FFI 90 September by Media-Pact NV / FFI bvba

r ai tF

W EF

e B qu t( ar 8 en eP 01 h .2 / G Th 03 o 6. xp I1 s E 14 der an Fl

ll 8 Ha

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

NÂ° 90, September 2017 - Price: â&#x201A;Ź8 - 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 Dutch companies focused on export Advertorial : Bona (S)

Special : Colour oils

Special : Producers of Versailles panels

Advertorial : Vetedy (LU/Cameroon)

Special : Invisible fastening systems for exterior wood & composite wall cladding

Top Parquet Show

EFWEX EUROPEAN FLOOR & WALL EXHIBITION

14|16.03.2018

For more information contact us via sales@media-pact.com, or +32 (0) 9 385 80 40 or www.efwex.eu

Flanders Expo Ghent (BE)

Visit www.efwex.eu

Discover the Future of Floor & Wall solutions

Content 8 Fla

EX W EF14I16e.0rs Exp

ll Ha

air E) tF ue t (B arq 8 en eP 01 Gh Th 3.2 o /

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° 90, September 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 Dutch companies focused on export Advertorial : Bona (S)

“Solid wood, fully glued wooden floors are still definitely in”

Special : Colour oils

The parquet industry has been characterised for years by a criss-cross succession of trends. Those trends often give short shrift to what has gone before, but sometimes they form almost a logical sequel to what has gone before.

Special : Producers of Versailles panels

Advertorial : Vetedy (LU/Cameroon)

Special : Invisible fastening systems for exterior wood & composite wall cladding

Floor Forum International n° 90 September 2017 Photo Adesiv

4 Inside news 8

Advertorial Parquet Fair EFWEX Ghent (BE)

10 Special Producers of filling machines 13 Special Colour oils 19 Special Anti-slip finish for wooden and

bamboo terrace floors 22 Advertorial Bona (S) 24 Special Laminate floors: part I 26 Special Oils and varnishes based on nanotechnology 28 Special Producers of elastic adhesives 34 Special Sanding machines: part I 37 Special Producers of skirting boards 40 Special Subfloors for wooden floors: part I 41 Special Outdoor floors: maintenance & finishes 45 Special Producers of distressing machines 47 Industry news

Then you also have regionally based trends, something which Enrico Passerini of chemical producer Adesiv knows a lot about. After all, his company operates in no fewer than 40 countries and achieves 65% of its turnover from exports. We’ve said it often enough: Enrico Passerini Parquet floor traders need great ability to adapt, (Adesiv) more so than ever before, if they are to follow and keep up with market trends. For instance, you could sometimes be forgiven for thinking that the success of floating floors must inevitably render glues as ‘surplus to requirements’. Yet companies are also investing almost non-stop in research and development in the field of glues. Contradictory? Certainly not, because whilst floating floors continue to make strides, Enrico Passerini is also seeing growth in solid wood and fully glued floors. He says: ‘The renewal of interest in solid wood floors means higher consumption of primers and lacquers, both products in which Adesiv enjoys an outstanding reputation’. According to Enrico Passerini, solid wood glued floors are holding their own because floating floors can never guarantee that same durable stability. And so, it’s no surprise that there has been a slow, but sure development within that (nevertheless stable) parquet glue market. Moreover, we can draw the pleasant conclusion from that sometimes turbulent development that the breed of traditional parquet floor fitters is far from extinct. Despite the growing demand for the technologically high-quality silane glues, lots of floor fitters still have a distinct preference for epoxy-polyurethane glues, the top glues for floor fitters who have stuck faithfully to the ‘old school’ techniques. Nevertheless, at Adesiv they do believe strongly in pure silane glues which mean excellent performances and benefits. Then we find at this chemical producer another extremely strong conviction, namely that the parquet floor fitting trade will never disappear. Enrico Passerini says, ‘Everyone knows that fitting a traditional parquet floor is a job for a real specialist. You can never expect that expertise, know-how, and experience from DIY enthusiasts since their primary objective is to save money.

48 Advertorial Vetedy (LU/Cameroon) 50 Special Producers of Versailles panels 53 Special UV/LED oiling and lacquring machines on site 57 Special Invisible fastening systems for exterior wood &

composite wall cladding 59 Special Oil and lacquer with anti-slip properties for wooden

flooring and stairs 62 Special Top Dutch companies focused on export 66 Product news

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

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

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

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

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

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

∂ Inside news Adesiv Pure Wood

Unifloor

Adesiv Pure Wood is a water-based, dual-component, and polyurethane finish for a natural look. This solventless finish offers excellent coverage and exceptional hardness. That makes it suitable for high-traffic rooms. Adesiv Pure Wood is easy to apply and there is no risk of streaks. This finish is ultra-matt and transparent and has strong abrasion and chemical resistance. This product has been reinforced using nanotechnology.

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

Decor diversity, flexible use, reliability. Egger has the answer. www.egger.com/flooring

The new EGGER PRO Flooring Collection provides the answer for both commercial and private customers. Whether they are looking for Laminate, Comfort or Design flooring, they will be delighted with the decor diversity and exceptional quality. Customers will love how easy it is to install and benefit from a comprehensive range of accessories. Available from your EGGER retail partner in the autumn.

Floor Forum International 90

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 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.

HydroCork can act as a noisy buffer between the floor and the rooms underneath reducing the walking sound up to 53 %.

Wicander´s Hydrocork flooring now available in 6 stone visuals

The Wicanders Hydrocork flooring range has been one of the best Amorim Revestimentos´ focus of the last years and it has been widely recognized by the market. This waterproof flooring solution was launched in 20 wood visuals, and it is now available in 6 new stone visuals. This comes as a natural next step for the product, as stones visuals are a growing segment in most of the markets. The new visuals offer a range of different stone types, such as marble, chalk and limestone. You may discover these new visuals at www.wicanders.com/hydrocork Aside from the new stone visuals, the company also launched another novelty based on a upcoming interior design trend – a new board dimension that allows an installation with a Herringbone pattern which the brand anticipates it will be a value added for commercial projects. Wicanders’ Hydrocork offers a low thickness floating solution with the benefits of floors with Corktech, a technology that assembles a unique engineered multilayer structure that takes advantage of the amazing properties of cork. Hydrocork is waterproof and stable while maintaining the resilient properties and comfort rendered by cork. Hydrocork´s innovative nature has been widely recognized by the market. The inclusion of a new waterproof solution in a flooring option makes it one of Amorim´s products in higher demand, with sales that account for more than 15% of Amorim Revestimento´s overall sales. The Hydrocork´s agglomerated cork composite core allows it to expand in an unprecedent way and the easy-to-install Press Fit compression system provides a strong and stable installation in just two simple steps. The 6mm thickness makes it the ideal material to use in renovation projects, since there is no need to remove the existing floor – and it can be installed in every room of the house, due to its waterproof condition.

NO PROBLEM, IT´S HYDROCORK. WATERPROOF | IDEAL FOR RENOVATIONS | IMPACT RESISTANCE BODY WELLNESS | SILENCE | NATURAL THERMAL INSULATION WALKING COMFORT

R E A DY F O R R E A L L I F E F L O O R I N G

WWW.WICANDERS.COM

∂ Inside news PARIS PREPARES FOR BATIMAT 2017

I care

SPECIAL ATTENTION FOR FRENCH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES 6 to 10 November 2017 is a special time. That’s when Paris hosts three trade fairs, namely Batimat, Interclima+Elec, and Ideobain during the renowned and pioneering ‘Mondial du Bâtiment’. For exhibitors this international meeting means the top multi-specialist rendezvous for the industry and professionals in the construction sector. This is where decision-makers and specialists meet each other in their quest for innovative technology, techniques, and materials for the construction of buildings now and in the future. This gives companies (exhibitors) the opportunity to give a preview presentation of their latest products to the real decision-makers in the sector. You could also say that it introduces visitors to a broad range of new techniques and a tremendous source of information, possibly future suppliers. The fact that Batimat, Interclima+Elec, and Ideobain are all taking place at the same time in one location is a nice bonus. Focus on ‘French-speaking countries’ With the support of The International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) and via the Institute of La Francophonie for Sustainable Development (IFDD), French-speaking countries will play a special part throughout the event. The support of the IFDD will be in evidence in two separate actions. Firstly, there is the Pavillon de la Francophonie, a pavilion (100m²) in Hall 6 which is designed to welcome representatives from countries with major growth potential from Africa (Sub-Saharan), North Africa, Belgium, Canada, France, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. There is also an extensive seminar programme including the Forum ‘Regard sur l’Architecture’ (A look at architecture) on 7 November in Hall 5A (1.00-5.00 p.m.) on the theme of ‘The major challenges of sustainable construction in Frenchspeaking countries’. The Ateliers du Pavillon de la Francophonie will host ongoing seminars where various themes will be considered. A special focus and definitely something to look forward to.

Visit Impertek at Batimat (Hall 6 Stand F156)

00617 Visual Comunicazione – VE

Luca · head of marketing

Adjustable supports for raised floors

MADE IN ITALY IMPERTEK.COM

Floor Forum International 90

25 > 29.09.2017 Hall 44 · Stand 37

The Pedestal range is a complete series of products designed for installing external raised flooring. A range of adjustable height supports and accessories for laying, which adapts to most situations in the construction site, finding the best solution for any type of flooring, from wooden and composite decking, to ceramic, concrete tiles and natural stone. Impertek supports cover differences in level starting from 10 mm up to heights of more than one metre. The height of the supports can be adjusted during the laying stage even on irregular flooring, and thanks to the new Balance self-levelling head, continuous adjustment of the height always goes hand in hand with perfect flatness of the final flooring.

∂ Inside news MMFA Association gains two new members Hymmen and Proline Systems join in The MMFA – the Multilayer Modular Flooring Association, based in Bielefeld – is pleased to welcome new players to its network: Hymmen and Proline Systems have joined as extraordinary members. Bielefeld-based German company Hymmen GmbH Maschinenund Anlagenbau develops and distributes machines and technology for the flooring industry. Proline Systems GmbH (Boppard/ Germany) is a specialist for profile and matting systems for walls and flooring since 1994. These new entries increase the MMFA’s total of members to 46 companies and institutions, which also reflects the dynamic market development of the modular multilayer flooring systems. www.mmfa.eu

BASIN STORE

Are you searching for a new look for your interior? Now you can visit our BASIN STORE with all your questions about finishing, fitting, repairing, treating, and re-treating your parquet/wood. Our experts are always at your disposal and will be pleased to help you in your quest for the best solution for you. Visit us and discover our new store! You will find the opening times and other information on our web site or on our Facebook page.

D E S I G N® PA R Q U E T

HOUTBEDRIJF

Fr a nc e

Customized parquet

Specialist in custom work!

Overlay Solid Engineered Pattern flooring And many other products ! LOFT PRO

OAK

MAIN SPONSOR

Loft Pro XXL

WWW.PARKETKERKHOFS.BE

INFO@PARKETKERKHOFS.BE

+32 11 63 64 00

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 90

Top Parquet Show

EFWEX EUROPEAN FLOOR & WALL EXHIBITION

14|16.03.2018

For more information contact us via sales@media-pact.com, or +32 (0) 9 385 80 40 or www.efwex.eu

Flanders Expo Ghent (BE)

Visit www.efwex.eu

Discover the Future of Floor & Wall solutions

Download the registration

EFW.E2 0X1 8 2018

www.efwex.eu

form on :

14I16.03

ational.

gets more intern wood show grows and & t ue rq pa ay -d ree th lgian

ula trade fair with a unique form r & Wall Exhibition)! This Floo ean e rop (Eu mor EX 28% EFW try. d chemis will host the thir and all accessories, and Expo in Ghent (Belgium) fair inate, LVT, wall cladding e lam trad t, of ² In March 2018, Flanders que par 00m of 8,0 r ld ove wor ted for rnational players from the nt countries and accoun nco-Benelux attracts national and inte ies came from 13 differe elop further into a vital Fra dev The participating compan 6. EX 201 EFW in see EX will EFW ch d whi nde nt eve ng outside stro a exhibitors atte es ng ntri ecti cou exp nt ere in 2018, the organisers are of whom were from 27 diff space. For this third edition professional visitors, 24% 4 196 d ome welc 6 201 sector. EFWEX benchmark show for the . ium Belg nce were full of praise the professionals in attenda 2016 8 out of 10. of 8 out of 10. In particular, re sco Visitors awarded EFWEX e rag ave d goo a EFWEX visitors yielded ring. A questionnaire filled in by the range, and the free cate international diversity in the ds, stan ve acti for the attr visitors. The the quality and origin of the lity of the visitors. Almost all of them praised EX. EFW sectors, floors, il ond Exhibitors praised the qua reta sec or this le of e active in the wood wholesa rs were satisfied at the end visited the and interior builders or wer The vast majority of exhibito rs, also ies fitte r pan floo com ers, ing trad t trad al tion k mainly as parque s from national and interna tive nta rese visitors to EFWEX 2016 wor rep and rs igne architects and interior des and interior design. Many show.

EX 2018

Other unique assets for EFW -

n via the web site

ed registratio l visitors subject to advanc Free entry for professiona Free catering Free Internet access t for exhibitors. 15% early booking discoun

range:

rs, bamboo floors, inate, vinyl, LVT, cork floo wing sectors: parquet, lam follo the floors, professional ace from terr lers den lesa , woo rs, dealers, and who den exterior wall cladding woo ts), duc pro - Manufacturers, importe ce nan mainte hesives, varnishes, oils, chemicals for floors (ad ery join and ng, fitti r and parquet finishing work tools for floo tor, parquet production, chines for the wood sec ma of lers dea tion and duc ers pro - Produc dworking and floor h like. erisation and efficient woo fessional media, and suc - Specialists in comput certification bodies, pro s, tion ocia ass e trad and s tion era fed l iona - Profess

Exhibitors and product

m exhibitors about EFWE

Strong testimonies fro

k upon EFWEX ring companies looked bac USfloors – Yepp: ‘Both floo d Benelux for age the man in we fair re e only reputable trad sful and pleasant show whe with satisfaction: ‘It’s the the United Parket Kerkhofs: ‘A succes sche, president and Dos ium Jan s. Belg orie as h ess suc acc es and countri vinyl, wooden floors, laminate, to make new contacts from EX: ‘The their participation at EFW rs was highly satisfied with floo Kingdom.’ US of both the from ort to rep us ble ed ura help favo It a received active show for our sector. the second edition of EFWEX Devomat: ‘EFWEX is an attr w location, the range, and and agent Yepp. The sho ’ s nts. dor clie ven c ch Ete Dut COR new ion of e edit this find som in n atio ticip par popular. Our the very first time. catering formula all proved sented our new LED oil for Vesting: ‘At EFWEX we pre show was an ideal hit.’ the ct ers, dire a anis was org w the sho of n the Partly thanks to the attentio ctives to enable e fair with excellent perspe platform to do this.’ Spea: ‘EFWEX 2016 – a trad they concluded e le, hav who al, the tion on rna r, inte eve as pany. How tacts, national as well them to build up their com Ciranova: ‘Many new con n a success for them.’ .’ that EFWEX 2016 had bee been made during this fair EX, comnot was s ber num tor great satisfaction on EFW ectations in visi at: ‘We can look back with oco n Mon tha io CSP Engineering: ‘Our exp nce Rub h orta Bot imp ers. tom h quality stays of higher ting as well as potential cus pletely answered, althoug where we met a lot of exis is that EFWEX 2016 the Rubio EasyBond range.’ ring. Our final conclusion with inee king Eng wor t CSP star for to y er ntit qua groups were very eag Engineering! ‘ EFWEX. has been successful for CSP nce of its participation at nmea the in ived rece n ipro has a positive experie ‘Un bee : e pro hav Uni ers the , ord t tors ‘Firs visi of DeckWise International: ppointed by the number of the EFWEX in Although we were a bit disa ard to join the third edition s with had a lot of good contact time and we are looking forw We d. goo very was tors quality of the visi 2018.’ ers.’ was pleased with the existing and new custom k at EFWEX, Primaverde wers that it plans Primaverde: ‘Looking bac mafix and Prima Per nds bra the of ls ed in its questionnaire ans eria er mat Abetech: ‘Abetech confirm interest shown in the cov ber of visitors num the t tha t They though return to EFWEX in 2018. to Cover.’ ality people of -qu a success! Despite who did show up were high imiver combination proved was low, but those visitors and Lalegno: ‘The Lalegno-Ch Lalegno of visitors during EFWEX, influence.’ the disappointing number s. link ing rest inte e som e Chimiver did mak

Special

Producers of filling machines

FILLER MACHINES ARE UNBEATABLE IN THEIR FIELD ‘MACHINES’ BEAT ‘HUMANS’ BY A LONG WAY

Photo – CSP Engineering

Some shortcomings may be left untreated even on the most expensive parquet floors because some selections (e.g. rustic) can certainly cope with some gnarls and cracks. In most cases lots of ‘repairs’ have to be carried out on wooden floorboards to achieve the desired result. The first assignment consists of ‘seeing’ those shortcomings and ‘assessing’ their severity. After that assessment, there might be a steps plan for operative intervention: preparation, filling, adjusting, sandpapering, re-sandpapering, and finishing. Perfection is hardly imaginable with a manual operation.

The professional at work

Wood cosmetics

A lot of work in parquet factories is still done manually. One human function is that of the person who inspects floorboards manually and visually at the end of each production lane. Planks with obvious cracks, gnarls, or other flaws are removed and collected by another worker for repair. We can imagine that repair process. The hole is filled with filler, spread, dried, refined, sandpapered, and, possibly, coloured. This is quite a chore which is done away from the production line. The repaired floorboard is later returned to the start of the finish line. However, it could be done differently! Semi-automatic or fully automatic filler machines can be deployed on parquet production lines and the tasks of everyone involved in inspecting and repairing possible shortcomings can be fully or partially taken over. We will see below that here, too, technology leads to greater perfection than human competence will allow. The machine simply doesn’t make any human errors, either in assessment or in repair.

The term ‘wood cosmetics’ is not without justification. The common ground with the cosmetics with which we are familiar (facial care, hands, and feet) are such that the designation wood cosmetics spontaneously saw the light of day for ‘beautifying’ a wooden floorboard. Some things start with the assessment of the need for cosmetics. With the human face, beauty is largely subjective. You want to conceal some shortcomings at all costs because they simply disrupt aesthetic beauty. Yet let’s be honest. Cases where birthmarks or even scars on a face are seen as ‘sexy’ are becoming more and more common. Sometimes, those shortcomings simply make a person more attractive. The term ‘beauty spot’ must have its origins somewhere. The same applies to wooden floorboards. Some gnarls, splits, and cracks give the floor extra aesthetic value (also depending on the client).

Floor Forum International 90

A professional beauty specialist is absolutely priceless. Facial care requires a sound knowledge of skin structure, an insight into allergies, product features of various cosmetic products, and, above all, the skill and professional know-how to deal with all that. The same goes for the task of a professional floor fitter, who prepares a wooden floor before applying the final finish. That ‘preparation’ is being done increasingly in the factory, since more and more floors are leaving the factory ready for fitting.

Manual inspection and repair

Tracing, assessing, and repairing Flaws in floorboards are detected via scanning. The scanner works in 2D or 3D and processes the images in less than a second. One thing’s for sure: Nothing escapes the eagle eye of the scanner. Every flaw, however small, is detected and assessed. Human beings simply cannot match that level of watchfulness for each individual floorboard. Since the machine is deployed on the production line, it is not necessary to remove the damaged plank from the conveyor belt for repair. As for measuring and repairing, too, the machine reaches a higher level of perfection than human beings. After all, it measures the correct dimensions of the damage and calculates the required quantity of filler infallibly. Another important point here is that the filler achieves the same hardness as the wood. The filling is done under pressure. The quantity of filler is calculated exactly so no product is wasted.

Two specialists CSP Engineering The PAR-Filler® is an automatic machine for filling knots and cracks in wood flooring elements. For this machine CSP Engineering has developed an extremely accurate scanner which detects the imperfections and notifies two applicators of the positions. The applicators are especially developed to press the filler under high pressure into the wood flooring elements. The PAR-Filler® works in continuous process. There are various semi-automatic to full-automatic systems for supplying and discharging floorboards, depending on the required capacity and

implementation in your production. The standard configuration demands only 1 operator on the machine . The operator puts the wood flooring elements on an entry buffer. All holes from barely 1 mm to knots op to 40mm are accurately detected by the scanner. Two applicators are being guided precisely and with high speed and inject the exact amount of filler on the exact spot. The filled floorboards are conveyed back to the entrance in pairs parallel to one another. Simultaneously CosmetiWood® was developed, a new water-based wood filler. CosmetiWood® has after overnight drying on air a hardness and porous structure like wood, absorbs beautiful oils and colors , bonds perfectly to the wood, and doesn’t shrink, even with big knots. The product can easily be sanded and/or planed and does not crumble. CosmetiWood® is being produced in 7 colors and for large volumes a customized color can be developed.

Filling technology for wood flooring MACHINED FILLING OF KNOTS IN PARQUET

before

after

High quality ﬁlling result Reduction of labour costs High production capacity Just 1 operator Wood ﬁller ready for use Available in 6 colors

CSP Engineering bvba

Stenehei 30/10

Tel: +32 14 37 77 52

B-2480 Dessel (Belgium)

info@csp-engineering.com www.csp-engineering.com Floor Forum International 90

Special

Producers of filling machines

The benefits of PAR-Filler®: - Reduction of labor costs - High production capacity - Just 1 operator, no specific skills are required - Easy set-up: dimensions, grading and quality - Easy switch between colors, no product loss and without cleaning of tubes - Ecological 1-component filler, similar structure and absorption as wood - Exceptional high-quality result thanks to the new injection technique Next to the standard configuration, it is also possible to implement individual solutions for integration of the-PAR-Filler® into your production. Depending on specific dimensions of wood flooring elements, required degree of automation and integration with other production lines, CSP Engineering works out the best solution for you. The best possible way to test the benefits for your production is by attending a live evaluation of PAR-Filler®. www.csp-engineering.com

Wintersteiger Wintersteiger TRC stands for ‘timber repair & cosmetics’, an advanced system for repairing wooden floors or panels by means of an ingenious detection and injection system. Wintersteiger TRC is now well established on the market. The repair filler is injected under pressure and shows no swelling or shrinking whatsoever. Thanks to thermoplastic technology, it is possible to treat the panels or floorboards further or to store them. Wintersteiger offers both semi-automatic and fully automatic machines. The existing systems work mainly with thermoplastic

fillers, some with polyamide, but, strictly speaking, other fillers are eligible since this is an open and flexible system. Successful processing by brushing, sandpapering, or coating depends largely on the quality of the filler. What is also important is that the filler obtains the same hardness as the wood. The dosing is done automatically. The scanner takes care of the exact calculation of the dosing so that no product is wasted. The Faulty Spot Eye scanner has been specially developed by Wintersteiger for detecting holes in panels. It works in 2D and 3D mode and processes the images in milliseconds. The smallest machine is the TRC-M Easy and takes up about 1.5 x 1.5m of space. The semi-automatic version without a scanner is already available for €40,000. Prices for fully computerised lines start at €165,000. Since 2009, Wintersteiger has already installed over 20 fully automatic production lines, which have been used to repair about 15 million square metres of panels per annum. A few dozen semi-automatic machines have now been sold worldwide.

OIL LACQ UER SYST EM

NEW

TRC Timber Repair & Cosmetics

UN1CO  FORTICO SYSTEM

Wood repair in unprecedented quality for flooring!

To have the best possible protection with a minimum amount of maintenance, you can apply our anti-scratch lacquer FORTICO 2C on top of our 1-coat oil UN1CO.

