Floor Forum International May nr 95 by Media-Pact NV / FFI bvba

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

N° 95, May 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: Austria Review: Parquet Fair EFWEX Ghent (BE)

Top Parquet Show

EFWEX

The future of composite decking

EUROPEAN FLOOR & WALL EXHIBITION

14|16.03.2018

Preview: Carrefour International du Bois/Nantes (FR)

Review: Domotex asia/ CHINAFLOOR Special: Producers of wooden and composite wall cladding: Who has what?

/ FIT SMART / LOOK SMART / FEEL SMART / ECO SMART / SEASON SMART Special: Parquet oil

VISIT US

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Content

Editorial

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

N° 95, May 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: Austria Review: Parquet Fair EFWEX Ghent (BE)

Top Parquet Show

EFWEX

The future of composite decking

EUROPEAN FLOOR & WALL EXHIBITION

14|16.03.2018

Preview: Carrefour International du Bois/Nantes (FR)

Review: Domotex asia/ CHINAFLOOR

‘The fact that sales of composite decking are growing strongly is due mainly to the product itself. Versatile products such as the SmartBoard offer an exclusive and durable solution for all situations.’

Special: Producers of wooden and composite wall cladding: Who has what?

The outdoor flooring market has been growing in Europe for many years and that upward trend is still in evidence. The climate obviously plays an important part in that, but it isn’t the only factor. People want to enjoy fully the little spare time that they have and the garden acts as a haven where we can ‘escape’ from the stress of every day. Terraces therefore become an extension of our interior. It’s no wonder that people are referring increasingly to wooden terraces as ‘outdoor parquet’. In some countries the growing demand for outdoor swimming pools also provides an extra boost.

/ FIT SMART / LOOK SMART / FEEL SMART / ECO SMART / SEASON SMART Special: Parquet oil

VISIT US

STAND H1 A19 smartboard-decking.fr

SMART BOARD - AP 159x223mm v3.indd 1

03/05/2018 13:30

Floor Forum International n° 95 May 2018 Photo WAW

4 Inside news 8 Advertorial CSP Engineering (BE) 10 Review Parquet Fair EFWEX Ghent (BE) 16 Industry news 17 Advertorial WOCA (DK) 18 Preview Carrefour International du Bois (Nantes FR) 24 Advertorial Janser (DE) 26 Special Precolouring: What's on the market ? 31 Special Producers of dispersion adhesives 34 Project Blanchon (FR) 36 Special Automation and packaging for the parquet industry 38 Special Producers of style panels 41 Special Parquet oil 46 Special Terrace renovation machines 48 Advertorial Spačva (HR) 50 Review Domotex asia/CHINAFLOOR 52 Special Producers of wooden and composite wall

cladding: Who has what? 54 Special UV curing on site 57 Special Producers of profiles for LVT, vinyl and PVC floors 60 Special Suppliers of mops and cleaning tools in kit form 63 Special Austria 66 Product news

At the same time, there is an ever-growing preference for natural materials. ‘Garden’ means Milinda Goonasekara ‘green wood’. In recent decades, several exclusive (Operations Director of WAWGROUP) tropical wood sorts have managed to break the monopoly which bangkirai had enjoyed for years in terraces. Sorts such as ipe, cumaru, and tiger wood are proving to be a hit, but attractive terraces are also being laid using less well-known sorts such as massaranduba, grapa, or cambara. Wood sorts in class I, such as those mentioned above, are extremely durable and both the fitting systems and the maintenance products lend a helping hand. Wood retains its beauty for a long time, but it is not unassailable and certainly not immortal. Climatological factors take their toll. However, human beings would not be human beings if they couldn’t exert some form of control over nature. In recent years, several ‘formulae’ for the creation of terrace boards have seen the light of day. The combination of wood fibres and certain plastics and a number of other secret ingredients yields terrace boards with the look of exclusive wood, but with greater resistance to the forces of nature. Composites have been born and, moreover, they’re doing well. Composite floors have a whole series of strong assets as compared to solid wood. They usually appear in a choice of colours which survive the ravages of time. The limited maintenance is certainly a plus point. Terrace boards which can be used on both sides with a ribbed and smooth side, such as SmartBoard, are extremely attractive to designers. Furthermore, the fact that different forms can be created is a plus point for creative professionals who are after new materials. The quality of composite terrace boards is obviously elementary. However, the installation and, especially, the base and the way in which the parts are fastened contribute to the lifespan. A decking base in aluminium is preferable to wood, soft and hardwood beams remain the most commonly used base structures. Furthermore, the pros and cons of Face screwing versus Hidden Fastening Systems still form an ongoing debate, it’s best to make sure that terrace boards can be fitted in both ways. Milinda Goonasekara’s comments on the SmartBoard : ‘It’s really unusual but a privilege to be able to offer a product where nature and technology are so closely “interwoven' 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 Padouk cladding by Denderwood SA

Denderwood deepened its range of Padouk planed products. To complete the wide range of sizes in rough sawn timbers and the decking it sells, we now offer from ready stock to gardens and outside use in this same specie: wall paneling, cladding, pool copings, resorcinol edge glued panels . The Belgian importer and processor specializing in tropical hardwoods does not stop there because it also offers Padouk indoor flooring (raw finish and varnish) or lamscan for window frame industry. Other species following the same step are possible.

The look of natural stone and the feel of wood in an elegant symbiosis Rosenheim – CELENIO – The somewhat different wooden floor. HARO demonstrates ultimate expertise when it comes to flooring, combining the look of natural stone and the feel of wood in an elegant symbiosis: now in new tile format with renovation-friendly installation height of 6.5 mm, the most in-demand TOP styles and at an attractive price. Germany’s leading parquet brand already launched a somewhat different wooden floor some years ago with CELENIO by HARO. A floor with the look of a stone or tiled floor and the pleasantly warm feel of a wooden floor. Now especially when design floors are all the rage, the exceptional CELENIO floor design in even more generous tile format has come along at exactly the right time. HARO has succeeded with CELENIO in developing a unique floor comprising 90 percent wood components based on the wood-based material Harolith, which feels as pleasant as wood yet looks like natural stone. Thanks to its material composition, CELENIO is especially durable, easy to maintain and, in contrast to stone floors, even break-resistant and warm underfoot.

HZW International

CELENIO by HARO Your eyes see stone – your touch senses wood

Herringbone with bevelled edge is the most trendy floor on the LVT market. SLY Herringbone and SLY Square from HZW offer the possibility of combining different formats e.g. classic with a modern touch. These collections give decors for all ages. The colours range from grey and natural to espresso dark Brown for the herringbone and marble grey, natural Brown, or even black and white for the Square collection. The combination option means that the possibilities really are infinite. The classic decors

Floor Forum International 95

ST JUNE 1 & Y MA ES 30, 31 NANT E C FRAN

2018

OPE R U E W IN O H S ADE R T R EE R BE F M I R T U YO DING N A I E A GEM L T D OB A THE B .CO SS OW BERSH ACWCWE M I .T W

IMP. VERSAILLES, 800x800 mm , RECLAIMED OAK

Organised by:

@carrefourdubois #cib2018

With the support of:

INTERPROFESSION NATIONALE www.franceboisforet.fr

∂ Inside news from the parquet market in the Herringbone Collection include Lorraine, Brittany, Corsican, Normandy, and Alsace. The Square Collection includes Umbria, Sardinia, Lombardy, Calabria, and Abruzzo. The wood sort is natural oak. These floors are equipped with the new Droplock 400 click system. This means that the collections can also be combined.

Aspecta Aspecta has a strong presence in the contract sector. It has noticed that in that sector floor coverings are extremely closely associated with corporate design. Pale, fresh, and unique colour creations set the tone. All sorts of decors and varied structures for the surface are in fashion, as are natural and graphic designs. The genuineness of the near-natural wood and stone decors of Aspecta is thanks mainly to the embossing and the warm feel. Classic patterns are on the march. The trend is in favour of herringbone, but with the design floors of the Aspecta One it is possible to be even more classic. In Aspecta One the brand has eight herringbone variants. In the Shipwright interpretation we find four oak decors with light and dark tones. The small, natural flaws are lightened up by a detailed synchronous embossing. With the Alpine Ridge we see oak that is exposed to ‘the ravages of time’ and ‘the elements’. All these floors suit any interior, classic or modern.

IN LOVE WITH DECKING

SLAVONIAN OAK WOODEN FLOORS FOR OUTDOORS

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

Floor Forum International 95

∂ Inside news ASPECTA ONE ORNAMENTAL – COMBINING WOOD AND STONE OPTICS WITH ORNAMENTAL OVERLAYS The new collection ASPECTA ONE ORNAMENTAL is an addition to the ASPECTA ONE product range. The design team has combined 3 decorative overlay structures in ornamental design with selected wood and stone decors from the original collection. The result are 30 extraordinary decorative optics which can be used separately to make a statement, or as an accent in combination with the basic decors. Because of their expressive appearance, they are predestined for hotels, restaurants, and retail spaces. With this novelty ASPECTA is demonstrating its high level of design competence. Overlaying decors is a technique that is as effective as it is charming. With the printing cylinders for the three ornamental decors MASQUERADE, DAMASQUE and MALTA, ASPECTA accentuates their wood and stone decors and gives them a new dimension. “These ideas can be developed into many different directions. They offer numerous possibilities to advance beyond the sole reproduction, to create even more authentic designs,” explains Claudia Kunath, Head of Marketing and Product Development at ASPECTA. MASQUERADE offers a floral motive with abstract forms, almost graphically, and its pattern is offset tone-in-tone to the basic decor. For DAMASQUE and MALTA, more traditional materials and motifs are used. The fading, delicate to intense twines and medallions associate with oriental rugs or wall paintings on antique tiles and old wood. While

DAMASQUE seems to melt in with the colors of the basic wood and stone optics, MALTA sets accents with colorful, tattoo-like overlays. For more information please visit us on www.aspectaflooring.com

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

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Floor Forum International 95

Advertorial

CSP Engineering (BE)

AUTOMATION FOR THE PRODUCTION OF WOODEN FLOORING CSP ENGINEERING REMAINS ‘NUMBER 1’ IN THE AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY CSP Engineering is the specialist for development of technology and automation for the production of wooden flooring. CSP Engineering constructs actively 4 automation groups: packaging lines, logistic systems, production machinery and filling machines. The Belgian constructor responds to the needs and market trends in the wood flooring industry and is known as a pro-active & co-thinking partner in the process to optimize the production of her clients.

Packaging solutions On the domain of packaging automation CPS Engineering offers a few modular systems which can be put in line in several different set-ups. Depending on the type of package of the floor parts that need packaging CSP offers an appropriate solution. Modular packaging solutions, configured to your needs Type of packages

Packing type

Logistic handling

PAR-Scan®

PAR-Strap®

PAR-Collect®

Variable length packages

Automatic strapping

or PAR-Return®

PAR-Pack®

Fix length packages

and / or

or PAR-Colli®

Colli-fix packages

Push off buffer

Automatic return system

The combination offers the possibility to add automatically a flyer to each package. On this label a manufacturer can print all requested information for instance storage and maintenance requirements, instructions for installation, warranty conditions, CE-sign, product specifications, a logo or brand name. PAR-Stock® Also PAR-Stock® can be combined with PAR-Scan®, PAR-Pack® and PAR-Colli®. The PAR-Stock® makes it possible to manage your warehouse professionally and receives online data or PAR-Scan® or PAR-Pack® or PAR-Colli®. Thanks to this advanced system for real-time inventory and order picking the client disposes on each moment of correct stock-information and stock counting is no longer necessary.

The advantages of Par-Scan® - Measuring, registering, labelling and packaging in line without any manual intervention. - Costly measuring and calculation errors are excluded. - Floorboards in fixed and/or variable lengths. - Each square meter produced is measured and registered. - Detailed pallet list with unambiguous summary of the quantities supplied

or PAR-Film

Shrink foil packing

PAR-Stack®

Automatic stacker

PAR-Scan® For measuring, registering, labelling an packaging of parquet with fix and variable lengths, CSP Engineering puts the PAR-Scan® on the market. PAR-Scan® is an unique packaging line organiser in the widest possible meaning. The system is modular and can be put in line on customer needs with other machines such as PAR-Strap®, PARFilm®, PAR-Return® or PAR-Stack®. PAR-Scan® measures package after package the length of each board, the number of m², number of boards in each package. These details are completed with width, thickness, type of wood, grading, surface,… After which they are printed on a label. The label is available in the language of your choice, British units are also possible and also a logo or barcode can be added. The information is logged, a pallet list with details is printed and all data are made digitally available for your administration. PAR-Info® This machine can be integrated with PAR-Scan®, PAR-Pack® and PAR-Colli®.

Floor Forum International 95

PAR-Pack® This machine is the ideal packaging-line controller for packaging packs of wooden flooring on fix length. PAR-Pack® ensures that each package is neatly aligned and controls PAR-Strap® and/or PAR-Film® (view scheme), but can also be integrated in line with other packaging machines. Par-Label® An obvious combination with PAR-Pack® is the PAR-Label®. This last one ensures that a label is automatically printed and

attached, where after the pack is wrapped with PAR-Strap® and/or PAR-Film®.

PAR-Colli® The PAR-Colli® is the newest member of the CSP Engineering range and is customer-made to create automatically packages on fixed length with flooring boards of variable length. It is possible to combine up to 6 different lengths of boards to construct 1 package. Also this installation is completely modular, the same options as with PAR-Scan® and PAR-Strap® as mentioned above are possible.

The benefits of logistical system integration - Reduction in salary costs - Higher production capacity - Conducive to ergonomics - Modular use: installations can be deployed and converted quickly.

Different ways of packaging PAR-Strap® The PAR-Strap® fits seamlessly with the above options and is an automatic strapping machine for parquet. This machine is easy to use and realises the strapping for wood flooring boards even with herringbone. This machine is easy in maintenance and was developed from an ergonomic point of view. PARStrap® is equipped with a robust and compact strapping head which guarantees a swift and steady stapping. Changing the spool happens through a quick-fastener. Due to a minimum of moving parts it is a machine that works very reliable and requires minimal maintenance. PAR-Film® Also the PAR-Film® fits seamlessly with the above options and is an automatic strapping machine for parquet. One can choose to put PAR-Film® with PAR-Strap® in line. Another option is to have a solid packaging without this strapping. PAR-Film® packs automatically wooden floor boards in shrinking foil at high packaging speed of 20 metres/minute. The machine cuts of the shrink foil to packaging width and puts the splice in the middle or on the side, this guarantees a nice presentation of your product. Your parquet is entirely protected against dirt, dust and moisture because PAR-Film® splices the shrink film completely along both the longitudinal and lateral sides.

Logistic solutions CSP Engineering has several logistic solutions in the range which can be implemented in the production depending on the needs of the customer. Furthermore all systems can be put in line with all solutions mentioned here above. - PAR-Feed® is a semi-automatic feeding system for quick and easy feeding of boards for instance behind a planing machine. - PAR-Collect® for the automatic gathering of boards and parquet packs. There exist 2 versions of this machine: a pneumatic and one with driven transverse belts. - PAR-Return®: automatic return system - PAR-Stack®: for automatic stacking of boards and parquet packs. The PAR-Stack® is able to align boards left, right or central on a pallet. Furthermore the machine is particularly suitable for heavy stack work. The system has an open structure and is easy accessible so that pallets can be evacuated easily with a pallet truck or fork lifter. - PAR-Robot®: Recent addition to the range of CSP Engineering. This universal application in robotics expands the possibilities for automatic stacking and destacking.

Production machinery

For bonding solid topcoats to 2-layer parquet with a waterproof and perfect adhesion, CSP Engineering is still constructing the PAR-Duo®. The plywood parts are bonded endlessly which results in no sawing waste. The PAR-Duo® is able to produce 2-layer parquet with solid topcoats of fix and/or variable length in 1 production batch. The computer controlled sawing machine at the end of the line saws the bonded parts to the original length of the top layers.

Filling machines Last but not least the flagship of CSP Engineering remains the PAR-Filler® for automatic filling of knots and cracks in wood flooring boards. This technology will be extensively explained in an upcoming Floor Forum International. For more information visit us on www.csp-engineering.com

Floor Forum International 95

Review

Parquet Fair EFWEX Ghent (BE)

THE PARQUET SHOW WAS GOOD, BUT NO PARQUET FEDERATION THE REAL PARQUET MASTERS WERE THERE AT EFWEX 2018

Stand Floor Forum International

These days, you hear it said increasingly of trade fairs that the quality of the visitors was outstanding, but the attendance figures were rather disappointing. This raises the question of whether or not that’s a good thing. Looking at the reactions from various companies which invested in a stand at EFWEX 2018, you have to say it’s a good thing. Exhibitors aren’t interested in curious onlookers and they have even less time for tourists. And so, yes, if you organise a specialist trade fair, your best hope is that those in attendance are specialists. All the rest is ‘chaff ’. The ‘wheat’ was there!

A sector of and for specialists EFWEX 2018, like the two previous editions, was organised by the publishing group behind Floor Forum and Floor Forum International. The goal of the trade fair mirrors that of the trade journals, namely to bring supply and demand together in a highly specialised sector. The stress is on ‘wood’, that’s for sure. ‘Wood’ is also one of many materials

Floor Forum International 95

playing an ever greater part in the construction sector. The use of wood in the construction sector for either construction or decoration immediately mobilises a whole series of related sectors e.g. tools, chemical products for fitting, the finish, the maintenance, machines, etc.

Complementary media All those sectors benefit from growth in the wood sector! If we then filter the ‘wooden floors and accessories’ sector out of that wood sector, we are selecting a segment which is smaller, but mainly even more specialised. The trade fair EFWEX and the trade journals of the publisher/organiser have been bringing together the players, vendors, and clients from that specialist sector for decades. Everything that exists, everything new, technical aspects, or decorative trends, the trade journals and the trade fair are complementary in that respect.

Why EFWEX? The trade journals are doing well. According to both producers/suppliers and readers, they are very up to date and keep the sector

perfectly informed. And so, they provide a window of the market! If the trade journals are doing well, isn’t the trade fair superfluous? Not at all! Not only is EFWEX the only trade fair of its kind in this part of the world, but also it is the only place where fellow suppliers, associate manufacturers, professional floor fitters, and architects meet each other in the flesh. A necessary moment of reflection in a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere. A combination of learning more and maintaining relations.

‘Wheat’ requires attention If at a forum such as EFWEX, you get only specialists showing up, then, yes, you have to entertain them. Wood professionals, and certainly parquet traders, want to be ‘looked after’. The organisers of the show did that with free food and drink, an evening of entertainment with Brazilian dancers and an open gin bar and snazzy dance music, which everyone enjoyed, and a whole series of ‘gifts’, and participation in a free festival which they can enjoy later this summer. And so, how did the exhibitors get on? They spent their precious time as effectively as possible on the things which count, i.e. to make each moment count! The reactions of satisfied exhibitors do not lie. One of them didn’t even have time to visit the toilet (we understand all things human), whilst another didn’t get time to eat a snack until 4.00 p.m. Unhealthy! Yes, but it worked. There was a Dutch machine manufacturer who announced with a big smile on his face that he had sold more machines at EFWEX 2018 than at Domotex earlier this year. Isn’t that why we do it? And, yes, that’s what you get when there are more professionals roaming around than tourists. The vast majority of exhibitors were pleased with various new contacts with prospects for long-term partnerships. ‘But’, some people said, ‘it could have been a lot more.’

With thanks to Berry! The organisers wish to thank Berry once again for the magnificent floors (IMPULSE White and IMPULSE Black from BERRYALLOC), which furnished the innovation corridor. The beautiful floors from BERRYALLOC, namely the absolutely stunning Vinyl Plank PURE Colombian Oack and Vinyl Tiles Pure Zinc were also on show in the busy architects room. They definitely contributed to the atmosphere during the evening entertainment.

Lamett at the Floor Forum & Floor Forum International stand!

Obviously, your trade journal also attended EFWEX 2018. A Belgian pub where you could share thoughts with others over a refreshing glass of blond Leffe and a freshly cut slice of quality Italian ham. This was the place where plans were hatched, agreements made, and deals concluded, and all this on the magnificent Parquet Vinyl Amazon Valley offered by Lamett Europe. Our hearty thanks!

Parquet Federation therefore the major absentee and was it missed? Absolutely! Generally speaking, various exhibitors, parquet fitters, and the organisers felt that showed a lack of a sense of responsibility. Both exhibitors and visitors learnt something new, and, yes, that’s surely the purpose of a trade fair?

Who were the visitors? Most of the visitors were from Belgium and the Netherlands, as expected. The Netherlands: 562 visitors from the Netherlands showed up in Ghent Belgium (Flanders): Over 558 visitors came to EFWEX 2018 from Dutch-speaking Belgium. Belgium (Brussels/Wallonia): 126 visitors from French-speaking Belgium came to Ghent. Other countries: Over 210 visitors came from various other countries, namely Turkey, France, UK, Czech Republic, Germany, India, Bosnia, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, and Luxembourg.

An overview Bijlard International Bijlard International had a prominent presence at the third edition of EFWEX in Ghent, Belgium. This edition of the well publicised real Parquet Show was very quiet in terms of visitors, but the visitors who did show up were very interested in the products which Bijlard exhibited, such as the MS FLOOR Booster, the Gap Filler, and the Flexx Floor. They had chosen consciously to include this show in their timetable to follow up their success at Domotex Hannover. Bijlard International’s efforts to expand their profile outside the Netherlands is paying increasing dividends. The visibility of the stand and the assortment on show did yield a number of promising new contacts. This year, Bijlard International will also be taking part in the INCODA (Event Hall) in Gorinchem, the Netherlands, and in Prowood (Flanders Expo) in Ghent.

Cezar

What about the Parquet Federation? The Parquet Federation was the major absentee. Moreover, it wasn’t only manufacturers and suppliers who noticed this, but also parquet professionals. It’s a strange state of affairs if, on the only occasion that ‘your’ sector is well represented, you stay away as an exhibitor from the only trade fair in Belgium which really focuses on parquet. Those present did not miss the Parquet Federation. It was rather the other way round; the Parquet Federation missed those present. And who were they? Oh yes, in the first place the members and sponsors of the Parquet Federation, without which they don’t actually have a reason to exist. That gives the impression that you see your fellow players as rivals. Wrongly! Because the proposals to set up something together all came from the direction of the organisers of EFWEX 2018. Was the

At the EFWEX Fair 2018 Cezar company has presented a lot of new products. For instance, Cezar introduced Omur (system for assembling laminate floors on walls), Fix@ Press (system

Floor Forum International 95

Review

Parquet Fair EFWEX Ghent (BE)

for installation skirting boards with applied glue), Hi-Line Prestige skirting boards made of PVC, dilatation profiles for lvt-panels, system for tiles installation, new types of Elegance skirting boards and Cezar PRO insulations. HI-Line Prestige skirting boards made of PVC aroused much interest, due to its modern decors which are compliant with the newest trends on laminate and LVT flooring markets. The new product line of Cezar PRO insulations also became a smash hit. The EFWEX Fair 2018 was an excellent basis for our business success.

