FFI 75 June July 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° 75, June/July 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 Top German companies focused on export Preview: EFWEX 2016 Ghent (BE)

EFWEX

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

Special: 50th anniversary Chimiver Panseri S.p.A. (IT)

Special: Adjustable floor support systems for terrace floors

Special: Suppliers of accessories and tools for fitting terrace floors

Italian

QUALITY TECHNOLOGY AND PRODUCTION

What is essential

Special: Producers of hybrid adhesives

the right support

is invisible to the eyes www.impertek.com

1/1 PAGINA

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

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

“Every Ciranova tin contains 70 years of wood finish expertise.”

Special Top German companies focused on export Preview: EFWEX 2016 Ghent (BE)

EFWEX

European Floor & Wall Exhibition

For a few months now, the Ciranova trademark, a

13/15.03.2016 - FLANDERS EXPO GENT (B)

Special: 50th anniversary Chimiver Panseri SpA (IT)

top player on the finish and maintenance product market for indoor and outdoor wood, has recorded

Special: Adjustable floor support systems for terrace floors

better sales than the other activity of its parent

Special: Suppliers of accessories and tools for fitting terrace floors

company Debal Coatings (industrial coatings for

Italian

QUALITY TECHNOLOGY AND PRODUCTION

wood). According to Wouter Devaere, Ciranova’s

What is essential

Special: Producers of hybrid adhesives

the right support

is invisible to the eyes www.impertek.com

success is mainly due to the quality of its products and its strong international growth.

Floor Forum International n° 75 June/July 2015 Photo Impertek

‘We’re growing both at home and abroad and now operate in over 70 countries. However, it’s mostly

4 Inside news

Wouter Devaere

the impressive growth in the USA and UK which has resulted in Ciranova having better sales figures

8 Project London BJ Parket (BE)

(CEO of Debal Coatings/ Ciranova BE )

10 Special Producers of hybrid adhesives

What’s the reason for this success?

13 Special Hygrometers and how to use them 15 Special Discover industrial lacquers : they offer benefits 18 Special Producers of distressed floors

than Debal Coatings, our industrial wood coatings.’

‘It’s a successful combination of knowledge and experience of wood finishes. For over 70 years, we’ve been working in our company on products which are adapted to rapidly changing needs and wishes of our clients. That experience pays off.’ ‘Four laboratory technicians work here every day to refine our products further and develop new solutions. Moreover, Ciranova products are formulated using the best available

23 Special Subfloors for LVT, vinyl and PVC floors

technology: each product contains all our know-how and consists of the most efficient

26 Special Suppliers of accessories and tools for

properties. Furthermore, in the coming years, we’re going to concentrate fully on solvent-

fitting terrace floors

raw materials available on the market. That goes for both product quality and ecological free products, because that’s the future.’

29 Preview EFWEX 2016 Ghent (BE)

How were the latest product launches, UN1CO and OCULTO, received on the market?

30 Advertorial 50th anniversary Chimiver Panseri S.p.A. (IT)

‘Both proved to be a success. UN1CO is an oil based on natural raw materials. This meets

32 Special Hard wax oil : dos and dont’s

the demand for a single coat system with strong performances. OCULTO, a water-based PU impregnation oil for an untreated look is also doing well. OCULTO is also proving to be an

36 Special Producers of bamboo floors present their ranges

unlikely success story in North America. The Americans are crazy about it.’

38 Special Small and medium-sized oil and lacquer machines

You could say that we can create the outward appearance of a century-old castle floor in just

41 Special Adhesives for vinyl, PVC and LVT floors 44 Special Automation and packaging for the parquet industry 47 Special Adjustable floor support systems for terrace floors 51 Industry news 52 Special Top German companies focused on export 58 Product news

‘People all over the world also appreciate our know-how in the field of chemical distressing. one night. That offers untold opportunities for anyone looking for a unique distressed floor.’

In the meantime you’re also building new premises. ‘Yes, that was necessary to sustain the growth of recent years into the future. That’s why we’ve worked out a major investment plan. Recently, we’ve built a brand new warehouse of 2000m²/10m with extra space for 2000 pallet spaces. The new storage capacity will also ensure that we can deliver faster and more efficiently. In a second investment phase we’re building new offices, laboratories, and commercial premises. In the future, we’ll have better facilities for welcoming our clients. That’s the best recipe for future success.’ 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 AuerMetallprofile

Auer Metallprofile is a manufacturer of flooring profiles. The product range includes a large selection of stair nosings, transition profiles, skirting boards, stair rods, and corner protection angles. In addition, AuerMetallprofile is characterised by its ability to make custom-made products and its fast delivery times.

In 2015, this manufacturer from Saxony is also expanding its range to include many more products. A priority this year have been stainless steel insert profiles for floor coverings 2-22 mm and matching inside corners.

Since inception in 1989, we’ve preached an old-school mentality of hard work and dedication. Each and every employee has the same belief, and that’s what sets us apart. What started as a small family business now features five world-class locations and a global logistics network including our own distribution center in Brooklyn, NY. That same family mentality is what makes PID a great place to work for our employees and a great place to shop for our clients. Our commitment to excellence is what keeps us working for you, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Impertek “Torre Aquileia” - 84 luxury flats arranged on 21 floors - is related to the re-qualification plan for the Jesolo downtown, close to Venice, Italy. Impertek has given its invisible yet essential contribution, making the surface of this work ethereal and ever changing. Precious teak decking heated by the sunlight, resistant to salt air and the weather and seasonal whims, supported by more than 25,000 jack supports, height adjustable for different design requirements. All surfaces are perfectly levelled, thanks to the versatility of Impertek supports, adjustable not only in height, but they can also be calibrated thanks to the Easy Flat slope corrector.

Lalegno In addition, they have supplemented their range of various aluminum stair nosings for 2, 3, and 5mm flooring with products for 2.5 mm floorings. Furthermore, they have created a new skirting board so that floors can be glued in thicknesses of 3, 5, and 11mm.

Ciranova NEW DISTRIBUTOR in NEW YORK : PID FLOORS Debal Coatings is proud to announce that with immediate effect, they have a new distributor on the US East Coast ! PID FLOORS (PERFECT INTERIOR DESIGN) has 5 high-class locations in the New York region which will focus on sales of top CIRANOVA products such as UN1CO, OCULTO, Reactive Stains and the new range of varnishes. PID’s general manager, Steven Skutelsky, with his personal vision and enthusiasm is set to drive CIRANOVA business forward, read here below his personal vision :

Floor Forum International 75

Lionvest Trading, based in Hove and established for almost 20 years, are pleased to announce a new partnership with Lalegno to bring this very exciting, quality flooring range from Belgium exclusively to the UK! They will be holding extensive stocks at their warehouse in Southampton, with the ability to access even more stock in a lead time of only a few days. With their range of over 100 products including 10/15/21mm engineered boards and in many different finishes from tumbled, sandblasted, axe-split, smoked and barn designs; to white & grey lacquers, classic French oils and reactive stains, as well as Versailles panels and herringbone patterns, Lalegno really has something for everyone! It is a very recognized brand on the continent and Lionvest Trading are convinced the reaction of the UK market will be the same. So if you are looking for the edge, something different, special and unique, and want to see Lalegno floors, Lionvest Trading is the place to be!

You want to party on your parquet ﬂoor ?

A STRESS-FREE SUMMER BEGINS WITH

RUBIO MONOCOAT HYBRID WOOD PROTECTOR

With professional parquet products you can !

MIX & MATCH 10 CONTEMPORARY WOOD COLOURS AND 8 TRENDY POP COLOURS THAT CAN ALSO BE MIXED.

QUALITATIVE AND HIGHLY RATED ALL-ROUNDER! • PROTECTS AND COLOURS YOUR WOOD IN ONE SINGLE LAYER • MOLECULAR TECHNOLOGY • NO VOC • EASY MAINTENANCE: WITH THE SAME PRODUCT, NO NEED FOR SANDING!

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

ASK FOR OUR NEW COLOURS!

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

www.rubiomonocoat.com

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

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, versailles panels 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 renewed website, which will be introduced soon. We invite you to visit our showroom in Oss, the Netherlands.

Aged Flooring Range

Heywood Vloeren Scheldestraat 30 5347 JD Oss The Netherlands

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

Floor Forum International 75

∂ Inside news Hertog Vloeren enjoying Commercial Success in London

making of the original 1963 Bond film Goldfinger. With other hotel and restaurant projects both completed and in the pipeline, Hertog aged floors are proving popular with UK specifiers and designers. Damien Ford +44 7957 806891 www.hertogvloeren.com

Marketing change at Rubio Monocoat

The former London headquarters building of The Midland Bank (latterly HSBC) is undergoing a transformation to create the city’s first 6* hotel. The 1920’s Lutyens designed building will have 253 bedrooms all fitted with specially created aged wooden floors developed in close collaboration with the hotels’s designers. The room sizes vary and have been created to replicate the seniority status of the staff who worked there, from junior banker to Director, with plank sizes from very narrow to very wide. The hotel, to be known as The Gladys, was used in the

Starting in August, the reins of the Marketing and Communications division at Rubio Monocoat will be handed over to Muriel Staelens (photo). Besides the fact that Muriel has a affinity for wood and interior design, she is also a seasoned and driven marketer, who can show a fine track record. Angélique Vindevogel is thus handing over the function which she has performed for the past 8 years in full

As one of the first manufacturers to have specialised in the production of authentic aged oak flooring Hertog floors can now be found in homes and commercial spaces all around the world. At our facility near Maastricht, our talented people produce beautiful, aspirational floors. In solid or engineered, from wide-and-long to Herringbone, Hungarian Point and Versailles panels, the possibilities are endless. We have always set out to differentiate through design and innovation, but equally important is our desire to meet our customers’ expectations by offering expert advice and first-class service.

FOR UK SALES CONTACT DAMIEN FORD +44 7957 806 891 NEW!

Floor Forum International 75

∂ Inside news confidence. With this, she wishes likewise to give her heartfelt thanks for their good collaboration to everyone who has worked with her in this period in writing the beautiful Rubio Monocoat story.

Prestigious Rubio Monocoat Project: Heydar Aliyev Auditorium – Azerbaijan

Parcolys Flooring looking to expand agents network

Parcolys Flooring is a belgian entreprise producing flooring and wall solutions based on synthetic resins for over 10 years. The company has recently changed ownership and management and as such is now looking to expand its agents network. Especially agents for the following countries are being searched : Poland, Ceska, Slovakia, Hungary and Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark). Agents should have a good introduction in either the retail or project market. When interested please contact on info@parcolysflooring.be - www.parcolysflooring.be

The least you can say about the Heydar Aliyev Auditorium is certainly that it is impressive. This auditorium is part of the gigantic Cultural Center in Baku, which was developed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid and offers space for no less than 1,000 spectators. The oak structure – which gives a warm contrast to the farther snow-white walls in the building – was treated with Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2C in the color ‘Natural’.

D E S I G N® PA R Q U E T F ra nce

POLYX®-OIL TINTS

The elegance OF CHEVRON

All the renowned properties of Polyx®-Oil – tinted for individual creativity! > Highly recommended for solid wood, plankwood, OSB and cork flooring and blockstrip as well as furniture and edge-glued panels > Polyx®-Oil Tints results in a stained coloured wood finish that extends the life of wood. It repels water and dirt and is extremely hard-wearing www.osmo.com

Chevron Parquet - 45° • Support : Solid Oak • Grade : campagne • Finish : Authentic Oiled • Thickness : 14 mm • Width : 130 mm • Length : 670 mm www.designparquet.fr

Floor Forum International 75

Project

London BJ Parket (BE)

125M² OF VERSAILLES PATTERN FLOOR FROM BJ PARKET (BE) FOR CUMBERLAND TERRACE IN LONDON A Versailles pattern floor of Belgian workmanship for a flat in a monumental building (19th century) near Regent’s Park in London. That was just perfect for parquet trader Steven Mogensen, who fitted 125m² of hand-scraped afrormosia Versailles floor in the historic Cumberland Terrace. Cumberland Terrace is a quite amazing building in Camden, an exclusive district in the heart of London. Its front wall in neo-classical regency style has a colonnade of pillars and frontons and the whole edifice looks out onto the adjacent Regent’s Park. It is one of the buildings designed by architect John Nash, who, amongst other things, was responsible in those days for the Royal Pavilion in Brighton and the renovation of Buckingham Palace, the royal palace in London. Today, almost two centuries after its construction, Cumberland Terrace is still an exclusive residence with 31 dwellings.

Floor Forum International 75

Belgian workmanship The flat where Steven Mogensen worked was completely renovated, and the wall-to-wall carpet had to make way for a completely new 10mm solid wood Versailles floor in afrormosia. As is usual for exclusive homes in London, the project managers work with just one responsible architect-designer who looks after the entire renovation. The architect-designer for this project has worked for years together with Belgian partners for exclusive parquet projects.

Pattern floors – a BJ Parket speciality The order for the exceptional Versailles pattern floor went to a real specialist, namely BJ Parket from Zele, Belgium. Over several decades, they have built up a wealth of know-how in the diverse types of traditional parquet. Together with parquet floor fitter Steven Mogensen from Kaprijke (BE) , they executed the

preparation and production of this parquet floor with panels of 96 by 96cm. The Versailles floor was fully sketched out and produced tailor-made on the basis of the floor plan of the flat, so the Versailles pattern came completely into its own. The pattern floor had been tailor-made in advance and Steven Mogensen took it to London as a puzzle ready for construction. As the pictures show, this was a Versailles pattern floor without the traditional frame. The frame was replaced by a board also in afrormosia and with a double wenge edge as a border against the wall.

Old subfloor Under the old wall-to-wall carpet there was a subfloor with old wooden panels. This subfloor was not suitable for fitting the new pattern floor directly, so the floor fitter took a 2K adhesive and glued and nailed new multiplex panels (5.5mm) onto the old subfloor. The pattern floor was glued using a dispersion adhesive.

Antique high skirting boards The parquet floor was to be fitted in the living room, kitchen, and bedrooms. All those rooms had old traditional and very thick and high (35cm) skirting boards fixed to the wall. These skirting boards could not be removed, so it was necessary to paint over them. Therefore, saw cuts were made in the skirting boards and the parquet floor was slid neatly under the antique skirting boards. The project manager chose a hand-scraped finish for his afrormosia pattern floor, and this was applied on site. The floor was finished with no fewer than four coats of Osmo hard wax oil 3032. This oil is durable, moisture-repellent, and dirtproof once it has set. Moreover, this oil highlights the grain structure of the afrormosia wood nicely and also blends in well with the hand-scraped finish. Steve Mogensen comments: ‘Four coats of hard wax oil

was the client’s choice. In England, they have specific tastes in wood finish. They like a thick and highly saturated oil on the floor. Afterwards, the floor was re-polished with a white pad to create a light satin gloss. The result was there for all to see and the floor suits such historic buildings.’

Working in London Steven Mogensen is proud of this project and his many other previous projects in London. He says, ‘Such projects keep you in form. In any case, I love doing traditional parquet creations. My partnership with the London architect goes back over ten years. If you deliver good work, that creates a long business relationship based on mutual trust and respect.’

BJ Parket: specialities include style panels BJ Parket from Zele, Belgium, is a manufacturer of traditional parquet and composite parquet and a wholesaler in parquet products. With its team of professional and experienced woodworkers and dynamic sales and administration team, BJ Parket is one of the top companies in our industry. One of BJ Parket’s specialities is the production of style panels in diverse (classic) styles or according to their own design. These are panels in 10mm or a composite construction. Moreover, the panels are available in a wide range of wood sorts. They produce their own style panels according to their own plan with precise CNC-guided saws. They also apply special designs to the panels, both classic patterns and their own new designs, with a sense of perfection and with the help of a laser machine.

More info on www.bjparket.be

Floor Forum International 75

Special

Producers of hybrid adhesives

THE SECRET OF A GOOD FORMULA HYBRID ADHESIVES ARE PREPARED WITH THE BEST INGREDIENTS

Photo – Pallmann

A cross between two or more essentially different art genres in music or expressive art is called ‘ hybrid art’. ‘Hybrid software’ combines the best of two software packages or licences and a ‘ hybrid language’ is a cross between two languages. The term hybrid is used in the vehicle industry and in shipping to indicate that a vehicle or ship is driven by combined power sources e.g. by a petrol (or diesel) engine and an electromotor. In other words, pluck the benefits of different forms of technology and mix them to get a better product. Hybrid adhesives tell more or less the same story.

Floor Forum International 75

The floor fitter as an ‘academic’ There are no simple professions any more. You can be sure of that. The world is complex and every trade is based on at least a modicum of science. Why? Because science is the servant of the trade and leads to better results. Let’s talk about the fire service. Firemen, indeed. How simple is that? On the one hand you have a fire and on the other hand water. If you spray water onto a fire, it goes out, doesn’t it? Who do you need to do that? The baker, the smith, and the sexton, volunteers who are willing to offer their services in an emergency to save lives. If only it were that simple. These days, we no longer talk about the fire triangle, but the ‘pentagon’. We talk about isolated fires, flash over, back draft,

the fire curve, and such like. Fire fighting resources are adapted to the ‘type’ of fire. Fire engines are equipped with the very latest technology and even the clothing contains sensors which transmit the body temperature of the fireman in a burning house to the chief fire officer’s laptop outside. The ‘fire fighting’ course covers 11 modules totalling about 5,000 pages. Then there are studies to become a senior fire officer. Gone are the days when floor fitters were handy joiners with a feel for wood, trained by their ‘patrons’ to fit this type of parquet and that finish. Technology has planted a bomb under the simplicity. Like so many others, parquet floor fitters are advised to do ongoing in-service training.

Adhesive is a joker Just as the correct extinguishing agent is crucial for extinguishing a fire, so is the use of the correct adhesive essential for successful parquet glueing. The ‘correctness’ of the choice of adhesive is therefore determined partly by the type of parquet, the nature of the substrate, climatological conditions, and structural conditions. Floor fitters are served hand and foot, since the chemical industry provides an adhesive which is more or less suitable for any conditions or combination of conditions. The range is extensive: dispersion adhesives, single or dual component adhesives, or polymer adhesives. The ingredients, too, are extensive: acrylate, polyurethane, silane, epoxy, etc. Furthermore, although this range is extremely broad, researchers nevertheless continue to work on the development of new adhesives. Floor fitters had only just got used to the breakthrough of MS polymers and other silane-based adhesives when the technological world hurled the ‘hybrid’ into the ring. So far, so good. Floor fitters can live with that.

Choosing an adhesive Various factors help to determine which adhesive is most suitable for glueing this or that wooden floor. For example, you have to take account of the nature and flatness of the substrate. The properties and dimensions of the floor covering also affect stability. The type of floor: With some types of floor we want to limit completely the natural movements of the wood, whilst with other types of floors we want to allow them a certain tolerance. Over the years, the number of forms of adhesive technology has increased enormously. The story of ‘the trees and the wood’. The EN 14293 provides a simplified choice between flexible and solid adhesives. The main property where solid and flexible adhesives differ from each other is elasticity. The elasticity of a material indicates the extent to which a material exerts an opposing force (the so called resilience) when the elastic is warped (i.e. not permanently) or the extent to which a material is warped by the application of some external pressure. For the time being, hybrid adhesives take us mainly to the territory of flexible adhesives.

