The Stocklists - June 2024

Showtime in Solihull

We review the agenda-setting INDX event with all the latest launches and innovations pages 30–45

Twist again this summer

Abingdon’s enduring Stainfree Twist – original and better page 17

Charles champions wool

The King renews his commitment to supporting UK wool growers page 20

£1m sales in one day

Likewise secures growth strategy page 26

Keep calm & beautiful

Rita Bancroft reports on the natural design trends towards tranquility in carpet and LVT page 46–49

Euro show success

Flanders builds on strength as more Euro exhibitors combine page 52

Headlam helps retail

The Stocklists interviews Distribution MD John Clark about strategy page 50

Carpetright cuts jobs

HQ jobs go to cut costs Business news, page 26

Skilling for success

The industry is investing to close the skills gap that’s holding back business pages 54–57

Subfloor finess

F Ball underlines the importance of sound foundations page 59

64 years in flooring

Bristol Carpet’s David Gibbs started at 14 and finally finishes at 85! page 58

Open for innovation

Award schemes open for entries page 24

Awarded by the trade & trade press

BEST BRANDING,

BEST MARKETING

BEST DISPLAY

Contact your area manager for more details

INVINCIBLE DISPLAYS WITH INVICTUS

Associated Weavers stands out from the crowd as to UK-presence, branding & in-store solutions. The Invictus® luxury vinyl flooring concept & display are no exception to that rule, the attractive branding and visuals will be the highlight of any shop

The Invictus® interactive Premium stand has reinvented the in-store display and brings a tool with an intuitive digital module that is sure to offer a great customer experience and guide customers through an efficient and fun-to-do purchase process. The symbiosis between traditional samples and digital journey is unseen in the flooring business. This display along with a modern, innovative Island stand & toastrack display completes the impactful instore presence of Invictus®.

Stopgap

NEW

- NATURAL LIVING

100% Wool Loop - 4m & 5m width - 10 colour options plus 4 coordinating stripes

Meet the team!

FIND YOUR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE HERE:

Gloria Newell

M: 07718 762236

E: gloria.newell@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Areas covered: All Scottish Regions.

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.

David Harris

M: 07801 538763

E: david.harris@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Areas covered: Hertfordshire, Essex, North London, West London and East London.

Emily Round

M: 07753 983714

E: emily.round@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Areas covered: Gloucester, Avon, West Midlands, Shropshire, Hereford and Worcester.

& SOUTH EAST

Simon Beeby

M: 07775 913380

Areas covered: Berkshire (split), Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire. EAST MIDLANDS

E: simon.beeby@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Graham Wood

M: 07825 171482

E: graham.wood@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Areas covered: Somerset, Devon and Cornwall.

Herbie Montgomery (Agent)

M: 07774 695333

E: herbiehsm@gmail.com

Areas covered: Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland.

To find out more, please call our sales team on 01706 639 866 or visit penthousecarpets.co.uk

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.

Christine Searle

M: 07939 051608

E: christine.searle@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Areas covered: North Humberside, West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire.

Steven Crowhurst

M: 07919 047930

E: steven.crowhurst@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Areas covered: Kent, South London, Central

and West Sussex

Guy Legg

M: 07801 357622

E: guy.legg@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Areas covered: South Yorkshire, Sheffield, South Humberside, Grimsby, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire (inc SK13, SK17, SK22 and SK23).

Gavin Walters

T: 07711 353 982

E: gavin.walters@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Areas covered: Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire.

Jason Andrews

M: 07767 213236

E: jason.andrews@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Areas covered: Berkshire (split), Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset and Isle of Wight.

James Thomas (Agent)

M: 07932 458032

E: juncture2002@aol.com

Areas covered: West Glamorgan, Mid Glamorgan, South Glamorgan, Gwent, Dyfed and Powys.

EAST ANGLIA, CAMBRIDGESHIRE & BEDFORDSHIRE

Bringing the indoors... out!

NEW STYLE POS AVAILABLE TO ORDER NOW

Our very first range that can be used both indoors and outdoors, allowing you to extend your interior design seamlessly.

This is a collection of 12 woven carpet designs across four colourways. Available in 4m width and complete with a 20-year wear warranty this is the perfect range for busy homes wanting the look and feel of a natural sisal carpet, though wanting something a little easier to look after as it is made from 100% EasiCare polypropylene.

Whether you choose to carpet within your home or create a centrepiece rug on your patio, Easi Sisal will certainly add a touch of class to any home.

POS available to order now, contact the sales office to find out more.

Tel: 01562 749300 / Email: sales@myvictoria.co.uk

FLOORINGNEWS

Waterproof real wood

Quick-Step revolutionised the wood floor market with Cascada, the world’s first waterproof wood floor, and is now bringing the innovation to new ranges within an updated collection of Wood for Life floors.

Homeowners can now enjoy 100% waterproof wood in new Cala and Amato ranges. Cala is an extra-wide and extra-long plank that adds refinement and elegance in grand rooms, while Amato’s slender plank brings a compact option suited to smaller spaces such as bathrooms and hallways. Just like any Quick-Step wood floor, these new ranges bring exquisite looks across nature, marquant and vibrant grades in lacquer or oiled finishes.

Whatever Quick-Step wood is chosen, homeowners can be confident of a floor guaranteed to be ready for living, thanks to the brand’s Wood for Life technology.

Wood for Life gives Quick-Step wood an easy-to-clean surface and clean joints, so that life’s messiness doesn’t get in the way of a beautiful wood floor. Leaving a surface that will never look dirty or dark and joints that don’t get discoloured, Wood for Life guarantees that Quick-Step wood stays looking good for years to come.

When it comes to installation, Uniclic Multifit (Uniclic on Disegno and Intenso) keeps everything fast and efficient. Every Quick-Step wood floor is also supported by a full range of matching accessories, including everything needed for a totally waterproof floor, for an end result that upholds the floor’s premium quality. Aftercare is well looked after too, with a range of specialist maintenance and cleaning products.

The new Quick-Step wood collection is also made to be more sustainable. The core and backing of planks are made of recovered wood or fast-growing trees that can be replaced quickly. As for the top layer that’s made from slow growing wood species, like oak.

www.quick-step.co.uk

Showtime in Solihull

We review the agenda-setting INDX event with all the latest launches and innovations pages 30–45

Keep calm & beautiful Rita Bancroft reports on the natural design trends towards tranquility in carpet and LVT page 46–49

Skilling up for success

The industry is investing intensively to close the skills gap that’s holding back business pages 54–57

Twist again this summer

Abingdon Flooring has refreshed its competitive Stainfree Twist with a range of brand-new colours. One of the most affordable carpets in Abingdon Flooring’s Stainfree family, Twist is a popular choice for homeowners concerned with getting great value and a carpet that’s ready to take on life in family homes. With a Stainfree for Life guarantee, this easy clean carpet is considered the ‘original and best’ by many retailers.

Now with a range of brand-new colours to suit the latest home interior styling, Stainfree Twist is ready to become the best for a whole new generation of carpet purchasers. Stainfree Twist’s refreshed palette includes pale neutrals, modern greys, earthy colours and rich hues ready to add a touch of style and comfort to every home.

Charlotte Coop, head of marketing, Abingdon Flooring, says: “The original Stainfree carpet, Twist represents an affordable entry into quality stainresistant carpet for the home. Offering great value and with all the performance needed for busy family homes, it’s easy to see why Twist continues to be such a key part of our Stainfree line-up.”

Proudly made in Britain, Stainfree Twist comes with the additional benefit of a fleece backing that boosts underfoot comfort and improves thermal and acoustic insulation. The fleece also makes life easier for installers, adding stability and preventing marks to walls and skirtings.

Equipped with a 10-year wear warranty, the 1/10th gauge twist pile can be used confidently in living areas, bedrooms, hallways, stairs and landings. In 2,5m, 4m and 5m widths, It’s a versatile performer available in a range of fabulous new colours sure to uplift any home.

T 01274 655 694 • www.abingdonflooring.co.uk

The freshest flooring trends

Novus is the stylish new cushion vinyl from LeoLine that features the freshest flooring trends. With luxurious marble, chevron wood, weathered metal tiles, and herringbone wood, the Novus collection captures the latest natural and material looks in a trending warm and rich palette. The latest cushion vinyl floor from LeoLine, Novus is a seriously stylish floor range for homeowners who want to bring a unique look to their home.

Not only are these floors good to look at, but they are also loaded with performance. With Superguard for dirt and stain resistance, Novus is a floor that’s easy to look after and comes with added slip-resistance, making its natural designs ideal for bathrooms and kitchens. What’s more, Natural Look & Feel brings realistic texture to every one of its 12 designs.

Stuart Reeves, sales director, LeoLine, says: “Our designers have made sure that Novus delivers on our promise to bring everybody their perfect floor. It’s packed with exciting new looks such as Celeste marble, Corten weathered metal and Clara, a really beautiful herringbone with a tropical feel. The overall palette feels richer and more uplifting, and reflects a changing mood of more heartfelt, stronger natural schemes in interiors.”

All designs are available in 2m, 3m and 4m widths and are rated Class 23 with R11 slip restraint. Designed and made in Belgium, Novus comes with a 10-year warranty. Novus joins Studio Casa and Woodline as new ranges in the LeoLine 2024 Collection and is now available from stock.

T 0800 032 3970 • www.leoline.co.uk

Getting on top of sales

floorwise has released a smart new countertop display for its Max Reflections and Zenith profiles and floorwise underlays giving retailers the chance to maximise profitable up-sells.

The brand-new, high-quality rotating countertop display from floorwise gives retailers an excellent opportunity to upsell some of the brand’s best-selling profiles and underlays at the point of sale. The display works by uniting underlay and profile options in one location thereby helping give the consumer a more informed choice to obtain the best finish to their project once they have decided on their floor covering options.

This impressive new display comes in a smart anthracite finish designed to look fantastic on top of any desk or counter. Importantly, it’s designed to be easy to update and customise with ‘hot swappable’ premium A4 display cards, enabling retailers and trade counters alike to tailor the display to showcase the range of best-selling floorwise products..

The display can be configured to show either carpet or laminate underlays from the floorwise collection on one side along with compatible profiles on the other. The profiles supported are the floorwise Reflections or Zenith ranges and include samples of all finishes - including the exciting new space grey and brushed black colourways - alongside proven favourites like brushed steel nickel and chrome. This flexibility allows the retailer to customise their display based on local popularity or up-sell potential exact choice of profiles and underlays.

Richard Bailey, managing director, says: “Our new countertop display has been designed to communicate the value, quality and choice of floorwise at a key transactional point, giving retailers and trade counters a valuable opportunity to up-sell customers. It will spark conversations about why better quality profiles and underlays are a shrewd investment. By featuring samples of the profiles and underlays, the display also clearly demonstrates the quality of our products and how they can be the start of a fantastic floor.”

The display comes with a rotatable base so it can be used as quick reference by the customer and sales assistant alike.

T 01509 673974 • www.floorwise.co.uk

Learning about long-term value

The durability and easy maintenance of resilient floors make them popular in schools and colleges, but these floors need careful attention of the subfloor to bring out their best.

With Lion Floor, contractors can ensure that the subfloor is ready for high-quality resilient flooring that will deliver education environments a lasting floor finish that delivers excellent long-term value.

Made in Finland from locally sourced wood by-products, Lion Floor is an alternative to BS 8203 complaint plywood. It’s construction and density mean it’s highly durable and impact-resistant and so ideal for education environments. As well as a range of standard sizes, Lion Floor is available in large sheets for bigger areas (up to 10’ x 4’).

Reliability is a key advantage of using Lion Floor. The fibreboard construction eliminates the problems that come with the core gaps and overlaps found in plywood and unlike other oil-tempered hardboards, it doesn’t need wetting before installation. The flat, strong panel is ready to receive screeds and feather compounds and fitting is simple to, as it is laid in the same way as plywood and can be cut with either a knife or saw.

Peter Jones, Finnish Fibreboard (UK) Ltd, says: “Reliability is key to the long-term success of an installation and so with Lion Floor eliminating the potential pitfalls of using plywood, it makes a sensible choice for education projects, where a lasting floor that delivers excellent longterm value is a priority. What’s more, it’s also affordable and no more expensive than BS compliant plywood, making it a genuine alternative in education and other contract installations. It also comes with a lower carbon footprint, so it’s a more sustainable choice too.”

www.finfib.fi

FLOORINGNEWS

F. Ball upgrades online

F. Ball and Co. Ltd. has completely redesigned and relaunched its website to faster connect visitors with information they need to know about the company’s products and industry-leading support services.

“We wanted to use the latest know how and web-based applications to enhance the online F. Ball customer experience and provide tools to support flooring contractors, retailers and specifiers alike. After many months of development, we’re delighted to reveal the results,” ays Lisa Shirley of F. Ball.

A new online chat facility means visitors can now speak with an F. Ball technical service officer to get a quick response to questions about F. Ball products and how to use them, and places on training courses at the F. Ball Centre of Excellence can be reserved, for free.

Amongst key features is an information hub with articles covering key subfloor preparation and floorcovering installation topics. It also allows visitors to view and compare the company’s products.

The new website includes a dedicated area for the Ball Rewards customer loyalty scheme, where members can find out about exclusive promotions, such as regular cashback on purchases.

It also features a digital version of F. Ball’s industry-acclaimed Recommended Adhesives Guide (RAG), which lists the compatibility of the company’s adhesives with over 6,000 floorcoverings from more than 200 manufacturers.

Sustainability salvation

An integrated coverage calculator shows exactly how much of an F. Ball adhesive or smoothing compound is required for a specific project based on floor area.

T 01538 361 633 www.f-ball.com

King continues to champion wool

The Campaign for Wool says it’s honoured to announce HM The King will remain as it’s Patron, supporting the Campaign and its educational activities and events to remind the world of wool’s support for the planet and its natural, renewable and biodegradable properties.

