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

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industry

N° 66, March 2014 - Price: €8 - Published 7 times a year - (Feb, March, May, June, Sept, Nov, Dec) Office of delivery 9099 Ghent X, P911092, BC 31359 — Responsible Publisher: Filip De Ridder

TOP QUÉBEC COMPANIES FOCUSED ON EXPORT

Preview : The European Floor & Wall Exhibition European

Floor & Wall Exhibition

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

Special Waterless adhesives Special : Trends in vinyl, PVC and LVT floors

Special Fastening systems for decking flooring

www.canadamaple.org Special Flame-retardant lacquers

Looking to find out more about hardwood maple floors?

Talk to one of our specialized suppliers today!

Special Waterproof / Resistant floors www.lauzonflooring.com

www.primatech.ca

www.preverco.com

www.mercierwoodflooring.com

www.pgmodel.com

www.vaucluse.org

www.miragefloors.com

www.wickhamhardwood.com

Special Epoxy moisture screens

www.canadawood.org

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1K Simplicity – 2K Performance Bona Mega – Superior protection against spill and scuff marks The world’s best selling, water-based Bona Mega continues to redefine the rules of wooden floor finishing. The unique Bona Mega delivers the superior chemical resistance of a two-component finish, with the safety and convenience of a one-component formula.

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

bona.com/mega

content )

Preview : The European Floor & Wall Exhibition European

Floor & Wall Exhibition

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

Special Waterless adhesives Special : Trends in vinyl, PVC and LVT floors

Special Fastening systems for decking flooring

www.canadamaple.org Special Flame-retardant lacquers

Looking to find out more about hardwood maple floors?

Talk to one of our specialized suppliers today!

Special Waterproof / Resistant floors www.lauzonflooring.com

www.primatech.ca

www.preverco.com

www.mercierwoodflooring.com

www.pgmodel.com

www.vaucluse.org

www.miragefloors.com

www.wickhamhardwood.com

Special Epoxy moisture screens

www.canadawood.org

Floor Forum International, N° 66, March ’14, Photo QWeb

European

Floor & Wall Exhibition

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

Visit the European Floor &

Wall Exhibition 5 Inside news 9 Advertorial Strong Export (PT) 10 Preview the European Floor & Wall Exhibition Ghent (B) 27 Industry news 28 Special Floor fitting training : what’s on the market?

30 Special Trends in PVC, vinyl and LVT floors 34 Special Producers of Cross-cut floors : types and fitting methods 36 Special Fastening systems for decking floors 44 Special Waterproof/Resistant floors in wood, laminate, vinyl, LVT and PVC 50 Special Flame-retardant lacquers : properties & legislation 52 Special Epoxy moisture screens 57 Special Waterless adhesives 61 Top Quebec companies focused on export 66 Product news

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

“Trade fair in a region where many new parquet trends arise.”

In this edition we hear from our publisher, who is also the organiser of EFWEX, Filip De Ridder. We spoke to him about the forthcoming European Floor & Wall Exhibition. The importance of this trade fair for parquet, laminate, vinyl, wooden terrace furnishing, and exterior wall cladding extends beyond Belgium and Europe.

The fact is that Belgium and its neighbour the Netherlands lie at the heart of several new trends and number some leading companies in the fields of parquet, laminate, wood colouring, and such like. He suggests that visiting

Filip De Ridder

an exhibition is always worthwhile for

(European Floor & Wall Exhibition) professionals from all over the world.

“In the summer of last year, we, as a publisher, decided to take the initiative to create a new biannual trade fair in Ghent. The very first European Floor & Wall Exhibition (EFWEX) is now drawing near and we’re looking forward to it with cautious optimism. It’s been an exciting and intense period. The show will certainly live up to expectations. We have exhibitors from Belgium and its neighbours, but also lots of others from the rest of Europe and the world.”

What’s the importance of the show at international level?

“Every sector needs regular events where the players come together, survey the sector, discover new products, and, of course, build up networks.

That also applies to EFWEX! The show will give an accurate impression of the latest trends and styles in parquet, laminate, vinyl, PVC, terrace furnishing, and exterior wall cladding. Local products are also attractive to an international public. It is generally well known that many new parquet trends arise in Belgium and the Netherlands. For example, colour collections from Belgium and the Netherlands attract a following worldwide and there’s also a lot of know-how available here in the field of parquet technology and fitting. At the same time, in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Western Europe you also have the home of leading producers of goods such as laminate, vinyl, and wood colour systems. And so, the show couldn’t have dreamed of a better location. During the three days of the show, there will also be some interesting seminars on technical challenges and marketing for the flooring sector and a trend bureau from London will be giving us a look ahead to 2015. I hope that we’re able to welcome many of our readers to Belgium, even those from distant countries and that we can meet them over a snack and a drink.”

Editing & advertisements

Advertising & subscriptions

Production:

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

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

Lowyck - Oostende

Publisher

Jean Paul Talbot Ludwig Janssens Filip De Ridder Jacques Legros

Filip De Ridder Lay-out:

Be-able Communication www.be-able.be

Editors:

Translation:

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

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

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

Contents, Colophon & Editorial

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N° 66, March 2014 - Price: €8 - Published 7 times a year - (Feb, March, May, June, Sept, Nov, Dec) Office of delivery 9099 Ghent X, P911092, BC 31359 — Responsible Publisher: Filip De Ridder

TOP QUÉBEC COMPANIES FOCUSED ON EXPORT

www.floor-forum.com

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industry

Editorial

Visit us at

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e N L t (B th A it E AL en Vis OP W N Gh R & IO 14, EU OR IBIT h 20 O H rc FL EX a

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

ARDESIA

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

www.anticofilo.com

Floor Forum International 66

Classic Line Wengé chevron 45°

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www.ardesiasrl.eu

Visit us at the European Floor & Wall Exhibition Hall 8, booth 8309

Classic Line, traditional 9mm parquet in French oak and various exotic wood species. Selected at the highest standards and available as strips, herringbone, chevron or any custom made pattern.

Master Line, unique 9mm pre-glued open book parquet, known for its increased stability and special design.

Top Line, 13 or 18mm two-layer parquet with solid top layer on birch multi-ply board.

All French oak parquet floors can be delivered with a PEFC certificate.

Distribution: Holz Bois • Bosdel 41 • B-3600 Genk • T 0032 89 32 95 80 • holz.bois@skynet.be Albers Parketgroothandel • Franklinstraat 4 • NL-6003 DK Weert • T 0031 495 58 08 08 • info@albersparket.nl Advertentie 1/2 liggend.indd 1

visit www.floor-forum.com - Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+

20/06/13 14:31

> Inside news Martina Tavcar wins i-Pad Mini at Domotex

once again that a visit to the Floor Forum & Floor Forum International stand can be very profitable and enjoyable.

The interest in Ciranova is expanding worldwide. Recently we made a new distribution-agreement with the company CIRANOVA R. Ciranova R will distribute the finishing products of Ciranova in Russia and the Republic of Belarus. This agreement has been finalised at the beginning of February 2014 by Mr. Wouter Devaere, Managing Director – Mr. Mikkel Seymus, Sales Manager – Mr. Ivan Melekhov – Mrs. Marina Melekhova.

Soon the Russian website will be online and the link will be made by our own website www.ciranova.eu.

La San Marco Profili

Quality, variety and rapidity. These are the key words that reflects La San Marco Profili’ s philosophy. Our company is a leader Italian skirting manufacturer, its well-known reputation has been earned over many years of market activity. Our wide range of products such as veneer,solid,MDF,laminated skirting of different shape and finishing, and our capacity to satisfy any specific request, allows the company to be an over-all and advantageous supplier for all customers. We are pleased to invite you to visit us at European Floor and Wall Exhibition hall 8 booth nr. 8819 to check firsthand our quality.

New Plastor Primo-T Gel woodstain Primo-T Gel woodstain has a High Dry Extract alkyd modified resin base. Thanks to great build capability, it guarantees optimum protection against weathering. Improved adhesion makes it ideal for applying over previous coats of all types of woodstain. It provides excellent coverage of wood edging,

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

Floor Forum International 66

Martina Tavcar of the Slovenian adhesive maker Mitol was the winner of the i-Pad Mini in the prize draw held at the Floor Forum and Floor Forum International stand during Domotex Hanover. Visitors to the stand had the opportunity to win an i-Pad Mini. All they had to do was deposit their business card in the urn set aside for that purpose. Martina is technical marketing manager at Mitol, an adhesive manufacturer whose range includes parquet adhesives. The company is based in in Sežana, Slovenia, near the Italian border. This is proof

Inside news

Ciranova

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> Inside news considerably reducing water and humidity ingress points and therefore strengthening surface durability. It can even be applied in wet weather. Finally, it is extremely easy to use as the gel texture prevents splashing and running, making it easier to apply to roof overhangs.

Visit us at

EUROPEAN FLOOR & WALL EXHIBITION (B) !

STAND 8705 - 16/18.03.2014

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

Inside news

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

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

T F E W

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

www.parketmachines.nl

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

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

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

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

Your best profile

European Floor &grilles Wall Exhibition (B) !

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

WOOD WPC lames OR de bois

TILES dalleCONCRETE en béton, céramique

SOLAR PANELS panneaux solaires

TILES dalleCONCRETE en béton, céramique

SOLAR PANELS panneaux solaires

www.lithos.it

METAL GRATES grilles métalliques

Floor Forum International 66

stable stable •• Remarkably remarquablement

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

With its variety of materials, colours and finishes, San Marco profiles can be fully included as items that distinguish your home furnishings. Here is a stylish element that combines practicality with aesthetic appeal, fulfilling your tastes and preferences for day-to-day living with a natural contemporary look.

Thanks to its linear design, the new line of Elite skirting harmoniously blends with the latest furnishing styles.

•• Slope Correcteur de pente corrector

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

La San Marco Profili srl - Viale Europa 63 - 31020 Soligo (TV) ITALY Tel. +39 0438 980106 r.a. - Fax +39 0438 980176 www.lasanmarcoprofili.com - info@lasanmarcoprofili.com

TEL.: +32 (0)56 41 35 70 - FAX : +32 (0)56 40 37 68 www.SOLIDOR.BE

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> Inside news Alsapan Flooring ALSAPAN Flooring has been producing qualitative laminate flooring from Alsace (France) since 1995. The parent company ALSAPAN is a woodworking company with six offices and, apart from floors, also produces furniture and worktops (chipboards). It sells its laminate floors all over the world, but ALSAPAN also has a prominent and dominant presence on the French market amongst DIY stores (private label) and specialist retail traders (under the ALSAFLOOR trademark). ALSAPAN has the skill to design and sell client-oriented decors; every decor found on the shelves of retailers will sell successfully to highly successfully; each limited range of decors covers the needs so that the storage costs of retail traders are kept under control. Each year, only a limited number of decors are renewed.

STYLE

A L S A FLO O R Alsafloor la qualité alsacienne «made in France» Nouvelle année, nouvelles gammes, nouvelles teintes et nouveaux looks …

2014 commence fort pour Alsafloor, la marque Alsacienne, premier fabricant français de sols du groupe Alsapan Flooring.

Collection Stratifié, Vinyle ou Parquet… cette nouvelle année est placée sous le signe de l’innovation technique et esthétique.

Envies de changement ou projets d’aménagements intérieurs… découvrez plus de 200 décors qui vont redonner au sol toutes ses lettres de noblesse.

- Photo : Fotolia

In Belgium, it is Little Bear which sells the ALSAPAN floors. Little Bear has built a brand new showroom in Villers where they also display lots of other types of wooden floors. Little Bear will be an exhibitor at the European Floor & Wall Exhibition in Ghent. In 2014, LITTLE BEAR will be launching www.alsafloor.com of the ALSAFLOOR laminate floors in Belgium. Be there! ALSAPAN laminate floors are assembled using the Unilin click system on the long side of Flooring the plank; on the short side of the plank they use their own patented system (ZIPnGO), which makes very easy installation, even for private clients.

Soundness, European manufacture, PEFC raw materials, and quality: ALSAPAN/ LITTLE BEAR wooden floors have it all! by

, Furniture, Worktops

Inside news

Retrouvez votre revendeur sur

ORIGINAL MASSIVE

Floor Forum International 66

EdelholZ

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

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Discover the Future of Floor & Wall solutions European

Floor & Wall Exhibition

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

- The latest innovations and trends in the floor industry.

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

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

- Free admission for professionals.

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

- Free WiFi and catering for all exhibitors and visitors.

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

European

Floor & Wall Exhibition

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

At the Domotex fair in Hannover, the Portuguese manufacturer Strong Export introduced a remarkable flooring novelty: Night Visions, a photo luminescent wooden flooring system.

It is charged by natural light during the day and provides a gentle glowing light at night.

This innovative product can be used for both decorative and safety purposes on a large variety of locations.

Despite the unique features of this decking floor, Night Visions has a maintenance equal to a normal deck, not requiring any special treatment.

Strong Export brings a distinctive product range Based on the know-how acquired over several years, Strong Export was born in 2011, with the installation of a manufacturing plant of hardwood flooring in northern Portugal. Nowadays the company is steadily growing, backed by close partnerships in the wood exploration and commercialization areas, as well as with research and development in partnership with different institutions.

Photo luminescent floor The photo luminescent wooden floor is a world’s first and uses nothing else than the natural daylight to provide for a gentle glowing light during the nighttime. Either on the deck of a hotel lounge overlooking the city or in a private swimming pool, this innovative product can be used for both decorative and safety purposes while the floor could also be a nice gimmick at nightlife locations. But the applications for this product are countless and the novelty factor will certainly amaze both clients and friends alike.

Reliable innovation As a result, Strong Export is proud to offer a large and distinctive product range, supported by excellent technical and professional advice and providing an adequate response to most aesthetic and functional requirements.

Isabel Vieira, Marketing Manager at Strong Export: “Quality is our operating philosophy, and our goal is to access increasingly demanding markets”. For this, Strong applies a continuous internationalization strategy, with an important investment in R&D for new product and business design. We are a quality certified company: using FSC and PEFC wood, managed with sustainable forest guidelines and principles. It is in this context that Strong Export stands out in the industry, continuously exploring new technologies and seeking investment opportunities around the world.

Visit us at the European Floor & Wall Exhibition Ghent (B) Hall 8 Booth 8735

www.strongexport.com geral@strongexport.comtake

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

Floor Forum International 66

This floor is a result of a close cooperation between the faculty of sciences at the University of Porto (FCUP) and the own expert team, Strong Export managed to develop this unique product: Night Visions.

Advertorial Strong Export (PT)

Strong Export innovates with Night Visions

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Preview the European Floor & Wall Exhibition Ghent (B)

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

European

Floor & Wall Exhibition

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

Discover the Future of Floor & Wall Solutions!

We’re almost there! From 16 to 18 March, the European Floor & Wall Exhibition (EFWEX) takes place in Ghent (Flanders Expo). It promises to be an exciting, informative, and excellent trade event. The exhibitors are making every effort to give you a full and top class range, and there will be various informative workshops, free drinks and snacks, and prizes to be won.

Full list of collections and product demonstrations by exhibitors The exhibition presents a full range of the best on offer in the sectors of parquet, laminate, LVT, outdoor terraces, exterior walls, and all accessories and finishes.

Floor Forum International 66

Seminars and workshops @EFWEX Visitors can also take part in a number of seminars on technical challenges, marketing, and trends.

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- Renovating old parquet floors - case studies by Mr Lucas De Smedt, committee member of the professional association Dè Parketplaatsers Sunday 16 March at 11.30 a.m.

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

Monday 17 March at 11.30 a.m.

- Marketing and social media in the floor industry by Ms Janke Papa from Het Plan, a marketing bureau for parties such as the flooring industry, specialising in concept development, marketing communication, project management, market research, and events.

Sunday 16 March and Monday 17 March at 1.30 p.m. (in Dutch) and 3.30 p.m. (in English) and Tuesday 18 March at 11.30 p.m - The importance of the right colours and colour choices for the interior and flooring sector by Ms Rian Crabtree, colour trend specialist for Global Colour Research™ and Mix Publications, specialist trend and colour consulting bureau from London.

Sunday 16 March and Monday 17 March at 2.30 p.m. (in Dutch) and 4.30 p.m. (in English).

The workshops take place in a separate conference room fitted with vinyl floors from mFLOR. To be precise, they are an

mFLORCONTACT Suffolk Woods, 95815 Mersea Pine decor and mFLORCONTACT Nuance, 97419 Charcoal. The floors are 3mm thick and suitable for heavy commercial use. Registration for these workshops: www.european-floor-and-wall-exhibition.eu.

‘Floor & Wall Design@EFWEX In the Floor & Wall Design@EFWEX room of inspiration, visitors can view a presentation of leading building projects in Belgium and abroad. In these projects completed by architects and interior designers, wooden floors, wall and exterior wall cladding, vinyl, and LVT floors have clearly provided added value in terms of aesthetic beauty. For this presentation, the organisers have worked together with architects and interior design bureaus and with exhibitors from the show. The floor in this special hall of inspiration comes from Alasapan. It is a 12mm laminate floor with synchronous finish, class AC6 and V-grooves on the four sides.

This floor is fitted in two plank widths (210 and 118mm wide). The decor is a grey oak ‘Chêne Sardegne’.

Visitors and exhibitors are VIPs: free catering and Internet access Both exhibitors and visitors get the VIP treatment at the European Floor & Wall Exhibition. During the show, the organisers are providing free drinks, bread rolls, soup, and pasta for both exhibitors and visitors. The organisers have also considered the working facilities of all those present. And so, there is cable-free Internet access free of charge for professional purposes.Scores of attractive prizes to be won by visitors The organisers appreciate the professionalism of the visitors who are coming to the European Floor & Wall Exhibition. Therefore, they have provided an extensive package of highly trendy and attractive gifts and work tools, which will be drawn by lot exclusively for professional visitors: 9 i-Pad Minis, 9 Samsung Galaxy S and 9 site radios. Prizes will be drawn at various intervals during the three days. This means that all professional visitors will have the chance to go home after an informative, indispensible, and attractive show with a nice useful gift!

You can visit our web site for the latest news on the companies which will be attending the exhibition. You can visit the exhibition free provided that you register on the web site: www.european-floor-and-wall-exhibition.eu. *The prize draw is reserved exclusively for professional visitors. Exhibitors, school pupils, students, and their companions cannot take part.

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WOCA

NEUTRAL OIL

NEW

Keeping the appearance of the newly sanded oak wood

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

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

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

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

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

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

Preview the European Floor & Wall Exhibition Ghent (B)

> continued from page 10

A list of exhibitors who sent us information on time before the magazine went to press : BJ Parket, Decolvenaere Houtimport, DNS Denzel, Sanding- Brushingsystems, Roy Products…

Adesiv Adesiv was formed in 1971. The company produces adhesives for various industrial sectors and has established a fine reputation thanks to its ongoing product development. The company has always set great store by quality, image, and care for the environment. It has its own network of distributors to ensure that its clients always receive excellent service. Its clients are wooden floor fitters who purchase products from dealers. Adesiv exports a lot of products, and export figures are rising each year. The company is well known for its high quality adhesives, but in recent years has also made significant progress in coatings and wooden floor maintenance products. Hall 8 Booth 8819.

Althoz Baumgartner & Co Reclaimed wood. Many years ago, beams were hewn by hand. The sun, wind, and weather have left unique surfaces on boards and many people’s footsteps are preserved in old floors.

This patina tells stories and inspires the viewer. Oak, per se a highlight, is topped only by old oak with its unique character. Today, reclaimed wood is used in modern interior designs and exclusive furniture construction. The company Altholz, Baumgartner & Co, with its staff of more than 30 employees, specialises in reclaiming and processing this valuable resource for its reuse.

They delight in the genuine article. Booth 8736.

commercial projects. Booth n° 8538 ARCHI WOOD at the European Floor & Wall Exhibition At ARCHI WOOD, they design, make, and sell fastening systems for the construction of terraces and wooden exterior wall cladding. Their constant drive for innovation and the uncompromising demands which they put upon themselves enable them to offer the best products, which meet the strictest performance demands and standards. The Hard Wood Clip® fastening system for wooden terraces and exterior wall cladding is the only fastening system on the market to be awarded an ATG (technical authorisation) and a technical FCBA file of conformity to the requirements of the standard NF DTU 51.4. (Construction of wooden terraces) for fastening systems. Booth 8724 Alvaket ALVAKET, originating from parquet floor installers provides services for these parquet floor installers, carpenters, renovation company’s & painters… By distributing brands like FRANK, PALMANN, NUMATIC, BONA, RUBIO MONOCOAT, OSMO, WOCA, WOLFF…we can together search for the right solution for any of your problems. Our technical team has an large stock of spare parts at its disposal for any repair on your FRANK, PALMANN, BONA, K & T, MACROTEC, WOLFF & LÄGLER machines. With more than 25years of experience ALVAKET guarantees high quality products & solutions and a reliable & fast after-sales service. Booth 8624.

Armada Yalıtım

Abetech For over 30 years now, Abetech specializes in the manufacture of abrasives and products for renovation, maintenance and soil treatments (parquet, wooden floors, concrete,…).

We put our experience and know-how acquired over the years, serving professionals to advise you the best way possible.

Our full range of products and our own making workshop provide you flexibility and answer to your issues. Booth n° 8714.

Floor Forum International 66

Amtico International

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As the pioneer of LVT flooring and with 50 years of experience, Amtico brings together the most innovative flooring collections and cutting-edge designs, in order to create a space suited perfectly to our customers’ needs. A versatile and extensive range of products equips designs and end users alike with flooring to complement any space. Amtico Signature is our flagship collection of 188 products, and offers you the flexibility to create bespoke designs, or to cut and combine tiles in an infinite number of ways. We will also be exhibiting our Amtico Spacia collection, of over 89 products which offer a practical design solution for

Armada Yalıtım started operating in the construction industry in 1994 and is the only manufacturer in Turkey which paves pedestals for the Support trade mark.

