FFI 72 February 2015 by Media-Pact NV / FFI bvba

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° 72, Februar y 2015 - Price: €8 - Published 7 times a year - (Feb, March, May, July, Sept , Nov, Dec) Of fice of deliver y 9099 Ghent X , P911092, BC 31359 — Responsible Publisher: Filip De Ridder

Special: Rumania Review: Domotex Hannover (DE)

Review: BAU Munich (DE)

www.kaneka.be

Special: Outdoor floors : wood & composite

Preview: Domotex asia/ CHINAFLOOR

Preview: Made Expo Milan (IT)

Special: Waterborne lacquers

Visit Kaneka at JEC Europe, Hall 7.3 - Booth D8 European Coatings Show, Hall 1 - Booth 416

Kaneka MS Polymer™

Ultrabond

Bring the sky into the room.

Ultrabond Line, for a perfect bond to guarantee hold, quality and respect for the environment with every type of parquet. Product info

facebook/mapeispa

Content

Editorial

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

Special: Rumania Review: Domotex Hannover (DE)

Review: BAU Munich (DE)

www.kaneka.be Visit Kaneka at

Special: Outdoor floors : wood & composite

JEC Europe, Hall 7.3 - Booth D8 Kaneka MS Polymer™European Coatings Show, Hall 1 - Booth 416

“Recognition for B-Fix solutions as a basis for future ambitions and achievements’” During the recent Domotex, we spoke to Raphael Pieters and Quentin Van Winckel from B-Fix. This year, the specialist in invisible fastening and accessories for terraces and wall cladding celebrates its tenth anniversary and has grown into an internationally respected player. That was once again clear at the trade fair in Hanover.

Preview: Domotex asia/ CHINAFLOOR

Preview: Made Expo Milan (IT)

Special: Waterborne lacquers

Floor Forum International n° 72, February 2015 Photo Kaneka

4 Inside news 8 Advertorial Perfilstar (ES)

Raphael Pieters

Quentin Van Winckel

(B-Fix Belgium)

9 Review Domotex Hannover (DE) 24 Special Convector grills 27 Special Producers of LVT, PVC & vinyl are

presenting their trends 2015 32 Review BAU Munich (DE) 37 Preview Made Expo Milan (IT) 38 Special Outdoor floors : wood & composite 46 Special Waterborne lacquers

B-Fix has been in existence for ten years, yet it feels like invisible terrace fastening is something recent.

‘That shows just how long it takes for a good idea to penetrate to all corners of the market. Actually, we’ve only just reached the stage where national and international clients are recognising the benefits of the B-Fix system. We’ve also noticed that at trade fairs like Domotex, where we’re approached by demanding and major players from all over Europe and further afield. We’re delighted to see that our quality approach is finally being appreciated.’ ‘The fact that B-Fix still looks so young and new is a result of the ongoing innovation and the development of new and handy solutions for outdoor terraces and exterior wall cladding. For example, there are the illuminated terrace planks, the B-fix Plus for exterior wall cladding, the B-fix border for the edge of the terrace, and now there’s also a new terrace base which makes it possible to regulate the height from above. This shows that we’re still being creative when it comes to high quality terrace floors. The fact that we can develop all this is thanks to the fact that we operated as an outdoor terrace fitter company for years before B-Fix existed.’

Are you facing increasing competition?

58 Special Producers of polyurethane adhesives

‘Obviously, there’s some competition and that’s good for the market. Suppliers of good systems which have abundantly proved their value, such as B-Fix, need not worry.’ ‘We work very well with an increasing number of agents, timber traders, floor fitters, and terrace specialists both at home and abroad. We support them as partners, and they recognise the qualities of our system. Only in this way can you work together and persuade them to profile terrace for B-Fix. This has taken time and trouble. That network and our reputation means that we can look ahead with healthy optimism.’

62 Industry news

What can we expect in the near future?

53 Special Glue guns and cartridges 56 Preview Domotex asia/CHINAFLOOR

63 Special Rumania

“We’re going to continue to expand internationally. Obviously, we’ll still look after our existing network, but we’re going further into Europe and beyond. The fall in the value of the euro over the past few months can work to our advantage in that respect.’

66 Product news 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

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

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

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

The copyright of Floor Forum International and the articles appearing herein are retained by the publisher. By agreeing to publication of an article in this journal, the author assigns to the publisher the irrevocable and exclusive right under Copyright law to collect charges due from third parties for copying said article and to undertake legal or other action for this purpose. Editorial and advertising copy in this issue have been carefully checked and Floor Forum International bvba cannot accept any responsibility for any errors.

∂ Inside news Auer Metallprofile Stainless steel insert profiles and stair inside corners for design flooring

Auer Metallprofile has taken 2015 two new articles for the stairs renovation with design flooring in the assortment. First, there is an insert profile with nose from brushed stainless steel for floorings with a thickness of 2 to 5 mm. These profiles are also available in other heights as well as for straight and round stairs. Standard lengths are 1,0 and 2,7 m. Other lengths and curved profiles are manufactured individually. On the other hand Auer Metallprofile GmbH creates matching stair inside corners out of stainless steel in heights of 2 to 3 mm and 4 up to 5 mm. Here, the flooring is integrated by both sides - visible remains a brushed stainless steel decorative edge. With these two stainless steel profiles the possibility arise to present quality design flooring in a very exquisite design. At the same time, the new products score with high stability and long life.

Rectification on the Ciranova advertorial published in the November edition of our magazine. Due to a misinterpretation a mistake has slipped into the text. The correct version of the 3rd sentence in the paragraph ‘Have you met him and worked for him’ should have been as follows : ‘In 1999 and in 2008 I had a lot of direct personal interaction with Steve. In 2008 there was no contractor in between. He called me and asked me to meet him at his house. Another day he took my 5 year old daughter by her hand and let her jump on his kids’ trampoline in the garden while we were looking at samples’. Full and corrected text of an interview with Deven Gadula can be viewed online in our November issue. Our editorial staff wishes to apologize for the inconvenience caused.

Floor Forum international 72

Flamingo Parket

SURFACES 2015 WAS MARKED BY THE STROND DOLLAR

The annual Surfaces convention took place between 21 and 23 January in Mandalay Bay Expo Center in Las Vegas. As was the case last year, the show was on a large scale with a good number of parquet exhibitors. Apart from the many floors produced in China, visitors also showed a lot of interest in floors produced in Europe. Due to the fact that Bau in Munich, Domotex in Hanover, and Surfaces took place almost in the same period, a lot of companies were forced to choose between those trade fairs. After attending Domotex for many years, Flamingo Parket opted to ‘try its luck’ with a small stand in Las Vegas. The fact that the American dollar has risen sharply in value recently is a blessing for European exporters. By contrast, Chinese manufacturers were complaining that they usually have to purchase their raw materials in euros and that it is no longer as lucrative to export to Europe. It was an attractive and well arranged show with visitors and exhibitors who were well satisfied.

Heywood Vloeren - Showroom and web site

If you would like to know more about the extensive range of customised floors from Heywood Vloeren, they would love to hear from you. They invite you to visit their completely new showroom in Oss/Netherlands. You can gain a first impression on their web site: www.heywoodvloeren.com

adv. 92,5 x 136 mm:Opmaak 1

05-12-2014

09:45

Pagina 1

NEW:

Nature Protect

SOLIDOR adjustable pedestals will significantly reduce the installation time to adjust the height of your terrace!

At last: a product that retains the natural colour and look of wood, without the visible building of layers. But with the best protection possible!

. Unfinished effect . No building of layers . Ultra matte look . Protection against scratches . Protection against stains . Protection from yellowish

New ew s support upportplate pl plate ate C CP+ P+ for wo wooden owooden den n New N support CP + for beams (Patent (Patent Pending) Pending) beams (Patent Pending)

• Remarkably stable • Fast and easy installation • Very robust • Modular system

discoloration Perfect maintenance with

Nature Care! Sl ope c orrector HS3 H S3 Slope corrector HS3 Slope corrector (Pa tent Pe nding) (Patent Pending) (Patent Pending)

FLS_Nature Protect_92,5-136mm_FC_EN.indd 1

13-05-14 10:29

Tel.: +32 (0)56 41 35 70 Fax: +32 (0)56 40 37 68

www.solidor.be

Bespoke

Hardwood Flooring heywood VLOEREN

Heywood Vloeren is your manufacturer and wholesaler for all types and colours of Bespoke Hardwood Flooring: wide plank, herringbone, chevron and other unique Dutch designed, handcrafted wooden flooring concepts in European Oak, American Walnut, Wengé, Douglas and other woodspecies. For 2015 we offer a beautiful new program of Genuine Reclaimed Wood like Oak, Elm and Barnwood for high-end flooring applications and fashionable wall- and ceiling decoration. Be inspired by Heywood’s Bespoke Elegance, Bespoke Character, Multiplank Antique, Multiplank Knotting Hill, Reclaimed Oak Venasque and Reclaimed Oak Compiègne. For more information please contact us or look at our website. We invite you to visit our showroom in Oss, the Netherlands.

Knotting Hill

Heywood Vloeren Scheldestraat 30 5347 JD Oss The Netherlands

+31(0) 412 657 428 www.heywoodvloeren.com

Floor Forum International 72

∂ Inside news Impertek

Parkett Riese receives the Parkett Star 2015

Parkett Riese has been awarded the Parkett Star 2015 as Germany‘s best Parquetry Specialist Store in Retail at the Domotex

We have been ensuring quality and support for roofings and foundations for 30 years, providing our contribution to the construction sector thanks to our enthusiasm and ongoing research. Impertek has an extensive product range: from the brand new ELASTIC PLUS products to the versatile MINIELASTIC ones. Supports for a variety of floors, quick to install and with millimetric precision in terms of slope adjustment. And now on your YouTube channel you will be able to learn about the potential of MEGAMART with its bayonet coupling for a new generation of adjustable supports. Impertek, an invisible contribution for a sounder and more durable world.

Last Sunday, the Gebrüder Riese Parkett GmbH was awarded the highest prize in the German flooring industry, the Parkett Star 2015 Award, at the Domotex trade fair. A high caliber jury representing industry, trade and handcraft

WHAT MAKES DIAMABRUSH PREPTOOLS UNIQUE! -‐ System fits on most standard commercial cleaning machines, size 12-‐20” -‐ Easy to use, dustfree, no chemicals needed resulting in mechanically closed floor so add no coatings needed -‐ Through clever patented design always contact with floor so touches low parts -‐ Down pressure from use machines allows even wear of blades so no waste -‐ Endless variety in use: cleaning, polishing, scratching, sanding and combinations of techniques -‐ Easy to use in all size b uilding, small or large floors, b asement or upstairs -‐ Cheapest maintenance tool ever -‐ Never cloggs, like sandpaper does!

Floor Forum international 72

∂ Inside news presented the Prize in the category „Best Parquetry-SpecialistStore - Retail“ in front of a large professional audience in Hanover. The Parkett Star, an industry competition, initiated by the ParkettMagazin is awarded annually to companies who have distinguished themselves through innovative ideas and activities in their marketing of parquet floors and thus creating an emotional experience for the customer in the selection and purchasing of flooring. „We are working continuously to adapt both our product range, our services and our many showrooms to the ever increasing demands of our customers.“, said Thomas Riese, Managing Partner of Gebr. Riese Parkett GmbH. The latest proof of this was the opening last May, of the new WoodlineParquetry studio with its extraordinary range of oak flooring and the new Solid-Hardwood-Floor studio that shows, in a fascinating way, the variety of individual combination possibilities when choosing a hardwood floor. „We are pleased that our efforts have been rewarded with the Parkett Star and see the award as recognition for our efforts made“ commented Thomas Riese after receiving the prize.

installation faster and simpler thus offering an opportunity to save both time and money. The product launch comes one year after the companies introduced their first co-licensed product for decking: the “Invisible Profile”. The product provides a superior visual impression, minimizes the risk of lost objects, requires less maintenance and features an innovative hidden ventilation and drainage solution.

Välinge and Exterpark extend range of decking solutions A new system called “SpeedClip” for installation of both wood and WPC decking was presented by Välinge Innovation and Exterpark at Domotex 2015. The system doesn’t require any tools and makes

You want to party on your parquet ﬂoor ? With professional parquet products you can !

A comprehensive range of environmentally friendly products for colouring, ﬁnishing and maintaining parquet and plank ﬂooring

Become a DevoNatural dealer or crafstman !

www.devonatural.be

The DevoNatural range of professional parquet floor products meets the highest standards when it comes to treating parquet floors. It is all about quality without compromise, developing products using the best raw materials and cutting-edge technologies. DevoNatural is available in original colours and contemporary finishes, which are fully in harmony with the latest trends in interior design.

Celebrating

YEARS

1980 - 2015

Devomat Industries PLC - Florent Geversstraat 31 - B-2650 Edegem - Belgium T +32 03 450 94 70 - F +32 03 457 94 24 - info@devomat.be - www.devomat.be

Floor Forum International 72

Advertorial

Perfilstar S.A. (ES)

PERFILSTAR – THE PERFECT ACCESSORY FOR ANY FLOOR Skirting board and profile specialist Perfilstar is based in the region of Barcelona and specialises in the production of accessories for wooden, laminate, and vinyl floors. The company offers a wide range of profiles in MDF, compact PVC and aluminium, and products finished with laminate, PVC, or veneer wood.

The company produces virtually all the skirting boards and profiles in its own production plant using its own moulds and the very latest digital print technology. As regards packaging and delivery conditions, the company is extremely flexible in catering to its clients’ needs. Perfilstar has developed more than 2000 decor papers and adapts the colours as required. This means that Perfilstar products are ideal for combination with all sorts of laminate, multi-layer parquet, or vinyl and LVT. Specifically for wooden floors, Perfilstar also has at its disposal a range of skirting boards and profiles with a veneer finish. Finally, Perfilstar also supplies a collection of metal and lacquered skirting boards and profiles to suit all sorts of floor covering.

Pioneer in digital print technology Perfilstar is also one of the pioneers in digital print technology for skirting boards with more than 5 years of experience. The company has also taken the necessary measures to harmonise production with the conditions of Green Dot (‘Der Grüne Punkt) in the field of recyclability and sorted waste. The re-use of materials and production with little waste are two essential basic principles for production at Perfilstar and this is why they work with internationally approved suppliers and label certificates such as PEFC and FSC.

Perfilstar is a family business which is now run by the third generation of the Ballart family. The family tradition of production for the timber sector goes back to 1925. Today, the company is one of the leading European producers in the world of skirting boards and profiles for floors and exports its products to over 30 countries worldwide.

High-quality production Perfilstar profiles are made in various materials: ordinary or waterproof MDF, finger-jointed pinewood, aluminium, or compact PVC. The skirting boards and profiles are coated with high-quality lacquers and varnishes and meet the strictest standards of the European parquet industry.

Floor Forum international 72

More information at : 00 34 93 729 11 39 - www.perfilstar.com

Review

Domotex Hannover (DE)

EXHIBITORS WERE PLEASED WITH THE LEVEL OF VISITORS TRADE VISITORS COME TO DOMOTEX IN UNEVEN YEARS

Photo – Floor Forum International

Domotex has confirmed its status as the leading carpet and flooring show. Although there were fewer exhibitors and a lot less space for our sector (this is a recurring feature in years when the show clashes with the Construction Trade Fair in Munich), about 40,000 visitors from over 100 countries still turned up at the show in Hanover. Furthermore, as ever, the goods on display were attractive, innovative, and useful.

90% decision makers – visitors were more international than ever.

There was an excellent atmosphere amongst visitors and exhibitors during the four days. Visits to stands were almost always helpful and commercially promising. This was also confirmed by the results of the visitor and exhibitor questionnaires issued by the organisers. 90% of visitors were decision-makers, 70% held management positions at their place of work, and the visitor profile was more international than ever before: 64% of visitors were from outside Germany and there was a clear increase in visitors from Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and South-East and Central Asia. As regards the visitors, they noticed a clear drop in the number of exhibitors as compared to the previous year, but the vast majority were delighted with what was on show.

As is the case each year, we give you an extensive summary of exhibitors from our sector:

Visit www.floor-forum.com

Aspecta Aspecta is the new LVT floor trademark of the American Vertex group. This company, which is based in the Netherlands and led by Marcel Kies (former director at Amorim), is endeavouring to get a 10% market share on the European LVT market in the long term. Aspecta’s stylish stand showed off its high-quality LVT collection for the project market: Aspecta Five with style and colours to meet the preferences of architects and designers. The floors have a long lifespan, are low-maintenance, and ideal for high traffic locations (e.g. hospitals, schools, and shops). ASPECTA FIVE is 3.2mm thick with a covering layer of 0.7mm and wear-resistant ceramic particle coating. The planks vary in size from 609.6 x 609.6mm (tiles) to 101.6 x 914.4mm (planks).

Auer Metallprofile An exciting exhibition time is over. The national and international visitors of DOMOTEX 2015 were amazed by our high quality products. We presented our new products, such as our stainless steel insert profiles with nose for design flooring, matching stair inside corners made of stainless steel and aluminum, stair nosings for 2.5 mm floorings and various stair nosings

Floor Forum International 72

Review

Domotex Hannover (DE)

with and without anti-slip inserts. In addition to our catalog range we also manufacture custom-made products. We look forward to your challenge! We thank you for your visit and a successful and exciting exhibition time!

qualitative distressed oak floors, which are available in solid wood, multi-layer, and veneer. The company concentrates entirely on export and is already selling its products with success in France and the United States.

Abetech

Bacci Paolino

Abetech from Belgium is becoming a permanent fixture at Domotex. The company specialises in all sorts of technology and accessories for sandpapering and finishing materials, including parquet and subfloors. At their stand they presented their range of single disc sanding machines with satellite discs, the range of sanding discs in zirconium oxide. They also profiled themselves as dealer for the French Repex Cyclone sanding machines, which set new standards for dust-free sanding.

STREAM.ELITE is an automatic bandsaw for the horizontal cutting of parquet lamellas, elements for packaging, matchboards and laminated veneer. Maximum cutting width : 300/400/600/800 mm, Minimum piece lenght: 300 mm, Cutting height: 2 - 150 mm, Piece height: 5 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 150mm, Main motor: 18.5 Kw / 30 Kw opt., Belt Feeding speed: 3 - 25mt/min, Cutting speed: max 50m/sec. Come discover our machines at : www.bacci.com

ARBONY

Basin

ARBONY specialises in distressed parquet floors. The company is based in the region of Liege (Belgium) and demonstrated its splendid range of

The Belgian parquet chemical specialist Basin enjoyed a very good Domotex with a remarkable number of good contacts. The company used

OLD WEST

we match all ďŹ&#x201A;ooring collections

NEW WOOD OLD LOOK

send us your samples

WOOD-AGEING REACTIVE SYSTEM

we print all digital like your flooring

thankyou for your visit at

ACCESSORIES

B te r a

FLOORING

LVT - Wood Veneer - Metallic - Laminate

we adapt for your needs lvt, wood, laminate

MADE IN EUROPE - Barcelona

chimiver.com - info@chimiver.com

Floor Forum international 72

we manufacture

we are factory

the occasion to present a new version of the successful No Visible parquet lacquer, which is much more economical to use than its predecessor. Other news was the third development of the Basin adhesive gun with an improved battery packet, more autonomy, and a lower environmental impact. For its industrial clients Basin also presented a number of new self-ageing colours, which make wooden floors look more attractive and genuinely antique.

Basmat/Baglinox This firm, based in Pamplona (Spain), makes profiles for laminate, parquet, and other floors. At Domotex they mainly highlighted their rapid delivery capacity. With over 2,000 items in stock, Baglinox can meet any demand. They had a new range of thin aluminium threshold profiles with trendy rugged designs. They also sell steel profiles at competitive prices. Basmat is the trademark for built-in doormat systems. Unique to Basmat doormats is the intelligent click system and the structure of the mats in profiles where each part can be replaced separately,

absorbs noise to 22 dB

including the strip of carpet. The doormats are made to order and delivery is guaranteed within one to three days as required.

Balterio The stand which laminate producer Balterio shared with other IVC trademarks attracted lots of visitors. In good keeping with tradition, there were lots of new items, all together about 80 new floors. One of the highlights was the URBAN collection (with its own display), floors which draw their inspiration from city life and the industrial loft style. These include plank and tile floors in weathered and rough sawn wood decors or polished concrete style. The floors are 8mm thick and have a V-groove on four sides. They also announced that the Fortissimo collection has been given a thicker plank (12mm) and will be in class AC5 from now on. The entire Balterio collection has been divided up in the 2015 catalogue into eight colour groups with inspirational decor pictures and matching furniture in each case.

Berger Seidle The German parquet chemical specialist announced that from now on the popular 1K Aqua Seal Eco Gold can also be combined with Berger-Seidle Classic Base Oil. The LT Export varnish has been re-processed and now dries and sets even better. Intermediate sanding is now also easier with

D E S I G N® PA R Q U E T F r a n c e

LOFT PRO Palissander

(also in the bedroom)

Mac Lean is a leading supplier of home finishing products for DIY and retailers. We proof that great ideas are the basis for competitive advantage and increasing customer loyalty. Looking for a great idea for your line of products? Thank you for meeting us at Domotex 2015.

macleanproducts.nl

150 mm

Width 150 mm, thickness 15 mm, length 800-1500 mm, top layer 3,5 mm, Birch-plywood base for a better stability of the floor (possibility solid wood flooring 15 x 90 et 15 x 120 mm) Unfinished, matt varnished, Natural oiled, “ Roc varnished ” (high trafic areas).

www.designparquet.fr

Palissander satin varnished

Floor Forum International 72

Review

Domotex Hannover (DE)

the LT Export. The Berger Bond M1P SPU adhesive, which was launched last summer, has been warmly received on the market, especially for its easy spreadability, adhesive strength, various possible uses, and impact noise effect of about 14dB. There’s also good news about prices. BergerSeidle has reduced its prices for the Outdoor range of oils.

Beaulieu International Group Beaulieu highlighted the diversity of its total range at a 1,300m² stand. Their creativity and innovations came into their own perfectly. All innovations in the carpet, needle felt, vinyl, laminate, LVT, and artificial turf segments were presented in four so called ‘mindset boxes’, each with its own sphere and style for which Beaulieu offers attractive and original solutions with its products. As regards innovations, there was the Pure vinyl collection: thin, hard vinyl planks in classes 32 or 22, which do not require an underlay and can be fitted directly onto old tiles. The parquet assortment of Berry Alloc now includes three new ranges: Lodge, a stylish range of planks with deep structures; Emotions, a ‘light’ and subtle range in matt lacquer finish, and the Cosmo Collection, a range inspired by world trips with various colours and wood sorts (ash, American walnut, and sapele).

B-Fix B-Fix, the trademark for invisible fastening systems for terraces and exterior walls, presented its full range of solutions at the show: the B-Fix one invisible terrace fastening, the access hatch for terrace floors, the B-Fix border for terrace edges, the B-Fix exterior wall fastening system, and the built-in terrace lights. A new feature for Domotex 2015 was B-Level, a terrace floor pedestal which can be adjusted in height and has one unique feature. It is possible to adjust the height of the terrace floor pedestal from above.

