The Stocklists - January 2023

GAIA® - AW’s POLYESTER BRAND

Polyester is the most widely used textile fibre in the world. Polyester is alluring & smooth to the touch

Gaia ® carpet with its excellent colour fastness, rich lustre and 100% virgin pile materia l will certainly enrich your home. And no maintenance issues whatsoever: Gaia ® carpet is bleach cleanable

, Dorado , Tigris , Ganges … names of famous and less well-known rivers. But all are threatened by plastic and other pollution. Start contributing to solve this problem now by buying products containing recycled plastics.

ECO FusionBac is a unique premium carpet backing. It is made from 100% recycled pet plastic bottles.

Lectern Tigris & Ganges

Lectern Dorado & Indus

Meet the team!

FIND YOUR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE HERE:

SCOTLAND & BORDERS

Stephen Cawley

M: 07718 762236

E: stephen.cawley@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Areas covered: All Scottish Regions.

NORTH 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.

Sue Chapman

Areas covered:

NORTH EAST, CUMBRIA & ISLE OF MAN

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.

Chris Gee

Award winning state-of-the-art underlay.

Designed specifically for underfloor heating systems, the perforated holes allow for quicker heat transfer

46oC heat transfer at 200kw ≈0.8 functional TOG rating ≈36 dB noise reduction ≈80kg density

FLOORINGNEWS

Loops are the look for 2023

As the country-look texture of loop pile carpets shows the early signs of becoming a firm styling favourite, Abingdon Flooring has boosted the loop pile wool-rich carpets of the Wilton Royal family.

With the launch of Royal Sovereign and an update to the treasured Royal Windsor, Abingdon Flooring is predicting the continued rise of loop pile carpets. Early signs are that loop pile textures are returning to favour with stylists and influencers locking into the unyielding popularity of nature in design themes.

Now, thanks to the addition of Royal Sovereign and the reinvigorated New Royal Windsor, homeowners can pick from two 100% wool loop pile carpets that are made in Britain and come with the quality and value of styles made by Abingdon Flooring. In the 100% wool Royal Sovereign, homeowners will find a laidback style with a medium loop pile, while New Royal Windsor provides a smaller loop for a more refined and elegant look. The styles enjoy the extra comfort of Abingdon Flooring’s Fleece backing, which also makes installation easier.

Both Royal Sovereign and New Royal Windsor are presented in a palette of modern natural colours characterised by wool’s unmistakable dye take, each colour is given a depth and richness that feels uniquely British.

With the launch of Royal Sovereign and an update to the treasured Royal Windsor, Abingdon Flooring is predicting the continued rise of loop pile carpets.

2022 top 20 for rugs

Charlotte Coop, marketing manager, Abingdon Flooring, says: “The growing interest in loop pile is another sign that natural wool carpet is gaining in popularity and we’re keen to make sure our retailers are ready with qualities that are relevant and appealing.”

T 01274 655 694 www.abingdonflooring.co.uk

Louis de Poortere has revealed its top 20 selling rugs for 2022 with Griff in Columbus Gold from the Mad Men collection taking the number one spot. With such a wide selection of rugs available from Louis de Poortere, just what design will take the crown in total sales for the year is always a mystery. However, it seems the dominance of Griff shows no sign of waning as it secures the number one spot again, having taken it in 2020. Griff in Columbus Gold seems to hit just the right note in homes up and down the country.

Part of the Mad Men collection that’s inspired by the creative of New York in the late sixties, Griff is an abstract design that’s woven in a combination of cotton chenille and high gloss polyester. The rug’s style is versatile and this no doubt contributes to its continued success.

"The top 20 list is always highly anticipated and always throws up an interesting mix of styles," says Alan Russell, sales director UK.

Other designs in Mad Men take six of the top 10 places, making this the collection to be seen with. Atlantic Streaks is another abstract rug to feature, with the traditional patterns in worn effects of Fading World and Antiquarian also making the top 10. Further down the bestsellers list, there’s an appearance from the new Dedalo design in Blue Marine with the striking mustard and teal colours of Antiquarian Bakhtiari Fener rounding out the list.

Alan Russell, sales director UK, Louis de Poortere, says: “The top 20 list is always highly anticipated and always throws up an interesting mix of styles. From more neutral palettes like Fading World Medallion in Salt and Pepper at number three to rich and colourful designs, it goes to show just how important it is to be able to offer a wide range of looks. When it comes to rugs, it appears that it’s anything but beige!”

The Louis de Poortere Rugs 2022 Collection features 28 different families and 119 individual styles to choose from in multiple sizes, including a new circle shape on selected designs.

What colour is 2023? Our annual review of the colours that designers forecast will be this year's trends pages 37–39

Sustainability sells Eco-aware products across the flooring sector sell strongly while helping to save the planet pages 44–46

Forest of woods

We review the latest vinyl wood decors, reflecting the popular natural trends page 41–43

Natural style for tiles

Shifting Fields is the latest carpet tile collection from commercial flooring designermanufacturer Shaw Contract EMEA. Inspired by the constant transitions witnessed in our natural environment, Shifting Fields features three styles of carpet tile designed to work together across the landscape of commercial interiors.

The relationships between land, sky, water and the horizon changes constantly. As these landscapes shift, our natural world adapts. In the age of agile working and the need to design for ever-changing environments, Shifting Fields mimics these transitions to create more balanced and connected environments indoors.

Inspired by nature: Made from Shaw’s 100% recycled content EcoSolution Q100 fibre and manufactured at their carbon neutral plant in Sanquhar, Scotland, the new collection is available as a 50 x 50cm carpet tile in three styles – Plains, Landing and Landing Edge.

Style Plains is available in nine nature-inspired colours including Desert, Pristine, Remote, Tide, Evergreen, Coast, Sunset, Stone and Reservoir. Depending on the installation method, Landing Edge tiles, available in six colours, can be used as a standalone feature to create distinctive designs, as a border or as a seamless transition between Plains and Landing tiles on the journey from one space to another. Landing is available in three colours.

Sustainable design considerations: Following Shaw Contract’s commitment to ingredient transparency and material health, is Cradle to Cradle Bronze certified and is available with Shaw’s TaskWorx backing containing 75% recycled content Alternatively, the collection can be installed with ComfortWorx backing which uses 90% post-consumer PET bottles and provides a solution for both acoustic and underfoot comfort. Shifting Fields is also Indoor Air Comfort Gold certified for low-emitting products, demonstrating Shaw’s focus on quality and contribution to healthier indoor environments; and is one of Shaw Contract’s carbon neutral collections and is optimised for low carbon.

At the end of their useful life carpet tiles will be reclaimed by Shaw Contract to be recycled through their `reTURN’ reclamation programme for customers across EMEA. The tiles can be repurposed in line with Shaw Contract’s commitment to sustainable products and the circular economy. www.shawcontract.com

Inspiration for eco awards

Entries are now open for the 2023 Recofloor vinyl flooring recycling awards. Showcasing members’ recycling achievements, the awards celebrate and share sustainability successes across the industry.

For 2023, there are five open categories: Contractor of the Year, Distributor of the Year, Drop-Off Site User of the Year, Project of the Year, and Recofloor Champion. These categories will be judged by the Recofloor team and representatives from scheme founders Altro and Polyflor. Companies can either enter themselves directly or nominate a member who deserves recognition.

“We’re looking for businesses who can demonstrate commitment to the scheme and show they are making a difference,” says Recofloor Manager, Carla Eslava. “Large or small, every member is welcome to enter. Previous winners range from local drop-off site users to regional distributors and national contractors – it’s always inspiring to find out how people are implementing the scheme and improving their sustainability practices.”

In addition to the open categories, Recofloor has brought back the Greatest Improver Award after a two-year break. In this category, companies are awarded 1st, 2nd and 3rd place based on growth in their tonnages collected from 2021 to 2022. Gold, Silver, or Bronze award certificates will also be given to all participating companies for their recycling efforts and their tonnages collected.

Previous winners have seen significant benefits from publicity in industry media. While there is not a face-to-face awards ceremony planned for the 2023 awards, trophies, certificates and a number of special prizes for the winning companies will be awarded to winners of the main categories (details to be confirmed).

“With zero waste targets spreading through supply chains, winning a Recofloor award is a great way for flooring firms to boost their profile and highlight sustainability credentials to prospective customers,” says Carla. “It’s also a powerful motivator, giving a boost to hard-working teams.”

2021 Distributor of the Year category winner James Smith, Managing Director at Nutland Carpet Accessories Ltd, is enthusiastic about winning a Recofloor award: “We were absolutely thrilled to win Recofloor’s Distributor of the Year Award”, he explains. “It has been great to see how committed our customers have been to Recofloor. We couldn’t do it without them and, of course, the support of Altro and Polyflor.”

Another enthusiast is Neil Stanway, Managing Director, at Kilworth looring & Furnishing Co. Ltd, winner of the 2021 Contractor of the Year Award. “It was motivation for us,” he says. “It’s really satisfying to see our recycling efforts being recognised so quickly and we were delighted to win this award.”

The entry process for the awards is straightforward, requiring entrants to simply answer a short set of questions specific to the relevant category.

The closing date for entries is Friday 17th February 2023. To enter, visit http:// recofloor-org/awards-2023

Winners will be announced in March 2023 over social media and via the Recofloor website.

T 0161 355 7618 www.recofloor.org

"We’re looking for businesses who can demonstrate commitment to the scheme and show they are making a difference,” says Recofloor Manager, Carla Eslava.

FLOORING FORUM READER SURVEY

Retailers dig in for the recession

Strong performance in 2021/22 helps prepare for challenging times ahead

Retailers are digging in for a long haul through the UK recession with the majority of our readers not expecting an upturn until 2024.

According to our survey, taken in the middle of November, 56% don’t expect things to improve significantly next year and a pessimistic 18% think it will be 2025 before the economy bounces back.

Asked about sales prospects for 2023, 41% are expecting little change with 29% expecting a fall of more than 10%. About 11% are hopeful that they will see a small increase in trade.

But looking at last year’s performance, the figures have been strong with over a third of retailers saying business is substantially up while a quarter has seen little change compared to the previous year. However, when we asked readers to comment on the two pandemic years taken together, nearly half said business was “much better” overall.

But the run-up to Christmas in the all-important fourth quarter has been been disappointing for some – 43% said current trading was poor, 38% said it was OK and only 19% were seeing an improvement.

Asked to leave comments, many readers messages were the same – a plea for political stability, price stability and an end to the war in Ukraine. Another key theme was the negativity of press coverage – “the media need to stop scaring all the customers away,” said a reader in Scotland.

The vast majority of our respondents have increased prices last year with 47% marking up by more than 10% and another 29% increasing by over 15%. But two-thirds of our retailers said their margins had not improved. 89% said consumers had become significantly more price sensitive in the last few months.

However, one statistic that stood out is that 81% said higher value sales are holding up well, confirming anecdotal evidence that there’s still middle-class money being spent while the entry-level budgets were taking a beating.

