Gold star at Academy

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

Knowsley knowledge for flooring

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

Finding the fittest for LVT

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