Trinity by
Bleach cleanable, easy clean carpet in a collection of 14 Tri-Colour heather shades Durable and resilient, Trinity is the perfect choice for family homes
£200WIN! 0 CASH + TOOLS + TROPHY
1). * You do NOT need to be an NICF member to enter this competition. Applicants must be aged 18 years or over on 30 April 2023. NICF Council members and previous LVT Fitter of The Year winners are excluded from entering.
2). Deadline for entr y is 23:59 on Sunday 30 April 2023.
3). Entrants are initially required to complete a questionnaire giving the most full and accurate answers possible. Entries will be evaluated by a panel of judges based on the answers provided and 10 fitters will be selected to progress to the Semi-Final practical trials.
4). The Semi-Finals will be held on Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 June 2023 (five fitters per day) at the FITA Training Centre, Loughborough. Five fitters will progress to the Final competition.
5). The briefing information for the five finalists will be supplied digitally in August.
6). The Final is at The Flooring Show, Harrogate, on Sunday 17 and Monday 18 September 2023.
ENTER ONLINE @ www.nicfltd.org.uk/FOTY-Competition
The Final will be held at The Flooring Show, Harrogate, 17-18 September 2023
Fitter of The Year LVT 2023 Competition is kindly sponsored by
Manufacturers
Cassius and Darius in our renowned Invictus brand will get a fashion update this year. 14 updated colours in a 70oz and 50oz pile weight respectively offer a soft saxony product with a heathered appearance, one of the few products to offer this in the market today, the recoloured ranges are planned for launch in May.
Please ask your local area sales manager for more details
2023-2026
High Quality, Affordable Design
Our System LVT guarantee gives flooring contractors the reassurance needed for all LVT installations. Our range helps flooring contractors achieve the best results when a resilient, attractive finish is required.
To find out more visit f-ball.com or call 01538 361 633. A great finish starts with F. Ball.
100% RECYCLED POLYESTER YARN FROM PET BOTTLES
I'M UNIQUE
A PATTERNED WILTON FROM PET
NEW RUNSWICK BAY • ELEGANCE, GRACE, SIMPLICITY & COMFORT
6 patterns in 4m width. Bleach cleanable. 120 PET bottles makes every square metre.
Your customers know right now that we need to give the planet a break. Make it easy for them with a superb carpet range with the comfort, appearance and performance of polyester – with the impeccable environmental credentials of recycled PET.
www.fellscarpets.co.uk
Stephen Cawley
M: 07718 762236
E: stephen.cawley@penthousecarpets.co.uk
Areas covered: All Scottish Regions.
WEST & NORTH WALES
Ian Henderson
M: 07974 141919
E: ian.henderson@penthousecarpets.co.uk
Areas covered: Lancashire, Merseyside, Cheshire (inc SK9, SK10, SK11), Greater Manchester, (inc SK1 to SK8, SK12, SK14 to SK16), Clwyd and Gwynedd.
SOUTH EAST, LONDON (N,W&E) , HERTS & ESSEX
David Harris
M: 07801 538763
E: david.harris@penthousecarpets.co.uk
Areas covered: Hertfordshire, Essex, North London, West London and East London.
WEST MIDLANDS & WORCESTER
Emily Davis
M: 07753 983714
E: emily.davis@penthousecarpets.co.uk
Areas covered: Gloucester, Avon, West Midlands, Shropshire, Hereford and Worcester.
EAST MIDLANDS & SOUTH EAST
Simon Beeby
M: 07775 913380
E: simon.beeby@penthousecarpets.co.uk
Areas covered: Berkshire (split), Oxfordshire, Wrwickshire, Leicestershire and Northhamptonshire.
John Pringle
M: 07825 991405
E: john.pringle@penthousecarpets.co.uk
Areas covered: Cumbria, Kirby Lonsdale via. Carnforth, Isle of Man, Cleveland, Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear.
YORKSHIRE & THE HUMBER
Christine Searle
M: 07939 051608
E: christine.searle@penthousecarpets.co.uk
Areas covered: North Humberside, West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire.
SOUTH EAST & LONDON (South & Central)
Chris Gee
M: 07919 047930
E: chris.gee@penthousecarpets.co.uk
Areas covered: Kent, South London, Central London, Surrey, East Sussex and West Sussex
SOUTH YORKSHIRE & EAST MIDLANDS
Guy Legg
M: 07801 357622
E: guy.legg@penthousecarpets.co.uk
Areas covered: South Yorkshire, Sheffield, South Humberside, Grimsby, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire (inc SK13, SK17, SK22 and SK23).
EAST ANGLIA, CAMBRIDGESHIRE & BEDFORDSHIRE
Gavin Walters
T: 07711 353 982
E: gavin.walters@penthousecarpets.co.uk
Areas covered: Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire.
SOUTH WEST SOUTH COAST
Graham Wood
M: 07825 171482
E: graham.wood@penthousecarpets.co.uk
Areas covered: Somerset, Devon and Cornwall.
Nigel Woollard
M: 07767 213236
E: nigel.woollard@penthousecarpets.co.uk
Areas covered: Berkshire (split), Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset and Isle of Wight.
NORTHERN IRELAND & REPUBLIC OF IRELAND WALES (East, Mid, South & West)
Herbie Montgomery (Agent)
M: 07774 695333
E: herbiehsm@gmail.com
Areas covered: Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland.
To find out more, please call our sales team on 01706 639 866 or visit penthousecarpets.co.uk
James Thomas (Agent)
M: 07932 458032
E: juncture2002@aol.com
Areas covered: West Glamorgan, Mid Glamorgan, South Glamorgan, Gwent, Dyfed and Powys.
Introducing the new Strathmore.
Featuring 12 berber shades that have been influenced by the fauna and flora of hedgerows and mountain passes in the Scottish Highlands. The construction has been updated to include melt bond. This gives the product a precise look that helps show off the colours in a rustic finish. Launched in 2013, Strathmore Berber is one of our most well loved wool ranges.
POS available to order now, contact the sales office to find out more. Tel: 01562 749300 / Email: sales@myvictoria.co.uk
In a range of on-trend neutral tones and with a lifetime Stainfree promise, Festival is a deep pile pile carpet that brings a practical floor to the home. In colours such as oyster, white smoke, glacier grey, almond and witch hazel; Festival is the perfect backdrop to bold and colourful home accessories and soft furnishings, with its 18mm pile adding a sense of luxury and comfort.
Adding another option to the Stainfree family, Festival’s 1/8th gauge quality gives a pronounced pile and uses the latest generation of Stainfree yarn which improves softness without sacrificing stainresistance, cleanability or resilience. The carpet also features Abingdon Flooring’s Fleece Backing that gives extra comfort and makes installation easier. Helping to reduce the cost of underlay, it makes Festival an affordable, heavyweight option in deep pile bleach-cleanable carpet.
Charlotte Coop, marketing manager, Abingdon Flooring, says; “The Stainfree family is a popular choice for UK homeowners thanks to its combination of affordability, practicality and style. In fact, for many homes it’s all the carpet they need. The launch of Festival makes sure that Stainfree keeps ticking the boxes by delivering even more choice and a luxurious deep pile carpet that’s perfect for family life.”
Festival is made in Britain and is available in 2.5m, 4m and 5m widths to bring the best possible value in any room. It is rated suitable for heavy domestic use and with a 10-year wear warranty.
T 01274 655 694 www.abingdonflooring.co.uk
Rita Bancroft looks at innovative trends in tile design and versatility of vinyl flooring pages 38-39
POS positivity
Manufacturers and suppliers are keen to earn their place on your sales floor pages 41-44
Enhancing installations with stylish trims and tooks pages 46-47
Furlong Flooring, a market leader for hard-wearing twist carpets, has relaunched its best-selling Trident range with improved, industry-leading class 33 specification, and comes in 24 colours to deliver on current home décor trends. The launch forms part of their ongoing commitment to increasing consumer choice.
New Trident is available in neutral tones to complement existing home décor or make a statement with an added splash of colour. Relaunched with improved specification, New Trident is designed to be suitable for busy domestic and commercial settings, providing you with the perfect carpet, no matter the space.
Not only have Furlong Flooring focused on creating visually appealing carpets, but they have also maintained functionality, by ensuring the new range is easy to fit. The carpets have been manufactured using their innovative, award-winning Combi-bac, which provides a flexible but strong alternative to other carpet backings on the market. Furlong Flooring has also enhanced the stain-resistant, easy-care qualities of the carpet. The range has a heavy commercial classification – the perfect choice for high-traffic domestic and commercial settings. The entire range is made in the UK, meaning stock levels will always remain high and reliable. Furlong Flooring is confident in the quality of the new range and offers an industry-leading warranty of 10 years with the products.
The new Trident collection gives customers even more choices of affordable, high-quality flooring options. Ian Collacott, Sales Director at Furlong Flooring said:
T 01322 628 700 www.furlongflooring.com
“We are always delighted to bring such a variety of flooring as we launch our new Trident range. Everyone at Furlong Flooring remains committed to bringing our customers flooring that is diverse, easy to look after, affordable and looks great.”
"The launch of Festival makes sure that Stainfree keeps ticking the boxes by delivering even more choice and a luxurious deep pile carpet that’s perfect for family life.”Keeping in trim Tile style
The healthier and safer way to spray; floorwise F597 Heavy Duty Spray Adhesive is the 100% dichloromethane (DCM) free answer to a range of on-site fixing challenges.