Ciranova Ciranova participated for the third time at the fair European Floor & Wall in Ghent. The visitors, especially the parquet layers, could have a clear and clarifying idea of the different finishes possible with the use of CIRANOVAproducts. During this fair, Ciranova presented their NEW REACTIVE STAIN (New Technology) with 8 new colours, 4 warm smoked stains and 4 grey aged stains together with a selection of industrial stains and some unique Ciranova finishes. These 8 new smoked and aged stains are achieved by a complete new and unique concept. Reactive Stains NT are the perfect balance of chemistry and reactive dyes to work with the composition of the wood and the wood fibres, to give the wood an accelerated aged appearance. On our demo-stand different demonstrations will be given with our unique finishes as well as with UV oil in combination with new industrial stains which enables us to achieve unique industrial finishes.

Cosma Technology For wooden Floors Structuring, sanding, applying and spreading oil or stain and LED drying. No matter which surface treatment or treatments you need, Cosma can help. We offer a range of modular machines and specialist brushes which can process any product down to the finest detail. All our machines and brushes can be customized to suit your specific requirements.

CSP Engineering CSP Engineering intended with this 3rd participation on EFWEX to highlight its expertise as a niche player in the wood flooring industry. For this purpose the machine constructor presented several renovations on the field of automatization and logistic systems. The recent developments towards applying robotics within the production of

Floor Forum International 95

wooden flooring were assessed positively. Also on the domain of automatic filling of knots and cracks in wooden floor boards with the PAR-Filler®, the professionals informed to recent evolutions at CSP Engineering. Above all the efficiency and the user-friendly operation of the PAR-Filler® in combination with top quality of the end result appealed to those interested. The conversations with relations in the MACHINAAL VULLEN VAN NOESTEN IN PARKET wood flooring industry stimulated the thinking process at CSP Engineering to anticipate even better on the needs of wood flooring producers.

Opstoptechnologie

Devomat Industries As a company based in Belgium and a comprehensive supplier for parquet floor fitters, Devomat has supported EFWEX from the very beginning. A Belgian niche parquet show is the ideal moment to pull out all the stops and launch the latest machines and products. However, despite all the organisers’ efforts, too few Belgian specialists were present. On the other hand, the quality of the visitors was high, so it was possible to spend extra time with potential clients who were specifically interested. For the future, they are still convinced that there is scope for a Belgian parquet show and that it can be a success in partnership with the industry associations.

CSP Flamingo Parket bvba Engineering

Stenehei 30/

Although the B-2480 Exhibition was not as well visited as we had hoped for, Flamingo Parket did have the opportunity to welcome a variety of very interested Dick van de Klok left and Christ van Wouwe right customers onto her stand. Our new “stains” range was particularly well received. This new range, which is based on a combination of reactive stains and high quality Hard wax oils, is being regarded as trendsetting and has already created high expectations. Of course our well-known Raftwood Collection was present and the posibility to finish this product in the new stain colours immediately created strong interest and orders for sample displays. Besides the New Stained Range and the Raftwood Collection

Tel: +32 14 37 77 52

Dess

Flamingo was also showcasing her other ranges. The floor that we choose for the stand itself was a 16 mm Rustic Oak Twinplank with a planed surface texture and finished in a smoked and chalk wax finish, known as Alpen from our popular Planed Oak Collection. Upon recommendation of Christ van Wouwe, our independant agent for the Belgium market, we choose to showcase this floor as a random width floor in 3 different widths (140,180 and 220 mm), a popular choice in Belgium. We would like to thank Christ van Wouwe for his support on the stand for the Belgium market and Troy Scott from Rover’s Flooring for the UK market.

Gascogne Bois Gascogne Bois, one of the main French manufacturers of decorative wood solutions for interior or outdoor, was present from 14th till 16th March in EFWEX exposition in Gent . 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.

HWZ International INDO 3D WALL & CEILING PANELS Visitors to the INDO stand were surely persuaded that INDO certainly has a very extensive programme, with 34 different designs all of very high quality. All products are hand-made and glued with D4, and therefore also suitable for outdoors. Everything comes from the central warehouse in Germany from where the company can deliver all over Europe within three to five working days. Solid pallets with about 25m² per item or even per cardboard box of 1.00m²!!! HWZ International AG, contact Adriaan van der Wal on +31-641-506106.

Inpa Parket ‘Obviously, I would have liked to have seen more visitors at EFWEX 2018,’ says Arthur Hoetelmans, director of INPA Parket. ‘The signs

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weren’t good before the show, with a mere 50 exhibitors registering. One advantage of the low visitor numbers, however, was that we were able to devote more time to those who did take the trouble to come along. That meant we were able to hold some highly profitable talks, which have led to a number of promising leads. Hopefully, those leads will yield some new clients so that in hindsight we can say that EFWEX 2018 was a success.’

Kerkhofs Parket Wood trader Kerkhofs from Belgium saw this edition of EFWEX mainly as an opportunity to introduce new items, including several finished composite parquet floors. Furthermore, it also gave their new account manager, Marc van Buren, a pleasant opportunity to meet some existing and new contacts in Belgium. Despite the lower visitor number, they made a number of good new contacts.

Lamett Lamett presented at EFWEX its new product range ParquetVinyl. ParquetVinyl is a new floor that combines all the benefits of wood, laminate and vinyl. The planks look like real wood, but enjoy the benefits of vinyl, namely the ease of maintenance and water resistance. Next to ParquetVinyl, 2 new products were presented in parquet: Carcassonne and Bergamo. 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 Bergamo is a very select parquet with rarely a small knot. The application of the parquet oil is done in an intensive, artisan manner. The result is a qualitative top floor.

Floor Forum International 95

Review

Parquet Fair EFWEX Ghent (BE)

Osmo EFWEX 2018: A complete success Osmo celebrate their anniversary at several fair presences Ghent, March 2018 – from 14 to 16 March 2018, the European Floor & Wall Exhibition (EFWEX) took place in Ghent, Belgium. As one of the leading suppliers of natural wood finishes, Osmo Holz und Color GmbH & Co. KG was also represented with a stand at the European trade fair for floor coverings and cladding. The specialists in wood and finish from Warendorf, Germany impress with finishes that protect high-wear flooring and furniture sustainably and are fast in application. As a strong partner for the industry and tradesman, Osmo used the opportunity to engage customers and consumers in an intensive exchange. At straightforward, live demonstrations, expert audiences were shown, in particular, the countless possibilities to colour wooden flooring, for example with Polyx®-Oil. In addition, two-tone wood finishing was also a topic of conversation.

produced under own supervision. In 2016 pgb-Europe has taken over the brand Hapax. Hapax is known for its high-quality solution for invisible fastening of wooden decks, Hapax Fixing Pro. In addition to this innovative system Hapax also has a revolutionary system for visible fastening of wooden decks, called Hapax D-Pro. Thanks to the ecological screw foundation Hapax Rock, it's no longer necessary to use concrete foundations during the construction of wooden decks. The diverse range of Hapax wedges and tools will help you to construct wooden decks accurate, fast and professional. Meanwhile pgb-Europe has more than 25.000 fasteners in stock. With the focus on high-quality products, we are one of the most prominent market leaders of fasteners in the Benelux.

Product-Proof Product-Proof was present at EFWEX 2018 with fire-retardant and fire-resistant products and with water-repellent and air-purifying products. And this for wood, textiles, stone

The PEFC label on wood products Any wood products can potentially be labelled with the PEFC logo which certifies that the wood of which the products is made originates from sustainably managed forests (i.e. a forest management which is simultaneously environmentally, economically and socially viable). The PEFC certification system enables the traceability of the timber and wood flows, from the forests to the consumers. Controls are made by independent thirdparty auditors in the forests as well as in the companies transforming the timber. There are almost 20.000 PEFC certified companies in the world today, of which more than 480 in Belgium www.pefc.be .

pgb-Europe pgb-Europe was founded in 1956, the company grew to one of the leading enterprises in fasteners in Belgium, constantly focusing both on quality and service. pgb has its own production facility in Vietnam where our wood screws are

Floor Forum International 95

and metal. Good contacts were noted for the French and Dutch markets. Time to convert these contacts into contracts! This first participation in the fair was interesting to meet several prospects to give a word of explanation of the range of products: Flame-Proof products Fire retardant liquids for floors (Bfl) and facades via spray (C-s1,d0 and C-s2,d0) and autoclave (B-s1,d0 and B-s2,d0). Fire retardant paints for indoor and outdoor use (B-s1,d0 and B-s2,d0). Fire retardant coatings Fire-resistant paints for metal (REI 30, 60, 90, 120 minutes). Aqua-Proof products Water and dirt repellent products for every type of wood. Air-Proof products Air purifying products for stone, textiles and wood.

Plastivan/Duofuse® DECKING IN FENCING IN WOOD PLASTIC COMPOSITE Duofuse® is a mix of wood flour and plastic, this means the warmth and look of solid wood combined with the unique properties of plastic. This durable material is ecological and maintenance-friendly and available in a tradional wood colour and in modern shades of gray. The extensive garden

range includes decking in various sizes, colours and Designs. To separate your garden or patio you can chose out of different screens that are all modular and can be combined with each other. The production in Belgium is fully integrated from raw material to finished product so there is full control over the entire production process. Made in Belgium by Plastivan NV Plastivan is recognized by PEFC Belgium as a PEFC certified company.

Profilpas Over the last years, lighting has become an essential topic during the phases of design and furnishing of interior spaces. Indeed, most of the interior designers pay special attention to the type of light and to the arrangement of it: a right positioning accentuates the character of the room, highlighting its strengths and making it more comfortable and well-finished. Among the most popular trends for interior lighting, there is LED light, an element of great aesthetic impact both in public and residential spaces which has opened a new chapter in the world of interior design. Profilpas presented new profiles and skirting boards with LED light in order to offer further possibilities of customization of spaces.

Rubio Monocoat Rubio Monocoat dreams big in 2018 Our booth at EFWEX really stood out, literally and figuratively. You can no longer get around Rubio Monocoat when it comes to quality wood protection and that was very clear at this exhibition. Despite the meagre turnout, we still met some interesting people, who responded to all of our innovations with enthusiasm. First of all, there were demonstrations with our RMC LED Oil, both onsite and industrial, where people could see the benefits of this technology with their own eyes. Application in 1 coat and instantly dry in 2 seconds: it’s not a myth! Another first at EFWEX, is the announcement that Rubio Monocoat is the first in the sector to obtain the Eurofins Indoor Air Comfort Gold label. This label shows the focus that Rubio Monocoat puts on quality and the contribution to a healthy interior environment. Finally, there was a lot of interest in our new trend colours for 2018, based on the Scandinavian trend, as well as the warmer colours of the East.

Silvafloors Silvafloors presented a number of new colours at EFWEX. They have extended their Home Collection colours, whilst their Burned & Brushed Collection is a completely new item in the collection. Several people responded favourably to these new colours. And so, they have most certainly proved the added value of extending the range. Also new in the Silvafloors range are their XXL planks. From first choice to rustic in 300 to 400cm wide or lengths of up to 4.20, they can now offer this as a more exclusive parquet floor. If you would like more information about Silvafloors or a visit from their representative, have a look on Silvafloors.be.

STAKI floor factory STAKI oak floor is growing and invites you to join us. Staki oak floor produces oak flooring over 22 years, for this reason we have a lot of experience and we are offering just high quality products. Using of the latest technologies, high qualified stuff, reliable delivery terms, allows us to beat our competitors. STAKI oak floor is among the best in the UK, Germany and Baltic countries markets. STAKI oak floor offers three types of oak flooring: traditional SOLID wood flooring, two-layer ENGINEERED parquet and exclusive parquet –TOP-LAAG – for underfloor heating. TOP-LAAG floor is well know in European market, as TOP QUALITY PRODUCT – an eco-friendly multilayer parquet, made just from oak, no formaldehydes, higher thermal permeability and stability. Choose your dream floors from wide selection of high quality unfinished, pre-finished and finished floors – for every taste and style. www.staki.lt

Tover Tover Benelux had many strengths at EFWEX : a new booth concept in line with the marketing adopted this year by the Italian brand and obviously innovating, easy and safe solutions. The endless coloration potentiality of Belle Epoque stains highly stimulated visitors creativity during demonstrations and impressed professionals. The two-coats Uniqua SQ lacquer system suitable for intense traffic areas thanks to the self-linking technology was also really successful. For those who does not use it yet, it was a true revelation.

Floor Forum International 95

∂ Industry news Bona introduces new brush technology that enables exciting wood floor effects Bona has developed an innovative system for creating exciting flooring effects as a part of the Bona Inspiration concept - a floor styling program with inspiration and guidance in flooring trends. New Bona Brush Technology is a unique system that allows the contractor to renovate existing floors to create new, trendy effects, recreate the latest engineered floor trends, or simply restore the natural beauty of original floors. From texture and contrasts, to eye-catching 2 colour effects, when combined with Bona’s wide range of oils and finishes, the design possibilities are endless. Bona Brush Technology comprises of wire brush attachments that are compatible with Bona FlexiSand 1.9. The heads are mounted onto the Bona Power Drive NEB through a simple click-lock mechanism, which is then attached to the Bona FlexiSand for fast, easy, direction-free sanding and brushing. The counter-rotating cylindrical wire heads brush down, removing the soft wood, which allows the coloured oil to settle between the grain. For edges and hard-to-reach areas, Bona introduces the new Bona SupraFlex all-in-one edge tool.

Domotex 2019 We are pleased to announce the new keynote theme for DOMOTEX 2019 (11-14 January 2019): CREATE’N’CONNECT: New Designs for a Connected World. Both exhibitors and visitors enthusiastically embraced the 2018 launch of a fresh exhibition design that introduced a clear hall layout, an annual keynote theme and the special Framing Trends showcase. Now, for 2019, the world’s leading trade fair for carpets and floor coverings will be focusing on the mega trend of connectivity. Registration for DOMOTEX 2019 has been very strong so far, with more than half of the exhibition space being booked already. Companies and creative designers are invited to participate in the Framing Trends special exhibition with their innovative designs. “CREATE’N’CONNECT” to star as lead theme at DOMOTEX 2019 The redesigned DOMOTEX – with its easy-to-navigate site and hall layouts plus the eye-catching “Framing Trends” showcase – has been warmly embraced by the market and is now entering its second season. The new lead theme has been announced, and registrations for DOMOTEX 2019 are already pouring in, with more than half of the

Floor Forum International 95

available space already booked. As such, DOMOTEX is living up to its reputation as the place to be for floor covering professionals from around the globe. As a networking hub, DOMOTEX is ideal for meeting up with one’s international clientele while at the same time generating scores of promising new leads. The show’s clusters display categories in an optimal way so attendees can quickly find everything of interest to them. The event’s lead theme puts the spotlight on innovation and a sweeping trend affecting the entire industry. Read more on www.floor-forum.com/en/news

PRIME UP SUPPORT The adjustable support measuring just 10 mm The creation of raised flooring is characterised by a long design and surface adjustment process. Even when installing on apparently level ground, the height adjustment of the individual supports is mainly carried out by hand, with millimetric accuracy, so that the final surface is perfectly level. In cases where the height of the raised floor is slightly greater than the installation surface, the height adjustment of the individual supports becomes a matter of crucial importance, where 5 mm more or less can determine the planarity of the flooring and ensure or compromise a good aesthetic result. Until now, the creation of very low raised floors was limited to the use of fixed-height supports; products limited to a few tens of millimetres thick, but without the possibility to adjust the height and often used in combination with improvised shims on site. Impertek has always offered a wide range of fixed-height supports, with heights ranging from 5 to 19 mm, and an even more complete series of height-adjustable supports, to cover heights even above one metre. But now the range also includes a new product: Prime Up. Prime Up is the height-adjustable support, measuring just 10 mm that, thanks to the adjustment mechanism and the combination of 2 extensions, can reach 25 mm in height, obtaining a total excursion of 15 mm. Prime up consists of a base with a 150 mm diameter, similar to that of the Mart series, featuring a tab fitted with the adjustment mechanism head. By holding the base and turning the tab, the height of the support can be changed from 10 to 15 mm. The top of the head is fitted with a micro-head, which can be selected among those in the extensive Impertek range for Mart series supports, with specially designed wings for wooden decking flooring, stone tiles and ceramic flooring. Each micro-head is equipped with a coupling to ensure constant adjustment even with part of the flooring already laid. Also, below the support base, up to two extensions measuring 5mm each can be added, thus increasing the height up to a total of 25 mm. In conjunction with the extensions, it is possible to use EasyFlat, the Impertek CP slope correctors, which can correct slopes up to 10%.

Advertorial

WOCA (DK)

WOCA DENMARK PRESENTS DIAMOND OIL ACTIVE LEADING MANUFACTURER LAUNCHES PIONEERING 1K WOOD OIL WOCA Denmark, a leading manufacturer of environmentally friendly wood care products, is proud to announce its latest addition to its range of natural wood oils: Diamond Oil Active. By combining the top of the line oil with a brand-new technology, WOCA Denmark has created a pioneering oil which is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first 1K oil with 2K performance.

Hyper Cross Linking In short, WOCA Diamond Oil Active is an isocyanate free oil that assures limited waste and dries much faster than other 1K oils. The technology utilized is called Hyper Cross Linking, which means the oil molecules form billions of extra connections, intensifying its protective powers. The result is an extremely strong and water repellent surface which is easy to clean and maintain.

Practical and technical information Both products are made and manufactured in Denmark. Diamond Oil Active comes in 1 L and 2.5 L, and is available in 9 colors. Maintenance Oil Diamond Active comes in 2.5 L and 5 L, and is available in natural and white. The technology is called Hyper Cross Linking, which means the oil molecules form billions of extra connections, intensifying its protective powers. Diamond Oil Active is available in a variety of colours and can be applied fast, covering many square meters at once. The treated surface dries quickly and can be walked upon within twelve hours. Within five days, the wood is completely water repellent. Hyper Cross Linking

A healthy oil The existing 2K solutions may dry fast, but contain Isocyanate and may require additional maintenance and repair over time. Exposure to Isocyanate may cause chronic health effects such as occupational asthma, contact dermatitis or irritation of the respiratory tract. This is the reason why WOCA engaged in the development in a 1K oil with the same drying properties as 2K oil.

Normal oil binder with few reactive sites, here shown as black circles.

Diamond Oil Active binder with more reactive sites.

More reactive sites will lead to improved linking ability, like a web insidet the wood. The technology is called Hyper Cross Linking, resulting in an oil binder with unequalled strength and that protects against moisture, dirt, and wear.

High level of quality As oil is the perfect solution to enhance the natural lustre and feeling of a wood floor, Diamond Oil Active is an economical oil designed to do exactly that. It is really fast to apply, protects the wood from within in just one coat and will make any wood floor look amazing for decades to come. To cut a long story short, the oil is ideal for those who appreciate an incredibly high level of quality when oiling their wooden floors.

Maintenance Oil To ensure a supreme ongoing care of the oiled surface, WOCA Denmark has also developed WOCA Maintenance Oil Diamond Active. This extremely tough oil, based on the same Hyper Cross Linking technology, increases the resistance to stains and scratches further, and refreshes the natural lustre of the wood as well.

Environmently friendly Both oils are made from the finest raw materials, are safe to use and assure minimal waste. The launch of this pioneering 1K oil and maintenance oil is, therefore, fully aligned with WOCA Denmarkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s continuous focus on developing products with excellent performance, while leading the way in environmentally friendly wood care.

Diamond Oil Active comes in 1 L and 2.5 L, and is available in 9 colors

The Reception floor of an Austrian Guesthouse treated with Diamond Oil Active

More information: www.wocadenmark.com

Floor Forum International 95

Preview Carrefour International du Bois (Nantes FR)

CARREFOUR INTERNATIONAL DU BOIS THE SHOW WHICH IS ALL ABOUT WOOD AND NOTHING BUT WOOD Carrefour International du Bois is solely about wood and that makes the show unique worldwide. From the deep heart of the woods to the thin skirting board finish, from tree to parquet. Carrefour International du Bois is the ‘rendezvous’ of a sector, that’s for sure. The show is held every two years and enjoys more success each time. From 30 May to 1 June inclusive, Carrefour International du Bois takes place in Nantes, France. Three whole days all about wood, an appointment not to be missed.

Floor Forum & Floor Forum International present! Obviously, your trade journal will also be at the leading French wood show. Our stand will resemble a Belgian pub where you can share thoughts with others over a refreshing glass of blond Leffe and a fresh slice of Italian quality ham. This will be the place to forge plans, make arrangements, and conclude deals in an atmosphere which is more than purely a business environment. For you can be sure that, over the years, many long-term friendships have been formed at the Floor Forum stand which continue to flourish today. You are most welcome! Visit us in Hall 3 booth H2.

The organisation The Carrefour International du Bois show is organised by Atlanbois, a professional organisation for the promotion of wood, and Le Grand Port Maritime de Nantes Saint Nazaire. This show is a pure trade fair, which is geared to all professionals in the wood sector or related industries. Over the years, Carrefour International du Bois has grown into the leading rendezvous for anyone working with materials in wood. From 30 May to 1 June, the ‘Parc des Exposition de la Beaujoire’ in Nantes will also be all about this show. The choice of Nantes for the location is no coincidence. The city has easy access by rail or air and offers a perfect mix of business and tourism. The nearby vineyards of the River Loire and the nearness to the Atlantic Ocean make Nantes all the more attractive.

Floor Forum International 95

The 2016 edition Looking back in order to look ahead is actually a common practice in the trade fair world. You look back at previous shows to estimate what you can expect from the next one. The organisers did that, too, for the last edition in 2016 when they looked at the success of 2014. Carrefour International du Bois has consciously kept the same trade fair surface area (about 17,000m²) and the principle of equal stands of a maximum of 36m² for each exhibitor. In 2016, 550 exhibitors took part in the show. That meant an increase of no less than 13% and a sign of a blossoming economy on the horizon. Over 10,520 high-quality visitors showed up at Nantes in 2016. That meant growth of 3% as compared to the previous show, a hopeful conclusion which gives the organisers confidence for the coming show.