We asked which was the greatest challenge right now – finding customers, finding fitters, getting deliveries on time or rising supplier prices. Those price increases polled double compared to any of the other challenges although when asked about it in more detail, nearly 60% agreed suppliers had generally been reasonable on moderating price increases.

More mixing and matching

Previously only available with Richelieu Classic, Louis de Poortere has extended its Mix & Match programme to most of the designs in its runner collection, letting homeowners mix and match from 144 colours and nine patterns to create the runners of their dreams.

Experimenting with patterns and colours to create a fabulous runner is even more of an adventure thanks to this creative option in Louis de Poortere’s Richelieu Family runner collection. Now with nine patterns and 144 colour options, mix & match gives homeowners an extraordinary number of pattern and colour pairings.

Finding the perfect wool-rich wilton runner is made easy with Louis de Poortere’s interactive runner builder at www.louisdepoortere.be/ richelieuclassicbuilder. Letting homeowners dream up their favourite runner from the comfort of their own home, the builder makes finding their pattern and colour combination fun and stress-free.

Available in up to six widths to provide the ideal fitting for stairs, landings and hallways, custom Richelieu Family runners are available from just 12 metres and come with a guaranteed lead time of 10 weeks from order.

Alan Russell, sales director UK, says: “Our runner collection has really taken off and we’re delighted to be able to offer Mix & Match on more qualities in the offering. The expanded custom option can now be found on our easy to use interactive runner builder, where retailers can help customers to express their creativity and make an exclusive design statement for their home.”

Profile perfection

Engineered for quality and value, profiles from floorwise are available in a wide range of applications, bringing retailers and installers the perfect finishing touch.

While great subfloor preparation and installation are the start of a fantastic floor, there’s no doubt that a well-matched profile is a great finishing touch. floorwise offer a range of coordinated finishes to match your sockets and switches; these range from classic chrome through to the elegance of brass effect or the best-selling look of brushed steel. Whatever your look floorwise has the right profile for a fantastic finish. Irrespective of your floorcovering, from carpet to carpet, wood, laminate or LVT and everything in-between, floorwise profiles provide a long-lasting solution engineered to deliver the best durability and strength per pound. With Zenith wood, laminate and LVT profiles, the premium Max and Max Reflections ranges and best-selling Classic range; floorwise trade counters across the UK and Ireland provide retailers and installers with great value profiles.

Zenith brings superb levels of versatility for wood, laminate and LVT floors in a range of wood effects, as well as matt silver and matt gold. With stick-down cover strips in popular wood looks such as grey oak and dark oak, Zenith offers more flexibility and accessibility than designmatched options from floor manufacturers.

With cover strips, dual and single edges and z-edge, Classic offers a versatile ‘go to’ range that’s ready for any profile challenge. For commercial or high-quality domestic applications, Max brings complete peace of mind in aluminium or sim-brass effects in single edge, dual edge and extra-wide cover strip. Max Reflections comes in real chrome and a premium brushed steel nickel effect, providing a premium finish at all transitions and doorways.

floorwise has also introduced a range of display and presenter boards for its profile collections that have been designed to make it easy for retailers, installers and customers to select the perfect look and the right application.

From neutrals and naturals through to bold and rich colours, the palette has something for every home. So, whether making a statement or adding the elegance of a runner to a muted interior scheme, Mix & Match is a great place to start. Each Runner style is made from a heavyweight (2,300g/m2) wool-rich yarn for a runner of exquisite quality that’s even suitable for use in commercial environments, such as boutique hotels.

T +3256 393 393 www.louisdepoortere.com

The three key events in the flooring calendar have set their dates for 2023 so make a note in your diary now for Domotex in Hannover, the Buying Group National Flooring Show in Solihull and the The Flooring Show in Harrogate.

January 12–15, Hannover www.domotex.de

Andrew Gill, group product manager, floorwise, says: “Our wide range of profiles leave no stone unturned. Among it you’ll find a profile that meets your requirements and will provide the excellent quality and value you expect from floorwise. So, whether you need a glamourous transition to luxury carpeting with Max Reflections or a colour-matched solution for LVT with Zenith, your floorwise distributor has a fantastic finish ready for you.”

T 01509 673974 www.floorwise.co.uk

May 10–11, Solihull www.bgnfs.co.uk

September 17-19, Harrogate www.theflooringshow.com

Domotex

Buying Group National Flooring Show (BGNFS)

The Flooring Show

Thinner favourite for sub-floors

Lion Floor is the sustainable and cost-effective alternative to British Standard compliant plywood. At 4.8mm thick, it is also the thinner alternative.

While British Standard BS 8203 for the installation of resilient floorcoverings stipulates that a 6mm plywood can be used, British Standards and the Contract Flooring Association (CFA) say that the thickness of engineered fibreboard can be reduced to just 4.8mm. So, anytime you are looking for Lion Floor to replace a BS 8203 6mm compliant plywood, make sure you choose the 4.8mm option.

Thanks to Lion Floor’s high-grade construction that’s denser and more rigid than plywood, similar strength can be achieved with a 1.2mm thinner board. Helping to minimise floor height, this makes Lion Floor ideal for refurbishment projects where floor to ceiling height or keeping floor levels consistent is crucial. In fact, anywhere that needs a strong, stable and reliable subfloor can benefit from Lion Floor’s strength.

Lion Floor also eliminates the risk of core gaps and overlaps found in plywood for a more reliable and less troublesome surface and as it’s preconditioned during manufacture, it needs no wetting and is just as easy to install. Fixed with screws or rink shank nails and suitable for screeds and feather compounds, there’s no longer a reason to choose BS 8203 compliant plywood.

Peter Jones, Finnish Fibreboard (UK) Ltd, says: “Lion Floor is manufactured in Finland as a high-quality alternative to plywood and with its dense and rigid construction we’re able to make it thinner than the equivalent plywood without compromising integrity. It’s just one more advantage of opting for Lion Floor for all your resilient floor covering installations.”

As well as being a high-grade alternative, Lion Floor is made from highly sustainable materials, recovered locally from managed forests and byproducts of the timber processing industries. Most of the energy required by manufacture is also produced with biofuel and modern evaporation technology is used to treat production wastewater, reducing the footprint of production. Combined with no added formaldehyde, Lion Floor comes with M1 and PEFC certification and can be easily and safely reused or recycled.

Lion Floor is also available in 6mm thick to replace thicker plywood and comes in various sheet sizes depending on requirements. The perfect all-round solution to installation boards, Lion Floor is the first hardboard panel to be designed and manufactured specifically for the flooring industry. It is also 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.

sales@finfib.fi www.finfib.fi

Voice of the trade

Martin Peace Sales Director, Abingdon Flooring

For many, Martin Peace is the face of Abingdon, well known across the industry for his professionalism, enthusiasm and cheerful personality. In December, Martin retires and here he reflects on a career in flooring...

Q What’s been the biggest change you have seen over your career?

A I'm old school so definitely mobile phones and iPads. I don't miss the days of ringing through roll orders from a phone box though!

Q What’s the best thing about the flooring trade?

A Undoubtedly the people. What a great bunch they are.

Q What’s the worst thing about the flooring trade?

A The common urge to drive down pricing. Do consumers really know what a bargain they're getting for the work that manufacturers and retailers put in?

Q What should you have done differently?

A I wouldn't change a thing. It is what it is.

Q Will more things change in the next 10 years than have changed in the last 10?

A I'm not so sure about that but it would be nice to see some more product innovation.

Q What’s the biggest single trend you see coming in our sector?

A A move back from greys to naturals with a bit of colour thrown into the mix.

Q What advice would you give to a young person thinking of a career in flooring?

A Go for it and enjoy it. It's a wonderful trade to be in.

Q What was the most fun you’ve had in your career?

A The fun and frolics at Harrogate whilst selling lots of carpet!

Q What are you most looking forward to doing in the future?

A Playing great golf.

Q What are you most looking forward to NOT doing in the future?

A Playing bad golf.

Q If you hadn’t ended up in this industry, what might you have done?

A Who knows? I love playing all sports and that's the competitor in me so selling was a good cop out!

Q What is the product you are most proud of and/or which has made the biggest difference?

A I think we've had a few but I would have to say Stainfree Tweed 25 years on and still going strong.

Q What’s different about Abingdon?

A I believe we work hard to be leaders and not followers.

Q If you had to single out one thing, what do retailers need to do better?

A Maybe not in the current climate, but charge more for their products and services.

Q What do manufacturers need to do better generally?

A Service. Service. Service.

Abingdon Stainfree Tweed

We are Kellars...

Four years ago, Kellars were supplying flooring products to a small number of clients in the Greater Manchester area in 3 trucks. At this point, we only had 1 depot in Stockport supplying to a local customer base. After years of growth and development, we now cover more than 40 routes which go from Inverness to North London, providing a fantastic delivery service from our own Kellars branded fleet.

Fast forwarding to a few years later, we had a fantastic year in 2022 in terms of our new product additions to the portfolio, the introduction of a full point of sale marketing package and increasing our sales force.

After a successful show in Harrogate, we decided to host a ‘Kellars roadshow’ event in Cambridge for our Southern customers and those who didn’t catch us at the show in September. Our new and existing stands and brands were presented at the Clayton Hotel, and we finished the night with a live band and fun Casino themed evening. We look forward to running these again in the future for our customers in various parts of the country.

Kellars aim is to bring more products to the market in 2023, including additional brands and developments to our current collections. As we always do, we will be looking into infrastructure, recruitment, and transport investments to open Kellars up to additional areas across the UK and increase our brand exposure in the industry.

With our 4 depots; Stockport, Shildon, Glasgow and Rugby being busier than ever, we will be looking at further expansions and depot developments over the next 12 months. Every day we are working towards our vision of being the largest independant flooring wholesaler in the UK, and we believe 2023 will push us even closer to our goal. We have a fantastic team of Area Sales Managers who cover almost every area on the UK map, and market our range of products, stands and services to new and existing customers. We thank them for their passion for the industry and look forward to another year with the team.

Here’s to 2023!

Kellars are a UK leading, independent flooring wholesaler, supplying flooring products, stands, underlay and accessories to trade customers, retailers, and distributors in the country. Showroom

Marketing insights

What

the 2023 colour for flooring?

Several trend forecasters are predicting natural hues as the must have for 2023. The warm tones not only engender a positive and uplifting vibe, the nature-inspired shades also offer a practical and versatile colour palette that is easy to furnish to.

The Dulux colour experts have been translating global insights into a Colour of the Year that matches the mood of the moment for the past 20 years. The shade they have selected for 2023 is Wild Wonder – a positive, glowing tone, inspired by the natural world. They have created four complementary palettes to bring the magic of nature into your home.

“it is inspired by the red of cochineal, one of the most precious dyes belonging to the natural dye family as well as one of the strongest and brightest the world has known,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, in a press release.

Renowned consumer insights company WGSN combined forces with Coloro to introduce Digital Lavender as their Colour of the Year for 2023. Purple hues are linked with wellbeing, offering a sense of stability and balance. Their research suggests that colours with a shorter wavelength, such as Digital Lavender, evoke calmness and serenity.

