FLOORS in Africa - JNL 5'10

VOL 28.5 AUGUST 2010 R38 incl. VAT

IN THIS ISSUE: Wood, Laminates & Bamboo • Cleaning & Maintenance • Entertainment & Leisure

Trends, Fashion & Design • New flooring products launched

Nouwens Commercial products for Offices • Executive Commercial • Churches • Shops • B&B’s

copenhagen Visit our website at www.nouwens.co.za for further Nouwens Platinum Partner and Nouwens Appointed Dealer listings,

every Hotels • Lodges • Boutiques • General Commercial • Airports “So much more than just a carpet.” This contemporary interpretation in pure wool simply has it all – a modern natural look in the most desirable quality carpet fibre available, even today.

SABS GRADING Heavy Commercial SABS USE CLASS 5 SABS FIRE RATING 3 TYPE Woven PILE FIBRE 100% Pure New Wool WIDTH 3.66 m AVAILABILITY Standard Range of 5 colours and

2 designs ENDS per 10 cm ±27,5 SHOTS RATE per 10cm ±45 PILE FIBRE MASS ±680 g/m² TOTAL MASS ±1 850 g/m² PILE HEIGHT ±3 mm TOTAL HEIGHT ±4,5 mm BASE CONSTRUCTION Polyester / pp yarn SECONDARY BACKING ActionBac

Copenhagen

Madison Square

Twenty Ten

Kirman

Copenhagen is a really exciting innovation of the highest quality, but due to its unique construction, it offers heavy commercial, pure wool benefits at prices way below those of conventional wool carpets!

Copenhagen comes in a weave and a rib pattern and has been widely used in many commercial installations ranging from offices and boardrooms to hotels and lodges – all with rave reviews!

“So much more than just a carpet.” This contemporary interpretation in pure wool simply has it all – a modern natural look in the most desirable quality carpet fibre available, even today.

Contracta Spec

The superfine Nouwens 6-ply yarn, durable weave and ActionBac finish qualify Copenhagen for a Heavy Commercial SABS use class. Copenhagen feels great underfoot when installed on a quality underlay, but is equally suitable whether fitted in this manner or applied direct to a screed for that modern minimalist feel.

Copenhagen also comes with all the possible peace-of-mind endorsements – the SABS mark of quality, Nouwens Wool Collection, Platinum Edition and a Five-Year Quality Guarantee.

Colours

or contact Nouwens Carpets direct at the following numbers 011 796 5180, 021 447 2856 or 031 502 5730.

GUIDE COVER STORY

Adhesives / Coatings

Great new product for renovations Cemcrete, one of South Africa’s leading cement flooring innovators, has launched a new product that is per-

Chryso

p65

Coprox

p60

FloorworX

p32

Saint-Gobain Weber SA

p22

fect for any floor renovation project.

Marketed under the brand name

Carpets

of Cemcrete CreteCote, this product

Belgotex Floorcoverings

p2

on even the most difficult of surfaces

Forbo Flooring Systems

p5, p7, p9, p11

such as old screeds and concrete

Fotakis Brothers

provides a beautiful floor finish for use

– even after the removal of carpets.

Nexus (Belgotex Floorcoverings)

See the article on Page 20-21 Aand

Nouwens Carpets

Page 86-87 of this issue.

Tuntex Van Dyck Carpets

p27 p24 - 25 Inside Front Cover p18 p6, p14 - 15

Ceramic, Porcelain and Stone Ferreiras Decor World

29

61 V OLUME 28.5

•

77 AUGUST

•

2010

Inside Back Cover

Johnson Tiles

p89

Kenzan Quality Tiles

p13

Union Tiles

p4

To page 5

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

GUIDE Cleaning & Maintenance

continued from page 3

Wood, Laminates & Bamboo

Drywonder

p64

Barrow Flooring

FloorworX

p64

Bedson Flooring and DĂŠcor

Matco Marketing

p91

Belgotex Floorcoverings

MilliCare

p73

Deco-Flooring

p36

Eco-logic Bamboo Flooring

p59

Numatic International

p68 - 69

Back Cover p35 p2, p45

Prestige Cleaning Services

p66

Ecostrong

p56

Sebo

p67

Floors Direct

p55

Tile & Floor Care

p71

FloorworX

p47

Rhoms Timberworld

p38 - 39

Industrial, Resin & Concrete Flooring

SAWLFA

p37

Cemcrete

Suntups Solid Wooden Flooring

p49

Tiletoria Poliface

p51

Flowcrete SA Saint-Gobain Weber SA

Front Cover, p20 - 21 p23, p81 p22

Accessories and other RESILIENT Flooring Belgotex Floorcoverings

p2, p12

Cersaie

p88

Fotakis Brothers

p27 p57

FloorworX

p17

Frame Fibres

Fotakis Brothers

p27

Genesis

Transit Floor Tiles

p80

Kirk Marketing

Traviata Flooring Systems

p33

Pretoria Institute for Architecture

p84 - 85 p19 p101

SA DĂŠcor & Design Seamless Flooring Quartz Carpet

p99

The Office Plant p3

p100

Transiton Transport (Transportation)

p92 - 93

Note: Editorials excluded, listed in alphabetical order

Read FLOORS online! www.mediainafrica.co.za

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Roxanne and Liezel at the 2010 NAD function

EDITORIAL COMMENT Wood, laminates and bamboo

Traditionally, FLOORS in Africa has always had an annual feature entitled Wood, Laminates & Bamboo but, starting with this issue, we’ve decided to make each of these subjects a stand-alone feature. Although they may have a resemblance to each other, in reality they are totally different materials that are manufactured, installed and perform quite differently from each other.

Splitting them into three separate features enables us to provide greater in-depth coverage of each in terms of their individual features and benefits, without the need for lengthy explanations and comparisons of the various types.

This is a must-read feature – refer to page 29.

The importance of floor cleaning Any floorcovering, whether in a residential, commercial, industrial or other environment, invariably represents a significant investment – both in monetary terms and the image it portrays.

Therefore, a carefully planned, consistent and effective cleaning and maintenance programme should be employed to preserve the image of the facility or residence and dramatically extend the life of the investment.

Specifying a cleaning programme is as important as choosing the right floorcovering. See page 61 for our indepth Cleaning & Maintenance feature.

Entertainment and leisure flooring The floors used in the entertainment and leisure industry cover a vast array of projects and applications, yet they all demand the same attributes from their floors – high design and aesthetic appeal; high quality and value for money; excellent wear and appearance retention even in the most arduous conditions.

Casinos, cinemas and theatres, restaurants, lodges and guest houses all need these attributes to meet the strin-

FLOORS is about ceramics, carpets, vinyls, wood, laminates, marble, granite, cement, stone ... any floor you can think of. It is also about accessories like rugs, adhesives and tools.

Readers are welcome to contact us for any information.

FLOORS is published six weekly by Media in Africa (Pty) Ltd. The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher.

We accept no responsibility for information published.

PUBLISHER: Media in Africa (Pty) Ltd. Contact information: Tel (012) 347 7530 Fax (012) 347 7523 International: +27 e-mail: floors@mediainafrica.co.za PO Box 25260, Monument Park, 0105; Republic of South Africa Unit G, First Floor, Castle Walk Corporate Park, Cnr Nossob & Swakop Streets, Erasmuskloof Ext. 3, Pretoria, RSA Founder: Schalk Burger Editor: Liezel van der Merwe Cell 082 7700 799 Financial Director: Fanie Venter News Editor: Dave Soons Tel 012 807 7012

Business Unit Manager: Roxanne Mancini Cell 082 779 5751

gent requirements of their facilities. This sector is so vast

Business Unit Co-ordinator:

and varied that we’ve taken but a few specific examples

Madelein Smith

to determine what the preferred floorcoverings are in

Sales Executive:

different applications.

There is no doubt that the local flooring industry is serv-

Terri Bowey Cell 082 085 4297

ing this sector well. See page 77 for more details.

Design and Layout:

Always remember: “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds” (Albert Einstein). Be brilliant in what you do!

Liezel van der Merwe

Roxanne Mancini

EDITOR

BUSINESS UNIT MANAGER

Jakolien Strydom

Financial Manager: Sietske Rossouw Proofreader: Signa Evans & Hesca Joubert REPRO & PRINTING: Business Print Centre

Fa s h i o n & D e s i g n

“I like to open the doors to people’s brains.”

– Philippe Starck

Whenever we discover an object or a place designed by Philippe Starck, we enter a world of wall-to-wall imagination, surprises and fabulous fantasy. For more than three decades, this unique and multifarious creator, designer and architect has been a part of our daily lives by creating unconventional objects, whose purpose is to be ‘good’ before being beautiful, and iconic destinations that take the members of his ‘cultural tribe’ out of themselves and, most importantly, towards something better.

READ MORE ON PAGE 8 >>

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Fa s h i o n & D e s i g n

>> FROM PAGE 7

W

hen Philippe Starck imagined ‘democratic design’ – quality

thrown open to the imagination with a choice of 12 different colours

objects at lower prices so that more people can enjoy the best

that can be freely combined as motif and background to create truly

– he was a lone voice at a time when design was turned exclusively

individual tiles. Philippe Starck has added a new dimension to square

towards an elite. He also believed in the power of green long before

carpet tiles so architects, interior decorators and designers can also toy

ecology became fashionable, out of respect for the planet’s future.

with the permutations to create stunning projects.

The driving forces in Philippe Starck’s designs and interiors are joy and love, and his work covers a broad spectrum within industrial and

Fletco Carpet Tiles is a new, independent division of the Fletco Group.

The new subsidiary is, of course, founded on strong Fletco values and

product design with an impressive list of references including exclusive

principles, and offers two carpet tile collections – Classic by Fletco: a

hotels and restaurants all over the world.

collection of different qualities, in three separate ranges; and Starck by

With the S+ARCK BY FLETCO collection, Philippe Starck has cast his

Fletco: A collection specially designed to produce a range comprising

contagious, high-end and visionary design approach into designing

a choice of 12 basic colours which can be combined freely as a back-

carpets for the first time, and he has toyed with figures, icons and

ground and with more than 40 different figures, patterns and icons.

patterns.

With his characteristically creative approach, he has worked to provide the option to incorporate other materials, such as brushed aluminium, wood, glass, steel, and even Nanolight, into carpet tiles to create very expressive, individual effects.

A plethora of motifs can be combined, and the Starck universe is

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

The permutations are virtually infinite, making the collection the perfect choice for flooring designed to add an extra dimension to the sensory expression of flooring projects.

Fletco Carpet Tiles are founded on unique technology with focus on sustainability. The S+ARCK BY FLETCO collection is manufactured in Antron Legacy yarns.

Fa s h i o n & D e s i g n

Two firsts for FloorworX and NCS

South Africa he trend brochure and the NCS Navigator are both firsts for “TFloorworX, ” explains Theresa Venter, marketing manager of

FloorworX. “The combination of the two provides our specifiers with a

FloorworX, South Africa’s manufacturer of semi-flexible tiles, fully flexible vinyl sheeting and tiles, brings two firsts to specifiers by

wonderful tool to use when designing a complete colour scheme.”

“Now they will only need the FloorworX website, a complete set of our brochures and an NCS Atlas in order to design a complete colour scheme for a project from floors to walls to ceilings!”

NCS Navigator

providing world-class tools to deliver a

FloorworX is first in the world to launch the NCS Navigator – a cus-

complete colour scheme.

the NCS system in a 3D Java application, on their website.

tomised colour tool which provides users with the creative power of Launched in 2009, NCS Navigator for Architects & Designers has READ MORE ON PAGE 10 >>

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Fa s h i o n & D e s i g n

>> FROM PAGE 9

been one of the many NCS success stories with over 25 000 unique visits to www.ncscolour.com in the first month alone.

There are two versions of the NCS Navigator available to companies: a basic version on the NCS website; and the more advanced customised NCS Navigator adapting to clients’ requirements such as adopted by FloorworX. Lisa Taylor of NCS Colour Centre South Africa gives an example

chromaticness on each tab. Drag and drop the colours into the Colour Combination workspace area to see if they are what you are looking for – this then gives you the entire colour combinations that will work with any FloorworX sample.

FloorworX working with NCS Colour Centre SA is the first company in the world to incorporate the NCS Navigator on its website.

By using this fabulous tool you are now able to assign a complete

with the wonderful chromatic orange in the Marmoleum range

colour design including wall colours, curtains and the rest of your

called Kyoto MR3126. The colour is measured as NCS S2075-Y60R.

scheme, bringing world-class opportunities to the South Africa

Once you have downloaded the NCS Navigator from www.

design market and allowing FloorworX customers to produce their

floorworx.co.za you can input the notation S2075-Y60R for each

own colourways and colour combinations quickly by using the

of the tabs on the NCS Triangle – Whiteness, Blackness and

power of the NCS similarities.

Chromaticness.

This gives you the colours to complement Kyoto NCS S2075-Y60R all within Y60R. You can get the same whiteness, blackness and

Visit www.floorworx.co.za to download the NCS Navigator or the easy-to-understand manual; you can also go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzajEuXVjeo.

Flooring Colour Trend Brochure The first flooring colour trend brochure in South Africa has also been launched by FloorworX. The trend brochure produced by FloorworX and NCS Colour Centre SA has four moods – Fragrance, Flourish, Embrace and Fade, each with eight flooring colours redefining the way the standard FloorworX range will be viewed in future.

Colour is a vital element in architecture and design. With the trend brochure architects, interior architects and interior designers are going to be able to make the right decisions when it comes to interior flooring needs keeping to new and relevant trends.

“Trends come round in seven-year cycles which are renewable every 21 years; at the moment we are seeing a return to the natural and organic with dark and deeping palettes which is why you see fabulous colours such as honeycomb, herb garden and Tamboti in the range,” explains Lisa Taylor, NCS Colour Centre SA. NCS maps the colour trends around the world and can predict ahead of time what will be in the coming seasons with fashion leading the way. This partnership with FloorworX will assist in ensuring that colours remain at the forefront of colour trends around the world.

FloorworX Marketing Department Tel: 011 406 4146 Fax: 011 406 4205 Website: www.floorworx.co.za

10 F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Fa s h i o n & D e s i g n

Ceramic Tiles of Italy Playground – ceramic on a child’s scale The best of Italian ceramic tiles were displayed earlier this year at the Triennale in Milan, where seven Confindustria Ceramica member companies presented innovative urban design proposals devoted to sustainable living and the world of children.

C

eramics on a human scale, or rather on a child’s scale: this is

Confindustria Ceramica’s aim with the new initiative entitled

Ceramic Tiles of Italy Playground launched at its annual appointment with the Fuori Salone del Mobile at the Triennale.

Italian ceramic tiles achieve excellent performance and functionality but are at their best when combined with the potential of design. This led to the idea of involving some of the leading producers of highend ceramic tiles in the organisation of exhibition events inspired by play, free time and a human-scale city, themes that are increasingly coming to the attention of citizens and public administrations.

The excellence of Italian ceramics was represented by seven Confindustria Ceramica member companies, and this wide-ranging initiative brought together manufacturers of ceramic tiles, bathroom furnishings and installation products.

The event, coordinated by Aldo Colonetti and featuring exhibit design by Franco Origoni using historic images by the great Italian illustrator Emanuele Luzzati, gave these companies the opportunity to showcase their most original and innovative products and, at a time of radical transformation of the ceramic market, it is also an important test bed for the development of a new approach to the conception, design and manufacture of ceramics – an approach that centres on originality, just like the world of children.

This important exhibition will be repeated at the next Cersaie in Bologna, to be held from 28 September to 2 October 2010.

11 F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Products & Ser vices

A novel idea!

AMERICAN CHERRY

BRAZILIAN WALNUT

CANADIAN MAPLE

RUSTIC AMBER

The new Novalis Hartsfield vinyl planks from Nexus, the commercial division of Belgotex Floorcoverings, are a novel idea for corporate or commercial flooring.

I

ndividual “planks� rather than the usual square

tiles are laid side by side, to recreate the glossy

warmth of natural wood without the noise, durability or maintenance concerns.

Complement natural interiors with one of eight varieties ranging from the natural good looks of Canadian or English Maple, American Cherry, Brazilian Walnut and Saddle Oak, or add subtle colour with Rustic Jade or Rustic Amber or opt for the appeal of Barnwood.

Quick and easy to install, Novalis Hartsfield luxury vinyl planks can be laid over any smooth, even surface to transform a room with the grains and patterns of popular wood species. Suitable for heavy- traffic areas, Novalis Hartsfield is a heavy commercial grade flooring that carries a 10-year commercial warranty.

Belgotex Floorcoverings Tel: 033 897 7500 Fax: 033 897 7700

12 F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

ENGLISH MAPLE

BARNWOOD CS

RUSTIC JADE

SADDLE OAK

Products & Ser vices

Timeless black &

white integration “Kenzan’s service is excellent; they are reliable and have a flexible range.”

Sam Lancaster (Foschini in-house Architect).

W

hen we style a room we begin with a design concept and slow-

ly the room starts to come together in our minds. The concept

for the space featured in this article – which is used by Foschini clothing designers – was old-fashioned glamour, with historical black and white pictures and contemporary finishes and fittings.

Finding solutions to ideas and working within a budget is always the real challenge. This area needed a long-term 15-20 year look, which could accommodate heavy trolley and corporate traffic while still being low-maintenance. Porcelain was the obvious flooring solution from a cost and functionality perspective, while still contributing to the design aesthetics.

The floor is a critical and dominant aspect of this room; it needed to be planned carefully and laid in a pattern in order to contribute to the success of the room.

The floor tiles were laid in colour squares of four which assisted in making this space very sophisticated. Smaller squares would have made the space too busy, and lost the modern yet classic feel which it currently has.

Everyone has been delighted with the stylishness of this room.

Black and white has always worked well together. It is classic, timeless, gender-less, non-racial and a beautiful expression of integration.

Kenzan Quality Tiles Cape Town: 021 510 8310 Johannesburg: 011 467 8533 Port Elizabeth: 041 373 6456

13 F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Products & Ser vices

Brand new

ranges introduced Tile Africa Contracts recently introduced brand-new ranges of imported tiles to complement their existing tile offering.

T

he new additions present the latest fin-

ishes and sizes, including large format

600x600mm and 800x800mm porcelain tiles.

Polished porcelain tiles, in bigger sizes and light colours, create a marvellous sense of space, especially indoors, because of the light reflecting off the surface.

Glazed porcelain and Nano tiles are also amongst the newly imported ranges. Glazed porcelain tiles in stone and travertine finishes create an earthy and natural look thanks to the neutral tones of the tiles.

Nano tiles represent the latest technology in tiles and involve a process that treats the tile’s surface to attain a high-gloss lustre, enhanced colours and superb hardness and durability. “Tiles are a long-term investment, making them the ideal choice for flooring, especially in high-traffic areas such as restaurants, retail shops and airports,� says Craig Irvine, national contracts manager for Tile Africa Contracts.

With a national network of representation through 37 Tile Africa retail branches the division is able to supply specialist products for industrial and commercial applications.

The stores offer a wide array of locally manufactured and imported products, ensuring the availability of large ranges to consumers and building professionals.

Tile Africa Contracts provides on-site technical advice as well as an aftercare service and its methods of installation and the materials supplied are in line with local and international standards.

For more information on Tile Africa Contracts

16

contact 011 970 2124 or visit the website www.tileafrica.co.za.

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Products & Ser vices

Distribution of Antron SDN 6,6 in South Africa In the year 2000, Tuntex was certified by Invista (previously the US-based DuPont) to become the first official Chinese partner of Antron solution dyed nylon 6,6 and, with 40 years experience in carpet manufacturing, Tuntex continues to work closely with world-renowned carpet manufacturers in the USA, providing the best service and products and leading the industry into a new era of the Chinese carpet industry.

T

untex SA has established offices in Germiston. The Tuntex factory

in Shangai has a 60 000m² storage facility equipped with superb

automation software and hardware capabilities that enable a constant supply flow of the material (semi-manufactured and finished goods) to meet customer demand.

The storage facility has ample products in stock to meet the different ordering needs of customers and efficient logistics enabling on-time delivery of goods to customers in the shortest possible time periods.

The Invista Company regularly invites the Tuntex design team to participate in its training sessions and is able to transfer the latest design and market trends so that the production is always at the leading edge of the industry.

In close collaboration with leading US carpet manufacturers, Tuntex researches and develops new products and introduces the latest international design concepts ensuring the products can always stay ahead in the industry.

CARPET TILES LIKE NO OTHER elegance design quality style

Contact Details: Head Office: Janice Hanscombe Office: +27 11 873 4582 Premi cell: +27 82 887 1683 Fax: +27 86 542 1079 Cell: +27 72 839 9539 Email: tuntex@tuntexsa.com Cape Town Branch: Ade Lammers Fax: +27 86 627 4725 Cell: +27 82 888 0596 Email: adelammers@telkomsa.net Steven Trollope Cell: +27 72 722 7072 Email: s.trollope78@gmail.com

www.tuntex-carpet.com

18 F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Products & Ser vices

Pay attention to the joints!

Written by Jane Stewart, CEO of Vexcolt The effective design and installation of movement and expansion joints contribute immensely to the safety, efficiency and life expectancy of a building. Correctly specified, these joints protect and complement the surrounding finishes and will, by preventing the likelihood of costly remedial work, save you money!

W

hy is it that so many buildings are designed with inadequate

safeguard against damage caused by movement? Perhaps

Vexcolt expects technical sales teams throughout the world who offer

because designers don’t fully understand the impact of even tiny

the Vexcolt range to provide the same high level of support to their

amounts of movement within the finish layer.

customers as it does in the UK.

We’ve all seen the results. Inadequate movement joints will result in

Information from markets around the world directly influences the

cracked flooring, chipped spalling finishes, de-bonded tiles and messy-

way new profiles are developed. That means information: the custom-

looking soft joints. Poorly specified structural joints tell an equally

ers talk to the distributors, they speak to Vexcolt and the company

sorry tale of trip hazards, leaking car parks, and damaged slabs and

comes up with new ideas and improved solutions.

floorcoverings.

For over 25 years, as a leading specialist designer and manufacturer

It’s not just about great design and a commitment to quality, it’s about chemistry; the relationship between Vexcolt and its custom-

of movement and expansion joints, Vexcolt has guided architects, engi-

ers. This unique modus operandi means that Vexcolt is able to design

neers and specifiers towards the most discreet and effective solutions

bespoke solutions if necessary, or ‘improve’ existing ranges to fit any

for projects worldwide.

project’s specific requirements.

Vexcolt’s home is the UK, and from its idyllic location in the Devon countryside this dedicated team designs, manufactures and distributes a comprehensive range of products that has evolved over the years.

Quiet and peaceful the surroundings may be, but Vexcolt is by no means a company that watches as the world passes by. Dedicated to continual professional development within its team, ongoing research

Vexcolt is proud to be associated with Kirk Marketing in South Africa, whose ethos, enthusiasm and professionalism has impressed Vexcolt greatly during the years the companies have worked together, and looks forward to a great many more years serving the South African market.

