FFI 68 June 2014

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

N° 68, June / July. 2014 - Price: €8 - Published 7 times a year - (Feb, March, May, July, Sept , Nov, Dec) Of fice of deliver y 9099 Ghent X , P911092, BC 31359 — Responsible Publisher: Filip De Ridder

TOP GERMAN COMPANIES FOCUSED ON EXPORT Review of the Carrefour International du Bois Special: Hard wax oil

Special: Producers of distressed floors

Special: Providers of adjustable pedestals

Special: Finishing and maintenance of exterior wooden wall cladding

Special: Adhesives for PVC, LVT and vinyl floor

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

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

Editorial

N° 68, June / July. 2014 - Price: €8 - Published 7 times a year - (Feb, March, May, July, Sept , Nov, Dec) Of fice of deliver y 9099 Ghent X , P911092, BC 31359 — Responsible Publisher: Filip De Ridder

TOP GERMAN COMPANIES FOCUSED ON EXPORT Review of the Carrefour International du Bois Special: Hard wax oil

“Paris showroom helps us on the contract market.”

Special: Producers of distressed floors

Special: Providers of adjustable pedestals

Special: Finishing and maintenance of exterior wooden wall cladding

Special: Adhesives for PVC, LVT and vinyl floor

Floor Forum International n° 68, June / July 2014 Photo Z-Parket

4 100th Anniversary of the Floor Forum Magazine 5 Inside news 8 Review of the Carrefour International du Bois (FR) 13 Special Producers of adhesives for PVC, LVT and vinyl floors 16 Special Hard wax oil 21 Advertorial Design Parquet (FR) 22 Special Hygrometers 24 Special Subfloors for PVC, LVT and vinyl floors 27 Special Maintenance and cleaning products for parquet 33 Special Providers of oil and lacquering machines 36 Advertorial Proline Energy GmbH (D) 39 Special Providers of adjustable pedestals 44 Special Finishing and maintenance of exterior wooden

wall cladding 49 Special Producers of distressed floors 54 Special Automation and packaging of parquet 57 Special UV curing on site 59 Industry news 60 Special Top German companies focused on export 66 Product news

Roel Geraerts (Z-Parket)

(Z-Parket)

‘The Z-Parket range, with its high quality treatment and special colouring, lends itself ideally to the contract market both in Belgium and abroad. Our floors are fitted as part of some of the best projects in the world, yet we still notice that it’s only possible to persuade clients if you can show project managers, architects, and designers the beauty and all the possibilities of your products. You have to see the opening of our showroom in Paris in that light. We’ve opened it together with a German manufacturer whose products are complementary for the design of the showroom.’

What part do the dealers play here?

‘Let’s be quite clear about this. We ourselves are not going to start selling to end clients.

That’s obviously the job of our dealers. This initiative simply gives us more opportunities on the contract market, and that will benefit the dealers. Previously, we only had our showroom at our headquarters in Genk (Belgium). Maybe we’ll eventually open showrooms in Brussels and Antwerp, but that’s not definite. What I can say is that we’re going to invest more to improve the presentation of Z-Parket products amongst all our dealers. In the not too distant future, we’ll be coming up with some new presentation possibilities to give our dealers extra help in selling Z-Parket products.’

How are sales going at the moment and how do you see the market situation?

‘We certainly have no grounds for complaint. Demand in Belgium is still holding its own. On the international market we’re seeing clear growth, with good positions in France and now also some interest and sales on the British market. The Swiss market is becoming important to us, whilst we’ve recently made our first steps on the market in Italy, Spain, and Israel.’

‘We’re also pleased to see that the colours introduced at the end of last year have proved a success. The new collections also enable us to make full use of the new machines which we bought last year. Furthermore, our complementary products, such as the veneer panels (in the same colours as parquet) and the furniture which we completed last year, have also attracted interest. We’re going to remove a few items from our existing range, which is now a little too big. That gives us the chance to promote our most attractive and striking floors a little extra.’

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

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

Gaylor Vantieghem

An attractive presentation of a parquet range is still a decisive factor in persuading clients. At Z-Parket, a successful Belgium manufacturer on the international contract market, they are well aware of this and are going to pay more attention to it. Roel Geraerts (founder) and Gaylor Vantieghem, manager of Z-Parket, outline their plans and explain why they have recently opened a showroom for architects and designers in Paris.

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

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

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

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

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

Floor Forum magazine is celebrating its 100th anniversary!

A NEW LAYOUT TO MARK AN ANNIVERSARY! ER

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au R s L ou OU A N z-n F 3 ite E TIO H Vis RR A OIS 1 A N C ER U B nd H T D ta S IN 3, all H

Revue professionnelle pour l’importation, l’exportation, la distribution et la pose de parquet, revêtements stratifiés,liège et bambou dans le Benelux et en France

D

Vakblad voor import, export, distributie en plaatsing van parket, laminaat, kurk- en bamboevloeren in de Benelux en Frankrijk

Revue professionnelle pour l’importation, l’exportation, la distribution et la pose de parquet, revêtements stratifiés,liège et bambou dans le Benelux et en France

Vakblad voor import, export, distributie en plaatsing van parket, laminaat, kurk- en bamboevloeren in de Benelux en Frankrijk

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N° 99 mai 2014

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ALPES ANDES HIMALAYA

Dossier Producteurs de bardages de façade : bois et composite

industry news

Exportminded

industry news DE BRÈVE PRÉSENTATION

Oostenrijkse bedrijven

Een overzicht van de parketindustrie SOCIÉTÉSinROUMAINES …

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EXPORTMINDED

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Preview du salon Carrefour International du Bois Nantes (F)

Nabeschouwing : Domotex Istanbul (TR)

industry news

Compte rendu Domotex

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Paraît 7x/ans (fév, mars, mai, juillet, sept, nov, déc) Editeur resp.: Filip De Ridder • Prix: €6 • 12ième année Bureau de dépôt 9099 Gent X • P409056

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www.europlac.eu Brève présentation des sociétés françaises spécialisées dans l’éxportation

n° 90 février 2013

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MAPEI UNE GAMME COMPLÈTE POUR LA POSE, LA FINITION ET L’ENTRETIEN DE PARQUET PRIMAIRES, COLLES ET VERNIS POUR LA POSE DE PARQUET

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Dossier: Epoxy polyurethaanlijm

Vernis en phase aqueuse

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Preview Domotex Shanghai

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2013

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11/06/13 16:06

As you have probably noticed, we’ve changed the layout of your trade journal. We wanted to spoil our readers with a fresh new layout which looks more intent and modern and makes everything more readable. The occasion for this new look is the 100th edition of our sister journal Floor Forum. Floor Forum is the Franco-Benelux version which set the ball rolling in the year 2000. We take a brief look back.

Local and international

Whenever a trade journal reaches its 100th edition, this means primarily that publishers and clients in a particular sector have got to know each other over a long period of time. Manufacturers and suppliers share their knowledge and technical information via the trade journal and clients are pleased to be kept informed.

A few years later, this led to the creation of our English language version, Floor Forum International, which saw the light of day in 2004 and is geared to producers, importers, and exporters all over the world.

The key for a trade journal is to keep track of the market, especially new developments. In this respect we have always endeavoured to provide a wide choice of specific product dossiers, including all types of floors and subfloors, all fitting and finish chemistry, and tools. We’ve discussed them extensively and always included a good market summary. We’ve supplemented that with projects, brief reports, and market information.

A lookback to 2000 A glance in our archives shows that the first edition of Floor Forum appeared in 2000, about 14 years ago. Even in those days, our sector was an attractive, flourishing segment of the floor market, but, my goodness, we’ve come a long way! At that time, parquet was still a floor which you always finished entirely on site at the client’s premises.

Moreover, it was best that the planks weren’t too wide or long, because that would get you into trouble. The term ‘aged parquet’ referred trivially to a parquet floor which was at least ten years old and starting to show its age. Laminate often had a maple decor and made an infernal noise when you walked on it.

We see just how far everything has progressed over the years. We now have UV finishes, an endless selection of colours and various wood finishes, more ecological finish chemistry, and better subfloors.

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Floor Forum international 6 8

At the start in 2000, Floor Forum was a magazine in two language editions (Dutch and French) and was geared to the Belgian market.

We soon attracted readers from France and the Netherlands. And so, our editors spared no effort in taking a look over the borders and reports on foreign projects and trade fairs became an essential component of our flooring sector reports.

Over the years, Floor Forum International has also become a familiar face at various professional events in Belgium and abroad. It has its own stand at shows such as Domotex and Carrefour International du Bois and travels extensively to trade fairs all over the world (Munich, Milan, Istanbul, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur, Harrogate, Dubai, etc.).

It is that driven and global view of the sector which has contributed towards the success of the magazine and led to the creation of our own trade fair, the European Floor & Wall Exhibition in Ghent (Belgium), which took place last March for the first time.

Thanks!

All that remains for us is to give a sincere word of thanks from the entire team to our advertisers and readers.

To our advertisers because they have put their trust in us over all those years and at the same time benefitted from the resonance which they have received via the adverts and articles in our magazine.

To our readers for their feedback and acknowledgement!

We hope that, together with your help, we can publish several hundred more editions to strengthen and promote the image of our sector!

∂ Inside news BLANCHON : Open day – June 2014 At Blanchon the shop floor was swinging to the global beat for parquet traders.

To highlight particularly attractive promotions (varnishes, oils, and machines), which prepare us for the summer, fifty parquet traders from the Rhone-Alpes region were invited to savour the specialities of a Brazilian buffet. The new techniques, the varnish Performer® (three-dimensional system, waterborne, and with very high resistance, to highlight the natural beauty of the wood) and the Ciméthane® UV, which has exceptional characteristics, were obviously the highlights of the day.

Carpentier presents Living lodge timber framed buildings during Soirée Printemps

remote control. The moving strip system is fully equipped with a perfect drainage. Heidi Carpentier comments, “We’re delighted with the attendance and the interest shown by the guests. We’ll be organising events like this in other locations as well.” In the meantime, the company is looking for opportunities to export the Living lodge range. She concludes, “Our range can also be a success in other European countries. And so, we’re looking particularly for dealers in Europe.”

CSP Engineering

boards and then it fills it with wood putty.

1 Operator onto the machine, a continuous production process, 2 applicatorheads fills the defects simultaneously. The result is an impressive performance !

For this machine, CSP Engineering developed CosmetiWood®, a waterbased wood-putty with unique characteristics.

More info: www.csp-engineering.be

Decorad On 25 April, Carpentier organised Hardwood Solutions in Aalter, a Spring Evening (‘Soirée Printemps’) for clients, architects, and other interested parties. Amidst great interest from visitors, Carpentier presented its Living lodge timber framed buildings. It was a pleasant spring evening with a refined walking dinner to give visitors the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the latest concepts from Living lodge and the design furniture.

Living lodge comprises the entire collection of timber framed buildings from Carpentier, both the traditional designs (Classic) and the design models (PURE). Although there are some standard models, the designs are usually tailor-made for the client. It was mainly the PURE timber framed buildings which were on show. Their subtle and austere design has been developed in collaboration with leading architects such as Exterior and Mathias De Ferm. The buildings are available with unique vertical and horizontal profiles in PEFC oak or Hot wood. Hot wood is thermally treated ash or softwood which is suitable for a long lifespan in outdoor conditions.

The Living lodge design by Exterior acted as a design bar during the evening. This is finished on the inside with a transparent and insulation polycarbonate panel, which ensures that the light inside is also visible outside via the chinks in the wooden profiles. This gives the building a splendid and attractive look after sunset.

The latest introduction from Living lodge is a highly attractively shaped pavilion in wood with a strip roof, which, if necessary, provides the required protection from the sun or rain. The moving strips consist of a combination of Hot wood on the underside and aluminium varnished profiles on the top side. The system can be operated using a handy

Visit the www.floor-forum.com

The Belgian CSP Engineering developed PAR-Fill®, a unique and automatic machine that detects knots and cracks in the surface of wooden floor

UV on site: big advantage for renovating shop floors The innovative contractor nearby Hamburg in Germany, Arte Lignum GmbH, is already for a long time convinced about the advantages they can offer towards (new) customers using UV on site. A big trendy clothing store, part of an American retail chain, had a time problem renovating their floors. Within 36 hours the floor was sanded, stained and coated with three layers of UV curable finish. A great industrial quality result is achieved within limited time using the UV curable finish in combination with the DecoRad® UV curing equipment.

NEW: the Rubio Monocoat Colors App!

The extended colour range of our Rubio Monocoat Oil is without any doubt one of the most appreciated aspects of our product range.

Floor Forum International 6 8

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∂ Inside news To imagine how a colour would look like in a certain setting is one thing, but what would you think about really being able to visualise it with an app? The Rubio Monocoat Colors App makes it really easy and way much fun, so hurry to the itunes store to download it.

Note: only available for the iPad at this time. www.rubiomonocoat.com

and resources to stir us to work better and better and to always be, as our history has shown… one step ahead.

Tover searches for German partners

Stile Pavimenti Legno s.p.a.

We have the pleasure to inform you that Stile Pavimenti Legno s.p.a. made an important decision on the eve of its 50th birthday.

As a matter of fact, in order to re-organize the company structure and place itself in a key position in the Italian and International market, Stile has recently let new important partners in and also changed its business name. For this reason, the new ANBO-STILE s.r.l. has been set up. This new company was formed by Stile Pavimenti Legno s.p.a and Anbo UK ltd, a very important company in the distribution field in UK, who found in Stile the chance to enter the high segment of the market, thanks to Stile’s leading technology and its logistical platform which has been recently built together with an innovative automated storehouse. AnboStile srl will guarantee the continuity and the presence of Stile in its traditional domestic market, and at the same time starting off important development for “worldwide” distribution. This will happen, bringing in considerable capital which will allow a higher presence of entirely “made in Italy” products in the high-end segment of the market and above all in the world of “A&D Community” in the most important global markets. We have a hard job ahead in the next few months, but there are the ideas,

After having consolidated its commercial position in numerous European markets like Benelux, the Balkans, Eastern Europe countries, Tover has decided to go on with its international process entering one of the most important markets: Germany. Tover

Classic Line Wengé chevron 45°

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 6

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20/06/13 14:31

∂ Inside news prepared its strategy applying and getting DIBt certificates for its best selling adhesives: Tovcol MS, silane based mono-component and Tovcol PU2C, hard elastic solvent free two-component polyurethane glue. The second step now is to develop reliable partnerships with German and Austrian companies willing to start a project of introduction and long-term distribution of Tover products.

The Italian manufacturer offers an extremely wide range of high quality professional chemicals for sub-floors preparation, laying, finishing and maintenance of wooden floorings combined with marketing, sales and technical support. For any further information, visit our website and send an e-mail to m.c.conversy@tover.com

character of a company holding up the ‘Made in Italy’ flag, but, above all, gives the geographical area of its work. In this manner Ardesia has initiated a radical and far-reaching renovation in its form and essence; a renovation which started with a new web-site and is proceeding at full speed towards the research and introduction of products essential for old and new trends www.devenetia.com is just the beginning! It will allow you to appreciate the new world of Ardesia’s parquet with new collections, new designs, and new finishes.

Ardesia Ardesia will remember 2014 as the year of a new skin, or, rather, the year of a new outfit. The 15-year-old clothes had become too tight and old fashioned (with an obsolete cut), despite the high quality fabric and the dressmaker’s ability.

Therefore, the company has taken an important and courageous stance to move with the times and needs of a constantly changing market. It has opted, firstly, for a highly distinctive brand which goes with the territory: DE VENETIA, an evocative name which perfectly identifies the

Floor Forum International 6 8

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Review

of the Carrefour International du Bois (FR)

VISITORS AND EXHIBITORS WERE SATISFIED WITH THE RANGE AND THE SPHERE

Photo – Booth Floor Forum International

From 4 to 6 June, Nantes in France witnessed the thirteenth Carrefour International du Bois. The 530 trade fair exhibitors presented a varied and attractive range of goods for the 10,000 or so visitors, 22% of whom were from outside France.

The show was also worth a visit for those in the parquet industry.

Both exhibitors and visitors expressed their satisfaction at the end of this French wood trade fair. According to the event organisers, they were full of praise for the variety and fullness of the range from all segments of the wood industry, from traditional woodworking to innovative products with wood. The 10,215 professional visitors (about the same number as last time), about 70% of whom were decision makers, also expressed their satisfaction with the location and timing of the show.

Huge numbers of visitors now regard this trade fair as a permanent fixture in their diaries.

The growing interest in the show from outside France was noticeable.

22% of visitors were of non-French origin and, all together, 74 nationalities were represented at the show over the three days. This proved once again that the event is playing an increasingly bigger part in the

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international wood trade. In 2012, 18% of visitors were non-French, whilst that figure had been 15% in 2010.

Conferences proved popular The event organisers had arranged a full programme of seminars on various themes related to the wood industry. These seminars attracted about a hundred visitors on average. In particular the themes of architecture in wood and ecological construction with wood attracted lots of interest.

Floor Forum International was also there Once again, Floor Forum International Magazine had a stand at the show. For lots of visitors this was another opportunity to meet the team behind Floor Forum International. For others it was an opportunity for an introduction to the international magazines for parquet, laminate, LVT, terrace floors, exterior wall cladding, and such like. Once again, the Floor Forum stand made for a pleasant break to talk to others and enjoy a Leffe beer, a glass of wine, or a cup of coffee and a snack. Below you will see an overview of the major exhibitors for the floor and wall market whose information reached us on time.

Below you will see a summary of the major exhibitors for the floor and wall market whose information we received on time:

from Ciranova is an increasing trend because more and more manufacturers are convinced about the advantages of the real UV-oil.

Blanchon

Design Parquet

Blanchon, a French specialist in the field of finishing parquet and wooden floors, exhibited plenty of innovations. Amongst the parquet floors there was the Performer® 3-dimensional system, the first glazer in a watery phase which combines very high durability and an increase in the natural look of the wood. Cladding Oil on outdoor walls adds an opaque, matt powdered impregnation, which is elegant and durable (four to five years for maintenance purposes).

Via Solid OilTM, Blanchon has introduced for industrial and ERP parquet a decorative and oiled finish which is very effective (over two million visitors to the Mu CEM museum in Marseille). Finally, they presented Ciméthane® UV. This is a glazer for use on site which reacts to UV rays.

The exceptional properties of this product will be revealed in this trade journal very soon.

Manufacturer of solid and engineered floor parquet, Design Parquet displayed at the Trade Fair « Carrefour du Bois », the collection Design Deco and Loft Mountains, Loft Pro, special parquet, the bathroom parquet Navylam + and finishing : « Roc Varnish », colorless varnish, stained, oiled, brushed, structured, rough finish…..

Chêne de l’est They were delighted with their participation in the Carrefour du Bois trade fair in Nantes.

Visitors showed a great deal of interest in their know-how of 100% French origin and were eager to find out about the products on show! Each new innovation is available in engineered parquet in oak TOP 4, TOP 6, and solid oak in 14, 21, and 22mm. Their innovations in distressed floors: misty grey, dune grey; in sawn oak: frozen dew grey, gravel grey, pearl grey; in Natural range: zebra structure, Baltic grey with structure, recycling-idea and Vendome-grey. Their pale loft is still highly popular.

Ciranova The second participation at the fair Carrefour International du Bois à Nantes was again a success.

The visitors could discover on our stand the most popular finishes with our Ciranovaproducts. During this fair, we also presented the newest products OCULTO and UN1CO. Especially the trendy UN1CO-colours were attracting a lot of professionals such as the parquet layer as well as the industrial manufacturer of parquet. Also the demand for UV-oil

Europlac « Europlac, as a French producer, presented on this show its new offer and image, focused on « A La Carte » parquets and veneer floor. This Tailor Made System is perfectly adapted to the demand of the specialized relailer and Europlac has just to imaginate and present new colors for growing with each partner of its network. New collections CEPAGES and FRAGANCES propose deep aspect of modern parquet, thanks to the natural proposal of wood. 100% of all products are produced entirely in the family run company in France and it is a real advantgae today on this market to assume and know by heart each boards that leave from the plant. In this view, Europlac presents the environment friendly concept 20’000km of economy : it is totaly absurd to consider normal that woods leave from Europe to Asia and be back to Europe in engineered parquet cheaper than those produced in Europe. Let’s be concious but let’s be creative as well. »

Florian Legno The Carrefour International du Bois was a complete success! Florian Group confirmed its leading position in the production and supply of European hardwood (oak, ash, walnut,...). Our sawn timbers are available in square-edged, random widths and fixed-widths. Florian Group also produces oak flooring (engineered and solid) and thermotreated ash decking. Our whole production is eco-certified.

Gascogne Wood Products Novelties in the HYLOR range Cladding ADELIE, certified FSC™, four new products in saturated finishing : shades trends while also transparency to bring out the natural

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Review

of the Carrefour International du Bois (FR)

look of wood ; the ratio price quality is one of the most attractive of the market, treated Class 3A, tong and groove four sides.

Cladding Belharra, certified FSC™, maritime Pine autoclave class 4.

Decking Belharra draws a wave, for a trompe-l’oeil effect of 2 panels in 1. Alone or combined with Cl. 4 cladding already proposed by HYLOR ®, it creates a contemporary and chic design or brings fantasy to differentiate its style.

around the wide range of flooring and matching accessories. Within the Lalegno team, nobody was surprised at the triumph of the beautiful Classic Collection, which made a lasting impression on the visitors of the fair. As expected, especially the new Arbois and Marsanne products were met with both commercial and critical success alike. As the fair has only led to a multitude of positive reactions, a participation in the next edition is certainly a possibility.

