FFI 96 june 2018

INTERNATIONAL trade journal f or impor t , expor t , dis tr ibution and lay ing of par que t , laminate, cor k f loor ing and r elated pr oduc t s

N° 96, July 2018 - 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: Turkey Review: Carrefour International du Bois (FR)

FOR BEAUTIFUL FLOORS

Special: Producers of distressed floors

Special: Curing oil/ lacquer using LED Special: Industrial lacquers

Special: Producers of skirting boards with vinyl or LVT inlay

VINYL ROLLS LAMINATE PARQUET WALLS VINYL PLANKS

FLOORING for your BUSINESS

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Because it is a MADE IN ITALY floor Because it is certified: FSC® | CARB2 | EPA | ULEFF

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HRVATSKA

MAGYARORSZÁG

FRANCE

Content

INTERNATIONAL trade journal f or impor t , expor t , dis tr ibu tion and lay ing of par que t , laminate, cor k f loor ing and r elated pr oduc t s

Editorial

N° 96, July 2018 - 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: Turkey Review: Carrefour International du Bois (FR)

FOR BEAUTIFUL FLOORS

Special: Producers of distressed floors

Special: Curing oil/ lacquer using LED Special: Industrial lacquers

Special: Producers of skirting boards with vinyl or LVT inlay

VINYL ROLLS LAMINATE PARQUET WALLS VINYL PLANKS

Floor Forum International n° 96 July 2018 Photo BerryAlloc

1 Inside news 8 Advertorial Osmo (DE) 10 Review Carrefour International du Bois (FR) 17 Special Producers of distressed floors 21 Special Abrasive materials 24 Special Producers of hard wax oil 29 Special Industrial lacquers 33 Special Fillers and repair kits 37 Special Curing oil/lacquer using LED 40 Special Invisible lacquers: who has them ?

44 Special Adjustable floor support systems for terrace floors 48 Special Producers of adhesives for floors in

vinyl, PVC and LVT 51 Special Finishing and maintaining wooden wall cladding 54 Special Producers of skirting boards with vinyl or LVT inlay 57 Special LVT, PVC and vinyl in XXL format 59 Special Producers of hybrid adhesives 63 Special Turkey

‘A wide and progressive product range means you can meet all market demands.’

There was a time when the flooring market, unlike that of ceramics and natural stone, was a question of EITHER this, OR that, OR the other. On the side of both manufacturers and suppliers you had specialists in parquet and wooden floors, almost all of whom set the diversification movement in motion from exclusively solid to solid and multilayer. Somewhat later, we saw the emergence of the first laminate producers, never reluctantly, but immediately like an oil slick spreading out unchecked. At that time, the market in textile and flexible floor coverings was something of a sleeping, yet lasting figure which continued to account for a good portion of surface area in dwellings. Today, we’re witnessing a time of synergy BerryAlloc whereby a number of manufacturers/suppliers are moving towards a one-stop-shop. Only a few have EVERYTHING, but a growing number offer various floor covering alternatives. Cassandra Pyck, product manager at BerryAlloc, believes that this variety in the range is also essential for parquet floor fitters. She says: ‘It enables them to respond to the specific needs of many clients. Those needs vary as regards budget, interior style, finish, and technology.’ She does not share the fear that such diversification involves a risk of cannibalism: ‘BerryAlloc is a manufacturer of laminate, LVT, and parquet. For a few years now, we’ve seen strong growth on the LVT market due to the benefits as regards transport, the easy fitting, and its modern look. At the same time, the noble parquet market remains stable and laminate continues to charm clients with its design options and technological innovations.’ They also realise here that the combination of an advancing renovation market and the crumbling initial resistance of DIY enthusiasts means a boost for the entire market. Elements which simplify the fitting, such as click systems, were once perhaps an advantage for ‘some’ specific’ floor coverings, but parquet at BerryAlloc is also equipped with this system. One thing’s for sure: The sellers of all those floor coverings must continue to innovate in looks, design, surface technology, suitability of the various materials (e.g. in damp rooms) etc. Ms Pyck comments: ‘Wood will always play a major part in the field of decors because it’s a traditional material which offers confidence and peace of mind.’ Acting in word and deed, BerryAlloc is presenting a completely innovative range with new and high-end designs, so that it’s not possible to distinguish laminate floors from genuine traditional hardwood. Ms Pyck continues: ‘We’ve also invested to that end so that we’re now in a position to scan wood decors and reproduce them in such a way that they look real as regards both grain and (deeper) embossing.’ In view of the trend, it’s no surprise that these floors are given an extra matt finish, which helps to give them a deep and luxurious elegance. In other words, the future is for those who continue to invest in progress.

65 Industry news 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 Domotex Hanover 2019 Lead theme in 2019: "CREATE'N'CONNECT": New Designs for a Connected World" The lead theme of the upcoming DOMOTEX 2019 – "CREATE'N'CONNECT" – refers to today's connectivity megatrend.

Connectivity is affecting every aspect of how we live, work and interact.

Technology and digital change are accelerating this development, and new cultural patterns and habits are manifesting themselves in new approaches to how things are designed. The theme of "connectedness" also has strong symbolic and emotional aspects. With their numerous design options, floors play an important role here: They provide the very foundation for the rooms in which we live and work. We are in constant contact with floors and flooring, and are consciously or subliminally always aware of what is beneath our feet. Floors are integral design elements. They inspire us, give us orientation and set the stage for human interaction.

Lamett Europe is Company of the Year for Unizo Deerlijk (B) On Thursday evening six DUA awards (awards for traders & entrepreneurs based in the vibrant city of Deerlijk) were being handed out.

The event took place at the showroom of TVH in the presence of around 300 entrepreneurs from Deerlijk. In the category of “Company of the Year”, 4 corporations made it on the shortlist, but it was Lamett Europe who was able to take the award home. The jury’s evaluation was not only based on the company’s growth and sales turnover. It had also a lot to do with the inspiring entrepreneurship, the innovative character and international vision which is so typical for Lamett Europe that was crucial. Managing Director Bruno Descamps has every reason to be proud of this victory.

Rectification text Osmo published in the Special Parquet oils in the May edition of the magazine Floor Forum International nr 95.

Osmo

Polyx®-Oil: natural protection for wood More than 30 years ago, Osmo Holz und Color GmbH & Co. KG developed in its own facilities a new product: Polyx®-Oil Original 3032. The wood finish is based on natural oils and waxes and offers durable protection for wooden flooring and furniture. The product revolutionized the surface treatment of wood all over the world. The advantages of

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the natural wood finish: the oil penetrates into the wood protecting it from inside, and the wax forms a stable, abrasion-resistant protective layer on the wood surface. The wood can absorb and release moisture and the finish will not crack, peel or flake. It exhibits good resistance to moisture and is easy to care. The microporous surface is resistant to wear, moisture and stains, and it is durable and extremely hard-wearing. When dry, it is resistant to saliva and perspiration and, therefore, suitable for children’s toys. In addition, spots repairs are possible. Polyx®-Oil is available in four different gloss levels: satin (3032), matt (3062), semi-matt (3065) and gloss (3011). One litre covers approx. 24 m² with one coat.

Spačva: Natural perfection through solid wood flooring

Hardwood flooring is often seen as classic and timeless. It can add character and value to your property, while creating a beautiful atmosphere. When you think of wood flooring, you probably imagine the typical golden Oak floor. But there are so many more choices which can complement any modern or traditional style of home, make a statement or blend in subtly with your décor.

Today, floors with mixed widths are steadily being used by designers due to its flexibility. However, longer and wider planks are starting to trend and more of it is expected to be seen in 2018. Hardwood planks that are wider give rooms a more spacious look. Longer and wider planks can make newer homes look modern and give older homes a rustic look. Wide plank wooden flooring is becoming increasingly popular. It gives a traditional and authentic feel to the natural wood product.

In Spačva, we produce up to 200mm. Wider planks of hardwood look great in a larger room with lots of space to show off the plank size.

Similarly, if you have a small area, a wider plank can help to add an illusion of depth and volume.

NATURAL OIL WOODSTAIN Base and top coat combined into one – innovative, longterm, oil based protection! > Transparent, satin, for exterior use > Highly recommended for timber cladding, carports, balconies, privacy screens, fencing > Natural Oil Woodstain is water-repellent, weatherproof and UV-stable. The microporous surface contains active ingredients to protect the coating against mould, algae and fungal attack.

Copyright : Lucas Melzer Photography

SARL Atelier Lena Klein Architecte

www.osmo.de/en

AZ Osmo FloorForum HSOel 210x146 0518.indd 3

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∂ Inside news FN Neuhofer Growth from tradition: 15% sales growth, two new warehouses and further investments

The internationally operating family-founded company, FN Neuhofer, headquartered in Zell am Moos in Austria, achieved record sales last year, making 2017 the most successful financial year in the company’s

368-year history.

Franz Neuhofer, managing director (10th generation), is pleased to be able to say: “From 2016 to 2017, we were able to increase our sales by no less than 15 % to EUR 55 million. We have thus beaten our targets”, and adds: “I would like to express my thanks to our customers, partners and most of all to our employees, without whom such success would not be possible”.

Among the key factors driving this impressive growth were some new major customers, greater cooperation with existing customers and expansion into new geographical markets.

Considerable investment in the location Inevitably, handling this double-digit increase in sales and therefore production meant investing considerably in the Zell am Moos factory.

From 2013 to 2017, close to EUR 14 million was invested in automating and connecting machines, in packaging robots and in a state-ofthe-art digital printing machine including a patterning room, the FN Digiprint-Competence Center. Investments were also made in an aluminium sheathing machine, which is connected to an inline packaging machine, and in storage facilities.

The production capacity of the wrapping- and planing machines now stands at 165 million running metres per year. Following the construction of an approximately 1,000 m² warehouse for solid wood at December 2017, work is now commencing on expanding the existing

Filling technology for wood flooring MACHINED FILLING OF KNOTS IN PARQUET before

after

SLAVONIAN OAK CSP Engineering bvba Stenehei 30/10 B-2480 Dessel (Belgium) 6

Floor Forum International 96

Tel: +32 14 37 77 52 info@csp-engineering.com www.csp-engineering.com

∂ Inside news warehouses by 1,200 m² to 3,000 m². This brings the roofed storage capacity to roughly 14,000 m². Another 5,000 m² or so in the area of the warehouses has just been asphalted, creating sufficient space to load and unload the trucks that arrive and depart every day.

More investments planned Further investments of around EUR 12 million are planned for the coming two years. The money will be invested in new production facilities, further production areas, warehouses and the construction of an office building including an impressive showroom.

One of the aims behind the gradual expansion of the company premises is to better reflect the international importance of the FN Neuhofer brand. “Our site concept is constantly being optimised in order to ensure we continue to meet our promise that our products and services are always of the highest quality. We are doing our utmost to make sure that all our customers and partners feel and experience this”, says Franz Neuhofer.

Beaulieu International Group reduces CO2 emissions by 300 tonnes thanks to its sustainable container transport programme Beaulieu International Group (B.I.G.) today announced the results of its global multimodal logistics platform which uses waterway transport to reduce its dependency on truck transport. This successful programme

D E S I G N® PA R Q U E T F ran ce

Custom made

reduced the company’s container transport-related CO2 emissions by 36% in 2017 and is scheduled to achieve a further 55% reduction in the coming years. Since the start of the programme in 2015, it has grown substantially and now 60% of B.I.G.’s output by container is transported via barges starting at the River Terminal Wielsbeke (RTW). The RTW acts as B.I.G.’s global inland hub, connecting the company to major shipping routes and destinations around the world via the Port of Antwerp. The container transport organisation has been set up in close cooperation with RTW operator Delcatrans, who provides barge transport services, and Manuport Logistics, who acts as 4 PL (Fourth Party Logistics) partner for B.I.G..

Read more on www.floor-forum.com/news/en

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Advertorial

Osmo (DE)

140 YEARS’ OSMO: QUALITY AND PASSION SINCE DAY ONE THE CORE COMPETENCIES WOOD AND FINISHES ARE THE FOCUS OF THE ANNIVERSARY YEAR In 1878, when the new timber and building materials dealer opened its doors in Neheim for the first time, the high quality of their products quickly became the trademark of the young enterprise. 140 years later, from this small dealer, the global player Osmo Holz und Color GmbH & Co. KG grew – now one of the leading manufacturers and suppliers of modern wood products and specialists in the effective surface treatment of wood. The key to this success is the high product quality, which was back then and today still is the focus of the company’s activities.

Success factors: know-how and innovation For all areas, from flooring and garden and up to cladding and interior wood, only selected timber is used, which has been graded by strict quality criteria. Behind every Osmo product is years-long experience, passion for wood as a natural product, perfected craftsmanship and

At two locations, Osmo Holz und Color GmbH & Co. KG develops and produces wood products and finishes at the highest level.

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functionality as well as the aim to fulfil the highest demands. Through the combination of an own planing mill and wood finish production, Osmo have an optimal setup and also an advantage of a large research and development team. The company is, after all, the only manufacturer that completes its value-adding chain with wood finishes and surfaces out of its own development and production. As a strong partner for tradesman, Osmo offers products that are tailored optimally to their respective requirements. In order to be fit for the market challenges the future may bring, Osmo considerate both on modern technology and best qualified employees. As a result, they invested in a new production and storage hall as well as new machines and a wood finish laboratory in 2017.

The bestseller Polyx®-Oil: the Original sets high standards An inseparable connection to this expertise in the treatment of wood surfaces was the development of Osmo Polyx®-Oil 30 years ago.

This combination of natural oils and waxes revolutionized surface treatment. With this, Osmo set new standards in wood care and protection; while Polyx®-Oil is a highly effective wood finish, it is also absolutely safe. Such a treatment for wooden flooring is an ideal basis for comfortable living; it produces an elegant shimmer and is

It takes 100 years and more for a tree to grow into solid quality: Over the same amount of time, Osmo Holz und Color GmbH & Co. KG has gathered experience in the handling of wood as a valuable raw material.

water and dirt repellent. The wood surface is durable and extremely hard-wearing because the oil and wax combination forms a protective and microporous surface. From the initial product Polyx®-Oil Original, Osmo have, over decades, developed a whole range of further products, and so they are able to supply the growing demand for individualized surfaces successfully. Clear Polyx®-Oil Original comes in four gloss levels – glossy, satin, matt and semi-matt. On top of that, with seven coloured variations and the three effect colours Silver, Gold and Natural, even more choices are available. The variation Polyx®Oil Rapid dries so fast that two coats are possible in one day. Further products for colouring surfaces as well as various wood finishes for the exterior complete the comprehensive Osmo range. All this makes the company the number one partner for high quality, safe wood finishes for indoor and outdoor areas. For their Polyx®-Oils, the company became the first manufacturer to receive a national technical approval (abZ) from the German Centre of Competence for Construction

(DIBt), which serves as proof of the safety of Osmo products in terms of environmental protection and health.

Osmo coats wood around the globe Osmo Holz und Color GmbH & Co. KG is active around the world and supplies its products to more 60 countries. On six continents, from South America to Japan and Australia, Osmo products coat renown buildings: for example, the concert hall in the Estonian capital Tallinn, the UC Innovation Centre in Santiago de Chile, the Harbin Grand Theatre in China as well as a Nando’s restaurant in Australia were all treated with Polyx®-Oil. For the Olympic Aquatics Centre in London, Osmo developed a silver-grey effect colour, and thanks to Osmo Country Colour, the facade of the Kempinski Grand Hotel high up in the Tatra Mountains is optimally protected against extreme weather conditions.

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

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Review Carrefour International du Bois (FR)

CARREFOUR INTERNATIONAL DU BOIS 2018 IS OVER HOW DOES A TRADE FAIR EVOLVE OVER THE YEARS? A REVIEW!

Stand Floor Forum International

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Nantes was once again briefly in the grip of the wood sector. On 31 May and 1 and 2 June, this French city witnessed the 15th edition of the Carrefour du Bois show, an event not to be missed by professionals in the wood sector. Floor Forum was obviously there to chart the highlights of the range. We stopped to talk to some exhibitors to ask for their thoughts. How does a trade fair evolve over a period of 10 years?

devoted exclusively to the material ‘wood’. Every two years, this show brings together top rank industrialists and wood traders in the Parc des Exposition de la Beaujoire. Sawmills, panel manufacturers, parquet manufacturers, producers of furniture parts or industrial building components, buyers from major DIY chains, traders, importers, agents, and many others together constitute the target group of a growing show.

For three days, the park is transformed into a huge market place where exhibitors and visitors conclude major business deals.

A look back

2006

The Carrefour du Bois trade fair was set up in 1990 by the Port Autonome de Nantes Saint-Nazaire in Atlanbois, the inter-professional association for the promotion of wood from the Loire region. The event soon developed into the only major professional European event

The salon achieved its goal perfectly and brought together supply and demand in a professional manner. Both visitors and exhibitors greatly appreciated the professional organisation; they certainly appreciated the opportunity to register in advance via Internet and use electronic

Floor Forum International 96

badges. The richly filled and interesting seminars were exceptionally well timed. The goal was achieved. The figures from that edition confirm it: The 2006 edition recorded 468 exhibitors on a total trade fair surface area of 5600m², and that meant an increase of no less than 15% as compared to the surface area in 2004. 9050 visitors turned up in Nantes, about 15% of them from abroad. All together the show welcomed no fewer than 70 different nationalities. The organisers were already preparing themselves for the 10th edition of Carrefour du Bois.

That edition was to take place on 28, 29, and 30 May 2008.

What about 2018?

2008-10

Here are a few preliminary reactions

Between 2008 and 2010, the Carrefour International du Bois deliberately retained the same trade fair surface area (about 16,000m²) as well as the principle of identical stands of a maximum of 36m² for each exhibitor. In 2010, 500 exhibitors took part in the show. That was about the same number as in 2008 and it showed that the economic crisis had not broken the will of the sector to grow. Every continent was represented at the show, apart from Oceania. In that year, Carrefour International du Bois welcomed exhibitors from 20 different countries, most of them from Europe. 75% of the exhibitors were French companies, 25% came from elsewhere. The major countries were: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, China, Spain, Finland, France, Gabon, England, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, Sweden, and Switzerland. The majority of the exhibitors were producers of building products, followed by sawmills, and in third place dealers or distributors. A good 10,000 high-quality visitors turned up at Nantes in 2010. That represented growth of 5% as compared to the previous edition, a promising result to give the organisers the necessary confidence for the 12th edition.

2012 The balance three months before D-Day and the twelfth edition stood at 510 exhibitors, 17,000m² all together, 8000m² of which were stand space! The Grand Palace and halls 2, 3, and 4 were taken over.

2014-2016 To estimate what you can expect from a trade fair, you look back to the previous one. They did that for the previous edition in 2016 as well. They looked back to the success of 2014. Carrefour International du Bois deliberately retained the same trade fair surface area (about 17000m²) as well as the principle of identical stands of a maximum of 36m² for each exhibitor. In 2016, 550 exhibitors took part in the show. That immediately represented a rise of no less than 13% and a sign that the economic horizons were shining brightly. 10,520 quality visitors showed up at Nantes in 2016. Once again, that represented growth of 3% as compared to the previous edition. Over 28% of visitors came from abroad, mainly from within Europe, but also from more distant countries such as Australia, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and such like. About 31% of the visitors were timber traders, 26% operated in the construction sector, and 10 and 12% were from the first and second transformations respectively.

Some conclusions What’s happened in 10 years? Actually, nothing really dramatic. There was an upward surge after 2006. Since then, the approximate figures have remained stable over the years. The figures continue to fluctuate ‘around’ 16,000m², whilst visitors come from ‘around’ 25 countries and number ‘about’ 10,000. There are ‘about’ 500 exhibitors. The basic formula is still ‘wood and wood only’. The question is whether or not we can conclude from this that the show is a ‘stable’ reflection of a ‘stable’ sector or whether or not there is talk of ‘stagnation’. We’ll leave the conclusions to the economists.

Visit www.floor-forum.com

The year 2018 will go down in the annals of the organisers as a record year! An increase of 10% in visitor numbers (to 11,500!) is an excellent start. For Géraldine Poirier, General Commissioner of the show, that is certainly a boost. Another boost, according to director Pierre Piveteau, was the fact that visitors came from America for the First time, and that immediately gave the show a global character. All together 29% of the visitors came from abroad. 85 countries were represented.

20,000m² of trade fair floor space were used in five halls.

Floor Forum and Floor Forum International Your trade journal was present once again with that familiar stand where this time Lamett with the Garonne Mist (Parquet Vinyl) had provided the extremely attractive floor covering. The publisher and its employees were able to welcome lots of familiar figures, but also some new contacts and got to know some enthusiastic readers, from architects to timber traders. The scorching heat, especially on the subfloor, was part of the show, in keeping with tradition. Apart from a few deathly silent moments, they met lots of newcomers at the stand.

English, Italian, and Spanish were the most commonly spoken languages, apart from French.

BerryAlloc BerryAlloc regards Carrefour International du Bois as a vitally important trade fair. The company turned out a small stand of 36m² (the maximum stand surface area permitted at the show) and drew attention to all its new items in parquet and laminate.

Revolutionary in 2018: BerryAlloc has radically redesigned the laminate family. The new decors are based on new technology. For instance, they can scan a real parquet floor and reproduce the design in its entirety. By inserting some relief, they can imitate the wood structure so that it’s virtually impossible to distinguish between the new laminate floors from BerryAlloc and real parquet. At the show BerryAlloc displayed its entire portfolio, from the entry-level range to the upper segment. Some special features: Xtra Matt Surface for a real wood look, the Duo Loc system for rapid fitting, and the Hydro Plus system for waterproof floorboards.

Obviously, BerryAlloc also displayed its ‘Parquet Made in France’ collection, irreplaceable beauty in the home. BerryAlloc has various parquet floors in scores of varieties. The factory is located in France and works in accordance with the highest ecological standards. Obviously, the wood comes solely from sustainably managed forests, so that each phase in the production can always be traced right up to the end product.

BerryAlloc enjoyed great success at Carrefour International du Bois 2018 with several favourable reactions from within France and abroad.

B-Fix Domotex (Germany), NWFA (United States), and Carrefour du Bois in Nantes (France) are the shows in which B-Fix has taken part during this first half of 2018. Twelve years ago, B-Fix emerged on the international stage for the first time, and that was at Carrefour du Bois. Six editions later, B-Fix was delighted and highly enthusiastic to be able to see a major share of its European dealers once again. For B-Fix the

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HD-AP Cimethane 92x277-GB_Maj.pdf

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Finish and lacquer your site in 8hrs

show at Nantes was also an opportunity to look for new markets interested in the solutions that B-Fix proposes. The 2018 show was one of high quality, which gave B-Fix the opportunity to outline its numerous benefits and present the latest accessories in its range. Those who were not able to attend the show should consult the B-Fix web site www.b-fix.be for more information.

Blanchon BLANCHON – reliability at the service of aesthetics

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Blanchon Cimethane UV lacquer is ideal for use in high traffic areas that have to be finished in double quick time. UV lamps are used for ultra fast surface hardening, and so the site is finished and back in use in 8 hours.

