Flooring Aug-Sept 2017

FLOORING

AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND

aug aug / sep 2017

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www.flooringmagazine.com.au

new Multilayer Hybrid

Carpet Court’s latest development in resilient flooring has hit the Australian market, Multilayer Hybrid – our brand new flooring category.

WANT TO BE PART OF AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST FLOORING & BLINDS RETAILER? As an owner-operator in Carpet Court, you’ll be joining an established corporate organisation built on a growing network of dynamic local family businesses. It’s the best of both worlds!

You’ll have the freedom of running your own business, backed by the security of knowing you’re a vital part of one of Australia’s most successful retailers.

We are looking to expand our family into these areas around Australia: Victoria - Eltham South Australia - East Adelaide, Mt Gambier Western Australia - Kalgoorlie and Geraldton Please contact Brett Talbot P: 0499 800 702 Brett.Talbot@carpetcourt.com.au

New South Wales - Murwillumbah Queensland - Fortitude Valley, Caloundra, Atherton, Dalby, Gladstone, Mackay and Maryborough/Hervey Bay Northern Territory - Alice Springs Please contact Greg Zeegers P: 0488 079 326 Greg.Zeegers@carpetcourt.com.au

GET IN TOUCH WITH US TODAY.

Upfront Hi again, and welcome to another issue of Flooring. As this is our 220th issue of the magazine, we thought it was time to make some minor cosmetic changes to the exterior and interior of the magazine to enhance your reading pleasure and move with the times! We know you will like the changes as you flick through this issue and enjoy these changes as much as we’ve enjoyed bringing them to you – our loyal readers.

We’ve also included a few new editorial additions with the inaugural ‘Icons’ feature launched in the magazine this month. ‘Icons’ will take a regular look at one person within the flooring industry who has left their indelible mark. We are pleased to announce that in this issue, Graham Caldwell is our first ‘Icon’. Take a look inside to read his story.

I’d like to also take this opportunity to farewell our National Sales and Marketing Manager, Ashley Cooper, who after more than 16 years with the company is retiring. In his place, we welcome Sandie Velkovska who has taken on the role of Advertising Sales Manager. Welcome, Sandie.

This issue of Flooring magazine is full of ‘News’, a massive SportsFlooring Feature spread, an insightful and thought-provoking Q & A with the Head of Marketing and Communications at Tarkett, as well as our usual Product Updates and so much, much more.

FLOORING

AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND

aug / sep 2017 vol 35 no 4 News 6

Signature Floors New-Look Website Launched

10 Floor Distributors Appoints New Vic, Tas Sales Manager 12 New Appointments Announced at Dunlop

Icons 17 Graham Caldwell

Sports Flooring 25 Mapei's Extraordinary Coverage on Show

Regular Reports 34 Airstep Retailer of the Month 38 Software 41 Carpets & Rugs 45 Product Updates

Front Cover 01 Choices Flooring www.choicesflooring.com.au

Everyone here at Flooring is confident you’ll enjoy our minor make-over and interesting new additions to the content, as well as the bright new look and feel of the magazine.

Until next time….

Ronnie Gramazio Editor

4 | Flooring Aug/Sept 2017

READ ON THE GO: Scan code to view the latest FREE digital versions of the magazine on our website. Simply click on the front cover once you have scanned the code.

www.flooringmagazine.com.au

With over 140 members & counting,

we’ve got Australia covered.

For a strictly confidential discussion about the future direction of your business, please contact: Andrew Lewis

Tim Drew

Chief Executive Officer

Group Manager - Retail Development

Mobile: 0400 400 036

Mobile: 0425 751 756

Email: alewis@choicesflooring.com.au

Email: tdrew@choicesflooring.com.au

choicesflooring.com.au

News

Signature Floors New-Look Website Launched Based on new consumer behaviour and current digital marketing trends, Signature Floors has developed a brand new website which has just been launched.

To recognise their Residential and Commercial markets, both divisions of their company have separate sides with different navigation systems.

The new ‘Search’ functionality allows customers to start searching for product straight away. Filters also allow product to be searched by features, types, colour, pattern, application plus more for you to discover.

The Residential side of Signature’s website lends itself to inspiration with interior images on all pages and is more “consumer focused”. There are professional designer tips for each range across all categories, and “About” sections in each category with helpful information.

A Moodboard function allows consumers to collect their favourite selections across multiple floor finishes.

These Moodboards can then be printed or emailed and taken into a physical retailer store.

“In our Residential side we try to inspire the end-consumer who will first research to get ideas online before they even enter a store.” said National Marketing Manager, Martina Kramer.

“Both sides of our website have their own unique look and feel though, with key variances for some functionality due to the difference in audience.” she continued.

The Commercial side of Signature’s website is more streamlined with in-situ images for designer and architects’ inspiration. Clear and defined category

navigation and catalogue style pages make it easy to get in to look at the product, get the specs and get back to the design.

A completely new function is their “Products” App where you can quickly and simply select from most of their commercial products and colours, and view them for inspiration in various insitu images. Individual project images can be uploaded and the floor selection will be floated into your chosen space.

The app also allows for multiple-floor finishes to be placed in one image.

Also new is a specialised area for “Small Business” who may find themselves sitting between the two divisions, or overwhelmed by the abundance of Commercial products on offer. This area has theme suggestions to take some of the guesswork out of choosing appropriate flooring for smaller commercial style businesses.

Overall, the new Signature website represents the company’s direction and reflects their branding, core values and established placement in the Australian market.

All Preparation Equipment Opens Sydney Store After a grand entrance to Sydney, All Preparation Equipment has opened their new store at 30 James Street, Lidcombe NSW. As a Specialist Supplier in the Concrete floor preparation, floor removal and polishing industry they offer a wide range of tooling and equipment to make tough jobs easier…..

Stocking major brands, you’ll find Schwamborn Grinding Equipment, National Flooring Equipment floor scrapers, Portamix Hippo Mixing station, Mapei Floor Levelling compounds for levelling, patch and repair, Crete Colors Interanational C2 Chemicals and application tools for concrete polishing, Starmix Vacuum Systems, Metabo and Hitachi Angle Grinders, Makinex

6 | Flooring Aug/Sept 2017

Generators, Jack hammer Trollies, Polivac Sanders, polishers and gas powered burnishing machines, Extension and power leads, and much more.

Ultraplan Fast Track Ultra-Fast Drying Levelling Compound

Faster installations without compromising the final result

Install floorcovering after just 2 hours

180 Viking Drive, Wacol Qld 4076 Phone: 07 3276 5000 Fax: 07 3276 5076 Email: sales@mapei.com.au Web: www.mapei.com.au

Ultraplan Fast Track is ideal for levelling interior substrates where a quick installation is required such as in shopping centres, supermarkets, airports, hospitals and high foot traffic areas

www.mapei.com.au

News

Resin Flooring Trade Qualification Announced On July 11th, a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) formed by Innovation and Business Skills Australia (IBSA) held its first meeting in Melbourne to begin planning for the addition of a resin flooring stream to the current Cert III in Flooring Technology.

When completed in July 2018, a recognised trade course and apprenticeship for resin flooring contractors will be available through SkillsTech and other suitable Registered Training Organisations (RTO).

This initiative was started by Real World Epoxies Managing Director

Jack Josephsen, who contacted the Queensland State Minister for Education and Training in January 2014, frustrated with the lack of training options for his industry.

Now a member of the TAC, Jack is excited to see such a critical milestone reached. "I’m rapt to finally see major developments coming through. It’s been a long time in the making and there’s a lot to get done before July, but having a formal qualification is so important for professionalising our industry.”

He also views Australia as just the

Steve Blackwood's Coin Toss Steve Blackwood, Choices Flooring Joondalup (WA) took on the official duties of the coin toss to kick off the AFL WA derby on Sunday 16 July at the Domain Stadium in Perth.

In front of a capacity crowd, the game saw a tight tussle between the West Coast Eagles and the Fremantle Dockers, with West Coast taking the points in the end. The event was even more significant given it was the last time these two great rivals play on Domain Stadium before moving to the new Perth Stadium in 2018.

Choices Flooring are proud sponsors of the Fremantle Dockers.

8 | Flooring Aug/Sept 2017

tip of the iceberg for resin flooring trade qualifications, and has set up the Resin Flooring Network website (www.resinflooring.network) with the aim of having a similar impact on the international stage. "I think we have a wonderful opportunity to build a united industry on a global level, rather than have splintered organisations trying to set up standalone entities from scratch,” he added.

For more information, contact Jack Josephsen via www.realworldepoxies. com

Just another Member benefit of being part of

the Choices Flooring family

The Premier Print Awards Competition recognises the highest quality printed pieces in various categories from around the world.

For a strictly confidential discussion about the future direction of your business, please contact: Andrew Lewis

Tim Drew

Chief Executive Officer

Group Manager - Retail Development

Mobile: 0400 400 036

Mobile: 0425 751 756

Email: alewis@choicesflooring.com.au

Email: tdrew@choicesflooring.com.au

choicesflooring.com.au

News

Pyrafloor, All Preparation, Skudo Seminars Held Recently As a part of the growth in demand for polished concrete flooring in Australia, Pyrafloor Polished Concrete and All Preparation Equipment joined with Skudo Group to provide free educational seminars across Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne recently. With key guest speakers from America Pyrafloor, All Preparation Equipment and Skudo were supported by David Stephenson from Polished Concrete Consultants (USA) and Bogdan W Szewczyk, CEO of rete Colours International.

As a free seminar, the event was designed to give contractors the opportunity to draw on the experiences from Bogdan and David and to brainstorm and share techniques used in polishing concrete floors.

Topics covered were concrete finishing, grouting, repair, patching, chemicals including densifiers, sealers, burnishing, industry direction, maintenance, repairs and cleaning, flooring opportunities and so much more.

Choices Flooring Breaks Ground in New Zealand All good things come to those who wait!

It’s been two years since Choices Flooring announced its intentions to broaden their retail network into New Zealand. Over this time, much due diligence and research has been conducted to ensure the move was going to be the right one.

It wasn’t until the appointment of Group Manager (GM) - Retail Operations New Zealand, John Nicholls in the past 12 months, that a real momentum shift started to occur.

In this time, with the support of the Newfurn Executive team within Australia, John has been laying the foundations to help solidify the Choices Flooring brand amongst new and existing retail flooring stores within New Zealand.

With this, Choices Flooring are pleased to announce the signing of four new members to join the Choices Flooring family come November. The first two stores will be opening in key Central North Island locations with the other two within Auckland.

Choices Flooring will bring its technological advances and product developments to New Zealand by

Floor Distributors Appoints New Vic, Tas Sales Manager Floor Distributors is proud to announce the appointment of Leon Bray as Victorian & Tasmanian Sales Manager.

Leon has been in the industry all his life and brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience to Floor Distributors.

Scott MacGraw, the company’s Director, started Floor Distributors 2 years ago. “I have known Leon all my adult life, working alongside him in my

10 | Flooring Aug/Sept 2017

parents’ old business.”

Leon will add plenty of energy to the small but growing team.

Floor Distributors started trading approximately two years ago, and specialises in Engineered Flooring. This includes a comprehensive range of Oak and Australian Timber, Laminate and soon to be released Hybrid flooring.

A comprehensive range of matching accessories is also on offer.

providing the first Inspiration Stations to the consumer market. The Inspiration Station is the latest technological innovation that utilises touch screen technology to allow consumers to visualise their favourite flooring in different room settings.

“The station doesn’t just create a welcoming and inspiring instore environment for our customers, it transforms the flooring retail experience as we know it. This combined with our flooring consultants’ friendly service and exceptional product knowledge will ensure a great breakthrough for the New Zealand flooring industry.” - GM – Retail Operations New Zealand, John Nicholls.

“New Zealand has always been the next step for the Choices Flooring brand and we are very excited to fulfil this new chapter in the coming months. I am also extremely thankful to our team and the alliance partners who decided to help make this all possible” states Andrew Lewis, Newfurn CEO. For more information on Choices Flooring New Zealand, please visit choicesflooring.co.nz.

The tiling industry has joined other flooring groups on the Australian Flooring Industry Alliance.

Australian Flooring Industry Alliance Welcomes Tiling Association The shortage of skilled installers and raising the standard of vocational training are just two of the issues drawing Australia’s flooring industry together under the umbrella of the Australian Flooring Industry Alliance.

The Tiles and Tiling Industry Association of Australia (TTIAA), representing a large and growing sector of the Australian flooring industry, is the latest body to join the collaborative Alliance that also includes the Australasian Timber Flooring Association, Australian Resilient Flooring Association (ARFA) and the Carpet Institute of Australia Limited (CIAL).

Members share a common interest in issues that are important to the future development of the flooring industry.

These issues include trade training and the advancement of modern industry standards.

Further information may be obtained by contacting Chris Low at ARFA, Allan Firth at CIAL or Barry Bulmer at TTIAA. The tiling and resilient flooring segments join timber and carpet associations to form the Australian Flooring Industry Alliance.