Recognised globally as a leading source of colour expertise, the Pantone Colour Institute provides colour insights and solutions to a huge array of industries. From print to fashion, many designers use the pantone colours as an industry reference point. The 2023 Colour of the Year, Viva Magenta has been selected as a signal of strength, inclusivity, and self-expression. Powerful and empowering, this new red is audacious but not alarmist – it is optimistic, celebratory, and full of vim and vigour.

balance.

Interestingly, instead of picking one colour, Valspar have selected 12 liveable paint colours as their palette of the year for 2023. It includes soft neutrals, sweet pastels, and soothing shades of blue and green. Soft shades of pink and purple, including Gentle Violet and Southern Road, add sophisticated yet subtle colour to walls, while rich, restorative blues and greens, including Flora and Everglade Deck, pair well with wood tones and brass accents.

January is always a good time to review the top colour trend forecasts for 2023 and hear what some key flooring brands are predicting.

“The Dulux colour experts have been translating global insights into a Colour of the Year that matches the mood of the moment for the past 20 years.”

“it is inspired by the red of cochineal, one of the most precious dyes belonging to the natural dye family as well as one of the strongest and brightest the world has known,”

“Purple hues are linked with wellbeing, offering a sense of stability and

Their research suggests that colours with a shorter wavelength, such as Digital Lavender, evoke calmness and serenity.”

Dulux – Wild Wonder

Pantone – Viva Magenta

Coloro + WGSN – Digital Lavender

is

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.

Marketing insights

What is the 2023 colour for flooring? continued

Adam Carpets, Fine Worcester Morton Malt is a perfect fit for 2023 on-trend neutrals. Kelly Butler, head of design explains, “Brown influences the colour palette for 2023, warming up with rich chocolate and caramel. This hue neatly encapsulates both the 70’s retro trend and the interest in all things natural. It’s excellent for providing a sense of reassurance and warmth.”

Adam Carpets see this warm and welcoming neutral palette influencing pattern design, texture, and personalisation in our homes.

Kelly Butler adds, “Browns organically appear in nature, from soil and sand to the bark of trees. So, when we bring this palette into our surroundings, we feel similar senses of calm as if we were outdoors.”

They also predict that ‘sustainability’ will be at the forefront of our minds, as consumers adopt a reduce, reuse, recycle attitude.

Shopping habits look set to continue towards sourcing

“Browns organically appear in nature, from soil and sand to the bark of trees. So, when we bring this palette into our surroundings, we feel similar senses of calm as if we were outdoors.”

antiques and second-hand pieces with the cost of living escalating. They see second hand purchases being partnered with objects which bring us memories and meaning. I like Adams Carpets' idea that whatever brings you joy to your living space is on trend.

With paint brand Dulux revealing the warm beige hue of Wild Wonder as its colour of the year for 2023, BerryAlloc’s natural effect floors provide the ideal balancing palette, as Scott Arundell, sales director UK, tells: “With a clear connection to the natural world, colours like wild wonder are all about reconnecting with the outside world and reflect the global shift to sustainability and wanting to feel more grounded and secure. The same thread also runs through our real wood and natural effect floors – an obvious connection to the natural environment that brings the outdoors in and that makes us feel comfortable.

“It is this essence that makes our floors so well suited to the dominance of natural colour palettes in the home. Fabrics and wall coverings in forest greens, oceanic blues, clay reds and of course neutral shades such as beige and taupe can all be supported by natural and natural effect floors.

“It is this essence that makes our floors so well suited to the dominance of natural colour palettes in the home. Fabrics and wall coverings in forest greens, oceanic blues, clay reds and of course neutral shades such as beige...”

“Whether it’s providing a rich contrast in deep browns like Gyant Dark Brown from Chateau laminate, a balanced, modern look with mid-tones like Grey Wash Oak from Original high pressure floors or the fresh look of light and pale like Mineral Beige tiles from Spirit luxury vinyl tiles; there’s a common theme running through – beautiful natural look floors that provide a sense of restorative calm and balance in the home.”

With the environment at the forefront of the world today, it’s not hard to see why colour trends are starting to move towards natural, more earthy tones, alongside an increased movement to rich, warmer accents. In response to the rising demand for a more varied colour bank, Cormar Carpet Company have used their recent launches as an opportunity to introduce bolder, more striking tones alongside the everpopular neutral beiges and greys.

Adam Carpets – Fine Worcester

Morton Malt

Cormar – Pembroke Hickory

BerryAlloc – Chateau Gyant Dark Brown

“Cormar’s new Pembroke range is made using Pure New Wool and offers something to suit every style. This classic, heavyweight wool twist is available in a strong palette of contemporary colourways,”

Cormar’s new Pembroke range is made using Pure New Wool and offers something to suit every style. This classic, heavyweight wool twist is available in a strong palette of contemporary colourways, including a deep bronze (Rosewood), charcoal grey (Anvil) and relaxing green (Chervil), accompanied by a variety of warm, cocooning shades; the perfect palette to bring style and distinction to any room.

Taking inspiration from the natural world, wool textures are becoming increasingly popular as a way of adding an additional element of depth to homes. Pimlico, the newest addition to Cormar’s wool loop collection, provides the perfect base for today’s home interiors. Available in three distinctive designs - level, texture and stripe, in a premium quality 3-ply yarn, the new range draws on a palette of nine fashionable, neutral shades such as warm beiges and cool creams, allowing consumers to add an extra dimension to their living space.

Modern pastels are making a style comeback and keeping our homes calm yet contemporary. Wool Rhythm tonal stripes has hints of colour to freshen up floors - think lilac, blue, vanilla and green that give a sense of wellness. These versatile stripes are easy to live with and work in harmony, linking interior spaces. A multi-colour Wool Rhythm Temptation stripe rug on a natural wall-to-wall Wool Motown Tammi carpet brings colour trends together.

keeping

tonal stripes

colour

NEXT MONTH

FUTURE FIBRES

Rita reports on developments in fibre technology and carpet construction.

HAPPY VALENTINE

Our annual indulgence of cosying up to products that consumers love the most.

up

- think lilac, blue, vanilla and green that give a sense of wellness.”

For Alternative carpets and colour are in perfect step. For 2023 Alternative sees earthy greens, a dash of red and warmer neutrals on the interior horizon.

Quirky Tartan in Red Red Rose and Tam O’Shanter with russet rich shades highlight the beauty found in the natural world. Balance these new statement shades with the comforting naturals found in chunky textured wool carpets such as Wool Pebble Obama. Or fall in love with the pastel colour trend.

GREENER GRASS

Artificial turf continues to be a UK success story. We examine the latest products in an increasingly sophisticated market.

Alternative – Wool Rhythm

making a style comeback and

our homes calm yet contemporary.

has hints of

Seeing the wood for the trees FLOORING FOCUS

There’s a forest of wood floors available to homeowners in a sector that has enduring appeal and is all about options. But how to choose? The trends, say manufacturers, are all about character, cosy-ness and colour.

Kahrs LVT collections draw from over 160 years of knowledge and expertise in wood to create what they call “Where wood meets Vinyl” – bringing enhanced realism to design floors across all of its ranges.

“We have introduced nuanced grading into our new Craft Click collection aiding consumers to hone in on their preference of calm, lively or rustic grades with embossed-in-register planks to really bring out the depth of detail,” says Marcus Bowes Senior account manager Kahrs UK.

"This forms part of our value proposition of a complete package of features such as ceramic coating, XXL planks and herringbone designs in both glue down and SPC rigid core formats, many of which are available in multiple wear layer options enabling retailers to offer a great value and quality branded product.," he said.

Kahrs are also leading the way in the drive for sustainable floors with its new 100% natural bio-based vinyl free Aware collection contributing towards their Planet Positive Journey vision.

Available in 9 vibrant colours inspired by national parks, Aware is fully recyclable as well as a natural C02 retainer providing environmentally-aware consumers with a natural alternative to Click LVT without compromising on comfort, realism and performance or costing the earth.

Around the home, its advanced temperature stability properties mean it can be installed in “hot areas” like conservatories and in front of bi-fold doors. Performance even extends to use classification 33 commercial projects.

The company’s popular Knight Tile range now includes 12 beautiful herringbone designs. From the palest Washed Scandi Pine to the rich honey tones of Honey Limed Oak and the classic elegance of marble, the herringbone designs are also available as a full size tile, providing outstanding flexibility to combine laying patterns from room to room. With a realistic wood grain look and an aligned textured surface which gives a highly authentic effect, Karndean Designflooring’s premium Art Select range offers both traditional 9 x 3” parquet designs as well as 18 x 3” planks. Combined with matching full size planks, borders and design strips this collection provides endless options to create a luxurious bespoke floor.

As we look towards 2023, UK manufacturer, distributor and supplier, Furlong Flooring recognises that the flooring market will be more crowded than ever and price conscious consumers will have affordability in their sights.

The company remains committed to bringing its customers flooring that is diverse, easy to look after, affordable and looks fantastic. Furlong Flooring’s new LVT collection has been designed to do just that, offering contemporary designs and quality construction for any price point.

On-trend herringbones sit alongside modern tile designs that have all been carefully thought out to offer an up-to-date, attractive range of LVT that can transform homes and commercial spaces.

Stella Coyle, national retail sales manager at Karndean Designflooring, said: “As home decorators increasingly desire characterful flooring and a cosy natural feel, we are meeting this demand with our expanded collection of contemporary herringbone and chevron designs. What’s more, we are excited to be launching new designs in the coming months!”

“We have introduced nuanced grading into our new Craft Click collection aiding consumers to hone in on their preference of calm, lively or rustic grades...”

“As home decorators increasingly desire characterful flooring and a cosy natural feel, we are meeting this demand with our expanded collection of contemporary herringbone and chevron designs.”

Kahrs UK – "where wood meets vinyl"

Karndean Designflooring – Washed Character Oak

FLOORING FOCUS

Furlong Flooring recognises that the flooring market will be more crowded than ever and price conscious consumers will have affordability in their sights.

Furlong Flooring also understands how hard it is for brands and products to stand out and grab customers’ attention in competitive retail environments. That’s why they are supporting retailers and have developed a range of fresh, bright, appealing and easy to use display models. Designed to maximise visual impact without taking up precious space, their modular POS solutions are customisable and have the wow-factor needed to help secure sales.

The Flooring Show 2022 saw the first official launch of Kellars new LVT collection and stand, and it has been in high demand ever since.

Kellars have taken the brand up another level on this one, and couldn’t wait to bring it to the market. With a realistic wood texture and aesthetic, the 10 planks with 10 matching herringbone, and 4 tile decors have been flying out the doors, says Kellars, along with its branded wall and floor stand orders placed over the last few months.

Each of these products have a multi-bevelled edge and a 0.5mm wear layer, making this a homewide suitability product,

Kellars have taken the brand up another level on this one, and couldn’t wait to bring it to the market, with a realistic wood texture and aesthetic.

which is compatible with underfloor heating. 2022 has also seen the introduction of additional stand options such as large wall stands, along with smaller, portable floor stands at various price points to suit all customers and their store layout. Kellars are looking forward to seeing the installation of these in January 2023.