Ecological, qualitative, and comfortable Hybrid adhesives combine the positive properties of various forms of technology in order to obtain specific properties. Amongst other things, silane adhesives can have as a backbone a silicone or a polyurethane with one or more functional silane groups, which cross-link during the reaction process. This cross-linking is called ‘polycondensation’. Combinations of forms of polyurethane technology and those based on silicone are often called STPU adhesives. These do not contain any isocyanates. According to most producers, these hybrid adhesives are gaining ground. The fact that these adhesives don’t contain any hazardous substances is obviously an advantage. After all, there’s no danger to the user. Moreover, these adhesives ensure qualitative glueing on smooth surfaces without a primer. There are no bubbles in the adhesive mass, so there is a stronger uninterrupted

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coat of adhesive. Due to their top class performances, these adhesives can replace a dual component PU adhesive, but it seems that floor fitters often opt for the ‘price’ at this point. The spreadability is comparable to, if not better than, that of most other adhesives. In recent years, researchers have been working hard on spreadability so that these adhesives are easy to spread. The open time in many cases is half an hour and shelf life is now a good 12 months.

A selection from the range Blanchon Current forms of technology used in hybrid adhesives are vinyl glues, epoxy-polyurethane, polyurethanes (1 and 2 components) and hybrid polymers. Some major strengths of these adhesives are that they are versatile, single component and therefore handy in use, flexible, durable, and perfect for glueing wide floorboards. Moreover, they are less sensitive to residual moisture in the screed and maintain the same consistency in all seasons. At Blanchon their three references in this context are hybrid polymers. The AB 1300, which is very comfortable during work, is adequate for all traditional glueing up to widths of 130mm. The AB 2000 can be used to glue widths of up to 200mm. Finally, there is the essential sausage adhesive, which does not run when it is applied vertically. Worth knowing: Each year, Blanchon organises technical training days for floor fitters.

Chimiver Panseri S.p.A. Chimiver offers Unisil, an adhesive based on MS technology. This flexible an elastic adhesive is a ready to use product. UNISIL is a prepolymer based, single-component adhesive with a silanic termination (MS technology), totally free of water, solvents, amines, tin, isocyanates and epoxy resins. It hardens with atmospheric humidity and becomes resistant to water, temperature and ageing in approx. 36-48 hours. Recommended for gluing prefinished parquet onto marble, grit, tiles, ceramic or marble-chip floor, etc. Also suitable for gluing parquet onto underfloor heating and cooling system. CERTIFICATES: EC1R; ATTESTATION CCAEnvironmentally Compatible Product (Certificate issued by Department BEST - Politecnico of Milan CCA Registration No. 201216); Sound Reduction (CSI Test Report No. 0056/DC/ACU/06); Heat conductivity (CSI Test Report No. 0020/DC/TTS/06). Unisil is available in buckets, sausages and cartridges. In addition to Unisil, Chimiver has also Adesiver Elastic which, as Unisil, is EC1 very low emissions certified adhesive.

Devo® Devomat presents various hybrid adhesives, including the single component adhesive Devo® Glue MSP250. This adhesive is suitable for

Floor Forum International 75

Producers of hybrid adhesives

Pallmann Pallmann presents its single component STP adhesive Pallmann 5. This glue combines the elasticity of a polyurethane adhesive and the advantages of the state-of-the-art STP technology. The adhesive is extremely easy to apply without any risk of swelling, since it doesn’t contain any water. Pallmann 5 is suitable for just about all sorts of wooden floors, including exotic sorts. It contains no solvents. Pallmann 5 has an excellent filling capacity and a long open time. Adhesive residue can easily be removed. Pallmann P6 is a new high-tech, elastic single component STP adhesive,

Floor Forum International 75

The term hybrid adhesive refers to silane MICO V-E modified PLUS glues. And y so, this s lo w mi e indicates the technology used in order to make this adhesive. The most popular forms of technology with parquet adhesives are PU adhesives (1 and 2-component), dispersion adhesives, solvent-based adhesives, and therefore hybrid parquet adhesives. These hybrid adhesives are gaining ground on the traditional parquet adhesives. These glues offer a number of advantages: There is no hazard labelling (they contain no isocyanates or solvents), the glue doesn’t foam up, the glue offers very good adhesion on several surfaces (Universal use) with just about all sorts of wood, and the glue spreads the force of the movement of the wood over the subfloor. Hybrid adhesives from Soudal are very user-friendly: single component system, so there is no need to mix. These adhesives are also very easy to spread. Shelf life is 9 months in a bucket and 12 months in an aluminium bag or sausage. sio

® DE

At Emfi they, too, have noticed that hybrid adhesives are gaining ground on solvent-based adhesives and PU adhesives. Emfi parquet has both PU adhesive and hybrid adhesives. Emfi presents as a hybrid adhesive the Emfi Parquet Pro+, a parquet adhesive based on silanated polymers, suitable for full glueing all types of parquet. Thanks to lots of research and development, Emfi Parquet Pro+ meets the strictest environmental standards. This adhesive is suitable for glueing very wide floorboards in oak. It sticks rapidly and is easy to apply. The Emfi Parquet Pro+ is a single component glue.

Soudal

Emfi

pursuant to standard DIN 14 293 for glueing parquet. This adhesive combines the strength of dual component adhesives with the comfort of single component glues. Pallmann regularly organises training sessions for professionals at its headquarters in Würzburg (Germany), but also in other countries. (info: www.goog-for-wood.com).

fully glueing all wood sorts, including solid wood up to a width of 20cm. This glue is particularly recommended for fitting pre-engineered parquet. The adhesive contains no water, is free of VOC, is easy to spread, and offers very high adhesion strength. Devo® Glue MSP250 is packed in 5kg bags. This makes it possible to work hygienically without spillage. You apply the quantity of glue that you need at that moment and the rest stays in the bag. Moreover, this aluminium bag ensures a longer shelf life. The open time for Devo Glue MSP250 is 50 to 80 minutes before a skin forms, and that’s quite a long open time. The rapid technological progress and changing market means that in-depth knowledge of these adhesives is still fairly limited. To this end, Devomat organises monthly workshops and training sessions in order to keep parquet professionals better informed about these new forms of technology. There are training sessions scheduled for every Friday. Themes such as substrate pre-treatment and adhesives, parquet sandpapering, and Devo Natural finish techniques follow each other in succession and are repeated each month. These training sessions will also be given in the Netherlands from summer 2015.

Special

Stauf STAUF SPU parquet adhesives combine the benefits of PU technology, namely maximum dimensional stability (strength) and universal use, with the freedom from mandatory labelling enjoyed by silane-based adhesives (STAUF SMP). The result is an SPU adhesive, which is classified in the favourable Giscode class of RS10 and Emicode EC1-R plus. STAUF SPU 570 universal parquet adhesive is used to bond solid or multilayer types of parquet. With SPU 555 STAUF is launching a very fast setting silane adhesive with high shear strength. STAUF SPU-460 Suitable for many types of parquet. Its strength makes it ideal for solid boards with a width-to-thickness ratio of up to 10:1. STAUF S-Press is a elastic silane wood flooring adhesive for the most common wood floorings types in an 1800 ml aluminum sausage foil bag for the application in suitable adhesive applicaton devices.

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Hygrometers and how to use them

MEASURING IS KNOWING! HYGROMETERS ARE INDISPENSABLE FOR PARQUET FLOOR FITTERS

Photo – Tramex

To be sure that conditions are suitable for fitting parquet or other wooden or wood-related floors, it is necessary to measure various sources of damp. This is necessary not only because wood reacts to different forms of damp (more or less dependent on the sort), but also because certain products require particular levels of moisture content for proper use. There are various measuring appliances for measuring the different levels of moisture content and they are based on various types of technology. Nowadays, multifunctionality is a trend. The aim? To measure various levels of moisture content with one tool.

What do we measure? The surrounds also contain moisture. This moisture is significant not only because we are working with wood, but also and especially because makers of chemical products such as adhesives, varnishes, and oils set certain requirements (limits) for the surrounding conditions (damp and temperature) for a qualitative use of their products. Apart from that, building elements such as concrete, screed, and plasterwork contain certain percentages of building residual moisture and building materials themselves also have a moisture content (which also happens to vary). There are various sorts of hygrometers for measuring all those possible moisture contents.

Destructive or not These can be divided broadly into two types, namely destructive and non-destructive. With a destructive meter you have to press the

measuring needles manually into the material. This means that you damage the material. This is often not a problem during a renovation, for instance. With a non-destructive meter, you hold the measuring head against the material. If the idea is to leave the material unaffected, you should use a meter of the latter type.

Measuring technology Some people believe that the most reliable method is the carbid method whereby sample material from the floor is used to bring about a reaction to carbid so that the residual moisture content can be measured. Air humidity and temperature are measured using hygro-thermometers. These tools are designed to check the surrounding conditions. Meters which are based on the dielectric constant are also called capacitive wood moisture meters. They operate with a transmitter and a receiver and are based on the thickness of the wood. Many parquet floor fitters are ‘armed’ with a measuring tool which is based on this electrical resistance. Measuring tools are equipped with electrodes (needles) which are pressed (or hammered) into the wood in order to obtain a reading for the resistance between those electrodes.

Multifunctional As is also the case with other instruments and tools or accessories, manufacturers try to design tools with several functions. It’s not so simple for floor fitters to carry around different measuring tools for each sort or source of moisture. Nowadays, we are witnessing the emergence of tools which simply measure ‘everything’, and that’s a big step forwards to help professionals.

Floor Forum International 75

Special

Hygrometers and how to use them

Two specialists :

G- 822 measures up to 10% residual moisture content in barely two seconds.

DNS Denzel Hidden residual moisture is the main cause of moisture-related floor damage. It is interesting DNS G-822 to know that 45% of the water used to make cement or gypsum-bound building materials is retained in the mixture crystals. The other 55% of water ceases to have a function once the material has set, so it has to be discharged to the edges where it evaporates. If any coating is applied before the water has disappeared, we get damage as a result of excess pressure from the steam between the material and the coating. To measure the residual moisture content, you have to know the damp profile specific to the material and the equilibrium moisture content (EMC) of the material at 20°C. DNS Denzel swears by non-destructive, capacitive measuring technology. The company presents various electronic moisture detectors, which measure moisture in wood and in the screed with an accuracy of over 99%. For example, the G-822 measures the moisture in 120 sorts of subfloors, 15 different sorts of parquet, 10 different wood sorts, various sorts of building materials, and no fewer than eight different types of concrete. It measures the air humidity and the air temperature, calculates the dew point, and measures the surface temperature. The tool can store data and transport it (cable-free) to a PC or Smartfone. The DNS Moisture-Detection exactly · nondestructive-fast · save Hand-Reaction

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Tramex Non-destructive Concrete test The Tramex instant test for concrete is non-destructive and specified by many flooring manufacturers around the world because of its simplicity, accuracy and repeatability of results. Many tests can be carried out over a large area in a short amount of time. The CME4 and CMEX II meters have a Carbide Method (CM) equivalent scale, allowing the user to reduce the number of CM tests. Locations of high moisture content can be instantly identified and then confirmed through a minimum amount of CM tests. Ambient Conditions In conjunction with the Tramex Hygro-i relative humidity probe, the CMEX II also functions as a digital hygrometer. The meter displays the relative humidity, temperature and dew point allowing the user to assess the ambient conditions in the building making sure they are suitable for installing a floor covering. Using an Infrared Surface Thermometer, the relative humidity and non-destructive results it is easy to identify condensation problems.

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Discover industrial lacquers : they offer benefits

COATING CONTRACTORS FOLLOW TRENDS AND TECHNOLOGY OUTSOURCING SPECIALIST TASKS MAKES ECONOMIC SENSE

Photo – Zabolak

As the choice of wood, floor types, and, especially, finishes continues to grow, it gets harder and harder for parquet manufacturers and floor fitters to put ‘everything’ on the menu. They are plagued in particular by a maze of conflicting trends. There is the ever growing demand for ‘pre-finished’. Offering every possible variant of parquet in pre-finished would mean ending up with a huge assortment. The need for mass production for reasons of profit stands in stark contrast to clients’ yearnings for exclusivity. Floor fitters then have to choose between pre-finished and the retention of their secret recipes, which they carry out on site. Outsourcing is the best way forward.

Coating contractors – what exactly do they do? Originally, coating contractors were third-party suppliers who perfected their skills in a niche activity and became genuine specialists. Nowadays, coating contractor companies are mushrooming because they have bundled together several niche activities into a coherent menu of tasks which are versatile and varied, but still ultra specialised. There can be no doubt that outsourcing is a specialised part of the

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production to such external partners is not only beneficial economically, but also reassuring since it offers greater certainty of a quality result. In the beginning, the stress was on ‘finishing’. Nowadays, they do just about everything.

Outsourcing the ‘finish’ The most commonly outsourced tasks are those related to floorboard finishes. The reason for this is obvious. Lacquering lines take up huge amounts of space and are very expensive. UV technology may now be established, but the cost of investing in drying ovens is still astronomical. Coating contractors provide not only installations, but also a wealth of knowledge of just about all sorts of wood and the various products. Their experience gained from work with various clients has helped them develop into specialists in just about all finishes. This specialisation goes much further than merely applying traditional finishes to wooden floors. Most companies offer a comprehensive range of surface treatments. These include colouring, distressing (e.g. smoking), lashing, hand-scraping, and such like. The popularity of those techniques has helped to bring about a golden age for these companies.

Floor Forum International 75

Special

Discover industrial lacquers : they offer benefits

Other ‘services’ and actions It is clear that the term ‘coating contractors’ is now long since outmoded. In the field of finishing these coating contractors have long since ceased to limit themselves to just lacquering. Moreover, lots of outsourcing companies have refined their range of services with activities going far beyond the application of a certain finish. Some of them accept genuine joinery tasks such as milling a tongue and groove, applying a click system, or even producing pre-fabricated traditional parquet by order of another manufacturer. Apart from that, there are lots of opportunities to outsource certain logistical tasks. This means that parquet manufacturers can concentrate fully on their core business and expend their energy (space, people, and machinery) on production, whilst leaving stocking, packaging, and distribution to external partners. Those external partners usually have (expensive) ultra modern machines and the required systems to meet the need for traceability.

and distinctive floors. It is also possible to use this line, for example, to spray roof battens, skirting boards, laths, and floor or ceiling sections (in any type of RAL colour) using a spraying machine. Distressing by means of Scarving Xperience is still a trend. They can scarve in various designs; you will find examples on their web site. Other new finishes are oil invisible and lacquer invisible, finishes which guarantee the natural look of the white wood. Their latest new development is a varnish with fire-retardant properties, which they can also apply in colour on request. This finish is being used more and more in projects. For more information visit their web site: www.hwfinishing.nl

Whom do they work for? We’ve already said that the term ‘coating contractor’ has long been insufficient to cover the scope of this work. These companies offer just about every possible finish (e.g. lacquer, oil, or hard wax oil) as well as pre-colouring or distressing by smoking or by applying mechanical damage (e.g. by beating or lashing).

Parquet manufacturers The clients are parquet producers who are increasingly facing smaller jobs ‘tailor-made for the client’. To distress 100m² of parquet you can hardly invest in all the equipment required for that purpose. Since coating contractors work for several clients, this investment is worth their while.

Parquet floor fitters Another group of clients are floor fitters who want to have a number of ‘operations’ (e.g. colouring or distressing) carried out in advance. They see the benefits of pre-finished, but they stick firmly to their own recipes. Coating contractors apply that recipe on request and in accordance with the floor fitter’s instructions.

An introduction H&W Finishing H&W Finishing is a modern company with three production lines. They are located right next to the A58 and therefore in a central position in the Benelux. They have two production lines for UV finishes and one for oxidative and special finishes. This is a production line which can also be used for handiwork to produce really elegant

Mapo Belgium The team of Jan Schoonbrood, who has over 30 years of experience, and his colleague Ann Jordens are delighted with the favourable culture in the sector. And so, at Mapo Belgium they have every confidence in the future. Demand for pre-finished products is growing for both interior and exterior applications, and at Mapo Belgium they are very pleased about that. There can be no two ways about it that flexibility and reactivity are the two biggest challenges for the company and its clients nowadays. The pressure to provide good quality services within a short space of time is often great, but it certainly does provide this Belgian firm with opportunities. Mapo stands out for its varied machinery, which enables the company to respond quickly to all sorts of requests, whether it’s a question of parquet floors, laths, exterior walls, or terraces. A lot of treatments are administered in one and the same production run, such as sandpapering, brushing, colouring, varnishing,

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Floor Forum International 75

oiling (including with maintenance oil), and packing, so that Mapo can offer ‘budget-friendly‘ finishes. Thanks to a high capacity and neutrality, Mapo can apply finishes for the biggest players on the market without ignoring requests from clients with smaller volumes and commission floors. Furthermore, the possibilities also include providing fire-retardant treatments in autoclave. Mapo is concentrating increasingly on customised work and related questions from clients as regards project colours and packaging. Mapo continues to build its own future.

offers its services via wholesale. Why is that? Because everyone benefits! The most important reason is ‘that an integral cost price for the retailer is often cheaper via wholesale,’ says Henry Jacobs. ‘After all, the retailer doesn’t have any transport costs for the wood.’ Moreover, the retailer benefits from the quantum discount which the wholesaler can stipulate to its suppliers without having a problem with pre-financing because there are current agreements with the wholesalers. Conclusion: using the services of this coating contractor is best done via the wholesaler, but it can also be done direct.

