FFI 65 February 2014

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INTERNATIONAL trade journal for import, export, distribution and laying of parquet, laminate, cork flooring and related products

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industry news

N° 65, Februari 2014 - Price: €8 - Published 7 times a year - (Feb, March, May, June, Sept, Nov, Dec) Office of delivery 9099 Ghent X, P911092, BC 31359 — Responsible Publisher: Filip De Ridder

SPECIAL RUMANIA

Preview : The European Floor & Wall Exhibition European

Floor & Wall Exhibition

Your Premium Polymer of Choice! for producing sealants, adhesives, coatings,...

16, 17 & 18 March 2014 - FLANDERS EXPO GENT (B)

After show: Domotex Hanover (D)

Preview : Domotex Moscow

Preview : Domotex Asia

Special: Outdoor floors

Special: Water-based lacquers

Special: Vinyl, LVT and PVC

Special: 2K polyurethane adhesives Special: Glue guns and cartridges

Our science makes wishes come true www.kaneka.be

Multilayer parquet, multiple enjoyment The engineered wooden flooring by Lalegno is more stable than traditional massive wooden floors and is available in oak, exotic species and durable bamboo. The extensive range of different sizes and finishes available offers solutions to suit every style. Therefore Lalegno flooring is the first choice of every flooring professional.

For more information on our products, please check our website www.lalegno.be or contact us via info@lalegno.be

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N° 65, Februari 2014 - Price: €8 - Published 7 times a year - (Feb, March, May, June, Sept, Nov, Dec) Office of delivery 9099 Ghent X, P911092, BC 31359 — Responsible Publisher: Filip De Ridder

SPECIAL ROMANIA

Preview : The European Floor & Wall Exhibition European

Floor & Wall Exhibition

Your Premium Polymer of Choice! for producing sealants, adhesives, coatings,...

16, 17 & 18 March 2014 - FLANDERS EXPO GENT (B)

After show: Domotex Hannover (D)

Preview : Domotex Moscow

Preview : Domotex Asia

Special: Outdoor floors

Special: Water-based lacquers

Special: Vinyl, LVT and PVC

Special: 2K polyurethane adhesives Special: Glue guns and cartridges

Our science makes wishes come true www.kaneka.be

Floor Forum International, N° 65, Februari ’14, Photo Kaneka

European

Floor & Wall Exhibition

16, 17 & 18 March 2014 - FLANDERS EXPO GENT (B)

Visit the European Floor &

Wall Exhibition 5 Inside news 8 After show Domotex Hanover (D) 10 Preview the European Floor & Wall Exhibition Gent (B) 26 Special Glue guns and cartridges 29 Special Outdoor floors : wood, bamboo & composite 34 Special Nail guns and compressors 36 Preview Domotex Asia/Chinafloor 37 Preview Domotex Moscow 38 Advertorial Lalegno (B) 41 Special Producers of 2K polyurethane adhesives 45 Special Water-based lacquers 51 Special Vinyl, LVT, and PVC floors : extra business 54 Industry news 55 Special Rumania 58 Product news

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

Editorial “It’s good to have a trade fair for floor specialists in our own country, …”

Jan Labeeuw, business manager of Lalegno, looks back with satisfaction at his company’s success at Domotex Hanover, but looks forward mainly to the European Floor & Wall Exhibition (EFWEX). “It’s good to have a trade fair for floor specialists in our country, and it looks like several major players from all over Europe will be there. And so, it’s a new opportunity for Lalegno to meet clients and to show them our vast collection.”

“The Lalegno booth will definitely be worth visiting. We have an impressive range of oak, tropical, and bamboo floors with 120 different floors in all sorts of thicknesses, widths, and finishes so that everyone finds something to suit their own taste, interior style, and, obviously, their budget.”

Jan Labeeuw (Lalegno)

“Although we will, of course, be displaying the standard collection of oak wooden floors, this year, we’re highlighting two special collections, namely the BARN collection and the CLASSIC collection. Both collections include multi-layer parquet floors in oak which have been produced according to a unique and out-of-the-box production process, with a very high level finish and contemporary colours. The CLASSIC collection has also been enriched with two more magnificent floors , namely the ARBOIS and the MARSANNE. These are both floors which are irresistibly beautiful and have the effect and character, that you normally only find with solid wood floorboards 20mm thick.”

“The exhibition is also an ideal opportunity to inform our professional clients of the various possibilities which we can offer them to refine their sales arguments towards private end consumers.”

“And so, for example, we have bundled all (technical) background information about our floors from the 2014 collection in the new product catalogue. For each floor you will find a neat summary of the accessories which are available and which finish, maintenance, and/or cleaning they require.”

“During EFWEX, we’ll also be presenting a new concept which will run with the help of our customers, but is designed to introduce architects, interior designers, and other purchasers to our sound and attractive floors.”

Editing & advertisements

Advertising & subscriptions

Production:

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

Adriana Dascalu info@media-pact.com Hilde De Ridder floorforum@telenet.be Filip De Ridder sales@media-pact.com

Lowyck - Oostende

Publisher

Jean Paul Talbot Ludwig Janssens Filip De Ridder Jacques Legros

Filip De Ridder Lay-out:

Be-able Communication www.be-able.be

Editors:

Translation:

Michael Robinson www.glossa.be Floor Forum International is a publication of FFi bvba

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

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industry news

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content

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EUROPEAN FLOOR & WALL EXHIBITION (B) !

STAND 8404 - 16/18.03.2014

TIMBA & MINITIMBA

The complete system for wooden floor treatment!

WPC & BPC CLEANER

Planetarium System

ing e look we ar ealers d for Easy Transport

NEW Spherical Wheels

Effective basic cleaner – The new Osmo WPC & BPC Cleaner Counter-Rotating Head

Floor Forum International 65

4 Hp Power

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Spherical Wheels Dust Extractor

1,5 Hp Power

Work in tight spaces

KLINDEX s.r.l. s.s. 5 Tiburtina Valeria, Km 209+200 65024 Manoppello (PE) Italy tel: +39 085 859 546 fax: +39 085 859 9224 mail: info@klindex.it web: www.klindex.it

> Highly effective, slightly alkaline special exterior cleaner for removing organic and inorganic contaminants > For WPC & BPC surfaces e.g. garden furniture, fencing and decking

Further information on this and many other products can be found on: www.osmo.com

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For over 10 years, Archiwood, together with its partner SPAX, has been serving clients and end users with its expertise and know-how. All products and components are made in Europe in modern factories which are ISO 9001 and/or TS 16949 certified. The products are available in thirty different countries. All parts and accessories for constructing terraces and boards are designed, produced, and sold at NOVLEK ®. Ongoing innovation and very high quality demands mean that product efficiency is increasing all the time. Every day, the company extends its own limits, but also those of the suppliers. In this way they are constantly helping to redefine the reference standards for the product categories which are made here. One unique product is the Hardwood Clip®, the only fastening system for wooden terraces and boards which has been awarded an ATG certificate and an FCBA technical dossier by means of which conformity to the demands of the NF DTU 51.4 with regard to fastening systems is confirmed. New year’s resolutions for 2014: We’re looking forward to the launch of new products, improvements to existing products, and a new web site!

Announcement of the I-pad winner from the Floor Forum & Floor Forum International stand at Domotex in the March edition As we announced in December, visitors to the Floor Forum & Floor Forum International stand had the chance to win an i-Pad mini. All they had to do was to put their visitor’s card in the urn set aside for that purpose. We will announce the winners in the March edition of our magazine.

TRINTERIO GROUP BONNELI AND TRINTERIO GROUP HAVE ENTERED INTO A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP CONCERNING COMMERCIALIZATION OF A FOLD DOWN SYSTEM, BEING KNOWN AND MARKETED AS “PressXpress” or “PXP®” Bonneli have the sole and exclusive right to offer and prepare for execution nonexclusive licenses, on behalf of Trinterio Group to third parties all over the world, for the manufacturing and sale of PXP® [PressXpress] -products.

Years of research and development within Trinterio combined with the daily experiences and wishes of its customers resulted in the development of a new system called PXP® [PressXpress]. The clip inside the plank ensures a firm locking of the short sides resulting in a seamless and strong joint.

Now all you have to do is “pressing” the flooring boards into place end to end.

THE NEW LOCKING SYSTEM PXP® [PressXpress] is a completely new and innovative fold down system for flooring panels, exclusively owned and patented by Trinterio, that is out of the scope of existing third party patents. PXP® [PressXpress] has the following advantages compared to other fold down systems which make it unique: • One single locking action of 2 panels both horizontally and vertically • Ease of installation as the folding angle for installation is not important • No friction force during installation “I am very pleased to announce the new partnership with Trinterio Group. They are an innovative company with great knowledge and interest in intellectual property and I am confident that the PXP® [PressXpress] system will be a strong competitor within the market for fold down technology for flooring panels.” says Bobby Markovski, CEO of Bonneli.

“We are looking forward to this cooperation. Together with Bonneli we are offering now manufacturers a completely new and innovative fold down system for panels which add tremendous ease of installation.” Says Peter Le Roy, Managing Director of Trinterio Group.

Experience nature at EDELHOLZ Faipari Kft. EDELHOLZ represents high quality!

Its management and staff have been committed to process oak and ash in the optimum way to achieve high-quality products and minimize the energy consumption.

Sustainability is not just a word for the company, it is the philosophy!

Therefore the company is located in the area of European oak and makes the whole production process from logs to finished plank by themselves.

Solid wood floorings - make you feel close to nature!

The Triplex - unique and full of flair!

Herringbone and panel parquet - simply enchanting!

The chateau plank - whispering of tradition and history!

And all this is available in nearly a hundred different surfaces!

The company is trying to bring the people closer to the Ecological and Economical.

EDELHOLZ solid wood floorings is not just a optical asset it also creates a unique feeling in your office, shops, hotel, your own home and many more!

Exact this feel-good-aspect makes the healthy-living.

Eurocovering- Välinge Eurocovering and Välinge conclude a licence agreement for profile and terrace fastening system.

During Domotex, the Swedish technology company Välinge exhibited all the floor technology which is used by partners and Domotex exhibitors for their floors. On Tuesday, Mario Rodriguez from Eurocovering and Niclas Håkansson, CEO of

Visit the website www.european-floor-and-wall-exhibition.eu

Floor Forum International 65

Rectification: Archiwood

Inside news

> Inside news

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> Inside news

Inside news

Välinge, signed the licence agreement for the Exterpark invisible profile and terrace fastening system. Mr Rodriguez commented, “Välinge has more resources and know-how for the promotion and protection of our unique fastening system. This agreement will enable us to focus more on our core businesses.” For Välinge, this licence opens up a new segment in the floor market. Mr Håkansson explained, “We already operate in many areas of the flooring market, but this licence means we can reinforce our range.”

Progress Profiles- PROLES SYSTEM Progress Profiles attended successfully the Domotex with a brilliant stand, where visitors came in large number. Progress Profiles produces more than 12.500 different items, in stainless steel, aluminum, brass, PVC and true wood and can offer excellent solutions to satisfy the most exigent clients. Like the new PROLED Systems that reinvents the concept of profiles by bringing into play the lighting systems as a creative solution for a new world of finishing and living. It’s a project in pure

contemporary style, experimenting new solutions that will be able to meet particular and specific requirements of both technology and design in the field of public and private housing.

PROSKIRTING GILED can be used instead of the classic skirting board allowing to cover up to 15 mm wide joints or - rotated by 180 degrees - as a profile installed along the ceiling edges. The reflection of the LED light by the aluminum surface creates a charming effect. PROLISTEL LED is an innovative profile equipped with an integrated LED lighting system, developed for the illumination of tiled walls of kitchens, bathrooms and living rooms. PROSTAIR LED is an aluminum profile in silver anodized aluminum and polished chrome aluminum, with a LED lighting system, generating cold, warm or neutral light, provided with a matt or transparent removable polycarbonate plate.

More information about the products of Progress Profiles with their complete features are available on the website: www.progressprofiles.com

ARDESIA

Floor Forum International 65

WE ARE LOOKING FOR AGENTS FOR U.K., FRANCE, GERMANY AND EAST EUROPE

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www.anticofilo.com

www.ardesiasrl.eu

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> Inside news New factory for Profilpas in Kutno (Poland)

well-known reputation over many years of market activity and is occupied constantly with renewal to adapt to changing market demands. In fact, their catalogue shows not only lots of new ideas for shapes and finishing, but also their capacity to create natural wood and painted skirting boards from samples and ability to guarantee fast delivery of any product. Please visit their web site www.lasanmarcoprofili.com to find out more about the company and its vast production range.

Rubio Monocoat Belgium is hiring!

QUALITY, VARIETY, AND SPEED: LA SAN MARCO PROFILI’S PHILOSOPHY. Visit us at the European Floor & Wall Exhibition from 16-18 March Gent (B) Booth 8819 La San Marco Profili is a leading Italian skirting board and outdoor flooring manufacturer, The company has earned its

Rubio Monocoat is not only famous for its high quality products but also for its personal support and advice. In order to continue providing our Belgian customers with a high quality service, RMC Belgium is looking for a qualified and motivated commercial employee for the Antwerp and Limburg region. If you are interested in joining our enthusiastic team, please contact Mr. Bart De Francq.

Inside news

Last year, the Italian skirting board and profile producer Profilpas opened a new factory in Kutno, Poland, about 100km from Warsaw. This new production plant has a surface area of 7000m² and is situated on 46,000m² of land. The production in Kutno is concentrating on the Polish and Eastern European markets.

ORIGINAL MASSIVE

Floor Forum International 65

EdelholZ

Visit the website www.european-floor-and-wall-exhibition.eu

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European

Floor & Wall Exhibition

16, 17 & 18 March 2014 - FLANDERS EXPO GENT (B)

Discover the Future of Floor & Wall Solutions!

Mid March will see the European Floor & Wall Exhibition (EFWEX) in Ghent (Flanders Expo). Scores of exhibitors and visitors have already registered and the programme under construction is varied and attractive.

These companies/brands below had already registered for the European Floor & Wall Exhibition at the time that the magazine went to press: Houtbedrijf Kerkhofs, Outdoor Wood Concepts as wel as

Floor Forum International 65

Preview The European Floor & Wall Exhibition: Latest News

European Floor & Wall Exhibition: from 16 to 18 March 2014 in Ghent (Belgium):

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‘Floor & Wall Design@EFWEX In a separate ‘Floor & Wall Design@EFWEX’ dark room, visitors can view a special visual presentation of leading building projects in Belgium and abroad. In these projects by architects and interior designers, wooden flooring, wall covering, and vinyl and LVT floors have clearly provided added aesthetic value.

To this end, the organisers are working together with architects and interior designers and with exhibitors from the show.

Building Confederation and De Parketplaatsers - Parquet floors and air humidity by Mr Caluwaerts from BBRI (Belgian Building Research Institute) in Brussels.

- The renovation of parquet floors, case studies by Mr Lucas De Smedt, committee member of the professional association Dè Parketplaatsers.

- ‘Marketing and Social Media for the floor sector’ by Ms Janke Papa from Het Plan, marketing bureau for parties such as the flooring sector, specialist in concept development, marketing communication, project management, market research, and events.

- ‘The importance of the right colours and colour choices for the interior and floor sectors’ by Mrs. Rian Crabtree, colour trend specialist for Global Colour Research™ and Mix Publications, a specialist trend and colour advice bureau from London.

Preview The European Floor & Wall Exhibition: Latest News

Visitors and exhibitors are VIPs: free catering and Internet access

Both exhibitors and visitors get the VIP treatment at the European Floor & Wall Exhibition. During the show, the organisers are providing free drinks, bread rolls, soup, and pasta for both exhibitors and visitors. The organisers have also considered the working facilities of all those present.

And so, there is cable-free Internet access free of charge for professional purposes.

Scores of attractive prizes to be won by visitors The organisers appreciate the professionalism of the visitors who are coming to the European Floor & Wall Exhibition.

Therefore, they have provided an extensive package of highly trendy and attractive gifts and work tools, which will be drawn by lot exclusively for professional visitors*: These prizes include a series of I-pad Minis, Samsung Galaxy smart phones, and handy site radios.

Prizes will be drawn at various intervals during the three days.

This means that all professional visitors will have the chance to go home after an informative, indispensible, and attractive show with a nice useful gift!

On our web site you will find a list of companies which will be present at the exhibition. Do not hesitate! Register now as a visitor on www.european-floor-and-wall-exhibition.eu *The prize draw is reserved exclusively for professional visitors. Exhibitors, school pupils, students, and their companions cannot take part.

Folow us on:

Visit the website www.european-floor-and-wall-exhibition.eu

Floor Forum International 65

Complete range of collections and product demonstrations by exhibitors European Floor & Wall Exhibition gives a complete range of the best that the sectors for parquet, laminate, LVT, outdoor terraces, and exterior wall cladding and all accessories have to offer. This will be an absolutely crucial event where exhibitors will have plenty up their sleeves to inform professional visitors about products and solutions. Yet there’s more! The show will also pay attention to reinforcing the technical and business knowledge of professionals in our sector and also aims to inspire.

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Budding optimism at Domotex

Floor Forum International 65

Aftershow Domotex Hanover (D)

Domotex Hanover is the world’s top carpet and floor covering exhibition and recently enjoyed another successful show. With 45,000 visitors from 80 different countries, the figures did not disappoint. However, it was the outstanding quality of the visitors and the budding optimism of professional visitors and buyers which delighted the exhibitors.

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stunningly attractive and distinctive floor offered to us by La Legno (B). It was the 15-CLASSIC-190-NOV-BARN-G, a floor from Lalegno’s Barn collection. Visitors to our stand had the opportunity to win an I-pad. All they had to do was to deposit their visitor’s card in the urn set aside for that purpose. We will announce the competition winners in the March edition of our magazine.

Ravaioli Legnami

Photo: Mac Lean

Despite local exhibitions in various parts of the world, the German version of Domotex is still vitally important and successful. With 45,000 top class visitors from 80 countries, Domotex continues to impress. Several exhibitors said that the show had yielded contracts and useful contacts in Europe and other parts of the world such as Asia and the Middle East.

As regards products, there were several nice new innovations on show, and we saw once again the growing importance of LVT floors. This floor segment is gaining in quality and always produces more attractive new collections, Even more importantly, the accessory and chemical specialists for our sector are coming out with masses of products to improve the fitting and user-comfort of LVT floors.

The Italian specialist in wooden profiles and one of the market leaders on the Italian terrace flooring market presented the Brise Soleil sun shields. These are wooden profiles fitted around balconies and buildings to keep out the sun in an efficient, yet stylish manner. The company also exhibited a new terrace tile in impregnated pine wood for terrace floors. These tiles come with a special colour oil and give the decking an original look.

The company has also grown nicely over the past year by making inroads into Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

Below we give a summary of what exhibitors from our sector presented at their stands:

Litubel The Belgian-Lithuanian parquet company Litubel (multi-layer and solid wood floors) presented its Vintage Collection of multi-layer parquet. These are distressed floors with gnarls and holes which are not completely filled in. This collection is available in six colours.

There is also a wide collection of multi-layer floors with a thickness of 20mm and a widths of 240 and 260mm. Finally, Litubel showed off the four new colours in the Provence collection.

Floor Forum International

Hertog Vloeren

Once again, Floor Forum and Floor Forum International magazine had a stand at Domotex. For some visitors this was an opportunity to get to know our magazine. For our regular readers the Floor Forum stand made for a pleasant stopping point for an enjoyable chat and, of course, there were scores of opportunities to meet international professionals. The Floor Forum stand had a

For a long time, many manufacturers have regarded the Dutch company Hertog Vloeren as a specialist in distressed floors.

The Hertog Vloeren collection is top quality and includes names of old masters such as Boticelli, Rafaello, and Michelangelo. They offer both solid wood and multi-layer floors and at Domotex they highlighted their extensive know-how of special finishes and colourings and the high flexibility which means Hertog Vloeren can supply all sorts of distressed floor to anyone anywhere. They are also looking for agents in all European countries except for France and Germany.

CombiWood Dutch parquet maker CombiWood took part in Domotex for the sixth time in a row. The company has a full range of two-layer

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Wood Care Denmark This Domotex was the best in years for Wood Care Denmark.

Whilst WOCA has stayed true to its vision for 40 years, there is a breath of fresh air blowing through the company, hence the new slogan: ‘Naturally No 1’.

They highlighted the use of WOCA products in various prestigious buildings worldwide via an attractive new corporate brochure. Mr Claus Nørgaard, CEO of van Wood Care Denmark, announced a big increase in their international presence (they are already represented in all continents) and said that local agents will be given more consistent support and training. Over time, WOCA aims to double its turnover and they are also looking for new and talented workers who can support the WOCA philosophy. As for new products, they exhibited the WOCA Neutral Oil and Oil Care, which provide natural and invisible protection, and the WOCA Hard Wax Oil, which unites the strengths of Hard Wax oil with the natural values of WOCA. They also announced the new colouring machine, which makes it possible to obtain WOCA products in any colour imaginable.