Choices Flooring’s Victory in Tamworth The 2017 Tamworth Quality Business Awards were held in early August. The awards recognise excellence in sales and customer service for local and regional businesses. A record 800 people celebrated business excellence at the sold out gala event on Friday 4 August at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre.

Amongst the proud winners was Choices Flooring Tamworth, who won the ‘Excellence in Customer Service - Retail Large’ award.

This prestigious award was accepted by owners Joanne and David Russell and Shane Chillingworth who were all ecstatic about the win.

‘This is a great testament and recognition to the hard work the entire team put in at Choices Flooring Tamworth. I couldn’t be more proud of their efforts’ stated Shane.

Staff Changes Recently Announced at AFS Jimaima Chand recently celebrated 20 years at Australian Flooring Supplies.

Jimaima has been a part of the many changes that has faced AFS over the years.

Originally recognised as Accessories Flooring Supplies which incorporated Fyshwick and Crestwin Flooring Supplies, which later merged to become Australian Flooring Supplies; she has seen and been a part of the multifaceted changes that have taken place.

From left: Sam Laverty, Bruce MacLaren, Jimaima Chand, Barry McGuire & Craig Hildebrand

Jimaima has remained steadfast in her role as Administration and Accounts, with her positive attitude, wicked sense of humour and warm laugh, and is officiall acknowledged her for all that she brings to the company and the company looks forward to working with her for many more years to come.

QEP said goodbye to Neville Adams, a beloved employee who served at Australian Flooring Supplies (AFS) Tamworth, for 15 years. Neville has been in the flooring industry since the 1960’s. He began in the industry by installing flooring, moving to Viaduct Carpet court while working for AFS half days and installing carpet in the afternoons. He was an incredibly hard worker who always approached work with a positive attitude and left customers feeling welcomed. Neville always went the extra mile for AFS and his customers.

The company is positive that Neville will be kept busy by focusing on his hobby of visiting garage sales and trash & treasure markets with his purpose of restoring old antiques. He will be dearly missed but the company wish him all the best in his retirement and future endeavours.

The organisation also welcomes Alex Faulkner to his new role as he takes over as branch manager at AFS Tamworth.

Flooring Aug/Sept 2017 | 11

News

New Carpet Court Website Leads Design Journey Carpet Court has launched its brandnew website, which has been created to support and inspire every stage of the customer design journey.

Given consumers are devoting more and more time to sourcing and building a bank of design inspiration before committing to specific materials, products or styles, the new Carpet Court website brings together a series of online resources designed to ignite and foster customer creativity.

The new ‘Inspire’ section features Style Stories, a platform that is set to house a series of feature write-ups by Carpet Court ambassador and well known interior designer, Darren Palmer, on a range of design topics including how to recreate specific interior styles using Carpet Court products.

The new platform also features a range of resources, to equip customers

with the knowledge, inspiration and practical advice that will enable them to create their dream interiors. For renovators unsure of how to kick start their project, Carpet Court’s online Product Selector tool will help to determine the flooring ranges best-suited to the customer’s individual lifestyle, by asking a series of questions around the type of use, available budget and colour preferences.

For those who already have ideas in mind, Carpet Court’s newest online Style Visualiser offers the ultimate try-beforeyou buy experience, allowing customers to trial flooring options in virtual reality rooms to see how they look in situ.

“Flooring is a significant and important investment. Our customers understandably want peace of mind that they’re making the right selection for their space when it comes to flooring,” said

Carpet Court’s Chief Marketing Officer, Kara Norris. “Because there’s no financial commitment with the Style Visualiser, it means our customers can experiment with options they may not have been open to otherwise and find the products that really work best for their needs,” Kara continued.

Thanks to Carpet Court’s knowledgeable in-store teams across the country underpinning the reinvigorated online offering, it’s never been easier for customers to turn their interior inspiration into reality.

To view the new website, visit www. carpetcourt.com.au

New Appointments Announced at Dunlop Jacqueline Makies joined the Dunlop Flooring team six months ago in the capacity of Demand Planner. The wealth of experience she brings to the team was gained across multiple industries such as retail consumer products, commercial and domestic building materials and aircraft component manufacture. Her previous tenures at ACI Insulation, Gillette, AAF, Atlas Metals and Boeing Australia gave Jacqueline extensive insight to successfully manage many aspects of the supply chain function covering forecasting and planning, procurement, inventory management and production scheduling. Her strong work ethic and bubbly personality complements the dynamic team in the company’s efforts to achieve best practice in customer service and their operational goals and Dunlop welcomes Jacqueline’s contribution to date. In 12 | Flooring Aug/Sept 2017

her recreational time, Jacqueline enjoys gardening, watching live music, testing her culinary skills and entertaining.

The Dunlop team are pleased to welcome Emma Hall as a member of the Customer Service team.

With over 14 years’ experience within the logistics and supply chain field, having previously worked for Panalpina World Transport, Emma is well attuned to the necessary workflow associated with order, transport and delivery. She is also an avid traveller, having worked at ASOS in London for 12 months during her travels. This experience provided valuable exposure to the areas of customer service, supply management, order processing, merchandising reporting, booking transport and invoicing, a skill set that she now brings to her new role at Dunlop Flooring. Emma is returning to the work place in full force after a maternity break and is assuming a two-day role.

Dunlop is also thrilled to introduce Sorcha Mepstead, a recent addition to the Dunlop Customer Service team.

Since joining the company, over the past ten months Sorcha has proven herself a valuable addition to the Dunlop office. She brings over 17 years of experience in customer service, office administration and merchandising within the consumables, safety and textile industries. Her previous role of 7 years saw her as a customer service officer at Pratt Safety which has allowed her to transfer a number of valuable skills, such as inventory management and order processing, to the Dunlop team. Outside of work, Sorcha has a young family and is an experienced and passionate training facilitator in animal obedience which has encouraged her involvement in a greyhound adoption program.

James Henry Wins Supreme Award with St Mary of the Angels Floor Local firm James Henry Ltd took out the Supreme Award of the prestigious Australasian Timber Flooring Association (AFTA) 2017 Floor of the Year awards, which were held in Sydney recently.

“We entered the floor we laid as part of the St Mary of the Angels (Boulcott St) earthquake strengthening work. We won our category and then went on to win the supreme award. I am very proud of our team and excited to win these

awards” said Chris Northmore, owner and manager of James Henry Ltd. “This is also the first time a New Zealand company has won the Supreme Award, so we were extra proud to showcase the quality of New Zealand workmanship.”

James Henry won the Commercial Floor of the Year award for a detailed and stunning 500m2 cork floor laid at St Mary of the Angels in Boulcott St. The historic church had undergone significant earthquake strengthening and re-building work. The cork floor was laid to look exactly as it was prior to the work.

“We worked closely with the building company, Wellington firm LT McGuinness Limited, the architects, and Father Barry Scannell. The brief was to supply and install a floor that was exactly the same as the floor that

was removed during the strengthening work, including a detailed pattern, emblems and lettering spelling Latin words.” Said Chris Northmore. “It was a truly one-of-a-kind floor, with the layout being critical and each piece being placed individually.”

James Henry Ltd was founded by Chris and Linda Northmore in 20 now employs 18 people who produce and install beautiful recycled and new wooden floors for domestic and commercial projects throughout New Zealand. The company name James Henry comes from Chris’ grandfather, a shipwright who was passionate about all things wood.

The Australian Timber Flooring Association (ATFA) is the peak body representing the timber flooring industry in Australian and New Zealand.

Flooring Aug/Sept 2017 | 13

News

FCIA Launches Website and Workplace Advisory Services for Members Since its establishment in January 2017, the Floor Covering Institute of Australia (FCIA) has over 550 members drawn from Retailers, Suppliers, Manufactures and Contractors across the Australian Floor Covering Industry. They are committed to the long-term sustainability of the flooring industry through industry best practice, skills development, and quality installation to Australian Standards.

FCIA Website

They are pleased to announce that the new website is now live! Head over to www.fcia.org.au to have a look around.

The FCIA website offers a one stop shop to provide members and stakeholders information about our National Training Academy, Industry Sector Panels, and Member Services.

Keep an eye out for information about the Trade Card and Apprenticeship Programs coming soon.

Members will soon be provided with logins to access the wide range of services and training programs on offer.

Workplace Information Line for Small Business Owner FCIA Members

14 | Flooring Aug/Sept 2017

Having your own HR or Workplace Relations specialist is a luxury that many small businesses and contractors just don’t have. FCIA has partnered with The Australian Industry Group (Ai Group), to offer small business owner members a Workplace Relations solution - at no cost.

Expert advice is on hand when you need it: The FCIA/Ai Group Workplace Advice Line is a national service operated by expert advisers with comprehensive knowledge of the workplace challenges faced every day by micro and small businesses.

Gain immediate telephone advice on workplace relations matters including: • Employee awards, wage rates and minimum employment conditions • Termination of employment, redundancy and unfair dismissal • Performance management and disciplinary procedures • Employment contracts, agreements and legislation • And much more From 1st August 2017, eligible FCIA Members will have complimentary access to the advice line, which includes up to five telephone consultations through to the end of January 2018 – all free of charge.

Eligible Members will be able to access the Workplace Advice Line by contacting info@fcia.org.au or visiting the FCIA Website at www.fcia.org.au Callers will be asked to identify themselves by business name or ABN and confirm FCIA membership either as an individual business or member of an FCIA retail group.

National Training Academy Update National Apprenticeship program in Flooring Technology The FCIA is committed to engaging more than 500 apprentices in the Certificate III in Flooring Technology (MSF30813) by December 2018. Our National Training Academy has implemented an innovative program comprising workplace based learning, and practical skills application through residential workshops. All learning activity is supported by a unique e-Learning Management System called Digido. The FCIA is finalising negotiations with Registered Training Organisations

and State/Territory funding agencies and will shortly announce the rollout of the National Apprenticeship Program.

NSW Part Qualification Pilot Program One of the RTO’s with whom we are liaising with has placed an application for part qualification funding under the Smart & Skilled part qualification program to upskill unqualified flooring installers in some units of competency from the Certificate III in Flooring Technologies program.

The NSW Government has funding available to eligible students undertaking an apprenticeship in Certificate III in Flooring Technologies which will grow and strengthen our skills base and address a critical skills gap which, until now, has hamstrung the flooring industry for decades.

The FCIA will shortly be seeking expressions of interest from experienced installers who wish to have their skills and expertise formally recognised and endorsed by the FCIA. Trainers and Assessors in Flooring Technology To meet the projected demand, the FCIA, is seeking highly experienced installers, preferably with training qualifications, to complement our pool of qualified trainers and assessors as we roll out our national apprenticeship and Trade Card Programs.

We are happy to consider expressions of interest from anywhere in Australia especially SA, WA, Qld and Victoria.

FCIA will assist interested installers to obtain their Training & Assessment (TAE) qualifications and introduce them to our RTOs through the(there is no link between the RTO’s and the National Training Academy).

Establishment of FCIA Installer Facebook Group

Installer engagement is a major priority for the FCIA. Our whole industry is dependent on ensuring installers and layers are recognised for their skills and experience and that these skills are sustained into the future. The FCIA Installer Group is a Facebook Forum targeting floor covering installers across all streams. The Installer Group aims to encourage positive discussion about the floor covering industry, and provide a place to share information about products, courses, relevant industry news, and links etc.

The FCIA is committed to connecting with installers to provide an online conference which, we hope, will support a culture of community, collaboration and ongoing excellence in our trade.

They welcome all installers to this group, and actively encourage members, stakeholders and contractors to invite fellow installers you work and/or trained with to join the discussion. As this is a professional space, The Group will be moderated by the FCIA to ensure acceptable behaviour and dialogue always.

Floorex Opens More Branches Floor Coverings installers today are expecting to prepare concrete floors to better standards as they discover the benefits of diamond grinding floors to remove high spots and to prepare the surface to get the best possible flatness and adhesion.

Using the Meteor 250 and Satellite grinders, one can work smarter and dust-free to prepare concrete and greatly reduce the possibility of poor adhesion; poor preparation is a very cause of floor coverings dis-bonding.

Floorex has added to their list of branches the Sydney Branch at 31 Governor Macquarie Drive, Chipping Norton, and now the Melbourne Branch at 13F 2A Westall Road, Clayton.

In addition, Floorex has also opened a Branch at 129 Captain Springs Road in Auckland to better serve their New Zealand customers.

