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° 89, July 2017 - Price: €8 - Published 7 times a year - (Feb, March, May, July, Sept , Nov, Dec) Of fice of deliver y 9099 Ghent X , P911092, BC 31359 - Responsible Publisher: Filip De Ridder
Special: Top German companies focused on export Advertorial : Osmo (DE)
Kouterstraat 11B - B-8560 Wevelgem Tel 0032 56 41 35 70 info@solidor.be - www.solidor.be
ADJUSTABLE PEDESTALS FOR TERRACES Advertorial : Faxe (DK)
ADJUSTABLE PEDESTALS FOR TERRACES ADJUSTABLE ADJUSTABLE PEDESTALS PEDESTALS FOR FOR TERRACES TERRACES Advertorial : CSP Engineering (BE)
ADJUSTABLE ADJUSTABLE PEDESTALS PEDESTALS FOR TERRACES FOR TERRAC ADJUSTABLE PEDESTALS FOR TERRACES
Special : Producers of bamboo floors present their trends
The simplest system in the world for the The simplest system in the world for the largest height level regulation. The simplest system in the world for the The simplest systemlevel in the world for the largest height regulation. The simplest system in the world for the regulation. largest height level largest height level regulation. largest height level regulation.
Special: Hard wax oil
The simplest The simplest system system in the world in thefor world the for th largest height largestlevel height regulation. level regulation. Adjustable from 17 mm until 1 meter.
Adjustable from 17 mm until 1 meter.
Adjustable from 1717 mm meter. Adjustable from mm until Adjustable from 17 mmuntil until 1 11meter. meter.
Content INTERNATIONAL trade journal f or impor t , expor t , dis tr ibu tion and lay ing of par que t , laminate, cor k f loor ing and r elated pr oduc t s
Editorial
N° 89, July 2017 - Price: €8 - Published 7 times a year - (Feb, March, May, July, Sept , Nov, Dec) Of fice of deliver y 9099 Ghent X , P911092, BC 31359 - Responsible Publisher: Filip De Ridder
Special: Top German companies focused on export Advertorial : Osmo (DE)
Kouterstraat 11B - B-8560 Wevelgem Tel 0032 56 41 35 70 info@solidor.be - www.solidor.be
ADJUSTABLE PEDESTALS FOR TERRACES
“Quality demands for wooden terraces are noticeably higher”
Advertorial : Faxe (DK)
ADJUSTABLE PEDESTALS FOR TERRACES ADJUSTABLE ADJUSTABLE PEDESTALS PEDESTALS FOR FOR TERRACES TERRACES Advertorial : CSP Engineering (BE)
Do we have to mention the much vaunted global warming again? Our current temperatures probably make that superfluous. Yet one good thing about climate change is that it brings us all outdoors.
ADJUSTABLE ADJUSTABLE PEDESTALS PEDESTALS FOR TERRACES FOR TERRACES ADJUSTABLE PEDESTALS FOR TERRACES
Special : Producers of bamboo floors present their trends
The simplest system in the world for the The simplest system in the world for the largest height level regulation. The simplest system in the world for the The simplest systemlevel in the world for the largest height regulation. largest largest height height level level regulation. regulation.
The simplest system in the world for the largest height level regulation. Special: Hard wax oil
The simplest The simplest system system in the world in thefor world the for the largest height largestlevel height regulation. level regulation. Adjustable from 17 mm until 1 meter.
Adjustable from 17 mm until 1 meter.
Adjustable from 1717 mm meter. Adjustable from 17 mmuntil until 1 11meter. meter. Adjustable from mm until Adjustable Adjustable from 17 mm from until 17 mm 1 meter. until 1 meter.
Kouterstraat 11B – B-8560 Wevelgem
Floor Forum International n° 89 July 2017 Photo Solidor Tel 0032 56 41 35 70
info@solidor.be – www.solidor.be
Kouterstraat 11B – B-8560 Wevelgem Kouterstraat 11B 11B – B-8560 Wevelgem Wevelgem Kouterstraat Tel 0032 –56B-8560 41 35 70 Tel 0032 56 41 35 70
Tel 0032 56 41 35 70 info@solidor.be – www.solidor.be Kouterstraat 11B –11B B-8560 Kouterstraat Kouterstraat – B-8560Wevelgem Wevelgem 11B – B-8560 Wevelgem info@solidor.be –– www.solidor.be www.solidor.be info@solidor.be
Tel 0032 56 41 Tel 700032 56 41 35 70 Tel 0032 56 41 353570
info@solidor.be –info@solidor.be www.solidor.be– www.solidor.be
info@solidor.be – www.solidor.be
4 Inside news 9 Advertorial Osmo (DE) 10 Special Floors with real anti-bacterial properties 12 Special Producers of skirting boards with vinyl, PVC or
LVT inlay 16 Advertorial Faxe (DK) 18 Special Producers of hybrid adhesives 25 Special Benefits and features of cork floors 28 Special Producers of distressed floors 32 Special Adhesives for floors in vinyl, PVC and LVT 35 Special Discover the possibilities of the industrial lacquers 38 Advertorial CSP Engineering (BE) 40 Special Automation and packaging for the parquet industry 43 Special Fillers and repair kits 46 Special Producers of bamboo floors present their trends 48 Industry news 49 Special Adjustable floor support systems for terrace floors 53 Special Drying oil and/or lacquer using LED 57 Special Invisible lacquers: who has them ?
The garden, as an extension of the home, is enjoying a golden age. Then, apart from the garden, there’s also the Emmanuel Dejans terrace, swimming pool, and (Solidor) outdoor kitchen. ‘Outdoor’ life is becoming a little more prominent. Is that discovery based solely on a gut feeling or are there specific figures to support it? Well, it’s certainly not just a gut feeling; never before have so many wooden terraces, outdoor swimming pools, and outdoor swimming pool boards been fitted as over the last 15 years. Lots of suppliers in different product categories have noticed this. According to Emmanuel Dejans from Solidor, a leading producer of high-quality rubber and synthetic products, the terrace market has been growing for a few years. The rising sales of synthetic terrace bases for wooden floors, one of Solidor’s specialities, confirms that assertion. ‘Synthetic terrace bases for wooden terraces were used regularly for the first time about 15 years ago. Nowadays, they are well integrated and sales are growing noticeably,’ says Emmanuel Dejans. Another noticeable trend at the same time is a rapidly growing awareness of quality on the part of end clients. For a few years now, we’ve gradually been using the term ‘outdoor parquet’ for a wooden terrace. Could it be clearer? The client wants the same standard for both in and outdoors. It’s no wonder that invisible fastening systems for wooden and composite terraces can count on a growing interest from the market. There can be no doubt that there’s a market here which is opening up for professionals. Moreover, the job fits in perfectly with the existing skills of parquet professionals. This applies no less to the use of modern systems such as concealed fastening systems and supporting floor pedestals. Emmanuel Dejans says: ‘You don’t need any training to fit terrace supports apart from the wood supplier’s instructions, and you have to take account of swelling and shrinking.’ As for the choice of the right system, professionals are somewhat deprived of guiding standards. Manufacturers all have their own systems. As regards floor pedestals, systems stand out in terms of bearing capacity. That’s also what professionals need to look out for. Besides that, we can say products are ‘ready for use’. Emmanuel Dejans concludes, ‘Technological innovations can still emerge mainly in the field of suitable accessories for easy fitting.’
60 Special Small and medium-sized oil and lacquer machines 62 Special Trends in vinyl, LVT and PVC floors 64 Special Hard wax oil 68 Special Subfloors for floors in vinyl, LVT and PVC 70 Special Top German companies focused on export 74 Product news
Editing & advertisements FFI bvba PO BOX 29 9870 Olsene, Belgium Tel: +32 (0)9 385 80 40 Fax: +32 (0)9 385 88 85 sales@media-pact.com www.floor-forum.com Publisher Filip De Ridder
Subscriptions to Floor Forum International: Mail to info@media-pact.com
Lay-out: Be-able Communication www.be-able.be Production: Lowyck - Oostende
Advertising & subscriptions Adriana Dascalu info@media-pact.com Hilde De Ridder floorforum@telenet.be Filip De Ridder sales@media-pact.com Editors: Jean Paul Talbot, Ludwig Janssens, Filip De Ridder Jacques Legros
Translation: Michael Robinson www.glossa.be Floor Forum International is a publication of FFi bvba.
The copyright of Floor Forum International and the articles appearing herein are retained by the publisher. By agreeing to publication of an article in this journal, the author assigns to the publisher the irrevocable and exclusive right under Copyright law to collect charges due from third parties for copying said article and to undertake legal or other action for this purpose. Editorial and advertising copy in this issue have been carefully checked and Floor Forum International bvba cannot accept any responsibility for any errors.
∂ Inside news Rubio Monocoat UV finishing on site Correction to our article of May 2017 Third specialist has its say: RMC LED Oil is becoming the new standard for instant curing with LED light. The fact that wood, treated with LED oil, is cured instantly with LED light and therefore can also instantly be walked on, means a gigantic time saving for the project market, as well as for stairs and furniture makers. In addition to the RMC LED Oil, Rubio Monocoat offers three LED-drying units for the site. The investment for these machines is negligible compared to the savings the LED technology brings with it. LED lightbulbs have an extremely long lifespan of more than 10,000 hours, compared to 700-1000 hours for UV lightbulbs. They require almost no maintenance and consume less than 80% less energy than the traditional mercury lightbulbs. In addition, LED lights are largely recyclable, as opposed to mercury lightbulbs. When you use traditional UV lightbulbs, you also have to take into account the time needed for the lights to warm up and cool down. LED lights, on the other hand, are fully operational as soon as they are switched on, so work can be done quickly and efficiently. One advantage for on-site applications that should not be underestimated is that the LED lights are very shock-absorbent, and better resistant to cold and vibrations than other (UV) lights. Add all the other features of the RMC oil we already know about (one coat, no overlapping, natural look & feel of the wood are guaranteed) and it is clear that the switch to RMC drying is more than worth the investment.
Flanders Expo Ghent (BE)
Top Parquet Show
EFWEX EUROPEAN FLOOR & WALL EXHIBITION
14|16.03.2018
Discover the Future of Floor & Wall solutions
Visit www.efwex.eu 4
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∂ Inside news CIRANOVA @ MIDDLE EAST COVERING Show Dubai Last years the sales of Ciranova products are increasing rapidly. Especially export almost doubled in the last 5 years. As more and more people found out about the benefits of the Ciranova range, the dealer network is extending all the time. The complete range of products, the high quality, the unique (reactive) stains and the high level of technical support, makes Ciranova an interesting brand to distribute. After setting up a wide network of distributors in Europe, United States, Canada, Russia and Asia, Ciranova also presents now their products on the Middle East market. Together with company Al Ameemi International Trading, Ciranova presented their oils, lacquers, stains and outdoor products during the Middle East covering show in Dubai. During this show, there was a lot of interest for the Ciranova products and as a result the Ciranova dealer network in the Middle East will also be set up. Besides
the existing dealer network, Ciranova is always looking for new partners in several countries who want to distribute their high quality range of products. For more information you can contact Ciranova by info@ciranova.be or by phone +32 (0) 51 23 13 63.
Design Parquet “PEARL” HIGHLIGHTS THE ELEGANCE AND GREATNESS OF OAK NEW IN THE DESIGN DECO RANGE Flagship among the novelties, the new finishing “ Pearl ” emphasizes the elegance and greatness of Oak. Sustainable raw material, the RU/CA oak has been selected for its properties: robust, natural and warm. The engineered flooring Loft Pro Pearl is in harmony with the « Campagne Chic » style, which is defined by a cosy atmosphere. “ Pearl ” suits perfectly in the living-rooms, dining-rooms and bedrooms. Design Parquet chose to add a touch of radiance : a grey stained lacquer that will preserve durably your wood flooring.
D E S I G N® PA R Q U E T Fr a nc e
Customized parquet
LOFT PRO
OAK
Loft Pro XXL
LA FABRIQUE DE PARQUET
Semi-solid wood flooring Prime and Rustic/campagne 20 x 295 x 1800-3000 mm 2 bevels, T&G
www.designparquet.fr Floor Forum International 89
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∂ Inside news Different parquet patterns: Chevrons bring refinement and sophistication in all the interior styles whereas Herringbone gives a graphic dimension and aesthetic aspect to all the rooms. These patterns will enhance floors in all your reception rooms. Dimensions: Thickness: 12 mm, Width: 180 mm, Top layer thickness: 3.2 mm, Lengths: 1000 - 2000 mm (with 15% < 1000 mm), Assembly: Tongues and Grooves, Fitting: Floating or glued according to NF DTU 51-11 NF or DTU 51-2, Flooring: Engineered Flooring Loft Pro Oak RU/CA 2 bevels, slighly brushed, grey lacquered – PEARL, Grade: Rustic / Campagne, Origin: European Oak, Finishing: Domestic use Lacquer Oak density: 650 kg/m.
Ciranova Ciranova has reinforced their team ! Mr Pascal Penez joined Ciranova on June 5th bringing with him extensive experience in installing, renovating and the finishing of parquet. Pascal has provided years of professional training to parquet installers and is now happy to assist and share his experience with Ciranova customers.
InvisiOil Neutral Product news 2017 • Oilbased. • Leaves the floor with an untreated look.
“ arance e p p A l Nat ura „The
• Resistant basic oil treatment for wooden floorings. • For professionals and industry.
T R A DI T ION S I NC E 1926 E S B J E R G FA R V E - & L A K FA B R I K A/S , D K- 670 0 E S B J E R G T E L . +4 5 7512 8 6 0 0, W W W. FA X E LU D.C O M
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Rubio Monocoat The Rubio Monocoat family keeps on growing. We are very happy to announce that from June 1st onwards, Jesper Froekjar-Jensen will be our Export Director. Jesper has an extensive background in the wood care business and as a part of the Rubio Management team he will help set out the worldwide sales strategy. We are very excited to have him on board and we’re confident that Jesper will help us consolidate the growth we have planned for the upcoming years with our brand Rubio Monocoat. You can contact Jesper at +4527824400 or mail him: jesper@rubiomonocoat.com.
MAPEI ULTRAPLAN ECO 3210 SAME PRODUCT, NEW WEIGHT Mapei’s best-selling Ultraplan Eco 3210 is now available in 20kg packaging, rather than the original 23kg weight. Ultraplan Eco 3210 is an ultra-fast hardening, self-levelling and smoothing compound for levelling differences in substrate thickness and can be applied in 3-10mm per coat. The very low VOC content of Ultraplan Eco 3210 means that it is excellent for use on eco and sustainable projects, for the interior levelling of new or existing substrates. Part of Mapei’s Fast Track range, the compound can be trowel or pump applied, ready to receive floor coverings after approximately 12 hours. Ultraplan Eco 3210 can be installed with underfloor heating and also where maximum resistance to loads and traffic are required. Email info@mapei.co.uk or tel. +44 (0)121 508 6970 for more information on how Mapei products can be used in your project or visit www.mapei.co.uk to view the full product range.
∂ Inside news Ligna 2017
New Wintersteiger product at LIGNA: DSB Singlehead NG XM thin-cutting band saw
Wintersteiger AG presented the new "DSB Singlehead NG XM" thin-cutting band saw for the first time at LIGNA. With this new product, the thin-cutting specialist from Upper Austria has set its sights on flexibility and efficiency – this band saw can be extended to up to 6 machines connected in-line.
Ligna 2017 closed its doors for the time being on Friday 26 May to conclude a show with lots of innovations. Digitalisation of the industry and integrated production methods took centre stage. The number of visitors from abroad underlined the growing international (read: global) interest and the importance of Ligna as a platform. Ligna 2017 unveiled a new layout, which reflected the convergence between trade and industry. Both the exhibitors and visitors thought this was a good approach since it made it easy for them to find their way round. Ligna’s new approach should contribute towards stable growth in the industry. No fewer than 1500 exhibitors, 900 of them from abroad, showed innovative layouts, machines, tools, and solutions on a net total surface area of 129,000m². Lots of exhibitors had opted for a class stand, often with sometimes completely new structures. This obviously had an effect on the character of Ligna itself. The turn-out from abroad certainly makes Ligna the biggest event for the industry in the world! 93,000 visitors turned up, 42,000 of them from abroad (outside Germany) from over 100 countries. The organisers commented, ‘These impressive figures show that decision makers abroad see Ligna as a benchmark and put their trust in it.’ The top 10 countries represented (apart from Germany) were France, Austria, the United States, Sweden, Belgium, Spain, China, Poland, Italy, and Russia. The theme was particularly well chosen and fitted in better than ever with an undeniable reality. Indeed, Ligna 2017 will go down in history as a milestone in the digitalisation of the wood industry. The show provided ‘Industry 4.0’ concepts with a strong focus on digitalisation, computerisation, and integration into production lines and methods.
Flexibility and efficiency – these are the 2 main selling points of the new DSB Singlehead NG XM thin-cutting band saw. The machine was developed with changing customer requirements for timber cutting in mind, irrespective of timbers and applications. The result? The machine excels at both wet and dry cutting, with a cutting width of up to 350 mm and a maximum block height of 165 mm. It enables extremely thin lamellas from 1.3 mm to be produced with a kerf starting at 1.1 mm. The robust design and Wintersteiger's years of experience in thin-cutting guarantee maximum machine availability while making the DSB Singlehead NG XM extremely efficient. Technical refinements This thin-cutting band saw incorporates a number of technical refinements designed to optimize timber cutting, such as the feed system for robust block guidance: Driven feed rollers top and bottom guarantee continuous block feeding, even when faced with irregular workpiece characteristics. The specially rubberized feed rollers and the innovative down pressure system guarantee optimum grip as well as minimum friction for wet or dry material. The high-tech saw control is another plus point. Thanks to the smooth saw blade entry system, the saw makes contact with the wood block at a reduced speed and only accelerates once it has fully entered the block. Extension to up to 6 machines The DSB Singlehead NG XM can be extended from an individual machine to a multi-module production system. Up to 6 machines can be connected in series to extend the thin-cutting band saw to keep up with rising demand.
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∂ Inside news Half a century of Flamingo Parket Europa Parket, affiliated company of Flamingo Parket, was formed in 1967. Originally, their core business was selling and fitting parquet amongst private clients. Nowadays, they mostly produce parquet floors which are sold via professional parquet traders. This year, the company celebrates its jubilee 50th anniversary! Flamingo Parket in Barneveld (the Netherlands) employs 40 people, whilst 30 people work at its affiliated company Europa Parkett GmbH from Mecklenburg (Germany). The company is led by Lars Versteeg, the founder’s son. Recently, on 2 June, the company held a big anniversary celebration in Barneveld. Before the party itself, clients and friends were invited to have a look behind the scenes at Flamingo Parket. From 1.00 p.m. onwards, visitors could inspect the new showroom. They were also able to witness the entire production process in person from the pre-drying to the various finishes. Visitors were able to admire five new colours from the Raftwood collection. Apart from the successful Raftwood collection, Flamingo Parket has recently created the ‘Wil Collection’, named after co-founder Mrs Versteeg, who passed away last year. The collection consists of ten different colours named after famous composers. What is unusual about the collection is that the parts have an irregular sawing pattern. They are very sturdy on one side, but since the
FOR EVERY WOOD FLOOR
2K THE BEST CHOICE:
www.pallmann.co.uk 8
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parts are brushed up afterwards, this creates a highly attractive placid look. Another unusual feature is that the Wil collection is extremely affordable (less than €40 per square metre). This puts the collection within the budget of a wide public.
Advertorial
Osmo (DE)
30 YEARS HARDWAX OIL POLYX®-OIL NATURAL PROTECTION FOR WOOD
More than 30 years ago, Osmo Holz und Color GmbH & Co. KG developed in its own facilities a new product: Polyx®-Oil Original 3032 (satin). The wood finish is based on natural oils and waxes and offers durable protection for wooden flooring and furniture. This product revolutionized the surface treatment of wood all over the world. Up to the early 1980s, there was an unwritten law that only lacquers protect wood surfaces reliably against dirt and wear. Apart from the advantages, for example good resistance to liquids, lacquer-based coating systems have two decisive disadvantages: the wood protection is implemented through a thick film that only protects wood from outside. Plus, the thick film prevents wood from “breathing”, in other words the moisture exchange can no longer take place. In addition, moisture can seep through very fine cracks under the lacquer layer causing the finish to crack, peel and flake. At Osmo, no-one could settle for this. The specialists in the factory laboured on a solution based on natural oils and waxes. The oil should penetrate into the wood protecting it from inside. The wax should form a stable, wear-resistant protective layer on the wood surface. The advantage of such a surface finish: the wood can absorb and release moisture and the finish will not crack, peel or flake. It exhibits, just like a lacquered surface, good resistance
to moisture and is easy to care. The real highlight: spot repairs can be carried out. In 1986, researchers in the factory made a breakthrough and presented Polyx®-Oil Original 3032 (satin). Up to today, the finish fulfils the requirements placed on modern flooring finishes: the microporous surface is resistant to wear, moisture and stains, and it is durable and extremely hard-wearing. When dry, it is resistant to saliva and perspiration and, therefore, suitable for children’s toys. From Münster, Polyx®-Oil spread throughout the world and is now considered the classic wood finish for flooring protection. In the Osmo factory, further development on Polyx®-Oil has continued since 1986 in order to meet the various demands from customers: Polyx®-Oil Rapid and Polyx®-Oil Express for faster drying, and Polyx®-Oil Tints for subtle floor colouring. Further gloss levels were developed for Polyx®-Oil Original: matt, semi-matt and glossy. Polyx®-Oil Effect with a silver or golden shimmer followed along with Polyx®-Oil Effect Natural for a pure, raw wood look. Throughout the various steps in progress, the basis has, however, always stayed the same: natural oils and waxes that protect wood and allow it to breathe. For more information please visit www.osmo.de/en
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Special
Floors with real anti-bacterial properties
THE RIGHT FLOOR PROPERTIES FOR THE RIGHT PURPOSE FLOOR COATINGS TO KILL OR RESTRICT BACTERIA Customised work is a growing concept in just about every imaginable product segment. It seems as if products are being developed on the basis of user needs or, in other words, tailor-made. Thankfully, when we say ‘the user’, we mean ‘a group of users’. Depending on what materials are used for, we can attribute other more or less distinct features. That’s also how it is in the construction industry. Not every application requires extremely strict fire safety; not every floor has to be waterproof; not every ceiling furnishing has to provide hyperinsulation. And so, antibacterial properties are also there for specific applications.
exist without relocating because there is no current. If there is an unequal proportion of electrons and protons, a static electrical charge can prevail between parts of this insulation body or between the body and another charged body or earth. When people work with electronic apparatus such as computer hardware, static electricity can cause irreparable damage. On the one hand there is the risk of the apparatus being statically charged to give someone an electric shock. On the other hand, with an electrostatic discharge (ESD) from the person the current can make its way via sensitive circuits. Giving products anti-static properties is something we do in rooms where the purpose requires it.
The right purpose…
Why make things with sound insulation?
Why make things fireproof? The use of fireproof materials is ‘imposed’ in buildings where necessity requires. Fireproof materials are not really incombustible materials and a fireproof building can still burst into flames. Besides the use of materials, regulators will also improve safety via the ‘concept’. For example, guaranteeing enough time (and therefore space via emergency exits) to escape from a burning building (or to grant access to fire service workers) is also a favourable measure. When do we insist on it? Answer: Whenever a particularly high number of people use the building. We don’t insist on it for no reason!
Why make things anti-static? Why should we safeguard certain materials against static electricity? What is it? Static electricity is the name given to electricity generated in low-conductive or non-conductive substances. An electric charge can be induced (generated) in these insulators which continues to
Photo – Parcolys Flooring
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The prevailing legislation in the case of floor coverings says it all. When is sound insulation material in the construction industry ‘obligatory’? Answer: Where ‘living together’ with others makes it necessary. Sound reduction in the case of floor covering, for instance, by using subfloors which actually reduce the transmission of sound is imposed only in flats and never really in private houses. However, it is possible there, too, to opt for those products for reasons of comfort.
Intermediate conclusion
We have discussed three properties which are often relevant to floor covering. It is important to note that these properties are necessary only if the purpose of the building requires it. With some floor coverings they are relevant in combination. Materials which kill or restrict bacteria are also geared to specific applications.
Little beasts They’re small, they’re numerous, and, actually, they’re not all as malignant as we might initially think. Indeed, most bacteria are innocuous or even useful to humans and animals, but some of them cause illnesses. Bacteria grow and spread. The better the conditions for bacteria, the faster they grow and spread. Each spread means that one bacterium splits into two new bacteria, which then both divide into two etc. The speed of that process depends on the surrounding conditions. There are lots of different types of bacteria, but for most bacteria the conditions are ideal if the surrounds are humid and warm, a certain degree of acidity is found, there is enough oxygen, and there are nutrients present, such as sugar, for instance. Under those conditions bacteria can multiply the fastest.
Here, too, specific domains The fight against bacteria in the medical sector has been in progress for some time and the discovery of penicillin was a major breakthrough in that process. The existence of bacteria, their properties, and, especially, the power and speed at which they multiply have yielded an intensive search for a means of defence in both the health care sector and food industry. In hospitals and care institutions it is now essential to minimise the chances of bacteria developing. More and more measures are concentrating on the level of finish and interior materials, and therefore also floor coverings.
Hocus-pocus coatings In recent years, researchers have developed innovative synthetics and rubbers to which they have added organic biocides, such as triclosan, chitosan, isothiazolinones, OBPA (10,10'-oxybisphenoxarsine), IBPC (4-iodo-3-butynyl propyl carbamate), and ammonium silane. These have to work efficiently for the lifespan of the material. Important requirements are that these biocides are compatible with the synthetic, they do not affect the properties of the synthetic, and they must not leach out.
