FFI 59 March 2013

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

industry news

Export Minded companies in Quebec Special Fastening systems for deck flooring

N° 59, March. 2013 - Price: €8 - Published 7 times a year - (Feb, March, May, July, Sept, Nov, Dec) Office of delivery 9099 Ghent X, P911092, BC 31359 — Responsible Publisher: Filip De Ridder

Become part of the Canadian Maple team’s powerplay!

Special Firesafety and wooden floors Special : Waterproof/water resistant floors in wood, laminate, Vinyl, LVT and PVC

Special Primers

Special Cork : new trends

Contact our members today to learn how you can score with their products!

Special Epoxy moisture barriers Special Producers of crosscut floors

www.canadawood.org

www.quebecwoodexport.com

HARMONY & NATURE

www.mardeganlegno.com info@mardeganlegno.com export@mardeganlegno.com

EXPORT MINDED COMPANIES IN QUEBEC Special Fastening systems for deck flooring

N° 59, March. 2013 - Price: €8 - Published 7 times a year - (Feb, March, May, July, Sept, Nov, Dec) Office of delivery 9099 Ghent X, P911092, BC 31359 — Responsible Publisher: Filip De Ridder

Become part of the Canadian Maple team’s powerplay!

Special Firesafety and wooden floors Special : Waterproof/water resistant floors in wood, laminate, Vinyl, LVT and PVC

Special Primers

Special Cork : new trends

Contact our members today to learn how you can score with their products!

Special Epoxy moisture barriers Special Producers of crosscut floors

www.canadawood.org

www.quebecwoodexport.com

Floor Forum International, N° 59, march ’13 Photo Q Web

4 Inside News 8 Company visit : Heywood Vloeren (NL) 9 Special Fastening systems for deck flooring 16 Company profile : Ciranova/Debal Coatings (B) 17 Special Epoxy moisture barriers 20 Special Producers of crosscut floors 24 Special Primers 28 Company visit : BJ Parket (B) 29 Special Firesafety and wooden floors

39 Company profile: Lalegno (B) 41 Publi editorial : Zabolak (NL) 42 Special Cork : new trends 45 Industry news 46 Export Minded companies in Quebec 50 Product news

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

Visit us at

34 Special Waterproof/water resistant floors in wood, laminate, Vinyl, LVT and PVC

Editorial “Sugar maple from Québec is excellent and plentiful.”

For many years, Bruno Couture has been one of the driving forces at Q-WEB, the export promotion agency for the wood and parquet industry in the Canadian province of Quebec. He spoke to us about the treasures which Quebec has for the global parquet industry and the parquet market in Quebec.

“Just like Canada, Quebec, too, has vast potential in forests with excellent wood for industries like parquet. The fact is that Quebec stands out for a number of wood sorts: sugar maple, Mr. Bruno Couture (Q-WEB) red maple, beech, red oak, walnut, and cherry. Another advantage is that this wood comes from sustainably managed forests. That’s required by law. If clients wish, we can, of course, supply wood with the FSC label. You can be sure that wood from Quebec is 100% sustainable material.”

What are your ambitions for the coming year?

“In 2013, we are planning an european campaign to highlight the sugar maple wood from Quebec. It is a hard sort of wood with an extremely attractive noble colour, which has been somewhat forgotten in recent years. Our range is excellent and plentiful and we believe it has great potential. The white maple offers a very pure look that blends well with modern decor. However, the quality where you can see a color change gives a whole new dimension to the decor.”

How are parquet companies in Quebec growing and how popular are wooden floors in Quebec?

“We have several companies offering a quality range of typical wood sorts from our region. In recent years, we’ve seen that mirrors developments in Europe. For example, there is now a good range of parquet in various, and sometimes even striking, colours. That definitely has a place on the project market. Whereas in the past traders supplied mainly solid wood, there is now also a good range of multi-layer.

Maple is a species of very hard wood which is very popular for making parquet. Quebec manufacturers offer a variety of width. We’ve also seen that the preference for glossy varnished floors is slightly on the wane and that a more matt wood finish is now in demand. However, people here still swear by varnish and lacquer; you hardly ever see an oiled floor.”

This edition also includes our Quebec special, which tells you more about the parquet and wood industry in that part of Canada.

Editing & advertisements

Advertising & subscriptions

Production:

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

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

Lowyck - Oostende

Publisher

Jean Paul Talbot Ludwig Janssens Filip De Ridder Jacques Legros

Filip De Ridder Lay-out:

Be-able Communication www.be-able.be

Translation:

Michael Robinson Floor Forum International is a publication of FFi bvba

Editors:

The copyright of Floor Forum International and the articles appearing herein are retained by the publisher. By agreeing to publication of an article in this journal, the author assigns to the publisher the irrevocable and exclusive right under Copyright law to collect charges due from third parties for copying said article and to undertake legal or other action for this purpose.

Editorial and advertising copy in this issue have been carefully checked and Floor Forum International bvba cannot accept any responsibility for any errors.

Contents, Colophon & Editorial

industry news

www.floor-forum.com

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

Floor Forum International 59

Inside news

> Inside news

4

Design Parquet COLOURLESS OAK XXL FROM DESIGN PARQUET: A natural and ecologically responsible parquet The Loft Pro collection from Design Parquet, specialist in solid wood flooring for over 15 years, is now bigger and also offers extra long planks: Colourless Oak XXL. This XXL parquet gives the room a sense of size and space.

As a noble and ecologically responsible material, this wood provides a cosy and cocooning atmosphere. Its trendy and colourless finish also brings out the natural character of the wood for a successful natural look.

This natural floor charms us with its gnarls, clear grains in the wood, and its varied colours. None of the floorboards are identical, so it has an entirely natural look.

It also has a bottom layer in birch, which, thanks to the long and even growth, its long fibres, and the Finnish birch grain, gives the multi-layer parquet excellent mechanical properties as well as high stability and solidarity.

Loft Pro Semi-solid version of XXL Top layer 4.5 mm Oak middlelayer Birch plywood base Technical details Middle layer of oak Birch plywood base • Loft Pro parquet: colourless oak XXL, 3 layers • Oak base, core in layer of birch, and oak top layer • Thickness: 20mm (top layer is 4.5mm thick) • Width: 295mm • Length: 1000/3000mm • Highly durable colourless oiled varnish • Glued fitting, floating or nailed • Suitable for use on floor heating with low temperatures • Sealed holes • Recommended price : € 160.30 incl. vat /m2 Forestry Timber Export Sdn Bhd – Malaysia/LITEWOOD NEDERLAND At the end of January, Forestry Timber Export, the Indonesian producer of quality parquet floors, enjoyed great success at the American floor show Surfaces in Las Vegas.

Forestry Timber Export announced in a press release: “Just about every single visitor was enthusiastic about the collections and the quality of the products.” The American people were also impressed by the diversity and wide choice on offer.

“Visitors were wild with enthusiasm over the new items NEW ANTIQUE and CASTLE”.

Furthermore, they have also noticed an important shift on the US market. “It is clear that the Americans are abandoning seemingly

cheap products and are looking for good quality and attractive products. Finally, they have realised that there’s not much point in solely wanting to be the very cheapest. There’s always someone a little cheaper and that only leads to the devaluation of parquet, which is essentially a very beautiful product.“ One of the biggest importers in the United States has successfully followed this new path for some time now. They displayed only the four types in the CASTLE series. This clearly appealed to visitors because shortly after the show Forestry Timber Export received yet another order for the CASTLE products, together with a new order for the NEW ANTIQUE floors. Forestry Timber Export is certainly hoping that European importers soon follows the example set by others from over the Atlantic Ocean.

Haro Naturalness on the floor – Wood in its various forms Wood as a basis for living is more popular than ever for the end consumer. Hamberger Flooring offers the natural material in various forms: in the traditional way as a parquet floor or in form of wonderful wood styles for laminate floors and Disano by HARO, the design floor for healthy living. The large change of the product range in 2013 promises new impulses.

Hamberger Flooring gives its longstrip floors special features for the fascination of parquet, which become visible in every single strip and make them cutting-edge trendsetters. HARO ignites a true firework of new styles with its laminate floors. Here, the large-size planks “Gran Via“, new surface structures and the particularly authentic wood styles are the parameters of success.

With the Comfortec technology, which is exclusively offered by Hamberger, the HARO laminate floors also remain the world’s quietest. In addition to this, Disano by HARO, the design floor healthy living that provides the performance characteristics and stylish appearance of a vinyl floor, while being healthy and kind to the environment.

PROLINE and CBP enthuse in Las Vegas A big attraction during SURFACES in Las Vegas was the new line of Custom Building Products, showing profiles and mat systems exclusively manufactured by PROLINE. “It was important for both PROLINE and CBP to find a partner that meets the same high requirements to quality as well as service and innovative products. Partnering the largest US manufacturer of chemical building products, with excellent market reputation and a strong sales force honors and challenges us at the same time”, so Stephan Kreidler, General Manager of PROLINE International GmbH. “Our aim is to develop and introduce more products and systems for the US Market.”

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

DOMOTEX Middle East 2013 New boost for business in Turkey and the Middle East Based in Istanbul since 2012, DOMOTEX Middle East has focussed on attracting visitors from the growth markets Turkey and the Middle East.

Taking place in the Istanbul Expo Center from 7 to 10 November 2013, it serves as an excellent showcase for carpets and floor coverings in Turkey.

Forecasts suggest that this positive trend will continue, especially in the construction industry.

Taking part in DOMOTEX Middle East which is the most international flooring show in Turkey not only helps exhibitors to realize sales potential in Turkey, but also on the Arabian peninsula. Trade relations between these two regions are traditionally strong.

DOMOTEX Russia 2013 Huge markets for floor coverings in Russia and the CIS states DOMOTEX Russia, which runs from 25 to 27 September 2013, will provide a unique opportunity for exhibitors to gain a

foothold on the Russian market or to expand existing activities on this market. The trade show made its debut in Moscow in 2012. More than 4,120 trade visitors from Russia and the CIS, especially distributors and buyers from the wholesale and retail trades, but also architects, planners and decisionmakers from the building industry, attended the premiere of Russia’s only specialized event for floor coverings. Located at the IEC Crocus Expo site in Moscow, DOMOTEX Russia takes place in conjunction with Heimtextil Russia – a leading trade fair for home textiles and furnishings, as well as products for contract business on the CIS markets. This trade fair, organized by OOO Messe Frankfurt RUS, and R + T Russia 2013, which is organized by Messe Stuttgart and focuses on shutters, gates and sun blinds, round off a line-up of trade shows which ensure good visitor attendance.

Floor Forum International 59

Inside news

> Inside news

6

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

> Inside news PROGRESS PROFILES : PROEND INS 75 and PROEND GRIP 70

given to reducing fumes (s1), minimizing the risks of damage. In addition, the RMC FR system is highly economical, with a base consumption of maximum 35 g/m2, and an oil consumption of max. 20 g/m2! Contains 0% VOC.

Rubio Monocoat introduces unique fire retardant RMC FR Oil System is the world’s first fire retarding oil system with Bfl- s1 certification for oak floors. The fire retarding system consists of a RMC Base primer and a RMC Oil finish. Both manually as well as industrially applicable, this system is available in a wide range of colors. The products contain no salts, ensuring durability and preventing crystallization. Special attention has been

D E S I G N® PA R Q U E T

10 NEW COLORS...

F r a n c e

The RMC FR System has been tested as per EN 13501-1, EN ISO 11925-2, and EN ISO 9239-1 standards.

More information on www.rubiomonocoat.com.

Inside news

PROGRESS PROFILES has introduced two new stair nosings, which have a large support surface to ensure maximum anti-slip.

PROEND INS 75 can be screwed or glued and is fitted with two interchangeable rubber bands, which conceal any block screws.

PROEND GRIP 70 can also be screwed or glued, but is almost always covered by a carborundum band.

This innovation means that the range of stair nosings has two new products which meet definite technical requirements.

TIMBA & MINITIMBA

The complete system for wooden floor treatment!

Planetarium System

ing e look we ar ealers d r fo Easy Transport

NEW Spherical Wheels

Counter-Rotating Head Spherical Wheels Dust Extractor

Semi-solid wood flooring “SABLE” 180/295 mm 1,5 Hp Power

Width 180/220/295 mm, thickness 16/20 mm, length 1500-2200/3000 mm, 2 layers, top layer 4,5/5,5mm, Birch plywood base for a better stability of the floor Unfinished, matt varnished, Natura oiled, brushed varnished or brushed Natura oiled, Roc varnished or even with the finishing colorless varnished or oiled.

www.designparquet.fr

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

Work in tight spaces

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

Floor Forum International 59

Loft Pro

4 Hp Power

7

Company visit Heywood Vloeren (NL)

Heywood Vloeren (NL) : the best parquet floors plus fast and flexible service With various top class parquet floors, including the unique, manually distressed engineered antique planks and the Knotting Hill Multiplank, Heywood Vloeren has built up a strong reputation in various countries. Since the company controls its entire production process, it can respond quickly and easily to specific client requests, as Haike van der Heijden (Heywood Vloeren) explains.

High quality standards At Heywood Vloeren, they only offer top quality and they sell parquet floors in various sorts of wood with a professional finish.

Haike van der Heijden explains: “You see this, for example, with the superior wood selection and the perfect shape of the planks.

Or our engineered parquet floors with a birch base for high stability. Moreover, we do everything ourselves and with the requisite love of the trade: from the purchase of the raw wood and processing of the wood to the finish of the planks. This produces a top class assortment.”

Collection Heywood Vloeren has a varied range of wooden floors in various sorts of wood: European oak, walnut, or a fine selection of tropical wood: wenge, jatoba, afzelia, ipe, and such like. As regards finish, it is possible to saw, smoke, brush, or distress.

Flexibility and a good stock “Since we take care of the entire process ourselves, we can also respond easily to client requests in the broadest sense: various lengths and widths, variations in the finish; we can do it all.

Another attractive feature is that we now also have a range of very wide European oak planks, up to 40cm wide and 6 to 7 metres long,” Haike van der Heijden says. “We’re also able to respond flexibly to requests for specific finishes. I should also mention that we can also supply various colourings and that special colours and stains are possible.”

Export company Thanks to its unique products and exemplary service, the company has enjoyed growing success on the export market. Haike van der Heijden concludes, “Apart from our sales in the Netherlands, we’re particularly active on the British, German, Danish, and Belgian markets.”

Floor Forum International 59

Knotting Hill Multiplank The Knotting Hill Multiplank has been the latest success story.

This is an engineered plank on a birch multiplex base with a natural rough character and untreated open gnarls, which lie higher

up, and visible marks from the belt sander. In the near future, the Knotting Hill Multiplank will be complemented by a variant with no marks from the belt sander.

8

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

The world of outdoor flooring totally changed when a number of specialists in the market developed a new ‘hidden’ fastening system for the construction of wooden terraces. These wooden terraces not only meet high expectations of demanding consumers, but also they have become something that professional floor fitters can undertake as part of their business. About 20 years ago, most floor fitters would have considered fitting a bangkirai terrace beneath their dignity. Today, however, with the level of craftsmanship that can be achieved with today’s invisible fastening systems, even the most seasoned floor fitter would enjoy the challenge of fitting parquet outside.

The terrace market Two decades ago, fitting a wooden terrace was not considered an honourable job. The ribbed bangkirai boards were as easily available at the average DIY shop as they were at a professional wood dealer; and the idea of using screws to fit wooden boards to a frame is as old as it is simple. Even after a professional installation (if you could tell the difference), it was difficult for a wooden terrace to compete with the wide range of alternative materials, such as terrace tiles, ceramic, concrete, natural stone, and such like. These competitors looked better, had minimal maintenance requirements, and lasted much longer. Floor fitters didn’t have very much to do in this story. This all changed as a result of a very simple formula: wood types (class 1-2) + invisible fastening = durability.

Durability The new wood types (and the list of wood types keeps getting longer!) are in the highest durability classes (1 and 2), which give an assurance that a wooden terrace can withstand an outdoor climate for many years and, with the correct maintenance, retain its beauty for a long time. However, the invisible fastening systems themselves can also significantly extend the life of outdoor parquet. The old system of fixing boards with screws was (and is) simply destructive. Each screw forms a point of damage and wear is accelerated.

Invisible Fastening By replacing the system of using screws to fasten parts of a terrace together with a less destructive system, we are actually trying to achieve several objectives simultaneously. By making our fastening system ‘invisible’, we primarily want to make our terrace floor more beautiful. From a functional point of view, the fastening system should be able to move with the natural movement of the wood, something the traditional screw system was not able to do. Finally, the functionality of the fastening system must last for many years. The extent to which these objectives are achieved depends entirely on the nature of the system and materials from which the system is built. Most systems are a patented combination of a specific technical fastening system, made from a specific material.

What systems are there?