The company meets the quality system standard of ISO 9001-2008 and operates under the umbrella of the Armada Group.

Paving pedestals can be used on all walkable terraces and balconies, around pools, on garden terraces, and in all open and closed areas.

Water does not collect at floor level and it is not necessary to have coved structures. Avoiding the use of plaster in construction is an advantage if other corrective work is required later. If there is a problem with an insulation material or any kind of breakdown, you save time, labour, and material if there is no plaster. Booth 8802.

Belgiqa BELGIQA is a multi-layer parquet made for 100% in Belgium, with a top layer in EUROPEAN OAK glued onto a bottom layer of birch plywood.

BELGIQA parquet is made to order according

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Bijlard International Bijlard International (www. bijlard.com), founded in 1956, is a Dutch manufacturer of adhesives for the professional market. A genuine family business where quality, service and customer satisfaction are the standard. Especially for the flooring industry we developed a complete range of parquet adhesives, self leveling compounds and epoxy based sealers. We introduce this range in the Benelux by the name of Ankerweld.

Ankerweld is a known quality brand in home furnishing since the mid- sixties. A trusted brand complemented with innovative products. Technical service: Dick Heijster +31 (0) 638 826 716, email: dick@bijlard.com. Booth number at European Floor & Wall Exhibition: 8816 Bona - Bringing out the best in wooden floors – it’s a lifetime commitment Bona is a world leading innovator with a unique system for wooden floors. We are able to offer lasting, sustainable results for professionals and floor owners. Bona possesses a total concept for wooden floors: levelling compounds, adhesives, finishes, sanding machines, abrasives and floor care products.

Since established in 1919, we are now, through subsidiaries and distributors, present in more than 70 different countries.

Bona can offer you the suitable expertise, a perfect service and a professional technical support. Booth n° 8919 Blanchon- EXPERTISE IN WOOD FLOOR FINISHES The Blanchon range of oils, lacquers, stains, ageing agents and fillers are used by wood flooring professionals the world over. Small wonder given the reassurance of local support staff in each country, and products consistently manufactured to the highest standards. Quality that has been our trademark for over 60 years. Every day, to make sure that your wood is the most beautiful flooring on the market, our team works to develop even more effective products with the greatest possible respect for the environment. With our ongoing development of innovative products, Blanchon offers the trade all the answers for perfect wood flooring. Booth n° 8418.

items: the B-Fix Staircase. This comprises 100% stainless steel and can be adapted to various terrace planks, which have been profiled in line with the brand standards. Finally a reliable inspection panel that keeps its shape. Its launch during Domotex Hanover was a huge success. There are more surprises in store for visitors. Amongst other things, B-Fix will be displaying at its stand exterior wall solutions which have been developed in recent years. You can see the entire range at stand 8630 in Hall 8.

Bouwsoft®: The administration software for every construction professional 16 years ago, Bouwsoft® was specially developed for a single niche market, the building sector. For more than 7.000 customers Bouwsoft® is their daily tool for the complete management of their building administration.

The software centralizes your entire administration, from the first telephone call to the last invoice. Booth 8827.

Bostik- A sound base for a splendid floor or wall Building professionals are very demanding.

This fact has inspired us to develop high quality and durable adhesives and putty for over 100 years now. These are innovative products, which are pleasant to use and yield a really professional result. Our advisers are only too happy to assist you on site or in our own training centre. As an active partner, we like to give you the assurance of a good result and return. Bostik Wall and floor technology is one of the product brands from Bostik and offers a high quality total solution for the preparation of substrate and glueing various wall and floor coverings. With extensive professional support, you are assured of a sound base for a splendid floor. This means all your projects are a success. Booth n° 8309 Buzon Pedestal International SA Buzon Pedestal International SA is the first European manufacturer of screwjack pedestals made of polypropylene and adjustable continuously from 11 to 1120 mm. Our pedestals can bear loads of 1,000 kg/pedestals and are specially designed for the construction of terraces accessible, pedestrian areas, paths, gardens on the roof, technical floors, etc. They can be placed directly on any type of waterproofing membrane, over insulation (inverted roof) or on any stable ground for wood decking, WPC decking or wood tiles, etc. Booth n° 8419.

Ciranova

B-FIX B-Fix simply had to take part in the first EFWEX in Ghent! It is an excellent opportunity for B-Fix to present its new products to its network of retailers and professionals.

It is also an excellent opportunity to share its experience and to keep abreast of user expectations regarding the most reliable fastening system on the market. A selection of the latest new

As Belgian producer of high quality finishing products for wooden floors, Ciranova will present some new products during the fair European Floor & Wall exhibition. During this fair we present not only our existing unique products and systems for the finishing, coloring

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

Floor Forum International 66

to your personal choice. BELGIQA guarantees you top quality from the traditional parquet planing, perfect fit, and 18 splendid colours. Also available brut. What is unique is that a matt varnish can be applied to any oil finish! BELGIQA gives your client an oak tree with every order! Booth 8715.

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and maintenance of wooden floors, but we will also show some new colours and products. OCULTO is a new, matt, waterbased impregnation oil for natural finishing of the parquet and wooden furniture.

UNICO is a 1-coat oil, when the product is used in combination with a hardener, it results in a quick drying and excellent protection finish in just 1 coat !

We hope to welcome you on our stand N° 8815 in Hall 8. For free entrance-tickets, please register yourself on the website www.european-floor-and-wall-exhibition.eu.

TOGETHER EXPERTISE IN WOOD FLOOR FINISHES

Creative Laser Wood Laser technology for timber Creation of marquetry, logos, engravings, plexiglass, leather ... Manufacturing of patterns, borders and particular tiles Importer of JUNCKERS home and sports floors Importer of moldings and skirting boards in all wood species Vendor of EMFI adhesives . Booth 8515.

Respect for people and the environment

Cotenza Cotenza, a branch of David & Ehrig, is a specialized flooring distributor for Belgium and Luxembourg. Through product leadership, a complete and wide range of laminate flooring, parquet, vinyl, carpet and excellent service, Cotenza is building long-term relationships with its customers. Cotenza thinks along with the needs and trends that are vivid in a consumer’s mind and offers its customers a range of products and services tailored to the dynamic floor retail. We pursue an open dialogue with our customers in an honest and respectful communication flow. Booth 8537.

www.blanchon.com

CSP Engineering

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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

The Belgian CSP Engineering presents its unique products, all developed for the industrial parquet flooring production.

- PAR-Fill® Automatic filling machine for floorboards ! NEW in Europe ! PAR-Fill®, for the first time showed in public at the EFWEX, offers totally new possibilities for medium-sized and large parquet flooring producers !

*Quality is in our nature -

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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.

- PAR-Scan® Integration of measuring, labeling and packaging of floorboards - PAR-Duo® Gluing of two-layer parquet flooring boards in a continuous process - Various solutions to automate logistics operations. Hall 8 Booth 8804.

Carpentier Hardwood Solutions Carpentier Hardwood Solutions has been a specialist in European oak for more than 50 years now. We deliver a

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wide selection of processed wood, such as oak logs, oak beams, waney-edged boards and square edged boards. And we have a nice range of beech and American hardwood species. A few years ago we started to offer all-in-one solutions as well, including timber cladding, wooden decking boards, timber framed buildings, oak parquet flooring, oak roof boards and wooden fencing, commercialised under the name of Hardwood Solutions. Under the name ‘Livin Lodge’, CHS also sells woodframed building (we follow 2 lines : the Classic and the Pure):Our customers are active in different sectors, such as the parquet, staircase and furniture industry. Furthermore, we act as supplier to kitchen manufacturers, wood businesses, interior decoration companies and deck constructors. Booth 8519.

Cerclindus Cerclindus takes part in at the European Floor and Wall Exhibition with its divisions Aerfast and Getra. ple, and screw devices of Senco and Max as well as nails, staples, screws, compressors, PU foam, bolts, plugs, glue ….

Aerfast solutions are used both by professionals as in the industry in many sectors : parquet, wooden floors, decoration, carpentry stores, … Getra specializes in packaging machinery and packaging materials such as tape, strapping, stretch film, …

Our machines are ideal for bundling, strapping or wrapping of parquet, planks, plates, tubes, … Booth 8822.

DevoNatural® Devomat Industries puts the spotlight on her renewed professional product range: DevoNatural®. Earlier this year we launched our brand new website, www.devonatural.be! The perfect tool for DevoNatural dealers, parquet professionals, architects, etc. Our website guides the user to the appropriate finishing and maintenance products.

With its EFWEX participation, DevoNatural strengthens its established value for the parquet professional, in Belgium and abroad.

Next to the DevoNatural line, Devomat Industries presents its complete Devo® product range: parquet glues, primers, sanding materials and sanding machines. Our star of the show is the well-regarded Devo Master 3D sanding machine! Booth 8633.

Dermul is a producer of displays for parquet and laminate flooring.

In addition to the wide range of standard displays, one of Dermul’s strengths is in developing custom displays with which the customer can set up its own brand identity in the market.

The production takes place entirely in Lokeren (B). As a result,

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CSP Engineering

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years...

let’s glue!

www.csp­engineering.be Visit us at EFWEX

8804

since 1971 glues and varnishes for parquet made in italy

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

Floor Forum International 66

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

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Dermul is extremely flexible and we are able to respond quickly to specific customer requests. Hall 8 Booth 8322.

Variety choices of products in our stock of bamboo floorings and panels! www.exellco.be Booth 8137.

Durieu Coatings

EuroTec GmbH

Durieu Coatings, a subsidiary of the Durieu group present on the market since 1923, is the market leader in wood products in Belgium with Linitop and Woodlover and a serious challenger on the paint market with De Keyn !

Owatrol, the brand that will be presented at this trade fair, is a range of wood treatment, maintenance and renovation products exclusively available on the professional distribution network, but that can be used by anyone. This full range is as efficient as it is easy to use and optimises construction site conduct because of its concern for environmental preservation. Hall 8 Booth 8821.

EuroTec GmbH is a medium-sized company in the field of fastening technology and specialising in deck construction.

One of the company’s large product groups is adjustable feet, which were developed specifically for wood-/WPC-deck boards and large-format floor slabs and achieve assembly heights of 2.2 to 60 cm. The adjustable feet are made of a sturdy, weather-resistant hard plastic and can carry loads of up to 800 kg/foot. They can be positioned on any compacted subsoil and form the perfect foundation for durable, sturdy and even decking. Booth 8109.

Emfi

DeckWise® The DeckWise® fastener line is comprised of our patented Extreme™ hidden deck fasteners including the ExtremeKD™ and the Extreme4™, all manufactured in the USA. We engineered a strong stainless steel insert, molded inside a UV and chemical resistant polymer square shape. Our reinforcing stainless steel insert is a huge advantage. It is molded inside our fastener for extra strength and corrosion resistance. One single stainless steel screw fastens our hidden fastener clip AND the decking boards to the joist. Advantages are no discoloration or corrosion from fasteners and stainless steel screws.

Compared to traditional face screwing deck boards to joists, our fastener systems are approximately 11% less in materials .

Booth 8422.

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Esprit du Parquet

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Xpect BVBA has been designing contemporary engineered oak parquet floors under the brand ESPRIT DU PARQUET since 2002. The creation of each collection is based on the following factors: durability, affordability, appearance and easy maintenance. Thanks to our unique approach we have succeeded in building a reputation of being an innovative and reliable partner for parquet dealers, building contractors and the A&D community. Affordable quality and outstanding service are the two main keys to our success.

Discover our Essentials, Classic and Antique Collection and for more info visit our site www.espritduparquet.com . Booth n° 8318.

Exellco Exellco is a noble registered trade mark for bamboo flooring & panel.

With direct import from factory, we always offer our clients the best value with best quality products.

EMFI is part of the 3M group and its headquarters is located at Haguenau in France. The company is acknowledged worldwide for its competence in the area of polyurethane and hybrid polymer technology. The company is certified in line with the standards ISO 9001, 14001, and OHSAS 18001. You can discover their range of top quality parquet adhesives at the EMFI stand (no. 8115).

These adhesives make it possible to glue any type of parquet with full assurance.

Most of these products are classified as “Healthy environment A+” and «EC1 PLUS R» .Booth 8115.

Flamingo Parket Flamingo is a manufacturer and wholesale company which started in 1967 on the Dutch market, and since 1985 also is focussed on the foreign markets. The purchase of raw, fresh sawn timber, drying, production and finishing of the floors is done in our two factories in Barneveld, the Netherlands and in Dömitz in Germany. In this way, Flamingo Parket not only can produce very competitive, but also is very flexible. Today the 70 enthusiastic employees of Flamingo parket produce weekly 6,000 m² of solid plankflooring Tongue and Grave , multilayer parquet, patterns, herringbone and custom-made. Hall 8 Booth 8808.

FG Floorsanding Machines Since 1950 FG is producing high quality floor sanding machines. The range includes today drum sanders, belt sanders, edge sanders and buffer machines. A perfect sanding result, highest quality and affordable prices have made find the company customers all over the world.

FG machines are the reliable partner of the parquet professional. No matter if it is the heavy duty machine SUPER BORA with

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FLOORCONCEPTS

WOODCARE, STAUF, PARKETT FREUND, a strong trio!

FLOORCONCEPTS WOODCARE, STAUF, PARKETT FREUND, a strong trio!

WOODCARE several years exclusive importer of Danish WOCA products for Belgium, Luxembourg and France, announces a privileged partnership with its German suppliers STAUF and PARKETT FREUND. FLOOR CONCEPTS will, in addition to the above ranges, offering an exceptional and full range of accessories including abrasives, sanders, ... in other words, a complete range of products!

FLOOR CONCEPTS “the future @ your feet”. Hall 8 Booth 8413.

“Fordaq - Leading online Market for wood products worldwide” Fordaq manages the largest online market & database of companies in the wood products industry worldwide. We can help you promote your products online to a global audience of professional buyers. Fordaq is also able to to give you unique information on who imports and exports products of your interest, in what volume and from what regions. If you are looking to develop your sales, find new suppliers or simply gain market intelligence, www.fordaq.com is the place to go. Booth n°8143.

Flexura Flexura is based in Desselgem and produces the “Pro Line“ range (composite parquet floors on HDF base for the project market in thicknesses of 10 and 12mm) and “Napoli” (veneer floors). This assortment includes an extensive range of finishes, both oiled and varnished. The products are supplied as required with TG or with a uni-clic system. They also make the matching staircase steps on the same site. Booth 8623.

Gasccogne All Wood Gasccogne All Wood positioned itself as a timber specialist in the home through a wide range of expertise and products; paneling and decorative flooring to siding, through molding and finishing accessories. Gascogne All Wood is still a reference on the market for solid wood furnishings.

Gasccogne All Wood offers attractive products, qualitative, innovative and environmentally friendly in two brands: IMBERTY deco paneling and solid wood flooring; HYLOR, cladding and decking and solid wood derivatives. Booth n° 8423.

GORI & MADUROX GORI – Scandinavian top quality since 1902 GORI is internationally renowned for the quality of its products for professional use to protect and preserve wood. GORI offers a compact ready to use assortment of stains and preservatives from which you can easily choose the solution for your wood project.

MADUROX – for treatment of the wood Wood is subjected to insects or can become affected with mildew. In order to preserve and cure these attacks, a preventive or protective MADUROX treatement of the wood is recommended. Booth 8101.

Helco Floors Helco Floors is a leading wooden flooring production company in China. They operate in the top sector and specialise in selecting woods like exquisite AB and rustic grades. They also have expertise in finishing flooring with low maintenance finishes without the problems of natural coatings and have been importing to numerous top brands for several years. They distribute their “LA PROVENCE” collection themselves. It is made as a 20mm product and is manufactured in both warm and fashionable colours. In 2014 Helco Floors will be launching two high end collections on the market, namely TOSCANA and VERSAILLES, which are equally beyond compare. “Toscana” is made from exquisite rustic oak with a natural top layer finished with a super soft matt lacquer applied by hand. It is finished by Italian masters and is both exceptional and timeless. “Versailles” is a collection with a higher profile and has been developed by Italian designers together with specialists in high gloss finishes.

This has given rise to a revolutionary result never seen before in the wooden flooring sector. Booth 8405.

Hesse Benelux- Discover our future at the European Floor and Wall Exhibition (booth 8107) “With more than 100 years of experience, Hesse Benelux NV is a professional in products for wood finishing. Hesse Benelux NV is active in several industries, Interior – Parquet – Outdoor – Glass and Project markets.

Personal and individual advice rank first. Customized service is the main goal of the firm. Since the foundation in 1910 of Hesse GmbH & Co. KG in Germany, we produce stains, varnish and lacquers for the wood industry. Thanks to our excellent quality and service, we are a key player in Europe. During the exhibition, we will highlight our new maintenance products for the parquet industry.

Herrebout Parket A pure massive wood company, emphasising to make that wat the client wants more than what he can find in a standard product. Our standard range of parquets are joined by a large choice in panels and accessories. Our clients appreciate our swift

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

Floor Forum International 66

a 4 kW 3-phase motor and 82 kg weight, BORA with a 2,5 kW monophasic motor and 80 kg, MISTRAL with 2,2 kW and 78 kg and ZEPHYR with 2,2 kW and 72 kg, or the edge sanders TAIFUN 120 or TAIFUN 330, FG sanders offer real value for money. Booth 8819.

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approach in grills, made to measure designs and ideas for real daring finishes. Booth n° 8837.

Houtbedrijf Kerkhofs Houtbedrijf Kerkhofs bvba has the experience of many generations (since 1912 ) We are specialized in the production of solid hardwood flooring in oak and over 40 other wood species (from afrormosia to zebrano ) . We produce Battens, herringbone, chevron, and design panels all on demand with the very best machinery.

Customer-minded at competitive prices. Our wholesale delivers Mosaic panels, engineered floors, parquet borders, industrial parquet , borders, skirting, setc… www.parketkerkhofs.be Booth 8731.

Impertek Impertek, a “Made in Italy” company that has been operating internationally for 30 years as a manufacturer of waterproofing accessories and raised floor supports, is about to launch its extension system for Jack Supports.

This system optimises the use of the supports, both for site and warehouse purposes. The extensions come in three heights: 5, 20 and 30 mm. The 30 mm extension can also be overlapped. Another new feature will be the XL Jack Supports, an innovative continuous thread screw system, enabling ample variations .

Hall 8 Booth 8639.

Ipe Latino

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Traditionally, IPE LATINO specialized in tropical hardwood import. The most demanded being the PADOUK with a parallelogram profile Allowing for invisible fastening. Often called RHOMBUS available in decking boards or in cladding.

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bleach or urine.

– Prevent the formation of mildew, algae or moss.

– No cracks nor splinter – Product tested in laboratories CAO, RDM, physical and mechanical strain resistance test.

VESTA = Vegetal Ecological Stable Timber Advantage. Booth 8836.

New for 2014 Ipe latino introduce a new material: the << VESTA by NEOLIFE SOLUTION>> A reconstituted wood made of more than 91% wood fibers naturally rendered hydrophobic; A new 100% bio-material that have won the 2013 INOV’R’s eco-material price and has been nominated for the innovation price at the BATIMAT construction exhibition in Paris.

From French Forest, all PEFC certified, VESTA Neolife can be found in decking, cladding boards of a standardized 3.25m long by 30cm wide format, outdoors stairs...

What are the benefits of that material?

– 100% glue-free bio-material – 30 cm wide for a 1m² quickly fixed board – No maintenance needed, UV resistant – Uniform Appearance that won’t discolour in contact of salt,

Ideal GC Ideal is a leading high-tech Russian production company with a full-cycle of synthetic materials such as skirting boards and profiles for the interior decoration. The process starts in the Design Office and Design Department, and moves on to the industrial production of high quality products and an advanced distribution system. The company is known as “the first price company”, which sets price levels and quality standards on the market. A logistically adjusted and structurally built production-marketing cycle and intelligent distribution policy have resulted in steady growth and a geographical expansion in sales. They are now exporting their products to the CIS and EU countries. Booth 8331.

Kerakoll With 20 innovative products lines and more than 1.700 eco-friendly references, Kerakoll is the only company offering a global solution in the GreenBuilding in order to plan, to build and to live respecting the environment and the house wellbeing.

Kerakoll has systems for technically and aesthetically perfect laying and finishing of hardwood floors, which are reliable, longlasting, and eco-friendly thanks to solvent-free, not toxic, water-based products with very low volatile organic compound emissions ensuring better indoor air quality; benefiting the health of the installers and the occupants of the building. Booth 8505.

Klindex: quality manufacturer and designer of floor machines Klindex developed and patented a new system for grinding and polishing natural stone using the synthetic diamond pads technology. Klindex aims to develop the best machines available In cooperation with their customers. The company is also UNI EN ISO 9001: 2000 certified for “ DESIGN, PRODUCTION, SALE OF CLEANING AND GRINDING MACHINES” and thanks to the amazing results and testimonials coming in from early customers, the KLINDEX SYSTEM is now recognized as arguably “the best system for grinding and polishing all kinds of natural stones.” Booth 8404.

Luxury Decor Floors Our product, patented and produced under the ISO 9001 and IS0 14001 certificate, is a new type of floor covering that starts where all other floor coverings stop. LDF produces and imports top quality exclusive Vinyl planks from the Far East and

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Visit us at

EUROPEAN FLOOR & WALL EXHIBITION (B) !

STAND 8409 - 16/18.03.2014

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distributes these exclusively throughout Europe. In addition to our own distribution center we also create our own designs in contemporary designs and colors. Booth 8305.

Leplang YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL: You have, or are looking for, high-end clients and you want to stand out from the rest. You swear only by quality, precision, refined work, and attractive materials. Your work is well organised, precise, and respectful towards demanding clients. You see the hardest work as both a challenge and a chance to show off your talent. If this is the case, THEN JOIN OUR NETWORK. ZAGERIJ LEPLANG offers you the know-how of more than three generations in the preparation of the finest oak. Take advantage of our expertise for all your work in oak wood which is ready for processing, assembly, or fitting: parquet and wooden flooring, stairs, furniture, interior and exterior doors, windows, wooden roofs, exterior wall cladding, terraces, carports, racetrack enclosures, garden houses, or recreation areas. All this in new, old, or distressed oak. Specialist in finger jointed wood. Booth 8515.