The bestselling Hurst Herringbone collection of authentic wood effect luxury vinyl tiles from Harvey Maria is now available in a chevron design. These stylish, petite planks give an ultra-realistic textured, matt wood look and feel - perfect for creating a modern rustic look. A contemporary and practical choice for kitchens, hallways, bathrooms and boot rooms, they are recognised for their low impact on the environment, both indoors and out. The collection is available in a gentle palette of six natural shades - Earl Grey, Old Bramble, Dormouse, Torn Bracken, Garden Oak and Toasted Oak.

Harvey Maria has been creating luxury vinyl tiles since 1995. Their floors are incredibly durable and easy to maintain. They are completely waterproof, slip resistant and compatible with underfloor heating.

The Chevron design makes it easy to fit them in the trending Hungarian point pattern. This deliberately chosen ‘sharper’ edge leads to narrow rows, which accentuates the length of a room. The six colourways in the three Hurst collections (Herringbone, Chevron & Long Plank) are the same, so you can be creative and combine the different planks for a unique look.

Harvey Maria has been creating luxury vinyl tiles since 1995. Their floors are incredibly durable and easy to maintain. They are completely waterproof, slip resistant and compatible with underfloor heating.

Seeing the wood for the trees continued

Harvey Maria – Hurst Chevron Old Bramble

Kellars – Alva stand

Furlong Flooring's Avalon Oak

Beauflor has established itself as one of Europe’s go-to brands for top quality vinyl cushion flooring and with its own creative studio in Belgium and an aspirational showroom in the Business Design Centre in London, the company sets the highest standards for aesthetic appeal.

Stunning realism and authentic detail are hallmarks of the wide selection of designs spread across a range of collections offering different performance characteristics.

Laurel Oak and Oak Chevron are Beauflor’s two herringbones. Cushion vinyl rolls offer you the flexibility to have a realistic look and feel of a wood design without the complexity of installing the planks in a “difficult pattern”. You can just roll it out and it’s done. The Texbac products can even be installed loose lay in spaces up to 45 m².

And there’s more – in fact, it’s unlimited! Via the Beauflor Create service, it’s also possible to create your own perfect wood design. If you like a specific design but you want a different colour, or if you want to tweak a design to your liking, everything is possible with the Beauflor design team.

Beauflor

Oak

FLOORING FOCUS

Sustainability sells and saves

The diversity of responses to the environmental challenge across the flooring industry is impressive – from mainstream consumer ranges, through underlay and into installation and recycling, the trade has risen to the challenge.

Associated Weavers is a great example of this comprehensive approach. It. has showcased examples of its uncompromising commitment to sustainability – presenting consumers with exceptional products alongside impeccable environmental credentials.

This is all part of a programme of sustainability that runs across all AW’s operations and has seen the company reduce both energy consumption and CO2 emissions by 25% over the last five years. Waste has been rescued by 27% and water use by 21%.

In the vinyl sector, Kahrs has a great example of environmental initiative in its new 100% natural bio-based vinyl free Aware collection which is leading the way in the drive for sustainable floors. See more details in our vinyl floors feature on page 41.

The landscaping market is not forgotten with Condor Grass launching “greenest artificial grass on the market”

Condor Grass has built an enviable reputation in the artificial grass world. Through its various products within the landscape and sports sector, the company has worked with its commercial customers, governments and municipalities, to offer products in a sustainable way and they continuously work on optimising their production processes. Condor aims to produce fully energy-neutral circular products in the foreseeable future and they are already on their way with ranges like ALLOA Pura. This type of artificial grass consists of only mono-material, namely polypropylene. Its unique DNA allows the product to be recycled, hence the name – ALLOA stands for ALL Over Again!

The underlay sector is especially sensitive to the sustainability agenda and has demonstrated enlightened initiative.

The brilliance of Gaia comes from the excellent colour fastness of polyester and its rich lustre.

The launch of Gaia, AW’s flagship polyester collection has been a huge success - a “brilliant carpet with a natural touch”. The brilliance comes from the excellent colour fastness of polyester and its rich lustre. The touch has a softness and smoothness that belies the high-performance resilience of polyester – a fibre which is also bleach cleanable.

Turn it over, and Gaia stays soft with its sustainable Eco FusionBac – a unique premium carpet backing made by fusing together a fleece layer and a woven polyester backing which is sourced 100% from recycled PET plastic bottles.

FusionBac makes carpet easy to install with fitterfriendly handling and its construction also improves a carpet’s heat and noise insulation as well as ensuring it lasts longer. This backing is also being rolled out across other AW ranges including Sedna, the top performance polyamide collection – made from recovered nylon waste from fishing nets and industrial processes which means its manufacturing was 70% carbon neutral.

Now, Associated Weavers has gone further to ensure the Sedna range is totally carbon neutral – finding the missing 30% by investing in agroforestry projects in Kenya.

The renu underlay product from Interfloor was launched to great acclaim – not least with the ultimate endorsement of 286 rolls being installed at the Glasgow COP26 Climate Change Conference in 2021, all of which were duly recycled at the end of the event.

Made from 98% recycled materials renu uses ethically sourced and genuinely recycled materials, keeping waste from landfill, and is 100% recyclable itself.

Associated Weavers – Ganges

Interfloor – Glasgow COP26 Climate Change Conference in 2021

In an Interfloor consumer survey 88% would choose a carpet underlay that is recycled/recyclable over one that is not.

“Increasingly, these products are selling themselves into a market of environmentally conscious consumers and that momentum can only grow as the sustainable agenda gathers pace,” said Lynn Bamber, head of marketing.

The high density 9mm foam of renu is big on performance too so there’s no compromise in comfort and quality when the consumer makes a sustainable choice.

For retailers, renu has unique POS support, manufactured from sustainable materials, including recycled card- based product hangers and attractive wooden sample dispensers.

Ball and Young, part of The Vita Group, have had a ground-breaking year in 2022 for sustainability. The Group is the first flexible PU Foam manufacturer globally to have their sciencebased targets verified by the SBTi (Science Based Targets initiative) They have become one of less than 1,500 companies across the globe to have set ambitious targets that are in line with the reductions needed to meet the 1.5o set in the Paris Climate Accord.

The Group received an enhanced grading in the EcoVadis award from Silver to Gold in 2022. This latest endorsement puts Ball & Young and The Vita Group in the top 3% of companies for their sustainability.

The Group received an enhanced grading in the EcoVadis award from Silver to Gold in 2022. This latest endorsement puts Ball & Young and The Vita Group in the top 3% of companies for their sustainability.

These achievements are not surprising when considering that the company has been working on its sustainable practices for over 25 years. With the Cloud 9 range of industry-leading underlays, Ball and Young provides the highest quality products made from offcuts of polyurethane foam, or trim, from known and controlled sources, including the underlay

off-cuts taken back from customers to divert them away from landfill. Only recycled flexible PU foam is used in the manufacture of the underlay, which is sourced from within The Vita Group sister companies. The paper backing on the underlay comes from managed replenished wood stocks, and the final product is wrapped in recyclable packaging. The company’s manufacturing processes are designed and monitored to minimise environmental impact, and since March 2021, the Corby-based plant has used 100% of its electricity from wind sources.

Over the past 25 years, the company has saved over 250k tonnes of waste PU from going to landfill, that’s the equivalent of three Eiffel Towers.

Springbond is a range of sustainable PU foam alternative products for contract, wholesale, and retail customers.

Springbond carpet underlay offers a valuable opportunity for any retailer as an added-value sale. It is a high-performance carpet underlay providing added comfort, as well as insulation against impact sound, and heat loss. It is also chemical free, hypoallergenic and the only underlay to be approved by allergy UK.

Springbond also has an impressive array of sustainability credentials including directly diverting single use plastics from the environment and is seen as a conscious consumer underlay with a great story.

Retailers appreciate having the chance to have a positive conversation with their customers about sustainable products which ultimately allows the consumer to make an educated and informed decision.

Springbond also has an impressive array of sustainability credentials including directly diverting single use plastics from the environment and is seen as a conscious consumer underlay with a great story.

On the installation side, Lion Floor is the first hardboard panel to be designed and manufactured specifically for the flooring industry. It is also 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.

Made in Finland by Finnish Fibreboard with a construction that eliminates the core gaps and overlaps of plywood, Lion Floor is a high-quality and reliable alternative to BS 8203 plywood that’s just as easy to install and more sustainable.

Finnish Fibreboard manufactures Lion Floor from wood by-products, making it one of the most environmentally friendly boards produced. The wood by-product used is also sourced locally and from legally managed, sustainable forests. Most of the energy required by the mill is also produced with biofuel and modern evaporation technology is used to treat production wastewater, reducing the footprint of production. Combined with no added formaldehyde, Lion Floor comes with M1 and PEFC certification and can be easily and safely reused or recycled.

The raw material for Lion Floor comes almost completely from PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) certified forests, so its origin and journey can be traced all the way from forest to finished product. The manufacturing process is based on a Finnish tradition spanning more than 80 years, which has been honed to perfection over the decades to meet the requirements of modern construction.

“Increasingly, these products are selling themselves into a market of environmentally conscious consumers and that momentum can only grow as the sustainable agenda gathers pace,” said Lynn Bamber, head of marketing.”

FLOORING

Carpet Recycling UK (CRUK) now has support from 80% of textile flooring manufacturing and distribution sectors supplying the UK market through its 16 core members, with another flooring group joining imminently. This reflects a definitive increase in engagement from the sector to act to reduce textile flooring waste and resource usage, according to the not-for-profit membership association. CRUK’s core members are Balsan, Betap, Brintons Carpets, Condor Group, Cormar Carpets, ege Carpets, Furlong Flooring, Gradus, Headlam Group, IVC Commercial, Likewise Floors, Milliken, Modulyss, Rawson Carpet Solutions, Shaw and Tarkett. They are acting voluntarily ahead of any legislation.

“If more designers, developers and main contractors focus on products made with recycled content or designed with recycling in mind as well as end of life options, this will help to reduce waste,” says Adnan. Facilities managers, fit-out and demolition firms are encouraged to engage with CRUK to reduce the waste that ends up in lower value outlets. Manufacturers and flooring contractors with single stream offcuts can make huge savings through segregation and recycling. Flooring retailers with high volumes of waste can making savings through compaction and collection of segregated textile flooring waste. For the past 10 years the Kenburn Carpet Crusher has helped the flooring industry divert thousands of tonnes of recyclable carpet and underlay waste from landfill.

Recycling is not only more cost effective than landfill, it also increases sales conversion rates as the public respond enthusiastically to ‘’environmentally friendly’’ initiatives. Landfill tax increases on the 1st April so your skip costs will also increase again.

“70% of UK textile flooring waste in 2020 was reported to be diverted from landfill. The challenge is to move more of it into higher end outlets as a high portion is still going to energy from waste.”

