The Stocklists - November 2022

A new classic,

Pembroke

carpet in

Feel-good factor

fall 14% at ScS

Pattern parade

Adam's

Tapi plans growth

TRENDS

PRODUCT LAUNCHES

NEW DESIGNS

LATEST INNOVATIONS

PURE

Quality smooths

BerryAlloc

Domotex means green

Sustainability

Shout out for support

Charity's

GAIA® - AW’s POLYESTER BRAND

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

Gaia ® carpet with its excellent colour fastness, rich lustre and 100% virgin pile materia l will certainly enrich your home.

And no maintenance issues whatsoever: Gaia ® carpet is bleach cleanable

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

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

Lectern Tigris & Ganges

Lectern Dorado & Indus

a

when it comes to

& brings an

in

and an

the

on a

With

High Quality, Affordable Design

Herringbone

Large Plank

The Leading Country Wide Carpet & Flooring Suppliers

dimension to

Carpet

POS

RETRO

With a sense of authenticity, warmth and modernity, this new wood flooring collection pays homage to timeless Scandinavian design. With the help of their extensive archives in Sweden, documenting over 160 years of history in wood flooring, Kährs found six timeless designs to introduce to the 21st century.

All six floors feature unique stains and warm, silky colours, inspired by flooring trends seen between the 1940s and 70s, while the Ultra-Matt Lacquer gives the appearance of untreated, natural wood.

Meet the team!

FIND YOUR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE HERE:

SCOTLAND & BORDERS

Stephen Cawley

M: 07718 762236

E: stephen.cawley@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Areas covered: All Scottish Regions.

NORTH WEST & NORTH WALES

Ian Henderson M: 07974 141919

E: ian.henderson@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Areas covered: Lancashire, Merseyside, Cheshire (inc SK9, SK10, SK11), Greater Manchester, (inc SK1 to SK8, SK12, SK14 to SK16), Clwyd and Gwynedd.

SOUTH EAST, LONDON (N,W&E) , HERTS & ESSEX

Sue Chapman

M: 07801 538763

E: sue.chapman@penthousecarpets.co.uk

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

WEST MIDLANDS & WORCESTER

Emily Davis M: 07753 983714

E: emily.davis@penthousecarpets.co.uk

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

EAST MIDLANDS & SOUTH EAST

Simon Beeby M: 07775 913380

E: simon.beeby@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Areas covered: Berkshire (split), Oxfordshire, Wrwickshire, Leicestershire and Northhamptonshire.

SOUTH WEST

Graham Wood M: 07825 171482

E: graham.wood@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Areas covered: Somerset, Devon and Cornwall.

OF

Herbie Montgomery (Agent)

07774

E: herbiehsm@gmail.com

Areas

Northern

NORTH EAST, CUMBRIA & ISLE OF MAN

John Pringle

M: 07825 991405

E: john.pringle@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Areas covered:

Cumbria, Kirby Lonsdale via. Carnforth, Isle of Man, Cleveland, Northumberland, Durham and Tyne & Wear.

YORKSHIRE & THE HUMBER

Christine Searle

M: 07939 051608

E: christine.searle@penthousecarpets.co.uk

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

SOUTH EAST & LONDON (South & Central)

Chris Gee M: 07919 047930

E: chris.gee@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Areas covered: Kent, South London, Central London, Surrey, East Sussex and West Sussex

SOUTH YORKSHIRE & EAST MIDLANDS

Guy Legg M: 07801 357622

E: guy.legg@penthousecarpets.co.uk

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

Gavin Walters

T: 07711 353 982

E: gavin.walters@penthousecarpets.co.uk

Areas covered: Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire.

SOUTH COAST

Nigel Woollard M: 07767 213236

E: nigel.woollard@penthousecarpets.co.uk

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

WALES (East, Mid, South & West)

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

Orpington Depot

5/6, Orpington Trade Centre, Murray Rd, Orpington BR53SS

Hemel Depot

6, Spring Park, Spring Way, Hemel Hempstead Ind Estate, Hemel Hempstead HP2 7ER

Croydon Depot Unit 13, Valley Point, Beddington Farm Road, Croydon CR04WP

Basildon Depot

Unit A, Zenith Ind Estate, Paycocke Rd, Basildon SS14 3DW

STS stock over 6,000 product lines from more than 50 manufacturers. STS offers next-day delivery service from its stocks of all flooring materials and accessories, including luxury vinyl tiles, safety floors, carpet and carpet tiles, hardwood, laminate, and accessories including screeds, adhesives, nosings, underlays, metals and tools. Broadly any flooring products that the contract floor layer or flooring retailer requires, they can supply. In addition to flooring products, STS has a competitive range of wall-cladding Simplyclad® products in its portfolio.

The STS customer loyalty scheme continues to offer a fantastic range of products that customers can claim via their online scheme www.stsloyalty.co.uk. They currently have over 700 customers involved in earning points towards an abundance of rewards, and joining the scheme couldn’t be more accessible. Simply complete the website form available on the STS website, and they will process your application within three days.

STS has fully implemented a cloud-based logistics management software package that has replaced its old paper-based system to improve customer service further. Customers are now better informed about their delivery window and have a live tracking facility. Proof of deliveries and photographs are also emailed to customers when the deliveries have been made.

STS are fully committed to the ongoing achievement and continued standards for ISO 9001- 2015 accreditation, the world’s most recognised quality system and is used by over one million organisations globally. “The business ethics of STS have served the test of time and are based on the premise that distributors need, above all else, quality products, immediate service and technical assistance with a personal touch. Today this still stands as we continually strive for excellence in all we do, dedicated to meeting the needs of our customers and staff.”

Hemel Hemsptead Depot

Basildon Depot

Delivery Map and Trade Counter Locations

NORTH

Accolade

This superb heathered range is made from quality British wool in a perfect 80/20 blend. Available in 2 weights (40oz & 55oz) and 20 shades, this range adds effortless style to any home.

SOUTH

SOUTH

BRENDAN

OXFORDSHIRE, WILTSHIRE, HAMPSHIRE ANDREW JEFFERIES M: 07831

NORTHERN IRELAND GARY O’BOYLE M: 07831

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND LARRY

M:

FLOORINGNEWS

Harrogate leads with launches

The Flooring Show has confirmed excellent visitor numbers for the Harrogate event despite losing a day's business in respect of the funeral of The Queen.

Visits to the 60th anniversary show in Harrogate were in line with previous years at almost 3,000, even though the impact of the unprecedented last minute changes reduced the three-day event to just two full days.

"We are extremely proud to announce that this year’s show delivered 2,982 visitors across the three days. Retailers, fitters, specifiers, contractors and architects from the UK as well as Europe, Australia, America, and Asia united in Harrogate to meet and do business with the 161 exhibitors in attendance," said event director Alex Butler of Ocean Media.

"The Flooring Show continues to be the UK’s largest and most established exhibition for the floor coverings industry, and we are so excited to see the show continue to grow as we move into our next chapter."

"The Flooring Show continues to be the UK’s largest and most established exhibition for the floor coverings industry, and we are so excited to see the show continue to grow as we move into our next chapter," she said.

Exhibitors rose to the occasion with top quality stand presentation and a comprehensive range of showcase product launches which ensure there was plenty new for visitors to see.

Major new launches included many new wool offers such as Cormar’s new Pembroke and Pimlico ranges, Victoria’s Strathmore Berber, Kingsmead’s Perfect Home and a major expansion of Abingdon’s Wilton Royal collection. Eye catching new patterns were on show including Axminster’s new Modern Classics, Adam’s Geometrics and striking new recycled and recyclable designs from Fells Carpets.

BerryAlloc’s new Les Iconics wood floor attracted attention as did new smooths from Furlong and Oneflor while the environmental agenda was strongly in evidence with new offers from Kahrs with Eco Aware and AW’s Sedna carpet range. New product tech from F Ball, floorwise, Uzin and Unifloor, plus the launch of Furlong’s impressive visualisation app all made for an exciting show!

See all the details on pages 36–66

More Mad Men

Feel-good factor

The Mad Men rug series from Louis de Poortere continues to be one of its most popular and has now been expanded with two designs. Now featuring Stellar and Dedalo, this best-selling collection blends mid-century feel with abstract designs and its new introductions are no exception. Stellar is a design that’s inspired by the flashes of light and gas mists of interstellar journeys. In Dedalo, Louis de Poortere has looked to the mythological architect of the Labyrinth, in a design inspired by its winding, interconnecting and never-ending passages.

Stellar’s five brilliant colourways capture vivid and vibrant contrasts, with Lightning Turquoise and Nebula Orange the design’s most intense combinations. Dedalo’s palette is no less captivating with Blue Marine, Republic Green and Yellow Scarab all bring a richness through the pronounced lustre of their high-pile maze-like patterns, achieved through a 100% polyester yarn.

Just like the rest of the Mad Men collection, Stellar blends cotton and polyester and both designs are available in six of Louis de Poortere’s standard sizes. Dedalo is also available in the new 240cm round shape. The Jacquard flatweave qualities are made in Belgium for Louis de Poortere’s unmistakable quality.

Alan Russell, sales director, Louis de Poortere, says; “Mad Men is our best-selling rug series and these new designs bring more choice for homes. Sharing the same feel as the popular Cracks, Griff and Jacob’s Ladder, Stellar and Dedalo are great additions and continue Mad Men’s signature of abstract design pieces that are versatile and well-suited to modern homes.”

The new Mad Men designs are now available and feature in the Rugs 2022 Catalogue, available for download at louisdepoortere.be. T +44 (0)20 8050 4046 www.louisdepoortere.com

The BIG Review of all that's NEW in flooring Reporting from Harrogate 2022 - pages 36–66

Pure GOLD! Celebrating the 'best of the best' in flooring's most prestigious awards scheme pages 68–76

Rita Bancroft looks at interior trends to cosy up as consumers expect more from their floor pages 79–81

Dedalo design from the Mad Men collection

FLOORINGNEWS

F

Ball shines a light

The history of a 200-year-old lighthouse has been brought to life with a little help from F. Ball and Co. Ltd. flooring installation products, which have been used to refurbish a popular visitor attraction on the North Wales coast.

South Stack Lighthouse stands just off Holy Island and is the most westerly point on Anglesey. Built to warn passing ships of the perilous rocks that lie beneath it, the 28m-tall lighthouse is still operating today. Visitors to the landmark attraction can see the lamp up close, tour the original engine room, and learn about its history in an adjoining exhibition centre.

Conwy-based Oakwill Flooring opted for F. Ball’s Styccobond F46 adhesive to install Altro vinyl safety flooring throughout the centre’s 100m2 display rooms, as well as staff areas, toilets, corridors and kitchen. Extreme weather conditions meant there were logistical challenges, with several attempts required to deliver materials to the remote island via sea and air before contractors could begin work on the job.

The visitor centre subfloor, comprising mostly old wooden floorboards, was subjected to moisture testing using a Protimeter MMS2 in WME mode, the results of which provided readings below the 17% threshold, enabling contractors to proceed with overboarding the subfloor with plywood which was then primed. A finishing compound was used to fill indentations formed by screws used to affix the panels and the joints between them in order to prevent imperfections showing through the final result.

After sufficient time had been allowed for the finishing compound to dry, F. Ball’s Styccobond F46 acrylic adhesive was used to secure the vinyl safety flooring. A solvent-free, pressure sensitive adhesive with a high-bond strength, Styccobond F46 is designed to minimise the effect of trowel serrations shadowing through thin vinyl flooring to give an aesthetically pleasing finish. The product dries to a permanent tacky film and it also has an infinite open time, is protected against biodegradation and is suitable for use over normal underfloor heating installations.

A similar process was followed in the toilets, though this time, a concrete subfloor was levelled using a fast-track levelling compound, and capping and coving were installed at wall junctions using Styccobond F60 contact adhesive. The instant bond formed by the adhesive means that it is suitable for securing vertical flooring accessories. It will also withstand normal wet cleaning techniques. T 01538 361 633 www.f-ball.co.uk

Domotex means green

The Green Collection is the centerpiece of Domotex 2023 – a special presentation is the central area in which the show’s central theme of “Floored by Nature” is played out.

Domotex opens in Hannover January 12-15 with the spotlight on the key topics of sustainability and environmental protection in the carpet and flooring industry. The lead theme Floored by Nature itself underscores the value-based orientation of Domotex.

The special show of The Green Collection – the centerpiece of the fair – is aimed at making the lead theme tangible and bringing it to life for the event's attendees. The exhibiting companies have the opportunity to help shape the The Green Collection area by showcasing their products or production processes, and thereby highlight solutions they have developed themselves.

Sonia Wedell-Castellano, Global Director of Domotex, emphasizes the intention behind the show: “With The Green Collection, our aim is to create a space for sustainable products that serves as a platform for stimulus and inspiration and as a forum for important topics such as the circular economy and sustainable production, as well as social responsibility, while giving exhibitors the opportunity to have their products honored by a highcalibre jury.

“We also aim to bring our value-based lead theme Floored by Nature to life, so as to make for more awareness of sustainability in the carpet and flooring industry in the future,” she said.

The Green Collection show also includes a conference program, a material show and the award ceremony. At the Domotex on Stage conference, The Green Collection plays a special role, offering a holistic view of the challenges of sustainable design and development. Speakers from the spheres of politics, trade associations, interior design and trade will discuss the topics of the future.

Positive registrations

The number of registrations received to date reflects the positive feedback to the Domotex trade fair taking place in hybrid form in January 2023. Prominent and long-standing exhibitors such as Battilossi, ABC Italia, IPEK – A. Ipektchi, Jaipur Rugs Company, Jambros Modern Flooring, Javi Home, Tisca Textil, Lila Valadan/Naziri and Surya from the field of handmade carpets, as well as McThree, Merinos, Oriental Weavers, Solomon and Ragolle from the sphere of machine-made carpets, have already coordinated and confirmed their stand.

There is a growing feeling of anticipation among attendees as well: Stephan Hermes, Managing Director of Porta Service & Beratungs GmbH & Co. KG, is confident about 2023. "Domotex has been a showcase for the carpet and flooring industry for a great many years. Now the world's leading trade fair for carpets and floor coverings can at last attract national and international exhibitors and visitors with strong purchasing power to Hanover again. I am convinced that Domotex will play to its strengths in 2023 as well – and indeed even add to them." www.domotex.de

IT MAKES MORE SENSE TO MAKE IT MODULEO ®

The a ordable choice in luxury vinyl flooring, Moduleo ® o er an impressive and inspiring choice of designs and colours. Providing the style, durability and ease of maintenance customers want, plus the extensive support retailers value and appreciate, choosing Moduleo ® makes a lot of sense all round.

Discover more at moduleo.co.uk

Flooring to the rescue

A group of volunteers from a national online retailer based in Coventry have helped improve the surroundings at a local animal rescue centre.

A team of five from UK Flooring Direct went along to the RSPCA Coventry and District Branch in Allesley, where they were given tasks such as painting an outside fence and helping to tidy up indoors to make the centre even more appealing to the staff and the animals they care for.

The branch has rehomed more than 300 animals already this year and has a waiting list of 69 dogs and 74 cats waiting for a space to come into the centre.

The full day’s work came about through UK Flooring Direct’s Employer Supported Volunteering (ESV) programme where staff are given a day of paid leave to volunteer with a charity, organisation or good cause.

The RSPCA Coventry and District Branch is one of four local organisations that UK Flooring Direct, the UK’s leading online retailer of wood and laminate flooring, has partnered with to deliver its ESV programme.