Moreover, silver ions are formed in damp conditions i.e. in conditions which are favourable for the growth of bacteria. Silver additives can be applied very widely in synthetics, metals, composites, and lacquers.
The market reacts There are all sorts of diverse solutions for all the properties discussed here. It is no surprise that the floor covering sector has responded. Several fields have welcomed these antibacterial floor coverings with open arms: care and nursing homes, hospitals, schools, and hotels. Since we are talking in each case about project applications, there is a considerable market. Solutions have been provided by both floor covering producers and makers of coatings or other finishes.
One specialist Parcolys Flooring The Parcolux, Parcostone, and Aquastep floors all have anti-bacterial properties. Since these floors are made from solid PVC and are impervious, they don’t absorb anything. The floors can be cleaned with soap and water and can even be wiped with bleach. This feature is the result of the fact that the floors consist of solid PVC and because the top layer undergoes a special waterproof treatment to ensure that it is impervious. This also means it is easy to remove stains and no dirt residue gets left in the floor. Parcolux, Parcostone and Aquastep can be used both for residential and commercial applications. The waterproof character, stain resistance, and scratch resistance mean that they are suitable for bathrooms and kitchens, but also for wellness centres, swimming pools, hairdressing salons, hotels, shops, restaurants, fitness rooms, etc. Moreover, all floors from Parcolys Flooring have a finish which is waterproof, scratchresistant, and stain-resistant.
Silver ions Nowadays, however, researchers are paying a lot of attention to additives based on inorganic silver. Indeed, silver ions (Ag+) are already regarded as a means of killing bacteria (broad spectrum activity) in low concentrations (0.001ppm) and they are not harmful to humans.
Photo – Parcolys Flooring
Photo – Parcolys Flooring
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Special
Producers of skirting boards with vinyl, PVC or LVT inlay
TELL ME YOUR CHOICE OF SKIRTING BOARD AND I WILL TELL YOU WHO YOU ARE THE DECORATIVE FUNCTION OF A SIDE FINISH IS GAINING GROUND
Photo – Küberit
Skirting board and profile producers, or at least the designers in their companies, must undergo some frightening experiences from time to time. How do you handle the assignment to design an object which must not be seen under any circumstances? That puts paid to decorative and creative ambitions! Thankfully, that basic notion has gone up and down like a yoyo in recent decades. Here today, gone tomorrow. And look! Nowadays, the skirting board, the final piece of any expertly fitted floor covering, is allowed once again to attract attention; but only in perfect harmony with the floor.
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What exactly is a skirting board? In the past, we’ve called it the final piece of a floor project; the ultimate finish moment. The skirting board ‘rounds it off’. Many of us have experienced seeing skirting boards left ‘off’, especially when people move house and after painting or fitting a new floor covering. The thinking is: ‘We’ll settle into our new house first and fit those skirting boards later.’ Don’t do it! Experience shows that you never get around to doing it, and without skirting boards that whole interior remains ‘unfinished’ and has the feel of a building site. In that respect the skirting board certainly is a crucial finish object which represents the crown of the work (the neatly lined threshold from the floor to the wall). This conclusion is
a completely separate matter from the knowledge that skirting boards obviously also fulfil an important technical function in the building. The floor can enjoy a peaceful life under the skirting board; the skirting board conceals the necessary expansion joint to mention just one technical function. Furthermore, skirting boards are the perfect hiding place for wires from electrical appliances and computers. All those things are structural functions. Moreover, as regards usage, skirting boards protect the bottom of the wall from possible damage as a result of cleaning work on the floor such as vacuum cleaning, mopping, dusting, etc.
The aesthetic ‘yoyo’ In practice, the aforementioned question about the visibility of the skirting board implies several other questions. For example, there is the height of the skirting board. What are we going to do about that? For a long time, a generally accepted height of 4cm emerged from the small 2 x 2cm block skirting boards to high skirting boards of 7 to 8cm. There was a certain period when 4cm was even regarded as ‘standard’. Then there was the question of colour. Does the skirting board have to match the colour of the floor and blend in modestly with the wall. Very high skirting boards in the colour of the floor yielded the all too bombastic ‘bath tub’ effect. Does the chosen material have to stand out? In that respect, metal or metal-coloured skirting boards play a fairly dominant role. At all events, most producers agree that the skirting board can be seen again! Although trends are never universal, sometimes differing even regionally or locally, according to suppliers, skirting boards are appearing just about everywhere as a design object. Colours and other important trend aspects are dictated somewhat by floor producers. Skirting board manufacturers follow those trends.
Photo – Küberit
NEW POLYX®-OIL EXPRESS The fast drying Polyx®-Oil for the professional user – also suitable for oily and resinous hardwoods! > Clear, for interior use > Highly recommended for solid wood, plank, strip, OSB and cork flooring > Polyx®-Oil Express enhances the colour tone of wood and is wear-resistant, water and dirt-repellent, durable and extremely hard-wearing 13 Floor Forum International 89 www.osmo.de/en
Special
Producers of skirting boards with vinyl, PVC or LVT inlay
Inlay – the ultimate match In a previous edition of this journal we presented the views of a leading producer of skirting boards and profiles. The thesis is that the side finish should bow completely to the demands made of the floor. If the floor has to be waterproof, the accompanying accessories (skirting boards and profiles) need to follow suit. If the floor has to be fire-proof, the same applies to the accessories. In other words, the skirting boards take account of all the demands made of the floor for which they are deployed. We have to apply that to the dimensioning as well, but also to the aesthetic aspect. The fact that design floors exude a Renaissance means that the accessories have to follow on here.
What’s on the market Carl Prinz
Skirting boards with inlay Skirting boards with inlay are designed to solve problems which arise from the vast range of floor coverings. Decoratively, it’s well nigh impossible to shadow this growth. If we talk about inlay skirting boards, the skirting board, whatever the design material and apart from taste preferences for height and thickness, adopt the role of ‘bearer’. And so, the skirting board is (usually) not yet ready for use after leaving the factory. The ‘bearer’ needs to be supplemented with a strip of the fitted floor (or not, as the case may be!). Technically, this can be designed in various ways. A strip floor is slid into the skirting board, glued onto the bearer, or fastened using a click system or felt-like material. The fact is that skirting boards are a technical solution quite separate from the chosen floor type. Inlay skirting boards on offer are usually available in various thicknesses depending on the type of floor.
I have a dream Is the editor of a technical trade journal allowed to dream now and then? Why not? What if the ‘ultimate solution’ for all floor coverings, irrespective of the dimensioning, the decorative design, and the material, is one single skirting board? The ultimate solution should comprise skirting boards which are reduced to one multifunctional bearer. You could call it a ‘Meccano skirting board’ with parts which are telescopic in just about all directions. A sort of frame, preferably in aluminium, which can be adjusted in the thickness, width, and length. Do you want a high skirting board for your vinyl or laminate? If so, make it high. Or do you want it slender and thin? If so, do it like that. Thankfully, an editor isn’t a designer and vice versa. Yet surely it’s something to think about.
Prinz produces aluminium skirting boards with a slide-in system into which a strip can be slid. These finish strips are cut from the floor covering itself, so floor decor is transferred to the wall. This skirting board can be deployed for thicknesses from 2 to 5mm. The skirting boards are in one piece and are 60mm in height. All connecting pieces and corner joints are available in solid aluminium. Prinz also offers the opportunity to create skirting boards of variable height. The fastening is attached to the wall and the width of the strip determines the height of the skirting board. In other words, surplus sections from the floor can be re-used in this way. The bearing element is made of aluminium, anodised in classic silver and an elegant titanium gloss.
Küberit The Küberit standard range doesn’t have any skirting boards corresponding completely to the fitted floor covering. However, Küberit can produce skirting boards which match the decor perfectly thanks to digital print technology. The company has two models in which PVC or LVT inlays can be fitted. The one model is suitable for floor thicknesses of 2 to 3mm and the other one for 2 to 11mm. Küberit produces
VIDEO
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Floor Forum International 89
MOVEMENT JOINT - MOTION STAR® · installation without any tripping hazard, due to a flush installation · maintenance-free movement joint of ± 2,5 mm · can be used for glued floor coverings of up to 6 mm · only 14 mm visible surface
www.kueberit.com
skirting boards from aluminium and stainless steel. The insert has to be fitted on site by a professional. The insert can be fitted in strips or planks, but rolls are also possible.
of 70mm and a depth of 16mm. These skirting boards can be combined with over 30 different wood colours. The inlay can be fitted by glueing or by using screws or nails. These new products are strong, durable, economical, easy to fit, and ecological. They can be used in both private and public applications. PVC or LVT inlay is also possible. The bearing element is in aluminium, stainless steel, or expanded PVC foam. The inlay is designed in the factory.
Neuhofer Holz
Progress Profiles Within its skirting board assortment, Progress Profiles presents Skirting 7016 and Skirting 7011, two new ranges of skirting boards for floating laminate floors. They are produced in PVC foam with a height
1st profile choice
8 - 23 mm
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Thanks to digital print technology, Neuhofer Holz can make skirting boards, profiles, and all accessories such as radiator grids, for instance, in exactly the same decor as the floor covering. Printing is possible on a vast number of materials. Actually, almost anything can be printed. Skirting boards with inlay are also available. And so, the wide range includes FN Aluminium skirting boards in which strips can be applied from the floor covering. This can be done for different thicknesses (e.g. from vinyl). Neuhofer Holz has also developed the waterproof skirting boards FN water-pro for damp rooms. A special role is earmarked for the KU037 profile, which has been developed to make the transfer of design floors to the wall and offers the advantage that a strip from the floor covering can be inserted so that the decor is identical. The profile is sealed to the floor with a lip.
Sonpro
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2,5 - 14 mm
Sondermann Profile GmbH Bergstrasse 2 57489 Drolshagen (Germany) Tel: +49 (0)2761 / 83 93-771 Fax: +49 (0)2761 / 83 93-760 info@sondro.de | www.sondro.de
a r - s w i ve lin g -
New
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Advertorial
FAXE (DK)
SCANDINAVIAN LOVE OF WOOD FAXE OFFERS A COMPREHENSIVE CARE PROGRAMME FOR WOODEN FLOORS
It is now generally well known that Scandinavian countries have a thing about wood. They love wood, cherish the natural beauty of wood, and build with wood. This applies no less to Denmark, the home base of FAXE, a top class name when it comes to wood protection products. Indeed, FAXE was the first maker of lye, soap, and oils. The company has been a permanent fixture in the timber industry for years and one of the favourite trademarks for parquet floor fitters. FAXE offers a comprehensive range of products for the pre-treatment, basic treatment, and maintenance of wooden floors.
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is successful. That pre-treatment can consist of sandpapering the wood and treating it with lye or a stain to give it some colour. The basic treatment relates to the protection of the wood; this can consist of oils, varnishes, or beeswax. The third phase (last but not least) is maintenance. This consists of elements such as vacuum cleaning, mopping with parquet soap, or applying a maintenance oil.
Pre-treatment products
Wood treatment in three phases
FAXE Intensive Cleaner is an effective and ecological product specially developed for cleaning all types of wood soundly. It is used on wood mainly as a deep cleaner and stain remover together with other FAXE products e.g. those for cleaning wood treated with lye before oil is applied.
The composition of FAXE’s range of wood protection products is logically arranged in three steps. Together, those three steps determine both the decorative look of a wooden floor and its lifespan. The pre-treatment might be necessary to ensure that the basic treatment
FAXE Universal Lye has been developed to stop all types of wood from turning dark and it gives the surface a light white gloss, whilst the structure of the wood remains visible. This ‘universal lye’ can be used
Floor Forum International 89
on various types of wood, including pine, larch, douglas, oak, maple, and walnut. FAXE Lye for Hardwood counteracts the darkening process of solid wood such as beech, oak, ash, hevea, and other light-coloured hardwood sorts. It also gives them an attractive and lightly bleached exterior where the natural structure remains visible. FAXE Lye for Softwood has been made since 1926, the year Faxe was founded. The product is dyed white and gives pine and spruce wood a typically light and dyed look. The flames are highlighted and the grains and heartwood turn noble grey. Larch and pine can also be treated like this to get a beautifully aged patina. FAXE Special Lye corresponds to the lye for soft wood, but without the addition of white when used on soft wood. Use on wood sorts such as oak creates an antique effect like smoked wood. FAXE Patina Lye is a specialized product for giving oak an antique greyish look.
FAXE Parquet Oils FAXE Prestige Oil is an exclusive, ecological, and effective oil with a high content of purified natural vegetable oils. FAXE Prestige Oil unites beauty with unusual strength and durability. This makes it possible to maintain the wood easily with a beautifully natural finish. FAXE Prestige Oil has been awarded the highly reputable Indoor Climate Certificate from the Danish Institute of Technology. FAXE Colour Oil is a product for indoor use and is suitable for untreated or lyed solid wood. Colour oil protects and colours in one coat. This oil is available in nine popular shades of grey from reddish-brown to black. It is easy to apply and offers a solution for every wish due to its many colours. FAXE Wood Oil is a fast-drying oil used mainly by professional floor fitters. This product is used where floors need to be used (again) quickly after an oil treatment and it leaves a strong and sturdy surface. FAXE HS Industry oil, is a high solid oil for industrial oiling of all sorts of wood, which provides an excellent chemical and wear resistance, combined with a natural appearance of the treated surfaces.
Maintenance oils and parquet soaps FAXE Oil Care has been developed specially for cleaning and maintaining oiled floors. FAXE Oil Care contains a cleaning agent and wax and is based on bees wax and palm wax. The product leaves a silky gloss, which protects the surface from damp and which is easy to maintain. FAXE Oil Care does not contain solvents. It is available in White and Natural. FAXE Floor Soap has been developed from light and purified vegetable oils in order to saturate the wood pores and provide durable protection against stains from substances like coffee, wine, and such like. It is an ecological cleaning product with no additives. FAXE Floor Soap is also available in White and Natural. FAXE Active Care is a cleaning and care product which doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t apply any fluid. FAXE Active Care dissolves dirt effectively with its mild substances. It contains wax to provide a sturdy damp screen and a silky gloss on the oiled wood. For more information please visit us on www.esbjergpaints.dk
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Special
Producers of hybrid adhesives
AREN’T ALL GLUES HYBRID? THE RECIPE IS A COLLECTION OF THE BEST INGREDIENTS
Photo – Rubio Monocoat
Glues undoubtedly play a major part in scores of fields of daily life and certainly in construction. The number of situations where we use some or other glue to stick objects together is almost endless. Since a glue is a binding agent for holding various materials together in countless diverse
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Floor Forum International 89
situations, it is logical that glue appears in a vast number of types and sorts. Basically, glues are divided up according to the technology on which they are based and from where they draw their ‘strength’. With hybrid glues, we transcend this division. We look everywhere for the best ingredients.
The ‘hybrid’ screw Since we’re in the sphere of ‘bonding’, we can for once illustrate the term ‘hybrid’ with another example from that same world of binding agents. Today, ‘mechanical’ bonding is still the bonding most used in construction. We’re talking simply about screws and nails. However, we mustn’t take that word ‘simply’ too seriously. The number of existing types of screws, all geared to the materials and considering applications and fitting conditions, is also endless, as are the various screws, nails, and staples. Screws and nails both have advantages and drawbacks. One of the best examples of a hybrid solution is the combination of a screw with a plug which isn’t screwed, but hammered; a cross between a screw and nail, you could say. The screw is applied with a hammer, but loosened with a screwdriver. That’s the meaning of ‘hybrid’. We can ask the question of whether or not it is worth talking about ‘hybrid glues’. Over the course of their history, haven’t all glues been hybrid by nature?
better. In recent years, researchers have worked hard on spreadability to make these glues easy to spread. The open time is half an hour in many cases and storage time is now a good 12 months.
What’s on the market? Bijlard International Wide range of Bijlard Floor products Bijlard International in Zoetermeer (NL) manufactures a wide range of Hybrid Polymer based adhesives (also known as MS, SMP, SPUR or
Between 1900 and today Glueing is a means of binding elements together, just like screwing or nailing, welding, or soldering. History shows that mankind, even in its most primitive phase of development, has always known how to develop a ‘recipe’ for sticking parts together. The technology for those recipes has developed and been refined over the years. Science continues to surprise us. Erik Boeda from Paris University has deduced from two stones glued together using bitumen that the use of glue is probably as old as mankind itself. We know from various archaeological findings that glue was used frequently as early as 4000 BC. For example, vases have been found from that period with repairs done with vegetable glue and in Babylon researchers have found ivory statues with eyes applied with ‘glue’. Glue residue has been found on just about all items in the period from 1500 and 1000 BC and the world famous tomb of Tutankhamen was sealed with glue. The Greeks and Romans used glue for inlay work and for refining ships. We see that vegetable glues were used in all crafts later in history. The first animal glue was produced in the Netherlands around 1700. In 1750, the first licence was written out for a fish glue. The industrial production of glue started in Europe on a large scale from 1900 onwards.
Hybrid parquet glue today Our basic principle will be correct. Throughout history, glues have been further developed by combining new and old products and thereby obtaining better results. The definition of hybrid parquet glues is now clearly established.
A combination of properties Hybrid glues combine good properties from several forms of technology which are used to obtain specific properties. Amongst other things, silane adhesives can have as a backbone a silicone or a polyurethane with one or more functional silane groups which cross-link during the reaction process. That cross-linking is called ‘polycondensation’. Combinations of technology based on polyurethane and those of silicones are often called STPU adhesives. These do not contain any isocyanates. According to most producers, these hybrid glues are gaining ground.
Safe, qualitative, and user-friendly The fact that these glues don’t contain any hazardous substances is obviously an advantage. After all, there is no danger for the user. Moreover, these glues guarantee qualitative glueing without a primer on smooth substrates. There is no formation of bubbles in the mass of glue, which forms a stronger and continuous layer of adhesive. These glues can be spread just as easily as most other glues, if not even
STP) for the parquet flooring branch, construction and industry. These 1-component adhesives have a high bonding strength and elasticity, they do not contain solvents or water (so non-shrinking), nor do they contain harmful substances such as isocyanates. Significant developments have taken place in the adhesives field over the past decades. Whereas adhesives used to get very hard after hardening, nowadays elastic adhesives are found to have a high bonding strength as well as the ability to absorb movements between materials, making these adhesives far more universal and functional. An elastic parquet adhesive is supplied specifically for floors under the name Bijlard MS FLOOR, which can be supplied from stock in four colours, namely natural/oak, mahogany, white wash and Wenge. The high quality Floor Plinth kit (Plintenkit Floor) and Floor Seam adhesive (Nadenlijm Floor) have also been successfully marketed. In combination with the revolutionary angled Sqraper®, which helps scrape the bucket almost completely empty, with rounded corners, bur-free and smoother for easier processing of the adhesive, Bijlard offers a complete range for the real parquet floorer. www.bijlard.com
Bona Bona presents the dual-component glues R770 and R778. Parquet glue Bona R770 is a 2-component polyurethane parquet glue which conforms to EN 14293 (hard)/ISO 17178 (hard). This glue is also suitable for glueing laminate floors. The glue bonds without shrinking by means of a chemical reaction. It contains neither water nor organic solvents. The
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Floor Forum International 89
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Special
Producers of hybrid adhesives
R770 can also be used for PVC (planks and tiles), linoleum, rubber, and laminate floors. Bona R778 is a 2-components polyurethane parquet glue which conforms to EN 14293 (hard)/ISO 17178 (hard). This product, too, contains no water or organic solvents. Other hybrid glues are Bona R850 and R848. Bona R850 is a real all round glue, which can be used for just about all wooden floors and on just about all substrates, whilst all other variants each have their own specific field of use. R848 is suitable for composite parquet and narrow strips with a minimum ratio of 1:5 between thickness and width of the strips.
durable, and perfect for glueing wide floorboards. Moreover, they are moderately sensitive to residual moisture in the screed and have the same consistency in all seasons. At Blanchon the three references in this connection are hybrid polymers. AB 1300, which is very comfortable during work, will suffice for all traditional glueing up to 130mm wide. AB 2000 can be used for up to 200mm. Finally, there is the indispensable sausage glue which does not run when it is used vertically. It’s worth knowing that, every year, Blanchon organises its Technical Training Days for parquet fitters.
Blanchon
Bostik
Prevalent forms of technology which are used in hybrid glues are vinyl glues, epoxy-polyurethane, polyurethanes (one and two components), and hybrid polymers. Some important assets of these adhesives are that they are versatile, single-component and therefore handy to use, flexible,
Bostik believes you can subdivide the composition of hybrid glues into three main groups, namely SiPU, MS polymer, and SPUR products. For parquet floor fitters all three types of glue will be spread in a similar manner, but the differences lie in the chemical composition, an extremely
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The DevoNatural range of professional parquet floor products meets the highest standards when it comes to treating parquet floors. It is all about quality without compromise, developing products using the best raw materials and cutting-edge technologies.
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Floor Forum International 89
Chimiver
Chimiver ChimiverChannel
PRO
Chimiver APPs
complex subject. MS polymers, for instance, stand out from the other groups because they don’t have any urethane link in their chemical chain. Hybrid glues such as the Parfix Elastic soon gain ground on classic PU and dispersion parquet glues for their many assets. Although more and more floor fitters are aware of the existence of hybrid glues, it is still hard for many of them to weigh up the benefits against the often somewhat higher price. Obviously, the quality also depends largely on the maker. Floor fitters themselves notice that all glues will stick for the first few months, but it is only later that the differences really become evident. Opting for cheaper products often means compromising on the quality. Bostik regularly organises training sessions for clients, contractors, and floor fitters to assist them both theoretically and practically, and both generally and specifically. And so, this includes both general information about the various substrates and situations which arise (including how to prevent certain common problems) and specific information, namely which products/glues in the Bostik range are best used in which context.
Chimiver Chimiver offers UNISIL a prepolymer based, single-component hydrocuring adhesive with a silanic termination (MS technology). Recommended for gluing pre-finished wooden floor onto marble, grit, tiles, ceramic or marble-chip floor, etc. Also suitable for gluing wooden floor onto underfloor heating and cooling system. CERTIFICATES: EC1R; ATTESTATION CCAEnvironmentally Compatible Product (Certificate issued by Department BEST - Politecnico of Milan CCA Registration No. 20163); Sound Reduction (CSI Test Report No. 0056/DC/ACU/06); Heat conductivity (CSI Test Report No. 0020/DC/ TTS/06). UNISIL 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).
Devo® Devo® regards a hybrid glue as a glue for which two or more sorts of bonding/setting technology are used. The combination used a lot at present, and to which people refer with this term, is the hybrid bond between MS polymer and silane. Obviously, other hybrid bonds are also possible. The term hybrid glue is sometimes used incorrectly as a positive or negative indication of quality, whereas hybrid glues are not per se better or worse than other types. Devomat presents 3 MS polymer glues: Devo® Glue MSP 150 1C (semi-elastic), Devo® Glue MSP 200 1C (soft elastic), and Devo® Glue MSP 250 1C (hard elastic). Devo® Glue MSP250 is packed in bags of 5kg. This makes it possible to work very cleanly without spillage. You apply the amount of glue required at the time, and the rest stays in the bag. Moreover, this aluminium bag ensures a longer storage time. The open time of Devo® Glue MSP250
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is 50-80 minutes until a skin forms, and that’s quite a long open time. Very few people have a sound knowledge of these adhesives and that is due to the rapid technological progress and the changing market. That’s why Devo® organises monthly workshops and training sessions to give parquet professionals more information about this new technology. Training courses are provided every Friday afternoon. Subjects such as substrate pre-treatment and glues, sandpapering parquet, and DevoNatural® finish techniques follow in succession and are repeated each month.
DL Chemicals
Like all forms of hybrid technology, the term hybrid refers to the combination of qualities from two worlds (cf. petrol and electricity in a hybrid vehicle). For example, a hybrid glue is created by a combination of silicones and polyurethane. It offers a combination of benefits where ‘older’ generations of products sometimes fall short. In other words, they are much more universal than parquet glue based on alcohol, for instance. The classic glue based on alcohol is now used less and less, whilst the 2-component PU is also a glue of the older generation, but it is still praised for its very strong tack (recommended for use with very wide parquet planks where the curling of the planks can constitute a risk). Nevertheless, they are seeing that the emergence of glues based on hybrid polymers is claiming an increasingly greater market share, precisely because of the universal character. DL Chemicals presents Parabond Parquet 480 and Parabond Parquet 580. Apart from outstanding glueing, these glues also offer a permanent barrier against rising damp, if they are applied with the notched trowel for that purpose. These hybrid glues (Parabond Parquet) have a good ratio of viscosity to adhesion capacity. And so, they can be spread easily and fluently, but the adhesive grooves retain their shape nicely until the plank is glued. Open time varies between 45 and 60 minutes. The glues have a storage life of 12 months.
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Special
Producers of hybrid adhesives
Emfi
Lecol
At Emfi they’ve also seen hybrid glues close in on solvent-based and PU glues. Emfi Parquet has both PU and hybrid glues. Emfi presents as a hybrid glue the Emfi Parquet Pro+, a parquet glue which is based on silanated polymers and suitable for fully glueing all types of parquet. Thanks to a great deal of research and development, Emfi Parquet Pro+ conforms to the strictest ecological standards. The glue contains no solvents, silicones, or isocyanates. It is suitable for glueing very wide floorboards in oak. It sticks rapidly and is very easy to apply. Emfi Parquet Pro+ is a single-component glue.
Lecol has three hybrid glues of the Wakol brand: Wakol MS230, Wakol MS260, and Wakol MS265. Wakol Parquet Glue MS260 is a hard-elastic MS polymer glue specially for glueing chipboard or industrial mosaic subfloors, solid parquet up to 16cm wide, end grain blocks, mosaic parquet, distressed Burgundy parquet, and multi-layer ready-for-use parquet (wood-engineered) on absorbent and non-absorbent subfloors. Wakol Parquet Glue MS230 is ideal for fully glueing multi-layer parquet with a tongue/groove joint. MS265 is a sausage-shaped MS glue applied with a gun.