To sum up, there are two groups of systems that meet the intended objectives. One system is to fit the screws so that they are invisible. This can be done by sinking the screws deep into the wood and closing the hole with wooden plugs (of the same wood type). The plugs fit perfectly into the pre-drilled holes. Another possibility with this system is to screw a fastening system onto the underside of the boards (at a given angle) so that it protrudes on either side of the beam and can be fixed to the frame. The second group of systems is that of invisible clips. There are several patented sorts of technology, sometimes requiring an associated profile to be cut into the side of the floorboard. These systems are described in detail below. Strictly speaking, since the

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

Floor Forum International 59

The floor fitter market There was a time when professional floor fitters were highly trained professionals who would complete their training under the watchful eye of a master craftsman and whose profession would be limited to the fitting of wooden floors. It was, in fact, ‘Noblesse oblige’! It was a craft in which you could excel, but from an economic point of view the market was quite limited. Perhaps one of the barriers that floor fitters inflicted upon themselves was that the level of quality to which they worked was so high that most alternative jobs were beneath their dignity. That was true until the level of quality visibly rose in other areas. This started with the introduction of laminated flooring, which would make floor fitters just shudder. That was nothing for them. However, floor fitters today fit countless square meters of top quality laminated flooring in addition to parquet. Why not?

Restoration of stairs, once a job for carpenters, is now in the repertoire of the floor fitter, if only because today’s trend is that floors, stairs, and landings are fitted with the same type of wood.

In other words, new techniques, new types of flooring, and new types of wood have changed everything and the market has expanded considerably for floor fitters.

The development of the outdoor flooring market, which has grown due to innovative terrace technology, now offers new opportunities.

Special Fastening systems for deck flooring

INVISIBLE FASTENING RAISES TERRACES TO A HIGHER LEVEL

photo Silvadec

FLOOR FITTERS GET INTO THE GARDEN

9

Special Fastening systems for deck flooring

> Continued from page 9

clips will be more or less visible at the joints of the boards, some systems provide a special finish profile or a rubber strip, as you would find in the deck of a ship.

What materials are used?

The materials used play an important part in ensuring functionality and durability. Strictly speaking, there are two very different groups of materials that can be used (mostly combined) in the invisible fastening system: metals & plastics or composites. Metals are often used to make the screws. However, ordinary stainless steel or galvanized screws are not recommended. Many tropical woods contain certain substances that may corrode non-ferrous materials. Due to the hardness of these types of wood, the screws require a lot of force, which increases the risk of damage to the finish. This may result in oxidation, wood discoloration or even a fracture of the screw itself. It is therefore recommended that specialised stainless steel screws, suitable for wooden terraces, be used. In many systems, the plastics or composites form the raw material for the clips themselves. These plastics or composites are designed so that they follow the movements of the wood perfectly.

of 45 ° and then screwed in place with self-drilling screws (SPAX in high quality A2 inoc). The Hardwood Clip is available in R types (3mm/5mm/7mm) to ensure the correct distance between the boards, regardless of the wood type, the level of moisture in the fitments, and climatic conditions. This system is very discreet thanks to the non-reflective black matte finish and the antique brown colour of the screw.

B-Fix B-Fix has introduced a range of solutions for terraces, swimming pool boards, and exterior wall cladding. The assortment includes several types of invisible fastenings: B-Fix One, B-Fix Black One, B-Fix Border, and various accessories. The

A more detailed look at some fastening systems Archi Wood/ HardWood Clip HardWood Clip is an invisible system for wooden terraces developed by Archi Wood. Plastic coated stainless steel fastening clips are placed in grooves in the side of the floorboards at an angle

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

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

METAL GRATES grilles métalliques

WOOD WPC lames OR de bois

TILES dalleCONCRETE en béton, céramique

SOLAR PANELS panneaux solaires

Floor Forum International 59

stable stable •• Remarkably remarquablement

10

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

Solidor Rubber & Products bvba LAUwBERgSTRAAT 124b B-8930 LAUWE - BELgiQUE

creative

flexible

reliable

tel.: +32 (0)56 41 35 70 - fax : +32 (0)56 41 37 68 www.solidor.be

visit the new www.floor-forum.com FF87_ZABOLAK.indd 1 Zabolak_Advertisement_Reliable_A6.indd 1

27/08/12 18:05

22-08-12 15:

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

The ulTimaTe generaTion of hidden deck fasTeners

With stainless steel reinforcement www.hardwoodclip.com

Special Fastening systems for deck flooring

> Continued from page 10

system itself has been designed in stainless steel equipped with a ‘memory effect’, so that the wood can continue to swell and shrink whilst it lies perfectly secure. Each plank can be removed individually. The fastening system can be applied according to use as a terrace or as exterior wall cladding on profiled planks via the B-Fix Classic, Plus, or Premium profile. It can be used on a good number of wood sorts and composite planks. Thanks to various sorts of screws, the system can be fitted to any possible structure: wood, aluminium, or lowered structures. B-Fix can be used both horizontally and vertically. There are two innovations with the screws: a short screw (19mm) mainly for structures of lower heights and a bimetal screw, which makes it possible to fasten B-Fix to metal structures with a plate up to 6mm thick, without drilling. Over 1,000,000m² have already been fitted using B-Fix. Forestia The Cobra Clip is a revolutionary fastening system that is specially designed for terrace floors that are made from wood and composite material. The Cobra Clip is made from stainless steel (304/ A2). After fastening it is virtually invisible. The Cobra can be used for all terrace boards. A 4mm and 8mm groove must be cut into the board. This ensures that both sides of the boards can be used. The Cobra clip is easy to install and remove at any time. The 3 hooks that are attached to the clip ensure the floorboards are firmly fixed together, which is also important when using composites.

DeckWise

DLH Belgium /Indufor nv DLH Group presents the ideck R clip system for fastening wooden terrace boards invisibly. This invisible fastening system has been much sought after for years by architects, horticulturalists, and private customers. The user-friendliness of ideck R means that you save time with the fitting and this makes the price cheaper for the end client. New in the ideck R clip system is the clip in black-coated stainless steel, which offers the same benefits as a PVC clip. Quality-conscious clients opt for ideck R clip in combination with a stable sort of wood. DLH offers planks of 22 x 145mm for ideck R clip in jatoba, ipe, merbau, designed for simple fitting both by private persons and professionals.

EU TIMBER REGULATION, WHAT CAN DLH DO FOR YOU? If DLH is the importer, we will make sure that all our products comply with EUTR. Thus, you do not need to worry about due diligence.

You will only need to comply with the requirement for traders within EU, i.e. keep records of your direct supplier and customer. We can supply timber compliant with EUTR because since 2002 we have operated a due diligence system called Good Supplier Program. With the latest updates, this program guarantees that every supplier is risk-rated and assessed based on the EUTR requirements.

For further information, visit www.dlh.com .

LTL Woodproducts The LTL-Clip is a plastic clip that allows terrace boards to be almost invisibly attached to the support structure. These clips were tested in combination with stainless steel screws and capture the natural movement of the wood perfectly while the boards remain well fixed. The clips are also tested for UV resistance so that they retain their elasticity for a long time. By combining the LTL-clip and LTL-Deck, the true craftsman can broaden his range

Floor Forum International 59

DeckWise Hidden Deck Fasteners owe their strength to the stainless steel core in each fastener. Deck Wise Hidden Deck Fasteners are available in three different distance options (2, 4, and 6 mm) and in three different colours. The clips are held in grooves in the side of the board. The screws are screwed at an angle of 45° through the centre of the clip. This keeps the board securely fixed. Deck Wise Hidden Deck Fasteners are manufactured according to a patented system, which

incorporates a hardened stainless steel core with a UV and chemical resistant plastic sleeve. It is unique because the boards remain perfectly fixed and yet they are still able to move naturally.

12

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

> Continued from page 12

Moso

Normally decking is fixed to the sub-construction by screwing through the top side of the boards.

For those who do not wish to see the screw heads Osmo offers two different systems for near to invisible fixation. Our new “Clipper” fixation system can be used for installing decking boards of 25 mm thickness and more. The “Clipper” is screwed to the underside of the board before fixing it to the subconstruction. Even easier is our tried and tested Osmo “Clip”. Specially planed Bangkirai and Garapa decking boards with a longitudinal groove make installation with the “Clip” childsplay.

- near to invisible fixation - no protruding screw heads - even gaps between boards - elegant, uniformed overall optic.

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

Sicmex SICMEX is the fastest and easiest outdoor decking fastening system as it doesn’t require screwing. It consists of a polyamide clip that fits by being pressed into a groove milled on the batten. It saves 65% in assembly time compared to traditional invisible systems and up to 80% compared to screwing the decking on top. It resists traction forces up to 50kg per clip (circa 1,500kg/m2) and

Floor Forum International 59

With the introduction of Bamboo X-treme, MOSO has developed a truly ecological and durable alternative for increasingly scarce tropical hardwood.

MOSO uses a unique patented process to alter the hardness, dimensional stability and durability to a level superior to the best tropical hardwood species. Although Bamboo X-treme may be used in several outdoor applications, at the moment the main use is for terrace decking.

For installation to the subbeams, MOSO has chosen for metal fasteners from Cobra as it has several advantages over the use of screws. These are traditionally applied for the installation of hardwood decking because of their susceptibility for torsion and deformation. The use of screws has as major disadvantage that the surface of the decking is “damaged” which has negative consequences on the appearance and functionality (intrusion of water).

Furthermore, this way of installation is labour intensive and thus costly. Contrary to hardwood, Bamboo X-treme is very dimensionally stable with little tendency to torsion. Therefore ‘invisible’ installation with the use of clips is possible, without damaging the planks and leading to a better looking result. The MOSO Cobra clip is made of stainless steel and has proven itself in the market for many years. Because of the smart design of the clip with small “teeth” sticking into the decking, the planks are permanently fixated to the sub frame. An added advantage of this installation method is that less fixation points are required, providing a time (and thus cost) benefit.

Osmo Stylish “Clip” system

Special Fastening systems for deck flooring

in terrace design. The luxurious appearance is a major asset. The cost is comparable to a conventional fitting: Stainless steel screws were always needed and the clips are worth it due to the manhours they save.

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

13

®

HIDDEN

DEck FASTENERS

crafted from hardened stainless steel, and high quality polymers, DeckWise® Hidden Deck Fasteners create a sleek and upscale look. Perfect for both residential and commercial applications. for more go to : www.DeckWise.com/hidden-deck-fasteners

You may be familiar with the hidden fastening and deck building products we manufacture under the trade names, Ipe Clip®, Hardwood Wrench™, and Ipe Oil™. Now, our innovative products are available throughout Europe under one label, DeckWise®. Join our global network of dealers for factory direct pricing.

.com Hardwood Wrench Hardwood Oil End Grain Sealer

Hidden Deck Fasteners

patented

Hardwood Deck Tiles

Deck Tile Connectors

Hidden Siding Fasteners

Colormatch Stainless Steel Screws

Deckwise INternational B.V. • Nijverheidsweg 60-2 • 3812 PM Amersfoort • The Netherlands • phone: + 31 33 4691037 DeckWise USA : The Ipe Clip Fastener Co., LLC • 2111 58th Avenue East • Bradenton, FL 34203 Phone: 941-896-9851 web: DeckWise.com email: sales@deckwise.com

temperatures from -30o to +90oC. For ceiling coatings it requires only one single operator; and for wall cladding, it allows the operator to install from above downwards without any extra help. It

1

3

2

4

also accelerates and facilitates repairs. Decking can be removed by simple lever pressure due to the elasticity of the polyamide that the clips are made of. You will find more information at www.sicmex.es, You Tube, Facebook, and Linkedin.

Silvadec Silvadec presents an invisible fastening system which is a combination of stainless steel screws and clips. Apart from the invisible fastening, the biggest advantage of this fitting system is the speed with which the terrace is assembled, since you only have to fit one screw between the joints instead of two in the older system. The clip absorbs the natural movement of the wood

WPC W P C

Protective water-based, water-repellent treatment for WPC (Wood Plastic Compound). It avoids formation of unaesthetic and persistant stains due to the absorption of oil substances and dirt.

! w e N

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

Architects

Specifiers

Contractors

Landscapers

Roofers

Builders

Buzon Pedestal International s.a./n.v.

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

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

Floor Forum International 59

Protective hydro-oil-repellent product, specific for WPC (Wood Plastic Compound).

www.prn-agenzia.it

Vetedy/Softline The Softline system from Vetedy is 12 years old and has proven durability. The Softline system is a (100%!) invisible fastening system that allows the floorboards to be fitted without a single visible screw. The clip is attached to the underside of the floorboard. This clip is manufactured from a composite material, has a very high mechanical strength and is invisibly mounted on the support structure. Despite its high strength, the clip is still supple and therefore, allows natural lateral movement of the wood. By fastening from below we get perfect insulation between the floor frame and the floorboards allowing the boards to remain completely free from any rising damp. The Softline system is guaranteed for 10 years in any climate. It has been fitted in many diverse climates such as Finland (cold), Dubai (hot), Libya (dry), and Indonesia (moist).

Pedestals deck sytems for sloped roofs

SCUDO WPC

CHIMIVER PANSERI S.p.A. PONTIDA www.chimiver.com info@chimiver.com

automatically. The range includes various types of clips (basic, begin, and end clips). Silvadec’s clip-based system might seem twice as expensive at first sight, but the time saved absorbs this extra cost.

Moreover, this terrace also has a much longer lifespan.

Special Fastening systems for deck flooring

> Continued from page 13

15

Company profile Ciranova/Debal Coatings (B)

CIRANOVA (B) : top quality for floor fitters and industry With over 80 years of know-how in wooden flooring finish and maintenance products, Ciranova has a complete range of qualitative products for preparing, colouring, finishing, and maintaining indoor and outdoor wood. The products are hugely popular with parquet professionals, but Ciranova is also rapidly gaining in stature amongst industrial finishers.

Ciranova is the top brand product of Debal Coatings. This company from Beveren-Roeselare in Belgium has a long tradition in the wood coating sector and is committed every day to research and development. The logical outcome is top quality products with even better results.

Interaction Ciranova has opted consciously for a strategy in which they can commit themselves to both the development of products for a manual finish and the extension of a range for industrial producers. Their efforts to be active on both markets has created a useful interaction of know-how and experience, and this can only improve the products for both markets. In order to be perfectly attuned to the clients’ wishes, they offer extensive advice and clients also have the opportunity to carry out tests and make changes.

Efficient and effective The Ciranova product line for industrial finishers stands out, amongst other things, for its remarkably efficient operation.

Good examples of this are the UV oils and varnishes in the range, which dry very quickly using only two UV lamps, something which means considerable energy savings for the producers.

Floor Forum International 59

Ciranova range for industry

16

DEBACURE PARKET VARNISH AS DM DEBACURE PARKETLAK AS DM is an ecological, UV-setting matt, colourless, acrylate-based varnish which is suitable for open-pore and closed pore finish.

DEBACURE UV ROLLER OIL ‘COLOURED’ DEBACURE UV ROLLER OIL is a natural UV-drying oil based on modified acrylates, which can be used both as a primer and a top coat. The roller oil offers very good adhesion on wood or with another UV OIL. Lightly film-forming, this oil gives the wood a very attractive and natural ‘traditionally oiled’ look.

HYDRO-ROLLER OIL WOOD LOOK HV HYDRO-ROLLER OIL WOOD LOOK HV is the industrial version of the Ecofix Woodlook, which can be applied by a rollercoater.

Hydro-Roller Oil Woodlook is a durable, ecological, and waterborne impregnation oil, which bleach the woods a little so that it does retain its original look. This oil can be used as a one-pot system, where several coats are necessary.

AQUAPAD CIRANOVA AQUAPAD is a waterborne wood colouring used to colour all sorts of indoor wood. Aquapad gives the wood an even look and brings out the grain to the full. Due to its special composition, Aquapad is ideal for applying with a buffing machine or an industrial rollercoater.

VINTAGE (COLOURS: DUNE, DRIFT, SNOW, and ICE) Ciranova VINTAGE is a waterborne reaction stain for giving oak wood a weathered ‘vintage’ look in only one coat.

HARD WAX OIL FULL SOLID HARDWAXOIL FULL SOLID is a modified 2K impregnating and rapid-drying one-coat parquet oil based on natural oils with outstanding durability and high impregnation strength, natural colour, and excellent chemical and mechanical resistance. In contrast to other one-coat oils, this oil has an activator and not a hardener so that the Hardwaxoil Full Solid has a longer pot life.

HARD WAX OIL MAGIC HARDWAXOIL MAGIC is a modified parquet oil with outstanding durability, which gives the wood a rustic look. It offers good filling, natural colour, and good chemical and mechanical resistance.

Its resistance can be further improved through the addition of a 5% hardener UA (optional).

Contact: 32 (0)51/30.11.40 - info@ciranova.be

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

Various types of moisture can have an adverse effect on wooden floors. Air humidity constantly and permanently affects the movement of wooden floorboards. Most floors are ‘set up’ for this. In other words, this phenomenon is accounted for in the construction and fitting, with an adapted floor structure and via the correct choice of products (adhesives and such like). Other types of humidity include rising damp, condensation, and accidental moisture. What almost every floor fitter is faced with in new construction as well as renovation is residual building moisture. This is something that we can counteract perfectly.

The danger of residual building moisture Residual building moisture poses a threat to floor fitters in two ways. On one hand, the hardening of the materials (during which moisture is released) can cause an increase in the air humidity in the room, which can become too high to fit parquet. There is no remedy for this: the only thing to do is wait, or to provide extra ventilation in some cases. The most dangerous form with the most far-reaching consequences is residual building moisture which rises from the screed. According to the B.B.R.I., the maximum permissible residual moisture percentage for the screed is 2.5% or 2% when floor heating is installed. For an anhydrite screed, this percentage is 0.60%. If these percentages are exceeded, you must postpone the fitting or take protective measures.

damp or residual moisture up to a maximum of 5cm% on a cement protective layer or concrete floors. Bona R410 is also suitable as a primer prior to applying Bona R770, R782 parquet adhesives or Bona levelling compounds. Thinned with Bona S100, Bona R410 can also be used to penetrate deeply into substrates.

