FFI 79 February 2016 by Media-Pact NV / FFI bvba

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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° 79, Februar y 2016 - 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

Preview: EFWEX 2016 Ghent (BE)

EFWEX

European Floor & Wall Exhibition

How high do you prioritize your wooden floors?

13/15.03.2016 - FLANDERS EXPO GHENT (B)

Special: Top Polish companies focused on export World first: Vesting introduces LED-drying floor oil

Advertorial: WOCA Denmark

Preview: Domotex Shanghai

We are sure that you will agree that high-quality wooden floors need high-quality wood care products. At WOCA, we decided to produce the

Special: Producers of LVT, vinyl and PVC presents their trends 2016

ultimate line of products. An oil with unequalled strength for your floor. And a unique lacquer with an invisible, super mat finish – and yet with an exclusive soft feel effect. Read more: wocadenmark.com/no1

Review: Domotex Hanover(DE)

No1: The world’s most exclusive wood care system!

EFWEX

European Floor & Wall Exhibition

13/15.03.2016 -FLANDERS EXPO GHENT (B) EVERY DAY FROM 10.30 A.M. TO 6.30 P.M.

THE TOP TRADE FAIR FOR PARQUET – LAMINATE – VINYL – PVC – OUTDOOR TERRACES – OUTDOOR WALL CLADDING – ACCESSORIES – CHEMICALS

WHY EXHIBIT AT EFWEX 2016? • Because EFWEX offers you an international range of all innovative products and trends. • Because EFWEX is the best place to foster existing clients and welcome new clients.

1/1 PAGINA

• Because EFWEX allows you to do business over a snack and a drink and that applies to both exhibitors and visitors … and all completely free!

Visitors get double benefits! VISIT THE SHOW AND KEEP UP-TO-DATE WITH THE SECTOR.

‘ARCHITECT@EFWEX’ PROVIDES CREATIVE INSPIRATION. The separate ‘ARCHITECT@EFWEX’ section is fitted with the new ‘Traffic’ top floor from Balterio. This section offers visitors an attractive and visual presentation of the trendy use of wooden floors, outdoor wall cladding, vinyl, and LVT in major projects of architects, designers, and interior designers from Belgium and elsewhere. Inspiration from and for the architect, interior designer, floor fitter, floor specialist, and building promoter. As the icing on the cake, moreover, visitors have the chance to win* a mini i-pad*, a Samsung Galaxy s4*, a Metabo site radio*, Bona spray mops*, … FREE ADMISSION for professionals subject to prior registration on www.efwex.eu. (* Not applicable to students, guides and exhibitors.)

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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

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Editorial

Preview: EFWEX 2016 Ghent (BE)

EFWEX

European Floor & Wall Exhibition

“We’re continuing to invest in product development and client support for customised finishes.”

How high do you prioritize your wooden floors?

13/15.03.2016 - FLANDERS EXPO GHENT (B)

Special: Top Polish companies focused on export World first: Vesting introduces LED-drying floor oil

'For almost 35 years, Overmat (NL) has specialised in fields such as Floorservice products for treating, finishing, cleaning, and maintaining wooden floors. We spoke to Jeroen van Oversteeg, director of Overmat. He is ambitious and optimistic for 2016 and talks about market trends and the new launches at Overmat.'

Advertorial: WOCA Denmark

Preview: Domotex Shanghai

We are sure that you will agree that high-quality wooden floors need high-quality wood care products. At WOCA, we decided to produce the

Special: Producers of LVT, vinyl and PVC presents their trends 2016

Review: Domotex Hanover(DE)

No1: The world’s most exclusive wood care system!

ANN_Floor_Forum_Intl_forside_01.16.indd 1

07/01/16 10.39

Floor Forum International n° 79 February 2016 Photo WOCA

4 Inside news 8 Advertorial De Vesting (NL) World first LED-drying floor oil 10 Advertorial WOCA Denmark 11 Preview EFWEX Ghent (BE) 17 Review Domotex Hanover 31 Special Producers of LVT, vinyl and PVC presents

their trends 2016 32 Advertorial Egger (AT) 35 Special Glue guns and cartridges 39 Special Outdoor floors : wood & composite 45 Preview Domotex Shanghai 46 Advertorial Devomat (BE) 48 Special Water-based lacquers 56 Special Producers of polyurethane adhesives 62 Industry news 63 Special Polish companies focused on export 66 Product news

‘We can look back upon last year with satisfaction. In 2015, Overmat recorded growth in both company branches, Floorservice products for wooden floors, for example, and concrete floors. We’ve done that with sales all over Europe, but also in the USA, Canada, China, New Zealand, and Australia.’ What will 2016 bring for Overmat? ‘We want to continue growing. And so, for example, Jeroen van Oversteeg we’ve invested in additional staff for the marketing (director of Overmat Industries/ department and for product development. With a Floorservice) stronger development department, we’re in a better position to assist our clients, both traditional parquet finishers and industrial players, with special customised finishes. That’s essential to guarantee clients a perfect result and win them over in the long term.’ What trends do you notice on the market, both in the Netherlands and internationally? ‘There’s still a strong demand for the untreated and invisible look and it’s even increasing. That goes together with the popularity of brushed parquet finishes or other structured wood surfaces. With our Nature Protect 2K, we’re successfully meeting market demand. The Scandinavian white finish is not new, but it’s still very important. What is new is the finish with precious metal colours. Those who visit architecture and design shows will notice that it’s very much in fashion. That trend is also making its way into the parquet world. I’m talking here, for example, about copper colour and messing shade. At Domotex we also presented the new rust effect. Those metal colours with somewhat warmer shades will grow in popularity in the coming months, certainly on the contract market. Something else I’ve noticed is the trend towards finishing floors in several colours to create a playful effect. That’s possible partly through the wide range of colours which we’ve been offering for a long time. What’s also noticeable is the growing popularity of herringbone floors and other pattern floors, but in a modern variant. With herringbone floors, for example, we’re seeing that, in particular, the wide and larger size planks are very much in fashion.’ What can we expect from Overmat in the near future with regard to new products? ‘For the manual finish we’re launching a new 2K hard wax oil on the market and for the industrial market there’s a new range of pre-treatment products, which colour the wood for the final finish. We also stress that we have both oxidative and UV drying oils, with no VOCs in any products.’ Finally, how do both types of wood finish, oxidative and UV, compare with each other? ‘Both types of products have their assets. Industrial finishers recognize that as well. There’s certainly no question of one ever replacing the other. At Overmat we have the know-how for both types and we’re continuing to invest in the development of both categories.’ 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 Welcome to the new Ciranova UK

Quick-Step and Etixx – Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team start 18th sponsoring year with new campaign

Marcel Kittel

Nikki Terpstra

Tom Boonen

Tony Martin

Although we have been running for 4 years from the United Kingdom the growth in both our own business and the growth in Ciranova as a whole has meant that we are upgrading to a brand new office and warehouse. We have also expanded our team introducing two new members to the Ciranova family, Jemima Birkinshaw and Jessica Sutch they will primarily be working in the office and ensuring all your orders are boxed and shipped out to you as soon as possible. You can always contact us at our new number 01327 704 720. Our new address is Unit 9, Everdon Park, Heartlands Business Park, Daventry, NN11 8YJ.

Mr Jan Vanhevel joins the Soudal Board of Directors In order to support Soudal’s continuous international expansion Soudal decided to invite Mr Jan Vanhevel to join the Board of Directors of the company. Mr Jan Vanhevel completed a career of more than 41 years at the leading Belgian bank KBC . He was a member of the Executive Committee at KBC for 16 years and for many years was responsible for its foreign branches, first of all in the USA, followed by China, the Far East, the UK, Europe and at a later stage for Central Europe and Russia. He was CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of KBC Bank from 2009 until 2012. Mr Jan Vanhevel will contribute to the Board of Directors with his wide experience in international business. The other members of the Board of Directors for the Soudal Holding are, chairman Vic Swerts, Hans Crijns, Ajit Shetty, Jo Swerts, Nel Swerts, Ben Swerts, Jurgen Vandervelden, Dirk Coorevits, Gerhard Rooze and John Dejaeger.

Floor Forum International 79

Wielsbeke (Belgium), 8 January 2016 – Quick-Step, a trendsetting manufacturer of hardwood, laminate and luxury vinyl flooring, starts its 18th year as one of the main sponsors of the world-famous Etixx – Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team. Armed with a brand-new campaign that draws comparisons between world-class riders and Quick-Step’s high-quality design floors, both the brand and the cyclists are all geared up for another successful year together.

Zdenek Stybar

Composite Brown

Composite Sand

info@bamboodeckingsolutions.com

Composite Grey

∂ Inside news Chimiver brings Alfred: the spray mop as good as a butler Alfred is a new spray mop designed by Chimiver that cleans all kinds of floors: lacquered and oiled wooden floors, and also laminated, vinyl, ceramic and resin floors. Alfred has a remarkable ergonomic design and is easy to assemble. The rotating base and powerful nozzle that sprays the maintenance product make it an easy and highly efficient way of floor cleaning. Alfred is available in six customized versions for every floor and comes in a box that contains 1 Alfred Spray Mop, 1 microfiber “CLEAN” cloth and 1 liter of Chimiver maintenance product.

Domotex Hannover saw the launch of a new ASPECTA flooring solution. ASPECTA TEN is the result of a four-year development programme combining quality and expertise in many ways. Notably, the integrated ISOCORE TechnologyTM represents true innovation in the commercial flooring market. The new ASPECTA TEN flooring collection, designed for the contract market, is a multi-layered, 10 mm thick LVT click flooring system featuring the innovative ISOCORE TechnologyTM. It consists of high-density PE foam and extruded structural PVC manufactured on the basis of the ISOCORE TechnologyTM and an LVT layer with a 0.7 mm wear layer on top. The flooring is available in three different sizes: 22 x 151 cm, 45 x 90 cm and 23 x 183 cm. The third variation, the XXL plank, in particular, is unique in the European click flooring market.

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Floor Forum International 79

More information: www.saicos.de

∂ Inside news CSP Engineering At the end of 2014 CSP Engineering developed the PAR-Filler®, a new machine for automatic filling of all imperfections in wooden, ready-to-fit floors. Only 1 year after launching, 10 machines have been sold. Clients who have the PAR-Filler® in service are unanimous: “above all advantages offered by the machine, the quality of the floor part have clearly reached a higher level compared with manually filled floor parts. For the PAR-Filler®, CSP developed CosmetiWood®, a wood-filler with unique characteristics. CSP is a real specialist in development of technology and construction of machines for production of wood flooring boards. The scale of the company includes amongst other things a machine for the production of 2-layer wood flooring boards with PU—Holtmelt (PAR-Duo®) and a unique system for automatic measuring, registering, packing and labeling of wood flooring boards (PAR-Scan®). For more information: admin@csp-engineering. be or +3214377752

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EFW3E.20X16 .0 13/15 hent BE - G 23 85 Booth

Floor Forum International 79

Advertorial

De Vesting (NL)

WORLD FIRST: VESTING INTRODUCES LED-DRYING FLOOR OIL Vesting from Someren (Netherlands) is the first maker in the world to produce a LEDdrying oil for wooden flooring and will be introducing it at the forthcoming EFWEX (Ghent, Belgium). This new oil offers all the benefits of the renowned UV oils and dries just as fast, but also offers lots of other benefits e.g. much lower energy consumption, lower CO 2 ozone emissions, more ecological light technology, and no longer a need for a complex suction installation for the UV finish line. Joke Sukel-Smits and Henk Smits, owners of the Vesting family business, explain their decision to invest in the development of the new LED floor oil: ‘LED lights are becoming more and more important in today’s world. That’s why we decided to invest heavily in LED floor oil. And so, this technology will also determine the future in the parquet world. We started work in our laboratories to develop a floor oil with all the same qualities as the renowned UV oils, but which reacts and dries quickly after contact with LED lights. The aim was to integrate into the floor oil photo-initiators which react to LED lights. We managed to do that and the results have been outstanding. That’s why we’re coming to EFWEX in March with a world first: the first LED oil for the wooden flooring market.’

60% saving on energy What actually are the benefits of a LED floor oil? Henk Smits explains: ‘In comparison with the traditional UV drying floor oil, LED production technology offers lots of benefits. For example, the energy costs are considerably lower in comparison

Floor Forum International 79

with the classic systems for UV drying, because LED lamps consume much less electricity. Moreover, LED technology is also much more ecological than UV lamps, which contain all sorts of hazardous vapours. Then, there’s the fact that you no longer need a suction installation for the drainage of poisonous fumes during the UV drying. This also ensures that people can work in safer and healthier conditions.’

LED is cold light Wooden floors, too, get the benefits of LED technology. Henk Smits says: ‘The fact is that the wood does not heat up when floor panels are dried with LED technology, unlike what happens with UV drying. This prevents countless problems in parquet plank

production. For example, it eliminates well known and frequent problems such as roughening, discolouration, and glue adhesion caused by the heat from the UV lamps.’

Lamps with a long lifespan Henk Smits continues: ‘As we’ve all noticed in everyday life, LED lamps have a much longer lifespan. They usually operate for about 10,000 hours, sometimes more. By comparison, UV lamps operate for a mere 800 to 1000 hours. And, unlike UV lamps, LED lamps don’t need to warm up before use, so you gain time there in the production. In short, LED technology means big savings in costs, whilst the quality of the end product is better than with traditional UV drying floor oil.’

Presentation of LED floor oil for the first time at EFWEX (Ghent, Belgium)! Vesting has chosen the trade fair EFWEX (Ghent, Belgium) as the location for the market launch of its new LED floor oil. And so, that’s another reason to visit the show! Come and see this new floor oil technology at the Vesting stand (Hall 8, Stand 8727). EFWEX takes place from 13 to 15 March 2016 inclusive in Flanders Expo, Ghent (Belgium)

Floor Forum International 79

Advertorial

WOCA Denmark

WOCA DENMARK LAUNCHES No1 – THE WORLD’S MOST EXCLUSIVE WOOD FINISH AND CARE PRODUCTSN After months of intensive research and development, WOCA Denmark has launched the ultimate range of wood finish and care products. No1 combines all the experience and know-how of WOCA Denmark with the latest chemical insights and a radical choice for top raw materials. The No1 range has both finish products and cleaning and maintenance products for wooden floors. The No1 system sets new standards in various ways. There is an immediate and full stress on the beauty of the wood, impressive durability, and ultimate comfort in finish and maintenance. No1 is without doubt a superior product range for finishing exclusive floors. The radical quest by WOCA Denmark to produce ultimate oils and lacquers using the very best raw materials has borne fruit.

No1 Wood Floor Oil No1 Wood Floor Oil yields superior performances. Tests have shown that there is less shrinking, better drying, and even better waterproofing. The solvent content in the oil is exceptionally low and the oil also stands out for being odourless and having a crystal clear texture. Wooden floors finished with No1 oil stand out thanks to the innovative Hyper Cross Linking technology. This means that the connections between the molecules in the 1K oil have unprecedented strength, and that gives wooden floors outstanding durability.

provides wood floors with an amazing softness, aside from an invisible look, due to an exclusive soft feel effect never seen before in connection with floor lacquers. No1 Wood Floor Lacquer has a self-matting effect based on a new technology that prevents the matt finish from wearing out in areas with constant contact e.g. under chairs.

No1 for floors lifelong The No1 care system for wooden floors offers a superior solution for every phase of the lifespan of the floor. It covers the entire spectrum from pre-treatment and finish technology to cleaning and maintenance products. In the No1 range, we find three products for oiled floors and three for lacquered floors. The No1 Intensive Cleaner is suitable for deep cleaning both floor finishes before doing maintenance but is also the ultimate floor preparation for the installer before he or she starts with the initial finish.

No1 and WOCA Denmark How does the No1 range relate to other products in the WOCA Denmark assortment? No1 is the perfect and natural supplement for the range of quality products from WOCA Denmark. The solution for those who want nothing but the very best due to the usage of new technology and at the same time attach great importance to WOCA’s green profile.

No1 Wood Floor Lacquer The superior 2K Wood Floor Lacquer from No1 is based on a completely newly developed polyurethane binding agent. It

Floor Forum International 79

For more information visit www.wocadenmark.com/no1

Preview EFWEX Ghent (BE)

EFWEX 2016: IT’S HERE!

ir ade fa r t e h T ur for yo sion! profes

Netwo rk in a re ing la atmos xed phere!

GOING TO THE SHOW WELL PREPARED IS WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD

EFWEX

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

What exactly is a good trade fair? Some people call a trade fair a success when it opens a window onto a particular domain. It sounds like an overplayed ditty, but nothing could be further from the truth. A good trade fair brings purchasers and vendors together in a domain and ensures that there are economic contacts between mutually interested parties. The organiser obviously plays a key part. He or she has to strike a good balance between supply and demand. However, exhibitors and visitors also have a part to play in helping to ensure that a show is successful. Here are a few tips before we throw open the doors of EFWEX 2016

as laminate and some composites are also on the way up. At all events, professionals who love wood will most certainly be spoilt. Professionals-Show visitors will have opportunities to provide end clients with those solutions which they are looking for. The role of wood extends beyond ‘real’ wood. Completely different forms of floor technology such as LVT and PVC or floors in rolls, such as classic vinyl and linoleum, offer wood designs as well as endless pallets of decors. Since consumers are showing more and more interest in all these floor coverings on the market, there will also be much more interest in the exhibitors at EFWEX 2016!

EFWEX 2016 simply offers more We’re going to a bigger hall! Hall 8 offers no fewer than 10,735m² of trade fair space. Lots of exhibitors have also registered for a bigger stand than in the first EFWEX. What’s the reason for that? Our industry forms one of the subdivisions of ‘construction’ where innovations follow each other rapidly. In all segments of the industry new forms of technology are emerging constantly which give rise to new techniques: new (often composite) materials, new chemical products (primers, adhesives, and finishes), new fitting techniques, and new accessories. Floor fitters are bombarded as regularly as clockwork with information about all those innovations. EFWEX 2016 can also be regarded as a ‘time to take stock’ i.e. a meeting place where professionals or purchasers can browse through all those novelties, ask questions, compare systems, and such like.

It is clear that many international companies regard Belgium as an opening to the wider continent of Europe. You can’t get any more central in Europe! That’s precisely why the major European institutions and a number of global organisations such as NATO are based in Belgium. The country has four airports, with Brussels being the most prominent one. A location and traffic infrastructure which have given the country an important transit function. Then there are the sea ports: Antwerp, the second biggest port in Europe, and Ghent-Bruges, a logistical wonder. There will most certainly be a lot of international attention to both exhibitors and visitors. We’ve heard from several testimonials from those exhibitors that a lot of them are very pleased about the high representation from the Benelux market, an attractive growth market for many of the exhibitors which is perfectly accessible from centrally situated Belgium.

Wood and so much more

Tips for exhibitors

A rapidly growing interest in natural materials for the interior dominates EFWEX 2016. Wood is proving a big hit! We see this in the increase in wooden floors, wooden terraces, and exterior wooden walls. However, wood-related materials or wood compositions such

Participating successfully in a trade fair means more than just being present at the show itself. The show itself is merely a time for more extensive communication with the sector. Real participation takes place before, during, and after the show.

Visit www.floor-forum.com

International character

Floor Forum International 79

Preview EFWEX Ghent (BE)

Good preparation Good preparation means more than just designing the stand. Clients, and certainly potential clients, don’t just turn up at that stand on the off chance. It is most certainly advisable to invite clients in advance and generate lots of ‘noise’ about participation at the show. Making appointments in advance can also lead to a more profitable use of time. No surprises, but well planned guided tours – there’s something in that. That a checklist equips you better to avoid (unpleasant) surprises at the time itself has also long been proved. Check in advance to make sure that you have all folders and other (graphic and other) means of communication with you. One other thing: Training staff is an important part of preparing for a successful trade fair. After all, taking part in a trade fair is something different from the normal dayto-day running of the company and requires different action from the employees that what they are used to. A good briefing can help.

Make sure you have an attractive stand A stand at the show has to be attractive. Make absolutely sure that your stands attracts people with movement. ‘Static’ doesn’t work. Some entertainment at the stand can attract attention, but also the assertiveness of employees brings a stand to life. Let them speak to people. Being assertive without being aggressive is the message. Creating life around the stand is certainly a good idea if you can do it without annoying or obstructing other exhibitors. Certainly at a floor show product demonstrations have long since proved their worth. Finally, visitors come to ‘learn’ something. Displaying products is one thing, but learning to use them is something else. This, too, is a suitable job for the stand personnel.

excellent partnerships. Introduce yourself and forge relations over a snack and a drink. It works!

Tips for visitors If you are visiting EFWEX as a professional, you can also plan your time more effectively. Making appointments with exhibitors who are of interest to you ensures better time management during the show. You don’t need to wait or to return to a stand. They are expecting you. Obviously, this also gives you the opportunity to cover many more stands than if you stroll around unprepared. One golden rule: cover the entire area! Just because an exhibitor has a stand in a less visible location doesn’t mean that that exhibitor has less to offer. The supplier whom you are looking for may be located in one of the side corridors. Don’t miss them out! For visitors, too, the catering is an ideal means of establishing closer relations. It would be crazy not to make use of it! In other words, as an exhibitor or visitor, be there! Register now for a free admission ticket via www.efwex.eu and you could win one of the many prizes on offer.