To quote thousands of users worldwide,
“a truly great choice!”
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Also available in the following packagings 4.200, 1.800, 600 ml
Floor Forum International 89
Rubio Monocoat Rubio® EasyBond is a new generation 1-component parquet glue based on modified silane-polymer technology. The launch of Rubio® EasyBond parquet glue meant that one product combined all the positive characteristics of various forms of technology. This gives users scores of benefits. The hard-elastic composition of Rubio® EasyBond gives the wood just enough room to move, but not so much that the wood becomes warped or curled. Furthermore, this type of glue is also easy to sandpaper and can also be deployed as a filler paste. Rubio® EasyBond is also durable due to the right choice of raw materials. They have consciously chosen not to use softeners in their parquet glue. Softeners are oily fluids which are added to synthetics to make them more flexible. They make a glue highly elastic and cheap. Since softeners migrate, the glue loses its elasticity in the course of time. This process accelerates if floor heating is fitted. Rubio® EasyBond parquet glue doesn’t contain any softeners, but has a high polymer content, something which makes the glue more expensive, but also more durable since there is a greater adhesion capacity. Other benefits not to be sniffed at are that the glue can be used universally for all wood sorts and all situations. This is partly because it forms a high-quality alternative to 2C PU glue. Sandpapering is possible after 12 hours. This glue contains 0% VOCs. It has a high adhesion and spreading capacity. Rubio® EasyBond meets just about all recognised standards and tests, including the ‘latest’ ISO 17178 standard.
Mitol Mitol launched a new product, a single component MS adhesive PARKETOLIT E66 for gluing parquet. It is suitable for gluing all types
of wooden floors on any kind of subfloor even without using primer. Conforms to standards EN 14293:2006 for soft adhesives and ISO 17178:2013 for elastic adhesives for gluing parquet. It is odour and solvent free with licence in exclusive class EC1 PLUS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; very low emission. PARKETOLIT E65 is the second MS adhesive for gluing parquet with high performance properties. PARKETOLIT E60 is a superior quality single component STP adhesive for gluing parquet. Meets standards EN 14293:2006 and ISO 17178:2013 for hard-elastic adhesives. Considering its high quality characteristics is suitable for gluing all types of wooden floors on any kind of subfloor, also on the wet cement subfloor with moisture content up to 4 CM% and on underfloor heating installations without using primer. All adhesives have excellent workability characteristics: ready to use, easily spreading, long open time, keep the form of applying, easy to clean and are packed into aluminium bags which enable maximal utilization of the glue.
Soudal Hybrid glues are rapidly closing in on classic dispersion and PU parquet glues. The benefits of hybrid parquet glues are that you can start glueing at once and the parquet floor is ready for use again soon afterwards. This contrasts starkly with the
drawbacks of some other glues e.g. the time taken to mix a 2-component PU glue or the long setting time of a dispersion glue. Moreover, one of the big assets of hybrid glues is their universality. In contrast to other parquet glues, you can use hybrid glues with several different substrates. This means you can often work without a primer/ undercoat. Moreover, these hybrid glues donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t contain any hazardous solvents or isocyanates, so you can use them without the need for extra precautionary measures such as gloves or suction. And so, the market has grown strongly in favour of hybrid glues. Soudal was one of the first to launch elastic parquet glues based on MS polymers (hybrid technology) and has a strong range of hybrid glues. At present, most of the parquet glues are hybrid glues. Training sessions and workshops can be organised on request. Those sessions cover the various glues in the Soudal range and the possible applications of these glues.
STAUF STAUF SPU parquet adhesives combine the benefits of PU technology, namely maximum dimensional stability (strength) and universal use, with the freedom from mandatory labelling enjoyed by silane-based adhesives (STAUF SMP). The result is an SPU adhesive, which is classified in the favourable Giscode class of RS10 and Emicode EC1-R plus. STAUF SPU 570 universal parquet adhesive is used to bond solid or multilayer types of parquet. With SPU 555 STAUF is launching a very fast setting silane adhesive with high shear strength. STAUF SPU-460 Suitable for many types of parquet. Its strength makes it ideal for solid boards with a width-to-thickness ratio of up to 10:1. STAUF S-Press is a elastic silane wood flooring adhesive for the most common wood floorings types in an 1800 ml aluminum sausage foil bag for the application in suitable adhesive applicaton devices.
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Your Premium Polymer of Choice for Parquet and LVT Adhesives
Floor Forum International 89
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Special
Benefits and features of cork floors
CORK IS KING OF COMFORT THE FLOOR COVERING WHICH IS ‘MILD’ FOR THE WORLD AROUND US
Photo – Kurkfabriek Van Avermaet - 1746 x 194 x 13,50 mm
The latter can hardly be denied. Cork is good for the planet since it is easy to renew and recycle. That’s for sure. Yet when cork is used in the home, it is also mild for the people around us since it behaves as fairly ‘soundless’. The floor covering of absolute silence. That, together with a whole
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Floor Forum International 89
series of cast-iron comfort assets, means that it is hard to imagine daily life without cork. Cork is especially an extremely ‘clear’ raw material. You get what you see and feel. The comfort features speak for themselves in that respect. Cork actually sells itself.
From bark to floor covering
Summary
The properties of cork as a building material arise directly from the ‘inherent nature’ of the raw material itself. Very few products require such little human intervention to come to life completely.
Floor fitters discover in cork not just a floor covering, but rather a ‘group’ of interior products with which they can extend their ranges considerably. As we’ve already said, they don’t need to think of many sales arguments. Cork sells itself.
To summarise briefly Cork is undoubtedly a natural product. The cork which is used to produce cork floors comes mainly from Spain and Portugal (the Algarve). Portuguese cork is usually the best quality, certainly the sort which is harvested in the Algarve. This is due to the consistent weather conditions and fertile soil in combination with warm temperatures. Cork is extracted from the bark of cork oak. The bark grows again straight after the harvest, but it will be another seven to nine years before another layer can be harvested. After the harvest, the bark is left for about a year; it is then boiled, dried, and selected for quality. The cork is then ground to granules, pressed into blocks under heavy pressure, and heated. During that heating process, the granules swell, whilst the released resins and cork grains bind together again. This means that cork retains all the strong, insulation, and resilient properties of the natural cork bark. Finally, the blocks are cut into skins. Floor and wall tiles are made from these skins.
What’s on the market? Kurkfabriek Van Avermaet
Cork is everywhere The number of applications in usage items is also endless. For instance, cork is entirely at home as craft material or as a notice board. It is also generally well known that the lightness of cork means that the material is also used for drovers or floats. However, what is less well known is that it is frequently used in space travel technology due to its excellent fire resistant qualities. Even items of clothing are produced from cork, as are the joint rings which are fitted between the different parts of wind instruments, for instance. Finally, we find cork in our shoe soles and in various sorts of packing in cars. Less well known, but no less true, is that cork is used as external wall cladding. In the home cork can even appear in the form of furniture such as extra little tables. However, the most important applications which we obviously want to mention are the use of cork as a floor or wall covering.
Its properties in one breath If we look for properties which a floor covering needs in order to meet all technical, decorative, and comfort requirements which we expect from a floor, cork surprisingly scores very highly. This raw material has it all! As we’ve already said, cork contains a good dose of air, so it is lighter than water. Cork also has very good heat insulation properties, precisely because the material contains so much air. On the other hand, cork hardly allows any air through. We’ve already said that cork is elastic. We can press it in up to 35% of its diameter. The other properties of cork are that it is anti-static, it provides sound insulation, and it is damp-proof. It will be clear that such natural properties make cork absolutely ideal for all sorts of applications, not least for floor and wall covering. The limited thickness makes cork floors ideal for renovation projects. It can be used not only as a top layer due to its decorative and natural qualities, but it is being used increasingly, precisely because of those qualities, as an underlay for other floor coverings. For example, recently, cork floors have appeared with a wooden top layer and with veneer wood, but also cork in combination with vinyl or linoleum.
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1746 x 194 x 13,50 mm
Cork is a natural product with natural insulation qualities. Cork owes those qualities to its element structure. Indeed, cork consists largely of 14-sided cells filled with air. One cubic centimetre of cork bark contains about 40 million cells or air chambers! This means that cork always has a pleasant feel and it absorbs sounds and vibrations. Moreover, cork is elastic, anti-static, flame-retardant, and highly resistant to damp. Furthermore, cork also contains various resins so that it can withstand water and assaults by mould and insects. Kurkfabriek Van Avermaet has a wide and varied assortment. The range of floors with the look of wood are either digitally printed cork or a combination product of cork with a finish layer in vinyl on top. At present, the range of digitally printed cork includes the look of both stone and wood. The choice here is still somewhat wider in floating-fitted click floors than in the glued version. Here, too, digitally printed cork floors are well integrated. Whilst until last year most chosen floors were ready-for-use cork floors, digital print floors have now taken the lead. Innovations at Van Avermaet in 2017 are found mainly in new designs and the latest print technology means that the floors look even more realistic than before.
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Benefits and features of cork floors
Meister
something else. This is despite the fact that the product has its own unique properties and values both technically and decoratively. ‘Cork floors are cork floors and nothing else,’ a spokesperson comments. And there’s plenty to be said for that. Whilst each natural cork floor is unique in and of itself, attention tends to focus on elements such as digital print technology, with which you can personalise a floor or give it the look of something else, such as stone or wood, for instance. A spokesperson from Mutrex comments: ‘Individualism is the future. The masses will soon be immersed in individualism. Yet the ready-to-fit fragments of digitally printed cork floors (or vinyl or laminate) render individualism impossible. Each client only has to choose from the range on offer from the producers. How can consumers express their self-worth and individuality if they all have to choose digitally printed floors from the same 12 colours? Oh, it’s actually 20? Pardon me. A real cork floor i.e. one with the look of cork, offers an untold possibility of individualisation of the interior and therefore the character of your life. It is precisely through the combination with decor, shape, size, colour, and finish (all impossible with the digitally printed unitary sausage) that it’s possible to make completely unique floors entirely according to the client’s wishes. The client can direct the end result without being influenced by the imposed limited choice of producers.
Cork has lots of assets. It is inspired by nature and therefore never loses its charm. The Puro cork floor really does provide domestic comfort. Its vast elasticity is good for the joints, whilst the pleasant warmth is nice for the feet. Cork also provides good sound insulation in any case. This makes cork the perfect material for living rooms, bedrooms, and dining rooms, but not just there! Meister offers eight harmonious surfaces in natural and timelessly modern colours, which make the cork floor a perfect trend and wellness floor. The treatment with natural oil allows the colour surface to come into its own beautifully and gives it an extra light and matt look. For 2017, Meister is presenting an elegant cork floor which is cast in a long plank format (2120 x 240mm). This makes Meister the only trader on the market to sell cork floors in a trendy and modern long-plank format.
Mutrex
At Mutrex they feel extremely ill at ease due to the fact that the ‘world’ is doing everything it can to turn cork as much as possible into
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Photo – Wicanders
Nature at your feet The strongest points of a genuine cork floor (and at Mutrex they mean traditional adhesive cork floors, not the current ones with laminate or vinyl with an invisibly eliminated cork subfloor) are the real unlimited choice of possibilities in design, shape, size, colour, and finish. No other floor covering gives the client this decorative wealth. Then there are the well known technical assets of cork: It is the best form of insulation produced by the natural world, it can be fitted in any room in a house, and it offers unique comfortable warmth, elasticity, and sound reduction.
Wicanders
Wicanders always uses Corktech to develop its products. This is a technology which expresses all the qualities and benefits of cork. End users certainly notice those benefits: a silent floor due to the natural absorption capacity of cork; an energy-friendly floor due to the outstanding thermal qualities of cork; a floor which can literally take a knock thanks to corkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural elasticity and compressibility; a comfortable floor thanks to corkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inherent flexibility; and, finally, a physically beneficial floor due to the balanced stability of cork. Visually, Wicanders offers an endless assortment of decors, ranging from the real cork look over contemporary colours to wood or stone decors. All the aforementioned benefits can be found in the various product ranges (Hydrocork, Authentica, and Art Comfort). Digital print technology (in the Art Comfort) is very important here for clients who want to combine the benefits of cork with a different decor. The success of the different products varies according to the region. Since Wicanders operates in over 70 countries, it is not easy to identify a star product. At all events the Authentica and Hydrocork have been a global success. Authentica stands out for its unique combination of LVT and cork (2.7mm bottom layer) with a total thickness of just 4mm, something which is helpful with renovation. Despite the combination of cork and waterproofness, Hydrocork is still limited to 6mm. For 2017, the further development of Hydrocork is on the menu as is the launch of two new collections, namely Vintage Stones and Fusion.
IDEAL FOR RENOVATIONS
100% WATERPROOF
6MM THICKNESS LVT WITH CORK * Please see the terms and conditions of Wicanders Limited Warranty in the website.
MORE THAN JUST A BEAUTIFUL FLOOR
SILENCE
NATURAL THERMAL INSULATION
WWW.WICANDERS.COM
WALKING COMFORT
BODY WELLNESS
IMPACT RESISTANCE
Special
Producers of distressed floors
AGED IS STILL FAR FROM ‘ANTIQUATED’ YESTERDAY’S FASHION IS STILL HUGELY POPULAR
Photo – Design Parquet
In this journal we’ve often considered why distressed (‘aged’) floors have come into being. We’ve always reached the same deduction: If genuine old floors are no longer available (read ‘affordable’), we simply imitate them. That’s simply because we think it’s beautiful and we cherish certain feelings which that ‘ hint of the past’ brings to life a little more. Distressed floor coverings as a segment are more than just a ‘surviving trend’. They’ve become a type of floor. They exist and, yes, they’re growing. They are invariably a product category which MUST be in the floor fitter’s range.
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What is ‘the past’? ‘The past’ sounds like a totally ‘different existence’. ‘The past’ was less hectic, analogue, but not digital, and perhaps even less ambitious. Today, everyone is racing around as if we ‘constantly had to be elsewhere’. And so, there’s no one at all enjoying the moment. Looking forward to tomorrow with the memories of yesterday only makes sense if we do it ‘today’. It’s probably that restlessness which makes us yearn for the homely peace and quiet of the past. ‘The past’ is the old standing (or hanging) clock which sounded a lacklustre ‘ding-dong’ every hour and thereby usually announced its presence to the neighbours at
night. After all, if it’s ‘one o’clock’, it’s the same time for everyone. At all events, ‘the past’ is what we know of our grandparents and perhaps even a little further back in time.
There’s also nostalgia in architecture Probably the most noticeable trend in architecture at present is that of sheer nostalgia. We love the things of the past, and this melancholy in no way hinders the development of a contemporary style of housing. The day before yesterday, there was still romanticism, yesterday we noticed pragmatic and black and white straightness, and, today, there’s the full mix of both. Our interior combines mature self-assuredness with a warm geniality. The warmth of wood certainly doesn’t obstruct the rigidity of the interior, but, on the contrary, but brings more charm and ‘elegance’. As part of the success story of wood in construction, and in particular of wooden floors and parquet, the preference for ‘aged floors’ is emerging as the leading trend. The trend is distinct and general. The result? Genuine antique and old floors are becoming rare and, therefore, unaffordable. Indeed, where there is a sudden rise in demand and the range doesn’t develop, harsh economic reality starts to bite. Producing new floors from old wood seems to be a solution, but also applying ageing effects to new wood offers attractive and lifelike results.
MANUFACTUROR OF SOLID AND ENGINEERED WOODFLOORS Style panels, end grain, distressed floors (different ageing techniques ‘sanded, brushed, tumbled, smoked and structured’): Customised work on simple request!
Features of old floors There are lots of techniques to make a wooden floor look like a genuine old floor. The question is: What exactly do we want to imitate? To answer that question we need at least some knowledge of the essential features of old floors. How does a genuine old floor differ from a recently made and fitted floor? Strictly speaking, there are three groups of properties related directly to the age: traces of woodwork with less developed materials than those of today, the colour of the wood as a result of its age or use, and, finally, the traces of ‘walking on’ and ‘maintaining’ the floor over the years.
Defects in the woodwork Until the 19th century, wooden planks were sawn from the trees manually. This was done by putting the tree trunk in a rack and sawhorse structure. One man at the top and another under the trunk had to complete that chore with a tree saw. The planks certainly didn’t emerge as level and intact as they are today. If we also consider that planks were not sandpapered but scraped, we realise at once that an ‘antique’ wooden floor showed (and still shows) a whole series of ‘natural’ flaws. Old techniques such as brushing wooden floors are making a comeback as a distressing technique.
The colour of the wood The houses weren’t heated uniformly as they are today, so the moisture content was well above 55%. The tannic acid, which is found inside the wood, turns dark when it comes into contact with water. And so, light yellow or honey coloured wood is never antique. Why is all this important? Anyone who wants to restore a wooden floor or parquet has to investigate whether or not it is an antique floor. An antique floor must not be renovated; such a floor is restored. After all, renovating wooden floors almost always involves ‘sandpapering’. By sandpapering an antique floor, you remove all the natural aberrations and, therefore, the
B.J. Parket
BVBA
INDUSTRIESTRAAT 44 9240 Z ELE – B ELGIUM TEL: +32 52 44 45 57 FAX: +32 52 45 06 71 EMAIL: INFO@BJPARKET.BE WWW.BJPARKET.BE
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Producers of distressed floors
riches of the floor. Possible former purposes of the wood from which the floor has been produced can also affect the colour. For example, wood which has ever served as a mooring post is dark in colour with sometimes a semblance of blue.
A ‘well trodden’ floor Whilst the specific look is a result of technique and the colour is the result of external conditions and age, the unmistakable character is the result of the usage itself. A genuine old parquet or wooden floor is therefore also a floor which is composed of planks which have always served as a floor and of which we regard the ‘well trodden’ side as the upper side. And that well trodden side is hard to copy. By beating and lashing, we can certainly imitate ‘traces’ of usage over the years.
Oak takes centre stage However we present a distressed (‘aged’) floor, the type of wood is still the same. There are various reasons why distressed floors are designed mainly with oak wood. Certainly the most important reason is that the floors which we usually want to imitate by distressing date from a period when oak was just about the only type of wood for use which, as regards availability and mechanical qualities, met demands from such quarters as the furniture making trade and the wooden floor sector. Pitchpine was one of the alternatives for wooden floors. Obviously, the success of oak was no coincidence. Apart from the availability and outstanding mechanical qualities, oak also has strong decorative assets. In and of itself oak has a naturally sober and serene texture, and a calming wood grain to suit all interiors. The natural colour of oak is usually to everyone’s taste. Possibly even more important is the fact that oak is a highly stable sort of wood which copes well with normal weather conditions. The fact that parquet manufacturers, carpenters, and furniture makers like to work with oak is because oak is easy to saw, sandpaper, and mould, thanks to its density and structure. It’s no wonder that oak was the ‘favourite’ of the traditional wood sculptors of bygone days.
can also be smoked, if necessary, to give them a dark brown shade. The floors are finished with oil to preserve the natural shade of the wood. Structuring and brushing are two other forms of distressing which are applied either separately or in combination with beating. Distressed floors are offered mainly in oak.
LA FABRIQUE DE PARQUET
Drastic distressing We started with the question of whether or not distressed is still a trend. The answer is contained entirely in the fact that in this phase we are looking for the prevailing trends within distressed, just as we would do for oiled floors. A ‘trend’ doesn’t display ‘trends’. A permanent fixture does that. The trend today seems to be moving towards drastic mechanical operations. The defects from the woodworking in the past and the intense use of the floors and their confrontation with fluctuations in moisture and temperature over the years are highlighted. We do it drastically. If there is brushing, we brush and brush, splits become substantial gaps, and scraping has to penetrate deeply enough. Mechanical distressing seems to be in the lead.
What’s on the market BJ Parket BJ Parket is a manufacturer of solid and composite wood floors such as old Flemish style, strips, herringbone, style panels, Hungarian point, cross-cut, and such like, but also supplies composite floors. Distressed floors are offered as well in solid wood as composite. The range of composite floors certainly includes a large selection in pre-finished floors which are already distressed or which are given a distressed look by BJ Parket itself. Floors which are distressed by BJ Parket itself are beaten. The planks are put in a large drum, together with sophisticated material, and rotated so that damage appears on the planks. After this treatment, the loose splinters are removed. After that, the planks
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More and more FPPI clients are asking for distressed parquet with a varnished finish. This is the reason why FPPI, via its LA FABRIQUE DE PARQUET and PARQUETERIE BERRICHONNE trademarks, presents five colours in ‘old wood’. They are available in various widths and thicknesses and in composite and solid parquet, in straight planks, herringbone, and Hungarian point. They can also offer finishes applied in their factory in France by means of playing with scraped bevelled edges, planed wooden surfaces, and distressed surfaces.
Houtbedrijf Kerkhofs Houtbedrijf Kerkhofs offers distressed designs in traditional parquet 6mm, 9mm Burgundy, 15 and 20mm Solid wood, and 15/16 and 20mm engineered. Houtbedrijf Kerkhofs still sells lots of distressed floors. At all events, these floors are fairly popular, but it is questionable as to whether or not we can talk of a trend. The most popular method of distressing is by beating. Something also very popular at the moment are manually distressed sides with no distressing on the flat surface. They have their own opinion on the brushed design: ‘In my opinion, this is a completely different look. What I personally find more attractive is to use planed planks with a distressed floor. When you start brushing, the distressing doesn’t stand out on the flat part. You probably notice it only on the sides because they are more broken/deformed.’ At Houtbedrijf Kerkhofs, too, most of what is used for distressing is oak. However, it is also possible to apply it to many other types of wood. Houtbedrijf Kerkhofs delivers what the end client wants.
then finished with oil or wax. The collection is sold under the name “Distressed Collection”.
Design Parquet
Design Parquet supplies both solid and multi-layer parquet. For distressed floors they, too, use mainly oak, but they do adapt to clients’ wishes. As regards ‘distressed’ as a trend, they have noticed a slight drop here. At all events, the most common method at Design Parquet is ‘manual distressing’.
Oosterlinck – Greenparket Oosterlinck produces both solid and engineered floors. The solid wood floors are made in thicknesses of 9, 14, and 22 mm. The engineered parquet is available in 13/4, 16/4, 18/6, and 21/6 whereby the final figure refers to the thickness of the toplayer. The solid and engineered floors are available in oak and tropical wood species such as afrormosia, wenge, teak, ... The oak is always French or European oak of very good origin and quality. The distressed floors are available only in oak whereby the rustic/character grade is taken as the basis. The most common distressing technique is beating the planks so that the planks show signs of damage on the surface and at the edges. Brushing the planks reinforces the distressing in some cases. The floors are
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Adhesives for floors in vinyl, PVC and LVT
GLUES FOR FLEXIBLE FLOOR COVERINGS DIFFERENT DEMANDS AND PROPERTIES THAN WITH PARQUET GLUE
Photo â&#x20AC;&#x201C; BASF - Thomsit
Some were cut out for it, others trained in it; the success of flexible floor coverings, both in rolls and tiles, has not left wooden floor fitters unmoved. Agreed, there are different points for attention and different products and accessories for achieving a qualitative fitting. Glues for vinyl, linoleum, or PVC are a different sort to that of parquet glues, and then there is another sort for cork.
Points for attention with flexible floors There are several fitting guidelines and points for attention for flexible floor coverings which differ entirely from those for parquet. There are
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specific products and rules for these floors, from the preparation of the substrate to the finish accessories required. The levelling agent is one example with glued floors, whilst with floating floors the subfloor (or middle floor) needs extra attention.
Levelling The levellers for a parquet floor need great compressive strength. This can sometimes also be necessary with an LVT/PVC floor in the case, for instance, of a floor in a hospital (heavy hospital beds and such like). In other cases less compressive strength is sufficient, so the levelling agent is then of a different type. Depending on the final floor covering,
there are several levelling agents available with various compressive strengths (C25-C30 etc.) and bending tensile strengths (F6-F7 etc).
A selection from the range Adesiv
The subfloor We’ve often said that a perfectly level subfloor is necessary for a beautiful and durable end result. Indeed, unevenness or differences in level show up in the final finished floor. The extent to which that happens varies, for instance, with the hardness or density of the floor. Slight unevenness in the screed will usually be invisible with laminate or parquet. In that case a flexible subfloor, with or without a damp screen, can suffice. With flexible floor coverings, however, that slight unevenness has to be eliminated by means of a harder subfloor.
Then there are the glues The fact that the range of glues has expanded so vastly over the years, even within the various forms of adhesive technology, is all due to the vast variety of (building) materials. Depending on the properties of the materials to be glued, some adhesives are more suitable than others. A lot is to do with the density of the material, porosity or absorption capacity, moisture sensitivity, the material’s moisture content, and such like. A lot also depends on the demands or mechanical expectations to which the glueing is subjected.
Different to parquet glue A distinction which we can draw immediately for flexible floor coverings is that between permanent and non-permanent glueing. A number of glues do not allow non-permanent glueing, and this means that the floor covering can be removed without damaging the subfloor. These adhesives are not used for parquet. In general, you can say that LVT glues differ mainly in viscosity. They have a much lower viscosity because they have to be applied in thin layers, often with a roller or fine trowel. This is in contrast to a parquet glue where the standing time of the adhesive grooves is essential. Glues for flexible floors (LVT, PVC, etc.) are also of a different sort because the type of material used for the glueing is completely different (flexible versus rigid – smooth tight substrate versus wood with a more open structure). Since it is difficult for LVT or PVC floors to absorb the moisture in the glue, you need a glue which can cope with semi-wet or almost dry glueing. And so, this involves a waiting time.