Staff at the company can choose to volunteer their time at one of those organisations or opt for a different cause that is close to their heart.

The team that went along to the RSPCA Coventry and District Branch included staff from a number of different departments including the company’s sales team and its warehouse.

She said: “We are so grateful to be partnering with UK Flooring Direct as part of the company’s ESV programme. “There are so many jobs that we don’t get time to do because all of our time is spent taking care of our animals, so having the team from UK Flooring Direct come in was a massive help.

Ashleigh McKenna, HR advisor at UK Flooring Direct, said: “It’s really important to us that we give back to the communities where we are based, and our ESV programme really helps us to get out to great causes such as the RSPCA Coventry and District Branch.

“On top of that, it’s great for team morale and team building and shows everyone both inside and outside the company the kind of values we have as a business.

“We look forward to seeing more members of the team going out to the RSPCA and ensuring we continue to support the great work they do in the city.”

www.ukflooringdirect.co.uk

Flooring therapy for Jack

Floor preparation products donated by F. Ball and Co. Ltd. have enabled an outbuilding to be turned into a therapy room for Jack Tyreman, from Burythorpe in Yorkshire, who was left with severe head injuries after a road accident four years ago when he was 18.

The room provides a space with amenities, including an entertainment system and sofa, where Jack can relax and enjoy spending time, with the potential for it to house exercise equipment to assist with rehabilitation in the future.

After a botched construction left the original building unusable while exhausting initial funds raised for the project, local tradespeople, including Richard Forbes, owner of Forbes Flooring, stepped up to offer their services for free to complete the project. F. Ball technical representative for the North East, John Rowlands arranged for the donation of flooring installation products. Floorcovering manufacturer Interface also donated LVT and carpet tile floorcoverings.

A team of three fitters from Forbes Flooring began the flooring installation by grinding the surface of the new concrete screed to ensure it was suitably smooth. A moisture test indicated that subfloor relative humidity levels were low enough to proceed with the installation without the requirement of a moisture management solution.

Contractors then primed the subfloor using F. Ball’s P131 generalpurpose primer before applying the company’s Stopgap Fast-Track 30 levelling compound – the fastest setting levelling compound on the market allows floorcoverings to be installed in as little as 45 minutes after application.

Once the levelling compound had cured, a combination of Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVTs) and carpet tiles was installed over the 40m2 area. F. Ball’s Styccobond F46 pressure sensitive adhesive was used to adhere Interface ‘Studio Set’ wood grain LVTs on one half of the room. Styccobond F41 carpet tile tackifier was used to secure Interface graphite-coloured ‘Employ Lines’ carpet tiles. The adhesive dries to a permanently tacky film that will hold loose-lay carpet tiles securely in place when subject to normal foot traffic while allowing them to be lifted and replaced at a later date should they become damaged or worn.

Commenting on the project, Richard Forbes said: “At first, we were asked if we would undertake the work for a fee, but we didn’t want any payment for it. Things can be very cutthroat nowadays, and it’s good to be able to look out for other people. I’d like to thank David Edmondson at Interface as well as John Rowlands at F. Ball for supporting the project. Using F. Ball’s Fast-Track 30 meant that we could achieve a quick turnaround, allowing other trades to do what they needed to.”

On the benefits of the therapy room for Jack, his mum, Julie, added: “It’s got all the things in it a young lad needs and to help him get on with life, as well as a place to relax on his own and with other people. He loves it.” T 01538 361 633 www.f-ball.co.uk

Pictured (left to right): Sarah Genner, Andrew Cryer (both UK Flooring Direct), Charlotte Hawthorne (RSPCA) with Frank the dog, Ellie Barrett, Roger Wells (both UK Flooring Direct)

Gold for go-to installation board

Lion Floor, the sustainable and cost-effective engineered board for the installation of resilient floors, is a Gold winner at the Flooring Innovation Awards 2022.

Lion Floor, the first engineered fibreboard solely made for the needs of resilient installations, has been judged by an independent panel as one of the flooring innovations of the year. Securing the topflight Gold award in Installation Products category at the Flooring Innovation Awards, Lion Floor has underlined its growing reputation as the best alternative to BS compliant plywood.

Peter Jones, Finnish Fibreboard, says: “We’re delighted to pick up this award for Lion Floor. Engineered in Finland using sustainable and locally sourced wood by-products to be a high-quality and reliable base for LVT and sheet vinyl installations to British Standards, it’s the first fibreboard solely designed for floors.

“As such, Lion Floor has enjoyed a fantastic year and has quickly become the ‘go to’ installation board for installers wanting to deliver firstclass finishes. Without the reliability issues that can affect plywood, costeffective and more sustainable, there’s little reason not to give it a try. This Gold award from the independent judges of the Flooring Innovation Awards is just one more reason to make the switch.”

Lion Floor’s engineered board is pre-conditioned, so unlike other oil tempered hardboard it doesn’t need wetting before installation and is ready to receive screeds and feather compounds. Simple to cut with a knife or saw and installed in the same way as plywood but eliminating core gaps and overlaps, it’s a fast and effective way to deliver a first-class resilient floor installation. T +358 (0)20 110 3300 www.finfib.fi

Training warms up for winter

The Academy for Excellence in Flooring has announced its Autumn/Winter 2022 courses, the first to take place at its new purpose-built Knowsley training centre with improved facilities.

Offering some of the best training facilities of their type in the country, the Academy for Excellence in Flooring has announced its full programme of courses for Autumn/Winter 2022, giving floor professionals the chance to expand their knowledge, improve skills and provide value-added benefits to customers.

For those looking to build a career in the industry the Academy’s foundation courses are the ideal starting point. Providing a mix of practical installations, theory and demonstrations, the courses are available in wood and laminate (two-days) or vinyl (one-day). With one-to-one mentoring throughout, taking part in a foundation course gives you a path to good practice throughout your career and faster access (six-months) to the Academy’s highly regarded Master Installer programme.

For professionals with more than two years of experience, the Master Installer courses are the way to new work through a listing on the quick-step.co.uk website and retailer network and manufacturerbacked lifetime workmanship warrantees. Taking place for wood and laminate (three-days) or vinyl (two-days), the courses include a pass or fail assessment to guarantee exceptional installations. Again, a mix of practical installations, theory and demonstrations on a broad range of topics, ensures you leave with more knowledge, better skills and the ability to provide the work-winning difference of installation guarantees.

Now located in Knowsley, Liverpool, the new centre features six training bays, each 13m2, mixing brand new challenges as well as some of the Academy’s most familiar obstacles including curved walls and toilets. Alongside, there’s a state-of-the-art cutting room to minimise dust, automatic heating and cooling and high levels of natural light.

Lee Thompson, Academy for Excellence in Flooring, says: “We’re delighted to be implementing the first of our courses in our new world-class centre. Providing the very best in facilities goes hand-in-hand with the teaching and support we provide for all our course attendees, so it’s great to be able to offer improvements in training bays and the new cutting room.

028 302 58094 www.quick-step-academy.co.uk

Industry charity's shout out on mental health

The leading charity for the furnishing industry, The Furniture Makers’ Company, has launched a partnership with the free, 24/7, confidential text service Shout - an anonymous service that can help with issues such as anxiety, bullying, depression, loneliness or isolation, money worries, relationship problems, self-harm, stress and suicide Jonny Westbrooke, CEO of The Furniture Makers’ Company, said: “We're proud to partner with Mental Health Innovations to offer free and confidential support round the clock.

“With the current cost of living crisis putting additional pressure on families up and down the country, now more than ever there may be people struggling and unaware of where to turn. We hope our new text support service will provide comfort to those working in our trade who need someone to talk to,” he said.

Simply text the word COMFORT to 85258 to be connected to a trained volunteer who can help with anything you're struggling with, including anxiety, stress, loneliness or depression. If your life is at imminent risk, call the emergency services on 999. www.furnituremakers.org.uk/crisis-text-service/

40 years of fantastic floors

floorwise marked its 40th Anniversary with a Gala Dinner at Harrogate’s Rudding Park luxury hotel, bringing together current and former members along with some of its key suppliers to recount its history and celebrate four decades of successful business.

Returning to the same venue where it celebrated its 20th anniversary some two decades earlier, floorwise gathered together members and suppliers for a night of celebration to mark its 40th Anniversary. Starting with a champagne reception, the evening was held at Rudding Park, a luxury hotel in the countryside surrounding the Yorkshire town of Harrogate. The dinner saw full capacity with members and suppliers from right across the country coming together for the evening.

Richard Bailey, managing director, floorwise; “We could think of no better way to mark four decades of supplying the flooring industry with leading products and brands then with a dinner to say thank you to some of those that have helped to make us such a success. Hearing from some of the original founders, we took a look back at our history and toasted the future. It was a very special way to mark our 40th anniversary and to reinforce what makes floorwise unique.”

The night saw Simon Cobley, floorwise Group Chairman, act as compere, with founder member Mike Duce taking attendees on a trip down memory lane, recounting the early days of the organisation. David Cobley, another of the group’s original founders continued the story, charting the history of floorwise through to the present day. Andrew Bunting, another founder and responsible for some of the group’s early product developments, also attended the evening.

No slip ups with rug sales

Rugs need underlays so that they don’t become a dangerous slip or trip hazard, says specialist Cybergold UK.

If you have a rug in your home, you will know it can move around and on hard floors it can skid dangerously underfoot. Cybergold has an answer to the problem and an opportunity for retailers for an extra sale in store.

Cybergold makes a range of high quality anti-slip underlays, manufactured in the UK, designed to stop rugs moving on all hard floors and carpeted floors, using non-slip grip technology, keeping your customers’ rugs in place and enhancing their look and feel underfoot.

The underlays are available on the roll or in handy pre-cut rug sizes ready to hand out with every rug sale you make. Simply cut the underlay with scissors about 1cm smaller than the rug and place on the floor with the rug on top. You can still pick up the rug and underlay to re-position without damaging the floor.

T 01494 761814 www.cybergolduk.com

Stop Rugs Moving

Guaranteed

Rug Anti-Slip Products

Cybergold

Cormar Carpets Brings Warmth to Homes this Autumn

Multi award-winning carpet manufacturer Cormar Carpet Company has added a new heavyweight wool twist to their wool carpet collection.

Made from 80% Pure New Wool, 10% Polypropylene and 10% Tuftbond, Pembroke is suitable for extra heavy domestic/medium contract use, making it ideal for high traffic areas such as stairs and hallways.

This classic, heavyweight wool twist has a strong palette of 18 contemporary colourways, including a deep bronze (Rosewood) charcoal grey (Anvil) and relaxing green (Chervil), accompanied by some classic neutral beiges and greys. Durable, resilient, and luxurious, Pembroke combines the natural beauty of wool with long lasting looks. As well as being moth resistant, the range also comes with a 10-year wear warranty for added peace of mind.

“Pembroke comes at the perfect time as consumers are looking for value for money coupled with the durability that wool carpets offer.” said David Cormack, marketing director of the Cormar Carpet Company. “This new collection looks great, is tough and hardwearing and offers a mix of bolder tones alongside on-trend greys and neutral shades, the perfect palette to bring style and distinction to any room.”

“Pembroke comes at the perfect time as consumers are looking for value for money coupled with the durability that wool carpets offer.” said David Cormack, marketing director of the Cormar Carpet Company.

The collection is available in 4 and 5-metre widths to suit all homes and will be delivered via the Cormar nationwide delivery fleet.

Cormar Carpet Company produces all their wool and polypropylene carpet ranges from two production sites in Lancashire. Distribution is via its two regional distribution centres in Hemel Hempstead and Bury. It also owns its own fleet of over 70 distribution vehicles to ensure a fast delivery service to customers, as well as servicing its retail customers through a team of sales representatives throughout Britain and Ireland.

T 01204 881234 www.cormarcarpets.co.uk

Pembroke River Mist from Cormar Carpet Co.

Pembroke River Mist from Cormar Carpet Co.

Harrogate

Opportunities against the odds

In the midst of all the turmoil, The Flooring Show delivered an exciting event and visitors may have been surprised by just how much diversity and new product development was on show in Harrogate.

The reviews from each manufacturer and supplier in the following pages will give you detailed knowledge of all that’s new and noteworthy across the industry for Q4 2022 and what we hope will be attracting customer interest in 2023.

But against the highly challenging backdrop of failing consumer confidence, here are our insights into what is making the market tick right now.

The main thrust is on margin. Manufacturers know that if there are fewer buyers about, retailers need to be able to offer a good deal and most importantly an excellent trade up opportunity for those consumers that can afford it.

Several manufacturers confirmed that they were not interested in introducing entry-level products in a tight market – one went as far as to say, “we just can’t afford to make those budget ranges at the price the bottom end of the market will be able to afford.”

And even in the middle market and above, one UK manufacturer told us they were relieved that the order peak of the first half of the year had slowed in the summer because energy costs were making it difficult to produce economically to meet elevated demand.

But there are opportunities to be teased out of the market. “Consumers are being cautious but the energy price freeze has created a little more confidence,” said David Cormack of Cormar. “People are looking for more value out of their purchases – better quality at a good price.”

James Caldwell over at Victoria agrees. “It’s all about margin for retailers as everyone is looking for quality but there are some strong products out there and among consumers there is a new appetite for more sophisticated naturals and interesting colours,” he said.

And manufacturers (and many retailers) are not inclined to panic right now – despite the downturn, most are confident that if the fluctuations of the last two years are taken together, the bottom line is still ahead of what two “normal” years would have added up to.

So for the time being the focus is on selling better products to those consumers who are still buying. In carpets, the move towards wool is a major trend with substantial new launches by most of the key manufacturers – topped up by high end nylon and polyester.

In smooths, the story is a little different where there is a noticeable focus on installation efficiency – arguably increasing the margin by laying floors more quickly using better technology in adhesives, underlay and subfloor preparation.

In the following pages, you’ll see the design trends that are leading the way. Herringbones and chevrons still dominating LVT, but in carpets there is a noticeable shift away from grey – partly (back!) towards naturals but also towards colour – and not just the subtle pastel ones!

One mainstream manufacturer told us that grey was 60% of what they did two years ago, last year it was more like 50% and next year they expect it to be nearer 40% – gray is still a best seller, but less so.

And in the quality market while sophisticated wool plains are doing well, manufactures know that more middle and upper market buyers who like texture and pattern are less price sensitive and there is a conspicuous trend towards small and micro patterns which are acceptable to modern consumers.

READ ON AND FIND OUT MORE..,.

TRENDS FOR Q4 AND 2023

Design and quality is key to keeping margins up as consumers tighten their belts

"It’s all about margin for retailers as everyone is looking for quality but there are some strong products out there and among consumers there is a new appetite for more sophisticated naturals and interesting colours.”

Balta Balta accelerates into flooring’s fast lane

Last month we said “Balta is back”. Now Balta isn’t just back, it’s

As a statement of intent, Balta came to Harrogate with smart new launches with the arrival of Soft Noble & Stripes and a beautiful new addition to the Woolmaster range in Prestige Twist.

Soft Noble & Stripes is part of Balta’s popular Stainsafe range of familyfriendly polypropylene carpets with a 10-year wear warranty and a mix of contemporary colours and coordinated stripes.

Prestige Twist is perfectly timed to meet the increasing appetite for quality wool carpets. It’s made in the UK and is a versatile 80/10/10, 50 oz range in 16 colours and at 4 and 5m widths, to be launched during October. A follow-up in early 2023 will be Prestige Design - a sophisticated loop in 3 designs and 6 matching tones..