With its hard wearing qualities, Cimethane UV presents exceptional resistance to abrasion and chemical agents. Your professional partner Blanchon is there to help you every day.

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www.blanchon.com

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Agents, informers, and parquet manufacturers flocked in large numbers to the Blanchon stand to discover the new items for 2018.

The decorative range, the distressed looks achieved with UV and oxidative oils, and reactive colours particularly appealed to the visitors. For use on site the parquet glazer Belmont is recommended. Thanks to its new formula, this is the most resistant product on the market and is unsurpassed for high-traffic floors in public spaces. The renovation glazer, the top innovation for 2018, enables professionals to restore parquet floors and PVC floors which have small scratches or have lost their gloss to make them look as good as new. They can do this with the application of one single coat with a resistant and durable finish. From its factory in Briançon, Blanchon also provides filler solutions for on site. It does so with an extensive range which consists of powder or ready-for-use putty, putty for use on edges, renovation paste, and via industrial solutions under the Wood Mastic trademark.

Chêne de l’est We received many visitors sensitive to our know-how and craftsmanship 100% Made in France, very interested in our new collection, available in solid oak, TOP4 engineered planks, finish ready to lay : - the 801 Collection distressed french oak with variations of grey with a ageing effect.

The effect obtained on this parquet is very sought, it is like a used wood, similar to floated wood. The declensions of colors vary from light grey to dark grey. Those variations are natural and make its so particular.

Review Carrefour International du Bois (FR)

- the new colours in Plancher d’autrefois PA 87 & PA 95 gives caracter to the parquet, specially with Chevron or Herringbone patterns - the No Visible in Chevron pattern for an elegant, harmonious, smoothing atmosphere.

USFloors - COREtec® USFloors - COREtec® very satisfied about salon Carrefour International du Bois : A big success !

Mr. J. Dossche, Président USFloors International : “USFloors – COREtec® has its own stand in Hall 2 with the presentation of the brand new COREtec® The Naturals en COREtec® Megastones in the new COREtec® dislpays. USFloors was also present with COREtec® floors. On the booth of the COREtec® distributor FPBois in Hall 4. COREtec® the original is a revelation in the hard floor coverings category thanks to the unique composition of the floorboard. The protective layer of the COREtec® floor makes it extremely resistant to scratches and dirt. It is also waterproof. The floor does not swell up or shrink when exposed to moisture. So, you can install a COREtec® floor without any problems in a wet room, such as a bathroom. COREtec® the original is simply indestructible!”

- COREtec® The Naturals 14 Desings : 7 with and 7 without V groove - COREtec® MegaStones 10 Designs – Stone imitation - format 47 x 91 cm

Denderwood Denderwood would like to thank all the buyers that visited their booth – which colored bright red due to the extensive use of the trademark Padouk.

Since many years the Belgian importer is convinced of the advantages of this wood specie – as it can be applied for several usages: decking, cladding, panelling , flooring and scantling. The large range of products as well as the different hardwood species from Asia, Africa and South-America were fully presented. Those who are open for new ideas certainly spotted the alternative solutions for decking, cladding and scantling. It is no surprise that the Denderwood was nominated for the innovation trophee for their isolated window scantling! We look forward to provide you with more information on our various products and solutions. www.denderwood.com

DENDERWOOD J.Cardijnstraat 3 9420 Erpe-Mere Belgium Tel. +32 (0) 53-73 74 74 Fax +32 (0) 53-73 74 75 E info@denderwood.com Web www.denderwood.com

Your partner for tropical woodsolutions Denderwood combines sustainability, innovation and expertise - Decking (traditional screwing or invisible fastening with clips) - Rough sawntimber and underconstruction - Wall cladding (open structures and tongue and groove) Large choice of sizes, profiles and species (Padouk, Iroko, Afzelia, Afrormosia, Ipe, Teak, Yellow Balau, ...)

MarQuise Greenline Primeline Floor Forum International 96

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Design Parquet

Küberit

Reclaimed wood flooring made from 100 years Oak beams. This year marks the launch of “ANTICO LEGNO” the engineered parquet using genuine old wood. Finished with a Brushed and Oiled treatment, “ANTICO LEGNO” is manufactured in planks, Chevron as well as Versailles panels.

Custom-made parquet. Its project references and bespoke solutions: - Special designs: Hexagonal, squares, cube seen in perspective - Panels mixed with exotic wood or metal insert - Rosace bespoke pattern supplied for a Four Seasons Hotel

Gascogne Bois

Gascogne Bois, one of the main French manufacturers of decorative wood solutions for interior or outdoor, was present from 30th May till 1st June in CIB in Nantes in France. Specialist in solid Maritime Pine wood, Gascogne Bois has presented a wide range of panelling (unfinished & decorative), a large choice of flooring parquet (unfinished and decorative) and its collection of premium quality decking range (terrace boards). Gascogne Bois offers a range of qualitative, innovating and sustainable products. Gascogne Bois has its own facilities to integrate and control the whole production process: from forest management, saw milling, planing/profiling up to finishing. The entire range is certified PEFC/FSC.

Idecking France Idecking France distributes an original and highly stable system for removable terraces with composite planks based on rice chaff. The nylon clips are mounted in advance onto the aluminium beams and ensure a long lifespan. There are two systems: - EASY CLIP: The floorboards are clipped onto the beam. The fitting is done rapidly by going over the floorboards.

- EASY CHANGE: The floorboards are connected using a quarter spanner.

Eight shades are available in 25 x 140 x 2800mm and personalisation of both the shades and lengths of the floorboards (up to 5800mm) is possible. The company Idecking France is looking for distributors with storage space all over the territory of France.

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Küberit was for the first time present on the wood show in Nantes and the only metal profile producer in the complete fair. Especially for the installation of floating floors as laminate and parquet the manufacturer from SouthWestphalia could present the complete range of profile solutions. For glue down parquet flooring the range of bendable profiles have been showed and even how easy it is to bend with the Küberit bending machine.

The French speaking team was supported from two students from the wood university.

Lamett Lamett looks back with satisfaction on its presence at Carrefour International du Bois. Lamett presented its 2 product ranges : wooden flooring and ParquetVinyl.

ParquetVinyl is a floor that combines all the benefits of wood, laminate and vinyl.

This floor looks like real wood, but enjoys the benefits of vinyl, namely the ease of maintenance and water resistance. The visitor could experience the different colours themselves thanks to the virtual glasses with which you walk in the 'ParquetVinyl Loft'. Next to ParquetVinyl, a new wood floor was presented: Carcassonne.

Carcassonne is an aged wooden floor with original saw cuts and clear knots. The planks are manually scraped so that each plank has a unique character. The result is a qualitative top floor and that's what the visitors also thought!

LDCwood This year, visitors had an exclusive opportunity to discover LDCwood, the first official ThermoWood® manufacturer in Belgium and a member of the International ThermoWood Association. LDCwood, created in 2017 as a 50/50 joint venture between Decolvenaere and Lemahieu Group, produces high-quality thermally modified wood. Thermal modification gives wood the

characteristics of tropical hardwood and is therefore a durable option. Mike (Lemahieu Group) and Daphne (Decolvenaere): “We have noticed the growing demand for ThermoWood for some time. That is only logical. Thanks to its modification, the wood retains its shape well and is weather and insect resistant, making it ideal for outdoor use in patios or as façade cladding. As we manufacture the wood ourselves, we can respond quickly to clients’ requirements. The attention we received at the trade fair clearly proves that this approach works. Professionals from the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Portugal and France in particular showed a keen interest in thermally modified ayous, fraké, ash and pinewood. This was a successful first edition of the fair for us and we look forward to 2020 with enthusiasm.”

Mapo Belgium / Mapo Print Mapo – frequent visitor since many years – participated for the first time and is very enthusiastic about the contacts she had during the 3 days of the show, with existing and new partners. In our beauty salon, we give your products a perfect skin. The show was the perfect opportunity to present our 3 companies: Mapo Belgium, industrial coater of wood products, Mapo Print, industrial printing and coating of panels and doors, and Vepola, specialist of manual spraying of wood and other substrates. We’re happy about the positive feedback we got regarding our newest developments: the metal look on flooring/ cladding attracted many people, as well as our distressed oak look on pine. Next to that, many designers and architects got inspired by our personalized prints with lacquer protection. Innovation that excites!

Meister Meister introduces MeisterDesign “The vinyl flooring without vinyl” .

Eighteen decors, four product structures. With the new design floor platform concept MeisterDesign, MEISTER is expanding its range of easy-clean and modern flooring for healthy living by no less than four further products. The design flooring MeisterDesign is the new “vinyl flooring without vinyl” and thus the healthy living answer to conventional vinyl flooring. MeisterDesign has all the advantages of vinyl flooring (durability, ease of maintenance and elasticity), but manages completely without the primarily ecological and technical disadvantages. This makes MeisterDesign odourless, free from plasticisers and heat-resistant– unlike many types of vinyl flooring and is 100 % made in Germany.

Osmo A complete success in Nantes. Osmo satisfyingly looks back at the CARREFOUR INTERNATIONAL DU BOIS Osmo celebrates its 140th anniversary with countless international fair presences. For example, from 30 May to 1st June 2018, the wood experts exhibited at the CARREFOUR INTERNATIONAL DU BOIS in Nantes, and presented there their competencies in the areas of wood and finishing. By means of straightforward live demonstrations, the Warendorf-based wood specialists showed expert audiences the numerous possibilities to apply their wood finishing systems, which are all integrated into one system. Osmo saw their participation at the international trade show as absolutely positive. At the creatively designed stand, many thrilling talks and new contacts were made.

Ô Mur Ô Mur took part at « Carrefour International du Bois » exhibition in Nantes. It was very warmly welcomed and many visitors showed great interest for this innovative solution. This patented system of parquet and laminate floor laying on the wall allows to renovate or modernise house walls quickly and easily. At the stand, the new version, called “rénovation”, whose launch is scheduled at the beginning of 2019, was presented to evaluate interest and acceptance before its market entry. The participation to this exhibition allowed to evaluate Ô MUR products keen interest and to initiate numerous contacts.

Parqueterie Berrichonne Parqueterie Berrichonne marked the spirits with its single stand designed to give importance to its 2018 range and its 3 major novelties presented at the 15th International Carrefour du Bois in Nantes. All the commercial team enjoyed presenting the last novelties of the brand. In exclusivity, Parqueterie Berrichonne showed its 2 new ranges of parquet: Explozifs range with its 3 unique colors as well as its mosaic tiles on plywood support. Its most important innovation that is characterized itself by a quickly and performance laying for this type of wood flooring. Thanks to this new herringbone, Parqueterie Berrichonne promises an installation and a cutting time divided by two.

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Floor Forum International 96

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Review Carrefour International du Bois (FR)

Rubio Monocoat, King of Colours It was clear to see at Carrefour du Bois that Rubio Monocoat is the “King of Colours”.

The booth exuded colour with the 40 standard colours of our top product, the Oil Plus 2C, with additional trend colours for 2018. These six new colours are based on the Scandinavian atmospheres, as well as the warmer colours of the East.

In 2017, Rubio Monocoat was the first in the sector to be awarded the Eurofins Indoor Air Comfort Gold label. This label shows the focus Rubio Monocoat puts on quality and their contribution to a healthy interior environment. In addition, visitors could also discover the benefits of our innovative LED technology. We demonstrated both industrially and manually that it is really possible: one layer that is cured instantly when the RMC LED Oil comes into contact with the LED light.

architects. SOPLINTHES offers a wide range of white skirtings that adhere to aesthetic standards and technical skirtings such as cover skirting or hide wires skirting. With a design office, a tool manufacturing workshop and numerically controlled machines, SOTRINBOIS realizes all types of skirting techniques and custom style.

Forestry Timber HARDWOOD FLOORING ENGINEERED FOR LIVING, DESIGNED TO IMPRESS.

Silvadec Silvadec Takes Home an Award at the International Timber tradeshow Silvadec received the 2018 Innovation Award for its environmentally friendly Eco-Box programme, a wood composite saw dust recycling programme aimed at installers of its products.

This programme makes it possible for installers to recycle their saw dust when construction is over. In practice, the company provides its customers with metal bins for storing Silvadec® wood composite boards by category. When the Eco-Box is full (300 kg of wood composite), Silvadec retrieves it and pays the installer. This saw dust is brought back into the production cycle. Silvadec Boards are 100% recyclable, and Silvadec’s production factory in Brittany has the equipment necessary to carry out this recycling process. This program is reserved for metropolitan France excluding DOM TOM and Corsica.

We understand that like our customers, every tree is unique and every floor we create is an individual work of art. Using carefully selected Tasmanian and Western European Oak, Ash, and other exotic woods our craftsmen work by hand combining age-old techniques and cutting edge technologies to create stunning floors that are as individual as each of our customers. With eight distinctive Collections we have the perfect design solution for every space. From on-trend Chevron and Herringbone to Antique vintage or ultra-sleek modern, our floors add character, ambiance and value. Our 3-layered plantation Hevea core flooring represents not only a responsible choice environmentally, but unsurpassed stability and performance.

Timbertop.eu

Wicanders

SOTRINBOIS Like every edition, the International Timber Tradeshow was a rich show in exchanges and meetings for SOTRINBOIS. This year, the French specialist in finishing accessories presented us its brands, including SOPLINTHES, the widest range of skirtings on the market. So, we discovered all skirtings solutions that meet the needs of individuals, craftsmen and

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For its 150 years, Wicanders presented at Carrefour du Bois its new portfolio, organized by visual - Cork, Wood and Stone. With a special emphasis on Wood Essence collection, a new digital printing technology that faithfully reproduce wood visuals in long board format (1830x185x11,5mm). A sustainable solution, printed directly into cork that does not require the use of PVCs. New dimensions for Hydrocork, Wicanders’ low thickness and waterproof flooring solution with lifetime warranty, now available in new dimensions (1225x195x6mm) aligned with the market trends and demand for wider planks. Also the launch of Wood Resist+, a natural rigid board, water resistant, with a high density central core and available in class 33 for high traffic commercial areas.

Special

Producers of distressed floors

THE PAST RETAINS ITS CHARMS ‘DISTRESSED’ IS SIMPLY A FINISH LIKE ANY OTHER

Photo – Lamett

There was a time when people equated ‘ distressed’ with ‘ deception’. It all started in the furniture sector, especially in the world of antique dealers, who sometimes gained a bad reputation. Nowadays, the objectives are different, but the techniques are largely still the same, including those in the distressed flooring market. The real diehards amongst manufacturers (or floor fitters!) all do it by hand, but there are now scores of machines which yield virtually the same result.

No longer ‘deception’ It’s not difficult to explain why the aforementioned antique dealers subjected new furniture to certain techniques to make it look older.

Antique products increased in value as they got older, especially if they were rare products. With some nailing, chiselling, and scraping, antique dealers turned a newly made chest of drawers into an old Breton or Norman linen cupboard from a cloister, farmhouse mansion, or castle. Why not? Lots of consumers fell for it. That trend is a thing of the past. However, let’s be honest, this deception has also occurred with floors. There are probably scores of artificially aged (distressed) wooden floors which have been sold on the back of a nostalgic story as if they had come from an English castle from a past century or from some Indonesian cloister. That, too, is probably a thing of the past. This is because consumers have come to appreciate ‘distressed

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floors’ for their decorative value without the origin taking pride of place. ‘Distressed’ is a type of finish in various floor coverings. And, yes, surely everyone knows that wide and long laminate planks in oak with large gnarls and a fairly dark colour could never come from an 18th century castle? In other words, we no longer distress floors in order to deceive, but rather to create an atmosphere.

The most popular techniques It is possible to distress floors through mechanical operations, chemical operations, or a combination of both. We have two objectives in mind with mechanical distressing. Firstly, we want to give the impression that the floorboards have been produced using old fashioned techniques from a century ago (brushing and scraping), and, secondly, to give the impression that the floors have suffered through years and years of use (lashing, beating, and flogging).

Imitating old techniques We all know that technology moves rapidly. Today’s machines yield better quality than those of about 10 years ago, let alone those of 100 years ago! A century ago, it simply wasn’t possible to saw in a straight line with no visible movements of the sawing blade. The same goes for planing. Likewise sandpapering. Whilst nowadays we can sandpaper to perfection (sheer smoothness) by using various sanding tools in succession, even diamonds, in the ‘olden days’ we had to rely on brushes.

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Producers of distressed floors

You know what’s coming next. If we use those old materials and techniques on a brand-new oak parquet or wooden floor, we largely give the impression that the floor comes from a ‘different era’. Brushing is a perfect way of highlighting the wood grains.

Imitating the wear and tear of use Another way of distressing floors is to give the impression that floors have been in use for several decades. This can be done by creating traces of use. By lashing and beating, we give the floor certain marks of damage which look like marks from a high-traffic floor on the one hand or which indicate the consumption of the floorboards by insects or micro-organisms. By applying small hole, we imitate traces of woodworm, something which occurred frequently in older (damp) houses on floors in pine or pitch pine. Beating only serves to reinforce the used effect of the floor.

Combination with chemical operations Usually, the aforementioned mechanical distressing techniques are combined with chemical distressing. This means that a hand-scraped floor usually looks ‘even more authentic’ in combination with smoking or colour-ageing. With colour-ageing we make use of special dyes or colour oils in order to make a new parquet floor look older. White and grey shades are extremely popular in that respect. We obtain darker colours mainly by ‘smoking’. Smoking wooden floors is one of the most popular and most attractive distressing techniques, certainly for oak, which contains a lot of tannic acid. After all, smoking is a process which generates a reaction with the tannic acid in the wood.

What’s on the market?

Arbony Arbony has led the way in providing inspiration for the distressed wooden flooring sector since 1995 with unique colours and structures. At present, they are working on the completion of the most beautiful projects anywhere in the world whereby the authenticity of their planks gives the projects in which they are used a unique character. Their aim is to bring out fully the beauty of noble oak wood, the only material which they use. To complete their patinas and approximate as closely as possible to the look of a wooden floor which has aged naturally over time, they work only with oxidation processes from the wood without any colouring agent. They apply various processes, which are the result of their many years of experience. For instance, they distress the wood and give it a used look so that the characteristics of the various parts come completely into their own. Their distressed parquet floors are available in straight floorboards, Hungarian point, herringbone, and in Versailles panels. Arbony currently offers both composite and solid wooden floors. This means that these antique floors can be used on floor heating thanks to the application of the very latest technology.

The feeling of nature...

Customised Belgian parquet floors …

Unique colours Excellent price/quality made in Belgium

Manufacturer of solid and engineered flooring in oak, maple, ash, larch, walnut… and tropical species up to 280 mm wide Custom-made and just-in-time deliveries all over Europe

Vlimmersebaan 136/3 • 2275 Wechelderzande • Belgium

+32(0)495657062 • info@silvafloors.be • www.silvafloors.be

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www.oosterlinck-hout.be Oosterlinck nv Schaapsdreef 8B B-8750 Wingene Tel. 0032 51 65 75 41 info@oosterlinck-hout.be

BJ Parket BJ Parket is a manufacturer of solid and composite wood floors such as old Flemish style, strips, herringbone, style panels, Hungarian point, cross-cut, and such like, but also supplies composite floors.

Distressed floors are offered as well in solid wood as composite. The range of composite floors certainly includes a large selection in pre-finished floors which are already distressed or which are given a distressed look by BJ Parket itself. Floors which are distressed by BJ Parket itself are beaten. The planks are put in a large drum, together with sophisticated material, and rotated so that damage appears on the planks. After this treatment, the loose splinters are removed. After that, the planks can also be smoked, if necessary, to give them a dark brown shade. The floors are finished with oil to preserve the natural shade of the wood.

Structuring and brushing are two other forms of distressing which are applied either separately or in combination with beating. Distressed floors are offered mainly in oak.

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!

Chêne de l’est Chêne de l’est presents an extensive range in solid wood and multi-layer. In solid wood this company from Eastern France sells parquet in 14 and 21mm on widths of 70 and 190mm. In multi-layer they have TOP 4 in 140 and 220mm wide, TOP 6 in 140 and 170mm wide, TOP 2.7 in 140mm wide, and the XXL in widths of 250 and 350mm. The floorboards are finished ready for fitting. Obviously, Chêne de l’est also supplies maintenance products and instructions to keep floorboards clean and durable. Distressed designs are offered for all applications, both public and private.

Distressed is still highly popular in herringbone and Hungarian point.

The distressing technique which Chêne de l’est uses gives the floorboards a naturally aged look. Obviously, their preferred sort of wood is still oak.

Design Parquet Design Parquet supplies both solid and multi-layer parquet. For distressed floors they, too, use mainly oak, but they do adapt to clients’ wishes. As regards ‘distressed’ as a trend, they have noticed a slight drop here. At all events, the most common method at Design Parquet is ‘manual distressing’.

B.J. Parket

BVBA

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

Special

Producers of distressed floors

Lamett Lamett offers solid, multi-layer, and three-layer parquet. The Farm collection is a distressed type of parquet. This is three-layer oak parquet.

Farm is one of the best-selling collections.

With the Farm collection, the rustic and oak planks are distressed manually. The manual distressing process ensures that natural and authentic look. Deeper brushing is just one aspect of the distressing process. Farm also has a manually distressed V-groove. The planks are finished in different layers to create a deep and worn effect. The result is a high-quality oil finish, which penetrates deep down into the pores and accentuates the natural character of the wood. Gnarls and cracks stay partially open for an authentic result. The Woca oil once again guarantees quality and easy maintenance. This parquet is available solely in European oak.

Oosterlinck – Greenparket Oosterlinck produces both solid and engineered floors. The solid wood floors are made in thicknesses of 9 , 14, and 22 mm. The engineered parquet is available in 13/4, 16/4 , 18/6, and 21/6 ;the final figure referring to the thickness of the toplayer. The solid and engineered floors are available in oak and tropical wood species such as afrormosia, wenge, teak, ... The oak is always French or European oak of very good origin and quality. The basis of the distressed oak floors is the rustic grade. The most common distressing technique is beating the planks so that they show signs of damage on the surface and at the edges.

Brushing the planks reinforces the distressing in some cases. The floors are then finished with oil or wax. De advantages of buying from Oosterlinck: custom-made and just- in- time delivery all over Europe.

The distressed floors are sold under the name “Distressed collection by Oosterlinck”.

Parqueterie Berrichonne Parqueterie Berrichonne offers a full range of distressed floors. In order to meet all requests, they offer widths from 90 to 200mm in multi-layer (HDF) of 11 to 14mm and on CP from 10 to 14 mm. Solid wood is also available in thicknesses of 14 to 20mm.

Parqueterie Berrichonne applies its own formula

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in the field of distressed floors: a combination of scraping of the edges and the application of sawing and planing marks to create a sort of 3D effect, which puts the character of the wood in relief. The historic character is preserved by the distressed varnished finish. The distressing procedure came into being after extensive tests and does not use any chemical agents. For the well known unique features of oak, certainly for distressing, Parqueterie Berrichonne uses only the most noble of all sorts of wood.

Preverco Preverco has an extremely versatile range of solid wood and multi-layer floors.