The Campaign for Wool was HM King Charles’s personal initiative when he was The Prince of Wales in 2008 and was officially launched in 2010 in a bid to assist wool growers from throughout the Commonwealth to challenge the rise of toxic synthetic fibres in the worlds of fashion, interiors and the built environment.

As Patron, over the past decade of the Campaign, the then Prince of Wales has visited numerous regions of the UK, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa to engage with wool growers on how best to explain the distinct environmental excellence and ecological benefits of wool in all its end uses.

The Campaign fits perfectly with HM The King’s recently announced personal focus of Climate, Community, Commonwealth and Culture. Wool is more important today, moreover as climate change and plastic over consumption hits the headlines on a weekly basis, requesting all of us to be more considerate in our choices. The Patron has passionately endorsed the natural benefits and use of wool, issues he raised on the introduction of mainstream plastic use in his student days over 50 years ago. Choosing wool will help to safeguard the planet for future generations.

The Campaign is supported by companies across the globe, including farmers, the wool processing pipeline, designers, brands and retailers. 2024 will see the Campaign launch some exciting initiatives and collaborations for Wool Month which takes place throughout October. www.campaignforwool.org

International flooring specialist Gerflor have donated Gradus carpet products to The Salvation Army to help support social projects and to put surplus stock to good use in a sustainable way.

Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd (SATCoL) is the trading arm of The Salvation Army and, along with Gerflor and Gradus, are an active member of Carpet Recycling UK (CRUK) network.

The Salvation Army David Collins-Lafferty, Marketing Manager, Gerflor said, “We have worked with The Salvation Army to donate and deliver discontinued carpet that will be sold through three of their donation centres to generate funds for the charity. We have donated two-and four-metre-wide rolls in six various discontinued colours. As part of the donation plan, we also agreed with The Salvation Army that we would cut rolls down to manageable lengths of five linear metres. This supports them with storage and handling. In total we expect to donate around 1,500m2 during the first half of 2024. The relationship was developed through the core funder status that we have with Carpet Recycling UK.”

Commenting on the donation, Richard Shea, the Service Development Manager at the Salvation Army Trading Company said, “Gerflor were keen to do more with extending the useful life of Gradus carpets and diverting more items away from disposal. Going forward, the products will be distributed to our 240 charity shops so that they can go on to be reused or repurposed. The profits received from the resale of these carpets and will be given to our parent charity to continue to support the exceptional work they do across the UK.”

“Gerflor and Gradus have been a pleasure to work with, reusing carpet is something that they are both passionate about. They were very supportive, with regard to our processes, so that we could maximise the potential and work collaboratively to get these items into our donation centres,” he added.

T 01625 428922 • gerflor.co.uk

The world’s first 100% waterproof wood floors With Cala, Cascada and Amato there’s no need to worry about water. Thanks to a waterpoof surface, these wood floors can be installed in any room, including kitchens, bathrooms and hallways.

quick-step.co.uk

AMT7444

FLOORINGNEWS

Masterly achievement by trainer

F. Ball and Co. Ltd. training officer, Steve Lane, has joined an elite group of UK flooring professionals by achieving National Institute of Carpet & Floorlayers (NICF) Master Fitter status. Master Fitters are practising fitters with the highest level of competence and knowledge in floorcovering installation.

Candidates are required to demonstrate mastery in installing a wide range of floorcoverings, including Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVTs), carpet and wood, through both practical and theory examinations, as well as submit certified references for the standard of their work.

As an F. Ball training officer, Steve promotes best practice in flooring installation by delivering free, hands-on training courses for flooring professionals at the F. Ball Centre of Excellence and further afield according to customer requirements. He has over 30 years’ experience in the flooring trade, starting his career as a flooring apprentice at 16 years old before running his own flooring business.

He becomes the second member of F. Ball’s training team to achieve the accreditation, after head of training Tim Green obtained the qualification last year.

Commenting on his award, Steve said: “Although I’ve spent most of my life in flooring, the process really put me through my paces. I’m delighted that my skills and knowledge passed the test and I can now count myself amongst the most accomplished fitters in the country.”

T 01538 361 633 www.f-ball.com

Founded in 1979, the NICF aims to promote excellence within the flooring industry and an understanding and awareness of the British Standards Code of Practice for the installation of textile, resilient and timber floorcoverings, as well as provide assurance of quality of workmanship to the public.

Collaboration is key for CRUK

Double headers at F. Ball

F. Ball and Co. Ltd. has announced two senior appointments to its managerial team.

Karl Brannigan has been promoted to the role of Sales Director, whilst Simon Jenkins has been appointed National Sales Manager. This follows Darren Kenyon taking on the role of Managing Director in April.

Karl joined F. Ball as National Sales Manager in 2020, with over 17 years’ experience in the flooring industry within business development and sales management roles.

As Sales Director, he will be responsible for directing the sales and marketing teams, maintaining relationships with over 190 of the company’s distributors, as well as identifying and developing new market opportunities.

Simon began his career in the flooring industry in 1998 before joining F. Ball as Technical Representative for North London in 2008 and becoming Southern Area Sales Manager in 2020.

In his new role, Simon will manage the company’s team of Area Sales Managers, Regional Technical Representatives and Retail Representatives, who provide advice, on-site assistance to flooring contractors, wholesalers and retailers.

Commenting on the appointments, Darren Kenyon said: “We are delighted to be able to promote internally to appoint people with extensive knowledge of the flooring industry and understanding of the organisation, its ethos and customers to these key roles. The board is confident that this will ensure that we are able to continue to anticipate market demands and provide the service and support that our customers have come to expect from F. Ball.”

T 01538 361 633 • www.f-ball.com

Registration has opened for Carpet Recycling UK’s (CRUK) eagerly-awaited Annual Conference, at the voco St. John’s Solihull on July 10th and 11th 2024 where collaboration across the flooring sector will be the main focus.

Adnan Zeb-Khan, CRUK Scheme Manager comments: “Our comprehensive two-day conference programme will explore the important issues affecting the sector today and possible future developments and changes. Our range of expert speakers have been carefully selected and identified to provide the most up-to-date knowledge and information, making it a must-attend event.

Representing 85% of the UK market, through their 138-strong membership, 17 key manufacturers and distributors and extensive UK-wide and international outreach, CRUK is helping the sector on its sustainability journey to reduce and recycle textile flooring waste while developing opportunities to create circularity within the sector through a more design for recycling-led approach.

The comprehensive programme will cover important updates on legislation and policy affecting the sector within the UK, EU and US plus updates on technology and research projects and EPR structures. Other topics to be explored include how collaboration across the wider flooring sector can help the sector advance to become more efficient and effective when it comes to the management of waste and sustainability.

The booking deadline for conference places is June 28. info@carpetrecyclinguk.com • www.carpetrecyclinguk.com

Karl Brannigan (left) and Simon Jenkins.

Scala Combinations

Parador’s 140 new product promo

Global flooring brand, Parador, has launch of over 140 new additions to its engineered wood, vinyl, laminate, and eco-friendly Modular ONE ranges in its 2024 collection. The launch highlights Parador’s unparalleled design prowess, showcasing how the brand has changed perceptions of an interior’s foundation by applying high-design trends.

For starters, 19 new designs will join Parador’s laminate range – a cost-effective yet luxurious collection which comes in a variety of natural finishes, and can weather high traffic with very minimal damage. It’s gentle on the earth as it creates the look of natural wood without exhausting any raw materials.

Engineered wood flooring from Parador has an ultra-organic feel, featuring highly-realistic swirling grain patterns and natural colour variations. The new collection includes 30 engineered wood flooring types, ranging from wide to herringbone planks, in light-wash greys, warm beige tones, and rich, dark shades.

Parador’s eco-friendly Modular ONE collection has pioneered resilient, PVC and plasticiser-free flooring, offering the beauty of wood and other natural materials and in the range will expand to include 33 new styles, featuring a parquet selection as well as white, marble-look tiles with strong veining running throughout.

Parador’s vinyl is known for its resistance to moisture and climate, making it ideal for rooms like kitchens and bathrooms and 54 new designs are joining the portfolio – each named after iconic London streets – which will launch in a variety of herringbone, wide plank, and stone-look designs, and with increased water resistance.

T +49 (0) 2541 736 678 • www.parador.de

Entries open for top flooring awards

Entries have just opened for the Flooring Innovation Awards after organisers shook up the schedule to give even more prominence to what has become one of the most successful events in the industry's calendar.

"We'll be announcing the new winners of what will be the Flooring Innovation Awards 2025 with a real fanfare right at the beginning of next year – on January 2nd, 2025. These highly sought-after awards will then set the agenda for the year ahead for floor buyers and specifiers," says organiser Bridgette Kelly.

So the schedule for the scheme has moved back a bit this year with entries now open from May 28, 2024, and closing on November 8.

The Awards scheme will issue plenty of reminders later this year to make sure you get your entries in on time – all set, hopefully, for a happy new year in 2025! Readers of The Stocklists can nominate their favourite suppliers and products to go before the judges.

The Awards recognise everything that is genuinely new, exciting and innovative in the UK flooring trade so buyers can focus on fresh opportunities and the entries are judged by an independent panel of leading industry experts.

For more info, contact: bradley@flooringinnovationawards.com

GET SET TO STAR

Entries open: Now!

Entries close: November 8

Winners announced: January 2, 2025

Gold winners announced: April, 2025

Check out the categories and rules at: www.flooringinnovationawards.com

Herringbone, Modular One

Larch Yukon, White

BUSINESSNEWS

Upbeat Likewise books £1m sales in one day

Fast growing UK flooring distributor Likewise has confirmed a 13% growth in sales and its first single-day order intake of £1m.

Likewise directors say the Group is on course to achieve its target of becoming a £200m business after reporting group sales increased 12.9% to £139m and earnings were up to £7.9m from £6.6m in 2022.

And the growth continues this year. The statment to shareholders said: “The Group has again made significant progress in 2023, which has continued into the first four months of 2024, with group sales to the end of April increasing by 8.7% and sales in Likewise branded businesses increasing by 15.3% compared with the prior year.”

CEO Tony Brewer commented: “The Group has made significant progress in the last three years. The Board thanks the management, sales teams and all staff for their tremendous contribution to developing the Group and what has been achieved in such a short time.

“Despite challenging market conditions, 2024 has started positively and we have every confidence of a successful year and most importantly another major step towards our medium term objectives,” he added.

The group’s first-ever £1m order intake in one day was achieved in April and has boosted confidence at the ambitious company in the ability of its service and logistics to handle high volumes of trade.

“No real recovery until Autumn”

Barclaycard saw furniture and flooring sales fall 4% in April by value compared to this time last year with its analysts saying retailers couldn’t expect much of an upturn until the Autumn.

Barclays track debit and credit card spending and they reported while values were down, that the number of furnishing industry transactions actually went up 4.9%, suggesting that hard pressed consumers were making more, lower value sales. (A reduction in furniture retail price inflation may also account for some of the difference.)

Karen Johnson, Head of Retail at Barclays, said: “Retailers were hopeful that discretionary spending would bounce back by mid-year, buoyed by falling inflation and the prospect of better weather. While improving consumer confidence offers a ray of hope for the retail and hospitality industries as the summer season approaches, many retailers have adjusted their expectations, anticipating no real recovery until the autumn, she said.”

Carpetright cuts head office jobs

Flooring chain Carpetright is cutting around 70 jobs at its Essex headquarters, equating to more than 25% of head office staff.

Reduction in roles in areas such as warehousing and IT will enable it to reduce its cost base by roughly £22m. Store numbers, services and deliveries will not be affected during the process, says the company.

The 400-store chain has been seeking cost-cutting measures after a slowdown in demand for flooring and intense competition from rivals such as Tapi.

“We’ve carefully examined our performance against operating costs, leading us to make difficult decisions to ensure the future success of our brand,” said Kevin Barrett, CEO of Carpetright parent company Nestware Holdings.

The retailer was forced to turn to a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) in 2018 to exit under-performing shops and reduce rents but last month Carpetright said it was “not in planning” for another CVA.

Headlam warns on market growth as sales fall 12%

Headlam – the UK’s leading flooring distributor – warned that the market will not return to growth until 2025 after announcing it’s sales had fallen 12.3% year-on-year for the four months to the end of April.

The Group’s UK division was down by 11.6% per cent and Continental Europe sales contracted by 16.9% and it announced a pre-tax loss of £10.6m over the first four months of 2023.

Headlam said revenue in April did not show the expected seasonal uplift during spring, traditionally seen as a strong period for house sales in Britain and as a result, the company said it expects full-year profit ‘to be significantly below current market expectations’.

However, Headlam remains upbeat and said it expects an improvement in the second half.

In a trading update to investors, CEO Chris Payne said: “Whilst the medium-term outlook for the business remains strong, the current trading conditions across the sector have been challenging and we have seen a further deterioration in consumer spending in our markets, which has weighed on profitability.”

He added: “Despite these headwinds, the balance sheet remains strong, it is pleasing to see the strategic growth areas continuing to perform well and, with the acceleration of our strategy, we have a great opportunity to simplify our customer offer to significantly improve the Group’s profitability and further improve our cash position.”

Q1 flooring imports down 7%

Flooring imports into the UK fell 7% in the first three months of 2024 compared to last year, revealing the sluggish demand in the sector in Q1.

According to HM Revenue & Customs data compiled by The Furnishing Report, carpet imports were down 11% for the quarter with steep declines from Belgium (down 16%) and from the Netherlands (down 29%). Wood flooring also saw a reduction of 7% and only vinyl was stable with 0.1% increase in imports during the quarter.

UK yarn spinner supports viability

Leading UK wool yarn spinner Lawton Yarns has “secured its viability” against demanding market conditions despite a drop in sales and falling into loss in 2023.

Lawton is the major source of wool yarn for many UK carpet manufacturers and in its latest filed accounts for the year ended 30 September 2023, total sales fell 2.9% with UK revenues flat and exports nearly halved. As a result, the company’s losses amounted ot £231,000 compared to a profit of £83,000 in 2022.

