FFI 104 September

INTERNATIONAL trade journal f or impor t , expor t , dis tr ibution and lay ing of par que t , laminate, cor k f loor ing and r elated pr oduc t s

N° 104, September 2019 - Price: €8 - Published 7 times a year - (Feb, March, May, July, Sept , Nov, Dec) Of fice of deliver y 9099 Ghent X , P911092, BC 31359 - Responsible Publisher: Filip De Ridder

Special: Uganda Special: Colour and colour hardwax oils

Special: Producers of design skirting boards

Create your own wood story Special: Producers of elastic adhesives

BONA OIL SYSTEM – UNIQUE CHARACTERS ON WOODEN FLOORS Special: Producers of style panels and Versailles panels

Fulfill that unique floor vision of yours. Empowered with a passion for wooden floors and 100 years of innovative solutions, Bona Oil System inspires and supports you, from vision to reality. A full range of oils based on renewable ingredients.

Whether you are to design, craft or care, break the ordinary with Bona − for durable beautiful floors with unique character.

bona.com/bonaoilsystem

WOOD PLASTIC COMPOSITE MADE IN ITALY

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+39 0532.732737 www.novowood.it

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info@novowood.it

materia infinita

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Cédric Dasesson Ph. Orma Studio_Cagliari Private House in Cagliari, Italy

Content INTERNATIONAL trade journal f or impor t , expor t , dis tr ibu tion and lay ing of par que t , laminate, cor k f loor ing and r elated pr oduc t s

Editorial

N° 104, September 2019 - Price: €8 - Published 7 times a year - (Feb, March, May, July, Sept , Nov, Dec) Of fice of deliver y 9099 Ghent X , P911092, BC 31359 - Responsible Publisher: Filip De Ridder

Special: Uganda

“ 100 Years of Wood Floor Innovation”

Special: Colour and colour hardwax oils

The evolution of wooden floors has seen many different iterations over the years. From a simple wax floor covering to today’s customizable and highly sustainable options, innovation in the industry has transformed how we install, finish and design wooden floors. As Malmo-based Bona marks 100 years in business, the company is celebrating the important progress of wooden floor care and renovation.

Special: Producers of design skirting boards

Create your own wood story Special: Producers of elastic adhesives

BONA OIL SYSTEM – UNIQUE CHARACTERS ON WOODEN FLOORS Special: Producers of style panels and Versailles panels

Fulfill that unique floor vision of yours. Empowered with a passion for wooden floors and 100 years of innovative solutions, Bona Oil System inspires and supports you, from vision to reality. A full range of oils based on renewable ingredients.

Whether you are to design, craft or care, break the ordinary with Bona − for durable beautiful floors with unique character.

bona.com/bonaoilsystem

Floor Forum International n° 104 September 2019 Photo Bona

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Bona’s founder, Wilhelm Edner, originally owned a small grocery shop in Malmö, Sweden. In the shop, he also sold bonvax, an agent which when applied on the wood floor, created a polished and protective surface. Edner realized the potential of bonvax and incorporated Bona AB in 1919.

Inside news

8 The BBRI (B) has launched the first part of the

Parquet Bible 9 Advertorial Esta Parket (EE) 10 Special manufacturers of filling machines 14 Special Colour and colour hardwax oils 18 Special Anti-slip finish for in and outdoor floors 21 Advertorial Sherwin Williams (B) 22 Special Subfloors for floors in PVC, LVT and vinyl: part I 25 Special Producers of laminate, PVC, LVT, vinyl floors in

Hungarian Point and Herringbone style 26 Advertorial Design Parquet (F) 28 Special Producers of elastic adhesives 32 Special Producers of design skirting boards 36 Special Sanding machines: part I 38 Special Fastening systems for exterior wood & composite

wall cladding 41 Advertorial BerryAlloc (B) 42 Special Producers of distressing machines/brushes 44 Advertorial Unifloor (NL) 46 Special Who has colour stains 50 Special Producers of style panels and Versailles panels 52 Special UV/LED lacquering machines on site 55 Industry news 56 Special Uganda 58 Product news

Bjorn Saalbach, Senior Vice President, Product Management & Marketing, Bona

Ever since the early days of bonvax, Bona pioneered some of the most important innovations in the industry. In the early 1970’s, Bona was the first to challenge solvent based wood floor finishes and proved waterborne finish as a reliable and durable alternative. Long before the word sustainability became a concept, Bona focused on the value of preserving and refinishing an existing worn wood floor and enhancing its beauty by developing innovative maintenance techniques.

Today, Bona continues to lead and innovate the next generation of wood floor renovation with a full system of tools, machines, finishes, adhesives, sealers, maintenance products and more. This year, for example, the company launched Bona Mega ONE, a one component waterborne finish for wooden floors. Bona Mega ONE is the next evolution of the two-decade success story, Bona Mega. Offering high build, easy application, a crystal clear finish surface and excellent abrasion properties, Bona Mega ONE is known among contractors as the first choice for beautiful results.

In addition to innovating products that are functional and beautiful, Bona focuses on developing offerings that are sustainable to create a healthier world. The all-new Bona Oil System, for example, is a sustainable, low VOC product based in renewable, naturally occurring oils. The Bona Oil System creates deep color and texture for wooden floors and can be coated with any Bona waterborne finish for extra durability.

“Our mission for the next 100 years to continue to innovate products and services that not only create beautiful floors but also offer more sustainable options for contractors and building or home owners,” continued Saalbach.

As Bona celebrates a century of business it looks to innovate the best products and processes to renovate rather than replace wooden floors. Additionally, the company is looking to innovate systems for other hard surfaces with this same commitment to ease-of-use, beauty and sustainability. At heart of it all, Bona remains rooted in its mission to offer products and systems that create beautiful floors for a lifetime.

Editing & advertisements 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 Publisher Filip De Ridder

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

“From the very beginning, Bona established a culture of thinking differently,” said Bjorn Saalbach, Senior Vice President, Product Management & Marketing, Bona. “It’s important that we not only stay ahead of trends but just as important that we look for new ways to improve to lessen the impact on our greater environment.”

Lay-out: Be-able Communication www.be-able.be Production: Lowyck - Oostende

Advertising & subscriptions Adriana Dascalu info@media-pact.com Hilde De Ridder floorforum@telenet.be Filip De Ridder sales@media-pact.com Editors: Jean Paul Talbot, Ludwig Janssens, Filip De Ridder Jacques Legros

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.

∂ Inside news HARO - laminate floor TRITTY 200 Aqua Indestructible can look pretty good HARO’s laminate floors last a lifetime. In particular, the new TRITTY 200 Aqua is known for its toughness.

Rosenheim – TRITTY remains on success trajectory. For years now, HARO’s TRITTY series of laminate flooring has been a major success. The TRITTY 200 Aqua variant is impressively writing the next chapter in this success story. When it comes to robustness, TRITTY is in a class of its own. Besides being an excellent choice for wet rooms, the series has made a name for itself particularly in terms of its toughness and abrasion resistance.

In a class of its own: AC6 abrasion resistance & level of use 33 With AC 6 classification and high wear-through IP ≥ 8,500 rotations based on DIN EN 13329, it is among the best in its class. For this reason, the HARO TRITTY 200 Aqua is perfect for private and commercial settings where it will be subject to intense use and reaches level of use 33.

Completely durable – and exceptionally comfortable The TRITTY 200 Aqua is world class not just in terms of durability – HARO’s 25-year warranty that applies to non-commercial uses of this floor is another demonstration of its true quality. A 10-year warranty applies to commercial uses. Thanks to its silent CT technology,

Dinachoc® – the Expert in Acoustics Dinachoc has been the specialist par excellence in acoustic insulation for over 10 years. Its technology systems have been approved by scores of customers. Apart from developing high quality soundproofing solutions, Dinachoc also shows great ecological concern by opting for recycled materials. Thus, Dinachoc takes account of the future of our planet. The best-seller is the acoustic underlay Dinachoc S801: 100% recycled rubber, immutable, rated A+, noise reduction up to 22dB). Turnover in 2018 was seven million euros. The company employs nine people.

Dinachoc offers special discounts for retailers and professional customers until 12/31/2019. +33 7 83 02 03 14 contact@dinachoc.com www.dinachoc.com – www.dinachoc.fr

Italprofili ITALPROFILI, the best work inside In every single action, project and product we put our best. Our materials, technologies, processes and designs aim for the quality of the accessories we produce, used in building construction and renovation.

At the center of our daily work there are construction professionals and our goal is to help them with technical solutions to improve the

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the floor is particularly quiet and comfortable. Even though it is only 2 millimetres thick, the silent CT insulation underlay also enhances TRITTY Aqua 200’s noise insulation. The system is up to 60 percent quieter in terms of room sound and up to 14 dB quieter in terms of footfall sound compared with conventional laminate flooring.

Thanks to the Top Connect system, it can be installed easily and quickly. But that is far from all: The TRITTY 200 Aqua performs exceptionally well in other areas as well.

High scores in every test area Commercial users are particularly interested in the way that a floor reacts to fire. Based on the standard DIN EN 13501-1, the HARO TRITTY 200 Aqua is rated as “flame retardant” (Cfl-S1). Its thermal conductivity is also exceptional at 0.065 m2K/W. As a result, it is perfect for installation on underfloor heating. It is rated as “antistatic” under the standard DIN EN 1815, and its micro-scratch resistance is certified in Class 1 based on the standard DIN EN 16094. It can take a punch so to speak, easily absorbing any heavy blows and impacts that it may experience: Based on an impact test conducted in accordance to DIN EN 13329 (falling-ball and impact strength test), its resilience is greater than / equal to 15 N / greater than / equal to 1,000 millimetres.

Despite its tough surface, the floor is on very friendly terms with the environment: The TRITTY 200 Aqua is not only completely “Made in Germany,” but has also been awarded CE certification, the Blauer Engel seal (or Blue Angel, a label in Germany given to products without harmful materials) and A+ certification (Émissions dans l`air intérieur) for its zero emissions.

An eye-catching enhancement This is why professionals use this exceptional floor to add a touch of cosiness and flair to their own homes.

TRITTY 200 Aqua – a floor that expands your interior design options.

effectiveness of buildings.

ITALPROFILI products are suitable for flat and/or pitched roofs, for bituminous and PVC and TPO synthetic membranes; as well as adjustable paving support systems for raised floors, accessories for cementitious waterproofings, waterstop joints and installation equipment. We will present at the most important international exhibitions of the sector with a complete range of adjustable paving support systems. Our goal is to study new construction solutions that can transform or simplify the construction of a structure, making it even more efficient and appealing. Simple, modular and adaptable, our adjustable paving supports systems leave room for imagination and creativity.

Soudal again realizes two foreign acquisitions in one week!

Soudal is pleased to announce two foreign acquisitions. In Russia, local foam producer Profflex was acquired, in Ireland local distributor Seal Systems will join the Soudal Group.

Profflex is a leading local producer of PU foam for the professional home market. The company has a turnover of 15 million euro

A revolution in laminate.

∂ Inside news specific local strengths of the acquired companies. Profflex and Seal Systems will be the 66th and 67th branches in the Soudal Group.

PANAGET, 90 YEARS OF FRENCH EXPERTISE

and employs 70 people. For Soudal, this acquisition is a further step in strengthening its position in the Eastern European market. Dirk Coorevits, Managing Director Soudal: “Russia is one of the biggest and most important PU foam markets worldwide. This investment in a leading local brand and manufacturer shows our commitment to growing our position in the Russian market, and strengthens our leadership in the region.” In Ireland, local partner Seal Systems is acquired. The company has been the exclusive local Soudal distributor for 30 years. The acquisition is part of the strategy of being present with local branches, and completes the Soudal branches network throughout Europe. In case of both acquisitions, the employment at the companies remains unchanged and the current management will stay at the helm. This allows Soudal to maximally profit from the

90 years ago, in 1929, Panaget has begun manufacturing wood flooring in Bourgbarré, near Rennes in Britanny, France. Over the decades, its passion for wood and industrial manufacture grew together, without ever compromising its artisanal expertise. Now and in the future, the company will work hard to retain its position as the leading French manufacturer of wooden floor. Panaget has made the choice of nature, the choice of the French oak, noble and elegant. Sometimes sober and refined, sometimes punctuated by soft singularities, the oak signs natural and authentic interiors, connecting warmth and comfort. For many years, Panaget as a company claims its willingness of being an actor for the sustainable development. It goes even further by subscribing in a CSR approach that defends societal and

ECOFILL TECH

Try it, you will be amazed!

new

Acrylic single-component

water-based joint filler for wooden floors

Excellent filling power Extremely easy to sand Mix of tenacity and elasticity Fast drying Odourless CHIMIVER PANSERI S.p.A. PONTIDA (BG) - ITALY - chimiver.com

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Floor Forum International 104

∂ Inside news environmental values. This will be shown by putting the work and the local supply forth, optimizing its resources management throughout the manufacturing process, the low emissions (A+ certification) products offer, or the waste recycling. Moreover, Panaget is really careful regarding its raw material buying which allow the company to have a very good carbon footprint. +33 2 99 05 77 88 charlene.hoguet@panaget.com - www.panaget.com

Progress Profiles Waterproofing, draining and uncoupling: the new Prodeso Drain by Progress Profiles at Cersaie 2019 At Cersaie 2019, Progress Profiles presents the new Prodeso Drain, a multifunctional membrane to create perfect waterproofing, draining and long-lasting floors, making sure to save money and work charges. Composed by an high density polyethylene (HDPE) sheet provided with 4,5 mm high truncated cone

reliefs with circular base, it is covered on the top with a thermowelded non-woven waterproofing polypropylene fabric, and on the lower side with a polypropylene spunbond to guarantee the adhesion to the support and bonding to the floor, avoiding any issue caused to freeze-thaw cycles. The membrane drains water away and also prevents the growth of salt efflorescence and adhesives triacetate.

After the application, it favors the glue drying when laying large size ceramic or marble tiles. Uncounpling and highly flexible, the membrane reduces the risk of vapor stress and the installation times because it could be also directly applied on old tiles, not perfectly substrates or Plywood/OSB.

"The trade is talking about Tover!

Tover manufacture the highest quality range of advanced chemical solutions for wood, LVT and WPC. From MS polymers to metallic effect water based paints, to the lowest gloss most invisible commercial lacquers that it is possible to find on the market today.

Tover have it all. We warmly welcome you on to our stand B41 at the UK flooring show on the 15th – 17th of September in Harrogate to say hello and to see the products for yourself! Tover. We've got your back."

D E S I G N® PA R Q U E T Fr a nc e

Custom-made

Quality Parquet

FOR PROFESSIONALS

LOFT PRO

“Every product you need for a perfect floor.”

Tel: +32(0)11 63 64 00 - www.parketkerkhofs.be

OAK PARQUET GRANGE 3 widths Campagne Oak/Sauvage Knots and cracks filled in black 3 widths : 90 / 145 / 220 mm Thick : 16 mm - Top layer : 4,5 mm Natura oiled structured Tongue & Groove - 2 bevels Semi-solid wood flooring (Birch plywood base)

www.designparquet.fr

Floor Forum International 104

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Special

The BBRI (B) has launched the first part of the Parquet Bible

THE FIRST SECTION OF THE BELGIAN PARQUET BIBLE IS READY REVISION OF TV 218 NEARS COMPLETION In this journal we’ve often pointed out how rapidly the parquet industry develops new techniques, forms of technology, and product groups and systems. The speed of change! Chemical developments (e.g. glues or finishes) in particular move rapidly, but the same is true of how wood as a raw material adapts to certain new forms of technology, such as floor heating. And so, it was no surprise that the well known TV 218, a guideline for parquet floor fitters, was due for revision after 20 years.

The first part of the revision is now available, whilst the second part is on the way.

TV 218 under the microscope In recent years, the popularity of wood has led to a vast growth and diversification of the market range, which strives constantly to meet increasing demands as regards appearance, plank sizes, and health.

This diversification has taken place in virtually all the material groups which affect parquet floor fitters i.e. substrates, wooden floor coverings, adhesives, and finishes. All these innovations mean floor fitters now have a choice of a few thousand possible product combinations. Moreover, this abundance of choice is also related to a significant variable factor, namely the product brand. These changes have yielded ongoing development in the floor fitting profession and have made the profession increasingly specialised.

Real teamwork The BBRI has appointed a work group to revise the entire document TV 218. As we’ve said, that process started in 2011. The work group was to some extent a team which included every possible party involved in the industry. Besides experts from the BBRI itself, there were also participants from the Belgian parquet federation.

Professionals and technical experts from the industry also provided input, not least from representatives of renowned adhesive makers who were prepared to ‘serve’ the sector completely impartially. The team unravelled the entire TV 218 paragraph by paragraph.

Why the split?

The comprehensiveness of the team and the works themselves have resulted in an all-embracing reference document with all the relevant information, including guide values and tables. That has all made the new TV 218 a weighty volume which is thicker than most other technical documents. That’s why the work group has decided to split TV 269 up into two parts. Part 1 covers materials, terminology, and requirements, but also pays attention to the relevant applicable standards. Part 2 will cover in depth execution, finish, and maintenance.

Need for revision

Extensive target group

All this has led to a revision of technical reference documents. A few years ago, the BBRI Parquet work group started on the revision of TV 218 'Wooden flooring: wooden floors, parquet, and veneer wood floors’ from the year 2000. This TV keeps the sector informed of the highest standards of the trade and provides accurate technical information about product families and fitting techniques with no commercial bias. TV 218 gives parquet floor fitters a complete summary of adhesives and their applications. The first revisions started in 2011. The first part has recently been published.

The revision of this Parquet Bible may have been requested by the parquet industry, but the introduction states clearly that TV 269 is aimed not only at parquet floor fitters, but also at other parties concerned, such as designers and contractors. One of the reasons for this is the need for communication and consultation between all those involved in completing a project. The building team has to work together closely in order to give end clients the quality which they want. Indeed, the BBRI has found that in many cases parquet floor fitters produce outstanding work, but problems still arise due to potential misunderstandings with others involved (e.g. screed workers, architects, or main contractors) and that leads to disputes.

TV 269 in two parts Wooden flooring: wooden floors, parquet, and veneer wood floors.

Part 1: Materials, terminology, and requirements (this replaces TV 218) This document outlines the various types of wooden flooring and the associated materials. It also gives a summary of the applicable standards and requirements in force. This part is aimed not only

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at parquet floor fitters, but also at lots of other parties concerned, including designers and contractors.

Floor Forum International 104

Final note from the editor: If those involved in a building project consult each other as much as the producers of this Technical Reference Document, the project can’t go wrong! Excellent work!

Advertorial

Esta Parket (EE)

IPSAL SELECTS ESTA PARKET FOR PRAGUE HOTEL RENOVATION OAK PARQUET PLAYS A LEADING ROLE IN THE EMBELLISHMENT OF THE MAXIMILIAN HOTEL The splendid Maximilian boutique hotel is located in a wonderful historic building in the heart of Prague. The hotel numbers 71 rooms spread over two buildings and recently underwent a full renovation. All the details in the Maximilian hotel are spot on! From the interior, decoration, culinary section, and superb rooms to the high-end cosmetics, linen in the bathrooms, and the well supplied mini-bar. Everything is top class down to the last detail. It’s no wonder that the project manager also looked around for top class professionals for the renovation. And so, the floor contractor IPSAL chose ESTA PARKET.