Blanchon The French parquet chemical specialist Blanchon exhibited some of its success products and new developments. Ciméthane UV is a UV lacquer which guarantees a rapid and attractive parquet finish in just eight hours using a mobile UV machine. This finish can cope with high traffic and is ideal for work sites where the deadline is tight. To renovate old parquet floors Blanchon offers Performer, a solventless and durable lacquer to give an old fashioned warm yellow shade with the renovation of parquet in old homes and mansions. The waterborne EC1 polyurethane lacquer Chambord, which has outstanding flow qualities, is ideal for anyone wanting to bring out the natural warm colour of wood from the parquet and is available in two different degrees of viscosity.

Classen The laminate manufacturer Classen presented the Neo laminate floor, which has a number of remarkable trumps. Not only is Neo indelible, but

Floor Forum international 72

it is also free of any harmful components such as chlorine, formaldehyde, and heavy metals. It is an organic material design floor based on natural fibres, including PEFC certified wood fibres, which are covered in polypropylene. Furthermore, visitors also had the opportunity to discover the new collection of Neo design floors in extra large XXL size (180cm long and 24cm wide).

Chimiver Italian floor chemical specialist Chimiver presented its distressing reactive stain system for the parquet industry. With five basic products it is possible to create over 1000 colours for industrial floor producers in distressed parquet. They also presented a new adhesive for artificial turf fields, a growing market segment, and a maintenance product which cleanses and disinfects artificial turf. In its outdoor range, Chimiver also showed a new maintenance product and a cleaning product for WPC (wood plastic composite) terrace planks. Over time, these terrace floors either become discoloured or there may be differences in colour. This can be prevented and/or restored with the Scudo Colour Restore from Chimiver and this product gives the planks a waterproof coat.

Cezar Cezar is a Polish producer of profiles and skirting boards. They possess an extensive range of skirting boards in wood and PVC. The skirting boards are characterised by an intelligent design which ensures that they are very easy to install. There are also skirting boards with built-in electric wires and LED lighting as well as inner and outer corners. The Cezar range also includes painted skirting boards in various shapes for any interior. Furthermore, Cezar also offers a range of subfloors for laminate, parquet, and LVT.

Ciranova /Debal Coatings For the producer behind the internationally successful Ciranova trademark, Domotex was once again a great success. They presented their diversity of colours and finishes in a stylish manner on the rear wall with a plank floor in various shades and finishes. They focused on both industrial finishing products and products for floor fitters. The highlight was Unico, a 1-coat VOC-free finishing oil with a natural look in 16 trendy colours with outstanding protective features. Another item which attracted a lot of interest was OCULTO, an innovative waterborne zero gloss impregnation oil with an outstanding anti-slip

operation. We also presented during the fair our UV-oil finishes and made tests on this UV-oil finishing machine. All the presented colored UV-samples were attracting many potential customers to our stand.

announced the arrival of a Cradle to Cradle certified doormat with limited built-in height, which is produced completely sustainably and can be recycled for 100%.

Diamett Flooring

Edelholz

Diamett Flooring from Poland exhibited at Domotex for the third time. They presented a range of parquet such as three-layer parquet (mainly oak) with a top layer of 0.6 (veneer) up to 3mm for glued or floating fitting (Uniclic). Furthermore, there is also a choice of finished or unfinished parquet and a UV or oxidative coat of lacquer. Diamett’s production unit was built in 2007 and is equipped with the latest woodwork technology. The top export markets for Diamett are Germany, Austria, Belgium, and other countries in Western Europe.

Edelholz from Hungary was making its second successive appearance at Domotex. This family business operates a sawmill and manufactures parquet and is located in a region with lots of forests with high quality European oak. They have at their disposal a large quantity of wood, which they themselves have dried, and a technologically ultra-modern production capacity. Edelholz has a vast range of solid wood and multi-layer floors in various sizes and thicknesses. The multi-layer floors have three oak layers and are extremely stable. There is also a splendid range of herringbone and panel parquet and castle floors. This range can be finished as required in over 100 different ways.

Design Parquet The French parquet manufacturer exhibited its multi-layer parquet collection LOFT PRO with a 3mm top layer, plank length of 2200mm and 145mm wide. They also presented a number of new colours with matt aspect. They also highlighted the remarkable qualities of the Verni Roc coat of lacquer which gives the parquet a great deal of durability. The quality for which Design Parquet is renowned has already earned this manufacturer several prestigious reference projects such as the MUCEM museum in Marseille, the covered Paris market halls ‘Carreau du Temple’ and the UV treated jatoba parquet in the Euralille shopping centre in Lille. These prestigious projects were highlighted at the stand.

Decorad The pioneer in mobile UV parquet finish on site has noticed that UV finish is becoming increasingly important, both amongst producers and on site. However, Decorad has not stood still and is providing renewal and refinement with a new aluminium Floormate, which is considerably lighter and comes into the assortment simply alongside the traditional sturdy RVS Floormate. For UV treatment on darker floors the height of the lamp can now be adjusted. This ensures that there isn’t too much heat during drying. For extra protection against harmful UV rays, the Floormate is now also available with a shutter system.

EMCO The German manufacturer of clean systems presented a new doormat system with extra wide base profiles for the outdoor zone, namely Senator Outdoor. This is made in waterproof and UV-resistant materials and is available in light grey, anthracite, and red with extra wide base profiles so that the Senator can easily be transported in wheelchairs, children’s push chairs, and such like. The doormat system can also have printed texts such as logos or images as required. They also

EuroTec On this year‘s Domotex EuroTec presented the new look of it´s booth. Beside a continous decking floor including a vision panel providing a good view on the substructure, some product-news were presented. For example the fully adjustable pedestals Click Foot, which allows so simply click-on the aluminum profiles without the need of screwing. Combined with the new Euro Deck Alu-Systemprofile and the new adjustable pedals, a fast decking substructure construction is guaranteed. Visit www.e-u-r-o-tec.de to learn more.

Europlac-Cabannes The French parquet maker enjoyed a successful event with both French and international contacts. Jean-Marc Meyer from Europlac-Cabannes noted at the show that European manufacturers are still highly competitive and that the choice which Europlac made a few years ago to produce good quality items efficiently in Europe has proved to be correct. Lots of visitors were enthusiastic about Europlac’s own range of wooden floors with the internationally greatly appreciated French and Western European style of Europlac, as well as the parquet à la carte sales model.

Easydek Beschermtechniek

Easydek is a specialist in the field of interior protection during new construction, renovation, and maintenance. Visitors were given a selection of the range of foils which protect the floor from dirt and damage from above, yet allows

Floor Forum International 72

Review

Domotex Hannover (DE)

the floor to breathe and dry at the same time via a membrane. A new item was the Easy Release applicator, which means the protective foil can be fitted and removed faster and more easily. The solutions of Easydek are ideal for more durable parquet floors and on sites where speed and time efficiency are essential.

Floor Forum International Once again, Floor Forum and Floor Forum International were present with a stand. For your favourite magazine Domotex is an opportunity to meet readers from home and abroad. The stand also made for a pleasant stopping point for a chat and some relaxation, as well as the usual opportunities to make contact with international professionals. The exquisite floor at the Floor Forum Internatoinal stand was from Lalegno. It was a long, narrow oak multi-layer parquet floor with a 4mm top layer in an attractive wood selection with no gnarls and with a natural varnish finish. A representative from Lalegno commented: ‘These budget-friendly elegant semi-solid oak floors are very much in demand for use in stylish modern lofts or stately offices and elegant meeting rooms, but look just as attractive in a lively children’s room.’ This parquet floor was fitted on top of a reliable and silent subfloor from MacLean.

F. Ball The British industrial chemical producer is gradually expanding its export operation and, amongst other things, exports successfully to the

Floor Forum international 72

Netherlands. With its new Fast Track Solutions for floor finishes, F. Ball was given a place at Domotex in the specially reserved zone for innovations. With this system, in just three hours, it is possible to fit the subfloor with a watertight membrane, level the subfloor, and then glue a vinyl floor onto it. In this system the Styccobond F5 vinyl adhesive is the newcomer and, together with the Stopgap F78, this supplies the moisture-resistant membrane and the Stopgap Fast-Track 30 leveller for a system which, in some locations, saves professionals an extra journey. The fact is that you can do everything in three hours.

FAXE The Danish maker of finish and maintenance products for wooden floors presented its range of soaps, oil, lye, varnish, and other floor products. The range is based on the special lye created by master painter Karl Faxe in 1926. Today, FAXE offers four lyes as follows: for softwood such as larch and Norwegian pine, for hardwood such as beech, oak, and ash, universal lye for all wood sorts needing a pale effect, and ‘Special lye’ for smoked effects on

wood with tannin. With this last lye you can also add some extra colour with Faxe Combicolour. FAXE also presented a refined hard wax oil.

FB Hout The Dutch parquet maker launched the Old Amsterdam Collection, authentic planed floors in commercially attractive colours. The new FB+ XXL planks, which were 50cm wide and 4 metres long, also attracted lots of attention. The unique FB+ XXL construction makes this plank is very stable. In recent years, FB Hout has also specialised in design floors such as Versailles, herringbone, and Hungarian point, so these products were displayed extensively. Finally, FB Hout also wanted to demonstrate the possibilities of wood as a wall furnishing with its own in-house solutions.

Flint Floor The Catalonian producer introduced the professional visitors to a unique sort of laminate. This is a so called HPB laminate. HPB stands for High Pressure Block and is an unknown sort of laminate which is both hard and strong. This

WOCA

development finds its origin in the world of computer floors and has now been made available for the commercial market with new, highly attractive, and trendy decors. HPB possesses the following features: the HPB floor can withstand up to 60 Newtons and the impact resistance of the HPB laminate from Flint Floor is three times greater than laminate from class IC4. And so, this durable and unique type of laminate lends itself perfectly to high traffic projects e.g. retail, catering, airports, and train stations.

FN Neuhofer The Austrian skirting board and profile specialist stood out with its attractive new stand and excellent presentation of new items, including also some 3D videos. For example, there was a new LED-illuminated profile system for easy assembly under wall skirting boards. All you need to do is fix the accompanying rail to the wall and fit it with a LED strip. The accompanying skirting boards are clicked onto the rail and the LED lights provide special, safe, and indirect illumination. For locations where indelibility is essential, FN has developed a range of waterproof wall skirting boards, which are ideal for use in combination with LVT floors in kitchens and bathrooms. The indelible skirting boards can be fitted with an adhesive (PUR glued) and indelible cover in the identical decor style of the floor, thanks to the digital print technology of FN.

Fair Packaging Fair Packaging manufactures polyethylene products and produces subfloors for our sector under the Fair Underlay trademark. At the show this Polish company exhibited the White Bird Plus, a subfloor with a 200-micron thick foil, which forms a perfect moisture barrier. At the same time, the material also has outstanding levelling properties and is ideal

NEW

VINTAGE STAIN

Pre-treatment of wooden floors WOCA Vintage Stain is an industrial water-based product available in six different bases with low, medium and high viscosity. The stain is developed to give oak wood an antique look, and all 16 WOCA pigments can be used to lightly tint the product. Vintage Stain reacts quickly with the natural tannin inside the oak wood and a strong, unique colour is created, which will vary with the texture and natural colour of the wood. The colour effect will, however, be more vague on other wood species than oak. Beneﬁts: • Water-based • VOC free • Not classiﬁed as dangerous goods • Trendy colours • DiBt registered • Can be surface-treated with both oils and lacquer WOCA Vintage Stain is available in 10 litre containers.

Floor Forum International 72

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

Review

Domotex Hannover (DE)

for high traffic floors. The Warm Sand Silver Plus is a subfloor for use with floor heating. The metallised film of this subfloor limits the loss of heat and makes the heating more effective.

countries such as Poland, Czech Republic, and Latvia and is concentrating in the near future on further development in Eastern and Western Europe.

Gerko Flooring

Innovations4Flooring

The Belgian manufacturer of exclusive parquet floors was delighted with its eight consecutive appearance at Domotex. The company is a niche player which operates in 32 countries and exhibited at its stand the Driftwood Collection, a collection of distinctive and weathered French oak floors in solid wood or multi-layer (on Finnish birch multiplex) planks. They also presented a wall cladding in the same characteristic style and directed attention to the range of herringbone, Hungarian point, and Versailles panels. When we asked Gerko about any prestigious projects, they mentioned, amongst other things, the Sciematic kitchen showroom in New York, the Intersport shop in Munich, and some restaurants in Moscow.

This company, which is owned by a Dutch investment group, specialises in innovative technology for the floor industry. They sell licences for their patented click system to floor manufacturers. We’re talking here about the 3L Triple Lock system and the Click 4U click system, which are said to be unique drop-lock fitting systems which can be harmonised perfectly for wood, laminate, and vinyl. Innovations4Flooring has already sold its first licences and is currently in negotiations with other floor companies in the USA, China, and the EU. The company is blessed with professionals with many years of technological and management experience in the flooring industry.

IDEAL The Russian skirting board and profile producer IDEAL, which has a factory near Moscow, specialises in PVC skirting boards and presented its range of skirting boards at the show. These are certified for sale in the EU and stand out for their price/quality ratio. IDEAL has an extensive range in various colours, styles in foam PVC, for instance. In recent years, IDEAL has extended its distribution to

iDecKing iDecKing is an Italian manufacturer of terrace floors and screwless fastening systems. DURO is a new range of terrace planks in a composite material based on rice bran residue. This residual product from the rice cultivation is a durable raw material for terrace planks in various colours. A striking innovation is the Easy Click system for terrace floors. With this system, the planks are built onto a base of aluminium beams with plastic clips. The terrace planks are

COLOURS AND PROTECTS IN ONE SINGLE LAYER – MOLECULAR TECHNOLOGY – VOC FREE HIGH TECHNOLOGY IN A GREEN CAN!

www.rubiomonocoat.com 2C- ADD-190x65,5mm-FLOORFORUM-NL-FR-EN.indd 3

Complete range within woodcare.

1/02/15 20:09

Smoke effect on Oak…. FAXE Special Lye gives a smoked effect on oak and preserves the structure. Contains no pigments. For colouring of the floor, FAXE Combicolor can be added in different colours.

FO R M O R E I N FO R M AT I O N: W W W. FA X E LU D.C O M ESBJERG PAINTS A/S, ENERGIVEJ 13, DK- 6700 ESBJERG, TEL. +45 75 12 86 00

Floor Forum international 72

T R A DI T ION S I NC E 1926

pressed securely into the clips of the base beams quite simply with the pressure of the foot. The installation is five times faster than a system with screws and requires a lot less effort.

Impertek Impertek from Italy specialises in pre-fabricated components for all areas of the construction industry. Attending Domotex for the third time, Impertek exhibited a new solution for offsetting very limited differences in height in an elegant manner, namely Elastic Plus. This is a 7mm disc, which is used in combination with the Mega Mart terrace pedestal to guarantee a perfectly level and stable terrace floor. They also announced the arrival in the spring of this year of a completely new web site in at least five languages. The structure will be completely new with new images and videos. Impertek will also be making its voice heard regularly on the social media.

Janser Janser, the German manufacturer of professional machine technology for the flooring industry, presented an update of the BS-270 disc sander. This is now equipped with a new 2.2KW motor with a rotation speed of 1500 r.p.m. The BS 330 sanding machine with 1.5KW motor now has a rotation speed of 600 r.p.m. Janser also highlighted the Diama brush range from Malish; these are milling discs for erasing stubborn coatings such as glue, putty, paint, and such like. The Concrete Prep Tool from Malish is a milling disc for hard subfloors in concrete and other covering floors. They also presented new high quality elastomeric nail shoes for fitting new covering floors or levelling floors.

Küberit Küberit draws a positive conclusion of the fairs in January For the German company Küberit, the participation on both shows, Domotex and Bau 2015, was throughout positive experience with more than satisfactory results. On both exhibitions the stands were highly frequented with many new contacts and international visitors from more than 63 countries. The percentage of professional visitors from outside Germany was around 50 %, mainly with professionals from the Netherlands, France and central and south east Europe. The developer and manufacturer Küberit presented again on the shows many new innovative and problem-solving product novelties. Some of the highlights were new profile solutions for LVT floorings or the new range „Küberit-Wall Style“ for wall coverings. Due to the participation at Innovations@Domotex, the relatively new profile system „PPS-Champion Star“ was again the focus of interest.

Lägler The German parquet sanding machine manufacturer Lägler exhibited a new milling roller, namely the IGEL. This machine provides a radical

Visit www.floor-forum.com

solution for renovating the most dirty wooden floors. The IGEL strips off all layers still present on the wooden floor and ensures a completely new wooden surface, which is ready for the application of a new finish. The IGEL milling roller has 40 sharp cutting blades in hard metal which tackle any challenge head on and remove layers up to 3mm thick. IGEL is designed for mounting on the HUMMEL or the ELF belt sander from Lägler.

Lalegno /Labeco The Belgian manufacturer behind the Lalegno trademark was delighted with the many international and profitable contacts. There were also new items on show in the Lalegno range. For example, they presented five colours on cleaved wood in the antique collection. The Lalegno Versailles tiles also attracted a lot of attention. Generally speaking, it was possible to see that the new colours which Lalegno presented were more intense with a more distinct character. The manufacturer has discovered in the meantime that a good 20% of the turnover comes from export to just about all Western European countries and also to Israel and Lebanon. The partnership with the German importer Hebo is also going very well indeed. At the same time, Lalegno has strengthened its position on the project market in Belgium.

Lamett Lamett is a european player specialized in parquet with main offices in Belgium, Deerlijk. Since its formation in 2007, its turnover has risen from around 2 million euros to 20 million euros in 2014. Recently, they have launched the Country and Farm distressed parquet collections. The former has an extra weathered and rustic look, whilst the latter has a somewhat milder distressed look. Another new item is the Atlanta collection, wide and long rustic oiled planks fitted with a click system. The new Artisan colours from Lamett are five weathered and trendy colours. Lamett is happy with the system whereby consumers looking for a new parquet receive free samples from Lamett before they approach a dealer to make their purchase.

Mapei Mapei exhibited several interesting new products. For example, there was the Fast Track Ready System for renovating elastic floors. This is an effective combination of Planiprep, a fast-drying renovation mortar and the Ultraplan Fast Track for a fast-drying levelling compound (both dry within just two hours), and the Ultrabond Eco Fast Track effective dispersion adhesive, which ensures that you can walk on the parquet after just one hour. And so, it is now possible to renovate a floor in just seven hours. Another item on show was the Ultrabond Eco S968 1K silane polymer adhesive. This product has very low VOC content and a high yield, is comfortable to use, and is suitable for all parquet and laminate.

Floor Forum International 72

Review

Domotex Hannover (DE)

mFLOR LVT producer mFLOR was delighted with Domotex. At their brand-new stand they presented five new collections and 29 new colours for visitors to admire. These included the mFLOR Grand Collections with long wide planks: 200cm long, 20cm wide, and 0.55mm top coat. A new and striking item and large as regards size were the Fonteyn tiles with stone decors and 90cm square tiles. The tiles have been given a double film to make the decors strikingly vivid. They also stressed that the mFLOR products score very highly as regards VOC contents (A+ label) and that the floors meet the European standards for plastic children’s toys as regards softeners.

MODEMA The Turkish skirting board and profile manufacturer was at Domotex for the tenth time and now exports to several countries in Europe, the Middle East, South America, Australia, and South Africa. MODEMA offers a wide range of products in solid wood, veneer, CPL laminate, and painted and other skirting boards in heights of up to 30cm. There are lots of colours available for each type and each model. The products in CPL or ‘flex laminate’ can be adapted entirely to the client’s wishes. There are also skirting boards and profiles available in polyethylene with an aluminium bottom layer. MODEMA also offers a range of MDF click profiles in various styles.

Marchewka Marchewka is a specialist exportoriented timber company from Poland, which focuses on the commercial market and makes high-quality parquet floors. They also specialise in unique staircases in traditional wood carving and ironwork for historical buildings, for instance. Marchewka floors are available in both solid wood and multi-layer, and in very large sizes (up to 35cm wide and 9 metres long). The Polish manufacturer also has a special plank for integrating floor heating (with specially milled recesses for the floor heating grid).

Mardegan Legno The Hungarian parquet and wood specialist again showed its stylish parquet collection to an international public. Querce Millenarie is a new range of parquet floors inspired by a philosophy of natural harmony and a style based on roots and origins. The biggest highlight, however, was the splendid wooden interior wall covering (‘wall design’), also chosen as the Domotex Innovation. This consisted of four geometrical patterns with relief in different shades in various sorts of wood, namely oak, walnut, and American walnut. This is ideal as a highlight wall in a modern interior.

Mitol The Slovenian adhesive maker presented its Parketolit E60 parquet adhesive. This is a 1K silane polyurethane adhesive with a long open time, which is also economical in use. Moreover, this glue is also suitable for use

Floor Forum international 72

in combination with floor heating and does not contain any solvents. In the range of 2K parquet adhesives they presented the Parketolit 1554 epoxy polyurethane adhesive. This is suitable for all sorts of parquet (also end grain, mosaic, and solid wood strips) and all wood sorts. It is ideal for ready-to-fit parquet because it is easy to remove any adhesive residue from the parquet surface without leaving any marks.

MacLean Products MacLean has a wide range of products for the construction industry and concentrates on its best and innovative solutions. MacLean wants to profile itself even more as a provider of all flooring accessories for professionals. The range for the parquet sector obviously revolves around all sorts of subfloors for the most diverse conditions. MacLean is the major distributor of subfloors from the German company Selit. There is also a wide choice for other products such as skirting boards. In that latter range MacLean is introducing the Aqua skirting board, a new indelible skirting board consisting of a MDF core and wrapped with a synthetic outer layer which is ideal for fitting in combination with an LVT floor. MacLean has also announced the arrival of new displays for the skirting board range.

Overmat During the last Domotex in Hannover Overmat presented the full range of Floorservice Hardwax-oil and Cleaning and Maintenance Products for (outdoor)wood and PVC floors. Just like a diversity of pretreatment products from our Prime Design Line, like the known Prime Colors and Prime Old Grey. A new product was added to this Prime Design Line range; Prime Old Black. This product gives oak a deep, black appearance. After this floor treatment, the floor is finished with one of the 34 standard colours of Floorservice Hardwax-oil. This offers the possibility of creating a completely black floor but also allows you to choose a black floor with a brown, grey, white or even metallic finish. Besides the oxidative drying oil products, Floorservice offers the wood processing industry a wide range of high-quality UV-drying products, including UV-oil and UV-lacquer. Depending on your production method, these products can either be applied by use of a drum-roller or spraying installation.