Directors cited cost pressures including utility charges, interest rates and the rise in the National Minimum Wage but added “in the face of these pressures, price increase and continued customer loyalty has enabled the directors to secure volume to preserve viability. This strategy saw turnover stable at £32.7m with improved productivity increasing gross margin 11% (2022- 9.8%).”

Originally a family-owned business, Lawton Yarns experienced a turbulent period in 2019 which saw its parent group enter insolvency. The yarn manufacturer was later acquired by Breal Capital in 2020.

In 2022, the West Yorkshire-based business returned to private ownership following a management buy-out based on a £13.4m facility from Secure Trust Bank Commercial Finance.

DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE FLOORING TRADE

we’re on the road again.

In the heart of Blackpool, Kellars rolled out the carpet, quite literally, for an unforgettable roadshow exhibition event in 2024.

The atmosphere was fantastic, as customers from all corners of the flooring industry gathered to socialise, explore the latest launches, and delve into the innovative products on display.

The highlight of the show was undoubtedly the unveiling of ‘easy living’— our revolutionary stain-free carpet brand designed to with-stand against wear and tear, spills and stains, and rooms with high foot traffic to prolong the lifespan of your carpet.

The Blackpool Roadshow saw Kellars showcase their diverse range of products, from the sleek Forma Laminate ranges to luxurious Alva LVT Plank, Herringbone and Tile, and the vibrant Octavian Vinyl to the in-demand Allora SPC.

Blackpool 2024!

Stunning alva lvt.

a showroom must have. fair ground fun.

Laminate ahoy!

The turnout spoke volumes about the success of the event, with over 100 guests, both familiar faces and new connections.

But the excitement didn’t end with the exhibition. As the afternoon moved into evening, the fun and socialising kicked into high gear.

Attendees revved up their engines for the F1 Simulator competitions, challenged their friends to rounds of mini-golf, and danced the night away to the Beat Boutique DJ, and Lady V Sax.

As always, the Kellars Blackpool Roadshow 2024 was more than just an exhibition. From groundbreaking product launches to unforgettable entertainment, it was an event that brought customers, and industry friends together. Until next time, see you soon!

Showtime in Solihull

The agenda-setter for the season

The market commentators are forecasting that things can only get better and Solihull showed that the flooring trade is all set to take take full advantage when finally it does!

The INDX event at Cranmore Park in Solihull is the successor to the Buying Groups National Flooring Show and extended its attendance to retailers who are not aligned to specific trade groups.

A sizable audience, highly professional presentations by more than 60 exhibitors and a portfolio of new product launches made for an impressive exhibition with an undercurrent of muted optimism.

Almost universally, the first half of 2024 has been poor for most, flat at best and the summer is not expected to improve performance. But most manufacturers have already positioned to reduce costs and will benefit quickly from any improvement in market conditions.

Get set for 2025!

The INDX National Flooring Show 2025 will take place a little earlier next year on May 13-14.

Read pages 31–45 for the latest product launches and innovations – and more next month in our July issue!

Market trends

In tight trading conditions, it is added-value, mid-market products that are coming through in development to attract consumer interest.

There are strong launches in wool where the consumer demand has been more robust and loops are continuing to grow their market share, but it’s also interesting to see the resurgence of de-lustred wool-like synthetics – premium man-mades, but with that extra affordability that sells well right now.

Mainstream players like AW, Abingdon, Cormar, Furlong and Victoria have smart new offers in this sector.

The trend towards more cosy, natural styles is very evident with more texture and the continuing shift from greys – recently maybe 70% of mainstream colourbanks – to warmer tones in beige and naturals – pushing the grey vs. beige swingometer to about 50/50.

An unexpected trend is the popularity of sisal – or, to be more accurate, sisal-like products. This plays into the natural textured trend of course and it is some of the sisal style launches in synthetic and even wool fibres that have made the sisal look more accessible for many buyers.

And finally, for now, the smooth flooring sector seems to have moved forward with more consumer-friendly portfolios that are easier to navigate and it is interesting to see how those companies that cover both carpet and LVT, laminate and, increasingly even wood, are strengthening their positions –most notably AW’s Invictus, Furlong and Victoria’s re-developed collections.

Stainfree super success Abingdon Flooring

Again, Abingdon Flooring have elevated the success story that is their hugely popular Stainfree Collection with product development that breeds best-sellers in the man-made market.

“We keep pushing the boundaries,” says Abingdon’s Graham Marshall. “We’re always looking for a point of difference that makes our portfolio distinctively Abingdon – must-have carpets that consumers really want”.

Centre stage in Solihull was the re-launch of Stainfree Twist, the original ground-breaking range that Abingdon brought to market back in the 90’s.

“We have completely re-engineered Stainfree Twist and the result is superb.

We can’t go any tighter on the density,” says Graham. “This will improve appearance retention, the new construction is cleaner and sharper with better performance and that de-lustred natural look which everyone wants”.

Meanwhile, the two twists that sit alongside Stainfree Twist from the same yarn family Maximus and the best-selling Ultra have seen a colour upgrade, reflecting the shift that now balances natural shades against greys across the portfolio.

Also taking a prominent place on their stand was the Stainfree Country Collection – a woollike loop in Abingdon’s Stainfree For Life yarn that is subtly de-lustred to give an impressive natural appearance. With three designs –

Weave, Herringbone and Linear and six colours – Abingdon is offering more options than most in a carpet that families will find easy to live with and highly affordable.

Alongside The Country Collection was Abingdon’s new ranges Pure Elegance & Captivation, two massively successful products using their innovative new yarn system - soft but highly twisted which provides performance and softness combined.

“We

have completely re-engineered Stainfree Twist and the result is superb”

Colin Brown (left) with Graham Marshall

Stainfree Twist – “original and best”

Brilliance and resilience Associated Weavers

Associated Weavers are putting on a polished performance in polyester as their GAIA brand gains strength across the UK market, promising exemplary performance alonside aesthetic appeal.

Rolled out under the banner of “brilliant carpet with a natural touch”, the GAIA polyester yarn delivers bright colours, a smooth touch and the performance of nylon, all at a price closer to PP and with PP’s bleach cleanability.

Invictus LVT enhanced

Pulling all these virtues together, AW’s latest launches cover all the options with a loop, a saxony and a twist.

Brand new is Sarno, a pronounced structured carpet with natural loops which has been carefully created to have a wool-like handle – a feel accentuated by the addition of AW’s popular ECO FusionBac textile backing, a softtouch construction made from recycled PET bottles.

Sarno comes in eight neutral colours with a trend toward natural tones and is available in 4 and 5 metre. Initial reactions have been very positive to this versatile loop, so AW is looking at introducing a second design soon.

Meanwhile, two impressive products which were previewed last year are now being distributed to retailers – Gaia’s 40oz twist pile Rio Grande and its 75oz sister saxony Orinoco.

These are luxurious carpets made with AW’s pioneering ReVerse yarn – a 100% recycled PET yarn – and made in a high density tenth gauge for a bright, pin-prick finish. Each range runs in 12 colours with ECO FusionBac and are available in 4 and 5m.

T 01422 431100 • www.associated-weavers.co.uk

AW’s Invictus LVT collection arrived five years ago to great acclaim and the company has refined the offer with a range overhaul last year and enhanced distribution across the UK.

“Invictus is really flying as a go-to vinyl offer for retailers,” says Gavin Pugh, MD of AW in the UK. “It’s going from strength to strength and now is a great time for any stores that have been hanging back to get into a class-leading LVT collection. We’ve made it easier with a portfolio of certain best-sellers.”

The mix of decors has been fine-tuned and different options in the most popular parquet and herringbone styles, sizes and patterns means there’s an answer to every consumer’s style.

A new compact POS unit has been created to present the top products in a small footprint. “These new stands are a good opportunity for retailers to start with Invictus and just see how big a buzz the collection can make for them,” says Gavin.

GAIA Orinoco

GAIA Rio Grande

Big ideas for best-sellers

Furlong Flooring

Furlong is flying right now after the launch of a series of big ideas designed to support independent retailers in a tight market with products that have immediate appeal to the consumer.

Showcase features include the new Beyond Wool collection which was launched at Harrogate and is rolling out to the trade now in six options – four 2-ply loops and two tenth gauge twists.

“Beyond Wool is selling fast,” says Furlong’s Ian Collacott.

“The de-lustred yarn gives it a very natural feel, enhanced by our award winning Combibac,” New POS available now with a small footprint means that retailers can easily make space for this new concept.

The other big impact idea is EcoSense, a revolutionary range of carpets made exclusively from 100% recycled polyester or 100% recycled polypropylene yarn. This approach has already been taken up with enthusiasm by housing developers and savvy eco-concious retailers are joining in now.

But keeping faith with the needs of hard pressed consumers, Furlong promoted entry-level Chiltern at the Solihull show which has now added a felt-back option in addition to action backing. Chiltern is a derivative of Furlong’s super successful Trident twist at a competitive price point with a new colourbank of 14 best-selling options.

T 01322 628700 • www.furlongflooring.co.uk

Super smooth operation

Furlong has had a laser-like focus over the last year or so to provide the smartest selection of smooth flooring for independent retailers.

“We have been growing this part of the Furlong business by making it easier and more accessible for retailers to have a broad offer in smooth flooring - wood, laminate and vinyls,” says Richard Richman.

Consequently, the LVT, SPC and vinyl ranges have been overhauled with a streamlined portfolio of best-selling options. New vinyl ranges made their debut at Solihull – Cirris IV, Essential II, Encanto and Bonita.

A major laminate launch is the arrival of River, a 72-hour water resistant range with the Uniclic system for easy installation. Sustainably sourced, this high performance range comes in eight on-trend decors.

This debut follows hard on the heels of the launch of Furlong’s UberWood, a 100% waterproof laminate suitable for kitchens and bathrooms which is produced from sustainable FSC forestry with Blue Angel environmental certification.

Furlong’s Ian Collacott

Richard Richman with Furlong’s smooth portfoilio

Furlong River Laminate

Beyond Wool

A bloomin’ good idea Adam Carpets

Flower power was at the centre of Adam Carpet’s presentation in Solihull with a fine bunch of chrysanthemums to welcome visitors and a unique story to tell about their impact on wool carpet performance. The flower heads of chrysanthemums kill bugs – specifically carpet moths. And only Adam has been able to harness their full potential with a “total insect protection” programme that saves wool fibre from attack.

“This is a very big deal for Adam – putting us in a unique position to protect carpet from the increasing threat of damage by moth larvae which is an issue that is becoming more widespread in many more parts of the country,” says Chris Adam, managing director.

At its factory in Kidderminster, Adam has its own dyehouse and colours all of its plain yarns itself. At the end of the process, they apply the insect protection treatment, based on nature’s own solution found in the chrysanthemum flowers.

This treatment penetrates fully all of the fibres in a sufficient quantity to eradicate all UK insect pests that attack wool carpets before they finish their first bite. It works especially well on beetle as well as clothes moths and dust mite larvae too, giving 100% protection. It is harmless to humans.

Fine loop finesse

Adam applies the insect protection treatment very carefully to meet the industry gold standard Woolmark Level Two and the company are the only manufacturer in the UK able to use the best dye bath application method to ensure that all of the wool and nylon receives a deep and even coating.

The company’s carpets are now labelled to inform consumers of this vital protection and retailers can give customers an informative flyer on this performance attribute – especially those householders who have already experienced moth issues.

T 01562 829966 • www.adamcarpets.co.uk

Adam previewed its first residential wool loop carpet and did so in some style.

Fine Loop, taking its cue from Adam’s iconic Fine Worcester Twist, is a distinctive tenth gauge in premium New Zealand wool. Clever construction means there are two interesting options – a two-colour version where a 3-ply loop is combined with a 2-ply secondary colour, and also a three-colour combination which gives an attractive heathered style effect.

The company is finaliseing the colour mix and expects to showcase three 2-colour options and three 3-colour options to present at The Flooring Show in Harrogate in September.

Fine Loop in five options

Moth free – say it with flowers!

Condor Grass bv

Condor Carpets bv

Euroweg 3, 8061 SB | P.O. Box 21, 8060 AA | Hasselt, The Netherlands

Euroweg 3, 8061 SB | Hasselt, The Netherlands

T +31(0)38 477 89 11 | F +31(0)38 477 89 22 | info@condorgrass.nl

T (+31) 38 477 89 11 | F (+31) 38 477 89 22 | info@condorcarpets.nl

WWW.CONDOR-GROUP.EU

Underlay is out of this world! Tredaire

The mission was to boldy go where no underlay has gone before and Tredaire had a hugely successful lift off from the Solihull launch pad with its astronautical campaign.

In one of the flooring industry best researched and best resourced marketing campaigns for many years, Interfloor is going on TV, radio and all across digital with its mission to grow the underlay market in general and boost Tredaire’s position in it.

With the core campaign slogan of “Tredaire – Feels like nothing on earth”, Interfloor has recruited a crew of astronauts to take the message to infinity and beyond.

“This is a dual campaign to increase consumer awareness of the importance of underlay and to promote the exceptional opportunities of Tredaire to the flooring trade,” says Interfloor’s marketing lead Lynn Bamber who has master-minded the project.

“We want to make people think – and the campaign to be fun,” says Lynn. “A key message is that carpet is about how it looks, underlay is about how it feels.”

The campaign has been 12 months in the making and started with extensive consumer research with surveys and focus groups which revealed high levels of consumer ignorance and indifference about underlay (see Market Research panel).

Market Research

There’s no clear story for underlay and consumers lack knowledge of its purpose

48%

45% of carpet buyers are unaware they need underlay

of those that didn’t buy underlay chose to re-use their exisitng underlay

Consumers believe underlay quality = thickness

Interfloor’s Alex Braasington and Lynn Bamber (right).

“In an increasing competitive retail environment, we understand that convincing consumers of the advantages of high quality can be challenging,” says Lynn. “But it can also be a way to enhance the value of sales to consumers who are at the point of purchase.”