ESTA takes up the challenge Maximilian lies in the centre of the city within walking distance of the old city square, the Charles bridge, the astronomical clock, and Wenceslas Square. The Pariszka high street is also nearby. Apart from the 71 superb rooms, the hotel also has the Brasserie Maximilian, the Planet Zen Spa, a library, and a state-of-the-art meeting room with daylight, the Garden Room.

communication was decisive. Since it was the first time they had worked together with ESTA Parket, the client visited the production plant and was able to check everything from the raw materials to the semi-finished product in the presence of the factory owner. The client said that the whole operation was ‘extremely transparent’.

The fitting itself ESTA Parket supplied a multilayer click parquet of 160 x 2200mm with a thickness of 16mm and a 6mm top layer in oak grade Village ( C ). A micro bevel along the length, a design ‘London’ and a finish lacquer by Klumpp with gloss 5-11 provided the unique look. Once the subfloor had been cleaned, a self-levelling compound from Eurocol was poured to the right height and perfectly levelled. To obtain good acoustics, a 3mm thick self-adhesive underlay was fitted. After the humidity level was within norms, the parquet installation was started.

A job for specialists For the renovation of the hotel the project manager called upon the services of IPSAL C.R., a specialist in interior design, decoration, renovation, and flooring. This family business started up over 50 years ago and is now in its second generation. The company has been based in the Czech Republic for 26 years.

A challenge for ESTA PARKET

Marc Edde of IPSAL C.R. concludes:

Marc Edde, manager of IPSAL, had heard of ESTA Parket from the last Domotex, He tailored with the management of ESTA parquet a special solution with an extremely specific degree of gloss and a fire safety class of Cfl-s1. The floor had to be nice and technical as it was retained for the project.

‘The hotel owners were well satisfied and the architect informed us that the result was exactly what he had in mind. The success of this project was due to each “link” in the chain.

ESTA PARKET played a crucial part by supplying the requested products promptly. We greatly appreciated the fact that they asked regularly about the state of affairs or whether or not everything was to our satisfaction. For major projects we have certainly found an excellent partner in ESTA PARKET.’

Rapid response The decision to work together with ESTA was made very quickly due to the rapid response of the parquet manufacturer to the questions posed. Marc Edde comments: ‘A few e-mails and a few telephone calls to explain what we were looking for were enough to provide us with samples within a short space of time.’ That rapid

For more information you can visit their web site: www.estaparket.eu

Floor Forum International 104

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Special

Manufacturers of filling machines

TRACE, ASSESS, AND REPAIR PARQUET FILLER MACHINES REACH PERFECTION

Photo – CSP Engineering

In this journal we’ve often compared mechanical operations (read: ‘ industrial’) with manual operations (read ‘traditional’). In those comparisons, industrial operations stood head and shoulders above manual operations in terms of quality time and again. The only imperfection which you could press against industrial operations is the complete lack of imperfection. That applies no less to the inspection and repair of small defects in wooden flooring before the finish is applied.

Computerisation everywhere Large-scale activity has inevitably led to computerisation everywhere, including in the parquet industry, to achieve much greater production capacities. Human beings now play more of a guiding and controlling role in the production cycle. That development has also helped employers to meet the increasingly stricter demands in the area of health and safety at work. Machines spare the workers. For parquet production there are sophisticated production lines which perform just about all functions automatically. Advanced production lines carry out the process from A to Z. It starts with the supply of work items (raw pieces) and ends with the retrieval of labelled and packed floorboards.

The production itself takes place in between. The production line itself covers all operations which are necessary for producing parquet floors from raw wood or panels. The structure of a production line obviously depends on the type of parquet to be produced.

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Filling holes Since the application of the finish (oil or lacquer) is now part of the production process, it is also necessary to prepare for the finish i.e. tracing and repairing small defects which cannot be reconciled with the planned selection (e.g. A or B). Defects in the floorboards are detected via scanning. The scanner works in 2D or 3D and processes images in milliseconds. One thing’s for sure: Nothing escapes the watchful eye of the scanner. Each defect, however small, is detected and assessed. Human beings could never achieve that same watchfulness for each individual floorboard. Since the machine is also connected to the production line, it is not necessary to remove damaged planks from the conveyor belt for repair. In the area of recording and repair, too, the machine achieves a higher degree of perfection than a human being. Indeed, the scanner measures the exact dimensions of the damage and faultlessly calculates the required quantity of filler. It is also important to note here that the filler achieves the same hardness as the wood. The filling is done under pressure. The quantity of filler is calculated exactly so that no product is wasted.

What’s on the market?

Carotte Engineering Carotte Engineering presents the CWR machines (CWR-X and CWR-X Duo). These machines guide planks lengthwise through the machine. A high-quality vision system identifies gnarls and cracks in the plank and

then a servo-driven filler head is positioned very accurately to fill them.

Gnarls and cracks are filled in by means of the so called ‘hot-melt’ principle. Synthetic granulate is melted and pumped and then subsequently injected under high pressure into the holes. The filling material is then cooled at once so that it can coagulate. These machines can cope with planks of various widths (up to 400mm) and thicknesses (up to a maximum of 24mm) with minimal settings.

Basically, these machines are suitable for processing synthetic filling agents from all the most well known suppliers. At present, the company is also working to develop its own filler with refined properties. CWR-X machines are highly compact. The machine itself is less than two metres long. And so, you only need about eight metres of length in total to process planks up to three metres long. As regards further computerised features, the machines can be equipped to stack and sort planks automatically. Due to the ‘in-line’ processing of the planks, in some cases these machines can also be integrated directly into a production line. The cost price of these machines depends largely on the required design and options, but the starting price is around €150,000.

Connected to nature

100% French oak

Made in France

French Oak Zenitude Bois flotté, Diva 184

www.panaget.com

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04/06/2019 17:

Filling technology for wood flooring MACHINED FILLING OF KNOTS IN PARQUET

before

after

High quality filling result Reduction of labour costs High production capacity Just 1 operator Wood filler ready for use Available in 8 colors

CSP Engineering bvba

Stenehei 30/10

info@csp-engineering.com

Tel: +32 14 37 77 52

B-2480 Dessel (Belgium)

www.csp-engineering.com

Special

Manufacturers of filling machines

CSP Engineering CSP Engineering, the absolute specialist in the field developed and installed 2 new models of filling machines.

- PAR-Filler® Mono is a starter model, equipped with 1 applicator for the lower production capacities.

- PAR-Filler® Duplex for the high capacities is equipped with 2 parallel filling lines. The 2 process lines work independent from each other and can fill equal or different product qualities and/ or various colours. Still this machine can be operated by 1 operator thanks to the special automatic feeder (feeding the 2 lines automatically) and with double push-off buffer for manual stacking.

- PAR-Filler® Duo is the first version of the filling machines in the range, installed in 10+ countries since 2014 and suitable for midrange production capacities.

NOVORYT AG NOVORYT AG is a family owned business, focussed on the development, production and sale of repair materials since 1989. Our main goal is to offer products that achieve perfect results with little effort. This year Novoryt AG is celebrating her 30th anniversary. Our latest innovative development, is a semi-automatic wood

filling system „Smart Repair and Fixing System“. This system has an exchange tank and cooling unit to processes our Novoryt Forte Granule in solid wood and veneer. It offers some great advantages, like: Continuously melting of a small amount of granules. This continuous process prevents particles from settling and therefore there's no need to stir the melded substance. The melting tank is easily replaced, which makes it easy and quick to change colours. There is no pressure on the system when it's at rest. Surfaces with a width up to 1,000 mm can be filled. It's possible to fixate knots in raw floorboards. With this system knots, cracks and other defects can be filled in a quick and easy way. And last but not least, this system can interact with robot- and CNC machines.

Contact us: info@novoryt.ch / www.novoryt.com

Wintersteiger

Wintersteiger TRC stands for ‘timber repair & cosmetics’, an advanced system for repairing wooden floors or panels by means of an ingenious detection and injection system. The repair filler is injected under high pressure and shows no swelling or shrinking at all. Thanks to thermoplastic technology, it is possible to treat the panels or floorboards further or to stock them at once. Wintersteiger offers both semi-automatic and fully-automatic machines. A successful brushing, grinding, or coating treatment depends largely on the quality of the filler. It is also essential that the filler becomes equally as hard as the wood. The dosing is done automatically. The scanner ensures that the dose is calculated exactly so that no product is lost. Wintersteiger has developed the Faulty Spot Eye scanner specially for detecting holes in panels. It works in 2D and 3D mode and processes images in fractions of a second. The smallest machines is the TRC-M Easy, which takes up 1.5 x 1.5m of space. The semi-automatic version without a scanner is already available for €40,000. The price for fully automatic lines starts at €165,000. Since 2009, Wintersteiger has installed 40 fully automatic production lines, which have repaired about 30 million square metres of panels per annum. A few dozen semi-automatic machines have now been sold around the world.

®

The wood filler range for wood industry ■ Economical powder 1kg = 1.3kg of paste ■ Ready-to-use, fast drying ■ Depth of filling 20mm ■ Special formulas for planed and brushed wood ■ 8 standards colors or counter-typing on demand ■ Package from 5 to 310kg, in buckets or in barrels ■ Manual or automatic application 12

Floor Forum International 104

TE WA R

BA ED S

Call a specialist

+33 5 61 98 40 88 www.briancon-production.com

INDUSTRY

TRC 1500 Fully automated timber surface repair system with the ultimate price/performance ratio Significant increase in capacity Multicolour repair on the same board if necessary Proper repair of defects on the edges Repaired elements can be stacked immediately For the first time: complete automated repair of top layers in one process

watch the video

TRC Manufactory Fully automated and unique surface finishing of rustic planks and boards The first automated machine for producing manufactured rustic plank surfaces Each plank is guaranteed to be unique in terms of optics and haptics Plank surfaces are of consistent high quality, not depending on personal skills

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WINTERSTEIGER AG, 4910 Ried, DimmelstraĂ&#x;e 9, Austria, Tel.: +43 7752 919-0, woodtech@wintersteiger.at, www.wintersteiger.com/trc

Special

Colour and colour hardwax oils

THE FINISH WHICH COLOURS AND PROTECTS ALL IN ONE THE COLOUR RANGE FOR OIL AND HARD WAX CONTINUES TO GROW

Photo – Rubio Monocoat

Oil is highly popular, but not only for its quality. As a finish, oil has the major asset on the one hand of satisfying the concerns of ecological consumers perfectly well, but, on the other hand, it also gives floor fitters an ‘opportunity’ to build relations with their clients. Almost all parquet oil producers now have a ‘colour’ range and have been stressing that fact more and more in recent years. The reason for that is certainly because innovation is definitely still possible in that respect and because the colour range allows the various trademarks to stand out in terms of both resourcefulness as regards the shades themselves and in terms of the number of colours.

Oil and hard wax as a finish

Since the oil impregnates the wood (i.e. it fills the pores of the wood), a floor treated with oil is waterproof and dirt-proof. Scratches on an oiled floor are obviously possible, but they are less noticeable than scratches on a lacquered floor.

Protection+ with hard wax oil A floor treated with hard wax oil is waterproof and dirt-proof due to the saturation. Moreover, a hard coat is formed by the wax components. As was the case in the past, this coat gets harder as the years go by, but it also depends on how the floor is maintained. The surface is extremely hard, so the floor is highly resistant to wear and scratches. Since the coat of wax stays elastic, it cannot crack.

The struggle between lacquer and oily finishes for wooden floors is far from over, that’s for sure. Both finishes have their own top arguments to present themselves as the ‘best solution’. That struggle has been going on for decades with various turns in the tide. Lots of sales arguments plead for oil as a finish for parquet. The main ones are as follows.

Maintenance and repair

Look and feel

When an oiled floor is due for a full renovation, it doesn’t have to be sandpapered. With a lacquered floor you have to empty the entire room, and the whole floor has to be sandpapered blank. An oiled floor can be renovated without sandpapering and, if necessary, that can even be done in phases.

Oil preserves the natural look of wood like no other finish. The structure, grains, and colour all closely resemble the properties of an untreated floor.

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Good protection

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An oiled floor is easy to maintain. Furthermore, maintaining the floor with a maintenance oil ensures that the floor is nourished constantly.

Moreover, an oiled floor has the major advantage that it can be repaired in patches (read: it can be re-oiled in parts).

Renovation

Then there’s ‘colour’ With a coloured oil or hard wax oil, we apply protection and colour in just one finish product. This procedure is suitable for all new wooden floors or parquet in all wood sorts which has just been sandpapered.

Most colour oils are transparent. Moreover, a finish coat with these oils provides a strong layer of protection. Furthermore, the colour oils can still be combined with other treatments such as lye and smoking, so it is possible to obtain very distinctive results.

Colour oil works in the depth Since oil penetrates deep down into the wood pores, the same also applies to colour oil. The advantage of that is that you achieve colouring ‘in the mass’ to some extent. Many other colouring products or techniques lead to colouring on the surface. The drawback can be that it is not so easy to change the chosen colour if we wish to renovate the floor.

Much more than wood colours Coloured oils are available in a wide range of contemporary and timeless colours. They are generally prepared by the addition of pigments to the natural oil. And so, this transparent colouring for wooden floors can be supplied in several different colours and they can even be mixed with each other. What is remarkable is that producers no longer draw their inspiration solely from a range of wood shades, but also from other colours which have nothing to do with types of wood.

What’s on the market?

Blanchon For a few years now, colouring wooden floors has been a common trend amongst all parties in the parquet industry, from manufacturer to floor fitter.

Oak is still the most popular sort and, moreover, it lends itself best to a colour treatment. Blanchon has presented a complete assortment of oils, wax oils, and hard wax oils for over 20 years.

For the first time this year, in five ranges with 45 nuances, they now offer the option of ordering no fewer than 90 shades, which can be delivered within a week. And so, that immediately gives clients a choice of over 135 shades of colour,

RMC Advertentie_FF_190 x 65.5mm_Sept19_V2.indd 3

but, in fact, the options are unlimited since the oil is often applied to a parquet which has already had some or other form of colour such as with some distressing techniques. For about 10 years, white and grey shades have been the most noticeable, but also with various derived shades. Experienced fitters even work with a wet-in-wet technique to yield special effects such as marbled or with shadows. Pigments are generally used to obtain the colour because they are more resistant to light than colouring agents and also because there is no such thing as a white colouring agent. Moreover, pigments give deeper and more intense colour shades. The addition of a UV filter can give extra decorative and technical value, certainly with water-based oils.

Ciranova Colouring parquet and furniture is very much in fashion. A very popular practice is to re-sandpaper parquet and use coloured oils to obtain a floor which is as good as new. This is applied mainly on oak wood, but it can also be applied to any type of wood. There is a certain way of preparing the wood for each type of wood before applying colour oil. Ciranova has two solutions. UN1CO is a 1-coat oil of the latest generation. It contains no VOCs and is based on renewable natural raw materials. Only one coat is needed, thanks to this special technology. You do need to add a hardener to the oil to ensure rapid drying and excellent chemical resistance. UN1CO is available in 16 colours. The HARD WAX OIL is a fast-drying parquet oil with excellent wear resistance. The oil guarantees strong filling and strong chemical and mechanical resistance. It is available in eight standard colours and eight trendy colours. Two or three coats are applied, depending on the type of wood.

The white and natural tints, plus grey, are the favourite colours.

Chimiver LIOS B 100 is a natural oil treatment for wooden floors, it has 100% solid content so it can be considered VOC free. LIOS B 100 protects the wood, enhancing the softness and the natural look of the wood.

Available Versions: NATURAL: transparent treatment to keep natural the color of the wood. COLORATO: colored treatment to stain the wood.

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Colour and colour hardwax oils

LIOS HARD WAX BOIL 3D is a product based on natural oils ad waxes that gives to the treated wood a warm and smooth look, typical of natural oil finishes. Its excellent impregnating power makes it ideal for direct treament of wood; the second coat protects and gives depth enhancing the wood grain.

DevoNatural® DevoNatural® Hard Wax Oil is an oil which is transparent, dries rapidly, and barely turns yellow.

The special composition makes the oil film highly resistant to

Color Hardwax-oil 2K Lanai 071 Janna 170

The VOC-free finishing product with fast curing and full chemical and mechanical resistance after 24 hours.

Denali 175 Ceram 178 Kamet 179 Pago 770 Pinta 773

New Ceram 178 Now available in 14 colours!

Tanna 776 Sonora 810

New Sonora 810

Savo 872 Rossing 875 Koro 972

Easy maintenance with

Floorservice Maintenance Oil!

Taupo 975 Overmat Industries B.V. | Scharlo 11 | NL-5165 NG Waspik | The Netherlands

Sakar 979

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Tel. +31 (0) 416 31 77 88 | Internet: www.overmat.nl | E-mail: info@overmat.nl

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wear and tear and scratches. And so, if the floor is treated properly, it will certainly be waterproof and dirt-proof. Since DevoNatural® Hard Wax Oil is based on natural oil and waxes, it penetrates deep into the wood to keep it healthy and elastic. Applying DevoNatural® Hard Wax Oil helps the wood to breathe better, so that damp can evaporate.

Parquet, and wood in general, retains its elasticity when treated with DevoNatural® Hard Wax Oil, whilst the oil film ensures greater resistance to wear and tear and stains. Maintenance products such as the cleansing soap DevoNatural®Hard Wax Oil Cleaner and the renewer DevoNatural ®Hard Wax Oil Renewer keep the floor in ideal condition and extend its lifespan considerably.

Floorservice Floorservice Color Hardwax-oil Floorservice offers different types and colours of Floorservice Hardwax-oil. Off our 34 colours the white and brown shades are the most popular, in particular the Polar, Arctic and Brasil. Followed by the unfinished look and the brown shades.

The Floorservice Hardwax-oil penetrates deep into the wood, without blocking the pores. This allows the wood to keep breathing and retains its natural structure, because no top layer is formed.

Floorservice Color Hardwax-oil 2K This VOC-free finishing product cures very fast; ensuring the floor to be fully operational in no time. Available in 14 different colours.

Every floor that is finished with Floorservice Hardwax-oil is guaranteed to be highly resistant to wear and is also water resistant. Besides that the floor is protected against saliva and sweat and make the floor child friendly because it meets the requirements for children’s toys.

Loba The popularity of colouring wooden flooring depends largely on the region.

Colouring is highly popular in North America, less LOBASOL® MarkantColor. Photo: LOBA so in Europe, but interest is growing. In particular, colouring is extremely attractive for oak because this species absorbs the colour very well. Loba offers Lobasol® Markant Color, which can be supplied in 17 colours that can also be mixed with each other. Markant/Markant Color is a filmforming oil based on natural oils and waxes. This hardwax oil makes the floor scratch-resistant, water- and dirt-proof. It highlights the natural colour and structure of the wood. The most popular shades are white, grey, black, and smoked oak. Markant Color is top-coated with Markant transparent. The new Markant Nature gives you the look of untreated wood. All Markant products are safe for children's toys as per EN 71-3. Both Markant transparent and Markant Nature provide anti-slip properties according to BGR181 evaluation group R10.

Osmo Colour and protect wooden flooring The wide product range from Osmo offers countless possibilities to colour wooden flooring. First Osmo Oil Stain offers a choice between a transparent or intense colour.

The treated wood is protected optimally with two coats of a clear Osmo Polyx®-Oil. As a second possibility, one of seven colours from the Osmo Polyx®-Oil Tints range can be chosen; for this, two coats are necessary. As further option, Osmo Wood Wax Finish can be selected – it is absolutely essential to apply a second coat with clear Polyx®-Oil, which is available in various sheens. All of the products mentioned are based on natural oils and waxes.

between coats. The oil is available in matt and rough effect. However, the colour innovation product is the wax oil ‘Huile Cire Decoprotect’.

