Each Elegance Royale Plank has been skilfully created using a new super matt technology (Gra-Matt™Ultra) that makes the floor visually closer to natural wood, unlike many other glossy LVT products. Each design accurately mimics the texture of natural timber while incorporating multitonal variance to give your herringbone floor realistic character and depth.
SALES AGENTS
Gary Kendall
London W, WC, SW, N, E, EC plus Home Counties 07802 661 944
Tony Mellamphy
Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire, Oxon, Isle of Wight, London SE, SW, S 07908 568 532
Sandy Anderson Lancashire, Cheshire Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Wirral, and North Wales 07445 232 345
Contact +44 (0) 20 8368 8122 or infouk@xyloflooring.com At
FLOORINGNEWS
Rustic Charm trades up, naturally
Abingdon Flooring has launched Stainfree Rustique Ultra, a carpet with an enduring rustic charm
With a flecked yarn the Stainfree Rustique range from Abingdon Flooring has become a popular option for homeowners wanting a natural looking style at a competitive price. Now, with the launch of Stainfree Rustique Ultra, the British carpet manufacturer has a style for homeowners needing a more durable family carpet.
Stainfree Rustique Ultra uses a tri-colour Stainfree yarn for its signature look and by using a dense 1/10th twist pile it’s resistant to wear over its lifetime. With the famous lifetime stain guarantee and easy cleaning of its 100% Stainfree yarn, Rustique Ultra brings a traditional look with the best in modern liveability. The carpet also features Abingdon Flooring’s fleece backing to improve underfoot feel and make fitting easier.
For Stainfree Rustique Ultra, Abingdon Flooring has developed a palette of 16 heartening and welcoming shades. A wide choice of grey ensures a rustic twist on a modern look, while neutral colours such as Sedge, Hopsack and Thatched Roof give a decidedly classic ambience.
Charlotte Coop, head of marketing, Abingdon Flooring, says: “With a unique tri-colour yarn that’s impressively natural looking, Rustique has become a popular choice for homeowners wanting a traditional style carpet that’s easy to live with and affordable. We’ve introduced Rustique Ultra to make sure that retailers also have an option for customers that love the look but are happy to spend a little more for added durability.”
Not only is Rustique Ultra’s tri-colour yarn ideal for giving it a natural look, but it also helps to hide dirt and spills between cleans for a more practical choice too. Made in the UK, Stainfree Rustique Ultra is available in 2.5, 4 and 5m widths and has a 10-year wear warranty.
T 01274 655 694 • www.abingdonflooring.co.uk
Ballet high performance by Tarkett
A new marketing initiative from Inspiration by Tarkett is now live on digital channels and has generated almost a million views in the first three weeks.
Launched mid-October 2024, the campaign featuring an elegant ballet dancer performing in a residential setting, has already reached over 6 million impressions across a combination of platforms in just a few weeks.
“We love the ballet idea in connection with the Inspiration by Tarkett digitally printed flooring,” says Steve Urwin from Inspiration by Tarkett. “Our retailers have been telling us how important it is to start to build a brand outside of the retail store and already thanks to this campaign a few have commented that customers are coming into stores to ask for Inspiration by Tarkett”.
“Ballet is perfect for this campaign - the strength, elegance and artistry of the dance encapsulates the value proposition of our LVT product & of course, every great dancer needs a great floor.”
Inspiration by Tarkett LVT is made in Europe and offered exclusively in the UK through the retail channel, so all enquiries from the public are directed to the store locator function of the website, thereby increasing enquiries for the retail partners. The ad takes the form of a very cinematic & aspirational looking video showing the dancer performing on the floor to a classic music soundtrack and a voiceover describing the product as ‘a floor like no other’ and ‘the perfect stage for life’.
“We put a lot of research into establishing the type of people who are making purchases of this type and leveraged the functionality of digital marketing to target these customers on the platforms that offer the best return, namely YouTube, Google, Meta platforms and Pinterest”.
“This is proving to be a great way to build our brand and support our retail partners at the same time,” said Steve.
T 0800 328 2115 • www.tarkett.co.uk
Eco initiatives abound
Environmental awareness is good for business and the flooring industry is embracing the challenge – pages 32–37
Check out our gallery of the greatest flooring photography page 39-51
Tech engages Rita Bancroft looks at technology that eases customer engagement – page 30-31
FLOORINGNEWS
Floating into a faster installation
Flex Pro self-adhesive underlay makes it possible to achieve a floating installation for Moduleo Pro dryback luxury vinyl floors. Cutting down on installation complexity, using Flex Pro is the faster and simpler way to a high quality luxury vinyl floor in commercial projects.
With the ability to absorb minor imperfections, Flex Pro can also help to reduce time and money on preparation. Because there’s no permanent bond to the subfloor when it’s time to replace the floor, it is simply lifted and carried away without damage to the surface beneath, turning around refurbishments faster. There’s also no drying time, so floors can be walked on immediately after installation.
Flex Pro is rolled out onto a correctly prepared subfloor and the self-adhesive is revealed by peeling back the protective layer. Then, Moduleo Pro Roots planks or tiles are simply pressed into place. Flex Pro is also ideal for the shapes and laying patterns of Moduleo Moods as it makes repositioning fuss free. The underlay delivers an installation suitable for commercial projects, accepting a rolling load of up to 250kg.
Paul Webb, National Sales Manager Specification, Moduleo, says: “Commercial projects are run to tight timescales and so using Flex Pro is a sensible measure to minimise the time spent on installing luxury vinyl tiles.”
Using Flex Pro also improves impact sound absorption by 10dB when used with Moduleo Pro Roots 2.5mm dryback luxury vinyl floors.
Quick-Step brightens Barnsley barn
Barnsley flooring retailer, The Floor Barn Ltd, moved into a new larger retail premises two years ago, dedicating a significant area to Quick-Step wood, laminate and vinyl floors. Nearing its 10th birthday, The Floor Barn, is one of Barnsley’s brightest flooring businesses, offering the area’s homeowners a wide selection of premium flooring options.
In 2022, the business moved to larger premises and expanded its winning formula into three dedicated ‘showroom’ areas, including one to Quick-Step. Moving in to its new store also saw The Floor Barn form a direct relationship with Quick-Step, capitalising on its excellent sales support and marketing assistance. With laminate, wood and vinyl floors are displayed on the brand’s impressive point-of-sale units, including the newly expanded waterproof wood collection now featuring Cascada, Cala and Amato. Sarahjayne Dinsdale, owner, The Floor Barn, explains why the business is a committed Quick-Step stockist:
“With an ambition to offer mid to high-end flooring, we’ve sold Quick-Step floors since the very first day we opened. We saw no reason to change this when we moved into our new showroom and so gave Quick-Step a considerable share of our larger footprint. The brand carries a reputation for quality and innovation, so having the full collection on display is a great way to show we’re a retailer that’s committed to quality flooring for Barnsley’s homes,” said Sarahjayne.
“The new waterproof wood is amazing, and the collection now gives customers significantly more choice in the range. There’s no other waterproof wood available on the market, and it’s certainly something our customers are recognising and responding to. Quick-Step is also competitively priced against other premium quality engineered wood floors, which helps,” she adds. www.quick-step.co.uk
Reflections on a fantastic finish
Since they launched earlier this year, the new Brushed Black and Space Grey anodised finishes in the floorwise Reflections range have been a runaway success.
The floorwise Reflections range of carpet profiles has always been associated with quality installations, introducing matching finishes to switches, sockets and door furniture to create a premium and cohesive look. With the introduction of brand-new Brushed Black and Space Grey finishes earlier this year, Reflections continues to offer the latest coordinated looks to contemporary fixtures.
Richard Bailey, managing director, floorwise, explains more, “When Reflections hit the market it transformed homes with its brushed steel nickel and chrome finishes that were the perfect match to popular interior finishes and it quickly established itself as the profile choice for first-class carpet installations.
“We introduced the new Brushed Black and Space Grey finishes to complement the next generation of contemporary switches, sockets and door furniture. These smart and durable anodised looks keep Reflections as the premium choice for a fantastic floor and have been an incredibly popular option with retailers and installers alike.”
All Reflections profiles use a precision extruded aluminium base for exceptional value, combined with anodising or true chrome plate for a durable and lasting finish. The profiles are available in a range of applications including cover strip, single and dual edge, Z edge, and the versatile 2-in-1 stick down ramp edge and cover strip. Reflections profiles are supplied in boxes of 0.9m lengths or tubes of 2.7m lengths and come individually wrapped to ensure they arrive in perfect condition. Available from floorwise distributors across the UK, Ireland & Europe. T 01509 673974 • www.floorwise.co.uk
• Enjoy an engaging, friendly, social and fun member event
• Meet our industry leading suppliers who support the group and take advantage of their additional on the day deals and incentives
• Buffet, Supplier Show, Gala Dinner and Casino Evening included for all attending ACG members
• The largest buying group trade show exclusively for it’s members
FINANCIAL REWARDS!
1 ACG offers membership without interference and a change in practice.
2 ACG offers its members actual ‘best trade pricing’.
3 ACG members receive all their ‘turnover rebates’ directly from suppliers.
4 ACG members have access to the hugely successful, multi award winning and largest of the group rebrands - Smart Choice.
5 ACG are a friendly, member owned and not for profit buying group.
So where’s the catch? Honestly, there isn’t one!
Evolving into a
low carbon future
Karndean Designflooring, a leading UK supplier of luxury vinyl flooring, is forging ahead with its Karndean Evolve sustainability strategy after receiving approval of its near-term targets from the Science Based Targets initiative.
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), a corporate climate action organisation that is developing standards, tools and guidance to help businesses set appropriate targets, has announced that it has independently assessed and approved Karndean’s near-term sciencebased emissions reduction targets.
Fleur Carson, managing director at Karndean Designflooring, said: “Karndean was founded on innovation, bold action and a pioneering spirit and we are still guided by these ideals today because the future demands change. Tackling key environmental challenges and protecting the natural world have become major considerations for the construction industry so we are proud to be taking a leading role in the building of a greener future.
“Our Karndean Evolve strategy explains how we will reduce our environmental impact through continual improvement and outlines how we are integrating the principles of sustainability across our global operations. We have taken a science-based approach to setting ambitious yet achievable targets to reduce our carbon emissions and it is highly gratifying to receive validation of our approach from the SBTi.”
Karndean Designflooring has committed to reduce absolute greenhouse emissions controlled directly and indirectly by 42% by 2030 and from end of life treatment of its sold products by 51.6% by 2030. In addition, it will aim for 62% of its suppliers to commit to science-based targets by 2028.
See more details at: www.thestocklists.com/evolve www.karndean.com/karndeanevolve
Euro showcase for LDP rugs
Louis De Poortere will reveal new designs for 2025 in the Ecorugs collection at Frankfurt’s Heimtextil fair in January – Europe’s unmissable event for textiles and interior design industry with over 46,000 visitors from 130 countries.