The team of Interfloor’s astronauts – or “tredaire-nauts” have blasted off into TV advertising on Channel 4, radio slots on talkSPORT and all across the internet on social media channels and through new web platforms which lead consumers to Tredaire retail stockists.

The promotion will be released in two bursts – the first running between April and June, and the second between September and November.

“The initial reaction has been fantastic,” says Lynn. “We’re creating a real feeling around underlay and making it fun and memorable.”

Astronautical in store

A key element of the campaign is the in-store promotion – giving retailers the tools to follow through on the buzz that’s being generated around Tredaire.

“The consumer doesn’t know what to feel about underlay,” says Interfloor. “Currently all underlay education happens in-store – but there’s a lack of in-store cues to help bring underlay into the sales conversation.”

Not any more! Interfloor are rolling out a huge portfolio of in-store POS material including display items, sample packs, giveaways and consumer literature. Posters, ceiling hangers, shelf wobblers, window and van stickers, and doormats are among the material that will make Tredaire unmissable on the high street.

The distinctive set of four astronaut characters carry the various themes of the campaign in a highly memorable way.

The TV commercial

Dedicated website

Excelling in expectations Victoria

Victoria’s people are passionate about getting it right for independent stores to respond to the needs of discerning customers – meeting high expectations with an offer of colours and styles to meet design trends.

“We pride ourselves on providing our customers with the best product and point of sale offer,” says sales director James Caldwell. “Whatever the floor, we’ve got it covered but we always strive to deliver in terms of quality, style and service.”

Much of that style was on display in Solihull where Victoria won the show’s coveted ‘best stand’ award.

Distinctive new launches included Easi-Sisal, previewed at Harrogate and now available in 12 options –3 colours and 4 designs. This is a 4m woven synthetic sisal that can be used indoors and out – you can even power wash it on the patio!

Another is Pure & Simple which is as natural as it gets – Victoria’s first undyed wool offer. Eight warm, rustic shades across an 80/20 velvet cut pile and a 100% wool loop provide plenty of options.

Stylish LVT transformation

Victoria Design Floors’ offering in LVT has been undergoing a transformation that is now all set to accelerate the company’s smooth flooring sales with a collection retailers will find highly accessible.

The company has refreshed its range to include the best selling sku’s as well as introducing some new colours, all of which are stocked in depth. “We’ve taken some time to get this absolutely right,” says James. “Now, we’re right on target with a quality LVT offer that’s really impressive and commands excellent margins for the trade.”

Existing retailers will be updated during August with the new options and the latest POS and new retailers will be invited join the campaign.

And just for good measure, Victoria showed off its latest colours to the super-successful Easicare range First Impressions – 12 new shades added to the eight bestselling colours in the current collection. Look out for Victoria’s sleek new POS which displays these new ranges to best effect.

T 01562 749300 • www.myvictoria.co.uk

Pure & Simple

“Best in show” stand

Victoria’s James Caldwell

Looking to grow Lano

Lano is looking ahead to growing its sales in both the commercial and residential sectors with new product developments on show in Solihull.

Scala Combinations is a performance tufted PP suited to healthcare and leisure locations and has been created in a well thought out set of four designs that can be mixed and matched – from classic Scala Twist through to playful Scala Fun with lots of colour.

The range is also a dementia design accredited product with the Dementia Services Development Centre making it an ideal choice for care home settings.

On the residential side, Lano has overhauled two of its best sellers with the re-launch of StartTwist and Heather Twist.

“These are some of the best-in-class stainfree twists and were ready for a fresh look,” says Lano’s Gary Alp. “This is an all-round improvement with an optimised high-performance yarn and a new fleece backing for a better handle.”

There is a new set of colours too with Lano deploying the flexibility of its beaming machine to make some shorter runs, more striking colour options to attract attention.

T 00800 5266 5266 • www.lano.com

Take-back eco challenge Ball & Young

Ball & Young’s uncompromising commitment to its environmental agenda was underlined by the announcement of their 2023 Gold Award from Ecovadis – the world’s largest and most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings.

The achievement follows their receipt of a Silver Ecovadis Award in 2021 and shows that the Cloud 9 manufacturer doesn’t rest on its laurels.

The most recent initiative is to build on its takeback scheme for new underlay off-cuts generated on installation. Ball & Young can take these off-cuts back from retailers to be recycled into the next batch of underlay production.

“Many retailers have to spend over £10,000 on dealing with waste annually so every little helps and we want to make sure we’re doing some of the helping,” says B&Y MD Rachel Attwood, “We’re asking retailers to talk to us about sustainability.” T 01536 200502 • www.ballandyoung.com

Gary Alp with the new StarTwist

Join the exclusive club Greendale

Buying groups like to build some exclusivity into their offer alongside all those discounts and services that help their members to compete in an increasingly challenging market.

Greendale has taken that exclusivity to a new level with the launch of the iD Interior Design collection. iD is a sophisticated swatch box of 100 distinctive designs, curated by a panel of members and compromising seven or eight ranges across all sorts of exciting options for discerning customers – wool loop textures, sisals, faux sisal, nylon, outdoor carpet and so on.

“This approach gives our members something distinctively different to offer their customers and as it develops it will get more and more exclusive to Greendale,” says the group’s Eamonn Prescott.

Retailers will also be able to further refine the collection to meet the needs of their own customer base.

T 01432 852000 • www.greendalecarpets.co.uk

Let’s hear for the independents! SMG

SMG are going all out to boost the business of members by campaigning the benefits of independent retailers absolutely everywhere they can.

“Store owners need all the help they can get to compete with online traders,” says Linda Thomas of SMG. “Independent retailers can offer their customers so much more than online platforms and we need to shout about it.”

Shouting involves a blizzard of stickers for windows and vans and invoices and a set of posters all bearing the slogan “Support your local independent retailer,” and the distinctive SMG blue heart.

Eamonn Prescott with the iD selection box

SMG’s Mike Reid supporting the retailers

Original and best Axminster

Alongside the innovative new product development Axminster Carpets has shown us in the last two years, the company has also been investing in some of the iconic, established collections for which it has set the bar for the highest standard for quality.

Moorland is Axminster’s contemporary heathered range of sumptuously soft carpets tufted in 100% wool and the designers have added eight carefully curated new natural colours to offer 23 options in total. New shade names like Rolling Fog, Hickory Rust, Halcyon and Algarve set the scene!

Sensation and innovation Cormar

Cormar is keeping up the pace of product development this year to give retailers reasons to engage with consumers in a challenging market.

Front and centre is Sensation, a firm favourite with families for more than 10 years and, playing to that strength, the twofold PP range has been re-launched with new options across a 19-colour selection. And making it’s debut in Solilhull, Cormar has also launched a luxurious addition to the range, Ultimate Sensation, which is heavier, with a sumptuous, deeper pile.

Loops are enjoying a good run in the market right now and Cormar have been building their portfolio to meet demand. Last year’s launches of Fairisle and Malabar set a high bar for textured loops in wool and in January, the Easy Clean Primo collection added Primo Textures, a man-made textured loop pile in two designs.

Staying with the loop theme, for the INDX event, Cormar unveiled Shetland to add a chunky Brussels weave to the line-up. This smart 100% wool carpet is a warm, cosy range in 10 natural heather colours.

T 01204 881234 • www.cormarcarpets.co.uk

Simply Natural, an Axminster best-seller in loop, has added four more warm natural colours to its colour options. This range has an authentic look of sisal with a 6-ply cable-tec yarn in two designs – rib grass and grosgrain.

“We are investing in the best,” says marketing director Amanda Grabham. “This is a major commitment to building the Axminster brand by thoughfully enhancing the choice in those ranges on which we have built our reputation for uncompromising quality.”

T 01297 32244 • www.axminster-carpets.co.uk

Simply Natural

David Cormack with new Shetland

Make lifeeasy

Depth and breadth

Likewise Floors

Likewise showed the depth of their offering to the retail trade bringing Likewise Floors, Likewise Matting, COREtec, Floors by Lewis Abbott, A & A, Delta and H & V Carpets to the show.

New point of sale was shown in COREtec, Floors by Lewis Abbott LVT and Likewise Floors Simply Stunning Vinyl stands.

Likewise Floors offers an unrivalled collection of artificial grass and this featured prominently on it’s own POS.

The undoubted star product of the two stands was the planned relaunch of the Floors by Lewis Abbot Herringbone Flatweave with an additional five contrasted colours ideal for creating statement staircases and rooms. Manufactured in a 90/10 pp/wool mix, it represents a very practical and hard wearing product.

Delta Carpets featured Secret Shores, a mid-range polypropylene twist with an emphasis on colour so much so that there was no grey to be seen.

H & V featured a new product, Homestead in three pile weights and ten colours available on its own lectern.

A & A featured a compelling range of carpet and laminate on branded POS for retail partners.

www.likewiseplc.com

Cavalier’s new Wool Tweed was one of the most impressive launches at the show, an 80/20 construction with three coloured yarns creating 12 options in total. It’s difficult to describe the subtle geometric effect this blend creates but when you see it you know it will be a winner with consumers.

Finally, Cavalier were showing their big new polyester range Elixir which started sampling in February and is already set to become a best-seller for the company. The range is available in 12 colours and two weights.

T 01254 268 000 • www.cavaliercarpets.co.uk

Eye-catching innovations Cavalier Carpets

You can always count on Cavalier Carpets for something new and interesting at every trade event and INDX in Solihull was no exception with lots to see in both wool and polyester.

Cavalier has come up with a very smart set of new loops. Previewed at Harrogate, this trio is a distinctive set of options which are now ready to roll out to retailers.

Owlet is a soft 4-ply undyed wool loop in four colours and two designs – linear and textured and Hawk Loop is a hard wearing, affordable high/low quality loop in six colours. Coastal Loop is an interesting two-colour tonal combination using soft 4-ply and 2-ply yarn with five colour options in a really eye-catching design.

Moduleo Magic at INDX Moduleo

Moduleo Roots debuted at INDX National Flooring Show, offering visitors the opportunity to experience the magical mix and match capabilities of its premium luxury vinyl floor collection.

Moduleo Roots collection is a refreshing take on premium vinyl flooring for today’s design-minded customer. Comprising the versatile and new Herringbone Classic plank, as well as XL tiles and XL planks, the collection offers huge design scope, with playful combinations and inventive solutions, ideal for homeowners that want to express themselves and enjoy value driven quality in a floor.

With visitors drawn to the 72-board display, the Roots collection proved a significant hit, alongside another of Moduleo’s innovative flooring solutions, LayRed.

This rigid vinyl floor with integrated underlay and Uniclic fitting is able to bridge openings and unevenness in the subfloor, making it the ideal solution for renovation. LayRed is available in a range of wood and stone designs that feature a matt, textured finish. XL wood designs also come with emboss in register for in sync texture that lets you feel the wood grains and knots. Also available is Moduleo LayRed Herringbone featuring Unizip, a click system that means just one type of plank for fast and easy installation.

T 01332 851 500 • www.moduleo.co.uk

A premium showcase Leoline

LeoLine’s smart Premium Display was the focus of the brand’s stand at this year’s INDX National Flooring Show. An all-new unit that’s designed to put cushion vinyl in the spotlight, the Premium Display makes cushion vinyl an appealing proposition, aligned with design floors like luxury vinyl.

The display is a free-standing wall unit that ‘floats’ LeoLine’s stylish floors, featuring built-in lighting to highlight the product With a smart black finish, LeoLine’s new look appeals to design-conscious customers, elevating any store’s cushion vinyl offering.

But it’s not just the display that’s premium, with LeoLine providing a preferential package for retailers taking up the new unit. The benefits include being the first to receive new product updates, a dedicated brand manager, premier retailer listing on the LeoLine website and exclusive access to incentives and promotions.

Stuart Reeves, sales director, says: “Our new Premium Display is certainly eyecatching, so it was no surprise that it drew interest from visitors to INDX and we were delighted to explain how it comes with a preferential package to support retailers and make selling LeoLine easier than ever. The new displays will be available very soon and I’m looking forward to seeing them in stores across the country.”

T 0800 032 3970 • www.leoline.co.uk

Leoline premium display

Marketing insights

Beautiful calm and tranquillity

Embracing nature in our home décor not only creates a sense of calm and tranquillity, but it also looks beautiful. We explore the latest nature inspired LVT and carpet collections, so no matter what your style there is a perfect flooring option for your home.

The natural flooring company “fibre” is launching its new range of BioSisal made entirely from renewable, natural organic materials. Made from a 100% sisal pile that has been harvested in Brazil, sourced from small-scale farms, who are part of a larger cooperative. The sisal is grown without pesticides and without fertilizers in an organic and sustainable fashion and in turn the farmers receive a fair price for their crops.

Whilst many floor coverings are promoted as environmentally friendly because of the natural content of the pile; many carpets have synthetic backings making them difficult to recycle.

“Made from a 100% sisal pile that has been harvested in Brazil, sourced from small-scale farms, who are part of a larger cooperative.”

BioSisal’s backing is made from a 100% plant-based fleece made from kenaf, hemp and recycled sisal coffee sacks. The backing is then secured to the sisal pile using a purely mechanical and environmentally friendly process which needle punches the backing into the back of the pile.

The backing is so stable it allows the floorcovering to be fitted traditionally without having to be glued to underlay and is also available as bespoke rugs or runners. At the end of its natural lifecycle, the carpet can be shredded and used as mulch, or composted along with garden waste and other plant based organic materials.

BioSisal is available in a classic boucle design, in five neutral colours. Hard wearing and durable the natural fibres help regulate the climate by absorbing and releasing moisture in the air and works well with underfloor heating. Probably the most ecological and sustainable carpet on the market today, it is 100% plant based, vegan, ethically sourced, made from recycled content, 100% recyclable and 100% compostable.

Embrace the beauty of nature with the recently launched Shetland range from Cormar Carpet Company. Inspired by the rugged landscapes and serene beauty of the Shetland Isles, this collection seamlessly blends elegance with durability.

