March-April 2020 Coverings

Coverings CANADA’S FLOORCOVERING MAGAZINE

THEN-AND-NOW

Expo-era Montreal landmark warms up

March/April 2020

TAKING ACTION ON FLATNESS SPECS

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VINYL OPTION ALPHABET SOUP TISE AND DOMOTEX USA WRAPS

MARKETING or missing the

MARK? Mar-Apr 2020 Coverings.indd 1

Target young families with powerful sales stories — beyond price

2020-02-19 6:29 PM

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Coverings CANADA’S FLOORCOVERING MAGAZINE

THEN-AND-NOW

Expo-era Montreal landmark warms up

March/April 2020

TAKING ACTION ON FLATNESS SPECS

Page 30

VINYL OPTION ALPHABET SOUP TISE AND DOMOTEX USA WRAPS

MARKETING

VCT adhesives question answered; NAC new sales director; NWFA updates installation guidelines; track your service appointments in real time.

or missing the

MARK?

Target young families with powerful sales stories — beyond price

Mar-Apr 2020 Coverings.indd 1

Features 6 RU marketing or missing?

Quality story resonates even when resources are limited; education is key.

4 Commentary Chinese challenges are sure to affect Canada’s industry.

8 News

2020-02-19 6:29 PM

March/April 2020 Vol. 45, No. 2 www.coveringscanada.ca

12 Law Blood from a stone: Three ways the law helps with collections.

14 Design Show time! Trade events have a magnetic pull for sellers and buyers.

kknudsen@wimediainc.ca

Shows 15 TISE 2020

Steve King Associate Publisher

19 Domotex USA

Kerry Knudsen Editor and Publisher 647-274-0507

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: David Boyer

Excellence recognized at annual Las Vegas event for all floor coverings.

Industry gathers at second-annual Atlanta event.

20 Installation Clarifying vinyl options: The alphabet soup of resilient flooring terms.

Associations 18 Canadian Flooring, Cleaning and Restoration Association 22 National Floor Covering Association 24 Products Commercial carpet plank; acid resistant tile grout; unfinished engineered hardwood; cordless oscillator; surface warning system.

28 Bullets 29 Events and Advertisers 30 Then-and-now Brutalism from the ‘60s transformed into warm hospitality spaces.

ISSN 0848-8339 PUBLICATIONS MAIL SALES 2012 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 China’s world economy role in transtion

Pain and gain

IT WAS NOT MY FIRST TRIP TO CHINA, but likely my second or third, when I came back from dinner to find my room had been searched. It was very obvious. The carry-on had been moved from a shelf to the bed, a drawer was left open and some items from the bottom of the suitcase were now on top. Nothing was taken and nothing was damaged. It was just a very firm, “You aren’t in Canada anymore,” courtesy of the People’s Republic.

It was a few years earlier that I ran into Thomas Baert, president of ChinaFloor and co-owner and co-founder of Domotex Asia/Chinafloor (DACF) as I was patrolling the halls at Domotex in Hanover, Germany.

Kerry Knudsen Baert was a breath of fresh air — very frank about business in China and its pitfalls. “You don’t get what you EXpect in business in China,” he said. “You get what you INspect.”

It was at Baert’s invitation that I attended my first edition of DACF, but it was not long before I began incorporating another show, Interzum Guangzhou, into my trips, as traditionally took place the week after DACF and served the readership of Coverings’ sister magazine for furniture and millwork manufacturers.

I have always had mixed feelings about China.

On the one hand, I have the Canadian affection for rooting for the underdog, and China in the ‘90s was trying to break into an industrialized and sometimes politically antagonistic world market. On the other hand, China had a reputation for not playing by the rules and being very arbitrary in its acquisition of other people’s property.

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I had first witnessed this characteristic in Hanover at Ligna, a wood-products machinery show, as I watched groups of Chinese attendees walk around in tight groups, like a school of fish. I was curious and watched to see if any members of the group ever wandered off by themselves. If they did, I didn’t see it.

One day, I was following the group and witnessed it approach a booth in Hall 24. A few of the leaders engaged they staff on the booth, most of the group formed a wall between the booth staffers and the machines and two individuals got on their backs March/April 2020 March/April 2020

under the machines and started taking pictures. You can draw your own conclusions, but those days were the infancy of taking digital images and reverse-engineering specs and parts from images instead of samples.

I was pleased to observe U.S. President Donald Trump three years ago start holding China to account, and he quickly ramped up trade and tariff pressures to the point that it appeared for a while that there would be a total break in relationships.

That did not happen, but just when it appeared that there would be a final agreement and cooperation on trade, along came the coronavirus. This appears to be something for which China is simply not prepared.

As usual, there is controversy about China’s role in its own misfortune, and a few British publications are alleging that the coronavirus was the result of a biological warfare accident in Wuhan. Other pubs say that story has been “thoroughly debunked,” and the Russians are saying the U.S. did it to discredit China. I don’t know anything about it, other than we can expect this type of fingers-pointing-in-a-circle on every controversy from now on.

What does this mean for Canada? Unfortunately, it may be another wave of fiscal pressures we did not foresee. Trump may have calculated his hand under the then-existing circumstances, but vast areas of the U.S. economy are dependent on Chinese products — particularly in the areas of components and perishables. And don’t forget electronics.

The U.S. and Canada were lured through the ‘90s and beyond to jump on the Just-in-Time/Kaizen models of efficient supply. That means all those production lines are in jeopardy if supplies are curtailed. We have discussed this before in terms of labour actions, but this is bigger.

DACF and Interzum Guangzhou have been postponed indefinitely in the face of the coronavirus threat. These two represent hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenues, just for the venues, alone, not to mention every other Chinese show in every other sector.

In my view, this is going to get worse before it gets better, and if you are anticipating a good selling season in light of our positive building permits and other reports, be sure you have a grip on your prospective inventory. The trade picture may be dimmer than you think.

Comment at www.coveringscanada.ca

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RU

MARKETING or missing the

MARK?

Target critical 18-39ers with education — not price

THE JURY IS IN. NOTHING MATTERS BUT PRICE. RIGHT? Not so fast …. If you talk to today’s emerging generational markets, you will find, just as with young people through the ages, that much matters more than money. It’s just that you can’t act on your dreams without resources.

An aside before we continue – let’s not use “millennial,”“GenX,” etc. We are talking about young families, not “cohorts.” Buzz words are great for seminar barkers with glitter to sell, but if you’re thinking of your customers as a cohort you should be selling sneakers or deodorant.

So…. You can’t act on your dreams without resources.

Or can you? Jeanette Y. Martin owns B.C.-based MYBC Consulting. She recalls customers that had purchased $15,000 light fixtures or a $10,000 stove, only to put a hard limit allowing only the cheapest of floors. One, in particular, gave her a hard limit of $15.50 per square foot, installed, and it had to be black, double gluedown in a townhouse.

After hard searching and dealing, Martin came up with just the ticket: it was .8mm, it was about 15 years ago when everybody wanted a black floor, and this floor was black and it was on-budget. The only problem, she says, if that every time you looked at it, it was dented.

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It was dusty. She can’t recall how many boards she finally had to replace on the job, but she does recall the customer walking her into the powder room and showing her a $1,500 mirror.

“You know, I said, the issue we’re having with the floor, which is the most important aspect of your design… If I had $1,000 of that $1,500 mirrror to put into your floor, do you realize what I could have done?

Clearly, Martin reasoned, it was not whether her clients would spend money to get what they wanted; the problem was their not knowing what they really wanted. They had been falsely educated.

Looking at the matter more closely, Martin saw that her customers were voicing requests based on what they had seen on HGTV or in home-design magazines, or now on Instagram – all media that are heavily influenced in their content by advertisers, to include lighting, mirrors and appliances.

Another area of influence, Martin says, is in patterns as “design.” In the example of an area rug, she says, “Somebody may see a pattern they like at a friend’s house or in the media, and they may request it. However, there is a huge difference between the way that rug will look over time. The pattern you like from a big-box store may only last a season or two, the similar pattern from New Zealand or Australia may last a lifetime and a hand-knotted rug from Persia may last generations or longer.

“There is one particular pattern,” she says, “a linked chain.