Who is expected? A good 28% of visitors to the previous show came from abroad, mainly from Europe, but also from countries further away such as Australia, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and such like. About 31% of those visitors were wood traders, 26% were active in the construction industry, and 10 and 12% were active in the first and second transformation respectively. The visitors to the show in 2018 will represent about 80 countries.

What can they see? This year, too, Carrefour International du Bois will be welcoming exhibitors from over 28 different countries. In 2016, most visitors came from Europe. The major countries represented were Germany, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, China, Spain, Finland, France, Gabon, England, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, Sweden, and Switzerland. Most of the exhibitors were producers of building products, followed by people from saw mills, and, thirdly, dealers or agents.

Wood and nothing but wood We have learnt from surveys amongst both exhibitors and visitors from the previous show that this trade fair is appreciated entirely for the fact that Carrefour International du Bois concentrates exclusively on one single material, namely wood, and that it appeals to the entire sector involvedVINYL with this material. One ‘regular client’ explained at the end of CUSHION the previous show: ‘At Carrefour there is wood, all wood, and nothing LAMINATE but wood, and it’s the only show where you can be sure that you will PARQUET see your colleagues, clients, and suppliers whom you normally don’t see, either due to a lack of time or due to the distance.’ This testimony WALLS summarises the ‘spirit’ of the show perfectly. Carrefour International VINYLduPLANKS Bois aims to be an ‘appointment’, a ‘meeting place’ for committed professionals. That’s also exactly why the show can also act as a barometer which allows you to draw up an ‘economic state of affairs’ at any time.

Techniques and Wood Solutions Innovations in sustainable enterprise and interior design are a gauge to measure the ‘health’ of a sector. Where there is innovation, businesses are generally healthy. The wood industry is feeling the wind in its sails, a wind which finds its origin in forums such as the Grenelle Environment Round Table and the Thermal Legislation of 2012’.

Innovations on show The show section Techniques and Wood Solutions within the Carrefour International du Bois will once again be accommodated in hall 4. This hall will assemble innovations and new technology for the construction industry in one room. Companies which exhibit their innovations are

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targeting both architects and engineering companies and constructors, traders, joiners, contractors, etc. Various seminars are organised on the periphery of the Techniques and Wood Solutions section with speakers from France and abroad, expositions, entertainment, and presentations which show what an important role wood can play in ‘sustainable construction’ and how it can provide an answer to various ecological questions. Still within the framework of innovations, in collaboration with research and training organisations, there will be a room with specific organisations e.g. in the field of virtual reality, 3D printing, and such like. This room will be located in the centre of hall 1.

An overview of the exhibitors Alsapan French laminate-flooring manufacturer Alsapan will be at the Carrefour du Bois to present its new, made in Alsace, 2018 vinyl flooring collection. The collection comes in classic or rigid vinyl with five thicknesses from 3.2 to 7.5 mm, a range of over 50 patterns, a variety of tile or plank widths and a 10-year warranty. Easy to install and clean, the flooring adds a touch of contemporary or classical style to any room in the house. The ideal choice for homes throughout Europe, it’s also eco-and consumer friendly!

Beaulieu Flooring Solutions

Under the BerryAlloc® brand name, Beaulieu Flooring Solutions provides a wide range of parquet and laminate. These floors are so strong that we offer a lifetime warranty for residential use. We can provide a great amount of designs in different wood types and sizes, from very narrow to extra wide, and from standard length to extra long boards of over 2m. The high pressure laminates and some of our other laminates are finished with a special coating for outstanding moisture protection. Moreover, the unique and innovative BestLoc, BestLoc Xtreme and AluLoc systems lock together easily and guarantee easy installation as well as an extremely strong hold. Most of our floors are at least class 31 (up to 34) and wear the labels A+ and PEFC.

B-Fix After some stops in Germany and the US, the B-Fix team will be present at the Timber Show in Nantes from 30th May to 1st June. An

Floor Forum International 95

HD-AP Cimethane 92x277-GB_Maj.pdf

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important stage in the development of the brand. Based on a solid network of retailers in manysnel Blanchon Cimethane® UV is ideaal voor druk belopen plaatsen die zeer countries, opnieuw in gebruik moeten worden genomen. B-Fix keeps Dankzij het gebruik van uv-lampen droogt hij zeer snel en is uw vloer gelakt on withen its ® through new distributors.een This fair sterk will be the opnieuw gebruiksklaar in 8 uur.internationalization Cimethane UVlocalheeft place krasto sustain en relations with existing resellers also to meet the dekkingsvermogen, een uitzonderlijke slijtvastheid en butchemische ones that will be part of this large network in the future. Always looking weerstand. Blanchon is de partner dieforuinnovations, dagelijks bijstaat. the show will also be the occasion to present the latest novelties and define the new tendencies. The B-Fix team will be happy to welcome you on its brand new booth (H3, E10).

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CHANTIER VITRIFIÉ FINI EN 8H VARNISH YOUR WOOD FLOOR IN JUST 8H Vente exclusive aux professionnels Ausschliesslich für professionellen Handwerkerbedarf

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A TECHNICAL REVOLUTION

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.

For more information go to

www.blanchon.com

Floor Forum International 95

Blanchon, a specialist in wood finishes and preparations and Briançon, incorporating Blanchon Industrie, will have a joint stand at Carrefour 2018. There will be a considerable offering aimed at industry, including coatings, sealants and adhesives (manual or machine application), as well as colours, patinas, UV varnishes, oils and vintage or trendy designs highly appreciated for their easy commercialization. The crowd-pleasing Parquet range (Intensiv®, Performer®) includes the Belmont® NF (new high performing 2K lacquer) and the Solid'Oillaminat+Intensiv System (deco+resistance+easy maintenance). Trade side: new Resealing range (10 pastes, 1 or 2K sealant and binders, for the workshop or site installation) and new Carbamex® cabinetmaking range. The Restoration Lacquer provides a simple, rapid and durable solution for damaged floors (parquets, laminate, PVC). For exterior woods, the Tech-Wood Stain, the first stain for all types of wood and Cladding Oil are star performers.

Boen Smooth operator: Boen’s folded cover layers for seamless staircase strips Origami-Tech heralds hardwood flooring expert BOEN’s folding technology, which creates a single surface parquet layer for staircase treads folded at a 45 degree angle instead of the two pieces used in traditional solutions. The result: carefully bevelled and stable stair edges with a

Preview Carrefour International du Bois (Nantes FR)

continuous protective surface. With this technology, BOEN is revolutionising the production of staircase strips. The conventional procedure used to date was always accompanied by a certain degree of notch-sensitivity, not to mention an interruption in the transition of the wood texture. “The use of Origami-Tech covers the entire staircase strip with a single, continuous layer, ensuring uniform protection“, says Andreas Tippel, product manager at BOEN. An integrated aesthetic interior design is ensured by corresponding skirting and baseboards that match the colour and surface of the parquet floor–all provided by BOEN.

- Direct or indirect steam chambers dedicated to wood coloration. - The equipments are designed to operate with various energies such as wood, cogeneration, methanization, gas, fuel, electricity… the operation may be with hot water, overheated water, steam or direct burner. - Regulation by computer for driers all brands.

CATHILD Industrie CATHILD Industrie is a french company specialized in wood drying kilns. It's main markets are Europe, Russia, Canada, United States and Africa The flaship products lines are: - High Capacity Low Temperature driers from 750 to 2500 m3 dedicated to the drying of softwoods all sections, different moisture contents in short delays and optimal quality. Simplified handling. - Double ventilation driers from 100 to 500 m3 developped for softwoods with high value added, to obtain unparalleled quality and final homogeneity. They can by moving kilns or loaded by bogies on rails. - Predriers from 500 m3 to 1500 m3 developped for oak and hardwoods. They allow to preserve wood from all defects related to open air drying (or under open shed) whatever the season or site. - ISPM treatment kilns and driers developped for pallets, crates or planks for Packaging.

30 YEARS POLYX®-OIL

POLYX®-OIL ORIGINAL Especially for the needs of wooden flooring – for a low-maintenance surface that supports a healthy environment! > Clear, for interior use > Highly recommended for solid wood, plank, strip, OSB and cork flooring; also suitable for furniture surfaces and edge-glued panels > Polyx®-Oil Original enhances the colour tone of wood and is wear-resistant, water and dirt-repellent, durable and extremely hard-wearing

Deceuninck – Hall 4

MAJESTIC is the new 100% recyclable Deceuninck terrace plank. Easy to install, composed with a composite core material and fully coated with a protective PVC envelope, it is resistant to stains, UV, scratches, fungi, humidity. Robust and splinter-free, it is also non-slip, even when wet. Many finishing accessories, including an aluminium beam, are available. They have been designed to facilitate the installation of the structure. MAJESTIC is used both in public and private areas. Available in natural colors with excellent stability - Gris pierre, Argile, Chêne cendré et Chêne irisé - MAJESTIC is suitable for any environment. MAJESTIC combines comfort, safety and functionality.

Denderwood Denderwood S.A., the Belgium tropical hardwood importer and producer offers products ranging from rough sawn timbers to glue laminated profiles. With its storage capacity and the wide range of products available, Denderwood responds to your requests even to measure. We offer certified wood (FSC, PEFC ...) and comply with the EUTR rules. Denderwood SA will present in 2018 its wide Padouk range: fixe and standard timber, paneling, cladding, glue laminated timber, deck boards, flooring, etc. ... As a specialist in the species for the

www.osmo.de/en

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Preview Carrefour International du Bois (Nantes FR)

finishing. The entire range is certified PEFC/FSC. Gascogne Bois H4-E5.

Lamett

manufacture of exterior joinery and doorframes, we will also show our laminated scantlings in red timbers such as DRM, Sipo, Tiama, etc. Do not miss to visit STAND GP-E5.

FAUS International FAUS International Flooring will be present on 30, 31 May and 1 April at Carrefour International du Bois 2018, the biannual European fair focused 100% on wood. FAUS International Flooring will exhibit at Carrefour du Bois their new designs, as the Parquet Stones, design that emulates a stone herringbone installation, the oxides in large format of 120x60 cm and the Concrete model, the new chevron floors, the exquisite marqueteries as Normandie and Versailles designs, the 4-bevelled range and the retro collection inspired by hydraulic pavements. FAUS INTERNATIONAL FLOORING is a Spanish manufacturer of premium laminate flooring, wall panelling and mouldings. Booth at Carrefour du Bois: H4-G15

Gascogne Bois

Visit the Lamett stand and discover 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. Moreover, this floor overcomes the limitations of a traditional vinyl flooring thanks to its ultra-strong and rigid carrier, transparent wear layer and excellent matt PU top layer. Next to ParquetVinyl, a new product will be presented in parquet: 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. Visit us: Hall 3, stand A3.

Osmo Osmo show their competence in wood finishing in Nantes Warendorf, March 2018 – from 30 May to 1 June, the CARREFOUR INTERNATIONAL DU BOIS in Nantes will open its doors to visitors. Osmo Holz und Color GmbH & Co. KG will also be exhibiting at this international biennial trade fair for the wood industry. The main focus of the fair presence will be the German company’s natural wood finishes, which protect high-wear flooring and furniture surfaces reliably and are quick in application. At Booth E4 Hall 3, the specialists for wood and finishes will be presenting their whole range in this area. Straightforward, live demonstrations will show trade visitors the countless possibilities and will demonstrate that the all products in the Osmo range are perfectly integrated with each other. Customers get everything they need for professional wood surface treatment from one source.

Plastor

Gascogne Bois is one of the main French manufacturer of decorative wood solutions for interior or outdoor. Specialist in solid Maritime Pine wood, Gascogne Bois offers a wide range of panelling (unfinished & decorative) but also, a large choice of flooring parquet (unfinished and decorative). Outdoor products are also available with a 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 surface

Floor Forum International 95

Plastor offers a range of wooden flooring products for decorating professionals and wooden flooring specialists. Discover our solutions for cleaning, enhancing and protecting your flooring and decking. We have developed several different products depending on the type of finish required: varnishes, oils, stains and waxes. We also provide products for maintaining wooden floors, surface preparation products, glues, joint treatment products, etc. Plastor wooden flooring and decking products offer outstanding performance and are designed using the latest technological and scientific innovations. Plastor’s

environmentally-friendly credentials and innovative product offer have resulted in recognition from professionals as well as several patents and environmental labels. Stand GP.I20.

Parqueterie Berrichonne France Production Parquet Innovation is a French hardwood flooring manufacturer with over 60 years of experience. Since 31st October 2013, the team from FPPI have continued the Parqueterie Berrichonne name. Conscious of its good reputation, and the " Made in France " requirements, Parqueterie Berrichonne brings to you perfect tradition as well as modern aesthetics. FPPI is an ecologically aware manufacturer. Quality French made, environmentally friendly. The brand “Parqueterie Berrichonne”: a healthy and natural living philosophy. Carrefour du Bois : H3-A1.

Rubio Monocoat, King of Colours Rubio Monocoat has been the king of colour on wood since 2005, thanks to the extensive colour range. We are now adding trend colours to these 40 standard colours for our top product, the Oil Plus 2C, for the second year in a row. In 2018, these six new colours are based on the Scandinavian atmospheres, as well as the warmer colours of the East. Another first is the announcement that Rubio Monocoat is first in the sector to obtain the Eurofins Indoor Air Comfort Gold label. This label shows the focus that Rubio Monocoat puts on quality and the contribution to a healthy interior environment. Come and discover the personal benefits of our innovative technology in person. We demonstrate both manually and industrially that it really is

possible: one layer that is cured instantly when the RMC LED Oil comes into contact with the LED light.

Vetedy The Vetedy Group will be presenting Softline®, its well known system with invisible fastening for terraces. Nowadays, everyone is well aware of the Technical and qualitative benefits of this system. Teak and merbau are now also FSC approved in the range. A novelty with Techniclic®, the system for invisible fastening for wall claddings, is the introduction of natural Siberian larch and thermally treated Nordic pine.

Wicanders Wicanders continues to set itself apart in innovation and in continuously presenting new products to the market. The company invested €12 million to significantly reinforce the production capacity of its waterproof and low thickness solutions. As a result of this investment, Wicanders presents Hydocork Wide at this year’s Carrefour du Bois. While maintaining the well-known product features like reduced thickness, easy installation and waterproofing, this collection introduces new dimensions - 1225x195x6 mm - aligned with the market trends and demand for wider planks. The brand’s presence is also marked by the launch of the new Wicanders Wood Essence collection, following a €2 million investment in state-of-theart digital printing technologies that significantly upgrade the print resolution to 1000dpi. The result of this commitment is a collection of 14 new looks that faithfully reproduce wood visuals with a level of realism never before achieved. The new collection is presented in long board format (1830x185x11,5mm), with colours ranging from natural to washed tones. This collection is also developed with a focus on sustainability, as the visual is printed directly into cork and does not require the use of PVCs or similars.

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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Advertorial

Janser (DE)

JUNIOR JUNIOR Ride-On Ride-On Ride-On

ProfessionalProfessional Flooring Technology Flooring Technology

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supply: Mains Mains supply: 230 V 230 V 230 V Mains supply: power:power: EngineEngine power: Engine 2.2 kW 2.2 kW2.2 kW 37 m/min 37 m/min Speed:Speed: Speed: 37 m/min Dimensions: 610 xmm 1000xmm Dimensions: 610 1000 mm Dimensions: 1300 x 1300 610 xx1300 1000 Weight: 320 kg 320 kg320 kg Weight:Weight: Side weights: Side weights: 80 kg 80 kg 80 kg Side weights: Total weight: Total weight: 400 kg 400 kg400 kg Total weight:

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SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS The forward leaning construction puts the centre of gravitation on the tool itself and allows for optimum stripping performance, normally only achieved by machines twice the size. Weight is essential for optimum stripping performance and traction but weight restrictions are also to be observed for example soil bearing capacity, load capacity of lifts and loading capacity of transport vehicles. With a working speed of up to 37m/min the stripping performance is increased, especially when removing elastic or textile coverings. Parquet and tiles can also be removed with special blades and chisels. The new “soft touch“ operating handles allow easy access and fatigue-free work over many hours maintaining an ergonomic seating position. Even less experienced users are able to use the JUNIOR Ride-On without extensive training or experience. Maximum manoeuvrability is achieved via the hydraulic rear-wheel drive together with the front swivel castor. This is especially useful when turning at the end of a room. The zero turn radius increases productivity enormously. The machine is offered with an extensive accessory set with blade holders in three different widths, self-scoring blades as well as straight blades of different strengths. Other special blades and chisels are available separately. JANSER offers on-site demonstrations as well as briefings, repair and maintenance services. After presentations in November in Switzerland and France the JUNIOR Ride-On was introduced in January at the DOMOTEX in Hannover as well as the CASA in Salzburg at our JANSER stand.

Application for PVC

Application for carpet

Application for parquet

Application for ceramics

CONTACT: Janser GmbH Böblinger Straße 91 71139 Ehningen GERMANY Tel +49 / 7034 / 127-0 Fax +49 / 7034 / 8838 E-mail: info@janser.com Internet:www.janser.com

Floor Forum International 95

Special

Precolouring: What's on the market ?

PRECOLOURING WOODEN FLOORBOARDS COLOURING WOOD VASTLY INCREASES THE DECORATIVE OPTIONS

Photo – Osmo

Why would you move heaven and earth to make people think that your oak parquet floor is actually a wenge parquet floor? Because it’s beautiful? In that case, just buy a wenge parquet floor in the first place. Too expensive? Doesn’t this raise the question as to whether the difference in price is so great after the administration of the necessary camouflage techniques and products? Whatever the case, the market offers the necessary possibilities for making one wood look like another one. Precolouring parquet is occurring more and more frequently and the number of shades is infinite.

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The real wood colour What’s special about a wood colour is that you can’t just catalogue a colour under a common umbrella name. Each wood sort has its own shade, which belongs to that wood sort. Let’s put it like this: If you say that merbau is ‘reddish’ in colour, you give something away in the description of that wood sort. You make it clear that ‘reddish’ is only a general guidelines. Anyone who says that merbau is ‘red’ isn’t adding anything new; on the contrary. After all, the ‘red of merbau is so unique and typical of this beautiful sort of wood that you can’t just call this shade ‘red’. That linguistic distinction is necessary; anyone who

considered working on oak to make it look like merbau should aim for the ‘reddish’ shade, not the ‘red’.

Wood colour in new constructions Tree connoisseurs and many nature lovers, too, can describe and catalogue a tree, whilst it is still standing. That’s clever, because there are plenty of trees and they resemble each other strongly. Wood connoisseurs are even more clever; they can describe and catalogue the tree after it has been cut down, and they do so on the basis of a simple plank. Here, too, we have to say that in terms of wood grain lots of trees resemble each other. And so, it is no easy task to determine the wood sort. The wood grains and the gnarls say a lot. It’s often the colour which gives a definite answer in the event of any doubt between two similar sorts. Each sort of wood has its own unique colour. Moreover, if we expect people to choose the natural colour when they choose a natural floor, then, strangely enough, that is not always the case, even with a new construction.

What about renovation? You might be of the opinion (rightly or not) that the project manager should have to respect the colour of his or her choice of wood, but in renovation it’s a different story. Anyone who is mad about that same merbau or panga panga or wenge and is confronted with renovating oak strip parquet from grandmother’s time can actually go in any direction. The fact that we are talking about oak is a blessing since oak can be processed better than any other wood sort. We’ll see below that it’s certainly possible to give oak strip parquet the colour of a tropical wood sort, irrespective of the fitting pattern.

Precolouring wood There are various ways to change and adapt the colour of wood to different expectations. If we talk about pre-colouring, that means per definition that we are not talking about a protective end treatment. Most methods/techniques/products for precolouring wood don’t offer protection against the normal threats to a floor which is used e.g. mechanical resistance, scratch-resistance, and stain resistance. Below we outline the main precolouring techniques.

Lye Soaking wood in lye is a pre-treatment which provides ongoing protection from discolouration as a result of sunlight. Lye does not provide protection against dirt and damp. After a treatment with lye, the wood should always be given a further treatment with oil, soap, or lacquer. A highly popular method for treating wooden plank floors is the so called oil-soap treatment. This means that the oak planks are rubbed with oil and/or dye. There are many different oils, so that means there is a wide range of shades.

White wash A popular form of treatment for wooden floors until recently was the so called white wash. The floor is rubbed with a white oil or wax. Some of the oil is then rubbed away or rubbed in further. With oak, the white oil remains in the grain and gnarls thanks to the open pores. Moreover, if white lime oil is also applied to the oak white wash, this highlights the grain even more. This gives a highly decorative effect. As a protective finish for the whitewash wooden floor you can opt for a layer of soap or you can apply the new and highly natural

KING OF COLOURS

Floorservice Maintenance Oil antique white

Suitable for among others all smoked floors finished with white oil.

Can be applied manually or with a single disc machine.

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Special

Precolouring: What's on the market ?

matt lacquer. As well as the use of ‘white’ wash there is also a ‘sandy colour’ variant.

Smoking Smoking oak planks highlights the specific grain of the wood. The structure of each separate plank comes into its own. The smoking process gives the plank a darker shade. The difference is even more remarkable with double-smoked oak floors. Traditionally, this smoking process was done using ammonia. Basins with ammonia were put in the room where the floor has to be fitted. Nowadays, there are several products as alternatives to ammonia.

Staining Staining parquet can give the wood any colour as required, from black and blue-grey to white, it’s all possible. The stain penetrates deep down into the wood, gives a nice contrast, and thereby highlights the specific wood structure. This can then be combined with oil, wax, or varnish. In the past, most stains were available in wood colours. And so, it was possible, for instance, to give a cheap pine floor the look of oak by means of a dark oak colour. Nowadays, the colouring agents are emerging in a range of trend y colours. It is possible to give any sort of wood a completely different look by applying certain colours.

A selection from the market range Blanchon Anyone who makes wood their trade has looked for ways to adapt the colour or shade since time immemorial. In the last thirty years, modern chemistry has created water-based colours or dyes which are more resistant to the effects of light. Blanchon offers a full range for colouring, decorating, and distressing parquet and woodwork with two ranges of shades, one distressing range and several reactive products. Aquateinte 2K is a water-based colouring specially for parquet. There are six wood colours and also six shades from pure white to deep black. For small surfaces there is Wood Shade (12 wood shades in black and white and 5 grey ones). Wood Distresser has 10 shades, 5 of them in grey. Blanchon also has several ‘Reactives’ and ‘Sheens’. Note: Only oil can offer both decoration and protection. And so, all these colours still need a protective coat. A good example is the combination of Wood Distresser and Glossy Wax Oil. These colours can be applied both on site and in the factory.