70% of UK textile flooring waste in 2020 was reported to be diverted from landfill. The challenge is to move more of it into higher end outlets to avoid a high proportion going to energy-from-waste. “The emphasis is on increasing market-based solutions through research and development; and on the supply chain collaboratively working to further develop circularity advancements in the carpet and textile flooring sector ahead of anticipated Extended Producer Responsibility. We want to encourage demand for sustainable options from the top of the chain,” says Adnan Zeb-Khan, Manager.

F. Ball and Co. Ltd. has made it easier for flooring contractors to do their bit for the environment by further increasing the number of locations at distributor partners across the UK where contractors can deposit empty recyclable F. Ball buckets and bottles in branded receptacles for recycling. The move takes the total number of recycling points around the UK to 30.

“Now may be the ideal time to arrange a free of charge waste survey to allow Kenburn to advise you on how their recycling scheme works, what the costs are and how the compacted carpet and underlay waste is collected and recycled,” says Simon Wells of Kenburn.

Entries have just opened for the 2023 Recofloor vinyl flooring recycling awards, celebrating and sharing sustainability successes across the industry. “With zero waste targets spreading through supply chains, winning a Recofloor award is a great way for flooring firms to boost their profile and highlight sustainability credentials to prospective customers,” says Carla Eslava of Recofloor, the UK’s leading vinyl take back scheme. “It’s also a powerful motivator, giving a boost to hard-working teams.”

See page 24 for more details…

The expansion of the company’s bucket and bottles recycling scheme is in response to the continued popularity of the initiative, with bin-loads of empty containers that would have otherwise been destined for landfill being taken back for reprocessing.

F. Ball has introduced recyclable packaging for a number of products, with much of the new packaging itself manufactured from recycled materials, including fully recyclable versions of five and 20 litre plastic bottles used for liquids, primers and tackifiers.

Recycling is not only helping to save the planet, it’s helping to save money in a tight economic environment.

Kenburn Carpet Crusher

The F. Ball buckets and bottles recycling scheme allows empty recyclable F. Ball packaging to be disposed of for free.

Kellars Cambridge

Exhibition

In November, Kellars hosted an event in Cambridge for their Southern customers to allow them to come together and celebrate what has been a rapidly growing year for the South, and visit our exhibition of stands which we set up at the Clayton Hotel.

“We loved the event held by Kellars, they always put on a fantastic show, and their product portfolio and stand collection gets better every time we visit”

With over 90 guests at the show, we wanted to showcase our full collection of carpet wall stands and lecterns, along with our 5 other brands, including award winning Forma Laminate and Floorlink Underlay and Accessories.

Alva, our latest LVT collection and stands were in high demand as usual, and we look forward to seeing these installed into our valued customers stores this month.

We introduced some portable floor stands before the last show in September, at various price points, to give our customers a wider selection of options. These have been a fantastic addition to our stand portfolio, as well as showing a wide range of products.

Fast forwarding a few hours, Thursday evening was full of good times all round, as we ended the night with a fantastic surprise performance from ‘The Bears’ live band and a fun few rounds of a casino themed event from ‘Andy Smith Presents’

Bronte Carpets to close after 40 years

Top quality wool house Bronte Carpets has decided to wind down operations, calling time on 40 years in business amid challenging trading conditions.

The company based in Colne, Lancashire, stopped taking orders in November and closed just before Christmas following a managed shutdown process. The privately-owned company says the move was prompted by a combination of falling orders and rising costs.

A statement from the directors to The Stocklists said: "It is essential that we trade to a straight edge, making sure that all of our suppliers are paid and that all orders are fulfilled prior to our closure.

"We are honorable people and Bronte Carpets has had a good reputation for over 40 years. We intend to maintain that reputation in the remaining weeks up to our closure," it said.

Bronte Carpets was established in 1982 and supplied high-quality carpets made from natural materials and exceptional carved and inlaid border designs, sold through independent retailers across the U.K., Ireland and a handful of customers in mainland Europe.

"Really encouraging" sales growth for Likewise

Fast-growing flooring distributor Likewise has reported a 28% lift in Q4 sales - the latest in a series of positive reports from the flooring sector in all important pre-Christmas trading.

In a presentation to shareholders today, Likewise plc said like-for-like sales had increased 39.0% in Q1, 2022, 18.4% in Q2, 21.8% in Q3, and for the current quarter, October and November sales showed an increase of 27.7%.

Total sales, including the acquisitions of Valley Wholesale Carpets and Delta Carpets, increased by 108.2% in October and November making the year-todate increase 103.9%.

Chief Executive Tony Brewer commebted: "Notwithstanding challenging market conditions this keeps the Group very much on course to achieve its medium-term objectives. The sales development is really encouraging."

Q4 orders up at ScS

Major furniture and flooring chain ScS says order intake has risen over the last month and it is "trading resiliently through what continues to be a challenging period."

The 98-store chain says sales in the last few weeks since October 7 is 1.3% up on the same period last year. Reporting to shareholders before last month's AGM, the plc says total like-for-like order intake for the 16 weeks to 19 November 2022 is down 9.1% due to the reduction in orders in the first ten weeks to 6 October 2022, when the comparative period benefited from strong pent-up demand following the last national lockdown.

But in a statement from ScS chairman Alan Smith, the company added: "Like-for-like order intake has seen an improvement in recent weeks, with trading ahead of the prior year. The Board is encouraged by the Group's recent performance and current trading is in line with its expectations for the full year.

Christmas glad tidings for confidence

As flooring's all-important Q4 came to a close, analysts detected faint signs of improvements in consumer confidence for big ticket items.

While, GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index increased a meagre two points in December to minus 42, its Major Purchase Index crept up four points - albeit to a less-than-encouraging minus 34.

The Major Purchase Index (MPI) focuses specifically on larger purchases such as household appliance, furniture and flooring and asks consumers "‘In view of the general economic situation, do you think now is the right time for people to make major purchases."

Outlook "remains positive" says Victoria

Victoria plc is confident about future business after reporting a record performance including nearly 8% organic growth and said the long-term trend for flooring remains relentlessly positive.

Posting its Interim Results for the six months ended 1 October 2022, Kidderminster-based Victoria saw sales grow 59% after acquisitions which includes the rugs and UK carpet divisions of Balta - a move which the company says makes it Europe's biggest soft flooring company. Overall, the group has achieved revenue of £776.1m, versus £489m in the comparative period last year a 58.7% increase and underlying EBITDA (cashflow) of £100.1m compared with £84.5m last year (+18.5%).

Geoff Wilding, Executive Chairman of Victoria PLC commented: "In the near term it is likely that disposable incomes in some markets will come under further pressure, from higher interest rates and inflation and the resulting weakening consumer demand may make additional price increases to offset higher input costs more difficult for the Company to implement.

"Nevertheless, whilst acknowledging these challenges, the Board continues to be confident that synergy gains and proactive management actions will enable Victoria’s performance for FY2023 to be in line with market consensus expectations and the outlook for the business remains positive,” he said.

Demand coming back strongly, says Ulster

Ulster Carpets reports that demand is strong and it's planning significant investments in the future, despite the many headwinds in the economy.

In the company's strategic report filed with its latest accounts, chairman John Wilson said "operations were appropriately reduced in response to the pandemic but with demand coming back strongly, 2022–23 will see a period of re-building capacity."

"Domestic retail sales were remarkably strong, reflecting the national appetite for home improvement during the pandemic. The US contract market continues to perform very well. UK and European contract markets were slow to open but are now showing strong activity with the resumption of old projects and new ones in the pipeline," he said. But he also warned of significant headwinds: "The war in Ukraine, damage to global supply chains, energy costs and the strong inflationary wave passing through the world will make for challenging trading conditions.."

The accounts filed by Ulster were for the year ended 31 March 2022 and showed sales up 27% to £68 million. Profits were £5.98 million for the period, compared with £169,119 in the 2020/2021.

FLOORING FACTSHEET ADHESIVES

SELECTION CHECKLIST

The criteria to select an adhesive will cover the following points.

Larger manufacturers offer detailed guides to select the correct adhesive – even indexing floor manufacturer’s products by name to ensure an accurate match. For accurate and up-to-date information consult the F. Ball Recommended Adhesives Guide.

Open Time:

The time you have to fit the flooring into the adhesive after which the bond will no longer be ideal. The time until the floor may be walked on should be checked.

Odour: Low odour, solvent-free and low VOC products are increasingly favoured and now have the same performance characteristics of older products.

Coverage: How thick and how far can the adhesive be spread.

Application Method:

Different adhesives may be applied by roller, trowel or spray.

Strength:

Including how quickly the adhesive will “grab” the floor covering and its strength when fully cured.

Underfloor Heating:

A lot of modern adhesives are suitable for use with underfloor heating but this criteria must be checked where appropriate.

To find out more visit f-ball.com/training

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.

Acrylic/Resin: Ideal for plasticised PVC and most modern flooring.

Bitumen: A tar-like material, bitumen has a high degree of moisture resistance and is used for damp-proof membranes and installing tiles, wood blocks and mosaics.

Epoxy Resin: A two-part chemical curing system that is used in aggressive environments such as conservatories, wet rooms, commercial kitchens and exterior installations.

Polyurethane: An adhesive with rapid bonding characteristics, typically used for wood floors.

Polyvinyl Acetate: Typically used for close fitting joints in timber, laminate floors and panels.

Tackifier: An adhesive for carpet designed to increase the tackiness – or the tack range –of an adhesive.

Water-based Adhesive: Many different types of adhesives now use water as their carrier to avoid odours and flammability issues which are common with chemical solvents.

Flooring factsheet

Buying Groups

Pick the right one

How to decide whether to join a buying group

– and which one…

• Evaluate all buying groups as they all work differently

• Talk to the main marketing contact and/or a member of the committee

Why join?

Buying groups have been a highly successful feature of the floor retailing scene in the last decade or so, giving independents the extra edge they need to compete effectively with the retail park chains.

More than 1000 retailers are now members of one of the several buying groups which operate in our sector and the numbers are slowly, but steadily growing.

While the benefits of bulk buying power are self-evident, the resistance to the buying group concept among nonmembers appears to be centred on fears of surrendering some control to a committee – and most particularly compromising long-established relationships and negotiated terms with current suppliers.

The bottom line is the bottom line. A retailer selling across a broad range of products is likely to improve margins within a buying group – but you don’t need a leap of faith to join up. Ask the buying groups for answers...

Key benefits

Increase margins

• Group purchases to get beneficial rates

• Rebates

• Exclusive higher-margin products

• Special promotions

One of the key reasons to join a buying group is to benefit from the discounts they negotiate as a bulk buyer from manufacturers. The way discounts and rebates are passed on to members varies between groups so make sure it’s absolutely clear how this will be done. You’ll need to work out how this compares with discounts you have already negotiated locally with preferred suppliers.

Access professional services

• Business and financial services

• IT and internet support

• Training and workshops

• Professional bodies

Some buying groups offer an excellent range of other services which may be valuable to your business.