Proline Systems The German profile maker exhibited several new and innovative products. There was the new drainage system for shower cabins, which can be fitted on site with matching wood or wood decor. The whole unit keeps the shower floor even and fits nicely into the shower cabin. Another innovation on show was the PROCONNEX Curve, a flexible profile for arched and circular segments with a radius of 100cm. This profile is ideal for fitting vinyl, laminate, and also parquet suitable for floor thicknesses from 3 to 15mm. It is available in aluminium and stainless steel and 33 colours.

Edelholz The Hungarian company Edelholz took part in Domotex for the first time and enjoyed a greatly successful show. This family business is

Mapei Mapei displayed some new products for LVT floors. There was the ULTRABOND ECO 4 LVT adhesive with micro-phaser technology, which ensures remarkable setting and excellent stability in fitting LVT and is also EC1 certified. There was the LVT emulsion glue ULTRABOND ECO TACK LVT, with anti-slip properties which also prevent joints swelling and shrinking. There were new items for the parquet sector. These included the ULTRACOAT SOFT TOUCH BASE, a primer for use with the ULTRACOAT SOFT TOUCH FINISH with micro-glass technology for a matt and natural floor surface. There was the ULTRACOAT EASY PLUS. This is economic in use and preserves the natural colour of the wood. The new oils included the ULTRACOAT OIL COLOUR, a natural oil for various wood shades.

There was also the ULTRACOAT OIL WAX, a strong, protective, and odourless oil and wax finish.

Aftershow Domotex Hanover (D)

Wintersteiger The Austrian machine manufacturer and specialist in fine sawing presented the new semi-automatic TRC-M Easy. This is the new entry model in the family of machines for wooden floor surface repair. The gnarls and holes are filled and, after processing, the floor is durable and ready for use. TRC-M Easy is ideal for smaller, but demanding companies. This machine offers them lots of opportunities to improve their efficiency, so it attracted a lot of attention from visitors.

both a sawmill and parquet manufacturer. They have a large quantity of their own dried oak wood and have their own drying chamber capacity of 750m3.

Everything is processed in modern production units. Since 2002, they have been producing solid wooden floors and also finished parquet since 2008. In 2013, they also added a semi-solid parquet range consisting of three layers in oak. With this range Edelholz claimed that it had impressed the visitors at Domotex and established some excellent contacts for future orders.

Küberit Küberit once again presented several novelties at Domotex.

For example, there was the ready-for-use and finished PPS crosses and corner sections for the screw profile systems PPS Champion and PPSA. With PPS Champion Star, Küberit offers the thinnest aluminium profile system in the world. It uses Torx screws and a reinforced drill hole and is available as an adapter profile (33mm), a qualification profile (17mm), or as a separation profile (25mm). Furthermore, they also introduced new expansion profiles in aluminium and stainless steel, aluminium skirting boards for parquet floors, white profiles with powder coating, and digitally printed profiles in new colours and in hardness classes AC3 and AC5.

Balterio Balterio presented over 150 new products with no fewer than 110 new trendy decors. Brand new is the Quattro Vintage collection with 11 current vintage style decors. They have also added seven new decors to the Impressio series, including with

Visit the website www.european-floor-and-wall-exhibition.eu

Floor Forum International 65

parquet with top layers of 3, 4, 5, and 6mm on birch multiplex and, if necessary, suitable for floor heating (total thickness between 9 and 15mm). CombiWood highlighted its expertise and high quality and also offers private label production with rapid delivery (three weeks). New at CombiWood were the UV lacquered floors, which, due to their low maintenance, also attracted a lot of attention from India and Turkey.

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gnarls and cracks. Balterio also launched specific decors tailored to the American and Russian markets. From now on, the DIY brand Expert Pro will have all its own decors so that there is no chance of any overlapping with the decor of a Balterio floor. Balterio also presented a new web site and a new corporate brochure with testimonies from families from different countries who have Balterio floors in their homes.

Aftershow Domotex Hanover (D)

Rubio Monocoat Rubio Monocoat had lots of visitors to its stand and was generally satisfied with the many beneficial contacts. The highlight at their stand was the Rubio Monocoater, an all-in-one compact industrial line available in several types with conveyor belt widths of 320, 420, and 700mm. This machine gives the industry a high-performance and efficient manner of making personalised floor finishes with the help of Rubio Monocoat products. This machine is supplied plug-and-play and Rubio Monocoat also offers assistance from its own experts to ensure optimum use.

Loba The German parquet chemical product specialist Loba highlighted the main advantages of the UV system Lobacure. These include

the guarantee of a long lifespan for the floor and an extremely rapid finish on site, something which is beneficial for the commercial market. Loba Active Colour was another new product. This is a waterborne reactive stain which provides extremely attractive results on wood sorts which contain tannin. For example, it is possible to create attractive smoked and distressed effects on oak. It is possible to create an infinite number of unique effects in combination with a colour oil.

Tupler The Finnish company Tupler promoted its Tuplex Air Flow, an underlay for floating fitted floors. With its composition of styrofoam, Tuplex offers a perfect moisture barrier, prevents the formation of mould, and provides effective sound insulation. Moreover, Tuplex Air Flow also has a levelling effect and retains its volume in the long term to provide lifelong stability for laminate or multi-layer parquet.

Floor Forum International 65

THANK YOU

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for visiting us at Domotex 2014

Discover the new Quattro Vintage collection from the makers of the successful Tradition Quattro collection at www.balterio.com.

WAKKENSTEENWEG 37B - B-8710 SINT-BAAFS-VIJVE - T. +32 56 62 80 81 - INFO@BALTERIO.COM Member of

Style. Quality. Simplicity.

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> continued from page 12

Strong Export Strong Export from Portugal showed one of the most innovative floors at Domotex.

Night Glowing Floor is a photo-luminescent indoor/ outdoor floor which stores energy from daylight during the day and produces light at night.

It gives a gentle light effect in the dark to create a special sphere. This floor is available in several wood sorts and has lots of possible handy uses. It can create a special sphere in gardens, around outdoor swimming pools, or indoors in dance halls and night clubs.

Pedestals from SOLIDOR will make difference Les Plots réglables de Solidor ferontthe la différence

pour ajusterthe la hauteur deyour votre terrasse ! to adjust height of terrace!

Pedestals from SOLIDOR will make difference Les Plots réglables de Solidor ferontthe la différence

Visit pour us thethe ajuster la hauteur deyour votre terrasse ! to at adjust height of terrace!

European Floor &grilles Wall Exhibition (B) !

METAL GRATES WOOD OR WPC métalliques lames de bois 16/18.03.2014

METAL GRATES grilles métalliques

WOOD WPC lames OR de bois

TILES dalleCONCRETE en béton, céramique

SOLAR PANELS panneaux solaires

TILES dalleCONCRETE en béton, céramique

SOLAR PANELS panneaux solaires

Chimiver Chimiver regards Domotex as the top meeting place for all export partner companies. At the show they contacted an unusually high number of people from the Middle East. Chimiver has successfully committed itself to increasing its export sales considerably and this income offsets poor sales in its home country of Italy. In the Chimiver range, visitors’ attention was drawn to products such as the new range of primers and adhesives for elastic floors. Another new product was the Chimiver Lios Bioil 2K, a natural 100% solid oil for indoor floors with 0% solvent and water. One coat of this oil is enough for rapid drying and durable protection.

Tover Tover also demonstrated the Tover chemistry finish with the machines of client Paoloni Onelio & Figlio. Apart from the extensive and full range of chemicals for parquet floors, the Turin based company exhibited its complete new range for elastic floors. This assortment ranges from levelling agents and fast-levelling grout, and primers to

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Aftershow Domotex Hanover (D)

Decorad UV finish for parquet on site is definitely on the up. The machines from the Dutch company Decorad make it possible for you to do this efficiently and safety. The Decorad Floormate on wheels also offers users the necessary protection against UV light and comes in a practical flight case, which also includes a reserve lamp unit.

That is useful in the event of faults and ensures speedy and simple replacement. Recently at Decorad, they have introduced a manual tool (the Decorad Handmate UV600) which also simplifies UV setting in difficult places such as under radiators, in tight corners, or on stairs.

years...

let’s glue!

Visit us at EUROPEAN FLOOR & WALL EXHIBITION 2014 (B)

•• Easy simple et réglable avec précision and adjustable with precision •••Fast installation facile et rapide and easy installation stable • Remarkably remarquablement stable •• Very très robuste robust •• Easy simple et réglable avec précision and adjustable with precision •• Durable durable •• Fast installation facile et rapide and easy installation •• Modular système system modulaire •• Very très robuste robust •• Slope Correcteur de pente corrector •• Durable durable •• Easy Facilement accessible pour l’entretien accessible for maintenance and reparation •• Modular système modulaire system •• Slope Correcteur de pente corrector

Solidor Rubber & Products bvba •• Easy Facilement accessible pour l’entretien accessible for maintenance and reparation LAUwBERgSTRAAT 124b B-8930 LAUWE - BELgiQUE TEL.: +32 (0)56 41 35 70 - FAX : +32 (0)56 40 37 68 Solidor Rubber & Products bvba www.SOLIDOR.BE LAUwBERgSTRAAT 124b B-8930 LAUWE - BELgiQUE TEL.: +32 (0)56 41 35 70 - FAX : +32 (0)56 40 37 68 www.SOLIDOR.BE

since 1971 glues and varnishes for parquet made in italy

Visit the website www.european-floor-and-wall-exhibition.eu

Floor Forum International 65

stable stable •• Remarkably remarquablement

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acrylic and polyurethane adhesives and residual adhesive removers.

The products are effective, safe, and solvent-free. The stand was also manned by Klaas Van Dyck from Tover’s technical support team for the Benelux.

Aftershow Domotex Hanover (D)

Stauf Stauf announced the renewal of its corporate image. As a result, there will be new product containers with the brand name and product information printed directly onto them instead of the adhesive labels. New in the assortment is the Turbo System Pro³, which, as the name suggests, is quick and efficient. Turbo System Pro³ includes a primer, levelling agent, and a new fast-drying PU adhesive, the SPU 555. The system means that professionals can work up to 30% faster and the floor can be walked on just four hours after being fitted.

Janser The German floor machine maker presented a number of new and attractive machines for floor fitters. The QUAD sanding machine attracted most attention. This machine is ideal for renovation and freshening up brushed and hand-scraped parquet floors. The tool looks something like a Quad motor vehicle and can be operated manually.

You can fit the two front wheels with a whole series of sanding brushes with different materials and degrees of hardness. You then operate the QUAD manually in order to renovate the parquet surface as required.

Impertek

Floor Forum International 65

This Italian company specialises in pre-fabricated components for all areas of the building industry. At Domotex, they displayed their solutions for constructing terrace floors.

These include adjustable terrace pedestals with various set up and auxiliary items: the Mega Mart S with heights between 121 and 571mm. This means you can adjust the terrace height as required and you can also easily offset differences in levels. Furthermore, Impertek also has a whole series of other supports, including with screw head.

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Marchewka Marchewka is a notable Polish carpentry firm which received the Europrodukt Award in 2012 from the Polish ministry for economic affairs. That award is a recognition for companies which record great success with their products on the European export market. Marchewka

makes unique staircases in wood and wrought iron. Some are in Art Nouveau or other historic styles and you can certainly regard them as works of art. Nowadays, you can find Marchewka staircases in many prestigious buildings in places such as London, Berlin, or Moscow. At Domotex, Marchewka also wanted to show off its floor collections. These floors are also special and are characterised by a traditional top quality finish.

Kleiberit Kleiberit is a specialist in hot coating for the timber industry.

Kleiberit hot coating offers remarkably high durability (AC5, the top standard) without compromising on the flexibility of the finish layer. Moreover, the ‘hot coating’ does not contain formaldehyde, so it looks extremely promising for use on various floor surfaces such as parquet or cork.

Boen Parquet manufacturer Boen can look back on a successful 2013 with particularly outstanding sales figures in the German speaking countries and it is now committed to expansion in China, India, and SouthEast Asia. New at Boen is the Fashion Collection, a trendy range of parquet floors with a top layer which offers a lot of character and is finished with the sunflower-based Natural Plus oil. With Finesse and Noble is launching two new two-layer floors. Finesse is an elegant floor with limited thickness (10.5mm) and a width of 135mm, Noble in 9.7mm thick and 178mm wide and comes in lengths of up to 2200mm. For the long and wide plank segment there is a new threelayer floor with a width of 181mm, which fills the gap between the 138mm wide planks and the 209mm Castle plank.

Blanchon The French parquet chemical specialist Blanchon presented a good number of new products.

There was the Ciméthane UV, a 1K UV lacquer which dries within eight hours and is available in various degrees of gloss. For those who like the wood to look matt and untreated, there was the Original Wood Environment, a waterborne impregnation oil with EU Eco label, which is odourless and anti-slip. For outdoor floors there was the Advanced Decking Protection, a fast-drying impregnation oil for all sorts of wood, UV-resistant, waterproof, and low-maintenance. As far as adhesives were concerned, they exhibited the 1K hybrid polymer glue, which does not contain any isocyanates or solvents and guarantees efficient performances for the fitting of wide and long wooden floors.

Bolefloor With the help of Bolefloor’s deposited Nature’s Fit™ technology, they presented a wooden floor which can represent the eight shapes as true to life as possible. Curv8 floors are never sawn from straight planks. For each Curv8 floor they select raw planks to create one of these eight shapes. They process scan data for the most efficient use of wood from a tree trunk and they turn the wood into a suitable Curv8 wooden floor. Curv8 is 12mm thick and has a

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WOCA

INDUSTRIAL NEW HARDWAX OIL 1505 Basic treatment of wooden floors

WOCA Industrial Hardwax Oil No. 1505 is a new environmentally friendly product based on vegetable oils. The Hardwax Oil is available in natural and can be tinted in 800 different colours on the WOCA tinting machine.

This new material is very suitable for commercial areas with high traffic etc. The penetration and high saturation properties enable ongoing maintenance and repair to be very easy using the famous WOCA aftercare products.

Benefits: • Fast drying • Very high chemical resistance • Provides “factory finished” oiled surface straight out of the box, no requirement for additional on-site treatment • Good penetration • Can be tinted in customized colours • Compatible with all the regular WOCA aftercare products • VOC compliant and DIBT registered

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

Plinth corner

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top layer of 3mm. The floors are unfinished, varnished, oiled, and available in light or dark hard wax oil.

Plinth corner

Spacva Spacva, with its 30 hectares of corporate premises and 700 employees, is the biggest parquet producer in Croatia with FSC and CE certificates. It processes the native Slavonian oak and ash into parquet and doors in its own saw mill. Spacva specialises in solid wood floors in long planks from 2.5 to 6 metres and widths between 250, 300, and 350mm. The company exports 80% of its parquet floors. There is a choice of various wood sorts, unfinished, white or naturally oiled, and brushed finish.

Aftershow Domotex Hanover (D)

Create a perfect 90º corner.

Plinth inner- or outer corner can be made easily by using 3 clips.

Available in several colours.

Baltic Wood Baltic Wood, one of the most dynamically developing manufactures of wooden floors, counts the DOMOTEX 2014 among extremely successful events. The company presented 4 collections including 31 new products – collection of three-layered floors with most hottest finishes and designs, hand-distressed floors, solid floors and three-layered floors with a double thick layer of noble wood for multiple renovation. Old Painter’s Dream product from the Timeless Collection of hand-distressed floors won against products proposed by several dozen key manufacturers in the industry, and was voted the best product in the Innovations@DOMOTEX competition.

Visit us at Visit

us at Efwex

DOMOTEX

booth Ghent (B) Hall8805 7 B53

Mac Lean Products B.V. Moerdijk Holland info@macleanproducts.nl - www.macleanproducts.nl

NEW:

Prime Old Grey I V X Prime Old Grey gives a weathered appearance to oak.

Floor Forum International 65

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.

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Design Parquet French parquet manufacturer Design Parquet Products presented Design Déco a collection of solid oak or engineered parquet floor available in ten new colours in different varieties: oiled, stained, old-fashioned, rough finish, white Wash or thermotreated wood. Roc Varnish is an exclusive surface treatment specifically developed for heavy use (restaurants, shopping centers...) ISO dB is a patented Fixation system for parquet with sound insulation (patented system) and the Navylam + is an patented solution for parquet floor laying in the bathroom. Design Parquet also offers custom-made parquet and panels (Versailles, d’Aremberg…).

FB Hout, Hal 8 Stand C10

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

Prime Old Grey I

Cefla Finishing Group, worldwide leader in the finishing and decoration of wooden, plastic and non –ferrous material products, presentedSmartparquet by Sorbini, This complete system is ideal for the application of natural and non-natural oils and UV coating products, urethane oils and traditional waxes as well as stains and pigmented products.

This is a solution adapted to small-medium outputs and can be installed even where space is limited. The system is extremely userfriendly. The machine offers excellent set-up flexibility (thanks to modular solutions) as a function of the specific work cycles.

Prime Old Grey V

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 | E-mail: info@overmat.nl

DOMOTEX 2014 was a very successful edition for FB Hout. A lot of serious and specific leads, they knew what they were looking for. Given the heavy traffic on our stand we hope we have offered everyone the time that they deserve. This is a key value at FB Hout. The enlargement of our product range was well received by our customers.

They can now come to FB Hout for any wood product. One reliable

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> continued from page 16

BUZON Pedestal International s.a.

Manufacturer of adjustable pedestals for all types of wood terraces Adjustable from 11 to 1120mm

For Flamingo Parquet was Domotex 2014 a big succes.

Especially the Sunday and Monday there was a lot of traffic and also the quality of the visiting people was very high.

Flamingo was not only showing her solid plankflooring and engineered flooring but also the special pattern squares, herringbone and custom-made flooring.

Mitol It has been our strategic decision to exhibit on Domotex for it is one of the most important shows within the branch. It represents the cross-section of the international market in floor coverings and as such it enables us to meet the potential partners from all parts of the world at one place. This is also the unique opportunity to display our new products to the target public and to learn about the newest trends within the flooring industry. We are very satisfied with the visit on our stand as well as with the number and quality of business contacts generated. We exhibited on Domotex for the second time and we are planning to come also next year.

MOSO Bamboo Products MOSO is the European market leader in the development of innovative and sustainable bamboo products for indoors and outdoors. During Domotex 2014 we presented our four flooring collections: Dynamic (colourful, easy to install), Eternal (strong & robust), Grand (large boards) and Outdoor (decking).

Furthermore, the latest innovations in the MOSO bamboo flooring range were introduced including the additions to our extra hard high Density® flooring range: the solid strip Purebamboo and solid wide board Bamboo Elite oiled. Also we displayed our Bamboo Forest floor, with the original bamboo bark as toplayer, in various dimensions including an extra large board. For MOSO the Domotex proved to be very successful: the booth was well visited and the fair also resulted in a lot of new leads. For more information please check out www.moso.eu Osmo innovations The DOMOTEX trade fair has been very successful: A lot of distributors, professional users and journalists visited the Osmo stand gathering information about the new flooring assortment. The new Osmo

90°

90° 10%

5%

Slope correction of up to 10% by combining 2 correctors.

BUZON Pedestal International s.a.

Tel : +32 (0) 4 248 39 83 - Fax : +32 (0) 4 264 82 38 info@buzon.eu www.buzon.eu

Aftershow Domotex Hanover (D)

Visit us at the EUROPEAN FLOOR & WALL EXHIBITION (B) 16/18.03.2014

E SYSTÈMT É E V E R B

D E S I G N® PA R Q U E T F r a n c e

Navylam

TED PAT E N EM T SYS

Bathroom parquet floor easier to lay

E SYSTÈMT É BREVE

Navylam Pre-oiled Double integrate black joint

Navylam+ is an unique system easier and faster for laying bathroom parquet floor. Strips are already pre-oiled and with a double integrated joint. No sanding, oiling and joint laying.

You just have to put some glue in the groove provided for and join strips. So, your parquet floor is finished and completely watertight.

www.designparquet.fr

Visit the website www.european-floor-and-wall-exhibition.eu

Floor Forum International 65

partner for all your wood floor and wall covering. FB Hout is now your specialist for Planks, Parquet (Herringbone, Chevron & Panels) and XXL Wide Plank flooring. All under one roof. The Salesteam of FB Hout wants to thank everybody that has visited their stand.

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Masterpieces to highlight

R SHIP F OM BEL GI AN M

UM CE 1948 SIN

WOOD CR AF TS

www.progressprofiles.com

With a glance always oriented to the future.

TOP QUALITY WOOD W W A P. B E .T R

studioverde

W

Skirtings and Trims

Only Progress Profiles offers you a full range of skirtings and trims meeting every single need.

When beauty makes the difference.

New series have enriched our wide range of finishes: black line, with anodized, polished, brushed and crepè finishes and tuscany line, dedicated to modern country style.

Eye-catching details, it’s difficult to overlook them.