Perfilstar Perfilstar is a skirting board and profile manufacturer based near Barcelona and has a varied range of skirting boards at very competitive prices: veneer, aluminium, stainless steel, painted skirting boards, laminated and also a successful and high-quality range of

Licensed by

Total solution for wood and WPC decking With the ”Invisible Profile” you will get a uniform safe and smooth outdoor flooring that looks good and is easy to keep clean. And with the new ”SpeedClip” you will be able to install it faster and simpler without using any tools.

Patent granted on Invisible Profile. Exclusive licensing through Välinge, the experts in commercialization of intellectual property.

SpeedClip

Invisible profile For maximum flexibility, the patented profile is possible to combine with multiple fixation systems and decking materials.

• Time & cost saving • For wood and WPC • Strong vertical grip • Flexibility for expansion • Toolless

VÄLINGE INNOVATION AB | INFO@VALINGE.SE | WWW.VALINGE.SE | +46 42 23 78 15

Review

Domotex Hannover (DE)

digitally printed skirting boards which can be adapted completely to the wishes of the client. A new item was a range of skirting boards in compact PVC, ideal in combination with LVT floors and 100% waterproof. There was also a range of skirting boards in MDF with PVC coating with screw and clip system. Perfilstar is also proud of its outstanding customer service.

Primatech The Canadian wooden floor machine manufacturer is renowned mainly for its pneumatic nailing machines for parquet floors. At this edition they presented as a novelty the G100 Hot Melt Glue Applicator for parquet floors. The adhesive gun with Prim Stick Hot Melt Adhesive is ideal for ultra-fast repair of hollow points on separate planks in the parquet. The G100 ensures a speedy re-fastening of planks on all subfloors, such as on wooden or parquet subfloors as well as concrete and other types of subfloors. The Hot Melt adhesive dries quickly and ensures sure and precise glueing.

Pepi Rer

is a combination of low density polyethylene foam and a membrane in high density polypropylene. The subfloor is fitted with air channels and ensures that damp is drained off via the walls so that there is never any condensation beneath the top floor and the floor as a whole stays stable. This means the floor can be fitted faster. Moreover, Pro Vent also reduces sound (-20dB contact sound) and is suitable for use with floor heating.

Par-ky The Belgian veneer parquet specialist continues to innovate and with its new Twist is now launching a design parquet with veneer top layer. This makes it possible to lay not only wooden floors, but also herringbone, double herringbone, or square design floors. The Deluxe collection now includes the Rough Cut option where the planks (180cm long) are given a rough band saw impression as well as a brushed finish. Just like the Sound+ collection, the Twist and Deluxe collections have a cork base layer underneath to reduce sound. They also announced the introduction of an associated trademark for the DIY market, namely Clic Wood.

Preverco

Pepi Rer, Latvian maker of subfloors, presented its unique subfloor system Pro Vent. This is a multifunctional subfloor for parquet and laminate, which allows everything to breathe permanently under the floor surface. The Pro Vent subfloor

Preverco is a parquet manufacturer from Quebec (Canada) and showed with its latest collection that parquet can create an atmosphere in the interior. They included lots of distressed parquet floors in several North American wood sorts. They stressed here the

NO TIME TO WASTE?

Then the PALLMANN TURBO SYSTEM is exactly right for you. The coordinated products ensure a short drying time and a speedy but fail safe, wood floor installation and protection. www.good-for-wood.com

authenticity and original beauty of the Hickory wood. The company exports its products mainly to the United States, Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. The parquet floors are available in various sizes in solid wood, multiplex, or on an HDF base (with 2mm top layer).

Parketfabriek Lieverdink This was the second successive year that parquet manufacturer Lieverdink enjoyed a successful Domotex. Amongst other things, Lieverdink wanted to present its wide range of options in two-layer parquet. For example, there was Victorian point parquet, a highly successful marriage of Hungarian point and herringbone design. There was also a finely sawn triple herringbone floor to admire. Another novelty was the Charente collection i.e. genuine antique floors produced from recycled wood from train carriages. Last but not least was the Wooden Bricks collection, a splendid and easy-to-fit wooden wall cladding in rich relief brick bond pattern and available in several colours and finishes.

REPEX The French machine maker presented its Cyclone dust-free sanding machines. These include a sturdy and efficient machines with a powerful single phase 2.2 or 3KW motor, connected to an industrial vacuum cleaner to ensure dust emissions of just 0.79mg/m³ (the European standard is 2mg/m³, whilst the strict French standard is 1mg/m³). All dust particles bigger than 5 micron are filtered and deposited in a Handy disposable bag. According to REPEX, this means the Cyclone is unique as regards dust suction on the international market for parquet sanding machines.

Ravaioli Legnami The reputable Italian producer and agent in wooden frontage profiles and terrace floors was present at Domotex for the third time. The company presented a number of solutions in which terrace planks were also applied to walls or used to repel the sun or provide some shade. For example, they presented the 4Sun, a patented and adaptable ‘sunshade system’ in which the gradient angle of the 4Sun profiles provide sun or shade on the terrace or indoors, depending on the user’s wishes, and the space between the wood profiles can also be adapted as necessary. The same system can also be fitted as normal exterior wall cladding.

Rubio Monocoat / Muylle Facon The producer behind the successful Rubio Monocoat (sales in 72 countries via 26 branch offices) concentrates on the essential quality of its products. This comprises the unique single coat technology and the diversity in its range of colours with 40 different available shades. They also

stressed that any other colour is available on request. Furthermore, they also announced the launch of the Invisible Oil. This oil with an ultra matt untreated look provides excellent protection for the wood and, in the producer’s view, puts an end once and for all to the disadvantages which clients encounter with similar products on the market.

Romus Romus develops, produces, and sells profile ranges, doormats, accessibility products, accessories, and equipment for floor designers and painters in over 60 countries. They highlighted their range of built-in doormats and accessibility solutions. These include podotactile tiles (tiles with perceptible materials to help the visually impaired), contact strips, and conductor strips in various materials. Romat doormats with wires are available tailor-made and can be integrated perfectly well into PVC floors with a thickness of a mere 6mm. They have also renewed their range of hygrometers, dehumidifiers, and paint heaters. Romus also exhibited the Linea Groover and Pico Groover, groovers, and soldering irons for a smooth transition between PVC flooring strips.

Solidor The manufacturer of items such as adjustable terrace pedestals announced its relocation to a new 5400m² building on a new site (13,300m²) in Wevelgem, Belgium. At their stand they presented the new HS3 ‘slope leveller’ for wooden terrace pedestals. This item, with its unique built-in mechanism, adapts automatically to the gradient of the substrate and makes it extremely straightforward to set the level of the base.

Steico The German producer of ecological wood fibre panels based on wood and hemp has factories in Poland and France. A unique feature of Steico panels is that they are made with a ‘wet process’ and the adhesive which is used for traditional wood fibre panels is superfluous because they are bound using the typical wood binding agent ‘lignin’. At Domotex their main intention was to highlight the Steico Floor and the Steico Underfloor. The floor panels can be fitted easily using a profile slat and they have outstanding sound-reduction and insulation properties.

Floor Forum International 72

Review

Domotex Hannover (DE)

Saicos

T&G Wood

The German floor finish specialist Saicos has set out a new course in terms of efficiency and ecology. They presented a new hard wax oil (Nature), which is free of cobalt and enables floor fitters to finish the floor in a single day. There was also a new ultra-fast drying primer called Ecoline Ground Coat Speed, which dries extremely rapidly and is ready for a top coat after just one hour. The Ecoline Ground Coat Speed is suitable for all European wood sorts. They also presented the industrial dye system which, in terms of stability and consistency, meets the strict standards of industrial finishers.

At T&G Wood they presented the latest developments in the Cinzento Custom-made collection. These new colours earned a great deal of approval and, amongst others, the European red smoked oak parquet with a golden shade was warmly received. The main message for the international visitors was that they can create anything on demand and to order for the clients. New and original ideas from designers and interior architects are converted at T&G with the required wood expertise into attractive new and original parquet floors.

Sekisui Alveo Flooring For over 25 years, Sekisui Alveo has produced high quality subfloors for parquet, laminate, and vinyl. At Domotex they presented new marketing concepts for the retail and DIY markets. From now on, they are working with two trademarks, namely Alveo Pro for the specialist sector and Verso for DIY. Alveo Pro subfloors are built entirely to order and in line with the wishes of professionals and their clients. These include the Professional 140 and Professional Maximum underlays, which reduce sound a lot and are easy to fit. The weight of the rolls is adapted to make them easy to transport.

Tover The Italian chemical producer launched Tovcol MS Start, an economical 1K MS polymer adhesive. This contains no water or solvents, is very economical, and is useful for big projects. For the finish they presented Crema d’Olio, a new mixture of natural oils and hard wax which offers strong durability and a dirt-proof surface in one coat in a transparent, white, or grey version. The Tintoretto Design is a sealer for colouring (in 27 shades) with no risk of overlapping, followed by a finish with a 2K lacquer or an oil-urethane lacquer. At their stand they exhibited the Top Coat, a modular finish line which they presented in co-operation with producer Gimatek.

Trap Flooring Marc Trap confirmed that Trap, appearing for the eighth time in a row, is now appreciated as a serious player in the industry. He said, ‘It’s noticeable that people all over the world appreciate European products for the quality and reliable deliveries. Those qualities obviously also apply to Trap products.’ As for news about their range, they mainly told us about a number of attractive finishes in their oak parquet. He continued, ‘We can supply these at competitive prices. This is the first specific result of the new production plant which Trap has opened in Hungary.’ People also paid attention to the special design floors in the Trap range, namely Hungarian point and herringbone. Both can be supplied deeply brushed and there’s also a special walnut parquet finished with white oil.

Floor Forum international 72

Trivec/Vec The Dutch manufacturer of parquet finish machines showed off several new items. The Cross Cutter gives an attractive optical sawing effect without the drawbacks of traditional sawing effects. The Trivec Spray Unit is now specially adapted to reaction dyes with corrosion-proof parts designed in synthetics. Another advantageous novelty was the Double Coater, a dip roller and application roller which makes a wet-to-wet application possible. Trivec also stressed that it also specialises in very extensive lines up to 27 metres long with a greater capacity and scores of special finishes.

Uzin The most important news about the Uzin group came from its machine subsidiary Wolff. They displayed the NEO 400, a refined successor to the Wolff Omega. This is an all-round floor grinder for concrete, asphalt, covering floors, and such like. The newcomer is equipped with a more powerful 4KW motor, the working width has grown from 290 to 400mm, and it is now possible to mount extra weights quicker and easier. The NEO 400 can also be given 12 instead of 6 diamond segments, so the machine combines more power with more flexibility. It has also been designed more ergonomically and, despite the extra power, weighs 15kg less.

Unifloor The Dutch specialist in subfloor systems to reduce sound and level the surface pointed out that the hugely successful subfloor range Jumpax has been on the market for 20 years this year. This range gains greater market recognition each year and Jumpax is also used for many major projects, such as in the recent renovations of some London blocks of flats, due to its exceptional feature of reducing sound. Another highlight was the unique Ecopearls, a natural

levelling grain based on mineralised wood chippings. These pearls ensure that any unevenness of up to 180mm in the subfloor is levelled out.

Välinge Innovation Välinge and Exterpark maintain patent for outdoor flooring system Välinge Innovation and outdoor decking supplier Exterpark announced an exclusive licensing agreement for the “Invisible Profile” at Domotex 2014. The technology is today widely appreciated in the industry for its benefits, for instance, a superior visual impression, minimized risk of lost objects and reduced need for maintenance. In addition, it includes a visually hidden ventilation and drainage solution. Up until now, Välinge has signed license agreements with the two largest decking manufacturers in China: Sentai and NewTech. In Europe, Ravaioli, Madeicentro, Lopez-Piguieras and Vallsfusta are already licensees and a number of other companies are close to signing agreements. The “Invisible Profile”, invented and patented by Exterpark, is protected by the European patent 1 722 043 B1 after a decision by the European Patent Office in December 2014 to terminate the opposition procedure. “Välinge Innovation AB is a world leading R&D and IP company in the flooring industry.”

Woodcare Denmark Satisfaction and ambition at WOCA Denmark. Their quality and dynamic strategy have ensured rapid international growth and WOCA products are being used increasingly for prestigious building projects worldwide.

The successful Diamond Oil, a water-repellent, fast-drying 1K oil ideal for high-traffic floors, is now available in a new series of colours. They also promoted the WOCA individual colour design. On a base of 16 dyes it is possible to create over 800 different colours, which are completely suitable for all WOCA finishes. WOCA has also introduced some new maintenance products: an easy maintenance box for lacquered and vinyl floors, a new refresher for soaped and oiled floors, and the WOCA Tannin Spot Easy Neutraliser, which quickly and effectively removes from oak wooden floors any annoying black marks caused by a water and acid reaction (e.g. between moisture and metal).

Wayflor The Taiwanese vinyl producer presented its new range of woven vinyl flooring in attractive designs and colours. These vinyl floors look like woven linen from a distance, but have the durability and low maintenance of vinyl. They consist of 94% PVC, 5% polyester, and 1% glass fibre. For the fitting it is possible to unroll woven vinyl flooring and glue it onto the substrate or you can opt for a tile pattern by cutting the floor into pieces and fitting it in an attractive pattern.

NATURAL WOOD COATINGS

Made in Germany

Our

PROMISE

Quality · Service · Flexibility · Ecology · Innovation

www.saicos.de

Floor Forum International 72

Special

Convector grills

THE MARRIAGE OF CONVECTOR GRILLS AND PARQUET WELL GRILLS IN THE SAME DESIGN AS THE FLOOR: SHEER CLASS!

Photo – BJ Parket

Convector grills might appear to be ‘past their sell-by date’, but they are still in use. Nevertheless, most convector grill dealers say that this product category is more at home on the renovation market than in new buildings. Usually, that means fitting a wooden floor on top of an existing tile floor. Grills are available in scores of designs and are almost always tailor-made. It is certainly preferable to design a wooden grill in the same wood sort and finish as the parquet floor, but other combinations are also possible.

Decorative

The sense (and nonsense) of convector grills

Convector wells also offer major heating technical advantages, certainly when they are combined with glass. The strips of the cover grill direct the warm air stream towards the window and, as it were, lay a veil of heat over the cold glass surface. This has the effect of shutting out the cold. In contrast to floor heating, which has the same (invisible) decorative benefits but needs longer to warm up, convector wells rapidly create a warm curtain of heat.

On the one hand, there are lots of owners who simply seal up their convector well when the time comes to renovate their home and replace it with a different heating system. The main reason? Maintenance, of course. Convector wells are associated with reservoirs of dust and dirt and are difficult to clean. Dust and dirt spread not only between the heating strips, where they are difficult to remove, but also under the convector so that they are often out of reach. It is therefore advisable to disconnect and remove the convector every few years so that you can clean both the well and the convector itself thoroughly. On the other hand, convector wells fit in nicely with the growing trend of installing large glass sections in the living room. In that respect they offer both heating technical and decorative benefits.

Floor Forum international 72

It should be obvious that convector wells save space. Furthermore, the aspect of ‘invisibility’ is also a big plus. Heating appliances are not exactly the prettiest of interior objects, so we’re quite happy to hide them from view, if possible. It is particularly where the threshold from living room to garden or terrace comprises a glass wall that convector wells offer advantages, if only because the view outside is not obstructed.

Heating technical

Operation and application To put it simply, the core of a convector consists of a metal tube, to which specially shaped strips are attached. Most suppliers provide ‘complete’ convector wells to ensure speedy and efficient fitting. These convector wells are the most practical solution in exposition halls, winter gardens, verandas, and living rooms with large glass walls.

Types of well grills according to shape Well or convector grills are available in various materials, as we will see below. As for shape, we can divide them into about four main categories. Generally, grills are fitted because convectors are not really very decorative. From a technical point of view, you need a cover on the one hand so that you can’t fall into the well and dust doesn’t pile up, but on the other hand the cover mustn’t affect heat flow. That obviously means a grill is the only solution.

as the floor. Most of them also offer well grills treated with varnish or oil, with or without colour. Finishes such as smoked or other distressed surfaces are another possibility.

Two specialists BJ Parket

Standard grills Standard grills consist of strips fitted lengthwise or crosswise. The strips are joined to, and separated by, ‘frames’, which also set the distance between strips. The standard convector well grill gives you a choice of synthetic, wooden, or metal frames between the strips. Metal frames can usually be supplied in aluminium and/or gold-coloured. Wooden frames can be supplied in the most common wood sorts and adaptations. Synthetic frames can be supplied in different colours, with dark brown, grey, black, and light brown being very popular.

Block grills and length grills Block grills are not put together with frames, but consist of upright wooden strips which are mounted in a frame in the width direction. Length grills are made according to the same principle, but the (obviously much longer) grill strips run along the length of the frame.

Obviously, radiator casings are not convector well grills, but some suppliers offer them in the same types of materials as well grills. Obviously, the decorative objective is the same, namely to conceal a heating appliance (e.g. a radiator or convector) as elegantly and attractively as possible. By furnishing radiators with a grill in wood, for instance, you reduce their often excessively dominant role in the interior.

In recent years, demand for convection grills has certainly not fallen at BJ Parket. It’s not that they get orders every day (not everyone has that sort of heating), but there is a regular demand for these grills both for new projects and the replacement of existing, usually metal grills. Clients always ask for grills in the same wood sort as the floor. BJ Parket only makes wooden grills, and, as a manufacturer of solid wood parquet, the company doesn’t get any requests for metal grills. BJ Parket presents two different floor models. There’s the open model where only the strips are visible at the top; they are joined at the bottom lengthwise to a cross-strip on both sides, sometimes reinforced, depending on the required thickness, with a strip in the shape of a wedge. The second one is the model with a covering strip. This grill is given a decorative strip at the top to conceal the grill joints from view. This strip runs diagonally across the grill heads. BJ Parket also has the ventilation grill, a wooden wall grill.

Popular materials

Emco BAU

Elegance or luxury Elegance grills, which are also sometimes called luxury grills, are built completely differently. The individual strips, which run along the width, are elegantly constructed and are put together next to each other to form a frame. You obtain the frame effect by ensuring that the outside of the crosswise strips are wider than the inner section of the grill.

Radiator casing

Well grills can be designed in scores of materials, irrespective of which of the above types we are talking about.

Synthetic or aluminium Standard well grills can consist of upright strips (profiles) in synthetic and are connected by synthetic ‘frames’. Aluminium is one of the possibilities. The metal look, which is still in vogue in the interior does well here: anodised, bronze, aluminium, or stainless steel.

Wood Wood is undoubtedly a successful product. In many cases, certainly with renovation, the old well grill is replaced by a grill made in the same sort of wood as the parquet floor. And so, it’s often the old synthetic or metal strips which end up in the dustbin. Almost all frequently used sorts of wood are suitable for making well grills. With just about all traders we find oak in first place often followed by beech, steamed beech, ash, jatoba, ruby, afzelia, kambala, merbau, walnut, cherry, and wenge.

Finishes As regards wooden well grills, suppliers offer them in a rough, untreated version so that floor fitters can apply the same colour and finish

Visit www.floor-forum.com

Whilst Emco KLIMA still produces floor convectors, its affiliated company Emco BAU produces the grills for the former to apply the covers. Demand for such grills comes from both new construction and renovation projects. For example, the company has supplied ventilation grills for the new Administrative Centre in Torhout (BE) and for Hasselt University (BE) . Emco produces mainly aluminium ventilation grills, but wooden grills are also available on request. Emco offers rigid (parallel) grills and roll-up (square) grills.

Floor Forum International 72

Discover the Future of Floor & Wall solutions

EFWEX

European Floor & Wall Exhibition 13/15.03.2016 - FLANDERS EXPO GHENT (B)

13/15.03.2016 FLANDERS EXPO - GHENT (B) WWW.EFWEX.BE

Special

Producers of LVT, PVC & vinyl are presenting their trends 2015

WOOD AND TILE STRUCTURES ARE THE TREND FLEXIBLE FLOOR COVERINGS ARE MORE POPULAR THAN EVER

Photo – Haro

Vinyl and linoleum are a vital part of the floor fitter’s range! In the past, they might have had a somewhat old fashioned image, but these days producers have put the past behind them entirely. They’re jumping on the bandwagon of youthful design and adding decorative possibilities ‘ad infinitum’. In some ways this development mirrors that of wallpaper, which was also restored to its former glory after a barren period. At all events, for floor fitters it means a considerable supplement to the range with a lot of colour, wood sorts, and tile decors.

A summary Vinyl, PVC, and linoleum are obviously nothing new. What is new is the shape in which they’ve been appearing on the market for a few years. With the design in tile and plan shapes, manufacturers are supplying some refreshing interior ideas. Although these floor coverings have been around since time immemorial, the basic differences are not clear to everyone. Let’s compare them briefly.

Linoleum Linoleum is a virtually 100% natural product. Raw materials include linseed oil, wood dust, limestone, and jute. A linoleum floor can be fitted onto just about any floor which is sufficiently flat and strong. Floors with a marble decor are called Marmoleum. Linoleum is one of the

‘older’ floor coverings. Indeed, linoleum as we know it was patented in 1860 and 1863 by Scotsman Frederick Walton. During several experiments with linseed, Walton saw that a feature of linseed is that it forms a skin when exposed to oxygen, just as paint forms a skin. In the course of time, linoleum has made great strides. It’s no longer the floor covering which we associate solely with hospitals. In the past, linoleum was fitted ‘mainly’ in hospitals due to its antibacterial properties and strong durability and wear resistance. These floors are very easy to maintain and when they are fully glued they have outstanding acoustic properties. Nowadays, linoleum is available in lanes, strips, and tiles. The possible choices of decors and colours are well nigh endless. Here, too, producers have moved towards the click system.

PVC Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which has as its chemical name poly-chloro-ethylene (PCE), is a commonly used thermoplastic which is created via polymerisation of the monomer vinyl chloride (VCM). Since PVC is cheap and easy to work with, it is used in all sorts of tasks in industry as a substitute for materials such as wood and concrete. PVC is also an excellent material for producing floors. The material is moisture-resistant and thereby suitable for damp rooms. 100% PVC floors are even suitable for fitting in showers. They are extremely durable due to the reinforcement PU coating. PVC are available nowadays in a wide variety of decors. In recent years, we have also seen the

Floor Forum International 72

Special

Producers of LVT, PVC & vinyl are presenting their trends 2015

emergence here of click systems, and these systems mean that these floors can be fitted floating quickly and easily. And so, we speak here of Click PVC.

are collections with different trademarks which offer an assortment of decors, inspired by distressed floors or recycled wood from furniture, old objects, and old floors.