Receiving high praise from installers for its ability to stick better than most ‘normal’ sprays, floorwise F597 Heavy Duty Spray Adhesive has been developed by floorwise as a healthier alternative to ‘conventional’ heavy duty spray adhesives with no performance compromise. The high adhesive content and web spray pattern ensures a great delivery and reliable hold ideal for those quick on-site fixes. floorwise F597 is a great solution that can handle a range of sticky problems while being safer and healthier to use than conventional DCM based spray adhesives.
Removing the hazards associated with many spray adhesives of being potentially carcinogenic and harmful to the environment, the solvent used in floorwise F597 Heavy Duty Spray Adhesive is lighter than air and will quickly disperse into the atmosphere. This is in marked contrast to the layer of invisible, odourless gas left at ground level by DCM-based spray adhesives, which has been proven to create a significant risk of asphyxiation for installers working on their knees in poorly ventilated spaces.
Andrew Gill, group product manager, floorwise, says: “We developed floorwise F597 as the safer and healthier alternative to heavy duty spray adhesives and the response it has received has been nothing short of extraordinary. Sales have boomed and it’s clear that fitters are appreciating the winning combination of no compromise formulation and health benefits of floorwise F597 without a significant cost penalty.”
Even better, floorwise F597 Heavy Duty Spray Adhesive is also included in flooring’s biggest rewards promotion. With four points on a box of 12 cans, you can spray and save towards more than 60 tech and lifestyle rewards.
Look out for the green floorwise F597 cans at floorwise distributors across the UK and Ireland. With only one hazard warning on the can, floorwise F597 Heavy Duty Spray Adhesive is a fantastic way to start 2023 with a healthier and safer way to work.
No wonder that fantastic floors start with floorwise.
T 01509 673974 www.floorwise.co.uk
FITA provides short training courses, workshops and assessments for both commercial and domestic markets. Both our fully equipped training centres at Loughborough and Kirkcaldy are run by seasoned professional instructors with specialist knowledge of the flooring industry.
A global leader in luxury vinyl tile, Karndean International Limited, is expanding its footprint in mainland Europe following the acquisition of mFLOR International B.V (MIBV), also a supplier of luxury vinyl tile in the European market, for an undisclosed sum.
The mFLOR brand is well respected in Europe, especially the Netherlands where the business is headquartered in Twello (pictured below) . With this acquisition, Karndean has substantially increased its reach in Europe as part of its strategy for growth in key markets.
F. Ball and Co. Ltd.’s Stopgap 1200 Pro levelling compound and F46 pressure sensitive acrylic adhesive have led the way in refurbishing floors at Heythrop Park, near Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire as part of a £40 million renovation.
Carter’s Flooring were commissioned to install a range of high-spec floorcoverings throughout more than 6,000m2 of site’s public areas, including in the 300-year-old, Grade II-listed manor house.
Stopgap 1200 Pro high-performance levelling compound was used to raise subfloor levels so that LVT floorcoverings and inlaid carpet would sit perfectly flush with previously installed ceramic tiles. Stopgap Micro Rapid fast-setting, fast-drying floor finishing compound was used to address minor subfloor imperfections.
mFLOR will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Karndean International Limited, sitting alongside its existing sister company Designflooring International GmbH.
Paul Barratt, managing director for Karndean Designflooring said, “This is exciting news as we welcome mFLOR to the Karndean International family. This is a strategic acquisition of a strong brand in a territory we have wanted to increase our reach in for many years. mFLOR are highly respected and operate in a segment of the market we haven’t historically focused. I am very much looking forward to working with Eef and the rest of the mFLOR team to continue to grow the brand.”
One of the three shareholders of MIBV, Eef Van Leusden will remain as general manager running the business as he has for the last 25 years. Reflecting on the acquisition Eef Van Leusden, general manager of MIBV, said “It has been a long road, and for us, the shareholders of MIBV, it has always been very important that the continuity of the company, our own people and customers is guaranteed. With this acquisition, I believe that, in collaboration with Paul and Karndean Designflooring, we have achieved this.”
www.karndean.com www.mflor.com
Contractors installed bespoke Brintons carpet in an inset seating area on one side of the reception and in front of the entrances to the larger of the hotel’s two ground-floor theatres and Late Lounge Bar, using a dual bond system. with F. Ball’s Styccobond F3 to create a permanent bond between carpet and underlay, with the company’s Styccobond F40 providing a peelable bond between the underlay and subfloor.
In the main theatre, where guests can enjoy live music, drama and comedy performances, Carter’s used Stopgap 1200 Pro to patch repair existing subfloors, including where stanchions had been removed, before installing 600m2 of custom-made dark black and blue Newhay carpet. Stopgap 1200 Pro was also used to create a perfectly smooth surface throughout the back of house areas ahead of the installation of Altro Stronghold 30 safety flooring.
T 01538 361 633 www.f-ball.co.uk
Carpet retailers are being encouraged to roll out the red (white or blue) carpet to mark the coronation of King Charles III in May.
The Wool Carpet Focus Group has launched a compeitition to find the best window display for Coronation Day on May 6 and is offering afternoon tea at a Royal palace among the prizes.
The initiative is supported by the Campaign for Wool of which Charles was patron when he was Prince of Wales.
The organisers would like the displays to appear early in April and throughout May. The presentation must promote at least one benefit of wool floorcovering.
Retailers are asked to post their window display to their own social media channels usng the hashtag #lovewoolcarpets and judging will take place in the first week of May. The winners will be announced at the Buying Group National Flooring Show in Solihull on May 10.
Turn to page 36 for more details...
Domotex once again proved to be the industry's international trend show in Hannover in January.
At the world's leading trade fair for carpets and floor coverings, exhibitors and visitors met to discuss product innovations and industry trends. Apart from the positive atmosphere, the value-based orientation of the event was particularly convincing. The current keynote theme "Floored By Nature" referred to the megatrend of sustainability and thus focused on green topics such as the sustainable use of resources, recycling management, natural and recycled materials as well as healthy living and work environments. The main theme was divided into the areas "Connecting Markets", "Conscious Living" and "Colourful Nature".
With presentations of sustainable products and current research projects, a haptic material show as well as an inspiring conference program, the special display "The Green Collection" in Hall 23 formed the creative and communicative heart of the fair.
The sustainable focus was also reflected in the exhibitors' product range in the flooring section. Cork is one of the rapidly regenerating natural materials. It also has an insulating effect, reduces sound transmission and temperature fluctuations and improves the indoor climate..
Exhibitors in the rugs segment, which combines handmade and machinemade carpets, also responded well to the central theme of sustainability.
Wool, silk, fine artisanship: handmade carpets, such as those on display at Domotex, are unique gems that create a special atmosphere in a room. Thanks to the use of natural materials and their long lifespan, handmade carpets are a sustainable component of furnishings. Made of high-quality sheep's wool or fine silk, they have a heat-insulating effect, feel pleasantly soft and can even absorb dust and pollen from the air and contribute to a comfortable room climate.
www.domotex.de
Marking National Apprenticeship Week 2023, F. Ball and Co. Ltd. is focussing providing strong career foundations for young people making inroads into manufacturing, and in turn, helping to address the skills gap in the flooring industry.
A cohort of six apprentices are taking their first career steps at the UK’s leading floor preparation products and flooring adhesives company, working across its engineering, technical services, marketing, operations, business administration and safety, health, environment and quality (SHEQ) departments.
Reflecting on her experience, Phoebe Cawley, 19, from Leek, SHEQ Assistant Apprentice, said: “The opportunity to gain valuable work experience, knowledge and develop skills are the most enjoyable aspects; F. Ball’s support has helped me gain confidence, self-motivation and has given me an understanding of my potential.”
Harry Beasley, 19, from Staffordshire, Marketing Assistant Apprentice, added: “My apprenticeship has been everything I wanted; I’ve been trained and trusted with valuable projects and I’m looking forward to what the next few years at F. Ball bring.”
The additions to the F. Ball team are a step toward addressing the flooring trade’s skills shortfall in required skills to meet high demand. Also part of a wider industry strategy are the company’s free training courses, which are available to all flooring professionals at F. Ball’s Centre of Excellence, located at its Cheddleton headquarters, near Leek in Staffordshire.
Mark Hughes, Managing Director at F. Ball and Co. Ltd., said: “It’s imperative that we do our bit to support the future of our industry and that’s why we’re committed to helping young people get their foot in the door by offering a wide range of apprenticeship options throughout the business."
T 01538 361 633 www.f-ball.co.uk
UZIN has launched a new cost effective 2-part smoothing compound, UZIN L2 Contract. The product is a cement based 2-part smoothing compound for use up to 15 mm. It is quick setting allowing fit on the next day as well as providing excellent flow and workability. It is ready to receive most floor coverings after only 6 hours, has good strength and produces a smooth finish.
UZIN L2 Contract is ideal for refurbishing over old floors as it can be applied over a variety of different subfloors when the substrate is primed with a suitable primer.
T 01788 530080 www.uzin.co.uk
When The Kingsmead Academy in Taunton decided to construct a new main teaching block, the existing building had been standing for more than half a century – since the school first opened in 1953.