Timfin

Timfin offers an extensive range of services for both parquet manufacturers and timber merchants and fitters. Their main activities include varnishing & oiling, brushing & distressing, finishes for outdoor wood, and such like. The speciality consists of applying natural oils and varnishes. New colours are developed every day which combine aesthetics and a durable treatment to produce an attractive modern finish. These also include the trendy brut look for parquet and exterior treatments for exterior wall cladding and terrace floors with a lifespan of five years. Timfin is a medium-sized player in the field of finishes in the broadest sense of the term. Timfin is located in Aalter on the Lakeland industrial estate and is easily accessible. You will find more information on timfin.be

Zabolak Zabolak provides all the services which one might expect from a coating contractor, such as distressing (in various ways), smoking with ammonia, brushing to various degrees, lye stains, colour stains, oxidative oiling, UV oiling, lacquering, project lacquering, packaging (in various ways), and logistical support. The clients are parquet professionals consisting of manufacturers, wholesalers, project developers, interior specialists, and retailers. 90% of their clients are from Europe and the completed products end up all over the world. Zabolak has been in existence in its present form for 17 years and has a history with parquet going back almost 50 years. Over the last decade, the company has developed purely into a finish company in which flexibility and reliability take centre stage. Henry Jacobs certainly thinks along with parquet floor fitters. They are certainly welcome to visit Zabolak to talk about customised work. In fact, the sky’s the limit, but, strictly speaking, Zabolak

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Floor Forum International 75

Special

Producers of distressed floors

‘DISTRESSED’ AS A FINISH TURNING THE CLOCK BACK

Photo – Esprit Du Parquet

Old floors are produced from just about anything from bygone days: cheeseboards, bollards, old travel suitcases from the ‘Congo ship’, train sleepers, etc. Initially, we used to look in castles, mansions, and monasteries for both floors to be recycled and old beams for producing floors. Temples in Indonesia supplied a tremendous stock of ancient teak which could be used to make floors. We love to hanker after the past. Then, when the day comes that the stocks of floors and old beams are exhausted, we use old wood from other applications. Now that just about everything has gone ‘ beyond our budgets’, we simply make old imitation wood. Not only with wooden floors, but with ‘all’ floors: laminate, LVT, and linoleum. Vintage designs are very much ‘ in’.

Old wood floors

The success of ‘imitation wood’ is entirely because of the huge popularity of ‘genuine antique’. It’s because something becomes rare and therefore precious (and expensive!) that we start imitating it. To copy something as authentically as possible, you have to know what it is that you want to imitate. Strictly speaking, there are two ‘sources’ which account for the origins of old wooden floors. Firstly, there are old floors which are recycled, and then there is old wood which is used to produce new floors. In both cases the wood bears the marks of time. The origin affects the colour, the hardness, and the design.

Another ‘source’ of old floors is old (recycled) construction wood, which is used to produce new floors. These floors benefit from the quality of old wood, but also from the mechanical quality of modern woodworking (new tongue and groove). Examples in this respect are legion. Highly exclusive is the wood which originates from centuries old ship planks. Old beams which originate from Brabant farms can be between 70 and 250 years old. Another example where the previous use leaves a mark on the current appearance are beams which have served as old bollards or sheet pile wall planks. With a history of constantly soaking up water, this wood shows a semblance of light blue. With one specialist trader, we even came across wooden floors produced from old cheeseboards and from the drying planks of an old baked tile factory.

Old floors

Mechanical distressing

Most old or antique wooden floors emerge from the demolition of homes, mansions, monasteries, old factories, and castles. Since

Strictly speaking, mechanical distressing has two objectives. On the one hand, we want to give the impression that the floorboards have

Old floors or old wood?

governments are becoming increasingly stringent with the award of demolition licences and are guarding (and treasuring) their legacies better and better, these floors are becoming increasingly rare. The first step in widening the market range consisted of looking not only for recyclable floors from mansions, but also for floors which were designed for something completely different. Storehouses, warehouses, and former market halls yield a wealth of pine floorboards. The planks are usually fitted with a new tongue and groove. Another best seller are oak floors from old train carriages. The planks are cleansed, planed, and fitted with tongue and groove. The gnarls and cracks are left untouched.

Floor Forum International 75

been produced using outmoded techniques of a century ago (brushing and scraping), and on the other hand to give the impression (through lashing, beating, and whipping) that the floors have suffered from years of use.

consumption of the floorboards by insects or micro-organisms. The application of small holes imitates woodworm, something which often occurred in older (damper) houses on floors in pine or pitch pine. Beating only serves to reinforce the impression of a well-used floor.

Imitating old techniques

Combination of techniques

We’re all aware that technology is making rapid strides. Machines from about 10 years ago did not deliver the same quality as today’s machines. That’s to say nothing of 100 years ago! Sawing straight with no visible deviations of the blade was impossible a century ago. The same goes for planing, and sandpapering! In those days, we were reliant on brushes, whereas nowadays we can sandpaper to the perfection even of diamonds (sheer smoothness) by using various sandpapering tools in succession. You can see it coming: If we apply these old materials and techniques to a brand new parquet or wooden floor, we largely give the impression that the floor is the product of ‘a different era’. After all, nowadays, no one saws, planes, or sandpapers in a crooked fashion. A dash of colour rounds off the effect. Breaking the tongue and groove and planing in scales (scraping) reminds us of old and imperfect planing machines. Brushing is one way of highlighting the wood grains. This, too, can be accompanied by a touch of colour.

In most cases the above-mentioned mechanical distressing techniques are combined with chemical distressing. For example, a hand-scraped floor is usually even more ‘authentic’ in combination with smoking or colour distressing. For colour distressing we make use of special dyes or colour oils in order to create the impression that a new parquet floor is actually an old floor. White and grey are extremely popular here. There is talk of white wash or even super white wash. With the latter the floor is brushed lightly, first. If you carry out a white wash, you get a matt floor which is a little chalky. Extremely dark colours can also contribute to an old appearance. We can also achieve dark colours by ‘smoking’. Smoking wooden floors is one of the most popular and attractive distressing techniques. Smoking is a process which creates a reaction with the tannic acid in the wood. Lots of wood sorts contain little or no tannic acid, so those sorts are unable to evoke a distressed colour. Oak does have plenty of tannic acid, specifically in the shape of European oak and American oak. Russian oak or Chinese oak contains much less tannic acid, so, at the most, they can be only lightly smoked.

Imitating years of use Another method of distressing is to create the impression that the floors have been in use for several decades. You can do this by creating traces of use. By lashing and beating, we apply to the floor a certain damage, which looks partly like traces of a high-traffic floor or which indicates

The art of imitation The above-mentioned ‘real’ techniques can be implemented on all wooden floors (solid wood, multi-layer, and for some techniques, even

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Floor Forum International 75

Special

Producers of distressed floors

veneer. Why do we talk of something ‘real’? Because they are also actually carried out. Less real are the same effects in all floor sorts which owe their appearance to ‘print’. With laminate, vinyl, linoleum, and such like, we create the impression that we are talking about floorboards from a bygone age by means of a photograph. Thanks to progress in the art of digital printing and modern techniques such as embossing, here, too, imitations are becoming more and more ‘authentic’. This finish is much coveted, as shown by the fact that producers of these floors are jumping on the band wagon in great numbers.

What’s on the market? BJ Parket BJ Parket is a manufacturer of solid and composite wood floors such as old Flemish style, strips, herringbone, style panels, Hungarian point, cross-cut, and such like, but also supplies composite floors. Distressed floors are offered as well in solid wood as composite. The range of composite floors certainly includes a large selection in pre-finished floors which are already distressed or which are given a distressed look by BJ Parket itself. Floors which are distressed by BJ Parket itself are beaten. The planks are put in a large drum, together with sophisticated material, and rotated so that damage appears on the planks. After this treatment, the loose splinters are removed. After that, the planks can also be smoked, if necessary, to give them a dark brown shade. The floors are finished with oil to preserve the natural shade of the wood. Structuring and brushing are two other forms of distressing which are applied either separately or in combination with beating. Distressed floors are offered mainly in oak.

Design Parquet

Flamingo Parket Flamingo Parket produces both solid wood (planks and traditional parquet) and multi-layer floors. At Flamingo Parket each product can be distressed with the exception of the 12mm thin Twin Plank, because these dimensions would be damaged too much. At Flamingo Parket they get the impression that, apart from distressed products, more and more alternatives are emerging such as a planed surface instead of a sandpapered one and, obviously, the Raftwood floors, which are produced from oak sleepers. Flamingo Parket distresses floors using a drum. They believe that this is the best way because the edges also take on an irregular appearance. The company distresses only oak.

Heywood Vloeren Heywood’s Aged European Oak Collections

Design Parquet offers solid parquet and multi-layer parquet. They offer distressed designs mainly in oak, but the company likes to adapt its production to the wishes of its clients. The most popular distressing technique at Design Parquet is still manual distressing. This results in the treated floor having the look of a floor which has genuinely aged over the years.

Chêne de l’est® Chêne de l’est produces solid wood floors in thicknesses of 14 and 21mm and multi-layer parquet floors in thicknesses of 15.2mm (TOP4) and 20mm (TOP6). The company carries out all phases of the production itself, from the tree trunk to the final finished product. This enables Chêne to supervise the quality at close quarters. At Chêne de l’est they have noticed clearly how distressed designs of wooden flooring are still doing extremely well on the market. And so, the company is meeting that market demand. In the ‘Planchers d’Autrefois’ collection the

company presents an extensive range of floors which look like genuine old floors. Various distressing techniques and a range of colour shades and widths mean that everyone can find their preference in this collection. Chêne de l’est recommends these floors for both private and commercial rooms (hotels, restaurants, and public areas). Here, too, oak is the most popular sort of wood used for distressed floors.

Floor Forum International 75

'Antique’ a hand carved Plank, Herringbone, Chevron and Versailles with beautiful open cracks and characteristic knots and ‘Knotting Hill’ with a brushed, raw appearance and natural raised knots and band saw stripes. Made of engineered Multiplank on a Birch plywood backing. Many sizes options, with aging techniques like hand carved, tumble distressed, band sawn, raised knots and other treatments. New is our ‘Reclaimed Wood’ in Oak, Elm and Barnwood. Natural colour variations and patina of untreated wood, weathered and dried by exposure to the elements. Ideal for high-end wooden floor applications or wall panels. Our website gives a good impression of the almost unlimited possibilities for Bespoke services which Heywood offers. www.heywoodvloeren.com

Esprit Du Parquet At Esprit Du Parquet they still see ‘distressed’ as a major trend. The company has two main collections, namely the Alpine Collection and the Century Collection. The Alpine collection is a collection of multi-layer parquet 15/4 in 220mm width and 2.20m in length (Chamonix, Meribel, Courchevel, and Mont Blanc). The Century Collection is

composite parquet of 300-year-old elm, 20/6 with a length of 1.650mm and varying widths. Distressed floors are available in both collections. The most popular distressing technique is applied by hand.

Habo / Holz Bois Habo offers a beautiful collection of VOC distressed floors in a very wide range of products: Classic Line 9mm traditional flooring in widths of 7cm to 24cm open book, 9mm patterns (e.g. herringbone, chevron, Versailles) and 13mm or 18mm Top Line. All these different dimensions are available in French oak and in your preferred selection. Due to our impressive stock in parquet flooring from our own productions we can be very flexible. The VOC collection consists of 14 colours. The distressed floors are tumbled, coloured and oiled twice with a UV hardwax oil. This means they are ready to use immediately after installation.

MANUFACTUROR OF SOLID AND ENGINEERED WOODFLOORS Style panels, end grain, distressed floors (different ageing techniques ‘sanded, brushed, tumbled, smoked and structured’): Customised work on simple request!

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

Lalegno Lalegno distressed floors have been housed in two exclusive collections, namely the Antique Collection and the Barn Collection. Together, these make up a carefully selected range of now about thirty multilayer oak parquet floors of high

B.J. Parket

BVBA

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

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Producers of distressed floors

quality and unrivalled look. Lalegno uses various techniques to distress its oak floors such as beating, sandblasting, and sawing. However, the most popular ones are the manual distressing methods such as hand-scraping and cleaving because the result is even more authentic and convincing. It is obvious that distressed floors are very much in fashion. Moreover, this is the case not only in Belgium. After all, the top floors from the ANTIQUE Collection, such as the 15-CLASSIC-180GRAVES-BA, the 15-CLASSIC-190-BERGERAC, and the 15-CLASSIC-220-RELIEF-VOSNE are extremely popular all over the World. In the exclusive BARN Collection steals the 15-CLASSIC-190BARN-ANJOU-B likes to steal the show. Since it is a cleaved floor, it has more relief and stands out at once. It looks rugged and obstinate, but although the floor is completely finished and therefore easy to maintain, the colour of the oak is sober, neutral, and naturally attractive matt. Really unique!

Smoking process: With our smoking process we don’t obtain a uniform colour, whereby the floor achieves a natural old look. This process also achieves a deep penetration, which prevents colour wear-off. Surface treatments:

Parketfabriek Lieverdink Lieverdink produces traditional parquet 6.2/10mm, Burgundy 9mm, 22mm solid wood strips, and two-layer, and also supplies Kahrs engineered parquet and veneer parquet and Moso bamboo in traditional parquet, engineered parquet, and veneer. Obviously, mosaic and platelet are also available. The company supplies its traditional parquet, Burgundy, and Q2 floors in several distressed variants and colours. New are the tablets in fresh distressed colours. In addition, Kahrs also has a number of very attractive ‘distressed’ operations, including the Da Capo series. Apart from distressed wood, Lieverdink also offers real old wood, which is unrivalled in terms of look! Distressed floors are still very much in fashion. Apart from all the colour possibilities, the best sellers are still products designed in smoked shades, beaten smoked white, and sandpapered and planed. Similarly the grey colours Slate and Grigio Veil are still well in the picture. Dry distressing in a revolving drum with steel content is the most popular method. In addition, there is also a special method for Grigio: This distressing process is milder and gives fresh rounded edges. Semi-distressed is also possible by means of brushing, fine sawing, or rough planing. These operations are also increasingly in demand. Basically, any wood sort can be distressed, but oak is the clear leader in this field. Nevertheless, from time to time, Lieverdink also distresses floors in wood sorts such as keroewing, kambala, teak, and afzelia. Three-sided rough keroewing and oak also yield a distinctive look.

Peserco Limited According to Peserco Limited distressed floors have a very individual character. Peserco aged and distressed floors are hand finished to give them a natural old and pre-used appearance as though they have been removed from an old convent, church or warehouse. Manual production Oak has traditionally been the most widely used wood specie the past, and the majority of distressed floors today are manufactured in Oak. We are now also producing in Maple. Our beautiful old Maple floors are characterized by stunning colour and grain splits, without in any way compromising the quality of the floor. When needed the cracks are filled with a matching colour.

Floor Forum International 75

• By manual brushing, surface/bevel scraping and manual oiling we create unique and individual planks. No two planks are the same. • Wedges, random saw cuts, or surface treatments with chains, helps to emphasize the old and pre-used appearance. Additional information & products: www.peserco.com

Timberline International Timberline International offers a wide range of wooden floors consisting of solid wood 20mm, engineered 15mm with 4mm oak top layer, and engineered 20mm with 6mm oak top layer. Although they offer distressed designs in all floor sorts, they have the clear impression that this trend is fading. The most popular distressing technique used here is with glass and iron. As regards wood sorts we are talking here about European oak floors.

Zabolak At Zabolak they consider distressing every possible sort of wooden floor, from 4 to 40mm thick and from 50 to 500mm wide. This applies to both solid wood as engineered. Since Zabolak is a so called ‘contracting firm’, distressing is always at the client’s request. The most authentic distressed look is obtained by beating and scraping the side (felling). Another, less popular technique is roller distressing. The main wood sorts for distressing at Zabolak are oak, nut, larch, and teak.

Special

Subfloors for LVT, vinyl and PVC floors

FLEXIBLE FLOOR COVERING REQUIRES A SPECIFIC SUBFLOOR FAULTS IN THE SUBSTRATE SHOW THROUGH EVEN MORE ON TOP

Photo – Fermacell

There isn’t really any ‘educational’ training for fitting flexible floor coverings. And so, floor fitters who want to acquire expertise in fitting these floors are advised to consider specific professional training courses which are usually offered by the makers of those floors or of fitting accessories. Yet is the fitting really all that difficult? No more difficult than fitting parquet in expert fashion. It’s just that there are other points which require attention. For example, the demands made of the substrate are completely different. Any subfloors have to be more uniformly smooth and compact than is the case with a hard floor covering. For this reason, the BBRI (Belgian Building Research Institute) has developed the Technical Regulation 241 (TV 241).

TV 241 TV no. 241 is a guideline for fitting elastic floor coverings. This document is a partial revision of TV no. 165 (published in 1986) regarding flexible floors. This new and voluminous document is subdivided into eight chapters, which give building professionals deep insights into the world of elastic floor coverings. For example, chapter 3 includes a summary of the different types of floor coverings. This chapter is illustrated with various photographs in order to make the whole subject more attractive and convenient. It also includes a number of charts, which, amongst other things, help you to choose the floor covering in accordance with the required usage. Chapter 5 (and that says a lot!) is devoted entirely to the substrate, an essential element in fitting elastic floor coverings. The demands which have to be made of this substrate are considered in

Floor Forum International 75

Special

Subfloors for LVT, vinyl and PVC floors

depth so that nothing is allowed to pass by unnoticed: flatness, mechanical strength, permissible moisture content, etc. The recording of this latter parameter also constitutes the subject of two appendices.

Special demands on the substrate Levelling is a must! All types of floors demand a specific approach and specific products or tools before, during, and after the fitting. One of the big differences between, for instance, parquet and laminate and flexible floor coverings can be found in the demands which are made of the substrate. As we have already said, these demands are related to mechanical strength, flatness, moisture content, and such like. The tolerances with hard floor coverings are of a completely different order than with flexible floor coverings. The latter are thin and usually more or less elastic so that any unevenness in the substrate is invariably visible in the finished floor. This means that levelling is very often necessary for flexible floor coverings.

Density of the subfloor However, it is also possible to obtain a perfectly smooth base by means of the right subfloor. Subfloors which are designed for laminate or floating (multi-layer) parquet have to meet different demands to those of flexible subfloors such as vinyl, PVC, linoleum, or textile, at least as far as the levelling capacity is concerned. The crucial factor here is the hardness of these floors. The extent to which unevenness in the substrate is reflected in the finished floor differs partly through the hardness of the floor and the thickness of the subfloor. Small unevenness in the screed will usually not be visible with laminate or parquet. In that case, a

flexible subfloor with or without an integrated moisture barrier will suffice. However, with flexible floor coverings that small unevenness has to be eliminated by a harder subfloor. The rule states that with pressure of 300Kpa the subfloor must not be pressed in further than 0.3mm. We can summarise it simply as follows: - Flexible floor covering = hard subfloor - Hard floor covering = flexible subfloor

Types of subfloor Following on from what we have already said above regarding density, we concentrate here mainly on the field of subfloors in panel form. Mainly, because there are some exceptions. Some producers promote a subfloor which is certainly in the form of a roll, but which is nevertheless dense enough for fitting flexible floor coverings. Double panel systems are a striking phenomenon with a number of specialists. The subfloor consists of a bottom and top panel. MDF is a commonly recurring material for these panels. In some cases the panels have to be fitted crosswise, whilst in other cases they are glued to each other. A perfect combination for subfloors in the case of a flexible end floor is a soft bottom panel and a hard top panel. The soft bottom panel then absorbs the unevenness in the covering floor, whilst the hard top panel prevents impressions from chair legs, stiletto heels, and such like. Amongst other things, this combination is used for sound reduction, levelling, and stabilisation of elastic vinyl.

What’s on the market? Fermacell

absorbs noise to 22 dB (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?