Bona R410 guarantees a very good bond to many substrates. This primer can be applied with a roller, brush, or spatula. It can also be used in combination with floor heating.

Special Epoxy moisture barriers

THE BEST GUARANTEE AGAINST MOISTURE FROM BELOW

Bostik Epoxy as protection The best guarantee against excess residual moisture is still an epoxy moisture barrier. Epoxy moisture barriers can normally be used at a residual moisture percentage of up to about 4 to 4.5%, and there are also moisture barriers for higher moisture percentages (up to 9%). As a rule, moisture barriers can be used for most current subfloors, except for excessively moist anhydrite screeds. There are few reasons not to install a moisture barrier on a cement covering floor that still contains over 2.5% residual moisture, a concrete floor, or an existing tile floor. However, it is crucial that the moisture barrier is continuous and that the film is fully sealed. As a rule, moisture barriers are installed as a double layer for covering floors with a residual moisture content up to 4.5 %. Quartz sand is added to the second layer in many, but not all, cases. For screeds with a residual moisture content that is higher than 4.5%, a high grade epoxy ‘shield’ can be applied in a single layer.

Bostik Eponal 336 is a 2-component epoxy resin primer and moisture barrier. The Eponal resin forms a solventfree 2-component epoxy layer on cement substrates or old tile floors with capillary rising damp. A levelling compound, wood flooring adhesive, or tile adhesive can then be applied. Eponal 336 can also be used to reinforce the substrate (covering floor). Bostik Eponal 336 is the solution par excellence for safe and durable installation of floor covering on the substrate that is susceptible to rising damp (moisture percentage up to 10cm%).

Bostik Eponal 336 also inhibits the release of radon. Radon is a naturally occurring gas that is odourless, colourless, and radioactive. Its gaseous state allows radon to escape from the ground or from building materials. It is absorbed by the lungs when inhaled and is the cause of a significant proportion of lung cancer cases.

A selection from the range Bona Bona R410 primer is a solvent and water-free, two-component epoxy resin for priming, strengthening and damp-proofing various substrates. The product is perfect for blocking capillary rising

Chimiver Panseri Chimiver has a large range of sealants suitable for subfloors with a residual moisture content of no more than 5%. The best seller is Prymer SF1105 which is a 2-components water-based epoxy primer suitable for dusty, very dry and crumbling subfloors and

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

Floor Forum International 59

photo Henkel

EPOXY BARRIERS FOR RESIDUAL BUILDING MOISTURE

17

> Continued from page 17

for preventing rising damp in absorbent subfloors. It has excellent penetrative properties and can also be used on anhydrite covering floors. The residual humidity allowed during the installation of a wooden floor is 5% in a 6cm thick substrate.

prevents the wood from warping, since it does not absorb any moisture. With performances of over 10 years and a complete absence of complaints, this primer has proved its durability.

There is not a single physical or chemical indication that the moisture barrier would lose its quality over time.

Special Epoxy moisture barriers

Henkel/Thomsit

Emfi Emfi presents its Emfiprim Epoxy as preparation for moist floors. This polymerised product is completely impervious and therefore constitutes a solid moisture barrier between the substrate and the floor.

Emfiprim Epoxy can be deployed with residual moisture percentages of up to 10%, although caution is urged because damp can rise via the walls with very high residual moisture percentages. This Epoxy primer

Thomsit R 755 is a dual component epoxy moisture barrier to treat porous mineral substrates, especially where intensive use is expected. This moisture barrier is also suitable as isolation against capillary rising damp or residual moisture in concrete or cement floors, up to max. 6%, and can be used for floors with floor heating. To block capillary rising damp or residual moisture: Apply two coats of R 755 to the substrate crosswise to each other. Distribute about 2 kg/m² Thomsit of quartz sand into the last coat (thickness 0.3-0.7 mm). The processing time is 30 minutes. This time is shorter at higher temperatures, and longer at lower temperatures. Setting depends on the surrounding temperature and relative air humidity.

Ica Spa HYDROEPOX3C SELF-LEVELING 3-COMPONENT PRIMER HYDROEPOX3C is a 3-component moisture barrier for cement

www.progressprofiles.com

Our glance always at the future

Lippage is a huge iSSue it’s our turn to heLP

the only one with 2 elements

Floor Forum International 59

StUdIOvErdE

Save 3 pieces on intersections

18

Proleveling System Proleveling System is a revolutionary and innovative system that facilitates and quicken the laying process with only two elements: (leveler and cap).

A complete range of levelers of 1, 2 and 3 mm for floorings and coverings from 2 to 40 mm thick. thanks to the pressure applied vertically and not transversally, the exclusive removal system allows to avoid the movement of the tiles and the widening of the joints.

Lay

pate nt Multip pendin g le so lution s

Turn

Remove Kicking the clip in the direction of the joint.

Progress Profiles SpA

Azienda certificata UN EN ISO 9001:2008

visit the new www.floor-forum.com FFi50_ADESIV.indd 1

8/12/11 14:43

> Continued from page 18

CONTAINER SIZE: 2,5 kg (A) - 3,75 kg (B) - 7,5 kg (C) APPLICATION: Spatula COVERAGE: 1000-1200 g/sq.m Lechner Spa The specific chemical composition of epoxy based products – resulting from the combination of the hardener with the main compound – gives them an excellent resistance as a moisture barrier. See for example Lechner Epoprimer, a two-compound epoxy primer, certified EC1R by the German GEV. As most of the epoxybased products, it has an effective moisture resistance up to 5% CM. Epoprimer, is useful to prevent warping of wooden floors, where the subfloor does not have the characteristics required for direct bonding. After the application of the second coat, it is necessary to use quartz sand, in case bonding takes place more than 36 hours after the application of the primer, since the surface of the product, once dry, is vitreous. As long as the initial conditions of the screed treated with Epoprimer are unchanged (eg. moisture of the screed remains below 5% CM), the product maintains its characteristics over time.

Soudal Soudal offers its Epoxy sealer EPR31P, an epoxy-based, 2-component primer, which does not contain solvents or water. EPR-31P can be used as a moisture barrier against rising capillary damp or residual moisture in concrete or cement floors (with a maximum of 7% for concrete substrates and 5% for anhydrite floors). It is particularly suitable for treating critical substrates such as silty or powdery (strong) absorbent mineral substrates like cement-bound covering floors, concrete, calcium sulphate-bound (anhydrite), and levelled substrates as well as substrates of wood, chipboard, V100, terrazzo, ceramic tiles, and metal. Epoxy sealer EPR-31P also serves as pre-treatment for silty or powdery (strong) absorbent mineral substrates with capillary rising damp together with the use of Soudal VE 50.

Tover One of the major risks during the laying of a parquet is represented by the humidity present into the sub-floor. Tover has developed a waterproof and hardening primer, totally solvent free and thus suitable on under-floor heating systems, the epoxy two-component ADEBLOK T19 primer which, once hardened, avoids any moisture rising and its migration into the wood: a vapour barrier is created even with up to 5% residual humidity. It also hardens the support in the case it is poor and dusty. If there are cracks, ADEBLOK T19 can be used mixed with sand to get a synthetic mortar with high filling properties. To spread dry sand on the sub-floor is recommended when the parquet bonding will be done after 24 hours or more from the primer application in order to improve the glue adhesion on the support.

Special Epoxy moisture barriers

screeds and vitreous surfaces such as ceramics and marble.

The surfaces should be clean, compact and free from oils, grease or dust.

Mix the 3-components in the following order: A (resin), B (catalyzer), C (inert).

For successive laying of parquet, after waiting 2-3 days depending on the temperature (18-20°C), use epoxy-polyurethane glues form the P28 series, or monocomponent polyurethane glue from the P35 series.

Uzin presents the Uzin PE 480 moisture barrier. This moisture barrier is a dual component product that succeeds in functioning as a moisture barrier for residual moisture percentages up to 10%, which is twice what most products can handle. The PE 480 consists of a pure, high-grade dual component epoxy resin that needs to be mixed with a hardener, which was developed for the ship-building industry. This moisture barrier from Uzin is therefore used where the traditional moisture barriers cannot be used, i.e. for moisture percentages over 5 %. PE 480 is free of water or solvents and has excellent covering and filling capacity. Can be used on both absorptive and non-absorptive substrates.

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

Floor Forum International 59

Uzin STAUF Epoxy Primer with residual moisture barrier STAUF VEP-190 Layer-forming 2c epoxy resin primer, to be applied with trowel or roller for use below STAUF SMP-, SPU- und PUK adhesives and below STAUF levelling compounds • increases hardness of screed surface • DPM up to 5.0 CM-%, on concrete substrates up to 6 CM-% • Bonding agent on non-absorbent, smooth substrates • direct bonding with STAUF SMP-, SPU- and PUK adhesives within 24 hours • can be used below STAUF levelling compounds when sanded .

19

Special Producers of crosscut floors Floor Forum International 59 20

WORKSHOP FLOOR BECOMES ARCHITECTURAL SHOWPIECE CROSSCUT PARQUET IS THE OUTSIDER AMONG WOODEN FLOORS Crosscut floors originated in industrial environments. They were ‘invented’ as floors specifically for workshops, studios, and machine rooms. They were given this role in part due to their extreme hardness, which enables them to withstand very heavy loads. Trolleys and other indoor means of transport in a factory do not pose any problem for a crosscut floor.

Furthermore, these floors are very good at absorbing vibrations from machines and have a very high noise absorption capacity. Today, designers and architects have discovered these floors for their unique look.

From inferior to top Crosscut floors are becoming ‘design’. Isn’t this an unusual development? You can compare it in some ways to gastronomy: many ingredients and dishes that were meant for ordinary folk in years gone by now appear on the menus of top restaurants. Mussels were once ‘food for the poor’. Calf liver and sweetbread were even butcher’s waste and weren’t eaten by anyone but beggars.

It’s exactly the same in architecture. Various architectural features which previously had a purely functional purpose are rediscovered for their unique character. To get back to the floors, end grain blocks are also a good example of this. By placing flooring strips on end, a thick solid floor is obtained that can withstand heavy loads and that can worn down virtually endlessly. End grain block flooring is therefore rightly called ‘industrial wooden flooring’. Strictly speaking, crosscut wooden flooring is the same.

fluctuations than quarter-sawn floorboards. This affects a number of aspects:

Quarter-sawn and crosscut timber While traditional floor sections and wooden plank floors are sawn along the wood grain, crosscut is, of course, cut across the grain.

This is the distinction between quarter-sawn and crosscut timber.

The surface of a crosscut wooden floor is a lively play of growth rings and gives a completely different appearance than traditional wooden flooring. The floor consists of several small square (or elongated) blocks, and not of planks. The cut direction makes crosscut blocks much harder and resistant to pressure than quarter-sawn timber. This has everything to do with the fact that the wood fibres are vertically oriented. Crosscut blocks provide almost all the qualities that a floor needs to withstand intensive use. The combination of the aesthetic appearance and the strong resistance to high traffic makes these floors particularly suitable for offices, airports, hotels, and such like.

The substrate and adhesive It is already clear that it is all the more important for the installation of a crosscut floor that all the preparatory measures against moisture must be taken. The substrate must be dry at the time of installation. If there is no guarantee that the substrate will stay dry, a moisture barrier must be installed. The moisture content must remain below 2 %, even in the deeper layers. If the floor sections do get the chance to take up moisture, the floor will always swell, with the resulting consequences of this. If in doubt, it is highly recommended to use a water-resistant epoxy primer. In some cases, a screed strengthener may be needed, or a combination of a screed strengthener and a moisture barrier. Crosscut floors must be glued with an adhesive that not only guarantees excellent bonding, but that also offers the highest elasticity possible.

The floor that ‘moves’ If you are allergic to ‘cracks’, it is better not to choose crosscut flooring. In contrast to other wooden floors, crosscut ‘moves’ by expanding and contracting in all directions. This means that crosscut flooring is much more sensitive to moisture and temperature

The finish Although the finish of the wooden floor contributes to the appearance of the floor, protection against moisture is the first priority when choosing a finish. Because the wood fibres are vertically oriented, the surface of a crosscut floor has open pores

The wood type When choosing the type of wood, the intended use must be considered from the outset. In some cases the appearance and the lively colour pattern is important (residential use, hotels, shops, etc.), while in other cases the hardness of the floor is the primary concern (workshop, studio, etc.). For architectural applications, it is best to choose a floor that is highly stable and therefore expands and contracts as little as possible. For workshops, you could choose much cheaper pine because it is less important that the floor might show cracks in the winter or in other dry periods.

For almost all wood types, crosscut wooden floors almost always have small cracks in the winter, which close again in the summer.

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

B.J. Parket BVBA I NDUSTRIESTRAAT 44 9240 Z ELE – BELGIUM TEL: +32 52 44 45 57 FAX : +32 52 45 06 71 E MAIL: INFO @ BJPARKET.BE WWW. BJPARKET. BE TRADITIONAL PARQUET MANUFACTURER

Style panels, end grain, distressed floors (different ageing techniques ‘sanded, brushed, tumbled, smoked and structured’)

> Continued from page 20

Special Producers of crosscut floors

and is therefore sensitive to fluctuations in the ambient humidity.

Specialists usually recommend finishing the floor with oil. With a paint or varnish there is the risk of the surface showing cracks due to the movement of the wood. By contrast, an oil finish does not apply a closed film on the surface and allows the wood to expand and contract without damaging the finish itself.

Wood types and dimensions ‘Nihil nove sub sole’ (there is nothing new under the sun): oak is still the most popular type of wood for crosscut flooring. This does not diminish the fact that tropical hardwood has made some advances. Wood sorts such as merbau, iroko, and larch are popular species for this type of flooring. Larch scores highly for its gorgeous colour patterns. Another evolution is the emergence of heat treated wood. First of all, the thermal treatment greatly reduces the tension in the floor sections, while also producing aesthetically pleasing results. Crosscut flooring is supplied is a wide variety of dimensions. The shape can be square (e.g. 70 x 70mm, 90 x 90mm) or rectangular (e.g. 35 x 70mm, 90 x 55mm). Crosscut floors can be installed in any pattern imaginable. The smaller sizes are particularly suitable for installation in areas where there are a lot of obstacles. They can easily be placed around them.

depends on the degree to which the floor has been fitted level or not. A number of sanding passes are done with progressively finer grit. After sanding with a belt sander, a sanding pass is done with a disc sander. The final finishing pass is done with a 120 grit screen disc. The ‘bitter pill’ of the sanding work can be lightened under two conditions: the manufacturer has cut the floor pieces perfectly equally (to the millimetre) and the screed is perfectly level. Under these conditions, less sanding work on the surface will be needed.

What’s on the market?

BJ Parket

Different shapes For renovation, crosscut floors offer the major advantage that the height of the floor sections (the thickness of the floor) can be perfectly adjusted to the conditions of the building. Crosscut floors are supplied in various ‘guises’.

In bulk The floor fitter receives the wooden blocks in bags that contain one or more square metres. The floor is covered in adhesive and the blocks are simply pressed into the adhesive and tamped into place. Nails are not used.

On film For an additional charge some suppliers offer preassembled crosscut flooring in the desired size with a special film on the top side. Of course, this guarantees much faster installation (except in rooms with many obstacles). BJ Parket does not recommended placing crosscut flooring on mesh, because there is the risk that the mesh pattern will become visible due to the expansion and contraction of the floor.

We received very extensive documentation and information for this article from BJ Parket, for which we thank them. BJ Parket primarily supplies oak crosscut flooring in various dimensions: 23 x 69mm, 35 x 70mm, and 70 x 70mm. The product range also includes merbau, wenge and guatambu in 70 x 70 mm for architectural applications. For industrial use, BJ Parket offers larch in dimensions 90 x 55mm. As we have said, this wood species is also chosen for its beautiful colouration. At BJ Parket, having the floor parts on a film as mentioned above is also offered as an option.

Grupo Arrondo

Floor Forum International 59

In tiles or on panel A typical application for office buildings is the prior placement of the crosscut floor sections on aluminium tiles. These tiles (in box form) have an MDF panel on the bottom, to which the crosscut blocks are glued. The tiles then remain removable, for example when wiring for networks, telephones or electricity needs to be installed or repositioned.

22

Sanding is the painful part The installation of crosscut floors is analogous to end grain block flooring in every way. As a rule, crosscut floors are glued directly to the screed with an adhesive that offers very high elasticity (see above). When the floor is glued, the greatest advantage is also immediately found to be a ‘problem’ for the floor installer. The very high level of hardness and wear resistance obviously implies that these floors take a lot of work to sand. Sanding to make a surface smooth is best done with a belt sander with a grit that

Grupo Arrondo produces crosscut floors in oak. These floors are made on panels. Each plank is divided up into eight square sections fitted with tongue and groove. The planks are 580 x 290mm and 20mm thick. Each square section is 145 x 145 x 20mm.