Apart from the classic Solid Classic platform, the company also offers another six engineered products so that they have solutions for everyone’s budget. The distressed versions are called Textures here: Wave texture, Edge texture, etc. Distressed is certainly a trend, but here it is still a niche market which accounts for 20% of all sales. Brushing is still the most popular technique, partly because it highlights the wood fibres and yet still camouflages some damage.

Maple, white and red oak, and a touch of Birch are the most prominent wood sorts.

Silvafloors Silvafloors is a specialist in colouring and distressing engineered parquet floors. All floors are made with a two-layer system on Birch plywood on thicknesses of 12, 15, and 20mm.

XXL is also possible with a width of up to 30cm and lengths of up to about 5 to 6m.

Clients themselves can choose where they wish to distress the floor, and this is possible on rustic wood or on 1st choice or other wood. It is also possible to choose between distressing on the sides and a distressed surface. If clients want a band saw pattern, that, too, is possible. The Old Wood Collection has a band saw pattern as standard and is one of the very best in the range. Very recently, Silvafloors has added a new collection, namely the New Castle Collection, highly rustic parquet floors, fully distressed, and finished with very old shades of colour. In the New Castle Collection old wagon planks are imitated with new oak wood to yield a staggering result.

Furthermore, all design floors can also be distressed such as herringbone, Hungarian point, or Versailles. The distressed floors are always brushed as standard, and the side is often also distressed as well. After that, all distressed floors are given a lye stain in order to obtain a really old effect. Furthermore, Silvafloors also still has its Burned & Brushed Collection. These are burned parquet floors, which yield a splendid result by means of various procedures. Silvafloors supplies distressed floors only on European oak.

Special

Abrasive materials

SANDPAPERING MATERIALS ARE CRUCIAL TO THE END RESULT A MARKET WITH ALMOST NON-STOP R & D INVESTMENT

Photo – Pallmann

One of the hardest jobs in fitting solid parquet is the sandpapering. The sandpapering in each phase largely determines the quality of the end result. Let’s be honest here, too: That’s precisely why the fitting of solid parquet, and certainly traditional parquet (with no tongue and groove), is still very much the realm of professional floor fitters. Apart from expertise, perfect sandpapering requires the correct material. The correct sanding machine and correct sanding material play the main parts here.

perfect final sandpapering. In that case the client loses several millimetres of ‘solid wood’ and this also reduces the number of times that the floor can be sandpapered in the future. Perfect sandpapering is the result of a combination of elements. Sandpapering is done with a certain power, a certain motion, specific sandpapering material, and a specific grain. Those three elements need to be in perfect doses and that is where the expertise of the worker, the machine used, and the sandpapering material play a major part.

The art of sandpapering

The power with which wood is sandpapered obviously has an effect on the top layer of the wood. Wood, even hard wood, can be scoured away if sufficient power is exerted. The power exerted when sandpapering the wood is the result of the quality of the machine and the way in which the machine is used. The machine influences the sandpapering power in two ways: on the one hand by the speed at which the sandpapering tool passes over the wood and, on the other hand, the

Sandpapering is an art; that’s for sure. If a solid parquet or wooden floor has not been sandpapered properly, it is obviously the client who suffers. If the final sandpapering isn’t executed properly, this always shows up in the end result; the marks of imperfect sandpapering are always extremely noticeable against the light. It’s just as bad when the marks of poor sandpapering anywhere in the chain are glossed over by

Power and motion

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Abrasive materials

downward power exerted by the weight of the machine. The movements which the sandpapering tool makes when it comes into contact with the wood also determine the sandpapering quality. If the sandpapering has not been done properly, marks from the sandpapering motion may still be visible. It will also be apparent that the removal of those sandpapering marks is one of the reasons for sandpapering several times with various thicknesses of grain. The most important motions are the ‘sweeping’ motion of the endless belt sander, the orbital motion which is comparable to that of a flat sawing machine, and the rotary (read: ‘rotating’) motion.

Sandpapering material We’ll keep it simple to start with. Traditional sandpapering materials, namely sandpaper and abrasive cloth are composed of layers. The ingenious construction of the diverse layers determines the technical properties and final quality of the end product. Conventional sandpapering material consists basically of four or five layers. The bottom layer is the base. The diverse bases largely determine the flexibility and strength of the sandpapering material. A layer of glue is applied to the base. The sandpapering grains are then sprinkled onto the layer of glue. An ingenious technique ensures that the grains are positioned in each case with the sharpest side facing upwards in the layer of glue.

The various materials of which the grains can consist determine the scope of the sandpapering material. A layer of glue is applied again on top of the grains to secure the grains as firmly as possible to the base.

Another abrasive additive can also be applied. This top coating ensures that the sanding dust is discharged effectively during use and provides a cooling effect. However, as the subtitle of this article suggests, bases, sandpapering material, structures, and, in fact, all sandpapering technology are constantly subjected to research and development. We’ll let the players themselves explain who offers which innovative bases or sandpapering materials.

These are used for refining rough sandpapering. They are often used for the initial sandpapering after the removal of coats of paint or lacquer.

Grain 36-40

We use grains 36 and 40 to sandpaper a new parquet or wooden floor for the first time.

Grain 60-80

Grains 60 and 80 are the first sandpapering grains for sandpapering soft wood sorts. They are also used to refine semi-rough sandpapering work. They are used for the second round of sandpapering for hardwood floors.

Grains 60 and 80 are often used for the final sandpapering of renovated old floors.

Grain 100-120

Grain 100-120 is used for the third and final round of sandpapering for new floors in hardwood in order to finish the floor.

In some cases extra sandpapering with grain 100-120 may be necessary with old floors.

The players have their say: Blanchon

Frame piece: New generation brushes For parquet and wooden floors, and certainly for the application of certain specific finishes such as ‘distressed’, the market offers scores of new and innovative brushes and other fairly hard processing tools. There, too, we see constant development.

Grain size Sandpapering materials are divided up according to grain size. All sandpapering material serves specific applications. Below we give a token ‘classic’ summary.

GRAIN

Grain 20

Grain 24

22

NEW PARQUET FLOOR

This is generally not used to sandpaper new wood.

This is generally not used to sandpaper new wood.

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OLD PARQUET FLOOR This very rough grain is used to remove surface layers from old floors. The sandpapering material has an open structure to limit crusting. Grain 20 is not used directly on the wood.

This is also very rough grain which is used for levelling or for removing old layers.

Sandpapering materials in the parquet industry have improved in quality in the form of zirconium and ceramics. Glass isn’t used in the parquet industry and neither is diamond due to the cost price. The four major materials are corindon, carborondum, zirconium, and ceramics.

Each of these materials has specific assets and drawbacks. The key thing is to choose the right material for the right application. At Blanchon, too, they assume that sandpapering three times is necessary (with separate grains) and (usually) polishing with the single-disc machine. And so, Blanchon has a range of various sandpapering materials and bearers such as endless sanding belts, rollers, discs, and such like. A major trend which they have noticed is the increase in the use of ‘multi-disc’ sanding machines. They are extremely efficient, but, due to their relatively low weight, cannot be used for some heavy jobs e.g. removing old coats of lacquer.

Devomat Industries Devomat Industries has specialised in parquet sandpapering material, including the trademarks Woodboy® and Devo®, since 1980!

And so, over the last 40 years, its current range of Devo® sandpapering materials has become a regular fixture amongst parquet traders due to innovation and high quality. There has generally been little renewal

Floorservice

in terms of basic raw materials. Most ‘new’ materials which enter the parquet sector have existed for a long time, but are now also found on the parquet market due to a growing demand for high-performance materials. In the past, parquet traders used hardly anything except aluminium oxide and silicon grains. Nowadays, they also use zirconium and ceramic materials due to the greater sandpapering grain hardness. The composition of the materials has undergone some change as a result of technical developments. For instance, in 2017, Devomat Industries innovated with the Devo® Fiberpad™. This is a completely new sort of sanding disc which offers scores of benefits for floor fitters.

Woodboy For decades our Woodboy has been the most multi-functional single-disc machine in the market. This machine is (a.o) being used for sanding, cleaning, buffing and polishing of floors. Also for floor preparation such as residue-removal, the Woodboy is the perfect machine.

Floorboy XL 300 This excentric-rotating single-disc machine is comfortably handled by any type of user. It is therefore perfect for in-home use as for cleaning and maintenance of floors. Think of application of maintenance oils on your wooden flooring. The Floorboy XL300 also performs perfectly on stone, linoleum and other hard surfaces.

Pallmann

The DevoNatural range of professional parquet floor products meets the highest standards when it comes to treating parquet floors.

It is all about quality without compromise, developing products using the best raw materials and cutting-edge technologies.

DevoNatural is available in original colours and contemporary finishes, which are fully in harmony with the latest trends in interior design.

You want to play on your parquet floor ?

PROFESSIONAL PARQUET PRODUCTS

Makes it possible !

Discover the DevoNatural product range :

www.devonatural.be/en/ DEVOMAT IS SEEKING INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTORS FOR ITS “DEVONATURAL“ BRAND

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

Nowadays, producers make more frequent use of sandpapering materials with zirconium or ceramics instead of aluminium oxide, for instance. These sanding materials have a longer lifespan. Amongst other things, the fact that these materials sharpen themselves during the sandpapering plays a part. Sandpapering materials based on diamond are even a level higher. They have a very high scouring capacity and an even longer lifespan. Due to the sheer hardness, diamond cannot be used for all applications. At Pallmann they believe that diamond is suitable mainly for rough sandpapering. Several sanding techniques and materials in woodwork have been adopted from the metal sector. Obviously, a good sandpapering result depends not only on the sandpapering material, but also on the sanding technology and the sanding machine.

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Producers of hard wax oil

HARD WAX OIL GIVES US A ‘HYBRID’ FINISH WE WANT YESTERDAY’S ATMOSPHERE WITH TOMORROW’S TECHNOLOGY

Photo – Plastor

Hard wax oil is basically a composition of natural oils and waxes in one product. Linseed oil or castor oil is combined with a product like beeswax or carnauba wax, for instance.

The composition obtained thereby is applied to wooden floors in one go. The oil penetrates deep into the pores of the wood to ensure that the floor is saturated, whilst wax elements in hard wax oil provide a protective top layer. More and more parquet floor fitters are opting for hard wax oil and clients are asking for it as well.

The result of an ‘evolution’ About pure beeswax In bygone days, waxing a floor seemed live slave labour. You really had to rub the wax hard into the pores of the floor. Each coat of wax gave the floor extra protection from dirt and damp. Once the pores of the wood were completely filled with wax, this created a strong coat of wax

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which protected the wood and at the same time still allowed the wood to breath.

Oil first To speed up the beeswax system, the floor was later saturated with oil first and then finished with wax. A natural oil provided the impregnation and the wax (hard wax) protected the surface. The manufacturers realised that this method could just as well be combined in one product.

To one product Hard wax oil has seen the light of day. We speak of a hard wax oil when the finish product consists of oil and wax. The treatment outlined above whereby the floor is impregnated firstly with oil and the coat of wax is applied later can be done with hard wax oil in a single work session. And so, hard wax oil is a single-component product in terms of formula.

Recurring ingredients Linseed oil, castor oil, and wood oil are commonly used oils, whilst commonly used waxes include carnauba wax and beeswax. Apart from oil and wax, hard wax oil also usually contains a number of natural resins. A floor treated with hard wax oil has a silk matt look and of all treatments this is the one which yields a look closest to old castle floors and antique parquet.

Strong assets Sound protection Since the floor is saturated, hard wax oil makes it waterproof and dirtproof. Stains can be removed easily. Moreover, hard wax oil has a very hard surface and is therefore highly durable. Worn or damaged areas can be treated locally simply by cleaning that area and applying some more hard wax.

The breathing floor Whilst a coat of lacquer gives wooden floors a film, hard wax oil has an open pore structure. And so, the floor can still breath and the wood retains its vitality. Partly due to the elasticity of the coat of wax, it can’t crack, flake off, or peel off. This also makes hard wax oil suitable for use in damp rooms.

Treatment in patches A coat of lacquer is one continuous whole. When you apply it, you have to work relatively quickly in order to prevent streaks. That is not the case with hard wax oil. Another special feature is that the hard wax can be reinforced in high-traffic spots without this showing up on the entire floor surface. It is possible to apply extra hard wax in places such as a hall or in the kitchen, and for the maintenance it is sufficient to apply the maintenance product concentrated (not diluted) in those places.

The genuinely antiquated look Just about everyone agrees that a floor treated with hard wax oil equates most closely to the look and feel of old castle and cloister floors. After all, the floor is silk matt and looks just like a floor which has been polished year in year out.

Easy to apply The method of applying a hard wax oil differs slightly, depending on the brand of oil. Nevertheless, we do see a number of common procedures which always apply.

Substrate preparation The surface has to be dry and free of grease, dust, and dirt, as well as any residual old coats of wax or lacquer. The bare wood should not be cleaned with water under any circumstances. New floors and floors with an old coat of wax or lacquer are sandpapered using grains 40, 80, and 120. Grain 80 and 120 are used for engineered or traditional parquet floors. After the sandpapering with grain 80, it will be necessary to remove any joints or cracks using a filler. This sandpapering is done using grain 120.

Processing Just about all hard wax oils are products which are ready for use. And so, they never have to be diluted, but merely need to be well stirred. The application procedure depends on the product. Some brands require the application of two coats, whilst others can be applied in a single work session. In the case of two coats, the first coat is a thin layer, which should be left to dry for 24 hours. The second coat is applied in

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the same way. Some makers recommend a treatment with maintenance oil about two weeks after the floor is treated. For the single-coat system it is necessary to read the maker’s instructions carefully with regard to the quantities to be used and the application method.

Maintenance As we’ve said, some brands recommend maintenance shortly after the treatment. Basic cleaning means first vacuum cleaning and then mopping with a well wrung cloth. A cleaner can be added to the water.

Makers also offer maintenance wax or oil to maintain and nourish the floor.

What’s on the market?

Adesiv Adesiv presents WB Oil, a colourant with modified vegetable oils for impregnating wooden floors indoors. Paviolio WB 2 can be painted over with a waterborne dual-component varnish. The product itself is a mono-component product with outstanding colouring properties and high penetration power. 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 grain of a maximum of 150. The sandpapering has to be done perfectly because Paviolio 25WB only serves to highlight the smallest shortcoming. And so, the product can be applied to all types of wood, but comes most fully into its own on types such as oak, larch, and cherry.

Bona Bona Hard Wax Oil gives a comfortable and natural surface through a mixture of setting natural oils and waxes. It makes the surface waterproof and dirt-proof and is suitable for untreated hardwood floors and other types of wooden floors, which are subjected to normal to high traffic. The fact that this is a single-component product makes it easy to use. Two coats can be applied in one day. A floor which has been treated with the hard wax can be repaired in patches. Bona Hard Wax Oil conforms to standard DIN 51130-R9 in terms of roughness, to standard DIN 53160 T.1+2 in terms of sweat and saliva resistance, and to standard DIN EN 71 T.3 in terms of migration demands. The surface to be treated should be well sandpapered, dry, and free of sanding dust, old lacquer, and other defilements. You should use the Bona

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Producers of hard wax oil

Scrad System, sanding disc/mesh disc, or sandpaper grain 120 for the final sandpapering. Keep the product, room, and floor temperature between 8 and 35°C. Keep the room well ventilated during the process and drying/setting time. Bona Wax Oil Refresher is the maintenance product for Bona Hard Wax Oil and is used undiluted.

Blanchon

Oil high solid (‘Huile-cire dure high solid’). This hard wax oil impregnates, colours, and protects a parquet floor in one single operation. The hard wax oil feeds the wood and protects it deep down. Due to the composition of the hard wax oil, which is very rich in natural and renewable raw materials, it dries rapidly and practically without any bad smells. This year, they have had 41 colours (20 of which are shades of grey and 1 metal colour). Thanks to the addition of a pre-dosed hardener (20%), drying and hardening takes only a few hours. This system is highly recommended for very high-traffic rooms such as shops, museums, catering establishments, and such like. New in the Blanchon range is the Hard Wax Oil SD (Superior Density), which offers excellent resistance and can be applied in one day (two coats/eight hours drying time). 36 deep and powerful colours are available. Finally, Blanchon also offers a Maintenance Oil (‘Huile d’entretien’) for maintaining all floors finished with oil or wax oil, including floors oiled in the factory. Worth knowing: The new ‘ultra matt’ finish gives exceptional results when applied in thin coats along the strips.

Chimiver LIOS HARD WAX BOIL 3D is a product based on natural oils and waxes that gives to the treated wood a warm and smooth look, typical of natural oil finishes. Its excellent impregnating power makes it ideal for direct treament of wood; the second coat protects and gives depth enhancing the wood grain.

Blanchon Hard Wax Oil (‘Huile-cire dure’) offers nothing but benefits for both parquet floor fitters and end users. The easy application is one thing, but the speed and simplicity of maintenance is quite another asset. Moreover, Blanchon hard wax oil also offers infinite possible applications as regards finishes (shades, wood tones, and colour modifications). Apart from hard wax oil, Blanchon also sells Hard Wax

DevoNatural®

Devomat presents DevoNatural® Hard Wax Oil in colourless and whitewashed white. DevoNatural® Hard Wax Oil can be applied to both commercial and high-traffic domestic floors. The product is easy to apply and penetrates well into open wood pores. Once it is dry, it forms a good seal to keep out dirt and damp. DevoNatural® Hard Wax Oil can be applied to all sorts of wood (e.g. parquet, wooden floors, cork, furniture, wooden walls, etc.) and to porous stones such as terracotta.

Its waterproof nature means it can also be fitted on bathroom parquet and furniture. Special features: Parquet, and wood in general, stays elastic with DevoNatural® Hard Wax Oil and the oil ensures greater stain and wear resistance. Maintenance products like the cleaning soap Devo Natural® Hard Wax Oil Cleaner and the renewer DevoNatural® Hard Wax Oil Renewer keep your floor in excellent condition and extend its lifespan considerably.

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Floorservice The different types and 34 colours of Floorservice Hardwax-oil penetrate deep into the wood, without blocking the pores. This allows the wood to keep breathing and retains its natural structure, because no top layer is formed. Every floor that is finished with Floorservice Hardwax-oil is guaranteed to be highly resistant to wear and is also water resistant. Besides that the floor is protected against saliva and sweat and make the floor child friendly because they meet the requirements for children’s toys. In addition to this, the Floorservice Hardwax-oils also meet anti-slip standard R9. Also available in the Floorservice range is our Hardwax-oil 2K. This VOC-free finishing product cures very fast; ensuring the floor to be fully operational in no time. Depending on the application method of choice it can be applied as a one-coat or as a two-coat system.

Also available as Color Hardwax-oil 2K in 12 different colours.

natural wood colour. Another highlight: Osmo oil-and-wax-based finishing systems are easy to renovate and make spot repairs possible.

They will not crack, flake or peel. Moreover, they exhibit a good resistance to liquids and are extremely easy to maintain.

Rubio Monocoat

Hesse The term hard wax oil isn’t a defined concept. And so, different suppliers might also give a different explanation of the term hard wax oil. At Hesse a hard wax oil is an oil which also dries well in thicker coats. That’s why hard wax oil can also be applied with rollers and doesn’t necessarily have to be polished. That doesn’t mean to say that you can’t polish it; polishing is still possible. With ordinary oil, the surplus always has to be removed or polished, something which is obviously time-consuming. At Hesse there is no consistent difference in price between ordinary oil and hard wax oil. Whether or not an oil is a hard wax oil or not is not the only detail which determines the price. Hesse has several types of oil in its assortment. They decide which product is most suitable for a particular application in consultation with representatives. Hard wax oil can be applied with a roller, a spatula, a single-disc polishing machine (‘Woodboy’), or in the factory using a cylinder.

Osmo Polyx®-Oil convincing for over 30 years Wood is a natural work material that with the right amount of care stays attractive for a long time. With their Polyx®-Oil Original, Osmo Holz und Color GmbH & Co. KG revolutionized the market more than 30 years ago. It protects high-traffic wood surfaces in the interior and yet, it is still completely safe for the whole family. The thinly applied coating penetrates into the wood, creates a protective layer and enhances the

Rubio Monocoat offers a full range of hard wax oils for both manual and industrial applications. For applications on site they recommend Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2C, which is available in 40 standard colours.

This oil can also be deployed for a finish on an industrial line. For specific finishes with a UV unit there is Rubio Monocoat Oil UV R2. If projects must meet specific fire safety requirements, you can call upon the services of the revolutionary Rubio Monocoat FR Oil System. This is the only oil system with a European classification of Bfl-s1 (floors) in accordance with the standards EN13501-1, EN ISO 9239-1, and ISO. The oil in this system is a modified version of RMC Oil Plus 2C oil. The new application of the future par excellence is most certainly RMC LED Oil, which dries instantly under LED light. The benefits of LED speak for themselves: much less energy consumption, a longer lifespan for the lamps, no ozone emissions, and no bad smells. However, in particular, the fact that wood treated with LED oil can be cured instantly using LED light so it can be stepped on and packed at once means huge savings for the project market, stair and furniture makers, and industrial finishers. RMC LED Oil can be used both on site and in the factory.

Pallmann In comparison with ordinary oil, hard wax oil can be deployed in extremely high-traffic rooms, thanks to its high resistance to mechanical and chemical impact.

Hard wax oil dries quickly and is easy to maintain.

It is also extremely easy to apply with the roller.

Pallmann presents the solvent-based 1-component hard wax oil Pallmann Hard Wax Oil. Around this time, they are also launching a solventless 1-component hard wax oil, namely the Pallmann Eco Oil. This will be available in the colours Pure, White, and Oak. This oil is also easy to apply with the roller in two coats.

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Producers of hard wax oil

Plastor For Plastor, hard wax oil provides natural protection which respects the wood.

Hard wax oil is resistant to stains. Everyone will find something to his or her taste, thanks to the many shades on offer.

Decoprotect Hard Wax Oil is the hard wax oil from Plastor. This is composed of a base of natural oils and provides durable protection for the wood, even against stains and dirt. Decoprotect is available in eight shades. Decoprotect gives wood a warm look. These oils penetrate deep into the wood without laying a film and without stressing the wood fibres. Decoprotect is ready for use and is applied in thin coats using a lacquering roller.

Sherwin-Williams The addition of hard waxes to a floor oil yields a different product with more build and higher resistance.

Even just one coat yields greater resistance than that of an pure oil.

Waxes added to oils produce a rich and deep look with a smooth gloss.

You can also create a warm matt look. The look and the surface resistance are the main sales arguments. Sherwin-Williams presents several hard wax oils. For example, an industrial use product Natura Hard Wax Oil GX1225 is recommended for machine application using roller coaters and machine brushes. This is available in deep-matt and satin gloss. Artinatura Hard Wax Oil, designed for on-site use, is applied with a brush or roller. It is recommended for high-traffic rooms.

curing, STAUF HARD-WAXOIL can be mixed in a ratio of 25:1 with STAUF Oil Hardener.