You see it everywhere. I am so done with that pattern. But people want that one pattern because they have been shown what to want, and they want the pattern before the function. This is inherently backward.”

Organic materials have character, Martin says. A human body is organic. If we get a cut it can become a scar and the scar becomes a story. I have a gouge on my floor. It’s part of the floor and it has a story, and I can tell that story whenever it’s appropriate. “You don’t put laminate in your house to create value and story,” she says.

“When people look at television, the internet or design magazines, they are looking for inspiration. They are looking for inspiration, but they don’t understand the perspiration” that comes from seeking out products that not only fulfill the search for a style or pattern, but also fulfill the function of quality.

This is where the designer comes in, Martin says. The customers may come to the designer with a pattern and want a quote, but it’s up to the designer to say that the sample they are providing comes from Lumber Liquidators, it is low-quality and it won’t last.

We need to do much more education related to the reality of the production of the lowest-priced item out there. I think the 18- to 35-year-old would be very surprised at when a cheap laminate is made, how much is taken from the environment. The 18- to 35-year-old cares about the environment, cares about the carbon footprint, cares about disposability, cares about recycling. So if our generation is going to compete we need to bring about the awareness of what the 18- to 35-yearolds are educating themselves on now.

With the advent of social-media connections, that is where the education is going come. That will be their wake-up call, and that will determine their buying decisions.

Comment at www.coveringscanada.ca

This is critical, Martin says, because, whether we like it or not, today’s new homemakers have been educated to value recycling, to be concerned about climate change – carbon. These same people, she says, have seen their older generations buy based on value… on quality … and they can understand that buying goods that improve with time and last more than a season is environmentally responsible. But it’s up to the designers to get this message across.

Too many designers, Martin says, are content to give the customers what they say they want and then move on to the next customer.

Canada’s floorcovering magazine

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LETTERS Christopher, A customer asked me what would happen if we used VCT adhesive on VET? I was researching online and came across your article, “Vinyl tile confusion.” Just wondering if you have any insight?

Scott Lippman, President/Owner IRA Sales Associates Hello, Scott Always nice to hear from one of my readers!

If the reason for changing is cost savings, make sure that you do the calculation based on the spread rate of the more expensive adhesive. In other words, “per square foot” cost, not “per pail.” Many times, the premium adhesives cover more floor, so the cost per square foot is comparable or less than a less expensive adhesive with a smaller spread rate.

As far as switching, I’m old-school when it comes to the subject of adhesive.

I have always been a big believer that you use the manufacturer brand adhesive, or the manufacturer recommended adhesive for the specific product that you are putting down. To me, we’re talking about minimal square foot cost savings to switch to a less expensive adhesive.

The problem is, in those rare cases when there is a failure and the adhesive is called into question, do you wind up with a lot of finger-pointing if you change the spec. When you use the manufacturer brand adhesive, it’s single source, single manufacturer warranty.

That said, in the case that you are discussing, it would be up to the manufacturer of the VCT adhesive to honor the warranty for their product under the VET. So, if you’re going that route, write to the adhesive manufacturer with the brand of the tile you’re installing and the substrate you are going over. Ask them if they will warrant that application.

I hope this is helpful!!

Christopher Capobianco

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NEWS Correction: In the January/February 2020 issue of Coverings, we reported that a worker cut his finger when a stone saw slipped. In fact, it was a router that slipped.

The story was accurate based on information we had at the time, but the offending tool was a router.

NAC names sales director Akron, Ohio-based NAC Products has named David deBear its director of architectural and commercial sales. A veteran of the flooring industry for more David deBear than 25 years, deBear will work to further NAC’s architectural program focusing on increasing specifications within the design community for NAC’s crack isolation, sound control and waterproofing membrane systems. He previously served as the national business development manager for Huntington Beach, Calif.-based Custom Building Products. The addition of deBear to the NAC team follows the promotion of Meredith Peffer to general manager and David Hanna as director of marketing.

Desjardins partners with Reno-Assistance Financial services firm Desjardins of Levis, Que., is now the majority shareholder of Toronto, Ont.-based Reno-Assistance, a company that pairs clients with reliable contractors who can execute large-scale residential or commercial renovation projects. The company now has Eric Perigny

a pool of over 1,000 residential and commercial construction professionals and contractors. Desjardins is also supporting the company’s plan to increase its footprint outside of where it currently has most of its business — Greater Montreal, Greater Toronto and the Quebec City region. Reno-Assistance president and founder Eric Perigny founded the company in 2010 after experiencing problems of his own with contractors and renovations that ended up costing him $50,000.

Lumber Liquidators announces leadership change Richmond, Va.-based Lumber Liquidators has announced that Dennis Knowles has resigned as president and c.e.o. and as a member of the Dennis Knowles board of directors.

The board has appointed Charles Tyson, the company’s chief customer experience officer, as interim president and principal executive officer. Knowles’ duties will be divided between Tyson and Nancy Walsh, the company’s chief financial officer, while the board of directors conducts a chief executive officer search of internal and external candidates. Tyson also will remain the chief customer experience officer. Tyson joined the company in June 2018 after serving in several key senior executive roles for Advance Auto Parts of Raleigh, N.C., as that company’s chief customer experience officer.

Halifax ferry port renovation includes flooring

The ferry port area of Halifax, N.S., a regional municipality in eastern Canada

and the provincial capital of Nova Scotia, has had renovation work completed that is designed to improve passenger movement efficiency and greater customer service. The work, carried out in three different phases, has seen the involvement of Caesar, the Spezzano di Fiorano, Italy, firm responsible for supplying the ceramic floor tile material for the ferry terminal’s Alderney Gate pedestrian walkway. The new space has also been restructured with a more effective air-conditioning system and the creation of three separate waiting areas, each with accessible seating.

NWFA publishes updated installation guidelines The National Wood Flooring Association has published a new edition of the NWFA Wood Flooring Installation Guidelines. The new publication represents the most comprehensive revision of the installation guidelines since they were first published in 1988. Topics include evaluating job site conditions, subfloor preparation, proper installation techniques, guidelines for moisture testing, fastener schedules and radiant heat installations.

Highlights include architectural CAD drawings to enhance learning and clarify descriptions; photographs to provide visualizations and to make the guidelines multilingual; updated and improved artwork and illustrations; and, responsible parties have been clearly defined, and include obligations for each.

New technology tracks service appointments A technology application called PinPoint is said to now take the guesswork out of service delivery and helps ensure customer satisfaction when receiving assistance from the trades. The application from PinPoint Technology of Akron, Ohio, tracks Nick Began technicians’ progress on service appointments, allowing contrac-

tors to provide narrower service windows so customers are there and happy when trades arrive. It offers real-time visibility to truck locations on route and on the job, and can give customers automated, accurate arrival times. Nick Began, partner with PinPoint Technology, says the technology is suitable for companies in the stone and tile industry, as well as other customer-facing businesses such as those in cabinets, carpet, HVAC, plumbing, residential deliveries, painting, appliance, electric and pest control.

the several hundred-million-dollar range today. After turning around the Toronto facility, he presided over continued expansion, first in Canada, with the purchase and upgrade of the Grand Forks, B.C., facility in 1999 and later building a new production line in Milton.

In 2014, a Mississippi factory was opened, which expanded further in 2017 with the onset of Rockfon acoustic ceiling material production. And in early 2021, operations will start at the West Virginia factory, marking the fifth North American production line.

Coronavirus leads Ikea to close China stores Sweden’s Ikea has announced that it has temporarily closed all its stores in China because of the outbreak of the coronavirus. The decision to close all of its 30 stores follows an earlier announcement from world’s biggest furniture retailer that it was closing around half of its stores and shortening opening hours.

Waterproof hardwood wins design award AHF Products of Mountville, Penn., has announced that its Hydropel waterproof hardwood flooring from Bruce has been honoured with a 2019 Good Design

Moss succeeds Ogilvie as Rockwool president Milton, Ont.-based Rockwool Group, the world’s largest manufacturer of stone wool used in applications such as building insulation and acoustic ceilings, has announced that Trent Ogilvie, president of Rockwool North America, has elected to retire after 25 years. The company has also announced that Rory Moss, who currently serves as managing director, Rockwool Nordics, will step

Rory Moss

Award. Founded in Chicago in 1950, Good Design is an internationally-recognized program for design excellence.