Decoprotect is based on natural oils and protects the wood from stains and dirt. This oil is available in eight fashionable shades.

Decoprotect gives parquet a natural warmth.

Rubio Monocoat

Pallmann At Pallmann they have seen a growing demand for colour options for wooden floors. Personalisation by means of colour is certainly a trend, especially in northern countries. Scandinavia, Belgium, and the Netherlands lead the way, but Germany, too, has seen a growing demand. That is exactly why Pallmann has increased its colour options considerably and launched the Pallmann Colour Collection. Colour can provide a solution for wood types with pigments which are not UV-resistant or wood types which become unsightly over time. The main aim is to create a unique floor covering and the Pallmann Colour Collection offers a spectrum of no fewer than 24 colours. The products consist of three components, namely a 2K Oil Primer Pal-X 333 (A/B) and a colour component (C).

The treated surfaces can be finished with the lacquers Pall-X 98 Gold, Pall-X Zero, Pall-X Pure, or the 2-component Magic Oil 2K Original. The new Eco Oil 1K is also available in three colours. The best-selling shades are white and light grey, but brown and black are also popular.

Plastor Oil is still a trend for Plastor because it provides natural protection which respects the wood and its warmth and feel. Oil or wax oil offers a good return, is easy to use, and can be renovated perfectly well. For distressed floors, oil has the advantage of its colour options. Amongst other things, Plastor has ‘Huile Aquanat®’, an invisible and protective oil which preserves and even highlights the natural aspect of the wood.

Parquet can be oiled in one day with a drying time of one to two hours

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You can colour and protect all sorts of wood with Rubio Monocoat oil.

Obviously, every type of wood has its own colour/shade, which will help to determine and affect the final colour. That makes each project different. Rubio Monocoat is a trendsetter and pioneer in promoting an oil to protect and colour in a single coat. Through the unique molecular binding technology, Rubio Monocoat oil has unique features such as application with no risk of overlapping, and all with 100% natural ingredients (0% VOCs). Furthermore, Rubio Monocoat oil is low maintenance and easy to repair. The topper, Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2C, is available in 40 standard colours, which can be mixed with each other and yield intense colouring without affecting the natural look of the wood. If that weren’t enough, they also enjoy making customised colours as well. RMC Oil Plus 2C is therefore the ideal partner for all projects. Clients often opt for natural colours which highlight the beauty of the wood even more.

Tover Tover offers several solutions when your request is finishing, colouring and protecting your wood floor with hard wax oil: L’Olio 100%! A solvent-free oil based on natural waxes and essential oils suitable for high protection. It makes sure you get an excellent resistance to wear and spots with a sole coat.

Moreover, it can be easily maintained and renewed. It complies with the DIN-EN 71-3 norm, you can use it on toys, furniture and surfaces in contact with food. It ensures a natural, matt and soft aspect and is available neutral and in 30 standard colours. Or Maxi is a hard wax modified oil applicable by spray or roller in two coats for a smooth rich look; you can choose it transparent in glossy, semiglossy, matt and extra-matt versions, it is also available coloured and perfectly suitable for high traffic areas.

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Special

Anti-slip finish for in and outdoor floors

YOU CAN LIMIT THE RISK OF SLIPPING THE CHEMICAL WORLD, TOO, OFFERS ANTI-SLIP SOLUTIONS Slipperiness: What is it exactly?

For walking surfaces both in and outdoors there are certain expectations with regard to slipperiness. Let’s just refresh our memories on this concept. The important thing is the parameters which affect the ‘slipperiness’ and the way in which we assess that slipperiness.

Roughness plays a big part The roughness of a floor surface greatly affects its slip resistance. The rougher the surface, the greater the slip resistance. Therefore, there are various methods which endeavour to improve the slip properties of a floor by making the surface rougher. For instance, this can be done by means of mechanical operations such as sandblasting. However, these methods can change the look of the floor drastically. Other more subtle methods are micro-inscription by means of lasers or a chemical treatment based on acids, depending on the type of flooring. The finish of a floor tile also affects the roughness and therefore also the slip resistance. The more a floor is polished, the lower its slip resistance. However, this does also depend on the structure of the material.

Floors which were originally fairly rough can obviously become extremely slippery through wear and tear. That wear and tear can be due to a combination of floor traffic and (fine) dust (source: BBRI).

How are floors tested?

Photo – Osmo

If we consider the criteria used to assess the ‘slipperiness’ of a floor, we realise at once that it is possible to reduce this slipperiness by means of technical/mechanical operations to the floor itself. At the same time, chemical solutions are emerging which yield a similar result without those physical operations. Whilst it is not a general rule, we do notice that chemical solutions are in second place when it comes to reducing slipperiness in outdoor conditions. The opposite is true for indoors.

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Standards DIN 51130 and DIN 51097 include an outline of the method used to assess and classify surfaces with a potential risk of slipping and to assess their potential as a floor covering. The classification for DIN 51130 is intended for floor coverings which are designed to be walked on with shoes and the wetting agent used for the test is motor oil. During this test, the surface to be tested is attached to the testing apparatus and ‘soiled’ with a certain quantity of normalised mineral oil. After that, a tester walks over the surface wearing safety shoes with normalised soles. In the meantime the slope of the walking surface is adjusted. This is repeated for as long as the tester has the feeling that he or she can walk safely on the surface. The slope is then read and the classification is given in the respective R-group (total average assessment group; source Hesse). The classification for DIN 51097 is meant for floor coverings which are designed to be walked on barefoot and the wetting agent used for the test is water (source: WTCN).

Chemical solutions indoors It is possible to reduce slipperiness by giving the surface of a floor covering a structure or by applying anti-slip strips. That isn’t really practicable with parquet for aesthetic reasons. In the parquet sector

the solutions are emerging from the world of the chemical industry at the level of the finish of wooden floors or wooden steps. Whether that means a finish with oil or lacquer, the addition of certain additives can drastically reduce the slipperiness of a floor surface.

immediately means full sandpapering, it is obviously desirable to give these finishes the longest possible lifespan.

Ciranova

Chemical solutions outdoors Some producers present a product which acts both as a protective finish for outdoor wood and as a safety measure against slipping. For instance, we discovered that one producer has a transparent, satin gloss, and solvent anti-slip stain. This stain nourishes and protects terrace wood, but also makes it anti-slip through the presence of an anti-slip grain. At the same time it prevents the wood from showing signs of ageing. We found another solution in a dual-component polyurethane product, which (after the addition of a third component) is sprayed into the groove of a plank. During the setting process, the polyurethane is sprinkled with quartz sand to obtain a narrow and rigid line. The rigidness is guaranteed for a long time since the line is sanded in the mass.

What is on the market ?

Blanchon

By way of analogy, people often use the R classes as a criterion with indoor applications for defining anti-slip for terrace floors. According to Ciranova, that is mostly significant for wet surfaces. There are various possible solutions for obtaining anti-slip with terraces. For instance, you can obtain a considerable improvement by adding a suitable additive to the oil. As a rule, this is an oil specially developed for that purpose, which is applied as an extra or a special coat. As is the case for all outdoor surfaces (treated with oil), the quality stands or falls with the maintenance. At present, various Ciranova products are undergoing tests in order to obtain the necessary anti-slip certificates.

For indoor finishes there are already some Ciranova products with an anti-slip classification in conformity to the standard DIN 51130 : FORTICO 2C NATURAL = R10, OCULTO 1C = R9 and HWO MAGIC = R10.

Chimiver

To grasp this issue properly, we need to draw a distinction between ‘slipping’ (sliding sideways at the end of a particular motion) and ‘slipping over’ (falling over). There is a European standard covering the former. The problem with outdoor terraces is that, apart from being walked on, they also have to cope with the outdoor climate, UV rays, and differences in temperature. When a terrace is dry, it is not necessarily slippery. However, damp wood can be slippery and terrace manufacturers found the solution by making terrace wood ribbed (a natural solution subject to regular maintenance). Unlike an anti-slip lacquer, which has added mineral particles, oil cannot be made anti-slip in the same way. Blanchon believes the aforementioned natural solutions should be recommended in combination, if necessary, with anti-slip bands (strips). The basic assumption is that finishes for parquet and stairs are non-slip and that real anti-slip treatments are meant for sports floors and for certain high-traffic public places. The anti-slide effect of finishes is obtained by adding tiny particles with a prescribed grain thickness. The load of grains should lead perfectly to a uniform spread (that’s why it’s necessary to shake well in advance). For some industrial applications it will be necessary to ‘spread’ this grain into the first layer, which is still wet. These finishes are durable partly because quality products are used for the base. Since renovation

ECOSTAR 2K SPORT ECOSTAR 2K SPORT is a two-component water-based polyurethane lacquer for sportive wooden floors. ECOSTAR 2K SPORT has same technical characteristics of our standard ECOSTAR 2K; it has been formulated in order to meet the highest anti slip standard requirements for sport wooden floors.

ECOSTAR 2K SPORT is in conformity with European standards for sportive wooden floors meeting EN14904 standard's requirements, DIN 18032-2 for slip resistance and it’s classified as EN 13501-1.

Hardness, distension, chemical and mechanical resistances put ECOSTAR 2K SPORT on top of range's quality. It is recommended and certified by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).

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Special

Anti-slip finish for in and outdoor floors

Loba

adding an anti-slip product.

The dual-component products Pallmann Magic Oil 2K Ergo and Pallmann Magic Oil 2K Original have already achieved a slip resistance of R10. To obtain the same resistance with the Pall-X 98 Gold, you need to add the special structure powder Pall-X Grip.

The lifespan of the slip resistance depends largely on maintenance and usage frequency. Depending on those details, you could expect a renewal every two to three years.

LOBASOL® Deck&Teak Oil – perfect anti-slip impregnation and long-term protection for outdoor wood floors and furniture. Photo: LOBA

In Germany there is the Professional Association for Health and Safety which sets rules for work and public areas. According to standard BGR 181, floors which could get slippery must be given special treatment. This applies, for instance, to entrances, stairs, kitchens, canteens, and such like. LOBA offers finishes, high solid oil and hard wax oil in anti-slip evaluation groups R9 and R10 to meet that need, namely LOBADUR® 2K Duo, 2K Ultra Elastic, and 2K Invisible Protect A.T. Amongst the oils we mention LOBASOL® HS 2K Impact Oil, which is available in transparent and 17 colours and (for outdoor use) LOBASOL® Deck & Teak Oil in five colours and transparent. Sports floors are subject to the standards DIN 18032 and EN 14904. The answer here is LOBADUR® 2K Ultra Sport and the accompanying 2K Sport Color for wood, linoleum, and PVC.

Osmo Since the demand for non-slip wood coatings has been growing steadily, Osmo also offer its renowned Polyx®-Oil for wood surfaces in indoor areas as an anti-slip variant. The advantages of a hardwax-oil surface remain the same, for example improved indoor air quality and microporous surface. For the exterior, Osmo offer Osmo Anti-Slip Decking Oil, which is a clear finishing coat for decking that is pre-treated with a pigmented oil. Osmo Anti-Slip Decking Oil contains a specialized, highly compressed, organic anti-slip additive that is distributed evenly in the coating and has a non-slip effect (R10).

Pallmann There is anti-slip legislation for floor coverings in public buildings, such as schools, hospitals, etc. In Germany they have the DGUV Rule 108003. The legislation is the same for both in and outdoors. The required slip resistance is usually R9. Slip resistance can be integrated into the lacquer through the properties of the ingredients or can be obtained by

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Plastor Plastor doesn’t have anti-slip products in the strictest sense of the word, but they have developed some products with the required features such as the stair glazer ‘Vitrificateur Escalier PRIMO T3’, PUR-T DECK, and PUR T Sport and interior. Primo T3 Escalier Plus (Stairs Plus) is not slippery and has the test report Lab sport no. R101355-l1 based on the European Standard EN 13036-4 of 4 November 2011.

For saturating all types of wood, Plastor has the ‘Satureur PUR-T Deck’.

This product is based on natural oils, penetrates deep into the wood, and makes the wood waterproof. Reinforced with an anti-UV element, PUR-T Deck protects against ageing. The wood structure comes out nicely thanks to the matt finish. ‘Satureur PUR-T Deck’ has an anti-slip effect, even with wet wood.

Tover Tover can provide finishing products with anti-slip properties both for indoor and outdoor. Oil4sun is the oil-based impregnation protection agent for wooden floorings in exterior. It is suitable for exotic woods like teak, Iroko, ipé and even bamboo. It preserves terraces, walkways and garden furniture from severe climatic conditions, UV-rays, it neither turns yellow nor cracks. Last but not least, it complies with the DIN 51130:2014 norm in terms of anti-slip properties (R9) to guarantee a safe walking on wet surfaces. For indoor wood floors, you can use Uniqua Antislip, the R10 certified water-based single-pack lacquer. Secure as it is isocyanate free, strong towards wear and household products, it is particularly suitable for stairs and exits.

Advertorial

Sherwin Williams (B)

IF YOU NEED TOP QUALITY, CALL FOR SHERWIN-WILLIAMS RELIABLE AND DURABLE SOLUTIONS FOR OUTDOOR PRODUCTS Obviously, the meticulous selection of raw materials, product knowledge, know-how, and expertise are all keys to producing high-quality end products. However, to achieve ultimate perfection you need that ‘something’ extra. That ‘something’ is usually found in collaboration with reliable partners. Since 1866, Sherwin-Williams has provided manufacturers and finishers with those coatings which they need, not only to beautify and enhance their product, but also to improve their productivity and durability. Sherwin-Williams is also a partner for outdoor products

The power of nature The cosmos houses lots of ‘elements’ which are beneficial, but can equally be destructive. Water, fire, and wind come most readily to mind in that respect, but light, plants, and animals can also cause some forms of collateral damage. Amidst all this, there are ingenious human beings who constantly study, think, and devise protective solutions to arm themselves against all that natural violence. When wood is used outdoors, it comes into contact with all those elements, which, over time, cause ‘wear and tear’. As for us, we protect wood against that wear and tear.

Light, air, and water Light, and especially UV rays, are a major cause of ‘decay’ for outdoor wood. We don’t call it ‘decay’ for nothing. Indeed, the effect of UV light results not so much in wear and tear as ‘decay’. Ultraviolet light (plus oxygen and water) causes wood to age and possibly to rot. In a photo-chemical process the sunlight breaks up the dark-coloured lignin, one of the main components of wood. The light-coloured cellulose, the other component, is left behind alone.

The ageing process shows clearly that the colour of the cellulose starts to dominate. What we perceive visually as ‘ageing’ is actually a microscopically thin layer of wood which is decomposing. When the ageing is caused by UV light, water can represent another danger. The cellulose inside the wood can simply get washed away and the wood displays frayed patterns which we’ve all seen on a piece of rotten wood.

garden architecture in general. Wood undeniably plays a leading part in this story.

Sherwin-Williams presents It is also no surprise that Sherwin-Williams, global leader in coating products such as paints, lacquers, varnishes, oils, and fillers, also has lots of impressive products for the treatment of outdoor wood. This segment is a worldwide success and is now getting the attention which it deserves in our region.

Exterior deckings Deckings such as swimming pool boards and sun terraces in the vicinity of the sea come constantly into contact with water. And so, they need a good treatment in order to protect the wood. To that end, Sherwin-Williams has developed a unique water-based system which guarantees high durability and excellent adhesion in extremely damp conditions and at the same time provides protection against sunlight.

Two-product system The first coat consists of a water-based outdoor stain which offers good penetration and is resistant to damp and UV. It is applied with a brush or roller. Two hours later, we apply a deep and matt top coat (using a roller, spray, or brush) for a beautifully natural wood effect. For several top coats we wait for four hours. The planks can be stacked after 16 hours.

For more information you can visit their web site: www.sherwin-williams.be

Sherwin-Williams Exterior Deckings Never before in history have we lived ‘outdoors’ so intensely and for such long periods each year as we do today. No one would deny that any more. The classic argument that a private swimming pool is not worthwhile because it would be used for only a short period is now completely out of date. The swimming pool market is ‘booming’ as never before and that applies equally to the terrace market, the market for garden houses and pool houses, and

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Subfloors for floors in PVC, LVT and vinyl: part I

HARD SUBFLOORS FOR FLEXIBLE FLOORING DOUBLE PLATE SYSTEMS ARE A HIT ON ALL FRONTS

Photos – Unifloor

With floating design floors such as vinyl, LVT, PVC, and linoleum, the subfloor requires even more attention than with harder floors, if that is possible. That’s not so surprising, since the top surface of a flexible floor covering reveals any defects underneath. The hardness of the subfloor is crucial, so we usually opt for wooden panels for the subfloor. Some producers sell a subfloor which appears in the form of a roll, but which is hard enough to fit flexible flooring on top of it.

Hard? How come?

Hardness? What exactly is that? The hardness of a material is the strength of that material in standing up to permanent mechanical distortion. Hardness is an important concept in material science for expressing the required properties of building materials. It is possible to measure the hardness of metals, stone, and synthetics. Diamond is the hardest widely known mineral. Diamond can be used to scratch any other material. Only ultra-hard fullerite and aggregated carbon nanorods are harder, with an estimated hardness of 1.17 as compared to 1.52 for diamond. However, that material is available only in microscopically small quantities. If an object is used to exert a (minimal) force on the surface of another object, both objects distort elastically.

When that force is removed, the objects return to their original shape.

A certain pressure arises on the contact surface, which causes a

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certain shearing stress in the object. If this shearing stress exceeds a certain limit, this creates a permanent dent or flaw. We call that plastic distortion.

Hard + soft plates Double plates A number of specialists offer double-plate systems. The subfloor consists of a lower plate and a top plate. MDF is a frequently used material for these plates. In some cases the plates have to be fitted diagonally, whilst in other cases they are glued to each other. A perfect combination for subfloors in the case of a flexible final floor is a soft lower plate and a hard top plate. The soft lower plate then absorbs the unevenness in the covering floor, whilst the hard top plate prevents impressions from chair feet, stiletto heels, and such like.

Subfloors with adhesive A number of subfloors consist of a lower plate and a top plate which are connected to each other by an interactive adhesive to obtain a perfectly smooth and seamless subfloor. These subfloors make it possible to glue vinyl directly. Another system consists of joining the sections via a self-adhesive lip-welding joint. Another system provides for a lower plate which is combined in remodelled brick pattern with a self-adhesive top plate. Another manufacturer offers a subfloor for LVT which is self-adhesive on one side for better fitting of the final floor.

Mac Lean

What’s on the market?

Insulco

New acoustic underlay for LVT floors The new Insulit LVT membrane makes it possible to reduce in a highly effective manner impact sounds (ΔLw 18dB) and the sound of footsteps (by 40%) with no detriment to the quality of your LVT floor. This new insulation in polyolefin with closed microcells is produced with no CFKs or HCFKs and contains no harmful substances. Insulit LVT meets the highest demands of the Modular Multilayer Flooring Association (MMFA). Insulit LVT is available in rolls for quick and easy fitting. The underlay is highly resistant to compression and pressures. Moreover, Insulit LVT is also suitable for floor heating. All these benefits and the high acoustic performances make Insulit LVT the ideal underlay for your LVT floor. Find out for yourself on the producer’s web site (www. insulco.eu) in the parquet section.