Little Bear Belgium Little Bear was created and developed by professionals in the timber industry in 2003, 10 years experience. Actors brand companies have developed over this period great skills around all types of wood products distributed worldwide Specialists logging, sawing wood, manufacture of flooring, paneling and blades terraces in exotic wood, they have a clear vision of the market and extensive contacts in various foreign countries to allow them to listen to needs and expectations of their customers. With an undeniable expertise in the field of import, distributed ranges have gradually expanded, diversified, and new products such as natural stone have appeared in outlets. Moreover, due to large investments in research and development, new product lines were created. This work has strong competition from foreign countries, which have gradually shaped the brand strategy towards development of high-end products, strong ecologic and innovative issues. Respect of the environment is at the heart of the concerns of stakeholders of the company, aware of the environmental, social and economic functions of forests. This is why in “Eco-Responsible,” LITTLE BEAR has obtained the PEFC label certifying that a part of raw materials and decoration marketed are from sustainably managed forests where biodiversity is assured. All brand companies are humansized companies, led by passionate people with a strong creative ability, for which advise and customer satisfaction is an ongoing objective. Booth 8728.

Brands: Composite wood terrace LITTLE BEAR Exotic wood terrace Exotic flooring Little Bear IMA multi layer Parquet floor

TRADITIONAL PARQUET MANUFACTURER Style panels, end grain, distressed floors (different ageing techniques ‘sanded, brushed, tumbled, smoked and structured’): Customised work on simple request!

B.J. Parket

BVBA

INDUSTRIESTRAAT 44 9240 Z ELE – B ELGIUM TEL: +32 52 44 45 57 FAX: +32 52 45 06 71 EMAIL: INFO@BJPARKET.BE WWW.BJPARKET.BE

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Litubel The Belgian-Lithuanian parquet producer with a production plant in Lithuania and sales offices in Belgium and Croatia has built up a sound reputation for its solid oak floors over several years.

Furthermore, they also offer a qualitative semi-solid parquet with a solid oak top layer of 6mm on strips in oak.

New launches In order to meet the growing demand for finished products, the company has invested heavily in finishing machines. This means they can now offer all sorts of finishes such as oiled, varnished, smoked, brushed, or distressed. Furthermore, there is also a wide range of solid and two-layer parquet in four qualities, namely Prime (Select), Burgundian, Rustic, and Castle. These are all exclusive European oak floors. Recently, Litubel has also started producing solid oak doors. Booth 8812.

Lalegno For over 30 years , we have been working on the development of Lalegno engineered wooden flooring, with strong investments and revolutionary innovations. The combination of technical ingenuity, practical vision and passion for wood is the basis of the extensive collection of beautiful engineered hardwood floors , designed with respect for the material and the environment.

The brand focuses on developing durable quality floors, aiming to maximize customer satisfaction . Lalegno stands for cooperation with competent and professional partners, both for the production of their floors as for distribution and installation.

Therefore, in the Benelux, Lalegno has become a major player in the world of multilayer parquet . But the ambitions to explore Europe and the world are high. Many strong partnerships with distributors and agents in several countries have already developed , but the company is always looking for new collaborations to intensify their distribution network. In this way, the delivery times for interested consumers across Europe are kept as short as possible and the beautiful Lalegno floors will soon be accessible to all. Hall 8 Booth 8605.

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La San Marco Profili

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La San Marco Profili is a leader Italian skirting and outdoor flooring manufacturer, its well-known reputation has been earned over many years of market activity. The Company continuously renews itself to better meeting the changing market demands. In fact, our catalogue not only shows many new ideas regarding shapes and finishing of products, but also it shows the capacity to create ad hoc natural wood and painted skirting from samples and the ability to guarantee fast delivery of any product. We are pleased to invite you to visit us at European Floor and Wall Exhibition hall 8 booth nr. 8819.

Lagae Hout LAGAE HOUT is a dynamic timber trade with an outstanding range of ‘clever’ wood concepts and innovations to meet the expectations of today’s and tomorrow’s wood users.

Our range : - solid hardwood: imports from all over the world - wood for home & garden: terrace planks, exterior wall cladding, and garden wood - wide range of parquet floors - panels: tilly, veneer, rubber wood, multiplex, OSB, MDF, etc.

- wood for carriage construction - special wood: huge stock of rare wood.

LAGAE HOUT offers lots of benefits: - direct import - wide range of FSC wood - delivery all over the country - planing to order - huge stocks - advice and service.

A selection from our trademark range: Berg & Berg, Dennebos, Bio-3, Parador, Quick Step, Par-ky, Ecosimp, Woca, Igel, Delignit, Tilly, Dendrolight, etc.

If you require further information you can always visit our web site www.lagae.be.

Booth 8304.

Mapei

Founded in Milan in 1937, Mapei is today’s world leader in the production of adhesives and chemical products for building.

Mapei put its strategy of internationalization into action in order to have maximum proximity to the needs of local markets. The Group now counts 68 subsidiaries with 63 production facilities in operation over 31 countries and 5 continents. Furthermore, Mapei has developed a sales and technical service network with offices all over the world and offers an efficient Technical Assistance Service that is valued by architects, engineers, contractors and owners. Mapei will show at European Floor & Wall Exhibition the complete range of adhesives for the laying of parquet and all complementary products. Booth 8727.

Mac Lean

Mac Lean is a supplier with an extensive assortment parquet products and offers for every room the right solution. The assortment exists of a range of underlay in several materials, thicknesses and certificates. Besides, Mac Lean has a program skirting in different sizes and colors. Accessories for laminate and other floors are also available e.g. alutapes, installation sets, wedges. Unique innovation is the Perfect verstek. Create easily a perfect 90°corner by using 3 clips. (European Floor & Wall Exhibition hall 8/ booth 8805)

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Oosterlinck Thanks to its modern machinery and high qualified personal, Oosterlinck has become one of the leading Belgian manufacturers of wooden flooring. Everything is produced in the company itself. Solid flooring in traditional 9 mm to boards in 14 and 21 mm thickness Since 3 years Oosterlinck has started its own production line of engineered flooring not only in oak but also in exotic species like afrormosia, wengé,teak,... in 16/4 and 21/6 up to 280 mm wide. Everything is done in the factory itself: cutting toplayers, gluing, planing and packing. The objectives: high quality – precision and service at competitive prices. Booth 8531.

One Two Concept TIME AND MATERIAL RECORDING WITH ONE TWO: USER FRIENDLY AND NO-NONSENSE Keeping track of the working hours for your staff is quite a job. Not infrequently the many notes are incomplete or illegible, and occasionally one of them is lost… It takes a lot of time to decipher all this information! At the end of the journey, you have almost no energy left to do more effectively things with

THIS SUMMER IT WILL BE A PLEASURE TO LIVE OUTSIDE!

MIX & MATCH

the results. ‘Work’ of One Two is an extremely user-friendly system that simplifies the complete paperwork associated with recording time and material. Hall 8 Booth 8123.

Overmat

During the European Floor & Wall Exhibition in Gent (B) Overmat will present the latest Floorservice products, including a complete new range of UV hardening products for industrial use. This assortment offers the most popular trend colours.

Besides these industrial product Floorservice offers a range of products for manual use. For example the pretreatment product Prime Old Grey for an weathered look of oak. The latest product is Nature Protect which maintains the unfinished look of oak, but provides ultimate protection of the wood. Including a unique maintenance product Nature Care which keeps the ultra matte effect. Also a diversity of scarifying and grinding machines will be shown during this show. These machines are suitable for floor preparation and treatment of parquet and wooden floors.

Hall 8 Booth 8704.

Outdoor Wood Concepts® Outdoor Wood Concepts® provide contemporary solutions for outdoor wood. We specialize in solid wood facade cladding,

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Visit us at

EUROPEAN FLOOR & WALL EXHIBITION (B) !

STAND 8404 - 16/18.03.2014

TIMBA & MINITIMBA

10 CONTEMPORARY WOOD COLOURS AND 8 TRENDY POP COLOURS THAT CAN ALSO BE MIXED!

The complete system for wooden floor treatment!

Planetarium System

ing e look we ar ealers d for Easy Transport

NEW Spherical Wheels

QUALITATIVE AND HIGHLY RATED ALL-ROUNDER!

Counter-Rotating Head 4 Hp Power

Spherical Wheels

COLOURS AND PROTECTS YOUR WOOD IN ONE SINGLE LAYER MOLECULAR TECHNOLOGY VOC FREE

Dust Extractor

1,5 Hp Power

www.rubiomonocoat.com

Work in tight spaces

PROTECTS AND COLOURS YOUR WOOD IN ONE SINGLE LAYER

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

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

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RUBIO MONOCOAT HYBRID WOOD PROTECTOR

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wooden terraces and garden fencing. Our aim is to help you get the very best out of designs for facades and terraces.

We are continually looking to innovate. For example: tongue and groove joints at the end, hidden integrated ventilation slits, etc. Our Free Willy® and Woodface® facade cladding systems have both, on different occasions, featured in Designregio Kortrijk’s Top 50, which showcases the region’s most innovative products.

Outdoor Wood Concepts®: in the mood for wood! Booth 8327.

The PEFC label on wood products Any wood products can potentially be labelled with the PEFC logo which certifies that the wood of which the products is made originates from sustainably managed forests (i.e. a forest management which is simultaneously environmentally, economically and socially viable).

The PEFC certification system enables the traceability of the timber and wood flows, from the forests to the consumers.

Controls are made by independent third-party auditors in the forests as well as in the companies transforming the timber.

There are more than 15.000 PEFC certified companies in the world today, of which 425 in Belgium. Booth 8147.

Protac Ouest Sarl Protac Ouest Sarl / Wood Solutions for a Sustainable Future / Protac Ouest is an industrial planing, founded in 1993 situated in Brittany Western France. Our main business activity is the production and sales of Nordic Softwood Planed Timber and Profiled Boards (external cladding, decking, fencing, and tailor made products). Protac Ouest is operating with a high-tech production line offering several treatment and value-adding possibilities – cross-cutting, end-matching, pressure impregnation, and high quality surface coating. Sawn timber used as raw material is HighQuality Nordic Softwood imported mainly from Finland & Russia, from well managed forest. Protac Ouest is an environmentally friendly company FSC & PEFC certified. Booth 8113.

Plastor

Plastor, a manufacturer of solutions to protect and decorate wooden floors, works hard to meet the needs of decorating and interior design professionals. A specialist for more than 50 years

E SYSTÈMT É E V E BR

D E S I G N® PA R Q U E T F r a n c e

Navylam

Ultimate matt finish.

TED PAT E N EM SYST

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Bathroom parquet floor easier to lay

22

E SYSTÈMT É BREVE

Navylam Pre-oiled Double integrate black joint

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

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

www.ciranova.be | info@ciranova.be | Tel. +32 (0)51 30 11 40

www.designparquet.fr

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PlyQuet Holzimport PlyQuet Holzimport is the European sales office of the Indonesian factory Tanjung Kreasi Parquet Industry with the brands TEKA Parquet and TEKA Design.

All TEKA products are produced from French oak and according to the EUTR edict on wood trading in Europe. As a second range, PlyQuet offers one strip flooring with the brand name “Fleur”. Furthermore PlyQuet distributes exclusively and also Europe wide the brand “Elegant Living”, specialised on Luxury Vinyl Tiles and Planks. PlyQuet is also your competent contact for the worldwide purchase and distribution of wood raw material. Booth 8635.

Parketfabrikant Van den Branden Parketfabrikant Van den Branden is a manufacturer of engineered wooden floors in french oak and other wood species like pine and exotics. They also offer a range of reclamed wooden floors in oak and are renowned for their high quality floors and competitive prices. Booth 8105.

Renoprotec We would like to introduce you to our company RPT Parquets. RPT stands for Reliable Parquet Technics, words which speak for themselves and reflect the traditional knowledge of the people behind them who put these words into practice. Our versatility also gives you a free choice and opportunities which we like to offer professionals. You can either deliver to us the wood to be treated or you can buy it from us. We can supply you with a completely finished product which is ready for fitting, so you don’t need to do anything after the fitting. Alternatively, you can opt for a semi-finish, but in this case, after the fitting, you need to apply oil, wax, or varnish of your choice and taste.

We try to stand out by targeting the professional market, which offers exclusive products. All our orders retain their exclusiveness and thereby give you added value as a seller towards your clients. Since we give client satisfaction a high priority, we offer flexible deliveries and will make every effort to meet your requirements. We guarantee good service and high quality.

Extensive tests have proved that our ready-for-fitting delivery is perfectly suitable for the kitchen. Products which sometimes get spilt on a kitchen floor can be cleaned up with no problem at all.

We have carried out tests using red wine, ketchup, vinegar, hot butter, olive oil, fruit juice, and jam.

Our treatment is possible on just about all surfaces such as wooden floors, skirting boards, doors, stairs, etc ...

See the value of our passion With respect for wood! Booth 8825.

Rubio Monocoat While attending the European Floor & Wall Exhibition we will focus on the revolutionary technology of molecular binding that gives our oils their exceptional qualities. We will also highlight our new range of creative products, and the unlimited possibilities this RMC Precolor Easy range creates. It goes without saying that we will also demonstrate the most recent version of our industrial finishing line: the Rubio Monocoater 420 E -full option. Visit us: Hall 8/ stand 8321. www.rubiomonocoat.com Rectavit Rectavit keeps building at her fifty year long experience as adhesives specialist. A strong devotion to innovation leads to continuous synchronization between the assortment and ever evolving market trends.

Rectavit 255 FiberTech is the most recent result of this strategy.

It is the very first fiber reinforced floor boarding adhesive on the market thus labeled a true innovation. The FiberTech-technology results in a much faster strength buildup and considerably higher end strength. Installed parquet can be walked upon after a mere 3 hours and sanded after 16 hours. Furthermore, the quicker strength buildup allows installation of wider floorboards without risking deformation.

Hall 8 Booth 8319.

Soest Soest is looking forward to the new EFWEX trade fair with high expectations. The Belgian company Tryma will also be present at this stand. Tryma is the new dealer of Soest for the parquet industry for Belgium and France. Apart from a number of oiling and brushing machines, they will also be giving demonstrations once again of the new AM distressing machine due to its huge success at Domotex.

This machine can treat planks in passageways and applies the damages entirely at random. It is possible quite simply to set the sort, number, and depth of the damages. Are you curious to know more about their machines? Or do you want to know more about the company Tryma? If so, pay a visit to stand no.

8439 in Ghent!

SPEA SPEMI® is the trademark of the company SPEA bvba, which specialises in laminating PE foam and transforming XPS foams. SPEA subfloors, such as HD – FE – WV, are known for their efficient contact sound insulation of ∆Lin10 dBa or higher,and Lw 22 or more, .All this under stress in accordance with the standards EN ISO10140 and 717/2. Other versions such as ALZ and NS also reduce the sound of footsteps considerably.

SPEMI ® WV is a material based on XPS

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

Floor Forum International 66

in the production of wooden floor varnishes, today Plastor offers a complete range to meet the needs of all tradespeople: glues, sanding materials, stains, varnishes, oils, maintenance, and decking protection products. Booth 8711.

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with a density of about 100kg/m³ and a limited thickness of about 1.7mm and is designed specially for floating PVC laminate.

Due to its mechanical strength the click joint is put under less stress and is therefore less likely to crack. With its limited built-in thickness, it is suitable for floor heating and the micro-perforation eliminates the problem of two vapor barriers (avoid condensation). The product is supplied on a sheet of 50/100cm and is handily packed per 12/15/20m². Stand 8809.

Silvadec Established in France in 2001, Silvadec is the first company to manufacture composite wood in Europe. The co-founders approached the North American company of reference to develop a special formulation of wood composite made mostly of wood, and thus to create Forexia® wood composite. As a pioneer manufacturer, Silvadec has over 10 years’ experience in this technology, and more than 25 years of historical perspective from its North American partner. Through its mastery of the material, its experience and innovation, Silvadec is the leader in France and Europe in the manufacture of wood composite and is considered the company of reference on its market. Booth 8131.

Soudal Soudal is a genuine Belgian family company, which after more than 45 years is still being managed by its founder Vic Swerts.

Soudal’s continuous investments in Research & Development result in a permanently innovative range of products which meet the latest market requirements and offer the professional floor installers the quality and performance which is their due. With the new hybrid timber & wood flooring adhesives MS®-20 Plus, MS-30® Plus and SMX-30, improved performance with regards to end strength, open time, strength build-up and emission is obtained. They all have the lowest possible Emicode, EC-1 Plus, and therefore also meet the increasing demand for improved Indoor Air Quality. Booth 8719.

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SOLIDOR ADJUSTABLE PEDESTALS

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Solidor is an extrusion and injection molding company that produces plastic products for the industry and the building sector. Solidor has developed since 1973 an adjustable pedestal/support for decking or concrete tiles. The adjustable supports can be adjusted anywhere from 1 cm to 100 cm and provide extremely high load capacity. By using Solidor supports, you can quickly and easily adjust the height of a wooden floor. Since the wood floats on the supports, it is also able to dry quickly. A number of accessories can be ordered and its range is already a step ahead of other systems. Booth 8830.

Strong Export Photoluminescent Floor - Night Visions In January at DOMOTEX, Strong Export from Portugal presented a hugely successful product.

They have developed a unique and exclusive product, which is a result of close co-operation with a national R & D centre. This new product is a photoluminescent wooden flooring system. It is charged by natural light during the day and provides a gentle glowing light during the night. Either on the deck of a hotel lounge overlooking the city or a private swimming pool, this innovative product can be used for both decorative and safety purposes. It is available in various sorts of wood and has several interesting possible uses. The novelty factor will certainly amaze both clients and friends alike. We guarantee that your nights will have more light. Booth 8735 Elastic wood floor bonding Adhesives & Dispensers from Sika Meet the famous 1 component PU wood floor bonding adhesive SikaBond®-54 Parquet, the unique SikaLayer® acoustic (18dB) underlayers and the 3-in 1 Sika® Primer MR Fast. Discover also the ease and speed of the Sika® Dispensers during the demos.

Sika is already more than a century active in the sector of the specialized chemical products for construction: wood floor bonding, sealing and bonding, flooring, roofing, structural strengthening, concrete reparation and protection and waterproofing buildings.

More info: www.sika.be Booth 8410.

T&G Wood T&G Wood will show in Gent our new highlights.

New colors, new ideas and many more! Please feel free to visit us. Customize living is hot at the moment. Our technical knowledge and state of the art machinery enables us to deliver a wide variety of floorings. T&G Wood works already for many years with his Cinzento Custome made program and we are able to produce every customized floor you would like to have. In summary: Cinzento Custom Made® means a great number of possibilities for treatment to create your very own floors, “tailored” to your need, produced at our own brand flooring. Please visit us: www.tg-wood.com Hall 8 Booth 8611.

Unifloor Underlay Systems Unifloor Underlay Systems from the Netherlands are producers and providers of specialised acoustic, fast-track subfloor preparation solutions. Experts in free floating sub-floor

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Unisteam / Rovako Unisteam, the commercial name of Rovako bvba is exclusive distributor in Belgium for Janser, Proline systems and Havocolor. Rovako is the supplier of machines, tools, flooring profiles and coloured silicone for the professional flooring expert. Janser offers sanding machines, stripping machines and all handy tools for the installment of soft and hard floor coverings. Also the tools needed for the preparation of the underground. Proline offers a complete range of alu flooring profiles. Havocolor is our supplier of colored silicones. Booth 8224.

Vetedy launches the spacers !

Techniclic®, the revolutionary system for claddings, walls and ceilings covering in wood with invisible fixation gives itself a new accessory. Presented in 2011, Techniclic® has already reached many architect’s offices. Those partnerships have strengthened our system’s place in a market where demand is more and more focused on natural products with a high standard of finish.

Due to those exchanges, and after repeated demands, Vetedy launches the spacers. This accessory completes the invisible fixation offer et gives the possibility to choose the size of spacing between the wood slats. This basic spacing is 5,5mm.

With the spacers, it is now possible to choose a spacing from 10mm, to 20mm and to 30mm. The range of creation is endless: three proposed width, four spacing available, indoor and outdoor application, wood species always cautiously selected, everything is possible ! Vetedy Group has grown exponentially following the development of its system Softline®, launched in 2001 and which was the first system for wood decking without visible screw and non-oxydisable. The group innovates in 2011 with its patented system Techniclic® especially designed for claddings, walls and ceilings covering in wood without visible screws, with an incredible speed of installation for a precise finish recognized in numerous countries. Today, Vetedy Group is an international group established in Luxembourg, in Belgium, in Cameroon, in Indonesia and represented all around the world. Booth 8615.

Trivec - New at the European Floor and Wall exhibition: Trivec 2-head brush machine with angle adjustment At the European Floor and Wall exhibition Vec will present a new type of brushing machine for brush sanding and/or texturing of wood surfaces. Obviously the Trivec machines for one or multilateral finishing of flooring, decking and cladding are also

presented. The brushing machine is equipped with a pair of brush modules which (each individual) can be set at an angle.

With the right combination of brush-type, rotational speed and manner of angular adjustment, many different brush effects are possible. Vec specializes in brush techniques and besides this new model, has four other models including oscillating rotor brushes, brush machines with 4 or 6 modules and a basic machine with one brush module. The machines are available in working widths between 300 and 1300 mm.

Booth 8705.

Yepp Over the years YEPP has been a reliable partner for the timber and flooring specialist and this for a complete range of high quality wooden floors and their accessories. For this reason YEPP has chosen for high quality and innovative partners.