The school appointed main contractor Bouygues UK to build the £10 million three-storey teaching block with a one-storey main hall, and Bouygues turned to CW Jones Carpet & Flooring to install the floor coverings who, in turn, contacted trusted supplier Bostik for its subfloor preparation products and flooring adhesives, as well as its expert technical support.
“As always, it was great working with Bostik on this project,” comments Samuel Jones at CW Jones Carpet & Flooring. “Bostik completed a site survey and provided us with a specification to use the full Bostik system, from DPM to smoothing compound and adhesive. Throughout the project, Bostik helped us by carrying out moisture tests monitoring and updating the specification when needed.”
CW Jones pre-smoothed the rough areas of the subfloor to apply the DPM using Grip A526 Universal Primer – Bostik’s acrylic dispersion primer that offers excellent coverage rates and dries within one hour – followed by the company’s SL C540 Flow smoothing compound.
Once the smoothing compound had dried, CW Jones was able to apply Bostik Hytec E570 One Coat, a two-part, solvent-free, epoxy surface DPM that contains the exact quantities of resin and hardener ready for mixing together. The vinyl and safety flooring was fixed using Stix A300 Multi Floor, Bostik’s multi-functional acrylic adhesive that has a high initial tack combined with a long open time and exceptional handling characteristics. https://www.bostik-profloor.co.uk
With a decade spent training the next generation of installers at its previous location, the Academy has opened its doors on its new Knowsley, Liverpool facility. Taking 10 years of refinement into a brand-new centre has allowed the Academy to create the perfect training environment for novices and experienced professional alike.
Now with six 12m2 bays, the Academy has achieved the perfect balance between course attendees and trainers. A dedicated training room provides the right environment for theory-based learning and product tuition, with the breakout area providing a space to gather between sessions away from dedicated learning areas.
The Academy also features a special cutting room that keeps dust and noise to a minimum, allowing for a cleaner and more supportive practical learning environment. And to make sure that knowledge is shared equally among all, a dedicated demonstration zone gives ample room for everyone to get a good view.
After an evaluation visit to the Knowsley site, the Academy’s new facilities and Master Installer course content has also been accredited by the NICF (National Institute of Carpet & Floorlayers). This means that those successfully completing the Master Installer Wood & Laminate programme at the Academy, can also qualify for NICF Master Installer status. Currently, Master Installer Wood & Laminate is the only Academy for Excellence course accredited by the NICF.
T 028 302 58094 www.quick-step-academy.co.uk
Entry is now open for the 2023 Fitter of the Year Competition, hosted by the National Institute of Carpet & Floorlayers (NICF). This year's competition will focus solely on LVT installation. Amongst the great prizes on offer is a cheque for the winner of £2,000, as well as the winner’s trophy, a selection of tools and other prizes, and one year’s free NICF Master Fitter membership in the LVT category.
Initial entry to the competition is in the format of a questionnaire about installing LVT, with a closing date of 30 April 2023. From these entries the top ten fitters will progress through to the semi-final practical trials. These will take place on Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 June 2023 at the FITA Training Centre in Loughborough and from the ten semifinalists the top five will progress to The Final.
The Finals are taking place at The Flooring Show, Harrogate on Sunday 17 and Monday 18 September 2023. The winner’s presentation ceremony is scheduled for 4.00pm on the Monday of the show.
The judging panel will be made up of NICF Council Member Ian James, with this being his seventh year as Head Judge of the Competition, as well as Richard Renouf, who is a Consultant Member of the Contract Flooring Association (CFA). Brian King, NICF President, is joining the judging panel for this year's competition.
In order to enter, you do not need to be an NICF member, although applicants must be aged 18 years or over on the 30 April 2023.
NICF council members and past winners of the LVT Fitter of the Year competition are excluded from entering.
The deadline for entry is midnight on Sunday 30 April 2023.
https://nicfltd.org.uk
Vince Holden is not known as a shy, retiring kind of guy, so as he hangs up his pattern books after 46 years in flooring, we asked him for his thoughts on the trade!
Q What’s been the biggest change you have seen over your career?
A Probably technology. Whether that be the advent of the mobile phone that meant you were contactable almost 24/7, right through to the portals that a lots of suppliers have now. This has all meant that every aspect of the customer’s supply chain is much more accessible. No more standing in a foul smelling phone box phoning your orders in. Ah… the good old days.
Q What’s the best thing about the flooring trade?
A That’s an easy one, the people. Colleagues, competitors and customers. I’ve met and worked with so many amazing, friendly and loyal people over the years, building relationships that really do matter.
Q What’s the worst thing about the flooring trade?
A Maybe I’m just getting old but I feel that there are a lot of blurred lines at this moment in time in the trade. You’ve got fitters wanting to be retailers, retailers wanting to be distributors, distributors wanting to be manufacturers, manufacturers wanting to be distributors etc, etc. I’m not sure where that’s going to end up. My other pet hate is ‘pseudo’ sales where a carpet worth £20m2 is advertised at £40 or £50 with 50% off and another 10% off if you order before Tuesday evening. I can’t believe the end users are that gullible, but they are. My first job in retail at Bernard Povey in Middlesbrough taught me it was the final price on the floor that mattered. (Bernard Povey, what a salesman and teacher he was by-the way).
Q What should you have done differently?
A Worked harder at school. Seriously though, I guess that would imply that I’m not happy with what I have achieved and in some ways I’m not. As a kid from a comprehensive in Kirkby I think I’ve done ok to end up as Joint MD of a PLC flooring supplier. (David Judge, former MD of Cormar, went to the same school… weird, eh). I retire feeling I could have achieved more but I would probably need other people to tell me what I could have done differently.
Q What is the product you are most proud off and/or which has made the biggest difference?
A That would have to be Durham Twist. Every manufacturer needs a signature range and this is Hugh Mackays. For colour, quality and presentation I think it’s up there with the best.
Q If you had to single out one thing, what do retailers need to do better?
A In general our retailers have been amazingly adaptable, especially in the last few years. There are some really fantastic ones out there. Their stores are a much more attractive place than they were years ago also. If I had to be really picky I’d say try to take a bit more care supplying your customer a flooring that will do the job required. A lot of customer service issues come from the wrong type or colour or carpet being supplied for the wrong area.
Q What do manufacturers need to do better generally?
A In many ways to borrow an old saying, the retailers “have never had it so good.” Manufacturers and distributors are delivering carpets within a day or two of ordering in many cases. Display has become a lot more professional. They can check stock on their mobile phone from the customer’s house.
As with the previous answer I’m being a bit picky, but we do need to make sure that we all have stock on the shelves to back up the great service that we all offer. Graham Waldron from Headlam had a saying: “Can you stock it, can you cut it, can you deliver it?”
It’s as true today as when he said it 30-odd years ago. Stock is King.
Q Will more things change in the next 10 years than have changed in the last decade?
A No I think it will continue at the current pace. Most things in the marketplace were around when I started 46 years ago. It’s just the colours that change.
Q What’s the biggest single trend you see coming in our sector?
A Product wise the big trend is already here, that is, the amount of hard flooring being supplied now domestically. A trip to any new show home shows that carpet is now only about 50% of what is put on the floor. Suppliers of ‘the fluffy stuff’ are going to have to work harder to promote the features/benefits of their products that are undoubtably there.
On the supply side the rise of ‘white van man’ is an interesting/ worrying development. Many years ago someone from Allied Carpets came out with a statement saying there would be no independent retailers in the future. Well guess what, they’re still here. I see the supply of carpet to people with no rent or rates as the biggest threat yet. And you can include the multiples in that as well.
Q What was the most fun you’ve had in your career?
A Those who know me and have worked with me will tell you that enjoying what I do is one of my main priorities. I believe that if you enjoy your job, you do it better.
I’ve had some great fun with some great people in my career, however the 6 months I had working in retail with a guy called John Travis who now has Regency Carpets in Billingham were literally a laugh a minute. How we got the job done I’ll never know. But we did. Great times.
"Our retailers have been amazingly adaptable, especially in the last few years. There are some really fantastic ones out there. Their stores are a much more attractive place than they were years ago."
BerryAlloc’s Floorfit is an online tool that gets rid of the guesswork and makes imagining a new floor intuitive and simple. Snap a photo of your room, select the floor you like, and let Floorfit do the rest! Imagination becomes reality as customers can now see and select any of BerryAlloc’s wide range of flooring products in their own home.
Floorfit works for any room and all of BerryAlloc’s parquet, vinyl planks & tiles, laminate and high pressure floors are available to view. So whether it’s a modern vinyl tile for the kitchen or characterful parquet for a living room, Floorfit allows everyone to find the perfect BerryAlloc floor for their lifestyle and interior.
Christine Broux, Product and Marketing Director, BerryAlloc: “Most consumers now begin their journey to a new floor online, by researching brands, flooring styles, and checking out the available options. However, during this research phase, it’s hard for customers to visualise how a new floor would look like in their home.
"A floor is a difficult product to ‘try before you buy’, but this easyto-use virtual tool overcomes that challenge and helps build a better brand experience. By giving consumers an enjoyable experience when deciding on the perfect BerryAlloc floor, Floorfit builds more confidence in our brand and drives footfall to our dealer network,” she said.