Harrogate

“Balta is right at the centre of the modern trends in carpet design and production and we have an ambitious program to build on our strengths in the months and years ahead,” says Filip Poelman, sales & marketing director of Balta.

Balta – Prestige Twist

Balta – Soft Noble

Fells Carpet & Flooring Eco design goes bold

The branding at Fells Carpets says “be bold, be unique” and now the company has added “be recycled” and set out to prove that there is nothing boring about reusing plastic bottles to make carpet – not if you have a passion for pattern and design.

Harrogate was the debut for several exciting new ranges with recycling at their heart and eye-catching design at their surface.

Leading the show was elegant Parisienne Wilton, a striking collection of six geometric patterns with six matching plains with the comfort, appearance and performance of polyester alongside the environmental credentials of recycled PET – 120 plastic bottles makes every square metre of carpet.

From a similar source comes Runswick Bay, a new collection of 10 contemporary tonal plains which got a very good reaction at the show.

Fells is also ahead of the pack of animal prints, currently a trending design theme and one where the company has created distinctive options with more modern abstract themes to appeal to the younger, savvy audience.

Serengeti is a fairly funky take on zebra and big cat designs with some bold colours including gold and blues –all with added texture created from heat-shrink yarn recycled from industrial polyester waste.

The new Safari collection rounds up some additional animals including antelope and snake for its striking range of options in an attractive polypropylene and polyester mix. Finally a new Morocco collection in very tactile polyester, again from recycled industrial waste, was launched in two designs – a geometric and a stylish Arabic tile motif.

Bold vs boring – you need both!

“There’s a temptation to play safe in a tight market and that’s a solid approach for most consumers, but we have some really exciting designs right now that become must-haves for some design-savvy home-owners once they’ve seen them,” says Carl Cummings, the commercial director and curator of the highly creative collections that make Fells carpet so unique.

“Every store needs both bold and boring as you never know what is going to make the sale that day,” said Carl. “But if you only have what everybody else has, that may not be enough to keep people in your store.”

Harrogate

Fells – 120 bottles makes a square metre of carpet

Carl Cummings

renu® underlay uses ethically sourced and genuinely recycled materials; keeping waste from landfill and being fully recyclable itself. We conducted our own research and asked homeowners about the importance of recyclable and recycled products and found...

would choose a carpet underlay that is recycled/recyclable over one that is not.

of respondents recycle some if not all of their household waste.

‘Can be recycled at end of life’ is ranked most important when choosing any product for the home.

“The pendulum is swinging back to some extent towards the natural, reassuring quality of wool with all its sustainable benefits.”

New Pembroke is a chunky eighth gauge twist in a distinctive selection of warm autumnal tones. “it’s a wool carpet for people who don’t think they can afford a wool carpet,” says marketing manager, Alex Hindle, “And it looks so different to everything else out there.” Pembroke will retail competitively at around £30/metre.

Pimlico is the very latest loop – a smart carpet made from a top quality 3-ply 50% New Zealand wool yarn and it is available in three on-trend designs – level, texture and stripe. T 01204 881234 • www.cormarcarpets.co.uk

Cormar Carpets

The quality criteria for value

Affordable quality is right at the top of Cormar’s agenda this year and the company set out to impress at The Flooring Show with some big-hitting new launches across the portfolio.

“Consumers are being cautious – the energy price freeze created a little more confidence but people are looking for more value out of their purchases – better quality at a good price,” said David Cormack, Cormar marketing director.

For many, the show was a first opportunity to see the key summer launches of man-made carpets. Riva is a luxurious deeppile polypropylene carpet in a modern palette of 16 plain colours – building upon the ongoing popularity of their Sensation ranges. Equally important for the family market, was the relaunch of the mainstream best seller Apollo Plus, bringing the collection right up to date with the latest colour trends with 22 options in plains and heathers.

But the big news for Cormar at Harrogate was the debut of two new natural ranges. “Wool is selling well,” said David.

Portal power

Reliability is key in a tight market and Cormar has a laser-like focus on developing its trade portal to help retailers keep their promises to customers and secure sales.

“When times are tough, the trade turns to Cormar for our excellent levels of service, stock and reliability,” says David Cormack. “The portal makes this visible – retailers can see in real time what is available and how quickly they will receive their orders.”

The answer is generally “very quickly” – the company’s outstanding investment in technology, stock levels, and a fleet of more than 70 vehicles ensures that around 98% of deliveries are on time.

With continuous improvements in the tech – most recently with text message delivery notifications to retailers – more than 60% of Cormar customers are trading through the portal.

Pimlico - affordable wool quality

Cormar's new Pembroke

Cormack,

CUSTOMER

Associated Weavers

Setting the standard

Associated Weavers leaves nothing to chance in developing an operation that's built around its customers needs and Harrogate was an impressive showcase of just how comprehensive that effort is.

As always, their product development programme is relentless across all the fibres for carpet and in LVT, closely attuned to consumer trends.

But it's the supporting package that sets them apart - class-leading POS with award-winning marketing; new investments in service; the launch of a new Academy in the UK; and a quantifiable commitment to the environment.

Train to gain

“People who know more, sell more,” says Associated Weavers, “That’s good for them, that’s good for us and it’s great for all our customers.”

The company’s commitment to sales training takes a leap forward this autumn as a dedicated UK Training Academy opens at AW HQ in Halifax.

“We are on a mission to turn the sales staff of our partners into carpet and flooring champions – and this can make all the difference to set your business apart from your competition,” says AW Academy manager Georgia Brown.

Two separate courses cover both carpet and LVT and promise to be both intensive and enjoyable.

Each full-day session kicks off with technical training on how broadloom carpet and luxury vinyl flooring are made and highlight the customer benefits and installation techniques for each.

Then, AW shares its well researched insights on customer experience, efficient in-store sales techniques and tools and the importance of colours and brands.

Each course will take up to 15 people and access to this education is free of charge.

"Great products need a great service behind them and we are making a major commitment here in the UK so we can ensure retailers can keep their promises to customers in a challenging market.”

The service accelerator

AW’s service across the UK is about to go fast-forward with two major developments that will accelerate the delivery of carpet and LVT products for maximum availability and reliability.

Opening in Northampton early in the new year is a substantial distribution centre to hold 6,000 rolls of carpet 3,000 pallets of LVT. The centre will also offer a rapid cut-length service – a first for Associated Weavers in the UK.

This operation, in association with the leading international shippers Verhoek and Daschser, is a major investment in service and nearly doubles the AW UK headcount to almost 100.

To maximise the impact of this major service improvement, AW will also be launching an innovative customer portal early in the New Year which will have online stock positions, 24/7 ordering and real-time delivery tracking.

“Great products need a great service behind them and we are making a major commitment here in the UK so we can ensure retailers can keep their promises to customers in a challenging market,” says UK MD Gavin Pugh.

Harrogate

Gaia goes for gold

Gaia, the flagship polyester collection of Associated Weavers, was basking in glory in Harrogate as it took a gold award in the prestigious Flooring Innovation Awards that were announced at the event.

The luxurious range was launched at the show just a year ago and is making a major impact as the appetite for polyester increases – based on its attractive positioning for performance and price.

The dramatic styling and graphics associated with the collection’s launch and its impressive point of sale presentation is what won the gold award in the marketing category and this is a distinctive style that catches the eye of discerning consumers.

AW describes Gaia as a “brilliant carpet with a natural touch”. The brilliance comes from the excellent colour fastness of polyester and its rich lustre. The touch is what sells it off the lectern as it has a softness and smoothness that belies the highperformance resilience of polyester – a fibre which is also bleach cleanable.

The Gaia collection has 52 options across four ranges – Ganges, Dorado, Indus and Tigris – ranging in pile height from 11.5mm too 19.5mm and it is available in 4 and 5 metre widths.

A dog with a tale!

Visitors to Harrogate were treated to a film premiere starring an energetic dog and the tale of two carpets.

The villain in the movie was a mainstream deep, soft carpet that spectacularly failed to cope with the rigours of family life – the retailer’s nightmare of all those carpets that customers complain about when they flatten out.

The movie is cut as a split screen 50/50 to show the star performance of an AW Vivendi carpet directly alongside the inferior product.

“It’s a clever film with lots of fast-moving sequences of real-life family situations, but everybody remembers the scene with the dog,” says marketing manager Emmanuel Lioen.

He’s right… A dog runs round and round and round a sofa – wearing a clearly visible track in the carpet pile on one side, leaving the other side unscathed.

Vivendi’s performance is baked into the fibre – it is solution-died nylon, the premium fibre for anything and everything that a family can throw at it.

AW has strongly promoted its impressive cleanability in the past but there is now an extra emphasis towards it’s incredible appearance retention and resilience – the soft, luxurious finish that sold the carpet in the first place actually lasts, unlike so many of its competitors.

Associated Weavers describes Gaia as a “brilliant carpet with a natural touch.”

Ganges

Harrogate

Serious about sustainability

Sustainability as always been central to the operations of Associated Weavers but the company has now raised the bar by publishing a set of credentials that chart its progress in “sustaining our planet, one thread at a time.”

This environmentally–friendly performance happens on both sides of AW activities. Customers are familiar with some of the innovations including developing products made from responsibly sourced materials of which Sedna, the carpet made from regenerated nylon, and the recycled carpet backing ECO FusionBac are two prime examples.

But behind the scenes, AW’s production processes are achieving significant reductions in energy consumption and waste, using green energy from solar plants and insuring efficient use of water.

Key achievements include:

24% in energy consumption between 2015 and 2020

25% reduction in CO2 emissions over five years

20% of its major manufacturing plant electricity from solar

27% reduction of waste production

70% average recycled nylon materials in Sedna carpet

80% odour reduction from its factories

21% less water used in production than in 2015

“Lots of companies talk about their environmental credentials, but it’s not often that you actually see what they are,” says says UK MD Gavin Pugh. “We are proud of what we have achieved so far – but there is a lot more that can be done and we will do it.”

Sedna sustains its success

Sedna has always had a superb story to tell for its sustainability – made from recovered nylon waste from fishing nets and industrial processes which meant its manufacturing was 70% carbon neutral.

Now, Associated Weavers has gone further to ensure the range is totally carbon neutral – finding the missing 30% by investing in agro-forestry projects in Kenya. The company sponsors schemes to improve soil fertility for agriculture to avoid the destruction of forest that has been conventionally used to extend agricultural land in the region.

The success of Sedna since its market introduction in 2019 has prompted the company to launch a third range in the collection alongside the current Varuna and Kai.

Oshun is a well balanced luxury carpet with a dense, long pile and with the increasingly sought-after matt appearance that consumers like and with plenty of options in a colour bank of 12.

As a nylon carpet it has all the performance credentials required for heavy domestic wear and as an addition to its impeccable environmental integrity, Oshun, like all the Sedna ranges, has AW’s ECO FusionBac (see below).

ECO FusionBac

Eco FusionBac is a unique premium carpet backing made by fusing together a fleece layer and a woven polypropylene backing which is sourced 100% from recycled PET plastic bottles.

FusionBac carpet backing combines advantages of these materials: it is strong and stable as well as soft and insulating.

FusionBac makes carpet easy to install with fitter-friendly handling and a non-abrasive backing that helps avoid damage on site in a consumer’s home.

The construction of this backing also improves a carpet’s heat and noise insulation as well as ensuring it lasts longer.

FusionBac is suitable for all installation methods including stretch fit.

solar panels at the AW factory in Ronse, Belgium

Harrogate

Exceptional Invictus

The bold move into LVT that AW launched in 2019 has been a huge success – enabling many retailers to take the first step into top quality LVT with a comprehensive one-stop offer to inspire homeowners with excellent performance, class-leading point-of-sale-support and an impressive design portfolio.

“We have been getting great reactions to Invictus from retailers,” says Jonathan Davies. “The point-of-sale is second-to-none and we have invested in a product package that cannot fail to impress consumers and product quality that will never disappoint.”

Product development is driving the portfolio forward with the launch at Harrogate of stylish Invictus Parquet Click – a one-plank click system compared to regular parquet click products which come with a 2-plank system (A-plank & B-plank) which means double stock keeping (2 SKU's) and slower installation.

Two designs – Highland Oak & Divine Oak, each in three colourways – has been launched for 2022 and the portfolio will be expanded in 2023.

Invictus is also introducing new ranges with cork backing for additional sound and thermal insulation.With its ultra-strong coating and Scratchmaster top layer, Invictus LVT offers outperforming wear protection backed up by 20 and 25-year wear warranties and its waterproof credentials make it suitable for bathrooms, kitchens and hallways.

Ultimate POS possibilities

Invictus LVT benefits from one of the most impressive point-of-sale packages ever created in the flooring industry.

The main display unit is fully interactive with samples that can be scanned and then visualised in room settings on the integrated display monitor.

Above: Premium wall unit with built-in display screen.

Right: toast-rack display unit.

Below: island stand

“The point-of-sale is second-to-none and we have invested in a product package that cannot fail to impress consumers and product quality that will never disappoint.”

Highland Oak

Divine Oak

Harrogate

DECO DESIGN by Adam Carpets

The launch of Deco Design completed the geometric wow factor at Harrogate from Adam Carpets, presenting a subtle diamond pattern with a difference.

"The subtle use of three dyed yarns within each design gives the pattern a distinctive 3D effect with a kind of shimmer that is difficult to describe until you’ve seen it," says MD Chris Adam.

This carpet was previewed at the Solihull buying group show to great acclaim. Now it’s available in store in eight colours and offered in both 4 metre and 5 metre widths.

Deco Design is offered in a range of complimentary and comfort colours that are inspired by nature and wellbeing, able to work with any scheme put together. Forget being on trend, it's all about just going with what you love. Creating rooms or a space that reflects your personal style.

And because it’s made by Adam Carpets, it’s machine-made and hand-finished in Kidderminster using 80/20 premium accredited UK wool alongside top quality nylon 6.6.

Harrogate

GEOMETRICS by Adam Carpets

With the continuing popularity of the geometry trend in interiors, Adam are answering customer requests for modern patterned carpet with a choice of large and small scale, soft and striking colours. Geometry is all around us and can be found in furniture design, architecture and materials too.

These new ranges are simple patterns that have a refined look, which comes from the way they have been colored for a modern take on retro style. Geometric patterns in interior design work beautifully without using loud colour. Our new ranges are offered in a sophisticated and subtle colour bank, which make a strong impression.

Parquet: Using lines and colour in a 3D way creates an all over stylish design that is a textile embodiment of one of flooring's biggest trends at the moment and presented in a retro revival of colour. Enigma: The charm lies in this abstract pattern encompassing retro colour influences for a luxurious look. It gives your room a vintage atmosphere and fits perfectly into a modern but also nostalgic interior.

Nexus: A playful touch of strong shape which brings any interior to life. To be had in sumptuous yet bold colours for a striking look.

Cascade: Organic curves that radiate calm and help transform a room into a real place of well being. Cascade complements the oval sofas and rounded decorative accessories we are all seeing today. The Geometrics Collection has a dedicated POS lectern - for further details, please contact your Adam area sales representative. Adam is the company that brought you the zig-zags of Flare and the zippy stripes of Panache. This is for people who like their patterns stylish!

Harrogate

Abingdon Flooring Every one a winner

Every Harrogate show Abingdon is busy from the first bell because visitors know they need to check out the latest ranges that are likely to be some of the season’s bestsellers.

