FFI 52 March 2012 by Media-Pact NV / FFI bvba

INTERNATIONAL tra de jour nal for impor t, expor t, dis tribution and laying of parquet, laminate, cor k flooring and related produc t s

I N T E R N AT I O N A L N° 52, March 2012 - Price: €8 - Published 7 times a year - (Feb, March, May, July, Sept, Nov, Dec) Office of delivery 9099 Ghent X, P911092, BC 31359 — Responsible Publisher: Filip De Ridder - Mieke Vandeputte

Overview on the Parquet Industry in Poland

Special Fastening systems for deck flooring

23-25.09.2012 Kortrijk Xpo (B) Special Flame-retardant lacquers

Special Dust-free working Special Cork floors

For 75 years we’ve been helping to build large and small dreams. Special Primers

For 75 years, Mapei has been at the top with their quality chemical products for the building Industry, products for a better job on both large and small sites. Their commitment became reality with 59 production facilities in the 5 continents, 18 main Research & Development centres with more than 900 researchers, a range of more than 1,400 products and more than 200 new products every year. These are the “figures” which make Mapei the leading international Group of chemical products for the building industry. Discover the world of Mapei: www.mapei.com

TOGETHER EXPERTISE IN WOOD FLOOR FINISHES Respect

for people and the environment

www.blanchon.com

The Blanchon range of oils, lacquers, stains, ageing agents and fillers are used by wood flooring professionals the world over. Small wonder given the reassurance of local support staff in each country, and products consistently manufactured to the highest standards. Quality that has been our trademark for over 60 years. Every day, to make sure that your wood is the most beautiful flooring on the market, our team works to develop even more effective products with the greatest possible respect for the environment. With our ongoing development of innovative treatments, Blanchon offers the trade all the answers for perfect wood flooring.

Blanchon U.K. For more information, please contact: John-David PAPWORTH - Mob. 07835 354 871- e-mail: jdpapworth@blanchon.com Tel Export lines: +33 472 89 06 09 - www.blanchon.co.uk

Special Fastening systems for deck flooring

23-25.09.2012 Kortrijk Xpo (B) Special Flame-retardant lacquers

Special Dust-free working Special Cork floors

For 75 years we’ve been helping to build large and small dreams. Special Primers

PAG FLOOR FORUM INT 15,9x22,3 gb.indd 1

07/03/12 17.05

Floor Forum International, N° 52, March ’12 Photo Mapei

5 Inside news 8 Aftershow Batibouw (B) 9 Preview Mosbuild (Moscow/Russia) 10 Advertorial Loba (D) 11 Special Flame-retardant lacquers 15 Special Fastening systems for deck flooring 20 Advertorial Timberline (NL) 21 Special Providers of cross-cut floors 24 Project Mapei: a 16th century castle in the North of France 26 Advertorial Design Parquet (F) 27 Special Primers 32 Special Cork floors 36 Special Dust-free working 44 Industry news 46 Overview on the Parquet Industry in Poland 50 Product news

Subscriptions to Floor Forum International: Mail to office@media-pact.com

Editorial “The Russian market holds excellent opportunities” Martin Folkerts (Deutsche Messe – Domotex Russia)

DOMOTEX is broadening its global

the products in Russia. In addition,

presence with the Domotex spring-

we see a strong commitment to our

off fair in Moscow in September

show from international companies.

2012. Martin Folkerts (Deutsche

Six months before the show two

Messe) talks about this first edition

thirds of the space have already been

of Domotex Russia and depicts the

booked. We plan an intense visitor

opportunities in Russia and the CIS

campaign throughout Russia and the

(Commonwealth

CIS. The visitors will be distributors,

Independent

States) countries.

agents, wholesalers, retailers, architects, interior designers, construction

What made DOMOTEX decide to

companies and related industries.

start a fair in Moscow?

Together with Heimtextil Russia that

Martin Folkerts (MF): “After the

is co-located to DOMOTEX Russia

launches of the successful spring-offs

and counted some 14,000 visits last

of DOMOTEX HANNOVER in China

year and R + T Russia, Russia’s first

and Middle East some years ago, we

specialized exhibition for roller shut-

feel that now the time is right to of-

ters and doors, we are confident to

fer a specialized platform also for the

provide a satisfactory number of busi-

Russian market. The Russian econo-

ness contacts for our exhibitors.

my is quite promising and will be further driven by the Winter Olympics

What are the specific opportunities

2014 and the Football World Cup

for European flooring companies on

2018 demanding new buildings and

these markets?

thus floorings. For Russian buyers, it

MF: “Russia has not yet developed a

is still difficult to reach foreign com-

floor producing industry that could

panies. But this situation holds excel-

cover the immense domestic demand

lent opportunities – you just need to

and quality is often behind. Therefore

go there to seize them.

imports are absolutely needed especially with construction activities be-

What can visitors and exhibitors of

ing one of the main sections of the

DOMOTEX Russia expect on this

economy. As the Russian market has

first edition?

not yet been open to the world for

MF: DOMOTEX Russia will be held at

too long, a big part of the market

one of the finest exhibition centres in

shares still is to be distributed. With

Moscow: “Crocus Expo”. We expect

their long experience, the high qual-

a good mixture of domestic and in-

ity and the geographic closeness to

ternational exhibitors. The Russian

Russia, this is a unique opportunity

exhibitors will often be importers

for European countries.”

of foreign floorings who distribute Editing & advertisements

Advertising & subscriptions

FFI bvba PO BOX 29 9870 Olsene, Belgium Tel: +32 (0)9 385 80 40 Fax.: +32 (0)9 385 88 85 sales@media-pact.com www.floor-forum.com

Mieke Vandeputte office@media-pact.com Filip De Ridder sales@media-pact.com

Publishers

Filip De Ridder Mieke Vandeputte Lay-out:

‘79 design - Gentbrugge (B)

Translation:

Michael Robinson Floor Forum International is a publication of FFi bvba

Editors:

Jean Paul Talbot Ludwig Janssens Filip De Ridder Jacques Legros Production:

Lowyck - Oostende

The copyright of Floor Forum International and the articles appearing herein are retained by the publisher. By agreeing to publication of an article in this journal, the author assigns to the publisher the irrevocable and exclusive right under Copyright law to collect charges due from third parties for copying said article and to undertake legal or other action for this purpose. Editorial and advertising copy in this issue have been carefully checked and Floor Forum International bvba cannot accept any responsibility for any errors.

Contents, Colophon & Editorial

N° 52, March 2012 - Price: €8 - Published 7 times a year - (Feb, March, May, July, Sept, Nov, Dec) Office of delivery 9099 Ghent X, P911092, BC 31359 — Responsible Publisher: Filip De Ridder - Mieke Vandeputte

www.floor-forum.com

I N T E R N AT I O N A L Overview on the Parquet Industry in Poland

Visit us at

INTERNATIONAL tra d e jour nal for impor t, expor t, dis tribution and laying of parquet, laminate, cor k flooring and related produc t s

D E S I G N® PA R Q U E T F r a n c e

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« ROC » VARNISH is a new finishing, varnish of high-performance moh’s developed by design parquet ess • A solid and lasting finishing which may be applied on some parquet floors in our range.

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PAOLINO BACCI s.r.l.

Via Palermo 32 CASCINA (ITALY) – tel. +3905075491 www.bacci.com www.venetamacchine.com

www.designparquet.fr

BU FUAR 5174 SAYILI KANUN GEREĞİNCE TOBB (TÜRKİYE ODALAR VE BORSALAR BİRLİĞİ) İZNİ İLE DÜZENLENMEKTEDİR THIS FAIR IS ORGANIZED WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE UNION OF CHAMBERS AND COMMODITY EXCHANGES OF TURKEY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW NUMBER 5174

www.progressprofiles.com

Our glance always at the future.

sTudioverde

Skirting board

Flat or Channel?

Proskirting Flat

Proskirting Channel

Only Progress Profiles offers you the possibility of such a choice. Proskirting Flat and Proskirting Channel are two of the latest skirting boards designed with an integrated system for plasterboards and devised to create a skirting flush to the wall with decorative inner grooves, with or without cable channel. They are available in stainless steel, anodized aluminium, polished, brushed or varnished in several colours, in order to create the desired effect of contemporary touch.

TÜRKİYE VE ORTADOĞU ZEMİN FUARI

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FLOORING TRADE FAIR FOR TURKEY AND MIDDLE EAST

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domotex-middle-east.com

> Inside news

Tarkett updates the Laminate range and extends the Parquet range with the arrival of Marty Parquets Tarkett has definitely not been sitting around the past few months. The laminate collection for example was updated on the basis of a world-wide trend research. The range has been composed around themes such as “100% Homemade” and “Sweet modernity”. A newcomer in the Laminate range is the Revelation 832. By means of an innovative technique mat and glossy contrasts are played with, which does justice to the natural beauty of wood even more.

Sadechaf and ACB: Successful collaboration site for applied UV Varnish specialist ACB (All Chemie Belgium) has completed a line of waterborne UV hardening wood varnishes with the help of the Bulldog of Sadechaf. The Bulldog is absolutely ideal for drying the UV wood varnish immediately so that the floor is available at once for the next operation. This means it is possible to complete a floor in one day with a primer, a second coat, and a top coat. In the meantime, the field tests of Lipawood UV have been completed successfully and both Sadechaf and ACB are ready to promote their products further on the market.

Inside news

Hohenkammer Castle is an established seminar and event centre with restaurants, and a hotel and spa. Part of the extensive refurbishment works saw the renovation of approximately 700sqm of parquet floors in the dining room as well as the seminar centre stair cases. The woodfloor installers Parkettbörse Freising in collaboration with Zierau GbR chose the “Sophisticated Combination” from the Pallmann brand for the re-sealing of the old oak mosaic effect parquet. The system comprises the filler Pall-X Kitt, the primer Pall-X 325 and the two-component laquer Pall-X 98. The newly sealed, original parquet endows the dining room with a fresh appearance which, when combined with the protection against the high levels of foot traffic for this busy seminar venue will ensure a long life and stunning appearance for the parquet floors in Hohenkammer Castle.

Since the beginning of 2012 Tarkett has taken over the activities of Marty Parquet. The complete Marty range of stabilized and massive parquet remains available. If you wish to receive more information with regards to this you can always get in touch with Tarkett (please visit our web site). What is more, Tarkett was also rewarded with the silver Cradle to Cradle®-label for its range of multilayer parquet floors Epoque, Tango, Salsa and Rumbal, made in Sweden and Poland. Tarkett is the first parquet manufacturer in Europe that is able to offer products with the Cradle to Cradle®-label. The label confirms that the products do not contain any substances that are harmful to people or the environment and that they are completely recyclable or compostable. The label also guarantees the origin and the qualification of all the parquet ingredients. Tarkett will definitely spotlight these novelties during Future Floors Europarket.

Certified Ciranova® Dealer The ‘Certified Ciranova Dealer’ label is the new quality label for dealers of Ciranova products. Through this quality label, Ciranova wants to make clear to professionals and consumers the professionalism and knowledge of their wholesalers. After an intensive theoretical and practical training at Ciranova, Certified Ciranova Dealers have an excellent knowledge

info@chapelparket.nl | +31 (0)73-6110606

visit us at www.floor-forum.com

Floor Forum International 52

Pall-X 98 in Hohenkammer Castle Only 30min from Munich there is a place where you can forget the buzz of the city and the daily stress, Hohenkammer Castle. The castle, a perfect example of the Bavarian renaissance style, is surrounded by almost untouched Bavarian nature and forms part of the real estate holding of the Münchner Rück cooperative since 2003.

> continued from page 5

of the Ciranova products. They have also a representative stock adapted to their customers. For more information about the conditions and benefits you can contact Ciranova. New opportunities to explore the Russian/CIS and Turkish/Middle East markets

Inside news

Deutsche Messe – organizer of DOMOTEX HANNOVER - offers specialized business platforms for foreign markets. From 26 – 28 September 2012 DOMOTEX Middle East will be held in Moscow to cater to the Russian and CIS market. For the Turkish and Middle East region, DOMOTEX Middle East gathers the flooring industry from 8 – 11 November 2012 in Istanbul. Companies signing in for DOMOTEX Middle East no later than 30 April 2012 will benefit from the early-bird discount. (For more information please visit our web site, see contact details on page 4 ) Pallmann: New wood floor oil Magic Oil 2K Color Brilliant Colours for distinctive wood floors Oiled wood floors are in higher demand than ever before due to the endless variety of designs and appearances offered by the use of different timbers and floor laying patterns. Our wood floor experts’ latest development, the new Magic Oil 2K Color brings yet another design option to the market under the Pallmann

brand. The two-component oil-wax combination is available in five colours, white, black, grey, dark brown and red-brown which enable the distinctive staining of wood floors. The new colours of Magic Oil 2K Color astound through their deep intensity. The wax component of the product combines an open-pored, breathable surface with a natural satin matt finish. Time-efficient renovation is possible with this two component oil-wax-combination which scores highly on account of its fast drying time of just 24 hours without compromising mechanical and chemical durability. Floorboy XL300: perfect cleaning, simple maintenance and more! The Floorboy XL 300 is because of its eccentric movements easy to use and controllable for everyone. Therefore the Floorboy XL300 is suitable for domestic use for cleaning and maintaining wooden floors and for applying maintenance oil on oiled floors. Did you know that the Floorboy XL 300, because of its favourable price is an attractive product to offer your customer as a give away, instead of a discount? In this way the pads, cleaning products and maintenance oil become repeat purchases for you. For more information, please contact Overmat.

InternatIonal floorIng event wIth focus on InnovatIon

23 - 24 - 25 septeMBer 2012

kortrIjk xpo BelgIuM

- PROFESSIONAL TRADE FAIR with innovations from manufacturers and exclusive dealers - Strict selection criteria for an unrivalled range - NETWORKING in an exclusive professional atmosphere - UNIQUE TRADE FAIR LAYOUT by CREATIVE FO(U)R ORGANIZATION

www.futurefloors.eu www.europarket.com

T +32 (0)56 24 11 11 futurefloors@kortrijkxpo.com europarket@kortrijkxpo.com

Progress Profiles: Proscrew

Fetim Group Fetim is an internationally renowned trading company based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, specialized in designing, developing, marketing and sales of – among others – flooring products for the professional market.

SUPER-FAST APPLICATION

DOMOTEX now with a new look & feel Now boasting a new look and feel, DOMOTEX aims to further consolidate its status as the most important international trade fair for the carpet and floor covering sector. “The new purple brand color and the new-look logo give DOMOTEX a modern and dynamic corporate image”, says Susanne Klaproth, Project Manager of DOMOTEX at Deutsche Messe. “The new look will help us strengthen the international reputation already enjoyed by DOMOTEX as a center of competence2 and a global platform as it EAS advertentie EN 190x65,5.pdf 19-03-12 15:00 emphasizes the role of design and creativity within the

Proscrew is a system that allows ultra-resistant connection/coupling to surfaces. Thanks to the top that self-screws directly into the base, the Proscrew can be adapted to all kinds of support with a range of heights from 6.5 to 15 mm. It means that the top adheres perfectly to the ground which guarantees a remarkable durability even where there is a difference of level; the top can actually be slanted where necessary. From an aesthetic point of view, this type of profile follows market trends and, to best suit all types of ground and surroundings, it is possible to choose different anodised or metallic coatings of gold, silver, sand or champagne.

Easydek floor protection EASYDEK SPECIALIZES IN TEMPORARY FLOOR PROTECTION DURING CONSTRUCTION, REMODELING AND MAINTENANCE.

Laminates, Vinyl, Linoleum SAFEST CHOICE

LITTLE WASTE / DISPOSAL

Inside news

global carpet and floor covering industry. DOMOTEX offers an abundance of product colors, materials and designs. The focus on design, which is so important to this sector, is now also reflected in our DOMOTEX branding.” The new color associated with DOMOTEX - a strong, vibrant purple - appears in the logo as well as in all advertising and the DOMOTEX website, and evokes a modern and stylish image. Klaproth argues: “Purple symbolizes creativity and personality, is uplifting, inspiring and confident. In other words, it is the perfect choice of color for a trade fair known world-wide as the most important event for carpets and floor coverings.” The new DOMOTEX logo - a purple square with the DOMOTEX name in white letters - is sophisticated and modern. In this sense it is the ideal expression of a trade event which year after year sees some 1,400 exhibitors from every corner of the world showcasing their latest products. DOMOTEX will also be launching a new campaign in 2012. The core idea behind the campaign is to show how floors can create an ambience using specific room settings. This is realized in an advertisement showing an open-plan loft in which the floor is the dominant design element, providing the room with a creative touch and an extremely individual flair. The new brand look and logo has been developed by the Hamburg-based agency BBS (Bartel, Brömmel, Struck).

Multi Cover Premium is a double layered protective non-woven with a unique anti-slip undercoating. The strong top polyethylene film prevents spillage, scratches and other types of damages.

Newly laid or treated wooden floors Multi Cover Breathable is the solution for protecting newly laid floorings. It is vapor transmitting and allows the floor to breath, whilst being waterproof from the top! Multi Cover Breathable is very strong and protects wooden floors against scratches, dents and discolorations. The anti-slip undercoating creates a safe and professional working environment.