HARO International

Osmo presented products for treatment and care of wooden surfaces

Hamberger Flooring, Germany’s largest parquet manufacturer, was present with an attractive HARO exhibition stand and its entire French sales team. France is a key export market for the Bavarian floor specialist. Haro showcased the complete range from parquet and laminate flooring to the Disano design floor and Celenio, the wood floor that looks like stone. The trade show offered excellent contact possibilities. Uwe Eifert, Managing Director for Marketing and Sales, was also in Nantes for talks with customers and Michael von der Gathen, Export Director Europe, was pleased with the great number of business opportunities, talks and discussions at the fair.

Inpa Parket INPA Parket, with its headquarters in the Netherlands, was formed over 40 years ago and specialises in producing, importing, and exporting wooden floors. From the company’s factory in Paraguay, South America, they export to over twenty countries worldwide. Apart from South American wood sorts produced in their factory, they also offer a good selection of European wood. At Carrefour du Bois their stand included their European Oak Duo Plank exclusive with 10 new trendy colours, their new Black to White collection in seven unique finishes, and their latest collection, namely the Cotton Mill Range. 3D wall panels with a unique character are their latest innovation. INPA also has FSC approved products such as their end grain blocks and Duo Plank/ multi-layer parquet in various exotic wood sorts.

Lalegno Lalegno’s first active participation in Carrefour du Bois in Nantes was an instant success. The entire French sales team was constantly occupied conducting the many existing and new clients

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During the trade fair in 2014 Osmo presented their rewound natural oil-based wood finishes for interior and exterior use and for the care of wood.

The visitors were really interested in Osmo: Especially the Country Colour, Polyx®-Oil and Oil-Stain got the attention from many visitors. At the fair Osmo was pleased to meet its customers and took the opportunity to make and follow up new tangible contacts with people from France and all over the world. Also the three new French field managers were introduced.

Parador After the excellent start to the Parador vinyl programme in 2012, the flooring manufacturer has now doubled its range of resilient floors.

The new decors show almost perfect imitations of the materials stone, wood and concrete in Parador’s signature style. Parador offers vinyl floors based on HDF core boards as well as a version made of 5 mm thick solid material. New to the range is the 598 x 294 mm tile format in solid vinyl material, which is particularly popular as a kitchen or bathroom floor. The click-in connections, Safe-Lock® and ComfortClick, ensure a secure installation.

Quebec Wood Export Bureau The Quebec Wood Export Bureau (QWEB) attended the Carrefour International du Bois (CIB) to promote Hardwood lumber and its components, through the promotion of Hard Maple, very well appreciated symbolic species. QWEB showcased the marketing campaign «Hard Maple from Canada»: www.hardmaplefromcanada.com. According to David Guilbert, QWEB manager for Europe: «The attraction for Canadian Hardwood is constantly growing and the quality of our lumber and our companies is more and more recognized by the customers. We also realized a thorough work to be able to supply technical data to our European customers in particular on Hard Maple».

Rubio Monocoat: dynamic trade show!

The participation of Rubio Monocoat France at the Carrefour International du Bois has not gone unnoticed! The enthusiastic response of our visitors during the demonstrations confirmed once

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Review

of the Carrefour International du Bois (FR)

again that the Rubio Monocoat technology is unparalleled. The ease of use and the irrefutable ecological features of our products were much appreciated as well. The interesting foreign contacts made during the show confirm the international character of this trade fair. For us, this edition was a real winner! www.rubiomonocoat.com

Silvadec « A very professional trade show, a real place of exchange» For its 7th participation, Silvadec exposed its 2014 novelties, Hall 3. Silvadec presented its new deck board generation made in France, with excellent technical qualities, innovative with its beautiful finishing thanks to the coextrusion technology used.

The mastery of this technology by Silvadec allows to add a remarkable design and a warm touch to the Atmosphere deck board, easy to clean

with permanent colour. Innovation 2014 : Silvadec also revealed the 1st composite louver board on the market ! « The CIB allows us to have very rich exchanges with our French and international partners, and I am delighted with the great feedback received by the presentation of our new cladding range” says M. Philippe Crez, CEO of Silvadec.

Vetedy Vetedy Group introduced it very last novelty: Techniclic®’s spacers.

This accessory give the possibility to choose the size of the spacing between the wooden boards. It is now possible to choose a spacing of 5,5mm, 10mm, 20mm and 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! To remember: our invisible fixation system for decking Softline® which the technical and qualitative advantages are known from all of you. More info on our website www. vetedy.com.

The next edition of the Carrefour International du Bois takes place from 1 to 3 June 2016.

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STAUF Klebstoffwerk GmbH . Oberhausener Straße 1 . 57234 Wilnsdorf, Germany . www.stauf.de

Special

Producers of adhesives for PVC, LVT and vinyl floors

ADHESIVES FOR FLEXIBLE FLOOR COVERING DISPERSION ADHESIVES AND POLYURETHANE DO THE JOB.

Photo – Mapei

The range of adhesives, even within the various forms of adhesive technology, has grown vastly over the years due to the huge variety of (building) materials. Depending on the properties of the materials to be glued, some adhesives are more suitable than others. Major factors include the density of the material, porosity or absorption capacity, moisture sensitivity, the moisture content in the material, and such like. The demands or mechanical expectations put upon the glueing are also a major factor. For flexible floor coverings such as vinyl and linoleum dispersion adhesives are ideal.

Some PU adhesives are also suitable.

Demands put on the substrate All floor coverings are different. Ceramic tiles, natural stone, parquet, laminate, and, in short, all sorts of floors require a different approach and different products or tools before, during, and after the fitting. One of the big differences between the floor types which we have mentioned and flexible floor coverings can be seen in the demands which are put on the substrate. The tolerances with hard floor coverings are of a completely different nature to those with flexible floor coverings. The latter are thin and usually more or less elastic so that any unevenness in the substrate is generally still visible in the finished floor. This means that you will almost always have to level the surface for flexible floor coverings.

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Physical adhesive bonding Adhesive bondings can be created from a physical or chemical reaction between different components. The type of wood and the nature of the underground largely determine which adhesive is the most suitable to use for the glueing. This is no less the case for glueing flexible floor coverings. Surrounding conditions (e.g. damp and oxygen) almost always play a part. There is no chemical reaction with glues which work on the basis of a physical reaction. There are several possible mechanisms. For example, the adhesive reaction can take place as a result of a loss of solvent. This happens by means of evaporation. Usually, you allow the solvent to evaporate for a certain time before fixing together the items to be glued (e.g. bicycle glue, wood glue, or paper glue).

Another physical adhesive reaction takes place through cooling. The mass of glue is applied to the surface as a hot liquid. The adhesion with the second material to be glued is achieved through cooling.

Dispersion adhesives Dispersion adhesives are adhesives which enter into a physical adhesive bonding. With these adhesives a synthetic resin such as polyvinyl acetate, acrylate, or polyurethane is dispersed in water. An organic solvent is added for some applications. In some cases the adhesive may contain emulsifying agents, cross-linkers, and preservatives. Dispersion adhesives set by means of the extraction of water from the glue to create an adhesive film (the water disappears, but solid substances

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Special

Producers of adhesives for PVC, LVT and vinyl floors

are left behind to achieve the bonding). This means that one of the parts to be glued has to be capable of absorbing water. Metal, synthetic substances, wood, paper, and textile can be glued using dispersion adhesive, but metal cannot be glued to metal in that way.

Adhesive for flexible floors We musn’t make the mistake of tarring all adhesives for flexible floor coverings with the same brush.

Adhesive for cork Cork tiles or strips are flexible floor coverings, but they are glued in a different way. For cork we use contact adhesive which is applied on two sides. The adhesive bonding is created by spreading glue onto the substrates (surfaces) first. After the solvents have evaporated, an adhesive film starts to form, which is almost dry. A strong bonding is created after the application of a brief press on the contact surfaces.

The materials bond as soon as they are pressed together; it is no longer possible for them to slide. As the adhesive warms up, it becomes softer (more plastic) and is thereby easier to apply.

Adhesive for vinyl and PVC As we have already said, adhesives for PVC, linoleum, and vinyl meet other demands than those made of adhesives for wood. These floors have a more smooth and closed structure than wood, which has open pores. This means that it is difficult for them to absorb water in the adhesive, so slightly moist or almost dry glueing is necessary.

Moreover, these materials swell and shrink a lot less than wood, which requires other demands as regards elasticity. The adhesive and the subfloors are put under a lot less pressure (fewer sideways tensile strengths) than with wooden floors. Nevertheless, the adhesive has to be strong enough to create a durable bonding. This is why some producers add reinforcement fibres to the emulsion.

What’s on the market?

Adesiv For glueing flexible floor coverings Adesiv offers Adetac S, a universal single component acrylic adhesive, which is of top quality and has an EC1 certificate. This adhesive is suitable for glueing all sorts of vinyl, rubber, PVC, linoleum, and textile onto both absorbent and non-absorbent substrates. Unlike wooden floors, these sorts of floors swell and shrink a lot less, so there is no need for elastic glues. It will be necessary to apply a primer first, if the screed is in poor condition (i.e. powdery or loose). It is also usually advisable to deploy a self-spreading levelling agent in order to be sure of a perfectly even floor. For glueing PVC and rubber in and outdoor, they recommend the 2K PU adhesive Pelpren PL6-G.

Bostik Bostik presents an extensive range of adhesives for these types of floors. Solfix 500 is an acrylate high-performance glue. It is suitable for homogeneous and heterogeneous PVC, polyolefin and rubber floor covering in strips or tiles (max. 2.5mm). It is also suitable for several types of carpet (synthetic rugs) and semi-flexible carpet tiles. This glue offers strong initial adhesion and does not contain solvents.

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It is resistant to roller wheels.

Solfix Best is a solvent-free dispersion floor adhesive with exceptionally strong tack.

Solfix Best is suitable for glueing PVC floor covering in strips and tiles, cushion vinyl, polyolefin floor covering, rubber floor covering up to 2.5mm thick and with a smooth rear side, linoleum, and carpet with various sorts of back. The adhesive is ideal for two-sided contact-glueing. It is a dispersion adhesive with low emissions and it does not contain solvents. Solfix Power Elastic is a dispersion glue based on specific polymers, and it has very high tack and low emissions. It is suitable for glueing LVT in strips or tiles, rubber less than 3.5mm thick, linoleum in strips, polyolefin, homogeneous PVC in tiles or strips, multi-layer PVC in tiles or strips, all sorts of wall-to-wall carpets and natural fibres, and PVC on old PVC. For glueing elements such as skirting boards Bostik presents Green Contact.

Chimiver Panseri Chimiver offers three different adhesives for flexible floor or wall coverings, namely ADESIVER RE 400 N, ADESIVER RE 400 EXTRA and ADESIVER RE 400 PLUS. ADESIVER RE 400 N is a waterborne acrylic adhesive developed specifically for gluing linoleum up to 3 mm thicness, carpets with stable backing onto absorbent sub-floors and for vinyl floors with a felt base.

ADESIVER RE 400 EXTRA is a universal waterborne acrylic adhesive, highly tixotropic characterized high solid content, very good and easy spread-ability and very low water content. Suitable for gluing of semi rigid vinyl, PVC flooring, coconut and cork.

Finally ADESIVER RE 400 PLUS which is a waterborne acrylic adhesive for gluing flexible floor coverings on absorbent and semi-absorbent sub-floors. Specific for PVC rolls or tiles, rubber sheets up to 3 mm, textile, semi-flexible vinyl and materials with PVC or cork base.

Kerakoll SLC ECO R3 Certified, eco-friendly, organic mineral adhesive to lay heavy vinyl floors and coverings on absorbent substrates, ideal for use in GreenBuilding. Singlecomponent, water-based, solvent-free and with very low volatile organic compound emissions, safeguards the health of both operators and the environment.

Slc Eco R3 develops the best combination of open time, initial setting and extreme resistance for the safe, easy laying of all types of floor and wall PVC and rubber coverings in thicknesses up to 3mm on absorbent or almost non-absorbent substrates.

• Flooring and walls, for internal use • Ideal for laying heavy, high-thickness coverings

• Suitable for heated substrates • Ideal for floors which have to bear concentrated loads and withstand the strain of furniture fitted with castors • Ideal for sheets, carpet tiles and PVC Design

Lecol UK Wakol D3318 is a fibre-reinforced dispersion adhesive for glueing homogeneous and heterogeneous PVC floor covering, especially PVC design floor covering, CV floor covering and linoleum, rubber floor covering, and rubber-cleated floor covering up to 4mm thick on absorbent substrates indoors. Wakol D3330 is suitable for glueing PVC Design floor covering (strips and tiles) with no waiting time or back trouble. The fact is that this glue is applied using a roller, which can be kept in the bucket after use ready for next time.

Wakol D3360 is suitable for glueing linoleum, rubber floor covering up to 2.5mm thick, textile floor covering with felt back, latex foam back, synthetic back, or sackcloth back, woven textile floor covering, and needle felt on absorbent substrates, and for PVC and CV floor covering on absorbent and non-absorbent substrates indoors. For glueing cork Lecol also offers Wakol D 3540 Cork Contact.

Schönox

SCHÖNOX produces quality floor and wall products for professionals.

During the development process, they take particular care to ensure that the possible applications of the product are healthy and profitable. This is of benefit to traditional companies since they lose fewer days due to employee sickness and can deploy workers for longer periods. A good example in Germany is the most popular roller adhesive for PVC strips, namely SCHÖNOX iFLOOR®. This adhesive is extremely ergonomic since you can apply it from a standing position so that there is less strain on your back. A thin layer is rolled evenly onto the levelled substrate. This does not create an adhesive groove pattern or lumps of glue under the floor and neither does any adhesive residue emerge from the joints. The top side stays clean. An even application reduces sensitivity to impressions considerably. The long setting time (two hours) means you can spread bigger surfaces in advance with SCHÖNOX iFLOOR®. It is also possible with SCHÖNOX iFLOOR® to go over the applied glue again with a roller. This is not possible with wet adhesives. It is normally possible to replace a few strips and re-apply SCHÖNOX iFLOOR® without having to prepare the substrate again.

Stauf Choosing a suitable floor covering depends on the specific conditions of use. STAUF floor covering adhesives are made to suit these diverse

requirements. They are completely reliable, even faced with moisture and varying temperatures. The great majority of STAUF adhesives for PVC - and other resilient floor coverings are dispersion based. Look for our specific, all-purpose or even universal adhesives in our new catalogue or go on www.stauf.info for more detail.

For the installation of design PVC floor coverings and LVT’s, a special adhesive , STAUF dispersion adhesive D 50 offers a product for a durable installation; fibre reinforced it ensures excellent dimensional stability.

For high traffic areas or rooms with high variation in temperature, the 2-component PU adhesive R 105 is the ideal solution and shrinking of elements is virtually excluded.

Tover

Tover has in his range different types of adhesive for resilient floors including PVC in rolls or tiles and vinyl floorings: Tovcril T57 is an acrylic water-based glue with low Voc content and odor to bond in interior PVC, vinyl floorings on absorbent and non absorbent sub-floors.

Tovcol RP, still acrylic based, can be considered universal as suitable for PVC and vinyl but also rubber, cork, textiles etc. on any subfloor; it is particularly recommended on under-heating systems. Moreover it is solvent free, odorless and can be used to glue even in vertical position. Both adhesives have got a good coverage and an excellent adhesion Peel.

Thomsit/Henkel Thomsit’s best product is Thomsit K 188 E, a special high output dispersion adhesive for the wet and adhesion glueing of PVC floor covering in strips and tiles (including PVC on foam), CV floor coverings, vinyl tiles, and textile floor covering with latex PVC and PU foam backs. K 188 E is ideal for adhesion glueing of thick floor coverings on thick substrates such as PVC on PVC. It is also suitable for glueing rubber up to 2.5mm thick with a smooth and deceptive back in strips and tiles.

Use Thomsit K 150 Dispersion Adhesive Rubber for rubber which is thicker than 2.5mm. Thomsit K 188 E can also be used for polyolefin, Thomsit underlays, and cork floor coverings in tiles and strips of 4mm thickness. The floor coverings must be completely even and have a uniform thickness all over.

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Floor Forum International 6 8

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Special

Hard wax oil

PARQUET FITTERS OPT FOR HARD WAX OIL THE ‘TOP’ FINISH IS BOTH FUNCTIONAL AND DECORATIVE

Photo – Rubio Monocoat

Anyone who has had parents or grandparents with a polished parquet or wooden floor in their living room is not likely to be tempted to try an alternative. The aura of such a ‘waxed’ floor is certainly unrivalled. A smooth surface obtained through years of waxing, waxing, and more waxing. Hard wax oil is undoubtedly the latest miracle of technological progress in the treatment of wooden floors. The smooth surface of a polished floor, usually applied in one work session and just as protective as a solid varnish, gives a strong pattern!

Pure nostalgia Anyone who grew up as a child on the ‘aroma’ of a floor treated with beeswax will never forget that lasting impression. For many people that is precisely the thrill of genuine parquet. However, what most people forget completely is that it required hard toil in those days to create

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that impression. In the past, beeswax was usually hard wax which had to be rubbed in really strongly using plenty of elbow grease. The refinement of the floor, the moment when that unique smooth surface took shape, was a process which took years. Each round of maintenance actually ‘nourished’ the floor so that that special gloss became increasingly beautiful. That technique is completely old fashioned. However, hard wax oil does offer the same result, but without sweat and toil. For floor fitters hard wax oil is a technological blessing. It gives them the opportunity of applying an old favourite from way back, and, with some products, they can do this in a single work session.

Saturation versus film When it comes to wood, staining or moisture penetration means that a product, liquid, or moisture ends up in the pores of the wood and lodges there. After all, wood is a porous material with open grains. There

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The Netherlands +31(0) 412Floor 657 428 www.heywoodvloeren.com Forum International 6 8

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Hard wax oil

are two ways of preventing staining or other threats. You can make sure that no dirt or moisture gets into the pores by sealing them (with a film) or by filling (saturating) them so that there’s no room for anything else.

modern interior, with due regard for current colour trends. Several producers in recent years have put the emphasis on an extension of the range of colours.

Film

Several producers warn against the application of a number of (mainly) tropical wood sorts. With some thick and/or oily wood sorts such as wenge, merbau, ipe, and such like, there may be differences in absorption and drying. It is always best to test those sorts of wood first before applying hard wax oil. One coat is usually sufficient for a test. This warning obviously doesn’t mean that hard wax oil is unsuitable for tropical wood sorts, but a preliminary test should give a definite answer.

You can protect wood by sealing the wood pores with a lacquer/varnish. Varnish is the only finish for wooden floors which puts a film on the floor. In the course of the years, the research and development departments of the varnish makers have had increasingly greater success in improving the strength of varnish. The durability and scratch resistance has improved constantly. Scratch-resistance is obviously not the same as ‘scratch-free’. In the case of wood, there is simply no such thing as ‘scratch-free’. A varnished floor has the main advantages that it is protected perfectly from (fleeting and strong) damp and stains, it retains its beauty for years even in high traffic rooms, and, finally, it is easy to clean. The main disadvantage is that when damage does arise or the floor needs freshening up, you have to remove and replace the varnish in its totality. Patchwork repairs are not possible.

Saturation Varnish is therefore the only finish which creates a film. The other finishes work primarily through saturation. This applies to oil, wax, and hard wax. In applying and rubbing in the traditional (hard) beeswax, you gradually pushed the pores full with wax. After the pores were completely saturated, there was a strong protective layer left behind on the wood.

At a later stage, saturation with wax was replaced by impregnation with oil followed by the application of wax with a buffing machine. The use of the machine heated the wax slightly and thereby made it easier to spread. And so, the current hard wax oil is the (provisional) final piece in a progression. Wax and oil appear in a single product and can usually be applied in a single work session.

Benefits of hard wax oil Strong yet open A floor treated with hard wax oil is resistant to water and dirt as a result of the saturation. Moreover, the wax components form a hard layer. As was also the case in the past, this layer gets harder over the years and in proportion to the frequency of maintenance. The surface is exceptionally hard so that the floor is highly resistant to wear and scratches. In contrast to a varnish, hard wax oil doesn’t create a covering film so that the floor can still breathe freely. Since the coat of wax stays elastic, it cannot burst.

Beware the ‘tropics’

Easy maintenance The film created on the floor with hard wax oil gets stronger over the years as the floor is maintained. This maintenance is fairly simple.

Basic cleaning means vacuum cleaning first and then mopping with a well wrung cloth. A ‘cleaner’ can be added to the water. Producers also offer maintenance wax or oil for maintaining and nourishing the floor.

Some brands recommend a maintenance session shortly after the initial treatment.

Applying hard wax oil The base is prepared in the same way as for any other finish. Just about all hard wax oils are ready for use. And so, they never have to be diluted, but merely well stirred. The procedure for applying them depends on the product. Some brands require application in two coats, whilst others can be applied in a single work session. If two coats are required, you apply a thin coat first and leave it to dry for 24 hours. The second coat is applied in the same way. Some producers recommend a treatment with maintenance oil about two weeks after the wax is applied to the floor. For single coat systems it is necessary to read the maker’s instructions carefully with regard to the quantities to be used and the method of application.

A selection from the range Adesiv

Natural colored

oils

Patchwork treatment Certainly one of the major benefits of hard wax oil is the fact that, just as with an oiled floor, it is possible to treat the surface in patches, either by treating certain high traffic zones more intensively or by repairing only the damaged sections. This is not possible with a traditional varnish because its protective coat forms one continuous film.

When damage arises on a varnished floor, the only ‘professional’ manner to repair it is to re-varnish the entire floor from scratch.