FERMACELL floor elements form a system for dry finish floors whereby floors of very high quality can be produced in a particularly economic manner. The floor elements are processed floating in ‘drag link’. The practical advantage: the floor element can be walked on immediately after the adhesive has set. Subsequent work, such as applying the surface finish can be completed quickly. There are some points for attention for fitting textile, PVC, cork, and other floor coverings. When you fit self-adhesive tiles and with finish coats which are not watertight, it is preferable to treat the elements with a primer. For fixing floor covering point by point the use of double-sided sticky tape is recommended. With thin floor coverings in strips or tiles the floor elements need to be finished completely flat with a thin coat of leveller. The leveller used needs to be considered suitable by the maker for use on gypsum fibre boards. Give due regard to the maker’s instructions (complete setting) and recommendations for subsequent work when applying the leveller.

Mac Lean

macleanproducts.nl

Floor Forum International 75

Mac Lean Products sells Selit-Block in the Benelux. Unlike most subfloors, this product has been developed specially for LVT click. Selit-Block levels out any slight unevenness and ensures a smooth surface for the

floating floor. This subfloor provides constant protection from the pressure of daily use. Furthermore, it also protects floor systems against damp from above such as in kitchens or bathrooms. The unique Grip Tec® surface prevents the sections from shifting, whilst the floor can still ‘float’. The already good properties of LVT in the area of footstep sound can now be further refined. Furthermore, even the effects of contact sound can be improved considerably. Shock absorption helps to improve walking comfort. Selit-Block is suitable for flats and for use with floor heating. Selit-Block is made from extruded polystyrene foam with a compression strength of > 400kPa and designed as a folding panel with patented easy-lay, easy-click, and easy-cut.

extend the product segment ‘underlays’ and is now offering 40 different products. As the market more and more demands products for design floorings, Parkettfreund especially recommends the underlays ‘Special Protect Medium’, ‘Special Vinyl Grip’, ‘Special Protect Slim’ as well as ‘Special Vinyl Light’, which are suitable for LVT and PVC floorings. Compared to underlays for laminate floorings, they have a high pressure stability and aim discharge of tongue and groove connection. If a self-adhesive underlay for LVT floorings is required you can also find it in the range of Parkettfreund. The allround decoupling underlays ‘Special Protect Slim’, ‘Special Protect Medium’ as well as ‘Special Vinyl SK’ avoid cracking of the flooring and absorb static movements. For more details, please visit the website www.parkettfreund.com

Parkettfreund The manufacturer of aluminum profiles, SGH Metall- und KunststoffTechnologie GmbH, familiarly known as Parkettfreund, has currently

Discover the Future of Floor & Wall solutions

EFWEX

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

13/15.03.2016 FLANDERS EXPO - GHENT (B) - www.efwex.eu

Floor Forum International 75

Special

Suppliers of accessories and tools for fitting terrace floors

TOOLS FOR FITTING TERRACES FEWER AND FEWER TOOLS AND ACCESSORIES NECESSARY

Photo – ArchiWood

You don’t need to be a mind-reader to realise that screwing hardwood terrace boards onto a beam will sooner or later be a thing of the past. Invisible fastening systems have taken terraces to a different level from an aesthetic and technical point of view. This applies no less to terrace installation. Huge strides have been made thanks to clip systems. The job is now faster, easier, and simpler, all elements which somewhat neutralise the fact that these fastening systems are more expensive to buy. Simple generally also means with fewer resources or tools.

Floor Forum International 75

Wood and composite Hardwood, modified wood, or wood composite plays the lead role with terraces and swimming pool boards. The availability of a highly varied number of wood sorts in the highest durability classes (I and II) has put an end to the monopoly of bangkirai. The leading wood sorts from the various sellers include bangkirai, ipé, afri-kulu, padauk, merbau, teak, cumaru, massaranduba, tali, bilinga, lapacho, taperyba, elondo, elondo FSC, Indonesian teak, kurupay, garapa, and mandioqueire. These wood sorts all belong in a high durability class. Nowadays, there are a number of techniques to make wood sorts

‘more durable’. The most well known and popular such technique is thermal modification, which changes the properties of the wood by means of heat treatment. After all, wood composite consists of wood fibres, polyethylene with high density, UV stabilisers, dyes, and various additives to optimise the mechanical qualities. Mostly these are recycled wood fibres and scrap wood and recycled polyethylene. And so, in various respects wood composite is also an ecologically responsible alternative to tropical hardwood.

THE ULTIMATE GENERATION OF HIDDEN DECK FASTENERS

Fastening systems The number of invisible fastening systems on the market has increased vastly within a short space of time. These systems are virtually all equipped to cope with the swelling and shrinking of the wood and therefore take account of the moisture content at the time of the fitting. Most systems have a milled groove in the sides to accommodate the wings of ‘a’ special clip. The clips vary in shape and sort of material, but the principle is the same. With some systems it is not even necessary to apply screws through the floorboards, whilst with other systems this is necessary but it is done invisibly (diagonally downwards in the side of the plank). Other systems provide for a clip below the plank into which the plank is clicked.

Tools for the fitting The existence of fastening systems means that the number of tools required for fitting wooden terraces and wood-related terraces has fallen dramatically. After all, these fastening systems mean that some actions are no longer necessary. For example, some systems automatically regulate the correct distance between the planks. And so, it is no longer necessary to measure or fit blocks. Obviously, some tools and accessories are still necessary.

Level setting A wooden terrace doesn’t need to ‘run off’. And so, it can be perfectly level. The traditional spirit level and/or laser spirit level is therefore still necessary to lay the base perfectly horizontally. Support is necessary for laying that base horizontally. You can do this with wooden pegs, but it’s better to use glazed supports in polypropylene. The most complete system is obviously one in which you fit the beams onto synthetic terrace supports.

TOOLS AND ACCESSORIES FOR TIMBER DECKING

Battery screwdriver A cable-free screwdriver with exchangeable battery is also an indispensable tool for fitting terraces. You need to make sure that you have the correct bit for the screws which are recommended by the clip manufacturer. These are usually self-drilling TORX or SPAX screws so that pre-drilling is no longer necessary. If you don’t use clips, then pre-drilling the screw holes is most certainly recommended.

Specific accessories As we have already said, some clip systems render some tools superfluous. Nevertheless, fitters do have a number of ‘tools’ which are designed specifically for fitting wooden terraces. For example, it is possible to create a border between the beams and the terrace planks by means of single or multiple layer bitumen strips. These protect the base from moisture and help to reduce sound. If the fitting nevertheless requires screws to be screwed into the wood surface, you can drill further into the wood using a step drill and finish the job with wooden screw covers. To maintain a perfectly uniform distance, provided that you use synthetic spacers, you can work with a universal plank tool.

made in Europe

www.novlek.com info@novlek.com

Special

Suppliers of accessories and tools for fitting terrace floors

What’s on the market? ArchiWood

terrace using their system. Nevertheless, B-Fix does supply top-quality long screw caps together with its clips and screws. This means the planks can be mounted or dismantled quickly, even in the middle of the terrace. For B-Fix the use of parquet belts is enough to ensure a successfully fitted terrace.

EuroTec

At ArchiWood we find all the necessary accessories from Növlek® in the PRO tool case. This ‘ingenious’ tool case has been designed to ensure that all elements in the case are accessible for the fitter at any time thanks to the specific sections. Amongst other things, we find a section for end pieces and drills, spacers, stops, screws, fastenings, etc. Thanks to the many sections, the removable lid, the ergonomic handle, and the anti-scratch feet, this PRO tool case ensures perfect organisation of the work since you have all the necessary tools at hand. The PRO tool case is designed for a terrace of 27m². ArchiWood also offers all the accessories which are necessary for quality fitting. The accessories are entirely separate from the type of fastening system. For protection from damp (from above and below) there is the bitumen strip, a tearproof membrane consisting of three layers. Wooden screw covers make the screws completely invisible provided that you use the step drill provided for that purpose. As regards the screws, one opts here for the SPAX® 4×45 CUT INOX A2 – T15 SCREW. The PRO tool case also includes spacers. The Növlek® spaces ensure easy and efficient use. Thanks to their ‘V’ shape and the extra large handle, they can be removed at any time. Finally, there is the multifunctional plank tool from Növlek® for straightening, tightening, and holding in place with ease the terrace and exterior wall planks.

B-Fix

B-Fix invisible fastening systems make it considerably easier to fit wooden terraces. In fact, you don’t need any specific tools to fit a

Floor Forum International 75

EuroTec offers various visible and invisible fastenings for all wood sorts, taking account of the difference in tannin content and in dimensional stability of the various wood sorts. As regards accessories for the fitting EuroTec has various tools. For example, there is the screw stopper, an excellent tool for drilling all screws to the same depth. The depth stopper can be adjusted endlessly. Pre-drilling is certainly recommended with tropical hardwood sorts. The drill stop from EuroTec means you can drill and submerge in one operation. The combination of spacers and plank tools guarantees a perfect fitting. The spacers can be used to complete four different joint sizes. EuroTec provides the TX Standard Bits and the TX Long Bits. The latter are ideal for screws in places which are difficult to reach.

Preview EFWEX 2016 Ghent (BE)

EFWEX 2016 IS ‘THE PLACE TO BE’ THE BIGGEST GATEWAY TO EUROPE IS IN BELGIUM

EFWEX

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

We’re talking about the second edition of the three-day international trade fair for manufacturers, importers, and distributors of floors in wood, parquet, laminate, cork and bamboo, LVT, vinyl, and PVC, outdoor floors in wood and composite, exterior wooden cladding, all related machines, fastening systems and adhesives, oils, varnishes, and maintenance products. In short, an essential show which your company really must attend! The first EFWEX in 2014 was a great success. This new trade fair managed to gather the players from the sector for three days. In all, 3509 professional visitors came, 16% of them international visitors from 24 different countries.

also wood-related materials or compositions with wood, such as laminate and some composites, are on the way up. At all events, consumers are spoilt for choice in their love of wood. But also those other floors Completely different forms of floor technology such as LVT and PVC or floors in rolls, such as traditional vinyl and linoleum, are also offering wood designs as well as an endless selection of decors. Since there is growing interest in all these floor coverings on the market (i.e. in the real outside world!), exhibitors at EFWEX 2016 (the virtual reality inside Flanders Expo) will also be paying much more attention to all of them! Good quality catering reflects the image of a good trade fair. At EFWEX 2016 the catering is absolutely free !

The strong benefits of EFWEX:

Belgium as a ‘springboard’

- In 2014, EFWEX scored 7.5/10 amongst both visitors and exhibitors, thanks to its variety and the strong profile and decision-making authority of the visitors. - International character of exhibitors and visitors from countries such as the Netherlands, France, Germany, Russia, and Portugal. There were also visitors from Canada, the United States, Sweden, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Switzerland, Denmark, Portugal, Greece, Serbia, the United States, Estonia, Lithuania, Austria, Rumania, Turkey, India, Dubai, and South Africa. - Free entry for professional visitors, subject to advanced registration via the web site - New opening hours: Sunday 13 March to Tuesday 15 March inclusive from 10.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. each day. - Free catering: varied range of drinks and snacks.

For many international companies Belgium is the ‘gateway’ to the wider Europe. There’s nowhere more central! And so, it’s no wonder that the major European institutions and some global organisations such as NATO have their headquarters in Belgium. The country has four airports with Brussels being the top one. The country’s location and transport infrastructure have given it an important transit function. Then there are the sea ports, Antwerp, the second biggest port in Europe, and Ghent-Bruges, which is a logistical miracle.

Specifically for 2016: Wooden floors take centre stage! A good trade fair has to be a window of the economic reality. This is no less true for EFWEX 2016. And what do we see if we glance out through that window? A rapidly growing interest in natural materials for the interior. Wood is a really big hit! This is reflected in the growth of wooden floors, wooden terraces, and wooden exterior wall cladding. But

Visit www.floor-forum.com

Ghent from a tourist and practical perspective Ghent is situated a mere 20 minutes from Brussels. There is a direct train link from Brussels airport to Ghent. Ghent is one of the most attractive cultural and historical cities in Belgium and, with a history going back over 1200 years, is well worth a visit. The numerous church buildings, cloisters, the Gravensteen Castel , the Old Patershol (priests’ quarters), renowned restaurants. The city is a mere 20 minutes from the famous Bruges and trendy Antwerp, two cities which you really must visit!

More details or direct contact www.efwex.eu, sales@efwex.eu or tel. +32 9 385 80 40 - +32 475 44 20 77

Floor Forum International 75

Advertorial

Chimiver Panseri S.p.A. (IT)

BIG CELEBRATION FOR CHIMIVERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S 50TH ANNIVERSARY (IT) Italian parquet chemical specialist Chimiver celebrated its 50th anniversary at the end of June with a three-day event. This included a company guided tour and gala dinner, the EXPO World Exhibition in Milan, and a boat trip in Venice. About 150 people, including clients from over 30 countries and Chimiver staff, enjoyed a superb event with lots of exchanges and interesting links.

Gala dinner in prestigious Villa Zanchi

Pontida, near Bergamo

EXPO 2015 in Milan

The rendezvous was in Presezzo, near Bergamo, in the Alpine foothills near Milan. Visitors were welcomed on the Thursday evening in a cosy and stylish hotel and, on Friday morning, were treated to breakfast in the Chimiver offices in Pontida. After that, they visited both the production facilities and the Research & Development department and Demo Area.

On Saturday, the Chimiver guests enjoyed a trip to the World Exhibition in Milan. This event, which was expecting 20 million visitors, also had a nice job for Chimiver. The chemical specialist had been given the assignment of finishing the wooden surfaces in the pavilions of countries such as Brazil, Malaysia, Thailand, and the United States and keeping them in perfect condition.

In the afternoon, the group visited the picturesque old and elevated city centre of Bergamo, the CittĂ Alta. On Friday evening, the majestic Villa Zanchi provided a wonderful location for the gala dinner, which was also attended by the founders of Chimiver, Giovanni Panseri and his wife Franca Belcari. Today, the company is led by their sons Oscar and Nevio Panseri.

From left to right: Mr Giovanni, Oscar and Nevio Panseri

Family Panseri

Gala dinner

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City trip Venice

Venice For the last day, there was a visit planned to romantic Venice. On arrival, the party boarded a galleon for a boat trip with a starter and lunch in the lagoon of Venice and sailed to the islands of Murano and Burano.

‘Delighted’ After the event, Nevio Panseri expressed his delight with the three-day event: ‘Everything went ahead in a very nice atmosphere. Our guests enjoyed themselves and both the company leaders and our staff had the opportunity to get to know the clients better in an informal setting. Personally, I was delighted to see that there was so much interaction between the guests among themselves. They came from over 30 countries, but despite the cultural differences they established new links, which could lead to business opportunities. We’ve been busy

with the organisation for several months, but we’re all delighted with how it turned out.’ More information at www.chimiver.it Chimiver: 50 years of quality products for the parquet industry In 1965, Giovanni Panseri and Franca Belcari started to produce varnish for the restoration of furniture. A few years later, they switched over to producing parquet varnishes. In 1982, they also turned their hand to the production of parquet adhesives. The company has concentrated on the parquet industry ever since the beginning and now has three company plants: one for the parquet and wooden flooring sector, one for semi-soft floor coverings, and a third one which concentrates on resin floors.

Visiting Bergamo

The Malaysia pavilion at Expo Milan

The Chimiver company building

With the Galeon boat in Venice

Floor Forum International 75

Special

Hard wax oil : dos and dont’s

HARD WAX OIL PROTECTS WITHOUT A ‘SHIELD’ SATURATION FINISHES HAVE DISTINCT ADVANTAGES

1. Apply

2. Let soak in

2. Remove surplus product

Photo – Rubio Monocoat

We have often outlined the main contrast between film forming and saturation. Varnish leaves a film, but oil doesn’t. It’s that simple. A film acts as a sort of ‘shield’. It protects the wood by erecting a screen against outside influences such as chemical hazards, mechanical damage, scrapes, and scratches. The strength of the shield obviously determines the quality of the finish. Of course, there’s no such thing as an unbreakable, eternal shield, so as the years go by, and with the ravages of time, the shield will one day need replacing. That’s a radical operation, not to mention the investment. Here lurks the first advantage of protection through saturation as hard wax oil does it.

Protection through saturation The principle of a film-forming finish like varnish is totally different from saturating the wood. With a varnish finish we apply a film all over the wood. Obviously, this means you can’t actually feel the wood grain so well. Saturating fills the pores of the wood, so there’s no film, but the wood is full to the brim, so dirt and water cannot penetrate. The coat left on the wood surface is still open.

Grandmother’s parquet It goes without saying that the look of floors in grandmother’s day can never be imitated for 100%. After all, that look wasn’t only the result of a product, but also and especially the result of a procedure. Year in year out, the floor was maintained by treating it with wax. In other words,

Floor Forum International 75

maintenance meant both feeding the wood and keeping it at saturation point. Floors which were treated like this for several years had a unique, warm sheen.

With oil When we consider that it is now somewhat easier to maintain such floors (e.g. in museums and public buildings) since we can use a buffing machine, the step to saturation with oil is a logical one. After all, buffing machines heat the wax slightly to make it more fluid. Oil has always been a popular finish for wooden floors. Here, too, we work on the principle of saturation or impregnation. Since oil has an impregnating effect and fills the pores of the wood without leaving a sealed film, it preserves direct contact with, and the warm feel of, the wood for 100%. Even the aroma of an oiled floor seems to be more natural.

The best of both worlds An initial logical step in the development of beeswax is obviously that you use oil to saturate the wood and then apply beeswax as a hard, protective, and damp-resistant top coat. It goes without saying that the step to wax oil and/or hard wax oil is no longer a big one. The hard labour of bygone days can now be replaced by a simple treatment with just one product. Some products allow us to finish with just one coat.

Advantages of hard wax oil For floor fitters the easy application is the big advantage. The application procedure depends on the product. With some brands the hard

wax oil is applied in two coats, whilst others can be applied in a single work session (see below).

What’s on the market? Blanchon

Outstanding protection For users a hard wax oil finish means outstanding protection and a floor which is easy to maintain. The fact that the wax film stays more or less flexible ensures that the protective layer cannot burst or crack. Any damage or local wear and tear (on high-traffic sections) can be restored locally or freshened up, something which is not possible with varnish. As with oil (and formerly with beeswax) maintenance is in some respects the equivalent of ‘feeding’.

It is definitely possible to reconcile hard wax oil and distressed floors. Floors treated with hard wax oil have the look of old castle or cloister floors. You can compare the gloss with polished oak furniture items from grandmother’s day. Silk matt, yet just a little shine, smooth. The protective coat of wax in the oil does to the wood what beeswax once did. This means for distressed floors that, apart from the often mechanical processes of lashing, beating, and brushing, the silky sheen and the weathered colour are added. This makes distressed floors all the more ‘authentic’. Today, however, we seeing how much emphasis producers put on the colour. They obviously want to reconcile the look of bygone days with the needs of modern interiors, taking account of current colour trends. In recent years, several manufacturers have put the emphasis on an extension to the range of colours.