MORE INFO: WWW.EASYDEK.COM/FLOORFORUM

visit us at www.floor-forum.com

Floor Forum International 52

Forestry Timber Export and Fetim enter into close cooperation During Domotex Hannover 2012, a cooperation agreement was signed between Forestry Timber Export and Fetim. Starting April 2012, Fetim will act as a European stock keeper of the products from Forestry Timber Export, which are marketed under the brandname: TimberTop. The European stock and corresponding logistical services offered by Fetim will provide a clear boost to sales of TimberTop products to Forestry’s existing customer base in Europe. For Fetim, the TimberTop products are a welcome addition to Fetim’s existing key ranges of Solidfloor and Calista, and provide European customers with an even wider product choice. Both Forestry Timber Export and Fetim expressed great happiness regarding the conclusion of the agreement and look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship, building on each of the partner’s strengths. Forestry Timber Export Forestry Timber Export, based near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is the marketing arm of the mill in Indonesia, a worldclass producer of solid and 3 layers engineered wood floorings. The mill is among worlds largest producers of 3 layers engineered wood floorings.

Batibouw detects demanding Belgians

Aftershow Batibouw (B)

conducted by Batibouw amongst 3165 respondents shows us something else about the pampered Belgian. 40% of Belgians hope to have a detached house one day and 22% dream of a villa. But no fewer than six out of 10 respondents is not opposed to the idea of a swimming pool. A big majority considers a wine cellar to be important and 40% would like a sauna. Summary: is there really an economic crisis?

After the conclusion of Batibouw, the public saw a contented Geert Maes. The manager of show organiser Fisa was quite open and honest: 120,000m² of deployed surface area, 13 full trade fair halls, and a good 1000 exhibitors. Now that’s what you call success! Furthermore, the fair also arrived in a period of good news. When the federal government decided to abandon its promotional measures for green investments, there was general unrest in the industry. Geert Maes commented: “It was expected that the regional governments would do ‘something’, but we didn’t know what, how, and how much. Now that we do know, it has provided us with a favourable wind in an industry which badly needed it.”

Balterio At Batibouw Balterio presented itself as a producer of quality laminate floors which highlights design, ease of fitting, and comfort. The new collections Dolce, Xperience plus, and Infinity were highlighted as well as the new fitting system PressXpress R {PXP}. The new Balterio subfloors provide outstanding and pleasant sound comfort. The Balterio dealers were most appreciative of Balterio’s first participation in Batibouw.

It was noticeable that the stands at Batibouw 2012 were large and attractive. There was a lot of entertainment provided and a good number of companies focused consciously on innovations. Naturally, this positive attitude was also noticeable in the presentation of the awards. Geert Maes remarked, ”The attention for the awards shows that Batibouw is much more than simply a trade fair. It is an event which companies and candidate builders or renovators look forward to.”

Floor Forum International 52

Those large and attractive stands also showed us something about the building preferences of the Belgians. We want a big and beautiful house. A Belgian single person dwelling is about 40% bigger on average than a comparable house abroad. On the other hand, the price is also 1% higher. In other words, as regards dwellings, the Belgians are ‘living like kings’. A trend survey

Consumers were able to become acquainted with a laminate floor of top Belgian quality: at the stand they could immediately speak to the nearest dealer and also take advantage of the €50.00 return Batibouw action. The next trade fair where Balterio is taking part is the Carrefour du Bois in Nantes (France) from 6 to 8 June 2012 inclusive.

UV FLOOR COATING IS CURED WITH A BULLDOG OF SADECHAF

+32 (0)14 41 11 19

Sadechaf Advertentie Floor Forum Magazine.indd 3

www.sadechaf.eu

visit us at www.floor-forum.com

3/02/12 13:05

The countdown to Mosbuild, Russia’s biggest trade fair, has started. This fair takes place in the Expocentre and runs for two separate weeks. The first part runs from 2 to 5 April and concentrates on design and decoration. The second section is planned for 10 to 13 April: this part will highlight architecture and construction. Mosbuild is the biggest construction and interior trade fair in Russia. It consists of 16 individual shows, which cover the entire spectrum of the building industry. The co-organisation of all these fairs also means the arrival of a large group of highly specialised visitors. In 2011, Mosbuild presented no fewer than 2,472 exhibitors from 49 countries and welcomed 104,648 registered visitors. The total utilised surface area was 150,000m². The event was housed in one single location for the first time. The Expocentre is the leading trade fair complex in Russia and is situated in the heart of Moscow on the banks of the River Moscow and is easily accessible from the city centre. A number of interesting seminars will be organised as sideshows to the fair. For example, there will be a seminar devoted to ‘territorial development and building technology’. Those present at this seminar will discuss insights into an integrated approach to the production and use of building materials and products, based on local raw materials. Building materials and, especially, the re-use of these materials will be considered. Flooring, the only specialised flooring fair in Russia, takes place during week 1. Flooring has a reputation for concentrating strongly on innovation. Exhibitors display both floors and flooring requirements (products and machines) for the production of floors. Küberit on Mosbuild Flooring The manufacturer Küberit, specialist and market leader for high quality aluminium flooring profiles will show more presence in the Russian market. Since 1 year the new local sales manager Maxim Poteraylo takes care of a more intensive marketing as result of the economic crisis and the lost of sales. In a further step the German company will present their products for the first time

V IS T

at the internationally renowned construction exhibition Mosbuild Flooring. At the fairground Expocenter Küberit will show their products at the collective booth “Made in Germany”. Besides profile systems for parquet floorings, mainly brass and chromium plated profiles for commercial areas and custom profiles were requested within the East-European markets Küberit‘s intention is the direct contact to flooring retailers, professional flooring installers and architects, which will purchase the well-renowned products through local wholesalers. For the exhibition a new Russian and English brochure with 20 pages was particularly made. This brochure helps all visitors to get a quick and good overview of the wide range of flooring profiles. Further the Küberit profile book and brochures for special product ranges are available in Russian and English language. Küberit booth: Pavillion 8.1, Hall 1, Progress Profiles is looking to international markets In April, the factory will be present at “Mosbuild” in Moscow and in “Coverings” in Orlando. The spread of Progress Profiles, brand leader in Italy in the production of profiles and sections continues and is directing itself primarily to the most promising international markets such as Central Europe and the East of the American continent. The confirmation of this internalisation process is demonstrated by the participation of Progress Profiles at two of the most important fairs in the sector. From April 2nd to 5th, Progress Profiles will be at stand No. T 231 in Hall 8.1 at Mosbuild 2012 in Moscow, and from the 17th to the 20th of the same month will be at Coverings in Orlando, Florida (stand/booth 4640, Area, Ceramics of Italy). The two occasions will allow us to show once again the more than 8,500 products, in stainless steel, aluminium, brass, PVC and real wood, which were developed thanks to 27 years of experience and the most avant-garde investments in production processes.

Preview Mosbuild (Moscow/Russia)

Countdown to Mosbuild 2012

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90 Years of LOBA. On Top! The year 2012 marks the 90th anniversary for LOBA, the specialist in floor-finishing and floor-care systems for parquet, wood and cork floors. Owner Michael Fischer explains the spirit of optimism in the company: ‘We have never felt younger than we do today. Innovation, sustainability, professional advice and systematisation in all details: these are the standards by which we want to be measured more than ever in the years to come.’

Floor Forum International 52

Advertorial Loba (D)

90 years of innovation

In 1922 Dr Max Fischer and Wilhelm Hornung founded their company in Ditzingen, Germany, near Stuttgart. Initially they produced floor stains and cleaners, as well as ski waxes, shoe polishes, dubbins and household candles. What began as a small manufacturing company has since grown to become the technology leader for waterborne finishing systems in both Europe and Asia: flooring professionals in more than 50 countries worldwide rely on the environmentally friendly and time-tested products produced by the specialist LOBA for parquet, hardwood and cork floors. Today 85 employees are committed to the manufacture of LOBA products, whose exceptional quality, functionality and safety facilitate the work of flooring professionals everywhere.

This is how LOBA has come to be used worldwide. For example, the auditorium and foyer of the Commerzbank in Frankfurt was refinished with the certified fire-resistant floor-finish system LOBADUR® WS Sealer FR. And in ‘Die Gläserne Manufaktur’ in Dresden, where VW manufactures its luxury sedan, one thousand square metres of Canadian maple were refurbished with LOBA products offering slip resistance and fire protection. Sustainability With a strong sense of responsibility for its customers, its employees and the environment, LOBA has been producing waterborne and low-emission products for many years with an unfaltering dedication. The company is continually reducing solvent contents and uses natural raw materials. In October 2011 the LOBA Quality and Environmental Management System was certified in accordance with ISO 9001:2008. About LOBA

Customers value professional advice In addition to product quality, the Ditzingen team places a special emphasis on professional advice. LOBA’s expert advisors and application specialists travel the world to countries where its products are sold, from North and South America, Germany and Russia, all the way to the United Arab Emirates, in order to train craftsmen and give them tips for making their day-to-day work easier. For large projects and in complex situations, they also join craftsmen on site in order to find cost-effective and highly durable solutions for every application. Ever new product innovations LOBA often elicits amazement in the industry. In 2012 the company added two world firsts to its LOBACARE® maintenance line for the protection and maintenance of valuable wooden floors: LOBACARE® Aqua OilCare and LOBACARE® Aqua WaxCare. These products represent the first pure, waterborne emulsions available on the market for oiled and waxed floors. They also represent the company’s successful addition of floor-care products to its time-tested, solvent-free high solid oil system comprising one and two-component solutions for a wide range of applications. In the two previous years, LOBA caused a sensation with the new product LOBADUR® WS Sealer FR. The certified system meets all requirements for flame-resistant parquet and hardwood floors. For the development of this innovative and yet easy-to-use system, LOBA was awarded a grant from the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs. In 2011 the company introduced three innovations in the ‘Advanced Technology’ line, the latest generation of LOBA products with revolutionary technologies, innovative raw materials and/or improved application properties. Meeting the highest standards When it comes to large showpiece projects, customers who accept no compromises in floor-finish quality choose LOBA systems.

LOBA is one of the leading manufacturers of floor finishing and floor-care systems for parquet, wood and cork floors. LOBA is the only German company in its industry that concerns itself exclusively with these products and has positioned itself as an international specialist in this area. This long-standing family-run company in southern Germany has become the technology leader in Europe and Asia, owing to its strong specialisation and innovative strength. Flooring professionals in 50 countries around the globe swear by the environmentally friendly, waterborne finishing systems from LOBA. The extensive product range also includes floor oils and waxes, products for industrial use and cleaning and maintenance products. All LOBA products are manufactured at the company headquarters in Ditzingen near Stuttgart. The company has 85 employees. LOBA – the specialist for parquet and hardwood flooring – since 1922 www.loba.de Press contact: Alexandra Wiest LOBA GmbH & Co. KG – Leonberger Str. 56-62 71254 Ditzingen – GERMANY Tel. +49 (0) 7156-357-171 – Fax +49 (0) 7156-357-151 E-mail: alexandra.wiest@loba.de

Fire reaction classes for floors The construction products directive is now legislation. Therefore, governments and all the players involved in the building industry will have to toe the line ‘more rigidly’ in some respects. Countries which have so far ignored the construction products directive and treated CE labelling shabbily will no longer be able to do so. The fact that product suppliers will have to provide a certificate of conformity is just one of the newly imposed strict measures. Fire safety is one of the six fundamental requirements to which buildings and building materials are subjected. Floors, too, have to meet these requirements.

Special Flame-retardant lacquers

The difference between flame-retardant paint and parquet varnish

Loba

Fire resistance of a material The fire resistance (now REI/formerly RF) of a building element is the time in minutes that a building element meets the following criteria simultaneously: • Stability: the time that the element retains its fire resistance

(for elements which are fire resistant). • Flame resistance: the time that flames are not visible on the side of the wall which is not exposed to the flames (for dividing elements). • Thermal insulation: the time that the temperature stays below a certain thermal threshold on the side of the wall which is not exposed to the flames. An element always has to be capable of performing the function allocated to it e.g. resisting, separating, and resisting and separating. • An element with a resisting function is an element which, when it is part of a carrying structure, endures external loads and is loaded with normal force and/or bending force and/or sliding force and/or torsion force. • An element with a separating function is an element which, for the duration of the required fire resistance, prevents the spread of fire in an adjoining room. 16

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Floor Forum International 52

Fire class and fire resistance The member states of the European Union still have the right to set their own level of safety for buildings. However, the new legislation will certainly provide more clarity through the use of commonly defined terminology. In other words, the EU defines concepts such as the ‘fire resistance’ of building materials and divides up the fire reaction of the materials in accordance with the so called European classes, but the member states decide for themselves what level of fire resistance is required of a material (or compartment) and the fire class to which the material should belong. The two stated concepts are vitally important in the ‘language of fire fighting’. Let us clarify the position.

> continued from page 11

Primer The primer is an anti-corrosion coat which is compatible with the substrate and the flame retardant paint. This primer must be sufficiently heat resistant to ensure that all the coats of paint adhere to the steel during a fire.

Special Flame-retardant lacquers

Blanchon

The flame retardant paint The specific properties of a flame retardant paint help to protect substrates which are combustible, relatively combustible, or pliable at high temperatures against the penetration of a potential fire within certain time and temperature limits. The flame retardant paint hinders the spread of flames on the surface and has a high thermal insulation strength. We speak of a swelling paint if it forms an incombustible and insulation layer of foam in the event of fire or radiation heat. The swelling paint responds at a certain temperature (150 to 200°C) and swells up to several times (about 50x) its original thickness to form an insulation layer of foam which contains carbon.

An element no longer performs this separation function if: - It lets flames or gases through (flame resistance); or - The temperature of the side of the wall which is not exposed to the flames exceeds a certain temperature threshold (thermal insulation). Fire reaction of materials The fire reaction of materials is something completely different to their fire resistance. The reaction of a material to fire is partly the extent of flammability of that material and partly the extent to which it contributes to the development of the fire. Whereas the fire resistance of materials is expressed in R (the time that the material retains its stability), E (the time that the material retains its separation capacity), and I (the time that the material retains its thermal insulation), the fire reaction is expressed in ‘classes’ The EU has divided up the fire reaction of materials into seven classes: CLASS

CONTRIBUTION TO FIRE

Class A1 Class A2 Class B Class C Class D Class E Class F

No contribution Incombustible Hardly any contribution Virtually incombustible Very little contribution Barely combustible Big contribution Combustible High contribution Very combustible Very high contribution Highly combustible Undetermined Extremely combustible or untested

COMBUSTIBILITY

These classes can be supplemented with a division in the field of smoke development (S 1 to 3) and drip formation (D 0 to 2). What is fire-resistant paint? Flame resistant or flame retardant paint affects the fire resistance of materials, but not the fire reaction! This is an essential distinction. For example, if we want to give a steel or wooden structure (industrial construction) greater fire resistance, we can do so by applying so called fire resistant swell paint. The aim is to ensure that the bearing structure retains its bearing capacity for a longer period (steel begins to weaken from 400°C and at 800°C has only 10% of its original bearing capacity). This time extension in bearing capacity must give occupants the time to leave the building. A flame retardant paint is part of a system which consists of a primer, a flame retardant paint, and a top coat.

Top coat If the flame retardant paint is applied with the correct (prescribed) thickness, a coloured top coat is applied as a finish. The top coat is available in most RAL colours and has both an aesthetic and protective function. In particular, the top coat protects the flame retardant paint against moisture and chemical and mechanical influences. It goes without saying that the top coat must not hinder or reduce the swelling capacity of the flame retardant paint. It is emphatically preferable to use three paints (primer, flame retardant paint, and finish) from one and the same maker for a flame retardant system. Demands made of floors Manufacturers make it clear that building products are in line with the European legislation by giving them the CE labelling. In other words, this CE label shows that the building product meets the basic requirements of the construction products directive for that particular product (stability, fire safety, health, user-safety, sound pollution, and energy saving). These demands are processed either into European norms (EN) or into the European Technical Agreement Guidelines (ETAG). The fire reaction classes are defined in the norm EN 13501-1. Whilst all floors basically have to pass tests in line with EN 13501-1, there are some exceptions: anyone who quotes class F(fl) (the lowest class or the class which indicates that the product has not been tested) is exempt and likewise anyone who provides a product which is on the CWFT list (Classification Without Further Testing). For wooden floor coverings this is the European norm EN 14342 ‘Wood flooring – Characteristics, evaluation of conformity and marking’. This norm includes the relevant requirements for CE labelling and refers to the appropriate testing methods. Certification To show that a product is in conformity to the norm, producers must follow a procedure of certification of conformity to the norm. To this end the manufacturer has to carry out the tasks listed below and in certain cases call upon the services of a notified body. A notified body is a third party which has been officially appointed by the building authorities in the EU member states. There are two distinct systems/levels of certification depending on the required fire reaction class and the presence of formaldehyde and/or pentachlorophenol.

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Conformity type 4 These include wooden floors, parquet, and veneer floors as defined in chart 1 or EN 14342:2005, the fire class of which (class Cfl-s1 of Dfl-s1 ) has been established without further testing (CWFT- Classification without further testing) or which belong in fire class Ffl. Conformity type 3 These include other products apart from those listed in chart 1 of EN 14342:2005 or if a higher class than Cfl-s1 or Dfl-s1 (as listed in chart 1 of the CWFT) is requested. In these cases the fire class has to be determined in accordance with EN 13501-1. What about parquet varnish? The list of the floors in chart 1 of the CWFT (EN 14342) includes various types of wooden floors, but ALWAYS WITH A FINISH.