LDP’s latest designs include the modern Berber, worn and distressed effects in Tabriz and Virgin Land, the traditional heritage and the intricate motifs of new Suzani, Persian and Kasak. There will also be colour additions to Coral, Ushak, Sakura and more.
These new additions ensure that the recyclable Ecorugs range continues to reflect the latest home interior looks, giving retailers a unique opportunity to present the best of design in a rug collection that’s steps closer to true circularity. Every Ecorug is made from 100% recyclable polyester (even the label), 20% of which comes from recycled PET. This mono-material construction gives every rug a long first life and lets it be reclaimed at the end of its wanted life to be turned back into a new Ecorug through the Belgian maker’s Take Care programme.
Alan Russell, sales director, Louis De Poortere, says: “Heimtextil is the perfect place to reaffirm that our styles stand out for their uniqueness and exquisite attention to detail, giving an accessible way to enjoy design in home interiors. And with every design now using our Ecorugs recyclable construction, we’re excited to be sharing with the textile and interiors trade how an innovative approach to the way products are made can really help to make a better and more sustainable future for the industry.”
Louis De Poorterte is in Hall 5.1, B11, Heimtextil, 14th-17th January 2025, Frankfurt.
www.louisdepoortere.com
Pawn star to premium store in 90 years!
A family firm that opened its store in Hull as a pawnbroker between the two world wars is celebrating its success as one of the city’s top flooring and furnishing retailers that has endured over the last 90 years.
Syd Leighton opened up on Hessle Road in Hull selling a wide range of household goods but when his nephew Fred Booker joined the business in the late 1940s as apprentice pawnbroker, he had the idea to introduce flooring –though we assume he never accepted carpets pawned back on tick!
Neal and Chris Booker joined their father’s business in the 80s and their daughter Suzanne started in the 90s, introducing soft furnishings - all three continue as directors of the business today
The business has expanded from number 510 along to 520 on Hessle Road and has an additional showroom in Beveley. www.leightonshomespecialists.co.uk
Chris Booker
Embracing sustainability
Over 13 years of participating in the Recofloor scheme has helped Cornwall Carpets & Flooring Ltd (trading as CorFloors) to embrace sustainability as a core value and implement several initiatives to minimise its environmental impact.
Not only has the Launcestonbased business collected an impressive total of 46.43 tonnes of waste vinyl flooring for recycling through the scheme, but it has also launched robust cardboard, plastic and carpet recycling programmes reflecting its deeply ingrained commitment to sustainability.
CorFloors efforts are gaining recognition from key industry players, such as leading housebuilder Wainhomes, according to Michelle Keating, General Manager.
“They highlighted our contributions in a dedicated press release emphasising the critical role of the supply chain in advancing organisation sustainability goals,” she comments. “Our customers know that we are very keen on actively recycling, but we don’t pass on any costs to our customers. Offering the Recofloor service is just essentially part of what we do.”
Warehouse Manager Andrew Jones is central to the company’s sustainability efforts, playing an integral role in educating the fitters on Recofloor best practices, such as Toolbox Talks. This education also forms part of the induction process for new employees.
“Our sustainability efforts soared in 2023 with a remarkable 10.9 tonnes of waste vinyl flooring collected for recycling. It marked a significant milestone for our company,” continues Michelle. “It was all down to Andrew and his achievements were recognised with the Recofloor Champion award in 2024. We’re all very proud of him.
On site, dedicated Recofloor bulk bags on pallets accept vinyl offcuts and LVT brought back by the fitting teams, which are collected regularly.
T 0161 355 7618 • www.recofloor.org
Solve sub-optimal sub floors
15 years of recycling success
Leading vinyl takeback scheme, Recofloor, has been celebrating 15 years of successful recycling. Launched in 2009 as a collaborative initiated by manufacturers Altro and Polyflor, Recofloor collects both offcuts and uplifted vinyl for recycling.
Material collected is used in new flooring and traffic products such as traffic cones. So far, the scheme has diverted a stunning total volume of nearly 7,500 tonnes of waste from landfill or incineration.
Over the years, Recofloor has won multiple awards, with 2024 being a particularly good year for industry recognition. The scheme won both the prestigious Green Apple Award for Environmental Best Practice and the Better Society Circular Economy Award, and was highly commended in the Awards for Excellence in Recycling Contribution to Net Zero category. In addition, the team was shortlisted for a further 8 awards. These include 3 category shortlistings in the MRW National Recycling Awards (results to be announced on November 26).
One of the keys to the scheme’s success has been the development of strong relationships with main contractors looking for opportunities to help them reach waste reduction and net zero goals. Increasingly, main contractors are sharing information about the scheme with sub-contractors and requesting that Recofloor be used on specific projects.
A recent example of this was the Dixons Newall Green Academy, a school remodelling project in Manchester.
Go online for the full story @ www.thestocklists.com/recofloor15
T 0161 355 7618 • www.recofloor.org
When it comes to delivering a high quality vinyl floor installation, ensuring a perfectly prepared subfloor is key. Without it, installers risk a subpar installation that may cause trouble down the line. However, ensuring a perfectly smooth and level subfloor ready for sheet vinyl and luxury vinyl floors can be time intensive, costly and not without its own difficulties.
However, with Lion Floor, you can achieve a subfloor ready for vinyl flooring that’s smooth, level and reliable time after time. Lion Floor is hardboard that’s been specifically designed as a rigid flooring underlay for use beneath vinyl flooring. Compatible with feather finishes and adhesives from major manufacturers and installed in the same way as regular plywood, it’s the fast and dependable way to a high quality vinyl floor installation.
The boards are available in a range of sizes for domestic and commercial use and are made in Finland using by-products from local wood processing industries, making Lion Floor a sustainable choice too. Lion Floor actually locks in more carbon than is used to produce it. With Lion Floor, there’s no pre-wetting, no specialist tools or machinery or any adaptations needed to the methods used to smooth out joints and screw holes. Installers can just make the switch to Lion Floor from their usual plywood without any worries. It’s also compliant BS 8203:2017 and is approved by the CFA. What’s more, Lion Floor is more cost-effective than Plywood says the manufacturer. www.finnishfibreboard.com
Recofloor’s Carla Eslava with award
Start the Year in Style! Discover EasyLiving Carpets!
Transform your space with EasyLiving Carpet, where comfort meets timeless design. Engineered for durability and elegance, it’s the perfect foundation for cozy homes and vibrant commercial spaces.
Available in a stunning variety of plush textures, and modern tones, EasyLiving Carpet offers options to suit every style and need. Soft underfoot, easy to maintain, and built to last it’s the ultimate choice for hassle-free living.
FLOORINGNEWS
Making more of Moduleo
The Moduleo luxury vinyl brand is renowned for its close attention to quality and design, and now the Academy for Excellence in Flooring brings the same attention to installation with the Moduleo LayRed Master Installer programme.
The Academy is soon to welcome the first cohort of LayRed Master Installers through its doors later this month, but with a programme of courses throughout the year, there is still time to be an ‘early adopter’ and be the first to benefit from the improved trust and confidence that comes from a manufacturer-backed warranty.
The LayRed Master Installer course covers everything needed to deliver a first-class Moduleo LayRed installation, from subfloor preparation through to identifying pattern repeats, herringbone and 45degree installations and how to replace a damaged plank. Over the course’s duration, installers will improve knowledge and skills and if they pass the course, they will be among the first to proudly hold a Moduleo LayRed Master Installer ID card.
Of course, the free Moduleo Lifetime Installation Warranty will help to instil confidence in your customers, but being a LayRed Master Installer also unlocks a range of business enhancing benefits. These include lifetime membership, access to Moduleo product brochures and samples, the exclusive Master Installer ID badge and van stickers to display your new status, as well as free access to a dedicated technical helpline.
Lee Thompson, technical manager, Academy for Excellence in Flooring, says: “The Moduleo LayRed Master Installer programme not only improves knowledge and skills, but it also builds customer confidence and unlocks benefits that can help businesses to gain competitive advantage through association with one of the country’s leading luxury vinyl flooring brands.” www.pro.moduleo.com/en-gb/academy
LeoLine is a looker for longer
Superguard is the surface protection from LeoLine that helps its cushion vinyl floors to stay looking good.
LeoLine cushion vinyl is a wonderfully comfortable and practical addition to the home and with Superguard protection it’s one that’s also brilliantly easy to look after. A permanent protective finish on the surface of LeoLine floors, Superguard adds resistance against scratches, scuffs, stains and dirt and makes the floor easier to clean.
Superguard also needs no topping up or refreshing, it’s simply a case of installing and enjoying a new LeoLine floor for years to come. All that’s needed to keep Superguard protected LeoLine floors looking good is daily vacuuming, regular mopping and the spot treatment of spills.
What’s more, Superguard is available on a wide range of LeoLine floors, so that whether a homeowner wants the look of wood or stone, ceramic tiles, all-over colours or concrete; a LeoLine floor with Superguard is always easy to look after.
Stuart Reeves, sales and marketing director, LeoLine, says: “Whether it’s a bathroom, kitchen, utility, dining or any other room in the home, homeowners all want a floor that’s beautiful and easy to look after. With Superguard that’s exactly what they get from their LeoLine floor. It’s the fuss free way to welcome in beautiful and comfortable flooring to the home.”
Superguard is available on all LeoLine collections with the exception of Novus and Aspire collections. The protection helps to extend the life of LeoLine flooring and keeps every design looking good for longer.
T 0800 032 3970 • leoline.co.uk
The stars are about to shine!
Entries closed on November 8 and therre were a record number on entries – over 120 in total – so thanks to all those who made submissions in these prestigious awards. The winners will be announced in the next issue of The Stocklists on January 2 - and then the judges will go on to decide on the 'best of the best' Gold winners, to be revealed in April.
Merry Christmas Happy New year &
To our amazing customers and partners, Kellars would like to wish you a fabulous Christmas filled with joy and a Happy New Year full of success and new opportunities!
#ThankYou #HolidayCheers
FLOORINGNEWS
Bostik bio-based system beats residue
Bostik has launched its R3BOND System, providing flooring fitters with a sustainable option for the installation, removal, and recycling of vinyl floor coverings.
The R3BOND System is a removable bonding system which uses patented technology to revolutionise installations of vinyl floor coverings. Once removed, the system leaves behind a subfloor that requires very little preparation, meaning renovation times are significantly reduced. Carbon footprint is also lowered as, in most cases, there’s no need for primers and smoothing compounds to be used during subsequent renovations.
Comprised of a 75% bio-based adhesive and a unique grid, the patented solution enables vinyl floor coverings to be removed without any adhesive residue, meaning they can be recycled at the end of life, instead of being sent to landfill.
Stephen Thornton, Technical Manager at Bostik, explains: “With our new R3BOND System, installers simply lay the grid on a Bostik smoothing compound and spread the adhesive on top, which is encapsulated, before applying the floor covering. This simple process is enough to ensure that, when the floor needs refurbishing later down the line, the floor coverings can be removed and recycled without adhesive contamination, and there is generally no need to prepare the existing smoothing compound before a new floor is laid.