These floors can be finished with oil or varnish. It is perfectly possible to glue these floors with a single component polyurethane

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

> Continued from page 22

Parkettmanufaktur by Haro

Holz Bois

For Holz Bois, very many different, if not all, types of wood can be installed as crosscut flooring, but the company mostly sells rustic solid oak and rustic fir. This is certainly also related to the very high cost of crosscut flooring in exotic woods. These floors are usually supplied with 3 rows of blocks on mesh/net. Another option is a single row of blocks with a thin plastic tape. Solid crosscut wood is always glued with an adequately elastic (MS) adhesive, such as Parcol MS Elastic from Bostik on a covering floor with adequate tensile strength and smoothness. Special attention is paid to expansion joints: there must be play of 0.5 mm between the blocks; 5mm expansion joints are needed every five or six metres if a distance of 10m is exceeded; and expansion joints of about 15mm must be provided on walls and doors.

Haro presents crosscut floors under its premium brand: Parkettmanufaktur by Haro. Customers can choose between oak and larch. The floors are known by the name CarrĂŠ Design and form a unique symbiosis of modern and rustic. Floors from Parkettmanufaktur by Haro not only add economic value to a property, but also provide a unique appearance in line with the personality of the inhabitants. The XL planks offer vast spaciousness. The natural cracks are carefully filled by hand. The warm colours of the oak give the floor exceptional originality. These floors have a three-layer structure and can be installed in the same way as other engineered floors from Haro.

Special Producers of crosscut floors

adhesive, but it is nevertheless advisable to use a dual component adhesive. These floors are fitted in the same way as a solid wood floor. Expansion joints need to be fitted at regular intervals. The company stresses the sheer hardness of these floors as a big advantage, and this means they are ideal for coping with high traffic.

Parqueterie de Bourgogne

At J&J Teixeira, an extensive assortment of wood types is offered as crosscut flooring, such as oak, doussie, hard maple, jatoba, olive walnut, larch, sucupira, wenge, maple, and iroko. Of these, the most popular woods are oak, olive walnut and doussie. The floors come in panels of about 120 by 600mm and are glued to the substrate. One of the great advantages is the superior acoustics. The stability of the floors largely depends on the type of wood used.

Crosscut is recommended due to its unrivalled strength, which is comparable to that of chopping blocks. At the same time it is also resistant to sharp objects and abrasion. Crosscut is refined and is anchored in a tradition. It gives a sense of warmth and acoustic comfort. At Parqueterie de Bourgogne they make crosscut exclusively from oak. It is put together in sets of 16 on Kraft paper or polyan and is available in thicknesses of 20mm. Crosscut is 72 x 72mm in size. The wood is pleasant to walk on, fits in nicely with the floor, and requires a glued fitting. Special care is needed with the fitting of crosscut tiles because, unlike parquet boards, they swell and shrink in all four directions.

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

Floor Forum International 59

J&J Teixeira

23

SUBSTRATE PREPARATION ALLOWS NO COMPROMISE

Special Primers

The use of a primer before gluing wooden (or other) floors or subfloors is another one of those things that don’t mean much for the client at first sight. After all, it is not something clients see, and they will often wonder if it is really necessary. A word of explanation from the floor fitter is then called for. Compromises must never be made for economic reasons.

When it looks like a primer is needed to deal with a specific fault in the substrate, this is the only thing that can guarantee successful adhesion.

Substrate improvement Primers for gluing wooden flooring (but often for floating installation as well) can be used for various purposes. The recurring theme is always ‘improving the substrate one way or another’. In the same way that no two plastered walls are identical, and as human skin is different for everyone, not all screeds are the same.

In previous issues we have already talked enough about the defects that can occur in a screed in new construction as well as in renovations. In a nutshell: • New construction: a good screed is porous enough to allow adhesive bonding, and not too powdery to avoid the adhesive bond being stronger than the screed itself. Problems can occur as a result of an incorrect mixing ratio of sand and cement. A good screed usually takes 300 to 320kg of cement per m³ of sand. If too little cement is added to the sand, the screed will never reach its specified strength and will generally remain powdery. Another problem can be caused by poor mixing, which can result in local porosity variations. Last but not least, there is always the danger of residual moisture in the screed in new construction (see below).

• Renovation: for renovation, there is a good chance that breaking out existing floor covering will leave traces of old glue residues, and that the porosity of the screed is no longer homogenous (partly as a result of removing the old floor). When breaking out old floor covering, some parts of the screed can also be damaged and require local repairs, which again affects the porosity in those places.

As reinforcement A reinforcement primer can provide solace for powdery substrates or screeds that lack strength. These effectively fix the covering layer. Some make a distinction between primers for porous or for impervious substrates, while others offer universal primers.

Improving the porosity If the suction capacity of a screed is not uniformly homogenous, there is a risk of the adhesive not providing the same bond everywhere. Eventually, this can cause the flooring to come loose from the screed in places.

As binder for quartz sand When it is necessary to apply quartz sand to improve bonding with a levelling compound or with the adhesive, the primer serves to fix the quartz sand. This can be necessary when using levelling compound after applying an epoxy moisture barrier.

Activation of tiles Ceramic tiles and natural stone such as marble have virtually no porosity. However, renovations often require bonding directly to these existing floor coverings. The primer then serves as a degreaser and activator of the ceramic tile.

What’s on the market?

Adesiv

Floor Forum International 59

Primers for parquet We will now look at the different functions of primers:

24

Moisture barrier A moisture barrier can be created against residual building moisture for new construction, or if there is a risk of rising damp (although in that case it might be better not to fit a parquet floor).

Various chemical compositions are available. PU sealants can often be used for certain residual moisture percentages. Everyone agrees that the epoxy sealants are the most efficient moisture barriers. These are discussed in detail in another article in this issue.

“Adesiv offers a full range of products for preparing the substrate.

The primer WBPU-R is one of a new generation of single component polyurethane primers and does not contain any volatile organic compounds (VOC). This primer dries rapidly in about 45 minutes. It is a reinforcement resin for powdery cement covering floors and for providing protection against residual moisture in floors and walls. Primer PA400 is a highly

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

photo Henkel

PRIMERS ARE AN INVISIBLE GUARANTEE

> continued from page 24

Bostik One solution provided by Bostik for substrate preparation is PU Rapid Primer. PU Rapid is a fast-drying, one-component PU primer for strengthening powdery and weak substrates. PU Rapid Primer is suitable for substrates such as concrete, cement covering floors, and calcium sulphate and magnesium sulphatebased covering floors. It can also be used on substrates in renovation projects where residues of old adhesives and/or levelling compounds, or for example older water-soluble glues, are still present. PU Rapid Primer comes as a one-part product and is easy to handle. The product is solvent-free and has a neutral odour. It penetrates deep into the substrate, sets quickly, and guarantees high adhesive strength. Application is easy: pour PU Rapid Primer onto the substrate and use a roller or glue spreader to apply a thin and even coat. Pooling should be avoided because setting takes longer for thicker layers and the adhesion of subsequent coats is reduced. One coat is enough when applying to a non-porous substrate with low absorption.

Chimiver Panseri Chimiver has a large range of sealants suitable for subfloors with a residual moisture content of no more than 5%. The best seller is Prymer SF1105 which is a 2-components water-based epoxy primer suitable for dusty, very dry and crumbling subfloors and for preventing rising damp in absorbent subfloors. It has excelAZ_Zeitschriften_Text_ENG_190x65 20.02.13 17:28 Seite 1 lent penetrative properties and can also be used on anhydrite

covering floors. The residual humidity allowed during the installation of a wooden floor is 5% in a 6cm thick substrate.

Another primer is Prymer FAST 500 which is a solvent-free single component 100% PU primer. It dries very quickly (45-50 minutes) and is suitable for consolidating firable subfloors and creating a damp proof membrane on humid subfloors. PRYMER FAST 500 is able to create a moisture barrier on subfloors of 6cm in depth and Residual Humidity of 5%, measured with the carbide method. EC1 CERTIFIED. Both products have to be applied by roller, are odorless and very easy to use.

F. Ball and Co. Stopgap P131 is the universal primer from F. Ball and Co. This is primarily intended to improve adhesion of Stopgap subfloors to level, non-absorptive surfaces. However, it can also be used as a universal primer on absorptive substrates to improve adhesive bonding and to prevent adhesives and levelling compounds from drying too quickly. The product is suitable for maritime applications and contains a rust inhibitor to prevent rusting when used with metal. Stopgap P131 can be used in combination with underfloor heating. It is coloured green to make visual inspection of perfect spreading possible. Stopgap P121 is an acrylic primer developed to improve the application of Stopgap 1100 Gypsum and other suitable Stopgap levelling compounds, for example on

Special Primers

renowned solvent borne standard product of polyurethane for reinforcement and protection against residual moisture.”

We make binding connections.

Floor profiles and underlay sheeting for hard, elastic and textile flooring.

www.proline-systems.com

W O O D C O AT I N G S

A

D

H

www.sirca.it

E

S

I

V

E

S

www.durante-vivan.com

Join us in excellence. visit the new www.floor-forum.com

Floor Forum International 59

Durante Vivan

25

> Continued from page 25

Floor Forum International 59

Special Primers

anhydrite. This product also prevents excessively rapid drying.

Suitable for use in combination with underfloor heating. A blue colour was chosen for this product.

26

Henkel Henkel has different primers for various applications. For universal use on absorbent and non-absorbent substrates, there is R766 Multiprimer. The R740 Reno Express is a universal sealant and a moisture barrier up to 4%. R755 Epoxy is a dual component product for critical substrates that can under high loads and provides a moisture barrier up to 6%. The R766 Multiprimer can be used in concentrated or diluted form. Its rapid drying time makes this product very suitable for renovation. The R 766 Multiprimer is EC1 Plus, Blue Angel and IMO certified (even suitable for maritime use). The R 740 Reno Express sealant is EC1 R Plus certified. This primer blocks softening agents, which enables it to be glued directly with elastic wooden floor adhesives. The R 740 Reno Express is also suitable for renovation projects due to its rapid drying time. The R 755 Epoxy moisture barrier 2-c is EC1 R Plus and IMO certified (also suitable for maritime use).

Lechner Spa Lechner offers various solutions for consolidating or waterproofing screeds prior to wood floors laying. In its rich catalogue, Lechner shows both one-compound polyurethane primers, such as Primer PU 300, Primer PU 150 Speed, Primer PU, Primer PU Antidust, and the two-compound epoxy based Epoprimer. Lechner primers can be used also for floating fitting, unusual practice for this type of flooring, but adoptable if the action is required against the rising damp, or for the consolidation of the screed. As better described in the relevant technical data sheets, PU primers (Primer PU 300 and Primer PU 150 Speed), as well as Epoprimer, can be used for different purposes, whether to respond to the waterproofing or consolidating needs of the subfloors, and also for its anti-dust treatment.

Focusing on the three above mentioned products, it is important to remember that they have a low VOC content, being certified EC1/EC1R by the German GEV. This makes them safer than the traditional primers available on the market – especially the Italian one - for both the applicators and the users.

Lecol Lecol offers two quality products for preparing the substrate.

Wakol D 3040 is an emulsion primer concentrate for undercoating cement-bound and calcium sulphate-bound covering floors (anhydrite), mastic asphalt floors, magnesite floors (with exclusively mineral additives), concrete, floor tiles, terrazzo, insoluble adhesive residue, wooden plates, planks, and gypsum fibre boards for contiguous indoor levelling. Wakol PU280 is suitable for priming absorbent and non-absorbent substrates as well as reinforcing crumbling covering floors. It is also suitable for sealing off capillary rising damp and increased residual moisture up to a maximum of 6CM% in cement-bound covering floors with no floor heating, but with floor heating up to 3CM%.

Mapei EcoPrim PU 1K is a single component polyurethane-based primer. This primer is solvent-free and guarantees extremely low emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). EcoPrim PU 1K is intended for waterproofing and reinforcing cement covering floors and anhydrite. The primer cures in the ambient air. It can be used as a moisture barrier for covering floors that exceed the allowable residual moisture content for wooden flooring to a maximum to 5 % for screeds 6 cm thick that are not subjected to constant rising damp. The EcoPrim PU 1K Turbo is also a moisture barrier and an anti-dust treatment for screeds (cement and anhydrite). This primer can also be used in combination with underfloor heating.

Pallmann Pallmann P104 is a fast-drying 1-component PU primer for glueing parquet with reaction resin glue. It is ideal for reinforcing and sealing covering floors and as a moisture insulation primer on moisture-resistant substrates with higher residual moisture. Pallmann P104 is suitable as moisture insulation in two layers on cement-bound, moisture-resistant substrates such as cement covering floors with a maximum residual moisture content of 4 CM%. It can also be used as a fast-drying primer for glueing parquet with Pallmann P5, P6, and P9 on cement, anhydrite, and wood granite covering floors, mastic asphalt, concrete, chipboards, dry floor panel systems, and old substrates with strong adhesion glue or levelling mixture residue. Pallmann P104 strongly reinforces absorbent mineral substrates, such as cement, anhydrite, magnesite, and wood granite covering floors, concrete, and so on.

Sika Sika presents 3 main groups in the field of primers. The primer Purigo 5S is a product for fixing the top layer of the covering floors. This primer is an ideal solution for dusty covering floors with strong grain formation, but cannot be used on glue residues or for high residual moisture levels in the covering floor. SikaActivar205 can be used to glue to tiles. The primer degreases and activates the ceramic tiles. SikaPrimer MR Fast is a universal product. This water-based epoxy primer provides a barrier for residual moisture (up to 4%), reinforces the substrate, and makes it possible to glue directly to existing adhesive residues. Why ‘Fast’? Because it is exceptional for an epoxy primer that adhesive can be applied after 4 hours, either on cement or on anhydrite covering floors.

Soudal Soudal has three primers for preparing to glue parquet. WBPR11P Surface Primer is a solvent-free indoor primer for absorbent and non-absorbent moisture-resistant substrates, such as cement-bound covering floors, concrete, calcium sulphate-bound (anhydrite) and levelled substrates. WBPR-11P Surface Primer also binds residue and acts as an adhesion primer on non-porous substrates. You can also use WBPR-11P Surface Primer

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

> Continued from page 26

STAUF proposes 3 primers Primers on sub floors with residual moisture STAUF VDP-160 Layer-forming dispersion primer, to be applied with trowel or roller for use below nearly all STAUF adhesives and levelling compounds • DPM up to 3.0 CM-% (cement screed only) • Bonding agent on non-absorbent, smooth substrates • Special feature: can also be used as bonding agent for levelling on DPMs which otherwise can not be leveled directly (STAUF VEP-190, STAUF VPU155). That saves time- and labor-intensive sanding of epoxy resin primers.

STAUF VPU-155 Layer-forming PU primer to be applied with trowel or roller for use below STAUF SMP-, SPU- and PUK adhesives • increases hardness of screed surface • Bonding can be performed after 1 hour • DPM up to 3.0 CM-% (cement screeds only), bonding agent on non-absorbent, smooth substrates, hardens overnight when used as DPM • When used in combination with STAUF VDP-160, it can also be used below STAUF levelling compounds

STAUF VEP-190 Layer-forming 2c epoxy resin primer, to be applied with trowel or roller for use below STAUF SMP-, SPU- und PUK adhesives and below STAUF levelling compounds • increases hardness of screed surface • DPM up to 5.0 CM-%, on concrete substrates up to 6 percent by weight • Bonding agent on non-absorbent, smooth substrates • direct bonding with STAUF SMP-, SPU- und PUK adhesives within 24 hours • can be used below STAUF levelling compounds when sanded • alternatively, it can be levelled without prior sanding when using STAUF VDP-160 as bonding agent .

Tover Tover recommends to use a primer when it is necessary to solve an issue regarding the sub-floor; there can be many types of problems: too high humidity level, poor, dusty, uneven or cracked support.

Tover proposes a complete range of primers which enable a secure and lasting laying. In order to create a vapor barrier and to harden the sub-floor surface, the mono-component polyurethane solvent-based primer TOVERFIX is suitable; if there is an under-heating system, PRIMER PU-100 and ADEBLOK T19, both solvent free and odorless are particularly recommended. To make a deep hardening up to 5 cm, Tover offers PRIMER TS composed of salts in water emulsion. If the support shows cracks, it is possible to use ADEBLOK T19, two-component epoxy primer, mixing it with sand to get a synthetic mortar with high filling properties. On the ground floor, in case of humidity rising, it is highly advised to apply the three-component primer IDROBLOK C3, able to permanently block water migration into the wood even on a non-absorbent support. Finally it is recommended to spread sand on the last coat of primer when the parquet laying will be done after 24 hours from the application in order to improve the adhesion of the glue on the subfloor.

Special Primers

to pre-treat various moisture-resistant mineral substrates and moisture-sensitive non-mineral substrates such as chipboards and wooden floors together with the use of Soudal VE 50 levelling mixture. WBPR-21P Deep primer is a solvent-free primer for treating silty or powdery (strong) absorbent mineral moisture-resistant substrates such as cement-bound covering floors, concrete, calcium sulphate-bound (anhydrite) and levelled substrates. It is for indoor use only. WBPR-21P Deep primer can also be used to pre-treat silty or powdery (strong) absorbent mineral moisture-resistant substrates together with the use of Soudal VE 50 levelling mixture. Finally, Soudal has Epoxy Sealer EPR-31P (see article on Epoxy moisture barriers).

Floor Forum International 59

Company visit BJ Parket (B)

BJ PARKET (B) : “We want to be a partner for real parquet floor fitters.”