Ciranova Ciranova presents some unique colourings in its range. A distressing stain (lye stain) is particularly suitable for distressing types of wood which contain tannic acid, such as oak and pine. It is suitable for indoor use only. Aquapad is uniform and easy to apply and ensures a uniform look and brings out the wood grain to the full. Thanks to its special composition and easy use, Aquapad is absolutely ideal for colouring large surfaces such as parquet. Aquavintage is a water-based reactive stain for giving the wood a distressed look quickly and easily. This,

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too, is suitable for indoor use only. Vintage is a water-based reaction stain designed to give oak a weathered vintage look. Parquet traders and producers are always looking for innovations. Ciranova has at its disposal some unique colourings which offer lots of options in combination with coloured oil. That’s why they are still seeing increased sales in colourings year by year. The products can be used on site or in the workshop. How Photo Project customer from New Zealand - Herman Pacific important is precolouring? A colour oil usually means a less intensive and deeper colouring. Precolouring the wood gives it a more intense colour. Furthermore, you can get a lot of different finishes by combining colourings with coloured oils. If you finish colourings with a water-based varnish, it’s always advisable to test it first. It is best to apply water-based varnishes by machine to prevent discolouration.

Chimiver LIOS BIOIL Colorato Colored natural oil treatment for wooden floors LIOS BIOIL Colorato is a colored natural oil treatment for wooden floors with easy application, very durable and soft effect on the surface. LIOS BIOIL Colorato is available in 20 different colors, miscible together to make a wide range of new colors.

Dr. Schutz Dr. Schutz offers a wide range consisting of Eukula Classis Lye conditioner (which gives coniferous wood a deep shade of honey and highlights the

natural wood grain), Eukula Oak Antique conditioner (which gives oak an intense warm look), and Eukula Oak Iron conditioner (which highlights the dark shades in the oak floor and thereby gives a smoky colour effect). These conditioners are used before oiling the floor. You can use the floor again with caution after 16 hours. Dr. Schutz also has Euku Colour Oil in 10 different shades. And so, wooden floors keep a natural look and can be lacquered later, if you wish. This oil takes 24 hours to dry and the floor can then be walked on with caution. Finally, there is the PU Colour, which gives your wooden floor a very strong and elastic finish coat. This is available in any colour as required (e.g. RAL, NCS-S, or Sikkens). PU Colour provides a full colour finish, but it leaves the wood grains visible, so you could call this a natural look. It is used only by professionals.

Floorservice Floorservice Prime Design Line offers a wide range of pre-treatment products New: Prime Weathered Prime Weathered is a new addition to our range of aging- and weathering products. It consists of Prime Weathered Grey and Prime Weathered Black. Both will ensure a natural weathered appearance. Prime Weathered is suited for both industrial and manual application. Prime Old Black Developed to provide a black base for oak. Finishing the floor with Floorservice Hardwax-oil offers the possibility of completely black floor or a black floor with a brown, grey, white or even metallic finish. Prime Stain Suitable for mechanical application by either spray- or roller-coater. After the initial treatment with one of the Floorservice Prime Stains, the floor needs to be polished prior to application of the top-coat.

Hesse For colouring floors Hesse offers a wide range of products, from ‘normal’ stains to reaction stains (applied by roller or spray and polish stains). Furthermore, Hesse also supplies oil in diverse colours, usually customised according to the client’s wishes. If

necessary, the company also supplies covering colour lacquers for lacquering wooden floors in colour. Colouring a wooden floor with customised colours makes a floor unique. Since there is a growing need to stand out (everyone wants something that no else has), this market is growing. Hesse has products for application on site or in the factory, as well as products for applying on parquet factory lacquering lines. The most common systems for application on site have a drying time from about four hours per coat to drying overnight. Drying times depend strongly on the temperature, the dampness of the floor, and the room in which the floor is located. It is essential that the room is properly ventilated. Furthermore, there are products which can dry faster with the aid of special dryers. The colouring of a stain is much more intense than that of oil because a concentrated fluid is used. A transparent colouring (oil) gives more depth than a more covering colouring of the wood grain. All this gives a different colour impression.

Osmo Osmo offers different products for applying a coloured base coat to wooden flooring: Oil Stain, Polyx®-Oil Tints, Polyx®-Oil Effect as well as Wood Wax Finish. With Oil Stain, Polyx®-Oil Tints and Wood Wax Finish, different colour intensities can be achieved from transparent to intensive; depending on the product and the application, different results are created. Shimmering gloss effects are made with Polyx®-Oil Effect Gold/Silver. Wooden floors treated with Polyx®-Oil Effect Natural look if they are almost completely untreated. The final coat should always be carried out with a clear Polyx®-Oil. The products can also be used by professional craftsmen as well as by end consumers.

Pallmann No fewer than 24 colours are possible (in four styles) in the Pallmann Colour Collection by adding a third component to the dual-component oil (primer). Pall-X 333 A/B. Pall-X 333 can be painted over with the Pallmann 2K lacquers (Pall-X 98 Gold, Pall-X Zero, or Pall-X Pure for an extra matt finish). It can also be finished with Pallmann Magic Oil 2K Original if you still opt for an oil finish. Moreover, with Pall-X 350 as an adhesion primer, you can finish virtually any oiled floor with Pallmann lacquers. You can use Pallmann Pall-X 333 to colour the floor without streaks or overlaps. Finishing with Pall-X Zero keeps the look of an oiled floor, but with the durability and low maintenance of a lacquered floor. Moreover, this gives extra protection for the colour and you don’t get a visible ‘walkway’.

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Special

Precolouring: What's on the market ?

Plastor ‘Colour Floors Teinte’ dye is a colouring which makes it possible to colour parquet durably and in depth. The product is suitable for all types of parquet. It is available in 15 different and intense colours. These colours can be mixed with each other, so it really is possible to personalise. Even on big surfaces it is easy to apply the products without streaks. With one litre you can colour about 15m². This market is in full bloom because more and more people (and institutions) want to give their old floors a new lease of life without doing away with the ‘old’ aspect. These colour products can be deployed in the factory or on site. For the application of a waterborne finish it is necessary to allow a drying time of 24 hours, whilst for a solvent-based finish the drying time is two to three hours. At all events, coloured floors must be given another protective finish. All finishes are suitable.

Rubio Monocoat, King of Colours

the colours from the Precolor Easy spectrum can also be mixed with each other. This also applies to the Oil Plus 2C colours. For industrial finishing, there is the Rubio Monocoat Nano Industrial in 9 colours, which dries quickly, so that the industrial process is not delayed.

Timberex Timberex doesn’t make any products based on colouring agents for precolouring. Colouring takes place in combination with natural oils from Timberex (www. Timberex.com). In its range Timberex offers Timberex Coloured in which the oils and colours can be mixed in all ratios, so virtually all colours can be made. Staining is one alternative. For the protection of parquet and wood in general Timberex offers the Fassitek series of products for colouring wood. Sometimes extra protection in the form of a coat or varnish such as Plasti parquet, Fassithane series, Rustoleum 4900, is needed after staining, certainly for parquet. The products can be finished on site or in the factory. The choice depends on elements such as the demand or whether or not a protective layer is necessary before fitting parquet. Drying times are hard to determine and depend on several factors, including particularly the relative humidity, the temperature, and the existing natural and/or active ventilation facilities. The technical data sheet gives the applicable times per coat. Timberex oils are maintained with similar products and not lacquers due to the possibility of wax or beeswax ingredients in the oil.

Tover

Rubio Monocoat has been the king of colours on wood since 2005, thanks to the extensive colour range. RMC Oil Plus 2C oil for interior applications comprises 40 standard colours, which can colour and protect the wood in 1 coat. In 2017, 3 collections of trend colours were added to this for the first time, just like in 2018 with the Nordic Adventures and warm colours of the Eastern Encounters. To create special contrasts, a pre-colour may be chosen. These have been designed to be used in combination with our oil finishing. Consequently, the molecular binding of the oil remains guaranteed, so the wood is optimally protected. The RMC Fumed & Smoke are two reactive pre-colours. Because pre-colours are very attractive, but difficult to reproduce, Rubio Monocoat has the Precolor Easy, a selection of 14 non-reactive pre-colours. These can always be reproduced and are also much stronger than reactive pre-colours. Rubio Monocoat Precolor Easy has been developed in such a way that it dries slowly so there is time to eliminate any overlaps. The combination of all these pre-colours with 40 Oil Plus 2C colours, results in endless creative possibilities, especially because

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Tover offers several innovative pre-colouring systems to create highly customized finishes : an oiled-based primer available in more than 30 colours to achieve a rustic or contemporary look overcoatable with a 2K water-based lacquer: Tintoretto Design. Or using water-based reactive stains to get distressed grey, smoked, black or bleached effects: Bosch Vej, Ciair, Fossil. And why not by using the system composed of a water-based stain, Belle Epoque in its 13 shades of gray, sand, brown and burnt overcoatable with L’Olio 100% neutral or coloured oil to obtain natural two-tones finishes? Innovation and Design!

Special

Producers of dispersion adhesives

DISPERSION GLUE IS PERFECT FOR ANYTHING STABLE THE EXQUISITE GLUE FOR PLIABLE FLOORS

Photo – Thomsit

Adhesive bonds can be created by a physical or chemical reaction between different components. For glueing parquet it is largely the type of wood and the kind of substrate which determine the most suitable glue. Surrounding conditions (e.g. damp or air) almost always play a part. The principle of dispersion glues is that a binding agent is ‘ dispersed’ in water. The binding agent (synthetic resin) does its work as soon as the water disappears.

The working

What is dispersion glue?

Polyvinyl acetate

There are various types of dispersion glues. This article is about water-based dispersion glues, which are still amongst the most important parquet glues. Most dispersion glues should be avoided if we’re going to fit moisture-sensitive types of wood such as beech or if we want to fit exotic parquet.

Polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) is a synthetic polymer obtained from the polymerisation of vinyl acetate. It is sold in solid form (powder or granules), but mainly as latex or in a watery emulsion (it is not soluble). The main use of these PVAc emulsions is in all kinds of glues, especially wood glue and glue for porous materials such as cardboard, paper, fabrics, and such like. The ‘white glue’ for household use is also a PVAC glue.

Composition Dispersion glues consist of a synthetic resin (binding agent) which is dispersed in water. These glues consist of solid matter for 50 to 65%. The synthetic resins most commonly used are polyvinyl acetate, acrylate, polyurethane, and their derivatives. An organic solvent is added to dispersion glues for special applications to disperse the binding agent (usually by means of a synthetic resin with a limited melting point). This is done in percentages from 0 to 5. In some sectors emulsifying agents, cross-linkers, and preservatives may be found in the glue.

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Dispersion glues set as the water is extracted from the glue to create a glue film (water disappears, whilst solid substances remain to achieve the bonding). This means that one of the parts to be glued has to be capable of absorbing water. Metal, wood, paper, and textile can be bound using dispersion glue. Since metal cannot absorb water, dispersion glue can be used only to join metal components to non-metal components. Most parquet dispersion glues are based on polyvinyl acetate.

For stable wood indoors Water dispersion glues are used preferably for glueing stable types of wood, and preferably wood sections in smaller sizes such as mosaic parquet or subfloors, boards, etc. A water dispersion glue is best used on absorbent substrates so that the water which is extracted from the glue is absorbed not only by the wood, but also by the absorbent subfloor. The specific properties of wood on the one hand and vinyl or PVC on the other are totally different. Wood has an open structure,

Floor Forum International 95

Special

Producers of dispersion adhesives

whilst those floors are smooth and closed. Wood is a hard material, whilst those floors are pliable. Since it is hard for a PVC floor to absorb moisture in the glue, you need a glue which can cope with semi-wet or almost dry glueing. On the one hand, those materials swell and shrink a lot less than wood (so we don’t need to look for elastic glues) and, on the other hand, the glue has to be strong enough to make sure that the joints don’t become visible over time. It is also possible to add reinforcement fibres to the dispersion to increase the dimensional stability of the glue even more. Apart from dispersion glues, quite a few producers also promote universal polyurethane glues for glueing pliable floor coverings in a top quality manner.

Removing water In all cases, water dispersion glues do add some water to the wood and thereby affect its stability. It is not possible to apply a finish immediately with a water dispersion glue. The wood takes longer to stabilise, and that is a problem which does not arise with dual-component polyurethane glues. That’s exactly why makers focus strongly on reducing water content in water dispersion glues considerably.

EN204: mainly for outdoor use According to the standard EN204, we can say that water dispersion glues can be deployed for classes D1, D2, and D3. Outdoor applications are also possible, provided that you use a hardener. - Class D1: This glue can be used for indoor applications where temperatures can rise occasionally and temporarily to over 50°C and where damp content doesn’t exceed 15%. - Class D2: This glue can be used for indoor applications where there is brief and occasional condensation and/or high relative humidity for limited periods. - Class D3: This glue can be used for indoor applications where there is frequent and brief condensation and/or high relative humidity for longer periods. Outdoor applications provide protection from severe weather conditions. - Class D4: This glue can be used for indoor applications where there is frequent and considerable contact with condensation. Outdoor applications, with exposure to weather conditions, are possible with appropriate surface covering.

Dispersion glues – practical aspects Storage Dispersion glues are stored in their original factory packaging. Since dispersion glues contain water, they should always be protected from freezing temperatures. The storage temperature is between 10 and 20°C. It is advisable to store the jars on wooden pallets rather than on a concrete floor. The storage life of dispersion glues obviously depends largely on their composition, but this glue can be stored for up to a year in sealed packaging.

Preparation Dispersion glues are supplied ready for use. In some cases it is permissible to add a little water to alter the viscosity. The glue should always be stirred thoroughly before use. The glue is odourless, non-flammable, and harmless to users. Dispersion glues are processed above the film-formation temperature (usually 15°C). The damp content of the parts to be glued is vitally important (8-12%).

Application Dispersion glues are applied on one side using a brush, spatula, trowel, glue roller, pistol or cylinder. It is essential for dispersion glues that

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the substrate should be uniform. In the case of parquet glue a strongly absorbent substrate must be treated first with a primer. Surfaces which aren’t flat enough must be levelled first. Once the glue is applied, the floorboards must be fitted at once so that the glue isn’t exposed to the air for too long.

What’s on the market? Adesiv The Adesiv extensive range of glues for block parquet has long included a series of waterborne vinyl dispersion glues, namely the family of ADECON E/3 in three variants. Vinyl glues in a watery dispersion can be used for all sizes of wooden floors on cement covering floors. However, these types of glue are not recommended for finished floors. The major benefits of these glues are the outstanding price/quality ratio and the guarantee that using them does not involve any risks. Furthermore, Adesiv also presents the Adetac S, a universal monocomponent 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 textiles onto both absorbent and non-absorbent substrates. In contrast to wooden floors, these types of floors swell and shrink a lot less, so there is no need for elastic glues.

Bostik A dispersion adhesive is a waterborne adhesive to which dissolved polymers such as organic binding agents based on PVAc (polyvinyl acetate, EVA; ethylene vinyl acetate) or acrylates, together with fillers and special additives have been added. The water content in these adhesives varies from 16 to 25% for the current dispersion adhesives for parquet. These adhesives are ready to use in a bucket. Depending on the dosed specific synthetic resins and polymers, it is possible to give a dispersion adhesive certain properties. These adhesives are easy to spread, economical, and ecological. They can be used only on porous substrates and are not suitable for moisture sensitive and tropical wood sorts. Dispersion adhesives are used for gluing oak mosaic parquet, chipboard, and OSB panels on absorbent substrates, for glueing engineered parquet and strip parquet with maximum dimensions of 250 x 50mm, and for glueing solid oak flooring (9mm thick) and traditional parquet onto a wooden substrate in combination with nails. There are dispersion adhesives for LVT, PVC, rubber, carpet and linoleum flooring. Bostik has a suitable

dispersion adhesive for each common floor covering. The BOSTIK POWER ELASTIC is a new adhesive developed specifically for glueing LVT and PVC design floors with a very quick and high initial adhesive power and with a very high shearing tensile strength, so that LVT can also be glued in areas where direct sunlight enters (e.g. under large glass).

Chimiver PARKETTKOLLL Singlecomponent water dispersion adhesive for gluing lamellar and lampaquet wooden floors. Good tenacity, good hold and long-lasting elasticity. PARKETTKOLL TOP RU Singlecomponent water dispersion adhesive for gluing all types of wooden floors. Excellent elasticity, it maintains unchanged its characteristics over time. PARKETTKOLL LISTONI Singlecomponent water dispersion adhesive for gluing massive wooden floors. Permanent elasticity, excellent seal.

Rectavit A dispersion, also known as a colloidal solution, is a sort of mixture in which the particles continue to float in the solution. In the case of parquet glue this is a hard glue in which the binding agent, PVAC (Poly Vinyl Acetate), is dissolved in water. The benefits of dispersion glues include the cost price, the spreadability, the strength with a very high shear value, and the long fitting time. The drawbacks include the fact that this glue works only on flat and good absorbent substrates because the residual moisture of this water-based glue is absorbed more by the substrate than by the parquet itself. The fact is that in that latter case the parquet would start to warp. Suitable substrates are a levelled substrate with a primer, a substrate where a subfloor or wooden panel is fitted (no adapted primer is necessary), cementbound screed with a residual value of <3%, with no floor heating and after the fitting of an adapted primer, a concrete floor with a residual value of <3% after fitting of an adapted primer, and a powdery/sandy/ scorched substrate after the fitting of an adapted primer. The glues are suitable for classic native types of wood, less so for tropical hardwood and moisture-sensitive wood sorts such as cherry and beech, and are not suitable for cross-cut wood or large wide planks. Rectavit presents the 243 Dispersion in this field.

Stauf In 1952 STAUF developed the first ever dispersion based wood flooring adhesive. Today, STAUF M2A 720 (EMICODE EC 1 plus) is the top

rated product in the STAUF dispersion adhesive range. STAUF M2A 720 is a classic, well-proven dispersion-based wood flooring adhesive with fast setting and a short open time. For design floor coverings, STAUF recommends D 50. The fibre reinforced dispersion adhesive is ready for use immediately and the fibre reinforcement produces improved dimensional accuracy in comparison with conventional one-side adhesives. STAUF offers various special adhesives for textile and elastic floorings, for example STAUF D 8 for linoleum, STAUF D 20 for rubber floorings and STAUF D 5 for PVC.

Tover Tover offers in his range different water-based glues for the bonding of resilient floors like LVT, a really trendy material, linoleum, textile, rubber, cork, etc on any type of supports, absorbent and not and on underfloor heating systems. Tovcol RP and Tovcol MPL are two acrylic solvent free adhesives to be used both in horizontal and vertical position with an excellent adhesion Peel and a high coverage. Tover also proposes an adhesive with permanent tack which enables to lay a floor, remove it after a long period of time without damaging it: Tovcol TST. Easy and safe!

Thomsit One of the benefits of dispersion glues is that they contain no solvents and are thereby not subject to labelling. They donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t adversely affect indoor air quality, so they are ecological products. However, the drawback is that they can cause water problems with wooden floors. Henkel offers dispersion glues under the Thomsit brand for glueing mosaic parquet, 22mm solid strip parquet, cross-cut wood-engineered parquet, 10mm solid oak floors (up to 250 x 50mm), two-layer parquet (up to a length of 1200mm), and cross-cut RE wood parquet. The glues can also be deployed for floors such as wall-to-wall carpet, PVC, linoleum, and rubber. The range includes Thomsit K 112, K 150, K 188, K 188 E, L 240 D, T 410, T 412, T 440, TL 280, P 618, and UK 800.

Floor Forum International 95

Project

Blanchon (FR)

SOLID'OIL BY BLANCHON TO CONQUER PARIS ™

OUTSTANDING PARQUETS OF THE CITÉ DES SCIENCES ET DE L’INDUSTRIE The list of prestigious buildings using Blanchon's Solid'Oil hard waxoil to finish parquet flooring now boasts one more name. The floors of the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie, located on the site of the old La Villette abattoirs, are covered with 3,500 m² of Sucupira parquet. Attracting over 2 million visitors in 2015, it was clear that this floor had to be of the very best quality, both in terms of aesthetics and mechanics. So it was no surprise that the choice fell on Blanchon's two-component hard waxoil ‘Solid'Oil’ for the finish. The result? Outstanding!

Cité des sciences et de l’industrie The reuse of old, often industrial, buildings is becoming increasingly more popular. These are frequently major renovation projects with an impressive architectural cachet, such as the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie in the Parc de la Villette in Paris. The former President, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, had the idea of reviving the former La Villette abattoirs by launching a major 150,000 m² redevelopment project. This project was entrusted to the French architect and urban

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planner Adrien Fainsilber in 1980. Its official inauguration took place six years later, at a ceremony presided over by François Mitterrand, who was then President of the Republic. The inauguration day was scheduled to coincide with the meeting in space between the Giotto probe and Halley's Comet to highlight the centre's purpose: to open the minds of the general public to science, technology and industry. The centre attracted 2,013,000 visitors in 2015.

Sucupira wood parquet The works were entrusted to UNISOL Services. Given the size of the project, 3,500 m² of parquet flooring, the director M. Goncalves decided to call on this specialist company to prepare the base, lay, sand and finish the parquet floor. Initially, the parquet flooring in this area of the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie was in Wenge. This floor covering, comprising of edge lamella, was very damaged and largely had to be replaced. The choice fell on Sucupira, due to its robustness and the colour similar to Wenge but also because at the time the project was presented, this species of wood was available in FSC.

The final touch by Blanchon The Salle Pleyel is a dazzling concert hall in Paris, in the 8th arrondissement. The parquet also plays a crucial role there. To finish the floors, the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie was inspired by the same, proven, process: a first coat with Solid'Oil Antic from Blanchon, that brings out the marked brown hue and the singular charm of Sucupira wood, followed by a layer of Solid'Oil Natural. Each time in two-component. The Blanchon Oil Hardener gives the oil its 'high solid' character, essential for high traffic areas, with high resistance to wear and abrasion. The hardener also allows faster drying so that the space can be returned to use more quickly. This finish also has advantages in terms of maintenance. Both for public and residential projects, maintenance is simple, fast and economical: simply wipe with a damp mop with Blanchon Natural Soap Cleaner (machine or by hand) and apply Blanchon Maintenance Oil with a microfibre pad.