Perfect fill of knots and cracks Significant reduction in rejects and increase in yield Boards can be stacked or processed further immediately after fill The TRC product range covers all capacities – from semi to fully automatic machines.

r aw

By applying FORTICO 2C NATURAL on top of the UN1CO, the natural look and feel of an oiled floor will be retained. OY

EN71-3

TY FO R T

Bfl-S1

A+

filled

WWW.CIRANOVA.EU INFO@CIRANOVA.BE +32 (0)51 30 11 40

Visit us at

Floor Forum International 90

Ciranova_92.5x136_FloorForum_EN.indd 1

16/08/17 12:38

www.wintersteiger.com/trc

Special

Colour oils

COLOUR OIL MAKES THE RANGE EVEN BIGGER A COLOUR FOR EACH CONSUMER? WHY NOT? Scandinavia? What does that remind us of? Obviously, high technology in IT and many other sectors. It’s also the top market for floor heating. Yet it is mainly a world of wood. Scandinavians have been building with wood for centuries. They have the wood, the knowledge, and the companies to do it. And what else was there? Ah, yes, of course, colour! They love colours, light fresh colours to transform ‘with gusto’ the monotony of large surfaces of one and the same wood sort into something ‘ lively’. In other words, you can colour your wood. Oil is ideal for that.

Colouring wood? Why not? Inlay work and marquetry in bygone days were more art than craft. In those days, people still made a certain pattern in regal wooden floors or in the skilfully constructed panels in better quality furniture making by using different sorts of wood. That must have required a sound knowledge of wood! There are some real masterpieces in those combinations: oak with cherry or walnut, walnut, wenge, etc. With an edge in wenge you can make a line in an oak floor or in another light floor. It’s just that however sublime it might be, it is still wood and we can’t really speak of ‘joviality’. You need other colours to do that. The Norwegian port city of Bergen is a good illustration. All houses which are constructed nicely around the port channel are in wood and all those houses have a different colour. If we imagined that they were all in wood, but without the extra dash of colour, this port city wouldn’t look half as attractive. And that’s a phenomenon which we find all over Scandinavia; villages in Denmark or Sweden often look so picturesque that they make you happy. And so, why not colour wood? Let’s get on with it!

What are we looking for with colour? There are several reasons why clients want to colour wood, but three in particular stand out. You want to make the wooden floor ‘younger’ or ‘older’ or you want to make it look ‘more expensive’.

Making wood younger As time goes by, the interior should become more and more a reflection of our personality. We look for unique materials, unique combinations, unique colours, and, especially, a living environment where we can be ourselves. That’s certainly a modern approach. That approach really does see the emergence of colours, depending on the purpose of the floor. For the children’s room it can be lively, in a trendy clothes shop for teenagers just as in a contemporary cocktail or champagne bar. Here we can work with all the available colour systems, both chemical and natural.

Making wood older Yes, then there’s that undeniable trend of distressing. Evoking the atmosphere of old houses by fitting an old floor has been in fashion for some time. When those genuine old floors gradually become extinct, we’re obliged to imitate them. Distressing techniques have established a permanent place amongst the ‘finishes for wood’. There are various

Visit www.floor-forum.com

techniques of a chemical and mechanical nature for making a floor look older. Here, too, colour plays a crucial part. Older floors are darker than new ones. In this context we come right into the territory of oil, which is seen as the most suitable finish for distressed floors. One of the reasons is that with a lacquer finish, in the case of complete renovation, any mechanical distressing effects (e.g. from beating or lashing) would be removed with the lacquer. Obviously, with oil that is never the case.

Making wood more expensive We turn light wood sorts darker when we want to distress a floor, but it can just as well be designed to give the impression that we possess an expensive and exotic wooden floor. For example, pine then becomes pangapanga, or oak is easily transformed into wenge. It’s all possible with colour, and certainly with colour oil.

How do we use colour? The colouring of wood As a rule, wood can be coloured in different ways. Some ways are merely for ‘pre-colouring’ and for the rest don’t protect the wood at all. In other words, they still have to be rounded off with a classic finish. That applies, amongst others, to soaking in lye and smoking. It also applies to ‘staining’, which has been the most common method for several years of colouring wood. It doesn’t apply to colour oils where the colour and the protection are applied in one product. Let’s consider four methods.

Smoking European oak is still the wood sort used most for smoking wooden floors. Smoking the oak highlights the specific wood pattern. The structure of each separate plank comes to the fore. Each plank is in fact different and has its own look. Sun, wind, rain, and soil have caused this natural distinction and smoking makes such influences clearly visible. The smoking process makes a plank somewhat darker.

Soaking with lye Soaking wood in lye is a pre-treatment which provides ongoing protection from discolouration caused by sunlight. Lye doesn’t protect the wood from dirt and damp. After a treatment with lye, the wood always needs to be treated subsequently with oil, soap, or lacquer. A very commonly used method for treating wooden plank floors is the so called oil-soap treatment.

Staining Staining parquet can give the wood any desired colour, from black and blue-grey to white, all things are possible. The stain penetrates deep down into the wood, gives a nice contrast, and thereby highlights the specific wood structure. This can be combined afterwards with oil, beeswax, or varnish. Stain is often a traditional wood-ennobling product based on natural linseed oil. This wood stain is ideal for colouring wood, parquet, and plank floors in both ordinary and noble wood sorts.

Floor Forum International 90

Special

Colour oils

Colour-oiling We use a coloured oil to apply protection and colour with one finish product. This method is suitable for all new wooden floors or parquet in all wood sorts which has just been sandpapered. Most colour oils are transparent. A finishing coat with these oils also provides a strong protective coat. Moreover, colour oils can also be combined with other treatments such as lye treatment and smoking whereby distinct results can be obtained.

Colour oil scores highly As we have already said, some methods of colouring wood still have to be complemented by a protective treatment. With a coloured oil we apply protection and colour in one finish product. This method is suitable for all new wooden floors or parquet in all wood sorts which have just been sandpapered. Most colour oils are transparent. A finishing coat with this oil gives a strong protective coat. Moreover, the colour oils can still be combined with other treatments such as lye treatment and smoking to obtain very distinct results. Since wood penetrates deeply into the pores of the wood, that also applies to colour oil. The advantage is that you achieve a colouring which is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;all overâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; up to a certain height. Several other colouring products or techniques lead to a colouring on the surface. Coloured oils are available in a wide range of contemporary and timeless colours. They are usually prepared by adding dyes to the natural oil. This transparent colouring for wooden floors can therefore be supplied in several different colours, which can even be combined with each other. What is noticeable is that the producers no longer draw their inspiration mainly from a range of wood shades, but also from other colours which have nothing to do with the wood sorts.

A selection from the range Adesiv

Adesiv presents Paviolio 25 WB, a colouring agent with modified vegetable oils for impregnating indoor wooden floors. Paviolio 25 WB can be painted over with a waterborne dual-component varnish. The product itself is a single-component product with outstanding colour properties and high penetration capacity. The finish can be applied 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 must be perfect because Paviolio 25 WB multiplies the smallest imperfection. And so, the product can be used on all types of wood, but it comes best into its own on types such as oak, larch, and cherry.

Bona Bona Craft Oil penetrates deep into wooden floors and improves resistance to wear, chemicals, and damp. BONA CRAFT OIL 1-component is available in six different colours. You can also obtain even more colours by adding effects with the Bona Nordic Tone, Bona Rich Tone Grey, and the Bona Mix Colour. Bona Craft Oil is a single-coat system. With superior wood-saturation properties, Bona Craft Oil offers deep

Floor Forum International 90

Blanchon

protection against wear, chemicals, and damp. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a natural vegetable oil with hardly any odour and exceptionally low VOC content. This makes it safe to use and walk on. The oil helps reduce yellowing effects. The formula is ecological with a high oil content and low solvent content (<4%), and that also means that the wood can be saturated with a limited content of oil. Bona Craft Oil 2K (2 components) is available in 11 different colours, which can be mixed with each other to create legions of colours. The 2K version can even be lacquered over with the strong parquet lacquer Bona Traffic for the very best protection. Bona Craft Oil 2Kâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique formula, which is based on vegetable oil, ensures rapid drying and the very best protection. It is the ideal finish for sometimes bothersome wood sorts like kambala, afzelia, and walnut. It is also suitable for use on smoked oak and steamed beech. Bona Craft Oil 2K provides a fresh and waterproof and stain-resistant surface and is ready for use after a drying time from just 8 hours (Neutral) to 12 hours (Colour Oil).

Colouring wooden floors has been a prominent trend for a few years now and everyone in the parquet industry from manufacturers to floor fitters is joining in. Oak is still the most popular type of wood and also lends itself best to a colour treatment. For over 20 years, Blanchon has offered a full range of oils, wax oils, and hard wax oils. In 5 ranges (with 45 shades) they now offer you for the first time this year the possibility of ordering no fewer than 90 shades, which they can deliver in a week. And so, that immediately gives clients a choice of more than 135 hues of colour, but, actually, the possibilities are unlimited since the oil is often applied to a parquet floor already coloured in some way or other such as via distressing techniques. For about 10 years, the white and grey shades have been the most striking, but with various derived tints. Experienced floor fitters even work with a wet-in-wet technique to yield

Color Hardwax-oil 2K Lanai 071

The VOC-free finishing product with fast curing and full chemical and mechanical resistance after 24 hours.

Janna 170 Denali 175 Kamet 179 Pago 770

Available in 12 colours!

Pinta 773 Tanna 776 Savo 872 Rossing 875

Easy maintenance with

Floorservice Maintenance Oil!

Koro 972 Taupo 975 Sakar 979

Floor Forum International 90

Special

Colour oils

special effects such as marbled or with shadows. Dyes are generally used to obtain the colour because they can withstand light better than colouring agents and also because there’s no such thing as a white colouring agent. Moreover, dyes give deeper and more intense hues of colour. The addition of a UV filter, certainly with water-based oils, can give both decorative and technical added value (durability).

Chimiver Chimiver Panseri S.p.A. offer oils for wooden floors both for onsite and industrial application. For onsite application Chimiver presents its Lios Bioil range of natural oils which includes 20 standard trendy colors and many other you can easily find by mixing the colors each other. Chimiver introduced also its new LIOS BIOIL 2K which is a two-component natural oil treatment for wooden floors in only one single coat. It has very high chemical and physical resistance, high coverage and it is very easy to be maintained; it gives the wooden floor a warm and soft effect. LIOS BIOIL 2K is formulated with natural oils and it is VOC free. LIOS B 100 is a natural colored oil treatment for wooden floors, it has 100% solid content so it can be considered VOC free. LIOS B 100 protects the wood, enhancing the softness and the natural look of the wood. For industrial application Chimiver has a great range of UV OIL with very large range of colors. Chimiver produce and supply also a wide line of maintenance products for keeping your oiled wooden floor always new and clean.

Ciranova Colouring parquet and furniture is very much in fashion.

drying and excellent chemical resistance. UN1CO is available in 16 colours. The HARD WAX OIL is a fast-drying parquet oil which is highly durable. It has a good filling capacity and good chemical and mechanical resistance. It is available in eight standard colours and eight trendy colours. Two or three coats are applied, depending on the type of wood, the white and natural shades are the favourite colours, but some clients also choose darker colours (brown shades and metallic colours).

DevoNatural® DevoNatural® High Solid Oil is a matt and curing oil with high coverage capacity and based on natural oils. It can be used for all sorts of parquet, wooden floors, and other wood, both in and outdoors. The floor needs only one coat of oil due to the high solid matter content and the unique molecular structure of the oil. For that matter an extra coat is pointless because surplus product is rejected once the wood is saturated! With the addition of DevoNatural® Extra Hardener, the floor is ready for use after 12 hours and the coat of oil becomes ‘even’ more durable! DevoNatural®High Solid Oil can be applied to both commercial and domestic floors which are subjected to heavy use. The product is easy to apply and can be spread well into open wood pores. DevoNatural®High Solid Oil can be applied to all wood sorts e.g. indoor on parquet, wooden floors, cork, furniture, wooden walls etc. Due to its waterproof properties, this oil can also be applied to bathroom parquet and outdoors on all woodwork, garden furniture, terraces, etc. It can also be applied to exotic wood sorts such as teak and such like. The available colours are colourless, pure, matt white, chalk white, agate grey, dark oak, jatoba, vison grey, weathered oak, and black wash.

Floorservice

Re-sandpapering parquet and applying colour oil to get a floor which looks as good as new is highly popular. Sandpapering and renovating furniture is also gaining ground and UN1CO is ideal for that purpose. UN1CO is used a lot for protecting and colouring in one coat. Colouring is especially attractive for oak wood, but, basically, it can be done on any wood. For each type of wood there is a specific way of preparing the wood before applying colour oil. UN1CO is the single-coat VOC-free oil from Ciranova’s new generation, based on renewable natural raw materials. Thanks to this special technology, only one coat is needed. With the oil it is necessary to apply a hardener, which ensures rapid

Floor Forum International 90

Floorservice offers different types and colours of Floorservice Hardwax-oil. Off our 34 colours the white, grey and brown shades are the most popular, in particular the Polar, Arctic, Brasil and Lunarda. Followed by the unfinished look and the combined shades. The Floorservice Hardwax-oil penetrates 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. A new product is the Floorservice Color Hardwax-oil 2K. This VOC-free finishing product cures very fast; ensuring the floor to be fully operational in no time. Available in 12 different colours. 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.Also, there is a simple and efficient maintenance system to be used in combination with our Hardwax-oil.

Hesse The Hesse assortment consists of various oils. One of them is RESIN OIL, which is available in two degrees of gloss (semi-matt or glossy). This oil is based on linseed oil and contains natural oil-modified alkyd resin with the addition of lead and cobalt-free driers. It is highly elastic and durable and highlights the wood nicely. This oil must be applied solely by roller and it creates a natural effect. It also leaves a small film and is suitable for domestic and corporate floors, as well as high-traffic parquet and wooden floors, stairs and handrails, OSB panels, and cork floors. The chemical and mechanical resistance depends on how many coats of oil are applied. 31/10 > 03/11/2017, Brabanthallen in ’s-Hertogenbosch. Visit our STAND 3310 at HoutPro +®.

Heidelberg Coatings Colourfull & individual The color set from Heidelberg PROLiGNUM

resistant and therefore it can be used for the coating of stairs, furniture of course wood floors.

Lecol Lecol has oils in one and two components. Classic oil intensifies the colour of the wood and preserves the natural look. An oiled floor will stay clean for years with the necessary cleaning and maintenance. Loba sells various oils and oil-wax combinations. The star products are LOBASOL® HS Akzent 100 Oil and LOBASOL® HS 2K Impact Oil. The 2K impregnation/ LOBASOL® HS 2K Impact Oil is suitable for all wood sorts. It highlights the natural colour and structure of the wood. Moreover, both oils can be used to obtain lots of colour effects! Clients have a choice of no fewer than 19 contemporary lively colours. LOBASOL® Pretone and LOBASOL® Active Colour can be used to make the colours even more intense so the possibilities really are now endless.

Osmo For the creative design of wooden flooring, Osmo offers a wide range of coloured finishes in a multitude of colours: Polyx®-Oil Tints, Oil Stain and Wood Wax Finish. These natural wood finishes colour and protect wood surfaces at the same time. With Polyx®-Oil Tints and Wood Wax Finish, a subtle colouring of wooden flooring can be achieved; intensive colouring is achieved with Oil Stain. To individualize flooring, there are numerous colours to choose from: the colour spectrum stretches from classic browns to trendy greys and intensive bold colours, with which attractive accents can be added. Polyx®-Oil, Oil Stain and Wood Wax Finish are easy to apply and create an even and harmonious colour.

Pallmann

The color set from Heidelberg PROLiGNUM consists of twelve 250ml containers: eleven standardized colour concentrates and a retarder that allows a langer processing time. The great advantage of the concentrates is that they can be mixed - so it is possible, besides the standard concentrates, to create self-designed color results. Moreover, due to the concentrated characteristic of the colors you need only little product quantity. From current colour trends to own color creations there are no limits to your creativity. The colour concentrates are added to the HD-NATUR HARTWACHSÖL Color. This product is a oil-wax combination with a high solids content on basis of vegetable oils and wax components with addition of leadless dry materials. The individually coloured hardwax oil is suitable for the entire interior finish. lt is very

At Pallmann they get a lot of questions from customers who want to colour their parquet, combined mainly with a brushed surface and a vintage look. Colouring is recommended for wood sorts which eventually become discoloured under the influence of sunlight. At Pallmann they offer two oil systems for providing a coloured floor. Magic Oil 2K Colour offers a fully oiled

Floor Forum International 90

Special

Colour oils

surface in the required colour. By contrast, the Pall-X 333 Colour is a coloured primer for a preliminary treatment. This can be painted over with various waterborne lacquers such as the dual-component Magic Oil 2K. The most popular colours here, too, are black, white, and grey, but occasionally some modern colours are also requested. As of next year, Pallmann is offering no fewer than 32 colours. Most oils from Pallmann are coloured with dyes which give the right colour and provide protection from UV light.

Rubio Monocoat

Rubio Monocoat oil protects and colours all types of wood. Obviously, each type of wood has its own colour/shade, which will help to determine and affect the final colour. This makes each project different. Rubio Monocoat is a trend setter and pioneer in promoting an oil which protects and colours in a single coat. The unique technology of molecular binding means that the Rubio Monocoat oil contains unique properties such as application without the risk of overlapping, yet with 100% natural ingredients (0% VOC). Furthermore, Rubio Monocoat oil is easy to maintain and repair. The top product, Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2C, is available in 40 standard colours, which can be mixed together with each other and give an intense colour without affecting the natural look of the wood. If that isn’t enough, they are only too happy to make a customised colour for you. In 2017, they have added three new collections, which draw their inspiration from the trend colours of this year. Think here of warm green and blue shades and even a ‘Touch of Gold’ with real gold dyes. RMC Oil Plus 2C is therefore the ideal partner for all projects. Clients often opt for natural colours which highlight the beauty of the wood even more.

Rigo Verffabriek Colouring is in fashion, and not just for new wooden floors. People are also sandpapering old wooden floors and then giving them a completely new look with ROYL in colour. In particular, colouring oak floors yields attractive results. ROYL BIO-OIL and ROYL OIL 2K are both completely solventless single-coat systems whereby oil and colour penetrate deep down into the wood together and anchor themselves in the cell structure. Light white shades are the favourite. Wood shades are still also popular. There is a growing demand for powerful white and grey shades and for black. Since dye sags out, RIGO supplies separate tins of ROYL ‘Colour for Oil’ colour pigment. This guarantees the user the right colour and, if necessary, he or she can also adapt the colour. RIGO has developed 23

Floor Forum International 90

authentic wood shades and 15 modern grey shades. These shades are available for oak in colour ranges and in a fluid sample as ROYL ‘Colour Sample’. Upon request RIGO can also supply transparen tand semi-transparent colour shades from the NCS range.

Stauf Coloratum Oil is a single-component, coloured finish based on natural oils and wax. It is used for parquet, cork and wood floors in living areas with normal or moderately heavy use. The product contains no lead-based or cobalt-based dryers and is pigmented. The finish is multi-functional. It can be used as a stand-alone product, or mixed with other oils. The com-bination of STAUF Oil in One and STAUF Hardwaxoil achieves a restrained spread of colour on floors in the shades, Black, Grey, White, Wenge, Dark Walnut or Teak. The finished sur-face has a silky feel and is also dirt-resistant and water repellent. The trend is currently grays that match with the vintage look in interior.

Tover In the past years the market trend went towards colored floors to get highly customized traditional or modern effects. An easy way to achieve on site a colored finish is to use an oil: Tover offers a solvent free natural hardwax oil, strong, applicable in a sole coat, easy to maintain and repair, suitable for food contact, available in more than 30 shades: L’Olio 100%. In order to improve further its resistance properties to spots and wear, it is possible to add a cross-linker or hardener (Oil-Linker) and even to overcoat the oil with a water-based bi-component lacquer: for an extremely natural and long-lasting finish.

WOCA WOCA Colour Oil is a premium choice, if you wish to nourish and protect wooden floors, while adding some striking colour and character at the same time. This pigmented oil is suitable for all wood species and is developed to create beautiful, durable and smooth wood surfaces in one single application. Choose from numerous colour variations, ranging from extra white to black, and achieve a unique end result – all without compromising the quality of the oil. Use Colour Oil in combination with other WOCA products and generate admirable high-end solutions perfect for commercial areas with high traffic.

Special

Anti-slip finish for wooden and bamboo terrace floors

YOU CAN CUT THE RISK OF SLIPPING WOODEN TERRACES ARE NO MORE DANGEROUS THAN OTHER FLOORS

Photo – Tover

People are still terrified of slipping on wooden terrace floors. They are afraid of potentially dangerous situations mainly in winter, but also in summer if they have the luxury of a swimming pool. However, the rules of slip resistance are the same for all floors and

there are several mechanical and chemical solutions for wooden terraces to cut the risk of slipping. In this article we consider in more depth the ‘causes’ of the risk of slipping and possible ways to safeguard wooden terraces against them.

Floor Forum International 90

Special

Anti-slip finish for wooden and bamboo terrace floors

Slip resistance

Technical solutions

Slipping is the result of slipperiness. That sounds really obvious, but the underlying mechanisms are many and extremely diverse. Amongst other things, the Belgian Building Research Institute (BBRI) has conducted and published quite a lot of research on the so called ‘slip resistance’ of floor coverings. In simple terms it is slip resistance which partly determines how great (or small) the risk is of slipping on a particular floor. That slip resistance depends on several factors. The BBRI has conducted research into what exactly can affect the slip resistance of a floor. The major factors are as follows:

It has emerged from the above that making a surface rougher is a major weapon in tackling slipperiness. This can be done by applying a ‘treatment’. Some treatment products are geared primarily to protecting (preserving) the wood, but at the same time they can increase the slip resistance. Some producers also offer a product which operates simultaneously as a protective finish for outdoor wood and as security against slipping. For example, we found that one producer has a transparent and silky gloss anti-slip stain based on solvents. This stain nourishes and protects terrace wood, but also makes it anti-slip by means of an anti-slip grain. It also stops the wood from turning grey. We found another solution in a dual-component polyurethane product which, after the addition of a third component, is sprayed into the groove of a plank. As the polyurethane sets, it is sprinkled with quartz sand to obtain a narrow and uneven line. The roughness is guaranteed to last a long time since the line has been sanded into the mass. Applying such a line every 7 to 10cm will suffice to ensure that the terrace surface is safe to walk on.

Roughness of the floor surface The roughness of the floor surface is a vital factor for slip resistance. The rougher the surface, the greater the slip resistance. There are lots of ways to try to make a floor more slip resistant by making it rougher. For instance, you can do it by means of mechanical treatments such as sandblasting, but those methods can change the look of a floor drastically. Other more subtle methods include microengraving with lasers or an acid chemical treatment, depending on the type of floor covering.

Displacement space

What’s on the market? Ciranova

Another important factor for slip resistance is the so called displacement space. This is the amount of material (e.g. dirt, oil, and water) which can come to rest on a floor surface without covering the tops of the profiling. This is expressed in cm3/dm2.

Finish level of a floor tile The finish level of a floor tile also affects slip resistance. The more a floor is polished, the less the slip resistance, although it does depend on the structure of the material.

Wear and tear Floors which were once quite rough can become very slippery through wear and tear. That wear and tear may be due to a combination of footsteps and (fine) dust. Whether or not a floor becomes more slippery through wear and tear depends largely on environmental factors. Floors in buildings on the coast are less slippery over time than floors in regions with clay soil.

Surface treatments and slip resistance Tests show that impregnation agents and pore fillers have a negligible effect on the slip resistance of floors. A film-forming treatment to protect a floor can significantly affect slip resistance.

Damp makes wood slippery Wood becomes slippery if there is water on the surface of the wood (e.g. from swimming pools) and/or as a result of the possible formation of algae or moss which is thereby boosted. With wooden terraces or swimming pool boards it is essential to remove puddles of water immediately. ‘Discharging’ water by means of a certain terrace slope is definitely a possibility, although a lot of people take the view that a wooden terrace doesn’t need a slope. There are other possibilities, too. A few years ago, some terrace floor producers launched planks which swell ‘invisibly’. This was an outstanding idea because, irrespective of the terrace slope, each plank discharges water very quickly along the sides. That, combined with good ventilation, which is usually quite natural ventilation, can go a long way towards reducing the risk of slipperiness.

