Jan-Feb 2020 Coverings

Coverings CANADA’S FLOORCOVERING MAGAZINE

January/February 2020

SOLID VINYL TILE ADHESIVE INSIGHTS UNDERSTANDING LIABILITY CLAUSES INVEST IN THE VALUE OF DESIGN COVERINGS SHOW: GOOD TIMES IN NEW ORLEANS

How did safety get

UNSAFE? THEN-AND-NOW

Educators enjoy new Montreal office space

Page 30

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Coverings CANADA’S FLOORCOVERING MAGAZINE

January/February 2020

SOLID VINYL TILE ADHESIVE INSIGHTS UNDERSTANDING LIABILITY CLAUSES INVEST IN THE VALUE OF DESIGN COVERINGS SHOW: GOOD TIMES IN NEW ORLEANS

Features 6 Safety Real people getting left behind.

4 Commentary Not so fast… Pollsters manipulate audiences.

8 News

How did safety get

UNSAFE? THEN-AND-NOW

Educators enjoy new Montreal office space

Page 30

Jan-Feb 2020 Coverings.indd 1

2019-12-18 1:32 PM

January/February 2020 Vol. 45, No. 1 www.coveringscanada.ca Kerry Knudsen Editor and Publisher

kknudsen@wimediainc.ca 647-274-0507

Steve King Associate Publisher sking@wimediainc.ca

416-802-1225

Mike Edwards Contributing Editor medwards@wimediainc.ca

Lee Ann Knudsen Art Director

lak@wimediainc.ca

nsGraphic Design Graphics nspence@wimediainc.ca

Omni Data Services Circulation

circulation@wimediainc.ca www.omnidataservices.com

Cover photo: Maxime Brouillet

NAFCD new board lineup; WFCA labour shortage initiative; Mannington to acquire Phenix and Pharr; Chinese exporters dump ceramic tiles.

14 Design Value proposition: Investment in gratitude?

18 Law Liability clauses: Understand risks and benefits.

20 Installation Solid vinyl tile adhesives: Similarities and differences.

Associations 12 National Floor Covering Association 15 Canadian Flooring, Cleaning & Restoration Association Shows 23 Coverings 2020 Tile and stone show returns to New Orleans after 20 years.

24 Products Tactile warning flooring; Android for dealers; waterproof hardwood; universal spray adhesive; sound abatement membrane; polymer modified mortar.

28 Bullets 29 Events and Advertisers 30 Then-and-now

ISSN 0848-8339 2012 PUBLICATIONS MAIL SALES AGREEMENT #41203050 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: Coverings C/O 365 EVANS AVENUE, STE #L10 TORONTO, ON M8Z 1K2

Coverings is published six times annually, Jan./Feb., Mar./Apr., May/June, July/Aug., Sept./Oct. and Nov./Dec., for Canada’s floorcovering industry. Subscriptions are free to qualified participants in Canada’s floorcovering industry.

Subscribe at www.coveringscanada.ca. Readers from outside Canada may purchase subscriptons for $55 Cdn. For subscription inquiries, e-mail subscriptions@wimediainc.ca or fax 1-866-698-9061 Published by W.I. Media Inc., Box 84 Cheltenham, Caledon, ON L7C 3L7 © 2020 by W.I. Media Inc. All rights reserved.

W. I. Media Inc. and Coverings disclaim any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or currency of the contents of this publication and disclaims all liability in respect to the results of any action taken or not taken in reliance upon information in this publication. The opinions of the columnists and writers are their own and are in no way influenced by or representative of the opinions of Coverings or W.I. Media Inc.

Canada’s floorcovering magazine

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COMMENTARY Pollsters telling you what you want

Not so fast...

ARE YOU HEADED TO LAS VEGAS later this month for TISE? Your Coverings Canada Night invitation will be included with your registration. Come to the Border Grill just after the show closes on Tuesday to wind down, meet old and new friends, and show off Canada’s industry profile. Cheers!

I NOTICED SOMETHING interesting in the recent British election in which Boris Johnson came out the majority winner. To put it in context, remember that all the media reported the race as, “too close to call.”

The night of the election, the exit polling showed a different story — a smashing win for Johnson’s ConKerry Knudsen servatives, with a projected majority of 384 seats. The British pundits said that the final tally may not be exactly 384, but that the particular poll in question was “highly credible,” had never been off by more than 15 seats and we were safe to assume the majority would hold near 384.

Well, it didn’t. The final tally was 365. The media cruised right by the fact that their revered, neverwrong-by-15 poll was wrong by 19 — a greater-than20-percent error. To be clear, 20 percent is a lot. In fact, it’s so much it makes the poll worthless.

In today’s hyper-politically charged atmosphere, I think this fact is worth noting, as it goes to audience manipulation by the media. To be clear about media, I am one, have been for a while, and know what I’m saying.

The fact is, the media runs on ads and ads run on audience. No audience hangs around to hear the end of a foregone race. It’s like a baseball game where people leave in the 7th when the score is 12 to 2. They are saying, “Life’s demands are pressing, and this one’s done,” so it’s in the media’s interests to create drama to keep people’s attention from wandering off — to give the impression the game is still too close to call.

Concurrently, politicians need to advertise where the audience’s attention is focused, and they spend

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millions of dollars in the States, and spread the spend over years.

Effectively, the presidential election cycle begins three years out.

Therefore, you have millions of ad dollars in play, a contentious political environment and a handful of national news outlets competing for their share of the millions.

Along come the polls. You may recall the 2016 election.

I sent out an e-letter the morning of the election pointing out that I thought, despite every poll showing a landslide victory for Clinton, that there was something wrong in the polling, and I called a Trump win. I am not a Trump cheerleader, and I do not have a history of making wrong calls. I did, however, have enough confidence in my sources and the way I read them that I called the election correctly, and was very lonely in that prediction until about 1:00 the next morning.

Does this mean I’m some kind of super-pundit? Not at all. It does, however, mean I have a great deal of skepticism about what the media is up to, I watch other sources and I make sure I am educated. At this point, I guess the upshot is that the credibility of polls is very suspicious, and it appears they are being manipulated to generate excitement between the two parties as if they are each some kind of sports team, the purse being the keys to the U.S. treasury, its nuclear arsenal and millions in promotional money for the cheerleaders.

And the kicker is, even if the press is acting totally outside the facts and is doing so for money and fame, there is essentially nothing we can do about it. The press is protected.

You should not like this. What it means is that we are moving rapidly to a system in which the things you, as readers, want are not relevant, but rather the publishers will pander to suppliers and special interests, including government, and will provide you with what they want you to want, as “proved” by polls.

I like surveys. I use them to learn what sellers, installers and designers of floorcovering products in Canada are interested in.

Already we at W.I. Media are finding severe hurdles because of survey fatigue, and once in a while we get a claim from a wouldbe advertiser that we have somehow “biased” a question. We don’t bias surveys, but we know how it’s done, and it is clear that we are in a commercialized market where you do not get what you want, but will be obliged to want what you get. Or else.

Comment at www.coveringscanada.ca

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SAFETY-essayer WELL, IT FINALLY HAPPENED. Not to me, but my son-inlaw’s brother, who has been an expert stone- and solid-surface tile and countertop installer for nearly 20 years. The stone saw slipped, he grabbed and came up with the hurty bits.

It happens.

Typically in these situations there is an investigation to discover what happened, and those investigations have a tendency to search for fault, but sometimes there simply isn’t any.

We have all witnessed safety investigations along the way, and some of us are puzzled how the public’s demand for safety has morphed into things that are not even recognizable. For one example, a prominent British Columbia labour union some years back posted an action item on its website that all union members should endeavour to force the installation of a “safety committee” in their respective places of employment.

This sounds reasonable, but the stated objective was not safety.

The stated objective was that union members could seize control of company functions from management under the guise of “safety.” If you own a shop that is unionized, you are not necessarily safer.

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That horse left the barn long ago, and safety committees and their attendant headaches for management are facts of life. I still recall the exasperated manager in Hamilton, Ont., that saw his “safety committee” members defeat an installed guard on a woodworking machine, then report the modification to OHSA. Over time, OHSA has given the impression that its sanctions against management and union members follow different protocols.

Once the safety committees were well established, the so-called gender-equality movement ante-ed up, demanding more access to more penalties for more offences, seemingly by the day.