An impressive list of references Blanchon's Hard Waxoil Solid'Oil has already been used for many prestigious projects. A few examples: - MuCEM (Marseille), - De Roma Arts Centre (Antwerp), - The Rivesaltes Memorial Museum (Rivesaltes), - Printemps stores (Paris, 4 floors, 7000 m²), - Passage Pommeraye (Nantes), - The Musée Montmartre (Paris), - Gant boutiques (two-tone chequered), - Regional Conservatory of Music (Bourges), - Cora Hypermarket (Yerres, 2200 m²), - Palais des Congrès (Pontivy, 800 m²), - Joa Casino (Uriage), - …

HARD WAXOIL HIGH SOLID FROM BLANCHON

Solid'Oil from Blanchon is great for both the installer and the end user. It impregnates, stains and protects wood floors in a single operation, nourishes the wood and preserves it. Thanks to its composition, rich in natural and renewable raw materials, the high solid hard waxoil dries rapidly and is practically odourless. Blanchon also offers endless possibilities for application in terms of decoration (hues, wood tones, coloured shades, etc.). The range of shades makes it suitable for virtually all decorative uses. The initial range of 11 colours increased to 41 in 2015, including 15 new shades of grey. Thanks to the addition of pre-dosed hardener (20%), drying and hardening only takes a few hours: Solid'Oil is practical and economical to use. In addition to the ease of application, the simplicity and speed of maintenance is an added advantage. This system is highly recommended for high traffic areas such as shops, museums, hotels and catering establishments, etc.

For more information : www.blanchon.com

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Special

Automation and packaging for the parquet industry

COMPUTERISATION IN THE PARQUET SECTOR SPECIALISTS PROVIDE TAILOR-MADE SOLUTIONS

Photo – CSP Engineering

There is an odd development in progress just now in the world of parquet. Parquet manufacturers are now supplying goods all over the world, not just in their own local regions. Production capacity simply has to increase in order to meet market demand, so you get mass production. At the same time, there is a growing demand for tailor-made products, either customised or personalised. Smaller players account for a small part of that demand, but where do you find the space for that? The only solution comes in the form of compact machines on a fully computerised production line!

A true story! John (or was it Frank?), a carpenter from the village of Leest near Mechelen (Belgium), has passed away. However, it is a comfort to know

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that he was privileged to reach the grand old age of 103 in good health. That’s not bad, is it? There are still quite a few carpenters in Leest, not least from John’s own family. One story which still often does the rounds in the village pub is that of the ‘long beams’. The carpentry workshop bordered on the village church and graveyard. Once, when a client asked him to plane some long beams, John was upset because he could only cope with a maximum of five metres. However, he asked one of his workers to cut a hole in the exterior wall and cover it with a panel. Whenever they had an assignment involving pieces longer than five metres, they had to check first to make sure that there was no funeral in progress. Otherwise there would have been a high risk of the funeral procession being confronted with a solid oak beam of five or six metres jutting through the wall. What can you do if you need more space?

What about computerisation? Anything can be computerised! For the production of laminate and multi-layer parquet that applies no less to all steps of the production process. Here is a quick summary:

Internal transport The removal of the initial work items (beams, panels, strips, etc.) from the stock and the supply of completely finished products to the warehouse usually proceed via a conveyor belt. Although it is often still a manual worker who stacks items onto the belt and removes them at the end of the circuit, those jobs, strictly speaking, can also be computerised.

Sawing On a computerised production line floorboards are dimensioned automatically and sawing strips or panels is also computerised. The computer calculates the most efficient way of sawing the wood.

Mechanical operations All mechanical operations which floorboards have to undergo are programmed in advance. The planing and sandpapering and milling of tongue and groove are directed by computer (CNC guided machines). Click systems are also fitted automatically.

Assembly

its clients. The CSP Engineering range is covered in detail elsewhere in this edition (see page 8/9). Here is a brief summary. Packing As regards computerised packing systems, CSP Engineering offers a number of modular systems which can be put on the line in diverse combinations. CSP offers an appropriate solution depending on the type of packs of floorboards to be packed. Logistics The CSP Engineering range has several logistical solutions which can be included in the production as a module or tailored to client needs. Moreover, all systems can be put in the line with other solutions which CSP Engineering offers. Production machines For glueing solid wood top layers into two-layer parquet with a waterproof and perfect adhesion CSP Engineering still makes the PAR Duo®. The multiplex parts are glued endlessly to ensure that there is no sawn waste. The PAR Duo® can produce two-layer parquet with top layers of the same and/or variable length in one production batch. The computer-guided sawing machine at the end of the line saws the glued parts onto the original length of the top layers. Filling machines Finally, the CSP Engineering showpiece is obviously the PAR Filler®, which automatically fills gnarls and cracks in parquet. You can read more about this technology in another article in this journal.

With multi-layer floors, different layers are joined together to form one solid whole. That is done using glue. The parts (panels) are assembled by machine, whilst the glue is also dosed automatically.

Finishing The (mechanically) finished floorboards can now be put on an oiling or lacquering line, with or without UV drying. Operations such as distressing techniques (e.g. brushing or scraping) can also be computerised.

Then the packing Measuring, labelling, registering, and packing: The operator who feeds the raw floorboards onto the production line retrieves them via the output. They are neatly packed and ready for sale in stores.

The ‘big paradox’ The conflict in the floor sector (or even in the interior sector) is that between large-scale production on the one hand and the ‘tailormade’ production of smaller quantities on the other, personalised or not. The result is that machine developers have thought about more compact production lines tailored to the somewhat bigger parquet trader that still wants to carry out some steps in the production process itself. Even packing is part of that. Packing and labelling is the final stage of most production lines. Lots of producers pack their goods in cardboard boxes (with windows) or apply cardboard corner protectors with shrink film or wrapping foil.

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

after

A specialist CSP Engineering CSP Engineering is the top specialist in developing technology and computerisation systems for the production of wooden floorboards. CSP Engineering actively constructs four computerisation groups: packing machines, logistical systems, production machines, and filling machines. The Belgian machine manufacturer meets market needs and trends in the parquet sector and is known as a proactive and co-operative partner in the process to optimise the production of

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

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

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Special

Producers of style panels

HOW EXCLUSIVE CAN A FLOOR BE? STYLE PANELS KNOW NO LIMITS IN TIME OR SPACE

Photo – Coswick

Wooden floors always have something ‘exclusive’ about them. They generally charm us at once when we enter a room and see their warm and homely, but also pricey look. In that respect you can never describe a wooden floor as ‘ordinary’. However, there is still a strong distinction within the range of wooden floors, depending partly on the type of wood used, but also the types of fitting patterns. When we talk about something ‘exclusive’, style panels most certainly fit the bill. There are no limits here. Floor fitters can let themselves go! And so, it’s something worth having at hand.

Style panels Style panels are actually large wooden ‘tiles’ with an outer edge which, as it were, ‘frames’ the wooden floorboards in a certain fitting pattern. The parts are usually glued to each other sideways (solid wood 6 or 10mm), but in recent years these panels have also emerged in multi-layer whereby the solid wood pattern is glued onto a subfloor (multiplex). As for the preferred patterns, lots of producers have noticed the same trends, namely distressed panels and, especially, ‘old fitting patterns’. On the other hand, there are producers who sell mainly modern and neutral designs, which are obviously not distressed.

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Hungarian point and herringbone Hungarian point is one of the oldest parquet patterns. This pattern is generally fitted ‘separately’, but it can be fitted in panel form. In this pattern the strips are fitted against each other in herringbone pattern at an angle of 30 to 45°. Sandpapering creates a subtle difference in colour which provides a three-dimensional effect. Hungarian point sometimes gets confused with herringbone. The latter, too, is a classic fitting pattern for parquet and this, too, can be the pattern for a panel design. The strips are fitted in herringbone bond, the upper sides right up against each other to create a zigzag pattern. One helpful way of remembering the difference with Hungarian point is as follows: With herringbone pattern each strip is a geometrical rectangle, whilst with Hungarian point each strip is a parallelogram is (sawn mitred).

Versailles – the champion The Versailles panel is the most popular panel without a shadow of a doubt. The Versailles panel looks like a diagonal plaiting framed by a square edge of parquet strips. Obviously, the name is derived from the magnificent palace of King Louis XIV. In the palace itself the panels are exactly 1m² (100 x 100cm). They are separated by three strips of 8cm which come together in a corner to form a point. Today, Versailles

panels are available in various dimensions and are adapted to the room in which they are fitted (see below). Another pattern also found in the palace is the Chantilly pattern. Chantilly is a somewhat more intricate variant which consists of several small panels which also form a plaiting. In the palace this is in panels, but it can also be stretched out over the width of the floor.

The link with inlay work Inlay work in parquet is certainly just as exclusive as panels. Some panels are even supplied as inlay work (i.e. separately) to allow floor fitters to make adjustments here and there during the fitting. This is sometimes the case, for instance, with cube patterns. If inlay work is delivered separately, it is possible to get it pre-sorted with a foil to keep the parts together. With inlay work anything is possible, ranging from intricate and lively rosettes from bygone days to a simple highlight. The extensive possibilities are more a result of the development of laser cutting technology in which designs or patterns can be cut with ultimate precision. Oak is still the preferred type of wood with both inlay work and with patterns, but it can be combined with other sorts such as mahogany, teak, wenge, and such like. It goes without saying that the differences in colour between the types of wood are attractive for inlay work.

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!

Even more exclusive Panels in a rather sober pattern, any pattern at all, designed in white oak and with an untreated matt look, differ from more rustic designs, but they are no less exclusive for that. Exclusivity often comes from ‘departing from’ what is normal. Pattern floors made from real old teak can be called ‘exclusive’ to put it mildly. The fact is that, apart from standard assortments in multi-layer, solid wood pattern floors fitted in the traditional manner just about lead the market of most exclusive floor coverings.

What’s on the market ? BJ Parket For BJ Parket, style panels are still important. Versailles is one of the most coveted. Versailles is a classic type of style panel which consists mainly of a (diagonal) plait framed by a square edge of parquet strips. The panels are usually customised. Adapting the size of the panel to the size of the location makes it possible to work even more towards a natural harmony between floor and room. That’s why BJ Parket has three dimensions in the range in which the plaits are composed of friezes of 55mm (panels of 49.5cm or of 55 to 73cm wide), friezes of 72mm (panels of 65cm or of 73 to 95cm wide), and friezes of 90mm (panel 102cm wide). The measure is adapted precisely for each floor by changing the size of the square blocks. These panels are making their way into both private homes and catering establishments. Distressed designs are increasingly in demand.

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 style panels

Coswick At Coswick they make panels under the name Coswick mosaic hardwood flooring. These floors have been created for modern interiors. They combine the beauty of top class floors with the reliability of modern production methods. These Coswick mosaic hardwood flooring floors are much coveted by a highly diverse target group worldwide in equally diverse applications such as houses, cottages, offices, castles, and much more. They often involve ambitious restorations. At all events, the floors are suitable for any interior, residential or commercial. The panels trace their origin back to the great French castles such as, obviously, Versailles, Trianon, Lageais, and Cheverny to name but a few. The look and elegance are also in keeping. Here, too, the Versailles panel is the most well known and coveted. Distressed is an option, but it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the trend. Coswick mosaic hardwood flooring engineered construction ensures stability, while 8mm thick top layer makes it extremely long-lasting. The company recommends glueing the floors. Each collection has five to eight designs in oak, ash, or walnut or a combination of oak and walnut.

Design Parquet Design Parquet, which has great expertise in the manufacture of special panels, has noticed that people greatly appreciate these floor patterns. The company has also taken on several prestigious projects. For the fitting it is important to start in the middle of the room. The floors are glued or nailed. The most important pattern is Versailles. The most prominent sizes are 600 x 600 (14mm), 800 x 800 (14mm), and 1,000 x 1,000 (23mm). Here, too, oak is the most appreciated and most adapted type of wood. Other types of wood are used, albeit less frequently, and they include doussie, wenge, and cumaru. At Design Parquet they produce the majority of their floors in Solid wood, but over the last four years the company has also been offering Multi-layer, which is now getting the upper hand.

Houtbedrijf Kerkhofs Style panels have been greatly in demand and ordered in good numbers at Houtbedrijf Kerkhofs in recent years. They are often used in projects. Think here of hotels, restaurants, and other big public areas. Style panels are also in fashion amongst private clients with a higher budget. You can use them anywhere. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a matter of taste. They are often used in combination with a classic design. At present, that is shifting towards a modern design with a classic shade. The Versailles

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pattern is the most in demand because it is the most renowned pattern. Houtbedrijf Kerkhofs can make all sorts of patterns in almost any required dimensioning. First of all, they submit a design for approval by the architect/client and then the production work can start. Style panels can also be supplied distressed. The sections are distressed before they are put together. This has been occurring for quite a long time. Houtbedrijf Kerkhofs offers the panels in any type of wood as required.

Lareco Consumers are showing more and more interest in style panels at Lareco. This is particularly the case with clients who are looking for exclusive designs. Those are clients who want to upgrade the value of their interior and like to be surrounded by nice things. Versailles, Columba, and geometrical figures are the most popular designs here. For traditional patterns clients often opt for a distressed design. These are usually fitted in palaces, villas, or manor homes. The formats depend on the chosen design. These floors have to be glued. The preferred type of wood at Lareco is American walnut.

Vielaris Art Parquet There will always be floor panels. Indeed, some buildings demand a classic interior for which panels are the only option. Furthermore, there is also a growing demand for contemporary panels for modern interiors. A new trend is the combination of wooden panels with stone or metal. And so, panels are designed for architects who are either extremely classic or extremely modern in their thinking. Creative clients can apply this anywhere, either as an entire floor or as a highlight in a central position. The new trend here are certainly modern panels with Roy, Trio, and Diamond in the lead. They have developed a specially distressed panel (Kite) for hotels and such like. The most popular dimensions are 600 x 600 and 1000 x 1000mm. The panels are fully glued. Here, too, oak is in the lead, but for some markets Vielaris also makes them in walnut.

Special

Parquet oil

PARQUET OIL IS STILL A COVETED FINISH MAKERS ARE STILL TINKERING WITH COMPOSITIONS Parquet oil and ‘natural oil’ are obviously not the same. Parquet oil is made on a basis of natural oils. Those oils form one ingredient in the end product. Parquet oil is one of about three to four preferred finishes for finishing and protecting parquet. Below we repeat the main sales arguments. At present, parquet oil, like other finishes, is still the subject of ongoing research and, therefore, refinements.

‘Almost’ natural Various natural oils are used to produce parquet oil. Linseed and tung oil are very popular oils here. In their original forms these natural oils offer little or no protection to wooden floors. For example, if we use natural linseed oil, we will not reach a very high level of scratch resistance and in many cases the wood will become discoloured (yellow). Natural linseed oil also takes a long time to dry. And so, natural oils must be ‘processed’. Ingredients such as linseed, tung plant, castor, soya, or sunflower still form the basis of what we call ‘modified oil’. Urethane is the most commonly used ingredient in modified oil. It yields faster drying, greater scratch resistance, and less risk of discolouration.

Water-based oil In recent years, we have seen the emergence here and there of water-based parquet oils which are even more ecological. Water-based parquet oil is usually created by emulsion. Emulsion is a concept from chemistry. It denotes a mixture of two liquids which cannot be mixed with each other. If the unmixable substances are nevertheless mixed, they do not yield a stable or uniform mixture. And so, you also need an emulsifying agent to mix such fluids. For instance, everyone knows that oil and water reject each other. Without an emulsifying agent oil continues to float as a layer on top of the water. The emulsifying agent is a substance acting on the surface with one part (lipophile) diluting fat and another part (hydrophile) diluting water. These parts can settle on the edges between fat and water. Without going into technical details, this means that the emulsifying agent partly neutralises the rejection effect between water and fat. An advantage of a water-based parquet oil is the fact that this oil ensures speedy impregnation of the wood and very rapid drying.

Some well known oils

Photo – Plastor

As we’ve said, natural oils still form the basis for the production of parquet oil, albeit oil in modified form. Below we give a brief outline of the main sorts.

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Floor Forum International 95

Special

Parquet oil

Tung oil Tung oil is extracted from the seeds of the tung tree. Tung oil is a drying oil just like flax oil, sunflower oil, walnut oil, etc. Tung oil is deemed to provide the best protection for wooden ships. According to tradition, it was Marco Polo who introduced tung oil to western countries, although it was used only minimally until the 19th century. However, in the 19th century, tung oil was ‘discovered’ by paint and varnish makers to be a highly valuable ingredient for their products and, nowadays, the quality of a product is determined on the basis of the percentage of tung oil which it contains.

Linseed oil Linseed oil (or lin oil for short) is extracted from oil flax seeds. Lin oil is one of the oldest used oils and has been used in varnishes and paints for centuries. Lin oil is also used to preserve unpainted wood and fishing nets. These uses are based on the setting (polymerisation) of the oil. There are two types of lin oil, namely raw and boiled. Raw lin oil does not set as quickly as the boiled variant. Boiled lin oil is usually not raised in temperature, but it has metal salts (namely cobalt), which act as catalysts for polymerisation.

the big advantage that it can be repaired in patches (i.e. extra oil can be applied).

Renovation When an oiled floor is due for complete renewal, it doesn’t have to be sandpapered. With a lacquered floor it is necessary to empty the room and sandpaper the entire floor completely pale once again. An oiled floor can be renovated without sandpapering and, if necessary, even in phases.

What’s on the market ? Adesiv Adesiv presents an autopolymering oil for the treatment of sandpapered wooden floors. This oil has a self-polymering effect and impregnates the floor. Just two coats give the effect of a lacquered floor. This is a mono-component product, the effect of a lacquer, but nevertheless a matt finish. The oil is easy to spread and has a water-repellent effect.

Castor oil Castor is a fast-growing plant which can grow as high as 12 metres in the tropics. The name could possibly be derived from the Greek word 'rikinos', which denotes the round shape of the seed capsules. Another explanation for the name is that the seeds resemble castor bean ticks (Ixodes ricinus). The plant has spread from Africa to tropical and subtropical areas and even makes itself at home in moderate climates. In the past, castor was known mainly as a laxative. Due to its viscosity, its main role now is as a high-quality lubricant and brake fluid. In the synthetics industry the oil is used as a softener, whilst it is used in the cosmetics industry as a raw material for lipstick, eye shadow, and other cosmetic products. And so, castor is also used as an ingredient for parquet oil.

Soya oil Soya oil is extracted from soya seed. It is the most consumed vegetable oil in the world. However, the low price also makes soya oil a favourite ingredient in cosmetics. Refinement of soya yields lecithin. This substance acts as a moisture regulator and emulsifying agent. Amongst other things, it ensures that other vegetable oil doesn’t turn sour (cosmetics). We are seeing soya oil emerge in the formula of several parquet oils and in diverse oil/wax combinations for parquet.

The assets of parquet oil Lots of sales arguments plead for finishing parquet with oil. Below we mention the main ones.

Look and feel Oil preserves the natural look of the wood like no other finish. The structure, the grains, the colour, everything stays closest to the properties of an untreated floor.

Good protection Since the oil impregnates the wood i.e. fills the pores of the wood, a floor treated with oil repels moisture and dirt. Scratches obviously can occur on an oiled floor, but they stand out less than scratches on a lacquered floor.

Maintenance and repair An oiled floor is easy to maintain. Moreover, applying a maintenance oil to the floor also gives it constant nutrition. Moreover, an oiled floor has

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Blanchon Blanchon presents its ‘Durable wax-oil 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 make-up of this hard wax oil, which is rich in natural and renewable raw materials, it dries rapidly and with no smells. Solid Oil is practical and economical in use. The colour shade pallets makes just about any decorative use possible. The original pallet of 11 colour shades has grown in recent years to 41 (including metallic grey). Due to the addition of a pre-dosed hardener (20%), the product sets and dries in just a few hours. This system is strongly recommended for high-traffic rooms such as shops, museums, catering establishments, etc. Due to the very low proportion of volatile organic compounds, one coat is usually sufficient in most cases as a finish. If this is not possible, the second coat can be applied about six hours later. Blanchon also offers a Maintenance Oil for maintaining all floors finished with oil or wax oil, including floors oiled in the factory.

Chimiver LIOS B 100 is a natural oil treatment for wooden floors, it has 100% solid content so it can be considered VOC free. LIOS B 100 protects the wood, enhancing the softness and the natural look of the wood. Available Versions: NATURAL: transparent treatment to keep natural the color of the wood. COLORATO: colored treatment to stain the wood.

after exposure to UV-lamps and therefore immediately stackable, packable and sandable. Highly suitable for fully automated production lines. Floorservice Hardwax-oil This VOC-free finishing product cures very fast; ensuring the floor to be fully operational in no time. It can be applied as a one-coat or as a two-coat system, depending on the application method of choice. Also available as Color Hardwax-oil 2K in 12 different colours. Easy cleaning and maintenance Floorservice parquet cleaner and maintenance oil perfectly suit the basic treatment of the wooden floor.

Ciranova Hard Wax Oil Magic is one of the star products of Ciranova, but the brand also offers a range of impregnation oils which are designed to saturate the wood. Another highly successful product is UN1CO, a single-coat oil of the latest generation which makes use of renewable natural oils. Thanks to the special technology, it is necessary only to apply one coat. The combination of oil with hardener ensures rapid drying and outstanding chemical resistance. The big hit at present is OCULTO, an ecological PU impregnation water-based oil for parquet and wooden furniture. The wood retains its original untreated look. This oil is suitable for indoor use only. It contains a UV absorber and has anti-slip properties. ECOFIX is also an ecological water-based impregnation oil for parquet and wooden furniture which helps to preserve the original untreated look of the wood. ECOFIX is for indoor use only. Finally, ECOFIX WOODLOOK ensures that the wood turns slightly pale so that it retains its original look for longer. This product, too, is suitable for indoor use only. Floorservice offers oils for parquet and wooden floors, for both manual and industrial use. Suitable for manual use is the Floorservice Hardwax-oil Classic, and the Floorservice Color Hardwax-oil Classic. The 1-layer system, especially developed for the professional parquet layer, Floorservice Hardwax-oil Pro and Color Pro is a solvent-free product that meets the VOC EU-regulation.