“This provides floor fitters with a versatile solution that helps them achieve their sustainability goals while saving time and money on future renovations,” he adds.
R3BOND remains effective up to 50°C and is tested to withstand 150,000 cycles of castor chair movement, ensuring durability and reliability in the most demanding environments.
New lead for key buying group
Major UK buying organisation and events organiser AIS has announced appointment of Darryl Simpson as its new Chair of the Board.
AIS is the parent company of the Flooring One buying group and hosts the INDX Flooring Show at its Solihull headquarters (formerly the BGNFS event).
With a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the independent retail sector, Darryl is well-positioned to support AIS. Darryl Simpson is currently Managing Director of Aldiss, a Norfolkbased retailer of furniture, homewares, bedding and flooring.
“I am committed to building on the strong foundation laid by my predecessors and to ensure that AIS continues to provide exceptional value and support to its members,” said Darryl. “We will focus on future-proofing the organisation, leveraging technology, and strengthening relationships between members and suppliers.”
AIS expressed its gratitude to outgoing Chair, Neville Moore, who is the Managing Director of Ulster Stores. Sue Kemp, Managing Director of AIS, commented: “We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Neville for his unwavering support and his significant contributions to AIS. His leadership and guidance have been instrumental in shaping the organisation’s future.”
Under Neville’s leadership, AIS successfully hosted its first inperson conference since the pandemic, fostering a renewed sense of community and engagement among members. His dedication to Member engagement was further exemplified by his recent coordination and hosting of the Northern Ireland Regional Meeting, providing a valuable platform for Members to connect, collaborate, and grow their businesses. www.aistores.co.uk
It is ideal for LVT, PVC, and other resilient tile and sheet floor coverings, including those with acoustic backings and, in addition, the system is compatible with warm water underfloor heating systems, provided the surface temperature does not exceed 27°C.
www.bostik-profloor.co.uk/r3bond/
COMBINATION UNDERLAYS NEEDLEFELT UNDERLAYS
For orders and further information, please ring P&R Ratcliffe (Underlays) Ltd. Burnley, Lancashire BB10 3BH Tel: 01282 421026, Fax: 01282 412321 www.foxirugtamer.co.uk
Darryl Simpson Neville Moore
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Pre-Christmas confidence boost for flooring
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas is picking up for flooring retailers with the key consumer confidence measure for big-ticket items jumping up five points in this all-important quarter for the trade.
According to the latest GfK Major Purchase Index, consumer confidence in buying big items like furniture, flooring and appliances has risen five points this November to minus 16.
This is eight points higher than this time last year and represents a positive turnaround for the sector - the Index slumped 10 points in pre-Budget September and was static last month.
The general level of sentiment in the GfK Consumer Confidence Index is also up by three points. Analysts say that consumers have shaken off the pre-Budget nerves after the Chancellor targetted businesses rather than individuals.
Neil Bellamy, Consumer Insights Director, GfK, says: “There was evidence of nervousness in recent months as consumers contemplated the potentially worrying impact of the UK Budget at home, and even the implications of the US presidential election. But we have moved past those events now.
“The biggest change this month is in major purchase intentions, an important measure that has jumped five points from -21 to -16 in the run-up to Black Friday next week,” he said. “But while 2025 is just around the corner and the New Year often brings optimism, it’s too early to expect significant further improvements in the consumer mood. As recent data shows, inflation has yet to be tamed, people are still feeling acute cost-of-living pressures, and it will take time for the UK’s new government to deliver on its promise of ‘change’.”
Housing offers more hope for flooring
Housing transactions were up nearly 9% in September – the sixth straight month of improvement.
The latest data from HMRC showed 91,820 transactions which is 8.9% higher than this time last year, following housing deals between June and August this year up 5.9 to 8.2%.
Housing transactions are seen as a major indication of future activity in the flooring sector as householders furnish their new homes.
Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark, commented: “As we move towards the end of the year, it remains upbeat to witness a real transformation within the housing sector with an overall trend of growth. There are also potential positives hopefully still to come, with strong hints we may see a further dip regarding the base rates.”
Housing transactions in the first quarter of next year are also expected to surge, analysts predict but may be impacted thereafter. The Budget confirmed that the first time buyers’ stamp duty holiday will end on April 1 next year. This holiday was ushered in by the 2022 mini-Budget, and currently means there’s no stamp duty for first-time buyers on the first £425,000 of a property’s value – up from £300,000.
Flooring prices continue to fall
Retail prices for flooring are continuing the deflationary cycle which started last month with another 1% fall.
For most of 2024, flooring maintaining persistent high prices with inflationary rises significantly above the furniture sector as a whole. In August, those prices levelled out and then fell in September by 2.5% and in October by 1.3%.
The latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed retail furniture price almost level with just a 0.3% rise.
Victoria divests
Turkish tiles business
Victoria PLC has announced the sale of its Turkish ceramic tile business Graniser for €36.8m to Mr Hasan Akgün CEO of Duratiles.
Victoria retains an advantageous supply agreement with Graniser and says the deal does not affect its other operations in Turkey. The move follows “recent instability” in its key markets.
CEO Philippe Hamers said: ““Having experienced a difficult demand environment recently, the sale of Graniser to, and partnership with, Mr Akgün will provide Victoria’s ceramic tiles business continued access to cost-effective tiles whilst contributing towards the deleveraging of the Group’s balance sheet by reducing leverage by approximately 0.5 times.”
BRC blasts “cumulative burden” of Budget
UK retailers face £7bn of extra costs which will cause shop closures and price rises according to a letter signed by 70 of leading stores group who are asking the Government to reconsider its Budget plans.
The British Retail Consortium has drafted a letter to the chancellor which has been signed by 79 retailers including Asda, Boots, Currys, Lidl, Marks and Spencer, Primark, and Sainsbury’s.
It says: “The sheer scale of new costs and the speed with which they occur create a cumulative burden that will make job losses inevitable, and higher prices a certainty.”
It added that with profit margins typically between 3% and 5% in the sector it would “not be possible to absorb such significant cost increases over such a short timescale. The effect will be to increase inflation, slow pay growth, cause shop closures, and reduce jobs, especially at the entry level.
From next April, all large businesses will have to pay higher National Insurance Contributions (NICs) to employees and the rise in the minimum wage from April is set to cost the sector a further £2.73bn.
Vinyl imports up as carpet falters
Vinyl imports from China are growing strongly at the expense of lagging figures for carpets.
Flooring imports overall showed no growth in September according to HM Revenue & Customs data compiled by The Furnishing Report but vinyl was up 18%, thanks largely to a 26% rise in products coming into the UK from China. Meanwhile, carpet imports fell 11% – the fifth month of decline in the sector. Wood flooring imports have continued their strong performance this year with imports (again, mainly from China) up 12% in September.
FLOORING
Star fleet rolls out for the Tredaire-nauts
As the UK’s leading manufacturer of underlay and flooring accessories, Interfloor is excited to announce the upgrade and refresh of its trailer fleet. This significant investment demonstrates Interfloor’s commitment to reliability, efficiency, and sustainability in logistics, ensuring it continues to meet the high standards its customers expect.
The new fleet comprises 56 state-of-the-art trailers, including fifty 13.6-metre tri-axle curtainsiders, four 9-metre single-axle urban curtainsiders, and two additional tri-axle curtainsiders.
Some of the new trailers proudly showcase vibrant Tredaire designs, featuring the popular Tredaire-nauts. These playful characters bring personality and creativity to the fleet, ensuring the Tredaire brand makes an impact on the road and celebrating one of the UK’s best-known underlay brands.
The trailers have been designed with advanced features to improve delivery efficiency and safety, including a bespoke sliding post system, innovative Sliding Nexus Mavis rails for both Trailer and Urban models, and telematics for real-time monitoring. These innovations enhance driver support and streamline operations while contributing to sustainability goals through reduced emissions and improved fleet efficiency.
With these new trailers now rolling out across the country, Interfloor is better equipped than ever to deliver industry-leading underlay and flooring solutions to Interfloor’s valued customers.
T 0800 032 3970 • www.interfloor.com.
Marketing insights
Embracing technology to enhance customer engagement
Whether it’s at home or in-store, technology plays a vital role in securing flooring sales. From helpful visualisation and social media platforms designed to engage customers, to dedicated trade portals and estimating tools - every stage is important in delivering a smooth customer journey.
Richard Allen, sales director at Karndean Designflooring, said:
“The information technology industry moves fast with new developments streamlining our access to information, creating more user-friendly apps and so facilitating more responsive services. As a society, we have become accustomed to having style inspiration and product information at our fingertips so investing in the right technology is key to keeping any business competitive.
“We are always looking for ways to help our retail partners do business with us and have recently updated our website, making it easier for customers to find their perfect floor and their local retailers.
“Our new website features intuitive navigation and offers improved mobile functionality. We’ve added a new look Find a Retailer page and many more touchpoints to support customers through their journey. There is also a new Product Selector tool. By answering just a few questions, customers can use this tool to find the products that best meet their requirements.
“We are always looking for ways to help our retail partners do business with us and have recently updated our website, making it easier for customers to find their perfect floor and their local retailers.”
“Now an established feature on our website, we frequently receive positive feedback on our Floorstyle tool. Embedded in our website, customers can upload a photo of their room and experiment with our full catalogue of floors and laying patterns to see how each floor might look in their space. After shortlisting their favourite designs, we offer up to six free chip samples delivered directly to their home.”
Luxury carpet brand Crucial Trading has unveiled a new, innovative in-store Design Hub, setting a benchmark in retail display technology. The state-of-the-art point of sale allows retailers to replicate the renowned Chelsea Harbour Design Hub in their retail spaces.
The three-metre Design Hub features the Crucial Trading advanced Rug Builder, enabling consumers to visualise their design on an interactive 42-inch touch screen while exploring the luxury materials, textures, and colours with over 500 samples on display. This immersive journey allows customers to bring their bespoke rug designs to life and order directly in-store the same day.
The innovative point-of-sale boosts customer engagement, helping retailers attract more in-store traffic and increase sales. With higher rankings for Design Partners on the Crucial Trading website, retailers benefit from enhanced visibility, setting them apart from the competition.
“The Design Hub is available immediately and gives instant access to the Crucial Trading Design Partner programme, which offers various benefits, including quarterly in-store training, full access to the Crucial Trading high-quality image library, and priority access to new product launches.”
The Design Hub is available immediately and gives instant access to the Crucial Trading Design Partner programme, which offers various benefits, including quarterly in-store training, full access to the Crucial Trading high-quality image library, and priority access to new product launches. With cutting-edge technology and strategic support, the Crucial Trading Design Hub is ideal for luxury flooring retailers.
Crucial Trading, Design Hub
Karndean Designflooring, Floorstyle
Abingdon Flooring launched its trade portal in 2021, bringing retail customers access to real-time stock levels, account management, orders, and progress tracking.