And it’s the mix that makes it well worth a visit –something for everyone in terms of style, texture and price points – and this year didn’t disappoint.

Centre stage for Abingdon was the newly launched Wild Silk which is a very clever carpet indeed – so clever that it picked up one of the rare Flooring Innovation Gold awards at the show.

Multi-width wool

If Abingdon’s wool brand Wilton Royal has been on the back burner in recent years, the company has really turned up the heat now to capture the consumer appetite for wool and all things natural. The company’s flagship products of Royal Charter twist and Royal Windsor loop are building on their strength with extensions including Charter Berber Deluxe with fashionable random flecks in the same 20 colours as their parent plus coordinating 3-ply loops in Charter Berber and Charter Plains in 12 colours with lots of texture.

The new Royal Sovereign takes its colours from Royal Windsor and presents a modern theme with a tighter rib and an interesting cone texture.

And in Abingdon’s established style, even all their wool ranges come in multi-widths – from 2.5 through 4 to 5 metres – and with the popular fleece backing that feels soft and natural on a lectern and is so fitter friendly.

“This is different to anything else in the market,” says Martin Peace, sales director. “Not everybody wants plain but nor do they necessarily want pattern either. This carpet offers them texture, a distinctive berber fleck and an intriguing colour mix.”

Wild Silk is made in a unique way this carpet is made, using an exclusive yarn development that has been two years in the making at Abingdon. Plain polyester yarn in grey or beige is combined with a special yarn strand with slugs of random colour along its length. This makes for subtle variations in the colours that is unique to every carpet.

When Abingdon talks about colour they mean it, rippling contemporary shades through as many ranges as possible. Carrying the colour flag high this year is the launch of Stainfree Finesse and its heavyweight partner Caress with 20 colours including many bold shades of colour in mustard, terracotta, jade, petrol blue and pink.

01274 655662

Wild Silk, Treasure Island

Abingdon's Martin Peace with the latest wool launches

Finesse & Caress

Harrogate

Tredaire Premier collection

The Tredaire Premier range brings together a collection of eight luxury PU foam underlays.

Branded with the elegant and distinctive feather motif of Tredaire Premier on a new high spec paper backing, these sumptuous underlays use eco-friendly recycled foam along with a scrim layer for improved dimensional stability.

The eight options cover thickness from 6mm to 11mm at different densities and retailers typically choose two or three options to suit their market, supported by smart POS with hanging samples and A5 wallet cards.

Interfloor

The sustainable revolution

Interfloor’s mission on underlay is clear. An uncompromising commitment to quality, performance and sustainability.

This is a premium approach that appeals to the growing number of consumers who recognise the importance of high standards in every aspect of their purchase decisions – and it’s a substantial opportunity for retailers to add value to their underlay sales.

Interfloor has been bold in this mission – launching two groundbreaking projects in the last year – Tredaire Premier and renu.

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

renu® ultimate sustainability

The renu underlay product was launched last year to great acclaim – not least with the ultimate endorsement of being installed at the Glasgow COP26 Climate Change Conference.

Made from 98% recycled materials renu uses ethically sourced and genuinely recycled materials, keeping waste from landfill, and is 100% recyclable itself. And the high density 9mm foam is big on performance and comfort too.

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

T 01706 213 131 www.interfloor.com

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

BerryAlloc

Quality route to UK growth

With its high pressure floors, luxury vinyl tiles and planks, wood and laminate floors, and wall panels on display at The Flooring Show, BerryAlloc underlined its impressive portfolio and dynamic branding. Exhibiting at The Flooring Show for the second time, BerryAlloc showed its intent to continue growth in the UK. Alongside the opening of a new London showroom, the brand’s attendance at the flooring industry’s biggest annual event comes as the company is looking to heighten activity in the retail and commercial markets.

Harrogate

Including a display of BerryAlloc’s biggest ever planks in Grand Majestic – measuring an impressive 30 x 240cm – high pressure floors took their place on the stand. With a highest in class AC6 wear layer and water-resistant, the range is the company’s answer to flooring for commercial environments, offering the look of wood but with the durability and ease of maintenance that makes it a superb choice for high traffic locations.

Collecting a Flooring Innovation Awards Gold at the show, Les Iconics is BerryAlloc’s new wood floor that lets you pick from an Aged or Rustic finish in a range of tones, as well as Herringbone and Chevron laying patterns in a natural oiled oak. To master the looks available in Les Iconics, BerryAlloc has taken traditional hand-applied aging techniques and translated them into modern machine production. The result is a parquet floor that has all the character and charm of aged oak, and which can be produced on a large scale.

Scott Arundell, sales director UK, explains; “We’ve experienced a solid period of growth over the last few years and in that time we have established excellent relationships with retailers across the UK. In that time, we’ve also worked hard to improve the UK availability of our products, establishing partnerships to make sure floors are readily available.

“We are now able to offer our high pressure floors, luxury vinyl tiles & planks, wood and laminate floors and walls direct from UK stock. Harrogate gave us the opportunity to bring these collections together to show how BerryAlloc brings product innovation and quality across multiple categories.”

BerryAlloc also showed Pure – featuring the innovative DreamClick installation system – and Style luxury vinyl tiles & planks, as well as its Ocean+ water-resistant and Chateau herringbone laminate floors. And for those working with more than just floors, BerryAlloc’s easy fit, wet room suitable wall panel systems, Wall&Water and Kitchen Wall, were also on show. T +32 56 52 84 80 • www.berryalloc.com

BerryAlloc's High Pressure Floors

Les Iconics Hortus

Wall & Water in Santorini Marble

Furlong Flooring Commitment to choice

Furlong demonstrated its commitment to offering choice across all its flooring options, from luxury deep-pile carpets to hard-wearing vinyl, and all come with the company’s industry-leading warranties and service commitments.

“We were delighted to bring such a variety of flooring and customer service launches to Harrogate this year,” said Mike Symonds, MD at Furlong Flooring Southern. “Everyone at Furlong Flooring remains committed to bringing our customers flooring that is diverse, easy to look after, affordable and looks great – and we have further launches planned for later in the year..”

Key launches at The Flooring Show included Inspiration, a lustred deep-pile luxury carpet range available in 16 colour tones including neutral and bolder colours.

Using the company’s award-winning Combi-bac backing, Inspiration is a 2-ply twist construction delivering an easy-care, long-lasting carpet that offers both comfort and elegance.

An addition to the best-selling Trident range, Tweed is an eclectic, exciting mix of tones that will suit any home or commercial setting.

Made from 100% Carefree fibres, this 2-ply, 1/10th gauge twist is hard- wearing, easy care and looks great in any setting. Available in 12 seasonal tones, the Trident Tweeds range taps into the trend for bringing the outdoors into the home.

Seeing is believing

Retailers and consumers are taking a fresh look at Furlong! A big buzz at the show was the launch of leading-edge technology for room visualisation, linked to QR codes on every sample.

Room Viewer is designed to allow users to select flooring options, take a picture of their room and see how it would look with the chosen style.

Smooth moves

Furlong Flooring’s new LVT collection has been designed to offer contemporary designs and quality construction to both domestic and commercial customers. On-trend herringbones sit along modern tile designs that have all been carefully thought out to offer an up-to-date, attractive range of LVT that is perfect for busy lives.

Across the vinyl portfolio, Furlong offers contemporary wood-effect, tiled, and contemporary patterns in a range of on-trend colours. The latest updates to the Artisan and Charisma ranges give customers an incredible choice of high quality, affordable vinyl flooring for their home or commercial setting.

The visualiser works across the whole flooring range, covering carpet, hard wood, laminate, vinyl and LVT ranges. The new interactive tool is available on the website and directly from store via QR codes on points-of-sale, taking interested customers directly to see the product of choice displayed in their own location.

"This puts tremendous power literally in the hands of the retailer and the estimator in a customers home to follow through on the customers interest and close the sale,' said Furlong's Neil Valentine (pictured left), "It takes away any uncertainty and gives the consumer maximum confidence to go ahead with a purchase," he said, "We have had a fanastic response to this innovation and it's going to change the way business is done in our sector."

Furlong are rolling out the coded sampling right now in this major investment that sets them apart in consumer-friendly tech.

Kingsmead Carpets Future perfect for wool

Kingsmead came to Harrogate with the central theme of "making a house a home" and presented plenty of new ideas to deliver on that promise in some style.

The big event was the launch of Kingsmead's new wool twist Perfect Home - fresh from its success as a Flooring Innovation Award winner in the natural carpets category. Perfect Home is a showcase range for Wool Britannia, a yarn which has been developed by the Headlam Group in partnership with British Wool and with the support of Campaign for Wool.

Every linear metre of the yarn contains Wool sourced from farms situated in each of the four nations – England, Northern Ireland, Scotland & Wales, making it a truly British wool. The aim of this yarn is to increase the usage of British wool in carpets and, in turn, help local farmers and the planet.

Kingsmead also offered a sneak preview of a fashionable new loop coming soon. The Nature Loving Wool Loop carpet range has a Brussels Weave finish, offering a balance between old rustic charm and and modern design – creating that perfect cosy homely feeling throughout the home.

The Kingsmead stand (pictured left) had a show-stopping central staircase featuring the striking Artwork stripe Vogue and sampling was shown in a unique format with carpet-bound books under the stairs.

Alongside, Kingsmead presented a set of “Design your perfect home” moodboards and images showing the Perfect Home range and how each colour can be designed to work perfectly in the home.

All that, and a new app! – Kingsmead's first app offers real-time stock availability and prices with order tracking and account history.

T 01827 831424 www.kingsmeadcarpets.co.uk

Ball & Young Edge of glory

Ball & Young celebrated a well-deserved win at this year's Flooring Innovation Awards, held in Harrogate. They won Gold for their environmental credentials.

The company has been championing sustainability for over 25 years, with their extensive green initiatives helping their parent company The Vita Group achieve a Silver rating in 2022 from EcoVadis, the world’s most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings. The rating gives recognition to the groups advanced sustainability credentials. That rating earned a Gold award for Ball & Young and its Cloud 9 brand.

"These credentials give us an edge," says MD Ann Shaw. "It shows we are very serious about this agenda and more and more people share that concern – especially architects, specifiers and distributors, but increasingly domestic consumers too."

"Eco doesn't have to come at a premium," adds Ann. "It's the same price and the same quality that people know they can rely on with Cloud 9."

T 01536 200502 www.underlay.com

SOUND IDEA

Ball & Young has launched its innovative SoundOut underlay in the UK after successful marketing in Scandinavia.

The heavy duty 5mm rubber sponge, sandwiched between non-woven layers, goes under concrete in new build and refurbishment projects to offer exceptional performance in absorbing sound and vibration.

Perfect Home, Chesterfield

Victoria Carpets Marketing momentum of quality

You can almost feel the momentum that is driving Victoria forward these days with smart marketing, quality product development and an infectious enthusiasm.

And the figures speak for themselves – carpet sales have almost doubled in the last four years, LVT has doubled in just two years! That result has been hard won.

“Nowadays Victoria is leading the way,” says sales director James Caldwell (below right), “but it took time for us to re-discover our mission. I spent a couple of years travelling and listening to what retailers really wanted, and we positioned the company back onto a successful track.”

“When we knew what needed to be done, we invested – in products, in marketing and in service. Now we are second to none,” he said. “People who want quality are still spending and products like ours, with the colour, design and texture the market wants, can earn retailers good margins.”

Making greatness

Wool is selling well in this sector and Victoria has extended the choice on offer to satisy demand. New Strathmore Berber is an excellent introduction in a heavier 57oz construction with an increased pile height and open texture to give it the more rustic feel that is so popular right now. It will launch in 12 colours in January.

Tudor Coordinates builds around the flagship Tudor Twist to offer a matching loop in all the 20 colours of the twist with the added extra of four stripes to coordinate.

And for many visitors to Harrogate it was the first chance to see Victoria’s major loop launch of Habberley - a Gold winner in the Flooring Innovation Awards announced at the show - see page 69. Habberley is a beautifully worked collection of three textures including a highly fashionable herringbone which is a 70/30 wool mix with natural Tencel.

And if Victoria is going to make a polypropylene carpet, they are going to make it great! The new Super Twist weighs in at 95 oz with an unusual construction of three 2-ply yarns, each of which has three colours within it to make some fascinating, subtle colour combinations.

T 01562 749300 • www.myvictoria.com

Harrogate REVIEW

“Nowadays Victoria is leading the way,” says sales director James Caldwell, “but it took time for us to re-discover our mission and I spent a couple of years travelling and listening to what retailers really wanted, and we positioned the company back onto a successful track.”

Victoria's James Caldwell with new Strathmore Berber

Harrogate

Carpenter Expanding underlay

Carpenter are building on their brand and developing new options to boost retailers by adding value to their underlay sales.

“We have a great portfolio of products and want to wave the flag for the Carpenter brand to support our retailers,” said Carpenter UK sales director Richard Harris.

"And we want to do more," said Richard. "We are very active in product development and we have invested in a second production line at our factory in Glossop to improve our efficiency and flexibility."

The Glossop factory receives trim foam from its European-based operations to be turned into the company's high quality underlays.

Lano Luxury in finer fibres

As one of the leading carpet producers in Europe, Lano has an exceptional advantage in its European exclusivity on the remarkable SmartStrand fibre technology and is accelerating its growth in high-end carpets that offer impeccable and durable quality.

The unique SmartStrand Forever Clean fibre floorcoverings – the world’s most forgiving carpet – the only fibre that can offer and back-up its claims in high performance, the easiest cleanability and low environmental impact due to the bulk content of the fibre being renewably sourced.

The Living Colours collection, a collection of 13 ranges covering the widest range of style and taste, has proven to be a success throughout Europe. Customers who purchased SmartStrand before do not want anything else in their home.

“It is a privilege to have the SmartStrand ranges in our portfolio. It is without a doubt the best carpet available on the market,” says Gary Alp. “The ranges offer retailers a reliable luxury sale with unrivalled degrees of customer satisfaction in the softness, resilience and permanent stain protection they provide.”

Harrogate was also the debut for some highly attractive new nylon ranges including Basalt Vintage, a distinctive, structured appearance which looks different from every angle, and also Bergamo, with a beautifully smooth finish and an exceptional colour bank of subtle tones and solid bold shades that nylon delivers so well.

T 00800 5266 5266 www.lano.com

Richard Harris (left) with sales manager Peter Podesta

Unifloor It's time for Jumpax

"The time is right for Jumpax," says Unifloor Business Development Manager, David Hibbert. "It is solving so many of today's installation problems that fitters are finding it a go to method to get the job done quickly."

Jumpax is a family of several fast-track floor preparation systems comprising of self-adhesive components that are quickly and easily fitted as a free-floating sub-floor, smoothing over typical irregularities and eliminating the need for screeds, primers, plywood and nails.

“In summary, Jumpax means no surprises,” says David. “No matter what a fitter is faced with on site, the system will cope with it and quickly. No smells, no mess and no going back – next day next job.”

Current concerns about the availability of fitters and, more recently, a shortage of plywood, add to the imperative to use this approach. After the installation, the quality of the subfloor also ensures longer life and enhanced appearance for the fitted floor.