What does this imply? If stricter requirements are set, the products must be tested in line with the norm 13501-1. Various manufacturers have been able to show via tests that their varnishes do not have a detrimental effect on the fire reaction of materials in European class B(fl). In contrast to flame retardant paint, parquet varnish does not extend to protect the floor (by ‘swelling’, for instance), but rather it does not increase the contribution of that material to a possible fire. At present, there are systems under development in which the fire reaction of wooden floors could be improved effectively. This can be done, for example, via impregnation. These systems are certainly not yet general knowledge or in common use, but they’re on the way. This dossier came about partly through collaboration with Blanchon, Loba, …

WoodCare Denmark

Wood care with all information at your fingertips WoodCare Denmark is pleased to announce the introduction of our new online showroom. This will enable direct access to web based product information and educational videos etc. Up until today, accessing the detailed and complete information on how to finish and maintain wood could sometimes be a bit of a job. Now – it only requires a smart phone, tablet or PC. WoodCare Denmark has integrated the latest technology to simplify how to use the various WOCA wood care products. The new label is a part of the new concept called “All Information at your fingertips”. In other words: by printing the new QR code to each product label, the clients simply scan the code using a smart phones or a tablet. This automatically generates a link to the internet which shows an easy, understandable and interactive instructional video about the product in question and the correct application procedure. Transmitting the correct know how and experience to the user of the product in real time does not get easier than this. The whole process is easily and safely controlled with your fingertip on the touch screen on the smart phone, tablet or PC.

Easy and effective. Naturally

http://showroom.wocadenmark.com and below you find the guide to use our new showroom

Take a look at our selection of flooring, indoor and outdoor products. Step 1: Click on flooring, indoor or outdoor to select. Step 2: For further information and guidance, please click on the specific product that you would like to know more about. Step 3: If the product has a colourselection, click on the different colours and see the result visually. These are the colouring options that the specific product offers. Step 4: Once you click ”How to do”, product information, detailed work descriptions, videos and pdf-files will appear to simplify the use of WOCA products.

WoodCare Denmark A/S · Tværvej 6 · DK-6640 · Tel.: +45 99 58 56 00 · info@ttwoodcare.com · www.wocadenmark.com

Special Flame-retardant lacquers

Loba

In order to conform to the requirements of the norm, the floor, together with its finish, has to meet the requirements of the prescribed class. In other words, an acceptable parquet varnish must not have a detrimental influence on the fire class. In the CWFT chart one settles for classes Cfl-s1 or Dfl-s1. However, as we have already said, the member states can set other (stricter) requirements. This often also happens for public buildings. For example, in Italy class B(fl) is required for a public building for both the ordinary rooms and the escape routes. In some countries they set stricter standards (B(fl) only for the materials used in the evacuation routes.

A strong Duo.

STAUF SPU-570 and SPU-545

SOLIDOR Supports for terraces they make the difference!

www.solidor.be info@solidor.be

FFi50_SOLIDOR.indd 1

1 and 2 component hard elastic SPU wood ﬂooring adhesive according to DIN 281 and DIN EN 14293 ▪

no adverse interaction with parquet sealings varnishes flow asphalt or old substrates

▪

high shear strength

▪

adhesive residues easy to remove

▪

integrated vapor barrier

▪

fast setting

▪

no labeling required, EC1-R plus

13/12/11 10:51

Producer of solid oak ﬂoors: • solid: 9 , 14 and 20mm • 2- layer: 14mm-oak on oak with solid toplayer of 6mm Litubel Parket BVBA Gentseweg 239, B-8792 Waregem Ph. +32 (0) 56 70 23 59 | F +32 (0) 56 70 23 61 www.litubel.com Litubel Parrket d.o.o Mavri bb, 51 216 Viskovo (Rijeka) Ph. +385 91 536 1756 info@litubel.com | www.litubel.com Ph.+ 385 51 257 155 | F + 385 51 257 200

FFi51_LITUBEL_1*4.indd 1

www.stauf.info 17/02/12 15:36

Clear design rules would clarify the position France has its DTU 51.4, a standard (or rather some technical rules) for fitting wooden terraces professionally. There can be no doubt that an industry where professionals and ‘lay enthusiasts’ operate together needs technical guidelines. Consumers deserve protection because this industry, too, has its share of ‘cowboys’ who make the world a dangerous place. However, one point which was raised in discussion with Quentin Van Winckel of B-Fix was that the French standard has ‘forgotten’ to include a number of systems and techniques in its regulations. The DTU 51.4 does not cover invisible fastening systems or composite materials.

Special Fastening systems for deck flooring

Wanted: a standard for terrace clip systems

Screws for terraces There was even a time when nails were used to fix wooden planks to beams. These were stainless steel nails with a round head and a serrated profile over the entire length. They were used to avoid a bare fitting. Today, however, the use of nails is completely frowned upon. What about screws? Fixing terrace planks with screws has been the ‘only’ possible solution for years. Moreover, this method is still applied. Anyone not yet converted to invisible fastening systems must still take some points into account with regard to screws. The material used We do not recommend ordinary stainless steel screws or galvanised screws. Several tropical sorts of wood contain certain

substances which can damage non-ferrous materials. Due to the hardness of those types of wood, the screwing requires a lot of strength, but that means that there is a real risk of damage to the finishing layer. It can set off an oxidation process, the wood may become discoloured, or the screw may even break. It is therefore advisable to use stainless steel screws which are geared to wooden terraces. Although several manufacturers present self-drilling screws, it is still advisable to drill or mill first in order to prevent the formation of splinters or bursts in the wood. Invisible screws The first step towards a more attractive appearance whilst still using screws is to make the screws ‘invisible’. By fastening the floorboards directly onto the wooden beam structure and sealing

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Floor Forum International 52

Archi Wood

The revolutionary invisible solution for deck boards > continued from page 16

them, as it were, with wooden tabs (plugs), you isolate the screws completely from the open air so that they become virtually insensitive to changing weather conditions. The plug holes are drilled before the screws are inserted. In various invisible fastening systems the first and last planks have to be fastened in this way. Basically, this working method can be used for all floorboards on an outdoor terrace.

THE INSTALLING OF DECK BOARDS REINVENTED • Screwing down boards to joists • 3 sizes available to ensure appropriate spacing between the boards • Adapted to most types of wood (AD and KD) • Reversible groove proﬁle which allows to use either face of the boards • Adapted to pre-grooved or plain boards

Fastener with integrated spacer

A2 stainless steel self-tapping screw

Screwing down of boards to joists at 45°

info@hardwoodclip.com www.hardwoodclip.com

Movements in the wood Invisible fastening systems will drive traditional fitting systems with screws into oblivion. Of that, you can be sure. It might not happen overnight, but it certainly will in the near future. As regards looks, a terrace fitted with an invisible fastening system is a class above a traditional terrace with visible screws, but that’s not all. From a technical point of view, a system with invisible fastening is considerably better than one with screws. After all, fastening systems take account of the natural movements of the wood (shrinking and swelling), which can play havoc in outdoor conditions. When the wood swells and shrinks, the screw and the area around the screw is put under enormous pressure. It is certainly quite possible (in fact, it is very likely!) that the screw will become weaker and that cracks and bursts may appear around it. Moreover, the point where the screw drills through the wood is always a weak spot. Extra moisture can seep in at that point to stimulate movement of the wood. With most invisible fastening systems fitters no longer fit screws into the floorboards themselves, and whilst with some other systems they do still fit screws, these screws are ‘concealed’. Summary of systems As a rule, you can define an invisible fastening system as a system in which the terrace boards are fitted not directly onto the beams (support structure), but via a clip. This usually means that the terrace planks have to be fitted with a groove into which the clip fits perfectly. Most clip systems are designed to absorb the movement of the floorboards. They are designed in such a way that the wood can swell and shrink provided that the fitter leaves the correct distance between the planks. To do this, the fitter has to take account of the humidity level at the time of fitting. Clip systems make a distinction between wood which is dried in ‘conclave’ and that which is dried naturally in the open air. This has the advantage that the fitter no longer has to take the swelling of the wood into account. The clip indicates the size of gap between the planks. Existing systems require a groove (milling) in the sides of the planks or no groove at all. The latter case has the advantage that all planks in all sizes can be considered. This is not the case for systems with a groove. The groove in the side With these systems a groove is made in the sides of the planks over the entire length or at the point where the supporting beams are located. Almost all clips are fitted with ‘wings’, which fit into a certain groove. With these systems there are two possible ways of applying the screws. The first possibility is to fit the clips into the groove and screw them vertically into the beam after the first floorboard has been fitted. Then, the next plank is slid into the ‘other wing’ of the clips and a second clip is fitted. And so, with this system no screws are fitted through the wood of the floorboard. As we have already said, the distance between the planks is indicated by the shape of the clips themselves. The fitter does not need to measure this distance. Another possibility is to fit the clip so that the screw is screwed through the floorboard at an

The groove in the underside Another system provides a groove in the underside of the plank. This groove runs along the entire length of the underside of the plank. The clip system, which is designed with an upright ‘tongue’ is screwed onto the beams in advance. The floorboards can then be clicked into the clip system easily by exerting downward pressure. The big advantage of this system from a technical point of view is that the floorboards do not come into contact with the beams. This drastically reduces the possible warping and moving of the floorboards under the influence of changing weather conditions. An advantage from an aesthetic point of view is that the fastening system is completely invisible. There is not a single screw head visible even between the planks. The fact that the planks can be removed individually without breaking up the entire terrace is another plus point. As regards the fitting, this method does require some more measuring work in order to establish the correct gaps between the clips.

ecoprotector

What’s on the market? Archi Wood

hardWood Clip is the invisible fitting system for wooden terraces which has been developed by Archi Wood. The A2 stainless steel fastening clip is applied in the grooves (sides) of the floorboards and is screwed along the floorboards into the beams at an angle of 45° using self-drilling (SPAX) stainless steel screws (A2). The integrated clip spacer is adjusted to the humidity level of the wood. The hardWood Clip fastening system ensures excellent fastening on the support structure, whilst the wood can move

Special Fastening systems for deck flooring

angle of 45° after the first floorboard has been fitted. This working method is derived from the principle of the ‘sunken screws of parquet’. Screws are fitted on one side of the terrace plank through the lower side of the plank, and the next plank hides the screw head from view. Both systems have the advantage that they save huge amounts of time. Another advantage which some people praise to the full is the fact that with this system the planks on both sides (ribbed or even) can be used however the client wishes. This is certainly possible if the groove is cut perfectly in the middle of the floorboard.

Pedestals deck sytems for sloped roofs

Timber decking systems

 Waterborne protection for outdoor wood.  Provides a nurturing protection that not peels off.  Impregnating, non film forming.  Fast drying - paintable after 20 minutes.  Available in 8 trendy colours. For more information and a complete overview of our range

www.ciranova.be

Produced by Debal Coatings nv Industrieweg 29 - 8800 Roeselare - T +32 (0)51 30 11 40 -ciranova@ciranova.be

Architects

Specifiers

Contractors

Landscapers

Roofers

Builders

Buzon Pedestal International s.a./n.v. Z.I. des Hauts Sarts, Zone 1, Prolongement rue de l’Abbaye, 134 – B-4040 Herstal, Belgium Tel : +32 (0)4 248 39 83 Fax : +32 (0)4 264 82 38 Email : info@buzon-world.com Flash it and visit www.buzon-world.com our web site

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Floor Forum International 52

Using the joist cradle attacment to locate timber or aluminium joists, timber decking can be simply and safely supported.

Special Fastening systems for deck flooring

> continued from page 17

naturally. Moreover, this system means that the fitter can complete the fitting no less than 30% faster. The fact that the groove in the planks is symmetrical also makes it possible to use both sides of the plank. B-Fix B-Fix is an invisible fastening system which is made completely of stainless steel. Since the launch over eight years ago, B-Fix has captured the hearts of importers, wholesalers, professionals, and private clients due to the extremely easy and speedy fitting. B-Fix is made of stainless steel with a memory effect: the fastening allows the wood to move under the influence of moisture and yet keeps it firmly in place on the support structure. After the wood has swelled, it returns to its initial position. B-Fix can be used for various profiles. In addition to the excellent fastening, the fitting speed is a major benefit for professional fitters. The time saved due to the speedy fitting means that the final invoice is still the same for the client.

Floor Forum International 52

Euro Covering

In 1995, Euro Covering presented its full range of invisible fastening systems for wooden terraces. Exterpark saw the removal of the old fashioned method of fitting with visible screws. All installations are completed using an omega-shaped stainless steel clip. In 2004, Exterpark Plus was introduced, the patented invisible fastening system. This floor has the look of a real hardwood parquet floor. The Plus profile conceals the underlying structure, something which also makes cleaning and maintenance a lot easier. Dirt and (sometimes valuable) other items cannot get lost between the planks and you can never get stuck because of a shoe heel. Apart from its fastening system, Euro Covering also presents a vast range of wood sorts and sizes. In this respect Exterpark Plus is a complete (patented) system.

Happax Fixing Happax Fixing is a completely invisible fastening system which does not need any profiling at all in the wooden terrace boards. The system is made from extremely strong composite material with very high mechanical strength. It can be fitted in the same way as a traditional fitting system. As regards shape, the fastening system has a tongue on the one side and a groove on the other. The fastening piece (Happax Fixing) is attached to both the floorboards (underneath) and the support beams. In some respects the fastening piece isolates the floorboards from the support beams to give perfect air circulation underneath the planks, which, in turn, considerably reduces the risk of warping. Happax Fixing is compatible with all wood sorts. Fitting with Happax Fixing yields surprising final results. The system offers an exceptional level of finish and remains completely invisible. It gives a hugely sturdy look. Lagae Lagae Hout presents the Igel® assembly system for terraces. The Igel® fitting apparatus makes use of the power of leverage so that only a minimum of effort is required to lay the planks. The clips ensure automatically the correct distance between the planks so that an interval block is not necessary. The material thickness of the stainless steel footplate of the Igel@ clip provides ventilation between the base construction and the terrace planks. This means that the wood can breathe evenly. Since the clips are fastened on the edges of the wood, movement of the planks is kept to a bare minimum. This also gives invisible fastening with a more attractive terrace surface as a result. Moreover, the screw holes are easily accessible, even for electric screwdrivers. Moreover, there is no specific profiling needed in the plank, so that each terrace plank can be deployed with the Igel® system. The Igel® system is suitable for both softwood and hardwood terraces. Apart from the standard clip and fitting apparatus, a full range has also been developed to ensure a perfect finish. For example, there is the special Igel® semi-start clip for fitting the first and last planks. The Igel® switch ensures that you can replace a plank invisibly. In general, the Igel® system provides a stylish and invisible finish in no time at all. LTL Woodproducts For years and years, LTL Woodproducts has been one of the leading timber merchants on the market. The company’s experience, range of products, and enthusiasm have seen it develop into an all round problem solver. Whether you’re looking for an interior application, ship deck board, or stable, you’re in good hands with LTL Woodproducts. The company is based in Vianen in Netherlands and ensures continuity and quality by means of a client-oriented approach and a correct delivery, and every

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Outdoor Wood Concepts

Outdoor Wood Concepts ® stands for modern solutions for outdoor wood. The company presents an invisible fastening system for its wooden terrace boards in padauk and ipe. The system works on the basis of connectors. The Connector TC01 is galvanised and is supplied complete with screws. They have developed this system for planks which are at least 25mm thick. The planks are fitted to the underlying twills using the connectors. For terrace planks of 145mm in width you need about 250 connectors to complete a surface area of 18m². Supplement = the price of the connectors = €14 per m².

The wheat and the chaff How come the wooden terrace market, and especially the invisible fastening system market, continues to grow, whilst at the same time the number of providers of these same invisible fastening systems is decreasing? Quentin Van Winckel from B-Fix explains: “Generally speaking, you have two sorts of suppliers of invisible fastening systems. On the one hand, you have wood importers who have picked up a clip system somewhere along the line to add more diversity to their range. On the other hand, we also see terrace specialists, who are constantly striving by means of research and development to improve the fastening systems which they have developed themselves. Improving the ease and speed of fitting are two of the major driving forces.” The fact that the market is growing is partly because there are many more sorts of wood which are suitable for invisible fastening systems. In the beginning, there was only ipe. At all events, quality always shines through and approved systems such as B-Fix have won the hearts of more and more trustworthy fitters. It is quite clear that this quality is not only about the design or the concept, but also about the materials used. Quentin Van Winckel continues: “Take, for example, the difference in sorts of stainless steel. We use stainless steel with a memory effect. This quality of stainless steel possesses a certain flexibility so that the natural movements of the wood are not impeded.” In the area of research and development B-Fix goes marching on. Quentin Van Winckel continues, “We can’t afford to stand still. We have to continue to energise and inspire the market. We focus our attention now and in the future on aspects such as accessories. Think, for example, of clip systems which can be deployed for various profiles or the black B-Fix, which is even more invisible.” Quentin Van Winckel is still convinced that an authentic standard for terrace systems would be a good thing for the industry.

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Special Fastening systems for deck flooring

Vetedy/Softline The Softline system is an invisible fastening system which makes it possible to fit the floorboards without even a single visible or invisible screw. The clip is fastened to the underside of the plank. This clip is produced from a composite material with very high mechanical strength and is fastened to the support structure invisibly. Despite this high strength, the clip is nevertheless flexible and therefore it allows perfectly for the natural sideways movements of the wood. The system also allows perfect air circulation. Softline does not require any pre-drilling or milling. Naturally, that facilitates speedy fitting. The joints are always regular and can be scaled as required. The fastening along the underside yields perfect insulation between the floor ribs and the planks so that the terrace planks are completely safeguarded against any rising damp. Softline is fitted using afrormosia, ipe, merbua, padauk, and teak.