Manufactured using Pure New Wool in quality, moth resistant, 3-ply yarn, Shetland is a hard-wearing, chunky level loop pile carpet, making it the perfect choice for all areas of the home. Wool, a marvel of nature, provides several benefits. As well as being a naturally sustainable fibre, it is highly resilient, the inherent crimp in the fibre ensuring long-lasting quality. It’s insulating properties also deliver warmth and comfort underfoot.

“Shetland is available in a collection of ten trend-leading heather shades, from honey-toned magnolias and toasted browns to calming creams and cool silvery greys, each colour is carefully curated to harmonise with any interior aesthetic.”

Shetland is available in a collection of 10 trend-leading heather shades, from honey-toned magnolias and toasted browns to calming creams and cool silvery greys, each colour is carefully curated to harmonise with any interior aesthetic. Whether you seek to evoke the tranquillity of a country-inspired retreat or the sophistication of a modern abode, Shetland’s classic loop design suits any taste from rustic to contemporary.

fibre, BioSisal Boucle Amazon

Cormar, Shetland Hilltop Haze

by Rita Bancroft

Rita is Director of Bancmarketing Ltd and has over 30 years of marketing experience with a proven track record in both business to business and business to consumer multi-channel marketing.

When looking for a product to encapsulate the term ‘natural effects’, look no further than the new Easi Sisal range from Victoria Carpets This is a collection of 12 woven carpets designs across four colourways which can be used both indoors and out.

“For those wanting a wool alternative, Victoria’s Sisal Weave, part of the Natureborn offer, is the perfect natural solution. This range holds two designs across eight colour ways and is made using 100% pure wool.”

Available in 4m width and complete with a 20-year wear warranty this is the perfect range for busy homes wanting the look and feel of a natural sisal carpet, though wanting something a little easier to look after. Being made from 100% EasiCare polypropylene, when used inside the home can be cared for in the same way you would any other of the EasiCare family of products meaning this is bleach cleanable.

Crafted using waterproof yarn, and enriched with UV protection, these carpets are weather resistant and can even be jet washed making this the perfect addition to any outdoor living space.

For those wanting a wool alternative, Victoria’s Sisal Weave, part of the Natureborn offer, is the perfect natural solution. This range holds two designs across eight colour ways and is made using 100% pure wool. The rustic tones and feel of this product really do deliver an authentic alternative.

Decorating with nature’s warm colours and interesting textures inspires a sense of calm that helps us live more consciously. Elevating organic floor design to an artform, Karndean Designflooring’s new Art Select range presents ultra-realistic designs, some rarely available as flooring in their natural state. Available from July, the new collection of 20 wood and 19 stone designs offers outstanding potential for bespoke floors that ooze opulence and individuality.

Gavin Smith, marketing director at Karndean Designflooring, said: “Two years in development, this collection is an expression of our commitment to the craft of creating beautiful flooring. Our designers have travelled widely to find samples of wood and stone that exhibit the most beautiful features of each natural material, from the iconic veining of marble and onyx to the tactile knots and grains of ash and oak.

“Back in the design studio, each sample has been painstakingly coloured to complement modern interiors and finished with our unique handscraped finish, registered emboss and bevel detailing. It’s this attention to detail that sets us apart and keeps our customers coming back time and again.”

“Back in the design studio, each sample has been painstakingly coloured to complement modern interiors and finished with our unique handscraped finish, registered emboss and bevel detailing. It’s this attention to detail that sets us apart and keeps our customers coming back time and again.”

Victoria Carpets, EasiSisal

Karndean Designflooring, Clay Artisan Oak

Karndean Designflooring, Dune Oak

Marketing insights

Harvey Maria’s MSeries collection of authentic wood planks and stone effect LVT is a versatile collection of beautifully hand-crafted designs, with ultra realistic textures. Available in a full range of sizes, the unique matte, tactile finish means that they look and feel like real wood and stone. The collection is also recognised for its low impact on the environment in all aspects - production process, product composition, emissions & indoor air quality and sustainable construction.

“They have recently launched a brand new collection - Croft Oak. Harvey Maria has created a restful palette of eight authentic designs with natural wood grain textures,”

MSeries wood effects are so realistic because the planks have gone through a process known as In Register Embossing. This means that the structure of the top wear layer follows the design exactly, so that all planks look and feel just like natural wood. This technology creates an incredibly authentic matte wood grain and highly tactile top surface – if you can see the knots, you will be able to feel them too.

They have recently launched a brand new collection - Croft Oak. Harvey Maria has created a restful palette of eight authentic designs with natural wood grain textures, six of which come with a matching herringbone sized plank. They are the perfect blend of natural, neutral style and incredible practicality - designed to quietly complement both new build and more traditional homes.

Alternative Flooring are delighted to introduce their latest collection, Anywhere Ca-rPET. Crafted using recycled PET yarn, also known as rPET, Anywhere Ca-rPET is made entirely from recycled plastic bottles, a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional yarn. The process involves collecting, sorting, cleaning, and melting the bottles to create fibres that are spun into yarn. Better yet, Anywhere Ca-rPET boasts a softly spun texture that feels great underfoot. This innovative collection is a part of the ‘Anywhere’ range of synthetic carpets, rugs and runners that are versatile, available in 4 and 5m widths and suitable for indoor and outdoor use.

continued from page 47

By mimicking the beauty and natural appearance of sisal, rPET yarn produces carpets with longevity, leading to less frequent replacements. In addition to its practical benefits, repurposing plastic waste into aesthetically pleasing floor coverings minimises environmental harm. With 50 bottles needed to produce 1kg of yarn, and 1kg of yarn being enough for 1m2 of Anywhere Ca-rPET, this innovative solution is both efficient and sustainable.

Durable and long lasting, Anywhere Ca-rPET is the ideal choice for high-traffic areas or as a stylish yet functional rug and runner, plus, there is no need to worry about accidental spills, as it is also stain resistant. Suitable for indoor and outdoor use, Anywhere Ca-rPET although hard-wearing remains soft underfoot, allowing for greater design flexibility for eco-conscious homeowners and businesses. Furthermore, Anywhere Ca-rPET’s rugs with a stylish Anywhere border can withstand the elements, allowing them to remain outside throughout the year.

“Crafted using recycled PET yarn, also known as rPET, Anywhere Ca-rPET is made entirely from recycled plastic bottles, a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional yarn.”

Brilliant carpet, with a natural touch; Sar no is a pronounced structured polyester carpet with natural loops and as part of the AW Gaia range, it is produced on ECO FusionBac. This is a unique premium carpet backing made from 100% recycled PET plastic bottles.

The natural loop effect gives your floor an amazing rustic textural design that easily transitions into both modern and traditional home decors. Sar no also offers excellent durability and stain resistant properties that are perfect for high traffic areas.

“Brilliant carpet, with a natural touch; Sarno is a pronounced structured polyester carpet with natural loops and as part of the AW Gaia”

Harvey Maria, Croft Flaxen Oak Plank

Alternative, Anywhere Ca-rPET Re-align

by Rita Bancroft

Rita is Director of Bancmarketing Ltd and has over 30 years of marketing experience with a proven track record in both business to business and business to consumer multi-channel marketing.

There is also a fashionable colour palette that offers enriching natural tones with excellent colour fastness, highlighting this distinctive contemporary design.

Texture is key in a realistic natural effect, so homeowners wanting a premium look need to consider Moduleo’s Roots EIR floors, says Matthew Brook, the brand’s National Sales Manager:

“EIR – or emboss in register – is a production technique that adds a synchronised texture to the top surface of the floor. It’s much like a standard texture, but rather than a generic wood or stone effect, it adds exactly the same texture as the design of the floor. Naturally, a product with this surface is more costly to make, but for customers who want their floor to look as real as possible, it’s definitely the best option.

“With EIR, light captures the surface in just the right way, so knots have depth and grain markings are pronounced.”

“With EIR, light captures the surface in just the right way, so knots have depth and grain markings are pronounced. It’s a difference you can see and importantly, feel. Our Roots emboss in register floors also combine this synchronised texture with a realistic matt appearance for a natural effect

luxury vinyl floor that’s truly impressive.”

The Moduleo Roots collection features several wood-effect EIR options on 0.55mm floors in large, standard and herringbone planks, as well as Mustang Slate in standard tiles.

When you think of wool, you instinctively think of a white material that is naturally soft. Yet nature has gifted us with different sheep breeds that have naturally different coloured fleeces. Ulster Carpets have taken these different coloured fleeces and used them to create more environmentally conscious ranges called the Natural Choice Collection.

The collection consists of Natural Choice Axminster, the Wilton range known as Natural Choice Plains and the Tufted Loop Natural Choice Textures range.

All are manufactured from 100% undyed wool to provide a range of entirely natural colours that work perfectly on their own or together.

The Natural Choice Collection is the perfect reflection of the versatility of wool – a natural material that is rapidly renewable with benefits ranging from durability and insulation to being anti-allergenic and easy to maintain.

“The collection consists of Natural Choice Axminster, the Wilton range known as Natural Choice Plains and the Tufted Loop Natural Choice Textures range.”

The majority of the wool used in Ulster’s carpets is sourced from across the UK and Ireland and is processed in Yorkshire at Ulster Yarns, which is part of the Ulster Carpets Group. In fact, all the wool processing, dyeing, design, weaving and finishing of Ulster’s Axminster and Wilton carpets is carried out within the UK.

For more information contact:

Alternative • 01264 335111 • www.alternativeflooring.com

AW Gala • 01422 431100 • www.gaia-carpet.co.uk

Cormar Carpet Company • 01204 881234 • www.cormarcarpets.co.uk

Fibre Flooring • 01548 436 401 • www.fibreflooring.com

Harvey Maria • 0330 330 1231 • www. harveymaria.com

Karndean Designflooring • 01386 820100 • www.karndean.com

Moduleo • 01332 851 500 • www.moduleo.co.uk

Ulster Carpets • 028 3833 4433 • www.ulstercarpets.com

Victoria Carpets • 01562 749300 • www.myvictoria.co.uk

Join the online community on: facebook.com twitter.com pinterest.com instagram.com youtube.com houzz.com

Ulster, Natural Choice Batik

AW Gaia, Sarno

Moduleo, Roots Galtymore Oak

Earlier this year, John Clark became Managing Director of Regional Distribution at Headlam. In his new role, he is managing and assisting Headlam’s General Managers in supporting independent retail customers across the UK.

Headlam helping retailers tackle the challenge

Headlam has been successfully implementing its strategy of broadening its customer base, including the expansion of trade counters and enhanced relationships with larger customers and house-builders. However, John talks to us about how independent retailers remain Headlam’s biggest customer group, and his team will continue to invest in improving service and quality for his customers.

Q: Conquering the cost-of-living crisis

“We are focused on providing value for money. Our recent customer survey showed the impact of the cost-of-living crisis, as consumers have less disposable income. To deliver on this, we are refocusing on our Lifestyle and Everyroom brands to ensure they meet all the needs of our customers from a range, price, and merchandising perspective.

Q: Service is central to success

“Retailers choose us because of our nationwide distribution network, stock availability, nextday delivery, and customer service. We offer the widest range of products with the deepest range of stock to ensure product availability. We have a national distribution network that provides next-day delivery on orders, and we have a network of trade counters that our retail customers can use as a collection point.

“I am incredibly proud of our most recent customer survey scores, which show how important our sales and customer service teams are to our customers. We will continue to focus on these teams as we know how valuable they are to the industry.

“Service and quality are also focus areas of ours, and we currently have projects aimed at improving our delivery service. We are making it easier for retailer customers to buy from us through their preferred channel by investing in our digital platforms. We launched our new website (www.headlamgroup.com) recently to highlight our product and service offering and our online trade portals are also being refreshed.

“We are also opening more trade counters and refitting older sites. Our trade counters are not open to the public and provide a local service to the flooring industry. By opening more trade counters, we can provide more collection, storage, and stock-holding services for retailers.

Q: What are the most popular ranges?

“Tomkinson Twist from Tomkinson, one of our exclusive brands, is a popular product with our independent retail customers. It is a stylish carpet for the home, made from an 80/20 wool twist composition and is available in five weights, in 24 colours, and four and five-metre widths.

Similarly, the Pebble Beach range from our Lifestyle brand is also popular among retailers and offers great value for money. We also offer a broad range of exclusive brands, including Everyroom, Lifestyle and Crucial Trading, to meet the needs of all our customers.

Q: Sustainability is rising up the agenda

“Sustainability is another challenge, with retailers telling us that their customers are increasingly asking for products made from recycled materials. Our Breathing Space range from Tomkinson is a sustainable, retailer-focused product.

“It is a polyester carpet made from recycled plastic bottles that have been converted into yarn for carpet. The yarn is called ResilonX, and every square metre contains 25,500ml recycled bottles. We have also launched sustainable ranges including JHS Colour Foundation, Highfields, and Ocean Drift.

“We also hired John Grant as our Head of ESG who is leading several projects to meet customer needs.

Q: Future-proofing the business

“Retailers will remain a key focus area of our business and are our largest customer group. To ensure we continue to be the market-leading flooring distributor for retailers, we are training and developing our teams to provide the best service to our customers. And we will continue to invest in logistics, quality and service and we have a number of projects to improve these areas.

“Carpet remains the most popular product and we do not predict this will change significantly. This means we will continue to focus on our carpet ranges to deliver the best offer to our retail customers.

“We expect further growth in hard flooring, so we will be working hard on our retailer product offering across LVT, vinyl and wood over the coming months.”

Headlam is the UK’s leading floor covering distributor operating across 67 businesses and brands, split between residential (65%) and commercial (35%), and it employs 2,400 people. The Group has 22 distribution centres and hubs and 67 trade counters. www.headlamgroup.com

John Clark joined Headlam in 1992 when it acquired Alvin Morris in Leeds. In February 2024, he became Managing Director of Regional Distribution, and before this current role, he was Mercado’s General Manager for over five years. “The flooring industry is important to me,” says John. “I have been in it for over 30 years and my son is a floor layer, so you could say that flooring runs in the family.”

worries no

Cake or red wine on your carpet? A nightmare? Not anymore.