ECO

PRODUCT

Colour is king A floor treated with hard wax oil has the look of a floor in an old castle or cloisters. You can compare the gloss with the oak polished furniture from grandmother’s era. Silk matt, but nevertheless a little shiny and slippery. The protective coat of wax contained in the oil does the same job on the wood as the old beeswax used to do. Nowadays, we see amongst producers how strongly they deploy a little colour. They obviously want to reconcile the old fashioned look with the needs of the

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Bianco - White

Grigio - Grey

Neutro - Neutral

Cognac

Teak

Wenghè - Weng

WHITE SPIRIT FREE

Adesiv, the Italian producer of adhesives, substrate primers, and finishing products for parquet, has a range of hard wax oils.

These are natural products which provide a natural wood colour or a coloured finish. The Adesiv range contains six variants, one with a natural colour and five colour tints (white, grey, cognac, teak, and wenge). Adesiv hard wax oil can be applied with a brush or spatula and is then rubbed in using a buffing machine.

Blanchon The Hard Wax Oil from Blanchon offers nothing but benefits for both floor fitters and end users. The easy application is one thing, but the easy and speedy maintenance is another strength. The hard wax oil from Blanchon also offers endless applications as regards finishes (tints, wood tones, and colour shades). Apart from its hard wax oil, Blanchon also presents its Hard wax oil high solid. This hard wax oil

impregnates, colours, and protects a parquet floor in a single operation. The hard wax oil feeds the wood and protects it in the depth.

Thanks to the composition of the hard wax oil, which is very rich in natural and renewable raw materials, it dries very quickly and is virtually odourless. Solid Oil is practical and economical in use. The pallet with colour shades means that just about all decorative applications are possible. In the ‘Natural’ colour shade there are two new designs, namely satin and ultra-matt. Thanks to the very low proportion of volatile organic compounds, it is sufficient in most cases to finish with just one coat. Solid Oil has been applied to treat 3,900m² of oak parquet in the MuCEM museum in Marseilles which has now welcomed over two million visitors. Blanchon also offers a ‘Maintenance Oil’ for maintaining all floors finished with oil or wax oil, including industrially oiled floors.

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

LIOS HARD WAX BIOIL 3D doesn’t have symbols of danger and is almost odorless. Available satin, matt and ultramatt. Product can be applied by brush or roller and its ordinary maintenance has to be done with LIOS SOFT BALM.

wood to keep breathing and retains its natural structure, because no top layer is formed. Every floor that is finished with Floorservice Hardwax-oil is guaranteed to be highly resistant to wear and is also water resistant. Besides that the floor is protected against salvia and sweat and make the floor child friendly because they meet the requirements for children’s toys. In addition to this, the Floorservice Hardwax-oils also meet anti-slip standard R9.

The products have a vegetable oils and waxes base. And they meet the VOC-regulation EU 2012.

Osmo One finish that stains and protects in one Which colour a wooden floor should have can be easily chosen with the Polyx®-Oil Tints: The floor could slightly be coloured. Only two coats (one coat of Polyx®-Oil Tints followed by a coat of Polyx®-Oil clear) protect the floor surface: The pigmented finishes don´t only stain the floor, the oils and waxes protect it at the same time. The finish is very easy to use, it simply needs to be applied with either a floor brush or with a roller. “Application mistakes” can be repaired in the still wet surface up to 30 minutes after the coat has been applied.

Rubio Monocoat

Ciranova Ciranova has an extensive range of hard wax oil.

They offer good coverage and good chemical and mechanical resistance and dry quickly. They are available in 16 colours (eight standard and eight trendy colours). There is the Hard Wax Oil Magic MATT and the Hard Wax Oil Magic SATIN for a matt and satin look respectively. You can improve the resistance of both products through the addition of a UA 5% hardener (optional). Hard Wax Oil Full Solid is a single coat system of 2K parquet oil based on top quality natural oils with excellent durability and resistance. The latest variant is UN1CO, a 1-coat oil of the new generation which uses renewable natural oils. Thanks to the special technology, it is only necessary to apply one coat. UN1CO is available in 16 colours.

Floorservice The different types and 33 colours of Floorservice Hardwax-oil penetrate deep into the wood, without blocking the pores. This allows the

Visit the www.floor-forum.com

Rubio Monocoat offers a full selection of hard wax oils for both manual and industrial applications. For applications on site there is the Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2C. This oil can also be deployed for a finish applied on an industrial line. For specific finishes with a UV unit there is Rubio Monocoat Oil UV R2. As a fire-retardant solution they offer the Rubio Monocoat FR Oil System. The oil in this system is a fire-retardant, modified version of Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2C. For outdoor applications Rubio Monocoat presents Rubio Monocoat Decking Oil 2C (2-component oil for horizontal wood which is walked on) and Rubio Monocoat Siding Oil (single component oil for vertical outdoor wood which is not walked on). Last but not least, there’s Rubio Monocoat Hybrid Wood Protector, a universal all-rounder for protecting outdoor wood. All these oils provide extremely durable protection and are easy to maintain and renovate. The products are therefore the nec plus ultra as regards consumption and application efficiency. The operation of

Floor Forum International 6 8

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Hard wax oil

these oils is based on molecular binding in which the product joins itself to the uppermost wood fibres within a few moments and thereby gives rise to durable protection and colouring. The application itself is very easy: you apply the product, let it soak in for a few moments, and rub off the surplus product. Done!

Stauf One component colourless coat based on natural oils and waxes for woodflooring and planks with moderate to average traffic, tables and worktops. STAUF Hardwaxoil is dirt resistant, water repellent and enhances the natural wood color with a velvet surface. The oil should be applied with a suitable roller crosswise (first apply across and then spread lengthwise) in a quick and even motion.

Tover Hardwax oils are born to improve resistance properties of oiled floors against wear and spots. The blend of natural oils and hard waxes guarantees a quality level much superior to traditional products.

The application of a unique coat is enough to get a finishing suitable for high traffic, matt, homogeneous and natural. Tover offers Crema d’Olio and its solvent-free version L’Olio 100%, available in clear and 27 standard colors. These products are rich of linseed, tung and castor oils, carnauba and bees waxes. One of the specific characteristics of Tover hardwax oils is the extreme easiness of application with a wax-spreader or a spatula followed by monodisc. The mixing with Oil-Linker, solvent free oils molecules crosslinker transforms the hardwax oil into two-component, increasing the product water-proofing action and speeding up the final curing time.

The wooden floor is much more protected against spots and the first maintenance treatment can be done after only 7 to 10 days.

Unique by nature

UN1CO, the one layer hardwaxoil.

The central theme through the UN1CO story is one of exceptional quality and 1st class technology. This 1-coat Oil protects parquet like nothing else today and the new range of colours, according to the latest trends, is especially significant, being completely cobalt free. Ciranova is proud to say that UN1CO is by far the best and easiest to maintain product in the market today. For more information on the UN1CO colours and our complete range of products for wooden floors, please visit our website at W W W. C H A P E L P A R K E T. C O M

i n f o @ c h a p e l p a r ke t . n l | + 3 1 ( 0 ) 7 3 - 6 1 1 0 6 0 6 20

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www.ciranova.be Industrieweg 29 | 8800 Beveren-Roeselare | Belgium | T. +32 (0) 51 301 140 | F. +32 (0) 51 312 648

Project

Design Parquet (FR)

ESPACE CULTUREL DES JACOBINS: 1200M² OF SOLID SMOKED OAK PARQUET IN LE MANS Last month, Le Mans in Western France witnessed the opening of a big new cultural centre, which included a theatre hall, multifunctional hall, exhibition space, and an 11-screen cinema. For three of those rooms they opted for solid smoked oak from Design Parquet. The stairs and a dismantlable stage were given the same parquet floor to make a total of 1200m² of solid parquet.

in the wood. A typical feature was that the oak provided lighter tints, which were typical of the internal structure of the wood sort.

The result was there for all to see: It created an original and separate effect whilst the whole had a restrained appearance.

Fitting: traditional choices The solid wood parquet planks (22 x 90 x 500mm) were nailed in bond onto a beam base. On site Parqueterie Vitré did the laying, sandpapered the surface and applied a transparent oil from Blanchon.

Parquet on the stage and stairs It was not only the theatre room, multifunctional room, and the exhibition room which were given a parquet floor. A stage in the multifunctional room and three staircases were also furnished with the same Design Parquet solid parquet. For the stairs, steps made of smoked oak were glued onto metal supports and then finished with transparent Blanchon oil.

Photo – Bruno Panchèvre

Espace Culturel des Jacobins is located in the heart of Le Mans below St. Julian’s Cathedral. It is a rigid and modern building with a lot of glass and conforms to the strictest standards in energy consumption, water management, and sustainability.

Smoked, non-restored colour For the floors they opted for French solid wood and the first choice was an oak floor from Design Parquet. The floor was smoked and that ensured a non-restored colour to reminds us of thermally treated wood. The process used by Design Parquet in smoking the oak guaranteed a stable, dark colour which highlighted the tannin

Photo – Bruno Panchèvre

Modular and dismantlable stage in smoked oak Finally, there was one other thing concerning the stage in the multifunctional room. One of the requirements in the specifications was to construct a stage which was both light and easy to dismantle and made it possible to integrate electrical facilities. To ensure that the stage did not disrupt the splendour of the room, they opted for an identical smoked oak stage in modules and constructed tailor-made. Here, too, they opted for solid oak, smoked according to the Design Parquet technical recommendation. All together, the stage consisted of 45 dismantlable modules which make it easy to assemble and dismantle it easily and efficiently.

So Design Parquet delivered a complete set with the same appearance, including : a parquet, steps and a stage.

Contact information: + 33 (0) 299496666 - www.designparquet.fr

Photo – Bruno Panchèvre

Architects : Babin and Renaud

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Special

Hygrometers

MEASURING DAMP – IT’S ALL RELATIVE A SURVEY OF THE MARKET RANGE

Photo – DNS - DENZEL

Manufacturers have to state the drying requirements for a floor. Without this information no tool can determine the residual moisture content (source: DNS Denzel).

A survey of the market range In a previous edition we considered at length the various techniques and forms of technology at our disposal for measuring the damp content in various building materials. Relativity is an important concept here. If professionals want to know how much damp there is in a subfloor, they also need to know how much damp it CAN LEGITIMATELY CONTAIN without this posing a threat. Manufacturers have to state the drying requirements for a floor. Without this information no tool can determine the residual moisture content (source: DNS Denzel).

A summary of the types of tool Carbide method According to some people, the most reliable method is the carbide method whereby the workers use a sample of the floor material to

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bring about a reaction to carbide. Moisture in the sample reacts with carbide to produce acetylene gas. The workers can then read the moisture percentage via a standard chart from the pressure created by the reaction.

Hygro-thermometers Air humidity and temperature are measured using hygro-thermometers. These tools are designed to check the surrounding air conditions. Most modern devices are small hand tools which measure both the air temperature and the air humidity in the room where parquet is to be fitted.

Capacitive meters Meters which are based on the dielectric constant are also known as capacitive wood moisture meters. They operate with a transmitter and a receiver and are based on the density of the wood. These meters do not have any pins and are simply positioned against the wood.

Electrical resistance Electrical resistance in wood depends heavily on the moisture content in the wood. Several parquet floor fitters are ‘armed’ with a measuring tool which operates on the basis of that electrical resistance.

Measuring tools are equipped with electrodes (pins) which are pressed (or beaten) into the wood so that the resistance between those electrodes can be measured. The device is programmed to convert electrical resistance into wood moisture content.

What’s on the market?

Gann The GANN Hydromette BL E is a triple measuring instrument for accurate measurements of wood moisture, structural moisture - building and insulation materials - and temperature.

The meter is equipped with material-specific settings for an automatic correction of readings for 23 building materials and insulants, e.g. screed, mortar, renders, concrete, brick and several insulants.

The optional B 55 BL active electrode enables non-destructive moisture measurement and indication in building materials.

building materials, and no fewer than eight different types of concrete. It measures the air humidity and air temperature, calculates the dew point, and records the surface temperature. This device can store data and transmit it (wire-less) to a PC or smart phone. The DNS G-821 and 822 measure surfaces 400 times greater than those measured using the DNS-G-809 and 812. This is a stand-alone device which cannot be manipulated and is therefore in conformity to the relevant legislation.

Tramex

GANN DATALOGGERS KLIMA 20 + KLIMA 30 continuously record air humidity and temperature.

Programming and visualization of the logged data is accomplished with the software DIALOG D+. The stored values can be printed either in table or graphic format.

An external temperature probe can be attached to the KLIMA 30.

Dew point, equilibrium moisture content of wood and absolute humidity of the air [g/ m³] can be shown.

DNS-Denzel DNS-Denzel has specialised for over 20 years in the development of moisture recording equipment. The recordings last barely two seconds and are taken using non-destructive measuring equipment.

DNS-Denzel presents electronic moisture detectors, which measure the damp in wood and in the screed. These devices can trace moisture without damaging the substrate. The level of accuracy is no less than 99.98%. The G-814 hygrometer records the moisture content in six different sorts of material, including cement, concrete, and gypsum. The G-821 can do this in 120 different subfloors. De G-821 has been given a new sensor so that it is also capable of measuring uneven surfaces. The G-822 also records damp in 120 sorts of subfloors, 15 different sorts of parquet, 10 different wood sorts, various

The Tramex moisture and humidity testing system for floor covering related industries has been developed to help avoid moisture related problems in flooring and to identify the cause of problems if they do occur.

In conjunction with the Hygro-i relative humidity probe, the CMEX II functions as a digital hygrometer. The meter displays the relative humidity, temperature, dew point and mixing ratio, allowing the user to carry out in situ relative humidity tests in the subfloor and assess the environmental ambient conditions within the building making sure they are suitable for installing a floor covering.

The Tramex CMEX II can also be used with the heavy-duty, handheld pin-type wood probe for measuring moisture in wood and obtaining comparative readings in most other building materials.

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Special

Subfloors for PVC, LVT and vinyl floors

THE RIGHT SUBFLOOR FOR EACH FLOOR SPECIAL SUBFLOORS FOR VINYL, WITH OR WITHOUT ‘CLICK’

Photo – Mac Lean

LVT, vinyl, and PVC subfloors are subjected to different requirements to subfloors for parquet or laminate, for instance. Levelling and acoustic features, but also deflection are important parameters. Obviously, there is a pressing distinction between LVT (tiles) which appear in tile form or planks and are relatively hard and vinyl or linoleum, the pliable floor coverings in tiles or rolls. There is also a distinction between subfloors for floating fitting and those for glued fitting. We let the manufacturers present their ranges.

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Some technical topics Levelling and density The extent to which any unevenness is visible in the final floor depends partly on the hardness or density of the floor. Slight unevenness in the screed will usually not be visible with laminate or parquet. In that case a pliable subfloor is sufficient, with or without an integrated moisture barrier. However, with pliable floor coverings that slight unevenness has to be eliminated by a harder subfloor. With pliable floor coverings we usually look for subfloors in panel form. We say ‘usually’, because there are some exceptions. Some producers promote a subfloor which certainly appears as a roll, but which nevertheless offers a high enough density to fit pliable floor coverings.

LVT and sound The full glueing of vinyl immediately gives you a noticeable acoustic advantage. Luxury Vinyl Tiles (and Planks), fitted with a click system, have something in common with laminate as regards acoustic qualities. In some cases people will expect a certain degree of sound reduction from the subfloor. Several subfloors which are offered for these tiles also offer an impact sound reduction of 10dB.

Floor heating Both for full glueing of pliable floor coverings and for the floating fitting of LVT the market provides subfloors with a heat resistance which means that they can be fitted on top of floor heating. For use in combination with floor cooling, producers once again stress the importance of condensation monitoring.

Double plates A number of specialists offer double plate systems. The subfloor consists of a bottom and a top plate. MDF is a frequently used material for these plates. In some cases the plates have to be fitted cross-linked, whilst in other cases they are glued to each other. A perfect combination for subfloors in the case of a pliable end floor is a soft bottom plate and a hard top plate. The soft bottom plate then absorbs the unevenness in the covering floor, whilst the hard top plate prevents indentations from chair legs, stiletto heels, and such like.

Subfloors with glue A number of subfloors consist of a bottom plate and a top plate which are joined to each other by an interactive glue to obtain a perfectly smooth and seamless subfloor. These floors make it possible to glue vinyl directly. Another system consists of binding the parts via a self-adhesive halved-joint. Yet another system provides a bottom plate which is combined in displaced bond with a self-adhesive top plate. At another factory we find a subfloor for LVT which is self-adhesive on one side to ensure a better fitting of the final floor.

Who offers what?

Mac Lean

with a thickness of less than 3.5mm. The subfloor is also suitable for LVT with a click system. Isobloc is fitted with an anti-slip layer to prevent the floor from slipping. This subfloor provides excellent sound insulation of 19dB ΔLw (ISO 10140). Mac Lean Products sells Selit-bloc in the Benelux. In contrast to most subfloors, this product has been developed specially for LVT click. This subfloor is the perfect solution for LVT. It not only protects the floor, but also, above all, it improves comfort. Selit-bloc levels out any slight unevenness and creates an even surface for floating floors. This high-tech subfloor provides constant protection from daily burdens. Furthermore, Selit-bloc also protects floor systems from damp from above such as in kitchens and bathrooms. The unique GripTec® surface prevents the parts from slipping, whilst the floor can still continue to ‘float’. The already impressive features of LVT as regards footstep sound can be optimised even more. Furthermore, the poor impact sound features can even be improved considerably. Shock absorption also makes it more comfortable to walk on the floor. This subfloor is suitable for flats and for use with floor heating. Selibloc is made from extruded polystyrene foam with a compressive strength of over 400kPa. It is designed as a folding panel with the patented easy-lay, easy-click, and easy-cut. This subfloor is absolutely ideal for use in bathrooms or kitchens. Thanks to the low heat resistance it is also suitable for use with floor heating.

Foxi & Graph Foxi & Graph presents the Foxifix subfloor for the floating fitting of floor coverings such as carpet, PVC, LVT, bamboo, and vinyl. Foxifix is made from polyester and is actually suitable as a subfloor for practically all sorts of floors. This subfloor is self-adhesive to a certain extent so that the fitted floor can be recycled and refitted. The subfloor doesn’t really stick to the floor, but the combination of a certain amount of acrylate resin and the weight of the finished floor covering ensure that the subfloor stays perfectly in place. The subfloor is extremely easy to fit. Moreover, it can also be used in combination with floor heating. When used under polyamide tiles, this floor ensures full sound insulation. Partly because Foxifix can be fitted perfectly well onto asbestos tiles without emitting asbestos fibres, Foxi & Graph were awarded the SABINE trophy + ‘santé et BTP’ (2013).

Mac Lean has an attractive range of subfloors for various applications.

One of the star products when it comes to acoustic comfort is Isobloc.

This subfloor, with a thickness of 1.5mm is ideal for fitting LVT floors

Visit the www.floor-forum.com

Floor Forum International 6 8

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Subfloors for PVC, LVT and vinyl floors

Pregis Pregis offers subfloors based on high density foam for the floating fitting of LVT floors with a click system. These subfloors are 1.2mm thick. They have all been tested for their acoustic properties by an independently accredited Tüv laboratory and have obtained excellent results. These subfloors are not the same as those for laminate, for example. Pregis believes it is important to use thin materials with the highest possible compression and slip resistance in order to avoid having problems with the click system. Subfloors for LVT are produced from non-cross-linked, closed-cell polyethylene or polypropylene foam.

clearly presented in an all new sales brochure “Underlays for Parquet and Laminate” and the Parkettfreund sales team helps to find the right solution for your purposes.

Parkettfreund Besides its high-quality assortment of aluminium profiles and installation accessories Parkettfreund has also made its name with a well-structured range of functional underlays for the most different types of floor coverings, like laminate, parquet or even thin LVT floorings.

The German specialist is offering a wide choice of different subfloors, divided into four product groups “ProfiPlus”, “Profi”, “Natural” and “Basic” which guarantee to find the adequate underlay for every demand. All underlays are suitable for floating installation and the customer is able to choose between different materials, such as PE foam, PP, wood fiber, cork or PUR for example.

Currently, Parkettfreund is working out an enhancement of its underlay assortment and will be soon offering an even wider range of new functional items. The complete range including all novelties will be

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

Isobloc Le parquet salle de bains

facile à poser

TED PAT E N EM SYST

Bathroom parquet floor easier to lay

E SYSTÈMT É BREVE

Navylam

voldoet aan de eisen van alle LVT producenten

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.

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Le parquet salle de bains

facile à poser voor click vinyl dé ondervloer

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underlay specially for click vinyl satisfies the requirements of all LVT producers

maclean Mac Lean Products B.V. Moerdijk The Netherlands www.macleanproducts.nl info@macleanproducts.nl

Special

Maintenance and cleaning products for parquet

THE FINISH DETERMINES THE MAINTENANCE PRODUCT SPECIALISED PRODUCTS AS PARTS OF A SYSTEM

Photo – Durieu

Parquet and wooden floors are actually the only floor coverings where cleaning and maintenance depend largely on the way in which the floor is finished, or at least those tasks are influenced by the finish. For varnished floors you might still think (wrongly) that an ordinary detergent will do the job, but such thinking is completely out of the question for oiled and waxed floors. These conclusions mean that floor fitters can take full advantage of the situation. After all, you don’t find specialist products for cleaning and maintaining parquet floors in just any supermarket, so this is an ideal opportunity for professionals.

Parquet the ‘problem child’ Anyone who opts for a wooden floor from the vast range of floor coverings knows at once that this choice entails a number of consequences. In a certain respect you are bringing ‘live’ material into your home, since wood, of all building materials, is the one which swells and shrinks the most under the influence of changing atmospheric conditions.