Floor Forum International 90

By analogy with indoor applications, the R-classes are often used to define anti-slip features in terrace floors. According to Ciranova, this is particularly important for wet surfaces. There are various possible ways of obtaining anti-slip properties in terraces. In one respect it is possible to achieve a considerable improvement by adding to the oil an additive which is suitable for that purpose. This is generally an oil which is specially developed for that purpose and is applied as an extra coat or a special coat. As with all outdoor surfaces treated with oil, the quality depends on the maintenance. Regular maintenance is recommended.

Chimiver Chimiver offers a wide range of products for treating all kind of outdoor wooden floors. LIOS SUNDECK WOOD OIL is an outdoor wood impregnator particularly recommended for the treatment of outdoor wooden floors (swimming pool edges, verandas, walkways), window and door frames, fences and canopies made of wood. It contains natural and synthetic oils, with the addition of UV ray absorbers and special anti-ageing ingredients against the wood decay. It doesn't crack. In order to obtain a non-slip effect when floor is wet, it's recommended to sand with 60/80 grit sandpaper and to apply our specific product LIOS SUNDECK WOOD OIL NO SLIP certified

UNI CENT/TS 15676. Chimiver also offers LIOS SUNDECK W OIL a water-based impregnating oil for wood. It's particularly suitable for the treatment of wooden ﬂoors located outside as swimming pool edges, verandas, walkways, window and door frames, fences and canopies made of wood. LIOS SUNDECK W OIL NO SLIP is certiﬁed with B.C.R.A. method (D.M. 14 June 1989 N.236).

Osmo

an anti-slip rating of R9, and AQUA GRIP, a grip powder which is used as an additive to increase slip resistance in accordance with German standard BGR 181. With the addition of this grip powder, the final coat of STAUF AQUA AURUM two-component finish can be made significantly rougher and achieve an anti-slip rating of R11. This is required primarily on stairs in working areas.

Tover Pro-Deck is the innovative water-based impregnation protection agent for wooden floorings in exterior. It is suitable for exotic woods like teak, Iroko, ipé including bamboo. It preserves terraces, walkways, garden furniture from severe climatic conditions, UV-rays, it does not turn yellow or crack. Moreover it lasts longer than a traditional oil for decking. Last but not least it complies with the DIN 51130:2014 norm in terms of anti-slip properties (R9) to guarantee a safe walking on wet surfaces.

A non-slip wood finish is of utmost importance in areas where decking can get wet. Such finishes provide, especially on wet surfaces, more safety and help to prevent slips and falls. Osmo Anti-Slip Decking Oil is a clear top coat finish for timber decking pre-treated with a pigmented oil and contains a special highly compressed organic non-slip additive, which is evenly distributed in the coating, and helps to prevent slips (R10). This oil based finish makes an easy and seamless application possible. The finished surface is water-resistant and contains additives protect the coating against mould, algae and fungal attacks. For private households, Osmo recommends re-coating the clean decking with Anti-Slip Decking Oil one time before the start of the garden season.

Stauf In many countries, there are clear regulations regarding the slip resistance of floors in workplaces, such as for examples kitchens and counter areas, where liquids can expected to be found on the floor. In Germany, slip resistance is regulated by the anti-slip classes: R6 – R13. R6 stands for slightly or traditionally rough floors and R13 for extremely rough surfaces. STAUF offers two products here: STAUF OIL IN ONE, which requires no further mixing and has

Visit www.floor-forum.com

Floor Forum International 90

Advertorial

Bona (S)

BONA LAUNCHES NEW BRUSHING TECHNOLOGY FINALLY SPECIAL TEXTURE EFFECTS ON EXISTING WOODEN FLOORS It will come as no surprise to anyone that a company with almost a century of expertise in treating wooden floors turns out pioneering innovations on a regular basis. Now is another such time for Bona, which was formed in 1919. The Swedish concern has launched a brand new and revolutionary system for brushing existing wooden floors. This system enables parquet floor fitters to highlight the natural character of the wood and create exceptional looks and shades as never before. The combination of excellent technique and the now legendary Bona finishes will surprise you once again.

A unique system The new brushing technology includes a set of wire brushes compatible with the Bona Flexisand 1.9. and the Bona Supraflex. The heart of the new system is the Bona Power Drive NEB to which

Floor Forum International 90

the heads are fastened via a simple click/lock system in order to be fitted to the Bona Flexisand for easy sanding and brushing in any direction. The counter-rotary cylindrical brush heads sands between the wood grain and create depth between the fibres. This means any colour oil can settle between the grains to create a two-dimensional effect and bring out the natural pattern of the floor even better. For corners and places which are difficult to reach Bona has introduced the new Bona Supraflex all-in-one corner sanding also suitable for sandpapering and brushing wood and other materials. Bona Supraflex is the exquisite ‘partner’ for the Bona Power Drive NEB. What makes the system exceptional is that it is now possible to achieve brushed effects on existing floors, something which wasn’t possible before. .

Bona Power Drive NEB You could call it the ‘linchpin’ of the new system. The Bona Power Drive NEB is a highly versatile solution which makes it possible to

sand down to the pale wood and create special brushing effects simply by replacing the heads. With the new metal brushes you create a unique texture and two-dimensional effects. Add the legendary Bona surface treatments, such as pigmented oil or matt finishes, and you get a wooden floor with a unique look. The sanding or brushing medium is changed with one simple ‘click’. Thanks to the contra-motion of the Bona Power Drive NEB, the soft parts between the fibres are removed.

safety are obviously still an important topic. The Bona products have been developed with exceptionally low VOC contents to guarantee better indoor air quality. From design and protection to maintenance and cleaning, Bona offers professionals all the tools which they need to complete an attractive wooden floor with a long lifespan. For more information visit us on www.bona.com

Bona Supraflex Giving the wood depth and structure has to be done ‘properly’. In other words, you must do the edges and corners as well! The new Bona Supraflex is an all-in-one tool. The Supraflex can be deployed perfectly well with the Bona Power Drive NEB so that it is possible to work in places which are difficult to reach. This new Supraflex has a 1400W motor with adjustable speed and you can work ‘silently’. The limited height makes it possible to reach difficult places and the M14 tool fastening means you can change pads and brushes extremely easily and quickly. The Bona Supraflex is presented in a handy case, which also contains a dust control, vacuum pipe, and Velcro scouring pad. The dust storage can be connected to the Bona DCS 70 to enable you to work dust-free.

Up to and including the finish Bona has offered an extensive range of oils and coatings for several decades in an equally extensive range of possible colours. The Bona finishes already made it possible as standard to give a wooden floor covering an exceptional look. In combination with the new sanding/brushing technology which Bona has now introduced, the options are now even more numerous. Durability and

Floor Forum International 90

Special

Laminate floors: part I

LAMINATE DECORS ARE BECOMING ‘TANGIBLE’ THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE HAS BEEN CONQUERED Top layer takes precedence Laminate has always primarily ‘played’ on the outward appearance. The product had to compete with wooden floors, but mainly visually. The rest is a question of technology, and that has changed constantly. The fact that the lifespan of the floor covering is a major sales argument has prompted manufacturers to commit themselves fully to it. Moreover, the top layer isn’t only getting stronger and more durable, but also, moreover, it’s taking on some extra ‘tricks’.

The durable top layer Just about all laminate producers have a collection which is destined for high-traffic use. Those floors are exceptionally durable and scratch-resistant so they can also be fitted in shops, offices, showrooms, and such like. Most of those floors belong in class 33 or even 34. Yet we’re also witnessing a radical upgrade in the top layers of laminate floors for domestic use. The classic UV coats of lacquer are increasingly being reinforced through the addition of certain ingredients. The most recent innovations make mention of the use of nanotechnology, which makes it possible to improve the properties of the lacquers (e.g. scratch resistance) via nanoparticles. Apart from durability, the top layer also possesses some other properties, which improve comfort.

The ‘active’ top layer Just about all A-trademarks offer laminate floors which have undergone a permanent anti-static treatment. This more or less eliminates disruptive electrostatic discharges, which can occur, for instance, in places where computers are in use. Whilst a smooth floor normally means a risk of sliding, most laminate floors are fitted with an anti-slip top layer. The fact that a laminate floor can be kept dust-free means it is suitable for allergy patients. Yet there’s more: For a few years now, some trademarks have even been offering floors which, apart from the anti-allergic character, also have the effect of killing bacteria through the addition of certain substances to the top layer.

Photo – Quick-Step

Throughout the entire rapid advance of laminate in its conquest of the floor covering world, there was still that one fault to enable you to distinguish imitation perfectly from ‘the real thing’. The decors looked perfect, whatever the wood sort, but the perfectly smooth surface invariably betrayed the ‘ imitation’. You didn’t even have to be a sceptic; you simply couldn’t miss it. The technique for putting the wood grains in relief represented a huge stride. Does the expression ‘a giant leap for mankind’ ring a bell? With embossed in register, laminate manufacturers have crowned their work.

Floor Forum International 90

Embossed sees the light of day What is embossed in register? The notion comes from the printing world whereby ‘relief’ is created in an image by making two opposite presses press one shape (the one negative/the other positive). This technique is used extensively in typography, but also in the stamp culture of bygone days. The so called ‘identifying mark’ on the writing paper of the more ‘well-to-do’ is a good example of this. Embossed in register means that you bring together that technique of applying relief with the contours of an ‘image’ (in ink, foil, etc.) or of a second printed image. As for laminate, this means that you are going to put the drawing of the wood itself in relief to make the wood grain tangible. We’re talking here about mere millimetres of difference, but the ‘feel’ is there. ‘Embossed’ has opened the door to a new era for laminate. It is appearing (almost) as standard in (almost) all collections of just about all producers.

A blessing for ‘distressed’ The success of distressed floors is a reflection of a strong social and collective yearning for the past. Distressed floors in real wood now invariably have a counterpart in laminate, and whilst not all manufacturers have those laminate versions, a lot of them do. The techniques are imitated faithfully. Oak seems to be the most popular wood sort here. The technological achievements in the field of tangible surface structures mean it is possible to reproduce with no problem at all finishes such as brushed, hand-scraped, lashed, or ‘damaged’ in another way. Some trademarks use their extra wide planks for these finishes to give an even better representation of the effect of distressed floors.

What’s on the market? Egger EGGER launches EGGER PRO Laminate Flooring 2018-2020 Under the motto ‘EGGER has the answer’, the wood-based products specialist is launching its new flooring collections for specialist dealers. As an extra to the new EGGER PRO Comfort and PRO Design ranges, the EGGER Laminate Collection has been ‘re-discovered’ and launched under the buzz name EGGER PRO Laminate Flooring 2018-2020. With the new collection EGGER is offering the market everything you expect of high-quality laminate i.e. a combination of excellent finishes with diverse decors and authentic designs. With no fewer than 80 decors, adapted to the different regions, EGGER PRO Laminate meets every imaginable wish. The composition of the collection is based on EGGER’s many years of expertise in the area of trends and a sound knowledge of interior styles. We find ourselves in four style worlds with Pure Nature, Used Novelty, Modern Classic, and Light Living. The new collection combines mainly a vast range of decors (there really is something for everyone!) with scores of technical innovations which ensure technical and functional perfection.

Parcolys Flooring Parcolys Flooring makes an extremely specific floor solution. As regards laminate, the company wishes to profile itself as producer of the ‘only waterproof laminate. As regards PVC and vinyl, Parcolys offers a solution with a firm plank and an acrylic top layer. According to Parcolys, the market share of laminate is presumably falling somewhat, but the company is rather a small player with regard to the entire market, so they don’t see the immediate influence. Parcolys

regards embossing as a hype. Parcolys itself is not going along with this hype, but they are looking for other ways to make the top layer tangible. For example, the company’s new products include a brushed top layer for better slip resistance. Parcolys achieves values of r10 under the German standard. According to the French norm they achieve pn12 (wet floors) and pc10 (shod feet). As regards colours and decors, oak, oak, and oak again; natural colours and grey, grey, grey.

Meister According to MEISTER, the market share of laminate in Belgium is falling slightly as a result of the rise of LVT floors. However, laminate still retains the biggest market share on the Belgian flooring market. MEISTER offers laminate floors, 100% PVC-free design floors, parquet floors, and linoleum and cork floors. Apart from those floors, however, MEISTER also offers floors based on powder technology, such as LINDURA and NADURA, with this new category of wooden floors growing strongly as compared to other floor types. Laminate floors with embossing are found in the Premium segment at MEISTER. Moreover, they are also suitable for bathrooms and offer the most naturally authentic representation of real wooden floors. The most popular decors are those with a natural look. According to MEISTER, consumers are once again looking for the original look of wood.

Quick-Step Unilin is setting a trend in waterproof laminate. Laminate floors are durable, versatile, easy to clean, and reasonably priced. No wonder you see them in lots of interiors. Moreover, now that waterproof laminate with joints has made its entrance on the market, it will probably become a popular choice for kitchens and bathrooms. Floor specialist UNILIN (the company behind the Quick-Step, Pergo, and Balterio trademarks and pioneer in the field of watertight laminate) is fully committed to waterproof laminate. Making floating floors with waterproof joints is a real challenge. Since damp can easily seep into the joints of a laminate floor, such a floor is extremely vulnerable to water. The solution from UNILIN? Unique threefold technology: pressing the joints during production, adding a waterproof coating, and using a click system for tightening. These three elements are essential if a laminate floor is to be 100% watertight. The innovative joint technology, waterproof coating, and licensed click system form a unique combination to guarantee a watertight end result. Moreover, UNILIN uses this threefold technology for various installation methods and diverse trademarks.

Floor Forum International 90

Special

Oils and varnishes based on nanotechnology

NANOTECHNOLOGY OPENS UP A NEW WORLD MINUTE ‘BUILDING BLOCKS’ CAN DO MORE THAN JUST ‘IMPROVE’

Photo – Blanchon

Nanotechnology has far more potential than it has so far fulfilled. At present, its main (commercial) uses are limited to improving the features of certain products by adding particles from existing substances on a microscopic scale. You could compare it to adding a pinch of salt; you don’t need very much salt to give potatoes that something extra. It’s just that nanoparticles are much smaller than a grain of salt and they can do much more than just adding a little flavour. Nanotechnology makes it possible to reinvent the potato itself.

Floor Forum International 90

What was it again? Nanotechnology is technology with particles measured in nanometres (nm) i.e. billionths of a metre. To give you an idea, 1nm is the length of a sequence of 5 to 10 atoms. A human hair has a diameter of about 80,000nm. Nanoparticles are nothing new as such, but nature is well ahead of mankind. Living cells are full of ‘machines’ comprising protein molecules and other structures with nanometre dimensions. Human activities are also a source of nanoparticles. For example, lighting a fire or welding steel creates nanoparticles which are emitted into the atmosphere. Advances in technology

mean we are increasingly capable of managing the shape and size of materials on a nanometric scale. This creates the opportunity to study and exploit the special properties of nanomaterials.

More than ingredients Dust particles with nano-dimensions can be used as ingredients to influence certain products. Up to the present time, that is also the main way in which nanotechnology is deployed. Nanomaterials are examined and manipulated on a nanomicroscopic scale so that we can process these materials to give them a different structure. However, nanotechnology has a lot more potential. With the so called ‘bottom up’ method you start from nothing in order to develop products. This is already happening to a limited extent. It was professor Feynman who announced the dawn of the nano-era in a now world famous lecture in 1959, saying that ‘There’s plenty of room at the bottom.’ Feynman predicted that scientists would construct very powerful, but extremely minute appliances atom by atom. In other words, nanotechnology doesn’t relate here to the pinch of salt, but the construction of the potato itself. At present, there are scores of research projects in progress in which appliances and machines are being built with nano-building blocks.

Cautious approach In recent years, several governments have drafted all sorts of playing rules (at different levels) out of concern for the potential risks arising from nanotechnology. Not so much to ‘keep things in check’ as a show of responsible caution when faced with ‘something new’. Diverse governments, not least the European Commission, are convinced nanotechnology has huge potential and offers economically attractive perspectives. In this context, for instance, the European Commission have introduced a nanotechnology action plan, launched a web portal, and drawn up a code of conduct for research. In 2013, the European Commission expressed the view that REACH, which is involved in the control of chemical substances worldwide, was the best organ to monitor nanotechnology. The Commission has considered changing a number of REACH appendices and has encouraged the ECHA to develop further the guidelines for registrations after 2013.

ensure exceptional properties and efficiency, which, after drying and curing, make the lacquer or paint resilient. At Blanchon they use nanotechnology for some specific and industrial applications in conditions where they can guarantee the necessary safety measures for workers. The minute girth of the particles (against which even the skin, for instance, forms no barrier) is such that these products must be used with a certain caution. Although Blanchon follows the development of this technology at close quarters, the company is still extremely vigilant. In France and Belgium companies which work with nanotechnology (manufacturers, importers, and agents) have to submit an annual statement.

Lecol

Applied to parquet lacquer At present the deployment of nanotechnology in the parquet sector is limited to the refinement of existing products or systems. The use of certain nanoparticles gives an existing coat of polyurethane extra wear resistance, scratch resistance, or fire resistance. As we have already said, with the aforementioned ‘bottom up’ method, we start from nothing. Specifically for the parquet market this could mean that we develop a finish or a glue which rejects existing forms of technology and which means a new wonder product with perfect properties, geared to a specific application. Parquet fitters will certainly be confronted in the future with new products which could signify added value for the trade. And so, keeping abreast is the message. If a lacquer with exceptional scratch resistance were launched, it would be a pity not to know about it. Nanotechnology makes the creation of a new generation of products for fitting parquet highly likely.

What’s on the market? Blanchon Nanotechnology uses resins (and other components) with particles the size of a nanometre. Those extremely tiny dimensions often

Visit www.floor-forum.com

Lecol possesses a complete lacquer finish system under the LOBADUR® trademark. The system consists of a primer and a number of finish lacquers. There’s something for everyone’s taste. With the LOBADUR® lacquers you work 100% free of streaks to get the most beautiful lacquered floor! LOBADUR® 2K Supra A.T. is a 2-component semi-matt waterborne polyurethane lacquer reinforced with ceramic particles. The lacquer has extremely high wear resistance, high elasticity, and excellent chemical resistance. LOBADUR® 2K Supra A.T. is a lacquer which preserves the natural colour of the wood and is environmentally-friendly. The lacquer is easy to spread.

Floor Forum International 90

Special

Producers of elastic adhesives

IF EVERYTHING MOVES, THE GLUE HAS TO ‘GIVE’ ELASTIC GLUES DIFFER MAINLY IN ELASTICITY Anyone who thinks that a glue simply has to act as a strong adhesive underestimates the technical implications of glue as a fastening technique or fastening agent. More than any other fastening agent, glue shows due regard for the extent to which dimensions of materials adapt to fluctuating (atmospheric) conditions. All materials swell or shrink with changes in temperature or damp. The important thing for a fastening agent is to give a material the freedom to make those movements. That’s exactly why a glue has to show a ‘certain’ elasticity.

There is some ‘elasticity’ We all remember the old wooden floors of bygone days, often in deal, but more charming in pitch pine. They really were ‘bearing floors’ rather than floor coverings. The fitting technique was to nail the planks (floorboards) onto beams. Years later, that technique has taught us why glue is a rather better option. When the time comes for renovation or renewal, it is sometimes necessary to remove an old floor covering, and in some cases those old wooden floors are even painted, often in a variety of bright colours. They invariably have one thing in common, namely that the holes around nail heads are considerably bigger than in the beginning. They are often also darker due to the penetration of dirt and the possible oxidation of the nails used. It is obvious why the holes are now bigger than the nail heads. The wood is constantly in motion, yet nails do nothing to facilitate that motion. The nail sits in place statically and the wood gets damaged by wrenching itself around the nail. In other words, the nail has no elasticity whatsoever. With glue it’s a completely different story.

Points for attention with glue The technical adequacy of a parquet glue is determined partly by the type of parquet (structure, dimensions, and surface treatment), the type of wood (moisture content and swell co-efficient), the subfloor, and the (long-term) conditions of the room where the floor is fitted. To choose the most suitable glue technology, it is necessary to consider a number of parameters of the parquet floor:

Floorboard dimensions In particular, the thickness/width ratio, which affects the level of swelling after contact with water or solvents, but is also important for the dimensional stability of the floorboard with alternating damp, has to be considered.

Floorboard structure Photo – Soudal

Floor Forum International 90

Potential distortion and dimensional stability are also affected by the structure of the floor and differences, depending on whether it is a solid wood or multi-layer floor.

Wood moisture content

Plasticity

The co-efficient of the typical wood moisture content and the swelling differential help to determine the extent to which the wood can/will disfigure and the speed at which it happens.

Plastic or ductile distortion or deformation is also a term from material science. This term says something about the behaviour of a material whenever force is exerted upon it. A material can be distorted plastically when, for instance, compressive or tensile force is exerted upon it. In contrast to elastic distortion (see above) the distortion is not undone whenever the exerted force is withdrawn again. Plastic distortion often goes together with elastic distortion. In that case only some of the distortion is permanent after the withdrawal of the force. The maximum strain which a construction element can bear without distorting plastically is called the elasticity limit or yield point.

The elasticity of a glue largely determines how it copes with the ‘forces’ of a wooden floorboard and the substrate (as outlined above). Let’s briefly summarise the difference between plastic and elastic.

Elasticity The elasticity of a material indicates the extent to which a material exercises an opposing force (the so called resilience) when it is distorted elastically (i.e. not permanently) or the extent to which a material is distorted by the application of a certain external tension. And so, a material is called elastic if it returns to its original shape as soon as the external force is withdrawn. Rubber is an example of a highly elastic material. ‘Resilience’ is defined as the mechanical force with which the material endeavours to recover its original position after being distorted.

Elasticity and parquet glue The standard EN 14293 supplies a simplified choice between flexible glues and solid glues. These two groups offer a solution for a specific expectation. The key question is whether or not you want to counteract the movements of the wood or allow them to some degree. A solid glue has great physical and mechanical properties, weak elasticity, and great strength. For floors with straight edges (e.g. traditional parquet) your intention is to prevent wood movement. If you want to allow the wood some freedom to move, you have to use an elastic glue. Since there are fewer forces involved, such glue doesn’t need to have great strength. Elastic glues mean that there is less strain on the substrate.

Glue types The high-elastic glues available nowadays on the market can generally be divided up into two main groups, namely silane glues (SMP) and

PLUS

lo w

MICO V-E

® DE

Soudal elastic wood flooring adhesives

Elastic - what was that again?

sio

The end treatment obviously helps determine the extent to which the wood gets damper. The supply of water and/or solvents must be kept within acceptable limits. Sealed parquet sections (lacquered) are optically more sensitive than oiled parquet sections.

The finish

A Plus in performance, environment and ease of use • Faster curing, higher bond strength • Wooden floor can bear load and be sanded way faster • Very low emission (EC-1 Plus) • Excellent ease of use

A+

ADVERT394

INDOOR EMISSION LEVEL**

A+ A B C

Floor Forum International 90

Soudal NV • Everdongenlaan 18-20 • Turnhout • Belgium • Tél.: +32 (0) 14 42 42 31 • Fax: +32 (0) 14 42 65 14 • email: info@soudal.com • www.soudal.com

Special

Producers of elastic adhesives

PUR glues. Silane glues can be subdivided into MS polymers (modified silane based on pre-polymers from Kaneka), SPUR (silane and polyurethane), STP (silane terminated polyurethane), and STP-E (a variant of STP).

of parquet onto absorbent and non-absorbent substrates: mosaic, wood block, 10mm solid, exotic, plain-sawn wood engineered, cross-cut, and pre-finished. It is absolutely ideal for glueing very large-size parquet tiles and parquet boards ready for fitting.