Vinyl

Oak is still king

A vinyl floor is an elastic synthetic (PVC) floor covering, which consists of several layers: the substrate or back, a protective fibre glass layer, the pattern, and the top layer. The durability of vinyl depends on the thickness of the top layer and the solidarity of the base structure. An extra protective layer increases scratch and wear resistance. There are big differences in price and quality within the range. Note that the quality of the floor is adapted to its (intended) use. High traffic floors require stronger and thicker quality than floors used less frequently. There are also woven vinyl floors on the market. These consist mainly of vinyl and a small quantity of polyester. Woven vinyl has high wear resistance, a long life span, an attractive price, and is easy to maintain. However, it’s not suitable for damp rooms, cannot be combined with floor heating, and it’s best not to walk barefoot on it.

Did you know that oak is still the most ‘coveted’ wood for parquet and wooden floors? Oak is simply a hard and durable wood and absolutely ideal to withstand the ‘heavy burden’ of a life as a floor covering. Furthermore, most people know how to appreciate oak for its look: austerity combined with a certain ‘elegance’. There are certain types of parquet which we have only ever known in oak because oak was the only wood readily available in stock during the period that this parquet was fitted. And so, it’s also no surprise that oak is still the king of all wood sorts on the synthetic floor market. That means that surprising combinations are possible. What do you think of this? The client wants to fit a waterproof floor in the bathroom which fits in with the oak floor in the corridor and looks exactly the same. In other words, the fitting combination of solid (or multi-layer) parquet with a vinyl or PVC floor. Add some laminate with an oak décor for the bedroom and you create the effect of a floor which runs over the entire area, but deploys three different forms of technology.

Luxury Vinyl Tiles What we have see above was a clarification of a number of floor sorts which have been on the market for many years. Below we will consider mainly a new type of floor which is actually a compilation of these different forms of technology. LVT (luxury vinyl tiles) and LVP (luxury vinyl planks) are conquering the market. There is a lot of cross-fertilisation taking place. Whereas laminate emerged from nowhere a few decades ago and set off on an unstoppable march, vinyl and linoleum have been in existence for much longer. Nowadays, they are ‘stealing’ some of the features of laminate. By appearing in the form of tiles (LVT) or planks (LVP) with a click system, they have all the ingredients to take over private homes to complement their success in larger projects. By concentrating on wood decors, these floors offer an alternative to laminate. They owe their success partly to their outstanding mechanical qualities, but also to their minimal thickness, which makes them ideal for home renovation.

Versatile as regards applications LVT floors can be used for anything: commercial or residential use, in major projects or private housing construction, in institutions, or publicly accessible buildings. Moreover, these floors can be used in all rooms, even damp rooms. Indeed, the moisture-resistance of these floors is one of the big advantages. They can be fitted perfectly well in rooms such as kitchens, bathrooms, or public rooms which are cleaned using water. However, we do need to be circumspect in our interpretation of the expression ‘damp rooms’; in rooms which are permanently wet (e.g. saunas or swimming pools) you can only fit 100% solid PVC floors. In other damp rooms it is possible to fit all synthetic floors, and therefore also the so called hybrid PVC floors which consist of several layers.

Maintenance products to create client loyalty Any type of floor has to be maintained, so that applies to a vinyl floor as well. Although a vinyl floor is relatively easy to maintain, it is worth paying the necessary attention to ensure that the floor has a long lifespan. Prevention is surely a necessity. To this end there are some maintenance products which are made specially for vinyl floors. A distinction is made between ‘Polish Mat’ (for vinyl floors with a matt look) and ‘Cleaner Mat’ (for daily cleaning). When a vinyl floor covering is fitted, it is reinforced with a PU layer for protection. Clients certainly can’t go wrong if they choose to add an extra PU layer of protection themselves with the aforementioned maintenance products. Parquet traders who include these products in their range have a good chance of increasing their turnover considerably and creating client loyalty.

What trends will the producers bring in 2015? Aspecta

Versatile in a decorative sense The aesthetic/decorative possibilities with LVT, PVC, and linoleum floors are actually infinite. All styles are possible: smooth or hybrid, brightly coloured or sober, tile decors, marble and natural stone, or ordinarily modern or precisely. Nevertheless, as with all imitation floors, wood decors are extremely popular. Here, producers have taken a leaf out of the book of laminate manufacturers (those who produce only the latter). As is the case with laminate, digital print technology has created vast additional possibilities. The wood decors are extremely natural and, thanks to embossing, the structure is perceptible. In other words, history is repeating itself. Some producers mention a striking popularity of ‘rustic decors’. And so, vintage wins here too! For example, there

Floor Forum international 72

Textile and woven decors or decorative patterns are doing exceptionally well in the world of design floors, but concrete and metal appearances are still popular. The preference is in line with the general preference for natural materials. In particular, wood decors with a ‘history’ are advancing: distressed, damaged, used floors and especially floors which show marks of their past. As regards colours, we opt for warm,

T H E N AT U R A L D E S I G N F L O O R I N G

NE EO :N

by classen

XX LE

REUS

Decor: NEO XXL wood_11

by classen

m 47

M AT E

10 0 %

0 80 L1

B IO

Cla ssen G rou p Wernervon -Sie mens-S D -56759 tr. 18â&#x20AC;&#x201C;20 Kaiserse sch (Ge Tel. +49 rmany) (0) 2653 980 -0 info@ cla ssen .de w w w.cla ssen .de

Special

Producers of LVT, PVC & vinyl are presenting their trends 2015

usually red shades. The use of gravure printing gives the Aspecta products a very warm and deep character. The Aspecta FIVE range is a good example of that.

Classen Neo by Classen, a completely vinyl-free range of design floors, is the trendsetter in the next generation of floor coverings. This high-tech floor covering is the fruit of a new mix of materials and innovative technology based on biological materials with no PVC, chlorine, or formaldehyde. Neither does this floor covering contain any harmful softeners or phthalates. The new CSF biomaterial means this solid wood composite plank is waterproof, completely recyclable, and re-usable. The floor is produced entirely in Germany. In 2014, the Classen Group developed a new size and a digital concept. At Domotex Hannover 2015, Classen introduced the new XXL size (1,800 x 243mm). The floor won the best product innovation award. What is also exceptional is that all the components needed to produce these floors have been developed in-house. Amongst other things, the floor contains natural wood fibres (PEFC certified) and polypropylene.

Haro HARO announces the release of two new versions to extend its Disano range of design floors. With the PVC- and plasticiser-free Disano Classic design floor, HARO set its course in the design floor market early on to provide products for sustainable, healthy living and working environments. This has received a very positive response not only from consumers and distributors, but also from ÖKO-TEST, which awarded the Disano Classic Holm Oak style the “very good” rating! At the BAU 2015 trade fair, HARO will not only showcase the new range for Disano Classic in the long plank format with HDF coreboard and 9.3 mm (3/8’’) thickness, but will also present two water-resistant versions: the only 2 mm (3/32’’) thick Disano Pro for glue-down installation, which has been designed for use in the contract sector; and Disano Neptun, which is equipped with a click system for floating installation. Needless to say that the two new arrivals are also 100% free from plasticisers and PVC.

Parcolys Flooring At Parcolys they are seeing a return of the rigid plank, especially in smaller sizes (120cm instead of 150cm). They have also noticed the emergence of various tile structures, especially tile structures with relief. Matt finishes are preferable to glossy floors, which appear to be out of fashion. The combination of matt and structure is doing well in brushed wood, for instance. As regards wood, oak is still setting the tone, but pine, too, has completed a comeback, also in a brushed finish. As regards colours, Parcolys is selling mainly grey tints or light olive green. Natural colours such as Cheverny Oak are also extremely popular.

Plastivan Wood decors (with oak as the number one) are still the basis at Plastivan within each collection with a trend towards light grey and dark grey colours. Furthermore, tile patterns are popular within the LVT floors since these are absolutely ideal for fitting in bathrooms and kitchens where moisture-resistance is important. The Viligno collection meets this need with modern colours and

Floor Forum international 72

designs. As we have already said, oak is still the most popular choice in the nevertheless advancing wood structures. As regards colours, Plastivan is seeing grey tints becoming more popular, but the same can be said of weathered decors such as the Viligno reclaimed oak.

Wayflor

Wayflor has developed a new woven vinyl floor, which is also highly practicable for terrace boards. According to Wayflor, a popular trend is the combination of different materials. However, wood products continue to play an important part. The love of nature is still there. As regards colours, they have grey shades, beige, black, or vivid colours such as red, blue, and orange.

ter Hürne ter Hürne LVT - Quiet. Robust. Simply comfortable „The most interesting guests at a party are rarely the first ones to arrive“, says Bernhard ter Hürne about the new component of the range - the luxury vinyl tiles. „We have been carefully observing this dynamic sector over the past few years and have introduced our own ideas into the development of the products, so that we are going to bring a product quality on the market, with which we, as a wood specialist can fully identify.” One of the most important features of the product is the formula based on a Bio-Plasticizer: soybean oil. Moreover, the entire new vinyl range is characterized by unusual formats, exclusive decors and surfaces and is, under the ter Hürne brand, equipped with the well-known ter Hürne 5G-CLICKitEASY connection. This represents a real added value in comparison to already known products on the market.

Luxury Vinyl Tiles

Q u iet . Robu st . S imply comfor ta b le .

www.terhuerne.de

QUIET

ROBUST

EASY TO CARE FOR

CLICK IT EASY

WETROOMSAFE

HEALTHY HOME ENVIRONMENT

QUIET

RO B U ST

EASY TO CA R E FOR

EASY I N STALL ATION

WATERR ESISTANT

H EALTHY LIVI N G

LVT_Anzeige_GB_NL_F_190x136mm_012015_v3.indd 3

Floor Forum International 72 15:39 05.02.15

Review

BAU Munich (DE)

OVER 250,000 VISITORS FOR BAU! The German construction trade fair BAU in Munich reached the peak of 250,000 visitors for the first time in its 50-year history. The six-day show, which incorporated the entire Munich trade fair complex, attracted 251,200 visitors (a rise of 16,000 as compared to 2013), and about 72,000 of them came from abroad. And so, BAU has confirmed its status as one of the top construction trade fairs in Europe and the world.

Auer Metallprofile

All building trends, all new products The show once again set itself up as a place to discover all the trends and get a unique and varied insight into today’s product solutions. Both the exhibitors and the show events gave excellent coverage to themes which are dominating the global construction industry nowadays: intelligent urbanisation, energy and raw material efficiency, and a healthy balance between the building and the user. There were also scores of interesting discoveries for our sector.

More and more architects and engineers The importance of the BAU Construction Trade Fair to the architectural world cannot be denied. A striking number of big names from the world of top class architecture took part in the show and the organised events relating to architecture. Furthermore, the organisers claim that the numbers of (civil) engineers visiting the show from Germany and abroad have reached record levels.

International visitors at BAU: some figures With 72,000 visitors from abroad, it is certainly not out of place to define BAU in superlative terms. Where do all those visitors actually come from? The organisers have issued a summary. China (2,083 visitors) and South Korea (912) showed the biggest increases in numbers. Visitors from Russia this year numbered 2,474. That figure meant a drop in numbers due to the economic crisis and political tensions), but it was still enough to put the country in the top 10 of visiting countries. The number of visitors from the Middle East rose sharply, with mainly Turkey and the United Arab Emirates growing strongly. There were also some other European countries which showed a clear increase in the number of visitors. These were Austria (11,923), Belgium ( 1,330), the Netherlands (1,450), Slovenia (2362), and Poland (2,578).

We visited some exhibitors at BAU Adesiv Returning from Munich, where we participated at the event BAU 2015, Adesiv prepared to leave for Qatar, to expose its products for wood floors laying and finishing at the event Qatar Covertech, which took place from 4th to 6th February 2015 at the Doha Exhibition Center.

Floor Forum international 72

An exciting exhibition time is over. The national and international visitors of BAU 2015 were amazed by our high quality products and the possibility of custom-made products. We presented our new products, such as our stainless steel insert profiles with nose for design flooring, matching stair inside corners made of stainless steel and aluminum, stair nosings for 2.5 mm floorings and various stair nosings with and without anti-slip inserts. There were many interesting conversations with interior decorators and architects. We thank you for your visit and a successful and exciting exhibition time!

Buzon Pedestal International Buzon Pedestal International can claim the title of world leader in the production of adjustable floor pedestals. The BAU Construction Show in Munich enabled them to unveil several new items: a fixed 15mm pedestal and a refined pedestal of 4mm, which appears to be very handy on site, plus two new pedestals with integrated slope corrector. The one is 44 by 57mm, the other 55 by 79mm. This unrelenting progress, plus the quality of their floor pedestals, enables them to meet the needs of companies and to continue to lead the market in floor pedestals.

Chêne de l’est® They made some very good contacts during the show. You can see their new finishes on their web site. They pay particular attention to their ranges of parquet, so that you can walk on wood in its most noble form. They offer very long planks, but they also have classics such as herringbone or Versailles. The LOFT series is making a comeback, as is the greatly appreciated sawn oak. They have opened their new showroom for the first time. Everyone was impressed with their new Shop in Shop. That’s distinctively French, charming and tailor-made. For more information visit their web site.

Classen

Felix Clercx

The German CLASSEN Group produces wood and wood-based products for interiors and is one of the world’s leading suppliers of laminate floorings. At this fair, the new floor covering “Neo by Classen” was launched: a completely new floor covering, fully vinyl-free and using a new generation material mixes and innovative production methods. All components necessary for manufacturing originate from water-resistant bio material substrates, composite solid fibreboard (CSF) to highly-durable Sealtec surface sealing. This results in a waterresistant floor free of any environmentally-damaging substances such as chlorine, formaldehyde or heavy metals, harmful plasticisers or phthalates. The Neo decor collection also convinces with superbly-authentic, digitally printed stone or wood designs.

At Felix Clercx they were delighted with results from the construction trade fair in Munich. They had over twice the number of contacts and discussions as compared to the show of 2013. Wholesalers, retailers, and industry in general showed a lot of interest in the entire range. Moreover, an increasing number of architects are seeing opportunities with the products and solutions. It was the new terrace planks from Fiberon which attracted most attention at the stand. The well known features such as the low maintenance and easy assembly appeal to a lot of existing clients, but certainly also to potential clients as well. Wholesalers and architects were delighted with the new look of the Protect plus terrace planks, which have less gloss and a rigid modern design. Furthermore, the processing industry was enthusiastic about the variety of fitting possibilities. Fiberon can be fitted on virtually any base, be it flat or sloping, and Fiberon terraces are easy to fit with screws or clips. Since it hardly absorbs any damp, it hardly swells at all and there’s no need to allow for large joints on the edge of the terrace. The product line in thermally treated ash is attracting more interested parties each year. The growing demand for high quality wood which is not from the tropics and its magnificent luxury look are definitely two contributory factors! The new clip system which is a lot cheaper to buy ensures greater scope with wholesalers and retailers. The thermo ash from Nova Wood is tested and certified as durability class 1 and is now

EuroTec This year´s BAU in Munich was a full success. EuroTec showed up with a bigger show area, an own Do-It-Yourself area, as well as a new designed booth. As new products, the fully adjustable pedestals Click Foot were shown, which allow to click-on the aluminum profiles without screws. In addition to this, the new Euro Deck Alu-Systemprofile in combination with the new pedestals, allows a fast and simple decking construction. Furthermore the EiSYS-2 facade / adjusting screw was demonstrated with a dedicated facade-model. Visit www.e-u-r-o-tec.de to learn more.

THANKS FOR COMING AT

NOT JUST A SIMPLE SKIRTING. A REAL PRODUCT DESIGN. THE PAST IS THE BASIS FOR THE FUTURE. THIS IS THE INSPIRATION FOR OUR OLD STYLE SKIRTING LINE: A COMBINATION OF ELEGANCE, REFINEMENT AND GOOD TASTE OF PAST ECHOES GIVES LIFE TO A NEW SKIRTING TYPOLOGY THAT NEVER COMPROMISE ITS NATURAL ELEMENT.

www.adesiv.it

La San Marco Profili srl Viale Europa 63 - 31010 Soligo, TV - Italy Tel. +39 0438 980106 r.a. - Fax +39 0438 980176 info@lasanmarcoprofili.com -www.lasanmarcoprofili.com

Floor Forum International 72

Review

BAU Munich (DE)

well integrated on the German market. In the hardwood range the wood sort Afri-kulu has been the dominant force this year. Afri-kulu is imported raw by Felix Clercx and is planed into several varieties. Afri-kulu is very strong and hard, but it can be given a highly smooth finish and has a nice rustic look. The most important argument for the interest in Afri-kulu is the independence of the dollar. Price stability persuaded several contacts and thereby certainly contributed to a successful show in Munich for Felix Clercx.

Fiberon “BAU“ in Munich a great success for Fiberon Fiberon Europe is highly satisfied with its presentation at the “BAU” in Munich. Compared to the “BAU” in 2013, the number of contacts and meetings more than doubled. Visitors were particularly attracted by the “Sanctuary”-series. Maintenance-free, very easy to install and with its new, matt design in multi-chromatic wood design, this series drew many dealers, tradesmen and architects to the attractive exhibition booth. While dealers and architects were particularly interested in the reduced gloss rate of the Fiberon Sanctuary planks, tradesmen were thrilled by the practically unlimited installation options which are unknown for other WPC products: Installation without gradient, installation on virtually any substructure, the unlimited options to use clip and screw connections, as well as the lack of a moisture-related length extension which makes an installation without large gaps possible.

FN Neuhofer FN Neuhofer Holz once again convinced its customers with innovative and unusual products. This year not only with new products and ranges but also with a completely new and impressively designed trade fair stand. One of the altogether six product innovations are the “FN LEDprofiles”. This profile with built-in LED strips conjures up beautiful light

effects and it is a successful combination of fixing rail and LED shaft. Any Neuhofer profile with a height of up to 90 mm and a clip nut attachment can be added. This makes the system unbelievably flexible. It is also possible to lay either LED strips of various wattages or light colours or cables into the shaft. The aluminium structure makes it easy for any heat that is created to leave the system.

Küberit Küberit draws a positive conclusion of the fairs in January For the German company Küberit, the participation on both shows, Domotex and BAU 2015, was throughout positive experience with more than satisfactory results. On both exhibitions the stands were highly frequented with many new contacts and international visitors from more than 63 countries. The percentage of professional visitors from outside Germany was around 50 %, mainly with professionals from the Netherlands, France and central and south east Europe. The developer and manufacturer Küberit presented again on the shows many new innovative and problem-solving product novelties. Some of the highlights were new profile solutions for LVT floorings or the new range „Küberit-Wall Style“ for wall coverings. Due to the participation at Innovations@Domotex, the relatively new profile system „PPSChampion Star“ was again the focus of interest.

La San Marco Profili La San Marco Profili, an Italian skirting and outdoor flooring manufacturer took part at BAU in Munich in collaboration with another Italian company, Adesiv. During the Fair, the company displayed its new skirting line, a series of skirting products featuring

Küberit®-Wall Style · High quality aluminium profiles for wall coverings · Long lasting protection of wall edges · Neat borders by cutting the wallpaper along the solid aluminium profile 34

Floor Forum international 72

www.kueberit.com

baroque styling and large size that recalls the elegance of past echoes. Furthermore, La San Marco Profili presented its wide range of Decking profiles and shown the possibility to customize any products in a very little time. Many new contacts have been established at the Fair so its participation results as positive for its aim of continuously products international widespread.

Osmo Osmo presents the new trends for 2015 Wood, colour, structures – all of this can be discovered by visitors to the BAU in Munich at the two-storey fair stand from Osmo. In a bright, open and modern atmosphere, visitors learn about new products and innovative natural wood finish colour tones as well as new surface structures for both the interior and exterior. Among the highlights are the optimised Wood Wax Finish range, the new hardener which shortens the drying time for Oil Stain and the new colour tone Light Grey, which was added to the Polyx®-Oil Tints range.

Overmat During the last BAU in München Overmat presented the full range of Floorservice Hardwax-oil and Cleaning and Maintenance Products for (outdoor)wood and PVC floors. Just like a diversity of pretreatment products from our Prime Design Line, like the known Prime Colors and Prime Old Grey. A new product was added to this Prime Design Line range; Prime Old Black. This product gives oak a deep, black appearance. After this floor treatment, the floor is finished with one of the 34 standard colours of Floorservice Hardwax-oil. This offers the possibility of creating a completely black floor but also allows you to choose a black floor with a brown, grey, white or even metallic finish.

Pallmann The fast route to success with Pallmann Turbo Innovative and proven coating systems for wood floor, “state of the art” wood floor sanding equipment and intelligent resources for wood floor installers – at the trade show BAU in Munich the Pallmann brand presented a range of “routes” to help the professional wood floor contractor reach their objectives in an increasingly busy work day. The focus of the presentation lay on the fast route to the destination with the Pallmann Turbo System. With coordinated products, from adhesive PALLMANN P9 to lacquer PALL-X 96 the Turbo System allows fast wood floor installation and protection. All information on www.pallmann.net

Proline With a record number of visitors topping the 250,000 mark, BAU 2015 has clearly demonstrated its importance as the world’s leading trade fair for architecture, materials and systems. Proline Systems and Proline Energy were also delighted this year with the record number of visitors from Germany and abroad. Proline welcomed long-term customers and also made new contacts.

Rubio Monocoat This year, Rubio Monocoat was participating for the first time at BAU. During this fair, we have introduced the creative quality of our oils to a new public. And they were very enthusiastic about the advantages of our oil range! The 40 attractive colours that can be mixed together and the other huge benefits - they are applicable in a single layer, require very little maintenance and can be

AZ_Zeitschriften_Text_ENG_190x65 20.02.13 17:28 Seite 1

We make binding connections. Floor profiles and underlay sheeting for hard, elastic and textile flooring.

www.proline-systems.com

Floor Forum International 72

Review

BAU Munich (DE)

used for spot repairs … opened new perspectives for finishers who did not know us before. This fair is one to remember!

Silvadec The BAU Munich a key event for Silvadec ! Silvadec 2015, booth 219 Hall B5 This year, Silvadec participated for the 3rd time at BAU in Munich. The composite wood manufacturer has been noteworthy for its innovation! Came in numbers, visitors were deeply interested in novelties of the European leader, and especially in its new range of cladding with its flagship product: the first louver board in composite wood of the market! It is with enthusiasm that Philip Crez, CEO of the company, announced the presence of Silvadec on the BAU 2017, satisfied with the quality of contacts and the international impact of the trade show. The Munich BAU is the refence for the construction worldwide, led by novelty and innovation.

STAUF STAUF Klebstoffwerk GmbH exhibiting for the first time ever at the BAU fair in Munich. Trade fair debut for STAUF For the first time ever, STAUF Klebstoffwerk GmbH was exhibiting at the BAU fair in Munich. The adhesives manufacturer from Wilnsdorf

EUROPEAN LEADER FOR COMPOSITE WOOD

www.silvadec.com

10-31-2220 This company has a certified chain of custody pefc-france.org

SEE YOU AT 9 – HALL 7

BOOTH R07 R0

18_21 | 03 | 20

Floor Forum international 72

was presenting its full portfolio of products at the Bavarian capital, with a particular focus on its own proprietary adhesive technologies for the building trade. STAUF’s mounting adhesives was the forefront of the products exhibited by the company at the trade fair – the manufacturer was looking to demonstrate that its competence extends far beyond flooring technology. By applying a brick facing to the test area, visitors could found out for themselves how quickly and efficiently the mounting and repair adhesives worked. The trade fair was very successful for the company STAUF.