Hydropel is an engineered hardwood flooring infused with proprietary technology to resist water for up to 36 hours. Hydropel is built with a unique core technology which AHF Products has termed ultra-high density fibreboard.

This construction is said to be denser and more water resistant than typical plywood or high density fibreboard cores, the company says, and helps protect against everyday spills, wet mopping or even pet accidents from absorbing into the wood or leaking between planks into the subfloor.

Trent Ogilvie

into the role of president, Rockwool North America effective April 1st, 2020.

Ogilvie built up the North American business from a small, unprofitable operation with 60 employees in 1995 to one with 1,000 employees and sales in

Ware Malcomb announces expansion in Canada Ware Malcomb, an international design firm, has opened a second office in Canada in downtown Toronto, Ont. The company’s Vaughan, Ont., office will continue to operate. Ware Malcomb first

Canada’s floorcovering magazine

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NEWS entered the Canadian market in 2007 through an acquisition. Ware Malcomb principal Frank Di Roma has led the growth and diversification of the firm’s business in Canada since 2010 and will continue in this role overseeing both offices. In addition, Christina Kolkas, Ware Malcomb director, interior architecture & design, will be leading the Frank DiRoma growth, development, operations and studio management of the new Toronto office, as well as continue to lead the Vaughan Interiors Studio.

Specializing in architecture, planning, interior design, branding and civil engineering design for commercial real estate and corporate clients, Christina Kolkas the firm has completed over 700 projects in the greater Toronto area and beyond. The firm currently has active projects in five other provinces across Canada.

FCEF board tackles installation crisis The Dalton, Ga.-based Floor Covering Education Foundation (FCEF), a newly formed, non-profit organization dedicated to the recruitment, scholarship and placement of professional floorcovering installers, has announced its board of directors. With representatives from retailers, training organizations, advocacy groups, distributors, and manufacturers, the new board members’ collective expertise will strengthen the FCEF and ensure the foundation’s power to overcome the skilled installer labour crisis that affects the flooring industry.

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Spearheaded by the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA), the FCEF’s initiative “We are Part of the Solution” is an industry-wide collaboration to remedy the installer shortage.

Scott Humphrey The FCEF Board of Directors includes: Scott Humphrey, WFCA c.e.o.; Ken Jackson, Shaw Industries Group; Karen Mendelson, Mohawk Industries; Jeff Honkonen, Engineered Floors; Geoff Gordon, Fuse Commercial Flooring Alliance; Joe Yarbrough, The Carpet and Rug Institute; Robert Varden, International Certified Flooring Installers Association; Dean Thompson; The Resilient Floor Covering Institute; Kevin Gammonley, North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors; Michael Martin, National Wood Flooring Association; Bart Bettiga, National Tile Contractors Association; Deb DeGraaf, WFCA chair; and, Don Roberts, retail representative.

Ardex Academy announces training schedule Ardex Americas has announced its 2020 training schedule for the Ardex Academy in Delta, B.C. The following courses are now open for registration: March 4, 5 — Ardex Polished Concrete Systems; March 24, 25, 26 — Tile & Stone Installation Systems — Module 1; May 26, 27.

28, 2020 — Tile & Stone Installation Systems — Module 2; July 28, 29, 30,

September 22, 23, 24 and November 24, 25, 26 — Moisture Control (each month has different course lineup). Register at https:// bit.ly/2SJq0Bb. Ardex Academy training is also available in Mississauga, Ont.

NFCA welcomes Armstrong as new member National Floor Covering Association of Canada (NFCA) based in Surrey, B.C., welcomes Armstrong Flooring as a new member, supporting quality assurance and best practices in Canada’s floor covering industry. NFCA installation standards are detailed in the Floor Covering Reference Manual, with 11 architectural specification guides included, detailing proper procedures for the installation of resilient, carpet, hardwood, laminate, bamboo and cork floor coverings. NFCA also provides unbiased, professional floor inspection services for the commercial floor covering industry.

Faller joins Fuse Alliance Fuse Alliance, a member-owned, Parker, Colo.-based organization of professional commercial flooring contractors, announced today that concrete expert Jennifer Faller has joined the network as a consultant.

With more than 20 years of experience in the concrete polishing industry across North America, Faller provides Jennifer Faller consulting services and solutions for horizontal hard surfaces and concrete.

Her company, Concrete In-Site of Philadelphia, Penn., offers on-site quality management, site inspections, productivity and quality improvement recommendations, slip resistance and slab finish quality testing and documentation, product testing and development, specification review, SOW design and bid review prior to submittal along with other services. Fuse Alliance represents 115 companies in more than 180 locations across the U.S. and Canada, accounting for approximately $1.7 billion US in sales and services.

LAW Three ways the law helps with collection

Blood from a stone The last thing a creditor would want, after spending significant time and money in suing a debtor, is a “paper judgment” worth no more than the paper it is printed on. The term is often used to describe a judgment that cannot be enforced in any practical way.

Steps should be taken prior to commencing an action to determine whether a debtor may be “judgmentproof.” A judgment may be unenforceable because the debtor has no assets to pay the judgment or has hidden or encumbered assets so that they cannot easily be found, let alone seized. Does the defendant own any assets of value? Are the asAngela Kwok sets outside of Ontario, for example, or otherwise hidden in other jurisdictions? Is the defendant bankrupt, or on the verge of bankruptcy?

One of the reasons that these issues should be considered at the beginning of the litigation process is because judgments are not self-enforcing. A creditor will not be automatically paid after obtaining judgment. Three of the most common methods available to enforce judgments will be discussed.

Garnishment A judgment creditor may issue a garnishment notice and serve it on a third party who owes money to the debtor (known as the “garnishee”). The garnishment is a court order that orders the garnishee to pay to the judgment creditor instead of the debtor, and can be effected on various sources of income of the debtor, including wages (the Wages Act allows 20 percent of net wages to be seized), bank accounts, mortgage payments to the debtor, and accounts receivable of the debtor.

In order for monies to be garnished from a debtor’s bank account, a creditor would need to

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know the institution(s) where the debtor has accounts, and serve the garnishment notice on those institutions. Likewise, a creditor would need to know where the debtor is employed in order to serve the employer and garnish a portion of the debtor’s wages.

When a garnishee is served, the garnishee is obliged to pay to the sheriff the sum set out in the garnishment notice, or the sum owed to the debtor if it is less than the garnishment amount. The garnishment notice binds debts owed by the garnishee to the debtor at the time the notice is served, and any debt due within six years after the notice is served.

Writ of seizure and sale A judgment creditor may file a writ of seizure and sale (also known as a “writ of execution”) with the sheriff of the district where the debtor has assets. There is no centralized file of all writs in the province, which means that writs of execution will need to be filed in more than one district, one in each district where the debtor is believed to have assets. Writs of execution are enforceable for six years and must be renewed thereafter.

There are two main ways that a writ of execution may assist a creditor in getting money. First, the creditor may direct the sheriff to seize and sell real and personal property of the debtor, if the asset can be identified with sufficient particularity, subject to certain exceptions. The net proceeds would be distributed rateably among all judgment creditors who have filed writs in that district. However, some assets of the debtor are exempt from seizure. Second, third parties who conduct business with the debtor often search executions to assure themselves that the debtor has good credit, and if they find that a writ of execution is outstanding, the debtor may be pressured to pay off the execution creditor.

For example, third parties who purchase real property from the debtor may not wish to proceed with the transaction unless the debtor pays off the execution.

Examination in aid of execution An examination in aid of execution (also known as a “judg-

ment debtor examination”) is an investigative tool that allows a creditor to find out the extent, nature, and location of the debtor’s assets, as well as potential future income, which may be available to satisfy the judgment. A creditor is permitted to ask about the debtor’s assets, liabilities, obligations, income, employment information, banking information, income sources, debts owed by others, etc. With that information, the creditor can then use other enforcement tools to seize those assets.