W&R Trade Hard wax oil makes it possible to apply a combined treatment using oil and wax.

Professional and commercial clients, in particular, appreciate the rational treatment of large surfaces with this ‘2 in 1’ product. A wooden floor can be oiled and waxed in one working day. This saves time and yields highly resistant wooden surfaces, which are easy to maintain. The product can be applied easily to both untreated and already oiled wood. The subsequent polishing (within one hour of application) gives rise to a perfect surface of outstanding quality. The product is extremely productive and also so easy to apply that even odd jobbers will find it easy to use. Hard wax oil is more expensive than ordinary oil, but it is the combination of oil and wax which also makes it more productive and gives a wooden surface greater resistance. W&R Trade presents the ‘AURO, no. 125, Single Coat Oil-Wax 2 in 1’. This is a solventless hard wax oil for indoor wood, with a transparent and light honey shade. This hard wax oil can be applied with a brush, roller, or skimmer or can be sprayed.

WOCA

STAUF Single-component colorless finish based on natural oils and waxes for parquet, wood floors, tables and worktops in areas with normal and moderately heavy use. STAUF HARDWAXOIL is dirt resistant, water repellent and enhances the natural wood color with a velvet surface.

Apply STAUF HARDWAXOIL with STAUF Microfiber 5 mm crosswise (first apply across and then spread length ways) in a quick and even motion, avoiding puddles. Do not pour material directly on to the floor; rather use a container for application for a better abrasion resistance or quick

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In the short term, the benefits of WOCA Hard Wax Oil as compared to traditional parquet oil are a more sealed surface structure (= more protection from the start than with traditional oils) and the better preservation of the look of a traditional oil. WOCA has endeavoured to operate a competitive price structure. This means that the WOCA Hard Wax Oil is similar in terms of price to the traditional WOCA Master Floor Oil. WOCA sells two types. Hard Wax Oil Extreme is designed to be rubbed in (available in Natural and White). The major difference with other hard wax oils is that WOCA Hard Wax Oil contains a much smaller percentage of wax components, so it will not show signs of wear and tear so quickly. Hard Wax Oil Swift is a roll-on version (available in Natural and White and in two degrees of gloss in each case). Hard Wax Oil Swift is a roll-on product which ensures a durable surface with high resistance to scratches and stains.

Special

Industrial lacquers

EXTERNAL PARTNERS IN ALL PRODUCTION PHASES COATING CONTRACTORS OFTEN MEET SPECIFIC PRODUCTION DEMANDS

Photo – Mapo Belgium / Mapo Print

Anyone who associates the term ‘coating contractor’ with ‘coating’ is invariably not familiar with the recent history of the trade. For many years now, the service package offered by ‘coating contractors’ has gone far beyond the mere application of a finish. They can be involved in virtually all phases of parquet and wooden floor production and are often the only solution to help bigger producers meet highly specific client demands. ‘Doing it yourself means doing it better’ is certainly not always true!

the cover of a luxury magazine. For example, this might be because that printing company doesn’t have luxury magazines amongst its clients. And so, the task is outsourced because it would be unwise to modify the whole production for that one exceptional client. And so, the pallets with printed magazines go to a specialised company where they are given a glossy cover and returned to the printing company. It’s very much a similar story for parquet producers. Some small-scale activities can disrupt the normal production process to such an extent that they become unaffordable.

Producers have to choose

Emergence from a field of tension

In the printing sector you can find lots of examples of certain jobs being outsourced to third parties. It is quite possible that even a very big printing company might not be able to put a gloss lacquer on

Whilst the emergence of pre-finished floors is not the only reason for the tremendous boost which coating contractors are experiencing, it has certainly caused them to go up a gear. A few decades

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Industrial lacquers

ago, parquet manufacturers decided to adopt the intrinsic assets of laminate in the production of wooden floors. The application of the finish in advance (in the factory) was the first step; that relieves end clients of the sandpapering and the smell of finish products. The fitting process thereby goes a lot faster. The next step is the provision of a ‘click system’ for wooden floorboards. The floors are clicked together, just as with laminate. Ready-to-fit floors have seen the light of day. The field of tension with which producers are confronted, amongst other things, is that between the need for mass production (for profitability) and the growing demand for personalised products.

There are too many possible options as regards wood sorts, fitting patterns, finishes, and colours to be able to produce everything on a large scale. And so, producers now also have to make a ‘selection’ or choice.

Three reasons for outsourcing There are several reasons for outsourcing a particular activity. The three most common reasons are that someone else can do another job cheaper, someone else can do another job faster, and that someone else simply does the job better.

Cheaper Production generally requires expensive and sophisticated machines.

A production chain or installation comprises several machines which complete the production process ‘together’. Lots of activities in the production process can just as well be offered on the market as jobs in themselves. This means that there are already machines available and in operation elsewhere (outside the production chain). It can be more profitable for manufacturers to call upon the services of those existing installations rather than incorporate those installations into their own chains.

Faster Some requests from clients may deviate from the normal production process. In such cases manufacturers can only react by temporarily adapting their normal production process. Obviously, that is only possible if there is enough of the standard product in stock at that time. And so, the exceptional request will have to ‘wait’ for an appropriate time, unless manufacturers find a third party supplier for which that activity is not a deviation from the production process. In such cases the third party supplier can respond much faster to the request.

Intervention in the production Some traders carry out sandpapering, planing, and milling, but probably the most commonly requested operation is that of mechanical distressing. Beating, lashing, brushing, and exclusive operations such as hand-scraping are all amongst the possibilities. The most common chemical intervention is undoubtedly distressing by means of a smoking treatment with ammonia.

Intervention in the finish Applying a finish to wooden floors has been a speciality of so called ‘coating contractors’ for generations. And so, they have closely followed technological developments in the chemical industry for all sorts of finishes. The emergence of UV technology has enabled them to raise their capacity considerably and thereby shorten delivery deadlines. Most companies offer lacquer, oil, and hard wax as well as colouring.

Marketing included Less widely dispersed, yet still emerging strongly is the range on offer in the very end phase of the cycle: the labelling, measuring, registering, and packing. The fitting instructions and all other information for the end user are added by machine. In this way parquet floors are ‘ready for the shop’ when they leave the ‘coating contractor’.

Outsourcing is still a ‘win-win situation’ When new technology is introduced, we often see how coating contractors are the first ones to jump on board. That always gives them the benefit of being a pioneer. The investments in such technology are often too much for one company because, for instance, that technology is used only sporadically in the specific range. For reasons outlined above, that problem doesn’t apply to coating contractors who work for various companies. Nowadays, we see that the ‘integration’ of new technology which makes machines more budget-friendly doesn’t necessarily result in companies suddenly starting to do those activities themselves. In other words, coating contractors still have a winwin situation!

An overview Mapo Belgium / Mapo Print

Better There are lots of separate activities which are hyper-specialised.

Third party suppliers who have trained themselves in a niche activity have therefore turned into real specialists. It is undoubtedly a fact that outsourcing a specialist part of the production to such an external partner provides greater certainty of a good-quality execution.

Specialities in parquet production We find plenty of ‘specialist areas’ geared to the parquet sector e.g. knowledge of chemical products, their reaction to different sorts of wood, or the various forms of drying technology. Coating contractors have the big advantage of working for various clients and have therefore acquired cumulative knowledge from all their clients. They have experience in a much wider diversity of situations than manufacturers who make only their own products. In the specific case of parquet, operations which are outsourced are positioned between the time when the raw floorboards leave the production line and the time when they go on display in the shop or showroom.

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In previous editions of this publication we have regularly covered the possibilities of MAPO BELGIUM, which specialises in the refinement

of wood products. Mapo is delighted to announce that it has taken over the Wood-U-Print in Merchtem.

MAPO PRINT Personalisation in interior decoration is all the rage. They’re well aware of that at Mapo Print. In December 2017, this Belgian company took over the company Wood-U-Print, which has developed a unique solution for giving wall, furniture, ceiling, and floor panels as well as doors a personalised and high-quality print and coating in the factory in one motion. The print can be a photograph, a pattern, a wood structure, or almost anything else. What makes the Mapo Print process so special is that images are applied in different layers all at once and that diverse substrates are suitable. The end result is printed panels which are resistant to scratches and UV and can be fitted easily and seamlessly. The printed and lacquered panels are ideal for, but certainly not limited to, applications in settings such as catering establishments, offices, and stand construction. Amongst other things, they make a handy alternative to walls in gypsum cardboard.

Mapo Print – Industrial Printing and Coating www.mapoprint.com

Miva Parket Miva Parket has stepped up a gear in innovation. They are now able to burn wall cladding and multi-layer and solid parquet without overheating the top coat/bearer or the glueing. Their fire tunnel is designed so that the planks are no more than warm to the touch as they emerge from the tunnel. Apart from this unique innovation, they can also offer you two new subtle forms of distressing. Over the years,

they have refined old traditional finish methods such as smoking, distressing,chemical treating, lye-staining, oiling, and lacquering in such a way that they can offer them to you ready for fitting and at a very affordable price for both parquet and wall cladding. In recent years, they have invested heavily in research and development. And so, they are proud to present their various ‘driftwood collections’. The wood is weathered strongly in order to give it an authentic look. These driftwood finishes can be combined with burning and/or their various distressing techniques.

Give your eyes a feast on our latest collections on our revamped web site.

Coatings for champions pproved a y l l a i Offic A

by FIB Chimiver Panseri S.p.A. is recommended and certified by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) for wooden floor finishing and maintenance products.

Industriële personalisatie van substraten: muren, plafonds, deuren, meubels, vloeren Personnalisation industrielle de supports: murs, plafonds, portes, meubles, sols Industrial personalization of supports: walls, ceilings, doors, furniture, flooring

MAPO PRINT

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

Division of MAPO GROUP Tel. +32-11.60.54.93 www.mapoprint.com

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Industrial lacquers

Timfin® Timfin® is top of mind when it comes to finishing parquet and walls!

Ultra-modern machinery and a team of enthusiastic employees provide a finish with no trouble at all.

Parquet manufacturers, parquet fitters, and interior designers make their choice from the diverse collections for parquet, including the new and stylish LANDSCAPE collection. Other trendy finishes for parquet in weathered and distressed style and a collection in painted floors with a special wash look can be admired in our showroom. For wood traders and carpenters they colour and protect your wall cladding and terrace floors in accordance with the very highest demands and lifespan. All finishes are possible as a result of their four production lines which all work on a different process. Thanks to a complete spraying cabin, interior lacquering work is also possible in accordance with the highest demands. Furthermore, they also offer extra services such as a temperature-controlled warehouse for storage of your goods and they can also provide transport on request. Orders can be traced via a personal log-on on their web site to keep you informed of the delivery deadline and price in real time. You can also visit their showroom together with your clients or architects for a personal touch. Maintenance products and guidelines are available for all customary finishes, always with the right advice! Timfin is located in Aalter (B) and is easily accessible on the Lakeland industrial estate.

You will find more information on timfin.be or follow them on Instagram: Timfin_be

Topfin / Lakkerij Verdonck

Lakkerij Verdonck & Topfin offer you a range of finishes: stains, varnishes, and wet lacquers for veneer and solid wood, MDF, glass, synthetics, and metal. They also have natural varnishes from matt

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to high gloss, colour lacquer, polished high-gloss lacquer, structure lacquer, brushing technique, and patining. All this is possible with a sample or range of colours. They finish every possible interior application with the utmost care and expertise according to your wishes.

They can also give your outdoor woodwork the necessary treatment.

They can cope with small jobs and mass-produced work thanks to their modern spray cabins, mixing laboratories, and a fully computerised spray robot. They also do a ‘pre-finish’ for parquet floors (solid wood/semi-solid/veneer) for the professional and the DIY enthusiast. Their flexible industrial lacquering line ensures a finish à la carte.

Oiling, staining, varnishing, lacquering, brushing are all perfectly possible. They can complete orders of 1 to 1000m² in accordance with your wishes. Correct service and flexibility are our assets.

For more information: Topfin: +32-(0)55-218213 www.topfin.be Lakkerij Verdonck: +32-(0)9-2857408 www.l-vu.be

Zabolak

Zabolak aims to work as an independent partner on long-term relations, especially with parquet manufacturers, parquet wholesalers, and parties which operate on the commercial market. The core business is the processing and treatment of flat surfaces (especially floorboards) and thereby related articles such as stairs, skirting boards, and furniture. In addition, Zabolak also provides logistic services. Zabolak carries out the following operations specifically for treating and processing flat surfaces: lacquers/colour-staining + lacquering/distressing in various ways/smoking by means of ammonia and reaction stain/brushing/lye-staining/oiling/colour oiling/some internally developed techniques with regard to working with reaction stains and bleach and packing in various ways.

Flexibility, creativity, and reliability are the mottos. Most of the business relations are located within Europe, but the products are spread all over the world on every continent. One of the business relations is Albers Parketgroothandel with which Zabolak has worked together for over 40 years. The history goes back 45 years to the time when Mr Gerard Martens senior started to sell, fit, and finish traditional floors mainly from parquet manufacturers, parquet wholesalers, and parties operating on the commercial market. In 2007, the company was taken over by his daughter Belia JacobsMartens and her husband Henny Jacobs. Together with a loyal team of employees, they have built up the company of Zabolak to make it what it is today since 2007. One of the common mottos within Zabolak is: ‘The only constant feature is the change.’ That also applies to the parquet industry.

Special

Fillers and repair kits

WOOD FILLERS FOR THE ULTIMATE FINISH REPAIR PRODUCTS ARE USED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE FITTING

Photo – Blanchon

Wood swells and shrinks and that is why it is quite possible for minor blemishes to emerge here and there even before the fitting, dependent partly on the storage conditions and transport. Neither does the wood stay intact during the fitting; just think of nail holes with traditional parquet.

‘Something’ has to be filled in during the fitting of any wooden floor. For instance, there are also the necessary expansion joints on the edges of the floor. Producers offer an appropriate solution for every cavity.

Sorts of defects There are various sorts of defects which can occur in wooden floorboards and which need to be repaired before the finish is

applied. Some defects are typical of the wood or the result of human operations, whilst others are ‘typical’ of the fitting method.

Natural or accidental defects Depending somewhat on the chosen selection, wooden floors can display more or less natural defects. Those defects can consist of gnarls, cavities as a result of protruding gnarls, cracks, or splits in the floorboard. Those cracks or holes still have to be filled in, even if we love a rustic-looking floor. Otherwise, irrespective of our chosen finish, we end up with piles of dust and dirt. A lacquer finish wouldn’t even be possible. Some defects are the result of damage. Damages can occur accidentally when the floorboards are being handled during the storage or transport, but also on the

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site, for instance, as a result of falling objects or the use of poorly maintained tools.

Loss of colour One fairly modern form of damage comes from the growing interest in coloured wooden floors. Oak floors in diverse shades are gaining in popularity and have hastened the decline of tropical floors. The drawback if floorboards are not coloured all over is that local patches can appear with a loss of colour. That is mainly the case in high-traffic places, passages, entrances, and on the legs of chairs and seats. For floors treated with colour oil or hard wax oil, the solution will consist of oiling locally.

Defects typical of the fitting Apart from the natural defects of the wood and the deliberately created expansion joints, there are also the nail holes which we make when nailing traditional parquet. We use (compressor driven) nailers to ‘shoot’ nails deep into the wood to secure it firmly to the subfloor.

And so, this creates a hole for each nail; holes which also need filling in. Then there is the necessary expansion joint which we leave at the edges of the floor to absorb expansion as a result of fluctuations in the air humidity.

Solutions of bygone days By repair tools we mean all products which can be used to repair one or more of the aforementioned blemishes in a wooden floor, whether or not the blemish is typical of the fitting, use, or accidental. Those ‘repair tools’ have been the same for years for the aforementioned defects. In other words, since those tools have proved to be outstanding solutions, there’s little need for innovation.

Repair wax Wax as a repair tool appears in the form of wax rods. These wax rods can be found in both solid and pliable form. In the case of pliable wax the repair is carried out ‘cold’. The pliable wax is pushed into the cavity or crack. The surplus wax is then removed using a plastic spatula. Solid wax is melted with a special melting gun above the damaged point.

The melting gun for softening the wax is comparable to a small soldering iron. Here, too, the surplus wax has to be removed using a plastic spatula.

Wood paste Wood paste is also known as putty. Wood paste or liquid wood is particularly suitable for filling small nail holes or cracks. It is used not only in the parquet and wooden flooring sector, but also in various areas of construction such as for carpentry repairs (doors and windows), repairing furniture, and such like. Wood paste is available in various types of wood so that you can find a solution for every floor. It is perfectly possible to treat putty afterwards with oil, wax, or parquet lacquer.

Acrylate or polyacrylate Some blemishes in the wood, but also and especially joints and thresholds with other floors, require ongoing elasticity to absorb the floor movements. For this purpose the market has the polyacrylate kits (e.g. Bona Gap Master in 14 colours) or acrylate kits (e.g. Unika Colour sealant). These kits can absorb lots of play in the wood (7 to 14%) and are perfectly suitable for lacquering or oiling.

Wood filler Wood filler is the medium to which sawdust from the wooden floor is added. This mixture is used primarily for filling nail holes caused by

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nailing the wooden floor. The big advantage of wood fillers is obvious: Since the wood filler is prepared using sawdust from the wooden floor, the colour is identical to that of the type of wood used. Modern wood fillers dry quickly, have a very good filling capacity, and are not harmful to public health or the environment. Wood fillers can obviously also be used to repair other defects such as cracks and scratches.

Complete repair kits Relatively new on the market! Repair kits are appearing as a compilation of various repair tools in one packet. You could compare them perfectly well to a sort of doctor’s case, but in this case for the floor doctor. These repair kits contain products to enable users to repair various types of floors (solid wood, multi-layer, veneer, and even laminate) locally and to remedy different types of damages.

What’s on the market ?

Adesiv Adesiv products for filling holes and joints include Legastucco L100, a binding resin based on rapid drying solvents for jobs such as levelling wooden floors.

The product is mixed with sanding dust from fine sandpapering in a 1/1 ratio. Legastucco L100 is available in 10 litre tins and is ideal for levelling floors completely. Adesiv also offers the water-based Stucco WB. Furthermore, Adesiv also has Fugastop, a mono-component acrylic sealant, which can be sandpapered and painted over and is odourless. Finally, Filler Plus is a water-based resin mixed with sawdust from the finest sandpapering.

Blanchon Blanchon offers an extensive range of fillers for parquet and wooden floors. Amongst the ‘technical solutions’ we identify binding agents for use with sawdust, types of putty (powder to be mixed in water or even two components to be mixed), wood pastes, and ready-for-use putty in a tube (Blanchon Wood Putty in a Tube; ‘Mastic Bois Blanchon en tube’). Blanchon presents two distinct kits for mixing with sawdust. The Wood Binding Putty (‘Liant Mastic à Bois’) from Blanchon has been a regular fixture with European parquet trader for over 20 years. The product consists of a highly fluid resin with great adhesive strength and is mixed with the sawdust from the second sandpapering. This means that the colour of the filler is always identical to the floorboards used. The drying time is very short. The product can be finished with all

the classic means. As part of its endeavour for sustainable development, Blanchon has also developed a second binding agent in the Aqua Pro range, namely the Pro Filler. This is applied in the same way, but takes somewhat longer to dry.

Bona Bona offers a water-based binding agent, the Mix & Fill, which, when mixed with sanding dust, is used to seal holes and crack. For medium and large cracks of holes Bona presents the Mix & Fill Plus, also a water-based filler kit with a filling capacity comparable to solvent-based alternatives. This should be mixed with sanding dust for the correct colouring. Under normal circumstances it is necessary to fill the gaps once only, and that means a saving in time, money, and effort. Bona Mix & Fill Plus also has the advantage of a very attractive and natural colouring with both oil and lacquer. Finally, Bona R200 is a low-viscosity single-component polyurethane filler for inserting into hollow gaps and for reinforcing parquet sections. Holes are filled in perfectly by means of the light foaming to create a sealed joint with the substrate.

Briançon Briançon presents various fillers for repairing wood. For major repairs there is putty in powder form, which is diluted with water (e.g. Wood Mastic BI or P340).

Wood Mastic BI Rapid guarantees setting within 40 minutes. This is an ecological product based on natural glues and restores the colour of the wood perfectly. Wood Mastic E800 or ‘Rebouche Bois’ are wood fillers which are ready for use and are also based on natural glues. Wood Mastic Liant Aqua is an odourless putty which is created by mixing it with the sanding dust from the floor. This means that holes are always filled up

in the same colour as the floor. The product is odourless, is used with the spatula, and dries quickly. Wood Mastic E800, E2016, and E2017 are so called standard forms of putty. All products from Briançon have undergone the necessary tests to meet the VOC legislation and are catalogued as class A+. Packages are available from 500g to 25kg or even in pots of 310kg for the industry.

Chimiver

ECOFILL-MIX is an acrylic water-based product. It has to be used mixed with the dust coming from sanding down wood floors to give a smoothing finish. ECOFILL-MIX, thanks to its high viscosity, has excellent filling power allowing a quick sanding of the floor without shrinkings. PARKETKIT is a acrylic filler to seal baseboards, joints, between differing flooring elements, etc. May be over-coatable easily after the complete hardening.

CSP Engineering CosmetiWood® is the industrial ready-to-use wood filler of CSP Engineering. The machine constructor developed this water based wood filler especially for application in the PAR-Filler® machine. Because of its unique properties CSP also brought a version suitable for manual use

Wood Filler, eco-friendly, for WOOD INDUSTRY • Economical powder 1kg = 1.3kg of paste • Ready-to-use • Application on cold or hot panels • Special formulas for planed and brushed wood • 8 standards colors or counter-typing on demand • Package from 5 to 310kg, in buckets or in barrels

Manual or automatic application

Call a specialist: 05.61.98.40.88 or www.briancon-production.com

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on the market. After drying the ecological wood filler disposes of a hardness and porosity similar to wood. Also the adhesion to wood is excellent and there is hardly any shrinking, even with bigger knots. It absorbs oils and colours beautifully and has an excellent behaviour with sanding or planing. CosmetiWood® is available in buckets of 10 litres in 8 industrial colours.

Devo®

Plastor At Plastor, in the field of fillers and repair kits, they identify two separate groups, Depending on the size of the zone to be filled. For small zones, such as holes to be filled in, there is the Binding Filler (‘Liant de Rebouchage’), a product which appears in liquid form and has to be mixed with the sanding dust of the wood. For bigger zones wood pastes or wood fillers ideal for carrying out repairs. The Binding Filler (‘Liant de Rebouchage’) from Plastor is offered in packs of 1 or 5 litres. 5 litres is the biggest packet. The biggest pack for pastes or fillers is 500g.

Rubio Monocoat It is necessary to sandpaper a parquet floor again in order to seal splits professionally. Then you can use any filler of your choice to seal the splits. To seal fine splits it is easier to use a product with a very fine texture so that the filler can easily penetrate into the fine splits. Devo® Woodfill is ideal for this! Devo® Woodfill is developed for filling splits, cracks, gnarls, and nail holes in parquet or wooden floors, furniture, etc. Once Devo® Woodfill is mixed with water, it is easy to apply as a paste. The product dries quickly and can be coloured perfectly well.