Discover the Future of Floor & Wall Solutions

Go scouting It is perfectly possible at the show to combine the roles of exhibitor and ‘visitor’. Make sure that there is always someone to look after your stand, but go on a scouting mission yourself or send your employees out to have a look. This is one way in which you yourself can also establish links with potential ‘partners’. The catering set-up, which is available at EFWEX 2016 for the benefit of exhibitors and visitors, can help to bring about some

Flanders Expo, Maaltekouter 1, B-9051 Ghent Sunday 13 March till Tuesday 15 March 2016 : 10.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. www.efwex.eu

"The sponsors of EFWEX"

Floor Forum International 79

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Preview EFWEX Ghent (BE)

Balterio The laminate and LVT manufacturer Balterio is taking part in EFWEX for the first time. Marketing Manager Franky Terrijn says: ‘We see EFWEX as an outstanding professional forum for Balterio. The visitor target group of the show corresponds perfectly with the client target group which we’re looking for in Belgium. And so, we’re expecting lots of parquet traders and parquet specialists at our stand. We also reckon that lots of timber traders will be attending the show.’‘We also appreciate the fact that the focus of EFWEX is on floors, and therefore also on laminate and LVT. That’s why EFWEX is the ideal location and opportunity for us to present our latest digitally printed collections. Apart from an enjoyable show where there’s also time for a good chat, we hope that the show in Ghent can also mean a boost for our sales.’ Blanchon Meeting clients and presenting new products are important aspects for Blanchon when it comes to EFWEX 2016. And so, the

company is counting on a good turnout of visitors. Those visitors will encounter lots of technical and decorative innovations, reference paints, and, in particular, permanent fixtures. A spokesperson from Blanchon comments: ‘The EFWEX focus on wood is extremely important for Blanchon. Blanchon produces in France and sells its products in over 40 countries worldwide. The dynamic Benelux market with its outstanding professionals has been an important market for Blanchon for over 30 years.’ Although they thought that the turnover for the first EFWEX wasn’t bad, they did feel there was room for improvement. ‘One of the strong assets of EFWEX is that it’s a platform where European parquet specialists can come together and share information about trends and techniques. That aspect keeps meetings extremely lively.’ Design Parquet Design Parquet is coming to EFWEX 2016 with six new products, including four colours which can be used for all solid wood and multi-layer parquet in the Design Deco range. Design Parquet is also going to EFWEX with a view to the further development of the Design Parquet trademark in Belgium. At all events, the company expects a greater stream of visitors than that of the first EFWEX, especially professional parquet traders and floor fitters and specialist suppliers and parquet shops. They certainly regard the Benelux market as a small, but steadily growing market.

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Floor Forum International 79

Preview EFWEX Ghent (BE)

Hesse Hesse GmbH & Co. KG has been an established fixture in the furniture and kitchen industry for a few years as a supplier of finish products. A spokesperson comments: ‘Via EFWEX 2016 we also want to make our mark on the parquet world.’ Client loyalty and presentation of the Hesse products are obviously an important part of that! For Hesse EFWEX is one of the most pioneering trade fairs at the present time. ‘Since this trade fair is rapidly becoming more and more well known, we hope to be able to establish even more new contacts.’ The small scale of the show is definitely an advantage for Hesse: ‘It means we can address specific target groups.’ Hesse regards the Benelux market as a very important one, since Hesse Benelux NV is the main dealer for the Benelux.

THE ULTIMATE GENERATION OF HIDDEN DECK FASTENERS

Lecol Lecol is coming to EFWEX 2016 with clear objectives. A spokesperson from Lecol explains: ‘We can still increase our market share on the Belgian market with our products. A trade fair gives us the opportunity to present ourselves and show our (new) products. This year, we’re launching a fantastic new product and to show it off at a trade fair where all professionals will be present is ideal. Moreover, we’re occupied with some refinements within Lecol, something which we’ll also be showing there. And we’re going to reinforce our team in Belgium with a new representative for East and West Flanders. In short, reason enough for visitors to come and have a look at our stand!’ The fact that EFWEX 2016, apart from the Day of the Finish (‘Dag van de Afwerking’), is the only floor show in Belgium where professional floor fitters/joiners (i.e. the target group for Lecol) like to come for the latest innovations was their top argument for taking part. At all events, they have high expectations. ‘The first show is always something of a feeler. I think that this time it will be even better than the first time. The minor flaws will be rectified and everyone now knows what it’s like;’ Lecol also regards the small scale aspect as an advantage. ‘We prefer quality to quantity.’

TOOLS AND ACCESSORIES FOR TIMBER DECKING

Rubio Monocoat

RUBIO MONOCOAT PROUDLY PRESENTS RUBIO EASYBOND Rubio Monocoat is known all over the world for its range of finishing and maintenance products for wood for both inside and outside applications. The oil is based on an innovative technology that both colours and protects the wood via molecular binding with the topmost wood grains in one single layer. During the European Floor & Wall Exhibition we will be introducing the newest member of our

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Preview EFWEX Ghent (BE)

family. Rubio Easybond is a new generation of single component parquet adhesive based on silane polymer technology. This parquet adhesive is universally applicable for nearly all types of wood and scenarios, contains no plasticizers and is hard elastic – two characteristics that result in a durable parquet adhesive. Visit us in Hall 8 at Stand 8321 and discover for yourself the difference that Rubio Easybond makes. Scheucher Scheucher wants to introduce a number of new products and to that end is looking for more professional partners in the Benelux and France. Amongst other things, they regard EFWEX 2016 as an opportunity to introduce recent innovations, including the Chevron flooring innovation, a strong innovation where quality, appearance, and simplicity in installation are in harmony with each other. The company is expecting lots of contacts and, in particular, some new clients. They see the small scale of the show as an asset. At all events, the Benelux market is extremely important for Scheucher.

Rubio EasyBond Rubio Moncoat Muylle Facon BVBA Muylle-Facon nv

Emissionsgeprüftes Bauprodukt nach DIBtGrundsätzen Z-157.10-114

Geprüft vom Deutschen Institut für Bautechnik

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Yepp Floor wholesaler and parquet specialist Yepp has been a wholehearted supporter of EFWEX since the sector meeting in 2013 and will be present at the show for the second time. Hans Declerq from Yepp says: ‘Because our sector needs a trade fair like this. Manufacturers and wholesalers and all professionals in our sector can learn and discover something at such events. Both visitors and exhibitors gain new insights and learn from each other. All that ensures a cross-fertilisation which helps the entire sector to make progress and make the parquet sector even more competitive as compared to other floor alternatives. EFWEX is a trade fair with international ambitions. And so, we also expect visitors and exhibitors from other European countries. There isn’t another trade fair in Europe with such an intensive focus on parquet and wood. Moreover, it’s great to know that more of the bigger players from abroad are coming to EFWEX.’

Review

Domotex Hanover

DOMOTEX HANOVER 2016 Organisers happy with 45,000 visitors; exhibitors praise the quality of visitors ‘from all corners of the globe’.

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45,000 visitors from over a hundred different countries visited Domotex in Hanover. The organisers don’t know exactly how many visitors passed through halls 6, 7, 8, and 9, which were set aside for LVT, parquet, laminate, and related products, but most exhibitors were delighted with the outstanding visitor profile. The fact is that Domotex in Hanover is still without doubt the top trade fair for our sector. Moreover, it appears that quality and design with the Made in Europe label are in fashion more than ever in the rest of the world. Despite what some German exhibitors themselves still think, it is clear from statistics from Deutsche Messe, organisers of Domotex, that Domotex isn’t a German show. Over 27,000 visitors came from abroad, half of them from EU countries, but also 25% from Asia and about 8% from North or South America. In particular, the number of visitors from Asia rose by no less than 29%.

Each year, we give you an extensive summary of exhibitors from our sector:

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Floor Forum International Magazine Floor Forum and Floor Forum International were also present once again with a stand. Domotex is an opportunity for your national and international magazine staff to get to know readers from at home and abroad. The stand also made for a pleasant break, a serious or social chat, but also at the same time one of the best places for networking with international professionals. The special floor at the Floor Forum stand was supplied by Lalegno.

Janser JANSER recognises the importance of good sanding machines for renovating old parquet floors. That’s why they presented a new multi-plate driver disc for sanders, namely the

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Review

Domotex Hanover

TRIVO-DISC. This disc makes every alteration easy, and you don’t need technical knowledge. The driven heads have a Velcro plate with a diameter of 150mm and have a constant rotation of about 600 revolutions per minute. The power comes from a silent and serrated drive belt. A perforated sanding plate in combination with perforated sandpaper ensures an optimal result without scratches and the greater number of open spaces in the driver plate ensure that fine dust is sucked out.

FN Neuhofer Holz At a 350m² stand FN Neuhofer Holz presented, a whole range of novelties. For example, they presented the new digital direct print technology which (without a paper layer) prints all required patterns and colours onto skirting boards in various materials e.g. wood, MDF, aluminium, or plastic. They also introduced visitors to 3D-print possibilities on skirting boards. At present, they are testing the market to see whether there is also a demand. This technology is extremely innovative, but it does raise the price of the skirting boards. A handy and time-saving solution are the FN Cut Pro skirting boards for renovation. These are ideal for fitting (bigger) skirting boards over existing edge profiles and skirting boards without having to remove them and without risk of damage to the wall.

MEDES The German MEDES was a remarkable exhibitor at Domotex. The company specialises in aluminium design floors. These are 2 or 3mm thick aluminium floor materials in various colours and with (anti-slip) patterns or, if necessary, with pulver coating. They can be used in various places and are ideal for places where only a limited structure height is needed. You can fit them in the following types of places: living rooms, commercial rooms, car showrooms, kitchens, catering establishments, and such like. It goes without saying that the floors are extremely durable and, moreover, pleasant in terms of walking comfort and temperature. There are also special solutions for high-traffic steps or for swimming pools and wellness centres.

DECOSPAN The Belgian maker of refined panel material and European market leader in veneer wood presented a very well kept secret at Domotex in the shape of its new Cabbani trademark. This was the launch of a range of high quality parquet on HDF or birch plywood with oak top layer in 23 colours. And so, Decospan has set out on the multi-layer parquet floor market with a top layer thicker than 0.6mm. The possible choices can be summarised very broadly at once. There are two different plank sizes and no fewer than three different thicknesses in the top layer (2, 3.2, or 5.5mm). For the finish there is a choice of protection with lacquer or oil. The Cabanni range is the

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result of an integration of the French Europlac last year. There were also some striking novelties in the Decospan well known ‘Par-ky’ trademark. Par-ky floors are available for the first time with a top layer of 2 or 3.2mm. And so, four new references have been added to the range. They have also examined their range of colours. Two oak shades had to make way for a new shade in oak (Umber Oak) and for some exotic wood sorts such as jatoba and teak. All Par-ky floors are still supported by an HDF base, finished with high-quality lacquer, and are easy to fit using the Uniclic profile.

Hertog Vloeren The Dutch parquet manufacturer which specialises in distressed parquet presented some new surface finishes. For example, there was Ravenna, an unevenly sawn cross-section, Bologna, a hand-scraped surface, and Siena, a deep-scraped surface. Also new at Hertog Vloeren were parquet floors in maple and walnut with carbonised finish. Due to the trend towards design floors in Hungarian point, Hertog also presented a large ready-for-fitting panel in Hungarian point in the dimensions 184.8cm long and 30.5cm wide. Such panels facilitate a much faster and floating fitting of a Hungarian point parquet with considerably lower fitting costs.

Balterio Balterio has invested considerably over the past year (20 million euros) in a unique digital print line for its laminate floors. This means that the decors are printed directly onto the HDF base in Ultra HD with a resolution of 1200 DPI. This means that the decors look even sharper and genuine and there are far fewer repetitions in the patterns. Moreover, the laminate is more ecological. The traditional hard top layer in melamine is replaced by a matt urethane layer and there is no need for decor paper. The first collection which has been developed on the basis of the new technology is PURE WOOD. Moreover, the floors come in AC5 Class 33. For the project market, too, Balterio has developed a collection of laminate floors with digital print, namely TRAFFIC, and, moreover, in hardness class AC6/Class 33.

Primatech The Canadian (Quebec) manufacturer of machines for wooden floors is renowned mainly for its pneumatic nailing machines for parquet floors and its (hot melt) adhesive guns. This manufacturer is well known in North America for its high-quality machines in extremely sound materials. They presented their entire range at the show. However, Dominique Dion from Primatech also stressed the importance of the relational in dealing with clients, including international clients. That’s why they will also be making an extra effort to strengthen links with the importers of the Primatech tools.

Easydek Beschermtechniek Easydek is a specialist in the field of interior protection during new construction, renovation, and maintenance. Visitors were given an overview of the range of foils with applicator to protect the floor against dirt and damage from above, but at the same time to allow the floor to breathe and dry via a membrane. Easydek products and solutions are ideal for more expensive parquet floors and on sites where speed and time-saving are essential. Recognition of the importance of such foils and the quality of the Easydek products have ensured plenty of growth, even outside Europe in countries such as Turkey or Kazakhstan.

Pedross The Southern Tyrol specialist in skirting boards presented its range of skirting boards with digital print with relief. And so, it is possible for clients to have all types of skirting boards (on wood or MDF) printed with patterns as required which also still have a tangible relief which corresponds to the printed pattern. Another new item was a range of corner pieces for synthetic skirting board in order to finish skirting boards on walls with corners faster. Moreover, the synthetics allows light to pass through so that the combination with built-in LED lights provides special effects.

Bacci Paolino This manufacturer of horizontal belt saws presented the brand new STREAM. This is the smaller and more budget-friendly version of the STREAM-E, which has already attracted admirers at Domotex in recent years. The capacity of the newcomer is 25% lower, but, with a maximum sawing width of 325mm and a sawing blade of 54mm, the STREAM is still an efficient machine. The flexibility thanks to a special feed system and the precision (with low tolerances, which keep losses to a minimum) are also strong assets of this new belt saw machine.

Terra da Bosco This Italian manufacturer from Treviso is a specialist in special and unique luxury parquet floors in solid or multi-layer wood. These include wooden floors, herringbone parquet, and mosaic and design floors with special elements. Amongst other things, they presented panels into

which marble highlights from the renowned Carrarra marble quarry have been processed. They use high quality oak, European walnut, and ash with the FSC label. The floors are produced in Hungary.

La San Marco Profili This specialist in skirting boards and outdoor decking floors presented for outdoors a wide range of planks in exotic wood sorts and also a thermally treated ash floor. In addition, they also offer a superior composite wooden floor: DURO. This is a PVC composite supplemented with the remains of pods from Italian rice cultivation. DURO is colour-fast and resistant to the UV light of the sun. As regards skirting boards, there was also the Venetian range with a saw cut effect in veneer or plywood and three colours or customised to suit the client. There were also luminous skirting boards, which store the sunlight during the day and light up after sunset. This offers possibilities as regards safety or special effects for nightlife locations.

American Wood Oil The European importer Jan-Pieter De Smedt presented a new industrial hard wax UV oil from American Wood Oil. It stands out from a lot of UV oils for its highly matt look and hereby goes along with the trend and the many requests from industrial parquet finishers. The wood dries very quickly so that it is possible to pack it immediately after the finishing and UV drying. Another new item is an interesting range of reaction stains for distressing new parquet floors. They also stress that they spend a lot of time and energy in helping clients ‘because that’s the best guarantee for satisfied clients who get the best out of the supplied products.’

Inpa Parket The Dutch company Inpa Parket was highly satisfied with the quality and quantity of the contacts during Domotex. At their stand they promoted, amongst other things, the range of 3D Wall coverings. This wall covering on an OSB base consists of Handy elements which slide into each other to camouflage the fitting. They also promoted their wide range of exotic wood sorts. These were 10 different wood sorts in various shades, which originated from their own FSC-approved forests in Bolivia. Inpa has its own export company in Paraguay where the wood is turned into parquet floors.

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Review

Domotex Hanover

Amorim At the stand of cork specialist Amorim they rejoiced at the growing demand for cork floors amongst consumers. The focus was on two new ranges from the Wicanders trademark, namely Hydrocork and Authentica. Hydrocork is a thin (6mm thick) and indelible cork floor with a core of cork composite and a hard durable decor top layer (0.55mm) in various colours and styles. Hydrocork is ideal for renovations and can also be fitted in kitchens and bathrooms. The other novelty was Authentica. This is a cork floor with an HDF core bearer enclosed by two cork layers. Above that there is a durable top layer in PVC and various wood or stone decors. The floors are warm, silent, and free of phthalates.

Parketfabriek Lieverdink Parketfabriek Lieverdink presented various innovations in its Q2 range of two-layer parquet. The Dutch manufacturer underlined its know-how in the field of renewed patterns with the Q2 Cubes which create scores of floor patterns with the help of diagonally sawn elements in dimensions between 14 x 70 and 14 x 14cm. With Q2 Panels, they offer a whole range of traditional parquet panels. They also stressed the

Colours on Command principle with which Lieverdink offers no fewer than 1000 RAL colours. Also new were the five Pastis colours which have been developed for the Q2 range.

Trap Flooring At Trap Flooring, too, they seemed to be happy with the results at Domotex. In particular, Marc Trap was delighted with the great interest from parts of the world such as Asia and the Middle East for Made in Europe quality and the range of parquet in no fewer than 30 attractive wood sorts. New in the assortment was the Topwood Outdoor Range. This is a whole series of terrace planks and wood claddings in countless exotic wood sorts, various profiles, and widths. A number of the quality details

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such as the finger-jointed planks stood out. The planks are supplied with an invisible fastening system from B-Fix. Furthermore, they also presented the Topwood indoor range for indoors.

Flamingo Parket This parquet manufacturer had established some excellent links at the show, including in the USA and Spain. Visitors paid a lot of attention to the Raftwood Collection, which numbers 10 colours and is produced using wood from old railway sleepers. An eye-catcher was the attractive double-smoked floor which was on the stand in the ‘Amazon’ colour. The floors come in twin planks with a top layer of 4mm on a birch multiplex. Other highlights were the accompanying Stairs Raftwood range for staircase renovation and the collection of German floors – brushed parquet finished with hard wax oil.

Ciranova The new scratch-resistant parquet lacquer FORTICO was the top highlight at the Ciranova stand. The FORTICO poster of a lady in a blue dress restraining a black panther with sharp claws stresses the FORTICO commitment to scratch resistance. The waterborne PU lacquer uses innovative anti-scratch technology, is easy to apply, and dries quickly. There is a choice of a 1 or 2-component variant for homes and high-traffic (business) locations respectively. Moreover, it scores excellently for chemical resistance (especially fluids) and anti-slip

Hall A3 · Stand 412 FARBE, AUSBAU & FASSADE 02.–05.03 · München

properties. There is also an invisible variant (FORTICO 2C NATURAL), which gives the wood ultimate protection and an unfinished look.

Chapel/Timberline At Chapel, too, they were happy with the quality of visitors at Domotex. They announced the launch of 13 new colours in nine different finishes (including cathedral or fine sawn). The colours will be available from April and were well received by visitors. Chapel has been extremely active for many years on the global project market (in about 50 countries) and they were delighted to see that demand for parquet floors on the domestic market (in the Netherlands) is on the rise once again.

Cosma Cosma, the Dutch brush producer, has concentrated since the 1980s on the development and production of brushes for sandpapering and structuring wood mechanically. They go along with all new trends in finishes for furniture and parquet. At the show they introduced a new brush for structuring wooden floor panels more deeply. The trend in extra brushing of the wood led to the discovery at Cosma of the need for a brush which can also clean oil out of deeply structured wooden surfaces, something which is often not possible with a standard pad (and leads to problems with drying). They also presented this cleaning brush at the Cosma stand.

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Review

Domotex Hanover

Mac Lean

EC1 emi code. It also scores well for scratch resistance and durability. Chimiver has further extended its parquet oil range with some new trendy colours in white and grey shades. They also displayed a new glue for LVT floors, namely ADESIVER RE400/SP. This is a waterborne acrylic glue with excellent spreadability, high dry residue, and low moisture content.

Perfilstar At Mac Lean, too, they were well satisfied. The specialist in accessories for the flooring sector highlighted the XPS foam subfloors, a range of floors which are made in collaboration with SELIT. Due to stricter requirements which the EPLF (Association of European Producers of Laminate Flooring) has put into a standard, XPS subfloors with higher density materials will gain in importance, as explained by Arie Schouten from Maclean: ‘This subfloor has reached maturity with XPS material, you could say. XPS reduces sound much better.’ Furthermore, Mac Lean also exhibited a range of skirting boards, which can be fitted mitred perfectly well, and a handy variable spacer for expansion joints.

Vetedy The Luxembourg specialist in high quality wooden terraces and exterior wall claddings announced that this year it will be opening a new production hall (3000m²), which will double the available production space. As they generally do, they promoted products such as the Softline fastening system and Techniclic wall fastening. New was the introduction of jaya, an Asian wood sort for terrace floors, and ayous, a thermally treated wood from Cameroon for wood claddings. They also introduced two effective cleaning products for outdoor wood, namely Original for exterior wall claddings and Softclean for terrace floors.