Products for parquet We choose a particular finish for parquet in accordance with how the floor is to be used and our preferences in taste. The finish affects the look and lifespan of the floor and its resistance to all sorts of influences. However, this choice also affects the way in which we have to maintain the floor. The most important choice which we have to make at this point is between a film and non-film finish. Only varnish leaves a film, whilst other finishes, which are based on oil or soap, impregnate the floor.

A varnished floor To clean a varnished floor, you usually only need to ‘swiffer’ or vacuum clean it every day and mop it lightly once a week. To do that you can simply use any cloths and detergent to clean up the dirt. Nevertheless, here, too, there are products available which are ‘compatible’ with the applied varnish. Whether or not the consumer will use such products will depend to a large extent on the floor fitter’s powers of persuasion.

Oil, wax, and hard wax For floors which are not varnished, floor fitters will not need much power of persuasion to win over clients. This is because the cleaning products are based largely on the product which has been used for the finish itself: oil, hard wax oil, or soap. And so, the client is bound completely to the producer of the applied finish and usually doesn’t have a problem with that. On the contrary, clients who opt for an oiled floor are hesitant about using products other than those which the floor fitter recommends.

Complete systems Brands which operate in the parquet industry offer complete systems for cleaning and maintaining parquet. Those systems comprise a wide range of products classified according to the applied finish. The range includes not only basic products for daily cleaning, but also so called refreshers to breathe new life into somewhat shabby floors. Then we have the ‘tools’: broomsticks, swiffers, mops, cloths, and dusters.

Another important aspect here is the brand development within all those products and accessories to give end users peace of mind and assure them that they cannot damage their floors. The ranges are

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Maintenance and cleaning products for parquet

sold as a maintenance kit so that purchasing accessories also means purchasing cleaning and maintenance products.

An overview Adesiv To clean and maintain parquet and wooden floors, Adesiv offers a convenient and full range of maintenance products. Parquetpro is a neutral detergent for varnished floors, whilst Oliopro is a detergent and refresher for oiled floors. Bril and Polish WB are for freshening up varnished, polished, semi-matt, and matt finishes. Decerlegno is a concentrated detergent to remove stains and, finally, Detpro is a versatile cleaner for any surface.

Adesiv also offers a dual-sided display for presenting products conveniently. All packaging is UV resistant.

Blanchon Anyone in a hurry will find the solution at Blanchon in the form of Lagoon®. This product is sprayed onto the floor and then you sweep the floor clean with a micro-fibre cloth. Blanchon offers Lagoon® in a kit including a broom with micro-fibre cloths (500 x washable) and the spray.

Lagoon® can be used on both oiled and varnished floors, something which is also an advantage for retailers! Blanchon has two (metallic) detergents for varnished floors, namely the Satin Renovator for semi-glossy or glossy floors and the Matt Renovator for matt floors. Both products are suitable for renovation since they are capable of sealing small cracks and restoring worn varnishes to their original look. For basic maintenance there is the Parquet Cleaning Protector (Lisabril®) which is used diluted. Recently, Blanchon has given this product a new formula to make it even more suitable for large surfaces such as sports floors. The Superactivity Cleaner is a powerful cleaner, yet it doesn’t damage the varnish. For oiled floors and floors finished with wax oil, Blanchon recommends its Maintenance Oil, whilst the recommended product for interim cleaning is the Natural Soap. Finally, for polished floors there is the Blanchon Liquid Wax. Blanchon has developed a display case for this maintenance range. This case can be filled and divided as required, if necessary in combination with other products such as varnishes or oils.

Ciranova The range of cleaning and maintenance products in the Ciranova brand can be subdivided into four groups: oils, varnishes, waxes, and laminate floors. For each type of floor there is a product for daily maintenance

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and a cleaner for removing stains. For oiled, varnished, and laminate floors Ciranova presents a handy maintenance kit with all the necessary products for cleaning and maintaining a floor.

For oiled floors there is Intensive Cleaner, Parquet Soap, Oil Refresh, and Maintenance Oil. For varnished floors there is Hard Floor Fresh, Hard Floor Cleaner, and Hard Floor Polish. For floors treated with wax they have Liquid parquet wax and Wax Refresh. Lami-Fresh and Lami-Clean are designed specially for regular maintenance and intensive cleaning respectively.

For presenting the products Ciranova offers a handy display cupboard for clients to use in their shops. Furthermore, there are also various maintenance folders which explain how to maintain varnished and oiled floors. For these maintenance folders Ciranova also offers a suitable plexi holder to put on the counter.

Chimiver Panseri Chimiver has dedicated a large part of its range to products which have been developed specifically for cleaning and maintaining lacquered and oiled wooden floors. Most of these products target the end users. As far as maintenance of lacquered wooden floors, Chimiver offers its Velurex Line, which includes a cleaning product, a polish, couple of metallized maintenance waxes and a refresher for water-based lacquered wooden floors which is reviving scratches and dull surfaces. Lios range of products has been developed for use on oiled wooden floors and also includes a cleaner, a nourisher and a maintenance oil. Chimiver is offering also a line of cleaners for laminate and vinyl floors and a wide range of maintenance kits which can be customized upon request.

Durieu The Durieu Group sells a detergent under the name Soap clean and a maintenance product under the name Space net. Those two products are part of the parquet Photo : Durieu-AD’fieldsOlena Sokalska assortment. For the sale of those products Durieu offers several sales materials such as totems, displays, and a user guide. Durieu takes the view that it is not enough merely to stimulate sales by having a visual presence in shops. You also have to supply the user with all the required information for using the products correctly. Durieu stands out from its rivals for its complete set of technical recommendations and customised instructions.

Your Parquet manufacturer

QUALITY PARQUET AND CUSTOMISED WORK!

ASK FOR OUR PRICE LISTS ON OUR NEW WEB SITE:

IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR TRUSTWORTHY PARTNERS

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URAL T A N % 100 Single coat system

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

Excellent performances in a single coat.

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Since 1927

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Hard-Wax Oil • Superior protection against spillages and abrasion • Same day application and finish • Made from natural plant oils and wax

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

• Available in Matt or Satin

www.timberex.com

Special

Maintenance and cleaning products for parquet

Floorservice

Kerakoll

To keep oiled or parquet floors in perfect condition, Floorservice has developed a parquet cleaner and maintenance oil which are perfect for the basic treatment of wooden floors and guarantee that the floor will give you no worries at all. With the Floorservice maintenance oils, an oiled floor gives you the best possible protection, irrespective of the type of wood or floor pattern. The natural oil products from Floorservice keep the floor young and have already been used by satisfied users to maintain millions of square metres of parquet and wooden floors. Floorservice offers an extensive range for dry cleaning, moist cleaning, and maintaining/protecting wooden floors. To present the cleaning and maintenance products in a convenient and attractive manner, Floorservice has designed some top quality displays. These displays have room for the various products, which can easily be put on a counter or table.

Slc Eco Silopark Eco-friendly soap to clean floors and surfaces, ideal for use in GreenBuilding. Concentrate, water-based, with low solvent content, safeguards the health of both operators and the environment.

Neutral-action Slc Eco Silopark cleans varnished and pre-finished hardwood floors, as well as plastic laminate, PVC, rubber, linoleum, marble and ceramic floors perfectly without damaging the surface.

High-coverage concentrate Ready-to-use for the localized removal of stubborn dirt Cleans thoroughly, no need to rinse Highly biodegradable Slc Eco Silolux Eco-friendly wax to maintain floors, ideal for use in GreenBuilding. Single- component, water-based, with low solvent content, safeguards the health of both operators and the environment.

Slc® Eco Silolux develops a protective, self-polishing and re-polishable layer to maintain varnished wood, PVC, rubber and linoleum floors.

Can be applied with a soft cloth or wax applicator Restores and evens out surface shine Ideal for floors treated with Slc Eco Silowax

Irsa Irsa has a full selection of cleaning and maintenance products for oiled or waxed floors on the one hand, and for sealed floors on the other. The range for sealed floors comprises Irsa Aqua Star, Irsa Cork Clean, Irsa Aqua Clean, Irsa Aqua Star G88, Irsa Aqua Cleaner 5000, and Irsa Laminate Cleaner. Irsa Aqua Star R9 is suitable for sports and gymnasium floors and is slip and step-resistant pursuant to DIN 18032 (part 2). For oiled and waxed floors there is Irsa Maintenance Oil, Irsa Natural Hard Wax, and Irsa Soap Cleaner. Irsa presents a convenient chart for both product groups which, amongst other things, shows the visual effect, applications, and suitability. For display in shops, Irsa offers large or small displays which stand out for their exclusive design.

Lecol Lecol is Loba’s UK agent for the Loba Maintenance Products. This range is extremely full and provides a maintenance product for any floor. Loba Care includes firstly the Loba Care Cleaner, a concentrated and waterborne detergent for daily cleaning of oiled and varnished floors.

They also have Loba Care Remover (for extremely dirty floors and removing old polish from varnished floors), Lobacare V6 Finish (polyurethane coating), Lobacare Parquet Care (UV lacquered floors), Lobacare Sport Care (sports floors/ anti-slip), and Loba Parquet Oil (maintenance oil for impregnated floors).

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Pallmann All Pallmann cleaning and maintenance products are part of a system which guarantees the lifespan and outward appearance of wooden floors. You will find the exact cleaning and maintenance method in the instructions with each product.

Pallmann Finish Care is a water-based maintenance polish, which strengthens the varnish and the outward appearance of the surface by means of a dirt-resistant film and at the same time extends the lifespan of the floor. Pallmann Clean is a waterborne neutral cleaner for removing dirt from oiled or varnished floors. For rapid and regular cleaning, Pallmann has launched Clean & Go, a set which includes a mop, spray, cleaning pad for dry cleaning, cleaning pad for damp cleaning, and an instruction booklet. Finally, Pallmann Magic Oil Care is a maintenance product which protects an oiled floor after application by means of a coat of film and thereby extends its lifespan. When these products are used properly, they preserve the outward appearance of the maintained surface and extend its lifespan.

Pallmann also presents an attractive shop display for this range of products.

Plastor Parquet has to be protected in order to withstand harmful external influences (e.g. shocks or chemical hazards) day in day out and to preserve the natural beauty of the wood. That’s why it needs to be maintained using the correct products. Professionals seldom use maintenance products. Those products are designed more for clients, who can accept responsibility for the maintenance once a floor is fitted. Clients are not really familiar with these products, partly because there are so many of them. To make it easier to maintain all parquet

floors, Plastor has devised an assortment of only three products. This new range is distinct and convenient: Parquet Cleaner is for daily cleaning, Intensive Cleaner is for removing grease and stains, and Metallic Reviver is for giving tarnished parquet a new lease of life.

Plastor presents these products in a display (Set Clean Parquet) which also contains the accessories for applying the products.

formula of the products dispenses with the need for layer formation.

Whether the surfaces to be treated are varnished, oiled wooden surfaces or prefabricated parquet floors, the alternate application of the two STAUF products is all that is required to ensure the cleaning and care effect. The wood no longer disappears slowly under a dull and often milky coating, but is allowed to radiate permanently, maintaining its original appearance right from the start. With STAUF Easy Clean and STAUF Protect & Clean, it is the user who decides at what intervals to reapply the products.

Tover

Rubio Monocoat

For regular cleaning Rubio Monocoat presents a mild soap which is available in both a concentrated version (RMC Soap) and a ready-for-use version (RMC Surface Care). In order to retain the colour and give the wood maximum protection, annual maintenance is recommended with the RMC Universal Maintenance Oil. The RMC Soap and the RMC Universal Maintenance Oil can be used on all oiled floors, irrespective of the brand.

There are also two special products for removing stains: RMC Limespot Remover for removing lime spots and RMC Grease Remover for removing grease. These products are part of a clearly defined maintenance programme for indoors. Naturally, there is a maintenance counterpart for outdoor wood. Last year, Muylle Facon launched on the international market an RMC maintenance box. The compact RMC maintenance box is a response to the demand for a simple yet complete maintenance range for oiled surfaces. This box can be filled with a standard content, but it can also be filled as requested by the client.

Tover offers a complete range of products for the parquet maintenance, granting the opportunity to anybody to benefit from professional products at home. The type of finishing, oils or varnish, determines the choice of the proper detergent specifically formulated for frequent cleaning: Deteroil for an oiled or waxed surface, Pulito Parquet and Saniparquet for a varnished parquet; used with Cinderella spray mop, they guarantee a perfect hygiene and aspect.

Tover also developed for periodical maintenance a polish available in semi gloss and mat version: Lux, a liquid wax Rifex B12, a renewing oil Rinovoil and a metalized wax Resinal Wax which enable to preserve and revive the original beauty of a wooden floor. All these products can be showed on wooden display created for stores and show rooms. They are also available in sets composed of a concentrated cleaner, a maintenance product and an application cloth: a very practical and attractive new presentation.

WOCA

STAUF: Compact cleaning system for wood surfaces With traditional cleaning and care methods involving the application of several layers, often of various different products, the treatment must be reapplied time and again at fixed intervals and very costly and time-consuming cleaning is necessary.

With its “aqua Easy Clean” and “aqua Protect & Clean” products, Stauf now offers a completely new type of system that is much more practical and easy to use, even for private users. The gentle, wood-conserving method of application, using just two products, can be used universally on all types of wooden surface independent of the surface treatment. The special

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Wood Care Denmark offers an extensive range of products for cleaning and maintaining parquet and wooden floors. For oiled floors, both traditionally and industrially finished, WOCA’s range consists of Natural Soap (regular cleaning), Oil Conditioner (freshening up), Master Soap (alternating with natural soap), Intensive Cleaner and Maintenance Oil (large-scale maintenance), and Super Stain Remover (for stubborn stains). You can also use all the above-mentioned products for cleaning and maintaining UV treated floors or hard wax treated floors. It is advisable to use an Oil Conditioner or Maintenance Paste first. For lacquered/varnished floors WOCA presents Soap for Lacquer (regular cleaning) and Polish for Lacquer (adds strength and extends the lifespan). For presentation in the show room or shop WOCA offers various displays such as presentation cupboards, metal shelves, counter displays, and flyer shelves. This means that the products can be presented attractively and clients are given the correct information, something which is also important.

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BIO TER RU COA cept!

O on ON ll c

M

An

era

ov

Rubio Monocoater Taking oil finishing to the next level!

The Rubio Monocoater is an all-in-one compact finishing line.

In combination with the versatile Rubio Monocoat oil, it provides an effective way to create personalised finishes !

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

www.blanchon.com

www.rubiomonocoat.com More information: info@rubiomonocoat.com

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

Quality that has been our trademark for over 60 years.

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

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

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Special

Providers of oil and lacquering machines

PARQUET FITTERS ‘MAKE’ PRE-FINISHED PRE-FINISHED IN THEIR OWN WAY

Photo – Vec

Pre-finished floors are now a permanent fixture in the parquet industry. This is, of course, not surprising since completely pre-finished floors offer both consumers and floor fitters nothing but benefits. The advent of smaller and more compact oiling and lacquering machines has made it perfectly possible for floor fitters to finish floors in advance in their workshops. This means they can retain their own trusted formula, something which many floor fitters still cherish, and still offer their clients the appreciated benefits of pre-finished. Finishing before fitting is something now done by three different players, namely parquet producers, coating contractors, and floor fitters themselves.

Who makes pre-finished floors?

There was a time (not so very long ago) that parquet was always delivered raw. Professionals would come to apply the finish on site. It’s not clear who was first to seize the initiative and apply a finish to parquet before it was fitted. Were the manufacturers themselves first or

the coating contractors? The ‘pioneers’ probably drew their inspiration for the first pre-finished parquet floors from the success and benefits of laminate (the latter included a clean and dust-free site).

When we realise that some laminate makers also produce parquet, there is certainly a hint of internal cross-fertilisation. Whatever the case may be, there are now three parties which make pre-finished floors. Big parquet manufacturers supply varied ranges and many of them have invested in bigger production lines for that purpose.

Smaller producers who have neither the opportunity nor the desire to invest heavily, but still want to step onto the pre-finished train can outsource the finish of their pre-finished collections to another company. Floor fitters have been calling upon the services of these coating contractors for several years now. The advent of compact oiling and lacquering machines means that finishing the floor in one’s own workshop is now a viable and affordable option for floor fitters.

The benefits of pre-finished Pre-finished floors are generally fitted floating (although that’s not a ‘must’). And so, there’s no longer any question of discomfort

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Special

Providers of oil and lacquering machines

from the glueing. The floor is sandpapered in advance. And so, there’s no troublesome dust and the same applies to possible odours from varnishing a wooden floor. Furthermore, the floor is fitted much quicker than a traditional parquet floor. Clients obviously appreciate those benefits, yet they’re not easily inclined to make any compromise on that universal yearning for exclusiveness. The benefits for floor fitters run along the same lines. They spend less time on site and can apply the finish, or part of it, in their own workshops. This obviously spares them some of the inconveniences which they may encounter on site (e.g. temperature, damp, or other professionals at work). And so, they are able to apply the finish in ideal conditions. Obviously, it is also possible to apply an initial treatment in the workshop (e.g. a colour or a first coat of oil) and then apply the final finish in one work session on site.

Compact machines For some time now, the market has been witnessing the emergence of compact oiling and lacquering machines, which are aimed at floor fitters and are highly affordable in terms of investment. These are roller machines mounted onto a conveyor system. Obviously, it is possible to fit other functions onto that same conveyor system apart from varnish and/or oil application. A finish line can be supplemented by a UV or infrared module, distressing, beating, brushing, and even packing. Obviously, any additional functions reduce a machine’s compactness. Professionals generally use dip rolls for both varnishing and oiling, but they also use them for staining and soaking in lye, for instance.

Dip roll A dip roll has two rollers: a rubber application roller and a steel dip roller which rotate in the same or the opposite direction in relation to each other. Only the application roller comes into contact with the item to be finished. The distance between the rollers and the rotation direction and speed of the dip roller make it possible to determine the coat of oil or varnish accurately. Apart from the rollers, this machine also has a squeegee. This machine operates so precisely that a polish pad module and a brush module are hardly necessary. The more precise the adjustment in advance, the less polishing is needed later. The dip rollers are suitable for both oiling, colour oiling, and varnishing and can be deployed for UV-drying products.

Reverse The dip roll module with reverse has two roller modules. The first one is identical to that described above. The reverse module provides for a second machine which has a contact roller covered in rubber fitted with a scraper, which comes into contact with the work item from the opposite direction. This reverse roller removes the surplus oil applied by the first roller. The oil is scraped up and recovered.

These tools can be used perfectly well, for instance, for distressed or bevelled edge floors. The first, fairly soft roller ensures that the oil also reaches into the deeper structure of the floorboards.

ideal conditions. This also means that clients get a full service, with advice playing a prominent part. They are responsible for starting up and efficiently adjusting the machine for the application of the different products. From a technical point of view, the Rubio Monocoater carries out all operations which are also done on site. If necessary, the planks can be passed along the conveyor belt under the brushes (there is a choice of dusting, sandpapering, etc.). After that, they pass under the roller which applies the oil. Then the oil is rubbed in (beige pad) and the surplus product is removed (white pad). During the final step, they are polished again by the brush. When the planks come off the machine, they are stacked on shelves. The Rubio Monocoater is available in three models: the 320 E (conveyor belt 320mm/working width 300mm), the 420 E (conveyor belt 420mm/ working width 400mm), and the 700 E (conveyor belt 700mm/working width 680mm).

Soest Soest offers various models of highly compact lacquering and oiling machines. The entry-level machine is fitted with an application roller with reservoir, which is also called a squeegee roller. This machine is available from about €9,000. This model is followed by a lacquering machine with an application roller and a dip roller whereby oil, varnish, stain, and lye can be applied. This machine is available from about €14,000. Another notch higher is the reverse lacquering roller machine. This machine has two roller units with the second unit rotating in reverse. This means it is perfectly possible to finish extra deeply brushed floors in one session. This machine is available from about €24,000. These machines are very useful for floor fitters

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.

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.

Some specialists: Rubio Monocoat The Rubio Monocoater is an all-in-one compact industrial line (+ 4m long and 1.20m wide). It is possible to achieve creative and personalised finishes in an efficient manner in combination with the versatile Rubio Monocoat oil range. They introduced this line on the market with this perspective in mind. The machine is part of a total concept with the aim of applying Rubio Monocoat oil by machine in

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

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Floor Forum international 6 8

because they are compact (and therefore take up little space) and are extremely easy to operate.

Furthermore, the relatively low cost price means that the machine soon pays for itself, even with a minimal number of square metres per week.

Tover TOVER offers in collaboration with the Italian Company PAOLONI a semi-industrial oiling and lacquering machine for parquet: MINITUNNEL. The machine shows many attractive features: it is compact and particularly easy to use as completely automatic. The standard working speed enables to coat around 9 linear mt./minute. The cleaning operations are short and gives the opportunity to change quickly finishing products or color. Also the cost represents a very good argument: with a relatively small investment, the customer can benefit from the numerous advantages of the machine.

Another extraordinary specific characteristic of Minti-Tunnel is its extreme versatility: thanks to different types of application accessories (sponge rollers, rubber rollers, tannin extractors , sprays etc…) it is indeed possible to apply transparent and colored oils (Tover Olio Antico, L’Olio 100%, Tintoretto D.), water-based sealers and lacquers (like Idrofondo H20, Uniqua, Home), ageing oxidizing agents (Antique, Fossil, etc) and stains (Idrofondo Industry).