ANTI-INDUSTRY Coverings’ sister magazine, Wood Industry, reported years ago that the secretive, seemingly unaligned Wood Manufacturing Council (WMC) had created a study on sexual harassment in the kitchen-cabinet and architectural millwork sector showing systemic harassment of females in the workplace. Since we have been working closely with manufacturers in that industry for over 20 years, and since we have seen NOTHING but respect for women in the workplace, and since we watch things for a living, we doubted it and conducted our own investigation.

What we discovered was that the “study” had been commissioned by the WMC at taxpayer expense, and had been conducted by the WMC director’s wife. Suspicious of motives and methodologies, as is our job, we inquired, and have had zero response and our Access to Information Act requests have been refused and all the relevant ministries disavow any knowledge of to whom the WMC is accountable. As of presstime, the WMC has not responded to renewed efforts to establish contact.

HAVE THE BEST INTERESTS OF REAL PEOPLE BEEN HIJACKED?

It’s a crazy world, eh? So this one got even crazier, when a known human-resource consultant in Ontario reported in a seminar that of all the sexual-harassment complaints received over the past years of practice, well over 80 percent of those complaints were by males against females.

In that case, efforts to contact the consultant by phone were cut off, leaving the impression that the consultant had been on the receiving end of the activist social media mob as the result of going off-script. Full disclosure: the editor and publisher of Coverings was once also the editor of Canadian Occupational Safety magazine, so we actually know the script.

TO PROTECT WHOM? By now, the word “safety” has morphed into approximately any meaning anybody wants to assign to it. Have you ever been told by a utility or vendor that your call is being recorded for your safety? I have, but I always correct them. That’s what comes from being an English teacher. I always say, “No. It’s not for my safety.

It’s for yours and your lawyers, but go ahead. I’m recording too.”

That’s not always true, but I like to keep them on their toes, and it’s fair enough to tell a liar a fib. Honesty is the absence of any intent to deceive, and I have no such intent of my own. I just want to poke a hole in theirs.

Of course, not all safety is physical. In our view, we are facing one of the biggest threats to security and safety in all history at the hands of this uncontrolled “social media” phantasm. But what do you expect when any disgruntled ex-whatever can go on social media and practice libel and slander from behind a veil of anonymity? After all, the classical laws and penalties against

defamation existed in the first place because defamation works.

It destroys its target when properly applied.

The newest iteration of defamation, as we have reported before, will be in the form of “deep-faking” video evidence of business owners and managers being portrayed doing acts they never committed in places they never attended. You can review this yourself by doing a search for deep-fake.

We get the sense that people don’t fully understand the dangers of identity theft, and that is becoming old news. We all know we can buy protection from companies that create hackers to outthink hackers, but consider the basics.

The world runs on paper, from your passport and driver’s licence to your loans, cars, heat and shopping accounts. Acquisition of each of those things requires a form.

Here is a tip from a former investigator (me): every valid form has a form number. Sounds silly, right? But the converse is that if it has a form number, it’s a valid form, and agencies receiving a valid form have to act on it, and usually they have a timeline or they get a negative (“not timely”) review from their supervisors.

Each of these forms starts out with what they call “static information.” This is your name, address, phone, e-mail, SIN or whatever things the form requires to determine your presence and your viability as an applicant.

At the moment, the financial institutions tend to ignore financial theft by identity theft because they can pay for it and it is valuable for them to have us conduct business by data. My wife a few years ago in Honduras had her information stolen from a cash machine at the airport. We caught it by accident by noticing an almost immediate transaction at a Texas music store and stopped it. The cost to us was nothing, other than the feeling that “something ain’t right.” And it’s not. The bank replaced the loss, but not the feeling of safety.

THREATS AND FEARS The list of real and imagined safety threats we are facing today goes on, maybe to infinity. However, each of these infractions costs individuals, companies, the governments and society at large time and resources to monitor, to review, to consider and to act. And all of those resources have to be pulled from a big pot of cash called safety.

Our experience shows that people involved in safety education seem to fear going public with their experiences, which seems to imply that safety as a topic is not as concerned with individual humans as we would hope.

It is likely no additional amount of review would have prevented the cut on the stone-cutter’s finger, but it also seems it’s time to redefine safety down to the human level and cut off some of the politics.

In closing, let me quote the YouTube sensation that everybody knows only by his hands, his language and his handle, AvE: “Remember, you are the softest thing in the shop.”

Comment at www.coveringscanada.ca

Canada’s floorcovering magazine

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NEWS NAFCD announces new board lineup The 2019 edition of the Chicago, Ill.based North American Floor Covering Distributors (NAFCD) Annual Convention drew more than 900 people from around the world to look at some of the latest products and develop themselves both personally and professionally. The conference, which was held in November in New Orleans, La., also featured the association’s annual membership meeting, where the board of directors was. Brian Green of Glen Burnie, Md.-based Haines, Pat Theis of Herregan Distributors in Eagan, Minn., and Dori Blitzstein of

Dunn Rasbury

Steve McKenna

Roesel-Heck in Baltimore, Md., were named as distributor directors. Derek Brooks of Mississauga,

Ont.-based Torlys was named as a distributor director-at-large and Steve Bjorklund of Chicago, Ill.-based USG was named a supplier director. Dunn Rasbury also took the helm as the new NAFCD president at the conference. Outgoing president Steve McKenna said Rasbury’s contributions to NAFCD have already improved the association as a whole and is confident he will continue to better the organization in the future, the association reports.

WFCA heads initiative to address labour shortages The Chattanooga, Tenn.-based World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) has announced an industry-wide initiative, “We are Part of the Solution,” to address the installation crisis facing the flooring industry. The association has committed an initial seed-funding donation of $1.0 million US and challenges industry leaders to join with the WFCA in solving the labour shortage. The collaborative effort will include two distinct initiatives that will serve to broaden industry support and participation. As an initial step, the WFCA has spearheaded the formation of the Floor Covering Education Foundation, an organization dedicated to recruiting and training individuals in preparation for a career in the flooring

Domotex show in China readies for 22nd edition The 22nd edition of Domotex asia/Chinafloor in Shanghai,

China, is expanding to 185,000 square metres and 16 halls due to increasing demand from 1,579 exhibitors from 36 countries. According to organizers, more than 66,000 indus-

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industry. In another move, the WFCA has made its membership free to all independent floorcovering dealers.

Mannington set to acquire Phenix and Pharr Mannington Mills of Salem, N.J., has signed an agreement to acquire Phenix Flooring and Pharr Fibers and Yarns from Pharr USA. The acquisition is Mannington’s first foray into the residential carpet business. According to Mannington president and c.e.o.

Russell Grizzle, residential carpet remains the largest category, and that the time was right for Mannington to include it as part of Russell Grizzle its residential portfolio. Phenix Flooring and Pharr Fibers and Yarns are headquartered in McAdenville, N.C., with operations also in Dalton, Ga. The two divisions employ approximately 900 people.

No terms of the acquisition were disclosed.

Chinese exporters found dumping ceramic tile in U.S. The U.S. Commerce Department based

try professionals from the emerging Asian markets and 107 other countries attend each year and have utilized the event as a platform to sell their flooring products, form partnerships and locate suppliers and manufacturers. The show attracts industry brand names such as Armstrong, Gerflor, KCC, Faus, Giant, Weitzer, Farrahi, Shanhua, Haima, Klumpp, Winters-teiger and Hawk.

Organizers of the March 24-26, 2020 edition have invited wood and resilient flooring professionals to become Hosted Buyers to meet 60 top wood and resilient flooring manufacturers from the region (left). The selected Hosted Buyers will receive free hotel accommodation for 4 nights, VIP status and an exclusive invitation to the VIP International Party. To apply, contact Hassan Ahmad at hassan.ahmad@vnuexhibitions.com.cn before January 10, 2020.

in Washington, D.C., made a preliminary determination in November 2019 that Chinese exporters had dumped ceramic tile in the U.S. market at less-than-fair value. The determination was made after receiving a petition from The Coalition for Fair Trade in Ceramic Tile, a coalition of eight U.S. tile producers that petitioned the department in April, claiming injury from the Chinese exporters. The department has imposed preliminary duties ranging from 114.49 to 356.02 percent, however, it is scheduled to announce its final determination by March 23, 2020.