Blanchon Hard Wax Oil offers nothing but benefits for both floor fitters and end users. The easy application is one thing, but the simple and speedy maintenance is another plus point. Moreover, this oil also offers endless application possibilities as regards finishes (e.g. tints, wood shades, and colour nuances). Apart from the hard wax oil, Blanchon also presents its Hard Wax High Solid Oil. This hard wax oil impregnates, colours, and protects a parquet floor in a single operation. The hard wax oil nourishes the wood and protects it in the depth. Thanks to the composition of the hard wax oil, which is very rich in natural and renewable raw materials, it dries very quickly and with hardly any unpleasant smells. Solid Oil is practical and economical to use. The pallet of colour nuances bring just about any decorative possibility within reach. The original pallet of 11 colour nuances has been increased to 32 in 2015. For example, they have added 15 shades of grey. The addition of a pre-dosed hardener (20%) means that drying and setting merely take a few hours. This system is highly recommended for extremely high-traffic floors such as businesses, museums, catering establishments, and such like. Thanks to the very low proportion of volatile organic compounds, one coat is sufficient for the finish in most cases. Blanchon also offers a Maintenance Oil for cleaning all floors finished with oil or wax oil, including pre-oiled floors.

Application – pure simplicity!

Ciranova

The way in which a hard wax oil is applied varies slightly depending on the oil brand. Nevertheless, we note a number of common procedures which always apply.

Ciranova has at its disposal various sorts of Hard Wax Oil, which are available in trendy and classic colours. Hard Wax Oil is a fast-drying parquet oil with excellent durability, a high filling capacity, and strong chemical and mechanical resistance. It is available in 16 different colours (8 standard and 8 trendy). Hard Wax Oil can be applied with a brush, roller, or cloth. Hard Wax Oil Magic is a modified parquet oil with outstanding durability, a high filling capacity, and natural colour. Hard Wax Oil Magic Matt is very matt and doesn’t gleam. Hard Wax Oil Magic Satin gives the floor a light gloss. You can increase the resistance of both products even more by adding a UA hardener. Hard Wax Oil Full Solid is a single coat system. This high-filling dual component parquet oil based on high-quality natural oils guarantees outstanding durability, a natural colour, and good chemical and mechanical resistance. This Full Solid dries very quickly. It has to be mixed with an activator. Hard Wax Oil Full Solid Natural and Natural White can also be varnished over.

Maintenance comfort The film which is left on the floor with hard was oil becomes stronger over the years as the floor is maintained. This maintenance is fairly simple. An ordinary cleaning session implies firstly vacuum cleaning and then cleaning with a well wrung mop. A ‘cleaner’ can be added to the water. To maintain and nourish the floor, makers offer maintenance wax or oil.

Going along with trends

Substrate preparation The surface has to be dry, free of grease, dust, and dirt, and also free of any residual old coats of wax or varnish. The bear wood must not be cleaned with water under any circumstances. New floors and floors with an old coat of wax or varnish are sandpapered using grains 40, 80, and 120, whilst for wood engineered or traditional floors you use grains 80 and 120. After sandpapering with grain 80, any joints or cracks need to be eliminated using a filler kit. Sandpapering afterwards is done using grain 120.

Processing Just about all hard wax oils are products which are ready for use. And so, you never have to dilute them. All you have to do is stir them well before use. The application procedure depends on the product. Some brands require the application of two coats, whilst others are applied in a single working session. In the case of two coats you apply firstly a thin coat, which needs 24 hours to dry. The second coat is applied in the same way. Some makers recommend applying maintenance oil about two weeks after the floor is treated. For the one-coat systems you should read the maker’s instructions carefully as regards the amounts to be used and the method of application.

Floor Forum International 75

Special

Hard wax oil : dos and dont’s

DevoNatural®

Devomat presents DevoNatural® Hard Wax Oil in colourless and white-washed. DevoNatural® Hard Wax Oil can be applied to both commercial floors and to high-traffic residential floors. The product is easy to apply and it saturates the open wood pores thoroughly. Once it has dried, it forms a good sealant coat against the penetration of dirt and damp. DevoNatural® Hard Wax Oil can be applied to all wood sorts (parquet, wooden floors, cork, furniture, wooden walls, etc) and also to porous Stone floors such as terra cotta. Due to its waterproof character, it can also be used on bathroom parquet and furniture. It has the following special properties: Parquet, and wood in general, retains its elasticity with DevoNatural® Hard Wax Oil and the oil film provides higher wear and stain resistance. Maintenance products such as cleansing soap and renewals keep your floor in top conditions and extend its lifespan considerably.

should be used as these damage and destroy the protective surface finish.

Rubio Monocoat

Floorservice

The different types and 33 colours of Floorservice Hardwax-oil penetrate deep into the wood, without blocking the pores. This allows the wood to keep breathing and retains its natural structure, because no top layer is formed. Every floor that is finished with Floorservice Hardwax-oil is guaranteed to be highly resistant to wear and is also water resistant. Besides that the floor is protected against salvia and sweat and make the floor child friendly because they meet the requirements for children’s toys. In addition to this, the Floorservice Hardwax-oils also meet anti-slip standard R9. The products have a vegetable oils and waxes base. And they meet the VOC-regulation EU 2012.

Rubio Monocoat offers a full range of hard wax oils for both manual and industrial applications. For applications on site there is the Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2C. This oil can also be used for a finish on an industrial line. For specific finishes with a UV unit there is the Rubio Monocoat Oil UV R2. As a fire-resistant solution they offer Rubio Monocoat FR Oil System. The oil in this system is a flame-retardant, modified version of Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2C. for outdoor applications Rubio Monocoat presents Rubio Monocoat Decking Oil 2C (2-component oil for horizontal wood which is walked on) and Rubio Monocoat Siding Oil (single component oil for vertical outdoor wood which is not walked on). Last but not least, Rubio Monocoat Hybrid Wood Protector is a universal all-rounder for protecting outdoor wood. All these oils offer extreme durable protection and are easy to maintain and renovate. The products are also the nec-plus-ultra as regards consumption and application efficiency. These oils operate on the basis of a molecular binding whereby the products binds itself within a few seconds to the upper wood fibres to create durable protection and colouring. The application itself is simple: apply, let it soak in for a few moments, and rub off any surplus product. Ready!

Saicos Colour GmbH

Osmo Polyx®-Oils: optimal application and maintenance Osmo Polyx®-Oils protect a wooden floor from inside and out again abrasion, dirt and moisture. They should always be applied very thinly and without the use of thinners. Applying a coat too generously leads to longer drying times and in an extreme case to the removal of the surface finish. By airing during the application, the finish can dry optimally. After the application with Osmo Polyx®-Oil, the flooring should be maintained regularly. Important: No aggressive all-purpose cleaner

Floor Forum International 75

The fact that hard wax oil penetrates deeply into the wood makes it so valuable. The oil and resins protect the wood by forming a barrier, but

the open cell structure means that the floor can still breathe. Saicos presents three hard wax oils: Premium Hard Wax Oil, Ecoline Hard Wax Oil, and Ecoline Hard Wax Oil Nature. The hard wax oil is applied using the Saicos oil-wax roller, the Saicos brush or flat brush, or the Saicos spatula. The Hard Wax Oil is applied in two thin coats with a drying time between three and five hours, depending on the gloss. Hard wax oil is applied to cork using a ‘roller’. Here the drying time for the highest gloss can be as long as 10 hours.

Maxi Color (28 shades) or neutral available in extra matt, matt, semi-glossy or glossy version.

WOCA

Stauf Single-component colourless finish based on natural oils and waxes for parquet, wood floors, tables and worktops in areas with normal and moderately heavy use. STAUF HARDWAXOIL is dirt resistant, water repellent and enhances the natural wood colour with a velvet surface. Apply STAUF HARDWAXOIL with STAUF Microfiber 5 mm crosswise (first apply across and then spread length ways) in a quick and even motion, avoiding puddles. Do not pour material directly on to the floor; rather use a container for application for a better abrasion resistance or quick curing, STAUF HARDWAXOIL can be mixed in a ratio of 25:1 with STAUF Oil Hardener.

Tover

WOCA Hard Wax Oil is a light film-forming floor finish. This oil guarantees highly durable protection. It can be used on all untreated, new, or newly sandpapered wood surfaces indoors or as a top coat on WOCA Colour Oil. The WOCA range includes a natural and an extra white version. Tailor-made colour is a recent option. The oil saturation protects the wood against water and dirt. The surface is strongly saturated. It is applied in the same way as traditional oils i.e. after application let the oil soak in for 20 minutes and rub in the surplus hard wax oil with a polish pad. Regular cleaning is done using WOCA Natural Soap or Oil Conditioner. The surface can be re-oiled using WOCA Hard Wax Oil. Local repairs are possible with Maintenance Paste.

Our prOmise A superior coating for permanently beautiful surfaces

Hardwax oils are the most successful oiled based finishes thanks to their major resistance to spots and wear with respect to traditional ones. Tover proposes Crema d’Olio and its solvent free version L’Olio 100%, monocoat, easy to apply and available in 28 colors. Tover shows its exceptional innovation capacity offering a “mono OR bi-component” oiling system. Indeed it is possible to mix the single component oils with Oil-Linker, a Zero VOC additive. This activator significantly increases the oils resistance thanks to its action of oil molecules crosslinking. It does not penalize the easy application with an oil spreader or a spatula, it leaves wooden pores open and the blend reaches more quickly its final properties. Other products based on urethane oils applicable with a roller are also sold as hardwax oils for a better resistance to wear; in Tover range, this finishing is Durolak OR

www.saicos.de

Floor Forum International 75

Special

Producers of bamboo floors present their ranges

GRASS IN THE STYLE OF WOOD EACH TYPE OF PARQUET IS PERFECTLY POSSIBLE IN BAMBOO

Photo – BambooTouch®

Initially, it might sound odd to say you can produce just about all sorts and types of parquet and wooden floors from bamboo. After all, bamboo is a plant with a ‘ hollow stem’. One of the first operations in processing bamboo is to transform the ‘stalks’ into panel material. As soon as you’ve got panel material, it is possible to make anything e.g. floors, furniture, dressers, decorative objects, and such like. You can even cut bamboo veneer from bamboo panels, and this can be used to upholster other bases. Apart from its decorative versatility, bamboo is also exceptionally strong.

An Asian wind Bamboo is one of the oldest types of plant on earth and thought by some to be 150 million years old. In recent decades, bamboo, due to its elegant slenderness, has increasingly made its way into botanical gardens. Today, however, it also vies strongly with traditional floors. Variety is king in the world of bamboo. Moreover, the bamboo botanic group has all possible sizes from small plants barely 30cm high to forest giants, which grow up to 45m. Worldwide there are some 1300 bamboo sorts. Their natural habitat tends to be tropical and subtropical regions. We find most sorts in South-East Asia, but the plant is equally at home in Africa, Australia, and Latin America. North America has two indigenous sorts. Some scientists believe Europe once had natural bamboo which failed to survive successive ice ages. The biggest stock of bamboo on the planet is in China. There, amongst others, we find ‘Phyllostachys pubescens’, a sort which can easily reach up to 30 metres high, but is mainly ideal for decorating furniture items and floors. It has long been an alternative to wood. This ‘giant bamboo’ grows in centuries-old forests, but is also ‘cultivated’ in managed plantations.

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The production determines the look The method of making panels from the hollow bamboo stem directly affects the look of the colour and design of bamboo. The first step of the production process is to saw the bamboo stem into strips along the length. The outer green skin of the strips is removed using a special mechanical plane. The strips then have to dry before they can be re-planed. Finally, they can be glued in various ways to form a panel. Before the strips dry, they can be given another special treatment designed to burn up any sugars present and kill micro-organisms. During this treatment process, the strips are boiled in a tub for a few hours. In many cases, during this boiling process, a small content of water peroxide is added to stimulate the process. In this phase, the difference becomes clear between ‘natural’ (extremely light) and ‘caramel’ (light brown), something still in evidence in floor producers’ collections. There are two ways of glueing the strips. With the first method the strips are pressed horizontally next to each other and glued under heavy pressure. The result is a panel or plank where the typical bamboo gnarls are clearly visible. We call panels created in this way ‘plain pressed’. With the other method the strips are pressed sideways so that we get a more slender structure with bamboo gnarls which are less visible. We call panels which are pressed sideways ‘side pressed’.

Trends in bamboo We went off to bamboo land to search for trends, especially bamboo floor trends. Here, too, it appears that trends on the parquet and wooden floor markets (and the laminate market for that matter) are also noticeable in bamboo. Let’s mention some of them.

The love of oak

Two specialists :

Bamboo is not a wood sort. We all know that. However, the look of bamboo can sometimes very much resemble that of a wooden floor. We’ve already explained how side pressed bamboo has a fine structure with very few gnarls. The similarity with oak is striking and even a little misleading for non-connoisseurs. The ‘natural’ version gives you a look of sandpapered and untreated oak, and also the ‘caramel’ version bears a resemblance to coloured oak (a little darker). With some trademarks this design is an entry-level model, but it is also coveted for its decorative look.

Caramel versus natural The distinction between natural (light) and caramel (cream shade to brown) can be found in most collections of the various suppliers/manufacturers. However, side pressed and plain pressed (or ‘horizontal’ and ‘vertical’) are also found. Apart from the hues of colour which already exist in caramel and natural, the number of colours in bamboo flooring has increased vastly. Bamboo Colour has made its entrance and then the possibilities become infinite. The scale ranges from sporty and youthful colours to the imitation of darker wood sorts like wenge and panga panga.

Distressed (brushed) Should we be surprised? It was only to be expected that distressed would make a breakthrough here, too. Here, too, this is rapidly becoming a trend. Not only the extremely dark designs (smoked effects), but also mechanical treatments such as brushing, hand-scraping, and such like are making their entrance.

Real Touch What we’ve said above about distressed floors and the emergence of real-touch designs has a connection. Bamboo no longer has only smooth finishes, but also finishes where the pattern of the decor can actually be felt.

Industry In previous editions we have explained at length that the world of bamboo floors has taken over the various fitting patterns from the parquet world. One of the often recurring and extremely popular designs is that of the so called end grain blocks or industrial parquet. Various providers offer this playful design of bamboo in caramel, natural, dark, and alternating colours.

Design as regards colour What certainly stands out in the range of colours are the shades which emerge everywhere in the interior, namely black, white, and grey. Whether we are talking about modern or extremely classic interiors, these shades are generally very popular and are also found in bamboo collections.

Ecological and sustainable Bamboo floors are ecological floors. The cutting and growing methods provide the strongest ecological arguments. Each year, the original plant makes several new branches. Each year, fiveyear-old branches in a fully fledged plantation can be extracted without reducing the size of the forest. The growing strength of the bamboo wood is even reinforced by regular cutting and the removal of branches which are too small. This working method provides an even greater growth of new shoots and better quality for the following year. As regards production and the use of adhesives and finishes, bamboo producers also have to respect environmental legislation.

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BambooTouch® At BambooTouch® they have the impression that consumers are familiar with bamboo and, in particular, that they are aware of the differences in terms of quality. Demands are higher and clearer. Bamboo has developed into a product which can adapt to the interior. The company also uses colours. The BambooTouch® web site shows clients that bamboo adapts to the interior and they can discover all the possibilities via an atmosphere simulator. BambooTouch® offers all types of floors: solid wood multi-layer, multi-layer on HDF, multi-layer on poplar or multiplex and solid wood. Under the BAMBOOFLEX trademark BambooTouch® presents ‘LVT’ bamboo decors. Bamboo is absolutely unrivalled in terms of general sustainability. This is also true in the area of products in the manufacture. BambooTouch® uses the best adhesives, which meet the strictest environmental standards (far below E1). The same applies in the areas of PCP and VOC. Design floors are becoming more popular, but the best sellers are still the vertical caramel and bamwood caramel. Another trend is the increase in oil finishes.

Lalegno In this age of green construction bamboo is now a big player in the world of wooden floors. After all, it is an incredibly durable, versatile, solid, and affordable type of flooring. Bamboo has now become the ecological choice par excellence for lots of people who want to build or renovate with an eye to ecology and the future. And so, Lalegno bamboo floors are getting more and more popular, partly because their finishes strive for a highly natural aspect and partly because they carbonise their bamboo floors lightly. Actually, they try to bring over to their bamboo floors the light shades which you find in oak. A strong point of their bamboo floors is the dimensioning. Since Lalegno guarantees stable parquet, they have also opted for a three-layer construction so that they can offer bamboo floors in a length of 2200mm and a width of 189mm! Since Lalegno bamboo floors don’t have a bevelled edge, you also get the impression that the floor just runs over the entire space. Vertically pressed bamboo floors, in particular, are very much in fashion. The fine line pattern which is created here looks very trendy. The design look of the 15V BAMBOO LANCERO and the 15V BAMBOO MALECON and the light colour shades which they’ve given lightly carbonised fibres certainly appeal to the general public.

Floor Forum International 75

Special

Small and medium-sized oil and lacquer machines

WHY NOT APPLY LACQUER/OIL YOURSELF? SMALLER LACQUERING AND OILING MACHINES ARE AFFORDABLE

Photo – Rubio Monocoat

As we’ve often said, floor fitters have seen their little tried and trusted world make rapid strides in recent years in all areas. There are new wood sorts, new forms of floor technology, old floors making a comeback, new accessories and tools, and new chemical products. Just try keeping track of all that! And those are just developments at ‘product level’. At the same time, consumer preferences get carried along on the waves of constantly changing interior trends. There, too, floor fitters have to be flexible. Manufacturers and suppliers provide the necessary means to do just that. This is also the story of a new generation of affordable lacquering and oiling machines.

The client dictates Clients, too, are also confronted with all sorts of contradictions, sometimes even dilemmas.

Pre-finished versus exclusive Pre-finished floors are conquering the market en masse, whether we’re talking about solid or multi-layer parquet, strips or country house floors, or floating or glued. The choice of wood sorts, colours,

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and finishes is virtually unlimited. In other words, there’s something for everyone. Multi-layer floors, at least when they emerged, compelled manufacturers to produce everything in greater quantities. No one invests in lacquering and oiling machines for a small job. Nowadays, however, clients are looking for exclusive and personalised floors. This is a trend in all interior fields. ‘The interior as a mirror image of yourself’ - you remember the idea? Some clients still shudder at the thought of seeing their own chosen floor in someone else’s home. A difficult choice which is eased somewhat by those other antitheses.

Pre-finished versus finish on site On the other hand, clients do feel attracted to the vast benefits of pre-finished. We also know the common inconveniences of work on site, although some of them do need to be modified somewhat. There’s the fear of dust. This is partly justified, but modern sandpapering machines do have perfect dust suction. There’s the fear of bad smells. This, too, is partly justified, but the current generation of waterborne products have long since reduced this inconvenience. There’s the fear of getting stuck on site for weeks. Once again, this is partly justified, but the combination of effective professionalism and rapid drying times for the products used means that work can proceed speedily.