Another product professionals like is the company’s DUSTMASTER dust extractors which can be seen at the new locations, or www.floorex.com.au

atfa.com.au for the latest timber flooring standards & specifications. trusted | authoritative | industry leading

Industry Half Page Advert ART.indd 1

28/6/17 3:56 pm

Flooring Aug/Sept 2017 | 15

Overseas News

Domotex 2018 Right on Track DOMOTEX 2018 doesn’t open for another five months, but it’s already apparent that the 30th edition of the world’s leading tradeshow for carpets and floor coverings (12–15 January 2018) will be a very strong and international affair. “We’re more than pleased with the influx of exhibitor registrations for the upcoming show. It proves that the market is happy with where DOMOTEX is headed. More exhibitors have confirmed their participation at DOMOTEX than at the same time last year,” commented Susanne Klaproth, the director in charge of DOMOTEX and Deutsche Messe. The show will feature around 1,400 exhibitors from more than 60 nations.

The upcoming DOMOTEX is taking a fresh new approach, with an improved site layout and a core focus on the product individualization megatrend, as symbolized by the adoption of “UNIQUE YOUNIVERSE” as the keynote theme. Visitors will be able to immerse themselves in a captivating world of trends, innovation and lifestyle in way they have never done before. “Many exhibitors are already hard at work preparing for their showcases and their new locations at the venue. They are busy doing things like exploring ways of harnessing the keynote theme and figuring out how they might profile their organizations at the new ‘Flooring Spaces’ presentation format. Visitors are right to be excited about what awaits them at the show, particularly in Hall 9,” added Klaproth.

Hall 9 is the new jewel in the crown of DOMOTEX. It is the home of “Framing Trends” – a richly diverse and immersive showcase in which established companies, industry newcomers and artists will engage with the keynote theme in an array of creatively staged individual and joint displays.

“Framing Trends” in Hall 9 will also feature a captivating and varied program of talks by big-name architects and designers, as well as startup entrepreneurs and design students.

The Talks will take the form of speed presentations and discussion groups dedicated to the individualization trend.

The presentations and discussions will examine the implications of this trend in many areas, including product design, production, sales and marketing.

The specific topics to be explored are

16 | Flooring Aug/Sept 2017

“Modular design: individual vs. massproduced?”, “New one-off originals: handmade vs. digital?” and “Retail interactive: virtual vs. real?” The “Framing Trends” program is complemented by daily Guided Tours which will take visitors to see exhibitors of relevance to them. At the heart of the “Framing Trends” display in Hall 9, visitors and exhibitors will find lounge-style meeting areas and a café – the ideal settings for relaxed, informal dialogue.

The Carpet Design Awards are another Hall 9 highlight. The internationally coveted award honors the world’s best new designer carpets in eight categories.

The 24 carpets shortlisted for the award will be on display in Hall 9 for the duration of DOMOTEX. At the start of each year, specialist carpet dealers, owners of carpet and rug exhibition galleries and visitors from the interior design industry look to the shortlisted creations on show at DOMOTEX for ideas and inspiration for their own new season’s collections.

DOMOTEX 2018 features a new layout that puts related products in closer proximity to one another, thereby making it easier for visitors to get a comprehensive look at the latest market offerings. Halls 2 to 4 will now be home to the world’s widest array of hand-made carpets and rugs. Halls 5 through 7 will feature machine-made carpets and

rugs. Hall 8 will be the gateway to the latest carpet creations from the world’s most innovative designers and labels.

The displays of resilient floor coverings and luxury vinyl tiles will be concentrated in halls 11 and 12. Visitors will find parquet, wood and laminate flooring in halls 12 and 13. And, from next year on, the latest flooring application and installation products and solutions will be on show in Hall 13. Hall 13 will also house the “Treffpunkt Handwerk” event, with its extensive array of exhibits and lectures for interior furnishers and decorators, parquet installers and floor layers, painters, varnishers and joiners.

This closer, more logical grouping of like product types will improve visitor convenience. The convenience factor will be further enhanced by the venue’s excellent integration into the public transport system and by the new My DOMOTEX shuttle service, which will transport visitors and exhibitors quickly and directly to wherever they want to go on the exhibition grounds.

DOMOTEX Worldwide

DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR: Shanghai, 20 to 22 March 2018 – the largest international trade fair for carpets and floor coverings in the Asia-Pacific region.

DOMOTEX Turkey: Gaziantep, May 2018 – Turkey’s leading trade fair for carpets and floor coverings.

Icons

ICONS

Graham Caldwell Welcome to the inaugural Icons Q & A feature. We take an in depth look at the life of Graham Caldwell who has a 38-year unbroken association with Karndean Designflooring. Icons will be part of Flooring magazine moving forward and we will endeavour to bring you an Icon of the flooring industry in each issue of the magazine. We believe it’s an exciting time to be part of the industry and we want to celebrate key people who have left their mark. Enjoy our interview with Graham….

The Karndean Builders! Graham Caldwell (left) met up in Melbourne last year with Martin Bell, part of the global liaison team for LVT product development. Martin was responsible for the rapid growth of Karndean UK during the 1990’s.

1. After a 38-year unbroken association with Karndean Design Flooring and 54 years in the floor covering industry in the UK and Australia, I understand that you will be retiring at the end of this year: in some detail what do you feel have been your career highlights looking back?

GC. I’ve always been proud of the fact that I was the youngest Supplies Officer employed by Dunlop Semtex Flooring, when at age 19 I became the manager of their South London distribution depot.

This was the Dunlop Rubber Co’s floor covering manufacturing division, one of the two largest suppliers of vinyl floor tiles and sheet in the UK. In fact my boss told me that until I reached the age of 21, the Company refused to pay me the adult manager’s rate, but back then in the mid 1960’s and at that age, I didn’t care!

My career in floor covering has always featured ‘start-up’s’ and I gained an early reputation for setting up new ventures or businesses. Karndean call it the “Pioneering Spirit”. My compatriot, Martin Bell, did likewise when he grew the UK business to its next level back in the 1990’s. Martin is now part of the Global Liaison Team for LVT product development at the UK head office in Evesham, Worcestershire.

Looking back highlights stick out for each of the start-up’s I’ve personally

A youthful looking Graham behind his desk on the opening day of Walkwell Flooring Supplies in Manchester in June 1979.

originated, which were all for other owners in the earlier days. For example I took over the management of a road haulage business in Stourbridge Worcestershire in 1972, which had only three small vans and then went knocking on doors looking for customers that required a reliable service. That business grew to over 40 large articulated rigs within seven years.

Flooring Aug/Sept 2017 | 17

Icons 2. Karndean suddenly appeared on the scene as if from nowhere when you opened in Melbourne in 1984.

What was the background for the decision to expand 17,000 kms from England to Australia and how difficult was it in those early days to get a toe-hold within the industry?

A photograph of the original Karndean staff in Birmingham in 1982, including a just visible Graham and Karndean’s founder Mike Walker, holding the original ‘Smokey’!

Graham receiving the 1994 ‘Flotex Champion’s Award’ from Bonar Floors Managing Director Philip Moffat, for selling the most flocked carpet product internationally that year.

Mike Walker, the founder of Karndean in 1973, used to breed Great Danes and he shrewdly chose his first dog ‘Smokey’ as the Company logo, which remains part of Karndean’s identity to this day. An iconic photograph dating from 1982, with me in the background and Mike holding Smokey, was dusted off and publicised when we celebrated the UK Company’s 40th Birthday in 2013.

I first joined Karndean in Birmingham in March 1979 with the brief to expand their distribution into the North West conurbation of Manchester-Liverpool.

This required a leap of faith moving my young family to unknown pastures.

That venture became Walkwell Flooring Supplies Ltd, a combination of WALKER and CALDWELL. I remember pitching the name to Mike by saying “People walk well on a floor covering don’t they?” I look back with pride on how well Karndean Designflooring has grown since I came 18 | Flooring Aug/Sept 2017

out to Australia especially to open that operation for Mike in January 1984, and then later in 1996 I helped open the New Zealand operation, having used a distributor 10 years earlier.

Certainly my most recent legacy has been to work hard on Karndean’s behalf these last few years to gain the necessary GreenTag certifications for its Luxury Vinyl Tiles and Planks (LVT) to comply with the Australia and New Zealand Green Building Council’s GreenStar Program and to provide product training to newly employed staff. For the latter I felt it important to gain Certificate IV in Workplace, Training and Assessment, which I sat in 2005.

A final highlight that I can’t let pass is that I was most surprised, when on a visit to the Flotex factory in France in 1995, I was awarded the ‘Flotex Champion’s Award’, the first and only non-employee of Bonar Floors Ltd to receive the accolade. Apparently I sold more Flotex in Australia that year than any other individual on the Bonar Floors UK or international sales teams. For the uninitiated, these days Forbo own the ‘Flotex’ brand, which they acquired in 2008.

GC. ‘Flotex’ is a remarkable textile floor covering, virtually a hybrid between commercial vinyl sheet and nylon carpet, often out performing both, but you have to sell the concept, before you can sell the product. Bonar Floors had been trying to break through in Australia for several years prior to 1984, but because of Karndean’s success with it in Britain, the manufacturer literally asked Mike Walker, who already had a small unrelated retail business here, if he would like to repeat the success in Australia! With exclusive rights the offer was too good to knock back and I volunteered to set it up and remain as interim Sales and Marketing Director for up to six months, with generous terms to fly back to frequently see my family.

Needless to say I’m still here; Australia is very seductive to Europeans! Mike and I decided upon the Company name ‘Karndean Overseas Pty Ltd’, which became Karndean Designflooring later when we introduced LVT. Because commercial specifications take time to come off, we sensibly started with the residential version of Flotex, which we branded ‘Walkatex’. This was a time in the early ‘80’s when kitchen and family room carpet was vouge, except that tufted foam back versions consistently failed.

The decision was taken to demonstrate its cleanability with tomato sauce, its durability with screwdrivers, and its fire resistance with a falling hot frying pan advert on day time TV! Consequently each salesman went out armed with a Walkatex demo bag, collapsible picnic table and plastic bucket, often mistaken on arrival as the window cleaner! For a long time I was out there on my own, my territory being the whole of Australia, flying and hiring 20

Karndean’s earlier trade customers will remember the original Karndean Overseas ‘Seagull over the Horizon’ logo and Company name, which was used between 1984 and 2005.

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Icons cars interstate; in fact back then Ansett Airlines allowed unlimited number of luggage items for an extra $5 per carton of samples and I never turned up with less than 15, pus my suitcase!

It’s commonly believed that the brand name ‘Walkatex’ is partly made up from Mike Walker’s surname, but Mike and I brainstormed the naming on a white board, originally coming up with “Specialtex”. However, because we were about to locate to a warehouse that was previously known as a wallpaper business, Mike felt that we needed to make it clear that this was a floor covering. I suggested that because you walk on it, we call it “Walktex”, upon which Mike jumped up to the white board and added the all important “A” in the middle, thus WALKATEX was born.

Commercial Flotex followed after the first nine months in October 1984, which provided opportunities to sell extremely large quantities per job, it being particularly suitable for healthcare, aged care, education and retail stores, in fact Big W and Kmart stores are still enjoying the benefits of Flotex nationally in their stores to this day, most now over 17 years old. My first single large order was 10,000 sq mtrs I won for the specification at the Peninsula Private Hospital, Frankston Victoria in 1995, followed by some equally large correctional centres, which nicknamed Flotex “Prisoner Proof Carpet!”, since it was found to be indestructible!

The famous Walkatex advert illustrating the superior fire resistant and cleanability properties of this uniquely made ‘kitchen carpet’, which was launched in Australia in January 1984.

20 | Flooring Aug/Sept 2017

Graham’s first big single order for Flotex: 10,000m2 was specified for Peninsula Private Hospital Frankston Victoria in 1995. Graham is seen here with the Head of Hotel Services, Pat McCann, at colour selection.

After playing around with Luxury Vinyl Tiles in 1994, which we branded ‘Megaflor’, which incorporated the very first LVT woodplank range in Australia, Karndean finally got serious in 1995 on the launch of ‘Knight Tile’, the forerunner of Karndean’s remarkable growth and success, which today continues with Karndean ‘LooseLay’ LVT, the latest, but not the last, Karndean innovation.

Interestingly I often get asked how the brand ‘Knight Tile’ originated. Back then the only other LVT competitor was called ‘Day Tile’, so we stuck a “K” in front of “night” and then spent a fortune launching it with high quality pictures of Knights in Armour selling the benefits of LVT to lady house owners, presumably depicting ‘damsel’s in distress’ over which LVT brand to buy!

3. You are undoubtedly an icon in the flooring industry – both here and abroad – are there any aspects to the business you will miss the most? Please tell us about how you got started in the industry and a bit about your background and family life growing up? Do you have any tips and industry suggestions for those starting out in the business today?

A reminder of the innovative “Knights and Dames’ marketing used when Karndean ‘Knight Tile’ LVT was launched in Australia in 1996.

GC. When I retire in December the thing that I’ll miss most is the interaction with my colleagues of all ages at Karndean; they are the most wonderfully dedicated set of people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with, who when stuck on an issue often come and ask me, because I’ve been nicknamed the ‘Karndean Walking Encyclopaedia!’