28

BJ Parket has been a reliable partner for good quality parquet floor fitters for many years, with its full and quality range of products and excellent service. Professional floor fitters can still stand out by offering the right products and by talking to clients about wood and its unique quality and beauty, according to Steven Otte from BJ Parket. It’s high time for parquet floor fitters to get back to fitting parquet floors.

“We’ve noticed that, apart from the popularity of distressed parquet, all sorts of old fitting forms are coming back into fashion: herringbone, chevron, but also panels and the traditional mosaic floor. We welcome these trends for our industry. The fact is that they offer interesting opportunities for good quality floor fitters, who can fit such patterns and floor shapes in a professional manner,” says Steven Otte.

Qualitative multi-layer or an alternative “In recent years, multi-layer finished parquet has become exceptionally popular and has been fitted by non-specialists. Moreover, that has been accompanied by the introduction of poor quality floorboards from ’cowboy suppliers’, who can offer sharp prices, but are nowhere to be seen when there are problems with their materials. Those engineered floors look fine when they are new, but after a while there are problems through delamination or it turns out that the producers have used coloured sapwood. That’s a nuisance for clients who have suffered as a result of such practices, but it does provide opportunities for true professionals.

They can prove to the clients that they have a sound knowledge of wood and can offer a choice of a qualitative multi-layer floor or another good alternative such as the 10mm solid wood floor on a traditional subfloor. It is BJ Parket’s mission to help these floor fitters and supply them with the right products. Our range proves this with its diversity and strong price-quality ratio.”

End grain BJ Parket has enjoyed a sound reputation for many years for its end grain floors. And so, the growing interest in these floors is good news for the company from Zele (B) . “end grain floors are splendid and their durability is impressive. More and more people are charmed by them and are looking for a reliable supplier.

In the meantime, we’re also delighted with the interest in these floors from abroad.”

Multi-layer: wide choice, guaranteed quality Floor fitters who want to offer a nice range of multi-layer parquet will certainly find something to suit them at BJ Parket. “We’re also dealers for the splendid collections from Solidfloor and also sell the affordable Calista range from Solidfloor. Apart from that, we also have the range of Europlac-Cabannes, an attractive French product which sells in a pleasant manner thanks to its à la carte selection system. For more rigid or minimalist interiors, we recommend our own Best Selection range, which is available with AB wood selections. Finally, we also have a semi-solid wood range in French oak premier, dual, and rustic choices up to 225mm wide.

And so, floor fitters can definitely count on us as a partner-supplier,” Steven Otte concludes.

Quarter sawn 10mm parquet “The growing popularity of floor heating is good, but as parquet specialists we also stress that solid wood 10mm floors also provide outstanding company for floor heating. And so, we have a range of solid wood quarter-sawn 10mm parquet in the qualities extra, (quartersawn without knots),bis/ quartersawn ,(quartersawn with small knots) and rustical /quartersawn, (quartersawn with bigger knots) which are extra stable. We can supply these planks in widths of up to 18cm, so we’re definitely eligible for most projects,” Steven Otte stresses.

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

The Construction Products Directive, which is now a (mandatory) regulation, is part of European legislation. Since this legislation has included fire safety as one of the six basic characteristics of building materials (as well as stability, health, safety, noise hindrance, and energy saving), this theme now attracts more attention out of necessity. That’s a good thing! Even now, there are still too many fire casualties. Both in new constructions and renovation projects, partially dependent on the final use of the building, specific demands are made regarding the fire safety of all materials. This also applies to wooden floors. The way in which wood reacts to fire can be affected in different ways.

Wood burns In the winter, we experience the fact that wood burns as one of its pleasant properties. For some people, an open hearth is an essential element in the living room. It contributes greatly to the cosiness of winter. The flammability of wood is evident in the gusto with which the flames embrace the logs in the hearth in order to digest the wood slowly. However, two important aspects stand out: how difficult it is to ignite the fire and how slowly the wood burns (depending on density).

Inflammability With regard to the former, just try setting fire to a wooden beam with a lighter or a match. Totally impossible! We use paper. This paper causes small pieces of wood to catch fire, which, in turn, ignite the wooden stumps. The moral of the story? Wood is not as flammable as we sometimes think. The second finding is that the logs burn slowly. Obviously, this depends partly on the density of the wood: oak burns more slowly than a wood such as pine.

Self-protection In the burning process, we also see that a coal layer forms on the

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

photo Loba

Special Firesafety and wooden floors

FLOOR FITTERS ALSO HAVE A TASK TO COMPLETE HERE

Floor Forum International 59

FIRESAFETY AND WOODEN FLOORS....

WHY NOT?

29

> Continued from page 29

Special Firesafety and wooden floors

outside of the logs. This is the result of a chemical process whereby flammable gases are released (at 200°C). This charcoal layer forms a sort of insulation barrier between the fire and the wood inside the log that has not yet been ignited. All in all, then, wood is a relatively fireproof material.

Wood protection Since wood is a relatively fireproof material, why should we protect it? The answer is because regulations impose certain fire safety requirements for some applications, which untreated or unprotected wood cannot meet without additional measures. Let’s give an example to illustrate this. In schools, the staircases, landings, and corridors near to the classrooms (escape routes) have to be compartmentalised. This is often done using fire doors, which close automatically in the event of fire (magnet connected to the detection system). Such doors must ensure that the fire is ‘locked’ for a given time into the compartment where it rages so that it cannot spread. To enable a wooden door to fulfil this function, additional protection (e.g. flame-retardant paint) will usually be necessary. In order to know how we can protect wooden floors, we must distinguish between two essential characteristics of building materials: the fire resistance and the fire reaction of building materials. From the responses we received to our survey, it has transpired that the distinction between the two is still not clear: the terms are constantly used interchangeably.

However, the meaning of these terms determines both the objective (of the properties of that material) as well as the way (or

PROTECTS AND COLOURS YOUR WOOD IN ONE SINGLE LAYER

the means) the objective can be achieved. We will consider both properties separately.

Fire resistance When we talk about fire resistance, we are talking about the function of a building material in the overall construction AND the length of time during which this material also effectively fulfils this function. In other words, the fire resistance (nowadays the REI/previously the RF) of a building component is the time in minutes that a building element complies with the following criteria at the same time: • Stability (R): time that the component maintains its load-bearing function (for elements with a bearing function).

• Flame resistance (E): time that flames do not spread to the non-exposed side of the wall (for separation components).

• Thermal insulation (I): the time that the temperature on the non-exposed side does not exceed a certain thermal threshold.

The function of the material A building element must always fulfil the function attributed to that element, whether it be bearing, separating, or bearing and separating. An element with a bearing function is an element which (when it is part of a load-bearing structure) bears external loads and is subjected to a normal force and/or bending strength and/or shear force and/or torque. An element with a separating function is an element which (for the duration corresponding to

GET A GRIP ON FIRE!

RMC FR OIL SYSTEM

Floor Forum International 59

Unique in its sort fire retarding oil system Class Bfl s1

30

Non-filming, no saturation No solvents, water or salts. 0% VOC! Limited smoke development Available in a wide range of colours Manual and industrial application Maximum efficiency - low consumption!

Tested as per EN 13501-1, EN ISO 9239- 1 and ISO 11925-2

www.rubiomonocoat.com FR-ADVERTENTIE-190x136mm-FLOORFORUM-EN.indd 1

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

25/02/13 15:34

> Continued from page 30

Fire resistance and wooden floors When we later explain what the ‘fire reaction’ of a building material means, it will become clear that the measures which can be used as fire safety measures rarely relate to the fire resistance of a wooden floor. In a new building, a wooden floor rarely (or perhaps never) has a bearing or a separating function. When a wooden floor or parquet is fitted on a concrete subfloor (with screed), then it is the concrete structure that actually has the bearing/separating function. The wooden floor is a decorative component.

Improvement of the fire resistance is not an issue. Moreover, it is traditionally assumed that the fire load (when we talk about stability) occurs on the underside of the ceiling and not at the top.

The fire resistance of the ceiling in the room below is therefore important.

One exception: wooden planks Since the fire pressure is expected from below, most protective measures are geared, for example, to fitting fire resistant sheeting on the ceiling (the underlying space). In many renovation projects, however, a different situation arises. It can happen that a wooden floor (on beams) actually does play a separating/bearing function. There are three weak spots. The weakest point is the edge connector, through which the fire can find a way through the beams and the underlying space. In addition, the tongue and groove joints in old wooden floors fall prey very quickly to fire.

Finally, there is the risk of the beam layers bending.

Protection above the floor It has emerged from various tests carried out, amongst others,

by Promat that a wooden floor can be protected by placing plates above the floor (or between the wooden floor and the beams) to give the fire resistance a value of one hour. When we also do that at the bottom, this assures a fire resistance of one hour (previously: Rf 1h) is assured in both directions. That’s important! The fitting of such plating is something which floor fitters can carry out faultlessly, provided that they follow the manufacturer’s instructions. It is not currently clear whether fire retardant paints, which are offered by some manufacturers, have any effect on the fire resistance of these older wooden floors. In view of the highlighted weaknesses, this seems doubtful.

Fire reaction The fire reaction is something totally different from the fire resistance. A material’s response to fire is partly the degree of flammability of that material and the extent to which that material contributes to the development of the fire. The fire reaction is expressed in 7 ‘classes’. The fire reaction classes are defined in the standard EN 13501-1. While all floors basically have to meet the tests according to EN 13501-1, there are exceptions: whoever reports a class F (fl) (the lowest class or the class that indicates that the product has not been tested) is exempt and whoever offers a product that is also on the CWFT list (Classification Without Further Testing). For wooden floor coverings, this is the European standard EN 14342 ‘Wood flooring - Characteristics, evaluation of conformity and marking’. This standard contains the

TOGETHER EXPERTISE IN WOOD FLOOR FINISHES Respect for people and the environment

www.blanchon.com

The Blanchon range of oils, lacquers, stains, ageing agents and fillers are used by wood flooring professionals the world over. Small wonder given the reassurance of local support staff in each country, and products consistently manufactured to the highest standards.

Quality that has been our trademark for over 60 years.

Every day, to make sure that your wood is the most beautiful flooring on the market, our team works to develop even more effective products to offer the trade all the answers for perfect wood flooring.

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

*Quality is in our nature -

the required fire resistance) prevents a fire which has originated in an adjacent room from spreading to others adjoining rooms.

A component no longer fulfils this separating function when the flame or gases pass through (flame resistance) or when the temperature on the non-exposed side exceeds a certain threshold temperature (thermal insulation).

> Continued from page 31

Special Firesafety and wooden floors

relevant requirements governing the CE marking and refers to the appropriate test methods.

CLASS

FIRE CONTRIBUTION

FLAMMABILITY

Class A1

No contribution

100% non-combustible

Class A2

Hardly any contribution

98% non-combustible

Class B

Very limited contribution

Difficult to ignite combustible

Class C

Considerable contribution

Normal combustibility

Class D

High contribution

Easily ignited

Class E

Very high contribution

Flammable

Class F

Undetermined

Highly flammable or not tested

The classes can be complemented with a classification in terms of smoke development (S 1 to 3) and droplet formation (D 0 to 2).

The list of the floors in Table 1 of the CWFT (EN 14342) is compiled of different types of wood floors with their finish. In order to conform to the requirements of the standard, the floor, along with its finish, has to meet the proposed class. In other words: conformal parquet must not negatively influence the fire reaction class. The classes C fl -S1 or D fl -S1 in table CWFT must be accepted. The member states may, however, impose higher requirements for premises such as public buildings. For example, Class B (fl) is required for both the ordinary rooms and the escape routes in a public building in Italy. In some countries, higher demands (B (fl) are required only for the materials used in escape routes. When there are higher demands, the products must be tested according to standard 13501-1. Various manufacturers have demonstrated through testing that their paints do not adversely affect the fire reaction of materials with Euro Class B (fl).

Unlike fireproof paint, parquet paint is not aimed at protecting the floor (for example, by ‘swelling’) but rather by not increasing the contribution of that material to a potential fire. Currently, there are systems under development where the fire response of wooden floors could be effectively improved. This may also include using impregnation. These systems are certainly not widely disseminated or implemented, but they’re on the way.

Aqua a classification of Cfl-s1 and the Oceanic and RA Aqua a classification of Dfl-s1.

Burnstop BURNSTOP IM-W475-PA is a very effective impregnating liquid, developed especially for the impregnation of wooden or parquet floors. The product ‘solid wood plank floor’ treated with BURNSTOP IM-W475-PA with regard to its reaction to fire, achieves the following classification: Fire class: ‘Bfl’; Smoke Development: ‘s1’. This classification was determined in accordance with European standard EN 13501-1: 2007. BURNSTOP IM-W475-PA can be used, after application of wood protection products. These two products should be applied separately. The usage for this type of oak parquet: apply 1 litre per 2.5 to 6m² in 2 to 3 spray turns (depending on the density of the wood: i.e. the absorbency of the wood).

Lecol

Comments from the sector In our survey on this issue, as always, we received a number of responses from the sector. Some companies presented a vision, whilst other companies are introducing a product or system.

Floor Forum International 59

Here are some of the comments.

32

Blanchon Blanchon do not sell fireproof paints in the literal sense. Fireproof paints are aimed at making flammable materials non-combustible or to delay the combustibility significantly. This is achieved through the addition of certain additives. The Blanchon paints offer a favourable rating in the Euro classes and this is due to the quality of these products and not due to additives. Blanchon is active in all ranges of paints including waterborne polyurethane in 1 or 2 components, traditional PU with 7 products in 2 classes.

The test reports give the Belmont, Intensiv, Poly Solid and SVP

Lecol presents its Lecol ProTech Fire Seal. This latest 2-component sealer fits perfectly into the now commonly used ProTech paint system and provides sufficient safety due to its excellent fire retardant properties and excellent processing on the floor.

ProTech FireSeal provides evidence for strong flame retardance and considerable reduction in smoke development, especially in projects with many requirements. The paint is suitable for all chip-proof laminated parquet and other wooden floors with a density of > 470 kg/m³. It is also recommended for use in applications where the minimum total thickness, as defined in NEN

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

> Continued from page 32

class Cfl-s1. This finish retards the fire and hinders the spread of smoke to aid the intervention of emergency services and the evacuation of the residents.

Lechner Spa

Ignilux CL 2001 and Eco K2 Sport are Lechner best flame-retardant varnishes for the finishing of wood floorings; they are certified Bfl S1 according to DIN EN 13501 standard. Eco K2 Sport is also one of the few fire-retardant varnishes available on the market, water-based, NMP-free and certified EC1R by the German GEV. The main common feature of these products is that they are specifically formulated with particular resins with the function of retarding flames propagation in case of fire. The effectiveness of flame-retardant varnishes is verified through rigorous tests, according to European standards; both Lechner varnishes have reached Bfl S1 class, considered the highest result for wood floorings finishes. Fire-retardant Lechner varnishes can be used both on site, in case of direct application on wood floorings, and for industrial use, for preparation of prefinished parquet.

With Ignilux CL 2001 and Eco K2 Sport it is possible to work safely in all public areas (ie. schools, discos, theatres, cinemas, shipbuilding, public buildings, etc..) where wood floorings are laid.

Loba

LOBADUR® WS 2K Duo 2x LOBADUR® WS Sealer FR LOBADUR® WS EasyPrime solid parquet

Loba has a fire safety system which is applied in different steps (the sandwich method). Firstly, a colour or clear primer is applied (LOBADUR HS Globa Seal or LOBADUR WS Easy Prime. This is followed by the flame-retardant coat of LOBADUR WS Sealer FR. Then, finally, you apply the LOBADUR WS 2K Duo. Whether you use the coloured version or not, both systems put the floor in EU

Fire resistant varnish or paint provides a finish which is capable of putting a particular floor in a higher (fire safety) class so that it can be fitted in public places in conformity to the fire regulations.

Such products must prove their effectiveness by passing specific tests in independent laboratories. Approved paints are given a test report rather than a label. Plastor offers its dual component paint PUR-T4. If this paint is applied to an oak floor in fire safety class M3, it promotes that floor to class M2. In other words, PUR-T4 improves the fire resistance of the floor in question.

Special Firesafety and wooden floors

Plastor

Rubio Monocoat /Muylle Facon With RMC FR Oil System, Rubio Monocoat claims the first fire-retardant oil system in the world which has a Bfl-s1 certification for oak. Given that it is entirely based on the signature technology of Rubio Monocoat, whereby a molecular bond is formed with the upper fibres of the wood in one single layer, it is not made up of a layer in contrast to many existing systems. The RMC FR System consists of a fire-resistant pre-treatment with RMC FR Base and finished with RMC FR Oil. It is a durable protection and colouring is obtained through molecular bonding.

Furthermore, the aim is a system that is extremely safe, durable and economical. The RMC FR System was tested according to the standards EN 13501-1, EN ISO 11925-2 and EN ISO 9239-1.

It is an absolute first hat Rubio Monocoat earned a Bfl s1 for this; the B-norm is the highest achieved grade that an oil system has ever achieved up until now. The s1 is again a major limiter of smoke development, which was something the company has consistently sought.

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

Floor Forum International 59

14342, is not achieved (renovation). Lecol ProTech Fire Seal should always be applied in combination with other products to comply with the NEN 13501-1 Cfl-s1 class standard. The structure of this system is as follows: 1 layer of Lecol ProTech Primer/2 layers of Lecol ProTech Fire Seal/1 layer of Lecol ProTech 2K Finish in matt, extra matt or extremely matt finish.