HKS The German parquet maker presented its new parquet finishes, including floors with an invisible finish, which preserves the natural look of wood. There was also the new Krügers Inbetween collection, two-layer parquet with an oak top layer of 4 or 6mm in various lengths and widths. The a-terra HKS collection includes a series of new grey shades. These are especially popular with architects and on the project market. They also launched the new 2016 collection of outdoor floors with a wide choice of terrace planks in bamboo composite material in several colours or in quality tropical wood.

Chimiver Panseri The Italian parquet chemical specialist presented ECØ V. This is a new 1K waterborne parquet lacquer with the European eco label and

Floor Forum International 79

The Catalan producer presented its extensive range of white skirting boards in PVC. These skirting boards are waterproof and ideal for use on LVT, PVC, and ceramic floors and come in various sizes. Another novelty was the range of LVT staircase parts for renovating stairs in a convenient and aesthetically refined manner. They also showed off their know-how in digital print technology for producing skirting boards with perfectly matching decors and colours.

Lalegno Multi-layer parquet manufacturer Lalegno was delighted with how well the new collections were received and with the many visitors. They also announced that in view of growing sales on the export market they are concentrating more on adapted collections to satisfy the preferences of the country or region in question. The BARN collection with cleaved wood was on display in five finishes and they also presented the Cube special design floor. These are planks in size 220 x 190mm which provide a stylish, yet playful cube design floor. They also announced that they have launched the revamped Lalegno web site, which includes a film clip about the product references. There is also a new photograph album with all the information and attractive pictures of the Lalegno floors.

Tover The Italian chemical producer Tover has been developing and producing ecological products for professional parquet floor fitters for a few years now. Once again, they highlighted the Bella SQ 2K waterborne polyurethane lacquer. This lacquer is also available in an extra matt variant. However, Tover stressed that Bella SQ is still a reference because it is extremely durable and offers outstanding chemical resistance. At the same time, it doesn’t contain any

isocyanates or polyaziridine and has outstanding scores for VOC content. They also presented some new colours in the oil range, including a number of full covering colours for a ‘painted’ floor surface.

Rubio Monocoat Rubio Monocoat has enjoyed great success both at home and abroad in recent years with the one-coat finish products for wooden floors and at this Domotex they presented their new Rubio Easybond parquet adhesive. This is a 1K silane-polymer adhesive which is suitable for just about all wood sorts and substrates. This 0% VOC adhesive with no softeners provides a perfect alternative to 2K PU adhesives and records outstanding scores for adhesion and fast and durable setting (you can sandpaper after 12 hours). Furthermore, Rubio Monocoat also presents the Easy Primer Aqua as a fixing agent and adhesion reinforcement, an Easy Primer Epoxy, and an Easy flow self-levelling leveller, with or without fibre reinforcement.

MITOL The Slovenian glue maker presented products such as its parquet adhesive Parketolit E65, a 1K MS adhesive which dries quickly and is economical to use. They also highlighted the solventless Parketolit E60 1K silane-polyurethane adhesive. With a long open time this adhesive is suitable for use in combination with floor heating. There was also attention paid to Parketolit PR51, a 1K PU primer for substrate preparation and suitable for absorbent and porous subfloors or for impregnating damp cement subfloors. The primer is odourless and solventless and sets quickly, so it is possible to start fitting parquet within 90 minutes or one day later on damp subfloors.

Steico The German producer of environmentally-friendly wood fibre boards based on wood and hemp introduced visitors to a number of new Steico subfloors for parquet and laminate. For example, there were the thinner 3mm subfloors, which are just as effective as the classic, thicker variants, but require less height. In addition, there was also the Steico Silent pro boards, which reduce contact sound on laminate by 21dB, improve heat comfort, and, at the same time, are highly compression resistant (up to 15 tonnes per m²), and that’s important for

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click connections. The Steico Underfloor flex is an easy-to-cut subfloor on a roll. It has a stable fibre structure to reduce contact sound by 20dB and levels unevenness up to 3mm.

Adesiv Adesiv is a permanent fixture at Domotex Hanover. The Italian producer was pleased to meet existing clients and happy with the interest shown by potential new clients. Exports are going well for Adesiv, with the exception of sales in the economically afflicted Russia, which is an important market for Adesiv. Adesiv did announce a growing interest in its MS polymer adhesives, but has seen that it’s still epoxy PU adhesives which are dominating the market due to their competitive price. Visitors also paid a lot of attention to the Adesiv lacquers.

Heywood Vloeren A major attraction at the Heywood stand was the Old Dutch Wood ‘reclaimed’ collection from Bespoke Hardwood, which Heywood has launched on the market in partnership with Jan Muis. They stressed that this is a reliable and extensive range of old reclaimed floors of constant high quality. A spokesperson commented: ‘Clients really do get the floors which they have been promised. That’s what we stand for!’ Furthermore, Heywood also presented themselves as a total supplier of wooden floors with a wide range of colours who produce all sorts of quality parquet quickly and reliably at affordable prices.

Küberit Traditionally, Küberit uses Domotex to launch some new products. They presented rounded stair nosings. The rounded shape is safer (with less risk of injury), so it is suitable specifically for swimming pools and wellness venues. There were also new stair nosings, skirting boards, and corner protectors in high-quality matt-brushed stainless steel as an alternative to aluminium. Küberit also introduced stair nosings for LVT furnishing on stairs in which purchases or signposts can be stored (e.g. Fire Exit, Toilets, etc.). There was also a new 47mm wide base profile for LVT floor thresholds, which provide more stable fastening and adhesion, especially on brittle subfloors, for instance.

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Review

Domotex Hanover

Impertek The Italian specialist manufacturer specialist in solutions for raised indoor and outdoor floors promoted the Mega Mart. This is a high-quality and extensive range of synthetic floor bases with various solutions. New in the range was the floor base which can bridge up to a 120.20cm difference in height with a maximum load of 800kg. There was also a whole series of heads for fitting wooden planks, tiles, and WPC planks. The manufacturer has some handy small items, which can bridge small differences in height quickly and easily.

Prinz Prinz recently celebrated its 125th anniversary and is in full bloom. At present, they are building a new warehouse and they also have plans for new production halls and offices. They are also renewing their assortment. For example, they have introduced Silent PUR TACK, a new acoustic subfloor which can be fitted onto all substrates and which is self-adhesive on its upper side. That means that PVC or LVT floors can be fitted faster without using other adhesive. The fitter then still has half an hour to make any corrections, but after that the adhesion is permanent. Another novelty is the LUX line LED channel, which can be integrated into the skirting board underneath the floor and provides atmosphere or safety illumination in scores of colours.

Preverco Preverco is one of the leading parquet manufacturers from Quebec (Canada) and presented its new range. Amongst other things, that comprises wide planks in new grey and beige shades and with a textured edge. Traditionally, this manufacturer has been a strong and versatile supplier because it is an integrated company with its own supply of wood. The Preverco range also includes special and trendy wood sorts such as American walnut and hickory.

FB Hout This was the eighth consecutive appearance of the Dutch parquet manufacturer at Domotex. They exhibited five new distressed floors on a two-layer birch multiplex. They also showed off the FB+ Bespoke Extra Wide Plank collection. These three-layer floors are available with

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planks of up to no less than 48cm wide and four metres long. The manufacturer was also proud to announce that it was the third parquet manufacturer in the world to be awarded the Cradle to Cradle™ Bronze certificate. That certificate assesses how renewable and recyclable products are and how makers consider the re-use of materials and think of the environment during the production (energy and water management).

FAXE The woodwork specialist FAXE, which is based in Jutland (Denmark) is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. Their know-how and technology in lye, oil, and floor soap is acknowledged in several countries in the EU and USA, and now also in China, because FAXE is setting up a partnership with a Chinese-Danish trading company (Zikander Ltd.) for the sale of FAXE products to parquet producers. At the FAXE stand they also showed off the new Patina Lye, a pre-treatment lye which gives oak a distressed and distinctive look.

Välinge Innovation Sweden At the Välinge stand it was clear how much technology this technology company has already developed for the floor sector. The 5G® click system has now been used for over one billion square metres of flooring. They presented 3D Core Technology, which makes LVT panels lighter with an ingenious profiling, so that they require less raw materials and are cheaper to transport. The Woodura® technology once again attracted attention. A very strong and stable surface is achieved by fusing a veneer layer on an HDF core through a wood-powder mix layer. The result is very wide and long planks with enhanced wood appearance.

BUZON Pedestal The Belgian manufacturer of terrace pedestals announced that it recorded a 10% increase in turnover in 2015. And so, the Buzon quality and solutions are clearly meeting market needs. At their stand they promoted mainly the DPH and PB series terrace pedestals. These are perfectly suitable for wooden terraces and make the installation work very easy thanks to the necessary accessories and ingenious solutions such as a slope corrector.

Lamett The highlight at the stand of parquet manufacturer Lamett was Courchevelle. This top programme has an oiled top layer of 4mm on a birch multiplex. The Courchevelle planks are very carefully sorted and have few colour differences and gnarls. The planks are up to 2.5mm long and 22 or 26cm wide. With Country and Farm, Lamett is launching two budget-friendly parquet ranges with a rustic and highly rustic look respectively in trendy colours. Furthermore, there is also a new range of 10mm multi-layer parquet with a top layer of 2.5mm finished with a Bona lacquer in three variants and a tongue and groove connection; it is ideal for renovation.

Bostik Chemical producer Bostik presented a new parquet adhesive, namely the Bostik Parfix Eco Plus. This is a strong and durable parquet adhesive, which is easy to spread, sticks and sets remarkably quickly, and doesn’t contain any softeners. This efficiency is due to the Axios Tri-Linking technology with an ingenious cross-linking of the molecules. The glue jars are made from recycled synthetics and the glue flip-flaps are in aluminium so that they are stable for at least 12 months. Also new was the effective Bostik Nibofloor Eco+ Elastic for LVT, which is based on sustainable raw materials and improved CO² balance.

Eurotec The German specialist in fastening technology presented its terrace support systems. New was the Eurotec Stone system. This can be used to place stone tiles onto terrace pedestals. This has the advantage that you can work much faster than in the traditional way of fitting stone terraces and that the substrate is still accessible. The stones are put onto a substrate in aluminium profiles, which, in turn, are supported by the synthetic terrace pedestals.

Blanchon In 2014, Blanchon successfully launched the Ciméthane lacquer for UV drying on site. This system ensured full setting in eight hours. At its Domotex stand Blanchon unveiled a Ciméthane UV oil for UV drying on site, which is completely dry in just four hours so that the

parquet is ready for use. Another innovation was White Concept, a system for obtaining an indelible and uniform white or grey shade on wood sorts which contain a lot of tannic acid. Another innovation was the Océanic Air Protect. This is a parquet lacquer with very high chemical and mechanical resistance. It preserves the natural colour of the wood and also contains a component which absorbs formaldehyde in the indoor air. We’re talking here about both the formaldehyde which comes from the parquet and that which is present in the room (e.g. in furniture).

EGGER This floor manufacturer from the Tyrol has been operating on the laminate market for twenty years and had some important news. In May, they are launching the innovative Design+ floors. This isn’t a laminate floor, but a wood-based design floor. The floor has the assets of design floors, but contains wood instead of PVC or other synthetics. The core of Design+ is a double sealed HD core support, namely Ultra Wood Fibre Board (UWF). The top is made up of decors in wood or stone look and a special thermoplastic polyurethane top layer, which is safe and ecological. Moreover, the polyurethane layer has a ‘self-repair’ memory. The impact of items such as heavy furniture which rests on the floor is repaired automatically when those objects are removed. And so, the floor stays new and intact much longer.

Unifloor The highlight at the Unifloor stand was the Space Leveller robot with which the Ecopearl is levelled out automatically using laser technology. Geert Maatjes from Unifloor also highlighted the twentieth anniversary of the Jumpax subfloors: ‘Jumpax is now available in many variants, which are customised to suit the project and the needs of fitters and end users. Nowadays, Jumpax gets much more acknowledgement. Today, people want instant completions, a perfect end result; and an acoustically perfectly muffled floor. With Jumpax you’ve got everything without the need for sandpapering, levelling, and such like. Big names such as Antico, MFlor, Armstrong, and Tarkett opt for Jumpax.’

Kleiberit Kleiberit is a specialist in hot coating for the wood industry. New was the VOC-free and formaldehyde-free Hotcoating PUR 717, which gives decor paper or veneer an extra degree of resistance and makes the surface look extremely natural and offers a solid spectacle. Moreover, after the hot coating, the surface has an AC5 hardness class and is also suitable for smaller production quantities.

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Unilin At the attractive and much-visited Unilin stand visitors had the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the novelties from Quick-Step and PERGO. They were proud to announce the test results for the PERGO and Quick-Step parquet floors in the areas of durability, scratch resistance, and gloss resistance (retention of matt) where the floors are amongst the best on the market. They also presented the latest generation of LVT floors with a soft matt finish. These floors are extremely stable thanks to the unique production technology and new embossed methods and they also look genuinely ‘authentic’. As regards styles and decors, Quick-Step underlined it progressive role with products such as a new black wooden floor and a number of playful, but stylish wooden floors with different matching shades for each plank. At Pergo they also highlighted a completely waterproof laminate with a drop-down click system.

Profilpas The Italian skirting board and profile specialist presented, amongst other things, the new Uni System Plus for parquet and laminate. This is a handy threshold profile in the colour of the surrounding floor(s). The threshold profile doesn’t need to be screwed or glued, but can

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simply be clicked into place thanks to an invisible fastening clip underneath. The system is suitable for floors between 6.5 and 22.6mm thick. Thanks to PDS, the digital print technology from Profilpas, it is also possible to provide a decor as required, apart from the 50 standard decors. Furthermore, they also displayed a PVC skirting board which is simple to assemble via clip system and which is finished with digital print on foil and, moreover, is indelible and chip-resistant.

Osmo Holz und Color Osmo presented the Osmo Hardener, which can be added to Osmo’s Polyx Rapid oil. The addition of the hardener makes it possible to achieve drying times of one to two hours. This ensures that the Polyx-oil is also ideal for speedy renovations in catering establishments

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or shops. Moreover, that’s possible without affecting the special assets of the Polyx oil (good coverage and a breathable floor). For its clients in industry it presented its Polyx Systems for oxidative and UV drying with application from both roller and spray systems. The high-quality ingredients (natural oils and waxes) ensure attractive wood surfaces and an efficient finish. The use of oxidative oil means that the floors can be packed after a day – with the UV Polyx the floorboards are ready for immediate packing or for new treatments after UV drying. There is also Spray-Polyx for industrial spraying cabins with oxidative oil.

Solidfloor Solidfloor presented eight new references in the Earth & Fire collection inspired by the silence of nature and the beauty of modern architecture. They have added two new references to the Vintage collection of distressed floors and they have supplemented the Life Style collection with five new references. In the Create your Floor range they are going to add 14 different colours which will follow the latest interior trends. They can be supplied as a wooden floor, Hungarian point, Brittany panel, or Pierfon panel, and, if necessary, supplemented with a border. Finally, they have also announced the launch of a revamped web site with a floor planner and film and also new brochures for the collections.

stains. That’s why there are all sorts of components in synthetics. In addition, they announced that all tools are getting touch screens with animations to involve the operator more in the finish. They also announced that the cross-cutter from Trivec had been chosen by Välinge for the production of the Woodura floors.

Carver The Italian parquet chemical maker Carver, which recently became part of the Blanchon Group, presented the Ottawa parquet oil at its stand. This oil is waterborne and easy to apply. What’s special is that it dries in just four hours and the floor is ready for use. Moreover, there’s no need for a buffing machine and it ensures a durable oiled parquet floor. Other assets of Ottawa are the matt look, the absence of odours, and the certainty that the wood will not become discoloured.

Vec-Trivec

Uzin

The Dutch manufacturer of machines for finishing parquet floors presented its new slogan: Creating Coating Solutions Together. The newcomer in the range was the Trivec Reactive Stain Sprayer. This machine can be used to apply reaction stains. The tool is specially designed to be able to cope with the corrosive character of reaction

After 18 years of faithful service, and to everyone’s satisfaction for that matter, Uzin felt it was time to design a new and improved variant of the Uzin KE 66 adhesive for rubber and PVC floors. The fibre-reinforced adhesive now has even better properties: a longer working time (now 20 minutes instead of 10) and an easier application thanks to the

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processing of new fibres. Furthermore, the chances of fibres now being brushed out during glueing are now extremely small. The adhesive is characterised by low emissions and has a Blue Angel and an EC1 Plus label.

Pallmann The highlight at the Pallmann stand was the Pall-X 98 Gold. This is the latest variant of Pall-X 98 waterborne dual component parquet lacquer for high-traffic floors. They’ve added ‘Gold’ to the name due to the product’s remarkable performances on very high-traffic parquet and wooden floors, a remarkable filling capacity, rapid drying, and high chemical resistance. This makes it the ideal solution for schools, offices, shops, and concert halls. Moreover, it has a low VOC content (< 5%) and bears the Emi code EC 1R Plus label.

Wolff At Wolff they highlighted the perfect and easy installation of LVT. That’s why they presented the Wolff Design Collection. It includes all the tools which professionals need. These include a Lino-cut zoom cutter, a Fas-Trimmer for making nice bevelled edges on pieces, and the new Duo roller and a mitre box cutter for LVT. Everything is produced highly robust and is ergonomic to use.

Mapei There were lots of new items at the Mapei stand, including in the assortment for parquet. In the finish products they presented the new colour Grey Wave in the ULTRACOAT OIL range. Grey Wave is a highly trendy colour, which works particularly well on dark wood sorts and at the same time provides a naturally distressed effect. In the context of ecological and green building Mapei presented the ECO PRIM S 1K. This silane-modified polymer (SMP) primer is applied to the subfloor in advance and then glued with a similar Mapei SMP adhesive. The primer has a special consistency and can also be applied as a damp

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screen for covering floors with a residual moisture content of up to 5CM%. The subfloor is then ready for glueing some four to six hours later.

Soest At the Soest stand they exhibited a full range of UV finish products for parquet. Their novelty at this trade fair was the automatic return system. This system can be fitted onto the end of a production line to send treated floorboards back to the operator. This makes it possible for just one person to operate a complete line. If the space in the factory is insufficient for one long finish line, the system can also be used as a U-turn. This means that two big production lines can be joined to each other, something which is ideal if, for example, you want to apply two coats of UV oil in one session.

Overmat Overmat presented a whole series of new Floor Service products. There is a new VOC-free Floor Service Hard Wax Oil 2K for manual application. There is Nature Protect 2K lacquer for a floor with an untreated effect without visible layer formation. There were also new items in the area of colours. Four new Floor Service Prime Colours provide various and surprising finish effects. A completely new form of technology is Prime Old Grey for distressing oak wood and making it turn grey, in combination with the existing colours from the Floor Service range. For spray or roller machines they have developed six Prime Stains, and this results in an endless range of new finish possibilities in various colours. There was also a new solventless Floor Service UV oil for the industry.

Design Parquet The French parquet manufacturer presented itself as a quality producer which has an extensive range of floors in various finishes and colours which are available in an à la carte system. Design Parquet also highlighted their diversity of special pattern floors: Versailles, Chantilly, etc. the quality of Design Parquet has landed the manufacturer several prestigious references, such as the MUCEM museum in Marseille, shopping centres in Lille and Nice, but also abroad, such as a prestigious hotel in Bahrain.

B-Fix The trademark for invisible fastening systems for terraces and walls presented its full range of solutions at the show: the B-Fix one invisible

terrace fastening, the access hatch for terrace floors, the B-Fix border for the terrace edges, the B-Fix wall fastening system, and the built-in terrace lights. B-Fix is one of the leading systems on the invisible fastening system market. Moreover, the company announced that it will be coming out with some even more ingenious technology in the coming months, which, amongst other things, will be presented at EFWEX (Ghent BE) and at Carrefour du Bois (FR).

LOBA The German parquet chemical maker presented three novelties. There were eight new light shades in the range of 2K high solid parquet oils to bring the total number to 18. The oils are applied in two coats and ensure a uniform result which is durable and scratch-resistant. With LOBADUR 2K Invisible Protect, LOBA is launching a lacquer which is invisible, but provides outstanding protection for the wood and also scores well as regards anti-slip (DIN standard). Another innovation is the LOBADUR HS 2K Intensive AT primer, which is ecological and intensifies the natural colour of the wood. In particular, the depth of colour comes much more into its own with this primer on dark floors.

Aspecta Domotex saw the launch of a new LVT flooring solution - ASPECTA TEN. This new collection is a multi-layered, 10 mm thick LVT click flooring system featuring the innovative ISOCORE TechnologyTM. It consists of high-density PE foam and extruded, structural PVC manufactured on the basis of the ISOCORE TechnologyTM and an LVT layer with a 0.7 mm wear layer on top. The flooring is available in three different sizes, including a unique 23 x 183cm XXL plank which is very easy to install. With 40 designs to choose from, specifiers can select wood, stone, leather-look finishes or natural colours. ASPECTA TEN’s PE foam means that it is possible to lay it on top of existing floor coverings – even uneven surfaces – without additional underlay. www.aspectaflooring.com

Classen From the vision to the innovation At the last Domotex fair, which took place between 16 and 19 January 2016 in Hanover, the Classen Group demonstrated how visions can be turned into branch-related innovations. Vision and design were the main subjects highlighted by the presentation of the global floor covering

Visit www.floor-forum.com

manufacturer from Kaisersesch at the world’s leading trade fair for floor coverings. At Booth B38 in Hall 9, visitors were able to experience the next generation of the successful design floor NEO by CLASSEN as well as other products. True to the motto “established technology – optimised in standard and design”, development work has been carried out on the well-received innovation of the year 2014, which is now based on a new carrier material: CERAMIN. The Wiparquet specialist brand was also presented at the Domotex, not only with a new Corporate Design but with a new premium design flooring on this new carrier material as well. Thus core competence has been enhanced both in terms of technical features and new, trendy decors and laminate floors.