For the floating fitting of click-LVT and PVC Mac Lean offers various products in different price classes, including Isolay and Selitbloc. Mac Lean believes it is important to follow MMFA guidelines. MMFA stands for ‘Modular Multilayer Flooring Association’. Originally, this federation aimed to bring together products which ‘didn’t belong anywhere’, but it soon became clear that multilayer flexible flooring (LVT, PVC, and linoleum) constituted a segment on its own and that a trade federation was essential. Since then, MMFA has helped to bring about standard EN 16511, published a handbook on specialised subfloors, and organised various workshops.

And so, guidelines have been drafted by click-LVT and PVC producers themselves. A lot of attention is paid to the demands made of the compressive strength. Selitbloc Griptec® is equipped with a special layer which relieves the click joints. Mac Lean subfloors are produced using high-density HDPE or XPS.

Your specialist in acoustics

Tested (and approved) S801-Technology for over 10 years

170 rue de la Roquette 75011 Paris contact@dinachoc.com - www.dinachoc.com Contact : +33 7 83 02 03 14

INSULATION FOR FLOORS AND WALLS

100% rubber CAN BE FITTED UNDER PARQUET, LAMINATE, TILES, MARBLE, AND CARPET

Thickness

DOES NOT SAG OVER TIME

2mm 3mm 5mm 10mm

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Our commitment to Sustainable Development Recycling is a necessity. That’s why Dinachoc makes every effort to offer you only recycled products. This stimulates the circular economy and looks to the future for everyone.

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Special

Subfloors for floors in PVC, LVT and vinyl: part I

Parkettfreund

Unifloor

Parkettfreund presents various subfloors for click-LVT. The best subfloors by a long way are the highly durable and heavy-duty subfloor made of polyurethane and a high-quality subfloor with a self-adhesive surface. Parkettfreund takes full account of the various rules and standards. The German symbol Ü indicates that a product conforms to the German statutory legislation and technical standards. This guarantees that the product has been inspected by an official and independent testing body. There is also the ‘Blauer Engel’ (Blue Angel), an environmental label which has been awarded in Germany since 1978, and, obviously, the European regulated A+ certificate on emission values which have to be stated on products for which CE marking is required. Parkettfreund offers subfloors in various materials.

The best sellers are the acoustic PU subfloors.

For the floating fitting of click-PVC and PVC Unifloor presents Redfloor, Blackfloor, Marathon Dual, and Marathon Super. Unifloor has its subfloors tested and has been awarded several NSG certificates to show that these products achieve a sound reduction of 10dB L lin.

Moreover, there are also requirements for PVC floors. The MMFA (Multilayer Modular Flooring Association) is an organisation which represents leading floor producers in Europe and their suppliers. These manufacturers set minimum requirements which a subfloor has to meet, amongst other things, in order to be fitted under PVC Rigid click. One of the requirements is a minimum CS value (momentary pressure) to which a subfloor under PVC Rigid click has to comply. The minimum established value is 200kPa, but many manufacturers themselves opt for the higher requirement of 400kPa. This means that they themselves recommend a subfloor with a minimum CS value of 400kPa. For fitting glued PVC Unifloor offers the Marathon Premium and the Jumpax Classic, HD, Strong, and Nature. Glued PVC fitting requires a level and stable subfloor in order to counteract distortion or swelling and shrinking. Unifloor subfloors are superior in this respect. Laminate is a hard floor covering and is thereby sensitive to noise pollution. Moreover, laminate usually has a click connection, something which is vulnerable to damage. A good quality subfloor is important, certainly for laminate. For laminate Unifloor presents Heatfoil, Bluefloor, and Redupax.

acoustic, fast track floor prep system for all resilient floor coverings!

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• Overcomes many substrate problems UK Toll Free: 0845 603 0906 www.unifloor-underlay.com

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Special

Producers of laminate, PVC, LVT, vinyl floors in Hungarian Point and Herringbone style

LAMINATE AND LVT TARGET REGAL FLOORS IS IT NOW EASIER TO FIT HUNGARIAN POINT? to the look. Embossing does the rest. Old fitting patterns are now emerging also in imitation floors. This represents a fascinating shift; the challenge in fitting such floors has shifted from the craft worker to the manufacturer. In bygone days, producers delivered 6 or 9mm thick slats in neatly stacked piles. It was up to the craft worker to construct the floors all the way to the finish. Today, the innovative element is more in the floor covering itself than in the fitting.

In rolls You can give flexible floors in rolls any look whatsoever. This means any fitting pattern imaginable can be printed onto vinyl, PVC, or linoleum, or even onto cork. The production couldn’t be any easier.

Planks or tiles Imitating individual floorboards which then have to be laid in the relevant fitting pattern is another matter. Here the click system obviously plays a crucial part. If there is a different click system for the ends than for the long edge of a plank, you cannot make a herringbone pattern or Hungarian point. The click system has to be the same all round.

One specialist: BerryAlloc Photo – BerryAlloc Glorious Small & Glorious XL – Gyant XL Dark Brown

No, of course it isn’t any easier now to fit Hungarian point.

The same applies to fitting all those other sublime parquet floors. Whether we are talking about simple strip parquet or the equally regal herringbone parquet, fitting traditional parquet is still most certainly an Art with a capital ‘A’.

Despite all their progress, laminate and flexible floors are still ‘ imitations’, but they do ‘ look’ authentic.

From ‘art’ to a ‘job’ Traditional craft workers are obviously unhappy about the situation, but who else minds if the end result looks the same? Moreover, it’s fascinating to see how old fitting patterns such as Hungarian point and herringbone have developed. In bygone days, both fitting patterns were usually laid using the traditional parquet method. Solid wood strips were glued and nailed to a subfloor which, in turn, was glued to a screed (traditional parquet method). The first technical operation came when tongue and groove were added. What’s special about these floors is that you need two types of strips, ‘a left one and a right one,’ as they say in trade jargon. If the groove is on the left and the tongue on the right at the top with one bone of the herringbone, the next strip should be fitted vice versa. After all, you work in a mirror image. From that point it is merely a short step towards multilayer parquet.

At present, herringbone is much coveted and, surprisingly, suits a lot of interior styles, from retro to classic and from minimalist to Californian boho style. BerryAlloc was the first to launch a laminate floor in herringbone design on the market and had already developed a unique and simple fitting system to that end in 2004 with A and B planks. Over the past year, they have seen a considerable rise in sales of the Chateau collection, which for that matter can be laid not only in herringbone, but also in other patterns. The Chateau collection has a nice variation of colours and those who dare can combine those colours with each other in black/white herringbone, for instance. As an international company, BerryAlloc needs a complete range to include floors which look ‘antique’ and ‘vintage’. Yet those floors are certainly not the main theme in the collections. The company tries mainly to have a diverse and versatile range to suit all styles. The Retro Chic designs (also available in Hydro Plus) fit in perfectly with that vintage style and evoke stylish Portuguese azulejos. The weathered Barn Wood design takes you as it were to an old barn in Texas with its rustic and characteristic look.

Laminate and LVT We’ve raised this issue before. As soon as you can take a digital photograph and print just about any material, there are hardly any limits

Visit www.floor-forum.com

Photo - BerryAlloc Chateau – Texas Grey

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Advertorial

Design Parquet (F)

DESIGN PARQUET – THE EXPERT IN CUSTOM-MADE WORK

Sesame

Today’s wood flooring has succeeded to adapt to the revolution of style of our houses and building by following the trends and new lifestyles. That’s what we learnt during a report about Design Parquet, a French company which has been producing wood flooring for more than 20 years and operates both in France and abroad.

Custom-made wood flooring

Grange

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What makes Design Parquet different from other manufacturers on the market?

Design Parquet has stood out from the rest through the creation of custom-made wood flooring. Reporting on the company goes well beyond a mere summary of the years of experience of its founders, Yves and Joseph Panaget. A visit at the factory, one of the most modern in France, helps to realise how many options this French manufacturer offers. The factory is laid out in such a way that wood flooring can be chosen from over 30 types of wood, 1,000

dimensions, and 30 finishings. As the numerous wood species offer various color combinations, wood flooring is a solid fixed value which can adapt to all interior design styles. The Design Parquet teams offer all their clients technical and aesthetic solutions.

An innovative company Design Parquet is also the inventor of Navylam+ bathroom parquet.

This licensed parquet with a 10-year guarantee is universally

Design Parquet has the capacity to adapt its production to the needs of the clients, professionals, whether they target private or business customers. The manufacturer’s know-how has enabled them to conquer various markets. Amongst their references we note, for instance, the ‘Château de la Ragotterie’, the ‘Halles Centrales de Tours’ (and its fantastic decorative panel), and the ‘Stade Jean-Bouin’ in Paris with its 4,400m² wood flooring. This list is far from exhaustive.

They can recommend a wood flooring for any type of surface and any

Navylam teak

Parquet flooring for bathroom welcomed because it is easy to fit thanks to a patented process of integrated joint. Technically speaking, the wood flooring for bathroom has an extra watertightness. Aesthetically, the parquet gives the room an extra decorative touch. Design Parquet has also launched its range of exotic parquet floors, solid oak, and engineered parquet (semi-solid Loft Pro).

Nowadays, parquet enjoys a much better image. Depending on its fitting, the look of the surface, or its colour, it stands for many diverse spheres. Parquet retains a noble image, but Design Parquet has added an air of modernity through the regular creation of several models.

The trend is inclining towards parquet with wide planks, with the unmistakable return of the natural.

Chevron gris de Guérande

type of use. For that matter we also refer to ROC varnish, another of the company’s innovations which is suitable for high-traffic areas.

Design Parquet never ceases to amaze us and is brimming with ideas.

We can’t wait to see their next collection. It will certainly be innovative and highly trendy once again!

For more information you can visit their web site: www.designparquet.fr

The novelties include the Vendôme, a very attractive oak parquet in Chevron with a distressed finish and a distinct black marking.

The Grange is once again highly modern. This is oak parquet of the Campagne/Sauvage grade in three widths with knots and cracks filled in black.

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Special

Producers of elastic adhesives

HOW ELASTIC CAN PARQUET ADHESIVE BE? LOTS OF PARAMETERS DETERMINE THE CORRECT CHOICE OF GLUE

Photo – Devo®

What do you think of this chart? The vertical axis shows 10 different types of wooden floors neatly under each other.

On the horizontal axis we see six columns in which a sort of base is specified. In the charts we find four different types of parquet adhesives with three possible colours specifying applicability. That’s it! The chart which the BBRI published in 2013 to help professionals ‘choose the right parquet adhesive’ had to provide clarity. Talk about not seeing the woods for the trees.

BBRI rushes to our aid Wooden floors are still much coveted. This popularity has ensured vast growth and diversification of the market, which constantly endeavours to meet ever greater demands as regards appearance, plank dimensions, health, and such like. This diversification has affected just about all the content with which floor fitters can be confronted i.e. substrates, wooden floor coverings, adhesives, and finishes. All these innovations ensure that floor fitters now have a choice of some 1,900 possible product combinations. Moreover, this

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abundance of choice is related to a significant variable factor, namely the product brand. These changes have caused the parquet floor fitting profession to develop continually and have made it increasingly specialised. And so, all the technical reference documents are being updated. That is why the BBRI parquet work group has started on the revision of the TV (Technical Instructions) 218 'Wooden flooring: wooden floors, parquet, and veneer wood floors’ from 2000. These TV keep the sector informed of the highest standards of the trade and provide accurate technical information about product families and fitting techniques without no commercial bias. Recently, they have largely completed the revision of TV 218, which is already 20 years old, and TV 218 has been renamed TV 269 (see also elsewhere in this edition).

Movement absorption Adhesive is expected to display a certain ongoing flexibility in order to absorb the movements of building materials. And so, in recent years, developments on the adhesive market have been dominated by the degree of elasticity and the quest for the ideal balance.

Elastic?

The elasticity of a material indicates the extent to which a material exerts an opposing force (so called resilience) when it is distorted elastically (i.e. not permanently) or the extent to which a material is distorted when it is subjected to some external strain. And so, a material is described as elastic if it returns to its original shape once the external force is no longer in operation. Rubber is an example of a highly elastic material. ‘Resilience’ is defined as the mechanical strength with which the material endeavours to return to its original position after it has been distorted.

EN 14293 The standard EN 14293 offers a simplified choice between flexible and rigid adhesives. These two groups offer a solution for a specific expectation. The key question is whether you wish to counteract the movements of the wood or allow them to some extent. A rigid adhesive has strong physical and mechanical properties, weak elasticity, and high breaking strength. With floors with straight edges (e.g. traditional parquet) the wood should not be allowed to move. If you wish to allow the wood to move to some extent, it will be necessary to use an elastic adhesive. Given the fact that there are fewer powers in play, such adhesives don’t require great strength. Elastic adhesives reduce the strain on the substrate.

and hybrid polymers. These adhesives do have the assets of being versatile, mono-component and therefore convenient in use, flexible, durable, and perfect for glueing wide floorboards. Moreover, they are only moderately susceptible to residual moisture in the screed and have the same consistency in all seasons. The minimum requirements for elasticity, fluidity, and adhesion are outlined in the standard DTU 51.2. At Blanchon, their three references in this field are all hybrid polymers. The AB 1300, which is very easy to use, will suffice for all classic glueing up to widths of 130mm breed. The AB 2000 can be used for widths up to 200mm. Finally, there is the indispensable sausage adhesive, which does not run when it is used vertically.

Bostik

Types of adhesive As a rule, the highly elastic adhesives available on the market today can be divided into two main groups, namely silane adhesives (SMP) and PUR adhesives. Amongst silane adhesives we draw a distinction between MS polymers (modified silanes based on the prepolymers from Kaneka), SPUR (silane and polyurethane), STP (silane terminated polyurethane), and STP-E (a variant on the others).

Hybrid adhesives Various forms of technology will be either more or less suitable for glueing, depending on the conditions (type of parquet, wood sort, surrounds, etc.). In recent years, it seems that the best (safest) solutions have been achieved through combinations of technology. This means taking the best from all that is good or, in other words, creating hybrids. Forms of adhesive technology which frequently come to our notice are PU, epoxy, and silane, and those are the combinations which have led to the ‘adhesives of the new generation’.

What’s on the market?

Blanchon

There are various elastic adhesives on the market. These can be PU (polyurethane) or SMP (MS polymers) adhesives, which are primarily mono-component systems. These adhesives all set by means of a reaction with air humidity. For an elastic parquet adhesive the shear strength of the adhesive must have a value higher than 1N/mm².

Bostik presents a whole range of adhesives, including Parfix PU 1K, Parfix Classic, Parfix Eco Plus, Parfix Elastic, Superfix 009, and High Tack. Parfix Eco Plus is an example of an adhesive which is suitable for several purposes. Parfix Eco Plus is based on the AXIOS Tri-Linking technology, which Bostik has developed only very recently. This technology is based on a new multifunctional reaction mechanism which binds together the parquet and the substrate strongly. The strong polymerisation is also reflected in the refined impact sound insulation. The glue spreads quickly and easily. The durable and low-emission adhesive contains no softeners and is suitable for just about all types of parquet and substrates. This ‘ingenious’ elastic parquet glue enjoys very good cross-linking, with which the parquet is glued strongly, like tree roots in the soil.

Chimiver ADESIVER ELASTIC

Common forms of technology used for hybrid adhesives include vinyl adhesives, epoxy-polyurethane, polyurethanes (1 and 2 components),

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Single-component adhesive with a silanic termination (MS technology) ADESIVER ELASTIC is a single-component hydro-curing prepolymer based adhesive with a silanic termination (MS technology).

Recommended for gluing of pre-finished wooden floor onto

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Producers of elastic adhesives

marble, grit, ceramic or marble-chip floor tiles, etc.

Also suitable for gluing wooden floor onto underfloor heating and cooling system. ADESIVER ELASTIC has very good acoustic insulation characteristics. CERTIFIED EC1, Ü-Mark of Conformity.

ADESIVER ELASTIC can contribute to the achievement of QI CREDIT 4.1 according to the parameters of the GEV dated 03 March 2009, because it meets the certification LEED protocol (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

UNISIL Anallergic single-component adhesive with a silanic termination (MS technology) UNISIL is a prepolymer based, single-component hydrocuring adhesive with a silanic termination (MS technology).

Recommended for gluing pre-finished wooden floor onto marble, grit, tiles, ceramic or marble-chip floor, etc. Also suitable for gluing wooden floor onto underfloor heating and cooling system.

CERTIFICATES: EC1; ATTESTATION CCAEnvironmentally Compatible Product (Certificate issued by Department BEST - Politecnico of Milan CCA Registration No. 20163); Sound Reduction (CSI Test Report No. 0056/DC/ACU/06); Heat conductivity (CSI Test Report No. 0020/DC/TTS/06).

UNISIL can contribute to the achievement of QI CREDIT 4.1 according to the parameters of the GEV dated 03 March 2009, because it meets the certification LEED protocol (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

Devo® Amongst other things, Devomat presents Devo® Glue MSP 150 1C, a mono-component and semi-elastic hybrid MS polymer adhesive which contains no silicones or isocyanates. It is designed for multilayer stabilised parquet, whilst Devo® Glue MSP 250 1C is the best-seller at Devomat Industries. This glue is suitable for glueing all types of wood (solid wood up to 20cm wide) and is particularly recommended for fitting pre-finished parquet. The glue contains no water or VOCs and spreads excellently. Devo® Glue MSP 250 is a hard-elastic glue (about 70 Shore) with great adhesive strength, it conforms to the standard CSN EN 14293, and it has the EC1-Plus (EC1-R) classification. Devo® Glue MSP250 is packed in bags of 5kg. Devomat also has dual-component adhesives in its range. Devo® Glue PU 570 2C is a waterless, dual-component, polyurethane epoxy, and semi-elastic parquet glue which is specially for glueing wooden floors onto cement-bound substrates or existing floors (tiles, marble, wooden floors, etc.). Devo® Glue PU 650 2C is also a waterless, dual-component, epoxy-polyurethane parquet adhesive, but this product is hard-elastic.

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Pallmann

Hard and hard-elastic silane adhesives offer greater certainty when there is a need to resist swelling and shrinking in wood and to minimalise distortion in parquet. They have greater scope than soft silane adhesives. Pallmann offers the 1-component STP parquet adhesive PALLMANN P5, a hard-elastic, solventless, and waterless parquet glue which conforms to standard DIN EN 14293 for glueing parquet. This glue is suitable for strip parquet 19-22mm, industrial engineered parquet 16-22mm, solid wood parquet, and exotic wood.

This 1-component STP adhesive combines the strong elasticity of a PU adhesive with the benefits of modern STP technology. It contains no solvents or water, so it is very user-friendly and causes no damage to parquet.

Rubio Monocoat Rubio® Easy Bond is a high-quality alternative to 2K PU adhesive and has the same strengths such as curing, very strong adhesion, and a hard-elastic character, and all without the inconveniences of a 2K PU adhesive; it has one component, there are no smelly emissions, glue residue is easy to remove from the floor, you don’t get your hands dirty, and there are no isocyanates in the glue, so you don’t get allergic skin reactions. Rubio® Easy Bond parquet adhesive contains no softeners, but has a high polymer content, something which does make the glue more expensive, but also more durable with greater adhesive strength. Since Rubio® Easy Bond doesn’t contain any softeners, there is therefore no migration, so the composition of the glue doesn’t change. And so, there’s no need to worry about damage to the finish layer afterwards because the adhesive contains nothing which can migrate to the wood. The hard-elastic composition of Rubio® Easy Bond parquet adhesive gives the wood just enough room to move, but not so much that it begins to distort or curl.