Besides our own brands in parquetry such as Doubly, Thrice and Raffinato we also distribute the Swiss BAUWERK, the laminateparquetry- and vinyl flooring of QUICK-STEP and M-FLOR. In accessories we are importer-distributor of PALLMANN finishing products, HERMES abrasives and PARKETTFREUND profiles.

Since last year we have expanded our range with solid oak stair steps and panels fabricated on demand and of course also wooden exterior wall cladding with different profiles and solid decking.

Come and discover our range and possibilities on our booths 8433 and 8337!

Holz Bois Parquet wholesaler’s Holz Bois presents traditional 9mm solid parquet and two-layer 13 or 18mm parquet from the own productions of Habo and Albers.

You will see amongst others beautiful new patterns, unique open book parquet, rough wooden floors and a new collection Top Line in six trendy finishes. In addition, Holz Bois also shows a selection of its own wide range of herringbone, mosaic and industrial floors. The many years’ partners Bostik (adhesives) and Irsa (surface finishing) complete this impressive stand.

Booth 8309.

Irsa For more than 39 years we have developed and produced high quality products for the surface protection of wood, parquet, cork, concrete and other material surfaces. Our aim is a well-conceived total system. We manufacture water lacquers, solvent-based lacquers, oils, waxes, together with the appropriate care and maintenance agents and color systems. IRSA also has extensive experience of surface finishing systems in industrial applications. To complete our range we supply top quality grinding agents, grinding machines, work equipment and additional products. On this fair we present the new 2-compound HP-Plus Oil colorless and in a range of beautiful colours. Booth 8309.

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

Floor Forum International 66

technology, specialising in dry-lay floor preparation and acoustic solutions. An extensive range covers virtually every kind of floor-covering and will deal with problematic substrate situations. Unifloor has become synonymous with high-performance and cost-effective floor underlays. Booth 8509.

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Alsapan Flooring ALSAPAN produces qualitative laminate flooring in the Alsace region near Strasbourg. Since A L S A FLO O R 1996, the company has built up a very strong position on the French market amongst both DIY traders (private labels) and hundreds of specialist French retail traders and dealers in flooring and building materials. From 2014, ALSAPAN has entrusted the sale of its laminate floors on the Belgian market to Little Bear in Villers near Namur. LITLLE BEAR/ALSAPAN has supplied and fitted the laminate floor of the Floor & Wall Design@Efwex room in Hall 8. (European Floor & Wall Exhibition in Ghent, Belgium). Booth 8728.

new brochures and a new and innovative display are the perfect sales tools for the varied range of parquet collections. An opportunity for your business! Booth 8430.

STYLE Alsafloor la qualité alsacienne «made in France» Nouvelle année, nouvelles gammes, nouvelles teintes et nouveaux looks …

2014 commence fort pour Alsafloor, la marque Alsacienne, premier fabricant français de sols du groupe Alsapan Flooring.

Collection Stratifié, Vinyle ou Parquet… cette nouvelle année est placée sous le signe de l’innovation technique et esthétique.

Envies de changement ou projets d’aménagements intérieurs… découvrez plus de 200 décors qui vont redonner au sol toutes ses lettres de noblesse.

- Photo : Fotolia

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Retrouvez votre revendeur sur

www.alsafloor.com

by

Flooring, Furniture, Worktops

Bamboo Touch Bamboo Decking Solutions introduces BDS Composite econodu®: a new innovating composite material, made of more than 60% of bamboo fibers coming from bamboo sawing and streamlining.

Associated to an ecological polymer and to strictly selected additives, these fibers make an exceptionally high quality material, for its resistance as well as for its visual aspect.

For terraces, loggias or balconies, BDS Composite econudo® is the environment friendly solution that requires few maintenance. It is available in 4 colors and 2 versions thanks to its reversible boards. Booth 8522 Brems floors + Collstrop Home = Dubois-Parquet !

From now on, Collstrop Home, Brems Floors, and Velvet Parket will be working together under the name Dubois-parquet. Two

Wood Experience Wood Experience is a young and dynamic company which specialises in the import and sale of European composite parquet in both two and three-layer structures on 100% birch plywood bases. Wood Experience sells only durable and high quality European products with the best price/quality ratio. The company is therefore dealer for België van Baltic Wood, one of the most progressive producers of three-layer parquet in the world. In two-layer parquet on birch plywood, Wood Experience offers an extensive range up to 42cm wide in various finishes. Booth 8715.

Hertog Vloeren Hertog Vloeren BV is a producer of oak wooden flooring and parquet, with customers all over the world. Since its founding in 2001, Hertog Vloeren has specialized in various aging techniques and unique finishes that have formed the base for the current Renaissance collection. The Renaissance collection encloses not only a wide range of product types, but also a large variety of colors and types of ageing. From wide boards in Hertog Top ® up to handcrafted overlay in Hertog Traditional ®; Hertog Vloeren BV is able to live up to the most specific and unique customers wishes.

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Booth N5D01 / Hall N5

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NEW

THE NARROWEST PROFILE SYSTEM WORLDWIDE WITH OPTIMAL EXPANSION JOINTS

PPS® Champion-Star · for floors from 4 – 9,5 mm · use of TORX-screws · based on the award-winning Championtechnology with sliding grooves

www.kueberit.com

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Wintersteiger - A powerful combination: thin cutting technology and wood surface repairs WINTERSTEIGER invites visitors to Booth No. 8-506 at HolzHandwerk in Nürnberg (March 26 – 29, 2014) and will be

presenting the leading thin-cutting technologies in machines and tools as well as the latest product innovation “Timber Repair & Cosmetics”. TRC means wood surface repairs to the highest quality standards accompanied by huge potential for rationalization. On display at the show will be the semi-automatic TRC-M Easy entry-level model, the DSB Singlehead thin-cutting band saw and BANSO band saw blades for mobile sawmills and joiner, resaw and log band saw blades. With a friendly atmosphere guaranteed, the WINTERSTEIGER Team will be available for individual talks and an exchange on current trends in the field of wood cutting and filling technology.

Information about the Business Unit WOODTECH Wintersteiger is known for advanced thin-cutting technology that is used worldwide in the production of lamellas. The thin kerf, highest accuracy, a surface to glue and processing the lamellas without additional steps are key benefits for users.

The product line includes thin-cutting frame saws and thin-cutting band saws including upstream and downstream processing, blade sharpening machines, carbide and Stellite® saw blades, and technologies for gluing and pressing. Wintersteiger thin-cutting solutions for wood are used in the production of lamellas starting with 1.5 mm thickness. Among the customers are manufacturers of engineered flooring, doors and windows, multi-layer boards, pencils, musical instruments, etc.

“Timber Repair and Cosmetics” was added to the Wintersteiger product range following the majority takeover of VAP Automations GmbH in November 2012.

Information about WINTERSTEIGER AG Wintersteiger AG is a special machine builder based in Upper Austria and has concentrated on niche markets since its foundation in 1953. Wintersteiger’s business areas include • Sports: Turnkey solutions for ski and snowboard rental and servicing • BootDoc: Foot analysis and adapted insoles • Hotronic: Heating and drying systems for feet and boots • Drytech: Drying systems for hygienically dry work wear • Leveling technology: Leveling machines for the sheet metal processing industry (Kohler Maschinenbau GmbH) • Seedmech: Turnkey solutions for agricultural trials • Woodtech: Turnkey solutions for cutting wood thinly and precisely, including wood repairs and cosmetics • Banso: Band saws for wood and food Wintersteiger’s headquarters in Ried im Innkreis, Upper Austria, 20 major branches, and 60 representative offices deliver to no less than 130 countries worldwide. This takes Wintersteiger’s export quota to around 90 %.

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

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DOMOTEX GAZIANTEP MACHINE-MADE CARPET FAIR WILL HOST VISITORS IN GAZIANTEP Sector professionals will meet in Gaziantep from 26-29 May 2014 to establish new business connections and increase their trade volume.

Hannover Fairs Turkey Fuarcılık A.S. is leading the way yet again and moving the Turkish offspring of DOMOTEX to Gaziantep, a city that holds the high ground as an exporter of machinemade carpets. A comprehensive show to be held under the title DOMOTEX Gaziantep Machine-Made Carpet Fair from to 26-29 May 2014 will open its doors to visitors at Gaziantep Ortadoğu Fair Centre. Exhibitors will have the opportunity to display their products in a unique ambience extended over an area of approximately 29,000 gross square metres.

Stating that Gaziantep is a real trade centre as the closest province of Turkey to the Arab world and with its robust industrial structure, experience in trade and tourism potential, General Manager of Hannover Fairs Turkey, Alexander Kühnel adds: “Gaziantep has managed to become a major focal point of the world specifically in the production of machine-made carpets.

As the Hannover Fairs Turkey team, we are very pleased to organize the DOMOTEX Gaziantep Machine-Made Carpet Fair at the headquarters of the Turkish carpet trade. We are constantly trying to identify the needs and expectations of exhibitors and visitors and conduct market research with our associations and partners. As a result of these efforts, we decided to gather the machine-made carpet sector together this year at Gaziantep Ortadoğu Fair Centre and we believe that this decision will leave all parties satisfied. DOMOTEX Gaziantep Machine-Made Carpet Fair will be organized with the collaboration of Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce. ” DOMOTEX Gaziantep Machine-Made Carpet Fair is the perfect opportunity for all companies that wish to establish business relations with Turkey and the Middle East. Bringing together visitors and exhibitors at a single venue, this fair aims to increase the trade volume of the sector. In addition, within the scope of the Special Program for Anatolian Delegations, professionals selected from different cities of Turkey will visit DOMOTEX Gaziantep Machine-Made Carpet Fair. Promotion activities for the fair are provided through close cooperation with international TV and Radio channels, newspapers, web pages and other relevant media; and professional visitors from Turkey and the Middle East are directed towards the fair. As a subsidiary company of Deutsche Messe AG, Hannover Fairs Turkey Fuarcılık A.Ş. promotes the fair to target countries via its representative offices abroad and invites buyers from the Middle East to the fair.

The trade show in 2015 will cover a wide product range like; handmade and machine made carpets, rugs and mats, textile floor coverings (wall-to-wall), resilient floor coverings, laminate, wood and parquet, textile machinery and accessories, fibres, yarns and textiles, artificial grass and sport floorings, laying, cleaning and application technologies, natural stone, marble and ceramic tiles.

Industry news

> Industry news

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Special Floor fitting training : what’s on the market?

FLOOR FITTER TRAINING MORE ‘INITIATIVES’ THAN ‘REGULAR TRAINING’ Without being fully aware of it, the education sector has elevated the profession of a parquet floor fitter to an art form or an exclusive craft. That is a positive connotation from a negative finding. After all, the ‘profession’ of parquet floor fitter barely gets a mention in the standard education system, so, presumably, it doesn’t exist? That seems rather harsh when we consider that it is an activity with a considerable number of committed players and a not inconsiderable market share in the flooring market. There are lots of separate and independent training initiatives, and let’s be thankful for that.

As part of something …

A few telephone calls to some technical schools (secondary education/vocational education) confirmed our thoughts. The most telling conversation was with an administrator at a Technical School in Mechelen. We asked if the school offered a course to train parquet floor fitters and the lady was flabbergasted. Her answer was, “Parquet? Ah! For in the living room?” The lady knew nothing at all about it and the person who might have known something wasn’t there. We heard a voice in the background say, “It’s probably under construction.” Our search for a regular training course has so far proved fruitless, except …

As a project A Belgian magazine mentioned a ‘project’ which was set up at the end of last year in a number of schools in the Belgian province of East Flanders. In some Provincial Technical Institutes, teachers from the woodwork department had taken the initiative to introduce their students to the profession of parquet floor fitting. This has yielded a theoretical and practical training course in collaboration with the relevant sector association.

practical tricks of the trade by making a model board. The assignment begins for the students with the selection of the wood and runs right up to the finish. The design to be fitted has been chosen with due consideration for the students’ training level.

A sponsored course The collaboration of the manufacturers was essential for this initiative, which (at the moment) is running only in East Flanders.

Otherwise, the training would simply be too costly. The objective of the professional association is to enthuse potential parquet floor fitters for the profession by allowing them to taste some aspects of the ‘trade’ at an early stage. The room used in Wetteren will also be further developed into a professional training room. The organisers are already intending to extend the training to other provinces. It is obviously very important for manufacturers to support the training actively (and financially). It is crucial for them that their products/tools/machines are handled professionally. After all, people tend to point the finger at them first of all if something goes wrong during the fitting.

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Theory The teachers themselves were expected to cover the necessary basic theoretical knowledge during the lessons. In the Provincial Technical Institute of Ninove (Belgium), for example, they devoted three lessons a week to this over a period of eight weeks. To this end, the teachers themselves took part in a training course organised by Edutec/RTC East Flanders.

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Practice The organisers looked for a central location for the practical training. This was because a good training course requires good infrastructure/equipment and the correct professional machines and tools.

The choice fell to a room in the Scheppers Institute in Wetteren. A number of manufacturers/sponsors supplied equipment.

The organisers plan to develop this room further in the future. Students learn the

Picture: Foundation Dr.Iuga De Saliste

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A ‘Boss’ The initiative described above is presented as a ‘project’ which will be repeated in the future. We discovered from a survey amongst a number of floor fitters that you can’t learn the profession of floor fitting at school or in a practice room. The floor fitting profession is such a typical ‘from father to son’ narrative or a narrative of ‘trainee and Boss’. In other words, you learn it by doing it and you learn from experience. We often hear it suggested that the arrival of pre-finished parquet has had a detrimental effect on the skill of floor fitters. Nothing is further from the truth. You still need the same ‘skills’ to glue a multi-layer floor as you do for solid wood parquet. The only thing not needed now during the fitting is the sandpapering, but that comes into play when it is time for renovation. In the training course mentioned above, the practical assignment consisted of making a model board.

And so, this clearly involves the most important elements of the trade: - Moisture measurement - Preparing the substrate: grounding, levelling - Wood selection - Shortening the wood as necessary - Glueing - Fitting - Sandpapering - Fine sanding.

It is still equally clear, however, that making a board is not the same as fitting a parquet floor in a more or less large room where you have to take account of all sorts of conditions (temperature, air humidity, and draught). This is precisely why floor fitter training is always a ‘learning on the job’ trajectory. To this end, there are several opportunities in educational institutions which combine theoretical courses with working with a patron.

There are several courses in evening education.

The Netherlands The Netherlands has a recognised professional training course for potential floor fitters. This is called the Dutch Professional Support Pathway (Dutch: ‘Beroeps Begeleidende Leerweg’ or BBL for short) at the ROC Midden Nederland Gildevaart in Nieuwegein, the Netherlands. This course lasts for two years.

The BBL means working and studying at the same time. The

students operate in a company or institute for at least 60% of the time. And so, the emphasis is very much on ‘learning by doing’. The company where the students work has to be a ‘recognised training company’. There, they carry out tasks which are part of the course. The parquet trainer plays the part of supervisor on the shop floor. During this practical course, students learn more about wood sorts, parquet, materials, and work preparation. They practise fitting traditional parquet and wooden floors and they learn to deal with obstacles and finishing the edges. Apart from the practical exercises, there are also the lessons, which are in groups or for individuals. The lessons consist of modules. For people who have experience, but need some in-service training, the ‘Stichting Woon Werk’ foundation provides several in-service training courses in the Netherlands.

Training with manufacturers Are there many industries where the manufacturers concerned make so many efforts to provide training courses? Just about all the bigger players have some form of training institute in their company buildings where courses or workshops are organised for professionals on a more or less regular basis. Many of the European players do this both at their headquarters and at their (national) agents. These courses or workshops are usually related to introductions to new products or tools. They can be about new types of floors, fitting products (e.g. glues or levellers), machines, or tools. We see, for example, that the launch of a new sandpapering machine is almost always accompanied by a training session. There was a good example of training some years ago in the paint industry. The top brands organised seminars to help floor fitters (and painters and decorators) cope with the transition to waterborne products.

Special Floor fitting training : what’s on the market?

> continued from page 28

Conclusion It is not possible to scan the entire continent in search of a standard parquet training course. Such courses might exist and the organisers might respond to this article. The general drift which we have noticed, however, is that this trade is fostered mainly by professional associations and the manufacturers concerned. The teaching method is a combination of study and work. The initiatives are usually part of another course such as joinery, woodwork, etc.

Countries which belong to the European Union or want to be admitted are deemed to have adapted their different systems in legislation, education, and such like so that they correspond with each other. Dr. Luga de Saliste from the Rumanian professional school of the same name comments: “I take the view that one of the objectives should be to arrive at a uniform system of professional education.” More than 50% of the active professional population work as trained professionals, based on the minimum general school courses (8, 9, or 10). In practice, these workers form the backbone of the economy because technicians (graduates from technical colleges) and university graduates cannot work without the foundation laid by the traditional trades.

Dr. Luga de Saliste continues: “Until the various governments can reach a consensus on a joint programme, I am of the opinion that studying and working together can help people to pass on professional expertise to each other. That’s why our school has organised the first social and communal work event, in collaboration with the district council of Sibiu”.

That event took place between 20 and 27 March 2013. Parquet floor fitters from various countries (e.g. the Netherlands, Germany, Iceland, and Norway) came together to study and work with Rumanians for the renovation (sandpapering and oiling) of over 400 square metres of old parquet in two colleges in Sibiu.

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Floor Forum International 66

Dr. Luga de Saliste Foundation Big need for uniform professional schools

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Special Trends in PVC, vinyl and LVT floors

THOSE ‘OTHER FLOORS’ ARE MARCHING ON. PRODUCERS ARE LAUNCHING INTO SYNTHETIC FLOORS. I once had the distinct pleasure of visiting a world class player in the flooring market.

Without actually naming the party concerned, I can say that it was in Scandinavia, but the ‘group’ under which various factories came was from France. Is that clear or not? It doesn’t matter. The fact is that the company was actively involved in just about EVERYTHING on the flooring market apart from stone (e.g. parquet, solid wood, multi-layer, veneer floors, laminate, vinyl, and linoleum). In those days, I regarded such as assorted combination as fairly unique. Today, however, we are seeing how the major players are systematically enlarging their spheres of service to incorporate a wider range of floor types. Vinyl, PVC, and linoleum are catching on again.

The range is increasing The range of floor types is not really increasing as such. What is true, however, is that the decorative choices within the floor types and a number of technical properties are such that clients now have an unlimited choice of floor combinations.

Floor Forum International 66

Compatibility What does unlimited mean? As regards decorative elements, it means that, amongst other things, there is such a good rapprochement between the floor sorts as regards designs that they are becoming completely compatible with each other. And so, solid wood parquet in the living room can merge almost seamlessly into vinyl ‘planks’ (LVP) in the kitchen. The plurality of decors is removing all the restraints. The damp resistance of synthetic floors makes them ideal for the bathroom (see elsewhere in this edition). A threshold from the landing in laminate to the bathroom with LVT or PVC is no longer a problem.

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What about parquet floor fitters?

What does this conclusion actually mean for floor fitters? Quite simply, they would be well advised to include the fitting of those floor types in their range. After all, clients regard the floor project as one coherent project. Certainly with renovation, clients expect professionals to meet all their specific needs. Obviously, this is no problem when it comes to tile designs with click system. Such tiles are just as easy to fit as laminate. However, fully glued vinyl or linoleum rolls, do require a certain dexterity which differs a little from that required for fitting traditional parquet.

Photo: Plastivan

Why this boost?

Why the boost in laminate? This is the same question and the answers also run parallel. For years, the range of decors in laminate knew no bounds.

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If we were to put all assortments from all producers next to each other, we might well be able to count more wood decors than there are sorts of trees. In addition to the wood decors, we also see in laminate tile decors and others, every imaginable modern and youthful colour and design. And so, it’s not easy to add anything! Yet the emergence of digital print technology has extended the range from ‘vast’ to ‘unlimited’. There’s everything, and we can make anything that might be missing. The age of personalisation has dawned, certainly as far as laminate is concerned. For vinyl, PVC, and linoleum we can limit ourselves to one simple conclusion: the development has been identical.

Technically, there has been the transition from pliable floors in rolls to tiles and planks with a click system for floating fitting.

Decoratively, the development has been exactly the same as that of laminate.

and other public areas. Here, amongst other things, the easy fitting is an important point. Floating floors can be fitted and/or replaced without too much inconvenience.

Some advantages Producers and suppliers are presenting their products with the same sales arguments. Let’s briefly summarise those arguments.

Comfortable The elasticity of the surface means that these floors are also soft at the joints. They ensure excellent acoustics by virtually eliminating the sound of footsteps. Moreover, they feel warm, even when we walk on them barefoot. All these comfort properties are greatly appreciated in both residential and commercial settings.

The scope The floors discussed here can be used quite simply for everything. In a residential context traders express this versatility as ‘suitable for any room in the home’. Decoratively, because, as we have already said, all interior styles are available (from modern to ‘aged’), and technically, because they can also be fitted in damp rooms. In a commercial context there has been a big increase, for example, of LVT with a reinforced top layer in hotels

Floating or glued In some projects (residential or public) it is quite possible that project managers prefer a glued floor solution for certain parts, whilst they would tend to opt for a floating fitting for other parts. With vinyl, PVC, and linoleum, both fitting techniques are possible, in many cases within the same decor collection. In other words, the floor surface can look identical everywhere, even though the fitting techniques differ. It is comparable with the transition from fully glued solid wood floors to floating fitted multi-layer parquet with an identical top layer as the solid wood floor.

What are the trends?

Producers and suppliers also agree on current trends. Wood decors are doing extremely well, followed by stone decors, and, finally, more frivolous, youthful designs.

Special Trends in PVC, vinyl and LVT floors

> continued from page 30

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Special Trends in PVC, vinyl and LVT floors

> continued from page 31

Wood decors As is the case with laminate, wood decors score the highest marks. The wood decors with LVT and LVP are so realistic that it is hard to distinguish these floors from real wood. Here, too, technology has provided synchronised wood pores so that the floors even feel like the corresponding wood sort. Due to these technical and visual similarities, manufacturers even see these floors as rivals to solid and multi-layer wooden floors. Obviously, we’re not surprised at all by the fact that within these wood decors oak once again takes all the prizes. Oak in plank format is on offer in an infinite array of designs, from rustic to contemporary. In the area of colour finishes, light and dark grey shades take the prizes.