With respect to a finishing on site, especially if one talks about colored products, the result is better in terms of homogeneity. The quantity of product applied is regular and the coat is uniform without overlapping. The drying process made in laboratory is monitored and this grants a major resistance to the floor finishing against scratches and wear.

automatic feed systems, sandpaper brush systems, pre-heating units, and such like. However, they can also be used for some applications as stand-alone machines. The Trivec dip roller machines are available with one or more roller modules. Several finishing effects are possible with the single coater, the double system, and the triple system. Apart from reverse coating in which (UV) varnish or oil is pressed deep into the grain, it is also possible to coat ‘wet onto wet’ with the double coat systems. The Trivec machines are deployed both for small and large production series. Parquet floor fitters can opt for a simple basic set up with roller machine in combination with entry and exit rolling lanes. They can also approach it more professionally (now or in the future) by combining the roller machine with a polishing lane in order to build it up in this way step by step.

You need at least 2.5m² for a basic set up. Extensive lines can be up to 30 metres long and with diagonal transport twice that length can be handled. Prices start at around €8,000 for a squeegee roller machine.

A growing market?

We asked manufacturers how much interest there is amongst parquet floor fitters. Here are some unanimous views: Rubio Monocoat: ‘In recent years, more and more floor fitters have started doing pre-finished parquet floors. Flexibility is becoming more and more important. They want to meet the demand for both pre-finished parquet and parquet finished on site. Since our machines can be fitted with brushes, they can also help to meet the demand for personalised effects with or without a creative pre-colouring, and, of course, finished with our oil.’

Vec: ‘The desire of suppliers to be independent, the desire to create one’s own added value for parquet (one’s own ideas, finishes, and colours), but also the ability to work more efficiently on location with clients have resulted in a lot of interest in the Trivec machines.’

Vec Vec has a very extensive line in compact lacquering and oiling roller machines under the Trivec trademark. These lacquering and oiling machines are often part of production lines which can be fitted with polishing technology, brushing machines, (UV) drying technology,

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Soest: ‘There’s a lot of interest. Our machines are certainly compact, but nevertheless soundly built, easy to operate, and very simple to clean. Mounting a sponge roller, which is necessary for applying thin liquids such as stains and lye, only takes a few minutes. This gives clients a huge amount of flexibility.’

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Advertorial

Proline Energy GmbH (D)

HIGHEST STANDARD OF CONVENIENCE

Hot heads and ice-cold feet at an altitude of 2,650 metres!

This situation is now relegated to the past for participants in the conference room of the Schneefernerhaus at the top of the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain. The conference room in the building complex was completely renovated in November and December 2013 based on plans prepared by G. Kuba, an engineering office in Oberau. The BasicLine underfloor heating system from Proline Energy was installed there.

The room’s main weakness was the original floor construction which consisted of a layer of 2 cm insulation, 6 cm screed and just under

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2 cm parquet flooring over a thin concrete slab placed directly onto the rock. The aim was to increase underfloor insulation and supply considerably more heat to the room through an additional underfloor heating system. Easier said than done. One restriction was the available height which was not to exceed 10 cm. The solution was to use the dry construction surface heating system from Proline Energy GmbH. In collaboration with the commissioned company, LUDWIG objekt & wohnen in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the engineers in charge opted for the solution from the Proline group of companies. “As a long-standing

customer of Proline, I have already known of the surface heating system from the subsidiary Proline Energy since the beginning of 2013 and I installed it in the spring of 2013,” says Andreas Ludwig, master fitter for parquet floors. “This system with its low height fitted just right in our renovation concept and met the restrictions prevailing on the building site.”

Teamwork After award of contract, the sales engineer from Proline Energy GmbH made precise measurements of the gutted conference room, which has a surface area of 66 m2. He also recorded all the other relevant data to work out the standardised heating load requirement for the planned underfloor heating system. As a result the precise installation plan for the required heating circuits also comprised a detailed parts list.

Work on laying the parquet flooring started on the exposed concrete floor which first received additional insulation placed on the flat smoothed surface.

Race against time on the third day The work rhythm was constantly defined by the times of the first and last cable cars at 8.30 and 16.30. But then these deadlines appeared almost hopeless for the three floor fitters. Firstly they had to clean and suction off the substrate from mortar and plaster residue before applying PROFIX dispersion adhesive to the substrate with a lambskin roller and then adhering a 5 cm thick PUR insulation layer clad with aluminium on both sides.

Directly afterwards, the BasicLine tube support elements were bonded to the additional insulation as specified in the installation plan. The heating tubes were then pressed flush into the prefabricated channels of the tube support boards. The tubes were firmly secured in the tube support elements by the omega-shaped geometry of the channels.

The last step was to adhere the PROSECUREfibretec reinforcing and decoupling matting with PROFIX. Sure enough, the work was completed by 3 workers in 5.5 hours. Productivity was therefore 4 hours per square metre!

Fantastic results On the third day, the heating fitter connected the 7 heating circuits in parallel to the 7 radiators by means of regulating valves in order to optimise flow rate control and prevent the parquet flooring from being overheated. The three-layer parquet floor was fitted onto the PROSECUREfibretec decoupling mat on the fourth day and so it was possible to install the furniture in the room on the fifth day. “This system is a genuine opportunity for me as parquet floor fitter in the renovation branch because of the short drying times and the fact that I can work more or less independently of the other works,” says Andreas Ludwig, who was thoroughly convinced after this project.

The extremely short reaction time of the BasicLine surface heating system generates a pleasant indoor climate within a very short time.

“The results are fantastic. The room climate has improved by 100 percent and now meetings can even be scheduled at short notice,” concludes Theo Reindl, site manager from the Kuba office, also speaking on behalf of the owners.

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An Ipe Clip® Brand

HIDDEN

ExtremeTM

Recommended for Air Dried Decking 2,38mm Gap

DECK FASTENERS

TM

Extreme4TM

Crafted from hardened stainless steel then molded inside UV and chemical resistant glass filled polymers, the patented DeckWise® Hidden Deck Fastener System is up to 3 times stronger than other decking fastener clips. Perfect for both residential and commercial applications, they create a smooth, sleek and upscale look.

Recommended for Air or Kiln Dried & Composite Decking 4,00mm Gap

For more go to http://www.DeckWise.com

ExtremeKDTM

Recommended for Kiln Dried & Composite Decking 6,35mm Gap

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

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Hardwood Oil End Grain Sealer

Hidden Deck Fasteners Patented

Hardwood WrenchTM

Hardwood Deck Tiles

Deck Tile Connectors Patent Pending

Patented

Hidden Siding Fasteners Patent Pending

Colormatch Stainless Steel Screws

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

Special

Providers of adjustable pedestals

PEDESTALS OFFER UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS TO SUIT THE ARCHITECTURE

Photo – Buzon

Photo – Solidor

With the invisible fastening systems which professionals have come to regard in recent years as an essential tool of the trade for fitting wooden terraces, these outdoor floors have been ‘ lifted’ to a different level. Lots of terraces come to life in the offices of garden and/or landscape architects.

Furthermore, we’re also seeing increasingly frequently sublime and exclusive combinations of different materials (wood, natural stone, and composite) on home terraces, around swimming pools, at the pool house, the outdoor kitchen, or just somewhere in the garden in a sunny patch.

Pedestals create extra architectural possibilities and are also often the solution to a problem.

About the soup and the bowl At my parents’ home, they were (and still are) in the habit of eating outdoors as soon as the weather permitted. They just like to enjoy that holiday feeling to the full. There were seven of us seated around a big round terrace table fitted with a turntable in the middle so that you

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could bring the plates of meat or courses conveniently within reach of your plate. Handy and quite amusing. Soup was always on the table.

One thing I will always remember was the phenomenon of the soup on the edge of the soup bowl. If my mother served up a little too much soup in the traditional soup bowls, it threatened to spill over on one side. With a tiled terrace on a slope of almost 5%, that was no surprise and this situation will surely ring a bell with many of us.

Pedestals as a solution A floor base or pedestal is a support pillar, which is usually designed in a particular plastic and onto which a raised floor can be assembled.

Most manufacturers offer two types: one type for building a wooden floor on beams and another type for a raised floor with tiles. These pedestals have been used extensively for years in the events world (e.g. to construct temporary or permanent platforms) and in trade fairs (to construct stands). As regards the installation of outdoor floors, they have emerged to solve problems on the one hand, but on the other hand they can be used perfectly well to design striking architectural

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Special

Providers of adjustable pedestals

creations. There are many cases of pedestals acting as a ‘solution’.

Here we consider just a few of them

A selection from the range Armada Groupe

Raised terrace

Armada Groupe offers two sorts of pedestals, namely for use with terrace planks and for tiles (stone or wood).

These pedestals prevent water from getting onto the floor and they don’t need to be fixed to the surface. They can offset differences in height from 35 to 650mm and can cope with loads of up to 900kg. They are made from polypropylene, and that gives them a very long lifespan. These pedestals can be fully recycled.

It is not unusual during home renovations for the owners to raise the floor level of the living room and/or kitchen. This is the case, for example, when people fit a new floor (e.g. parquet) onto an existing floor. In view of the current trend to ‘extend’ indoor floors as far as the terrace, the terrace will also have to be raised. The anecdote of the ‘soup and the soup bowl’ illustrates perfectly that such raising will also have to be accompanied by a certain degree of levelling. After all, a wooden floor doesn’t need a slope at all, whereas the existing tile floor does have one.

Integration of garden and swimming pool People are increasingly wanting to develop their terraces as a whole.

The integration of a swimming pool into an existing terrace or a new poll adjoining a terrace will often mean that differences in height have to be eliminated. Another common problem is presented by the extension of the terrace towards the garden, certainly if the garden ‘runs off’.

Architectural possibilities So far, we have concentrated mainly on pedestals as the solution to a problem. Their main purpose is to eliminate ‘relief’. On the other hand, they can also be used to create relief. Depending on the size of a terrace, differences in height can actually add something extra. The bigger a terrace is, the better it is to break up the monotony by creating differences in height. About thirty years ago, there was a trend in interior architecture to make different levels in the living room. For example, the lounge could be elevated to break up the space, but putting the lounge in a ‘well’ was also in fashion for a while. The same trend is conceivable for wooden terraces. For example, it is perfectly possible to design a few square metres of the terrace as an elevated platform in order to create a separate space for sunbathing. Similarly, raising swimming pool boards provides some variety.

Bugal Verindal+ Solution, pre-adjustable decking support pads for all decking structures Verindal+ support pads are the result of Bugal’s industrial expertise and inventiveness. They can be used on all types of decking (slabs, decking tiles, joists), with millimetric precision.

Known for their high strength and durability, these decking pads are also appreciated for their ease of use and convenience.

Our technical excellence and 100% French manufacturing ensure superior quality and safety. More info: www.plot-verindal.fr

Buzon

A technical view Since the differences in height to be absorbed in terraces or other applications always vary, pedestals have to be adjustable in height.

Otherwise you would have to keep an endless range of different sizes in stock. Moreover, since it is sometimes merely a question of levelling out a drainage slope of 3 to 4%, they also need to be suitable for extremely small differences in levels. Apart from different heights, different slopes also have to be absorbed. This means that the upper side of the pedestal has to be somewhat adjustable.

Stable The foot of a pedestal usually consists of a wide disc which ensures that the pedestal is stable. For the brands for which we have received some technical information, it is not necessary for the pedestals to be fixed to the ground.

… and durable The fact that the pedestals which we have found on the market are made from synthetics means they are virtually insensitive to fluctuations in weather conditions or temperatures. Since pedestals are located under the terrace, they are not affected at all by UV light, something to which some synthetics are sensitive, especially as regards colour fastness. And so, synthetic pedestals ensure that there is no contact whatsoever with damp from underneath. They guarantee the terrace a long lifespan.

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Buzon International S.A. offers a solution for fitting terraces on sloping or uneven surfaces. Buzon designs, produces, and sells pedestals the screw type, made from polypropylene. The pedestals consist of 80% recycled propylene and 20% talc, so they can be recycled completely.

Naturally, the quality of the base material is important for durability.

Buzon pedestals have undergone scores of tests. Amongst other things, they can withstand temperatures ranging from -50°C to 120°C. This means we find these pedestals in extremely warm and humid climates (e.g. the Middle East), but also in bitter cold regions like Russia and Poland. These pedestals can be adjusted in height at any time from 28 to 1030mm and that’s unique worldwide. They can be deployed for beams from 35 to 90mm. With the PH5 slope corrector it is possible to offset a slope of up to 5%. In combination with the BC-PH5 corrector, it can even offset slopes of up to 15%. The pedestals

Adjustable pedestals for all types of terraces MANUFACTURER OF ADJUSTABLE PEDESTALS

VERY CLEVER

Silver Medal Winner for Invention of BATIMAT 1997 Slope Compensation Device

Buzon Pedestal International s.a.

Prolongement rue de l’Abbaye, 134 - B-4040 Herstal - Belgium Tel : +32 4 248 39 83 - Fax : +32 4 264 82 38 E-mail : info@buzon-world.com - Web : www.buzon-world.com

Version : 10/06/2014 - © copyright Buzon

©

Special

Providers of adjustable pedestals

can cope with loads up to 1500 kg. The great strength of Buzon, apart from the incomparable quality of the products, lies in the easy installation and safety and, moreover, the ability to produce and deliver quickly from a stock of several hundred thousand pedestals. Buzon also has non-adjustable pedestals (15mm) with slope corrector.

Impertek

FAST

be

Since 1985 Impertek Srl distinguish itself as a positive example of Made in Italy with its headquarter and production facility in Ceggia. A lot of news have been introduced in the 2014! The Mini-Elastic pad (h 5 dn 50 mm), a disc made to be fixed underneath the joist, the XL Jack Support with new adjustable screws (85-135 and 125-215 mm) and the MegaMart S with an innovative extension system, all with specific headpieces for tiles and decking. The high quality of the raw material gives the possibility to use supports in almost all weather conditions ensuring also an high load capacity.

Contact us for more information at www.impertek.com.

EuroTec EuroTec has three types of adjustable feet: 1. with L adapter for timber substructures/ aluminium profiles, 2.

“Click Foot” for clicking aluminium profiles into place, 3. “Stone Foot” for large-format floor slabs.

We only use as-new materials (no regranulated plastics). These are usually polyamides, some of which are reinforced with glass fibres. To ensure mobility, our adjustable feet should not be fastened in place. Many different assembly heights are available: from 2.2 cm to a metre. The adjustable feet can be reused, but a service life of approx. 15 years should not be exceeded. More information at www.e-u-r-o-tec.de!

Solidor

k...

Easy, light and quic

in a click!

MEGAMART is the new support for external raised flooring which can be used with all types of flooring without demolition thanks to its wide millimetrical adjustment.

Installation speed. Innovative MEGAMART system allows to reduce time of laying always guaranteeing excellent results.

Easy inspection without demolition. Raised flooring is laid directly on supports.

Perfect levelness of the final flooring thanks to the regulation nut and slope corrector which allow millimetric heights movements.

Solidor pedestals are made from a PP compound. They can withstand temperatures from -25 to +80°C. These pedestals have a load capacity of up to 1000kg. You can easily fix the pedestal once the correct height

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IMPERTEK Srl Via Po 507 30022 Ceggia | Venice | Italy Tel. +39 0421 322 525 Fax +39 0421 322 756 info@impertek.com w w w. i m p e r t e k . c o m

is set. The base plate has a surface of 300cm² and the system can be set for heights between 1cm and 1m. Slope correctors are available to absorb the slope as required. Depending on the strength of the beams used, it is advisable to position the feet about 40 to 60cm apart. The beams are put separately onto the terrace pedestals or screwed into the middle of the top support panel. Solidor gives a 10-year guarantee.

Solidor pedestals can be fitted quickly and easily and can be used for an extensive range of floors, such as wooden beams or concrete or wooden floor tiles.

themselves. These pedestals can offset heights of 8 to 470mm. As regards material, the pedestals are resistant to acids and weather conditions. These pedestals can be used again in the event of the owner moving house.

TMP Convert-Jouplast

Les Plots réglables de Solidor feront la différence pour ajuster la hauteur de votre terrasse !Les P p TMP offers both fixed pedestals and pedestals which can be adjusted in height for wooden terraces, ceramic tiles, or concrete tiles. These pedestals can be adjusted to the millimetre by hand. The exclusive and user-friendly systems Easy Screw and Click Off ensure a perfect spread of the weight and retention of the required height. An extensive range of accessories completes the system and offers an answer to all problems with which terrace constructors can be confronted, such as the edge finish. The pedestals are simply put on the ground and block

grilles métalliques

gr

Pedestals from SOLIDOR will make difference Les Plots réglables de Solidor ferontthe la différence dalle en béton, céramique

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

METAL GRATES grilles métalliques

lames de bois

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Special

Finishing and maintenance of exterior wooden wall cladding

MAINTENANCE OF WOODEN EXTERIOR WALL CLADDING DURABILITY DETERMINES THE FINISH AND THE MAINTENANCE

Photo – Blanchon

It is clear that a wooden exterior wall cladding finish has to cope with rather different demands than a wooden terrace finish. We’re not going to step on our exterior wall, so durability requirements will be totally different. Obviously, wall cladding is subjected less to possible mechanical hazards of falling objects or chemical products. Neither do you spill wine or coffee onto the wall. The natural enemies of exterior wall wood, from which the wood has to be protected and maintained, are found elsewhere, and especially in the weather conditions.

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The wood sort plays a part There is no unanimous answer to the question of whether wood needs to be treated always, sometimes, or not at all. When we made our enquiries within the sector, we received different and often contradictory points of view. Some regard treating exterior wall wood as merely a question of taste, whilst others are convinced that no wood sort should ever be left untreated. The summary from producers (see below) clarifies a number of different points of view. One argument put forward by several players is that exterior wall wood should be treated on the

grounds of durability in order to avoid an expensive full renovation. If durability plays a part in the decision, it is clear that the natural durability of the chosen wood will also be a factor. According to some people, wood sorts from classes I and II should never require any protection at all. The same applies to some wood sorts from class III, although you do need to be aware that these sorts may sometimes include less durable planks. Wood sorts from the lower durability classes IV and V require industrial treatment (thermal or chemical modification) to make them more durable before they can be considered suitable for use as exterior wall cladding.

Who is the enemy?

As we have already said, exterior wall wood is subjected to different influences to terrace wood. For example, the risks of mechanical damage or wear due to use are virtually negligible. Even water constitutes only a minor problem, certainly in the case of a well ventilated wall.

After all, the planks are ‘on their sides’ and there is no contact with the ground. The dangers to exterior wall wood lurk in the climate and nature. In that respect, exterior wall wood and terrace wood do have common enemies. And so, the lifespan of wooden exterior wall cladding is affected considerably by the direction of the furnished section of the house in relation to the wind directions.

Ageing caused by UV light Ultraviolet light, oxygen, and water together cause wood to age and go rotten (see below). In a photochemical process, sunlight breaks up the dark coloured lignin, one of the main components of wood. The light coloured cellulose, the other component, is left on its own. The ageing process shows that it is the colour of the cellulose which dominates. What we perceive visually as ‘ageing’ is actually a microscopic thin layer of wood which is disintegrating. The ageing can be darker or lighter, depending on the surrounds and the extent to which the air is polluted. On the inside the cellulose can simply be washed away by rainwater to leave the wood with a frayed pattern, which everyone has seen at some timer or other on a piece of rotten wood. And so, it is no surprise that various procedures to make wood more durable are geared precisely to manipulating the chemical composition of the wood.

(e.g. light oak) and respect the prescribed layer thickness. Excessive dyeing (e.g. rosewood, ebony, or dark paints) is also harmful due to the strong warming of the wood surface and possible crack formation in the wood and/or the warping of the joinery elements. Some protective products form a film and others don’t.

Film protection This brings us into the sphere of paints. Paints can contain a very high content of resins which completely cover the structure of the wood (the so called film finishes). The use of dark paints is not advisable since the heat of the sun is absorbed in the film. In the summer, this has the effect of raising the surface temperature drastically (from 60 to 70°C) and, as the case may be, the separation of the resin from certain wood sorts, cracks in the coat of paint, or splits in the wood. We find fewer resins in the top coats. With these ‘opaque’ products, the wood structure is visible to a certain extent.

Non-film protection Amongst non-film protective products we make a distinction between oils and stains. Stains contain a low content of resins and therefore form a thin film with a certain transparency so that the structure of the wood is still visible. These are the so called non-film or semi-film finishes. They offer a longer lifespan in proportion to their content of darker dyes with higher UV resistance. Natural or modified oils (urethane or acrylic) are transparent, more or less coloured products, but with no dyes. It is not advisable to apply finishes using natural, unmodified oil for outdoor use since this creates a breeding ground for fungi and algae. Moreover, oils are used a lot in the production of alkyd resins for stains and paints.

What’s on the market?

We made enquiries in the sector. This article includes the answers to those questions. Below we let the specialists have their say. Some of them give more details about their products, whilst others share their expertise with us.

Briançon

Living organisms Nature is full of little creatures. That’s nothing new. Woodworm, wood rot, and fungi can constitute a real threat to all outdoor wood. The woodworm is a larva of the woodworm beetle. The name ‘worm’ refers to the larvae, since the woodworm is basically a beetle. The woodworm lives in the wild, mainly in trees with hard wood, such as oak and fruit trees. Wood rot is a fungus which mainly affects wood which comes into contact with (excessive) damp. In some cases fungus is visible.

Sometimes, wood rot betrays itself as the wood surface turns brown and crumbly or it looks dirty white and spongy. The fungus often forces its way into the wood via the ends, such as the underside of a stake, the point where two beams touch each other, window frame joints, and such like. Wood which is often exposed to wind is particularly susceptible to wood rot. Finally, the polypore is a mushroom-like fungus which can damage woodwork considerably. The most notorious of these polypores is the so called dry rot.