33

Waterproof/water resistant floors in wood, laminate, Vinyl, LVT and PVC

Special Floor Forum International 59 34

FLOORS ARM THEMSELVES AGAINST WATER WOOD, LAMINATE, LVT, VINYL AND PVC IN THE BATHROOM Just because wood is sensitive to moisture does not mean that it is incompatible with moisture. As long as any contact with water remains within certain limits and the wood has the ‘space’ to exercise its natural working, there is really no problem. What we can certainly say is that excessive contact with water, and especially prolonged contact with water, is harmful for any wooden floor. That applies not only to wooden or wood-related flooring like laminate or wood composites. For those that still want to enjoy the decorative effect of a wooden floor in humid areas, a number of manufacturers offer some nice solutions.

Moisture contact degrees We know that the planet and all its creatures which populate it consist for the most part of water. In other words, you find water everywhere. It is only logical that this has an effect on the materials in construction and therefore on the buildings as a whole.

The link between experience and science has taught us to take this into account. Floor coverings are actually the best illustration of the phenomenon of moisture in a building. After all, they come into contact with all possible ‘sources’ of moisture. Each floor type has at least two sides (a top and bottom). With floors of a certain thickness such as parquet and laminate, you also have to count the sides. All the sides of a floor are ‘endangered points’. The degree to which moisture can affect a floor covering depends on the ‘source’ of this moisture. Let’s look at this briefly: • The lightest degree is atmospheric humidity: the amount of water in the surrounding air is the result of a combination of moisture and temperature. This makes atmospheric humidity a seasonal and regional phenomenon. Humidity varies in summer or winter, and is different in Scandinavia than in Indonesia.

Apart from the normal fluctuations to which building materials have long been used, it is fairly constant.

• The second degree is residual building moisture: the water, which evaporates from construction materials, has an effect on all materials. The greatest threat to floors is certainly the moisture in the screed or concrete slabs, but water from walls is also a threat since the atmospheric humidity influences a risk source.

• The third degree is rising damp: whereas this was once a constant source of moisture in many buildings, nowadays it will usually only occur as a result of a construction fault (protection between foundations and the rest). Building ‘on open-ground’ is completely out of the question.

• The fourth degree is excess domestic or accidental moisture: using too much water or spilling water is very dangerous for many building materials, especially when water can trickle down into the underside.

• Finally, the highest degree is direct, prolonged, and excessive flow: here we think of the lining of showers. Even though contact with water is greatest here, the risk is actually rather small since it is a choice made in advance and it therefore takes into consideration during the installation.

Defence Mechanisms If we are going to protect ourselves against something, we obviously need to know what needs protecting. Human ingenuity has created products and techniques to make floors, even wood and wood-based flooring, more compatible with water. We will also show that the two main solutions (material choice or sealing of the top layer) are usually combined. A word of warning in advance: protection against moisture from below, regardless of the source, should ALWAYS be situated at the same level as the foundation preparation and therefore not at the level of the floor material. Measures must always be taken against this type of moisture, even with floors made from 100% waterproof material. Fluid accumulation under such a floor would certainly lead to mould and bad smells. Furthermore, an expansion gap must be left at the sides of all types of flooring in order to absorb climatic influences.

Choice of material One material is more resistant to water than another; that’s for sure. Even amongst the different wood types, there is a difference in moisture resistance (permeability). Beech and maple are generally regarded as very ‘nervous’ when moisture is involved, whilst wood sorts like chestnut, teak, and afrormosia are much more resistance. Even the method of cutting the wood plays a part: Plain sawn wood (sawn in the direction of the core) is less likely to swell and shrink than flat sawn wood. Producers of bamboo and cork recommend their materials because they are more resistant to water than wood. Composite floors with an HDF compound are equipped with waterproof HDF for wet areas. With regard to water proofing, there is an increasing link with composites, which are more resistant due to the use of plastic. Floors which are 100% plastic have nothing to fear from water. However, we find that almost all manufacturers (from wood to PVC) encourage us not to leave water lying around for a long time. The reason is the increased risk of seepage downwards and other forms of damage such as mould, stains, circles, and such like.

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

> Continued from page 34

Sealing Floors made from materials which are not 100% waterproof can be protected using a top layer seal. With such a top layer, there is no direct contact between the water and the material. This technique is therefore used for some types of wood, bamboo, and cork. With regard to wood, it is clear that such a sealant layer (even in pre-finished) will have to be applied on site to seal the seams. The same applies to glued cork floors and cork floors with a click system. Another possibility, one which frequently arises, is the provision of a resilient seam (plastic or rubber) between the floorboards. Such a flexible seam absorbs the movements of the material (wood or HDF) and recovers after such movement. The seams can be supplied in strip form by the manufacturer, fitted using a kit on site or integrated into the floorboard. The latter also ensures a very quick fitting.

A new interpretation of function and design!

Flooring for individual demands

What’s on the market?

Teak is often used in ‘wet rooms’ such as bathrooms. An alternative wood to teak is afrormosia, which is often chosen for frontage furnishing. Since such rooms are usually on the smaller side, end grain blocks or narrow strips are the most popular. Ship deck floors in teak are highly popular. Holz Bois has provided a big U-joint on the strips. This can be filled in with a special black sealer kit (Simson MSR Deck Caulk) or with a solid wood wenge edge.

Teak itself is rather greasy. This is caused by the oily substances which this wood contains.

Teak can be used for almost all purposes due to its high durability, minimal movement, low water absorption, and high water repellence and does not need a surface finish for many uses. Teak is therefore capable of coping with sporadic, frequent, or intensive contact. Holz Bois uses only tectona grandis, which has only minimal movement. Possible swelling and shrinkage is absorbed by means of a halved joint on the 9mm strips. This halved joint can be open or completely closed, depending on the client’s wishes. These floors are available from the parquet wholesalers Albers and Holz Bois.

home

Albers/ Habo

The waterproof floors

Armstrong Armstrong offers PVC floors because of their high resistance to water. This is a characteristic of the material itself. DLW Vinyl and DLW Luxury represent a wide range of homogeneous or heterogeneous floors. PVC flooring can be fitted in moist areas in all residential applications. For commercial applications, particular attention should be paid to the slip resistance of the floor. This also applies to applications where stagnant water may be found, such as in bathrooms and showers. DLW Vinyl is produced in rolls or tiles and is waterproof over the entire surface. These floors can also be fitted on top of floor heating.

Buco Import Buco Import presents solid bamboo for use in wet areas because the material is resistant to moisture due its natural hardness. Despite the fact that bamboo is already highly resistant to water, they recommend the use of a sealing protective layer to prevent

the water resistant flooring

MADE IN GERMANY FREE OF POLLUTANTS The convenience begins with the installation: CLASSEN megaloc makes installing the laminate panels child’s play, almost without the use of tools.

Group Werner-von-Siemens-Str. 18–20 D-56759 Kaisersesch (Germany) Tel. +49 (0) 2653 980-0 info@classen.de www.classen.de

water penetration. Strictly speaking, the floor should also be resistant to moisture from below if contact is brief (e.g. a leak which is repaired in a time).

BerryAlloc BerryAlloc and innovation is a story with no end. With the Riviera collection and the Riviera Tiles with Hydro Plus, a waterproof collection for any room in a house, including bathrooms, BerryAlloc offers a strong product for floor fitters. Thanks to the Riviera collection with Hydro Plus, clients have the guarantee that their floors will not get damaged by water or patches of damp. BerryAlloc’s new Hydro Plus-technology and its special waterproof finish (Hydro Plus kit) make sure that the laminate is always protected. For bathrooms, kitchens or any room whatsoever (we can’t split life up into separate rooms). This is available in a good number of decors in the Riviera (class 22) and Titanium (class 33) collections. The advantages: a waterproof finish, no risk of water trickling through or warping, and ideal for extremely wet rooms such as bathrooms. These floors are recommended for residential use.

ANK LONG PsLio ns : Dimen 00 mm 243 x 22

RO able as HA Also avail T, the world’s nt C Tritty Sile minate floor. quietest la

00

HARO TRITTY GRAN VIA – LAMINATE FLOOR IN XL FORMAT Amazingly authentic wood reproductions with bevels on all four sides and dimensions that make even most Plank 1-Strip parquet look small: The new laminate floors of the HARO TRITTY 100 Gran Via series look like real solid wood and create a spacious effect in any room.

A laminate floor that is as beautiful as real parquet – and quickly installed with the unique, ultra-easy Top Connect installation system. www.haro.com

Classen Classen presents the Aqua Comfort, Fountain, and Nautic floors for use in wet areas. These floors have a vinyl surface on a support made of PVC and owe their water resistance to the material itself. The floor is 100% waterproof, but that does not apply to the connection system. Since water could reach the subfloor, its use in showers is discouraged.

Design Parquet Design Parquet presents two special products which are waterresistant and suitable for kitchens and bathrooms. The Navylam is a wooden floor, which is fitted with a seam between the floorboards at the workshop. The Navylam+ is pre-oiled floor with

All Fatra floors (LINO Fatra Thermofix and Imperio) are waterproof. This is the result of the material used: all layers of the floors consist of waterproof materials. They are made of PVC and can therefore tolerate sporadic and frequent contact with water. This makes them suitable for use in bathrooms, kitchens, and other wet areas. The floors can be fitted on a screed with up to 3.5% residual moisture. They should not be fitted without protection against rising damp. Although they recommend removing stagnant water immediately, contact with water for a 24-hour period should not damage the floors.

Floover World Floover has a flooring range specially developed for wet areas such as bathrooms, kitchens, spa baths, and such like. This range goes by the name SPLASH. The products are completely ‘waterproof’ and that is due to both the floor structure and the material. The top layer consists of LVT in three PVC layers, and the base is also made of PVC. And so, these floors can easily deal with moisture, but it is nevertheless advisable to fit an additional plastic film as protection from possible moisture from below and therefore avoid prolonged contact with water. And so, these floors undergo no changes due to moisture, but have natural movements caused by temperature fluctuations. An expansion joint is therefore necessary.

Gerflor All floors from Gerflor are waterproof and that is typical of the chemical properties of PVC. And so, it is the intrinsic properties of the used material itself which provide the water resistance, but the top layers also help to kill bacteria and prevent mould, and this is particularly necessary in wet rooms. Gerflor PVC floors can be fitted in kitchens (sporadic contact), bathrooms (frequent contact), and showers (intensive contact). There are special PVC floors with anti-slip structures with burls or fitted mineral grains which, depending on the roughness, are used in showers and bathrooms and can also be used on waterproof walls. Moreover, the material is given a completely waterproof finish with warm welding wire to guarantee 100% water resistance. Furthermore, these floors are also resistant to moisture from below. After all, we are talking about a moisture-proof material, which is also used for roof coverings and fish pond covers for that very reason.

Waterproof/water resistant floors in wood, laminate, Vinyl, LVT and PVC

Fatra

floor. Within Marmoleum, Forbo has various collections such as the Next Generation Marmoleum, Dutch Design, and Unexpected nature.

Marmoleum is always finished with a factory finish (Topshield 2). This ensures good scratch and stain resistance as well as reducing adhesion of dirt, thereby making the floor easier to clean. In many cases, too much water is used for cleaning. The floors are moisture-resistant, but not for ‘wet areas’. Moisture from below can affect the adhesive. Due to the correct installation with the correct adhesives, no water can get under the floor. Forbo has its own division that produces adhesives. In combination with these adhesives, the end users also get a unique guarantee (System Solutions) on all levelling compounds, glues, and floor bases (in short the entire floor finish).

Lamett

Forbo Flooring The Forbo Linoleum floors, which have been launched under the brand name Marmoleum, is resistant to water. The floors can be finished with matching skirting boards. If required, strips can be welded together thermally, so that there is an entire ‘sealed’

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

Lamett recommends its vinyl with click system (Luxury Vinyl) for use in wet areas such as bathrooms and kitchens. Luxury Vinyl is 100% PVC, so it is completely waterproof. These floors are not to be fitted in showers.

Technically, these floors are also resistant to moisture from below because of the material used, but it is advisable to prevent all contact

Floor Forum International 59

a double seam integrated into the floorboards. Obviously, the fitting is considerably faster than with the ‘traditional’ Navylam.

The wood types which have been chosen are teak, iroko, acacia, wenge, doussie, and mutenye, all of which are fairly impenetrable species.

These floors are certainly ideal for humid areas, but it is advisable not to leave puddles on the floor.

Special

> Continued from page 36

37

Waterproof/water resistant floors in wood, laminate, Vinyl, LVT and PVC

Special

> Continued from page 37

with water to avoid the formation of mould. Luxury Vinyl is somewhat sensitive to swelling and shrinking due to temperature differences, but this sensitivity is only minimal. A limited expansion joint at the edges is necessary.

Moduleo The entire Moduleo range of modular design floors is resistant to contact with water. This water-resistance is the effect of the material from which the floors are made and the top layer.

These floors have a unique structure and a sophisticated composition. This makes these floors perfectly suitable for kitchens and bathrooms. As always, moisture from below must be prevented. Moreover, the special structure means that these floors do not make any swelling or shrinking movements and that guarantees solidarity and stability. mFLOR All the mFLOR floors are waterproof, namely the mFLOR, mFLORLOCK, and mFLORPROJEKT collections. This water resistance is due to both the top layer and the materials used. All floors are resistant to frequent contact with water.

With mFLORLOCK, a surrounding expansion joint of 5mm should be taken into consideration so that the floor is not completely closed off. A moisture barrier must be provided as protection against moisture from below. The mFLOR and mFLORPROJEKT floors are fully glued.

Floor Forum International 59

Aqua-Step/Parcolys

38

With Aqua-Step, water and moisture are no longer the enemy. All the floors in the company’s range are 100% waterproof. Aqua-Step was invented in 2001 by the extrusion engineers at Parcolys. AquaStep has unique properties and can be used for high-traffic residential and commercial floors. In the 8mm profile, Aqua-Step provides a full range of warm and pleasant wood decors with ANTI-BACTERIAL

HYGIENIC - HYPOALLERGENIC

matching skirting boards or corner sections. There are different finishes (Original, 2V, 4V, and ship deck). Aqua-Step Mini is a collection of natural stone and tile designs. Parcolys also has a thinner profile of 5mm, launched under the name Hydro Floor. All the materials are 100% waterproof. The baseboard is made of high quality PVC with a decorative and durable film that is specially treated to make it impervious. These floors are used in kitchens and bathrooms, but not in showers.

Quick•Step® Quick•Step® has been an important moderniser and trendsetter for years. After its laminate and parquet products, the floor specialist has now unveiled a masterly range of new floors, namely the Quick•Step® Livyn. These extremely durable synthetic floors are 100% waterproof! Bathrooms and kitchens with the look of wood? This is no problem whatsoever with Livyn the Quick•Step® floors. The elegant plank size, the unique decors, matching surface structures, and innovative edge finishes bring out the wood designs to the full. The new Quick•Step® floors evoke a cosy atmosphere and invite you to walk on them barefoot. These floors also have excellent sound absorption so you can enjoy your new floor in peace and quiet. The result is a collection of comfortable top class floors.

These floors have a well considered balance of colours in the designs, with a structure which highlights the character of the planks, with grooves which stress the plank size and reinforce the required look of the wood decor. These floors come in a broad range of 15 designs so that everyone will find a colour and a shade of wood to their liking.

Windmöller/Witex Windmöller/Witex laminate floors, which are suitable for installation in damp areas, include the following ranges: euro nature, marena, piazza, ariosa, and colour. The water resistance is the result of the Aqua-Protect core plate and the waterproofed edges. The floors are best placed on top of a moisture barrier so that they are also protected at the bottom. In addition to its laminate floors, Windmöller/Witex also has flexible floor coverings, including Design Line and Design Line Connect, which can be installed in wet areas, even in saunas. The water resistance here comes from the material itself. These floors can tolerate limited moisture from below to a certain extent.

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

Lalegno (B) : presents 2013 collection at Lalegno Movie Night Lalegno has started the year with a bang. The company attended Domotex in Hanover with a spacious and attractive stand and presented its new collection for 2013. Moreover, in the spring of this year, they will be launching a striking advertising campaign on the Flemish television channels VTM, 2BE, and Vitaya. To highlight this campaign and introduce their partners to the new floor collection, early February they organised a Lalegno Movie Night in Ghent.

Kinepolis Ghent On 4 February, about 200 partners and dealers of Lalegno met in the Kinepolis cinema complex in Ghent. Some guests had even travelled over 200km to attend this event. The Movie Night witnessed the preliminary showing of the film Hitchcock, an excellent film with starring roles from Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, and Scarlett Johansson.

Modern dance for Lalegno publicity film Guests also witnessed the launch of the new Lalegno advert, which, although much shorter, held its own with the Hollywood production. In the advert, viewers see a modern dance ensemble performing an exciting dance choreography on a beautiful Lalegno parquet floor. The dance reaches a harmonious climax in which the dancers form a live, human tree together. This advert is a clear reference to the long-familiar Lalegno image of dancers’ legs, also forming a tree. The choreography is written by a Russian choreographer and the film clip underlines the quality, beauty, and natural features of a Lalegno floor. You can also view this film online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_ detailpage&v=HyJv28UQbXU

Company profile Lalegno (B)

New publicity film also launched

Lalegno Expert Another innovation which Lalegno announced during the evening was that in the future their dealers would be able to present themselves to the public as a Lalegno Expert. This will be a good opportunity for dealers to gain extra benefit from Lalegno’s growing reputation amongst consumers. Finally, Lalegno also took the opportunity during the evening to launch its brand-new product catalogue. The catalogue has been available for some time now.