2010 is proving to be an exciting year for Vexcolt. Whilst much of

within its field and proactive product development, Vexcolt has

Europe lies licking its wounds after the financial tumult of past years,

become a benchmark within the industry for high-quality design and

Vexcolt is positively blooming with the growth of its technical/design

support, and reliable service.

team in the UK along with the production of a new ‘super brochure’.

Operating, the Vexcolt product range has grown to accommodate

Soon to be launched, Vexcolt’s new literature will become an industry

movement spanning tiny thermal movements in tiled floors to massive

reference. As well as comprehensive technical datasheets on all of its

structural movement in seismic regions.

products, Vexcolt makes the brave move of providing a clear definition

This includes working on some of the world’s most prestigious projects: Wembley Stadium and Heathrow Airport in the UK; The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Bahrain; East and West Rail Line, Hong Kong; and The Golden Pyramids shopping centre, Egypt; to name but a few.

of building movement and worldwide requirements and standards that apply to this niche in the construction industry.

Engineers will relish the extensive technical section of the brochure, offering guidelines and formulae for calculating movement within a

The Vexcolt portfolio includes numerous airports, hospitals, hotels,

structure, whilst architects will love the graphic application section

shopping malls, universities and commercial buildings.

which channels the reader towards a suitable solution according to the

When working overseas, Vexcolt invests ongoing time and resources

type of building they are designing.

in training and equipping the distributors selected to represent the

Kirk Marketing

company. It’s important that those representatives have a thorough

Head Office: 011 444 1441

understanding of the product range, of the cause and effect of building

Cape Town: 021 949 2226

movement and of the importance of effective specification.

Durban: 031 564 1175 Port Elizabeth: 0860 547 573 Email: sales@kirk.co.za Website: www.kirk.co.za

19 F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Industry leader for over Cemcrete’s floor products are claimed to have led the cement floor industry for over two decades with Cemcrete Colour Hardener and Cemcrete FloorCrete. Now, Cemcrete has launched a new innovative floor product that is perfect for any floor renovation project.

M

arketed under the brand name of Cemcrete CreteCote, this new

floor product does more than just provide a beautiful floor fin-

ish, because its amazing adhesive qualities allow it to be applied to even the most difficult of surfaces such as old screeds and concrete – even after the removal of carpets – saving you time and money.

Being cement-based, CreteCote is extremely durable and is also waterproof, easy to clean and maintain, and available in six attractive colours. It can also be further enhanced with Cemcrete’s CreteStain colour systems.

Cemcrete’s Colour Hardener has been used for more than 150 000m² of flooring in South Africa over the past year alone. This is a granolithic concrete material that strengthens and colours concrete floors.

It sets rock-hard, has exceptional abrasion resistance and reduces drying shrinkage, providing a very hardwearing, attractive colouring system. It can be finished in a number of ways, including different textures, stamped, rolled or imprinted to create tiled or paved effects.

Colour Hardener can be used both internally and externally for a stunning floor finish.

Only available for use on internal floors, Cemcrete’s FloorCrete is a coloured, cement-based, self-levelling floorcovering for application

CreteCote

Colour Hardner

onto rolled or wood-floated concrete floor slabs or screeds, where it

ote CreteC

er top Count

30 years! produces a 2mm smooth, decorative layer that is unaffected by rising damp.

The latest innovative addition to the extenCreteCote with Modello Decor

sive Cemcrete sales programme is a range of Modello Décor decorative stencil designs for creating elegant artistic effects on concrete or cement surfaces – available with many different themes and design styles.

Modello Décor stencils are easy to transfer,

Colour Hardener - imprinted

after which the pattern is stained to the sur-

face using CreteStain, or skimmed on using Cemcrete’s CreteCote in contrasting colours.

You can have any design you want custom-

FloorCrete

made to your specification. With Modello

In addition, extensive hands-on training courses are offered at Cemcrete’s Head Office in Industria, which is fully equipped to provide the attendees with sufficient background

Décor stencils, you can take decorative con-

and hands-on experience needed to tackle their

crete to the next level of design.

own projects with absolute confidence.

Cemcrete not only provides quality prod-

View www.cemcrete.co.za for their

ucts, but its national sales team offers expert

full range or visit their Ideas Centres in

advice and technical assistance, helping you

Johannesburg (10 Telford Road, Industria)

to choose the most suitable product and

and Cape Town (1 Franschhoek Crescent,

application as needed.

Panorama) for loads of inspiration!

Products & Ser vices

Servicing the market with exponential

T

success

he speed with which Saint-Gobain entered the South African market and acquired established companies such as Isover (previously

Owens Corning), Weber (Previously Tylon), and Gyproc (previously BPB Gypsum), amongst others, was quite staggering, but with its international expertise and professionalism this mammoth Group has ensured that these different companies have blended into Saint-Gobain’s becoming a major player within the local construction industry.

Saint-Gobain Weber is a case in point. Its core business is industrial mortars, adhesives and cement-based renders marketed locally under the Tylon product portfolio, but one only needs to look at the development programmes of this burgeoning company that are in place to realise that it is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with throughout Southern Africa.

When Daryl Meyer joined Weber as managing director in January 2008 the company was purely an adhesives manufacturer and supplier, with no other products in its product portfolio.

The introduction of experienced people (such as Category Manager for Specialised Products Willie Bosch) has meant that Saint-Gobain Weber has added several cement based products to its product portfolio, and this – coupled with the extensive ranges of complementary products that Saint-Gobain South Africa can provide – means that the company can now offer a comprehensive and detailed package to the architectural and construction industry.

The international takeover of Maxit by Weber also allows Weber to draw from the extensive overseas expertise to meet any local requirement of the local cementitous flooring market.

“This means that with an extended product portfolio we have become one of the more design-orientated companies, instead of being a commodity tile adhesive supplier, and in this respect architects and other specifiers are more than willing to talk to us and seek our advice,” says Daryl.

The new products recently developed and added to the range offered

by Weber include Colour Silk, Grano Colour, Marbelite and Brush Coat, all researched and tested to ensure top product performance in each case.

Weber Grano Colour is a cement-based, integrally coloured granolithic flooring product for the surface hardening of freshly placed concrete or screeds – for use wherever a superior final finish is required.

Applied by the dry-shake method, it may be steel floated to a smooth finish or imprinted to obtain tiled or paved effects for interior or exterior use, providing a very hardwearing and attractive surface colouring system.

Produced from carefully selected raw materials to ensure consistency of the product, including graded aggregates that assist in producing a fine finish, Weber Marbelite is a cement-based, integrally coloured marble plaster that has been specially formulated for application onto gunite or hand-packed concrete pool shells.

Also cement-based, Weber Brush Coat provides a coloured, waterproof, textured finish for interior and exterior wall that can be readily applied by block-brush.

Produced from carefully selected raw materials for consistency of

22

product, Brush Coat and Marbelite only require the addition of water on site to effect the application.

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

These new products are formulated using quality-assured raw materials of exceptional and consistent performance, and are available in a range of colours. In addition, specifiers and end-users can rely on the backing of superior technical support from Saint-Gobain Weber.

Saint-Gobain Weber recently opened a new factory in Durban that is fully geared to produce standard tile adhesive ranges for the local market, right on its doorstep.

“Our market share has increased quite significantly over the last couple of years, and the time is now right to produce the Tylon range of adhesives regionally to offer clients a quicker turnaround time from order to delivery than ever before, while maintaining the high standards of quality and reliability with which our products have become synonymous.”

“The new factory is breaking ground other than by meeting the direct response to demand from the KwaZulu-Natal construction industry,” says Daryl. “Internationally, the Weber organisation has a very strong modular plant design methodology from our sister company M-Tec, and this factory is the first plant built by M-Tec in South Africa.

It is being used as a test case for this type of plant design around the world.”

“This plant is aimed not only to the KZN market, but also to the East Coast markets of Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands, but by 2013 we will have a manufacturing plant in every major centre in South Africa, and more north of our border to enable supply to all the neighbouring countries,” Daryl concludes.

Saint-Gobain Weber SA Tel: 011 657 2800 Fax: 012 349 9394 E-mail: willie.bosch@saint-gobain.com Website: www.weber-tylon.co.za

Projects

No deviations with ZigZag! One of the most revolutionary soft floorcoverings to enter the South African market is now being used for the extensive refurbishment programme currently undertaken by the Department of Public Works for the Department of Water Affairs for its head office Waterbron Building in Schoeman Street, Pretoria.

T

his unique commercial carpet tile

from Nexus, the commercial division

of Belgotex Floorcoverings, is marketed under the brand name ZigZag and regarded as being one of the company’s most innovative products to date.

An international patent is pending for this product because of its unique manufacturing process, and ZigZag is named after its fine herringbone design which creates a three-dimensional optical illusion that sets it apart from other carpet tiles.

As the world’s first non-woven graphics velour carpet tile, created through an innovative production process that took the company over three years to develop, the ZigZag tiles being used on this project are manufactured from 100% Stainproof Miracle Fibre (polypropylene) in heavy commercial grade with a ResinBac backing, and provided in Foam colour tiles of 500mm x 500m which are being installed in a tessellated pattern.

Originally, the popular and cost-effective Berber Point 650 plain-back carpet tile that had been used before in these buildings had again been specified

24

for this refurbishment project, but the

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Projects

designer and project manager, Andani Makhado of Bono Infrastructure,

project,” she says. “Working in conjunction with the designer and the

Facilities and Projects in Edenvale, felt that something more design-

main contractor, Nkonjane Nsika Trading Enterprise, our teams have

conscious but equally price-effective should be used to depart from

achieved the old carpet removal, substrate preparation and laying of

the rather bland and uninspiring look generally associated with

over 1 000m² per week (450m²/day).”

Government buildings.

At the time, Belgotex Floorcoverings had just launched ZigZag, and

Shauney Bowen of Belgotex Floorcoverings said that to ensure the colour quality of the tiles, Nexus manufactures and supplies tiles in bulk

Taz Suliman of Top Carpets suggested that this was the ideal solution

on the project as this ensures larger dye batch quantities that can be

to meet the Department’s requirements and these tiles were accepted

utilised on each floor level.

by the client and the designer after viewing a mock-up floor.

Andani Makhado says that the main reason for selecting the Nexus tiles was that, although they are of a single colour, the tessellated lay-

Nexus also played a huge role by assisting the contractor, professional team and the Department of Water Affairs & Forestry regarding the selection of product suitable for the application and, with involvement,

ing pattern provides a new design aspect to what otherwise would

dedication and attention to detail by all parties on the required finishes

have been a relatively plain floor.

being envisaged, the final result was achieved.

“Also, the wear performance and long-term durability of these tiles

ZigZag is just one of the Belgotex Floorcoverings products conform-

is well known and Nexus made every effort to ensure that these meet

ing to the ISO 14001 certification and compliancy, and has undergone

both our design and budget requirements,” she said.

The first phase of approximately 6 800m² has been completed and the same tile will be used to carpet the rest of the buildings in this complex, which means that, once the project is complete, over

the GLP (Green Label Plus) VOC test method which applies the most stringent test criteria currently in operation.

In conclusion, it should be noted that the Department of Water Affairs is utilising a product that is supplied from a manufacturer whose vision,

60 000m² of floor space will be covered with ZigZag.

borne out by action, for the past several years has been advocating sus-

The same colour and design will flow through these buildings to unify

tainable products and green production processes.

the design for all four of the Department of Water Affairs buildings in this complex.

The main contractor Nkonjane Nsika (the main contractor for the tenant installations within the waterbron building project) contracted Top

“ZigZag is one of the most exciting products to be manufactured by us in our 25-year history,” said Frank Moffat, CEO at Belgotex Floorcoverings.

The company’s investment in equipment and constant innovation

Carpets Sandton as the flooring contractor for this entire project. Top

keeps it abreast of the latest international developments, offering

Carpets is run by Abie Suliman who has been in the flooring industry

higher quality products as well as more diverse product ranges at vari-

for over 30 years, but it is his daughter Taz who is the mover and shaker

ous price points.

on this project, having recommended these tiles to the designer and arranged for the mock-up floor.

Under their contract Top Carpets had the task of removing the old

But nothing could have prepared the company for the exciting opportunities discovered by experimenting with the production capabilities of a machine engineered for alternate applications! The long

Berber Point tiles that were adhered to the concrete substrate, prepar-

and often tedious development process has resulted in this world-first

ing the surface and laying the ZigZag tiles with the new Earthbond

in terms of carpeting.

adhesive (that is also a green product) from Smoothedge which Taz says was very good to work with.

“The performance of our site teams has been exceptional on this

Combining all the comforts of a velour floorcovering with the hardwearing performance and graphic versatility, ZigZag opens a whole new era of sophisticated design.

This means that architects and decorators can enjoy creative freedom using the unique look to design either formal, uniform patterns or striking contrasts. ZigZag is available in ten exciting colourways in ResinBac or NexBac modular tiles, and is suitable for commercial, hospitality and corporate installations.

Nexus (division of Belgotex Floorcoverings) Tel: 033 897 7500 Fax: 033 897 7700 E-mail: nexus@carpet.co.za

25 F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Products & Ser vices

LONDON RANGE

Surfaces resilient flooring

Great new additions to the flooring scene

LONDON RANGE

FOTAKIS BROTHERS FOAM

Fotakis Brothers has been a proud and respected name in the South African floorcovering industry

Surfaces resilient flooring

excellent insulation properties and enhances sound absorption.

London is the latest addition to the beautiful wool collection. This collection was launched by Fotakis Brothers in South Africa earlier this year and has proven to be an enormous success and already in

for over 65 years, and is known for bringing the

high demand for its wide selection of patterns and designs, and the

latest trends and innovations to the market.

very best in style and fashion.

he latest developments to emanate from this source include the

T

naturally stain-, soil- and water-resistant, flame-retardant and very

launch of a new resilient flooring, a quality foam underlay, and a

durable, thus providing excellent value for money with an excep-

new wool carpet range that is truly outstanding.

Surfaces is a high-quality resilient flooring range with a polyure-

With this collection wool carpets are now affordable, and they are

tional long life.

Other flooring products available from the Fotakis Brothers sales

thane wear layer, imported from a reputable overseas manufacturer

programme comprise a wide selection of laminate floorcoverings

and available in 2-metre width, 30m long, in nine attractive colours

including the world-renowned Alloc range; a range of solid high-

– representing the best in sheet vinyl floorcovering for heavy

quality bamboo flooring; and an extensive selection of carpet rang-

domestic or medium commercial applications.

This superior resilient floorcovering has excellent slip and flame resistance, and provides above-average acoustic insulation once

es which includes natural products such as coir, sisal, hemp/jute and seagrass.

Architects, interior designers, developers and property owners

installed. It is also suitable for use with underfloor heating, and is

regularly find inspiration and the quality they have been seeking

provided with a 15-year warranty.

by talking to Fotakis Brothers, and today there is even more variety

The Fotakis Brothers foam underlay for carpets is made from high-

26

Surfaces resilient flooring

from the company you can trust!

quality foam with a spun bonded backing, with an overall thickness

Fotakis Brothers

of 8mm, and available in 2-metre width.

Johannesburg: 011 626 3000

Ideally suitable for residential and light commercial use, this supe-

Cape Town: 021 933 2620

rior underlay is hygienic; dust-free; light and easy to handle and

Durban: 031 705 3331

install, and can be used with undercarpet heating. It also provides

Website: www.fotakisbrothers.co.za

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Launches the latest in wood-look resilient flooring; an additional wool carpet and Fotakis Brothers foam underlay.

Call now for samples Johannesburg 011 626 3000 Cape Town 021 933 2620 Durban 031 705 3331 www.fotakisbrothers.co.za

ool collection bamboo laminates natural fibre floors resilients fotakis brothers foam carpets wool collection bamboo ool collection bamboo laminates natural fibre floors resilients fotakis brothers foam carpets wool collection bamboo ool collection bamboo laminates natural fibre floors resilients fotakis brothers foam carpets wool collection bamboo ool collection bamboo laminates natural fibre floors resilients fotakis brothers foam carpets wool collection bamboo ool collection bamboo laminates natural fibre floors resilients fotakis brothers foam carpets wool collection bamboo

Products & Ser vices

Whether you are an architect, interior designer, developer or contractor, a visit to any San Marco showroom will provide you with the discovery of the very best in tiling – with customised solutions that will make your ideas happen.

The warmth of Italy with a South African flair

H

ere you will find a selection of

high-quality imported ceramic and

porcelain wall and floor tiles encompassing the sophistication and warmth of Italy with unique South African flair, and providing a customised solution with the ability to suit any style, as well as innovative ideas that will meet any budget.

San Marco prides itself on providing each client with a comprehensive and cost-effective tiling solution, as well as great ideas in mosaics, sanitaryware, local and imported vanities and accessories, taps, towel rails, and a whole lot more.

From French to classic to contemporary styles, San Marco caters for the discerning individual, and has a dedicated and dynamic team with an unsurpassed passion for excellence, sense of class, customer satisfaction to suit every pocket and style, who are eager to provide innovative ideas for any project.

Extensive product knowledge, skills, talent and infrastructure enable San Marco to offer one-stop bathroom solutions and, although the endless variety can make it seem impossible to make the right decision, the showroom tile specialists can help you to establish the choice of tile, quantity and style. San Marco also offers practical support at every stage of the job – from onsite measuring to technical and décor advice.

For further information on the full service that San Marco can offer, contact your nearest branch, or visit the website: www.sanmarcotile.co.za.

San Marco – Boksburg San Marco – Xavier

28 F L O O R S AJ uulgyu As tu g2u0s1t0 2 0 1 0

Tel: 011 918 3800

Tel: 011 680 8013 Office

Fax: 011 918 3847

Fax: 011 680 7289

E-mail: info@sanmarcotile.co.za

Feature: Wood, Laminates & Bamboo

WOOD, LAMINATES & BAMBOO feature Traditionally, FLOORS in Africa has always had an annual feature entitled Wood, Laminates & Bamboo but – starting with this issue – we have decided to make each of these subjects a stand-alone feature, because, although they may have a resemblance to each other, in reality they are totally different materials that are manufactured, installed and perform quite differently from each other.

29 F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Feature: Wood, Laminates & Bamboo

Exclusively Wood!

Traditionally, FLOORS in Africa has always had an annual feature entitled Wood, Laminates & Bamboo but – starting with this issue – we have decided to make each of these subjects a stand-alone feature, because, although they may have a resemblance to each other, in reality they are totally different materials that are manufactured, installed and perform quite differently from each other.

FloorworX

S

plitting them into three separate features enables us to provide

hardwood floors one of the most desirable floorcoverings available,

greater in-depth coverage of each in terms of their individual

and one that has stood the test of time.

features and benefits, without the need for lengthy explanations and comparisons of the various types.

Natural wood, of course, is an elite natural floorcovering that has

wood floors mean that their lasting beauty requires minimal care.

These finishes are usually urethanes applied on the surface of the

been around for centuries, and the fact that other flooring materi-

wood to form a protective coating, as well as being durable, water-

als have been developed to imitate the look of natural wood floors

resistant and available in various gloss levels.

simply serves to underline its popularity, longevity and high-performance characteristics.

Natural wood floors offer many features and benefits and the

Most pre-finished hardwood flooring is provided with a factoryapplied finish that is cured by ultraviolet light in a controlled environment, and some of the manufacturers of upmarket pre-finished

elegant look of a hardwood floor adds warmth and character to any

flooring will apply up to seven coats, some with additives such as

project. It has also been proven that in residential applications wood

aluminium oxides for extra durability.

floors can add value to a house at resale time.

As the demand for hardwood floors has grown, so has the ability of

This results in an extremely hard finish, often guaranteed for anywhere between 15-30 years of normal use, and the vast majority of

manufacturers to produce better quality finishes and superior con-

site-applied finish systems cannot compete with these pre-finished

struction techniques. The result of these advances is that wood floors

systems in terms of performance.

are now available in both solid and engineered wood varieties, and can be installed over a wide variety of subfloors.

30

The modern surface finishes that have been developed for natural

The benefits – including an exceptionally lengthy lifespan if properly cared for, together with outstanding aesthetic appeal – make solid

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

For the record, there are several types of surface finishes available, including: Oil-modified urethane is easy to apply. It is a solvent-based polyurethane that dries in about eight hours.

Feature: Wood, Laminates & Bamboo

Moisture-cured urethane is a solvent-based polyurethane that is more durable and more moisture- resistant than other surface finishes. Moisture-cure urethane is generally available in satin or gloss. However, these finishes are extremely difficult to apply, have a strong odour during application and should be applied by a professional.

Conversion varnish dries with a mostly clear finish and is durable. This finish also has an extremely strong odour and should be applied only by highly skilled flooring professionals.

Water-based urethane finishes are clear and non-yellowing. They have a milder odour and dry in about two to three hours.

Flooring Oils. Becoming more popular these days as this is a natural oil which is applied by a professional. The maintanace is doneby the home owner which is a simple spray and wipe operation. The philosophy behind the oil is that if the maintenance is done as advised then the floor will get better and better with time and never have to be resanded and sealed.

Wax applied by a professional the wax gives a low-gloss satin sheen. It is generally maintained with special wax cleaners additional thin application of wax may be applied as needed and buffed for extra sheen.

Penetrating Stain These days there are excellent systems and products for staining wooden floors. This can give a new look to wood and one can achieve a specific colour. These stains can be compatiple with water , solvent or oil based sealers depending on manufacturers specification In general, modern surface finishes and protective treatments have largely improved the cleaning and upkeep problems of solid wood floors, and if you ensure that the selected wood is obtained from companies that comply with the strict international reforestation requirements, these floors can meet all your environmental concerns.

However, facing considerable competition from laminate and bamboo floorcoverings, and the demands of taking greater care of wood flooring industry had the need to solve these problems and provide cost-effective natural wood floors. The result has been the development of engineered wood flooring.

Engineered wood floors are of multi-layered design, with top layers of the selected

Bedson Flooring and DeĚ cor

the world’s natural resources, the exotic hard-

31 F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Feature: Wood, Laminates & Bamboo hardwood ranging from .6 of a millimetre up a whopping 6mm which is simerlar to the top layer above the tongue of a solid wooden floor.The ply base/bottom thickness is a cross-lamination of hard pine or poplar wood construction in three layers or multi layers to reduce and stabilise any movement in the solid wood material. This design enables more floors to be produced per tree than solid wood, thus making far less environmental impact.

These floors can be installed over dry concrete slabs and some types of existing flooring, which means that end-users can enjoy the beauty of a real hardwood floor in areas they thought not possible before with solid wood flooring. They are also pre-finished at the factory, which eliminates any mess, extra time and vapour associated with applying the finish coats.