Vetedy Vetedy was delighted to be able to show off all its terrace products and furnishings with the Softline® and Techniclic® invisible fastenings at its completely new stand during the BAU trade fair in Munich. Visits from their partners and new contacts from scores of new visitors proved that there is a lot of interest in their products. These products are easy to maintain, respect nature, and reflect current modern trends. As a certified, reputable, and, especially, a recognised company for the undoubted quality of what it launches on the market, Vetedy is always in a position to offer a 10-year guarantee on its products. Both systems have already won over the majority of Belgian architects and they are also proving a success in other parts of the world.

Windmöller Flooring Products GmbH PURLINE digital organic floor by wineo® wins the Interior Innovation Award 2015. When it comes to the PURLINE digital organic floor by wineo®, the focus is on individuality, flexibility and customer orientation. Thanks to ultra-modern digital print technology, the resilient organic product made by Windmöller is an absolute flooring highlight for architects wanting to turn the highest ecological standards into reality whilst creatively acting out their design ideas. International representatives of the design scene are already convinced by PURLINE digital and recently pronounced the unbeatably sustainable and creative organic floor as the Interior Innovation Award – Winner 2015 – in a competition organised by the German Design Council.

WOCA The passionate team of wood care experts from WoodCare Denmark truly enjoyed displaying the company’s latest developments within finishing and maintenance of all kinds of wood floors at BAU Munich. Brand new products, like WOCA Hardwax Oil and WOCA Tannin Spot Remover, were part of the 2015 innovations that WoodCare Denmark proudly presented to the many visitors, who came by the WOCA stand. As WoodCare Denmark is consistently pushing the boundaries of innovation, the WOCA team was also pleased to reveal new exciting and trendy color combinations for all kinds of wood floors.

Preview Made Expo Milan (IT)

MADE EXPO IS COMMITTED TO INNOVATION, BEAUTY, AND DURABILITY MADE EXPO takes place in Milan from 18 to 21 March. This international building and architectural show has gained widespread international prestige and attracts both the Italian and international building and architectural sectors to the economic capital of Italy every two years.

Inspiration and business opportunities The previous MADE EXPO in 2013 was a real success with over 211,000 visitors, including 36,000 from outside Italy (14% more than in 2011). For the forthcoming edition, MADE Expo is once again aiming to apply its success formula based on innovation, specialisation, and an international focus. The show is taking place in the spring for the first time. Furthermore, for the city of Milan, the show is also a major part of the Expo 2015 world exhibition year.

Fresh optimism about the building industry in Italy The Italian economy has been deadlocked for years, yet the Italian building federations are sure that the worst is behind them and that there are increasing investment opportunities both in Italy and in the rest of Europe. MADE Expo is certainly one of the major construction trade fairs in Europe and MADE EXPO has become a global concept with regional associate shows in Moscow (Russia) and Chicago (USA). Moreover, Italy is still the cradle of leading global ceramic floor products and, no less than in the past, plays a big part in the development of trends and in the wider world of design and in the field of interior design.

Events with a focus on hospitality and retail project market Apart from an event dedicated to the construction of the pavilions for the world exhibition in Milan (‘Building the Expo’), there are also two worthwhile initiatives for anyone operating on the international commercial market, especially for the tourist industry and the shopping sector, namely MADE 4 RETAIL and MADE 4 CONTRACT HOTEL. The latter is an event organised by Federlegno Arredo, AICA (Associazione Italiana Confindustria Alberghi i.e. the hotel and accommodation industry federation in Italy), and MADE Expo. Visitors can hear about the needs and wants of the industry in the field of tourist accommodation design. Several B2B meetings are also being organised between purchase departments from the hospitality sector and suppliers, and the organisers will hope to take advantage of new trends and solutions for this market segment. With MADE 4 RETAIL the organisers have planned a series of meetings on how building companies can best approach the retail project market and they will be looking at both the needs of local national players and those of international and global retail concepts.

Practical details MADE Expo is divided up into four zones: Construction Materials, Software Technologies & Solutions, Building Envelope Windows, and Interior Finishing. Most attention from our industry will be focused on the last of these zones. For more information you can visit: www.madeexpo.it

Visit www.floor-forum.com

Buzon Pedestal International Buzon Pedestal International was formed in 1987 and the company can be proud of its position as world leader in the production of adjustable floor pedestals of the ‘Verin’ type. Buzon floor pedestals, which are made from recyclable polypropylene, are developed specially to make it possible to fit all types of terraces. Buzon floor pedestals are the ideal solution in each case, whether the terrace is fitted onto a screed in concrete, an existing terrace, gravel with drainage, or a flat roof. Buzon’s great specialisation in scores of accessories ensures an easy, stable, and durable fitting of the floor covering onto substrates such as concrete tiles, natural stone or ceramic tiles or on planks, or tiles in wood or composite material. The knowledge which the company has built up on scores of sites all over the world means that Buzon has a wealth of know-how to share with its partners. It does so by providing training, customised information, and technical support on site. The various Buzon product lines meet the wishes and expectations of both private and public terrace professionals. They guarantee high resistance, easy fitting, and the option of a more ‘artistic’ fitting. Finally, their production, both in Belgium and the rest of Europe, which is linked to extensive warehouses, ensures efficient logistics and an effective network of dealers, constant availability of the products, and rapid deliveries.

Progress Profiles Italian leader manufacture of technical and decorative finishing profiles, offers excellent solutions to satisfy the most exigent clients: like the BATTISCOPA PVC, a new skirting for floating floors in laminate wood. Made of PVC foam, with height of 70mm and depth of 16mm, the BATTISCOPA PVC can be combined with almost 30 different shades of wood. The laying of the skirting board can be performed with gluing (acetic silicone-acrylic-mastic) or with a simple structure fixed with screws, bolts or nails. The new BATTISCOPA PVC is strong, durable and economic, easy to lay and suitable for any environment, both public and private. More information about the products of Progress Profiles with their complete features are available on the website: www.progressprofiles.com

Silvadec Silvadec revolutionize the cladding market with the 1st WPC louver boardpresented booth 219, Hall 5B. Esthetical, technical and ecologicalsolution, the new louver board adapts to both public and private buildings. This new profil, caped in polyethylene, ensure a stable colour, permanent and homogeneous, with easy maintenance. Available with several fastening systems (horizontal or vertical installation with possible different joint gaps). 5 boards and accessories colours. More info at www.silvadec.com

Floor Forum International 72

Special

Outdoor floors : wood & composite

WOODEN TERRACES IN THE LIFT THERE’S STILL LOTS OF WORK TO DO: QUALITY SELLS ITSELF

Photo – Archi Wood / Hard Wood Clip®

Seduction! That’s one of those instruments in the marketing mix which always does the trick. The wooden terrace market is still growing and the suppliers deserve a pat on the back for that. Due to the extensive range of absolutely beautiful wood sorts and the quality of the fitting using modern (invisible) fastening systems, wooden terraces have achieved a level of perfection as never before. This obviously makes it a lot easier to win over the ‘client’. How do you sell a wooden terrace? By showing it off! References are the top sales argument here. A perfectly fitted terrace is pure seduction.

Thresholds removed For a long time, consumers showed a certain reserve towards wooden terraces. They had an image in their heads of rather antiquated planks nailed onto beams and always showing traces of ‘the ravages of time’.

Floor Forum international 72

This included cracks here and there, one or two slightly warped planks, splinters, and creaky spots. Anyone who looked for a new wooden terrace hardly knew any better. Consumers used to think: ‘New terraces look nice, but what will they look like in a few years’ time?’ That question was understandable. Nothing was safer than a solid tile (ceramic or natural stone) on a neatly sloping screed in so called stabilised sand. Neat and easy to maintain. You could finish neatly right into the corners, up against the outer wall, around the swimming pool, and along the garden house. The same applies more or less to ordinary bricks. Nowadays, however, wooden terraces radiate durability. They inspire confidence and, in all honesty, we have to say that this is ‘something new’.

Technology brings durability The fact that wooden terraces nowadays are more durable than about 15 years ago and also look more durable is due to technology. With

the traditional fitting method, each nail hole actually caused the first damage. Running cracks often formed around the nails because the nails obstructed the natural movement of the wood. However, modern fastening systems are now designed in such a way as to allow the wood to move naturally. Furthermore, there are no more holes on the surface. Most systems now even consider the degree of movement in the wood, which can vary with the drying method. Besides invisible fastening systems, there are also various other technical accessories, which improve the fitting considerably. Take, for example, the synthetic support feet, which absorb differences in height skilfully, reliably, and durably. All those technical elements directly affect the lifespan of a wooden terrace.

THE ULTIMATE GENERATION OF HIDDEN FASTENERS WITH STAINLESS STEEL REINFORCEMENT

How do you sell a wooden terrace?

* in compliance with DTU 51.4 requirements regarding fasteners

We’ve already answered this question – seeing generates sales. And so, the best weapon for selling wooden terraces is a professional photo album with sound references, a web site full of pictures, or a visit to admire a completed project at close quarters. In other words, photograph your work or have it photographed for you. It’s worth it. Nowadays, there are various channels for creating a photo album online and providing for digital prints. This investment costs you just ‘a few dozen’ euros. Anyone with a showroom would obviously do well to lay out a terrace (if only a replica) in various wood sorts. Suppliers of outdoor wood, like suppliers of parquet, have extensive sample cards and ‘samples’ in real wood. It’s definitely worth showing the wood sorts in treated and untreated (discoloured) versions to give some idea of what the wood will look like over time.

Timber decking & cladding

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

An impressive range of wood

www.novlek.com

The range of wooden terraces and wood-related terraces has increased vastly. This is also the reason why more and more people are finding something to their taste from the range. Not only are there the scores of wood sorts in the higher durability classes, but there are also compositions of wood with other substances and a number of technological alternatives. Below we list the relevant items.

Range of tropical outdoor wood We asked the manufacturers themselves which sorts are the most popular. There were lots of different answers! Bangkirai: This is still the best-seller and most popular sort of outdoor wood. Extremely hard and highly durable, bangkirai planks retain their beauty for a long time. Ipe: Ipe is regarded as the absolute summit for terraces. Chestnut wood: The wood from the sweet chestnut (castanea sativa) is extremely tough and is in durability class II. Its high tannic acid content means that chestnut is particularly resistant to damp and mould. Chestnut still has to prove itself in the world of terraces, but it is worth recommending in any case due to its favourable natural properties. Robinia: Robinia is one of the most durable European hardwood sorts and belongs in class I. Robinia is also known as wild acacia. Robinia can be used perfectly well for terrace wood without any impregnation or other treatment. Belinga: Belinga, bangkirai, and massaranduba are in class I. However, belinga splinters quicker than bangkirai and, moreover, it is a lot more yellow in colour than the other sorts. This wood sort comes from Africa. It is somewhat cheaper than bangkirai. After all, bangkirai comes from Indonesia where the price of wood depends on the exchange rate for the dollar. Massaranduba: Massaranduba is the same as paraju wood. Whilst bangkirai hovers between classes I and II, massaranduba is definitely in class I. This wood sort is harder than bangkirai, but there is a high risk

Made in Europe

Decking Building ® is the new way of thinking the decking developed by Ravaioli Legnami thanks to its knowledge and experience in the wood sector. The system brings new ideas in design building: decking can be used both in horizontal and vertical realizations, in external and internal areas, in urban and domestic applications. Ravaioli Decking Building ® means: selected boards and pre-assembled tiles made of Teak, Ipè, Garapa, Massaranduba, Iroko Africa, Agelim Amargoso, FSC Thermo-treated Ash, Thermo-treated Bamboo and deck tiles. Furthermore Ravaioli Decking Building ® involves cladding Perlage, coverings, sunscreens, and brise-soleil, such as the new and patented product 4SUN; wood engineering for urban design, solutions for landscape design and for land recovery and restoration. It can also provide the innovative system iDecking Easy Click, to install the decking only with the foot pressure. Ravaioli Decking Building ® creates opportunities aming at developing the architecture of the “better living”. Ravaioli Legnami srl T. +39 0545.927.309 www.ravaiolilegnami.com

of cracks. Massaranduba is a suitably priced alternative to bangkirai. Padauk: This wood also belongs in durability class I and is ideal for laying an outdoor terrace. Padauk has a density of 810kg/m³ and is highly stable. It is also used for ships. Teak: Teak is also in class I, but it is not as hard – the density of teak is 700kg/m³. It is an extremely durable wood and is also used for ships. Merbau: Merbau belongs in classes I to II. Its red appearance appeals to a lot of people.

What about oak? In the past, people did not look to oak immediately as their first choice wood for outdoors. Nowadays, we see that terrace manufacturers are increasingly offering it as an option. However, oak is more popular for the construction of outhouses and pool houses than for terraces. Note! There are various sorts of oak. Red oak has bigger growth rings and a rougher grain than white oak. Red oak is not as durable as white oak, but it is easier to make it more durable. The cutting cycle for oak is between 120 and 250 years. In Europe the trunk wood needs 150 years to grow to a diameter of ±60cm, whilst the red oak in America reaches that diameter in under 80 years. American red oak is not very durable (natural durability class IV). American white oak and European oak hover between moderately durable to durable (natural durability classes II and III).

Thermally treated wood For many years, researchers looked for alternative ways to make moderately durable wood even more durable. They wanted to do it in a different way to the then common practice of treating wood with chemical products, which were often extremely harmful. After a long period of testing, thermal modification was one of the first solutions which proved to be successful and was applied on a broad scale. Amongst other things, thermal treatment has the effect of killing the natural components which could serve as nutrition for mould and insects. However, the most important consequence relates to the stability of the wood i.e. the way in which the wood responds to climate changes. Thermal treatment changes the hygroscopic nature of the wood; the wood becomes a lot less sensitive to fluctuations in air humidity so that the wood swells and shrinks a lot less.

Alternatives to wood Bamboo terrace planks Bamboo planks and floors are made by pressing bamboo ripples down into flat material. This can be used, amongst other things, to make parquet. The process for making terrace planks in (strand woven) bamboo is considerably different. First of all, the bamboo trunk is cut into thinner strips. Those strips are boiled at a very high temperature and then left to cool. Finally, the strips are put into a metal press where certain resins are added to the bamboo. The whole unit is then pressed together cold under very high pressure. The panels which result from this press technology have a natural structure which resembles tropical wood perfectly. Each plank is certainly different. The most important point is that this method yields the hardest material available on the market. With a hardness of 103.5MPa, strand woven bamboo is twice as hard as oak. The exceptional mechanical properties of these planks make them ideal for outdoor parquet. Strand woven bamboo is also more stable than teak.

Wood composite Wood composite contains real wood. It consists of wood fibres, high-density polyethylene, UV stabilisers, dyes, and various additives to optimise the mechanical qualities. These are usually recycled

iDecking Revolution brought to you by an italian company born to innovate in the field of outdoor decking and wall claddings. Our patented systems EasyClick and EasyChange simplify and revolutionize all the traditions of installing systems used all over the world.

PRODUCT OF THE YEAR - install decking 5 times faster with just a click of your foot - remove/replace each board anywhere in the deck with the simple use of a key. - choose DURO decking: the most ecofriendly material made of rice husk!

want to know more?

www.idecksystems.com

EasyChange system

EasyClick system

Special

Outdoor floors : wood & composite

wood fibres, residual wood, and recycled polyethylene. The ingredients are mixed and undergo an extrusion process at high temperature and under high pressure. Thanks to extrusion technology, you also obtain accurate dimensioning and all things are possible in terms of the shape. In many respects wood composite is an ecological alternative to tropical hardwood. Basically, you don’t need to cut down any trees and the waste wood can just as easily bear the FSC label. Producers make reference to durability class 1, but, strictly speaking, we cannot confirm this until 2022, since this material was first produced in 1997 and class 1 requires 25 years of exposure to outdoor conditions.

conditions. Thanks to its black-matt, anti-reflection finish and its stainless steel screws in the antique brown colour (coloured all over), Hard Wood Clip® provides a fastening solution which is more discreet than ever. The new Hard Wood Clip® fastenings are made in modern and certified European factories so that the products meet the highest possible quality standards.

Architecture du Bois - Terrasses Grad™

Imitation wood Whilst wood composite still contains wood, this is not the case for ‘synthetic wood’. We have seen the same phenomenon as with outdoor joinery about 30 years ago. At that time, makers of PVC windows and doors launched outdoor joinery on the market with the appearance of real wooden windows. That was a lot cheaper and you still had the ‘look’. For terraces, too, planks are emerging which are made of synthetic materials and look like real wood. The word ‘imitation’ is certainly appropriate here. From a technical point of view, these terrace boards obviously sell quite well because they are resistant to wood rot or mould.

A selection from the market range Archi Wood/HardWood Clip®

The best-seller in terms of volume at Grad ™ lifetime decking is the thermally treated Thermopin, which recorded sales in 2013 of no fewer than 22,000m². In terms of value the terrace boards in Kebony© are in the lead (33% of sales in 2013/16,000m²). Kebony© has also been subjected to a special treatment to make it more durable. Another wood sort which is doing very well is Accoya. Last year, a new composite (45% wood/45% polyethylene/10 % various additives) saw the light of day under the name Strongdek. Another new item is the invisible and removable fastening system ‘Le Perfect Rail’.

B-fix

Hard Wood Clip® is the only invisible fastening system which has received a European Technical Approval certificate (‘Agrément Technique’ or ‘ATG’ for short) and which has been assessed as in conformity to the requirements of the French standard NF DTU 51.4. for the construction of wooden terraces. It has been conceived, made, and sold by Archi Wood. The latest generation of Hard Wood Clip® fastening systems are raising standards even higher in terms of performance and easy fitting for users. Although it is totally new, this latest generation of Hard Wood Clip® retains the essentials. It is a fastening system in high-quality plastic, which is strengthened by a reinforcement element in A2 stainless steel with very high durability. This combines exceptional solidarity and high absorption capacities during the swelling and shrinking of the wood. Hard Wood Clip® is also characterised by the fixed screw principle of the floorboards on the support beams at an angle of 45 degrees, the fastening for more solidarity and more control over the movements of the floorboards, its symmetrical groove profile so that the floorboards cannot be displaced, and its exclusive stainless steel self-screwing SPAX® screws. Hard Wood Clip® is available in three sizes in order to ensure the correct distance between the floorboards (3mm, 5mm, or 7mm), whatever their residual moisture content is during the fitting and whatever the wood sort, sizes, and weather

Floor Forum international 72

B-Fix does not concern itself with the sale of wood or composite, but with the development and sale of the invisible fastening system with the same name. They have noticed that countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg have a strong preference for exotic wood such as ipe, cumaru, padauk, massaranduba, tali, and such like, whereas in Germany and French the tendency is to opt for local sorts, often thermally treated. They are also seeing a revival of oak in dribs and drabs. Since it is impossible to ignore the composite market, there is also a composite of bamboo and polyethylene which is profiled for the B-Fix invisible fastening system. These floors are sold by the company Lime (BE). It is not clear whether or not the terrace market is growing, but, at all events, sales of the invisible fastening system are certainly rising.

DeckWise® International BV DeckWise® Hidden Deck Fasteners owe their strength to the stainless steel core in each fastener. These DeckWise® Hidden Deck Fasteners are available in three different interval options (2, 4, and 6mm) and in three different colours. The clips are fitted into the grooves in the side of the plank. The screws are screwed at an

angle of 45° through the centre of the clip. This keeps the plank securely anchored. DeckWise® Hidden Deck Fasteners are produced according to a patented system in which hardened stainless steel inside the clip consists of UV and chemical-resistant plastic. One unique feature is that the planks stay perfectly secure, yet they can still move naturally.

Groupe Rose/Protac Ouest At Groupe Rose class 4 treated Scandinavian (Sylvester) pine is the most popular wood sort for outdoor terraces. The company has been operating in the wood industry since 1949. And so, this noble and vital material is part of its corporate culture and commands an excellent reputation. However, that is also the reason why they don’t offer any alternative in composite. There is an alternative of saturated terrace boards in different shades in Radiata pine, which is also an attractive wood sort without any gnarls. These terraces are being fitted increasingly with the Novlek® invisible fastening system. At Groupe Rose they are seeing an annual market growth of 15%.

Ipe Latino Ipe Latino presents a new range of terrace boards in the ecological material Vesta®, which consists for 82% of fibres originally from French wood and mineral dyes. The material is waterproof and insect-proof. The high stability facilitates big terrace boards up to 30cm wide. They can be fitted quickly using a certified fastening system. The planks are coloured all over and are 100% UV resistant. Neolife also offers a solution in six shades for decorating pool houses, saunas, pergolas, and such like. This trademark has won various awards and prizes since 2013. At Ipe Latino they are witnessing constant development and growth in the terrace and balcony market, both with high-rise blocks and in private homes. As regards wood sorts, ipe and padauk are the best-sellers at Ipe Latino.

l a i t n e s s e s i Wishinavitsible to the eyes We have been ensuring quality and support for roofings and foundations for 30 years, providing our contribution to the construction sector. Enthusiasm and ongoing research are our starting points to always ensure competitive products. Impertek has an extensive range of products: from the adjustable supports, like the extensions for jack supports, to the XL jack supports and MegaMart S. An invisible contribution to make your world sounder and more durable.

iDecKing This Italian company specialises in terrace planks and screwless terrace fastening systems which are easy to fit and provide lots of comfort. They offer both tropical and thermally treated ash terrace planks as well as bamboo and DURO composite planks. The latter are produced in a durable composite material based on rice bran residue. With the new Easy Click system, the planks are fastened to aluminium base beams with plastic clips by simply pressing them into the clips on

www.impertek.com Italian

QUALITY TECHNOLOGY AND PRODUCTION

Floor Forum International 72

Special

Outdoor floors : wood & composite

the base beams applying pressure with the foot. The installation requires less effort and is five times quicker than a system with screws.

EasyClick system La San Marco Profili

La San Marco Profili consider Teak as absolutely the favorite and most selected among the wood sorts for outdoors, because of all its technical and aesthetic peculiarities and thanks to its unique effect and very good quality/price ratio. Our long experience in the field lead us to do a selection among wood sorts for outdoors. We chose woods such as Ipè, heat-treated Ash, Iroko Africa and Angelim Amargoso. These wood varieties offer aesthetic advantages of long-lasting quality and need less maintenance if they are well fitted. In fact, we consider the decking installation a very important element in this business. What we recommend is to support the value of the floor layer. His knowledge and competence, above all of the place where the decking has to be installed, are strictly connected with the value of our product offer. The market of outdoors flooring is more and more developing and above all the demand of natural elements that harmoniously coexist with the environment, rather than have a strong impact with it. This is and will be always our choice. Our passion for wood and beauty in general, make it difficult for us to choose other similar products for outdoors such as composite wood. We tried to take into consideration different composite material but we finally conclude that there are not alternative products that are competitive for aesthetics, technical qualities and price.