A creditor is entitled to ask about assets that the debtor has disposed of, either before or after the judgment was rendered. If the debtor has transferred assets with the intent of defrauding creditors, the creditor may attack the transfer as a fraudulent conveyance under the Fraudulent Conveyances Act. The court will consider the intentions of the debtor and others involved in the transfer, and consider “badges of fraud” that lead to an inference that the transaction is tainted, including: the debtor disposed nearly all assets shortly before the execution of a judgment, the price paid for the asset is below market value, and the asset was transferred to a close relative or friend.

A successful fraudulent conveyance claim may result in a court order that sets the transaction aside, vesting title in the debtor again, allowing the creditor to seize the asset in satisfaction of its judgment. While this procedure is available to protect creditors, the process can be expensive and time consuming.

Enforcement methods will only be effective if the debtor has assets that can be found and seized. Enforcement efforts will be more expensive and difficult if the creditor is purposely

hiding assets and keeping them out of reach from execution. Finally, it is important to consider the amount of the judgment in deciding whether it is worth spending the time and money to enforce. Are you going to be throwing

good money after bad? These are questions litigants should consider early on in the litigation process.

Angela Kwok is a lawyer at Lawrences in Brampton, Ont.

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Canada’s floorcovering magazine

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DESIGN Innovation, competition and personalities on display

Show time!

I have been going to trade shows for a long time. As a product designer, I’m especially interested in products, and trade shows offer the most intense new-product-immersion experience there is. The shows I go to, furniture, interiors, architecture, lighting, equipment, boats, autos and so on, usually have a design element to them. Design doesn’t necessarily drive these markets, but it definitely plays a role. And the design element is my element.

I went to my first show as a design student and my last one only a short while ago. I’ve gone to shows in many places in North America, Europe and Asia, and I imagine I’ll keep going as long as I can. I actually remember that first show more clearly Paul Epp than the more recent ones. They do start to resemble each other at some point along the way. But some of us remain committed. I recall seeing the same designers, my senior colleagues, at show after show, as they got frailer and greyer, and further removed from the action.

Now I guess that’s me too.

What do I get out of them? The principal benefit is the opportunity and even the requirement to look at things more closely. It’s like an ongoing informal critique. The proximity of the booths allows for an immediate comparison and that’s probably why trade shows remain a marketing force in our current era of on-line shopping. We get to compare the market’s various iterations, sit in the chair, flick the switch, query the staff and have a real experience rather than only a virtual one.

Much of what is shown closely resembles other competing products. That’s kind of how markets work. The most successful product is copied, and other choices fade away. There are usually a few exhibitors, and usually the smaller ones, who are trying something new, hoping to hit that home run, and then, inevitably and regrettably, being copied in turn. Some companies distinguish themselves through a focus on design, others on service, others

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on price, as it has always been.

When I was a child, the interschool track meets were the occasion to see and be seen. They were exhilarating and exciting. And with greater luck, a visit to the county fair gave a broader experience. This is when a community gathers both to celebrate and to learn. Individual markets are also a community. When we get together it’s kind of exciting and we tend to make a bit of an effort. We may dress up and we may adopt a more positive and outgoing persona. Even we introverts act less that way. We’re on display, even as attendees. And that can make for pretty good people-watching. There will be a mix of characters: the hard-nosed businessmen, the fast-talking salespeople, the deliberately anonymous, the young and beautiful, all playing their parts.

I’ve participated from almost every angle. I’ve been an attendee, of course, as well as an exhibitor. I’ve been media and I’ve been a juror. I’ve been a featured speaker and I’ve won awards (and been passed over, too). I’ve done the I&D (installation and dismantle) myself and I’ve even been threatened with violence by show staff. I’ve designed a lot of booths and some of the show strategies. I’ve helped produce shows as a board member. I’ve dealt with customs and brokers and government departments, while participating in other countries. I’ve hired staff and let them go. I think I’ve had the full experience.

Are the shows worth it? That is usually a tough question. As an exhibitor, there is seldom the immediate gratification of a sale and as an attendee, of a purchase. But it is exposure and if you’re not known, or don’t know, then how or when is there eventually going to be a transaction? That’s the pragmatic answer. Another one is that these shows are also a celebration of the community they represent. And that’s important too, even if it’s hard to find on a balance sheet.

Now, I make a point of encouraging and applauding the new companies. I’m very gratified to see these young people taking the risks and putting in all the big work to be a player, however small, in a market. It’s never easy and without youth and its naiveté, new things would not get done and I’m sure glad they are.

Show me!

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

SHOWS Floorcovering industry recognizes excellence

TISE 2020 Las Vegas Composed of three world-class tradeshows — Surfaces, StonExpo/Marmomac and TileExpo events — The International Surface Event (TISE) held in Las Vegas, Nev., is the largest North American floor covering, stone, and tile industry event, and was the venue in January for the floorcovering industry

Approximately 75 Canadians met Thursday night after the show at The Border Grill for networking, hors d’oeuvres and to show the colours in the States. The general sense was they will all be back again next year. to do business and be recognized for excellence.

The winners of the 2019 Pinnacle Awards were announced during the Natural Stone Institute Awards Ceremony at TISE. Twenty-two projects were honoured with awards of excellence. The 2019 Grande Pinnacle Award was presented to Pei Cobb Freed and Partners based in New York, N.Y., for its work on the detailed stone-clad lobby of 7 Bryant Park, a thirty-story office building in Midtown Manhattan. Mocha Crème limestone was used for the walls and Moleanos limestone for the floors, with accents of Calacatta Caldia marble and

Stephen Falk (centre), Stone Truss Systems accepted the Grande Pinnacle award on behalf of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners during the Natural Stone Institute Awards Ceremony at TISE. He is pictured with Veronafiere’s Chiara DeLuca (left) and 2019 Natural Stone Institute president Greg Osterhout of Northern Stone Supply.

Jet Mist granite. Canadian company Polycor of Quebec City, Que., won a Pinnacle award for its work on the Grande Arche de la Defense in Paris, France, in the Mapei-sponsored Commercial Exterior category.

Also announced at TISE 2020 was Schluter Systems of Plattsburgh, N.Y., winning seven CLEARselect Most Preferred Products awards. The awards are presented by Troy, Mich.-based Clear Seas Research to companies that achieve an outstanding level of brand preference among industry professionals. For contractors, Schluter won the Most Preferred Brand for Crack Isolation Products, Waterproofing Membranes, Linear Drains, Preformed Shower Structures, and Best Installation Tips and Training. For architects, it won for Crack Isolation Products, and Preformed Shower Structures.

Coverings magazine and The International Surfaces Event (TISE) hosted Canada Night on January 28th at the Border Grill for all Canadians attending TISE. Approximately 75 Canadians attended the event, and enjoyed drinks and hors d’oeuvres compliments of the hosts and the opportunity to network with each other. This was the 5th annual Canada Night event and Canadian attendees have expressed their appreciation for being recognized at TISE. Charlene and Shawn van Someren from the Decorating Store in Thunder Bay, Ont., thanked us for putting on the event because they, “appreciate being recognized at TISE and are able to get together and network with fellow Canadians.”

TISE will return to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas from January 25 to 28, 2021.

Schluter Systems North America president and c.e.o. Marco Ludwig with the company’s Most Preferred Products awards.

Mohawk announced its support for The Ocean Cleanup, a non-profit organization dedicated to filtering plastics from the oceans. The alliance is a natural one for Mohawk, whose carpets are produced with fibres made from recycled PET bottles.

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CFCRA Looking forward to courses, conference, new standards

Spring training

The CFCRA is a shareholder of the Institute of Inspection Cleaning Restoration Certification (IICRC). This drives the purpose of holding the association together. We can be privy to the latest information being gathered in the industry and we are creating some leadingedge industry standards.

This year, two new classes are being hosted by the CFCRA. First, on April 14 and 15 at Mr. Chemical in Vaughan, Ont., we will be holding the first ever IICRC Resilient Floor Maintenance Technician (RFMT) class. This class has been stalled so many times.

It is the first IICRC class put together by a group of flooring manufacturers and distributors.

Lee Senter, The RFMT class will be considCFCRA President ered an intermediate level class that will explore the characteristics of over 20 flooring types. The class will help determine the flooring type so that a technician will be able to determine the correct equipment and cleaning solutions to employ for regular maintenance and for deep cleaning methods.