Featuring real-time stock updates and order processing on its Stainfree, Love Story, Royal Wilton, and new Simply Smooth collections, British flooring manufacturer Abingdon Flooring provides a trade-only portal for its retailer network. Simplifying account management, the secure online platform makes the entire customer relationship management procedure easier.
Real time stock updates allow consumers to make an informed choice about their carpet or flooring, letting retailers manage availability expectations at the point of sale. A simple-to-use filter or search field makes it easy to find the right style, with stock levels available on all-width options.
by Rita Bancroft
Rita is Director of Bancmarketing Ltd and has over 30 years of marketing experience with a proven track record in both business to business and business to consumer multi-channel marketing.
further option for ordering, while helping to strengthen the message of great service that stands so many independent retailers in good stead.”
Plans for further development include an easy-to-access Information Hub where retailers and fitters can access specification sheets, brochures, and recommended fitting instructions.
Charlotte Coop, head of marketing for Abingdon Flooring, says: “Consumers expect to be served information immediately, and so it’s important that retailers are in a position to manage this. Our portal allows retailers to provide information on expected delivery at the pointof-sale, helping to provide the high level of service that’s expected from independent retailers, whether it’s a Monday morning or Sunday afternoon.”
“Consumers expect to be served information immediately, and so it’s important that retailers are in a position to manage this. Our portal allows retailers to provide information on expected delivery at the point-of-sale, helping to provide the high level of service that’s expected from independent retailers.”
“As a British manufacturer, we are in the position to be able to negate some of the problems that can be found in the supply chain of other flooring companies,” continues Charlotte. “However, the efficiency advantages can be lost if retailers rely solely on a single order process. It’s a business priority to provide a more connected digital offer, and our portal streamlines the entire account management process. It provides a
The MasterPiece software enables the retailer to take up measuring, planning, estimating and then incrementally pick up further support for the in-store part of the business. Having the estimator able to rapidly quote in the home is a great feature, which both drives acceptances and saves time spent working out plans and quotes in the evening.
The in-store user loads new jobs and does post visit revisions at telephone speed. Both novice and experienced sales persons can rapidly generate ballpark quotes. The ability to import and trace over a floor plan is a really useful innovation; either Right Move or architects/builders plans can be imported. LVT estimating with a border becomes easy, with full Karndean, Amtico and other product sets provided.
The integrated Scheduling Dairy for measure visits and fittings is flooring specific: the fitting event duration is automatically estimated, taking account of the fitter’s particular expertise. More than one fitting team can be deployed on a fit. The fitter sees own tasking on mobile phone and can text ahead intended arrival time and capture signature and photos. The integration with the estimating system extends to the handling of Split Fits. A simple dashboard is used to define the Part Fits; thereby a separate ‘info for fitter and warehouse’ is automatically produced; each part fit can then be scheduled. This unique facility streamlines a process which has hitherto been messy and mistake prone.
The bookkeeper’s work is streamlined via a check off list for getting payments into the accounting system.
MasterPiece, Software Solutions
Abingdon Flooring, Trade Portal
FLOORING FOCUS
Eco innovation is transforming flooring
The flooring industry has shown impressive tenacity in tackling the environmental agenda and innovating solutions to increase sustainability across the board.
In some other sectors, challenging economic conditions can put the environment on the back burner as a “nice to have”, sometime later! In flooring, the commitment to maintain responsible eco credentials has become core to the activities of many of the main players.
In this feature article we take a wide view – looking at corporate commitments, product innovation as well as recycling and waste management schemes.
BUILDING RESPONSIBILITY INTO CORPORATE COMMITMENTS
Many major companies take a holistic view of the issue – looking at each aspect of their operation in detail as part of a structured approach to protecting the environment.
Carpet market leader Cormar is one company paving the way. Committed to reducing environmental impact, Cormar has achieved the ISO 14001 certification, setting high standards in environmental management. They have also invested £750,000 to upgrade their fleet, continuing to reduce CO2 emissions.
As the first manufacturer to partner with Innovate Recycle, Cormar is pioneering post-consumer carpet recycling in the UK, with over 175 tonnes of carpets already recycled in 2024. Their polypropylene ranges are certified as 100% recyclable, and efforts are underway to implement clear markings for easy identification of recyclable products.
Looking ahead, Cormar aims to reduce energy use by 30%, switch to renewable energy sources, and achieve net-zero emissions across all manufacturing sites. By involving customers and retailers in their recycling efforts, Cormar is helping shape a sustainable future within the flooring industry, reinforcing the importance of eco-friendly practices from production to end-of-life.
In the smooths sector, another market leader, Karndean Designflooring is setting an example with its Karndean Evolve sustainability strategy which commits to reduce absolute greenhouse emissions controlled directly and indirectly by 42% by 2030 and from end of life treatment of its sold products by 51.6% by 2030 - see page 20 for more details
A tangible example of planning for a low carbon future is the opening a new 103,000 sq. ft warehouse at its Evesham headquarters (pictured below, left). The energy efficient building, awarded BREEAM Excellent rating and fitted with 412 solar panels which are expected to generate more than 40% of its electricity requirements, puts the business on course to meet its carbon reduction targets.
“Our Karndean Evolve strategy sets out ambitious, yet achievable science based targets to reduce our environmental impact at both local and global scales,”
Fleur Carson, managing director at Karndean Designflooring, said: “Our Karndean Evolve strategy sets out ambitious, yet achievable science based targets to reduce our environmental impact at both local and global scales, and the opening of this new warehouse is a significant step in our journey. We are proud to be taking a leading role in the building of a greener future.”
In another significant move, Karndean Designflooring has signed up to The Anti-Greenwash Charter, Established in 2023 to promote responsible marketing practices, The Anti-Greenwash Charter emphasises the need for accountability and fairness in all aspects of marketing.
“We are proud to be the first flooring manufacturer to sign up to The Anti-Greenwash Charter,” says Fleur. “As a signatory, we are clearly stating our intention to keep our marketing fair with product claims that have been independently substantiated. We know that great things can be achieved when we take a collaborative approach so we are calling on others in the flooring industry to join us and stand together as part of this Charter.”
Another early signatory is Select First, a top marketing communications agency representing many brand leaders in the flooring sector. “We became an Official Partner of The Anti-Greenwash Charter to show that all our communications are honest and fair about the green claims they make,” says creative partner Tom Bourne. “Climate change is a huge challenge for society and we must all work together to solve it. The greenwash circulating in the flooring industry stops it from making real progress in addressing the issues we face. Building trust through The Charter and encouraging other businesses to follow is one small way that we can play an active part in changing that.”
See www.antigreenwashcharter.com
Karndean Warehouse Evesham
RECYCLING IS SUSTAINABLE, LANDFILL ISN’T
Several well-organised schemes are operating across the flooring industry to minimise the waste destined to be dumped in the diminishing capacity of landfill.
Leading vinyl takeback scheme, Recofloor, has been celebrating 15 years of successful recycling. Launched in 2009 as a collaborative initiated by manufacturers Altro and Polyflor, Recofloor collects both offcuts and uplifted vinyl for recycling. Material collected is used in new flooring and traffic products such as traffic cones. So far, the scheme has diverted a stunning total volume of nearly 7,500 tonnes of waste from landfill or incineration.
At every stage, the support and involvement of flooring contractors has been crucial to the scheme’s growth. From local fitters to national flooring firms, more and more contractors now see the scheme as their primary vinyl waste disposal option.
“Our achievements over the last decade and a half are due in no small part to the efforts and enthusiasm of all our members”
For larger quantities of waste, Recofloor will collect from both project sites and contractor premises. Using Recofloor in this way can save up to 70% on waste disposal costs such as skip hire and gate fees.
For the disposal of smaller day-to-day quantities, flooring distributors play an important role. Thanks to a network of Recofloor drop-off points set up by distributor members across the UK, contractors can drop off day-to-day amounts at no charge.
Recofloor Scheme Manager Carla Eslava commented: “Our achievements over the last decade and a half are due in no small part to the efforts and enthusiasm of all our members - we couldn’t be prouder of their commitment to responsible waste management practices.” See also page 22.
For rugs, the Take Care Program from Louis De Poortere is an integral part of its circular Ecorugs collection, which aims to reach 100% recycled content directly from old rugs.
Alan Russell, sales director, explains more: “With Ecorugs we’ve set the stage to reach 100% recycled content for every new rug. The aim is that every new Ecorug is made from old Ecorugs, bringing a circular
Louis De Poortere Atlantic Monetti
production process. By using a 100% PET construction – currently using 20% rPET – we can recycle old rugs and turn every kilogram into new raw material.
“However, in order for us to reach this goal, we need to make sure that our rugs are returned directly to us for recycling by our partners and this is where the Take Care Program comes into play. Through a QR code on the rug’s label, at the end of the rug’s wanted life, owners simply scan the code and arrange a free collection of the rug, so that it comes directly back to us,” he says.
“With Ecorugs we’ve set the stage to reach 100% recycled content for every new rug. The aim is that every new Ecorug is made from old Ecorugs, bringing a circular production process.”
From there, LDP decides whether it can be cleaned and repurposed for an extended life, or whether it needs to be recycled into raw material for a new Ecorug. The Take Care Programme solves two key challenges for product sustainability – extending the life of products and proper recycling – all while making it easy for the consumer.
continued on page 34
A great example of the collaboration between the carpet industry and recyclers is that between Penthouse Carpets and Anglo Recycling
In 2010, Penthouse Carpets in Rochdale were sending bales of virgin carpet waste edge trims from their carpet production to landfill every week so they started talking with Anglo Recycling Technology who are based just 2 miles up the road to find a solution.
The innovative approach and solution that arose was for Anglo to take in their materials for recycling back into carpet underlay. Anglo had built a recycling line that enabled them to find a way in the UK of using these offcuts. On the same truck that is used to bring the waste materials for recycling, Penthouse pick up rolls of Anglo’s underlay made from the previous load of offcuts.
Penthouse now offer the underlay alongside their wider carpet offer under the brand “Ecofelt”.
Annually now, all of the 180,000 kgs of Penthouse manufacturing carpet offcuts that would otherwise go to landfill, are recycled back into 25,000 m2 of new Ecofelt carpet underlay and a further 100,000 m2 of other Anglo products.
FLOORING FOCUS
Eco innovation is transforming flooring
continued from page 33
Underlay leaders Ball & Young offer a Take Back scheme on Cloud 9 offcuts to customers for a number of years. They reuse these offcuts in the manufacturing process, which extends the products’ life cycle.
“We are committed to driving full circularity and this is the first step,” said Pete Ward, Head of Operations at Ball & Young. “Under the scheme, we provide eligible customers with two one-tonne bags to store their offcuts. Once full, our drivers come back around to check and collect them. Of course, our goal is to expand the Take Back scheme to more customers.”
Floor preparation and adhesive products specialists F. Ball and Co Ltd. is expanding the scheme that provides contractors with a convenient means of disposing its recyclable packaging.