To hybrid glues

Bona

The suitability of the various forms of technology depends on the circumstances (type of parquet, wood sort, surrounds, etc.). It seems that in recent years the best (safest) solutions have been the result of combinations of technology. This means taking the best of what is good or, in other words, creating hybrids. Forms of glue technology which frequently draw attention are PU, epoxy, and silane; combinations of those have yielded the ‘glues of the new generation’.

The Bona assortment has the following silane glues which are based on ISO 17178: Hard = very great strength and little elasticity; Hard-elastic = great strength and low elasticity; Elastic = average strength and average elasticity. To make it easier for clients to choose the right glue, Bona has issued a performance-indication symbol with each product. Bona R848 is a single-component elastic silane glue which, due to its elasticity, is ideal for glueing floors with fewer tensions. The R848T has a higher viscosity than the R 848. The glue feels thicker and has stronger initial adhesion. The R 850 is a hard-elastic single-component glue, which is suitable for almost all sorts of wooden floors and covering floors. The absolute winner is the hard glue Titanium, which is perfect for all major projects.

What’s on the market? Adesiv In elastic glues, the Adesiv range includes two mono-component MS polymer silane glues from Kaneka. WB Mono MS is a single-component glue specially for glueing pre-finished wooden floors securely to concrete substrates or existing non-absorbent floors (marble, tiles, Palladian, and wooden substrates). For engineered floors Adesiv recommends WB Mono MS-LE. WB Mono MS Performance Plus is regarded as a ‘universal glue’. Both glues have a different degree of elasticity. WB Mono MS Performance Plus is available in buckets of 15kg.

BASF/Thomsit Thomsit presents P 675 Elast (for ready-to-fit parquet), P 685 Elast Universal (for solid ready-to-fit parquet), and P 695 Elast Universal Strong (for all wooden floors). These glues are based on the Flextec technology developed by Thomsit. This Flextec TM technology protects the wood from shear stresses. P 675 and P 685 are soft-elastic glues, whilst P 695 is a hard-elastic glue. At Thomsit a hard-elastic glue is an extra strong and fast-working glue, so it is also suitable for more critical sorts of parquet which can normally be glued only with a 2-component PU glue. A soft-elastic glue isn’t suitable for that. The showpiece par excellence is Thomsit P685 Elast Universal. This is an elastic 1-component parquet glue based on Flextec TM technology. It can be spread lightly and applied to both absorbent and non-absorbent substrates. Most substrates do not need a primer. Finally, the Thomsit P 625 is a low-emission, solventless, waterless, and dual-component polyurethane adhesive for glueing the following sorts

Floor Forum International 90

Bostik There are several elastic glues on the market. These may be PU (polyurethane) or SMP (MS polymers) and are predominantly single-component systems. These glues all set by means of a reaction with air humidity. For an elastic parquet glue the shear strength of the glue must have a value in excess of 1N/mm². Bostik presents a whole assortment of glues, including Parfix PU 1K, Parfix Classic, Parfix Eco Plus, Parfix Elastic, Superfix 009, and High Tack. A glue which is suitable for several purposes, for instance, is the Parfix Eco Plus. The Parfix Eco Plus is based on the new AXIOS Tri-Linking technology developed by Bostik. This technology is based on a new multifunctional reaction mechanism which joins the parquet and substrate together perfectly. The strong polymerisation is also reflected in improved contact sound insulation. The glue can be spread quickly and easily. This durable and low-emission glue does not contain any softeners and is suitable for just about all sorts of parquet and substrates. The ‘ingenious’ elastic parquet glue has very good cross-linking, so the parquet is glued strongly like the roots of a tree in the soil.

Bijlard International Hard silane glues are specifically for adhesive bonds that require high tensile force. However, one downside of these glues is their reduced

adhesive with a silanic termination (MS technology) with very good acoustic insulation characteristics and CERTIFIED EC1R, Ü-Mark of Conformity.

DL Chemicals

ability to absorb 'movement' between bonded joints. Although 'soft' glues have less tensile force, they are able to absorb differences in movement between two bonded materials. Elasticity plays a particular role where wooden floors are concerned. Changes in humidity are responsible for changes to the moisture content of wood too, making the wood expand or contract when the subfloor (concrete, for example) does not. In this situation, the difference between how the wood 'reacts' in comparison to the concrete must be absorbed by the glue, in order to avoid differences in tension resulting in cracks in the wood, for example. Bijlard International is pleased to be able to offer customers a durable range of FLOOR products designed to bond wooden floors and also Bijlard Plintenkit [Plinth sealant], which guarantees very high initial adhesion for skirting boards, profiles and stair renovations. On the subject of durability, you might like to know that: Plintenkit and MS-Floor have been GEV-EMIcode (EC1+) certified since 2016. These products are in compliance with strict German standards relating to sustainability for people and the planet and have very low emission values, amongst other things. We recommend that you use the Bijlard Sqraper® glue comb to apply MS-Floor; it is available with three different toothings. The FLOOR range also includes Nadenlijm [floor seam adhesive], PU-2K, epoxy screen, primers and an excellent Egaline. If you are unfamiliar with us or our products, please come along and see us at the Interieur Collectie Dagen event in Gorinchem on 17, 18 and 19 September 2017. www.bijlard.com

Most elastic glues are of the MS hybrid polymer type. DL Chemicals produces them under the name Parabond. A spokesperson from DL Chemicals says: ‘It’s also possible to make PU elastic glues, but they do have some drawbacks, such as containing harmful isocyanate, having a long skin-forming time, less UV resistance, and such like.’ In the field of elastic glues the company has an extensive assortment of MS hybrid polymers (Parabond range). This range includes glues with strong initial bonding (high tack: Parabond 600, 700, and 800), glues with rapid and strong setting, glues for full surfaces or parquet, and transparent glues (Parabond Transparent). Specifically for parquet floors DL Chemicals has the following MS hybrid polymer glues in its range: Parabond Parquet 300 (the parquet can be walked on after 24 hours), Parabond Parquet 440 (suitable for use with floor heating and the parquet can be walked on after 24 hours), Parabond Parquet 480 (suitable for use with floor heating, the parquet can be walked on after 24 hours, and it is suitable as a damp screen), Parabond Parquet 540 (suitable for use with floor heating and the parquet can be walked on after eight hours), and Parabound Parquet 580 (suitable for use with floor heating, the parquet can be walked on after eight hours, and it is suitable as a damp screen). As for PU glues, DL Chemicals presents two glue kits (Detaflex range), namely a general elastic glue and a PU glue kit specially for glueing car windows.

Chimiver

Devo®

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 CCA Environmentally 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). Chimiver also offers ADESIVER ELASTIC a single-component

Amongst other things, Devomat offers the Devo® Glue MSP 150 1C, a single-component semi-elastic, silicon and isocyanate-free hybrid MS polymer glue for multi-layer stabilised parquet, whilst the Devo® Glue MSP 250 1C is the best-seller at Devomat Industries. This glue is suitable for glueing all wood sorts and solid wood up to 20cm wide and is recommended particularly for fitting pre-finished parquet. This glue contains neither water nor VOCs and spreads excellently. Devo® Glue MSP 250 is a hard-elastic glue (about 70 Shore) with great adhesive strength, it conforms to the standard CSN EN 14293, and it has the EC1-Plus (EC1-R) grading. Devo® Glue MSP250 is packed in 5kg bags. Devomat also has dual-component glues in its range. Devo® Glue PU 570 2C is a waterless,

Floor Forum International 90

Special

Producers of elastic adhesives

dual-component, polyurethane epoxy, and semi-elastic parquet glue specially for glueing wooden floors onto cement-bound substrates or onto existing floors (tiles, marble, wooden floors, etc.). Devo® Glue PU 650 2C is also a waterless and dual-component epoxy polyurethane parquet glue, but it is hard-elastic.

Lecol Lecol presents two glues under the Wakol trademark as regards elasticity, namely Wakol MS 230 and Wakol MS 260. Wakol Parquet Glue MS 260 is a hard-elastic MS polymer glue. It has been specially developed for glueing chipboard or industrial mosaic subfloors, solid parquet up to 16cm wide, end grain blocks, mosaic parquet, distressed Burgundy traditional parquet, and multi-layer ready-to-fit parquet (wood engineered parquet) onto absorbent and non-absorbent subfloors. Wakol Parquet Glue MS 230 is a parquet glue particularly suitable for glueing multi-layer parquet with a tongue and groove construction.

Pallmann Hard/Hard-elastic silane glues offer greater assurance when there is a need to counter swelling and shrinking of wood and keep parquet

distortion to a minimum. They have more scope than soft silane glues. Pallmann has the 1-component STP parquet glue PALLMANN P5, a hard-elastic solventless and waterless parquet glue according to DIN EN 14293, for glueing parquet. This glue is suitable for strips of parquet from 19 to 22mm, end grain wood-engineered parquet from 16 to 22mm, solid parquet, and exotic wood. The 1-component STP glue combines high elasticity with the assets of modern STP technology. It contains no solvents or water, so it is very user-friendly and doesn’t damage parquet.

Rubio Monocoat Rubio® Easy Bond is a high-quality alternative to 2K PU glue and has the same strong points such as good hardening, strong adhesion, and a hard-elastic character, yet without the drawbacks of a 2K PU glue. It has just a single component, there are no unpleasant smells, glue residue is easy to remove from the floor, no dirty hands, and no isocyanates in the glue, so there are no allergic skin reactions. Rubio® Easy Bond parquet glue contains no softeners, but has a high polymer content, which makes the glue more expensive, but also more durable with a higher bonding strength. Since Rubio® Easy Bond doesn’t contain any softeners, there is therefore no migration so that the

...a Bond you can trust! WWW.BIJLARD.COM BIJLARD INTERNATIONAL - ZOETERMEER - THE NETHERLANDS TEL: 0031 (0)79 - 343 75 38 - INFO@BIJLARD.COM 32

Floor Forum International 90

We produce and sell high quality adhesives and sealants.

composition of the glue doesn’t change. This means you don’t need to fear for damage to the finish afterwards because there’s nothing in the glue which can migrate to the wood. The hard-elastic composition of Rubio® Easy Bond parquet glue gives the wood just enough scope to move without allowing it to deform or curl. This type of glue is also easy to sandpaper and can also be deployed as putty.

Stauf There are two basic types of silane adhesives: SMP and SPU. SMP stands for silane-modified polymers. SPU is a further development of SMP, as silane terminated polymers, and comprises the two components polyurethane and silane. The difference between hard and soft silane adhesives lies mainly in the mechanical properties and

strength of the substance, i.e. a hard adhesive has hard mechanical properties and high strength, where as elastic adhesives have soft mechanical properties and low strength. The strength of the adhesives is regulated by the international standard ISO 17178. STAUF offers a range of silane adhesives: SMP 950, SMP 930, SPU 570, SPU 555, whereby the STAUF MULTILAYER and SMP 930 product is particularly elastic and the premium product SPU 570 is a hard-elastic adhesive.

Soudal When the subject of elastic glues comes up, they speak at Soudal about glues based on modified silicone polymers or hybrid parquet glues. These products use properties from silicones, which, amongst other things, help to make the glue more elastic. Just under 15 years ago, Soudal was one of the pioneers when it launched elastic MS polymer glues on the market. In 2011, Soudal carried out a thorough examination of all its elastic parquet glues and refined some of the properties. SMX-30 Plus is the powerhouse of the Soudal parquet glues. This universal and elastic parquet glue has a long open time (40-45 minutes) and ensures a floor which can soon be walked on and sandpapered due to its extremely fast setting. After just four hours, this glue has an adhesive strength which is equal to the end strength of other parquet glues and it builds up to an end strength of 2.5MPa. Furthermore, they also have the MS-30 Plus, the all rounder of the Soudal parquet glues and, finally, the MS-20 Plus, which is ideal for multi-layer parquet. These glues are used to glue solid wood and multi-layer parquet, mosaic, and wood-engineered parquet. It is designed for both traditional and exotic wood sorts. There is also the MS-30 Plus. This all-round parquet glue is used for solid parquet (max. 180mm and min. 15mm thick) and for multi-layer parquet (max. 240mm wide and 15mm thick). All three parquet glues can be used with floor heating and with both absorbent and non-absorbent substrates.

Tover

Your Premium Polymer of Choice for Parquet and LVT Adhesives

According to the ISO 17178-2013 norm an adhesive for parquet is considered as elastic if it combines the three following characteristics: shear strength superior to 1,0 N/mm², shear elongation superior to 1 and tensile strength superior to 1,00 N/mm². No problem for Tover MS polymer glues: Tovcol MS and Tovcol MS Start both easily comply with the Norm. They are suitable for any species on any sub-floors including under-floor heating, cooling systems, ceramics and metallic supports. Available in buckets, bags, sausages and cartridges, they enable two application methods: trowel or gun, inside and outside (with Sigil MS Black). They guarantee a secure bonding for engineered prefinished and raw boards of any size and for massive wood up to 220 mm wide. Tover adhesives: strongly elastic!

Floor Forum International 90

Special

Sanding machines: part I

ENDLESS BELT SANDERS ARE STILL THE POWERHOUSES SMOOTHING IS STILL THE MAIN TASK OF ANY BELT Levelling The belt sander is the heaviest machine for floor fitters and is essential for good results. The main task of the belt sander is to level the floor after the fitting. It comes into play for the first time once the subfloor has been glued. With traditional parquet the belt sander has to sandpaper the mosaic blocks until they are completely even. Endless belt sanders easily weigh up to 80kg. That, together with the vast motor power, enables them to level surfaces in an excellent manner. And so, the power of the sandpapering comes partly from the weight of the machine. The machines operate on a rotating wheel base. A sanding belt is tightened by two rollers, namely the cylinder and the top roller. The second time that the endless belt sander is used is to level the end floor, which has been glued and nailed onto the mosaic subfloor. Endless belt sanders are self-propelling. As soon as the roller touches the floor, the machine advances.

Photo – Pallmann

The transition from classic parquet fitted on site ‘starting from scratch’ to multi-layer structured parquet floors must have caused shockwaves for a lot of floor fitters. Those multi-layer floorboards mean that a great deal of the work which used to be done on site is taken over by the manufacturer. Pre-finished parquet goes a step further. These floors are completely finished and ready for fitting and can be walked on almost immediately after the fitting. Sandpapering is no longer necessary. Thankfully, there are still many clients who express a distinct preference for a traditional parquet floor. The initial sandpapering plays a crucial part.

Weight and motor power Even with the perfect covering floor and when fitted with unlimited professional skill, a mosaic subfloor or strip parquet will never be absolutely 100% level. This miracle is possible, however, with the help of sanding machines, primarily endless belt sanders. The weight and the vast motor power mean that when these machines are used professionally, any unevenness, adhesive residue, or bulging in the planks disappears immediately and effortlessly like snow in the sun. Endless belt sanders will always be an indispensable tool for professionals.

Floor Forum International 90

Technically refined We notice two remarkable phenomena in the world of parquet sanding machines. Firstly, the manufacturers of these machines specialise in that task and often do nothing else. Parquet is their sphere of service. Secondly, and certainly as regards belt sanders, there is the fact that the machines have changed very little over the years. Innovations are generally highly refined technical improvements, but the machine itself has often literally been in existence for decades. Interventions which have been carried out in recent years to improve the machines have related to technical performances and ergonomics. In combination, those improvements have led to the machine yielding perfect results on its own, whereby the floor fitter’s contribution is minimalised.

Dust suction Dust suction is a point for attention which has become more and more significant in recent years. Belt sanders have had more than adequate dust suction and a dust receptacle. However, in recent years, more and more clients have expressed a clear preference for dust suction through the incorporation of an external unit, a working method which increases efficiency considerably. Here, too, a combination of technical and ergonomic reasons come into play.

Little brother

Parquet is sandpapered in various phases using various sanding grains. It goes without saying that the pressure which the machine exerts on the wooden floor should not be the same for each grain. As a rule, there are three levels of roller pressure needed for the floor. The highest pressure is for the roughest grain (initial sanding), medium pressure for the medium grain, and the lowest pressure for the most slender grain (for the finest sanding).

trolley means it is easy to transport the machine. Bona Belt is extremely powerful and has two optional cylinder widths (200 and 250mm). The machine has a fast-start function and is reliable in all conditions. An efficient dust suction system ensures that dust is kept to a minimum. For heavy work Bona presents Belt HD 2.2. This machine has a unique two-speed tightening system and an extremely fine setting. This machine, too, is easy to dismantle (into three parts) and easy to assemble. All these machines can be connected to the Bona DCS 70 suction unit, which guarantees a completely dust-free operation.

Sanding grains for new floors

Devomat Industries

We use grains 36 and 40 for sandpapering a new parquet or wooden floor for the first time. Grains 60 and 80 are used for sandpapering softwood sorts for the first time. Furthermore, they are also used for refined sanding of semi-rough sanded surfaces. They are used for sandpapering new hardwood floors for the second time. Grains 100120 are used for sandpapering new floors in hardwood for the third and final time in order to finish the floor.

At Devomat the Deva R&D division has been working hard on a number of new sanding machines, including the Deva Belt II endless belt sander and the Deva Handy II belt sander. These machines are now available. Although the belt sander has been developed specially for ‘heavy’ work and is indispensable for a number of jobs, a good number of standard renovation jobs can be carried out by using solely the Devo® Master 3D. The work can then be done much faster and you get a better quality finish. Dust suction is still an important point for attention here. Most Devo Machines have their own dust suction and can be connected to the Devo Fine-dust for a dust-free operation. The Woodboy machine and the Devo Master 3D are already equipped as standard to be connected to the Fine-dust. Devomat also pays a lot of attention to ‘ergonomics’. Parquet sanders are obviously still heavy tools. That is inevitable, but the output of a professional machine is directly in proportion to its weight. Nevertheless, Devomat tries to absorb this as much as possible by means of factors such as making machines which can be dismantled, designing carrier belts, and such like.

Almost all belt sanders have a ‘little brother’ which operates on the same principles and is deployed for the same applications, but aimed more specifically at the hire market. In other words, these ‘little brothers’ are specially for the bold and brave who want to do the job themselves. What’s the difference? Firstly, they are a little lighter. Most machines weigh about 60kg as opposed to the 80kg for professional tools. As regards operation, they are usually easier. These machines are also sometimes described as for semi-professional use.

The right sanding grain

Sanding grains for old floors Grain 20 is an extremely rough grain which is used for removing surface layers from old floors. The sandpapering material has an open structure in order to limit crusting. Grain 20 is not used directly on the wood. Grain 24 is also an extra rough grain which is used for levelling or removing old layers. Grain 36-40 is used for further sanding of rough sandpapering, often before the initial sandpapering after the removal of coats of paint or lacquer. Grains 60 and 80 are often used for sandpapering as a finish for renovated old floors. In some cases extra sandpapering may be necessary with old floors using grains 100-120.

What’s on the market? Bona Bona Belt Lite is a compact belt sander for excellent results. It has been developed with a view to a perfect balance between efficiency, power, and flexibility. The machine can be dismantled quickly into three parts and is easy to assemble. The compact Bona Belt stands out for its comfortable manoeuvrability. The specially designed transport

§ A fiber sanding pad for wood,

Turbo Fiberpad

Maak kennis met de schuurrevolutie ! Reﬁnement-Disc

PROFESSIONAL FLOOR PRODUCTS

The unique Turbo Fiberpad was developed recently for the fine sanding of parquet floors and the deep cleaning of various surfaces such as wood, stone and metal. On single-disc sanders the Turbo Fiberpad replaces the traditional P80 and P100 sanding discs used to fine-sand parquet floors.

The extremely long life of the Turbo Fiberpad means no disc replacement on the job, thereby eliminating the risk of varying sheens. For a seamless transition to the sides use the Velcro Fiberpad (150 mm diameter), which is compatible with most hand-held sanders. Manufacturer Belgium : Devomat Industries NV Florent Geversstraat 31 - B-2650 Edegem T +32 (0)3 450 94 70 - F +32 (0)3 457 94 24 info@devomat.be - www.devomat.be

Distributor Holland : Torren Technical Solutions De Run 5413 - NL-5504 DG Veldhoven T +31 (0)6 12 17 61 63 info@tts-nederland.nl - www.tts-nederland.nl

stone and metal surfaces. No sanding scratches. No loss of sanding power = no difference of sheen in sanded area. Higher finish quality. Sands faster than traditional sanding methods. Extremely long life.

Distributor Germany, Austria and Switzerland : Janser GmbH Böblinger Straße 91 - D-71139 Ehningen T +49 (0)7034 127-0 info@janser.com - www.janser.com

Its shape and open ﬁbre structure gives the Fiberpad an extremely high sanding capacity and excellent dust extraction rate, resulting in a scratch-free ﬁnish which is ready to oil or varnish.

Floor Forum International 90

Special

Sanding machines: part I

Overmat

Pallmann

Overmat offers several machines for grinding and sanding of wooden floors. For example: the Woodboy® 4000/32-3. This rotating single disc machine is suitable for (fine) grinding and polishing of wooden floors, before applying the finishing layer oil or lacquer with the best result. All-in-one with the HTC 420 Overmat also offers grinding machines by the Swedish brand HTC. The HTC 420 is a compact and solid grinding machine with a high capacity. Due to the wide range of tools the machine is suitable for any wood grinding job. From floor preparation and grinding to fine polishing of the wooden floor. Therefore this machine is capable to do the work for a drum sander and rotating grinding machine all-in-one! Do you prefer working with a drum sander for the coarse work? Overmat offers you the right machine! Our high efficiency Frank grinding machines are known for their powerful motor and solid construction. Therefore they are perfect for professional use in grinding parquet and wooden floors.

The Pallmann Cobra endless belt sander comes with some strong innovations. One of them is the variable handle which allows you to change the operating position between five different settings. This simplifies the ergonomics so that the machine can be adapted to the user’s length. The casing ensures a more silent operation. The well-equipped cockpit offers various possibilities. The Cobra has an integrated dust suction unit, but it can also be connected to an external dust suction unit. The vacuum cleaner does need to have a number of specific properties (e.g. the suction rate has to be at least 500m³). According to Pallmann, a lot of attention is paid to the design nowadays, so the machines are also becoming more attractive.

www.progressprofiles.com

An elegant and functional interpretation of the concept of elevation CERS

AIE 2 017 Bolo 25 gna Area/H - 29 sep temb all 45 Stand er 22

PROSUPPORT SYSTEM

PROSUPPORT PROFILE T

PROSUPPORT PROFILE N

PROSUPPORT SYSTEM a pedestal system developed by Progress Profiles to satisfy any requirements for raised floors. A modular and adjustable pedestal support, available with a flat stationary head or a self-levelling/adjusting head, with drain holes and anti-noise rubber. Cornerstone of the system is PROSUPPORT PROFILE an edge profile for the protection and finishing of the external edge of ceramic, wood and composite floors. On the vertical side has inclined flaps in a swallowtail shape for the fixing of the rise with suitable adhesives. The profile is also available with a decorative side 2 cm high. Two patented design solutions, which give combine elegance and practicality.

P R O FI L E S & SY S T E MS

Floor Forum International 90 PROFILES & SYSTEMS

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

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

Special

Producers of skirting boards

SKIRTING BOARDS AS ‘THE FINAL TOUCH’ OR ‘THE CROWN ON TOP’ A FLOOR JUST ISN’T COMPLETE WITHOUT SKIRTING BOARDS We all know that when people build a house or move house they often don’t want to move into their new abode until it is all ready. They’re wise! Painting walls and finishing certain jobs (not to mention floors!) is much easier with no furniture in the way. People also often say: ‘The last skirting board has to be fitted.’ They’re wise there, too. If the skirting board isn’t in place, the floor isn’t ready, and if the skirting board isn’t in place, it often never will be; whether you like to see skirting boards or not.