Moreover, this type of adhesive is easy to scour and can also be deployed as a filler paste.

Tover

Thomsit

Technically speaking the elasticity of an adhesive for wood flooring is evaluated according to the following characteristics: shear strength up to 1,0 N/mm², shear elongation up to 1 and tensile strength up to 1,00 N/mm² (ISO 17178-2013 Norm). The good news is that Tover MS polymer glues – Tovcol MS and Tovcol MS START - comply perfectly with this Norm!

Moreover, professionals can use both adhesives for the application of any wood species on any sub-floors including under-floor heating, cooling systems, ceramics and metallic supports. Packaging is also customer-oriented: in buckets, bags, sausages and cartridges, to allow easily two different application methods: trowel or gun, indoor and outdoor (with Sigil MS Black). Our high-quality MS adhesives can provide a secure bonding to engineered prefinished and raw boards of any size and to solid wood up to 200 mm wide. Tover adhesives: strongly elastic!

The P 665 is an elastic glue for parquet which is ready for fitting. Thomsit also presents P 675 Elast (for parquet ready for fitting), P 685 Elast Universal (solid wood and parquet ready for fitting), and P 695 Elast Universal Strong (for all wooden floors). These three glues are based on the Flextec technology, which has been developed by Thomsit. This Flextec TM technology protects the wood from shear stresses. P 675 and P 685 are soft-elastic glues, whilst P 695 is a hard-elastic glue. At Thomsit, a hard-elastic glue means an extra strong and fast-action glue so that it is also suitable for more critical parquet sorts, which, normally speaking, can be glued only with a 2-component PU glue. A soft-elastic glue is not suitable for this purpose. The showpiece par excellence is Thomsit P685 Elast Universal. This is an elastic 1-C parquet glue based on the Flextec TM technology. The glue is spread lightly and can be applied to both absorbent and non-absorbent substrates. For most substrates you don’t need a primer. Thomsit P 699 is a 1-c-SMP parquet adhesive which prevents gaps by means of an extremely hard adhesive groove and is thereby ideal for solid wood floors.

SMX®-30 PLUS • MS®-30 PLUS • MS®-20 PLUS

A PLUS IN PERFORMANCE, ENVIRONMENT AND EASE OF USE UNIVERSAL, ELASTIC PARQUET ADHESIVES

Faster curing, higher bond strength Wooden floor can bear load and be sanded way faster Excellent ease of use Very low emission (EC-1 Plus) ® DE

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ADVERT536

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• • • •

Special

Producers of design skirting boards

SKIRTING BOARDS AS DESIGN OBJECTS EXCEPTIONAL COMBINATIONS RAISE EXCLUSIVENESS

Photo – La San Marco Profili

Why do we always associate ‘ design’ with ‘expensive and exclusive’ when they are not essential features of the concept of ‘ design’? For instance, when we think of design furniture, we think of exclusive or unique items such as chairs or sofas with few replicas, if any at all. Yet the basic definition of ‘ design’ is an ‘ industrial draft’, and that’s the prelude to mass production; unless that production never materialises, of course. Then you are left with a unique design (draft). When do skirting boards become exclusive?

Industrial styling

What is design?

Finally, design is a term for an exclusive appliance, a designed product which is exclusive or is completed by a top class designer. A perfect comparison is that between an oil painting and a lithography or etching. An artist makes only one version of an oil painting, so it is

Design can be defined quite simply as ‘styling’. Yet design is also a word for a draft or format. For example, design is industrial shaping, so it’s about product development, the designing of objects.

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A draft is an outline of something new or something which already exists. It is a model of (future) reality. A draft can be a textual outline, but it can also be a drawing or scale model. Design can also relate to the format. In that case it concerns the visual structure of a (graphic) design. There are various sorts of designs. For instance, there is a building design (a design used in construction). Furthermore, there is also an art design in which the artwork or the (art) product is designed.

Exclusive products

unique. By contrast, however, an artist usually prints dozens of the lithography or etching in order to achieve better sales.

What’s on the market?

FN Neuhofer

Exclusive skirting boards Most producers agree that skirting boards should be on show again!

Although trends are seldom universal, sometimes varying regionally or locally, skirting boards appear just about everywhere as a ‘design object’ according to suppliers. As opposed to neutral protective skirting boards, skirting boards are appearing as a decorative object. These are skirting boards which should be seen, skirting boards which provide a special touch in the interior.

Exclusive because of the material This brings us to the domain of special materials such as aluminium, stainless steel, or other metals such as bronze and copper. These materials combine well with wood. No problem!

Exclusive because of the shape Now that we have established a preference for eye-catching skirting boards, we come immediately to higher skirting boards, which, as regards colour, should be on show. As regards shape, there is a symbiosis between classic and modern: The skirting boards are admittedly higher (a classic given), but at the same time they are becoming rigid, straight, and square.

Exclusive as regards decor Digital printing makes it possible to apply any image and colour or shade whatsoever to a skirting board in smaller print runs. More and more suppliers on the parquet and laminate market are offering this facility. The minimum purchase varies from producer to producer, but it tends towards increasingly lower print runs. This is a development in customised work which allows for really unique skirting boards! Digital printing is possible on virtually any standard material and the content of the printing actually doesn’t matter.

According to FN, skirting boards are being seen increasingly as a design object. They can match the floor completely or provide a highlight. ‘Anything’ is possible, thanks to digital print. White skirting boards are still a trend. The skirting board height is determined by the motto ‘the shape follows the function’. The most attractive skirting boards arise from the function. As for shape, we are moving towards wider, more rigid, square, and sober. Colours are determined by floor manufacturers, but skirting board makers can also be a source of ideas. Obviously, FN Neuhofer takes account of the emergence of design floors, which are flexible, waterproof, and easy to maintain. They obviously also take account of the minimal thicknesses of the floor coverings. The possibilities are endless in terms of both materials (MDF or aluminium) and finishes (anodised alu or printed paper). FN Neuhofer also equips skirting boards with a groove for the inlay of a

?!

?!

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product such as vinyl. Due to the growing demand for short delivery times, customised profiles, and limited stocks, FN Neuhofer is working on a method of producing neutral profiles which appear as ‘standard’, but can be printed digitally. This also allows for the production of smaller batches. Speaking more generally, FN Neuhofer sees digital printing as pioneering technology which opens up a world of (as yet non-existent) possibilities. In 2010, FN Neuhofer was the first pioneer to do all its own printing. In 2017, the company invested in a new and additional system (width up to 330mm and resolution of 1260 DPI!).

Their innovations include the FN Flush-pro, the skirting board which rises up the wall so that furniture can be placed against the wall.

Küberit At Küberit, metal skirting boards are more expensive and therefore they are produced solely for the commercial market or for residential applications where the client is looking for an exclusive setting and a good budget is available.

The latest trend in metal skirting boards is universal colours which suit various types of floor coverings.

Extremely high skirting boards are increasingly in fashion in European countries, certainly for public areas.

The assortment now includes a number of extra colours. Thanks to the licensed clip system, it is also possible to hide wires. Digital printing for metal skirting boards is requested only very rarely. However, personalisation is possible from 100m. The newest skirting board is type 950 into which floor strips from 2 to 11mm can be fitted.

La San Marco Profili

A FAMILY COMPANY FOUNDED IN 1883 120,000 M³ OF SAWN TIMBER IN STOCK NEW SPECIE ADDED TO OUR RANGE: CERTIFIED EUROPEAN OAK IMPORT AND EXPORT OF SCANDINAVIAN & RUSSIAN SOFTWOODS, AMERICAN SOFTWOODS & HARDWOODS, TROPICAL HARDWOODS COMPANY SPECIALTIES ROUGH SAWN – DECKING – FLOORING – CLADDING – UNDERCONSTRUCTION

BERGSTRAAT 25 | B-8511 AALBEKE | BELGIUM T. +32 (0)56 43 33 33 | F. +32 (0)56 43 33 34 GENEVIEVE@VANDECASTEELE.BE | DAVE@VANDECASTEELE.BE WWW.VANDECASTEELE.BE

We could say there are two main different trends nowadays regarding skirting boards choice. One is the minimal choice that refers to small,

Special

Producers of design skirting boards

plain and almost basic skirting and the other one is the opposite that involves the choice of large and ornate skirting. Over these last years, in facts, trends in interior design are going back to more elaborate and higher skirting boards, which, in conjunction with other decorative mouldings help to give an extra design element to the room. In fact, today, many interior stylists are using the different style of skirting boards to add an artistic touch to the interior of a home. In this sense, the skirting is no longer considered as a simple detail, but it becomes a real design product. La San Marco Profili with this regard, thanks to its full product portfolio of skirting, is able to offer a vast range of profiles for every need. From the classical style to more experimental, innovative solutions, we offer different Lines of skirting that easily satisfy all customers’ requests. Among our latest product news, there are three new typologies of skirting boards. Edward, George and Caroline profiles all made with solid wood and with different elaborated shapes and large sizes. These skirting, together with all the entire production, are always available in stock for prompt delivery. Furthermore, La San Marco, thanks to its flexibility, it handles all special quantities or specific customized requests in a very short time.

Progress Profiles Metal colours are the trend here for skirting boards and silver leads the way. The new Proskirting Channel and the Proskirting Flat are available in white-lacquered aluminium. The skirting board dimensions are purely a question of taste. Heights of 40-60mm are for more modern frames, whilst 80-100mm are for classic interiors. The new Proskirting Giled is an anodised aluminium skirting board with integrated LED lights, which spread a gentle and indirect light for a contemporary

atmosphere. Here, too, digital print is a major technological step forward, not least due to the growing demand for vinyl skirting boards.

Their latest investment is a machine which can reproduce an infinite number of wood decors and allows for fully personalised finishes. Their latest novelties include Proskirting INS (for the creation of an inlay print), Proskirting Chanel, and Proskirting Flat. Another new feature is the fact that the Proskirting 7011 and 7016 can be personalised with images or decors.

www.progressprofiles.com

www.progressprofiles.com

CER

The most practical, fast and flexible system that reaches the desired hight.

SAIE

201 23 - 2 9 Bolog Hall 3 7 Septem na 1 Sta b nd A er 11

“Producers of design wooden skirting boards since 1957”

PROSUPPORT TUBE SYSTEM PROSUPPORT TUBE SYSTEM is an adjustable and modular supports system for outdoor floating floors from the height of 29 mm to 1000 mm. The system is composed of 1 base, 2 screws, 1 flange, 2 heads and several pvc pipes to obtain the requested height. Both heads, according to the screw, can be fix or self-levelling.

PATENTED

P R O FI L E S & SY S T E MS

FIX SIDE

SELFLEVELLING SIDE

SAN GIUSEPPE SRL Vittorio Veneto (TV) - Italia www.sangiuseppesrl.com

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Special

Sanding machines: part I

IT ALL STARTS WITH THE ENDLESS BELT SANDER THE BELT IS PRIMARILY A LEVELLING MACHINE for removing and cleaning the suction ventilator, and, finally, the ease of dismantling the tool.

The latter is vital since a machine weighing 80kg isn’t easy to transport.

The accessibility of parts, especially parts important for cleaning, setting, and adjusting the machine, should improve the handling. Moreover, endless belt sanders are self-propelling; once the roller touches the floor, the machine advances forward.

Breath freely!

Photo – Pallmann

Sometimes, the demands which we make of a machine or tool seem contradictory, but that just proves there’s still work to be done. Obviously, the need for the 80kg of steel required for levelling an oak subfloor flies in the face of the need to ‘ lighten user workload’. There are lots of operations to rectify that shortcoming to make the machine easier to handle and the work lighter. A quality belt sander with good dust suction is still a must for any parquet floor fitter.

Weight and motor power The endless belt sander needs all its 80kg weight. That weight, plus a powerful motor, enables the belt to sandpaper a wooden subfloor or floor covering perfectly smooth. Measures to refine the tools are aimed partly at handling to make the heavy weight more bearable for floor fitters. In that respect we see that with the latest generation manufacturers are working on aspects like stability, perfect tension on drive belts, as few vibrations as possible, adjustable pressure, and such like. Such items help to yield better sanding results, but they also improve the comfort of the machine operator. The following items, for instance, are important to machine operator comfort: accessibility of the parts, the ease with which the roller can be tightened, the method

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Dust suction, too, is all about the comfort of the machine user. Producers are raising the bar here constantly. In particular, manufacturers of sanding machines for parquet have made some impressive efforts in recent years to keep to a minimum the wood dust which is emitted when parquet is sandpapered. Prompted by the legislation? Possibly, to some extent, but certainly also due to the realisation that dust is harmful for both floor fitters and their clients.

Dust extraction at source The dust suction of the sanding machines themselves has improved considerably and manufacturers have been working on external dust suction units to optimise this facility completely. Belt sanders, too, have had reliable dust suction units and dust collection for several years now. However, in recent years, there has been a clear preference for dust suction with the deployment of an external unit, a working method with considerably greater efficiency. Those external units now provide the facility to connect various machines.

Dust spread reduction In recent years, sanding machine manufacturers have been working hard not only to increase suction power, but also to counteract the spread of dust. For instance, with some machines the use of various filter phases ensures that the dust is separated according to size.

Furthermore, researchers have also devised solutions for changing filters and fitting dust-free collection bags.

Pallmann

What’s new today?

Devo® Devo® presents various belt sanders, including the new Devo® Belt MC 200. The Devo® Belt MC 200 is compact, mobile, and not too heavy, yet it performs like a professional belt sander at an unrivalled price. Other recent Devo® belt sander machines are the Devo® Belt HP 200 and the Devo® Handy II. Most Devo® machines have their own dust suction unit and can be connected to the Devo® Fine-dust for a dustless operation. The Woodboy machine and the Devo® Master 3D are already equipped as standard for connection to the Fine-dust and the new Devo® Dustmaster. Although Devo® attaches great importance to the external design of a machine, their priority is the technical side. That’s where they pay most attention in their constant endeavour for improvements.

Ergonomics is essential. Obviously, parquet sanders are always heavy appliances. That is inevitable, since the output of a professional machine is in direct proportion to its weight. Nevertheless, Devo® tries to offset this as much as possible, partly by making machines which can be dismantled and by developing carrier braces. Ergonomics during work is also extremely important. For instance, when the Devo® Master 3D is being used, there is much less strain on the user’s back due to the machine’s own stability and the ergonomic position of the user during work.

Overmat Industries Overmat Industries offers several machines for grinding and sanding of wooden floors. For example: the Woodboy® 4000/32-3.

This rotating single disc machine is suitable for (fine) grinding and polishing of wooden floors, before applying the finishing layer oil or lacquer with the best result.

All-in-one with the HTC DURATIQ 5 The DURATIQ 5 is a multi-functional floor grinder.

Whether the job requires grinding away a stubborn coating, smoothing a wood parquet floor or transforming a concrete floor into a high-gloss HTC Superfloor™, the grinder is up for the task at hand. The grinding width of 515 mm (22.4 inches) is best suited for small and mid-size surfaces, and its compact dimensions enable the grinder to be used in tight quarters. Do you prefer working with a drum sander for the coarse work? Overmat offers you the right machine! Our high efficiency Frank grinding machines are known for their powerful motor and solid construction. Therefore they are perfect for professional use in grinding parquet and wooden floors.

Visit www.floor-forum.com

The Pallmann Cobra endless belt sander comes with a number of strong innovations. One of them is the variable handle, which makes it possible to set the working position in five different positions. This improves the ergonomics since the machine can be adapted to the user’s height. Designers have made lots of ergonomic improvements in recent years. The casing reduces noise during operation. The well equipped ‘cock pit’ offers various possibilities. The Cobra has integrated dust suction, but can also be connected to an external dust suction unit. The vacuum cleaner does have to meet a number of specific requirements (e.g. the extraction rate = at least 500m³).

According to Pallmann, a lot of attention is paid nowadays to the design, so the machines also look more attractive.

Repex Repex Floor, which has built parquet sanding machines since 1946, presents a range of sanding machines which are renowned for their power and reliability. Via the Raclex trademark, the company has launched its heavy belt sanding machines on French and other European markets.

In 2010, in order mainly to improve working conditions and ensure that parquet fitters would not be exposed to carcinogenic wood dust, Repex Floor launched the ‘Cyclone’, a sanding machine which absorbs all dust, including the very tiniest.

This sanding machine is equipped with two bags and two suction circuits, one of which is designed to absorb micro-dust particles with the help of a specially developed cyclone. It has been certified by the BG Bau in Germany.

With this exceptional machine, Repex Floor has added to a very wide range of professional machines with the versatile single-brush wood sanders, which operate efficiently on all floors, ranging from parquet and marble to concrete (www.repex.fr).

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Special

Fastening systems for exterior wood & composite wall cladding

CONCEALED FASTENING SYSTEMS FOR WOODEN WALL CLADDING PROJECT MANAGERS WILL NOT COMPROMISE ON QUALITY

Photo - Burger - Photo@grad

‘Wooden walls “ follow” wooden terraces.’ That is true in many ways. The same wood types are being used for wall cladding, albeit with no need for the same mechanical requirements. Expectations for the finish, together with expectations for wooden terraces, have risen rapidly in recent years. Nails on beams are no longer acceptable. Here, too, invisible fastening systems are coming into play and, just as with wooden terraces, anyone who tries them won’t want to turn the clock back.

Wood as a wall cladding Wood has always been used as a wall cladding, but in some regions more than in others. To reconcile the look of planks with sustainability and low maintenance, there was a time when people turned to technical alternatives in their masses; composites or synthetics pushed wood somewhat into the background. Today, it is clear that wood can also enjoy a long life if it is treated properly. Wooden wall cladding has made great strides, sometimes for entire walls and sometimes as a highlight.

There are huge possibilities from an architectural point of view.

Visual options The visual options are unlimited in various ways. For instance, you can furnish an entire wall with wood, part of the wall, or even simply add a highlight. As regards the sizes of the planks, there aren’t actually any limits. The options run from narrow slats of barely a few centimetres wide to plates of one square metre or several square metres. Visually,

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the size makes all the difference. You can use alternating widths. Then there’s the choice between horizontal and vertical planks and some creative designers even dare to arrange the wall cladding diagonally. And so, geometric figures are also possible. Finally, there are the types of wood.

Level of quality The expectations of private project managers are rising all the time.

They are no longer satisfied with ‘quite good’ or ‘almost perfect’. That is no less the case with wall cladding. As was the case with the construction of terraces, invisible fastening systems have also emerged as a ‘minimum requirement’ for wall cladding. As with wooden terraces, visible nails or screws, which, in the short term, involve damage, discolouration, and signs of wear and tear, are no longer acceptable.

Certainly in the area of mechanical tension, there are lots of similarities between wood for walls and wood for terraces. Nevertheless, different fastening systems are used for both applications.

Technical requirements are comparable A number of technical requirements are therefore also the same for terraces or walls. For instance, the substructure has to ‘keep a distance’ between a wooden terrace and damp from below. With walls, the substructure must keep the wall planks properly ventilated all the time.

That requires a different approach, depending on the fitting method (vertically or horizontally/open or closed). In both cases the fastening system has to allow the wood freedom of movement since fluctuations in the weather conditions will cause the wood to swell and shrink.