Devomat Industries also presents Devo® Mastic, an acrylate filler kit in spray form for sealing seams and joints in skirting boards, door thresholds, and such like. Devo® Mastic does not contain any solvents or silicone. The Devo® Jointkit is a traditional wood filler based on cellulose resin to be mixed with fine sanding dust.

Pallmann

Good preparation of the surface is crucial for optimum finishing. RMC Woodfiller Quick is a one-component, ecological and fast-hardening putty. It is available in powder form for interior woodwork. The product hardens quickly and can be sanded with remarkable ease after about 2 hours. RMC Woodfiller Quick is available in 3 colors: Light, Medium and Dark and in 0.5 / 2.5 or 5 kg PVC buckets. After these preparations, the floor can be finished and colored beautifully with Rubio Monocoat oil.

It does not shrink, but slightly swells so that the treatment only needs to be performed once and is then ready for sanding.

STAUF

By repair kits Pallmann means materials with which small repairs can be carried out on the wood surface such as repair wax or acrylate.

When parquet is being renovated, it may be necessary to seal cracks in the wood. For that purpose Pallmann offers two products: PALL ZERO FILLER and PALL X KITT. PALL ZERO FILLER is a water-based product with no solvents and PALL X KITT is also water-based with few solvents (less than 15%). Both products are mixed with the sanding dust for repairing cracks and splits.

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STAUF AQUA FILL is a waterborne joint filling binder to prepare wood putty to fill joints in wood floors. Mix joint filling binder with very fine wood sander dust (20 - 40%) of the respective wood type until pasty. The finer the sander dust used, the easier the mixed compound can be spread and the better the adhesion in joints.

For larger joints, repeat the process. Final sanding performed after drying. Wood filler remaining on wood surface must be sand off completely.

Special

Curing oil/lacquer using LED

THE TRANSITION TO LED UV SEEMS PURE LOGIC ECONOMIC, ECOLOGICAL AND TECHNICAL ARGUMENTS WIN THE DAY

Photo – Rubio Monocoat

In a recent edition, we noted the speed at which LED curing has emerged. Everyone was still amazed at the UV curing revolution when LED suddenly appeared. The lamps hadn’t even cooled down, you could say. Warming up was also a sticking point with traditional UV light. The fact that traditional UV lamps warm up yields extra costs which you don’t have with LED. Let’s remind ourselves.

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UV curing is not new Light is a small part of the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation.

In other words, there is a lot more radiation than that which we can see. Light contains a certain quantity of energy, depending on the type. With UV technology, the energy of artificial UV light is used to influence processes. The fact is that UV light can affect the binding between molecules. Under the influence of UV radiation it is possible

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to dry inks, lacquers, glues, synthetics, coatings, and such like much faster than by means of air-drying. Although the link to the parquet sector still seems relatively recent, we’ve all encountered UV technology at some point, perhaps without realising it. For instance, dentists have been using UV technology for years to ensure that teeth fillings set extremely quickly. This technology has been in use for years in the graphic sector for drying magazine and newspaper ink faster. And so, UV drying is simply essential in that sector. The principle is that certain photo-initiators have to be added to the lacquer or ink so that the lacquer or ink dries very quickly under the radiation of UV light.

In the parquet industry It’s only when parquet producers start to ‘finish’ for themselves that the need for rapid drying becomes an issue. Inspired by existing applications, such as those mentioned above, UV curing soon made its entry, all the more so since the technique was in common use in laminate production. In other words, pre-finished gave UV a boost. And so, it was only a matter of time before parquet floor fitters who wanted to retain their own working method also became interested in the benefits of technology, especially in terms of speed. The way to the site was paved. Machine manufacturers provided the solution. Furthermore, during that development (i.e. today), the basis of the technology has been reconsidered. It is still UV light, but the hardware has changed.

And so, LED is also UV light. However, a LED lamp operates on a completely different principle. Even now we can still look at developments in other industries; in the graphic sector and in certain physical care sectors (manicure and nail varnish) the way to LED lamps has been prepared.

What about LED UV? Traditional UV lamps radiate energy in a broad spectrum to wavelengths, only 20% of which is located in the right UV area. Over 50% is in the infrared area, and that results in heat. With LED UV lamps, the energy is almost entirely in the UV range. Traditional UV lamps have a diminishing efficiency and usually have to be replaced after about 700 hours. By contrast, LED UV lamps have a long lifespan. Basically, they do not wear out. LED UV lamps are switched on and off constantly.

That isn’t possible with traditional lamps because they need time to warm up and cool down. The ageing process in traditional lamps also speeds up each time they are switched on and off. Therefore, traditional lamps need shutters, something which is not the case with LED UV lamps. LED UV lamps consume merely a fraction of the energy which a traditional mercury gas lamp needs. There is also no start-up time to consume energy and little energy is required to provide for cooling.

This represents a saving of at least 85% on energy costs. For example, the consumption of an LED UV lamp, including the ventilators which provide cooling, is about 80 watts, depending on the machine. A typical mercury gas lamp used on a comparable appliance consumes at least 1200 watts.

What does the market say?

Blanchon LED drying has existed for many years and was used originally in cosmetics packaging and graphic applications. The big asset of LED drying over classic UV lamps is the energy saving. At Blanchon they think that many lamps are currently too ‘weak’ to be used as parquet finishes without compromising on quality. Blanchon offers various oils and lacquers which can be LED-dried in the factory, where LED can gradually be applied.

However, Blanchon is still not convinced about use on site.

Some differences Traditional UV lamps UV lamps which are used, for instance, with large-size printers to dry UV-curable inks are usually arc lamps which run on argon and mercury. How does it work? Electricity is applied between two electrodes, and the gas which is present provides resistance. This raises the temperature in the lamp and the mercury which is present starts to evaporate. The mercury produces radiation between 200 and 400 nanometers by means of a chemical process. By mixing metal halogenides into the mercury, you can ensure that, as regards UV capacity, a lamp peaks at certain wavelengths with which you can adapt a lamp to the curing properties of a particular ink. When a UV lamp is switched on, we initially see a weak ray. The biggest part of the electric current is converted into heat so that the mercury can evaporate. It is not until all the mercury has evaporated that the optimal UV spectrum is achieved so that UV inks or lacquers can dry. When the lamp is switched off, it must be allowed to cool down and all mercury must condense before the lamp can be switched on again. This can take several minutes.

Since that waiting time is a problem, UV printers, which use traditional lamps, have shutters which open and close. It is only when they are open that the UV light makes contact with the ink and curing takes place. Furthermore, they also have a ventilation system.

Some drawbacks Mercury gas lamps have a limited lifespan. For UV printers the lifespan is usually limited to about 700 to 1000 hours. Moreover, mercury gas lamps contain mercury, something which is very harmful to the environment. Therefore, these lamps have to be processed as special chemical waste. Moreover, mercury gas lamps are real energy consumers. Only a small part of that energy is converted into UV light. The greater part is converted to heat; that requires cooling down, and, once again, that consumes a lot of energy.

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Chimiver LED systems are the future for the curing process of coatings.

Chimiver®, always moving with the time,offers you LED OIL, an efficient and performing product which embraces this technology.

LED OIL cures instantly under LED light and wood can be walked on immediately, it has very

high chemical and wear resistances, solvent free, no ozone emissions, no unpleasant odour. Gives a natural look and feel. Available transparent and colored. LED-CURING UNIT has longer service life: LED lights last up to 20000 hours whereas UV lights up to 700/1000. Not only energy saving but also low working temperature.

Floorservice Alongside our range of Floorservice UV oils, we now added a range of Floorservice LED oils to our collection. This new VOC-free finishing is fully cured by use LED-light, making the floorboards instantly stackable, packable and, if required, ready for follow up treatments like sanding or brushing.

LED-dryers for both on site and factory operations. You can install an optional LED-drying unit onto an existing industrial finish machine, something which can be done very quickly and easily with no need for great financial investment. As there are no ozone emissions, there is no need for a suction system. For demanding parquet fitters, who like to move with the times, there are the following machines: a professional machine for drying floors and two hand-dryers for furniture, skirting boards, and places which are difficult to reach. The investment costs for these machines are minimal, especially if one includes the savings in time and money.

This makes it perfectly suited for automated production lines within the flooring industry. Not only do you profit from the increased speed in production; the costs of production and maintenance of your application line are also decreased by using LED technology.

Floorservice LED oil is also suited for manual application. The oil is developed to be cured directly on the installed floor by use of a mobile LED light. The floor is ready for use immediately after curing. The floor is guaranteed to be hardwearing, resistant to scratches, water and household chemicals. One of Overmat’s specialties: The possibility to, together with you, create your personal bespoke collection! Are you interested in Floorservice LED oils but would you rather decide on the colours yourself? It’s possible! We are happy to discuss the possibilities for your own bespoke collection.

Rubio Monocoat In 2005, RMC Oil came onto the market. At the time, this was a real revolution due to the unique technology of molecular binding, the application in one coat with a wide choice of colours, and with 0% VOC. In 2017, Rubio Monocoat again took on that role of pioneer by launching RMC LED Oil. The benefits of LED speak for themselves: much less energy consumption, a longer lifespan for the lamps, no ozone emissions, and no bad smells. However, in particular, the fact that wood treated with LED oil can be cured instantly using LED light so it can be stepped on and packed at once means huge savings for the project market, stair and furniture makers, and industrial finishers.

Apart from RMC LED Oil, Rubio Monocoat also offers professional

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Invisible lacquers: who has them ?

ULTRA-MATT LACQUERS LOOK INVISIBLE GLOSS AFFECTS SOME MECHANICAL PROPERTIES The gloss of lacquer has always played a major part in the ‘titanic struggle’ which parquet oil and parquet lacquer have been fighting for several decades for the title of ‘most coveted finish’. Lacquer gives a wooden floor a semblance of plastic and there was a time when that really put consumers off. And so, there was work to be done. The lacquer industry soon came up with matt lacquers better equipped for the competition.

They were followed by the ‘ultra-matt’ lacquers. Nowadays, we talk about ‘ invisible’ lacquers.

Oil versus lacquer Choosing a particular finish is certainly the most important and at the same time the hardest dilemma which faces consumers when it comes to wooden floors. The impact of the parquet floor finish on the maintenance and the way in which a floor is ‘perceived’ should not be underestimated. It means choosing between an ‘authentic look’ and ‘low maintenance’, and between a ‘carefree life’ and ‘permanent care’, choices which are not easy. Nevertheless, the differences between the finishes have diminished in recent years in terms of ‘perception’.

Oil For a long time, oil was the only fully matt finish and, besides, it also has some very strong functional assets, with the ‘impregnation effect’ of oil being responsible for the latter. Oil finishes have become extremely popular again in recent years. Oil doesn’t leave a film, but penetrates deep into the wood.

And so, oil impregnates or even saturates the wood. It fills the wood pores, so damp and dirt can no longer penetrate the wood. Obviously, a floor saturated with oil is also grease-proof and acid-proof.

Lacquer or varnish

Photo – Blanchon

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The most well known finish is still the application of a lacquer or varnish. This lacquer or varnish is applied to the floor surface as a covering layer. Obviously, the Achilles tendon of a lacquered top coat is still the vulnerability to scratches. Although there are some

extremely (high solid) strong lacquer products, they cannot withstand a sharp object, and local repair of scratches is still not possible. The durability of lacquers has improved considerably and modern UV lacquers now have almost entirely solid substances so that they provide cast-iron protection.

What’s on the market?

Blanchon

Difference is getting smaller The comparison between lacquer on the one hand and oil and wax on the other is actually the same as that between finishes with or without a film. Lacquer protects by means of an impenetrable coat on top of the wood, whilst impregnation finishes such as oil, wax, and hard wax protect the floor from the inside out partly through the saturation of the pores, but also through a certain hardening on top. Whilst the look of lacquer and oil could differ considerably until a few years ago, the arrival of extremely matt lacquers has reduced that difference a lot.

The biggest difference between both types of finishes is found in the area of maintenance.

Invisible?

The visible disadvantage of lacquer was therefore the ‘shiny’ effect which concealed the authentic and natural look of the wood, something which wasn’t the case with oil. How did lacquer producers respond?

Answer: matt lacquers, ultra-matt lacquers, and, today, invisible lacquers, but what exactly is that invisible lacquer? Obviously, it’s all about the gloss.

What is gloss?

Gloss is a property which is created when the surface of a material is so smooth that the relief is smaller than the wavelength of visible light. Gloss is measured by measuring the reflection of a ray of light which falls on the material. The reflection must certainly be measured by the following rule: The angle of incidence is the angle of reflection.

Gloss depends strongly on the angle at which the material is viewed.

If an observer looks straight at an object, the object looks as though it hardly has any gloss, but if he or she looks almost parallel along the material, a gloss then becomes visible.

Measuring gloss When gloss is measured, it is also important that the angle is standardised. Typical angles are 20°, 60°, and 85°. For a high gloss the gloss is usually measured at 20°, whilst for a lower gloss the figure is 60°. Matt materials are measured at 85°. Apart from the method of reduction, the gloss can also be measured by comparing the amount of reflecting light (the angle of reflection is according to the angle of incidence) with the amount of light diffused (which can be seen at other angles than the angle of reflection). The gloss is expressed as a percentage.

For example, a high-gloss paint has a gloss of over 85%, a semi-gloss paint about 70%, silky gloss 30%, and matt 0 to 15%.

Implications of ultra-matt People often ask whether ultra-matt lacquers do still offer the same protection. Opinions are divided on this issue. Some people point out that extremely matt lacquers are somewhat rougher at micro-level so that they are also more susceptible to scratches. That roughness might also make them more susceptible to dirt adhesion. That would mean that they need to be renewed sooner. However, there are all sorts of operations or additives for making matt lacquer more durable and thereby avoiding that problem. Other people point out that matt lacquers are essentially less susceptible to ‘visible’ scratches. That’s true, of course, but it is purely a visual phenomenon. The scratches are certainly there, but you don’t see them. That’s why people take longer to renovate matt lacquer.

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Each lacquer is more or less glossy, partly dependent on the used resin which forms one of the main components. The champion in terms of gloss is polyurethane, but all varnishes are glossy without matting additives. The dosing of the Ad M (matting additives) in the lacquer and the quality thereof have consequences for both the quality and application of the lacquer. Obviously, the creation of a lacquer which is invisible and which, moreover, is easy to apply has a price tag. Indeed, it requires high-quality and therefore expensive additives. At Blanchon the ‘star’ is the Intensive (‘Intensiv’) in its Natural Effect (‘Effet Nature’; 3%!) and then Invisible Effect (‘Effet Invisible’; 12%) and Ultra-Matt (‘Ultra-mat’; 8%). In the area of matt the Blanchon ranges are wide and deep with both one and two component products. Performer, Chambord SD, and Initial amongst the 1-component products and Blumor SD and Belmont for the 2-component products.

Bona The 2-component parquet lacquer Bona Traffic Extra Matt is a strong and fast-drying high-quality parquet lacquer for wooden floors which are susceptible to extreme wear and tear or subjected to very high traffic. The floor can be re-used again to the full as early as 12 hours after the last coat of lacquer, so it is used in hotels, restaurants, trade fair halls, train stations, and airports all over the world where a short down time is essential. The lacquer is waterborne, low in VOC, odourless, and does not turn yellow. Bona Traffic Natural seals and protects wooden floors, but it does give them the look and feel of pure wood. In contrast to conventional parquet lacquers, this lacquer yields a floor surface which feels more like untreated and finely sandpapered wood. Bona Traffic Natural is based on the unique Traffic formula which guarantees long-term durability and reliable results. The 1-component parquet lacquer Bona Mega Extra Matt is ideal for offices, small shops, hotel rooms, and as a premium-product for in the home. This innovative 1-component waterborne formula reacts with oxygen and delivers the same

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performances as a formula with two components. Mixing is no longer necessary, since the lacquer is ready for use from the jar. It is very good for wooden floors and floors with floor heating. Bona Mega Extra Matt is odourless, highly durable, fireproof, contains about 5% solvents, and is resistant to the common household chemicals. A word of caution! Do not use Bona Mega on white or pastel-stained floors. There is also a natural version of Bona Mega with the same properties as Bona Traffic Natural.

Chimiver ECOWOOD 2K is a two-component water-based polyurethane lacquer with natural wood look effect. The use of special resins gives to the flooring an extremely matt, natural and anti-reflection effect. Thanks to its special formulation ECOWOOD 2K is also suitable for coating light and dark wood species. ECOWOOD 2K has also excellent chemical and physical characteristics and is suitable for heavy traffic floors.

Ciranova

For both on-site and pre-finished floors, there is still a growing popularity for floor finishes with an oiled look which seems natural and almost invisible. Ciranova can confirm this trend. For Ciranova such a finish hasn’t proved itself until it stresses the natural character of the wood in pale, coloured and distressed finishes. Within the Ciranova range floor fitters have Oculto and Fortico 2C natural (which may or may not be combined with UNICO), two products which are ideal for on-site applications. For industrial finishers, Ciranova industrial offers a customised UV oil system for a client-oriented solution. Intensive research, close co-operation with suppliers, and the deployment of innovative raw materials have given rise to sophisticated preparations which provide an answer both in 1C (Oculto) and in 2C (Fortico) to the classic problems resulting from matting products. The newly developed UV-hardening covering layers presented at Domotex 2018 are a spin-off from this.

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DevoNatural® Apart from the standard matt lacquers, Devomat also has DevoNatural® Passage Matt, Finish Matt Oiled Aspect, Transit Matt, and the following ultra-matt and invisible varnishes in its range: DevoNatural® Passage Ultra-matt and DevoNatural® Transit Plus Pure. At present, the invisible and matt lacquers are the most popular in the varnish assortment. The use of a greater quantity of matting additive normally affects the durability. However, DevoNatural® uses a new generation of matting additives to reduce that effect considerably. This, together with the conscious choice of better quality raw materials, means that the invisible DevoNatural® lacquers score better for durability than most other similar lacquers on the market.

Floorservice At last a product that remains the colour and look of the wood. With Nature Protect 2K the wood gets an unfinished look. But you do benefit the best protection possible. Just like you're used to with the products of Floorservice. The renewed Nature Protect 2K is easy to apply and will allow for the wood to maintain its natural colour and look. You will create an unfinished look without the normal building of layers on the wood surface. You do however benefit from the high grade of protection known from the Floorservice products. To maintain the floor finished with Nature Protect, we recommend Nature Care.

Hesse Gloss is the reflection of light onto a surface. If light is reflected in one direction, that is perceived as a high gloss. If light is reflected as spread out, this is perceived as matt. The smoother the surface, the greater the gloss is. The rougher the surface, the lower the gloss.

Gloss is expressed in the unit GU (Gloss Units). Dull mat or dead matt (some lacquer producers refer to it as

ultra-matt) is 0-3 GU. A matt surface is relatively rough (at micro-level) and therefore also more sensitive to scratches. Equally because of that roughness, a matt surface is more sensitive to dirt adhesion. The greater sensitivity to scratches and dirt means that a matt surface wears out faster and is therefore in need of renovation sooner than a glossy (i.e. smooth) surface. In order to nullify somewhat the negative aspects of a matt lacquer as specified above, all sorts of additions are made and tricks of the trade are pulled out at the level of the composition. These tricks of the trade and additions are often the reason why a matt lacquer is more expensive than a glossy lacquer. The Hesse Pura-Natura is their most well known dead matt parquet lacquer.

Pallmann The degree of gloss depends on the binder used. After all, that stays on the surface and therefore determines the gloss, depending on the ingredients used. Lots of lacquers are naturally glossy so that matt agents have to be added. The scratch-resistance of the floor is not necessarily related to the degree of gloss. What we can say is that a matt floor ‘displays’ fewer scratches, but that is a purely visual observation. As far as durability goes, it is the same story: Since a matt lacquer shows fewer scratches, it is often not renovated until much later. At Pallmann it is the Pall-X Pure with its extra matt surface which gives the impression of being untreated and yet nevertheless provides excellent protection.

viewing angle of 60° and 5 gloss units with a viewing angle of 85°. That is also the gloss which Rigo Verffabriek has given to SKYLT Original and SKYLT Titanium. For the perception of an aspect such as ‘untreated’ it’s not only a low and even gloss from both a high and low viewing angle which plays a major part, but also the preservation of untreated colour.

With the slight bleaching effect and ultra-matt character, SKYLT gives each wooden surface a spectacular untreated surface. You do apply two or three coats of SKYLT, but once the paint is dry, it always looks as if there’s no paint on the surface. The coat of SKYLT is invisible. Often, it is only by wetting the surface slightly that you can see that the wood is properly finished. The special properties of SKYLT don’t affect scratch-resistance or durability at all. SKYLT is a 2-component polyurethane product and is very durable, resistant, and hard-wearing.

SKYLT is therefore also suitable for large-scale jobs. The two SKYLT variants can be applied separately or in combination. Rigo also have Primer Natural in their range.

WOCA

Plastor

At Plastor they speak of an invisible lacquer if the gloss is lower than 10% at an angle of 60°, measured with the gloss meter. The matt look certainly makes a lacquer more vulnerable, but it still has great scratch resistance. Moreover, a matt varnish is equally durable and only has to be renewed by itself. The rule here is: ‘The more matt the lacquer, the more expensive it is.’ The invisible finish at Plastor is a combination of the undercoat Gross Effect (‘Effet Brut’) and the extra matt version of the PUR-T. The natural colour of the wood does not change with this system.

Rigo Verffabriek At the end of 2003, with SKYLT Ultramatt, RIGO Verffabriek introduced the first (and, according to them, still the only) invisible lacquer on the market. The gloss of untreated wood is about 4 gloss units with a

WOCA Invisible 2K Lacquer is a water-based, high-quality lacquer specially developed for lacquering of light wooden floors with the aim of preserving the light and untreated look. The lacquer is based on a polyurethane binder that gives the surface a soft feel effect that resembles newly sanded wood. As the lacquer is mixed with an isocyanate-free hardener, it is indoor climate labelled and assures a good working environment during application as well as a comfortable indoor climate afterwards. The lacquer is certified with: A+, IBR, DIN 51130-R9, Danish Indoor Climate label and AgBB Z-157.10-197. As WOCA Invisible 2K lacquer is a soft feel lacquer, the scratch-resistance is equivalent to a 1K lacquer of high quality. The gloss is also 3-5 due to the soft feel effect. The unique technology makes the lacquer more expensive than normal lacquers, but the result and the exclusive look also speak for itself.

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Special

Adjustable floor support systems for terrace floors

PEDESTALS RAISE THE ‘LEVEL’ EVEN HIGHER CONSUMENTS ARE PREPARED TO PAY FOR A GOOD QUALITY TERRACE

Photo – Impertek

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In a recent edition, we read the testimony of an outdoor terrace specialist who expressed his opinion that ‘the wooden terrace market has come of age’. There has been an impressive ‘ boost’ after a sort of winter slumber. The market is now stable. However, that stability is also a feature of the terraces themselves. Each component of an outdoor terrace is of a high-tech level so that the lifespan of the average terrace is getting longer. Furthermore, lifespan means a degree of ‘ durability’.