The functions of skirting boards Skirting boards don’t have the range of technical functions of other finish profiles. Strictly speaking, skirting boards have primarily a finish function to ensure that the floor and wall blend into each other nicely. Another important technical function is certainly to conceal the minimal expansion joint, which floor fitters have to leave at the edge of the floor. The skirting board conceals that expansion joint and allows the wood (or another floor material) to undergo its normal operation of swelling and shrinking with no hindrances. Furthermore, skirting boards are also the ideal hiding place for electric wires and computer cables. Those are all structural functions. However, skirting boards can also play an important practical role. Skirting boards protect the underside of the wall from potential damage as a result of floor maintenance chores such as vacuum cleaning, mopping, and dusting, etc.

Decorative trends Colours and other important trend aspects are dictated somewhat by floor producers. Skirting board makers follow those trends. Skirting boards may be visible from time to time, even a highlight. This takes us to the field of special materials such as aluminium, stainless steel, or other metal looks e.g. bronze and copper. These materials are combined impudently with wood and other floor coverings. As regards shape, there is a symbiosis between classic and modern. Skirting boards are indeed higher (a classic trait), but at the same time they are becoming rigid, straight, and square. For producers of profiles and skirting boards the advancing design floors pose a direct challenge, which they are only too happy to take up. After all, that advance of those flexible and easy-to-maintain types of floors also creates demand for adapted accessories. Skirting boards with a groove into which strips (e.g. vinyl) can be fitted are very popular. Finally, there is the facility of digital print whereby personalised skirting boards come under the radar. This facility is finding more and more providers on the parquet and laminate markets. The minimal run varies from producer to producer, but is tending towards ever lower runs. This development in customised work really does permit unique skirting boards!

Functional topics Waterproof The advance of floors such as LVT means some makers are producing waterproof skirting boards for damp rooms. We find a good example of

this at a top manufacturer (see below), which has launched a ‘carrier’ in plastic where the floor decor is fitted using waterproof PUR glue. This offers a solution which combines the waterproof aspect with the decorative match between floor and skirting board.

Flexible skirting boards Quite apart from the above, a somewhat independent phenomenon has been the emergence of flexible skirting boards. These skirting boards know no obstacles and can take any exterior or interior bend in their stride. Most flexible skirting boards no longer require screws, but are glued directly to the wall. These skirting boards are usually painted in the colour of the wall.

What’s on the market? Depro Profiles Depro Profiles has more than 25 years of experience in the wrapping of profiles and is one of the biggest players in this field in Europe today. The company is in full growth. Their customers are manufacturers, distributors and retailers of materials for the building sector, interior design and DIY across Europe. Depro offers a wide range of standard skirtings and profiles in different models and designs, for laminate, LVT and parquet flooring. In partnership with their customers, profiles are designed according to their individual needs. This way the customer can choose the design, (there's an increasing demand for higher skirtings), size, type of covering (foil, veneer, vinyl, laminate), packaging, supply chain, …In short, production can be fully tailored to their wishes. In-house digital printing makes it possible to design personalized decors in customized finishes (gloss level, wear resistance AC3, ... )

Sondro® Sondermann Profile produces aluminium skirtings SONDRO® stands for 1st profile choice It does not matter which floor covering you choose, whether it is a matter of a renovation or a new build, in private areas or in object areas: the fitting floor profile and the required cover profile between floor covering and wall – in other words skirting – offers to you SONDRO®. The company from Drolshagen in South-Westphalia has also a high-class aluminum skirting of 60 mm height in its product range. This simple and timeless skirting is available in different

Floor Forum International 90

Special

Producers of skirting boards

versions: besides the anodized colours silver and stainless steel and all RAL colours SONDRO® also offers the skirting in 12 different coated wood décors. Here, the new wood décor “slate grey” is enjoying great popularity reflecting the current zeitgeist. It does not matter which type of SONDRO® skirting you choose, all skirtings are water-repellent and thanks to the different installation options (drilled/ undrilled/ self-adhesive) there is something for every floor layer and every consumer in the suitable version.

Küberit For Küberit the main trend in skirting boards is the height of 80mm. For some regions there is talk of skirting boards with a height of 100mm and even with heights of 150mm. At present, they are working at Küberit on the development of a completely new generation of skirting boards. These will be presented at Domotex in 2018. Digital print is important for Küberit when it comes to MDF and

PVC, but less so for aluminium and stainless steel. They make customised skirting boards from a minimum of 100 consecutive metres. One innovation is certainly the skirting board, specially for care homes, equipped with LED lights and a number of safety solutions. Just recently, at Küberit, they have noticed as a trend a rise in demand for powder coatings.

Progress Profiles Metal colours are forming the trend for skirting boards with silver in the lead. The new Proskirting Channel and the Proskirting Flat are available in white lacquered aluminium. The dimensions of the skirting boards are purely a matter of taste. Heights of 40-60mm are for the more modern frame, whilst 80-100mm is for the classic interior. The new Proskirting Giled is an anodised aluminium skirting board with integrated LED lighting which diffuses a gentle indirect light and provides a contemporary atmosphere. Here, too, digital print is a major technological step ahead, not least through the growing demand for vinyl skirting boards. Their latest investment was in a machine which can reproduce an endless number of wood decors and allows for completely personalised finishes. The latest novelties include Cove Cap (flexible non-toxic vinyl profiles), Proskirting 40 (anodised silver alu of 40mm), Proskirting Chanel, and Proskirting Flat.

25 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE www.depro-profiles.com

FLOORING ACCESSORIES WALL & CEILING PANELS

Floor Forum International 90

STAIR RENOVATION WRAPPED PROFILES

Profilpas The market offers an extensive choice of skirting boards, yet Profilpas has noticed a distinct trend in square skirting boards with sharp edges and thicknesses between 10 and 15mm. The most popular colours are silver anodised aluminium and white. Another noticeable trend is to camouflage the skirting board in its surrounds. This is an elegant and modern version. The integration of LED light with RGB LED strips is also a trend. Profilpas has also noticed a partial comeback of high skirting boards. This might be for decorative reasons, but it could also be to cover older skirting boards without removing them. In any case, the latest innovations are the integrated LEDs and the digital print technology, namely the Profilpas Digital System (PDS). Profilpas offers a choice of 400 decors, and orders in excess of 500m can be personalised.

La San Marco Profili One of the primary aim of La San Marco Profili is offering its customers an all-round full service. In fact, what comes first is its constant attention to satisfy all customers’ requests thanks to a qualified staff and to the company spirit of innovation and product expansion idea. At proof of that, the company will soon launch a new product catalogue full of new profiles, in MDF, solid wood, veneer, with attractive design and additional finishing and veneer surfaces that will satisfy the entire world markets. A definitely wide range of products that will capture customer’s attention and it surely will provide our clients all the necessary and more. The focus of this catalogue will be the Old Style skirting line, the one with higher profiles with particular shapes,

because we have recently seen an increasing demand among customers. Higher skirting are almost a trend nowadays, maybe because they easily combine past styles with a modern design touch of nowadays architecture. Anyway, not only this line will be updated with lots of new details, but also many others, accessories included. Furthermore, thanks to the company’s huge well-organized stock, the products of the catalogue will all be ready for quick delivery.

Neuhofer Holz According to FN, skirting boards are being seen more and more as design objects. They can match the floor completely or provide a highlight. ‘Anything is possible’ thanks to digital print. White skirting boards are still a trend. The height of the skirting board is determined by the ‘the form follows the function’. The most beautiful skirting board imaginable is developed from the function. As regards form, they’re moving towards wider, more rigid, square, and sober. The colours are determined by floor manufacturers, but ideas can also be supplied by skirting board makers. Neuhofer Holz obviously takes account of the emergence of design floors, which are flexible, waterproof, and easy to maintain. They obviously also take account of the more limited thicknesses of the floor coverings. In terms of both materials (MDF or aluminium) and finishes (anodised alu or printed paper) the possibilities are endless. Neuhofer Holz also provides skirting boards with a groove for the inlay of materials such as vinyl. Due to the growing demand for short delivery times, profiles, and stock limitation, Neuhofer Holz is working on a method of producing neutral profiles which appear as ‘standard’, but can be printed digitally. This also allows for the production of smaller batches. More generally, Neuhofer Holz regards digital printing as pioneering technology which opens up a world of (as yet non-existent) possibilities. The novelties include the FN Clip Holder CH28 (both screws and clips), the FN click-fix 17 (for wires), the FN LED profiles (for indirect lighting), and, finally, the FN click-fix 23 (with a sealed lip for skirting boards).

ALUMINIUM SKIRTING 950 · for floor coverings from 2 – 11 mm · with matching inner and external corner as well as end caps

39 Floor Forum International 90 www.kueberit.com

Special

Subfloors for wooden floors: part I

SUBFLOORS FOR FLOATING WOODEN FLOOR COVERING MOST PRODUCTS OFFER A COMBINATION OF FUNCTIONS Subfloors with fully glued wooden floors raise fewer (or ‘ different’) problems than subfloors with floating floor coverings. With floating floor coverings, it is vital to fit a subfloor because this can solve various problems. Lots of subfloors for floating floors combine various functions and sometimes even ‘every’ imaginable function. For floating wooden floor coverings (floating parquet or multi-layer) we can say that the same rules apply as for laminate, for instance, when it comes to the subfloor.

Thermal resistance

Subfloor functions – floating/glued

Due to the multiple and extremely varied demands which can be made of a subfloor, it goes without saying that properties need to be integrated. If you had to fit a separate subfloor for each function, you really would get a ‘rolling feast’ in the case of floating floors. Most subfloors in rolls therefore combine ‘properties’. The damp screen is integrated, they level the substrate, and they usually provide acoustic insulation.

We’re comparing here the possible functions of the subfloor for floating floors with the way in which these are ‘covered’ by fully glued floors.

Levelling Every wooden floor has to be fitted onto a perfectly level substrate. In the case of fully glued parquet that levelling is done at the level of the screed (sometimes by means of a levelling agent). With traditional parquet the levelling is achieved by sandpapering the mosaic subfloor. If we fit a floating floor onto a hard concrete or a screed, the subfloor does the levelling. This is achieved by opting for a subfloor of smooth material with a minimum thickness of 2.5mm and a minimum density of 20kg/m³.

Waterproof Protection from damp from below the surface can be provided for glued floors, if necessary, by means of an epoxy primer. Waiting for the right dry percentage is still a must. With floating floors you need a good waterproof foil. This is absolutely essential in a new building and at ground level. This foil is available separately, but is integrated into several subfloors. The foil has to be thick enough: with LDPE foil at least 150 microns (0.15mm) and with PP/PET foil at least 15 microns (0.015mm). The foil is fitted overlapping. Otherwise the joints have to be sealed.

Acoustic implications The acoustic feel of a solid fully glued floor is naturally better than that of floating floors (according to the ‘law of mass’). There are various possibilities for floating floors, depending on the ‘sounds to be counteracted’. Impact sound reduction is the reduction of sound downwards. The reduction of upward sound is now obligatory in flats, where an impact sound reduction of 10dB is mandatory. The sound of footsteps on a floor is the sound which we ourselves cause by walking on it. This sound is expressed in sone value. The higher this value is, the better the sound reduction. With a sone value of over 20, the so called ‘click sound’ with floating floors is aggravated and therefore muffled. That is possible with a heavy subfloor or with a self-adhesive subfloor. Indeed, the mass of the subfloor and/or the removal of the air layer will have the effect of muffling sound.

Floor Forum International 90

Floor heating as the main source of heating is becoming more common. Thermal resistance is important if a subfloor is used in combination with floor heating. Floor heating is ideal as long as the heat resistance of the entire floor (subfloor + floor covering) doesn’t exceed 0.15m² K/W. With a low temperature or a low output floor heating system, this figure should not exceed 0.12m² K/W. The same values apply to glued floors.

Combinations

A specialist Bona Bona U300 is a subfloor of bound cork and rubber granules. It is used as a subfloor for parquet, laminate, and other floor coverings. The material has a sound-muffling effect. When this subfloor is glued to parquet, it helps to reduce tensions in the parquet and channel them to the substrate. Bona U310 is a polyester felt for glueing to glued parquet and laminate with a view to reducing tension. This subfloor is a problem-solver with subfloors which raise doubts from a technical point of view. The U310 is easy to cut and fit, it allows vapour through, and it isolates. The additional structure height is a mere 1.5-2mm, including the glue thickness. Bona U340 is a polyester fibre-plate subfloor which reduces tension in the definitive floor covering such as ceramic tiles, natural stone, wooden floors, etc. The high compressive strength means it can withstand heavy loads (up to 5.0kN/m²). The subfloor is suitable for private and commercial uses. Moreover, the floor helps to muffle sound with all floor coverings. It is also easy to cut and fit. The subfloor isn’t affected by damp or mould.

Special

Outdoor floors: maintenance & finishes

PROTECTION AND MAINTENANCE TOOLS FOR OUTDOOR WOOD WEAPONS TO COMBAT THE DESTRUCTIVE FORCES OF THE ‘ELEMENTS’ Light Light and, in particular, UV rays are a major cause of ‘decay’. We don’t choose that word for nothing. Indeed, the impact of UV light results not so much in wear and tear as ‘decay’. Ultraviolet light (in collaboration with oxygen and water) causes the wood to age and possibly to rot (see below). In a photochemical process the sunlight breaks up the dark coloured lignin, one of the main components of wood. The light coloured cellulose, the other component, is left behind on its own. The fact that the colour of the cellulose dominates can be seen in the ageing process. What we perceive visually as ‘ageing’ or ‘turning grey’ is actually a microscopic thin layer of wood which is decomposing. The ageing can be darker or lighter, depending on the surrounds and the extent of pollution in the air.

Water The durability classes of wood relate to wood which is exposed fully to the outdoor climate. And so, that wood also has contact with the ground and is constantly in contact with damp. When a wooden terrace is fitted, it is essential to ensure that the wooden terrace doesn’t come into contact with damp from the soil. Most terrace fastening systems take account of that. As far as rainwater is concerned, you should protect the planing (the shape of the surface = lightly sloping or somewhat ‘round’) so that rainwater cannot form puddles. And so, water is only a hazard in the event of flaws such as poorly shaped planks, notches, screw damage, and splits, which must be repaired as soon as possible. Water can mean a different sort of danger in the case of ageing (through UV light). The cellulose inside the wood can simply be washed away and the wood takes on frayed patterns which everyone has seen on a piece of rotten wood.

Photo – Floorservice

Flora and fauna The cosmos harbours several ‘elements’ which yield benefits, but just as easily display destructive features. Water, fire, and wind readily spring to mind, but light, plants, and animals can also cause some forms of collateral damage. At the same time, there are ingenious human beings who are constantly studying, thinking, and devising protective solutions to arm themselves against all those natural forces. Wood in outdoor conditions comes into contact with all those elements, which cause ‘wear and tear’ over time. As for us, we protect wood against those things.

Living organisms can also form a threat. We identify wood worm, wood rot, and the polypore as the biggest enemies. Wood worm is a larva of the furniture beetle. Wood worm lives in natural surrounds, usually in trees with hard wood, such as oak and fruit trees. Wood rot is a fungus which mainly affects wood which comes into contact with (too much) damp. In some cases the fungus is visible. The fungus often gets inside the wood via the ends, such as the underside of a pole, the point where two beams touch each other, the connecting points of frames, etc. In particular, wood which is often exposed to wind is vulnerable to wood rot. Finally, the polypore is a mushroomlike fungus which can cause severe damage to woodwork. The most notorious polypore is the so called dry rot.

The forces of nature

How can we protect wood?

The most important threats to outdoor wood, at least apart from mankind, arise from the weather and nature. Let’s consider them briefly.

Chemical producers have developed an extensive range of products which we can summarise in three categories: terrace oil for protection against UV light, anti-ageing products, and cleaners.

Visit www.floor-forum.com

Floor Forum International 90

Special

Outdoor floors: maintenance & finishes

Terrace oil Terrace oil is applied to new or existing wooden terrace floors. This must always be done on wood which is completely clean or even lightly sandpapered. Terrace oil means effective protection from the penetration of damp and dirt since the oil impregnates the wood to saturate the pores and give the wood a strong surface. You must use coloured oil to provide protection from UV light.

Terrace anti-ageing product Terrace anti-ageing product is designed either to counteract the ageing process or to remove the decomposing layer of wood which lies at the source of the ageing. Anti-ageing products remove the veil and restore the wood to its original colour. Not everyone is an advocate of that.

Terrace cleaners Terrace cleaners are an effective means of removing moss formation and dirt. They can be used on all sorts of tropical wood. Most cleaners are diluted with water and applied with a brush. The dose can be adapted according to the severity of the contamination and you can repeat the process if the dirt isn’t all removed first time. It is usually advisable to brush the wood along the length with a nylon brush. Thorough cleaning with a terrace cleaner is often the prelude to the application of terrace oil.

Special points Use of nanotechnology Obviously, it comes as no surprise to learn that here, too, ‘nanotechnology’ is raising its head (see elsewhere in this edition). Nanoparticles can change (reinforce) certain features of a product (a substance or material). This technology is used, for instance, to improve the durability or scratch-resistance of a finish, make it more fire-resistant, to make a product more waterproof etc. Some producers (see below) include nanoparticles in their compounds.

Also for composites Some chemical producers take the initiative themselves to state explicitly in the instructions whether or not a particular product can be used for composite. Some makers of composite terraces promote their own cleaning products and for some it is even permissible to use a high-pressure cleaner, something which is absolutely prohibited with real wooden floors. It is clear that the ‘hazards’ which lurk in the atmosphere for wood hardly apply to wood composite, if at all. However, we mustn’t forget that these composites still consist partly of wood.

‘glistens’ again. Then there’s Pavidek, an impregnation product to be applied in two coats. The idea is to protect the wood from weather conditions and to counteract ageing. Pavidek is an impregnation resin, which, amongst other things, provides protection from UV light, and Oliopro is a detergent for regular cleaning. The products can be used for all types of wood.

Bona Bona presents its Bona Deep Cleaning System, a powerful and professional cleaning system for wooden floors. This system ensures professional and thorough cleaning to remove stubborn dirt and stains from wooden floors. With the powerful scrubbing machine Bona Power Scrubber and Bona’s special professional formula wooden floor cleaner, Bona Deep Clean Solution, parquet floor fitters can be sure of a splendidly clean surface. The Bona Deep Clean Solution is mixed, depending on the applied finish. The product has been developed for use with the Bona Power Scrubber™ and other scrubbing machines. With lacquered floors you pour 1 litre of Bona Deep Clean Solution into the Bona Power Scrubber tank and add clean water. With oiled floors you pour 0.5 litres of Bona Deep Clean Solution into the Bona Power Scrubber tank and add clean water. Never use this product undiluted! The Decking Oil is for the finish and maintenance. Bona Decking Oil is a concentrated mix of vegetable oils which is modified for improved impregnation and long-term protection for wooden terrace floors and other outdoor wooden surfaces. The oil brings out the natural wood grain better, keeps out damp, and reduces the risk of the wood splitting or warping.

Blanchon

What’s on the market? Adesiv Adesiv offers various products for the treatment and protection of terraces. Adesiv has a full range for the treatment and maintenance of wooden floors. New Deck is specially in the picture. This is a product which prevents and eliminates ageing in outdoor floors. New Deck has a restoration effect and ensures that the wood

Floor Forum International 90

Blanchon recommends protecting outdoor floors by means of saturation. This means that all fibres (pores) of the wood are saturated and that only a small quantity of surplus product stays on the top. The wood needs to be cleaned thoroughly ready for saturation. Blanchon has a full range of products for the preparation, finish, and maintenance. Firstly, there is Blanchon Wood Anti-ageing (‘Dégriseur Bois Blanchon’). This is a high-quality gel recommended particularly for cleaning outdoor wood exposed to the weather and the formation of mould and moss. Blanchon Wood Saturator (‘Satureur Bois Blanchon’) is the saturator based on the traditional composition. For a few years now, Blanchon has also been offering Ecological Saturator (‘Saturateur Environnement’), which is part of its Quality Environment Line (‘Ligne Qualité Environnement’) and scores high marks at all points. This can

also be used on exotic wood sorts immediately after they are fitted. Blanchon also offers Blanchon Opaque Environment Saturator (‘Satureur Opaque Environnement Blanchon’) in this range. This is mainly suitable for softwood and makes it possible to finish the terrace in half a day thanks to the rapid drying. For periodic cleaning there is Blanchon Terrace Cleaner (‘Nettoyant Terrasses Blanchon’), whilst Blanchon also has Composite Terrace Renovator (‘Renovateur Terrasses Composites’) specially for composite wood.

Ciranova

kind of deep spots on treated and not-treated WPC. WPC SPRAY CLEAN clean acts with strong efficacy, solubilizing even the tough dirt, where the regular detergent is not effective. It does not leave halos and it does not discolor the material. ANTISTATICO WPC is a non aggressive ready to use waterbased antistatic product for the antistatic treatment of WPC. ANTISTATICO WPC is ideal to prevent and cancel the electrostatic charges which are cumulating on non conductive materials. ANTISTATICO WPC is also a sanitizing detergent which is eliminating the static electricity postponing the build-up of dusts and allergens. ANTISTATICO WPC can be used on any kind of WPC; thanks to its special clear formulation, it doesn't leave halos, spots and doesn't film.

DevoNatural®

Ciranova offers an extensive range of outdoor wood. The green deposit remover removes green deposit from all surfaces. It retains its strength for a long time after the treatment. The anti-ageing product removes dirt and greyed outdoor wood. Wood Cleaner Ciranova is a product for cleaning and removing grease from outdoor wood. Using Wood Cleaner will yield an even result if you finish the wood with a Ciranova protective product. Wood Protector is a natural oil which is suitable for nourishing and protecting all outdoor wood. Ciranova Eco-Protector is a water-based protective product for outdoor wood such as exotic wood, wood which contains resin, and European deciduous trees. Eco-Protector does not form a film, but penetrates into the wood. Decking Oil is an impregnation oil for protecting and maintaining all outdoor wood. Decking Oil has a built-in UV blocker which slows down the discolouration of the wood. Decking Oil nourishes and protects the wood. Finally, Auafix protect RRT is a revolutionary product with built-in RRT Technology (= Rapid Rain Technology), which gives the wood a pearl effect so that the water immediately drips off the wood and it does this in just one coat.

Chimiver Chimiver offers a wide range of products for treating, protecting and maintaining WPC (wood plastic compound). Scudo WPC is a water-based compound formulated with high penetrating nanotech particles for the treatment of WPC, precompressed wood, composites based on different materials. SCUDO WPC makes the treated surfaces water-oil-repellent, avoiding the formation of unaesthetic and persistent stains due to the absorption of oil substances and dirty. It gives a slight toning effect, excellent resistance and color stability. WPC SPRAY CLEAN is a spray cleaner suitable for the removal of all the

Devomat offers the DevoNatural® High Solid Oil for cleaning and treating wooden terraces and garden furniture. It is best to clean the wood thoroughly before applying a protective finish, certainly for tropical hard wood. For giving weathered and contaminated wood a thorough clean there is the DevoNatural® Outdoor Wood Cleaner, whilst DevoNatural® Intensive Cleaner is recommended for removing dirt and grease. If necessary, you can sandpaper the wood lightly and/or scrub it with Woodboy and a brush or black pads. DevoNatural® Outdoor Wood Cleaner is an intensive wood cleaner based on oxalic acid. DevoNatural® Intensive Cleaner is a powerful cleaner for removing old layers of soap and grease from strongly contaminated floors. It should be applied before parquet oil or oil renovation product. One coat will suffice for treatment with DevoNatural® High Solid Oil (‘colouring and protecting’).