It will increase the number of locations at distributor partners across the UK where contractors can effortlessly dispose of empty recyclable F. Ball buckets and bottles in branded receptacles, for free.
F. Ball has introduced recyclable packaging for a number of products, with much of the new packaging itself manufactured from recycled materials, allowing it to be reprocessed multiple times.
These include recyclable ‘eco pouches’ for its floor repair and finishing compounds, which require significantly less plastic to produce than the products’ previous packaging, and fully recyclable versions of five and 20 litre bottles plastic bottles used for liquids, including primers and tackifiers.
“F. Ball has introduced recyclable packaging for a number of products, with much of the new packaging itself manufactured from recycled materials, allowing it to be reprocessed multiple times”
Subject to the continued success of the programme, there are plans for it to be further rolled out to achieve more widespread geographical coverage. Helping facilitate recycling at the most practical level, Kenburn Carpet Crushers have become the industry’s solution of choice to compact flooring waste for transportation to reduce ever-increasing waste management costs.
“It’s not all doom and gloom as improvements in technology has enabled carpet and underlay waste to be recycled for less than the cost to landfill,” says Simon Wells at Kenburn.
“In addition to the tax increases for business’s announced in the recent budget, there’s another increase which didn’t receive as much publicity. On April 1, 2025, landfill tax will increase by a staggering 20%. This means in around 4 months’ time your skip costs will also increase by 20%,” he says.
Kenburn works closely with Carpet Recycling UK to avoid landfill and provide waste to heat and recycling solutions and has helped hundreds of retailers and installers over the last 10 years.
“It’s not all doom and gloom as improvements in technology has enabled carpet and underlay waste to be recycled for less than the cost to landfill,” Kenburn carpet crusher design
Apart from the responsibility and cost-saving potential of this approach, Simon points out that participants also benefit from improved sales to environmentally-conscious consumers who respond enthusiastically to environmentally friendly initiatives.
ECO INNOVATION DRIVES PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Every month we see examples of new products where sustainability is central to their specification. This trend is driven partly by growing consumer awareness and sensitivity but also by the increasing demands of the corporate sector where house developers, hospitality companies, architects and commercial specifiers require higher levels of environmental responsibility. Some recent examples of this kind of product development include BioSisal – made entirely from renewable, natural and organic materials and possibly the most ecological and sustainable carpet available on the market today.
Just launched by the natural flooring company fibre, BioSisal is crafted from sisal, harvested sustainably in Brazil. The sisal is sourced from smallscale farms that are part of a cooperative, ensuring farmers receive fair prices for their crops. Grown organically without pesticides or fertilizers, BioSisal supports both the environment and the livelihoods of its farmers.
BioSisal’s backing is made from a 100% plant-based felt made from kenaf, hemp and recycled sisal coffee sacks. The backing is then secured to the sisal pile using a purely mechanical and environmentally friendly process which needle punches the backing into the back of the pile. The backing is so stable it allows the floor covering to be fitted traditionally without having to be glued to underlay. At the end of its natural lifecycle, the carpet can be shredded and used as mulch, or composted along with garden waste and other plant based organic materials.
BioSisal is available in a classic boucle design, in five soothing neutral colours and in a 4m width broadloom or as bespoke rugs and stair runners. Hard wearing and durable, the natural fibres help regulate the climate in a room, by absorbing and releasing moisture in the air and works well in conjunction with underfloor heating.
F. Ball recycling for packaging
fibre BioSisal Boucle Daintree rug
FLOORING FOCUS
Eco innovation is transforming flooring
continued from page 34
The smooths sector has been especially inventive.
Unlike traditional PVC flooring made from fossil fuels, Beauflor’s Twilight uses an alternative PVC that harnesses used cooking oil and tall oil, a by-product of the wood pulp industry. By eliminating virgin fossil fuel derived materials, the global warming potential of Twilight is 40% lower than Beauflor’s conventional vinyl flooring for residential use.
The introduction of Twilight is a step towards Beauflor’s goal to reduce the impact of its products and to reach zero environmental footprint. It’s part of a framework of actions setout in the manufacturer’s Route to 2030 as it strides towards its goal by sourcing raw materials, sustainable production practices, ensuring sustainable usage and creating end-of-life solutions.
“Twilight is an extraordinary product and represents a significant milestone in the cushion vinyl market.”
Chris Roberts, national sales manager, says: “Twilight is an extraordinary product and represents a significant milestone in the cushion vinyl market. By replacing oil-based PVC with a PVC that uses natural materials which are repurposed from waste and industry by-product, we’ve significantly reduced the product’s environmental impact. What’s more, we’ve achieved this without changing the comfort and practicality that makes cushion vinyl such a popular choice. Twilight is a better cushion vinyl option for consumers wanting to make a purchase that considers the environment.”
Twilight is available in 10 striking designs that elevate home interior with contemporary designs that reference unique natural materials and forms. The range uses Beauflor’s digital print technology to achieve a hyper realistic design.
Millions of tonnes of plastic enter oceans and landfills each year, harming ecosystems and increasing global pollution. Adore Floors has introduced Earth Core, a stylish and durable flooring collection designed with a focus on environmental responsibility.
Earth Core is made from recycled materials, primarily PET from plastic bottles, combined with natural calcium carbonate, creating a resilient product with a reduced environmental impact.
Using advanced digital printing, this collection offers a range of high-quality designs. It features a simple click installation system, ensuring fast and easy installation. With options for integrated padding, it provides added comfort, sound insulation, and long-term durability, making it an excellent choice for both residential and commercial applications.
By transforming plastic waste as flooring, Adore Floors helps combat pollution and offers eco-conscious consumers and retailers a beautiful, longlasting solution for their spaces.
Launched in October 2024, Tessera Topology is the latest range to join Forbo Flooring Systems’ collection of carpet tiles. Combining contemporary and useable designs with enhanced sustainability performance, Tessera Topology is the first carpet tile in Forbo’s new Evolve+ series.
“With the emphasis on combining environmental credentials, design and performance, Tessera Topology is Forbo’s most sustainable carpet tile range to date.”
With the emphasis on combining environmental credentials, design and performance, Tessera Topology is Forbo’s most sustainable carpet tile range to date. It is manufactured using Thrive matter by Universal Fibers - a 100% solution dyed nylon 6 which contains 90% recycled content. Combined with Forbo’s own lean production processes, Tessera Topology contains 75% recycled content, is manufactured using 100% renewable energy (electricity and biogas) and has a very low embodied carbon from cradle to gate (less than 1.5kg CO2 per square metre eqv. A1-A3), which is achieved without offsetting.
From a design point of view, Tessera Topology combines linear angles with soft organic textures to create a contemporary geometric pattern that brings an inherent warmth to a space. With six neutral tones and seven muted accents in a traditional 50x50cm tile format, the range offers flexibility in a range of natural colours.
Altro has published its latest sustainability report, providing a comprehensive overview of the company’s ongoing commitment to sustainable practices. ‘Building better futures’ contains detailed information on Altro’s environmental impact and efforts to reduce carbon emissions; initiatives and programs that promote social responsibility within its communities; innovations in sustainable product development and supply chain management; as well as key performance metrics and benchmarks that track the company’s sustainability goals.
Beauflor Twilight
Adore’s Earth Core
Forbo Tessera Topology
“As the inventor of adhesive-free safety flooring more than a decade ago, Altro has used its expertise to develop and expand its portfolio”
As the inventor of adhesive-free safety flooring more than a decade ago, Altro has used its expertise to develop and expand its portfolio to form a collection of smooth and safety floors that need no wet adhesive for installation. This includes Altro Stronghold 30 adhesive-free, the first adhesive-free flooring designed specifically for the rigours of commercial kitchens. Like all Altro adhesive-free floors, Altro Stronghold 30 adhesive-free delivers huge time and cost savings over traditionally adhered floors as well as up to 50% saving in embodied carbon.
Wilsons Underlays have been delivering high quality underlays and accessories with a friendly smile for almost a decade now, but they never stop innovating and finding new ways to tread lightly on the environment. Their upgraded GrandeWaltz underlay is a prime example, leading the way in product innovation.
It is now made using a recycled-based paper backing which uses up to 80% recycled materials and 100% recycled foam. Unlike conventional
“As the inventor of adhesive-free safety flooring more than a decade ago, Altro has used its expertise to develop and expand its portfolio”
“Wilsons Underlays have been delivering high quality underlays and accessories with a friendly smile for almost a decade now, but they never stop innovating and finding new ways to tread lightly on the environment.”
underlays with bright white appearances achieved through a process called ‘delignification bleaching’, which uses oxides or bleaching agents, GrandeWaltz does not involve any bleaching, which cuts down on the carbon footprint even further.
That’s why GrandeWaltz now has such a natural finish that’s more eco-friendly than ever, with the same luxurious results and backed by the rigorous testing and British Standards (BS EN 14499) including International Standards (ISO) that show how excellently they perform. With low VOCs and A+ Air Quality rating, GrandeWaltz reaches a new high.
EVERY NICHE OF THE INDUSTRY IS CATERED FOR WITH ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVE
With the increased popularity of trade shows after COVID, exhibition flooring waste is also growing. Waste that often cannot be recycled. Condor Carpets brings a solution to this versatile industry; Alloa Expo. Carpet made from a single polymer DNA that can be easily recycled. For Condor Group, a mono-material carpet is not new, but it is for application in the exhibition industry. The fully recyclable exhibition carpet is available in three PET qualities with 6 to 7 colours each and a heavy felt backing. Besides two cutpile products, a loop-pile quality is also available.
They all come in both two, and four-metre widths. The most sustainable version is the EcoClean variant, which features 100% recycled yarn. An additional advantage is that the yarns are manufactured to the highest specifications and contain a specially adapted polymer which ensures that stains do not permanently adhere. Red wine or a cake stain? You easily brush both out. Ideal for reusing the carpet for multiple exhibition events.
Steve joined Metro 12 years ago following a 10-year career with Brintons and has been responsible for building the group’s big reputation, especially for its marketing and merchandising expertise. He has announced that he will retire at the end of March 2025.
OVER THE YEARS...
Q What’s the best thing about the flooring trade?
A The people in this trade are its greatest strength. It has been a joy to work with, and for, so many genuinely good, honest people.
Q What’s the worst thing about the flooring trade?
A The fact that it writes itself off sometimes as a ‘cottage industry’. It is very unusual to find any market where independents have a greater share than national chains. Flooring and independent retailers should celebrate their own success.
Q What should you have done differently?
A I would have joined flooring earlier. I spend half my life in sales in the grocery trade, from Smiths Crisps to Vimto and markets as diverse as cheese and frozen pastry. Dealing with the major supermarkets, who dominate grocery retailing, gave me a great grounding but was nothing like as enjoyable as this trade. I was very fortunate to be looking for a new challenge at the time Brintons were looking for someone with good sales experience but who knew nothing about carpet. You can insert your own joke there. They wanted a fresh pair of eyes, sometimes that is what all business needs.