T H E RE VO LUT I O N A RY C O N C E PT O F S I D I NG TO C L I P

A ND A S TR U CTU R E 1 0 0 % M A D E I N F R A NC E

W W W. G R A D C ONC E PT. C OM

Special

Fastening systems for exterior wood & composite wall cladding

A selection from the range Burger

necessary. The difference between the cost price of a ‘standard’ wall and that of the Burger system is largely offset by the time saved, the immaculate look, the durability, and the opportunity to remove each plank separately. Their range meets demands for all projects, from the most commonplace to the more expensive ranges. For all these types of wood (and for planks not made of wood), the planks are always fitted onto their aluminium frame using clips with a 30-year guarantee.

Evergreen® by Outdoor Wood Concepts®

photo@grad

There is a great demand for wooden wall cladding from both private and professional clients, especially architects. The Burger research and development department has developed a system of rails and clips for fastening to the structure. With this system it is no longer necessary to screw each plank individually. The planks are simply clicked onto the system. The rails and clips are the same as for terraces, but the space between the clips is different. And so, the fitting is equally simple. The system makes it possible to apply various plank profiles to the same wall to give it a pattern. And so, each wall is unique. As a result, the system enables you to fit planks with intermediate openings with no visible fastening point. There are spaces between the planks which are always regular and therefore have perfect intervals. The whole system can be dismantled and can therefore be re-applied as often as

IN LOVE WITH DECKING

Horizontal façade cladding “Wood, combined with elegant lines, creates depth, shadows, finesse, and sleek lines.”

Design: Stijn Vandenberghe White House Design Evergreen® is a sustainable façade cladding system with architectural allure. This horizontal façade concept alternates solid wooden profiles with custom-made aluminium ones. Evergreen® is an eye-catching concept thanks to its sleek and pure design. Are you looking for a lively alternation between broad and narrow wooden planks? Personalisation is only one of the many advantages offered by Evergreen®.

The patented assembly system is unique and ingenious, because the wood cannot be damaged during the assembly process and is still in perfect condition following demolition. Therefore, it can be easily reused or moved to another location! This horizontal wooden cladding is available in various widths.

By developing a fully reusable product Outdoor Wood Concepts® aims to make a contribution to sustainable and circular construction practices.

Vetedy

WOODEN FLOORS FOR OUTDOORS

LA SAN MARCO PROFILI SRL Viale Europa 63 - 31010 Soligo, TV - Italy Tel. +39 0438 980106 r.a. - Fax +39 0438 980176 info@lasanmarcoprofili.com - www.lasanmarcoprofili.com

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Techniclic®, wood cladding system with invisible fixation, is offering numerous possibilities : Thanks to its wide range of wood species, its 3 differents widths (60-100—140mm) of cladding boards and its 4 options for spacing, this system will bring each project to exclusive réalisation. Since almost 20 years of presence on the market, Vetedy is still inovating and working on new kind of cladding and decking material.

Advertorial

BerryAlloc (B)

WATER RESISTANT FLOORS FOR YOUR BATHROOM IN LAMINATE MORE PEACE OF MIND AND WARMER FEET Secretly, we all dream of a warm wooden floor in our bathroom. If only to avoid cold feet. And preferably without water stains or water stress. Time for laminate! Laminate is splash-proof, equipped with a water-repellent coating and feels nice and warm.

A layer of laminate is all you need

Our laminate floors are protected with Hydroplus, a water-repellent coating.

With the Ocean, Ocean V4, Ocean Luxe, Eternity and Eternity Long, we have beautiful collections in our product range.

No more shivering, even people sensitive to cold will happily hop in and out of the shower or bath from now on.

Anyone who keeps running in place at the sink to stay warm does not have to suffer anymore.

Enjoy the steaming shower or blissfully warm bath and shiver immediately as soon as you put one toe on the cold tiled floor. Huge anticlimax. A cold shower that spoils every bit of wellness feeling so that you don't feel like doing the same in the next few days.

And it’s actually not necessary at all.

After all, you can easily cover that cold tiled floor with a warm layer of laminate.

So a plank floor, but one you don’t have to worry about. Because if you opt for laminate planks, you know that those planks have a final layer that has been treated, making your floor splash-proof. So no seepage and certainly no unattractive water stains. Giving you some peace of mind.

Are you ready for a warm plank floor, but are you looking for some extra inspiration? You can find tons of it on the Pinterest profile of BerryAlloc.

Visit our bathroom page on Pinterest and start scrolling! Be sure to take a look at our bathroom gallery too.

Wooden floor: an upgrade for every bathroom

Prefer a retro look?

Thanks to that plank floor, a cool, sleek bathroom is softened a bit and immediately looks a lot warmer. For a rustic bathroom, this plank floor is the perfect finishing touch. Suitable for every bathroom look and with a warm-feet guarantee.

It makes life just that little bit easier. No more panic when the kids are playing splashing around in the bathtub with their toys, no more stress when the dog shakes itself dry after its shampooing session. Or warmer feet, a lot less worry and a much nicer bathroom. Win win win!

Do you like the warm feeling of a wooden floor under your feet and do you love all things retro? Our Stone and Retro Chic are laminate planks that look like retro tiles. Not only is it more pleasant than real ceramic tiles, laminate is also cheaper. Moreover, you don’t slide as quickly, it is easy to install and maintain.

Dream of new laminate flooring in your bathroom

Do you have questions about laminate floors for bathrooms or in general? www.berryalloc.com

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Special

Producers of distressing machines/brushes

DISTRESSED IS STILL A BIG HIT MECHANICAL TECHNIQUES OFFER LOTS OF OPTIONS there is no repetitive pattern in the damage applied to the floor. That was once a challenge which confronted laminate producers with regard to ‘printing’ decors. A solution for this is ‘conveyor-belt distressing’ (source: Soest). With some machines it is possible to distress planks continuously at high speed without producing a repetitive pattern. The required sort of damage and the depth are easy to set. Let’s summarise a few techniques.

Beating or rolling

Photo – CIP

As regards external features of old floors, we can identify three ‘sources’ of distressing: dampness which affects the colour, walking on the floor, which obviously leaves marks, and, finally, the use of old woodwork techniques. For each of these external features machine manufacturers have developed tools, many of which can be integrated into the production line. A combination of colour distressing (smoking/staining) and mechanical distressing techniques usually yields the best results.

A summary of commonly used techniques We’ve often outlined the various distressing techniques in this publication. There are various distressing techniques. Most distressed floors are the product of a combination of techniques. With so called ‘damaging’, we synthetically apply traces of years of use or, by using old processing techniques, we give the impression that the floor is older than it really is. We apply ‘damage’ by flogging, beating, or thrashing.

By scraping a floor by hand, we give the impression that it dates from a period when that technique was still in use. Colouring floors can also give the impression that the wood is old. This can be done using colour products such as stains, for instance, but also via the now well known ‘chemical smoking’ with ammonia. Various chemical producers offer special distressing products which can also be used on site, something which is very attractive in the case of renovation.

Mechanical operations In view of the growing popularity of ‘distressed’, there is a real need for mass production. An important point for attention is to ensure that

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Beating is a technique whereby wooden surfaces are damaged through heavy collisions between the wooden surface and stone or metal objects during the beating process. The effect is completely natural and depends on the length of the process and the type of drum material.

Some regard the fact that ‘beating’ is cumbersome and time-consuming as the biggest drawback of this process, plus the fact that it can yield unwanted damage to the tongue and groove. The rear side of the plank is also damaged and the corners are rounded off.

Then you have the roller method: a metal roller can be given various sorts of unevenness which are pressed into the wood. The major drawback is that this clearly creates repetitive forms of damage; each circuit of the roller yields the same delineations in the wood. Here, too, conveyor-belt distressing (with variable speeds) provides the answer.

Brushing Brushing highlights the wood grain. What is now done on site with a whole legion of sanding machines used to be done in many cases with copper and (later) steel brushes. Yet brushing also implies a visual and perceptible reference to another distressing phenomenon. The ‘soft tissues’ of the wood grains are the most susceptible to wear and tear (by rubbing). This means that, over years of use, even the most perfectly maintained floor will show increasingly prominent wood grains.

Apart from standard machines with cylinder brushes, we also find the rotor-scrub machines, which scrubs away the soft wood, as it were, instead of brushing it. The distressed effect is a fine basis for strong colour highlights which are applied using stains and/or oils afterwards.

Scraping, scratching, and ripping Crosswise damage can be applied to a wooden surface using a special grinding technique. The effect is comparable with a sawing effect, but easier, faster, and much more consistent in application. The effect can be set with extra accessories in the machine e.g. continuous cross-lines or broken cross-lines. The scarving technique can be combined with one or more of the brushing modules.

Some specialists Cardotech

Distressing phenomena with parquet relate to the ‘patina’ and/or the physical condition of the parquet. In both cases it is a matter of traces of wear (e.g. erosion, incipient decay by oxidation) or use (e.g. scratches, stains, or dents). The challenge in distressing parquet is to imitate those phenomena without damaging the edges so that the fitting can proceed impeccably. Not all processes meet this challenge.

There are various methods, each with their own benefits and drawbacks. Some examples: drumming with ‘erosion’ stones, swinging chains, or dropping objects, the arbitrary steering of rotation cutting tools (e.g. cutter heads or end mills/routers), brushing and structure

Pallmann has three ways of distressing wood, namely colouring it darker, smoking it, or processing it with a machine to give it structure. For the latter Pallmann offers the Pallmann Spider, the universally well known parquet sanding machine for which a special set of brushes has been developed to give a wooden floor surface a brushed structure. The result gives a unique look. The soft components are brushed away and the harder ones remain so that you create depth. The brushes are available in various degrees of hardness. This technique is applied on the site before you apply the finish. The Spider is a versatile tool which enables several applications and it operates easily and quietly. The cost price is about €5,950, including several accessories. For corners and edges they recommend using an edge sander with nylon or stainless steel brushes.

BRUSH FACTORY

cofrac

QUALI TY ER ST AS

SURANC E

D ’ S RE G I

CIP

Pallmann

OY LL

Cardotech is one of the top European manufacturers of technical/ industrial brushes for structuring and finishing wood. Besides mechanical and thermal operations, brushing is a common distressing technique. It is clear that plastic brushes will not suffice for hard wood such as oak. And so, we have to look for metal brushes which ‘are rechargeable’. And so, the wires are made of metal or abrasive nylon.

These brushes usually have larger diameters (300 to 400mm) because the wider the diameter, the better the heat is discharged to improve efficiency. Brushing machines range from 700 to 2000 revolutions a minute and, depending on the diameter and type of brush, output speed is between 3 and 30m a minute. One of the world’s heaviest machines has the capacity to finish beams of 400 x 400mm on 12m of length in one passage. The brushes can be integrated into a production line. Obviously, there are various types and price classes, depending on client needs (i.e. a furniture making business has different needs to a planing mill). If a machine equipped with a single brush can cost €300, then a machine for brushing fully fitted windows and doors can easily cost €150,000.

brushing, and arbitrary scraping (no knife marks!). What stands out here is that the terms ‘distressing’ and ‘structuring’ often get mixed up. Sometimes, the end result is also a mixture of various techniques, including structuring. CIP has a machine for scraping, brushing, and lengthwise and crosswise structuring, namely the Leadermac type HSM. This is a ‘hand-scraped flooring machine’. They also have the Rustikmat brushing machine. Which machine should you choose? Will it fit your production line? These questions have to be studied case by case. Scores of parameters play a part.

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ISO

90 0 1

F RANCE

CERTIFICATION D’ENTREPRISES & DE PERSONNELS

ACCREDITATION

N°4-0003

PORTÉE DISPONIBLE SUR WWW.COFRAC.FR

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Advertorial

Unifloor (NL)

THE MAGIC OF UNIFLOOR’S HEAT-PAK®

THE SUBFLOOR SOLUTION FOR FITTING LVT OVER FLOOR HEATING We accompanied interior specialist Markus Rens of ‘Markus Interieur Design’ to Ootmarsum, a historic town in the Dutch region of Twente and now part of the municipality of Dinkelland.

We went to see a inspiring renovation which was due for its final touch, namely the glue-down and fitting of equally beautiful LVT floor covering. The challenge was to fit 50m² of LVT onto a somewhat worn and damaged cement substrate, also combined with an electrical floor heating system within a time period of one single day! Without the professional recommendations of the Unifloor specialists, the job probably wouldn’t have been possible to perform within this short spell.

A top performance The performance of Markus Rens in Ootmarsum brought ‘everything’ a demanding client will expect. It was a project worthy of mentioning, that’s for sure.

An ode to good taste The sphere of the room(s) was entirely in line with the contemporary loft style. Modern and classic joined together seamlessly. The

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somewhat industrial look of the glass roofs also ensured an oasis of light. The soothing even white walls alternated here and there with a highlight in various shades of brown; the geometric puzzle with a block pattern in the passage contrasted sharply with an adorable bird scene in an adjoining room. Styles and colours were reconciled with each other masterfully.

An ode to craftsmanship Now, good taste is one thing, but craftsmanship is a completely different matter. Each task here was completed with an eye for detail and fully in line with good professional practice. That meant no cutting corners! Moreover, in that regard, they certainly were under pressure on that day. That final ‘icing on the cake’, the fitting of 50m² of LVT, had to be completed within one single day.

A professional like Markus Rens is clearly someone who will not compromise on excellent quality for the sake of a faster job. And so, the solution had to come partly from the materials and fitting accessories. For Unifloor that was clearly not a problem. The ‘HeatPak®’ fast-track subfloor overlay system means you can skip a few steps.

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‘Heat-Pak®’ brings relief The challenges were not inconsiderable. Markus Rens says, ‘The cement substrate wasn’t ventilated and showed several cracks.’

And so, a thin and pliable floor covering such as LVT certainly makes levelling most essential. Moreover, in the total floor build-up also an electric floor heating was foreseen. That means that thermal resistance of the total floor build-up needs to be considered. ‘HeatPak® with only 0.5 Toggs was the logical choice for the completion.

Markus Rens continues: ‘This is because now we get the maximum out of the floor heating in this way, certainly in combination with the adequate thermal resistance of our cold floor insulator HeatBlok® (1.9 Toggs). HeatBlok® is placed over the cold concrete suface and under the electrical floor heating system. All together, it was the only way to obtain a perfectly level and super smooth subfloor quickly and easily.’

boarding. Furthermore, Heat-Pak® in combination with Heat-Blok®, performs an excellent result when it comes to acoustics and sound reduction. Heat-Pak® is designed to be used over electrical and traditional floor heating systems.

Points of attention in the project For the best possibly result it is essential to fit a polyethylene film of 200 micron over the floor heating system. This is to protect the HeatPak® fitted out with finished floor covering against this influences of vapour pressures, which are generated by the functioning of the floor heating system. Also when fitting Heat-Pak®, one needs to respect an expansion gap of approximately 8 mm, around the perimeter of the room and any fixed to the floor objects, in order to cope with subtraction and expansion of the total floating and finished floor surface.

What is ‘Heat-Pak®’?

The importance of suppliers

Heat-Pak® is a pre-fab, fast track overlay system, consisting out of a baseboard and a top board, both provided with an interactive adhesive. Heat-Pak® quickly and easily performs dry levelling and produces a super smooth joint less surface, ready for the immediate glue down of any type of dry back resilient floor coverings and carpets.

Heat-Pak® therefor is most suitable for use under LVT, linoleum, sheet vinyl, rubber, cork and carpet. Heat-Pak® makes it possible to convert any substrate in a short period of time into a super smooth subfloor, directly suitable for glue-down and fitting of finished floor covering.

For that reason Heat-Pak® saves considerable floor preparation time, this in sheer contrast to messy and time-consuming other forms of traditional subfloor preparation methods, such as wet screeds and ply

In the case of this Ootmarsum project, it just seems more appropriate to use the word ‘partners’ rather than ‘suppliers’. Markus Rens has used the fast-track floor prep systems from Unifloor for many, many years. He explains: ‘The manufacturer here plays a major part; thanks to the solid advice given by Unifloor, we were able to use the right products and thereby deliver a floor free from problems. In the case of our wholesale supplier, it’s great that the people who work there are not only familiar with the products, but also have good technical and practical knowledge. This keeps us competitive as well.’

For more information visit us on: www.unifloor-underlay.com/unifloor-underlay.com

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Special

Who has colour stains

NUMEROUS COLOURS IN STAIN THE COLOUR WHICH YOU CAN CHANGE, IF NECESSARY Elsewhere in this edition we consider colour oil and hard wax oil at length. We learn that we can use colour oil to give wooden floors both a particular colour and a protective finish in a single operation. However, the range of colours becomes even greater if we double that ‘operation’ with the colour first and then the finish. It’s perfectly possible and colour stains definitely take centre stage here. Here are some considerations.

What’s on the market ?

Blanchon

Some distinguishing features It is possible to use stains to pre-colour parquet. Colour stains are completely different to reactive stains. The latter enter into a reaction with the fibres or substances in the wood. Colour stains are usually produced with pigments. Pigments are not the same as colouring agents.

Pigment Pigments get their colour effect by absorbing certain wavelengths of visible light. A pigment which absorbs all wavelengths has a black shade, whilst a pigment which reflects all wavelengths is white. A pigment which absorbs mainly red, orange, and yellow wavelengths will display a green-blue shade. And so, the pigment displays the colour of the light reflected onto it. In contrast to colouring agents, pigments generally adhere poorly to the object to be coloured and usually require a binding agent. Pigments are also generally not dissolved as colouring agents, but are dispersed. And so, pigments continue to exist as small granules. The size of the granules also helps to determine the colour.

Colouring agent In contrast to a pigment, a colouring agent has a dyeing capacity; it adheres to some extent to the substance to be coloured. Moreover, colouring agents are generally used dissolved, whilst pigments should remain undissolved. Almost all colouring agents are organic compounds. A notable exception are colouring agents which are used in the picture tubes of conventional colour television appliances.

Stain or colour oil?

How important is pre-colouring? A colour oil usually provides a less intensive and deeper colouring. Pre-colouring the wood will give it a more intensive colour. Moreover, by combining pre-colouring with coloured oils, you can obtain lots of different finishes. Most techniques for colouring wood don’t yet provide any protection. And so, they need to be given a supplementary finish. That can be wax, lacquer, or oil. In the case of colour oil you apply colour and protection in a single operation. Obviously, that saves time. The fact that oil penetrates deep into the wood is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to renovation; a blessing because the colour is retained; a curse because it’s not easy to change that colour, something which you can do with a stain.

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All woodworkers have looked for ways to alter the colour or shade of wood since time immemorial. Over the last thirty years, modern chemistry has developed some water-based colouring agents or pigments which are more resistant to the effects of light. Blanchon offers a full range for colouring, decorating, and distressing parquet and woodwork with two ranges of shades, with one range of distressing products and several reactive products. Aquateinte 2K is a water-based colouring agent specially for parquet. It has six wood colours and another six shades from pure white to deep black. For small surfaces there is Wood Stain (‘Teinte à Bois’), with 12 wood shades in black and white and five in grey. Wood Ageing (‘Veillisseur Bois’) has 10 nuances, including five shades of grey. Moreover, Blanchon also has various Reactives (‘Réactifs’) and Patinas (‘Patines’). Note: Only oil can offer both decoration and protection. And so, all colours still need a protective coat. A good example is the combination of Wood Ageing and Oil Wax Stain (‘Huile-Cire teintée’). These colours can be applied either on site or in the factory.

Ciranova Ciranova has a number of unique colouring agents at its disposal. A distressing stain (lye stain) is ideal for distressing types of wood which contain tannic acid such as oak and pine. This is suitable for indoor use only. Aquapad, a water-based colour stain, is uniform and easy to apply and it ensures a uniform look and enables the wood grain to come into its own. Due to its special composition and convenience, Aquapad is absolutely ideal for colouring large surfaces such as parquet.