DOMO

TEX 2

014

Exposure for show room

Progress Profiles SpA

Certificated company UNI EN ISO 9001:2008

heywood VLOEREN

Compiègne reclaimed oak

Engineered Board, Knotting Hill, Antique & Compiègne Natural rough appearance with knots and cracks (KH) Untreated natural shrunken knots (KH) Visible stripes from the band saw (KH)

Floor Forum International 65

Antique burned & brushed

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Hand-carved surfaces and chamfers (A) Particular rustic appearance with knots and cracks (A) Made of genuine old oak (C)

Knotting Hill characteristic knot

Heywood Vloeren B.V. Scheldestraat 30 NL 5347 JD Oss

Ask for the wide range of Heywood Vloeren, wholesaler / manufacturer of all kinds of wooden floors.

Please, look for more information on www.heywoodvloeren.com

The Netherlands +31(0) 412 657 428 www.heywoodvloeren.com visit the NEW www.floor-forum.com - Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+

> continued from page 17

Quebec Wood Export Bureau For over 10 years, the Quebec Wood Export Bureau and several industrial Quebec companies have exhibited at DomotexHanover. The success over the years invites them to continue this activity. Their primary goal is to promote hardwood from Quebec, excellent flooring from Quebec, and the professionalism of Quebec manufacturers. Maple is undoubtedly the wood sort which best represents Canada and Quebec. Maple floors are very durable and beautiful in colour. They are available in different widths. The site QWEB gives you access to all the best manufacturers of parquet in Quebec: www.quebecwoodexport.com. If you want to know more about Maple, please visit the following web site: www.canadampale.org Domotex opens every year new markets! Silvadec 2014, Hall 8 booth A03.

The 4th participation of Silvadec at the Domotex exhibition is again a success! The visitors were there and interested to discover Silvadec new range for 2014 and in particular the launch of the new cladding range with its unique louver board in composite wood!

Pierre Marin, sales representative for Northern Europe, highlights the quality of the visitor’s contacts and the potential of Domotex “The 1st Edition allowed us to launch our activity in Singapore and Ireland, for the 2nd edition we opened Denmark, and for the 3rd, Norway”. Domotex is the international Floor Forum, with an increasing interest for outdoor living.

SolidfloorTM - more renewal at Domotex At Domotex, Solidfloor presented 23 new products at their remarkable stand. The Dutch brand introduced a new collection called Solidfloor Originals. This collection includes ten varnished floors with a drop down click connection and eight 2-layer products.

Furthermore, they have also extended the Vintage collection to include magnificent distressed floors, including a highly popular unfinished look. Another noticeable feature was the new and interactive POS system by means of which consumers in the shop can view the floors on a big screen in various interiors.

Tramex are pleased to report back from a very successful Domotex Trade Fair in association with Janser Gmbh.

There was fantastic interest in the non-destructive CME4 and CMEX2 Moisture Meters for testing of % Moisture Content in subfloors and screeds, giving instant Carbide Method equivalents.

The CMEX2 has plug in options for pin-type probes for reading % Moisture Content in wood, and the Hygro-i relative humidity probe for testing moisture conditions in concrete and anhydrite, using the international standard in situ testing method, which is becoming more and more popular throughout Europe.

Välinge During Domotex Välinge’s surface technologies Nadura, ACTiO2 and the latest in digital printing were highlighted plus the new segment of click furniture. Välinge in partnership with Exterpark launched invisible profiles for outdoor decking. With its innovative team, modern facilities and extensive patent portfolio Välinge provides licensees worldwide with the latest surface technologies and mechanical locking solutions at the forefront of flooring technology.

Välinge’s strong locking systems are developed for fast and easy installation of wood, laminate and resilient/LVT floors.

Aftershow Domotex Hanover (D)

Pollmeier At Domotex 2014, Pollmeier presented an innovative and whole new kind of natural wood floor manufactured out of laminated veneer lumber: BauBuche Flooring.

It is reduced to the essential and focussed on the beauty of the material. Due to its limited swelling and contracting behaviour, BauBuche Flooring reacts less than solid wood and has an extraordinary resistibility. Therefore, BauBuche Flooring can be used in public buildings as well as in private housing projects.

The material comes from near-natural and sustainably managed forests.

STEICO World premiere at DOMOTEX in Hanover Europes largest manufacturer of wood fiber insulation is pleased with the outcome of this year’s DOMOTEX. STEICO presented its wide range of different impact sound insulation boards, among which were its well known STEICOunderfloor in different thicknesses, the 10dB TUV certified board STEICOsilent +and STEICOsilent pro as well as the world premiere of its rolled laminate flooring underlay from wood fiber – STEICOunderfloor flex. The flexible and rolled STEICOunderfloor flex was well received by the visitors and highlights the innovative power of the market leader.

wineo® performance at the Domotex – success all along the line The wineo©-exhibition performance, with the motto „wineo goes green“ has been understood and seen as competent and with enormous appeal by all customers. “The customer frequency has been awesome, the quality of the customer meetings has been beautifully high and all top customers and associations visited our stand. We were able to confirm listings for our organic flooring PURINE, with four plank formats, already at the first exhibition day”, explained managing director Richard Riepe, who is responsible for sales and marketing at the Windmöller Flooring Products GmbH. The big interest also radiated on the new design flooring AMBRA for clicking and gueing in the multi-layer construction and on the attractive laminate flooring collections.

Profilpas The skirting board and profile specialist from the region of Padova (Italy) presented the new foam PVC wall skirting boards, which can be produced with the Profilpas Digital System in every imaginable colour, pattern, and style. This range is ideal for LVT because the products are chip resistant, affordable, and stable.

Moreover, they don’t contain any formaldehyde, don’t absorb water, and they are resistant to chemicals. The products can easily be fastened to the wall either with a clip system or by glueing.

Visit the website www.european-floor-and-wall-exhibition.eu

Floor Forum International 65

flooring assortment presented itself as modern and more versatile than ever, new dimensions, surface structures and gradings are incorporated in the new assortment to ensure that actual trends as well as renowned classics are presented. Among other things Osmo also presented its oil based industrial Polyx® finishing systems to combine and optimise application processes and production efficiency.

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Aftershow Domotex Hanover (D)

F. Ball The British industrial chemist is steadily developing its exports and intends to start operating on the Belgian market. At present, they are looking for good partners to that end. As regards new products, F. Ball exhibited several interesting levellers. There was Stopgap 1200, which is ideal for use on contaminated substrates with various sorts of residual dirt. The Stopgap 1100 is for use on anhydrite floors. The Stopgap F77 is a waterproof moisture barrier for a single layer application and, if necessary, it can be used for floor heating. Stopgap 460 is a fast and moisture-resistant repair grout for repairing holes and unevenness both indoors and out.

Vec Equipment Center The Dutch machine maker showed us a new glue press with integrated transport system, the Trivec SLV3000.2.

This provides more efficiency thanks to the ongoing process which is created. Furthermore, Vec also presented the Scarving Technology, which applies saw cut lines to the parquet planks with the help of a sanding belt. The advantage is the higher capacity and lower wear and tear to make this process cheaper. As for brushing machines, there is the Trivec DB400.4 with moving brush heads to give a more diversified brush image and a more prominent wood grain structure.

Döllken-Weimar The German skirting board and profile specialist showed off the Cubuflex skirting board on an HDF base with flexible lips. This means it is no longer necessary to saw in the corners, but it is much easier to die-cut with an accompanying tool. The Quick Mig is a flexible skirting board in PVC, which connects nicely on the wall and floor and has a built-in wire groove. The HK 100 is another wall profile which renders skirting boards superfluous. This PVC profile (height 100mm) allows professionals to apply the floor material even on the underside of the wall and at the same time it also neatly screens the expansion joint of the floorboards.

Hamberger Flooring There were lots of new items from Haro. For example, they presented a new collection of digitally printed cork floors. These come in one-strip planks with several oak decors and provide the ultimate beauty of wood, but with the internal benefits of a cork floor (warm, anti-static, comfortable, and silent). Haro is also promoting its range of two-layer parquet. These floors on an HDF base are coming in lots of new sizes and new top layers, yet at the same time they promise faster fitting for professionals. They also presented the new finish layer for the HARO floors with Sun Protect, which gives the wood lifelong protection from discolouration through sunlight.

Innovative System for Creative

Floor Forum International 65

Floor-Colour Design!

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Hardwood-Flooring specialist Max has tried it: By combining LOBASOL® HS 2K ImpactOil Color impregnation with the new LOBASOL® ActiveColor reactive stain, you can experience a personal miracle of colour: Start to create breathtaking 3D effects on parquet and hardwood floors.

www.loba.de/en

LOBA – the surface specialist for parquet and hardwood floors

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> continued from page 20

Berger-Seidle The industrial chemist which specialises in products for parquet and other floors showed off its latest developments and is presenting itself as a comprehensive provider for our sector. All their products have reduced emissions. The new waterborne primers Aqua Seal Exobloc and Aqua-Seal Plex Primer are new and offer new flexible solutions for professional practice without the use of solvents. The Classic Oil range has also been further developed and is now more user-friendly.

Adesiv Adesiv sees Domotex as the contact exhibition for new markets in the Middle or Far East. There was also some news nearer to home. Adesiv is working together with FG Machinebau (with which it has shared a stand at Domotex for ten years) for the sale of Adesiv products in Germany. Furthermore, the Italian chemical specialist also expressed its satisfaction with the past year. Sales in its own country are going through a difficult period due to the crisis, but export sales are rising steadily, including on the Russian market where Adesiv is one of the strongest brands. Another useful piece of information: Adesiv supplies not only chemicals for the building industry, but also, for instance, adhesives for the production of the shoes of various Italian luxury makes.

Buzon Pedestal The pioneer in adjustable terrace pedestals had an excellent 2013 with a 10% increase in turnover.

The company exhibited its latest fixed pedestal at its stand. The rest of the range still offers the trusted high quality, but they have made a slight adjustment to provide better drainage.

Moreover, BUZON Pedestal’s market position in the Middle East is very strong. The company is very often a partner for large prestigious terrace projects and enjoys a lot of trust.

Vetedy The Luxembourg outdoor floor specialist Vetedy (with over 20 years of experience) once again presented its Techniclic fastening system for wood on walls and ceilings, as well as the well known Softline system. New in the Techniclic range is a ‘spacer’, which can regulate the distance between the (wall) profiles. And so, there is a choice of the standard 5.5mm without a spacer and 10, 20, and 30mm with the spacer. Vetedy also showed its range of FSC and PEFC floors in tropical and native European wood sorts.

Egger The Austrian floor manufacturer presented the brand new cork+ collection. The floor (cork layer on and under an HDF base) unites the typical qualities of cork (silent, warm, and ecological) with the

Aftershow Domotex Hanover (D)

> continued from page 21

need for the most attractive oak wood decors (and other wood sorts) and wider planks. The cork+ is available in planks 245mm in width. The new oak decors are printed onto the cork digitally and are diverse, natural, and free of PVC or softeners. At the same time, they also exhibited the big update of the successful Megafloor collection with no fewer than twelve decors, including Loft in the City for lovers of loft styles.

Debal Coatings/ Ciranova For the producer behind the successful Ciranova brand, Domotex is an important annual event for its international expansion. At the same time, they also present their new products. For example, there is OCULTO, an innovative waterborne impregnation oil for parquet and furniture. The finish is invisible and leaves the wood extra matt. Moreover, OCULTO offers outstanding anti-slip qualities and protects the wood from UV rays from the sun. OCULTO will be presented officially at the European Floor & Wall Exhibition in Ghent, Belgium, in march. At the same time, they also showed off the Ciranova UV line for industrial applications.

Easydek Beschermtechniek Easydek is a Dutch specialist in the field of interior protection during new building work, renovation, and maintenance. At Domotex they presented their Multicover Premium+ floor protection. This sheet protects the floor from contamination and damage from above, but also allows the floor to breathe and dry via a membrane. Moreover, this sheet is anti-slip and affordable. Easydek guarantees a speedy delivery and you can also place small orders.

Floor Forum International 65

Overmat Industries Overmat presented the new Floor service ‘Profiline Industrial Oil UV’, consisting of Profiline Industrial Primer UV and Profiline Industrial Top Oil UV. The UV drying Primer is ideal for industrial parquet production on all major oiling lines with UV drying tunnel. Floor service Profiline Industrial Top Oil UV provides the finish. The floor looks and feels like an oiled floor, but with faster production and packing times.

22

Floor service Profiline Industrial Oil UV is available in the top trend colours (colourless and various tints of brown, grey, black, and white). Overmat is also launching Floor service Nature Care, a matt maintenance product for all wooden floors treated with Nature Protect.

Prinz At Carl Prinz they looked back on 2013 with satisfaction thanks to a solid increase in turnover and the growing demand for the Prinz premium profiles in their own country. The company exhibited a new sample case and presented a B2B online tool with a handy solution-oriented product tool. The Prinz subfloors range now includes the LVT Silent Pur. This is an ecological polyurethane layer with limited thickness (1.4mm), but a density of 1.5kg/m². LVT Silent Pur also ensures a natural grip and remarkable stability up to 44t/m². Although they have developed this subfloor for LVT, it is also ideal for floating fitting of other types of floor.

Unifloor Underlay Systems Unifloor presented a number of new, attractive, and innovative subfloors for various uses. Black Floor is a highly stable 1mm thick subfloor specially for click PVC (also with floor heating).

Blue Floor is a subfloor for reducing the sound of footsteps and impact noise. It is designed for click laminate and has a PE sheet to reduce moisture, a self-adhesive overlap, and is TÜV certified.

The Ecopearls were remarkable. These are natural levelling grains for levelling and filling wooden bearing floors. They are produced from wood chippings and are therefore ecological.

Solidor The adjustable terrace base specialist presented a new slope corrector for terrace bases. This absorbs differences in level (maximum

Wide range of products for gluing parquet and other floor coverings Superior quality Environmentally- and user-friendly products

MITOL d.d., Sežana, Slovenia, T: +386 5 73 12 300, F: +386 5 73 12 390, E: mitol@mitol.si visit the NEW www.floor-forum.com - Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+

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3%). Solidor also had some general company news. They are building a new site in Wevelgem, Belgium. The premises are 13500m² and house a 5400m² building. Users can also expect a completely new web site which should be

the Pall-X-Zero was the star of the show. This range of 2K waterborne parquet varnishes for high traffic locations is the first range in its market segment to be entirely solvent-free. The range includes a primer, a finish varnish, and a joint sealant. From machine manufacturer Wolff they presented the Robo-Stripper, a very powerful machine for removing old floor residue. With driving power of 3000 rotations and a blade width of 450mm, it can cope with even the most problematic sites.

ready by the end of February.

Amorim unveiled an attractive stand with a nice striking cork wall covering rich in texture.

They presented the first really long cork plank with a wood look, namely WICANDERS Artcomfort. They also exhibited an ecological Wicanders parquet floor range with FSC certified wood. These floors meet the demand for such long and classical wooden planks, but with the advantages of cork (warm, elastic, and silent). Other important ‘green’ news is that the HPS protective layer for Amorim is now completely free of softeners, whilst the new NPC surface technology does not contain any solvents or formaldehyde.

Uzin Utz/ Pallmann The Uzin concern was aiming once again to show off its powers of innovation at Domotex. The new Sigan Elements adhesives ensure a speedy and extremely stable fitting of design floors, thanks to the new switchTec technology. It is also possible to walk on PVC floors immediately if you use this adhesive, but what is also remarkable is that when you remove the floors again, even years later, there is not a trace of residue to be seen. At Pallmann

Apart from a new display, the veneer parquet specialist exhibited a number of new and original patterns in its category such as herringbone and double herringbone. They also promoted the option of doing customised work with volumes of at least 750m².

FN Neuhofer Holz At its 240m² stand, FN, amongst other things, showed its new ranges of profiles and skirting boards for LVT floors.

These are adapted to the modest floor height (for 2mm with glued fitting and 5mm with floating fitting with click system) and there is a choice between HDF skirting boards with digital print and profiles in anodised aluminium for glued or screwed fitting. Another new item are the structured skirting boards and panels (MDF) for anyone wanting a more distinctive look. This family business with a 360-year-old tradition in the timber trade is also looking ahead to 2020: They are extending their production in Zell am Moos (Austria) and opening a new logistics centre. The company aims to continue with innovation and build further towards a sustainable future (they already have their own mini-hydropower station).

Aftershow Domotex Hanover (D)

Par-ky Amorim

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> continued from page 23

Aftershow Domotex Hanover (D)

Gerko Flooring This was the seventh time in a row that the Belgian producer of exclusive ‘high end’ parquet floors has exhibited at Domotex. They were very satisfied with the specific contacts which they were able to meet at Domotex. The company concentrates almost entirely on exports and operates in just about 40 countries worldwide. Gerko’s new item was the Driftwood Collection, a collection of aged and distinctively weathered floors available in 11 colours of multi-layer and 11 colours of solid wood. There are also the Design and Antique Collections.

Ideal Ideal is a Russian producer of skirting boards and profiles with a factory near Moscow. They have an extensive range in various colours, styles in synthetics, including foam PVC. This producer takes pride in the quality of its materials which are safe in terms of electrics and fire safety. For Ideal this was a successful appearance at Domotex and they managed to establish some good contacts for new partners in North America and Asia. Moreover, they also concluded some agreements for sales in Europe.

Inpa Parket The Dutch parquet specialist enjoyed a highly successful Domotex with a good atmosphere and a number of nice specific orders.

The Chaco Wood 3D Wall was one of the highlights at the stand.

This indoor wall covering in various wood sorts (including a whole series of tropical sorts) and colours is ideal as a highlights wall in a modern interior. Inpa also stressed two other specialities: its wide range of end grain floors and impressive range of tropical wood sorts from its own forests and saw mills in Paraguay and Bolivia.

Lieverdink Parquet manufacturer Lieverdink presented the new Q2 range of floors as complementary to the Tapis (traditional parquet) assortment. The big difference with Tapis is the tongue and groove joint which immediately provides a very flat floor. Q2 is a layered product with 4mm top layer and a 9mm birch bottom layer. The ‘covered’ nailing of the sections (nails are beaten through the tongue at an oblique angle) means there are no nail holes showing, so you get a perfect optic result at once. Traditionally, Lieverdink can supply its floors in a very wide range of wood sorts (even up to 40).

The Q2 is also available in herringbone and Hungarian point and in various finishes (brushed, rough sawn, etc.).

Floor Forum International 65

Progress Profiles

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The Italian skirting board and profile manufacturer (turnover about 23 million euros a year) had some important news to report with its relocation to a new 12000m² factory in Asolo, Treviso. This means the company can raise its capacity and develop and make new products at full speed. They operate all over the world with offices in Dubai and the USA. The extended range exhibited by Progress Profiles included the various Proled systems and a

striking new item. With aluminium skirting boards and ceiling frames with built-in LED lights in various colours, but also with stair edge profiles and wall lighting, Progress Profiles offers various options for fitting LED highlights in the interior.

Meisterwerke Schulte ‘Lindura’, the new high-tech wooden floor from MEISTER was an important and striking exhibition innovation at the Meister Schulte stand. This is a range of rustic, long, and wide wooden floors which have been produced in line with a unique ‘Woodpowder’ procedure and which unite the beauty of real wood with a unique robustness and a remarkably competitive price. Another highlight was the MEISTER DD 350 S design floor with Puretec surface, a 100% PVC-free, odourless polyester, a material which is also used in the food industry and meets the very strict health guidelines for children’s toys.

Lalegno Lalegno opted for an open and not overpacked stand, which has doubled in surface area since their first appearance.

Moreover, it was manned by dealers from various countries worldwide, something which immediately underlines the company’s strong international growth. Apart from the impeccable technical quality of Lalegno floors, the successful colour collection and the colour fastness of the products (in accordance with the samples) have contributed strongly to Lalegno’s success. By setting new trends, the company has put itself strongly in the mid market and is extending its range for the upper end market segment.

Parador The highlight at Parador was the “Click Tex” carpet planks on HDF in various colour and design variants, which can be combined creatively and fitted just as easily as laminate. The parquet range included some new textures and styles. For the “Lignia Brasilica” and “Lignia Tuscany” parquet lines Parador uses a Pinus radiata and soaks the wood with resin to create a special colour and a hard surface. The “Wavescraped” floors offer a deep structure which reminds us of the typical traces of bygone waves in the sand. There was also a new three-strip ship deck floor in laminate for which one uses a special press plate which is geared harmoniously to the decor and they also presented new country house floor laminate with matt oak decors.

MacLean Products The Dutch company from Moerdijk has been developing, producing, and supplying a wide range of products for the construction industry since 1946. It aims to provide the best and most innovative solutions. And so, clients

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> continued from page 24

The Spanish producer exhibited its new collection of 30 colours (‘The Colour Palette’), which makes it possible for clients to obtain customised floors. They also showed visitors their ‘Millésime’ collection of distressed floors. They also announced that the Euro Covering patented profile and fastening system for covering floors is now coming under licence of the Swedish technology company Välinge. They will bring the licence onto the market and monitor compliance with patent rights.

Z-Parket The parquet producer attracted lots of attention at ‘Innovations@Domotex’ where they presented the Tessera Mosaic, a vintage style mosaic floor in an original grey colour. Z-Parket also displayed two new colours in the M-collection and five in the Z-collection. The new colours have been given a more white-washed and brushed effect. They have more of a brownish grey or earth shade. Another novelty is the availability of wooden floors with a U-joint. Z-Parket is also launching a range of doors in the same colours as its parquet floors and also wall coverings. This has come about as a result of demand from several architects, who can easily apply some extra interior highlights with such products. The concept with wall coverings is also on offer in a new presentation form (10 items in a row) for dealers.