Jumpax is now widely stocked across the UK in all the major wholesaler groups. T 07802 363 355 www.unifloor-underlay.com

Metro Group Get the Metro makeover

Don't worry about paying your subscription to the Metro buying group – they will give you half of it back anyhow, And in some style. Membership costs £1,200 as an annual subscription. The fee is usually quickly recouped in supplier discounts but the group’s key offer is that members get £600 back, every year,to spend towards display, merchandising and marketing services. Those services, backed by a professional creative design agency, are provided at cost so their value is even greater. “We can cover everything from a shop front to a business card and any form of merchandising and display,” says operations manager Steve Depport. A professional presentation builds customer confidence and loyalty, and commands better margins. The Metro Group and its Carpet 1st brand makes that easy, alongside the mainstream benefits of group buying discounts from leading suppliers, own label protection and professional services.

the group's Central Ordering Service means members can order from Metro suppliers at advantageous

needing their own account with those suppliers.

Neil Andrew demonstrates the ease of Unifloor's Jumpax

Penthouse Carpets Golden celebration

Penthouse Carpets came to Harrogate mainly to celebrate – a golden success story of 50 years as one of the industry’s most unique companies, employee-owned and family focussed.

“Lovingly crafted by people who care” said the show banner and some of those people lined up for our photograph alongside the samples of the craftsmanship that have made the Lancashire-based manufacturer a firm favourite for all those who appreciate“proper carpet”.

“Penthouse does have a really friendly feel,” says Gemma Kopczyk. “We have multiple generations of families working in the factory and employee ownership means we are all in it together. And we count our retailers in on that – we get a lovely amount of loyalty from everyone out there.”

Penthouse marked their 50th with the addition of a stunning gold colour in their flagship Stateside range, and this distinctive carpet was donated to the Fitter of the Year competition at the event – which, appropriately, also involved the fitters making a birthday carpet cake – albeit for the flooring shows own 60th anniversary!

www.penthousecarpets.co.uk

Axminster Carpets Classic and modern

Expect the unexpected from Axminster Carpets. The iconic Devon manufacturer is getting plenty of attention from new buyers these days with distinctive styles and designs.

The company’s Harrogate presentation was especially distinctive with the new Modern Classics range – justifying its title with highly contemporary designs and colours woven to order on a traditional 8-pitch Crabtree loom.

“These are exciting times for us,” says marketing director Amanda Grabham. “Modern Classics is an authentic Axminster from Axminster and a choice of designs that is right up to date.”

The design portfolio is exceptional – colourful herringbones, smart geometrics and abstract animal prints, one which adorned the stand floor to great effect. All the options are available with a 4-week lead time to weave –consumers get a unique piece of custom production and an added bonus is the eco advantage of less waste.

And just to make sure nobody misses the new inspiration of Axminster, this range is presented on the superb new POS with striking red pillars.

www.axminster-carpets.co.uk

Pictured left to right are: Ian Henderson, Christine Searle, Gemma Kopczyk, Neil Rozée, Shirley Jackson, Michael Muschamp and Jonathan Gamble.

F. Ball and Co. Ltd.

Innovations and expectations

F. Ball and Co. Ltd. used The Flooring Show to debut Stopgap 1500 AquaPro, the latest addition to its next-generation water-mix smoothing underlayments.

Visitors to its stand were able to watch live demonstrations featuring Stopgap 1500 AquaPro, alongside other fast-track flooring installation products developed to help flooring contractors to ever more exacting time constraints, including its Stopgap Micro Rapid floor finishing compound and Styccobond F58 PLUS adhesive.

Darren Kenyon, F. Ball Sales Director, said: “The show gave people the chance to see for themselves how our latest product innovations can help them work to increasingly high customer expectations around installation time, without compromising on finish and quality.”

Stopgap 1500 AquaPro uses the latest technology to provide a highperformance water-mix smoothing underlayment that can be applied over old adhesive residues, including bitumen, carpet tile tackifiers and ceramic tile adhesives, eliminating the need for mechanical preparation. In such applications, there is no need to prime beforehand, saving further time and expense. Fast-setting and fast-drying, it is walk-on hard in as little as 60 minutes after application and ready to receive floorcoverings from just four hours.

CRUK Eco engagement adds up

Carpet Recycling UK (CRUK) has announced it now has support from around half of the carpet manufacturing and distribution sectors supplying the UK market through its 16 core funder members. This reflects a clear increase in engagement from the sector to act to reduce textile flooring waste and resource usage, according to the not-for-profit association.

At the 2022 Harrogate Flooring Show, Adnan Zeb-Khan, CRUK Scheme Manager,(pictured below, centre left) reported interest from raw material suppliers, including fibre and backing manufacturers, seeking advice on how to include more recycled content, and discussing the challenges of separating the component part of carpets.

“We want to have more conversations with raw materials suppliers about the supply of recycled and more sustainable materials as well as, the challenges of decommissioning carpets at the end of life, what is being done and how can we help. "We also want to examine more deeply the range and volume of fibres in the UK marketplace. The raw material sector wants to do more to help their manufacturing customers,” he said. “Gaining a detailed understanding of the process means we can provide bespoke advice on how to make improvements and potentially to make savings on cost and resources,” continued Adnan. “We met several flooring contractors with a monthly spend of £4k to £5k on waste, and we look forward to making a start on helping these companies with next steps and including them in our membership.”

Support from CRUK’s core funders comes from Balsan, Betap, Brintons Carpets, Condor Group, Cormar Carpets, ege Carpets, Furlong Flooring, Gradus, Headlam Group, IVC Commercial, Likewise Floors, Milliken, Modulyss, Rawson Carpet Solutions, Shaw and Tarkett. They are acting voluntarily ahead of any legislation, including Cormar Carpets and Headlam who, with assistance from CRUK, have helped key customers to reduce waste and to create cost savings.

info@carpetrecyclinguk.com www.carpetrecyclinguk.com

Darren comments: “Advancements in cement technology have enabled us to expand our range of water-mix smoothing underlayments for specialist applications so that contractors can choose exactly the right product for a particular situation, including when working to tight deadlines and where old adhesive residues are present. There is also an environmental benefit of not having to supply plastic bottles, reducing waste and the need to dispose of them responsibly. It is already becoming a favourite amongst customers.”

Stopgap Micro Rapid is an ultra-smooth, flexible, rapid-drying floor finishing compound for creating a flawlessly smooth subfloor finish. The fast-drying formulation of Styccobond F58 PLUS enables LVT tiles and planks to be secured from just five minutes. The product transitions from a wet-lay adhesive when initially applied to a subfloor to become fully pressure sensitive, while fibres in the formulation provide resistance to lateral movement, an advantage when creating complex designs and patterns. T 01538 361633 www.f-ball.co.uk

Harrogate

Kährs Eco Aware

Kährs has been building an impressive presence in the UK market in top quality wood and vinyl floors with real impact but they came to Harrogate with a highly significant statement on sustainability with the launch of the new Aware Edition. As an alternative to traditional LVT, Aware is a new innovation which is made from bio-based materials for optimal sustainability but with no sacrifice to design, comfort and performance.

The wear layer is manufactured from natural fibres with a hot treatment seal that gives it a use classifciation 33 performance and water resistance proporties. The HDF core construction includes a cork layer for enhanced thermal and acoustic insulation.

"We intend to go first and make Kährs a forerunner for this kind of innovative sustainability," says UK country manager, Alex Davidson (pictured left).

"We will drive sustainability up the agenda and anything new that we introduce in the future will be in line with our sustainablity targets, and also be in line with what we are known for: high design, highly functional and affordable floors," he added.

Aware is launched in nine decors to start with, with long planks to replicate real wood for maximum authenticity, and the product is available now for UK flooring reatilers to promote.

T 023 9245 3045 www.kahrs.com

Sonixx Sound partnership

Sonixx has a growing reputation in the construction market for its specialist range of acoustic underlays and its partnership with distributors Tekfloor mean that it can deliver next day nationwide to meet the demand. Interfloor created the Sonixx business to gives specifiers, developers and builders easyinstall solutions that incorporate noise reduction directly into the floor at construction stage – especially important in multi-occupancy buildings like flats and hotels.

Resilient 250, Soundsure 400 and Soundsure 560 are acoustic resilient layers designed to significantly reduce impact sound transmission through the floor. The high-density recycled rubber crumb is usually laid underneath screed during construction but some products in the range can be laid directly under resilient flooring.

The Sonixx range is exceptionally fitter friendly and exceeds performance standards required by UK building regulations for sound insulation and is Green Label Plus accredited for indoor air quality and low VOC emissions.

Tekfloor, based near Rotherham, is a leading national distributor of flooring products with a fleet of 47 vehicles. “We have a great relationship with the Sonixx team,” says Matthew Farmer, National Sales Manager of Tekfloor. “The products are very popular with our customers because they offer excellent performance, are very reliable and very cost effective. There tends to be a lot of repeat business once people have tried the product, and we can make sure it’s with them the next day to keep their installation schedules on track,” he said.

Sonixx Director Paul Robson is pictured (left) with Matthew Farmer of Tekfloor (right) T 01706 238 810 www.interfloor.com/sonixx

Harrogate

SMG An opening for curtains

SMG, the U.K.’s largest buying group, can’t stop coming up with new opportunities to offer their membership and were able to unveil two new initiatives at Harrogate.

The group has teamed up with Decorquip to offer an impressive collection of blinds and curtains, all made in Wales, giving retailers the chance to extend their interiors portfolio.

Best of all, the collection comes in a compact display unit with large demonstration samples and pattern books below so retailers can easily install this new business line with minimum floor space. Sales and installation are fully supported by the Decorquip team.

“When trading conditions are tough, it is all the more important for a store to have as many options to entice consumers as possible,” says SMG’s Linda Thomas. “We have had a lot of interest in this and many retailers are really excited to find an opportunity to offer a whole new business line so easily.”

SMG also announced a new partnership with new LVT supplier OneFlor to give retailers an extra edge in offering impressive branded products which are outside the mainstream.

This move sits alongside SMG’s own LVT portfolio which was launched under the group’s “pure” own-label branding in May. T 0118 932 3832 www.smg-group.co.uk

Cavalier Carpets Peak of quality on Snowdon

Daring to be different, Cavalier Carpets launched a 90/10 wool range at Harrogate – not a combination you hear of every day, but that’s the kind of distinction the company is seeking with its new Snowdon range.

The fibre selection has been chosen with care. The 90% is an especially pure, lighter grade of premium British wool which gives a flatter finish and takes colour well to offer a more subtle heathered effect. The remaining 10% of this dense pile construction is a soft but resilient polyester.

“This is a carpet man’s carpet,” says Cavalier’s Hans Lowe. “It oozes quality and sophistication and just feels so right.”

Judges in the Flooring Innovation Awards, gave the new range a much sought-after star award for its construction and visitors to Harrogate were similarly impressed.

Loop has become increasingly important to Cavalier with a portfolio of five products, compared to just two a couple of years ago. The latest is Curlew, a contemporary, top quality three-ply loop in 100% New Zealand wool. Stock dyed in six colours, this stylish range hits that sweet spot that seems to be so popular right now – not quite plain, but barely flecked!

T 01254 268 000 www.cavaliercarpets.co.uk

The Decorquip stand is shown centre back with (left to right) Linda Thomas, Mike Reed and Wendy Roberts of SMG

Uzin Accelerating installations

Uzin are accelerating installations with its innovative RR620 self-adhesive underlay that is designed as an alternative to plywood for LVT and sheet vinyl projects.

Supply issues and consequent pricing problems, have prompted many fitters to reconsider their use of plywood and have discovered that Uzin underlay is not only cost effective, but much easier to work with.

A self adhesive surface adheres to subfloors, ideal over chipboard, to provide a perfectly smooth surface for LVT or glue-down vinyl, with excellent acoustic and impact performance.

Rolling out a metre-wide 2mm sheet of RR620 is so much easier to handle on-site than plywood and it's cleaner and more customer friendly.

And if you’re looking for the right adhesive to fix the floor, Uzin is happy to oblige with its high performance KE66 high temperature adhesive with fibre reinforcement to restrict any movement of the tiles.

01926

www.uzin.com

“We decided to do demonstrations at Harrogate to show fitters just how much time and effort can be saved using our approach,” said national sales manager Richard Allen (pictured right). “And while they are watching, you can see a real lightbulb moment when the ease and speed of this technique is apparent.”

Kellars Record-breaking busy

The Flooring Show for Kellars just gets better each year. "Wow! Over 2,500 visitors passed through our stand over the show weekend, and we had another record-breaking year, proving that the months of preparation had paid off," said Ellie Featherstone of Kellars.

"Our 16 sales reps were kept on their toes across the two days we exhibited, but did a fantastic job of promoting our new products and showroom," she said.

Kellars have recently introduced a selection of new carpet products, a whole new LVT range and branded stand, various stands at high and low-price points, a complete award winning rebrand to its Floorlink collection, and carpet stand brand developments.

Kellars most popular products proved to be the new Alva collection, with the option of multiple decors in plank, herringbone and tile, available in January 2023.

Perseus and Eros carpets were also introduced to the Kellars portfolio last month, and have already made their mark at the exhibition last month. The team at Kellars look forward to seeing its stands installed into its valued customers' shops towards the end of this year and into next.

0161 443 0970 www.kellars co.uk

Oneflor Ideas and innovation in LVT

Oneflor came to the show with an inspiration and an innovation – both of which attracted lots of attention to the LVT specialist that has a reputation for doing things differently.

The inspiration was the Workshop 55 collection – a comprehensive package of "everyday flooring" decors at a competitive price point with all the classy Oneflor style.

“We have had a great reaction to this – the timing is right,” says sales director Jay Taylor (pictured right, with Joanna Fletcher of Oneflor) “The market is inevitably more price sensitive right now but that is no reason to compromise on design and quality.”

The collection has 20 wood decors, 10 tiles and the five each of contemporary herringbone and chevron designs. The launch is backed by a smart, clean POS unit with good-sized samples (see photo, bottom right).

The innovation Oneflor unveiled was SetaGrip – a winner in the Flooring Innovation awards that were announced in August. Challenging the click market, SetaGrip uses a patented design excusive to Oneflor that requires no adhesive to fix.

Robust adhesion comes from millions of microscopic suction cups that use vacuum pressure to create an ultra-strong bond on non-porous surfaces – a healthy choice with no glue, no VOCs and no moisture – and one that saves time and money.

For launch, the SetaGrip technology is in 20 designs, 15 wood and five stone tiles. info@oneflor-uk.co.uk www.oneflor-uk.co.uk

Riviera Home Premium passion

Riviera Home is special. A substantial family-owned business in Panipat, India’s reknown “city of weavers” which leads in luxury, hand crafted carpets. And with a warehouse and showroom in Kiddeminster since 2013.

“These are premium ranges for people with a passion for distinctive design on their floors,” says UK sales & marketing director Richard Moore who joined the company last year. “The carpets are hand crafted and unique, but most importantly the business is design led – the collections are at the leading edge of modern trends.”

A superb example was the flatweave carpet on the company’s stand in Harrogate – this is the Capri collection in a fashionable black and white tweed colour called Volcanic Ash (pictured left, with Richard). It is hand made on traditional machinery in a factory that uses solargenerated electricity.

Also launched at the show were sophisticated heathered loops in undyed wool and a statement range of silky plant-fibre Tencel carpet – Riviera is big on sustainability and a pioneer in reducing the environmental impact of carpet manufacturing.

To match the quality of the products, new premium POS units have been created (as pictured) and were popular with visitors, many of whom have placed orders.

If up-market, on-trend luxury appeals to you, Riviera is recruiting specialist retailers to join its current network of UK stores.