Engineered wood floors have provided natural wood aficionados with a lifeline; not only can they have a natural wood floor with all the attributes of solid wood and modern technology providing longevity, aesthetic appeal, ease of installation, and low maintenance – they can be assured that the environment is being cared for as well.

Ease of installation has made this the choice of many architects, developers, contractors and homeowners. With pre-finished engineered floors having thicker wear layers (top layers of wood), many can be sanded two or three times after use if it becomes necessary to change the colour, make repairs or to refinish because of worn hightraffic areas.

With proper maintenance (light sanding and the application of additional coats of finish as required – together with good cleaning habits) these products boast 10, 15 and 20 year warranties.

The fact remains that no modern manufactured alternative – not even the advanced types – can really compare with the natural warmth and beauty of natural hardwood, and this flooring provides a sense of class and quality that surpasses any look-alikes.

Hardwood floors provide any area with an expensive feel and a topquality finish as well as an impression of lasting quality and permanence, which is why they are so popular in prestigious establishments and designer homes.

Acknowledgement and thanks are given to the websites from which some information has been extracted for use in this article: www.

Suntups Wooden Flooring

floorideas.co.uk; www.nwfa.org; www.flooringguide.com.

32

Established for over 55 years, FloorworX is also the only local importer of Bona water-borne finishes and dust free sanding machines. Bona’s water-borne finishes are a sound environmental choice for the coating of wooden floors. Setting quickly, the complete range of NMP-free finishes enable sanding to start sooner.

Bona’s dust care system with HEPA filters remove 99.9% of the sanding dust in a room, thus giving contractors a healthier working environment and our customers a cleaner home.

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

k for

Sustainab

ili

The Flooring Solutions Company

c Tr a

ty

On

Keep your genuine wooden floor looking beautiful

www.floorworx.co.za Tel: 011 406-4290/4295

World-first in trendsetting flooring D

escribed as a genuine luxury vinyl, Traviloc Allure-Locking presents

what is claimed to be the most realistic wood-grain surface avail-

Feature: Wood, Laminates & Bamboo

Traviloc Allure luxury vinyl flooring is the latest addition to the Traviata flooring range. The 5mm Traviloc panels are easily joined together using a UniClic locking system. Invented and patented in the USA, this flooring system is acknowledged as a world 1st.

With its trendsetting features Traviloc Allure is ideally positioned as a showcase flooring product in the hotel, leisure, hospitality, office, retail

able locally. Featuring a deep embossed hand-scraped technique with

commercial sectors, and in high-end residential applications.- offering

bevelled edges, it is offered in either full-plank or two-strip patterns

an attractive solution when performance and quality are a prerequisite.

with 36 varieties to choose from. Initially eight of these will be stock items in South Africa.

In addition, once installed the product is totally waterproof giving it a major advantage over wood-based floorcoverings or carpet, making it ideal for applications such as bars and restaurants, health spas and the like.

Its pedigree extends beyond its visual appeal. The product marketed in South Africa is certified under the European Norm (EN) and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) which endorse its superior

Installation of Traviloc Allure flooring is quick and easy. With the Uniclic locking system, the vinyl floor planks simply ‘click’ into position and provide a virtually seamless watertight surface. The floors require no underlay or adhesives of any sort.

Ease and speed of installation (or removal) offer landlords and building owners a significant advantage in terms of tenant installations and refurbishments.

The manufacturers of Traviloc Allure acknowledge their role in being a responsible global partner with respect to protecting the environ-

qualities with respect to dimensional stability, wear and chemical resis-

ment. To this end they are committed to Social and Environmental

tance, amongst others.

Responsibility audits and are ISO 14001 certified across all 23 manufac-

The full commercial grade Ceramic Bead wear layer means that

turing facilities in the USA, Canada, the UK, Asia and South America.

Traviloc Allure is suitable for the most strenuous applications. It pro-

Traviata Flooring Systems

vides for maximum durability, quick and easy cleaning, and makes the

Tel: 011 974 6315

product abrasion-resistant and protects against scuffing and scratches.

Cell: 084 504 7465 – Andrew Kirkwood

The aesthetic and performance properties of Traviloc Allure are complemented by its comfortable underfoot feel, acoustic value and

Cell: 082 595 2061 – Hugh Krog Fax: 011 974 6386

thermal characteristics.

33 F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Feature: Wood, Laminates & Bamboo

B

edson Flooring and Décor now offers its valuable end-users,

when selecting a wood floor finish, the opportunity to feel,

touch and experience the finished wood product direct from the new showroom in Silverton, Pretoria; ensuring that they make that sustainable choice.

Wood flooring and hard flooring surfaces generally, have grown in popularity in the past decade. There are two major types of hardwood floors: engineered and solid wood flooring.

Making the choice between these two hardwood floor finishes can be misleading. An engineered wood floor is usually made up of 3 to 5 layers of veneer, with only the top layer being the highest grade finished wood. On the other hand, the sustainable status choice is a solid wood floor of the highest quality throughout, the norm thickness varying from 19mm to 22mm.

Solid wood flooring is traditionally shipped unfinished in major species such as oak, maple and walnut. Bedson Flooring and Décor now offer the end-user the option of a Swedish finished floor option, addressing the ease of installation, and presenting the finished look in advance.

For contractors, time and delayed finishing of flooring need no longer hold back new contracts; for architects, the specified product can be agreed on upon ordering the hardwood flooring for your projects from Bedson Flooring and Décor, eliminating misperceptions on the finished product – all at your manufacturer’s doorstep!

With Bedson Flooring and Décor’s new floor finished range, installing quality at a moderate price in less than half the time saves the end-user the discomfort of dust and dirt.

As a major manufacturer, importer and supplier of hardwood, Bedson Timbers (Pty) Ltd has been at the forefront of hardwood floorcoverings for many years.

Bedson’s team of experts will advise on application and maintenance of solid hardwood floor finishings for architects, interior designers and contractors, and will also assist in selecting the correct flooring for any project for all end-users, including assistance with the correct decking and flooring design for both commercial and residential projects.

Bedson Flooring and Décor will help you choose a mix of hardwood material that will add interest and create contrast in any project design – from unfinished hardwood floor finish to Bedson’s new in-house prefinished hardwood floor finish. With over twenty years of experience in forestry and manufacturing of solid hardwood flooring – Bedson rises above the rest.

A solid hardwood floor finish combined with hard stone or tiles

Sustainable Status Bedson Flooring and Décor delivers on hardwood flooring as the highly visible building floor finish that receives significant wear and abuse, impacting on the safety and comfort of homeowners around

34

the world.

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

will add the beauty of both materials, providing achievable combinations with the warm, elegant integrating of solid hardwood that last for generations.

Bedson Flooring and Décor manufacture in-house all matching final-touch finishes. It will be in these details that Bedson Flooring and Décor will be recognised for the superior craftsmanship that goes into any floor it makes. You can choose from a wide range of mouldings, skirting and accessories, each designed to add the perfect finishing touch.

Bedson Flooring and Décor Tel: 012 803 4376 Fax: 012 803 2044 Website: www.bedson.co.za

Feature: Wood, Laminates & Bamboo

Affordable, good-looking floors

minimum inconvenience during installation and enables the immediate use of the newly laid flooring.

D

eco-Flooring has been in operation for 13 years, offering a full

turnkey service using teams of installers that have undergone rig-

orous professional training to ensure the quality service demanded by

The materials used in the manufacture of Deco-Flooring laminated wood flooring are based on quality ecologically sound resources, resulting in an environmentally friendly flooring product. Laminated

the company, and it is this standard of workmanship that has ensured

wood flooring creates a healthy environment, as it is resistant to dust

that its reputation as a provider of high-quality flooring in South Africa

mites and other micro-organisms.

over the past decade is undisputed.

The Deco-Flooring brand of laminated flooring is available nationally

Deco-Flooring’s Grade 32, medium commercial laminate flooring pro-

through its network of approved agents and franchises, and comes in

vides an aesthetically pleasing, affordable flooring solution that gives a

a choice of finishes based on popular wood grains and colours, with

quality timber look, combined with a tough finish that stays beautiful

matching trims, skirting and quads that complement the flooring with

year after year.

an exact colour match.

In addition, it utilises a clip installation system, and possesses all the

Wooden and Bamboo Flooring

features and advantages of a high-quality laminate, being hardwear-

Deco-Flooring is an approved supplier nationwide of Kährs quality engi-

ing, scratch- and burn-resistant.

neered wood flooring, and the company also imports its own engineered

Spills and marks wipe off in an instant. More stubborn marks can be cleaned with cleaning agents.

flooring in Oak which can be oiled, whitewashed or stained to the colour of your choice, and is available as a 3-strip or single-plank look.

All Deco-Flooring laminate flooring is protected by a highly antiabrasive overlay, consisting of non-toxic aluminium oxide particles.

Deco-Flooring supplies and installs solid wood in 22mm, or to individual specifications, in a variety of woods such as Teak, Ash, Oak,

The high-density fibre board, on which the decorative film is fixed, is

Maple, Beech, Cherry as well as Bamboo, and also offers a full in-house

impregnated with a moisture-resistant resin.

sanding and sealing facility.

At Deco-Flooring this is known as an aqua-core which is important,

Deco-Flooring

as most insurance claims are from leaking pipes, burst geysers, et

Tel: 021 945 2122

cetera. A state-of-the-art interlocking mechanism is used, making

Fax: 021 981 8907

installation quick and easy, even for the DIY enthusiast. This ensures

E-mail: info@deco-flooring.co.za

Head Office Tel: 021 945 2122 Fax: 021 981 8907 nfo@deco-flooring.co.za

25 YEAR GUARANTEE

Brackenfell 14 Kiewiet Street Okavango Park, Brackenfell Cape Town, SA

DECO-FLOORING IMPORTERS & SUPPLIERS OF:

LAMINATE ENGINEERED WOOD SOLID WOOD BAMBOO FLOORING

FRANCHISE ENQUIRIES

021 945 2122

36 F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

NATIONWIDE!

Feature: Wood, Laminates & Bamboo

SAWLFA maintains the standards In recent years traditional wood floors and the newer generation laminate

flooring in commercial and domestic buildings have enjoyed considerable interest and an increasing market share, which prompted responsible local business concerns to form an industry representative body in 1998, which is termed the Southern African Wood & Laminate Flooring Association (SAWLFA).

T

his initiative is in line with comparable

organisations throughout the world, many

of which have been active for a considerable

ased evaluations and opinions.

Manufacturer/Supplier/Distributor Members can also use the logo and participate in pro-

length of time. This can be seen in the estab-

moting improved standards. This includes rep-

lished European and other national standards

resentation in the process of formulating and

bodies that have contributed enormously to

upholding of standards; access to a full spec-

high standards in refined products. These high

trum of technical expertise; participation and

standards are now synonymous with the South

interest in the process of quality installation of

African wood and laminate industry.

SAWLFA was formed to develop an awareness of wood and laminate flooring and to address the needs of both the local industry and the

the Member’s own product; and interface with reputable installers.

There are benefits for the end-users as well, including advice on products, suppliers,

customer in terms of competitive materials

installation and maintenance; the verification

and under-trained competitors to collectively

of supplier and/or installer credentials; and

address issues facing this sector of the Southern

protection of the consumer through objective

African flooring industry.

evaluations and unbiased opinions.

SAWLFA membership is drawn from all inter-

SAWLFA has instituted a strict code of ethics

ested parties, from installers to suppliers, to form

for its members, and cooperates fully with the

an exciting and progressive movement within

SABS on ensuring that the industry standards

the industry.

meet or exceed those that apply to the major

The Association is supported by four classes of membership: Corporate Member - an importer,

Associations overseas.

SAWLFA chairman Allan de Wit says, “With the

manufacturer or distributor; Associate Member

most qualified instructors within this industry

– a peripheral goods/service provider; Retail

behind the Association, we will continue to

Member – selling to the consumer and installing;

grow and, with exciting opportunities in the

and Installer – installation only.

pipeline, like sand and seal, and decking for

Several benefits ensue as a result of becoming a SAWLFA member. For example, an Installer Member is entitled to use the SAWLFA logo once

future training being looked at, we will continue to grow both in stature and membership.”

Anyone wishing to know more about

accredited, together with the ability to use cer-

SAWLFA should contact the Secretariat at the

tificated credentials for presentation to prospec-

numbers shown below, or visit the website

tive clients.

www.sawlfa.co.za.

Members also have access to technical data

SouthernAfrican Wood & Laminate Flooring

and expertise, and can participate in the training

Association

programmes, workshops, seminars and forums

Tel: 011 455 2822

for discussion organised on a regular basis by

Fax: 086 614 1491

SAWLFA, which can provide members with unbi-

E-mail: sawlfa@mwebbiz.co.za

MEMBER

“TM”

Witex

Berryfloor

Quick Step

S.A. WOOD & LAMINATE FLOORING ASSOCIATION

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

37

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Feature: Wood, Laminates & Bamboo

Laminate floorcoverings have become very popular in South Africa and have gained considerable market share because of the benefits they can provide.

How green is laminate flooring?

Pergo

M

any people feel it is wrong to classify a laminate floor as being a

wood floor because, although the surface appearance can look like

any variety of wood – even to the extent of providing a similar feel, there is hardly any wood, as such, used in its manufacture. There is, however, a high percentage of wood fibre used in its manufacture, particularly in the chipboard or fibreboard core.

This doesn’t mean that modern laminate floorcoverings are in any way inferior; they can provide an exceptional addition to any installation, particularly as they are now available with the look and texture of various types of natural stone as well. In fact, almost any ‘picture’ can be replicated with the right decorative layer if the demand is strong enough.

The basic construction of a laminate floorcovering is divided into four main sections: the stabilising bottom layer; the core; the decorative layer; and the wear surface – all put together under high pressure.

The bottom layer (sometimes called the backing) is a melamineimpregnated paper that protects the underneath parts of the floor from any damage, provides dimensional stability to the planks, decreases the chances of the floor deforming or ‘bowing’, and helps to guard against moisture.

The next layer is the core board, usually made from high-density fibreboard or particle board that may also contain melamine plastic resins which help to improve the moisture resistance of the core.

Then a decorative layer or print film is adhered to the top of the core board, which gives the floor its required faux finish because it is in effect a printed high-resolution photo-reproduction of wood grain or natural stone.

The wear layer is basically the transparent sheet over the decorative layer that gives the surface its strength. This overlay is impregnated with melamine – almost the same finish as provided on kitchen countertops – and sometimes it contains aluminium oxide as well. Either way, the surface has exceptional durability.

The wear layer makes the laminate floor resistant to abrasion, scratches, fading, impact and indentation, cigarette burns, chemicals, and stains; it never needs waxing, polishing or sanding; and has a very low maintenance requirement – regular vacuuming and a wipe with a damp cloth is all that is needed to keep the floor clean.

One of the major considerations for any floorcovering in this day and age is how well it complies with the increasing demand for its ‘greenness’, and in the previous issue of FLOORS in Africa we promised to provide readers with details of the new Technical Position Paper issued by the European Producers of Laminate Flooring (EPLF), and this is shown in detail below.

The EPLF is regarded as the international watchdog for laminate quality, and is deeply involved in the manufacturing, equitable marketing and ecological aspects of this flooring genre.

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This paper was produced for the EPLF by Prof. Dr. Rainer Marutsky of the Fraunhofer-Institut für Holzforschung Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut, Germany.

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Feature: Wood, Laminates & Bamboo

FloorworX Laminate flooring – floorcoverings with a good ecological profile

any plasticising agents.

Laminate floorcoverings are high-quality flooring materials which can

Laminate floorcoverings are long-lasting and wear-resistant products

be used for the decorative design of interiors. They are easy to install,

that can easily be replaced or repaired thanks to the glueless click con-

long-lasting, durable, easy to care for and offer good value for money.

nections commonly used.

Laminate floorcoverings are produced on an industrial basis. There

These floorcoverings can be disposed of as bulk waste without

is a range of application classes to cover different planned uses. These

any problems as they are suitable for material or thermal recycling.

floorcoverings consist mainly of the natural material wood and have

Therefore, uplifted laminate flooring is not “special waste” which is

numerous advantageous characteristics.

expensive to dispose of.

In addition to their positive functional characteristics, laminate

Emission: Odourless and very low emission of harmful substances

floorcoverings have an ecological profile which makes them products

Laminate floorcoverings are odourless and very low on emissions. This

that are both non-harmful to health and environmentally friendly. The

is a consequence of both their composition and the manufacturing

following information is intended to provide further details about these

process involved.

characteristics in a brief and easy- to-understand form.

It is based on the author’s many years of scientific and expert con-

Recent investigations by the Fraunhofer-Institut have demonstrated that the level of emissions of organic substances from these floorcover-

sultancy experience with these flooring materials at the Fraunhofer-

ings is negligible, but this result is hardly surprising because the pro-

Institut für Holzforschung (Germany).

duction process does not involve any organic solvents.

Composition: An environmentally friendly product made of wood

Occasional traces of volatile constituents contained in the wood can

The core board of laminate flooring is made of high-density wood

sometimes be detected, but even these disappear after a short time.

fibre board (HDF), which consists of about 90% wood fibre and some

The underlay materials installed under the laminate floorcoverings are

10% environment-friendly glue resin.

The top covering on the HDF boards is generally made up of several layers of high-quality paper impregnated with transparent melamine resin, and the underside is covered with backing paper.

Laminate floorcoverings are therefore made mainly of the fibres from the renewable raw material wood, along with a relatively minor amount of synthetic resin.

They are manufactured in modern production plants which fully

also low on emissions and, if properly installed, have no impact at all on the indoor air quality.

Another well-known air pollutant is formaldehyde. Although this substance is contained in melamine resin, it is irreversibly fixed in the resin structure upon curing. Emissions of formaldehyde from finished laminate floorcoverings are therefore well below the legal requirements.

Numerous measurements on modern laminate floorcoverings are revealing emission values comparable to the formaldehyde emissions

meet today’s requirements in respect of emissions and environmental

of natural wood. Laminate floorcoverings therefore have no or only

protection measures. Many of the plants also have their own energy

a negligible impact in terms of polluting indoor air with odours and

and heat production systems, and the positive life-cycle environmental

harmful substances. The floorcoverings themselves do not absorb any

performance data of wood-based materials therefore apply in principle

of these substances.

to laminate floorcoverings.

Hygiene: Easy to clean and suitable for allergy sufferers

The melamine resin used for the impregnation of the surface layer

Because laminate floorcoverings are produced without pesticides,

paper is water-based, which means that it contains no organic solvents

organo-chlorinated compounds and harmful heavy metals, there is no

and, once cured, it provides a surface which is extremely resistant to

chance that users come into contact with these harmful substances.

chemicals, water, organic solvents, light and temperature.

The top covering also contains the decorative paper, without which

These hardwearing floorcoverings are very easy to keep clean. Dirt and dust can be quickly and completely removed from the smooth surface

the great diversity of attractive design ideas would not be possible. The

of laminate flooring by brushing, vacuum cleaning or damp cleaning,

décors are printed using modern technology with inks and pigments

keeping the floor in an absolutely clean and perfect hygienic condition.

which are not harmful to health.

The top surface layer of the floorcovering panel contains a natural

In addition, the non-porous surface layer is a hostile environment for the induction and development of dust mites and other allergy-induc-

mineral-based substance (Corundum) which provides extra protection

ing micro-organisms. Therefore, in combination with their good care

against wear, and the back of the panel could be provided with drum

and easy-cleaning characteristics, these floorcoverings are ideal for

sound reducing underlayment, if required.

allergy sufferers.

All the components of laminate floorcoverings are produced with-

Anyone wishing to know more should visit the website www.eplf.

out the addition of pesticides, organo-chlorinated compounds and

com or speak to the Southern African Wood & Laminate Association

harmful heavy metals. Moreover, the surface layers do not contain

(SAWLFA) at 011 455 2822.

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

41

Feature: Wood, Laminates & Bamboo

Problems with laminate installations It has been brought to our attention that so often failures with laminate floorcovering installations are

At these sessions our members are not only provided with all guides in writing, but are also given a demonstration of how to install correctly. Reasons are given why they must install to correct procedures

due to incorrect fitting, poor subfloor preparation

and what will occur if they cut corners.

or over-wetting of the floor.

listed until they have attended training sessions and have passed our

I

n carrying out over 30 independent inspections for several distributors since July last year, our correspondent says that his findings

lead him to believe that the industry needs to take a serious look at these problems, particularly as over 50% of them involved reputable, accredited flooring companies.

Over 90% of the failures were due to fitting-related issues, and FLOORS sought the views of the Southern African Wood & Laminate Flooring Association (SAWLFA). The reply from SAWLFA secretary Sandra Smith is shown below. “The Association agrees wholeheartedly with the worries and concerns related to incorrect installation methods but confirms that 90% of failures are due to a lack of knowledge on the part of the installers.

With this in mind the association put together training sessions for members two years ago which incorporate pre-installation guides, installation guides and maintenance guides. We have two sessions – one for laminate floors which is hosted by the SAWLFA chairman, Allan de Wit. The other session is for solid wood and is hosted by vicechairman Steven Suntup.

42 F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

I must emphasise at this stage that installer members cannot be examination (Accreditation) Training sessions are open to all members including sales people.

Our installer members then attend our accreditation session. At this session installer teams work together and examiners make sure correct installation procedures are followed.

If at any stage a floor failure is detected, a fail is recorded but a full explanation is given on where they went wrong. Installers are allowed to complete the session but are guided in the right direction.

Installers that fail will need to come back to re-sit the examination.

Installers will also need to answer questions on a one-on-one basis to make sure that all team members have an understanding on why we follow procedures. If installers attend the exam without correct tools, they fail.

Advanced accreditation is also available to installer members and Peter Geyer hosts this session. One installer is tested in this session and this exam usually takes up to 5 hours to complete.

Regarding fitters omitting expansions gaps, this subject falls under our installation guide. The rule of thumb is 10mm but this would

Feature: Wood, Laminates & Bamboo

are against members, and members found to be at fault are requested to abide by the findings.

To date all inspections against members have been corrected successfully. All inspections where non-members are involved are usually corrected, with others taken to court.

We have found in the last 12 months that no inspections that the Association has conducted have been against installer members; we feel this is because of the training and accreditation programmes put in place and, once completed, installers have the knowledge to install to correct procedures.

The very few inspections against members have been through retail members. Retail members join the association stating that they only sell flooring to the public, and the Association is unaware they install until such time as a complaint is lodged.

It has been recommended in the last few months that all retail members at this stage use accredited installer members until such time as their own installers are accredited. All retail members have been requested to put forward the names of all their installers for accreditation.

There is no excuse for any of our members to have floor failures; all installation guides are available to all members as well as our floor specialists.

However, over the last 12 months we have de-listed two retail members. Both companies had floor failures. De-listing takes place until such time as training and accreditation is completed and passed. depend on the product to be installed. A good-quality product would need 8-10mm for inland areas, whereas an entry-level product would need much bigger expansion gaps as this product will take in more moisture and therefore expand more. Also, the Association does not recommend the use of silicone at all.