Q If you had to single out one thing, what do retailers need to do better?
A Cut down on what they display, too much choice just confuses everyone. Focus on less choice but a better understanding of what customers need.
Q What do manufacturers need to do better generally?
A Realise the strength of independent retail. The cost to suppliers of national chains failing makes independent retail a more sustainable and profitable route to market.
BUYING GROUPS
Q Why aren’t more retailers part of a buying group?
A A lack of understanding of the benefits of group membership. A mistaken belief that membership will take away their independence. Groups are there to provide support in the background, saving time, improving profit and providing marketing guidance.
Q How should a retailer choose between groups?
A Simply look for the one that matches with their own view on their business. All the groups offer increased profit and rebranded ranges. All of the groups also offer something slightly different. Within Metro our point of difference is a unique Marketing Service that can deliver everything from a business card to a shop front, all designed, made and installed in-house. If that is what you want for your business, join Metro. If that doesn’t interest you, look at one of the other groups. My take is ‘join a group’, you won’t regret it.
TRENDS
Q What’s been the biggest change you have seen over your career?
A The rise of hard flooring. I started my flooring career at Brintons 22 years ago and peoples houses still had mostly carpet on the floor. At Harrogate this year, the amount of hard flooring was staggering. Most homes now are split roughly 50/50.
Q What’s the biggest single trend you see coming in our sector?
A Driven by the rise of hard flooring, carpet manufacturers have seen their share of flooring in people’s home halve. The choice is either fight for a bigger share of that smaller market or embrace hard flooring. Many have already started this move and I only see it accelerating over the coming years.
Q What advice would you give to a young person thinking of a career in flooring?
A Go for it. Get as much experience, training and exposure to different markets as you can. Hard work and application will be recognised and rewarded. Some manufacturers are seeing the potential in training younger people with no flooring experience.
MORE PERSONAL...
Q What was the most fun you’ve had in your career?
A While at Smiths Crisps, meeting Graham Souness while dressed as the yellow Monster Munch character!
Q What are you most looking forward to doing in the future?
A Spending more time with my family. (Doing more of their DIY and decorating for them!). Caravan holidays with my wife and family. Riding my bike more. Watching Everton at our new Bramley Moore Dock stadium.
Q What are you most looking forward to NOT doing in the future?
A Planning. I have spent so many years planning my working life, other people’s working lives, arranging diaries, that I don’t want to plan anything anymore. My plan is not to have a plan.
Q If you hadn’t ended up in this industry, what might you have done?
A Played right back for Everton, we can all dream can’t we?
" It is very unusual to find any market where independents have a greater share than national chains. Flooring and independent retailers should celebrate their
own success.
We’ve selected the very best photos from our editorial pages over the last year which demonstrate that style, quality and creativity is alive and well in the flooring industry.
that looks and feels like viscose or silk, but is durable and easy to maintain. Made from 100% nylon, in nine beautiful natural tones, this glamorous floorcovering sets a new standard in luxury interior finishes. Despite the luxury look and feel, Amalfi boasts a heavy domestic and
Artisan Luxury Flooring • Amalfi Cantone
stunning handwoven heavy velvet
And a 12-colour palette gives consumers plenty of choice. www.cavaliercarpets.co.uk • 01254 268000
Cavalier Carpets • Wool Tweed Wool Tweed uses three colour yarns and a clever construction to create what might be described as a small and fuzzy geometric pattern that hits that happy spot between being interesting but not bold.
is a
created with Pure
Manufactured in both 4 &
the range comes with a 10 year wear warranty, offering lasting durability. Available in a selection of 10 heathered neutral tones, Shetland is perfect for bringing warmth and texture to any room. www.cormarcarpets.co.uk • 01204 881234
Cormar Carpet Co • Shetland
The Shetland range
chunky loop pile carpet
New Wool.
5 metre widths,
Greendale Carpets & Flooring • iD iD is a bespoke collection of high end flooring from Greendale. The collection is presented in a tailored sample box and includes sisal, faux sisal, flatweaves, wool loops and saxony carpets in contemporary colours and designs. The collection will grow and evolve according to developments and trends in the market. www.greendalecarpets.co.uk • 01432 852000
Define every entrance with Moroccan Runners from Kersaint Cobb. Designed to suit any home, the range features a variety of colours, from muted tones to bolder accents. Made from 100% natural, biodegradable Sisal meaning the non-slip surface is perfect for those high traffic areas. Balance your staircase with symmetry and add the illusion of length to a hallway. Moroccan Runners make for the perfect interior update. www.kersaintcobb.co.uk• sales@kersaintcobb.co.uk
Kersaint Cobb • Morrocan Runners
Kingsmead • Perfect Home, Chesterfield An 80/20 wool blend carpet, constructed with 100% British wool. It repels dirt and oil soiling perfect for family homes with pets and young children. and treated with Ecolan, a non-insecticide product that makes it moth resistant.
The launch of the evergreens Star Twist and Heather Twist has been a success. These qualities, which have been running at Lano for more than 30 years, have been given a modern touch without compromising their classic look. www.lano.com • +32 (0)56
Lano • Starwist
Inspired by the vibrant essence of the Caribbean, Puerto Rico seamlessly blends the soft, earthy hues of sandy beaches with durable, stain-resistant qualities—making it the perfect choice for family homes with pets and children. The Puerto Rico collection infuses any room with a serene, inviting atmosphere, offering the ideal balance of style, comfort, and functionality www.manxtomkinson.co.uk • T 01827 831450
Manx Tomkinson • Puerto Rico
Telenzo • Delft Square, Canvas
This collection is influenced by the heritage of European modern lifestyles, combined with Telenzo’s Dutch influences. The 18 colour palette is carefully considered, neutrals that echo both warmth and coolness, modern yet traditional – styled to appeal to all interior design aspirations. www.edeltelenzo.co.uk • marketing@telenzo.co.uk
victoriadesignfloors.co.uk • T 01562 749300
Victoria Design Floors • Universal LVT New for this year was the refresh of Victoria’s Universal LVT collection and the launch of Universal Design. Focusing on the beauty of natural wood tones, these collections saw an increase in colours to the herringbone collection alongside the introduction of a contemporary fishbone.
FLOORING FACTSHEET ADHESIVES
SELECTION CHECKLIST
The criteria to select an adhesive will cover the following points.
Larger manufacturers offer detailed guides to select the correct adhesive – even indexing floor manufacturer’s products by name to ensure an accurate match. For accurate and up-to-date information consult the F. Ball Recommended Adhesives Guide.
Open Time:
The time you have to fit the flooring into the adhesive after which the bond will no longer be ideal. The time until the floor may be walked on should be checked.
Odour:
Low odour, solvent-free and low VOC products are increasingly favoured and now have the same performance characteristics of older products.
Coverage:
How thick and how far can the adhesive be spread.
Application Method:
Different adhesives may be applied by roller, trowel or spray.
Strength:
Including how quickly the adhesive will “grab” the floor covering and its strength when fully cured.
Underfloor Heating:
A lot of modern adhesives are suitable for use with underfloor heating but this criteria must be checked where appropriate.
Subfloor:
What surface will the adhesive stick to most effectively including concrete, sand cement screeds, levelling compounds, plywood and chipboard.
While there are multi-purpose adhesives, specialist products will be better suited to certain surfaces.
The porosity of the floor is a key determinant of the type of adhesive to be used and its performance during installation.
Special Performance:
Certain adhesives are more suitable for damp, humid or high temperature environments.
Air Quality and the Environment:
The old wisdom that the more it smells, the better it sticks is no longer acceptable to modern consumers and solvent-based products are increasingly replaced by water-based adhesives.
ADHESIVE TYPES
Acrylic/Resin: Ideal for plasticised PVC and most modern flooring.
Bitumen: A tar-like material, bitumen has a high degree of moisture resistance and is used for damp-proof membranes and installing tiles, wood blocks and mosaics.
Epoxy Resin: A two-part chemical curing system that is used in aggressive environments such as conservatories, wet rooms, commercial kitchens and exterior installations.
Polyurethane: An adhesive with rapid bonding characteristics, typically used for wood floors.
Polyvinyl Acetate: Typically used for close fitting joints in timber, laminate floors and panels.
Tackifier: An adhesive for carpet designed to increase the tackiness – or the tack range –of an adhesive.
Water-based Adhesive: Many different types of adhesives now use water as their carrier to avoid odours and flammability issues which are common with chemical solvents.
Flooring factsheet
Buying Groups
Why join?
Buying groups have been a highly successful feature of the floor retailing scene in the last decade or so, giving independents the extra edge they need to compete effectively with the retail park chains.
More than 1000 retailers are now members of one of the several buying groups which operate in our sector and the numbers are slowly, but steadily growing.
While the benefits of bulk buying power are self-evident, the resistance to the buying group concept among nonmembers appears to be centred on fears of surrendering some control to a committee – and most particularly compromising long-established relationships and negotiated terms with current suppliers.
Pick the right one
How to decide whether to join a buying group – and which one…
• Evaluate all buying groups as they all work differently
• Talk to the main marketing contact and/or a member of the committee
• Get a list of members and call up two or three for a ‘real-world’ view
• Establish your territorial exclusivity – where’s the next nearest member of each buying group
• Ensure you understand the financial arrangements, any fees that would relate to your membership, how the bills are paid and whether your fees are refundable if it doesn’t work out. Ask the buying group for a consultation to estimate your potential savings
• Review all the extra benefits and services to see what you would actually use
• Check out the product ranges offered including the own-label options and the UK/European mix
www.beautifulflooring.co.uk
Contact: Carl Harris Tel: 01892 549050 charris31@sky.com
www.flooringone.co.uk
Peter Karra Tel: 0121 683 1426 peter.karra@flooringone.co.uk
www.greendalecarpets.co.uk
THE STOCKLISTS Feburary 2022
The bottom line is the bottom line. A retailer selling across a broad range of products is likely to improve margins within a buying group – but you don’t need a leap of faith to join up. Ask the buying groups for answers...
Key benefits
Increase margins
• Group purchases to get beneficial rates
• Rebates
• Exclusive higher-margin products
• Special promotions
One of the key reasons to join a buying group is to benefit from the discounts they negotiate as a bulk buyer from manufacturers. The way discounts and rebates are passed on to members varies between groups so make sure it’s absolutely clear how this will be done. You’ll need to work out how this compares with discounts you have already negotiated locally with preferred suppliers.
Access professional services
• Business and financial services
• IT and internet support
• Training and workshops
• Professional bodies
Some buying groups offer an excellent range of other services which may be valuable to your business. Financial services include invoice factoring, credit, loans and insurance. Some of the more sophisticated groups offering marketing packages, software systems to help you run your business operations and customised websites ready to use. Relationships with professional and training organisations can also offer discounts.