Silfox The German company Silfox operates in various fields, but always related to the flooring industry. For example, it specialises in making samples and sample books and developing and printing brochures for the sector. Yet Silfox does more than that. It acts as a trend consultant, publishes the trends magazine Mix, and also does colour research. To do this, they work with various specialists for trends in all regions of the world.

UL Environment UL Environment is a research and expertise institute based in Cologne. It tests and certifies products for other parties,

B-Fix The Belgian company B-Fix specialises in terrace fastening systems. At Domotex, they also promoted profiles and accessories for fitting wooden exterior wall cladding. At B-Fix they also regard themselves as partners and developers and providers of terrace floor solutions. This is also the context for its terrace floor access hatch. This access hatch can be integrated into the floor easily and provides easier access to a certain part of the terrace floor such where the drainage point or an electric socket box is located, or it can be used simply to prevent an accumulation of dirt.

Soest Soest enjoyed a very successful Domotex. Their various machine demonstrations attracted all sorts of attention and they spoke with several potential clients. One huge success was the new distressing machine, which attracted lots of interest. A unique feature of this compact distressing machine is that the planks can be treated as you pass over them without a monotonous pattern being created, since the damage is completely arbitrary. The client can set the amount, sort, and depth of damage according to his or her own requirements. This machine puts an end to the rounded edges and heavy damage to tongue and groove which often occurred with beating. This machine can also be integrated easily into existing production lines.

Aftershow Domotex Hanover (D)

Euro Covering

including the flooring market. With over 25 years of experience, it possesses all the skills and test facilities to issue certificates such as the Blue Angel, EC1 GEV Emicode, the French emission logo, CE label, US Green Building, European Eco label, etc. The fact that such certification is necessary proves the finding of UL Environment that indoor air is often two to five times more polluted than outdoor air which is sometimes specified as ‘problematic’.

Trap Hardwood Industry Marc Trap told us, “This was our fifth time in a row at Domotex and we’re very satisfied. We established several good contacts with buyers from thirty different countries.” Traditionally, they present their extensive range of wood sorts (over 30), including American walnut, in wooden floors, but also in herringbone. A new feature is that Trap has started production in Hungary where they concentrate on a range of parquet in oak wood. This range of oak parquet (solid wood and multi-layer) is available in thirty different colours and various finishes: smoked, distressed (Volcano range), and with 3D colours (5 coats of colours for special colour effects).

Visit the website www.european-floor-and-wall-exhibition.eu

Floor Forum International 65

greatly appreciate its range of subfloors for parquet, laminate, PVC, and LVT. At Domotex, Maclean highlighted its XPS foam subfloors. This is a range of floors launched on the market in partnership with SELIT. For LVT floors Maclean unveiled a new subfloor, namely SELITBLOC. This floor provides good protection against high traffic (it can withstand up to 30 tonnes per square metre) and offers the necessary stiffness to keep the floor stable in the long run. Arie Schouten from Maclean is convinced that subfloors are ‘growing up’ and he also stressed that the use of subfloors is not only useful for delivering a successful project, but the praise and sales of good subfloors is another way to increase the profitability of professional floor fitters.

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THE COMFORT OF GLUE DISPENSERS

Floor Forum International 65

Special Glue guns and cartridges

LESS RISK OF BACK TROUBLE

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Floor fitters’ backs take a lot of strain. That’s for sure. Yet it’s not just the back! The knees, wrists, shoulders, neck, and ankles also suffer as the years go by. And so, ‘ergonomics’ is a magic word which manufacturers of tools, machines, and personal protective gear use to stress the added comfort as a sales argument. That’s good, but all those arguments need to be viewed in the right context. Sometimes, that requires a little modification.

Long live technology!

Elsewhere in this edition we consider in more depth the effects and use of nailing and stapling guns in fitting parquet. These tools have replaced the traditional fitting method of beating the wood with hammer and nails to fit a floor such as traditional parquet. There is certainly no doubt that these guns speed up the work considerably and apply a lot of force which would otherwise come from the human body. That’s progress for you!

Furthermore, since mankind wants to make progress on all fronts and try out successful solutions for a particular operation on other operations, the creation of glue dispensers is a logical step. You use muscle power to drive a nail into a wooden floorboard with a hammer. Pneumatic power has now replaced that muscle power. You also use muscle power to apply adhesive with a notched trowel. Why can’t this task also be made lighter?

Glue guns and dispensers, powered by battery or compressed air, have lots of undeniable benefits. This article summarises them.

The operating principle A glue dispenser or gun is a technological solution for applying parquet adhesive to the screed or subfloor in a more or less computerised manner. In the traditional method, the worker would use a notched trowel (or spatula) to extract the glue from a pot and then spread it. The teeth of the notched trowel create adhesive grooves, which, depending on the type of parquet and the substrate, differ slightly. In recent years, notched trowels have undergone a lot of research and improved considerably.

We now have a suitable trowel for every sort of floor. With an adhesive dispenser, the adhesive, packed in a suitable receptacle (depending on the producer), is put in a cylinder. The glue dispenser is comparable in some ways to a broom or a traditional steel vacuum cleaner fitted with a glue reservoir. The pressure applied by the hand, a battery, or a compressor, spreads glue over the floor surface to form adhesive grooves. Here, too, the applicator is adapted, depending on the type of floor and substrate.

The advantages of glue dispensers Most producers of these dispensers present the same arguments to promote them. We will see that in many cases dispensers are tailored specifically to applying glues from the same producer, if that producer sells them, but this is not always the case. Below we outline the most commonly propagated advantages with the requisite modifications.

Speedy application The speed of the operation is one of the top arguments which manufacturers put forward. It is obvious that you can apply glue faster with these dispensers than with traditional glueing using a trowel. Amongst other things, the increase in speed is the result of the width of the applicator. With some tools we speak of a width of about 30cm. Obviously, this cuts down the total fitting time. Nevertheless, you need to take care that you don’t apply too much glue at once precisely because of the speed of the work. Strictly speaking, the surface onto which we apply the glue should be no more than the surface onto which we can fit floorboards within half an hour. Of course, this half-hour depends on the sort of adhesive, the adhesive drying time, the room temperature, and the air humidity. If we apply too much glue (read: too quickly), the adhesive grooves dry, and that adversely affects adhesion.

Economical and ecological Using a glue dispenser reduces glue consumption considerably. In many cases you can glue a full floor surface with 600g of glue per m². Moreover, you hardly waste any glue at all. This is obviously an economical manner of working, but it’s ecological as well. There is much less waste at the end. After all, the glue bags are completely pressed in. Some producers speak of a packaging residue of 200g for 5m² of parquet. You are also freed from the waste disposal problem caused by glue pots, so cleaning the work site also becomes much easier.

Working in a standing position These adhesive dispensers (with extension handle) are designed so that you can apply parquet glue from a standing position.

This is another common sales argument. It is certainly true that working in a standing position puts less strain on the back and other muscles. It also reduces strain on the arms and shoulder muscles considerably as compared to manual glueing. However, we do need to modify this advantage somewhat. In smaller rooms, glueing from a standing position, combined with fitting the floorboards from a kneeling position will tend to involve additional strain. After all, the floor fitter will stand up a number of times (to apply the glue) and then kneel again (to fit the floorboards). The ergonomic benefit yields the most profit with work in big rooms and with two people, where one person applies the glue, whilst the other fits the floorboards. Working from a standing position does, of course, give a better view of the entire floor.

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Adesiv As regards glue guns, Adesiv presents a tool for cartridges of 600ml. This tool is recommended for common adhesives and especially for small repairs or boards. For other glueing, Adesiv advises you to work with a spatula because the rotation motion and pressure during application ensures better adhesion. The gun is used mainly for single component PU adhesives or silane adhesives such as the WB Mono MS in 600ml packaging.

At Rectavit the advantages of adhesive dispensers have to be qualified considerably. The round adhesive grooves which are left on the subfloor are less firmly anchored mechanically than if the glue is pressed in with a trowel. Applying the adhesive grooves in a parallel fashion using the planks, as is the case with most guns, increases the risk of curling. Rectavit also presents its adhesive dispenser with the Parquet Glue 248 Cordon. If you use the Rectavit sausage gun, the triangular adhesive grooves are applied diagonally. The bending forces of the plank are hereby spread over the various adhesive grooves, which stick to the plank better due to their shape. Moreover, this creates a degree of bending force on each of the lines. In other words, the total force exerted is spread over more adhesive grooves and the force exercised for each adhesive groove is more balanced. This results in considerably better adhesion.

Sika

Blanchon presents a sausageshaped hybrid polymer adhesive.

This adhesive can be spread using all common adhesive spray guns for pliable tubes. Blanchon itself sells a manual version of this essential tool. The big advantage of these tools is the speed and cleanliness of the work. Such guns are an absolute necessity for some places which are difficult to reach. If an adhesive spray gun is used properly, it does not leave very much mess. Blanchon believes these guns have a long lifespan, but they are usually replaced because floor fitters lose them.

Sika has various dispensers in its range. The star of the show is the Sika Bond Dispenser 5400. This compressed air dispenser has a load capacity of 5400ml to give you application speeds of up to 10 times faster than with traditional full glueing. This means that the whole fitting process runs about 10 times faster. Apart from its speed, Sika Bond Dispenser 5400 is also an ergonomic solution for the full surface glueing of parquet. Working from a standing position provides extremely pleasant working conditions, and, of course, that can bring relief for potential pains in the joints which can arise with manual glueing from a sitting position. Sika Bond Dispenser 5400 is also an easy, very clean solution. The fact is that it operates with an extremely simple filling system (with glue packs of 1800ml) and it always ensures even glueing. And so, as a fitter, you automatically work economically with the glue as the same quantity of glue is applied efficiently to each square metre. Sika Bond Dispenser 1800 with one dispenser arm and Sika Bond Dispenser 3600 with two dispenser arms are the little brothers, which are ideal for smaller surfaces.

Pallmann

Schönox

The wood adhesive dispenser Pallmann ATD 100 has been developed specially for the application of Pallmann P5. This ergonomic tool guarantees a speedy and economic fitting of a wooden floor. The combination of this dispenser with the relevant adhesive is ideal for multi-layer and pre-finished parquet, strips, solid wood parquet, and exotic wooden floors with tongue and groove. Obviously, this adhesive can also be used without the ATD 100 dispenser. The use of the sausage bag reduces the amount of waste considerably. It is clear that this is a sustainable solution, since it saves material, produces 90% less waste, and reduces transport. If you use it in combination with the dispenser, the work proceeds faster, there is less waste, and you can work standing up.

PVC strips are very much in. The advantages of design and application can be seen mainly as an optical measure. PVC strips can be found in old people’s homes, catering establishments, surgeries, boutiques, and the residential sector. SCHÖNOX produces quality products for floor and wall professionals. In the development of these products, the main consideration is that the possible uses for these products must be healthy and profitable. This is of great benefit to traditional companies since it means they have fewer absentees due to illness and the staff can commit themselves to the work for long periods. A good example in Germany is the most popular roller adhesive for PVC strips, SCHÖNOX iFLOOR®. The ergonomic spreading from a standing position means less strain on the back.

Blanchon

Visit the website www.european-floor-and-wall-exhibition.eu

Special Glue guns and cartridges

A selection from the range:

Rectavit

Floor Forum International 65

Quality of the glueing Depending on the tool (the brand), we obtain adhesive grooves which are 3 to 5mm thick over a distance of about 1cm. And so, that compares perfectly with traditional glueing using a notched trowel. If you press the floorboards into the glue, you get full glueing. However, some critics are sceptical of the quality of glueing from a dispenser. Whereas glueing with a notched trowel produces triangular adhesive grooves which are partially pressed into the subfloor (something which gives better adhesion), the (round) adhesive grooves produced by a dispenser lie somewhat loosely on the floor. Another critical observation is that the adhesive grooves are applied along the length of the planks and not across the planks as with traditional glueing.

Some people think that traditional glueing absorbs the shear force in the planks better.

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Special Glue guns and cartridges

SCHÖNOX iFLOOR® is spread using a roller from a standing position. A thin layer is rolled evenly onto the levelled substrate.

This means that there are no adhesive groove patterns, no glue pressure points under the coating, and also no adhesive residues from the joints. The top side stays clean. The even application clearly reduces the imprint sensitivity.

STAUF adhesive spreader machine: Parkett-X-Press There are five characteristics which describe the benefits of the STAUF adhesive spreader machine Parkett-X-Press best: clean, ergonomic, economic, fast and easy. More working comfort as the adhesive is applied in upright position while the weight of the machine rests on the ground. The machine offers precise application of the adhesive. It is adjustable in the width of the wood elements and allows an adhesive application from wall to wall in straight lines. Parkett-X-Press is easy to operate and comes in very compact dimensions which makes it also suitable for small rooms. Up to 160 m² of installation without a battery change. And to guarantee no operating time-outs, the machine is delivered with a second battery and a quick charger. An orderly storage before and after installation and an easy and protected transport is possible in a high-quality, rollable wooden case. For the application in suitable adhesive applicator devices STAUF offers STAUF S-Press an elastic silane wood flooring

adhesive for most common sub floors and wood flooring types (multilayer, mosaic, wood strip flooring and upright mosaic parquet lamellas, solid planks) in an 1800 ml aluminum tubular bag. The bags can be changed within 25 seconds and only leave very few packaging waste. The spreader nozzles are always supplied together with the adhesive. The device is also available as pneumatic version.

Tover To lay a wooden floor using a gun is a valid application alternative to a notched trowel. Tover proposes a very practical kit composed of 10 sausages and one caulking gun suitable for about 20 square meters. Uniform beads must be applied every 10 – 15 cm perpendicularly to the boards for a quick and clean work.

For a safer application, the adhesive chosen is Sigil MS, a solventfree MS polymer adhesive suitable for most common timber species and dimensions. Thanks to its superior elasticity with respect to polyurethane adhesives, it is the most recommended glue on under-floor heating systems. Its quick tack enables to apply it in vertical position for stairs, profiles, skirting boards, etc.

Moreover the cleaning from hands and prefinished floors is particularly easy. Sigil MS is also available in cartridge, in oak, white and black versions. Anyway professionals who prefer to use polyurethane glue in sausage can find it in Tover range too.

.com

Floor Forum International 65

®

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According to producers/suppliers of terrace wood and other garden furniture, turnover in their segment is growing each year. The garden is becoming a haven of rest which we like to enjoy to the full amidst the hustle and bustle of modern life. As a natural material, wood is playing an increasingly greater part in that environment of peace and quiet. Even the most ardent lovers of natural stone terrace tiles are combining them increasingly with wood. The newcomer in recent years, composite wood, has also started to make strides.

One pertinent question arises here: Aren’t many floor fitters missing a trick here?

‘Holiday feeling’ as a product Where does all today’s hustle and bustle come from? The world is spinning like a top and life is hastening on with unrelenting speed. Somewhere in history, a vicious circle arose which is very difficult to break. The fact of the matter is that the target group for parquet floor fitters are people who can afford and want a wooden floor. For the past two decades, we have seen that this target group consists of growing numbers of two-income families. Now where does this vicious circle begin? In better times, this target group took a certain level of luxury for granted because they had the necessary resources. In harder times, the phenomenon of two-income families has to continue in order to pay for that level of luxury. Result: The speed of life and working rhythms has to increase. ‘Home’ is the only place of rest. We turn our habitat into a nest, a setting to give us a holiday feeling, so that our home gives us what we look for on holiday, but for a much longer duration. The garden plays a crucial part in all this: green natural beauty to enjoy, terraces to rest, a swimming pool to relax, a pool house to enjoy real outdoor life, and perhaps even visitors’ quarters to share all this with others.

Floor fitters, arise!

We’ve written it often enough in this magazine: The floor fitter’s sphere of work has expanded constantly in recent decades.

Apart from traditional (solid wood) parquet, multi-layer (floating) parquet has also come along to increase trading possibilities considerably for practical, technical, and budgetary reasons.

Then there was laminate, which, it has to be said, had to force its way in to be recognised as part of the floor fitter’s profession. Linoleum, vinyl, and PVC were already in existence, but they have come back strongly into fashion. Those are all developments in indoor flooring. Now that wood has moved into the garden, another new market is developing which is full of chances and opportunities for floor fitters. Yet it has emerged from the answers to our enquiries that a lot of floor fitters are missing out on this opportunity. Moreover, some suppliers of outdoor wood are seeing the emergence of companies which choose to specialise in terrace construction. Those companies come, for example, from the world of joinery and carpentry.

The still very young designation ‘outdoor parquet’, which is used at present to indicate high quality wooden terraces, can perhaps bring about a change. The fact is that there are plenty of financial rewards to be reaped here!

Extension of the ‘tropics’ We’re not going to make any more comparisons here between oak and tropical sorts of wood. Developments in the world of outdoor wood look totally different to those of parquet and wooden indoor floors. With parquet and wooden indoor floors, tropical sorts have emerged as rivals to oak, but they have conquered only a small market share. As far as terraces are concerned, those tropical sorts have emerged rather as rivals to bangkirai, which was the only available wood sort for a long time. The availability of a highly varied number of wood sorts in the highest durability classes (I and II) has broken the monopoly of bangkirai. If we put the major sorts of wood from the different providers alongside each other, we get a real shopping list: bangkirai, ipe, afri-kulu, padauk, merbau, teak, cumaru, massaranduba, tali, bilinga, lapacho, tapervba, elondo, elondo FSC, Indonesian teak, kurupay, garapa, and mandioqueire, but even then we certainly don’t claim to have listed them all.

Raising the durability class Tropical wood sorts have many ‘sides’ to them. Most sorts are fairly exclusive as regards colour and pattern and give outdoor parquet an exotic look. On the other hand, they don’t come cheap. The growing ecological awareness means that more and more consumers are looking out for tropical sorts which originate from sustainably managed forests and are therefore certified as such. The problem is that this usually makes them even more expensive. This is one of the reasons why science and industry joined forces some years ago to look for techniques for improving the durability class of less durable sorts of wood.

These techniques have been covered abundantly in this magazine. The most important technique is thermal modification, which is used to change the properties of the wood via heat treatment. Plato and Thermo wood are the most well known procedures. A more recent success has been recorded by the Norwegian company Kebony, which, after years of research and experimentation, has developed an ecological modification process to make various sorts of wood more durable. After the wood is extracted, it is impregnated under high pressure with a special, patented liquid, which then hardens. When the wood is completely dry, it undergoes another separate treatment to bring about hardening by means of heating.

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Special Outdoor floors : wood, bamboo & composite

FLOOR FITTERS MUST SEIZE THEIR CHANCES

Floor Forum International 65

Photo: Moso

TERRACE MARKET GROWS EACH YEAR

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Decking Building is the new way of thinking the decking developed by Ravaioli Legnami thanks to its knowledge and experience in the wood sector. The system brings new ideas in design and building: decking can be used both in horizontal and vertical applications, in external and internal areas, in urban and domestic applications.

Ravaioli Decking Building ® means: selected boards and pre-assembled tiles made of Teak Asia/Bourma, Ipè, Garapa, Massaranduba, Iroko Africa, Angelim Amargoso, Heat-treated Ash FSC, Kebony SYP FSC, Bamboo X-Treme™ and deck tiles. Furthermore Ravaioli Decking Building ® involves cladding Perlage and Woodwrap, ventilated and also insulated façades or coverings; sunscreens, overshadows and brise-soleil; wood engineering for urban design, solutions for landscape design and for land recovery and land restoration.

Ravaioli Decking Building ® creates opportunities aiming at developing the architecture of the “better living”.

Ravaioli Legnami srl T. +39 0545.927.309 www.ravaiolilegnami.com

Technical alternatives Apart from treatments to improve the durability of the wood, technological products as alternatives to wood have emerged in recent years. We can identify two types, namely wood composite terrace boards and synthetic terrace boards.

Wood composite Wood composite consists of wood fibres, high density polyethylene, UV stabilisers, dyes, and various additives to optimise the mechanical qualities. Usually these include recycled wood fibres, waste wood, and recycled polyethylene. The ingredients are mixed and undergo an extrusion process at high temperature and under high pressure. Thanks to extrusion technology, we obtain an accurate size and all things are possible as regards shape. Wood composite is in many respects an ecologically responsible alternative to tropical hardwood.

Synthetics For some time now, terrace planks have been emerging which are produced from synthetics and look like real wood. In this case the word ‘imitation’ really is appropriate. From a technical point of view, these terrace boards score quite well, of course, since they are insensitive to wood rot or mould.

Bamboo terrace planks In the past, we have often outlined the way to make ‘solid wood’ panels from bamboo strips. Parquet is made from those panels in the same way as wooden floors. Until recently, bamboo floors were certainly very strong and hard, but not usually really suitable for outdoor use. This changed not so long ago.

The human brain never stops, and, due to the development of a new production technique, strand woven bamboo saw the light of day a few years ago.