The use of plastic underlay. The SAWLFA-recommended underlay/ moisture barrier is strictly 200-micron virgin plastic for laminate flooring and 250-micron virgin plastic for solid wood. This is one of the most important products required and is always recommended to be taken up the wall. Each installer team is required to bring along their underlay at the accreditation session so we can see they are using the correct material.

All information given to our members is in print format/copy format so that installers/retailers can take this information to site before the installation starts and look for possible complications.

Regarding incorrect floor maintenance causing problems, maintenance guides are to be given to all clients, with a sign-off form after the floor is complete, and recommended to be given along with this are felt pads and a floor mop.

Underfloor heating is also discussed in the training for both laminate and solid wood floors – the temperature to be set at 27ºC, and both our listed underfloor heating specialists are available to all members.

Security gates fitted on top of the floor. The only complaint the Association has received regarding a security gate was after the security gate company fitted the gate on top of the laminate floor and this restricted the movement of the floor.

All 70 inspections conducted by the Association in the last 12 months have been taken very seriously, both for members and nonmembers. Strict rules and regulations are enforced when inspections

Both complaints were handled with both companies abiding by the findings of the inspections and correcting all problems at their own expense, one company has since been re-listed as they completed both training sessions and passed accreditation.

As an association we would much rather train people and equip people with the correct information so as to avoid future floor failures.

Any complaint or inspection requested is handled in the most professional way and any member found to have been at fault has rectified any problems, so we are at a loss as to why your writer would suggest that we do not deal with complaints.

We do feel that the person who wrote the criticism is not a member of the Association and has no insight regarding the good work our members do. The knowledge shared amongst members is incredible and time given for training and accreditation at no charge from the trainers or for the venues used is just a little of what the Association and its members are achieving for the good of the industry.

We have requested proof of inspections conducted against our members to be put forward so the association can take this under advisement but have to date received none.

Meetings held every two months are attended by members under the different banners e.g. corporate members, associate members, retail members and installer members who all contribute a way forward.

The Association has to date 94 members and as such needs to look after the good name of the Association, to protect not only its members but also the industry as a whole, as this in effect will assist the end-user.�

Anyone requiring further information should contact SAWLFA at 011 455 2822, or visit the website www.sawlfa.co.za.

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

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Feature: Wood, Laminates & Bamboo

Pergo floors nominated for Environment Prize

T

his official quality seal guarantees sustainably managed forests

and the preservation of natural resources – a reason why the

Danish architectural group Presens chose a Pergo “White tile” floor for the World Climate Summit in Copenhagen last year.

The Environment Prize was set up by TUN Byg, Scandinavia’s biggest trade fair for the building industry, and is presented by TUN, the Danish initiator and industry association, being awarded to companies for exemplary achievements in environmental care.

Nordic Swan – the guarantee for ecological products Pergo was the first laminate flooring to receive the Scandinavian eco-label, Nordic Swan. The laminate flooring pioneer’s entire range of laminate products now carries this quality seal.

The Nordic Swan is visible proof of the environmental quality of Pergo floors, and guarantees that the wood used by the company is

Pergo, the leading manufacturer of HPL

obtained legally and from managed forests.

multi-layer laminate flooring, has been

Swedish company uses wood chips in the production of its floors, and

nominated for the Danish Environment Prize.

The Swedish company’s entire product range of laminate floorings is labelled with the Scandinavian eco-label Nordic Swan.

Preserving natural resources is of extreme importance to Pergo. The this byproduct from the wood processing industry makes up some 80% of a Pergo floor. The company only uses varieties such as pine and spruce.

The Nordic Swan eco-label also sets very high ecological standards for the entire production process. From the factories in Trelleborg and Perstorp in Sweden to the choice of packaging material and the form of transportation, the company considers its impact on the environment from start to finish.

The Nordic Swan eco-label is proof of Pergo’s environmental awareness, as well as practical orientation for trade and consumers when making their decision to buy.

Pergo is regarded as the inventor of HPL laminate flooring and enjoys an outstanding position in both the North American and European markets.

The company develops, produces and markets laminate flooring with premium-quality multilayer sequence in unmistakable designs and unique product features for the residential sector and commercial applications.

Pergo produces more than 30 million square metres of laminate flooring a year at two locations in Sweden (Trelleborg and Perstorp) and two manufacturing facilities in the USA (Garner, NC) and Canada (Laval). The traditional Pergo brand was acquired by the MDAX-quoted Pfleiderer AG in 2007.

Anyone requiring further information should contact Barrow Flooring on the details provided below.

Barrow Flooring Toll free: 0800 444 000 E-mail: info@barrowflooring.co.za

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Website: www.pergo.com

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Feature: Wood, Laminates & Bamboo

with laminates Laminate floors are being brought to life by Belgotex Floorcoverings’ inspirational Define Your Style marketing campaign.

D

emonstrating how Berry Floor laminates from Belgotex

Floorcoverings can be used to create one of six fashionable

looks, Define Your Style encourages customers to update their décor simply by changing the floor.

“Customers have their preferences when it comes to flooring so rather than try to convince them otherwise, we aimed to inspire them using the various Belgotex brands,” says Helen de Villiers, marketing services manager at Belgotex Floorcoverings.

In the sixth and final look in the six-part series, Homeland Harmony (pictured) features Berry Floor laminates in Pure White as the foundation for a modern-meets-rustic décor scheme.

Characterised by contrasting dark and white tones as well as smooth and rough textures – such as the sheer, light surface of Berry Floor laminates in Pure White against Nguni hides and ceramics – Homeland Harmony creates a chic, ethnic-inspired mood with all the “mod-cons”.

HOMELAND HARMONY

And Berry Floor laminates’ sleek, smooth surfaces with their wood-like tones and textures are versatile flooring options that can be substituted in any of the six Define Your Style décor schemes.

The popular Naturals and Loft Project ranges and new Essentials and First Line varieties offer customers a decorative wood finish together with all the convenience of quick installation and hassle-free maintenance.

Fashionable colours and grains of natural species ranging from the light-honey tones of oak and pine or the dark, dramatic shades of

FIRST LINE NATURAL OAK

ESSENTIALS BELLUNO WALNUT

ESSENTIALS MERBAU

mahogany to whitewashed, aged or colour-treated options, Berry Floor laminates are scratch-, stain- and impact-resistant, easy to clean and supremely hygienic. The patented BerryLoc joint system is the

All six looks in the Define Your Style campaign, namely Homeland Harmony, Organic Expressions, ‘Boujwa’ Boudoir, Lodge Luxury, Fresh

most secure on the market and is suitable for use with underfloor

Produce and Glam Rock, are interpretations of modern fashions and

heating pads.

social trends and can be achieved using your favourite flooring from the variety of different Belgotex carpet, laminate and vinyl ranges.

Substitute IVC Woodmark Aspin 805 or Royal Twist in Princess Voile from Belgotex Carpets for a similar effect as pictured.

Check out which colours and ranges define your customers’ style by visiting www.belgotexfloorcoverings.com or call 033 897 7500.

NATURALS WINTER OAK

LOFT BEECH

NATURALS SILVER GREY OAK

NATURALS ATLANTIC OAK

LOFT LIMED OAK

LOFT VIRGINIA OAK

45 F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Feature: Wood, Laminates & Bamboo

Signature – style in laminate flooring FloorworX has added another first-rate laminate floorcovering, FloorworX Signature, to its extensive sales programme that will complement its range

Additionally, Kährs only chooses suppliers that hold a FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) or PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) certificate.

The four to six layers of Kährs UV-cured acrylic finish are factoryapplied and ready to be walked on as soon as the floor is installed.

of superior Kährs wood and Quick-Step laminate

The hardwood top layer is available in many different wood species

flooring options for property owners, particularly as

and patterns.

flooring is one of the most important elements to

and Kährs 15mm and 7mm thick products have a backing of pine or

consider when you wish to create a specific look in

spruce, giving added dimensional stability to these floors which can

your home or interior.

A supporting layer guarantees strength and dimensional stability,

be installed using the floating floor method.

Lacquer, matt lacquer or natural oil? Whichever surface treatment you choose for your wood floor, it always enhances the wood’s natu-

Q

uick-Step is known as a design style leader in laminates with

feel, colour and maintenance. All surface treatments are free from

a wide range of floors to choose from. All the designs are pro-

solvents, formaldehyde and isocyanates.

vided with a hard top layer with a natural gloss level and look that

Quick-Step and Kährs – both beautiful in their different styles – sure-

ensure Quick-Step will retain its beauty and perfection for several

ly cater for all tastes and fashion. You may ask ‘why another laminate?’

years thanks to a precise production process.

but the FloorworX answer is ‘why not?’.

The protective layer is highly scratch- and wear-resistant, making

Signature is a Class AC4, 8mm laminate with a difference! With

Quick-Step floors suitable for any room in your home that gets a lot of

Signature, you’ll see there’s nothing preventing you from realising

wear – in the living room or hallway, say – and pets are welcome!

your dream interior. It is available in eight selected colours which all

Quick-Step planks are cigarette-glow-tolerant – in other words, the planks are virtually non-flammable. Nice and safe! Furthermore, QuickStep floors are light-resistant, UV-resistant, blow- and impact-resistant,

complement the interior design of tomorrow, ready to install in your home today.

The Signature range is low-maintenance, warm, has a 25-year war-

easy to install (thanks to the Uniclic click system), damp-proof, antistatic

ranty, is recyclable and re-installable – quite simply an inimitable floor

and can be used in conjunction with underfloor heating.

that will give you years of pleasure to enjoy.

Kährs is known for its cutting-edge floor technologies which are

For more information on any of these superior laminate or engi-

used to produce beautiful, quality wood floors that are durable, stable

neered wood products, contact the FloorworX Wood & Laminate

and easy to install. Today, Kährs wood floors are available in a vast

Department or visit the website: www.floorworx.co.za.

array of wood species and designs.

46

ral beauty. Your choice should be based on your preference for style,

Selecting a Kährs wood floor from FloorworX, the first manufacturer to boast a solvent-free production process, is a smart green decision.

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

FloorworX Wood & Laminate Department Tel: 011 406 4295 Fax: 011 406 4276

Real Wood

Laminates Kährs genuine wooden floors and Quick-Step laminate floors brought to you by flooring giant FloorworX. Heading up these product divisions is Peter Geyer, well-known wood and laminate guru.

For trusted advice and specifications contact Peter on 011 406-4291 or 083 380 6665.

The Flooring Solutions Company Established for over 55 years, FloorworX is the only local manufacturer of semi-flexible tiles, fully flexible vinyl sheeting and tiles – all of which carry the SANS certification for quality.

FloorworX also distributes Quick-Step wood laminates, Kährs wooden floors and a comprehensive range of international resilient floorcoverings, including safety flooring, antistatic flooring, luxury vinyl flooring, static control tiles, linoleum, Novilon, rubber and sports flooring, together with a wide range of flooring adhesives, accessories and floorcare materials.

www.floorworx.co.za National Call Centre 0860 346 679

Feature: Wood, Laminates & Bamboo

The floor of the future The Suntup family has been in the timber

area/top face above the tongue of 4-6mm (equal to a full solid); it

is still tongue-and-grooved and provided in single one-strip planks

industry for three generations, and Steven

and multiple lengths which give that beautiful staggered floor

Suntup, who has been in the solid wooden

thick; and it is a still floor that lasts a lifetime.

flooring industry for 21 years, handpicked the Suntups brand from various international flooring factories, and also brought the

appearance; the top face is still real solid wood; it is still 15-21mm The main difference is that the thickness from the T&G downwards is now constructed using a birch multiply but the resurface area/top face above the tongue is still the same real solid wood as a full solid.

There are two main advantages of having a Super-Engineered floor as opposed to a solid wooden floor. Firstly, Super-Engineered

world-patented Elastilon wooden flooring

is a solid wooden floor that is 70% more stable than a full solid

installation system to South Africa

changes by this percentage – a major benefit for installers and hom-

from Holland.

wooden floor, and it will minimise movement during the climatic eowners.

Secondly, a Super-Engineered floor has a layer of plywood from the T&G downwards. On a full solid wooden floor this would have been solid wood from the T&G downwards, but if a floor is sanded too many times above the tongue the life of the floor is over whether it has solid wood or plywood as its thickness below the T&G. Therefore, whether the thickness is of plywood or of solid wood is irrelevant to the life span of the floor.

One cannot sand beyond the tongue, so the benefit of Super-

E

lastilon is used in 27 countries around the world and in South

ness. This has a knock-on effect for the number of trees that are

Africa there are over 200 000m² installed with zero floor failure.

felled; Super-Engineered uses two-thirds fewer trees.

So for your next project ensure that Elastilon is your installation system (www.elastilon.com).

However, Suntups has now come to a business decision that in future it will no longer sell full solid timber floors. A solid timber

So if you are looking for a solid wooden floor that is trouble-free, it is available in the shape of the Suntups Super-Engineered solid wooden floor.

Suntups only do traditional T&G flooring and distance themselves

floor is generally one species of wood with a tongue and groove

from any ‘click’ system floor. The benefit of click system flooring

(T&G) machined into the solid plank.

lies with the installer, and not the homeowner, by enabling a quick

On a full solid wooden floor the section above the tongue is called the resurface area or top face, and once it has been site-sanded after installation the resurface area is between 4-6mm.

The problems related to expansion and contraction during the climatic changes of full solid wooden flooring can be drastic; in South

click-together installation.

With click system floors every room must have a T-mould separating all rooms and the maximum width a click floor can be laid is 8 metres, with 10 metres in the length.

With a Suntups Super-Engineered T&G solid wooden floor, the

Africa the dry season can have a relative humidity of around 8% and

length is unlimited and widths of up to 25 metres have been

up to 90% in the height of the rainy season.

achieved – with no ugly T-strips in doorways.

This swing can cause havoc with solid wooden floors because

The worst that can happen with a extra-wide installation using

wood is hygroscopic, and the taking in and releasing of air moisture,

Suntups Super-Engineered flooring in conjunction with Elastilon is a

together with the planks expanding and contracting, often cause

bulge, which is unlikely but extremely easy and quick to rectify, with

floors to fail – from over-expansion of the floorboards during the

no damage to the floor – unlike the problems that a solid wooden

wet season and shrinkage gaps appearing between the boards dur-

floor can have in a narrow-width installation using either nail or

ing the dry season.

glue-down installation methods, when the floor often suffers irrepa-

This is a natural phenomenon and often not the fault of the install-

48

Engineered is that the exotic wood is not wasted purely on thick-

rable damage, with huge repair consequences.

er, so the homeowner is left with an unsightly floor or an expensive

* Super-Engineered™ is a Registered Trademark

repair. It is for this reason that Suntups Wooden Flooring has intro-

Suntups Wooden Flooring

duced and will now only sell their Super-Engineered solid wooden

Tel: 011 610 1700

flooring.

E-mail: info@suntups.co.za

Super-Engineered flooring has the same solid wood resurface

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Website: www.suntups.co.za

Feature: Wood, Laminates & Bamboo

New distributor for superb laminate flooring As part of its development and growth programme, Tiletoria has recently been appointed as the sole distributor for the proven Poliface collection of high-quality laminate floorcoverings – encompassing the whole of the African continent.

T

hese sophisticated and attractive floorcoverings include ranges

that are suitable for all types of residential and commercial appli-

little or no detrimental effect on this flooring.

One of the most significant features of the Poliface ranges is the glueless Inloc click installation system which ensures a simple, economic floor installation that is immediately ready for use. All accessories to produce a complete and effective installation are also provided.

Poliface laminate flooring is manufactured in compliance with the European Standard for Laminate Flooring EN 13 329, and several high quality ranges are included in Tiletoria’s sales programme.

These include: Brand New Poliface Origo – with a real wood feel rec-

cations, providing designs in ten different woodgrain colours ex-stock

reates the purest concepts of wood beauty and comfort, for interior

in South Africa, and with a very much wider range available interna-

decoration of the most sophisticated spaces characterised by its low

tionally to special order.

maintenance and ease of cleaning. This is provided with a 15-year

Thus, these floors meet the current trends in interior design that enable the architect, designer, developer or end-user to match the floor perfectly with the taste and identity of each installation.

The various Poliface ranges are noted for advanced technical characteristics of wear, abrasion and impact resistance, colourfastness, cigarette burn resistance, and resistance to staining – each with a

guarantee.

Poliface Office – is a floorcovering that has a moisture-resistant core to counter spills around the house or office, and is available in a selection of 10 elegant finishes. This has a 15-year residential and a 3-year light commercial guarantee.

Poliface is part of the international Sonae Industria Group – which is

specification and a range of colours and patterns that enable the

claimed to be the largest producer of wood-based panel products in

designer to meet the requirements of each application.

the world. The Group owns a major South African board manufactur-

The materials and method of manufacture also ensure that these

ing company, Sonae Novobord (Pty) Ltd., which has been operating

floorcoverings are naturally anti-allergenic, and they are amongst the

in South Africa for 52 years, and this company underwrites all the

most moisture-proof laminate floorcoverings currently available.

Poliface product guarantees locally.

Poliface has a higher impact (IC2) resistance than most other AC4

50

working environments, and chairs with rubber castor wheels have

Tiletoria

and AC3 Type flooring systems. Its decorative surface is also sig-

Tel: 021 511 3125

nificantly tougher in terms of abrasion resistance. Rigorous wear

Fax: 021 511 3119

resistance tests indicates that these flooring panels are ideal for most

E-mail: sven@tiletoria.co.za

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Feature: Wood, Laminates & Bamboo

Bamboo

– the green alternative

52 F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Bamboolands

Feature: Wood, Laminates & Bamboo

Bamboo flooring has been available for many years, yet it is currently enjoying a renaissance as the

In fact, bamboo is not a wood at all – it is a fast-growing grass with over 1200 species that can grow from sprouts to harvesting in three to five years. This means that an acre of bamboo can provide far

manufacturing and supply from the main growing

more flooring than an acre of trees.

areas increase, and the world’s preoccupation with

flooring projects. When bamboo shoots are cut the roots remain

the environment – coupled with excellent market-

intact and fresh new sprouts grow in their place in rapid succession.

ing – ensures that these floors are placed high on

provides a viable crop opportunity in hilly acres where other crops

the must-have-green list.

S

ome detractors say that it is not such an environmentally

friendly floorcovering as it is made out to be, because, although

Its sustainability is another plus factor in the use of bamboo in

Its dense root mass helps to prevent soil erosion and bamboo cannot grow, and it should be noted that the type of bamboo used for flooring is not eaten by pandas, an endangered species!

Bamboo can be an attractive alternative to hardwood because it is dimensionally stable and does not have the same expansion and

the growth and harvesting are eco-friendly, the factory processes

contraction problems as hardwood, which means it can be installed

have many downsides in terms of the chemicals and glues used in

in a high-moisture environment with less concerns.

its manufacture, which may contain toxic substances that can exude toxic fumes.

Unfortunately, this objection is often true for many bamboo floor-

It also handles temperature fluctuations better, shows less warping, cupping and bulging tendencies, and has a great resistance to flammability. In addition, the strength of bamboo is extraordinary. It

ing brands, as many suppliers simply trade on the Chinese open

is 27% harder than Northern Red Oak, 13% harder than hard Maple,

market without ensuring that these issues are addressed (price is

and its strength exceeds that of several grades of steel!

the only concern).

Strand-woven bamboo is the hardest solid timber floorcovering

This is a natural development phase of an industry as seen in

except Brazilian Teak. It’s so hard, a person wearing stilettos would

many past flooring categories where manufacturers will split into

need to weigh more than a tonne to put a dent into the floor. It is

varying quality tiers catering to different market demands.

therefore ideal for commercial applications such as restaurants.

The consumer will need to be vigilant regarding the obvious and

Manufactured in planks with tongue-and-groove and click lock

sometimes not so obvious differences offered by various brands and

systems, bamboo floors are installed just like engineered hardwood

suppliers. It is crucial for the consumer to understand what product

floors – glued down, nailed down or installed as a floating floor.

they are investing in, what is in it and where has it come from.

Unlike competing timber floors, the planks are factory finished,

A good guideline is to look for products where there are external

so sanding and sealing are a thing of the past. The planks can also

accreditations from respected quality assessment and green rating

be installed over many different types of subfloor to provide hom-

associations. Then ensure that you are supporting a brand that will

eowners with a cost-effective, eco-friendly, durable, low- mainte-

support you in the long term with warranty, support and ongoing

nance, long-lasting and aesthetically pleasing floor that is ideal not

product development activities.

only in any residential application but also in corporate and hospi-

By choosing a quality brand, you can buy products with no toxic emissions or harmful factory processes that negate the “greenness”

tality settings.

Bamboo floors can provide a stunning appearance for any room

of bamboo flooring. To ensure you are specifying a quality supplier,

and are perfectly adaptable to meet any décor or furnishing style.

look for a “Not Detectible” Formaldehyde Emissions rating and check

They can be stained many different colours (depending on quantity)

if the supplier is ISO 14001 certified.

or kept completely natural, finished or unfinished with a multiplic-

Understandably, bamboo flooring is in general competition with hardwood and laminate floors. One needs to realise that bamboo flooring can be broken into two very different categories, which are not always explained to the end consumer.

Traditionally, laminated bamboo flooring was launched world-

ity of colour choices. Some brands also offer dyed bamboo flooring options.

With this availability of excellent green flooring alternatives, laminated and strand-woven bamboo have pioneered the way forward, making this same technology accessible to other green timber

wide using this new and cost effective resource. Processed bamboo

products such as strand-woven eucalyptus, so choosing a green

strips are layered and glued to make a dimensionally stable product

floorcovering is becoming an even easier and more exciting option.

which is then turned into flooring or a multitude of other useful products.

This form of bamboo flooring is very different to its younger sister, strand-woven bamboo. Strand-woven is twice as hard as laminated

Cleaning and maintenance is virtually the same as for wood or laminate floors – no wax; sweeping and vacuuming regularly; and use of dirt-trap mats to prevent the surface getting unduly worn.

Wash the floor occasionally after vacuuming, with clean water

bamboo and a bit more costly but with a much more natural timber

– using a sponge mop (well wrung out).Avoid cleaners that contain

like appearance.

oily, acidic or caustic ingredients.

The bamboo strips like laminated bamboo go through a few extra processes that further destroy the cellular structure and then get

But just look at the benefits. Bamboo flooring can meet the technical requirements, aesthetic appeal, décor blend, longevity concerns

compressed and heated into a fused block of engineered strand-

and cleaning facilitation, and not bust your budget – so it is well

woven bamboo. This in turn is machined into one of the hardest

worth considering when you are planning a timber floorcovering for

green materials on the market today.

your next project.