Outdoor Wood Concepts

ALWAYS IN STOCK : FSC,PEFC, OLB, VLO, TLTV TIMBER BERGSTRAAT 25 | B-8511 AALBEKE | BELGIË T. +32 (0)56 43 33 33 | F. +32 (0)56 43 33 34 GENEVIEVE@VANDECASTEELE.BE | WWW.VANDECASTEELE.BE

interieur architect Vercruysse Dirk FSC TIMBER COMES FROM WELL MANAGED FORESTS, INDEPENDENTLY CERTIFIED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RULES OF THE FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL A.C.

Terrace planks from Outdoor Wood Concepts are produced from the wood sorts paraju, padauk, and ipe. They do not use composite wood. They find it quite logical that floor fitters are now fitting more

and more terraces since terraces are being seen increasingly as an extension of the interior. According to Outdoor Wood Concepts, most fittings are done by the traditional joiner. They also think that the market at present has reached a saturation point. Sales of ipe are expected to fall because the price has risen sharply.

Plastivan At Plastivan they have seen growth in the terrace market. For parquet floor fitters this is a nice opportunity to extend their range by going along with client demand for suppliers who can offer a full range of services. However, fitting outdoor terraces does require the necessary training, so traditional parquet floor fitters will need some in-service training. Duofuse® is the trademark of the WPC products which Plastivan NV produces. It is a mix of 50% wood dust (European pine wood) and 50% synthetics (PVC). Plastivan NV has almost half a century of experience in the extrusion of PVC building products and has also been producing wood composite (HKC or WPC) for eight years. The assortment consists of a broad collection of materials for use in the garden (various types of terrace planks and garden screens) whereby Plastivan NV has played a pioneering role in this rapidly growing market. The company produces everything itself in Belgium (from compounding the raw material to the extrusion of the planks) so that it has full control over the entire production process. In this respect Plastivan NV stands out from the large range of import products from Asia. The price of Duofuse® wood composite is in the price category of class 1 wood sorts such as ipe and padauk.

attention for some years now, they are convinced at Ravaioli Legnami that this market gives floor fitters lots of extra opportunities. According to this specialist, there will be growth sooner than expected.

Vetedy To create terraces with a professional and invisible fastening system, Vetedy uses impenetrable and highly stable wood sorts. The best quality wood sorts for that purpose are merbau, padauk, ipe, and Burmese teak. Oak enjoys only moderate appreciation here. The reasons for that are the lower guarantee of stability and the fact that oak loses its beauty when exposed to the effects of the weather. The tannins in the wood can generate adverse reactions resulting in dark discolouration. Furthermore, they don’t have much confidence in thermally treated wood here. Vetedy swears by 100% natural wood, so composites are not for them.

CLEANER FOR WPC & BPC

Ravaioli Legnami

Effective basic cleaner – The Osmo Polymer Composite Cleaner > Highly effective, slightly alkaline special exterior cleaner for removing organic and inorganic contaminants > For WPC & BPC surfaces e.g. garden furniture, fencing and decking Ravaioli Legnami sells mainly ipe, teak, thermally treated ash, and thermally treated bamboo for outdoor terraces. As an alternative, the firm has a new composite, which is much more durable than the WPC terraces which they used to sell. Nevertheless, the company recommends real wood as a preference due to its warm and natural character. Since people have been giving their outdoor space more

Further information on this and many other products can be found on: www.osmo.com

Floor Forum International 72

Special

Waterborne lacquers

WATERBORNE LACQUERS – A GREEN BLESSING :

FULL RANGES OF LOW-EMISSION PRODUCTS

Photo – Blanchon

The debate on solvent-free products, waterborne alternatives, and emission standards reached new heights around the turn of the millennium. A milestone in the history of the development of VOC (volatile organic compounds) was certainly the formation of the Association for the Control of Emissions in Products for Flooring Installation (‘Gemeinschaft Emissionkontrolierte Verlegewerkstoffe’ or GEV for short). This was an initiative led by floor covering adhesive makers, who launched a practicable guideline with the development of the ‘Emicodes’. This was followed by a decade of legislative work and practical execution on the field. Today, waterborne products, including lacquers, are fully integrated.

Floor Forum international 72

On climate change Climate change is a problem which can no longer be ignored. That was the point made by United States’ Foreign Minister John Kerry in an appeal to the world to take action now. Kerry gave a speech on one of the last days of the recent climate congress in Lima. He said that the scientific evidence was ‘screaming at us, warning us, and, hopefully, compelling us to take action’. Kerry believes every country must play its part if the world hopes to succeed in conquering the challenge of climate change. Kerry also delved deeper into the discussion about who should accept which parts of the costs of climate change. He also considered whether only the industrial nations should accept responsibility for the fight against climate change or developing countries as well. ‘Countries with the highest emissions, including the United

States, must definitely contribute more towards a solution,’ said Kerry. However, he also commented that developing countries are responsible for half of all global emissions. He said, ‘And so, they, too, need to take action.’ Kerry believes that there isn’t a single country, not even the USA, which can solve the climate problems on its own. ‘It’s simply a fact that we don’t have time here to argue about whose responsibility it is to act. It’s quite simple: It’s everyone’s responsibility.’ In the current situation, Kerry believes it is imperative that the world signs a global climate treaty in Paris at the end of next year.

Volatile Organic Compounds What exactly are VOC (volatile organic compounds)? They play the main part in the transition from harmful to ecological products in sectors such as the parquet industry. To understand exactly what it’s all about, it might be helpful to explain exactly how lacquers ‘work’. A lacquer generally consists of three main components. The binding agent or the base is that component of the lacquer which forms a layer of film when the floor is finished and the lacquer or varnish is dry. In the case of synthetic paints, that binding agent consists of synthetic resin. The thinner or ‘solvent’ (Latin ‘solvere’) is the component which ensures that the lacquer is fluid when it is applied. Without the solvent it would not be possible to spread the dry binding agent. The solvent vaporises or evaporates during the drying process. That solvent can consist of water or oil such as white spirit, methyl benzene, xylene, etc.). Finally, a lacquer also contains a number of functional components such as dyes, natural or chemical colouring agents, emulsifying agents, and such like. It is clear that the drying process means ‘the

removal’ of the solvent from the mixture. As we have said, this comes about through ‘evaporation’ (of volatile compounds) or vaporisation (of water). The vaporisation of water from the lacquer hardly has any harmful effects on the environment.

Why ‘ban’ solvents? Solvents enter the body via the inhalation of gases or contact with skin. Even fleeting exposure to some substances can cause headache, dizziness, or a sense of intoxication, all complaints which can be relieved by a breath of fresh air. And so, these temporary ailments pass over quickly. However, solvents can also cause serious and long-term health disorders. Of all those health disorders, POS (psycho-organic syndrome) is certainly the most dangerous. And so, the evaporation of solvents not only involves a health hazard, but also for the occupant it is particularly irksome, so much so that in the past it was often impossible to stay at home when the floor was being painted. The limit on emissions of harmful substances due to the use of organic solvents in paints and varnishes was set out in European Directive no. 2004/42/ EC. For water and solventborne paints this directive imposed a maximum VOC content, which came into force to some extent in 2007 and later, from 2010, could not under any circumstances be exceeded. And so, today, there are maximums for the permissible solvent content in various products such as paint, adhesive, propellants for spray cans and products for surface treatment, cleaning, degreasing, coating, and impregnation, to name but a few. Most makers had already developed waterborne products before the deadline expired.

Ultimate matt finish.

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

Floor Forum International 72

Special

Waterborne lacquers

The Emicodes We will see below that makers use a classification (EC 1, 2, or 3) to specify their products. This classification relates to the Emicodes, which have been developed as a result of the above-mentioned Association for the Control of Emissions in Products for Flooring Installation (‘Gemeinschaft Emissionkontrolierte Verlegewerkstoffe’/ GEV). Initially, those Emicodes related mainly to adhesives, but they are applied to all ‘testable’ floor products.

Specification The EMICODE is the registered sign of the GEV. It designates a classification system which can be used to divide up chemical building products for floor fitters according to their emission behaviour into the following three classes: EMICODE EC 1 is ‘very low-emission’. EMICODE EC 2 is ‘low-emission’. EMICODE EC 3 is ‘not low-emission’. The classification based on the EMICODE is founded on measuring data obtained by research and specific division criteria recorded after a specified test method. Since the concept of ‘very low-emission’ in itself is neither standardised nor clearly defined, only EMICODE offers an obligatory basis for the assessment and choice of products for floor fitters.

The limit values The EMICODE division classes for TVOS (total organic volatile compounds = the sum of all volatile organic compounds) are set out for separate groups of products as follows.

Priming Spread Glueing, anti-slip, undercoats EMICODE 1 EMICODE 2 EMICODE 3

<100 μg/m³ 100-300 μg/m³ >300 μg/m³

<200 μg/m³ 200-600 μg/m³ >600 μg/m³

<500 μg/m³ 500-1500 μg/m³ >500 μg/m³

Test method The TVOS (the total emission) is recorded after the product in question has been subjected to tests in a test cabin for ten days. It is tested using a test cabin method developed and set out in collaboration with well known research institutes. For that reason the test sample is applied spread to a specifically defined base and put in a test cabin with set ventilation and climate values. The volume in the cabin is at least 100 litres, whilst the size of the test surface is selected so as to create pressure of 0.4m²/m³ (this corresponds to the ratio between the base surface and the volume of a space in an average room). The first air sample is taken 24 hours later and tested for K-compounds. A second air sample is taken 10 days later and tested for VOC. Emitted VOC in concentrations of more than 20μg/m³ are defined individually, whilst the rest are listed briefly. The total sum of concentrations yields the TVOS value and thereby gives rise to the basic classification for the EMICODE system.

New emission standards Since the Building Products Directive was converted into a Building Products Regulation, member states have been obliged to adapt

Floor Forum international 72

their national legislation as necessary to compulsory European playing rules. With the Royal Decree of 8 May 2014 ‘establishing the threshold levels of emissions to the indoor environment of building products for specific intended use’ Belgium has implemented one of the seven basic demands of the European Building Products Regulation, namely the demands with regard to ‘hygiene, health, and the environment’. This means that the new European emission standards have come into force which stipulate, amongst other things, that after 28 days the emission level of all volatile organic compounds together (TVOC) may not even exceed 1,000µg/m³ and the total content of semi-volatile organic compounds (TSVOS) may not even exceed 100µg/m³. The proportion of CMR compounds from categories 1A and 1B may not exceed 1µg/m³. CMR compounds are carcinogenic (they can cause cancer), mutagenic (they cause genetic mutations), or toxic for reproduction (are harmful to procreation or the offspring). With category 1A compounds it has been proved that they are dangerous on the basis of human data. With category B compounds the extent of CMR sensitivity is considered to be proved on the basis of sufficient animal data. The CMR compounds are listed in appendix VI of the CLP directive (together with all other dangerous compounds). There are now also binding limits for toluene (≤ 300µg/m³), acetaldehyde (≤ 200µg/m³), and formaldehyde (≤ 100µg/m³).

The importance of air humidity Waterborne products dry much faster, so they have to be applied quickly to ensure a good end result. These products dry mainly as the water in the lacquer evaporates. A high relative humidity (>85%) will have an adverse effect on drying; after all, the water in the paint can hardly evaporate because the surrounding air is already virtually saturated with damp. If the drying is disrupted in this way, this will have an adverse effect on durability, adhesion, and the water-sensitivity of the coat of paint. If condensation appears on glass surfaces, that is a clear indication of excess moisture content. It will not be possible to apply waterborne lacquers under those conditions. Temperature also plays a part. With summer temperatures and a low relative humidity (<40%), the paint may dry so fast that you can’t apply it properly, certainly if there is a draught. However, you also need to be alert to surrounding and surface temperatures even in winter. The minimum temperature for waterborne lacquers is usually 7°C. If temperatures are any lower, you will need to heat rooms. It is important (especially for the base temperature) to heat rooms properly well before work starts.

Top quality Waterborne lacquers are available in both single and dual component versions. The single component finish is a ready-for-use product, which the floor fitter can apply at once. And so, that also means that the floor fitter cannot go wrong. With dual component lacquers the two ingredients have to be mixed with each other in the exact dosage given by the maker. To ensure optimal adhesion you need to apply the second coat within a certain time and you also need to sandpaper lightly between coats. The application of waterborne lacquers has proved to be a major adaptation for many (older) floor fitters. In particular, the shorter drying time was a problem. Nowadays, at least, everyone agrees that the transition has certainly not been at the expense of a top quality end result. Waterborne lacquers provide excellent adhesion and very high mechanical resistance. They can resist the penetration of strong colouring products such as coffee, wine, and soft drinks. Moreover, they are easy to maintain and fairly simple to renovate.

r - stronge ste

safer

- HD

Beating Time Bona Traffic HD â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Powerful performance at top speed Bona Traffic HD, the high-performance finish for high-traffic areas, now delivers superior protection in less time than ever before, outperforming any other finish in terms of speed and durability. Floor owners are now able to get back on the floor already 12 hours after application. Bona Traffic HD is a powerful solution for areas such as lobbies, airports, exhibition halls and train stations, giving your floors long-lasting protection and preserving its beauty for its entire lifetime.

bona.com/trafficHD

for

m ance

Special

Waterborne lacquers

A selection from the range

Ciranova

Blanchon Blanchon is most certainly a European pioneer in waterborne lacquers. The company has had a full range for over 25 years, namely Aqua Pro, the range for parquet and floor specialists. The range includes primers, single and dual component lacquers, a waterborne oil, a binding agent for putty, and a whole range of special colours for large surfaces. The biggest innovation is Ciméthane® UV, which is dried using UV light and stands out for its vast abrasion resistance. Blanchon has three dual component lacquers, namely Belmont, Intensive, and Sport. Belmont (EC1R) is an odourless lacquer with outstanding properties. Intensive (EC1R) is also odourless and offers very high resistance to chemical products and high traffic. Sport is a waterborne polyurethane lacquer for sports floors and floors with certain anti-slip requirements. Blanchon also offers single component lacquers such as Chambord (EC1). This waterborne polyurethane lacquer is easy to apply on new wood and is odourless. Chambord brings out the natural character of the wood and gives it a warm colour. Another single component lacquer is Initial. This lacquers warms up the look of light wood sorts.

Bona Bona has a very extensive range, so it’s not possible for us to discuss all waterborne lacquers in detail, but here are some highlights. Bona Natural 1 component is the new generation of protection for wooden floors from Bona. It combines the best in wood oil, hard wax, oil, and waterborne lacquers with a unique natural look and feel. Bona Natural 1 component is a product for the surface treatment of wooden floors which are subjected to medium to semi-intensive use. The unique Bona Natural composition gives the look and feel of pure wood. Bona Traffic is a 2-component matt 100% polyurethane waterborne lacquer for commercial floors. It is highly durable and is resistant to marks from rubber soles. It is also suitable for lacquering ready-for-use cork floors. It gives the surface the look of an oiled floor i.e. no gloss or reflection. Bona Traffic Mat is suitable for treating parquet and other wooden floors which are used very intensively. Bona Traffic Silk Mat has a higher degree of gloss, but also has all the properties of the matt version. The most recent innovation is the Bona Traffic HD (HD = High Durability), a dual component parquet lacquer for treating wooden floors in public areas which are subjected to very intensive use. It combines ultimate performances with a green formula, which has been developed for durable results on the floor and for the environment. Bona Traffic HD is fairly odourless and has received the German DIBt certificate for its low indoor emissions.

Floor Forum international 72

Ciranova has a waterborne lacquer system with four products. AQUAFIX SEALER is a ready-for-use single component waterborne primer for parquet. It is highly elastic and ecological. It is ideal as an insulation layer for wood sorts which are difficult to treat such as tannin blocker. The lacquer is also suitable for parquet in combination with floor heating. AQUAFIX MONO is a transparent universal varnish based on PU/acryl for the protection of domestic parquet (satin and matt). AQUAFIX PROJECT 2K is the dual component project lacquer for high traffic floors (semi-matt and ultra-matt). This lacquer is also suitable as a finish for sports floors. AQUAFIX MAGIC 2K is a dual component parquet lacquer for parquet and wooden Furniture, which gives invisible protection without discolouring the wood. The lacquer is suitable for wooden floors for commercial use for outdoor applications. The producers have recently improved the composition of the Aquafix Magique 2K. New raw materials and better UV blockers stop the wood from turning yellow.

DevoNatural® DevoNatural® is a full assortment of ecological products for colouring, finishing, and maintaining parquet and wooden floors. DevoNatural® durable parquet varnishes completely seals the pores of the wood to protect the wood from damp and dirt. DevoNatural® parquet varnish makes the floor waterproof and highly durable and provides strong chemical resistance. There is a choice of three different sorts of parquet varnish, which each have their own specific properties. The DevoNatural® varnishes Finish, Transit, and Passage each have their own specific properties. Lots of years of R&D and the use of qualitative raw materials give the DevoNatural® varnishes the highest possible comfort and the longest lifespan. DevoNatural® Finish is used mainly for bedrooms, living rooms, and such like, i.e. surfaces with medium traffic. DevoNatural® Transit is used mainly for living rooms, shops, offices, showrooms, and such like, i.e. surfaces with medium to high traffic. DevoNatural® Passage is used mainly for living rooms, shops, vestibules, showrooms, hotels, banks, museums, public buildings, airports, theatres, and such like, i.e. surfaces with high to very high traffic. Product combinations and the gloss of the end coat will determine the final natural look.

Chimiver Chimiver Panseri S.p.A. has a large assortment of water-based lacquers. The newest one is our extra matt invisible lacquer ECOWOOD 2K

which is giving to your wooden floor a ultra natural look with no reflection and only 3% gloss. ECOWOOD 2K with its very high solid content has excellent chemical and physical characteristics and is suitable for heavy traffic floors. Also available for industrial use. ECOCROM is a single-component water-based super toning primer with high coverage for wooden floors, which could be used as a first coat in the lacquering process composed only of water-based lacquers. ECOCROM, the colour of solvent with water!! Another product is ECOGREEN which is a single-component waterbased lacquer characterized by a high solid content, excellent resistance to wear and water, excellent adhesion and absence of formaldehyde and heavy metals. Another particularity of ECOGREEN is to give the wood a warm and slightly oxidized appearance. The product has ECOLABEL certification (www.ecolabel.eu): European mark of ecological quality that confirms the Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment towards the environment.Into the range of Chimiver water-based products there is also ECOGEL which is a water-based primer suitable for trowel application on all kind of wooden floors. Easy application and quick drying time makes possible to get the floor treatment done in one day. Than ECOSTAR 2K NATURAL, which is a two-components 100% PU water-based lacquer with Natural Wood Effect. ECOSTAR 2K

ANTIBATTERICA is a two-components 100% PU water-based lacquer with bactericidal efficacy; it inhibits bacteric proliferation at 99.97% of staphylococcus and Escherichia coli. In our range you can also find ECOSTAR single component and ECOSTAR 2K two components which has been improved and has got the certifications: slip resistance, resistance to cold liquids and chemical agents. Different gloss levels are available. All our water-based products are within VOC 2010 regulation and NMP free. Since last year we also have our Sport Line range of products which is a complete water-based lacquering cycle with anti slip properties according to EN14904 standardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s requirements.

Floorservice At last a product that remains the authentic colour and look of the wood: Floorservice Nature Protect. This water-based lacquer protects the natural colour and structure of the wood. You will create an unfinished look without the normal building of layers on the wood surface. You do however benefit from the high grade of protection known from the Floorservice products. Nature Protect is available for manual and industrial (UV) use. Of course this ultra matte look should remain! Therefore Floorservice developed the maintenance product Nature Care.

Quality and innovation, from fit to finish... ...and all environmentally-friendly!

We work together to develop increasingly effective solutions to ensure that wood floors retain their natural beauty. Ever more stylish and innovative, Blanchon finishes provide industry professionals with everything they need for a shared passion: WOOD FLOORING. 28 rue Charles Martin - BP 105 - 69192 SAINT FONS _ FRANCE Export Direct Lines Tel.: +33 472 89 06 09 - Fax: +33 472 89 06 02- www.blanchon.com

Floor Forum International 72

Special

Waterborne lacquers

Irsa With its extensive Irsa Platinum range, Irsa presents a waterborne varnish system of the highest possible quality standard in both single and dual components. Research in consultation with clients has resulted in a waterborne and ecological lacquer system with revolutionary characteristics. The new finish achieves its complete hardness after three to five days; after that, the floor can be used fully. The strength is comparable with that of a solvent-borne lacquer. Irrespective of the gloss, these lacquers offer outstanding scratch-resistance, indelibility (for several hours), and resistance to black marks from rubber soles, which can be removed easily. Irsa Platinum is recommended for light wood sorts, whilst for dark wood sorts the Irsa Platinum Exotic Primer is the recommended choice. Holes can be filled in advance using Irsa Platinum Aqua Filler.

Pallmann Pallmann offers a full range of waterborne lacquers. Pall-X 96 is a 1-component lacquer for high traffic rooms and it is highly resistant to mechanical and chemical influences. Pall-X 96 is the finish for the rapid system, thanks to the very short drying time. Pall-X Extreme is the single or dual component adhesive for all wood sorts in high traffic rooms. Pall-X 98 is a dual component lacquer for very high traffic wooden floors. This lacquer has the highest possible resistance to mechanical and chemical influences and has slip resistance to comply with the standard EN 14904. Pall-X Zero is also a dual component lacquer, which can be deployed even in an industrial setting. Finally, Pall-X Sport is the single component lacquer for sports floors and has a slip resistance to comply with the prevailing national standards (e.g. DIN 18032 or EN 14904).

STAUF

STAUF aqua Argentum: One component waterborne finish on acrylate-polyurethane basis for wood flooring and planks for normal to heavy traffic in residential and commercial areas, gloss effect: extra matte 10, matte 20, semi gloss 40. Specific feature: high filling capacity, very good abrasion resistance, ductile. STAUF aqua Aeris: One component waterborne finish for wood flooring and planks for normal and medium traffic in residential areas. Very easy to process, optimum flow characteristics, good chemical resistance. Gloss effect: semi gloss 40.

Tover Tover focused its R&D projects on water-based lacquers with extremely positive results: last year was launched on the market an innovative bi-component varnish: BELLA SQ totally isocyanate and polyaziridine free, anticipating the norms which will prohibit the sales to private people of 2K lacquers containing isocyanate. It exists now in glossy and extra matt versions to reply to any aesthetic demand. Another significant success is the brand new 2-component lacquer ESSENZA, a completely invisible finishing on light woods, with a gloss level inferior to 5, an excellent resistance to abrasion and chemicals and really easy to apply. Also the mono-component varnish HOME changed formula and is now perfectly suitable for both residential use and medium traffic areas. For lovers of natural finishes LYMPHA leaves the wood rough and with an extra matt aspect, IDROLAK DR 97 grants a soft and smooth aspect. TROPICAL on the contrary gives a velvet warm surface and is particularly recommended for exotic woods. A complete range at the disposal of wood professionals.