Decorad The specialist in UV curing on site, Decorad, showed some new features on the Floormate to make the UV curing equipment more safe and easier to use. The new deflectors on the Floormate will minimize the stray light coming towards the operator which is safer and more convenient. Also new electronics make that the machine handles lower power in (as from 185V) in order to still have the right curing energy. This makes it possible to operate in different environments and to use longer cables and still have the curing energy needed for maximum properties of the coating. Domotex shows that the international acceptance for using UV coatings on site is growing rapidly. On the one hand due to the advantages recognized by the floor owners (less downtime, better quality, environmental friendly and easier to clean) and on the other hand the increased portfolio of UV coatings (and UV oils) for wood and resilient flooring.

Edelholz Edelholz kft. participated for the fourth time and welcomed customers from countries such as Italy, Germany, Austria, Japan, China, USA, Norway, Spain, and France. Edelholz is an attractive supplier because of its high quality products, large stock of raw materials, and its short production term for both small and large orders. They presented their complete product range: solid oak and ash, 3-layer engineered flooring, herringbone, panel parquet, and solid oak chateau planks. Edelholz also showed special surface structures like ’Historica’, which is refined by hand to achieve a wavy look or ’Origin’, a beautiful sawn surface structure. Edelholz specialises in high quality solid oak flooring, but there was also

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great interest in 3-layer engineered flooring with all three layers made of oak. The solid oak chateau planks of 6m in length and 40cm in the width were a real attraction at the stand. Due to Edelholz’ advanced profiling technology, these planks come with a profiling quality comparable to 10cm of solid flooring.

Recoll Also this year the DOMOTEX of Hanover considered the most important trade fair in Europe for the flooring industry has shown great signs of economic recovery for the number of exhibitors and visitors looking for news and opportunities. Recoll International from more years as exhibitor has been a great interest from visitors at the stand on the following new products presented exclusively: - SILANBLOK SM: - One component adhesive EC1 certified based on silane modified - COLOR OIL: - Vegetable oil for indoor use available in 6 colors overpainted - ACQUALUX NATURALE: - Two components polyurethane water based paint that gives at the floor - a natural look.

SAICOS SAICOS revolutionizes the Premium Hardwax-Oil This year we showed again great talent for innovative and ecological products on the DOMOTEX in Hanover. Our revolutionary System has been the highlight on the fair. An expert jury has already nominated the Premium Hardwax-Oil System for the innovation@Domotex prior to the fair. The worldwide unique system is particularly designed for your needs. The additives UV-Protection, Anti-Slip R10 and Hardener 2K can be combined at will to increase the range of product features even further. And even Fire Protection class Cfl-S1 can be achieved with Impregnation Fire Protection and the Additive Fire Protection as a final coat.

STAUF Multisensory design at the STAUF stand Experience with all senses. The adhesive specialist from Germany was showcased its complete range of products in the area of flooring. Visitors to the trade fair stand could experience STAUF with multiple senses: Sight. The installing videos and photo collages of unique installation sites where STAUF products are

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used were very eye-catching. They reveal what remains otherwise hidden - allowing visitors to discover unusual views. Touch. "Please touch!" was the axiom at this stand: To make the STAUF adhesive technology more tangible, all kinds of application samples and works were standing ready. Taste. As if that is not enough, STAUF wanted to make sure that its brand was to visitors' taste. But glue was NOT on the DOMOTEX menu. For Saturday and Sunday, a unique culinary highlight “frozen yoghurt” was offered.

T&G Wood During the Domotex 2016 edition, T&G Wood showed their power with different special treatments and 2016 color trends. These are not only possible in their Multi-layer in different dimensions or grading, but also on their beautiful Herringbone or Chevron in a variety of sizes. T&G Wood’s Cinzento Custom Made program stands out with its customization. They produce the floor you and your clients want. T&G Wood’s exclusive Cinzento Custom Made floors have been installed worldwide and for different exclusive projects like in South Africa, the United States, England, Sweden and the Netherlands.

WOCA The dedicated team from WoodCare Denmark enjoyed displaying the company’s latest developments within finishing and maintenance of wood floors at Domotex. A brand new, exclusive product line was the ultimate highlight of the 2016 innovations that the Danish company proudly presented. By utilizing the latest technology in wood care, WoodCare Denmark has developed No1, the world’s most exclusive wood care system. The product line includes a wood oil with unequalled strength for floors as well as a unique lacquer with an invisible, super mat finish combined with an exclusive soft feel effect.

Proline Proline presented its new parquet and laminate noise reducing underlay PROBASE HPS fold 3.0 Aquastop with TwinFoam technology: this technology comprises a combination of two types of polystyrene foam. HCPS foam is the blue foam core, resistant to high pressure that assures maximum resilience and optimal reflected walking sound insulation. HFPS is the grey foam on the underside, which provides a highly flexible foam layer for particularly good impact sound insulation, perfect impact absorption, and it balances out localised unevenness.

Special

Producers of LVT, vinyl and PVC presents their trends 2016

DECORATIVE INFINITY IS THE BEST FLEXIBLE FLOOR COVERINGS FOLLOW PREVAILING TRENDS

Photo – Viligno

The path which vinyl, PVC, and linoleum are now following is comparable in different ways to the rise of laminate in recent decades. However, we must point out one basic difference: Laminate emerged completely ‘ from nowhere’, whereas these flexible floors have been in existence for many years, albeit in a different form. Today, they’re also undergoing a technical change and are appearing in new forms, from flexible floors in rolls to planks and tiles with a click system. They do have lots of technical assets. Decoratively, they tend to be infinitely varied. As regards trends, they follow the generally prevailing interior trends.

Technical peak With laminate, the initial development/revolution took place entirely in the technical domain. Laminate went through a period in which it was not highly regarded as a floor covering due to a series of teething problems. Technical improvements in several areas (top layer, surface structure, click system, quality of the base, etc.) have helped to establish the outstanding reputation which laminate now enjoys. Since then, producers have committed themselves to that decorative versatility which typifies laminate. Flexible floors have passed through a similar development. Here, too, manufacturers have had a look at other forms of technology to see what they could learn. No wonder that this

just had to result in the design of flexible floors with click systems. That has changed the accessibility for everyone as regards the fitting. Technically, all these floors make full use of all their typical assets. With flexible floors, their suitability for renovations as a result of their limited structure height is certainly a top argument. Decoratively, they are going the same way; after all, everything revolves around digital printing. In other words, anything can be imitated.

Parquet market dictates In the early years, the main purpose of laminate was to provide an (affordable) alternative to wooden floors. And so, the only target was to imitate the most popular wood sorts (especially oak) as faithfully as possible. Over the years, laminate has extended its pallet of decors infinitely (all wood sorts, tiles, natural stone, or, simply, shapes and colour). One conclusion is for sure: Wood is still the decorative perspective. All things are possible, but the main attention still goes to the strongest possible reproduction of wooden floors, in terms of colour, design, and feel. It is no different for the LVT and PVC markets. Here, too, strictly speaking, all things are possible (partly thanks to digital printing), but wood decors continue to dominate the market. In other words, the parquet market dictates, and that also applies to other trends such as design, colours, gloss, and such like. If oak starts doing well in matt and white tints, we’ll soon see examples of that in laminate and LVT.

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Advertorial

Egger (AT)

EGGER LAUNCHES WOOD DESIGN FLOOR: EGGER DESIGN+ FLOORING DESIGN+ OFFERS ALL THE BENEFITS OF DESIGN FLOORS WITH NO DRAWBACKS Innovation and diversification has always been in the DNA of EGGER. The new DESIGN+ floor which the Austrian floor specialist is launching matches this philosophy. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re welcoming a type of floor with unique properties: waterresistant, sturdy, and variable. Moreover, this design floor is in wood, 100% free of PVC, and finished with a polyurethane top layer with a selfrepair effect.

Ultra Wood Fibre Board With DESIGN+, EGGER has therefore managed to give a floor based on natural wood raw materials all the properties of a classic synthetic design floor and more. The core of these floors is a double sealed wood core base of high density: Ultra Wood Fibre Board (UWF), which makes the floor stable, thin, and ecological.

Unique self-repair top layer The DESIGN+ top layer consists of thermoplastic polyurethane. This is an odourless material with low emissions and no substances which are harmful to our health. It is also used for smart phone covers or shoe soles. This creates a very sturdy top layer, which is also indelible and has a unique built-in self-repair function. If certain deformities arise in the polyurethane layer (e.g. caused by chair legs), the polyurethane molecules will absorb the pressure flexibly. As the impression fades, the PU layer returns to its original position to ensure that the floors once again looks as good as new.

No-compromise floors With DESIGN+ from EGGER there are now no longer any dilemmas between a durable floor, a modern and trendy floor, or an ecological floor which is free of PVC and softeners. DESIGN+ brings the three possible options together in one type of floor which can be fitted floating or glued. The floor lends itself to the residential, office, and commercial markets. With a limited structure height of 5mm, it is also sturdy, maintenance-friendly, damp-proof, light-resistant, and anti-slip. Moreover, as always, EGGER can offer these floors in attractive trendy decors of wood or stone. Market launch in May 2016. More information: www.egger.com/flooring

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Special

Producers of LVT, vinyl and PVC presents their trends 2016

Specific assets There are several reasons why flexible floor coverings are once again winning people’s hearts. Firstly, the click system is so designed to make it really simple to fit these floors. Furthermore, these floors also benefit from the very latest printing techniques so that the number of designs or decors has increased considerably. Then there’s the consideration that these floors are actually suitable for every imaginable application, both residential and commercial, so we realise that they are strong competitors on the flooring market. 100% PVC floors are also completely waterproof. That, too, is an asset. The floor sort which has certainly faced the stiffest competition according to various producers, is laminate. Parquet floor fitters are simply obliged to reason as follows: If they want to safeguard their market share, they simply have to take these sorts of floors on board.

Any interior Flexible floors are available in such an extensive range of decors that there is certainly something to satisfy every style or taste. All interior styles are possible: uniform or heterogeneous, brightly coloured or sober, tile decors, marble and natural stone, and simply modern or precisely classic. However, as with all imitation floors, wood decors are extremely popular here, too. In this field, too, producers have been keeping an eye on the laminate manufacturers (if they don’t produce both types). Just as was the case with laminate, digital printing technology has created scores of extra possibilities. The wood decors are extremely natural and, thanks to embossing, the structure can also be felt. In other words, history is repeating itself. Some producers make mention of the fact that ‘rustic decors’ are noticeably popular. And so, vintage wins here, too! For example, there are collections under different trademarks which offer a range of decors inspired by distressed floors or recycled wood from furniture items, old items, or old floors. And the wood sort? Oak, of course! The vast majority of all wooden floors are designed in oak. If ‘vintage’ is a trend, the ‘oldest’ wood sort is coming even more to the fore. Lots of consumers associate the name of classical parquet almost automatically with oak, if only because, in times past, oak was the only sort of wood available. More exclusive wood sorts such as mahogany, cherry wood, walnut, and such like were reserved much more for (better) furniture.

An overview : Aspecta With the ASPECTA FIVE collection, Aspecta has already indicated where certain trends are going. The successful introduction of new designs such as Washed Concrete and Lithic Stone from the Abstract

collection have already proved this. In April 2016, Aspecta is introducing even more new and trendy designs with its new ASPECTA ONE collection in which, amongst others, ornamental designs are being introduced. With the ASPECTA TEN collection introduced at Domotex, they are using high-tech production techniques to go in new directions in terms of sizes. Think here of planks of 230 x 1830mm and tile sizes of 450 x 900mm. This collection also includes new design trends such as the ‘leather look’. In the Aspecta Elemental collection, which has been developed specially for the residential market, the ‘distressed wood’, ‘metal wood’, and ‘concrete wood’, which are available in different colours, are the main ones to attract attention. A spokesperson from Aspecta comments, ‘Although LVT floors are certainly progressive, client colour preferences are still often for traditional shades such as brown, white, and grey.’

Parcolys Flooring As a decorative trend for 2015 Parcolys Flooring noted mainly in stone structures the huge increase of a concrete look and a refinement in the grey shades, both for floor and wall applications. As regards wood, oak most certainly takes the crown: a trend towards fewer walnuts and heavy components. In particular, a re-confirmation of grey shades and opal. Here, they are seeing more roughened up wood with grooves and especially a trend towards larger sizes. With oak there is a revival of old floors which look like antiques. Grey and natural oak are the top colours here. At present, Parcolys Flooring doesn’t (yet?) make use of digital print.

AZ_Zeitschriften_Text_ENG_190x65 DOMOTEX 27.11.15 09:25 Seite 1

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Special

Producers of LVT, vinyl and PVC presents their trends 2016

mFLOR Belgium = Yepp The new mFLOR 2016 collection offers you a choice of several attractive floor decors. It includes decors which are still based mainly on handsome wood sorts and natural stone and/or concrete look. New in the collection is the M-Flor ‘Grand’. With a length of no less than 200cm and a width of 20cm, the strips give the floor a rich and magnificent look. mFLOR is the only maker of LVT floors on a 2-metre format which are produced using the ‘hot press’ method. Using this production method, despite the large format, can nevertheless guarantee an extra solid and stable product with the additional big advantage that there’s no repetition of decor on the plank itself. Moreover, many of the floors are fitted with an in register embossing so that mFLOR floors in combination with the large size are unrivalled when it comes to a realistic look. With the tile collection, the use of double films in the Fonteyn collection size 91, 44 x 91, 44cm guarantees the floor an authentic look. Two new warm colours (bronze and cool brown) have been included in the Nuance collection. Completely new in their programme is the PARVA PARKET collection. The unique size of 22.86 x 7.62cm offers an infinite number of fitting possibilities. Think here of the traditional herringbone pattern, the zig-zag pattern, and many other options. With Parva Parket everyone can create a floor with its own unique design and identity. mFLOR Parva Parket is available in six attractive colours. It is mainly oak natural decors and greyed (wood) decors which are still the favourites.

Moduleo Moduleo is the top specialist in high-quality, modular, and luxury vinyl floors (also called LVT or Luxury Vinyl Tiles) in planks or tiles. With Moods, Moduleo is introducing a creative studio where clients can leave their own personal mark on the floor. Moduleo is making this possible by extending its well known Transform and Impress collections by eight innovative sizes. These geometrical shapes are compatible with each other and also with the standard Moduleo sizes. This opens up an infinite number of fitting patterns. And so, you can choose the look of the room for yourself more than ever, from extremely playful to rigid-modern or traditional. A classic floor suddenly changing to colourful pentagons? A rigid herringbone design or rather some playful triangles? Nothing inspires more than the new geometrical sizes of Moduleo Moods for expressing your creativity and personality in your interior. Wood scores well here, too. People still tend to opt traditionally for natural oak with a clear trend in the embossed in register collection. Moduleo® Impress is a

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tribute to the power and splendour of natural beauty. The name expresses the collection, namely an impressive relief print gives the floor a look and feel which is true to nature. With an eye for the tiniest details, most sensitive notes, and deepest impressions. Distinctive wood sorts come to life with effects of distressed, weathered, or white-washed wood. An answer to all modern interior trends and needs of the commercial market.

Viligno Viligno goes along with trends with items such as weathered patterns and tile patterns. Reclaimed grey oak combines the look of weathered and recycled planks with all the benefits of new and durable floor covering. Reclaimed grey oak looks as if it could equally have come from an old warehouse or a dilapidated shed. The floor comes completely into its own in large rooms with plenty of incidence of light. Reclaimed grey oak is also ideal for a loft interior, possibly with visible beams and pillars. The floor combines exceptionally well with the industrial look of old metal furniture, but also with a somewhat warmer country decor in a free style. Dark grey tile from Viligno gives a completely new dimension to the concept of a rural kitchen. Its colour, structure, and appearance harmonise perfectly with work tops in Belgian bluestone or in granite, with vintage taps and stoves, with painted kitchen cupboards, with classic wall tiles, and with sturdy, rural furniture. Dark grey tile exudes the authenticity of old materials in combination with future-oriented features in terms of durability and maintenance. Since it is waterproof, Dark grey tile is also ideal for your bathroom floor.

Objectfloor The LVT whisper floor SimpLay Acoustic Clic is just as quiet as textile floors. Objectflor presents a new and improved design floor system which further refines the performances of existing LVT products. SimpLay Acoustic Clic can be fitted quickly and easily without glue using the licensed click carrier, whilst the attached insulation foil reduces impact sound by 20dB. Stable system with a low height With its 0.4mm thick top layer, the floor is suitable for average traffic. Moreover, the highly stable composite bearer layer is fitted with the solid Uniclic system. Due to its low height of 6.7mm, SimpLay ACOUSTIC CLIC can be fitted directly onto a hard floor, even onto tiles. The system is also 100% waterproof.

STRONG INSIDE , BEAUTIFUL OUT. Look under the surface of a stunning ASPECTA TEN floor and you’ll find the perfect backbone. ISOCORE technology is made with extruded closed-cell PVC construction so it’s strong and rigid, yet incredibly light. This makes ASPECTA TEN highly durable, easy to install and 100% impervious to moisture.

DISCOVER A NEW DIMENSION IN FLOORING

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Special

Glue guns and cartridges

WORKING WITH A GLUE DISPENSER UNIQUE COMBINATION OF ERGONOMICS AND ECONOMY

Photo – Pallmann

The economic benefit of glue dispensers concerns the glue dosage, which is always ‘ ideal’, something which is not the case with traditional notched trowels. Human beings are the ‘weak link’ again, so they only get a secondary role. As with any form of computerisation, this offers greater certainty that the dosage is perfect. And so, once again, ergonomics is a blessing for users, who are spared a number of physical risks related to traditional glueing. This also has economic benefits for employer-parquet traders i.e. their employees are subject to fewer occupational hazards, so they are absent less often. That’s good!

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From trowel to gun For professional parquet floor fitters, working with a notched trowel is most certainly in ‘common use’. The notched trowel is an essential tool which has been part of a floor fitter’s standard tool case for years. Over the years, researchers have conducted lots of studies and brought about several improvements regarding notched trowels. Notched trowels for wooden (and other) floors have been optimised in terms of both design and material. When we say ‘optimised’, we mean things such as more user-comfort and more precision in dosage. We know that the teeth of a notched trowel help to determine how much glue is applied. This differs for

various types of parquet and the various types of glue. In other words, the notched trowel is something like ‘weighing scales’ or a glue meter. Obviously, no one is surprised that here, too, the ‘drive for computerisation’ is moving fast. With the introduction of adhesive guns, manufacturers are once again looking to provide more user-comfort and computerise the adhesive dosage. Adhesive guns make it possible to work standing up, apply the glue faster, and use the correct dosage. Those are the main benefits in a nutshell.

Economic aspects The economic benefit of using a glue dispenser is derived from two important elements, namely the dosage and the time spent on the job. There isn’t a single floor fitter who can measure doses with a notched trowel as precisely as the automatic dispenser. Indeed, the dispenser follows the set amount of glue perfectly and doesn’t make any ‘human errors’ in applying glue. Obviously, using the correct dosage also has an important economic benefit. Makers speak of a reduction in glue consumption of up to 30% for the same project. Another economic benefit is the time spent on the job. Here, too, the sales arguments are impressive: Some makers guarantee that you can finish a job up to 10 times faster than by means of the traditional method. Once again, we have to conclude that these arguments take on even more importance when it comes to bigger projects with several floor fitters. After all, it’s impossible for one floor fitter working alone to apply glue to a large surface and then fit the floorboards within a space of time in which the adhesive grooves are still fresh.

Conclusion Glue dispensers are a logical step in the move to computerise as many actions as possible within a professional field and thereby work more efficiently. The reactions which we have received from users and suppliers show that the benefits of these glue dispensers come mainly to the fore in bigger projects. In terms of both the speed aspect and the benefit of working standing up, we get the best result with big surfaces and, preferably, with projects where several floor fitters work together.

A selection from the range : Bona

Quality of the glueing If a floor fitter applies too much glue and the floorboards aren’t fitted fast enough, there is a risk of the adhesive groove drying out so that the adhesion is weakened. However, if the precise dosage of glue is applied and the work is done at a high speed, we can assume that the adhesive groove is also of high quality. Using a notched trowel means that the adhesive is pressed into the substrate, and that certainly provides better mechanical anchoring. Moreover, points from a triangular adhesive groove provide a better transfer of the glue to the back of the planks. The second reason is that the adhesive grooves are parallel with the planks and not diagonally on the planks. The strongest forces which arise when the planks become warped are caused by lateral forces in the plank, in the width of the plank. With adhesive grooves straight along the length, these forces can be spread much more easily over the entire width of the plank.’