Exterior walls and terraces Bamboo is weather-resistant and is offered for both terrace planks and exterior wall planks. The floorboards are available with tongue and groove on the ends. This eliminates differences in height and it is not necessary to have a lower construction under the end joint. Most terrace planks are fitted with grooves on the sides for fastening with an invisible clip. As is the case with traditional wooden terrace planks, the designs can be smooth or ribbed.

What’s on the market?

PI-Import

BDS Composite econudo® is a new and innovative composite material consisting of bamboo fibres and high quality polymer.

Over 60% of the material consists of bamboo scrap wood. This is combined with ecological polymer and meticulously selected additives to give you a material with exceptional qualities, not only aesthetically, but also as regards strength. This means it is perfectly suitable for outdoor use. For terraces, loggias, or balconies BDS Composite econudo® represents a durable solution which requires little maintenance. The material is

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extremely colour fast. After a light colour adjustment following the initial contact with the atmospheric conditions, the chosen colour retains its shade permanently. BDS Composite econudo速 is available in four colours (black, grey, brown, and a sandy shade) and two designs. The planks can be used on either side.

Dimensions: 2,200 x 140 x 20mm. All sorts of adapted accessories are available with the floorboards.

THE ULTIMATE GENERATION OF HIDDEN DECK FASTENERS WITH STAINLESS STEEL REINFORCEMENT

B-Fix B-Fix does not concern itself with the sale of wood or composite, but concentrates rather on the production and sale of the B-Fix invisible fastening system. They have noticed that countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxemburg have a strong preference for exotic wood sorts such as ipe, cumaru, padauk, massaranduba, or tali, whilst consumers in Germany and France tend to opt for local sorts, which are often thermally treated. Gradually, they are also seeing the re-emergence of oak. Since it is impossible to ignore the composite market, there is also a composite of bamboo and polyethylene, which is presented for the B-Fix invisible fastening system. These floors are sold by the company Lime. It is not clear whether or not the terrace market is growing, but at all events sales of the invisible fastening system have risen by over 20%.

* in compliance with DTU 51.4 requirements regarding fasteners

Timber decking & cladding

info@hardwoodclip.com +32 (0) 474 49 49 99

www.hardwoodclip.com

Exterpark/ Euro Covering At Exterpark they only sell wood for terraces which can be exposed to the outdoor effects of the weather. These include tropical wood sorts such as ipe, kurupay, merbau, teak, and elondo. Exterpark does not sell oak. As regards composites, they offer Exterpark Tech Patented Plus. This solid wood profile is available in four colours and has a smooth surface. These composite planks are not meant to imitate wooden terraces, but provide an alternative solution for anyone who thinks design is important. At Exterpark they have seen how terrace parts have been introduced into lots of new markets where growth is still possible. Moreover, there is also an undoubted growth of composite, partly due to the price and partly due to the availability of the raw materials.

Ipe Latino At Ipe Latino the most popular wood sorts are ipe and padauk.

The company presents a composite (50/50) in which 91% of the wood is FSC certified.

Neolife terrace boards are produced in VESTA速. They have the look of wood, they feel like wood, and even smell like

Made in Europe

Special Outdoor floors : wood, bamboo & composite

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wood. These terrace boards are available in five tints, coloured all using dyes. Just like all natural products, VESTA has also received a patina. The colours may become lighter in the first two months through exposure to UV rays. After that, the colours become more stable. VESTA is completely waterproof and therefore insensitive to moss, algae, fungi, insects, and such like.

This means they retain their aesthetic and mechanical qualities. A length of 325cm means that rapid fitting is guaranteed. The floorboards require no maintenance.

Scierie Leplang Scierie Leplang is a specialist in top quality oak and offers a range of oak for outdoor use. To do this, they deploy a long drying process at high temperatures towards a relative humidity level of 10% to give the wood exceptional stability so that it is more resistant to the formation of cracks. After the oak is planed for the last time, it is restored to a humidity level of 15 to 20% so that it is ideal for use as terrace wood. At Leplang they stress that the general public had forgotten that oak could also be used outdoors, but recently they have noticed that it is now fashionable to turn to oak and to allow it to turn grey naturally in the open air.

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Moso

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Bamboo is increasingly recognised as a sustainable product.

Because of the enormous growing speed (up to 1 meter per day!), giant bamboo is ready for harvest within 5 years. This stands in sharp contrast with tropical hardwood which is ready for harvest after 100 years and is therefore hardly available anymore. European hardwood species like Oak do not really provide an alternative as the durability is mediocre and growth is also slow. The disadvantage of bamboo is that its performance in exterior circumstances is poor due to biological degradation. The Dutch company MOSO International has found a solution for the poor durability of bamboo: With the introduction of Bamboo X-treme decking, MOSO offers a truly ecological and durable alternative for increasingly scarce tropical hardwood for use in decking. MOSO Bamboo X-treme is a solid, high density bamboo decking board, made from compressed bamboo strips, which is very well suitable for outdoor application. A special, patented heat treatment process provides Bamboo X-treme the highest durability class possible in the appropriate EU norms (Class 1 for EN350-1). The same process increases the dimensional stability and density of the product – making it very hard. The result is a very strong and sturdy decking board superior in performance to the best tropical hardwood species, without compromising the environment: Official carbon footprint studies executed by the Technical University Delft, have

shown that Bamboo X-treme is CO2 neutral over the full life cycle. Furthermore, the Bamboo X-treme decking board has a beautiful dark brown hardwood look. Finally, installation and maintenance is relatively easy as becomes clear in the instruction movie available via www.moso.eu/youtube More information: www.bamboo-xtreme.eu MTC promotes PEFC certified Malaysian hardwood Malaysian wood sorts such as balau, red balau, kempas, keuring, and merbau enjoy an excellent reputation and are ideal for terrace floors due to their hardness, durability, and beauty. In 2009, Malaysia became the first PEFC recognised country in Asia. At present, there are over 4.5 million hectares of PEFC certified forests in Malaysia with over 50 different sorts of tropical hardwood for various uses. The Malaysian wood export promotion department MTC in London promotes this PEFC wood and its dealers via their web site and ‘Wood Wizard’. Visit www.mtc. com.my http://woodwizard.my/ Outdoor Wood Concepts Terrace planks from Outdoor Wood Concepts are produced from padauk and ipe.

The company doesn’t work with bamboo. As far as oak is concerned, they are seeing growth mainly in wooden exterior wall claddings, which are used a lot for English outhouses. The fact that floor fitters are increasingly fitting terraces is seen here as a logical outworking since terraces are increasingly being regarded as an extension of the interior.

According to Outdoor Wood Concepts, most fitting is still done by traditional joiners. They also take the view that the market has now reached a saturation point.

Plastivan Apart from the hardwood sorts ipe and padauk, there is a growing demand for wood composite because good wood sorts are becoming more scarce and therefore also more expensive. Moreover, wood composite enables you to follow certain colour trends better (at the moment, grey and anthracite shades are popular). Duofuse® is the brand name of the WPC products which Plastivan NV produces. It is a mix of 50% wood flour (European pine wood) and 50% synthetics (PVC). Plastivan NV has almost 50 years of experience in the extrusion of PVC building products and has also been producing wood composite for eight years. The range consists of a wide collection of materials for use in the garden (various types of terrace planks and garden shields) whereby Plastivan NV is playing a pioneer role in this rapidly growing market. The company does everything in Belgium under its own management from compounding the raw material to the

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Ravaioli Legnami At Ravaioli Legnami they have noticed that, apart from the usual terrace favourites ipe and teak, there is growing demand for bamboo. At the moment, the company doesn’t sell any composite material, but won’t rule it out for the future. They have concluded that floor fitters want to add to both their knowledge and market share of outdoor floors because it is a rapidly growing market. This growth is because even if people don’t have a big garden, they still want a cosy place to relax.

Spazio Deck Spazio Deck presents a composite material of PVC and wood, a product which has been developed after years of research. As with many other outdoor applications, PVC has outstanding qualities in the areas of impact resistance, water absorption, mechanical properties, and UV resistance. Despite the longer lifespan, this composite is less expensive than as tropical wood or thermally treated wood. Maintenance also costs less.

The composite market continues to be a profitable one for Spazio Deck. Globally, this market is growing by 13% per annum.

Growth in Europe and the USA is a little lower (8 to 11%), but in markets such as China, Russia, South America, and India the company is seeing growth between 25 and 52%.

Strong Export In January at the DOMOTEX, Strong Export from Portugal presented a huge success. The Strong Company develop a unique and exclusive product, this product is a result of a close cooperation with a national R&D center. This new product consists of a photoluminescent wood flooring system .It is charged by natural light during the day and provides a gentle glowing light at the night. Either in the deck of an hotel lounge overlooking the city or a private swimming pool, this innovative product can be used for both decorative and safety purposes. Is available is various sorts of wood and has several interesting possible uses. The applications for this product are countless and the novelty factor will certainly amaze both clients and friends alike. We guarantee that your night will have more light.

Vetedy For creating terraces with a professional and invisible fastening system, Vetedy uses impervious and highly stable sorts of wood.

The highest quality wood sorts for that purpose are merbau, padauk, ipe, and Burmese teak.

Oak is given only modest appreciation here. The reasons for that are the less guaranteed stability and the fact that oak loses its beauty if it is exposed to climatological influences. The tannins in the wood can generate adverse effects, which result in black discolouration. People also have little confidence in thermally treated oak wood. Vetedy swears honestly by 100% natural wood sorts, so composites are waste don this company.

Vandecasteele Vandecasteele Houtimport presents a wide assortment of wood sorts from all corners of the earth. For terraces they recommend all wood sorts in durability class 1: ipe, cumaru, massaranduba, tali, bilinga, merbau, and VANDECASTEELE H O U T I M P O R T jatoba. For the base construction the company also offers durable wood sorts such as angelim amargossa, bilinga, mandioquira, and such like. Vandecasteele Houtimport aims to be the durable outlet in Europe in the area of Tropical hardwood, Russian and Scandinavian softwood, and American hard and softwood. The company aims to achieve this in an ecologically responsible manner in perfect harmony with the clients, suppliers, and surrounds. Sustainable management of the wood has been an integral part of the company’s strategy ever since the start. The wood originates from sustainably managed forests. The various certificates (FSC, PEFC, OLB, VLO, MTCC, SGS, and TLTV) are proof of the sustainable forest management.

WST®: the Palckè®™ Maobamboo® producer WST is a leading producer of solid wood floorboards for outdoor use.

The company presents terrace boards for laying terraces, exclusive swimming pool boards, places to relax in the garden, and such like.

One of the most important WST collections in mao bamboo®, which is based on woody bamboo.

This consists of wide strips of extruded blocks which have been developed to stand up to the most extreme weather conditions. The elegance and look of mao bamboo®, with dimensions of 1850 x 140 x 20mm, is an enrichment for terraces and swimming pools, but can also be used as an exclusive exterior wall cladding. According to WST, the wooden terrace market is in full growth because, apart from private clients, catering businesses, for example, are showing a growing preference for wood.

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Floor Forum International 65

extrusion of the planks so that it has complete control over the entire production process. This is how Plastivan NV stands out from the wide range of import products from Asia. The price of Duofuse wood composite is in the price range of class 1 wood sorts such as ipe or padauk.

Special Outdoor floors : wood, bamboo & composite

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NAIL GUNS AND STAPLERS FOR FLOOR FITTERS Special Nail guns and compressors

ESSENTIAL TOOLS TO MAKE THE WORK LIGHTER Elsewhere in this edition we consider glue dispensers or glue guns for applying parquet adhesive to the screed or subfloor from a standing position. In that article we acknowledge their ergonomic benefits, but, at the same time, we also modify those benefits somewhat.

As far as nail guns and staplers are concerned, no modification is necessary at all. There is no doubt that these tools save floor fitters lots of energy and they can fit floorboards a lot quicker in comparison with the traditional method using a hammer and nails.

Technology is something ‘special’ As technology provides us with more and more technical resources, tools, and machines to make work lighter in construction and other industries, we sometimes wonder how we ever coped with jobs in the past. We only have to think of the vast feats of strength required to saw a tree into planks before the days of sawing machines. Or the huge manual labour which was required to take heavy materials upstairs in buildings under construction when there were no hoisting cranes. We think of the Egyptian pyramids, cathedrals, or church towers. Science leads to the development of technology which can then be converted into practical and serviceable resources. In the case of nail guns and staplers, apart from the science of electricity, we are also talking about ‘pneumatics’.

Sorts of guns Below we outline the various sorts of guns. As a rule, we can divide them up into three types according to the power source used to drive the nails or staples into the work piece: electric guns (battery powered or otherwise), pneumatic guns, and gas pressure guns.

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Electric guns With electric guns, the necessary power is provided, of course, by electricity. It goes without saying that, as with all electric tools, the transition to battery-powered wire-free tools has been made. Electrical tools with a lithium-ion battery have the big advantage that they operate autonomously, so the user is not hindered by leads. Usually, battery-powered tools are not as powerful as pneumatic guns or guns with 220V. They are often used for lighter jobs.

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Pneumatic guns The force required to drive the nail into the floorboard is generated by ‘air pressure’. This air pressure is supplied by a compressor. A large quantity of air is sucked up by the compressor, pressed together (compressed), and released in a short time span to create a huge discharge of power. The compressor and the hand tool are connected to each other by special tubes.

These tools work in similar fashion to an air carbine.

Gas pressure guns With gas pressure guns, the power is provided by a gas discharge from special gas units (capsules) placed inside the gun.

The scientific principle is that the supply of power from the rise in pressure is caused by an explosion. The explosion creates an increase in pressure in a combustion chamber to shoot out the nail. Firearms work in a similar manner.

What should you look out for?

The range of nail guns and staplers on the market is very extensive and geared to various specific branches in the construction industry. Everyone has to make a choice, depending on their type of work. There are also specific points for attention which floor fitters should note. They need to consider what the machine will be used for. The most common jobs are as follows: - Attaching the subfloor to the screed: To do this, you need a powerful machine which is capable (preferably) of driving hard steel nails through the wood (the panel) to fix them in the screed.

- Fitting strip (traditional) parquet: Here, too, you need a powerful machine, certainly if you are using extremely hard sorts of wood. The machine has to be capable of driving the nail heads deep into the wood so that there are no marks.

- Fitting thin strips in patterns: To do this, you need a machine which fires slender tacks into the wood. As far as the tacks or nails are concerned, you have to check the metal alloy. This has to be compatible with some chemical products.

- Fitting skirting boards: Here, too, you have to use hard steel nails. You need enough force to shoot the nail through stone or cement.

You need to consider a number of points related to the tasks in hand. Do you opt for a contact trigger system or a sequential system? Do you look for a gun which shoots nail by nail or would it be preferable to use a gun which shoots repetitively?

Generally speaking, floor fitters need to make sure that the device is not too heavy, since they have to shoot with one hand and hold the strip in place with the other. This is always done from a kneeling position. An ergonomic handle, preferably a rubber one, is also an advantage.

Safety commanded!

There was a time when these tools were covered by firearms legislation. This situation changed with the passing of the new machine directive 2006/42/EC. However, the fact remains that caution is essential in using these tools. There are preventive rules for all hand tools in order to prevent accidents.

Furthermore, in 2011, the American governmental institutes

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Rules for all tools - Only use tools bearing a CE label.

- The manual and instructions must be available in the user’s language.

- Users must be authorised and trained staff.

- Use the tool only for the purpose(s) for which it has been designed.

- Check regularly to make sure that the tool is in good condition.

- Make sure that the tool is maintained as required by a qualified professional.

- Do not force or overload the tool.

- Do not leave the tool lying around and store it safely after use.

Rules for nail guns - Use nail guns with a fully sequential trigger.

- Provide suitable training.

- Develop procedures for using a nail gun.

- Provide personal protective gear.

- Encourage people to report and discuss accidents and near misses.

- Provide first aid and medical care.

What’s on the market?

Certis Benelux

Cerclindus Cerclindus offers an extensive range of these tools for floor fitters.

The Finish Pro 10 is a very lightweight, comfortable, and pneumatic nail gun. It is ideal for finish applications. The Finish Pro 10 is supplied with PVC case, links, setting tool, and oil. The SBN10XP is a sturdy pneumatic pinner for pins up to 25mm. It is ideal for doors and cupboards, parquet, ornamental boards, frames, adornments, bird cages, bee cages, and finishing.

The star of the show is the SLP 20, a pneumatic nail gun, which is particularly suitable for industrial use. The SLP 20 is also supplied with PVC case, links, setting tool, and oil. It is ideal for joinery, indoor work, skirting boards, panels, door frames, toys, stairs, walls, and parquet. As far as compressors are concerned, Cerclindus offers the AC33020, a professional high performance compressor. It is ideal for jobs where a great deal of compressed air is used.

Apart from that, there is the PC1010, a small and compact compressor, which, thanks to its light weight (only 9kg), is easy to transport anywhere.

Special Nail guns and compressors

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) produced a nail gun safety manual.

Certis has an extensive range of nail and staple guns for floor fitters. The BeA SK 338-616 is loved for its speed by professionals who like to shoot repeatedly. An extra advantage is the driving power of this tool. Even with hardwood sorts, the nail heads are driven easily into the wood surface so that there are no black marks later after the sandpapering. The BeA S 717 – 410 shoots fine needles. This tool is deployed when patterns are fitted with thin planks. An extra plus point are the stainless steel 17mm cartridges, which, when used with corrosive fluids, do not form any rust marks. By contrast, the BeA T-25 – 155 shoots hard steel T-shaped nails (18mm). This is ideal for fixing subfloors onto the screed. Finally, the BeA SKS 650 – 228 is used to fasten skirting boards to the wall. The hard steel nails are driven into stone and cement effortlessly, yet the only trace left is that of a finishing nail. These tools can be connected to any compressors which supply compressed air up to a maximum of 10 bars. As a compressor for use on site, Certis supplies Kaeser and Max compressors. If it has to be ‘silent’ air, professionals enjoy using high quality Jun-Air compressors or Ekom compressors.

Dewalt supplies battery-powered nailers for floor fitters. The most popular model used for skirting boards and covering slats is the 18 V Heavy Duty 16 Gauge. This tool has a handy double charge facility and a 20° diagonally fitted loader with a capacity of 120 nails. This tool inserts nails constantly. The Gauge has both a manual “nail by nail” application for a precision finish and a “rapid fire” application for production work. It is easy to adjust the insertion depth using the indexed setting wheel and the machine also performs consistently if you adjust the depth. Lamps illuminate the work zone if the light is poor or you have to work in small dark rooms. The contact mechanism can be locked to prevent any involuntary firing of nails. This nailer guarantees increased durability in comparison with existing wire-free nailers and is easy to open for solving problems or for maintenance.

Visit the website www.european-floor-and-wall-exhibition.eu

Floor Forum International 65

Dewalt

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Preview Of Domotex Asia/ Chinafloor

Floor Forum International 65

Preview Domotex Asia/Chinafloor

New growth opportunities for the Asian floor industry

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The Asian flooring market continues to grow. That has emerged from the registrations for the forthcoming Domotex Asia/CHINAFLOOR show (25 to 27 March in Shanghai). The show was already 90% booked early in January. The organisers are delighted, partly because the available exhibition space has been raised to 140,000m². Some new initiatives have also emerged for the coming show.

National pavilions Those at the show will once again see a number of big national pavilions. Turkey, Pakistan, the USA, Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands, Iran, and India have already booked their tickets. There will also be pavilions from various Chinese provinces, including Changzhou, Anji, and Tianjin.

InnovAction Flooring Online System A trade fair is about doing business, meeting new clients, and sharing knowledge and opinions. With InnovAction Flooring Online the organisers are aiming to bring visitors and exhibitors in contact with each other before the show. The pre-registration system enables visitors to share their interests in advance so that exhibitors can look out for prospective clients more efficiently.

Visitors looking for major innovations can also visit the InnovAction Flooring Centre, which has moved to the Hub for Architects and Designers in hall W5. The leading innovative products selected by a jury of experts will be neatly on show.

Ecological floors on show with Green Step Asia In partnership with Floor Covering Weekly, the organisers are working on an Award programme. With Green Step Asia they are aiming to highlight beneficial green products and initiatives and give extra support to companies which endeavour to work ecologically. There are four categories of awards: the best green product, the best green practice or greenest working method, the best green promotion and communication, and the best green result.

The prizes will be awarded by a jury full of big names from the flooring industry and members of environmental organisations.

The organisers hope that the winners will be given the necessary recognition throughout Asia.

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Domotex Russia offers big export opportunities

“We’re delighted at the vast interest in the second Domotex Russia,” says Martin Folkerts, director of Global Fairs at Deutsche Messe. “Once again, the show will be a must for all companies looking to access the strong Russian flooring market. We’re expecting another good turnout of purchasers and professionals from all corners of Russia and the other CIS countries.”

355 new hotels in Moscow The organisers stress that business opportunities in Russia are still legion. The construction industry is one of the strongest motors of economic growth in the country. Between now and the end of 2014, no fewer than 355 new hotels are being built in Moscow to provide an extra 81,000 rooms and 162,000 beds. It goes without saying that these building plans alone will have a major impact on demand for interior finishes, including floors.