Innovating in Parquet Finishing

NEW: Trivec Cross Cutter

Cross structure effects on ďŹ&#x201A;oor boards

STAUF aqua Aurum: High quality two component polyurethane based waterborne finish for wood flooring and planks for heavy to extra heavy traffic in residential and commercial areas with excellent chemical resistance. The lacquer is easy to mix and has a very good resistance against step marks and burns. Gloss effect: extra matte 10, matte 20, semi gloss 40.

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

T F E W

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

www.parketmachines.nl 52

Floor Forum international 72

Special

Glue guns and cartridges

GLUE DISPENSERS MAKE THE JOB EASIER ECONOMY AND ERGONOMY GO HAND IN HAND

Photo â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Pallmann

The most important and basic merit of automatic glue dispensers is undoubtedly that they enable floor fitters to carry out one of their tasks standing up. This considerably reduces pain or fatigue in arms, back, and knees caused precisely by constantly having to squat. The telescopic handle of the dispensers can usually be adjusted in height so that fitters can adjust the handle to their heights to obtain the ideal working height to reduce strain on the back. Surely this can only be good news?

Floor fitters on their knees Knee pain is a fairly common complaint amongst both young and old. Knee pain amongst young people is usually because of sport and exercise, whilst among older people the main cause is wear and tear of the knee joints. The knee is the biggest joint of the body and is crucial for walking and doing sport. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possible to have pain only in your knee if you have made an awkward movement, but constant pain in the knee (even without any movement at all) is also possible. Let us summarise the most common form of knee pain. Generally, parquet and floor fitters are more vulnerable than other people to each of these forms.

Meniscus To make knee joint movements as smooth as possible, there are sorts of small discs around the knee. These cartilage discs are also called

menisci. In the event of a sudden or awkward movement of the knee a meniscus can tear giving rise to fluid or blood in the knee. This results in meniscus pain.

Rheumatism Rheumatism is a trying disease which can affect all the joints of the body. Rheumatism gives a chronic infection of the joint whereby pain arises. Moreover, there can be periods when the infection is even more active, such as during cold and damp weather. Rheumatism patients therefore usually suffer the most in the winter.

Strain Strain on muscles and joints is one of the complications of doing sport. Highly motivated sporters sometimes dare to go just a little too far in their sporting activities whereby the body and joints are strained. The important point is always to stop in time and listen to your body. Afterwards, the necessary rest must be taken.

Arthrosis Arthrosis in the knee is a complaint which arises through the gradual ageing of the knee joint. As the years go by, there is wear and tear in your joints (and your whole body) whereby tissues become thinner. With knee arthrosis the cartilage tissue around the knee becomes thinner so that swelling and pain can occur.

Floor Forum International 72

Special

Glue guns and cartridges

Bursitis This form of knee pain occurs regularly with people such as floor fitters who often have to squat on their knees for their work. The bursa in the knees comes under a lot of strain through contact with the floor. A bursa is a sort of cushion between the tendon and the knee bone to absorb friction and pressure on the knee joint.

Cruciate ligaments Cruciate ligaments are bindings which actually provide the ‘joint’ between the upper and lower leg. They reinforce the knee joint and give the knee stability. These knee joints can be damaged or even torn in the event of an intense movement or sudden pressure. This comes about, for example, when a person has to leap, as is regularly the case with ball sports such as football.

Glueing with the notched trowel Floor fitters have been glueing with notched trowels since time immemorial and no one has ever complained about that. Nevertheless, there are alternatives for this job which can solve two problems: the physical strain on the floor fitter and the speed/precision of glueing.

Physical strain If the profession of parquet floor fitter takes its toll on the body in any way at all, this is due to the unfortunate postures which floor fitters adopt whilst they do their work. They work on their knees, they bend their backs, they support themselves on one arm whilst exerting force with the other, they lift planks in bent and kneeling positions, and they move and exert force with their wrists. These are all operations and postures which can have severe long-term consequences for muscles and joints. And so, it is little surprise that producers of tools and accessories for fitting parquet think constantly about solutions which can make the work lighter and reduce strain on muscles and joints.

Speed and precision It is precisely because of the importance of the correct adhesive dosage that floor fitters have to take their time for applying the glue. It’s much more than simply a question of spreading some glue onto the floor. The work rhythm is affected by the viscosity of the glue, the quality of the notched trowel, and the limitations in the speed at which the human wrist can operate. In other words, floor fitters are limited in speed by the material and by their own physical limitations.

Using a glue dispenser It will be clear that even in the field of traditional notched trowels and spreaders technology has not stood still. Here, too, over the years, there have been considerable improvements both as regards material and shape. The problem of working from a kneeling position has always been something of a point for attention. For example, there are glue spreaders with a telescopic handle so it is possible to apply glue from a standing position. Amongst traditional glue guns (manual dispensers for sausage-shape glueing) there have been some pneumatic versions available for some time now which save floor fitters a lot of trouble. However, the ultimate solution is found in the fully automatic glue dispensers which are coming onto the market here and there. These dispensers are heralding a new era in the field of glueing. They reduce the strain on the floor fitter and they operate faster and more economically. These glue dispensers operate pneumatically or by battery.

Dosage The dosage is set and the tool follows instructions perfectly. Irritating situations through spillage or unwanted contact with the adhesive

Floor Forum international 72

(something which happens even to experienced floor fitters) are now very much a thing of the past. Since the dosage is calculated perfectly, the amount of adhesive consumed also falls. In this respect some traders mention a reduction in adhesive consumption of up to 30%! Proportions can be calculated precisely due to the fact that the dispensers are set at the level of glue which the dispenser maker prescribes.

Speed The makers of these dispensers guarantee impressive speeds. One maker promises a fitting which is five times faster than the traditional fitting with a notched trowel, whilst another talks of its heaviest machine in terms of application speeds up to ten times higher than with the traditional method. Amongst other things, the increase in application speed is a consequence of the width of the applicator head. With some tools we talk of a width of about 30cm. This obviously means that the overall fitting time is shorter.

What’s on the market? Bona For spreading adhesive from the Bona R850 T tubes (600ml) Bona has both manual and pneumatic adhesive guns. A real showpiece, however, is the Bona Optispread, which has been developed specially for the Bona R850T in 4.4kg packaging (adhesive sausage). Bona Optispread is an innovation which enables floor fitters to obtain flatter, better, and faster results standing up. Bona Optispread works five times faster than the traditional method with no strain on the knees or back. The Bona R850T offers balanced elasticity and high tensile strength and is easy to clean. The Optispread is powered by compressed air. The adhesive sausage is easy to apply and corresponds to the tool’s filling capacity. The spray width is 250mm. The spray arm has 19 triangular holes made from recycled polypropylene. The 4.2kg adhesive sausage is suitable for 4 to 4.5m². The Bona Optispread is 1.25m long (ideal average working height) and the tool weighs 4kg when empty and 8.2kg when filled.

Blanchon Blanchon offers the P 600 adhesive dispenser, which has been developed specially for all cordon adhesives and is supplied in 600ml cartridges (hybrid polymers or polyurethane). It can also be used to

apply glues or putty in 300ml tubes. The big advantage of the P 600 is the high working speed and cleanliness. This dispenser can be used at any time and is even essential for some places which are difficult to reach.

STAUF STAUF adhesive spreader machine: Parkett-X-Press

Pallmann

The Pallmann ATD 100 adhesive dispenser has been developed specially for the Pallmann P5. This ergonomic helper ensures speedy glueing and saves material. The glue can also be deployed without the dispenser and is suitable for multi-layer parquet, pre-finished, strip parquet, solid wood, and exotic wood sorts with tongue and groove. The combined use of the adhesive and the dispenser results in a reduction of waste glue of 80% and of waste packaging of 90%. Obviously, the fact that it is possible to work from a standing position is an advantage.

Sika Sika offers various glue dispensers, including two short pistols for cordon glueing with 600ml sausage-shaped glue (these can be pneumatic, electrical, or manual) and three large glue dispensers, for large sausage-shaped packages (1800ml) operated by battery or compressed air. The application speeds for the glueing are higher than with the traditional full surface glueing so that the entire fitting process is completed faster. Less adhesive is consumed (600gr/m²) in order to arrive at full surface glueing. Working with these pistols is an ergonomic solution for the full surface glueing of parquet. After all, glueing from a standing position ensures pleasant working conditions, something which can bring relief for possible joint pain and muscle tensions which arise from manual fitting from a kneeling position. These dispensers offer an easy and very clean solution .The fact is that they work with extremely simple filling systems (with adhesive bags of 1800ml). Thanks to the pressure regulation and the adhesive head, uniform glueing is guaranteed. The dispensers are suitable for dual component PU and dispersion adhesives. It is only if the dispenser is not used for a long period (10 days or more) that it has to be cleaned. This takes between 20 and 40 minutes).

Visit www.floor-forum.com

There are five characteristics which describe the benefits of the STAUF adhesive spreader machine Parkett-X-Press best: clean, ergonomic, economic, fast and easy. More working comfort as the adhesive is applied in upright position while the weight of the machine rests on the ground. The machine offers precise application of the adhesive. It is adjustable in the width of the wood elements and allows an adhesive application from wall to wall in straight lines. Parkett-X-Press is easy to operate and comes in very compact dimensions which makes it also suitable for small rooms. Up to 160 m² of installation without a battery change. And to guarantee no operating time-outs, the machine is delivered with a second battery and a quick charger. An orderly storage before and after installation and an easy and protected transport is possible in a high-quality, rollable wooden case. For the application in suitable adhesive applicator devices STAUF offers STAUF S-Press an elastic silane wood flooring adhesive for most common sub floors and wood flooring types (multilayer, mosaic, wood strip flooring and upright mosaic parquet lamellas, solid planks) in an 1800 ml aluminum tubular bag. The bags can be changed within 25 seconds and only leave very few packaging waste. The spreader nozzles are always supplied together with the adhesive. The device is also available as pneumatic version.

Tover

Which is the best bonding system to lay a parquet: to use a spatula or a gun? Tover offers both solutions even if he recommends the use of a notched trowel; with this tool indeed, the adhesive has a deeper penetration into the sub-floor, it is well spread and consequently covers a larger surface and it also fixes the residue of dust which could be on the sub-floor. Nevertheless, a kit composed of sausages + a gun, sold in a DIY store represents the best solution for a non professional laying or a sporadic use, especially due to its easiness. In his range, Tover offers a polyurethane thyxotropic glue Tovcol PU and a silane based one Sigil MS in cartridge of 290 ml and sausages of 600 ml, both perfectly suitable for this type of application. The “Sigil MS Kit” is composed of 10 sausages and a gun for the laying of about 20 square meters. Elastic glue, easy to clean, no waste, eco-friendly, this system is really practical and has got numerous concrete and positive advantages.

Floor Forum International 72

Preview Domotex asia/CHINAFLOOR

COME TO SHANGHAI TO FLOOR YOUR SUCCESS IN ASIA PACIFIC ! ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TIME TO PLAN YOUR TRIP TO DOMOTEX ASIA/CHINAFLOOR 2015

The floor covering industry will meet in Shanghai to see the hottest new products and innovations in Asian floorings at DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR in March 24-26, 2015. With less than 3 months to go and over 95% of exhibit space already sold, organizers are urging international participants to make travel and visa arrangements now. Visas are required to enter China and a letter of invitation is needed with the visa application. All of this can take a few weeks to accomplish. Show organizers have appointed an official travel agency to assist; they can be contacted at booking@orient-explorer.com.cn or phone +86 21 5109 9795. There are many good reasons to make this trip, for example:

Floor Forum international 72

Boost your business opportunities in Asia As one of the fastest developing and most dynamic regions in the world, Asia is the hub of growing markets with enormous demand for flooring products. DOMOTEX asia / CHINAFLOOR is the place to explore this market and make professional connections.The show and its valuable support services are designed to facilitate the discovery and development of new relationships and business opportunities for exhibitors and visitors alike.

Innovative products and solutions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; International flavor Shanghai is where the industry sees the latest flooring products trends in Asia and beyond. Both Asian and Western exhibitors from around the world are bringing their new and innovative products and flooring solutions.

Country pavilions from machine-made carpet producing countries such as Belgium, China, Germany, USA, The Netherlands, along with individual exhibitors from other countries such as Turkey, Egypt, etc. will exhibit their outstanding products in the international carpet flooring hall W1. The hand-made carpet sector will be represented by country pavilions from several renowned carpet producing areas including Iran, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and Nepal who, together with the individual exhibitors, will showcase their products in W5 hall. A wide range of Chinese products for all kinds of carpet flooring solutions will be showcased throughout all W1-W5 halls. All W halls will be accessible from South and North Entranceof the Shanghai International Exhibition Center. It will take four halls (E1-E4) to contain DOMOTEX asia/ CHINAFLOOR wood sector - the largest wood and laminate products show in the world. Visitors may access these halls from the South entranceof the Shanghai International Exhibition Center. The resilient flooring sector is once again the fastest growing segment of the show with participation from the most widely recognized international brands. Resilient products can be found in halls E5-E7 accessible from the East Entrance of the Shanghai International Exhibition Center. Hereby is a sampling of DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR 2015 exhibitors: CARPET & RUGS: Pavilions (China â&#x20AC;&#x201C; China International Carpet Fair, Belgium, USA - American Floorcovering Alliance, Germany, The Netherlands), Beaulieu, Balta, Oriental Weavers, Yasin, Kartal, Solomon, Abbass Nishaburi, Suminoe, Shanhua, Haima, Voxfloor, Hangzhou Fuxing Carpet, Tibetan Sheep. CARPET-TECH: Universal Fibers, Aquafil, Wools of New Zealand, Unitika, Freudenberg, Europeyarn, Etex, Shunlong, Shengdisen. WOOD & LAMINATE: USA Pavilion (National Wood Flooring Association and American Hardwood Export Council), Anji Pavilion, Changzhou Pavilion, Nature, Sunyard, Parador, A&W,Kronoswiss, Beaulieu,Egger, Lamett, Berry Alloc, SE Timber, Dasso, Kindle, Yihua, Jinqiao, Lodgi, BBL, Jinlong, Youyu. FLOORTECH: Homag, Wintersteiger, Azumi, Leuco, Leitz, Treffert, Osmo, Dynea, Klumpp, Woodcare, Rxexe, Biohouse, SGS, Hawk, Zhongyuan, T&C, Guosen, Weilan, Zhanxiao, Hotjin RESILIENT: Tarkett, Armstrong, Gerflor, LG Hausys, Nox, Daeijin, Sika, Hankel, HanWha, , Novalis, Dong Shin, LiBaoDi, DaJuLong, Kentier, SenTai, MeiJer, JinKa, WeiKang, Neodalle, MeiGaoMei, Willian, JiangLi The Exhibitors Catalogue will be available online by mid January 2015. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss this amazing flooring event and the unique opportunities it offers! The online registration portal for the 17th edition of DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR is now open at www.domotexasiachinafloor.com. Admittance for pre-registered visitors is free.

Floor Forum International 72

Special

Producers of polyurethane adhesives

PU ADHESIVE IS STILL POPULAR WITH FLOOR FITTERS THE UNIVERSAL SOLUTION FOR ALL APPLICATIONS

Photo – Pallmann

Glueing is a fastening method for joining items together. It is the main alternative to mechanical fixture methods and, amongst other things, has the benefit of not being destructive i.e. the items to be joined are not damaged by holes from drills, screws, or nails. Glueing has been around since time immemorial. The joint is created by a physical or chemical process. Over the years, researchers have worked hard to develop new adhesive technology, and this means there is now at least ‘one’ suitable type of adhesive for any problem.

What does adhesive consist of? Most adhesives consist of a number of raw materials, which we classify for convenience in the following groups: - Binding agents; - Liquid; - Other substances;

The binding agent The binding agent is the basic raw material of the glue. These are the raw materials in the adhesive to provide adhesion. There are several sorts of binding agents. They are usually synthetic raw materials, but in some adhesives producers use natural binding agents such as starch, natural rubber, and casein. It is the choice of binding agent which largely determines the properties of the glue. You could say that

Floor Forum international 72

non-synthetic binding agents are preferable from an ecological point of view. One disadvantage, however, is that they are not up to the required level of quality for several applications. They often fall short when it comes to adhesion, shelf life, and user-friendliness. Furthermore, you cannot state unconditionally that they are always better from a health point of view. Natural binding agents can also be a health hazard.

The liquid Since binding agents are almost always solid substances, they are dissolved or finely spread in a liquid. The liquid in the glue disappears by means of evaporation or suction in the base. The following liquids are generally used as a solvent to dissolve solid substances: - ‘Ordinary’ water, so we call this a waterborne adhesive. Waterborne adhesives are also denoted as solvent-free. - Volatile (rapid evaporation) Organic Compounds (VOC). We call these adhesives VOC or solvent adhesives. Organic solvents are usually inflammable and can be harmful if they are inhaled. The packaging includes a warning to that effect. The use of solvents, and especially the permissible emission of VOC, is strictly regulated (see also the article on waterborne lacquers in this edition).

Other substances Apart from binding agents and solvents, adhesives usually also contain a number of other raw materials. These are raw materials, which,

with the exception of the fillers, are present in the adhesive in small amounts. Preservatives are used to guarantee the adhesive’s properties for a longer period. Anyway, waterborne adhesives, adhesives based on natural raw materials, and wallpaper glue in powder form contain preservatives. In particular, adhesives based on natural binding agents need more preservatives than synthetic adhesives. Generally speaking, preservatives are not ecological products. The adhesive preservatives used at present are only used in very limited quantities. This means that, generally speaking, they can be regarded as virtually harmless with regard to people’s health and the environment.

Chemical and physical reaction Glue can join objects together by creating a reaction ‘somewhere’ between different ingredients in the glue itself or between the glue and an ‘external’ ingredient. And so, the glueing process is the result of several adhesion mechanisms. We speak of a physical adhesive reaction when any chemical reaction proves insufficient. The ‘disappearance’ of the solvent from the adhesive (e.g. by evaporation) is a physical reaction. You can also create adhesion by letting warm adhesive to cool off. This, too, is a strictly physical occurrence, as is melting together two components with so called melting adhesives. Chemical adhesive reactions are created when certain components produce a chemical reaction whenever they come into contact with each other. It goes without saying that there are also different reactions and therefore also different adhesives. With dual component glues a chemical reaction takes place whenever the components are joined together. However, the reaction can also occur whenever the glue ingredients come into contact with humidity which is present in the surrounding air.

Sorts of parquet adhesive The choice of the adhesive is determined by the wood sort, base, weather conditions, fitting systems, floorboard sizes, and various other parameters. Major parquet adhesives include dispersion adhesives, epoxy adhesives, and silane adhesives. Dispersion adhesives consist of a synthetic resin which is dissolved in water. These adhesives consist for 50 to 65% of solid matter. The most popular synthetic resins are polyvinyl acetate, acrylate, polyurethane, and derivatives of these synthetic resins. In the case of parquet adhesive this is usually polyvinyl acetate. Dispersion adhesives set by means of the withdrawal of water from the glue to create an adhesive film (water disappears, whilst solid substances remain and create the connection). Epoxy adhesive is a dual component adhesive based on epoxy. This adhesive is used in all sorts of different industrial and domestic applications. The strong adhesive bond is created through the addition of a hardener. Amongst other things, epoxy is used in combination with polyurethane, a combination which some people regard as the most reliable and result-assured adhesive technology which there is for wooden floors. Silane adhesives (MS polymers or SMP glues) operate on a different principle to that of PU adhesives. They also ensure outstanding and durable adhesion and retain their elasticity. Nowadays, there are silane modified adhesives with varying degrees of elasticity.

Polyurethane adhesives Polyurethane adhesives are chemical adhesives. Traditionally, PU adhesive owes its adhesive strength to a bonding of isocyanate and alcohol. The adhesive bond is created by a reaction between the air humidity and the urethane bindings. The combination of hard and soft segments

Emfiparquet Pro Plus

ECOLOGY/PERFORMANCE Parquet adhesive Based on silane terminated polymers. Approved for the fullsurface adhesive bonding of all types of parquet and in very large sizes: 15 x 160 mm, 20 x 180 mm, 20 x 200 mm.

OUR APPLICATION ADVANTAGES OUR ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS • In adequacy with the environmental standards in force. • Not aggressive for varnish. • Very low VOC* emission. • Very low odour. • Classified A+. • Classified EC1 Plus R. * Volatile organic compounds

• Excellent shelf life, minimum wastage. • Keeps perfectly good lines. • Use of advanced technology. • Easy to apply. • FCBA certificate. • Remains flexible after polymerization. • Suitable for laying on heated floors, in bathrooms, etc. • Fast curing time. • Improve the acoustic comfort of parquets. • Excellent resistance to humidity and heat.

OUR TECHNICAL SKILLS

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

Floor Forum International 72

Special

Producers of polyurethane adhesives

ensures that the best properties of both join forces. That’s why PU adhesive is both strong and yet still elastic. By ‘playing’ with the length proportion of the segments, adhesive makers can adapt the properties of the material fairly flexibly. Polyurethane adhesive is ideal for glueing just about all parquet floors or wooden floors and especially for solid wood parquet, wider strips, and moisture-sensitive wood types (2K) such as beech wood, maple, and such like. Polyurethane adhesives can be used for glueing on anhydrite floors and sand-cement floors. They are ideal for fitting pre-lacquered floors which are fitted after the application of a moisture barrier.

Wide and moisture-sensitive parquet We have already said that PU adhesives are suitable for all sorts of wood and parquet. Obviously, for economic reasons, it is not always necessary to deploy polyurethane adhesive, but for what we call ‘critical wood sorts’ PU is the solution par excellence. Critical wood sorts are wood sorts which absorb relatively little moisture and which, for example, imply a greater risk of swelling if used with a dispersion adhesive. Beech is a good example of that. Apart from being suitable for these critical wood sorts, polyurethane adhesive is also ideal for glueing very long and wide floorboards. The wider the floorboards, the greater the chance of curling. PU adhesive has been the safest solution here since time immemorial. Moreover, the properties of polyurethane mean that this adhesive can be deployed for the fully glueing of parquet onto floor heating with no problem at all.

2K of 1K As we have said, all adhesives consist of several components. One component thereby complements the other. With PU adhesives the

resin will eventually exercise its function as a result of the operation of the hardener. The hardening is the result of a chemical reaction. With separately packed components (2K) we get a chemical reaction between the components themselves. With the pre-mixed version (1K) both components react on the basis of the air humidity. In other words, even with the adhesives which are ready for use there are reactions between different components or the different components support each other in a reaction with air, moisture, or both. The biggest advantage of ready-for-use adhesives is the dosage. This is done ‘scientifically’ in the factory and is therefore always identical. This is precisely why it is advisable not to use ‘opened’ tins with separately packed components. This is also why there is an endeavour to put both components in one box to prevent anything from going wrong when the components are ‘poured together’.