This is on top of the current Section 301 tariffs imposed on ceramic tile. Imports of ceramic tile from China were valued at an estimated $481.3 million US in 2018, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. The Coalition consists of U.S. ceramic tile producers American Wonder Porcelain, Florida Tile, Crossville, Florim USA, Dal-Tile Corporation, Landmark Ceramics, Del Conca USA and StonePeak Ceramics (all members of the Tile Council of North America; together known as The Ceramic Tile Alliance).

Canadian firms take home international architectural awards At the World Architecture Festival 2019 held recently in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, several Canadian winners of international architectural awards were announced. Omer Arbel Office of Vancouver, B.C., won in the House — Future Projects category for 75.9 House constructed on a hay farm in Surrey, B.C. Judges were impressed by the “relationship and connection between building and landscape” plus the “experimental process with fabric form concrete.” The

Civic — Future Projects category winner was Harry Jerome Community Recreation Centre in Vancouver, B.C., by HCMA

Architecture + Design based in Vancouver and Victoria, B.C. The building contains nine major spaces including an aquatic centre, ice arena, curling, gymnasium, skatepark, fitness and dedicates areas for children, youth and retirees. The Office – Future Projects award went to Modern Office of Design + Architecture of Calgary, Alta., for the Attabotics headquarters – a new 12,000 square metre manufacturing and office headquarters for a robotics company in Calgary (shown left). The judging panel was particularly impressed by “the interiors and vertical integration of elements of the building.”

Mats announces new role on executive team Stoughton, Mass.-based commercial flooring company Mats Inc. has announced an executive promotion. Rich Ruhlin has been promoted to chief growth and product officer, reporting to c.e.o. Barry Hume. Ruhlin has more than 25 years of sales, marketing and account management experience.

He has been with the company since 2000, serving in various roles, including New Rich Ruhlin England regional sales manager, vice president of Healthcare Development, senior vice president of sales and chief marketing officer.

Decorative printing patent decision includes flooring In November, the board of appeal of the European Patent Office announced its decision to confirm the validity of the Unilin European Patent EP 2 274 485. The patent protects the use of coated papers employed in the inkjet printing of decor paper destined for the lamination processes that are widely used in the flooring and furniture industries. More specifically the patent relates to printable paper layers with an inkjet receiver coating that is porous enough to ensure qualitative lamination with an abrasion resistant overlay.

Unilin, a manufacturer of flooring and panels, is based in Wielsbeke, Belgium.

AHF Products expands hardwood plant A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in late November at the AHF Products Beverly, W.Va., hardwood manufacturing

plant to honour an 85,000 square foot expansion. A year ago, the company was split from Armstrong Flooring, and the Beverly-based plant, formerly owned by Armstrong, also will use the new space for added manufacturing capacity. The Beverly facility is said to be the largest pre-finished solid hardwood flooring plant in the U.S. AHF has also announced that Jerry Sporich, who founded and served as president of the North American business unit of LM Flooring, retired in October. Following Sporich’s retirement, Andy Piwonski was promoted to vice president and general manager, and Kevin Whaley has been promoted to vice president of sales and product for LM Flooring. Sporich created the Dallas, Tex.-based wood flooring company in 2001 to service the LM Flooring business in the U.S. and Canada.

LM Flooring merged with AHF Products in July of 2019.

Concrete polishing curriculum announced by Install Glassboro, N.J.-based Install, a flooring industry-endorsed and -specified training program, has announced a concrete polishing curriculum. The organization has worked hand-inhand with manufacturers, contractors and industry associates over the past few years to craft the new curriculum based on real-world challenges. The training is to be implemented across the U.S. and Canada. According to Install, concrete polishing is the act of mechanically refining a concrete floor surface, with or without aggregate exposure, achieving the desired finished sheen level from satin to high-gloss.

When the existing concrete is in such

Canada’s floorcovering magazine

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NEWS poor condition (cracks, spalling, pitted, out of level) that polishing would look undesirable, a polished overlay is the solution, it explains. Polished overlays also offer distinct qualities, it adds, that can’t be achieved by polishing existing concrete, such as the ability to create a white polished concrete floor, a very

uniform and predictable finish, and an even distribution of exposed aggregate.

Jack Ganley of Mannington Commercial retires Jack Ganley, president of Mannington Commercial, retired in December.

Ganley joined Mannington in this

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capacity in 2004, led the way for Mannington Commercial’s growth over the years and leaves a legacy of leadership and innovation for the business, the company says. He also directed the integration of Burke and Amtico brands into the Salem, Jack Ganley N.J.-based Mannington Commercial business. Previously, he had been with Lees Carpet, where he began as a manufacturing trainee in 1976 fresh out of Villanova University near Philadelphia, Pa., and rose through the organization to become president of Lees in 1995 and Burlington House in 1998. Upon Ganley’s retirement, Tom Pendley, Mannington Commercial’s senior vice president of marketing, assumed the role of president, Mannington Commercial.

Windmoeller opens North American headquarters Windmoeller Inc., a manufacturer of flooring products, has announced the opening of a new North American headquarters facility in Marietta, Ga. The facility accommodates corporate offices, product showroom and training centre for the company’s Matthias bio-based resilient flooring Windmoeller products. According to Matthias Windmoeller, principal shareholder of Windmoeller Group and c.e.o. of Windmoeller Inc., the facility will showcase underlay systems and the company’s Purline organic flooring.

Windmoeller, with corporate headquarters and manufacturing located in Augustdorf, Germany, has developed direct pressure laminate, interlocking click systems for solid vinyl floors, and bio-polyurethane sheet, plank and tile floors made with ecuran.

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NFCA Reflecting on a year of success, and

What’s ahead for 2020 NFCA recently held its third Annual General Meeting and Fall Social in Vancouver, B.C. NFCA president Rick Wagner of Maxwell Floors talked about the positive strides made in the last year, due in no small part to the continued and greatly valued support from members, partners and sponsors across Canada.

Some of the year’s key highlights included: • A 38 percent increase in membership.

• 100 percent jump in quality assurance projects.

• NFCA specifications are appearing on more projects in Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg.

Chris Maskell • NFCA specification, along with the NFCA c.e.o.

QAP, will be included in the Federal Government’s National Master Specification (NMS), planned for publication in January 2020.

• Two new NFCA Board of Directors — Jordan Vogt, manager of Steinbach Flooring in Manitoba and Bob Hunter, regional v.p. of sales in Canada for Milliken Design.

Industry professionals from each of construction’s main segments were invited to attend the Fall Social afterward. Consultants, general contractors, building owners, project managers, manufacturers and flooring contractors all in the same room discussing industry problems, causes and possible solutions.

Guest speaker, Fiona Famulak, president of Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA), spoke to the group about the role of a construction association such as VRCA and how our respective associations could work together to connect our memberships. This will be an ongoing discussion and we will report on the outcomes in future articles.

The statistics Famulak shared emphasized the need for efficiency in a labour-strapped workplace — a topic that has never been more important. Producing more with less will be a shared challenge.

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Famulak also shared a snapshot of B.C.’s construction industry: • With $144 billion in current construction projects, it is the number-one employer in B.C.’s goods sector, employing 242,500 people…180,300 of those being skilled trades.

• By 2028, the predicted skilled labor job shortage in B.C. will be 25,000.

Lots of challenges — labor shortages, ever-compressing construction schedules, shortcuts as an increasingly tempting option, rising expectations and finally, liability waiting in the wings should there be a failure. These issues will unify us if we work together. The alternative is a far less attractive prospect.

Just because we can’t fix all of it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to fix some of it The goal is to share the task of building projects properly and faster. Collaboration requires getting in early with the right information, highlighting it, bringing attention to it, acting on it, and pricing and scheduling accordingly. All sides have their interests to protect. But by arming everyone involved with the same good industry-approved information in a timely fashion, outlining fair minimum standards, promoting transparency and working to build trust among all parties, we can improve things over time.

The General Contractor has the toughest job During the lively and engaging conversation, it was widely acknowledged that the General Contractor has the toughest job, and that our role as a sub-trade should be to support our customer wherever possible. Not just when we show up on site to start work, but months ahead in terms of providing all parties with the same basic information that will help the team to support the journey through the minefield of construction and ultimately through the floor covering installation. Because NFCA is an unbiased entity, we are well-suited for this role.