In three simple steps, Floorfit guides users to their favourite floor and nearest BerryAlloc dealer
Snap the room and upload it and AI technology will detect the edges of its floor, or select a standard room image from the gallery. Select a floor finish from hundreds of different options and even try out different laying directions and patterns. Floorfit displays the floor in situ and gives the user the opportunity to find out more about the product, share it with family or friends, and helps connect them to their nearest BerryAlloc dealer. www.berryalloc.com/global/en/floorfit
For installers used to using plywood for resilient flooring installations but finding variable quality and intermittent availability problematic, Lion Floor is the alternative. A high-grade engineered wood fibreboard that’s specifically made for flooring, it’s just as easy to install as plywood.
Lion Floor is pre-conditioned so doesn’t need wetting before installation and it can be cut cleanly and quickly with a knife or saw. Fixed with screws or ring shank nails and suitable for screeds and feather compounds, there’s no longer a reason to choose BS 8203 compliant plywood. Lion Floor is one of a very small number of fabricated underlays which can be used for LVT and other resilient floor coverings that meets British Standards and CFA guidance.
Peter Jones, Finnish Fibreboard says: “Lion Floor is for installers looking to provide high-quality, uncompromised and low risk flooring installations. More cost-effective and sustainable than BS compliant plywood and more reliable and sustainable than cheaper plywood that might not meet BS 8203 requirements, Lion Floor is just as easy to install, so there are very few reasons not to choose it.”
The board is supplied in standard sheet sizes and comes in a 4.8mm thickness – the recommended thickness to replace a 6mm plywood according to BS8203 & CFA. Thanks to rapid growth in availability throughout 2022, flooring contractors and installers can now enjoy a reliable supply of Lion Floor across the country, ensuring that whatever the location or scale of project, there’s a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to flooring grade plywood close by.
“Other than habit, the arguments for choosing BS 8203 compliant plywood over Lion Floor are extremely limited,” continues Peter Jones. “The board is made in Finland from PEFC certified wood by-products and has the reliability and durability that comes from a manufacturing technique refined over several decades. Designed for flooring and without any changes to installation methods, once you’ve tried LION Floor we’re confident you’ll be saying goodbye to plywood.”
T +358 (0)20 110 3300 sales@finfib.fi www.finfib.fi
To celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III, we are asking all Independent Flooring Retailers to create an outstanding window or in-store display featuring wonderful wool.
1st Prize
Overnight accommodation and Spa Day for 2 people, including a tour of all things woolly
2nd Prize
2 x tickets to visit one of the Royal palaces or residencies + afternoon tea
3rd Prize
3 runners up will receive a gorgeous wool throw each
Competition Entry Details:
• The display must be original and showcase at least one benefit of using wool as a floorcovering.
• Entries and images should be submitted by COB Friday 28th April on to your own retail social channels.
• To enter you must use the hashtag #lovewoolcarpets and mention at least one benefit of wool
• Judging will take place the first week of May and the winning retailers will be announced at the Buying Group Show on the 10th May.
• One entry per independent store, per location permitted.
• All winners will also be notified by email.
Supported by The Campaign for Wool, British Wool, SMG, Stocklists and Interiors Monthly and the following wool manufacturers:
Abingdon, Adam, Alternative Flooring, Axminster Carpets, Brintons, Brockway, Cavalier, Cormar, Danspin, Hugh MacKay, Penthouse, The Real Shetland Company, Ulster, Victoria and Westex.
Curated into six distinctive themes and a choice of 130 different SKUs, Moduleo’s new Roots collection is appealing, aspirational and as diverse and vivid as nature itself. Designed to handle whatever life throws at them, these slip, scratch and stain resistant floors are warm, comfortable and silent underfoot.
They’re sustainable too - being fully recyclable and made from up to 50% recycled materials. So, for floors everyone can be proud of, make it Roots by Moduleo.
Discover more at moduleo.co.uk
We’re delighted to share our latest collection with you.
We’re exceptionally proud of our Roots
When choosing the perfect tile for any space, there are so many advantages to Amtico’s LVT. This authentic luxury vinyl tile is available in many different stone, ceramic and wood effects to bring the beauty of natural tile style into the home while offering warmth and comfort underfoot, especially when teamed with underfloor heating. One of the latest collections is Spacia Stone. Hardwearing, durable and maintenance-free, this soft stone-effect vinyl is subtle, sophisticated and perfect for blending in or creating an impact with a trend-led scheme. The Tones palette takes inspiration from nature with nine calming shades, all of which are available in a selection of sizes including Small and Large Parquet for a contemporary take on this classic laying pattern. There are also three Tumbled Stones with their characterful Cotswold feel and two Concrete LVT tiles for an industrial vibe.
Amtico’s Stone collection enhances both modern and contemporary decors with its Pale, Cool and Neutral tones to complement kitchens, bathrooms, hallways, living spaces and more. The Marble palette in White, Grey, Rose or Black meanwhile is a no-maintenance and affordable way of bringing this luxury stone into the home.
structures, and the ultra-deep embossed texture and super-matt finish brings the knots and cracks of grains to life.
Despite its 100% water-resistance, maintaining Ocean+ is no different than any other BerryAlloc laminate. A tough and highly scratch-resistant surface fights off the signs of daily life, requiring nothing more than occasional mopping, sweeping or vacuuming. Water-resistant, fade-free, scratch-resistant, beautiful to look at and simple to look after, it ticks all the boxes of a floor made for modern life.
We caught up with Stella Coyle, national retail sales manager of Karndean Designflooring to find out more on tile style trends, she said, “Nothing shouts quality and opulence like marble! A luxurious stone since the beginning of time, marble has never been more popular and is a big trend for 2023.
“The latest designer homes are oozing glamour and sophistication thanks to the introduction of marble, either in small touches such as kitchen worksurfaces or wall to wall for eye catching impact. With its clean colours and characterful distinctive veining, marble flooring is currently making a splash in bathrooms, kitchens and sitting rooms.”
With Amtico LVT, tiles feature organically inspired surface textures and embossed finishes for an authentic look and feel. Customers can unleash their inner interior designer with the online Room Visualiser to see how different products and patterns will look before making their final choice.
Ocean+ is the latest laminate flooring collection from BerryAlloc to take advantage of its pioneering hydro+ 100% water-resistant technology. BerryAlloc first introduced hydro+ back in 2008, making it the original pioneer in 100% water-resistant laminate floors. Ocean+ is the company’s latest Made in Belgium collection to take advantage of this technology, bringing a laminate floor that’s completely safe for every room in the house, even bathrooms and kitchens.
A hydrophobic coating that BerryAlloc applies to all sides of the plank during the manufacturing process, hydro+ repels water from joints and is combined with airtight locking systems to make Ocean+ completely water-resistant. The Ocean+ collection is made of four different specifications, and two abrasion class levels in standard (190 x 1288mm) and over-size (241 x 2038mm) formats, to ensure it can be enjoyed in all sizes of room and in both homes and businesses.
The collection features impressively lifelike wood, and stone designs. From elegant oaks to rustic woods, there are 30 original looks to suit any interior, including a stylish stone design and the unique Retro Chic tile. The wood effects of Ocean+ are available in a range of natural
Karndean Designflooring report that traditionally here in Britain, we have used marble flooring in high-end kitchens and sumptuous spa bathrooms. But there’s no reason why you can’t bring the lavish look of marble flooring into any room.
Stella Coyle explains, “Create a boutique hotel style in your bedroom or give your living room an uber chic atmosphere that will be instantly relaxing. In hallways, our marble flooring will create classic elegance without the worry.
“Use our pale white marble designs to achieve a cool tropical feel to accompany either an all-white scheme or a bold colour palette or combine with a dark marble for a statement floor that stands out from the crowd. If you are seeking a new take on a contemporary trend, our latest herringbone marble floor designs could be just the thing.”
Realistically replicating the beauty of Carrara marble from the Apuan Mountains in Italy, Karndean Designflooring’s Knight Tile collection offers three marble designs, from the palest Frosted Marble to the drama of Midnight Marble. There are options in full sized and herringbone tiles with formats to suit any interior.
Flooring solutions designer and manufacturer, Shaw Contract has seen huge take up in its In Stock UK programme since launch. A simple solution for flooring contractors and facilities managers with fast turnaround projects, the In Stock UK programme means customers can choose from a specially curated range of high-quality resilient flooring options, along with carpet tiles made and stocked in the UK. With yarn in stock at the facility too, this means that product is available for quick dispatch, within 24 hours of an order acknowledgement for account holders.
In Stock UK includes Shaw Contract’s Auxiliary and District carpet tile collections, along with its ever popular Rapid Select carpet tiles.
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.
This year Shaw announced an industry-leading 15-year warranty covering its carpet tiles’ installation in a second location using IOBAC’s MagTabs which are also available through the In Stock programme. Shaw Contract is the only manufacturer currently to offer this warranty.
The Tile Association (TTA) is the trade association for the entire tiling industry – retailers & distributors, manufacturers, contractors, independent tile fixers and students. It supports its members to ensure they are best-placed to take advantage of business opportunities in today’s marketplace, by providing exclusive services.These include use of TTA logo in marketing materials, a free listing in the business directory section of TTA website, which is a source of business for many members, access to technical support and documentation, and business helplines.
From April, Shaw’s latest LVT collection, Nordic, is also available through the In Stock programme. At a 5mm thickness, Nordic can be used seamlessly alongside most carpet tiles, without the need of a transition strip. With superior scratch resistance from its ExoGuard finish, Nordic LVT is ideal for the spaces where we work, learn and collaborate. Nordic is Floorscore certified for low VOCs, Indoor Air Comfort Gold certified and is available in 10 wood tones.