Floorservice The garden is increasingly becoming an extension of your home’s interior. Wooden patios with matching chairs and tables perfectly suit your indoor style. Just like the wood for indoor floors, the outdoor wood also requires attention and the right products in order to maintain the natural look! Floorservice Woodwash The intensive cleaner Floorservice Woodwash cleans thoroughly and restores colour of garden furniture, patio’s, garden fences and pergolas. This is an excellent universal cleaner for soft and hard wood types. The grey garden wood will be brought back to life, restoring the wood’s former glory! Floorservice Decking Oil and Floorservice Teak- and garden furniture oil To keep the outdoor wood in perfect condition we’ve developed Floorservice Decking Oil and Floorservice Teak- and garden furniture oil. These oils penetrate deep into the (tropical) wood and offers excellent protection against water and dirt. The mild smelling oil doesn’t leave a film, but gives the wood a smooth surface.

Floor Forum International 90

Special

Outdoor floors: maintenance & finishes

Osmo To meet the specific needs of several softwood and fine wood species, Osmo Decking-Oil was developed. It smoothens the wood surface and makes it water and dirt repellent. The oil is applied thinly and evenly with the wood grain; Osmo Decking Brush with a width of 150 mm is suitable for such applications. Hardwoods rich in extractives must weather off before the initial treatment, and then two coats are carried out on the raw wood. For renovation works, one coat is sufficient, and spot repairs are possible for small damages. To clean decking regularly, Osmo offers the Decking Cleaner. Depending on the level of contamination, one litre of the concentrate cleans 30 – 100 m². Polymer composite surfaces are optimally cleaned with the Polymer Composite Cleaner from Osmo.

Pallmann Thorough cleaning is the first step in terrace maintenance. And so, Pallman has introduced a chemical cleaner with a brush and detergent. Pallmann Wood Refresher is recommended for this purpose. The floor can then be oiled using Pallmann Outdoor Oil. Points for attention in

Decking Oil • Basic treatment and maintenance of decking wood. • Enhances the color and structure of the wood. • Provides excellent UV protection. • Available in both a solvent and a waterborne version.

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

Floor Forum International 90

choosing a finish include the fact that the surface still has to be ‘open’ after the treatment, resistant to UV rays, and completely weatherproof. The products presented here can also be used perfectly well for wood composites. In recent years, Pallmann has gained a lot of experience in that field. They have also noticed that some exotic types of wood exceptionally require a different approach. For example, an oil-based finish will sometimes suffice.

Rubio Monocoat Rubio Monocoat presents a systematic working method and the necessary products for finishing and maintaining all wooden terraces. Good preparation is essential for the best results. The Rubio Monocoat Exterior Wood Cleaner can be used for this purpose. This cleaner removes dirt, grease, and moss thoroughly. The cleaner can be used on all types of wood. During this cleaning, the pores of the wood are opened in order to achieve a smoother result during the oil treatment (the Rubio Monocoat Hybrid Wood Protector, which colours and protects in a single coat. Due to its innovative technology, this oil is suitable for colouring and protecting all types of wood, both in and outdoors. The easy application and low maintenance help to make this product user-friendly. Rubio Monocoat Hybrid Wood Protector is available in 12 modern natural wood colours and eight popular colours. The product contains no solvents, water, or VOCs. There is a mild soap for interim cleaning, namely the Rubio Monocoat Exterior Soap. An outdoor floor treated with Rubio Monocoat Hybrid Wood Protector is easy to maintain using the same product and without scouring!

Tover To protect wooden terraces, walkways and decking, garden furniture, what is better? A natural oil or a water-based impregnation agent? With Tover you can finally choose your favourite finishing product! Oil4sun, easy to apply natural oil, very strong against severe climatic conditions and mold, main reasons of wood degradation, it penetrates in depth into the wooden pores, feeds it and grants a homogeneous aspect to the whole surface. Or Pro-Deck, water-based treatment, extremely innovative for outdoor wood; it is simple to apply, to renew, extra-strong against water, freeze, UV rays and guarantees a uniform surface finish. Moreover it really lasts longer than an oil. And for WPC terraces? Relax! With WPC Cover, water-based protection agent, composite floorings will perfectly resist to their major enemy: oil and grease spots. Choose Safety, choose Tover.

Special

Producers of distressing machines

DISTRESSING MACHINES CREATE ILLUSIONS COMBINATION OF TECHNIQUES SCORES BEST ‘Nostalgia’, ‘vintage’, and ‘the old ways’ are some modern terms which refer to the past. Yet they are ‘right up to date’! For a few years now, we’ve no longer been able to designate distressing wooden floors as a trend, but rather as ‘one’ way of finishing floors. Parquet is associated with ‘the past’, even though it is for all eras. This generation (and maybe the previous one, too) has a perception that parquet is often synonymous with ‘natural’ and ‘comforting’. And so, it’s no wonder that distressed finishes are doing so well, even in modern interior design. Machine makers are providing ‘tools’ to distress floors and they are doing so in large volumes.

A professional in action Do you remember those rustic oak kitchens? They had a ‘boost’ about 40 years ago – a true renaissance. Anyone with plenty of money and in need of a new kitchen invariably chose an oak rustic kitchen with the look of an old castle kitchen. Dark stained oak often with bronze furniture fittings, it was all the rage, even though that type of kitchen belonged to the upper classes. The proof that it was a general rage was the fact that there was a model on display in every kitchen showroom of every kitchen manufacturer. We once visited a coating contractor company which specialised in finishing doors and cupboard doors for other makers i.e. outsourcing. There we met a professional who was occupied constantly with one and the same task. Armed with a steel bit and a hammer, he made holes in kitchen cupboard doors which were destined for the ‘rustic kitchen’. He did this arbitrarily with no recurring pattern. The man did this adroitly and, believe me, with devotion and dedication. It is highly questionable whether or not that manual working method would still be feasible (read: affordable) today. This is certainly one function for today’s distressing machines.

Mechanical techniques For beating there are modern beating machines. The principle is simple; the planks are put in a drum which is filled with bolts, nails, and such like. As the drum rotates, the loose-flying objects in the drum apply damage arbitrarily to give the floor a distressed look. Brushing is done in a structure brushing machine, which can be integrated perfectly into the production line. These machines are available in different widths and can be fitted with different brushes. There are various materials for the brushes such as bronze or nylon with silicon carbide. Another tool for giving planks an old look is the rip saw machine where the original saw cut remains visible. These are just a few examples of distressing machines. Manufacturers continue to innovate and they certainly do customised work.

Two specialists Boere Machinefabriek bv Wood ageing machine Boere Machinefabriek bv

The features ‘of old’ The holes which that professional had to make give the impression that the wood is affected by woodworm (‘mouldered wood’ in popular speech). That is immediately one of the ‘possible’ flaws of old wood from buildings (not necessarily floors). As regards specific features/ flaws of old floors, we can identify three ‘sources’ of ageing: damp whereby the colour is affected, footsteps on the floor, which obviously leaves traces, and, finally, the use of woodwork techniques from the past. Machine manufacturers have developed tools for each of those external features. The combination of colour distressing (smoking or staining) with mechanical distressing techniques usually yields the best results (i.e. the ‘three sources of distressing’ are covered).

Smoking Wood has been smoked for centuries and this process is also used to distress furniture. The smoking itself isn’t done by making fire and smoke (as people sometimes mistakenly think), but by generating ammonia fumes. The tannic acid in the wood absorbs the ammonia fumes and it turns darker. The floorboards can be smoked on one side or on both sides, depending on the client’s wishes.

Visit www.floor-forum.com

The most important ways to give a wooden floor an aged effect are the irregular rounding of the material in length direction, damaging the surface and brushing out the soft tree rings. Besides manufacturing wide belt sanding machines Boere Machinefabriek bv manufactures a complete range of brush texturing machines which, at your choice, can be completed with cross-grain sanding unit ahead of the texturing brushes, so that a scarved, almost sawcut structure will be applied. Usually this scarving is combined with a light brush texturing. Just brush texturing will give a surprisingly rustic appeal to the floor. Structure, character, depth and rustic appeal are still aspects very much in demand within the flooring and furniture industry. With its oscillating brushes the wood grain is smoothly followed so that it leaves the surface with a stripeless, soft satin finish. When moreover, the X-Line unit first sands the surface cross the grain, the surface get the sawcut or ‘scarved’ unique, on-trend look. The renewed structure brushing machine Select X-Line can now be equipped with a special programme. Apart from creating certain

Floor Forum International 90

Special

Producers of distressing machines

structure brushing programmes for operations which recur frequently, it is also possible to provide a programme to make arbitrary scarf patterns. This can be set on the touch screen quite simply, but you can also use a laptop to make the scarf patterns in advance which will then be applied to the processing panels. And so, the surface is styled according to the personal taste of the client or end user. In combination with a structure brushing, the result is that the product has a strong, unique, and rustic look! The machines are apt for commissioning in a production line. Meanwhile this machine has been successfully delivered to different leading parquet manufactures worldwide. The most important customers are parquet and solid wood flooring manufacturers, custom lacquering companies, manufactures of veneered sheet material and furniture manufacturers.

that technical combinations are also possible in which, for instance, a cross-cut head can be integrated together with one or more of the brushing modules in a single machine. Another way of distressing is to apply reaction stains, for instance. Working with reaction stains yields a distressed colour effect. Obviously, it is also possible to combine both dye and colour stains with the aforementioned contact techniques. And so, distressing techniques can be combined with oiling and lacquering machines. What is important prior to the application of an oil or lacquer is that the wood surface is cleaned thoroughly i.e. so that it is free of dust and fibres created by mechanical distressing. Machines can be supplied in various price categories (depending on the type of machine, prices vary from €8000.00 to € 40,000.00).

Vec – Trivec For Vec there are several ways of distressing a floor. One way is to use contact techniques, including structuring with a brushing machine or a vintage or drum machine to apply damage to the surface of the wood. Another way of distressing is to deploy a combination of brushing and ‘cross-cutting’. The unique cross-cutter from the Trivec programme makes it possible to give the wood surface a fine-sawn effect in one passage. One final contact technique for distressing floors is the Trivec hand-scrape machine, which yields a random wavy effect. What is special about all these techniques is that they can also be combined with each other e.g. hand-scraping in combination with a fine-sawn effect or combination-effects from the vintage machine with the brushing machine, etc. The modular character of the Trivec machines means

FNT Trabattoni Stampi New designs at FNT Trabattoni Stampi After the great success during Ligna Hannover, FNT is going ahead with development of new designs to emboss flooring boards by means of “pyro-engraving” technique. The feedback from the show confirmed the trend on natural effects, with deep structures. Customers are invited to send us physical boards of natural wood (aged, weathered, brushed, and so on...) in order to extract structures to be engraved over roller-moulds to emboss flooring surface.

Machines for Parquet finishing

New machines at Renzo Borgonovo As displayed during the last edition of Ligna Hannover, Renzo Borgonovo is constantly improving quality of their machines for embossing and spray machines for finishing over flooring surfacein order to extract structures to be engraved over roller-moulds to emboss flooring surface.

ﬁnd more info on www.trivec.eu

www.trabattonistampi.com • +39 (0)31 621303 www.borgonovo.com • +39 (0)362 901347 46

Floor Forum International 90

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

∂ Industry news Adesiv Stone

Adesiv Stone is a natural, single-component, and polyurethane finish for wooden floors. Adesiv Stone contains no solvents. The finish can withstand intensive use, so it can be deployed in so called high-traffic rooms. Adesiv Stone is easy to apply and has a very high coverage capacity. The gloss is ultra-matt to give wooden floors an extremely natural look. Adesiv Stone has been reinforced using particles based on nanotechnology.

From the Blue Angel to the EU Ecolabel A meaningful environmental label for European laminate flooring Laminate flooring manufactured in Europe is top of the league when it comes to floor coverings that use clean production methods and create a healthy living environment. Evidence for this can be found in the recognised EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations) relating to these products. In addition to CE marking, a scheme stipulated throughout the EU and applicable in principle to all construction products coming onto the European market, flooring manufacturers can voluntarily apply for extra national or international environmental certification and approval marks for their products. Looking to the future, one particular ecolabel that is expected to gain significance in the flooring sector is the revised version of the “EU Ecolabel for wood-, cork- and bamboo-based floor coverings”, which came into effect at the end of January 2017 and which naturally includes laminate flooring. Ecolabels are intended to guide consumers in their purchasing decision by providing reliable and trustworthy information concerning a product’s impact on the environment and health. Recognised labels indicate independently-tested product quality together with proof of environmentally-sound and sustainable manufacturing. Forest

certification schemes such as the FSC trademark (wood/wood products resulting from exemplary forest management) or the PEFC mark (raw materials from sustainable forest management) play an important role around the world. The Blue Angel (“Der blaue Engel”) has made a name for itself among consumers as a quality label for low-emission products in many product categories, particularly in the German-speaking area, and has become a brand of its own. Around the world, it is known as the first and therefore oldest ecolabel for communicating products that are especially kind to the environment when seen against comparable products. Introduced in Germany in 1978, the Blue Angel ecolabel was initiated by the federal government and became successfully established on the German market. Over the decades, its significance has reached beyond the region where it originally started. The high level of familiarity that consumers have with the Blue Angel is reflected in its use as a quality mark within the European laminate flooring industry: out of the 17 European producers of this product within the EPLF, 11 are capitalising on the good reputation of this long-standing ecolabel. Harmless components – proven eco-friendliness Before a product is awarded the ecolabel, its entire life cycle is taken into consideration. Products awarded the Blue Angel must comply with a list of criteria which incorporates as many relevant aspects of environmental and health protection as possible. First and foremost, the aim is to promote the use of wood from sustainably managed forests and low-emission wood-based products. For laminate floor coverings, the applicable catalogue of requirements is in accordance with “RAL-UZ 176 – Low-Emission Floor Coverings, Panels and Doors for Interiors made of Wood and Wood-Based Materials”. By entering into a trade mark agreement with RAL gGmbH, every manufacturer makes a legally binding commitment to comply fully with the requirements for the duration of the agreement. Notification of any potential non-compliance received from competitors, consumer associations or individual consumers will be thoroughly investigated by the German Federal Environment Agency and RAL. On an international level, the Blue Angel cooperates closely with organisations in Austria, China, Japan and Korea. EU Ecolabel – an environmental label for Europe The EU Ecolabel, likewise a voluntary scheme and known also as the “EU Flower”, was set up by the European Commission and officially introduced in 1992 by means of EU regulation EC 880/92. It is recognised in all 28 EU member states as an ecolabel covering a range of product categories, as well as in Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey. As with the Blue Angel, the EU Ecolabel is awarded to goods and services that, throughout their entire life cycle, have a lower impact on the environment than comparable and conventional products or services. The EU Commission views the label as a recommendation for European consumers to purchase in such a way that a reduction in environmental pollution is achieved in the long term in as many areas of life as possible. In Germany, the competent bodies for the Ecolabel at the European Commission are the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) and the company RAL gGmbH. The Federal Environment Agency is responsible for the technical side when it comes to further developing award criteria and developing new ones; it also assists RAL gGmbH with processing new applications. RAL gGmbH examines incoming applications for use of the EU Ecolabel and in successful cases it concludes the agreements for use of the mark. Read more on www.floor-forum.com/en/news

Floor Forum International 90

Advertorial

Vetedy (LU/Cameroon)

VETEDY GOES CAMEROON IMPRESSIVE SAW MILL FOR PROCESSING ROUNDWOOD AT SOURCE Cameroon has long been a favoured ‘source’ for the Luxembourg company Vetedy, which has specialised for over 20 years in the production and distribution of exotic wood for indoor and outdoor parquet. Vetedy offers solid wood and multi-layer parquet, terrace planks and wall planks. For the latter two (terraces and walls) Vetedy is known mainly as the inventor of the Softline and Techniclic invisible fastening systems. The Vetedy Group is now developing its own saw mill in Cameroon. We talked about this briefly with Mr Patrick Deumer.

Versatile Cameroon Cameroon lies on the border between Central and West Africa. It borders on Nigeria in the west, Chad to the north, the Central African Republic to the east, and on Gabon, Congo-Brazzaville, and Equatorial Guinea. Cameroon has an estimated population of about 13.4 million people (1998). About 70% of them live in the countryside. The population is growing by 2.8% per annum, and there are about 240 ethnic groups in the country, each with their own language. On 1 January 1960, East Cameroon gained independence from France, whilst in 1961, West Cameroon became independent from the United Kingdom. In 1972, the bipartite federation of Cameroon became united to the current bilingual Republic of Cameroon. Cameroon has the potential to become one of the wealthier countries in the region. During and after colonisation, the country’s economy grew mainly through the export of some traditional export products such as coffee, cocoa, wood, cotton, and,

Floor Forum International 90

from 1981, petroleum. Before 1977, the export of coffee and cocoa was the driving force of the Cameroon economy, whilst from 1977 to 1985 petroleum was the most important export product. Since 1986, the relative importance of the export of tropical wood to the Cameroon economy has increased rapidly. In the meantime, Cameroon has become the biggest exporter of tropical hardwood in Africa.

Biodiversity The diversity of biotopes makes Cameroon one of the most bio-diverse countries in Africa. In some coastal woods in Western Cameroon you can find over 200 woody plants growing on 0.1 hectare! There are about 409 known sorts of mammals in Cameroon, 183 sorts of reptiles, 849 sorts of birds, 190 sorts of amphibians, and over 1000 sorts of butterflies. The biggest part of this species diversity is found in the tropical rain forest in the south of the country. Some of those forests of Cameroon are located in (bio-geographical) zones with a high degree of endemism. These are regions where sorts are found which are found nowhere else in the world. These are the forests in mountain range of Cameroon and Nigeria and the lowland woods in the west of Cameroon and in Gabon. The rain forests in the south-east of Cameroon join a much bigger tightly joined forest area, namely the ‘Congo Basins’. After the Amazon rainforest, it is the second biggest tropical rain forest area in the world. The Congo Basins are generally recognised as a region with an exceptional biological and cultural diversity. Conservationists in Cameroon suggested back in 1991 that urgent action should be

taken to give protected status to the few primary forest areas in East Cameroon where there is still no large-scale cutting and no roads have been built. The negotiations which WWF conducted on that matter with the Cameroonian government were vitally important in that connection. The expansion of the wood industry in South-East Cameroon and the related road construction and crop theft formed a major threat to the biodiversity in the region.

Vetedy makes a site visit In just 20 years, the Luxembourg firm Vetedy has acquired a buzzing reputation as a manufacturer of parquet floors and garden parquet in exotic wood sorts. Vetedy sets itself exceptionally high quality standards in all phases of the production process. Respect for the planet, sustainable enterprise, and rationalisation of natural resources are key concepts in the company’s mission.

Exotic wood Parquet floors from Vetedy are made from exotic wood sorts and in the country of origin. Over the years, Vetedy has built up strong links with the suppliers, whom they visit regularly. Thanks to the close co-operation, the company can guarantee exceptional quality and an impeccable service. The choice of wood sorts gives the range important added value. For indoor parquet Vetedy has wood sorts such as doussie, iroko, padauk, niové, and zingana. African wood sorts are characterised by exceptional technical qualities and modern colour shades. Most sorts come from Gabon, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Asian sorts are purchased in Myanmar (Teak), Indonesia (merbau), and China (bamboo). All the wood is selected meticulously by Vetedy. For outdoor parquet, too, Vetedy opts for the most beautiful and, in particular, the most stable wood sorts such as ipe, merbau, padauk, or teak.

was completed after various expansions. The official opening was accompanied by a cracking party. For founder and company director Patrick Deumer, who is Belgian himself, the new office means a return to his ‘roots’ in some respects. The fact that the boss of Vetedy has good contacts in Belgium is obviously a nice bonus, but there were scores of other reasons for choosing Arlon: The distance to the parent company in Luxembourg is negligible; the location is very easily accessible; and the presence of other traditional trade companies can provide a foundation for important cross-fertilisation. The new office means that Vetedy is not only crossing the national borders, but also taking important steps into the future.

Cameroon, …. here we come! This year, Vetedy has started building its own saw mill in Cameroon. In recent decades, legislators have passed several regulations (often with little success) designed to regulate forestry and wood cutting. One of the most contested stipulations was the prohibition on the export of roundwood as of January 1999. Opinions have been divided for years on the ecological and economic effects of this measure. The reason for the government announcing this export prohibition was primarily to stimulate the woodwork industry within Cameroon. It is not clear whether or not this has reduced the pressure on the rain forests. According to Patrick Deumer, people still infringe the protective legislation all too often (and even in large numbers).

Their own saw mill

No borders…

The company aims to saw roundwood for the production of items such as terrace planks. The wood sorts include padauk (for the Softline system), sapelli, iroko, tali (mainly for Belgian importers). The saw mill covers company premises of 1.5ha. The intended volume currently amounts to 250m³/month. Vetedy employs about 26 locals. Clients are mainly Belgian importers.

Let’s take a look back. On 17 April 2009, Vetedy opened a new office in Belgium with a surface of 6,000m². In 2016, the second Block

For more information please visit us on www.vetedy.com

Floor Forum International 90

Special

Producers of Versailles panels

RENAISSANCE FLOOR IS ENJOYING A ‘RENAISSANCE’ VERSAILLES PATTERN CONTINUES TO INSPIRE AND SEDUCE

Photo – Terra da Bosco

Versailles panels are probably the most popular panel or pattern floors still fitted today. We’re talking here about pattern floors with a so called ‘ historical’ fitting pattern. That distinction is vital because pattern floors (panel floors/ cassettes) are actually the result of a method of fitting for which all sorts of patterns, even new and non-existent patterns, can be used. After all, the production method is a ‘calibrated method’. These floors are constructed with pre-engineered square panels in which wooden sections are fitted according to a certain fitting pattern. Each panel forms a mini-parquet floor in some respects.

Some technical issues The sections for panel floors are sawn to measure and mitred and glued to each other sideways and tightened in order to dry. After the assembly, it might be necessary to saw away a tiny piece to get identical dimensioning and squareness for all panels. That obviously simplifies the fitting for the floor fitter considerably.

Sizes An important feature of these panels is the fact that, strictly speaking, nothing is sawn on site. After all, each panel forms a complete pattern so you can’t just leave a piece out. Amongst other things, this means that most of the pattern floors have to be sawn to measure because the dimensions of the room determine the size of the panels. Very common standard measures are 600 x 600mm, 700 x 700mm,

Floor Forum International 90

800 x 800mm, and 1,000 x 1,000mm. The latter is also the size of the original Versailles panels in the similarly named palace. As regards thicknesses, there are also various possibilities (linked partly to the size): 8, 8.5, 15, 18.5, and 20mm. Another important point is that panel floors are available both in solid wood and in multi-layer.

Oak is popular again Anyone who clings to historical accuracy when naming their parquet floor has to rely on oak when it comes to Versailles panels. The only reason why oak is the leading player here arises from the simple fact that 90% of all wooden floors (in Europe) are oak floors. However, all other wood sorts (or combinations of wood sorts) are just as practicable for making panels. One very popular alternative is European walnut. Cherry is also found quite often. With one of the suppliers (see below) we find panel floors which are made of recycled teak. These floors give a distressed look in any case.

Fitting As we’ve already said, the panels are not sawn on site. That means that the biggest task before the fitting will comprise measuring the room absolutely precisely. The best way to fit Versailles panels is full glueing on a perfectly flat sandpapered mosaic subfloor. Firstly, you measure and mark the lines of the boards so that it is possible to calculate the location of the middle panel. The other panels are glued to each other and nailed to the edge frieze and to some central blocks. A permanently elastic glue is strongly recommended for the glueing. For the

finish the client obviously has a choice of the classic finishes (lacquer, oil, and hard wax), but for distressed finishes the finish is in oil or wax.

Versailles Strictly speaking, all classic fitting patterns are suitable for making panels. The Chantilly pattern, for example, is less well known than the Versailles pattern, but it is also found in the world famous palace of Louis XIV. The real original pattern of Versailles is a diagonal interweaving. The panels in the palace are exactly 1m² (100 x 100cm). They are separated by three strips of 8cm which converge in a corner and form a point. Nowadays, Versailles panels are available in several dimensions and are adapted to the room where they are to be fitted. One nice feature or peculiarity of Versailles panels is that they are fitted in the shape of a rhombus. This means that half a (diagonal) panel is always needed at the edge for each row. The providers of Versailles floors therefore supply those half-panels so that no sawing whatsoever is necessary.