Floor Forum International 52

professional appreciates that. In the field of outdoor parquet, too, LTS Woodproducts is a much sought after partner for the professional, if only because the handy fastening system LTL clip makes the work faster and easier. The LTL Clip is a plastic clip, which makes it possible to fasten terrace planks onto the support structure almost invisibly. In connection with that support structure, LTL Woodproducts supplies suitable support beams which have to be anchored in the substrate. The combination of LTL Clip and LTL Deck means that professionals can expand their ranges to include a real design terrace. Indeed, in the LTL Deck range we find a number of attractive and exclusive sorts of wood such as itauba, ipe, massaranduba, and jatoba. By selecting exclusively from durable wood sorts, end users can expect to enjoy a qualitative outdoor floor for many years.

Floor Forum International 52

Advertorial Origineel Chapel Parket / Timberline

Origineel Chapel Parket:

Flooring with its own history

Exclusive Floors with Character From outdoor natural beauty to the living room in briefâ&#x20AC;Ś The splendid colours and living materials of natural beauty form a source of inspiration for our interiors. Each season, we hear of new stories to bring living rooms to life. Origineel Chapel Parket planks are of superior quality and exude an exceptional effect. Each room takes on a new dimension thanks to the pure and exclusive character of the wooden floor. Yet before a floor can come to rest in a living room, the wood has to undergo an entire metamorphosis, which all starts in the woods. There isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a tree on earth which grows by itself. Sun, rain, and other conditions determine the direction and leave behind the traces of time. These authentic characteristics ensure a special atmosphere in the home. Strong and Colourful Formed into a personality At the moment the raw wood enters the production process, it has already come a long way: from gusts of wind and storms to freezing cold to summer heat. As a tree, it leaves a life behind. Out in the wild, wood has the opportunity to develop its own character. Origineel Chapel Parket adds an extra dimension so that the raw wood is transformed into a stable plank, which has a whole life ahead of it. Origineel Chapel Parket planks possess a special character. A new floor is not bleak, but bears a certain prestige. The lashing process, a special production technique, applies damages purposely to the wood. Then the tongue and groove are hand-scraped. In this way, the planks fit each other seamlessly. The splendid colour comes about by allowing the natural colouring process to come into its own, manipulating the tannic acid, or by impregnating the colour. A strong hard wax oil provides the finishing touch. The oil penetrates deep into the wood and safeguards the colour. It also adds an extra natural gloss to the look. Finally, a specially developed protective layer is applied, which makes the floor absolutely ideal for commercial rooms such as in hotels, restaurants, and shops. Responsible Wooden Floors Durable and produced 100% ecologically Houtindustrie Schijndel BV (HIS), as a producer of Origineel Chapel Parket, naturally feels that environmental-friendliness is extremely important.

HIS prefers to use wood which clearly originates from sustainably managed forests in Europe. HIS is one of the few companies in the Netherlands to combine this sustainable use of raw materials with equally sustainable production. In the bio-energy power plant HIS uses the wood remains which are emitted during the wood processing to generate green energy and heat in a 100% ecological manner. This provides full coverage of the heat and electricity demands. The rest of the energy is used to supply a good 3000 families with green energy. And so, Origineel Chapel Parket is produced 100% in a sustainable manner. Local and International Strategy Houtindustrie Schijndel BV is responsible for the sale of Origineel Chapel Parket in the Netherlands and its subsidiary Timberline International BV looks after export and the international project market. At present, Origineel Chapel Parket is active in over 25 countries and that figure is growing every year. Assortment The extensive Origineel Chapel Parket flooring collection comes in a wide variety of colours, textures and patterns to suit every interior. Patterns are our own design and floorboards are available in impressive lengths of up to 5 metres and variable widths from 7 cm to an extra wide 38 cm. For more information you can visit the web site: www.chapelparket.com

Sturdy, but moisture-sensitive floors Some floors have sprouted up to meet the need of offering resistance to extremely high traffic and intensive use, such as in studios and workshops, for instance. Take end grain blocks as an example: this method of fitting, in which the wooden strips are fitted upright instead of flat, is still usually defined as industrial parquet due to the solid wood thickness. Over the years, end grain blocks have become a trendy design floor. Exactly the same thing is happening with cross-cut wood: interior architects appreciate the industrial look of cross-cut wood because of its special character. This article gives an introduction. is the acoustic reaction of these floors. Due to the sawing method and structure, cross-cut wooden floors have very good sound insulation. The sound vibrations are absorbed much more easily by the wood fibres so that there is much less reverberation of sound. This, too, is an important feature for high traffic applications or workplaces.

The ‘workshop floor’ Cross-cut wood is back in fashion. In the past, cross-cut wood was usually made from pine, fir, or oak and it was often used as a floor for the workshop. Indeed, these floors are amongst the strongest wooden floors in existence. Whereas traditional parquet sections and wooden floors are sawn lengthways in the direction of the grain, cross-cut wood is sawn across the grain. This is why we make a distinction between quarter-sawn and cross-cut. The surface of a cross-cut wooden floor is a lively play on growth rings and gives a completely different appearance to that of traditional floorboards. The floor consists of several small, square (or elongated) blocks instead of planks. The saw direction makes cross-cut wood much harder and much more resistant to pressure than quarter-sawn wood. This is due to the fact that the wood fibres stand up straight. In some respects the fibres in cross-cut wood are comparable to joined together

bundles of upright stakes. It is logical that the resistance to pressure on the head is much greater than on the sides. This means that the final surface of cross-cut wooden floors is also much more resistant and, obviously, more durable. Some features As regards appearance, a cross-cut wooden floor cannot be compared to a traditional parquet or wooden floor. Visually, the effect is completely different, much more vivid and full of colour variations and playful movements of the growth rings. Yet apart from that, a cross-cut floor also has some specific features which make it stand out from a quarter-sawn floor. Acoustic comfort Cross-cut floors are therefore mechanically highly resistant to very heavy loads, so they are ideal for fitting in high traffic rooms or even in semi-industrial rooms. An additional advantage in this respect

Moisture sensitivity Everything has a down side, unfortunately. Since the fibres stand in a different direction to what is normal, we speak in terms of open pores on the surface. This means that the moisture content of the wood will be affected more easily by the fluctuations in the surrounding humidity and thereby absorb moisture. This can also result in more swelling and shrinking than is the case with quarter-sawn wooden floors. Fitters have to take account of this ‘nervousness’ when fitting such floors. The substrate has to be dry for the fitting and must remain dry afterwards. Furthermore, the surface also has to be finished in such a way that moisture cannot penetrate the wood (see below). Factors such as the moisture sensitivity of cross-cut wood mean it is not advisable to fit these floors on top of floor heating (cooling). Fitting cross-cut wood Due to the extreme strength and moisture sensitivity, fitting cross-cut wood does involve paying some extra attention in comparison with a traditional parquet or wooden floor. Generally, this means that the blocks are glued directly onto the screed without a subfloor or nails. They are pressed by hand against the previous row block by block. Some producers supply blocks in fitting elements in which the

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Floor Forum International 52

Haro

Special Providers of cross-cut floors

Cross-cut wood is sheer design

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Special Providers of cross-cut floors

blocks are bound to each other with an adhesive strip. Here we summarise the points for attention step by step. It is precisely because of the high moisture sensitivity of cross-cut wood (see above) that you should fit expansion joints of 10 to 15mm on the walls and doors and of at least 5mm every four to seven metres in the room if a distance of 10m is exceeded.

BJ Parket

The covering floor Since this somewhat ‘nervous’ floor is glued to the covering floor, that covering floor has to meet some specific requirements. Firstly, the covering floor has to be dry. The moisture content has to be under 2%, even in deeper layers. If the floorboards get the chance to absorb moisture from below, the floor will certainly swell with all the resulting consequences. In the event of doubt a waterproof epoxy primer is most certainly recommended. In some cases a screed reinforcement may be necessary or a combination of screed reinforcement and moisture barrier. After all, the covering floor has to be of excellent quality to withstand the heavy pressures which the small blocks can exert. Indeed, those pressures are enough to tear away the top layer of the screed in the event of the covering floor not being strong enough or being too powdery. This would mean the floor is no longer attached to the covering floor.

already been carried out with an increasingly finer grain. After the sanding stints with the belt sander, the surface is sanded using a disc sander. The final finishing touch is done with a gauze disc 120. Finish It goes without saying that the finish of a cross-cut wooden floor affects the look. Nevertheless, protection against damp is a very important point here. Polishing without first applying a sealer is not recommended. The hardness of the floor means that hard, but crumbly varnishes are most certainly not recommended. A waterborne varnish is possible after the application of an elastic primer. Another solution, which many people regard as the best one, is an oil finish. The oil can penetrate the wood deeply and provide durable protection. Oil treatment also aids maintenance and patchwork repairs. The only disadvantage of an oil finish on cross-cut wood is that the oil will have a bigger influence on the colour of the wood. Wood sorts We have already said that in the past cross-cut wooden floors were made in pine, fir or oak. Today, as a result of growth on the worldwide wood market, we see that there is a much bigger range of wood sorts used to make cross-cut wooden floors. Sorts such as merbau, kambala, and larch are ideal for creating a cross-cut wooden floor, both mechanically and visually. In other words, here, too, tropical wood sorts offer an alternative to oak. Of course, it is no surprise that the nervousness of cross-cut wood has inspired some parties to do some research in that area. And so, thermally treated wood has also made its entrance into the world of cross-cut wooden floors. The thermal treatment of the wood increases the stability of the floor considerably and reduces the risk of swelling and shrinking.

What’s on the market? BJ Parket

Floor Forum International 52

Glueing Cross-cut wooden floors have to be glued with an adhesive which not only ensures excellent adhesion, but also provides as much elasticity as possible. Indeed, the glue has to follow the movements of the wood. It is advisable to glue the floor with a single component polyurethane adhesive with an elasticity of over 200%. You apply the glue using a notched trowel with a 14/B3 tooth and consumption of about 1kg/m². You must not apply the glue in extremely arid conditions or at excessively high temperatures. Ideally, the air humidity should be between 60 and 70% and the temperature between 18 and 20°C.

Sandpapering The quality of the covering floor is also important for the final sandpapering of the floor. The more even the covering floor, the easier it is to sand the floor. Suppliers ensure that the blocks are sawn off to precisely the same thickness. The vast strength of cross-cut wood also means that sanding is certainly no sinecure and actually requires a lot more effort than with a traditional wooden floor. When sanding a surface level, it is best to use a belt sander with a grain which depends on the extent to which the floor has already been fitted level. Various sanding stints have

BJ Parket offers cross-cut wood in various sorts. According to BJ Parket, the choice of wood has to be made to suit the purpose of the room where the floor is fitted. If the floor is designed to be fitted in places where the architecture is important, then the best choice is a wood sort which does not show too much working by nature since cross-cut wooden floors, unlike other wooden floors, swell and shrink in four directions.

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If the cross-cut wooden floor is used in a workshop where it has to absorb vibrations from machines or muffle sound, it is best to fit cheap pine wood. The floors which BJ Parket makes the most are oak cross-cut wooden floors with the following dimensions: 23 x 69mm, 35 x 70mm, and 70 x 70 mm. Merbau, wenge, and guatambu are available in 7 x 7cm and larch in 90 x 55mm. These latter floors are often fitted because of their attractive range of colours. The cross-cut wood is supplied for 95% in bulk (bags from +/- 2 to 3m²). However, BJ Parket does offer the opportunity, subject to a price supplement, to put the cross-cut wood together in the required size with a special sheet on top. Fastening cross-cut wood to a gauze is not advisable because the gauze pattern will become visible as the floor swells and shrinks. Haro Haro offers cross-cut wooden floors in oak and larch: Carré Oak Selective and Carré Larch Selective. The floorboards are offered in plank form in sizes of 16 x 180 x 2,200mm. These floors are fitted floating and with tongue and groove in contrast to the other three-layer floors from Haro, which are fitted with the Top Connect click system. Carré Oak Selective and Carré Larch Selective are finished entirely with the strong and durable finish Permadur. Holz Bois

Several different sorts of wood, if not all sorts, can be fitted as cross-cut wood. Due to the sawing method, upright on the fibre, these floors are certainly much more durable than a plank sawn lengthways. This means that wood sorts (e.g. pine) which are not really suitable for strip parquet for a high traffic room can be used as cross-cut wood. Holz Bois sells rustic solid oak and rustic pine the most. This is undoubtedly because of the very high cost price of cross-cut wood in exotic wood sorts. Cross-cut wooden floors are usually supplied with three rows of blocks on a gauze/net. Another possibility is one single row of blocks with thin plastic tape. Solid cross-cut wood is always glued with a sufficiently elastic MS glue, such as Parcol MS Elastic from Bostik. Holz Bois regards a cross-cut wooden floor as stable because the small blocks move less than a long, wide plank. They do warn customers, however, to respect correct expansion joints. For example, you must fit general expansion joints of +/15mm on walls and doors and expansion joints of at least 5mm every five to six metres in the room if a distance of 10 metres is exceeded.

B.J. Parket BVBA I NDUSTRIESTRAAT 44 9240 Z ELE – BELGIUM TEL: +32 52 44 45 57 FAX : +32 52 45 06 71 E MAIL: INFO @ BJPARKET.BE WWW. BJPARKET. BE TRADITIONAL PARQUET MANUFACTURER Style panels, end grain, distressed floors (different ageing techniques ‘sanded, brushed, tumbled and smoked’)

Project Mapei: a 16th century castle in the North of France Floor Forum International 52 24

A 16th - century castle in the North of France An area renovated according to today’s taste, which conjugates the old with the new In the heart of the Hainaut region between France and Belgium, famous for the “blue stone” from which it takes its name, a 16th century castle has just been completely renovated. This impressive project included the laying of approximately 400 m2 of parquet. The renovation was a complete success, with Mapei taking part in the work on the floor slab, preparation of the substrate, smoothing over of the surface and bonding of the parquet.

The castle was originally surrounded by a moat which had later been eliminated. Over the years, a chapel and a number of residences had been added. The new owner of the property wanted to create a new environment, more open with more light. The interior designer Jean-Mark Vynckier thus designed an area with extremely clean lines, where stone (from Hainault, a very dark grey stone also known as “blue stone”) is carefully mixed with steel and wood. The children’s area is on the first floor, while on the ground floor we find the owners’ living area, an entrance hall, the kitchen and a sitting room. “We wanted to create a special place, a loft open to nature – said Jean-Marc Vynckier– with an area which conjugates ultra-modern materials, such as stone and steel, with the warmth of wood. And we are extremely pleased with the result”. Preparation of substrates and surfaces 80% of the floor of the castle was made

up from a concrete floor slab. A number of substrates were repaired, particularly between the kitchen and sitting room, by using Mapecem Pronto. This preblended, ready-to-use, quick-setting and drying, controlled-shrinkage mortar is used to make both floating and bonded screeds on new and old floor slabs. Its quickdrying property allows the screed to be available for foot traffic just 2or 3 hours after laying and for laying the parquet after 24 hours. Systeme Barriere MF was laid in the entrance hall. This system is distributed on the French and other countries markets by Mapei France, the French subsidiary of the Mapei Group,and is used to prevent rising damp and to quickly put the surfaces back into use. Systeme Barriere MF in this case comprises a primer (Primer MF) and sand (Quartz 1.2). It saturates the pores of the surface of the floor by impregnating them with resin, to form a barrier against the rising damp. The system is easy to apply, has

high penetration and bonding properties and may be applied on both old and new substrates. PRIMER MF is a two component primer which was here applied in two layers (400 g/m2 + 300 g/m2) and is then sprinkled while still fresh with Quartz 1.2. A slope in the floor of the sitting room was evened out using Ultraplan Maxi, a self-levelling smoothing and levelling compound for thicknesses of from 3 to 30 mm. This product sets quickly and may be stepped on after just 3 hours. Ultraplan Maxi has been awarded the Emicode EC1 mark by GEV, the association which checks emission levels of VOC in products used for laying floors, adhesives and various materials used in the building industry, of which Mapei is a member. This certifies that Ultraplan Maxi is a substance with an extremely low emission level of volatile organic compounds (VOC). The flooring company Parqueterie de la Lys and Mapei chose Plano 3 for smoothing and levelling the floor in the kitchen. This self-levelling, quick-hardening product has a particularly high yield and compensated shrinkage and may be applied on internal surfaces only at thicknesses of between 3 and 10 mm. Bonding 400m2 of pre-finishedparquet 15 x 135 mm Mutenyé parquet was laid on the stairs and ground floor, and was bonded to the well-recognized job references in Macau, Mapei’s quality and reliable systems, including those for laying wooden floors, waterproofing, tile installation, rendering and floor screeding, became the prior choices. Works with Mapei products commenced in early 2008 and were completed within 3 years. Many of Mapei products (primers, levelling compounds, fibreglass mesh, adhesives for ceramics, latexes and mortars for grouting joints) have been adopted for appropriate applications in different buildings.

Project Mapei: a 16th century castle in the North of France

Swimming Pools The swimming pool area, which is to be shared by both guests of Crown Towers and Hard Rock hotels, includes a pool by the bar, the biggest pool with a fountain, a small Jacuzzi, a kid’s pool, etc. Just like in the above-mentioned case, Nivoplan+Planicrete, Topcem Pronto were used for preparing the substrates; Mapelastic, Fibreglass Mesh and Mapeband for waterproofing; Adesilex P10+ Isolastic for bonding the mosaic tiles; Kerapoxy for grouting the joints; Mapesil AC for sealing the expansion joints. The same products were used for laying mosaics in the Grand Hyatt swimming pool area where it was necessary to mix Planicrete with cement and water to obtain a bonding slurry before preparing the screed. For grouting the joints Ultracolor Plus was chosen in this case. This is a fast-setting and drying, high performance, anti-efflorescence, water-repellent mortar grout with DropEffect® and anti-mould with BioBlock® technology. It is ideal for grouting joints from 2 to 20 mm. Hard Rock Hotel For the bathrooms floors and walls in VIP levels within the Hard Rock hotel Primer G was used as primer, Mapelastic as waterproofing treatment; Keralastic and Keracrete System (adhesive system including Keracrete and Keracrete Powder) for bonding marble slabs; Kerapoxy for grouting the joints. In the hotel lobby, in the washrooms and service areas Keracrete System was used for bonding the stone material slabs, while joints were grouted with Ultracolor Plus.