01299 871446 www.rivierahomeuk.co.uk

Harrogate

Likewise Smart displays for all that's new

Likewise were delighted with their customers’ reactions to both the vast range of new products on show and their new displays and point of sale. The impressive new wall units, available with best-selling ranges and many new ranges were the centre of attention. New ranges include Soft Noble, available in 14 contemporary shades. A luxury heavy domestic cut pile in a choice of backings and widths.

Floors by Lewis Abbott introduced new sample presenters following the successful launch of their stunning compact display unit last year. Innovative presenters included an extra large folder displaying their best selling Herringbone range. Available in 7 contemporary colours and produced in an elegant herringbone weave construction. The collection of 12 pure wool ranges are also now available in an attractive wooden sample presenter box.

Likewise Matting showcased their new rugged outdoor mats and rug ranges including Persian Classics. A Collection of luxury chenille rugs in 9 elegant designs, offered in sizes 120x170cm and 160x230cm together with matching runners in size 60x180cm. Their New Dawn Eco rug collection was also presented. Two stunning ranges available in sizes 120x170cm and 160x230cm with a beautiful wool effect loop pile. Customers couldn’t believe they were produced from recycled plastic bottles. Further eco friendly indoor mats were on show including their brand new Autumn Recylon designs. Super absorbent machine washable indoor mats in the latest colour trends.

00121 817 2900

WoolSafe Looking good, and lasting

The team at WoolSafe once again enjoyed their ‘local’ Flooring Show where they continued to promote the key message: wool carpets will look better and last longer than any other fibre carpets, when maintained correctly.

"Sounds simple, doesn’t it?" says Steve Bakker, WoolSafe Global Marketing Director. "Well, it really is that easy. All you need to do is search the WoolSafe Approved directory for suitable cleaning solutions or look out for the certification mark on spotters in supermarkets."

"All the advice you could possibly need is available on the WoolSafe.org website as videos, care guides, a stain wizard and the award-winning WoolSafe Carpet Stain Removal Guide app. For professional carpet and rug cleaning, contact your local WoolSafe Approved Service Provider," advises Steve.

‘We had a great response from carpet retailers at the show who were encouraged to embed the WoolSafe care advice on their own website. To simplify this task WoolSafe has developed carpet care iFrames, for all fibre types, that encapsulate the advice you need including barrier mats, vacuuming, cleaning, protection and spot removal all in one place," said Steve.

If you are a retailer or manufacturer who would like to help your customers get the best performance out of their carpet or rug then just drop Steve an email at steve@woolsafe.org

T 01943 850817 www.woolsafe.org

Richard Sudall of WoolSafe Business Development

Carpet Line Northern flooring force

Carpet Line Direct is a major force in flooring and the biggest distributor to retailers in the North for carpet, LVT, laminates, wood and artificial grass. The Hartlepool-based business came to the show with lots to offer across its extensive carpet potfolio with newcomers True Elegance, Vision Twist and Exclusive Charm.

Midas Elegant Living is a prestige PP twist with the added benefit of a fusion backing, available in 10 contemporary colours. It's a great example of a go-anywhere carpet that's ready for family life with stain resistance, bleach cleanability and a 15-year wear warranty. Carpet Line's Nature's Own Wood Flooring adds to the already very popular Cathedral and Worn Oak herringbones. Calico oak has been added, being a brushed and matt lacquered version, finishing off the herringbones with a natural décor.

Effect laminate is a new offering of 15 up-to-date decors in an 8mm registered embossed quality adding innovation to all homes. It has a fitter-friendly locking system, reducing cost and time for installations.

T 01429 892 500 www.carpetlinedirect.co.uk

floorwise Roaring forties with old and new

Celebrating its 40th anniversary, floorwise made its return to The Flooring Show, showcasing its latest developments alongside some of its well-established best-sellers.

Showcasing some of their best-selling products such as its versatile Pro-Screed Gold smoothing compound alongside a wide range of PU foam underlays and its F599 Heavy Duty Spray Adhesive; the supplier was on hand to talk with installers and other visitors checking in on the NICF Fitter of the Year competition.

Along with celebrating their 40th anniversary the show also saw floorwise focus on its brand-new, award winning, 100% dichloromethane free F597 Heavy Duty Spray Adhesive. Developed by floorwise as a healthier alternative to ‘conventional’ heavy duty spray adhesives with no performance compromise, F597 removes the hazards associated with many sprays of being potentially carcinogenic and harmful to the environment. The other significant benefit of F597 is that, unlike dichloromethane, the solvent used is lighter than air and so will disperse faster into the atmosphere, removing the traditional health risk from dichloromethane of asphyxiation for installers working on their knees.

Andrew Gill, group product manager, floorwise, says: “It was great to appear at The Flooring Show once again. It provides an opportunity to spread word of our flooring accessories and installation products and we were delighted to be able to mark our 40th anniversary by being there. Chatting to installers and retailers is always a great way to find out how we can improve products or respond to their needs with new product development.

"The response we’ve received to F597 has been excellent and the show just reaffirmed that the product really is hitting the mark with installers. With a high adhesive content for great application, it really does deliver a controllable spray that tacks up beautifully and its health benefits over conventional products mean many installers are making it their first choice. After The Flooring Show, we hope that more installers turn to it and start a healthier and safer way to work.”

01509 673974 www.floorwise.co.uk

Texfelt Informed choice for consumers

Springbond carpet underlay offers an opportunity for any retailer as an added-value sale.

Springbond is a high-performance carpet underlay providing added comfort, as well as insulation against impact sound, and heat loss. It is also chemical free, hypoallergenic and the only underlay to be approved by allergy UK.

"We would like to thank all our established and prospective customers for visiting our stand at Harrogate this year," said Michael Walsh, commercial director of Texfelt. "It was wonderful to see them all again. We enjoyed significant visitor numbers to our stand which was showcasing all our sustainable PU alternative products for around the home, particularly focussing on our range of Springbond underlays and flooring products for our contract, wholesale, and retail customers."

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

"We find that our retailers appreciate having the opportunity to have a positive conversation with their customers about sustainable products which ultimately allows the consumer to make an educated and informed decision." said Michael.

01274 905411 www.texfelt.co.uk

Condor Grass New grass is growing greener

The latest developments in sustainable and recyclable products is building a greener business for Condor Grass and the company's first participation at The Flooring Show attracted a lot of attention from visitors.

Condor's ALLOA Pura range is a great example of the innovation being applied to the sector. This sustainable product is 100% recyclable, thanks to its unique DNA. From the backing to the yarn itself, this artificial grass consists of one biodegradable top material.

With the artificial grass market really starting to pick up in the UK, Condor has appointed Matthew Street as UK sales manager and he was able to get a real feel for the needs of retailers and distributors at Harrogate.

Based in The Netherlands, Condor Grass is one of the largest manufacturers in the world of high-end artificial grass solutions, with a portfolio of products to cover every application, including landscaping, multi-purpose, leisure and play areas.

stand out from the crowd

The NICF offers something for all levels of floorlayers, from Apprentice level all the way through to Master Fitter

It not only helps me gain work, but gives my customers the assurance that their flooring will be fitted to the highest of standards

Making the most of the benefits on offer from the NICF has helped to enhance my fitting and my business to make me stand out from the crowd

Give us a try or you will never know if the NICF is right for you!

Dan Evans Master Fitter

Joining the NICF is the best thingI did since deciding to be a fitter!

Tel: 0115 958 3077 www.nicfltd.org.uk Email: info@nicfltd.org.uk

COURSES

The culmination of the 2022 awards scheme to celebrate the ideas, imagination and innovation that drive forward the UK flooring industry.

Pure gold! Celebrating the best of the best...

After more than 100 top quality submissions and an impressive shortlist of winners, the five judges have picked the "best of the best" - the Gold Awards.

The National Flooring Innovation Awards are designed to be different to the usual ranked prizes given out across the industry and instead sets out to identify products and services that are genuinely new and exceptional in the sector.

“The winners demonstrate exceptional initiative in making a difference in difficult times,” said awards judge and organiser Bridgette Kelly. "These products set themselves apart and give consumers new reasons to buy - and therefore more opportunities for retailers to sell!"

MEET THE STARS

See

Check

at

TWITTER @flooring_awards

INSTAGRAM flooringinnovationawards

Our

judges

“Star” judge Bridgette Kelly was able to present several of the Gold awards at The Flooring Show in Harrogate...

Charlotte Coop and Martin Peace of Abingdon

Emmanuel Lioen of Associated Weavers

Ann Shaw of Ball & Young (left) with Bridgette

Debbie Turvey of Victoria

Scott Arundell of BerryAlloc

Diane Martin of The Stocklists magazine with Peter Jones of Lion Floors

GOLD WINNER • CATEGORY: CARPETS, NATURAL

Natureborn Habberley by Victoria Carpets

Victoria loops on the bright side

The new Habberley collection from Victoria offers a chunky loop, a ridge, and a stunning herringbone design to the range – available in twelve elegant shades. This is a loop pile people will want in their homes.

Celebrated for its texture and softness, Habberley is made using 70% wool and 30% Tencel, and is one of their most environmentally friendly ranges. The Tencel fibres provide a brightness to the appearance of the carpet as well as being soft to the touch, meaning you get the best of both worlds – a contemporary yet rustic style loop with a modern pallet. Point of sale available to order now.

The worthy winners of 2022

CATEGORY 1 • CARPETS, NATURAL

Snowdon by Cavalier Carpets

Open Spaces, Raglan & Napier by Ulster Carpets

Habberley by Victoria Carpets

Perfect Home with Wool Britannia by Kingsmead

CATEGORY 2 • CARPETS, MAN-MADE

Wild Silk by Abingdon Flooring

Riva by Cormar Carpet Company

Henley Marlow by Furlong Flooring

Aura 2022 by Victoria Carpets

CATEGORY 3 • SMOOTHS

Bio Composite Wood by Adore

Les Iconics by BerryAlloc

Seta Grip by Oneflor UK

Invictus Parquet Click by Associated Weavers

CATEGORY 4 • DESIGN, CARPETS

Rugs 2022 Collection by Louis de Poortere

Wool Iconic Herringstripe by Alternative

Diamond Art Tiles by Tapibel Monkey Business by Asiatic Carpets

CATEGORY 5 • DESIGN, SMOOTHS

Parquet 2.0 Collection by Harvey Maria

LayRed Stone Designs by Moduleo Knight Tile Collection by Karndean Designflooring

Kraus Herringbone from QEP

CATEGORY 6 • UNDERLAY

RR 620 LVT Underlay by Uzin

Tredaire Premier by Interfloor

Vitrex Premium Underlay from QEP

ThermalStream by Wilson Underlays

CATEGORY 7 INSTALLATION PRODUCTS

Engineered Fibreboard by Lion Floor

F597 Heavy Duty Spray Adhesive by Floorwise

TrimAce by Floor Trim Systems

Stopgap 1500 AquaPro by F Ball

CATEGORY 8 ENVIRONMENTAL

Looperback by Balta

NextGen Collection by Betap Ecovadis Accreditation for Ball & Young

Relay Rugs & Takeback Scheme by Melrose Interiors

Circular Economy Achievements by Carpet Recycling UK

CATEGORY 9 • MARKETING

Smart Brand Display Unitary from ACG Floorlink by Kellars Play Studio by Alternative Gaia launch by Associated Weavers

@flooring_awards

flooringinnovationawards

Wild Silk by Abingdon Flooring

The heavyweight, high tech fleck

For the second year in a row, Abingdon have gratefully received the Flooring Innovation Award. This year they’re celebrating ‘Wild Silk’, a stunning new range that joins their Love Story collection.

Wild Silk takes on a modern twist compared to the usual neutral tones and uses a high tech unrepeating fleck design to give any room life.

Wild Silk is a British made, cut pile Saxony carpet, that is also 100% bleach cleanable. The fleck detail is also resourceful and gives way to a ‘dirt defying’ quality – pairing perfectly with its 15-year wear warranty. The heavy weight of Wild Silk means that it is extremely versatile and can take on all foot traffic, giving power and comfort to consumers.

Closely following contemporary design trends and colour analysis, Abingdon designed the perfect 12-colour range to suit all atmospheres. Abingdon have worked hard to keep its ranges fresh, modern, and well loved, and they feel honoured to have received the Flooring Innovation award for Wild Silk.

Wild Silk Silver Spoon

GOLD WINNER • CATEGORY: CARPETS, MAN-MADE

Wild Silk Treasure Island

GOLD WINNER • CATEGORY: SMOOTHS

Les Iconics by BerryAlloc

The look of age-old parquet for today’s homes

For the new Les Iconics collection of wood floors, BerryAlloc has taken traditional hand-applied aging techniques and translated them into modern machine production. Bringing the character of aged oak to a standard collection, Les Iconics makes its mark with more accessible pricing than bespoke finishing.

Available in Aged and Rustic, as well as Herringbone and Chevron laying patterns, and featuring traces of traditional craftmanship with hand-scraping and sawing effects, this new collection captures the timeworn look of age-old parquet flooring in a wood floor made for today’s homes.

For those that want a classic laying pattern, Herringbone and Chevron bring the 19th century back into fashion in two parquet laying patterns. Both are available in a natural oil finish in the warm tone of Lutece with large knots and discreet irregularities.

Aged floors give the appearance of an old wood plank floor that’s been renovated by hand, using slight traces of sawing and handscraping for a crafted feel. Using a natural oil finish that develops character with time, it comes in colours of Neroli, Badiane, Galanga and Massala in an elegant 1900 x 190mm plank.

To create the character of an old parquet floor, Rustic has a deep brushed finish. In shades of Sylva and Bosco, it sees a brushed and hand-scraped oak in a natural oil finish. Altis and Hortus combine the brushed finish with hand-scraping and sawing effects. Altis also uses three different thickness of oak top layer to imitate the irregular effect of old flooring. It also comes in mixed assortments of 1900, 1200, 680mm lengths to make its ‘old floor’ feel even more authentic.

Les Iconics is supported by a range of marketing materials, including two impressive stand options that can be used on their own, or to sit alongside other BerryAlloc wood, laminate, high pressure floors or vinyl planks & tiles.

Les Iconics Lutece Herringbone

Les Iconics Altis

Les Iconics Hortus

Underlay that’s as good as gold.

Wool Iconic Herringstripe

Alternative’s Wool Iconic Herringstripe is an inventive play on two classics. It combines a handsome herringbone with a stylish stripe making a fine wool flatweave. This timeless pattern is perfect as luxurious wall-to-wall carpet and well as rugs and runners. Recalling ballerinas, the graceful palette comprises six natural combinations offset by colour - Fonteyn pink, Behrs green, Arova lilac, Mamaki grey, Nerina ecru and Devi cream.

Available in 4m width. Composition 100% wool. This product is mothproofed.

CATEGORY: DESIGN, SMOOTHS

LAYRED STONE DESIGNS by Moduleo

Moduleo, launched a new generation of stone designs as part of its established Moduleo LayRed engineered vinyl flooring range.

The eight new options stone tiles have been inspired by biophilic design, a concept based on bringing the outside in and focussing on the connection between our natural environment and our home. Each of the eight floors are cut-in-register (CIR), a technique used to augment the realism of the floor.

T 01332 851500 www.moduleo.com

GOLD WINNER • CATEGORY: INSTALLATION

ENGINEERED FIBREBOARD by Lion Floor

A leading alternative to flooring grade plywood is Lion Flooran engineered fibreboard that’s cost-effective and sustainable. It’s made in Finland using locally sourced and highly sustainable wood by-products, so it’s already off to a great start compared to the tropical hardwood used in the majority of flooring grade plywood. The boards are pre-conditioned, so unlike other oil tempered hardboard it doesn’t need wetting before installation and is ready to receive screeds and feather compounds.