Unspoken expectations muddy the water The General Contractor is in charge of the site. But it can’t be expected to know everything about everything. Yet this is the unspoken and unrealistic expectation. It’s the same for the architect – “you specified it, so you should understand it!” And don’t ask the sub-trade, they’re just looking for an extra. So, the need to have a trusted source where you can obtain good information that serves everyone, becomes the key to avoiding

Great conversations lead to awareness, understanding and action After the speeches were done, the conversation began and quickly revved up within the group, highlighting frustrations and disconnects between all parties — concrete slab rejection due to deflection (sag), over-polished surfaces, new adhesive products not bonding like old ones, critical information missing or misrepresented in specifications or just being plain misunderstood by those involved. What can we do about it?

What’s the solution? This is where active associations with engaged memberships can help connect the dots between good companies in all parties and start the conversation around solutions being a win-win for all involved. Never in all cases, but certainly in some of them.

We left with a great deal of interest and desire in continuing this discussion in a more structured format with representation from each of the parties.

Associations present an opportunity to bridge the gaps between individuals, firms and whole industries. The alternative is to remain as divided as Division 3 and Division 9 — codependent but disconnected. The solution? Awareness of standards that bind us all, an understanding of how they work and then action — getting them specified and followed.

As we continue to build momentum for the overall benefit of the bigger construction picture as it relates to floor coverings, we look ahead to 2020 with genuine enthusiasm!

You can read the NFCA’s Annual Report at https://bit.ly/2rx9avU.

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Value of this type comes by building the track before we race the vehicle. It comes from: • Sharing industry-approved information.

• Planning ahead and seeing mistakes before they arrive.

• Fostering teamwork between groups (owners, project managers, design authorities, general contractors, sub-trades, manufacturers) to handle issues more collaboratively as opposed to what we generally do when the inevitable problems bear down — retreat to our corners, lock, load and lawyer up!

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expensive, big-hitting problems. The flipside is the same old delays because slab surface preparation, flatness, moisture, indoor environmental conditions etc., were not understood at an early enough stage to budget and schedule properly.

We recognize that not all building segments want change or quality assurance. The segments that do, however, is where NFCA directs its focus. Those are the segments that will pay extra for quality when they trust that value will be delivered.

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The National Floor Covering Association (NFCA) promotes industry standards for resilient, carpet, hardwood, laminate, cork and bamboo floor covering installations. www.nfca.ca

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DESIGN Investment in gratitude?

Value proposition Value is a word that is worth reflecting on. In fact, it’s more central to our lives than we are generally aware. Usually, we use this word in reference to economics. When it comes to buying or selling things, there is a possibility that cost can be accurately established. The seller determines the price, however arbitrary it might be.

But value remains the possession of the buyer. If something is valuable enough to you, you will try to get it.

Conversely, if the value isn’t there, for you, then you pass by. For designers, engaged in the production of things, or even services, this equation is critical. Great attention can be paid to controlling cost and great care can be exercised in determining a price, Paul Epp but if the designer has not created value, then the whole enterprise is futile. And determining what might be valuable to another is an interesting challenge, and a target that is easily missed.

During my work as an educator, I had plenty of opportunities to consider value. In fact, I eventually concluded that teaching is essentially an exercise in the transmission of values. We, the teachers, engage in all sorts of stratagems to convince our students, however subtly, that certain knowledge is valuable, certain facts are valuable, certain skills are valuable.

We set up certain things as being good (correct) and others as being less so. We reinforce this with exercises and eventually examinations where we have the opportunity for an ultimate reinforcement of our claims. Seeing it this way makes it feel, to me, as a very weighty responsibility, and I guess it is. The students go on to use their newly acquired distinction of values as a guide for their lives, and eventually, to pass along to others. Whew!

Designers learn a hierarchy of values, whether at school, or just by bumbling along, making mistakes and learning from them. Even though I went to school, most of what I learned I acquired the other

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way, variously known as the school of hard knocks. And I’m not knocking that school either. One of my favourite observations about teaching (or learning) is that which hurts, teaches (it sounds better in Latin). We value the absence of hurt a lot, and learn to avoid it, if we can. Our mistakes are part of the foundation of the structure we make of our values. And this is one reason that experience is valuable to designers and is a critical component of what makes them valuable to others.

When we design, we are constantly making decisions and we base our decisions on what we consider to be valuable.

When I was only teaching part-time and concurrently running a design studio, a former student who was now an employee made the observation that he was learning a lot more working for me and more quickly than when he was a student. And I think that was because he was observing a value structure in action. I would guide his work based on what I considered to be good, or accurate, or valuable, and I would do this quickly and with confidence. A problem with schools is that the work is theoretical. It is different when there are real consequences and there is less room for argument.

A second way we use the word value, is in the realm of philosophy and, in particular, ethical philosophy. Here it is concerned with the right course of action and with regard to the eventual outcomes. Actions are treated a bit like objects, with values attached to them. This may concern the avoidance of pain, or the increase of pleasure, or joy, or peace or any of the other abstracts we value. Values may even be concerned with the benefit to others. Sometimes our ethical structure of values will be described as the underpinnings of our character.

In fact, these two ways of using the word value, or values, are not that dissimilar. We make our decisions based on what we value, what we find to be valuable. Our values are who we are. This may be especially true of teachers and designers, but it holds for all of us regardless. An important reflection of our values is our sense of gratitude. The more we find to be valuable, the more opportunities we have to be grateful. And as I’ve learned, a grateful life is better.

Paul Epp is an emeritus professor at OCAD University, and former chair of its Industrial Design department.

CFCRA Hands-on training, advocacy and more

Power of associations At the CFCRA we are always looking at providing things that others cannot.

I hear about the education found on the internet all the time. The comments I hear are, “I saw it on You Tube,” “I googled it,” “it was on a discussion board” or “it was on a Facebook group.” Many have convinced themselves that this kind of education is sufficient. People look me right in the eye and say that the associations are not needed anymore.

When it comes to hands-on education, where do we receive that? Yes, hands-on education! So many people learn by doing. It’s the number one complaint we receive after theory-based classes: Lee Senter, not enough hands-on. The organiCFCRA President zation I am involved in, the IICRC, is dramatically cutting down on the number of questions on our exams to allow for more time for hands-on training. The classrooms we are teaching in are expanding in size to accommodate hands-on training. Unfortunately, we still have many constraints on equipment brands and types that can be used for demonstrations. It is also hard to get a couple of dozen students to try each piece of equipment with the time allotted being short and the workspace being small.

A group out of the U.S. has got a great idea to implement hands-on training. What they are doing is providing a couple of days of training on the theory of a subject and then they go to the local Ronald McDonald house and clean it from top to bottom for free. When this is done the little extra touches that can be done on a job are demonstrated as well.

Caulking and colour match is done on tiles. Baseboards are cleaned and countertops patched.

This is the direction we would like to take at the CFCRA. We plan on bringing in instructors from around the world to demonstrate their techniques. Paul Pearce will come and teach hands-on cleaning of wool, Tencel and bamboo carpets. We will teach stain removal on these natural fibres as well. We want to do hands-on colour repair for both tiles and carpet. We want to teach grout recolouring and sealing. We want to teach shining, polishing and honing of marble floors and countertops. To do this kind of hands-on training we need sites to do it in. Demonstrations on small set ups in a warehouses are better than nothing. But if any of our readers can think of worthy charities that can use a free cleaning, let me know at lsenter@cfcra.ca.

I want to remind everyone that we will be holding the CFI installation classes for wood/laminate flooring, all the vinyl floors, and for the installation of carpet. Our instructors are world class. CFCRA members get a special deal — buy two classes and get the third one free. Contact us for more info.

Last, but not least, the power of associations is forgotten when it comes to influencing the government. Empirical data from associations and their standards of care should be referenced by governments, industry and other materially interested parties. I hope that we see more participation from people on all sides of the industry to get involved with associations so the data and experience we have, along with our technical documents, can be used by those who need them and all the hard work that was put into them does not go to waste.

I hope 2020 is a fabulous year for us all!