Fountains and Water Displays For the fountains along both sides of the walking path to the main entrance of the shopping precinct, the fountains in front of the domeshaped theatre, those in front of the casino entrance and in front of the Hard Rock Hotel, as well as for the water display of the dragon ball next to the theatre

representing the “Dragon’s Treasure” (a famous topic in Chinese art) show, the following system was used to install stone and marble slabs: Topcem Pronto special hydraulic binder for rendering and floor screeding; Nivoplan levelling mortar was mixed with Planicrete for improving bonding and mechanical strength before levelling the surfaces prior to installation; Mapelastic waterproofing membrane, reinforced with Fibreglass Mesh (N.B this product was superseded on several markets by Mapenet), and Mapeband rubber tape for waterproofing the substrates; Adesilex P10 high performance cementitious adhesive, mixed with Isolastic flexible latex additive,to bond the slabs; Kerapoxy forgrouting the joints; Mapesil AC acetic cross-linking silicone sealantfor sealing the expansion joints.

Crown Towers Hotel In this hotel natural stone slabs were laid on the floorings of the lobby, washrooms and service rooms with the Keracrete System as adhesive and Kerapoxy and Ultracolor Plus as grout for the joints. Casinos To install natural stone wall and floor coverings in the City of Dreams Casino and Crown Towers Casino Keracrete System was used as adhesive, Kerapoxy and Ultracolor Plus as grouts for the joints.

ww.mapei.it

Floor Forum International 52

External Landscape To bond the natural stone slabs on the long walking path to the main entrance of the shopping precinct Keraflex was used. This is a high-performance cementitious adhesive, with no vertical slip and extended open time, ideal for ceramic tiles and stone material. The joints were grouted with Kerapoxy high-performance twocomponent acid-resistant grout.

Design Parquet: a wide choice, superior in quality

Floor Forum International 52

Advertorial Design Parquet (F)

For over ten years, Design Parquet has specialised in solid wood parquet and multi-layer parquet (in exotic wood and oak). The French producer has also developped a constant innovation in its various new products. Distressed parquet and scores of accessories are also available. The new ROC finish combines the aesthetics of top class parquet and the scratch-resistance of laminate.

ROC finish: phenomenal scratch-resistance Design Parquet has launched a new parquet range with an ultramodern varnish ROC finish. This is based on resins and nanotechnology and sets remarkable new standards by reconciling phenomenal scratch-resistance and the soft touch of polyurethane varnish finishes. This is why ROC parquet really is a must for high traffic areas because of its durability, which compares to that of laminate. Moreover, the ROC varnish contains no solvents and the VOC emissions are minimal. From very traditional to very rare finishes, from rustic to modern parquet, Design Parquet solid wood parquet does not follow fashion and suits any interior style. It is extremely stylish and comfortable, easy to maintain, and has something for every budget. Design Parquet also cares for the environment and also offers FSC and PEFC certified parquet floors with wood from sustainably managed forests. Ultra-modern technology. The Design Parquet ultra-modern parquet factory deploys the very latest technology and is thereby a reference in the industry. With this machine technology, Design Parquet can give free expression to the texture and natural beauty of the wood like no other manufacturer. The floors are available in various finishes: varnished, oiled, coloured, or brushed and for some products now also with ROC varnished.

Réalisation à Lyon (France) : Centre Commercial La Part-Dieu

The secret of ROC lies in the nanometrically small silicon particles in the resins used. These particles score a 7 on the Mohs scale. This scale records the hardness of minerals, and 10 stands for the ultimate hardness of diamond. Moreover, nano-particles remain extremely stable over the years and are not emitted into the air, even after years of use. In the meantime, Taber tests have shown that Design Parquet floors with ROC score very highly and reconcile the hardness of laminate with the sheer beauty of real wood. For more information: www.designparquet.fr P.A. de Torcé Est - Montigné 35370 TORCÉ - FRANCE

Quality of the screed is crucial for glueing Primers are ideal for renovation and new buildings

Special Primers

St. Rumbold’s Cathedral in Mechelen is almost 100m high and was designed initially to be twice that height. There wasn’t enough money, of course. However, not many people realise that the cathedral is actually built on swampy ground, which is damp and unstable, yet the building has stood since the year 1500. Cowhides had to rectify the faults in the unstable base and they have certainly done so with flying colours. In other words, anything is possible with the right base. Furthermore, with the right primer, any screed can be made suitable for the full glueing of parquet. This may be necessary with both renovation and new buildings. The perfect screed It goes without saying that you cannot glue a parquet or any other floor onto our beloved North Sea beaches. It may seem like a caricature, but the same applies to an unsuitable cement covering floor. After all, with both renovation and new building projects it is quite conceivable that the screed is not suitable for glueing. In particular, glueing parquet makes special demands of the substrate: wood, of course, continues to move (swelling and shrinking). A good quality parquet glue absorbs those movements by swelling and shrinking together with the wood. The screed must be capable of withstanding those movements of the wooden floor and the glue. In other words, the screed remains immoveable, but allows the movements of wood and parquet glue to enjoy their freedom.

Renovation With a renovation project the screed is not usually in such good condition. What can go wrong? The number 1 chief cause of defects in the screed is that old floor coverings often have to be broken up. These old floor coverings can lead to two major

Rubio Monocoat

defects. If the old floor covering (parquet, vinyl, or wall-to-wall carpet) was glued, the screed will seldom be evenly porous once the old floor covering is removed. The places where the glue has penetrated the screed deeply will be less porous. Don’t forget that screeds in older houses were not prepared mechanically and automatically when the houses were built. And so, in the olden days, there was little prospect of a perfect dosage. And so, as far as these covering floors are concerned, the damage has already been done in the past. They were not evenly porous at the beginning, so at the time of renovation (years later) they are even less so. Another problem with breaking out old floor covering is the fact that the screed is damaged. Therefore, it is often necessary to repair certain spots and this, in turn, leaves spots with uneven porosity because the density and consistency of (modern) repair grouts can never be the same as that of the (old) screed. Solutions The fact that chemistry can work wonders is a generally accepted fact. Chemical science proves its worth like no other every day in

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Floor Forum International 52

New buildings A screed is a mixture of sand and cement. When we say ‘mixture’, we think immediately of ‘mixing ratios’. Somewhere there is a perfect mixing ratio for making a screed, a recipe which guarantees the perfect screed. And so, what is the perfect screed? It has to be porous enough to allow glue adhesion, yet not too powdery, because that makes the adhesive bond stronger than the screed. Then the movements of the wood would simply tear the glue away from the screed. A good screed is usually 300 to 320kg of cement to each cubic metre of sand. If there is too little cement, the screed will never be strong enough and will usually remain powdery. Moreover, a good screed must also have a compressive strength of at least 8n/mm². Another important requirement is that the screed is mixed perfectly. This is important for the porosity. Indeed, the porosity of a subfloor (covering floor) has to be the same everywhere in order to obtain good adhesion after glueing. If the surface is not equally and evenly porous, there is a risk of the screed abstracting moisture from the glue in the most porous places. Then the surface will not dry evenly. Since the screed in a new building is now mixed mechanically and automatically, it is doubtful whether there are any shortcomings.

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the construction industry on different premises and in all phases of building projects. Here, too, the chemical industry provides solutions for both of the above-mentioned defects in the screed during renovation: primers to improve the absorption capacity and, in particular, to make the screed evenly porous and screed reinforcements to give the covering floor the required strength.

Floor Forum International 52

Special Primers

Primers The chief task of a primer is to erode differences in the porosity of the subfloor. These differences are pernicious not only to perfect glueing, but also to the application of a level layer. After all, any level layer has to have the same binding with the substrate in each place. And so, a primer guarantees good adhesion by evening out the absorption capacity of the screed. It should be clear that if the absorption capacity is not the same everywhere, it is impossible to obtain the same adhesion everywhere with an even layer of glue.

Reinforcement products Basically, it is impossible to use a primer to reinforce a weak screed. If the screed does not have the required strength to cope with the pressures of wood and glue, the answer is a screed reinforcement product. Screed reinforcements are entirely fluid so that they are capable of saturating the micro-pores of the screed completely. They are available in one or two components. The water in the reinforcement product drives the reinforcement resin molecules (acrylate and styrene acrylate) deeply into the screed to create an acceptable cohesion. The drying time of the reinforcement product is absolutely crucial. This is particularly true for single component PU adhesives and MS polymers. If they are not left for long enough to dry, this can cause a blockage in the de polymerisation of the glue so that it does not adhere. Screed reinforcement products are used exclusively to reinforce porous substrates.

Bona The Bona R540 is a polyurethane primer which reinforces the screed in one coat and acts in two cross-linked coats as a moisture barrier with up to 4% CM (cement). The primer is applied using a roller. The R850 is primarily a moisture barrier (up to 5% CM). However, you MUST use Bona silane adhesives for glueing onto it. You apply the glue with a notched trowel. This primer can be applied to tiles as an adhesive primer. The D501 is designed for use on sandy cement covering floors. You can apply the Bona R850 or other Bona silane adhesives after just two hours. Bona D530 is the perfect preparation for anyone wanting to apply Bona R770 2-component polyurethane glue to smooth tiles. Bona D530 is a traditional dual component adhesive primer (you must degrease, clean, and sandpaper the floor first!). The Bona D510 is an emulsion primer specially for the Bona levellers.

A selection from the range

Berger-Seidle Berger-Seidle has four primers. Berger Primer D and D5 are 1-component emulsion primers which are based on synthetic resins and contain no solvents. They are recommended for highly absorbent mineral substrates and used with Berger Bond D1 and D1S. Berger Primer P is a primer based on polyurethane. It does not contain water or solvents and is suitable for glueing with Berger Bond P1, P2, P2S, Berger Bond M1, M1S, and K1. It can be used on both absorbent and non-absorbent substrates. Berger Primer E is an epoxy primer. This, too, does not contain solvents and is suitable for absorbent and non-absorbent substrates. It is used for glueing with Berger Bond P1, P2, P2S, and Bergerbond M1 and M1S.

Adesiv

Bostik

Adesiv offers a full range of products for preparing the substrate. The primer WBPU-R is one of a new generation of single component polyurethane primers and does not contain any volatile organic compounds (VOC). This primer dries rapidly in about 45 minutes. It is a reinforcement resin for powdery cement covering floors and for providing protection against residual moisture in floors and walls. Primer PA400 is a highly renowned solventborne standard product of polyurethane for reinforcement and protection against residual moisture. The Primer HE is a dual component epoxy primer for impregnating floors in chemically abrasive surrounds. This product, too, reinforces and protects against moisture.

Bostik has two primers, namely Eponal 336 and Prima Tech. Eponal 336 is a dual component epoxy resin which provides definitive protection against rising damp. It can be used on cement covering floors or old tiles for both renovation and new construction. Eponal is always efficient, irrespective of the moisture percentage. You can glue directly onto Eponal 336 which is sprinkled with sand. Primatech is a 1-component primer. This is a ready-for-use waterborne structured adhesive coat which guarantees the adhesion of indoor levelled surfaces on sealed substrates such as in combination with the moisture barrier Eponal速 336, old tiles, polymer concrete, old, semi-flexible floor tiles, old floor paint, wood fibre panels, and plywood panels (CTB-H and CTB-X), OSB 3 panels, and parquet. In addition, Bostik also has the primer PU Rapid, a polyurethane primer as reinforcement for absorbent, cementbound substrates or as a primer before glueing parquet with 2-component polyurethane glue.

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Henkel/Thomsit In most cases, Thomsit elastic parquet glues do not need a primer. If primers are applied nonetheless, Thomsit offers the Thomsit R 766 Multiprimer and the Thomsit R 777 Acrylic-primer, which are ready-mixed. Thomsit R 766 Multi-primer can be used universally (both diluted

or undiluted), is extremely concentrated, and is therefore economical in use. This primer dries very quickly. Moreover, the Thomsit R 766 Multi-primer can be used on floors with floor heating. Thomsit R 777 Acrylic-primer, which is ready-mixed, is ready for use so it can be used immediately. This primer is just about odourless and has a very low consumption. It can also be used on floors with floor heating. Kerakoll Green Building Company Kerakoll has several certified ecological EC1 Plus (GEV Certificates) primers for different sorts of substrates and situations. For non-absorbent substrates (and the levelling product can then be applied after two hours) there is: Keragrip ECO / Green Building Rating ECO5, adhesion on concrete:>2.5n/mmÂ˛, adhesion on varnish:>2n/mmÂ˛, sliding strength on varnish:>1.5n/ mm2. For absorbent Z-C substrates and anhydrite: the insulation Primer A Eco, ECO5, one hour waiting time for levelling or glueing with cement-based glues on Z-C, four hours for anhydrite. If you want to glue parquet directly with the SLC ECO L34 line, the SLC ECO EP21 (EC=3) is recommended for both sand-cement and anhydrite. If a moisture barrier is needed to counteract residual moisture, the EP21 can be applied twice. It is not necessary to apply a primer with direct glueing onto glazed tiles, the tiles become rough and it is sufficient to wipe/clean them solely with KERAGRIP ECO PULEP, and you can start glueing after 15 minutes. All products are solvent-free and meet the Dutch VOC legislation. All Kerakoll products have a Green Building Rating (ECO), which is certified by SGS.

Special Primers

Chimiver Chimiver has a large range of sealants suitable for subfloors with a residual moisture content of no more than 5%. The best seller is Prymer SF1105, which is a 2-component waterborne epoxy primer suitable for dusty, very dry, and crumbling subfloors and for preventing rising damp in absorbent subfloors. It has excellent penetrative properties and can also be used on anhydrite covering floors. Another primer is Prymer FAST 500, which is a solventfree single component 100% PU primer. It dries very quickly (45-50 minutes) and is suitable for consolidating flammable subfloors and creating a damp-proof membrane on humid subfloors. Both products are odourless and very easy to use.

NEW:

Prime Old Grey I V X Prime Old Grey gives a weathered appearance to oak. The possibilities and variations are numerous by finishing the floor subsequently with one of the 27 standard colours of the Floorservice Hardwax-oil Classic, Pro of Profiline.

Prime Old Grey I

Prime Old Grey V

Floor Forum International 52

The water-based product Prime Old Grey offers very attractive market possibilities for both industrial and manual application.

Prime Old Grey X

Overmat Industries b.v. | Scharlo 11 | NL-5165 NG Waspik | The Netherlands Tel. +31 (0) 416 31 77 88 | Internet: www.overmat.nl

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Special Primers

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Lechner

Mapei

Lechner has a full range of levelling or self-levelling products, most of which are EC1/EC1R certified. The best selling products are Levelfast, Ultradur, and Fibrodur. The first two of these are designed for flexible floor coverings and the last one is for wooden floors. Fibrodur is a leveller which is strengthened with fibres. In addition to the excellent quality of the raw materials, Lechner also offers added value in the form of a new stylish packaging. The brand focuses constantly on innovative products which give plenty of added value. A good example of this is the Ultradur Mid-East which is suitable for levelling in places with temperatures of 40°C.

Mapei presents here two products which help to make substrates more suitable for glueing or levelling. Eco Prim PU 1K is a covering floor reinforcement product for floors which are mechanically too weak for glueing and at the same time a moisture barrier for covering floors with a residual moisture percentage of up to 4%. Eco Prim PU 1K is a single component solvent-free (EC1R) product based on polyurethane. The product guarantees perfect direct glueing. It is possible to start glueing between 24 to 72 hours after the treatment, without sprinkling quartz sand. Eco Prim PU 1K consumes 200 to 400gr/m². Furthermore, Mapei also has an adhesion reinforcement product based on emulsion, namely the Eco Prim Grip. Eco Prim Grip, too, is solvent-free (EC1) and economical in consumption (150 to 300gr/m²). Eco Prim Grip contains a filler of very fine gravel to create a good adhesion surface on non-absorbent substrates. After application, you can start levelling after about 30 minutes.

Lecol Lecol PU Express Primer PU 280 is specially for priming strongly absorbent, dusty subfloors such as cement and anhydrite-bound covering floors and non-absorbent subfloors such as tile floors. Lecol PU Express Primer PU 280 is also suitable as a moisture barrier with capillary rising damp in rooms which do not have a basement up to a maximum of 6cm%. Lecol PU Express Primer PU 280 isolates any residual moisture (maximum 6cm%) in cement bound subfloors (without floor heating). A cement covering floor which is fitted with a floor heating system can be sealed from residual moisture up to a maximum of 3cm %. Wakol Primer D3045 (new!) is a waterborne, concentrated primer for emulsionbased levelling materials for smooth subfloors. This primer is particularly suitable for smooth subfloors such as tiles and subfloors treated with PU280 as a moisture barrier. The grains which it contains give it better adhesion to the smooth subfloor. The Wakol Primer D3074 is a waterborne, concentrated primer for rough subfloors. D3074 is ideal for rough subfloors such as sandcement covering floors and anhydrite covering floors. Finally, the Wakol Quartz sand S28 is sprinkling sand designed for Express Primer PU280 and Egalines Z615 and Z635.