Pre-finished versus professional pride

Reverse

The finish on site is still the part of the fitting where floor fitters can make the difference. The quality of the finish determines the aesthetic quality of the floor. ‘What you see is what you get.’ The fine sandpapering, the intermediate sanding, the application of different layers of finish, the possible colouring, and special treatments are all operations which, in the case of pre-finished floors, have transferred from the site to the factory or workshop. If these floors are fitted floating, that gives many traditional floor fitters the uneasy feeling that they could just as well fit laminate.

The dosage roller module with reverse has two roller modules. The first one is identical to what we have described above. In the reverse module there is a second machine which has a contact roller clad with rubber. The contact roller has a scraping knife which comes into contact with the work item in the opposite direction. This reverse roller removes the surplus oil applied by the first roller. The oil is scraped off and recovered. These appliances can be deployed perfectly well, for instance, on distressed floorboards or floors with a bevelled edge. The first, fairly soft roller ensures that the oil also penetrates into the deeper structure of the floorboards.

Coating contractor or one’s own work? The task in hand is to solve all those contradictions in a way in which both clients and floor fitters can feel happy. Bowing to every whim from clients with a clean and speedy fitting without the years of expertise in the area of sandpapering and disposing of the finish by handing it over to the manufacturer. Then there are two solutions, which always cause a dilemma. Floor fitters can outsource all those operations (colouring, distressing, brushing, and oiling) to a coating contractor company, as we have discussed at length elsewhere in this edition. The dilemma? Obviously, they have to ‘entrust’ some expertise to the coating contractor. Some floor fitters swear with all their might that their recipe is unique as regards colour and, more generally, as regards finish and cherish it like a traditional family secret, from father to son. However, we know in the meantime that those coating contractors sell a story that they have gathered all the expertise and know-how from their clients to make a sort of super-specialisation. That’s good, certainly, but it does mean all those secret recipes disappear for the benefit of rivals (other floor fitters or manufacturers). The alternative? Doing everything yourself, from sandpapering to finishing and packaging (you can read about this in the article on ‘automation’ elsewhere in this edition). In this way floor fitters can use all their knowledge and skills and still arrive at the client’s premises with a product ready for fitting.

Finishing oneself… at home! Nowadays, machine manufacturers are presenting space-saving oiling and lacquering machines aimed at floor fitters. The plus point is that these machines are extremely budget-friendly. These are roller machines which are mounted onto a conveyor system. Obviously, other functions can also be fitted to that same conveyor system apart from the application of lacquer and oil. A finish line can be supplemented with a UV or infrared module, distressing, beating; brushing, and even packaging. Obviously, an extension to the number of functions means a loss of compactness. Dosage rollers are used for both lacquering and oiling, but also, for instance, for staining and treating with lye.

Dosage roller A dosage roller has two rollers, namely a rubber application roller and a steel dosage roller which operate either in the same direction as each other or in the opposite direction to each other. Only the application roller comes into contact with the area to be finished. The distance between both rollers and the rotational direction and speed of the dosage roller allow you to determine the oil or lacquer film precisely. Apart from the rollers, this machine also has a squeegee. This machine works so precisely that the buffing pad and brush modules are hardly necessary after the roller application. The more precise the setting in advance, the less buffing work afterwards. The dosage rollers are suitable for oils, colour oils, and lacquers and can be deployed for UV drying products.

Some practical solutions Rubio Monocoat

The Rubio Monocoater is an ‘all-in-one’ compact industrial line (+ 4m long, 1.20m wide). In combination with the versatile Rubio Monocoat oil range, you can achieve creative and personalised finishes in an efficient manner. This was one of the basic reasons why this line was launched on the market. The machine is part of a total concept with a view to applying Rubio Monocoat oil mechanically in perfect conditions. This also means that clients get a full service in which advice takes central stage. There is provision for the start-up and the best settings for the application of the different products. From a technical point of view, the Rubio Monocoater carries out all operations which are also done on site. If necessary, the planks can be put through the brushes first (choice of dusting, sandpapering, etc.) via the conveyor belt. Then, they pass under the roller which applies the oil. After that, the oil is rubbed in (beige pad) and the surplus product is removed (white pad). During the final step, they are polished again with the brush. When the plank emerges from the machine, it is stacked on shelves. The Rubio Monocoater is available in three models: 320 E (conveyor belt 320mm/ working width 300mm), the 420 E (conveyor belt 420mm/working width 400mm), and 700 E (conveyor belt 700mm/working width 680mm).

Soest Soest presents various models of very compact lacquering and oiling machines. The entry-level oiling machine is fitted with an application roller with a reservoir and is sometimes also called a squeegee roller. This machine is available from about €9,000. This model is followed by a lacquering machine with an application roller and a dip roller, which can apply lacquer, stain, and lye as well as oil. This machine is available from about €14,000. Furthermore, there is also a reverse lacquering roller machine, a machine with two roller units, the second of which rotates in reverse. This makes it possible to finish extra deeply brushed floors perfectly well in one session. This machine is available from about €24,000. These machines are beneficial for floor fitters because they are compact and therefore do not take up much space and they are extremely simple to operate. Furthermore, the relatively low cost price ensures that the machine soon pays for itself, even with

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Special

Small and medium-sized oil and lacquer machines

just a few square metres of use each week. At Soest they have noticed that, at present, it is mainly lacquering roller machines which are being used because these machines are highly versatile. They provide a precise dosage, something which is necessary when applying stain and lye. Obviously, oil is also applied to the planks in precise dosages so that it is hardly necessary to clean out the container. There is also a growing demand for lacquered floors and there has been a clear increase in finishing with UV products, something for which lacquering roller machines are also used. These machines are certainly compact, but soundly built, easy to operate, and very simple to clean. You can mount a sponge roller, which is necessary for the application of thin liquids such as stain and lye, within a few minutes. This gives clients a great deal of flexibility.

Vec/Trivec Vec has a very extensive line in compact lacquering and oiling roller machines under the Trivec trademark. These lacquering and oiling machines can be used as stand-a-lone machines or are part of bigger production lines. Trivec systems are modular. This means that the machines can (now ore within the near future) be fitted with additional polishing modules, structuring machines, (UV) drying technology, automatic feed systems, sanding techniques, pre-heating units, and such like. The Trivec roller machines are available with one or more roller modules. All most every finishing effect can be reached with the single coater, the double system, or triple system. Apart from reverse coating in which (UV) lacquer or oil is pressed deep into the grain, it is also possible to coat ‘wet onto wet’ with the double coat systems. The Trivec machines are deployed both for small and large production series. Parquet floor fitters can opt for a simple basic set up

with roller machine in combination with entry and exit rolling lanes. They can also approach it more professionally by combining the roller machine with a polishing lane in order to build it up in this way step by step. You need at least 2.5m² for a basic set up. Extensive lines can be up to 30 metres long and with diagonal transport twice that length can be handled. New: Trivec Stain sprayer, Cross Cutter and All-in one oiling machine . Beginning this year Trivec did the introduction of the new ‘Cross Cutter’ machine. In an easy and very effective way, parquet boards will get like a sawn effect (cross lines). In combination with an oil or stain, this results in a unique look. The Trivec stain sprayer is developed for applying all kinds of stains. The machine is built according the Trivec Modular Concept an can be integrated in excisting lines easily. It can however also be delivered with additional in- and outfeed conveyor systems. Most parts of the machines are built from high quality industrial plastics. This means also that reactive stains can run on the machines without any problem. The new All in-one is the ideal machine for smaller production series at fitter companies or parquet wholesalers which want to add value to their products.

Most invisible finish on the market

Flexibility in Parquet Finishing Trivec machines for parquet fi nishing are based on fl exibility. Quick and most easy colour change, suitable for applying all available products. Available as ‘stand alone’ equipment or as part of a complete Trivec fi nishing line with brushing machine, automatic feed systems, polishing- and UV drying equipment.

You are most welcome to visit the Trivec Test Centre

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 40

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www.ciranova.be | info@ciranova.be | Tel. +32 (0)51 30 11 40 Also available for industrial application

Special

Adhesives for vinyl, PVC and LVT floors

ADHESIVES FOR FLEXIBLE FLOOR COVERING THERE’S A ‘BETTER’ ADHESIVE FOR EVERY TYPE OF FLOOR

Photo – Lecol

Floor coverings all differ from each other. Ceramic tiles, natural stone, parquet, and laminate, in short all types of floor, require a different approach and different products or tools before, during, and after the fitting. We see one of the big differences between the aforementioned floor types and flexible floor coverings in the demands made of the substrate. Tolerances with hard floor coverings are completely different to those with flexible floor coverings, but the specific features of floor products also differ from each other. This also has consequences for the adhesives.

Types of glueing With parquet glueing, it is the wood sort and type of substrate that indicate which adhesive is most suitable. This is no less the case for glueing flexible floor coverings. Atmospheric conditions (e.g. damp and air) almost always play a part. Types of glues which operate on

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the basis of a physical reaction do not witness a chemical reaction. There are various possible mechanisms. For example, the adhesive reaction can take place following loss of solvent. This occurs through evaporation. The solvent is usually left to evaporate for a certain time before the sections to be glued are fixed to each other (e.g. cycle glue, wood glue, or paper glue). Another physical adhesive reaction occurs through cooling. The adhesive mass is applied as hot liquid to the surface to be glued. The adhesion with the second material to be glued occurs through cooling. Another distinction which we draw for flexible floor coverings is that between permanent and non-permanent glueing. Some adhesive do not allow for non-permanent glueing; this implies that the floor covering can be removed without damaging the substrate. This is the case, for example, with a modified polymer-acrylate connection. Another distinction is that between single-sided and double-sided glueing. For example, when you glue cork rolls, you must apply adhesive to both the cork and subfloor. You do that with contact adhesive.

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Special

Adhesives for vinyl, PVC and LVT floors

Different to parquet adhesive We’ve already made the distinction between permanent and removable adhesives. Permanent dual component adhesives operate on a similar basis and don’t differ all that much from parquet adhesives. The above-mentioned removable acrylate adhesives are not used for parquet. They don’t have enough tensile strength and cannot be combined with most primers etc. This is a completely different technology. In general, you can say that LVT adhesives differ mainly in viscosity. They have a much lower viscosity because they have to be applied thin-layer, often with a roller or tiny notched trowel. This contrasts with a parquet adhesive where standing time is vital to the adhesive grooves. Adhesives for flexible floors (e.g. LVT or PVC) are also of a different kind because the type of material which has to be glued is completely different (flexible versus non-flexible – smooth sealed substrate versus wood which is more open in structure). Since an LVT or PVC floor can hardly absorb the damp in the glue, you need an adhesive which can cope with semiwet or almost dry glueing. And so, this involves a waiting time. With parquet you use, for example, a waterless 2 PU adhesive or MSP adhesive so that there is no chance of the wood swelling.

Dispersion adhesive does the job With dispersion adhesives a synthetic resin such as polyvinyl acetate, acrylate, or polyurethane is dispersed in water. An organic solvent is added for some applications. In some branches emulsifying agents, cross-linkers, and preservatives may be found in the glue. Dispersion adhesives set as a result of the withdrawal of water from the glue which creates an adhesive film (water disappears, solid substances remain, and the binding takes place). This means that one of the sections to be glued has to be able to absorb water. Metal, synthetics, wood, paper, and textiles can be glued using dispersion adhesive, but metal cannot be glued with metal. Some producers add some reinforcement fibres to the dispersion in order to guarantee a strong adhesive bonding. Dispersion adhesives are applied on one side using a brush, spatula, notched trowel, pistol, or roller. What’s important for the dispersion adhesive is that the substrate is uniform. In the case of parquet adhesive a strongly absorbent substrate must be pre-treated first with a primer. If the substrate isn’t flat enough, it will have to be levelled first. Once the adhesive is applied, the floorboards must be fitted immediately so that the adhesive isn’t exposed to the air for too long.

What’s on the market? Chimiver Panseri S.p.A. Chimiver offers three different adhesives for flexible floor or wall coverings, namely ADESIVER RE 400 N, ADESIVER RE 400 EXTRA and ADESIVER RE 400 PLUS. ADESIVER RE 400 N is a waterborne acrylic adhesive developed specifically for gluing linoleum up to 3 mm thicness, carpets with stable backing onto absorbent sub-floors and for vinyl floors with a felt base. ADESIVER RE 400 EXTRA is a universal waterborne acrylic adhesive, highly tixotropic characterized high solid content, very good and easy spread-ability and very low water content. Suitable for gluing of semi rigid vinyl, PVC flooring, coconut and cork. Finally ADESIVER RE 400 PLUS which is a waterborne acrylic adhesive

Floor Forum International 75

for gluing flexible floor coverings on absorbent and semi-absorbent sub-floors. Specific for PVC rolls or tiles, rubber sheets up to 3 mm, textile, semi-flexible vinyl and materials with PVC or cork base.

Devo® Devo® presents VNR150, a single component removable ‘pick up’ acrylate adhesive for glueing PVC and LVT/vinyl and traditional parquet strips and tiles onto cement-bound subfloors. Devo® Glue VNR150 is very easy to spread and is usually applied by roller. The floorboards are applied using a roller (for a removable fitting on porous and smooth substrates). Floorboards aren’t fitted until the colour of the applied glue changes from milky white to transparent (5 to 10 minutes).

Stauf Modern design flooring (LVT = luxury vinyl tiles) is versatile, but because of their often very individual construction, they demand the highest precision from the floor layers fitting them. In order to achieve the best results, particular attention must be paid to the preparation of the subfloor and the adhesion. The adhesive system used for this purpose takes on a key function as the link between the floor covering and the subfloor. STAUF recommends D 50 for long-lasting, stable fitting of the wide range of design floor coverings: The fibrereinforced dispersion adhesive is ready for use immediately and the fibre reinforcement produces improved dimensional accuracy. STAUF R 105 is the problem-solver for rubber flooring and PVCcoverings that are exposed to heavy loads. STAUF offers various special adhesives for textile and elastic floorings, for example STAUF D 8 for linoleum, STAUF D 20 for rubber flooring and STAUF D 5 for PVC.

Tover

Tover has in his range different types of adhesive for resilient floors including PVC in rolls or tiles and vinyl floorings like LVT: Tovcril T57 is an acrylic water-based glue with low Voc content and odor to bond in interior PVC, vinyl floorings on absorbent and non absorbent subfloors. Tovcol RP, still acrylic based, can be considered universal as suitable for PVC and vinyl but also rubber, cork, textiles etc. on any subfloor; it is particularly recommended on under-heating systems. Moreover it is solvent free, odorless and can be used to glue even in vertical position. Both adhesives have got a good coverage and an excellent adhesion Peel. Tover offers also a adhesive with a permanent tack which enables to lay a flooring, remove it even after a long period of time and bond it again without damage for the flooring itself: Tovcol TST.

Thomsit/Henkel Thomsit presents as its best-seller product the Thomsit K 188 E, a special highly productive dispersion adhesive for wet and adhesive glueing of PVC floor covering in strips and tiles (including PVC on foam), CV floor covering, vinyl tiles, and textile floor covering with latex, PVC, and PU foam backs. K 188 E is ideal for the adhesive glueing of

sealed floor coverings onto sealed substrates e.g. PVC onto PVC. It is also suitable for glueing rubber up to 2.5mm thick with smooth and Sharp back in strips and tiles. Use Thomsit K 150 Dispersion Adhesive Rubber for rubber in thicknesses of above 2.5mm. Thomsit K 188 E can also be used for polyolefin, Thomsit underlays, and cork floor coverings in tiles and strips 4mm thick. The floor coverings must not show any unevenness or changes in thickness.

Lecol Lecol has several PVC adhesives. The best-seller product is Wakol D 3320. Wakol D3320 is suitable for glueing PVC Design floor covering, textile floor covering with PVC, PUR, or latex back onto absorbent substrates, uniform PVC floor covering in strips and tiles, and CV floor covering onto absorbent and non-absorbent substrates indoors. For PVC floors in planks or tiles and for PVC design floors there is Wakol 3307, a solvent-free linoleum adhesive based on acrylate dispersions in accordance with the standard DIN EN 14259. The adhesive is also suitable for interwoven floor covering with jute, synthetic, or felt back, woven floor coverings and needle felt floor coverings on absorbent substrates indoors.

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 75

Special

Automation and packaging for the parquet industry

FROM THE DRYING TUNNEL TO THE SHOP ALL PHASES OF PARQUET PRODUCTION ‘CAN’ BE COMPUTERISED sorts on offer has also risen considerably. Time was when there was only solid wood parquet. For about 30 years now, we’ve had multi-layer floors (engineered floors) in two or three layers, readymade parquet floors, veneer floors, and, of course, laminate. Here, too, manufacturers stand out from others by means of trademark creation.

Computerisation in the production As we have already said, mass production leads to computerisation. This is no less true for the production of parquet or laminate. Hightech production lines carry out the process from A to Z.

Supply and discharge

Photo – CSP Engineering

In the parquet industry, as elsewhere, mass production inevitably leads to computerisation in order to achieve much bigger production capacities. The role of human beings in the production cycle has gradually changedfrom heavy labour to more of a guiding and controlling role. At the same time, this development is one of the ways in which employers have come to terms with ever stricter demands in the field of health and welfare at work. Machines lighten the worker’s load. For parquet production there are sophisticated production lines which can carry out just about all tasks.

Everything has changed There was a time when floor fitters called at their regular parquet maker (unless the maker and fitter were one and the same company) to fetch ordered floorboards. They would stack those floorboards neatly onto their trailer and drive straight to the client. Things have now moved on with changes in the production process of wooden (and other) floors over the past decade. Only rarely nowadays is the parquet maker also the floor fitter (with few exceptions). Mass production is aimed at increasing profits and that also applies to parquet and wooden floor production. Producers are expanding their markets to include exports as well as their home markets, so they are working via importers, agents, parquet wholesalers, and such like. A logical effect of this is that makers have created ‘trademarks’ for their floors. This is not only the case for floors sold in parquet specialist stores and DIY chains, but also for items purchased by professionals. Over the last decade, the number of floor

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The raw material has to be supplied to the production line and retrieved at the end of the cycle. The feed table is placed in line with the machine entry point. The work items are put manually on a diagonally fitted chain or belt field, lined up automatically against a long stop, and then fed into the machine one by one in succession. Feed tables are available in diverse variants for different operating speeds and are suitable for long and short work items with a rough or smooth surface. Retrieval systems are used with lower operating speeds with planning machines, saws, packing lines, and such like. The operator at the installation entrance is responsible for both supplying the machine and stacking the (retrieved) processed products.

The production of parquet The actual production line includes all operations which are necessary for producing parquet floors from raw wood or panel material. The design of a production line obviously depends on the sort of parquet which is produced. It is clear that a production line for producing 6 and 9mm traditional parquet will be less intricate than, for instance, one for producing three-layer engineered floors. The main operations are: - Planing and sandpapering - Milling of tongue and groove - Glueing multi-layer parquet sections - Applying the various finishes (lacquer, oil, hard wax, etc.) - Dry technology - Measuring, labelling, registering, and packing - Stacking.