Protective products Products used outdoors must be weatherproof, water vapour permeable, and, preferably, dyed. The water vapour permeability is important so that damp which has penetrated the wood can escape and migrate.

Dyeing transparent products protects the underlying wood, in turn, from the UV rays of the sun. It is usually advisable to use light shades

According to Briançon, it is perfectly possible to leave exterior wall claddings in red cedar untreated. However, if necessary, you can apply a treatment to counteract the natural ageing process. The best products for doing that are azures or saturation products. Depending on exposure to the weather, such treatments need to be repeated every three to eight years. The Aqua Terrace Saturator can be used on all sorts of wood (available in five shades), including exotic sorts such as ipe, teak, cumaru, and coniferous trees such as red cedar, meleze, and douglas. It can also be used on native sorts such as oak and acacia or

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Special

Finishing and maintenance of exterior wooden wall cladding

for thermally treated wood. The Satin Azure is a three-in-one product which saturates, revives, and protects.

Blanchon

Chimiver offers also a water-based impregnating oil SUNDECK W OIL available in different versions as no-slip and colored white and grey.

Last innovation from Chimiver research is LIOS SUNDECK CLIMA+ which is a water-based thixotropic impregnating oil for wood with UV absorption double technology. Thanks to this innovation property, LIOS SUNDECK CLIMA+ is particularly resistant to the action of UV radiation, both direct and indirect. Hence it is recommended for the treatment and protection of the wooden boards used as outer covering of facades. Its new formulation, due to its suitable thixotropy, cut down minimize the draining. The light mordant, in addition to be an excellent solar filter, gives the wood a pleasant warm colour. LIOS SUNDECK CLIMA+ also protects the wood from mildew and infesting microorganisms. Doesn’t degrade rubbers and expansion joints.

Ciranova

Some wood sorts can be exposed perfectly well to outdoor weather without the need for additional protection. We mention them in sequence, namely cedar, douglas, and larch. Other wood sorts are also strongly weatherproof thanks to a preliminary treatment (e.g. in a steriliser or a thermal treatment). Anyone wanting to protect the wood will aim primarily to preserve its original colour. This is only possible if there is protection from UV rays. So far, this has been done using azures or saturators. Some wood sorts (e.g. douglas and larch) cannot be protected durably with azures, whilst a wood sort such as cedar cannot be protected at all. Saturators have the disadvantage that they need to be renewed regularly. Blanchon has solved these problems with the introduction of a new finish system. Blanchon presents a protective system to combat the effects of sunlight on the wood. An important extra benefit of this system is that it preserves the original colour of the wood. Whilst protection from UV light is traditionally associated with the addition of dyes, this system is colourless. These systems form a new family of finishes. They can be deployed on all wood sorts, give the wood a long lifespan, and are easy to maintain.

Chimiver Panseri

Chimiver offers a wide range of products for treating protecting and maintaining all kind of outdoor wooden surfaces. Lios Sundeck Wood Oil is an impregnating oil for outdoor wooden floors available in different colors and a certified anti-slip version. Lios Sundeck Soap is a nourishing soap for cleaning and maintaning outdoor wooden floors.

Lios Grigioff is a special solvent-free product to restore wheathered outdoor wooden floor back to its original colour. Elastoxyl is an expansion joint for outdoor floors available in four different colours: black, teak, grey and white.

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Ciranova has two options for wooden outdoor walls. On the one hand there is the Eco protector, which is available in eight colours and protects exterior walls in resin-holding wood, exotic wood, and European deciduous trees.

Eco protector is waterborne and ecological. It does not form a film, but penetrates into the wood and is suitable for treating vertical and horizontal surfaces. Two to three coats of Eco protector provide a nutritious protection, which doesn’t flake off and is easy to maintain. The second coat can be applied 30 minutes later. On the other hand there is the UVP System from Ciranova. This consists of a UVP colour (eight colours), which then need to be finished with a UVP decking oil 2K. The colouring protects against the effects of UV light. Afterwards, you need to apply a finish using a UVP decking oil 2K. This oil provides long-lasting protection against rain, mould, and insects.

Durieu At Durieu they stick to the basic principle that no sort of wood should ever be left untreated.

Wood which is dried in a steriliser may be better protected against living organisms, but it is not protected against warping, ageing, and stains as a result of weather conditions and contamination. Wood is a living material which needs to be treated so that it can retain its original beauty. For protection, Durieu is an advocate of non-film products such as glazers and impregnation agents, which absorb the dimensional changes and at the same time penetrate deep into the wood in order to preserve its internal stability.

Periodic maintenance is required in order to avoid major renovation. As regards products, their preference is for hydrofuge products with a high impregnation capacity.

Irsa At Irsa they recommending treating all exterior wall planks with oil, even those on the northern side. To protect non-exotic wood sorts from turning blue and wood rot, they recommend a preliminary treatment with an impregnation agent. Specially for these applications, Irsa has Irsa Exotic Wood Oil and Irsa Wood Oil for non-exotic sorts. Irsa Wood Oil contains strong, weatherproof oils and micro-dyes. This product rebuffs UV rays. It is best to repeat the treatment every one to two years, depending on the level of exposure. To restore the wood to its original colour there is Irsa Wood Refresher. Each treatment is applied to completely pure wood.

Plastor As soon as wood meets the requirements of class 3b (naturally durable), it doesn’t need any treatment. However, like all other wood sorts, these will also eventually turn grey under the effects of sunlight. And so, the decision to treat the wood is an aesthetic one. Some people allow the wood to age, whilst others wish to retain the original colour of the wood. To treat these sorts, you need a saturation product (saturator) which doesn’t leave a film or flake off. For saturating all wood sorts, Plastor offers Saturator PUR-T Deck. This is absolutely ideal for noble frontage wood sorts such as cedar, meleze, and douglas. The product is based on natural oils, penetrates deep into the wood, and makes it waterproof. Reinforced with an anti-UV component, this PUR-T Deck also provides protection against ageing. The wood structure comes out nicely thanks to the matt finish.

Rubio Monocoat Basically, all outdoor wood can be left untreated, but that means that the owner has opted deliberately for a naturally aged look in the wood. Obviously, it is also true to say

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that untreated wood degenerates faster. Belgian legislation stipulates that it is mandatory to treat wood in durability classes IV and V. Muyle Facon has a product in the range which colours and protects in a single coat, namely Rubio Monocoat Hybrid Wood Protector. In contrast to traditional oils, you don’t need to repeat the treatment annually. To keep the wood in prime condition, you can freshen the wood up with the same product (oil, RMC Hybrid Wood Protector) as soon as you feel it is necessary. One major advantage is that it is not necessary to sandpaper the wood first! Furthermore, you don’t need any specific cleaning products. This product can also be used on deckings treated with RMC Hybrid Wood Protector.

Sherwin-Williams The advice given by Sherwin-Williams is aimed at industry and, if need be, varnish companies. The company has launched Laqvin Fast Dry Cladding coatings and includes primers, second coats, and combi-coatings. Laqvin Fast Dry Waterborne and Laqvin Fast Dry Waterborne UV crank up production capacity considerably by shortening the drying time. Moreover, the final quality offers exterior wall claddings superior protection. For Laqvin Fast Dry Waterborne, the drying time is six minutes on an existing production line. For Laqvin Fast Dry Waterborne UV, the drying time has been reduced to four minutes, since the production line is equipped with UV technology (UV lamps of the Ga type).

Tover Wood as outside (cladding, window frames, shutters, fences, etc) needs to be protected against atmospheric agents it is permanently submitted to; sun, rain, freezing and also moulds and moss speeds up its deterioration and ageing process. Tover offers a water-based impregnation product: Xilocolor available in transparent and colored version (wooden colors, white, black and green). It can be applied with a brush or a spray in two layers. It does not become yellow with time and with respect to solvent-based products, it is much easier to renew as it does not peel. That means that it is enough to wash carefully the surface and apply a new coat. Xilocolor is a long-lasting impregnating stain, particularly significant feature for wooden huts and houses.

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Special

Producers of distressed floors

DISTRESSED FLOORS ARE STILL IN VOGUE ALL TYPES OF FLOORS ARE ON THE ROAD TO NOSTALGIA

Photo – BJ Parket

Distressed parquet and wooden floors are still very popular.

What is noticeable is that almost ‘everyone’ has them in their range. This means that distressed designs are no longer merely a trend, but are seen as one of the ways of giving wood a little extra character. Parquet makers who, until recently, didn’t offer distressed designs because their production process didn’t allow them to do so are now offering those designs, often by calling upon the services of an external partner (see the article on coating contractors in this edition). In other words, demand generates supply and those who get left behind lose ground.

Love of antique The love of antique transcends generations. Here, we don’t mean antique in that narrow and date-bound definition in which “antique” is defined as coming from the “distant” past. Basically, “antique” means something made by human hands and it has to have reached a certain age. People usually take 50 years as the baseline for defining an antique; in some cases, however, an article doesn’t become an antique until it is 75 or even 95 years old. With cars we call anything more than 25 years old an old timer. People’s eagerness for antique items has constantly lowered the required age. Even the first 45 record from the Beatles has been sold as an antique. It’s not exactly clear where this love affair with antiques has come from, but we can state with certainty that items from the past help create a sense of “security”. They

have proved their worth by standing the test of time. We see throughout history how many people have treasured items from the past.

With wooden floors, this feeling finds expression in the preference for old parquet and castle and cloister floors, but also in the return of old fitting patterns such as Versailles, Hungarian point, herringbone, and such like.

Why distressed floors?

The greatness of appreciation for old items and, in this case, old floors is demonstrated by the fact that “distressing” as a technique is highly popular. Shouldn’t we choose the real and authentic? Or the genuine and exclusive? Yes, we should! But what do you do if the real thing is sold out? We’ve seen a number of shifts in the parquet market over the years. Those shifts are all related to market range and “availability”.

Old floors There was a certain period when the sale of genuine old (recycling) floors was booming business. Those old floors came from castles, cloisters, school buildings, factories, and such like. They were recovered after the demolition or reconversion of old buildings and sites, and some traders specialised in the repair of such floors so that they could offer them for re-sale. Old floors have one advantage over new floors or floors produced from old wood: The upper side of the floor is naturally scoured through years of use and it is impossible to imitate the patina in any way whatsoever. Anyone who manages to snap up

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Special

Producers of distressed floors

a pre-1800 floor gets one other remarkable feature: After all, before 1800, wooden planks were sawn from the tree trunks manually. The growing pressure for conservation on the part of governments has led to a reduction and even a complete halt in the demolition of valuable patrimony. Old floors either drifted into oblivion or were at least virtually unaffordable.

Old wood The other way of making a wooden or parquet floor from genuinely old wood is to produce new floorboards from old beams or planks. Over a century ago, wood was given a much longer and natural time to dry than is the case today. After being used for a century, the wood had become hardened and obtained its appreciated and “weathered” look.

By withstanding the ravages of time, the wood has more than proved its quality and durability. Here, the origin of the old beams has exerted an influence on the appearance of the final floor and the sources where people can acquire such old wood sometimes appear inexhaustible. A very exclusive class is the wood which comes from ship decks a few hundred years old. The age of the beams helps to determine the appearance. Old beams which originate from farms in Brabant could be between 70 and 250 years old. Another “source” whereby the previous use left its mark on the current appearance are beams which had served as old mooring posts or as sheet piling planks. This wood has a semblance of light blue as a result of the constant effect of the water.

Distressing wood as an art About 30 years ago, it was common practice for crooked antique dealers to apply themselves with gusto to “treating” new furniture items, especially in oak, in such a way that they looked like antiques.

Everywhere in big shopping centres you would see antique shops with huge floor surfaces stocked with so many antiques that we wondered where the dealers continued to get their goods from. From China, perhaps? Whatever the case may be, the result of the various ageing treatments was staggering and only a trained eye could separate the real from the imitation. During a visit to a kitchen maker, which supplies only customised work, I had the opportunity to see such a craftsman at work. The client had ordered a “rustic” kitchen in solid oak. Two steps in the production process stood out. The first was the selection of the planks for making doors and fronts. Planks with gnarls and other shortcomings were retained. The second was a phase in which the doors were “damaged”. An older man had as his sole task the job of beating tiny holes into the planks with a sharp object and then to “rip” thin strips of wood from the surface here and there. The result?

Sublime and so real!

They’re everywhere!

Distressed floors are now a “segment”. People generally appreciate a distressed look in wooden floors, as proved by the fact that parquet manufacturers offer distressed floors in just about all their types of floors. They do so in solid wood and multi-layer floors and in “old fitting patterns”, which, in distressed versions, exude even more the spirit of bygone days. The fact that laminate makers have also created decors of distressed (oak!) floors is also a sign on the wall. Today, we find distressed floors in all types of floor technology where floors are “printed”, including in LVT, PVC, and such like. Note, too, that people appreciate distressed floors in any interior. We find them in both classic or even nostalgic interiors and in hypermodern, rigid, and minimalist homes.

And so, there can be no doubt that floor fitters “must” offer distressed floors if they are to avoid losing out on a good share of the cake.

Distressing techniques Strictly speaking, we can divide distressing techniques into three

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groups: mechanical distressing, smoking, and colouring. In many cases practitioners use a combination of different techniques. For example, a hand-scraped floor usually looks even “more genuine” in combination with smoking. Here are the techniques in a nutshell:

Mechanical distressing The most well known and popular mechanical distressing techniques once again trace their origins to the furniture industry. We have to “damage” the wood in some way or other by lashing, beating, brushing, scraping, hand-scraping, and such like. The application of woodworm holes is usually combined with the other methods.

Colouring By making use of special dyes or colour oils, we can create the impression that new parquet is old. White and grey tints are extremely popular for this purpose. There is talk of a white wash or even a super white wash. In the case of the latter the floor is brushed lightly first. If you then give the surface a white wash, you get a matt, slightly chalky floor. Extremely dark colours can also help to give the floor an antique appearance.

Smoking Smoking wooden floors is one of the most popular and most attractive distressing techniques. Smoking is a process in which a reaction is created with the tannin in the wood. A lot of wood sorts have little or no tannin to evoke a distressed colour. Oak does have enough tannin, especially in the shape of European oak and American oak. Russian oak or Chinese oak has a lot less tannin and can be only lightly smoked at best.

What’s on the market?

Alma by Giorio Alma enjoys a reputation in Italy and beyond for high quality floors.

People ask for distressed designs mainly with engineered floors. The distressing is carried out with hammers in order to apply damage such as holes and scratches, which give the impression that the floor really is an old floor. Here, too, the sort of wood is usually oak. These floors can be fitted in any interior style. Thanks to the damage, they are particularly suitable for large families with children and pets.

Ardesia Ardesia produces solely multi-layer floors, a good 90% of which comprise three layers with a middle layer in Austrian spruce and a bottom layer in Swedish spruce. Upon request, Ardesia can also produce two-layer floors with a solid wood top layer on a birch plywood base. Distressed floors are offered mainly in oak and larch. However, other sorts of wood can be distressed upon request.

The most popular distressing technique is “hand-scraped”, but new techniques are emerging. For example, there is the refined “unstructured” treatment which can be used to create surprising irregularities, combined with sandblasting and hand-scraping. Whilst oak is still the most important sort of wood, clients do occasionally ask for walnut or larch.

BJ Parket BJ Parket is a manufacturer of solid wood floors such as old Flemish style, strips, herringbone, style panels, Hungarian point, cross-cut,

and such like, but also supplies composite floors. Distressed floors are offered mainly in solid wood. The range of composite floors certainly includes a large selection in pre-finished floors which are already distressed or which are given a distressed look by BJ Parket itself. Floors which are distressed

by BJ Parket itself are beaten. The planks are put in a large drum, together with sophisticated material, and rotated so that damage appears on the planks. After this treatment, the loose splinters are removed. After that, the planks can also be smoked, if necessary, to give them a dark brown shade. The floors are finished with oil to preserve the natural shade of the wood. Structuring and brushing are two other forms of distressing which are applied either separately or in combination with beating. Distressed floors are offered mainly in oak.

Bolzan

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

Bolzan offers both two and three-layer parquet. The bottom and middle layers are made from spruce. The numerous wood sorts include Canadian maple, oak, iroko, doussie, steamed beech, teak, afrormosia, American cherry, wenge, and American walnut. Distressed designs are offered mainly in multi-layer oak or solid “evo” oak. The main distressing technique here is brushing and applying worm holes. The finish is waxed, varnished, or oiled.

Chêne de l’est Chêne de l’est offers both solid wood and multi-layer parquet. The Plancher d’autrefois is available in 100% solid oak and is ready for fitting. With thicknesses of 14 and 21mm in widths of 90 and 190mm and lengths of up to 2,200mm, this floor meets current market demand. This floor is also available in multi-layer TOP 4 in the sizes 15.2 x 140, 170, 190, and 220mm and lengths between 1,000 and 2,200mm. Up to 190mm wide the floor can be deployed with floor heating. This also applies to multi-layer TOP 6 up to 170mm wide. Distressed designs are offered for all applications and are recommended particularly for high traffic floors.

Design Parquet Design Parquet offers solid wood parquet and multi-layer parquet.

Distressed designs are offered mainly in oak, but the company likes to adapt its production to the clients’ wishes.

The most popular distressing technique at Design Parquet is still manual distressing. This results in the treated floor having the look of a floor which has genuinely aged over the course of the years.

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

Special

Producers of distressed floors

Europlac Europlac produces solid and multi-layer parquet as well as veneer floors.

Distressing veneer floors is too complex for various reasons.

In multi-layer and solid wood floors Europlac presents the Cepages collection. The Cepages is available in the ranges ABSOLUTE, PRESTIGE, and SOLID. They obtain the distressed look by changing the look of the surface, but without applying any damage. The distressing technique is the result of a development based on the Cira Nova technique. To that end, Europlac has invested in a pulverisation finish line. The distressing comes about by working on the tannin in the wood and by creating a structured look.

Edelholz Edelholz specialises in offering solid wood and multi-layer floors in oak.

Engineered floors from Edelholz stand out from their rivals partly due to the fact that the three layers in the floor construction are all produced from oak to provide extremely high stability. Distressed floors are also offered both in solid wood and in multi-layer. For the execution of distressing techniques the company studies the recipes and books of skilled craft workers from the past. Strictly speaking, all strong wood sorts are suitable for distressing.

Flamingo Parket Flamingo Parket B.V., based at Barneveld in the Netherlands, has been a producer and wholesaler since 1967 in various sorts of wooden floors.

During that time, the company has specialised in making solid wood parquet floors, traditional parquet floors, design floors, and the Twin Plank (multi-layer parquet). Flamingo Parket carries out the entire process itself, from purchasing the wood to delivery to its clients, so its prices are highly competitive. This is partly why they can produce customised floors at attractive prices. In recent years, “distressed” floors have become extremely popular. Basically, Flamingo distresses all types of oak wooden floors except for traditional oak parquet. To do this they put the oak floorboards in a large drum, which is filled with small pieces of iron. Then, they spin the drum so that the floorboards will show light “traces of use”. If you require more

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information about this process or you have other enquiries, you can contact the company’s sales department.

FB Hout FB Hout presents an FB+ system floor in two thicknesses, namely 13mm (9 + 4mm) and 21mm (15 + 6mm). These all comprise an exterior glued birch plywood base with European oak used for the top layer. Furthermore, FB Hout also supplies solid wood products.

FB Hout offers its distressed floorboards in European oak. This collection, called The Old Floor Collection, is supplied directly from stock as a floorboard in three colours and in three widths. Furthermore, this collection is also supplied from stock in herringbone in 13 x 120 x 600mm or 21 x 120 x 600mm. With the genuinely manual distressing, this floor stands out from any other distressed floor. It’s a new floor with a look of an old, worn, and antique floor.

Haro The Haro assortment consists of engineered floors in two or three layers. Distressed designs are offered mainly in oak, beech, and ash. The main distressing technique applied by Haro is brushing or scraping, but lashing, steaming, colour oiling, and smoking are other techniques which are also sometimes used. For the Retro brushed single-strip plank, Haro has developed a special drying process which results in rather pronounced gnarls. In the parquet manufacture at Haro they also offer individual surfaces such as Vintage Oak and a woodworm look. The Retro collection was extended in 2014 to include two more products: Retro Brushed Cream White in rustic and white oiled and the Oak Atelier, which resembles an old, but worn painted floor.

Hertog Vloeren Hertog Vloeren has been a powerhouse in the field of distressed oak floors since the 1990s. In those days, the company set the standard for the many variants in distressing now on the market and it continues to show its innovative strength. They have developed most of the techniques themselves, as they did with the use of the machine in distressing techniques. The end result is always a synergy of mechanical distressing techniques and floor colouring. The company delivers mainly engineered planks, but solid wood distressed planks, engineered parquet, Burgundy, and traditional parquet are also available. Hertog Vloeren concentrates on oak floors, but other wood sorts are also possible.

Lalegno Lalegno distressed floors have been put together in the Classic Collection, a meticulously selected range of (now) twenty high quality multi-layer oak parquet floors with unrivalled looks.

Early in 2014, they added the ARBOIS and the MARSANNE to the collection.

These revolutionary semi-solid oak floors have soon generated lots of interest worldwide. The extra long and wide planks are subtly distressed on the long micro-joints during production. They are then coloured with an antique stain with a high degree of colour fastness and finished in natural wax. The designers opted deliberately for a selection of wood in which all elements of the oak wood can be seen and felt. The result is absolutely beautiful.

Original Chapel The widest choice of the finest floors A style for every time, space and place Original Chapel offers floors to suit every interior and taste, from cool modern through warm and cosy to richly classical.