I left school in Birmingham UK at age 16 having gained my school certificates, called GCE ‘O’ Level’s back then, not really knowing what I wanted to do, except a hankering for the Army, which I

22

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INVENTING A FASTER FINISH FOR YOU

Icons got out of my system by instead enlisting in the Army Reserves when I reached 18. My father did most of the searching in the job adverts whilst I enjoyed riding my new BSA 250cc motorbike.

Dad spotted an advert for a Management Trainee with the public warehousing firm William Cory Ltd in Lye, Worcestershire, so I rocked up and landed the job in one interview.

I immediately took to administration, customer contact, organising stock checks and all things transport and warehousing and because Dunlop Semtex, one of Britain’s leading floorcovering manufacturers’, used Cory’s logistic facilities, I was introduced to all their ranges of vinyl floor tiles and sheet.

When the family moved to Bristol in 1966 I applied for a traineeship with Dunlop Semtex in that city, boasting that I already knew all their products intimately, which coincided with them offering up youth internships; consequently I was taken on as a Distribution Depot Trainee.

Within six months I was promoted to Senior Clerk, supervising Customer Service at their north London depot and

then a year later moved north of the River Thames as Supplies Officer of their south London depot opposite Wembley football stadium. By 1969 I ended up as Supplies Officer Birmingham back where I was born.

It was certainly a young person’s world back then and is even more so today; consequently my advice to enterprising people just starting their careers is to have a determined ‘can-do’ attitude in order to be noticed and never hesitate when offered opportunities, because you never know how good you are until put to the test.

4. Any lowlights that you care to mention? And did you climb your way up through hard work and sheer perseverance? I am assuming that passion for your work played a pivotal role?

GC. Naturally there have been lowlights aplenty over 50 odd years! In 1972 Dunlop Semtex decided to do away with local stocked distribution points around the UK in favour of direct distribution from the factory based in Brynmawr South Wales. This resulted in the redundancy of hundreds of regional

It was certainly a young person’s world back then and is even more so today; consequently my advice to enterprising people just starting their careers is to have a determined ‘can-do’ attitude in order to be noticed and never hesitate when offered opportunities, because you never know how good you are until put to the test.

Just left school and ready to enter the workforce! Graham at Seventeen years old looks cool on his 250cc BSA motorcycle, which was his mode of transport to get to work in floor covering logistics in his first job as a Depot Management Trainee.

22 | Flooring Aug/Sept 2017

Graham hosted 40 customers to Egypt in 2001 who took part in the famous Karndean sales promotion of 2000. Graham and his wife Jeannette can be seen on the far right.

staff, me amongst them. That’s when I got into road haulage for a while.

My biggest career change was a switch from floor covering logistics to retail and commercial floor covering sales. Becoming a salesperson came naturally; basically people you’ve never met before have to feel an affinity to you instantly. I always tell new joining sales representatives in training that “if someone likes you, then they will buy off you”. I think I inherited my father’s skills, since he was a sales rep and a commercial artist, thus when I was thrust into managing the marketing of the uniqueness of ‘Flotex/Walkatex’ in Australia, I found it easy to design innovative promotional campaigns and advertisements, including customer performance competitions, which on one occasion resulted in me personally hosting forty trade retailers to Egypt in 2001. I’ve always had a passion for what I believe in and I’ve certainly been passionate about ‘Flotex’ and LVT, which are technically advanced products that never fail consumer expectations.

5. Has there been a mentor whom you looked up to – either from overseas or from Australia – who gave you the drive to keep going in a single industry through the years?

GC. In 1969, when I took over the running

of the Dunlop Semtex floor covering distribution operation in Birmingham, fellow ‘Brummie’ Michael Thomas Frederick Walker, literally walked into my life. Back then he was managing a commercial flooring contract firm and was thus a Dunlop Semtex customer. One day, over a cup of tea, Mike outlined his vision to me that the UK distribution of commercial flooring products needed a shake up and asked me if I’d ever heard the industry joke about the ‘7-to-10 Day Rule’?

Back in the ‘60’s the demand for new technology commercial flooring could no longer be met adequately by a carpet shop ordering carpet or vinyl from the factory. Mike identified that the economics of volume production of carpet or vinyl now required a wholesale level imposed between the producer and the installer. He explained that the problem was not buildings, equipment or staff, but the fundamental question of what to stock. In the early days very little commercial flooring was stocked locally, except for staple items such as accessories, tools and adhesives. This reduced the investment for the wholesaler, but frustrated the manufacturer’s specification sales forces, which lost hard won orders to competitor products before new production could reach the sites. Commercial orders in the UK became a standing joke known as the ‘7-10 Day Rule’. In other words, the

wholesaler could supply literally any items if it was in stock at the factory, provided you waited between 7 to10 days for it!

Mike recognised that locally held stocks in depth of commercial vinyl tiles, vinyl sheet, carpet tiles and Flotex ranges was an opportunity just waiting for someone to take up. So it came about that in 1973 Mike’s world changed when he quit contracting and opened his own business, in what can only described as a ‘race’ towards excellence, which still continues to this day!

By 1980 Mike Walker was the ‘darling’ of the UK flooring manufacturers’, because his vision to identify flooring products with potential, stock them locally in depth and thus create a market for them, proved successful. By the mid 1970’s manufacturers were knocking on Karndean’s door (then trading as Carpet & Flooring) to promote their ranges for them in the Midlands area, pleading with him to repeat his concept in the northwest Manchester-Liverpool region, which is where I came in.

In March 1979, I joined Mike and opened Walkwell Flooring Supplies in Manchester that June, my second introduction to ‘Flotex’; because I used to stock and sell the French version of it 13 years earlier for Dunlop Semtex in London, branded “Piccadilly”. Mike and I have now been friends and business associates for 48 years. We both have enormous ‘drive’ in common, but as an entrepreneur and innovator, Mike’s up there with the best of them.

6. Tell our readers a bit more about what it has been like to work at Karndean, and how do you personally feel that Karndean stands out from the pack? Do you see the flooring industry as a united force in Australia or more as a series of individuals or separate businesses simply striving for the best to serve their customers?

GC. Karndean Designflooring is now a global brand, in fact a very large enterprise when you consider that it’s still a family owned business, employing over 350 staff directly, plus several independent overseas distributors. My business partner at Karndean Overseas back in the 1990’s, Peter Wood, who was then the Australian Financial Director, has now taken over the implementation of global strategy of Karndean and bases himself in the US. We’ve both lost count of the number of sales conferences we’ve hosted over the years, but the one held Flooring Aug/Sept 2017 | 23

Icons at Moonie Valley Race Course in the late 80’s is memorable, because it was the first when we managed to have all our interstate and New Zealand sales staff attending together.

From day one it was decided that for Australasia, Karndean would not market main-stream products, for example you will never see traditional tufted broadloom carpet or commercial composite vinyl tiles and sheet in our portfolio. I believe that we stand out because of our less common or unique flooring categories on offer, which inevitably mean smaller sized orders. Karndean are often held up as the market leaders for LVT, if true, then this is sustained by Karndean constantly launching new technology products and innovative marketing.

You ask if the flooring industry is a united force or not in Australia.

The resilient flooring industry, whilst fiercely competitive, has for many years formed alliances to formulate common policy, particularly for quality, installer training and installation practices.

Graham (right) seated with Michael and Linda Walker during the “Karndean 1980’s Original’s Cruise” from Southampton to Boston in 2009.

Examples are the Carpet Institute of Australia Ltd (CIAL) Australian Resilient Flooring Association (ARFA) and the recently formed Floor Covering Industry Association (FCIA).

Graham addressing the troops at the Karndean sales conference in 1990. Australian Financial Director, Peter Wood, is standing alongside. Peter remains a Stakeholder in Karndean Australia, but now bases himself in the US with global responsibility for Karndean strategy.

24 | Flooring Aug/Sept 2017

7. Will you miss this dynamic industry?

Do you have any final words to your colleagues out there in the flooring industry? As a flooring veteran, do you have any advice? Graham, what are your retirement plans and what are you most looking forward to after your retirement in December?

GC. Whilst I’ve personally been in a support role for Karndean for the last twelve years, providing product training to new joining staff and mentoring the new Technical team by passing on my knowledge and experience, my advice to the industry generally, based on my time in management, is twofold (1) give priority to the sales team, because without orders and constantly signing up new clients, you can’t expect to survive, plus (2) try not to hold too many meetings! Meetings are important, but if not controlled can take on a life of their own to the detriment of being out there at the sharp end selling. What I’ve enjoyed beyond words is watching the next generation step up and to take over responsibility for Karndean.

Australia is blessed with very intelligent and dedicated young supervisors and managers who are still in their early 20’s.

You ask how I’m going to keep interested after I retire. For many years I’ve been active in military genealogy, voluntarily helping others to trace what regiment their soldier ancestor was in, where he served and fought. This has morphed into writing professional articles for various UK military enthusiast and genealogical magazines, not enough to live on, but very rewarding to see my work in print.

Sports Flooring

Mapei’s Extraordinary Coverage on Show This year Mapei celebrates 80 years in the business. To mark this milestone, we take a comprehensive look at the company’s recent sports flooring coverage through parts of Australia with an editorial and pictorial spread, as part of our Sports Flooring feature this issue. From Tassie to the Top End, Mapei certainly has you covered…..

Flooring Aug/Sept 2017 | 25

Sports Flooring

Burnie Tennis Centre, Tasmania Held earlier this year, the ‘2017 ATP Burnie International Tennis Tournament’ not only provided a massive sporting spectacle for the tennis public but also served as a showcase for the Mapei Mapecoat TNS Cushion surface.

Held at the Burnie Tennis Club in Tasmania, the Burnie International features an ATP Challenger and ITF Pro Circuit women’s event. In fact Tennis Australia advised that “As Burnie is a Pro Tour venue, the Tennis Australia Pro Tour team have been consulted and have raised no issues with the surface based on information provided to Council.” This acceptance and acknowledgement by Tennis Australia has now opened many doors for major projects to be completed in Australia for the future.

Created in 2003 as the McDonalds Burnie International, the event has been held every year except 2016 when the courts were closed for a major upgrade.

This upgrade saw the installation of the Mapecoat TNS Cushioned multilayered acrylic resin system, with its unique water dispersion properties, on the Burnie Tennis Club’s 11 tennis courts and 4 Hot Shot tennis courts.

Completed in the ‘Australian Open’ blues the upgrade was welcomed by executives from the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the International Tennis Federation (ITF), Tennis Australia, the Club, players and officials of the tournament.

For Mapei it was a significant step in the right direction to competing in the main arena of tennis within Australia.

Part of the growth of the Mapei Mapecoat TNS product range has not only been to secure tennis courts and multipurpose courts around Australia but to also attain prestige projects such as the ‘Burnie Tennis Club’.

The new $1.06 million Burnie Tennis Centre upgrade has been jointly funded by the Australian Government through a Community Development Grant Program with a contribution by the State Government, Tennis Australia, Burnie Tennis Club and the Burnie City Council. As a result of Mapei’s 26 | Flooring Aug/Sept 2017

increased involvement in the Australian landscape of tennis Mapei contributed to the upgrade of the center from a ‘3 coat Professional’ system to a ‘9 coat Mapecoat TNS Cushion system.

The Burnie City Council Major Anita Dow commented that, “The courts look fantastic. The contractors ‘RT & NJ Construction Services Pty Ltd’ have put in an incredible effort to get the job done within the very tight time frames that we had, especially given the fact the weather was not always on our side.”

“The benefits of this upgrade extend further than the return of the ‘Burnie International’ event. The Burnie Tennis Club can now open itself up to a host of other major tennis events such as the ‘2017 Australian Masters’ and it is also in a better position to be able to further support junior development.”

Mapecoat TNS Cushion is a medium-elasticity, multi-layered system made from acrylic resin in water dispersion with special fillers used to make playing surfaces suitable for professional-level tennis with high resistance to wear, UV rays and various weather conditions. Mapecoat TNS Cushion can be applied on existing painted surfaces or on new cementitious or asphalt surfaces.

‘Tuff Turf Pty Ltd’ were awarded the contract and enlisted the assistance of MAPEI to not only supply the products required for the success of the Mapecoat TNS Cushion System, but also to assist with on-site technical and installation advice.

The project commenced with the application of Mapecoat TNS Grey Base Coat applied to the entire 8,575m2

surface. This process was followed by a further two coats of Mapecoat TNS Grey Base Coat creating the cushion base for the tennis courts. Two coats of Mapecoat TNS Finish 1 was applied followed by one coat of Mapecoat TNS Finish 3 which gave the tennis courts the desired speed as specified by Tennis Australia. This completed the tennis court installation and once completely dry the white line marking was created using Mapei’s Mapecoat TNS Line White product.

Tuff Turf and their contractors completed a total of 11 full size tennis courts and 4 half size Hot Shot tennis courts using this Mapecoat TNS Cushion System with outstanding results. When Mapecoat TNS Cushion is applied on surfaces it forms a semi-elastic playing surface that has excellent playing comfort and performance characteristics such as perfect bounce of the ball, quick, safe change in direction and an excellent compromise between balance and slide for players.