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

53

Feature: Wood, Laminates & Bamboo

Bamboo options with a difference!

Bamboo flooring is fast becoming one of the most sought-after floorcoverings in the country. Originally it may have gained interest from having a certain ‘novelty’ value (Pandas eat it – can it be used as a floor?) but it has rapidly gained popularity as a hardwearing, low-maintenance, exotically beautiful floorcovering that is great value-for-money.

A

lthough there are scores of varieties of bamboo, the fast-growing

variety used for flooring is not part of the panda’s diet – and one

of the main suppliers of this aesthetically pleasing and environmentally friendly hardwood floorcovering is Alco Exotic Green Building Products who are the sole South African agents for Sennorwell Bamboo.

Sennorwell bamboo is an “A” Grade product that is available with Sennorwell’s very own precision patented “Tap & Go” locking system, making installations simpler, and putting this product in a class of its own, with fewer tools required to install, less time on site, no gluing required, and the provision of a stable, stylish and highly durable floor.

The Sennorwell bamboo flooring imported and distributed by Alco is an eco-friendly material that is factory pre-finished to provide an exceptionally hardwearing surface that is hygienic and allergy-free, requiring very little maintenance. In fact, regular sweeping or vacu-

product for the customised market.

To further enhance the claim to be one of South Africa’s foremost importers and distributors of bamboo products, Alco has recently

uming, and an occasional ‘once over’ with a micro-fiber pad, will keep

introduced a range of eco-friendly unfinished bamboo products that

these floors in pristine condition.

includes flooring, decking, furniture board, cladding, lumber and posts.

Alco’s extensive range includes strand-woven, vertical and horizon-

All harvested from environmentally controlled sources. The bamboo

tal bamboo flooring with both tongue-and-groove and Tap & Go lock-

flooring ranges marketed by Alco are 100% natural solid renewable

ing installation systems, and matching profiles. The product range is

bamboo with a superior strength and density that ensures its durability.

constantly growing and part of our new range will include unfinished

Alco in association with Protech specialises in the worldwide procurement of quality flooring, and the warehousing, stockholding and supply of these materials to the flooring trade – a function that has earned both Alco and Protech enviable reputation for attention to detail and customer care.

All materials are offered with full technical support and accreditation by international and local authorities, and the company works closely with specialist installers and applicators to ensure that the products perform to optimum manufacturer’s specifications.

It is this excellent service and support provided on a national basis – together with the sourcing of exceptionally high quality products – that has assured Alco of an increasing market share in the provision of bamboo flooring, with a considerable and growing list of satisfied customers.

For further information on the products and service provided by Alco Exotic Green Building Products, contact the numbers or visit the websites shown below.

Alco Exotic Green Building Products Tel: 021 552 7733 Fax: 021 552 7736 E-mail: info@alcoexotic.co.za

54

Website: www.bamboofloorsa.co.za

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Feature: Wood, Laminates & Bamboo

A recent successful project with the supply and fitment of bamboo flooring to the Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Gold Rand showroom in Boksburg, Gauteng, was recently completed by Floors Direct, who supplied strand-woven bamboo in a natural matt colour.

Beautiful flooring – naturally T

he client brief specified solid flooring which is both durable and

versatile. “We presented bamboo as an option and the techni-

cal characteristics of this natural product swayed the decision in its

favour,” says Jose Dos Passos, managing director for Floors Direct.

The natural look and warm colour of the bamboo complements the modern showroom and yet at the same time sets off and emphasises the slick chrome finishes of the motorcycles beautifully. “Bamboo is durable, has visual appeal, is easy to clean and maintain once installed, and is available in a range of colours,” says Dos Passos.

Floors Direct caters for the domestic and contracts market and supplies laminate, engineered and solid natural wood, bamboo and cork flooring.

The company has 13 branches nationally and stocks over a 100 different colours and styles of wooden flooring, selected from leading global suppliers. International brands include Kronotex, Egger, Alloc, Balterio, Kaindl, BKB Parquet, Suntups, Style Limited and more.

Floors Direct is a registered member of the Southern African Wood & Laminate Flooring Association, the Franchise Association of South Africa, South African Council of Shopping Centres, and the Green Building Council of South Africa. Membership of these associations ensures that Floors Direct adheres to internationally recognised quality standards.

With a host of accredited fitters and quality fitment partners, Floors Direct is able to provide professional installations. The company is also giving back to the industry by developing trainee fitters through their attendance of accredited training sessions at its head office training centre.

Floors Direct provides flooring solutions that are beautiful and fashionable. For more information contact Floors Direct on 0861 1 FLOORS (356677) nationwide or visit the website: www.floorsdirect.co.za.

55 F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Feature: Wood, Laminates & Bamboo

Bamboo floors in!

Sustainable bamboo - Bamboo is a rapidly renewable resource; it is self-regenerating, growing to maturity and achieving optimum hardness in approximately 5 years. It has high carbon absorption rates and

As a firm favourite with those that have a concern

releases oxygen into the atmosphere.

for the environment, bamboo is fast becoming the

and production – all parts of the bamboo plant are utilised to produce a

most popular choice of flooring for a wide range of

multitude of products. It is also highly termite-resistant. Bamboo prod-

applications, because it is eco-friendly, extremely

such as Red Oak and Cherry.

hardwearing and attractive at the same time.

W

orldwide, there is an ongoing requirement to provide ever

cleaner, ever stronger and ever more technologically advanced

construction and decoration materials.

Ecostrong bamboo is one of these products. The company was formed to promote and distribute Ecostrong bamboo flooring in

There is both minimum waste and minimal pollution in its harvesting

ucts are harder and more resistant to moisture than popular hardwoods Bamboo is a naturally beautiful and durable alternative to our limited global supply of hardwood and, like traditional timber, is a natural organic substance.

With a tensile strength superior to mild steel and a weight-to-strength ratio surpassing that of graphite, bamboo is regarded as the strongest growing wood plant on earth.

Just consider the advantages that bamboo flooring offers:

Environmentally sustainable – Ecostrong Bamboo Flooring is an

Southern Africa.

Bamboo is the latest trend in flooring and panels, providing a beautiful, sustainable and renewable alternative to solid timber or laminate flooring and custom joinery.

More and more people are finding out about the seemingly endless benefits of bamboo in both looks and practicality. Ecostrong offers a range of bamboo products including flooring, wall cladding and furniture panels, with products that are sourced from reputable manufacturers.

ECOSTRONG - WOVEN BAMBOO

attractive alternative to hardwood floors, and is derived from the forests of a rapidly growing renewable resource.

Easy installation – Bamboo Flooring compares favourably with traditional solid select timber floors and is pre-finished, alleviating the need for sanding and sealing on site.

Coupled with its price advantage, bamboo floors are creating significant interest for their aesthetic and other qualities over existing hardwood alternatives.

Bamboo is also very stable under humid and dry conditions, and is allergy-free, in addition to which Ecostrong bamboo floorboards are manufactured with non-toxic glues and are finished with aluminium oxide.

Ecostrong bamboo floors have high UV resistance, blocking the sun’s harmful rays and protecting the floor from fading over time. Easy cleaning is another aspect in its favour, since bamboo flooring doesn’t trap dirt, and most spills can be cleaned up with a damp mop or sponge.

With very low emissions through waste and pollution, the result is a very environmentally friendly product.

Ecostrong bamboofloors are very hard and durable and provide excellent warranty protection, and a complementary range of Bamboo furniture panels is available for custom joinery applications to match the bamboo floors.

In conclusion, Ecostrong bamboo flooring and panels should be the natural selection for your next building project, and because bamboo is environmentally friendly it will no doubt become an increasingly popular choice in the 21st century.

Ecostrong Tel: 011 552 8480 Fax: 086 530 6230 E-mail: info@ecostrong.co.za Website: www.ecostrong.co.za

56 F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Feature: Wood, Laminates & Bamboo

Bamboo flooring

worth serious consideration

T

he reason is, of course, that bamboo is one of the most sustainable and environmentally friendly flooring materials around at

the moment, but this in turn brings with it the usual charlatans and get-rich-quick element that ride the boom and then disappear just as fast, leaving behind a whole host of problems and dissatisfied customers.

That is why it is essential that you should only deal with manufacturers, suppliers and installers that have a good track record of quality product, customer care and integrity – like Oriental Bamboo of Cape Town.

The Eco-logic range of bamboo flooring marketed by Oriental Bamboo is a solid floor with the planks ‘laminated’ together whilst

Currently, there is a lot of hyperbole in the flooring

remaining 100% bamboo, but this should not be confused with the

market about bamboo flooring which has seen an

nor with the engineered wood floor varieties that are now favoured

upsurge in interest and marketing campaigns to

by the exotic hardwood suppliers.

capture the specifiers and end-users who are seri-

solid floor that is harder than most woods. It has excellent durabil-

ously concerned about the environment.

laminate floorcoverings that form a different sector of the market,

Bamboo is a unique floorcovering in its own right, providing a ity, is easy to maintain in a pristine condition, is affordable, adds value to any property and is environmentally friendly.

Architects and interior designers that are considering using hardwood or laminate floorcoverings would do well to take a look at the Eco-Logic bamboo range, because it will exceed your expectations and provide you with a number of Green Star points for your next project. Check bamboo’s performance on www.greenbuilding.co.za The Eco-Logic Bamboo products are subject to international standards and testing, with flooring planks that are pressed together under great pressure using leading manufacturing techniques, and this physical construction has a direct influence on the technical characteristics of the product – including solid bamboo flooring planks in both a short and a long format.

A unique characteristic of laminated solid bamboo flooring is that, due to the exceptional stability of bamboo, planks of nearly 2 metres long and up to 154mm wide can be provided– which means the floors have fewer joins and a quicker and easier installation.

The Eco-Logic long planks use a unique cross-latticed middle-layer construction technique using gaps which provide exceptional structural stability and flexibility to the plank.

The short plank is the first type of bamboo flooring plank to be introduced to the flooring market, and is super-economical, priced in the same price range as quality laminated flooring whilst still being a solid flooring plank.

Both types of plank have deep grooves machined into the underside of the plank that facilitate an excellent glue adhesion to the underlying surface.

The Eco-Logic range is in the vanguard of quality bamboo flooring, and specifiers should look at the website www.oriental-bamboo.co.za/technical.html where a full specifier’s reference can be found, including a structural stability chart, charts on finished and unfinished bamboo hardness, and the compliance of solid bamboo with the relevant standards and technical specifications.

Oriental Bamboo Tel: 0860 226 266 E-mail: contact-us@oriental-bamboo.co.za

58 F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Adds Real Value: As green as our

bamboo flooring is, the real reason most homeowners desire it is simple – it adds luxurious warmth and is incredibly beautiful, therefore upping the value of your property.

Tough & Durable: You would have to

weigh over a ton wearing your stiletto heels to put a dent in our Strand Woven Bamboo flooring!

Indoor Air Quality: You can breathe

easy because the cancer-causing Formaldehyde emissions in our bamboo flooring is rated “Not Detectable”.

Stable & Moisture Tolerant:

Our bamboo is the most stable & moisture tolerant of all solid woods. Test us – throw a piece of our bamboo into your pool together with a piece of particle board (the stuff laminate floors are made of) or any other solid wood and leave for a few hours or days.

9001

TEL: 0860 BAMBOO (226266)

EMAIL: contact-us@oriental-bamboo.co.za

9 Julian Way, Somerset West Business Park, Somerset West, 7130, Western Cape

www.eco-logic-bamboo.co.za

Feature: Cleaning & M aintenance

CLEANING & MAINTENANCE feature Any floorcovering, whether in a residential, commercial, industrial or other environment, invariably represents a significant investment, both in monetary terms and the image it portrays.

61 F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Feature: Cleaning & M aintenance

The importance of floor cleaning Any floorcovering, whether in a residential, commercial, industrial or other environment, invari-

efit to the look and longevity of the carpet. Not to mention the indoor

ably represents a significant investment, both in

air quality.

monetary terms and the image it portrays.

and keep it in top condition by checking it regularly and emptying the

T

herefore, a carefully planned, consistent and effective cleaning

and maintenance programme should be employed to preserve

Make sure the vacuuming equipment is man enough for the job, soil container/changing vacuum bags and cleaning filters. For light- to medium-traffic areas vacuuming should take place every 2-3 days or

the image of the facility or residence and dramatically extend the life

more frequently if needed; for heavy-traffic areas a daily vacuuming is

of the investment.

essential, particularly at entrances and in corridors, break areas, lifts and

Such a programme maintains the value of the property and reduces the rate of depreciation; contributes directly to personal safety, com-

regularly used rooms.

Facilities managers should ensure that a daily check for spots and spills

fort and productivity; maintains the aesthetic appeal of the floors; and

is carried out, and these should be tackled as soon as they happen to

contributes to the health (especially indoor air quality), hygiene and

ensure best results. Most carpets now have a soil-resistant treatment

environmental sustainability of the facility.

Undoubtedly the best way of protecting and keeping floors clean is to prevent them getting soiled in the first place, and although dirt-trap matting is usually an afterthought on most new projects or the restoration

that makes spots easier to remove, but the longer the delay in removing spots or spillages, the higher the probability of permanent stains.

Liquids should be blotted with a dry, white absorbent cloth or plain white paper towels, but the accent is on blotting. Do not scrub or rub

of existing buildings, it can go a long way in keeping your floors looking

the affected area as this will make the stain even more difficult to

good, reducing maintenance costs and extending their useable life.

remove and can damage some carpets. Simply continue to blot until

The days of carpet off-cuts or flattened cardboard cartons at the entrance are (or should be!) a thing of the past, and dirt-trap matting

the area is dry.

Semi-solids should be gently scraped off with a rounded spoon/spat-

has become almost a science in terms of what it can do to preserve

ula and then vacuumed, but if the spot is water colour paint or some-

floorcoverings, and there are many specialised designs or custom-

thing that can be diluted, do not attempt to remove with moisture.

made solutions available to meet any requirement.

However, you would do well to remember where the soiling is com-

The websites of most carpet manufacturers will provide detailed information on the cleaning and maintenance of their products so, if

ing from (and what the soils are), and make sure that the area outside

you are in any doubt, look at these or call in a professional cleaning

the building is swept or hosed down daily.

company. In any case, the services of such a company should be used

Choosing the right cleaning method

at least once every year, and much more frequently in high-traffic areas

To effectively remove soiling, stains and other contaminants, the cor-

or those where a pristine appearance is of the utmost importance.

rect cleaning technique needs to be selected in relation to the various types of floorcovering. Here are the main guidelines:

62

because, although the carpet fibres are designed to trap and hide soiling, the sooner and more frequently it is removed the greater the ben-

Carpet tiles are regularly selected for their ease of replacement, which means that high-traffic areas can be readily refurbished with new tiles or

Carpets

swapped with those from less trafficked areas, but this tile rotation does

Unlike many other floorcoverings, carpets fortunately tend to retain

not preclude their regular vacuuming and cleaning, and this should be

soils where they are, but even still anyone involved in keeping car-

effected in exactly the same manner as a broadloom carpet installation

pets clean should use Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum as their daily mantra

to ensure the best appearance and prolong their service life.

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Feature: Cleaning & M aintenance

Wood & Laminates

Ceramic, porcelain, natural stone

None of these floors like water, so never wet-mop them because

In general, these floors tend to be water-resistant but it is still a good

standing water can dull the finish, damage the material and leave

idea to tackle any stains or spills immediately. For all these floorcover-

a discolouring residue – particularly with wood and bamboo – and

ings the use of a mild detergent is essential if there is any grease or oil

wipe up any spills immediately, using a slightly dampened towel.

on the floor; using just water alone, whether it is cold or warm, is not

However, with today’s advances in wood flooring stains and finishes, cleaning natural wood floors has never been easier, and regular maintenance requires little more than dust mopping with a micro-fibre cloth or sweeping with a soft bristle broom, and vacuuming with a soft floor

effective in removing this kind of contamination. (Porcelain requires some special attention and cleaning chemistry.)

However, the concentration of detergent is critical to its effectiveness, and the manufacturer’s instructions should be followed carefully,

attachment if the wood floor includes a bevelled edge that could col-

because a solution that is too strong can be as ineffective as one that is

lect debris.

too weak. Monitoring how much is used is essential, and proper dosing

Wood floors should also be periodically cleaned with a professional wood floor cleaning product recommended or carried out by a wood

systems can eliminate error.

Always remember that the detergent should be left on the floor for

flooring professional. If the floor is in need of sanding, this is also a job

enough time to allow effective removal of grease before rinsing – in

for a professional floorcare operator.

the same way as with washing-up where heavily soiled pots and pans

If the wood floor has a finish that requires waxing, do not over-wax it.

If the floor dulls, try buffing instead. Avoid wax build-up under furniture and other light-traffic areas by applying wax in these spots every other waxing session.

Never use the self-polishing acrylic waxes recommended for vinyl or

require soak-time in the detergent. Scouring or brushing (agitation) can increase the effectiveness of detergent.

If the stain remains stubborn, try to loosen the spot with a soft brush or synthetic scouring pad, but avoid steel wool or metal brushes as these can scratch the surface of the tiles. Mildew is a common problem

ceramic tiles, because these will cause the wood to become slippery

with ceramic tiles and this can be tackled with a solution of equal parts

and appear dull quickly.

of water and ammonia, together with a soft brush.

Bamboo Deterioration of the clear urethane coating on the surface of a bam-

Spot cleaning using a paper towel or rag is a cheap and effective method of removing water-based spills. It avoids spreading the spillage

boo floor will be apparent with the abrasive action of dirt, sand, and

or increasing the slip risk by mopping a large area. Spot cleaning can be

other grit that enters the building. Keep a fine fibre broom handy for

used between scheduled whole-floor cleaning to control contamination.

regular cleanup of this and other debris. Periodic vacuuming will do a

Mopping is usually only effective on smoother floors because it only

more complete job, and the frequency will depend upon the amount

skims the surface of the floor, regardless of the effort used. Even a well-

of traffic. Remember that barrier matting can trap up to 80% of walked

wrung mop will leave a thin film of water which is enough to create a

in soils.

slip risk on a smooth floor.

For the sake of cleanliness and appearance the floor should be washed

Subsequent use of a dry mop will reduce the drying time but will not

from time to time after running the vacuum. Any no-rinse, clear-dry-

eliminate the slip risk. Where smooth floors are mopped, ensure that the

ing cleaner such as dishwashing liquid mixed with clean water will do.

floor is left to dry completely. (Wash and disinfect mop heads regularly.)

Remember that most soaps/detergents will dry to a sticky residue.

Unlike hardwood floors, bamboo fibres are not subject to swelling,

With natural stone floors, remember that each stone has its own level of porosity which makes some stone floors more susceptible to stain-

dishing and grain-raising problems caused by moisture. The important

ing than others. So, dependant upon the type of stone selected, sealing

thing here is to avoid leaving a cloudy or streaky detergent build-up

the stone may be an option to consider. In this case, it is recommended

on the clear finish, so avoid cleaners that contain oil, or acidic or caustic

that the sealing be performed by a reliable professional.

ingredients.

Resilient flooring

Never apply wax to a bamboo floor, because wax can cause adhesion problems, even years after it was applied, if refinishing is ever required.

To get the best results when cleaning most resilient floorcoverings, use a mild detergent and let it soak into the soiling for a while before you mop it up. If the edges of your flooring are not sealed, try to keep any soaking water away from there as it could get under the flooring and cause a dampness problem, which could also cause mould and mildew growth and even warping of the floor.

Since vinyl floors are prone to having food stick to them, use a mop that has a scrubbing surface as well as a wiping surface, but avoid using abrasives. Abrasives can scratch the surface of vinyl flooring and leave permanent dullness behind.

Finally, for any major cleaning or maintenance work – on any type of floor – it pays to consult the professionals. Paying them to complete the work will ensure that your floorcovering is returned to its pristine condition without any damage being done in the process.

Acknowledgement and thanks are given to the following for information used in this article: www.hse.gov.uk; www.iicrc.co.uk (The Institute of Inspection Cleaning & Restoration Certification); www.floorideas.co.uk; www.carpet-rug.org.

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Feature: Cleaning & M aintenance

Remarkable results with dry cleaning!

As a result of increasing demand Drywonder has

re-introduced its popular and effective Spot ‘n Stain cleaner, a unique powder-based product (as opposed to liquid) – developed entirely in South Africa.

T

he application is simple. Just sprinkle Drywonder Spot ‘n Stain

remover onto the effected area. Rub in. Do not add any other

product like water or shampoo. Leave for 1 hour. Lift up the used granules with a vacuum cleaner. Besides lifting stubborn stains, the area has now been thoroughly cleaned and is void of harmful bacteria, often the cause of bad odours and difficult-to-remove stains.

Drywonder has acquired NRCS registration and approval for all its cleaning products as being anti-bacterial detergents. This should be good news for the medical, hospital, clinic, school and, of course, the hospitality industry including B&Bs. “The convenience and ease of use of ‘dry’ carpet cleaning versus shampooing or steam is remarkable,” says Roy Bermeister, a director of the 30-year-old company. “The benefits of dry cleaning versus water-based alternatives can be viewed on our website www.drywonder.co.za, but if any home has children, dogs or cats – then this is an essential product.”

Drywonder has three different carpet cleaning products: one for everyday maintenance – in the dark blue 500g or 1kg pack; Spot ‘n Stain – in the light blue 300g pack; and Drywonder Freshener, with a strong fragrance, in the 350g pink pack.

Drywonder is available from most Pick n Pay outlets plus selected Checkers and Spar stores. Look out for the striking new packaging in the Home Care sections.

Drywonder Information hotline: 082 930 3824 E-mail: info@drywonder.co.za Website: www.drywonder.co.za

Introdu

cing Revo

The Flooring Solutions Company

lution

ary Flo

orcare . . .

Established for over 55 years, FloorworX is the only local manufacturer of semi-flexible tiles, fully flexible vinyl sheeting and tiles – all of which carry the SANS certification for quality.

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FloorworX also distributes Quick-Step wood laminates, Kährs wooden floors and a comprehensive range of international resilient floorcoverings, including safety flooring, antistatic flooring, luxury vinyl flooring, static control tiles, linoleum, Novilon, rubber and sports flooring, together with a wide range of flooring adhesives, accessories and floorcare materials.

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www.floorworx.co.za National Call Centre 0860 346 679

Feature: Cleaning & M aintenance

Pigments add colour to new Durban beachfront promenade

Chryso’s Lanxess pigments formed part of the Artevia concrete mix for the paving of Durban’s beachfront promenade.

Chryso SA’s KZN branch supplied more than 38 tonnes of pigments to Lafarge Industries SA for its Artevia range of decorative concrete used on the new pavements of the upgraded Durban beachfront promenade.

C

hryso’s Lanxess iron oxide pigments formed part of the concrete

For more information please contact your CHRYSO representative at 0861 CHRYSO

mix for 60 000m² of Lafarge’s Artevia Colour, Artevia Polish, and

Artevia Exposed paving for the promenade pathways.