Technical support is important to ensure adherence to British Standards and to enable members to meet customer expectations regarding sustainability. TTA has a Sustainability Working Group which aims to improve and promote the sustainability proposition of tiled surfaces in both commercial and domestic projects.
Key trends in floor tiling include the continuing popularity of the concrete, industrial look, as well as finishes which replicate the appearance of timber flooring and also large format tiles or panels, which provide an aesthetic style by reducing grout lines, but do require specialist handling and installation techniques. TTA has technical documents which covers this area, as well as topics such as slip resistance, natural stone, wetrooms, tiling to heated floors and tiling for terraces and patios. The popularity of 20mm porcelain tiles for patios is an important trend currently, as homeowners seek to expand their usable living space into their gardens, coordinating and extending the tiled look from inside the home into their exterior space.
“With superior scratch resistance from its ExoGuard finish, Nordic LVT is ideal for the spaces where we work, learn and collaborate.”Karndean Designflooring – Knight Tile, Glacial Marble and Midnight Marble Shaw Contract EMEA – Rapid Select Nook
Every year on the 1st April landfill tax increases and this year will be no exception.
This of course means your skip costs will also increase significantly in a few weeks’ time.
It’s not all doom and gloom though, especially for the flooring industry as new and uplifted carpet and underlay waste can be easily recycled using a ‘’Kenburn Carpet Crusher’’
With the public becoming more aware of environmental issues, by promoting your ‘’zero to landfill’’ waste policy you’ll find your sales conversion rates will improve as your customers will respond enthusiastically to ‘’eco-friendly’’ initiatives.
Another major incentive for installing a Kenburn carpet crusher is the financial savings that can be made, as it costs less to recycle new and uplifted carpet and underlay waste than it does to send it to landfill. Typically, the cost to recycle carpet/underlay waste works out at around 40 pence per square metre.
"The feedback we receive from our customers when we exhibit at all the trade shows is that the public are more willing to pay for ‘’an uplift and recycling charge’’ as opposed to ‘’an uplift and disposal charge’’, says Kenburn.
Over the past eight years the Kenburn carpet crusher has helped hundreds of retailers and contractors throughout the UK to reduce their ever-increasing waste management costs.
The company can visit your site and explain how the scheme works, how the compacted waste is collected and recycled and what the costs will be to ‘’go green’’. T 01727 844988 www.kenburn.co.uk
SALES/GENERAL ENQUIRIES/TRADE COUNTER 01274 670011
COMMERCIAL MANAGERS:
Chris Bellaby 07740 718170 | John Miller 07846 771146
AGENTS:
Matt Bell – Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Lancs - 07980 223303
Paul Hugo – Midlands, Fylde Coast - 07813 714498
Phil Brough – Staffs, North Wales, Cheshire - 07773 022206
We are on the search for agents in the UK, who will benefit from our very competitive pricing strategy, making it easier to make sales happen. Contact Chris or John on rbvflooring@yahoo.com
POS is essential in a crowded, competitive market but your floor and wall space is a precious commodity that all your suppliers want a piece of.
So we’ve selected some of the best displays for retailers to help drive your business in 2023. See pages 42-44
1. Ensure a large mix of standard and niche products to reassure consumers they have plenty to choose from – even if they ultimately go for something safe.
2. Mix more expensive items alongside cheaper products so that the opportunity to trade up is always there – don’t place the high end products on their own or in an increasing price layout where they can be disregarded by customers.
3. Use your window – too often this is a neglected area but a good display reassures consumers that you’re a smart retailer.
4. Use your floor! Have the most popular of your higher margin products laid in sections of your floor. Consumers like to buy what they can see in a larger sample.
5. Keep literature racks full – empty displays look tired and complacent and consumers like to have material to take away – and you can clip your business card to it.
6. Create different areas for different product types so that consumers are not confused by too much on offer in the same place.
7. Avoid an ‘industrial’ environment – too many stores are sheds with industrial roofs, lighting and ventilation on show. Use suspended ceilings, black paint and screens to hide the worst parts – the buying environment should be as domestic as possible.
8. Use soft furnishing, furniture items and flowers around the flooring displays to create a homely environment – and you can sell them too!
9. Avoid the dark, dead bulbs and dark video screens.
10. Be careful about locating roll stock – very often it has a prominent position and lures consumers past the higher margin material. Consumers not only know it’s cheaper but the large area helps them visualise it in their own home which is more challenging with small samples.
With over 128 years retail experience, Victoria offers point of sale you want to have in your store.
Innovative, eye catching and exciting stands that can be scaled to suit the space available. Whether you specialise in carpet or LVT Victoria have something for everyone.
With a dedicated team of inhouse merchandisers Victoria has stock ready to install. They stand firm in supporting independent retailers with bricks and mortar premises and can offer preferred pricing for stand holders.
www.myvictoria.co.uk
sales@myvictoria.co.uk
01562 749300
Representing over 450 retail outlets, SMG have always offered their members and suppliers ultimate flexibility in developing their businesses and nothing exemplifies this as much as their Pure branding concept.
Designed to be a versatile option for members it gives the retailer everything they need to optimise their de-branded offer in store. The retailer can choose from a range of bespoke unitary and then choose from a basket of products which include some of the top selling ranges from the best suppliers in the industry, at every price point. There is something for every store, large or small – featuring carpet, carpet tiles, vinyl, underlay or LVT - they don’t even need to have a direct account with the supplier whose product they feature.
Retailers have total independence and can take as little or as much unitary as they would like – from a single tombola to a whole shop fit. It’s an excellent way to give a cohesive look to any carpet section in store.
As wool carpeting continues to enjoy a resurgence, Abingdon Flooring has revealed a brand-new visual identity for the made in Britain Wilton Royal collection.
The new look for point of sale and hanging books, brings Wilton Royal in-line with Abingdon Flooring’s fresh and modern brand and brings unity across Wilton Royal, Love Story and Stainfree collections. Showcased on displays for Royal Charter Deluxe and New Royal Windsor ranges, the identity highlights the natural qualities of wool carpets as well as reinforcing Abingdon Flooring’s strong brand.
Abingdon Flooring has a strong reputation for affordable carpets made in Britain and bringing this sentiment to the forefront of the identity has been a key part of the merchandising redesign. Now featuring heavily alongside signature graphics, the high-profile of Abingdon Flooring ensures these are recognised as wool carpets with great value.
“We’re delighted to be launching this new look for our Wilton Royal merchandising as it brings the collection firmly into the Abingdon Flooring family,” says Charlotte Coop, marketing manager. “We’re sure that the displays will help to make wool a star once again and give our retailers the opportunity to present wool carpets from a youthful and dynamic brand.”
www.abingdonflooring.co.uk sales@abingdonflooring.co,uk 01274 655 694
Furlong Flooring is relaunching its best-selling Trident range with improved, industry leading specification and an additional eight new colours to deliver on current home decor trends.
New Trident is available in neutral tones to complement existing home décor or make a statement with an added splash of colour. Functional and easy to fit, these hard wearing twist carpets have been manufactured using their innovative, award-winning Combi-bac, which provides a flexible but strong alternative to other carpet backings on the market.
Furlong Flooring has also enhanced the stain-resistant, easy-care qualities of the carpet. The range has received a heavy commercial classification, highlighting it as the perfect choice of carpet for high-traffic domestic and commercial settings.
A significant part of ACG’s member offering is its class leading own label brand “Smartchoice”.
Through its modernistic consumer friendly appearance and significant product choice, it allows retailers to rejuvenate their stores and give their showrooms the “WOW” factor.
To stand out and grab customers’ attention in competitive retail environments, Furlong is supporting Trident retailers with a range of fresh, bright, appealing and easy to use POS display models.
www.furlongflooring.com
dowen@furlongflooring.com
01322 628 700
Equally, if not more importantly, it allows members to maximise margin whilst protecting their sale against the annoyance of high street and online price comparison and more recently, with the increase of trade counters offered by distributors, the man in a van.
It’s all about catching the eye ! And few manufacturers point of sale range does it better than the stunning Cavalier display system.
The angular POS system is well established but now with radically different new graphics it looks brand new and Cavalier’s latest, distinctive new branding makes it even more of a show stopper.
Choose from contemporary ‘slim-line’ wall unit modules incorporating LED lighting, stylish ‘selecterns’, ‘design a drum’ tombola and Cavalier’s revolutionary ‘select a swatch’ wall hanging system. All backed up by the attractive style of the new-look swatches.
Ask your Cavalier representative about updating your existing POS, or more details about ordering new stands today.
www.cavaliercarpets.co.uk
info@cavalier-carpets.co.uk
01254 268 000
A significant part of ACG’s member offering is its award-winning own label brand “Smartchoice”.
Through its modernistic consumer friendly appearance and significant product choice, it allows retailers to rejuvenate their stores and give their showrooms the “WOW” factor. Equally, if not more importantly, it allows members to maximise margin whilst protecting their sale against the annoyance of high street and online price comparison and more recently, with the increase of trade counters offered by distributors, the man in a van.
www.acgcarpets.com
info@acgcarpets.com
01942 825520
Organisers of the world's leading flooring show Domotex have announced radical plans to change its focus between carpets & rugs and hard flooring in alternate years.