Floorservice Floorservice LED Oil Floorservice LED Oil 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. 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 UV-Oil This VOC-free finishing product from Floorservice is fully cured directly

Hesse There will always be advocates and opponents of applying oil, and often this varies per region or even per country. In the Netherlands, for instance, oil is used on floors much more than varnish in comparison with Belgium. An oil finish gives a completely different aspect to that of varnish, but now clients can also choose an oil which is then finished with varnish in order to have the best of both worlds. At all events, oil is easier to apply than varnish, it can be repaired in patches, and the price per square metre is usually cheaper. The addition of a suitable hardener brings about a reaction with a dual-component oil to yield a much more intense cross-linking in the oil. This better cross-linking gives the oil greater resistance to both chemical and mechanical pressure. Hesse oils generally provide good impregnation of the wood and strong surface protection. Hesse has developed a range of oils for that purpose, the most well known pale oils of which are Resin Oil OE 82-4, Natural-Oil OE 83-2, and Protect-Oil. Primer Oil OB 84 colour and Colour Oil OB 83 colour are the most well known Hesse coloured oils. As regards strength, Solid –Oil is one of the star products from Hesse due to the high percentage of Solid substances. The best-selling oil is Natural Oil, which may or not be coloured.

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 the natural wood finish: the oil penetrates into the wood protecting it

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Special

Parquet oil

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.

Plastor Plastor still sees oil as a trend because it provides natural protection, which respects the wood, the heat of the wood, and the feel. Oil offers a good output, is easy to use, and can easily be renovated. For distressed floors there is the advantage of the colour options of oil. Plastor presents Aquanat® Oil and Decoprotect Oil. Aquanat is an invisible protective oil which preserves and even highlights the natural aspect of the wood. Parquet can be oiled in one day with a drying time of between one and two hours. The oil is available in ‘matt’ and ‘rough effect’. Decoprotect oil is made on a base of natural oils and protects the wood against dirt and stains. This oil is available in eight stylish shades. Decoprotect gives parquet a natural warmth. Aquanat is the best-seller at the moment.

Pallmann Pallmann presents the Magic Oil Line with Magic Oil 2K Original as the best-seller. Magic Oil 2K Original is a natural and solventless oil-wax combination, which ensures that the surface has open pores and can therefore breathe and gives the wood a natural aspect. The wax content makes the surface uniform and velvety. The hardener gives Magic Oil 2K Original a rapid and unique drying process. This rapid drying makes it possible to renovate very high-traffic rooms (e.g. in restaurants, hotels, shops, offices, etc.) in a short space of time (one night) without limiting the mechanical and chemical resistance. The improved cross-linking ensures a surface which is even more waterproof and dirtproof, something which cannot be achieved with a 1-component oil. The minimal dirt absorption is comparable to that of a lacquered parquet floor. Moreover, Magic Oil 2K Original is not difficult to maintain, in contrast to some parquet oils. On the contrary, maintaining Magic Oil 2K can be compared to maintaining a lacquered parquet floor.

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Other oils in the range are Magic Oil 2K Ergo, Magic Oil 2K Spa, and the Pallmann Colour Collection.

Rigo Verffabriek Oil is still also a popular finish at Rigo Verffabriek. The reason for that can be found in the strong benefits of an oil finish e.g. the natural composition, faster delivery, and a lower cost price both as regards material and labour. Rigo Verffabriek presents several oils, including ROYL OIL 2K and ROYL BIO OIL. One difference is in the drying time. The dual-component ROYL OIL-2K is dry, fully protected, and ready for use after one night, whilst mono-component oils such as CORCOL and ROYL BIO-OIL, which air-dry, need more time to set. There are also differences with respect to hard wax oil: CORCOL, ROYL BIO-OIL, and ROYL OIL-2k are not film-forming products and do not form a layer on the wood which is susceptible to wear and tear. CORCOL and ROYL preserve the look and colour of the floor better and longer than a hard wax oil. The maintenance is also simpler. Just like ROYL BIO OIL, ROYL OIL 2K is a unique combination of renewable and natural oils. ROYL OIL 2K has a B-component which ensures rapid setting and good protection so that the floor is ready for use again after just one night.

Rubio Monocoat Rubio Monocoat Oil colours and protects in one coat! This hard wax oil gives a distressed floor more depth and body. They have a range of precolourings within their Creative Zone, which must always be finished with their oil. This combination ensures a durable and attractive result. Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2C is the top product in the range. Just like all other oils from their range, this product stands out for the unique molecular technology on which the operation is based. The oil bonds with the wood fibres to yield durable protection and colouring. Recently,

the product became the first in the sector to be awarded the Eurofins Indoor Air Comfort Gold Label. The label unites the most relevant emission specifications and requirements within Europe in a single certificate. RMC Oil Plus 2C is available in 40 different colours which enrich the natural look and feel of the wood. These shades can also be mixed with each other. In 2017, they added seven new trend colours in three stylish collections based on interior trends. In 2018, too, they added six new trend colours to their range, grouped in the Eastern Adventures and Arctic Adventures collections. Apart from RMC Oil Plus 2C, the new RMC LED Oil will be a product which will help to determine the future of wood treatment. This product is also made according to their unique signature technology of molecular binding.

STAUF

based dryers and is pigmented. Colors: white, dark walnut, wenge, teak, grey, black.

Tover In the past years the market trend goes towards oiled floors to get a natural finish. Thanks to coloured oils it is possible to get on site or by machine application highly customized traditional or modern effects. Tover offers a solvent free hardwax oil, strong, applicable in a sole coat, easy to maintain and repair, suitable for food contact and for toys according to the EN71-3:2013 European norm, available in more than 30 shades: L’Olio 100%. In order to improve further its resistance properties to spots and wear, it is possible to add a cross-linker or hardener (Oil-Linker) and even to overcoat the oil with a water-based bi-component lacquer: for an extremely natural and long-lasting finish.

Timberex

STAUF OIL IN ONE Naturally, drying oil for wood floors in residential and commercial areas, oil is based on Vegetables. Multifunctional oil which opened a pore surface and enhances the natural wood color, it can be sealed. The oil must be stirred well before use. Quickly and evenly, apply the oil using a stainless steel trowel avoiding puddles. STAUF HARDWAXOIL One component colorless coat based on natural oils and waxes for wood flooring and planks with moderate to average traffic, tables and worktops. STAUF Hardwaxoil is dirt resistant, water repellent and enhances the natural wood color with a velvet surface. The oil should be applied with a suitable roller crosswise (first apply across and then spread lengthwise) in a quick and even motion. STAUF COLORATUM OIL Is a single component, colored finish based on natural oils and wax. It is used for parquet, cork and wood floors in living areas with normal or moderately heavy use. The product contains no lead-based or cobalt

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Timberex doesn’t see oil as a trend, but as a worthy alternative to lacquers or other means of protection. This also applies to high-traffic and intensively used places. Over 70% of products from Timberex (worldwide) are used in project applications, including a number of renowned airports. The possibility of local repairs (certainly in commercial rooms) is still a major plus point as well as the aesthetic aspect. For that matter Timberex offers a specially developed oil foam for repairs, Satin Oil Gold Mousse, which dries in just a few minutes. For high-traffic rooms Timberex recommends a classic oil rather than a hard wax oil because hard wax oil loses its gloss in high-traffic rooms. For such applications their range includes Heavy Duty UV Plus oil. They are well aware that there is a link here with ‘distressed’ items: oil allows the wood to age naturally. Timberex oils are divided up into four groups: those for the first treatment on raw wood; the second groups consists of oils which contain wax; the third group consists of maintenance oils; and, finally, there is the ‘Special Project’ group, which includes Active Stain and Aqua Plus.

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Special

Terrace renovation machines

TERRACE RENOVATION IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE TERRACE RENOVATION MACHINES ARE WELL WORTH THE INVESTMENT Well, yet another machine and we already have scores of other sanding machines, vacuum cleaners, compressors, and sawing machines. That’s certainly true! However, with the booming renovation market together with the boost which wooden terraces have enjoyed over the past two decades, there’s plenty of work on the horizon, so investing in a terrace renovation machine will certainly pay for itself. At all events, the wooden terrace market is still attractive for parquet floor fitters. After all, wood is their ‘thing’.

decomposes under the influence of UV light. Depending on the atmospheric conditions, that ageing process can involve the wood turning dark or light grey. The only defence against this ageing is to protect the wood from UV light. As yet, the only way to do that is to use a coloured oil. A transparent oil will not keep the UV rays at bay. Another approach towards this phenomenon is to let nature take its cause and let the wood age in a rustic manner. If the wood gets too dark (from contamination), you can remove the dirt with detergent or an anti-ageing product.

The terrace market

Moss and fungi

What’s changed on the wooden terrace market, apart from the fact that the market has grown considerably in recent decades? According to various specialists, the growth has slowed down somewhat, but the market has reached a certain maturity. The fact is that the quality of a wooden terrace nowadays is far superior to that of a terrace 15 to 20 years ago. What’s changed?

Apart from ageing, there are also several other threats found in nature which can ‘attack’ wood. Take wood worm, for instance, which, as it were, makes tiny tunnels in the wood to lay eggs. Those eggs become larvae, which lodge deeper and deeper in the wood. Another enemy is wood rot, a fungus which thrives on damp wood and can degrade wood completely. Various other types of fungi and even ordinary moss formation should be tackled at once to ensure that the wood isn’t badly affected.

Wood sorts It’s obvious that wood sorts for outdoors have undergone a similar development to wooden floor coverings for indoors. In bygone days, there was ‘oak’ for ‘indoors’, and that was it. For ‘outdoors’ there was ‘bangkirai’, and, yes, that was it. Nowadays, there are over a hundred different types of wood from all over the planet at the disposal of the construction industry. Anyone who glances in a book with pictures or even samples of wood can only look on in pleasant surprise. That development has increased decorative options considerably, and that’s good for the entire market.

Engineering We’ve written about engineering in great detail. The way in which wooden terraces are constructed nowadays is entirely different to how it was done 20 years ago. We start with adjustable synthetic pedestals, which are also available in aluminium, for securing the base. Extremely strong and stable! Moreover, we now fasten the terrace by using invisible fastening systems, which, amongst other things, have the great merit of not interfering with the natural movements of the wood.

Maintenance is crucial The wood sorts therefore come from the top durability class, the fastening systems ‘spare’ the wood since no screws are used (i.e. no damage to the wood), and the shape of the planks themselves often ensure that all water is drained off the planks. All that takes nothing away from the fact that wooden terraces need careful maintenance. Those who take that maintenance seriously get their reward in the long term. Basically, there are two types of threats which make maintenance necessary.

The natural ageing All tropical wood sorts turn grey as they age. That phenomenon is the result of a chemical process in which a wafer-thin layer of wood

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Regular maintenance To counteract the aforementioned threats, makers have developed a whole range of cleaning and maintenance products which mean more trade for floor fitters. There are ‘anti-ageing’ products to eradicate and counteract the layer of wood which decomposes as a result of sunlight. For the removal of moss formation, several producers offer a ‘terrace cleaner’, which can be used on just about all types of wood. To counteract the penetration of dirt and damp, you can clean the wood completely and treat it with ‘terrace oil’, which impregnates the wood and saturates the pores.

Terrace renovation machines Sooner or later, even the best maintained terrace will need a renovation, and that’s something relatively new. In the past, it was assumed that if a terrace looked ‘long in the tooth’, it really was worn out. However, in recent years, we have witnessed the emergence on the market of machines to give such terraces a thorough renovation to make them look as good as new. This is exactly the same as what has happened with parquet floors indoors. More and more parquet floor fitters have made their way into terrace renovation and have acquired a special machine so that they can carry out such renovations professionally. It’s no surprise that they have their hands full; terraces which were fitted about 20 years ago will certainly be in need of a good dose of renovation.

What’s on the market ? Devomat Industries The Woodboy® machine from Devomat is flexible and, with the right accessories, can be deployed perfectly well as a terrace renovation machine. This machine is also recommended in combination

with specific accessories. Moreover, in the Devo Natural® assortment Devomat also presents several products for terrace cleaning and treatment. There are specific machines with a cylindrical brush for this purpose. The problem, however, is that they are rather expensive. Since this appliance can be used only for this application, it takes a very long time to get a return on the investment. Devomat therefore offers only the Woodboy machine for that purpose because all parquet floor fitters already have this appliance and it can also be used for several other applications. The Woodboy machine can be used for all sorts of diverse applications by means of various accessories. Devomat also sells the Cleanfix Floormac Deluxe for hire to private clients.

FG Floortec

as it proceeds. In combination with Osmo Wood Reviver Power-Gel, degreying decks is child’s play and decking is restored to its natural warm wood colour in no time.

Overmat Stone, tiles and natural stone The multifunctional Overmat single-disc machine Woodboy® 4000/32-3 offers a wide range of accessories for cleaning and maintenance of different types of floors. Including a scrubbing brush for cleaning hard floors like stone, tiles and natural stone. Wet cleaning is possible with the available liquid tank. Therefore the Woodboy® 4000/32-3 is very suitable for cleaning terrace floors. Airtec Multi-talent With a wide range of wheels is a solution available for all types of jobs. This Swiss quality machine is besides renovating the terrace, also capable of (for example): roughening concrete, stripping of coatings, de-rusting ship decks and cutting parquet and wood. Especially for outdoor wood Floorservice offers Decking Oil. The new garden wood will retain its lively warm appearance. And the colours of old grey wood will also be brought back to life, restoring the wood’s former glory!

Pallmann The terrace cleaners from FG Floortec are highly efficient. There are three machines which fit into a ‘dry’ system. Amongst other products, FG presents the powerful brushing machine FG Terraces Blitz. Ageing and any scratches are removed from deep down. That is why a treatment with this terrace renovation machine is also excellent preparation for an oil treatment. The machine is sturdily built, in aluminium, with a powerful motor and is easy to use. Integrated dust suction ensures that harmful dust from tropical wood sorts is sucked up safely. The machine is easy to transport. For the boards and corners of wooden terraces there is FG Terraces-Randy, a powerful manual sanding machine. This manual sanding machine is equipped for connection to a dust suction unit. The FG Terraces Mini is for small corners and edges.

Osmo A cleaning machine for timber decking from Osmo The Osmo Flooring and Decking Cleaning Machine cleans and degreys decking efficiently, effortlessly and without any mess. It is equipped with counter-rotating brushes that easily loosen suborn stains and transport dirt into the intended wastewater container. For the conventional cleaning procedure, decking does not have to be dampen beforehand. Instead, the machine automatically dampens decking

A new solution for cleaning terraces thoroughly is the Pallmann Turbo Scrubber. This machine can be used on lacquered, oiled, and structured indoor wooden floors and outdoor terraces. The machine is part of the Pallmann Outdoor System for terrace renovation. The system also includes various other terrace renovation products. The Pallmann Turbo Scrubber is a multifunctional machine. Indoors the machine is used mainly for cleaning and maintenance and is particularly useful for large surfaces. It can be adapted to the degree of contamination and the type of floor thanks to the switchable brush rollers and the variable brush pressure. Cleaning and vacuuming are done in one motion.

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Advertorial

Spačva (HR)

NATURAL PERFECTION THROUGH SOLID WOOD FLOORING

Creating with love from the very heart of the Europe’s largest integrated forest of white oak (Quercus robur Slavonica, highly appreciated in italian wood industry), Spačva's main goal is to be synonymous with product excellence by using solely esteemed Slavonian oak. Spačva's oak, in its annual rings, carries a hidden memory of ancient forests. As true fans of wood, we recognize that fact in the unsurpassed beauty of texture, and excellent structural strength of the Slavonian oak.

the production of bio-fuels, in whose facility considerable investment funds have recently been invested. It is important to mention that the sawmill annually, on average, processes up to 45.000 cubic meters of raw materials, of which about 80% is Slavonian oak, 10% ash, and the rest are other types of wood. Plant for production of finished products per year, together with parquet production, produces over 500.000 square meters of flooring, and veneer factory produces up to 9.5 million square meters, for the most part, oak veneer. Bioenergy production capacity, on an annual basis is around 50.000 tons.

Our goal is to offer a product, which along with the quality ensures durability and longevity. The long tradition in production reflects decades of trust that our customers give us on daily basis.

Spacva’s Slavonian oak solid wood flooring - known for its strength, resistance and durability – is most preferred choice among flooring. Unique Slavonian oak, with the average age of each timber being one hundred years, contributes to the superb quality of your flooring. With its natural beauty, strong features and warm tones, it will fit perfectly in every home. Combining quality and modern design, our collections are offering a choice for every taste. Each floor is a definition of uniqueness, just as well as any tree from which it is derived is unique. In addition to the standard oils that can be found in floors throughout

Spačva consists of five factories: sawmill, parquet production, final products factory, veneer factory and bio-fuels factory. It employs 850 workers. For the most part, we are exporting to the European market, and our goal is even stronger breakthrough in the export of finished products, primarily parquet floors, solid wood flooring and doors, and

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Europe, Spačva decided to invest in even more oils that are manifested through the appearance of modern, yet easily adaptable surface treatment. It resulted in creating our new collections of solid wood flooring: Casual, Tender Touch, Rich Character, Delight, Simply Pleasure. The range of colors, can turn ideas into reality, bringing a personal touch to undeniable charm and elegance in any room. Casual oiled surface gives the wood a very soft and natural look. It creates stunning and energetic atmosphere, ideal to interpret the decorative and contemporary living concept, but at the same time to harmonize and enhance any style furniture. The soft, compact look and the refined surface effects meet both, the needs of the new trends in contemporary architecture, as well as requests for decoration in traditional architecture. Playfull surface will ensure colour to apear more vibrant, and only a little bit of rustic. The rich color choice ranges from delicate pastels to more intense colors. With Tender Touch collection it is easy to achieve fashionable and timeless expression. Authentic and with a unique character – that is the best way to describe Rich Character collection. Gives surfaces the solid, tactile, appearance of the naturally aged wood, creating a modern settings of refined home atmosphere. The perfect fusion of the shades in Delight collection create a unique effect that resembles a work of art. This blend confirms the union between

antique style and modern product giving the surroundings a charming and prestigious feeling that is difficult to obtain with other floors. Although it is very similar to oak in almost all of its features, it is characterized with the unique bright colour, which makes the area extremely light and airy. The most attractive feature of the ash tree and Simply Pleasure collection is the variation of colours in which it comes. Unlike oak, such variations, especially those coated with brighter oil, contribute to the diversity of choices and bring vibrancy and positive energy into space. We presented our collections on DOMOTEX 2018 and with enthusiasm look forward to higher diffusion and recognition on the market with our new product and sample catalogue, improving quality of service with new product packaging. The look of the new packaging is fresh, and the features of the products are clearly visible on the front of the package. The renewal is a part of the updating of the Spačva brand concept, with a goal to meet the consumer needs of today even better. The development of the new package design reflects Spačva’s commitment to providing exceptional customer service and support. This unified look demonstrates our breadth of offerings and shows that we are, without question, a solid flooring producer dedicated to partnership and innovation. For more information visit us on www.spacva.hr

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Reveiw

Domotex asia/CHINAFLOOR

DOMOTEX ASIA/CHINAFLOOR’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY POST-SHOW REVIEW

Shanghai. DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR’s 20th Anniversary edition concluded achieving new milestones in international visitor and exhibitor numbers and increased participation with VIP programs and onsite events.

Record International Exposure

at the fair through the years, these loyal companies were recognized specifically, as they have been exhibiting at DOMOTEX asia/ CHINAFLOOR since the inaugural show in 1999: Aquafil, Associated Weavers, Balta Group, Beaulieu, Balsan, Louis Depoortere, MC Three, Oriental Weavers, and Unilin.

The show exceeded anticipated registration numbers for international guests and exhibiting companies, making 2018 the largest global turnout in DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR history. “The greatness of this exhibition was visible this year in regards to participation”, said Susanne Klaproth, Director of DOMOTEX Worldwide. “It’s a good feeling to see our brand earning more international attention and respect.

Nanxun – VIP Hosted Buyers Delegation

20th Anniversary Gala Dinner

The Successful Return of Luxury Brands

Over 400 industry guests attended the kick-off party of DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR. From thousands of companies that have exhibited

The second edition of the Luxury Brands was yet again a fan-favorite, especially as the pavilion was open this year to all show visitors in

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VIP buyers and wood flooring experts from Australia, Italy, Malaysia, New Zealand, Panama, and the United States were welcomed to China for an official business ceremony in Nanxun. The delegates participated in personalized match-making meetings and factory tours with local businesses before carrying on their conversations onsite at DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR.

order to increase popularity, buyer potential, and excitement for the display’s extravagant hand-made rug designs. “Luxury Brands came out with a bang for its second year in Shanghai”, exclaimed Erika Kurtz COO of New Moon Rugs. “We had a fabulous group of the world's premier rug brands and the staff at COVER did a fantastic job working to increase the exposure of hand-made rugs in this up-and-coming market. This year also brought new and exciting buyers and it looks like the luxury handmade rug industry is beginning to gain momentum throughout mainland China”.

regions of Asia and Australia and meet the demand of such real wood markets as China, India, Malaysia etc. We will keep on providing our partners with stable, reliable and long-lasting solutions for the most daring projects all over the world.

STAUF STAUF Klebstoffwerk GmbH cultivates contacts with Asia Doubly represented in Shanghai: STAUF with dual trade fair presence at the DOMOTEX Asia.

Creativity Boost @ InnovAction & Cadex The 2018 InnovAction Flooring Campaign launched 400 new flooring products and materials and announced the top-10 companies with the best new products of DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR 2018. The winners of 2018 are: Armstrong (China), Zhejiang, Kingdom Plastics Industry Co. Ltd., Audiga Building Material Jiangsu Co. Ltd., Widehigh technology Co. Ltd., Jiangsu Kali Carpet Co. Ltd. Jiashan Bohau Flocking Fabric Co Ltd. Weihai Shanhua Carpet Co. Ltd., FG-Frym Industry Co. Ltd., Dalian Shumaike Floor Manufacturing Co. Ltd., and Dunhua City Ruifuyuan Wood Industry. The interior design and architecture cadex conferences saw a 50% increase in participation from 2017. Over 8,000 visitors attended the 4 conference sessions and 20 design salons. See you in 2019! For more information, visit www.domotexasiachinafloor.com

Coswick

For over 20 years Coswick has been creating premium quality hardwood floors of superb and long-lasting performance with manufacturing capacity of fully integrated production cycle from logs to ready-done prefinished hardwood flooring. We purposefully invest in development of cutting-edge technologies to create highly resilient and balanced product constructions and becoming more and more flexible with partner-friendly service to business associates and projects worldwide. Our innovative all-hardwood 3-layer engineered flooring proved to be highly stable even in extreme climate zones around the world. Chevron collections, new patterns of Parquetry Mosaic Flooring line along with evolution of Coswick all-hardwood 3-layer engineered flooring as shown during DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR 2018, provide high flexibility in design and engineering for all kinds of commercial and residential premises. Our growing range of designer solutions is responding to latest trends, creates new styles thus letting us expand to new and challenging

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For the adhesives industry, China is a market of the future – and, as the saying goes, two is better than one. True to this, the STAUF Klebstoffwerk GmbH Company based in Wilnsdorf, Germany, presented itself on no less than two fronts at the DOMOTEX Asia/CHINAFLOOR, the leading trade fair for flooring in the Asia-Pacific area. At the international show in Shanghai from 20-22 March, the traditional company from the Siegerland region of Germany presented its complete floor technology portfolio. More than 55,000 visitors experienced the trade fair in its now 20th year, at which some 1,500 exhibitors from 40 countries presented their products over an area of 150,000 square metres. The first of STAUF’s presentations at this trade fair was at the joint German stand, where the adhesive technology experts, together with their Chinese partner Shanghai Inwood Decor Material Co. Ltd., joined forces with representatives from the company Carl Prinz GmbH & Co. KG from Goch to answer trade visitors’ questions. The focus here was on STAUF adhesives for parquet flooring and floor coverings. Both sides were pleased at the excellent way the two themes “adhesives” and “profiles” complemented each other. STAUF’s second presence at the trade fair was at the Shanghai Unitech Shanghai Plastic Co. Ltd. company’s stand in hall E7 for elastic flooring - the STAUF trade fair team, as the new partner of this Chinese company, placed the focus here on adhesives for textile and elastic floor coverings. STAUF’s presence at the trade fair was a great success for the company: The stand in the German pavilion attracted numerous visitors, and many new contacts were made. This year was already the fourth time that STAUF Klebstoffwerk GmbH had participated in the DOMOTEX in Shanghai.