Our new EcoClean collection gives households one less worry. The EcoClean yarn is produced / manufactured to the highest specifications and includes a special primary coating that ensures that stains do not stick permanently. The excellent stain repellent properties of the EcoClean recycled PET yarn ensure this.

A nasty stain? In most cases, a damp cloth will do. Of course, a textile cleaner will further simplify cleaning. The carpet is resistant to the most agressive cleaning methods, including diluted bleach. But most importantly; no matter how you handle it, the stain will vanish.

Why Eco? The carpet is made from 100% certifed recycled PET yarn. Why Clean? Stains (<600C) will not stick to the Solution Dyed yarn. Looking for independent proof or more information? Just scan the QR-code:

The Flanders Flooring Days event will be building on its strength after an impressive week in May with 3,474 visitors from more than 78 countries.

“The successful third edition of Flanders Flooring Days definitely left visitors with a taste for more,” say organisers. So the fair will be taking place again in 2025, this time from 2 to 5 June. Put the date in your diary now!

FLOORINGNEWS IN FLANDERS

“It’s not just a fair; it’s a regional platform to showcase our cutting-edge designs, sustainable practices, and commitment to quality craftsmanship and innovation worldwide,” Marc Dessein, Balta Home CEO

Flanders Flooring Days has established itself as a leading showcase for the top European manufacturers as it opened its third edition based around the Belgium town of Kortrijk.

The major marketing event involved 52 companies mainly from Belgium, the Netherlands and Holland with 14 hosting displays at their showrooms in the region and 38 taking exhibtion space at The Hub in the Kortrijk Xpo centre.

The event opened on May 13 in glorious sunshine in Flanders and ran for four days in a show that is seen by many as a successor to Domotex.

The displays by leading manufacturers at the Kortrijk Xpo centre were to a very high standard in a well presented environment at the modern facility in the town.

“Flanders Flooring Days is where innovation meets opportunity,’ says Marc Dessein, Balta Home CEO. ‘It’s not just a fair; it’s a regional platform to showcase our cutting-edge designs, sustainable practices, and commitment to quality craftsmanship and innovation worldwide.

“Despite temporary economical headwinds, the flooring industry keeps investing for the long-term,” says Joe Lano, Lano CEO. “In its third year, the event has already become a tradition and remains a unique way to show our production capabilities and product.”

“This event is an excellent tribute in forging partnerships, fostering industry connections, and staying ahead in an ever-evolving market. For Balta, it’s not just about attending; it’s about shaping the future of rugs and showing the world the capabilities of Flanders know-how.’

“Despite temporary economical headwinds, the flooring industry keeps investing for the long-term,’ says Joe Lano, Lano ceo. ‘In its third year, the event has already become a tradition and remains a unique way to show our production capabilities and product innovation to our customers.

www.flandersflooringdays.com

NEXT ISSUE:

The Stocklists visited some of the UK’s major European brands including Associated Weavers, Betap, Condor, COREtec, Edel, Intercarpet, Lano, Lamett, LDP, Unifloor and Vebe and we’ll be bringing you detailed reports in our next issue.

The floor training facility in Stafford includes sub-floor preparation, LVT fitting, wet room installations, wood floor sealing, and resin flooring installation courses. Plus, much more, starting from £75.00 per person.

SCAN THE QR CODE TO FIND TRAINING DATES AND FURTHER INFORMATION OR JOIN THE WAITING LIST

FLOORING FOCUS

Skilling up for success

The flooring industry is investing at an impressive rate to redress a decade of decline in the availability of skilled flooring professionals.

The skills gap is still a real threat to the growth and professionalism of the sector with the pandemic exacerbating the issue with a long pause of training activities and the early retirement of many skilled, experienced personnel.

But now, as we report below, training in the installation sector is being boosted by significant investment among the leading players across the country who are actively seeking candidates for a wide range of courses.

“Increasing the number of skilled floorlayers within our industry is essential in order to provide a constant and correctly trained source of skills and labour for our industry,” says Shaun Wadsworth of FITA, the Flooring Industry Training Association

“Training courses and apprenticeships are a key focus in helping to battle the skills shortages that we are facing due to an ageing workforce,” he says.

FITA, as the only not-for-profit training organisation in the industry, has provided specialist training for the floorcovering sector for over twenty years and has continuously trained the next generation of floorlayer. FITA delivers apprenticeship training in the East Midlands and employing an apprentice can be linked directly to improving the productivity of a business.

The Association, which works closely with the NICF and CFA also offers over 20 flooring training courses at various levels meaning there are courses to suit real beginners in the industry as well as upskilling courses aimed at converting workers moving trades into professional floorlayers.

“Training courses and apprenticeships are a key focus in helping to battle the skills shortages that we are facing due to an ageing workforce,” he says.

Better training = better business

Professional training goes beyond ensuring that you’re among the best installers – it’s better for business too. In a recent survey, over 90% of the fitters who have trained as a Master Installer at The Academy for Excellence in Flooring believe that being part of the programme brings benefits to their business.

Becoming a Quick-Step Master Installer is not just a sign of professionalism, it is also a way to show customers and retailers that you are committed to delivering a quality installation and someone they can trust to carry out work to the highest standards. This confidence-inspiring position can make a real difference to business, giving them a unique status and a difference from the competition.

Lee Thompson, technical services director UK & Ireland, Unilin, says: “The Academy’s Master Installer programme is regarded as one of the industry’s best and comes with a range of benefits designed to make running your business easier.

“From knowing you have the skills to overcome all on-site challenges to our confidence inspiring lifetime installation warranty and on-call technical assistance, with The Academy at your side, you give yourself an excellent chance of a successful flooring installation business for many years to come,” says Lee.

The Flooring Industry Training Association

Quick-Step master classes

“The flooring industry is undergoing rapid transformations, driven by technological advancements, sustainability concerns, and everchanging consumer preferences,” says Ross Dight, UK Technical & Sustainability Director at Tarkett

“As a flooring professional, you are not just installing floors; you are creating spaces that impact people’s lives.

“As a flooring professional, you are not just installing floors; you are creating spaces that impact people’s lives. Whether it’s ensuring the safety of a wetroom or the aesthetic and functional longevity of luxury vinyl tiles, your role is pivotal,” he says.

In response to the dynamic shifts in the flooring industry, Tarkett Academy offers a comprehensive training program designed to empower flooring professionals. The programme of sessions in 2024 focuses on key areas such as glue down LVT, linoleum, and wetroom concepts.

Each one-day course blends theoretical knowledge with hands-on experience, led by industry experts and with a maximum of 8 participants per course, Tarkett ensures that each training session is detailed and personalized.. Accreditation certificates, personalized training, and exclusive Tarkett merchandise are just a few of the additional perks.

As a market leader in subfloor preparation products and adhesives, F. Ball believes that it has a responsibility to promote industry standards and best practice and, by extension, the positive reputation of the flooring industry. This is why flooring professionals of any skill level can attend free training courses at the F. Ball Centre of Excellence, the purpose-built, state-of-the-art training centre at F. Ball’s Staffordshire headquarters.

“This is why flooring professionals of any skill level can attend free training courses at the F. Ball Centre of Excellence,”

Training programmes, which run year-round, are led by experts from within the company, cover subfloor preparation, moisture management, and adhesive selection, and provide an opportunity to use a range of F. Ball products. These include specialist courses for flooring retailers and a three-day course on achieving optimum results when installing LVTs.

Focus on female fitters and installers

Abacus Flooring Solutions is launching an apprentice training facility at its new plant in Loughborough in an effort to encourage a more diverse mix of candidates into the field, laying the foundations for better training within the industry due to a major shortage of skilled tradespeople.

Nick Megson, managing director of Abacus, said:

“We’re in serious need of good trades people, and we’re actively looking for new recruits who we can train up –no experience necessary.

“We’re open to all applicants and would love to have a more diverse team - we’re just looking for candidates with an eagerness to learn,” she said. “We would love to see more women take up a career in resin flooring too. To date, I have only ever met two female installers and the gender skills gap in our industry is huge.”

Tracey Glew, CEO at FeRFA, the Resin Flooring Association, said: “I’m pleased to see Abacus Flooring Solutions spotlighting the critical issue of diversity in trades, particularly the underrepresentation of women. “With a lack of visible role models and mentors for women in trades, it is understandably difficult for women and girls to imagine themselves building credible careers and thriving in our sector.

“Industry leaders, trade bodies and associations must shine a light on the varied and rewarding careers in our specialist sector, from on-the-tools roles to sales and office careers, making it clear to women, girls, and those from diverse backgrounds that a future in flooring is welcoming, achievable and most importantly – rewarding.”

See page 59 for an

article by Tim Green, F Ball’s head of training.

Tarkett’s Academy empowers flooring profrofessionals

F. Ball Training Centre

FLOORING FOCUS

Skilling up for success… continued from page 55

Mapei Academy, a purpose-built training facility in the West Midlands, is a central hub for all Mapei-wide programmes of practical and theoretical training. The centre provides ongoing support for customers and construction professionals covering Mapei’s many product lines and specialisms.

Opened in January 2019, Mapei Academy is located opposite the firm’s UK Headquarters in Halesowen. Facilities include a 31-seater ‘stadium’ auditorium for presentations and demonstrations. A number of dedicated bays are available for a hands-on experience of Mapei wall and floor systems, including those used for installing ceramic and stone finishes, resilient and wood flooring, industrial flooring (resin, Ultratop and Ultratop Loft), structural waterproofing, swimming pool construction, concrete repair, EWI, render and coatings.

“All training is provided free of charge and is hosted by experienced trainers and technical personnel from Mapei’s UK team, headed up by Senior Training Manager, Jez Mann.”

Sales training is key to success

Training isn’t just for fitters! Associated Weavers are on a mission to create “carpet and flooring champions” and the company invested in a new AW Academy which opened in 2022 at the company’s HQ in Halifax, situated in the historic Dean Clough Mills.

“A salesperson who knows more, sells more!” says AW and with this in mind, the AW Academy aims to enable all members to develop their knowledge base and in turn, enhance sales and set themselves aside from the competition.

The company hosts multiple sessions each month with a full-day training on carpet and another focussing on LVT which can also be taken separately or combined as a two-day course.

These sessions are designed to be exciting and engaging with a mix of presentations, films and hands on training that provide a wide range of information for all levels of experience. Clarifying industry misconceptions, detailed training on material types and production methods are some of the areas touched upon in this dynamic and engaging course.

All training is provided free of charge and is hosted by experienced trainers and technical personnel from Mapei’s UK team, headed up by Senior Training Manager, Jez Mann. In addition to Mapei’s training programme, the facilities are also available to distributors, retailers, contractors, designers and engineers, and training can be tailored to their specific needs.

In addition to in-person training, Mapei Academy also offers a series of free online ‘bitesize’ courses through webinars, which can be accessed at https://www.mapei.com/gb/MapeiAcademy/ training-calendar.

The Uzin-Utz Campus in Stafford is a new state-ofthe-art facility which was founded by a profound commitment to training and nurturing excellence. This purpose-built space is more than just a training centre. It is a dynamic hub for knowledge exchange, hands-on training, and collaborative growth.

The Campus creates an engaging atmosphere that encourages effective training and skills development and is providing different types of training throughout 2024

The Uzin-Utz Campus in Stafford

Mapei purpose-built training centre in Halesowen

Graduates celebrate on completing the course at Associated Weavers

“This purpose-built space is more than just a training centre. It is a dynamic hub for knowledge exchange, hands-on training, and collaborative growth.”

including sub-floor preparation, LVT fitting, wet room installations, wood floor sanding and sealing, as well as resin flooring installation.

The courses offer the perfect opportunity for flooring contractors to gain new skills and knowledge. The training allows participants to get hands-on with the products so they get a complete understanding of how they perform.

Prices start from just £75.00 per person and include lunch and refreshments throughout the day, a certificate, a Uzin Utz Campus T-shirt and other giveaways for participants.

The WoolSafe Academy is the training arm of The WoolSafe Organisation, the cleaning industry service provider, devoted to promoting best practice in carpet and rug care.

The Academy provides professional training courses (both classroom at venues around the UK and online), technical literature, manuals, professional standards and expert advice to all those involved in the manufacture, sales, ownership and maintenance of carpets and rugs.

“After completing the courses and assessment, trainees are invited to join the WoolSafe Approved Service Provider global networks of Carpet Cleaners, Inspectors, Rug Care Specialists, Colour Restorers and Rug Repairers.”

A wide variety of options is available and includes courses covering specialist cleaning, inspection, advanced stain removal, rug cleaning, carpet dyeing and colour restoration (on wool, nylon viscose and sisal), infection control and carpet and rug repairs.

After completing the courses and assessment, trainees are invited to join the WoolSafe Approved Service Provider global networks of Carpet Cleaners, Inspectors, Rug Care Specialists, Colour Restorers and Rug Repairers. WoolSafe promote the networks to their Associate Member Carpet Manufacturers and Retailers as well as carpet owners and those responsible for their carpet care.

Think about first aid for flooring

First aid training in the workplace is fast becoming an essential component of looking after your people properly and employers have a duty of care for their employees which includes making sure that there are sufficient first aid provisions in place should a healthcare emergency take place.

“Life saving skills may be the most important thing you or your team ever learn in life,” says professional first aider Lynne Martin. “You may never need it. But if and when you do, it could make a life-or-death difference to a colleague or a member of the public.”

Lynne runs Life Saving Skills which offers hands-on simulation training with realistic workplace scenarios across the North of England to provide practical experience beyond theoretical knowledge. The immersive approach builds confidence and skills for real-life situations. Courses include Level 3 Accredited Emergency First Aid at Work and also Mental Health Awareness & First Aid.

Tim Green, head of training at the UK’s leading manufacturer of subfloor preparation products and adhesives, F. Ball and Co. Ltd., explains how training in these areas can help achieve a design edge and how to access the best free provisions available. See page 59...