The ‘great paradox’ The incompatibility in the floor industry (or even in the interior sector) is that between mass production on the one hand and the ‘customised’ production on the other hand of limited items, which might or might not be personalised. The result is that machine developers have thought about more compact production lines which are more tailored to somewhat bigger parquet floor fitters who want to continue to carry out some steps of the production process themselves. Self-packing is certainly one of those tasks. Packing and

labelling are the closing tasks on most production lines.Lots of producers do their packing in cardboard boxes (with a view window) or fit cardboard corner protectors with cling film or wrapping foil.

Shrink film The advantage of shrink film is obviously that it protects the parquet planks completely, even against the penetration of damp. The operating principle is that a synthetic foil is applied around a certain quantity of stacked floorboards and it is then ‘shrunk’ tightly over the pile in a hot air oven. There are two systems for this, namely the bundle packer and the packing machine. With the bundle packer one sheet of foil is slid under the pack and one sheet laid over the pack. The two sheets melt into each other, as it were, during the heating and shrinking. The disadvantage of this if too much sheet is melted, it forms grooves at the sides of the pack. A packing machine creates, as it were, a pocket around the product whereby all four sides are melted tightly before it enters the shrink tunnel (shrink oven). This packaging looks very attractive and presentable.

Wrapping foil Although shrink film is becoming more popular, wrapping foil is still used frequently. A wrapping foil machine wraps stretch film automatically around the product. The wrapping machine consists of a fully automatic conveyor belt, which drives the stacked floorboards through a ring in which the film is applied to the product at a speed of up to 45 rotations a minute. The machine-entry can be equipped with manual or automatic horizontal conductors. The film is applied, held

tightly, and cut off automatically. Wrapping machines are available in various sizes, but are usually put into operation tailored, depending on the size of the product to be packed. One of the advantages of wrapping film machines is the lower energy consumption cost.

Two specialists speaking : CSP Engineering Specialist in computerisation for the parquet sector CSP is a specialist in computerisation for the parquet sector and has developed an extensive and efficient range of machines over the years. For example, there is the Par-Scan® parquet scanner, which measures, registers, labels, and packs parquet packages without any manual intervention. Par-Info® can be used to add information (brochure) for the end user. There is also the Par-Duo®, which is designed specially for glueing two-layer parquet with PU hot melt. This machine makes it possible to glue up to 20m/min . with a continuous production flow. It produces boards at a fixed or variable length and has a CNC-guided saw. Par-Stack® is an automatic stacking machine which ensures that floorboards are stacked neatly onto a pallet either loosely or packed. The machine has a capacity of up to eight packages a minute. For feeding four-sided planing machines there is the Par-Feed® feed table. Finally, by using PAR-Stock®, the producer is aware of the number of floorboards in stock at any time. New PAR-Filler® The PAR-Filler® was launched at the end of last year and has been a truly international innovation for the parquet industry. It is an

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Automation and packaging for the parquet industry

planing, and is very easy to sandpaper and brush. CosmetiWood® hardly shrinks at all during the drying and setting process (hardly measurable shrink) so that it is possible to apply the filler in one production step, even with very big knots. The production of the PAR-Filler® is now in full swing. It has attracted vast attention on the international market, so plenty of orders have been received.

Duivestein

automatic machine for filling knots and cracks in parquet floorboards! All the knots and cracks in the floorboard surfaces are dusted and filled mechanically in one process, irrespective of the skills of the operator. All the knots, cracks, and hairline cracks in the floorboard surfaces are digitized. After that, two applicator heads work together and apply the wood filler under high pressure in exactly the right places. PAR-Filler® works in a continuous process and is equipped as standard with a feed buffer and an automatic returning system so that only one operator is needed for the machine. For this very exceptional machine, CSP Engineering has developed CosmetiWood®, a new and ecological wood filler with unique properties. CosmetiWood® is ready for use, does not contain any solvents, looks nice with colours or oil, does not flake off when

In the flooring industry the floorboards are often being stacked and packaged on top of each other. The materials can be packaged in several ways, such as packaging in shrink film or cardboard packaging. After packaging the packages can reach a weight of 40 kg or more. The packaged floorboards have to be stored on pallets for further transportation. At a weight of 40 kg two persons are required in order to stack away these packages. To keep a packaging line working two persons behind and one person at the beginning of the packaging line are needed. In order to control the production costs it is necessary to replace the two persons behind the machine with an automated system. The advantage of automation is that the cost price will be affected favourably, which results in a better competitive position. DuivesteinTechniek Oss BV from the Netherlands develops and builds special handling machines for the packaging industry. For picking up flooring packaging for example, DuivesteinTechniek Oss BV has developed a standard stacker: the MK Handling. This machine can pick up the packaged floorboards and stack it on a pallet directly. Besides stacking the packages can also be labeled, weighed and measured optionally.

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

Special

Adjustable floor support systems for terrace floors

FLOOR SUPPORTS PROVIDE DISCREET PERFECTION WHAT YOU DON’T SEE IS OFTEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT YOU DO SEE Laid terraces are getting better and better. Obviously, we’re talking here about the level of quality. This higher quality is the result of better technical expertise on the part of professional fitters combined with all sorts of good quality technological accessories and fitting tools. Invisible fastenings certainly improve the aesthetic appearance of a terrace, but also durability since the wood has free rein to swell and shrink. Synthetic adjustable floor supports definitely ensure a longer lifespan.

What’s underneath It’s more or less the same story with all floors: What’s underneath often costs more than the final floor covering itself. It isn’t always easy for clients to understand that. When the job is done, you obviously don’t see anything of all the work that the floor fitter has done prior to fitting the top floor. For example, it is perfectly possible that the floor fitter may decide that levelling is necessary, even with a new screed, because the tolerances for fitting a wooden floor do not always correspond to the permitted differences for the screed. Before that levelling layer is applied, it may be necessary to apply a primer first in order to improve, reduce, or harmonise the absorption capacity of the screed. Floor fitters sometimes have to defend these operations fiercely towards their clients. Actually, there is some logic in a client questioning the need to fit a subfloor in oak mosaic, which in itself looks like a parquet floor. He or she is probably unaware that a mosaic subfloor is the best guarantee for a stable wooden floor. The profit emerges in the long term because all those preparatory operations help to extend the lifespan of the floor.

makers offer two types, namely one type for constructing a wooden floor on beams and one for a raised tiled floor. These pedestals have already been used extensively in the events world (including for the erection of temporary or permanent platforms) and in the trade fair world (stand construction). For the installation of outdoor floors they appear on the one hand to be a solution, but on the other hand they can be used perfectly well to complete eye-catching architectural creations. Pedestals provide a ‘solution’ in a great number of cases. In the first place, pedestals can be deployed to raise the terrace and bring it to the same level as the living room. To integrate a swimming pool onto an existing terrace or adjacent to it, differences in height will often have to be eliminated. Another common problem is the enlargement of the terrace towards the garden, certainly when the garden ‘runs off’. Pedestals can also be used to create precise relief. Depending on the size of a terrace, differences in height can provide something extra. The bigger a terrace is, the better you can break through the monotony by creating differences in height.

Synthetics as raw materials The fact that the pedestals which we have found on the market are produced from synthetics makes them fairly insensitive to changes in the weather or fluctuations in temperature. Since the pedestals are located under the terrace, they are not in any way affected by the influence of UV light, something to which some synthetics certainly are sensitive, especially with regard to colour fastness. And so, synthetic pedestals ensure that there is no contact whatsoever with damp from underneath. They ensure that the terrace has a long lifespan.

A terrace on paving stones

Stable and yet adustable

It may sound crazy, but it’s possible. If you want to lay a terrace floor onto an uneven substrate, you can use the traditional system of wedges to lay the beams perfectly smoothly. You do need a wide variety of wedges and, moreover, the beams stay in contact with the substrate via the wedges and thereby with possible damp. Another way could be to work with concrete hollows onto which you mount the wooden terrace base securely or otherwise. To make the hollow smooth you can fit it with a few shovels of cement in order to press it to an equal height. It’s possible! However, it remains a primitive solution with more drawbacks than benefits. To start with, this solution also entails the risk of the hollow staying damp due to rain water or soil water. Since it comes into contact with the beams, the beams will eventually warp or become affected by all sorts of micro-organisms, moss, or fungi. Moreover, there is also the risk that in the event of mechanical impact (accidental or due to excess load) the cement will crack and the hollow will finally sag. In other words, it’s not a good idea.

The foot of the pedestals is usually a wide disc which ensures that the pedestal is stable on the substrate. From the makes for which we received technical information, we deduce that pedestals don’t have to be fixed onto the substrate. Since the height differences to be bridged with terraces or other applications are always different, terrace supports always have to be adjustable in height. Otherwise you would have to keep an endless range of different sizes in stock. Moreover, since it is sometimes a question of levelling a drainage slope of merely 3 or 4%, they also have to be suitable for extremely small differences in levels. Apart from different heights, different slopes also have to be absorbed. This implies that the top side of the pedestal has to be somewhat adjustable.

Floor supports offer consolation A floor support or pedestal is a support pillar, usually designed in a particular synthetic, onto which a raised floor can be mounted. Most

What’s on the market? Armada Groupe® Support® is a trademark of the Armada Groupe®, a group of companies which finds its origin in a company specialising in insulation and formed in 1994. Support® was formed in 2001. Support® System is a range of four different types of pedestals (Support EA, Support

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Adjustable floor support systems for terrace floors

E, Support EU, and Support EUWF), which can be adjusted in height from 35 to 650mm. These pedestals can be deployed with all sorts of floors and, for example, are suitable for absorbing differences in height after concrete has been demolished. These pedestals can bear up to 1,000kg. The types fitted with grooves ensure excellent drainage. Raising the floor makes it possible to conceal tubes and pipes. These pedestals are given an official guarantee of 10 years, but after 20 years of production it is clear that they have a much longer lifespan, partly due to the basic raw material, which is recycled polypropylene. The pedestals are placed separately and can be used several times.

Buzon

Buzon International S.A. offers a solution for fitting terraces on sloping or uneven substrates. Buzon designs, produces, and sells pedestals of the screw jack type, produced from polypropylene. The pedestals consist of 80% recycled propylene and 20% talc, so they can be recycled for 100%. The quality of the base material is obviously important for the durability. Buzon pedestals have undergone scores of tests. Amongst other things, they can withstand temperatures from -50°C to 120°C. This means that we find these pedestals in extremely hot and humid climates (Middle East), but also in bitter

WOCA

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.

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

cold regions (Russia and Poland). These floor pedestals can be adjusted in height up to 1,120mm. They can be deployed for beams from 35 to 90mm. The PH5 slope corrector can be used to offset a slope of up to 5%. Combined with the BC-PH5 corrector, this tool can even offset up to 15%. The pedestals can bear loads of up to 1500kg. The major strength of Buzon, apart from the incomparable quality of the products, is the easy fitting, the safety, and, especially, the ability to produce and deliver quickly from a stock of several hundred thousand pedestals. Buzon also has some non-adjustable pedestals (15 mm) with slope corrector.

EuroTec

Manufacturer of adjustable pedestals for all types of wood terraces Easy installation on all types of surfaces

Adjustable from 15 to 965 mm Applications : • Wood tiles • Timber batten • WPC Advantages : • slope correction up to 10 % • easy and quick installation • do not hurt the waterproofing • quick water drainage • easy to assemble • use immediately after installation

EuroTec offers two types of pedestals, namely a pedestal for wooden terraces and a pedestal for large-size tiles. The pedestals for terraces can be adjusted with no limits. And so, you don’t lose any time in levelling the substrate. The bases have a very high load capacity and are available in different heights. They are resistant to weather conditions, erosion, and insects. They can be installed quickly and easily. The spacers from EuroTec are produced from EPDM or cork. For the base of these terraces and floors the company presents a structure in aluminium. This is recommended due to the dimensional stability and the insensitivity to weather conditions. The base structure is compatible with the adjustable feet with a click adapter. The terrace’s heavy weight means that it doesn’t have to be anchored, but anchoring holes are provided nonetheless. These systems are estimated to last for 15 years.

Impertek

The assortment of floor supports from Impertek consists of two types, namely the Jack Supports and the Mega Mart series. Jack

Buzon Pedestal International s.a. Tel. +32 4 248 39 83 - info@buzon.eu - www.buzon.eu

Special

Adjustable floor support systems for terrace floors

Supports have been on offer since 1997 and are available in a range from 35 to 380mm. Over the years, they have constantly adapted this original range to the needs and demands of the market. A few months ago, they added some more new products and accessories, including an extension with screws from 210 to 380mm, something which means an increase of 170mm. This makes it possible to absorb major differences in height with just one product, and that is a plus point for the logistical organisation on the site. In October 2008, Impertek launched the Mega Mart with heights starting from the lowest support of 22mm to 1020mm for the highest. Here, too, they took account of the logistical organisation on site. For example, if you start with the fourth size (115-220mm) you can reach the final height with the various extensions (100mm/extension). The fifth size goes from 215 to 320mm, the sixth from 315 to 420mm, until finally the height of 1020mm is reached. Impertek offers a slope corrector for offsetting the slope of the base.

placed separately onto the terrace supports or screwed to the middle of the uppermost support plate. Solidor gives a 10-year guarantee. Solidor pedestals can be fitted quickly and easily and can be used for an extensive range of floors such as wooden beams, wooden floor tiles, concrete etc.

Solidor Solidor pedestals are produced from polypropylene. They can withstand temperatures from -25°C to + 80°C. The pedestals have a load capacity of up to 1000kg. The pedestal can easily be fixed as soon as the correct height is set. The ground plate has a surface of 300cm². The system can regulate a height between 1cm and 1m. Slope correctors are available to absorb the slope in question. Depending on the strength of the beams used, it is advisable to place the feet at a distance of 40 to 60cm from each other. The beams are adv. 136 x 190 mm:Opmaak 1

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

New plate CP forwo wooden New N ewsupport s support upport pl plate ate C CP+ P++for wooden oden beams (Patent Pending) beams ((Patent Patent Pending) Pe nding)

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

Sl ope c orrectoHS3 rH S3 Slope corrector HS3 Slope corrector (Pa tent Pe nding) (Patent Pending) (Patent Pending)

Tel.: T el.: + +32 32 (0)56 (0)56 4 41 1 35 35 70 70

Tel.: 35 Fax:+32 + 32(0)56 (0)541 64 0 37 370 7 68 68 Fax: +32 (0)56 40 Fax: +32 (0)56lid 40o37 68 www.solidor.be www.so r.be

www.solidor.be

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∂ Industry news Adesiv presents ELITE Biocomponent atin-finish varnish Ideal for coating wood floors in general. Its excellent elasticity allows to realize good covering finishes on any kind of wood. Preparation of the surface Wood floors must be previously treated with SUPER FONDO F21 (see the technical data sheet). The subfloor to be treated must be dry, with humidity between 8 - 12%. Ambient temperature between 15 and 25°C, relative humidity not greater than 75%. It must be sanded with 180 grain sandpaper. After sanding clean the entire surface with a vacuum and then with an antistatic cloth. Application Make sure the product is at ambient temperature and stir well before use. Prepare only the necessary amount of product for the application using clean containers. Mix homogeneously with a clean stick the two components (1 part component A and 1 part component B) and allow the mixture to begin reacting for about 10 minutes before application. Apply a uniform layer of product on the surface using a roller or brush. After about 12 hours at standard conditions the second coat of ELITE can be applied after previous sanding with 180 grain sandpaper and complete cleaning of the surface first with a vacuum and then an antistatic cloth. Make sure the humidity of the wood is between 8 and 12%, the ambient temperature between 15 and 25°C and the relative humidity is not greater than 75%. Always use adequate personal protective equipment. Always consult the MSDS sheet of the product.

Flamingo Parket FEP congress in Bordeaux

(62.5 million m²) 6 % less than in 2013 the atmosphere was still positive. This amount is about the same as in 2000, but over 35% less than the record year of 2007. Since 2007, quite a few parquet productions stopped their business what improves the prospects for the current parquet manufacturers. In addition, the flooring imports from China declines, and customers increasingly opting for higher quality European products, which meet the current standards. In most companies, the order books are pretty well filled. Therefor the expectation is that the parquetmarket will increase this coming year. It is encouraging that particularly the Dutch market increases. The expectation is that in The Netherlands next year between 10 and 15% more flooring is going to be sold.

Meister Lindura awarded with the renowned Schweighofer Prize MeisterWerke Schulte has been awarded with the Schweighofer Prize for its hightech Lindura floor. Together with Välinge Innovation AB Guido and Johannes Schulte received the price in Vienna. Guido Schulte (director MeisterWerke) is thrilled that the innovative Lindura floor receives recognition on a European level. The Schweighofer Prize is handed out by the Austrian family Schweighofer. The price is an award for innovative ideas, technologies, products and services from the whole supply chain with as common goal to make the European forest and wood industry more competitive.

Rubio Monocoat: New Website online Following the example of the catalog revision, the Rubio Monocoat website also received a make-over recently. Naturally, that includes a new look, but above all consideration was given to centralizing information. Thus, for example, you find the description of the product, the specifications, and the colors that are available on the same page. Also, the news blog was integrated into the site itself. At present, this section is being supplemented so that all the latest news about product development, projects, and the business are and remain up to date. So welcome, and follow us on www.rubiomonocoat.com

For the 59th time the FEP Bordeaux congress is held. There were 90 participants from 17 countries represented. On behalf of The Netherlands Hans Kamerbeek (Dutch Parquet Alliance) and Lars Versteeg (Dutch Parquet Alliance / Flamingo Parket B.V.) were represented. The aim of the conference is to promote the parquet-floorings in Europe and to the identify the trends in parquet-flooring. Although in 2014 the European parquet manufacturers produced

Floor Forum International 75

Special

Top German companies focused on export

THE GERMAN WONDER GOES ON AND ON GERMANS COVER ALMOST 25% OF ALL PARQUET CONSUMPTION IN EUROPE

Germany is once again proving to be the driving force of the economy in the euro zone. We call this the ‘German wonder’, and with good reason. With an average income of €33,338 per head (2013), Germany is one of the wealthier EU member states. The EU average income in 2010 was €24,400. The German working population is fairly well educated, but the population as a whole is ageing to a greater extent than elsewhere in Europe. German trademarks have a sound reputation all over the world, including in the automobile industry and machine construction. This applies no less to parquet and wooden floors. Germany is the second biggest producer, but as regards consumption is head and shoulders above the rest.