What’s on the market? BJ Parket Versailles panel floors have always been a permanent fixture at BJ Parket. Demand has risen as the company has enhanced its reputation with these floors. Oak is still the most important wood sort, but a number of tropical sorts are also used. The panels are offered both distressed and untreated. The standard pattern which BJ Parket has chosen is that with twelve blocks and five diagonal plaits. This pattern has a stylish appearance without coming across as too lively. The highly prominent designs such as those in Polish and Russian palaces are not so popular in Western Europe. Adapting the size of the panel to the size of the place means it is possible to work towards a more natural harmony between floor and space. That’s why BJ Parket has three sizes in the range in which the plait is made up of friezes of 55mm (panels of 49.5cm or of 55 to 73cm wide), friezes 72mm (panels of 65cm or of 73 to 95cm wide), and friezes of 90mm (panel 102cm wide). The size is adapted precisely for each floor by altering the size of the square blocks. BJ Parket can put up excellent references such as the parquet floor for Cumberland Terrace in London (125m² of Versailles panels in afrormosia, hand-scraped, and finished with 4 coats of oil), Hansbeke Castle in Nevele (+/- 55 m² Large Versailles in oak/rustic, distressed, stained, and soaped) and Champagne Taitinger Castle in France (200m² XL Versailles distressed, finish unknown).

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!

B.J. Parket

BVBA

INDUSTRIESTRAAT 44 9240 Z ELE – B ELGIUM

Design Parquet Design Parquet believes that these floors are at home in castles and large houses (mansions), but also in new homes which strive for a contemporary design. The most commonly used wood sort is oak, but

TEL: +32 52 44 45 57 FAX: +32 52 45 06 71 EMAIL: INFO@BJPARKET.BE WWW.BJPARKET.BE

Special

Producers of Versailles panels

other wood sorts such as wenge and merbau are possible. The oak can also be coloured in various shades according to current trends. The panels are offered in both distressed and non-distressed. Design Parquet offers as standard panels of 1,000 x 1,000mm, but customised work is also possible e.g. 600 x 600mm or 800 x 800mm. The panels are nailed to a frame or glued to a screed.

Flamingo Parket

4 de page FF I.pdf

28/07/2017

10:41

Versailles panels are also sold regularly at Flamingo Parket even though it is still a niche market. A good 95% of the floors are produced in oak, both in light rustic and

flawless oak. They are usually supplied in the distressed version (60%). This means the panels can be finished before they are fitted, so the floor fitter only has to apply the final coat of oil. The panels are produced custom-made. The most popular sizes are 80 x 80 and 100 x 100cm. Nowadays, the fitting is a lot simpler since the pattern floors can be produced as a complete tile. In the past there was still often talk of loose elements in traditional parquet form, but now the panels are offered as complete tiles both in traditional parquet and twin plank.

Houtbedrijf Kerkhofs Panels are still selling well. At Houtbedrijf Kerkhofs they attribute the fact that more expensive floors are once again selling to the growing economy. Oak is still the major type of wood for these panels. They offer both rigid and distressed panels. At Kerkhofs they have noticed that customers generally ask for specific dimensions instead of standard dimensions. Houtbedrijf Kerkhofs almost always works on the basis of a standard width measure of basic material which is converted into the panel, and then a proportional design is made. They are convinced that you do need some knowledge and experience to fit and process panels. A spokesperson comments: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;You need some spatial awareness in any case to allow a panel to come fully into its own in the relevant room. In addition, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also nice to know how you should finish the untreated panel.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Terra da Bosco

CMJ

LA FABRIQUE DE PARQUET

We look for sales agents 52

Floor Forum International 90

Versailles panels form a range of square panels in various dimensions which draw their inspiration from old fitting patterns. They offer any room a look which cannot be forged. Woven classic or modern patterns make these immortal floors unique and exclusive, a must for the demanding and refined enthusiast. The sections of the panels are unique and hand-made by professional craft workers. Oak is usually used for this, but Terra da Bosco does also have a version in antique teak. The wood for that is recycled from old buildings in Indonesia and Java. In Distressed versions are possible in both oak and teak. Only planks are used for the teak version to make the distressed (used) appearance even more authentic. Terra da Bosco has two sizes, namely 980 x 980mm or 782.3 x 782.3mm. Various thicknesses are possible in both cases. Obviously, customised work is also an option. A technical point: All sections are fitted with tongue and groove for greater stability.

Special

UV/LED oiling and lacquring machines on site

DRYING WITH ‘LIGHT’ RAPID DRYING ON SITE IS NOW QUITE NORMAL

Photo – Decorad

Photo – Rubio Monocoat

The time which parquet floor fitters spend on site is one of the major contributory factors and sales arguments for the ongoing advance of ‘pre-finished’. Clean, no splits, odourless, and, especially, rapid fitting. Some of the drawbacks of traditional parquet, not least the time required for traditional air-drying lacquers or oils to dry, can be countered perfectly well with UV and LED curing. The tools are there, the lamps are there, and the purchase is certainly affordable.

dentistry, where UV drying has been used for several years now to dry fillings faster. The technique is also used in cosmetics, for instance, in manicures and pedicures for drying nail varnish quickly. The comparison nowadays between UV and LED drying in all these applications is extremely animated. We’re not going to make that comparison and consideration here. We would point out, however, that misunderstandings sometimes arise in the comparison between both ‘means’ regarding the underlying ‘technology’.

Typically ‘industrial’

UV and UV LED

Drying with UV light (curing is a better word!) has arisen from the need to cure certain materials ‘faster’. The reason for that was initially that air-drying products in the traditional way on a production line slowed down the entire production process and the drying caused delays in the production time. The growing need for large production volumes, short delivery times, and cost efficiency makes this delay a severe handicap. The science of time is money is illustrated perfectly by this problem. An excellent example of this is the drying of ink in magazines and journals in printing works. The big circulation means that air-drying is hardly an option any more.

UV light (ultraviolet light) is an electromagnetic radiation which falls just outside the part of the spectrum which can be perceived by the human eye. Amongst other things, all sorts of light can be subdivided according to their wavelengths. 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 is visible to us. This means that UV light can cause chemical reactions, such as the setting of gel or lacquer. LED lamps are also UV lamps, for they give light which falls within the UV spectrum (especially UV-A). Instead of via a fluorescence lamp, the light is transmitted via Light-Emitting Diodes. The light which LED lamps transmit has a smaller UV light wavelength reach than UV lamps which use a compact fluorescence lamp. LED lamps do transmit an intensity of UV light and more energy at a certain wave length.

From the factory As is often the case, however, applications from industry usually make their way to non-industrial applications where, often for different reasons, the same need for rapid drying exists. We only have to think of

Floor Forum International 90

Special

UV/LED oiling and lacquring machines on site

dutchy qualit

another product from another vesting product from vesting

 

Lacquering and oiling machines for the site Lacquering and oiling machines for ‘curing by means of light’ are a fact. Some training will certainly be useful (necessary), but, strictly speaking, all operations are fairly simple. UV coating is usually preceded by a UV-hardening primer, applied with a traditional roller, just as with a waterborne single-component lacquer. After the application, the lacquer should be left to air-dry for about 45 minutes, and, after that, you can ride over the entire floor with a motorised mobile UV machine, which covers about 200m² per hour. There is a portable UV lamp for the edges and places which are difficult to reach. As we’ve already said, the floor can be used as soon as it is finished. When using UV lamps, parquet floor fitters should wear suitable clothing, which is usually supplied as standard with the apparatus. Drying under the influence of LED light can also be used both in the factory and on site. Here, too, the benefits are considerable. Instead of waiting several hours for the oil to dry, it is possible to use the floor at once. Sandpapering, oiling, and drying are now merely a matter of hours, rather than days! In the morning, the room can be emptied and, in the course of the afternoon, you can put everything back in place on a perfectly finished floor which comes fully into its own.

the new standard in ﬂoor ﬁnishing

What’s on the market ? Decorad UV drying is a growth market. The driving force on the market is application on elastic floors for which there is an increasing range of UV lacquers. Expectations are that within a few years potentially 10% of all wood will be treated with UV lacquers/oils and, on the basis of the latest developments, with elastic floors the indications are even as high as 20%. In over 30 countries people are now using Decorad machines, and even in countries where you least expect it (namely Asian countries) this technology is widely in use. The quality of drying with UV is better than that of traditional lacquers. You could compare it to the industrial drying process, which is now also deploys UV. The benefits which this offers can now also be achieved on site. An easy comparison is the setting of fillings at the dentist’s, as that procedure is comparable to the drying of lacquer. The benefits here (as compared to the old traditional method) are the same as those with on-site drying: better quality, rapid drying, ecological, and easy cleaning. The important thing is to assess the differences of the machine as such and also the difference in the type of UV. It is important for the machine that it is easy to use, safe, durable, and suitable for various jobs. The Decorad Floormate has these features, but what is also unusual is that the Floormate can be used with standard UV (various lamps) and or a LED module if the client so desires. There are hand-lamps in various sizes for corners and edges. For most applicators the small hand-lamp (Handmate UV600) is suitable enough for the sides of the wall and places which are difficult to reach. Furthermore, Decorad has also developed a bigger hand-lamp (18cm), which is particularly suitable for applicators for stairs, balconies, worktops, etc. At present, LED is making strides in industry; with large production lines which process high volumes, the benefits which LED can offer (lower energy consumption and a longer lifespan) are easier to justify economically with regard to the high investment costs.

2O17

Vesting With the introduction of LED technology, Vesting has certainly set the tone for change in the mechanical application of oils and lacquers on site. Initially, the market reacted somewhat cautiously, but most professionals are now convinced of the many benefits. These include not only the speed of drying and the opportunity to use the floor immediately, but also the ease with which the oil is applied. Since the oil has a VOC content of 0%, it dries only under the influence of special LED lamps. One restriction is that direct sunlight must be avoided because UV rays stimulate the drying process so that

Visit www.floor-forum.com

FROM THE INVENTORS

UNSURPASSED QUALITY AND COLOUR www.vesting.nl @vestingﬁnishingproducts

WOOD SCIENCE.

Special

UV/LED oiling and lacquring machines on site

the oil can turn syrupy. It has emerged clearly from feedback from Vesting clients that the work is easier and more economical with the LED hard wax oil. This is despite the extra drying treatment with the mobile LED unit. End users, too, are indicating their satisfaction with the result. In particular, they laud the beautiful rich and full look of the wood and the durability and outstanding protection given to the floor. This is a win-win situation for client and floor fitter. LED lamps have different advantages as compared to traditional UV lamps, such as the lifespan, for instance. The mobile system includes strong LED lamps which stimulate the special activators in the oil immediately after use so that the oil hardens immediately and can be walked on. This means that users can dry the floor in lanes and work with ease as far as the

opm. Advertentie_FF_92.5 x 136mm_Sept17_01.indd 3

Floor Forum International 90

tiniest corners. A so called hand-held tool is supplied as standard with the mobile system to reach difficult places, but, for instance, it can also deal with staircase steps very easily.

Rubio Monocoat Treating wood at the construction or renovation site is always a race against time. Private clients always want to be able to get back into their homes as soon as possible and every day that a commercial or public building is closed costs a lot of money. The introduction of LED technology in the wood-treatment market can mean a revolutionary way to save time. Rubio Monocoat introduces RMC LED Oil, which can be applied both manually and mechanically on-site. After that, the treated wood can be dried instantly with one of our ‘on-site dryers’ and it will be accessible again. In addition to the ‘Rubio LED-drying on-site unit’, Rubio Monocoat also has two hand dryers in its range, for instantly drying baseboards, stairs, furniture and other hard to reach places that have been treated with LED Oil. The investment in these machines is negligible compared to the savings that LED technology entails. LED lights have an extremely long service life of over 10,000 hours, compared to 700 – 1,000 hours for UV lights. They require hardly any maintenance and consume up to 80% less energy than the traditional mercury lightbulbs. In addition, LED lights are largely recyclable, as opposed to mercury lightbulbs. When using traditional UV lights, you also have to take into account the time required for the lightbulbs to warm up and cool off. LED lights, on the other hand, are fully operational as soon as you turn them on, so that you can get to work quickly and efficiently. Another advantage for on-site applications that should not be underestimated is that LED lights are also very shock-resistant and better resistant to cold and vibrations than other (UV) lights. Thanks to the Rubio LED-drying technology, project deadlines can now easily be met and e.g. furniture makers can treat, dry and deliver furniture in one day. Stairs are also completely functional by the evening. An additional advantage of drying on-site with RMC LED dryers is that wear-and-tear spots in intensely used areas can easily be repaired during closing time. All these advantages make it clear that Rubio LED-drying is the future for the project market.

04/08/2017 16:12:50

Special

Invisible fastening systems for exterior wood & composite wall cladding

WALL PLANKS ARE THE SOLUTION FOR RENOVATION INFINITE ARCHITECTURAL POSSIBILITIES Wall planks are a fully fledged wall finish, including in new buildings. They can vie easily with wall stone or wall plastering, for instance. There are some extra assets specifically for renovation. In many respects we can compare wall planks for outdoors to panelling indoors. We compare some points below. As regards the architectural character, this solution will certainly be a hit. Natural materials are very popular with consumers and the versatility of planks facilitates really exclusive projects.

are the same as those for terraces: faster fitting, no nails or screws in the wooden planks or boards, no splinter formation, a longer lifespan, and, of course, a much more attractive result since there are no visible fasteners. Although wooden wall cladding is subjected much less to mechanical pressure (you don’t walk on it), several of these systems are recommended at once for terrace wood and wall cladding. The range on the market is growing.

Panelling for outdoors

ArchiWood/Növlek

In this journal we’ve already devoted several articles to indoor panelling, technical or otherwise. Lots of decorative arguments make a plea for panelling indoors, not least the demolition of rigid walls, the influencing of the space (lowering or raising the ceiling), and protecting walls up to a certain height. It is clear that the choices are unlimited as regards colours, plank widths, or even panels. The major comparison with wall planks is in renovation projects. If walls are so badly damaged that they lose their aesthetic beauty (but not the mechanical qualities), cladding with wood (or another panel) is the only structural solution which will enable the client to avoid high initial repair costs. That applies both in and outdoors. There is no need to demolish walls (so no dust!) and replaster them. That saves costs and, obviously, lots of time. Flaws in the wall are removed from sight. We’re not talking about ‘glossing over’ because those hidden flaws don’t affect the lifespan of the building.

With Növlek, ArchiWood has the solutions for fitting terraces professionally. HardWood Clip® is the wooden terrace invisible fitting system developed by ArchiWood. The stainless steel fastening clip (in a high-quality synthetic cover) is fixed into the grooves (side) of the floorboards and is screwed threw the floorboards into the beams at an angle of 45° using self-drilling screws (SPAX in high-quality A2 stainless steel). SoftWood Clip® is virtually the same fastening system as Hardwood Clip, but it is designed for Thermowood or thermally treated types of wood, soft stable types, and bamboo. At ArchiWood they have seen a growing demand for wall planks. This demand relates to just about all wood sorts for outdoor use and for all types of profiles. The aforementioned fastening systems for terraces from ArchiWood, HardWood Clip®, and SoftWood Clip® have also been developed for fitting wall planks. ArchiWood has developed a special profile from planks, which is geared to fitting with these fastening systems. This profile, DROP™, has a number of specific characteristics which are useful for wall planks. For example, it is covered to protect it from water and insects. The fitting is easier and faster with these systems because the correct intervals and heights are integrated into the fastening. Obviously, the aesthetic assets are familiar to everyone.

Architectural possibilities Wall planks are a real delight to the architect. The possibilities are endless in different ways. For example, you can use wood to furnish a complete wall, a part of the wall, or even just give it a highlight. As far as plank sizes are concerned, there aren’t really any limits. The possibilities range from narrow slats of barely a few centimetres wide to panels of one or more square metres. Visually, the size gives a completely different impression. You can use alternating widths. Then there is the choice between horizontal and vertical fitting; some creative designers even dare to fit planks diagonally. And so, geometric figures are also possible. Finally, there are the types of wood. Here we don’t need to explain how wide the choice is nowadays in terms of both types of wood and colours.

Invisible fastening It seems rather strange, but some renowned technical agencies, which command great authority in the building sector, seem to be ignoring invisible fastening systems at the moment. We’re seeing all sorts of regulations regarding the initial wood moisture content of the planks, the choice of wood sort, the nature (width) of the profiles, ventilation, fire safety, and such like, yet for invisible fastening systems there is hardly any technical input. And so, we can say that suppliers of those systems are a little way ahead on the market. And so, it is no surprise that those suppliers are usually the same ones as those who have made a (licensed) spearhead of invisible fastening systems for wooden terraces. The benefits of invisible fastening for wooden wall cladding

What’s on the market?

DeckWise International® DeckWise® is known primarily for the DeckWise® Extreme Invisible Terrace Fixing system, but the company also has a fitting system for wall cladding, namely DeckWise® Invisible Cladding System. This system is deployed with umbrella planks and is suitable for most exotic wood sorts. Each clip is fixed to the corner of the planks and

Floor Forum International 90

screwed securely into the structure with the special DeckWise® stainless steel screw. Thanks to those specially designed screw holes, the planks can be fitted horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. The screws are screwed through the middle of the clip at an angle of 45°. The support structure is adapted to the wall planks and has to be strong enough. The DeckWise® Invisible Cladding System can be deployed for composite planks if it has the right profile.

Outdoor Wood Concepts Woodface® is a new vertical wall cladding system developed by designer Roel Vandebeek. This system makes it possible to personalise a wall completely by using nine different wooden profiles (three thicknesses and three widths). They are secured using an aluminium profile developed specially for that purpose. This yields completely invisible fastening. Moreover, aluminium profiles can be supplied in all RAL colours or anodised. In comparison with open wall cladding (with planks/strips) fitted at set intervals with a clearly visible damp screen at the rear, this system offers a wall which is more aesthetic and architecturally more attractively finished. The damp screen cannot be damaged by the closed wall cladding and leaves cannot penetrate between gaps. Aluminium profiles from Woodface® and the wooden wall cladding together form one concept.

Vetedy

A FAMILY COMPANY FOUNDED IN 1883 120.000 M³ OF SAWN TIMBER IN STOCK COMPANY SPECIALITIES TEAK | SIBERIAN LARCH | IPE | IROKO | MASSARANDUBA JATOBA | MERBAU | WESTERN RED CEDAR DECKING – FLOORING – CLADDING – UNDERCONSTRUCTION – ROUGH SAWN IMPORT AND EXPORT OF SCANDINAVIAN & RUSSIAN SOFTWOODS, AMERICAN SOFTWOODS & HARDWOODS, TROPICAL HARDWOODS

BERGSTRAAT 25 | B-8511 AALBEKE | BELGIUM T. +32 (0)56 43 33 33 | F. +32 (0)56 43 33 34 GENEVIEVE@VANDECASTEELE.BE | DAVE@VANDECASTEELE.BE WWW.VANDECASTEELE.BE

Vetedy offers, with its Techniclic®, a complete range of invisible cladding system for cladding, from the blade and its fixing, to the finishing accessories and a cleaning product without sanding or brushing; Very simple and above all effective without difficulty. Implementation with Techniclic® allows horizontal as well as vertical, but also ceiling installation. We also offer the choice of working with similar blade widths or mixing the 3 available widths and being able to choose the 5.5, 10, 20 or 30mm blade spacing. Our technique also allows the inlay of LEDs for ever more "brilliant" and market-leading designs. The wood species proposed are as indigenous as larch; Nordic pine and thermo ash, as exotic as padouk, ayous, Jaya ... The simplicity of the system allows an easy and quick installation for a clear and precise result. All our woods come from sustainably managed forests. Vetedy offers, with its Techniclic®, a complete range of invisible cladding system for cladding, from the blade and its fixing, to the finishing accessories and a cleaning product without sanding or brushing; Very simple and above all effective without difficulty. Implementation with Techniclic® allows horizontal as well as vertical, but also ceiling installation. We also offer the choice of working with similar blade widths or mixing the 3 available widths and being able to choose the 5.5, 10, 20 or 30mm blade spacing. Our technique also allows the inlay of LEDs for ever more "brilliant" and market-leading designs. The wood species proposed are as indigenous as larch; Nordic pine and thermo ash, as exotic as padouk, ayous, Jaya ... The simplicity of the system allows an easy and quick installation for a clear and precise result. All our woods come from sustainably managed forests.

Special

Oil and lacquer with anti-slip properties for wooden flooring and stairs

ANTI-SLIP ALSO NECESSARY ON STAIRS STAIRCASE STEPS MUSTN’T BE TOO SLIPPERY, BUT NOT TOO BUMPY EITHER

Photo – Rigo Verffabriek

All the legislation on slip resistance or anti-slip floors and stairs covers public buildings or corporate situations. Strange, isn’t it? As if people can’t fall or slip when they’re at home. For parquet floor fitters it means it is absolutely essential to create ‘safe’ floors and/or staircase stairs. Minimum requirements for the public sector can just as well be ‘sold’ to private individuals. No one wants to see their child fall downstairs because the stairs are too slippery. Anti-slip can bring some relief.

Classification of ‘slipperiness’ We’ve covered the subject extensively in the past, but it’s impossible to avoid repeating some things. All the ‘solutions’ which we discuss below (supplied by producers) refer to a particular ‘level’ of anti-slip resistance. That level refers to a classification which is the result of certain test methods.

The standards The standards DIN 51130 and DIN 51097 include a description of the method used to assess and classify surfaces with a potential slip risk and to evaluate the possibility of a particular floor covering being used. The classification for the standard DIN 51130 is meant for floor coverings which are designed to be walked on with shoes and the moisturising agent used for the test is motor oil. For this test the surface to be tested is attached to the testing apparatus and ‘soiled’ with

Visit www.floor-forum.com

a certain amount of normalised mineral oil. A test person wearing safety shoes with normalised soles then walks on the surface. The slope of the walking surface is adapted in the meantime. This continues for as long as the test person still feels that he or she can walk safely. The slope is then read off and the classification is recorded in the respective R-group (the total average for that assessment group; source: Hesse). The classification for the standard DIN 51097 is meant for floor coverings designed to be walked on barefoot and the moisturising agent used for the test is water (source: BBRI). - from 6 to 10° - from 11 to 19° - from 20 to 27° - from 28 to 35° - above 35°

R9 R 10 R 11 R 12 R 13

It is essential that people don’t slip over, obviously also in private homes. This can lead to very dangerous situations, especially on stairs. The consequences of falling from a staircase or slipping on a slippery floor are easy to imagine.

Solutions There are infinite possibilities for making a floor less slippery and preventing slips. Certain cast floors with a structure can ensure that a floor is rough enough to reduce the risk of slipping. That can be

Floor Forum International 90

Special

Oil and lacquer with anti-slip properties for wooden flooring and stairs

applied, for instance, in bathrooms or around swimming pools, in care homes, gymnasia, etc. However, the balance between rough and slippery needs to be studied. Too rough is also dangerous, certainly on stairs. Other solutions are appearing in the form of anti-slip strips, either built-in or as part of the construction. In our sector (yes, that of parquet floor fitters!) solutions are appearing from the world of the chemical industry and at the level of the finish of wooden floors or wooden stairs. Whether we are talking about a finish with lacquer or oil, the addition of certain additives can drastically affect the slipperiness of a floor surface. As we’ve already said, too drastic isn’t right either.

offers outstanding durability and chemical resistance. The lacquer is not vulnerable to shoe marks.