Beverley Reid, product manager for Lafarge Readymix in Durban, says the new promenade paving represents the largest single contract for Artevia in South Africa.

“In total, about 7 700 cubic metres of Artevia Colour and Artevia Polish, and close to 1 000 cubic metres of Artevia Exposed, were laid

Environmentally Friendly Tile Adhesive with Dust Less Technology

along the promenade. Sandstone, Terracotta, Kalahari, and Mocha were the four colours specified by Michael Todd Architects,” she stated.

Afro Structures handled the Artevia Colour application with Concrete Laser Flooring responsible for the Artevia Polish sections, and Sinethemba Construction for the Artevia Exposed parts of the paving.

Design Workshop designed the paving for the exposed aggregate section of the promenade (near the Mini-Town area).

Reid said a major challenge that had to be overcome in such a largescale project was to ensure colour consistency.

Vishnu Beeput, Chryso SA’s regional manager in KZN, said Chryso had to import 38,5 tonnes of Lanxess pigments from Germany for the project. “Our KZN plant then packaged the pigments in water-soluble bags

CHRYSO Southern Africa (PTY) Ltd. 0861 CHRYSO GAUTENG: 26 Malcolm Moodie Crescent, Jet Park Tel: +27 (0)11 395 9700 Fax: +27 (0)11 397 6644 DURBAN: Unit 3, 14 Travertine Crescent, Briardene Tel: +27 (0)31 564 0325 Fax: +27 (0)31 564 0583 CAPE TOWN: 57 Assegaai Road, Parow, Industria Tel: +27 (0)21 933 5953 Fax: +27 (0)21 933 5991 PORT ELIZABETH: cr Lower Valley Road, Alabaster Str Tel: +27 (0)41 582 4260 Fax: +27 (0)41 582 4261

to facilitate easier dosage into the Artevia concrete mix,” he added.

Furthermore, Chryso supplied Decolav PO3, a user-friendly surface retarder, that provided consistent depth of edge to the exposed aggregate sections of the paving. Decolav was also supplied to Lafarge Readymix for the Artevia Exposed paving recently laid at the luxurious Umhlanga Pearls residential complex.

Chryso Tel: 011 395 9700

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Fax: 011 397 6644 Website: www.chryso.com

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Feature: Cleaning & M aintenance

Understand your floorcovering

S

outh African consumers are currently spoilt for choice with regard

to floorcoverings and finishing, with choices that seem almost end-

less, ranging from natural stone, textiles, vinyl, solid wood, laminates and concrete to various types of coatings and sealants.

Not only can we choose between the types of covering, but also choose or specify the finish that is required such as high gloss, matt, satin, colour, pattern, texture – and so the list continues.

To complicate matters further, consumers can now also consider floorcoverings according to their impact on the environment or carbon footprint.

This ranges from the manufacturing process, the sustainability/ renewability of the product, to the disposal of the product at the end of its lifespan. So, if there are so many options available, why are there so

ing programmes outside the building; spot/spill removal programmes, including spot mopping systems; routine cleaning practices; and scheduled deep-cleaning programmes.

Consumers should always make sure that the supplier is questioned with regard to the specified floorcovering, making sure that they

many frustrations and unhappy customers in the market today when it

understand what can be expected from it, cleaning principles, life

comes to floorcovering?

expectancy, and so forth. Always keep in mind that there are other

Prestige Cleaning Services is constantly inundated with queries from customers that are not satisfied with the performance of a particular floorcovering.

On investigation, the following factors are always considered: the

options available, other than replacement.

Edwin van den Bergh of Prestige says, “At Prestige Cleaning Services, cleaning is not just an action, it is a passion and we will always strive to provide our clients with procedures or processes that are site- and

type of floorcovering; its cost; aesthetic value; functionality; durability;

covering-specific. Furthermore, we provide our clients with recommen-

function or type of venue; recommended maintenance; cleaning pro-

dations that are in line with the latest trends and technologies in the

grammes; and the expectancy of the customer.

cleaning industry.�

So many frustrations and disappointments could have been pre-

For peace of mind, contact Prestige for professional advice and service.

vented if the above factors had been considered. Regardless of the

Prestige Cleaning Services

floorcovering, there are some basic principles that need to be kept in

Cell: 082 566 6837 Edwin van den Bergh

mind by the consumer or Facilities Manager with regard to the specific

Fax: 086 511 8285

floorcovering.

E-mail: edwin@presclean.co.za

These will include: dry dirt control; walk-off matting systems or clean-

66 F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Website: www.prestigecleaning.co.za

Carpet Maintenance Most reliable system for cleaning and maintaining carpets RELIABLE, DURABLE, OUTSTANDING RESULTS PREVENTS DUST BUILD-UP SEBO VACUUM CLEANERS HAVE A VIBRATING BRUSH ACTION CARRIES THE BRITISH ALLERGY FOUNDATION SEAL OF APPROVAL USER-FRIENDLY, LIGHT & VERSATILE NO SOAP, WATER, SHAMPOO NEEDED APPROVED BY THE INTERNATIONAL WOOL BOARD NON-TOXIC, BIODEGRADABLE SAFE AROUND CHILDREN AND PETS PROVIDES A MAINTENANCE CLEANING PROGRAMME

BY TRAINED PROFESSIONALS

Recommended and approved by:

A P P R OV E D B Y

Tel 086 111 4250 • Fax 011 763 4033 e-mail: sebo@internext.co.za www.sebo.co.za

Feature: Cleaning & M aintenance

Reducing electricity consumption by 50% While South Africans struggle to

W

ith Eskom’s price increases adding to the financial pressure, Numatic South Africa is playing a vital role in reducing the

recover from one of the worst-ever

electricity usage in homes and businesses across the country.

global recessions, energy prices

environment and reducing energy con-

continue to soar, making everyday

for governments, companies and

life quite expensive.

To ensure that Numatic remains

Dewald Botha of Numatic says, “Caring for the sumption has become a central focus households all over the world. a leader in its field, we have developed a range of energysaving equipment that enables

68 F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Feature: Cleaning & M aintenance

end-users to reduce their consumption without hampering the cleaning process.”

Numatic’s Autosave range of vacuum cleaners is revolutionising the way we clean by drastically reducing the power usage required to vacuum floors. In fact, this groundbreaking range of vacuum cleaners could even reduce electricity consumption by 50%.

Autosave is a system that automatically starts the machine in the economy setting. This uses half of the machine’s total motor capacity of 1 200W and only 50% of the required electricity.

When more suction power is needed, the user simply activates a switch on the machine which immediately engages the full capacity of the motor for those hard to reach areas.

Pushing the switch a second time will once again reduce the power usage by half. If you turn the machine off and on again, it will automatically start up at 50% power.

“When we launched the Autosave range, we knew that we had

a winning product on our hands. However, our product designers were still committed to further reduce electricity consumption and developed the Nusave range,” continues Botha.

Nusave vacuum cleaners are almost ready to hit the South African market. With a maximum motor capacity of only 800W, the economy setting reduces power to 400W. Even though the Nusave vacuum will run at a reduced maximum of 800W, Numatic has designed the product to deliver superior cleaning performance at a reduced rate of electricity consumption.

Botha says, “A few simple design changes to the airflow and overall suction mechanism ensure that the vacuum cleaner does not compromise on performance but delivers the same cleaning power as its predecessors from the Autosave range.”

The 2009 Autosave models, Henry, Hetty and the NVQ370 Silent, have performed phenomenally well in the field and Numatic is eagerly anticipating the launch of the Nusave range later this year.

“We are confident that our contribution to the reduction of energy consumption will not only make a significant difference in costs but it will also deliver on Numatic’s promise to provide unmatched cleaning products with exceptional performance,” concludes Botha.

Numatic International Tel: 0861 numatic (686284) Website: www.numatic.co.za

69 F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Feature: Cleaning & M aintenance

Natural Stone needs sealing Much has been said about how to keep hard floorcoverings looking good but what is often not realised is that, regardless of whether they are natural stone or man-made, most of these unique surface finishes will require sealing to provide a trouble-free service life, and in this respect it pays to seek the advice of experts like Tile & Floor Care (TFC) to ensure that the correct sealer is selected and applied correctly. will enhance the colour of the tile (no two sandstones are alike and they vary from light cream to deep red) and will provide an attractive matt finish, it can sometimes cause the tile to acquire a greenish tinge.

Check it in an inconspicuous area of the floor first!

The appeal of slate comes mainly from its natural variations in colour and textured finish, and can be honed or polished, but the surface must be protected to preserve the colour. If it is not, it is likely to be abraded and it will then expose a different colour below.

TFC has two recommended treatments for slate: one is to use a surface sealer that will protect the tile from the top; the other a penetrat-

F

or example, take three of the most popular natural stones – gran-

ite, marble and travertine. Granite is mined in large slabs which

Terracotta tiles come in varying porosities, so the accurate coverage

are cut into thinner slabs and then into tiles and countertops and

of sealers is difficult to predict, even though they are very hardwearing

other decorative pieces which are mechanically polished to give them

and often do not require surface protection. Consult the experts at TFC

their high-gloss finish.

before embarking on any terracotta sealing programme.

Marble is mined in almost exactly the same the way and is usually mechanically polished to a high gloss, but can be provided in matt and many different colours.

However, it is relatively soft and needs to be protected from wear

Cement tiles are the only tiles for which TFC prescribes using a preseal. When protecting cement it is of the utmost importance to protect the surface, which will otherwise abrade away, causing a change of colour and possible exposure of the stone aggregate used in its

and tear as well as staining; it is also extremely sensitive to acids and

manufacture. Recommended TFC treatments are similar to those for

is easily etched by common products such as cool drinks, lemon juice

Terracotta tiles.

and vinegar.

Travertine is a stone that falls between limestone (sedimentary) and marble (metamorphic) although its manufacture and properties are similar to those of granite and marble.

All three of these natural stones are very low in porosity, hence a

Although glazed porcelain tiles do not need to be treated, the unglazed varieties are highly vitrified and still need to be treated to prevent them from becoming dirty and ultimately staining.

TFC’s Invisible Sealer is the only sealer that is able to penetrate (impregnate) and seal the porcelain tile from within. It is very effective

high-viscosity penetrating sealer must be used, and it is advisable to

and helps to keep the tile clean without making any visual change to

contact TFC for a specification.

the aesthetic finish of the porcelain.

Sandstone and limestone are very similar to each other in their properties, although limestone consists mainly of calcite and is par-

If you are in any doubt about how to treat your hard floorcoverings, consult the experts at Tile and Floor Care.

ticularly sensitive to acids. Generally these stones are very porous and

Tile and Floor Care

need to be sealed with suitable sealers.

Tel: 011 822 6901

TFC has two recommended sealers for sandstone – HP Sealer and

70

ing sealer that will bond and strengthen the tile. As a result, Deep Seal, HP Sealer and Top Seal from TFC will do the trick.

Toll free: 0800 00 6173

Top Seal. The latter will not change the colour of the tile dramati-

Fax: 011 822 6902

cally (which is important in this type of tile), and although HP Sealer

Website: www.tfc.co.za

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

tfc

Feature: Cleaning & M aintenance

TLC with a serious blend of Environmental Stewardship!

South African company to be IICRC·(lnstitute for Inspection Cleaning

Apart from being a long-term investment, the

and Restoration Certification) certified for carpet care.

carpet installed in any establishment sets the tone and forms a major part of the corporate image of the company, so it is important to ensure that you

tenance include the Carpet & Rug Institute; the Woolsafe Institute; The Cotton Council; Nexus Commercial Carpets; Belgotex Carpets; Shaw, Ontera, Tandus and Milliken Carpets. MilliCare is currently the only

If you clean your carpet only when it looks dirty, the damage has already begun. Soil is abrasive and wears the carpet fibres away, and by implementing a ‘clean it when it looks dirty’ maintenance strategy, you have embarked upon a consistent deterioration of the product.

When you implement a regular maintenance programme using the

have the right carpet care partner to maximise your

MilliCare Dry Polymer or Wet Extraction process there is minimal dete-

investment throughout its lifecycle.

tently throughout the carpet’s lifecycle.

C

arpet affects how your employees and clients view the work-

rioration of the product and the appearance level is maintained consisThe best strategy to realising a sound return on your carpet invest-

place, and therefore maintaining it is not to be taken lightly. This

ment is a preventative and proactive maintenance programme that

is the main reason why you must carefully investigate the carpet care

not only cares for the carpet and the spaces we live and work in, but

specialists in the market and choose a partner that understands the

also saves our natural resources. In the last 12 months, their cleaning

serious nature of this business. Of course it is not just the carpet but

process has saved 4,5 million litres of fresh water and reduced effluent

the air that we breathe that warrants this tender loving care.

MilliCare clearly understands that one has to care for a carpet, not

down the drains of 3,4 million litres. (Reduction in carbon emissions are equally impressive.)

just clean it. Improper maintenance will damage commercial carpet,

MilliCare

shorten its lifespan, and have it prematurely in the landfill. Therefore

Gauteng: 011 608 1626

you will have replaced the carpet prematurely due to it ‘uglying out’.

KZN: 086 111 2012

This all costs money (not to mention the disruption cost), and that is

Cape: 021 557 2934

where technology comes in.

E-mail: waynes@millicare.co.za

MilliCare is a specialised expert and innovator in the carpet maintenance field that understands that maintaining carpet, as well as the company’s furniture and other upholstered surfaces, is a real part of asset management.

A survey of MilliCare customers will reveal numerous carpets in very large and highly trafficked commercial and hospitality spaces that are nowhere near replacement even after over 10 years in service. MilliCare has been caring for these carpets since they were installed.

So what exactly is MilliCare? MilliCare is a unique carpet care and maintenance programme designed specifically for commercial and hospitality installations, offering the highest quality maintenance for all brands of carpet along with a customised service plan. Endorsements by the Carpet and Rug Institute provides a key indicator of the lasting performance and durability of carpets cared for by MilliCare.

Founded in South Africa 14 years ago, MilliCare South Africa is proud to be cleaning over 2,5 million square metres of carpet per year in this country.

The benefits of the MilliCare Carpet Care Maintenance Programme are legion: extended carpet life and thereby an improvement in the customer’s return on investment; best appearance equates to an enhanced business image; and it also provides improved indoor air quality (removal of mould, mould spore, dust mites, and so forth).

It also provides regular maintenance by trained professionals that will ensure that you comply with the terms and conditions of your carpet manufacturer’s warranties at all times and guarantees you peace of mind throughout the life of the carpet installation.

MilliCare’s Carpet Maintenance Programme will ensure that the carpets in your facility are professionally managed, ensuring better-look-

72

approved or endorsed the MilliCare process for carpet and textile main-

ing, longer-lasting carpets and a healthier working environment.

In addition to ‘Green Seal Certification’, organisations that have

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Website: www.millicare.com

Sustainably Yours

Feature: Cleaning & M aintenance

All carpets require maintenance to optimise wear life, performance and appearance retention, and a carefully planned and executed maintenance programme will help to preserve the aesthetic and functional benefits of textile floorcoverings, and will maximise the return on this expensive investment.

Regular maintenance costs money but will pay for itself by extending the carpet’s working life and deferring replacement costs.

The art of keeping carpets clean T

his cleaning / maintenance programme should be considered at

the time of carpet selection and must be implemented immediate-

ly after installation. It is more effective to maintain the installation from

day one on a planned basis than to carry out major restorative cleaning when the carpet becomes excessively soiled.

The performance of any carpet is dependent on the construction and

taken care of even when the mats are being cleaned.

Casters on office furniture can damage a carpet and also its underlays and, for this reason, it is recommended that carpet protectors be used.

Efficient vacuuming is the single most important element of a total

colour of the carpet; effective barrier matting; correct installation; and

maintenance programme and the vacuuming schedule is dependent

planned maintenance.

on the type and quality of the vacuum cleaner utilised.

Textile floorcoverings should be maintained in accordance with SANS 10245, the code of practice for Maintenance of Textile Floorcoverings,

For most installations an industrial vacuum with brushes is recommended. Twin-motor machines with independent motors for action

which includes recommendations for each of the following: walk-off

and brushing are preferred for this task. Unless power heads are used,

/ barrier mats; vacuuming; pile lifting (for cut-piles); spot cleaning;

canister-type machines are generally not recommended.

interim cleaning; and restorative cleaning.

The programme establishes cleaning frequencies on a daily, weekly,

For cut-pile carpets it is necessary to supplement the vacuuming programme with a pile-lifting routine. The frequency of pile lifting is

monthly (or longer cycle) basis for types of cleaning systems applicable

determined by the expected traffic for each given area. High-traffic

to specific areas of the building.

areas, pivot points and areas under chairs are most likely to compress

Areas should be identified as light/medium/heavy/severe based on the number of people using an area and contributing to light, medium, heavy and severe soiling, and these areas should be marked on a colour-coded floor plan of the building for easy reference to the required cleaning frequency for each area.

The use of barrier matting (such as Van Dyck’s Dirt-Off) in all external doorways and junctions between dirty areas and carpeted areas will significantly reduce the amount of soiling reaching the carpet.

the pile and trap soil.

Pile lifting will revitalise the pile and lift the carpet fibres into an upright position, allowing soil to be removed.

Effective spot-removal procedures are an integral part of the programme. It is essential that spots and stains are removed on a daily basis to prevent them becoming permanent.

The persons responsible for this function must be trained in the correct cleaning techniques and the appropriate cleaning agents must be

Somewhere approaching 80% of all soiling will be walked into the

used in relation to the fibre used in the construction of the carpet. Use

building from outside and once it is in the carpet it is likely to be traf-

of the incorrect chemical or method will often set the stain in the car-

ficked further into the building.

pet or might change the colour of the carpet.

Parking areas, garages and other exterior areas should be swept regularly to keep them free of dirt.

There is a variety of walk-off mats available for outside entrances and

74

All walk-off mats must be cleaned regularly for optimum effectiveness.

Two sets may be acquired so that the dirt collection points are always

Finally, a periodic “deep clean” will extend the life of the carpet, the recommended method being the spray / extraction (hot water extraction) process.

also for indoor use. Walk-off mats should be large enough to allow

For more information please consult Van Dyck’s Carpet Care Leaflet.

at least three steps to be walked on them – that is, 2 metre in depth

Van Dyck Carpets

and at least the width of the doorway. Heavy-duty mats with scrapers

Tel: 031 913 3800

or squeegee inserts are recommended for outside entrances, while

Fax: 031 912 1220

lighter-weight mats may be used for inner entrances.

Website: www.vandyckcarpets.com

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Feature: Cleaning & M aintenance

Planned cleaning and maintenance of floors is essential When preparing a floor cleaning and maintenance

After the dirt and old sealer have been removed, a floor sealer is then applied. A good-quality sealer such as FloorworX Sealer should

schedule one must consider the amount and type

be applied with three coats to ensure a durable and consistent finish.

of traffic, taking each entrance of the building into

Floor buffing

account. The higher the traffic, the more regular

pad on a rotary machine. FloorworX Spray Buff will allow any scuff

and complete the cleaning and maintenance

marks or scratches to be effectively buffed away. FloorworX Sealer

schedule will need to be.

high shine.

I

t is also important to consider the type of dirt that is expected. For

example, if you expect a significant amount of coarse grit to be

brought into the facility through multiple entrances it will be important to regularly sweep or mop it out as coarse grit could damage the floor.

Walk-off mats More than 80% of dirt that enters buildings can be kept out by using a good-quality walk-off mat. It is important that the mat is correctly placed near each entrance and that it is long enough to ensure that there are a sufficient number of steps walked on the mat to remove the dirt and grit.

Non-routine cleaning Unexpected spills can occur at any time and should be dealt with as quickly as possible. As soon as the spill occurs or is noticed, it should

Then the floor should be regularly spray-buffed using a red buffing

allows for the use of a high-speed burnisher, which creates a very Equipment The use of top-quality housekeeping and mopping trolleys such as the Rubbermaid and Numatic ranges ensure easy use, durability and mobility without the risk of damaging the floors.

By implementing effective floor care procedures developed for your specific floor, the type of dirt and the amount of traffic, the appearance and lifespan of your floor will be significantly extended.

FloorworX and Safic have the expertise and years of industry experience to help you develop floorcare maintenance regimes, specific to ensuring that your facility and floors are maintained to their optimum standard.

Safic Floorcare Range enquiries Tel: 011 406 4001

be damp-mopped using a flat mop such as Rubbermaid’s flat foldable mopping system. Spills that are not immediately dealt with could stain the floor, increase the danger of someone slipping, or become sticky and trap more dirt that can be further spread on the floor.

Remove gum, or any other sticky substances, as soon as possible using an object such as a spatula that will not damage the floor’s surface.

Never use abrasive cleaners or solvents on floors. Abrasives scratch the floors and these scratch marks tend to trap dirt. Solvents can damage the floor and are often dangerous to use.

Make sure chair glides are in good repair and that glides used under the furniture are the right type for resilient floors. Place floor protectors under heavy items such as pianos and desk legs.

Use appropriate furniture-moving systems and ensure that they are compatible with resilient flooring.

Routine cleaning Floors should be dust-mopped or vacuumed on a daily basis. Grit and sand have sharp edges and can literally cut the floor’s wear layer or finish; dust-mopping or vacuuming should be performed daily to maintain optimal appearance.

Regular mopping Before mopping, floors should be dust-mopped or vacuumed to remove as much dirt as possible. This is usually done on a daily basis.

Floors should be damp-mopped regularly with a good neutral product such as FloorworX Maintain to ensure that the floor is kept clean and the room kept fresh.

Finish or sealer removal Prior to applying a sealer, the old finish will need to be removed. The floor sealer is removed using a good floor stripper such as FloorworX Stripper, an abrasive black stripping pad and a rotary floor machine.

75

The floor should then be rinsed with a neutraliser such as FloorworX Rinse to ensure that the floor is neutral and ready for sealing.

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

In the next issue…

There are some great features in the next issue of FLOORS in Africa – don’t miss this one!

Corporate & Retail Flooring In this issue we are combining both the Commercial and Retail sectors of the market because they have so much in common – the need for good-looking floors that meet the company image, require the minimum maintenance, and have a long service life in the face of heavy traffic. We find out what the professionals need to meet their requirements, and how the flooring industry is coping Van Dyck Carpets

with these important floors.

Exterior Flooring & Paving This is an annual feature that is always exciting because it is such a competitive sector with so many flooring options, products and systems available. We look at the latest developments in paving, including the benefits of permeable paving, and will feature simulated stone products and applications such as car parks, residential, commercial, industrial and decking.

Smartstone

Access Flooring & Cable Management This is an increasingly important annual update on the products and services available to meet the changing needs of clients striving to keep ahead of the game in the IT sector. We will also take a look at how airconditioning systems can be accommodated.