Shepparton Sports Precinct, Victoria Built using a range of construction innovations for the community of the Goulburn Valley, the Greater Shepparton Sports Precinct may be a venue for the 2030 Commonwealth Games.

Completed IN 2016, the ongoing development of the Greater Shepparton Regional Sports Precinct is creating a regional sports hub with facilities for athletics, football, hockey, netball and a range of other uses.

This $21 million project will be one of the most significant sporting hubs in regional Australia and is paramount in a bid by 11 regional Victorian towns and cities to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030.

Already designed to create a legacy, the new facility joins Shepparton’s numerous splendid recreational reserves, the Aquamoves aquatic and fitness centre and the revered Deakin Reserve AFL ground.

Having regularly hosted state-wide sports championships in numerous sports and welcomed international competitions in squash, BMX, triathlon and most recently beach volleyball, it may well be that the precinct will, in just over a dozen years, host one of the world’s largest sporting events.

Among innovations within the Precinct, Tuff Turf (with the assistance of Mapei) completed the design and construction of three synthetic grass all-weather playing fields.

The first synthetic hockey pitch for the facility was completed in May 2015, at the home of the Goulburn Valley Hockey Association. The construction demonstrated to the community the value of investment in an effort to drive greater participation in regional sport.

Tuff Turf was challenged with poor performing sub-grade issues that required a thought out methodology as part of the design solution. The design, which incorporated the use of alternative stabilisation techniques, saved the Council tens of thousands of dollars on the overall construction costs. This technique was a winner with the Council as it also promoted a large carbon offset compared to traditional methods for soil stabilisation.

The Goulburn Valley Hockey Club is now playing on the new HF13 Hybrid synthetic grass system. The sand dressed surface offers superior comfort to players and fantastic ball speed, all of which are winners when asking the professionals.

The new HF13 Hybrid synthetic 30 Flooring Aug/Sept 2017 | 27

Sports Flooring surface has been tested and certified to the national requirements of the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

Stage two of Tuff Turf’s involvement was the design and construction of a synthetic multi-use field. The project brief included the supply and installation of an FIH Class 2 lighting system, bulk earthworks, and stabilisation of the subgrade, fencing, drainage, concrete works and the installation of a multi-use synthetic sporting surface.

Tuff Turf Director Tanya Hall explains “the Council’s decision to replace the existing natural grass footprint with a synthetic grass surface was to meet the high demands of growing participation in sport within the region.

“The brief was specific with regards to the type of surface required for this facility as it was to be used for hockey and also a training venue for football. A performance playing surface that is highly durable, withstand heavy demand and a true multi sport facility that will exceed player expectations.

With, in excess of 500mm of rain falling throughout the build of this project there were more than the simple challenges of building a synthetic playing field.

Shepparton’s high water table became problematic at times, but the dedication and commitment of our project teams saw the project completed on budget in October 2016.”

The multi-use surface has been tested and certified to the National requirements of FIH.

30 | Flooring Aug/Sept 2017

With the final stages of the redevelopment well underway Tuff Turf take on the new challenge of the design and construction of a running track surface approved to the standards of world athletics governing body the IAAF. Tuff Turf in conjunction with Conica, will provide an IAAF standard athletics track comprising of the Conica Conipur SP system.

Again with problematic sub-grade issues, Tuff Turf looked for an answer to keeping the costs associated with the removal of vast amounts of material to a minimum. As a result, Tuff Turf approached Mapei for their recommendation on the use of Mapesoil 100. A product specifically produced for sub-base stabilisation as compared to convention products. Although Mapesoil 100 has been extensively used overseas at recognised projects such as Luigi Ferraris Stadium in Geno, Chievo Training Centre, F. C. Juventus Training Centre, Atlanta Training Centre to name a few, this was to be the first installation of this type in Australia.

With the use of Mapesoil 100 to stabilise the sub-grade, Tuff Turf found the answer to over coming this problematic site. The use of the Mapei stabilising product meant that there was a 75% reduction in waste soil removal from site.

Being the first of its kind in Australia, Tuff Turf took on the alternate treatment process after months of geotechnical testing which gave them the security of achieving the results required for the perfect sub-grade.

As a consequence, detailed test results were conducted at every possible hold point of the construction to ensure Australian Standards were met and specifications followed. In fact to ensure the success of this first major project in Australia Mapei flew out Elisa Portigliatti (Mapei Corporate Product Manager – Sports Line) to oversee the project in conjunction with Travis Knight (Tuff Turf Project Manager), Neil McIntosh (Mapei Sports System Product Manager) and David Day (Mapei Soil Specialist). It came as no surprise that all results obtained from Geotech test results out performed expectations of the Australian team given that the Mapesoil 100 had not been utilised on a project in Australia previously. With exceptional CBR values and Density Ratio results achieved this has now given all people involved with the project the confidence to move forward in Australia with this alternative method of soil stabilisation.

On Day one Tuff Turf and Mapei met to discuss the use of machinery and the condition of the soil to be stabilised. A couple of locations on the athletics track were ‘opened’ up to evaluate how moist the sub-base was so as to achieve OMC (Optimum Moisture Content) with the addition of water during the application of the Mapesoil 100.

During Day 2 and 3 Geotech tests were conducted to measure certain values so as to ensure optimum results were obtained with the installation of Mapesoil 100 with the addition of water. After initial test results were obtained the installation of Mapesoil 100 commenced.

After the application of the Mapesoil 100 with the addition of water to achieve OMC the relevant areas were mixed, graded and then rolled to achieve compaction of the sub-base. On the completion of compaction the surface was kept moist to ensure a surface with minimal or no cracks. The final result was a credit to all concerned and certainly a project which has now allowed the understanding and acknowledgment that sub-base stabilisation should now look to the Mapei Mapesoil system as a real and viable option for the future.

The construction of the athletics facility comprised of the excavation and removal of more than 6,000 metre³ of material, stabilisation of the problematic subgrade, concrete edging, drainage works, crushed rock pavement, asphalt base and the Conica Conipur SP track system.

32

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Sports Flooring

Gympie Tennis Club, Queensland The Gympie Tennis Club is not only a SubRegional tennis centre for Tennis Australia but also hosts on an annual basis the Gympie JDS – Sunshine Coast Region tennis tournament for up and coming junior tennis players. As a consequence, head tennis coach Brett Cotterill, sought re-surfacing of the 10 tennis courts due to deterioration over time.

When first quoted on the rectification works it was envisaged that the rectification would be budgeted based on minor court rectification and then a standard ‘3 coat system’ based on the substrate being asphalt. Unfortunately, once the project commenced it was realised that the damage to the courts was more extensive than thought and, consequently, the only conclusion was to cover the surface with synthetic grass.

This of course was not the conclusion which the tennis club wanted to hear and certainly not the conclusion ‘Tennis Australia’ wanted to achieve given their

strategy with providing as many hard court surfaces around Australia as possible.

Norm East Sporting Surfaces were heavily involved in the initial discussions of rectifying the courts and, as a consequence, involved Mapei in potential solutions to achieving a good result for the club which saw the surface remain as a hard court surface. Gympie Tennis Club being a sub-regional club are normally under the standardisation scheme of courts to keep the surface as per the ‘Australian Open’ surface, however, our competitors could not come up with a satisfactory solution to achieving a result for the club which would see the required hard court surface maintained at an allocated budget.

As a result between ‘Tennis Queensland, ‘Tennis Australia’, ‘Norm East Sporting Surfaces’ and ‘Mapei’ a suitable solution was found and the result was beyond the expectations of everyone involved.

The main issues with the substrate were minor cracking, bird baths (low spots) and areas of damage as a result of removing the existing acrylic surface. As a consequence Norm East commenced the rectification works with the Mapecoat TNS White Base Coat to all areas of the tennis courts before application of the 3 coat Mapecoat TNS Professional system could commenced.

Once all rectification works were completed a thick layer of Mapecoat TNS White Base Coat was applied to the entire 10 full size tennis courts.

On completion of the application of the Mapecoat TNS White Base Coat a further two coats were completed in Mapecoat TNS Finish 1 based on two tone coloured courts. Once the tennis courts were completely dry the Mapecoat TNS White Lines were applied to complete what was an extensive exercise to get these courts back to an excellent tennis playing surface.

Yirrkala Primary School, Northern Territory Earlier this year the ‘Yirrkala Community School’ obtained local funding from the Council to rejuvenate or renovate their existing Basketball Courts. Unfortunately, to complete the rectification of the courts would have taken a full re-build given their condition, however, with limited funds available it was decided to attempt to rejuvenate the courts using the Mapei Mapecoat TNS products and systems available to provide the best possible surface achievable.

As a result ‘NT Sports and Playgrounds’ were successful in winning the contract to complete the required work which included bringing the courts from an unplayable surface to a surface which would see the courts fully functional.

In the Northern Territory bad or extremely poor substrates are a common occurrence so this project provided no obstacles for the team at ‘NT Sports’.

As a consequence, they employed the surfaces of Russell McSly who is now one of the leading applicators in Australia and formally the applicator for the ‘Australian Open’ tennis courts before he became a

32 | Flooring Aug/Sept 2017

supporter of the Mapecoat TNS system where he is now an approved applicator in Victoria under the name of ‘King of Courts’.

The process was to be a simple ‘3 coat system’ commonly referred to as the Mapecoat TNS Professional, however, in order to complete this system significant substrate preparation had to be completed. To commence, the courts were washed down extensively to remove all debris and remnants of red soil left on the courts and between the large cracks all through the courts. Once this was complete Russell and Myles commenced the lengthy process of rectifying 42 bird baths. This was completed by using the Adesilex G19 (with sand) and Adesilex P4 with Latex Plus. After completion of the bird baths water was sprayed all over the court to ensure all low spots had been removed.

Mapecoat TNS White Base Coat.

As a consequence, it was decided to apply the two Mapecoat TNS Finish 1 top coats as thick as possible to help reduce the show through of existing cracks and rectification work. The final two coats of

Mapecoat TNS Finish 1 were applied with the result being nothing short of sensational. On the completion of the second top coat Mapecoat TNS White Lines were installed for two Basketball courts and one set of Mapecoat TNS Yellow Lines for a tennis court running in the opposite direction to the Basketball courts.

I think you will agree that the final result was not only extraordinary but also impressive in that the school now have fully functional courts for a fraction of the price of what it would have cost to complete a re-build. Simply an unbelievable result.

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Retailer of the month

Honesty is Everything Metropolitan Carpet Court, Thomastown Victoria

34 | Flooring Aug/Sept 2017

S

ilvia and Andy Simari have been in the flooring business for well over thirty years. Andy originally worked in the flooring industry for someone else but decided he could do it himself and so Metropolitan Carpets and Tiles was created in 1981. The store became part of the Home Flair group and later Carpet Court where Andy was one of the founders. The business still operates from the same location in Settlement Road, Thomastown and would be one of the longest periods a flooring business has been operated by the same owners.

Andy, originally from Calabria and Silvia from Abruzzo in Central Italy, a region often referred to as “God’s own Country,” the Simari family have built their business on hard work but more importantly, honesty which Silvia says “Is everything to us.”

Metropolitan Carpet Court is a large store by flooring retail standards and has a warehouse of over 250 square metres and a showroom of 400m2. Theirs is a small crew with only Jordan working part time in addition to the Simari family.

Sub-contractors skilled in the various floor-coverings in addition to a layingservice round out the people involved in the store’s success. The store does both commercial and residential properties and works with a number of builders on multi-unit projects. Silvia says “We’ve found the laying service to be highly professional and our sub-contractors have a wide range of experience with our complete collection of products.”

She says that they’ll tackle any job but residential is “more their thing.”

Joining Silvia and Andy after finishing an Interior Decoration and Design Diploma

at RMIT University is their youngest daughter Vanessa who has been with the business full time for well over twenty years. Like all business owners’ offspring, Vanessa would work at the store after school and in holidays, seeing this as “pitching in” and soon learned to love the industry. She says “It’s in your blood and you often look on the business like an extra family member.” Vanessa believes the store offers them a good lifestyle but concedes that “It’s hard work and often long hours. There’s pro’s and con’s and it’s always in our lives but we love it.”

Thomastown is a suburb in Melbourne’s North and is a mixture of industry – commercial properties and old and new, often working-class residential properties.

Silvia recalls that Settlement Road used to be very busy before a ring-road was built, then it slowed down for a few years but now it has become a very busy road again. This was never an issue for the business because they had built up such a good relationship with the community that a lot of their work is repeat business or referrals. Silvia and Andy often get stopped in restaurants or down the shopping centre

by people who they’ve done jobs for and just want to have a chat. Silvia and Andy are great supporters of local schools and kindergartens and are widely respected.