What’s on the market? Bona Bona presents the dual component adhesives R770 and R778. Parket Glue Bona R770 is a dual component polyurethane parquet adhesive which complies with the standard EN 14293 (hard)/ISO 17178 (hard). This adhesive is also suitable for glueing laminate floors. The glue binds without shrinking by means of a chemical reaction. It contains neither water nor organic solvents. The R770 can also be used for PVC (planks and tiles), linoleum, rubber, and laminate floors. Bona R778 is a

CLICK!

Visit our YouTube channel now! With hands on application videos at »Stauf Adhesive«. 60

Floor Forum international 72

dual component polyurethane parquet adhesive which complies with the standard EN 14293 (hard)/ISO 17178 (hard). This product, too, contains neither water nor organic solvents. The glue binds without shrinking by means of a chemical reaction. Bona R778 is ideal for moisture-sensitive wood sorts and for substrates which absorb little or no moisture.

Emfi Emfi presents its Emfimastic PU Parquet. This adhesive is suitable for the cordon glueing of all types of parquet. Emfimastic PU Parquet is a coloured putty which is offered in cylinders of 310 and 600ml. This glue has the classification Habitat Sain A+ pursuant to decree 2011-321 and guarantees a minimum emission of VOCs. This adhesive is ideal for glueing all wood sorts in high-traffic rooms such as sports halls, schools, and public places. Emfimastic PU Parquet can be deployed for all types of bases. The glue is suitable for glueing planks onto beams and staircase steps and risers onto concrete steps and for fitting skirting boards.

Henkel/ Thomsit From Henkel we present the Thomsit P625. The Thomsit P625 is a dual component polyurethane parquet adhesive (for glueing mosaic, strip, and solid parquet, exotic wood, engineered parquet, cross-cut, and pre-finished). This adhesive does not contain solvents and has very low emissions. The glue is ideal for glueing critical parquet sorts with a high water absorption and for chip-resistant glueing of large-size planks, in particular. The adhesive is also suitable for glueing rubber floor covering and for glueing laminate onto Thomsit Floor TF 303 insulation underlay. Thomsit P625 guarantees a rapid initial adhesion and is suitable for floors with floor heating. The Thomsit P625 is suitable for glueing on both absorbent and non-absorbent bases.

Pallmann Pallmann P9 is a 2-component PU adhesive which contains no water or solvents and conforms to the standard DIN EN 14293. It is for all sorts of parquet and is specially for glueing moisture-sensitive wood sorts and sizes and for glueing parquet-friendly UZIN underlays. Pallmann P9 is a paste parquet adhesive which contains no water or solvents. This glue has no effect on the swelling of parquet, since no moisture is extracted from the wood. This adhesive is suitable on bases with sufficient strength such as on sand-cement, calcium sulphate, and mastic asphalt covering floors, chipboard, suitable UZIN underlays, and hot water floor heating.

STAUF STAUF PUK 455: Hard stuff not only for solid planks Adhesive specialist STAUF offers with PUK 455 a hard-elastic wood flooring adhesive on polyurethane basis. The ready-to-use premium product has a very wide application range and is also suitable for installation of all kinds of solid planks. The adhesive application occurs

Visit www.floor-forum.com

without risk of plasticizer related softening of sub floor or lacquer, STAUF PUK 455 is also water- and solvent free as well as very low emission certified (Emicode EC1-R plus). STAUF PUK 445: 2-component polyurethane reaction resin adhesive with elastic adhesive ridges. For the optimum rigid-elastic installation of wood flooring STAUF offers the PUK 445 as a 2 component polyurethane reaction resin adhesive which can be spread easily. The adhesive with very low emission is suitable for nearly all kinds of wood flooring like varnished wood flooring, wood flooring planks and laminate floorings. STAUF PUK 445 offers a high dimensional stability and acts as a tension decrease at the same time. In this way a reasonable elasticity is combined with high strength. For dark wood species like is a coloured version is available. STAUF PUK 445 is also water- and solvent free as well as very low emission certified (Emicode EC1-R plus).

Soudal Soudal has a dual component PU parquet adhesive in its assortment (PU-20P). This glue is characterised by its very light spreadability, good viscosity, speedy strength development, and tremendous final strength. Another major advantage of a 2-component PU parquet adhesive is the outstanding filling capacity. PU-20P 2K PU Parquet Adhesive is ideal for indoor glueing of items such as solid wood planks, solid wood traditional parquet, mosaic parquet, wood engineered parquet, multi-layer or ready-to-fit parquet, and laminate. This glue is also suitable for glueing exotic wood sorts and for use on porous and impervious substrates such as sand-cement covering floors, top layers in concrete, levelling agents, wood, and chipboard and OSB panel, as well as heated floors. PU-20P 2K PU Parket Adhesive is also ideal for fitting moisture-sensitive wood onto fragile absorbent substrates.

Tover Tover offers in his wide range two polyurethane adhesives: a two-component one (TOVCOL PU2C) which contains no water, no solvent, no epoxy resins and consequently avoids any type of allergy. This glue is classified A+ according to the French norm and got the German DIBt certification for its low VOC emission. It has a long working time up to 60 minutes, excellent adhesion properties, it is elastic with a very good shear strength value; the glue is suitable for any species, any sizes on all types of absorbent or not sub-floors. It is now available in the exclusive and clever Twin-Pack System for an easy transport and use. The second product is mono-component (TOVCOL PU/F1) with high performances, packed in bags for a simpler and cleaner use without any waste. Their technical characteristics make them recommended for underfloor heating systems. Polyurethane adhesive also exists in 600 ml sausages to be applied with a gun for an elastic and flexible bonding even in vertical position.

Floor Forum International 72

∂ Industry news At Mapei Eco-Sustainability isn’t just made - it is certified The last few years have seen a growing demand in the residential, commercial and public building sectors for wooden flooring using superior quality, aesthetically innovative products. This trend has led to an evolution in the systems and techniques used to install and bond wooden flooring which MAPEI has transformed into a new line of specific products. comprising not just adhesives, but a complete range of products including binders, admixtures and ready-mixed mortars to make screeds, primers, consolidators and waterproofing products to prepare substrates and high-strength skimming and smoothing compounds. MAPEI systems for installing and bonding wooden flooring are solvent-free and have a very low content of volatile organic compounds (VOC). Safe both for those who use them and for those who live around them, and which are durable over the years. MAPEI has always been committed to Research and Development into products that safeguard the environment and the health of those who apply our products or frequent the areas where they are applied, and has a vast experience in the field of Eco-Sustainability dating back to 1980, when they developed a series of products with very low emission level of volatile organic compounds. MAPEI products are certified EC1, Blauer Engel and DIBt: these recognitions are the markings awarded by strict German Institutes that verify products to make sure they contain no hazardous substances and have very low emission levels of volatile organic compounds.

Heywood Vloeren – Herringbone and Hungarian point

Heywood Vloeren is facing demand for customised design floors such as Herringbone and Chevron. To meet this demand, Heywood has expanded its production capacity and has also developed some attractive new colours for both fashion conscious and traditional consumers. Apart from the extensive choice of sizes and colours, clients can also choose between an elegant look or a character floor.

DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR aims to increase value and exposure for visitors and exhibitors The space at the 17th edition of DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR is filling up fast! 88% of exhibition space is already booked three months prior to the show. Show organizers are serious about creating opportunities for both exhibitors and visitors to connect at the Shanghai show where new and innovative products are introduced to the world each year. Two programs created to maximize the value of the show are the Hosted Buyer Program and the InnovAction Flooring Campaign. These programs are designated to give exhibitors ways to expose their brands and promote their products through the most effective channels and enable visitors to faster connect with products and manufacturers

Floor Forum international 72

matching their interest. All the characteristics of these programs are designed to make business happen. The Hosted Buyer Program assist exhibitors meet the targeted potential buyers and enable visitors to easily come in contact with the right exhibitors. The hosted buyers will be invited according to sectors such as laminate and bamboo flooring, WPC flooring, sport flooring, carpet sector, etc. Hosting services are varied and include onsite match-making, VIP treatment at the show and factory tours to fast growing regions in China. Registration will open by end of December 2014. The InnovAction Flooring Campaign enables exhibitors to launch their newest product electronically before the show, and visitors to identify the products of their interest and arrange on-site meetings in advance using an online “match making” system. A short video- the newest promotion channel offered at this edition’s campaign – allows the exhibitors to present and highlight unique features of their newest products for a maximum exposure of their brand. Pre-registered visitors may comment and vote on their favorite new products through various channels choosing top 10 New Products from wood, carpet and resilient sectors. Onsite, both exhibitors and visitors will enjoy an enriched experience of activities such as QR code based activities, voting walls and promotional prizes in 2 dedicated areas: InnovAction Zone, where new, innovative products will be showcased in a dedicated venue, and Designer Mini Show rooms – dedicated show rooms’ space specially designed with innovative concepts and high quality materials. Only pre-registered visitors get access to InnovAction online center. The online registration portal for the 17th edition of DOMOTEX asia/ CHINAFLOOR is now open at www.domotexasiachinafloor.com. Admittance for pre-registered visitors is free.

Parquet In Following our pluriennal experience and that of our skilled wood craftmen, who still work the material with ancient process,we have obtained the PARQUET IN product. A smooth and classic surface that with harmony is adaptable to any kind of furniture and environment. The result of an experience that not only brings us to higher quality of the traditional parquet, but also to an innovation in its aspect. Natural wood worked in a variety of colours and shapes.A rich carpet that warms up environment and imagination, a phantastic floor that highlights and renovates the past experience of marquetry, interlacement and groove. Here is PARQUET IN: we combine colours, shapes and dimensions, unique and personalized environments, the exaltation of wood, light and colour. They represent the arabesque oriental works, the complexity of byzantine mosaics, a mixture of italian art and european style.

Special

Rumania

RUMANIA: ABUNDANT IN WOOD, BUT MEAGRE IN PARQUET THE GOVERNMENT WANTS MORE FSC APPROVED FORESTS

Location Rumania (Rumanian: ‘România’) is a republic in SouthEastern Europe. Its total surface area is 237,500 square metres (230,340km² of land and 7160km² of water). Rumania has a border with Ukraine in the north (362km) and south (169km), with Moldavia (450km) to the north-east, with Bulgaria (608km) to the south, and in the south-west with Serbia (476km) and Hungary (443km). Two thirds of the border (3182 kilometres) consists of water. The River Danube forms a natural border with Bulgaria, the River Prut with Moldavia, the River Tisza with Ukraine, and the Black Sea (225km) in the east.

… and plains

A country of mountains

On 13 December 1991, a new constitution came into force, which stated that Rumania is a parliamentary republic with a president as head of state. One year earlier, the country had already passed a new electoral law to make it possible to hold free and democratic elections for the first time since the Second World War. All citizens aged at least 18 have the right to vote and from the age of 23 a voter can stand as a candidate for the House of Representatives (‘Camera Deputatilor’, 345 seats).

Rumania consists of mountains, uplands, and lowlands in approximately equal parts. Despite the mountainous nature of Rumania, the country’s average height is a mere 350 metres. The highest point of Rumania is the Moldoveanu Peak in the Fagaras Mountains (‘Muntii Fagarasului’) in the Transylvanian Alps – it is 2548 metres high. In the west there are the Bihor Mountains with the Curcubata Peak the highest point at 1848 metres. The Carpathian Mountains are not as high as the Alps, but they are said to originate from about the same geological age. The Carpathians are often subdivided into the Eastern Carpathians (‘Carpatii Orientali’), the Southern Carpathians (‘Carpatii Meridionali’), and the Western Carpathians (‘Carpatii Occidentali’). The Carpathian Mountains enclose the plateau of Transylvania (Rumanian: ‘Transilvania’). In the west of Wallachia (Rumanian: ‘Walachia’ or ‘Tara Romaneasca’) the Transylvanian Alps or Southern Carpathians merge into the plain of Oltenia (Rumanian: ‘Oltenia’).

The eastern part of the Wallachia plain is taken up by the Baragan Steppe, which has been cultivated. In Moldavia the central part of the East Carpathians merges into the Bârlad Plateau. To the north of this plateau lies the undulating plain of Iasi, to the south there is the plain of Focsani, which connects at the Danube Plain to the Dobruja plateau (Rumanian: ‘Dobrogea’), a relatively high and hilly coastal region comprising an ancient eroded mass of rock. In the woody Eastern Carpathians there are some volcanic mountainous areas like the Calimani Mountains (‘Muntii Calimani’) and the Harghita Mountains (‘Muntii Harghitei’).

Politics

Parliament The members of the parliament are chosen via general elections held every four years by means of a district system. The House of Representatives reserves thirteen seats for representatives from ethnic minorities. To be elected to the Senate (‘Senat’, 140 seats) a voter even has to be at least 35 years old. Elections for the presidency and the Senate take place on the same day. Both chambers have the

Floor Forum International 72

Special

Rumania

same powers. This means laws can be passed only by a majority vote in both chambers, but the procedure doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t specify the sequence for doing this. If a proposed new law is passed by one chamber and rejected by the other, the chamber which has accepted the proposed new law has to vote on it again. If the proposed new law is rejected by the other chamber for the second time, the proposed new law is withdrawn definitively.

Separation of powers Since 1990, the legislature, executive, and judiciary have been separated. The president and the government in Rumania together form the executive and the constitution states that the country is a semi-presidential republic. Presidential elections are held every four years. If none of the presidential candidates gains over 50% of the votes in the first round of the presidential elections, a second round is held. The candidate who gains the most votes in the second round is elected president. The president can be elected for a maximum of two terms in office.

From 1998 to 2000 inclusive, the Rumanian economy fell into severe recession. From 2001 onwards, the economy picked up with growth of 5.3%. Rumania became a member of the European Union in 2007 and since then the country has received support from the EU and the IMF (International Monetary Fund) to help boost its economy. Gross national product per head of the population in 2013 was 13,200 US dollars. Gross national product in 2013 per sector was as follows: agriculture 10.8%, industry 37.4%, and trade and services 51.8%.

Prospects Unemployment has hovered around 5% in recent years. Inflation in Rumania, compared to other countries in this region, is at a historic low. In 2013, average inflation was 1.6% (in 2000 this was still 45.6%). Spending power in Rumania will increase in the coming years as a result of economic growth and government plans to raise the incomes of the poorest people groups. At present, a quarter of all Rumanians still live below the poverty line.

Power of the president

Trade

The Rumanian president enjoys considerable power. The government is led by a prime minister, but it is the president who appoints and dismisses ministers. The president can also dissolve parliament within 60 days if this institute has passed a motion of no confidence in the government. Furthermore, the president is also the commander of the army and chairman of the Supreme Council for National Security or Supreme Defence Council.

The European Union accounts for about two thirds of all trade with Rumania and is thereby the major trading partner. The country exports chemical and petroleum products, machines, artificial fertiliser, raw materials for the food industry, and textiles. The chief clients at the moment are Germany, Italy, France, Turkey, and Hungary. The following items are imported: raw materials, machines, means of transport, and consumption goods. At the moment, the chief suppliers are Germany, Italy, Hungary, France, Russia, and Poland. The total value of exports came to over 62 billion US dollars in 2013, whilst the same figure for imports was 69 billion US dollars. And so, Rumania does have a trade deficit.

Rumania â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the economy Before 1945, Rumania was a farming nation dominated by land ownership. After 1945, radical land reforms were implemented and land ownership came to an end. Before the revolution, Rumania enjoyed a strong and centrally managed economy. The means of production before then were largely in the hands of the state or were collective property. In the 1950s, small farming companies, heavy industries, and the banks were also nationalised. This situation prevailed until the revolution when a process of privatisation was set in motion. By the mid 1990s, the Agricultural industry was the furthest ahead with privatisation.

Moderate success

Floor Forum international 72

Environmental issues Environmental issues weight heavily on Rumania, yet protecting the environment is not yet one of the Rumanian governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top priorities. The EU and the world bank estimate that about 50 billion euros are needed between now and 2020 to counteract environmental pollution. Waste storage, conservation, and measures to protect the ozone layer are the highest priority. The zones most under threat from an ecological point of view are the regions with a lot of metal industry (e.g. Baia Mare, Zlatna,

Ramnicu Valcea, and Ploiesti) and where paper and cellulose are produced (e.g. Braila and Savinesti). There is considerable air pollution in urban areas since a lot of families still have coal fires and vehicle fleets are antiquated. A report issued by the Rumanian Ministry for Water Boards and Environmental Protection defines one third of the 41 regions in Rumania as ‘critical’ in terms of the environmental atmosphere, where the air contains high levels of heavy metals and copper and iron. Furthermore, the processing of domestic waste is also a big problem here.

FSC certified

Rumania has about 6,300,000 hectares of woods. And so, over 25% of the country still consists of woods.

Since the European market wants certified wood, the Rumanian government is making every effort to get more forests FSC certified. They are doing this partly by granting taxation benefits to certified wood users. The fact that the government itself owns a large amount of forests is obviously beneficial here. FSC is stimulated, as is the FSC COC (Chain of Custody) certificate which shows that a company uses wood from sustainably managed forests throughout its entire production stream. With the present level of forest surface area and the government’s intention to promote certified wood, Rumania looks set to continue its progress as a wood country. Wood is also an important product in the context of income from exports.

Wide variety of wood

Parquet industry

Rumania is also blessed with a huge variety of wood. Softwood dominates in the Eastern Carpathians, whilst in the Southern Carpathians there are also lots of deciduous trees. Birch, various sorts of oak, maple, and poplars are found at heights of up to 1200 to 1440 metres; pine, spruce, and larch are found at up to 1800 metres; between 1700 and 1900 metres high there are typical ferns, lime grass, and bilberry; above 1900 metres one finds alp pastures with low vegetation, such as gentians, bellflowers and evening primroses. All together there are about 1350 sorts of plants in the Carpathians. Alpine sorts include yellow poppy, saxifrage, Transylvanian columbine, and edelweiss. The River Danube is surrounded by willows and poplars, apart from in the wide delta where diverse sorts of reed are spread far and wide, sometimes in the shape of floating islands.

Parquet production in the FEP area amounted to about 70,713,000m² in 2011. In 2012, that figure was 68,266,133m², a fall of no less than 4.7%. The total European production (FEP + other European countries outside the FEP) is estimated at 75,000,000m². The fall in consumption has been even greater. Whereas the total consumption in 2011 amounted to over 91,475,000m², that fell in 2012 to 87,509,000m². That meant a drop of 5.88%. In Rumania there haven’t been any changes worthy of mention.

A woody country

Original forests Some large solid wood forests show little or no trace of human intervention. For a long time they were branded as ‘virginal’ forests or primeval forests, but they are now called ‘original’ or ‘antiquated’ forests. They include trees of all ages and large quantities of dead wood. Plants and animals grow naturally there. Original forests are extremely rare in Europe. You still find a few remnants in Rumania and Poland. You also still find them in Siberia. Of all European countries Rumania has the biggest surface area of ‘primeval forests’. This surface area is estimated at 250,000 hectares and accounts for a good 65% of the European primeval forests. For a few years now, the WWF Rumania has been working on making an inventory and drawing up a programme to protect these forests.

Visit www.floor-forum.com

Rumanian parquet production In 2011, Rumania accounted for 3.09% of all European parquet production, 2,185,031m² of wooden floors. In 2012, the country’s share of production rose to 3.20% i.e. Rumania produced 2,184,516m² of parquet in 2012. The country is still in sixth from last place ahead of Belgium, Hungary, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.

Rumanian parquet consumption In the area of consumption the shares in the total European purchase and the number of square metres are comparable to what the country produces. In 2011, Rumanians consumed a total of 1,930,122m² i.e. 2.11% of all European consumption. In 2012, the proportion of consumption for Rumania rose to 2.32%. Despite the fall in European consumption, that represented a slight rise to 2,030,208m², a rise of about 100,000m².

Floor Forum International 72

∂ Product news HEYWOOD VLOEREN - GENUINE RECLAIMED WOOD In addition to Oak Venasque and Oak Compiègne, the Reclaimed Wood programme is being extended to include a wide choice in designs such as Old Oak, Old Lep, and Reclaimed Barnwood. These new products mean that the entire Heywood programme will be better equipped to meet the challenging architect and designer specifications for high-end niche applications, such as fashionable wall and ceiling decorations.

OSMO POLYX®-OIL ANTI-SLIP Nowadays almost a must: a non-slip surface in public spaces, like government offices, restaurants etc. Also in private areas, the demand for anti-slip surface for wooden floors increases. For this purpose, Osmo offers their tried and trusted Polyx®-Oil also with anti-slip additives. Naturally the advantages, e.g. a healthy atmosphere and a microporous surface as well as toughness, of the tried and trusted Osmo Polyx®-Oil remain. Available in semi-matt/R9 (slip-resistant) and satin/R11 (extra slip-resistant).

PALLMANN CLEAN & GO Cleaning kit for quick, simple, cleaning and maintenance of hardwood floors The wood floor specialist Pallmann introduces the Clean & Go cleaning kit for simple and quick cleaning and maintenance of sealed and oiled wood floors. This set has been developed for the end user and offers excellent opportunities to actively engage with the clients on a long term basis and therefore forms an interesting complimentary business. The Clean & Go cleaning kit is comprised of a four-part wet mop, a 0.75 litres spray bottle filled with a ready-to-use wood floor cleaner, a micro fibre cleaning cloth, a micro fibre dust cloth and an information brochure to provide guidance on the cleaning and care regime for wood floors. The cleaning and maintenance set can also be used on other floor surfaces like laminate, cork, linoleum or natural stone or artificial/ composite stone floors. For the effective presentation within shop floors and similar spaces Pallmann provides a completely equipped and easy to place display containing 32 cleaning sets and additional individual components from the set if restocking is required. Pallmann offers with the Clean & Go cleaning kit a fantastic opportunity for every wood floor and floor professional to actively engage with their customers. This not only forges long standing relationships but could grow into a profitable complementary business.

TAVERBEL/ NATURAL+ BAMBOO Natural+ Bamboo: the natural and sustainable alternative to hardwood. Natural+ Bamboo is the exclusive trademark for outdoor bamboo composite. This material is extremely hard, completely solid, 100% ecological, and has the same natural look and feel as hardwood. Natural+ Bamboo is unique in quality and has nothing to do with extruded or laminated versions. Our production is geared exclusively to high value outdoor quality. You obtain bamboo panels by pressing together specific bamboo fibre stalks under vast pressure and heat. These are processed into all sorts of diverse products such as terraces, parapets, street furniture, exterior wall cladding, etc. Sustainable production is also important. During the Natural+ Bamboo production process, we recycle the heat from the bamboo waste incineration. Anyone who chooses Natural+ Bamboo makes a conscious choice for sustainability and exclusive outdoor material. Contact us for more information.

Floor Forum international 72

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

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