Dispersion glue on top Dispersion glues are ideal for flexible floor coverings such as vinyl and linoleum. Some PU adhesives are suitable as well. With dispersion glues a synthetic resin such as polyvinyl acetate, acrylate, or polyurethane is dispersed in water. Emulsifying agents, cross-linkers, and preservatives may be found in some lines. Dispersion adhesives set as the water is extracted from the glue to create an adhesive film (water disappears, whilst solid substances remain to create the bonding). This means that one of the parts to be glued must be capable of absorbing water. Metal, synthetics, wood, paper, and textiles can be glued using dispersion adhesive, but metal cannot be glued to metal in this way.
Not for cork! Contact adhesive is used for cork and is applied on two sides. The adhesive bonding is created firstly by spreading glue onto the surfaces. Once the solvents have evaporated, an adhesive film forms which is almost dry. Once pressure is applied briefly to the contact surfaces, a strong bonding is created. The materials are secured at once as they are pressed together and sliding them is no longer possible. As the glue gets warmer, it becomes softer (more plastic) and it thereby easier to apply.
Adesiv has Adetac S for glueing flexible floor coverings. This is a universal, 1-component, and acrylic glue of very high quality; it has an EC1 certificate. It is suitable for glueing all sorts of vinyl, rubber, PVC, linoleum, and textile to both absorbent and non-absorbent substrates. Unlike wooden floors, these floors move a lot less, so there’s no need for elastic glues. If the screed condition requires it (e.g. if it is powdery or loose), it will be necessary to apply a primer first. It is also usually advisable to deploy a self-flowing levelling agent in order to be certain that you have a perfectly level floor. The 2K PU glue Pelpren PL6-G is recommended for glueing PVC and rubber both in and outdoors.
Bostik Bostik offers an extensive range of glues for these types of floors. The best product from the range is the Power Elastic, a dispersion glue based on specific polymers; it has a very strong tack and a very low emission. It is suitable for glueing LVT in strips or tiles, rubber < 3.5mm thick, linoleum in strips, polyolefins, uniform PVC in tiles or strips, multi-layer PVC in tiles or strips, PVC on cork, expanded relief vinyl, semi-flexible tiles, mineral tiles, all sorts of wall-to-wall carpet and natural fibres, and PVC onto old PVC. Bostik presents the Green Contact for glueing items such as skirting boards’.
BASF- Thomsit Thomsit presents as its best product the Thomsit K 188 E, a special high-performance dispersion adhesive for wet and effective glueing of PVC floor coverings in strips or tiles (inc. PVC on foam), CV floor coverings, vinyl tiles, and textile floor covering with latex PVC and PU foam backing. K 188 E is ideal for
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Floor Forum International 89
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Adhesives for floors in vinyl, PVC and LVT
glueing compact floor coverings onto compact substrates e.g. PVC onto PVC. It is also suitable for glueing rubber with a thickness of up to 2.5mm and with a smooth and ingenious back in strips and tiles. Use Thomsit K 150 Dispersion Adhesive Rubber for rubber in thicknesses of more than 2.5mm. Thomsit K 188 E can also be used for pololefin, underlays, and cork floor coverings in tiles and strips of 4mm thickness. The floor coverings must not show any unevenness or changes in thickness. Thomsit also presents its Thomsit K 145 Designtac for glueing PVC.
Chimiver Chimiver offers 4 different adhesives for flexible floor or wall coverings, namely ADESIVER RE 400 N, ADESIVER RE 400 EXTRA and ADESIVER RE 400 PLUS and ADESIVER RE 400 SP. ADESIVER RE 400 N is a waterborne acrylic adhesive developed specifically for gluing linoleum up to 3 mm thicness, carpets with stable backing onto absorbent subfloors and for vinyl floors with a felt base. ADESIVER RE 400 EXTRA is a universal waterborne acrylic adhesive, highly tixotropic characterized high solid content, very good and easy spreadability and very low water content. Suitable fro gluing of semi rigid vinyl, PVC flooring, coconut and cork. ADESIVER RE 400 PLUS which is a waterborne acrylic adhesive for gluing flexible floor coverings on absorbent and semi-absorbent subfloors. Specific for PVC rolls or tiles, rubber sheets up to 3 mm, textile, semi-flexible vinyl and materials with PVC or cork base. ADESIVER RE 400/SP which is a waterborne adhesive for the laying of vinyl floors and LVT (luxury vinyl tiles) flooring.
Devo® There are permanent and removable glues for LVT. The most popular bonding is a polymer acrylic bonding. Glueing LVT also makes great demands of a glue. The permanent 2-component glues have a similar base and differ very little from parquet glues. The removable acrylic glues are not used with parquet. Their tensile strength is too low and it is not possible to combine them with most primers. This is a completely different technology. Generally, you can say that LVT glues differ mainly as regards viscosity. They have much lower viscosity because they have to be applied in thin layers, often with a roller or thin trowel. This is in contrast to a parquet glue where the standing time of the adhesive grooves is essential. Devo® Glue VNR150 spreads very easily and is usually applied with a roller. The floorboards are applied with a roller (for a removable fitting on a porous and smooth substrate). Floorboards are not fitted until the colour of the applied adhesive changes from milky white to transparent (this takes 5 to 10 minutes).
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Soudal Water-based dispersion glues are generally used for glueing flexible floor covering. There are also solvent-based glues or dual-component glues. The use of solvent glues emits solvents, so good ventilation during use is necessary. Dual-component systems have to be used completely after they are mixed. Synthetic floor glues have greater tack in the beginning to ensure that the corners don’t come loose by curling up. Synthetics (vinyl, linoleum, or PVC) are generally much harder to glue than wood, so a stronger binding agent is used in these sorts of glues. If the waiting time is short, the fitting can start sooner, and the longer the fitting time, the bigger the surface that can be glued at once. This depends on the type of glue and the fitting conditions (e.g. temperature and humidity). The best-selling product at Soudal is the Floor Covering Glue 26A in packs of 1kg, 5kg, and 15kg.
STAUF Modern design flooring (LVT = luxury vinyl tiles) is versatile, but because of their often very individual construction, they demand the highest precision from the floor layers fitting them. In order to achieve the best results, particular attention must be paid to the preparation of the subfloor and the adhesion. The adhesive system used for this purpose takes on a key function as the link between the floor covering and the subfloor. STAUF recommends D 50 for long-lasting, stable fitting of the wide range of design floor coverings: The fibrereinforced dispersion adhesive is ready for use immediately and the fibre reinforcement produces improved dimensional accuracy. STAUF R 105 is the problem-solver for rubber flooring and PVCcoverings that are exposed to heavy loads. STAUF offers various special adhesives for textile and elastic floorings, for example STAUF D 8 for linoleum, STAUF D 20 for rubber flooring and STAUF D 5 for PVC.
Tover Tover offers in his range different water-based glues for the bonding of resilient floors like LVT, a really trendy material, linoleum, textile, rubber, cork, etc on any type of supports, absorbent and not and on underfloor heating systems. Tovcol RP and Tovcol MPL are two acrylic solvent free adhesives to be used both in horizontal and vertical position with an excellent adhesion Peel and a high coverage. Tover also proposes an adhesive with permanent tack which enables to lay a floor, remove it after a long period of time without damaging it: Tovcol TST. Easy and safe!
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Discover the possibilities of the industrial lacquers
COATING CONTRACTORS BRING PERSONALISATION CLOSER EVEN ‘SMALL’ PARQUET FLOOR FITTERS CALL UPON ‘MAJOR’ FINISHERS
Photo –Mapo & Vepola
All reasons for outsourcing certain tasks to an external partner converge in one irrefutable trend. Whilst economic logic impels companies to adopt refined production techniques so that they can produce ‘ in mass’, but ‘profitably’, end users yearn for exclusivity and personalised products. A ‘customised floor covering’, you could say. Clients choose their own ‘ details’, their own colours, and such like – that must be possible! The collaboration with ‘an external partner’ works fairly simply: ‘X’ produces in mass and ‘Y’ adds a customised finish. That’s nice, isn’t it?
Outsourcing - why? ‘Oursourcing’ basically means paying an external partner to carry out at least one aspect (task) of an economic activity (service provision or production). The concept is as old as economics itself and is applied in several sectors. In some respects outsourcing is comparable
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to enterprise; someone who specialises in making the structure of a building is not necessarily good at joinery, to give just one example. Another example: A main car dealer garage has likely had its own bodywork division for decades. For several years, mechanics who still do bodywork themselves tend to be the exception to the rule.
Why outsourcing? There are several reasons for outsourcing a certain activity. The three most common reasons are: that someone else can do the job cheaper; that someone else can do the job faster; and that someone else simply does the job better.
Cheaper Production usually requires pure and sophisticated machinery. In a production chain or installation we find various machines which carry out the production process. Lots of activities which are part of the
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Discover the possibilities of the industrial lacquers
production process can just as well be offered on the market as an activity in itself. That implies that there are already machines available and operational elsewhere (apart from the production chain). It can be more profitable for the manufacturer to make use of those existing installations than to incorporate those installations into its chain.
Faster Some demands from clients can deviate from the normal production process. In that case the manufacturer can respond to that demand by temporarily adapting its normal production process. Obviously, that is only possible if there is enough stock of the standard product at that moment. And so, the deviating demand will have to ‘wait’ until a suitable time unless the manufacturer finds another supplier for whom that activity represents no deviation from the normal production process. In that case the other supplier can meet that demand much faster.
consumers directly has suddenly produced the rise of ‘packing’ in consumer-friendly quantities. Some ‘coating contractors’ have a packing line where trademark floorboards can be packed ‘customised’. The labelling, measuring, registering, and even the addition of instructions are all included here.
What’s on the market? H&W Finishing
Better Lots of activities are hyper-specialised. Other suppliers who have mastered a niche activity have developed into real specialists. It is undoubtedly a fact that the outsourcing of a specialised part of the production to such an external supplier gives greater certainty of a quality finish.
What do you outsource? Various tasks are outsourced nowadays in the parquet industry. These can relate to aspects of the production itself, finish tasks, or logistical services. Let’s summarise the possibilities briefly:
Production Parquet manufacturers who produce only traditional parquet, but, due to market pressures, also want to offer floorboards with tongue and groove could consider outsourcing this instead of investing in new machinery themselves. They could let an external company fit the tongue and groove. However, those sorts of companies offer much more in their services than just milling work. Mounting traditional parquet sections onto sheet panels, basically producing pre-fabricated traditional parquet, is one of the possibilities. Some companies specialise in applying click systems.
Finish The most common outsourcing activities are found within the field of floorboard finishes. The reason is clear. Lacquering lines take up a vast amount of space and are extremely expensive. UV technology may now be well established, but investments in UV drying machines are still astronomical. Coating contractors offer not only installations, but also a sound knowledge of just about all sorts of wood and the different products. As a result of their experience for different clients, they have developed into real specialists in just about all finishes.
Special operations This specialisation runs much deeper than merely applying traditional finishes to wooden floors. Most companies offer a comprehensive range of surface treatments. These also include colouring, distressing (e.g. smoking), lashing, hand-scraping, and such like. The popularity of those techniques has helped those companies to prosper and flourish.
Logistics & marketing Manufacturers also call upon the services of others for some logistical tasks. Here, too, demand is driven by new market trends. For example, the fact that finished parquet floors are now also sold to
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H&W Finishing is a modern company with three production lines for finishing floorboards and panels. Our latest development is a lacquer with fire-retardant properties which we can also apply in colour on request. This finish is being applied increasingly in major projects. We have two production lines for UV finishes and one for oxidative and special finishes. This is a new production line which is also suitable for fitting handwork, something which results in really attractive and characteristic floors. It is also possible to spray covering strips, skirting boards, laths, and floor or ceiling sections, for instance, in this line (in any type of RAL colour) using a spray machine. Distressing by means of Scarving Xperience is still a trend. The result is an exclusive floor which gives a warm and cosy atmosphere. We can distress in many different designs; you will find examples on our web site. Other new finishes are invisible oil and invisible lacquer, finishings which guarantee the natural look of the pale wood. We are located in the Netherlands directly alongside the A58 motorway and therefore are situated central in the Benelux. Visit www.hwfinishing.nl for more information.
Mapo & Vepola For over 40 years, Mapo has specialised in industrial finishes for wood products. The company tries to follow market trends and to create trends itself through close collaboration with clients and suppliers. Mapo offers a highly diverse range of finish options. Late in March 2017, in order to respond even better to market demands, Mapo took over the company Vepola. The takeover fits in perfectly with their marketing and product extension strategy. The services provided by the operating companies Mapo Belgium and Vepola are perfectly complementary. Vepola (varnishing – polishing – lacquering) is an industrial paint trader which has profiled itself for over 28 years as a reliable partner for leading companies in the bus, train, aircraft, and lorry building industries, indoor and outdoor joinery, and interior finishing for both new and renovated buildings. The company was formed in March 1989 by Wilfrid Gielen and Bert Franiczek and specialises in waterborne painting, treating, and protecting synthetic, composite, metal, and
finishes are possible due to their four production lines, each with a different treatment. Over the past year, they have developed extra services for professional clients. They now have their own complete spray cabin, so they can offer interior paintwork to meet the highest demands. There is an air-conditioned warehouse for storage and they also provide transport on request. Clients can monitor orders on the web site via a personalised log-on. This keeps clients informed of delivery periods in real time. You can also visit the showroom together with your clients or architect for a personal approach. Maintenance products and guidelines are always available for all current finishes, obviously always with the right advice! They now also have some new and trendy finishes for parquet in weathered and distressed styles and a collection in painted floors with a special wash look. Timfin® is based in Aalter (Belgium) and easily to find on the Lakeland industrial estate. You will find more information on their updated web site timfin.be or follow them on Facebook! wooden surfaces. Vepola is based in Genk on a 1.5ha. plot of land, three quarters of which is built on. And so, there is still scope for expansion. The activities are accommodated in a production hall of 2.250m², with two state-of-the-art spray cabins 15m (long) x 5m (wide), a conveyor system, and three ovens. Alongside the production hall, Vepola has a second hall of 1,200m² which is used to store ingoing and outgoing items. The former owners are rightly proud of their achievements and are committing themselves fully to the company in the next few years and to the team with which they have worked together for so many years. Client friendliness, quality, progressive product knowledge, and a motivated team of employees are basic values within the group. They give your product the perfect skin!
Timfin® Timfin® is ‘top class’ when it comes to parquet and wall finishes! Ultra-modern machines and a team of committed staff ensure a finish free of trouble. Parquet makers and timber traders, parquet fitters, and interior designers can come here. There is a choice of colour collections or customised colours. All
Topfin Topfin can offer any finish for parquet. The company finishes à la carte per order from 50 to 1000m² and above. For finishing interior parts Topfin can spray from matt to high gloss. Their specialities also include lacquering glass and finishing interior doors for door manufacturers. Clients are both major importers and distributors of parquet on the one hand and, on the other hand, parquet fitters who want their order finished. For the interior the clients are specialised interior builders and furniture makers who want a high-quality finish. The company has two offices in Belgium, namely Topfin in Ronse and LVU in Lokeren where there are various spray cabins and also a spray robot for bigger volumes. Topfin has a complete finish line for finishing parquet.
FOR THE TREATMENT OF YOUR WOOD PRODUCTS
flooring - ceiling outside cladding - profiles * decorative - durable - ageing fire retardant * roller coater/curtain coater/spraying/vacuum application MAPO BELGIUM N.V. – B-3530 Houthalen-Helchteren - T +32 11 60 54 93 - info@mapo.be
Visit our new website: www.mapo.be
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Advertorial
CSP Engineering (BE)
CSP ENGINEERING: A SUPER SPECIALIST IN A NICHE MARKET MECHANICAL SOLUTIONS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF PARQUET
PAR-Filler®
CSP Engineering is a niche specialist which develops technology for the production of wooden floorboards. CSP Engineering constructs all machines by itself. Therefore the company is able to respond to client needs and market trends quickly.
CSP Engineering focusses entirely on solutions for the production of wooden flooring. The company presents solutions in various phases of the production.
Parquet production: PAR-Duo® The PAR-Duo® is a machine for gluing solid wood top layers or 2-layer parquet with waterproof D4 adhesion. Plywood sections are glued endlessly in the length, so there is no waste from sawn wood. 2-layer parquet is glued using the PAR-Duo® on a conveyor.
PAR-Filler® and CosmetiWood® The PAR-Filler® is a unique machine for filling knots and cracks in wooden floorboards. This machine traces, analyses, and rectifies imperfections. Together with the PAR-Filler® they have also developed
Logistic systems for the parquet industry Various logistic systems can be integrated into the production for entering, buffering, retrieving, or stacking boards. For example, there is PAR-Feed®, PAR-Return®, PAR-Collect® and PAR-Stack®.
A specialist for parquet production
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CosmetiWood®, a new water based and solvent free wood filler. Once it is dry, CosmetiWood® has a hardness and porosity similar to wood, absorbs oils and colours nicely, has excellent adhesion, and shrinks hardly, even with big knots.
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Customized packing lines! CSP Engineering offers various systems in the field of computerised packing. PAR-Scan® PAR-Scan® is a complete packing line organiser. PAR-Scan® measures the length of each board in a pack, the number of square metres, the number of boards in the pack and all this one pack after another. The data reading plus the width, thickness, type of wood, quality, surface, etc. are printed on a label. A logo or bar code can be added. The information from each pack of flooring boards is , a pallet list with details is printed, and all data is made available on computer for your administration. PAR-Scan® stands for one unique system for reading, registering, labelling, and packing. PAR-Strap® The PAR-Strap® is an automatic parquet binding machine. It is easy to use and binds rapidly in barely a second. The PAR-Strap® is a machine which connects easily to the PAR-Scan®. PAR-Film® The PAR-Film® is a machine for packing floorboards in shrinking foil. The PAR-Film® has a high packing speed of up to 20 metres a minute. The PAR-Film® is a machine which connects easily to the PAR-Scan® and the PAR-Strap®. The PAR-Film® seals the shrink foil completely along the length and width sides. This means your parquet is fully protected from dirt, dust, and damp. In combination with the double compartment shrink tunnel, the PAR-Film® yields the best packing.
and/or the PAR-Film®, but can also link to other packing machines. The combination of the PAR-Pack® and PAR-Label® ensures automatic packing and labelling. PAR-Label® The PAR-Label® is an industrial machine for automatic registration and labelling and it is added to your packing line. The PAR-Label® consists of an industrial PC with touch screen plc, automatic label printer/applicator, and PAR-Label Pro software and database. After the input of length, width, and thickness, the PAR-Label® registers each pack of floorboards which is produced. A label is printed for each pack and stuck to the pack automatically, and then the pack is packed using the PAR-Strap® and/or the PAR-Film®. PAR-Info® The PAR-Info® is an automatic device which adds a leaflet or information sheet to each pack of floorboards during the packing. The PAR-Info® is deployed in combination with the PAR-Pack® or the PAR-Scan®. The PAR-Info® adds an information sheet or folder to each packet with no manual labour. The manufacturer can print all sorts of useful information in the leaflet such as maintenance and storage guidelines, fitting instructions, guarantee conditions, CE symbol, product specifications, logo, and trademark name
For more information please visit on www.csp-engineering.com
PAR-Pack® The PAR-Pack® is the base for fully automatic packing of your parquet in set lengths. PAR-Pack® connects easily to the PAR-Strap®
PAR-Scan®
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Automation and packaging for the parquet industry
COMPUTERISATION IN PARQUET PRODUCTION IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE REFINED SPECIALISTS OFFER SOLUTIONS IN EVERY PHASE OF THE PRODUCTION PROCESS
Photo – CSP Engineering
It is now a familiar picture for everyone in the automobile industry: The conveyor belt which sees the passage of hundreds of new cars every day is flanked alternately by human beings and, yes, by robots. Agreed, there are still plenty of people working there, but the robot provides reinforcement with lots of jobs and attaches some of the screws and bolts itself. It’s great! In the production of parquet we are nicely on the way to developing a comparable photograph. Computerisation is making inroads, from sawing the tree to printing a ‘ best before date’, you could say. Let’s explore.
Large-scale and personalised There are all sorts of movements, and not only in the parquet industry. Whilst the more large-scale production compels towards mass
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production, end users seem to be looking more and more for customised work. Yes, how do we reconcile the two? Even in the production of parquet and wooden floorboards large-scale operations are designed to lead to greater output. Producers are expanding their market, concentrate on exports as well as the home market, and work therefore via importers, distributors, parquet wholesalers, and such like. A logical consequence is that manufacturers have created ‘trademarks’ for their floors. This is not only the case for floors on offer in parquet specialist stores and DIY chains, but equally so for items bought by professionals. And so, those professionals want to be able to leave their impression on the end result. That impression is often the result of years of expertise passed down from generation to generation. And so, computerisation is making inroads not only amongst major producers of the different sorts of wood, but also amongst smaller and medium sized parquet floor fitters. Machine producers are providing solutions on both fronts.
Production phases in a nutshell In this section we’re not going to go into detail about the production phases of parquet and wooden floors (or laminate). We will simply wander along the production line and look at the highlights.
Internal transport The raw material has to be fed onto the production line and retrieved at the end. The feed table is placed in line with the machine input. The work items are laid manually on a diagonally placed chain or belt, lined up automatically against a buffer, and then fed into the machine one by one in sequence. Feed tables are available in diverse variants for different operating speeds and are suitable for long and short work items, with a rough or smooth surface. Retrieval systems are used at lower operational speeds with planes, sawing machines, packing lines, etc. The operator at the machine entrance is responsible for both feeding the machine and stacking (retrieved) treated products.
The production of parquet The actual production line includes all operations which are necessary for producing parquet floors from raw wood or wooden panels. The structure of a production line obviously depends on the sort of parquet which is produced. It is clear the production line will be less complex for the production of 6 and 9mm traditional parquet than, for instance, for three-layer engineered floors. The major operations are: - Planing and sandpapering - Milling tongue and groove - Glueing the parts of multi-layer parquet - Applying the various finishes (lacquer, oil, and hard wax) - Drying technology.
PAR-Return® is often deployed behind a shrink film packing line. PAR-Stack® is a fully automatic stacking machine, which is designed specially for stacking floorboards either loosely or in packs. In a line linked to PAR-Scan®, the most extensive packing operating system on the market, it is even possible to collect several short packs connected to each other in the feed lane of PAR-Stack® before they are laid on a pallet in one movement. Finally, PAR-Info® is a unit which can be added to any packing line and which can put a folder or information brochure on each pack of floorboards before they are packed. With PAR-Info® you can inform the end client (trademark, CE, instructions, etc.). You will find more extensive information about these modules elsewhere in this edition.
A specialist CSP Engineering CSP Engineering develops and constructs machines and systems for the production of solid and multi-layer parquet. The tools which CSP Engineering supplies relate to both the production itself and the computerisation on production machines on the input and output side. For example, for feeding boards to the PAR-Feed® planing and moulding machine there is a semi-automatic feed table for planing. This reduces the amount of manual work (stress on the worker) considerably and at the same time increases the actual use of the planing machine. PAR-Duo® is a conveyor belt
As far as the packing Measuring, labelling, registering, and packing: The operator who has fed in the raw floorboards finds them returning via the retrieval system as neatly packed floor packets ready for the shops. In this phase the producer will make its trademark visible via elements such as the packaging. The packaging becomes an information carrier, with both information on the qualities of the product (number of square metres, thickness, dimensions, and means of finish) and information which is legally obligatory such as the CE marking.
Filling technology for wood flooring MACHINED FILLING OF KNOTS IN PARQUET before
CSP Engineering focuses on parquet Computerisation in the production of parquet starts as early as sawing tree trunks into planks. Amongst other things, CSP Engineering presents machines and computerised processes over the entire range of solid and multi-layer parquet. The tools which CSP Engineering provides are for the production itself and computerisation on the output side of the production machines. For example, for feeding planks to the planning machine there is the PAR-Feed®, a semi-automatic feed table for planing which sharply reduces the manual labour (stress on the worker) at the planing machine and at the same time considerably increases the effective use of the planning machine. PAR-Duo® is a production line for the conveyor belt production of two-layer parquet and makes use of a D4-category PU hot melt (waterproof glueing). Still in the production phase there is the brand-new PAR-Filler®! After years of research and development, CSP Engineering has managed to develop PAR-Filler®, an automatic machine for filling gnarls and cracks in parquet floorboards. Let’s have a quick look at the output side. PARCollect® is a simple product buffer which is usually placed behind relatively slow-running machines, such as a planing machine or packing machine. With PAR-Collect® it is possible to buffer a width of 1.5 to 3m of products until the buffer needs to be emptied manually. PARReturn® returns each product to the feed side of the machine.
after
CSP Engineering bvba Stenehei 30/10 B-2480 Dessel (Belgium)
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Tel: +32 14 37 77 52 info@csp-engineering.com www.csp-engineering.com
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Automation and packaging for the parquet industry
production line for the production of 2-layer parquet and makes use of a D4 category PU hot melt (waterproof gluing). The showpiece is the PAR-Filler®, an automatic machine for filling knots and cracks in parquet floorboards. Let’s have a look at the output side. With PAR-Collect® it is possible to collect products between 1.5 and 3m wide before it is necessary to empty the buffer manually, this makes it possible to execute the operation with 1 operator. PAR-Return® returns each product to the entry side of the installation. PAR-Return® is often deployed behind shrink foil packing line. PAR-Stack® is a fully automatic stacking machine specially designed to stack floorboards either packed or unpacked. In lines connected to PAR-Scan®, the most extensive packing management system on the market, it is even possible for several short packages to be collected and connected to each other in PAR-Stack® before they are put onto the pallet in one motion. Finally, PAR-Info® is a unit which can be added to any packing line and which can apply a folder or information brochure to any pack of floorboards before they are packed. PAR-Info® gives the end client all the information directly (e.g. trademark, CE, and instructions).