Stone decors Stone decors are number ‘two’ amongst all manufacturers. This is actually the brainchild of logic itself. There is a very wide range of stone decors, since traders promote them as the ideal floor solution for kitchens and bathrooms due to their highly waterproof character. Here, too, digital print technology provides imitations which look like the real thing. The decors look like real sorts of stone both visually and in terms of feel.

towards a number of softwood sorts. Light and grey tints are definitely a trend. DISANO is in line with these trends. Click systems are the most popular and Top Connect means that quick fitting is possible.

Kurkfabriek Van Avermaet

Modern decors Once again as with laminate, we are seeing how, in step with the best sellers (wood and stone), collections are presenting themselves in endless original patterns. Young, youthful, dark design, serious, light, and playful. Some manufacturers also use the decors for LVT and LVP or vinyl in rolls, which have proved successful in laminate. Once again, this opens up scores of possible combinations. It’s not even possible to present a division of these decors: the sky’s the limit!

Comments from the industry Amorim

Floor Forum International 66

The Wicanders Vinyl Comfort Floors (both PVC click and glued designs) are also ideal for use in both residential and commercial settings. Apart from big demand for wood decors, they have also noticed a growing demand for stone. Clients appreciate both the glued and floating floors for their easy fitting. The Wicanders collection includes an entry-level quality so that this range meets any price class. The star product is the Wicanders Vinyl Comfort Alaska Oak.

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Haro The DISANO floors from Haro do not contain any PVC, softeners, or heavy metals. This design floor has the same positive features as standard vinyl and at the same time creates a healthy environment. The sophisticated construction in five layers gives the floor a number of convincing features to make it an aesthetic and healthy floor. These floors can be used in high traffic residential settings or in moderate traffic commercial rooms. Haro has noticed a clear trend towards oak, but also

The floors from Kurkfabriek Van Avermaet are suitable mainly for high traffic rooms, but also, obviously, for private homes.

Wood decors are the best sellers. LVT technology means that it is hardly possible for non-specialists to tell the difference between these floors and real wooden floors. Click systems are the most popular. According to Van Avermaet, these floors provide competition for solid wood parquet and veneer because the profiling means that these floors can no longer be distinguished from real wood. For hotels, they advise floating flooring with a durable LVT top layer because this type of flooring is ready for immediate use. Van Avermaet regard the Wicanders Vinyl Comfort Alaska Oak (1220 x 185 x 10.5mm) as their star product.

Parador Wood decors are also a trend at Parador. The company presents a number of new decors with synchronised pores. Parador has applied its design experience in laminate production to the vinyl range. Decors based on wood from ship crates or yard planks are now also available in vinyl. There are also some new stone decors. A new one is tile in the size 598 x 294mm in strong vinyl, ideal for kitchens and bathrooms.

Parador offers solely tiles with a click system. The floors are equally suitable for residential or commercial use. The star product is the vinyl floor Classic 2030/2050 Boxwood Vintage

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Brown, which fits in perfectly with the ‘up-cycling’ trend. With its vivid, mixed dark look, this floor is ideal for a modern interior.

Plastivan

in the health sector. These floors provide some competition for wood and stone in high traffic areas which allow for little maintenance. Upofloor has an extensive range in all these floors.

Their star product is the Upofloor Life Line, a new type of floor (with no PVC or vinyl), which was first launched in 2004 as an innovative and ecological alternative for users looking for high performance combined with staff safety. The makers have developed this range for heavy commercial use. The floors are manufactured in Finland from natural minerals and thermoplastic polymers. The floor is free of chlorine and other halogens and does not contain any VOCs. It is highly resistant to chemical influences, eliminates bacteria, and has outstanding fire resistance properties. These floors are available in rolls and tiles in a wide variety of decors.

The LVT floors from Plastivan are suitable for both residential and commercial use provided that the durable top layer is also fitted. Wood decors (with oak as the topper) are still the foundation within every collection with a trend towards light and dark grey colours. Furthermore, tile patterns are popular since they are perfectly suitable for fitting in bathrooms and kitchens where moisture resistance is important. The Viligno collection meets this need with modern colours and designs.

Floors with a click system sell better than rolls for glueing.

Plastivan nominates its tile collection as the star product.

Special Trends in PVC, vinyl and LVT floors

> continued from page 32

Tarkett

Whether or not a vinyl floor is suitable for residential or commercial use depends largely on the type of vinyl floor. There are vinyl floors which should best be fitted only in rooms with little traffic, whilst other vinyl floors can be fitted in living rooms, corridors, and such like with no problem at all. The Tarkett range is so wide that they have a floor suitable for any use.

Here, too, wood decors are still the number one, but there is also a growing demand for creative decors and single colours.

At present, Tarkett is seeing a transition from rolls to click vinyl, but rolls are still very popular. A major factor here is that the price of a click vinyl is considerably higher than vinyl in rolls. The star product for this type of floor is the Starfloor Click.

Upofloor At Upofloor, too, they have noticed an upsurge of interest in wood and stone decors, especially with individual tiles and planks. Wood decors in rolls are also doing very well, including

Windmöller offers its wineo® collection, an extensive range of vinyl floors in numerous wood and stone decors. Its major properties are extreme durability, silence, and softness and pleasantness, as well as the fact that it is available for both glueing and with a click system, is easy to fit, and is limited in height (2-9mm). These floors can be fitted in all rooms, private or public. For commercial use, for example, there is the wineo® PRESTIGE with user class 43. The SELECT and NOBILE (both in class 42) have a top layer of 0.55mm. For hotels and shop-inshop fittings there are the ACANA and LAGUNA. Windmoller’s star product, however, is the KINGSIZE. This XL plank appears in 12 trendy decors in oak, vintage, and rough sawn, as well as in an extended range of colours. These quality floors can be fitted in damp rooms and in combination with floor heating. The installation height is 2.5mm for the roll and 5mm for the floors with a CONNECT click system, so they are perfect for renovation. The top layers are available in 0.3mm and 0.55mm.

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Floor Forum International 66

Windmöller Flooring Products GmbH

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Special Producers of Cross-cut floors : types and fitting methods

CROSS-CUT REQUIRES SPECIAL ATTENTION THE FLOOR WHICH SWELLS AND SHRINKS IN FOUR DIRECTIONS The culinary world provides several examples of products which were once only for the poor, but are now regarded as much more refined. Mussels are one such example. It’s the same with liver, kidneys, and, to put it briefly, all intestines and secondary organs. Similarly, what used to be called ‘industrial parquet’ is now called refined ‘end grain blocks’.

This is exactly the same with cross-cut floors. They used to be the most basic of wooden floors, designed for workshops to absorb the vibration of machines. They were durable and virtually indestructible. Today, however, the world of design has also discovered the immense beauty of cross-cut. This prompts a certain caution from a technical point of view.

Floor Forum International 66

Photo: BJ Parket

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What is cross-cut?

It often happens that people use things for a different purpose than that for which they were intended and get surprising effects. The above-mentioned end grain blocks are a good example. If you put small strips, which are normally laid flat, on their sides, you get an exalted image of slender strips, which often have extremely varied shades. The fact that this also has technical implications is a nice bonus: End grain blocks have an extremely long lifespan. After all, it can be sandpapered dozens of times and renovated. Cross-cut is quite similar: Whereas for all other floors the wood is sawn lengthwise, with cross-cut it is

done crosswise. This, too, has dual implications. As regards appearance, you get a vivid play of tree rings on show. This gives designers lots of possibilities. Technically, this method results in a floor with huge, cast-iron strength. After all, the sawing method gives cross-cut a much higher resistance to pressure. This makes it stronger than parquet floorboards sawn lengthwise, so it is therefore ideal for intensive use. Furthermore, cross-cut also acts as sound insulation. The wood fibres are more capable of absorbing sound vibrations. Those who fit these floors in spacious rooms will notice that the acoustics in those rooms are much better.

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Wood sorts In the past, cross-cut was used mainly with pine, fur, or oak.

As we have said, these floors were often fitted in workshops.

Today, there are lots of other suitable wood sorts. The choice is determined largely by the purpose of the room in question.

If it is a room where architecture is important, you need wood which does not by nature show too much evidence of swelling and shrinking. After all, unlike other quarter-sawn wooden floors, cross-cut swells and shrinks in four directions. Some makers advise people looking for the perfect floor not to use cross-cut. However, if these floors are for workshops to absorb machine vibrations and the sound of company transport, you can opt for pine wood. Durability takes priority over aesthetic aspects. At all events, here, too, oak is still the absolute bestseller, although merbau and wenge also appear at the top. You can also select larch for industrial floors. Another development is the emergence of thermally treated wood. The thermal treatment firstly reduces tension in the boards, but it also yields nice results from an aesthetic point of view.

The fitting Cross-cut is usually supplied in bulk. Some manufacturers offer cross-cut sorted into the required size and bound by a sheet on the top side. Others supply pre-sorted cross-cut on a gauze.

The latter means that if the floor is going to be open, there is a risk of the gauze becoming visible. Cross-cut is usually glued.

The blocks are pressed into the glue without nailing. Once the glue has set, the floor is sandpapered (once or more). For crosscut floors it is essential that the covering floor is perfectly level and that you work extremely precisely when pressing in the wooden blocks. After all, the wood surface is so hard that sandpapering is no easy job. Some traders offer cross-cut pre-sorted in an aluminium frame. An MDF panel is put on the bottom and the blocks are glued onto it. Such pre-sorted tiles are used mainly in commercial premises such as in offices where underground pipes must always be accessible.

The decorative Taste means a purchase. That’s for sure. It’s also quite clear that the rather playful image of tree rings can charm most designers.

Architects and designers often choose larch, which is certainly at home mainly in industrial applications, for its attractive range of shades. Seeing that the floors are more susceptible to swelling and shrinking, it’s almost certain that, in the winter, floors will show evidence of tiny cracks, which close up again in the summer. The finish also has an affect on the degree of visibility of the swelling and shrinking. Some professionals explicitly recommend an oil finish because a lacquer would crack too soon.

What’s on the market?

BJ Parket We are very grateful to BJ Parket for providing us once again with very extensive documentation and information for this article. BJ Parket mainly offers its own cross-cut in various sizes: 23 x 69mm, 35 x 70mm, and 70 x 70mm. For architectural applications, the assortment also includes merbau, wenge, and guatambo in 70 x 70mm. For industrial applications BJ Parket presents larch in sizes of 90 x 55mm. As we have said, people also choose this wood sort for its attractive colour shades. At BJ Parket they offer the above-mentioned possibility of receiving the floorboards on a sheet as an option.

Special Producers of Cross-cut floors : types and fitting methods

> continued from page 34

Parqueterie de Bourgogne

Points for attention

Damp prevention The moisture content of the screed must be below 2%, even in deeper layers. If the floorboards get the chance to absorb moisture underneath, the floor will undoubtedly swell with all the resulting consequences. In case of doubt, a waterproof epoxy primer is most definitely recommended. In some cases it may also be necessary to fit screed reinforcement or a combination of screed reinforcement and a moisture barrier. The swelling and shrinking of cross-cut generates such force that a weak screed may become detached. And so, you have to glue cross-cut floors with an adhesive which not only guarantees outstanding adhesion, but also, moreover, offers the greatest possible elasticity.

Parqueterie de Bourgogne presents cross-cut floors solely in oak because oak is the most popular sort. These parquet floors are offered assembled on paper. They are fully glued as panels.

These floors are quite suitable for a normal home. Once the panels are fitted, you have to leave them for three weeks before you start on the finish. Since these floors swell and shrink in four directions, they require special attention. The moisture content in the room must be kept under control.

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For the fitting Since the blocks are fairly small, it is easy to fit cross-cut floors in rooms where there are lots of obstacles. Another major advantage is that it is much easier to adapt the thickness of the floor. The cross-cut blocks can be sawn from a thickness of 10mm to any other thickness whatsoever and always with up to a precision of 0.1mm. Furthermore, the fitting really hardly differs from that of other patterns such as herringbone or end grain blocks. One disadvantage, as we have already said, is that sandpapering is a difficult chore.

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Special Fastening systems for decking floors

TERRACE TECHNOLOGY IS NOW MORE REFINED. DURABLE FLOORBOARDS DURABLY FASTENED Sometimes, literature seems to lag behind technology. This is certainly true of modern ‘terrace technology’. Let’s be honest: the combination of exquisite wood sorts and today’s ingenious fastening systems deserves to be called ‘technology’ rather than just ‘technique’.

And so, why is it that the subject literature and technical guides hardly mention those famous fastening systems? Are they too recent? Maybe, but you don’t have to be a visionary to see that screwing noble wood terrace boards to beams will sooner or later be outmoded.

Invisible fastening systems are taking terraces to new aesthetic and technical levels.

Wooden terraces The availability of a highly varied number of wood sorts in the top durability groups (I and II) has ended the monopoly of bangkirai. The main wood sorts from the various traders include bangkirai, ipe, afri-kulu, padauk, merbau, teak, cumaru, massaranduba, tali, bilinga, lapacho, taperyba, elondo, elondo FSC, Indonesian teak, kurupay, garapa, mandioqueire, etc.

Floor Forum International 66

Photo: Outdoor Wood Concepts

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The floorboards The choices for designing wooden or wood-related terraces have increased vastly over the years. What advantages do they have over tiles and natural stone? Well, there are the infinite configuration options: well nigh anything is possible as regards shape or pattern. The fact that these terraces require very little maintenance is obviously another plus. The wide choice of floorboards is due to the vast range of wood now available and some alternatives which are the fruit of innovation. Let’s summarise the situation briefly.

Modified wood The above-mentioned wood sorts belong in a high durability class. Nowadays, there are several techniques to make wood ‘more durable’.

The most well known and popular technique is thermal modification whereby the properties of the wood are modified via heat treatment.

Plato and thermowood are two examples, which, after years of research and experimenting, has developed an ecological modification process to make various wood sorts more durable.

Composite and synthetic Wood composite consists of wood fibres, polyethylene with high density, UV stabilisers, dyes, and various additives to optimise the mechanical qualities. Usually, these are recycled wood fibres and waste wood and recycled polyethylene. And so, in many ways wood composite is an ecological alternative to tropical hardwood.

For some time now, we have seen the emergence of terrace planks which are made from synthetics and look like real wood.

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Special Fastening systems for decking floors

> continued from page 36

Fastening systems There’s something odd here. For many years now, we’ve published regular updates in Floor Forum and Floor Forum International on the progress of various invisible or virtually invisible fastening systems for wooden and wood-related terraces. In spite of this, some highly esteemed ‘technical’ authorities hardly mention these systems at all. In a technical discussion on ‘damage to wooden terraces’ published by the BBRI in 2012, the writer lauded the ‘mechanical fastening of pre-drilled planks’ as ‘the best solution available for stopping wood from warping’. Invisible fastening systems were regarded as a secondary choice ‘if you follow the maker’s instructions and the fastening system is adapted to the chosen plank’. An item on ‘wooden terrace construction principles’ on the Belgian Woodforum web site didn’t even mention invisible fastening systems, but concentrated solely on screws.

Even the French ‘rules of sound professional skill’, the DTU 51.4, makes no mention of these systems.

Visible versus invisible From an aesthetic point of view When we consider fastening systems in depth (see below), we immediately assume that these systems are more expensive than the traditional method using screws. Are clients prepared to pay that little extra? Most certainly! If only for decorative reasons. We can compare this perfectly with the difference between the traditional wooden floor of yesteryear

nailed onto beams and a fully glued parquet floor. The nail marks on old wooden floors might stir up feelings of nostalgia for some people, but when we opt for a wooden floor nowadays, we strive for absolute perfection. The same applies to terraces. It is also thanks to invisible fastening systems that we now speak of ‘outdoor parquet’, a term which is still very recent.

From a technical/qualitative point of view A terrace with invisible fastening not only looks more attractive from the beginning, but it also stays attractive for much longer. If we fasten terrace boards with screws, we’re actually damaging the terrace from day one. Moreover, the screws themselves cause further wear and tear. Invisible fastening systems have the big additional advantage that they are equipped to allow the wood to swell and shrink as normal.

The forces exerted on the wood in outdoor conditions can obviously be extremely harsh and will eventually lead to the formation of cracks near the screws. In particular, the curling of the wood (inevitable in outdoor conditions, but also tolerated) passes largely unnoticed with invisible fastening systems.

From a safety point of view With the traditional screw system, the swelling and shrinking of the wood involves an additional risk. Potential damage or traces of wear and tear can also be felt. Splinter formation cannot be eliminated. For example, if swimming pools

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Floor Forum International 66

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> continued from page 38

Types of systems Obviously, someone somewhere was the pioneer. Let the parties concerned make their claims! We’re not going to conduct that discussion. The fact is that the number of systems available has grown within a relatively short space of time.

This means we are now in a position to divide these systems into a number of types. What do they have in common?

Almost all of them are equipped to absorb the swelling and shrinking of the wood and take account of the moisture content in the wood at the time of fitting. Most systems have a groove cut into the sides into which the wings of ‘one’ special clip fits. The clips vary in shape and type of material, but the principle is the same. With some systems it is no longer necessary to fit the screws into the floorboards themselves, whilst with others it is necessary, but only invisibly (downwards diagonally into the side of the plank). Other systems have a clip underneath the plank into which the plank is clicked. Below we outline the various systems. We mention only those systems for which we have received the necessary documentation.

An overview : Architecture du Bois

With the grad™ trademark, Architecture du Bois has introduced a trailblazing innovation into the world of terraces, namely the ‘Perfect Rail!’ Since 2006, people have fitted over 600,000m² of terraces in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, and Austria using the now renowned Clip JuAn®. In keeping with the ethos which has inspired the company since its formation, grad™ lifetime decking has added to that success the launch of this ‘Perfect Rail’. The Clip JuAn® is mounted on an aluminium rail.

The floorboards are simply clipped onto it. Quick and efficient!

The rail and the clip together make up the ingenious system

Special Fastening systems for decking floors

are enveloped by boards, people may suffer injuries if they walk on the terrace barefoot. With invisible fastening systems, there is hardly any risk of splinter formation (apart from splinter formation arising from accidental damage). This disadvantage of screws can (largely) be resolved by using ‘invisible’ screws. These are screwed into pre-drilled holes, which are then sealed later with a wooden plug.

BUZON Pedestal International s.a.

Manufacturer of adjustable pedestals for all types of wood terraces

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Stand 8419 BUZON Pedestal International s.a.

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

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Floor Forum International 66

Adjustable from 11 to 1120mm

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which offers nothing but benefits: greater stability in damp conditions, easy maintenance, and simple plank replacement as necessary. Mounting the Clip JuAn® on an aluminium rail makes the terrace much flatter and straighter.

ArchiWood

HardWood Clip is an invisible fastening system for wooden terraces and has been developed by Archi Wood. HardWood Clip is the only fastening system to be awarded an ATG (technical authorisation) certificate in accordance with the standard NF DTU 51.4. The stainless steel fastening clip (enveloped by a ‘shell’ in top quality synthetic resin) is fitted in the grooves (long side) of the terrace planks and is screwed into the backing strips at an angle of 45° along the terrace planks with the help of a self-drilling screw (SPAX in high quality stainless steel A2). The system fixes the plank screws onto the backing strips.

Hardwood Clip is available in three types (3mm, 5mm, or 7mm) to ensure the proper distance between the planks, depending on the wood sort, the degree of humidity during the fitting, and the weather conditions. This system is highly unobtrusive due to the matt black finish (non-reflective) and the brown colour of the screws (colored to the core).

Square Clip is a simple and efficient system for fitting terrace tiles invisibly. The system is efficient and universal. The Square Clip can be fitted or screwed onto any flat substrate.

No tools are required whatsoever. The system also allows you to dismount the tiles, change the configuration of the tiles, or to replace a tile. The tiles never come into contact with the substrate.

An integrated system of drainage channels on both sides of the base ensures good drainage and ventilation to give the system a longer lifespan. Square Clip is designed to allow the wood to undergo its natural operation. The clip adapts to all wood sorts,

dimensions, and composite. The system is completely invisible.

SoftWood Clips™ from the Belgian company Archi Wood are made from an unbreakable synthetic resin and provide reliable and invisible fastening for terrace planks. A unique feature of these clips is their suitability for thermally treated wood and Thermowood®. They give you the option of fastening the clip into the profiles on both sides of the plank and then screwing

directly into the support structure (with SPAX screws) at an angle of 45°. The Soft Wood Clip is available in two sizes for a distance of 5 to 7mm between the planks. The groove profile is symmetrical and reversible, something which keeps waste to a minimum.

B-Fix

B-Fix presents a range of solutions for terraces and swimming pool boards. The range includes some types of invisible fastening systems: B-Fix One, B-Fix Black One, and B-Fix Border. Furthermore, the assortment also includes various accessories. The system itself is designed in stainless steel with memory effect so that the wood can operate naturally, yet stay perfectly fixed. Each plank can be removed individually. You can mount the fastening system on three different profiles (Classic, Plus, and Premium) and use it on an extensive number of wood sorts and composite. Thanks to the screws, the system adapts to various types of structures such as wood, aluminium, or a low structure. B-Fix can be applied horizontally or vertically. As far as the screws are concerned, there are two innovations: a short screw (19mm) for structures with little standing height and a self-drilling metal screw which penetrates up to 5mm without pre-drilling.

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CHS/Quick Clip System

Deck Wise

Carpentier Hardwood Solutions presents the revolutionary Quick Clip System. Quick Clip System is a simple and invisible fastening system for pre-grooved terrace and exterior wall cladding. The result is aesthetic and seamless. With this system there is no need to mill or saw the planks. This prevents splinters. The clips are mounted in advance.