The Canadian Flooring Cleaning and Restoration Association (CFCRA) was preceded by the Flooring Institute of Ontario (FIO), a not-for-profit organization which proudly served the needs of flooring industry professionals in Ontario since 1962. www.cfcra.ca

Canada’s floorcovering magazine

15

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LAW Understand risks and benefits

Liability clauses Businesses routinely use or, knowingly or unknowingly, sign contracts that contain some form of an exclusion or limitation of liability clause. While such clauses vary considerably in size and scope, for illustrative purposes only, you may have seen a clause similar to this: “In no event will Supplier be liable for damages on any basis, of any kind or nature whatsoever arising in respect to this Agreement or for any indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages.”

So what purpose do exclusion or limitation of liability clauses serve? Perhaps, more importantly, do these clauses really work? We exLouis Vouloukos plore the answers to these questions below, and, in doing so, provide some tips to assist in making your exclusion or limitation of liability clauses more effective.

Purpose of Exclusion or Limitation of Liability clauses Inherent in all contracts is the risk of some form of liability. For example, damages resulting for non-performance of a contract, liability for lost profits or revenues, expenses incurred to fix a problem, or liability for the negligence of a contracting party.

Exclusion of liability clauses are used as a means of allocating the risk of liability between the contracting parties by excluding or capping the liability of a party for certain types of damages. The party benefiting from the exclusion of liability clause is the party that would otherwise be responsible for the breach. If a contract does not contain an exclusion of liability clause, there may be no limit (except for limits as prescribed by law or general principals of law) to a contracting party’s financial exposure for a breach. Failing to adequately protect your business from certain liabilities may, and, in some cases, has led to the demise of an otherwise successful business.

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Do these clauses really work?

The short answer, of course, is — it depends. Let’s explore this further.

Not all liability can be excluded. For example, in some cases you cannot exclude or cap certain liability imposed by statute. Neither can you limit liability for breaches brought about by fraudulent or dishonest conduct. Also, our courts are not inclined to enforce exclusion of liability clauses that attempt to exclude all liability, such that a contracting party has no real remedy for a breach.

Having said that, our courts respect “freedom of contract” and the general principal that parties should be held to the bargains they have made. Therefore, as a general rule, our courts tend to give effect to exclusion of liability clauses unless there is a reason not to. So what qualifies as a reason not to? Our courts look at three main factors.

• Is the exclusion of liability clause applicable (to the facts)?

• If so, was the exclusion of liability clause “unconscionable” at the time the contract was formed?

• If the exclusion of liability clause applies and is not otherwise unconscionable, is there an overriding “public policy reason” to override the clause?

Is the exclusion of liability clause applicable?

Here, our courts will explore if the breach giving rise to the damages was actually excluded by the clause. Of course, when a dispute arises, one party will argue that the exclusion clause is clear and applies to either exclude or limit that party’s liability. The other party will try to persuade a court that it does not apply, or should not be applied, for various reasons, including that the clause is unclear or doesn’t exclude the specific liability the other party is claiming it does.

In deciding between the competing interpretations put forth by the parties, our courts will consider the words used in the exclusion clause, and assess these words in the context of the entire contract as whole, and in light of its purpose and the commercial context in which the contract was made. Any ambiguities will normally be interpreted against the party who drafted the clause.

Tip: This is where your lawyers come in.

To give your exclusion clause the best chance to be successful, it is essential that your exclusion clause is well drafted, using clear and unambiguous wording, and that your clause is consistent with the entire contract as a whole. Further, the clause should clearly exclude the liability that you desire it to exclude.

Is the exclusion clause “unconscionable” at the time the contract is made?

Our courts will look to protect a party from the applicability of an exclusion clause if it is unconscionable to apply the clause. More often than not, the “unconscionable” behaviour is linked to “inequality of bargaining power” between the parties, or with cases of contracts of adhesion. Courts are less likely to interfere with exclusion of liability clauses negotiated between two experienced or otherwise sophisticated commercial parties. However, if your contract is a standard form, “take it or leave it” type, or if you are dealing with an unsophisticated party that may not have a lot of business experience, our courts may find that it would be unconscionable to uphold the clause on a number of grounds. For example, a court may look at whether the exclusion clause was brought to the other (unsophisticated) party’s attention.

Tip. When dealing with unsophisticated or inexperienced commercial parties, your exclusion of liability clause has more chance of success if you bring the clause to the other party’s attention (do not try to hide these clauses in a conspicuous part of the contract), and advise the other party to get independent legal advice.

Is there an overriding “public policy reason” to override the clause?

Even if the parties are sophisticated, our courts will consider whether there is an overriding “public policy reason” to invalidate the clause. For example, if you knowingly sell a defective underground pipeline to a customer, and many years later, as a result of this defect, the soil becomes contaminated resulting in health issues for local residents, our courts will not allow you to rely on the exclusion clause to shield yourself

from liability. Also, exclusion of liability clauses will not be enforceable in cases of fraud or criminality.

Takeaways Exclusion or limitation of liability clauses are a useful tool for allocating risks inherent in every contract. However, to give your clause a better chance of success, use clear, unambiguous and consistent language throughout your contract. Also, know who you are dealing with, as there are some important steps that you should take if relying on standard form “take-it it or leave-it” type contracts or dealing with an unsophisticated or inexperienced commercial party.

Louis Vouloukos of Brampton, Ont.based Lawrences, specializes in corporate, commercial and franchise law.

Canada’s floorcovering magazine

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INSTALLATION LVT and homogeneous adhesives: Similarities and differences

Solid vinyl tile

Vinyl floor tile falls into one of two ASTM industry standards — Vinyl Composition Tile (VCT), and Solid Vinyl Tile (SVT).

SVT is the higher vinyl content version of the two, covered in ASTM F 1700, Standard Specification for Solid Vinyl Floor Tile.* There are three classes in the SVT standard, the most widely used being Class I Monolithic and Class III Printed Film Vinyl Tile. Class III includes products that are commonly marketed as “luxury” vinyl tile (LVT), although there is no separate product specification with that name.

Regardless of which category, the use of adhesive is important and Christopher has grown to be widely misunderCapobianco stood in many cases. I work with a large number of resilient floorings across almost all categories and field a lot of questions about how to install, what type of adhesive to use and how to use the adhesive. The easiest answer to these types of questions is to use the tile manufacturer’s branded adhesive. I know that may sounds like a typical answer coming from someone in wholesale sales, but I also have a background in manufacturer technical support and also a background as a flooring dealer. During my time as a “tech guy” I saw what goes into adhesive testing and determining the right adhesive and even the right trowel for the specific product in question. During my days as a dealer, I always used the manufacturer’s adhesive to assure my customers we were totally “by the book” and so that if I had a problem, there was no finger pointing when it came to adhe-

sive. For these reasons, I consider it a good practice to use the manufacturer’s adhesive and get brand new trowels of the proper notch for the job. However, today I see a lot of “LVT” being installed with “other” adhesives, so if you go down this road, be aware that the tile manufacturer will not be there to support you if anything goes wrong related to adhesive.

All of that being said, when it comes to the methodology of SVT adhesives, trowel size is VERY important because so many of today’s high-performance adhesives work best with a very thin spread — more is NOT better! Let’s start with a discussion of open time and working time. Open time starts when the adhesive is spread and ends when the installer begins to set tile into the adhesive. This is sometimes called “flash” time because this is when the excess water in the adhesive will “flash off” or evaporate. Working time, on the other hand, is the amount of time you have to completely cover that adhesive once you start installing. Both of these times are affected by temperature and humidity in the air and the porosity of the substrate, so don’t go just by the published time — there are specific ways of telling when the adhesive is ready.

The advantage to using a wet-set approach is that it allows the installer to move the tiles side to side to make a tight seam. This includes very high traffic areas where a hard setting adhesive is preferred, or cases of custom designs such as logos, small pattern elements or feature strips.

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Most solid vinyl flooring adhesive will be a one-part acrylic type, although a two-part epoxy is sometimes used in very high traffic commercial applications such as rolling loads, wet areas, or extremes of temperature. Spray adhesives are also growing in popularity for all types of resilient flooring. However, since trowel applied is still the most widely used, I’ll stay with that category for this column.