Levelling or correction?

The foundation comes first

Drainage slope

You can fit a splendid terrace with an outstanding invisible fastening system, but it will all be in vain if the ‘foundation’ isn’t strong. The same rules apply here as for a parquet or wooden floor. The quality of the substrate largely determines the end result. Outdoor parquet is fitted

In almost all cases an excessive drainage slope has to be absorbed.

Nowadays, it is generally accepted that a slope of 2% will suffice, but in bygone days people often constructed a slope of up to 5% to be absolutely sure. However, a wooden terrace doesn’t need a slope.

Floor Forum International 96

in scores of (extremely different) situations. Some operation or other regarding the substrate is almost always necessary, certainly for existing homes. One of those operations is the ‘levelling’ of the base.

People fit wooden terraces onto existing, but worn out stone terraces every day. However, seldom do those old terraces provide suitably reliable substrates for the new wooden terraces. There are various possible conceivable corrections, depending on the situation.

A

Difference in height with the existing terrace Slopes can also be found whenever people want to fit a wooden terrace onto an existing terrace and at the same time extend the existing surface area towards the garden, for instance.

Difference in height with the indoor floor It is also perfectly conceivable with bigger home renovations that the height of the floor has been raised. To connect the terrace to the living room floor (something which is very much in fashion), it will therefore also be necessary to raise the outdoor floor. Connections to swimming pools and fishponds often also require an operation to eliminate differences in height.

Integration of a swimming pool It will often also be necessary to eliminate differences in height for the integration of a swimming pool onto an existing terrace or for a connection to it. We know that the swimming pool market is now ‘booming’. Fitting a swimming pool onto an existing terrace and garden configuration will seldom be possible without radical changes to the various levels.

Connecting paths If we are not immediately able or willing to fit a terrace, garden and swimming pool, and, if necessary, a space for sunbathers, or a platform for the barbecue all together in one whole, we get a spread of the relaxation places in the garden. It often becomes necessary to connect those places to each other by means of paths which, in turn, can be designed in various ways.

Pedestals do the job A floor support or pedestal is a pillar, generally designed in a particular synthetic, onto which a raised floor can be mounted. Most manufacturers offer two types: one type for constructing a wooden floor on beams and another type for a raised floor with tiles. These pedestals have been used extensively for years in the world of events (e.g. for the construction of temporary or permanent platforms) and in the world of trade fairs (for the construction of stands). They appear, on the one hand, as a problem solver for the installation of outdoor floors, but, on the other hand, they can be deployed perfectly well for the completion of striking architectural creations.

Durable synthetics The fact that the pedestals which we have found on the market are made from synthetics makes them fairly insensitive to variable weather conditions or fluctuations in temperature. Since the pedestals are located under the terrace, they are not affected by the influence of UV light, something to which some synthetics are susceptible, especially as regards colour fastness. And so, synthetic pedestals ensure that there is no contact whatsoever with damp from beneath. They ensure a long lifespan for the terrace.

Stable and adjustable The foot of a pedestal is usually a wide disc to ensure that the pedestal remains stable on the substrate. Of the trademarks for which we have received some technical information, the pedestals don’t have to be fixed onto the substrate. Since the differences in height to be bridged with terraces or other applications are always different, terrace pedestals have to be adjustable in height. Otherwise you would have to keep an infinite range of different sizes in stock. Moreover, since it is sometimes a question of levelling a mere drainage slope of 3 or 4%, they also have to be suitable for extremely small differences in level. Apart from different heights, it also must be possible to absorb different

ADJUSTABLE PEDESTALS FOR TERRACES

The simplest system in the world for the largest height level regulation.

Adjustable from 17 mm until 1 meter.

Kouterstraat 11B – B-8560 Wevelgem Tel 0032 56 41 35 70 info@solidor.be – www.solidor.be

Special

Adjustable floor support systems for terrace floors

slopes. This means it must be possible to tilt the upper side of the pedestal to some degree.

A selection from the range Buzon BUZON, 30 YEARS OF EVOLUTION AND KNOW-HOW

Buzon has been developing innovative support system products since 1987. Buzon pedestals in polypropylene are durable and ergonomic and are developed specially for the construction of all sorts of terraces. The extensive range of BUZON solutions ensures an easy, stable, and durable fitting of concrete tiles, natural stone, ceramic floors, and planks or tiles in wood or composite material.

Buzon forms a dynamic team and offers assistance to anyone who wants to deploy their vast technical expertise in the creation of their outdoor terrace with the utmost care. Buzon is surrounded by enthusiastic, reliable, and trustworthy partners and employees. ‘Committed to the wishes of our client’ is the Buzon motto.

Globally renowned pedestals The reputation of Buzon pedestals is the result of years of experience and the drive to meet the demands of architects, building professionals, and prevailing technical standards. Their team provides support during your projects and on your sites all over the world.

fitting a tile terrace the Hapax Atlas terrace pedestals are easier, faster, and more affordable than glueing tiles or fitting in a mortar bed. The joints between the floor elements are also left open to facilitate rainwater drainage, and there is no risk of crack formation, in contrast to a fitting with sealed joints. Since there is no contact with a layer of grout, you can avoid the formation of plaster shredding or plaster deterioration. It also makes it easier to limit the difference in height between the tile floor and the threshold of the doors and window doors.

With the fitting of a wooden terrace the chance of the wood rotting is eliminated since there is no question of stagnant water. It is also possible to repair the bottom layer of the terrace easily if there is a fault or, if necessary, to trace any leaks. Thanks to the Hapax Rock ecological screw foundation, it is no longer necessary to pour a layer of concrete when constructing a wooden terrace. The Hapax Rock screw foundation replaces the concrete foundations. Although concrete has proved its value, using it is a long and tiresome process, in contrast to the Hapax Rock, which can be fitted quickly and easily in under six minutes! It’s also ideal for temporary terraces.

Bugal Bugal presents two different types of floor pedestals, namely one for assembly on beams and another for assembly on terrace tiles. These terrace pedestals are of the Verindal+ trademark and guarantee an easy and speedy terrace fitting. The differences in height to be bridged by the pedestals for beams range from 40 to 230mm (up to 260mm for tiles), but can be raised using the tools R20 and 360. Pedestals can cope with all sizes of beams with no limitations as regards width or height. The pedestal head, which is 120mm long, is fitted with two holes to secure the beams. The height is regulated using a system of rotating screws which block once the required height is reached. Each pedestal can bear 1000kg. The pedestals can withstand temperatures from -20 to 80°C.

Hapax Atlas/Hapax Rock Hapax presents the Hapax Atlas adjustable terrace pedestals and the Hapax Rock ecological screw foundation. The diversity in upper panels means that the Hapax Atlas terrace pedestals can be used for solid and precise fitting of both tile terraces in concrete, ceramics, and natural stone and for wooden terraces, all with the same pedestal. For

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Floor Forum International 96

Impertek Hi-Line Rooftop Bar MORE THAN 2,300 IMPERTEK SUPPORTS AT THE CROWN RESORT IN PERTH We are pleased to present the Hi-Line Rooftop Bar, the Crown Resort’s new rooftop bar in Perth, Australia, where Impertek’s Balance pedestals have been used to support 600 square metres of luxury flooring. Crown Perth opened in 1985 and, today, it runs three hotels, with more than 1,000 rooms, luxury suites and villas, a golf course, a world-class convention centre, a theatre, gaming rooms, some spas and private spa facilities for guests and a large number of restaurants, bars, nightclubs and luxury retail outlets. The Hi-Line Rooftop Bar, located on a

00718 Visual Comunicazione – VE Photography: Stevie Jane Langford

terrace of nearly 1,000 square metres with a panoramic view of the city’s beautiful skyline, is an extremely relaxing setting, where guests can enjoy spending time in an elegant and spacious outdoor area, with wooden and thin white or black iron structures, simple geometric shapes, stools and armchairs lit by light bulbs on wires that alternate with evergreen plants and parasols. The flooring is made of wide tiles in dark and light grey porcelain measuring 60x60 cm, covering over 600 square metres. Below, there are as many as 2,300 adjustable supports of the Pedestal Line by Impertek, with a Balance self-levelling head (which automatically corrects ground slopes by up to 5% to obtain perfectly levelled final flooring), heads with specific wings for stone floorings and heads designed for decking floorings, CP slope correctors and clips to construct perfect steps and vertical fixing.

IMPECCABLE

performance

Solidor

Solidor pedestals are made from polypropylene. They can bear temperatures between -25°C and + 80°C and have a load capacity of up to 1000 kg. As soon as the right height is set, the pedestal can be fixed in place easily. The base panel has a surface area of 300cm². The system can regulate a height between 17mm and 1m. Automatic slope correctors are available to offset the required slope (up to 10%). These must not be anchored into the ground, since they are re-usable.

Depending on the strength of the beams used, it is advisable to position the feet 40 to 60cm from each other. The beams are positioned separately on the terrace bases or screwed into the middle of the upper support panel. Solidor gives a 10-year guarantee. Solidor pedestals can be fitted quickly and easily and used for a wide range of floors e.g. wooden beams, floor tiles in wood or concrete, etc.

Adjustable supports for outdoor raised floors M A D E I N I T A LY · I M P E R T E K . C O M

Special

Producers of adhesives for floors in vinyl, PVC and LVT

GLUES FOR FLEXIBLE FLOORS MAKE DIFFERENT DEMANDS THINNER FLOOR COVERING REQUIRES THINNER LAYERS OF GLUE Viscosity We can say in general that LVT glues differ mainly in viscosity. They have a much lower viscosity because they have to be applied thinly, often using a roller or fine notched trowel. This contrasts with a parquet glue where the standing time of the adhesive grooves is very important.

Dry glueing Glues for flexible floors (e.g. LVT or PVC…) are also of a different sort because the type of material to be glued has to be completely different (flexible versus inflexible and smooth dense substrate versus wood with a more open structure). Since an LVT or PVC floor can hardly absorb the damp in the glue, you need a glue which can cope with semi-damp or virtually dry glueing.

Lower sideways tensile force These materials swell and shrink a lot less than wood, and that means different demands as regards elasticity. The glue and the subfloors come under much less pressure (less sideways tensile forces) than with wooden floors. Nevertheless, the glue has to be strong enough to make a durable bond.

Permanent or non-permanent Photo – BASF - Thomsit

Elsewhere in this edition we present hybrid parquet glues, those glues which are seen as the result of a mixture of the good features of other glues. Hybrid glues seem to make life easier for parquet floor fitters because they are more or less universal. That doesn’t mean that we can throw away all other glues just like that. For instance, there are still different rules for flexible floor coverings. That brings us firstly to dispersion glues. Yet aren’t dispersion glues also hybrid by nature?

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Another distinction which we can draw for flexible floor coverings is that between permanent and non-permanent glueing. A number of glues allow for non-permanent glueing, and this means that the floor covering can be removed without damaging the subfloor. That is the case, for instance, with a modified polymer-acrylate bond.

Type of glueing We have given adequate coverage in the past to the different sorts of glueing and the difference between chemical and physical glueing. As we’ve already said, with parquet it is the sort of wood and the type of substrate which largely determine which glue is most suitable. This is no less the case for glueing flexible floor coverings. Surrounding conditions (e.g. damp and oxygen) almost always play a part.

Other demands

Physical glueing

The demands for fitting flexible floor coverings are different to those for fitting parquet, and that distinction starts clearly with the substrate, which has to be much flatter and have greater density. After all, any unevenness in the substrate will soon show up on the ‘visible’ side. The combination of thin and flexible obviously only increases that effect.

This means that lots of preparatory efforts are necessary for glueing flexible floor coverings in order to make the substrate suitable. By suitable we mean ‘perfectly level’ and free of any possible residual dust and dirt. In many cases, for glueing LVT, PVC, linoleum, or cork, prior levelling will be essential. As regards the glue itself, the differences lie in a number of important areas.

Let’s remind ourselves about physical glueing like that for glueing flexible floor coverings. There is no chemical reaction with the types of glues which work on the basis of a physical reaction. There are different mechanisms possible. For instance, the adhesive reaction can take place as a result of the loss of solvent. This is done by evaporation.

Usually, the solvent is left to evaporate for a certain time before fastening the parts to be glued to each other (e.g. cycle glue, wood glue, or paper glue). Another physical glue reaction comes about through cooling; the mass of glue is applied as a hot liquid to the surface to be glued. Adhesion to the second material to be glued is achieved through cooling.

Floor Forum International 96

Dispersion glue Together with a number of PU glues, dispersion glue is generally promoted as ‘the ideal glue’ for flexible floor coverings. Dispersion glues are applied on one side using a brush, spatula, or trowel, glue roller, gun, or cylinder. It is essential for dispersion glues that the substrate has to be uniform. In the case of parquet glue a strongly absorbent substrate must be pre-treated first with a primer. Substrates which are not level enough must be levelled first. Once the glue is applied, the floorboards must be fitted immediately so that the glue isn’t exposed to the air for too long.

non-absorbent substrates it is also possible to use dual-component PU or epoxy glues or to opt for contact glueing with a dispersion glue or a solvent contact glue. One of the best products from the Bostik range of floor covering glues is BOSTIK POWER ELASTIC, a dispersion glue with a brief waiting time and very strong initial and final adhesion. It is highly resistant to shearing stresses and can withstand heat of up to 50°C. Moreover, this glue is absolutely ideal for glueing all PVC, rubber (maximum thickness up to 4mm), and all LVT floors. It is also suitable for glueing linoleum.

Basf -Thomsit

A selection from the range Adesiv

For glueing flexible floor coverings Adesiv presents Adetac S, a universal single-component acrylic glue of very high quality and with an EC1 certificate. This glue is suitable for glueing all sorts of vinyl, rubber, PVC, linoleum, and textile onto both absorbent and non-absorbent substrates. In contrast to wooden floors, these floors swell and shrink a lot less, so there is no need for elastic glues. If the condition of the screed requires it (e.g. powdery or loose), it will be necessary to apply a primer. It is usually also advisable to use a self-levelling levelling agent to be sure of getting a perfectly level floor. The 2K PU glue Pelpren PL6-G is recommended for glueing PVC and rubber both in and outdoors.

Bostik The most common glues for glueing vinyl, linoleum, PVC, and LVT floors are water-based dispersion glues. The binding agent which guarantees the adhesive strength of these glues usually consists of vinyl or acrylic resins, which are dissolved in water together with other auxiliary substances, such as fillers, additives, fungicidal agents, antioxidants, etc. Some glues may also contain a small quantity of solvent (<5%). If their solvent content is less than 5%, they are designated as ‘low-solvent’, whilst a solvent content of less than 0.5% means they are designated as ‘solventless’. With dispersion glues it is possible to execute damp, semi-damp, dry, and contact glueing.

Dispersion glues are particularly suitable for glueing vinyl, PVC, linoleum, and LVT floors onto absorbent substrates such as onto a levelling layer in most cases. For glueing these floor coverings onto

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Thomsit presents as its best product the Thomsit K 188 E, a special high-performance dispersion adhesive for wet and effective glueing of PVC floor coverings in strips or tiles (incl. PVC on foam), CV floor coverings, vinyl tiles, and textile floor covering with latex, PVC and PU- foam backing. K 188 E is ideal for glueing non-absorbant floor coverings onto non-aborbant substrates e.g. PVC onto PVC. It is also suitable for glueing rubber with a thickness of up to 2.5 mm and with a smooth back in strips and tiles. Use Thomsit K 150 Dispersion Adhesive Rubber for rubber in thicknesses of more than 2.5mm. Thomsit also presents its Thomsit K 145 Designtack, roll-on adhesive for easy fixing of PVC design flooring (LVT). A new product is the K 188S, which is particularly suitable for LVT. This low-emission dispersion glue has an impressively rapid initial adhesive strength. A solid adhesive bond and high shear strength mean secure fastening of PVC design floor furnishing. The glue is easy to spread.

Chimiver Chimiver offers a complete line of adhesives for floors in vinyl, PVC and LVT. ADESIVER RE 400 EXTRA and ADESIVER RE 400 SP are an acrylic water-based thixothropic adhesive characterized by high solid content, excellent spreadability and low water content. Specific for indoor of: carpet and needle punched textile with any backing provided they are dimensionally stable; linoleum up to 3 mm thickness; vinyl floors supported by felt; PVC flooring in rolls or tiles; textile floor coverings; semi-rigid vinyl; rubber sheets up to 3 mm

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Special

Producers of adhesives for floors in vinyl, PVC and LVT

thickness; PVC flooringand coverings; flooring and wall covering made by coco with back in latex; styrofoam livings and syrofoam flooring.

Suitable for absorbent and semi-absorbent subfloors. ADESIVER RE 400 SP it's also suitable for LVT (luxury vinyl tiles) flooring.

roller. The floorboards (for a removable fitting on a porous and smooth substrate) are applied with a roller. Floorboards aren’t fitted until the colour of the applied glue changes from milky white to transparent (5 to 10 minutes).

Devo®

STAUF

There are permanent and removable glues for LVT. The most popular bonding is a polymer-acrylate bonding.

Glueing LVT doesn’t make great demands of a glue. The permanent 2-component glues have a similar base and don’t vary very much from parquet glues.

Removable acrylate glues are not used for parquet. They don’t have enough tensile strength and cannot be combined with most primers, etc. This is a completely different technology. In general, we can say that LVT glues differ mainly in terms of viscosity. They have a much lower viscosity because they have to be applied thinly, often with a roller or slender notched trowel. This is in contrast to a parquet glue where the standing time of the adhesive grooves is very important.

Devo® Glue VNR150 spreads very well and is usually applied with the

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

presents

Your Premium Polymer of Choice for Parquet and LVT Adhesives 50

Floor Forum International 96

Special

Finishing and maintaining wooden wall cladding

OIL IS STILL THE PREFERRED PROTECTION FOR EXTERIOR WALLS WALL EMBELLISHMENT AND PROTECTION AT THE SAME TIME the house with regard to wind directions.

Sun and insects

Photo –Plastor

One well known chemical producer believes that all types of wood can be left untreated, but the fact is that wood which is not treated will degrade faster. Belgian legislation does stipulate that it is obligatory to treat any wood in durability classes IV & V. That same producer believes that products which do not form a film are the most suitable since they can never peel off and don’t have to be sandpapered when they are freshened up. Our enquiries led to one major conclusion: All products point in the direction of ‘saturation’, and therefore towards oily products. Absolute unanimity!

Different to terrace wood We’ve said it before: The influences to which wooden walls are subjected are different to those of terrace wood. For instance, the risks of mechanical damage or wear and tear through use are virtually negligible. Water, too, constitutes only a minimal problem, if the wall is well ventilated. After all, the wall planks are ‘on their sides’ and do not come into contact with the ground. The dangers for wooden walls lie in the climate and in nature. In that regard wooden walls do face the same enemies as terrace wood. For instance, the lifespan of wooden wall cladding is affected strongly by the orientation of the (covered part of)

Ultraviolet light, oxygen, and water together lay the foundation for ageing and potential wood rot (see below). In a photochemical process sunlight breaks up the dark-coloured lignin, one of the main components of wood. The light-coloured cellulose, that other component, is all that is left behind. You can see from the ageing process that the colour of the cellulose starts to dominate. What we perceive visually to be ‘ageing’ is actually a microscopically thin layer of wood which is disintegrating. The ageing can be darker or lighter, depending on the environment and the extent to which the air is polluted. Apart from those environmental conditions, there’s also the threat of living organisms. The major threats to outdoor wood are wood worm and wood rot. The wood worm is a larva of the wood worm beetle.

The designation ‘worm’ also refers to the larvae, since a wood worm is essentially a beetle. The wood worm lives in natural surrounds mainly in trees with hard wood, such as oak and fruit trees, for instance. Wood rot is a fungus which mainly affects wood which comes into contact with (too much) damp. In some cases the fungus is visible. Sometimes wood rot betrays itself as the wood surface turns brown and crumbly or looks greyish white and spongy. The fungus often penetrates the wood inside via the head sides, such as the underside of a stake, the place where two beams touch each other, the connecting points of window frame sections, etc. In particular, wood which is often exposed to wind is vulnerable to wood rot.

Why protect the wood?

One of the points of view held by several players is that wooden wall cladding needs to be treated from a durability perspective, especially in order to avoid an expensive total renovation. When durability plays a part in the decision, it is also clear that the natural durability of the chosen wood plays a part. Some people believe that wood sorts from classes I and II shouldn’t need any protection whatsoever. The same applies to some wood sorts from class III, although you do need to take care since less durable planks can sometimes be found in that class.

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Floor Forum International 96

51

Special

Finishing and maintaining wooden wall cladding

Wood sorts from the lower durability classes IV and V need to undergo an industrial process to make them more durable (thermal or chemical modification) if they are to be suitable for use as wall cladding.

Protection without a film This is generally the preferred treatment which producers recommend, and that brings us to oils and stains. Stains contain a low content of resins and therefore create a thin film with a certain transparency so that the structure of the wood is still visible. These are the finishes which are said to leave no film or merely a semi-film. They offer a longer lifespan in proportion to the extent to which they contain dark colours with better UV resistance. Natural or modified oils (urethane or acrylic) are transparent and more or less coloured products, but with no colours. Finishes which deploy non-modified oil are not recommended for outdoor applications since they create a breeding ground for fungi and algae. Moreover, oils are used a lot in the production of alkyd resins for stains and paints.

Painting is obviously possible It is clear that we have been speaking primarily about the ‘protection’ of wood for walls. Nevertheless, there are applications where embellishment takes centre stage. Suppose that the surrounds are wintry and grey for long periods of the year. How can you cheer up your surrounds? Answer: with wooden wall cladding in every possible young and fresh colour. This is all the rage in several Scandinavian countries. The same reasoning for a white sandy beach full of brightly painted beach cabins. This puts us in the territory of paints. Paints may contain a very high content of resins which completely cover the structure of the wood i.e. the so called film-forming finishes. The use of dark paints is not recommended because the film absorbs the heat of the sun. This results in a sharp rise (of 60 to 70°C) in the surface temperature in the summer and, in some cases, the separation of the resin from certain types of wood, cracks in the coat of paint, or splits in the wood. That’s why we use those bright colours!

What’s on the market?

Blanchon

otherwise: Saturator (‘Saturateur’) and Monocoat Saturator (‘Saturateur Monocouche’). For a few years now, Blanchon has also sold the Ecological Saturator (‘Saturateur Environnement’), which is part of the Ecological Quality Line (‘Ligne Qualité Environnement’) and scores well at all points. It can also be applied to exotic sorts of wood immediately after the fitting. In this range, too, Blanchon offers the Blanchon Ecological Opaque Saturator (‘Satureur Opaque Environnement Blanchon’). With the new anti-UV systems it is now possible to apply a finish/protection which fully retains the original colour of the wood. These products work against UV on the basis of new ‘agents’ so that the lignin cannot be affected by sunrays. The ‘Colourless Anti-UV System’ (‘Système Anti-UV Incolore’) is a colourless protection system to counter the effects of sunlight on wood. Whilst protection from UV light is traditionally linked to the addition of dyes, this system is colourless. A new type of protection has emerged in the form of Oil Protection (‘Huile Bardage’), which does provide a touch of colour, but leaves the wood grain visible. Finally, there are the new glazers Tech Wood and Ecological All Wood Azure (‘Lasure Tous Bois Environnement’) based on a new generation of resins and designed for all sorts of wood.