Photo – CSP Engineering
Wood Filler, eco-friendly, for WOOD INDUSTRY • Economical powder 1kg = 1.3kg of paste • Ready-to-use • Application on cold or hot panels • Special formulas for planed and brushed wood • 8 standards colors or counter-typing on demand • Package from 5 to 310kg, in buckets or in barrels
Manual or automatic application
Call a specialist: 05.61.98.40.88 or www.briancon-production.com
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Fillers and repair kits
FILLING HOLES WITH THE RIGHT FILLER REPAIR KITS ARE A BASIC TOOL FOR PARQUET FLOOR FITTERS
Photo – Chimiver
Is wood a live matter? Yes, to some extent, even if it seems logical that cutting the tree takes away its life. In other words, if wood is alive, then actually everything is alive. All building materials react to a greater or lesser degree to certain atmospheric conditions so that the dimensions of those materials become more or less ‘variable’. Wood has a typical feature of reacting quite strongly to fluctuations in the humidity: that’s something which has been taken into account for years in the construction industry. For some symptoms we have to take out a ‘ balsam’, whilst others require ‘major resources’.
wood selection. Extremely rustic floorboards usually have more natural aberrations than A-selection wood, for instance. However, accidental damage can also occur on site, for example, as the result of a falling object or the use of poorly maintained tools.
Holes and cracks
Expansion joints
Whether we are talking about parquet strips or a plank floor, one or more strips, individual planks or pre-assembled panels, wooden floorboards always have major or minor ‘imperfections’. Holes, splits, cracks, or chinks are imperfections which may be natural (i.e. sometimes part of the charm of the wooden floor) or they can be the result of the fitting itself, in which case they need to be removed. There are several products on the market, depending on the type of defect ‘to be repaired’. Indeed, some imperfections have to be removed with products which are insensitive to climate conditions, whilst for other (seeming) imperfections it’s true to say that they ‘go along’ with the flow of the floor.
We’re not talking here about the special kits which are used to construct a ship deck floor. The kits which we want to consider in more depth in this article are primarily functional. Basically, they have to solve a technical problem. The wall connections and thresholds to other floors are fitted with expansion joints, which are filled with a material to absorb the movement of the floor.
Cracks and gnarls As we’ve said, some defects such as cracks, splits, holes, or cavities may be part of the wood’s natural defects. This depends largely on the
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Nail holes The nail holes which are produced when traditional parquet is fitted are the first instances of conscious damages to the floor. In a room of 4 x 6m these can easily number a few hundred holes. Obviously, those holes need to be filled in before the floor can be given a coat of oil, wax, or lacquer.
The ‘repair kit’ For a few years now, various producers have been making repair kits. These consist of different repair resources in one packet. These repair kits contain products which enable users to repair different floors (e.g. solid wood, multi-layer, veneer, and even laminate) in patches and in response to different types of damages. As a reminder, we list below the different repair solutions.
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Fillers and repair kits
Joint filler Joint filler is the product to which sawdust, sandpapered using grain 80-100, is added. This mixture is used primarily to fill nail holes in the wooden floor. The major asset of joint fillers is obvious; since the filler is made using sawdust from the wooden floor, the colour is identical to that of the wood. The current fillers dry quickly, have a very good filling capacity, and are safe for humans and the environment. Fillers can obviously also be used to repair other defects such as splits and scratches.
Wood paste Wood paste or liquid wood (also called putty) is particularly suitable for filling small nail holes or chinks. It is used not only in the parquet and wooden floor sector, but also in different places in the construction industry such as carpentry repairs (doors and windows) or repairs to furniture and such like. Wood paste is available in several wood sorts so that you can find a solution for any floor. Putty can be treated perfectly well afterwards with oil, wax, or parquet lacquer.
an odourless putty which is created by mixing it with sanding dust from the floor. This means holes are always filled in the same colour as the floor. The product is odourless, is applied with the spatula, and dries quickly. All Briançon products have undergone the necessary tests under the VOC legislation and are classed in group A+. Packs are available from 500g up to 25kg or even customised for the industry.
Acrylate and polyacrylate
Bona offers a water-based binding agent which, when mixed with sanding dust, is used for sealing holes and cracks, namely the Mix & Fill. For medium and bigger cracks or holes Bona presents Mix & Fill Plus. Bona has an acrylic putty specially for repointing between the floor and skirting boards. This is available in 12 different colours. Bona also offers Gap Master, a silicone-free and polyacrylate filler kit for parquet which is available in 15 different colours. Finally, Bona R200 is a low-viscosity 1-component polyurethane filler for filling in hollow points and reinforcing parquet. The slight foaming fills in cavities perfectly and this creates a seal with the substrate.
Some imperfections in the wood, but also joints and thresholds with other floors in particular, require an ongoing elasticity to absorb floor movements. For this purpose we find polyacrylate or acrylate fillers on the market. These fillers can absorb vast wood movements (7 to 14%). They are perfectly suitable for lacquering or oiling.
Repair wax Wax as a repair tool appears in the shape of wax rods. These wax rods are available in both solid and paste form. In the case of the wax paste the repair is done ‘cold’. The wax paste is pressed into the cavity or crack. Surplus wax is then removed with a synthetic spatula. Solid wax is melted above the damaged area using a special melting pistol. The melting pistol to make the wax softer can be likened to a small soldering iron. Here, too, the surplus wax should be removed with a synthetic spatula.
What’s on the market? Adesiv Amongst other things, Adesiv presents Legastucco L100 for filling holes and joints. This is a binding resin based on a rapidly drying solvent for levelling and filling wooden floors. The product is mixed with wood shavings obtained from fine sandpapering in a ratio of 1/1. Legastucco L100 is available in casks of 10 litres. Legastucco L100 is particularly suitable for levelling a floor completely. In addition, Adesiv offers the water-based Stucco WB. Adesiv also has Fugastop, a 1-component acrylic sealant which is odourless and can be sandpapered and painted over.
Briançon Briançon offers various sorts of putty for repairing wood. For major repairs there is putty in powder form which is diluted with water (e.g. Wood Mastic BI or P340). Wood Mastic BI Rapid guarantees setting in 40 minutes. It is an ecological product based on natural adhesives and preserves the colour of the wood perfectly. Wood Mastic E800 or Wood Filler (‘Rebouche Bois’) are types of putty ready for use and they are also based on natural adhesives. Wood Mastic Liant Aqua is
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Bona
Blanchon Blanchon offers an extensive range of fillers for parquet and wooden floors. Amongst the ‘technical solutions’ we can identify the binding agents for use with sawdust, putty (powder to be mixed in water or two components to be mixed), wood pastes, and ready-for-use putty in a tube (Mastic Bois Blanchon en tube). For mixing with sawdust Blanchon presents two distinct kits. Wood Filler Putty from Blanchon (‘Liant Mastic à Bois’) has been a permanent fixture amongst European parquet floor fitters for over 20 years. The product consists of a highly fluid resin with very high tack and it is mixed with the sawdust from the second sandpapering. This means that the colour of the filler will always be identical to that of the floorboards used. It dries rapidly. The product can be finished using all the traditional means. As part of its quest for sustainable development, Blanchon has developed a second binding agent in the Aqua Pro range, namely the Pro Filler. This is applied in the same way, but takes a little longer to dry.
Ciranova Ciranova presents various solutions for filling holes and cracks and for carrying out repairs. The Ciranova Gupamaker is a mixture of binding agents and aromatic solvents which should be mixed with sawdust from the wooden floor. Gupamaker is ideal for sealing nail holes and
other minor wood repairs. Wood Filler is also a natural powder which is diluted with water. If you want to obtain a particular colour, you can also mix Wood Filler with a waterborne stain such as Aquapad. Wax sticks are coloured rods of wax which can easily be moulded to fill small holes and cracks. Wax sticks don’t shrink and have excellent adhesion. Wax sticks are available in about 40 colours.
Chimiver Chimiver presents ECOFILL-MIX an acrylic water-based joint and hole filler ready to mix with the dust coming from sanding down wooden floors. Suitable for filling wooden floors or gaps between floor boards giving wooden floors smooth finish. Another Chimiver product, amongst other things, is PARKETKIT an acrilic mastic for baseboards or gaps between different floor elements. Overcoatable. Available in different colours: oak, iroko doussiè, walnut, marple, beech-cherry, white, wengè, grey.
Devo® To seal cracks in a professional manner it is always necessary to sandpaper the parquet floor again. It is then possible to fill the cracks using any filler whatsoever. For sealing thin cracks it is easier to use a product with a very fine texture so that the filler can penetrate the thin cracks more easily. Devo® Woodfill is ideal for this! Devo® Woodfill has been developed for filling cracks, bursts, gnarls, and nail holes in parquet or wooden floors, furniture, etc. Devo® Woodfill is easy to apply as a paste once it is mixed with water. The product dries quickly and can be coloured over perfectly well. Devo® Resiplas is a colourless resin which is mixed with sanding dust and used to fill holes and cracks.
Lecol WS Easy Fill Plus is a water-based joint sealant for the preparation of wood filler. In contrast to other water-based joint sealants which conform to the market, this WS Easy Fill Plus is suitable for all types of wood. Once it is dry, you get a mass of wood filler with a good filling capacity and good adhesion. Apart from the rapid drying, the low consumption and the safe and simple processing are important features. Furthermore, the extraordinary genuine colour is an important benefit, even with exotic types. The product has been developed for sealing joints and small holes on parquet and wooden floors. Apart from the WS Easy Fill Plus, Lecol also presents the Loba repair paste.
Plastor At Plastor they have two distinct groups of fillers and repair kits, depending on the size of the zone to be filled. For small zones, such
as holes to be filled, there is the Filler binder (‘Liant de rebouchage’), a product in liquid form which has to be mixed with sawdust from the wood. For bigger zones wood pastes or putty are ideal for doing repairs. Plastor Filler binder (‘Liant de Rebouchage’) is available in 1 litre or 5 litres. The 5 litre pack is the biggest. The biggest pack for pastes or putty is 500g.
Pallmann At Pallmann the repair kits are designed to repair the wooden surface using items such as repair wax or acrylate. When parquet is renovated, it may be necessary to seal cracks in the wood. Pallmann offers two products for that purpose, namely PALL ZERO FILLER and PALL-X-KITT. PALL-ZERO FILLER is a water-based product with no solvents and PALL-X-KITT is also a water-based product with few solvents (less than 15%). Both products are mixed with the sanding dust to repair cracks and splits.
Rubio Monocoat It is crucial to prepare the surface properly in order to obtain the best possible finish. RMC Woodfiller Quick is a one-component, ecological, and fast-setting putty. It is supplied in powder form for indoor joinery. The product hardens quickly and can be sandpapered about two hours later with no problem at all. RMC Woodfiller Quick is available in three colours, namely Light, Medium, and Dark, and is supplied in a PVC bucket (0.5, 2.5, or 5kg). After this preparatory work, the floor is in perfect condition for finishing and colouring with Rubio Monocoat oil. This product doesn’t shrink, but swells lightly, so one treatment is enough and it can be sandpapered perfectly well.
Tover During the laying of an untreated parquet or the renovation of a wooden floor, the first finishing step is to fill fissures between boards and wooden pores. Tover offers two fillers suitable for this operation: the first one is solvent-based with low smell: Lega Stucco RS20 and the second, result of the research for innovating environment friendly products, is water-based Idrostucco RS30. Both must be mixed with wooden dust and applied with a spatula. A sole application is enough to perfectly fill cracks as they do not shrink and have excellent filling properties. They are over-coatable both with water-based and solvent-based lacquers. For the industry, Tover proposes a two-component polyester product, available in different colors to fill wooden knots before industrial finishing with oils and varnishes: Nodostuc.
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Special
Producers of bamboo floors present their trends
WOOD OR GRASS WHAT ’S THE DIFFERENCE? BAMBOO AND OAK ARE GROWING MORE LIKE EACH OTHER
Photo – Becker & Grossgarten
If you’re not made of wood, but you’d like to be, what do you want to look like? The question might remind you of Pinocchio a little, but the answer is obvious. If you want to be made of ‘wood’, you opt for oak. Why? Because oak is quite simply the best seller from amongst its type. That was the case in the past, it is the case today, and even without a crystal ball we can say that it is likely to be the case in the future. Since each type of ‘parquet’ can be designed in bamboo, and since bamboo resembles oak in terms of colour and grain, the association is never far away. The range speaks volumes.
Grass with an air of wood We’ve often said that bamboo is a type of grass and not wood. There are about 1300 types of bamboo worldwide. The natural spread lies
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mainly in the tropical and subtropical parts of the earth. Most sorts can be found in South-East Asia, but the plant is equally common in Africa, Australia, and Latin America. North America also has two native sorts. It is thought that Europe once had a natural covering of bamboo, but, according to natural scientists, it failed to survive successive ice ages. In the real bamboo countries bamboo has been an important raw material since the existence of mankind for the production of domestic items, weapons, musical instruments, and even houses and bridges. Since the countries with a wealth of bamboo tend to be poor countries, people sometimes referred to it scornfully as ‘timber for poor lice’. That expression no longer holds true since bamboo has made its way into the interior world. On the contrary, in terms of floors bamboo is one of the ‘better’ materials. As regards look, it strives to rival the most coveted wood sorts with which we are familiar in the interior and as regards mechanical qualities it just about exceeds ‘the lot’.
The knowing look towards oak We’re not going to repeat the production process from bamboo to floor. We’re only going to illustrate how bamboo comes to ‘look like’ oak. Glueing the strips into panels is the second major phase in the production process. After all, the manner in which the strips are glued directly affects the look of the panels and therefore (later) the look of the floor or other items (furniture, tabletops, staircase stairs, etc.) which will be produced from the panels.
Glueing makes the difference There are two ways of glueing the strips. In the first method the strips are pressed horizontally next to each other and glued under heavy pressure. The result is a panel or plank where the typical bamboo joints are clearly visible. We call the panels which are created in this way ‘plain pressed’. With the other method the strips are pressed sideways to obtain a finer structure with fewer visible bamboo joints. We call the panels which are pressed sideways ‘side pressed’.
Side pressed and oak We’ve already said that bamboo which is side pressed has a fine structure with relatively few joints. The similarity to oak is striking and even somewhat misleading for someone who isn’t a connoisseur. The ‘natural’ version gives you the look of untreated oak which has just been sandpapered. The ‘caramel’ version, too, shows a similarity to coloured oak (somewhat darker). With some trademarks this design is an entry-level model, but it is also very popular for its decorative look.
Trends from the world of parquet Bamboo goes along with the parquet sector. Here, too, there is a fairly obvious link with oak floors since the trends followed in the parquet world are found mainly with oak. These trends relate to both the colour and certain current designs and fitting patterns.
Two specialists Becker & Grossgarten Becker & Grossgarten presents the Econudo BPC composite planks as the solution par excellence for fitting terraces. These floorboards are produced from a modern bamboo polymer composite which contains at least 60% bamboo fibres. Since composite planks are gaining considerable ground, the outdoor product range of this bamboo specialist from Cologne will form a high portion of the whole range. Modern brushed finishes provide the perfect solution to the demand for natural textures. The company offers planks with two differently treated sides (brushed and scraped) in two colours, namely earth brown and light grey. A new item is a plank in two colours to give the effect of an old floorboard. This plank is available in 20mm and can be fitted using the Econudo fastening system. Recently, the company has extended its range to include an aluminium support structure and adjustable pedestals. The Econudo BPC terrace planks are durable and easy to maintain. BambooTouch®
A world full of colour Apart from the colour shades already available in the shape of caramel and natural, the number of bamboo floor colours has increased vastly. Bamboo Colour makes its entrance and then the possibilities are endless. The range varies from playful and youthful colours to the imitation of darker wood sorts such as wenge and panga panga. What certainly stands out in the colour pallet are the shades which are emerging everywhere in the interior, namely white, grey, and black. Whether it’s now a question of modern interiors or extremely classic, these shades are generally doing very well and they are also appearing in bamboo collections.
Relief in the floor It was only to be expected that distressed would breakthrough here as well. Here, too, that is rapidly becoming a trend. Not only the extremely dark designs (smoked effects), but also mechanical operations such as brushing, hand-scraped, and such like are making their entry. And so, bamboo no longer has solely smooth designs, but also designs where the grain of the decor can actually be felt.
Fitting patterns In previous editions we have explained at length that various fitting patterns from the world of parquet have been adopted for bamboo floors. One of the commonly recurring and extremely popular designs is that of the so called end grain blocks or also industrial parquet. Various traders offer this playful design of bamboo in caramel, natural, dark, and alternating colours.
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At BambooTouch® they have noticed a big rise in demand for bamboo products. However, it is not clear whether or not this means that the market is growing or rather this is something due to the withdrawal of several players. The latter has been a consequence of a clear realisation on the part of end users that a specialist trader is best in the case of bamboo. Until recently, end users didn’t always get the quality which they expected. As far as the decorative aspect goes, it is mainly BamWood® which is growing in different finishes, with or without printed decors and in large size. At BambooTouch® clients can get anything except veneer. The major assets for bamboo are still the highly competitive hardness as compared to just about all wood sorts and the fact that bamboo scores cannot be rivalled from an ecological point of view. Top scorers here are the vertical caramel and BamWood® in general. Over 95% of products leave the premises completely finished.
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∂ Industry news Flamingo Parket hands over cheque to Childhospice Binnenveld in Barneveld Last week Flamingo Parket celibrated it’s 50th anniversary. On the 2nd of June relationships, family and friend could take a look behind the scenes of our factory and in the evening there was a spectacular party at the “Hoefslag” in Barneveld. In stead of receiving gifts, Flamingo Parket had asked the guests to make a donation to the Childhospice Binnenveld in Barneveld. On Monday the 12th of June, Lars Versteeg, owner of Flamingo Parket, handed over a cheque to Ilse Vasterman of this Childhospice with a total amount of six thousand euros. Lars Versteeg: “It was very impressive to see the dedication of a team of 25 permanent employees together with more than one hundred volunteers to give intensive care and guidance to a group of young children. Flamingo Parket is very pleased handing over this cheque to contributed to the good work of Childhospice Binnenveld”.
presented by Josef Renner, the regional director in Vöcklabruck. The award is given to companies with a history dating back more than 100 years. Neuhofer Holz was formed in 1650 as a sawmill and has been at the Zell am Moos location for 367 years. The company is entirely family owned and is currently managed by the 10th generation, with the 11th already playing a role in the company. Work will also continue in the coming years on implementing a new design for the facility so as to enable the flow of goods to be handled as efficiently as possible, from the delivery of raw materials to the shipping of final products. Also planned is the construction of a new office building, including a spacious showroom, as well as additional production spaces. “In addition to the wonderful trophy and the certificate, we were also presented with a tradition book. We are extremely pleased that our family-owned company is listed in it,” said General Manager Franz Neuhofer.
Flamingo Parket FEP meeting in Budapest – parquet industry finally out of recession
Neuhofer Holz receives award given to companies with a long-standing tradition
On 23 May 2017, the Chamber of Commerce of Upper Austria gave the profile manufacturer Neuhofer Holz in Zell am Moos / Austria an award as a company with a long-standing tradition. The trophy was
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The FEP meeting was held for the sixty-first time on 22 and 23 June 2017. During the congress, delegates considered statistics and market developments. From 2007 to 2012, parquet sales in Europe slumped by no less than 30%. During the presentation of the figures from 2016, delegates realised that sales of parquet have now risen for four consecutive years. Parquet sales in 2016 rose by 2.3% as compared to 2015. That was not a huge increase by any means, but delegates noted with joy that the immediate future is looking good. At present, the percentage of parquet being sold in Europe is only 5%. And so, there is still a long way to go. The aim is to increase the percentage to 7% in the next few years. The project with this aim in mind started last year under the name From five to Seven. One threat which was cited was the fact that there will be a scarcity of oak wood in the next few years. In particular, the thicker trunks, which yield the wider wood, will be much less accessible and therefore more expensive. In fact, only beech is available as an alternative in large quantities. Hans Kamerbeek was present on behalf of the Netherlands on behalf of the Parket Alliance and Lars Versteeg on behalf of Flamingo Parket. Unfortunately, the third member, Mr Broersen from FB Hout, was not able to be present.
Special
Adjustable floor support systems for terrace floors
ALL CONSTRUCTIONS NEED FOUNDATIONS RENOVATION MARKET STIMULATES THE USE OF PEDESTALS
Photo – Impertek
What do pedestals or floor supports do? They provide a stable base for terraces and outdoor constructions, irrespective of the required drainage slope. Pedestals replace the piles of stones or pegs which we once used in an attempt to fit a more or less even terrace. Their strong points? They are reliable, stable, durable, and, especially, they can be adjusted in height and slope. Anyone in their right mind can think of a whole series of applications. They are gradually becoming indispensable.
A ‘pillar’ Synthetic pedestals as a solution are both ingenious and simple. They are used for tile terraces, wooden terraces, temporary or exhibition floors, industrial floors, and even stages. These pedestals are designed in synthetics, so they provide a virtually weatherproof base for outdoor terraces. It is the design which determines the bearing capacity. Combining different elements makes it possible to raise floors considerably, and that also makes it possible to offset considerable differences in height. Moreover, if the slope can be adjusted, the
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Special
Adjustable floor support systems for terrace floors
possibilities are even greater. A 2% degree of slope is also recommended as a minimum. In our quest for technical information we found out, amongst other things, that the number of suppliers on the market is extremely limited. One major distinction is that between ‘stationary’ pedestals and pedestals which can be adjusted in height.
Problem solvers We will see below that pedestals are not only problem solvers, but also, in that sense, they fulfil their role with verve in several applications. The fact that we mention the thriving renovation market need come as no surprise. If you extend buildings or premises, demolish walls, join rooms together, or relay gardens, you constantly encounter differences in height which have to be offset somehow. And so, these pedestals prove their worth in the renovation process. Let’s consider some applications.
Integration with the garden and swimming pool We are increasingly developing our terraces as a whole. Differences in height often have to be offset in order to integrate a swimming pool into an existing terrace. We now know that the swimming pool market is ‘booming’. Building a swimming pool on an existing terrace and garden configuration is seldom possible without radical adjustments to the different levels. Another common problem is the extension of the terrace towards the garden, certainly if the garden ‘runs off’.
Paths and ‘islands’ If we are not immediately able or willing to fit a terrace, garden, swimming pool, and, if necessary, a place for sun worshippers in one connected whole, we spread those resting places out in the garden. The need often arises to join those places together by means of paths, which, in turn, can be designed in different ways.
Raising a terrace
Green roofs and roof gardens
It happens not infrequently in home renovation that there is a need to raise the floor in the living room and/or kitchen. This is the case, for instance, if you’re going to fit a new floor (e.g. parquet) onto an existing one. With the current trend of ‘extending’ indoor floors to the terrace, the terrace, too, will have to be raised. It goes without saying that this also involves a certain degree of levelling. After all, a wooden terrace doesn’t need any slope at all, whilst the existing tile floor does have one.
Land is becoming increasingly scarce and more and more people are building their habitat in an urban setting. What we have written above about gardens and terraces usually applies on a smaller scale on scores of roofs and roof platforms in big cities. Floor pedestals are usually indispensable when fitting green roofs and roof gardens.
Adjustable pedestals for all types of wood terraces Adjustable from 11 to 1120mm
What is a green roof? Green roofs are roofs which are covered in vegetation and in a number of layers which are necessary for its development (e.g. drainage layer and substratum). These are usually special plants which are capable of withstanding wind, heat, frost, and dehydration. Constructing a green roof yields important benefits for the building itself, but also for the surrounds. In some towns and cities the local authority encourages the construction of green roofs with subsidies or tax benefits.
Roof gardens are real gardens As a rule, we identify three sorts of green roofs, which are classified according to the type of plantation: intensive green roofs, lightly intensive green roofs, and extensive green roofs. Intensive green roofs are basically the equivalent of a garden at ground level, but constructed on a roof. The vegetation consists of all plants which you might find in a garden, usually for a large part of grasses, herbs, shrubs, flowers, and even fully grown trees. Paths, terraces, and lights are usually included in the garden architecture. Differences in height and degrees of slopes are absorbed (or adjusted) by means of pedestals.
What’s on the market? Most manufacturers offer two types of pedestal. There is one type for constructing a wooden floor on beams and another type for a raised floor with tiles.
Buzon International S.A.
Buzon Pedestal International s.a. Tel. +32 4 248 39 83 - sales@bpi.be www.buzon.eu 50
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Buzon International S.A. offers solutions for fitting terraces on sloping or uneven surfaces. Buzon designs, produces, and sells pedestals of the screw jack type, which are made from polypropylene. The supports consist for 80% of recycled propylene and 20% of talc, so they can be 100% recycled. The quality of the basic material is obviously important for durability. Buzon pedestals are subjected to scores of tests and, amongst other things, they can withstand temperatures between -50°C and +120°C. That’s why these pedestals are used in extremely hot and humid climates (e.g. the Middle East), but also in bitterly cold lands (e.g. Russia and Poland). The pedestals can be adjusted in height at any time starting from 1120mm. They can be used for beams from 35 to 90mm. The PH5 slope corrector makes it possible to offset slopes of up to 5%. In combination with the BC-PH5 corrector, it is even
00617 Visual Comunicazione â&#x20AC;&#x201C; VE
YOUR PROJECT OUR SUPPORT
possible to offset slopes of up to 15%. The pedestals can bear loads of up to 1500kg. The great strength of Buzon, apart from the unique quality of the products, includes the easy fitting and safety, but especially the facility to produce and deliver quickly from a stock of several hundred thousand pedestals. Buzon also has non-adjustable pedestals (15mm) with a slope corrector.