• Ensure you understand any rules that may limit your flexibility to run your business the way you want
Increase sales
• Best of both worlds’ proposition
• Wider ranges and exclusive products
• POS, displays and merchandising support
Your customers will like the proposition that you are independent but with the buying power of a group –this gives them (and you) the ‘best of both worlds’ with personal service and competitive pricing. Most groups will also offer you ‘own label’ ranges and support with pointof-sale, merchandising and displays. Central stockholding may also be on offer.
Network with other independents
• Members-only exhibitions with preferred manufacturers
• Regular meetings and supplier presentations
• Regional workshops
• Helpline
A lot of retailers enjoy the buying group environment of being independent but not alone out there on the High Street. Groups hold regular meetings and some have their own trade shows, regional meetings and workshops to help you develop your business. The network gives you someone to call when you need advice on, for example, an unusual installation, a technical consumer complaint, legal issue or business dilemma.
Contact: Mike Reed Tel: 0118 932 3832 info@smg-group.co.uk
Associated Carpet Group www.acgcarpets.com
Contact: Jon Richardson Tel: 01942 825520 jon@acgcarpets.com
Flooring factsheet
Carpet types
Tufted
With advances in manufacturing technology, 95% of all carpet produced today is tufted. It takes about an hour to make a roll of carpet that might take eight hours to weave. To make tufted carpet, hundreds of yarn-threaded needles are pushed through the primary backing fabric to form loops or tufts, which may be left as is or cut. A heavy adhesive coating is applied to hold the tufts in place and a secondary backing is usually glued on for strength and stability. A wide variety of styles and textures can then be created using various techniques.
LOOP PILE
Berber – Berber carpets look like and are named after a handmade, bulky wool carpet made by the Berber tribes of North Africa and Asia. The loops are made from thick or bulky yarns of wool, nylon, polypropylene or a blend of these fibres to give a cushioned effect underfoot. These carpets are available in an assortment of colours and may be flecked and can be either level loop or multilevel loop.
Level loop – When all the loops are of the same height, a highly flexible and durable carpet is created which has a natural, casual appearance even when (commonly) it is made from synthetic fibres. The tight loop texture tends to hide marks so it’s a good blend between luxury and practicality.
Multi-level loop – The loops vary to two or sometimes three loop heights to create informal, random textures which are very forgiving for marks and stains and therefore very suitable for high traffic areas and busy family rooms.
BONDED
Bonded carpets (sometimes called ‘fibre-bonded’ or ‘fusion bonded’) are created by firing fibres into an adhesive material – the fibres are not stitched into the backing in any way. The technique is principally used for commercial carpet tiles.
CUT PILE
Freize – Frieze or frisée (pronounced freesay) carpets are similar to saxony, but the yarns are more tightly twisted and should always be heat set. They have a dense, low pile surface which creates a coarse, pebbly texture. Frieze carpets are very durable and hide footprints, dust and dirt, which makes them suitable for heavy traffic areas.
Saxony – Saxony textures are made of twisted yarns, which should be heat set. The tips remain very distinct, rather than blending together to form a very elegant finish. Saxony textures show footprints and vacuum marks so are suitable for more occasional rooms in the home. More textured variations improve the practicality of saxonies.
Twist – The popular twist carpet is the cut-pile standard. The yarn is tightly twisted and often heatset to retain this feature and the result is a versatile, textured finish that is ideal for plain colours.
Velvet – Velvet textures (sometimes called ‘velour’ or ‘plush’) all have a level surface pile of approx 5mm to 10mm height, which is then sheared to give a smooth finish. With very little twist in the yarn, the ends blend together which then further enhances the overall finish. These carpets tend to ‘shade’ with heavy use. Footprints show easily and the colour looks different from place to place because fibres lying in different directions reflect the light differently. A luxury for occasional rooms.
CUT AND LOOP
When some of the pile is cut and other left as loop, a variety of surface textures and patterns can be created (in a variety of colours). The multi-level surface is excellent for hiding footprints and stains so cut and loop is good for high traffic areas and general purpose rooms in the home.
Shag pile – Shag pile has varied in popularity. The pile is up to 50mm long and the texture is casual and loose but the surface can flatten easily and may lack durability.
Woven
Woven carpet may be in a tiny minority of today’s production but still produces some of the finest carpets which are used for prestigious installations.
Axminster
The pile of the carpet is inserted into the backing as it is woven and cut to length, creating U-shaped tufts to give a velvety surface. The process locks in the fibre to create a carpet of high durability and performance retention as well as a luxury feel. The process allows for intricate designs and colours to be used – although modern trends mean that the traditional patterned axminster has given way to current fashion trends for plain carpets.
Wilton
Wilton woven carpets are produced in a similar way to axminsters – the principal difference being that a continuous fibre is woven all the way through. The carpet can be sheared to create a range of cut and loop textured effects. The result is a high quality carpet of unrivalled durability.
Flat weave
Manufactured in the same way as wilton, flat weave is a loop pile which allows the yarn to be woven across a wider area to created a flatter, more textured effect.
Flooring factsheet
Underlay
In a tight market for margins, underlay for carpet and hard flooring offers retailers one of the best opportunities to add value to every sale – with good profitability, trade-up potential once benefits are understood and high customer satisfaction levels.
The Carpet Foundation and its Consumer Code of Practice approved by the Trading Standards Institute (TSI) recommend that new carpet underlay is bought with every new carpet.
Many consumers are now aware of the benefits of underlay but more needs to be done to provide information about the different types available and their suitability for different areas of the home.
Setting up in-store demonstrations so customers can walk on samples with different grades of underlay and feel the difference has shown excellent results. Some manufacturers offer point-of-sale units and foot testers.
• Absorb the pressure of foot traffic and reduce wear
• Improve thermal insulation and warmth
• Increase sound insulation
• Smooth out sub-floor imperfections
• Last the lifetime of the carpet
Poor or old underlay will...
• Feel hard and unwelcoming
• Reduce carpet life
• Cause wrinkling and premature wear spots
• Cause carpet fibres to break down more quickly
• Not meet British Standards
How thick?
A maximum of 12mm is recommended (working with gripper will be difficult thereafter) but rooms with heavy traffic will need a thinner, denser pad. The combination of thickness and density is all important as a thick underlay with low density may not perform well. Typically, the thicker the underlay, the better quality it will need to be – 11mm is often used for luxury installations with 9mm and 7mm the common domestic thickness.
Types
PU (polyurethane) foam • This is now the market’s most popular underlay and is typically made from recycled foam offcuts. The foam provides excellent comfort and performance levels with lots of thickness options and densities and provides great insulation – and its light weight helps handling.
Sponge rubber • A more traditionally manufactured underlay available in flat or waffle patterns in a wide range of weights for different applications. It performs well for comfort and has a durable spring retention.
Crumb rubber • Flat and dense, crumb rubber is good for heavy footfall – offering maximum protection but a little less comfort (and very good over stair nosings).
Laminate underlay • There’s still an opportunity to sell underlay with laminate flooring, improving the acoustic performance of the floor and helping the boards float above any imperfections in the sub-floor.
Combination • A rubber crumb base with a felt top layer offers a good combination of protection, durability and comfort. It also allows carpet with seaming to bed into the top felt.
Underfloor heating underlay • Always ask if there is underfloor heating. Most manufacturers offer specialised products. Underlay and carpet with a combined tog rating of 2.5 can be used – which means the underlay would normally have a tog rating of 1.0.
Felt • This traditional (but environmentally friendly) undelay is made from recycled fibres – wool, jute and synthetic – to create a firm, dense pad with excellent thermal insulation. Still a very popular choice among contractors when stretch fitting woven carpets.
Pre-tackified underlay • A self-adhesive single stick underlay in both needlefelt and PU. A removable system for heavy use when comfort is desired.
Underlayment for LVT • This provides a smooth surface on which you can glue down immediately. If there is a time or acoustic issue or a problematic underfloor, a stable, smooth dual underlay system will provide the best solution.
www.floorwise.co.uk
www.carpenterunderlay.co.uk
www.unifloor.nl
www.underlay.com
www.wilsons-carpet-underlays.co.uk
Sponge rubber Crumb
Combination PU foam
Flooring factsheet
Carpet trouble-shooter
Colour matching
Carpets are produced in batches - known as creels - and usually each batch produces between 500m2 - 3000m2 in a single width, depending on the creel size. Whilst the recipe used by the dyer remains constant, and is followed to the letter, in each separate production the colour reproduction will vary from batch to batch. However production is matched back to the original or master sample to ensure that the colour remains ‘within a commercial tolerance’. This process if not an exact science and a commercial tolerance is subjective but nevertheless is usually the professional judgement of the head dyer based on his/her experience.
A greater level of tolerance is required on blended colours (Heathers etc). To ensure perfect colour matching it is advisable that a single width be used in any installation requiring exact colour matching.
N.B. Carpets which are laid with the pile travelling in different directions, even though they be from the same batch will appear not to match. For further information please check with the manufacturers recommendations.
Sprouting
Occasionally an odd tuft or two can work its way to the surface and stand proud of the rest of the pile. This is probably due to one end of the tuft being longer than the other i.e. J shaped tuft instead of V shaped. Remedial action merely requires that the offending tufts be scissor trimmed level with the rest of the pile. They should never be pulled out.
• shedding • pulled loops
Fading on Wool
Carpets made from wool can and do fade in use. The degree of fade can vary depending on the colour chosen and the local conditions to which the carpet is subjected.
Fading can be caused by exposure to ultra violet light which is found in daylight, but is accelerated when sunlight shines directly onto the carpet. This has the effect of lightening or “Bleaching” the colour just as exposure to sunlight will lighten human hair. Wool is after all animal hair.
Protection should be given to carpets exposed to such conditions just as you would protect other furniture or fabrics.
A complaint on fading would be considered justified if it failed to meet the required shade standard when tested to the British Standard BS1006 (1990).
Soiling
Soiling is usually the result of some local condition to which the carpet has been subjected to, or maintenance, or lack of maintenance programme. There is nothing we as manufacturers can do to prevent soiling in use. There are several types of soiling which are quite common: Spillages - Liquids such as soft drinks, cordials or any drink which contains sugar, particularly hot drinks, is likely to leave a stain. In such instances, professional help should be sought.
Shampoo - if incorrectly applied, can leave sticky soap residues in the fibres which can result in the soiling reappearing quite rapidly.
Dust - which is carried on draughts can soil carpets in various ways, apart from the obvious soiled edges, at gaping skirting boards for instance, dark lines appearing on surface might suggest airborne dust vacuum-drawn through poorly fitted floorboards. Sometimes the shape of floorboards can be seen quite clearly. Air borne dust sometimes shows itself as spots on the carpet, this is due to the air carried on a draught under the carpet escaping through minute holes both in the underlay and the carpet, leaving dust deposited on the pile much like a filter action. In such installations, the use of a lining paper is essential as a preventative measure.
It is the responsibility of the retailer to advise the consumer when the carpet is measured of any poorly fitting doors, skirtings, or floorboards and the consumers responsibility to ensure any remedial work to seal draughts, is carried out before the carpet is fitted, if a resulting complaint is to be avoided.