They ensure perfect ventilation thanks to a layer of insulation between the covering and the carrying frame. The planks are lined up automatically for a seamless result. The system is extremely handy to use and guarantees rapid fitting, which obviously reduces fitting costs.

Although the purchase price is higher, the fitting is 50% faster.

And so, an assignment which would normally take four days can now be finished in two days. This also means fewer trips to and from work.

The Deck Wise® fastening range includes the patented ‘Extreme hidden deck fasteners’, including the Extreme KD and Extreme 4. Deck Wise Hidden Deck Fasteners owe their strength to the stainless steel core in each fastener. These Deck Wise Hidden Deck Fasteners are available in three different interval options (2, 4, and 6mm) and in three different colours. The clips are fitted in the grooves at the sides of the plank. The screws are screwed through the centre of the clip at an angle of 45°. This keeps the plank fixed firmly in place. DeckWise Hidden Deck Fasteners are produced according to a patented system with

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Floor & Wall Exhibition Hall 8 Booth 8422 Complete Product Line

An Ipe Clip® Brand

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DeckWise® The Ipe Clip® Fastener Company, Bradenton, FL USA

®

Floor Forum International 66

Hardened Stainless Steel Core with Black Oxide Finish for the Ultimate Hidden Look

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hard stainless steel inside the clip, which is made of UV and chemical-proof plastic. One of the unique features is that the planks stay fixed firmly in place, yet they can operate naturally.

Eurotec Eurotec’s invisible fastening system can be fitted onto a wooden support structure, but they recommend a support structure in aluminium. The aluminium system profile from Eurotec also offers lots of strong features. The profile has a high dimensional stability and shows no evidence of flaws (such as cracks) or damage as a result of fluctuating weather conditions. With this system the sliders are fastened underneath the planks and then onto the support structure. This means the fastening is invisible. The slider works as a joint and as a spacer. The system is completed by the concept of the new generation of adjustable pedestals. These are designed in such a way that the aluminium profile can easily be fastened by clicking it into the pedestal.

Obviously, this means you save a lot of time. The system is absolutely ideal for roof terraces and balconies.

Floor Forum International 66

La San Marco Profili As an answer to user needs, La San Marco Profili offers profiled terrace planks with a smooth or anti-slip surface. The planks are joined by concealed clips in the notch cut at the sides. This means that all accessories which are normally visible are completely concealed. This is an aesthetic and safe solution at the same time. This brings the outdoor floor to the level of indoor parquet and, moreover, provides more comfort and safety. One piece of advice for the fitters: choose a fastening system to suit the planks. If the planks are very long and wide and the wood sort less stable, the traditional method is preferable.

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Moso 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 (own brand) 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 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.

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

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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 The system offered by Sicmex consists of an invisible clip which is pressed into a plank with a groove. You don’t need any screws at all to fit the terrace, and this means a time saving of 65% compared to other systems and even 80% compared to the traditional screws. The material is elastic (polyamide) and can withstand temperature differences from -30 to + 90°C. It is important for the fitter to provide a terrace which stays fixed in place under all weather conditions and in all seasons. The fact that screws are unnecessary and the speed at which the terrace is completed are beneficial to the fitter’s health since there is less strain on the back and knees. Sicmex is quite convinced that the material price is comparable to the traditional system, but the profit lies in the time saved.

are geared to each other i.e. they form a couple. As regards material, the system is about twice as expensive as a traditional fitting. However, the fitting is much quicker and the terrace has a considerably longer lifespan.

Vetedy/Softline

The Vetedy Softline system has been around now for 12 years and has more than proved its durability. The Softline system is a 100% invisible fastening system which makes it possible to fit floors without even a single visible screw. The clip is fastened to the underside of the plank. This clip is produced from a composite material with very high mechanical resistance and is fastened invisibly to the support structure. Despite this high resistance, the clip is nevertheless pliable, so it allows perfectly for the natural sideways movements of the wood. The fastening underneath gives us perfect insulation between the floor ribs and the planks so that the terrace planks are completely protected against any rising damp. The Softline system carries a 10-year guarantee in any climate. It has been fitted in all sorts of different climates such as in Finland (cold), Dubai (warm), Libya (dry), and Indonesia (damp).

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Silvadec

The Silvadec system consists of a unit of screws and stainless steel clips, which enable you to fasten terrace boards invisibly.

The system is quicker to fit because you only have to screw once instead of twice. Silvadec presents various clips: the basic clip, joint clips, and begin and end clips. The range is designed to ensure speedy installation for the fitter and an aesthetic result for the end user. The system is designed in such a way that it absorbs the movement of the wood perfectly. The fitter has to take account of the fact that the planks and fastening system

The WST assembly system consists of stainless steel clips (304) which are attached to an aluminium bar using stainless steel screws. The clips are not screwed through the floorboards. And so, no damage is applied to the planks themselves so that water cannot penetrate into the wood. Working with clips is much faster in comparison with the traditional fitting system. It is also less destructive for the wood and there are no visible screws. After thorough studies and tests, WST advises fitters to use an aluminium base because a wooden base is susceptible to wear and tear. This is also the reason why stainless steel screws are preferable.

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Floor Forum International 66

WST®: the Palckè®™ Maobamboo® producer

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WATERPROOFNESS IS NOT AN EXACT CONCEPT In bygone days, tiled floors, ceramics, or natural stone invariably came to mind when we considered floors for damp rooms and rooms to be cleaned using water. This was the case for the bathroom, the kitchen, and usually also for the dining room. Nowadays, however, our concept of the interior has changed considerably. Rooms overlap and each room is now more versatile. Cooking has become a social event, so the kitchen is now part of the living room. The bathroom is no longer solely a washroom, but also a room for wellness and relaxation. In all these rooms we want to apply our own personal preferences freely without being bound by decorative choice options or technical features. Dampness is hardly going to get in our way.

Special

Waterproof/Resistant floors in wood, laminate, vinyl, LVT

FLOORS FOR DAMP ROOMS

Floor Forum International 66

Photo: mFlor

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Building materials and damp That some building materials are incompatible with damp is a basic assumption which needs to be qualified considerably. All building materials contain a certain percentage of damp. The atmospheric air contains a certain percentage of damp. There’s damp everywhere. In this article we once again present the sorts of damp and the degrees in which it can occur. Let’s start by debunking a myth. We’ve been saying for years that damp is the ‘arch-enemy’ of wood. It seems we’ve forgotten that the longships of the Vikings, the Roman galleons, and the medieval frigates were all wooden ships which sailed the seas for many years and, as it were, ‘bathed in the water’. In the 19th century, lots of those ships were found at the bottom of the sea,

some of them still in exceptional condition. Time was when people would bathe in wooden tubs. Rain barrels were made of wood, whilst wine casks are still made of wood. In other words, wood certainly does react to damp. The point is that if we are going to use wood to build in damp rooms, we have to take that reaction into account.

Floors and damp Whenever we consider the presence of damp in a building, floors occupy a special position. After all, floors come into contact with all sorts of damp in a building. Moreover, the fact that they have to cope with heavy mechanical pressure is an additional point for attention. Like all other building elements,

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Special Indelible/Resistant floors in wood, laminate, vinyl, LVT and PVC

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floors come into contact with air humidity. We have learnt from experience to make the materials resistant to damp or we are now aware of techniques for absorbing the results of damp. Actually, the same applies to residual building moisture i.e. the moisture which is still in the materials after completion of the building. For floors, the residual moisture in the screed (or concrete under the screed) poses the biggest threat. The tolerable percentage of residual moisture depends on the type of floor. In the case of wood, the tolerable percentage of residual moisture is the lowest of all materials. Here, too, we have learnt to take account of fitting guidelines (e.g. expansion joints) or additional protective measures (e.g. moisture barriers). For household damp (e.g. wet cleaning) or accidental damp, sound information for the end user is definitely helpful, as is protection for the material.

Protection against damp A sound basic principle for ALL floors is that you always need to fit a moisture barrier before laying the floor if there is any danger of damp from below. This is true, even if certain materi-

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als are 100% waterproof. Damp from below will not only damage the materials, but it does increase the risk of mould, bacteria, and odours between the subfloor and flooring material.

Waterproof material In this section we are considering the moisture-resistance of the material. Some materials are 100% resistant to moisture and require no extra protection. For example, a PVC floor is 100% waterproof. Some types of wood are more waterproof than others. Beech and maple are usually regarded as extremely ‘sensitive’ whenever moisture is around, whilst horse chestnut, teak, and afrormosia are much more resistant. The way in which wood is sawn also plays a part here: quarter-sawn wood

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(sawn in the direction of the heart) is less sensitive to movement than flat-sawn wood (planks sawn next to each other).

Vinyl is highly waterproof, and entirely waterproof if it is 100% PVC. Apart from the moisture resistance of the material, there are two measures required to make a floor suitable for use in extremely damp rooms: making the material more waterproof and making the joints watertight.

The protective top layer We can improve the surface of materials which are more or less permeable by glazing them. This applies to materials such as wood, bamboo, and cork, but also to vinyl (if it is not made for 100% of PVC) and linoleum. With wooden floors, cork, and bamboo, we can protect the floor with varnish or by saturating it with oil. Protecting the surface makes the floorboards ‘watertight’. We have to differentiate between the concepts of ‘watertight’ and ‘indelible’. ‘Indelible’ materials are materials which can withstand water as it penetrates the material.

For example, some wood panels such as plywood or HDF are available in an indelible design. However, ‘watertight’ means the material is impermeable. Important note: the watertightness of the floorboard is not enough on its own to give us a watertight floor.

The impermeable joint In just about all types of floor, except for those in one piece, the conclusion is the same: The floorboards may be watertight, but water can still seep through to the subfloor via the joints. This is not so important in the context of ordinary household or accidental damp. However, it is important for extremely wet applications. To seal the floor, it is possible to apply a coating over the joints. This is done, for instance, with cork, but also with vinyl. The often specified ship deck floor provides ideal protection for wooden floors. These floors have indelible and watertight rubber joints fitted between the floorboards. The combination of the glazed surface and the impermeable floor gives total security. Amongst other things, the same system is also applied to laminate. We find another system with some pliable floor coverings on a roll (e.g. linoleum). In this case, the rolls can be fused together thermally to create a watertight floor.

to several centimetres. They can be constructed from foam (e.g. expanded or extruded polystyrene), which is furnished with layers of reinforcement, a textile, or a net wrapped in mortar to improve the adhesion of the tile adhesive. There are not yet any specifications for such composite panels which can be tiled.

Liquid seal products These are products of different origins which are usually applied in various layers (with a total thickness of a few millimetres) using a roller, paintbrush, brush, or a notched trowel. The existing specifications are concerned mainly with the watertightness, the crack-bridging capacity, and the adhesion (after various ageing cycles). The seamless character of such liquid seals is generally regarded as an advantage.

Who offers what?

Design Parquet Navylam+ is a parquet for bathrooms and has a 10-year guarantee. The watertightness of this floor is the result of three important elements. The first one is the wood sort, which is fairly impermeable by nature: teak, iroko, doussie, acacia, mutenye, wenge, or afrormosia. The second one is the integrated joint between two strips, namely Navylam+ with integrated joint and joint on the outside. Finally, there is the oil finish to protect the wood. The floor should be treated with oil regularly, depending on the intensity of use. The integrated joint with elasticity of over 50% means that an extra expansion joint is not necessary.

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Mats These mats are a fraction of a millimetre thick and are constructed simply from a sheet (e.g. polyethylene) which can be furnished on both sides with a woven or unwoven textile or a net in order to improve the adhesion of the tile adhesive. The mat is pressed into the layer of adhesive before the tiles are fitted. Some mats can also serve as a dividing layer and are therefore fitted with a relief of a few millimetres. Although the CEN TC 254 applied to pliable waterproofing membranes, there is not yet any norm or specification for such products.

Panels These panels are glued to the substrate in advance and provide a solid bottom layer ranging in thickness from a few millimetres

Forbo Flooring offers an extensive range in various materials.

Marmoleum (linoleum) is given the factory finish Topshield 2, which guarantees excellent resistance to scratches and stains. The rolls can be fused together thermally to create a watertight floor. Novilon (vinyl) is available in 4m rolls and can be fitted seamlessly from wall to wall. Project Vinyl Eternal is always treated thermally to create a watertight floor.

Project Vinyl Allura is indelible, but not watertight. Finally, Flotex is a hybrid between carpet and vinyl. It is a 2m wide carpet with the features of a hard floor. The back construction makes this floor watertight. Marmoleum, Allura, and Eternal are

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Floor Forum International 66

Forbo Flooring Moisture-sensitive substrates (Source: BBRI) As we have said, in many cases, it may be essential to protect the substrate from damp. The BBRI summarises the various possibilities, especially for glueing ceramic tiles. Strictly speaking, this summary also applies to other types of floors.

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waterproof, but not designed for use in wet rooms. It’s worth knowing that Forbo has its own adhesive department. In combination with the Forbo adhesive, you get a unique guarantee (System Solutions) on the leveller, adhesive, and the floor.

important to treat them so that there are no problems with your walls. You don’t need to take account of floor movements. The floors consist of PVC, so they won’t give you any problems in that respect. The fitting is very easy and you can work to border on existing skirting boards.

Kurkfabriek Van Avermaet

mFlor

Glued cork is perfectly suitable for the bathroom and sauna. The material itself is highly waterproof. The varnish finish after the fitting gives the surface a seal against the pressure of dirt and seals up the joints of the cork tiles.

Kurkfabriek Van Avermaet advises against the use of cork in the shower because in the medium to long term there is a risk of damage to the silicone seal. This would mean that water would hang around via the joint and be unable to flow away. This would create bubbles and lead to the tiles having to be replaced. For the same reason the floors are not resistant to damp from below. Expansion joints are not necessary. After all, the adhesive strength is greater than the tensile strength of the material. This means that glued cork can be fitted without dilatation.

At mFlor we find a number of floors which are waterproof: mFlOR, mFlORLOCK, mFLORPROJECT, and mFLORCONTACT. These floors are waterproof thanks to the material and a top layer seal.

These four floors can all be fitted in kitchens and bathrooms. mFLORPROJECT and mFLOR can also be fitted in showers provided that they are given a protective coat of Anticolour from Dr. Schutz. The material of these two floors does not swell or shrink. For the other two floors, you need to provide some expansion space. They can be finished with skirting boards without the floor being secured.

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Luxury Decor Floors

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All products from Luxury Decor Floors are 100% waterproof.

Amongst other things, you have the option of fitting them in damp rooms such as bathrooms, toilets, and kitchens, but they are perfectly at home anywhere in the house. Do you have places which come into frequent contact with water, such as showers or swimming pool? If so, their products can be fitted there, too, with an extra layer of Floor Mat to guarantee you a sealed top layer. If you have problems with rising damp, it is best to provide a protective layer such as a moisture barrier. Their products are waterproof, but it is

Plastivan Plastivan presents the LVT floors VILIGNO, 4mm with Uniclic system. The waterproofness comes from the material itself. Viligno consists of 100% synthetics and is 100% waterproof.

Obviously, for shower cabins you need to make the subfloor waterproof since the water penetrates the joints of the LVT floor. The material also means that the floorboards are resistant to moisture from below, but that does mean that mould can form under the floor. An LVT floor is liable to swell and shrink. This is absorbed by an obligatory expansion joint against the wall and with bigger surfaces there has to be an extra expansion joint which is finished with a profile. For the finish of the joint against

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the wall, Viligno offers waterproof synthetic skirting boards in the same colour as the floor. These are fastened with clips and have space for wires.

Tarkett Tarkett vinyl floors are waterproof and that is thanks to the material itself. They can even stand up to a lot of water. If they are used in the shower, they do need to be fitted with an anti-slip design (R10 and R11) in order to avoid accidents. And so, moisture doesn’t affect the product itself, but damp from below can result in the vinyl coming loose. Moisture under a vinyl floor can also lead to the formation of bubbles. And so, Tarkett always advises you to keep the subfloor dry, flat, and even in order to avoid problems.

As far as the movement of the product is concerned (dimensional stability), it is advisable to fit an expansion joint in bigger rooms with a connection to adjoining rooms. Swelling and shrinking movements can also be minimalised by glueing the floor properly to the substrate.

that both the solid wood floors and the multi-layer floors are perfectly suitable for damp rooms.

Maobamboo® floors have an absorption capacity below 5% (certified in line with the standard EN317). And so, this floor needs no protective coat and is best finished with oil or waterborne varnish. For shower rooms WST recommends these floors for outdoor use, treated with a suitable oil. In cases where there is a risk of damp from below it is necessary to take measures and to fit a moisture barrier first.

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Floor Forum International 66

WST®: the Palckè®™ Maobamboo® producer The floors from WST, designed in Maobamboo®, are highly waterproof thanks to their wood-like characteristics. This means

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Windmöller presents waterproof floors in various types of floors.

In laminate they have the collections Euro nature, Marena, Piazza, Ariosa, and Colour.

These owe their waterproof nature to an indelible protector on the edge and the Aqua-Protect® core plate. The ‘resilient’ floors are the DESIGN line and DESIGN line CONNECT. There is also the organic floor PURLINE. Here, the material itself is waterproof. Laminate can also be fitted in wet rooms (e.g. kitchens and bathrooms), whilst the two other floor types are also suitable for the sauna. The only movement with these laminate floors is as a result of the air humidity.

WOOD CR AF TS

Windmöller Flooring Products GmbH

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Special Flame-retardant lacquers : properties & legislation Floor Forum International 66 50

FIRE-RETARDANT LACQUERS AND OILS IT’S ALL ABOUT THE ‘FIRE RESISTANCE OF WOOD’.

The theme of ‘fire safety’ is not an easy subject. It’s no wonder that in recent years some European universities have created specific masters or postgraduate degrees in fire safety engineering. These are engineers who specialise in fire safety. There’s not much point in immersing our readers in heavy and sophisticated scientific musings. In this article we simply aim to outline what exactly the purpose is of finish products which are offered to provide extra fire safety and who offers what.

Fire resistance versus fire reaction We have explained the difference between these terms in detail on several occasions. We will repeat the essence because if readers do not have a good grasp of these terms, they are likely to be completely confused by the contributions from the producers.

Fire resistance When we talk about fire resistance, this refers to the function of a building material in the total construction and the length of time during which the material also effectively performs that function. In other words, the fire resistance (nowadays REI/formerly RF) of a building component is the time in minutes that a building component complies with the following criteria at the same time: • Stability (R): the time that the component maintains its loadbearing function (for elements with a bearing function).

• Flame resistance (E): the 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.

Wooden floor finishes (e.g. parquet or laminate) do not really have a function, apart from a decorative one. Wooden support structures (beams or supports) obviously do have a function. These items can be protected effectively by (fire-retardant paints or coatings’ in order to improve aspects such as their stability. These fire-retardant paints (swell paints) create a protective layer of insulation in the event of fire.

Fire reaction The reaction of a material to fire is partly the extent of inflammability of that material and the extent to which that material contributes to the development of the fire. The fire reaction is expressed in seven ‘classes’. The fire classes are defined in the standard EN 13501-1.

CLASS Class A1 Class A2 Class B Class C

CONTRIBUTION TO FIRE No contribution Hardly any contribution Very limited contribution Considerable contribution

COMBUSTIBILITY 100% non-combustible 98% non-combustible Difficult to ignite Normal combustibility

Class D High contribution Class E Very high contribution Class F Undetermined

Easily ignited Inflammable Highly inflammable 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).

Floors normally have to be tested for their fire reaction in line with the test methods in the standard EN 13501-1. However, the standard EN 14342 lists a number of popular types of flooring which don’t have to be tested and are put automatically in class Cfl-s1 or class Dfl-s1. If certain legislation imposes a higher class (e.g. for in hospitals or care homes), new tests will have to be carried out and in each case on the floor in combination with the finish.

‘Fireproof’ parquet lacquer What do we actually expect of these lacquers? Unlike fire-retardant paint, parquet lacquer does not extend to protecting the floor (e.g. by ‘swelling’), but rather by not enlarging the contribution of that material to any possible fire. At present, there are systems under development which can actually improve the fire reaction of wooden floors.

Blanchon Blanchon does not sell fire-retardant paints in the literal sense of that term.

Fire-retardant paints are aimed at making inflammable materials non-combustible or to delay the combustibility considerably. 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 qualities of those products and not due to additives. Blanchon

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

Ciranova

Loba Loba presents its Lobadur WS Sealer FR. This latest dual component sealer fits excellently within the now popular Loba system and gives sufficient assurance due to its outstanding fire-retardant properties and excellent processing possibilities on the floor. WS Sealer FR has proved that it has a strong fire-retardant effect and reduces the development of smoke considerably, something for which a lot of demands are made particularly in projects.

The lacquer is suitable for all chip-resistant glued parquet and other wooden floors with a specific gravity of above 470kg/m³.

Lobadur WS Sealer FR should always be applied in combination with other products in order to meet the NEN 13501-1 Class Cfl-s1 standard. Lobadur WS Sealer FR forms an intermediate coat in the trusted Loba System.

Rubio Monocoat With RMC FR Oil System, Muylle Facon 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 one layer in contrast to many existing systems. The RMC FR System consists of a fire-resistant pre-treatment with RMC FR Base and a finish with RMC FR Oil. It is a durable protection and colouring obtained via molecular bonding.

Furthermore, the aim is a system that is extremely safe, durable, and economical. The RMC FR System has been tested according to the standards EN 13501-1, EN ISO 11925-2, and EN ISO 9239-1. It is an absolute first that Muylle Facon 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 a major limiter of smoke development, which was something the company has consistently sought.

Tover In order to reply to the specific requirements of public places and especially emergency exits, Tover offers a two-component waterbased fire retardant lacquer, Firestop SQ; the product was tested and certified Cfl-s1 in compliance with the EN 1350 European norm. It also matches Class 2 according to the even more restrictive UN 9697 Italian law. Moreover tests show that the application of 300 gr/sqm in 3 or 4 coats of lacquer enables to transform a flooring without fire resistance into Class C according to the European norm, which means that not only it does not promote the wood combustibility but it improves its fire reaction. Firestop SQ can be used both on sites and for industrial applications.