The presentation, the manual and the syllabus are all a product of the flooring manufacturers. They feel that for some reason floor cleaning technicians clean all floors the same way and are significantly reducing the life cycle of the floors. The instructors are Stan Hulin and Don Styka from Tarkett. Remember: CFCRA members can attend, two for the price of one.

On May 4 and 5 we have the British invasion happening. Paul Pearce will be lead tutor for a specialty fiber-cleaning class presented by the WoolSafe organization. This class will cover the cleaning of viscose, wool, silk, tencel, bamboo fibers and blends thereof.

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It is always strange how these fibers are pushed by the designers with little or no thought paid on how to maintain these very expensive rugs and broadloom. Paul is an internationally renowned expert on cleaning fine fibers and I personally cannot wait to sit down and learn from him for a day.

There will also be a one-day, Woolsafe class with the WoolSafe resident expert on cleaning chemistries, Dr. Agnes Zsednai, being one of the lead instructors. I worked with Agnes for a few months on the subject of cleaning chemistries and she will give you the straight goods.

The CFCRA is pleased to help promote the Canadian Sustainability Conference this April. I will be one of over 20 speakers at the conference. I would encourage everyone to attend and hear from some of the best in the business.

Lastly, there is a lot happening in the world of flooring standards. The IICRC S220 Standard for Hard Floor Inspection will be out for public review in March. When this standard is finished, we will be launching the S230 Standard for Substrate and Subfloor Inspection. If you are interested in participating in this standard’s development, feel free to reach out.

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

SHOWS Education and inspiration in Atlanta

Domotex USA wrap Following three days of highly targeted, business-oriented educational sessions and displays from floor covering companies, the second annual Domotex USA closed on Feb. 7.

A reported total of 101 flooring and floor covering technology suppliers from more than 12 countries unveiled their latest products across 39,800 square feet of exhibition space in Atlanta. From top U.S.based floor covering manufacturers to new international exhibitors and installation technology providers, the innovations that were on display at Domotex USA designed to inspire the flooring industry in 2020 and well beyond.

“We broadened our partnerships with key floor covering and design industry associations to triple our educational offerings and to launch accredited continuing education sessions at this year’s event,” said Larry Turner, president and CEO of Hannover Fairs USA (HFUSA), the organizer of the event.

“Though we faced some global challenges around this second iteration of our show, we are committed to Domotex USA’s success.”

Steve Kleber, with Kleber and Associates, voiced some concerns: “While the inaugural event in 2019 welcomed some 280 exhibitors from 25 countries,” he said, “this year’s show floor was surprisingly sparse. Only around 90 exhibitors displayed their products and solutions, and booth traffic was tepid during the opening day of exhibits.

It’s true that a number of manufacturers and attendees from China were unable to make it to Atlanta due to the coronavirus quarantine. However, that alone doesn’t explain the lackluster attendance.

K&A engaged with several exhibitors who believed the scheduling of the show — so close to the International Builders’ Show and Surfaces — could have contributed adversely.”

Domotex USA 2021 is slated to take place at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta from March 1-3.

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INSTALLATION WPC? SPC? LVT? SVT? VET? VCT?

Clarifying vinyl options I spoke at a presentation for a large flooring contractor recently about a variety of flooring in the resilient category, especially vinyl and rubber. After the meeting, one of the industry veterans in the group pulled me aside.

“Christopher, we have a lot of new people here, and they may be shy about asking a lot of questions. I think a lot of the lingo around vinyl flooring is unfamiliar to them. You should put together a short course like Vinyl Tile 101 to clarify it all.” A few weeks later, I was asked to clarify the difference between WPC and SPC and I realized this may be a good subject for me.

I am a long-time member of Christopher ASTM Committee F.06 on Resilient Capobianco Flooring, where the industry standards for this category are created.

As such, I am a bit of a terminology geek and these days, the terminology around “Vinyl Tile” has never been more confusing.

Let’s start with glue-down products and the ubiquitous marketing term Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT).

There are two ASTM product standards; Vinyl Composition Floor Tile (VCT) and Solid Vinyl Floor Tile (SVT). There is no category called LVT, a term that is sometimes applied to products that are VCT and sometimes as SVT. The difference? SVT has a higher vinyl content and thus, different performance characteristics than VCT. SVT is less porous, which makes for easier maintenance, but also requires a different adhesive because they have a vinyl back. Regardless of which resilient flooring you work with, most of the rules are the same — site conditions, product acclimation, and substrate preparation/testing don’t change from one product to another.

An area where I still see a lot of mistakes being made is adhesive selection, application and open time. Follow the rules for adhesive selection and

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proper trowel notch; it’s easy to assume that the same adhesive works on similar looking products, but that often is not the case because of differences in product backings.

Pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) is the most commonly used adhesive for vinyl. Back in the day, we had “clear thinspread” for VCT when the industry was moving away from black, “cutback” adhesive. Installers like PSA for the long open time and working time that allow adhesive to be spread in a large area, turn clear and tack-up so the installer can work on top of the newly installed tile without any risk of tile shifting or adhesive oozing. SVT products can sometimes be installed with a PSA, but don’t be tempted to use VCT adhesive on SVT. It’s a different formulation that doesn’t always work on vinylback products.

Another method is wet-set — adhesives with short open time, so the tile is set while the adhesive is still wet. Homogeneous SVT often requires this type and vinyl back tile and plank in high traffic areas may also. Although harder to work with, they set very hard, which keeps the tile in place over the long term. In even more extreme conditions, twopart reactive adhesives such as epoxy or polyurethane work best in areas with high rolling loads or point loads, surface moisture or wide temperature variations.

An option that I prefer for vinyl-back tile and plank is semi-wet- or tacky-set adhesive that is left open long enough that it develops some tack, is still somewhat wet, but is not open long enough to turn clear. The best way to tell it’s ready is to touch it lightly with a finger. If you get a smudge on your finger, it is not ready. If you see lines from the trowel notching, it is. This method still gives some very good bond strength to the finished floor, but is easier to do than wet-set.

Finally, I’ll stress one more time that the proper trowel is critical. READ THE CAN to see what size notch you need and replace the trowels as they wear down. A good trowel costs pennies per square foot and that is an important investment.

The category of “floating” products has really exploded in recent years. In the mid 1990s, laminate floors became popular because they required so much less floor preparation than

vinyl. The early products were a tongue-in-groove construction with adhesive applied at the joint. Later, clever inventors in Europe gave us “click” products: a unique, tonguein-groove design allowed the planks or tiles to fit together without adhesive, and this type of construction started to be used in engineered wood and bamboo, in addition to laminates. Then other products with HDF (high-density fiberboard) cores came out with different such materials on top as cork, and later, linoleum and vinyl.

About 12 years ago, I saw the first “click” vinyl, which looked like a typical vinyl plank, but thicker, so the core of the material could be produced with the “click” tongue-in-groove joint. Then came WPC (wood-plastic composite), and things really started to take off as these products started getting marketed as “waterproof.”

WPC refers to the core of the material. This is a mixture of plastic and wood or bamboo powder, sometimes called woodplastic core or waterproof core, but the correct term is wood plastic composite. These products generally have four layers — a cork backing, WPC core, printed film vinyl layer and clear wearlayer. The attached backing makes for easier installation compared to laminates that require a separate underlayment.

They have great acoustic characteristics that have made them very popular for high-rise residential projects.

More recently a category called SPC arrived, which is similar to WPC but with a different core and a syntheticcushioned backing instead of cork. Both of these variations in construction make this product generally less expensive than WPC, but there are some performance differences as well. SPC stands for Stone Plastic Composite, or Stone Polymer Composite, which is basically pulverized limestone and vinyl resin, similar to VCT. WPC is softer under foot than SPC and has better acoustic performance. SPC and WPC products often get grouped together as rigid-core. I covered this category in my column Waterproof Floors last July. The important points for me are flatness and dryness. The term waterproof can be dangerous if you are going over a damp concrete floor and assume there will not be an issue. The material may be waterproof but there can be problems with trapped mois-

ture under the floor and elevated alkalinity levels that come with it. Substrate flatness continues to be an issue for click floors of all kinds because if there is a dip in the substrate that causes the floor covering to move up and down, the tongue of the click joint can break and cause the floor to fail. Another point I learned since last July is that some products have very specific requirements for the direction of installation. I had a problem on a floor that was installed backwards with work progressing from right-to-left instead of left-to-right as per the installation guidelines.