Ciranova

What’s on the market? Bona Bona Traffic HD Anti-slip is a 100% polyurethane, dual-component, and waterborne lacquer which offers extraordinary protection and durability for all wooden floors. This lacquer possesses all the properties of the Bona Traffic, with the additional benefit that it has been developed to meet higher standards for slip-resistance on work floors and other situations where damp can end up on the floor. With its higher inflection, Bona Traffic HD Anti-slip is the ideal choice for stairs, care homes, kitchens, and similar locations. The lacquer

NA T U RALO I LP R O T E C T I O N

O RWO O D E NF L O O R S F

LIOS B 100

Natural

T r e n d yc o l o r sa v a i l a b l e 1 0 0 %S O L I D H I G HR E S I S T A N C E

There are various test methods for assessing possible slip risks. One widely used method is the WALKING METHOD RAMP TEST (DIN 51130 2009). Another newer method is to measure the FRICTIONCOEFFICIENT (E DIN51131); this method can be used on site. The anti-slip property is obtained by applying special additives to the lacquer or oil itself. In the products FORTICO & OCULTO these additives are applied to obtain an anti-slip finish. For residential properties safety and accident prevention are good reasons to provide anti-slip properties. An anti-slip floor in offices and high-traffic areas is obviously an advantage due to its built-in wear-resistance. These products are generally state-of-the-art developments and the additives and basic raw materials used in these products obviously cost money. As far as durability is concerned, the fact is that anti-slip products are used in a base which contributes in itself to the durability of the finish, which is typically PU-based.

Chimiver ECOSTAR 2K SPORT is a two-component water-based polyurethane lacquer for sportive wooden floors. ECOSTAR 2K SPORT has same technical characteristics of our standard ECOSTAR 2K; it has been formulated in order to meet the highest anti slip standard requirements for sport wooden floors. ECOSTAR 2K SPORT is in conformity with European standards for sportive wooden floors meeting EN14904 standard's requirements. Hardness, distension, chemical and mechanical resistances put ECOSTAR 2K SPORT on top of range's quality. ECOSTAR RF 15T is a two-component water-based polyurethane flame-retardant lacquer in line with the D.M. 6 Marzo 1992 following the UNI 9796 norm. ECOSTAR RF 15T is suggested for the treatment of wooden floors and wooden materials only for flooring purposes. The class of reaction to the fire is italian 1. ECOSTAR RF 15T has been formulated in order to meet the highest anti slip standard requirements for sport wooden floors. ECOSTAR RF 15T is in conformity with European standards for sportive wooden floors meeting EN14904 standard's requirements.

Lecol Lecol has anti-slip products with both its oils and lacquers. The oils LOBASOL® HS 2K Impact Oil and LOBASOL® HS Akzent 100 both meet the highest possible anti-slip value (R10 according to BGR 181 and DIN 51130). As regards the lacquers, the following products conform

* Information sur le niveau d'émission de substances volatiles dans l'air intérieur, présentant un risque de toxicité par inhalation, sur une échelle de classe allant de A+ (très faibles émissions) à C (fortes émissions).

CHIMIVER PANSERI S.p.A. PONTIDA (BG) - ITALY - chimiver.com

Floor Forum International 90

CARE

PRO

to the second highest value (R9 according to BGR 181 and DIN 51130): LOBADUR® 2K Supra A.T. and LOBADUR® WS 2K Duo R9 version. LOBADUR® 2K Supra A.T. is a lacquer in which the natural colour of the wood is preserved and it is environmentally-friendly. The lacquer is easy to apply. The LOBADUR® WS 2K Duo scores best in terms of durability, amongst other things due to the addition of the second component. This creates an excellent lacquer with exceptionally high durability. LOBADUR® WS Duo, a special R10 version, conforms to the highest value (R10 according to BGR 181 and DIN 51130).

extremely rough surfaces. STAUF offers two products here: STAUF OIL IN ONE, which requires no further mixing and has an anti-slip rating of R9, and AQUA GRIP, a grip powder which is used as an additive to increase slip resistance in accordance with German standard BGR 181. With the addition of this grip powder, the final coat of STAUF AQUA AURUM two-component finish can be made significantly rougher and achieve an anti-slip rating of R11. This is required primarily on stairs in working areas.

Tover

Osmo The demand for more slip prevention at home and in public buildings is growing steadily. For a slip-resistant wood surface, Osmo recommends Polyx®-Oil Anti-Slip and Spray Wax (3009 Anti-Slip). Both products have a slip resistance class of R9 or R11 (Polyx®-Oil Anti-Slip Extra). Spray Wax is especially recommended for stairs, and Polyx®-Oil Anti-Slip is suitable, in particular, for the protection of all wooden flooring. Spray Wax is suitable for applications with cup spray gun, Airless/Airmix and HVLP, Polyx®-Oil Anti-Slip can be applied with a flooring brush or a microfiber roller. After the treatment with the wood finishes, the surface is more resistant and hardwearing.

Tover offers in its range products in compliance with the EN 130364:2011 European norm in terms of slip level safety for sportive wooden floorings indoor: Sportfloor Finish, 2-component water-based lacquer and Skating, single-component solvent-based lacquer. Regarding stairs and wooden floors for commercial and residential use, two water-based lacquers are under test properly in this moment by an external laboratory to get the DIN 51130:2014 (R10) conformity. Work in progress!!

Rigo Verffabriek Rigo Verffabriek has confirmed that there is no anti-slip legislation for private homes. With the waterless and solventless floor oil ROYL from Rigo Verffabriek and with the invisible special lacquer SKYLT the anti-slip effect lies in the product itself. SKYLT has a KIWA certificate as regards roughness. Obviously, anti-slip can also be useful in private homes. In particular, the elderly and those unsteady on their feet, as well as animals, can benefit from an anti-slip finish, such as ROYL and SKYLT. As for the cost price, there is no difference. The anti-slip effect is durable. Normal maintenance will suffice.

SPRAY-WAX High quality oil-wax finish – especially developed for professional users! > Clear or pigmented, various gloss levels, for interior use > Highly recommended for stairs, furniture, worktops > Spray-Wax is stain-resistant, water-repellent and abrasionresistant, and results in a surface that is pleasant to the touch.

www.osmo.de/en

Floor Forum International 90

Special

Top Dutch companies focused on export

THE NETHERLANDS IS THE FRUIT OF HUMAN ENDEAVOUR A FASCINATING COUNTRY WITH ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES The Netherlands is the part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Western Europe. The total surface area of the Netherlands is 41,526km². From north to south the country is about 300km long and its width from east to west is about 200km. The Netherlands is somewhat bigger than Belgium, but nine times smaller than Germany. There are certainly few other countries, if any, where the geographical situation has been influenced so much by human endeavour. In this context we make mention of the historical battle which the Netherlands has fought and is still fighting against the raging sea. That sea has also played a major part in Dutch economic history.

Geographically fascinating Built by humans Despite the small surface area of the Netherlands, there is a great variety of landscapes, which, however, have often been created through human endeavour. The Dutch landscape is therefore defined strongly by dike construction, reclaimed land, dried marshes, and the construction of towns and roads. The Netherlands hardly has any genuinely old and natural landscapes any more and the natural scenery is dominated by fields, pastures, and moors created by large-scale tree cutting. The woods found today in the Netherlands have all been planted.

From ice sheet to peat bog It is commonly supposed that the Netherlands was partially covered by an ice cap 200,000 years ago. Shingle, sand, boulder clay, and boulders were deposited as far as the Haarlem-Nijmegen line and the glacier tongue pushed sand and shingle aside to create parallel chains of hills in Overijssel, Gelderland, and Utrecht up to 100m high. This hilly area is covered largely by moors and woods. The soil to the south of the major rivers consists mainly of sand and shingle. The soils in South-Limburg are thought to be over a million years old and are not covered by more recent deposits. Minerals such as marl and coal are also found here.

Peat bogs In some marshy areas of the Upper Netherlands peat bogs have come into being which, however, have been dried and reclaimed. After the construction of several canals, peat bog was dug up, then discharged, and, for instance, used as fuel in the form of turf. The Lower Netherlands, too, has peat bogs and, particularly in the peat bog area of Utrecht (province of Holland), a lot of peat bogs have been dug up where there are now ponds and lakes which, amongst other things, are used as recreation areas e.g. the Loosdrechtse Plassen lakes near Utrecht. The lower peat bog areas arose behind a closed row of dunes.

Economics: The ‘Polder model’ The Netherlands has a free market economy in which the government can intervene in the economic process by means of legislation and regulation. This system is sometimes called a guided economy. World War II brought major changes to the Dutch economy through factors like drastically changed circumstances such as strong population growth and the

Floor Forum International 90

loss of colonies. In a relatively short space of time, the Netherlands has developed from a predominantly agricultural country to an industrial and internationally oriented nation. Generally speaking, the Dutch economy is stable and that is preserved partly by means of regular intensive consultation between the government, the business world, and trade unions, the so called polder model. All those factors ensure that the Netherlands is one of the biggest economies in the world.

The growth goes on In 2015, 2016, and 2017, the Dutch economy has continued to grow. Import, consumption, and export all contributed to the growth figures of 2015. Unemployment in the first quarter of that year fell by 2,000 to a total of 635,000 people as compared to the previous quarter (2014/4). That amounted to 7.1% of the professional population. The Dutch economy grew further in the first quarter of 2016. In comparison with the final quarter of the previous year (2015/4) growth was 0.5% according to the Central Statistics Bureau. In comparison with the first quarter of 2015, the economy grew by 1.4%. The Dutch economy is still doing well. According to the Central Planning Bureau the economy has grown this year by 2.4% and that figure is expected to be 2% next year. The housing market in particular is thriving. That has emerged from figures which the accounting institute has published recently. Job market figures are also looking good, and that means more spending power in the Netherlands. In 2018, unemployment is expected to fall to 4.7%. Wages are stable at current levels, as are prices, so inflation isn’t really rising. According to economists, that is partly due to a now more flexible labour market and international competition.

Indicators of the latest growth During January, February, and March of this year, the Dutch economy grew by 0.4% as compared to the final quarter of 2016. That meant that gross domestic product (GDP) has increased for twelve consecutive quarters. In particular, investments mainly in homes and means of transport contributed to the rise in the early months of this year. Export of goods and services was also on the way up. For example, more chemical products and means of transport were exported. The Dutch spent more money. Clothes and electrical appliances in particular were purchased voraciously. Less money was spent on food, drink, and tobacco, although people did go out to eat more often. Consumer gas bills fell. According to the Central Statistics Bureau, companies are now more confident in the economy. Producer confidence has risen to its highest level in nine years. In particular, building companies are getting the wind in their sails, helped by the demand for homes. Furthermore, employment agencies have benefitted from the upturn in the economy. The start of the year was the strongest quarter for industry since the first quarter of 2011. It was only in mineral mining that there was talk of a shrink.

It remains a small parquet country With 2.33% of European parquet production and 2.79% of consumption, the Netherlands is still languishing around the bottom of the European parquet market.

Production in the Netherlands

Consumption in the Netherlands

In 2011, the Netherlands accounted for about 2.33% of all parquet production in Europe. This was the third lowest figure in Europe, and the country was trailed only by Czech Republic and Belgium. In 2011, Dutch producers made 1,647,612m² of parquet. In 2012, the Dutch share fell to 2.01%, but the country was still third from last. In real production terms this meant 1,372,149m², almost 280,000m² fewer than in the previous year.

In terms of consumption, too, the Netherlands is towards the bottom of the FEP list with a share of 2.70% in 2011 and 1.80% in 2012. Consumption in 2011 was 2,469,825m², whilst that figure in 2012 fell to only 1,575,162m², a drop of no fewer than 900,000m². Only Hungary and Czech Republic consumed less. Belgium consumed more, with a share of 3.63%.

LECOL There are suppliers and suppliers, and then there’s Lecol. You could say that Lecol supplies products; top quality products for the installation, finish, renovation, and maintenance of all sorts of floors, from wood to rubber, and from carpet to linoleum. Yet is that the reason why we set the alarm clock to wake us in the mornings? Not entirely. Lecol is more than a supplier; giving assurance is its motto. Good products on their own are not enough. Whether we are talking about a large-scale renovation project or a small installation, the final result depends entirely on the way in which the project is managed. What you need is expertise; people with relevant know-how, plenty of experience, and, above all, a good dose of personal involvement. Moreover, obviously, you also want to obtain information any time or any place and to order products. Top class performances require top class products, and that’s why Lecol has selected five prominent international brands: Wakol, Loba, Lägler, Sia, and Cleanfix. Together they form a complete range for the installation, finish, renovation, and maintenance of various types of floors. Lecol has introduced a number of products in recent years: a complete range of 1K and 2K oils in 19 vivid modern colours and, not to be forgotten, the invisible parquet lacquer. For the end of 2017, apart from the range of oils, they are launching a completely new lacquer system, including an oil-based primer in several modern colours. This system will pervade a new and unique concept. All this will be presented during the second edition of Innovation Day (‘Dag van de Innovatie’) at a unique location and for all the family. In 1998, Lecol was taken over by Maiburg, a reputable company which trades in scouring materials, glues, panels, and parquet accessories. About 85 people work for Maiburg, some of them work for both Maiburg and Lecol. The Netherlands, Belgium, and the UK are the most important markets. +31 (0) 416 566 585 - www.lecol.nl

PRIMAVERDE BV Primaverde BV was formed in 2008 and is based at Waalwijk in the Netherlands. Primaverde was the first company in the Benelux to launch a range of covering coats on the market. Nowadays, they specialise in everything necessary for covering and protecting floors, stairs, and rooms. Apart from their own Prima Cover brand, Primaverde also represent the brands Curtain-Wall (importer for Europe), Permafix (Europe, apart from Switzerland), and Fugenmeister (the Netherlands). Their brands are on sale from professional traders, such as hardware wholesalers, professional building markets, and paint shops. High quality, fair prices, and speedy deliveries are just some of their strong points. Close co-operation with both traders and end users enables them to respond quickly to new demands or changes on the market. At present, 14 people work for Primaverde. They expect to grow further in 2017 and 2018 by increasing exports within Europe and extending their range. +31 (0) 653 252 003 - www.primaverde.nl

Floor Forum International 90

Special

Top Dutch companies focused on export

BASF/THOMSIT BASF, the ‘Badische Anilin- & Sodafabrik’, was formed on 6 April 1865. The company started as a producer of colouring agents and the inorganic substances which are necessary for producing colouring agents, but has developed into a multinational with five segments and a total of 13 divisions. In the Functional Materials & Solutions segment the ‘Construction Chemicals’ division, of which PCI is part, uses the Thomsit trademark. The core activity of PCI is the production of industrial chemical products, including the Thomsit floor systems. The chemistry of BASF is used in just about all industries. BASF combines economic success with social responsibility and environmental protection. Thomsit has been a specialist for over 70 years in high-quality floor systems, including primers, glues, and levelling agents. Moreover, Thomsit also offers professional expertise with a focus on quality service. The leading product is the Thomsit XXL Power, a premium dust-free levelling agent with very great compressive, fracture, and tensile strength, an extremely smooth surface, and excellent flow properties. Turnover in 2016 was 57.55 million euros. The company employs 113,830 people. Thomsit was formerly part of Henkel, but has now been taken over by BASF-PCI. As a subdivision of BASF and PCI, it has added new products to its range in a short space of time, starting with Thomsit SD 910 (silicone filler kit in 18 colours) and TF 310/320 (fibre-glass reinforcement mat to facilitate levelling on floors with cracks or which could crack or floors which move). +31 (0) 162 476 678 - www.thomsit.nl / www.thomsit.be

FLAMINGO PARKET Flamingo Parket was formed in 1967 under the name Europa Parket. In those days, it was geared to private sales, but it is now one of the biggest parquet firms in the Netherlands. Later, a wholesaler was formed, the current Flamingo Parket, and it opened its own first factory. In 1992, it took over a German finish factory, which has grown over the years into a fully fledged modern parquet factory. And so, Flamingo Parket has two parquet factories of its own where they make everything from traditional parquet and twin planks to solid wood floorboards. They also have a modern finish line for every possible operation. They do their own purchasing and drying, to ensure a constantly high level of quality. Their core business is the production of all sorts of wooden floors, such as 6 and 8mm traditional parquet, 20mm solid wood floorboards, and twin planks. Apart from the aforementioned products, Flamingo Parket also makes its own floor collections such as the hugely popular Raftwood and Wil Collections and supplies almost all accessories such as glues, lacquers, and skirting boards. ‘Customised’ colours are perfectly possible. Flamingo Parket sells about 350,000m² of parquet each year. About 70 people all together work in Barneveld (the Netherlands) and Dömitz (Germany). In 2017, Flamingo has started with the new Wil collection, which is already proving to be a great success. This is a rugged floor with a special sawing pattern, which forms a perfect alternative for clients who think that the Raftwood is just a little too rough. Further growth is expected in 2018. +31 (0) 342 404 222 - www.flamingoparket.nl

DECORAD Decorad came into being in 2002 as a project within the Dutch paint industry to provide a solution for drying and curing paints. In 2006, the project was transformed into a commercial company and the focus was extended to include the flooring industry. And so, Decorad has been a specialist in drying and curing (UV) lacquers and UV oils for over 15 years. Decorad develops, produces, and sells UV machines for curing UV lacquers and oils on the site and (semi-)industrial UV (LED) lines for applicators. Decorad is a specialist in the field of this UV apparatus and concentrates solely on this work. Together with its partners (including lacquer makers) and clients, Decorad is building this market up and has one foot in technology and the other in practical application. That’s why the company knows exactly what the need is and can test developments quickly in practice amongst clients. The most important product is the Floormate, which can be fitted with various UV lamps. There are also two Hand-lamps (UV600 and UV1800) and the (semi-)industrial LED line. They have launched the Handmate UV 1800 and the (semi-)industrial LED unit on the market in 2017. Furthermore, it is also possible now or in the future to fit a LED unit in the Floormate; the Floormate can then operate with various lamps, which are easy to change, Depending on the need of the applicator. Decorad Has machines in over 30 countries with Europe as the biggest market, followed by America, Asia, and Australia. Decorad aims to offer a comprehensive solution for lacquer makers who often operate worldwide. In America we work together with a partner who has several locations in which we ourselves often visit clients on location. +31 (0) 318 550 425 - www.decorad.com

Floor Forum International 90

OVERMAT For 36 years Overmat Industries is the specialist for treatment, finishing, maintenance and cleaning of floors. Our specialization is the Floorservice Hardwaxoil in a wide range of colours and effects, for manual, professional and industrial use on wooden floors, and the corresponding cleaning and maintenance products. Every year at least 5 million square meters of wood are being treated with Floorservice products. Supporting this assortment of products a perfect range of machines and accessories are available. Like the Woodboy® and Floorboy machines. Besides that Overmat is exclusive Benelux dealer of the well-known brands HTC, Airtec and National Flooring Equipment, who provide high quality machines for treatment of concrete and natural stone. For example you can find the best concrete scarifiers, concrete grinding machines, Twister diamond pads, strippers for the removal of parquet, tile floors, carpets and PVC, and other maintenance machines for different types of floors at Overmat. At Overmat you can take advantage of our many years of experience and first class know-how. Our employees have the knowledge and provide the best service for all kinds of projects and forthcoming problems. Our products are known for a perfect price/quality ratio, safety, environmental responsibility and lifespan. Overmat has got clear ambitions for the growth of the brand Floorservice. National as well as International. Therefore Floorservice is open minded about all countries and markets were Hardwaxoil is being used or benefits from a growing popularity. +31 (0) 416 317 784 - www.overmat.nl

MAIBURG Maiburg in Waalwijk is a reputable company which trades in scouring materials, glues, panels, and parquet accessories for professionals. They have built up and carefully preserved a reputation for the supply of top quality products, client-friendly service, and reliability throughout their history. They emerged from the vicinity of Langstraat, a renowned hub of the shoe industry. Today, the shoe industry is still one of the pillars of Maiburg. The company has been in the hands of the same family for five generations, as the management has passed from parent to offspring. Maiburg can trace its origins back to the opening of the shoe factory of Firma Van der Heijden and Van Grinsven by C.G. van der Heijden in 1886. The history of Maiburg forms a succession of milestones. 1998 was one such milestone, certainly for the parquet industry. Indeed, in 1998, to penetrate the flooring market even more, they took over the wholesaler Lecol Chemie B.V. This gave Maiburg access to a wide range of products for the installation, finish, and maintenance of parquet and other floor coverings. Another benefit was the synergy with existing company activities in the field of scouring materials and glues. +31 (0) 416 566 585 - www.lecol.nl

UNIFLOOR Unifloor has been a specialist for over 35 years in the field of subfloors and subfloor systems to reduce impact sound and level surfaces. Unifloor is renowned for its quality, reliability, service, and knowledge. All our subfloor solutions are dry levelling shapes, so they can be processed quickly and easily. There is no drying time or waiting time. They work every day in their own Research & Development Centre on developing, testing, and refining their range. They have a solution for virtually any floor situation. Their innovative, acoustic, and cost-saving subfloor solutions are sold all over the world. Unifloor is the top specialist in subfloor systems to reduce impact sound and level surfaces! +31 (0) 570 85 55 33 - www.unifloor.nl

Visit www.floor-forum.com

Floor Forum International 90

∂ Product news ADESIV PI-1 BASIC PU-1 Basic is an ultra-matt, single-component, and polyurethane primer for parquet and wooden floors. However, PU-1 Basic offers a natural wood finish. This primer/lacquer is really easy to apply and there is no risk of streaks. PU-1 Basic can be sandpapered. This primer is deployed as a primer for floors finished with polyurethane lacquers. It can also be used in two or three coats for obtaining very strong mechanical properties. PU-1 Basic is applied with a roller or brush.

BOSTIK ROLL – UNROLL AND IT’S FIXED! Bostik presents its new assortment of high-quality self-adhesive tapes! The new Bostik Rolls (which replace the Topfix Roll assortment) offer products specially designed for specific uses e.g. floor renovation, skirting board mounting, flexible flooring on stairs, PVC shower systems, and assembly for interior finish. With these new tapes, Bostik is capitalising effectively on new market trends and current user needs. It is ready for use, handy, clean, and solventless! These rolls of dry glue from Bostik mean you can use the glued floors at once and walk on them constantly during the work.

THE NEW TOVER BOOKS : THE SAMPLES ON WOOD WHICH MAKE YOUR CHOICE EASIER From now on it is possible to guide each customer in his choice for a transparent finish with an invisible or extra matt, matt, semi-glossy lacquer or for a full covering coloured finishing thanks to the complete sampling of Uniqua SQ water-based lacquer provided by Tover. The same opportunity exists for whom may wish an oiled floor: more than 30 shades of single-coat high strength oil are available in the “Olio” sampling book. A tool you cannot do without!

NO VISIBLE GREEN + Do you want an invisible finish for your untreated or sandpapered parquet? There is one! BASIN offers you the ideal solution: NO VISIBLE green+. This finish varnish is more ecological due to its low VOC content and it contains no isocyanates. The product mix lifespan (once you add the hardener) is almost three weeks (!) and, moreover, its wear resistance is also even better. Last but not least, due to the BASIN know-how, they can offer these extras at the same price as the standard NO VISIBLE! From now on, the new NO VISIBLE green+ will be the ONLY product that you need to treat your wood and guarantee a natural look.

Floor Forum International 90

Top Parquet Show

EFWEX EUROPEAN FLOOR & WALL EXHIBITION

14|16.03.2018

For more information contact us via sales@media-pact.com, or +32 (0) 9 385 80 40 or www.efwex.eu

Flanders Expo Ghent (BE)

Visit www.efwex.eu

Discover the Future of Floor & Wall solutions

Bo Powe na r Dr NEB ive

Bona Brush Technology Enabling new heights in wood floor texture & effects Bonaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique Brush Technology allows you to enhance the natural character of wood and create dramatic new looks on existing pre-laid wood floors. Bona Brush Technology gets down to the grain to create texture and wood floor effects with a difference. From two-tone contrasts, to eye-catching, contemporary 2-colour effects, when combined with Bonaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s range of oils and finishes, the possibilities are endless.

bona.com/brushtechnology