Woolsafe train advanced solutions to solve stain problems

Lessons for life

Voice of the trade

David Gibbs Founder, Bristol Carpets

David Gibbs is retiring at the age of 85 and handing over the Bristol Carpets store he founded in 1960 to his family to run.

“I think it’s about time to step down and have a bit of me time,” says David, after 64 years in the trade. He started selling rugs and lino for the Co-op in Bristol when he was just 14.

Bristol Carpets in Fishponds is now one of the largest retailers in the South West and he will be leaving it in the safe hands of his son John, daughter Debra, nephew David and grandson Jake – all of whom already work in the business.

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

A The trade and the people in it have a friendly nature.

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

A Not telling the public how good we are at what we do!

Q What do retailers need to do better?

A Retailers need to make sure they communicate better with the public.

Q What do manufacturers need to do better?

A Manufacturers should go for more variety when they are developing new peroducts and ranges.

Q What has changed most over your time in the trade?

A The woven industry has changed completely over the years.

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

A No. I don’t think so. We have undergone a rapid change in the last 10 years especially post pandemic.

Q Are the best days of the carpet business behind it?

A No but I think the days ahead will be different.

Q How long is ‘too long’ to work in the flooring industry?

A Never too long!

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

A I would recommend the flooring trade, it’s a great industry to work in.

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

A As a family business watching my two children and grandchildren join the industry.

Flooring themed send-off for Colin

Q And what is the strangest customer request you’ve ever encountered?

A I told a customer in the showroom that we offered a “full service.” When our estimator called to measure up, he was also asked for a price to repaint their celing!

Q What will you miss most about the flooring trade in retirement?

A The people.

Q What are you most looking forward to doing in retirement?

A Spending more time on my charity work for the Great Western Air Ambulance.

After 50 years in flooring, Colin Hatton got a flooring themed retirement party from The Carpet Factory in Kidderminster.

The table was decorated with carpet and underlay placemats, with F Ball ice buckets, carpet tubes for candelabras and vases fashioned from sections of gripper.

Colin started at the The Carpet Factory store at the age of 16 and has worked for the business ever since. MD David Needham paid tribute to Colin’s fine record of service to the industry.

From left to right: John Gibbs (David’s son), Jake Ford (grandson), David Gibbs, David Sage (nephew) Debra Ford (daughter)

FLOORING FOCUS

Foundations of design

When it comes to ensuring that flooring meets standards of other design features, such as furnishings and fittings, following best practice in subfloor preparation and flooring installation is as important as the floorcovering selection itself. Tim Green, head of training at the UK’s leading manufacturer of subfloor preparation products and adhesives, F. Ball and Co. Ltd., explains how training in these areas can help achieve a design edge and how to access the best free provisions available.

Living up to expectations for the appearance and longevity of flooring installations requires an understanding of subfloor preparation in order to create a super smooth base that will optimise the appearance of new floorcoverings. Flooring adhesives need to be selected for their compatibility with different floorcoverings, as well as specific performance features. It is also essential to know how to avoid common causes of floor failure, chief of which is still unmanaged subfloor moisture, and flooring retailers should be able to advise how certain processes and products can help achieve optimum results when installing floorcoverings. For these reasons, both flooring and design professionals would benefit from receiving an induction in the basics of subfloor preparation and floorcovering installation.

Flooring professionals should strive to continuously improve and develop their knowledge throughout their careers. This has become particularly necessary as advances in technology have accelerated the development of subfloor preparation products and adhesives with advanced properties and applications.

For example, advancements in adhesive technology have enabled F. Ball to create a specialist, solvent-free, vinyl adhesive with pressure sensitive characteristics that can hold floorcoverings in place over a wide range of temperatures. Extreme temperature fluctuations can cause floorcoverings to expand and contract significantly, resulting in tenting and gaps at the edges of floorcoverings over time. This is often an issue in heavily glazed areas subject to solar gain, such as rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows.

Similarly, combinations of new, fast-drying smoothing compounds, waterproof surface membranes and adhesives mean that contractors can now install floorcoverings in as little as a day, helping to meet increasingly demanding time constraints.

Having a good knowledge of the range of new products available will also help in choosing the optimum product for a particular job and avoid compromising the finished appearance of an installation.

For example, particular vinyl adhesives are recommended to avoid visible trowel serrations showing through thin vinyl floorcoverings or to facilitate the creation of complex designs and patterns, an advantage when installing increasingly popular Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVTs). There are also smoothing compounds that are designed especially to withstand heavy loads and high foot traffic and others designed to accommodate movements in subfloors of metal and wood.

People invested in flooring need to keep abreast of wider changes affecting the flooring industry too. For instance, calcium sulphate screeds are increasingly common in new builds and require specific treatment to ensure against floor failure. In such cases, traditional cement-based smoothing compounds may not be suitable and the use of a compatible calcium sulphate-based smoothing compound is often recommended.

As a market leader in subfloor preparation products and adhesives, F. Ball believes that it has a responsibility to promote industry standards and best practice and, by extension, the positive reputation of the flooring industry. This is why flooring professionals of any skill level can attend free training courses at the F. Ball Centre of Excellence, the purpose-built, state-of-the-art training centre at F. Ball’s Staffordshire headquarters. Training programmes, which run year-round, are led by experts from within the company, cover subfloor preparation, moisture management, and adhesive selection, and provide an opportunity to use a range of F. Ball products. These include specialist courses for flooring retailers and a three-day course on achieving optimum results when installing LVTs.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

For more information about the F. Ball Centre of Excellence and to book a place on a course, visit F. Ball & Co. Ltd. • 01538 361633 • www.f-ball.com/training

Choosing the optimum product

Accessing training

Joining the NICF has worked really well for my business and me. Customers can find me listed on the NICF website where they can read the reviews of my work, giving peace of mind that the job will be carried out to the highest standard. Getting a big discount on FITA courses helped me improve my skills too.”

FLOORING TRADE

Membership gives clients assurance of quality workmanship

Use of NICF logo — promote yourself as a quality installer

FREE NICF website listing — helps to gain work opportunities

FREE Technical Advice and Business Support Helplines

15% OFF FITA* Standard Training Courses/Workshops: Improve your existing skills, learn to fit new flooring types, learn new fitting techniques and reduce the number of complaints

Discounts on tools and workwear

FREE use of the NICF Guide to Domestic Flooring

FREE annual magazine subscription to The Stocklists and CFJ

nicfltd.org.uk

Tel: 0115 958 3077 E: info@nicfltd.org.uk

TRAINING COURSES — 1 TO 4 DAYS

Carpet Fitting — Basic

Carpet Fitting — Intermediate

PROFESSIONAL FLOORING TRAINING

FITA provides short training courses, workshops and assessments for both commercial and domestic markets. Both our fully equipped training centres at Loughborough and Kirkcaldy are run by seasoned professional instructors with specialist knowledge of the flooring industry.

Carpet

Carpet Fitting — Advanced

NEW! Carpet — Borders

NEW! Natural Floorcoverings

Sheet Vinyl Installation — Commercial — Basic/Intermediate

Sheet Vinyl Installation — Commercial — Advanced

Sheet Vinyl Installation — Domestic

Sheet Vinyl — Wetrooms Installation — Advanced

Linoleum Installation — Basic

Linoleum

Resilient

Wood

Subfloors

Supplementary

Linoleum Installation — Intermediate

Resilient/LVT Fitting — Basic

Resilient/LVT Fitting — Intermediate

Resilient/LVT Fitting — Advanced

Laminate and Floating Wood Fitting — Basic

Wood Fitting — Intermediate

Wood Fitting — Advanced

Wood Sanding and Finishing

Subfloor Preparation — Commercial

Subfloor Preparation — Domestic

Cost-Effective Estimating and Planning — Commercial

Profitable Measuring and Quoting — Domestic

Moisture — Preventing Floor Failures

NICF Fitter Rob Fitzgerald

FLOORING FACTSHEET ADHESIVES

SELECTION CHECKLIST

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

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

Open Time:

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

Odour:

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

Coverage:

How thick and how far can the adhesive be spread.

Application Method:

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

Strength:

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

Underfloor Heating:

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

Subfloor:

What surface will the adhesive stick to most effectively including concrete, sand cement screeds, levelling compounds, plywood and chipboard.

While there are multi-purpose adhesives, specialist products will be better suited to certain surfaces.

The porosity of the floor is a key determinant of the type of adhesive to be used and its performance during installation.

Special Performance:

Certain adhesives are more suitable for damp, humid or high temperature environments.

Air Quality and the Environment:

The old wisdom that the more it smells, the better it sticks is no longer acceptable to modern consumers and solvent-based products are increasingly replaced by water-based adhesives.

ADHESIVE TYPES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10% CASHBACK ON NEW STOPGAP 1600 THIS MONTH.

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

Flooring factsheet

Buying Groups

Why join?

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

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

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

Pick the right one

How to decide whether to join a buying group – and which one…

• Evaluate all buying groups as they all work differently

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

• Get a list of members and call up two or three for a ‘real-world’ view

• Establish your territorial exclusivity – where’s the next nearest member of each buying group

• Ensure you understand the financial arrangements, any fees that would relate to your membership, how the bills are paid and whether your fees are refundable if it doesn’t work out. Ask the buying group for a consultation to estimate your potential savings

• Review all the extra benefits and services to see what you would actually use

• Check out the product ranges offered including the own-label options and the UK/European mix

www.beautifulflooring.co.uk

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

www.flooringone.co.uk

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

www.greendalecarpets.co.uk

THE STOCKLISTS Feburary 2022

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

Key benefits

Increase margins

• Group purchases to get beneficial rates

• Rebates

• Exclusive higher-margin products

• Special promotions

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

Access professional services

• Business and financial services

• IT and internet support

• Training and workshops

• Professional bodies

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

• Ensure you understand any rules that may limit your flexibility to run your business the way you want

Increase sales

• Best of both worlds’ proposition

• Wider ranges and exclusive products

• POS, displays and merchandising support

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

Network with other independents

• Members-only exhibitions with preferred manufacturers

• Regular meetings and supplier presentations

• Regional workshops

• Helpline

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

Contact: Eamonn Prescott Tel: 01432 852000 eamonn@greendalecarpets.co.uk

Metro Group

www.carpet1st.co.uk

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

www.smg-group.co.uk

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

Associated Carpet Group

www.acgcarpets.com

Contact: Jon Richardson Tel: 01942 825520 jon@acgcarpets.com

Flooring factsheet

Carpet types

Tufted

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

LOOP PILE

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

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

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

BONDED

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

CUT PILE

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

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

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

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

CUT AND LOOP

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

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

Woven

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

Axminster

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

Wilton

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

Flat weave

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

The Stocklists

Carpet Company Directory

Abingdon Flooring

www.abingdonflooring.co.uk 01274 655694

Adam Carpets Ltd

www.adamcarpets.co.uk 01562 829966

Alternative Flooring www.alternativeflooring.com 01264 335111

Associated Weavers www.associatedweavers.net 01422 431100

Avena Carpets Ltd 01422 330261

Axwoven Carpets Ltd

www.axwovencarpetsltd.co.uk 0121 550 5788

Axminster Carpets Ltd www.axminster-carpets.co.uk 01297 32244

Balta Industries www.baltagroup.com +32 56 62 2211

Beaulieu International Group www.bintg.com +32 56 67 66 11

Belvedere Carpets

Belvedere Carpets 020 8800 0740 sales@belvederecarpets.co.uk www.belvederecarpets.co.uk

Betap Tufting BV www.betap.com +31 383 861 060

BIC Carpets www.bic-carpets.be +32 56 23 54 10

Bizspoke Custom Carpets 01924 488882

Blenheim Carpets 020 7823 3040

BMK 0113 380 5333

Bond Worth Ltd www.bondworth.co.uk 01562 825105

Brintons www.brintons.net 0800 505055

Brockway Carpets Ltd 01562 828200 sales@brockway.co.uk www.brockway.co.uk

Bronte Carpets Ltd 01282 862 736 office@brontecarpets.co.uk www.brontecarpets.co.uk

Burmatex www.burmatex.co.uk 01924 262525

Cavalier Carpets Ltd www.cavaliercarpets.co.uk 01254 268000

Christy Carpets 019078 308777

Clarendon Carpets www.clarendoncarpets.com 01827 831480

Classis Carpets www.classiscarpets.com 0870 020 1725

Condor Carpets BV www.condor-group.eu +31 38 4778911

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

Cormar Carpets Ltd 01204 881 234 info@cormarcarpets.co.uk www.cormarcarpets.co.uk

Couristan Carpets www.couristan.com

Craigie Carpets

Creative

Creatuft

Edel Telenzo Carpets Ltd 01422 374 417 sales@edeltelenzocarpets.co.uk www.edeltelenzocarpets.co.uk

Enterprise

Fells Carpets

cummings@btinternet.com www.fellscarpets.co.uk

Fletco Taepper A/S www.fletcocarpets.com

Flock-living Limited

info@flock-living.com www.flock-living.com

Durham Twist from Hugh Mackay

Brockway’s Vogue

Love Story Deep Feelings by Abingdon

If you would like to be included in this

please contact Diane Martin on +44 (0)1482 659396 or email diane@mayvillepublishing.co.uk

Firth Carpets & Flooring

Be Pr Tu Tw W Ww 01484 721529

Furlong Flooring 01772 696 787 enquiries@furlongcentral.co.uk www.furlongflooring.com