When asked who the boss is, the family has a laugh because they’re all equally involved. As Vanessa says “As a family business, you have to rely on yourselves.”

Silvia mainly handles the financial side, Vanessa mainly handles sales and Andy mainly handles the measuring and planning. The truth is though, that all three of them can do each other’s jobs very well.

Vanessa may be one of the first females ever to grab a tape measure and go onsite, a skill she attributes to her Interior Decoration and Design training at RMIT University.

Pitching in as a family and covering each other in both time and skills creates a good lifestyle. The family travels often, not just for business or conferences but also for pleasure. Italy is a popular destination of course and this is where Silvia gets to practice her Italian. Coming to Australia at ten years of age, Silvia and Andy are truly part of the Australian culture but of course, are firmly linked to their

heritage. In fact, Silvia’s spaghetti and meatballs are regarded as “legendary.”

Vanessa relaxes with her French bulldog Alberto and Andy is a member of a local photography club. He takes many interesting pictures around Melbourne; often at flower shows where he won a photography prize and in some of the lanes and alleys where Melbourne’s famous street art is on display.

Like all small businesses the Simari’s have had their ups and downs but they’ve always “managed” their bottom line.

Their customer loyalty stretches to the children of their original clients, such is the respect they’ve achieved. Price is now a secondary consideration for many of their customers, such is the value of the service they provide. Some of this comes from Vanessa’s ability to advise on the overall design of the home or property. Vanessa says “We really care about what we do and our passion never wanes. We never lie to anyone and if for some reason we feel we may not be able to follow through with the job, we’d rather let it go.” It really is all about honesty and to Metropolitan Carpet Court, it’s everything.

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Interview

Q&A with Tarkett Flooring Magazine speaks to Mariana Thomas, Head of Marketing & Communications at Tarkett.

Please describe Tarkett’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and discuss sustainable building trends, in particular indoor air quality needs.

At Tarkett, we are committed to developing innovative flooring solutions for better living spaces that not only create value for our clients, but also enhance wellbeing and respect the environment. We believe that tomorrow’s successful and sustainable business models will have to go beyond financial performance. These models must contribute to better quality of life and we recognise that it’s important to take responsibility not only for the footprint we leave on the planet, but also for the contribution we make to better living, addressing global challenges such as resource scarcity, global warming, population aging and human health.

We are committed to acting responsibly and going further by developing sustainable initiatives that have a positive impact on the planet.

A key element of our approach is our longstanding commitment to the circular economy. As we move away from a linear economy that depletes finite resources, we take advantage of all opportunities to select materials that are good for people’s health and the environment, and recycle and reuse our products or materials. In 2015, we were pleased to have been awarded the “Company in transition” prize at the 2015 Circular Economy Trophy awards in Paris, France.

Since 90 per cent of people’s time is spent indoors, air quality, acoustic control and visual stimulation have all become determining factors in evaluating quality of life. In order to contribute to better indoor air quality and healthy environment, we maintain strict indoor air quality standards, pioneered nonphthalate plasticiser alternatives and products with low VOC emissions, dust capture system with asthma and allergy friendly products. Our products also 36 | Flooring Aug/Sept 2017

offer inspiring spaces with patterns and colours as well as improved acoustic environment. Today, our solutions, which incorporate these technological advances, play a role in promoting healthy indoor environment and wellbeing.

Our solutions include: • Vinyl products that offer very low levels of VOC (1) emissions: 10-100 times better than the strictest standard in the world • Innovative Desso AirMaster carpet, a patented technology that captures and retains fine dust, which helps improve indoor air quality • Desso EcoBase backing, which is 100% recyclable

• We can also improve sound insulation and absorption with Desso SoundMaster (up to 35dB insulation) and Tapiflex Acoustic (up to 19dB insulation)

How long has Tarkett been committed to this cause and how does the recent partnership with the University of Melbourne to offer an award reflect this cause?

We have a roadmap at Tarkett and we have set up 2020 and 2030 sustainability objectives, engaging our teams and partners to work together to drive our sustainability strategy.

We continuously track our progress in

three dimensions: Environment, Social, and Governance and we focus on the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) of the UN. All our reports, which are publicly available, show that we have had improvements greater than what the goals are globally.

The purpose of the partnership with the University of Melbourne is to recognise and celebrate the best design at undergraduate level that shows the potential to have positive social and ecological outcomes or legacy. This award strongly aligns with the Tarkett’s sustainable values and products. We have confidence this award will uncover and motivate the most innovative use of sustainable building design, and ultimately push the industry as a whole to new heights.

I understand that University of Melbourne Bachelor of Environments student, Brigit Skilbeck has become the first recipient of the Tarkett Positive Legacy design Award, how did she stand out from the crowd and what makes Brigit the outstanding recipient? Was the competition tough and how many entries were there? What made you partner with the University initially? Tell us about the Tarkett Positive Legacy Award in general….

Firstly, I’d like to congratulate Brigit on her achievement and I hope the financial assistance will help with her future studies. Initiatives like this award are a step in the right direction to try to increase support for students in an effort to retain skilled talent in the local market.

Brigit delivered a concept aimed at combining beauty with practical

sustainability, to democratise public space through community participation and decision making. She was selected from six entries by an expert panel of judges.

Will this be an annual Award/ partnership or will it be an ongoing relationship between Tarkett and the university?

Each year, the Tarkett Positive Legacy Design Award provides recognition and financial assistance to a Melbourne School of Design student whose project demonstrates the most potential to create positive social and ecological outcomes in the future.

This is one of a few initiatives Tarkett has partnered with the University of Melbourne to highlight the importance of sustainability in the built environment.

Last year we commissioned the 2016 Towards Building That Thrive Report authored by the University’s Thrive Research Hub. The report addresses the need to develop building design, construction practices and interior materials that

promote healthier and sustainable commercial spaces, with a focus on indoor air quality.

Do you believe that Australian design professionals are much closer to building healthier, sustainable environments to keep up with the rapid building boom in Australia, for instance?

As quality of life improves in developed countries and consumers are more informed about the environmental implications of products used in their homes, work, schools, etc. Pressure has been put on design professionals, and subsequently manufacturers, to provide them with a healthier and more sustainable environment.

For instance, at Tarkett we have started applying cradle-to-cradle principles since 2011 and we have moved from a linear economy to a circular economy. In a circular economy, one of the main principles is to create more sustainable products and to close the loop of production. That means using the right materials for the right applications and ensuring we can reuse those materials at the end of their life.

We follow the cradle-to-cradle principle in all segments we operate in. For example, in the education sector, there is a lot of emphasis on indoor air quality because we know how important our kids are for Australia’s future. Hence Tarkett’s offering of the innovative Desso AirMaster carpet, which captures and retains fine dust and helps improve indoor air quality.

This is one of many examples where Tarkett leads the way in innovation where it comes to sustainability and well-being.

We hope that other manufacturers do the same. This will definitely help design professionals create more sustainable and healthier environments.

Flooring Aug/Sept 2017 | 37

Software

Make More Sales By Managing ‘Lost’ Sales Writing previously about followup procedures, I have said that every quote or lead in our business should have a status; it is either won, lost, or still in play.

If I am going to be an effective salesperson, I need to know the status of every quote on my desk.

If I am not following up, how do I know a quote is lost?

Many salespeople determine a quote has been lost by the amount of time it has been sitting on their desk; at some point, they conclude the job “won’t be going ahead”, and these job sheets are quietly filed away.

Whether the status of “lost” comes about from diligent follow-up, or as the result of a decision based on the amount of time that has gone by, I will treat them as the same for this article; simply lost.

To put lost sales into perspective, if you have a $3m business with a conversion rate of 50%, your lost sales equate to your revenue for the year. If your average sale is $2500, you have lost 1200 sales. Of course, this is obvious, it’s just maths, but it’s no less true for being obvious and simple; how often do we think about lost sales in these terms? Have you thought about the cost of generating and servicing those 1200 leads? What about the repeat and referral business those 1200 sales would have generated over the next five to ten years?

You might tell me your conversion rate is much higher than 50%. If so, you are doing better than most flooring retailers.

Regardless of your conversion rate, are you comfortable with your salespeople deciding a job is lost, when in fact it would be more accurate to say they

To put lost sales into perspective, if you have a $3m business with a conversion rate of 50%, your lost sales equate to your entire revenue for the year.

38 | Flooring Aug/Sept 2017

don’t know? What other industry lets a segment of employees have such a big influence on their revenue without having some checks in place?

There are all sorts of reasons people haven’t gone ahead after getting a quote; only some of them have purchased elsewhere, and by calling, you can rescue some of them.

Whether the salesperson has been told they were unsuccessful, or whether they are just assuming, every “lost” job should be reviewed by you as the owner or manager of the business.

Every customer for whom we have lost a job should be contacted by us to find out why the job was lost. What you will find is 20-30% of these lost jobs have not yet been lost. There are all sorts of reasons people have not gone ahead after getting a quote; only some of them have purchased elsewhere, and by calling, you can rescue some of them.

Even those who have purchased elsewhere are worth talking to. We might not be happy to hear some of the feedback, but once we have, acting on what we hear we can improve our salespeople, and grow our business.

Talking to clients who have chosen not to purchase gives us more insight on our business than talking to those who purchase.

If we treat lost sales as a valuable resource, over time, we can build up a picture of where our lost sales are going, and why. And, along the way, we will recover some sales that otherwise would certainly have been lost.

The sales process in the flooring industry is much like panning for gold;

by following up, we are swirling away looking for the gold at the bottom of the pan. Unfortunately, many of our salespeople are looking for nuggets and are not expending the energy required to get all the available gold. We need a process in place to ensure we are not missing opportunities.

A good system will help manage your sales. RFMS is a fully integrated business management system. For more than 30 years RFMS has been providing IT solutions to flooring businesses around the world, providing salespeople with the tools to manage and track sales, and owners with the tools they need to analyse and manage sales teams. On implementation, RFMS has the tools that will increase your sales and profitability. RFMS will pay for itself; if you can find an hour of time, I would be pleased to show you how.

Chris Ogden is a consultant and 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.

TRYING TO PUT THE PIECES TOGETHER? Layers Diary Financials Debtors Quotes Stock

Mobile Sales Measuring Reporting Projects Sales

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Software

Quantifying Software - Justifying the Cost Quantifying software requires an investment of both time and money, and just like any investment you make in your business, you will want to see a return.

RFMS Measure and Measure Mobile have grown as tools in our industry because they give users the ability to generate more quotes, more quickly, more accurately, and more professionally.

It is in these areas that you will see your return on investment.

The key to making sales in this industry is getting quotes out quickly; the more days that go by between the measure and getting the quote out, the less likely we are to make the sale. Measure Mobile enables the user to measure, quantify and quote in the home. There are several reasons we don’t do this now; among them the time it takes to quantify, and the lack of confidence we have in quantifying done too quickly.

We know that a quantifying error can be costly; inaccurate quantifying can lead to losing a job, or worse, winning

a job and making no money. Measure gives salespeople the ability not only to quote quickly, but to do so with confidence.

Finally, professionalism counts.

Use Mobile Measure to demonstrate your professionalism, experience, and knowledge. Quantifying with minimal waste and better placed seams will differentiate you from your competitors.

The potential ROI on Measure is significant. The annual cost of Measure is $1800. How many additional jobs would you need to close in just one month to recoup that annual cost?

Price is always going to be important, but Measure and Measure Mobile is going to highlight other factors on which the customer can assess you against your competition.

The potential ROI for RFMS Measure is significant. An annual subscription is $1800. How many more jobs would you need to close to recoup that cost?

A flooring business with an average sale of $2500 and an average GP of 25% will cover it in three additional sales. Add to that the money saved by eliminating those common errors that lead to incorrect quantities; adding and multiplying mistakes, transposed number, and cuts missed off, to name just three.

Not all electronic quantifying solutions are equal; Measure by RFMS is the market leader. Download a 30-day free trial at measureflooring.com. Our experienced trainers will help and support you and your staff realise the benefits of Measure.

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40 | Flooring Aug/Sept 2017

salesau@rfms.com

Carpets & Rugs

Designer Rugs Introduces MR Carpet Collection Designer Rugs proudly introduces MR Carpet – a new collection of monochromatic Axminster carpet from in-house experts Johnathon Murray and Shaun Russell. Exploring the latest trends on geometric wall-to-wall carpeting, the collection has a signature menswear-inspired twist, featuring masculine prints in a high quality, versatile product.

“We wanted to create a collection around a classic tartan, along with other designs to compliment it” says Russell. “After many request from clients for simple black and white carpet, we perceived a place in the market for MR Carpet – geometric designs with our

personal menswear signature” While hard floor surfaces offer a slick finish to a space, the tactile luxury, warmth and ease offered by carpet assures its lasting reputation as a popular floor covering. The tartan, floral and stripe designs offered by MR Carpet not only provide these practical offerings, but also a strong and contemporary aesthetic that is guaranteed to perform in high traffic areas.

