australia for complete warranty information.

A-1089-0215 LATICRETE Pty Ltd 29 Telford Street, Virginia, QLD 4014 1800 331 012 www.laticrete.com.au

STRATA_MAT

™

OF W AT IN CN N SW E AW R AR D

Mechanical Bond

Thin-set adhesive forms a mechanical bond to STRATA_MAT™ surface for greater strength

Instant Coverage Verification

Translucent colour indicates proper adhesive mortar coverage under STRATA_MAT

Warranty

Designed to replace traditional underlayment materials n Use under tile and stone installations n Enhanced mechanical bond - shorter time to grout n Lightweight roll - easy to carry and fast to install n Part of the LATICRETE Lifetime System Warranty n

Snap for more information.

www.laticrete.com.au

l

1800 331 012

Advertisers Index

Exhibitioncalendar

2015 Exhibitions

MAY 2015 5-8

Interzum 2015 Materials and supplier parts including parquet and laminate Cologne, Germany http://www.interzum.com 9-11

Wood Guangzhou 2015 International Wood and Wood Products Trade Show

Guangzhou, China http://www.muyezhan.com 11-15 LIGNA 2015

World Trade Fair for the Forestry and Wood industries

Hannover, Germany http://www.ligna.de 13-16 Stone+tec 2015

Trade fair for natural stone and stone processing

NĂźrnberg, Germany https://www.stone-tec.com

Airstep Australia 18-21 Middle East Covering 2015

Exhibition dedicated to the flooring, wall covering and surfaces industry Doha, Qatar https://www.iqexhibition.com 28-31 HIA Sydney 2015

Home Show

Sydney, Australia www.sydneyhomeshow.com.au JUNE 2015 10-12 Interior Lifestyle Tokyo 2015

Interior Lifestyle Living International Furniture Fair Tokyo. Ambiente Japan / Heimtextil Japan / HomeDesign Japan Tokyo, Japan http://www.interior-lifestyle.com 15-17 NeoCon 2015

Exhibition of contract furnishings for the design and management of the built environment

Chicago, USA http://www.neocon.com

All Preparation Equipment

8

AFS / QEP

33

BASF/Master Builders Solutions Big River Timbers

BMW Carpets Carpet Court

2 39

40

21

Choices Flooring

11, 13, 25 & 29

Classic Architectural Products 22 & 23 Con-Treat

20

Dunlop Flooring

35

Duracore

10

Gibbon Group/Intafloors GMK Logistics

37

12

Kennards Group

9

Laser Measure

31

Laticrete Ontera

41 & 43

19

Oxtek/Protect Crete Proline Floors

Back Cover

RFMS Australasia *** For more information on the fairs or to confirm dates, please check the individual websites.

14 & 15

3

27 & 28

Shaw Contract Group Front Cover & 17 Tarkett

7

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RETURN TO: Elite Publishing Co Pty Ltd PO Box 800, Templestowe 3106, Victoria, Australia Or FAX to: +6139890 0087 Email: info@elitepublishing.com.au

Advanced Resinous Flooring

Engineered for long-term superior performance, HP SPARTACOTE® polyaspartic floor coating systems are designed to meet the needs of the most demanding heavy-duty traffic environments.

Limited installation downtime - Rapid return to service flooring systems: Completely seamless and impermeable flooring Customisable, decorative finishes VOC free and low odour Non-skid and non-slip textures Easy to clean n

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www.hpspartacote.com 1800 331 012

A-1088-0215 LATICRETE Pty Ltd 29 Telford Street, Virginia, QLD 4014 1800 331 012 www.laticrete.com.au ■

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©2015 LATICRETE Pty Ltd. All trademarks shown are the intellectual properties of their respective owners.

A product brand of LATICRETE International, Inc.

Globally Proven Construction Solutions

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