Financial services include invoice factoring, credit, loans and insurance. Some of the more sophisticated groups offering marketing packages, software systems to help you run your business operations and customised websites ready to use. Relationships with professional and training organisations can also offer discounts.

• 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

Metro Group www.carpet1st.co.uk

Contact: Jill Coward Tel: 01204 393539 jillcoward@carpet1st.co.uk

Increase sales

• Best of both worlds’ proposition

• Wider ranges and exclusive products

• POS, displays and merchandising support

Your customers will like the proposition that you are independent but with the buying power of a group –this gives them (and you) the ‘best of both worlds’ with personal service and competitive pricing. Most groups will also offer you ‘own label’ ranges and support with pointof-sale, merchandising and displays. Central stockholding may also be on offer.

Network with other independents

• Members-only exhibitions with preferred manufacturers

• Regular meetings and supplier presentations

• Regional workshops

• Helpline

A lot of retailers enjoy the buying group environment of being independent but not alone out there on the High Street. Groups hold regular meetings and some have their own trade shows, regional meetings and workshops to help you develop your business. The network gives you someone to call when you need advice on, for example, an unusual installation, a technical consumer complaint, legal issue or business dilemma.

www.smg-group.co.uk

Contact: Mike Reed Tel: 0118 932 3832 info@smg-group.co.uk

Associated Carpet Group www.acgcarpets.com Contact: Jon Richardson Tel: 01942 825520 jon@acgcarpets.com

www.beautifulflooring.co.uk

Contact: Carl Harris Tel: 01892 549050 charris31@sky.com

www.flooringone.co.uk Peter Karra Tel: 0121 683 1426 peter.karra@flooringone.co.uk

www.greendalecarpets.co.uk

Contact: Rob Harding Tel: 01432 852000 Fax: 01432 852005 rharding@greendalecarpets.co.uk

THE STOCKLISTS Feburary 2022

Flooring factsheet

Carpet types

Tufted

With advances in manufacturing technology, 95% of all carpet produced today is tufted. It takes about an hour to make a roll of carpet that might take eight hours to weave. To make tufted carpet, hundreds of yarn-threaded needles are pushed through the primary backing fabric to form loops or tufts, which may be left as is or cut. A heavy adhesive coating is applied to hold the tufts in place and a secondary backing is usually glued on for strength and stability. A wide variety of styles and textures can then be created using various techniques.

LOOP PILE

Berber – Berber carpets look like and are named after a handmade, bulky wool carpet made by the Berber tribes of North Africa and Asia. The loops are made from thick or bulky yarns of wool, nylon, polypropylene or a blend of these fibres to give a cushioned effect underfoot. These carpets are available in an assortment of colours and may be flecked and can be either level loop or multilevel loop.

Level loop – When all the loops are of the same height, a highly flexible and durable carpet is created which has a natural, casual appearance even when (commonly) it is made from synthetic fibres. The tight loop texture tends to hide marks so it’s a good blend between luxury and practicality.

Multi-level loop – The loops vary to two or sometimes three loop heights to create informal, random textures which are very forgiving for marks and stains and therefore very suitable for high traffic areas and busy family rooms.

BONDED

Bonded carpets (sometimes called ‘fibre-bonded’ or ‘fusion bonded’) are created by firing fibres into an adhesive material – the fibres are not stitched into the backing in any way. The technique is principally used for commercial carpet tiles.

CUT PILE

Freize – Frieze or frisée (pronounced freesay) carpets are similar to saxony, but the yarns are more tightly twisted and should always be heat set. They have a dense, low pile surface which creates a coarse, pebbly texture. Frieze carpets are very durable and hide footprints, dust and dirt, which makes them suitable for heavy traffic areas.

Saxony – Saxony textures are made of twisted yarns, which should be heat set. The tips remain very distinct, rather than blending together to form a very elegant finish. Saxony textures show footprints and vacuum marks so are suitable for more occasional rooms in the home. More textured variations improve the practicality of saxonies.

Twist – The popular twist carpet is the cut-pile standard. The yarn is tightly twisted and often heatset to retain this feature and the result is a versatile, textured finish that is ideal for plain colours.

Velvet – Velvet textures (sometimes called ‘velour’ or ‘plush’) all have a level surface pile of approx 5mm to 10mm height, which is then sheared to give a smooth finish. With very little twist in the yarn, the ends blend together which then further enhances the overall finish. These carpets tend to ‘shade’ with heavy use. Footprints show easily and the colour looks different from place to place because fibres lying in different directions reflect the light differently. A luxury for occasional rooms.

CUT AND LOOP

When some of the pile is cut and other left as loop, a variety of surface textures and patterns can be created (in a variety of colours). The multi-level surface is excellent for hiding footprints and stains so cut and loop is good for high traffic areas and general purpose rooms in the home.

Shag pile – Shag pile has varied in popularity. The pile is up to 50mm long and the texture is casual and loose but the surface can flatten easily and may lack durability.

Woven

Woven carpet may be in a tiny minority of today’s production but still produces some of the finest carpets which are used for prestigious installations.

Axminster

The pile of the carpet is inserted into the backing as it is woven and cut to length, creating U-shaped tufts to give a velvety surface. The process locks in the fibre to create a carpet of high durability and performance retention as well as a luxury feel. The process allows for intricate designs and colours to be used – although modern trends mean that the traditional patterned axminster has given way to current fashion trends for plain carpets.

Wilton

Wilton woven carpets are produced in a similar way to axminsters – the principal difference being that a continuous fibre is woven all the way through. The carpet can be sheared to create a range of cut and loop textured effects. The result is a high quality carpet of unrivalled durability.

Flat weave

Manufactured in the same way as wilton, flat weave is a loop pile which allows the yarn to be woven across a wider area to created a flatter, more textured effect.

The Stocklists

Carpet Company Directory

Abingdon Flooring 01274 655694

Adam Carpets Ltd

Be Tu Tw W Ww 01562 829966

Alternative Flooring 01264 335111

Associated Weavers

Tw Tu 01422 431100

Avena Carpets Ltd

Tu Ww 01422 330261

Axwoven Carpets Ltd

Ax Be 0121 550 5788

Axminster Carpets Ltd

Ax Be Tw 01297 32244

Balta Industries

Tu Tw W Ww +32 56 62 2211

Beaulieu International Group

Be Pr Tu Tw +32 56 67 66 11

Belvedere Carpets

Belvedere Carpets

Tu W 020 8800 0740 sales@belvederecarpets.co.uk www.belvederecarpets.co.uk

Brockway Carpets Ltd

Tw W 01562 828200 sales@brockway.co.uk www.brockway.co.uk

Bronte Carpets Ltd

Be Tu Tw W 01282 862 736 office@brontecarpets.co.uk www.brontecarpets.co.uk

Burmatex

Tu 01924 262525

Cavalier Carpets Ltd

Ax Be Tu Tw W Ww 01254 268000

Christy Carpets

Tu 019078 308777

Clarendon Carpets Tw 01827 831480

Classis Carpets Tu W Ww 0870 020 1725

Condor Carpets BV Tu +31 38 4778911

Craigie Carpets

Be 01294 558400

Creative Carpets Ltd

Be Tu Tw W 0116 284 1455

Creatuft Carpets

Tu W +32 56 35 4444

Custom Carpet Company

Ax Be Tu Tw W Ww 01737 830301

Dan-Floor UK W 0844 9151000

Domo Floorcovering

Pr Tu Tw +32 55 335211

E & WE Carpets W 01562 825952

Edel Telenzo Carpets Ltd

Tu Tw W 01422 374 417 sales@edeltelenzocarpets.co.uk www.edeltelenzocarpets.co.uk

Enterprise Weaving Co

Be Ww 01562 745030

Betap Tufting BV

Tu Tw W +31 383 861 060

BIC Carpets Be Tw W +32 56 23 54 10

Bizspoke Custom Carpets

Be Tw W 01924 488882

Blenheim Carpets

Ax Be Tw W Ww 020 7823 3040 BMK 0113 380 5333

Contempo Carpets 0800 689 4741 sales@contempocarpets.co.uk www.contempocarpets.co.uk

Cormar Carpets Ltd

Tu Tw W 01204 881 234 info@cormarcarpets.co.uk www.cormarcarpets.co.uk

Couristan Carpets

Ax Tu W Ww 800 223 6186

Fells Carpets Ww 01977 662211 cummings@btinternet.com www.fellscarpets.co.uk

Fletco Taepper A/S Tu W +45 96 60 3000

Flock-living Limited Tu Wa +44 (0)20 8440 8777 info@flock-living.com www.flock-living.com

Firth Carpets & Flooring Be Pr Tu Tw W Ww 01484 721529

Durham Twist from Hugh Mackay

Brockway’s Vogue

Love Story Deep Feelings by Abingdon

Furlong Flooring

Tw W 01772 696 787 enquiries@furlongcentral.co.uk www.furlongflooring.com

Gaskell Wool Rich

Tu Tw W 01827 831525

Gaskell Mackay Carpets Ltd Ax Tu Tw W 01429 892525

Georgian Carpets Tu Tw W 01827 831430

Godfrey Hirst (GB) Ltd Tu 0800 526696

Halbmond Teppichwerke Be Pr Tu +49 037 421 420

Le Tissage d’Arcade

Ax Ww +32 05685 4747

Lecaflor Ltd Ax Be Pr Tu Tw W Ww 0800 78 33 712

Leigh Spinners Ltd Tw 01942 673232

Louis de Poortere W +32 56 393 386

Lusotufo Tu +35 12 56 750 500

Manx Carpets Tw W 01827 831 434

Master Weaver W Ww 01562 754 382

Mayfield Carpets Tu Tw W 01706 639 866

MID NL Be +31 38 851 8700

Signature Carpets

Be Tu W 01422 845075

TAT Carpet 07976 607657

Tapibel NV Pr Tu Tw 01623 481 221

Tasibel NV Tw +32 52 499600

The Grosvenor Wilton Co W Ww 01562 701456

The Sultana Carpet Co Ax 01299 822300

Wilton Carpet Commercial

Ax Tu Tw Ww W Be 01722 746000

Thomas Witter UK Ltd Tu Tw 0870 1128318

Timzo Tufting Industry BV Tu +31 38 385 4477

Tisca Tiara Tu Ww 07860 911748

Trendy Tuft Designs Be Tu Tw W 01274 855080

Hammer Carpets 01473 826870 infouk@hammercarpetsuk.com www.hammercarpets.com

Heckmondwike FB 01924 410544 ITC Be Pr Tw Tu 0032 51 424 411

John Lanham Watts Carpets Ax Tw Ww 01937 588511

John Evans Ltd Ax Tu Tw W 07850 935301

Joseph Hamilton & Seaton W 01827 831400

Kingsmead Carpets

Tu Tw W 01827 831 424

Lano NV

Ax Pr Tu Tw W Ww +32 56 65 4300 marketing@lano.be www.lano.com

Millennium Weavers Europe

Tu Tw +32 55 50 9050 sales@millenniumweavers.eu www.millenniumweavers.be

Modulyss

Be Tu Tw Pr +32 52 457211

Mr Tomkinson Tw Ww 01827 831 450

Penthouse Carpets Tu Tw W 01706 341231

Phoenox Textiles Pr Tu 01484 863227

Pownall Carpets Tw W 0845 6528811

Roger Vanden Berghe.NV Tu Ww +32 56 73 57 11

Ryalux Carpets Ltd Be Tu Tw W 0845 652 8811

Sans Frontieres Ltd Be Pr Tu Tw W Ww 0844 5611977

Shaw Home Foundations Tu 01675 433 501

Ulster Carpets

Ax Be Tu Tw W Ww 02838 334433

United Carpets & Beds Tw W Ww 01709 732 666

Victoria Carpets Tu Tw W Ww 01562 749300

Vorwerk Flooring 01282 332025 Westex Carpets Tu 01274 861334

Weston Hammer W 0845 644 9090

Whitestone Weavers Ltd Ax Be Tu Tw W Ww 01429 892555

Wilkies Carpets Tw 0113 307 9955

Woodward Grosvenor Ax Tu Tw W Ww 0800 526696

Wool Classics Tu Ww 0207 349 1560

Woven Carpets of

W 01299 827477

Pimlico by Cormar Wellington Stripe from Ulster

Flooring factsheet

Carpet trouble-shooter

• shedding • pulled loops

Fading on Wool

Carpets made from wool can and do fade in use. The degree of fade can vary depending on the colour chosen and the local conditions to which the carpet is subjected.