Many installers would prefer to install using a “pressure sensitive“ method, because adhesive can be spread in a large area at once and allowed to dry to the touch so that it is “tacky” — a similar process to VCT adhesive (but don’t use VCT adhesive on SVT!). This allows the installer to work on top of newly installed tile without concern of tile shifting as a result. Luckily, the adhesive technology has really improved over the years that the “LVT” category has taken off, so there are some really good adhesives available.

The other methods are a wet- or a semi-wet-set installation method, which may be preferred based on the product being installed or the circumstances of the project. In the case of wet-set adhesives, substrates are important because many wet-set adhesives do not work well on a nonporous substrate. Compared to a pressure sensitive adhesive, open time and working time are much shorter because the adhesive must not be allowed to dry. This usually means only about ten minutes before you start putting the tile in, so you’ll be spreading adhesive in much smaller areas and working off of the newly installed tile, not on top of it. Some installers will use “kneeling boards” on top of newly installed tile in these cases to eliminate the chance of shifting or denting the tile while adhesive is wet.

The wet-set method can be used with any of the products in the SVT category but is most often used with Class one Monolithic tile. This material is homogeneous, so it’s a uniform composition throughout with a very high vinyl content. These products are often used for their high-performance characteristics that include extreme durability, no need for finishes or waxes, and high level of stain resistance. Because of the high vinyl content, these products require a very hard setting adhesive to hold them in place with nice tight seams. This will often mean a wet-set installation method. If you are working with homogeneous solid vinyl, pay attention to the type of adhesive that is required and the adhesive application. Chances are these cannot be installed with a pressure sensitive method.

This is what I call a “finesse” installation that you really need to take your time with.

Cont’d.

Canada’s floorcovering magazine

21

INSTALLATION

Back to “LVT,” while it may be easier to work with the pressure sensitive method, sometimes the situation may require either a wet-set or a semi-wet-set installation. This includes very high traffic areas where a hard setting adhesive is preferred, or cases of custom designs such as logos, small pattern elements or feature strips. The advantage to a wet-set in these cases is that it allows the installer to move the tiles side to side to make a tight seam. With a pressure sensitive installation, this is not possible because the adhesive grabs the tile too quickly.

My preferred installation method for LVT installation is the semi-wet method, sometimes called “tacky-set.” This falls in between, allowing adhesive to dry completely and a total wet-set. In this case a 20- to 30-minute open time works well, so the adhesive has some “grab” but is still slightly wet so it’s a strong bond and allows some movement from side to side.

How do you tell the difference between the three methods?

Use your finger! For pressure sensitive, the adhesive will be dry to the touch when it’s ready to use; touch it with your

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finger there will be no adhesive transfer. For a wet installation, when you touch the adhesive you will have a smudge of adhesive on your finger. And for the tacky set method, when you touch the adhesive, you will see the ridges of the adhesive on your fingers.

To review, there are a variety of adhesives methods for installing Solid Vinyl Tile. Pay attention to the substrate conditions and use the proper trowel! When in doubt, check in with the flooring adhesive and/or flooring manufacturer for advice.

Christopher Capobianco has been in the floor covering industry since the 1970s in various roles including retail and commercial sales, technical support, consulting, journalism, education and volunteer work. He currently is part of the sales team for Spartan Surfaces in New York City. You can reach him via christopher@ SpartanSurfaces.com. *ASTM International: (877) 909-2786. www.ASTM.org

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SHOWS Continent’s largest tile and stone event heads to New Orleans

Coverings 2020

Coverings, the largest international tile and stone exhibition and conference in North America, has announced its next event is open for registration.

Coverings 2020 will be held in New Orleans, La., for the first time in more than 20 years, and take place April 20-23, 2020, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

The event will include more than 1,100 exhibitors from 40 countries and feature the latest tile and stone products, innovations, trends and educational opportunities.

For 30 years, the event attracts thousands of distributors, retailers, fabricators, contractors, specifies, architectural and design professionals, and builders and real estate developers who serve tile and stone industry. More than 26,000 are expected to attend in April, representing over 9,700 individual companies.

Pavilions will include suppliers from North America, Italy, Spain, Turkey and Brazil.

Coverings 2020 falls right before the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, also known as Jazz Fest, the popular annual celebration of New Orleans’ music and culture. Those who attend Coverings 2020 will be able to extend their time in The Big Easy to enjoy the much-anticipated music event and the city’s rich history of European traditions and Caribbean influences.

Attendees can reserve blocks of rooms in 20 official hotels located within a short walk or complimentary shuttle ride to and from the convention center. Blocks of rooms with partnered hotel properties can be secured by visiting the Coverings Hotel Search page online. Because Jazz Fest opens the last day of Coverings 2020, it is recommended that attendees and exhibitors book their hotels early.

Attendees who register in advance at www.coverings.com will receive benefits that include preliminary notices of key programs, access to breaking conference information, special promotions, and other opportunities only available with early registration.

Show visitors will have the chance to attend more than complimentary educational opportunities, many of which will include Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

From demonstrations and sessions to one-on-one experiences, Coverings’ educational offerings span all industry segments. Event programming and activations will include focuses on installation and fabrication, workforce and profits, and materials and trends.

Attendees can experience many kinds of learning experiences, including a live demonstration stage, Quickfire 20-minute and Engage one-on-one sessions, and a new Business Building Lab. Those who stay in official Coverings hotels not within walking distance to Coverings 2020 will be provided the benefit of complimentary shuttle service to and from the convention center. The official hotel options offer a range of rates and a variety of room and accommodation types.

By popular demand, The Stone Fabricators Alliance will once again be presenting “The Cage.” The Cage is a dynamic, wet fabrication area contained within the exhibition floor. Sponsors of the SFA will showcase new products that visitors can try themselves, and members of the SFA will have ongoing “Mini-workshops” where fabricators can get hands-on demonstrations on various fabrication techniques like top polishing and mitering.

In 2013, the show hosted the inaugural Advanced Certifications for Tile Installers (ACT) test. Since 2013, Coverings has served as an annual testing location for the ACT program. In 2008, Coverings hosted the inaugural Certified Tile Installer (CTI) test. Since 2008, Coverings has provided over $1 million US in support to the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation for certification and education and has served as an annual testing location for the CTI program.

Since 2010, Coverings has hosted the Installation Design Showcase, where the most talented and competent tile installers, including numerous CTI and ACT certified professionals, display their skills during the show, implementing cutting edge architecture and design concepts in tile.

Sponsors of the show are Ceramics of Italy/Confindustria Ceramica, Ceramic Tile Manufacturers Association of Spain, Tile Council of North America, National Tile Contractors Association and Ceramic Tile Distributors Association.

For more information visit coverings.com.

Canada’s floorcovering magazine 23

PRODUCTS Hardwood flooring sports waterproof technology

company’s hydrophobic sealant, which is applied to the top of the hardwood veneer to protect the plank from water damage. The floors are comprised of thick veneer that is wrapped around a stone plastic composite (SPC) waterproof core, whereby water evaporates before damage occurs to the veneer or subfloor. The SPC core is also rigid and resistant to impact. www.flooringcanada.ca

Aquadura H2O flooring from Flooring Canada features hardwood waterproofing technology. The product is available in 7.5-inch-wide planks with finishes that include smooth, bandsaw marks, wire brushing, reactive staining, high and low colour variation, and black and white accent graining. The flooring collections come in 36 hardwood looks, including pine, walnut, hickory and oak. The hardwood is waterproofed using the

Android wireless barcode scanner for dealers

The full integration of RollMaster inventory management software with Android’s handheld wireless barcode device has been announced. The development is said to make warehouse barcoding simpler, more affordable and more efficient for flooring dealers. The company launched the integration with an Android device, but the technology also works on iPhones and all other smartphones with the addition of an integrated barcode scanner attachment.

Android 6.0 OS 5.2-inch touch panel has a 1080P display and integrated 4000 mAh Li-ion battery. The integrated, waterproof Zebra SE4710 2D scanner for 1D, 2D and QR bar codes capture product data in milliseconds, has a wide field of view, omnidirectional scanning and can detect damaged or broken barcodes. www.rmaster.com

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January/February 2020

HYDROMATIC CURE CHEMISTRY

Universal spray adhesive for resilient flooring

wood underlayments (per the flooring manufacturer’s recommendations); concrete placed according to guidelines outlined in ASTM F710 and ACI 302.2; cement terrazzo; cement-based, self-leveling underlayments and patching compounds; and, only one layer of fully bonded ceramic tile, sheet vinyl or VCT. www.mapei.com

applications. The DWS product is made of glass-reinforced thermoset, cast-in-place, rigid composite engineered for impact resistance, slip resistance, wear resistance and long-term durability. Its lightweight design incorporates a panel of slip-resistant truncated domes designed to comply with ADA standards. Should the need arise, the tiles are also replaceable.