MR Carpet is suitable for a wide range of projects, from residential to large scale commercial fit outs. The classic colour offering and timeless designs ensure this high quality carpet

will shine in a great number of design situations.

The debut MR Carpet collection consists of 4 designs – Alford, Iona, Kintore and Leith – and is available now. Each design can also be custom coloured to suit any space.

Designer Rugs is Australia's leading rug company, specialising in handmade custom rugs and carpets for both residential, commercial and hospitality interiors, with a commitment to quality, originality and exceptional service. The MR Carpet collection is on display at Designer Rugs' showrooms in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland and viewable online at designerrugs.com.au.

Johnathon Murray and Shaun Russell

Flooring Aug/Sept 2017 | 41

Vinyl

Gerflor Launches ‘Best-Ever’ Texline Roll Range Versailles is just one of the edgy new designs positioning Gerflor’s new Texline range as the best ever. The layered canvas of intricate patterns and textures provides a base for stylish contemporary furnishings or retro Art Deco accents.

Industrial design cues, Danish influences and rustic French provincial themes are peppered throughout the four metre roll range that has just arrived from France.

Gerflor Product Marketing Manager, Jutta Fronert has been sharing the

42 | Flooring Aug/Sept 2017

design story behind the latest offer with key customers around the nation.

“Our retail partners are very excited by this new Texline range. The designs bring flooring out of the commodity space into the design arena. As the original loose lay product to come to market here in Australia, Texline now has a long, proud history when it comes to comfort and performance. The new designs and colours take it up another notch and will really resonate with the homemaker or renovator with an eye for aesthetics,” Jutta said.

Jutta Fronert, Gerflor Product Marketing Manager, during one of her presentations, at Carpet Call, Queensland

Signature Introduces ‘New City’ to LVT Collection With TAC planks in full demand at the moment, Signature Floors has introduced New City to their extensive LVT collection.

The ‘TAC’ application method for LVT installation is fast becoming a favourite amongst consumers out in the marketplace due to it allowing for a fast, clean fixed floor installation while still offering the flexibility of easy floor

maintenance or removal after laying*.

As TAC planks have extra thickness they also offer improved thermal and acoustic benefits, giving a warmer and quieter home.

New City brings a 5mm thick plank with a durable 0.55mm wear layer and six sophisticated, contemporary colours ranging from a soft, washed warm

Sometimes the grass is teal Strong brand entity within a supportive network

blonde to a cool, deep and moody charcoal. All this with peace of mind in a 20 year Residential Warranty and 10 Light Commercial Warranty, so it will look great for years to come.

New City has been designed to suit all interior looks and décor and will bring a fresh look to any room it is placed in.

25 years Jill & I wanted more; this led us to have a look on “theAfter other side of the fence.

We wanted to have our independence and be part of a recognisable brand, with all the benefits of being in a group.

We found Carpet One was there for us and this made the change easy, affordable and fast.

We are now part of a global brand with exclusive lines, personalised website and the centralised services that we needed to help grow our business. What we really like, are rebates that rewards us for our success.

Within two years and having better territories to work with, we have our dream of two stores and our return on investment couldn’t be better with sales and profits up.

We are glad that we made the change. Is it your turn?

”

Brett & Jill Haddock owners Picton & Engadine Carpet One

– Brett Haddock

For a confidential discussion, contact membership today on: (07) 37258600 Email: Daniel.griffin@carpetone.com.au

Hardwood

Carpet Court Launches Latitude 25 Carpet Court has launched a new range of engineered flooring, Latitude 25, which celebrates the flawed beauty of Australian hardwood species.

Where, typically, natural timber features such as knots, gum veins and pin holes are disposed of during the manufacturing process, Latitude 25 embraces these aesthetic quirks, making them the heroes of its composition.

Not only does this reduce timber wastage, but it also results in a unique flooring design that is wholly representative of the rich texture and detail of Australian hardwood species.

Latitude 25 boards offer diverse gradients of colour, authentic grains and a supermatte acrylic finish, all of which create real visual interest.

These feature grade boards are then mixed with cleaner select grade boards

for a base with depth and variation.

The Latitude 25 range currently comprises two of the most popular Australian species – Blackbutt, which is characterised by cream and biscuit colourings, and Spotted Gum, a light brown timber with pinkish undertones.

As the trend for hardwood flooring with genuine character continues to gather pace, many consumers are turning to salvage yards to source reclaimed and recycled timber. However, with materials often difficult to come by and prices at a premium as a result, the arrival of Latitude 25 looks to make authentic Australian timber more financially accessible for the average consumer.

For more information on Latitude 25, visit www.carpetcourt.com.au or head into your local Carpet Court store.

Laminate

Quick-Step Launches the Majestic Laminate Range Quick-Step’s design team has been keeping a keen eye on the latest and most diverse trends in architecture, fashion and interiors. The resulting floor is both timeless and trendy, as well as seamlessly fitting in with consumer demands.

“We have noticed the start of a backlash against the Scandinavian trend, with dark colours such as brown now reappearing”, explains Oke Nollet, Design Director of Quick-Step. “The combination of oak and long, wide floor planks lend a luxurious touch to any interior. Majestic is Quick-Step’s grandest,most opulent laminate floor ever!”

The Majestic range is comprised of extra-wide, extralong planks (2050 x 240mm in fact), which is a perfect and luxurious to your home. QuickStep’s latest laminate collection will not only introduce a warm glow into your home, but also lend it a touch of royal glamour.

Majestic combines a matchless wooden look with ease of maintenance.

A generous range of eight colours offers a wealth of possibilities: from a vintage or rustic look, to trendy or contemporary.

44 | Flooring Aug/Sept 2017

The accompanying textures and the way in which the grooves are perfectly balanced to match the character of the floor mean that the wood effect created by the Majestic collection is absolutely true to nature.

One striking option in this collection is Desert Oak Brushed in Dark Brown.

The warm brown, which promises to be a true eye-catcher this season, is a reaction to Scandinavian design where white and light pastel shades play a central role. The dark colour brings a touch of class to your home, creating a cosy, intimate mood. The distinctive, classic oak design is characterised by its flower-like graining, fissures and knots.

Particularly when combined with other dark shades (black would be a good choice), the floor adds a touch of luxury to the interior as a whole.

The other seven breathtaking decors include Desert Oak Warm Natural, Desert Oak Brushed Grey, Woodland Oak Brown, Valley Oak Light Beige, Woodland Oak Beige, Valley Oak Light Brown, Desert Oak Light Natural.

Whatever style fits your personality, you will be spoilt for choice.

Product Update

Wood Safety Comfort Range Introduced Altro have expanded the 2mm Altro Wood Safety range and introduced the new 2.85mm Altro Wood Safety Comfort range.

Both give the functional performance you’d expect from an Altro safety floor and provide sustained slip resistance for the lifetime of the flooring (PTV ≥36).

The thicker option provides comfort underfoot and 14dB sound reduction.

The range still includes some old favourites, with some exciting new

shades. Plus the addition of a bamboolook and wide plank classic and rustic design.

Biophilic design, a strategy of implementing nature into the environment, can help healthcare facilities to encourage feelings of serenity and calmness for patients and staff.

The biophilia hypothesis suggests that there is an instinctive bond between human beings and nature.

Studies have shown that exposure to nature and natural images can help with the healing process, reduce absenteeism, increase productivity and improve mood.

In healthcare this is of exceptional importance.

Noise levels can have a serious impact on the wellbeing of patients, staff and visitors in a hospital environment including elevated blood pressure, sleep deprivation and emotional exhaustion.

A vinyl acoustic floor contributes to the reduction of reducing sound transmission, increasing sound absorption and reducing sound reflection.

Floors can also impact a person’s comfort. It is important for floor surfaces to provide comfort underfoot whilst maintaining ease of movement.

It is important to choose a floor that has great sound reduction but also high indentation resistance.

Using different design strategies to enhance the environment can improve the wellbeing of patients and staff in the healthcare sector. Biophilic design has proven to be beneficial in the healing process and overall productivity and mood in humans. Using acoustics in the flooring can also assist in creating a more relaxing, calm and comforting space. These methods used together are essential in constructing an ideal surrounding. Together with biophilic design, sound reduction and indentation resistance, Altro Wood Safety can provide a great solution.

For more information visit http://www. asf.com.au/woodcollection

Flooring Aug/Sept 2017 | 45

Product Update

A Polish a Day Keeps the Dullness Away Keeping floors clean and in good condition is an important step in general housekeeping. Flooring, particularly in high-traffic areas, takes a lot of beating.

Here are some tips on how to keep hard floors looking their best.

The mortal enemies of hard floor is moisture and dirt; both of which will most likely settle on floors continuously.

Standing water or liquids can warp wood and cause it to swell, also addressing spills as soon as they occur on marble is important. Wet wiping tiles is not only a hazard but leaves unsightly streak marks which make your floors look dirty still.

Dirt-catching methods such as using entry mats and regular vacuuming and dusting can stave off tiny particles like dust and dirt that can easily scratch the floor.

To figure out the best cleaning method for your hard floor you need to find out how your floors are sealed or finished. If you've recently installed your

46 | Flooring Aug/Sept 2017

flooring and are able to obtain a sample and get manufacturing details, then consider yourself fortunate!

It shines and is dust free.

Not being content with designing some of the world’s most advanced cars, the Germans are now they’re taking on other European and American cleaning equipment manufacturers with the radical SEBO Ultra High Speed Suction Polisher.

No water, no worries – the SEBO UHS Polisher hygienically cleans hard floors without the use of water or chemicals or polishing sands! It kills surface microbes leaving the floor looking great without wiping marks and lines.

Check out the ‘dull’ before and ‘glossy’ after shots on marble. The lustre has been quickly and effortlessly restored using only the SEBO UHS polishing head with unique pad system.

As easy to use as an upright vacuum cleaner, the polisher has been designed so that anyone can use it.

BEFORE

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Avoid the big WET on wood

In the past maintaining shiny wood surfaces has been difficult without the use of water. However, the SEBO UHS requires no water or chemicals to effectively restore shine to dull floors including wood!

One pad - Multiple hard surfaces (insert 3 floors UHS disco photo) Cleaning multiple sites these days can be a headache for homemakers and contract cleaners. Multiple flooring surfaces with various chemical containers can be tough gig. The SEBO UHS polisher can be used on a variety of hard floor surfaces without chemicals or water required.

The result is a spotlessly hygienic and glossy floor.

Due to its compact size the SEBO UHS Polisher is ideal for niche areas such as entries and bathrooms.

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

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Highly compact and exceptional maneuverability, the SEBO Polishing Head has been specifically designed with female users in mind, says Kristine Collins, SEBO National Product Manager: “Hiring a tradesman to rejuvenate hard floors can be costly and time consuming. Their bulky machinery can damage furniture and dirty equipment can be harmful to your health.

Asset maintenance and presentation are paramount in allergy suffering and house proud individuals.”

Unlike traditional bulky polishers, the SEBO UHS Polishing System weighs in at only 8.4kgs, so maintaining a glossy hard floor doesn’t have to be a pain in the back.

Leading Concrete Protection Systems ...

Floors in need of some TLC?

The SEBO Restoration Kit brings floors back to life. The German Manufacturer states each pad works up to 600 hours or 10,000 sqm!

Clean Green with the SEBO UHS Polisher – no Chemicals, no water.

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

Flooring Aug/Sept 2017 | 47

Product Update

SEBO Felix Makes Cleaning a Breeze Choosing furniture and soft furnishings for your home can be an exciting experience.

When you finally see your interior scheme coming together and that ideal sofa sitting pretty next to that beautiful rug and eye catching new curtains, it can feel like a satisfying achievement. It’s reassuring to know that you’ve got the perfect tools to hand to ensure your

48 | Flooring Aug/Sept 2017

treasured purchases remain looking as good as the day you bought them too.

SEBO, the expert in floorcare, has a comprehensive range of vacuum cleaners that make household chores a breeze and will keep your fixtures and fittings in shape.

The SEBO Felix upright vacuum cleaner, slimline with a flexible flat-

to-floor cleaning head, which is under 7cm in height, making cleaning under furniture a breeze. Its L-shaped head reaches right up to skirting boards so every inch of your floor looks good.

This reduces cleaning time as heavy furniture such as beds or sofas do not need to be moved as you can simply glide around floors effortlessly.

Felix is equipped with an adjustable telescopic handle and integrated hose for comfortable cleaning. You can also select variable power settings; choose from 300 watts which is great for vacuuming delicate items with the hose, to 1300 watts for true force. The machine features brush-height control too – ideal for looped carpet and delicate rug fringes; you can choose between gentle to deep brushing as desired with the 4 level brush height setting and brush roller on/off feature for straight suction at the press of a button.

Stair cleaning is no foreign task for the SEBO Felix, designed to be used as a lightweight portable vacuum too by releasing the power brush, the specifically designed stair vacuuming tool will deep clean, lift the pile and improve the appearance of the high traffic foot marks we often see near the bannister.