Ergonomics is an asset The biggest merit of these glue dispensers is undoubtedly that they give floor fitters the opportunity to work standing up. After all, not having to bend down means less pressure on various joints. This argument obviously holds good, but mainly (or solely) for working on extremely big surfaces. With smaller surfaces it doesn’t hold good and even has the opposite effect. Let’s explain! Over the years, experienced floor fitters have learnt to adopt the best possible body positions for themselves. They carry out those movements as a matter of routine; they sit on their knees; the floorboards are ready; they apply the glue; and they fit the floorboards. They do all that without standing up. With an adhesive gun, the adhesive is certainly applied from a standing position, but for fitting floorboards professionals have to work on their knees. And so, for small jobs they make twice as many ‘bending movements’ than if they do everything manually. Conclusion: Fully computerised adhesive guns are useful mainly for big projects and when several professionals work together. One person applies the glue, whilst someone else fits the planks.

For glueing Bona R850 T tubes of 600ml Bona has both a manual and pneumatic adhesive pistol. A real showpiece, however, is the Bona Optispread, which has been developed specially for the Bona R850T in 4.4kg packaging (adhesive sausage). Bona Optispread is an innovation which enables floor fitters to obtain better, flatter, and faster results when working standing up. Bona Optispread works five times faster than the traditional method without any strain on the worker’s knees and back. The Bona R850T offers balanced elasticity and great tensile strength and is easy to clean. Optispread runs on compressed air. The adhesive sausage is easy to apply and corresponds to the filling capacity of the tool. The nozzle has a width of 250mm. The spraying arm has 19 triangular holes made from recycled polypropylene. The 4.2kg adhesive sausage is suitable for 4 to 4.5m². The Bona Optispread is 1.25m long (a perfect average working height) and it weighs 4kg without glue and 8.2kg when filled.

Blanchon

Blanchon presents the P 600 glue dispenser specially developed for all cordon adhesives and comes in cartridges of 600ml (hybrid polymers or polyurethane). The P 600 can also be used to apply glues or putty in

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300ml tubes. The big asset of the P 600 is its high speed and cleanliness. This dispenser can be used at any time and is even vital for some places which are difficult to reach.

Pallmann

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

Rectavit

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

Tover

Rectavit presents a sausage-shaped gun which can be used to spread triangular adhesive grooves every 5 to 20cm, depending on the size and composition (solid wood or semi-solid) of the plank. With most guns, the (round) adhesive grooves end up parallel with the parquet planks. With the Rectavit sausage-shaped gun, the triangular adhesive grooves are applied diagonally. This helps to spread the cupping forces of the plank over the various adhesive grooves, which adhere better to the plank due to their shape. Parquet adhesive in ‘sausages’ is used for this application: Rectavit 248 Cordon. This adhesive is ideal for glueing multi-layer parquet onto traditional substrates or backing strips. Rectavit 248 Cordon is applied in single adhesive grooves using the gun described above and a triangular nozzle. This product can absorb any greater unevenness in the substrate.

Stauf STAUF adhesive spreader machine: Parkett-X-Press There are five characteristics which describe the benefits of the STAUF adhesive spreader machine Parkett-X-Press best: clean, ergonomic, economic, fast and easy. More working comfort as the adhesive is applied in upright position while the weight of the machine rests on

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

Special

Outdoor floors : wood & composite

WOODEN TERRACES IN THE ‘GARDEN ARCHITECTURE’ FLOOR FITTERS FACE MAJOR CHALLENGES …. OUTDOORS!

Photo – Duofuse produced by Plastivan

A new phenomenon is raising its head. Agents and fitters of wooden floors and wood-related terraces are turning into specialists in terrace architecture, something which floor fitters can easily associate with. Terrace architecture is emerging as a new discipline in which terrace, garden, swimming pool, pool house, enclosures, and even terrace plants are being included and designed in one sophisticated concept. People are subjecting the outdoor surrounds to the same demands for harmony as indoors. The result: terrace gems in an architecturally refined outdoor environment.

Terraces on the way up Nowadays, terraces form an architectural bridge between our interior and the garden, and, even more so than in the past, attention is divided equally between the three. Swimming pools are also doing better than ever. The increase in ‘outdoor life’ means that a growing market has opened up for floor suppliers, something which we can only welcome from an economic perspective. As for the materials for fitting terraces, various items have made great progress. Obviously, stone and some ceramic tiles are still much coveted for fitting terraces and installing

swimming pool boards. We’re talking here only about terraces which could be fitted by a parquet floor fitter. In recent years, we’ve seen a sharp rise in both natural and high-tech materials for making terrace planks. In other words, there’s much more than just wood out there. Here’s a bird’s-eye view summary.

Exotic wood Durability Tropical wood sorts are a big hit due to their long lifespan. Whereas we used to be limited to just one sort of wood (bangkirai), we’re now faced with a choice between a whole series of thirty sorts, which are ideal for outdoor use. As we have explained on various occasions, this suitability can be seen in a generally recognised and accepted classification of the wood sorts into five classes. Those classes have been established by experiment. Researchers have checked to see how long the wood sorts ‘survive’ if they are exposed to outdoor weather conditions without prior treatment. Wood sorts in class 1 stay in good condition for 25 years. For terrace boards we use those wood sorts from category 1 and some from category 1-2. Category 1 includes the following sorts: robinia, belinga, chestnut, massaranduba, padauk, teak, merbau, afrormosia, ipe, etc.

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Special

Outdoor floors : wood & composite

Not cheap

Durability class

Partly due to the influence of environmental organisations and a growing ecological awareness, people in our part of the world are increasingly expressing a preference for wood which originates from sustainably managed forests. With scores of government assignments, it is simply a requirement in the specifications that wood should be certified by a recognised body such as FSC or PEFC. However, ecological awareness has gradually been impressed upon private end users as well. Obviously, the drawback is that the price of tropical wood sorts doesn’t get any more affordable as a result, and, if anything, the opposite is true. For parquet floor fitters or outside floor fitters, a separate market has emerged within a market. Fitting exquisite terraces in exclusive wood sorts seems to target a prosperous class, the happy few who don’t need to keep a close eye on their finances. A terrace with a swimming pool and boards in ipe may seem to be the peak of luxury, but it doesn’t come cheap.

The end result of the ingenious production process is a material which can compete with the wood sorts in durability class 1 with no problem at all. Since the production of wood composite started around 1997, it is still too early to draw any conclusions since durability class 1 means that a wood sort (or composite) can withstand outdoor weather for 25 years without treatment.

Thermally treated wood A first alternative to expensive tropical wood sorts can be found in thermally treated wood. In previous editions we have outlined the various techniques for treating wood thermally: Thermo wood, Plato, thermally reinforced wood, and Perdure. The modification of wood is meant to give soft and less durable wood a longer lifespan. In other words, modification elevates the wood to a higher class in the sustainability classification (classes 1-5).

Oak marches on Today, we are seeing oak appear more and more on the menus of terrace manufacturers. However, oak is actually more popular for the construction of outhouses and pool houses than for terraces. There are various sorts of oak. Red oak has open cells, bigger growth rings, and a rougher grain than white oak. Components shut the cells of white oak. Red oak is less durable than white oak, but it is easier to make red oak more durable. The cutting cycle of oak is between 120 and 250 years. In Europe the trunk diameter doesn’t reach 60cm for 150 years. In America this occurs within 80 years for red oak. American red oak is not very durable (natural durability class IV). American white oak and European oak are moderately durable to durable (natural durability class II/III).

The composite materials Wood composites trace their origins back to a Canadian study into the possibilities of recycling polyethylene refuse bags. Cellulite fibres were added to the polyethylene. These fibres, in turn, were residual products from sawmills and waste from printing works and such like. After a decade of research and technical improvements, the ‘formula’ was set out for producing panels and planks which could be used as an ecological alternative to tropical hardwood.

Composition Wood composite consists of wood fibres, high-density polyethylene, UV stabilisers, dyes, and various additives for optimising mechanical qualities. Usually, this is a question of recycled wood fibres and waste wood and recycled polyethylene. And so, in various respects, wood composite is an ecologically responsible alternative to tropical hardwood. Basically, no trees are cut down and the waste wood can just as easily bear the FSC label.

Production process The production method is a form of extrusion. The ingredients are mixed and undergo an extrusion process at high temperature. Thanks to extrusion technology, you also get accurate dimensioning and all things are possible in terms of design.

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Synthetic wood When we use the term composite materials, in this context we mean a composition of synthetics and wood fibres. And so, wood is always worked into the products obtained in this way. For some time now, there have also been products which are presented as alternatives to wooden terrace floors, but they don’t actually contain any form of wood. These are synthetic products based on plastic or synthetic foam which obviously don’t have any problem in coping with weather, mould, or other enemies of real wood.

Kebony Kebony wood comes from deciduous forests in Western Europe. Thanks to an innovative and ecological treatment, kebony is much harder than teak wood. Moreover, at first sight, there is no visible difference between the two wood sorts, and that means that kebony is the first real durable wood substitute for teak. Kebony is a Norwegian company which, after years of research and experimentation, has developed an ecological modification process to make various wood sorts more durable. The wood used originates from deciduous forests in Europe. Maple wood in particular is used a lot for yacht construction. After the wood is cut, a special and licensed fluid is impregnated into the wood under high pressure and then hardens. One of its components is the biological Furfural alcohol as a component, originating from waste materials from the reaping of sugar cane and maize. Once the wood is thoroughly dry, it undergoes another separate treatment whereby it hardens as a result of heating. Any residual fluids are re-used so that the entire process is circular.

A selection from the range : Archi Wood Partly due to the affordable price, coniferous wood is still the one used most commonly for terraces. This wood is also easy to manage. The next most popular ones are the tropical sorts from Latin America (ipe, cumaru, and massaranduba), Africa (tali and padauk), and Asia (teak and merbau). Modified sorts such as accoya, kebon, and such like account for the smallest market share. Due to its intrinsic features (e.g. tannin), oak is not the most suitable sort for terraces. Archi Wood doesn’t have any precise figures, but they do have the impression that outdoor wood is growing in popularity, especially due to the increase in wall cladding.

B-Fix For B-Fix ipe is one of the permanent fixtures in terms of wood sorts on the Belgian market and represents a large market share. Yet they also sell healthy volumes of other Brazilian sorts such as cumaru and itauba. They also sell more African wood than in the past e.g. padauk, afrormosia, tali, and such like. Composites are also gaining ground on the market. Oak is still used to a limited extent. B-Fix itself doesn’t sell any wood or composite, but specialises in (invisible) fastening systems for wood. The company Lime does offer a composite which is installed using the B-Fix system. B-Fix has no doubt that fitting terraces is right up a parquet floor fitter’s street. They don’t have any specific figures, but they do get the feeling that the market is growing gradually or is stable at the very least.

Bewood For the construction of outdoor terraces Bewood mainly recommends wood composite based on pine wood. They don’t Bewood use oak for outdoors. Bewood works exclusively with premium composite. The price is approximately €90/m², not including the fasteners and VAT. Once the wood is fitted, the price is comparable with that of a terrace in ipe. Bewood believes that fitting terraces should be part of a parquet floor fitter’s range. They have noted that this market is growing quickly.

Carresol For Carresol the most popular wood sorts for terraces are still teak and ipe, the most noble wood sorts and best-sellers. They don’t sell oak for outdoor use. As for composites, Carresol offers various terrace planks with all sorts of profiles and different colours. Whilst quality composite planks were initially very expensive, it seems

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that market prices have settled and stabilised. According to Carresol, fitting terraces accounts for about 30% of all a floor fitter’s activities. The market seems to have grown by 10%. Carresol composite planks are made from 30% recycled polyethylene and 60% bamboo or wood powder. The average density is 1250kg/m³.

Duofuse produced by Plastivan Apart from the hardwood sorts ipe and padauk, at Plastivan they’ve also noticed a growing demand for wood composite products, since good wood sorts are more scarce and thereby more expensive. Wood composite makes it possible to match certain colour trends (at present, grey and anthracite shades are popular). Duofuse® is the trademark of the WPC products which Plastivan NV produces and is a trendsetter and pioneer on the wood composite market. It is a mix of 50% wood dust (European pine) and 50% synthetics (PVC). Plastivan NV now has over 50 years of experience in the extrusion of PVC building products and has produced wood composite (HKC or WPC) for 10 years. The range comprises a broad collection of materials for use in the garden (various types of terrace planks and garden screens), so Plastivan NV is playing a pioneering role on this fast-growing market. They manage all the production themselves in Belgium (from the compounding of raw material to extruding the planks), so they have complete control over the entire production process. This means that Plastivan NV stands out from rivals who sell from the vast range of import products from Asia.

Exterpark For Eurocovering tropical wood is still selling well for outdoor use due to its weatherproof properties and durability, even when untreated. That’s why all over the world people still prefer tropical wood for major public projects as against specially treated wood, which, up to the present time, is still unable to rival wood sorts such as teak, ipe, and merbau. In 2016, Eurocovering is launching vacuum treated red oak. Furthermore, the company also has a composite which is cheaper than wood and, amongst other things, contains 60% wood and 40% polyurethane. At all events, these floors are popular for their easy maintenance. However, with the composite floors it is the technical assets which determine the price. Eurocovering also presents Exterpark Tech, which offers several important technical assets: the surface technology (anti-stain shield), the invisible licensed profile, and Speed Clip and Magnet, the most progressive fastening system. That system is a big asset for professionals.

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Special

Outdoor floors : wood & composite

Felix Clercx Felix Clercx believes it is essential to consider both the usage and target group of a terrace in order to decide which wood is most suitable. Bangkirai is the best-seller, but they also sell a lot of mukulungu. The latter is a sturdy and durable African wood, which can be planed according to the client’s wishes to yield a suitable terrace plank. Felix Clercx also offers coniferous wood if the client asks for a lower durability class and if the terrace faces fewer ‘challenges’ in daily use. The best-seller is douglas followed by Siberian larch. Apart from the aforementioned wood sorts, they also offer good natural alternatives to tropical material, which are nevertheless highly durable. These products have undergone thermal treatment to put them to durability class 1. They sell modified American ash and modified bamboo (Bamboo Xtreme from Moso). As an alternative to wood, Felix Clercx also sells Fiberon, a solid wood WPC product comprising a mix of wood dust and polyethylene. Most Fiberon terrace planks have a Permatech cover, which is fitted to the terrace plank by means of co-extrusion. This unique composition ensures that Fiberon is amongst the top quality products in this segment. The price is similar to or a little above that of better hardwood sorts like bangkirai and padauk.

Grad™ Grad™ specialises in construction solutions around the home, especially terrace construction. Meeting client demand is an ongoing challenge. That’s why they usually supply customised work. This innovative company adopts three key concepts: aesthetics, ethics, and durability. As for aesthetics, they work solely with the invisible fastener (clip JuAn), which they developed in 2006. As regards ethics, Grad™ no longer uses exotic wood sorts, but only the ‘new generation’ of Scandinavian wood such as kebony and accoya or with thermally treated wood (thermopin and thermofrene). As far as durability is concerned, Grad™ prefers a support structure in aluminium, combined with their rail system, which makes it possible to dismantle the terrace using a key developed for that purpose.

Gascogne Bois Since tropical wood prices are rising constantly, it is sometimes necessary to look for alternatives. The Pin de Gascogne is undoubtedly such an alternative which can definitely compete with the tropics for aesthetic

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beauty. It is PEFC approved and comes from 100% sustainably managed French forests. Composite materials of wood and polymers also yield floorboards to provide an excellent alternative to tropical wood sorts at a comparable price. The product Kovalex is such a composite. It is produced from wood fibres with an ecological thermoplastic binding agent. The two components are joined together via an extrusion procedure where they are subjected to a pressing process at temperatures which are sufficient to produce the new and innovative Kovalex. Kovalex is available in four colours (brown, anthracite, grey, and chocolate). Kovalex doesn’t contain any PVC and the product carries a 25-year guarantee.

Ideck Systems The best wood sorts for terraces are noble hardwood sorts such as ipe and teak. In recent years, there has been a movement towards less noble sorts such as pine and maple, which are then treated thermally or chemically to strengthen them. Often, the price is not in proportion to the value of the wood itself. As a composite alternative, Ideck Systems offers DURO, which is made from PVC and the shell of rice. The product has excellent technical qualities and can be processed and treated like wood, but requires little maintenance. These floors come entirely into their own when they are fitted with the innovative installations systems Easy Click and Easy Change, which were hailed as the best innovation at Domotex. The price is comparable with ipe, but it is completely fitted.

Lime Amongst other things, Lime presents the Lime Composite B-Fix Premium terrace floor. This floor consists of a 25mm thick composite material (without grooves) and is

extremely hard (1,320kg/m³). There is no possibility of water seeping in or of cracks. The material consists of 60% wood fibres (waste wood from the production) which are ground very fine. 30% high-density recycled polyethylene is added to this. The floorboards don’t contain any PVC. The other 10% consists of concealed ingredients, including UV protectors, anti-oxidants, colour stabilisers, colouring, and such like. The materials are extruded at high temperatures and under heavy pressure. B-Fix Premium is the universally well known invisible fastening system from B-Fix. These planks are available in widths of 140 and 180mm and in anthracite, light grey, sand colour, and dark brown.

Outdoor Wood Concepts At Outdoor Wood Concepts, massaranduba, padauk, and ipe are the best-sellers for terraces. Oak is part of their assortment, but only for wall cladding. Oak does require a precise check on the relative damp at the time of fitting (18-19%) and sufficient scope for swelling. Oak is a wood sort which swells and shrinks more than W.R. cedar, padauk, and such like. Here, too, they agree that fitting terraces is part of a parquet floor fitter’s work. It fits in perfectly with the activity portfolio. A parquet floor fitter is used to working with precision (to the mm), and that can only benefit the final result. On the other hand, some indoor technical solutions are not suitable for outdoors. Mitred joints are a good example. It’s best not to put these joints together outdoors because the changing weather conditions outdoors mean that they won’t stay uniformly even. Moreover, this also ensures that there’s some ventilation between the mitred joints so that moisture isn’t sucked in by the cross-cut wood to cause dirty rings.

the right support

We have been ensuring quality and support for roofings and foundations for 30 years, providing our contribution to the construction sector. Impertek has an extensive range of competitive products: from the adjustable supports, like the extensions for jack supports, to the XL jack supports and MegaMart S. An invisible contribution to make your world sounder and more durable.

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Opti-wood With over 3,500 completed projects, Opti-wood is a leading supplier on the Benelux market. However, Opti-Wood has noticed that the market has been stagnating since the start of the property crisis. This means that new and innovative products are finding it increasingly difficult to obtain a reasonable market share. Moreover, they have also noticed that imports from South-East Asia are currently dominating the DIY market. Opti-wood continues to focus on professional end users and operates with a network of professional fitters to meet demand on the private market. With an extensive product assortment, a wide choice, and speedy deliveries, the company meets the strict

THE RIGHT SUPPORT FOR THE

BUILDING INDUSTRY what is essential is invisible to the eye Italian

QUALITY TECHNOLOGY AND PRODUCTION

www.impertek.com Floor Forum International 79

Special

Outdoor floors : wood & composite

requirements of the professional market. Parquet traders are amongst the clients of Opti-Wood, but mainly as a supplement to their service to their clients, and this is highly variable in line with the seasons. Mostly, those clients purchase products in the spring and summer months. For Opti-Wood such a composite is certainly more expensive in comparison with most wood sorts, but it bears comparison because it requires very little maintenance.

Vetedy

Silvadec Silvadec makes terrace boards in composite material (about 60% wood and 30% polyethylene). Silvadec uses epicea wood. They, too, mention market price differences of composite materials due to differences in technical specifications. Silvadec composite, Forexia, is resistant to termites and damp and has high impression resistance. The material is in Euroclass Dfl S1. The boards can bear an evenly spread weight of 450kg/m². Silvadec offers both horizontal and vertical planks.

Vetedy who is now acting in the market of exotic wood for 25 years, has chosen to work exclusively with woods which are naturally durable 25 years at least and rot-proof. Vetedy propose for its invisible fixation system Softline®, woods which are stable, kiln-dry and ensuring a guarantee of very low distortion. Padouk, Merbau, Ipe and Teak have be carefully selected for their technical characteristics and durability. The company is now offering a new wooden specie: Jaya, a warm and very design specie, which does not have tannin and which is very stable. We can also notice that main part of the wood are certified.