Russia will also be buying huge quantities of import products in order to complete these building projects.

Preview Domotex Moscow

The second Domotex Russia will take place from 1 to 3 April 2014 in the ARTPLAY Design Centre in Moscow. Deutsche Messe, the organiser, says that in the next few years the Russian building industry will be operating at full speed, whilst the huge investments in hotel capacity in Moscow offer excellent opportunities for the international flooring industry.

Regional conferences in Siberia and the Urals Due to the huge size of the country, the organisers of Deutsche Messe are working together with the local Russian Internet site flooring-expert.ru to put exhibitors in contact with prospective clients from Siberia and the Ural region. To this end, there are conferences planned for February and March in Novosibirsk (Siberia) and Jekaterinaburg (Ural District).

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Floor Forum International 65

Wide range of floors Domotex Russia once again promises a complete range of hand-woven and machine carpets, parquet and laminate, hard floor covering, fitting methods, and maintenance solutions. The main visitor target group are Russian importers and agents and retail traders. The organisers are also conducting a special campaign to lure architects, building planners, and decision-makers from the contracting world to the exhibition.

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Lalegno exports continue to grow.

Advertorial Lalegno (B)

Lalegno exhibited at the recent Domotex for the third time in a row. They opted for an open and not overpacked stand, which has doubled in surface area since their first appearance.

Moreover, it was manned by dealers from various countries worldwide, something which immediately underlines the growth of this wood and parquet specialist from Nazareth in Belgium.

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Refined multi-layer parquet With over 30 years of experience in the wood industry, Lalegno has helped to refine the development of multi-layer flooring with well founded investments and striking innovations. They still adopt this approach today, certainly whenever a new collection appears. They work on the floor production until they create a perfectly refined product. Floor fitters on site and end users see this again and again every day.

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Careful wood selection and guaranteed colour The wood for the top layer of a Lalegno floor is selected with the utmost care and it is this strict selection which has given Lalegno floors such a strong reputation in the industry. The use of items such as natural colouring lays the foundation for the creation of the much loved Lalegno tints, but there’s more to it than that: the wood selection, too, is crucial.

The fact is that the wood selection is a crucial part of Lalegno’s parquet concept. It offers the assurance that the authentic

character of the wood is in harmony with the colour and personality of the floor. Moreover, it is only a masterly wood selection that gives you the certainty that you have created an even and consistent colour. Jan Labeeuw from Lalegno says: “Wood is a natural product. That means that with the colouring you don’t always automatically get the same colour each time. Our experience and attention to selection means we can supply the expected shade of colour which clients choose. That’s an important strong point of Lalegno and also an essential condition if you want long-term client satisfaction.”

Trendsetter in colour and style Apart from the impeccable technical quality of Lalegno floors, the universally praised colour collection has also contributed strongly to their success both at home and abroad. By setting new trends, the company has put itself strongly in the mid-market and is extending its range for the upper end market segment.

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International recognition and expansion Since Lalegno made its initial steps on the international flooring market, exports have risen rapidly. Today, Lalegno products are sold in many countries and sales are flourishing particularly in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, France, and Ireland. Recently, Lalegno has found a reliable partner in Hebo for the sale of its floors on the German market.

Dealers with a local base Jan Labeeuw explains the export strategy: “We have a specific approach towards those export markets. We believe strongly in service and personal contact. Therefore, we always look for people in those countries and companies who are at home with the market and can create success with their personal contacts. That applies both to the consumer market and the project market, where our international team has built up a strong network of contacts amongst architects. As is the case everywhere, we strive for a structured market approach and long-term success in which there is always scope for sharing knowledge and experience in both directions.”

Advertorial Lalegno (B)

Stable and ecological Similarly, everything that lies under the noble wood top layers (2.5, 4, and 6mm) of a Lalegno floor is qualitative and exquisite. Lalegno parquet floors, available in both two and three layers, have a reinforced base made from fast-growing wood.

This is how Lalegno ensures maximum respect for the environment. Due to the thickness of the top layer, it is possible to sandpaper the parquet again and apply a new finish so the floors have a long lifespan. And so, the multi-layer floor from Lalegno retains its beauty from generation to generation.

Moreover, the multi-layer structure is ideal for the integration of floor heating.

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Reliability and speedy deliveries “This export approach breeds success, because today the Lalegno export file is pretty full. Our colours can charm people over the borders, we check our quality strictly, and we have a good stock so that we count as a reliable supplier on all fronts.” Jan Labeeuw concludes, “And so, we’re ready for further growth step by step on the international flooring market.”

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1K Simplicity – 2K Performance Bona Mega – Superior protection against spill and scuff marks The world’s best selling, water-based Bona Mega continues to redefine the rules Floor Forum International 65

of wooden floor finishing. The unique Bona Mega delivers the superior chemical resistance of a two-component finish, with the safety and convenience of a one-component formula.

Ideal for commercial floors, as well as domestic surfaces subject to heavy wear, Bona Mega offers unrivalled protection against spills, scratches and scuff marks.

bona.com/mega 40

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MS polymers and other silane adhesives might have made a breakthrough, but polyurethane is not finished yet. We can understand why. After all, polyurethane adhesive is still the safe solution for all applications, all wood sorts, all types of parquet, and all substrates.

You could certainly call it a ‘master key’. The only point for which floor fitters had to watch out, namely the correct mixing ratio, has been dealt with by most makers in a refined manner via the packaging. We consider the market range.

Forms of adhesive technology There are various forms of adhesive technology, which all work on the basis of their own (scientific) principle. The choice of glue is determined by the sort of wood, the substrate, climatological conditions, fitting systems, floorboard size, and various other parameters. Here we give a brief overview.

Emulsion adhesive Emulsion adhesives consist of a synthetic resin which is dissolved in water. These glues consist of solid matter for 50 to 65%. The most popular synthetic resins are polyvinyl acetate, acrylate, polyurethane, and derivatives of those synthetic resins.

For parquet adhesive this is usually polyvinyl acetate. Emulsion adhesives harden through the withdrawal of water from the adhesive to create an adhesive film (water disappears, whilst solid matter remains to achieve the binding).

Epoxy adhesives Epoxy adhesive is a dual component adhesive based on epoxy and is used for several applications, whether industrial, domestic, or in aircraft construction. It can be applied as a coating, but also in combination with glass fibres. Epoxy adhesive is also used a lot as repair glue in which solid matter is used as a filler (“liquid steel” or “liquid wood”). A hardener is added to the epoxy to create a strong adhesive bonding.

Epoxy polyurethane adhesives As the name suggest, an epoxy polyurethane adhesive is a polyurethane adhesive with epoxy components. Some people say that the combination of polyurethane and epoxy is the most reliable adhesive technology that there is for wooden floors and the one most certain to produce good results.

Silane adhesives Silane adhesives (MS polymers or SMP adhesives) operate on a different principle to PU adhesives. The silane modified polymers (silicon hybride) consist of chemically reactive compounds which ensure that the polymer forms an elastic adhesive bonding when it comes into contact with air humidity. Silane adhesives ensure outstanding and durable adhesion, yet remain elastic. Nowadays, there are silane modified adhesives with various degrees of elasticity.

Polyurethane adhesives Traditionally, PU adhesive owes its adhesive strength to a compound of isocyanate and alcohol. The adhesive bonding is created by the reaction of the atmospheric damp with the urethane compounds. The properties of polyurethane adhesive arise from the constitution of the substance. PU is a co-polymer which consists of hard and soft segments. These segments arise through the reaction of urethane and isocyanate, form a long chain, and alternate with each other. The hard segments have the tendency to crystallise and form a hard material. The soft segments, viewed separately, should form a syrupy liquid.

The combination of both segments ensures a union of the best properties from both.

A master key To say that PU adhesive is a master key within the various sorts of glue is certainly no exaggeration. Indeed, PU adhesives are suitable for all types and sorts of parquet. They are deployed for all sorts of solid wood parquet and solid wooden planks.

They can also be deployed for multi-layer parquet and can be used on both raw delivered floors and pre-finished floors. Their outstanding tensile strength and highly stable adhesive groove means that PU adhesives can also be deployed for glueing wide planks, even for critical sorts of wood. As far as the sorts of wood are concerned, there are equally few limitations. These include native sorts, tropical wood sorts, and wood sorts such as beech and ash, which require a certain caution. The adhesion on just about all wooden materials is excellent. Suitable substrates include: cement covering floor, subfloors with a leveller at least 2mm thick, anhydrite screed, poured asphalt, and fibre plates (V100). PU adhesives are also the safe solution for glueing subfloor parquet (mosaic) onto the screed and for glueing strips (traditional parquet) onto the subfloor. Moreover, with due consideration for the general rules, they can also be used for glueing on floor heating.

Mixing two components PU adhesives are available in single and dual component versions. With separately packed components (2K), we get a chemical reaction of the components with each other. With the pre-mixed version (1K), both components react to the air humidity. In other words, even with adhesives which are ready for use, there are still reactions between different components or

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Special Producers of 2K polyurethane adhesives

2-COMPONENT ADHESIVE PACKING GIVES THE RIGHT DOSAGE.

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Photo: Kerakoll

POLYURETHANE IS STILL DOING WELL.

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different components support each other in a reaction with air, moisture, or both. The biggest advantage of adhesives which are ready for use is the dosage. However, in recent years, various makers of dual component adhesives have adapted the packaging of those glues so as not to endanger the dosage. If the hardener and the glue are packed in one bucket with two sections (the hardener in the top section ‘runs into’ the glue in the bottom section), the dosage is always correct. The two components must be mixed thoroughly with a mixer for at least two minutes until a uniform mixture is created. Depending on the type of wooden floor, you apply the adhesive evenly to the substrate using a notched trowel (B3, B11, or B15). You must only apply the quantity of glue for the area on which you can fit floorboards within the processing/drying time. The underside of the wooden floor must be well moistened. There must not be any glue at the edges and, if this is the case, you must clean it up at once.

component polyurethane adhesive for glueing all unfinished parquet sorts. Parcol PU 1K is also suitable for all varnished parquet sorts on porous substrates, strip parquet, solid wood parquet with tongue and groove, pre-engineered parquet (two or three layers), mosaic, end grain blocks, laminate floors, wooden panels, OSB, and such like. Parcol U57 is a dual component adhesive for glueing all unfinished parquet sorts, all wood extracts, all sizes, all varnished parquet sorts (solid wood or two or three layers), all sizes of strip parquet, solid wood parquet with tongue and groove, engineered parquet (two or three layers), mosaic, end grain blocks, cross-cut wood, wooden floors, laminate floors, wood fibre plates, OSB, and multiplex.

Finally, Parcol PU 56 is a dual component adhesive with a high level of technicality for parquet, but also for rubber and synthetic lawns.

Chimiver

A overview Adesiv

Adesiv offers several polyurethane adhesives. PELPREN PL60 is a dual component epoxy-polyurethane adhesive, which contains no water. It is designed specially for glueing wooden floors onto any sort of concrete substrate or existing non-absorbent floors (marble, tiles, Palladian, and wooden substrates). Adesiv’s latest innovations are silane adhesives such as the MS Polymer, which is 100% silane-based.

Bostik

ADESIVER 327 PU is a two components polyurethane adhesive without any epoxy modification, fully water and organic solvent free, formulated without the use aromatic or aliphatic amines.

ADESIVER 327 PU has been formulated to answer the needs of those workers that do not want to renounce to the typical characteristics of adhesives with 100% of non-volatile matters, but are allergic to epoxy adhesives. Destinations: ADESIVER 327 PU is suitable to lay of wood and in any size including strips, without requiring the pre-laying of wood fillets/battons. It is furthermore recommended, since water free, in laying pre-finished parquet, and pre-calibred one. It adheres also to heat and sound insulating panels (cork, expanded polyurethane, rockwool); tiles on asbestos cement and chipboards; wood and building materials (ceramics,stoneware-marble tiles) on to metal bases.

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Henkel / Thomsit

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The polyurethane adhesives from Bostik are Parcol PU 1K, Parcol PU 57, and Parcol PU 56. Parcol PU 1K is a single

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From Henkel we present the Thomsit P625. This is a dual component polyurethane parquet adhesive for glueing mosaic parquet, strip parquet, solid parquet, exotic wood, wood-crosscut, and pre-finished. It does not contain solvents and has virtually no emissions. This adhesive is ideal for glueing critical sorts of parquet with a high water absorption and for chip-resistant glueing of large size parquet planks in particular. It is also suitable for glueing rubber floor covering and for laminate on Thomsit Floor TF 303 insulation underlay. Thomsit P625 guarantees a rapid initial adhesion and is suitable for floors with floor heating. The Thomsit P625 is suitable for glueing on both absorbent and non-absorbent substrates.

Emfi

Lecol Lecol offers two polyurethane adhesives for Belgium and the UK. Wakol PU 225 Parquet Adhesive (2K) is suitable for glueing 22mm solid parquet (thick strips and wide floorboards) only onto a wooden subfloor (chipboard, mosaic, etc.) together with concealed clips. With this dual component adhesive the hardener is mixed in by machine. This glue is top quality and suitable for glueing on floor heating. The PU 225 package consists of a bucket underneath a hollow lid which contains the hardener.

This makes the handling a lot simpler and considerably reduces the chances of the glue being spread without a hardener or with the wrong hardener. Wakol PU 215 Parquet Adhesive (2K) is identical to Wakol PU 225 Parquet Adhesive, but has an open time of two hours in contrast to the one hour of the PU 225.

Emfi presents its Emfimastic PU Parquet adhesive. This glue is suitable for cordon glueing all types of parquet. Emfimastic PU Parquet is a coloured adhesive which is available in cylinders of 310 and 600ml. It is classified as Habitat Sain A+.

Special Producers of 2K polyurethane adhesives

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Kerakoll Green Building Company

In its production, Kerakoll does not use the (carcinogenic) R40 / H351, an indication which often occurs with the 1K and 2K PU adhesives (point 2 in the SDS). Kerakoll offers the ecological SLC Eco L34 line, which is not harmful to the health of floor fitters or consumers. These are the 2-component PU adhesives with epoxy setting system: SLC Eco L34 (ECO2), SLC Eco L34 Neutra (Eco 3), and SLC L34 Plus (Eco 4). The L34 Plus is suitable for use in the Netherlands. It contains no solvents and has an EC1 Plus certificate. With the L34 line you can glue all sorts of parquet onto all sorts of substrates. If necessary, you can use the SLC Eco EP21 (Eco 3) as a primer or moisture barrier to bring the substrate into conformity. If you don’t want to use dual component adhesive, you can opt for the 1-component SLC Eco L34 Flex (Eco 4). This adhesive, too, has been developed with the exclusive Anti Hygro and Thermo Shock Technology. The Kerakoll Green Building Rating used on each Kerakoll product is certified by SGS.

For many years, Mitol has presented two types of dual component polyurethane adhesives, namely Parketolit 1549 and Parketolit 1550. Both glues are suitable for glueing all types of parquet in all sizes and on any substrate (cement, wood, anhydrite, ceramic, or marble). The glues can be used with floor heating. In combination with the primer Parkolit PR50, they can be used on a substrate with a residual moisture percentage of 4%. You can also use Parkolit 1550 outdoors. Both adhesives contain neither water nor solvents and have a neutral odour.

Thanks to their composition, they have a long open time and are easy to spread. Parketolit 1549 and Parketolit 1550 guarantee strong and durable glueing. The rapid drying time means it is possible to apply the finish the day after glueing. The sophisticated packaging makes it easier to mix both components.

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Floor Forum International 65

Mitol

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Pallmann Pallmann P9 is a 2-component PU adhesive which contains neither water nor solvents. It meets the standard DIN EN 14293 and is for all parquet, especially for moisture-sensitive wood and formats and for glueing onto parquet-suitable UZIN bottom layers. Pallmann P9 is pasty polyurethane parquet glue with no solvents or water and does not affect the swelling of parquet since no moisture is extracted from the wood. This adhesive is suitable on substrates with sufficient strength such as on sandcement, calcium sulphate, and mastic asphalt covering floors, chipboard, suitable UZIN bottom layers, and on warm water floor heating.

STAUF PUK- 450: Hard stuff not only for solid planks Adhesive specialist STAUF offers with PUK-450 a hard-elastic wood flooring adhesive on polyurethane basis. The ready-to-use premium product has a very wide application range and is also suitable for installation of all kinds of solid planks. The adhesive application occurs without risk of plasticizer related softening of sub floor or lacquer, STAUF PUK-450 is also water- and solvent free as well as very low emission certified (Emicode EC1-R).

STAUF PUK- 445: 2-component polyurethane reaction resin adhesive with elastic adhesive ridges. For the optimum rigid-elastic installation of wood flooring STAUF offers the PUK-445 as a 2 component polyurethane reaction resin adhesive which can be spread easily. The adhesive with very low emission is suitable for nearly all kinds of wood flooring like varnished wood flooring, wood flooring planks and laminate floorings. STAUF PUK-445 offers a high dimensional stability and acts as a tension decrease at the same time. In this way a reasonable elasticity is combined with high strength. For dark wood species like is a coloured version available. STAUF PUK-445 is also water- and solvent free as well as very low emission certified (Emicode EC1-R plus).

Rectavit

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The Rectavit 245 2K PU is a dual component polyurethane parquet glue. This glue has been developed for chip-resistant glueing of moisture-sensitive parquet sorts, large-size parquet planks, mosaic parquet, solid parquet, exotic parquet, and ready-to-fit parquet on substrates as screed, concrete, stone, tiles, wood, and metal, as well as on anhydrite substrates and with floor heating. This adhesive is easy to spread with a spatula (Rectavit B3 or B11 notched trowel), has a long storage life once it is mixed (60 minutes), and a fitting time of 60 to 70 minutes. The high filling capacity means that any slight unevenness is bridged. Rectavit 245 2K PU provides hard-elastic glueing. This adhesive guarantees a very strong final tack. The floor can be walked on, sandpapered, and loaded with furniture 24 hours later.

Tover offers in his wide range two polyurethane adhesives: a two-component one (TOVCOL PU2C) which contains no water, no solvent, no epoxy resins, no isocyanate and consequently avoids any type of allergy. It has a long working time up to 60 minutes, excellent adhesion properties, it is elastic with a very good shear strength value; the glue is suitable for any species, any sizes on all types of absorbent or not sub-floors. It is now available in the exclusive and clever Twin-Pack System for a easy transport and use. The second product is mono-component (TOVCOL PU/F1) with high performances, packed in bags for an easier and cleaner use without any waste. Their technical characteristics make them recommended for underfloor heating systems. Polyurethane adhesive also exists in 600 ml sausages to be applied with a gun for an elastic and flexible bonding even in vertical position.

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Photo: Blanchon

WATERBORNE VARNISH SYSTEMS

The transition from solventborne varnishes to waterborne varnish systems was completed a few years ago. The European Directive, which imposes limitations on the use of solvents, dates from 2004. 2007 and 2010 were also two important milestones. Those were two deadlines for makers to limit the solvent content in their products. Whilst there was a climate of anxiety in many professional circles about the transition to waterborne products, it has emerged by the year 2014 that there was really no reason for panic. Floor fitters, too, have had to adapt. The industry has provided them with qualitative systems which have helped them to put the solvent years behind them for good.

An adaptation?

The transition to these new varnishes (products) required an adaptation from professionals in their working methods. After all, these products ‘react’ differently to surrounding conditions than solvent-based products. Differences with regard to viscosity, spreadability, drying time, and such like make quite a difference to the application. Those problems have been solved in various ways. Firstly, as we have already said, the EU provided for a broad transitional period with two deadlines (in the distant future). That gave the product makers the time to make the necessary changes (and use up stocks) and allowed professionals to make the transition gradually. Moreover, the fact that makers also published manuals and organised training sessions for professionals also made for a gradual transition.

Surrounding conditions Waterborne products dry considerably faster so that they need to be applied quickly for a good end result. These products dry mainly through the evaporation of the water present in the varnish. A high relative humidity (over 85%) will hinder effective drying; indeed, the water in the paint can hardly evaporate because the surrounding air is already almost saturated with moisture. If the drying process is disrupted in this way, this has an adverse affect on the durability, adhesion, and water sensitivity

of the coat of paint. If there is condensation on glass, that is a clear indication of excessive moisture content. It will not be possible to apply waterborne varnishes in that situation. The temperature also plays a part. With summer temperatures and a low residual moisture (under 40%), it is possible that the paint dries so quickly that it cannot be applied properly, certainly if draught also plays a part. Yet in the winter, too, you need to be aware of the surrounding and surface temperatures. 7°C is usually the minimum temperature for waterborne varnishes. If the temperatures are lower than that, you need to heat the rooms. It is important to heat the rooms well before the work starts, especially for the underground temperature.

A selection from the range Various makers offer waterborne products as part of a complete finish system. Apart from varnishes, those systems also include primers and colour systems.

Adesiv The Adesiv range includes several single and dual component waterborne varnishes. The waterborne varnishes account for a good 80% of the market.

Adesiv has noticed that floor fitters don’t really need training in this field, but that they are interested in easily applied quality products such as the ICE varnish from Adesiv.