Convenient and hygienic, the Felix vacuum cleaner boast S-class filtration and sealable multi-layer bags to ensure no dust escapes; a clever buy for allergy sufferers.

The designs can also be transformed into high-powered polishing machines with SEBO’s UHS Polishing attachment – suitable for virtually any hard floor surface, including PVC, natural stone, wood and varnish coated flooring.

Established in 1978, SEBO boasts an impressive pedigree with the secret to the company’s success in its specialised expertise: unlike many other manufacturers, SEBO focuses solely on vacuum cleaners and, hence, excels in this technology. Just as you would expect from a German company, SEBO’s vacuum cleaners are made to last. So, the next time anyone considers purchasing a new vacuum cleaner, make that suggestion a SEBO vacuum cleaner, and rest assured they’ve bought the very best that money can buy.

allprep.com.au sales@allprep.com.au

Prep, Install & Care

choosing the right tool to ensure you get maximum sqm and diamond wear out of every single set!

Preparing the edges

The DSM250 Edge Schwamborn Grinder took to the edges quickly to make for minimal site works around the corners and edge of power boxes and supply areas. If your wanting to take your concrete floor preparation projects, next level, contact All Preparation Equipment to see how they can help you make use of your current gear to get great results.

Aside from the new edge grinding attachment on the stand up 250mm Grinder, the diamonds could be changed to give the same type of finish and profile around the edges as the Remotecontrolled Grinder was able to achieve on the main floor.

Qantas Brisbane Airport Hangar Project in Focus When called to Qantas Hanger Site in Brisbane to prepare 4000m2 of concrete ready for an application of an epoxy concrete coating, All Preparation Equipment went all the way to ensure the 2000m2 that was estimated was prepared in a day ready for the aircraft to make its way back in that night.

The Schwamborn DSM800RC Grinder made fast, easy progress in preparation for applying a coating to the floor.

Working closely with the team at IPCQ, All Preparation Equipment helped to ensure the right diamond tooling, and finish was created.

Using the 40 Grit diamond grinding shoes, a single pass removed more than 90% of the coating, to give a good key ready to reapply onto. With all the concrete floor preparation going to plan the second half of the hanger was scheduled to be prepared and recoated the following week.

The DSM250 Edge Schwamborn Grinder took to the edges quickly to make for minimal site works around the corners and edge of power boxes and supply areas. If your wanting to take your concrete floor preparation projects, next level, contact the guys at All Preparation Equipment to see how they can help you make use of your current gear to get great results.

When called to Qantas Hanger Site in Brisbane to prepare 4000m2 of 50 | Flooring Aug/Sept 2017

concrete ready for an application of an epoxy concrete coating, All Preparation Equipment went all the way to ensure the 2000m2 that was estimated was prepared in a day ready for the aircraft to make it’s way back in that night.

The Schwamborn DSM800RC Grinder made fast, easy progress in preparation for applying a coating to the floor.

Working closely with the team at IPCQ, All Preparation Equipment helped to ensure the right diamond tooling, and finish was created.

Diamond tooling that works

Using the 40 Grit diamond grinding shoes, a single pass removed more than 90% of the coating, to give a good key ready to reapply onto. With all the concrete floor preparation going to plan the second half of the hanger was scheduled to be prepared and recoated the following week.

Diamond tooling is a key in creating fantastic floor finishes. Using the Remote Controlled 800mm Schwamborn Floor Grinder and the Knock-on Diamond Tooling system, diamond wear was minimal and across 2000m2 only a few mm of diamond wore, (meaning out of a set you could expect to grind and prepare about 6 times that)!

Obviously with every concrete floor different and no 2 concrete grinding projects the same, means having and

Dust Control

Connected to each Concrete Floor Grinding system was Vacuums for dust control. Being used in a high profile, airport hangar meant it was absolutely essential to have optimum dust control.

The contractor, IPCQ, who was awarded the project to ensure they met the Safety and Maintenance Standards of Qantas Airport which they were able to achieve and exceed with the use of effective single and twin motor vacuum and dust extraction systems.

Pyrafloor ‘Unrivalled’ in Marketplace Pyrafloor has combined industry-leading chemicals, diamond tooling, and equipment to create an unrivalled polished concrete system. With a longer shine, easy maintenance, and full customization, Pyrafloor creates a stronger surface anywhere.

From worn out concrete to a newly poured custom floor, Pyrafloor transforms your concrete into a beautifully polished surface that will stand the test of time.

As with a growing demand for Polished Concrete Floors, Pyrafloor saw a need to provide a comprehensive Training System to offer training to beginners as well as experienced Polishing contractors using proven, leading technologies from around the world.

We’ve partnered with Schwamborn and Crete Colours International, both leading suppliers in concrete floor finishing.

Pyrafloor is an all-inclusive floor finishing system for concrete.

From the oldest, roughest concrete floor to a custom poured concrete floor – the Pyrafloor Polishing System creates a stronger, more durable, and abrasive resistant surface with minimal maintenance and cleaning.

• Can be installed on any concrete floor finish • Create a lasting impression by adding a touch of tint or colour • No two floors are the same • Fast, easy, effective installation Pyrafloor also offers a comprehensive 2-day training program for polished concrete floors.

Flooring Aug/Sept 2017 | 51

FLOORING

Prep, Install & Care

AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND

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Concrete Tips for Flooring with All Preparation Equipment

PUBLISHER Vicky Cammiade Email: vicky.cammiade@elitepublishing.com.au EDITOR Ronnie Gramazio Email: ronnie.gramazio@elitepublishing.com.au TECHNOLOGY EDITOR Philip Ashley philipneilashley@yahoo.com.au ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Sandie Velkovska Email: sandie@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 GRAPHIC DESIGN Uber Creative Phone: (03) 8513 0208 Email: connect@ubercreative.com.au www.ubercreative.com.au PRE-PRESS Prominent Digital PRINTED BY Prominent Group Pty Ltd ELITE PUBLISHING CO PTY LTD (established 1985) All rights reserved – No part of this publication maybe reproduced, transmitted or copied in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without the express prior written consent of Elite Publishing Co Pty Ltd. Viewpoints, opinions, claims, etc expressed in articles appearing in this publication are those of the authors. The Publishers accept no responsibility for the information supplied or for claims made by companies or their representatives regarding product performance, etc or for any errors, omissions, misplacement, alterations, or any subsequent changes, or for any consequences of reliance on this information or this publication.

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Here are some mistakes to avoid when preparing concrete floors for a new coating, courtesy of National Flooring Equipment. All Preparation Equipment distributes the National Flooring Equipment machines here in Australia and New Zealand.

In 1173, the foundations for the famous Tower of Pisa were laid on ground too soft to properly support its weight. The resulting lean gradually progressed until the survival of the building was so at risk that extensive renovation work was required to partially correct the tilt and safeguard the tower’s future. In flooring renovation projects, it is important to consider what can go wrong, to increase the chances of getting it right first time. Here, Scott Coffey, territory sales manager at National Flooring Equipment discusses a few simple ways to increase the chances of flooring project success.

It can be easy to underestimate the importance of correct surface preparation before installing a new floor, but improper preparation can cause failure in your coating which can increase costs. (Photo: National Flooring Equipment) When laying a new coating on a concrete floor, surface preparation impacts both the aesthetic and the functionality of the new flooring.

It can be easy to underestimate the importance of correct surface preparation before installing a new floor, but improper preparation can cause a failure in your coating which can increase costs.

It is possible to mitigate the risks of project failure by completing the proper surface preparation, which is usually specified by the company that manufactures the coating system.

Nasty Surprises

Whatever is next for the concrete floor, the first step in the project is always the same. The contractor must remove the original coating or covering.

Until the subfloor is exposed, it is not possible to predict what the condition of the concrete will be. If the customer was hoping for a polished concrete floor and the exposed concrete is in poor condition, they are in for a nasty surprise.

Scratching The Surface

Once the contractor removes the old flooring, the next step is to prepare the concrete for the new coating.

It is essential that before surface preparation is attempted, the customer and the contractor are clear on exactly what flooring they want, so the surface preparation can match the system being installed.

There are two methods to best prepare the floor for the new coating: grinding and shot blasting. Shot blasting

Caring for your Laminate Floors

creates a profile in a single step, time-saving process. Shot blasting propels shot against the substrate, leaving the best possible profile for a coating to adhere to.

However, you shouldn’t use this method when applying coatings or paints of ten mils or less, because the overlap lines from shot blasting may be visible, ruining the aesthetics of the floor. In these situations, grinding is a more appropriate technique as it leaves a move even profile that thinner coatings can cover more easily.

Bubble Trouble

Whatever the coating, it is imperative for the contractor to check for moisture in the newly exposed floor as this can affect the success of the flooring project. This is particularly relevant if applying an epoxy coating, as trapped moisture escaping through the surface can lead to bubbling. Even worse, the floor could start peeling off completely.

Once the coating has been applied, it’s too late to go back. Avoiding coating failure because of moisture requires the contractor to perform a simple moisture test on a small area of shot blasted or ground concrete. Sometimes, larger projects require more than one moisture test. If a moisture test is failed, moisture mitigation should be completed before moving forward with the project.

How do you test the water-resistance of laminate? The water tightness of laminate is assessed through a swelling test.

Floorboard samples are submerged in water and measured for swelling. The problem with this method? “It only tests the water resistance of the individual boards; not that of the installed floor as a whole”, says Kendall Waller, National Product Manager. “That’s why we’ve developed our own tests – which are more accurate, stricter and, above all, representative of real-life situations.”

One way to test whether an installed laminate floor is watertight is through a mop test. Kendall explains: “This lab test consists of covering the installed floor with wet mops for 14 hours. We don’t just use water, but also add soap. This makes for a more rigid trial, as soap reduces the water’s surface tension. Then we assess: Is water seeping through the joints? Is there any surface damage or swelling?”

An equally strict – if not stricter – evaluation of a floor’s water resistance is Quick-Step’s cylinder test. “By placing a cylinder on the T-shaped connections of installed floorboards and filling it with water and soap, the bevels and installation quality are put to the test”, Kendall explains. “After 4, 12 or even 24 hours, swelling is measured and assessed. We have never seen an increase of over 0.05 mm. In addition, the permeability of all points of contact is analyzed. And we’re also testing with other fluids than water and soap – e.g. wine and pet urine – but our floors still score equally well.”

Sticking Together

Dust containment is an important part of the preparation and coating process. It is important to remove any dust left behind on the surface with a vacuum, floor tool and wand. A dust collector such as the National DL3000 is a great solution for surface dust removal on your project.

Staying on top of dust, moisture and making the proper equipment choice will improve the chances of coating adhesion. This means that extensive correction work is not required, unlike in the case of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, which even 800 years later, is only partially corrected.

Flooring Aug/Sept 2017 | 53

Exhibitions

Ad Index

2017 Exhibitions

OCTOBER 2017 11-14 DAS Interior Show

International expo for furniture, flooring and interior design

Chisinau, Moldova www.das.md 11-15

Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI) An annual fair for furniture, flooring, textiles, handicrafts and textile products

Jakarta, Indonesia www.tradeexpoindonesia.com 18-22 Lisboa Design Show

Interior Design Expo

Lisbon, Portugal www.lisboadesignshow.pt 25-28 Home & Floor Show 2017

Carpet and floor coverings fair

Istanbul, Turkey www.tradefairs.com/istanbul NOVEMBER 2017 9-11 Décor Hotel Fair 2017

Trade fair for decoration, textiles, flooring, furniture and gardens for the hotel industries

Batalha, Portugal www.exposalao.pt/decorhotel

Airstep Australia 14-17 Downtown Design Fair

International Design Trade Fair

Dubai, United Arab Emirates www.downtowndesign.com

34 – 35

All Preparation Equipment

49

Australasian Timber Flooring Assoc 15 Carpet Court

3

18-26 Cocoon 2017

Home, flooring and decoration fair

Brussels, Belgium www.cocoon.be

Carpet One

43

20-22 IFFT Interior Lifestyle Living 2017

International Furniture and décor fair

Tokyo, Japan www.IFFT-InteriorLifestyleLiving.com

Con-Treat

47

Covestro

21

DECEMBER 2017 15-24 DAR DECO

Decoration and design expo

The Kram, Tunisia www.dardeco.com.tn

Duracore

47

Floorsafe Australia

45

Gibbon Group

19

GMK Logistics

51

Laser Measure Australia

55

15-17 Interiors Expo 2017

Furniture, flooring and interiors exhibition

Lahore, Pakistan www.expolahore.com

Choices Flooring

Front Cover, 5, 9

Classic Architectural Group 28 – 29

Dunlop Flooring

2

Mapei Australia RFMS Australasia

7 39, 40

Sebo Australia *** For more information on the fairs or to confirm dates, please check the individual event websites.

Sika Australia

33 Back Cover

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Keeping it simple so it just works

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