Chimiver 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. Also available in LIGHT version, which doesn't alterate the natural colour of wood, particularly indicated for the treatment of south-american species (i.e. IPÈ Lapacho, Tobaco etc.) and other similar types of outdoor woods painted in autoclave (usually green colour). Doesn't degrade rubbers ad expansion joints.

Available Versions STANDARD: slightly colored in order to give a warm tone to the decking.

LIGHT: transparent to keep the natural wood color.

Ecofa

Blanchon believes that some sorts of wood, such as red cedar, douglas, and meleze, can be left untreated. The same applies to other wood sorts once they have had a durability treatment. The application of a protection is usually designed to preserve the original colour of the wood. Before the new-generation products emerged, the only possible protection was through ‘saturation’. Blanchon has a double assortment here. The Blanchon Wood Saturator (‘Satureur Bois Blanchon’) is a saturator based on the traditional composition of oil, coloured or

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Ecofa recommends applying three coats of its Fantastic Exterior Oil (‘huile Fantastique Extérieur’) to ensure that the wood doesn’t turn black. The process will need to be repeated every

three to four years, depending on the exposure. This oil can also be used for tropical sorts of wood such as bankirai. The oil can be applied quickly and easily. It penetrates deep into the wood, but preserves the elasticity of the wood and prevents dehydration. Polishing the wood after application is not necessary. This oil can also be deployed on porous tiles. One to three coats are applied to protect new wood, whilst renovation is done by sandpapering locally (grey patches) and applying a little oil with a cloth. For a complete renovation it will be necessary to remove all the old oil first.

Osmo Long-lasting protection for timber cladding Osmo Natural Oil Woodstain is a microporous, transparent coloured finish and is especially suited for timber cladding. The finish is a base and top coat in one. It protects wood against moisture and is extremely weather-resistant and UV-stable. The breathable surface is protected against mould, algae and fungal attack. For renovation works, normally one coat is sufficient, no previous sanding necessary. Choose from 19 various colours, such as Patina or Oak. One litre of Natural Oil Woodstain covers approx. 26 m2 with one coat.

Rubio Monocoat Rubio Monocoat presents a full range for finishing and protecting outdoor wood. Good preparation is essential for an optimal end result. For that purpose people use Rubio Monocoat Exterior Wood Cleaner.

This cleaner fully removes dirt, grease, and moss. It can be used on all types of wood. During the cleaning, the wood pores are opened to achieve a smoother result during the oil treatment. The finish is applied using Rubio Monocoat Hybrid Wood Protector, which colours and protects in one 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 maintenance are part of the convenience of this product. It is available in 12 modern natural wood colours and eight pop colours. The product contains no solvents, no water, and no VOCs. Rubio® Monocoat Sunprimer HWP is a water-based primer with an anti-UV effect, which can be applied optionally to vertical outdoor wood as a pre-treatment for a finish with RMC Hybrid Wood Protector. RMC Sunprimer HWP, which is always applied in the same colour as the RMC Hybrid Wood Protector, guarantees a deep penetration of the colour dyes and thereby creates an even more intense colour.

Plastor

As soon as wood meets the demands of class 3b (naturally durable), it doesn’t need any treatment. However, like all other wood sorts, these, too, will eventually turn grey under the influence of sunlight. And so, whether or not to treat them is an aesthetic decision; some opt to let the wood turn grey, whilst others wish to preserve the original colour of the wood. To treat these sorts you need a saturation product (saturator) which does not leave a film and doesn’t flake off. For saturating all sorts of wood, Plastor presents the Saturator PUR-T Deck. This is absolutely ideal for noble wooden wall cladding sorts such as cedar, mélèze, and douglas. The product is made on a base of natural oils, penetrates deep into the wood, and makes it waterproof.

Reinforced with an anti-UV component, this PUR-T Deck also provides protection against ageing. The wood structure comes out nicely thanks to the matt finish.

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Producers of skirting boards with vinyl or LVT inlay

SKIRTING BOARDS WITH INLAY ENSURE A PERFECT MATCH THE FLOOR COVERING TAKES UP A PIECE OF THE WALL

Photo – Küberit

Many years ago, there was already a sort of silent pact between laminate makers and manufacturers of skirting boards and profiles. The latter kept a close eye on trends or, even stronger, they looked at current trends of major players and adapted their range of skirting boards accordingly. The result? An ‘almost’ perfect match between the floor covering and the edge finish. The question is obviously still the same: Do we really want a perfect match? If we do, how perfect is that match?

Almost perfect match What is the difference between almost perfect and perfect when it comes to the decor of floor coverings and skirting boards? It’s the same as the difference between ‘approximately the same’ and ‘identical’.

With laminate, you can work with combinations of classes. You have a number of wood sorts used as a decor. Some of them are very popular, others less so. Oak, for example, is ‘number 1’. And so, you choose the most popular. Then you look to see which colours are available. There are also some figures on that. Then there are degrees of gloss. All classes. If you combine them wisely, you get a range of skirting boards with a good chance that they will suit lots of floors from various producers.

You get a ‘perfect’ match when you use the floor covering itself as a skirting board. You cut a strip of laminate off from the floor in question,

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you stamp it into an inlay skirting board for that purpose and, yes, you have an inlay skirting board.

Perfect match with digital print The manufacturers of skirting boards and profiles have all discovered and adopted digital print technology. For vinyl, PVC, linoleum, cork, and scores of other flexible or semi-flexible floor coverings it was already possible to scan the decor of the fitted floor covering and reproduce it perfectly for skirting boards and profiles. Technically, developers often felt that a lot of those floors, due to their purpose, had to be more or less waterproof. And so, you can print the decor on 100% PVC skirting boards and it ‘matches’ the edge finish both aesthetically and decoratively.

The aluminium ‘bearer’ It stands out: Various producers, apart from their versatile choice as a result of digital print, also offer the chance to use a fragment of the fitted floor covering itself for the edge finish. This can be done by either inserting a floor strip into a special bearer or by fastening a floor strip onto a base panel. Here we see that with almost all skirting board makers the skirting board itself is made of aluminium, into which the floor strip is inserted or glued. At all events, the harmony is always perfect. And so, parquet floor fitters create their skirting boards simply on

the site and, to that end, can even recycle remains which would normally be lost.

Do we really want a match?

On the role of skirting boards in the interior there are various opinions, ‘points of view’ about interior styles, and those points of view continue to go their own way, often with sad consequences. The key question always relates to the impact of skirting boards on the room and, therefore, the atmosphere. There’s a world of difference between adapting the skirting board to the walls, so that it forms part of it, or to the floor, or to nothing at all. When we ask around, not amongst producers, but amongst parquet traders, we get a strong impression that the non-match is well out in front. Parquet traders seem to tend to make skirting boards in the same finish as the wall, especially to avoid the dreaded tub effect. And so, at present, that seems to be the prevailing point of view. However, skirting board producers still have to continue to provide an answer to each of those points of view, if only because points of view can change rapidly. It’s no easy job!

An overview Auer Metallprofile DESIGN skirting – the modern profile

powder coating are available on request. Matching inside and outside corners can either be mitred cut or manufactured as a 30x30 mm corner by us.

Carl Prinz Carl Prinz produces skirting boards with an insert unit into which a strip of the floor covering can be inserted. The strips are cut from the floor covering itself, so that in some respects the floor covering is transferred to the wall. This system can be used for floors from 2 to 5mm thick. The skirting board is in one piece and is 60mm high. Obviously, all special items (e.g. curves or corners) are available. Furthermore, Carl Prinz also has skirting board systems for skirting boards of variable height. The strip from the floor covering determines the height of the skirting board at that point. The bearer is produced from aluminium, anodised in classic silver with a delicate semblance of titanium. With these systems it is easy to replace the floor strip without having to dismantle the skirting board itself.

La San Marco Profili For almost 30 years, La San Marco Profili is specialized in manufacturing both skirting and outdoor flooring of different typologies for the refined wood industry. The company offers a wide range of skirting boards in different essences, sizes and finishes. Each skirting is available in various finishes, including lacquering, oiling, brushing and staining, that provide aesthetic and practical

In addition to a multitude of stair nosings and connecting profiles and special profiles, Auer Metallprofile also have various skirtings made of stainless steel and aluminum. From flat i-shape, via click-skirting, and then to edged and extruded L-shapes, to r-skirting boards to bump and push a variety of coverings, such as the 60x10x3.2mm aluminum design skirting. This is suitable for bonding 2 to 3 mm coverings and adapts optimally in every room by the combination with the laid design floor. This skirting board is available in the anodized colors silver and stainless steel color as standard colors. Other anodized colors and with

The complete underlay collection encompasses with currently 22 sales-boosting products solutions for almost all applications

u Acoustic underlays for highest demands

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u Underlays out of natural raw material u Cost-effective underlays u Moisture protection and self-adhesive tapes Your complete supplier for flooring accessories

Floor Forum International 96 www.parkettfreund.com

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Producers of skirting boards with vinyl or LVT inlay

comfort. The secret of company success and increasingly turnover is due thanks to its constant adaptation to client demand and changing market situation. Its attention to details, especially to aesthetics, inspired the company to create a series of new products with different shapes and finishing that easily match the requirements of the most demanding interior designer and architects. Among our product, there is the-flush-with-the-wall system, a modern skirting studied for a particular installation system that is able to catch it with an elegance that always distinguishes La San Marco Profili.

Küberit Küberit presents two aluminium skirting boards into which an inlay from the fitted floor can be inserted. This means you can also use the floor itself at once as a skirting board.

These skirting boards have been developed specially for floors for which there are no specially adapted skirting boards available. The first one is suitable for floor thicknesses of 2 to 3mm, the other for 2 to 11mm. As regards accessories, there are inner and outer corners, connecting pieces, and end cuts in aluminium. These inlay skirting boards are available in anodised silver and anodised stainless steel (look) so that

they can be deployed for various types of floors and interior styles. As an alternative, Küberit can make corresponding skirting boards thanks to digital print technology. These skirting boards are developed in such a way that the inlay can be inserted as a plank, but also in the shape of a roll.

Progress Profiles Within its range of skirting boards, Progress Profiles presents the ‘Skirting 7016’ and ‘Skirting 7011’, two new ranges of skirting boards for floating laminate floors. These are produced in PVC foam with a height of 70mm and a depth of 16mm. These skirting boards can be combined with over 30 different wood colours. The inlay can be fitted by glueing or using screws or nails. These new products are strong, durable, economical, easy to fit, and ecological. They can be used in both private and public applications. PVC or LVT inlays are also possible. The bearing element is in aluminium, stainless steel, or expanded PVC foam. The inlay is fitted in the factory. A new item is the Proskirting INS with an integrated system for creating an inserted skirting board in which a piece from the floor is fastened onto the aluminium skirting board.

STATE OF THE ART PROFILES

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

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Special

LVT, PVC and vinyl in XXL format

EXTRA LARGE DESIGN FLOORS THE LIMITATIONS OF WOOD DON’T APPLY For big rooms Wide planks in parquet or wooden floors have a huge spatial effect.

However, this is feasible only when it comes to big rooms. In small rooms excessively wide and long floorboards would be completely out of place and create the impression which you get if you were to furnish a floor with wooden panels. The reasoning is the same as that for some specific fitting patterns. Hungarian point and herringbone, for instance, are available in long and wide strips, but they come into their own only in big rooms. The implications for imitation floors are then quite obvious; the same aesthetic rules apply there. The fact that there are no technical limitations to a photograph and the type of photograph hardly affects the price at all does not necessarily make it attractive. An imitation of wide floorboards in vinyl or PVC in rolls or in LVP is suitable only for a big room.

Limitations with wood Why should wood have any technical limitations? Why do people sometimes ask: ‘How far can you go?’ The fact is that there are various limitations.

Economical The first limit is undoubtedly the ‘limited stock’. Solid wood planks give you the most attractive look of broad and long. With wide wooden floors, the effects of natural beauty show up even more in the floorboards. The wood grain of each plank is different and since the planks are broader, the wood grain is better preserved than with narrower planks. Yet it’s precisely when we talk about solid wood planks that we realise that the stock is obviously limited. Since one sort of wood can produce broader trunks than another sort, the plank width of all wood sorts is not equally as big. We talk of very wide wooden floors with walnut if the planks are 18cm wide. However, with douglas pine it is possible to supply a width of over 30cm.

Technical

Photo – Ziro

People love wide and long floorboards. They exude a certain elegance and give a room something exclusive. That desire in wood does involve some related implications, which mean that ‘ long and wide’ planks are not always the best choice.

Those implications diminish or even disappear when it comes to synthetic or design floors. We’ve said it often enough: Since the decor of these floors is a ‘photograph’, the decor doesn’t involve any technical limits. However, there are some comparable decorative limits.

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The fact that wood can swell and shrink under fluctuating conditions is a point for attention. Wood is like a sponge. If it dries, it shrinks, but if it gets wet, it swells. That never changes, and there’s no such wood which doesn’t swell and shrink. Wood shrinks, but it doesn’t shrink evenly. That creates tensions which can give rise to warps or cracks.

Not all wood sorts shrink as much. Beech shrinks quite a lot and is less suitable for dimensionally stable constructions. Teak shrinks very little, so we call it a stable sort of wood. The biggest shrinking occurs as the tree rings diminish in circumference. That’s why there’s always a crack towards the kernel. And so, good wood must always be sawn without the kernel. The wider the planks, the greater the risk of ‘swelling and shrinking’.

Design floors XXL Synthetic floors are subject to all those limitations much less or even not at all. For instance, PVC is completely indifferent to damp. Neither is there an economic limitation. This means producers can set their

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LVT, PVC and vinyl in XXL format

dimensioning as they see fit. The question is whether or not they get demands from the market segment and, if so, whether or not they (want to) meet them. Let’s take a look at the market.

V-Line Discover the floor of the future: XCore XL

What’s on the market ?

Aspecta

For large sizes it is necessary to pay attention to a number of technical specifications. Wide planks require greater stability and a comfortable click system. ASPECTA TEN has the 5mm ISOCORE bearer, which ensures stability. That’s why this floor can be fitted in rooms up to 400m² without an expansion joint. With the DROPLOCK 100 click system, you need only a block and a rubber hammer for the fitting. The cutting is done using a cutter. This floor is available in 1819 x 219mm and in 1510 x 220mm. ASPECTA TEN is produced on a vinyl substrate with sealed cell so that it is 100% waterproof. Thanks to the PE back, there is an impact sound reduction of 18dB. Oak and concrete are best-sellers.

Forbo Flooring

At Forbo Flooring they have also seen a demand in PVC for XXL sizes. In its Allura LVT range, Forbo Flooring also have an XL size of 150 x 28cm and an XXL size of 180 x 32cm. The XL tiles of 100 x 100cm are also doing well. In their Allura Click range they have an XL size of 150.5 x 23.7cm. Finally, in the Allura Flex range (loose-fitting tiles) there is also the XL size 150 x 28cm and the tile 100 x 100cm. There are also imitations of long and wide planks in the designs of vinyl, PVC, and linoleum in rolls. The best-sellers are therefore Allura LVT, Allura Click, and Allura flex.

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The V-Line brand has the most valuable pavement on the market: XCore. This floor of hybrid composition is designed for large surfaces, guaranteeing unparalleled dimensional stability in rooms with significant changes in temperature. It’s 100% water and moisture resistant and suitable to be installed on electric and water heating. Its structure already incorporates a foam base that avoids the need for leveling, provides a significant sound reduction and prevents the appearance of subfloor marks. The patented technology used, the quality, the formats, the finishes and the wide range of colors available, with the latest trends, has made the XCore collection, aimed at the professional channel and Contract, counts today with the confidence of customers around the world. XCore was recognized as Innovation@Domotex 2017 at the Domotex Hannover for its innovative structure, remaining among the 38 best in the world.

Ziro The extensive range from Ziro obviously also includes LVT floor covering in extra large sizes. Although those large sizes are enjoying great success, the most important element is still the decor itself.

The preferred trademark at Ziro is Vinylan Plus Object, with a top layer of 0.55mm (class 32/33). It is perfectly suitable for commercial use, but, thanks to the attractive decors, also ideal for the modern home.

Amongst other things, the trademark offers long-board decors in vinyl, made from pure vinyl with no phthalate. The range comprises 14 decors above 1.80m and some with embossing. The range comes in three versions: for glueing in 2.5 x 1829 x 229mm, a comfort version with a bottom layer of cork on a 6.8mm HDF base in 11 x 1800 x 220mm, and a hydro version in 6.6 x 1800 x 220mm.

Special

Producers of hybrid adhesives

HYBRID GLUES FOR PARQUET ARE A LOGICAL DEVELOPMENT MOST EXPERTS ARE NOW CONVINCED glue for a particular application. In response to the question as to how it works, there was already the division between physical and chemical adhesive bonds. Then there was the standard EN 204, which charted the suitability of glues in co-relation to moisture, the so called four durability classes.

Glue according to durability classes Glues are divided into four durability classes according to the standard EN 204. These classes indicate the types of applications for which certain glues are suitable. For instance, since dispersion glues are not very waterproof, they are in classes D1, D2, and D3, classes which are suitable mainly for indoor applications.

Photo – Devo®

Various factors help to determine which glue is the most suitable for glueing any wooden floor. For instance, it is necessary to consider the type and flatness of the substrate.

The properties and dimensions of the floor covering also affect stability. As for the type of floor, with some types we want to eliminate the natural movements of the wood completely, whilst we want to show a certain tolerance with other types. Forms of glue technology have risen in numbers vastly over the years. Hybrid glues take ‘something’ from everything.

The sum of all the good In recent years, we’ve bombarded parquet floor fitters with scores of glue divisions to make it somewhat easier to choose the right parquet

Durability class

Description of the climatic conditions

D1

Interior with occasional short-term exposure to temperatures over 50°C and where the moisture content of the wood does not exceed 15%.

D2

Interior with occasional short-term exposure to running or condensed water and/or to high relative humidity for limited periods.

Interior doors, stairs, furniture.

D3

Interior with frequent shortterm exposure to running or condensed water and/or to high relative humidity for longer periods. Exterior use not exposed to the weather.

Kitchens, bathrooms, parquet, subfloors, roofs, walls.

D4

Interior with frequent longterm exposure to running or condensed water. Exterior exposed to weather, but with protection from an adequate surface coating.

Kitchen, bathrooms, subfloors, roofs, walls.

Examples

(Source: standard EN 204)

Which wood on which substrate?

Another division gives a summary of commonly used glues in accordance with the sort of wood, the sort of parquet, and the substrate.

Note! We give this division merely for illustrative purposes and it is certainly not in current use.

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Producers of hybrid adhesives

SORT OF GLUE

SORT OF GLUE

Solventless, waterless dispersion glues

These glues can be used for wood sorts which are not likely to swell and traditional parquet floors on wooden subfloors. They can be used for mosaic parquet, planks, or laminate (max 250 x 50mm), Traditional parquet 6-8mm (glued and nailed).

They are NOT suitable for beech, moisture-sensitive wood, or exotic wood.

Dualcomponent and PU glue

MS polymer glue

This is ideal for indoor glueing of solid wood planks, solid wood traditional parquet, mosaic subfloors, planks or laminate, wood-engineered parquet, multi-layer or ready-for-use parquet.

These glues ARE suitable for planks of large sizes and ARE suitable for moisture-sensitive wood on non-absorbent substrates.

These glues can be used for glueing all sorts of parquet and wood onto suitable substrates indoors and can be deployed universally. Glueing subfloors (mosaic and chipboard), glueing planks, mosaic parquet, wood-engineered parquet, multi-layer parquet, ready-for-use parquet, or laminate. They CAN be used for exotic wood sorts and for moisture-sensitive wood on non-absorbent substrates.

SORT OF SUBSTRATE

Good absorbent substrates.

Subfloors for wood, chipboard, or OSB

The fact that these glues do not contain any hazardous substances is a benefit with regard to the floor fitter’s health and at the same time with regard to the legislation. After all, there is no danger to the user. And so, the packet does not display any hazard symbols.

They are easy to use These glues are just as easy to use as most other glues, if not easier.

Here, the manufacturers each bring their own expertise in their own way. In recent years, a lot of work has been done for the benefit of users so that these glues are very easy to spread. In many cases the open time is half an hour and the storage life is now at least 12 months.

They offer quality glueing Absorbent and non-absorbent substrates.

Generally NOT suitable for direct glueing onto tile floors or anhydrite.

These glues guarantee quality glueing on smooth substrates without a primer. No bubbles form in the mass of glue, so a stronger unbroken layer of glue is formed. Since these glues attract less water, there is little chance of discolouration of cherry, for instance. For the same reason the chances of tense wood sorts curving on low to non-absorbent substrates are much less.

What’s on the market?

Blanchon

Absorbent and non-absorbent substrates such as anhydrite substrates, sand-cement covering floors, covering layers in concrete, levelling agents, wood, chipboard, OSB, heated floors, old tile floors, and terrazo.

The term hybrid is used in scores of fields and basically means the same everywhere. For instance, ‘hybrid art’ is the name for a cross between two or more genres of art which are essentially different from each other in music or expressive art. ‘Hybrid software’ combines the best of two software packets or licences and a ‘hybrid language’ is a cross between two languages. The term hybrid is used in the vehicle sector and also in the shipping industry to indicate that a motor vehicle or ship is driven by a combination of power sources, for instance by a petrol engine (or diesel engine) and an electro-engine. In other words, extract the benefits of different forms of technology, mix them up, and simply make a better product. Hybrid glues tell a similar story.

The strength of hybrid glues The great strength of the hybrid principle is not only that you can combine good features, but also that you can leave out less good features.

Here are some consequences.

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It is clear that when you take good features from different product groups, the end result can certainly have some strong assets.

These glues are non-hazardous

Hybrid: a little bit of everything

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Some assets

Standard forms of technology found in hybrid glues include vinyl glues, epoxy-polyurethane, polyurethanes (one and two components), and hybrid polymers. Some major assets of these glues are as follows: They are versatile, single-component and therefore handy in use, flexible, durable, and perfect for glueing wide floorboards. Moreover, they are only moderately susceptible to residual damp in the screed and have the same consistency in all seasons. At Blanchon the three references in this connection are hybrid polymers. The AB 1300, which is very comfortable during the work, will suffice for all classic glueing up to 130mm wide. The AB 2000 can be deployed for up to 200mm. Finally, there is the indispensable sausage glue which does not run when used vertically.

Worth knowing: Blanchon organises Technical Days (‘Journées Techniques’) each year for parquet traders.