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

Floor Forum International 59

New collection Afterwards, there was a reception to give guests ample opportunity to familiarise themselves with Lalegno’s latest collection. This is a renewed collection which has been received favourably both in Belgium and abroad. The 2013 collection includes twenty new floors, including the remarkable Barn Design floor, which has a draughtsboard pattern and is available in an extra matt finish or an untreated version. The new floors come in striking and trendy shades of grey and beige.

39

Antique smoked & ivory oiled

Multiplank Knotting Hill & Antique Natural rough appearance with knots and cracks (KH) Untreated natural shrunken knots (KH) Visible stripes from the band saw (KH) Hand-carved surfaces and chamfers (A) Particular rustic appearance with knots and cracks (A)

Antique burned & brushed

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

Knotting Hill characteristic knot

Scheldestraat 30 | NL 5347 JD Oss | +31(0)412 - 65 74 28 | www.heywoodvloeren.com

HEY Adv. Floor Forum 210x146mm v7 UK.indd 1

Heywood Vloeren 29-01-13- wk5 21:50

For wood, the natural choice!

AQUA

PAD

Floorservice Hardwax-oil Classic and Floorservice Hardwax-oil Pro give every parquet and hardwood floor a natural beauty.

After treatment the floor can be easily cleaned and maintained with Floorservice Parquet Cleaner and Maintenance oil!

 waterborne wood stain available in 16 trendy colors.  Aquapad is easy and ideal to apply with a buffing machine.  Aquapad gives the wood a uniform appearance and does the nerve come into its own.  Can be protected afterwards with our Hardwaxoil or a waterborne varnish (if a hardener is added).

For more information and a complete overview of our range

www.ciranova.be

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

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

Zabolak (NL) : presents Victorian Oak A wide range of stylish and trendy colours and exceptional wood processing, which testifies to the necessary expertise. That’s what consumers expect nowadays when they choose a new parquet floor. With Victorian Oak, the specialist coating contractor company Zabolak offers a complete range of successful colours tailored to specialist parquet traders, wholesalers, architects, and interior designers.

Brand for a parquet finish “Victorian Oak is our completely new brand of parquet finish. However, it is not a brand for parquet floors,” Henny Jacobs from Zabolak explains. “We’re not wood traders, but coating contractors who hire out their know-how to the parquet sector. Victorian Oak gives our partners an unlimited range of colours for their floorboards. We offer them the guarantee that the colours and finishes which clients choose for their floorboards are most definitely in safe hands.”

Reproducing colours accurately The fact that our sector needs such a service is evident from the frequent problems which arise in the sector. “Traders often contact us because they haven’t managed to give an accurate reproduction of a colour on display in the showroom. You need some know-how to reproduce a colouring accurately. We have this knowledge and we’re only too pleased to help.”

“With Victorian Oak, however, we’re aiming to turn the situation on its head. Instead of having rectify problems, we want to work proactively and offer the sector a complete range, which will win over clients and of which people can be sure of a good result.”

Publi editorial Zabolak (NL)

A complete range of colour finishes and wood processing for the parquet industry

Display and samples To help its clients to promote the Victorian Oak range of colours, Zabolak has developed some attractive and handy marketing tools. A representative explains: “We offer a sample box of 18 colours, which is aimed at architects and interior designers. For wholesalers and retailers we have a Victorian Oak display of 25 colours. Specially for retailers, we also have a range of sample boards available with 25 colours. If someone can’t find anything to suit them in the standard Victorian Oak range, we can also supply colours to order. With this complete service, we can offer a successful and reliable parquet finish for everyone.”

For more info: info@zabolak.nl, tel. +31-(0)492- 565-952

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

Floor Forum International 59

50 shades of grey Victorian Oak can actually offer every possible colour. A representative from Zabolak explains: “We can’t sell an infinite range of colours. That’s why we’ve made a selection of 18 to 25 colours which we offer under the Victorian Oak label. There are fifty shades of grey, but you have to know which ones are popular and fit in with the latest fashions. Those are the colours which we know from our vast market experience are popular and sought after.”

41

CORK MARKET IS STILL GROWING STEADILY Special Cork : new trends

ACOUSTIC QUALITIES ARE USED IN OTHER FLOORS Pop! That’s the most popular and familiar sound associated with cork. It’s a party sound, and in keeping with the endless aesthetic and decorative options which cork offers. Yet there’s more, of course: the most important sound made by cork is ‘no sound’. As a floor product, cork scores highly for its outstanding acoustic qualities. That’s exactly why people have been using cork in combination with other sorts of floors for a few years now. The fact that cork is a renewable raw material also appeals to those who want an ecological floor.

Thoroughly ecological What exactly does ‘ecological’ mean? People tend to confuse natural materials used in construction with ecological materials, as if all natural items were also ‘ecological’. Nothing could be further from the truth. Strictly speaking, ‘everything’ is natural.

Ecological is related to the extent to which raw materials (the extraction, processing, use, and final purpose) leave a footprint. If a product can be fully recycled at the end of its lifespan (the period of use), it is an ecological product. Lots of synthetics meet this condition. Natural products destined for ‘oblivion’ at the end of their life cycle can also be ecological, if they can be renewed soon enough. Bamboo is such a product, and cork is another.

Cork is extracted from a cork oak tree at least 25 years old. The extraction of cork is certainly not a destructive operation since cork starts to grow again immediately after it is reaped and the extraction operation can be repeated seven years later. In this respect, cork is just as much a natural product as bamboo and we refer to them as renewable raw materials.

Floor Forum International 59

Residential, and yet …

If we can believe what producers tell us (and, of course, we do!), cork is used mainly for residential floors due to its vast comfort.

Cork floors are especially popular in bedrooms, children’s rooms, and play rooms in private dwellings, whilst some people use it to decorate walls. Yet cork also has all the ingredients for success in public and commercial premises.

42

Comfort Cork floors have outstanding heat insulation properties and, as with wooden floors, they have a very pleasant feel about them.

Cork absorbs the heat in the room and retains it for a long time. Similarly, it also adapts to body temperature very quickly so that walking barefoot on a cork floor is an enjoyable experience. Naturally, this makes them ideal for use in children’s rooms.

Furthermore, cork’s flexibility also makes it remarkably comfortable. We can press cork inwards up to 35% of its thickness. Once the pressure is released, cork returns to its original shape. This means that if a heavy object falls on a cork floor, it will seldom cause any lasting damage. Many cork floors, certainly tiles for floating fitting, are given several layers of varnish in the factory, and this ensures durability.

Project properties Cork is non-conductive. Firstly, the anti-static nature of cork makes a cork floor dust-repellent. This means that these floors are ideal for patients with allergies and at the same time they are easy to clean either wet or dry, so that you always have a clean and hygienic floor. These are all vitally important elements in nursing and care homes. The anti-static character of cork also makes this material suitable for rooms which house items such as computer materials (e.g. in offices) or medical equipment (e.g. in hospitals and care homes).

The top quality: acoustics We’ve kept cork’s top quality for the end. Cork may have outstanding thermal insulation, but this material stands out primarily for its acoustic qualities. This is a huge advantage of cork floors in both residential and project settings. Due to its structure and composition, cork absorbs sound and counteracts echoing.

Moreover, cork slows down the speed of sound to reduce the sound itself. A cork floor not only muffles impact sound towards rooms next door or downstairs, but also improves the acoustics of the room itself. You can approach a baby’s cot silently, as it were, to check whether or not the baby is still asleep. In institutions such as nursing homes, too, this acoustic excellence provides serene comfort. This quality means that cork is now also being used in combination with other floor coverings such as floating floors with a vinyl top layer, linoleum, and wood. Cork does not always make up the top layer, but very often the base or middle layer.

A decorative outsider In the past, you had cork, and that was it. The first floor and wall furnishings in cork looked like the flattened cork from a bottle of wine. We call that ‘natural cork’. Cork emerged in thin floor tiles to be glued down or on panels for floating fitting. The choice as regards furnishing was rather limited. Today, things have changed completely. That same natural cork is available in just about every colour imaginable. Makers can also alter the decor by using different sizes of grain. However, the biggest innovation in recent years has been that of digital printing. This means the sky is the limit. Digital print technology is now so advanced that it is perfectly possible to imitate a parquet floor in any sort of wood

whatsoever, whilst actually using cork. Digital printing also makes it possible to imitate floors in natural stone, bamboo, or even leather, and all this with the intrinsic benefits of cork.

Traditional cork As we have already said, cork has made its way towards other sorts of floors in the shape of an acoustic base or middle layer.

Originally, cork was available in two forms, namely cork for glueing and cork floors for floating fitting. In addition, of course, we also have cork as a wall furnishing. Cork floors for glueing are usually 3.2 or 4mm thick. Very occasionally, we also come across cork of 6 or 8mm. For cork tiles the most common sizes are 30 x 30, 30 x 60, or 15 x 60cm. Cork floors are glued by glueing both the tiles and the subfloor. They are pressed together using a rubber hammer. Floating cork floors can be compared to parquet and laminate in many respects. They usually have a click system so that they can be fitted quickly and easily. 30 x 90cm is a very common size for the floorboards. The usual thicknesses are between 10 and 12mm. Most cork floor tiles for floating fitting are given various coats of varnish in the factory as a finish.

For wall tiles in cork, too, you glue both the tiles and wall. After the fitting, the walls must be dusted clean and can be varnished, if necessary. This is definitely recommended in bathrooms in order to seal the tile joints so that water cannot penetrate. Cork is varnished using varnish specially designed for that purpose. This cork varnish is extremely flexible and springs in and out with the cork. Wall cork is usually 2, 3, or 4mm thick. It is available in tiles or rolls.

What’s on the market?

Amorim Amorim has continually developed its products in recent years.

This means the company now has an extensive supply programme which is perfectly geared to what consumers now expect from a comfortable, durable, and trendy floor. Amorim is the market leader in the area of cork floors with an annual production output

of eight million square metres. With the Wicanders Cork Comfort collection, Amorim offers an extensive range of glued and ClickCork Floors. The new Wicanders ‘Art Comfort’ collection (digital printing technology) represents an extensive range of cork floors with splendid parquet and Stone designs. With the Vinyl Comfort collection, Amorim presents the most silent and comfortable Vinyl-Cork-Click floor on the market, in an attractive collection with parquet, stone, and marble designs. The Laminate Comfort collection, with integrated sound insulation cork underlay, is specially for clients who are looking for a laminate floor with a minimum of sound transfer and increased walking comfort. In 2012, Amorim introduced two innovative product lines: first of all, a technological product, Wicanders Art Comfort, the new digitally printed cork floor collection, and, secondly, an aesthetic product, Wicanders Fast Connect, a revolutionary cork floor to be fitted floating with a total thickness of only 5mm, perfect for renovation jobs.

Special Cork : new trends

> Continued from page 42

Haro For Haro, a full-range provider of floors, cork floors are still a niche product to complete the range of hard floor coverings.

Haro has had the impression that the market has been under pressure, but, since Haro’s cork floors have a profile in the higher segment, sales have certainly not been disappointing. Haro presents exclusively cork floors in a three-layer application with an HDF core. The stress is on natural cork, of course, with or without

New stainless steel profiles · available as cover profile, angle edge, corner protection and skirting · in polished and brushed · drilled, undrilled and self-adhesive

www.kueberit.com

colour effects, and on cork floors with a wood effect. The most important technological innovation has been digital printing and the further development of the Top Connect click system. The major introductions in 2012 were precisely the result of digital printing. Arteo Elements are a good example of that. Wood styles, too, have been applied on the cork floors.

In addition, they have also worked further on an extension to the decorative possibilities of natural cork.

Haro Corkett Sagres combines the modern character of the tiles (605 x 445mm) with darker tints to give a real ‘vintage’ look. A new ‘classic’ in the cork range is the Arteo Oak, which has successfully converted a trend from the world of parquet into cork.

Kurkfabriek Van Avermaet

At Van Avermaet they have noticed that the cork market is growing steadily, even if this growth is less sharp than in the period from 1993 to 2008. The turnover of cork is also rising because cork is used in all sorts of other floor coverings. In that context cork plays its part in improving the sound quality in order to improve considerably the comfort of the floor coverings in question.

At Van Avermaet they’ve also been able to sell mark to the residential market. The company offers both cork floors to be glued in the traditional way and a wide range of floating cork floors or floors with cork as a base or middle layer. In recent years, these floors have become even more durable due to far-reaching developments in the area of finish and preservation. Thanks to digital printing technology, it is now possible to imitate floors almost perfectly so that even professionals cannot see the difference. In other words, you can now present a wooden plank without having to decimate a precious tree. For high traffic floors Van Avermaet provides a solid layer of vinyl. This type of floor has been fitted recently in the town hall of the Belgian municipality of Sint-Niklaas. As their star product, Van Avermaet promotes an outsider: a cork plank 174cm long, about 20cm wide, and 13.5mm thick with four bevelled edges and digitally printed with an aged plank design.

> Industry news

Of particular relevance to the EFPI currently, is the ETTF’s focus on the EU Timber Regulation; its programme of providing easily accessible information and interpretation of the new law and especially its development of an Due Diligence illegality risk assessment system to help members comply. “Our membership include what are termed ‘operators’ under the EUTR, companies which first place timber products onto the EU market,” said Mr Gibbs. “So the Due Diligence system is clearly of value to them.”

The two organisations would also gain from working together and exchanging information on other national and international regulatory developments, he said. Another attraction of associate membership was the emerging European Wood Promotion project (EWP), launched by the ETTF and European Organisation of the Sawmill Industry (EOS) at last year’s International Softwood Conference. “Our belief is that the timber industry needs to be more proactive in communicating its viewpoint and promoting its products,” said Mr Gibbs. “The more the industry can act together on this and combine resources, the stronger the campaign will be. We want to participate and contribute.” Mr de Boer said having the EFPI on board would bring new perspectives to the ETTF and add to its influence. “There are undoubtedly a range of areas we can work on together, including technical issues, as well as regulation and promotion,” he said. “And overall, the EFPI will broaden our base, bring us more market knowledge and help fulfil our aim of having a strong, single voice for the European timber industry, which can exercise a greater influence and make more of an impact with government and in the market place.”

Proline’s new counter display Nothing beats a direct impression! This philosophy is the foundation of the attractive new counter display which, with original patterns, makes the touch and feel, technical perfection and aesthetic quality of Proline products visible at the POS. This informative counter display is made from an aluminium shell base structure with 7 or 14 insertion options for A4 sized boards.

Each board highlights the benefits, advantages and areas of use of the products and is supplemented with technical drawings.

An unbeatable argument for this counter display is the Boppard company’s offer of equipping each box individually according to customer requirements.

PROGRESS PROFILES AMERICA INC. PROGRESS PROFILES has finally opened a new office in the United States. After good results on the Italian market and on other European markets, and with the production of a range of membranes in the pipeline, the time is right for PROGRESS PROFILES to go on a big adventure on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. Operations will be run from its office in Rundolf, New Jersey. This is undoubtedly a big and ambitious challenge, but previous successful experience in Dubai (where PROGRESS PROFILES has another office) ensures that prospects are good.

Rubio Monocoat for Frank Gehry Museum

Frank Gehry is a worldwide household name. The Canadian American Pritzker Prize winner is considered one of the most revolutionary architects of our times. He has been awarded the prestigious Progressive Architecture Design Award for his design of the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis. With its new 4000 square metres of White Oak floor needing a finish, the product of choice was Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2C -Pure!

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

Floor Forum International 59

The relationship between the two bodies began with a presentation by Mr de Boer to EFPI members on the role of the ETTF and the potential benefits they could derive from joining as associates. A period of trial membership followed. “This showed to us just how many areas of overlapping interest we had with the wider ETTF membership, and how we could both gain from pooling resources,” said Mr Gibbs. “That in turn led eventually to us officially becoming members on January 1.” The EFPI has six principal members, but with the organisation representing the Nordic countries comprising a number of subsidiaries, taking the total membership to 14. The other bodies represent the sector in France, Germany, the Republic of Ireland, Italy and Holland.

“Our members obviously all deal in timber flooring and associated products, so we are complementary organisations and there is clear benefit to be gained from mutual exchange of information and expertise,” said Mr Gibbs. “our joint knowledge on the wider supply chain and our connection to the consumer markets will bring about mutual benefits.”

Industry news

ETTF and EFPI provide mutual benefit The decision of the European Federation of Parquet Importers (EFPI) to become an associate member of the European Timber Trade Federation (ETTF) will strengthen both organisations.

This is the shared view of EFPI chairman Nigel Gibbs and ETTF Secretary General André de Boer.

45

BIGGEST CANADIAN PROVINCE IS DOING WELL Over 40,000,000km² of this planet is overgrown with forests. No one will be surprised to hear that Canada, the biggest country in the western hemisphere and the second biggest country in the world, accounts for a good proportion of that figure. With 4,021,000km², Canada possesses 10% of the available forests worldwide. Quebec, the biggest province in Canada, accounts for almost 20% with 761,100km². About half of that is certified as ‘sustainable forest’. Sustainable forest management has grown up spontaneously from the age-old Canadian tradition of respect for forests and natural beauty.