Floor Forum International 52

Loba

Loba offers the Lobadur WS East Prime. This primer was launched a number of years ago as the best primer for applying with a roller or spatula. At the time of its launch, this primer was suitable for European sorts of wood. In the years subsequent to the launch, the WS Easy Prime continued to develop and improve. In 2008, Loba managed to adapt the composition in such a way that this primer could also be used for tropical wood sorts. At that time, it was the first waterborne primer for European and exotic wood sorts, which was ready for use. Lobadur WS Easy Prime is a product which can be applied universally.

Muylle Facon Rubio Monocoat offers a leveller which is ideal as a substrate for fitting parquet, namely Selflevel Normal. This pre-mixed mortar has an exceptional self-levelling capacity to guarantee a speedy and efficient operation. RMC Selflevel Normal is easy to pour and has a perfect flow and a high self-levelling capacity. The fine particle spread of the fillers (0.3mm) makes it possible to produce a completely level surface. Sika Sika offers four distinct primers: the Styrene acrylate emulsion primers Purigo 5S and Purigo Sol, the 2-component solventborne epoxy (deep) primer Sika Primer MB, and the 2-component waterborne epoxy primer Sika Primer MR Fast. The primers Purigo 5S and Purigo Sol are products for repairing the top coat of covering floors. They are an ideal solution for dusty covering floors with strong granule formation. However, they are not suitable on adhesive residue or where there is a high residual moisture content in the covering floor. Sika Primer MB fulfils three functions in one product. Apart from being an adhesive primer (also for on adhesive residue), it is also a substrate reinforcement product and a residual moisture barrier (up to 4%). Like all deep primers, the product is solventborne and will therefore disappear from the Belgian market at the end of 2013 due to the stricter legislation. Sika Primer MR Fast fulfils the same three functions as Sika Primer MB, namely adhesive primer, substrate reinforcement product, and residual moisture barrier (up to 4%). This primer is also very easy to mix, ecological, and dries very quickly so that glueing is possible after just four hours. Sika Primer MR Fast is the only waterborne 2-C epoxy primer on the market and is therefore ready to replace the deep primers this year.

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It is not mandatory to use a primer when fitting a parquet floor. Tover recommends it only if you need to solve a problem with the base on which the wood has to be fitted. The problems may be multiple e.g. too much moisture or a powdery or crumbly screed, which is not level and/or has cracks. Tover has introduced a complete range of primers, which have the effect of guaranteeing sure and durable fitting. Tover recommends the use of the single component polyurethane primer TOVERFIX for creating a moisture barrier and sealing the surface of the base. However, if the substrate has floor heating, then the recommended product is the PRIMER PU100. This is a solvent-free and odourless product, and is therefore highly recommended. For a solid seal (up to 5cm) Tover offers PRIMER TS, which is based on water and adhesion salts. If the screed is cracked, ADEBLOK T19 is a good choice. This is a dual component epoxy primer which does not contain solvents. It is mixed with sand in order to obtain a synthetic mass of strong filler.

LIOS SUNDECK W OIL Water-based impregnator for outdoor wood

Special Primers

Tover

Soudal offers solutions to all sorts of diverse problems. If a floor has to be protected against damp, it is advisable to apply the dual component epoxy moisture barrier EPR-31P. Flaky, sandy, and burnt covering floors also occur. The simplest test is a scratch test to determine the hardness/cohesion of the surface. If the result is a bad one, you need to apply the primer Soudal WBPR-21P, but not on anhydrite covering floors; with these types of covering floor the top layer has to be removed in any case. The porosity of a floor can easily be determined with a simple test using a drop of water. If the water soaks into the substrate quickly, the recommended product is the primer Soudal WBPR-11P, both for cement-bound substrates and wooden sheets. If the water does not soak away and later you intend to use a PU based parquet glue such as Soudal PU-20P, you can also use Soudal WBPR-11P here as well. Parquet adhesives based on silanated polymers such as Soudal SMX30, MS-30P, MS-20P, MS-25P, and SMX-15P do not usually require a primer, and certainly not on flat, smooth substrates such as ceramic tiles.

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Floor Forum International 52

ACCELERATOR

Cork in collectivities? why not!? Inherent features welcome in projects

Special Cork floors

If we make a list of applications for cork, we cannot but be amazed at the high versatility of this wonderful material. Cork as a floor covering is a fairly recent innovation in comparison with many other uses. The material has a number of unique features which make it perfectly suitable for use in collectivities such as old peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s homes, hospitals, schools, offices, and such like. The fact that the decorative possibilities are unlimited is an extra bonus in this respect.

Floor Forum International 52

Haro

Applications for cork The number of applications for cork in appliances is well nigh infinite. The list sometimes amazes us, yet in fact we know which items contain cork. For example, cork is now a fully fledged substance for use as a handicraft material or as a notice board. It is also generally known that the lightness of cork makes it suitable for use as floats or buoys. However, few people are aware that it is used in space travel technology due to its ideal fire-resistant properties. Even items of clothing are made from cork or even the joint rings which are fitted between the various parts of wind instruments, for example. Finally, we find cork in the soles of our shoes and in various fillings in cars. Less well known in our part of the world, but another application nonetheless, is cork as a

frontage decoration. Indoors cork even appears in the shape of items of furniture such as side tables. However, the most important applications which we are going to consider, of course, concern the use of cork as a floor or wall covering, especially its use in bigger projects where floors face special demands. Cork in construction Until a few years ago, there were two dominant types of cork floors, namely cork for glueing and engineered cork floors for floating fitting with a click system. Nowadays, the range of cork floors is much wider than that. We see combinations of cork with print technology (such as with laminate) so that the floor gets the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;lookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of a wooden floor, or combinations with vinyl (and printed).

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they are subsidised by them to a great extent. At all events public government authorities set certain demands as regards the sustainability of the products and systems (e.g. the use of FSC approved wood). Due to its origin, cork passes this ecological test with flying colours.

Cork for glueing The most well known cork floors are meant to be fully glued. It is absolutely essential to these floors that the subfloor is perfectly level. After all, a glued cork floor is a soft floor covering (cf. vinyl, linoleum, or wall-to-wall carpet), which depends on the condition of the base. In other words, faults in the subfloor will be visible in the cork floor. A glued cork floor can therefore be fitted perfectly on a flat base, a flat substrate of connecting sheets with tongue and groove, smooth multiplex sheets with tongue and groove, or MDF. A screed has to be perfectly dry and will usually have to be levelled. Glued cork floors usually have a thickness of 3.2 or 4mm. Very occasionally, we see cork of 6 or 8mm. For cork tiles the most common sizes are 30 x 30, 30 x 60, and 15 x 60. The cork floors are glued by glueing both the tiles and the subfloor. You press them together with a rubber hammer.

Thermal and acoustic The excellent heat insulation properties of cork mean that a floor in cork, like a wooden floor, has a very pleasant feel. Cork absorbs the surrounding heat from the room and retains it for a long time. It also rapidly adapts to the body temperature so that walking barefoot on cork is a pleasant experience. Moreover, cork also has exceptional acoustic properties, something which is certainly not unimportant in care and rest homes. Due to its structure and composition, cork absorbs the sound and counteracts echoes. Cork also slows down the speed of the sound so that the sound reduces.

Cork for walls Wall cork is glued onto the wall in the same manner as wallpaper. There is, of course, a difference between the production of wall tiles and that of floor tiles. Seeing that floor tiles are walked upon intensively, the demands are completely different in terms of pressure and density. The amount of cork per cubic metre is greater for floors than for walls (density). And so, wall cork must never be used as a floor covering. For wall tiles, too, you glue both the tiles and the wall. After the fitting, the walls must be cleared of dust and you can apply a varnish, if necessary. This is certainly advisable in bathrooms in order to seal the joints of the tiles so that water does not seep in. You can varnish cork with a varnish specially designed for that purpose. Cork varnish is extremely supple and moves with the cork. Wall cork usually has a thickness of 2, 3, or 4mm. Wall cork is available in tiles or rolls. Cork in collectivities A number of important properties make cork ideal for use in hospitals, old peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s homes, and such like. Below we give some of the advantages. An ecological product Cork is a renewable raw material. After all, the cork is reaped every eight years from the bark of the cork oak and after this the tree starts to produce more cork. Why is the ecological aspect important for collectivities? Apart from the fact that we are becoming increasingly aware of the ecological footprints of our actions and decisions, there is also the fact that most collectivities are directly or indirectly in the hands of government institutions or

Soft and yet durable The pliable nature of cork is a remarkable feature. We can press in a wine cork up to 35% of its diameter. As the imprint disappears, the cork returns to its original shape. This pliable nature is also a form of protection in some respects. A heavy object which falls onto a cork floor will seldom cause permanent damage. Since most cork floors, certainly the tiles for floating fitting, are given several coats of varnish in the factory, durability is also guaranteed.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on the market? Amorim Amorim supplies cork floors out of its Wicanders brand. Under this brand the company presents, amongst other things, the product lines Cork comfort, Vinyl comfort, and Art comfort. Cork comfort has patterns in cork veneers and with different finishes. Vinyl comfort is PVC with wood or stone patterns with a natural intermediate layer of cork and a natural cork bottom layer. Art comfort is new for 2012. Thanks to a new technique (Digital Printing), Amorim is capable of applying cork decors (prints) which cannot be distinguished from genuine wood or stone floors. With this technique it is also

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Floor Forum International 52

Floating cork floors Floating cork floors are comparable to parquet and laminate in many respects. They have a click system so that you can fit them quickly and easily. A frequent size for the floorboards is 30 x 90cm. The most common thicknesses are between 10 and 12mm. Most cork tiles for floating fitting are finished at the factory with various coats of varnish. It is possible to apply additional coats of varnish provided that the cork floor is lightly sanded. The advantage of these floors, besides the speedy fitting, is the fact that they can be used at once.

Anti-static Cork is anti-static (non-conductive). This property offers several advantages. Firstly, the anti-static character of cork makes the floor resistant to dust. This makes the floor ideal for patients with allergies and at the same time it is easy to clean either dry or wet so that you retain a hygienic floor. All these are elements which are vitally important in care and rest homes. The anti-static character of cork also makes this material suitable for rooms where items such as computer equipment and medical apparatus are set up.

Special Cork floors

People aim to exploit the strengths of cork in all combinations in order to improve other floor sorts (e.g. wood, vinyl, or laminate). The cork may be visible, but it is often also deployed invisibly e.g. as a bottom layer which forms a sound barrier for a wooden floor. We limit ourselves here to the basic designs.

K AN G PLfrom > continued page 34 LON i o ns : Dimens0 0 mm 243 x 22

> continued from page 33

possible to develop and apply any decor in an arbitrary manner. Naturally, Art comfort has all the unique features of cork (e.g. it is comfortable, reduces sound, and is durable). This collection, too, is fitted with a natural cork middle layer and a natural cork bottom layer. Haro

With its 2012 cork assortment, Haro is continuing its strategy of presenting natural materials in fresh and modern designs. The Haro cork floor Sagres combines the modern tile size of 605 x 445mm with the traditional cork ‘look’ in which the dark colour variants provide a real ‘vintage’ effect. The Arteo series combines different worlds: as sturdy and trendy as laminate and just as natural as parquet. The warmth and softness of cork are reconciled with digital print technology to give you an innovative floor. Haro Cikett Arteo 2012 plays with wood designs in white oak or walnut, both with a texture surface. This also gives us perceptible and visible structures in this segment. Kurkfabriek Van Avermaet

HARO TRITTY GRAN VIA – LAMINATE FLOOR IN XL FORMAT Amazingly authentic wood reproductions with bevels on all four sides and dimensions that make even most Plank 1-Strip parquet look small: The new laminate floors of the HARO TRITTY 100 Gran Via series look like real solid wood and create a spacious effect in any room. A laminate floor that is as beautiful as real parquet – and quickly installed with the unique, ultra-easy Top Connect installation system. www.haro.com

Kurkfabriek Van Avermaet from Lokeren and Comabo Kurkcentrum from Waregem both offer an extensive range of decorative cork with over 30 different patterns of glued cork tiles for floor and wall applications. Each pattern is available in 64 standard colours and can be cut in over 10 different sizes.

Kurkfabriek Van Avermaet also has about 60 ready-for-use floating cork floors in its assortment, most of which can be delivered quickly from its stock. Traditional or glued fitting of floor cork has a very limited design thickness, with the construction limited to just a few millimetres. It goes without saying that this solution is extremely popular for renovation projects. Since glued cork tiles are not liable to swelling, all rooms, including the bathroom, can be finished seamlessly and can easily be connected to doorsteps, stairs, railings, and other elements. Floating cork floors are quick and easy to fit, and this makes them very popular with DIY enthusiasts. A new feature is that floating cork floors can now also be given a digital print in different wood and stone patterns. Van Avermaet can provide these floors both glued and floating.

materials based on cork plates and grains for floor and wall insulation, cork on a roll, and rubber cork on a roll as a substrate.

MeisterWerke offers the DS 300 S. This floor impresses with its moulded structures from the 1-strip collection in the size 1287 x 147 millimetres. The surface gloss and the encircling micro-joint reinforce the impression of a natural wooden floor. Yet for the Meister product that’s not all, because the DS 300 S is also warm to walk on and muffles impact sound. This effect is provided by two layers of cork, which are easy on the joints and the stabilising HDF intermediate layer, which makes the surface comfortable to walk on. Furthermore, the floor is also tested for harmful substances and is completely odourless. The design floor owes this feature to the innovative Puretec surface. This is based on polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is also deployed in the food industry due to its positive properties. The floor does not contain any PVC at all. Its environmental friendliness is confirmed for consumers by two independent quality labels: the ‘Blue Angel’ and the ‘Toxproof’ logo. The strong floor without softeners is absolutely ideal for normal use in public and private rooms. It scores highly for its sturdiness and low maintenance. The DS 300 S has the patented fitting system Masterclic Plus. Procork Procork has specialised for years in the import and production of various cork products such as floor cork, wall cork, cork skirting boards, and every possible accessory. The company offers floor and wall cork in over 35 patterns, different sizes, and standard colours for both floating and glued fitting. The company’s most important products are from the DB Cork and MJO makes: cork floors with a click system. These floors are available in the traditional cork designs, but also in trendy wood decors. In 2012, Procork is launching a collection of vinyl floors with a click system and integrated cork bottom layer. As well as floors, Procork is also active in the import and distribution of various insulation

Santana had a change of ownership at the end of 2010. That is why this Belgian company’s range of goods is hardly recognisable. Scores of innovative collections have seen the light of day with an emphasis on new design. Cork is the basic material for most Santana collections. Cork has a wide range of applications, offers plenty of scope for experimentation, and is superbly comfortable and ecological. Santana has twelve shops, the biggest of which is situated along the A12 in Schelle. Naturally, private and professional visitors are all welcome in this concept store. In the Architects Box they discover the latest applications in the field of floors and walls, and these are also suitable for the project market. Santana has four lines of cork floors: Silent Wood with wood looks + Silent Wood Hydro, Designed Cork, Silent Wood with cork look, and Leather Cork. Santana Leather Cork shows clearly where cork can be used nowadays: an exclusive, luxurious, and original furnishing for the house with generous features. Santana Leather Cork has a base of 4mm of cork covered by a layer of coloured leather. Just like the cork, which is 100% ecological, this leather is also ecologically responsible. The fact is that it originates from waste pieces. Moreover, this results in a cheaper price, without any compromise on the natural charm and quality of real leather.

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Floor Forum International 52

Santana

Special Cork floors

MeisterWerke

There’s no cure for dust, or is there? Special Dust-free working

External suction units conquer the parquet market No one will deny that sanding parquet produces lots of dust. We also know that the dust from several types of wood can cause various health complaints, ranging from minor inconveniences to severe syndromes. It is therefore absolutely essential that floor fitters take adequate measures to protect themselves and the occupants of buildings where they work against dust. As far as floor fitters working for an employer are concerned, these protective measures are prescribed by law. For self-employed floor fitters, working dust-free or protecting themselves against dust is simply a matter of common sense. The danger of dust There are numerous proverbs about dust and most of them express man’s sheer inability to counteract these minute and intangible particles. ‘Dust gets everywhere,’ that is clear. However, dust is not only annoying, but it is also dangerous both to human beings and for products such as electronic appliances. Extremely thin dust is a health hazard, certainly in the long term, and can give rise to severe and even deadly health complaints. Syndromes Wood dust from hardwood is classified in Europe as ‘carcinogenic’. This means that long-term exposure to hardwood dust can lead to lung or nose cancer. Cancer is, of course, the worst possible complaint arising from this exposure, but various other negative effects are also possible. • Skin irritation, rashes, or eczema: pine, meranti, merbau, and iroko; • Inflammations from splinters: padauk and wenge; • Queasiness when breathing: afrormosia; • Allergies: pine, western red cedar, iroko, robinia, oak, and teak.

Floor Forum International 52

Floor fitters are at risk It should not surprise us that floor fitters are amongst those most at risk from dust. After all, wood dust is released when anyone works or processes wood, certainly during sawing, sanding, and/or planing. The quantity of dust depends partly on the material in question. For example, wooden panels such as MDF or chipboard release more dust than solid wood. High speed power tools circulate dust in abundance. It is clear that on a site where floor fitters are fitting parquet or renovating an existing parquet floor, their operations involve tasks which generate a lot of dust.

Means of protection Basically, there are three types of means of protection against dust. For personal protection there are various items of personal protective equipment which protect floor fitters against hazards such as inhaling dust. At another level it is possible to limit the spread of dust (e.g. stop it spreading to other rooms) by setting up all sorts of partitions. Finally, the most recommended means is to stop (or absorb) the dust at the source. The measures which are mandatory in European and/or national legislation concern mainly the legislation regarding ‘Welfare at work’.