See also news, page 32

T +358 (0)20 110 3300 www.finfib.fi

GOLD WINNER

Three wins

Presenting the powerful appeal of polyester

A key event in the last year is the arrival of the Gaia polyester brand in the UK from Associated Weavers. The growing appetite for polyester across the market making this a perfect time to add Gaia to the portfolio.

With its customary marketing excellence, Associated Weavers launched Gaia with exceptional branding and graphics and a clear message: “Brilliant carpet with a natural touch.”

A dedicated website was launched at www.gaia-carpet.co.uk along with a sophisticated two-and-a-half minute video presentation.

Gaia is AW’s flagship polyester collection with all that fibre’s benefits - smooth to the touch, excellent colour fastness, rich lustre and bleach cleanabity. A 20-year stain and wear warranty underwrites the performance credentials.

Four ranges are offered in the UK: Indus, Dorado, Tigris and Ganges. with pile heights from 11.5 to 19.5mm and all in 4 and 5m widths.

To add to the appeal, Gaia carpet has an ECO FusionBac textile backing made from 100% recycled PET plastic bottles.

Gaia

Gaia Tigris

Gaia Dorado

Launching Gaia at the Harrogate show

And a presentation at the Flanders Days event

FLOORINGBUSINESS

"Subdued trading" as ScS orders fall 14%

Major furniture and flooring chain ScS says order intake has fallen 14.4% in the last 10 weeks compared to booming demand this time last year as a result of challenging market conditions for consumers.

"Trading since the start of the new financial year [Augist 1] has been subdued, with the challenges of high inflation impacting consumers' disposable income. As previously reported, the sector is seeing softening demand as consumers defer spend on big ticket discretionary purchases." says Steve Carson, CEO of the 98-store chain.

"We are pleased with the strategic progress we have made which, coupled with the strength of the Group's balance sheet, places the business in a strong position to deal with current headwinds. Whilst we expect the coming months to be challenging, we are confident in the longer term growth prospects of the business," he added.

ScS was presenting its preliminary results for the 52 weeks ended 30 July 2022 to shareholders which included record delivered sales for the period of £345m, compared to £319m - up 8% - but profits fell 29% to £13.6m.

Credit card spending slides on furniture

Credit card spending on furnishing and flooring slumped nearly 7% during September as consumers backed off from discretionary purchases, says Barclaycard.

For the same period, total consumer spending was up nearly 2% with Barclaycard, the company which processes nearly half of all UK credit card transactions.

Esme Harwood, Director at Barclaycard, said: “Energy price increases are understandably causing concern for Brits, as they worry whether they will have enough money to cover their household bills. Consumers are taking a savvy approach to budgeting as they reduce spending on discretionary items and seek more value in their weekly shop, which is having a knock-on effect on retail and hospitality sectors."

A small bright spot in their research was that consumers are opting to spend more time at home which may prompt the kind of home improvement incentive that became a feature of the pandemic.

Carpet imports down by a fifth

The volume of carpets imported into the UK in August fell by a fifth as weaker demand started to show through in consumer behaviour.

HMRC data compiled by The Furnishing Report showed imports were down 19% on the previous month.

The value of those imports was £68.7m – 9% below the value for the same month a year ago and the lowest level since December 2021.

Belgium, usually the biggest exporter to UK, was down 25% in volume meaning that The Netherland took the top spot - importing £19m worth of carpets, a rise of 35% in volume. Imports from further afield are taking a beating with volumes from China down 58% in August. Turkey was down 17%.

New name for C&F

Major national distributor Carpet & Flooring has added "TradeChoice" to its name to reflect its market focus more clearly.

TradeChoice Carpet & Flooring is being rolled out across 12 depots and has a new website. "Our new name reflects our commitment to support the trade and our ambitions to be your first choice," says the company.

The new name makes clear that the operation, based in Redditch, is not a consumer-facing business, unlike Carpetright, which is owned by the same parent company Nestware Holdings.

Tapi plans growth despite slowdown

Tapi Carpets expects to beat buoyant trading last year to finish further ahead in 2022 and continue its programme of new store openings.

In just-filed accounts, Tapi reports that revenue grew 38% last year, seeing the ambitious group make a profit for the first time since its launch in 2015turning a £5.3m net loss in 2020 into a £5.4m profit in 2021.

Reporting to shareholders which include Lord Kirkham, Lord Harris and Dunelm deputy chairman Will Adderley, Tapi said "Continued investment has resulted in positive revenue growth in the first half of 2022.

"Consumer confidence in Q2 onwards has been impacted by inflation uncertainty over household bills and fuel costs and growth in the period Q2 onwards has slowed. Despite this impact, the board expects revenue in 2022 to finish the head of the previous year," it said.

The Orpington based business has 170 UK stores. It reported it had agreed terms on eight new retail leases for 2022 to increase its outlets further.

Consumers avoiding big-ticket buys - BRC

Consumer reluctance to make major purchases like furniture and flooring is coming through in latest sales data, says the British Retail Consortium.

UK retail sales increased 1.8% on a like-for-like basis from September 2021, but taking out food and groceries, there was a 1% decrease.

“While UK retail sales grew overall in September, this represented another month of falling sales volumes given high levels of inflation," says Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive |of the British Retail Consortium, "As consumer confidence continued to fall, people shopped cautiously, avoiding large ticket items such as new computers, TVs and furniture."

“A difficult winter looms for both retailers and consumers," she added. "Costs are increasing throughout retailers’ supply chain, the pound remains weak, interest rates are rising, and a tight labour market is pushing up the cost of hiring. All of this is making it harder for retailers to reduce prices and help struggling households."

FOLLOW @THESTOCKLISTS ON LINKEDIN + TWITTER FOR KEY ALERTS AND NEWS UPDATES

Marketing insights

Flooring's feel-good factor

Interior trends are changing with people seeking more comfort and feel-good factor from their home spaces, while looking for lasting style and flexibility in room use. In short, consumers expect more from their floor.

This collection takes inspiration from the Modern Heritage trend, touching upon heritage, modern living and our memories that make our houses our homes. Think family photographs and how they help us reflect on days gone by and how those memories play a huge part in our modern lives.

“It’s time to celebrate wool's resilience as a time-honoured material that is both the heritage and future for our homes”

browns are inspired by nature and go hand in hand with the vegetal tones emerging.

Kelly Butler added, “Our recent extra colours added to Fine Worcester Twist are a complement of comfortable colour, connected to nature and wellbeing. We have included earthy tones that are cozy, calming and versatile. They are colours which are a complementary canvas for fabrics, wall coverings and furnishings from all genres.

Cormar Carpets have seen interior design trends start to move away from a sleek, minimalist look to create interiors that are more homely, using a range of natural elements. Versatile and suitable for all around the home, their recently launched Pembroke range is a classic, heavyweight wool twist carpet made using pure new wool and available in 18 stylish shades including classic neutrals alongside some bolder tones, providing a stylish and practical base for interior design schemes.

"Versatile and suitable for all around the home, the recently launched Pembroke range is a classic, heavyweight wool twist"

Wool textures and subtle stripes are also becoming increasingly popular as a way of adding an additional element of depth to homes. Hallways and staircases can benefit from this trend, using a timeless pin striped design on floors is perfect for adding personality to these well-used areas.

Taped stair runners are another great way of incorporating added interest; not only are they a statement feature for hallways, but they also provide sound proofing throughout the home.

Cormar’s Pimlico range is a 3-ply loop pile carpet made from pure New Zealand wool, available in eighteen plain and four neutral stripe combinations meaning there is something to suit all interior styles.

If you are looking to create a look in your home that walks the careful line between traditional and modernity, then Kingsmead’s Perfect Home collection may be the trend for you.

Made with Wool Britannia Yarn and British wool as a sustainable material, completely natural it’s time to celebrate its resilience as a time-honoured material that is both the heritage and future for our homes.

With 20 incredible dusky plain colours: Damson, Chesterfield, Old Gold, Dutch Blue all feature in a palette of beautiful colours that dance between traditional and modern design, adding energy and a sense of unexpected playfulness to a room.

Use Morton Malt or Charford Clay as a colour to establish an inviting feel in living areas, hallways, stairs, and bedrooms. Pair these up with breezy neutrals to brighten them up. Use them as a base for other pops of primary colour in a space. Or opt for vibrant jewel tones to lean into a luxurious look. FW135 Morton Malt helps exhibit a traditional look for modern home interiors, bringing class and finery into any decor.”

Like all Adam Carpets, Fine Worcester Twist is available in 4m and 5m widths and is made in their own modern factory in Kidderminster.

“The recent extra colours added to Fine Worcester Twist are a complement of comfortable colour, connected to nature and wellbeing.”

This collection pairs perfectly with traditional British design elements, such as wood panelling, rich autumnal colours, and patterned wallpaper.

If you love the sound of Perfect Home, then you can head over to the Kingsmead website to order free samples.

Adam Carpets told us that 2022 has been about colours that make you feel good, and they see this continuing. Kelly Butler, head of design said, “Forget being on trend, go with what you love, create rooms filled with colours that reflect your personal style and give you an uplift every time you enter them.

Their range of brown tones underscores the importance of warmth going into this A/W season in interiors and fashion. Adam Carpets'

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.

Cormar Carpets –Pembroke, River Mist

Adam Carpets – Fine Worcester Twist, Moton Malt

Kingsmead – Perfect Home, Chesterfield & Decougage moodboard

Marketing insights

Flooring's feel-good factor

Brand new for Autumn 2022, Brockway has introduced a new style to the Lakeland Herdwick Collection. The Lakeland Herdwick Lattice is sophisticated and striking, the Lattice combines good looks and high performance to add a subtle pattern to your floors. Available in 4m width the interlaced flatweave design in heavy duty construction features distinctive tones and textures that is native to the Cumbrian Fells.

Lattice is British wool certified and comes in five colourways which have been inspired by the Lake District: Windermere, Buttermere, Fornside, Rydal and Ullswater. The undyed natural tones of the wool bring a beautiful palette which will add depth and warmth to a room.

“One to watch is Brockway’s Helvellyn collection. This eye-catching chunky textured loop pile carpet has a uniquely freckled appearance.”

One to watch is Brockway’s Helvellyn collection. This eye-catching chunky textured loop pile carpet has a uniquely freckled appearance. Taking its inspiration from the natural beauty of the Lake District's favourite fell and the muted, earthy tones of the landscape, Helvellyn exudes the luxury and feel of 100% pure wool to create a stunning backdrop for any room in your home.

With six natural colourways, it’s available in 4m and 5m widths. Suitable for all areas of the home and heavy commercial use, Helvellyn is British wool certified and features Brockway’s revolutionary Envirobac system, an eco-friendly carpet backing.

Two standout flooring trends from Amtico are evident in exciting additions to their Spacia and Décor LVT collections.

Embracing the trend for terrazzo is an eyecatching way to truly transform a room. Amtico’s take on one of this year’s most sought-after looks can be seen in their beautifully expressive new Spacia Terrazzo collection, available in eight colourways.

Whether opting for a bold design with large marble pieces, a subtle look with smaller pearlescent chips, or a light concrete effect scattered with earthy coloured chips, as seen with Amtico Spacia Amalfi (pictured), this really useable Terrazzo collection in hardwearing LVT is spot on for expressing personality and individuality in a home.

Amtico are celebrating another popular trend that aligns with their passion for heritage design and craftsmanship. Taking inspiration from the historic details and patterns in National Trust properties, the new Amtico Décor National Trust collection is a collaboration that introduces three unique flooring designs with a sense of heritage and grandeur.

These additions to Décor are evocative of Victorian flooring and feature considered colour and sharp geometric design. The Wood LVT patterns are reminiscent of historic marquetry, with realistic grooves that enhance the natural contours, bringing to life another current trend for natural surfaces within a space.

Inspired by the past and designed for the future, this year, Kährs is celebrating a milestone in flooring history: It has been 80 years since Kährs was awarded the patent for the engineered lamella parquet flooring, an innovation that revolutionized the wood flooring industry.

To celebrate this milestone, Kährs are proud to present Beyond Retro, a brand-new collection of oak floors featuring a unique combination of traditional and modern colours, textures, and designs.

With a sense of authenticity, warmth and modernity, this new wood flooring collection pays homage to timeless Scandinavian design. With the help of their extensive archives in Sweden, documenting over 160 years of history in wood flooring, Kährs travelled back in time to find six timeless designs to bring back to the 21st century.

Unique stains and warm, silky colours, inspired by flooring trends seen between the 1940s and 70s, give the floors in the collection their nostalgic appearance. The invisible Ultra-Matt Lacquer finish protects the floors from wear and tear while enhancing the natural beauty of the wood. A Woodloc 5S joint guarantees a quick and easy installation.

All floors in the Beyond Retro collection are certified by the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, one of the most comprehensive and rigorous product certifications in the world.

“Kährs are proud to present Beyond Retro, a brand-new collection of oak floors featuring a unique combination of traditional and modern colours”

“Amtico’s take on one of this year’s most sought-after looks can be seen in their beautifully expressive new Spacia Terrazzo collection.”

Brockway – Helvellyn Collection

Kährs – Beyond Retro, Urban Brown Strip

Amtico – Spacia, Amalfi

Karndean

Designflooring’s oak designs are the perfect partner for a cosy autumnal colour scheme of rusty red, burnt orange and deep green, pairing natural tones and authentic grain textures with a practical surface that’s comfortable underfoot, easy to keep hygienically clean and suitable for use with underfloor heating.

Stella Coyle, retail sales manager of Karndean Designflooring, said “For a modern take on traditional style, the handcrafted elegance of the premium Art Select oak collection is the ideal choice with its intricate designs and realistic embosses. In larger open plan living spaces, a warm honey design such as Morning Oak, available in both full sized and parquet tiles, will add personality and interest.

In homes with variable subfloor conditions the recently updated Knight Tile collection offers the ultimate flexibility to create a room with the look of authentic wood designs in a convenient choice of gluedown and rigid core formats. It presents our widest collection of calming, nurturing designs in oak, concrete, marble and slate hues to complement the latest colour trends. From the bright, clear Scandi finish of Nordic Limed Oak to the reclaimed and characterful Traditional Character Oak, our new Knight Tile designs allow homeowners to create a unique floor by combining gluedown planks in a bespoke design with the same shade in a herringbone or full sized rigid core plank option over uneven surfaces.”

tufting operative, with

for eight years, loves going to the gym, and a good

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Quality carpets, from

Karndean Designflooring –Traditional Character Oak

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.

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.

the application performance of a water-mix underlayment with the ability to bond directly to adhesive and bitumen residues. Visit f-ball.com/1500 or call 01538 361 633. A great finish starts with F. Ball.

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

Flooring factsheet Buying Groups

Pick the right one

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

• Evaluate all buying groups as they all work differently

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

Why join?

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

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

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

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

Key benefits

Increase margins

• Group purchases to get beneficial rates

• Rebates

• Exclusive higher-margin products

• Special promotions

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

Access professional services

• Business and financial services

• IT and internet support

• Training and workshops

• Professional bodies

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Metro Group www.carpet1st.co.uk

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

Increase sales

• Best of both worlds’ proposition

• Wider ranges and exclusive products

• POS, displays and merchandising support

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

Network with other independents

• Members-only exhibitions with preferred manufacturers

• Regular meetings and supplier presentations

• Regional workshops

• Helpline

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

www.smg-group.co.uk

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

Associated Carpet Group www.acgcarpets.com

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

www.beautifulflooring.co.uk

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

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

www.greendalecarpets.co.uk

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

THE STOCKLISTS Feburary 2022

Flooring factsheet Carpet types

Tufted

With advances in manufacturing technology, 95% of all carpet produced today is tufted. It takes about an hour to make a roll of carpet that might take eight hours to weave. To make tufted carpet, hundreds of yarn-threaded needles are pushed through the primary backing fabric to form loops or tufts, which may be left as is or cut.