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Floor Forum International 66

Ciranova presents its Aquafix Project 2K. Aquafix Project 2K comes under class C: the product is combustible and has Euro class Cfl s1 (Fl stands for flooring + s1 stands for smoke development) for the application of 3 x 100g/m². In the composition to make a product ‘fire-retardant’, they do not make use of harmful additives such as halogens. The lacquer is tested by recognised laboratories in line with certain official standards, which show that the lacquers have a fire-retardant effect. Aquafix Project 2K can be applied only on site.

Special Flame-retardant lacquers : properties & legislation

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EPOXY: THE ROUGH REMEDY FOR DAMP

Floor Forum International 66

Special Epoxy moisture screens

IT SOLVES PROBLEMS IF THE TIME IS PRESSING.

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Floor fitters are increasingly facing tight deadlines, especially when it comes to new buildings. Since their work is usually in the end phase, in most cases several other workers ( for the shell, plumbing, and electrics) have already taken up a lot of precious time so that professionals at the end of the line face a race against the clock. Not infrequently, floor fitters discover excess residual moisture in the screed, so it is not advisable to fit a wooden floor.

An epoxy barrier can provide an answer, even with residual moisture percentages above 4%. Nevertheless, the golden rule is still to wait until the damp content falls naturally (or, if necessary, is forced down) to an acceptable level. Sometimes, there’s no other way. the equator, for instance.

Wood has a ‘normal’ moisture content between 7 and 11%, depending once again on the type of wood and its origin. If a cement covering floor contains 2 to 2.5% moisture, that’s perfect. Much less would be too dry, but much more would be too wet. And so, this brings us to those moisture problems for which epoxy moisture barriers offer a solution. We are talking about residual building moisture i.e. the water which we have added to a mixture of sand and cement to make the screed and the majority of which needs to evaporate again.

Problematic damp Recently, more irrefutable evidence emerged that there was once water on the planet Mars. Strictly speaking, that was an unpleasant discovery. If there were no water on earth in human beings and the objects and materials around us, this planet would resemble a powdery desert, just like Mars. All things contain a certain percentage of water, depending on the nature of the material and weather conditions. We speak of a ‘damp problem’ when the actual moisture percentage deviates sharply from the usual moisture percentage. The atmosphere contains between 50 and 65% damp, at least in our part of the world, since the ‘normal’ moisture content of the atmosphere differs according to location in relation to

Solutions for residual building moisture Photo: Stauf There are also other forms of ‘problematic damp’, such as accidental damp, excess air humidity, rising damp, etc. Those problems are beyond the scope of this article, but there are both ‘mechanical’ and ‘chemical’ solutions to combat residual building moisture.

For floating floors For fitting floating floors or laminate, the best solution to combat the risks of damp is to fit a barrier. The available barriers usually consist of synthetics. Polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyisobutylene (PIB) are very popular synthetics used as damp barriers. These barriers are available in rolls of various widths. They need to be fitted with an overlap of 30cm and run up the wall at the edge up to 2cm above the

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> continued from page 52

What is epoxy ?

Epoxy (also known as polyepoxide) is an epoxide polymer consisting of two carbon atoms (C) and one oxygen atom (O) in a ring-shaped structure. Epoxy is a thermosetting synthetic which can be used to make composites. In combination with fibreglass or clothing, they are used as solid, but lightweight materials. During production, the material is a thin liquid and lends itself to impregnating fibre material. Composites made in this way are weatherproof and waterproof and are used, amongst other things, to produce sailing boats. Apart from that, epoxy is used as the basis for several products. A few examples are epoxy adhesive/epoxy resin, paint (liquid lacquer and powder lacquer), floors, and print plates for electronic circuits. Epoxy has a pressure strength and tensile strength which are twice those of concrete. Due to its liquid density, it can be used in several treatments, including for use on floors.

Epoxy floors have become popular for industrial applications because of their durability and liquid density. At present, epoxy floors are used for many applications such as in offices and homes for a modern or industrial look. Epoxy floors are available in all colours.

Epoxy as a moisture barrier There can be no doubt that epoxy offers an excellent solution as a moisture barrier. Major advantages (features) are the uniform and sealing film formation, the good adhesion, and the outstanding combination with dual component adhesives.

Scope It is difficult to express the scope of epoxy in general on the basis of residual moisture limits. There is still a lot of conjuring with the permissible residual moisture percentages, which vary from ‘up to 4%’ to ‘up to 9%’ in the technical data sheets of the producers. The moisture barrier is usually applied in two coats with (cement) covering floors which show a residual moisture percentage of a maximum of 4.5 %. In many (but not all) cases, the second coat is spread together with quartz sand.

Epoxy shield For covering floors with a residual moisture content higher than 4.5% you can lay a good quality epoxy ‘shield’ in a single coat. Here, too, these are dual component products which have to be mixed carefully. With these moisture barriers the makers usually advise you to apply them using a notched

Important point for attention Obviously, the makers offer a quality guarantee based on the application limits. However, the floor fitter is still responsible for the correct application of these products. The utmost caution is required, certainly for applying a moisture barrier.

Common causes of damage are faulty application and, especially, careless mixing of the components.

The role of quartz sand It may be necessary to sprinkle quartz sand in order to improve the mechanical adhesion (anchoring) of the parquet adhesive. With the right combination, most qualitative primers/ adhesives provide a high chemical binding (within 36 hours with parquet glueing) so that in many cases it is not necessary to sprinkle quartz sand. At all events, sprinkling quartz sand onto the surface will ensure better adhesion.

As a reminder: BBRI fitting instructions Groups such as the BBRI (Belgian Building Research Institute) have set out some ‘measures’ to give us a sound start. As far as air humidity is concerned, the BBRI prescribes a moisture content between 45 and 65% for fitting parquet. The wooden floorboards themselves have a moisture content which may be between 7 and 11%. The recommendation for the substrate is as follows: A cement covering floor may have a maximum moisture content of 2.5%; this becomes 2% if there is floor heating, whilst the limit is 0.60% if there is an anhydrite screed.

Special Epoxy moisture screens

For glued floors A note in advance: solutions for glued floors can obviously also be deployed for floating floors, but usually not vice versa. There are several chemical treatments to safeguard the substrate. Here we make a distinction between primers and epoxy moisture barriers. Amongst primers, the most popular ones are polyurethane primers. Some of these primers are applied primarily to reinforce the screed, but, if they are applied in two coats, they act as a moisture barrier. Apart from these PU primers, there are also dispersion based damp screens.

The best guarantee against excess residual moisture is still an epoxy moisture barrier.

trowel. It is also important that the moisture barrier is applied over the entire floor and along the walls a few centimetres upwards so that the moisture barrier, as it were, an impenetrable buffer.

A selection from the range : Adesiv “PRIMER HE SOLVENT-FREE BICOMPONENT (2:1) EPOXY PRIMER Consolidating resin for dusty cement screeds; for treating residual humidity on damp floors; for attaching and impregnating subfloors in environments or places that are chemically aggressive. For gluing only use our bicomponent glues.”

Bostik Bostik Eponal 336 is a dual component epoxy resin primer and moisture barrier. The resin Eponal forms a solvent-free dual component layer of epoxy on cement-based substrates or old tile floors burdened with capillary rising damp. You can then apply a levelling agent, a parquet adhesive, or a tile adhesive.

Eponal 336 can also be used to reinforce the substrate (covering floor). Bostik Eponal 336 is the best solution for safe and durable fitting of floor covering onto a substrate susceptible to rising

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Floor Forum International 66

final height of the floor. Any damage to the barrier must be repaired or there’s no point at all in having a subfloor (you can compare it to a bucket with a hole).

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Special Epoxy moisture screens

damp (moisture percentage up to 10 CM%).

Moreover, Bostik Eponal 336 also prevents the emission of radon. Radon is an odourless, colourless, and radioactive gas of natural origin.

Due to its gaseous nature, it can escape from the ground or from building materials. It can be inhaled by the lungs. Radon is responsible for a considerable proportion of lung cancer illnesses.

Chimiver Chimiver has a large range of sealants suitable for subfloors with a residual moisture content of no more than 5%.

The best seller is Prymer SF1105

which is a 2-components water-based epoxy primer suitable for dusty, very dry and crumbling subfloors and for preventing rising damp in absorbent subfloors. It has excellent penetrative properties and can also be used on anhydrite covering floors.

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

Emfi Emfi presents its Emfiprim Epoxy as preparation for damp floors. This polymerised product is completely impenetrable for water or damp and therefore forms a solid moisture barrier between the substrate and the floor. The Emfiprim Epoxy can be deployed with residual moisture percentages up to 10%, although caution is advised because with very high residual moisture percentages the damp can rise via the walls. Therefore, it is also necessary to apply Emfiprim on the walls to a height of 20cm. A moisture barrier seal is achieved with 500gr in two to three crossed coats.

This Epoxy primer prevents the wood from warping because

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Floor Forum International 66

A complete moisture & humidity testing kit for concrete and wood flooring, incorporating the Tramex patented instant moisture test and the new Hygro-i in-situ probe working together to provide a new standard in speed & accuracy which can be used again & again...

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Hardwood-flooring specialist Max says: “Time is money. Use floors immediately!”

WS Rush – the new generation of fi nishing systems is here. UV curing one-component waterbased fi nish for the highest quality standards.

More at: uv.loba.de/en LOBA – the surface specialist for parquet and hardwood floors

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it doesn’t absorb any moisture. With achievements going back over 10 years without any complaints whatsoever, this primer has proved its durability. There is no physical or chemical indication whatsoever that the moisture barrier would lose its quality over time.

Henkel/Thomsit

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.

Kerakoll

advisable for restructuring, and 1K PU moisture barriers with a high isocyanate content are not advisable on health grounds (R40/Carcinogenic value/XN). The use of the EP21 as a primer with 200gr/m² turns a floor with a tensile strength of 1.1N/mm² (too low) into a floor with an ample tensile strength of 3.7N/ mm². The EP21 is recommended for use only with a residual moisture of up to 5%. The EP21 makes the floor completely waterproof against both negative and positive water pressure, but if a floor has a moisture problem (moisture pressure), it is never advisable to fit parquet, because if the floor cracks, the moisture barrier will also crack and then the floor fitter has to repair serious damage. The hard-elastic L34 adhesives stick directly to the EP21 without sanding. The use of a strong, hard-elastic adhesive prevents the wood from warping as a result of air humidity. The epoxy moisture barrier EP21 is highly durable and lasts as long as the parquet floor. Mixing the EP21 with dry quartz sand (1:8) creates a d70 quality epoxy repair or covering floor. Kerakoll also presents the pre-dosed Factory EPO-FAST, which ensures that the EP21 hardens even faster.

Rectavit Rectavit 2K Epoxy Moisture Barrier is an extremely reliable and durable system which gives strong adhesion on both a good number of substrates and with a number of adhesives. Moreover, it creates a virtually impermeable layer.

The residual moisture percentage in concrete and cementbound covering floors can be up to a maximum of 7%. This figure is 5% with anhydrite covering floors. These tolerances are lower if there is floor heating in the room.

By adding quartz sand to Rectavit 2K Epoxy Moisture Barrier, we can raise the mechanical adhesion of the glue on the system. This is absolutely essential if the adhesive cannot be applied within the overcoat time. This is about 72 hours for Rectavit 2K Epoxy Moisture Barrier. Rectavit 2K Epoxy Moisture Barrier retains its durable nature for at least 20 years if a sufficiently thick coat is applied and the stability of the substrate remains unchanged during this period.

Special Epoxy moisture screens

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Kerakoll Green Building Company offers SLC Eco EP21 (Rating: ECO3/EC1 Plus). This solvent-free moisture barrier hardens through a reaction between the A (5L) and the B (2L) component and does not change at all in weight or volume. The cross-linking of the epoxy film is such (in two layers) that it protects the wooden floor from moisture contained in the floor.

The EP21 is a better moisture barrier for the floor than products which change in volume or weight during the hardening process.

This happens during hardening as a result of the emission of water (water dispersion), the emission of solvents, or through a reaction with air humidity (hygro-reactive and/or containing isocyanate). Moisture barriers with solvents are certainly not

2K Epoxy products have very good chemical and moistureresistance. The fact is that this latter property makes epoxy products absolutely ideal for service as moisture barriers.

Once the product is properly applied, it forms a waterproof coat which can withstand capillary rising damp. Epoxy has excellent adhesion to concrete. EPR-31P acts as a moisture barrier against capillary rising damp in concrete or cement floors

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Floor Forum International 66

Soudal

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Special Epoxy moisture screens

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(with a maximum of 7% with concrete substrates and 5% with anhydrite floors). EPR-31P offers a guarantee against warping parquet as a result of capillary rising damp. However, there is no guarantee against warping parquet as a result of other factors such as residual moisture in the wood at the time of fitting, atmospheric conditions in the room (temperature and air humidity), whether or not the wood is acclimatised as prescribed, and such like. Sprinkling with quartz sand has the purpose of enlarging the surface to create better mechanical adhesion. In this respect, you could think of levelling on top of the epoxy moisture barrier. Or glueing with 2K PU Parquet Adhesives. Hybrid adhesives are well known for having good adhesion on impervious, smooth surfaces. If you opt for this adhesive, it is not necessary to ‘sprinkle sand’.

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- und PUK adhesiveswithin 24 hours ▪- can be used below STAUF levelling compounds when sanded

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 water-proof 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.

SIMPLE, FAST, RELIABLE.

PRO³ – OUR FAST SYSTEM HELPS BOOST YOUR PROFITATABILITY Floor Forum International 66

SIMPLE – PRO³ system products are coordinated to work perfectly with one another. That means you no longer have to think about selecting the right individual products.

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

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

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

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

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WATERLESS GLUEING

Glue as an adhesive Glueing is one way of binding elements to each other, just like screwing, nailing, welding, or soldering.

Various archaeological discoveries have shown that adhesives were already in frequent use around 4000 BC. For example, vases have been found from that period which had been repaired with vegetable adhesive, whilst in Babylon archaeologists have discovered ivory statues with eyes fixed with ‘glue’. Adhesive residue has been found on just about all objects from the period between 1500 and 1000 BC, and the world famous tomb of Tutankhamen was sealed with glue.

The Greeks and Romans used adhesive for marquetry and for laminating ships. Throughout history, all craft workers have made use of vegetable adhesive. The first animal adhesive was produced in the Netherlands around 1700. In 1750, the first patent was issued for a fish adhesive. Industrial adhesive production in Europe on a large scale started in around 1900.

Physical or mechanical?

One way of classifying adhesive reactions is to divide them up into physical and chemical reactions. The nature of the reaction determines the way in which the adhesive bond is created and how the adhesive sets.

Photo: Pallmann

Physical adhesive reactions There is no chemical reaction in adhesives which operate on the basis of a physical reaction. There are various possible mechanisms. For example, an adhesive reaction can occur as a result of the loss of solvent. This happens by evaporation. Usually, you allow the solvent to evaporate for a certain time before fixing together the parts to be glued (e.g. bicycle glue, wood glue, or paper glue). Another physical adhesive reaction takes place by means of cooling: The adhesive mass is applied as a hot liquid to the surface to be glued. The adhesion with the second material to be glued is achieved through cooling. As we have already said, the adhesive bond with dispersion adhesives is created by the evaporation of the water in the glue.

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Floor Forum International 66

Adhesive bonds can be created by a physical or chemical reaction between different components. For glueing parquet it is the wood sort and the nature of the substrate which largely determine which glue is the most suitable. Surrounding conditions (e.g. damp or oxygen) almost always play a part. The principle of dispersion (emulsion) adhesives is that a binding agent is ‘dispersed’ in water. The binding agent (synthetic resin) does its work when the water has disappeared. This is a physical process. With chemical adhesive bonds, the adhesion is created by a chemical reaction. Most of these glues do not contain water, although some people are critical of them for that very reason.

Special Waterless adhesives

TECHNOLOGY FOR SAFE GLUEING

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Special Waterless adhesives

Chemical adhesive reactions Chemical adhesive reactions arise when two or more substances enter into a chemical reaction. With dual component adhesives the components react to each other. With single component adhesives the second component needed for this reaction is found in the surrounding air. This is usually the damp in the air. Examples of glues which need a second component from the surrounding air include urethanes, silicones, and cement adhesive.

Advantages of glues There are many ways (techniques) of binding materials to each other e.g. screwing, nailing, welding, and soldering. Glues offer some specific and crucial advantages, certainly as far as fitting parquet is concerned. For example, glueing spreads the stress evenly. Unlike a screw connection, a glue connection means that the entire glued surface helps to transfer the strength. This means that the stress in and on the connection is spread evenly. Moreover, glueing does not change the structure of the materials glued. Welding or soldering, by contrast, obviously do cause changes. Unlike a screw connection, a glue connection gasproof. Furthermore, glueing offers you the option of binding different materials to each other and the connection can usually be undone without damaging the material.

For the acoustics, adhesives have the advantage of being more or less elastic so that they eliminate vibrations.

Waterless glue Long ago, in an old edition of Floor Forum International, we told you the anecdote of a floor fitter who, whilst fitting a brick pattern parquet floor directly onto the screed, noticed that the expansion joints at the edges were disappearing almost instantly whilst the work was in progress. In other words, the wooden (birch) floor blocks were already swelling during the fitting. It later emerged that this was due to the fact that the wood was too dry and that the floor fitter had used an emulsion adhesive. The wood sucked the water out of the adhesive and started to swell ‘at once’, with all the consequences thereof. Dispersion (emulsion) adhesives contain water. Specialists have told us that only an acrylate binding agent needs water.

Most other adhesive types do not need water since they do not create a physical adhesive reaction, but a chemical one.

Silane adhesives, PU adhesives, and MS polymers operate on the basis of chemical adhesive reactions. Their biggest advantage is that they do not contain water, so they cannot give the wood any water to cause it to swell. This also means that these glues are usually suitable for long and wide solid wood floorboards, depending on their composition.

Floor Forum International 66

Emfiparquet Pro Plus

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ECOLOGY/PERFORMANCE Parquet adhesive Based on silane terminated polymers.

Approved for the fullsurface adhesive bonding of all types of parquet and in very large sizes: 15 x 160 mm, 20 x 180 mm, 20 x 200 mm.

OUR APPLICATION ADVANTAGES OUR ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS • In adequacy with the environmental standards in force.

• Not aggressive for varnish.

• Very low VOC* emission.

• Very low odour.

• Classified A+.

• Classified EC1 Plus R. * Volatile organic compounds

• Excellent shelf life, minimum wastage.

• Keeps perfectly good lines.

• Use of advanced technology.

• Easy to apply.

• FCBA certificate.

• Remains flexible after polymerization. • Suitable for laying on heated floors, in bathrooms, etc.

• Fast curing time.

• Improve the acoustic comfort of parquets.

• Excellent resistance to humidity and heat.

OUR TECHNICAL SKILLS

EMFI HEAD OFFICE - 3 rue Ettore Bugatti - CS 40030 - 67501 Haguenau Cedex - FRANCE Tél. +33 (0)3 88 90 60 00 Fax +33 (0)3 88 73 48 38 - Internet : www.emfi.com - E-mail : emfi@emfi.com

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What’s on the market?

are manageable and practical. The sausage-shaped adhesive is recommended, amongst other things for use on skirting boards.

Adesiv

According to Adesiv, 90% of adhesives are waterless. This applies to all dual component PU adhesives and the new single component PU adhesives and silane adhesives. The big advantage is that the glue does not discharge any water to the wood.

Adesiv has an extensive range of waterless adhesives. Examples include the EURO 5, EURO F1, PELPREN PL6, WB MONO MS, and WB MONO MS LE. Euro 5 is a dual component epoxy-polyurethane waterless glue with very low VOC. It is designed specifically for sticking wooden floors of any kind onto cement bases or non-absorbent existing floors (marble, tiles, floor mosaic, or wooden support blocks). Euro F1 and Pelpren PL6 are dual component epoxy-polyurethane waterless adhesives.

They are specially designed for glueing wooden floors onto any kind of concrete substrate or onto existing non-absorbent floors (marble, tiles, Palladian, and wooden substrates). WB Mono MS 1-component adhesive is specially for glueing pre-engineered wooden floors onto concrete substrates or onto existing non-absorbent floors (marble, tiles, Palladian, and wooden substrates).

For all parquet glueing, Emfi recommends its hybrid polymers, including two spreadable adhesives (Emfiparquet Pro Plus and Emfiparquet Pro Eco) and Emfimastic PS Parquet, which comes in a tube.

Emfi’s ‘star product’ is EmfiParquet Pro+, a parquet glue based on silanated polymers which is suitable for the full glueing of all types of parquet.

Thorough research and development means that EmfiParquet Pro+ meets the strictest environmental standards: This glue contains no solvents, silicones, or isocyanates. It is suitable for glueing very wide oak floorboards. It sticks rapidly and is easy to apply. The EmfiParquet Pro+ is a single component adhesive. Its high resistance to damp and fluctuations in temperature make it ideal for fitting parquet above floor heating. Emfimastic PU Parquet, finally, is suitable for the cordon glueing of all types of parquet.

Emfimastic PU Parquet is a coloured putty which is offered in cylinders of 310 and 600ml. This glue has the Habitat Sain A+ classification.

Special Waterless adhesives

Emfi

Henkel/Thomsit

As regards waterless adhesives, the Blanchon range includes two spreadable adhesives, one sausage-shaped adhesive, and one ship deck joint sealant kit. All these products bear the A+ label for indoor emissions. AB 2000 is a hybrid polymer adhesive for the full surface glueing of solid parquet in widths up to 200mm and of multi-layer parquet up to 400mm wide.