Overmat

These are measures which employers have to take/impose in order to ensure the health and safety of their employees. These measures are the result of an assessment of the risks which the tasks in question involve. In Belgium the basic law is the act of 4 August 1996 regarding the welfare of workers in carrying out their work. Various Royal Decrees regulate the implementation of this law. These implementation decrees are collated in the A.R.A.B. (General Health and Safety Regulations) and, since 1994, in the ‘Codex on welfare at work’. The Dutch legislation in this matter is the so called ARBO legislation.

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Loire Castle: wood and time!

With this new realization, Mardegan Legno wants to recreate the effect that the seasons, accompanied by winds, rain and sun, give the wood exposed to weathering. Therefore they created this line of saw marked and sand blasted floors, rustic and refi ned at the same time,

dedicated to those seeking the natural warmth of wood with the elegance of neutral tones. Like all products of Mardegan Legno, Loire Castle is also made entirely by hand, and is available in various sizes and various colours, making the choice of floor a real pleasure.

For further information please visit our website: www.mardeganlegno.com, or email us at info@mardeganlegno.com

> continued from page 36

Special Dust-free working

Personal protective items Generally speaking, personal protective items relate to situations where it is impossible to avoid risks or limit them sufficiently by means of collective technological means of protection or by measures, methods, or procedures in the field of labour organisation. To be precise, personal protective items are defined as follows: ‘Personal protective items include any equipment which is designed to be worn or held by the employee with a view to protecting him or her from any risk or risks which could endanger his or her health or safety at work, as well as any supplements or accessories which could help to protect the worker.’ Specifically for floor fitters, we refer here to respiratory protection (dust masks). Reclamation Another way of limiting the inconveniences and risks of sanding is by reclaiming the dust which is generated. Note! This is not covered by the above-mentioned legislation. By erecting ‘screens’ made of substances such as PVC, it is possible to limit the spread of the generated dust to other rooms. Dust is still generated in the work room itself, however, so personal protective items are still necessary. Avoidance/Absorption at source As yet, there is no technology available for sanding parquet and wooden floors without creating dust. That would only be possible by ‘peeling’ the floor in a manner of speaking instead of sanding so that a solid piece of wood is removed and therefore no dust is created. At present, that is pure fiction. What certainly is possible, however, is to absorb dust at the source. Basically, we’ve been doing that already for years. Most parquet sanding machines have had dust suction units for years. Today, the norms for wood dust are so much stricter that it is difficult to comply with them using traditional machine suction. The solution has appeared under various trademarks in the shape of dust suction units which have a huge suction capacity and are therefore also suitable for absorbing fine dust. The suction units can usually be connected to various machines. 1.1_1-3 pagina pubblicità_130212.pdf

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Fine dust limits Europe has various limits for wood dust. Limits have to be seen as the maximum acceptable concentration of a substance, gas, vapour, or mist in the air in the work place. The European binding limit or mandatory upper limit is 5mg/m³ for 8 hours. This means that an employee may work for 8 hours in an area where the concentration of wood dust is 5mg per cubic metre. With recirculation the dust content maximum is 10% of the binding limit. The table below shows that different binding limits are applied in the various countries. COUNTRY . . . . . . . . . . . VALUE IN MG/M³ Austria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Germany . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Belgium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Denmark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Finland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 France . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Greece . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Italy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Netherlands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Norway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Portugal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Spain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Sweden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Great Britain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Source: Wood dust file (Wim Tiessink, Jaap Maas, Helger Siegert, and Peter Wielaerd)

Suction units as a solution There can be no doubt that sucking up dust at the source by means of an external suction unit is an excellent solution to protect floor fitters and their clients from dust. It is therefore no surprise that various producers are launching solutions on the market.

The Bona DCS 70 is more than a vacuum cleaner. It represents a revolution for the work place. The machine is designed for dustfree sanding. Thanks to the two-step cyclone limit and the unique filter design, the Bona DCS 70 absorbs dust safely. The machine is portable and can therefore be carried along easily for any odd job to be connected to the sanding machine. The work place will be cleaner and the work proceeds faster. All these things ensure satisfied clients. The Bona DCS 70 is suitable for dust-free sanding on all sorts of wooden and parquet floors. This tool ensures a healthy working environment as the legislation requires. The unique, seamless bag keeps all the dust in. The Bona DCS 70 is designed ergonomically for easy use and transport. Devomat Industries The Jumbo Finedust NDD 900 sets a completely new standard in the field of the design and construction of industrial vacuum cleaners. The suction unit is extremely reliable, very strong, and

easy to operate! The performances are provided by two Twinfloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; motors with four turbine discs. The filter system is unique for fine dust, but is not put under a lot of pressure due to the special Hepaflo fine dust bags.

These dust bags do not clam up with fine dust! The sturdy pot is a traditional construction of Structo-foam. The huge rear wheels and heavy castors at the front ensure excellent mobility and conveyance, even in the most challenging surrounds. The Jumbo Finedust NDD 900 is supplied with a separate adapter socket to which tools such as sanding, drilling, or cutting tools can be connected and with which the vacuum cleaner starts automatically when the tool is switched on. Also included is the BB5 kit auxiliaries so that the suction unit can be used as a large

Special Dust-free working

Bona

Wherever. Forever.

What would be better than 1 trusted brand â&#x20AC;Ś 2 trusted brands ! Berry Floor, known for their beautiful laminate and parquet collections and Alloc, famous for their high performance laminate with the original aluminium locking system, have merged their brands into a new brand in the world of decoration. BerryAlloc is a leading creator of interior design and home decoration for residential and commercial projects. At BerryAlloc, we all share the same passion for quality, innovation and service.

Find more information about the full BerryAlloc product range at www.berryalloc.com

industrial vacuum cleaner. Naturally, there are also auxiliaries for connecting the Woodboy parquet sander, Deva machines, Hiretech, and all other makes. The Jumbo Finedust NDD 900 still has a smaller design, namely the Finedust BDD-570.

convertable into a unit which features the new suction system. And so, customers using a TIGER parquet sanding machine from JANSER can have it modified into a ‘GRIZZLY machine’ in order to profit from the benefits of this modern suction system.

Janser Parquet Sanding Machine with incorporated suction feature Parquet Sanding used to be a dusty job! Craftsmen who operate parquet sanding machines as well as home owners are fed up with the very fine wooden dust particles that make it necessary to clean the working area and are highly dangerous to their health. This is exactly why JANSER has developed and introduced the GRIZZLY System. The GRIZZLY-System consists of a powerful parquet sanding machine, a specially modified dust extractor DC 2900-G, and a clever Suction Hose System with integrated Connection Cable which gives the operator maximum working efficiency.

Kunzle & Tasin srl

Lecol The Dustcontrol DC 2800a is a powerful mobile dust separator designed for suction at source and cleaning in difficult conditions. It is also suitable for sucking up substances which are a health hazard. The dust is separated in the filter unit in two trajectories. The filter cyclone operation unit separates dust particles with a volume of at least 10μm. The dust is then filtered through a cartridge filter. The rest of the very fine dust, if present, is separated using a micro-filter with a dust separating level of 99.995%. You can clean the filter unit by hand using the so called reverse-pulse system. The conical shape of the filters and this very effective method of cleaning ensures a long filter standing time. The separated material is collected in a steel container under the unit. The filters can be changed dust-free. This vacuum cleaner has an auto-start system so that the vacuum cleaner switches on automatically at a slower speed when you switch on your sanding machine. This prevents excess voltage, so that you

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Floor Forum International 52

The GRIZZLY parquet sanding machine is designed to work perfectly in combination with the DC 2900-G and ensures an almost perfectly dust free operation. The GRIZZLY machine has a powerful 2.2kW motor that creates a high sanding performance. As well as the included suction unit, the GRIZZLY machine has even more improvements, i.e. the new ergonomically designed handle, which is adjustable in height. The new GRIZZLY machine also has the advantage of reducing noise levels to make the machine even more user-friendly! The new suction system DC 2900-G is designed to match perfectly the demands of the new Parquet System GRIZZLY and LUPO. The DC 2900-G has a mandatory auto-start feature as well as a soft-start function, which allows you to connect the belt sander (2.2kW) directly to the power supply of the DC 2900-G. If the sanding machine is connected to the DC 2900-G power supply, the vacuum starts automatically once the sanding machine is turned on. The soft-start reduces the ampage as the sanding machine starts. The DC 2900-G is also fitted with an anti-static grey suction hose and a non-marking extension lead. The perfect combination of the GRIZZLY sanding machine and the vacuum system DC 2900G yields the new JANSER Suction Hose System with integrated connection leads. This new fabric sheathed, flexible hose system is designed to be one piece of equipment that combines the suction hose and the electric connection cable of your sanding machine. This allows you to work with effectively one cable trailing rather than two – a tidier and smarter operation! The whole JANSER concept of ‘healthy parquet sanding’ naturally includes the edge sanders, too. The JANSER edge sanders PANDA and LUPO can be attached with the new suction hose system as you can see in the pictures. JANSER’S business objective and philosophy is to invest and develop machines and tools for the future by keeping a high level of quality and delivering the modern/clean working required by customers. This is why JANSER has developed the JANSER suction system for the parquet sanding machine GRIZZLY in such a way as to make the commonly known TIGER parquet sanding machine

What to do with the dust as a result of sanding wooden floors and how to handle it has always been a vexed question. The traditional way of collecting the dust has been, and still is, to use textile bags that have to be emptied, but you cannot count on a 100% dust free working area. K&T has been a pioneer in being enviromentaly friendly and in developing new solutions for improving working conditions. In fact, in 2001, the sander Arlequin (a machine principally designed for DIY users) was launched on the market. Apart from that, K&T is currently offering no-dust systems for all its range of machines for both professionals and DIY enthusiasts. The sanders Taurus and Aries, the edgers Pegasus, Vega or Gemini 100, and the single disc machines New Golia and RT58 can be equipped with special kits to be connected to industrial vacuum units. Furthermore, on request, K&T also offers a comprehensive range of professional safety equipment (half masks, gloves, etc.) that can help floor contractors to work safely. In order to improve the working conditions of floor contractors, Italian legislators have passed several laws and decrees to regulate the situation. The Italian health care system is responsible for checking that they work in compliance with the law, using the devices requested.

Special Dust-free working

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can put both machines on one group (using only one set of leads). Another advantage is also that this auto-start system means that you don’t have to switch on two buttons.

Special Dust-free working

Modus Vivendi

Peitsman/Numatic Numatic supplies a number of machines which meet the strict requirements in the area of vacuum cleaning. For vacuum cleaning sanding machines we advise you to use an NDD machine. This dual motor vacuum cleaner with a tube with a diameter of no less than 51mm provides sufficient air transfer, vacuum, and, naturally, good filtration by means of Hepaflo dust bags and the main filter. The advantage of working with a Numatic vacuum cleaner is that this machine can also be deployed for vacuuming (fine) dust from levellers, concrete, and such like. However, for this purpose you need to replace the dust bag with a Micro Flo dust bag which is suitable for fine and quartz dust such as concrete and gypsum. A connecting kit has been developed specially for connecting the vacuum cleaner to various appliances. The ND-5 kit has four adapters with various indoor and outdoor sizes. This means you can connect practically any tool with a size between 32 and 58mm. For smaller sizes there is an adapter which can be tailor-made as required. The NPR-1515 sanding machine is fitted as standard with two suction holes on the brushing deck. A Y-piece with tubes can be connected here so that the sanding dust is sucked away immediately under the single disc machine. For sanding work, Numatic advises you to work with an air freshener which can filter the final remnants of dust out of the air. These machines must be deployed preferably in a closed room. This means that the Dust Collector can create a constant circulation of air and pass the air through the filters a few times an hour.

The fact that the new dust suction units are becoming more popular is not lost on Modus Vivendi. However, Bart De Meulenaer from Modus Vivendi has noticed that there are still a lot more machines which are not connected to dust suction unit. Therefore, the company presents a unique system for counteracting the spread of dust, as well as providing various dust masks, of course. Zipwall is a system with which you can install a closed dust screen in no time at all. And let’s be honest: dust is a client’s biggest worry, especially in renovation projects in an occupied home. Zipwall consists of telescopic tubes which can be extended to a certain length by a simple turn. There is a resilient top piece above to which you can fasten a plastic screen. Three or four telescopic tubes are enough to construct a completely sealed protective wall. Of course, you musn’t shut yourself in: a self-adhesive zip fastener enables you to make a door in the wall where you can enter and leave the room without damaging the plastic wall. Zipwall is ideal for all jobs, not least for fitting parquet.

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Overmat

The Overmat drum sanding machine Woodmaster 2000/82 combines an extraordinary high sanding performance and excellent sanding quality, together with an easy operation and proven and reliable technology. In combination with the NDD 900 vacuum-cleaner, you’re guaranteed a very professional set of machines for sanding Parquet. The Woodmaster 2000/82 also works together perfectly with other conventional industrial vacuumcleaners.

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> Industry news Sadechaf UV recording service at full speed In 2010, the legislators passed a new European norm which specifies how employers must ascertain the risk for people who work with UV sources. All owners of a UV source are obliged to prove that this residual risk is within the European norms. Engineers from Sadechaf can Carry out this UV risk assessment. Their staff have been trained and are equipped with the necessary UV recording apparatus. After the test, the client is given a report with the results and recommendations. Sadechaf ensures that its clients stay within the legislation.

DIY stores throughout Europe, on a daily basis and within strictly defined time windows. A second industry solution – Dachser Chem-Logistics – adds its know-how concerning the transport of chemical products. “In our global logistics network the goods flow constantly and exactly in tune with the needs of the market, from the manufacturer to the POS. This is comparable to a pipeline with a variety of regulating valves,” comments Ralf Meistes, department head of Dachser DIY-Logistics.

Industry news

On the dot and in the store – Europe-wide The logistics demands made on companies that supply DIY stores are extremely complex – especially in cross-border business throughout Europe. Dachser combines local knowledge with its comprehensive industry expertise. Mats Söderlund has good reason to be satisfied with his appearance at the Domotex trade fair. At this event the managing director of a Swedish start-up company sold his novel epoxy polyurethane glue to a DIY chain in Poland. Production is already running at top speed. High time to think about transporting the goods. The glue tubes must be in the stores as soon as possible, and then must be continuously available. This is important as penalties for breach of contract can be substantial. When margins are tightly calculated, a good business deal can then quickly turn into a loss-maker. This is Söderlund’s first time dealing with a Polish customer. Leaving aside the language barrier, he is not familiar with either the local systems of distribution or the standard practices in terms of delivery windows and notification. Nor does he have any personnel of his own in Poland, because his structure is so streamlined. So who will ensure that the products are regularly replaced in the stores? This is precisely when internationally operating logistics providers can provide valuable services. Dachser, for example, has established a specialized DIY industry team. The logistics provider carries out deliveries to all 18,000

Pre-finish techniques for parquet flooring Trivec offers a unique range of machines for pre finishing of parquet flooring. Pre finishing comprises all sorts of surface treatments like brushing, aging and finishing with oil, wax, lacquers or stains.

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Trivec systems are modular and can be set up as ‘stand alone’ machines or as part of a complete Trivec ﬁnishing line with automatic feeding systems, infra red pre heating, polishing units and solutions for drying.

More information: www.trivec.eu Stuurboord 2 9206 BK Drachten The Netherlands

T F E W

+31 (0)512 510035 +31 (0)512 547950 info@vec.eu www.trivec.eu

Mats Söderlund, however, does not have to be concerned about his logistics processes anymore. With the help of an international logistics provider he can now concentrate on his core competencies: developing, producing and selling innovative products. It does not matter where he sells his products since one thing is certain: his logistics partner Dachser is already there to support him as a gateway into new markets. A new site for Progress Profiles

Progress Profiles, market leader in the sector of technical and decorative profiles, will have their new internet site online shortly. The site www.progressprofiles.com will be available in 6 languages (only in English and Italian to begin with) and will be constantly updated. It will offer, through simple and intuitive navigation, access to all the information and facts concerning the products and the factory. For each product the user will be able to find out about the technical specifications and the finishes available, see a video on installation and photos of applications. Naturally, the product spec sheet will be downloadable on PDF format. Moreover, there will be sections related to news in the factory, on the questions posed most frequently on the installation of products and of the possibility to register for the newsletter so as to be always connected with the world of PROGRESS PROFILES. The site www.progressprofiles.com will be always available thanks to the possibility of being able to consult it with a tablet or a smart phone.

www.parketmachines.nl

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Laminate as a core competency Laminates have been part of the EGGER product range for more than 20 years already. They combine high resistance and an attractive design. The multi-layer composition and the materials that are used guarantee high surface quality across all decors. Not only are EGGER laminates the perfect complement to the ZOOM decor and texture combinations, they also constitute versatile materials for various applications beyond classic furniture construction and interior design, for example in the door industry, trade fair and shop fitting or the shipbuilding and car industries. EGGER offers various grades of laminates for numerous areas of application, with thicknesses ranging from 0.15 mm (0.006”) to 1.20 mm (0.047”). Laminates are also available in custom lengths. EGGER laminates are offered in the following versions: • Laminates MED – standard quality in the ZOOM collection • Laminates FLEX – for special post-forming requirements • Laminates Flammex – low-flammability laminates • Real aluminium laminates – with a real aluminium surface • Laminates W1001 – solid-colour laminates • Laminates for coating – used in special applications

Ultra Floor’s Famous Five for Flooring Ultra Floor, part of the Instarmac Group plc, offers a comprehensive range of levelling and smoothing compounds for all types of flooring installations.