Bostik Bostik believes that you can subdivide the composition of hybrid glues into three major groups: SiPU, MS polymer, and SPUR products. For parquet floor fitters the three types of glue will be spread in a similar manner, but the differences lie in the chemical composition, something which is an extremely complex material. MS polymers stand out from other groups, for instance, because they

don’t have a urethane link in their chemical chain. Hybrid glues such as the Parfix Elastic are gaining ground rapidly on classic PU and dispersion parquet glues because of their many advantages. Although more and more parquet floor fitters are aware of the existence of hybrid glues, many of them still find it difficult to weigh up the benefits against an often somewhat higher price. Obviously, the quality also depends mainly on the producer. Parquet floor fitters themselves note that all glues will adhere during the first few months, but that differences emerge in the course of time. Opting for cheaper products often means a sacrifice in terms of quality. Bostik regularly organises training sessions for clients, contractors, and parquet floor fitters to provide both theoretical and practical help and both general and specific assistance. And so, on such occasions they provide information on the various substrates and situations, which arise (partly in order to prevent certain common problems) and, specifically, which products/glues in the Bostik range can be best used in which context.

Chimiver ADESIVER ELASTIC is a single-component hydro-curing prepolymer based adhesive with a silanic termination (MS technology). Recommended for gluing of pre-finished wooden floor onto marble, grit, ceramic or marble-chip floor tiles, etc. Also suitable for gluing wooden floor onto subfloors with radiant heating.

ADESIVER ELASTIC has very good acoustic insulation characteristics.

CERTIFIED EC1R, Ü-Mark of Conformity, LEED protocol. UNISIL is 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; Sound Reduction; Heat conductivity, LEED protocol.

Devo® According to Devo® a hybrid glue is a glue for which at least two forms of binding/ setting technology are used. A commonly used combination at the moment, and to which one refers with this term, is the hybrid bonding between MS polymer and silane. Obviously, there are also other possible hybrid bondings. The term hybrid glue is sometimes used erroneously as an indication of good or poor quality, whereas hybrid glues are not per se better or worse than other sorts.

Devomat presents three MS polymer glues: Devo® Glue MSP 150 1C (semi-elastic), Devo® Glue MSP 200 1C (slightly elastic), and Devo® Glue MSP 250 1C (hard elastic). Devo® Glue MSP250 is packed in bags of 5kg.

This means you can work very cleanly without waste. You apply the quantity of glue needed at that time, whilst the rest stays in the bag.

Moreover, this aluminium bag also ensures a longer shelf life. The open time for Devo® Glue MSP250 is 50-80 minutes until a skin begins to form, and that means a long open time. Sound knowledge about this is

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still limited due to the rapid technological progress and the changing market. For this purpose Devo® organises monthly workshops and training sessions to inform professionals about these new forms of technology. Training sessions are organised every Friday afternoon.

Subjects such as substrate treatment and glues, parquet sandpapering, and DevoNatural® finish techniques follow each other in succession and are repeated each month.

DL Chemicals Like all forms of ‘hybrid’ technology, the term hybrid refers to the combination of properties from two fields (cf. petrol and electricity in hybrid vehicles). And so, a hybrid glue, for instance, is created by a combination of silicones and polyurethane. It offers a combination of benefits where ‘older’ generations of products sometimes fall short. In other words, hybrid glues are much more universal than, for instance, parquet glue based on alcohol. Classic glue based on alcohol is now used less, 2-component PU glue is another glue from the older generation, but it is still highly praised for its great strength (recommended with very wide wooden planks where curling of the plank can form a risk). Nevertheless, we are seeing that the emergence of hybrid polymer glues is yielding an ever greater market share, precisely because of its universal character. DL Chemicals presents Parabond Parquet 480 and Parabond Parquet 580. Apart from outstanding glueing, they both provide a barrier against rising damp if applied with the notched trowel supplied for that purpose. These hybrid glues (Parabond Parquet) have a good ratio of viscosity and adhesion power. And so, they can be spread easily and fluidly, but the adhesive grooves retain their shape until the plank is glued. The open time varies between 45 and 60 minutes. The glues have a shelf life of 12 months.

Emfi At EMFI they, too, they have seen hybrid glues gain ground on solvent-based glues and PU glues.

Emfiparquet has both PU glue and hybrid glues. Emfi presents as a hybrid glue Emfi Parquet Pro+, a parquet silanated polymer glue which is suitable for the full glueing of all types of parquet. Thanks to a vast amount of research and development, Emfi Parquet Pro+ complies with the strictest environmental standards.

The glue contains no solvents, no silicones, and no isocyanates. This glue is suitable for glueing very wide oak floorboards. It adheres very quickly and is easy to apply. Emfi Parquet Pro+ is a single-component glue.

Pallmann The Pallmann range includes its single-component STP glue ‘Pallmann P5’. This glue combines the elasticity of a polyurethane glue with the benefits of state-of-the-art STP

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Producers of hybrid adhesives

technology. The glue is extremely easy to apply without any risk of swelling, since it contains no water. Pallmann P5 is suitable for just about all types of wooden floors, including exotic types. This glue contains no solvents. The Pallmann P5 has an excellent filling capacity and a long open time. Glue residue can easily be removed. Pallmann P6 is a new high-tech, elastic, and single-component STP glue, in accordance with DIN 14 293, for glueing parquet. This glue combines the strength of dual-component glues with the comfort of a single-component glue.

Pallmann regularly organises training sessions for professionals at its headquarters in Würzburg (Germany), but also in other countries.

Rubio Monocoat A glue is a hybrid glue if it combines different forms of technology in one glue. With the introduction of Rubio EasyBond, Rubio Monocoat has combined all the benefits of different forms of technology in one product.

Rubio EasyBond is a new generation 1-component parquet glue based on a modified silane-polymer technology.

Some benefits: Rubio EasyBond is a hard-elastic durable glue with no softeners; it is universal and forms a worthy alternative to dualcomponent PU glues; sandpapering is possible after 12 hours; the glue has a high adhesion power and spreading rate; it meets all standards and tests (including the ISO 17178). Is it ecological? Rubio® EasyBond parquet glue contains no solvents and is therefore not harmful to the ADVERT415_Premium_LVT_A5_ENG.pdf 1 12/12/17 09:25so there is environment.

Moreover, the glue also contains no isocyanates,

only a very minimal risk of skin allergies. Adhesive residue can be removed easily from the bucket after setting, so the bucket can easily be re-used. Any questions? At Rubio Monocoat they not only aim for quality, but also they attach great importance to impressive service. The experts are happy to help parquet traders and clients with advice and practical tips when they start work on site. Furthermore, the Rubio Academy is perfectly equipped for customised product training sessions to meet everyone’s wishes and needs.

STAUF STAUF SPU parquet adhesives combine the benefits of PU technology, namely maximum dimensional stability (strength) and universal use, with the freedom from mandatory labelling enjoyed by silane-based adhesives (STAUF SMP). The result is an SPU adhesive, which is classified in the favorable Giscode class of RS10 and Emicode EC1-R plus. STAUF SPU 570 universal parquet adhesive is used to bond solid or multilayer types of parquet. With SPU 555 STAUF is launching a very fast setting silane adhesive with high shear strength.

STAUF SPU-460 Suitable for many types of parquet. Its strength makes it ideal for solid boards with a width-to-thickness ratio of up to 10:1. STAUF S-Press is an elastic silane wood flooring adhesive for the most common wood floorings types in an 1800 ml aluminum sausage foil bag for the application in suitable adhesive application devices.

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Special

Turkey

TURKEY IS ‘POWERFUL’ IN VARIOUS WAYS THE ECONOMY HAS RISEN BACK TO LIFE WITHIN A FEW DECADES In bygone days, the Turkish economy was characterised by irregular growth and major imbalance. The basic features were an unstable economy, traditionally high and erratic inflation, malfunctioning public finances, and high government deficits. The partial intervention of the state meant that Turkey didn’t really have a market economy and that small and medium enterprises had few prospects for growth. Things have now changed considerably. In 2015, the country was among the G20 of the biggest economies on earth. The economy continues to grow. Strongly!

Some context Geography Turkey is located on two continents, namely Europe and Asia. The biggest part is the Asia Minor Peninsula (also called Anatolia), with a total volume of 755,688km². It is surrounded almost entirely by natural borders: the Black Sea in the north, the Aegean Sea to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and a high mountain range in the east.

The small European part (23,764km²) is Thracia, which includes the cities of Istanbul and Edirne. Anatolia and Thracia are separated from each other (from north-east to south-west) by the Bosporus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles, which together form the connection between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Both parts of Turkey are connected to each other by three bridges over the Bosporus.

Viewed geographically, Anatolia is composed of a range of mountains within which a series of plateaus have formed.

The population In 1980, there were 42 million Turks. By 2014, that figure had risen to 77 million inhabitants and is expected to rise again to about 98 million by 2050. Just under 70% of the population lives in towns and cities. Istanbul has the most inhabitants with about nine million. Over 3.7 million people live in Ankara and 3.1 million in Izmir. The rest of the population is concentrated along the coast and in the agricultural regions. Western Turkey is more densely populated and much more developed than the rest of the country. Moreover, Turkey has a favourable population pyramid. Today, for each senior citizen there are potentially eight active working people aged between 20 and 64.

By comparison, the figure in Belgium is 3.5. The Human Development Index of the United Nations Development Programme (an indicator of prosperity and welfare) has risen constantly for Turkey in recent decades: from 0.47 in 1980, over 0.57 in 1990, and 0.65 in 2000 to 0.72 in 2012 (Belgium had a figure of about 0.90 in 2012; source: Dries Lesage, political scientist at Ghent University).

An economic watershed Small and medium enterprises had no prospects due to the partial government interference. Industry was dominated by a few powerful companies, which operated in all sectors. Conflicts of interest and corruption spoilt the market. In November 2000 and February 2001, Turkey was hit by two successive financial crises: an interest rate of 1000% (!),

a devaluation at the end of February 2001 of 43% in barely two days, and a constant rise in inflation saw GDP fall by almost 10%. In 2001, Kemal Dervis was appointed as a politically independent government minister of finances. He embarked on deep economic and financial reforms, supported by a previously unknown IMF programme. From 2002, the Turkish economy began to grow gradually under the constant supervision of the IMF. In November 2002, the new government, led by the AKP (party for justice and development), announced that it wanted to continue with that programme. The IMF and the World Bank attached great importance to a stable Turkish market and, after the attacks of 11 September in the USA, Turkey became even more important for the international community due to its strategic location.

Towards an industrial nation Over the last 20 years, scores of companies have emerged which have sought trade feverishly in the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa. The old and new industrial bases mean that Turkey has long since ceased to be a developing country. The economy has diversified. Today, construction is the biggest growth sector. You will find building sites everywhere in Turkey. Turkish contractors are also highly active in the Arabian Gulf, Russia, and Africa. The government is a major client, as well as families and companies. In recent years, the country has acquired high-speed train lines, new roads, extra council housing, scores of brand new universities, and much more. There is an abundance of money, it seems. When the AKP of Recep Tayyip Erdogan came to power in 2002, the net national debt was 70% of the GDP. That figure has fallen constantly to the current 27%. And so, Turkey has been able to shake itself free of the unpopular IMF programmes. The Turkish gross domestic product (GDP) has risen from 230 billion dollars in 2002 to today’s figure of 800 billion dollars. In 2012, Turkey had the seventeenth biggest economy in the world. Thanks to bank reconstructions after a severe economic crisis in 2001, Turkey has withstood the recent global economic crisis fairly well. However, Turkey is still far from the upper echelons of the advanced industrial nations. Three quarters of its export is covered by agriculture and industrial products with a low to medium technology intensity.

Economic accents About one quarter of the population works in the agricultural sector (2013), the productivity of which is not particularly high. About a quarter of agricultural land is covered with forests, and 30% is used for cattle farming, especially sheep and goats. Other major products include grain, cotton, grapes, olives, tobacco, and hazelnuts. About 26% (2013) of the professional population works in industry and mining. A good deal of the total export is provided by textile factories.

Furthermore, Turkey also has some large iron and steel factories and a growing car industry. The services sector and state institutions are proportionally very powerful. Turkey gets a lot of income from tourism and guest workers who send money from abroad. In the 21st century, Turkey has witnessed a period of sturdy economic growth. Although growth slowed down somewhat in 2012 and 2013, it is still between

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Turkey

3 and 4%. The average income per head of population was 15,300 US dollars in 2013.

Little forest, but they do have parquet There is a lot of grassland in the dry heart of the Central Plateau.

There are some prairies near the edges of extinct volcanoes, such as the Kara Dag and the Erciyas Dagi, the highest slopes of which are often woody, as well as on the plateaus of Eastern Turkey between the mountains. Lush grass appears on the slopes of the Taurus and the Antitaurus in the spring and summer.

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even changed their composition. Bushes and shrubs now have the upper hand in the western coastal mountains as a result of constant grazing by goats. The most dense forests of Turkey are located in the north on the northern slopes of the Pontic Mountains near the Black Sea. The tulip is the national flower of Turkey.

Several parquet manufacturers

Forests have thinned out drastically

A remarkable number of companies are nevertheless active in the production of solid or multi-layer parquet and laminate floors. For wooden floors they use a lot of wood from Northern Europe or exotic or tropical sorts. And so, it is clear that a lot of wood has to be imported.

Centuries of tree felling and grazing have thinned out and reduced the forests drastically (from 70 to 26% of the surface area) and have

Two leading Turkish companies in the spotlight

BVT

KARBOSAN

BVT is located in Istanbul and was formed in 1992. Originally, they concentrated on commercial floor coverings. The company started life as an importer, but has gradually developed into a manufacturer of raised floors and parquet. The company can meet everyone’s requests due to its ability to supply customised products.

For instance, BVT can produce parquet floors in accordance with the client’s wishes, even if those wishes deviate from standard sizes and colours. The company can offer diverse finishes in the same line for raised floors. The best-seller is a multi-layer parquet on HDF with a top layer of 2mm in oak or walnut and different types of raised floors. A combined total of about 80 people work in the headquarters in Istanbul and in the two production plants. Production capacity is over 600,000m² per annum. New items for 2018 are the herringbone parquet and Chevron and the raised floors with ceramic and granite finish. The company concentrates on export, including to countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Greece, Ukraine, South Africa, Georgia, Qatar, Azerbaijan, Jordan, Bulgaria, Libya, Egypt, and Kazakhstan. +90 (0) 212 270 5009 - www.bvt.com.tr

Karbosan, the biggest Turkish producer of sandpapering tools, started its production in 1967. A good 10 years ago, in Tekirdag, Karbosan opened one of the most modern factories for coated sandpapering materials in the world. The company invests a lot in R&D and innovation. Apart from an extensive range of paper and textiles, the products are also processed into sanding belts and various sanding discs. Quality plays the lead role. Karbosan is also the first producer in Turkey to work in accordance with the ISO 9001 certificate and is also the first Turkish company to become a member of the European Abrasive Manufacturers Federation (FEPA) and the Organisation for the Safety of Abrasives. The company produces 3.5 million square metres per annum and currently employs 550 people. For the flooring market Karbosan has launched products such as its new ceramics line. Furthermore, several research programmes are in progress for items such as double-sided sanding discs. Karbosan exports to 75 countries. + 90 (0) 212 698 90 90 (ext: 9175) - www.karbosan.com.tr

Floor Forum International 96

∂ Industry news 2.400 M2 COREtec® installed in Adler Fashion Shop in Oldenburg Wechloy Germany COREtec® the original is the revolution in hard floor coverings.

It may be raining innovations in the floor-covering sector, but you will very seldom come across a product that earns the label ‘revolutionary’. COREtec® the original rightly deserves that badge of honour. This hard floor covering – the result of the American Dream of the Flemish Piet Dossche – is storming the world market thanks to the unique technologies used and its indestructible nature. The COREtec® story – the life’s work of Piet Dossche, who is originally from Oudenaarde (B) – reads like a film script. Dossche learned the tricks of the trade as a novice within the flooring sector both at home and abroad. He acquired a great deal of knowledge. By 2001, he had acquired the necessary experience and he deemed that the time was ripe to start his own company. And, so, US Floors was born in Dalton, Georgia, USA. Originally, it was a trading company where the primary activity was the import and distribution of bamboo floors and cork. In 2013, the symbiosis of Dossche’s marketing and product knowledge resulted in a revolutionary product: COREtec® the original. This is a waterproof multilayer floating floor with an underlay made of cork. So feel free to call Dossche the architect-inventor of the waterproof multilayer flooring category.

Unique composition COREtec® the original is a revelation in the hard floor coverings category thanks to the unique composition of the floorboard. The protective layer of the COREtec® floor makes it extremely resistant to scratches and dirt. It is also waterproof. The floor does not swell up or shrink when exposed to moisture. So, you can install a COREtec® floor without any problems in a wet room, such as a bathroom. COREtec® the original is simply indestructible! Exclusive wood or tiled designs provide the designer or builder with countless options that allow the floor to be integrated seamlessly into any interior. A glue-less integrated click profile guarantees that the installation of the floating floor is simple. The cork underlay makes an additional sub-layer superfluous. The underlay also absorbs small irregularities in the surface. So, you can install a COREtec® floor without problems on a wooden, concrete, or tiled surface. The cork underlay provides superior walking comfort. A COREtec® floor is also warmer and quieter.

Read more on www.floor-forum.com/en/news

Impertek The Pedestal Line at the Brera Design District The terrace that celebrates the union between sky and earth Impertek’s participation in 4G Glass Garden Granatum Grape, the event organised by PAYSAGE Editore and hosted on 18 April 2018 on the occasion of the Milan Design Week to celebrate the purity of architecture and the strength of nature, was a huge success.

An aperitif was served on the charming Santambrogio Terrace in the

Brera Design District, with the participation of Studio Matteo Thun & Partners, more than 300 international architects and visionary Patrick Blanc, inventor of the vertical garden, with an unexpected speech on the union between Sky and Earth, between the city of Milan and the Terrace, with its hanging vineyard and white glass flooring resting on the Impertek supports of the Pedestal Line. “The Terrace”, the exclusive location of the event, is a true work of art in the open air, a perfect blend of architecture, glass, city and nature. Its light glass walls reveal Milan’s magnificent skyline, whereas the white slabs of its floor are in contrast with the dramatic sky over the city. In this place, the strength of architecture and the lightness of glass are accompanied by vines, pomegranate and laurel trees, which reflect the deep roots of our culture and take on an extraordinary symbolic value.

It is no surprise that Impertek was the sponsor of the evening and of such a unique location: the flooring, consisting of a floating panel obtained by combining back-painted, non-slip glass panels with aluminium panels, rests on the adjustable supports of the Pedestal Line.

Perfectly levelled, subtle and capable of holding weights up to 1000 kg, Impertek’s products have allowed “The Terrace” to reach out to the sky and immerse itself in the Beauty of the city.

SPAČVA INTRODUCES CHEVRON 30° Inspired by the traditional French parquet floors, Chevron has gained a reputation of a very desirable, and from the designer aspect, very attractive, parquet. Since it is not strictly predetermined for classical surface treatments, such as clear varnish or clear oil, it provides the possibility for more serious, but also for more playful surface treatments.

There are a number of benefits to hardwood flooring installed in the Chevron pattern, among which is that the strong pattern gives the space a bold, sophisticated design, in addition to creating a "wavy, undulating relaxed feeling." The fact that wood flooring patterns that are designed hundreds of years back in time are still very trendy and can suit all modern interior design styles convinsed us to expand our offer by adding Chevron 30° (dimensions 15/20x130x425mm) as a choice within our new collections of solid wood flooring.

Chevron pattern is very attractive and eye-catching and it gives the space a strong and sophisticated professional look and appearance that is great for both domestic and business settings. Chevron pattern will make the wooden floor stand out and add a lot of excitement and interest to the room.

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∂ Product news ADESIV COLORED OIL FOR WOOD FLOORS Natural oil and wax based system designed for impregnating smoothed wood floors. PAVIOLIO 25 WB is water and tread resistant. Apply two coats of oil directly on wood; no primer is required. PAVIOLIO 25 WB revitalises the natural wood grain so that your floors become more beautiful with age. This product is designed for indoor use only. This product is available in: neutral, white, grey, teal, cognac and wengè.

- Monocomponent - Excellent colour performance and wood penetration - Suitable for all types of wood - Effective waterproofing action - Good foot traffic resistance - Can be painted over: with paint system recommended by Adesiv

Unifit assembly system on Herringbone

PARQUETERIE BERRICHONNE Great new! Parqueterie Berrichonne presents its herringbone parquet flooring with an Unifit assembly system.

New offer 2018 by the brand proposes today the entire engineered herringbone range associate to an Unifit assembly. A true innovation that is characterized itself by a quickly and performance laying for this type of wood flooring. Thanks to this new herringbone, Parqueterie Berrichonne promises an installation and a cutting time divided by two.

What is the concept? The use of a PVC tongue added which will allow a better maintenance of the strips between them as well as a perfect mechanical locking at the end of the strips by easy pressure.

IMPERTEK : ITALIAN QUALITY, TECHNOLOGY & PRODUCTION Since 1985, IMPERTEK Srl is a company specialized in waterproofing buildings and raised floorings products.

Appreciated in Italy and abroad for the quality of materials and customers care, Impertek focuses especially on R&D sector, to guarantee innovative technologies and the best solutions for architects, surveyors and layers.

Impertek’s flagship is the Pedestal Line for tile and decking external raised floorings: an innovative technology in a complete range of products and tools appreciated for quality, quick laying, perfect levelness, which allows the outflow and the passage of pipes.

MAPEI ULTRATOP SYSTEM ULTRATOP SYSTEM yields a floor with a typically natural, flamed, and even look to resemble ‘waxed concrete’.

This system consists of: An epoxy primer with silicon sand.

Ultratop, thin, self-levelling cement screed, pre-coloured or ready for colouring, to be fitted as a floor in thicknesses from 5 to 40mm.

Various finishes, depending on the required end result (matt, satin gloss, glossy).

Thanks to its outstanding mechanical performances, Ultratop System is a safe and reliable solution for lots of rooms such as: - Shops - Hotels and restaurants - Recreation and holiday centres - Educational institutions - Public and private rooms and civil and administrative buildings Ultratop System needs little maintenance. The floor gets an attractive patine over the years.

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We Say Recoating, They Say New Introducing the Bona Care Program, effective care and maintenance for resilient floors. The unique program gives you the power to clean, rejuvenate and recoat floors without the time and costs of traditional floor replacement.

The Bona Care Program is suitable for a range of resilient surfaces. With speed, simplicity and sustainability in mind, welcome to a new dimension in floor care.

bona.com/bonacareprogram

Introducing the first 1K oil that works like a 2K In case you missed it at Domotex, we proudly present WOCA Diamond Oil Active – the first 1K oil that works like a 2K. Perfect for those who appreciate an incredibly high level of quality when oiling wooden floors.

Find out more at wocadenmark.com/DiamondOilActive

POWERED BY ACTIVE HYPER CROSS LINKING© TECHNOLOGY protects and colours wood in one single treatment

WOCA Denmark A/S · Tel.: +45 9958 5600 · info@wocadenmark.com · www.wocadenmark.com