Eurotec
Eurotec offers two types of pedestals, namely the ECO line and the Profi line. The ECO line includes four feet with different heights for building between 2.5 and up to 19.8cm. The base consists of the adjustable foot with L-profile. The ECO line is suitable for wooden or aluminium bearing structures and for wooden floors with no exceptionally heavy loads. The Profi line is a fully newly developed range of pedestals with three base feet for heights from 3.0 to 11.7cm. the heights can be extended. These Profi line bearers can be equipped with four different adapters: Click Adapter 40, Click Adapter 60, L-Adapter, or Stone Adapter. The latter is suitable for wooden terraces and tiles. The bearers are resistant to the weather, erosion, and insects. They can be installed quickly and easily. The spacers from Eurotec are produced from EPDM or cork. For the substructure of these terraces and floors the company presents a structure in aluminium. This is recommended due to its dimensional stability and its insensitivity to the effects of the weather. The substructure is compatible with the adjustable foot thanks to the click adapter. The terraceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heavy weight means there is no need for anchoring, but holes are provided. These systems have a guaranteed lifespan of 15 years.
Impertek The pedestal range from Impertek comprises three types, namely the Jack Supports, Mega Mart series, and Balance line (new!). Jack Supports have been on offer since 1997 and are available in a range from 35 to 380mm. This original range has been adapted constantly over time to meet market needs and demands. A few months ago, they added more new products and accessories, including an extension with screws from 210 to 380mm, meaning an increase of 170mm. This makes it possible to offset big differences in height with just one product; this greatly helps logistical organisation on site. In October 2008,
Adjustable paving support pedestals
Made in Italy impertek.com
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Adjustable floor support systems for terrace floors
Impertek launched the Mega Mart with heights starting from 22mm for the lowest supports up to 1020mm for the highest. Here, too, they have considered the logistical organisation on site. For example, if you start with the fourth size (115-220mm), it is possible to achieve the final height with various extensions (100mm/extension). The fifth measure goes from 215 to 320mm, and the sixth from 315 to 420mm until you finally reach the height of 1020mm. To correct the surface slope, Impertek offers a micro-millimetric slope corrector. The Balance line is new; this is a product with a self-levelling head and specifically suitable for situations where there are drainage channels.
Solidor
Photo – Solidor
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Solidor pedestals are made from polypropylene. They can bear temperatures between -25°C and + 80°C and have a load capacity of up to 1000 kg. As soon as the right height is set, the pedestal can be fixed in place easily. The base panel has a surface area of 300cm². The system can regulate a height between 17mm and 1m. Automatic slope correctors are available to offset the required slope (up to 10%). These must not be anchored into the ground, since they are re-usable. Depending on the strength of the beams used, it is advisable to position the feet 40 to 60cm from each other. The beams are positioned separately on the terrace bases or screwed into the middle of the upper support panel. Solidor gives a 10-year guarantee. Solidor pedestals can be fitted quickly and easily and used for a wide range of floors e.g. wooden beams, floor tiles in wood or concrete, etc.
Special
Drying oil and/or lacquer using LED
DRYING IN THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE LED-CURING ESTABLISHES ITSELF ALONGSIDE UV-CURING
Photo – Rubio Monocoat
Time is money and curing needs time! Surely drying needs time, too? If we can shorten that time drastically, we actually shorten a major part of the building time, especially the finish phase and the delivery of the building. UV wooden floor finishes have the asset of drying in the shortest times. Here ‘ dry’ doesn’t just mean dry to the touch, but genuinely hardened and therefore ready for use. For floor finishes that can be a requirement imposed in some cases by the project itself or it can be ‘a nice optional extra’ for the project manager and floor fitter. LED light follows this same reasoning.
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Curing with ‘air’ or ‘light’ Drying and curing are not entirely the same. Drying means per se that water is drained from the used product (e.g. paint, ink, or oil). New curing techniques work according to a different principle.
Air-drying Drying is a process in which damp escapes to a more or less fluid material. That ‘escape’ can be speeded up somewhat by ventilation. Ventilation removes damp air to make space available for ‘escaping’ damp. The best way to illustrate this is the operation or effect of a hair dryer; that’s what we call air-drying. As for the finishes for parquet
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another product from vesting
FROM THE INVENTORS
UNSURPASSED QUALITY AND COLOUR www.vesting.nl
2O17
@vestingfinishingproducts
WOOD SCIENCE.
Special
Drying oil and/or lacquer using LED
or other building products the second step consists of the substances in the liquid substance staying behind and entering into a reaction influenced by ambient air. That’s called ‘curing’ and a classical lacquer provides solid protection in this way.
Curing with light With curing by means of light (e.g. UV) it is not necessary for damp to ‘escape’. If a paint consists of monomers together with a photoinitiator, the coating will cure in a few seconds after the application of that coating and radiation with UV light. Since monomers have low viscosity, there is no need to use any solvents or make any dispersions in water. This means that there is no evaporation of solvents or water. Monomers form the basis of most binding agents used in the paint industry.
LED light is UV light UV light (ultraviolet light) is an electromagnetic ray which falls just outside the part of the spectrum which can be observed by the human eye. All sorts of light can be subdivided under other words in accordance with their wavelength. The wavelength of UV light (UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C) lies between 100 and 400 nanometres. And so, this is beyond the violet, to which UV light owes its name. Due to its shorter wavelength, UV light is richer in energy than the light which we can see. This means that UV light can cause chemical reactions such as the curing of gel or lacquer. LED lamps are also UV lamps because they give light which falls within the UV spectrum (especially UV-A). The light is emitted via Light-Emitting Diodes instead of via a fluorescent lamp. The light which LED lamps emit has a smaller reach of UV wavelengths than the UV lamps which use a compact fluorescence lamp. LED lamps do emit a higher concentration of UV light and more energy.
‘Durable’ technique When we talk about ‘durability’ in construction, but also in other production settings, the two leading roles in that debate are played by energy-saving and environmental impact. We speak of those two features which affect the ‘ecological’ footprint the most.
Energy-saving By drying under the influence of LED light, you immediately save 60% on energy consumption. And that’s just the start! In contrast to UV lamps, LED lamps don’t need to warm up, so production can start at once. Moreover, LED lamps don’t emit any infrared light which is converted into heat. And so, the wood is no longer warm, so that keeps any roughening and glueing problems to a minimum. The minimal heat development means that the risk of fire in the case of a stoppage in production, for instance, is reduced virtually to zero.
Ecological The environment gains maximum benefit from drying with LED light. The lamps don’t contain any mercury or calcium, but definitely just as important is that LED lamps emit energy only in the UVA spectrum. This means that no ozone is emitted. And so, expensive suction machines are now a thing of the past. Moreover, LED lamps have a particularly long lifespan of over 10,000 usage hours, in contrast to UV lamps, which function for only 800 to 1000 hours.
What’s on the market Blanchon Setting or curing via LED lamps (at Blanchon they stress that ‘drying’ is not the same thing) came into being about 10 years ago mainly in the cosmetics sector to highlight the packaging. For four years now, it has
been possible to cure UV inks with LED UV. One of the big assets is that it is possible to aim effectively at a specific target and thereby avoid wasting energy. Blanchon has several products in its range which are designed for curing under LED UV. It goes without saying that the producer of the products and the industrial user work together closely. Which one adapts to the other is a balancing exercise. It is certainly possible to use this technology on site, although according to Blanchon you do need to remember the fact that the LED machines don’t (yet) have the same power as traditional UV machines.
Ciranova This technology is also in full development at Ciranova. At research and development level Ciranova currently has a few products which are looking very promising and some of them are being sampled by clients. Ciranova draws our attention to the importance of the photo-initiator: ‘We’re all familiar with the Light Emitting Diode or LED from daily life. A UV-LED generates UV energy in the shape of photons since an electric current (or series of electrons) moves via a semi-conductor (or diode). The interaction of these photons with the photo-initiator in the coating creates free radicals, and they set the reaction in progress: a chain reaction is created between binding agents (mono and oligomers) and the fluid is converted into solid matter (polymerisation)’. In view of the band width within which we have to move at the moment, the wavelength in LED formulation is absolutely essential for Ciranova. ‘Developments in this direction are definitely still in progress,’ a spokesperson comments.
Decorad® Systems Decorad® Systems works together with lacquer and oil makers (and chemical companies) which have developed or are still developing these lacquers. Basically, it’s an industrial process where the benefits are in evidence to switch to LED. For example, there is now a switchover in progress in the ink printing industry where large volumes justify the high investment and where energy costs play a part. It can also be used on site, but Decorad® Systems does nevertheless give some marginal notes, including the
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Drying oil and/or lacquer using LED
following: ‘Whilst with traditional lamps the difference in the quality of the lamp itself (separately from the machine) is relatively small, the difference in LED lamps is huge. Everyone thinks that LED is the same, but there is a big difference in quality and therefore also in price. The qualitative LED lamps have more power, a much longer lifespan (guaranteed), and, vitally, they have a uniform cross-linking/drying. That means that everything gets the correct and identical dose of energy. This latter point is not the case with cheaper LED lamps. You can see this clearly in how the substrate burns. With good-quality LED lamps you get a safety strip and with others you get dots.’ Decorad® Systems sees the market for LED being primarily for the industrial market where LED is an asset with big volumes: ‘In view of the benefits of LED, this technology is particularly attractive at the moment to (semi-)industrial lines. The expectation is that as the technology advances (greater power, lower price of the LED), there will be more possibilities of using it on site’.
Rubio Monocoat RMC Oil was launched on the market in 2005. It was a truly revolutionary product in those days due to the unique technology of molecular binding and the fact that it was applied in one coat with a wide choice of colours and that it contained no VOCs. In 2017, Rubio Monocoat has once again taken on the role of pioneer with the launch of RMC LED Oil. The benefits of LED speak for themselves: much lower energy consumption, longer lamp lifespan, no ozone emissions, and no bad smells. Particularly, however, there is the fact that wood treated with oil can be cured at once using LED light and is ready for instant use. This means huge time savings for the project market, stair and furniture makers, and industrial finishers. Apart from RMC LED Oil, Rubio Monocoat also offers professional LED dryers for both on-site and factory applications. It is possible to install an optional LED-drying unit on an existing industrial finish machine. This can be done quickly and easily and without huge investment. Since there are no ozone emissions, you don’t need a suction system. Demanding floor fitters who like to move with the times may want to use the following machines: professional machines for drying floors and two hand-dryers for furniture, skirting boards, and places which are hard to reach. The investment costs for these machines are minimal, especially if you include the savings in time and money.
Vesting Besides the rapid drying, the LED hard wax oil from Vesting also has several extra benefits such as huge savings on energy and maintenance. The development of the LED hard wax oil means that the company has now provided a highly attractive and user-friendly alternative for floor fitters who treat floors on site. The floor is dry and ready for use immediately after treatment, whilst the colour and protection meet the highest Vesting standards. LED hard wax oil is the star product par excellence at Vesting with its full protection, extensive choice of colour, huge energy savings, low temperatures during the production process, long lifespan of the lamps, low maintenance costs, and ecological process due to the absence of ozone emissions. Vesting LED
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hard wax oil is particularly user-friendly and can be used both in the factory or workshop and on location. Thanks to the handy mobile LED set, which consists of a trolley for large surfaces and a handset for places which are harder to reach, LED technology is ideal for the product market. LED-drying is considerably cheaper than traditional UV-drying and highly cost effective. The savings from the use of LED technology most certainly repay the investments by a long way. That difference becomes considerable with longer use; think here of the low energy consumption, the cost and lifespan of the lamps, the unnecessary suction, and the time saved by the fact that the treated floor is ready for use at once.
Vec – Trivec
Vec-Trivec also offers LED drying options in its assortment. They can be part of a comprehensive solution (production line). The principle of LED drying is actually similar to that of UV drying. This type of drying isn’t about heat, but a ‘shot’ of UV light activates a reaction in the lacquer. The UV reactive substances in the lacquer step into action as it were by means of the light and provide an immediate cross-linking whereby the oil/lacquer becomes reactive and dries at once. The development of LED-drying lacquers has already been deployed a few years ago by some of the major lacquer producers, including Sherwin Williams. The LED UV variant was intended in those days mainly for industrial use where the lamps are deployed in combination with conventional UV lamps on big industrial lines. The introduction of LED-drying by De Vesting early in 2016 means that the LED technique is now also much more accessible for smaller production companies and for drying oiled floors using mobile LED machines on the client’s premises. In particular, the low energy consumption and the fact that the wood surface doesn’t get hot during the drying reaction are important qualities of LED UV. Other oil makers are also working on the development of LED-drying oils. LED products will have to prove themselves further. Their development will certainly continue in the years ahead.
Special
Invisible lacquers: who has them ?
MATT LACQUER OFFSETS PARQUET OIL
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ONE OF THE FEW DRAWBACKS ELIMINATED Let’s be honest. When we weigh up a lacquer finish against an oil finish, we come back more or less to the same assets and drawbacks. For lacquer, people cite low maintenance, whilst a strong asset with oil is repair or renovation in patches. Lacquer has fairly high scratch resistance, whilst oil has the advantage that scratches are less noticeable. Then there’s gloss; a lot of end users always see the excessively shiny look of parquet as a big drawback. Oil is more matt and looks more natural. Now that parquet lacquer is available in matt and even in ultra matt, that won’t wash any more.
vulnerability to scratches. Although there are some extremely (high solid) strong lacquer products, they cannot withstand a sharp object and scratches still can’t be repaired in patches. The durability of lacquers has improved considerably and modern UV lacquers contain almost solely solid substances so that they provide cast iron protection. It’s no surprise that lots of consumers have a distinct preference for a wooden floor finished with a solid coat of varnish. After all, a lacquered floor is just as easy to clean as a ceramic floor or as vinyl and linoleum. However, the big drawback of lacquer has always been the glossy surface, which looked like plastic.
Parquet implies ‘choices’
The gloss
Anyone opting for parquet or another wooden floor covering is faced with a whole series of possible choices. Floor fitters act as advisers. Clients immediately have to make a choice between the sorts of parquet and wooden floors on the market. Do they opt for a solid wood floor, a multi-layer floor with a solid top layer, a veneer floor, or ...? The choice of wood sort is even more difficult, if that were possible. That choice is entirely personal and floor fitters can only present a pallet of as many wood sorts as possible. Once the type of wood is chosen, there is still the fitting pattern to consider, and here clients once again face an infinite number of options: strip parquet, mosaic parquet, continuous planks, Hungarian point, herringbone pattern, brick pattern, and so on. Once those choices are made, clients then face the biggest consideration: How should the floor be finished?
Matt and even ultra-matt lacquers have taken away one of the drawbacks of lacquer. Visually, a matt lacquer can compete perfectly well with an oil finish.
Which finish?
Measuring method
Choosing a particular type of finish is probably the most important and at the same time the hardest dilemma. After all, in this phase, clients opt for an element of ‘lifestyle’. The impact of the finish of the parquet floor on maintenance and the way in which the floor is ‘perceived’ is huge. It is a choice between ‘authentic character’ and ‘low maintenance’, between a ‘worry-free life’ and ‘constantly on the look out’, and those are no easy choices. Let’s summarise the various possible finishes and, where possible, put them in the right context.
The gloss of a finish material is determined using special apparatus with which the amount of light emerging from the surface is measured and then related to the comparable value of a black polished glass surface which serves as a reference. The reflection of the light rays is measured at an angle of 20, 60, or 90°. It is usually an angle of 60° which is used.
No film
Bona
Sometimes, wooden floor finishes are divided up into those which form a film and those which don’t. As regards the latter, parquet lacquer stands somewhat alone, although a hard wax oil also leaves a top coat on the floor. Finishes which don’t leave a film are the most classical in their original form, but nowadays especially in their technologically advanced form. We’re talking about beeswax, oil, hard wax, and hard wax oil. They all have the advantage that they can be repaired locally in patches. One thing all have in common is that ‘maintaining’ the floor immediately also implies ‘feeding’ the floor. Oil and wax (and derivatives) have the reputation of requiring more maintenance.
Lacquer or varnish Lacquer or varnish acts as a covering layer on the floor surface. Obviously, the Achilles heel of a lacquered top layer is still its
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Definition Gloss means the optic property of a surface to reflect light from that surface. Matt surfaces reflect light either not at all or only diffusely, whilst glossy surfaces reflect it more strongly. If a surface has a high gloss, this means from a physical point of view that the percentage of parallel rays which emerge from this surface is exceptionally high. The gloss is expressed as a percentage. For example, a high-gloss paint has a gloss of over 85%, a semi-gloss paint about 70%, silky gloss paint 30%, and matt paint 0 to 15%.
Who sells matt parquet lacquer? Bona Natural is a product for treating wooden floor surfaces with medium to heavy traffic. The unique composition of Bona Natural gives the look and feel of pure wood. Bona Traffic Natural is a dual-component, matt, 100% polyurethane, and waterborne lacquer for commercial floors with high durability. It is also resistant to marks from rubber soles
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Invisible lacquers: who has them ?
and suitable for lacquering ready-to-fit cork floors. It gives the surface the look of an oiled floor and there is no gloss or reflection. Bona Traffic Natural is suitable for treating parquet floors and other wooden floors with very high traffic. The degree of gloss is 6-8% (at 60°).
Blanchon Blanchon has a vast range of matt lacquers in both one and two components. Each of the products has a matt finish: Performer, Chambord SD, Initial, Belmont, and Blumor SD. The champion is Intensive, which even has three matt finishes: Invisible (12% gloss), Ultra-matt (8%), and Natural Effect (3%). The latter doesn’t even shine under light. At all events, these matt lacquers are extremely popular. In the higher ranges of lacquers and varnishes the matt ingredients don’t affect the other qualities of the lacquer at all. The new generation matting resources don’t affect the application of the lacquer or varnish.
Ciranova For both on-site and pre-finished floors there is still a growing popularity for floor finishes with an oiled look which seems natural and almost invisible. Ciranova can confirm this trend. For Ciranova such a finish hasn’t proved itself until it stresses the natural character of the wood in pale, coloured, and distressed finishes. Within the Ciranova range floor fitters have Oculto and Fortico 2C Natural (which may or may not be combined with UN1CO), two products which are ideal for on-site applications. For industrial finishers Ciranova offers Industrial with a customised UV oil system for a client-oriented solution. Intensive research, close co-operation with suppliers, and the deployment of innovative raw materials have given rise to sophisticated preparations which provide an answer both in 1C (Oculto) and in 2C (Fortico) to the classic problems resulting from matting products. The newly developed UV-hardening covering layers presented at Domotex 2017 are a spin-off from this.
Chimiver ECOWOOD 2K Two-component water-based polyurethane lacquer with natural antireflection effect for wooden floors, ECOWOOD 2K is a two-component
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water-based polyurethane lacquer with natural wood look effect. The use of special resins gives to the flooring an extremely matt, natural and anti-reflection effect. Thanks to its special formulation ECOWOOD 2K is also suitable for coating light and dark wood species. ECOWOOD 2K has also excellent chemical and physical characteristics and is suitable for heavy traffic floors.
DevoNatural® Apart from its standard matt lacquers DevoNatural® Passage Mat, Finish Mat Oiled Aspect, and Transit Mat, Devomat also has the following ultra-matt and invisible varnishes in its assortment: DevoNatural® Passage Ultramat, and DevoNatural® Transit Plus Pure. At present, the invisible and matt lacquers are the most popular ones in the varnish assortment. The use of a greater quantity of matting agent normally affects the durability. However, DevoNatural® deploys a new generation of matting agents so that this effect is reduced considerably. This, in combination with the conscious choice for a superior quality in raw materials, means that the invisible DevoNatural® lacquers score better in terms of durability than most other comparable lacquers on the market.
Floorservice At last a product that really remains the colour and look of the wood. With Nature Protect 2K the wood gets an unfinished look. But you do benefit the best protection possible. Just like you're used to with the products of Floorservice. The renewed Nature Protect 2K is easy to apply and will allow for the wood to maintain its natural colour and look. 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. It also protects the wood from yellowish discoloration. 2 layers is enough. To clean and maintain the floor finished with Nature Protect 2K, we recommend Nature Care.
Glimtrex At the moment, Glimtrex sells lacquers in a ratio of 30% matt and 70% gloss. The durability and hardness of these matt lacquers is a little lower than that of the gloss paints. That’s why they offer the ultra-matt and invisible lacquer
Nativus as a dual-component product. This achieves the hardness which Glimtrex clients are accustomed to with their products. Nativus gives the floor an untreated look, but the floor enjoys the same protection as with a dual-component lacquer. As for the lifespan, there is no difference whatsoever, subject to the proper maintenance. As regards cost price, there is no difference with the single-component (matt) system. The dual-component system is about 10% more expensive due to the addition of extra raw materials.
Hesse The so called natural wood finishes are an important part of the Hesse parquet and finish products. There is a big demand for finishes which do not change the look of untreated wood. Generally speaking, high-gloss surfaces are more closed and smoother than matt surfaces. And so, the mechanical strength of matt lacquers is also generally somewhat less than that of glossy surfaces. However, it is possible to increase mechanical strength by building in special raw materials so that in the end there are no adverse effects to be seen. The preparation changes specified above mean that the lifespan of the matt parquet lacquers from Hesse also equals that of glossy parquet lacquers. The cost price of a lacquer depends on several factors. One such factor is obviously the cost price of the raw materials used. On average, matt lacquers are not the cheapest lacquers, but the price can vary per product since other factors which determine the cost price work out more cheaply.
Lecol LOBADUR® 2K Invisible Protect A.T. stands for the latest generation wood and parquet finish and combines the power and the low maintenance of a waterborne lacquer with the look of an oil floor. Just two coats gives the floor extreme protection against scratches, chemicals, and wear and tear. You don’t even need a primer any more. That saves time and money. The special mix of high-quality ingredients prevents a visible film on the floor and they preserves the original colour intensity. LOBADUR® 2K Invisible Protect A.T. preserves the very thing which makes the floor so beautiful, namely the charm and robust look of untreated wood. One fine quality of LOBADUR® 2K Invisible Protect A.T. is that it creates an ultra-matt effect without streaks or glossy patches appearing once the floor is in use. In addition, this product is absolutely ideal for use at home and on very high-traffic floors. The extreme matt lacquer WS 2K Invisible Protect AT is not flattened by means of a matting agent and therefore the gloss does not affect the excellent mechanical qualities of this lacquer.
Pallmann Pallmann has an excellent reputation in the field of dual-component lacquers for wooden floors and with the Pall-X Pure the company has once again confirmed and underlined its years of expertise. Indeed, with the Pall-X Pure Pallmann offers a dual-component lacquer for wooden floors which guarantees a natural (untreated) look. The dual-component lacquer Pall-X Pure offers the look so coveted by end users, in combination with the outstanding protection of a top class finish, which offers strong resistance to mechanical and chemical influences.
Rigo Verffabriek Matt and invisible lacquers are the most coveted variants in the Rigo Verffabriek portfolio. Actually, matt and invisible are not interchangeable terms. Matt and dull-matt lacquers have been in the Rigo Step range for a while, but, in 2003 with SKYLT, Rigo Verffabriek was the first to launch an invisible lacquer, a revolutionary product at the time. A SKYLT finish is just as matt as untreated wood and leaves the natural shade intact of wood which has just been sandpapered. A substrate with a SKYLT finish also has a solid shell, which, although invisible, offers perfect everyday protection. With Rigo Step, the gloss hardly affects mechanical qualities. All the professional lacquers are of High-Traffic quality and suitable for heavy domestic and commercial applications. With Rigo Step, the gloss has no effect on the time of renewal at all. Rigo Verffabriek can say that out of its vast experience since the introduction of dull-matt Rigo Step TOP Matt in 2002 and invisible Rigo Step SKYLT in 2003.
Tover
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Tover is once again a forerunner offering several innovative solutions to keep the most natural untreated look to wooden floors. With Essenza 2-component and Uniqua Natur single-component isocyanate free extra matt water-based lacquers, the coating is imperceptible especially on oak and light woods. The surface remains like raw but is highly protected as both are long-lasting finishes perfectly suitable for very heavy traffic.
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Small and medium-sized oil and lacquer machines
LACQUERS AND OILS WITH NO INCONVENIENCE FOR CLIENTS COMPACT OILING/LACQUERING MACHINES ARE NOW AFFORDABLE
Photo – Vec-Trivec
You can’t sandpaper without a sanding machine. Sanding usually even requires several sanding machines. This all means serious investment for floor fitters, but unless they feel called to traditional manual work, they have few options. Now, all of a sudden, there are oiling and lacquering machines which enable floor fitters to treat floorboards in a computerised manner in their own workshops. And, yes, that’s a completely different story because traditional lacquering on site involves no special costs apart from the labour, roller, or brush. Yet it’s certainly worth considering.
Points for attention and the inconveniences of lacquer We don’t always think about it, but lacquering a wooden floor requires attention to certain external factors, not least the atmospheric conditions. The requirements for humidity, temperature, and ventilation are clearly stated in the maker’s instructions if parquet lacquer is used. Those who ignore the instructions are taking both technical and aesthetic risks. An example? An atmosphere which is too dry and warm considerably increases the risk of streaks since the lacquer will dry too fast. Those marks can no longer be removed with further coats. And so, take care. Besides the fact that proper lacquering is subject to a number of preconditions, lacquering (or any finish on site) does mean some inconvenience for occupants (e.g. with renovation). The room is inaccessible for some time (also for the entire setting!) and in some cases there is still a certain odour. If several operations are carried out, such as first colouring and then finishing, that period of inaccessibility only gets longer. With pre-finished parquet you solve all those
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problems in one go, but some floor fitters feel that they thereby sacrifice a part of their traditional self-respect. Nowadays, there are ‘other’ solutions.