Established in 1977, Instarmac Group plc is a multi award-winning market leading company with over 30 years experience in the manufacture and distribution of cement and bitumen based products. Committed to providing high specification products, Instarmac have built a solid reputation in the development and distribution of highway maintenance materials, urban regeneration products, tiling adhesives and grouts and a range of commercial flooring products. In 2007, the demand for Instarmac’s commercial flooring range grew to such a level that a new brand was born: Ultra Floor. Offering levelling compounds, damp proof membranes, primers and patch repair. Ultra Floor’s “Famous Five for Flooring” include: Level IT one HDB, Level IT SmoothFlow, Level IT two, Level IT super30 and Level IT HD Top. If a subfloor of considerable depth needs to be laid, Level IT one HDB is the product for the job. Level IT one HDB can be laid from 3mm to 50mm in one application and can be overlaid with an Ultra Floor leveller for additional depth and that super level finish. When working on large flooring projects effective application plays an important role in completing on time. Level IT SmoothFlow is expertly formulated so excellent flow can be

Industry news

new jobs were also created. The investment meets the steadily increasing demand for EGGER laminates. “With the new laminate press, we are improving our flexibility in order to better meet market requirements,” explains Monika Wiora, Plant Management Sales in Gifhorn. 220 people are currently working at the Gifhorn plant with production seven days a week.

achieved when applied by pump, making light work of vast area projects. Level IT two is a latex leveller suitable for a variety of projects from school classrooms to retail stores and football stadiums. Its compatibility has established it as a multipurpose product and it is currently Ultra Floor’s best selling leveller! Sometimes fast-track products are essential to get a project completed on time. Many of today’s industries run 24/7 and therefore downtime is limited minimal. Level IT super30 is Ultra Floor’s niche product for such projects. It sets after just 30 minutes and decorative floor coverings can be laid after only 3 hours! Are you looking for a wear surface that’s suitable for heavy trafficked areas? Level IT HD Top is a cementitious self levelling floor topping designed for warehouse and industrial floors where rapid strength and durability are essential. Other products in the Ultra Floor range include Damp Proof Membranes, Acrylic and Polymer Emulsion Primers and Patch Repair Mortars. For more information on Ultra Floor’s range of levelling and smoothing compounds or for information on how to become a licensee and produce these best selling products in your own territory, please contact the Instarmac Group plc on +44 (0) 1827 254451, email worldwide@instarmac.co.uk or visit www.instarmac.com.

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Floor Forum International 52

Egger increases laminate production volume in Gifhorn Production capacity for laminates at the EGGER plant in Gifhorn expanded by 20% – 20 new jobs have been created. Based on growth in the applications for CPL laminates, the Tyrolean wood-based material manufacturer has invested in a new continuous laminate press. The new line was commissioned at the Lower Saxony plant at the beginning of 2012. This significantly increased the plant’s production capacity by a total of 20%. The company has created 20 new jobs with the new laminate press. Just as in 2007, EGGER has taken another step in the extension of the Gifhorn plant by investing in the new lamination line and peripheral equipment for the Lower Saxony plant. This increases the annual production capacity in Gifhorn by 4.5 million m2 (48.4 million square feet) to around 27.0 million m2 (290.6 million square feet). A new warehouse with 1,900 m2 (20,451 square feet) of floor space is also being built over the coming months in order to meet rising customer requirements in terms of logistics. The new line from the company Hymmen was designed to meet specific EGGER requirements. Not only does this make it possible to increase the production volume, but ergonomically optimised

Poland is the biggest fep parquet producer Oak still the main sort of wood

Special Poland

Of all the former Eastern block countries Poland is the one which has amazed just about everyone in Europe with its economic growth. Even in days of economic crisis, the Polish government has maintained a more or less even keel. Moreover, when the International Monetary Funds recently predicted that Poland’s growth would slow down in 2012, it still spoke in terms of 3.6%, as compared to 3.8% the previous year. On the parquet market Poland is now market leader in production, with a clear lead over Germany and Sweden. between them. After World War II, independence was restored to Poland, but Russia still continued to exert great influence. Finally, trade union leader Lech Walesa led Poland to full independence after the ‘liberation’. The first negotiations between Poland and the EU commenced around 1988. Naturally, Poland was a candidate for admission and the country submitted its official application in 1994. Finally, Poland was part of the ‘major expansion’ of the European Union, which admitted no fewer than 10 new members on 1 May 2004: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Malta, Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary, Estonia, and, of course, Poland.

Background information Poland (official name: Rzeczpospolita Polska = Republic of Poland) is a republic in Eastern Europe with a total surface area of 312,684km². The length of Poland from north to south is about 650 kilometres and the figure for east to west is about 700 kilometres. The country abuts seven neighbouring countries: Germany in the west (456km), to the east the Russian enclave Kaliningrad Oblast (206km), Lithuania (91km), Belarus (407km), and Ukraine (526km), and to the south Czech Republic (658km) and Slovakia (444km). Poland’s northern border is the Baltic Sea coastline, which is 491 kilometres long. The border with Germany is largely defined by the rivers Oder and Neisse. In the far North-West of Poland lies the island

of Wolin, which houses the Wolinski National Park, a real bird’s paradise. This is also the location of the peninsulas Hel and Mierzeja Wislana. Generally, Poland has a flat landscape; 54% of the total surface area is under 150 metres high and 37% is between 150 and 300 metres high. The country’s only mountains are found on its southern border. A product of the wars Poland did not exist before the first world war. It was constituted as a country after World War I from territories which previously belonged to Russia, Prussia, and Austria. Poland became a parliamentary democracy. This was not to the liking of the Russians and Germans, who invaded the country in 1939 and divided it up

High growth figures Since its admission to the European Union, Poland has grown and grown. As we have already said, even in these days of worldwide economic recession, Poland has still enjoyed growth of 3.6%. No wonder that other countries are jealous of Poland’s growth. In the years 2007, 2008, and 2009, Poland still recorded growth percentages of 6.6%. According to the Polish government itself, the economy will still grow by 4% in 2012. And so, that is a more optimistic forecast than that of the International Monetary Funds. However, the IMF bases its forecast on the expectation that the probable economic slowdown in Germany will affect growth in Poland. The forecast for Germany for 2012 is growth of 2.1% as compared to 2.5% in 2011. The IMF thinks that since a quarter of all Polish exports go to Germany, Polish exporters will probably feel the effects if the German economy runs out of steam.

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Milano Architettura Design Edilizia

8 specialist areas, 1950 exhibitors, 96,580 m2 net exhibition space, 253,533 professional visitors, 70 category associations, 240 conventions. Structures, envelopes, door and window frames, interior design, outdoors, software and building sites. MADE expo showcases innovative sustainable solutions building the future of architecture today.

Milan Fairgrounds, Rho, Italy, 17_20 October 2012 Organized by: MADE eventi srl

> continued from page 46

Economic indicators Gross domestic product (GDP) in Poland has risen from 360.1 to about 403.1 billion euros between 2008 and today. The GDP per head has risen from 11.961 to 15.953 euros during the same period. The actual growth in GDP, which was 5.1% in 2008, was 4.2% in 2011. Inflation dropped from 4.2 to 3.4% in that period.

Special Poland

Foreign trade In 2008, Poland imported 139 billion euros of goods. In 2011, this figure was still 129.1 billion. By comparison, exports in 2008 totalled about 121.4 billion euros, but by 2011 this figure had risen to 122.7 billion. The leading foreign investors in Poland are the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, South Korea, and Sweden. Various multinationals are active in Poland such as Shell, Akzo Nobel, Unilever, and Philips, to mention just a few. Goods The major export categories in 2009 were: vehicles, electrical machines, telecommunication, furniture and accessories, and metal products. The major import categories in 2009 were petroleum, vehicles, electrical machines, telecommunication, and general industrial products. The leading import partners are Germany, China, the Russian Federation, Italy, France, and Netherlands. The major export destinations are Germany, France, Italy, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, and Netherlands. Forests in Poland The present, typically Central European vegetation dates almost entirely from after the last ice age and in marshlands and in the mountains you might also encounter remains of tundra flora from the intermediate ice ages such as the dwarf birch. A lot of forest area has been lost through exploitation since the 13th century and due to both world wars.

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Forest area Sixty per cent of Poland’s surface area is agricultural land and 27% is forest. The forest area accounts for 8,668 million hectares (i.e. 0.23 hectares per inhabitant of Poland). A good 82% of this land is owned by the state (7.145 million hectares), whilst 18% is in private hands (1.523 million hectares). The available wood supply in Poland is 1.345 million cubic metres. On average, the available wood supply is 155 cubic metres per hectare. The annual average growth is about 4.5 cubic metres per hectare. The annual average wood yield is 2.83 cubic metres per hectare. This represents a wood harvest of about 24.5 million cubic metres of wood per annum for the whole of Poland. A good 82% of the forests in Poland consist of pine forest with Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine) being the most common sort of tree.

Composition of tree sorts in Polish forests TREE SORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . % Pinus Sylvestris (Scots pine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72.60 Picea abies (Norway spruce) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.20 Abies alba (silver fir), Pseudotsuga . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.70 Quercus robur (English oak) and Quercus petraea (sessile oak) 5.00 Fagus silvatica (copper beech) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.20 Betula verrucosa (white birch) and pubescens (downy birch) 4.30 Alnus glutinosa (black alder) and incana (grey alder) . . . . . 3.70

National parks In Poland there are 23 national parks, several of which are included in the Unesco list of world heritage sites. The Bialowieza National Park is the oldest and most well known national park in Poland. This park borders Belarus on the eastern side. As a former hunting area (primeval forest) of the Russian Tsar, Bialowieza is the only remaining lowland primeval forest in Europe. In 1992, it was therefore added to the Unesco list of world heritage sites. Bialowieza is renowned mainly for its live wisents, the biggest mammals in Europe. At least 25 sorts of trees grow in this reserve and, in particular, the lime and oak trees grow to reach huge proportions. For example, some of the oak trees are over 500 years old and have a diameter of 2 metres and a height of 41 metres. Polish oak wood Oak is still the most important product in the Polish timber processing industry and the oak wood in Poland is of exceptional quality. The sort of oak which we encounter in countries such as Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland is the quercus robur (English oak)-quercus petraea (sessile oak), exactly the same sort as French oak. The conditions in which the trees grow differ vastly, of course, to those in which French oak grows. In summer, Poland has periods of extreme heat and high aridity, whilst the winters are bitterly cold. And so, amongst other things, you get a sort of wood which is paler in colour because there is less tannic acid in the wood. Polish oak also has a much thicker cell structure. The wood is extremely strong and stable, but rather difficult to colour. Eastern European oak becomes quite rough when it is exposed to moisture. Amongst other things, this has consequences for parquet floor fitters. It is important to sandpaper the wood intermediately and thoroughly when colouring or finishing with some finishes. Poland and parquet The economic situation in Poland is healthy and this is also true of the parquet market. Poland can be described as a parquet country in terms of both production and consumption with a distinct and logical preference for oak wood. However, production is significantly higher than consumption so it is clear that Poland is a major wooden floor exporter. An ongoing rise in parquet consumption is expected in view of rising living standards in Poland. Parquet production 2010 was the year in which the parquet industry recovered in the entire FEP region after a severe dip in 2009. Production rose again to 70,300,000m². This represented growth of no less than 4.11%. This general rise is even more encouraging in a context following on from two years of worldwide crisis, which have also affected the parquet sector. Poland has maintained its position as the leading producer in the entire FEP region. A few years ago, Poland was in second place after Sweden. Sweden is now in third place after Germany. Poland takes the lion’s share by accounting for no less than 17.71% of the total production. This means that in 2010 Poland produced no fewer than 12,450,130m² of parquet. Germany follows with 15.64% and then Sweden with 13.30%.

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Special Poland Parquet consumption The situation regarding parquet consumption is somewhat different, although Poland is certainly not doing badly. Within a European context parquet consumption has risen by no less than 6.81%. This means that consumption is rising faster than production in the FEP countries. All together the inhabitants of the FEP region have consumed no fewer than 92,945,000m² of wooden floors. In the consumption rankings Poland is in 6th place of the FEP countries after Belgium, Netherlands, Rumania, Czech Republic, and Hungary. Germany is still the undisputed winner as regards consumption. The percentages show an interesting difference for Poland. In 2010, the country accounted for only 5.40% of the total parquet consumption. If we convert the figures, that means that the Poles bought 5,019,030m² of parquet during that year. Given the fact that 12,450,130m² were produced in the same year, this all emphasises that the country is export-oriented and that about 6 million square metres of parquet were exported.

Final conclusion: a real parquet country Poland has all the ingredients of a real parquet country. It has a good stock of wood and top quality oak. The oak in Poland is different to French oak (somewhat softer) or Slovenian oak (more stable), but has a very attractive wood structure and is extremely reliable. Moreover, the Poles also have an increasing number of high-tech production sites where just about all types of parquet are produced, from traditional solid wood parquet to multi-layer engineered floors. The rising economic prosperity (per head) as a result of economic growth means you can assume that national consumption of parquet will gradually rise, and that this will also give production a further boost. In other words, Poland is going through an upward economic spiral, which is also stimulating the parquet market.

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Floor Forum International 52

Amongst the 16 countries included, this means that Poland accounts for almost one fifth of total parquet production in Europe. And so, there are good reasons for describing Poland as a parquet country.

> Product news SADECHAF – UV hardening filler paste for wooden floors Sadechaf has developed a UV hardening filler paste for floors. It is now easy to fill in a damaged spot or a hole in the floor. The paste is spread and smoothed over using a spatula. Once the product has hardened under the influence of UV light, the floor can be lightly sanded and varnished in the required coating. The filler paste adheres strongly to wood, does not shrink, and has the correct hardness. Moreover, the paste is also scratch-resistant. The result is a neat and attractive floor. Interested? Ask for a sample via our web site.

Product news

CIRANOVA® – Refreshing of outdoor wood The spring months are the appropriate period to refresh wooden furniture and terraces. Ciranova offers various products to give a new look to your exterior wood. Green remover Ciranova removes all deposits on all surfaces. The Green remover maintains its power for a long time. The Ciranova degreyer revives the exterior wood so you get the original colour of the wood back. After treating your wood with Green remover or Degreyer Ciranova you can protect your wood with Ciranova Ecoteak, Woodprotecor, Teak Oil or Ecoprotector.

EUROPLAC EUROPLAC, French manufacturer of plywood parquet has continued to develop its tailor-made system with its new range of solid wood parquet. Available in a thickness of 14mm, this parquet has 7mm above the tongue/groove and therefore can belong to class 34. It is available in widths of 90, 130, and 150mm and in lengths from 600 to 2000mm. This product is manufactured entirely in France. The advantage of this development is the rediscovery of the same colour of varnishes and oils and the same choice as in the plywood range. And so, on a base of 20 oak colours, the EUROPLAC dealers and consultants are now able to present three ranges of plywood based on birch multiplex and one range based on solid wood. And so, this orientation reinforces the tailor-made system with more than 10, 000 possibilities presented very simply in five points and with a waiting time between 10 days and three weeks.

LOBA – Aqua Oilcare/Aqua Waxcare LOBA expands its series of environmentally friendly products. As a follow-up to its waterborne varnishes, the company is now introducing waterborne maintenance products for oiled and waxed floors in the new innovation series “Aqua”. These products represent the first pure emulsions available on the market for oiled and waxed floors. They also represent the company’s successful addition of floor-care products to its time-tested, solvent-free high solid oil system comprising one and two-component solutions for a wide range of applications. Ready-to-apply and solvent-free, they offer far more convenience for floor-care professionals than all previous maintenance oils and waxes, from the storage to the application The maintenance oil Aqua OilCare reliably retains the matt finish of oiled hardwood floors and is ideal for treating the entire floor or touching up smaller areas. A thin coating with a cloth or sponge is all it takes. The maintenance wax Aqua WaxCare is perfectly suited for both the initial treatment and the routine maintenance of oiled and waxed floors. Aqua WaxCare seals the pores in wood flooring and offers reliable protection against soiling. Although initially water-miscible, the product loses this property upon drying, forming a waterproof film that protects the wax and cannot be softened later by moisture or wet cleaning. Its professional application requires a lint-free cloth or a sponge and a one-time buffing after the product has dried.

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MS POLYMERTM Why KANEKA MS PolymerTM technology as polymer of choice for your parquet adhesives ?

Broad polymer portfolio for tailor-made performance Breites Polymer Portfolio Широкая номенклатура полимеров

Suitable for various kinds of wood & many different subﬂoors Für viele Holz- und Untergrundarten geeignet Универсальность: подходит для многих пород древесин и подложек

Isocyanate free & solvent free

Isocyanat- und lösungsmittelfrei не содержит, ни изоцианата, ни растворителей

Removable without leaving stains

Klebstoffreste können leicht entfernt werden und hinterlassen keine Flecken Остатки клея легко удаляются, не оставляя пятен

Excellent storage stability & multiple use without waste

Ausgezeichnete Lagerbeständigkeit und häuﬁge Anwendung ohne Rückstände Отличная стабильность при хранении; при частом использовании нет остатков

No black ﬁngers

Die Hände bleiben sauber Руки остаются чистыми KANEKA BELGIUM N.V. High Performance Polymers Division Nijverheidsstraat 16 - 2260 Westerlo-Oevel - BELGIUM Tel: +32(0)14 25 45 44 - Fax: +32(0)14 25 78 87 E-mail: info.lpd@kaneka.be Web: http://www.kaneka.be

1922

LOBA - the surface specialist for

wood and cork ďŹ&#x201A;oors

2012

Asia / CHINAFLOOR Shanghai 27-29. March 2012

Visit us at DOMOTEX, hall E2, stand E27