Aquavintage 2C is a water-based reactive stain for distressing wood quickly and simply. This, too, is suitable for indoor use only. Vintage is a water-based reactive stain to give oak a weathered ‘vintage’ look.

FIRST RENOVATION LACQUER Parquet floor fitters and manufacturers are always looking for innovations. Ciranova has some unique colouring agents which offer lots of options in combination with coloured oil.

That’s why they continue to witness growth here in pre-colourings year by year. The products can be used either on site or in the workshop.

No sanding and multi-surfaces

Chimiver LIOS BIOIL Colorato is a colored natural oil treatment for wooden floors with easy application, very durable and soft effect on the surface. LIOS BIOIL Colorato is available in 20 different colors, miscible together to make a wide range of new colors.

DevoNatural® DevoNatural® presents DevoNatural® Easy Colour, odourless and water-based colour stains with ‘character’. You can now colour a floor ecologically with DevoNatural ®Colours, which are water-based!

They can be finished with all DevoNatural® finish products.

The combination of traditional wood colours and contemporary trend colours gives the DevoNatural® Colour assortment a great variety to satisfy contemporary demand.

DevoNatural® Easy Colour is a vegetable colour stain for parquet and wooden floors. Easy Colour is easy to apply and is compatible with all DevoNatural® finish products. DevoNatural® Easy Colour is particularly recommended for easy and contemporary colouring of all types of

TE WA R

BA ED S

Long lasting renovation without sanding down or replacing the floor Multi-surfaces: all wood floor finishes, laminated floors and PVC, vinyl, LVT floors Conceals scratches*, revives tarnished floors Single coat system Perfect adhesion, excellent grip, without primer High chemical and scratch-resistance 2-component with hardener *Surface wear & tear: regular use and small scratches

More information at www.blanchon.co.uk

Special

Who has colour stains

parquet planks and wooden floors, furniture, interior doors, and such like, and for indoor use. The available colours are pure white, cream white, snow white, clay, pepper grey, old grey, pearl grey, basalt grey, walnut, dark oak, mahogany, ebony, river blue, caramel, forest green, aubergine, mustard, flamingo, canary, hydrangea, mint, mandarin, and customised colours.

Floorservice

complicated as regards possible choices. A standard range is therefore a guide and aid for professional finishers and end clients.

Most of the current traditional products can be used both in the factory and on site. Stains from the past which contained solvents are now prohibited for site work by the legislation. The drawback of colour oil as compared to a stain is that with a colour oil you are limited as regards colour shades and that oil will always highlight the wood grains. At Hesse the presented pre-colourings can be finished with their full range of finishes.

Osmo

Floorservice Prime Design Line offers a wide range of pre-treatment products.

Prime Weathered Prime Weathered is an addition to our range of aging- and weathering products. It consists of Prime Weathered Grey and Prime Weathered Black. Both will ensure a natural weathered appearance. Prime Weathered is suited for both industrial and manual application.

Prime Old Prime Old is available in two types: Prime Old Black and Prime Old Grey.

Prime Old Black has been developed to provide a black base for oak.

Finishing the floor with Floorservice Hardwax-oil offers the possibility of completely black floor or a black floor with a brown, grey, white or even metallic finish.

And Prime Old Gray gives oak an aged and greyed appearance. Available in three types that each have a more or less intense grey shade.

Prime Stain Suitable for mechanical application by either spray- or roller-coater.

After the initial treatment with one of the Floorservice Prime Stains, the floor needs to be polished prior to application of the top-coat.

Hesse Depending on whether the finish is applied in the factory or on site, Hesse can present various options for colouring (staining) parquet floors. For a pre-finish/industrial finish, Hesse presents roller, spray, or WPB polish stains. For applying a finish on site they offer specific polish stains (WPB Stains), which are applied using the Woodboy, or stains from the Hesse vintage or old country range, which can be applied with a brush or roller. Due to the simplicity of the operation, parquet specialists still often opt for colouring with oil, whereas a stain offers virtually endless colour options. This obviously makes everything more

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Wooden flooring, furniture surfaces and stairs can be stained in a transparent or intense colour with Osmo Oil Stain. Through the use of plant ingredients, an even colour as well as a harmonious appearance, without any visible transitions is achieved. A transparent colour is created with one thin coat of Osmo Oil Stain; a further coat produces an intense colour. This product offers a wide colour spectrum from classic browns to trendy greys. To protect the floor optimally and durably, Osmo recommends a finishing coat with a clear Osmo Polyx®-Oil.

Plastor ‘Colour Floors Teinte’ is a colouring which makes it possible to colour parquet durably and in depth. The product is suitable for all types of parquet. It is available in 15 different and intense colours.

These colours can be mixed with each other so you really can personalise. It is easy to apply without streaks, even on large surfaces.

One litre will colour about 15m². This market is thriving because more and more people (and institutions) want to give their old floors a new lease of life without losing the ‘old’ aspect. These colour products can be deployed either in the factory or on site. For applying a waterborne finish it is necessary to allow for a drying time of 24 hours, whilst the drying time for a solvent finish is two to three hours. Coloured floors always require a protective finish.

All finishes are suitable.

Rubio Monocoat RMC PRE-AGING Get the look of a reactive stain, without the disadvantages A new floor with an aged look. It is a flooring trend that is very popular right now.

In addition to effectively smoking and smoking wood, there are many reactive products to provide a weathered or aged look to the wood. Rubio Monocoat Pre-Aging is a high-quality, non-reactive pre-treatment that creates the look of reactive stains, but without the drawbacks. Rubio Monocoat Pre-Aging is available in 10 standard colours, ranging from a lighter to a darker smoked look, including the warm, green/brown undertones that are so popular. All colours can be mixed with each other, so that the client can get exactly what he wants.

The result is a stable, deep colour with subtle accents, that are easy to reproduce. The product is pH-neutral, as opposed to reactive pre-colours and is applicable to virtually all wood types, including those without tannins. Because Rubio Monocoat Pre-Aging is a

pre-treatment, you have to combine it with one of our Rubio Monocoat finishing product for maximum protection.

Tover Tover can offer several innovative pre-colouring systems to create highly customized finishes: Belle Epoque water-based stain in its 15 shades of greys, sand, browns and burnt, overcoatable with our neutral or coloured oils for endless two-tones effects.

You can also use our water-based reactive stains to get distressed grey, smoked, black or bleached effects: Bosch Vej, Ciair, Fossil. And what about using our oiled-based primer available in more than 30 colours, to achieve a rustic or contemporary wood look, Tintoretto Design, overcoatable directly with a two-component water-based lacquer?

Tover - Innovation and Design!

SIMPLY MAGIC MAGICALLY SIMPLE

PALLMANN MAGIC OIL For oiled wood floors, we have relied on our solvent-free oil-wax combination for many years. Until today MAGIC OIL 2K is unmatched in terms of safety at work and speed.

More about our products www.good-for-wood.com.

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Special

Producers of style panels and Versailles panels

FROM VERSAILLES TO CORONATION STREET THE FLOORBOARD WHICH ADAPTS TO THE ROOM OR VICE VERSA Panels or cassettes are the result of a specific production method which differs completely from the production of traditional parquet strips or wooden floors. Panels are floorboards pre-assembled in a certain pattern. The sections are sawn as required and mitred and glued to each other along the sides and stretched to dry.

After assembly, another tiny piece might need to be sawn from the assembled panels to ensure that all panels are identical in dimensioning and squareness.

Lots of patterns Versailles panels are probably the most popular panel or design floors which are still fitted nowadays. We’re talking here about design floors with a so called ‘historic’ fitting pattern. It’s important to make that distinction because design floors are actually the result of a production method for which all sorts of designs can be used, including new and as yet non-existent ones. Strictly speaking, that production method is a ‘standard method’. These floors are formed with ready-to-use and square panels into which wooden sections are fitted according to a certain pattern. Amongst the historic design floors, apart from Versailles, we can also designate various other patterns. For instance, Chantilly is a somewhat intricate variant which consists of several small panels which also form wickerwork. The major classics ‘Hungarian point’ and Herringbone, which are normally fitted fully, can also be included as a design of a panel floor.

Production in consultation There are plenty of other wooden floors for which the parquet floor fitter will sit down together in advance with the floor producer. That consultation might be about dimensioning, floor structures with exceptional widths, a finish with a view to the usage intensity, or the colour as a result of a specific demand from the client, which, for instance, has to respect a certain corporate style, etc. It seems that prior consultation is an absolute ‘must’ for fitting Versailles panels. Indeed, customised work is something of a standard here.

Adapting the floorboard to the room In the vast majority of cases clients will opt for customised work and actually that’s sheer logic. It’s obviously not the idea to saw the panels themselves. The floor has to ‘come into its own’. The best dimensioning will usually be decided in consultation with the architect or designer. The sizes of the room where the floor will be fitted, of the floorboard finish, and the preferred sizes of the panels are taken into account to calculate the right configuration. A peculiarity of Versailles panels is that they are fitted diagonally (in diamond shape). This means that a semi-panel (fitted diagonally) is always needed at the edge for each row. Suppliers of Versailles floors provide for those semi-panels so that no sawing is necessary.

You can also adapt the room There are some standard dimensions, less so with Versailles and Chantilly due to the complexity of the design and the special visual effects, but

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more so with other panel or design floors. Offering standard dimensions is in some respects contradictory to the ‘individuality’ of the product (customised work). What it boils down to is that people want to keep the panels intact by adapting the room itself (e.g. by means of horizontal boards all the way round). 600 x 600mm, 700 x 700mm, 800 x 800mm, and 1,000 x 1,000mm are very common standard sizes. The latter is also the size of the original Versailles panels in the palace with the same name. As regards thicknesses, there are also various options (partly related to the size): 8, 8.5, 15, 18.5, or 20mm. What is also important is that panel floors are available in both solid wood and multilayer.

What’s on the market ?

Alma by Giorio Versailles panels are certainly back in fashion at Alma by Giorio. The people who fall for these panel floors are also the ones who opt for a unique floor made by hand with craftsmanship and precision. The company offers panels in oak, teak, wenge, and walnut. Distressed is also part of the range, but they don’t regard it as a trend. The most commonly produced sizes are 980 x 980mm and 782.3 x 782.3mm. Both are offered in multilayer or solid wood. Some customers ask for tailored work. The panels are glued. Special skills are not required for that purpose.

Chêne de l’est Versailles parquet enjoys worldwide renown thanks to the Versailles Palace in France. The design not only seduces people, but is also simply the international reference for parquet. Obviously, Chêne de l’est works with oak because it is most in demand, but it is also the most accessible type of wood. Distressed versions are very much in demand here. Chêne de l’est works on the distressed versions with care and they stick as closely as possible to the colours of the original Versailles panels. They offer multilayer and solid wood. Multilayer (14mm) is in sizes 800 x 800 or 980 x 980mm, whilst solid wood (also 14mm) is in size 800 x 800mm and 22mm in size 980 x 980mm. They sometimes make customised panels. This design requires extra skill due to the diagonal fitting in relation to the walls.

Design Parquet Panel floors continue to charm people even today due to their history and appearance. Although panel floors are usually associated with prestigious projects such as hotels, companies, and shops, Design Parquet has noticed a growing demand from private customers. Here, too, oak is the absolute champion. Since Design Parquet produces customised work, they can also offer lots of other wood sorts and in all finishes, such as distressed, brushed, or structured. And so, they offer customised work ‘on request’. The designs can be personalised or can revert to the old classics such as Versailles, Normandy, Aremberg, and such like. They offer a choice of wood sort, size, and finish. That’s exactly why panel floors are less attractive as ‘standard’, something which leave little scope for creativity. At Design Parquet these panels are produced by specialist teams, professionals with the qualities and experience required to make these design floors.

Di Legno Panels are certainly not a ‘fashion’ or ‘trend’ at Di Legno. A spokesperson comments: ‘Panels are a primeval product, an investment which adds value to any interior.’

Panels go back to the source, the essence, and that’s why the champion of wood sorts brings panel floors fully into their own. Oak is undoubtedly the king of wood.

That’s why the king of wood and the king of wooden floors make an ideal combination. It’s a combination with which Di Legno has always kept faith. The distressed finish adds an extra dimension, an extra touch. It gives a special depth, finish, and look, as befits these panels. A spokesperson from Di Legno says: ‘There’s no standard product for craft; or, to be more precise, it’s still craftwork even in standard sizes.’ You have to be an expert parquet floor fitter to fit these panels. The very best achieve unique results; results which do not depend on fashion.

Heinr. Krüger + Sohn GmbH & Co. KG (HKS) For over 180 years, HKS has been active in the timber industry, in particular in special types of wood from all over the world and the treatment thereof by qualified Photo – HKS partners. HKS is now into its fifth generation as a family business. The company provides solutions for all decorative and technical requests related to the interior. The primary interior product is still two-layer oak parquet on a birch multiplex. The thicknesses of the top layer are 3, 4, or 6mm. Over the last two years,

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they have seen an increase in sales of panels. These are offered exclusively in oak and usually in 16/4 or 21/6 x 700 x 700 mm.

However, customised work is also possible. The designs are Versailles, Verona, and Vienna. They don’t have any distressed versions, but they do have sandpapered versions and, sometimes, brushed. The fitting does not require any special skills.

Houtbedrijf Kerkhofs

Houtbedrijf Kerkhofs offers a very wide and complete range of parquet floors, mosaic floors, 6.2 and 9mm floors (strips, herringbone, and Hungarian point), 15mm, and 20mm (all its own production).

Furthermore, the company also offers a wide range of engineered parquet floors in both strips, wide planks, herringbone, Hungarian point, and style panels. Houtbedrijf Kerkhofs never shirks a challenge.

Customised work is their speciality. Houtbedrijf Kerkhofs offers both solid wood and semi-solid wood distressed floors as well as diverse s of style panels. Those distressed floors are still in demand. They distress floors here every week, especially herringbone floors.

Distressing by means of beating the parquet is the most common method. A brushed floor has a different appearance to a distressed floor. With a brushed parquet floor, the grains are generally more visible, since the soft wood is brushed away. Here, too, the most popular sort of wood is oak.

Intrawood At Intrawood in Lokeren, Belgium, they have operated for over 12 years on the basis of a philosophy that people ‘are more than parquet’.

Intrawood makes strip parquet in French oak and fully customised parquet panels in order to meet all client needs. Apart from 20 standard finishes in its range of solid wood and engineered parquet, Intrawood also produces fully customised parquet, which fits in well with all design and finish requirements of end users. In co-operation with architects and parquet traders, the company offers its clients every possible form of customised work: parquet in all sorts of wood and all ranges, both plank and design floors, from extremely big to small sizes and with all possible finishes (e.g. distressed, brushed, or smoked). Clients always get the floor of their dreams.

Moreover, at Intrawood they specialise in making Versailles panels (and all other style panels), both in standard sizes and customised. At present, Intrawood sells its products in continental Europe in France, Germany, and Switzerland. For 2019, the company is striving to establish itself as a regular supplier to better parquet fitters. Intrawood also stands out by offering professional advice to its clients and striving for perfection for all products which it supplies. A spokesperson testifies: ‘We produce your parquet with passion, enthusiasm, and fully in line with your wishes!’

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Special

UV/LED lacquering machines on site

TRANSITION TO LED-LAMPS IS PURE LOGIC ECONOMIC AND ECOLOGICAL MOTIVES GO HAND IN HAND

Photo – Blanchon

In the early days, the use of UV light was strongly associated with an industrial set ting. And so, it didn’t really seem to be an activit y which floor fit ters could take on themselves unless they had ex tremely well equipped workshops. And so, UV dr ying remained within the factor y walls of parquet and laminate producers or, fairly soon, was picked up by the now renowned coating contractor companies. That doesn’t seem logical when we consider that dentists and beaut y specialists use UV curing on a daily basis.

Dr ying on site is now a fact.

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A reminder All sorts of electromagnetic rays contain energy. UV light is the part of the spectrum with rays between 40 and 400nm. UV light does not radiate heat, but breaks down the bonding between the building blocks of substances, which are called molecules. UV setting occurs through radiation with UV light. UV light is present in sunlight and in the light of fluorescent lamps. Obviously, neither of those sources of light is strong enough for this ‘rapid setting technique’, so special UV lamps are used instead. A photo-initiator is added to the lacquer with a special binding agent which is activated by the UV radiation. The photo-initiator decomposes under the influence of the right UV rays and thereby

forms free radicals, which set the curing reaction (polymerisation) in progress. The resin molecules are linked to each other to form a very strong three-dimensional network.

also consistent, you don’t have to measure them, and that also means there is no need to purchase a measuring device.

Easy to apply

The environment benefits fully from drying with LED light. The lamps contain no mercury or calcium, but certainly just as important is the fact that LED lamps transmit energy only in the UVA range. That means no ozone emissions, so expensive extractor systems are now a thing of the past.

Drying under the influence of LED light can be done either in the factory or on site. Working on the site also has significant benefits. The UV coating, which is usually preceded by a UV-setting primer, is applied with a classic roller, just as with a waterborne mono-component lacquer. After application, the lacquer can air-dry for about 45 minutes, and then you ride over the entire floor (circa 200m² per hour) with a motor-driven mobile UV machine. There is a portable UV lamp for the edges and places which are difficult to reach. Instead of having to wait several hours for the lacquer to set, you can now use the floor at once.

Sandpapering, lacquering, and drying is no longer a matter of days, but merely a few hours! You empty the room in the morning and then during the course of the afternoon you put everything back in place on a perfectly finished floor which comes fully into its own.

Ecological

A slow transition The transition is going ahead slowly, but surely. The main reason for that is that LED-UV technology with proper curing has been available for only a few years. These technical innovations come on the one hand from UV-LED manufacturers who are making more powerful units, but also on the other hand from lacquer producers who have made lacquers which achieve full curing with less intense UV light. These developments are all still quite recent (from approximately the last five years), so not everyone has made the transition.

The transition to LED lamps Most sectors which use UV curing have already started the transition from mercury gas lamps to LED-UV lamps. Teeth fillings are now handled in this way, as is the rapid drying of nail varnish, for which there are all sorts of domestic appliances in circulation. LED is also attracting attention in the world of printing and large-size printers, since the benefits are legion.

Some specialists Blanchon

Energy use Traditional UV lamps radiate energy in a wide range of wavelengths, only 25% of which are within the UV range. Over 50% of them are in the infrared area, so that generates heat. With LED-UV lamps, the energy is almost always in the UV range.

Energy consumption LED-UV lamps consume merely a fraction of the energy of a classic mercury gas lamp. Furthermore, there is no start-up time during which energy is consumed and the cooling requires little energy. This means a saving with some applications (e.g. large-size printers) of up to 85% in energy costs.

Consistent performances Classic UV lamps become less efficient over time and usually have to be replaced after about 700 hours. By contrast, LED-UV lamps have a longer lifespan. Basically, LED-UV lamps don’t wear out and in many cases they can function for over 10,000 hours. Since the UV output is

FLOORMATE

GEN6

HANDMATE

UV600

The transfer of UV curing from the factory to the site is a fact, thanks to new and robust machines. Blanchon points out that there are

HANDMATE

UV1800

LED LINECURE

LC40

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Nr.