The show in Hanover was re-launched in January after two years of Covid closures and while the event was heralded as a "full success" by organisers Deutsche Messe, visitor numbers were around 20,000 compared to 35,000 pre-pandemic and exhibitors were down around 50%.
Deutsche Messe spokeswoman Saskia Krolop says: "Numerous exchanges with our exhibitors and the market have shown that the Carpet & Rugs segment and Flooring segment have different needs in terms of the frequency of Domotex. Therefore, both worlds will be brought together at the Hanover location in the future in a model with rotating focuses."
The plan is that in years with an even number, like 2024, the show will be styled as the "Domotex - Home of Flooring" and will "comprehensively unite the entire field of hard floor coverings, as well as carpets and rugs."
In odd years, like 2025, it will be "Domotex - Carpets & Rugs", focussing exclusively on textile products. The events will continue to be held in January. As a result, it is likely that Hanover will be hosting smaller annual shows, each with a more distinct focus. The dates for 2024 are January 11-14.
ScS, one of the UK's largest flooring retailers, says it is "encouraged" by an order uplift and a return to growth.
In a trading update to its shareholders covering trading up to January 28 this year, the furniture and flooring plc said: "Like-for-like order intake momentum improved significantly throughout the period and the Group returned to growth of 2.6% in the last 10 weeks, which included the key winter sale."
This better news follows the company's reports of a 9.1% decrease on order intake year-on-year for the period July 31 to November19. Overall, order intake was down 4.7% for the half year from July 31 to January 28. ScS also announced it has expanded to a portfolio of 100 stores with the opening of outlets in Swindon and York. On prospects, the plc commented: "Despite the current economic climate remaining challenging and unpredictable, the Board is encouraged by recent order levels."
Major UK flooring manufacturer James Halstead plc says sales in the second half of last year were up 8–9% but profits are under pressure due to cost increases.
The £300m turnover Manchester-based plc, best known for its Polyflor resilient flooring brand, expects to report revenues for the six months to 31 December 2022 around 8–9% ahead of the comparative period in the previous year. In his AGM statement in December Chairman, Mr. Anthony Wild described the challenges of the year, most notably energy and raw material costs. But the company noted that "sales were ahead in many markets." and added that it "saw signs of reduced international freight costs and raw material costs.. As a consequence of the [higher costs] challenges highlighted above, profit before tax for the half year will be short of the comparative period but not significantly so.
Leading LVT company, Karndean International, has announced a major expansion of its operations in mainland Europe with the acquisition of mFLOR International B.V in the Netherlands.
See page 26 for the full story.
Belgium, the UK’s biggest European carpet partner, is under severe pressure from rising energy and employment costs say manufacturers in the region after a series of factory closures. Imports from Belgium into the UK were 27% down in the pre-Christmas period compared to the previous year - the fourth consecutive month of decline. Leading Belgium newspaper De Tijd said that the historic textile industry in the Flanders region of Belgium “was in danger of being wiped out.” The industry generated only half as much revenue last year (€4 billion) as it did in 2001. The fall in carpet sales, Flanders' largest textile sector, was particularly precipitous, dropping 30% compared to the year before.
Numerous long-established factories – including B.I.G.’s Ideal Floor Coverings plant in Wielsbeke and the Balta Group yarn factory in Avelgem (pictured right) are scheduled to close.
Since the year 2000, the number of textile companies in Flanders has reduced from 1,100 to 515, and the number of employees from 38,000 to 16,000. "It's a battlefield," said Joe Lano, the owner and CEO of Lano Carpets in Harelbeke.
Although rising competition from China has led to a decline in demand for European-manufactured textiles, it is high inflation, and in particular soaring energy costs, which are principally to blame for the Flemish industry's woes. Victoria plc, the British firm which bought half of Balta Group in July last year, took action on costs. "Inflation added to the declining demand in Europe and the US," Victoria’s Belgiam CEO Philippe Hamers, told De Tijd. "But inflation worried me less than the high production costs.
“The market is picking up again, but the expensive European energy is probably the new normal. Just like the high wage costs in Belgium, you can't reverse it either. That's why we closed Balta's yarn production in Avelgem and partly moved to Turkey," he said.
Mr Hamers criticised the EU's energy policy as “ineffective”, pointing out that energy costs are still seven times more expensive than a year ago, before the war in Ukraine. He added that the Belgian Government's unusual policy of wage indexations – legal requirements to link pay to inflation - also bears significant responsibility for the current crisis: "We cannot let our strategy depend on what the Government decides. Waiting for the Government takes too long. Labour costs are rising too fast in Belgium. It is a cynical calculation, but due to the closure of our yarn factory in Avelgem, we have 220 fewer people on the payroll."
On 1 January 2023, companies in Belgium that fall under certain criteria were required by the government to increase the salaries by 11.08%.
Writing in De Tijd, commentator Tom Michielsen said: “Last year it rained closures, relocations and takeovers in the Flemish carpet industry. It seems as if the once glorious West Flemish sector is on its last legs. Still, echoes of hope can be heard: ‘The survivors will do great business in the coming years.’ and: "Innovation and high-end products will save the sector.’”
LATEST: Balta Carpets issued a statement of intent on February 16 to "right size" its factory in Sint-Baafs-Vijve saying: "The difficult economic environment with exponentially rising labour costs, an unstable energy policy and the falling demand for broadloom carpet on the continent, makes competitive and profitable production in Belgium impossible." Most of the broadloom operation will move to the UK plants of its parent company, Victoria plc. The €14 million investment plans to expand the Sint-Baafs-Vijve site for the production of Balta Rugs is going ahead.
In a competitive market where the loyalty of high value customers is so precious, it’s sometimes what’s going on around the edges that makes the difference.
Top quality fitting and above average finishing can make a major impact on customer satisfaction and the likelihood of repeat business and key manufacturers have made sure that you have access to excellent products to enhance your installations.
Interfloor were out to impress when they launched their range of premium floor edgings and the collection has gained great acclaim for its uncompromisingly high specification and luxurious style.
The Gripperrods Premier collection has high quality that shines through, and for those retailers with discerning clientele, this provides an exceptional add-on sales opportunity and high levels of customer satisfaction.
Gary Cowley, Interfloor Sales Director, says: “Consumers are looking for quality finishing touches to their new flooring and this allows retailers to respond by up-selling accessories that will make the difference for the consumer and boost profits.”
The Premier range includes a very on-trend brushed steel nickel or an elegant bright chrome in a range of profiles for joining floors of different materials, different heights and between doorways. These finishes coordinate well with other contemporary home accessories such as light switches, sockets and door handles.
The smart black POS displays for wall or counter-top reinforces the style, showcasing the shiny sophistication of The Gripperrods Premier collection.
“Consumers are looking for quality finishing touches to their new flooring...”
“Ball & Young’s stick-down metals have been around for some time and have become increasingly popular,”
Ball and Young create the finishing touch to any installation, domestic and commercial, with an impressive collection of metal edgings under their Floorline brand. “We really listen to what customers and their fitters want and have steadily developed our accessories range to match that requirement with innovation and imagination,” says Ann.
High quality finishing with built-in protection ensures a pristine and beautiful result – delivering the kind of installation that all professional fitting companies desire to secure their reputation with consumers. In addition to a comprehensive range of Classic trade aluminium and simbrass edgings, Ball & Young’s stick-down metals have been around for some time and have become increasingly popular, saving fitters’ time, while giving the exquisite finish that customers will admire.
Installers working on quality installations need quality workwear and Snickers Kneeguard is a world-leading, fully certified, trademarked system for knee protection against kneeling injuries and everyday knocks at work.
The combination of Kneeguard pads and the Kneeguard PRO positioning system in Snickers workwear trousers is a crucial combination for reliable knee protection.
In Snickers Workwear trousers kneepad pockets, you can adjust the kneepads to different heights to ensure correct positioning - for you - for maximum protection. There’s also different types of kneepads to fit different types of trousers to suit different jobs on site.
Such as the specialist kneepads for the floorlayer trousers and the slim-fit Kneepads specially for the slim-fit trousers.
The unique design features also make the kneepads extremely flexible when you walk, yet they close around your knees when you kneel down – without your knees sliding off when you move around.
With superb impact protection, the market-leading D30 Ergo
provide enhanced impact protection and are great
Floorwise has built up a comprehensive range of edging solutions and publishes a “profile portfolio” to help installers choose between their classic ranges and the premium Zenith and Max collections and the sophisticated Max Reflections options.
Quality is central to the offer. “First impressions count, but it’s the lasting impression that’s really important and that’s why we engineer our profiles with quality first and foremost in mind,” says Richard Bailey, managing director of floorwise.
This approach is carried through, out of sight, to the floorwise gripper ranges. “Over the years, we noticed the gradual decline in gripper specification – poor quality ply, narrower widths, fewer pins and nails –and Diamond Gripper was our response,” says Richard. “It gets rid of the need for double runs and provides a secure hold – thanks to extra pins – so even heavy weight and power-stretched installs are trouble-free. In fact, for installers around the country, Diamond Gripper is the only one they use. Diamond Gripper has become a mark of pride in your work and quality craftmanship.”
Diamond Gripper is supplied pre-nailed for wood or concrete in long or medium pin, or as dual purpose in long and medium pin. At 25mm wide, it also reduces the risk of damage to skirtings and walls.