Lastly, the category known as loose-lay vinyl is starting to gain in popularity because of ease of installing and removing the tile, and smoother transitions to adjacent carpets. As opposed to multilayer click products, these are square-edge vinyl tile and plank products that are thicker and heavier than glue-down products and have a textured backing to hold the tile in place.

Most are adhered around the perimeter or in a grid and the remainder of the tile is laid loose. Sometimes, installers adhere the entire floor and some new products have a backing of microscopic suction cups that hold the tile in place with no adhesive at all.

It’s hard to keep up with the new products that seem to come at us all the time. As dealers and installers, it’s your job to do so — so take the time to learn these products before you take on any work.

Don’t make assumptions; some homework up front can help make the job go smoothly. I suggest you ask for a small mockup in cases of new products you’re not familiar with.

Most suppliers will be happy to give you a few full tiles or planks to try.

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.

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NFCA The gap between Divisions 3 and 9

An unresolved issue For many years, the same old scenario has repeated. The floor covering installer and general contractor butt heads over who will correct the concrete slab prior to floor covering installation.

Over and over, we hear the same thing: “It’s the floor guy’s job to prepare his surface (sub-floor) and you should have included it in your price.”

One of the pressure points is that there is often no money set aside for this extra work. So in order for the floor covering contractor to keep his customer happy, get paid on time, save the working relationship and land the next project, the installer will agree to do the work at cost, cutting corners to save money, over-watering product Chris Maskell to make one bag do the work of two, NFCA c.e.o. and so on. So, what’s the solution?

Well, it starts at the top in the written spec, and hinges on making it a win-win for all parties that have a vested interest — architect, general contractor, flooring contractor, hydraulic cement underlayment company, flooring manufacturer and client.

Solutions and silo-smashing It is for this reason that NFCA recently formed the HCU (Hydraulic Cement Underlayment) Committee with a mandate to find a solution to a decades-old problem that has cost untold billions. We believe the answer lies in developing a specification that is win-win for every-

one, that can be effectively disseminated to, and gain traction within, the construction industry.

To do this, we brought together a cross-section of the industry…a group of related trades, all experts in their field, who in some way deal with concrete slabs on a weekly basis.

We agreed that this is not about fixing it all, because that’s not possible. But it is about creating a long term, cross-industry solution that takes into consideration each party’s specific challenges so that everyone can get behind it.

Construction is massive. Committees are small. Getting the word out has always been a roadblock. But today we have the means to quickly and simultaneously connect people, companies and industries to good information, thereby breaking down the silos that separate us.

Flatness and levelness — something missing in the middle Understanding the problem raised the issue of subfloor surface flatness and levelness measurement techniques, their timing in the process and shortcomings. This raised a lot of questions.

What is really being measured and why? By who? Who delivers the results? Which trade is any one process actually serving?

What impact does it have on other connected trades such as floor coverings? Why the floor covering contractor rejects the slab?

What happens when a slab is rejected? Are available measurement standards being used or followed? And so-what if they are?

Pouring a slab that meets the specified tolerance in January and expecting that same slab to meet the same tolerance in August when flooring is scheduled is a “fail” waiting to happen. Yet this is what construction does. There are standards that

HCU Committee participants include Monica Baillie of Landmark Architecture; Matt Dalkie, Lafarge; Don Styka, Tarkett; Kathleen Kompauer of KDR Engineering; David Sherley with Custom Building Products; Rob Visscher of Atmosphere Floors; Michael Pereira, EllisDon; Kelvin Klapak of Yellowridge Construction; David Randall, Mapei and Diana Klingner with Canadian National Trades.

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guide what Division 3 Concrete is supposed to provide to satisfy their performance requirements using the Floor Flatness/Floor Level (FF/FL) measurement system according to ASTM E1155.

But these requirements do not satisfy the floor flatness (FF) needs of the floor covering installer, which is typically 1/8 inch over 10 feet (FF 45). It seems as though construction in general assumes that commonly used standards included in the documents will satisfy the needs of the floor covering contractor.

They don’t. What they do is build a disconnect into the process, which derails during late-stage construction. Something in the middle is missing. That something is outside of the scope of work for the recognized trade of Floor Covering Installer.

Changing flatness specs to save money An example of a common issue we discussed as a cause of the problem is that often the original specification might correctly call for a flatness tolerance of 1/8 inch over 10 feet (6 mm over 3 m) but then the design team will loosen this spec to 1/4 inch over 10 feet (6 mm over 3 m) to save money thinking that sheet vinyl or rubber flooring will still work over the increased surface waviness. Two photos were presented to the group to illustrate

With Super SAM 125 your neighbors aren’t that loud. ®

w w w. n a c p r o d u c t s . c o m

•

1 - 8 0 0 - 6 3 3 - 4 6 2 2

the difference. Even the committee members were surprised to see the difference in finished flooring results between minimum industry standards and the relaxed specification. Surprised because we rarely compare the finished results of the installed product when still dealing with the specifications. The importance of this is straight-forward enough — trip hazards can start at 1/8 inch over 10 feet. In addition, surfaces for rolling loads must be considered (i.e. hospital gurneys in fast-paced emergency room corridors). Then there are the visual issues of shiny resilient flooring showing every roll and contour of the sub-floor.

How frustrating for an installer to have to fight with a flash coving installation over an excessively wavy surface. Finally, premature wear and tear from large janitorial machines wearing the high spots quicker than the low.

There’s a lot to talk about, and we will share the outcomes as our work progresses and solutions are tabled.

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

Super SAM® 125 (Sound Abatement Membrane) 6” concrete substrate with a tile finished floor: IIC: 51 STC:54 ΔIIC: 22 6” concrete substrate with engineered hardwood finished floor: IIC: 51 STC: 52 ΔIIC: 23 Wood joist substrate with tile finished floor: IIC: 56 STC: 61 Super SAM® 125 provides up to 3/8” of crack isolation protection.

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PRODUCTS Commercial carpet plank

The 22 x 22 cm format is complemented by a subtle geometrical pattern for dressing up surfaces in decorative style or combining with the field tiles. www.harmonyinspire.com Acid resistant tile grout

Designed by Jason F. McLennan in collaboration with Mohawk Group, Owls commercial carpet planks are inspired by the North American birds of prey’s mottled shades of black, brown, tan and grey plumage. Two 12 x 36 in. patterns, Feather and Flight, are available. The biophilia-inspired collection is manufactured using Red List-free Duracolor Tricor solution-dyed nylon fibre and EcoFlex NXT tile backing. Duracolor Tricor uses a modified triangular-shaped core to deliver unsurpassed stain resistance, colourfastness, durability, colour clarity and enhanced soil performance, the company says. www.mohawkgroup.com Cement- and stone-inspired tiles

Sonar from Harmony is a porcelain tile collection with a cement and stone-inspired matte appearance and shiny speckles that are said to lend dynamism to surfaces. Available formats have been extended with the addition of a new 11 x 22 cm format, combinable with the 22 x 22 cm version on walls and floors. The collection comes in a unique Soft finish, whose technical properties are suitable for all kinds of settings, the company says.

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Two-component acid-resistant epoxy grout from Likotol is suitable for the laying and grouting of ceramic tiles and mosaics with 1 to 15 mm wide joints, on indoor and outdoor floors and walls. The product has ultra-low VOC emission characteristics. Composition includes a thick paste Part A and liquid Part B. Floor installation with standard setting adhesive is 24 hours, while floor installation with quick setting adhesive is 4 hours. Cladding installation with the standard setting adhesive is 6 to 8 hours, while cladding installation with the quick setting adhesive is 4 hours. www.likotol.it Hardwood and luxury vinyl tile Luxury carpet brand Karastan has expanded into hard surface lines with the introduction of BelleLuxe hardwood flooring and LuxeCraft luxury vinyl flooring. BelleLuxe engineered hardwood flooring features wide planks with a thick wear layer that

can be refinished up to three times and includes an application of KaraFinish, a low gloss finish that emulates a traditional oil finished floor. Collections include: Chevreaux and Ashmore Oak; Worthington Oak and Worthington Herringbone; and, Villa Pointe Maple. LuxeCraft features a wood dĂŠcor in rigid luxury vinyl composed of a multilayer construction that resists water, scratches and dents.