Bergvik

F LO O R S J u l y A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Feature: Enter tainment & Leisure

ENTERTAINMENT & LEISURE FLOORING feature The floors used in the entertainment and leisure industry cover a vast array of projects and applications, yet they all demand the same attributes from their floors – high design and aesthetic appeal; high quality and value for money; and excellent wear and appearance retention even in the most arduous conditions.

77 F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Feature: Enter tainment & Leisure

Emperors palace

The glamour starts at floor level!

The floors used in the entertainment and leisure industry cover a vast array of projects and applications, yet they all demand the same attributes from their floors – high design and aesthetic appeal; high quality and value for money; and excellent wear and appearance retention even in the most arduous conditions.

C

asinos, cinemas and theatres, restaurants, lodges and guest

houses – all need these attributes to meet the stringent require-

five-venue arts and cultural centre. As such, it receives public funding from the SA Government and the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government.

The historic Playhouse, with its ornate Elizabethan décor and atmospheric ‘starry sky’, is one of South Africa’s most famous performance venues. Host to generations of stage legends, this is truly KZN’s ‘grand old lady’ of showbiz.

Maintenance manager Malcolm Gray says that they keep the flooring requirements simple: ceramic tiles with a powerful design in the foyers which accommodate the high traffic flow very well; very high quality custom-made Crossley carpets to a selected design in the

ments of their facilities – but this sector is so vast and varied we have

interiors; and Marleyflex vinyl sheeting (now marketed by FloorworX)

taken but a few specific examples to determine what the preferred

in the theatres – and this approach has stood them in good stead.

floorcoverings are in different applications.

Although the number of visitors attributable to the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup event fell considerably short of the early predictions, the entertainment and leisure industry in this country has had

For example, the carpeting currently used actually replaced some that had been in use for 25 years and was still providing good service.

In terms of ‘traditional’ cinemas, the largest cinema group in South Africa is Ster-Kinekor with over 50 such facilities throughout the coun-

to meet the needs of almost half a million soccer fans, teams and vis-

try, and project manager Johan Mostert says that they intend to stay

iting dignitaries in addition to the local followers and holidaymakers

with the floorcoverings and suppliers that have stood them in good

– a task that it achieved with commendable success.

stead and provided the quality and durability that is required.

Cinemas and theatres One of the earliest forms of public entertainment in this country

78

palace’ in 1896, was rebuilt in 1935, and has since been restored, combined with the Prince’s/Colosseum theatres, and currently forms a

In the auditorium areas high-quality Crossley carpeting is custommade to the requirements of Ster-Kinekor and used in combination

was the ubiquitous ‘bioscope’ and, although most of the older cin-

with Polyflor PUR vinyl floor sheeting. Porcelain tiles are used in the

emas have since been demolished to make way for office blocks, the

foyers – although Crossley carpets will soon be incorporated into cer-

Playhouse Theatre in Durban is perhaps the oldest building of its type

tain areas there as well.

still in use.

Designed by architect Peter Rogers Cooke, it opened as a ‘picture

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Johan says that these materials have proved able to meet the high traffic levels that they must accommodate, and although the carpets

Feature: Enter tainment & Leisure

are expected to last for around seven years before replacement is needed, many last even longer.

His department recently uplifted a carpet that had withstood the foot traffic of over 600 000 people since it was installed and once it had been cleaned its condition was suitable for a few more years of service. “It is this type of performance that ensures we have no intention of changing our specifications or suppliers,” he says.

Game reserves and lodges Amongst the major attractions that South Africa has to offer is its abundant wildlife in various game reserves countrywide – in the forefront of which is the world famous Kruger National Park. The protection of wildlife started at the instigation of President Paul Kruger with the opening of the Sabie Game Reserve in 1898, which was expanded after the Anglo-Boer War and opened to the public in 1927 as the Kruger National Park.

James Stevenson-Hamilton was appointed as the first park warden and over the next 40 years his influence made an ever-living contribution to the protection and conservation of wildlife, and to the Park’s current existence.

South African National Parks (www.sanparks.org) is the administrator and controlling body for a total of 20 national nature and wildlife parks throughout the country, but the flooring requirements and maintenance needs of these venues is left to the management of each individual park.

To find out what the flooring preferences are for game park lodges, FLOORS in Africa spoke to the property and maintenance department of the Kruger National Park in Skukuza, and to Melanie Parker of Simbambili Game Lodge (part of the upmarket Thornybush Collection of Game Lodges), and found that the floors in these venues have been selected for their practicality, wear resistance as well as their aesthetic appeal.

The reason is simple; the lodges and the accommodation areas are in the bush where sandy or friable soil is prevalent and, although some areas may have a natural stone floor, the majority of them have a plain concrete finish – sometimes with a coloured pigment added, sometimes polished – but selected for the above attributes and their minimum maintenance requirement.

Casinos and entertainment centres Relatively new in South Africa, casinos were introduced in many towns and cities throughout the country once the restrictions on this type of operation were relaxed, and they now include some of the most opulent and upmarket entertainment developments to be found anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere.

For example, the Peermont Group is South Africa’s most empowered hospitality and gaming company with 14 multi-faceted and integrated resorts in Southern Africa, nine of which are in South Africa including the Emperors Palace Hotel Casino Convention Resort situated alongside OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.

This complex commenced trading a few years ago under a different name, but has since been expanded to comprise luxurious accommodation in four unique hotels; a health and beauty spa; a magnificent casino; numerous dining options, spectacular entertainment choices, a retail concourse, and world-class conference facilities. Emperors Palace has it all.

Derek Bester of Emperors Palace says that in the casino they would have preferred a proprietary access floor to accommodate the wiring and to provide easy and quick access for maintenance or repairs, but it was

into the solid concrete floor.

Simbambili

found that people did not like the hollow sound and ‘feel’ of an access floor, so a compromise was reached by running the wiring in ducting set

79 F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Feature: Enter tainment & Leisure In this casino broadloom carpet is preferred, and this is obtained from local manufacturers on a tender basis (with the flooring contractor obtained against a tender as well). The carpeting is purpose-made.

Currently, Nouwens Custom Weave with a wool/nylon blend is installed – a premium-quality carpet that provides the aesthetic appeal, appearance retention and long service life that is required under heavy foot traffic that is required. For the main thoroughfare areas, imported porcelain tiles have been installed.

Some entertainment centres and casinos prefer to use high quality carpet tiles, and one of the benefits of this type of flooring in these applications is that although these tiles must stand the wear of many thousands of people each year, they can be regularly changed around, with high wear areas being replaced with tiles from areas that have less traffic.

Also, if part of the floor gets damaged this could be a problem on a large broadloom floor, but the replacement of a carpet tiled floor is a relative simple operation.

From the projects covered in this article, one thing is certain.

Although there is so much variation in the requirements of the entertainment and leisure industry in this country – to the point that we could only scratch the surface and highlight a few examples in this feature – there is no doubt that the local flooring industry is serving this sector well.

co.za; http://cinematreasures.org; www.emperorspalace.co.za; www. sterkinekor.com; www.playhousecompany.com.

Ster-kinekor

Acknowledgement and thanks are given to the following for information contained in this article: www.krugerpark.co.za; www.thornybush.

6 different patterns 8 standard colours Complete Stair System Enhanced abrasion resistance Superior chemical resistance Jumbo Tiles – a ‘look-alike’ ceramic tile Conductive floor tiles for electronically sensitive areas also available

80

Tel (011) 397 3330 • Fax (011) 397 3810 • e-mail: transitf@mweb.co.za • www.transittiles.com F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Feature: Enter tainment & Leisure

Floor revamped without shutting shop!

As is the case with most businesses, ‘time is money’ and Ekaya Destination Flavour was no exception.

Located at International Departures in OR Tambo International Airport, Ekaya did not have the luxury of shutting shop for a week to revamp their floors. Flowcrete SA offered them a solution by suggesting that they install Flowfast in their restaurant.

F

lowfast is a hardwearing, decorative resin floor topping made

up of colour-stable quartz granules encapsulated in a clear resin

binder. It has been developed to enable very fast track applications

fast turnaround flooring system but it was also aesthetically pleasing

and therefore was ideal for the Ekaya application.

and in line with their corporate image.

Flowcrete only had the opportunity to install 50m² a night and two

They also installed 500m² of flooring at Primi Piatti in the Ballito

hours later they reopened for trading. In total 300m² were installed in

Lifestyle Centre in Kwazulu-Natal recently. This very popular restau-

the main floor area.

rant franchise chose to install Flowcoat Cascade, which is a tough,

On top of the selected and intricate design that was installed in the

82

Flowcrete SA developed these colours to match the corporate branding, and not only was the client satisfied by Flowcrete offering a

protective, chemical-resistant, decorative epoxy flooring system

restaurant, Ekaya also requested that their special corporate colours

incorporating coloured quartz to combine aesthetic appeal with

should be used.

demanding flooring requirements.

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Feature: Enter tainment & Leisure

All these qualities met the client’s requirements as well as being

Both flooring systems are hardwearing, high-performance and

easy to clean. Flowcrete SA was able to comply with their expecta-

chemical-resistant. They are also easy to clean and aesthetically

tions on service, quality and floor finish.

attractive. Some of the retail outlets that installed Flowcrete floor-

Also, Flowcrete SA supplied 4 900m² of its flooring systems for the new retail shopping centre developed in Pretoria North known as Zambezi Mall, where the developer looked at alternative flooring solutions to tiles as well as something cost-effective.

Each of the tenants was given an option on colour as well as thick-

ing systems at this centre are Homeware House, Baby Baby, Shirt Happens and Land Rover.

Flowcrete South Africa has branches in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, and for more information contact Verity King at the numbers shown below, or visit the website www.flowcrete.com.

ness of product, and Flowcoat SF 41 and Flowtex HT were the chosen

Flowcrete SA (Pty) Ltd

Tel: 031 461 3411

flooring systems.

Marketing Services

E-mail: verity.king@flowcrete.com

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

83

Feature: Enter tainment & Leisure

New product 86

has many uses F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Feature: Enter tainment & Leisure

CreteCote has recently been launched as part of the successful floor range at Cemcrete. Its binding nature allows it to be applied to almost any cement or concrete surface (with the correct preparation work done first, of course), which has made it the perfect renovation product.

B

ut its use goes beyond facelifting old, tired screeds; CreteCote has

already been used very successfully to create stunning counter tops.

One example is at the fresh new Caledon Boutique Hotel in Ballito on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast.

The counters and bathroom vanities were first constructed from precast concrete, and then coated with Cemcrete’s CreteCote. The whole process took the applicators, Diverse Designs, two days to complete, from laying the precast concrete, to applying the CreteCote, and then finishing off with sealer – a total of about 50m2.

The floors were coated with CreteCote as well; the colour used here was a combination of CreteCote White (50%) and CreteCote Straw (50%) to create a soft, luxurious creamy colour that toned in well with the hotel’s overall design.

Cemcrete was established in 1973 and is currently under the control of the third generation of the Bendall family which is steeped in the tradition of inventive and practical applications in the use of cement and concrete.

After the success of two Cemcrete Ideas Centres, both in Cape Town and at Cemcrete’s Head Office in Industria, Johannesburg, Cemcrete is in the process of establishing a third Ideas Centre at 227 Jan Smuts Avenue, perfectly positioned between Rosebank and Hyde Park for architects, designers and homeowners to drop in and take a look at some of the more recent innovations from Cemcrete. This centre is due to open in late spring of 2010…

For full information on the extensive range of products and solutions that Cemcrete can provide, make contact on the numbers shown below, or visit the website.

Cemcrete Tel: 0860 CEMCRETE (236 2738)

87

E-mail: info@cemcrete.co.za Website: www.cemcrete.co.za

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Feature: Enter tainment & Leisure

Johnson Tiles leading the way Johnson Tiles South Africa has a proud history stretching back to 1901 when the first Johnson Tiles was established in England

by Colonel Harry Johnson.

T

he company can boast a number of South African firsts as part

of its track record in tile manufacturing. It is part of two tile man-

ufacturers in South Africa and started production in 1952.

Johnson Tiles, a division of Norcros SA manufactures and imports wall and floor tiles. Its floor tile plants in Olifantsfontein, Gauteng, are state-of-the-art and produce glazed ceramic and glazed porcelain tiles to world standards.

Johnson Tiles is the first and only manufacturer of glazed porcelain tiles in South Africa. Historically, porcelain tiles were imported because the technology and skills did not exist in South Africa until developed by Johnson Tiles, hence the company has great pride in this locally developed product.

The Forte glazed porcelain range – Forte River Sand and Forte Beach Sand – is one of three ranges which include the only PEI 5 (Porcelain Enamel Institute) tiles to be manufactured locally, and this is another first for Johnson Tiles.

A tile rated PEI 5 means that it has the highest abrasion resistance rating measurable. Another characteristic of the Forte range is its slip-resistant properties, making it ideal for very high-traffic areas.

The other ranges including PEI 5 tiles are Granito and Module, both of which are glazed porcelains developed for the contracts market, and all Johnson Tiles products conform to and exceed European Union standards.

For more information on Johnson Tiles – a division of Norcros SA – contact 011 316 3133.

89 F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Feature: Enter tainment & Leisure

Facelift for the leisure turf ranges Van Dyck Carpets, in partnership with TigerTurf, recently decided to review its product offering of synthetic grass to bring the quality and pricing more in line with the demands of the South African market. The result of this review has led to a comprehensive product range that covers the different needs in terms of price and quality.

T

he new Leisure Turf range is made up of four products: Terrace Turf;

appeal, but has the added benefit of being more environmentally

Garden 24; Lifestyle Africa and Vision.

friendly as it utilises a fully recycled polyester yarn in combination with

Terrace Turf is similar to the previous product under the brand name

yarn colours together with the unique shape of the yarns gives this

tic market and is very suitable for general applications such as gardens,

product a very natural look and structure.

landscaping, terraces, patios, balconies, entertainment areas, change

Vision is ideal for any upmarket domestic, civil or commercial land-

rooms and other multi-purpose applications. This product is made of

scaping application and the product of choice for anyone that cares

100% Tencate-branded fibrillated polypropylene.

about the environment, as this is the first and only synthetic turf that

Garden 24 – This product has a pile height of 24mm and is a lowmaintenance and a good all-rounder, primarily used as a budgetfriendly solution for domestic applications such as domestic gardens, landscaping, terraces and similar multi-purpose applications. This product is made of 100% Tencate branded polyethylene and, because of its construction, it is recommended to use a sand in-fill.

Lifestyle Africa – This best-value-for-money product is both hardwearing and highly practical which is why it can be used for domestic, civil and commercial applications. It is made of a combination of texturised and straight polyethylene monofilament fibres and, by combining

90

a monofilament polyethylene yarn. This combination of two different

of VG9. This entry-level short-pile product is mainly used in the domes-

is made of recycled bottles (from landfill to landscape) by means of ground-breaking and patented technology.

All the above products are provided with a 5-Year guarantee subject to the correct installation and continual maintenance of the surface.

There are plenty of good reasons to use synthetic turfs: they eliminate the need for watering; there is no need for fertilisers; and they require very low maintenance, including having no need for lawn mowers, thus reducing your carbon footprint.

For more info on these products please contact Van Dyck Carpets at the numbers shown below, or visit their websites.

two different yarn colours, this product shows a natural-looking surface.

Van Dyck Carpets

Vision – This highly innovative and unique artificial turf is a natural-

Tel: 031 913 3800

looking landscaping product that not only offers fantastic aesthetic

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Fax: 031 912 1220

Feature: Enter tainment & Leisure

Mats to create an ambience As one of South Africa’s leading manufacturers and importers of custom-made commercial and industrial matting, Matco has a sales programme that includes a wide variety of purpose-made personalised mats that are in extensive use in the entertainment and leisure sectors.

M

ade to measure with the logos either printed, or cut into the

base material – what better way can there be of creating a

MATCO matting systems Safety Duckboard

lasting and functional welcome for visitors to hotels, casinos, golf clubs, restaurants, cinemas and theatres, conference centres and many more?

Logo mats retain the same great mat qualities of our stock selection, like trapping dirt and water and ease of cleaning and durability, while giving you the freedom to design the look you’d like your mat to have.

Matco Logo mats are available in a variety of materials. These include matting for exterior applications; Cushion Fall – constructed from resilient vinyl loops with a non-slip cushion backing and the heavy duty version, Super Contract Fall, featuring an open-loop design which allows the dirt to fall through the mat for easy cleaning.

For a more natural look to suit a rustic environment, Coir is frequently used. This natural coconut fibre with a non-slip vinyl backing is however not suitable for areas exposed to rain.

Our vast variety of polypropylene matting for both medium and high-traffic interior facility entrances will ensure that your entrance always remains in pristine condition.

Please contact Matco on the numbers shown below to obtain a quotation or samples for the impressive range of matting or visit the website www.matcomarketing.co.za.

Matco Marketing

Comfortable to stand on • Facilitates good drainage Non-Slip • Protective floor covering Absorbs high impact • Constructed from PVC Easy to install • Inter-locking • Attractive

Te: 011 452 7961 Fax: 011 452 7965 E-mail: sales@matcomats.co.za / jean@matcomats.co.za / calvin@matcomats.co.za Website: www.matcomarketing.co.za

Tile Size – 460 x 460mm Thickness – 18mm Applications • Any area in which wet conditions prevail • Behind Bar Counters • Inside Fridges • Workshops • Warehouses

Matco Head Office Tel: 011 452 7962 • Fax: 011 452 7965 jean@matcomats.co.za nicole@matcomats.co.za

www.matcomarketing.co.za

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

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JOHANNESBURG Cnr Louw & North Boundary Ave Van Dyk Park, Boksburg Tel (011) 915-2222 PIETERMARITZBURG 20 Chesterfield Road Willowton Pietermaritzburg 033 397 9904/5 CAPE TOWN 21-23 Rand Road Blackheath 021 905 9117/8

TRANSPORT

News

Tiletoria acquires OTT As one of the largest suppliers of floor and wall tiles in South Africa,

Tiletoria has recently acquired ownership of On The Tiles (OTT), a company that has gained an enviable reputation for setting the trends in the local tiling industry. FLOORS in Africa spoke to Patrick Thonissen of Tiletoria to get the details of this acquisition.

How do you see the acquisition of OTT enabling the development of Tiletoria?

We opened in Durban 18 months ago with a view to establishing the base from which we can ship into Gauteng, and it had to settle down and become a profitable stand-alone business before we expanded into Johannesburg.

Since then Durban has done quite well so we are moving that branch into much bigger premises – a 6 000m² warehouse (as opposed to the current 2 500m²), and the showroom will also more than double its size to 1 000m².

This will allow us to land heavy-duty containers in Durban – loading 25% more material than the containers shipped directly into Johannesburg – and to transport tiles at more competitive costs than sending containers to Gauteng.

We also started looking in Johannesburg and decided that we could add enough value to the existing OTT business with a much bigger stockholding and wider rang-

base will double and access to stock will be ten times greater, plus we are employing a couple of specification salespeople and widening the marketing into more niches.

This means we will not just be in retail, but wholesale, specification work with the national corporates, housing developments (traditionally our core business in Cape Town), and some specification work with architects, quantity surveyors and interior designers.

We will also be growing the current sales force from 7 or 8 persons to 12, employing people with experience in our line of business.

Will any changes/additions be made to the Tiletoria board of directors?

All the directors of OTT will be leaving as we don’t need to expand our own Board, but we will be talking to the previous management regarding what role they can play in our new venture. Experienced people are hard to find so we don’t wish to lose this expertise if it can be harnessed.

Anything else you think is important or relevant?

Three years ago Tiletoria sold 60% of its shares to Invicta (a Top 50 Stock Exchange Company for the last 13 years); 40% is still owned by current directors, and Invicta traditionally has done well at taking run-down companies and turning them into profitable businesses, as well as making acquisitions of small companies like Tiletoria and growing them, so our real support comes from them and they want to help us grow.

Our current management of Allan Duckworth, Mohammud Mohuideen and myself have been partners for more than 20 years and with more than 30 years in the tile and sanitaryware industry. es, plus some different marketing strategies, more aggressive buying of stock, reducing costs to effect more competitive pricing, and the provision of some wholesale opportunities as well.

We felt this would give us a small footprint in Johannesburg from which to expand after a year or two. We travel the world extensively and avoid “middle people” if possible, so our retail prices are more competitive than most. Also, we don’t deal in the bottom end of the market so the OTT profile of being in the middle to upper levels suits us quite nicely.

Will there be a name change?

Yes, it will be a Tiletoria.

94

Will your sales programme change much?

We’ll keep what worked for OTT and add our ranges. The selections

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

News

Lady installer passes the test!

The Southern African Wood &

chairman Steven Suntup running the solid wood training.

Laminate Flooring Association

Certificates of attendance are given to each member attending,

(SAWLFA) recently accredited

together with full training manuals which include a pre-installation

a female laminate flooring

guide, and installation and maintenance guides.

installer following her attendance at one of the regular

Anyone requiring further information on these courses should contact SAWLFA at 011 455 2822, or visit the website www.sawlfa.co.za.

SAWLFA training sessions.

Diksha Bhura, who works for The 3D World of Floors – which is fairly new in the industry Diksha Bhura

– says that although this is a

new company it recognises the benefits of professional training that can be passed onto its customers.

“I am very excited and positive on being the first SAWLFA-accredited lady; this opens up a whole new era for me and all the other ladies out there,” she says.

Since SAWLFA released its new training manuals last year it has run two training sessions in Johannesburg and one in Cape Town, with another scheduled in Cape Town for September this year. This is in line with the aim of the Association to run sessions once a year in both Durban and Cape Town, and in Johannesburg on demand.

The training sessions for wood and laminates are kept separate, with the SAWLFA chairman, Allan de Wit, running the latter, and vice-

Global drive on Health and Safety by Lafarge Lafarge, world leader in building materials, has for many years stated categorically that Health and Safety are absolute priorities

approach to healthy, safe behaviour.

“The theme for our Health & Safety month in 2010 was The Clean

for the Group. Employees have the benefit of stringent safety poli-

Space Challenge, a focus on good housekeeping,” says the Lafarge

cies and comprehensive healthcare programmes, which are also

Group’s Workplace Health & Safety Manager, Paul Corbin.

extended to subcontractors and the local communities in which Lafarge operates.

For the third consecutive year, the Group is celebrating a highly

An experienced doctor, Corbin was appointed in February 2009 to develop the health care aspects of Lafarge’s Health & Safety roadmap. “Lafarge believes that the starting point for being healthy

successful initiative which declared June to be Health & Safety

and safe is to have clean plants. This year’s theme was chosen to

month. In 78 countries around the world, 78 000 Lafarge employees

encourage employees to do more than the usual tidying and clean-

were encouraged to demonstrate their commitment and creative

ing; the main aim is to devise and commit to sustainable good housekeeping procedures.”