Contractors choice for UV CURING

Floor Forum International 104

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Special

UV/LED lacquering machines on site

various levels of quality amongst UV lacquers. Depending on the components, the composition, and the production process with the application, the lacquer will provide better or moderate protection from elements such as abrasions and chemical influences. Thanks to the latest developments and the use of nano-particles, it is possible to obtain exceptionally strong lacquers. With the Ciméthane UV, Blanchon has moved on to UV curing on site. They have had highly satisfactory results in recent years. A highly impressive project was the CC Euralille with 10,000m² lacquered on site with no disruption to activities in the centre itself. No repairs have been needed since this project was completed, even though 55,000 people visit the centre each day.

DecoRad® UV Curing Equipment

On-site application of lacquers/oils is a growing market. We notice an increase of 25 – 30 % a year. The acceptance in the market rises every year by the currently proven success of UV. Now the evolution phase is over it has become an interesting market for the bigger coating manufacturers as well. UV-curable polyurethane dispersion will be given a tremendous opportunity in the floor coatings market, as in the near future various governments and regions strengthen their environmental regulations. Therefore, this technology is expected to obtain more support from coating formulators. The qualitative result is, apart from the speed and the big environmental benefit, at least equivalent to the existing 2K products. But in almost all cases better.

“The benefits of using UV cured field applied coatings as compared to conventional coating technologies for these different surfaces are numerous and are similar to factory applied UV coatings: increased productivity and performance. In addition, the immediate cure aspect provides cost savings to the end user through immediate use, and added benefits of quality, since the finish will not be damaged once it is cured. The contractor benefits from the reduced coating job completion time, the reduced VOCs and odor, the easier handling of the 1K UV system.” (Source: Radtech Europe. DecoRad is Radtech member since

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2011). The big difference between on-site curing machines with UV or LED is the choice of the lamp. Traditional UV versus LED. The end-result in quality is equal. The modus operandi of both machines is equal too. Adjust lamp height and machine speed up front. Thereafter, cure the entire floor surface uniform. Customer’s choice of which UV system is a personal preference and is also determined by suitable products.

For both systems we have matching handhelds available. Besides for corners and edges, these handhelds can be used in a wide variety of disciplines, like stairs, furniture, balconies, line marking and so on.

Rubio Monocoat

RMC LED Oil is becoming the new standard for instant curing with LED light. The fact that wood, treated with LED oil, is instantly cured with LED light and can therefore be walked on immediately, means gigantic time savings for the project market, as well as for stair builders and furniture makers. In addition to the RMC LED Oil, Rubio Monocoat offers three on-site LED drying units. The investment in this machine is negligible compared to the savings this LED technology brings with it.

LED lights have an extremely long service life of over 10,000 hours, compared to 700 – 1,000 hours for UV light. They barely require any maintenance and use up to 80% less energy than the traditional mercury lightbulbs. In addition, LED lights are largely recyclable unlike mercury lightbulbs. When using traditional UV lights, you also have to take into account the amount of time it takes for the lights to warm up and cool off. LED lights on the other hand, are completely operational as soon as they are turned on, which makes working with them quick and efficient. During the curing process, it is sufficient to wear sunglasses with a UV filter as protection. Unlike with UV lights, there are no ozone emissions or toxic odours, so no extra protection is needed for the user and investing in exhaust systems is also not necessary. Another advantage of onsite application that should not be underestimated is that LED lights are very shock-resistant and can resist cold and vibrations better than other (UV) lights. Add to this all the known features of the RMC oil (one coat, no overlaps, the natural look & feel of the wood are guaranteed) and it is clear that the switch to RMC LED drying is more than worth its investment.

∂ Industry news Italprofili The 100% eco-friendly Buvette It is a 100% eco-sustainable Buvette, a space dedicated to visitors to the famous Ca ’della Nave golf course, the object of the new project of which Italprofili is proudly a technical partner. The building, modular and patented (based on XlamItalia project), will have a covered area of 40 square meters approximately and will act as a “starter” position located at the beginning of the course of the golf club near the pool and the restaurant of the Club. The minimalist building, with a modern and appealing design, will have a catering function for golf course clients who will pass by here to collect the "score", the card where the score is marked, while for the partners who contributed to the its realization will be a special detached showroom. The attention to details and interior and exterior furnishings will make this elegant Buvette a real meeting room. Our Special Joist adjustable paving support systems, strong and safe due to their conformation and made with 100% recyclable raw materials, are the foundations that support the structure. Thanks to their great versatility they are perfect for different types of buildings, new constructions, redevelopment, renovation of buildings and outdoor spaces. They adapt very well to outdoor environments with any type of ceramic, cement and decking flooring. The adjustable paving support systems also leaves freedom to change and play with different materials to enhance the architecture of the spaces. In the specific case of the Buvette they adapt with extreme simplicity to the differences in height and the slopes of the tree-lined land that frames the historic sixteenth-century Venetian Villa Grimani Morosini and with the adjustment key, even with the floor laid, and the self-levelling head it is possible to correct slight differences in height up to about 9% of slope. The choice of a raised floor made with Italprofili Special adjustable paving support systems has numerous advantages: beyond the improvement of the thermal and acoustic insulation of a building, thanks to the air space between the laying surface and the floor, it allows a quick inspection of the waterproofing and underlying systems, lifting a single portion of the floor without complex and expensive interventions. The adjustable paving support systems have been the natural evolution of our company, which has always studied building solutions that transform and simplify the construction of a structure, making it more efficient and performing.

Impertek PEDESTAL LINE by Impertek for super luxury by Patricia Urquiola A constant dialogue between Landscape and Architecture, Design and Nature: the atmospheres of the 50s echo in the 30 suites of the “Il Sereno” hotel of Luis Contreras, recently renovated by the famous designer, Patricia Urquiola, based on Scandinavian and Japanese influences, furnishings in woven rope, sofas in fabric and leather, stone and steel that blend with the wood, and the windows through which one can see the blue-green reflections of the lake. The restaurant is of Michelin-starred chef, Andrea Berton, and the gardens of Flavio Pollano and Patrick Blanc, inventor of the vertical garden. The swimming pool overlooking the lake is in Brazilian karst stone with an ash deck and rests on self-levelling stands from Impertek's PEDESTAL LINE range.

Supports made with recycled and recyclable material by the company that in the last thirty years has distinguished itself in Europe and in the rest of the world for high quality products entirely Made in Italy, innovative and attentive to the installation requirements that can be seen on site. www.impertek.com

Meister High-tech wood flooring goes medieval: Lindura adorns a castle museum Lindura is the king of the castle: After 10 months of renovation work, the Burgmuseum Horn in Germany reopened this year. The museum is now well equipped to handle the influx of visitors thanks to MEISTER Lindura wood flooring. The museum is around 200 square metres in total, and Lindura wood flooring in matt lacquered rustic oak 8520 was laid on 150 square metres of that floor space. The spacious rooms really highlight the format and look of the château planks.

As part of the overarching renovation concept, the interior designer strived to preserve the charm of the castle and to merge the historical and the modern. This is why she opted for Lindura wood flooring from MEISTER, which seamlessly blends into both the building’s modern ambience and its long history – the decision was made for visual reasons, but also for technical ones. First, the format: At 2200 mm long and 270 mm wide, Lindura planks are meant to be laid in spacious rooms – their format alone creates a special atmosphere. The surface is impressive, as well: a traditional shade of oak, not too trendy, but timeless.

Read more on www.floor-forum.com/en/news

Tover If you want to step into the 21e century you should definitely visit the Tover stand nr. 728 at the Interieur Collectie Dagen in Gorinchem – (15-17 Sept.). You will discover the further expansion of the world first Self Linking lacquer for wooden floors: the Uniqua range. Extra mat, Unfinished, R10 Anti-slip or even color painted, you name it.

Two components in 1 bottle? Just 2 coats and a super strong finishing? Convince yourself, we will be glad to explain how we managed to achieve this. Due to the crazy worldwide success we invested all our efforts of research to further innovate with the unique Self-Linking technique. On the fair we will have a world premier that could change forever the way you lacquer your floor.

Tover be part of it !

Progress Profiles The new Progress Profiles temporary showroom in Paris shows the best made in Italy The venetian firm grows by 15% on the French market and strengthens its presence with a new showcase.

Paris has been the new stage where Progress Profiles exhibited the wide range of innovative products and solutions to French customers and professionals. To the venetian firm France represents a very important market where it gains market shares registering a 15% grow in the first six months of 2019 thanks to an established local suppliers and distributors network too. In June, Progress Profiles opened a 200 sq. m. temporary showroom in LAB Paris, very close to the Opéra Garnier. Thanks to display units, explanatory panels and video, clients, architects, designers and suppliers had the possibility to discover the high-quality materials, the many finishing’s matches and the innovative technology of laying systems. Moreover, trainings and updating courses were held exploring specific issues, as cutting-edge electric heating systems to the perfect and simply tiles’ laying, from high-performance membranes to shower systems and the wide range of decorative and technical profiles.

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Special

Uganda

UGANDA HAS LOTS OF WOOD, BUT LITTLE TRADE WOOD IS USED PRIMARILY TO COOK FOOD

Floor Forum International in situ The publisher and editor of Floor Forum International travelled to Uganda, the Pearl of Africa, on a scouting mission to hold talks with saw mill operators, wood traders, and local government representatives. The brief report on our visit in situ is a good summary of what we were able to collect in terms of documentation, yet at the same time it’s also a perfect illustration of the reality. We were confronted with an extremely closed world with a perplexing and pervasive air of secrecy.

Or was it just shame? We visited 26 companies, but only one saw mill/ planing mill allowed us to take photographs.

No forest management People in Uganda regard wood primarily as the main raw material for the charcoal which they need to prepare meals. Illegal logging and the lack of new plantations mean that supplies are shrinking. Corruption is rife and they’ve never heard of certification agencies such as the FSC and PEFC. We can conclude that the production of charcoal and the construction of farmlands are the main reasons for the logging.

Obviously, there is no question of exporting any wood.

Incompetence and a lack of facilities The road system is in a lamentable condition and we could count on one hand the number of machines which we saw during our visits to the various saw mills. Moreover, all those machines were dilapidated and worn out. The wood stocks were usually limited to just pine and eucalyptus. Safety measures? Non-existent! Labourers work in appalling conditions for a monthly wage of between €18 and €40, obviously for a full seven-day week.

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‘It is sad to see a magnificent country like Uganda with so many opportunities fade away like this under the effects of corruption, illegal trade, abuse, and widespread poverty.’

Over the last two decades, Uganda has lost 1.7 million hectares of forest surface. That has emerged from details provided by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) about the disappearance of forests in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. Tanzania and Kenya are not doing any better, with 403,350 and 12,050 hectares respectively of lost forest area each year. The main cause of the disappearance is that wood is being used to cook meals.

Geography Uganda lies in East Africa on both sides of the equator. Uganda is completely enclosed by the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, and Tanzania. The surface area of Uganda is 236,040km². The border with Tanzania runs partly through the 34,500km² large Lake Victoria, which accounts for about half of Uganda. The landscape of Uganda consists mainly of plateaus and foothills. The lowest point is Lake Albert (621 metres). The highest point of Mount Stanley massive is the Margherita Peak with a height of 5110 metres. Uganda has a tropical climate, since it is located on the equator. That means it also rains a lot in Uganda. There are two dry periods, namely from December to February and from June to August. The North-East of Uganda receives the least rainfall, just 500mm per annum. Lake Victoria gets the most rainfall, more than 2,100mm per annum. Half of the Ugandan territory has not been mined or built on. There is intensive farming in the south. The much dryer and less fertile north has a lot

of poorer vegetation. Papyrus does well in the marshes around the lakes. About 12% of Uganda’s entire surface area consists of national parks and forests.

Agricultural Diversification takes priority

There is a lot of poverty amongst the population. Nevertheless, the macro-economic policy of the Ugandan government is sound and has been praised by the international donor community. The budget process is transparent and economic growth has fluctuated around 5% for some years. In 2013, growth was 5.6%, whilst the average income per head of population was 1,500 US dollars. Inflation has been low for several years (6.2% in 2013) and the Ugandan shilling is stable in value. However, the government is facing some major problems such as the independence of the coffee market, the fall in fish stocks, and dependence on donor funds.

It appears that the Ugandan government is not concerned about the disappearance of the forests. A good 10 years ago, prime minister Apolo Nsibambi approved a plan to replace thousands of hectares of forest with sugar plantations. That decision angered some members of parliament and the general public. They were convinced that the adverse effects of the deforestation for the environment would far outweigh the economic benefits of the sugar plantation. In the previous year, president Yoweri Museveni had also asked for a study into the possibility of deforesting almost a third of the Mariba Forest, which has been a nature reserve since 1932, for the benefit of sugar plantations.

As a symbolic gesture and to send out a positive message to the people of Uganda, on World Environment Day (3 June), the Nuwamanya Tree Foundation (NTF) planted 3,750 pine trees in Uganda and gave 25 free pine tree seeds to 150 Ugandan families.

The importance of coffee

Wood export virtually non-existent

The Achilles heel of the Ugandan economy is its heavy dependence on the agricultural sector, especially the coffee sector. Coffee accounts for about 40% of all exports. This, plus the fall in coffee prices on the global market in recent years, largely explains the growing trade deficit. Diversification of agriculture constitutes one of the top priorities of the Ugandan government in the coming years.

Since the use of wood by the native population has already had so much impact, export of wood does not figure at all in official export statistics. The only wood which leaves Uganda will probably come from illegal cutting. As an illustration, we give a summary of the percentages of major export products to Flanders (in Belgium). It will come as no surprise to learn that wood does not appear in that top 10.

Diminishing fish stocks

The top 10 (Source: FIT)

Economically healthy, but poor

Since the lifting of the export ban to the EU due to traces of cholera and pesticides (2001), the export of fish fillets is now the second most important sector after coffee. However, expectations are that fish stocks in Lake Victoria cannot sustain the current extent of fishing for long, so this sector could collapse within a few years.

According to experts, the expansion of fish larvae by the Ugandan government in an attempt to reverse this scenario will have no effect whatsoever.

CATEGORY

PERCENTAGE

Coffee and tea

68,1 %

Fish

23,7 %

Tobacco

4,2 %

Farming products

1,4 %

Seeds

0,8 %

Dependence on donor funds

Fruit

0,8 %

Cocoa

0,3 %

Chemicals

0,2 %

Gemstones

0,1 %

Salt and dairy products

0,1 %

Another major problem for the Ugandan government is the constant lack of its own income. The government income as a percentage of GDP is still less than 12%, and that is extremely meagre even by African standards. About 50% of government expenditure is funded by donor money. This import of hard currency in turn generates more major problems for the export position of Uganda, since this inflates the value of the Ugandan shilling above average (Dutch disease).

An increase in income tax is certainly high on the finance minister’s agenda, but has proved difficult to implement in practice.

Forest is not a priority Nowhere in the world is the percentage of annual loss of forest as high as in Uganda (2% per annum). By comparison, in the whole of Africa 0.6% of forest disappears each year and this figure worldwide is 0.18%. The causes of deforestation are poverty and the high population pressure in the country. A Ugandan woman has 7.1 children on average and only Niger scores higher with 7.9 children per woman. To provide for food and housing, Ugandans largely call upon the trees in their region. 97% of the population uses charcoal and firewood for cooking. Furthermore, illegal wood trading is increasing in some regions. According to the National Forestry Authority (NFA) in Uganda, more and more Ugandans are moving to live in forest reserves. They build houses there and farm the land. Between 2005 and 2006, their numbers increased from 180,000 to 220,000. According to the NFA, this has several ecological, economic, and social consequences and will lead to severe environmental problems, with deforestation being the most important one.

Museveni is tottering

He seized power in 1986 and, yes, he’s still in power thanks to various changes to the law (e.g. with regard to eligibility for re-election) and by silencing his opponents. However, there is still a great desire for political change in Uganda. For instance, after his so called bush war, the fight against the LRA of Joseph Kony, the aids epidemic and years of street protests, Museveni faces a new and formidable challenger to his political ambitions. He calls himself Bobi Wine and hardly has any political experience.

Yet he does give young people hope. To that end, he doesn’t even need any specific programme points, let alone a political party.

For the time being, charisma will suffice, together with a hatred of the policy of the country’s hated president. According to his opponents, led by Museveni, Wine is a confused man who smokes marijuana. However, it seems that the old crocodile will have to change his tactics, if he wants to end the protests and continue as president. It is far from clear as to whether or not he will survive until the presidential elections of 2021.

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∂ Product news ITALPROFILI : STRONGER FIXED PAVING SUPPORT STRONG 61.1S The new arrival at Italprofili is STRONG 61.1S: the world's strongest fixed paving support, the first support on the market with a load capacity of 10 tons.

The new STRONG 61.1S is produced with a special raw material, recyclable and non-polluting, resistant to UV rays, which guarantees a long durability.

Designed to be placed directly on the waterproofing or any other laying surface, it is the perfect solution for floorings that require a minimal height. Easy to install and adjust, as they are stackable between them allowing a greater height where required.

The spacer tabs prevent the movement of the pavement and at the same time bear the thermal expansion. The effectively shaped base allows the easy outflow of the water which can thus flow directly into the waterproof covering, avoiding water stagnation.

ITALPROFILI : ADJUSTABLE PAVING SUPPORT SYSTEMS SPECIAL The adjustable Special paving supports systems are used as self-levelling supports for raised floors to turn non-practicable area into practicable ones, whether they are waterproofed or not, allowing the passage of cables and pipes. For this reason, raised floors are appreciated especially in new buildings or in renovation where maximum design and flexibility is required or simply to ease the inspection of the waterproofing layers. The adjustable Special paving support systems are produced using only the finest top grade polypropylene and additives; these top quality raw materials ensure its long durability and also increase the load capacity. www.italprofili.com

PROGRESS PROFILES: COMFORT AND WELLNESS THANKS TO PROGRESS PROFILES’ SYSTEMS Shower is the main character within a bathroom and flush to floor shower is often preferred because of its convenience and customizable design. At Cersaie 2019, Progress Profiles presents exclusive solutions such as Proshower System, a flush water collecting system that combines flexibility, functionality and design, in realizing a comfortable and refined shower. To ensure more comfort, Prodeso Heat Grip System is a revolutionary electric heating system for floors and coverings, which provides warmth in few minutes and could be installed over an existing floor and only where necessary, saving costs, time and energy. Also, tailor made furniture can transform the atmosphere in the bathroom: Profoil Panel Niche are prefabricated built-in elements, made up of Profoil Panel, a flexible, multifunctional and waterproofing panel suitable to cover any surface, covering and ceiling.

This material can also be used to easily realize benches, partition panels, shelves, chaises-longues or tiny bathtubs.

LOBA: LOBADUR® WHITENER

LOBADUR® Whitener – for a fresh and elegant look.

The additive for brightening wood surfaces – versatile, easy to use and solvent-free. A bright floor looks fresh, elegant and optically enlarges the room. LOBA’s new product LOBADUR® Whitener brings brightness to parquet and wood floors: The solvent-free additive (GISCODE W1) achieves uniform brightening of the wood surface when added to waterborne LOBADUR® primers and finishes.

The brightening intensity of the Whitener can be controlled individually and reliably. Whitener is compatible with all LOBADUR® finishes. The addition of Whitener preserves all the advantages of the finishes. So, for instance, anti-slip properties according to BGR 181, a certain gloss level or, in combination with 2K InvisibleProtect A.T., the natural grace and structure of an untreated surface can be achieved.

Photo: LOBA

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Floor Forum International 104

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