Available colours include: yellow, colonial red, brick red, safety red, black, gray and ocean blue. Dome spacing is 2.40 in. centre-to-centre, slip resistance is 1.03/ dry and 0.83/wet, compressive strength is 30,000 psi and sizes range from 2 x 3 feet to 3 x 5 feet. www.detectable-warning.com

Tactile warning products Ultrabond Spray RFA from Mapei is an provide safety surfaces aerosolized, water-based, acrylic adhesive designed for the installation of solid sheet vinyl, solid vinyl tile, luxury vinyl tile and vinyl composition tile (VCT). Its unique application method is said to provide bond performance equal to traditional trowel-applied adhesives while using Self-leveling compound considerably less material in much less Designed for fast track installations on time. The adhesive is rated for use when most substrates in interior areas such as the substrate temperature is between 10° Mar-Bal detectable warning systems apartment buildings, Schönox AP Rapid (DWS) AlertCast is an ADA-compliant and 32°C, and when the temperature of from HP Subfloors can be installed in product engineered for visually impaired the prepared concrete slab is at least small, well defined areas without or handicapped pedestrians. The product 2.8°C above the dew point (to avoid limitation. Product characteristics include: offers rigid composite material solutions condensation). Suitable substrates low emission based on Hybrid Active Dry with ‘tactile cues’ for either cast-in-place include: APA Group 1 and CANPLY 0121 Technology; low dust; self-leveling or surface applied construction and safety exterior-grade plywood; other approved suitable on underfloor heating systems; 2012-27796 - Taiga Coverings Magazine Stonewear 7.128x4.875

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percent less raw material than traditional ¾ in. solid hardwood products. www.ahfproducts.com

PRODUCTS

Black and silver granite

low shrinkage; pumpable; suitable for castor wheel loadings; and, layer thicknesses from 1/16 to ½ in. The product is suitable for filling, smoothing and leveling of substrates under flexible coverings and wood floor with layer thickness at least 1/8 in. Substrates can be concrete, cement, gypsum, and older floorings such as ceramic tiles, terrazzo and sheet vinyl/rubber/resilient floorcoverings, as well as old, water-resistant adhesive residues, OSB board and plywood (well screwed down and/or bonded). Specifications include: pot life approximately 30 minutes at 68°F; ready for foot traffic in 2 to 3 hours; ready for covering after 6 hours at ¼ in. thickness and after 24 hours at ½ in. thickness; and, working temperature of 41° to 90°F. www.hpsubfloors.com Polymer modified mortar for panel tiles

Ultimate 6 Plus from TEC Specialty is a polymer modified, full coverage mortar designed for the installation of ceramic, porcelain and natural stone tile. Unlike other mortars, the product is said to have a unique combination of features that allow grouting in 6 hours while providing extended open time. It is suitable for gauged porcelain tile panels/slabs and large heavy tile installations. The product 26

January/February 2020

is also said to significantly reduce the need for back buttering and has excellent non-sag/non-slump characteristics for wall and floor applications. Key features and benefits include approval for indoor glass applications with intermittent water exposure and for setting and tiling under and over uncoupling membranes. The mortar exceeds ANSI A118.4TE and A118.11 specifications, can be for interior/ exterior use and comes in 40 lb. moistureresistant bags. www.tecspecialty.com Engineered and solid wood collections

AHF Products has introduced engineered and solid hardwood flooring collections from Bruce — American Honor, Next Frontier, Early Canterbury and Blacksmith’s Forge engineered floors, as well as the refreshed Natural Choice solid hardwood series. The hickory Next Frontier collection includes wider planks, matte finish and 10 new, on-trend colours, and can be nailed, floated or glued down. Early Canterbury engineered floors feature five designs in hard maple.

Each plank feature 6½ in. wide x 48 in. random lengths and an aluminum oxide finish to protect against scratches and stains. Blacksmith’s Forge offers five colours in American Yellow Birch. The collection features an oiled, matte surface with the aluminum oxide finish. The engineered hardwood American Honor offers 3/8 x 6.5 in. wide planks, low gloss and colours that include muted browns, greys and natural tones in American red oak. The floors can be floated or installed with glue or nails. Natural Choice is 5/16 x 2¼ in. solid sawn white oak and uses 50

The hardness of Kosmus “A” black and silver coloured granite from the Stone Collection of Antonlini is said to give the material high performance for any use. Its elegant and simultaneously luxurious colouring makes it a very popular stone for those who want to convey a strong and sumptuous personality without giving up the feeling of elegance, the company says. The granite will benefit interior design when the taste for classic is not opposed by the desire to achieve creativity, it adds. The granite is suitable for both interior and exterior applications. www.antolini.com Resilient collection

Patcraft has launched its latest LVT collection, Mark Making. Inspired by the artistic application of mark making and the graphic technique of sketch, patterns are said to be brought to life with subtle movement, resulting in a textile quality.

The versatile resilient collection is available in 6 x 48 in. planks and 17 colourways ranging from subdued neutrals to energetic brights. Within the collection’s product design, hatches and dabs cluster together to create pattern and texture.

Featuring a 20-mil wear layer for durability, the collection is polish and buff optional for hassle-free maintenance, the company says. The 5 mm product construction allows for installation alongside carpet

without the need for transition and an ExoGuard+ finish provides enhanced scratch and stain resistance. www.patcraft.com Membrane provides sound abatement

fibres. Sound abatement can be over 6- and 8-in. concrete slabs and a variety of wood substrates. The product protects against reflective cracking and delamination and reduces live and dead load failures. It safely covers asbestos flooring and provides an effective barrier against radon and mold. The membrane also works with radiant-heated floors and tile warming systems. www.nacproducts.com Mixed Mediterranean stone tile collection

Super SAM 125 sound abatement membrane from NAC Products is designed for surfaces that require impact and audible sound reduction without a sound-rated ceiling assembly. The product is a 1/8 in. thick, self-adhering, sound deadening sheet membrane chemically formulated to reduce airborne (STC) and impact (IIC) sound transmission when used under hard surface flooring such as stone, ceramic and porcelain tile, and wood. The membrane is composed of modified elastomers, sound deadening resins and reinforced woven

The clé strata linea collection mimics the stone layering technique of Jordanian architect Rula Yaghmour. The collection of bundled stone tiles, quarried from the eastern Mediterranean, is a mix of ten types of stone. Included are travertine,

Jerusalem, beirzeit and Carrara offered in three different plank lengths and widths. www.cletile.com Deco look glazed porcelain tiles

The Barocco collection from Ege Seramik brings inkjet technology combined with design workmanship to give the illusion of a “framed and textured” decorative tile.

The pressed and glazed porcelain collection is available in a glossy or matte finish. The large format 12 x 24 ft and 24 x 24 ft tiles are complemented with the company’s smaller Versailles collection deco tiles. Because the Barocco collection consists of durable, hard-wearing tile that is easy to maintain, the company says, it is suitable for both residential and commercial applications. www.egeseramik.com

See it First. The Future of Tile & Stone is at Coverings April 20 – 23, New Orleans For more than 30 years, Coverings has been the preeminent ceramic tile & natural stone showcase in North America. With countless options for color, shape, and style, as well as providing high durability and value for applications indoors and out you’ll find tile & stone for any project from big budget to cost-conscious to LEED-certified. Only at Coverings can you experience the latest tile & stone trends and products from over 40 countries, network with industry peers, learn from over 50 educational opportunities, and gain connections that will help advance your career and business.

Attending Coverings is a proactive investment that will pay you back many times over with ideas and connections to position you for greater success.

See it first in New Orleans.