WOOD COMPOSITE GARDEN PRODUCTS The warmth and the look of solid wood combined with the unique properties of plastic. · · · · ·

CREATING OUTDOOR SPACES

Will not rot, swell, splinter or split Ecological and recyclable. Slip resistant, brushed surface. Minimal discolouration, maintains original look Easy to clean and install: it does not require treatment with oil, solvents or cleaning products Tropical brown Stone grey

Graphite black

Tongue and groove boards

Decking

FOREXIA® WOOD COMPOSITE

Ranch fencing

Gate

Slat wall system

More information on www.duofuse.com PLASTIVAN nv – Wantestraat 3, B-8780 Oostrozebeke +32 56 66 75 51 – info@plastivan.com

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Decking

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Preview Domotex Shanghai

INTERNATIONAL EVENTS ON THE FOREFRONT AT DOMOTEX ASIA/CHINAFLOOR 2016

All indicators point to a strong, bigger and more international DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR 2016. The leading international flooring show in Asia-Pacific that will be held 22-24 of March in Shanghai, is receiving a positive response from both ends of the flooring market, exhibitors and professional visitors alike. More than 1300 exhibitors are expected to participate in the 18th edition of the show, while in terms of professional visitors a considerable increase is expected according to the show’s online pre-registration system. Exhibitors and visitors alike can expect another successful edition of DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR with a great international turnout. At this point, 2 months before the show, 94% of the exhibiting space is already booked and hundreds of visitors pre-register on a daily basis.

DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR 2016 HIGHLIGHTS Green Step Asia Awards Program The only Environmental Awards Program for the flooring industry in ASIAPACIFIC returns for the 3rd edition at DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR 2016 The flooring industry is being transformed by consumers and industry demands for environmentally sustainable produ cts. Long known for innovation and new product development, the Asian flooring manufacturing community has responded with the next generation of innovative and sustainable products. Green Step Asia Awards gives flooring exhibitors a chance to showcase their sustainable development at all levels. The goal of this environmental Awards program is to support and promote those efforts and to give Asian suppliers the credit and recognition they deserve. In other words, it is a way to honor those companies and individuals that embody the principles of environmental stewardship so important in today’s global flooring industry, while at the same time raising awareness on environmental issues throughout the flooring community. The competition is open to any manufacturer in the world who has manufacturing facilities in Asia where they apply the principles of environmental sustainability. In 2016, it will feature three awards

categories for the flooring industry: best green product, best green practice/process, and best green pinnacle. InnovAction Flooring Campaign The InnovAction Flooring Campaign enables exhibitors to launch their newest product electronically before the show, and visitors to identify the products of their interest and arrange on-site meetings in advance using an online “match making” system. Pre-registered visitors may comment and vote on their favorite new products through various channels choosing top 10 New Products from wood, carpet and resilient sectors. Onsite, both exhibitors and visitors will enjoy an enriched experience of activities such as QR code based activities, voting walls and promotional prizes in 2 dedicated areas: InnovAction Zone, where new, innovative products will be showcased in a dedicated venue. InnovAction, as a pioneering showcase opportunity, maximizes the exhibitors’ and products’ display space and offers maximum exposure with 10 high-end InnovAction showrooms, designed by top creative designers in order to stimulate the audience’s imagination. A unique way to promote quality products, highlight their properties and ultimately create even more business opportunities. Wood Flooring Forum 2016 The Wood Flooring Forum is where the world’s wood flooring leaders meet and do business. Starting in 2010 when world economic crisis was shaking up the industry, the event grew steadily over the next years, reaching 250+ attendees and becoming a “must go” event for the world’s wood flooring companies and their partners. In 2016 WFF is coming back with two sub-events on the 21st of March, one day before DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR 2016: the International Flooring Summit and the International Floor Covering Association Symposium. To visit DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR 2016 simply register at www.domotexasiachinafloor.com. The online pre-registration gives visitors the possibility of getting in contact with the exhibitors before the show to wisely plan their visit and avoid having to queue at the entrances onsite.

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Advertorial

Devomat (BE)

DEVONATURAL: BIOLOGICAL RAW MATERIALS FOR TOMORROW’S PARQUET FINISH For over 35 years now, DEVOMAT has specialised in all accessories for treating and finishing parquet and wooden floors. Since the turn of the century, they have concentrated on supplying a complete range of products and services for professional parquet floor fitters. Devomat is now linking that strategy with a long-term philosophy of making the range of quality products as ecological and durable as possible with the help of so called biological ingredients.

Towards a sustainable world The world doesn’t stand still. Whilst the consequences of global warming appear to be getting ever clearer and other environmental problems are also having a growing impact on the choices made by consumers and businesses, the wooden flooring world doesn’t stand still either. Just as the responsible use of wood is an ideal solution in a future world full of sustainable and durable materials, all accessories for parquet floor finishes also have to move in that direction. Erik De Vocht and Joeri Vervoort, managers at Devomat, are quite convinced of that.

adhesives? Joeri Vervoort gives us an answer: ‘You can define the term “biological product” as a commercial or industrial product which consists entirely or largely of biological and/or durable ingredients from farming (vegetable or animal), is obtained from the sea, or originates from forestry. Typical biological raw materials which can serve as various items are soya beans, maize, flax, hemp, jute, and ethanol (sugar). Algae, wood fibres, and bamboo are also biological ingredients. Moreover, the important thing is to select those biological ingredients which do not endanger the food supply in any way whatsoever and which need as little chemical modification as possible as they are processed into end raw materials.’ ‘We also make efforts in other areas. For example, by considerably reducing the solvent content of our products or replacing it with water and through the use of natural pigments and pure ingredients. This is how we’ve managed to achieve zero or minimal solvent content for most of our parquet finish products and adhesives.’

Responsible production ‘We test our products step by step against a number of criteria related to sustainability and the use of durable raw materials. We replace fossil raw materials as much as possible with biological ingredients which are available locally or elsewhere in Europe. It goes without saying that we don’t compromise on product effectiveness in any way whatsoever. And there’s no need for that in any case: DevoNatural Easy Colour is a good example of a colour stain which has a maximum of biological ingredients and which is more effective than traditional colour stains,’ Joeri Vervoort explains.

The best biological raw materials What exactly are biological and durable ingredients and how can they be used, amongst other things, in lacquers, oils, stains, and

On the left Mr. Joeri Vervoort and on the right Mr. Erik De Vocht

DevoNatural Easy Colour: biological colour stain DevoNatural Easy Colour stain is a fine example of an outstanding colour stain which is both ecological and durable. This colour stain has a vegetable base and makes it possible to apply all sorts of colours to the floor (or furniture) in a simple manner. It’s also noticeable that there are no streaks and that this stain penetrates deeply into the wood and dries quickly. It has a high viscosity and the colour stains are not washed away if a waterborne lacquer is applied as a finish. Moreover, it is available in various colours and is easy to apply using industrial oil-roller lines. In short, this is an outstanding colour stain which works easily, offers excellent performances, and can also project a highly ‘green’ image to clients and consumers alike. Devomat intends to continue with this strategy in all new developments in all its floor finish products.

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BIOLOGICAL COLOUR STAIN DEVONATURAL EASY COLOUR FOR WOOD IN SISTER BEAN COFFEE BAR IN MECHELEN The Sister Bean coffee bar on the fish market in Mechelen (Belgium) has been adorned with coffee-coloured parquet and wooden wall furnishing. The engineered wooden planks (140mm wide with a 3.2mm top layer in French oak for 88mÂ˛ parquet) were given a customised industrial finish. These were planks in three different, yet complementary coffee colours coloured with DevoNatural Easy Colour stain. The planks were glued onto an OSB subfloor using DevoÂŽ Glue MSP250, a 1-component semi-elastic hybrid MS polymer parquet adhesive for multi-layer parquet. The fitters Vonduren & Maxim Backx then applied a finish all over with three coats of DevoNatural Passage, an extremely durable and invisible 2-component waterborne parquet varnish, which protects the floor against the typical high traffic found in a coffee bar. The planks in three colours were fitted diagonally in a random sequence. The pattern on the floor also runs into the seats. The planks have been fitted diagonally both on the floor and on the seats, and that gives the whole unit an extra dimension. The coffee bar owner herself is an architect, and she had the idea of working with planks smoked lightly, moderately, and deeply. Finally, after serious consideration and a number of tests, she decided to opt for DevoNatural Easy Colour in three colours. The result is absolutely charming and provides a perfectly appropriate coffee effect. Visit us at EFWEX Ghent (BE) 13/15.03.2016 Booth 8633. More information on www.devonatural.be

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Special

Water-based lacquers

EMISSIONS ARE GRADUALLY ‘DISAPPEARING’ WATERBORNE LACQUERS ARE ECOLOGICAL

Photo – Hesse

According to critics, the recent climate summit in Paris did bear more fruit than its ‘predecessors’. Those predecessors were usually labelled as ‘missed chances’. In Paris world leaders did at least show the courage to raise ambitions to a certain extent. That’s good! Obviously, there are always some awkward customers who try to block everything, but, generally speaking, in daily life we are seeing everyone make a small contribution to achieve those goals, which have been discussed by top politicians. In our industry the big issue is emissions of volatile organic compounds from products which are still in use. Soon, ‘waterborne’ won’t even be a point of debate, but just an obvious choice.

or solvent is the component to ensure that the lacquer is fluid when applied. You couldn’t apply the dry binding agent without a solvent. The solvent evaporates or turns to gas during the drying process. This solvent may consist of water or oil such as white spirit, methyl benzene, or xylene. Finally, lacquers also have some functional components such as dyes, natural or chemical colouring agents, emulsifying agents, and such like. It is clear that the drying process is the equivalent of ‘the removal’ of the solvent from the mixture. As we have already said, this is achieved through the ‘disappearance’ (of volatile compounds) or the ‘evaporation’ (of water). The evaporation of water from the lacquer hardly has any environmental impact at all.

How do lacquers work?

For more than a decade now, legislators all over the world have been passing legislation designed to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC), which adversely affect global warming, but are also harmful and unhealthy for both workers (floor fitters) and end users (occupants). Legislation has been passed in phases and has now reached a major climax.

Lacquers are highly popular coatings used to protect materials and make them more durable. As a rule, lacquers comprise three main components. The binding agent or base is the component which forms a film on the finished floor when the lacquer or varnish is dry. With synthetic paints, the binding agent comprises synthetic resin. The thinner

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A piece of legislative history

2004 to 2010 European Directive no. 2004/42/EC has set out to limit harmful substance emissions created by the use of organic solvents in paints and varnishes. As for water and solventborne paints, it has imposed a maximum VOC content, which had to be respected to some extent from 2007 onwards and which could no longer be exceeded under any circumstances as of 2010. And so, there are now maximum limits for solvent content in various products such as paint, adhesive, propellant for spray cans, and products for surface treatments, cleaning, degreasing, coating, and impregnating, to name but a few. Most producers had already developed waterborne products before the deadline expired.

2011 The Building Products Regulation (EU) no. 305/2011 of 9 March 2011 with the title ‘Quality construction products for safe works’ has replaced the Building Products Directive. We see that the title makes use of the word ‘quality’. This term is often stressed by agencies which are responsible for voluntary product certifications of national brands, which confirm that this label is merely a passport and not a proof of quality. The Regulation comprises two major sections: - The first section has been in force since 24 April 2011. This mainly concerns tasks which have been imposed on member states: the installation of the TBIs (technical building assessment institutions) which are discussed in chapter V and the formation of the notifying authorities, which is related to the new duties which are imposed on the notifying authorities specified in chapter VII. - The second part, which relates directly to all players in the construction industry, didn’t come into force until 1 July 2013. It specifies the rules which apply to the DoP (Declaration of Performance) and the CE labelling, the duties of market participants (manufacturers), the harmonised technical specifications (including harmonised European standards whose titles are published regularly in the European Union Publication Journal, the simplified procedures, and the market supervision by the member states which are already involved).

2014 Since the Building Products Directive has been converted into a Building Products Regulation, EU member states are obliged to adapt national legislation as necessary to compulsory European playing rules. With the Royal Decree of 8 May 2014 ‘for the establishment of threshold levels for indoor emissions from building products for certain intended uses’, Belgium, for instance, has achieved one of the seven fundamental requirements of the European Building Products Regulation, namely the requirements for ‘hygiene, health, and the environment’.

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New emission standards The classification (EC-1, 2, 3), which we see on the product packaging, relates to the Emicodes developed by the Association for the Control of Emissions in Products for Flooring Installation (‘Gemeinschaft Emissionkontrolierte Verlegewerkstoffe’ or GEV for short) which are applied nowadays to all ‘testable’ floor products. EMICODE is the licensed symbol of the GEV.

of our products

Three classes This is the designation of a classification system with which you can divide up industrial chemical building products for floor fitters into the three following classes according to their emission behaviour: EMICODE EC 1 means ‘very low emissions’, EMICODE EC 2 means ‘low emissions’, and EMICODE EC 3 means ‘not low emissions’. The EMICODE division is based on recorded data and specific division criteria recorded according to a specified testing method. Since the concept of ‘very low emissions’ in itself is neither standardised nor clearly defined, only EMICODE offers an obligatory basis for the assessment and choice of products for floor fitters.

New limits The application of the Building Products Regulation means that the new European emission standards have come into force. Amongst other things, these standards stipulate that after 28 days the total emission level of all volatile organic compounds together (TVOC) may not exceed 1,000µg/m³ and the total content of semi-organic compounds (TSVOS) may not even exceed 100µg/m³. The proportion of CMR substances from categories 1A and 1B may not exceed 1µg/ m³. CMR substances are carcinogenic (cause cancer), mutagenic (cause changes in hereditary features), or toxic for reproduction (harmful for reproduction or the offspring).

The application of waterborne lacquer Applying waterborne lacquers has meant a big change for lots of (older) floor fitters. The fact is that waterborne products dry considerably quicker so that they have to be applied quickly for a

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Water-based lacquers

good end result. These products dry through the evaporation of the water contained in the lacquer. A high Relative Humidity (> 85%) will be a hindrance to proper drying; indeed, under such conditions the water will hardly be able to evaporate because the surrounding air is already almost saturated with moisture. If the drying process is disrupted in this way, this will have adverse effects on the durability, adhesion, and water sensitivity of the coat of paint. The temperature also plays a part. With summer temperatures and a low Relative Humidity (< 40%), the lacquer may dry so quickly that it is no longer possible to apply it properly, certainly if the draught factor also plays a part. The minimum temperature for waterborne lacquers is also important (this is generally 7°C). If the room temperature is lower than this, it will be necessary to heat the rooms. Nowadays, at all events, everyone agrees that the switchover has certainly not been to the detriment of a high-quality end result. Waterborne lacquers offer outstanding adhesion and very high mechanical resistance. They are resistant to the penetration of products which can leave behind deep colour stains, such as coffee, wine, and soft drinks. Moreover, they are easy to maintain and fairly easy to renovate.

What’s on the market ? Adesiv

ready-for-use cork floors. It gives the surface the look of an oiled floor (there is no gloss or reflection). Bona Traffic Matt is suitable for treating parquet and other wooden floors with very high traffic. Bona Traffic Silk Matt has a higher degree of gloss plus all the properties of the matt version. The latest innovation is Bona Traffic HD (HD = High Durability), a dual component parquet lacquer for treating high-traffic wooden floors in public areas. It combines ultimate performances with a green composition and is developed for sustainable results for both the floor and the environment. Bona Traffic HD is largely odourless and bears the German DIBt certificate for its low indoor emissions.

Briançon

Ecobril is a single component and waterborne varnish available in matt, semi-glossy, and glossy. Adesiv Ice is a dual component and waterborne varnish available in four degrees of gloss (including semi-matt). The varnishes are applied directly to the prepared substrate. The wooden floor must be polished fully smooth, filled, and sandpapered, and it mustn’t have any loose elements such as oils, wax, or silicones. The substrate to be treated has to be dry (moisture level of 8-12%). The surrounding temperature has to be between 15 and 25°C, whilst the relative moisture must not exceed 75%. After sandpapering, you need to vacuum clean the entire surface and then clean it with an anti-static cloth.

Bona Bona has a very extensive assortment. We cannot discuss all waterborne lacquers in detail, but here are some highlights. Bona Natural 1-component is Bona’s new generation of protection for wooden floors. It combines the best of wood oil, hard wax, oil, and waterborne lacquers with a unique natural look and feel. Bona Natural 1-component is a product for treating wooden floor surfaces with medium to light traffic. The unique composition of Bona Natural gives the look and feel of pure wood. Bona Traffic is a 2-component, matt, and 100% polyurethane waterborne lacquer for commercial floors. It is highly durable and resistant to rubber-sole marks. It is also suitable for lacquering

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The ‘Vitrificateur Aqua Parquet’ (glazed aqua parquet) from Briançon provides sustainable protection for parquet floors, wooden floors, and stairs in all wood sorts and in high-traffic areas. This ‘Vitrificateur Aqua Parquet’ is a single component glaze based on polyurethane in water phase. It is exceptionally resistant to high traffic and household chemicals such as alcohol, acetone, chlorine, etc. The ‘Vitrificateur Aqua Parquet’ is very economical and consumes 1l per 10m² per coat. It can be applied in three successive coats with a drying time of about two hours in between. This means that a site can be finished in a single day. The glazer contains only 10g/l of volatile organic compounds, so it qualifies for the Eco label. Apart from this glazer, Briançon also presents a pre-treatment, namely the ‘Sous-Couche Universelle Bois’, which improves adhesion on exotic wood sorts and floors which have been waxed or oiled for a long time.

Blanchon Blanchon is certainly a pioneer in waterborne lacquers. They’ve had a full range for over 25 years i.e. Aqua Pro, the range for parquet traders and floor specialists. This includes primers, single and dual component lacquers, a waterborne oil, a

binding agent for putty, and lots of special colours for big surfaces. Blanchon has four 2-component lacquers: Belmont (ceramic), Intensive (carbonate), Blumor SD (polycarbonate), and Sport (carbonate). Belmont (EC1R) is an odourless lacquer with very good properties. Intensive (EC1R) is also odourless and is highly resistant to chemical products and very high-traffic. Intensive belongs in fire safety category CflS1. Sport is a waterborne polyurethane lacquer for sports floors and floors subject to certain anti-slip requirements. Blanchon also has 1-component lacquers such as Chambord (EC1) and Chambord SD. These waterborne polyurethane lacquers are very easy to apply to new wood and odourless. Chambord gives the wood a natural look and a warm colour. Another 1-component lacquer is Initial. This gives light wood sorts a warmer look. Brand new is the PERFORMER, a 1-component lacquer with exceptional properties (it has a three-dimensional chemical structure). This lacquer combines the qualities of a dual component product with the simplicity of fitting of a single component. PERFORMER appears in gloss, satin, and matt.

Berger Seidle Berger-Seidle has been a leading player for many years in the field of waterborne lacquers for wooden floors. They offer an extremely extensive and complete range with a number of exceptionally specialised products. Berger-Seidle was the first to produce a waterborne dual component lacquer with no isocyanates, namely Aqua-Seal Greenstar. The global range includes single and dual component lacquers which can be combined with a multitude of products (e.g. substrate preparation or priming). Naturally, there are also different degrees of gloss available. All products have been developed for professionals

and Berger-Seidle offers several training sessions. With the Aqua-Seal Greenstar, which has been launched at Domotex, Berger-Seidle is unveiling a new generation. There are no hazard symbols and no isocyanates, so they are unique!

Ciranova Ciranova has a full range of waterborne products for finishing wooden floors. AQUAFIX MONO is a single component, transparent, and universal PU/ acrylic varnish for finishing indoor wood ecologically. The gloss levels are satin and matt. AQUAFIX PROJECT 2K is a dual component commercial lacquer for extremely high-traffic floors. It has very good scratch resistance and chemical resistance. The gloss levels are semi-matt and ultra matt. This product is flame-retardant and is in Euro class Cfl s1. AQUAFIX MAGIC 2K is an outstanding dual component waterborne

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Water-based lacquers

parquet lacquer for parquet and wooden furniture. It provides invisible and matt protection without discolouring the wood. It is highly resistant to household chemicals and is mechanically resistant to wear and tear and rubber soles. It spreads well and dries quickly. It is suitable for wooden floors in commercial rooms. This lacquer is suitable only for indoor use. FORTICO SEALER is a ready-for-use 1-component waterborne primer for parquet. The lacquer is highly elastic, it blocks tannic acid, and it prevents edge bonding. It is suitable for parquet with floor heating and tropical wood sorts. FORTICO is an excellent PU 2-component waterborne parquet lacquer for parquet and high-traffic wooden floors. FORTICO is extremely scratch resistant, doesn’t glow, has anti-slip properties, and is easy to apply.

Chimiver Chimiver Panseri S.p.A. has a large assortment of water-based lacquers. The newest one is our extra matt invisible lacquer ECOWOOD 2K which is giving to your wooden floor a ultra natural look with no reflection and only 3% gloss. ECOWOOD 2K with its very high solid content has excellent chemical and physical characteristics and is suitable for heavy traffic . Another product is ECOGREEN which is a single-component water- based lacquer characterized by a high solid content, excellent resistance to wear and water, excellent adhesion and absence of formaldehyde and heavy metals. ECOSTAR 2K ANTIBATTERICA is a two-components 100% PU water-based lacquer with bactericidal efficacy; it inhibits bacteric proliferation at 99.97% of staphylococcus and Escherichia coli. In our range you can also find ECOSTAR single component and ECOSTAR 2K two components which has been improved and has got the certifications: slip resistance, resistance to cold liquids and chemical agents. We also have our Sport Line range of products which is a complete water-based lacquering cycle with anti slip properties according to EN14904 standard's requirements.