Furthermore, the company has also actively conducted research and development into nanotechnology for several years. Vernice WB Mono, Ecobril, Vernice WB 2C, and ICE are just a few examples from a complete range.

Blanchon Blanchon can certainly be called a European pioneer when it comes to waterborne varnishes. The company has had a full range for over 25 years. There is Aqua Pro, the range for floor fitters and floor specialists. This assortment includes primers, single and dual component lacquers, a waterborne oil, a

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Floor Forum International 65

Limitation of VOCs We all know that human beings are inventive. Sometimes, however, they need to be protected from the dangers of their own creativity. For decades, solvent-based varnishes provided excellent protection for wooden floors and other items. However, the day came when researchers discovered that the substances which those varnishes emit were harmful to human beings and the environment. And so, it was no surprise that the European Union decided to restrict the use of VOCs (volatile organic compounds). The limitation of the emissions of harmful substances as a result of the use of organic solvents in paints and varnishes was set out in European Directive no. 2004/42/EC. And so, today, there are maximum limits for the permitted solvent content in various products such as paint, glue, propellant for spray cans, and products for surface treatments, cleaning, de-greasing, coating, and impregnation, to name just a few.

Special Water-based lacquers

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binding agent for putty, and a whole range of special colours for large surfaces. Blanchon has four dual component varnishes, namely Belmont, Intensive, Blumor SD, and Sport.

Belmont (EC1R) is an odourless lacquer with exceptionally good properties. Intensive (EC1R) is also odourless and offers very high resistance to chemical products and very high traffic. Intensive is available in five variants, including the new and successful ‘Effet Nature’ (UB<4%). Blumor SD is a highly versatile and appreciated finish, not least due to its excellent price/quality ratio. Sport is a waterborne polyurethane varnish for sports floors and floors subjected to certain anti-slip demands. Blanchon also offers single component lacquers such as Chambord (EC1): This waterborne polyurethane varnish is easy to apply on new wood and is odourless. Chambord brings out the natural look of the wood and gives it a warm colour.

Chambord SD is a little less fluid. Initial is also a single component lacquer. This varnish warms up the look of light wood sorts.

Briançon The ‘Vitrificateur Aqua Parquet’ from Briançon provides durable protection for parquet floors, wooden floors, and stairs in all

NEW Lios Bioil 2K 2014

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Ciranova Ciranova has a waterborne varnish system consisting of four products. AQUAFIX SEALER is a ready-for-use single component waterborne primer for parquet. This varnish is highly elastic and

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Lios Bioil 2K is a natural, 100% solid content, 2 component oil for indoor wooden f loors.

Excellent performances in a single coat.

types of wood and on high traffic floors.

This product is a single component polyurethane glazer in the aqueous phase. It is exceptionally resistant to high traffic and household chemicals such as alcohol, acetone, chlorine, etc. The ‘Vitrificateur Aqua Parquet’ is very economical and consumes only one litre per 10m² per coat. It can be applied in three successive coats with a drying time of about two hours in between. This means you can finish a site in one day. This glazer contains only 10g/l of volatile organic compounds, so it qualifies for the Eco-label. Apart from this glazer, Briançon also offers a preliminary treatment, namely the ‘Sous-Couche Universelle Bois’, to improve adhesion on exotic wood sorts and floors which have been waxed or oiled for a long time.

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Pure

NO OVERLAPS *

CAN ALSO BE APPLIED WITH A POLISHER *

CHIMIVER PANSERI S.p.A. PONTIDA (BG) chimiver.com info@chimiver.com

14 UNIQUE COLOURS *

UNLIMITED COMBINATIONS POSSIBLE *

NATURAL LOOK VISIT US: HALL 8/ STAND 8615 EUROPEAN FLOOR AND WALL EXHIBITION www.rubiomonocoat.com

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> continued from page 46

Special Water-based lacquers

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 to offer the trade all the answers for perfect wood flooring.

La qualité, notre nature* 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

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Floor Forum International 65

Chimiver Panseri S.p.A Chimiver Panseri S.p.A. has extended its assortment of waterbased lacquers. We’d like to present our new extra matt invisible lacquer ECOWOOD 2K which is giving to your wooden floor a ultra natural look with no reflection and only 3% gloss.

ECOWOOD 2K has also excellent chemical and physical characteristics and is suitable for heavy trafficfloors. Also availbale for industrial use.

ECOCROM is a single-component waterbased super toning primer with high coverage for wooden floors, which could be used as a first coat in the lacquering process composed only of waterbased lacquers. ECOCROM gives the wood a very warm color, especially on oak. Thanks to its formulation ECOCROM extends very well making the application extremely easy. It doesn’t leave overlaps and has excellent sanding properties. ECOCROM, the colour of solvent with water!! Another new product is ECOGREEN is a single-component water- based lacquer characterized by a high solid content, excellent resistance to wear and water, excellent adhesion and absence of formaldehyde and heavy metals. Another particularity of ECOGREEN is to give the wood a warm and slightly oxidized appearance. The product has ECOLABEL certification (www.ecolabel.eu): european mark of ecological quality that confirms the Company’s commitment towards the environment.Into the range of Chimiver water-based products there is also ECOGEL which is a water-based primer suitable for trowel application on all kind of wooden floors. Easy application and quick drying time makes possible to get the floor treatment done in one day.

Than ECOSTAR 2K NATURAL, which is a two-components 100% PU water-based lacquer with Natural Wood Effect. ECOSTAR 2K ANTIBATTERICA is a two-components 100% PU water-based lacquer with bactericidal efficacy; it inhibits bacteric proliferation

TOGETHER EXPERTISE IN WOOD FLOOR FINISHES

*Quality is in our nature -

ecological and ideal as insulation for wood which is difficult to treat and as a tannin blocker. It is also suitable for parquet with floor heating. AQUAFIX MONO is a transparent universal PU/Acryl varnish for protecting domestic parquet (satin and matt). AQUAFIX PROJECT 2K is a dual component project varnish for extremely high-traffic floors (semimatt and ultra-matt). This varnish is also suitable for finishing sports floors. AQUAFIX MAGIC 2K is a dual component parquet varnish for parquet and wooden furniture to provide invisible protection without discolouring the wood. It is suitable for commercial indoor wooden floors. They have refined the composition of the Aquafix Magic 2K recently. New raw materials and better UV blockers prevent the wood from turning yellow.

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at 99.97% of staphylococcus and escherichia coli. In our range you can also find ECOSTAR single component and ECOSTAR 2K two components which has been improved and has got the certifications: slip resistance, resistance to cold liquids and chemical agents. Different gloss levels are available. All our water-based products are within VOC 2010 regulation and NMP free.

Special Water-based lacquers

Durieu For finishing parquet Durieu offers both oils and varnishes.

All products are waterborne. For the varnishes we make a distinction between the single component colourless product Vegafloor and the equally colourless dual component Ultimafloor. Ultimafloor is a waterborne polyurethane lacquer which has to be mixed with the accompanying hardener. Vegafloor is a product which is ready for use. Both parquet lacquers offer outstanding mechanical and chemical resistance, even against products containing ammonia. The products are colourless and odourless. They are insensitive to light and do not turn yellow over the course of time. Both Vegafloor and Ultimafloor are anti-slip. Vegafloor is available in matt, satin, or gloss. Ultimafloor is available only in matt or satin. Vegafloor is recommended for normal to high traffic floors and Ultimafloor for high traffic to extremely high traffic floors.

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Kerakoll

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Kerakoll Green Building Company presents its Aqua PUR Eco line. These are ecological 2-coat varnish systems with both 1K varnishes, the Aqua PUR HP, Rating ECO4 (matt and satin), and the Aqua PUR HPX, Rating Eco4 / EC1 (Extra matt, matt, satin, and gloss). The most popular, durable 2-coat system consists of: 1 coat SLC Eco Aqua PUR Basic, ECO4 / EC1 (special primer) to be sandpapered with grain 220 after eight hours, and apply a coat of HPX or HP. The SLC Eco Aqua Pur Flex is recommended as a filler kit. (Eco4). The above system saves you both time and materials. 250g provides durable protection for the floor. You can use the HPX to finish commercial floors which are subjected to high traffic. Training in the use of varnishes is very important, and Kerakoll invests strongly in this by providing training both in Italy and on the premises of its clients. Modern technology has also been a help at this point. The demonstration film clip of the SLC varnish system is on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=kGU1TIcXQBk.

Lecol Under the Lobadur brand name Lecol presents a full range of waterborne varnishes. The range starts with the Lobadur Prima Seal, a primer which is deployed exclusively for waterborne finishes. This primer can be used for all wood sorts. A primer which does not leave any streaks is the Lobadur WS Easy Prime.

This primer stands out due to its very high filling capacity. For extreme hardness Lecol offers the Lobadur WS 2K Fusion.

Although these lacquers are very hard, this Fusion scores exceptionally highly through the addition of the second component. Lobadur WS Easy Finish incorporates the latest technology in the field of single component waterborne finishes.

The varnish gives the floor excellent resistance to chemicals and sandpapering. Thanks to its high elasticity, this varnish is also suitable for cork. Application: for normal to high traffic rooms.

Pallmann Pallmann offers a full range of waterborne varnishes.

Pall-X 96 is a single component varnish for high traffic rooms and highly resistant to mechanical and chemical influences. Pall-X 96 is the rapid system finish with a very short drying time. Pall-X Extreme is a single or dual component adhesive for all wood in high traffic rooms. Pall-X 98 is a dual component varnish for extremely high traffic wooden floors. It has the highest possible resistance to mechanical and chemical influences and has slip resistance in conformity to the standard EN 14904. Pall-X Zero is also a dual component varnish which can be deployed even in an industrial setting.

Finally, Pall-X Sport is a 1-component varnish for sports floors with slip resistance in conformity to the prevailing national standards (e.g. DIN 18032 and EN 14904).

Plastor

Polycarbonate is the magical ingredient on which the entire PUR-T assortment from Plastor is based. A pure technique undergirds a range which respects both human health and the environment by using harmless raw materials. The products are odourless and easy to apply, and they preserve the colour of the wood. Plastor divides up its varnishes according to usage criteria. The frequency of use determines the most suitable varnish.

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PUR-T 1 is for low traffic rooms. PUR-T 2 is recommended in residential properties and for places such as corridors, living rooms, and such like. PR-T 3 is suitable for high traffic rooms in both residential and commercial buildings, whilst PUR-T 4, finally, is the number one high traffic glazer for high traffic places such as restaurants, discotheques, public places, and such like.

Irsa With the new and extensive Irsa Platinum assortment, Irsa offers a waterborne varnish system of the highest possible quality standard. The result of research in consultation with the clients is a waterborne and ecological varnish system with revolutionary characteristics. The new finish achieves its full hardness after three to five days, and after that the floor is ready for full use. Its strength is comparable to that of a solventborne varnish. Irrespective of the gloss, these varnishes provide outstanding scratch-resistance, indelibility (for several hours), and resistance to black stains from rubber soles, which can easily be removed. Irsa Platinum is recommended for light sorts of wood. The Irsa Platinum Exotic Primer is recommended for dark sorts of wood. You can fill in any holes first using Irsa Platinum Aqua Filler.

STAUF presents his 3 waterborne finish systems STAUF aqua Aurum: High quality two component polyurethane based waterborne finish for wood flooring and planks for heavy to extra heavy traffic in residential and commercial areas with excellent chemical resistance. The lacquer is easy to mix and has a very good resistance against step marks and burns. Gloss effect: extra matte 10, matte 20, semi gloss 40.

STAUF aqua Argentum: One component waterborne finish on acrylate-polyurethane basis for wood flooring and planks for normal to heavy traffic in residential and commercial areas, gloss effect: extra matte 10, matte 20, semi gloss 40. Specific feature: high filling capacity, very good abrasion resistance, ductile.

STAUF aqua Aeris: One component waterborne finish for wood flooring and planks for normal and medium traffic in residential areas. Very easy to process, optimum flow characteristics, good chemical resistance. Gloss effect: semi gloss 40.

SIMPLE, FAST, RELIABLE.

PRO³ – OUR FAST SYSTEM HELPS BOOST YOUR PROFITATABILITY SIMPLE – PRO³ system products are coordinated to work perfectly with one another. That means you no longer have to think about selecting the right individual products.

We provide you with an ideally compatible system – and it’s really easy to use.

RELIABLE – PRO³ offers you just the quality and reliability you’ve come to appreciate from STAUF. That is the big advantage – short reaction time and the same reliable processing quality.

FAST – PRO³ helps you save lots of time. That begins with selecting the right products. With Pro³ we have put together components precisely compatible for doing a perfect job.

Installation is much faster too, because of the shortened curing times.

Visit the website www.european-floor-and-wall-exhibition.eu STAUF Klebstoffwerk GmbH . Oberhausener Straße 1 . 57234 Wilnsdorf, Germany . www.stauf.de

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Tover

WOCA

Tover offers a complete range of water-based lacquers which replies to any requests from professionals in terms of aesthetic results, resistance and durability. The wide choice of mono and bi-component varnishes is able to satisfy the demand of a rough, extremely mat, natural aspect (Lympha) to warming, glossy finishing (Tropical SQ). These lacquers are suitable on any species, included exotic woods, for residential use as well as very intense traffic and with high resistance properties to chemicals.

The most innovative Tover varnish is BELLA SQ. As all the other water-based lacquers from the range, BELLA SQ is NMP free, with a low VOC content but its outstanding characteristic is that it is totally isocyanate and polyaziridine free for a major respect of environment and human health care during and after the application. Tover also developed products for a specific use like the two bi-component varnishes Firestop, in class Cfl-s1 as fire-resistant and Sportfloor Finish certified EN 14904 for sportive floorings. Water-based lacquers can be also combined with reactive aging systems (Antique, Fossil) and coloring solutions (Tintoretto Design) to get endless customized shades.

WOCA presents a full range of waterborne varnishes aimed at both professional floor fitters and end users. For consumers there is the WOCA Excellent Floor Lacquer. This is a waterborne lacquer which dries within 90 minutes at a temperature of 20째C. It is available in glosses of 20 and 40. For professionals Woodcare offers a primer and a single and dual component varnish. The WOCA Floor Primer dries very quickly and is easy to sandpaper. It is available in natural, white, and grey. The single component WOCA Superior Wood Lacquer is a fast-drying waterborne varnish (90 mins./20째C) and, just like the other products, is free of NMP and available in glosses of 20 and 40. Finally, the WOCA Advanced 2K Wood Floor Lacquer is a dual component lacquer which is fully waterborne and does not contain any NMP or isocyanate. This, too, is available in glosses of 20 and 40.

FIND CLEAR

AIR WITH PALL-X ZERO

Completely solventfree coating system for wood floors

www.good-for-wood.com

GROWTH OF VINYL AND PVC PROMPTS VIGILANCE Gone are the days when parquet floor fitters would respond with aversion to new techniques or forms of technology. That’s just as well, seeing that in recent decades the floor fitter’s sphere of service has expanded considerably. Today, a new storm is brewing. Vinyl, LVT, and PVC floors are undeniably on the up and up. The market segment most under threat as a result is probably that of laminate. Moreover, since floor fitters are being asked increasingly to fit laminate (and they are doing so), they would be well advised to follow this trend. Otherwise, there is a risk of them losing their market share.

Those other tiles Vinyl and LVT are not new, but the form certainly is new: Both floor types have been available for some time in tiles or planks, fitted with a click system for quick and easy fitting.

Although LVT (luxury vinyl tiles) are all the rage, they are also available in linoleum and PVC. Below we consider only floors with a click system. Rolls of linoleum and vinyl require different fitting techniques. They are usually fully glued. Some manufacturers provide training sessions and workshops for professionals. According to the providers, training sessions are often attended by seasoned floor fitters. Which tile floors do we encounter?

Vinyl tiles and planks A vinyl floor is an elastic synthetic (PVC) floor covering, which consists of several layers: the bottom layer or back, a protective fibre glass layer, the design, and the top layer. The durability of vinyl depends on the thickness of the top layer and the solidity of the base structure. An extra protective layer increases scratch resistance and durability. There are big differences in price and quality within the range.

PVC tiles PVC is an outstanding material for producing floors. It is waterproof and thereby suitable for damp rooms. 100% PVC floors are even suitable for use in showers. These floors have high durability thanks to the reinforcement PU coating. PVC floors nowadays have a wide variety of decors. In recent years, we have also seen the emergence of click systems, and that means that these floors can be fitted floating quickly and easily. We call this Click PVC. Linoleum Linoleum has made great strides over the years. Gone are the days when we saw it only in hospitals. Linoleum was given that ‘leading part’ due to its antibacterial properties and high durability and solidity. These floors are very easy to clean and, when fully glued, have excellent acoustics. Today, linoleum is available in lanes, strips, and tiles. The possible decors and colours are well nigh endless. Here, too, producers have adopted click systems.

Chance or necessity?

There are several reasons why these new click floors are back in fashion. Firstly, click systems are so designed as to simplify the fitting considerably. Furthermore, these floors also benefit from the very latest print technology, so the number of designs or decors has increased infinitely. These floors suit any interior and any style, modern or classic. If we also consider that they are quite suitable for any imaginable use, both residential and commercial, we realise that they provide stiff competition on the floor market.

100% PVC floors are also fully waterproof. That, too, is a benefit.

According to several producers, the type of floor most under threat from PVC is laminate. The position, then, is quite clear for parquet floor fitters: If they wish to safeguard their market share, they simply have to take these floors on board.

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What do floor fitters do?

In the past, floor fitters didn’t see themselves as construction workers. Construction workers were bricklayers, plumbers, joiners, and such like. By contrast, parquet fitters were ‘artists’ who turned up at a crucial stage of the finale to provide the ultimate finishing touch. Somewhat elitist, somewhat snooty.

They were the grandmasters of woodwork, a special craft. That also explains their years of aversion to laminate. Then, the market opened up to all those alternative floors, so floor fitters had to live with that development. The economist won the day from the haughty one. Nowadays, floor fitters fit anything that is within their capacity. Parquet can be fitted anywhere in the home, even in the shower. Some floor fitters are even asked to travel to the sunny south to fit or repair real ship deck floors.

Laminate has been in the mix for years because for various reasons it is complementary to parquet: - Financial motives sometimes play a part: Clients opt (partially) for laminate until they have enough money to afford parquet.

- Maintenance or replaceability: Clients choose laminate whilst there are Young children in the house.

- Ecological motives: Clients don’t want to ‘waste’ precious sorts of wood in the bedroom.

Laminate has clearly won over a section of the DIY market.

It is easy to fit, so lots of consumers fit floors themselves.

Nevertheless, there is still a big group of end users who call upon the services of a professional to fit laminate and all the indications are that the advance of vinyl, and especially vinyl tiles (LVT) and vinyl planks will follow the same course.

Special Vinyl, LVT, and PVC floors : extra business

Photo: Amorim

NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE FLOOR FITTER

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Special Vinyl, LVT, and PVC floors : extra business

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What’s on the market?

Amorim Wicanders Vinyl comfort floors (both the PVC click and the glued designs) are absolutely ideal for both private and commercial use. In recent years, Vinyl/PVC floors have grown enormously in popularity. Originally, these sorts of floors were sold and fitted mainly by interior businesses and home designers.

However, in view of the similarity in fitting techniques, Vinyl/PVC floors could certainly be listed as part of the wooden floor fitter’s core business. Wicanders Vinyl comfort floors are fairly simple to install, so a wooden floor fitter will have no problems. The Vinyl comfort glued strips have to be glued fully with a one-sided acrylic emulsion adhesive. The Vinyl comfort –Corkloc panels are fitted floating and without glue, just like a laminate floor.

Amtico International Amtico International recommends these floors mainly for large-scale uses such as in hospitals, retail, hotels, and such like. The long lifespan, low maintenance, and luxurious look are merely a few of the selling points. The endless design possibilities are another strong point. For high traffic rooms the brand offers Amtico Signature and Amtico Spacia. Signature is ideal for shops. Another important range is Amtico Click for glueless and simple fitting. At Amtico they have noticed how increasingly more fitters now see LVT as their core business, partly because this market is growing considerably. To attract new floor fitters, Amtico International conducts a lot of campaigns and promotions. As regards training, the company has a special programme in Solihull, England, where fitters can learn from the over 50 years of experience which Amtico has now built up.

Elegant Living Elegant Living sees vinyl floors as suitable for anything: They are durable, waterproof, sound-friendly, easy to maintain, easy to fit, etc. This makes them suitable for both commercial and residential uses. Fitting these floors does not require any special skills and the only tool needed is a knife.

Elegant Living offers training for floor fitters to help them master the fitting perfectly.

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Flamingo Parket

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By now, Vinyl, LVT, and PVC floors are well known amongst private clients and are fitted in homes, offices, shops, and sometimes also in bathrooms. The new click system from Flamingo Parket, in which the 0.55 PU top layer is fitted onto an 8.7mm HDF base with integrated catwalk subfloor and a total thickness of 11mm, has also been very well received by private clients and various parquet businesses. This system can also be fitted in flats. All PVC floors are ideal in combination with floor heating and have a very high performance. Consumers also like the

fact that PVC floors are warmer and quieter than laminate.