Lacquering or oiling in the workshop What are the benefits of applying the finish at a different location than on site? They include the fact that the aforementioned points (temperature, humidity, and ventilation) can be ‘managed’ in controlled conditions and that you eliminate any possible inconveniences for occupants. Moreover, for floor fitters it means that they don’t have to divulge all their professional knowledge and trade secrets. Special operations, possibly passed down from father to son, can certainly be looked after better than if they are carried out on site. The solution is provided by developers and manufacturers of machines which are designed specifically for treating and finishing wooden floors.
Multifunctional What are machine manufacturers turning out today? Answer: Oiling and lacquering machines which are designed for floor fitters and save space. The big plus is that these machines are affordable. They are roller machines mounted on a conveyor system. Obviously, other functions can be fitted to that same conveyor system as well as lacquer and/or oil application. A finish line can be supplemented with a UV or infrared module, distressing, beating, brushing, and even packing. Obviously, the more functions that are added, the less compact the system is. These systems deploy dip rollers for both lacquering and oiling, but also for staining and treating with lye, for instance.
Dip roller
Vec -Trivec
A dip roller has two rollers, namely a rubber application roller and a steel metering roller which run in opposite directions to each other. Only the application roller actually touches the work area to be finished. The distance between both rollers and the rotation direction and speed of the metering roller make it possible to set the film of oil or lacquer precisely. Apart from the rollers, this machine also has a squeegee. This machine works so accurately that the buffing pad and brush modules after the roller application are hardly necessary. The more precise the adjustment in advance, the less buffing is necessary afterwards. The dip rollers are suitable for oils, colour oils, and lacquers and can be deployed for UV-drying products.
Vec -Trivec has an extensive machine programme for finishing parquet. This ranges from compact and flexible basic machines for parties such as floor fitters, parquet wholesalers, and medium to large producers to industrial, modular, and coating lines. The roller machines can be delivered as a single-coat machine and double-coat reverse machines. The reverse machine is a precision instrument with which the (UV) oil is applied and pressed deep into the grain with a second roller. The surplus oil is removed to facilitate a stable polishing process. The machines from the Vec -Trivec programme can be supplied in Economy line, Experience Line, and Premium Line. Apart from the Single Coat and Double Coat roller machines, Vec -Trivec also supplies complete solutions with polishing lanes(brush) sanding machines, feed machines, UV and UV/LED drying techniques, diagonal transports, spray machines for the application of dyes and lacquers, and such like. For floor fitters there is the affordable TRV350 economy, an attractive basic machine which saves them a lot of manual labour. The machine is even available in a moveable version, something which is useful in small workplaces. Another option for floor fitters is the compact All-in-one oiling line. They are well aware at Vec -Trivec that there is still a lot of research and development in progress in the field of LED drying. The cost price is not surprising. A good quality air-cooled UV LED dryer is about 30 to 40% cheaper than a standard UV dryer. What stands out in consumption costs in particular are the lifespan of the lamps (up to 40 times longer) and the very low energy consumption in comparison with traditional UD dryers. The price of a LED machine or LED module always depends on aspects such as working width and the required capacity. There are also LED modules which can be built over existing transport systems.
Reverse The dip roller module with reverse has two roller modules. The first one is identical to what has been described above. In the reverse module there is a second machine which has a rubber-covered contact roller with a scraper blade which comes into contact with the work surface through rotation in the opposite direction. This reverse roller removes any surplus oil applied by the first roller. The oil is scraped off and recycled. These tools can be used perfectly well, for example, for distressed floors or floors with a bevelled edge. The first roller, which is fairly light, ensures that the oil also penetrates into the deeper structure of the floorboards.
Two specialists Rubio Monocoat
Rubio Monocoater 420 E full option Rubio Monocoater Spray
LED-curing industry unit installed on the Rubio Monocoater
The Rubio Monocoater is an all-in-one compact industrial line. It is possible to achieve creative and personalised finishes in an efficient manner in combination with the versatile Rubio Monocoat oil range. The machines are part of a total concept with a view to applying Rubio Monocoat oil by machine in ideal conditions. This also means that clients get a full service, including a great deal of advice. A wealth of guidance is provided for getting started and for the best possible tuning for the application of the various products. Whilst the Rubio Monocoater is the perfect partner for treating parquet, the Rubio Monocoater Spray has been developed mainly for the industrial colouring and protecting of profiled outdoor wood. Fitted with two automatic pistols, the Rubio® Monocoater Spray makes an efficient machine finish possible with the Rubio® Monocoat Hybrid Wood Protector. Rubio® Monocoat LED Oil makes it possible to reduce considerably the amount of time spent on treating the wood. The applied oil can be dried at once using LED lamps, and the wood can be packed immediately or used on site. Apart from RMC LED Oil, Rubio® Monocoat also offers machines which can be used to dry the oil at once. It is possible to install an optional led-drying unit on an existing industrial finish machine quickly and easily without huge investment.
Machines for Parquet finishing find more info on www.trivec.eu
Solcamastraat 25, 9262 ND, Sumar, The Netherlands +31 512 510035 | info@trivec.eu | www.trivec.eu
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Trends in vinyl, LVT and PVC floors
WOOD ‘DICTATES’ EVERYTHING! FLEXIBLE FLOOR COVERINGS CUT FROM GOOD WOOD No one would deny that wood dominates interior design completely. When we see ceramic tiles emerging with a strangely notable look of parquet strips, we can no longer ignore it. Laminate, cork, and, yes, even bamboo, with an unusual look of its own, all like to resemble wood. The reason? Love of nature? The irresistible charm and warmth of wood? The fact that we can combine wood with all types of design is obviously a strong asset. Flexible floor coverings follow that path, obviously.
All wood sorts are possible It’s marvellous, isn’t it? You take a roll produced from some or other synthetic material and just a few millimetres thick, you unroll it in the room, and at once it looks as though you’ve fitted beautiful oak strip parquet. Since this is also about the high-tech combination of photography and printed art, there are no limits to possible designs (decors). The sky is the limit, so all wood sorts are possible. The look of parquet with unprecedented comfort as regards cleaning and maintenance, you’d be persuaded for less. Moreover, the fact that flexible floor covering producers are shrewdly committing themselves to wood decors makes it more logical to involve the fitting of the floor fitter.
On the track of parquet As a producer, once you opt to focus on wooden floors, everything is obviously possible. This opens up a world of wood sorts, designs, finishes, treatments, styles, fitting patterns, and much more!
Distressed and oak
Photo –Hamberger Flooring/DISANO by HARO
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Wood decors are extremely natural and, thanks to embossing, the structure is also tangible. In other words, history is repeating itself. Some producers speak of a remarkable popularity of ‘rustic decors’. And so, vintage wins here, too! For example, there are collections from various trademarks which offer a range of decors inspired by distressed floors or recycled wood from furniture, old objects, and 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’ sort of wood is coming more to the fore. Lots of consumers associate the name classic parquet almost automatically with oak, albeit because in times past oak was the only wood sort available. More exclusive sorts such as mahogany, cherry, walnut, and such like were reserved more for (better quality) furniture making.
Old fitting patterns Whilst the first wood imitation steps of these floor coverings consisted of planks or strips (as we’ve said, mainly in an oak design), that soon extended to other sorts and colours. The look was there, and the feel soon followed by putting the wood grains in relief. Today, old fitting patterns are appearing here, too. The ‘big three’ (herringbone, Hungarian point, and Versailles) are covered elsewhere in this edition. Apart from the ‘design’ in which manufacturers actually have no limits, these floors still retain the huge asset of their minimal thickness so that they are ideal for renovation projects.
What’s on the market? Hamberger Flooring/DISANO by HARO The flooring department of Hamberger, which sells parquet, cork, laminate, and the unique Celenio wooden floor, is delighted to note that Disano (design floors for ‘healthy living’) have taken a firm hold on the market. These top class design floors are available in a whole series of new trendy styles and in a variant suitable for damp rooms. Disano floors are made without PVC or softeners, and that guarantees ‘healthy living’. Disano floors were always destined for success from the very beginning. Clients want floors which have a natural look and yet are easy to clean. They also appreciate the quick and easy fitting with no tools. Disano has it all. The ‘Plank 1-Strip XL size’ is 2035mm long and has an exceptional width of 235mm. The Top Connect installation system ensures rapid fitting.
Meister Nowadays, consumers still prefer oak floors. It is particularly the natural matt colours which find favour as well as the greyed decors. What is also typical nowadays is that people are buying their furniture over a longer period. Whereas in the past people bought everything instantly, they now buy furniture over different periods of time. This obviously implies that the colours of these furniture items are all different and that the floor obviously needs different colour shades for a harmonious whole. The ash floor from Meister fits in well with this growing trend
towards vintage furniture. Although the wood is ash, consumers don’t notice this, since the panel is more important here than the type of wood. This constitutes an exception to the oak trend in floors. Oak is still the number one. The wood decors in the Catega Flex floors from Meister are very current.
Parcolys Flooring At Parcolys Flooring they have seen that grey shades are doing very well both in the wood decors (Parcolux) and stone decors (Parcostone). These include both dark and light shades. The light and simple wood decors are also doing well. The Parcolux decors are still doing very well. Wood certainly isn’t going out of fashion. Within the wood decors they have seen that it is mainly the lighter and simpler decors which are doing well, but here, too, grey shades such as the Oak Grey and Anthracite Oak are doing very well. Oak Grey is in first place in the top five best-selling wood decors followed by the Anthracite Oak, both shades of grey, although the latter is very dark and leans heavily towards black. The light Beachhouse Oak is in third place. Then come two rather classic wood decors, namely the Pure Oak in fourth place and the Sutter Oak at number five.
Wicanders At Wicanders they have identified two major trends in flexible floor coverings, namely durability and the drive towards added value and new applications. As regards the former, Authentica gives a clear answer: realistic wood and stone decors with embossing are combined with an increased volume of cork in the core. The thin and waterproof Hydrocork opens the door to new applications; the range is perfectly suitable for the renovation market and for application in damp rooms. Wood decors are still doing very well; classic wood is still holding its own against fleeting trends. Authentica, Hydrocork, and Art Comfort are dominated by a strong preference for oak, followed by pine. Colour preferences are still regionally bound and therefore vary from country to country. At Wicanders, too, digital print offers a vast ocean of possibilities.
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Floor Forum International 89
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Hard wax oil
‘YESTERDAY’S LOOK’ WITH ‘TODAY’S’ STRENGTH HARD WAX OIL CERTAINLY THE PREFERRED FINISH OF FLOOR FITTERS maintenance oil about two weeks after the initial treatment of the floor. For the single-coat systems it is necessary to read the maker’s instructions carefully as regards quantities and application methods.
Benefits of hard wax oil As we’ve said, hard wax oil combines both the decorative and technical benefits of beeswax and oil.
Strong, but open A floor treated with hard wax oil repels both water and dirt as a result of the saturation. Moreover, the wax components form a hard coat. As was the case in the past, this coat hardens with the years and is maintained depending on the floor. The surface is extremely hard, so the floor is highly durable and scratch-resistant. In contrast to a lacquer, hard wax oil doesn’t apply a covering film to the wood, so the floor can breathe freely. Since the coat of wax remains elastic, it cannot crack.
Local repairs
Photo – Glimtrex
We don’t really have any conclusive figures (shame on us!), but it is noticeable that when we ask parquet floor fitters what their preferred finish is, more and more of them immediately mention hard wax oil. The combination of yesterday’s look, the benefits of oil in general, a similar ‘resilience’ like that of a lacquer, and the easy application will certainly be amongst the main reasons. The fact is that hard wax oil combines several excellent qualities to present itself as the ‘ better’ finish.
Ingenious and simple Hard wax oil is the logical and simple step in the progression of ‘nonfilm’ finishes for wooden floors. Saturation with oil before applying beeswax had already been reduced to oil and wax in one. Hard wax oil adds a sturdy top coat. For consumers it is a strong and low-maintenance solution, whilst for floor fitters it is an extremely simple application. And so, its growing success comes as no surprise.
Simple application The substrate still has to be prepared, as with any other finish. Almost all hard wax oils are ready-for-use products. And so, they are never diluted, but merely well stirred. The application procedure depends on the product. Some brands require two coats, whilst others can be applied in a single work session. In the case of two coats you first apply a thin coat and allow a drying time of 24 hours. The second coat is applied in the same way. Some makers prescribe a treatment with
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Certainly one of the most important benefits of hard wax oil is the fact that, just as with an oiled floor, the floor can be treated locally, either by treating certain high-traffic zones more intensively or repairing damaged sections locally. This option is excluded with a classic lacquer, where the protective coat forms one continuous film. If damage occurs, it is only possible to repair it ‘professionally’ by painting the entire floor again starting from the pale wood.
Colour is king A floor treated with hard wax oil has the look of old castle or cloister floors. You can compare the gloss with the polished oak furniture from grandmother’s days. Silk matt, just a little shiny, and smooth. The protective coat of wax contained in the oil does the same job on the wood as beeswax used to do. Nowadays, we see how strongly committed producers are to colour. Obviously, they want to reconcile yesterday’s look with the needs of the modern interior with due regard for current colour trends. In recent years, several makers have stressed the extension of the range of colours.
Take care with ‘tropics’ Various makers have warned against the application of a number of wood sorts, mainly tropics. After all, there might be differences in absorption and drying with some closed and/or oily wood sorts such as wenge, merbau, ipe, and such like. It’s always best to test those wood sorts before applying hard wax oil. One coat is generally enough for testing. Obviously, this warning doesn’t mean that hard wax oil isn’t suitable for all tropical wood sorts, but testing in advance should provide a definite answer.
Low maintenance The film left on the floor by hard wax oil gets stronger over the years as the floor is cleaned. That cleaning is fairly simple. Standard cleaning means vacuum cleaning first and then mopping with a wrung cloth.
A ‘cleaner’ can be added to the water. To maintain and nourish the floor, makers offer maintenance wax or oil. Some brands prescribe maintenance shortly after the initial treatment.
A selection from the range Adesiv Adesiv presents WB Oil, a colouring agent with modified vegetable oils for impregnating wooden floors indoors. Paviolio WB 2 can be painted over with a waterborne dual-component varnish. The product itself is a single-component product with excellent colour properties and a high penetration capacity. The finish can be completed in one work session. The product is suitable for all types of wood. Obviously, the floor has to be clean and dry (between 8 and 12%) and sandpapered with a maximum grain of 150. The sandpapering has to be done perfectly because the smallest imperfection is multiplied by Paviolio 25 WB. And so, the product can be used on all types of wood, but it comes into its own best on types such as oak, larch, and cherry.
Bona Bona Hard Wax Oil gives a comfortable and natural surface via a mix of drying natural oils and waxes. It makes the surface waterproof and dirtproof and is suitable for untreated hardwood floors and other types of wooden floors with normal to heavy traffic. It is a 1-component product, so it is easy to use. Two coats can be finished in one day. Floors treated with hard wax can be repaired locally. Bona Hard Wax Oil meets standard DIN 51130-R9 for stiffness, DIN 53160 T.1+2 for saliva and sweat, and DIN EN 71 T.3 for migration demands. The surface to be treated must be sanded thoroughly, dry, and free of sawdust, old paint, and other dirt. Use the Bona Scrad System, sanding disc/sanding gauze or sandpaper grain 120 for the final sanding. Keep the product, room, and floor temperature between 8 and 35°C. Good ventilation is necessary during application and drying/setting time.
Blanchon Blanchon Hard Wax Oil (‘Huile-cire dure’) offers nothing but benefits for both floor fitters and end users. The easy application is one thing, whilst the rapid and simple maintenance is another asset. Moreover, Blanchon Hard Wax Oil also offers infinite possible applications for finishes (shades, wood tints, and colour nuances). Apart from Hard Wax Oil, Blanchon also offers its Hard Wax Oil high solid (‘Huile-cire dure high solid’). This hard wax oil impregnates,
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colours, and protects a parquet floor in one single operation. The hard wax oil feeds the wood and protects it in depth. Due to the make-up of the hard wax oil, which is very rich in natural and renewable raw materials, it dries rapidly and with hardly any bad odours. Since this year, they’ve had 41 colours (20 of which are shades of grey and 1 metal colour). Adding a pre-dosed hardener (20%) means the surface dries and hardens in just a few hours. This system is highly recommended for very high-traffic rooms such as shops, museums, catering establishments, etc. New in the Blanchon range is the Hard Wax Oil SD (Superior Density), which gives excellent resistance and can be applied in one day (2 coats/8 hours drying time). There are 36 strong and deep colours available here. Finally, Blanchon also offers a maintenance oil (‘Huile d’entretien’) for maintaining all floors with an oil or wax oil finish, including floors oiled in the factory.
Biofa Biofa Hard Wax Oil is a special preparation of natural oils, carnauba was, and three different resins. This combination creates an elastic film on the wood surface so that the floor is also protected from liquids at once. The Hard Wax Oil from Biofa is somewhat more expensive than other products due to the cost price of ingredients such as palm wax. Biofa offers two products, namely Hard Wax Oil 2055 and the water-based hard wax oil 8045. Both products are very easy to apply. The hard wax oil is applied with a lacquer roller and polishing is completely unnecessary.
Briançon The hard wax oil Tree of Noah (‘l’Arbre de Noé’) has been specially developed for valorising wooden floors easily. The hard wax oil contains, amongst other things, water, soya oil and modified wax, transparent iron oxide, and hydroxyl ethyl cellulose. The product is a multifunctional finish which offers added value for both nutrition and decoration. The oil is dust-proof. This hard wax oil is part of the family of parquet oils. It can be applied to new wood or wood which is sandpapered pale. This oil does not contain any polyurethane, is based on bio-ingredients, and is extremely strong.
Ciranova The Hard Wax Oil is a fast-drying parquet oil with extremely high durability. It fills well and has good chemical and mechanical strength. It is available in 16 colours (eight standard colours
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Hard wax oil
and eight trendy colours). This oil is easy to apply and the colours can be mixed with each other. Hard wax oil preserves the natural look of the wood surface. Ciranova presents four distinct products. Hard Wax Oil Magic matt is a modified parquet oil with excellent durability. Apart from good filling, this also guarantees a natural colour and a very good chemical and mechanical resistance. The oil is very matt and doesn’t gloss up. It can be strengthened by adding a UA hardener. Hard Wax Oil Magic Satin gives the floor a beautifully natural satin gloss. The oil dries rapidly and has outstanding chemical strength. It can be strengthened by the addition of a harder UA hardener 5% (optional). UN1CO is a 1-coat oil of the latest generation which deploys renewable natural oils. Only one coat is necessary thanks to the special technology. Adding the hardener ensures rapid drying and outstanding chemical strength (available in 16 colours). Finally, OCULTO is a water-based and ecological PU impregnation oil for parquet and wooden furniture. The wood retains its original untreated look. OCULTO contains a UV absorber and has anti-static properties.
Chimiver
and stain resistance. Products for maintenance, such as cleaning soap and renovators, keep your floor in perfect condition and extend its lifespan considerably.
Floorservice The different types and 34 colours of Floorservice Hardwax-oil penetrate deep into the wood, without blocking the pores. This allows the wood to keep breathing and retains its natural structure, because no top layer is formed. The colours can be combined and therefor offer a great range of colours. Our Hardwax-oil is available as Pro in a one-layer system and as Classic in a two-layer system. Every floor that is finished with Floorservice Hardwax-oil is guaranteed to be highly resistant to wear and is also water resistant. Besides that the floor is protected against saliva and sweat and make the floor child friendly because they meet the requirements for children’s toys. In addition to this, the Floorservice Hardwax-oils meet anti-slip standard R9. A new product is the Floorservice Hardwax-oil 2K. This VOC-free finishing product cures very fast; ensuring the floor to be fully operational in no time. Also available as Color Hardwax-oil 2K in 12 different colours. All products are easy to clean and maintain with our Parquet cleaner and one of our three Maintenance oils. The products have a vegetable oils and waxes base. And they meet the VOCregulation EU 2012.
Glimtrex Chimiver presents its product LIOS HARD WAX BIOIL 3D which is a product based on natural oils and waxes that gives to the treated wood a warm and smooth look, typical of natural oil finishes. Its excellent impregnating power makes it ideal for direct treament of wood; the second coat protects and gives depth enhancing the wood grain. Available in different gloss levels: 45-22 and < 10 gloss. Product can be applied by brush or roller and its ordinary maintenance has to be done with LIOS SOFT BALM. Chimiver range offers also OIL WAX PLUS a clear treatment for wooden floors based on natural oils and waxes. It gives a natural wood grain feel with very low wood warming to the woods treated. OIL WAX PLUS gives hydro-oleorepellency.
DevoNatural® Devomat presents DevoNatural® Hard Wax Oil in colourless and whitewashed. DevoNatural ®Hard Wax Oil can be applied to both commercial floors and domestic high-traffic floors. The product is easy to apply and easy to massage into open wood pores. Once it is dry, it forms a good sealing layer against dirt and damp. DevoNatural® Hard Wax Oil can be applied to all types of wood (e.g. to parquet, wooden floors, cork, furniture, wooden walls, etc.) and also to porous stone floors such as terra cotta. Its waterproof nature means it can also be applied to bathroom parquet and furniture. Its special properties include the fact that parquet (and wood in general) stays elastic with DevoNatural® Hard Wax Oil and the oil film ensures greater durability
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Glimtrex believes that the major benefits of hard wax oil are its high durability, low maintenance, and easy application. Whilst hard wax oil is somewhat cheaper per litre, its consumption per square metre is higher. Glimtrex Hard Wax Oil unites a number of cast-iron qualities. It is applied easily with a roller and dries normally, irrespective of the quantity of product used. This hard wax oil can be used as a single or dual-component product. It is exceptionally hard, so it is recommended for high-traffic applications. It has the required slip-resistance (R10) for public areas, provided that a hardener is added. It is also possible to insert an R12 additive, something which is unique.
Hesse The benefits of Hard Wax Oil lie mainly in the strength of the finish. The wax provides a protective film on the wood. Pure oil doesn’t give such a film, since oil penetrates more into the wood. As for price, Hesse believes it isn’t so easy to compare hard wax oil with a parquet lacquer, for instance. The cost price of a lacquer depends on several factors.
One such factor is the cost of the raw materials used. If high-quality properties are required, the price of the raw materials will be higher than if ordinary standard properties will suffice. That will also affect the price of the end product. Hesse has several types of hard wax oil in its range, such as the OE 52812. Hesse has hard wax oil for both polishing in and applying with the roller.
Osmo Polyx®-Oil Express is a very fast drying, clear wood finish for professionals. It is ideal for the protection of wooden flooring and furniture surfaces, and it enhances the colour intensity of wood surfaces. The finish is resistant to wear, moisture and stains, durable and extremely hard-wearing. In combination with Hardener 6632, the finish cures completely after as little as 1 or 2 hours, and so the second coat can be applied on the same day. Polyx®-Oil Express is, in combination with the Hardener, also suitable for the treatment of oily and resinous hardwoods, such as Wenge.
Plastor Plastor believes that a hard wax oil provides natural protection which respects the wood. Hard wax oil can withstand stains and use. Thanks to the many available shades, everyone will find something to their liking. The hard wax oil from Plastor is Decoprotect Hard Wax Oil. This is composed of natural oils and gives the wood durable protection, even against stains and dirt. Decoprotect is available in eight shades. Deco-protect gives the wood a warm look. These oils penetrate deep into the wood without leaving a film and without highlighting the wood fibres. Decoprotect is ready for use and is applied in thin coats using a lacquer roller.
Rubio Monocoat The operation of Rubio Monocoat oil is based on a molecular binding in which the product binds almost instantly with the upper wood fibres to form a durable coat of protection in colour. The application itself is simple: You apply the oil, let it soak in, and rub off surplus oil. That’s that! This can be done manually, with a buffing machine, or simply with a brush and cloth. In the factory you can use traditional coating machines or the spray machine. Rubio Monocoat offers a full assortment of hard wax oils for both manual and industrial applications. For applications on site they recommend Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2C, which is available in 40 standard colours. This oil can also be deployed for finishing on an industrial line. For specific finishes with a UV unit there is Rubio Monocoat Oil UV R2. For projects which have to meet specific fire safety regulations you can use the revolutionary Rubio Monocoat FR Oil System. This is the only oil system with a European Bfl-s1 grading
(floors) according to standards EN13501-1, EN ISO 9239-1, and ISO. The oil in this system is a modified version of RMC Oil Plus 2C oil. The new application of the future par excellence is guaranteed with RMC LED Oil, which dries instantly with LED light. The benefits of LED speak for themselves: far less energy consumption, longer lamp lifespan, no ozone emissions, and no bad smells. Particularly, however, there is the fact that wood treated with oil can be cured at once using LED light and is ready for instant use. That means huge time savings for the project market, stair and furniture makers, and industrial finishers. RMC LED Oil can be applied either on site or in the factory.
Tover Tover offers a solvent-free hardwax oil based on natural waxes and essential oils suitable for a high protection finishing of indoor wooden floors: L’Olio 100%. It guarantees with a sole coat an excellent resistance to wear, spots, dirt and is recommended for high traffic areas. Moreover, it can be easily maintained and renewed. L’Olio 100% complies with the DIN-EN 71-3 norm and can be used for toys, furniture and surfaces in contact with food. It grants a natural, mat and soft aspect both in the neutral and 30 standard coloured versions. In order to improve the finish strength properties towards wear and spots, it is possible to mix with L’Olio 100% the Oil-Linker cross-linking agent, which makes the floor even more resistant and suitable for heavy traffic.