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Special

Producers of wooden and composite wall cladding: Who has what?

WALL PLANKS ARE STILL THE PERFECT RENOVATION SOLUTION GROWING NUMBER OF MATERIALS AND MORE REFINED TECHNOLOGY the ground preserved lorken wood and oregon are suitable or even less durable sorts such as pine or deal provided they are given some sort of preservative treatment (e.g. chemical modification or thermal treatment).

Wood composite

Wall planks have all the assets to merit use in home renovation. Strictly speaking, this technique can be compared perfectly well to fitted panels with indoor wall renovation. The principle is the same. The number of possible wall materials is growing. From a technical point of view, great progress has been made with fitting accessories. In other words, wall planks directly affect an entire market.

The furnished wall An old furnished wall offers lots of benefits in comparison with other renovation options. Those options may include covering and replastering a wall in pieces, sandblasting a brick wall, grinding out the joints and repointing them, removing dried and peeled wall paint, priming, and repainting. With wall cladding we leave the old condition of the wall for what it is and build a new wall over it. That is obviously an ideal solution as regards insulation. Apart from added insulation materials (in between) the furnishing material itself (e.g. wood) provides insulation. What are those furnishing materials?

Wooden wall cladding Western Red Cedar is probably still one of the most popular and most used sorts of wood. Strictly speaking, however, we can say that any wood sort in durability classes 1 to 3 (with no extra protection) is suitable for wall cladding. For outside use with no contact with

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Here, too, wood composites are breaking through! Wood composite consists of wood fibres, high-density polyethylene, UV stabilisers, dyes, and various additives to optimise the mechanical qualities. Usually, these are recycled wood fibres and waste wood and recycled polyethylene. The ingredients are mixed and subjected to an extrusion process at high temperature and under heavy pressure. Due to extrusion technology, you also get accurate dimensioning and all designs are possible. Wood composite is in many respects an ecologically responsible alternative to tropical hardwood.

Bamboo Nature+ Bamboo is a 100% solid bamboo material suitable for outdoor use. It is 100% ecological, does not need any cutting, and has no PVC. Solid wood enjoys the preference for consumers where warmth and a natural look are important. It is in that last segment that Nature+ Bamboo is geared to wall cladding producers and offers a renewal and durable alternative bamboo. The fact is that bamboo has emerged strongly over the last eight years. Indoor bamboo parquet proves that.

Other cladding Some other manufacturers have also noticed the growth on this market. Sidings are appearing in diverse materials, and not necessarily in a wood look. For example, we see on the market cladding strips made of fibre-cement, an extremely durable and ecological material. One renowned producer offers these strips in a smooth cedar design or more structured. Another product which is presented for new constructions or wall renovation are sidings made from hard-foam PVC with an additional coextruded top layer. Another producer offers sidings made from high-quality synthetics (ABS). ABS is not porous and therefore cannot absorb any moisture. Moreover, it is resistant to UV and therefore guarantees a durable solution.

Ventilation with wall planks With vertical planks, the support planks (rafters) are horizontal. And so, with continuous rafters there is hardly be any cavity behind the wall planks so there is little or no ventilation. Below we outline three solutions for providing a well ventilated cavity for sealed vertical planks to prevent fungus.

Single horizontal slats A simple and fairly rapid solution is to fit horizontal slats (e.g. rafters of 22 x 45mm) with several gaps to obtain an upward air stream. This solution means less work than double slats, but there is also less guarantee of an air stream than with double slats. Furthermore, you mustn’t neglect any gaps at all.

Double horizontal slats For fitting double horizontal slats you start by fitting vertical slats. The horizontal slats are then fastened onto the vertical slats. This design enjoys the preference because the ventilation behind the wall planks yields better air flow and air speed as compared to single slats. Obviously, proper openings must be provided at the bottom and the top. And so, the advantage is the guaranteed ventilation, whilst the drawback is the fitting time in comparison with that of single slats.

Ventiwood® simple and ingenious Lots of ingenious inventions are really quite simple. That is no less the case for Ventiwood® (Outdoor Wood Concepts). The rafters include notches at regular intervals so that the rafter itself is ventilated. This not only gives excellent ventilation (> 100cm²/m), but also makes for rapid fitting. The rafters are 33 x 60/41mm with a length of 3.60m.

What’s on the market ? Denderwood Wall cladding in tropical hardwoods and wood plastic composites UPM. Denderwood importer of tropical hardwoods, located in Belgium, offers a wide range of excellent tropical cladding species with enhanced durability and strength. As we have a large stock of high quality sawn timber, we select the most durable tropical hardwood species and offer customized products produced according to the strictest quality standards. Different profiles are possible: open and closed structures, slated cladding, V panelling, tongue & groove, hidden clip fixation, tongue & groove endmatch, vertical and horizontal cladding. Some species we can offer: Afrormosia, Doussie, Iroko, Ipe, Massaranduba, Merbau, Padouk, etc. Denderwood is also exclusive distributor for the BENELUX in wood plastic composites products UPM. UPM ProFi facade is in different colors in stock available.

Outdoor Wood Concepts At Outdoor Wood Concepts wood is doing very well as a wall cladding. A spokesperson comments: ‘Wooden wall cladding is very much in.’ The types of wood offered by the company include W.R. cedar, African padauk, Thermowood fir, Siberian larch, afrormosia, and louro gamela. The look of wood, warmth, and a piece of nature on your wall or terrace, these are all strong assets. On the other hand, they realise at Outdoor Wood Concepts that wood owes its success partly to the wood finish

products (oils and such like), which ensure a longer lifespan or attractive even ageing. Wood is also highly popular for projects. For projects it is necessary for project managers/fitters to take account of the regulations regarding fire reaction class. Amongst other things, Outdoor Wood Concepts can point to the following references: Decathlon - Evere (Woodface®), Project Molenkant – Harelbeke (Copy Cat®), Take Off Brantsandpatents (Woodface®), and Canal Grande (Woodface®). As regards finish, unfinished scores the highest, followed by grey oil and black oil.

La San Marco Profili The wall cladding market is growing constantly for La San Marco Profili and they definitely see it as a trend. The combination of modern design with natural elements plays a big part there. La San Marco Profili presents both wood and a new composite made from pure PVC and rice peel. The combination gives a material with outstanding mechanical qualities. Wood still enjoys consumer preference, even though maintenance is sometimes a stumbling block. La San Marco Profili therefore takes the best measures to guarantee the wood a long lifespan. La San Marco Profili regards wall cladding as perfect for all projects, provided that you take account of the peculiarities of each project. The most coveted wood sort here is ipe due to its strength, beauty, and price/quality ratio. For technical and aesthetic qualities they are convinced here that teak is a good choice, although it is somewhat more expensive.

Vetedy The Techniclic® system from Vetedy, globally licensed wall cladding with an invisible fastening solution, is an ingenious and highly flexible product. Indeed, the system makes hundreds of different designs possible thanks to the three widths of planks, with four different spacers which are on offer and which can be fitted both horizontally and vertically. Thanks to the management of the system from A to Z, the system is also available for walls with 2D or 3D effect. The Techniclic® system also makes it possible to bed in LEDs for an even more exclusive and trendy effect!

Floor Forum International 95

Special

UV curing on site

MORE AND MORE MAGIC LAMPS ON SITE THE GREAT MERIT OF UV IS THE TIME SAVING

Photo – Pallmann

Drying by means of UV light has been commonly used for some time, long before we reported on it for the first time in this journal. We’re not referring to ‘ industrial drying’ versus ‘ drying on site’, as it often appears nowadays. We are simply talking about the dentist who can complete a tooth filling in no time at all simply by pointing at the filling with a lightemitting pen. Or we can talk about the beauty specialist who holds the varnished nails of her clients under a lamp for a few seconds to dry them in record time. The fact is that what can be done in a factory can often be done anywhere!

It all happens so quickly A few centuries ago, clowns, jokers, theatre performers, quack doctors, and swindlers who travelled from village to village to entertain the locals were commonplace. Sometimes there were also some real magicians amongst them. Imagine that in the 18th century some fellow turns up on the village square. He looks for a farmer to ask if he can use a dark barn to entertain the villagers. Shortly afterwards, they all come from far and wide to see the man, who magically projects pictures from a little box onto the barn walls. The prints follow in succession each time as the man pushes new plates into the box. Hocus-pocus! The magic lamp! That was the earliest use of what we now call a slide projector. Yet a slide projector is the most old fashioned and basic projection medium which some people might still have lying around

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somewhere in a cabinet. What we wanted at all costs yesterday, today we have to get rid of it at all costs.

UV setting: Let’s summarise briefly Nowadays, scientific discoveries are applied daily in industrial processes. Moreover, sooner or later, discoveries which are applied successfully in industrial processes find their way onto ‘the field’. Here we present a bird’s-eye view introduction – from science to the site.

The light spectrum All frequencies of electromagnetic rays together form the so called light spectrum. The word spectrum was regarded originally as ‘something which can be seen’. Nowadays, we know that the spectrum is a lot wider than the part which we can see. The visible light falls more or less in the middle of the spectrum. The human eye sees light because the retina contains cells which are sensitive to one wave length field. And so, this is a subjective perception. That’s why some animals have a ‘different’ perception of light: bees react to UV light, whilst rattlesnakes react to infrared light.

UV light All sorts of electromagnetic rays contain energy. We perceive energy from infrared rays as heat. However, the ultraviolet part contains much more energy than the infrared. Each wave length has its own quantity

of energy. The shorter the wavelength, the greater the energy. UV light is the part of the spectrum with rays between 40 and 400nm. UV light does not emit any heat, but it breaks up the binding between the building blocks of substances called molecules. Ultraviolet light can even cause substances to die out.

Chimiver ECOFAST UV is a single-component polyurethane-acrylic waterbased UV curing lacquer in situ for wooden floors. ECOFAST UV has high abrasion and traffic resistances allowing its use for high traffic surfaces. ECOFAST UV is UV curing with portable UV machines where a fast walkability is required.

How does UV setting work? UV setting occurs under the influence of UV light radiation. UV light is present in sunlight and in the light from fluorescent lamps. Both these sources of light are obviously not strong enough for this ‘rapid setting technique’ for which special UV lamps are therefore used. A photo-initiator is added to the lacquer with a special binding agent, and this activates UV radiation. The photo-initiator breaks up under the influence of the correct UV rays and thereby forms free radicals which start the setting reaction (polymerisation). The resin molecules are also joined together to form a very strong three-dimensional network.

Arrival on the site Over the last few years, we have seen the emergence of UV apparatus which parquet floor fitters can use on site. The principle and working method are similar to the industrial procedure. The UV coating is applied with or without a UV-drying primer using a classic roller, just as with a waterborne single component lacquer. After application, the lacquer should be left for about 45 minutes to air-dry and then you can ride over the entire floor with a motorised mobile UV machine (about 200m² per hour). There is a portable UV lamp for the sides and places which are difficult to reach. As we’ve said, the floor is ready for use as soon as it is finished.

What’s on the market? There is a range for both machines and lacquers. In other words, the market is responding to this new opportunity. The question now is whether or not parquet floor fitters are going to respond. What does this new method mean in terms of investment and return?

Blanchon

Blanchon points out that there are different levels of quality within UV lacquers. Depending on the components, formulation, and production process with the application, the lacquer will offer more or less protection against factors such as abrasion and chemical effects. Due to the latest developments, which also use nanoparticles, we now get exceptionally strong lacquers. Cimethane UV lacquer has been used since 2014 to finish up to 85,000m². The most impressive project was the CC Euralille with 10,000m², lacquered on site with no interruption to activities in the centre itself. No repairs have been required since the completion, despite the fact that the centre welcomes 55,000 visitors a day.

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Floorservice The immense popularity of oiled flooring demands for an increasingly faster production possibilities. Within the Floorservice product range, you’ll therefore find our UV-curing oils for mechanical application. Floorservice UV-Oil is suited for industrial application as well as for on-site curing with a mobile UV-curing device. This new VOC-free finishing product from Floorservice is fully cured directly after exposure to UV-lamps and therefore immediately stackable, packable and sandable. These features make it highly suitable for fully automated production lines. All flooring finished with Floorservice Profiline UV Oil ensures a high resistance against wear-and-tear, scratching and moisture influences. The floor is also resistant to saliva and sweat, and meets all the demands of children’s toys. Benefits Floorservice Profiline UV Oil: • Characteristic natural look of the oiled surface; • Obtainable with a matte or silk gloss appearance; • Standard available in a wide range of colours, in consultation we develop a customized colour collection; • Fast industrial curing possibilities is available when combined with all regular UV drying tunnels; • High production rate; • The same cleaning and maintenance as for oxidative drying oils with Floorservice Parquet Cleaner and Floorservice Maintenance Oil; • The fully dried surface is free of rest emissions of organic solvents and physiologic completely safe; • Eco-friendly; • Excellent protection against discolouration; • To be combined with our Floorservice primer products. An alternative for on-site UV curing is our Floorservice LED Oil which cures by using a mobile LED-curing device.

Hesse The principle of UV curing rests on the activation of the binding agent, namely the breaking open of double bonding so that binding agent

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Special

UV curing on site

components react directly to each other. This is done by radiating built-in photo-initiators with highly energetic UV rays. The machines contain lamps which radiate UV rays onto the floor by means of a reflector system. There are also systems for casings and/or standing objects. There are self-driving systems for bigger surfaces and hand blasters for corners, stairs, and other places which are difficult to reach. The relatively high purchase price of the machines has so far prevented widespread application. The strongly reduced working time and a complete treatment from sandpapering to further use within 24 hours should justify the higher price per square metre. The relative obscurity of these machines probably still plays a major part here. There are both oil products and lacquers on the market which could be cured by these machines. However, it is not possible to say that each machine works equally well with each UV-drying product. The machine and the oil or lacquer product should be geared to each other. Hesse also urges some caution: UV radiation is harmful, as everyone knows UV rays in sunlight. The highly energetic UV radiation from this drying apparatus is also harmful. And so, those who operate this machine must protect their skin with strong work clothes and wear special facial protection and eye goggles.

Pallmann UV lacquers donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t change the physical properties of the wood, certain not the impressionability. And so, attention in the development of these lacquers is paid to resistance to chemical aggression, dirt, and scratch resistance, and in those areas they have excellent resistance. Pallmann presents the Pallman X-Light system, a system with no solvents or ozone for the mobile drying of UV lacquer on site. This system consists of a dual-component primer X-Light Aquabase, a mono-component lacquer X-Light Coat, and the X-Light Mobile, which has been developed specially for drying this lacquer. The result of the treatment is a hard protection which means the floor can also be walked on again at once. For the corners Pallmann presents a hand lamp. It can also be used for cork and bamboo provided that you use adapted radiation.

Rubio Monocoat RMC LED Oil is becoming the new standard for instant curing with LED light. The fact that wood, treated with LED oil, is instantly cured with LED light and can therefore be walked on immediately, means gigantic

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time savings for the project market, as well as for stair builders and furniture makers. In addition to the RMC LED Oil, Rubio Monocoat offers three on-site LED drying units. The investment in this machine is negligible compared to the savings this LED technology brings with it. LED lights have an extremely long service life of over 10,000 hours, compared to 700 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1,000 hours for UV light. They barely require any maintenance and use up to 80% less energy than the traditional mercury lightbulbs. In addition, LED lights are largely recyclable unlike mercury lightbulbs. When using traditional UV lights, you also have to take into account the amount of time it takes for the lights to warm up and cool off. LED lights on the other hand, are completely operational as soon as they are turned on, which makes working with them quick and efficient. During the curing process, it is sufficient to wear sunglasses with a UV filter as protection. Unlike with UV lights, there are no ozone emissions or toxic odours, so no extra protection is needed for the user and investing in exhaust systems is also not necessary. Another advantage of onsite application that should not be underestimated is that LED lights are very shock-resistant and can resist cold and vibrations better than other (UV) lights. Add to this all the known features of the RMC oil (one coat, no overlaps, the natural look & feel of the wood are guaranteed) and it is clear that the switch to RMC LED drying is more than worth its investment.

Rigo Verffabriek

Rigo Step LYGHT UV lacquer can be dried with any brand of UV mobile dryers. Decorad machines are used a lot. UV light drying of Rigo Step LYGHT UV lacquer meets a specific need with a growing demand. However, clients often opt for ROYL OIL-2K, which certainly does not dry at once and is resistant, but, with less work and fewer costs, it is dry the next morning. Decorad has developed the Floor Mate (floor dryer) and the Hand Mate (hand lamp) specifically for use when drying floor coatings. The Floor Mate is the perfect size in width. That is necessary to ensure that you can easily walk behind the machine without damaging parts of the floor which have not yet been dried by the UV lamp. Almost all floor coatings can be dried using the Decorad Floor Mate and Hand Mat.s

Special

Producers of profiles for LVT, vinyl and PVC floors

PROFILES FOR DESIGN FLOORS ACTUALLY IT’S ONLY THE DIFFERENCES IN HEIGHT WHICH ARE BIGGER Floor coverings such as LVT, linoleum, and PVC have exactly the same need of profiles as wood and laminate. Below we outline the major profiles. However, things take a slightly different turn when we start to combine floor coverings such as parquet with those design floors. It means it is invariably necessary to bridge bigger differences in height. Yet combining those different floor coverings with each other really is quite commonplace nowadays. And so, the market is ready.

The major profiles Stop or end profiles Stop profiles or end profiles form the threshold between the floor and the wall. End profiles can serve as skirting boards in some respects. If you work against existing skirting boards which cannot be removed, you will need an end profile. This can arise if, during renovation, you want to retain an existing brick skirting board (for instance, due to its decorative or antique value). If you work against the bare wall, the new skirting board can replace the end profile.

Threshold profiles Threshold profiles connect either two different floors on the same level (e.g. parquet and wall-to-wall carpet) or two similar or different floors on a different level. These profiles have a protective function because they ensure that the edge of the highest floor doesn’t get damaged and a safety function because they ensure that occupants or visitors don’t stumble over the difference in level. Threshold profiles obviously also have an aesthetic function since they help to disguise the difference in level. Threshold profiles often appear in the shape of T-profiles.

Corner profiles Corner profiles or slot edge profiles are used to finish edges of raised floorboards or platforms. For the renovation of old farmhouses, for instance, it is a trend to incorporate the former ‘upstairs room’ in the interior in the shape of a platform. Here, edges are finished with a corner or slot edge profile.

Stair nosings

Photo – Küberit

Stair nosings are corner or edge profiles specially for staircases. They are available in various materials and colours. They form the threshold of the staircase step and the riser and guarantee the staircase a longer lifespan. In addition, stair nosings also have a safety function in two ways; if they are finished in a different colour to the stairs, they make each step more clearly visible, and they are often designed as anti-slip.

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Special

Producers of profiles for LVT, vinyl and PVC floors

Expansion profiles Expansion profiles are actually threshold profiles. The more technical designation refers to the purpose of these profiles. Expansion profiles ensure that, with bigger surfaces, you can design the necessary expansion joint aesthetically, which has to absorb the swelling and shrinking of the floorboards.

Technical and decorative It is clear that profiles perform both a technical and a decorative function, as is the case with skirting boards. What stands out?

Trends Metal colours still score very highly. Profiles in stainless steel and aluminium continue to advance. Apart from the classic shades such as aluminium, bronze, silver, and a whole series of wood decors, ‘black’ is also establishing a prominent place. As we outline in detail below, digital print opportunities make it possible to have profiles developed which either match the look of the floor for 100% or which deviate from it completely.

Technically Bendable profiles (stair profiles, amongst others) and profiles for vinyl really stand out amongst the new items. Together with the creation of a wide variety of aesthetic and decorative options, makers are also trying to make profiles more durable. The decorative and technical go hand in hand here.

Digital printing Digital printing is the future in many sectors. That is also the case in the flooring industry and therefore in the world of accessories, including skirting boards and profiles. Digital printing makes it possible to apply any image whatsoever or any colour or shade whatsoever to a profile in smaller quantities. The minimum purchase differs from producer to producer, but is getting smaller and smaller. This really is progress in customised work which allows for unique profiles! Digital printing is possible on just about any common material and what has to be printed doesn’t actually matter.

What’s on the market? Küberit There is an essential difference in the area of profiles, depending on the floor fitting method. The question of whether the floor is glued or fitted floating is certainly one major difference. Various soft floor coverings such as PVC, linoleum, and vinyl are glued and need completely different profile solutions to those of laminate, for instance. There are also other profiles for glued solid wood floors. Most profiles are produced from aluminium, but some are made from bronze or stainless steel. The major profiles from a technical point of view are the expansion profiles in concrete and therefore in the floor covering on top. There are also profiles to protect the sides of the floor covering. Expansion joints are also necessary for floating floors. Küberit has profile solutions for all situations. Küberit believes that multifunctional profiles are associated more with the DIY sector than the professional market. The latter and the leading products can differ strongly on a regional basis.