Three collections include Refined Forest, Treasured Grove and Curated Grain, with designs gleaned from hardwood salvaged from a historic Alabama home, oldgrowth white oak with an open grain and century barnwood. www.karastan.com Unfinished engineered hardwood

Using a five-step manufacturing process, Howell Hardwood Flooring has announced Hapwood, an unfinished engineered flooring line that is said to remain stable and flat during seasonal humidity changes, and that results in no cupping or gapping. Over the last 10,000,000 square feet of installed product, the company says it has had an average of less than one claim per million square feet. The line is also said to use less trees per square foot than all other site finished hardwood options, and less trees per square foot than most prefinished hardwood options. The five step manufacturing process includes two-step moisture acclimation, balanced face and back construction, one-step hot pressing, pre-sanding and diamond tooling. www.howellflooring.com

Hand knotted wool rugs Capel Rugs has introduced Charise, hand knotted traditional collection from India that features updated, classic motifs. The 100 percent wool rugs are available in

eight patterns and colour ways: Isfahan in sand, Kazak in blue multi, Keshan in champagne, Mahal in dark chocolate, Peshawar in slate ruby, Tabriz in fog blue, Ushak in scarlet and Ziegler in terra cotta.

The collection comes in 3 x 5, 5 x 8, 8 x 10 and 9 x 12 ft. sizes. www.capelrugs.com Preparation system for concrete CustomTech, a division of Custom Building Products, has introduced what it calls the industry’s most advanced flooring preparation system to CSI Division 3 construction professionals. TechPatch TW, which is a rapid-curing, calcium aluminate cement based compound that is said to make finishing vertical interior and exterior concrete and masonry surfaces fast and easy. Ideal for hiding chips, holes and irregularities on tilt-up concrete as well as preparing cast concrete and masonry surfaces for painting or sealing, the compound dries in 15-60 minutes.

Available in 10-pound boxes, it can be applied from 1/16 to 3 in. thick. www.customtechflooring.com

Surface warning system

matter, interpreting the divergence between modernity and the classical. The obsidian shades of the natural stone collection balance one another in an intergalactic unification that is divine imagery for any room, the company says. www.antolini.com

The RediMat Detectable Warning Systems safety product from Mar-Bel is constructed of durable, UV protected, glass-filled polyurethane and is surface applied on both asphalt and concrete. The ADA-compliant tactile warning line is intended for visually impaired or handicapped pedestrians. A proprietary pre-applied adhesive system, it can be installed in less than 10 minutes and is said to drastically reduce labour time and expense — but not at the expense of durability. The flexible polyurethane material conforms to uneven surfaces, and will not chip, crack or splinter. Engineered construction also features a beveled edge for easy pedestrian access. Radius tile is available in a “wedge” shape suitable for rounded intersections requiring a radius system.

Available colours include safety yellow, brick red, black and gray. https://detectable-warning.com/ Dark granite collection

The Magma Black granite collection from Antolini is characterized by its black background with touches of intense yellow highlights. Onyx tones and radiant golden beams are said to simulate astral

Cordless oscillator Festool Canada has introduced the Vecturo OSC 18 cordless oscillator, featuring multi-tool functionality, control and durability. The 18 V cordless oscillating

tool is built with the company’s EC-TEC brushless motor and 4° oscillation, combined with variable speed settings and StarlockMax tool holder, which is said to make it possible to change tools quickly without the need for additional equipment. The oscillator is designed to be used with the company’s Plunge Base and Depth Stop for guidance and control.

The Plunge Base also is designed for optional dust extraction. In addition, the ergonomic housing of the oscillator complements the shock-absorption achieved by isolating the tool’s motor and the drive mechanism for comfort on the jobsite, the company says. www.festoolcanada.com Scratch-resistant resilient floor planks Stone resilient floor planks from COREtec Floors provide an embossed thermo-resin layer said to offer stunning realism and integrated grout lines that match perfectly, without making a mess.

The protective layer on top ensures the surface doesn’t scratch, while the rigid mineral core and cork underlayment

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PRODUCTS

Refined Details and Polished Details lines, will also feature ColorMax. www.mohawkflooring.com Software provides ‘view in room’

dampen footsteps. The product can be installed and walked on in a single day.

Plank dimensions are 11.93 x 23.86 in. x 8 mm. Specifications include an accent bevel edge profile, mineral core and attached cork underlayment. The installation method can be floating or direct glue, and the installation level can be above, on or below. Environmental certification is GreenGuard (Certification, Gold, Private Label). www.coretecfloors.com High definition carpet collection

Hardwood with dent-resistant core

Karndean Designflooring has introduced a ‘view in room’ digital tool with the functionality to view alternative laying patterns and designs when selecting a floor. Available to use on mobile, tablet or desktop, the Floorstyle tool enables home designers to try out a range of vinyl flooring designs in typical room settings, by uploading their own room photos and visualizing what a new floor might look like in their own home. The updated tool is said to not only provide room inspiration, but also realistic imagery of different flooring designs in actual rooms. www.karndeancanada.ca Rubber stair treads

Mohawk has expanded its high definition colour technology with 14 ColorMax introductions in 2020 across its SmartStrand polyester and nylon carpet collection. ColorMax combines multiple dye technologies to achieve a balanced, blended coloration with intense colour saturation. SmartStrand Silk will include five new premium soft ColorMax styles comprised of four cut-pile textures and one fashionable pattern. Two SmartStrand Silk introductions from Karastan, 26

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and 134 colour options, the stair treads are 100 percent recyclable. The treads meet ASTM F2169, Type TS performance specifications, as well as the FloorScore indoor air quality certification standard.

They have also achieved NSF 332 Platinum resilient flooring sustainability certification and meet CHPS Criteria for environmentally sustainable schools. www.roppe.com/kevlar

Roppe has introduced rubber stair treads with DuPont Kevlar fibres, said to be a long-lasting, high-performing tread backed by a 25-year warranty. The rubber stair treads are engineered to resist damage from wear and abuse and are said to perform far longer than other rubber treads. Available in eight profiles

AHF Products has announced that its engineered hardwood now has the new Densitek core, said to be a high-performance composite material which provides improved dent resistance and faster installation when compared to traditional plywood core. Specifically engineered with hydrophobic technology to resist moisture absorption, the core is engineered to give consumers their most desired flooring — real hardwood — with the durability, resistance to moisture and ease-of installation they need, the company says.

Made up of layers, engineered hardwood with the core is constructed with a 100 percent natural wood veneer top. The enhanced construction is being incorporated in both the company’s new and existing engineered hardwood flooring collections. Since no acclimation is needed, the floors can be installed anywhere in the home, above or below grade. www.ahfproducts.com Spray adhesives for carpet and resilient Ultrabond Spray RFA and Ultrabond Spray CTA, two new spray adhesives

from Mapei, have been created for carpet and resilient flooring installations. Designed to replace trowel-applied adhesives, these aerosolized, water-based, high-performance, acrylic adhesives allow installers to stand upright during the application process.

RFA is intended for use with resilient flooring, while CTA is designed for use with carpet tiles. Both sprays are said to feature high moisture resistance for bond durability, superior tack for secure floor placement, and extended coverage when compared to trowel-applied adhesives — one can of either spray is the equivalent of one gallon of traditional adhesive. www.mapei.com Non-woven composite collection

Patcraft has launched its first non-woven composite flooring collection, Dichroic.