Static
Carpets do not produce static but like other household fabrics and objects have the capacity to store it. Static is caused by the build up of static electricity upon personnel in a dry environment and is discharged when a person makes contact with an object which can conduct electricity (i.e. door handle or filing cabinets, etc).
The static charges will vary in intensity depending upon the individual, air humidity and the contact materials. Static is more usually associated with synthetic materials as they do not retain moisture very well but it can and does occur with wool in very dry room conditions.
Preventative measures include the introduction of moisture into the room or in situ carpet treatment.
Flattening
Flattening will occur as a result of traffic which eventually flattens the pile particularly in the main areas of use.
All pile fabrics will flatten to greater or lesser degree dependant on the amount of traffic to which it is subjected and the construction (tuft density/pile fibre/height/weight) of the product concerned.
Shading
Shading occurs because the pile of the carpet has become crushed, flattened or brushed in a different direction to the natural lie of the pile whilst in situ. This causes light reflection at differing angles resulting in the creation of light and dark patches on the carpet. This will occur on all pile fabrics but can be more noticeable on plainer carpets because the shadows created by pile pressure will not be disguised by a heavy pattern or design.
Pile Reversal
Like shading, this occurs when the pile or nap of the carpet changes direction and thus reflects light at different angles showing the effects of shading which can become permanent. It is also described as ‘watermarking’. This can happen to every carpet construction be it Axminster, Wilton, Tufted, Hand Woven, Persian, Chinese, Indian or even Coir Matting. Like shading it can be more apparent on plain carpet because heavy patterns can disguise the effects. It can occur quite quickly after installation. A tremendous amount of research has been carried out over many years by many institutes to determine the cause of this phenomenon but none of it has proved conclusive. There is no commonly known manufacturing process which can cause or cure this phenomenon and therefore it is not a manufacturing fault. For further information please check with individual manufacturers recommendations.
Pulling Loops
Pulled loops occur only in looped pile carpet where one or more loops in the continuous pile is pulled through the primary backing of the carpet. This is usually due to some local condition, possibly some sharp object which has caught in a loop in situ and has resulted in a pull. Pulled loops are easily dealt with by trimming the offending end level with the rest of the pile. They should not be left as this could result in further loops being pulled and developing into a ladder.
Shedding
All cut pile carpets will lose short fibre, which is created during production when spun yarn is cut for tuft formation. These fibres fall onto the surface of the pile and appear as ‘fluff’. The effect varies with yarn type and may be removed without detrimental effect upon the carpet by vacuum cleaning. This excess fibre is only a small fraction of the total fibre contained in the carpet.
Indentations
When a carpet is subjected to a heavy point load, such as under the legs of furniture, it is unreasonable to expect the carpet not to indent. Usually, the longer the load is in place, the longer will be the time for the pile to recover. In the case of very heavy loads in place for a considerable time, the recovery time can be very considerable.
It must be remembered that it is not only the pile of the carpet that becomes indented. The underlay will also indent and the backing of the carpet may also distort into the indentation in the underlay. Some underlay’s will recover well and some less well depending upon their composition, thickness, density etc. The use of cups below furniture legs can spread the load and the net result is a larger area of less deeply indented carpet.
The ability of a carpet to recover from a heavy static load can be measured in the laboratory, using the test method described in BS 4939 and many manufacturers will have data on this aspect of carpet performance. In this test the carpet is loaded for 24 hours and the degree of recovery is measured after 1 hour and 24 hours. Since there are so many different underlay’s however, it is very rare for the recovery from a heavy static load to be evaluated on carpet and underlay.
Often normal maintenance (vacuum cleaning with a rotating brush machine) will speed up recovery but in the case of serious indentations the use of an iron and damp cloth or a steam iron together with a blunt darning needle to carefully tease up the pile can be beneficial. Care must be take not to over wet the carpet, of course.
Samples Installation
The samples held by individual retailers may not be from the same batch as current production and therefore should be used as a guide and not an exact colour match.
Telephone National Institute of Carpet Fitters (NICF) for further information – 0115 958 3077.
Vinyl is a fast growing sector of the flooring market due to its durability at relatively low cost and huge range of designs available. Sheet vinyl and cushion floor by the roll are popular but the sector is dominated by LVT. In reality, most of the products sold today are “LVP”, Luxury Vinyl Planks, as wood decors are more popular than ceramics and stone but the term LVT is still used to cover the whole non-sheet market.
Benefits
• Huge choice in terms of decors across wood, ceramic, stone and geometric designs
• Impressive realism – not just in the design but infinishing techniques that allow for wood knots you can feel, tiles you can grout, etc. See appearance options.
• Excellent performance in durability for high traffic areas, scratch resistance and cleanability. Vinyl also tends to be much more nonslip than natural materials. Some products are water resistant for bathrooms and kitchens.
• Warm and soft to touch compared to ceramic and stone floors - and a good heat insulator anyhow, and suitable for use with underfloor heating systems.
• Sound reduction – vinyl has neglible impact sound compared to the tap/click of laminate and transmits less sound and vibration compared to solid floor.
• Considerably cheaper than the ‘real’ thing – both to buy and to fit – and tile/plank approach minimises wastage.
Installation
Installation preparation
Vinyl requires a dry, sound, level subfloor as the relative thinness of vinyl and its light reflection performance will quickly reveal imperfections after installation as well as cause potential wear issues.
Exisitng wooden/MDF floors may need a plywood underlay up to 6mm thick and then the joints will need to be skimmed or taped. Non-wood sub-floors will need a self-levelling screed to be laid to ensure a suitable base for the floor. A damp-proof membrane may be required depending on sub-floor moisture levels.
However, new rigid core products are less flexible and can be laid more easily over existing floors – see Construction.
Top Coating
Wear Layer
Decor Layer
Product options
• Dry back – a sheet or tile that needs to be fixed to the sub-floor using an adhesive.
• Self-adhesive – tiles with a peel-off backing paper to stick to the sub-floor. Some tiles have adhesive overlaps to stick to each other rather than the sub-floor.
• Loose lay vinyl – tiles that simply drop onto the floor and rely on a high friction backing to keep them in place – they demand a very sound, level sub-floor but are the easiset type of tile to lay or replace.
• Click – tiles that have a mechanical jointing system to attach to one another (like a locked tongue and groove system) and ‘float’ on the sub-floor without being glued down. There are many proprietary versions of the click system which offer fast, clean installation and stability.
Appearance options
Vinyl tiles and planks cover a hugh variety of sizes and shapes and can be mix-and-matched to achieve an infinite number of designs. Current fashions include extra wide and long planks for wood through to very small planks for wood. Border effects can be easy to achieve in LVT.
Other notable options include:
• Embossed – this is where the top clear layer of the tile has been embossed to create a realistic texture that matches the style of the stone of wood decor. Registered embossed is the most authentic –the texture matches the design so that, for example, a wood knot or hand-scraped element in the wood design can be felt on the surface of the flooring.
• Grouting and grooving – vinyl tiles can be laid with grouting inlay strips or beads of vinyl for addewd realism – and there are acrylic grouts that can be applied. In wood decors, planks are available with v-grooves or bevelled edges between planks for added realism.
LVT construction
PVC Middle Layer(s)
Fibre Glass Layer(s)
PVC Base Layer
www.bramptonchase.co.uk
www.invictus.co.uk
www.krausflooring.co.uk
www.myvictoria.co.uk
Top coating – A polyurethane or aluminium oxide coating provides protection against scratches and stains and gives enhances anti-slip.
Wear layer – This is a key layer - determining the performance and resilience of the product. A 0.3mm (12 mil) wear layer is a good for heavy wear areas. Commercial installations need 0.5mm wear layers or above with 0.7mm at the top end. The wear warranties and guarantees carried by products will be based on this thickness.
Decor layer – This is the decor itself - in essence it is a paper- or filmbased photographic inkjet print. (A few LVT floors have the image printed directly to the surface of the floor but this implies less image definition and different wear characteristics.)
PVC and fibre glass layers – The construction ‘sandwich’ can vary between products but a combination of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) layers for strength and flexibility and fibre glass layers for structural stability may be used. Any click-system profile will be incorporated into these layers. Products often use a combination of recycled vinyl which is cheaper and virgin PVC which lasts longer and is more stable.
Rigid core LVT has a solid, less flexible PVC layer with maximum stability which means it can be laid over exisiting, less even flooring without showing imperfections and therefore avoiding wear problems. Base (or backing) layer – The final high density PVC layer varies according to the installation requirement and is designed for taking adhesive or as an ‘underlay’ for loose-lay and click installations.
The Stocklists
Carpet Company Directory
Abingdon Flooring
www.abingdonflooring.co.uk 01274 655694
Adam Carpets Ltd
www.adamcarpets.co.uk 01562 829966
Alternative Flooring www.alternativeflooring.com 01264 335111
Floorwise House, 22 High Street Kegworth, Derby, DE74 2DA, UK Tel: +44 (0)1509 673974 Fax: +44 (0)1509 674841
Joining the NICF has worked really well for my business and me. Customers can find me listed on the
Membership gives clients assurance of
Use of NICF logo — promote yourself as a quality installer
FREE NICF website listing — helps to gain work opportunities
FREE Technical Advice and Business Support Helplines
15% OFF FITA* Standard Training Courses/Workshops: Improve your existing skills, learn to fit new flooring types, learn new fitting techniques and reduce the number of complaints
Discounts on tools and workwear
FREE use of the NICF Guide to Domestic Flooring
FREE annual magazine subscription to The Stocklists and CFJ
Cost-Effective Estimating and Planning — Commercial
Profitable Measuring and Quoting — Domestic
Moisture — Preventing Floor Failures
NICF Fitter
Northern Ireland
Area Manager HIRING JOIN THE TEAM WE ARE
Above market salary and uncapped commission, fully electric or hybrid car, ipad & iphone
Please send your CV to Ian Holden T: 0775 1734549 E: ian.holden@kellars.co.uk
In an independent survey which asked 450 retailers which of the nine trade titles they actually read, our magazine came top of the pile. Thank you!
Area & Key Accounts Manager
Due to expansion, this is a new role for the business. Combining Area Sales (ideally situated around Surrey and selected South London postcodes areas) alongside a National Key Account Role, working with key retail partners, reporting directly to the Sales Director. Victoria Carpets & Design Floors house an extensive portfolio of both carpet and hard flooring solutions spanning over 125 years and having recently welcomed the Hugh Mackay brand into the portfolio, there is plenty to be excited about.
The ideal candidate must be able to demonstrate:
• Experience of working within the flooring industry.
• Key customer account management.
• Strong communication, numerical and analytical skills.
• Great organisational skills and digitally competent.
• Drive and professionalism to deliver on the targets set for your area.
Benefits of the role include a competitive basic salary, uncapped bonus, company car, phone, tablet and expenses.
Applicants should send a CV and a covering letter to Debbie Turvey at debbie.turvey@myvictoria.co.uk