Politics The constitution of 23 May 1949 stated that the Federal Republic was a ‘federative, democratic, parliamentary, and social constitutional state’. In Germany the three seats of power for the central government are divided up as follows: - legislative: the Bundestag and the Bundesrat; - executive: the Federal government and the Federal Chancellor; - judicial: the Federal Constitutional Court (‘Bundesverfassungsgericht’) and general judicial power.

five, or six depending on the population of the federal state in question). Amongst other things, the Bundesrat has a postponement veto right against most laws accepted by the Bundestag.

Federal government The Federal government consists of the federal chancellor (the head of the government) and the federal ministers. The federal chancellor is appointed by the Bundestag on the recommendation of the federal chancellor. The federal chancellor bears great personal authority because, for instance, he or she issues guidelines for government policy, so he or she enjoys great esteem within the cabinet. Although all ministers are accountable to the Bundestag, the Bundestag can propose a so called ‘constructive motion of no confidence’ only against the chancellor, since he or she is the only member of the cabinet who is chosen by parliament.

Federal president The federal president is the head of state, but has only limited powers, so it is mainly a representative position. The president signs new laws, which then come into force. He or she is elected for five years by the federal council, a college consisting of the Bundestag and an equal number of delegates chosen by the parliaments of the federal states, and can be re-elected once.

Bundestag and Bundesrat

Landtag

The Bundestag, parliament, is the highest organ and exercises legislative power. It is elected by the people for four years via universal suffrage under a system which forms a compromise between proportional representation and the majority system. It can be dissolved in certain cases. Its main tasks are legislation, government audit, and choosing the federal chancellor. The Bundesrat consists of 69 members from the sixteen German federal state governments (three, four,

The federal states (‘Länder’) each have their own house of representatives, the Landtag. The Landtag elects a minister-president, who appoints the other members of the government. The constitution stipulates the powers of central and regional government. Foreign affairs, nationality, finance, weights and measures, railways, air traffic, and patents and copyrights are reserved for the Federal government and, furthermore, the saying ‘Federal law overrules regional law’ also applies.

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Economy Germany possesses the third strongest economy in the world after the USA and Japan. It is a social market economy, a free market in which the government sets limiting conditions. Germany emerged from the economic crisis of 2009-10 faster than other European countries. Whilst most EU countries are still struggling in the aftermath of the crisis, Germany stands out for its stability. During 2013, Germany reduced its budget deficit and the economy grew by 0.4%. In 2009, Germany incorporated a debt ceiling (the so called ‘Schuldenbremse’) into the constitution. The budget deficit must be reduced to 0.35% by 2016.

reunification in 1990, the government had to invest several billion euros. The Solidarity Pact came into effect in 2005, which stipulates that the Germany government will make 156.5 billion euros available to Eastern Germany until 2019. In addition, all German citizens pay a solidarity supplement, a percentage of their income, to help cover the cost of reunification. The former GDR still lags behind Western Germany from an economic point of view. Unemployment there is considerably higher, although there have been signs of progress in recent years. In 2013, unemployment in Western Germany was 6%, whilst the figure in Eastern Germany was 10.3%..

Global ranking

Germany forestry

In 2014, Germany dropped one place on the list of the world’s most competitive countries in the annual ranking of the World Economic Forum (WEF). In 2013, the Federal Republic was in fourth place, but fell to fifth place in 2014. According to the WEF, this drop was mainly due to developments on the labour market. Germany needs to make more effort to integrate immigrants and women into the labour market for the long term. The WEF also wonders how flexible the German labour market still is after the introduction of the minimum wage in 2015. In July 2014, the Bundestag accepted a law which sets out a general minimum wage of €8.50 per hour with effect from 2015. This applies to all workers in Germany, although there are exceptions for young people and seasonal workers.

The most important German federal states for forestry are Bayern, Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Pommeren, Thüringen, and Upper Saxony. Almost one third of Germany (10.3 million hectares) is covered by forest and, apart from wood extraction, the forest areas are vitally important for recreation and conservation. The country is obliged by law to plant new trees in places where trees have been chopped down. In the 1980s, the country discovered increasing damage to the forests as a result of acid rain. Germany is trying to reduce air pollution with the help of national and international measures.

Regional differences

Germany is a ‘parquet country’

As a result of the former division of Germany the economy in the west has taken a completely different course to that in the east. After

Germany is undoubtedly a ‘parquet country’. Not only as regards consumption and production, but also all related aspects and it’s not just a

Germany and parquet

Dekor: NEO_wood 42

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

by classen

10 0 %

M AT E R

0 % REUS

Cla ssen G rou p Wernervon -Sie mens-S D -56759 tr. 18–20 Kaiserse sch (Ge Tel. +49 rmany) (0) 2653 980 -0 info@ cla ssen .de w w .cla ssen .de 53 Floor ForumwInternational 75

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Top German companies focused on export

THE CLASSEN GROUP

matter of production machines. We are familiar with a whole series of top German trademarks for finish products, adhesives, accessories like skirting boards and profiles, sanding machines, and such like. We limit ourselves below to the parquet industry.

Parquet production Germany accounts for 15.24% of all European parquet production and this figure puts the country in second place on the FEP list. Germany is second only to Poland, which has even reinforced its top position for parquet and wooden floors with 18.97%. Sweden is in third place with 13.30%. The total European production in 2012 (FEP!) was 68,266,133m² as compared to 70,713,000m² in 2011. Germany accounts for almost 10.5 million square metres (10,403,758m²) of that total production. Production stayed fairly stable as compared to the previous year. In 2011, Germany produced 10,345,750m², hardly any difference.

Parquet consumption General European parquet consumption in 2012 fell by 5.88% to 87,509,000m². In terms of consumption Germany is the clear European leader. Whilst Germany accounted for 20.84% of all European parquet consumption in 2011, the country increased its share to 23.98% in 2012. In terms of surface area this means that in 2012 the Germans fitted no fewer than 20,984,658m² parquet as compared to 19,063,390m² in the previous year. And so, it is noticeable that, despite a fall in European consumption, consumption in Germany increased in the same period by almost two million square metres.

An introduction :

The Classen Group was established in 1963 with the founding of the “Baues & Co. GmbH” by Dr. H.-J. Hannig. In 1992 the company started to produce laminate flooring at the location of Kaisersesch. Classen commissioned its new plant, the worldwide most-up-to-date laminate factory in Baruth/Brandenburg, near Berlin, in 2002. The core business of the Classen Group is the production of high-quality laminate flooring (approx. 80 Mio sqm/p.a. in Baruth near Berlin) and clickable design floor coverings in Kaisersesch (more than 20 Mio. sqm/p.a.). Their latest innovation is the new ecological design flooring “NEO by CLASSEN”. The company claims to be the inventor of the vertical Fold-Down Locking System “megaloc” for which it also holds a European patent. At the beginning of 2015, Classen presented NEO in a new exciting XXL-size and a new flexible board. Furthermore the Classen Group will introduce a “Dryback” coating to the professional adhesion. +49 (0) 2653 9800 - www.classen.de

EUROTEC SAICOS COLOUR GMBH

EuroTec was formed in 1999 by Markus Rensburg and Gregor Mamys and is based in Hagen, Germany, where they have storage space for 11,000 pallets. In 2012, they built a new production hall where they have made some of the woodscrews since January 2013. Today, that share has now risen to 30% of all production. Their core business is the development of fastening techniques to help users. Most of the range comprises screws which can be anchored in wood and concrete. Top quality, fair prices, and speedy delivery are some of their strong points. Terrace bases and woodscrews are the main products. In 2014, the company achieved a turnover of about €35,000,000. They sell products all over the world. EuroTec employs 130 people and has no capacity limits. For 2015, there are various new developments which you can find in their new catalogue. + 49 (0) 2331 6245 154 - www.e-u-r-o-tec.de

Floor Forum International 75

Saicos was formed in 2002 in Sassenberg, Germany. The founders, chemists and engineers, were armed from their activities with a great deal of experience in the development and application of industrial coating systems. Their mission consists of enhancing the beauty of wood and wood derivatives with due regard for the environment. Their core business is to supply ecological solutions to protect wood both in and outdoors. The range includes both solvent-based and solvent-free and waterborne paints and coatings, as well as all accessories for applying them. The most important product is the Premium Hard Wax Oil for wooden floors and cork. This product penetrates deeply into the wood and ensures a long lifespan. Saicos is enjoying permanent growth as regards sales and also the staff database is constantly growing. For 2015 they have introduced Ecoline Hard Wax Oil Nature for application by roller. In addition there is the Ecoline Ground Coat Speed with extremely short drying time (can be painted over one hour later). Saicos operates in over 40 countries worldwide. +49 (0) 2583 30 37-0 - www.saicos.de

KÜBERIT

PALLMANN

Nowadays, Küberit is market leader in the field of aluminium profiles for textiles and elastic floor coverings and profile systems for all hard floors such as laminate, ready-to-fit parquet, solid wooden floors, and cork. Formed in 1863 under the founder Herm. Fried. Künne, the company can look back on a history of 152 years. In 1970, the company started with its first metal profiles. In en ensuing years, they produced simultaneously both synthetic profiles and metal profiles. At the end of the 1980s, Küberit specialised entirely in noble metal profiles. In 1996, the factory was relocated to Lüdenscheid. They constructed a second factory in Drolshagen in 2002. In 2008, Küberit invested in a hyper-modern warehouse with a capacity of over 5.4 million running metres. In 2011, Küberit developed its own digital print division. In 2013, Küberit attained to its 150th anniversary. The company employs 160 people. In 2013, they shipped over 12 million running metres of profiles to clients. Capacity amounts to over 20 million running metres. In 2015, the company is launching new profiles for LVT. Küberit already exports to 60 countries and is now setting its sights on South America and Asia. + 49 (0) 2351 9507 110 - www.kueberit.com

The company was formed in 1900 by Georg Pallmann in Munich, Germany. In 1949, they developed their first varnishes for wooden floors and in 1982 their first waterborne varnish was a fact. The company enjoyed a period of consolidation and expansion during the first decade of the new millennium. Since 2001, Pallmann has been part of the Uzin Utz AG Group. Since 2010, Pallmann has been offering a comprehensive package for fitting and varnishing wooden floors. Pallmann GOOD FOR WOOD system is the only credible complete system solution for parquet traders. In 2013, the company changed its name from JP Coatings GmbH to Pallmann GmbH. 2014 saw the introduction of Pall-X-Zero, the first complete solvent-free varnish system for parquet. The most important product is the single component parquet varnish for wooden floors Pall-X 96, a waterborne parquet varnish which is suitable for high-traffic parquet floors. This varnish offers strong resistance against mechanical and chemical wear and tear. Pall-X 96 provides the finishing touch to their rapid system, thanks to the fast drying time (30m² sandpapered and varnished on the same day). The benefits of Pall-X 96 are its filling capacity, fast drying, and easy application. In 2014, Pallmann achieved a turnover of about 25 million euros with about 100 members of staff. + 49 (0) 9312 7964 0 - www.pallmann.net

THE NARROWEST PROFILE SYSTEM WORLDWIDE WITH OPTIMAL EXPANSION JOINTS

PPS®-Champion Star · for LVT floors from 4 – 9.5 mm · for carpet floors from 5 – 12 mm · appealingly designed TOP profile with a flat buildup 55 Floor Forum International 75 www.kueberit.com

Special

Top German companies focused on export

OSMO

BOEN

Wood meets colour Osmo has more than 100 years’ experience in handling and treating the valuable resource of wood. Today Osmo is one of the leading producers and providers of modern wood products with which the whole living and garden area can be individually designed. Supported by more than 280 employees, Osmo produces and distributes fine wooden flooring, wall and ceiling profiles, mouldings, timber cladding, wooden elements for the garden and natural wood finishes all over the world: more than 50% of the produced wood finishes are exported, e.g. to Russia, Japan, Chile and even to the Maldives. Last year this sales share could even be expanded and new markets were entered. Up to now Osmo is still the only manufacturer who completes its value-adding chain with internally developed and produced wood finishes. + 49 (0) 2581 922 100 www.osmo.de

PROLINE

Proline Systems GmbH was formed in 1994 by Karl-Heinz Fiedler in Koblenz. Initially, Proline had only profiles in its range. Today, the company specialises in profiles for tiles, profiles for parquet, laminate, and LVT, subfloor grills, tile systems, and drainage systems. Proline ‘thinks’ in systems. The company deploys modern technology to test and check all components of the systems. In 2013, the company had a turnover of 20 million euros and that figure rose in 2014. This success is partly due to the export department, which operates worldwide. For 2015 and 2016, they are expecting growth in North America and the Middle East. Approximately 55 people work for Proline Systems. + 49 (0) 6742 80 16 0 - www.proline-systems.com

The history of Boen dates back to 1641 when it was a traditional sawmill near Kristiansand in Norway. Early in the 18th century, the company produced about 12,000 floorboards per annum. 200 years later, Boen launched the first sports floor. In 1970, Boen took over the ultra-modern parquet factory of Theodore Höhns in Hamburg. The door to Europe was open. In the 1980s, Boen was one of the first producers to supply pre-finished parquet to the USA. In 2013, Boen fused with the Swiss firm Bauwerk Parkett to become the second largest parquet manufacturer in Europe. During that year, they also launched Natural Plus, an ultra-modern oil finish. Nowadays, Boen is amongst the top three biggest European producers of parquet with a turnover of 113 million euros in 2013. Its assortment of wooden floors is complete and includes two and three-layer floors, solid wood floors, and sports floors. The range comprises about 300 floors. Boen distributes its products via the professional circuit (professional businesses, building materials, and floor fitters). The Bauwerk Boen Group employs about 1,700 people. The company exports to 50 countries in four continents. In 2014, Boen launched a significant innovation, the Boen Style Advisor. This is a handy tool to make it easier for clients to choose their own floor. In 2015, Boen has launched Live Pure, a natural and highly innovative finish which combines a natural look with extreme resistance to dust, dirt, and liquids. + 49 (0) 4542 8003 0 - www.boen.de

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

Floor Forum International 75

www.proline-systems.com

MEISTERWERKE

STAUF

MeisterWerke is a family business which was founded in 1930. Under the leadership of Mr. Johannes Schulte, Guido Schulte (third generation) and Mr. Ludger Schindler, Meisterwerke now employs over 650 people and realizes an annual turnover of more than €150 million. MEISTER is the main brand and has a clear focus on wood specialist trade in DACH and export. Schulte Räume is more focused on interior decoration in the DACH market. The main products are laminate and parquet flooring, panels, design floors, cork and linoleum. MEISTER has always focused on innovation and is the industry´s innovation leader with the brand new flooring products Lindura and Nadura, based upon wood-powder technology. 2015 MEISTER launched SilentTouch, the industry´s first 5mm flexible clic design flooring in 2m longboard, 100% PVC free. + 49 (0) 2952 8161 304 - www.meister.com

Over the past 187 years, Stauf Klebstoffwerk GmbH has developed from a small business into a modern enterprise. The family still applies foresight and vision, combined with a solid dose of realism. Despite the huge growth, those qualities are firmly anchored in the company. State-of-the-art technology and excellent staff ensure that the company’s quality adhesives for floors, walls, and outdoor applications are improving all the time. Innovation is an important concept for Stauf. The company produces about 10,000 tonnes of adhesive per annum and does so wit hits 65 employees. The best seller at the moment is the userfriendly silane adhesive SPU 570, which is a refined version of SPU 460, which is still available. + 49 (0) 2739 301 0 - www.stauf.de

CLICK!

Visit our YouTube channel now! With hands on application videos at »Stauf Adhesive«. Floor Forum International 75

∂ Product news ADESIV LOW-ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT BICOMPONENT ADHESIVE FOR WOOD FLOORS Water-free bicomponent epoxy-polyurethane adhesive having very low VOC emissions for gluing wood floors on any kind of cement screeds or on pre-existent non-absorbing floors (marble, tiles, Palladiana floors, wood surfaces).

BUZON Buzon is the leading company of screwjack pedestals and is always looking to satisfy his customers and partners. Therefore, and to answer the market’s needs, two new products has been created : the PB-SHIMS-4MM which allows to increase pedestal’s height of 4 mm and the PB-00 a fixed pedestal of 15 mm. The first one offer a quick solution on a job site to increase the height of the pedestal without the need to take a higher pedestal. The fixed pedestal gives the possibility to build a wood terrace with a small height.

NEW DESIGNS MEISTER NADURA Convincing structures, recent colours, timeless design: with the 4 new NADURA designs sandstone lightgrey and light, concrete lightgrey and warmgrey, MEISTER gives its succesful and innovative NADURA floor an intelligent and appealing trend update. Due to the multicolour effects, the floor creates a wild natural look, making it perfectly suited to combine with furniture of different styles. The concrete designs have a strong character with the necessary “sharp edges”. NADURA tiles are as hard as stone and as warm as wood and are the world´s first woodpowder based floors.

OSMO - NEW COLOUR TONE: POLYX®-OIL LIGHT GREY The tried and trusted Polyx®-Oil Tints is now available in the colour tone Light Grey. This new colour tone lends a wooden floor a modern, light grey and transparent finish, in which the wood grain remains visible. It is easy to apply; every craftsman can achieve an even colouration with Osmo Polyx®-Oil Tints. The top coat should be carried out with a clear Osmo Polyx®-Oil so that the pigments found in Polyx®-Oil Tints are optimally protected against abrasion.

PLASTOR NEW PRODUCTS: ANTI-UV PRIMER AND SATURATOR To protect wooden structures from greying, fungi and other outdoor sources of damage, Plastor has launched the following products for decking and cladding professionals: - 3 in 1 anti-UV treatment to combat greying. This triple-action product effectively protects wood against weather damage and sunlight thanks to its anti-UV, anti-mould and anti-blue stain agents. - RenovProtec T opaque saturator to renovate and protect wooden decking and cladding. Its water-soluble, high-penetration formulation does not form a film on wooden surfaces and hides all defects. Available in 5 shades - greyed wood, wenge, anthracite, teak and medium oak.

Floor Forum International 75

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A New Dimension to Decking Revival Bona Decking System Tired of labour intense cleaning of your deck? Having problems with remaining swirl marks when you finished the oil application? The Bona Decking System is an fast and convenient solution for deep cleaning and lasting protection of wooden decks. The powerful Bona PowerScrubber and Bona Deep Clean Solution gives your deck a unique and effective cleaning prior to oiling. The low VOC Bona Decking Oil seeps deep into pores of the wood and protect it from within, giving it a lasting surface. Take a step back and enjoy a stunning result – a deck that looks as new and will stay beautiful for a long time.

bona.com

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Effective preparation

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Lasting protection

Ultracoat.

The first choice to protect parquet.

Parquet professionals choose the quality and results that only MAPEI products can offer. From the Mapei R&D laboratories, following our systems for installing wood, we now present the Ultracoat Systems to protect parquet. Products that respect man and the environment Products that are solvent-free Water-based systems for simple application Rapid systems to protect parquet

Water-based systems offering high and ultra-high protection against wear to parquet Water-based systems in reaction to fire classes Cfl s1 and Bfl s1 Products certified EC1

Product info

Mapei is with you: take a closer look at www.mapei.com