Gaskell Wool Rich www.gaskellwoolrich.co.uk 01827 831525

Gaskell Mackay Carpets Ltd http://www.gaskell.co.uk/ 01429 892525

Georgian Carpets 01827 831430

Godfrey Hirst (GB) Ltd www.godfreyhirst.com 0800 526696

Halbmond Teppichwerke www.halbmond.de +49 037 421 420

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

Heckmondwike FB www.heckmondwike-fb.co.uk 01924 410544

ITC

www.itc-carpets.com 0032 51 424 411

John Lanham Watts Carpets 01937 588511

John Evans Ltd 07850 935301

Joseph Hamilton & Seaton www.jhscarpets.co.uk 01827 831400

Kingsmead Carpets www.kingsmeadcarpets.co.uk 01827 831 424

Lano NV +32 56 65 4300 marketing@lano.be www.lano.com

Le Tissage d’Arcade www.letissage.com +32 05685 4747

Lecaflor Ltd www.lecaflor.com

0800 78 33 712

Leigh Spinners Ltd www.leighspinners.com 01942 673232

Louis de Poortere www.louisdepoortere.be +32 56 393 386

Lusotufo www.lusotufo.pt +35 12 56 750 500

Manx Carpets www.manxtomkinson.co.uk 01827 831 434

Master Weaver www.masterweaver.co.uk 01562 754 382

Mayfield Carpets www.penthousecarpets.co.uk 01706 639 866

MID NL www.mid.nl +31 38 851 8700

Grosvenor Wilton Co www.grosvenorwilton.co.uk

Sultana Carpet Co 01299

Wilton Carpet Commercial www.wiltoncarpets.com

Thomas Witter UK Ltd www.thomaswitter.com

Millennium Weavers Europe sales@millenniumweavers.eu +32 55 50 9050 www.millenniumweavers.be

Modulyss www.modulyss.com +32 52 457211

Mr Tomkinson www.manxtomkinson.co.uk 01827 831 450

Penthouse Carpets www.penthousecarpets.co.uk 01706 341231

Phoenox Textiles www.phoenox.co.uk 01484 863227

Pownall Carpets 0845 6528811

Sans Frontieres Ltd www.sansfrontiere.co.uk 0844 5611977

Shaw Home Foundations 01675 433 501

Timzo Tufting Industry BV www.condor-group.eu +31 38 385 4477

Signature Carpets www.signaturecarpets.co.uk 01422 845075 TAT Carpet 07976 607657 Tapibel

Bronte’s Cream Shagpile Primo Textures by Cormar

Wellington Stripe from Ulster

Flooring factsheet

Carpet trouble-shooter

Colour matching

Carpets are produced in batches - known as creels - and usually each batch produces between 500m2 - 3000m2 in a single width, depending on the creel size. Whilst the recipe used by the dyer remains constant, and is followed to the letter, in each separate production the colour reproduction will vary from batch to batch. However production is matched back to the original or master sample to ensure that the colour remains ‘within a commercial tolerance’. This process if not an exact science and a commercial tolerance is subjective but nevertheless is usually the professional judgement of the head dyer based on his/her experience.

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

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

Sprouting

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

• shedding • pulled loops

Fading on Wool

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

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

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

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

Soiling

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

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

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

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

Static

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

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

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

Flattening

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

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

Shading

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

Pile Reversal

Like shading, this occurs when the pile or nap of the carpet changes direction and thus reflects light at different angles showing the effects of shading which can become permanent. It is also described as ‘watermarking’. This can happen to every carpet construction be it Axminster, Wilton, Tufted, Hand Woven, Persian, Chinese, Indian or even Coir Matting. Like shading it can be more apparent on plain carpet because heavy patterns can disguise the effects. It can occur quite quickly after installation. A tremendous amount of research has been carried out over many years by many institutes to determine the cause of this phenomenon but none of it has proved conclusive. There is no commonly known manufacturing process which can cause or cure this phenomenon and therefore it is not a manufacturing fault. For further information please check with individual manufacturers recommendations.

Pulling Loops

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

Shedding

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

Indentations

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

It must be remembered that it is not only the pile of the carpet that becomes indented. The underlay will also indent and the backing of the carpet may also distort into the indentation in the underlay. Some underlay’s will recover well and some less well depending upon their composition, thickness, density etc. The use of cups below furniture legs can spread the load and the net result is a larger area of less deeply indented carpet.

The ability of a carpet to recover from a heavy static load can be measured in the laboratory, using the test method described in BS 4939 and many manufacturers will have data on this aspect of carpet performance. In this test the carpet is loaded for 24 hours and the degree of recovery is measured after 1 hour and 24 hours. Since there are so many different underlay’s however, it is very rare for the recovery from a heavy static load to be evaluated on carpet and underlay.

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

Samples Installation

The samples held by individual retailers may not be from the same batch as current production and therefore should be used as a guide and not an exact colour match.

Telephone National Institute of Carpet Fitters (NICF) for further information – 0115 958 3077.

Flooring factsheet

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

Beauflor sales@beauflor.com

+32 56 67 66 11 www.beauflor.com

BerryAlloc

+32 56 52 84 80 www.berryalloc.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

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 www.leoline.co.uk

Moduleo salesuk@moduleo.com 01332 851 500 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

Flooring factsheet

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.

Top Coating

Wear Layer

Decor Layer

Product options

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

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

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

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

Appearance options

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

Other notable options include:

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

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

LVT construction

PVC Middle Layer(s)

Fibre Glass Layer(s)

PVC Base Layer

www.bramptonchase.co.uk

www.invictus.co.uk

www.krausflooring.co.uk

www.myvictoria.co.uk

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

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

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

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

Rigid core LVT has a solid, less flexible PVC layer with maximum stability which means it can be laid over exisiting, less even flooring without showing imperfections and therefore avoiding wear problems. Base (or backing) layer – The final high density PVC layer varies according to the installation requirement and is designed for taking adhesive or as an ‘underlay’ for loose-lay and click installations.

The Stocklists

Wholesale Distribution

NATIONAL

Fells Carpets

Leeds 0113 3071900

carl.cummings@fellscarpets.co.uk www.fellscarpets.co.uk

TCS “The Carpet Specialists”

Morecambe 01524 840177

info@tcsthecarpetspecialists.com www.tcsthecarpetspecialists.com

UK Floor Supplies

Leeds 0113 831 3324 team@ukfloorsupplies.co.uk

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 Floorwise page 73

Kellars Limited

Manchester - see pages 28-29, 43 0161 443 0970 sales@kellars.co.uk

Lakes Flooring Supplies

Kendal - see Floorwise page 73

Millbrook Carpets

Darwen 01254 703999 millbrookcarpets@live.co.uk

Preston Underlay Centre Ltd

Preston/Lancashire - see Floorwise page 73

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 16 and Floorwise page 73

NORTH EAST/YORKSHIRE

Fells Carpets

Leeds 0113 3071900

carl.cummings@fellscarpets.co.uk www.fellscarpets.co.uk

Kellars Limited

Darlington - see pages 28-29, 43 0161 443 0970

sales@kellars.co.uk

Fells Carpets

Goole 0113 3071900

carl.cummings@fellscarpets.co.uk www.fellscarpets.co.uk

RBV Flooring

Bradford 01274 670011 rbvflooring@yahoo.com

Trade Carpets and Floors Ltd

Rotherham 01709 437723

sales@tradecarpetsandfloors.co.uk

MIDLANDS

Birch Distribution

Sheffield - see Floorwise page 73

Birch Distribution Leeds - see Floorwise page 73

Birch Distribution

Hull - see Floorwise page 73

Cornerstone Flooring Supplies

Doncaster - see Floorwise page 73

Cornerstone Flooring

East Midlands and Warwickshire 01159 444711

sales@cornerstoneflooring.co.uk

www.cornerstoneflooring.co.uk

DMS Flooring Supplies

Northampton 01604 664850

sales@dmsflooringsupplies.co.uk

Floorwise D & J Ltd

Southam - see Floorwise page 73

Kellars Limited

Rugby - see pages 28-29, 43 0161 443 0970 sales@kellars.co.uk

Matty’s Wholesale Carpets

Birmingham 01675 433072 sales@mattys.co.uk

STS Flooring Distributors

Hemel Hempstead - see page 16 and Floorwise page 73

Trade Counter Carpets

Leicester 0845 604 3055

tradecountercarpets@gmail.com

Woodall Brothers Ltd

Shrewsbury - see Floorwise page 73

SOUTH WEST

BL Flooring Supplies

Bristol - see Floorwise page 73

BL Flooring Supplies

Gloucester - see Floorwise page 73

Fitwell Flooring Ltd

Redruth - see Floorwise page 73

Fitwell Flooring Ltd

Newton Abott - see Floorwise page 73

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 73

Tel: 01980 880933 mail@salesmark-west.co.uk www.salesmark-west.co.uk

Solent Wholesale Carpet

West Sussex 01243 774623 sales@solentwholesale.co.uk www.solentwholesale.co.uk

SOUTH EAST

Ashmount Flooring Supplies

Tottenham 0208 808 2158 sales@ashmountflooring.co.uk www.ashmountflooringsupplies.co.uk

Ballister

London 020 8570 1668 london@ballister.co.uk www.ballister.co.uk

Ballister Reading 0118 931 3535 reading@ballister.co.uk www.ballister.co.uk

Beds Flooring

Bedford 01234 341234 sales@bedsflooring.co.uk www.bedsflooring.co.uk

Clifford Floors Strood 01634 285900 sales@clifford.uk.com

Culpeck Strood 01634 299000 sales@culpeck.uk.com

Columbia Flooring Middlesex 020 8443 3322 sales@columbiaflooring.co.uk www.columbiaflooring.co.uk see page 9 for details

DMS Flooring Supplies

Hemel Hempstead 01442 502562 sales@dmsflooringsupplies.co.uk

DMS Flooring Supplies

Milton Keynes 01908 049006 sales@dmsflooringsupplies.co.uk

DMS Flooring Supplies

Colindale, North London 0208 036 9945 colindale@dmsflooringsupplies.co.uk

Flooring Supplies UK

Potters Bar 01707 245999 info@flooringsuppliesuk.com www.fsuk.floorgear.co.uk

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 73 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 p16 & Floorwise 73

STS Flooring Distributors

Croydon - see p16 & Floorwise 73

STS Flooring Distributors

Orpington/Croydon - see page 16 & Floorwise page 73

Trade Carpet London

Wimbledon 0208 247 3891 sales@tradecarpet.com www.tradecarpet.com

IRELAND (NI + ROI)

Flanagan Flooring Distributors

Saintfield, Belfast 028 9751 0932

sales@flanagan-flooring.com www.flanagan-flooring.com

Flanagan Flooring Distributors

Republic of Ireland 048 9751 0932 sales@flanagan-flooring.com www.flanagan-flooring.com

Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd

Dublin - see Floorwise page 73

Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd

Belfast - see Floorwise page 73

Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd

Limerick - see Floorwise page 73

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

SCOTLAND

Flanagan Flooring Distributors

Baillieston 0141 773 1122

scotland-sales@flanagan-flooring.com www.flanagan-flooring.com

Flanagan Flooring Distributors

Loanhead 0131 2029 291 scotland.sales@flanagan-flooring.com www.flanagan-flooring.com

Kellars Limited

Glasgow - see pages 28-29, 43 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 73

WALES

CBW Flooring Supplies

Pontyclun 01443 492510 www.cbwflooringsupplies.co.uk

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 BL Flooring Supplies Ltd Gloucester, GL2 5HY Tel: 01452 223355 Fax: 01452 371284 info@blflooring.co.uk

15 BL Flooring Supplies Ltd Bristol, BS2 9SH Tel: 0117 955 5454 Fax: 0117 955 2626 info@blflooring.co.uk

16 Salesmark West Ltd Amesbury, SP4 7LN Tel: 01980 880933 mail@salesmark-west.co.uk

17 Salesmark Lancing, BN15 8UN Tel: 01903 750522 Fax: 01903 851111 sales@salesmark-floorwise.co.uk

18 Fitwell Flooring Ltd Newton Abbot, TQ12 6TR Tel: 01626 835935 sales@fitwell.co.uk

19 Fitwell Flooring Ltd Redruth, TR15 1SS Tel: 01209 214344 sales@fitwell.co.uk

20 STS Flooring Distributors Ltd Cambridge, CB23 8UD Tel: 0345 899 1000 sales@stsflooring.co.uk

21 STS Flooring Distributors Ltd Hemel Hempstead, HP2 7ER Tel: 0345 899 1000 sales@stsflooring.co.uk

22 STS Flooring Distributors Ltd Basildon, Essex, SS14 3DW Tel: 0345 899 1000 sales@stsflooring.co.uk

23 STS Flooring Distributors Ltd Croydon, Surrey, CR0 4WP Tel: 0345 899 1000 sales@stsflooring.co.uk

24 STS Flooring Distributors Ltd Orpington, Kent, BR5 3SS Tel: 0345 899 1000 sales@stsflooring.co.uk

25 ProFlooring S.R.O Prague, Bavorská 856/14

Czech Republic Tel: +420 224 454 231 Email: info@proflooring.cz

● head office:

Floorwise Group Ltd.

Floorwise House, 22 High Street Kegworth, Derby, DE74 2DA, UK Tel: +44 (0)1509 673974 Fax: +44 (0)1509 674841

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.carpenterunderlay.co.uk www.floorwise.co.uk

www.underlay.com

www.wilsons-carpet-underlays.co.uk

Sponge rubber Crumb

Combination PU foam

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We offer hands-on simulation training with realistic workplace scenarios to provide practical experience beyond theoretical knowledge.

Our immersive approach builds confidence and skills for real-life situations. Courses include:

• Level 3 Accredited Emergency First Aid at Work

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COURSES THROUGHOUT THE NORTH OF ENGLAND Call Lynne on 07498 132485 or email lynnelifesavingskills@outlook.com

In an independent survey which asked 450 retailers which of the nine trade titles they actually read, our magazine came top of the pile. Thank you!

Regional Sales Manager

East and South East England

• Managing a team of 4 Area Sales Managers

• Above market salary and bonuses

• Experience in Regional Management required

Please send your CV to:

Ben Granville

E: ben.granville@kellars.co.uk

T: 07738 710936

www.kellars.co.uk

The Rug Tamer! Keeps Rugs In Their Place

COMBINATION UNDERLAYS NEEDLEFELT UNDERLAYS

For orders and further information, please ring P&R Ratcliffe (Underlays) Ltd. Burnley, Lancashire BB10 3BH Tel: 01282 421026, Fax: 01282 412321 www.foxirugtamer.co.uk