De Vesting De Vesting offers an extensive range of waterborne lacquers in an even more extensive assortment. Vesting Aquaprotect Invisible is a waterborne lacquer which ensures that the wood retains its natural colour and provides strong resistance to damp and dirt. Since the product is so matt, it looks as if there isn’t any finish on the surface at all. Aquaprotect Matt is a waterborne lacquer with a matt look. Aquaprotect Silky Gloss provides a silky gloss look and Aquaprotect High Gloss obviously provides a highly glossy look. These products don’t contain any VOC, so they are good for human health and the environment. Aquaprotect Invisible lacquer is the most important innovation at the moment. This product is very much in demand worldwide, especially in countries where lacquers are

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still very popular such as the United States. Since this lacquer gives the surface an untreated look, it is much coveted by consumers. Vesting Aquaprotect lacquer is suitable for all wooden surfaces.

DevoNatural®

DevoNatural® is a complete assortment of ecological products for colouring, finishing, and maintaining parquet and wooden floors. DevoNatural® durable parquet varnishes seal the pores of the wood completely to prevent penetration by moisture and dirt. DevoNatural® parquet varnish makes the floor waterproof and highly durable and provides strong chemical resistance. There is a choice of three different sorts of parquet varnish, each with their own specific properties. The DevoNatural® varnishes Finish, Transit, and Passage each have their own specific properties. Several years of research and development and the use of quality raw materials give DevoNatural® varnishes the greatest possible comfort and longest lifespan. DevoNatural® Finish is used mainly for bedrooms, living rooms, and such like i.e. surfaces with average traffic. DevoNatural® Transit is used mainly for living rooms, shops, offices, showrooms, and such like i.e. surfaces with average to high traffic. DevoNatural® Passage is used mainly for living rooms, shops, entrance halls, showrooms, hotels, banks, museums, public buildings, airports, theatres, and such like i.e. surfaces with high to very high traffic. Product combinations and gloss degree of the top coat will determine the final natural look.

Floorservice At last a product that remains the authentic colour and look of the wood: Floorservice Nature Protect 2K. This ultra matte 2-component water-based PU-lacquer protects the natural colour and structure of the wood. You will create an unfinished look without the normal building of layers on the wood surface. You do however benefit from the high grade of protection known from the Floorservice products. Nature Protect 2K is available for manual and industrial (UV) use. Of course this ultra matte look should remain! Therefore Floorservice developed the maintenance product Nature Care.

Hesse The range of waterborne varnishes from Hesse includes single and dual component Hydro products for both private and professional use. The

1k Hydro primer HG 21 (Primer) and HG 22 (Primer +) are fast-drying 1-component hydro primers for parquet and floors. These lacquers prevent edge and block bonding. 1k Una Elite is a durable 1-component hydro acrylic lacquer. This lacquer is doggedly elastic, highly filling, colourfast, and resistant to the most common Household chemicals. 2k Pura One is the 2-component finish. Both lacquers are available in three different degrees of gloss, namely matt, silk matt, and glossy. 2k Pura Natura (natural wood effect stomp matt) is a durable two-component hydro acrylic PUR lacquer. This lacquer is also doggedly elastic and colourfast with high durability against footmarks and the most common household chemicals. Parquet Colour (WPB) is available in different colours. The major innovation is a UV-drying parquet lacquer (Herkulite), which dries on site.

Irsa With the extensive Irsa Platinum assortment, Irsa presents a waterborne varnish system of the highest possible quality standard in both single and dual components. Research in consultation with clients has yielded a waterborne and ecological lacquer system with revolutionary features. The new finish reaches its full hardness between three and a maximum of five days, and the floor can be used in full after that. The strength is comparable to that of a solventborne lacquer. Irrespective of the degree of gloss, these lacquers offer excellent scratch resistance, indelibility (for several hours), and resistance to black marks from rubber soles, which can easily be removed. Irsa Platinum is recommended for light wood sorts. For dark wood sorts they recommend the Irsa Platinum Exotic Primer. Any holes should be filled in first using Irsa Platinum Aqua Filler. The assortment includes Irsa Platinum 3000 (single component) in silk matt and ultra matt, Irsa Platinum 3001 (single component) in silk matt, and Irsa Platinum 3055 (dual component PU) in high gloss.

Lecol Lecol has a complete lacquer finish system under the LOBADUR® trademark. The system comprises a primer and some finish lacquers. There’s something for everyone. With LOBADUR® lacquers you work completely streak-free and you get the finest lacquered floor! LOBADUR® WS 2K Fusion scores best in the area of durability, partly due to the addition of the second component. This creates an excellent lacquer of exceptional durability. This highly durable 2K lacquer is available in the versions matt and semi-matt. It seals the floor much better than an oil finish, so it gives the floor perfect protection and

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Water-based lacquers

makes it much more durable and easier to maintain. LOBADURÂŽ WS Easy Finish is ready for use at once, so it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be mixed with a hardener. This single component product stands out from every other single component lacquer with regard to both the application, namely the flow properties, and the protective properties (durability). The outstanding elasticity also makes this lacquer suitable for cork floors.

Mapei

dual component lacquer which can even be deployed in an industrial setting. Finally, Pall-X Sport is the single component lacquer for sports floors with a slip resistance to comply with the prevailing national standards (e.g. DIN 18032, EN 14904).

Plastor Polycarbonate is the magical ingredient on which the entire PUR-T assortment from Plastor is based. A pure technique lays the foundation for a range which respects both people and the environment by using hazard-free raw materials. The products are odourless and easy to apply and they preserve the colour of the wood. Plastor has divided up its lacquers on the basis of usage criteria. The usage frequency determines which lacquer is most suitable. PUR-T 1 is designed for low-traffic rooms. PUR-T 2 is recommended in residential homes and for places such as corridors, living rooms, and such like. PR-T 3 is suitable for high-traffic rooms in both residential and commercial buildings, whilst PUR-T 4, finally, is the best high-traffic glazer for high-traffic rooms such as restaurants, discotheques, public places, etc. New for 2015 are the glazer RENOPUR-T1 (renovation without scratches) and MONOPUR-T3 (renovation in high-traffic rooms which need to be in use again quickly within five days).

Stauf Mapei presents a full range of waterborne products for preparing, fitting, and finishing wooden floors. Of the waterborne lacquers we mention the Ultracoat Easy Plus, a 100% waterborne and polyurethane lacquer consisting of a single component. It has a very low emission of volatile organic compounds (VOC), it does not contain any NMPs, it is highly resistant to wear and tear and scouring, and is designed for wooden floors. This lacquer is suitable for floors subjected to medium or high traffic. Ultracoat High Traffic is a 100% waterborne and polyurethane lacquer consisting of two components. It has a very low emission of volatile organic compounds (VOC), it does not contain any NMPs, it is highly resistant to wear and tear and scouring, and is designed for wooden floors. This lacquer is suitable for very high-traffic floors.

Pallmann Pallmann offers a full range of waterborne lacquers. Pall-X 96 is a 1-component lacquer for high-traffic rooms. It is highly resistant to mechanical and chemical influences. Pall-X 96 is the finish for the rapid system, thanks to the rapid drying time. Pall-X Extreme is the single or dual component adhesive for all wood sorts in high-traffic rooms. Pall-X 98 is a dual component lacquer for very high-traffic wooden floors. This lacquer has the highest possible resistance to mechanical and chemical influences and has slip resistance to conform to the standard EN 14904. Pall-X Zero is also a

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STAUF aqua Aurum: High quality two component polyurethane based waterborne finish for wood flooring and planks for heavy to extra heavy traffic in residential and commercial areas with excellent chemical resistance. The lacquer is easy to mix and has a very good resistance against step marks and burns. Gloss effect: extra matte 10, matte 20, semi gloss 40. STAUF aqua Argentum: One component waterborne finish on acrylate-polyurethane basis for wood flooring and planks for normal to heavy traffic in residential and commercial areas, gloss effect: extra matte 10, matte 20, semi gloss 40. Specific feature: high filling capacity, very good abrasion resistance, ductile. STAUF aqua Aeris: One component waterborne finish for wood flooring and planks for normal and medium traffic in residential areas. Very easy to process, optimum flow characteristics, good chemical resistance. Gloss effect: semi gloss 40.

Tover

Tip Top Schuurmaterialen

Invisible water-based finishes with a rough aspect, the elimination of hazardous compounds for the Environment and people health, a as low as possible VOC content, an easy application and high performances; these are the main requests from professionals and private persons when water-based lacquers are concerned. These challenges, both technical and aesthetic guided our research to the development of innovative, secure, top-quality products. On this basis are born Essenza, 2-component extra-matt lacquer, totally invisible on light woods, Bella, 2-component isocyanate free for a major user respect and Uniqua, single-component for very high traffic areas thanks to its matchless abrasion resistance. The last two varnishes exist in glossy, semi-glossy, matt and extra-matt versions to satisfy any brightness requirement and the new Uniqua Paint showed at Domotex Hannover enables to color the wood, with a surface full covering. At the moment it is available in extra-white, black, grey and dark red.

Tip-Top Schuurmaterialen presents various waterborne lacquers. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Floorcoat UNIK 5 with an ultra matt display, a highly durable and 1-component waterborne top coat for use on parquet, planks, and furniture. This lacquer is highly durable and spreads easily. It adheres well and forms a strong elastic surface with a full look. FLOORCOAT WHITE FINISH is a 1-component waterborne white-coloured top coat for use on parquet and planks. This lacquer is highly durable and flows and adheres well. It gives the floor a nice light-white look. FLOORCOAT 2K Xtreme is a matt 2-component waterborne top coat for use on parquet, planks, and furniture. This lacquer is highly durable and spreads easily. It adheres well and forms a strong elastic surface with a full look. This 2K Xtreme lacquer has been used in a four-star hotel in Norway, where it was chosen ahead of some well known top coats after an extensive practical test in the hotel.

ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;S DONE

PALL-X 98 GOLD is the crowning glory among 2-component wood floor lacquers!

Floor Forum International 79

Special

Producers of polyurethane adhesives

PU ADHESIVE IS STILL AS POPULAR AS EVER THE PARQUET ADHESIVE FOR THE MOST DIVERSE USES

Photo – Pallmann

Polyurethane adhesive, whether single or dual component, is still the preferred glue of many floor fitters. The fact that this type of glue is always deemed a ‘safe option’ in all conditions obviously has a lot to do with that. And it’s more than just an idea. PU glue is certainly suitable for all types of parquet and just about all wood sorts on almost all substrates. And so, it’s no wonder that this type of glue is still popular despite the emergence of all sorts of new adhesive technology. Neither is it any surprise that most adhesive makers have polyurethane in their range in single and dual components.

Floor Forum International 79

Where does PU come from? Polyurethane was discovered by Professor Dr Otto Bayer (19021982) in the 1930s. There are various sorts of polyurethane, which all look and feel different. It is used in a wide range of products, from protective coats and adhesives to shoe soles, mattresses, and insulation foam. However, the chemical basis of each type is actually the same. Polyurethane really did emerge everywhere during World War II. It was used then as a substitute for rubber, a substance which was expensive in those days and hard to obtain. During the war, other applications were developed which related mainly to different sorts

a product because it is often ‘concealed’ behind covering or surfaces produced from other materials. Nevertheless, it’s hard to imagine a world without polyurethane.

Composition Like all types of plastic, polyurethane is a polymer which is created by creating a reaction between di-isocyanate (MDI or TDI) and a series of polyols. Depending on the required end product, the formula may contain different ingredients such as catalysts, blowing agents, and, possibly, fire retardants. These different combinations make it possible to produce various types of products. The compactness of the product is determined by the amount of blowing agent used. The flexibility or stiffness is determined by the type of polyols and di-isocyanates. There are literally hundreds of different sorts of polyurethane and each sort is made in a somewhat different manner: - Carbon dioxide is used as a blowing agent to make a mattress or sofa feel soft and comfortable. The more blowing agent is used, the softer the foam turns out. - With stiff foam a gas such as pentane is ‘captured’ in the closed cells of the foam in order to maximise the insulation properties. - Rollerblade wheels don’t need a blowing agent and have a thick and durable firmness.

Research goes on Since polyurethane is so versatile and is well known as an outstanding insulation material, it offers an answer to the challenges of sustainable construction. The polyurethane industry continues to look for ways to reduce its impact on the environment and for production processes and end products which can be used to save energy, such as building insulation. These products help families and businesses to reduce their energy bills and protect nature. In future, there’ll probably be refined production processes yielding polyurethane which will still be affordable and even more ecological.

Parquet adhesive

of protective covers, ranging from aircraft finishes to protective clothing.

Adhesives and foams By the 1950s, people were using polyurethane in adhesives, elastomeric, and solid foam, and, in the second half of that decade, as flexible foams for uses such as filling in the furniture industry. In the decades which followed, polyurethane went through lots of developments and, nowadays, we’re surrounded by polyurethane applications in every part of our daily lives. Many people are not so familiar with polyurethane as

The properties of polyurethane adhesive arise from the structure of the substance. As we have already said, PU is a co-polymer which consists of hard and soft segments. The hard segments tend to crystallise and form a hard material. The soft segments, considered separately, should form a syrupy liquid. The combination of both segments ensures that the best properties of both are joined together. That’s why PU glue is very strong, yet still elastic. With PU glues, the resin will eventually perform its task through the operation of the hardener. The hardening is the result of a chemical reaction. With separately packed components (2K) we get a chemical reaction from the components among themselves. With the pre-mixed version (1K), both components react on the basis of the air humidity. In other words, also with the adhesives which are ready for use, reactions occur between different components or different components support each other in a reaction with air,

Floor Forum International 79

Special

Producers of polyurethane adhesives

moisture, or both. The biggest asset of adhesives which are ready for use is the dosage. That dosage is measured in the factory in a ‘scientifically industrial’ manner and is therefore always identical. That’s precisely why makers advise you with separate packages not to use ‘opened’ tins. That’s also why they try to put both components into one ‘box’ to prevent anything going wrong during the ‘pouring’.

porous substrates must be treated first in many cases with a primer. Uneven substrates need to be levelled before you apply glue.

What’s on the market ? Adesiv

PU adhesive applications There are simply no limits to the scope of PU adhesive for parquet. PU adhesives are suitable for all types and sorts of parquet. They are deployed for all sorts of solid parquet and wooden planks. They can also be deployed for multi-layer parquet (engineered) and for both raw supplied floors and pre-finished. Then you have the most critical applications. Due to their outstanding tensile strength and the highly stable adhesive groove, PU adhesives can also be deployed to glue wide planks (XXL), even for critical wood sorts. As far as the wood sorts are concerned, there are equally few limits. Native sorts, tropical wood sorts, and wood sorts which require a certain caution such as beech and ash. The adhesion on virtually all wooden materials is outstanding. Suitable substrates include: cement covering floor, subfloors with a levelling agent at least 2mm thick, anhydrite screed, poured asphalt, and fibre plates (V100). PU adhesives are also the safe solution for glueing a mosaic subfloor onto the screed, and for glueing strips (traditional parquet) onto the mosaic subfloor. Moreover, they can also be used for glueing onto floor heating with due regard for the customary rules.

Installation instructions It is advisable to allow the adhesive to acclimatise to the room in which it will be used, and the same applies to the parquet strips. For the fitting the manufacturers give the following (average) climatological conditions: The air temperature needs to be at least 18°C, the floor temperature is 15°C (or 20°C in the case of floor heating). The relative air humidity has to be higher than 79%. The substrate has to be compression resistant and fixed, flat, constantly dry, absorbent, clean, and free of substances which could adversely affect the adhesion. Cement and calcium sulphate covering floors need to be sandpapered and vacuum cleaned thoroughly. Anything which reduces adhesion and any weak layers such as old adhesive, levelling agent, and floor covering residue must be removed using steel brushes, scourers, or sandblastings. You then need to vacuum clean thoroughly. Absorbent and

Adesiv also presents the Monoparquet, a single component polyurethane adhesive for glueing floors of pre-engineered wood onto concrete, sand-cement covering floors, or onto existing non-absorbent floors (marble, tiles, Palladian, or wooden substrates). Before using this adhesive, you must check the moisture content of the subfloor and wood using suitable recording equipment. For this purpose Adesiv

ECØ V Single-component water-based polyurethane lacquer

Voc free! CHIMIVER PANSERI S.p.A. ECØ V Zulassungsnummer Z-157.10-180 Emissionsgeprüftes Bauprodukt nach DIBt-Grundsätzen

Photo – Kerakoll

Chimiver

+ Chimiver

ChimiverChannel

CHIMIVER PANSERI S.p.A.

Floor Forum International 79

chimiver.com - info@chimiver.com

recommends the Carbid meter at a depth of 2 to 3cm. Frail or dusty substrates must be treated first with one of the Adesiv PRIMERS.

Bostik

Bona

Bona presents the dual component adhesives R770 and R778. Parquet adhesive Bona R770 is a dual component polyurethane parquet adhesive in conformity to the standard EN 14293 (hard)/ISO 17178 (hard). This adhesive is also suitable for glueing laminate floors. The glue adheres without shrinking by means of a chemical reaction. It contains neither water nor organic solvents. The R770 can also be used for PVC (planks and tiles), linoleum, rubber, and laminate floors. Bona R778 is a dual component polyurethane parquet adhesive which conforms to the standard EN 14293 (hard)/ISO 17178 (hard). It also contains neither water nor organic solvents. The adhesive adheres without shrinking by means of a chemical reaction. Bona R778 is ideal for moisture-sensitive wood sorts and for substrates which are non-absorbent or absorb very little.

Bijlard International

Bostik offers both 1K PU and 2K PU adhesives. These adhesives are suitable for glueing various sorts of parquet onto most substrates and also for glueing various sorts of floor coverings onto impervious substrates, such as glueing rubber mats onto concrete, wood or metal. 2K PU adhesives are often used for outdoor applications due to their high resistance to temperature and moisture, such as, for example, glueing artificial grass mats onto tracks and such like. These glues are also used for their ‘filling capacities’ since they set chemically and, therefore, the adhesive grooves or coat of glue can be applied thicker than with other 1K adhesives. And so, with 2K PU adhesives it is possible to ‘level’ patches on a substrate which isn’t completely flat, yet still obtain a good adhesive bond with the material to be glued. The assortment includes Bostik Parfix PU 1K, an elastic 1-component polyurethane adhesive for glueing parquet, Bostik Parfix PU 56, a solventless universal 2-component polyurethane adhesive for glueing parquet and rubber, and Parfix PU 57, a solventless, universal, and 2-component polyurethane adhesive for glueing parquet with a long spreading time.

Chimiver

Bijlard presents various polyurethane-based products. Bijlard PU-2K Resin & Hardener is a top quality, professional, universal, and high-viscosity 2-component polyurethane glue. Bijlard PU Bond® is a professional, filling, and indelible construction polyurethane glue. Due to its huge internal strength and its minimal change in volume, it provides very great end strength even without clips. It conforms to the standard NEN-EN 204 D4. Bijlard PU Bond sets by reacting to moisture and forms a strong, durable, and indelible connection. Bijlard PU-TX is a professional, thixotropic, and indelible 1-component polyurethane wood adhesive for in and outdoors. It is also suitable for glueing wood in combination with other materials such as metal, concrete, and synthetics. Bijlard PU TX conforms to the standard NEN-EN 204 D4. Finally, we mention Ankerweld Floor PU2K. This is a rapid and high-quality 2-component parquet polyurethane glue. PU2K is waterless, so the wood doesn’t swell. The setting is not affected by external circumstances.

ADESIVER 327 PU is a two component polyurethane adhesive without any epoxy modification with very low emission of volatile compounds: CERTIFIED EC1R Plus. ADESIVER 327 PU has been formulated to answer the needs of those workers that do not want to renounce to the typical characteristics of adhesives with 100% of non-volatile matters, but they are allergic to epoxy adhesives. ADESIVER 327 PU can contribute to the achievement of QI CREDIT 4.1 according to the parameters of the GEV dated 03 March 2009, because it meets the certification LEED protocol (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). ADESIVER 327 PU is suitable to lay off joists in any sizes including strips, without requiring the pre-laying of wood fillets. It is furthermore recommended, since water free, to glue pre-finished wooden floor and pre-calibred one.

Floor Forum International 79

Special

Producers of polyurethane adhesives

Henkel

Technical Support Innovation Science

Kaneka

Cork Parquet

Premium Wood

Technology Driven

Hardwood D4 Panel DIY EPDM Tile PVC Floor

Base Resin

Soft floor Liquid Coating Sealant Binder Adhesive

MS Polymer

High Strength Elastic

Easy Handling Custom-made Dreamology

Future

Excellent

Odourless Hard Soft Quick Curing Low VOC Primer Water Barrier Solvent-free Plasticizer-free Isocyanate-free

Henkel presents Thomsit P 625, a low emission, solventless, waterless, and dual component polyurethane adhesive. It is designed for glueing mosaic parquet, strip parquet, 10mm solid wood, exotic parquet, plain-sawn wood-engineered parquet, cross-cut parquet, and pre-finished parquet onto absorbent and non-absorbent substrates. It is ideal for glueing strips/chipboard and/or heat insulation underlay, particularly large-size parquet tiles and parquet floorboards which are ready for fitting. Thomsit P625 is also suitable for glueing Thomsit TF 303 sound-absorbent and heat-insulation underlay, as well as strips/ chipboard and/or parquet onto Thomsit TF 303. The filling capacity of Thomsit P 625 means it is possible to bridge and fill up small areas of unevenness under the parquet.