For low-traffic domestic and high-traffic commercial environments, large spaces and small. Our 10 collections are available in a choice of patterns, colours, finishes, plank widths and lengths, both solid and engineered. And with each collection also being finished by hand, you can be sure that your floor is truly unique. All our collections are suitable for use in tough domestic environments like kitchens and bathrooms, and, in combination with a sound-absorbing underlay, in apartments too. They are also widely used in demanding environments like restaurants and office spaces.

PlyQuet Holzimport GmbH At PlyQuet Holzimport we find engineered, ready-for-fitting wooden floors 14 and 18mm thick.

Distressed designs are available in one strip (TEKA Antique) in sizes of 14 x 155 x 2200/1800mm and 14 x 1180 x 2200/1800mm. These floors are offered in European oak from France and Germany. All floors are distressed manually so that they take on the look of natural, genuinely antique floors. Hand-scraping is the distressing technique which they use.

Stile Pavimenti Stile Pavimenti produces mainly multi-layer floors. Here, too, the distressed floors are offered in oak. In the Stilart distressed collection the planks are noticeable brushed. Gnarls, traces of resins, filled

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holes, flamed texture, and other irregularities such as light scratches give these floors an aged and used look. In the Stilart collection the company offers 10 colours: Antwerp, Arles, Granada, Odessa, Dublin, Prague, Oslo, Siena, Oxford, and Colonia.

Scierie Leplang SCIERIE LEPLANG is once again showing its best side.

SCIERIE LEPLANG is now launching its sawn parquet in distressed oak. SCIERIE LEPLANG has long been known as a master in techniques for sawing and drying oak. This means the company commands a good proportion of the solid parquet floor market, something which is also partly due to the stability of its products. SCIERIE LEPLANG stands out from its rivals in presenting a solid distressed wooden floor, which is even more stable in the mass. Through the joint penetration of moisture, temperature, and light, this rustic wooden floor undergoes a completely natural, yet accelerated distressing treatment. Oak distressed in this way can be planed, sawn, and profiled endlessly in the mass without the wood losing its original colour. The product increases in stability, thanks to a double drying process, somewhat like that of a biscuit. This product is available in various thicknesses, widths, and qualities from the headquarters in Alle-sur-Semois (B). NOTE: If you visit their headquarters, never mention smoked oak. If you did, you would offend the local residents. They are extremely proud of the fact that they offer an oak product which has unique properties.

T&G Wood T&G Wood offers both solid wood floors and the multi-plank, engineered parquet, and 6 and 9mm traditional parquet. These floors are all available in distressed designs. They use oak in 99% of cases for distressed floors, but sometimes ash as well.

Basically, any sort of wood can be distressed, since T&G Wood distresses its floors by beating them.

Z-Parket Z-Parket offers solid wood and multi-layer parquet floors. The solid wood floors appear in thicknesses of 9 and 20mm.

Engineered floors are available in 10/12/14/15/16, and 21mm. The company presents distressed floors in three degrees, namely light, medium, and heavy. Distressed is offered in the thicknesses 12/14/15/16, and 20mm. The technique consists of a colouring and damage to the planks. The medium and heavy distressed floors get a drum effect. Z-Parket works only with oak due to its high tannin content.

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Automation and packaging of parquet

COMPUTERISATION FOR THE PARQUET SECTOR IS PART OF ‘CUSTOMISATION’ Top layer supply

Plywood supply

Photo – CSP Engineering

Computerisation is part of modern life and has done a lot of good. Machines have greatly raised efficiency and often also improved quality. At the same time, computerisation has made it possible to reduce difficult, physically taxing, or monotonous and boring work. Where are we now with computerisation in our industry and what jobs can machines do in parquet floor production?

Computerisation for large-scale production Computerisation was once a question of more, more, and even more, and that applied to parquet as well. Today, however, we see a polarisation amongst parquet producers and we therefore have to make a distinction. There are manufacturers who think in terms of large-scale production and for whom standardisation and large-scale production is synonymous with staggering efficiency and large-scale capacity. They want to launch their standardised products on the market at competitive prices and thereby make a profit.

Computerisation for tailor-made production (customisation)

On the other hand, we see a parquet industry which is set on a smaller scale, with wooden floors which are finished entirely customised and meet consumer needs in full with respect to colour, finishing method (e.g. distressed, brushed, or scraped) and protective coating (oil, varnish, or wax). The now accepted trend of fitting finished parquet at the client’s premises and allowing that client to choose from colours and other options à la carte at the time of purchase, has had its effects in the parquet industry and has also resulted in even more computerisation. There is, however, another sort of computerisation. Whilst large-scale factories have at their disposal machines which are cost effective only for very big jobs, small-scale producers (whose main focus is customisation) are

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concentrating on machines which combine efficiency and compactness and where ergonomics (user-convenience) is crucial to the labourer.

Smaller jobs In contrast to machines designed for mass production (which, due to their high purchase cost, are profitable only if they are constantly in use), players who concentrate mainly on customisation, use more affordable, compact, and user-friendly machines, which provide for a fast changeover as regards dimensioning (saw machine settings), operating (e.g. brushing or sandpapering), and finishing (e.g. colour, oil, or varnish). To facilitate these operations, it has to be possible to change the machine parts quickly.

Less stock means savings in costs The noble, natural product which is wood already, requires a full treatment before the tree trunks can be processed into planks and, finally, parquet. During that long period, a lot of space is required as well as a good stock. You can’t do very much here to improve efficiency. It is possible, however, to save space and costs when it comes to the trend towards customisation. Traders have to wait a lot more for clients to make their choice and then apply the required finish in line with the correct quantity. This means it is possible to save space in the warehouses. Space can also be saved through the use of more compact machines in the chain. A good illustration of this is the transition from traditional varnish or oil drying to UV drying. Obviously, open-air drying requires a lot more space than UV drying.

Computerisation step by step Let us briefly run through the various phases which parquet passes through before it is transported to the site.

Servo-saw

adapted to the production capacity and scale of the company. Various operating machines are often linked to each other by making use of computerised structures such as feed systems, conveyor belts, transfer systems, intermediate buffers, returning systems, stacking machines, and such like. There is often a semi-automatic work station in places where the floorboards need to be assessed manually or where manual interaction is necessary (e.g. for chalk marks to eliminate faults). Every effort is made here to avoid manual hoisting, lifting, or dragging. There are various standard solutions for most computerised production steps. Customised solutions are sometimes worked out for specific situations.

PAR-Scan with strapping, shrink foiling and automatic stacking

Photo – CSP Engineering

Solid wood or multi-layer parquet With full solid wood parquet floors, each part consists entirely of one piece of solid wood. Once the planks have been shortened, if necessary, to eliminate gnarls and such like, they are ‘profiled’ using a four-sided planing machine. These can be finished completely straight or fitted with a tongue and groove. With semi-solid or engineered parquet, the end product is usually fitted with a tongue and groove. The top layers are produced from dried and pre-planed planks. One solid wood plank is sawn into four or more thinner ‘strips’ using saw machines specially equipped for that purpose. The strips may or may not need to be further refined before they can be glued onto a base plate. The base plates are sawn into strips. The width of the base strips is geared to the width of the solid wood strips.

Photo – CSP Engineering

Computerised glueing of base plates: cold glueing or hot melt It is possible to glue top layers onto base plates by means of ‘cold glueing’ or ‘hot melt’ glueing. With cold glueing the glued parts are pressed together in a pile press or in a flat press under a certain pressure for about half an hour. Glueing with ‘hot melt’ is possible in a continuous production process and is more suitable in a computerised set-up. This means that the base strip feed, the glueing, top layer feed, joining of top layer and base strips, part pressing, and then the sawing of the glued parts to the correct length can take place in one running process.

The parquet finish Then, it is time to start on finishing the parquet planks with the removal of imperfections using wood filler. Until not so long ago, this process involved manual work, but recently machines have been launched on the market (by Wintersteiger and by CSP Engineering) for this purpose. After that, you can start on colouring, oiling, or varnishing (with or without the use of UV). After this phase and the drying comes the parquet finishing. Before the floorboards leave the parquet factory, they are usually packed into manageable packages and put together on a pallet per order. Depending on the final journey to the end client, floorboard packages are packed using synthetic straps, shelf film, or shrink film (the preferred choice with finished parquet).

CSP Engineering – specialist in computerisation for the parquet sector CSP is a specialist in computerisation for the parquet sector and has developed an extensive and efficient range of machines over the years. For example, there is the Par-Scan® parquet scanner, which measures, registers, labels, and packs parquet packages without any manual intervention. Par-Info® can be used to add information (brochure) for the end user.

There is also the Par-Duo®, which is designed specially for glueing two-layer parquet with PU hot melt in a continuous production process. This machine makes it possible to glue up to 20m/min. in a continuous production process. It produces at a fixed or variable length and has a CNC-guided saw. ParStack® is an automatic stacking machine which ensures that floorboards are stacked neatly onto a pallet either loosely or packed. The machine has a capacity of up to eight packages a minute. For feeding four-sided planing machines there is the Par-Feed® feed table. Finally, by using PAR-Stock®, the producer is aware of the number of floorboards in stock at any time.

Optimisation of computerised production In order to have profitable parquet production in the long term, traders need to plan out an efficient production infrastructure, which is

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New PAR-Fill® The most recent launch has been a truly international innovation for the parquet industry. The PAR-Fill® is an automatic machine for filling gnarls and cracks in parquet floorboards.

All the knots and cracks in the floorboard surfaces are dedusted and filled mechanically in one process, irrespective of the skills of the operator. All the knots, cracks, and hairline cracks in the floorboard surfaces are digitalised. After that, two applicator heads work together and apply the wood filler under high pressure in exactly the right places. PAR-Fill® Works in a continuous production flow and is equipped with a feed buffer and an automatic returning system, whereby the machine can be operated by only one person. For this very exceptional machine, CSP Engineering has developed Cosmeti Wood®, a new and ecological wood filler with unique properties. Cosmeti Wood® is ready for use, does not contain any solvents, CosmetiWood® has a very good absorbtion of colours or oil, does not crumble when planing, and it is very nice for sanding belts. Cosmeti Wood® hardly shrinks during drying. This makes it possible to apply the filler in one production step, even with very big knots.

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Special

UV curing on site

UV CURING ON SITE NOT YET FULLY ACCEPTED,BUT IT’S ON THE WAY!

Photo – Decorad

Curing UV lacquers on site is still a relatively new practice in Europe. In the ‘wood’ segment the first real professionals didn’t start doing it until 2012. As is the way with a new segment, it is always important to have good reference projects to persuade practitioners and lacquer/varnish producers that floor owners also appreciate the benefits.

Now that more and more lacquer/varnish producers are turning out UV lacquers, the concept of UV curing on site is definitely becoming more and more common. Although the number of users is still limited, the benefits of the system mean that the breakthrough is only a matter of time. Mr Muller from Decorad comments, ‘After the group of pioneers, the early adaptors will invariably embrace the concept.’

How does it work?

Rapid curing The machine is used once the water has evaporated from waterborne varnishes. The special UV spectrum of the UV lamp activates the different sorts of photo-initiators in the varnish. This sets off the cross-linking as a result of the reaction with active groups in the special binding agent to create a three-dimensional network at once. The protective properties of the coating are attained immediately.

Outstanding performance It is common knowledge that a UV coating performs at least as well as, and often better than, a 2k product. Mr Muller from Decorad comments: ‘Apart from this outstanding quality, there are two other major benefits from using the UV concept. The system is very fast (the floor is ready for use immediately) and it’s also environment-friendly. This tri-unity of quality, speed, and environment is unrivalled by any other system.’

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The importance of energy The dose of energy emanating from the lamp is essential for creating the right properties as the varnish cures. All varnish producers state in the instructions how much energy is required to cure the varnish.

This is converted into speed (metres per minute). This speed can be entered into the machine so that the engine takes care of having the correct dose of energy to cure the coating to perfection. This is why an engine is absolutely essential for applying this concept properly. Mr Muller comments, ‘Too much energy isn’t a problem, but if the varnish doesn’t get enough energy, it doesn’t get the right properties.’

Decorad tools Decorad has developed a Floormate (a floor lamp) and a Handmate (a hand lamp) specifically for curing floor coatings. The Floormate is ideal in width (you get the full output from a standard socket). Mr Muller says, ‘That’s necessary to ensure that you can easily walk behind the machine without damaging the floor sections which the UV lamp hasn’t cured yet. Furthermore, it’s also important to have a specific minimum width because you always have to cure varnish with an overlap.’ After all, everything has to be treated with the right dose of UV in order to obtain the right coating properties. The Floormate is made of stainless steel, but, on request from professionals, it is also available in aluminium, which is somewhat lighter for those working alone and on relatively small objects.

Compatible with any UV lacquer?

The various manufacturers of UV machines have several lamps. Mr Muller comments: ‘We’ve chosen to use the safest floor lamp, with no ozone and without the most harmful part of the UV-C radiation.

Most lacquer producers have also developed their coatings based on this safe lamp. Almost all floor coatings can be cured using the

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UV curing on site

Decorad Floormate and Handmate.’ However, there are some coatings (namely full solids) where a different lamp (with ozone) is necessary.

He explains, ‘The advantage of our machine is that it is very easy to change the type of lamp. Future developments, such as pigmented varnish systems, can also be cured by our machines using a special gallium lamp. It only takes a few minutes to replace the lamp and its casing.’

the operator uses two buttons, one to activate the lamp and the other to activate the engine. There are two particular points to note: Firstly, since the machine has a special engine and three wheels (instead of four), it can easily be turned on its shaft; secondly, the Floormate has a lamp holder which can be adjusted in height so that changes can be made for somewhat uneven floors to prevent the lamp holder from damaging the floor. Furthermore, the machines are designed in such a way that it is easy to carry out maintenance work and, if necessary, parts can be replaced on site.

Durability ‘To protect the machines, we supply them in a transport case which also contains all the necessary materials (such as personal protective equipment),’ Mr Muller tells us. The machines are also made of durable materials such as steel/stainless steel or aluminium and have few or no breakable parts. Special rubber wheels mean that the Floormate can be transported safely on the site to the working station without damaging the normal wheels. Furthermore, the lamp dimming system extends its lifespan.

The benefit to floor fitters in offering this concept is that it adds extra value to projects where quality, time, environment, or a mix of these three aspects play a major part. This can improve the profit margin and reduce the price pressure per square metre considerably.

Clients pay for their benefits Photo – Decorad

Safe, comfortable, and durable Safety Safety is of paramount importance in all aspects of machine development. Mr Muller says: ‘As a European machine manufacturer (production conforms to ISO 9001) we face strict European legislation concerning radiation, for example. During the development and also thereafter, we are in close contact with CE, TÜV, and BG BAU to make the machines as safe as possible for users and bystanders. This relates to UV radiation, electric voltage (in the machine), and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). Our machines are developed in such a way that they can also be used in a functioning hospital.’

Easy to use Floor fitters like machines which are easy to use. At Decorad the intelligence (they design their own electronics and software) is in the machine and the outside is really simple. Once the speed has been set,

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‘Do floor owners have a lot to gain in seeing the job done in one day or night so that they don’t lose any turnover? If so, it is possible to charge them a little extra per square metre. Decorad advises floor fitters not only to look at the extra costs and charge clients for them, but also to be sure to look at the financial benefits for their clients with the use of the UV concept. Obviously, they can also enjoy some of this benefit as an extra profit margin.’

Depreciation The durability of the machines also means that the depreciation period is longer than normal (with this type of machine). These machines are expected to function perfectly well for at least five years under normal use. The only recurring essential costs are for the annual replacement of the lamp (including the inner casing and reflector). Renewing the reflector is essential for the output of the UV. Decorad offers this full set at a price which is comparable to the price of only the lamp on other UV machines. In some countries they are in contact with lease companies whom professionals can call upon for their services.

With thanks to Decorad for the useful information and the pictures!

∂ Industry news UV on site: proven practice (with the DecoRad® equipment) The interest for the concept of UV on site is growing fast. More and more coating companies are introducing their UV systems in different parts of the world so contractors can offer an innovative concept with added value for the floor owner. Because of the different advantages (limited downtime, lower maintenance costs, industrial quality and including the fact that it is environmental friendly) floor owners are willing to pay for this way of working. It’s ‘new’ but proven practice, based on the number of successfully completed projects in the last couple of years.

Kerakoll : Slc Eco 3CW Eco-friendly, organic system to waterproof non-absorbent substrates with a high level of residual humidity, ideal for use in greenBuilding.

Three- component, solvent-free, safeguards the health of the operators. Slc Eco 3CW guarantees water-resistance to protect hardwood floors from residual humidity for a 100% eco-friendly safe laying on non-absorbent substrates and over old floors.

Specifically intended for non-absorbent substrates and absorbent, smooth and compact substrates Up to 5% CM high residual humidity waterproofing product Easy to apply with a roller

The MMFA grows to 30 members New board elected in Berlin On 29 and 30 April, around 40 industry participants gathered in Berlin at the second meeting of ordinary members of the MMFA – the Multilayer Modular Flooring Association.

At this event, flooring manufacturer Unilin (Belgium) was welcomed as a new ordinary member. The IHD Institute of Wood Technology Dresden (Germany) and the TFI Institute for Flooring Systems at RWTH Aachen University (Germany) joined as new supporting members. The MMFA now has a total of 30 members. “As of April, the MMFA comprises 15 European flooring manufacturers as ordinary members, 13 supplier companies as associate members, and two research institutes as supporting members. We would of course be happy to welcome even more

stakeholders into our ranks,” says Matthias Windmöller, chairman of the MMFA. New board elected At the regular MMFA board elections, Matthias Windmöller (Windmöller Flooring) was confirmed in office as chairman of the board. Vicechairman Edwin Lingg (Li&Co) did not stand for re-election in Berlin, but he will continue to provide expert support to the MMFA. The participants thanked the outgoing vice-chairman for his considerable personal and professional commitment. In his absence, Volker Kettler (Meisterwerke Schulte), previously an additional member of the board, was elected Lingg’s successor by MMFA members. Following the members’ vote, Sebastian Wendel (Akzenta) was appointed to Kettler’s former position. Peter Hamberger (Hamberger) shall remain treasurer of the association. Read the complete article on www.floor-forum.com

New 2G and 5G license granted for LVT flooring Välinge is pleased to announce that the Chinese company Anhui OMI Vinyl Co., Ltd has entered into a global non-exclusive license agreements with Välinge for the use of locking systems in LVT flooring products. By implementing the 2G, 5G and One Piece Fold Down mechanical locking systems on its Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT) products, Anhui Omi Vinyl Co.,Ltd. located in Langxi, Anhui Province, China, is moving forward to meet the growing demand for LVT products with easy installation and outstanding locking performance.

The license granted by Välinge to Anhui OMI also includes Classen’s IP rights relative to fold down locking systems as well as Mannington’s IP rights relevant for LVT floorings with a mechanical locking system. All Anhui OMI products will be marked with the L2C holographic label system. Välinge is pleased to welcome Anhui Omi Vinyl Co.,Ltd. as new licensee.

Kerakoll Technical partner of Dutch wood flooring laying chiampionship 2014 Slc Eco L34 Rapid is the first two-component adhesive that combines technical and environmental performance for safegards of the protection fitter. Is the first fast-setting adhesive for parquet solvent-free and odor-free, free from isocyanates (suspected carcinogens). Slc Eco L34 Rapid don’t have the risk phrases R40 and H351, which are present on the packaging and in safety data sheets of many polyurethane products. Slc Eco L34 Rapid provides an open time similar to traditional adhesive but with a fast-setting that allows to proceed with the next steps after only 5 hours. It is ideal in situations where short timescales for foot traffic and setting is required like renovation of residential and commercial areas, works on existing floors, reparations resuming a short timescales, reliable, and guaranteed settings even at low temperatures. Thank to Slc Eco L34 Rapid the Dutch fitters in the competition were able to create floors artistically and technically perfect with pole position times!

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Top German companies focused on export

GERMANY IS STILL THE BIGGEST PARQUET COUNTRY STABILITY THANKS TO ECONOMIC GROWTH OUTSIDE EUROPE

As regards parquet consumption, Germany is still the undisputed leader amongst the FEP countries and for production the country is in second place behind Poland, which is still the biggest player in that field. All sorts of strict government measures have ensured that the German economy has emerged relatively unscathed from the worldwide crisis. In recent years, much of the growth has been due to a rise in exports mainly to non-European countries.

Those exports have offset the stagnation of exports within Europe wonderfully well.

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of Bremen and Hamburg, and the city port of Duisburg, the biggest in Europe.

Northern Germany The north of Germany comprises the states of Lower Saxony, Hamburg, Bremen, Schleswig-Holstein, and Mecklenburg-West Pomerania.

Traditionally, the German coastal states have always been strong in the fields of shipbuilding and sea shipment. In Lower Saxony the vehicle industry is also very big with companies such as Volkswagen and Continental.

Sector position

Western Germany

Germany lies at the heart of Europe and has borders with Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, and Switzerland. In the north the country borders on the North Sea and Baltic Sea, whilst the Alps are on its southern border. Germany’s central location in Europe makes the country ideal from a logistical point of view for reaching all European regions.

A good proportion of the German population lives in the metropolitan regions Berlin/Brandenburg, Frankfurt/Rhine-Main, Hamburg, Munich, Rhine-Ruhr, Stuttgart, and Rhine-Neckar.

Important infrastructural facilities in Germany include international airports in Frankfurt am Main, DĂźsseldorf, and Munich, the sea ports

The west of Germany comprises the states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland. Economically, North RhineWestphalia (NRW) is the most important state for the Netherlands and for Germany itself. It has the most inhabitants (18 million) and generates about 22% of gross domestic product. Almost all industrial sectors are represented in NRW, with a stress on technology and services. Other major sectors include the chemical industry, machine construction, steel industry, food industry, electronics, metalwork, vehicle industry, and the paper, publishing, and printing industries. About 19 of the 50 biggest companies in Germany are located in NRW, including E.ON, Deutsche Telekom, RWE, Bayer, ThyssenKrupp, Ford, Deutsche Post, Bertelsmann, and Henkel.

