Special
Producers of profiles for LVT, vinyl, and PVC floors
PROFILE MAKERS CONTINUE TO INNOVATE DEVELOPMENTS IN FLOORING REFLECT IN ACCESSORIES but in reality they comprise various types of floor technology. They combine parquet and laminate, LVT, PVC, and linoleum, all neatly in the same wood colour and with the same decor. Here, profiles not only serve to absorb expansion, but also they have to ensure a ‘smooth’ transition.
The main profiles A profile is necessary in many technical floor situations. Profiles ‘link’ situations, from product X to product Y, from ‘something’ to ‘something else’, from high to low, etc. Stop profiles (edge profiles) make a transition between floor and wall. Edge profiles can in some respects act as skirting boards. An edge profile is needed when existing skirting boards which cannot be removed. Threshold profiles connect either two different floors on the same level (e.g. parquet and carpet) or two floors (the same or different) on a different level. These profiles have a protective function because they ensure that the edge of the top floor is not damaged and a safety function because they prevent occupants or visitors from stumbling over differences in height. Corner profiles or angle profiles are used to finish the edges of raised floorboards or platforms. In the renovation of old farmhouse buildings, for instance, it is a trend to incorporate the ‘upper room’ in the interior in the form of a platform. Stair nosing comprises corner or edge profiles specially for stairs. They are available in various materials and colours. Expansion profiles are also transition profiles. The more technical name indicates the aim of the profile. Expansion profiles ensure that with larger surfaces you can make the necessary expansion link up aesthetically, which has to absorb the swelling and shrinking of the floorboards.
Prevailing trends In recent years, both technical and decorative trends have remained fairly stable. Obviously, those trends do not relate specifically to profiles for design floors, but they do apply for all profiles.
Photo – Auer Metallprofile
A decorative perspective Parquet floors that cross living rooms, corridors, offices, and other rooms with no intermittent threshold are fitted with expansion joints to allow the floorboards to swell and shrink. Expansion profiles ensure an aesthetic transition. Nowadays, continuous floors can appear as ‘continuous in terms of look’,
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Metal colours are still proving a hit. Profiles in stainless steel and aluminium continue to score. Apart from classic shades such as aluminium, bronze, silver, and a whole series of wood decors, ‘black’ has also established itself. As is clarified in detail below, digital print facilities make it possible to design profiles which
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