Thanks to 20% more pins than basic gripper, Diamond Gripper is the start of fantastic floor installations and is one of many products qualifying for points in flooring’s biggest rewards promotion at floorwise stockists across the UK and Ireland.
“First impressions count, but it’s the lasting impression that’s really important...”
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.
To find out more visit f-ball.com/training
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.
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.
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.
We’re celebrating 50 years of the F. Ball Recommended Adhesives Guide. The tested, approved, recommended, guaranteed and trusted go-to-guide for flooring adhesive compatibility. Along with the comprehensive printed book, the RAG® 2023 is available online and by downloading the RAG® App. Get your copy today.
• Evaluate all buying groups as they all work differently
• Talk to the main marketing contact and/or a member of the committee
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.
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...
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.
• 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
• 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.
• 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.
Associated Carpet Group www.acgcarpets.com
Contact: Jon Richardson Tel: 01942 825520 jon@acgcarpets.com
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
Metro Group www.carpet1st.co.uk
Contact: Jill Coward Tel: 01204 393539 jillcoward@carpet1st.co.uk
www.smg-group.co.uk
Contact: Mike Reed Tel: 0118 932 3832 info@smg-group.co.uk
If you would like to be included in this section or upgrade your listing, please contact Diane Martin on +44 (0)1482 659396 or email diane@mayvillepublishing.co.uk
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This information is given by responsible manufacturers to help you help your customer to make an informed choice.
If you would like to be included in this section or upgrade your listing, please contact Diane Martin on +44 (0)1482 659396 or email diane@mayvillepublishing.co.uk
Abingdon SoftStep info@abingdonflooring.co.uk
01274 655 694 www.abingdonflooring.co.uk
Adoretouch
+1.631.843.0900 www.adorefloors.com
Alsapan g.folkes@alsapan.com
03 88 59 29 89 www.alsapan.com
Altro enquiries@altro.com
01462 489 516 www.altro.co.uk
Amtico info@amtico.com
0121 745 0800 www.amtico.com
Aspecta
+31 (0) 88 1662500 www.aspectaflooring.com
Avenue Floors info@avenuefloors.co.uk www.avenuefloors.co.uk
Beauflor sales@beauflor.com
+32 56 67 66 11 www.beauflor.com
Brampton Chase support@bramptonchase.co.uk 01604 664855 www.bramptonchase.co.uk
Earthwerks saleseurope@earthwerks.com
0800 689 1657 www.earthwerks.eu.com
Forbo Flooring info.flooring.uk@forbo.com 01773 744 121 www.forbo.com
Furlong enquiries@furlongflooring.com 01772 316155 www.furlongflooring.co.uk
Harvey Maria info@harveymaria.com 0330 330 1231 www.harveymaria.com
Interface
interface.uk@interface.com 0800 313 4465 www.interface.com
Invictus Info@invictus.co.uk 01422 431100 www.invictus.co.uk/lvt
IVC – Moduleo + Leoline www.ivcgroup.com
Kährs UK sales@kahrs.com 023 9245 3045 www.kahrs.com
Karndean Designflooring 01386 820100 www.karndean.com
Kellars sales@kellars.co.uk 0161 443 0970 www.kellars.co.uk
Kraus sales@qep.com 01283 245430 www.krausflooring.co.uk
Lifestyle Floors info@lifestyle-floors.co.uk
01827 831448 www.lifestyle-floors.co.uk
Leoline info@leoline.co.uk
0800 032 3970 www.leoline.co.uk
Moduleo salesuk@moduleo.com 01332 851500 www.moduleo.co.uk
Polyflor info@polyflor.com
0161 767 1111 www.polyflor.com
Tarkett communication@tarkett.com
01622 854040 www.tarkett.com
Quick-Step 08448 118 288 www.quick-step.co.uk
Victoria Design Floors (Distinctive Flooring/Universal Flooring) info@myvictoria.co.uk 01562 749300 www.myvictoria.co.uk
Wineo info@wineo.de +49 (0) 5237 6090 www.en.wineo.de
Westex info@westexflooring.co.uk
01274 861334 www.westexflooring.com
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.
• 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 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.
• 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.
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.
renu® is a game changer. Interfloor’s new underlay meets the concerns of our modern world in reducing waste and being environmentally sustainable.
It’s made by bringing together raw materials that we save from going to landfill with some that have a positive effect on the environment.
renu® is a sustainable, recycled carpet underlay and is without question the most sustainable underlay in Interfloor’s long history.
We have used post-consumer waste, car tyres and plastic bottles in the manufacture of our underlay for many years. But with renu® we have gone even further responding to the aspiration for a fully sustainable product. It’s made from 98% recycled materials, using ethically sourced and genuinely recycled materials, which means keeping waste from going to landfill and is 100% recyclable itself!
The main body of the underlay is made of foam reclaimed from recycled soft furnishings, this foam is them mixed with a binding agent and subjected to high temperature steam under high pressure. The backing is made from 100% recycled and unbleached paper and we use vegetable-based inks for printing. The facing film is made from an ethically produced, carbonnegative bio-based film made from sugar cane. The sugar cane actively captures CO2 from the atmosphere whilst at the same time releasing oxygen – making this material not just green, but proactively green.
Let’s not forget, the point of underlay is that it feels great and prolongs the life of a new carpet and renu®, being made from highdensity foam and with a thickness of 9mm, is suitable for all areas of the home.
For more information visit www.interfloor.com/renu
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.
Good underlay will...
• Improve underfoot comfort
• Increase appearance retention, reducing flattening
• 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.
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.
NATIONAL
Fells Carpets
Leeds - see page 12 0113 3071900 carl.cummings@fellscarpets.co.uk www.fellscarpets.co.uk
TCS “The Carpet Specialists” Morecambe 01524 840177 info@tcsthecarpetspecialists.com www.tcsthecarpetspecialists.com
Xylo Wood Flooring London 020 8368 8122 infouk@xyloflooring.com www.xyloflooring.com
NORTH WEST
A&A Carpets
Manchester 01204 701188 sales@aandacarpets.co.uk www.aandacarpets.co.uk
Hathaway Flooring
Manchester - see page 14 and Floorwise page 61
Kellars Limited Manchester 0161 443 0970 sales@kellars.co.uk
Lakes Flooring Supplies
Kendal - see Floorwise page 61
Millbrook Carpets
Darwen 01254 703999 millbrookcarpets@live.co.uk
Preston Underlay Centre Ltd
Preston/Lancashire - see Floorwise page 61
EAST
Beds Flooring Bedford 01234 341234 sales@bedsflooring.co.uk www.bedsflooring.co.uk
Salesmark Ltd St Neots Tel: 01480 212888 sales@salesmark.co.uk www.salesmark.co.uk
STS Flooring Distributors
Cambridge - see page 18 and Floorwise page 61
NORTH EAST/YORKSHIRE
Fells Carpets
Leeds - see page 12 0113 3071900 carl.cummings@fellscarpets.co.uk www.fellscarpets.co.uk
Kellars Limited
Darlington 0161 443 0970 sales@kellars.co.uk
Fells Carpets
Goole - see page 12 0113 3071900 carl.cummings@fellscarpets.co.uk www.fellscarpets.co.uk
RBV Flooring Bradford 01274 670011 rbvflooring@yahoo.com
Trade Carpets and Floors Ltd
Rotherham 01709 437723 sales@tradecarpetsandfloors.co.uk
MIDLANDS
Birch Distribution Sheffield - see Floorwise page 61
Birch Distribution Leeds - see Floorwise page 61
Birch Distribution Hull - see Floorwise page 61
Cornerstone Flooring Supplies Doncaster - see Floorwise page 61
Cornerstone Flooring East Midlands and Warwickshire 01159 444711 sales@cornerstoneflooring.co.uk www.cornerstoneflooring.co.uk
DMS Flooring Supplies
Northampton - see page 9 01604 664850 sales@dmsflooringsupplies.co.uk
Floorwise D & J Ltd
Southam - see Floorwise page 61
Kellars Limited Rugby 0161 443 0970 sales@kellars.co.uk
Matty’s Wholesale Carpets
Birmingham 01675 433072 sales@mattys.co.uk
STS Flooring Distributors
Hemel Hempstead - see page 18 and Floorwise page 61
Trade Counter Carpets
Leicester 0845 604 3055 tradecountercarpets@gmail.com
Woodall Brothers Ltd
Shrewsbury - see Floorwise page 61
SOUTH WEST
BL Flooring Supplies Bristol - see Floorwise page 61
BL Flooring Supplies
Gloucester - see Floorwise page 61
Fitwell Flooring Ltd
Redruth - see Floorwise page 61
Fitwell Flooring Ltd
Newton Abott - see Floorwise page 61
Flooring Supplies (Wessex)
Amesbury 01980 625888 orders@flooringsupplieswessex.co.uk
R & M Wholesale Bristol 01179 531222
Tiverton 01884 258266 sales@rmwholesale.co.uk
Salesmark West Ltd Amesbury - see Floorwise page 61 Tel: 01980 880933 mail@salesmark-west.co.uk www.salesmark-west.co.uk
Solent Wholesale Carpet West Sussex 01243 774623 sales@solentwholesale.co.uk www.solentwholesale.co.uk
SOUTH EAST
Ashmount Flooring Supplies
Tottenham 0208 808 2158 sales@ashmountflooring.co.uk www.ashmountflooringsupplies.co.uk