Designed to create an innovative platform for commercial flooring featuring a new material option, the collection is said to incorporate the

warmth of soft surface and the durability and cleanability of hard surface. With rich colorways that encourage optical depth and aid in the design of warmer, optimistic spaces, the collection’s sweeping color gradation creates a compelling ombre effect, the company says. The collection is available in both facet and 24 x 24 in. tiles to offer a variety of installation options. By using recycled plastic bottles that have been converted into PET fibre, the collection has approximately 70 percent recycled content (both post-consumer and post-industrial), which is equivalent to 18 (0.5 L) bottles in each 24 x 24 in. tile. www.patcraft.com

standards, with ample surrounding flat edges to allow for installation of standard shower enclosures. The shower bases are available in neutral shades of white, grey, and black, with supplied drain covers matched in texture and colour that seamlessly blend for a unified look. www.wetstyle.com New floor locking technology

Pre-cast customizable shower bases

Wetstyle has introduced its FEEL collection of pre-cast shower bases. With its single slab construction and customizable availability, the collection is said to leverage refined moulding techniques that enable textures to be replicated on shower base surfaces. The result is the clean, sleek, natural stone appearance, the company says. Developed from an innovative, high-density stone and resin composite, the collection realistically replicates textures of concrete and slate.

Complementing the collection’s textured look and feel, single slab composition is said to significantly reduce laborious installation time and costs associated with traditional acrylic or tile-based shower floors. Additionally, the shower bases are plumbing-code compliant and are fitted to North American market

Unilin division Technologies has announced a new fold-down locking profile. Called Unidrop, the fold-down locking technology makes installing a floor even more convenient by being the first one-piece fold-down system that can be disassembled by angling-out, the company says. The technology is said to create tight seams, and the active locking incorporated in the flooring produces a best-in-class joint with an excellent vertical load bearing capacity and horizontal tensile strength, no matter the material: SPC, WPC and laminate flooring.

The technology is said to easily be integrated into existing milling machines and is designed to be machined with generous milling tolerances. The short profile geometry minimizes material waste, leading to an efficient use of the top surface of the boards. During installation, there is no need for any type of inserts, nor for small diameter tools, the company adds. www.unilin.com

Canada’s floorcovering magazine

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BULLETS Current business highlights The total value of building permits issued by Canadian municipalities increased 7.4 percent to $8.7 billion in December. For 2019 overall, municipalities issued $102.4 billion worth of permits, up 2.6 percent compared with 2018. —Statistics Canada Total household debt in the U.S., including mortgages, auto loans, credit card and student debt, climbed to $14.15 trillion US in the fourth quarter of 2019, eclipsing the previous peak at the height of the recession in Q3 2008 by $1.5 trillion US. —Federal Reserve Bank of New York The top five companies in the S&P 500 index are all tech companies — Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft and Facebook — and account for just under 20 percent of the total index. The collective value is nearly $5 trillion US of the S&P 500 total valuation of almost $27 trillion US. —Statista The global download games market is expected to reach $15.8 billion US in 2020, growing by 5.2 percent year-onyear. — Leagueofbetting.com A report reveals that 44 percent of U.K. small businesses in the manufacturing sector predict growth for the first quarter of 2020, up from 39 percent from the previous quarter and up from 26 percent in Q1 2019. —Hitachi Capital Business Finance U.S.-based electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla sold a total of 367,561 units in Germany last year, while Volkswagen sold close to 80,000 electric cars. —Kryptoszene.de U.S. homebuilding surged to a 13-year high in December as housing starts jumped 16.9 percent to an annual rate of 1.608 million units last month, the highest level since December 2006. The percentage gain was the largest since October 2016. —Fordaq AIA’s overall Architecture Billings Index (ABI) score of 52.5 for December reflects an increase in design services provided by U.S. architecture firms (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). During December, both the new project inquiries and design contracts scores were positive, posting scores of 58.7 and 53.4 respectively.

—American Institute of Architects

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March/April 2020

Amazon’s market share in the worldwide cloud infrastructure market amounted to 33 percent in the fourth quarter of 2019, more than the combined market share of its three largest competitors — Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud and IBM Cloud. In Q4 2019, global cloud infrastructure service revenues amounted to $27 billion US, bringing the total for the year to $96 billion US. —Synergy Research Group By 2040, the labour market in Germany will have a shortage of ten million people compared to today due to demographic change. To compensate for the consequences, 77 percent of industrial decision-makers already rely on “colleague” robots that interact with humans. —automatica Trend Index In November 2019, the Brazilian exports of wood-based products (except pulp and paper) declined almost 19 percent in value compared to November 2018, from $301 million US to $244.9 million US. —ITTO Housing sales in India’s nine key property markets fell 30 percent annually during Q4 2019 despite the government having launched several measures to revive buyer sentiment. As against 91,464 units sold during the quarter last year, only 64,034 homes were sold across the nine markets in Q3 this year. —IIFL Employment in Canada increased by 35,000 (0.2 percent) in January, all in full-time work. The unemployment rate fell 0.1 percentage points to 5.5 percent. The additional employment in January contributed to gains totaling 268,000 (1.4 percent) since January 2019. All of this increase was the result of growth in full-time employment.

—Statistics Canada The U.S. economy added 225,000 new jobs in January, bringing the total to 6.6 million new jobs since January 2017. —U.S. Department of Labor The total transaction volume for all services booked through Uber, growing to $65 billion US last year was up from $49.8 billion US in 2018 and $34.4 billion US the year before that. However, Uber spent $4.6 billion US on sales and marketing and $4.8 billion on R&D, which, combined with other costs and expenses, resulted in an operating loss of $8.6 billion US. —Uber/Statista

EVENTS Mar. 13 – 22 National Home Show Toronto, Ont. www.nationalhomeshow.com April 20 – 23 Coverings New Orleans, La. www.coverings.com Apr. 25 – 29 High Point Market Charlotte, N.C. www.highpointmarket.org Apr. 28 – 30 NWFA Expo Milwaukee, Wisc. www.nwfaexpo.org May 12 – 14 Stonex Canada Mississauga, Ont. www.stonexcanada.com June 8 – 10 NeoCon Chicago, Ill. www.neocon.com Aug. 12 – 14 CFI Convention & Expo Orlando, Fla. https://cfiinstallers.org/events/ Oct. 13 – 16 Sicam Pordenone, Italy www.exposicam.it/en/

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THEN-AND-NOW Hotel restaurant/bar reno embraces ghosts of Expo ’67

Warm hospitality ambience GERMAIN HOTELS’ FLAGSHIP property, Le Germain Hotel, in downtown Montreal, Que., has undergone a major renovation that both sheds and embraces its Expo ’67-era brutalist concrete architecture roots. Occupying the first two floors now is the welcoming ambiance of Le Boulevardier restaurant and Le Flâneur Bar Lounge, comprising the food and beverage portion of a $30 million project that included adding six floors of rooms to the hotel complex.

Atelier Zébulon Perron, an interior design firm based in Montreal, designed this approximately 8,000 squarefoot portion on two separate levels, including the ground floor bar/lounge, the firstfloor restaurant, and the staircase to connect the spaces.

Lead designer Zébulon Perron, whose parents had met at Expo ’67, wanted to preserve what he could from the period when Montreal was, “opening its arms to the world. When we did the demolition, we selectively revealed some aspects of the structure and concrete casing details on the ceiling. Whatever we could expose we did and then the rest of it was totally redone. This is the way we approach design in our practice in general in the studio — we like to keep and reveal elements of the past.”

In addition to the original concrete, materi-

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als used on the project included marble, walnut, copper, steel, chrome, leather and velvet. The design firm repositioned the hotel’s centrally located staircase closer to the front desk area, inviting patrons to explore beyond the confines of the lobby. Rising up through the ceiling and anchored from above, the steel structure and hardwood steps of the new staircase are framed in a transparent wall of steel rods, tactically illuminated to make it as aesthetically pleasing as it is functional.

The staircase leading from the lobby to the first-floor restaurant bridges a balanced décor, ascending into a space illuminated by an abundance of natural light. Exposed concrete beams rise above the restaurant’s contemporary décor, which mirrors Le Flâneur’s abundant use of dark woods and marble countertops. Far from brutalist, the warmth of a retro ambiance is combined with floor-to-ceiling windows providing magnificent views overlooking the horizons of President Kennedy Avenue and the downtown streets below. The floor-to-ceiling windows also serve as an inward portal to the restaurant for curious passers-by, designed to complement the restaurant’s patronage of hotel guests with an influx of external clients.

“The general manager was telling me that some of them were worried that we would change things too much. But they have received an overwhelmingly positive response from their clients, and they are very happy about that.”

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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