Flamingo Parket is of the view that fitting PVC floors is definitely one of the floor fitter’s core businesses. Any floor fitter who can fit laminate is perfectly capable of fitting the click system. Knowledge and experience is required, however, for the glued system.

Kurkfabriek Van Avermaet Although these floors are often fitted in living rooms due to their high durability, Kurkfabriek Van Avermaet believes they can be fitted in any room. The fitting is similar to that of laminate, so it is perfectly within the floor fitter’s working sphere. Floor fitters have been in the client database for years.

That obviously means they are informed of new developments in the floating range, whether they be in cork, digitally printed cork, or cork finished with a top layer of LVT. LVT is promoted here as an alternative to laminate due to its feel and the sound comfort and as an alternative to real parquet due to the low maintenance.

Luxury Decor Floors PVC laminate from Luxury Decor Floors is completely waterproof, so you can fit it anywhere indoors. It is ideal for all living rooms, bedrooms, and children’s rooms and, especially, in bathrooms, damp places, kitchens, and toilets. Luxury Decor Floors has already fitted LVT in several high traffic rooms such as shops, show rooms, catering businesses, offices, sports facilities, and such like. A major benefit is that you can fit these floors in bathrooms and kitchens, with or without a wood decor. You can do that with parquet as well, but it is much more expensive. With renovation the PVC floors from Luxury Decor Floors have the advantage of being only 5mm thick, so they can be fitted onto an existing floor.

Obviously, the low maintenance is another argument. Luxury Decor Floors provides regular training on clients’ premises, but they can also do this in their own showroom on request.

Plastivan/Viligno Plastigan presents Viligno. A Viligno floor consists of four different layers. Firstly, there is the watertight and soundproof core in PVC, which retains its shape and size thanks to the use of glass fibre. On top of the core there is the layer of decor.

Here, modern print technology provides a hyper-realistic reproduction of wood and stone patterns. A transparent top covering protects the decors against wear and damage. An extra protective top covering in polyurethane (PU) increases scratch and wear resistance, provides a matt gloss, and keeps dirt off the Viligno floor.

Parador As far as Parador is concerned, an important advantage of vinyl is the fact that these floors can be fitted in all rooms in the house. Their waterproof character is a big advantage. Moreover, vinyl also gives a warm feeling underfoot, it is easy to

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maintain, and, since it is a ‘silent’ floor, it also has excellent acoustic comfort. The solid wood designs are even suitable for bathrooms.

The vinyl tiles, designed with a click system, are just as easy to fit as laminate. Obviously, this is a market for floor fitters. Since more and more consumers are asking for vinyl, it must be included in the range. Parador provides training in fitting these floors.

Products provides special training for floor fitters for the new organic floors from the Flooring PURLINE range, available on rolls of 20 x 2m and in four new plank formats. mFlor

Tarkett As far as Tarkett is concerned, it is possible to fit flexible floor covering in just about any room in a house (kitchen, living room, bedroom, hall, corridor, attic, or bathroom). The main factor is the subfloor, which has to be flat, dry, and even, and it may be necessary to use a levelling compound. Most vinyl floors are glued to the subfloor. Only click vinyl is fitted floating like a laminate floor. Tarkett regards parquet floor fitters as a target group for parquet, laminate, and vinyl. The latter floors can be an extension to a floor fitter’s range so that he or she can obtain extra (more price-sensitive) projects. A broader range of floor types increases the chances of clients calling upon the services of a floor fitter.

Windmöller Flooring Products Windmöller Flooring Products believes that these floors are definitely part of the range of parquet fitters and floor fitters in general. The major benefit is the innovative nature of these floors, but also the exceptionally easy fitting. Windmöller Flooring

mFLOR has completely renewed its 2mm collection and replaced all current products with the new Argyll Fir (6 items: 122 x 23cm) and Suffolk Woods (8 items: 122 x 18cm). The 2mm collection has a 0.3mm top layer, so it is suitable for class 31 (EN 685: heavy domestic and light commercial use). All mFLOR 2mm products have a matt PU (polyurethane) protective layer as standard and a so-called ‘mini-bevel’ (small bevelled edges/facet edges for a charming floor effect). In 2013, to meet growing demand, mFLORLOCK introduced various new stone designs.

This year, they are adding special new wood designs to the collection. This is special because it includes English Oak processed with double films. This creates an even more vivid effect on the floor, and thereby an even more natural and authentic look. These mFLORLOCK planks are 124cm long and 18cm wide. This gives them nice elongated optics for a spatial effect. With a total thickness of 4mm and a top layer of 0.55mm plus a PU protective layer, these planks offer the best quality PVC floor with a click system.

Special Vinyl, LVT, and PVC floors : extra business

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all types of floors Promote your products in the biggest country of Southeastern Europe! redactie@pardoselimagazin.ro +4 0723 641 488 www.pardoselimagazin.ro

Viligno LVT flooring with Uniclic system combines all the advantages of vinyl with the natural look of authentic materials like tiles and wood.

Plastivan N.V. Wantestraat 3 B-8780 Oostrozebeke

Tel +32 (0)56 66 75 51 Fax +32 (0)56 66 91 18

Visit the website www.european-floor-and-wall-exhibition.eu

w w w. v i l i g n o. Co M iNFO@ViligNO.COM

Floor Forum International 65

The only flooring magazine in Romania

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> Industry news

Industry news

EPLF- Christmas Surprise for German Laminate Flooring Producers Turkish Government starts Anti-Dumping Investigation The Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Turkey prepared a displeasing Christmas surprise for the German producers of laminate flooring on the virtual second to the last working day before this year’s two weeks Christmas and New Year’s holiday period. As the EPLF European Producers of Laminate Flooring Association (Bielefeld/ Germany) was informed by members, the General Directorate for Imports of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Turkey initiated an anti-dumping investigation procedure following a publication of the Turkish “Official Gazette” on December 18, 2013.

EPLF: slight rise in laminate sales in 2013 The Association of European Producers of Laminate Flooring, which celebrates its twentieth anniversary this year, published its results for 2013 early in January.

In 2013, the 21 members sold 463 million square metres worldwide, a rise of 0.7%. There was strong growth in Eastern Europe, but exports to Asia and North America also rose. Sales in Western Europe stagnated or fell, with countries affected by the economic crisis recording poorer results. The top six countries in Europe were: Germany with 72 million square metres (76 in 2012); Turkey with 65 million (66 in 2012); France with 39 million (40 in 2012); Great Britain with 39 million (39 in 2012); the Netherlands with 19 million (9 in 2012), and Spain with 14 million (15 in 2012). Eastern Europe sold 103 million square metres in 2013 (99 million in 2012). North America had the best figures, but sales also rose in Asia-Pacific and China/ Hong Kong (3 in 2012).

we can satisfy even the most demanding customers. We are one of the few adhesive producers with its own emulsion production. This gives us greater flexibility in developing new products and enables us to create a more flexible price policy. The secret of our success is to offer customers tailor-made solutions. Our aim is not only to sell the products, but also to make them in line with customer needs.

This guideline, together with high performances and competitively priced products, has enabled us to beat our competitors and create a modern and internationally successful company.

Nowadays, we have partners in over 30 countries and complete more than 75% of sales abroad.

All our products are made according to the requirements of ISO 9001/2000. We are committed to controlling and improving our quality constantly. Our employees are the greatest asset and potential that we possess. Only by using our own expertise and innovative solutions can MITOL prosper on the global market and implement its vision to become the leading adhesive producer in this area. Loyal and prosperous partners prove that we are on the right track. Our motto: ALWAYS IN BETWEEN! Products: We offer a wide range of adhesives used for various types of application technology in different industrial sectors. In the field of flooring MITOL offers a complete selection of products for glueing all types of floor coverings such as parquet, laminated floors, PVC and textile coverings, linoleum, cork, and rubber.

The established brands PARKETOLIT and MEKOL are recognised by users for their quality and reliability. Qualitative, ecological, and competitively priced products are the result of intensive development and an ongoing search for solutions, which are userfriendly and also meet the high demands of floor users.

Rubio Monocoat oil finishing – that sounds promising!

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MITOL AT A GLANCE

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MITOL, with its wide range of products and over 65 years of tradition, ranks with the leading European adhesive producers.

When the first adhesive was developed in the early fifties, we couldn’t even begin to imagine what this would mean for MITOL and its future development. Following new sorts of technology and customer needs, our range of adhesives expanded and soon completely replaced the company’s primary activity of processing milk.

Nowadays, with a line of more than 500 high-quality products,

Precision, style, quality… These are the key words found throughout the ‘Exclusive Drums’ series. From this point of view, only selected woods such as wenge, zebrano and oak are used for the expert production of snare drums. It was thus only logical that the finishing oil for these showpieces was carefully selected too. Rubio Monocoat’s Creative Zone provided the drum makers with the necessary inspiration. The end result is a feast for both the eyes and ears!

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RUMANIAN PARQUET MARKET STAYS STABLE ECONOMY IS RECOVERING SLOWLY, BUT SURELY

Situation Rumania is a republic in South-Eastern Europe, bordering on the Black Sea, Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Ukraine, and Moldavia. The country has a surface area of 238,391km² and, in 2013, its population was 21,790,479.

Huge variety Rumania is enclosed almost entirely by Slavic countries, with Hungary and Moldavia being the exceptions. And so, it’s no surprise that the region is a hub of huge variety as regards culture, language, and religion. The country also shows great variety as regards landscape and natural beauty. The climate (cold winters/ warm summers) and a range of mountains (the Carpathians) running diagonally across its territory provide varying landscapes: wide sandy beaches on the Black Sea, a river delta, primeval forests, and plains.

Culture and religion Most people belong officially to the Rumanian Orthodox Church, whilst most ethnic Hungarians are Roman Catholic or

Rumania in Europe During the period between the two world wars, the capital Bucharest was nicknamed ‘Little Paris’ because the city is a huge tourist attraction.

It is also far and away Rumania’s biggest city. During the Soviet era, Rumania enjoyed relative independence in its foreign policy. Since 2004, the country has been a member of NATO, whilst it was admitted to the European Union in 2007.

The admission treaty was signed in 2005 and put into effect two years later. Rumania is the seventh biggest country in the European Union in terms of population, whilst for surface area it is the ninth biggest.

Progress of the reforms Although Rumania was admitted to the EU on 1 January 2007, that does not mean that the country has completed all its reforms. It was granted entry on condition that it continued with its reforms after admission. In particular, judicial reforms and the fight against corruption were points for attention. These matters are important because if they are not put right, they will obstruct the effective application of European legislation, policy, and programmes. The admission treaty with Rumania also included some special terms and conditions on these matters. The European Commission has set up a collaboration and verification mechanism to help Rumania carry out reforms. The European Commission issues reports on a fairly regular basis with the latest state of affairs regarding the reforms. The 2011 report presented a mixed picture. Rumania had improved its judicial efficiency and had extended the basis of the National Integrity Agency. However, unfortunately, an impact analysis

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Protestant and ethnic Germans are mainly Lutheran. The constitution of Rumania guarantees freedom of religion. The Rumanian language is a Romance language and is therefore related to Italian, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.

Special Rumania

They’ve suffered hard times, but now all Rumanians are working on a major economic recovery. At the same time, Rumania is passing through major reform. This reform was one of the conditions of entry to the European Union, and the country had to continue down that road, even after its admission to the EU. Wood is a major raw material and Rumania certainly has the biggest area of untouched forests. In recent years, programmes have been set up to protect those forests and the wooden flooring market remains relatively stable.

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Special Rumania

of the anti-corruption policy showed that the policy had not proved very effective. Progress in that area was still required.

The report concluded that Rumania would have to take measures quickly to tackle corruption in high places. And so, tackling corruption still has to be a high priority.

Economic struggle Like many other countries, Rumania has not been spared from the worldwide economic crisis. After the outbreak of the crisis, a good deal of the foreign capital, which supported the Rumanian economy, was withdrawn from the country. In 2009, Rumania received a loan of 20 billion euros from the IMF, the European Union, and the World Bank to reform the economy.

To get the budget under control, the salaries of government officials were cut by no less than 25% in 2010. Pensions were also reduced by 15% with all the ensuing social consequences. After a shrink in the economy of 1.3% in 2010, there was talk of economic growth of 1.5% in 2011. In February 2011, an additional emergency loan was granted by the IMF and the European Union. In 2012, the economy grew by 2%. The same percentage of growth was forecast for 2013. In 2012, the IMF permitted a salary increase of 8% for government officials. At present, the majority of Rumanians are still finding the economic situation ‘extremely difficult’.

What a wood supply!

Rumania has about 6,300,000 hectares of forests i.e. about 25% of the country. Much of that land is still owned by the government, despite the privatisation of large parts in recent years.

The government is committed to increasing the share of certified wood and has also taken measures to protect the primary forests.

Primary forests Some large forests show few, if any, traces of human intervention. For a long time, these forests were called ‘virgin’ or primeval forests, but they are now referred to as ‘primary’ or ‘old growth’ forests. They contain trees of all ages and large quantities of dead wood. Plants and animals grow naturally in those places. Primary forests are extremely rare in the continent of Europe, but there are still a few in Rumania and Poland. You can also find them in Siberia. Of all European countries it is Rumania which possesses the biggest surface area of ‘primeval forests’. This surface area is estimated at 250,000 hectares, a figure which accounts for 65% of all European primeval forests. For some years now, WWF Rumania has been drawing up an inventory and setting up a programme to protect these forests.

FSC certified Since the European market is demanding certified wood, the Rumanian government is making every effort to obtain an FSC certificate for more forests. Amongst other things, they are doing this by granting taxation rebates to users of certified wood.

The fact that the government itself owns a good number of the forests certainly helps in this context. The government is promoting the FSC and the FSC COC (Chain of Custody) certificates which companies can use to show that it uses wood from sustainably managed forests throughout its production flow. With the present forest surface area and the resolve of the government to encourage certified wood, Rumania seems to be continuing its advance as a wood country. Wood is also a major product within the context of income from export.

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Wide variety of wood Rumania also has a huge variety of wood. Coniferous wood dominates in the Eastern Carpathians, whilst in the Southern

Carpathians you also see a lot of deciduous trees. Up to 1200 to 1440 metres, you also find birch, various sorts of oak, maple, and poplars; up to 1800 metres, you can find pine, spruce, and larch trees.

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Parquet in Rumania In 2011, production in the FEP area amounted to about 70,713,000m². In 2012, that figure fell to 68,266,133m², a drop of no less than 4.7%. The total European production (FEP + other European countries outside the FEP) is estimated at 75,000,000m². The fall in consumption is even greater. Whilst the total consumption in 2011 was over 91,475,000m², this dropped in 2012 to 87,509,000m². That figure represented a fall of 5.88 %. Rumania has not shown any noticeable changes during that time.

KORMOS IMPEX/EXCLUSIVE FLOORS

Some companies:

FRENCH VERSAILLES PARQUET

French Versailles Parquet’s core business is woodwork up to and including the end product.

They have worked in this field since 1993. Their top product is Traditional Versailles Parquet in solid wood (solid parquet in oak, solid parquet in walnut, or solid parquet in old scrap oak) in the form of planks joined together by a mortise and tenon joint with wooden nails and no adhesives. These sorts of parquet are made only to order and the size/thickness of the parquet can be adapted to fit the room where they will be fitted. Old oak wood comes from scraps from old houses and is between 100 and 200 years old or even older www.frenchversaillesparquet.com - 0040 746 909 677

Our company was established 11 years ago, continuing, in Romania, a family business with a history dating back in 1978, when founded in Greece. Having experience of more than 30 years in the field, Kormos Impex exploits raw materials, using the most performing technological line, shares and exports solid hardwood oak and ash floors as well as other European essences.

Since starting the investments in Romania, three years ago, we have managed to obtain the certificate for logging and set up our own logging team, with complete equipment as required by the European logging standards. We are currently counting on a team of 45 employees and we own equipment consisting of timber harvesting and tracking machines, forestry tractors and skidders, which have helped us reach annual production of 10,000 exploited mc, which turn into lumber and eventually in wooden floor and doors. Besides logging, a year ago we decided to have our own floor assembling and lumber manufacturing teams. Therefore, we offer out final clients high quality full professional services.

The showroom of our company is located in Bucharest, 119 Nicolae Titulescu Bd, 1st district (Victoriei Square area). On the showroom web site you will find the whole range of products commercialized by our company (www.exclusivefloors.ro), and on the factory website (www.kormos-parchet.ro) you will find technical details regarding our products.

For 2014 we will produce a new collection of parquet called „Special Design” where we will prepare parquet panels such as: „Versailles”, „Chantilly”, „Normandie”, etc. We will have the possibility to deliver them unfinished or finished with special features. Of course, for our architects and designers we will prepare many surprises during the year, we will have also a special collection of claddings made of old wood or a new collection of doors with special features.” www.kormos-parchet.ro 0040 245 725 221 0040 785 203 093

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Floor Forum International 65

Rumanian parquet consumption In terms of consumption, the country’s share of all European consumption and the number of square metres are comparable to what the country produces. In 2011, Rumanians purchased a total of 1,930,122m² i.e. 2.11% of all European consumption. In 2012, Rumania’s share in consumption rose to 2.32%. Despite the fall in European consumption, that figure represented a slight rise to 2,030,208m², a rise of about 100,000m².

Special Rumania

Rumanian parquet production In 2011, Rumania produced 3.09% of all European parquet i.e.

2,185,031m² of wooden floors. In 2012, the country’s share in the production rose to 3.20%. The country is still sixth from last in the rankings ahead of Belgium, Hungary, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.

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> Product news CIRANOVA Ciranova Aquafix Project 2K is a two-component lacquer suitable for wooden floors subject to extremely hard wear in commercial environments. Aquafix Project 2K has very good chemical and scratch resistance and has been classified as a fire retardant product according to EN 13501 : 2007 as Euroclassification Cfl s1 and meets the demands for fire retardant products for use in public buildings.

MOSO

2500 m2 MOSO Bamboo X-treme decking applied in harbour of Rotterdam —

Product news

Jumbo Maritime has chosen to apply MOSO Bamboo X-treme decking in its headquarters in Rotterdam, because of the superior durability and sustainability over tropical hardwood and composite boards. The enormous (2500m2) terrace offers a great view over the Maas river and is greying in a very natural and homogeneous manner.

NEW OPTIONS FOR RUBIO MONOCOATER During the previous edition of Domotex, we introduced the first version of the Rubio Monocoater, the 320 E (conveyor belt: 320 mm - working width: 300 mm). This compact all-in-one industrial finishing line immediately enjoyed a lot of attention, especially because of the good balance between user comfort and professionalism. This year we put the focus on the 420 E full option. This model is characterized by the fact that both the conveyor belt and the working width are 10 cm wider than with the 320 E. In addition, the presented model also featured two new options - a programmable control panel with touch screen and a reverse roller. These options are also available for other models. Interested? Contact us .

HEYWOOD VLOEREN

—

Our New product, Compiègne

As mentioned before in our December news letter, Heywood Vloeren has been busy with the development of a new product. Fortunately the development process accomplished in time and now the product is ready to be offered as our new collection to our customers.

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The name of the product is Compiègne and it belongs to our Antique collection. Due

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to technical reasons and raw material limitations, at this time the product can be offered only in Engineered Board 15x150mm. The top layer of Compiègne has been made of a genuine old Oak which creats a very naturally aged appearance.

For more information , you can always contact with our sales department. you can also see more pictures of Compiègne on our website www.heywoodvloeren.com .

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WOCA

EW N NEUTRAL OIL

Keeping the invisible appearance of the newly sanded oak wood WOCA is now introducing a new industrial oil system to wooden floors that is completely „invisible“ and is keeping the original shades and untreated appearance of the oak floor.

No floor is more beautiful than an oak floor that was just sanded and appearing all bare and untreated.

Now, a floor with this original and authentic appearance can become a reality in every home. Even in a very practical and hard-wearing version.

WOCA Neutral Oil is developed, in such a way that the oil treatment does not affect the original shades and appearance of the oak floor, nor does it build a film on the surface. And as the oil at the same time delays the natural effect of the light, the newly sanded appearance remains intact for many years to come.

The treatment ensures exactly the same strength and quality as the known WOCA wood floor oil.

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

Discover the Future of Floor & Wall solutions European

Floor & Wall Exhibition

Discover the latest collections and technological solutions for parquet, laminate, cork, bamboo, LVT, PVC and vinyl flooring, terrace floors (wood and composite) and fastening systems, fitting, finishing, and maintenance products, wooden exterior cladding, and related accessories.

- The latest innovations and trends in the floor industry.

- Add to your expertise via instructive conferences on technical issues.

- The ideal opportunity to build up your network and discover new business opportunities.

- Free admission for professionals.

- Visit the exhibition and win one of the numerous tools and gadgets!

- Free WiFi and catering for all exhibitors and visitors.

www.european-floor-and-wall-exhibition.eu T. +32 9 385 80 40 sales@european-floor-and-wall-exhibition.eu

European

Floor & Wall Exhibition

16, 17 & 18 March 2014 - FLANDERS EXPO GENT (B)