Ballister London 020 8570 1668 london@ballister.co.uk www.ballister.co.uk
Ballister Reading 0118 931 3535 reading@ballister.co.uk www.ballister.co.uk
Beds Flooring Bedford 01234 341234 sales@bedsflooring.co.uk www.bedsflooring.co.uk
Clifford Floors Strood 01634 285900 sales@clifford.uk.com
Culpeck Strood 01634 299000 sales@culpeck.uk.com
Columbia Flooring
Middlesex 020 8443 3322 sales@columbiaflooring.co.uk www.columbiaflooring.co.uk see page 9 for details
DMS Flooring Supplies
Hemel Hempstead - see page 10 01442 502562 sales@dmsflooringsupplies.co.uk
DMS Flooring Supplies
Milton Keynes - see page 10 01908 049006 sales@dmsflooringsupplies.co.uk
DMS Flooring Supplies
Colindale, North London 0208 036 9945 - see page 10 colindale@dmsflooringsupplies.co.uk
Flooring Storage UK Potters Bar 01707 245999 sales@flooringstorage.com www.flooringstorage.com
Littner Hampton London 020 8520 8474 littnerhampton@aol.com www.littnerhamptoncarpets.co.uk
John Palmer Carpets
Fareham 01329 221933 sales@johnpalmercarpets.uk.net
Potts & Ward, Woodcocks Ltd
Brighton 01273 557211 sales@pwwflooring.com www.pwwflooring.com
Salesmark
Lancing - see Floorwise page 61 Tel: 01903 750522 sales@salesmark.co.uk www.salesmark.co.uk
Solent Wholesale Carpet West Sussex 01243 774623 sales@solentwholesale.co.uk www.solentwholesale.co.uk
STS Flooring Distributors
Basildon - see p18 & Floorwise p61
STS Flooring Distributors
Croydon - see p18 & Floorwise p61
STS Flooring Distributors
Orpington/Croydon - see page 18 & Floorwise page 61
Trade Carpet London
Wimbledon 0208 247 3891
sales@tradecarpet.com www.tradecarpet.com
IRELAND
Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd
Dublin - see Floorwise page 61
Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd
Belfast - see Floorwise page 61
Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd
Limerick - see Floorwise page 61
TCS “The Carpet Specialists” Co. Louth 00353 429 351 351 info@tcsthecarpetspecialists.com www.tcsthecarpetspecialists.com
SCOTLAND
Kellars Limited
Glasgow 0141 647 7685
sales@kellars.co.uk
MCD Scotland
Uddingston Glasgow 01698 808000 mcdscotland@mcd.co.uk
www.mcdscotland.co.uk
Neil Smith Ltd
Glasgow - see Floorwise page 61
WALES
Matty’s Wholesale Carpets
Birmingham 01675 433072
sales@mattys.co.uk
Floorwise Wales
Merthyr Tydfil - see Floorwise page 61
0161 872 8003
sales@hathawayflooring.com
10 Cornerstone Flooring Doncaster, DN3 3FE
Tel: 01302 835117
Fax: 01302 302542
cornerstonefloor@ btconnect.com
11 Birch Distribution Sheffield, S9 5PH
Tel: 0114 243 1230
Fax: 0114 243 5118
s.sales@birchdistribution.co.uk
12 Woodall Brothers Ltd Shrewsbury, SY1 3JE
Tel: 01743 441584
Fax: 01743 441629
sales@woodallbrothers.co.uk
13 Floorwise D & J Ltd Southam, CV47 0DR
Tel: 01926 814922
Fax: 01926 817899 sales@fwdj.co.uk
14 Floorwise Wales Merthyr Tydfil, CF48 4TQ Tel: 01685 374243 sales@floorwise-wales.com
15 BL Flooring Supplies Ltd
Gloucester, GL2 5HY
Tel: 01452 223355
Fax: 01452 371284
info@blflooring.co.uk
16 BL Flooring Supplies Ltd Bristol, BS2 9SH
Tel: 0117 955 5454
Fax: 0117 955 2626 info@blflooring.co.uk
17 Salesmark West Ltd Amesbury, SP4 7LN Tel: 01980 880933 mail@salesmark-west.co.uk
18 Salesmark Lancing, BN15 8UN Tel: 01903 750522
Fax: 01903 851111 sales@salesmark-floorwise.co.uk
19 Fitwell Flooring Ltd Newton Abbot, TQ12 6TR
Tel: 01626 835935 sales@fitwell.co.uk
20 Fitwell Flooring Ltd Redruth, TR15 1SS Tel: 01209 214344 sales@fitwell.co.uk
21 STS Flooring Distributors Ltd Cambridge, CB23 8UD Tel: 0345 899 1000 sales@stsflooring.co.uk
22 STS Flooring Distributors Ltd Hemel Hempstead, HP2 7ER Tel: 0345 899 1000 sales@stsflooring.co.uk
23 STS Flooring Distributors Ltd Basildon, Essex, SS14 3DW
Tel: 0345 899 1000 sales@stsflooring.co.uk
24 STS Flooring Distributors Ltd Croydon, Surrey, CR0 4WP
Tel: 0345 899 1000 sales@stsflooring.co.uk
25 STS Flooring Distributors Ltd Orpington, Kent, BR5 3SS Tel: 0345 899 1000 sales@stsflooring.co.uk
The Rug Tamer! Keeps Rugs In Their Place
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
Candidates need to be knowledgeable in Brintons, Ulster, Karndean, Amtico, Quickstep etc. and be able to sell, measure, order and problem solve. We are a well respected company with outstanding customer service and trading over 32 years. The job includes weekend rota and out of hours appointments.
The right person would be joining a highly motivated team and earn in excess of £30k per annum. We are located in WN7 2DA.
Please
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Cannock, Staffordshire : OTE £30,000-£40,000 + benefits
Flooring Specialists are required to join a growing insurance claims handling company. The ideal applicant will possess a broad knowledge of all types of flooring (carpet, wood, tile, manufacturers, brands, quality and costs) gained from working within retail, trade, insurance claims or other relevant sectors requiring flooring knowledge.
The successful applicant will join a motivated team of around 40 staff at a leading insurance claims handling specialist. As a Flooring Specialist, you will process insurance claims in accordance with the company’s best practice and clients individual claim philosophies, ensuring a positive experience for every client. This is a busy role for an organised and confident individual. Full training on insurance and claims handling will be provided.
Responsibilities:
• Provide excellent customer service – deal with customers in a positive and friendly way
• Liaise with the policy holders and Insurance Companies to accurately validate claims circumstances and identify and report any potential fraud indicators
• Establish the type and specification of customers’ existing flooring and identify a suitable like-for-like replacement
• Using your flooring expertise, ensure the most cost-effective solution for customers and client’s expectations
• Arrange inspections and restorations via authorised panel of Inspection Agents
• Arrange delivery of replacements goods within contractual time frames
• Provide the highest level of customer service at all times ensuring compliance
• Achieve monthly targets in closing out claims to achieve bonuses
Skills and experience:
• Experience working in the flooring industry in a relevant role
• Excellent customer service skills
• Highly-organised
• A confident communicator in all situations
• Able to understand insurance policies would be helpful (although full training will be provided)
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced, personable and motivated Flooring Specialist to join a leading insurance services company, offering flexible tailored solutions and delivering a personal service to clients and policy holders alike. In addition to your flooring knowledge there is the opportunity to acquire other product knowledge too.
Fantastic Base Salary with a realistic OTE of £30,000-£40,000 + benefits. Apply now!
Applicants should submit their CV and covering letter to: Paul Fairbrass, Technical Director, p.fairbrass@sbs-claims.co.uk
Ulster Carpets’ is one of the world’s largest and most progressive carpet manufacturers, servicing global retail and contract markets. We currently have a vacancy within our Residential Sales team. The successful applicant will have responsibility for developing sales through our Independent retail accounts covering the following areas:
We offer a competitive salary, company car, medical cover, contributory pension scheme and profit related pay, along with good development and progression opportunities.
To apply send your tailored CV and a covering letter detailing how you meet the following criteria:
1. Sales experience ‘on the road’ as a manufacturer’s representative (ideally a minimum of 2 years);
2. The ability to achieve sales targets, provide details of results and achievements;
3. The motivation and enthusiasm to grow and increase sales in the territory.
Applications should be emailed by Monday 13 March 2023 at 12 noon to recruit@ulstercarpets.com, or by post to The Monitoring Officer, Ulster Carpets, Castleisland Factory, Portadown, Co Armagh, BT62 1EE. To speak with a member of our team, telephone 028 38334433.
We are an Equal Opportunities Employer
PERMANENT POSITION • PACKAGE NEGOTIABLE • IDEALLY BERKSHIRE AREA
SMG The National Furnishing Group are the largest flooring buying group in the UK and support nearly 450 of the best Independent Retailers.
We are looking for a self-motivated individual to lead and work with the SMG team to develop its membership base and services. This role will require experience of retail and/or sales in the flooring sector and will involve regular travelling throughout the UK.
The ideal candidate must have the following skills…
• A strong communicator who is well presented with excellent interpersonal skills
• The adaptability to work alone as well as with a small team
• Strong written skills and proficiency in office IT systems including Excel, Outlook and CRM packages
• Be flexible and resourceful when supporting own brand installation and industry shows and events
If you are interested in this exciting opportunity, then please email your C.V. to lthomas@smg-group.co.uk