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Eastern Germany Berlin and the ‘new’ states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Saxony form the eastern part of Germany. These new states have made great strides economically since the reunification of the country. However, in comparison with the situation in the old states, there is still a lot of ground to make up. For example, unemployment in the east of Germany is still higher than in the west and local and regional governments are struggling with heavy debts. However, there are some favourable developments. For instance, the city of Dresden is increasingly becoming a major IT centre. Berlin, Erfurt, and Leipzig are also gradually attracting more and more new activities, which are replacing the old industries. Moreover, the eastern states are benefitting from the eastward shift of the economic centre of gravity. Thuringia and Saxony have so far been the most successful, but also Brandenburg is doing well, partly because that state benefits from the attraction of Berlin.

Southern Germany Bayern and Baden-Württemberg form the south of Germany. Apart from big car producers such as BMW, Audi, Daimler, and Porsche, this part of the country also accommodates international market leaders in machine construction. After the automobile industry, this sector is the biggest industrial employer in Germany. Furthermore, a good proportion of the supply industry is also located in Bayern and Baden-Württemberg. The town of Tuttlingen has only 34,000 inhabitants, but it is nonetheless the global centre for medical technology. The town accommodates over 400 companies in the medical technological sector. The immediate surrounds also house another 2,400 companies in related sectors. The city of Freiburg is the centre of measurement and control technology. Some 2,600 jobs have been created in this sector since 2000, mainly in SME companies.

The economic miracle (“Wirtschaftswunder”) continues The Federal Republic of Germany was formed on 24 May 1949. The German economy, which had been ruined by World War II, began to recover immediately after the currency reform of 1948. Unemployment fell gradually and in 1962 there was even talk of full employment. This post-war period of economic growth is known as the economic miracle (“Wirtschaftswunder” in German). At the end of the 1980s, the German Democratic Republic (GDR) fell into terminal decline. The population became increasingly restless and dissatisfied and increasing numbers fled to the democratic west. The pressure on the GDR government

increased to such an extent that finally, on 9 November 1989, the Berlin Wall collapsed. On 3 October 1990, the two German states were re-united. What followed was a process of economic adaptation, which is still a work in progress even today.

The economy in 2014 Scores of structural measures and dynamic interventions from the business community have helped Germany to withstand the crisis better than any other country. The German economy continues to grow at the present time. In the first quarter of 2014, the economy grew strongly by a strong 0.8% as compared to the final quarter of last year, when growth was still 0.4%. Consumer and government expenditure increased.

Companies invested more. However, exports fell, whilst imports rose. The economy benefitted from the mild winter. Construction companies, for example, were not hampered by frost and were able to continue building.

In comparison with a year ago, the German economy has grown by 2.5%, the highest growth for over two years.

The importance of wood Almost one third of Germany (10.3 million hectares) is covered by forest and, apart from the extraction of wood, the forest is also important for recreation and conservation. Those who cut down trees are obliged by law to replant new trees in the same areas. In the 1980s, the country discovered that the forests had suffered increasing damage as a result of acid rain. With the aid of national and international measures, Germany is trying to reduce pollution. Germany has an impressive timber industry, which, seen in its totality (including the paper industry), is bigger than the German vehicle industry. The leading German states in forestry are Bayern, Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Pomerania, Thuringia, and the Saxony highlands.

Machine construction German machines have enjoyed worldwide renown for decades. This is no less true of German woodworking machines. People appreciate them particularly for their high quality, their long lifespan, and the comprehensive range of products to accompany services. The figures here are certainly out of date because the most recent financial information dates from 2004. Nevertheless, those figures do give an indication of the weight of Germany in this market. If the global export of woodworking machines amounts to about six billion euros, Germany accounts for 50% of it. The

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Top German companies focused on export

broad spectrum of German manufacturers include standard and special machines for the traditional and industrial production of furniture, electrical tools, machine tools, and installations for the sawing industry as well as the manufacture of wooden materials.

EURO TEC

Germany as a “parquet country” Germany is undeniably a parquet country. This is not only true in terms of parquet consumption and production, but also for all the related items, not only production machines. We are familiar with a whole series of German top brands for finish products, adhesives, and accessories such as skirting boards and profiles, sanding machines, and such like. Below we limit ourselves to the parquet industry.

Parquet production Germany accounts for 15.24% of all European parquet production and thereby lies in second place on the FEP list. Germany lies behind Poland, which, with 18.97%, has reinforced its top position for parquet and wooden floors. Sweden is in third place with 13.30%. The total production in Europe (FEP!) in 2012 was 68,266,133m² as opposed to 70,713,000m² the year before. Of that total, Germany accounts for almost 10.5 million square metres (10,403,758m²) of parquet. This figures stayed relatively stable in comparison with the previous year. In 2011, Germany still produced 10,345,750m² i.e. hardly any difference.

Parquet consumption The total European consumption of parquet in 2012 fell by 5.88% to 87,509,000m². In the field of consumption Germany is the undisputed leader in Europe. Whilst the country accounted for 20.84% of all European parquet consumption in 2011, the country raised its share in 2012 to 23.98%. To express this in terms of surface area, this means that in 2012 the Germans fitted no fewer than 20,984,658m² of parquet as opposed to 19,063,390m² the year before. And so, it is noticeable that, despite a fall in the total European consumption, consumption in Germany has increased by almost two million square metres.

EuroTec is a 15-year-old German company with around 100 employees. Since January 2013, we have operated our own production facility in Hagen. This allows us to better meet customers’ demands for high quality and to respond quickly to market requirements. Our business focuses on fasteners/joining devices for deck construction and constructive timber protection. In 2013, we achieved sales of around 25 million euros. In 2014, we have the pleasure of introducing some new items, among them the Euro Deck aluminium system profile, the expansion of our range of adjustable feet, and tools for timber construction. We aim to export worldwide and particularly to Europe, Russia and the USA. + 49 (0) 23316245154 - www.e-u-r-o-tec.com

PARKETTFREUND

An introduction

JASO

Jaso has been a family business for over 50 years and is managed by its owners.

Today, the third generation is at the head of the company, whilst the fourth generation is on the way up. Formed in 1922 as a manufacturer of hand tools, the company started producing mosaic parquet in 1960 in its factory at Kippenheim. In 1978, they set up an associate company Trumpf in Rottenburg.

In 1987, Jaso started with Classic Design (solid wood parquet). In 1995, Duo-line came onto the market, the first single strip parquet ready for fitting. That was the start of the launch of several two-layer floors. For two years now, Jaso has been producing three-layer floors in lengths up to seven metres under the name Kaiserwald. Jaso produces solely in Germany. Its star product at the moment are the two-layer floors with a bottom layer in spruce from the Black Forest. In 2013, Jaso and Trumpf together achieved a turnover of more than ten million euros. The company employs 100 people. The annual capacity is 400,000m². In 2014, Jaso has announced the launch of the two-layer 9mm full plank Maxi-line. + 49 (0) 782584490 - www.jaso.de

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More than 25 years of business, experience and quality let Parkettfreund become the successful brand of the German company SGH Metall-und Kunststoff Technologie headquarted in Drolshagen Due to an adequate price-performance relation, continuing product innovations developed in the own in-house department and a complete assortment for the installation of all types of floor coverings Parkettfreund advanced to the European market leader within a short period of time. The extensive range of high-quality aluminium profiles is rounded off by a diverse choice of accessories, like for example tools, repairing, cleaning and maintenance products and also different acoustic and insulating underlays. In order to always fulfill the market demands Parkettfreund invested in a new production hall of 1.200m² and a modern digital –printer was put into operation two years ago. 150 experienced employees guarantee best service and knowledge for their clients all around the world, currently spread in 45 countries. In 2014 Parkettfreund even launched various new products, among others the world smallest two-part screwing system for LVT floorings and high-grade carpets. + 49 (0) 2761827725 - www.parkettfreund.com

PARADOR

Parador, formed in 1977, produces mainly laminate, multi-layer parquet, and vinyl floors. In 1983, the company launched its modular furniture system EBS/Modular. In 1995, they launched the first laminate floor, whilst the first parquet with a click system was introduced via the construction markets in 2000. In 2002, Parador won the Top 100 with ‘The room of your dreams’. In 2007, the brand introduced the revolutionary Classic collection with the Pro Air system. In 2012, Parador launched its vinyl floors on the market. At Domotex 2014, the company introduced the first textile floor covering with a click system. In 2013, Parador achieved a turnover of 140 million euros.

The company employs no fewer than 600 people. Parador export sits products to several countries all over the world, but Europe is still its top market. + 49 (0) 2541736132 www.parador.de

PROLINE

Proline Systems GmbH was founded in 1994 by KarlHeinz Fiedler in Koblenz. Initially, Proline only had profiles in its range. Today, the company enlarged Its portfolio and is specialized in profiles for tiles, profiles for parquet, laminate and LVT, balcony and terrace profiles, drainage systems, sealing and decoupling systems and underlay webs. Proline Systems has annual sales of 20 million Euro and has 55 employees. In 2014 Proline developed a number of new expansion joint profiles for various fields of application, PROCONNEXcorner, PROCONNEXmove and PROCONNEXcurve.

Furthermore, they came out with the new drainage system PROCHANNELs-line. Proline exports its products to lots of countries all over the world. +49 (0) 674280160 – www.proline-systems.com

STAUF MEISTER

COMPETITIVE EDGE THROUGH COMPETENCE STAUF – standing on solid ground for over 185 years. Tradition, innovation and responsibility are the firm pillars of our success. As a company working in the chemicals industry, we are well aware of the special responsibility we have towards human health and the environment. We are fully committed to this responsibility, which is reflected in all of our corporate actions and the development of our product lines. STAUF products are marked with the best possible GISCODE product code. Moreover, most of our adhesives are classified as ‘very low-emission’ according to GEV-Emicode®. We aspire to combine outstanding product quality with the desire for a clean environment and a healthy living space. + 49 (0) 2739301138 - www.stauf.de

To support export, MEISTER has partially adjusted its new collections to the different export markets. As every market is different and requires another approach, MEISTER has developed export presentation display concepts for The Netherlands, Belgium, France and Spain. In those market adjusted display concepts, only those designs which are fitted to the corresponding markets are integrated. This way, these presentation concepts can be installed on a limited space at a minimal investment. + 49 (0) 29528161304 - www.meisterwerke.com

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We make binding connections.

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

www.proline-systems.com

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OSMO

Wood meets colour. Osmo has more than 100 years’ experience in handling and treating the valuable resource of wood. Today Osmo is one of the leading producers and providers of modern wood products with which the whole living and garden area can individually be designed. Supported by more than 280 employees Osmo produces and distributes noble floor, wall and ceiling profiles, wooden strips, natural timber cladding, garden wood an natural wood finishes all over the world: More than 50% of the produced wood finishes are exported, e.g. to Russia, Japan, Chile and even the Maldives. Every year Osmo launches new products and develops its established ones: In 2014 there are new grey colour tones for the Wood Wax Finish Transparent, the Polyx®-Oil is now available in a gloss level and the Oil Stain is completely new. + 49 (0) 2581922219 www.osmo.de

BOEN

Boen has a history which goes back to 1641 when it was a traditional sawmill near Kristiansand in Norway. Early in the 18th century, it produced 12,000 floorboards each year. 200 years later, Boen launched the first sports floor. In 1970, Boen took over the ultra-modern parquet factory of Theodore Höhns in Hamburg, Germany. This opened the door to other European countries. In the 1980s, Boen was one of the first producers to supply pre-finished parquet to the USA. In 2013, Boen merged with the Swiss company Bauwerk Parkett to become the second biggest parquet manufacturer in Europe. During that same year, the company also launched Natural Plus, an ultra-modern oil finish. Today, Boen is one of the biggest producers of parquet with a turnover of 250 million euros in 50 countries and sells its products via the professional circuit (e.g. professional traders, builders, and floor fitters).

The Bauwerk Boen group employs about 1,400 people, whilst 40 people work in sales at Boen Parkett Deutschland. An important new item in 2014 is the Boen Style Advisor, a handy tool to make it easier for clients to select their personal floors. New products include the Fashion Collection (sawn, brushed, and hand-scraped) and the Finesse and Noble Planks with trendy parquet floors. + 49 (0) 4542800325 - www.boen.de

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HAMBERGER FLOORING

It all started back in 1866 with the production of matches.

Over the years, the company has adapted its range to meet the needs of the market. In 1912, they started making wooden toilet seats, whilst parquet and HARO multi-layer floors followed in 1950. In 1958, they entered the sport floor market, whilst laminate production started in 1987. Celenio was launched in 2005, whilst Disano saw the light of day in 2012. Throughout the company’s history, hardly a year has gone by without them completing innovations or investments, the establishment of associate companies or branches, and extensions. Gradually, Hamberger is gaining every imaginable certificate in its field. In 1995, the company was awarded the ISO 9001 certificate. The ISO 50001 followed in 2013 in which the new energy management system was integrated perfectly into the ISO 14001 certificate of 1989. Hamberger PEFC has been certified since 2002. Hamberger produces solely in Germany and exports to no fewer than 90 different countries. One of the additional strengths of Hamberger is the vast ‘loyalty’ of its staff, who have stayed in the company for a long time and have gained vast experience. + 49 (0) 8031700176 - www.hamberger.de

PALLMANN

Pallmann was formed in 1900 by Georg Pallmann in Munich, Germany. In 1949, the company developed its first varnishes for wooden floors and in 1982 the first waterborne varnish became a reality. The first decade of the new millennium was characterised by consolidation and extension. Since 2001, Pallmann has belonged to the Uzin Utz AG group. Since 2010, Pallmann has offered a total package for fitting and varnishing wooden floors. Pallmann GOOD FOR WOOD system is the only credible full system solution for floor fitters. In 2013, the company changed its name from JP Coatings GmbH to Pallmann GmbH. 2014 is the year for the introduction of PALL-X Zero, the first complete solvent-free varnish system for parquet. The most important product is the single component parquet varnish for wooden floors Pall-X 96. This is a waterborne parquet varnish suitable for parquet floors which are subjected to heavy use. This varnish strengthens the floor considerably against high mechanical and chemical wear and tear.

Pall-X 96 is the finishing touch for their rapid system thanks to its rapid drying time (30m² sandpapered and varnished on the same day). The advantages of the Pall-X 96 are its filling capacity, rapid drying, and easy application. In 2013, Pallmann achieved a turnover of about 24 million euros with about 100 employees. + 49 (0) 9312796459 www.pallmann.net

JACOB JÜRGENSEN WOOD

WINDMÖLLER FLOORING GMBH

Jacob Jürgensen Wood is a trading company with over 130 years of experience on the global market and an outstanding network of international partners. It all started in 1882 with the import of Scandinavian softwood. Nowadays, the company specialises in trading in wood and wood-related products, including wooden floors. Its headquarters is located in Hamburg, but the company has several offices in Europe to serve the European markets. The company’s 45 or so employees together achieved a turnover of 105 million euros in 2013. Jacob Jürgensen Wood directly represents several suppliers from North America, Scandinavia, and Russia.

One of its specialities is the supply of customised North American wood sorts such as Black Walnut, White Oak, Red Oak, Hard Maple, and such like. Jacob Jürgensen Wood has been serving the European parquet industry for over 30 years. The company is FSC and PEFC approved. Its main export markets are Scandinavia, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, France, Greece, Belgium, and the UK, but it has more recently developed trade links with overseas areas, including North America.

Jacob Juergensen Wood + 49 (0) 4022705141

Witex was formed in 1978 by Ulrich Windmöller in Augustdorf. In 1990, the company opened the First laminate factory with DLP. In 2007, Matthias Windmöller formed the company Windmöller Flooring GmbH in Detmold. The company specialises in the sale of top class design floors. In 2009, they launched the first design floor with CONNECT. In 2010, all associated companies came under the umbrella of Windmöller Holding GmbH. In 2012, Windmöller also took over Witex. In that year, the company launched the first organic floors under the PURLINE trademark. 2013 witnessed the formation of Windmöller Flooring Products GmbH and the emergence of the umbrella trademark wineo®. The trademark stands for 35 years of experience in producing top quality innovative floors.

The products are sold via an extensive distribution system of wholesalers, retailers, and traders. The Windmöller Group employs 330 people. In 2013, the company achieved a turnover of 130 million euros. In 2014, Windmöller is aiming mainly to promote PURLINE amongst end users with a vigorous campaign. + 49 (0) 5237609365 - www.windmoeller.de

STEICO

KÜBERIT

Steico is a system provider for ecological wood construction.

Amongst other things, the company offers insulation material based on natural fibres, construction elements, and laminated veneer wood. Steico is based in Munich, but sells its products all over Europe where they are much coveted for the renovation of floors, walls, ceilings, frontages, and roofs. It all started in 1986 with the formation of Steinmann & Co, a small wood importer.

Today, the company is the leading top player in the field of wood-fibre based insulation products. At the end of 2013, Steico had 966 employees. The production takes place in three production plants, one of which is located in France and the other two in Poland.

Steico also has two sales offices, one in Great Britain and one in France. In 2013, the company achieved a turnover of 158 million euros. Steico products are FSC approved. + 49 (0) 8999155174 www.steico.com

Today, Küberit is market leader in the field of aluminium profiles for textile and elastic floor coverings and profile systems for all hard floors such as laminate, pre-finished parquet, solid wood floors, and cork. Formed in 1863, Herm. Friedr. Künne GmbH & Co. KG can boast a corporate history of over 150 years. In 1970, they started producing the first metal profiles. In subsequent years, they manufactured both synthetic and metal profiles in tandem. At the end of the 1980s, Küberit began to specialise entirely in noble metal profiles. In 1996, the factory moved to Lüdenscheid, whilst they built a second factory at Drolshagen in 2002. In 2008, Küberit invested in an ultra-modern warehouse with a capacity of at least 5.4 million running metres. In 2011, they developed their own digital print division. In 2013, Küberit celebrated its 150th anniversary.

The company employs 150 people. In 2013, they sold over 12 million running metres of profiles. An innovation for 2014 is the PPS Champion Star profile system for floating LVT and carpets. Küberit already exports to over 60 countries and is setting its sights on South America. + 49 (0) 23519507110 www.kueberit.com

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∂ Product news CIRANOVA 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 is available in 16 colours.

Very soon we will have at your disposal the most popular UN1CO-colours in a special samplebox.

THE BELGIAN CSP ENGINEERING DEVELOPED COSMETIWOOD® This is a ready to use wood-putty with unique characteristics.

CosmetiWood® is waterbased, fast drying and hardly shrinking during drying and hardening.

CosmetiWood® is very good with sanding and planing.

Is has a slightly porous structure as wood and it absorbs very nice the color stain and oils.

CosmetiWood® is available in 5 standard colors, filled in buckets of 9,6 kg.

More info: www.cosmetiwood.be

NEW HANDHELD UV CURING DEVICE DECORAD® HANDMATE UV 600 A few months after the official introduction the DecoRad® Handmate UV 600 is already a standard piece of equipment for contractors as well as coating manufactures starting with UV on site.

Besides the fact that it is easy for curing corners and difficult to reach areas, contractors use it also for small demonstrations in order to show the concept of UV on site to their customers. The DecoRad® Handmate is very safe (tested and developed together with institutes of knowledge) and easy to use due to the very light weight, the compact design and the fact that it is easy to operate (intelligence inside).

PLASTOR: NEW INTENSIVE CLEANER The new Plastor Intensive Cleaner deeply cleans all types of soiled varnished flooring. It efficiently removes stains and dirt left behind by traditional cleaners and degreases the surface by eliminating accumulations of fat and grease, black rubber marks from shoes, etc. It also strips away repeated coats of Metallising Reviver and polish from all types of varnished floor.It is non-foaming and can be applied using a floor cloth, sponge mop or floor buffing machine with tank. The Intensive Cleaner can also be used on oiled wooden flooring to deeply clean the surface and is perfectly suited to cleaning sports halls, commercial premises, etc.

STAUF OIL IN ONE Naturally drying oil for wood floors in residential and commercial areas, oil is based on Vegetables.

Multifunctional oil which opened a pore surface and enhances the natural wood color, it can be sealed. The oil must be stirred well before use. Quickly and evenly apply the oil using a stainless steel trowel avoiding puddles. `

STEICOUNDERFLOOR FLEX – ECOLOGICAL WOOD FIBRE SOUND INSULATION ON A ROLL STEICOunderfloor flex is the first wood fibre impact sound insulation system to be available in a flexible roll format. The handy rolls size of 11m2 allows for quick and easy installation. The 5mm thick mats are produced from FSC certified softwood. STEICOunderfloor flex removes unevenness up to 3mm, is easy to cut and due to its stable fibre structure is extremely durable.

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Bona Machine

ELITE • FLEET

Performance for Every Need Complete range of high performance sanding machines Bona introduces a full, comprehensive machine range for all your sanding needs.

A unique fusion with our new partner Kunzle & Tasin that combines strong passion for wooden floors with expert technical knowhow – The Bona Elite Fleet.

Whether you are a professional in need of the highest square-metre capacity, or a dedicated semi-pro floor sander looking for a safe, reliable result, you will find an ideal solution that delivers world-class performance and efficiency.

www.bona.com/bonasandingsolution

A complete system.

A complete range of wood care products.

Pre-treatment.

Basic finishing.

Cleaning. Maintaining.

WOCA is at the pinnacle of surface treatment and welcomes you to a world of natural aesthetic advancement .

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

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