“Health & Safety has been made our No.1 priority because we cannot compromise when it comes to the wellbeing of our staff,” adds Corbin. “It is the only responsible policy and also sound business sense: our employees need to be in good health to achieve their full potential and contribute effectively to the success of the company.”

Lafarge has achieved impressive results from its safety campaign which aimed to halve the Group’s Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate every 3 years, but is relentless in its determination to become one of the safest industrial groups in the world.

In South Africa, the Lafarge HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programme is both highly regarded in the industry and being used by the Group as the basis for similar campaigns in other developing countries.

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

95

News

Get up to date with facilities management The South African Facilities Management Association (SAFMA) will be holding its Conference and Exhibition from 24 to 25

Frida Tugnoli moves to CTM

Having had three management positions with Italtile since join-

August 2010 at the Airport Grand Hotel in Boksburg, Gauteng,

ing the Group in 2002, Frida Tugnoli has now been appointed

giving you the opportunity to find out more about the

as Brand Manager at CTM.

Association and how its practices compare on both African and global platforms.

Frida was born in Bologna, Italy, moved to South Africa in 1998, and joined Italtile in 2002 as assistant manager of the

Key issues to be covered include: What is Globalisation and

Italtile Bryanston store, taking over as manager of the store one

the effect it has on our lives; Classifying South African Facilities

year later. From 2005 until the recent appointment she handled

Management – is it possible; Discover how culture and social norms

the marketing and public relations

affect Facilities Management; and How does our infrastructure

functions for Italtile.

compare, and how does this affect Facilities Management.

For further information and registration details, contact Kim

As CTM brand manager Frida will manage the Tivoli and Studio Ceramico brands and also be involved with

Veltman at conference@safma.co.za or on 083 556 1719, or

advertising and PR for the CTM brand.

check the website www.safma.co.za.

Tivoli is a well-established range of imported taps exclusively distributed in South Africa by CTM, and

Welcome to M Squared Project & Design

Studio Ceramico is a new brand of ceramic tiles, also exclusive to CTM. The Tivoli and Studio Ceramico ranges are characterised by Italian design, and both brands are stylish and trendy. They are meant to become the fashion market leaders and to inspire the public with the latest international trends.

FLOORS in Africa would like to wish Frida every success in her new position.

Frida Tugnoli

Lizelle Botha, Mitch Whayman and Evone De Almeida As reported in this issue of FLOORS in Africa, On the Tiles has been sold to Tiletoria after 20 years of successful trading in

Joburg 2010 is described as being the ultimate roundup of what’s

Johannesburg and Pretoria, which has resulted in a new venture

new, with five halls filled with new reveals, fresh initiatives, themed

being established known as M Squared Projects & Design.

pavilions, DIY ‘how-to’ theatres, great deals and hard-to-beat bargains.

Mitch Whayman, an ex-director and son of the founders of On The Tiles, has formed this new company in conjunction with Evone De Almeida and Lizelle Botha.

Commenting on this development Mitch said, “I would like to

This is the 17th anniversary of this event which this year bears the theme Breath of Fresh Air, and will play host to 650 exhibitors. Seminars for the design-minded include:- Conversations on Architecture with a diverse line-up of international and local industry

take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support and

players; Interior & Design Dialogue: the IFI Trend Conference with an

commitment of the last two decades in making On The Tiles a

impressive list of international guest speakers; The Lighting in Design

truly successful player in the industry.”

Pavilion; and the Plascon Prism Awards.

“As this chapter closes, we anticipate continuing to focus our efforts on the design, product quality and client service that people have become accustomed to over the past few years and look forward to continuing to grow the relationships we have formed.”

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Don’t miss Decorex Joburg!

As Southern Africa’s largest décor and interior design event, Decorex

Anyone requiring further information can contact Mitch on 082 499 7063, or by e-mail: info@msquared.co.za.

F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

One of the highlights of this year’s event will be the launch of the trend-setting 2011 Plascon Colour Forecast.

Decorex Joburg takes place at the Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand, from 5 to 9 August 2010.

For further information (or to purchase tickets) visit the website: www.decorex.co.za.

News

CMA publishes green paving brochure

The effectiveness of this recent PCBP installation at the Anglican Cathedral in Pietermaritzburg can be clearly seen in this picture shortly after a cloudburst. The non-permeable bitumen surface on the left is still awash with water whereas the PCBP surface is only slightly damp.

The Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA) has published a brochure on permeable concrete block paving (PCBP), the green alternative to conventional concrete block paving (CBP).

Its primary objective is to assist landscape designers, property developers, as well as planning, building control and adoption officers to

“It is deceptively simple, providing an attractive pavement surface which acts as a form of source control to reduce the peak rate, total volume and frequency of stormwater run-off, replicating greenfield run-off characteristics.”

“PCBP is also one of the most space-efficient water attenuation

better understand PCBP and the positive impact it is having on the

systems available as it doesn’t require any additional land,” concludes

environment.

Laing.

The brochure highlights the three essential pillars of PCBP: minimising water run-off; improving water quality; and providing amenity (improving the environment) and biodiversity.

The underlying principles of PCBP and the differences between PCBP pavers and conventional paving blocks are also covered.

The brochure can be downloaded at no charge from the CMA’s website, www.cma.org.za. Simply click on ‘Publications’ and follow the prompts. Alternatively, hard copy versions are available from the CMA, also at no charge. Contact Pam Zukor on 011 805-6742 or by e-mail: main.cma@gmail.com

Advice is given on how to match PCBP systems to sub-grade (ground) conditions. Three systems are covered: full infiltration, suitable for ground with good permeability; partial infiltration for ground not

This diagram shows the third PCBP option in which a permeable

capable of absorbing all the water; and no infiltration, where the exist-

flexible membrane is placed on top of the sub-grade and up the

ing sub-grade is poor or contains pollutants.

sides of the permeable sub-base to form what is effectively a

Other aspects covered by the brochure include water quality and the

storage tank.

removal of pollutants, service life and maintenance.

The brochure includes photographic and diagrammatic material on South African PCBP sites and lists CMA paving producers and contractor members.

CMA director Hamish Laing says PCBP is an environment-friendly and versatile water attenuation technique, offering important storage and pollution control characteristics.

“Growing urbanisation combined with more extreme weather patterns is increasing the potential for flooding, especially as many existing stormwater drainage systems are already over-extended. PCBP offers a more sustainable

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approach to the management of water run-off.”

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News

Ultra-Thin Reinforced Concrete Pavements Imagine a concrete road/industrial surfacing with a service life of 40

improved safety factor in the case of the formation of a cavity for

years or more – with minimal maintenance! In comparison to the

whatever reason (pipe leak, etc). The continuously reinforced con-

traditional bituminous roads, which need to be resurfaced every 7

crete pavement will give better support than most other surfacing

to 12 years, this solution is not only the most durable and economi-

methods.

cal, it is also the most environmentally friendly way available of upgrading and maintaining roads and industrial floors.

UTRCP (Ultra-thin Reinforced Concrete Pavements) is a revolutionary new construction method used for both industrial floors such as factories, parking lots and industrial storage rooms as well as roads, replacing both the base layer and the conventional bituminous surfacing (for roads and parking areas).

UTRCP consists of a 50mm layer of 30Mpa concrete, with refer-

resulting in a highly durable and much more cost-effective option on the longer term.

The sustainability cycle of the UTRCP includes job creation for unskilled labour and community participation due to simple construction methods; economical use of material and resources; a light carbon footprint because it is locally manufactured with

ence 200 welded mesh reinforcing in the centre. The layer is con-

no transport involved; it is light in colour, thus causes less heat

structed continuously (no cross joints, only the joints between 3m

absorption and it affords electricity savings due to less street light-

wide strips), with 350mm deep anchors at either end.

ing being required.

The continuous layer functions more as a stretched sheet of mate-

All in all this is a revolutionary new product that has already

rial, with the effect that a much smaller amount of the wheel load is

raised phenomenal interest with most of the larger government

directly transferred to the underlying layers. This allows for less layer

roads departments, including SANRAL (a section of the N12),

works with the same long-term resistance to traffic as conventional

as well as some of the larger metro municipalities (streets in

construction methods.

Mamelodi by TMM).

A further very important advantage of the UTRCP system is the

SA Décor & Design – The Buyers’ Guide 2011 Edition now available SA Décor & Design has recently released the 14th edition of The Buyers’ Guide, and once again this is another stunning edition of this leading resource for the décor industry in South Africa, providing an interesting and informative reference for the user – whether he or she is a cutting-edge industry professional or the homeowner.

This massive 608-page edition includes some great new sections, notably Style Spy, which showcases some of the beautiful and ingenious new products surfacing in the market, helping you create exceptional living spaces and dynamic working environments.

A stand-out too is the Green Pavilion, keeping The Buyers’ Guide abreast of ecological issues by promoting companies that manufacture and supply green products.

Between the many Style Spy features and the Green Pavilion is a wealth of other interesting and informative sections – Pavilions featuring Designers & Decorators, Architects, Décor Centres, Home Automation products and Fabric Houses, Q&A With Home Channel presenters and trends from four of South Africa’s top décor magazine editors.

Also, visit the new improved-look website – www.sadecor.co.za – which is now even better than ever!

Copies of the 2011 edition of The Buyers’ Guide can be purchased

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Furthermore, as tested by the CSIR, (funded by the Cement and Concrete Institute), maintenance on these surfaces is minimal,

from leading bookstores throughout the country, or online, and stand a chance of winning R60 000 of furniture from Nowa Designs.

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News

Global expert to hold seminars on green paving systems

John Cairns

Dr Brian Shackel

Australia’s Dr Brian Shackel, a world leader in concrete block paving (CBP), will be staging four half-day seminars on permeable concrete block paving (PCBP) systems during September/October, teaming up with local paving expert and former Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA) director John Cairns, who will demonstrate and expand on local examples of permeable paving installations.

The seminars, which are aimed at engineers, environmental managers, landscape architects and contractors, are being organised by the CMA and will be staged in Gauteng on 30 September; Cape Town on 4 October; Port Elizabeth on 6 October; and in Durban on 7 October.

Dr Shackel will cover global developments in permeable paving and will also report back on the research on permeable paving sub-base materials that Australia’s University of New South Wales as well as Belgian and German universities are undertaking under his guidance.

This research is being sponsored by the CMA, the CMAA (Concrete Manufacturers Association Australia), Interpave UK, and UNI North America.

Moreover, Dr Shackel will cover the latest updates on PermPave, the software package he and Professor Simon Beecham of the University of South Australia jointly authored for the design of permeable paving systems. LockPave, the software used for designing conventional paving, will also be on the agenda and delegates will be encouraged to discuss aspects they are not sure about.

CMA director Hamish Laing says that PermPave was designed for South African conditions and is programmed with South African rainfall data.

“It also facilitates the downloading of additional local climate and rainfall information and enables the selection of local paving blocks best suited to a particular application. The designing for specified volumes of water, either for storage and re-use, or for replenishing underground water tables, is another of the software’s valuable attributes.”

In addition to discussing the deployment of permeable paving in South Africa, Cairns will also explain how the country’s new paving standard, SANS 1058 2010, differs from its predecessor.

The seminars have been registered with the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) and participants will qualify for CPD points.

A nominal charge is being levied to cover costs. Interested parties should contact Pam on 011 805 6742. Alternatively, registration forms

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can be downloaded from the web at www.cma.org.za.

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News

New carpet cleans indoor air Netherlands carpet maker Desso recently stated that it has launched a new carpet that cleans indoor air better than standard

Sidestepping precast concrete standards

test institute, show that the new carpet is four times more effec-

– a huge threat

tive than standard carpeting at trapping particulates.

exclusion of SABS standards in tender documents issued by local

carpet. The new carpet, AirMaster, is primarily aimed at offices, hospitals, schools and other public buildings.

The company said that independent tests by GUI, the German

Desso said the carpet is based on patented technology and

The Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA) believes that the and national government bodies for precast concrete products

releases 80% of trapped dust during vacuum cleaning, a 16%

poses a serious threat to construction standards as a whole as

improvement compared to standard carpet.

well as to the community at large.

Desso said it is the world’s only manufacturer to offer a product certified with a Gold logo from GUI.

In some instances, the consequences are immediately apparent, as in the failed Mdanzani affordable housing project in East

Floordaily.net

London. Often, however, the failures take many years to present themselves, for instance in leaking outfall sewers, and are extremely disruptive and expensive to remedy.

The non-specification of SABS-approved precast concrete prod-

Stats from the States

ucts by public procurers is being experienced by most CMA producer members and is of deep concern to them.

CMA director Hamish Laing observes that companies which carry the SABS mark are operating at a competitive disadvantage, as those producers who don’t carry the mark can drop prices by

We thought you might be interested to know who the market leaders are in each type of floorcovering in the USA. Here are

skimping on materials and production procedures.

“Mark-holders spend more money in providing products which

the recently published 2009 figures. Figures in parentheses

carry the mark and which are produced in ISO 9001 or ISO 9000

show the percentage difference from 2008.

listed factories. If public procurers continue to ignore national

Type

Company

US$ millions Market share

worthwhile for major players in the precast concrete industry to

Carpet

Shaw

$2,880

standards, the time is approaching when it will be simply not subscribe to national standards.”

39,3% (-0,5%)

Rugs

Mohawk

$630

24,2% (+4,5%)

Hardwood

Armstrong $434

25,9% (+0,8%)

Ceramic

Mohawk

$703

52,7% (-2,6%)

Laminate

Pergo

$243

22,2% (+5,1%)

Resilient

Armstrong $532

38,5% (-0,5%)

“We must not allow this to happen as the type of shoddy construction practice we have recently witnessed in the affordable housing market will spread to the rest of the industry, with disastrous consequences for all South Africans,” he says.

Domotex Hannover 2011 This prestigious annual event takes place from 15 to 18 January next year, and stand bookings are being made faster than for this year’s expo.

Your contact for further information:

Floor Focus May 2010 (www.floordaily.net)

Onuora Ogbukagu Tel: +49 511 89 31059 E-mail: onuora.ogbukagu@messe.de

101 F LO O R S A u g u s t 2 0 1 0

Q&A

News

Immaculately stoned!

What is the difference between a topping and a screed?

Not all quartz aggregate can be successfully

A topping is a layer of high-strength concrete that is designed to

used in flooring. The aggregate must always be

provide a dense, abrasion-resistant surface on a concrete base, or to increase the structural depth and strength of a base slab

naturally rounded for aesthetic reasons as well

– which is then called a structural topping.

as for functionality.

A screed is a layer of well-compacted materials, commonly a mixture of cement and fine aggregate that is applied to a base at

Due to the success in the category over the past ten years,

the required thickness and that has a surface suitable for receiving

a couple of small operations have sprung up using cheaper

a floor finish. Self-levelling screeds are often used where a sur-

crushed stone. Some companies are even using crushed

face-critical finish is required.

marble in their floors!

On site, I noticed that some of the cement that

Quartz, or for that matter any other stone, that has been

was used produced a concrete of a much lighter

crushed in a crusher to achieve the standard 2-3mm stone

colour than the rest. What causes this?

size can only be used on vertical surfaces or on other

Concrete manufacturers take care to keep the material as homo-

surfaces that are not exposed to foot traffic or any form of

geneous as possible, but the colour of the different loads may

impact.

show marginal variations.

This is because the mechanical process of crushing the

You can minimise or even eliminate the difference by blending the first concrete discharged from a truckload with the last con-

large rocks to achieve the fine aggregate leaves thousands of cracks and fissures within the stone particles, making

crete from the previous truckload.

this aggregate lose its inherent strength so that when used

What is a ‘honed’ floor finish?

on a floor this system fails in a short period of time.

This terminology is only relevant to natural stone floors, and

Marble measures 3-4 on the MOH Scale of Hardness but if

‘honing’ is a process used during the cutting and polishing of the

it is crushed marble you can divide the MOH hardness by

stone to provide a low-sheen gloss effect to the surface, and it is

two! Marble is made of calcium just like your teeth. If you

possible to select different levels of gloss.

eat something too hard, you will break your tooth. If you

However, honed stone colours are not as vibrant as those of regular polished stone and, although this surface is very smooth,

eat a lot of sugar you will get a cavity. Stone reacts in the exact same way! These floors are likely to disappoint, and

it is also very porous, so a penetrating sealer is recommended.

the public should avoid using flooring systems that utilise

What are the benefits of using natural wood

crushed marble!

floors?

The rounded stone has several important advantages.

No other flooring offers the warmth, beauty, and value of wood.

Firstly, independent hygiene test results prove that no

Wood flooring enhances the décor of any room, and provides

micro-organisms of Staphylococcus aureus, yeast and

timeless beauty that will increase in value throughout the years

mould e-coli or Coliform enumeration adhere to the round-

and in most cases will add value to the house as well as enabling

ed internal parts of the floor.

the homeowner to sell it faster and for a higher price than a house

These floors can therefore be effectively cleaned and sani-

without wood floors.

New technology in stains and finishes calls for regular clean-

tised. Secondly, the resin binder envelops a rounded stone particle evenly, which contributes to its impact resistance

ing that takes little more than sweeping and/or vacuuming, with

strength.

occasional use of a professional wood floor cleaning product. Use

Thirdly, because of the uniform round-

a cleaning product recommended by your flooring manufacturer,

ness of the stone the matrix of the

installer, or other wood flooring professional, to ensure that you

finished floor is tighter and stronger,

use the proper cleaner for your type of flooring and finish.

which affects the longer-term look and

Wood floors are ecologically friendly. Since it is a natural

strength.

resource, wood is both renewable and recyclable and, because wood does not collect dust and other allergens, many leading

Jeremy Stewart

health associations agree that wood floors are the perfect choice

Flooring specialist and owner of

for a healthy home.

Quartz Carpet

Today’s wood floors are affordable. Over time, wood floors maintain their value. When other flooring options are looking tired and worn out, timeless wood floors will still look beautiful.

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Jeremy Stewart Screed, Resin, and Concrete Expert CEO – Quartz Carpet, SA

News

The Train Ticket!

Three women and three men are travelling by train to Wembley Stadium.

At the station, the men each buy a ticket and watch as the women buy just one ticket! ”How are the three of you going to travel on only one ticket?” asks one of the men. ”Watch and learn,” answers one of the women.

They all board the train. The three men take their respective seats but all three women cram into a toilet together and close the door.

Shortly after the train leaves the station, the conductor comes round collecting tickets. He knocks on the toilet door and says, “Ticket please.”

The door opens just a crack, and a single arm emerges with a ticket in hand.

The conductor takes it and moves on.

The men see this and agree it’s quite a clever idea, so, after the game, they decide to do the same thing on the return trip and save some money.

When they get to the station they buy a single ticket between the three of them, but, to their astonishment, the three women don’t buy a ticket at all! ”How are you three going to travel without a ticket?” says one perplexed man.

“Watch and learn,” answer the women.

When they board the train, the three men cram themselves into one toilet and the three women cram into another toilet.

Shortly after the train is on its way, one of the women leaves her toilet and walks over to the toilet in which the men are hiding.

The woman knocks on the door and says, “Ticket please!!”

Still looking good The first time mosaics were used on the floor was the 4th century BC, and the Romans used it almost as a welcome at the entrance to their homes.

In recent years mosaics have come into their own, not only for their waterproof properties, but also for their aesthetic qualities, because they are available in a myriad of designs and colours, and therefore can match any desired décor or flooring material.

They can even provide the means to present corporate logos in foyers and meeting rooms.

New Marketing & Design Manager for Italtile Retail Amraj Lux Dursan has been appointed as the new marketing and design manager for Italtile Retail, replacing Frida Tugnoli who has moved to CTM. Amraj was born and raised in Durban, and moved to Johannesburg after matriculating to study Architecture at Wits

and integrated experience at any of our Italtile stores countrywide.”

“The overhaul of dated ideas and concepts to create a superior environment within our stores for all our customers forms the very basis for all future development and progress,” he says.

Amraj also has

University. In February 2004 he joined the Italtile Group as a flexi-

admiration for

timer at weekends while studying – and even when working full

Frida Tugnoli.

time at an architectural practice – and he decided to join Italtile on

“I was hired by

a full-time basis in May 2007.

Frida as a flexi-

This coincided with renovations to the Bryanston showroom

timer in 2004

where his architectural skills were put to use in the design of the

and I would like

new displays. He then designed the addition of the Bathshop at the

to thank her

Pretoria showroom which has been a huge success in terms of inno-

for all her sup-

vative retail design and product sales.

port and advice

As marketing and design manager for Italtile Retail, Amraj will con-

during my own

tinue with his architectural duties at Italtile, and is currently working

progress within

on the construction and development of the new Cape Town store

the Italtile

(due to open in August 2010) which involves a brand-new store

Group, as well as

concept for the South African retail sector. There are also other

for all the expe-

projects in the pipeline for 2011 and beyond which are only at the

rience gained on

planning stage at present.

the exhibitions

Amraj says, “The new way in which we are developing our new stores and revamping our existing ones requires a symbiosis between the architecture, design and marketing to create a unique

and events we have held.”

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Amraj Lux Dursan

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News

Foundation

Views and opinions from speakers at contractworld.congress held in conjunction with Domotex Hanover 2010 earlier this year. These architects and designers were specifically involved in hospitality design.

Architecture from boundary surface

Hotels, restaurants and spas are stage-managed locations for activities that we also engage in at home. When we are not at home, we want to experience these activities in a non-domestic manner.

The architecture of these locations therefore has the potential to make everyday life enchanting, to remove the apparently familiar, and make it appear strange by means of original and atmospheric scene-setting.

This process of deliberate alienation is especially successful when it goes beyond the moment of scene-setting, impacts on our experience of everyday reality and allows us to experience sleeping, Hitoshi Abe

eating and taking a bath as something special.

Atelier Hitoshi Abe, Sendai City, Japan

Hospitality 2009

Hotel architecture is a minefield for architects. Normally, they have to constantly struggle with interior architects/designers who want to ignore all the structural decisions of the architectural design.

Also problematic is the relationship between the architect and investors who want a 5-star hotel but only want to spend a 2½-star budget. In contrast, authenticity of experience is important, as is the case in Alpine tourism where the location has always been the central factor.

Today’s hotel investors, however, tend to have an eye on the eccentric orgies of luxury hotels in Dubai. Whether this is still architecture or a form of prostitution, I cannot say.

Matteo Thun Matteo Thun & Partners, Milano, Italy

Nordic Spa concepts into Estonia

Spa tourism in Estland is a relatively new tourism concept that was implemented all the faster after the country became independent of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Most spa visitors are native guests from the mainland who want to spend their vacation on the islands. In our own spa projects in Estland, however, the operators pursued decidedly western models for the architecture and interior design in order to attract foreign guests as well.

This becomes somewhat paradoxical because the question arises as to whether foreign guests in Estland would rather look for other forms of wellness tourism that are local in nature.

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Andrus Koresaar Koko Arhitektid, Tallinn, Estonia

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