A heavy adhesive coating is applied to hold the tufts in place and a secondary backing is usually glued on for strength and stability. A wide variety of styles and textures can then be created using various techniques.

LOOP PILE

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

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

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

BONDED

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

CUT PILE

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

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

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

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

CUT AND LOOP

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

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

Woven

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

Axminster

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

Wilton

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

Flat weave

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

The

Carpet Company Directory

Abingdon Flooring 01274

Adam Carpets Ltd Be Tu Tw W Ww 01562

Alternative Flooring 01264 335111

Associated Weavers Tw Tu 01422 431100

Avena Carpets Ltd Tu Ww 01422 330261

Axwoven Carpets Ltd Ax Be 0121 550 5788

Axminster Carpets Ltd Ax Be Tw 01297 32244

Balta Industries Tu Tw W Ww +32 56 62

Beaulieu International Group Be Pr Tu Tw +32 56

Carpets

Belvedere Carpets

Tu W 020 8800

sales@belvederecarpets.co.uk www.belvederecarpets.co.uk

Betap Tufting BV Tu Tw W +31

BIC Carpets Be Tw W

Bizspoke Custom Carpets

Tw W

Be

Carpets

Bond Worth

Brintons

Brockway Carpets Ltd

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

Craigie Carpets Be 01294 558400

Creative Carpets Ltd Be Tu Tw W 0116 284 1455

Creatuft Carpets Tu W +32 56 35 4444

Custom Carpet Company Ax Be Tu Tw W Ww 01737 830301

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

Burmatex Tu 01924 262525

Cavalier Carpets Ltd Ax Be Tu Tw W Ww 01254 268000

Christy Carpets Tu 019078 308777

Clarendon Carpets Tw 01827 831480

Classis Carpets Tu W Ww 0870 020 1725

Condor Carpets BV Tu +31 38 4778911

Dan-Floor UK W 0844 9151000

Domo Floorcovering Pr Tu Tw +32 55 335211

E & WE Carpets

Edel Telenzo Carpets Ltd

sales@edeltelenzocarpets.co.uk www.edeltelenzocarpets.co.uk

Enterprise Weaving Co

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

Fells Carpets Ww 01977

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

Fletco Taepper A/S

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

Couristan Carpets Ax Tu W Ww 800 223 6186

Flock-living Limited

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

Firth Carpets & Flooring

Durham Twist from Hugh Mackay

Brockway’s Vogue

Love Story Deep Feelings by Abingdon

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

Gaskell Wool Rich Tu Tw W 01827 831525

Gaskell Mackay Carpets Ltd Ax Tu Tw W 01429 892525

Georgian Carpets Tu Tw W 01827 831430

Godfrey Hirst (GB) Ltd Tu 0800 526696

Halbmond Teppichwerke Be Pr Tu +49 037 421 420

Le Tissage d’Arcade Ax Ww +32 05685 4747

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

Leigh Spinners Ltd Tw 01942 673232

Louis de Poortere W +32 56 393 386

Lusotufo Tu +35 12 56 750 500

Manx Carpets Tw W 01827 831 434

Master Weaver W Ww 01562 754 382

Mayfield Carpets Tu Tw W 01706 639 866 MID NL Be +31 38 851 8700

Signature Carpets Be Tu W 01422 845075

TAT Carpet 07976 607657

Tapibel NV Pr Tu Tw 01623 481 221

Tasibel NV Tw +32 52 499600

The Grosvenor Wilton Co W Ww 01562 701456

The Sultana Carpet Co Ax 01299 822300

Wilton Carpet Commercial Ax Tu Tw Ww W Be 01722 746000

Thomas Witter UK Ltd Tu Tw 0870 1128318

Timzo Tufting Industry BV Tu +31 38 385 4477

Tisca Tiara Tu Ww 07860 911748

Trendy Tuft Designs Be Tu Tw W 01274 855080

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

Heckmondwike FB 01924 410544

ITC Be Pr Tw Tu 0032 51 424 411

John Lanham Watts Carpets Ax Tw Ww 01937 588511

John Evans Ltd Ax Tu Tw W 07850 935301

Joseph Hamilton & Seaton W 01827 831400 Kingsmead Carpets Tu Tw W 01827 831 424

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

Modulyss Be Tu Tw Pr +32 52 457211

Mr Tomkinson Tw Ww 01827 831 450

Penthouse Carpets Tu Tw W 01706 341231

Phoenox Textiles Pr Tu 01484 863227

Pownall Carpets Tw W 0845 6528811

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

Ulster Carpets Ax Be Tu Tw W Ww 02838 334433

United Carpets & Beds Tw W Ww 01709 732 666

Victoria Carpets Tu Tw W Ww 01562 749300

Vorwerk Flooring 01282 332025 Westex Carpets Tu 01274 861334

Weston Hammer W 0845 644 9090

Whitestone Weavers Ltd Ax Be Tu Tw W Ww 01429 892555

Wilkies Carpets Tw 0113 307 9955

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

Ryalux Carpets Ltd Be Tu Tw W 0845 652 8811 Sans Frontieres Ltd Be Pr Tu Tw W Ww 0844 5611977

Shaw Home Foundations Tu 01675 433 501

Woodward Grosvenor Ax Tu Tw W Ww 0800 526696

Wool Classics

Ww 0207 349 1560

Woven Carpets of Kidderminster W 01299 827477

Bronte’s Cream Shagpile

Pimlico 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 toleranc e’.

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

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

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

Sprouting

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

• 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.

Shedding

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

Indentations

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

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

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

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

Pulling Loops

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

Samples

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

Installation

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

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

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

The original carpet tile

Flooring factsheet

LVT Supplier Directory

Abingdon SoftStep info@abingdonflooring.co.uk 01274 655 694 www.abingdonflooring.co.uk

Adoretouch +1.631.843.0900 www.adorefloors.com

Alsapan g.folkes@alsapan.com 03 88 59 29 89 www.alsapan.com

Altro enquiries@altro.com 01462 489 516 www.altro.co.uk

Amtico info@amtico.com 0121 745 0800 www.amtico.com

Aspecta +31 (0) 88 1662500 www.aspectaflooring.com

Avenue Floors info@avenuefloors.co.uk www.avenuefloors.co.uk Beauflor sales@beauflor.com +32 56 67 66 11 www.beauflor.com

Brampton Chase support@bramptonchase.co.uk 01604 664855 www.bramptonchase.co.uk

Earthwerks saleseurope@earthwerks.com 0800 689 1657 www.earthwerks.eu.com

Forbo Flooring info.flooring.uk@forbo.com 01773 744 121 www.forbo.com

Furlong enquiries@furlongflooring.com 01772 316155 www.furlongflooring.co.uk

Harvey Maria info@harveymaria.com 0330 330 1231 www.harveymaria.com

Interface interface.uk@interface.com 0800 313 4465 www.interface.com

Invictus Info@invictus.co.uk 01422 431100 www.invictus.co.uk/lvt

IVC – Moduleo + Leoline www.ivcgroup.com

Kährs UK sales@kahrs.com 023 9245 3045 www.kahrs.com

Karndean Designflooring 01386 820100 www.karndean.com

Kellars sales@kellars.co.uk 0161 443 0970 www.kellars.co.uk

Kraus sales@qep.com 01283 245430 www.krausflooring.co.uk

If you would like to be included in this section or upgrade your listing, please contact Diane Martin on +44 (0)1482 659396 or email diane@mayvillepublishing.co.uk

Lifestyle Floors info@lifestyle-floors.co.uk 01827 831448 www.lifestyle-floors.co.uk

Leoline info@leoline.co.uk 0800 032 3970 www.leoline.co.uk

Moduleo salesuk@moduleo.com 01332 851500 www.moduleo.co.uk

Polyflor info@polyflor.com 0161 767 1111 www.polyflor.com

Tarkett communication@tarkett.com 01622 854040 www.tarkett.com

Quick-Step 08448 118 288 www.quick-step.co.uk

Victoria Design Floors (Distinctive Flooring/Universal Flooring) info@myvictoria.co.uk 01562 749300 www.myvictoria.co.uk

Wineo info@wineo.de +49 (0) 5237 6090 www.en.wineo.de

Westex info@westexflooring.co.uk 01274 861334 www.westexflooring.com

Landscape Parquet by Victoria Design Floors

Victorian Treasure by Invictus

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

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.

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.

www.bramptonchase.co.uk

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

www.myvictoria.co.uk

Coating

LVT construction

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.

Eco-friendly underlay

Sustainable underlay Flooring factsheet

Interfloor ‘Says NO to Waste’

renu® is a game changer. Interfloor’s new underlay meets the concerns of our modern world in reducing waste and being environmentally sustainable.

It’s made by bringing together raw materials that we save from going to landfill with some that have a positive effect on the environment.

renu® is a sustainable, recycled carpet underlay and is without question the most sustainable underlay in Interfloor’s long history.

We have used post-consumer waste, car tyres and plastic bottles in the manufacture of our underlay for many years. But with renu® we have gone even further responding to the aspiration for a fully sustainable product. It’s made from 98% recycled materials, using ethically sourced and genuinely recycled materials, which means keeping waste from going to landfill and is 100% recyclable itself!

The main body of the underlay is made of foam reclaimed from recycled soft furnishings, this foam is them mixed with a binding agent and subjected to high temperature steam under high pressure. The backing is made from 100% recycled and unbleached paper and we use vegetable-based inks for printing. The facing film is made from an ethically produced, carbonnegative bio-based film made from sugar cane. The sugar cane actively captures CO2 from the atmosphere whilst at the same time releasing oxygen – making this material not just green, but proactively green.

Let’s not forget, the point of underlay is that it feels great and prolongs the life of a new carpet and renu®, being made from highdensity foam and with a thickness of 9mm, is suitable for all areas of the home.

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

For more information visit www.interfloor.com/renu

Flooring factsheet

Underlay

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

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

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

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

Benefits

Good underlay will...

• Improve underfoot comfort

• Increase appearance retention, reducing flattening

• Absorb the pressure of foot traffic and reduce wear

• Improve thermal insulation and warmth

• Increase sound insulation

• Smooth out sub-floor imperfections

• Last the lifetime of the carpet

Poor or old underlay will...

• Feel hard and unwelcoming

• Reduce carpet life

• Cause wrinkling and premature wear spots

• Cause carpet fibres to break down more quickly

• Not meet British Standards

How thick?

A maximum of 12mm is recommended (working with gripper will be difficult thereafter) but rooms with heavy traffic will need a thinner, denser pad. The combination of thickness and density is all important as a thick underlay with low density may not perform well. Typically, the thicker the underlay, the better quality it will need to be – 11mm is often used for luxury installations with 9mm and 7mm the common domestic thickness.

Sponge rubber Crumb

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.

www.carpenterunderlay.co.uk

Combination

foam

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.

WoolSafe factsheet

Caring for carpet the right way

The WoolSafe Organisation is the UK’s leading authority for the correct care and maintenance of carpet and offers a range of services empowering retailers to build a reputation for great service and consumers to get the most out of their investment.

The clean carpet you expect... the service you deserve www.servicemasterclean.co.uk

Stain Removal Guides

British Wool makes a better carpet... naturally www.britishwool.org.uk

Registered

Registered Inspectors Network

Network

Wool Owners Warranty

Wool Owners Warranty

The Stocklists

Wholesale Distribution Directory

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

Xylo Wood Flooring London 020 8368 8122 infouk@xyloflooring.com www.xyloflooring.com

North West

A&A Carpets Manchester 01204 701188 sales@aandacarpets.co.uk www.aandacarpets.co.uk

Hathaway Flooring Manchester - see page 18 and Floorwise page 98

Fells Carpets Goole 0113 3071900 carl.cummings@fellscarpets.co.uk www.fellscarpets.co.uk

Kellars Limited Manchester 0161 443 0970 sales@kellars.co.uk

Lakes Flooring Supplies

Kendal - see Floorwise page 98

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

Preston Underlay Centre Ltd Preston/Lancashire - see Floorwise page 98

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 22 and Floorwise page 98

North East

Fells Carpets Leeds 0113 3071900

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

Kellars Limited Darlington 0161 443 0970 sales@kellars.co.uk

Midlands

Birch Distribution Sheffield - see Floorwise page 98

Birch Distribution Leeds - see Floorwise page 98

Birch Distribution Hull - see Floorwise page 98

Cornerstone Flooring Supplies Doncaster - see Floorwise page 98

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

DMS Flooring Supplies

Northampton - see page 13 01604 664850 sales@dmsflooringsupplies.co.uk

Floorwise D & J Ltd

Southam - see Floorwise page 89

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

STS Flooring Distributors

Hemel Hempstead - see page 22 and Floorwise page 98

Trade Counter Carpets Leicester 0845 604 3055

tradecountercarpets@gmail.com

Woodall Brothers Ltd Shrewsbury - see Floorwise page 98

South West

BL Flooring Supplies

Bristol - see Floorwise page 98

BL Flooring Supplies

Gloucester - see Floorwise page 98

Fitwell Flooring Ltd Redruth - see Floorwise page 98

Fitwell Flooring Ltd Newton Abott - see Floorwise page 98

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

Solent Wholesale Carpet West Sussex 01243 774623 sales@solentwholesale.co.uk www.solentwholesale.co.uk

Are you a Wholesaler?

If you’re not listed here, please call Diane Martin on 01482 659396

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 12 for details

DMS Flooring Supplies

Hemel Hempstead - see page 13 01442 502562 sales@dmsflooringsupplies.co.uk

DMS Flooring Supplies

Milton Keynes - see page 13 01908 049006 sales@dmsflooringsupplies.co.uk

DMS Flooring Supplies Colindale, North London 0208 036 9945 - see page 13 colindale@dmsflooringsupplies.co.uk

Flooring Storage UK

Potters Bar 01707 245999 sales@flooringstorage.com www.flooringstorage.com

Littner Hampton London 020 8520 8474 littnerhampton@aol.com www.littnerhamptoncarpets.co.uk

John Palmer Carpets Fareham 01329 221933 sales@johnpalmercarpets.uk.net

Potts & Ward, Woodcocks Ltd Brighton 01273 557211 sales@pwwflooring.com www.pwwflooring.com

Salesmark

Lancing - see Floorwise page 98 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 p22 & Floorwise p98

STS Flooring Distributors Croydon - see p22 & Floorwise p98

STS Flooring Distributors

Orpington/Croydon - see p22 & Floorwise p98

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

Ireland

Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd Dublin - see Floorwise page 98

Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd Belfast - see Floorwise page 98

Provincial Floorcoverings Ltd Limerick - see Floorwise page 98

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

Scotland

Kellars Limited Glasgow 0141 647 7685 sales@kellars.co.uk

MCD Scotland Uddingston Glasgow 01698 808000 mcdscotland@mcd.co.uk www.mcdscotland.co.uk

Neil Smith Ltd Glasgow - see Floorwise page 98 Wales

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

Floorwise Wales Merthyr Tydfil - see Floorwise page 98

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