Setting Canada has a border in the south with twelve states of the USA and with Alaska in the west (8,893 kilometres, including 2,477 kilometres with Alaska). The coastline of Canada stretches over 243,791 kilometres. The country has coastlines on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic Oceans. The biggest province in Canada is Quebec, with about 1.6 million square kilometres, and the smallest is Prince Edward Island with 5,657km². In the north and west, the continent of Canada merges into an archipelago of large and mainly low-lying islands called the Arctic Archipelago. The biggest islands are Baffin, Ellesmere, Victoria, Newfoundland, and Vancouver. A good 40% of Canada lies north of the tree line (60° latitude). Hudson Bay (1,220,000km²) penetrates a long way inland. The Canadian Rocky Mountains are the newest part of the Western Cordillera, a wide, mountainous strip, which runs from Mexico to Canada.

The economy of Quebec Quebec has a strong, sound, and versatile economy. Its vitality is founded on excellent technology, innovation, skilled workers, its ideal location, its vast number of natural resources, and solidly developed exports. Quebec is amongst the leading industrial nations in terms of research and development and stands out in a number of extremely specialised fields.

Industries The air and space travel industry, for instance, numbers over 42,000 workers in 236 companies and the total turnover is about 11 billion dollars (2009). Quebec also has top class expertise of international calibre in the pharmaceutical industry and biotechnology. Eight of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the

Floor Forum International 59

The province of Quebec Quebec, the biggest province in Canada, has a surface area of about 1.6 million square metres. Quebec is bordered in the north by the Hudson Strait, Ungava Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean, the province of Newfoundland to the east, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the province of New Brunswick, and the American states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York to the south, and in the west by the province of Ontario, James Bay, and Hudson Bay. The longest distance from east to west is 1570 kilometres and from north to south this figure is 1970 kilometres.

About 90% of the province belongs to the Canadian Shield. Half

of the province consists of extensive (maple) forests, tundras, lakes, and rivers. Quebec is so long that the northern part lies in the polar region and is part of the eternally frozen Canadian Shield. The highest point lies in the south with Laurentides Park at 1100 metres and Mount Tremblant at 960 metres.

46

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

photo Luc-Antoine Couturier

photo foto Tourisme Montréal

Export Minded companies in Quebec Special

QUEBEC: THE WOOD MINE OF CANADA

Spending power and GDP A study carried out by Statistique Canada (2007) shows that the spending power of families in Quebec who live in Montréal is generally greater than that of families in other Canadian cities.

Various studies and statistics clearly show that the cost of living in Quebec is lower than in other industrialised countries. GDP in Canada is $37,981 per occupant (2009), but the figure for Quebec is $32,536.

Certified wood The Canadian government has a forest management programme for more than 630,000 hectares of forests. 100 million new trees are planted each year. For each tree chopped, three new ones replace it so that forestland in Canada, unusually, is growing instead of shrinking. In 2008, there were over 125 million hectares of certified, some of which were FSC and some SFI, but the vast majority were certified via Canada’s own certification system (CSA).

At all events, Canada has the biggest surface area of certified forests in the world.

Certification institutions CSA is a Canadian certification system of sustainable forest management. It was set up in 1996 at the request of the government in collaboration with all parties concerned by the pioneering CSA (Canadian Standards Association). The system is based on the ISO 14001 international environmental care system, supplemented by sustainable forest management measures. Canada has about 78 million hectares of forest certified under the CSA standard (figure for July 2009). CSA has a chain of custody system. The certification is done by specialist companies, which are accredited by the Standards Council of Canada. Since March 2005, the CSA standard has been approved by PEFC. This has given the CSA international recognition so that wood with a CSA certificate can also be sold with a PEFC certificate.

Floor Forum International 59

Forest management in Quebec Quebec has a total surface area of 1,667,441km², 1,396,969km² of which are owned by the state, 153,910km² are coastal areas, and about 116,900km² are privately owned. A good 20% of the total Canadian forest area (4,021,000km²) lies within the territory of Quebec (761,100km²). Some important activities in the wood processing sector are carried out by sawmills, makers of panels and wood products, and paper producers. The potential wood harvest from public forests in 2010-2011 amounted to over 31,712,100m³, about 70% of which is softwood and 30% deciduous trees. The total capacity amounted to 44,332,000m³.

The actual harvest for that same period from public forests was

Economics Various economic parameters showed a falling trend between 2006 and 2010. For example, in 2006, 73,447 people still worked in the wood industry. In 2010, that figure was 59.384.

Whilst turnover achieved in 2006 still amounted to $22,753,000, the figure in 2010 dropped to $17,326,400. Exports, too, fell from $10,916,000 in 2006 to $7,290,000 in 2010.

Export Minded companies in Quebec

Strong partners As a province of Canada, Quebec is a member of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) and therefore has access to a market of 440 million consumers, 25% of whom live within a radius of 1,000 kilometres. 75% of international export is destined for the United States. Mexico is Quebec’s second partner in America, with trade links of 3.7 billion dollars. Over 10% of international export is destined for countries from the European Union. However, Quebec is also developing trade links with Asia and South America.

20,405,000m³ and 5,794,000m³ from private forests (an estimate). Quebec offers various attractive and qualitative sorts of wood, such as sugar ash, sugar maple, beech, red oak, walnut, and cherry.

Special

photo foto ministäre ministère des Ressources naturelles

world have research and production centres in Quebec. The province is in fourth place in North America for the biotechnology industry. Industries such as environmental technology, information and communication technology, photonics, and multimedia are also strong points in Quebec.

photo ministère des Ressources naturelles

photo ministère des Ressources naturelles

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

47

Preverco

Export Minded companies in Quebec

> Continued from page 47

Certified wood in Quebec The Certification Status Report for Quebec (2011) reveals that the biggest proportion of certified forests are certified by the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). The total surface area of FSC certified forests is 19,742,435 hectares. 1,418,646m³ of that figure may be cut each year. According to Canada’s own certification system CSA, a surface area of 7,468,812 hectares had been certified by the end of 2011, 5,845,350m³ of which may be chopped annually. Finally, there is another 5,128,222 hectares of certified forest under the SFI system (Sustainable Forestry Initiative). That yields a permissible wood volume of 8,728,000m³ per annum.

The total surface area of certified forests in Quebec is 32,339,469 hectares, good for a permitted harvest of 15,991,996m³.

The Floor Forum International editors do thank the Wood Export Bureau for the documents and information which have made this report possible.

An overview of some companies in Quebec:

Mirage

Preverco was formed in 1988 and concentrated on varnishing parquet. The name is composed of ‘Préver’ (pre-varnish) and ‘Co (company). In the years which followed, the company made vast strides and various acquisitions followed. In 1997, Preverco built a new ultra-modern factory in St-Augustin in order to meet the growing demand. From that time onwards, the company has taken care of all aspects of the production process (from raw wood to the finish). With the construction of another factory in 2000, the company expanded its total surface area to 10,000m². In 2001, Preverco took over a factory (BFS 2002 Inc.) which specialised in finishing wooden floors. In 2004, the company launched a new line of engineered floors under the name Engenius. In 2007, they opened a new factory and in 2009 they bought a sawmill and set up Scierie Preverco Inc. In 2010, Preverco Inc. Took over a distribution centre in Vancouver in order to meet demand from the west of Canada.

In September 2011, ‘Parquet Royal’ was unveiled. Preverco now has at its disposal a unique showroom in Quebec. Today, with all offices included, about 300 people work for Preverco. www.preverco.com - 001 418.878.8930

Special

Les bois de parquets Vaucluse

In 1983, Pierre Thabet took over a small joiner’s business (Sain-Georges). Initially, the company produced unfinished floorboards and staircase steps. In 1990, they started producing pre-varnished floors under the Mirage brand. Two years later, the floorboards made their way to the United States.

They constructed a sorting line in 1997. In that same year, the company became the first North American manufacturer of solid wood floors to be awarded the ISO 9001 certificate. From 1999, the company also made multi-layer floors under the brand name Mirage Engineered. In 2002, they built another factory and in 2007 presented a new application of Mirage floors in the shape of Mirage Lock: this was a veneer floor with a click system for floating fitting. At all stages of the production process, the company shows great environmental care. Over the past nine years, Mirage has won no fewer than 16 awards for the ‘best quality’. Today, it is one of the few companies to supply all three different sorts of wooden floor technology, namely solid wood, engineered, and adhesive-free engineered. In recent years, they have added various exclusive sorts of wood to their range. The most recent addition was in October 2012 with the Mirage White Oak R&Q (rift & quarter).

Les bois de parquets Vaucluse inc. is a manufacturer of unfinished hardwood strip flooring respecting the highest standards of quality in the Canadian industry, the factory is located in Quebec, in the city of l’Assomption near Montreal. Production began in 1989 and our experience with overseas and U.S. shipment gave us knowledge to serve you anywhere with personalized service. Les bois de parquets Vaucluse offers white and red oak, birch, maple and ash. The dimensions available are 21/4 ,31/4, 41/4. All of our floors are ¾ inch thick. Our sales department is able to take care of everything from booking container, reserving transport to bringing the material to the port. Our annual production is estimated at 3 million board feet of a natural, resistant an ecologic product. Our team is composed of 30 qualified employees who care about selling a high quality wood flooring at a competitive price. Our large range of product can satisfied the most particular demands. www.vaucluse.org - 001 450 588-6997

Floor Forum International 59

www.miragefloors.com - 001 418-227-1182

48

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

Wickham HARDWOOD Flooring

Finitec Canada is a manufacturing company who markets a wide range of products for floors which includes mainly water-based finishing, maintenance and acoustic systems. Quebec leader in its field of activity, Finitec Canada is in constant growth and that for the past 20 years. Located in Saint-Lambert-de-Lauzon, on the south side of the Saint Lawrence River, the company markets its products under three brand names : ­“Finitec”, its retail line, “Finitec Expert”, its floor finishing line for professionals and “Acousti-Tech” which addresses sound issues in multi-housing buildings. Finitec Canada is constantly working on improving and developing its products offer using its own laboratory and R&D department. What particularly distinguishes the company is its innovation, quality of its products and customer service.

Wickham Flooring was formed in 1989 in Wickham, near Drummondville. Thanks to years of hard work, the company has developed into a major player with quality products appreciated all over the world. Initially, they concentrated fully on producing solid wood, unfinished floors. Over the years, they continued to invest in order to increase production capacity and improve quality. In 1996, the company invested in an automatic production line for varnishing solid wood floors. That changed the company’s strategic profile. In 2009, two old employers from Wickham, Jean-Pierre and Lise Nittolo, took over at the head of the company. That gave the company a new dynamism and led to major changes.

Today, Wickham Flooring has a sawmill, drying installations, a transformation factory, and a finishing line. They export about 78% of their products to Europe, the United States, and Asia.

Today, the company employs over 125 people and ‘sustainable enterprise’ is very much part of its mission.

www.finitec-inc.com - 001 418 889-9910

www.plancherswickham.com - 001 819 398-6303

Export Minded companies in Quebec

Finitec Canada

www.pgmodel.com - boispg@pgmodel.com - 001 418 796-2328

Primatech Primatech is one of the most important companies worldwide in tools and machines for fitting wooden and parquet floors. In particular, Primatech is a specialist in the production of fastening systems. The special L and T nails enjoy worldwide renown. Apart from nails and fastening systems for wood, Primatech also supplies a full programme of manual and pneumatic tools such as nailers and staplers. The company devotes a lot of attention to research and development and tests on site in order to give users the highest quality. In recent decades, Primatech has supplied the market with scores of innovations in both manual and pneumatic fastening tools and their accessories. After all, more and more materials are being used to produce floors. This is precisely why floor fitters are constantly faced with new challenges, whether they have to fit solid wood parquet, exotic wood, or engineered floors. Examples of innovations include the multi-strike mechanism of the 330PRO L-T, the high capacity warehouses of the Load Xtend, the advanced NG nail, and much more! www.primatech.ca - 001-418-522 5355

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

Floor Forum International 59

PG Hardwood Floorin Inc. Was formed in 1979 by Richard Garneau and Julien Paré. By that time, Richard Garneau had already had 20 years of experience in the production of wooden floors. In the early days, 15 people worked for the company on a surface area of over 1,000m². Today, the company employs 150 people on a production area of 125,000m². Mr Paré left the company in 1992. PG Hardwood Flooring presents more than 5,000 products. In just three decades, the company has established a reputation for outstanding quality in the production of hardwood floors, including solid wood, engineered, and pre-finished. The floors appear under the brand name Model and PG. The company leaders are convinced that the company’s success is linked directly to research and development, not just with regard to new products, but also in the field of production techniques and processes. Furthermore, an extremely tight quality control gives a guarantee that every product is perfect. At the end of February, a new collection appeared with the name ‘The Origin series’. The range includes 10 new and stylish products.

PG Hardwood Flooring has an extensive distribution system in several countries. The company offers FSC products and the CE labelling opens the way for export to Europe.

Special

PG Hardwood Flooring

49

> Product news Chimiver Panseri — LIOS SUNDECK W OIL LIOS SUNDECK W OIL is an water-based impregnating oil for wood. It’s particularly suitable for the treatment of wooden floors located outside (swimming pool edges, verandas, walkways), window and door frames, fences and canopies made of wood. LIOS SUNDECK W OIL is composed of emulsified oils and water-based resins, reactive elements of which bind to the wood lignin, strengthening it and delaying the wood decay (graying) significantly. The light mordant, in addition to be an excellent solar filter, gives the wood a pleasant warm colour. It also protects the wood from mildew and infesting microorganisms. On rubber and expansion joints the drying time could be longer. Available in different versions: STANDARD / LIGHT / COLORED white and grey / NO SLIP / ANTIBACTERIAL

Product news

Ciranova Ciranova has developed a new range of products, without irritating fumes, to give oak an aged look in only one coat. The ‘Vintage’ range consists of 6 products namely, Vintage S, Vintage F and 4 colors of Vintage Color(available in the colors Dune, Drift, Ice and Smoke). Vintage S is waterborne reaction stain to give oak a smoked, brown look. Ciranova Vintage F is a water based aging stain for oak to give the wood an aged, gray look. Vintage color is a waterborne reaction stain to give oak a weathered ‘vintage’ look in only 1 coat.

Döllken-Weimar GmbH Skirtings for Design Floor Coverings The new hardcore skirting EP 60/13 flex life of Döllken Weimar matches optically perfect to current modern collections of design floor coverings. This adaption was realised for the first time with the collection CONCEPTLINE of the Karndean International GmbH. The high quality HDF core of pine wood fibre is encased in hardwearing polyolefin. Flexible lips to wall and floor prevent gaps.

As usual also this hardcore skirting can be mounted with the Döllken system tools as the mitre tool type 1000 and the measuring template. Endcaps are not necessary- they are simply to notch.

Döllken recommend for fixing the efficient and secure hotmelt fixing system.

F. Ball develops Stopgap 1100 Gypsum UK leading manufacturer F. Ball and Co. Ltd. has launched Stopgap 1100 Gypsum, a self levelling smoothing underlayment designed for application over calcium sulphate based screeds, such as anhydrite. Stopgap 1100 is calcium sulphate based to ensure compatibility with this type of subfloor screeds, and provides a smooth and level surface prior to the installation of new floorcoverings. Stopgap 1100 can also be used over a wide range of other surfaces, including Stopgap waterproof surface membranes, concrete and sand/cement screeds. Stopgap 1100 is a water-mix smoothing underlayment, with excellent self-levelling properties. It has a low odour and proteinfree formula that allows it to be used in clinical and biologically sensitive areas such as hospitals.

Floor Forum International 59

PROLINE — PROBASEPROFI PS+ Partner for design coverings

50

With the new PROBASEprofi PS+ underlay webs, Proline offers the perfect solution for modern design flooring and vinyl coverings. The mat meets all of the requirements of floating synthetic flooring and ensures longevity and living comfort.

PROBASEprofi PS+ comprises a special foam with a high resistance to pressure and an integrated non-slip Grip-Tec composite surface layer. Due to its material properties, any unevenness in the substrate is compensated and protects the click fix connections of the floating floor covering. At the same time, the new insulation mat is very resistant to pressure and combines the two important properties in a unique way.

Rubio Monocoater 300

— State of the art finish The recent edition of Domotex in Hannover saw the worldwide launch of RMC Monocoater 300.

Inside a compact housing of 4 meter long, this industrial series combines all the necessary elements for an immaculate industrial finish. The plug & play RMC Monocoater 300 is available in manual as well as in fully electrical version. Application width: 300 mm. More information on info@rubiomonocoat.com

visit the new www.floor-forum.com

FLOORING SHOW DESIGN RETAIL CONTRACT

1-3 September 2013 HARROGATE, UK

Since 1962, the one and only national flooring event In 2012, 127 exhibiting companies from 12 countries and 3,000+ participants from 25 countries enjoyed an outstanding show.

Many new initiatives are in place for 2013.

Join us in Harrogate in September!

Your invitation to exhibit at the UK’s national flooring show www.theflooringshow.com

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

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

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

Isocyanate free & solvent free

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

Removable without leaving stains

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

Excellent storage stability & multiple use without waste

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

No black fingers

Die Hände bleiben sauber Руки остаются чистыми

www.kaneka.be