Fading can be caused by exposure to ultra violet light which is found in daylight, but is accelerated when sunlight shines directly onto the carpet. This has the effect of lightening or “Bleaching” the colour just as exposure to sunlight will lighten human hair. Wool is after all animal hair.

Protection should be given to carpets exposed to such conditions just as you would protect other furniture or fabrics.

A complaint on fading would be considered justified if it failed to meet the required shade standard when tested to the British Standard BS1006 (1990).

Soiling

Soiling is usually the result of some local condition to which the carpet has been subjected to, or maintenance, or lack of maintenance programme. There is nothing we as manufacturers can do to prevent soiling in use. There are several types of soiling which are quite common: Spillages - Liquids such as soft drinks, cordials or any drink which contains sugar, particularly hot drinks, is likely to leave a stain. In such instances, professional help should be sought.

Colour matching

Carpets are produced in batches - known as creels - and usually each batch produces between 500m2 - 3000m2 in a single width, depending on the creel size. Whilst the recipe used by the dyer remains constant, and is followed to the letter, in each separate production the colour reproduction will vary from batch to batch. However production is matched back to the original or master sample to ensure that the colour remains ‘within a commercial toleranc e’.

This process if not an exact science and a commercial tolerance is subjective but nevertheless is usually the professional judgement of the head dyer based on his/her experience.

A greater level of tolerance is required on blended colours (Heathers etc). To ensure perfect colour matching it is advisable that a single width be used in any installation requiring exact colour matching.

N.B. Carpets which are laid with the pile travelling in different directions, even though they be from the same batch will appear not to match. For further information please check with the manufacturers recommendations.

Sprouting

Occasionally an odd tuft or two can work its way to the surface and stand proud of the rest of the pile. This is probably due to one end of the tuft being longer than the other i.e. J shaped tuft instead of V shaped. Remedial action merely requires that the offending tufts be scissor trimmed level with the rest of the pile. They should never be pulled out.

Shampoo - if incorrectly applied, can leave sticky soap residues in the fibres which can result in the soiling reappearing quite rapidly.

Dust - which is carried on draughts can soil carpets in various ways, apart from the obvious soiled edges, at gaping skirting boards for instance, dark lines appearing on surface might suggest airborne dust vacuum-drawn through poorly fitted floorboards. Sometimes the shape of floorboards can be seen quite clearly. Air borne dust sometimes shows itself as spots on the carpet, this is due to the air carried on a draught under the carpet escaping through minute holes both in the underlay and the carpet, leaving dust deposited on the pile much like a filter action. In such installations, the use of a lining paper is essential as a preventative measure.

It is the responsibility of the retailer to advise the consumer when the carpet is measured of any poorly fitting doors, skirtings, or floorboards and the consumers responsibility to ensure any remedial work to seal draughts, is carried out before the carpet is fitted, if a resulting complaint is to be avoided.

Static

Carpets do not produce static but like other household fabrics and objects have the capacity to store it. Static is caused by the build up of static electricity upon personnel in a dry environment and is discharged when a person makes contact with an object which can conduct electricity (i.e. door handle or filing cabinets, etc).

The static charges will vary in intensity depending upon the individual, air humidity and the contact materials. Static is more usually associated with synthetic materials as they do not retain moisture very well but it can and does occur with wool in very dry room conditions.

Preventative measures include the introduction of moisture into the room or in situ carpet treatment.

Flattening

Flattening will occur as a result of traffic which eventually flattens the pile particularly in the main areas of use.

All pile fabrics will flatten to greater or lesser degree dependant on the amount of traffic to which it is subjected and the construction (tuft density/pile fibre/height/weight) of the product concerned.

Shading

Shading occurs because the pile of the carpet has become crushed, flattened or brushed in a different direction to the natural lie of the pile whilst in situ. This causes light reflection at differing angles resulting in the creation of light and dark patches on the carpet. This will occur on all pile fabrics but can be more noticeable on plainer carpets because the shadows created by pile pressure will not be disguised by a heavy pattern or design.

Pile Reversal

Like shading, this occurs when the pile or nap of the carpet changes direction and thus reflects light at different angles showing the effects of shading which can become permanent. It is also described as ‘watermarking’. This can happen to every carpet construction be it Axminster, Wilton, Tufted, Hand Woven, Persian, Chinese, Indian or even Coir Matting. Like shading it can be more apparent on plain carpet because heavy patterns can disguise the effects. It can occur quite quickly after installation. A tremendous amount of research has been carried out over many years by many institutes to determine the cause of this phenomenon but none of it has proved conclusive.

There is no commonly known manufacturing process which can cause or cure this phenomenon and therefore it is not a manufacturing fault. For further information please check with individual manufacturers recommendations.

Shedding

All cut pile carpets will lose short fibre, which is created during production when spun yarn is cut for tuft formation. These fibres fall onto the surface of the pile and appear as ‘fluff’. The effect varies with yarn type and may be removed without detrimental effect upon the carpet by vacuum cleaning. This excess fibre is only a small fraction of the total fibre contained in the carpet.

Indentations

When a carpet is subjected to a heavy point load, such as under the legs of furniture, it is unreasonable to expect the carpet not to indent. Usually, the longer the load is in place, the longer will be the time for the pile to recover. In the case of very heavy loads in place for a considerable time, the recovery time can be very considerable.

It must be remembered that it is not only the pile of the carpet that becomes indented. The underlay will also indent and the backing of the carpet may also distort into the indentation in the underlay. Some underlay’s will recover well and some less well depending upon their composition, thickness, density etc. The use of cups below furniture legs can spread the load and the net result is a larger area of less deeply indented carpet. The ability of a carpet to recover from a heavy static load can be measured in the laboratory, using the test method described in BS 4939 and many manufacturers will have data on this aspect of carpet performance. In this test the carpet is loaded for 24 hours and the degree of recovery is measured after 1 hour and 24 hours. Since there are so many different underlay’s however, it is very rare for the recovery from a heavy static load to be evaluated on carpet and underlay.

Often normal maintenance (vacuum cleaning with a rotating brush machine) will speed up recovery but in the case of serious indentations the use of an iron and damp cloth or a steam iron together with a blunt darning needle to carefully tease up the pile can be beneficial. Care must be take not to over wet the carpet, of course.

Pulling Loops

Pulled loops occur only in looped pile carpet where one or more loops in the continuous pile is pulled through the primary backing of the carpet. This is usually due to some local condition, possibly some sharp object which has caught in a loop in situ and has resulted in a pull. Pulled loops are easily dealt with by trimming the offending end level with the rest of the pile. They should not be left as this could result in further loops being pulled and developing into a ladder.

Samples

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.

Installation

sprouting • shading • static • fading • pile reversal • shedding • flattening • soiling

This information is given by responsible manufacturers to help you help your customer to make an informed choice.

The original carpet tile

Flooring factsheet

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

Vinyl + LVT Supplier Directory

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

Landscape Parquet by Victoria Design Floors

Victorian Treasure by Invictus

Van Gogh Classic Oak by Karndean Designflooring Studio Designs by Brampton Chase

Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl is a fast growing sector of the flooring market due to its durability at relatively low cost and huge range of designs available. Sheet vinyl and cushion floor by the roll are popular but the sector is dominated by LVT. In reality, most of the products sold today are “LVP”, Luxury Vinyl Planks, as wood decors are more popular than ceramics and stone but the term LVT is still used to cover the whole non-sheet market.

Benefits

• Huge choice in terms of decors across wood, ceramic, stone and geometric designs

• Impressive realism – not just in the design but infinishing techniques that allow for wood knots you can feel, tiles you can grout, etc. See appearance options.

• Excellent performance in durability for high traffic areas, scratch resistance and cleanability. Vinyl also tends to be much more nonslip than natural materials. Some products are water resistant for bathrooms and kitchens.

• Warm and soft to touch compared to ceramic and stone floors - and a good heat insulator anyhow, and suitable for use with underfloor heating systems.

• Sound reduction – vinyl has neglible impact sound compared to the tap/click of laminate and transmits less sound and vibration compared to solid floor.

• Considerably cheaper than the ‘real’ thing – both to buy and to fit – and tile/plank approach minimises wastage.

Installation

Installation preparation

Vinyl requires a dry, sound, level subfloor as the relative thinness of vinyl and its light reflection performance will quickly reveal imperfections after installation as well as cause potential wear issues.

Exisitng wooden/MDF floors may need a plywood underlay up to 6mm thick and then the joints will need to be skimmed or taped. Non-wood sub-floors will need a self-levelling screed to be laid to ensure a suitable base for the floor. A damp-proof membrane may be required depending on sub-floor moisture levels.

However, new rigid core products are less flexible and can be laid more easily over existing floors – see Construction.

Product options

• Dry back – a sheet or tile that needs to be fixed to the sub-floor using an adhesive.

• Self-adhesive – tiles with a peel-off backing paper to stick to the sub-floor. Some tiles have adhesive overlaps to stick to each other rather than the sub-floor.

• Loose lay vinyl – tiles that simply drop onto the floor and rely on a high friction backing to keep them in place – they demand a very sound, level sub-floor but are the easiset type of tile to lay or replace.

• Click – tiles that have a mechanical jointing system to attach to one another (like a locked tongue and groove system) and ‘float’ on the sub-floor without being glued down. There are many proprietary versions of the click system which offer fast, clean installation and stability.

Appearance options

Vinyl tiles and planks cover a hugh variety of sizes and shapes and can be mix-and-matched to achieve an infinite number of designs. Current fashions include extra wide and long planks for wood through to very small planks for wood. Border effects can be easy to achieve in LVT.