Register at no cost at Coverings.com #Coverings2020

Canada’s floorcovering magazine

27

BULLETS Current business highlights The total value of building permits issued by Canadian municipalities increased 1.0 percent year-over-year to $8.275 billion in October. —Statistics Canada The 2018 Canadian Housing Survey asked Canadians about their home, their neighbourhood and their housing hopes for the future. Most Canadian households (85.6 percent) were satisfied or very satisfied with their neighbourhood in 2018, but the level of satisfaction varied depending on where they lived. Just over one-third of households (35.0 percent) had moved within the five years prior to the survey. The most common reason for moving—reported by 9.7 percent of households—was to upgrade to a better-quality home. This was followed by moving to a more desirable neighbourhood (7.0 percent), becoming a homeowner (6.4 percent), moving because of a change in household size (6.3 percent) or to lower housing costs (5.0 percent).

—Statistics Canada Business conditions in the U.S. showed signs of improvement at architecture firms in October, as the ABI score rebounded to 52.0, following flat or declining billings for most of the year so far (a score over 50 indicates billings growth).

—American Institute of Architects Across the 34 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, 13.5 percent of people aged 65 and over are living in relative income poverty according to a new report. That term is defined as an income below half the national median equivalized household income. It is most prevalent in South Korea and China where almost 44 and 39 percent of retirees, respectively, are living in poverty. Canada comes in below the average at 12.1 percent, while The Netherlands is at the very opposite end of the scale with only 3.1 percent of its retirees struggling financially. —Statista/OECD The Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for manufacturing in Canada reached a nine-month high in November to 51.4. Any number above 50 indicates a positive outlook for economic activity. The global PMI was 50.4, a four-month high and the U.S. manufacturing outlook came in at 52.6, a seven-month high. —Markit Economics U.S. imports of hardwood flooring grew by 33 percent in September, having declined for each of the previous three months. Imports from Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia were all up sharply for the month. Imports overall are up by 7 percent, year-on-year. —ITTO 28 January/February 2020

The top three residential construction projects underway for Canada in October are in Vancouver and Burnaby, B.C., and Montreal, Que. Number one is the 1,750-unit $700 million Solstice condominium apartment in Montreal, followed by the 1,117-unit $182 million Lougheed Town Centre redevelopment in Burnaby and the 463-unit $100 million 375 E 1st Ave. mixed-use buildings project. —ConstructConnect Total e-commerce sales over the entire 2019 Thanksgiving weekend in the U.S. amounted to $28.4 billion US, with Cyber Monday alone accounting for $9.4 billion US of that total. That makes this year’s Cyber Monday the biggest online shopping day in U.S. history and the first to exceed $3 billion US in sales via smartphones. —Adobe Digital Insights While declining levels of trust in legal, technology, consulting and banking service providers are seen, top management trust in traditional publishers remains strong at 85 percent ‘very/somewhat’ trusted, a June global survey from Financial Times reports. Traditional publishers outrank other news outlets as the most trusted source for news and information. One in three trust broadcast networks and only 5 percent trust social media. —FT Barometer According to the Airline International Destination Satisfaction Study, among carriers flying from North America to Europe, Turkish Airlines ranks highest in passenger satisfaction with a score of 833. Virgin Atlantic (829) ranks second, while British Airways and Delta Air Lines (815) rank third in a tie. Air Canada ranks second to last in this category with a score of 787. —J.D. Power From 2010 to 2015, over 1.3 million students graduated with a postsecondary degree in Canada and entered the workforce. For every graduating class from 2010 to 2015, master’s degree graduates were making, on average, 40 percent to 47 percent more than undergraduate degree holders two years after graduation—a difference in median employment income ranging from $18,100 to $21,200. In 2014, two years after graduation, master’s graduates of 2012 had median employment income of $65,700, while undergraduate degree holders made $46,600. —Statistics Canada The U.S. Forest Service has found that 62 percent of sampled consumer goods containing wood — mostly imports — included labelling errors. Researchers examined 73 commercial wood products sold by major US retailers, comparing them with the Service’s reference specimens. —ITTO

EVENTS

ADVERTISERS

January 10-13 Domotex Hannover, Germany www.domotex.de/home

Accucut

January 13-19 IMM Cologne Cologne, Germany www.imm-cologne.com

Custom Building Products

Jan. 16 – 19 Interior Design Show Toronto, Ont. www.interiordesignshow.com January 21-23 KBIS Las Vegas, Nev. www.kbis.com

Mohawk

www.accu-cut.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

19

www.mohawkflooring.com. . . . . . . . .

10

NAC Products Inc.

Coverings’20 www.coverings.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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www.nacproducts.com.. . . . . . . . . . . . .

22

Proma

www. custombuildingproducts.com. . . . . . . .

31

Domotex Asia

www.proma.ca. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16, 17

Taiga Building Products www.taigabuilding.com.. . . . . . . . . . . .

www.domotexasiachinafloor.com.. . .

21

Floorotex

Tarkett USA Inc. www.tarkettna.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

www.floorotex.com.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Laticrete

13

25 32

TEC www.tecspecialty.com.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

www.laticrete.com.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

24

Mapei www.mapei.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5

TISE, The International Surfaces Event www.intlsurfaceevent.com. . . . . . . . .

2

11

January 27-30 The International Surface Event Las Vegas, Nev. www.intlsurfaceevent.com Jan. 28 Coverings Canada Night at TISE Las Vegas, Nev. Mar. 13 – 22 National Home Show Toronto, Ont. www.nationalhomeshow.com March 24 – 26 Domotex Asia ChinaFloor Shanghai, China www.domotexasiachinafloor.com April 20 – 23, 2020 Coverings New Orleans, La. www.coverings.com

JOIN CANADA’S INDUSTRY IN LAS VEGAS FOR CANADA NIGHT Join us on Tuesday, January 28th from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at The Border Grill, just off the TISE show floor.

You must be Canadian, eh!

Apr. 28 – 30 NWFA Expo Milwaukee, Wisc. www.nwfaexpo.org

Canada’s floorcovering magazine

29

THEN-AND-NOW Private school administration building opens up to the light

Office refresh THE HOME OF THE FEDERATION of Private Educational Institutions (Fédération des établissements d’enseignement privés, or FEEP), in Montreal, Que., has left the 1960s and joined the 21st century. Ill-suited to modern professional requirements, the old design cut staff off from each other with uncomfortable spaces to work in and collaborate.

Taktik design of Montreal was called in to redesign the FEEP headquarters completely, according to Andrée-Ann Daniels, an APDIQ-recognized interior designer at the firm. She was the project manager and co-design lead, along with Taktik’s Benoit Lachapelle.

“We tried to work with the existing materials, such as walnut wood on different ceilings and walls, terrazzo stairs and the stone that was on the entrance of the building to go with our green philosophy,” says Daniels.

Work on the FEEP project involved the second floor of the office building, with a new public reception area and spaces for the employees across the rest of the floor.

Different rooms have been opened up and connected to the central corridors, providing more light in these different areas and promoting points of contact. On the periphery, satellite offices now offer unassigned workstations, adapting the workplace to the new reality of teleworking.

In order for employees to work in closer collaboration, “we changed some of the workspace from individual rooms to a common room,” says Daniels. Beyond the entrance area at reception, flooring was replaced with vinyl tiles in a wood pattern or with carpet tiles. “The carpet can be changed easily in the future and is used in the meeting spaces to give a soft feeling and for acoustics.”

One of the major elements of this redesign is the transformation of the old library located in the heart of the building. This room, formerly dark and partitioned, has become a place bathed in natural light. Thanks to the abundant presence of glass walls, this area is now bridging the two main corridors. Previously completely separated, employees are now able to meet in these places to 30

January/February 2020 January/February 2020

discuss various subjects.

To continue the soft effect of the carpet in the space, felt is used on the walls and seating, a material that Taktik likes to employ in different ways. “We created an acoustic light fixture (from felt) for the meeting room that can host 10 to 12 people,” says Daniels. “It was to help with the acoustics while people were meeting and having a lot of discussions.

“We have an interior designer, a graphic designer and an industrial designer inside our firm so the fixture was the product of all of them.”

The FEEP office environment completed in October 2018 includes, among other things, two closed meeting rooms with varied capacities, as well as several open but intimate work areas.

“Everyone is really happy with the changes. The FEEP employees have more contact with each other throughout the day — it has really changed the feeling inside.”

The finished Then-and-Now project is featured on each issue’s cover.

Please submit project suggestions to news@wimediainc.ca.

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