Lecol

Adhesion

Polyurethane adhesives are solventless parquet adhesives and are used on both absorbent and non-absorbent subfloors. PU adhesives from Lecol are ideal for glueing pre-lacquered parquet. The range includes both single and dual component PU adhesives. The main features of Lecol PU adhesives are as follows: They are universal, they are 100% solid, and they ensure a good filling capacity and excellent adhesion. Wakol PU225 is a dual component PU adhesive, which is ideal for chip-resistant glueing of 10mm solid wood parquet, 6 and 9mm traditional parquet, mosaic parquet, end grain parquet, thick strips, multi-layer parquet, solid wood boards, and cross-cut RE/WE onto absorbent and non-absorbent subfloors indoors. Wakol PU215 conforms to the standard DIN EN 14293. Wakol PU225 Parquet Adhesive is also suitable for glueing 22mm solid wood parquet (thick strips and wide boards) only onto a wooden mezzanine floor (chipboard, mosaic, etc.) in combination with blind clips. The hardener is mixed mechanically with this dual component adhesive. This glue can cope with wheelchairs and is suitable for use on floor heating. The PU225 package consists of a bucket with a hollow lid on top, which contains the hardener. This simplifies the handling and considerably reduces the risk of glue being spread without the hardener or with the wrong hardener.

Visit 8213 Visit Kaneka Kaneka Hall hall 88 booth booth 8213

Pallmann

Pallmann P9 is a waterless and solventless dual component PU adhesive. It conforms to the standard DIN EN 14293 and can be used on all parquet sorts, and specially for moisture-sensitive wood sorts and formats and for glueing onto UZIN substrates suitable for parquet. Pallmann P9 is a pasty solventless and waterless polyurethane parquet adhesive which doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have any influence on the swelling and shrinking of parquet, since no moisture is extracted from the wood. The glue is suitable on substrates which are strong enough, such as sand-cement, calcium sulphate, and mastic asphalt covering floors, chipboard, suitable UZIN underlays, and on warm water floor heating.

product has a very wide application range and is also suitable for installation of all kinds of solid planks. The adhesive application occurs without risk of plasticizer related softening of sub floor or lacquer, STAUF PUK 455 is also water- and solvent free as well as very low emission certified (Emicode EC1-R plus). STAUF PUK 446: 2-component polyurethane reaction resin adhesive with elastic adhesive ridges For the optimum rigid-elastic installation of wood flooring STAUF offers the PUK 446 as a 2 component polyurethane reaction resin adhesive which can be spread easily. The adhesive with very low emission is suitable for nearly all kinds of wood flooring like varnished wood flooring, wood flooring planks and laminate floorings. STAUF PUK 446 offers a high dimensional stability and acts as a tension decrease at the same time. In this way a reasonable elasticity is combined with high strength. For dark wood species is a coloured version available. STAUF PUK 446 is also water- and solvent free as well as very low emission certified (Emicode EC1-R plus).

Rectavit

Tover

Rectavit 247 is a flexible and elastic single component PU pre-polymer for various wood sorts, including coniferous and tropical wood. It is ideal for wooden subfloors and mosaic subfloors and for glueing all strip, engineered, and multi-layer parquet. You can use it on highly absorbent substrates and in combination with floor heating. Rectavit 245 2K PU is a dual component parquet polyurethane adhesive. It is designed for chip resistant glueing of moisture-sensitive types of parquet, large planks, mosaic, solid-wood, exotic, and pre-finished parquet onto various substrates (screed, concrete, stone, tiles, wood, and metal) and onto anhydrite substrates and with floor heating. It is easy to spread with a spatula (notched trowel Rectavit B3 or B11), has a long pot life after mixing (60 minutes.), and has a spreading time of 60 to 70 minutes. Due to its high filling capacity, it can bridge any minor unevenness. Rectavit 245 2K PU gives hard-elastic glueing and ensures very strong end tack. The floor can be walked on, sandpapered, and used after 24 hours.

Stauf STAUF PUK 455: Hard stuff not only for solid planks Adhesive specialist STAUF offers with PUK 455 a hard-elastic wood flooring adhesive on polyurethane basis. The ready-to-use premium

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

Floor Forum International 79

∂ Industry news Parcolys Flooring

years, so both Saint Gobain and Parcolys Flooring wanted to formalise this link.

Unilin enters into a strategic partnership on US Floors WPC patent portfolio. On the 16th of January 2016, Unilin entered into an agreement with US Floors, whereby Unilin was granted semi-exclusive right to sublicense the US Floors WPC patent portfolio to its existing and new licensees. “We are very pleased to enter into this agreement with Unilin’s licensing company,” states Piet Dossche, CEO of US Floors. “We are welcoming the fact that Unilin and Mohawk will be protected under our WPC patent portfolio and that the Unilin patent and licensing team , which have shown great success in enforcing and managing intellectual property rights, have agreed to expand our licensing activities.” “We are looking forward to a successful cooperation,” states Bart Van der Stockt of Unilin. “We recognize the strength of the US Floors patent portfolio and we are looking forward to further develop the WPC category through our licensing program.” US Floors has entered into a similar semi-exclusive sublicensing framework with Välinge Innovation AB.

ASPECTA ACCEPTED INTO MULTILAYER MODULAR FLOORING ASSOCIATION (MMFA)

Since 1 January 2016, Parcolys Flooring has been a strategic partner of the Saint Gobain Group in the flooring sector. In the last two years, Parcolys has set up successful brands like Parcolux, Parcostone, and Parcozen. Saint Gobain, which owns building chains like Lapeyre, Point P in France and Belgium, International Decorative Surfaces in the UK and Ireland, Optimera in Scandinavia, and Raab Kaercher in Germany, wants to work further with Parcolys Flooring on innovative floor and wall solutions. They’ve had increasingly successful client links for a few

Machines for Parquet ﬁnishing s at

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E0X16 E3F/1W 5.03.2 1

hent BE - G 05 86 Booth

Solcamastraat 25, 9262 ND, Sumar, The Netherlands +31 512 510035 | info@trivec.eu | www.trivec.eu

Floor Forum International 79

ASPECTA was accepted into the MMFA at Domotex Hannover, this week, in recognition of the brand’s achievements to date, calibre of its products and team, and commitment to industry standards. ASPECTA global CEO, Harlan Stone, and Marcel Kies, managing director of ERME (Europe, Russia and the Middle East), were welcomed by MMFA president Matthias Windmöller. The MMFA seeks to ensure that members deliver to the very highest levels in terms of safety, quality and sustainability. The organisation actively participates in standards’ committees and has a strong focus on technical insight and market research. Making substantiated contributions to ongoing ISO and CEN work internationally is another priority. MMFA president, Matthias Windmöller, said: “It is an exciting time for our sector with many operators seeing significant growth year on year and the arrival of more and more improvements into the industry. We are especially pleased to welcome ASPECTA as this momentum continues as we have been very impressed with what they have produced already, their professionalism and passion for innovation.” Commenting on this achievement, Harlan Stone said: “We were truly delighted to be accepted into the MMFA and will now be sure to make the most of this opportunity. Not only in Europe, but also by looking to found and launch a North American group.” Marcel Kies added: “The MMFA is deservedly held in very high regard across Europe and so we are incredibly proud to now be a member. We plan to be a very active contributor and look forward to what we can all achieve collectively. It is an exciting time for operators in the multilayer modular sector and market initiatives as promoted by the MMFA are something any serious player should be a part of.”

Special

Polish companies focused on export

POLAND IS STILL THE NUMBER ONE PARQUET PRODUCER ECONOMICALLY THE FASTEST GROWING EU MARKET

Poland accounts for the biggest share of parquet production amongst the FEP countries. Its consumption, too, isn’t bad, but for production the country has been ‘number one’ for a few years. Poland has surprised economists all over the world for many years with its growing economy. The country is doing well, even in hard times. Poland started to grow upon admission to the European Union and the growth has never stopped. Even during the worldwide economic recession, the slowdown in growth in Poland still saw growth of 3.6%, a figure to make a lot of countries envious.

Land of 9000 lakes Poland (official name: ‘Rzeczpospolita Polska’ = Polish Republic) is a republic in Eastern Europe. Poland’s total surface area is 312,684km².

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The distance from north to south is about 650 kilometres and about 700 kilometres from east to west. The country has borders with seven other countries: Germany in the west, in the east the Russian enclave Kaliningrad Oblast, Lithuania, Byelorussia or Belarus, and Ukraine, and Czech Republic and Slovakia in the south. In the north Poland has a coastline on the Baltic Sea.

A flat country … Generally speaking, Poland is quite a flat country. 54% of its total surface area is below 150 metres, whilst 37% is between 150 and 300 metres high. There are mountains only on its southern border. As regards relief, Poland can be divided into three belts which run approximately from east to west. The coastal plains run along the Baltic Sea and the lowest point of the country (1-8 metres) is

Floor Forum International 79

Special

Polish companies focused on export

in the lowland plain of the River Vistula. This lowland plain adjoins the somewhat higher (up to over 300m) Pomeranian and Masurian Lakes. The coastal area consists of wide sandy beaches, substantial dune ridges, and a few large dune lakes. The central plains, which are again somewhat lower, and the glacial valleys consist of the Silesian Basins, the Kujawy, the Greater Polish Lake District, and the lowlands of Masovia and Podlachia. South of the central plains we find several highland plateaus. Of these, the Little Polish Upland Plain adjoins the oldest mountain ridge in Poland, the Swietokrzyskie Mountains (Holy cross Mountains, up to 611m high), the plateaus of Silesia and Polish Jurassic Highland, and the River Nida Syncline. Lublin plateau lies between the River Vistula and the River Bug and is 220-300 metres high. The Carpathians consist of low mountain ranges and highland plateaus of alpine origin, which are criss-crossed by the upper courses of the Rivers Oder and Vistula. The Polish Carpathians are part of the Western Carpathians, with the exception of Bieszczady (Forest Carpathians). The highest point of Poland (Mount Rysy, 2499m) lies in the Tatra mountain range.

… with lots of water

In a recently published report, McKinsey & Company has stated that the Polish economy could grow to a value of 850 billion dollars by 2025. The improvement of productivity and the commitment of employees will play a decisive role here. If Poland does achieve that figure, the country could become the driving force for economic growth in Europe.

Unstoppable growth Since the transformation of Poland from a communist country to a free market economy in the early 1990s, the country has enjoyed remarkable growth after a short and painful transitional period. Over the last 25 years, the Polish economy has grown from 32% to 60% of the Western European average (EU-15), with annual growth of 4.6% between 1991 and 2008. After the outbreak of the crisis in 2008, the Polish economy, unlike that of its European neighbours, still managed to achieve growth of 2.7%. This means that the country has gained ground on other countries, including some from Western and South-Eastern Europe.

Over 9000 lakes cover about 1% of Poland’s surface area. The biggest ones are Lake Sniardwy (109km²) and Lake Mamry (102km²), which are both in the Masurian Lake District. Most lakes are found in the Pomeranian, Masurian, and Greater Polish Lake Districts as well as in the Kujawy. The rivers discharge just about fully into the Baltic Sea. The basins of the two main rivers, the Vistula (1014km) and the Oder, account for 56% and 34% respectively of Poland’s waterways. 9% is covered by the basins of coastal rivers which flow directly into the Baltic Sea. The main river is the Vistula, which rises in the Carpathians and flows north via Cracow and Warsaw and runs into the Baltic Sea. The main tributary of the Vistula is the River Bug, which forms part of the Polish border with Ukraine and Byelorussia. The main tributary of the Oder is the River Warte. The Vistula and Oder river systems are connected to each other by the Bydgoszcz Canal between the River Brda, a tributary of the River Vistula, and the River Notec, a tributary of the River Warte.

An attractive future perspective

… and lots of forests

Poland can be called a top parquet country in terms of both production and consumption with a distinct and logical preference for oak. However, production is considerably higher than consumption, but an ongoing rise in the share of parquet consumption may be expected due to rising living standards in Poland.

Sixty per cent of the surface area of Poland is agricultural land and 27% consists of forests. The forest acreage is 8,668 million hectares large (that is 0.23 hectares per inhabitant of Poland). Over 82% of that is owned by the state (7,145 million hectares), whilst about 18% is private property (1,523 million hectares). The existing stock of wood in Poland is 1,345 million cubic metres. On average, the existing stock per hectare is 155m³. Annual average growth is about 4.5m³/ha. The annual average wood harvest is 2.83m³/ha. This represents a wood produce of about 24.5 million cubic metres per annum for the whole of Poland. Over 82% of the forests in Poland are coniferous forest with Scots pine as the most common sort of tree.

An economic wonder

A recent report by Mc Kinsey & Co (title: ‘Poland 2025: Europe’s new growth engine’) examines the development of the Polish commercial economy. In that report the consultancy bureau covers two scenarios: business as usual and accelerated development. The business as usual model sees few developments as compared to the current growth figures, so the country stays at annual growth of 2.6%. In this scenario the negative effects of demographic shifts in the labour market on the economy and limited developments in technology and efficiency are hardly offset. However, if the Polish economy takes a different course, the country has the chance to advance to 85% of the forecast EU-15 average (PPP). The growth percentage will rise on average above 4% and the country will achieve the same level of economic prosperity as countries like Spain, Slovenia, or even Italy.

Number one in parquet

Parquet production Total parquet production in Europe (FEP!) in 2012 amounted to 68,266,133m² as opposed to 70,713,000m² the year before. Of that total production, Poland accounts for almost 13 million square metres of parquet. That’s almost 500,000m² more than the year before. In other words, Polish parquet production has increased, despite the general fall in the FEP countries.

Top quality oak

Parquet consumption

Oak in Poland is of exceptional quality. The sort of oak which we find in countries like Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland is the quercus robur-quercus petraea, exactly the same sort as French oak. The conditions in which trees grow in Poland obviously differ vastly from those in France. Poland experiences very hot and dry summers, whilst winters are bitterly cold. Amongst other things, this means we get wood which is paler in colour since there is less tannic acid in the wood. Polish oak also has a much tighter cell structure. The wood is very strong and stable.

The situation regarding parquet consumption is somewhat different, although Poland isn’t doing badly. In 2012, general European parquet consumption fell by 5.88% to 87,509,000m². For consumption Poland is in sixth place on the list of FEP countries behind Belgium, the Netherlands, Rumania, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Germany. Germany is still the undisputed leader in terms of consumption. In 2012, Poland accounted for just 5.20% of all parquet consumption. In other words, this means that the Poles purchased 4,550,468m² parquet in that year.

Floor Forum International 79

CEZAR

Cezar is a family business formed in 1967 by Cezar Niewinski. Initially, the company produced metal elements for furniture and grew rapidly. One milestone was the development of PVC skirting boards with wire grooves. Another major step was the merger with MB Darek, an aluminium profile producer. In 2013, the company took over XPS subfloors from Suwalki. Cezar is now looking for partners so that it can expand onto the Western European market. Its core business is defined as ‘the production of various materials for the finish in the interior’. The company’s motto is ‘Perfection in Details’. In 2013, Cezar achieved a turnover of 31 million dollars. The company employs 350 people. Its annual capacity is 20 million skirting boards, 12 million square metres of subfloors, and 10 million aluminium profiles. Its new product in 2016 is Elegance, a skirting board in hard polystyrene. +48 87 620 99 00 - www.cezar.eu

DOMEL

Domel is a furniture and floor manufacturer formed in 1945. The company is a real family business, and is now in its third generation. Its core business is producing wooden floor industrial parquet, wooden terraces, and furniture. The emphasis is on furniture and wooden floors. In 2014, Domel employs 150 people and, in 2014, had a turnover of about five million euros. New for 2016 is an industrial parquet finished with oil or lacquer and fitted with tongue and groove. The European Union and the United States are major export markets for Domel. +48 62 78 29 924 - www.domelmeble.pl

FAIR UNDERLAY

LARECO

Lareco was formed in the 1950's. The name is derived from the Latin name ‘Lares’, which means the god of the home and joy at home, and ‘eco’, a direct reference to the ecological attention which the company pays to its production and corporate processes. At Lareco everything revolves around wood. The company is located in the ‘cleanest’ region of Poland, namely Podlaqsie, and appreciates that fact. Their floors are produced solely from natural materials from sustainably managed forests and meet European standards. Their finish and protective products do not contain any harmful substances. Lareco is a family business. The company targets clients who cherish great expectations and are looking for top quality products. Their core business consists of producing wooden floors, multi-layer and solid wood floors, and solid wood skirting boards. The company is 100% FSC approved. Lareco employs over 25 people and has a monthly capacity of over 30,000m². In 2016, they will be giving their collections a thorough renewal. +48 85 655 3446 - www.lareco.pl

Fair Underlay was formed in 2003 and started making its own PE foams in 2007. In 2008, the company obtained the ISO 9001 certificate. In recent years, partly due to sales on European markets, they have greatly increased production capacity. Today, over 100 people work at Fair Underlay. They now specialise in PE subfloors for floating fitting. Their flexibility means that almost all their work is customised with foams ranging from extremely thin up to 12 mm thick with a density of up to 150 kg/m3. Their production capacity is counted in millions of square meters. In 2016 they will launch new subfloor range made of rubber. Fair Underlay supplies goods all over Europe and is establishing links in the USA. + 48 516 121 639 - www.fairpackaging.pl

Floor Forum International 79

∂ Product news CSP: COSMETIWOOD® Unique wood-filler, developed by CSP Engineering and ready-to-use in wood flooring industry. - Available in several colors - Excellent attachment on the wood and hardly shrinking. - Very good behavior for planning and sanding, without crumbling. - Beautiful absorption of colors and oils, thanks to its structure similar to wood. - Ecological product, harmless to people and their environment. - Available in buckets of 9.6 kg and/or pots of 0.7 kg For more information about CosmetiWood®: admin@csp-engineering.be

OSMO Wood Reviver Power-Gel, Decking-Oil and Anti-Slip Decking Oil Optimal protection for decking Greyed wooden decking can be easily treated with Osmo Wood Reviver Power-Gel. Before the specially formulated cleaning paste is applied, the greyed wood needs to be cleared of any debris and dampened with water. Next generously apply the Wood Reviver Power-Gel. After the required reaction time, the wood should be cleaned with a deck scrubber and rinsed with a lot of water. To provide the wood with optimal and long-term protection, the decking must then be treated with a Decking-Oil. Osmo Decking-Oils form a protective and breathable surface. It penetrates deeply into the wood and thus protects the wood from inside and out. As a top coat we recommend Osmo Anti-Slip Decking Oil. It has a non-slip effect and it extends the life of the pigmented oil finish that was previously applied. The surface is water-repellent as well as weatherproof and UV-stable.

DL CHEMICALS PARABOND FR: FIRE RETARDANT SUPERPOWERS DL Chemicals has introduced a new elastic joint sealant based on MS polymer, namely PARABOND FR. Parabond FR is specially designed for use in rooms where fire resistance is essential. This new kit is suitable for all sorts of construction joints. Parabond FR has good adhesion on metals, synthetics, and concrete. The product offers fire resistance for up to three hours (tested according to European standard DS/EN 1366-4: 2006+A1: 2010 door DBI). Properties: It seals everything, is virtually non-inflammable, is based on MS polymer, can be painted over, has outstanding tack on most building materials, and is for use in and outdoors: it is weatherproof, retains its elasticity, and it is odourless. Packaging and colour 12 sausage-shaped packs (600ml) per box: grey - RAL 7004.

RUBIO MONOCOAT PROUDLY PRESENTS RUBIO EASYBOND Rubio Monocoat is proudly introducing the newest member of its family, Rubio Easybond. Rubio Easybond is a new generation of single component parquet adhesive based on silane-polymer technology. This parquet adhesive is universally applicable for nearly all types of wood and situations, and contains no plasticizers and is hard-elastic – two characteristics that result in a durable parquet adhesive, which fulfils virtually all recognised norms and tests, including the latest ISO 17178 standard. Rubio EasyBond consists of a complete range of primers, levelling compounds and tools for preparing the substrate. From preparation of the substrate to finishing the parquet, you don’t have to think twice. With Rubio Monocoat, you can get everything done.

Floor Forum International 79

EFWEX

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

YOU’VE ALREADY BOOKED A STAND AT EFWEX 2016, HAVEN’T YOU? • Because EFWEX is the perfect platform to introduce your innovations. • Because EFWEX is the best place to entertain existing clients. • Because EFWEX is the best place to welcome new clients.

Visitors win more than once! A visit to EFWEX 2016 keeps you completely up to date in the sector. That’s surely still the main reason for serious professionals! By registering NOW as a visitor via www.efwex.eu, you have the chance to win countless prizes* ! (* Not applicable to students, guides and exhibitors.)

Sponsors of this fair:

Over coat able w it h lac

Releasing Oil Potential Bona Craft Oil 2K â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Performance, versatility, design Get the charming look and feel of an oiled floor, plus the protection of a finish. Bona Craft Oil 2Kâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique formula exhibits accelerated drying time and strengthened wear resistance. Works perfectly with a wide variety of wood species including otherwise problematic ones such as jabot, cherry, walnut and more. It delivers a beautiful and strong water- and stain-resistant surface and is ready for light use in just 8 hours.

bona.com/craftoil2k

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