Vesting Vesting believes that hard wax oil gives a better end result than oil as regards appearance. Oil impregnates the wood, so the result looks somewhat leaner. Hard wax oil is often a two-coat system which protects the floor with a top coat. The combination of natural oils and waxes ensures that the wood is sealed completely and protected from damp and dirt. The result is an attractive full look. It is possible to achieve exceptionally fresh and unique colours by spreading the product in combination with a colour stain, for instance. Moreover, it is easy to touch up hard wax oil imperceptibly in the event of damage or high-traffic spots. Hard wax oil is by definition no more expensive than ordinary oil, except for the revolutionary Vesting LED drying hard wax oil. The latter dries directly under the influence of LED light and the floor can be used immediately afterwards. The time gain and the convenience are therefore huge. Thanks to the handy mobile LED set, which consists of a trolley for large surfaces and a handset for places harder to reach, LED technology is ideal for the project market and furniture industry. The investment in LED hard wax oil is recovered in no time at all due to the vast benefits. Wax Oil 1000, 2000, 3000, and natural LED hard wax oil are top products at Vesting. All of them are natural oils and waxes which give a strong protective coat whilst preserving the natural look of the wood. They are suitable for both untreated and stained wooden surfaces in high-traffic rooms and are available in any colour as required.
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Floor Forum International 89
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Subfloors for floors in vinyl, LVT and PVC
‘LIGHT’ FLOOR COVERING DEMANDS A ‘HARD’ SUBFLOOR PERFECTLY LEVEL, HIGH DENSITY, AND PREFERABLY WITH ANTI-SLIP
Photo – Unifloor
We now know what we can expect from a subfloor (intermediate floor) in terms of damp resistance, sound improvement, levelling capacity, etc. Some of those expectations relate to purely technical issues as regards an expert fitting, whilst others might (or might not) contribute to user comfort. With the latter we are talking about matters such as walking comfort and the acoustics. The extent to which those expectations are met depends largely on the extent to which the subfloor and the final floor covering harmonise with each other.
Why ‘hard’? It is an illustration which we have used before in this journal and it is also perfectly relevant in this connection. Why is the resistance of a veneer floor against the impact of a falling object, for instance, greater than that of a solid wood plank in pine? After all, a veneer floor has only a 0.6mm thick layer of wood as its ‘top’, whilst with a plank floor you can easily reckon on 22mm of Solid wood. If you put a piece of paper on a pine floorboard and you press down on the paper with a pencil, there is a good chance of that making a hole in the paper. If you do the same with a veneer wood floorboard, you can safely assume that the point of the pencil will break first.
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Density The magic word is ‘density’ and it’s not about the layer of veneer, but the bearer in MDF (or HDF) underneath. The bearer plays the main part here precisely because the veneer layer is so thin. Hence the maxim that ‘soft’ floor covering demands a ‘hard’ subfloor. If we were to put a piece of vinyl or linoleum onto a foam panel, and then put a chair on top of it to sit on, the chair legs would certainly ‘leave a lasting impression’.
Perfectly level Whilst density relates to impressionability and therefore the visibility or invisibility of even small obstacles under the flexible floor covering, levelling relates to the complete flatness of the floor. You can absorb any major unevenness with only a hard subfloor. In the case of full glueing of flexible floor coverings, the need for levelling is absolutely basic.
Other topics Obviously, subfloors for flexible floor coverings also have to meet different technical expectations which apply to each floor covering. Damp resistance, sound improvement, anti-slip, and deployment with floor heating are a few of them. As regards resistance, some flexible
floor coverings are more or less up to 100% (PVC) resistant to damp. Nevertheless, producers also recommend fitting a damp screen in those cases because damp from below can lead to the formation of mould. The available foils usually consist of synthetics. Synthetics commonly used for damp foils are polyethylene (PE), polyvinylchloride (PVC), and polyisobutylene (PIB). As regards acoustic qualities, luxury vinyl tiles (and planks), equipped with a click system, have a lot in common with laminate. In some cases (e.g. in flats) a certain degree of sound reduction will be expected from the subfloor. Lots of subfloors recommended for these tiles offer an impact sound reduction of 10dB. As regards the possibility of combining them with floor heating, the market provides for both full glueing of flexible floor coverings and for the floating fitting of LVT, subfloors with sufficient heat resistance. A final issue which takes on great importance as regards these floor coverings is a certain degree of anti-slip; the subfloor and the floor covering mustn’t ‘slide’. For that purpose there are diverse solutions (self-adhesive, anti-slip, resins, etc.).
Types of subfloor For flexible floor coverings we think spontaneously of subfloors in panel form. Nevertheless, some producers promote a subfloor which certainly appears as a roll, but which nevertheless offers enough high density for fitting flexible floor coverings. A striking phenomenon with a number of specialists are the double plate systems. The subfloor consists of a bolster and a top plate. MDF is a commonly recurring material for these plates. In some cases the plates have to be fitted cross-linked. A perfect combination for subfloors in the case of a flexible final floor is a soft bolster and a hard top plate. The soft bolster then absorbs any unevenness in the covering floor, whilst the hard top plate prevents impressions from chair legs, stiletto heels, and such like. Amongst other things, this combination is used for sound reduction, levelling, and stabilising elastic vinyl. A number of subfloors consist of a bolster and a top plate which are connected to each other by an interactive glue to obtain a perfectly smooth and seamless subfloor. These subfloors make it possible to glue vinyl directly. Another system consists of connecting the parts via a self-adhesive chiplapped edge. Yet another system provides a bolster which is combined in slid brick pattern with a self-adhesive top plate. Another manufacturer has a subfloor for LVT which is self-adhesive on one side for better fitting of the final floor.
whatsoever to the old floor surface, or previous floor finish. An extensive range covers virtually every kind of floorcovering and substrate situation, including underfloor heating. Each product has been designed to perfectly compliment a specific type of floor finish by providing the ideal blend of support and surface quality for a prolonged life and enhanced appearance.
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Acous tic, fa st trac for AL k floo L resil r prep ient flo system or cov erings ! • Insta nt dry floor le of mo velling st sub strates • A co st effe ctive s proble olutio m floo n to rs • Exce ptiona ll y stab floatin le , free g unde rlay sy • Prov stem ides a s u p er smo finish oth • Read y for g lue-do resilie wn of nts an all d carp • Exce ets llent s o und re 23 dB ductio ∆L n of w • Quic k and e a s y to fit handle and to (pack sizes)
One specialist Unifloor Fast and versatile Jumpax® fast-track floor prep principle is a popular and successful underlay system. This is because the flooring market is moving more and more towards resilient dry back finished floor coverings such as LVT, PVC and vinyl. Jumpax® is a unique and highly versatile underlay, instantly producing a perfect, stable surface for stuck-down floor finishes. As a pre-fabricated, floating double-layered fibreboard system it combines speed and ease of use with excellent smoothing capacity and the ability to overcome many time-consuming difficulties associated with traditional surface preparation methods. It requires no screeds, glues, nails or other fixings and is ideal for use on both solid and timber floor constructions. There’s no drying or setting time as with screeding systems, no priming, no mixing, no rubbing down and it has no smell. It is not necessary to remove old floorcoverings or surface coatings, which can be overlaid, nor it is necessary to decontaminate concrete in order to achieve a good bond, as the floating floor principle employed does not require any kind of fixing or bonding to the substrate. This also means that future removal of both floorcovering and underlay is quick, clean and easy, with no residues or damage
FAMILY
JUMPAX® FAST-TRACK FLOOR PREP FAMILY OFFERS THE PERFECT SOLUTION..!!
CLASSIC
BASIC
HD
NATURE
TOP
CP
JUMPAX® FAST-TRACK FLOOR PREP FAMILY OFFERS THE PERFECT SOLUTION!
Unifloor Underlay Systems BV Arnsbergstraat 4, 7418 EZ Deventer The Netherlands, T +31 (0)570 85 55 33 I www.unifloor.info, E info@unifloor.info
Floor Forum International 89
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Top German companies focused on export
GERMANS JUST LOVE WOODEN FLOORS WOOD SECTOR IS DOING WELL, AS ARE ALMOST ALL OTHERS Apparently, adversity can make a country ‘stronger’. The German economy picked up almost straight after World War II and grew into a durable machine in no time at all. Germany managed to withstand successive crises better than the rest of the world. Following the former division and later reunification of the ‘two countries’ of Germany, there is a remarkable solidarity which partially controls the economy; two speeds more or less been harmonised. Germany has a full arsenal of extremely powerful economic sectors. It seems logical for us to pick out the one closest to our hart, namely everything to do with wood. As for parquet consumption Germany is the undisputed ‘leader’.
The German ‘miracle’ The German economy, which was ruined by World War II, soon began to recover after the reforms of 1948. In 1962, there was even talk of full employment. This post-war period is known as the Economic Miracle (‘Wirtschaftswunder’). The end of that miracle is still not in sight.
A cast-iron machine The German economy remains the fourth largest in the world after the USA, China, and Japan. The economic weight of Germany is abundantly clear in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the two southern federal states of Bayern and Baden-Württemberg. These three 'Bundesländer' (federal states) together account for over 50% of German gross domestic product (GDP).
Affluence and an outstanding reputation With an income per head of €33,338 (2013), Germany is one of the wealthier EU member states. The EU average is €24,400 (2010). German professionals are relatively well trained, but the population is ageing to a greater extent than in other European countries. German trademarks have an excellent reputation worldwide, especially in the automobile industry and machine construction.
Institutionalised solidarity Due to the (former) division of Germany, the economy has developed differently in the west than in the east. After reunification in 1990, the government had to spend several billions. From 2005, the Solidarity Pact II has been in force, which stipulates that the German government will set aside 156.5 billion euros for Eastern Germany until 2019. Moreover, all Germans pay a solidarity supplement, a percentage of income to cover the cost of reunification. Economically, the former GDR still lags behind Western Germany. Unemployment is considerably higher, but the situation has improved in recent years. In 2013, unemployment in Western Germany was 6% and 10.3% in Eastern Germany.
Forests, wood, and parquet It is well known that German industry is renowned for the high quality of its products. This applies especially to machine construction. Germany also scores highly in the field of woodworking machines. The country has all the ingredients to be active in the wood sector.
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German forestry The major German federal states for forestry are Bayern, BadenWürttemberg, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Pomerania, Thüringen, and Upper Saxony. Almost one third of Germany (10.3 million hectares) is covered by forests and, apart from the wood harvest, the forests are vitally important for recreation and conservation. There is a legal duty to replant new trees in places where trees are cut down. In the 1980s, increasing damage to the forests was discovered as a result of acid rain. Germany is trying to reduce air pollution with the help of national and international measures.
Machines Germany accounts for an estimated 50% of all woodworking machine exports worldwide. The broad spectrum of the German manufacturers comprises standard and special machines for traditional and industrial production of furniture, electrical tools, machine tools, and installations for the saw industry as well as for the manufacture of wooden materials.
Parquet production and consumption Germany accounts for 15.24% of all European parquet production and thereby occupies second place on the FEP list. Germany accounts for almost 10.5 million square metres (10.403.758 m²) of all European production. Production continues to remain fairly stable. In terms of consumption Germany leads the field in Europe. Whilst the country accounted for 20.84% of all European parquet consumption in 2011, the country has now increased its share to 23.98%. In terms of surface area, this means that, in 2012, the Germans fitted no fewer than 20,984,658m² of parquet as compared to 19,063,390m² in the previous year.
An introduction
OSMO More than 100 years’ experience in wood handling, 280 employees and many partners worldwide have made Osmo Holz und Colour GmbH & Co. KG one of the leading manufacturers of wood products and natural wood finishes. Knowledge and competence is a valuable resource that the company has for many years passed onto partners, distributors and craftsmen. Specifically with this aim in mind, a new exhibition hall and a training centre were built in Warendorf. The new technical training facilities offer the possibility for first-class training in the various product ranges. Here the product can not only be shown, but also tried first-hand. A further investment was the three new production and storage halls: with more than 12,000 m² in area, they expand production capacity many times over. +49 (0) 25 81 922 – 219 www.osmo.de
MEISTERWERKE
MeisterWerke was formed in 1930 by Jozef Schulte and, in 1954, the company started making parquet. Johannes Schulte took over the company in 1972. The company has grown considerably thanks to an extension of its portfolio. In 2013, MeisterWerke became the first producer to produce floors based on wood flour under the trademark Meister Nadura and Meister Lindura, followed later by the Meister Catega Flex Design flooring, which is 100% free of PVC. Floors, panels, and skirting boards are the core business. Laminate and parquet account for the lion’s share of the turnover, but, in recent years, they have committed themselves heavily to the aforementioned innovative floors. In 2016, MeisterWerke had a turnover of over 156 million euros and the company employs about 650 people. MeisterWerke exports to over 60 countries and exports cover 38% of the turnover. +49 (0) 2952 816-0 - www.meister.com / www.meisterwerke.com
BIOFA Biofa was formed in 1978 from a cosmetics company which specialised in natural health products. The idea was to use healthy paints to protect people in their homes, the place where they spend most of their time. After all, chemical fumes from paint can damage health. Biofa uses only natural ingredients in order to safeguard the living surrounds. Natural oils and waxes for in and outdoors are the company’s core business. The company makes a big point of quoting all ingredients clearly. That transparency can also be very important to people with certain allergies. The best-sellers are the natural oils for indoor applications such as 2055 oil or 2059 parquet oil, which has no volatile organic compounds. Biofa achieved a turnover of five million euros in 2016 and they employ 35 people. In 2017, the major innovations are the Bianco Oli 8683 and the water-based hard wax oil 8045. The company exports to countries such as Russia, Switzerland, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. +49 (0) 7164 9405 66 - www.biofa.de
GLIMTREX HAMBERGER FLOORING GMBH & CO With the Haro flooring trademark, Hamberger Flooring GmbH & Co. KG from Stephanskirchen near Rosenheim is now Germany’s market leader in parquet. The firm boasts over 60 years of experience in parquet production. Besides the flooring division, which sells parquet, cork, laminate, the unique Celenio wooden floor, and Disano ‘healthy living’ floors, the group also has Sports Flooring, Sanitary, Woodcutting, and Farming & Forestry divisions. Hamberger is ISO 9001 and EN ISO 14001 approved. In 2013, with the DIN EN ISO 500001:2011 certificate, the firm integrated the new energy control system into its current ecological policy. Since 2002, Hamberger has also held the PEFC certificate. The company is still a family business, which is run by Peter Hamberger and Dr. Peter M. Hamberger, the fourth and fifth generations respectively. Turnover in 2016 was over 310 million euros and over 48% of products are destined for export to over 90 countries. The firm employs 1400 people. +49 (0) 80 31 700-204 - www.haro.de / www.hamberger.de
Glimtrex was formed in 2004 as a specialist producer of oils and hard wax oil. In 2004, the company presented the first hard wax oil applied solely with a roller and where, as regards drying, the applied volume had no effect on the drying time. In 2005, the company presented the Glimtrex hardener. This additive for the hard wax oil ensures a drying time of between one and three hours. The surface is considerably harder and the product is excellent for tropical wood sorts. In 2006, they obtained the certificate for anti-slip R9. In 2007, the hard wax oil was recognised as ‘anti-bacterial’. In 2009, they obtained the R10 certificate. Since 2011, all oils and hard wax oils from Glimtrex have been free of cobalt. In 2015, Glimtrex launched its colour system which can be used to obtain 180 colours with just one oil and nine pigments. In 2017, R12 currently supplies the ‘crown of the work’. Glimtrex is completely private and applies long-term objectives. The company employs 12 people. If they can find more and more reliable partners, all countries are possible export markets. +49 (0) 2504 88 88 7111 - www.glimtrex.de
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Top German companies focused on export
CARL PRINZ The Prinz Company was formed in 1890 by Carl Prinz and was based initially in Werdohl (Sauerland). From 1924 up to today, the company has developed from a wholesaler in indoor decoration and ironmongery into a maker of profiles and curtain rails. In 1956, the company moved to Goch (Lower Rhine region). Grandson Joachim W. Prinz redirected the range. Attention turned mainly to in-house production. The core business was high-quality profiles for floors, walls, and ceilings. Several high-tech profile systems followed in succession. There was the Prinz D.O.S. System (anchoring with no screws) in 1990, Prinz Profi-Tec clips followed shortly afterwards, and then came the PS400 Screw (self-drilling screw) at the dawn of the new millennium. In 2009, Prinz took over Protect Floor GmbH, a specialist company in impact sound insulation and subfloors. In 2000, daughter Katharina Prinz joined the management. As of today, the PS 400 Screw system is still the best-seller. Prinz employs 82 people and achieved a turnover of 15.6 million euros in 2016. 2017 will see plenty of innovations. +49 (0) 2823 9703 19 - www.carlprinz.de
CLASSEN In 1963, Dr. Hannig formed the company Naues & Co GmbH. In 1967, the company took over W. Classen KG, which was based in Düren, and the name of the company was changed to Classen. In 1992, they purchased some land from Akzenta GmbH in Kaiseresch. Relocation followed in 1994. In the period from 2001 to 2002, they started producing laminate in Baruth (Classen Industries). In 2006, they started producing HDF plates (Fibre board GmbH), also in Baruth. Here, too, the click system Classen Megaloc saw the light of day. In 2014, they launched the design floor NEO by Classen, whilst in 2015 it was the turn of the NEO 2.0 design floors and a new mineral material CERAMIN. In 2016, they launched the CERAMIN Vario floor and wall tiles. Their core business is still the production and sale of laminate. Classen has a top global position in that field. The company is characterised by innovation and quality. All Classen products are made in Germany. 2016 was a stable year for Classen. About 1200 people work in the company and their capacity is about 90 million square metres per annum. Their best-seller is NEO Vario Ceramin-Based Wall and Floor Tile, which profiles itself as the ‘real alternative to natural stone and ceramics’. +49 (0) 26 53 98 0-0 - www.classen.de
FLAMINGO PARKET Europa Parket BV was formed in 1967 by the father of the current owner Lars Versteeg. Initially, the company was a retail and trading business. In 1985, they built the factory in Barneveld in the centre of the Netherlands. Originally, they produced only traditional parquet and solid wood floors, but a few years later, they also started producing multi-layer parquet. Furthermore, they also developed some wholesale activities. When they built the factory in Mecklenburg Vorpommern, Germany, in 1995, they initially produced only top layers, but soon afterwards they also started producing Twin Plank (multi-layer parquet). At present, in the German factory of Flamingo Parket, they produce only two-layer parquet. Apart from traditional multi-layer parquet, the Raftwood floors are currently the best-selling product. The top layers of Raftwood are produced from authentic oak railway sleepers. In 2016, Flamingo Parket had a turnover of about thirteen million euros. The company employs 70 people and annual capacity is between 250,000 and 300,000m², depending on the specification. Together, Europa Parkett GmbH and Flamingo Parket produce about 400,000m². Flamingo Parket exports to 20 countries, but most products are sold in Germany, the Benelux, and England. 2017 is a special year for the company. Not only did they introduce a new collection early in 2017 (the Wil collection – a collection of 10 colours, due to the special treatments unique in our range), but they are also celebrating their jubilee 50th anniversary! +31 (0) 342 404 222 - www.flamingoparket.nl
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KÜBERIT Today, Küberit is the market leader in the field of aluminium profiles for textile and resilient floor coverings and profile systems for all hard floors such as laminate, ready-to-fit parquet, and solid wood floors and cork. Founded in 1863, as Herm. Friedr. Künne GmbH & Co. KG, the company can look back on a corporate history of over 150 years. In 1970, the first metal profiles were added to the production range of plastic profiles. At the end of the 1980s, Küberit began to specialise entirely in metal profiles and developed the first profile system for floating floors. In 1996, a new factory was built in Lüdenscheid and a second factory in Drolshagen only 6 years later. In 2008, Küberit invested in a fully automatic warehouse with a capacity of over 5.4 million metres. In 2011, Küberit established its own digital print division and produces profiles that can be matched to any flooring. In 2013, Küberit reached its 150th anniversary. That same year, they sold over 12 million metres of profiles, whilst their annual capacity is over 20 million metres. Küberit is constantly developing new solutions for the flooring industry due to its close relationship to the flooring industry and is the only metal profile producer in the European flooring associations FEP and EPLF. In 2016 they announced new profiles for LVT. Today, the company employs 190 people and exports to more than 60 countries. Küberit achieved a growth of 10% in 2016. Further growth is expected in the North and South American as well as in the Asian markets. The profile system PPS Champion Star and Design Clip as well as the digital print service evolved to the new bestsellers. +49 (0) 2351 9507 127 - www.kueberit.com
PALLMANN Pallmann was formed by Georg Pallmann in Munich in 1900. In 1949, they started developing and producing the first lacquers for wood. In 1982, they launched the first waterborne lacquer. In 2001, Pallmann was taken over by the Uzin UTZ Ag group. In 2004, JP Coatings GmbH was formed and Pallmann moved to Würzburg in the paint factory of HCH Jordan GmbH. On 10 October, they unveiled a new production site for waterborne lacquers. Since 2010, Pallmann has been presenting all products which are necessary for fitting and finishing wooden floors. The Pallmann Good for Wood programme is a comprehensive system solution for fitters. And so, the range runs from subfloor preparation to cleaning products. The top product is the dual-component lacquer Pall-X 98 Gold. A new product is the dual-component lacquer Pall-X Pure, which is ultra-matt and gives the wood an untreated look, but with the protection which you expect from a dual-component lacquer. In 2016, Pallmann achieved a turnover of 27 million euros. The company employs about 100 people. As a division of Uzin Utz AG, Pallmann operates in all countries in Europe as well as in the USA, the CIS countries, New Zealand, and Australia. +49 (0) 160 3642180 - www.pallmann.net
STAUF Worldwide, customers trust in quality by STAUF In the Siegerland region, innovations have tradition. The company headquarters of STAUF Klebstoffwerk GmbH is located here, in the municipality of Wilnsdorf. The company is one of the leading producers of high quality, special adhesives for flooring, the construction of sports facilities, and other assembly. For its customers, STAUF develops individual system solutions for subfloor preparation, bonding and treatment of surfaces. With Volker STAUF, the traditional company is now being headed by the family’s sixth generation. Since its founding in 1828, in its almost 190 years of history, STAUF has shaped the development of special adhesives with groundbreaking innovations again and again. Downto-earth, ambitious, innovative, and partnership-oriented: These are the values that STAUF carries from the Siegerland region out to its customers all over the world. The company serves customers in Europe, where its partners STAUF UK and STAUF Belgium are located. Specialists in Russia, Chile and China also count on the special solutions provided by STAUF. +49 (0) 2739 301-138 - www.stauf.de
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∂ Product news BASIN : NEW NO VISIBLE GREEN+ Do you want an invisible finish for your untreated or sandpapered parquet? You can have it! BASIN offers you the solution par excellence with its new NO VISIBLE green+ (available soon). The NO VISIBLE green+ will be more ecological thanks to its low VOC content and also contains no isocyanates. The lifespan of the product mix (after the addition of the hardener) is almost two weeks (!) and, furthermore, it will be even more resistant to wear and tear. Last but not least, BASIN’s know-how enables them to offer all these extra benefits at the same price as the standard NO VISIBLE! From now on, the new NO VISIBLE green+ will be the only product that you will need to treat your wood and guarantee a natural look. Contact them for more information!
CIRANOVA DECKING OIL is an impregnation oil for the protection and maintenance of all exterior wood. Decking Oil has a built-in UV blocker, which slows down discoloration of the wood. Decking Oil feeds and protects the wood and provides a water resistant effect. DECKING OIL is suitable for all wooden decks, outdoor furniture and sidings and is available in 8 colours.
CSP ENGINEERING Also on the field of the wood filler CSP Engineering keeps taking care of innovation and developments. CosmetiWood® is available at CSP in a new, in the meanwhile already 7th colour in the range: CRD = Crème Doré. The ecological product on water base and wood pulp is available in buckets of 9.6 kg and particularly suited for manual application. Visit the renewed website for more information on CosmetiWood®: http://www.csp-engineering.com/en/product/cosmetiwood/
OSMO New protection against greying: like the acclaimed clear variation, the new UV-Protection-Oil Tints protects wood against UV radiation from the sun. In addition to UV blockers, the new finish also contains a small amount of colour pigments. With two coats, it prolongs renovation intervals significantly. The transparent coloured, lightly pigmented wood finish is suitable for all vertical wood surfaces in outdoor areas. The wood finish is furnished with active ingredients to protection the coating against mould, algae and fungal attacks. Available in six colour tones: Spruce, Oak, Larch, Douglas Fir, Cedar and Natural.
TRIVEC CROSS CUTTER Fine-sawn effect in one cut The Trivec Surface programme has recently been extended to include the TRV400CC cross cutter for giving parquet planks a fine-sawn effect in one cut. The sawn effect can be applied to untreated parquet, but can also be applied to dye application with pigment or reaction stain. The machine can be supplied optionally with one or more brush modules for structuring or for giving the wooden surface an extra thorough clean. With the extra brush head(s), the brushing machine can also be deployed multifunctionally for combination effects with the cross cutter. Other machines from the surface programme are the Trivec Vintage machine, the Trivec Reactive Stain Sprayer, the Trivec Hand-scraping Machine, and the Trivec 2-head, 4-head, 8-head industrial brushing machines. Visit the web site for more information: www.trivec.eu
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Pure Titan Strength Bona Titan â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The next generation of powerful adhesives Bona Titan takes wood floor adhesives to another level. Its new, revolutionary Titanium Technology provides quadruple crosslinking, delivering superior durability and quick bonding for faster installation, even under challenging subfloor conditions. With its unbeatable initial bonding strength, the hard silane-based adhesive produces rigid adhesive ribs which provide greater stability, resulting in safer, stronger, longer lasting wooden floors. Bona Titan is suitable for all sizes and types of wood floor installation. For durability, performance and titan strength, now thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just one choice.
bona.com/titan
Competence in Floor Coverings made in Germany
CLASSEN Group LAMINATE FLOORING
DESIGN FLOORING
Competence Center Baruth / Brandenburg
Competence & Design Center Kaisersesch / Rhineland-Palatinate
Werner-von-Siemens-Straße 18–20 D-56759 Kaisersesch | Tel. +49 2653 980-0 info@classen.de | www.classen.de www.facebook.com / Classen.Gruppe