This glue is pliable and elastic and suitable for use with floor heating. The AB 1300 is also a hybrid polymer glue. You can use this extremely effective adhesive to glue wide solid boards up to 130mm and multi-layer boards up to 260mm. This adhesive, too, is pliable and elastic and offers outstanding adhesion on most substrates. Both glues are easy to apply and ensure a solid adhesive groove. Both glues are EC 1R classified (GEV Emicode).

The packing, too, is extremely handy and keeps possible waste down to a minimum: This glue is available in 6kg bags, which

Amongst its waterless adhesives, Henkel has both PU and silane adhesives under the Thomsit trademark. P675 Elast (for pre-finished parquet), P685 Elast Universal (for solid wood and pre-finished parquet), and P695 Elast Universal Strong (for all wooden floors) are based on the FLEXTEC technology developed by Thomsit. P 675 and P 685 are soft-elastic adhesives, whilst P 695 is a hard-elastic adhesive. At Thomsit, a hard-elastic adhesive means an extra strong and fast-working glue so that it is also suitable for more critical parquet sorts which, normally, could be glued only with a dual component PU adhesive. A soft-elastic glue is not suitable for this purpose. The star product at Thomsit is the P 695 Elast Universal Strong. The benefits of this glue include the following: It is waterless and solventless so there is no chance at all of the wood swelling, it is permanently elastic, it reduces tensile stress on the substrate, and it is suitable for use on virtually all substrates without the

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need for a primer. Henkel also presents the Thomsit P 625, a low-emission, solventless, and waterless dual component polyurethane adhesive.

Special Waterless adhesives

Kerakoll Kerakoll Green Building Company produces waterless adhesives for parquet in the shape of 2K EP PU adhesives (setting by means of a reaction between A+B), and 1K MS adhesives (hygro-reactive/setting through moisture absorption). The latest generation of the Kerakoll MS adhesive/seal kit is the ecological Nanosil Eco. This is a universal 1K MS-based repair adhesive (in 290ml tubes) with rapid setting. This is the fruit of the work of the Kerakoll Green Lab, which has developed an MS Technology to make the adhesive set with a minimal amount of moisture. This also makes it suitable for glueing non-absorbent surfaces to each other and means it can be deployed in greater thicknesses. The adhesion is superior (>3.1N/mm2) and it can be used for wood, ceramics, metal, synthetics, concrete, and plaster both in and outdoors. These properties make it ideal for glueing items such as stair elements and doing repairs on parquet floors; within one hour, the work is ready for use, sandpapering, or joining.

The most important use of Nanosil is as a seal kit against water in places such as swimming pools, balconies, and showers. For this latter purpose, the company has been awarded the ETA (European Technical Approval) certificate for bathrooms for watertight glueing and making watertight items such as holes in walls where wires/tubes stick out. The Nanosil is also part of the Kerakoll Aqua Expert systems for balconies and swimming pools. This makes Nanosil a rapid, Universal, and reliable solution for work on site.

265 is a sausage-shaped glue of 600cc for glueing with a specially adapted glue gun. Lecol offers the Wakol PU 225 as a PU adhesive. Wakol PU 225 Parquet Adhesive is suitable for glueing 22mm solid wood parquet (thick strips and wide parts) solely onto a wooden subfloor (chipboard, mosaic, etc.) in combination with concealed clips.

Pallmann

Pallmann offers various waterless adhesives, including Pallman P5, Pallmann P6, and Pallmann P9. Pallmann P5 combines the elasticity of a polyurethane adhesive with the advantages of state-of-the-art STP technology. The glue is extremely easy to apply without any risk of swelling, since it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t contain any water. Pallmann P5 is suitable for just about all wooden floor sorts, including exotic sorts. This glue does not contain any solvents. The Pallman P5 has an excellent filling capacity and a long open time. Adhesive residue can be removed easily. Just like Pallmann P5, Pallmann P6 is a single component adhesive with a hard-elastic adhesive groove. Pallmann P9 is a universal dual component polyurethane adhesive.

Tover

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Lecol offers a range of waterless adhesives for the UK under the Wakol trademark. The parquet glue Wakol MS 230 is a 1-component elastic MS polymer adhesive, which is particularly suitable for the full surface glueing of multi-layer parquet with a tongue and groove connection. As a result of the increasing need to glue multi-layer parquet, Lecol has developed a new adhesive which is ideal for this purpose. Wakol MS 260 is a 1-component hard-elastic MS polymer adhesive. The Wakol MS

The use of water-based adhesives to lay wooden floorings is becoming more and more marginal: indeed a vinyl glue like Tovcol TP 3RF still finds application to bond on sub-floors mosaic under-floors and panels, before the parquet laying.

Tovcol TP5 in bottles of 500 ml is suitable for floating laminated or wooden floorings as transparent and water-resistant (Class D3). However, the glues which carve the lionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s share are waterless. They can be epoxy-polyurethane (Tovcol TP 2C), pure polyurethane (Tovcol PU 2C or PU/F1) or MS polymers (Tovcol MS); all of them guarantee a secure laying on any type of support. Moreover the waiting time before sanding the wood is from 48 to 72 hours in comparison to the 15 to 30 days required by a water-based adhesive. Such a time saving has inevitably speeded up their decline.

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‘PLAN NORD’ OFFERS BETTER SOCIO-ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE. Quebec is the biggest and wealthiest province in Canada. It still reflects its French colonialist past via the French language. The rest of Canada mainly speaks English. The government of Quebec wants to raise prosperity in the north of the province via an ambitious socio-economic plan. The so called ‘Plan Nord’ will affect over 1.2 million square kilometres, over 72% of Quebec’s surface area. Quebec has about 760,000km² of forests. Together with Ontario and British Colombia, Quebec is one of the top provinces in the timber trade in Canada. It’s a major industry, since we know that 10% of active Canadians work in timber.

A refresher Quebec is the biggest province in Canada with a surface area of about 1.6 million square metres. Quebec borders on the Hudson Strait, Ungava Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean in the north, the province of Newfoundland to the east, the Gulf of St. Lawrence the province of New Brunswick, and the USA states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York to the south, and the province of Ontario, James Bay, and Hudson Bay in the west. The longest distance from east to west is about 1570 kilometres, whilst from north to south it is 1970km. About 90% of the province is part of the Canadian Shield. Half of the province consists of expansive (maple) forests, tundras, lakes, and rivers. Quebec is so long that the northern part is in the polar region and part of the ever frozen Canadian Shield. The highest peaks are in the south with Laurentides Park at 1100 metres and Mount Tremblant at 960 metres.

Canada is an independent constitutional monarchy in the Commonwealth and in line with the British (Westminster) model has a crown, senate, and lower house. The British king or queen is represented by a governor general, who is appointed for five to seven years. He or she is aided by a cabinet (so called privy council). The governor general appoints and dismisses ministers and members of the federal Supreme Court, ratifies legislation, has a right of consultation in cabinet, and gives the king or queen’s speech. The biggest political party supplies the prime minister and the ministers, who are chosen from the members of parliament. The prime minister is the senior official in the running of the country.

Special Quebec companies focused on export

AND THE WEALTHIEST PROVINCE IS … QUEBEC!

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Remarkable form of government The 10 provinces and three territories of Canada form a federation with parliamentary democracy as its form of government.

Photo Luc-Antoine Couturier

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Federal structure The country has a federal government structure. Each province has its own constitution, a lieutenant governor appointed by the governor general, who is proposed by the federal cabinet and a legislative assembly consisting of one chamber. The territories are governed by a commissioner. This government official is accountable to the Canadian ministry of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. This commissioner is assisted by a Territorial Council, the members of which are elected every four years by the voters of the territories. This governing council has the same function as the legislative assembly in the provinces.

Each of the territories is represented by an elected member of parliament in the Federal House of Commons (lower house) in Ottawa. The federal government still governs finance, transport, economic affairs, justice, defence, and foreign affairs.

Maverick Quebec There is a strong separatist movement in French-speaking Quebec. Since 1981, the people of Quebec have twice held a referendum on the question of independence for the province, and they have twice voted against, albeit with a tiny majority. In 1995, there was a very tight majority of 50.3% or 50,000 votes. The federal government is using legal and political means to try to take the wind out of the separatists’ sails. In the field of law they have presented the federal Supreme Court with the question of whether or not the independence of Quebec would be a breach of the constitution. The verdict on this issue in 1998 failed to provide absolute clarity. The unilateral separation of Quebec from Canada is not lawful, but in the event of a big majority of the people of Quebec wanting independence, negotiations to amend the constitution must commence in order to make independence possible. Since 1995, support for

Photo ministère des Ressources naturelles

independence has dropped somewhat. Surveys show that most of the people of Quebecois wish to stay with Canada, but they do want an administration with more self-determination. For the time being, it looks like there is little prospect of a fresh referendum.

Economics Quebec has a strong economy supported by extremely strong advantages and is a leader in research and development. The province has innovative technology and is well ahead in many fields, such as air and space travel technology, pharmacy, biotechnology, information technology, and multimedia. Apart from that, the province’s major advantages are its ideal location, competent and dynamic staff, a vast supply of various raw materials, and a solidly developed export market. Quebec is none the worse for its participation in the free trade agreement NAFTA, as this has opened up a market of 440 million consumers. A good 75% of the province’s exports are destined for the United States. Apart from that, Quebec has also set its sights on Mexico, Europe, Asia, and South America. The result of all this is that Quebec is more affluent than other industrialised countries. Families have more spending power and the cost of living is lower. Nevertheless, the government has not ceased with investment. The ‘Plan Nord’ is a good illustration of that.

Sustainable investment A few years ago, the government of Quebec launched the Plan Nord, an ambitious economic and social development project which will involve investments of over 80 billion Canadian dollars in sectors such as energy, mining, forestry, bio-food, tourism, and transport, as well as in the conservation of fauna and the environment and for the preservation of biodiversity. The Plan Nord, which will run over 25 years, will generate a new demand for workers, knowledge, and skills. The benefits of this will be felt all over Quebec and there will also be countless opportunities for international collaboration. Former prime minister Jean Charest invited the European scientific and business communities to support the project and help to create a new model of sustainable development of a territory full of natural resources.

An extremely affluent area The Plan Nord affects the entire area north of the 49th parallel.

It covers about 1.2 million square kilometres, 72% of the surface area of Quebec. This region contains one of the most important reserves of fresh water in the world, with about 500,000 lakes and thousands of rivers. It includes vast potential for reclaiming water, wind, and solar energy. This huge area contains over 200,000km2 of forests in need of management, houses extraordinary fauna, and is one of the world’s final regions with vast potential for conservation of expansive areas of still

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Economic potential The Plan Nord is one of a series of priority initiatives by the government of Quebec to develop the province’s economic potential and create wealth. The aim of the plan is the sustainable development of the energy industry, mineral and forest raw materials, fauna, tourism, and the production of biological food.

With its scope, positive results, abundance of required knowledge, and the necessary suppliers, the Plan Nord will provide scores of economic opportunities for the benefit of all regions in Quebec and its foreign partners.

Sustainable forest management There is a strong ethos behind Plan Nord with sustainability and respect for the environment as key concepts. Yet forest management has been a key theme for much longer. Quebec covers about one fifth (760,000km²) of all Canada’s forest area (4,000,000km²).

Timber industry The heart of the Canadian timber trade also lies in Quebec.

Some key woodworking tasks are done by sawmills, sheet and wood product makers, and paper producers. In 201011, the potential wood harvest from state forests was over 31,712,100m³, with 70% coniferous and 30% deciduous trees.

The full capacity was 44,332,000m³. The real harvest for the same period was 20,405,000m³ from state forests and an estimated 5,794,000m³ from private ones.

Certificates in Canada In Canada, three new trees have to be planted for every tree which is cut. The unique result of this policy is that the Canadian forest, far from shrinking, is actually increasing. Similarly, the number of forests certified for sustainable forest management is growing year by year. Canada issues various certificates, including the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative). However, traders in Canada attach most important to their own national certification system CSA (Canadian Standards Association), which the industries concerned set up over twenty years ago at the request of the Canadian government.

Certificates in Quebec The biggest share of certified forests in Quebec are FSC approved. The total surface area of FSC approved forests is 19,742,435ha. Officially, 1,418,646m³ of this may be harvested (cut) each year. According to their own Canadian certification system (CSA), at the end of 2011, there was a surface area of 7,468,812 certified hectares, 5,845,350m³ of which may officially be cut each year. Finally, there is also a surface area of 5,128,222ha certified under the SFI system (Sustainable Forestry Initiative). Under that system a total wood volume of 8,728,000m³ of wood may be cut officially per annum. And so, the total surface area of certified forests in Quebec is 32,339,469 ha, good for a permitted harvest of 15,991,996m³.

Special Quebec companies focused on export

unspoilt natural beauty. The north of Quebec is rich in all sorts of minerals: nickel, cobalt, platinum raw materials, zinc, iron ore, ilmenite, and a big share of the gold production. You can also find lithium, vanadium, and rare raw materials for which there is a growing demand abroad for use in sectors such as energy, and high technology.

AZ_Zeitschriften_Text_ENG_190x65 Ghent 20.02.14 11:24 Seite 1

We make binding connections.

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

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www.proline-systems.com

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Special Quebec companies focused on export

An introduction :

BOA-FRANC/ MIRAGE

PREVERCO

In 1983, Pierre Thabet took over a small joiner’s business (Sain-Georges). Initially, the company concentrated on the production of unfinished floorboards and staircase steps.

In 1990, they started producing pre-lacquered floors under the Mirage trademark. Two years later, they were exporting floorboards to the United States. In 1997, they built the sorting line. During that same year, the company became the first North American hardwood floor manufacturer to receive the ISO 9001 certificate. From 1999, the company also started making multi-layer floors under the Mirage Engineered trademark. In 2002, they built a new production plant and in 2007 the company introduced Mirage Lock, a new application of Mirage floors: a veneer floor with a click system for floating fitting. Today, Boa-Franc is one of the very few companies which supply the three different sorts of wooden flooring technology (solid wood, engineered, and glueless). Over the past decade the company has walked off with various prizes.

In 2012, they won the quality prize ‘Le Grand Prix québécois de la qualité’, the highest distinction awarded by the government. In 2013, the company was the laureate for the ‘Prix Or’ during the ‘Prix Canada pour Excellence 2013’. The company employs 375 people and has a capacity of 3,700,000m² per annum. tel. 001 418 227 1182 - www.miragefloors.com

Preverco was formed in 1988 with parquet varnishing as its core business. Its name combines ‘Préver’ (pre-varnish) and ‘Co’ (company). Within a few years, the company soon burst its joints and made several acquisitions. In 1997, Preverco built a new and ultra-modern factory in St. Augustin to meet rising demand. Since then, the company has taken care of all aspects of production itself, from the raw wood to the finish. With the construction of another factory in 2000, the company enlarged its surface area to 10,000m².

In 2001, they took over a production plant, which specialised in the finish and production of wooden floors (BFS 2002 Inc.). In 2004, the company launched some new engineered floors under the name Engenius. In 2007, they opened a new factory and, in 2009, bought a sawmill to launch Scierie Preverco Inc. In 2010, Preverco Inc. took over a logistics centre in Vancouver to meet demand in Western Canada. September 2011 saw the launch of ‘Parquet Royal’.

Preverco now has a unique showroom in Quebec. In 201314, the company celebrates its 25th anniversary in style.

Today, Preverco, with subsidiary plants included, employs about 300 people. Today Preverco is a leading manufacturer of high‐end hardwood flooring, offering the widest variety of species, colors, widths and appearances, as well as the highest quality finishes. Its reputation for excellent customer service, continuous quality, constant innovation and dependable delivery is impeccable in the industry. For more information about Preverco’s complete line of hardwood floors.

Contact Preverco: tel. 001 866 890 WOOD - www.preverco.com

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The Quebec Wood Export Bureau (QWEB) is an association of wood producers, including a highly dynamic group of parquet producers. Their goal is to promote their industrial entrepreneurs and their products worldwide. Although they are each other’s rivals, the members of the QWEB join forces to work on promotion campaigns on maple, the annual participation in the Domotex exhibition in Hanover, and the execution of other joint activities. These entrepreneurs, who have been exporting products for a long time, realise that healthy competition is good, but collaboration is even better. This group of parquet producers made the decision many years ago to work together to promote parquet from Quebec in Europe. On the one hand, they do this with regard for the history which links Quebec to Europe, but on the other hand also because of the excellent reception of their products by importers and European clients. Quebec is an excellent source of stocks without any shadow of a doubt.

All producers are committed to the sustainable management of the forests and make every effort not only to harvest the fruits of these forests, but also at the same time to maintain them for the benefit of the generations to come. tel. 001 418 650 6385 - www.quebecwoodexport.com - www.canadahardwoods.com

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LAUZON

PG Hardwood Flooring Inc. was formed in 1979 by Richard Garneau and Julien Paré. Richard Garneau already had 20 years of experience in producing wooden floors. Initially, 15 people worked in the company on an area of over 1,000m². Today, the company employs 150 people on a production plant of 125,000m². Mr Paré left the company in 1992. PG Hardwood Flooring offers over 5,000 products. In just 30 years, the company has acquired a reputation for outstanding quality in the production of hardwood floors (solid wood, engineered, and pre-finished). The floors are sold under the Mode and PG trademarks. The company managers are convinced that success is related directly to research and development, not only with regard to new products, but also in the field of production techniques and processes. Moreover, an extremely strict quality control also provides an important guarantee that every product is perfect. PG Hardwood Flooring has an extensive distribution network in several countries. The company offers FSC products and provides CE labelling for export to Europe.

Lauzon Distinctive Hardwood Flooring is a Canadian company formed in 1985 by its current president and CEO David Lauzon. The company operates in 10 locations and employs 400 people. They take care of the entire production process themselves, from the meticulous selection of the wood to the finish of premium wooden floors. They use state-of-the-art technology in all phases, both for sawing (hybrid sawmill) and sorting (high-tech scanner).

Lauzon offers solid wooden flooring in three collections, namely Designer (best), Ambiance (better), and Essential.

As regards the finish, in the 1990s, the company developed the exclusive and high-tech Titanium Finish, which contains neither solvents nor VOCs. For some wood sorts they also add a coat of UV protection. An ecological company?

Absolutely. Lauzon Distinctive Hardwood Flooring manages its own forests, which, in total, are bigger than the state of Connecticut. The forests are managed in line with the highest standards: They work in constant contact with local residents, native communities, conservationists, and others involved. After the annual harvesting, the forest is in even better condition than before. Even waste wood is processed into pellets. Lauzon Recycled Wood Energy Inc. is the biggest producer of 100% wood pellets in North America. tel. 001 514 509 5000 www.lauzonflooring.com www.plancherlauzon.com

tel. 001 418 796 2328 - www.pgmodel.com

Special Quebec companies focused on export

PG HARDWOOD FLOORING

Les Bois de Parquets Vaucluse is a Canadian company. Since 1989, they have specialised in solid wooden floors and multi-layer floors in various wood sorts, which are well known for their beauty and durability. Les Bois de Parquets Vaucluse is a member of the National Wood Flooring Association and the Quebec Wood Export Bureau. They employ over 30 people and manufacture premium quality floors. The annual production is 185,000m². The company has experience of deliveries overseas and can serve clients anywhere. tel. 001 450 627 0904 - www.vaucluse.org

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> Product news CIRANOVA

— OCULTO OCULTO is a water based PU impregnation oil for parquet and wooden furniture.

The wood maintains its original matt, natural and unfinished look and gives an invisible protection. Use Oculto as a sealer and topcoat and apply the product in 3 coats.

Oculto is an anti-slip finish and contains a UV inhibitor to help prevent the wood from yellowing. An optional hardener may be added for improved durability.

CIRANOVA — UN1CO UN1CO is a 1-coat VOC-free oil from the newest generation using renewable natural oils. Thanks to this special technology there is only one coat necessary to finish your parquet. The combination of the oil with the hardener results in a fast drying and excellent chemical resistant finish. UN1CO will be available in 16 colours.

Discover both products during the fair in Ghent, European Floor & Wall Exhibition, from the 16th till the 18th of March in Flanders Expo.

Product news

OSMO

— Permanently beautiful wood To date the clear natural wood finish from Osmo was available in satin-matt, semimatt and matt, now a “Gloss” will also be available. The increased level of sheen lends an especially fresh and elegant look to wooden flooring. No matter which product sheen is used the Polyx®-Oil surface is durable, resistant to water and dirt and when dry, they are food safe and suitable for children´s toys. Moving with current trends the Osmo Polyx®-Oil is now also available as Polyx®-Oil Anti-Slip. It offers a perfect solution to meet the growing demand for domestic areas, and is nowadays almost a must for commercial areas.

WOCA — INDUSTRIAL HARDWAX OIL 1505 Basic treatment of wooden floors WOCA Industrial Hardwax Oil No. 1505 is a new environmentally friendly product based on vegetable oils. The Hardwax Oil is available in natural and can be tinted in 800 different colours on the WOCA tinting machine. WOCA Industrial Hardwax Oil 1505 provides an extremely hardwearing surface with light-film-building properties. This new material is very suitable for commercial areas with high traffic etc. The penetration and high saturation properties enable ongoing maintenance and repair to be very easy using the famous WOCA aftercare products such as WOCA Maintenance Oil etc. The new WOCA Industrial Hardwax Oil 1505 still enhances the natural glow of the wood, and the drying and hardening time are unique due to the excellent penetration compared to other products.

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

WOCA — Neutral Oil with “invisible” look for industrial Floor Forum International 66

application.

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WOCA introduces new industrial floor oils that are completely “invisible” and are designed to keep the original untreated appearance of the oak floor.

WOCA’s Neutral Oils provide a unique “invisible” design, in such a way that the oil treatment does not affect the original appearance of the oak floor. The oil penetrates the wood and protects from inside.

WOCA Industrial Neutral Oil is available in an air drying version as well as UV-drying version. For cleaning and maintenance, WOCA Soap and WOCA Neutral Care are providing an intact invisible look for years.

For more information, please study www.woca.dk. or contact us at info@ttwoodcare.com

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

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

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