Neuhofer Holz The main difference between profiles for laminate and parquet and those for vinyl and linoleum lies in the height of the floors. Therefore,

VIDEO

MOVEMENT JOINT - MOTION STAR® · installation without any tripping hazard, due to a flush installation · maintenance-free movement joint of ± 2,5 mm · can be used for glued floor coverings of up to 6 mm · only 14 mm visible surface

www.kueberit.com

FN Neuhofer has developed different profiles for these floors (and for all problematic issues) with due regard for the limited thickness of these floors (about 2mm for glued floors and about 5mm for floating floors). +As regards materials, the accent is on HDF and aluminium, whilst there is an infinite choice (anodised or printed decors) as regards designs. The circumstances in which there is a need for profiles are so varied and extensive that there is still a huge demand for multifunctional profiles. Multifunctional profiles also ensure that end users cannot make mistakes. For instance, there is the ‘FN Six pack’ with which you can convert a reduction profile to a T-profile or an end profile. That is also the best-selling profile at FN Neuhofer Holz and is designed in aluminium.

Perfilstar

Perfilstar believes that the waterproof quality is the big difference with skirting boards for vinyl. They produce profiles for vinyl in corresponding colours with a waterproof base and waterproof glue. The profiles are designed to complement these floors. Perfilstar offers profiles with all sorts of materials as regards pedestals such as MDF, waterproof MDF, extruded PVC, or aluminium. The most important profile is deployed as an expansion joint for under doors, but Perfilstar offers solutions for every possible situation. They are not advocates of multifunctional profiles due to the cost price. For instance, for 5-in-1 profiles you soon need special tools. The best-seller at Perfilstar is the T-profile.

Progress Profiles Progress Profiles supplies profile solutions for all situations for the most demanding clients, ranging from decorative strips to solutions for

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all Technical problems. For limited thicknesses Progress Profiles has an extensive range. Differences in height from 4 to 19mm are possible. They also continue to give a prominent place to aesthetic objectives (aluminium, bronze, steel, real wood, etc.). Moreover, there is an extensive range of colours and finishes, including 30 wood shades. All profiles are tested in accordance with the highest standards. Non-toxic and high-quality raw materials are part of the secret. The most coveted profiles are ‘threshold profiles’ between different types of floors. Whilst they realise that multifunctional profiles are practical, they pay more attention here to elegance and design. Progress Profiles presents no fewer than 13,000 references.

Romus Since this is about the expansion of floating floor coverings, the profiles for LVT and parquet are the same products. The main difference is that greater differences in height have to be bridged such as with two-part profiles (base + furnishing). For wood and laminate they will use profiles with a difference in height of 7 to 18mm (e.g. Seuils Starclic or Seuils PPS), whilst with PVC, linoleum, and vinyl that is 4 to 7mm (e.g. Seuils Design Clip). The main difference lies in the finish of the materials. They mainly use aluminium with a different anodisation colour. For parquet and laminate they opt for colours which correspond to the type of wood (warm wood), whilst people opt more for silver or titanium for design floors. Romus presents profiles for all sorts of situations. Multifunctional profiles are associated here with DIY. The best-sellers at Romus include the flat Seuils (40 and 30mm), multi-level Seuils, and LVT skirting boards.

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Special

Suppliers of mops and cleaning tools in kit form

MAINTENANCE KITS ARE A SALES HIT THE SO CALLED ‘VULNERABILITY’ OF PARQUET PROVIDES INCOME Nothing is as easy as convincing customers that specific products and tools should be used for cleaning and maintaining a wooden floor. After all, a lot of consumers still have the impression that parquet and wooden floors are somewhat ‘ delicate’. Obviously, that perception is a ‘ dream’ for marketers and manufacturers, but also for floor fitters, who are in a perfect position to act as ‘retailers’. Mops, spray-mops, cleaning and maintenance tools, it all adds up to more business.

Degrees of concern For once, we can classify the market position of floor maintenance and the ‘tools’ on sale for that purpose on the basis of ‘concern for the floor covering’. The lower the concern, the wider the range.

No concern No one has any concerns at all about maintaining ceramic tiles. All detergents or solvents can and may be used. You can even remove stains with white spirit, thinner, or something similar. In other words, consumers simply want a product which works. ‘Odour’ is usually a decisive factor and in that respect plenty of vendors do well in terms of odour varieties. The term ‘maintenance’ isn’t relevant when we speak of ceramic tiles; here, we speak only of ‘cleaning’ and ‘cleaning products’.

Some concern

Photo – Bona

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Natural stone brings us to a different floor environment. Consumers do attach importance to the piece of ‘nature’ in ‘natural stone’. From this point onwards, they are susceptible to a certain reticence towards the range of cleaning products. After all, the supplier of the natural stone has made it clear from the very beginning that not all products are automatically suitable. Can you add a drop of Javel detergent to the cleaning water for natural stone? I didn’t think so? Because natural stone is also a sort of ‘vital material’ which needs to be fed. And can you remove a stain using thinner? Best not to do so! The result is that producers of cleaning products specifically for natural stone are

doing excellent business. They have carved out a niche for themselves, namely detergents and nutritional products specially for natural stone.

Great concern Wood, too, is entirely natural. Here, we speak of ‘maintenance’, not just cleaning. That maintenance can have a ‘nutritional’ function, depending on the way in which our wooden floor is finished. There is an outside chance here for floor fitters to cash in; indeed, clients are ready for it to some extent. They know that they can’t just apply any product to their floors. One surprising feature is that the major chemical giants, who dominate the cleaning product market, no longer play the leading role in this field. That task is reserved for chemical companies which concentrate specifically (or partly) on products for fitting and finishing wooden floors. The ‘big names’ from the sector, you could say.

this as a ‘part’ of their purchase in the specialist store and think it’s logical to go to that same specialist store for those products. It goes without saying that the products are also clearly visible from outside the store. The principles of cross-selling and client-loyalty are still quite recent. People who had a parquet floor fitted a few decades ago are probably unaware of the existence of those products. In that respect there is also a hidden potential for acquiring new clients amongst owners of a parquet floor which was not fitted by the same floor fitter. The chances are there!

What’s on te market ? Blanchon

The finish determines the maintenance Dependent on the finish Cleaning and maintenance products for wooden floors depend directly on the way in which the parquet or wooden floor has been finished. ‘One’ solution requires a little more marketing and persuasion than ‘the other’.

Lacquered floors The normal cleaning is limited to daily treatment with the ‘swiffer’ or vacuum cleaning and mopping once a week. Basically, you can use any cloths on dirt and also any detergent. Nevertheless, here, too, products are provided which are compatible with the lacquer applied. Producers of finish products make every effort to promote their own maintenance products. Some of them go so far as to make the guarantee on the finish dependent on the maintenance product used.

Oil, wax, and hard wax For floors other than lacquered floors you don’t need much marketing to gain client loyalty. This is because the maintenance products are usually based on the product used for the finish itself e.g. oil, hard wax oil, wax, or soap. Consumers are bound completely by the producer of the applied finish and generally don’t have a problem with that. On the contrary, clients who opt for an oiled floor are reticent to use products other than those which the floor fitter recommends.

Mops and products ‘in kits’ Makers of maintenance and related products are certainly not unaware of opportunities to do some extra business. They present their products in a ‘domestic range’, as it were. There’s the mop for removing dust, special dusters and floor cloths, detergents ‘specially for parquet’, oils, maintenance polish, power cleaners, stain removers, and nutritional products. All those products are presented (by some makers) as part of a total system. They are usually on show in stores in displays developed specially for that purpose. Another eye-catching sales method is to display the products on the shelves, but to include on the counter a dispenser with folders or flyers to promote the products.

A shop inside the shop Cleaning and maintenance products and their accompanying accessories can also be presented together in a shop inside the shop. Several producers offer a logically considered assortment and the necessary presentation displays and point of sale materials. By displaying products ostentatiously, parquet traders influence consumers by highlighting the specialised nature of those products. Consumers regard

Anyone with little time on their hands will find a solution at Blanchon with Lagoon®. This product is sprayed onto the floor and you then mop the floor clean with a micro-fibre cloth. Blanchon offers Lagoon® in a kit, which comprises the micro-fibre cloths (washable 500 times) and spray. Lagoon® can be used on both oiled and lacquered floors, and that also makes it attractive for retailers! For lacquered floors Blanchon has two cleaning agents (metallic): the Satin Renovator (‘Rénovateur Satiné’) for semi-gloss or gloss floors and the Metamatt Renovator (‘Rénovateur Métamat’) for matt floors. Both products are suitable for renovation since they can seal small cracks and restore worn out lacquers. For ongoing maintenance there is the Parquet Cleaner Protector (‘Nettoyant Protecteur Parquets’; Lisabril®), which is used diluted. This product has recently been given a new formula, so it is now even more suitable for large surfaces and sports floors, for instance. The Sure Activity Cleaner (‘Nettoyant Suractivité’) is a power cleaner which nevertheless does not harm the lacquer. For oiled floors and floors finished with wax-oil Blanchon promotes its Maintenance Oil (‘Huile d’Entretien’). They recommend Natural Soap (‘Savon Naturel’) for regular cleaning. Universal Maintenance Oil (‘Huile d’Entretien Universelle’) is for use if you are not sure which oil was used for the finish. Finally, for polished floors there is Blanchon Liquid Wax (‘Cire liquide Blanchon’). Blanchon has developed a presentation rack for its maintenance range. The rack can be filled and divided up as required and combined, if necessary, with other products such as varnishes or oils.

Chimiver Chimiver presents the Alfred Spray Mop. This mop is suitable for all types of floor covering. It has an ergonomic design and is extremely

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Suppliers of mops and cleaning tools in kit form

easy to use. It is light, handy, and easy to assemble. The refillable cartridge is highly ecological. This mop works on a rotating base. The kit comprises one Alfred Spray Mop, a micro-fibre ‘Clean’ and 1 litre of cleaning product. The cartridge can be refilled 15 times.

Plastor

Floorservice In order to keep the floor in optimal condition after treating it with Hardwax Oil or Lacquer we have developed a Parquet Cleaner and Maintenance Oil which perfectly suit the basic treatment of the wooden floor and which guarantees carefree enjoyment of the floor. Floorservice Hardwax and Maintenance oils offer the floor the best possible protection, irrespective of the type of wood or pattern of the floor. Floorservice's natural oil products keep the floor young and they are already being used by satisfied customers for the maintenance of millions of square meters of parquet and solid floors. Maintenance and protection A beautiful floor is in perfect condition. Floorservice offers you the maintenance products to keep it beautiful. These products restore your floor to its original new state, for you to enjoy for a long time. Floors originally treated with Hardwax-oils are best maintained by use of the Floorservice Maintenance oils. Despite the wood species or floor motif. Floorservice also offers the maintenance product Nature Care in order to keep the ultra-matte look of wooden floors treated with Floorservice Nature Protect 2K.

Parquet has to be protected so that it can withstand daily any external harmful effects (e.g. shocks or chemical hazards) and yet retain the natural look of the wood. That’s why it has to be maintained with the right products. Professional specialists use maintenance products only very rarely. They are aimed more at clients, who are responsible for the maintenance after the fitting. To simplify the maintenance of all parquet floors, Plastor presents an assortment of just three products. This range is clear and convenient: Parquet Cleaner (‘Nettoyant Parquets’) is for daily cleaning, Intensive Cleaner (‘Nettoyant Intensif’) is for removing grease and stains, and Metallic Renewal (‘Raviveur Métallisant’) is for freshening up lifeless parquet. A single-disc machine (with a green pad) can be used for any in-depth cleaning which may be required.

Tover CINDERELLA – Floor Care Kit from Tover

Mapei Mapei has a whole range of cleaning resources, including a cleaner, two polishes, and a special remover for polish. For the rapid daily cleaning Mapei presents an innovative Spray Mop. These products form a separate section in the Mapei catalogue. Mapei also presents an ingenious display which is used to outline simply how the products are used. That simple presentation is necessary since the information is meant for end users.

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Cinderella is the exclusive floor care system developed by Tover to preserve and valorize the original beauty of a wooden floor, cork or laminate. The set is composed of a practical spray mop for an easy cleaning, a reusable microfiber pad, an anti static cloth to remove the dust and a ready to use detergent suitable for all surfaces. Only the necessary quantity of water and soap is used, rinsing is not necessary; finally to clean a floor becomes pleasant, in the respect of the Environment. A plus is represented by the window cleaning kit. Cinderella: a professional result in a few minutes.

Special

Austria

WOOD PLAYS A LEADING PART IN AUSTRIA PROSPERITY IS THE REWARD FOR EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD MANAGEMENT After World War II, the Austrian government took over basic industries which had been devastated during the war. Strong investment in new production technology soon led to industrial growth. Since the 1960s, the Austrian economy has grown considerably. The big state share in companies was no longer appropriate and 1987 saw the start of a major shift towards privatisation. The state aimed to ensure that 49% of shares in companies came under private ownership. Amongst other things, that has led to close consultation between the social partners and ensures social and economic stability.

Background information The country Austria (officially: Republic of Austria) is a federal republic in Central Europe. With a surface area of 83,857km², it is about twice as big as the Netherlands. Austria borders on Switzerland and Liechtenstein in the west, Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Germany, Czech Republic, and Slovakia in the north. A quarter of Austria is lowland and valleys. The rest comprises low and high mountains. The highest peaks reach up to almost 4000 metres. The highest mountain is Grossglockner (almost 3800 metres). A large part of the country is taken up by the Eastern Alps.

The people Austria numbers 8.1 million inhabitants. If we consider that 1.7 million people (over 20% of the total population) live in the capital Vienna, it will be clear that the (rest of the) country is extremely sparsely populated. The people of Austria are not only prosperous, but also they are extremely critical and demanding. Anyone who wants to sell products in Austria will have to stand out in terms of service; punctuality is appreciated, for technical products people usually ask at once how soon they could obtain spare parts, and the average Austrian simply takes it for granted that there will be an excellent after-sales service. Austria has been a member of the European Union since 1995 and also does a lot of its business within the EU. In January 2002, the Austrian schilling was replaced by the euro (1 euro = 13.7603 schillings) as the national currency.

Economically on course Austria is one of the most prosperous economies in Europe. Growth started in the 1960s and is still continuing. Gross domestic product is high, unemployment is low, and there is a healthy balance between the active and non-active population. All that means an attractive economic climate and great prosperity. Since the 1960s, the Austrian economy has recorded very high growth.

Privatisation The high state share in companies was no longer appropriate and, as we’ve already said, a major shift towards privatisation began in 1987 in which the state aimed to ensure that up to 49% of company shares

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came under private ownership. Amongst other things, that has led to major consultation between the social partners and ensures social and economic prosperity. The various sectors are split up as follows: The primary sector (agriculture and forestry) accounts for 1.3%, the secondary sector (industry and mining) for 32.4%, and the tertiary sector (trade, traffic, and government) for 66.3%.

Industries The top industries are the iron and steel industries concentrated around Linz and Donawitz-Eisenerz. In recent years, Austria has faced stiff competition from cheaper countries. Other major industrial branches are the iron and metalwork industry, paper industry, electro-industry, textile, chemical, glass and ceramics industry, food, machines, and woodworking industry.

A prominent wood industry Forestry Austria is one of the most woody countries in Europe. 20% of the total surface area is taken up by farmland, 28% by pasture land, and 38% by woods. Forestry supplies wood for fuel and obviously for the woodwork industry, of which the paper industry is also part. Whilst agriculture makes use of 3,420,000 hectares of surface area, about 3,000,000 hectares of woods is available for forestry. That yields about 11 to 12 million cubic metres of raw wood annually. The major industrial sectors which rely on woodwork include the paper industry and the construction industry with the emphasis on carpentry, pre-fab building, and the parquet industry.

Wood industry The wood industry is a major export pillar of the Austrian economy. Markets with various needs and requirements for sustainable raw materials form a challenge to the industry. The Austrian wood sector is among the very best. Thanks to a good market knowledge and consideration for the needs of their partners, Austrian companies supply to clients worldwide. More and more prestige projects are being completed in wood. New knowledge acquired from various studies has expanded scopes and reinforced competitiveness. A growing ecological awareness, climate issues, and the durability of wood mean that wood will become more and more important in the longer term. Today, the Austrian wood industry has 1,369 active firms, including some 950 sawmills. In 2014, 26,216 employees achieved a production volume of 7.08 billion euros. The sector comprises sawmills, the construction industry, the furniture industry, the wood materials industry, and the ski industry.

Export-oriented The wood industry generally focuses strongly on exports. The country exports mainly sawn softwood, laminated wood, wood material (panels), and skis. Exports in 2014 came to almost 68%. The lion’s share of Austrian wood products (74.4%) was destined for the EU, especially Germany and Italy. The remaining 25.6% was split between

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Austria

the rest of Europe with 13.1%, developing countries with 2.8%, and other countries (e.g. the USA and Japan) with 9.7%.

WINTERSTEIGER

Wooden floors in Austria In 2016, the total European parquet production was 80,405,000m² as compared to 78,582,000m² in 2010. Parquet consumption in 2016 rose slightly by 1.70% to 77,014,520m². Austria is in the middle bracket of the FEP countries in terms of both consumption and consumption.

Parquet production Poland still led European parquet production in 2016, followed by Sweden and then Austria with 14.02% of the total production. That means Austria produced over 11,272,000m² of parquet in 2016.

Parquet consumption As regards parquet consumption, 2016 represented a status quo as compared to the previous year. Germany was still in the lead with 23.65%, followed by France with 10.63%. Sweden was in third place with just under 10%. Switzerland and Austria shared fifth and sixth places with over 8%. This means that the Austrians purchased over 6,299,788m² of parquet in 2016.

Wintersteiger AG is the world leader in solutions for cutting thin wood. The company was formed in 1953 in Obernberg. A good 10 years after its formation, Wintersteiger started to specialise in the production of machines for the manufacture of skis, an activity which still takes up a good proportion of its core business. Today, the company operates in different sectors (Wood-Tech, Seed-Mech, sports, metals, and automation), but the development and manufacture of machines for cutting thin wood (and saw blades) is a major activity. Wintersteiger had a turnover of 154 million euros in 2017. For Wood-Tech that figure was 28 million euros. The company employs 892 people worldwide, 521 of them in Austria. Over 90% of production is destined for export to no fewer than 130 countries. Important steps in 2018 include the expansion of the saw blade factory in Germany and the logistical base of the US headquarters in Salt Lake City. +43 (0) 7752 919 306 - www.wintersteiger.com

SIMPLY MAGIC MAGICALLY SIMPLE

PALLMANN MAGIC OIL

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For oiled wood floors, we have relied on our solvent-free oil-wax combination for many years. Until today MAGIC OIL 2K is unmatched in terms of safety at work and speed. More about our products under www.good-for-wood.com.

NEUHOFER HOLZ

Neuhofer Holz is a family business in its 10th generation and collectively numbers 368 years. It all started with a small sawmill in Zell am Moos. Today, the company is one of the leading players in the market of accessories for floors and wall and ceiling furnishing. The range is impressive as regards both ‘solutions’ and ‘materials’. ‘We offer more’ is the family motto. Innovation, state-of-the-art technology, reliability and quality, service, and the best price/quality ratio are just some of their key concepts. Neuhofer Holz manages to offer a full range of accessories from just one source. Supported on the one hand by vast technological know-how and by 368 years of experience of wood as a raw material on the other, Neuhofer Holz always looks to the future. That’s why innovation is so important. As a full service provider, the company gears its range to the market. That range is extremely wide. It goes without saying that their service is excellent. Neuhofer Holz employs 220 people. In 2017, they achieved a turnover of 54 million euros, an increase of 13.2% as compared to 2016. In recent years (2013-17), the company has invested (14 million euros) constantly in techniques in the field of coating, packaging, etc. From 2018 to 2020, they will be investing a further 10 million euros on various items, including new company premises. The company operates in 70 different countries and 94% of the production is destined for export. +43 (0) 6234 8500-110 - www.fnprofile.com

ALTHOLZ

The history of Altholz started in 1996 when Hubert Baumgartner started to recover used materials. That year also saw the appearance of the first used wood on the market. Things developed quickly from there. In 2001, the company employed 10 people. By 2007, that figure had risen to 20. In 2011, 30 souls worked for the company and the growth still continues. In 2005, the company Baumgartner & Co GmbH was formed. The company has invested almost constantly in installations, but also in brands. In 2017, the company was able to celebrate its 20th anniversary. The company has also outgrown its limits in terms of exports, via major partners. The core business is the recovery and processing of used wood for global export. The company has a full range of products. In 2016, Altholz achieved a turnover of 7.5 million euros. The company now employs 35 people and their capacity is over 81,000m² or 1,400m³ per annum. For 2018, they are working on making used wood serviceable for consumers. +43 (0) 7582 81 654 13 - www.althoz.net

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∂ Product news 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.

COSWICK NEW WIDE PLANK HARDWOOD FLOORING For over 20 years Coswick has been creating premium quality hardwood floors of superb and longlasting performance with manufacturing capacity of fully integrated production cycle from logs to ready-done prefinished hardwood flooring thus becoming even more flexible with partner-friendly service to business associates and projects worldwide. We are happy to introduce a new product - innovative all-hardwood 3-layer T&G engineered construction with dimensions of 20x300x2950mm, “Grape Seed”-color. We will keep on providing our partners with stable, reliable and long-lasting solutions for the most daring projects all over the world.

SPAČVA – NATURAL PERFECTION THROUGH SOLID WOOD FLOORING: CHEVRON 30° 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.

THOMSIT LAUNCHES A NEW PROJECT LEVELLING COMPOUND: THOMSIT OS Oosterhout, March 2018 – Thomsit launches a new cement-based project levelling compound for levelling up to 10 mm in one application. The levelling compound is self-levelling and pumpable, has a good final strength (C30/F7) and an ultra-smooth surface. This gives the following advantages: - Perfectly evenly flowing and pumpable - Sanding and vacuuming is usually not necessary - 15% less adhesive consumption compared with conventional levelling compounds when finishing the floor with floor covering - Saves time and money The new levelling compound has very low emissions and complies with the highest requirements for safety at work, air quality indoors and environmental-friendliness. Thomsit OS is suitable for levelling substrates complying with the relevant standards, upon which floor covering can then be laid directly. Thomsit OS can be used on screeds, concrete, tiles, slabs, natural stone and terrazzo. With these properties Thomsit OS is the ideal levelling compound for projects where a good price/quality ratio is very important. If you would like to know more, call Linda Volleberg, Product Manager Thomsit Benelux on +31 162 476678.

ADESIV: MONOCOMPONENT VINYL ADHESIVE FOR LAYING FLOATING FLOORS For gluing male and female elements of laminate or pre-finished (floating) floors. This glue is often used in carpentry for water resistant gluing (windows, kitchen work surfaces, bathroom furniture). Class D3.

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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

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