Other notable options include:

• Embossed – this is where the top clear layer of the tile has been embossed to create a realistic texture that matches the style of the stone of wood decor. Registered embossed is the most authentic –the texture matches the design so that, for example, a wood knot or hand-scraped element in the wood design can be felt on the surface of the flooring.

• Grouting and grooving – vinyl tiles can be laid with grouting inlay strips or beads of vinyl for addewd realism – and there are acrylic grouts that can be applied. In wood decors, planks are available with v-grooves or bevelled edges between planks for added realism.

LVT construction

www.bramptonchase.co.uk

www.invictus.co.uk www.karndean.com www.krausflooring.co.uk

www.myvictoria.co.uk

Top coating – A polyurethane or aluminium oxide coating provides protection against scratches and stains and gives enhances anti-slip.

Wear layer – This is a key layer - determining the performance and resilience of the product. A 0.3mm (12 mil) wear layer is a good for heavy wear areas. Commercial installations need 0.5mm wear layers or above with 0.7mm at the top end. The wear warranties and guarantees carried by products will be based on this thickness.

Decor layer – This is the decor itself - in essence it is a paper- or filmbased photographic inkjet print. (A few LVT floors have the image printed directly to the surface of the floor but this implies less image definition and different wear characteristics.)

PVC and fibre glass layers – The construction ‘sandwich’ can vary between products but a combination of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) layers for strength and flexibility and fibre glass layers for structural stability may be used. Any click-system profile will be incorporated into these layers. Products often use a combination of recycled vinyl which is cheaper and virgin PVC which lasts longer and is more stable.

Rigid core LVT has a solid, less flexible PVC layer with maximum stability which means it can be laid over exisiting, less even flooring without showing imperfections and therefore avoiding wear problems.

Base (or backing) layer – The final high density PVC layer varies according to the installation requirement and is designed for taking adhesive or as an ‘underlay’ for loose-lay and click installations.

Sustainable underlay Flooring factsheet

Interfloor ‘Says NO to Waste’ Eco-friendly underlay

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.

renu® stockists will be included in the online stockist locator on the Interfloor website.

For more information visit www.interfloor.com/renu

Flooring factsheet

Underlay

In a tight market for margins, underlay for carpet and hard flooring offers retailers one of the best opportunities to add value to every sale – with good profitability, trade-up potential once benefits are understood and high customer satisfaction levels.

The Carpet Foundation and its Consumer Code of Practice approved by the Trading Standards Institute (TSI) recommend that new carpet underlay is bought with every new carpet.

Many consumers are now aware of the benefits of underlay but more needs to be done to provide information about the different types available and their suitability for different areas of the home.

Setting up in-store demonstrations so customers can walk on samples with different grades of underlay and feel the difference has shown excellent results. Some manufacturers offer point-of-sale units and foot testers.

Benefits

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.

Types

PU (polyurethane) foam • This is now the market’s most popular underlay and is typically made from recycled foam offcuts. The foam provides excellent comfort and performance levels with lots of thickness options and densities and provides great insulation – and its light weight helps handling.

Sponge rubber • A more traditionally manufactured underlay available in flat or waffle patterns in a wide range of weights for different applications. It performs well for comfort and has a durable spring retention.

Crumb rubber • Flat and dense, crumb rubber is good for heavy footfall – offering maximum protection but a little less comfort (and very good over stair nosings).

Laminate underlay • There’s still an opportunity to sell underlay with laminate flooring, improving the acoustic performance of the floor and helping the boards float above any imperfections in the sub-floor.

Combination • A rubber crumb base with a felt top layer offers a good combination of protection, durability and comfort. It also allows carpet with seaming to bed into the top felt.

Underfloor heating underlay • Always ask if there is underfloor heating. Most manufacturers offer specialised products. Underlay and carpet with a combined tog rating of 2.5 can be used – which means the underlay would normally have a tog rating of 1.0.

Felt • This traditional (but environmentally friendly) undelay is made from recycled fibres – wool, jute and synthetic – to create a firm, dense pad with excellent thermal insulation. Still a very popular choice among contractors when stretch fitting woven carpets.

Pre-tackified underlay • A self-adhesive single stick underlay in both needlefelt and PU. A removable system for heavy use when comfort is desired.

Underlayment for LVT • This provides a smooth surface on which you can glue down immediately. If there is a time or acoustic issue or a problematic underfloor, a stable, smooth dual underlay system will provide the best solution.

www.interfloor.com

www.floorwise.co.uk

www.carpenterunderlay.co.uk

CLASSIC

www.unifloor.nl

www.underlay.com

www.wilsons-carpet-underlays.co.uk

Sponge rubber Crumb

Combination PU foam

The

Stocklists

Wholesale Distribution Directory

NATIONAL

Fells Carpets

Leeds - see page 14 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 16 and Floorwise page 65

Fells Carpets Goole - see page 14 0113 3071900 carl.cummings@fellscarpets.co.uk www.fellscarpets.co.uk

Kellars Limited Manchester, see pages 33-36,47 0161 443 0970 sales@kellars.co.uk

Lakes Flooring Supplies Kendal - see Floorwise page 65

Millbrook Carpets Darwen 01254 703999 millbrookcarpets@live.co.uk

Preston Underlay Centre Ltd Preston/Lancashire - see Floorwise page 65

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 20 and Floorwise page 65

NORTH EAST

Fells Carpets

Leeds - see page 14 0113 3071900 carl.cummings@fellscarpets.co.uk www.fellscarpets.co.uk

Kellars Limited Darlington, see pages 33-36,47 0161 443 0970 sales@kellars.co.uk

MIDLANDS

Birch Distribution Sheffield - see Floorwise page 65

Birch Distribution Leeds - see Floorwise page 65

Birch Distribution Hull - see Floorwise page 65

Cornerstone Flooring Supplies Doncaster - see Floorwise page 65

Cornerstone Flooring East Midlands and Warwickshire 01159 444711 sales@cornerstoneflooring.co.uk www.cornerstoneflooring.co.uk

DMS Flooring Supplies

Northampton - see page 12 01604 664850 sales@dmsflooringsupplies.co.uk

Floorwise D & J Ltd Southam - see Floorwise page 65

Matty’s Wholesale Carpets Birmingham 01675 433072 sales@mattys.co.uk

STS Flooring Distributors

Hemel Hempstead - see page 20 and Floorwise page 65

Trade Counter Carpets Leicester 0845 604 3055 tradecountercarpets@gmail.com

Woodall Brothers Ltd Shrewsbury - see Floorwise page 65

SOUTH WEST

BL Flooring Supplies Bristol - see Floorwise page 65

BL Flooring Supplies Gloucester - see Floorwise page 65 Fitwell Flooring Ltd Redruth - see Floorwise page 65

Fitwell Flooring Ltd Newton Abott - see Floorwise page 65

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 65 Tel: 01980 880933 sales@salesmark-west.co.uk www.salesmark.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 11 for details

DMS Flooring Supplies Hemel Hempstead - see page 12 01442 502562 sales@dmsflooringsupplies.co.uk

DMS Flooring Supplies Milton Keynes - see page 12 01908 049006 sales@dmsflooringsupplies.co.uk

DMS Flooring Supplies Colindale, North London 0208 036 9945 - see page 12 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 65 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 p20 & Floorwise p65

STS Flooring Distributors Croydon - see p20 & Floorwise p65

STS Flooring Distributors

Orpington/Croydon - see page 20 & Floorwise page 65

Trade Carpet London Wimbledon 0208 247 3891 sales@tradecarpet.com www.tradecarpet.com

IRELAND

Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd Dublin - see Floorwise page 65

Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd Belfast - see Floorwise page 65

Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd Limerick - see Floorwise page 65

TCS “The Carpet Specialists” Co. Louth 00353 429 351 351 info@tcsthecarpetspecialists.com www.tcsthecarpetspecialists.com

SCOTLAND

Kellars Limited Glasgow, see pages 3-36,47 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 65

WALES

Matty’s Wholesale Carpets Birmingham 01675 433072 sales@mattys.co.uk

Floorwise Wales Merthyr Tydfil - see Floorwise page 65

1 Neil Smith Ltd Glasgow, G4 0TX Tel: 0141 552 1141 sales@neilsmithltd.co.uk

2 Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd Belfast, BT15 3GU Tel: 028 9075 3202 Fax: 028 9075 3901 salesbelfast@pfl.ie

3 Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd Dublin, D12 E540 Tel: 00353 (0)1 626 3913 Fax: 00353 (0)1 460 4669 salesdublin@pfl.ie

4 Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd Limerick, V94 W863 Tel: 00353 (0)61 227 100 Fax: 00353 (0)61 227 000 sales@pfl.ie

5 Lakes Flooring Supplies Kendal. LA9 5RR Tel: 01539 726500 sales@pucflooring.co.uk

6 Preston Underlay Centre Ltd Preston, PR1 1PN Tel: 01772 556345 sales@pucflooring.co.uk

7 Birch Distribution Leeds, LS10 1AG Tel: 0113 244 4363 Fax: 0113 244 8665 l.sales@birchdistribution.co.uk

8 Birch Distribution Hull, HU7 0XD Tel: 01482 826654 Fax: 01482 878693 h.sales@birchdistribution.co.uk

9 Hathaway Flooring Manchester, M17 1EB Tel: 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

Floorwise Group Ltd. Floorwise House, 22 High Street Kegworth, Derby, DE74 2DA, UK

Tel: +44 (0)1509 673974 Fax: +44 (0)1509 674841

New Sales Territory

Riviera Home UK, a manufacturer of naturally luxurious carpets, are recruiting for an experienced sales agent for the following territory.

AREA – West Midlands, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, & South/Mid Wales

Riviera Home UK are a well-established manufacturer who are well known for making innovative and exceptional quality carpet ranges with a distinctive point of difference aimed at the high end flooring market. Riviera Home UK has a significant manufacturing business in India and offers Axminster, Wilton, Tufted, Handloom and Flatwoven broadloom carpets as well as bathmats and rugs. Our vertically integrated manufacturing base enables us to control every aspect of our production and to create innovative styling and outstanding quality products.

We are actively looking to appoint a commissioned sales agent for the above area listed. The ideal candidate needs to be an experienced sales professional who can sell luxury, fashionable quality carpet and rugs to high end flooring specialists and Interior Designers. The successful candidate will be an excellent communicator, who is self-motivated, well organised and possesses good IT skills, including the use of social media platforms. The role will include calling on and developing business with an existing customer base as well as actively looking for new trading opportunities.

Riviera Home UK will offer the self-employed sales agent an excellent commission structure. We have an active programme of exciting new range developments planned and this is an excellent opportunity to join our growing and successful company.

Write in complete confidence with your CV and covering letter to:

Richard Moore – Sales & Marketing Director

Riviera Home UK Limited, Unit 12, Gemini House, Stourport Road, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, DY11 7QL Email: richard.moore@rivierahomeuk.com

Location: