FFI 116 May 2021 by Media-Pact NV / FFI bvba

INTERNATIONAL trade journal f or impor t , expor t , dis tr ibution and lay ing of par que t , laminate, cor k f loor ing and r elated pr oduc t s

N° 116 May 2021 - Price: €8 - Published 7 times a year - (Feb, March, May, July, Sept , Nov, Dec) Of fice of deliver y 9099 Ghent X , P911092, BC 31359 - Responsible Publisher: Filip De Ridder

Special: Top French companies focused on export Advertorial Devomat Industries (B)

Advertorial: Ciranova (B)

Advertorial: La San Marco Profili (I) Special Sorts of hygrometers

Special Style panels

Special Profiles for LVT, PVC, and vinyl

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Content

Editorial

INTERNATIONAL trade journal f or impor t , expor t , dis tr ibu tion and lay ing of par que t , laminate, cor k f loor ing and r elated pr oduc t s

N° 116 May 2021 - Price: €8 - Published 7 times a year - (Feb, March, May, July, Sept , Nov, Dec) Of fice of deliver y 9099 Ghent X , P911092, BC 31359 - Responsible Publisher: Filip De Ridder

Special: Top French companies focused on export Advertorial Devomat Industries (B)

Offering a trendy product which is also sustainable and ecologically responsible – that’s the basic goal of Chipps. Chipps, a new player in the flooring, walls, and ceiling market, highlights OSB board, but has reviewed this basic raw material completely. The pre-finished board can be slotted into lots of places in the interior as a trendy element.

Advertorial: Ciranova (B)

Advertorial: La San Marco Profili (I) Special Sorts of hygrometers

Special Style panels

Special Profiles for LVT, PVC, and Vinyl

CHIPPS COVER - 130x203 .indd 2

5/05/2021 10:01

Floor Forum International n° 116 May 2021 Photo Chipps

Photo –

Chipps Romina De Giorgi and Roel Geraerts

4 Inside news 8 Advertorial Devomat Industries (B) 10 Special Sorts of hygrometers 13 Special Pre-colouring 16 Advertorial La San Marco Profili (I) 18 Special Producers and dealers provide training and

schooling. Take advantage of this! They are worthwhile! 21 Special Adhesives for LVT, PVC, and vinyl 26 Special Style panels 30 Advertorial Ciranova (B) 32 Special Wooden wall cladding versus composite 35 Special Profiles for LVT, PVC, and vinyl 38 Special UV finish on site with oil or lacquer 41 Special Problems with colouring the wood? 44 Special Hungarian point and herringbone pattern in LVT,

PVC, and vinyl 46 Special Oil for parquet 50 Special Dampscreens and – adhesion – primers 52 Industry news

Chipps was the brainchild of Romina De Giorgi and Roel Geraerts, the former manager of Z-Parket. Both of them are from Limburg and are veterans in the parquet industry. They left the industry for a few years, but over the last few months they’ve returned in full force. With Chipps, they are proving that the semi-finished product/building material OSB is much more than just a building product. Both enthusiasts have given the basically trivial board a completely different look to highlight a love of nature and wood in particular.

They explained the position to us: ‘As we said in a previous edition of Floor Forum, we took a step back for a while to consider the phenomenon of wooden flooring more at a distance. We started experimenting with OSB, explored its limits, and developed a nice trendy product. We launched that last year in September. With our various collections and scores of designs for decorating floors, walls, and ceilings, we’re looking beyond the parquet market; this is something to appeal also to people who dare to think out of the box, such as purchasers and interior architects. Moreover, we’ve taken up an attractive niche in the market between parquet, laminate, and vinyl.’ Trendy work is one thing; doing it sustainably and in an ecologically responsible manner is something else. And so, the duo experimented down to the last detail so that they could offer a product which not only recycles waste products to make new OSB boards, but also includes sawdust and wood shavings from the joinery which would otherwise be discarded. ‘Actually, you could say that Chipps starts where the pure OSB stops. We create a product with a certain look and feel, it’s not something unfinished. On the contrary, Chipps is completely finished and ready for use, with seven coats of varnish and a five-year guarantee. The boards have also undergone the strictest tests, and we’ve got lots of reports to prove it.’ ‘Is our product pricy? It’s obviously more expensive than the unfinished material, but you can’t compare apples with lemons. Take our walls, for instance. You don’t need gypsum boards anymore, so, in turn, you don’t have to finish them either. The same applies to ceilings and floors; the supplied product is finished and is also colourful and unique. For your money you get something which is raised to the next level, also a product which you mustn’t label as inferior, but, on the contrary, as a strong and trendy step forwards.’ ‘And perhaps the most important thing of all: With us, you don’t face delivery deadlines which aren’t met. We guarantee delivery within 10 to a maximum of 15 days, because obviously we’ve set aside considerable reserve stocks. That latter point is perhaps one of the most important lessons we learnt from our time at Z-Parket. Never rely on your supply of raw materials being the same today as it was yesterday, and remember, too, it will usually get more expensive. The market has proved that all too painfully in recent months.’

53 Special French companies focused on export 58 Product news

Editing & advertisements FFI bvba PO BOX 29 9870 Olsene, Belgium Tel: +32 (0)475/44 20 77 sales@media-pact.com www.floor-forum.com

Advertising & subscriptions Filip De Ridder sales@media-pact.com Adriana Dascalu info@media-pact.com Hilde De Ridder floorforum@telenet.be

Publisher Filip De Ridder

Editors: Jan Hoffman Ludwig Janssens † Jean Paul Talbot Filip De Ridder Jacques Legros

Lay-out: Be-able Communication www.be-able.be

Subscriptions to Floor Forum International: Mail to info@media-pact.com

Production: Lowyck - Oostende

Translation: Michael Robinson www.glossa.be Floor Forum International is a publication of FFi bvba.

The copyright of Floor Forum International and the articles appearing herein are retained by the publisher. By agreeing to publication of an article in this journal, the author assigns to the publisher the irrevocable and exclusive right under Copyright law to collect charges due from third parties for copying said article and to undertake legal or other action for this purpose. Editorial and advertising copy in this issue have been carefully checked and Floor Forum International bvba cannot accept any responsibility for any errors.

∂ Inside news Correction from the article ‘Colouring Wood’ FFI no. 115, p22 (March 2021) There was an error in the text of the testimonial by Mr Koen Willems (Williams & Koch Europe), namely that architects were not happy with the results of system oils and floarsoap from Scandinavia. In fact, the opposite was true. They almost literally got a kick out of the (often sparse) oil system. Koen Willems (Willams-Koch) Koen Willems is the manager of Williams & Koch Europe. This company produces customised colour systems and colour applications for the woodworking industry. The company was formed in 2005 and chooses consciously for products which contain only natural raw materials and are free of elements which are toxic, irritating, and harmful to the environment. ‘The parquet industry is by far the leading buyer of our products. That’s logical, too, as floors take up the biggest surface. After working previously in the paint industry, I came into contact with the pioneers in Flanders and the Netherlands in the field of distressing and ageing parquet planks. Since the paint sector had paid little attention to this, I myself began to develop alternative wood colouring agents.’

‘Colouring generally belongs in the upper segment and appeals mainly to architects and customers who want a unique look. This means that samples always have to be made in advance, so that we can continue looking until everything is fine. That can be a long process which takes weeks or months, but it is ideal if we can be involved in a project from the planning phase.’ ‘It’s important to draw a distinction between colouring with dyes and colouring agents on the one hand and chemical colouring on the other. I don’t immediately protest vehemently against the latter, as chemical colouring doesn’t necessarily mean toxic or bad, but in the final analysis it’s all about the acid-base balance.’ ‘With colouring you have to realise that it’s easy to start with a light wood sort and make it darker, but that the other way round is often very difficult. European oak is still the most popular wood sort by a long way. This wood sort is ideal because it is ring-porous, absorbs well, and usually contains enough acid. ‘ ‘Lacquering over colour? Until 25 years ago, there was only lacquer and floor polish. Then system oils and soaps came over from Scandinavia and you got results which were very much appreciated by architects due to the oil system, which was often too sparse. The problem is then the maintenance and that’s why there’s been a lot of demand for lacquer finishes in recent years. It’s also worth knowing that in Europe it has been obligatory since 2001 to finish using a waterborne lacquer if the wood is anchored in the building. If you have a waterborne colouring agent, you have to take care that the colour doesn’t dissolve in the lacquer, even though there are now solutions for that. Be sure also to read the maker’s instructions! Some lacquer systems have to be given a synthetic primer first in order to prevent them from leaking components or water stains!’

Renzo Borgonovo and FNT-Trabattoni Stampi Renzo Borgonovo. Step by step, the new brand got itself a name in the field of linear profiles and picture frames finishing, where it quickly became a point of reference. By the years, with the changing of the markets and the opening of new opportunities, Renzo Borgonovo Srl developed new machines and new models, and became an active player also into other sectors, such as the Parquet Industry one. Now led by Mr. Luca Borgonovo, the company is at its second generation and it is happy to celebrate with you this important landmark: 60 Years of Quality, Reliability, and Know-how!

Success at international design awards: MEISTER acoustic panels win Red Dot Award

Renzo Borgonovo and FNT-Trabattoni Stampi would like to bring the spotlight onto the 60th anniversary of the company Renzo Borgonovo Srl! The company was founded in Verano Brianza, Italy in 1961 by Mr.

Floor Forum International 116

MeisterWerke has successfully taken part in the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2021. The MeisterPanels. style felt acoustic panel was awarded the “Red Dot” award for excellent design quality by an international jury. MeisterPanels. style: Sound-absorbing acoustic panels with felt The MeisterPanels. style SP 800, winner of the Red Dot Award, has a surface of high-quality felt. The acoustic panel absorbs 35% of noise (absorber class D as per DIN EN 11654), providing a pleasant room

∂ Inside news atmosphere in modern living environments, in which curtains and other textiles are used sparingly. MeisterPanels. style are available in five modern colours – and for the perfect overall look, every colour is complemented with matching felt mouldings (angled cover moulding and straight cover moulding). SP 800 scores points for sustainability too: the vegan felt Sound-absorbing, modern and now officially an awardwinning design: the MeisterPanels. style acoustic panels! surface is made of (Image: MeisterWerke) recycled material (100% in grey tones, 50% in olive and terra brown), and is fully recyclable at the end of its useful life. Evaluation platform for excellent design The Red Dot Award: Product Design, which was established in 1955, is awarded annually to the best products of the year. “In search of good design and innovation”, the 50 jurors of the competition set out to find the most well-designed and innovative products among the submissions for 2021. The international expert committee consists of experts in a wide variety of disciplines. It intensively assessed the submitted products in a process lasting several days. Evaluation criteria, such as formal quality, ergonomics and durability, served as its guide. “The winners of the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2021 were particularly impressive this year,” remarked Professor Dr. Peter Zec, Founder and CEO of Red Dot. “The design of the products is outstanding – both in terms of aesthetics and functionality. Standing out among such strong competition and impressing our jury is not an easy task. With this in mind, I warmly congratulate the prize winners on their success.” MeisterPanels. style featured in exhibitions, online and in the Red Dot Design Yearbook From 21st June 2021, the acoustic panels will be displayed in the online exhibition on the Red Dot website. This same date is also the start of Red Dot Design Week, during which the award winners, including MeisterWerke Schulte GmbH, will be digitally presented with their awards. From 22nd June 2021, the MEISTER product will also go on display in the “Design on Stage” exhibition at the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen, which will exhibit all the award-winning products. There, visitors can see the quality of the latest design solutions first hand, against a backdrop of historic industrial architecture. The Red Dot Design Yearbook 2021/2022 will be published in August. The publication provides a comprehensive overview of the state of the art, as well as trends in product design.

DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR successfully hosted its 23rd edition, 24-26 of March 2021

Shanghai. Right before the end of March 2021, Asia’s Hub for Flooring, DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR, opened its doors to 1,000 exhibitors and 67,918 onsite attendees, reigniting confidence that, live trade shows are the most preferable platform and that the flooring industry in particular, is once again ready and eager to do business.

IN LOVE WITH DECKING

WOODEN FLOORS FOR OUTDOORS

LA SAN MARCO PROFILI SRL Viale Europa 63 - 31010 Soligo, TV - Italy Tel. +39 0438 980106 r.a. - Fax +39 0438 980176 info@lasanmarcoprofili.com - www.lasanmarcoprofili.com

Floor Forum International 116

∂ Inside news The exhibition that was spread over 128,000sqm of gross space at the Shanghai New International Expo Center, was the first trade show of the industry in 2021 on a global scale. In its 23 years history, DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR is not only an annual event of the international flooring scene, but rather a point of reference for flooring professionals looking to do business in Asia as well as worldwide. “The excellent response confirmed the strategic role of DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR in the flooring industry, and it revealed the readiness of companies to boost their business in 2021” said Jessica Zhu, vice president of VNU Exhibitions Asia. In 2021, DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR, welcomed back its well-known events and conferences and introduced new and innovative ones that were very warmly received by the industry. Read more on www.floor-forum.com/en/news

Sustainability at Pallmann Pallmann relies on containers made from 100 % recycled material In addition to the development of very low-emission products that are compatible with health and the environment, the Uzin Utz Group has been pushing sustainable packaging solutions for years. Now Pallmann is also switching to containers made from 100 % recycled plastic. "Environmental awareness and sustainability are firmly anchored in the corporate strategy of the entire Uzin Utz Group. The careful approach to the environment and resources is

therefore important to us not only at our site, but also along the entire supply chain," Pallmann Managing Director Stefan Neuberger says. "For years, we have been searching for a suitable packaging solution made of recycled material that is in no way inferior to the properties of a conventional container. Our containers are not only product packaging, but also transport packaging. Therefore, as a premium supplier, it is very important to us that the goods reach the customer undamaged and safely." Now a manufacturer has been found whose containers meet all requirements in terms of dimensional stability, stackability and robustness. From now on, primers and sealers will be gradually converted to the new containers. The new containers are made of 100 % recycled post-consumer

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∂ Inside news recyclate, so-called PCR-HDPE. This is waste that is generated by consumers and is then available again as a raw material for plastic production. For this purpose, the waste is collected, cleaned, sorted and processed into granulate. The containers are purchased from a manufacturer in Germany who also produces in Germany. For labelling purposes, a corresponding embossing on the canisters will in future refer to the recycled packaging.

and architects welcome our product with open arms. Even without attending a trade fair, we’ve discovered that there is a big demand via interior companies and designers. We were also planning to take part in Batibouw (B) earlier this year, but that fell through due to the pandemic. Next year, we’ll certainly be there and our attendance will be linked to a special campaign to taget consumers, even with radio spots.’

Chipps (B) at various European editions of Architect@Work Chipps is working gradually to gain a better market share for its trendy OSB boards for floors, walls, and ceilings. Later this year, to reach out better to buyers and (interior) architects, they are taking part for the first time in a number of editions of the international event Architect@Work. The manufacturer stresses mainly the design of its product, hence the choice for Architect@Work. Once the central advisory board of this trade fair had assessed and approved the innovative value, Chipps, which is based in Zonhoven in Limburg, is taking part in the international editions in Paris (23-24 September), Düsseldorf (27-28 October), Milan (3-4 November), Madrid (24-25 November), and the Belgian edition in the home city of Kortrijk (21-22 October). Manager Roel Geraerts comments: ‘We’ve noticed that designers

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Floor Forum International 116

Advertorial

Devomat Industries (B)

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You don't think that would be possible? Anyone who has invested in sustainable organic paints to date has always had to compromise on the performance of the product. What was organic or environmentally friendly was usually not wear-resistant or user-friendly...and vice versa. Devo's lab technicians quietly worked on an innovative product formula with a new type of vegetable binder. The corona pandemic unfortunately caused some delay in the development of the product, but we are now ready with a product that will astonish you: Devo Lignum Pura! Devo Lignum Pura consists largely of vegetable bio-polyurethane, which drastically reduces the proportion of fossil raw materials. In addition, 100% recycled HDPE from a Belgian manufacturer was chosen for the packaging. Devo Lignum Pura takes the lead in a new generation of organic lacquers, and this unique composition also gives the product unprecedented new advantages!

Floor Forum International 116

- After drying, Devo Lignum Pura does not discolour the wood and the product is so matt that the end result is truly invisible. A board treated with Devo Lignum Pura is indistinguishable from a board without a protective layer! - Due to the extreme dullness of the binder, no matting agent is added, which means an enormous reduction in the susceptibility to attack. In addition, the finished floor is very wear-resistant and not sensitive to gloss marks! - With an ultra-fast drying time of barely 2 hours per layer, a craftsman can finish the floor with 3 layers - in one day! - Devo Lignum Pura is a 1-component varnish, so: no unusable product surpluses, no hassle mixing A and B components and easy to apply. - Devo Lignum Pura meets the customer's requirements in every respect for a modern and environmentally conscious floor finish. With this innovative product, the craftsman has all the assets to deliver a beautiful natural and well-protected floor quickly and effortlessly.

Devo® Lignum Pura and Decovery® Vegetable-based paints have been around for a very long time - in fact, they have been around for 17,000 years. In more recent times, we have seen a shift from solvent-based to water-based resin and coating technology. But now a new plant-based revolution is being ushered in by the development of a new generation of plant-based binders by DSM - Decovery®. Decovery® is a family of environmentally friendly paint resins that consists of up to 52% plant-based raw materials. Although

Decovery® resin is made from corn, seeds, tree bark, castor beans and other agricultural waste - with very little impact on the food chain - it delivers performance at least equal to conventional acrylic paints, while reducing the carbon footprint by up to 34%. That is why Devo® now uses Decovery® for a beautiful, durable finish on all interior carpentry, from parquet floors to stairs, furniture and other woodwork.

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Floor Forum International 116

Special

Sorts of hygrometers

MEASURING MEANS KNOWING WHICH WOOD MOISTURE METER IS MOST SUITABLE IN EACH SITUATION? Before you start fitting a wooden floor, you obviously need to know how much damp is present, since damp is the biggest enemy of this natural material. This means you measure to make sure that the subfloor (the base for the top floor) is dry enough and that the wood itself meets all the requirements for ideal fitting. After all, the last thing you want is a floor which curls, shrinks, or cracks. You measure the damp in the wood to establish various matters. Considering the type of subfloor is a logical start. Every subfloor has its own properties, so it’s important to know how much damp is acceptable and at what point do all the alarm bells start to ring.

Types of subfloors It seems best to us to consider a few common subfloors and give a handy list of the various limits: - sand-cement covering floor/concrete floor with no floor heating < 2.0CM% - sand-cement covering floor/concrete floor with floor heating: < 1.8CM% - anhydrite covering floor with no floor heating: < 0.5CM% - anhydrite covering floor with floor heating: < 0.3CM% - wooden subfloor: 9-11%. Remember that, generally speaking, you should not glue a floor or apply a levelling agent if the figures are above those percentages. In all this you have to consider residual moisture and a potentially structural damp problem. We speak of residual moisture when a new covering floor in sand-cement or anhydrite is fitted and then dries out and sheds moisture. If there is a structural damp problem caused, for instance, by a leaking pipe, then obviously structural repairs will be necessary first, but we’re not considering that issue any further here.

Measuring wooden floorboards When we speak of measuring wood moisture, we think almost automatically not of the subfloor, but the material itself. That’s not surprising. We all know that wood is a live material which you have to approach in the right way. If it is too damp or, by contrast, too dry, you can expect problems later with open joints, curling, cracking, shrinking, etc. Moreover, we sometimes forget how important it is to fit a wooden floor at the right temperature.

Two types of moisture meters There are lots of devices on the market, but, generally speaking, you have to be aware that there are two ways of measuring, namely destructive and non-destructive. With the former, you literally measure a lightly or severely damaged part of the covering floor or wooden floor

Floor Forum International 116

by driving pens into the wood. With the non-destructive method, you hold a measuring head to the material. And so, the choice of type of meter depends on your intention and whether or not you can permit any damage. With the destructive method, you will most commonly hear professionals talk about the so called ‘carbide method’. With this method you take a sample from the covering floor to force any moisture present to react with carbide so that you can measure the residual moisture content. A CM moisture meter measures the gas pressure which is created by a reaction from the moisture in the covering floor material to the carbide in the moisture meter. You collect the material from the lowest zone of the covering floor, so you have to make a hole in the covering floor and fill it in later. Non-destructive devices are tools which are sometimes called capacitive moisture measures. They operate on the principle that you drive an electric current through the wood and then compare the result with the values of the relevant wood sort. And so, this device is simply put onto the material itself and monitors the density of the raw material.

A hygrometer isn’t a luxury As we’ve said above, you have to measure more than just the damp in the covering floor or the wood itself. Good fitting is not complete without an accurate idea of the air humidity and temperature. To do this you use a hygrometer. The ideal feature of such a tool is that it is multifunctional, so it can measure several factors.

One specialist Brookhuis Applied Data Intelligence Brookhuis Applied Data Intelligence is a leading producer of solid wood and building moisture meters, In-line moisture meters for solid wood, handheld and In-line measurement systems to determine the strength of timber and finally, the ICD scanner, which is detecting In-line checks, cracks, splits and open glue-voids in, for example, flooring components. In the product range, Brookhuis is having 5 hand-held moisture meters. 2 of these are so called capacitive moisture meters (FMW-B and FMW-T) that can measure the moisture content of solid wood and subfloors without damaging the material. The 3 other hand-meters are so called resistance type moisture meters (FMC-FME and FMD6) that can measure the moisture content of solid wood and subfloors by using a probe that is fitted with measuring electrodes. The capacitive handheld moisture meters are mainly used for QC (quality control) tasks due to their ease of use and speed of measuring

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Special

Sorts of hygrometers

the moisture content. With the capacitive handheld moisture meters, you can quickly determine moisture content problems due to a too high or too low moisture content Although a bit more cumbersome in daily use, by definition, handheld moisture meters with a measuring electrode are more accurate and able to localize more precisely where damp is originating from? This is also the reason why our customers are often selecting a combination of a FMW-B together with a FME or FMD6 handheld moisture meter with a measuring electrode for flooring. In fact, this combination is the ultimate solution for every professional that requires certainty in regard to the dimensions-stability (swelling and shrinkage behaviour) of the wooden floor and on the other hand, there is no risk of rising damp from the subfloor, which are the 2 primary reasons why to measure moisture content. In case a measurement-report a required, then the FMD6 handheld moisture meter is selected to unambiguously record what is measured, under which circumstances and by using statistical prediction models, what the expected moisture content is of the whole floor or subfloor. Not only super easy, also super professional! The In-line moisture content measuring systems (FMI) and the ICD scanner systems are mainly used in production processes. Brookhuis Applied Data Intelligence is market-leader with In-line moisture content measuring systems. Brookhuis is the only one that has a contact-free scanner system that is able to detect both cracks inside wood and open glue-joints. Various machine manufacturers integrated these systems into their lines, ensuring a 100% control over the quality of the produced products, both solid wood flooring as well as so called engineered flooring. Photo – Brookhuis

New website - for even more perspective! Have you already visited our new website this year? At the beginning of 2021, we launched and completly redesigned our website! Here you will find, among other things, everything you need to know about our events - topics, dates and registration options! We also offer you the opportunity to arrange individual topics and dates with us.

Lägler TV live We are always close to you Since last summer, there have been existed our online platform Lägler TV live, and that with great success! Interested? Then contact us at the following telephone number or e-mail.

+49 (0) 7135 98 90 0 12

Photo – Brookhuis

info@laegler.com

Floor Forum International 116

Special

Pre-colouring

OLD FORMULAS AND TECHNICAL RENEWAL PRE-COLOURING CREATES A WOODEN FLOOR WHICH IS ‘THAT LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT’

Photo – DevoNatural®

Everyone seems to be talking about pre-colouring these days, but what is it exactly? We skimmed the market with that question to look for more information. Initially, the Internet provided little guidance, but thankfully we got some help from producer Blanchon, which provided answers to a number of pressing questions.

Visit www.floor-forum.com

A definition In answer to the question as to what pre-colouring is exactly, we heard loudly and clearly that it is the operation which brings about a shade, colour, patina, or an effect. This pre-colouring can be applied to both basically sanded parquet and, on the other hand, parquet which has been ‘prepared’. That ‘preparation’ includes, for instance, the creation of scratches. All that is designed to imitate the look of old parquet to

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Special

Pre-colouring

ensure that you get parquet which appears to have ‘suffered’ from the ravages of time.

An overview Bona

Our interviewee told us: ‘Colouring is possible in several ways, in one or more operations and with one or more products. Think here of wood shade, colour shade, tinted oil, distressing agents (sometimes also called positive shades), and natural or synthetic chemical products. For this latter category, we can refer to one of the oldest, namely ammonia. Ammonia yields a shade of brown with tannic acid on the oak or metal salts. And so, the field is very extensive. There are some so called ‘old formulas’, ‘safe values’, and ‘technical innovations’ alongside each other so that it is possible to launch innovative decors which follow the trend. In some cases, as with colouring with a tinted oil, the colouring and finishing are done at the same time.’

Benefits of pre-colouring Pre-colouring a wooden floor has to offer more than just yielding a colour. And so, we want to know what the main benefits of it are. ‘As we’ve said, pre-colouring can create a different look; the most commonly used wood is oak, whereby you can multiply the adornments and effects ad infinitum. For instance, producers can offer their customers collections which stand out. With pre-colouring, parquet manufacturers can meet the wishes of customers who are looking for a parquet floor which is “that little bit different”.’

Ecological demands Ecology has been a hot item for many years and is becoming increasingly important. How do manufacturers cope with those growing environmental demands? ‘Most decoration products which are used on site (and, to be absolutely clear, we mean stains, colours, or distressing agents) are in a watery phase and are not harmful to human beings or the environment. Ammonia is rarely used nowadays because it yields uncertain results and the hazard is just as big as the smell. At the same time, the industry has also just about eliminated all hazardous chemicals in favour of water-based products.’ ‘How do you process colouring products gradually in practice? In this case, we have to specify how the stain or other product is brought into contact with the wood in each case to obtain the required look. The floor is always sanded fairly finely and finished with a 120 or 150 grain. Once the dust has been removed carefully, the colouring product is applied in accordance with the maker’s recommendations, so the product may or may not be polished. Basic pre-colouring can be done in one hour, but special effects (e.g. distressing, patina, or reactive) need rather more time. Usually, they can be covered after one night of drying and don’t emit any odour. That latter point is important because end customers won’t put up with it any more. After the recommended drying time, the selected finish is applied. This is a seal, oil and sometimes wax.’

Two special features Finally, we heard about two special features: ‘Firstly, you can experiment with the complementarity or the contrast of a wood shade and a tinted oil. In addition, there is a new and complementary trend, which comprises decorated, tinted, and distressed floors being sealed with tinted oils. The end customer has a low maintenance and ‘pimped’ parquet floor and the floor fitter can apply an original decoration quickly and easily. It hardly needs to be said that this trend is charming lovers of original parquet floors.’

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Bona has lots of products for colouring wooden floors. For instance, Bona Craft Oil 2K, a 2-component parquet oil based on vegetable oils, ensures rapid drying and long-lasting protection. It is the ideal finish for sometimes troublesome wood sorts like kambala, afzelia, and walnut. It’s also suitable for use on smoked oak and steamed beech. Bona Craft Oil 2K ensures a particularly fresh, waterproof, and stain-proof surface. It can be supplied as standard in 19 modern colours (including the two new colours added to the already broad range of colours). The colours can be mixed with each other endlessly. Moreover, it’s also possible to create extra colour shades with products from the same assortment, namely Bona Mix Colour, Bona Nordic Tone, and Bona Rich Tone. Bona Craft Oil 2K can serve as a finish, but it can also be finished (only) with Bona Traffic parquet lacquers.

Blanchon Blanchon offers a full range of colour, decoration, and distressing products for parquet and woodwork, with two ranges of colouring agents, one range of distressing products, and various reagents for specific effects on parquet. Aquateinte 2K is a water-based and 2-component stain, which remains perfectly stable in the light and has been created and developed specially for parquet floors. This product, which is easy to apply, comes with six wood shades and six shades from pure white to deep black. There is also Wood Stain (‘Teinte à bois’). This fast-drying and odourless product is ideal for small rooms and is available in 12 wood shades, white, black, and five in grey. Wood Distressing (Vieillisseur Bois) yields an exceptional ‘distressed wood’ effect by highlighting the grain of all wood types. This product has 10 shades, including five shades of grey. Blanchon stresses that this entire range must be given a suitable finish to guarantee the solidarity and durability of the chosen and obtained effect. In addition, it can also be a supplement (e.g. with oil wax shade on distressed wood). Finally, they also mention Oil-Wax (‘Huile-Cire’) and Solid'Oil™.

Ciranova Ciranova is the reference when it comes to color your wooden floor with water-based color stains for on-site use or industrial application. Reactive Stains interact chemically with the natural tannins inside the wood and this interface creates very unique finishes. There are endless possibilities in combination with coloured oils. (reaction time +/- 6 hours). Aquastain is a new water-based pigment stain based on micro pigments for staining all types of wood for indoor use. Aquastain provides a uniform coloring that accentuates the woodgrain. (drying times +/- 3 to 4 hours). After drying, the stains can be finished with oil or waterborne finishes, such as our new PLUS RANGE to achieve an invisible finish and natural appearance. It is also possible to finish the stains with our coloured Hardwaxoils, creating unique finishes and endless possibilities.

DevoNatural® For pre-colouring parquet and wooden floors, Devomat offers clients two lines of products: DevoNatural® Easy Colour (a vegetable colour stain) and DevoNatural® Reactive (a reactive distress product with smoked effect for ‘oak’ parquet and wooden floors). In addition, DevoNatural® Floor Paint is a covering universal water-dilutable adhesion primer based on vegetables. It can be applied to various substrates such as wood, stone, concrete, synthetics, etc. DevoNatural® Floor Paint serves as a covering primer and can be finished further with any DevoNatural® varnish. Since the launch of DevoNatural® Easy Colour, Devomat has noticed that, despite the convenience of the product, more floors are once again being coloured. There is a growing demand for unique colour combinations e.g. the floor is distressed with DevoNatural® Reactive and then finished with a coloured DevoNatural® High Solid Oil. For DevoNatural® Easy Colour Devomat also offers the option of creating customised colours. Both product lines can be applied on site, in the workshop, or in the factory. DevoNatural® Easy Colour gives a deeper colour to the entire floor, whilst a colour oil will highlight mainly the grain and only to a lesser

extent the surface. DevoNatural® Reactive is a reactive product and cannot be compared to a colour oil or another colouring product. The distressing effect depends on the tannic acid content and thereby differs from plank to plank. This gives a unique look to each parquet floor. Both products can be finished with any DevoNatural® finish product (lacquers, oils, or beeswax).

Osmo Osmo Oil Stain: one product – two colour intensities Osmo Oil Stain is a richly coloured wood stain that can be layered to create various colour intensities without any visible transitions. One coat applied with a brush, roller or trowel and buffed achieves a transparent look showing the natural wood grain. A second coat intensifies the colour. For applications on flooring, a final top coat with Osmo Polyx®-Oil is required to protect the pigments against wear. Available in warm browns, trend greys, white and black. Oils enhance the colour and grain of the wood. Oil Stain 3519 Neutral counteracts this effect resulting a raw wood look.

Tover

If you can pre-colour on site, you are given the possibility of fully renovating your floor, simply changing the colour of wood; in that case the major difficulty for a parquet fitter is to avoid overlaps and roller marks. With Belle Epoque, Tover's water-based stain, you won't get any problems, as you can apply it with a roller and later even out the colour with a buffing machine. In addition, Belle Epoque does not react with the wood tannin and shows a constant and homogeneous aged effect regardless of the wood species on which it is used. As a protective layer, it can be overcoated with all Tover neutral or coloured oils to achieve countless two-tone effects. Innovation at the service of creativity.

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Advertorial

La San Marco Profili (I)

PASSION, EXPERIENCE AND INNOVATION

These key words together with the production’s flexibility and fast deliveries distinguish the company. The principal product is born from the capacity to produce whatever the customer needs following his requests and desire. La San Marco Profili is a second generation, family run business founded in 1989. Its headquarter based in Treviso, Italy. The company specilizes in the manufacture of skirting and outdoor flooring and it serves clients around the globe thanks to its well-recognized products quality and services efficiency. The research into and passion for wood, together with latest generation processing equipment, have enabled La San Marco Profili to evolve with new technologies and

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offer high quality products and efficient service. The company hold a huge well-organized stock of products that enable it to fill orders very quickly.The company wide collection of products includes only wood of high selection. Among timber decking La San Marco offers different woods such as Teak, Ipe, Garapa, Iroko, Angelim Amargoso, Cumaru, Thermo Ash. These wood varieties offer aesthetic advantages of long-lasting quality and need less maintenance if they are well fitted. The company also manufactures skirting for every need, Veneer, Solid, MDF, Laminated with a wide variety of finishing. Skirting are diveded in different collections, from the classical style to more experimental, innovative solutions, La San Marco offers different Lines of skirting that easily satisfy all customers’ requests.

OLD STYLE LINE: a series of skirting made with solid wood, veneer or MDF, and with different elaborated shapes and large sizes. These products featuring Baroque styling, represent a modern vintage look, because they combine past echoes with a touch of modern design and technique. CLASSICS LINE: a line that proposes the traditional skirting in a vast range of sizes and thicknesses intended to resolve any structural requirement. Available in a vast range of finishes and woods. ELITE STYLE LINE: skirting with minimal, elegant, linear style presented in different sizes and woods. Modern styling characterised by simplicity, linearity and clean lines. NORDICS LINE: A series with a warm, eastern european charisma, both antique and modern at the same time. The perfect compromise between structural and aesthetic requirements. DIFFERENT OAK FINISHES LINE: A wide range of oak skirting with different surface treatments that give to the skirting a very natural antique rustic look. RAL LACQUERED LINE: a lacquered series of skirting of many different colors. A lively, original touch to your home decoration that satisfy every needs. With all these products, La San Marco combine wood quality and flexibility with aesthetic and beauty, all characteristics that well represent what we call MADE IN ITALY. These are only some of the company skirting proposals. For more information, please visit www.lasanmarcoprofili.com

Wood the natural stage for your lifestyle.

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Producers and dealers provide training and schooling. Take advantage of this! They are worthwhile!

MORE THAN JUST ANOTHER PRODUCT SHOW IN-SERVICE TRAINING IS A MUST IN ALL SECTORS, INCLUDING THE PARQUET INDUSTRY

Photo – Lägler

Long gone are the days when producers/dealers offered their products to professional end users and the contact was mainly top down. These days, customers (i.e. parquet fitters in our case) are not only buyers, but at the same time they are also one of the major partners for producers/dealers. This means that buyers-partners have to sell what is offered to their own end customers to obtain an ideal result. And so, it comes as no surprise to learn that training sessions on the premises of manufacturers/dealers or even training sessions on a customer’s own premises are on the up. Moreover, we have also noticed that companies are increasingly thinking beyond their own products and are offering more general training, which is proving a big hit. This is not surprising when you consider how hard it is at the moment to find professionally trained workers. In recent years many workers have had to be trained on the job virtually from scratch.

Training offered by traders is popular What we’ve also noticed is that there is an ever growing demand for extra training from workers themselves and that producers/dealers simply have to respond. The reasons for the growing demands are quite obvious. In various professional fields, including that of the parquet industry, time certainly doesn’t stand still and there is a constant flow of new rules, guidelines, and product developments. Think, for instance, of the various ecological requirements which you don’t only learn from

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some professional association, but also you have to check how your suppliers react specifically to those elements. Obviously, there is also more and more specialisation and expansion within the professional field at the same time. The parquet industry is constantly broadening its horizons and therefore requires more specialist knowledge. Floor fitters who have that knowledge can operate in several fields where the competition is less severe and the related remuneration is more attractive. Then, there’s the fact that if you take such training courses, you are one of the first operators to discover where the market is heading. You are literally in the forefront of new developments and can capitalise on your own audacity. Finally, there’s the element of self-improvement. You think here not just purely in terms of improving your professional abilities, but also your business skills or social skills.

How does this work? In this article we investigate how these training courses run and verify a number of things. We ask questions such as: Are free training courses offered or not? Are there different sessions? Are certificates issued as proof of professional competence, for instance, with the use of UV or LED curing machines or the application of colour? What we notice is that the big boys certainly aren’t afraid to deploy plenty of resources and that they are spending huge sums of money,

urmateriaal

up to and including heavy investment in their own training centre and trainers. We select a few of these training courses at random to give an idea of the possibilities. How do the smaller and often highly specialised players approach this? You shouldn’t forget that aspect and we notice that it is mainly amongst this group that the biggest developments have emerged in recent years. We found a good example of how it can be done at the sister companies Woodcare (with Woca) and Floorconcepts (with Stauf), which are based in Ostend (Belgium) under the same roof. In the frame piece you read how those companies with about ten employees approach this issue and how they’ve managed to continue organising training courses in the midst of the covid pandemic. What is remarkable is that here, too, they’ve been investing in their own training centres for over ten years and that continues to bear fruit even in these difficult times.

huren!

What’s on the market ? Blanchon Each year, Blanchon welcomes over 200 French and other European parquet floor fitters to present their new products. In addition, they also present their latest technology. Blanchon organises these Technical Days at the start of the year when diaries are not yet too full. These times of interaction regarding a shared passion for parquet are renowned for a friendly atmosphere and technical quality and have proved both fruitful and popular for over 30 years. The parquet floor fitters are the guests of Blanchon during their stay in Lyon and during the visit to the factories. Sometimes a parquet manufacturer sends only a raw recruit, but, generally speaking, company bosses and assistants are present. All participants in the ‘Cimethane UV’ and ‘Deco on wooden floors’ training courses receive a ‘commemorative parquet plank’ as proof of participation. In 2021, they have organised web sessions on specific subjects; the session on the maintenance of terraces and wooden walls attracted over 100 professionals.

heeft een lange standtijd en schuurt zeer effectief. eschadigd raken. De unieke mix van keramiek en resultaat een perfect geschuurd oppervlak. What are these courses like in practice? To answer that question, we picked one at random from the list and we came out on ‘Master Installer: laminate and parquet’. What is noticeable here is that, just as with other training courses, there is a fee (which is obviously tax deductible). That is something which other producers and dealers don’t often do. The range here is certainly very comprehensive and actually the prices for what is on offer don’t seem to be exorbitant at all.

oces Three-day en course gaat 50% langer mee dan standaard To be precise, this is a three-day course which unites theory and practice in technical presentations and practical workshops. The trainers provide suitable challenges, depending on the trainee’s expertise and experience. There is also scope for consultation both during and after the presentations and practical workshops. To provide maximum support, the trainees work in small groups of a maximum of 10 participants. We can’t mention literally the whole programme here, but, generally speaking, you can say that the course programme is very extensive and comprehensive, that it shows due regard for the level of prior knowledge, and that this ‘Master Installer' training course has been developed for professional floor fitters with at least two years’ experience who wish to refine their skills. A certificate is issued and there are individual evaluations and assistance during the entire course by one of the trainers.

Keep informed We wish to make it perfectly clear that we have chosen this Master Installer course as an example purely at random and we pass no judgement whatsoever in terms of ‘good’ or ‘poor’. On the contrary, it merely shows how far some suppliers/producers can go in tackling this issue at present. It is good simply to know that such courses exist and that it is always worth checking with suppliers what courses are on offer. At Floor Forum we’re certainly going to give this subject more in-depth coverage and present many other possibilities. Demonstrations of new products are fine, but if at the same time you can learn how to use products in practice, that can only help your professional image. We also want to mention that although it’s nice to be awarded an official certificate, that certainly isn’t the most important thing. It certainly makes for an attractive document to show end customers, but in the final analysis it’s still the quality of the work done which really counts.

Visit www.floor-forum.com

Bona

The market never stands still. There are constant movements and changes, with new finish products, refined machines and fitting methods, new tools, etc. Bona has been represented worldwide since 1919 and, with its own laboratories, has plenty of knowledge and experience at its disposal. Early in 2020, Bona BeNeLux developed a diversified training programme for professionals (parquet floor fitters, painters, and store and company staff) who work every day with floors and accompanying works and products. Due to covid, this programme has not actually started yet. Bona plans to organise the training sessions live, but only if circumstances allow this in full and with no restrictions. Watch this space! For more information you can always contact Bona.

Ciranova The new Ciranova Academy has all the facilities to provide customers with full and high-quality product training. For users and dealers they can give training where the acquired theory is put into practice in their ‘Application lab’. For industrial customers they have the necessary

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Producers and dealers provide training and schooling. Take advantage of this! They are worthwhile! Lägler

BECOME A CIRANOVIAN IN ONLY 30 MINUTES

machines and equipment to test and demonstrate their full range. Apart from training sessions in their brand new Ciranova Academy, they also visit customers to give various training and instruction courses. New since last year is the ‘Done in 30 Minutes’ training for dealers and users. With ‘Done in 30 Minutes', Ciranova offers short, but instructive training on a few top class products from the Ciranova range. For 30 minutes you are immersed in some of the most popular finish products for indoor and outdoor wood. After this short but informative training, you can help and advise your customers clearly and properly as they look for the perfect Ciranova finish product. You can contact Ciranova at any time for more information or for a training course.

DecoRad Systems bv

As early as summer 2020, Lägler offered the first professional online training courses "Lägler TV live" for its German customers, responding directly to the changing circumstances at the time. Since then, online training courses have been held regularly, e.g. on topics such as maintenance, repair as well as application of the machines and use of the accessories. This for all over the world, in a wide range of languages. Training courses can be offered at flexible times and adapted to the wishes of the customer. They are primarily aimed at professionals, but can also be tailored to beginners if required. Now, customers from all over the world can get in touch with Lägler virtually, a thoroughly positive side effect of the pandemic. Depending on current developments, Lägler would also like to offer PST® seminars again directly at the factory for its customers from autumn onwards. Participation will be rewarded with a certificate at the end. More about PST® at www.laegler.com Lägler - always close to its customers!

Tover

DecoRad Systems bv organizes for its customers the training: Factory trained operator - on the elements: UV equipment operation - UV safety We provide this training to properly prepare our customers for their work with UV equipment on site. - UV radiation sources are not toys. - An operator must be able to handle the different types of portable UV devices safely and responsibly. - He must also be able to inform his customers bystanders and set up the work area. It is a one-time training, after purchasing at least a Floormate, for a maximum of 5 people per company. This training, including lunch, is free of charge and takes place in our training room in Veenendaal or at our local partners. We see professional competence as necessary, without any commercial interest. During the COVID-19 restrictions, we have always found opportunities to continue to train people. We do not set minimum requirements for the know-how of the professional who follows the training with us. After the training, all participants will receive a certificate by name.

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Salespeople can be perfect in describing the high quality and performance of the products they represent, but sometimes they are not a sufficient support for professionals; as a matter of fact we all know that professionals prefer to "try it out for themselves", exchanging views with their peers. That is why several times a year we at Tover have planned technical training days in our factory or at our partners' showrooms. Parquet fitters are invited with their area manager and can test all products they choose: so you can see them applying adhesives, lacquers, colouring systems, oils, etc. Our lab people are also there to answer their questions and give them advice on use. Each time the excellent results obtained during those events have strengthened confidence and improved human relationships. Unfortunately the epidemic has temporarily stopped those initiatives, replaced by webinars and virtual meetings where our Customers can easily interact with us. The contact value remains a priority for us and we are surely going to start our training activities again as soon as possible.

Special

Adhesives for LVT, PVC, and vinyl

‘THINK BEFORE YOUR START’’ FOR IDEAL GLUEING YOU MUST FOLLOW ALL RULES CAREFULLY Peter Bijlard and Jos Tourné (Bijlard International - NL) Bijlard International, based in Zoetermeer in the Netherlands, specialises in high-quality adhesives and kits and targets professionals only. We know Bijlard mainly for its parquet adhesive, but you shouldn’t forget that the company is also highly active in producing adhesive for LVT and PVC floors. We spoke to owner Peter Bijlard and head of marketing and communication Jos Tourné: ‘The basis for our LVT and PVC adhesive was laid some time ago and in view of developments in PVC and LVT, we’re still refining this adhesive constantly. The parquet industry is certainly one of our focus markets and the market demand for PVC adhesives means we absolutely have to be part of it.’ ‘The latest development is our response to the need for good visibility at the moment of adhesion. A floor fitter must have good visibility at the moment of adhesion. Otherwise there’s a risk of faulty end strength and too much damp. You have to be 100% sure that the damp has gone before Left Jos Tourné, right owner Peter Bijlard you make a connection, certainly if the damp cannot escape through the substrate. All this is a problem with water-based systems, unlike parquet adhesive where a contrary principle applies. To be precise, we supply the white adhesive in a bucket and the special aspect lies in the drying process. The glue dries transparently and, once this is done, you can make the adhesive bonding.’ Both gentlemen point out that you have to tinker not only with the glue itself, but also with the spreading: ‘That’s why we’ve launched a licensed and unique notched trowel called Sqraper® A3, with a sharp and a square edge. That latter feature means you can scrape the bucket as good as empty, so there is less waste and you therefore get a higher yield per bucket. The Sqraper® has refined smoothness, is burr-free, and suffers less from drag, so that spreading is considerably easier. The unique and successful Sqraper® (in versions B3, B11, and B15) was specifically developed primarily for glueing parquet, but has now been adapted to PVC and LVT, thanks to more slender teeth. This creates less drag for the collection of the adhesive.’ New production hall Bijlard has some more good news. On Tuesday 19 January, they started on an expansion with a 1,000m² production hall and this will be operational immediately at the end of May. Apart from providing for an expansion in production (a doubling in total), the new facility will also house the necessary indoor and outdoor silos. They expect that this extension will enable the company to continue growing. This follows on from 2020 when they recorded remarkable progress on all fronts, despite the covid situation during the first half of the year. Peter Bijlard concludes: ‘We’d reached our limits and this expansion was necessary to give our customers the best possible service. Thanks to this new production hall, we can continue to guarantee optimal deliveries on time.

Is glueing LVT, PVC, or vinyl a piece of cake? It might seem like that to an outsider, but experience shows that this most certainly is not the case. You must show respect certain steps. For this floor covering, too, you have to assess a good number of factors. This article reveals a few of them… For extra information we drew inspiration from the market and came out at Forbo (Eurocol) and Bijlard International. Below, we summarise the advice which we received in a number of points.

Acclimatisation is a must The first point for attention arises even before you fit the floor. Never forget that a material like LVT has to acclimatise first. All makers give guidelines to help, but it’s worth knowing that LVT (certainly good quality LVT) normally adapts to the room for up to 48 hours. The seasons makes little difference. In winter, for instance, it’s not wise to leave the floor in the freezing cold while you heat the project room, and summer temperatures can vary hugely between day and night. Moreover, consider the glue as well, not just the floor. Store it

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Adhesives for LVT, PVC, and vinyl

together with the floor in the room where it will be used and remember that even the best adhesive can’t absorb excessive swelling and shrinking.

Insulate and level the subfloor Another big step is to check the subfloor for damp and verify whether any damp is rising damp or damp transmission. You may need to fit a damp screen before applying a levelling agent. Don’t forget the damp screen drying time. The damp screen must be dry enough for you to apply the leveller.

Take care with floor heating The next point to consider is whether or not there is floor heating. If so, you have to complete the so called ‘heating protocol’ with a new covering floor to ensure that there is less chance later of cracks as a result of swelling and shrinking. Also make sure that the floor heating is either set at a low temperature or completely switched off at least one day before you apply the levelling agent. If this is not possible, postpone the levelling until it is possible.

Most suitable adhesive There is a diverse range for the glueing. The main point here is that you apply the adhesive using a fine notched trowel and fit the flooring with a semi-wet adhesive. Semi-wet is necessary because the adhesive has to give some resistance for the fitting. However, if the adhesive is too wet, the tiles or strips could slide during the fitting and that increases the risk of adhesive getting between the joints

during the application or rolling. By way of illustration, we mention in this context the PVC Adhesive Floor of Bijlard for PVC and vinyl, a solventless adhesive based on acrylate dispersion with very strong initial adhesion. This is used to glue PVC, vinyl, and rubber flooring in strips and tiles onto the most common substrates and also serves as a universal adhesive for all customary sorts of soft and semi-soft indoor floor covering on the floor and wall. We give this adhesive a special mention because they have found a solution to the problem of determining the ‘semi-wetness’. After all, this adhesive becomes transparent at the right moment (read more about this in the frame piece).

A number of tips Finally, we give a number of other tips to create the right working conditions. Generally speaking, we have to point out that you should follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully. Is a new building project not yet fully glazed? If that is the case, don’t fit any LVT. To do so would be asking for problems. And so, you take account of matters such as temperature, relative air humidity, damp in the subfloor, and such like.

What’s on the market ? Bona Bona operates mainly within the parquet industry. Therefore, they have their own production facility for parquet silane adhesives. For PVC (Design floors) Bona produces the dispersion adhesive Bona

PREMIUM USABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY

Floor Forum International 116 SOUDAL N.V. • EVERDONGENLAAN 18-20 • B-2300 TURNHOUT • BELGIË • TEL.: +32-(0)14 42 42 31 • WWW.SOUDAL.COM

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• New: ecological packaging for hybrid parquet adhesives • Same product, same quality • Easy to recycle • Easy to stack, takes up less space

Bijlard Bijlard PVC glue FLOOR: transparent drying

D750. This is a solventless, 1-component, and fibre-reinforced dispersion adhesive specially for fitting PVC floors onto absorbent substrates. This is full surface glueing. Due to its brief open time and excellent suction, this low emission adhesive is ideal for fitting PVC design floors with a tile or plank print. Due to its high shearing stress strength, Bona D750 keeps the emergence of joints (e.g. such as with a PVC design plank) to a minimum. Apart from that, the D750 also keeps dents in elastic floors to a minimum. Bona D750 is only suitable for indoor use. Properties: Solventless – Low emission EMICODE EC1 – High shearing stress strength – Excellent suction – Prevents wide joints such as with PVC design planks – Brief ventilation time – Easy to apply – Long open time.

MS 2K FLOOR

In 2019 Bijlard presented the PVC adhesive FLOOR to the industry. Due to the many demands from the market, but also due to the popularity of PVC as a floor covering, adding this adhesive to the range was not unavoidable. The Zoetermeer (NL) glue producer believes that this glue is a product that is just that little bit different. The adhesive with extremely high tack is white when set up and dries transparent after 20 to 40 minutes. It is therefore easy to see when the strips can be applied. An additional advantage is that this adhesive not only meets the demand from the parquet industry, but can also serve the home furnishing industry excellently with this product. At the same time as the PVC glue, the Bijlard Sqraper A3® was launched on the market, specially designed for the new PVC adhesive FLOOR, but also extremely suitable for the application of Bijlard contact adhesives. Thanks to its unique design, you can empty every bucket to the lowest drop. Due to its robust appearance, it lasts a long time, is burr-free and easy to clean! www.bijlard.com

✔ ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY

✔ TWICE AS STRONG ✔ CAN BE LOADED AFTER 2 HOURS

✔ UP TO 70% NOISE REDUCTION

✔ 10 YEAR GUARANTEE ✔ SUITABLE FOR

UNDERFLOOR HEATING AND COOLING

WWW.BIJLARD.COM

...a Bond you can trust!

INFO@BIJLARD.COM +31 79 343Floor 7538Forum International

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Adhesives for LVT, PVC, and vinyl

Chimiver

ADESIVER RE 400/PLUS - PVC Acrylic water-based adhesive characterized by high solid content, excellent spreadability and low water content. Specific for indoor laying of: carpet and needle punched textile with any backing provided they are dimensionally stable; linoleum up to 3 mm thickness; vinyl floors supported by felt; PVC flooring in rolls or tiles; textile floor coverings; semi-rigid vinyl. Suitable for absorbent and semi-absorbent subfloors. Suitable for absorbent and semiabsorbent subfloors. ADESIVER RE 400/SP - LVT Acrylic water-based thixothropic adhesive characterized by high solid content, excellent spreadability and low water content. Specific for indoor of: carpet and needle punched textile with any backing provided they are dimensionally stable; linoleum up to 3 mm thickness; vinyl floors supported by felt; PVC flooring in rolls or tiles; textile floor coverings; semi-rigid vinyl; rubber up to 3 mm thickness; PVC flooring and coverings; flooring and wall covering made by coco with back in latex; styrofoam linings and styrofoam flooring; LVT (luxury vinyl tiles) flooring. Suitable for absorbent and semi-absorbent subfloors. Suitable for absorbent and semiabsorbent subfloors.

Devo®

pre-finished parquet. The glue contains no water or VOCs and spreads excellently. Devo® Glue MS300 is a hard-elastic glue (about 70 Shore) with great adhesive strength, it conforms to the standard CSN EN 14293, and it has the EC1-Plus (EC1-R) classification. Devo also has dual-component adhesives in its range. Devo® Glue PU 500 2C is a waterless, dual-component, polyurethane epoxy, and semi-elastic parquet glue which is specially for glueing wooden floors onto cement-bound substrates or existing floors (tiles, marble, wooden floors, etc.). Devo® Glue PU 650 2C is also a waterless, dual-component, epoxy-polyurethane parquet adhesive, but this product is hard-elastic.

STAUF

With its ready to apply dispersion adhesives STAUF D 5 and STAUF D 50, the adhesives specialist is offering outstanding products which meet all the demands for the laying of durable and dimensionally stable designer coverings of various types. STAUF D 50 is a fibrereinforced design covering adhesive for LVT flooring. It is characterized by excellent wetting properties of flooring underside and high final strength. Owing to its stable adhesive grooving, it reduces joint formation. It also has exceptional tack properties and can be loaded after approx. 24 hours. STAUF D 5 is a proven PVC/CV single side wet-bed adhesive offering efficient and simple laying methods, distinguished by an ideal open time and good tack. Its outstanding adhesive power and final strength reduce shrinkage and expansion of the design flooring. Both design flooring adhesives are suitable for underfloor heating as well as chair castors.

Tover

Amongst other things, Devo presents Devo® Glue MSP 150 1C, a mono-component and semi-elastic hybrid MS polymer adhesive which contains no silicones or isocyanates. It is designed for multilayer stabilised parquet, whilst Devo® Glue MS300 is the new best-seller from Devo. This glue is suitable for glueing all types of wood (solid wood up to 20cm wide) and is particularly recommended for fitting

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Tover has immediately grasped the increasing demand coming from the resilient flooring market: this new opportunity has led us to add to our range of wooden floor adhesives a complete system to lay flexible coverings. In fact we can offer a very wide selection of water-based adhesives for laying LVT, linoleum, carpet, rubber, cork on any kind of absorbent or non-absorbent support and even on heated subfloors. Tovcol RP and Tovcol MPL are two universal solvent-free acrylic adhesives, perfect for both horizontal and vertical bonding, with excellent peel adhesion and amazing performance. We are also able to supply Tovcol TST, a permanent-tack adhesive allowing you to place a covering and remove it after a long time without damaging it. Our range

solid, dry, and free of substances which could impede adhesion. For application on the flooring, you always need to take account of a number of points: - Residual moisture percentage of the substrate. - Tensile strength of the substrate. - Temperature of the floor and the surrounds. - Air humidity. Make sure you follow the floor covering manufacturer’s guidelines, such as the use of a fibre-reinforced product with large sizes of PVC (THOMSIT K 190 F). When you fit herringbone, you need to consider the longer open time (THOMSIT K 188 E). Be sure to use the right notched trowel, and especially with fibre-reinforced adhesives it is important to use only an A2 notched trowel due to the fibres. Always roll/press the floor after fitting a PVC floor. Rolling is too often forgotten and as a result the adhesive grooves stay untouched. That makes the adhesive grooves hard and they could extend and eventually crack. You should also avoid putting too much pressure on the floor within the first 48 hours, as that can press into the adhesive and then leaves a visible impression. It is also not advisable to glue excessively large pieces. The long open time means that the products will no longer adhere very well, but become riveted (anti-slip). has been further extended thanks to the Tovcol LVT Fiber+ adhesive for LVT tiles, reinforced with fibers and without waiting time and also with Tovcol MS LVT, an MS-based adhesive for installing LVT in damp places such as bathrooms, showers and kitchens. Innovative, easy to use and safe products!

ADE I

Adhesives suitable for LVT, PVC, and vinyl include THOMSIT K 188 E and THOMSIT K 190 F THOMSIT K 188 E special adhesive extra has an open time of about 40-120 minutes (depending on the sort of glueing) and is ideal for lanes, strips, and herringbone. This is due to the long open time. THOMSIT K 190 F Fibre-reinforced PVC and rubber adhesive has an open time of about 25 minutes and is ideal for large-size PVC tiles due to the fibre reinforcement and for rooms with direct sunlight. The substrates must meet the requirements of ATV DIN 18 365 ‘Floor covering works’, BS CP 8203 & 8204 or similar national standards. In particular, they need to be clean, flawless,

Thomsit

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Special

Style panels

TIME HAS SWUNG A FULL CIRCLE THE LASTING CHARM OF VERSAILLES PANELS ET AL STILL ATTRACTS Stefaan Luykx (Habo - B) Habo from Genk (Belgium) has been a reference point in traditional parquet floors for decades. That’s true not only in Belgium via wholesaler Holz Bois, but also in the Netherlands after the takeover in 2008 of Albers in Weert. The Limburg company is ideally placed to talk about some items which have come noticeably to prominence in recent years: style panels and special designs like herringbone and chevron. Managing director Stefaan Luykx told us: ‘What I should say at once is that you mustn’t overestimate the impact of style panels. They’re still on the periphery, unlike herringbone or chevron. There’s also a big difference between Belgium and the Netherlands. In Belgium a lot of jobs are repairs in old houses and renovation, whilst in the Netherlands large rooms of 100m² and more are no exception. All in all, demand for style panels is low, but you can’t say that about herringbone and chevron.’ ‘To sum up, you can say that people hardly ever choose style panels as a new floor, but they do choose herringbone and chevron, which are often also on show in interior magazines. What is noticeable is how herringbone and chevron have penetrated the market much more strongly in the Netherlands than in Belgium. In the Netherlands they’re almost standard floors, certainly in bigger cities with companies which specialise in fitting them.’ ‘What you also notice is a strong advance in multilayer products with tongue and groove, which make fitting easier. At the same time, there’s also a noticeable growing demand for traditional herringbone and chevron in 6 and 9mm, which Habo itself produces. On the other hand sales of traditional strip parquet are decreasing. Obviously, we respond by adapting our stock of raw material accordingly. For the rest we can only welcome the shift towards herringbone and chevron which will help to continue to honour the parquet fitting trade. What’s certainly also noticeable is that with herringbone and chevron you have on the one hand the traditional fitting with sanding and finishing on site, but on the other hand pre-finished distressed floors are appearing more and more.’ ‘Imitations? They’re certainly competition, although that’s less the case for a company like ours which supplies mainly traditional parquet fitters, who don’t usually display LVT tiles in their showrooms. Finally, I’d like to say one more thing about the Netherlands. Do you know what we’re seeing there regularly recently? As an alternative to a Versailles panel, they’re fitting uncut basket weave, which run to the end of the room. You could call them endless Versailles floors.’

Old fitting patterns, including style panels, are back in fashion. We think here of designs such as herringbone and Hungarian point, call them nephews or nieces if you wish. Obviously, there’s also an explicit link with marquetry, which we have covered in a previous issue.

The pattern which undoubtedly fires the imagination the most is the Versailles panel. As you might suppose, this ‘king of the style panels’ refers to the similarly named palace in Versailles and takes us back to Louis XIV and his glory days in the 17th century.

Let us define style panels briefly as sorts of tiles with an outer edge frame for wooden floorboards in a certain fitting pattern. The panels are glued to each other sideways. It almost goes without saying that these are solid wooden panels, although we have noticed that solid wood is making way for multilayer where the style panel pattern is created on a subfloor (usually multiplex).

To prevent any misunderstanding, let’s make it clear that there isn’t just one single Versailles panel. No, there are several variants, which can all be traced back to the world famous Hall of Mirrors in the palace. Versailles Palace was built originally in 1624 as a hunting lodge for Louis XIII almost 20km south of Paris. His successor, the Sun King, converted the rather modest predecessor into a domain of 800 hectares with an accompanying fairytale palace.

Uniqueness

Versailles and Chantilly

The use of wood makes each panel unique, even if that doesn’t necessarily apply to the patterns. In that case the design (and possibly the finish) gives rise to the general image. Obviously, there are scores of fitting patterns within that framework.

The floors in the Hall of Mirrors consist of panels (1x1 metre). These perfectly square panels comprise diagonal wickerwork, which is framed by a square edge of parquet strips. Below we further clarify the Versailles panel and one of its variants, the Chantilly pattern:

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- Versailles pattern: This is the original Versailles pattern, with panels which are separated by three strips of 8cm, which converge in a corner to form a point. Today, Versailles panels are available in different sizes and are adapted to the room in which they are fitted. - Chantilly pattern: This is a charming and very popular variant often used in lace making and clothing design. It’s not as well known as the Versailles pattern, but it comes from the same castle. Chantilly is a more intricate variant with lots of small panels which form a wickerwork. In the castle it is fitted in panels, but it can also stretch over the width of the floor.

Tailored work as a condition Nowadays, style panels come in various dimensions, but remember that they always involve tailored work. And so, at the start, you have to establish the size of the frame for the floor. The ultimate aim is to fill the panels so that they fill the open space without being sawn. Versailles panels have one more special feature; you have to fit them diagonally i.e. in a diamond shape. This means you need a half-diagonal panel at the edge of each row. Half-panels are also on offer so nothing has to be sawn.

Execution and fitting The number of selections, wood sorts, and thicknesses is manifold, but the usual thickness is around 10mm. The sections are sawn diagonally and glued to each other sideways. Usually, Versailles panels are fully glued with a permanent elastic adhesive onto a perfectly sandpapered mosaic subfloor.

In terms of wood sort the greatest demand is for extra, premium, or bis/rustic. We have noticed that there has been a big demand for artificially aged floors for quite a long time.

Some specialists BJ Parket For BJ Parket, style panels are still important. Versailles is one of the most coveted. Versailles is a classic type of style panel which consists mainly of a (diagonal) plait framed by a square edge of parquet strips. The panels are always customised. Adapting the size of the panel to the size of the location makes it possible to work even more towards a natural harmony between floor and room. That’s why BJ Parket has three dimensions in the range in which the plaits are composed of friezes of 50 mm (panels of 45 cm or of 52 to 62 cm wide), friezes of 72 mm (panels of 65 cm or of 73 to 95 cm wide), and

Specialist in solid and multilayer parquetin and madeen meerlaags parket en maatwerk Specialist massief to measure in French oak and exotic woods in Franse eik en exotische houtsoorten certified wood

local production gecertificeerdsince hout 1955 lokale productie

www.habo.be sinds 1955

www.habo.be

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Special

Style panels

friezes of 90 mm (panel 102 cm wide). The measure is adapted precisely for each floor by changing the size of the square blocks. These panels are making their way into both private homes and catering establishments. Distressed designs are increasingly in demand.

Design Parquet Design Parquet, which has great expertise in the manufacture of special panels, has noticed a great appreciation for these floor designs. The company has also accounted for several prestigious projects. This type of parquet can be fitted in any interior and is designed for all sorts of clients. The floors are glued or nailed. The most important designs are Versailles, Pyramid, and Hexagon. The major sizes are 800 x 800 and 1,000 x 1,000mm. Here, too, oak is the most popular and most suitable sort of wood, but all sorts are possible. These panels are highly popular in the Middle East.

Houtbedrijf Kerkhofs In recent years we have found Style panels are gaining popularity. We at Houtbedrijf Kerkhofs have had increasing demand and received many commissions for this product. Mostly commercial projects, think hotels, bars, restaurants and other public spaces. There is also growing demand for these Style panels by private customers who have a larger budget. People like to create a traditional atmosphere combined with a modern twist. When a specific request comes for something bespoke, we first do design drawings. After approval our highly skilled factory team starts production. Houtbedrijf Kerkhofs is very flexible when offering Style Panels. This can be done in unusual dimensions, pattern and wood species. Material can be smoked, brushed or aged (distressed) before the panels are assembled. Finishes such as staining, oiling or lacquering will be done on site. Houtbedrijf Kerkhofs produces Style Panels with great precision care and quality.

LUXUY PANELS, BORDERS, HERRINGBONE, STRIPS, TRADITIONAL PARQUET, DUO-LINE, END GRAIN, CUSTOMIZED, ...

B.J. Parket bv Industriestraat 44 - 9240 Zele - België Tel: +32 52 44 45 57 - Fax: +32 52 45 06 71 - Email: info@bjparket.be - www.bjparket.be

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Habo

Hand-made panels in 18th century oak (Filip Redant, Atelier Passe Partout bvba)

Parquet producer Habo (Genk/Weert) has focused from the start on solid parquet in strips, patterns, style panels and made to measure floors that are installed in a traditional way, namely glued and pinned onto a subfloor. All types of decorative patterns can be custom made in different selections of French oak and exotic woods. Although decorative panels only represent a small part of the total production, through the years Habo has been able to produce some true gems for its clients: going from stylish Versailles panels in American black walnut and a honeycomb parquet for the store chain De Bijenkorf to a magnificent mansion weave for the Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky and the reconstruction according to original design of three different historic floors in the impressive Museum M.

Hand-made panels in 18th century oak (Filip Redant, Atelier Passe Partout bvba)

Quality Parquet

FOR PROFESSIONALS

Promoting sustainable forest management

“Every product you need for a perfect �loor.” Tel: +32(0)11 63 64 00 - www.parketkerkhofs.be

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Advertorial

Ciranova (B)

NEW CIRANOVA ACADEMY OFFERS A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES

In September 2020, Ciranova opened a brand new office and research and development building (Ciranova Academy) to reflect the company’s values and products. The Roeselare (B) based company has specialised for over 90 years in durable finish and maintenance products for indoor and outdoor wood. They have a wealth of expertise which shows itself throughout the whole company. Ciranova has grown steadily in recent months and years. To cover this growth, they have erected a new building with offices, meeting rooms, a showroom, and laboratories just 500 metres from their production site. They have applied a very clear philosophy, as marketing manager David Verrue explains: ‘The tight, clean, and white look of our Ciranova Academy is quite unique in our sector, but it stresses how important we regard scientific and chemical research for the development of our products. You go inside the building and big windows immediately draw your attention to our laboratories where you really see laboratory staff at work. Research clearly takes centre stage here.’ Ciranova Academy includes one laboratory for R&D and another one for application. Whilst new products are developed in the R&D laboratory, clients can familiarise themselves with the options in the application laboratory. David Verrue explains: ‘This is where we invite furniture makers, parquet and wooden floor fitters, interior builders, and industrial parquet manufacturers. We have all the necessary machines to imitate any industrial situation and illustrate the strength of our products.’

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INVISIBLE WOOD TREATMENT A year ago, Ciranova launched its Plus range. These durable, zero gloss products have proved a real hit for wood treatment. They consist for at least 35% of bio-based raw materials, so they are not only ecological, but also they are not a health hazard. The Plus series consists of three products, namely Oculto Plus, Ecofix Plus, and Woodlook Plus. One by one, they guarantee an ultra-matt finish with attention to the natural look of your wooden floor. Hard Wax Oil Titan is also an innovative and transparent oil which is doing very well. You use it to finish both parquet and wooden floors and wooden furniture. ‘The big advantage here is that you don’t have to buff

in the hardwaxoil TITAN. The oil has been specially developed so that you can simply apply it with the roller and leave it to dry. That works faster and also gives the wood extra protection,’ says David Verrue. This oil is available in three degrees of gloss: matt, silk, and satin. Once it is permissible, Ciranova hopes to welcome clients back to Ciranova Academy. David Verrue concludes: ‘The whole building serves our products and our clients. We hope to invite clients again shortly for more training and demonstrations and exploit the full potential of Ciranova Academy.’ For more information visit us on www.ciranova.be

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Special

Wooden wall cladding versus composite

GOOD, BETTER, AND BEST HARDLY EXIST ANYMORE PERSONAL TASTE PREFERENCE DETERMINES THE FINAL CHOICE

Photo – La San Marco Profili

Do you choose wood or composite for wall cladding? This article deals with that question. As you will notice, both materials have their specific benefits and drawbacks so that in fact only the client can really answer the question. What are his or her most important requirements for the end result? You can then make a choice on the basis of a personal checklist.

that of ten years ago. For instance, nowadays, the composition is often of much better quality and therefore more durable. Moreover, makers now launch planks on the market as credible imitations of real wood and virtually identical. The natural look arises partly from moulding planks where makers apply tiny and subtle shades normally found only in real wood.

Why composite?

With composite wall cladding you mustn’t put all products on the same footing. Most of them comprise a mixture of wood fibres and synthetics, but some others comprise purely synthetics. With

We start with composite. Composite wall cladding has progressed vastly in recent years, so wall cladding in 2021 is totally different to

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Composition

composite wall cladding, you can say that it consists for 95% of wood chips and wood fibres and that those materials have been melted down together with binding agents. Recycled synthetics and wood and wood fibres are often also used as a by-product to reduce the environmental impact.

moisture content don’t lead to excess distortions. Other decisive factors for the choice are as follows (the order is entirely random): the look of the wood, finishability, availability, available sizes, sustainable origin, and the price.

Both have comparable qualities; apart from a lifelike appearance, they both have a long lifespan and are easy to maintain. Moreover, most of the material is also given another special finish so that it can withstand even the most severe weather conditions. Another benefit: Composite wall cladding is extremely light and flexible with a choice of both a hollow and a full variant.

Remember in particular that if the cladding is going to be fully exposed to the elements, you should opt for durability classes 1 or 2, whether we are talking about solid hard wood, treated, or modified wood.

There is one more benefit not to be ignored: Composite planks are accompanied as almost standard by an adjusted easy fitting. And so, for instance, you can mount them on a frame which is designed in synthetics or aluminium. Moreover, if you have completely synthetic planks, there is no need for ventilation behind the plank and they can be fastened directly onto a sandwich panel. And so, aren’t there any drawbacks? Obviously, yes, there are. For instance, you have to fit a composite in the length, in contrast to synthetic wall cladding panels, for instance, which can be mounted horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. Composite also has certain properties in common with wood. In particular, it swells in the heat, so you have to take account of that with the fitting. Composite also absorbs moisture and, like wood, it can warp. If you opt for a hollow variant of the composite, there is a risk of it breaking more quickly because the materials isn’t as strong.

The choice for wood As the exterior shell of a building, wall cladding is not only representative, but it also protects the sub-frame from the elements. You can use a composite material for that, but then you detract from the most natural of all raw materials, namely wood. Indeed, wood is versatile, natural, and circular, and certainly the latter property speaks indisputably in favour of wood.

High durability classes

Durability class 3 is possible, but you are advised to use it only for part of the finish. Many wood sorts do not belong naturally in a high durability class, but nowadays it is easy to treat wood to make it more durable. You can certainly use sorts such as pine, larch, douglas, or western red cedar once they are made more durable. Finally, some more words of wisdom: Not all sorts of wood can be combined equally easily with corrosive materials such as lead, iron, and in some cases even aluminium. Moreover, strong colouring agents can also stain other building materials, such as stucco or tiles. Remember that wood substances are water soluble, they can be washed out frequently, and they are not harmful to health.

Make a sustainable choice Finally, before we forget: By using wood, you certainly show a real love of the trade, but that doesn’t mean you use just any material. Be sure to opt for a product which meets the requirements of sustainable forest management. An FSC or PEFC trademark is more than just a nice logo on paper. Main sources: www.houtinfo.nl and www.kunststofbouwmateriaal.nl (both sites in Dutch only).

What’s on the market ? Denderwood What’s your favorite wall cladding? Wood Plastic Composite or tropical hardwood?

If you look at wall cladding, you see that it comprises profiled wooden sections which are usually linked, although an open variant of unlinked sections is also possible. The sections come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and are usually fitted horizontally or vertically. The main questions are which wood sorts are best for the fitting and what is the best way to do this. For instance, do you leave the wood untreated or, by contrast, do you finish it semi-transparently or even opaque? There’s a wide choice.

Choice of the wood sort The youngest child knows that one sort of wood is different from another one. But how do you make the best choice? We can give you a number of criteria. It’s important to choose a wood sort which is highly resistant to all potential agents or ‘beasts’ which could affect the wood. In other words, the wood needs to be naturally durable or suitable for durability treatment. And so, for wall cladding it’s best to opt for wood in a high durability class. With wall cladding, the shape stability of the wood is also absolutely essential. Choose a stable sort so that fluctuations in the wood

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It can no longer be denied that Wood Plastic Composite is gaining enormously in popularity. And while it may seem a bit contradictory, this is especially because of the impact on the environment. After all, composite is composed of recycled wood waste and lasts for years.

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Special

Wooden wall cladding versus composite

Moreover, it also requires little or no maintenance. A little water and a soft brush are in most of the cases sufficient. A cladding made of tropical hardwood has a warm and natural appearance and is available in various profiles. If you wish to take care of the environment, ask especially for FSC certified wood. Wood can be found in multiple widths and lengths, while composite is more likely to stick to the standard dimensions. There are also more options with wood in terms of appearance. You can therefore say that recycled composite scores well from an ecological point of view, but with certified tropical hardwood, you have an equivalent and maintenance-friendly alternative.

cladding has a high maintenance and is less resistant to weathering. On the other hand, you can get wood at a reasonable price and furthermore it has a unique and timeless look. Those who choose wood also contribute to using a natural, eco-friendly material. Composite cladding is made out of wood and plastic components. A composite cladding offers a durable alternative to wood. It is also lowmaintenance, weather-resistant and hard-wearing. In addition, there is a wide range of colors for composite cladding.

La San Marco Profili

Eurotec Composite or wood cladding – what will it be for you?

©NATURinFORM

House cladding is a very popular topic for homeowners and leaves many spoilt for choice. As a rule, the options for cladding are composite cladding and wood cladding. If you want to enjoy your exterior cladding for a long time, you need to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of the materials to decide which one is the right choice. Compared to composite cladding, on the one hand wood

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Simple, practical, and attractive, wall claddings are back in demand once more. In recent years, in particular, interest in wooden wall cladding has increased a lot. The fact that wood cladding has a natural look is of course the major reason behind this trend. Moreover, wood provides good insulation and keeps the heat inside the home. Of course, when you think about wall cladding, you will need to consider that the cladding option you choose will be exposed to the elements for extended periods. Therefore, it is vitally important that you choose your cladding wisely according to your needs and aesthetical preferences. If you like the appeal of real wood cladding, but do not want to have to deal with all the maintenance concerns and issues, then it is best to seek out alternatives. Composite wall cladding is the ultimate solution as it looks just like real wood, but because of the materials used and the manufacturing process involved, this option offers long-term durability even when exposed to the elements. La San Marco offers both wood and composite wall cladding. Among woods, it has a wide range of excellent tropical hardwoods with enhanced durability and strength. The most demanded are Ipe, Teak, but also Garapa, Thermo Ash and others are much requested. Moreover, La San Marco supplies also a composite product, which is not WPC, but a new material mainly made up of pure PVC and rice husks. The result of this combination is a material with incredible mechanical properties, performance, workability and long lasting quality. The company offers different profiles for various installation’s solutions and different treatments to preserve the initial characteristics of wood, so the choice is very wide and therefore, it is strictly connected to the customer’s needs and taste.

Special

Profiles for LVT, PVC, and vinyl

AN ALL TOO OFTEN UNDERESTIMATED ELEMENT THE IDEAL FLOOR IS ONLY AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE SURROUNDING FRAME PERMITS

Photo – Auer Metallprofile

If you talk about how a floor looks, this almost always means the material fitted onto the floor. Whether it is wood or an alternative in laminate, LVT, PVC, or vinyl, the discussion revolves almost exclusively around the decor. And so, a crucial element of the floor is forgotten, especially for laminate or the aforementioned PVC, vinyl, or LVT. What is the ideal profile for the selected floor?

You could say that the ideal floor is only as good (and as beautiful) as the profiles used. Whether you want to make thresholds, allow for expansion, ‘close off’ a floor, make stair nosing elegant, etc.

RVS and aluminium There is no doubt profiles play a vital part in LVT, PVC, and vinyl floors. If we consider developments in recent years, the advance of one sort

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Special

Profiles for LVT, PVC, and vinyl

stands out at once. Profiles in stainless steel and aluminium have certainly won a special place on the market. How do we explain that success? Probably largely because they respond flexibly to changing trends. Do you need a metal colour? No problem! The choice is legion. If you’re looking for something more classic, with the ever popular wood decors, they adapt to that need with no problem at all. Yes, they even seem to be the ideal bearer for highly personal designs for highly personal tastes, up to and including the ever advancing digital prints. With these profiles, you mustn’t forget another important benefit. They easily conquer major differences in height between two floors, apart from the protection which they give to floor edges. Aluminium is ideal for bridging different heights between PVC floorboards (but also laminate) as the metal can cope with plenty of height. And so, nowadays, you can easily bridge differences in height of up to 20mm and allow one type of floor covering to blend easily into another. This can be done with adhesive or screws, with or without pre-drilled holes.

Threshold profile If we take specifically the threshold profile, you notice that not only is it easy to fit, but also that it offers several other benefits. One of those benefits which cannot be overlooked is that, if there is enough space underneath, it offers the option of concealing speaker cables or electric wires. If there isn’t enough space, you can still consider other options such as fitting an integrated cable duct. It will be clear from the above that profiles are more than just something to be taken on board silently. On the contrary, they are something to which you should give the necessary attention in your showroom, if only because profiles provide an often underestimated little extra.

Profile board and range Manufacturers understand the latter only too well. A display encourages people to buy and you can stimulate people by means of a profile board and a range (the latter is used when visiting customers and is a kind of ‘summary’ of the board). The idea is as simple as it is ingenious. Assemble the various possibilities with aluminium profiles conveniently on a board and use it to explain the options to consumers. The profile board displays the various aluminium profiles from the basic range using technical cross sections, a few photographs, and samples of the colours explained in clear language. At the back there is also a clear matrix of articles so that customers have a clear picture and the necessary information about all the possibilities. Does this give you some ideas? Setting up something like that in your showroom takes up relatively little space and you can use it to demonstrate a lot, such as which sort of profile suits which style of home best. It also illustrates at once that one profile is different from another one, you put them on display, for instance, to show the difference between an expansion profile and a universal threshold profile. Finally, and most important of all, customers see the materials and the colours presented nicely and they ‘get the itch’.

Some specialists Auer Metallprofile

www.progressprofiles.com

Professional grade results made easy for all types of outdoor raised flooring systems.

PROSUPPORT TUBE SYSTEM ED

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BASE WITH FLAPS 4 mm

LEVELLER

BASE WITH FLAPS 4 mm

The current interior design trend focuses on individuality and creativity. A smooth transition between different floor types and the perfect finish between floor and wall is required. Auer Metallprofile offers an extensive profile range of aluminum, brass, stainless steel and PVC; for example, the profile systems Mini-APL, Mini-APL-Klick and SKD for flooring heights of 4-9 mm, for screwing and clicking. Auer offers the right profile for every laying situation. There are insert profiles, matching inside corners, side profiles, various ramps and fasson profiles, as well as stair nosings with single and double cuts made. A large selection of skirting boards with accessories, also for inserting floorings, for the individual transition from floor to wall, round off the product range. In addition, Auer offers an above-average service with

short delivery times, length cuts, special colors made of anodized, RAL or enamel, as well as profile bends. Known as a problem solver, the Auer team produces a large number of special profiles according to customer requirements, matching individual needs, dimensions and heights, so that nothing is left to be desired.

SOL 30P, TERMINAL PIN and ZERO CURVE, specific for LVT floors and composed of a BASE in PVC to fix to the support and of three TOP to choose on the base of the application.

Carl Prinz

Especially for stairs Prinz offers a wide range of profiles. Profile no. 299 is particularly suitable for profiled wooden stairs. A cover strip is applied to the front of the step to create a neat and attractive shield. In combination with internal corners, steps and risers can be completely covered so that the floor design continues the stairs without interruption. Stair nosing and inner corners with an inlay offer another advantage - design floors up to 4 mm thick can also be mounted on the wall. Expansion joints with differently coloured inserts, which are glued directly to the floor, are mainly used as transitions. They are flush with the subfloor and bridge expansion joints in the screed. For floating Click floor coverings, we recommend two-part profile systems such as PROFI-DESIGN or LPS-Design. The user can choose whether the profiles are clicked or screwed on. The narrow, flat profile puts modern floors skillfully into focus.

Progress Profiles Progress Profiles offers a very wide range of profiles for LVT, vinyl and PVC floors. They are required mostly to cover the joint between two types of floor, ensuring a unique aesthetic effect; but they are also used to protect steps and to compensate floors with different heights or thickness. These Italian products are realized in stainless steel, brass, aluminium or even wood, such as Proslider Wood that is made up entirely in natural oak. As for the application, they can be laid with adhesive or with screws and anchors onto the specific area; many profiles are provided with self-adhesive. Wooden profiles are not so much requested, although a major demand for this natural material regards skirting boards: the Italian company uses cutting-edge machineries that reproduce more than 100 shades of wood in order to satisfy any aesthetic request from customers. Among the several profiles, Progress Profiles realized

Floor Forum International 116

Special

UV finish on site with oil or lacquer

BYE-BYE VOLATILE COMPOUNDS UV/EB CURING FINISH SYSTEMS HAVE EXTENSIVE BENEFITS

Photo – Blanchon

Since national and international environmental requirements are becoming increasingly strict, the industry also has to take account of them, including when applying a varnish finish to a wooden floor. At the same time, products have to perform efficiently as regards durability, scratch resistance, or stain resistance. This is where UV/EB (ultra violet/electron beam) systems make an excellent choice. We consider what UV/EB curing indoor finish systems actually are and what systems there are on the market to give us a better understanding of them. For more clarification we refer to a study by Stephan Peeters from Cytec, which can be found in full on www.bois.be.

UV/EB curing finish systems The author starts by stating that these systems were already in use back in the 1970s in the graphic and paint and varnish sectors. He explains the uniqueness of the technology in that the drying is not brought about by the evaporation of volatile substances, but by means of a chemical reaction which starts with radiation with ultraviolet light (UV) or by accelerated electrons (electron beam or EB). And so, these systems contain no solvents, so they comply ideally with the current VOC legislation. Radiation leads to the formation of radicals which cause the active groups in the resins and thinners to react to each other to create a

Floor Forum International 116

three-dimensional network. The formation of that network largely determines properties such as durability, scratch resistance, and stain resistance.

Main types Various types of resin bindings are used, depending on the required properties. The main types are: - Urethane acrylates are highly flexible and tough. Certain types also have good outdoor resistance. - Epoxy acrylates are very hard. - Polyester acrylates allow for a wide range of properties in combination with high or low viscosity. These products can be mixed with each other in order to obtain the required property.

Other systems More recent are the water-based UV PUDs (PUD stands for polyurethane dispersion) with a UV/EB active dispersion in water. The advantage of this system is that it is easy to adapt the viscosity to the demands of the application technique (e.g. spraying) with more or less water without affecting the end properties of the coat. These products are often also tack-free once the water has evaporated. The cross-linking which leads to the definitive properties is done by the radiation.

UV powders are another development. These are systems in powder form which are sprayed, melted, and illuminated with UV light so that they undergo a reaction which is comparable to that with liquid varnishes. The advantage as compared to traditional powder paints, which are applied mainly as a metal finish, is that the melting temperature is much lower so that it is possible to work on more heat-sensitive materials such as wood.

What’s on the market ? Blanchon

Benefits of UV/EB curing systems Obviously, using UV/EB curing systems has various benefits. We list them below in conclusion: - Lower energy consumption during the drying process. - High productivity thanks to a very short drying time. - No solvent emissions. - They save space. UV or EB radiation equipment takes up less space than a thermal drying tunnel. - The apparatus is easier to maintain. The varnish or paint doesn’t dry on the rollers since these systems only dry if they are radiated. - Finish systems with a high and low degree of gloss are both possible. - High-quality finish. - There is no thermal drying, so it is possible to work with heat-sensitive materials. Source: ‘UV/EB-uithardende binnenafwerkingssystemen’, Stephan Peeters, Cytec op www.bois.be (Article about UV/EB curing indoor finish systems - web site in Dutch and French only.)

INNOVATION

Blanchon points out that the quality of UV lacquers on the market does vary. Depending on the components, composition, and production process, applied lacquers will protect well or less well against elements such as cracks and chemical effects. The latest developments have made it possible to obtain exceptionally strong lacquers. Since 2014, Cimethane UV lacquer has already covered 85,000m². The most notable project was the CC Euralille with 10,000m² of lacquer applied

Forbo Eurocol

UV-CareShield

HIGH SPEED PROTECTION One component permanent sealer for linoleum floors with intensive use. UV curing with DecoRad portable UV equipment for years of protection. Treated floors are back to new and ready for immediate use.

More information: www.eurocol.nl/uv-careshield download TDS & MSDS

Eurocol is part of the Forbo group

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Special

UV finish on site with oil or lacquer

on site without disruption to the activities of the centre itself. Since the completion of that job, no repairs have been necessary, despite the fact that tens of thousands visitors use the centre every day.

Ciranova

Ciranova Industrial Finishes enjoys a worldwide high standing with the conversion of traditional finishes with reactive stains and oils to solutions for the industrial users. With those industrial products Ciranova obtains the same look and appearance with adapted formulations and extreme good UV-oils. UV-oil is the leading product of all protection products in Industrial Finishes. The chemical composition of UV curable systems is completely different compared to the traditional finishing systems. The drying is an irreversible chemical process which starts under the UV-light. UV-curing oilsystems have a high degree of crosslinking and exceed the durability of a traditional finishing system. Coating thickness is related to the total durability for all finishing systems. Every applicated coat has its own characteristics. Generally, the more finishing coats, the longer the floor will last. Besides coating thickness, also the measure of crosslinking of an oil system is decisive for the chemical and mechanical resistance of a parquet finish. As the application of UV oil and lacquers requires a certain know-how, we only promote these UV products for industrial application and not for onsite application.

Chimiver

- - - -

LED systems are the future for the curing process of coatings. Chimiver®, always moving with the time, offers you LED OIL, an efficient and performing product which embraces this technology. Characteristics: - It cures instantly under LED light and wood can be walked on immediately - Very high chemical and wear resistances Solvent free, no ozone emissions, no unpleasant odour Natural look and feel Available transparent and colored Easy maintenance with Lios range of products

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DecoRad Systems The use of UV on site not only provides fast, but also a long-term protection to floors with intensive use. The very high crosslink density in the lacquer or coating provides increased properties such as stain resistance, against alcohol and disinfectants. For a substrate with an open structure, two layers must be applied, these layers can be "UV cured" (irradiated) together in one go with the portable equipment of DecoRad Systems bv. After application, one must wait for the paint to flow out and the solvent / transport medium water to evaporate. Depending on the type of binder in the dispersion, the ambient temperature and the air humidity, this is 1-2 hours. The preparation for finishing with a UV varnish or coating is the same as a preparation with a non-UV varnish or coating. Correct preparation of the substrate always has a positive effect on the end result. The difference is in the last operation with the DecoRad portable UV equipment; the curing of the UV lacquer or coating so that the floor can be used immediately.

STAUF TIME-SAVING AND EFFECTIVE A unique mix of oils, waxes, resins and additives makes AKZENT LED-HARDWAX OIL by STAUF a revolutionary special product in the wood surface treatment industry. The oil dries within seconds when exposed to LED light, allowing the work on site to be brought to a conclusion within a very short time. The wood surface is then immediately ready for use and is protected from dirt and moisture. Another advantage is the significantly richer and more intensive colour of the floor that can be achieved with AKZENT LED-HARDWAX OIL. Furthermore, the product offers up to 20 different colours, to suit every taste. Heavily trafficked areas in particular benefit from the excellent properties, such as wear resistance, which also allows project-specific use. The special LED drying method avoids the emission of harmful substances such as ozone. The easy care and natural appearance of AKZENT LEDHARDWAX OIL and the possibility of repairing local damage in the wood surface make this product a reliable partner in the field of surface treatment. www.AKZENT-woodcare.com

Special

Problems with colouring the wood?

A WIDE RANGE OF SHADES THE INDIVIDUALISATION OF THE FLOOR MEANS ‘FULL SPEED AHEAD’ Marie-Claude Conversy (Tover - I) Tover, an Italian company, is a reference in the field of colour development, among others. For years, the company has been committed to sustainable work, respect for the environment and the safety of both user and end consumer. Renowned for its investment in R&D, Tover has often pioneered the development of new products, such as the launch of an isocyanate-free twocomponent lacquer. Export manager Marie-Claude Conversy: "A good illustration is how we generate 80% of our own energy through a system of photovoltaic cells on the roof of our company. It shows how we look beyond things like renewable raw materials and how we work inclusively. That's why we apply strict sustainability codes and environmental regulations and only work with certified suppliers who respect all European standards. We like to find those suppliers as close to us as possible, preferably in Europe. In addition, we focus on the safety of the user, only supplying water or oil-based products.” "If you look at our range of colours, then I must immediately highlight that this is more than just a range, but real colour systems. We don't talk about products, but about systems, and that's how we achieve excellent results. A number of things are always central to these systems: ease of use, speed of use and security.” "For colouring wood on site, we offer four systems. The first is called l'Olio 100% and is, as the name suggests, entirely based on natural, vegetal oils and hard waxes, available in 30 standard shades. Then there is Tintoretto D., a coloured oil base which can be overcoated with a two-component water-based lacquer to guarantee high durable protection to the floor. The third system is totally different and is composed of Belle Epoque, a water-based stain in some fifteen colours to be applied as first layer and overcoatable with an oil for a two-tone finishing. Finally, we offer Uniqua Paint, a coloured water-based lacquer with a matt effect, that totally covers the grain of the wood and is available in white, black and many grey shades." "The huge success of colouring illustrates what we are noticing during this pandemic. We have all re-discovered the importance and the pleasure of our home and colours represent that desire of a new life. The time of uniformity, with pre-made products, is completely over! Now it's about creating an inviting, unique environment, in which our colour systems fit in extremely well. Finally, I would like to emphasise our constant involving of all our partners in the whole company strategy, it is no coincidence our slogan goes as follows: 'Be part of it'. We offer them more than just good products and prices, but also a close relationship with the 'own' Tover people."

In the testimonial by Tover in the frame piece with this article, one element in particular just cries out for attention: Colouring floors is particularly trendy just now. People have been paying much more attention to the interior and therefore also the floor, certainly during the pandemic. Whilst sitting at home, we’ve noticed that this trend, which was already clearly in evidence, is gaining even more speed. In addition to that, we’ve noted that more and more consumers are abandoning floorboards which are prefinished in the factory and they’re falling in masses for colouring their wooden floors.

Personalisation is the magic word This colouring trend is certainly no coincidence, but is part of a wider social framework. People want to stand out and, as time goes by, mainstream gets more and more sidelined. At the moment, it’s all about maximum individualisation of everything, and therefore also

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the interior. This individualisation trend should not be separated from the technological advances of recent years. These include the advance of digitalisation and the countless affordable solutions which it has yielded. Think here, for instance, of a floor covering like carpet. Whilst in the past you had to order at least hundreds of metres of the same item because otherwise it was not viable to run the machines, nowadays a separate run is possible for literally a small part of an impressive living room, something that project developers have capitalised on eagerly for elements such as personalisation in the hotel industry. Here’s a completely fictional example: the floor with carpet decorated solely with the head of your four-footed friend Max. It’s all possible and, moreover, you no longer have to spend a fortune on it.

Welcome colour We’re also seeing a number of trends in floors which are of interest to us. The first one is that a world of colour is opening up where nothing is too insane. In particular, we notice a shift in demand for a number

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Special

Problems with colouring the wood?

of permanent fixtures on the market. For instance, it’s absolutely clear that after a decade of white and off-white we’ve changed direction. What we’ve established is how there’s a clear yearning for light, very pale, and ‘bygone’ shades, which are representative of what you could call ‘mild wear and tear’. These very light colours often go together with effects which you achieve with the wood. For instance, you can brush the fibres to create a more or less pronounced relief or you can even achieve clear deterioration (bumps, deep scratches, ‘rough sawn’ effect, etc.). Furthermore, you cannot ignore a modest, yet unmistakable return to dark shades. These stand out in either smoked shades of oak or imitation dark exotic sorts such as ipe and teak, shades which you easily get on oak.

efficient nor reasonable to add an anti-UV agent which temporarily limits the discolouration. Nevertheless, the use of a white colour or a shade of pastel will provide a natural anti-UV effect because this pigment forms an excellent filter for sun rays. Sources: Blanchon, Lecol, and Tover.

What’s on the market ? Bona

Each fibre has its own nuance What happens is that a stain, a distressing agent, or an active chemical product comes into contact with the wood and modifies the original shade. The coloured (or, rather, tinted) oil gives each fibre ‘its own’ nuance. The effect is completely different, effective, and elegant with the intention of creating contrast and antithesis. We’ll take the renowned train carriage floor (‘plancher de wagon’) as an example. This is given a shade of grey and polished with a shade or a metal complex and then treated with a white oil to create a sort of chalk effect. And so, can we stain all floors in every possible colour just like that? The answer is quite clear: be very careful! For instance, the first mistake to be avoided is the incorrect preparation of the wood. Colour or shade can only be applied properly on wood which has been sanded perfectly. In addition, a very slender finish (grain 120 or even 150) is recommended for a stain or distressing agent. Make sure you don’t sand the wood too finely because you shouldn’t close the wood pores. Indeed, that would impede the proper impregnation of the oil into the wood and restrict the strength and intensity of the required shade. It’s also important to avoid any sediment. Some products dry quickly, whilst others need more time before you can apply the chosen finish. Finally, you should check with the supplier whether or not the products used are perfectly compatible.

Alternatives to oak In the previous edition, we mentioned how suitable oak is for colouring. However, that doesn’t mean that other wood sorts are not possible. For instance, you can also apply stains, coloured oils, or wood shades to chestnut or pine wood whereby certain very pronounced grain patterns highlight the effect. Coloured oils often disappoint with exotic wood, so the preference is for natural oils with no pigments or oils in the original shade of the wood in question (e.g. a shade of black, dark chocolate, or wenge will reinforce the appeal of such a floor). Do not apply any oil paints to beech because any colour will conceal the fine grain almost completely.

Take account of discolouration over time Obviously, we hope that a colour will retain its shade with the passage of time, but here, too, you have to consider a number of factors. Be sure to tell customers not to assume that the colour of a wood sort will remain unchanged throughout its entire lifespan. All wood sorts witness a change to their original shade over time: Oak turns brown, pine and chestnut yellow, padauk turns pale, etc. An added stain cannot prevent this phenomenon. For instance, a ‘medium oak’ stain on new oak will not prevent the gradual discolouration towards ‘dark oak’. It’s also technically and economically neither

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NEW! - Bona Pure Colour is a hard elastic, water-based, and durable dual-component PUR coating for renovating elastic floors in high-traffic commercial and industrial rooms. You can also use it on wooden floors, such as for marking zones on sports floors. If you use it on a wooden floor, it will be necessary to apply a Bona primer first (such as Bona Intense). Bona Pure Colour is heavily pigmented and the moderately dark to dark colours are applied in only one coat. Thanks to the accelerated drying properties, a second coat, if necessary, could be applied one hour later. Bona Pure Colour is available in a wide range of RAL and NCS colours. - Heavily pigmented for excellent coverage - Ultra-rapid drying - Rooms are soon available for use again - Wide range of popular standard colours

Blanchon Blanchon presents a full range of products for colouring, decorating, or distressing parquet and wooden planks. There are two ranges of tints, one range of distressing materials, and several reagents for specific effects on the floor. Aquateinte 2K is a 2-component tint in a watery phase which is perfectly stable when exposed to light and has been made and developed specially for parquet floors. It is very easy to apply. This serves for the immediate cover of any finish in the watery phase (without excessive damp), six tints of wood and six tints from pure white to deep black. Wood colour is ideal for small rooms (rooms, offices, etc.). It dries quickly and leaves no odours. Here there are 12 tints of wood, white, and black and five tints of grey. Aging Wood yields an exceptional aged wood effect by highlighting the grain. This product serves for all sorts of wood and the creation of endless patinas and spheres, which are mainly in harmony or on the other hand in contrast to the Blanchon Oil-Waxes. There are 10 shades available, six of them grey.

Ciranova Natural and untreated finishes are most coveted, but colouring is also on the up. Customers often opt for grey, brown, or white floors, depending on the interior and chosen style. Thanks to their reactive stains, they can offer a wide range of distressed finishes. Reactive stain reacts to the tannic acid in the wood and is used mostly on oak. With a finish with their invisible and natural PLUS range, you get a natural and unique result. Reactive stains can also be finished with a coloured Hard Wax Oil MAGIC, which offers infinite colour options. If you want a more even and intense colour, you can use the new waterborne pigment stain Aquastain. This new stain is not reactive and can be used on many different wood sorts and finished afterwards with an oil or a varnish. If you don’t want a pre-colouring, you can simply colour a wooden floor using a coloured Hard Wax Oil Magic or their single-coat oil UN1CO.

gray, black or bleached appearance to treated wood: Bosch Vej, Ciair and Fossil. And let's dare to use a base oil available in more than 30 colours for a rustic or contemporary wood effect, overcoatable with our water-based two-component Tintoretto Design lacquer or even our Uniqua Paint, a lacquer with full matt effect lacquer available in all RAL colours. With Tover, changing the colour of your wood floor will be as easy as pie!

Chimiver ECOSTAR 2K COLORATA is a two-component water-based polyurethane colored lacquer for wooden floors with high elasticity, hardness and high chemical and mechanical resistance. ECOSTAR 2K COLORATA has to be over-varnished with ECOSTAR 2K. ECOSTAR 2K COLORATA is available in RAL, NCS colors and on request. ECOSTAR 2K COLORATA catalysed according to the indicated ratio and mixed thoroughly, has to be applied on wooden floors that have been filled, sanded with 120 paper grit and vacuumed. Apply ECOSTAR 2K COLORATA using a 6 mm mohair-roller, after 12/24h previous sanding with 220 paper grit, it is possible to apply a second coat of ECOSTAR 2K COLORATA. The floor treated with one or two coats of ECOSTAR 2K COLORATA, depending on the desired coverage, has to be overvarnished with ECOSTAR 2K previous sanding with 220 paper grit.

Tover Tover offers several innovative and versatile colouring systems to create extremely personalized finishing: Belle Epoque, our waterbased stain available in 15 shades of gray, sand, light or dark brown, overcoatable with our hardwax oils, neutral or coloured, for countless two-color effects or with our lacquers for the strongest resistance. Tover can also supply water-based reactive stains offering an aged

Floor Forum International 116

Special

Hungarian point and herringbone pattern in LVT, PVC, and vinyl

HUNGARIAN ITALIANS SPLENDID VINTAGE INTERIORS AVAILABLE FOR THE MODAL FAIR In previous editions we’ve outlined how fashions from bygone days are emerging everywhere in the interior. As for floors, this certainly applies to the special fitting patterns herringbone and Hungarian point. Originally, they were very expensive wooden floor coverings, but now there are plenty of alternatives in the shape of PVC, vinyl, and LVT to give the look of centuries ago a new lease of life. We’ve explained the difference between both the original and modern versions on various occasions. We’ve not only clarified how synthetic alternatives have the asset of being remarkably thin (ideal for renovation projects), but also we’ve shown how easy they are to fit. These floors have a click system, so the fitting is a lot less time consuming. Perhaps the main thing is that the look equates so closely to the original that you have to pay really close attention to the floor to see the difference clearly.

What was the origin? What we’ve hardly covered, if at all, is the origin of these special design floors. You might think spontaneously of France, but nothing could be further from the truth. We have established that herringbone is the older of the two, with its origins in Italy, whilst it appears that Hungarian point certainly doesn’t come from Hungary. Its origins, too, lie in Italy. Before we go back a few centuries in time, let’s outline briefly what both patterns look like. First of all, it is noticeable how much they resemble each other, and yet that’s not really the case. Actually, in both cases you can speak of herringbone, whilst Hungarian point (also sometimes called Chevron) is then regarded as a variant.

Photo – Tarkett

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It boils down to the fact that both floors comprise wood pieces of the same size fitted synchronously in a zigzag pattern. Herringbone planks, like engineered parquet, are rectangular and may or may not fit each other with tongue and groove. In turn, Hungarian point is sawn mitred, so planks lie against each other to form a perfect point. Compare the look of that second floor with traditional sergeant stripes on the sleeve of a non-commissioned officer and you get a good idea.

Herringbone: first half of the 16th century Both floors have a timeless character, due mainly to the zigzag pattern, which was first used by the Romans. They discovered they could build more solid roads by pointing the stones in the direction of the traffic. In the middle ages, this same zigzag pattern made its way into the interior, but it wasn’t until the 16th century that it was used for wooden floors. Herringbone is the oldest one. We find the first specimens of it in the first half of the 16th century. We find a good example in a floor developed in 1539 by Italian specialists for Galerie François Premier in Fontainebleau Castle by order of King François I. Hungarian point is from later in the same century, but, like herringbone, it also took up a place in stately palaces and castles. Since the French masses were charmed by this floor (interestingly enough under the name ‘bâtons rompus’), people tend to think that it originated in France.

Princess Elizabeth We know that Hungarian point, too, originated in Italy. The link with Hungary came through a certain Princess Elizabeth of Hungary, who often travelled to Italy. Amongst other things, the princess often travelled to Perugia, saw there how the pattern was gaining popularity in large country houses, palaces, and castles and she took this design home with her.

A floor in herringbone design is posh and elegant; a classic which is right back in fashion and this time for good. Do you want that typical sphere in your interior? Parquetvinyl makes this possible without having to spend huge sums of money. Herringbone floors are available in six colours and two styles. The Sava collection is a timeless and tranquil floor in natural colours. Yukon has rather more oomph and is also available in stylish grey or dark brown. Moreover, the Yukon collection planks have a deep and realistic wood structure, so you almost forget that it’s not real parquet. The herringbone floors are available in sizes 123 x 615mm. You can fit a parquet vinyl herringbone floor perfectly well yourself! This is due to the easy click system and the clear fitting instructions and video. Moreover, the planks have an integrated subfloor. And so, you can be sure that this smoothes out any minor unevenness, helps you to work very quickly, and absorbs the sound. You can see it on their new web site www.parquetvinyl.be

Tarkett

As we’ve said, herringbone and Hungarian point soon caught on in France, but the really spectacular growth of both floors takes us back to the 18th and 19th centuries during the so called Haussmann era. In Paris in particular at that time, a large part of the city was rebuilt and scores of apartments were fitted with herringbone and floors with Hungarian point.

Two specialists Parquetvinyl by Lamett

Herringbone and Hungarian point floors are very popular at the moment, both for homes and offices. Both looks shape your floor and lend themselves perfectly to different materials, such as LVT. The most common size in LVT (vinyl) for these patterns is 50-10 cm. Other sizes are available from Tarkett, either made to measure or in other materials, such as wood, laminate, and carpet tiles. Installing herringbone is easier than Hungarian point because Hungarian point works with left and right planks. Tarkett always provides a handy installation manual for installing complex patterns. With a herringbone, your floorboards lie obliquely at an angle of 90 degrees. This allows you to create a timeless and atmospheric appearance. The Hungarian point lies obliquely at an angle of 45/60 degrees. This creates a sleeker quiet look. Both patterns are available from Tarkett on request. Those who prefer more complex patterns can opt for the iD Mixonomi and iD Mixonomi Jewels assortment. Another technique frequently used in Tarkett's various collections is embossing. Ordinary embossing has a relief in the vinyl plank, but this is not identical to the print or the design of the wood. In addition, there is EIR (Embossing in Register). EIR is a technique that copies the exact groove structure of the wood print onto vinyl planks. This provides an exceptionally realistic finish. The embossing does not affect the installation process. info.be@tarkett.com

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Special

Oil for parquet

OPT FOR A NATURAL LOOK HOW TO AVOID THE PITFALLS OF APPLYING AN OIL FINISH ON SITE When you apply a finish to a floor, you have to choose between various methods. For instance, do you use floor polish, varnish, or oil? In this article we consider the use of oil and limit ourselves to finishing parquet with oil on site. After all, that is where you have to consider several factors which determine the success or failure of the end product.

Making the right choice How exactly do you decide whether or not oil is the best choice? You obviously have to consider more than just personal taste, so that’s why the following tips can be helpful. You can certainly tell end users that oil penetrates deep down into the wood and saturates it. You can also explain that the more the wood is saturated with oil, the more it is protected against dirt and stains. Oil has many benefits, but, unfortunately, some drawbacks as well. We list the main ones below:

Benefits - - - -

An oiled floor has a very matt look which is also the most natural. Oil for wooden floors is available in a vast range of colours. You can repair an oiled floor perfectly well in patches. You can make the floor look as good as new if you clean it thoroughly every two to three years with an intensive cleaner and then apply a coat of maintenance oil.

The application If we consider the application, don’t forget that the oil, which is applied with a brush or roller, should be applied evenly and thickly in the direction of the wood fibre. You leave the oil to soak in for a brief period. Then, you rub it in by machine and repeat the treatment, if necessary without drying. Don’t forget to wipe away surplus oil and remember that the number of coats of oil depends on the suction of the wood and the composition of the oil. After a drying time of 1 to 24 hours, depending on the product (check the maker’s instructions!), you rub the surface using a machine. The treated surface, depending on the product, will be dry after about 4 to 24 hours at a temperature of 20°C. The setting time is about 3 to 10 days (depending on the product) and the treatment is repeated a few times. If any foam has formed, you should draw it together and remove it.

Maintaining an oiled floor

- An oiled floor needs a coat of maintenance oil every two to three years, applied preferably with a buffing machine (how a benefit can also be a drawback). - A poorly maintained oiled floor easily attracts damp and dirt. - An oiled floor is vulnerable to stains.

The work still isn’t finished once the oil is applied. It is essential to maintain the floor properly afterwards. With polished floors, it’s best not to clean them with an excessively wet cloth, and the same goes for oiled wooden floors. It’s particularly important to tell customers that they should not wait too long to clean their oiled floors. There are various special maintenance programmes and products recommended by the maker, which may include products based on soap and oils of vegetable origin. This soap is mixed with warm water and the floor can then be mopped. Be sure in all cases to tell customers that a brief time of soaking yields better results and that it is not advisable to mop solely with water. Indeed, in that latter case this would clean the floor only superficially.

Preparation and practical tips

From oil to varnish or vice versa?

Now that the choice is made, you can proceed. As we’ve already explained, it goes without saying that parquet has to be sanded. In addition, however, there are a number of items which you have to look out for. An important point is that the air has to be warm enough, at least between 15 and 20°C. Don’t forget to check the relative air humidity as well. This has to be between 30 and 60%. In all this, remember, too, that you shouldn’t start to apply a finish until the floor is completely free of dust. Remember also to protect treated surfaces against immediate traffic. One more piece of advice which is sometimes neglected: You might think that you are completely familiar with the maker’s product, but it certainly won’t do any harm to read the instructions carefully, if only to familiarise yourself with any new developments.

In closing, let’s consider one more ‘special case’. What if a customer is completely fed up with his or her oiled floor or vice versa? How do you set about changing from oil to varnish or vice versa? In this case you have to realise that for a renovation it is not advisable to apply a varnish directly onto the oil. The reason for that lies in the fact that you don’t know which oil was used at the time and you shouldn’t take any risks. At present, there are options for applying varnish to oil directly, but with renovation you should honour the basic principle; usually, varnish doesn’t adhere very well to oil. In this case, if you want to switch from oil to varnish, it’s best to follow a step-by-step plan:

Drawbacks

When we switch to the product oil itself, you will notice that this is usually a finish system made on a base of vegetable oils and fats (e.g.

linseed, soya, or coconut) to which pigments might have been added. A tip when oiling floors in coniferous wood: A pre-treatment with lye is sometimes applied, such as sodium hydroxide (< 5 %), for instance.

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- Clean the wood and remove the layers of detergent with an intensive cleaner. - Sandpaper the wood thoroughly (first with grain 80, then with 100, and finish with 120) and dust it. - Varnish the floor.

For any professional, the right product – simple surface treatment and long-lasting care with Osmo. One wood care system for all interior surfaces treated with Osmo coatings.

Or with: Maintain surface with:

www.osmo.de/EN

Special

Oil for parquet

Good advice: If you want to be sure of the end result, apply a small quantity of product to a small test surface. Do you want to switch from varnish to oil? If so, sandpaper all the varnish away down to the bare wood, follow the steps outlined above, and then treat the floor with oil. Major sources: Article in Dutch :‘Hoe een houten vloerbedekking het beste afwerken en onderhouden?”, by Dr Chris Decaesstecker, www. allesvoorparket.nl (web site in Dutch only) and the blog on wooden floors (‘Houten vloeren’) by Colora.

restoration and maintenance. That outstanding oil leaves the wood colour inchanged and brings a natural matt finish. Original Wood™ Environment is easy to apply on bare wood: simple roller application, no buffing machine required. It is odourless and quick-drying: only 1 hour between coats allowing a quick return to use of the premises finished. Original Wood™ Environment has been designed to meet high environmental standards and excellent performance.

What’s on the market ?

Ciranova has a detailed range of different oils. The oiled floor gives a matte, natural finish that maintains the natural appearance of the wooden surface. The oils are providing natural protection to the wood and have excellent chemical and mechanical resistances, easy to maintain and to protect. The most popular oils are the Hardwaxoil TITAN, UN1CO and Hardwaxoil MAGIC. Hardwaxoil TITAN is especially developed for onsite application with a roller providing natural protection. Its also possible to finish our Hardwaxoils and UN1CO with the Hardwaxoil TITAN as a finishing coat for a perfect protection. UN1CO is a 2-component, 1-coat oil of the newest generation to colour and protect the wood with just one coat. The combination of oil with hardener ensures quick drying and excellent chemical durability. Hardwaxoil MAGIC gives the wood a good filling, a natural colour and very good chemical & wear resistance. The MAGIC is available in 16 trendy colours for onsite and industrial application. Please contact us if you need more information or if you want to have samples.

Bona

Many owners of parquet floors find an oiled wooden floor simply irresistible. Its warm texture, natural colours, and all the lines, gnarls and grains. To meet this demand, Bona has two types of finish oil in its assortment, namely Bona Craft Oil in both one and two components. Both versions are available in modern shades. The range of Bona Parquet Oil is durable and made from untreated vegetable ingredients. It also has an exceptionally low VOC content. The high oil content and the minimal solvent content ensure a high degree of saturation to yield healthy floors and long-term protection. Bona oils are odourless and can even be used on children’s toys. Bona Oil is better for the environment, better for the home and consumers, and better for floor fitters. Bona Craft Oil 2K can, if necessary, be finished with Bona Traffic for even better protection. The complete Bona assortment of oils and effect solutions, combined with Bona machines and easy-to-follow instructions, ensure an ideal end result.

Ciranova

Chimiver LIOS BIOIL Natural oil treatment for wooden floors LIOS BIOIL Natural is a natural oil treated for wooden floors. LIOS BIOIL Natural is very durable, protects the wood, giving a smooth effect enhancing the natural look of the wood grain. LIOS BIOIL Colorato is available in 20 different colors, miscible together to make a wide range of new colors.

Blanchon

Blanchon Original Wood Environment: the best choice to keep the natural unfinished look of the wood Original Wood™ Environment is perfect for bringing to life the character of all types of wood. It offers effective protection and naturel treatment for wood floors and stairs which makes it ideal for

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DevoNatural® The DevoNatural® product range includes both a series of different oils and a series of varnishes. Devomat specialises in both areas and can offer clients the most suitable product for the relevant application. For years there has been a certain balance between the numbers of

lacquers and oils sold, and that balance is still more or less the same up to the present time. This is because both finish systems have specific advantages and drawbacks. And so, the extensive DevoNatural® assortment always has the right product. Amongst other things, Devomat offers DevoNatural® Hard Wax Oil and DevoNatural® High Solid Oil. This is a matt setting single-coat oil with a high coverage capacity and based on natural oils. It is for all sorts of parquet, wooden floors, and other wood, both in and outdoors. DevoNatural® High Solid Oil can be used for both commercial and domestic floors with intensive use. The product is easy to apply and spreads well into open wood pores. DevoNatural® High Solid Oil can be applied to all types of wood. Recently, they have added two new colours to the range. DevoNatural® Extra Hardener is unique. This additive inserted into DevoNatural® High Solid Oil triggers the oxidative drying process to ensure better and faster drying. Parquet floors treated with DevoNatural® High Solid Oil + Extra Hardener can normally be walked on and used 12 hours later. This makes the combination highly suitable for finishing parquet floors on building projects, public buildings, catering businesses, reception rooms, industrial finish companies, etc.

surfaces. The »AKZENT OIL IN ONE COLOR« now boasts a coloured impregnating oil based on natural oils. This pigmented product dispenses with the use of lead or cobalt drying agents and is ideal for applying to parquet, cork and wood floorings. Depending on the particular use, the drying time is 10-24 hours after application. »OIL IN ONE COLOR« is currently available in 34 shades plus a colourless version – and since they can all be mixed together, this offers even more possibilities when applying it in situ or in the parquet layer’s shop. The oils not only lend an attractive appearance, giving floors a well-groomed matt finish, but they also afford reliable protection. This results in products that meet the highest requirements when it comes to a healthy living environment, occupational safety and durability. www.AKZENT-woodcare.com

Tover

Osmo Osmo Wood Wax Finish Clear Extra Thin: the optimal coat for resinous and oily woods Osmo Wood Wax Finish Clear Extra Thin deeply penetrates wood, preserves its natural characteristics and intensifies the wood colour. Therefore it is especially well suited to the clear coating of hardwoods rich in extractives, such as Meranti, Wengé, Merbau etc. The surface is resistant to dirt, stains and wear as well as extremely water repellent, so it can be used to treat wood in wet rooms like kitchens and bathrooms. Additionally Osmo Wood Wax Finish Clear Extra Thin can be used for spot repairs. This natural coating achieves a harmonious appearance and can be applied with a brush, roller or pad. One litre covers approximately 24 sq m with one coat.

STAUF Environmentally-friendly oil in 34 colours STAUF sets accents AKZENT is the name of STAUF’s line of wood treatment products. The range includes not only primers, oils and varnishes, but also offers a joint putty as well as products for cleaning and caring for wood

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Thanks to our solvent-free oil, which can be applied in a single coat and is available in more than 30 standard colours, we at Tover are perfectly able to meet the increasing demand for natural products for wood floor finishing that can respect both the environment and the users’ health. The L’Olio 100% is made from vegetable oils and hard waxes whose main feature is to be very resistant to wear and stains, complying with the EN71-3 standards and very easy to maintain and renew. In addition, L’Olio 100% exists in a very wide range of colours with several shades of white, grey and many wood shades in order to obtain unique customized effects. Tover, the solution maker.

Floor Forum International 116

Special

Dampscreens and – adhesion – primers

HOW, WHERE, WHAT, WITH WHAT MEANS, AND WHY? SOME PRACTICAL EXAMPLES SHOW THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSIDERING THE CONDITIONS When do you fit a damp screen and why? All parquet floor fitters know that the successful fitting of both wooden and related floors stands or falls with the right preparation of the substrate, even more so if you fit a vapour-tight floor covering onto it. What if the substrate isn’t dry enough? If so, you can forget about your professional pride from just after the delivery when planks start to curl up.

Other conditions In recent years, the problem only seems to have intensified and that’s not surprising. There’s less and less time between the building shell and the finished building and the result is that all too often the delivered floor isn’t dry enough to finish. In many cases it’s necessary to fit a damp screen because various conditions can lead to damp problems. We think, for instance, of a subfloor which has dried in unsuitable ambient conditions and too little account has been taken of its thickness; or rising damp in a non-self-supporting floor (built on steel) or a floor with no ventilation. Those are just two examples, which illustrate how necessary it is to apply a damp screen before the levelling agent.

Vapour density of a floor covering How do you determine what is best for the product which you consider ideal? Obviously, you have to start at the beginning by establishing accurately the moisture percentage of the subfloor in question. As you can read elsewhere in this magazine, it’s best to use a carbide meter for this (or CM moisture meter) and to discard various other indicative readings since you have to know exactly how much moisture you are dealing with. The result will determine the operation required up to and including even a decision not to fit a damp screen. This would be the case, for instance, with an anhydrite floor with an excessive residual moisture value. You don’t fit a damp screen in that case simply because the damp would build up under the damp screen, the gypsum would soften, and eventually the floor covering would come loose. What you certainly must consider is how vapour-tight your end floor covering will be. With linoleum, for instance, you know it won’t be fully vapour-tight, so fewer layers of a damp screen will suffice (usually two). If, on the other hand, you have PVC strips, carpet with a PVC rug, rubber floor covering, and such like, you will certainly need three layers because these floors are vapour-tight. The moral of the story: Consider all the factors of the fitting carefully and only then choose your weapons.

Practical examples Since examples are still the best illustration of how things work, let’s consider how this works in practice. In particular, let’s consider the preparation of a cement-based substrate or old tile floors ravaged by capillary rising damp, where we’re later going to apply a levelling agent, parquet adhesive, or tile adhesive. In this case we came out with

Floor Forum International 116

Eponal 336 from Bostik, which is also used to reinforce the substrate (covering floor). This 2-component and solventless epoxy damp screen seems to have the necessary assets and has proved itself suitable for the following substrates: with a new building or renovation – concrete (rough or power floated) and cement covering floors; for renovation – old cement substrates, old tile floors, and metal substrates. It has not proved suitable for mastic asphalt floors and substrates with bituminous properties.

Example of approach How this resource approaches its own step-by-step plan can be compared to that of similar products of other producers. And so, first of all, in this case it will be necessary to mix. Once the hardener has run into the resin, you mix the two components slowly using an electric mixer. Do this for two to three minutes to create a uniform and evenly coloured mass. When you apply an adhesion primer to an old epoxy coat of paint, you first have to remove any grease and any coats of paint which are loose. You can then apply the primer with a roller. To create the damp screen, you apply this product to the substrate evenly and within the spreading time using a notched trowel (B2 for a damp screen) or roller (for a primer). Around the skirting boards you use a brush up to a height of 20mm. After about 80 minutes, you sprinkle quartz sand evenly onto the surface to get a rough substrate for levelling later on. Remember that a drying time from 18 to a maximum of 24 hours is necessary after the first application. After that, the layer is applied across the direction of the first layer and you should apply sufficient product to obtain a completely sealed and glossy surface. After that, you once again sprinkle sand evenly onto the surface. After the application, you wait at least 18 to 24 hours before removing surplus quartz sand. We also note here that you could use a special adhesion primer as an alternative to quartz sand, but only under a flexible floor covering and not for applications in combination with parquet.

A different moisture percentage, a different product For another example of how you can respond to different moisture percentages with various means we consulted Forbo (Eurocol), which has launched various versions of its Euroblock on the market. The moisture percentage is a maximum of 4%: 026 Euroblock Multi. What if this percentage is between four and six? In that case, they recommend 021 Euroblock Reno, which has also proved suitable for stabilising an old cement covering floor with flaking sand. This powerful primer impregnates up to 1cm deep into the sand-cement to yield a strong top layer for the covering floor. This often prevents the costly removal and fresh application of a sand-cement covering floor. What about a non-absorbent substrate, such as a tile floor or monolithic finished concrete floor? In that case, the maker recommends

replacing the diluted layer of 026 Euroblock Multi with an undiluted layer of 044 Europrimer Multi, which is applied with the foam roller. With a monolith floor you check to see whether or not a curing compound containing paraffin has been applied. That could result in the adhesion breaking down. The next day, the damp screen has knit together and you can apply the levelling agent. Main sources: Forbo (Eurocol) and Bostik

What’s on the market ? Bona

of subfloors on radiant heating. It is also recommend as a promoter of adhesion for anhydrite subfloors.

EMFI An adhesive primer maximises the connection between the bearer and the adhesive and a damp screen prevents rising damp via the bearer. The lifespan of these products has to be at least as long as the lifespan of the parquet to be fitted. In general, an adhesive primer is used to reinforce the upper side of the bearer and a damp screen is used if a floor has to be fitted onto an upper surface with no ventilated crawl space. EMFIPRIM PU MONO adhesive primer is applied with a short-haired roller in one coat ±150g/m2 and the damp screen in two crossed layers of 500g/m² (±300g + 200g/m²) with a short-haired roller or a small serrated spatula. The final layer of the damp screen, the EMFIPRIM EPOXY, must be sanded to ensure good adhesion with the parquet glue.

Osmo

The need for the prior use of primers is determined by the condition of the subfloor and the selected work method. Therefore, Bona has various primers. Bona D501 - 1-component primer for the preparation of substrates not in good condition (e.g. sandy cement covering floors) prior to the use of Bona silane adhesives. Suitable for absorbent and non-absorbent substrates (not magnesium industrial floors), chipboard, panels, and similar substrates. Bona D515 Multiprime (NEW!) – A solventless and low emission primer concentrate for multifunctional use. The primer can be used to prepare absorbent and non-absorbent substrates and on old, hard, and waterproof adhesive residue prior to the use of Bona levelling agents or Bona dispersion adhesives. Bona R540 – a versatile primer/damp screen for both absorbent and non-absorbent substrates. Also suitable for reinforcing the main floor. Can be used as a damp screen layer on concrete or cement-bound subfloors. Bona R590 – a 1-component silane primer for priming and/or blocking residual moisture in cement covering floors and concrete floors before the installation of a wooden floor. Can also be used to reinforce weak substrates. Compatible with all Bona silane parquet adhesives and Bona levelling products.

Chimiver PRYMER SF 1105 Two-component water-based epoxy primer for subfloors preparation PRYMER SF 1105 is a two-component water-based epoxy primer developed for dusty subfloor, with a multi-layer application, it works as a moisture barrier. It is resistant to the inverse hydrostatic pressure according to the law UNI 8298 part 8. PRYMER SF 1105 is suitable for consolidation

Osmo Primer: ideal wood finish for the first coat prior to installation Osmo Primer is ideal for the first coat before the installation, in other words directly in the workshop. Ideal for timber cladding, balconies, fencing, carports and other dimensionally stable and unstable elements. Osmo Primer has been optimized for a professional and especially quick application. It has non-drip formula and dries extremely fast. For high-quality long-lasting protection, a white or light-coloured top coat with either Osmo Country Colour or Osmo Garden Colour is recommended. One litre covers approximately 12 sq m with one coat.

Tover The various issues encountered by professionals about the subject "subfloors" are numerous: too high screed moisture level, dusty or poor subfloor, not even and / or cracked one. Tover can supply a complete range of primers whose action allows safe and long-lasting installations. In order to create a vapor barrier and consolidate the subfloor surface, the use of the single-component polyurethane solvent-free PRIMER PU100 is particularly indicated, also including heated subfloors. If you have to fix superficial dust, our NANO-FIX represents an excellent solution. If the screed shows cracks, you can use our ADEBLOK T19, a two-component epoxy primer, mixing it with sand to obtain a synthetic mortar with high filling power. On the ground floor, in the case of rising damp, our primer IDROBLOK C3 is highly recommended: this three-component primer is capable of permanently blocking the migration of water into the wood, even on a non-absorbent subfloor.

Floor Forum International 116

∂ Industry news Chipps for outside locations, test report, and product film

of wood-based materials with its headquarters based in Lucerne, Switzerland. The company offers a wide product range of interiors, flooring and building materials. The group employs around 5,000 people at ten production sites worldwide. The eight national companies operate in Switzerland, France, Germany, Poland, Hungary, the Ukraine, Russia and the US. Their products are sold in 120 countries. With this new addition, MMFA now counts 28 ordinary members (producers of MMF flooring or their European representations), 30 associate members (supplier companies) and three supporting members (scientific institutes).

PALL-X 96 WOOD FLOOR WORLD CUP These are the 18 National Champions It is well known that Chipps from Zonhoven (B) redesigns floors, walls, and ceilings completely with its trendy OSB panels. What is less well known is that a number of these boards are also suitable for outdoor use. And so, with summer on the way, they are ideal for responding to applications for event and other outdoor locations e.g. pop-up bars, covered terraces, outdoor rooms, pool houses, etc. Temporary constructions are livened up with the various low maintenance (only cleaning vinegar or pure water will suffice) boards from the ‘I do believe in Fairies’ series. This series includes five images which are specially adapted to outdoor use and at the same time provide a ‘Staycation’ atmosphere. These boards have a guaranteed delivery term of a maximum of 15 days. Other news at Chipps is that all test reports on the boards are now available. These test reports in Dutch, French, and English are available on request and illustrate the strengths of the boards down to the last detail. You can also view a film clip on You Tube with commentary by an architect. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCclQ7MwoiFjWtfp_JKc2KDQ.

SWISS KRONO joins the MMFA as an Ordinary Member MMFA, the Multilayer Modular Flooring Association, welcomes SWISS KRONO from Switzerland as a new Ordinary Member. Matthias Windmöller (Windmöller), president of the MMFA, is delighted about the newest addition to the association: “SWISS KRONO is a family company with fundamental expertise in the interiors, flooring and building materials sectors. With its open approach to innovation and its continuous ambitions in the field of sustainability, SWISS KRONO is a great addition to our membership base at MMFA.” “When it comes to innovation, we follow our principle of the ‘SWISS KRONO Way of Doing Things’. New solutions from national companies are being shared with the rest of the group and successful developments will be implemented across other markets. We are looking forward to a similarly open collaboration with MMFA member companies to exchange valuable experiences,” says Max von Tippelskirch, Chief Strategy and Communication Officer (CSCO) at SWISS KRONO. SWISS KRONO Group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers

Floor Forum International 116

Projects from 18 participating countries have come together for the international Pall-X 96 Wood Floor World Cup. In the meantime, the national champion has been determined in each country. The projects from all 18 countries have now qualified for the final. This means that the following countries are in the final round: Germany, Austria, Nether-lands, Finland, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, USA, Argentina, Czech Republic, England, Poland, Russia, Azerbaijan, Switzerland, France, Georgia and Ukraine. Interested parties can get an idea of the quality of the submitted refer-ence objects via the event homepage: https://en.woodfloorworldcup.com/na-tional-champions. "We are really pleased about the enormous response to the competition," says Klaus Stolzenberger, brand manager at Pallmann. "For us, the very high inter-national participation is a very strong symbol. In particular, the participation of very distant countries such as Argentina or Azerbaijan not only makes us proud, but shows us how we can stand together within the industry even in these times." Due to the pandemic, the grand finale with all national winners and the an-nouncement and recognition of the world champion will unfortunately not take place as a face-to-face event in Würzburg as planned. The organiser has now decided on a digital format. Nevertheless, fun and entertainment will not be ne-glected. In addition to the World Champion (1st place / gold), the 2nd and 3rd places (silver and bronze) will also be awarded. And of course, the 3 winners and all National Champions are still cordially invited to come to Würzburg as soon as this is possible again for all participants. Read more on www.floor-forum.com/en/news

Special

French companies focused on export

OAK FOR A KINGDOM THE FRENCH LEAD THE WAY IN REFORESTATION When you think of France and wooden floors, one sort of wood stands head and shoulders above the rest, namely oak. Why do we identify the French so closely with this sort of wood and take great pleasure in juggling with the expression French oak? Well, we’ve established not only that France is an ideal breeding ground, but also that in the past people gave this tree more than a helping hand.

Sun King and his navy A brief history lesson will help us to get a good grasp of this matter. We go back mainly to the 17th century. Oak was used to make ships, but then another acute problem emerged. The navy had to be supplied constantly with wood. Since everyone expected the navy to grow, under the reign of Louis XIV (yes, the Sun King), masses of oak trees were planted. One of the best examples of that is in the central department of Allier, with its total of 10,600 hectares of oak forest. The so called Forest of Tronçais was planted in 1670 by minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert. What is strange is that most of the forest (73%) consists of sessile oak with a touch of beech here and there. That is particularly unusual since common oak is by far the biggest quantity of processed oak. This sessile oak (or Quercus petraea) is also called ‘Tronce’ in French, and that immediately accounts for the name of the forest. A particularly important use for wood from this forest is that it is used for the very best wine barrels.

There’s oak and there’s oak The Forest of Tronçais leads us inevitably to consider the wood sort oak itself to put us in a better position to estimate the differences in quality. First and foremost, there is a difference between sessile oak and common oak. Both sorts are indigenous, but it is most noticeable that common oak is found far more frequently. It is also noticeable that sessile oak enjoys less prominent light than common oak. It grows in sheltered places with a more or less humid atmosphere. By nature, sessile oak naturally accompanies beech. In some areas common and sessile oak trees are found together. Sessile oak has a preference for well drained soils in areas with fairly high rainfall and grows well in hilly areas with humous, loamy, and moderately acidic sandy soils and dry and stony surfaces. However, in contrast to common oak, you won’t find it on barren and arid sandy soils. It is equally less common on poorly drained clay soils; sessile oak cannot cope with floods and always grows outside the range of groundwater. By contrast, common oak can cope with temporary floods outside the growing season and also thrive better in areas with permanently higher supply of groundwater. It is noticeable that common oak grows best on nutritional, deep (and sandy), loamy and clay soils. The wood from sessile oak trees is of good quality and is used a lot to make veneer. An important point here is that the trunk is straight

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with no knots. Generally speaking, you can say that oak wood is hard, tough, highly durable, and easy to process and is usually in class 2. Remember that the best oak is that which grows the slowest (an oak tree can survive up to 200 years and longer). The width of the growth rings is worth considering because that can vary hugely. This depends on many factors, such as the position, temperature, amount of rain, soil condition, sort, competition from other trees, and the genes of the tree. In some cases the rings can be as small as 0.3mm, but they can also be up to 15mm. This sometimes makes it extremely difficult to estimate the age of an oak tree.

Harder and darker in colour What exactly is French oak? Obviously, it comes from France, but how do you recognise it? In this connection remember that French oak is harder and darker in colour and that you won’t encounter it all that often. What you usually will encounter is European oak, which is traditional oak wood. This is used to make things such as furniture items, stairs, doors, and parquet. French oak is cut in areas relatively close to the sea and is therefore somewhat softer and has a somewhat irregular structure.

Reforestation We hinted above at our next point. When it comes to France, you can certainly cite is as a country with a policy of reforestation. That’s for sure. The forest surface area is gradually growing again through the reforestation of disused wastelands, abandoned fields, and mountain regions. At the moment, just over a quarter of the country’s total surface area is forest. The vast majority of forests comprise deciduous trees, but there has been a rapid rise of coniferous trees due to the high yield. Moreover, it is only the forest land owned by the government which is exploited. Two thirds of the forest area is owned privately and is too dispersed to be exploited successfully. All together, about 550,000 people work in forestry and the timber industry in France.

Certification France is also a pioneer in sustainable forest management. For instance, the French government recently expressed its aim to use at least 50% wood or other bio-based materials in the construction of new government offices. This shows the government recognises the climate and environmental benefits of wood as compared to fossil materials such as concrete, metal, and synthetics. Moreover, did you know that this country has initiated scores of certificates? One example is the CE labelling. Few people give it a thought, but CE stands simply for ‘Conformité Européene’, which literally means European conformity. CE labelling on a product indicates that the manufacturer’s product meets the essential requirements of European health, safety, and environmental legislation.

Floor Forum International 116

Special

French companies focused on export

SOTRINBOIS Sotrinbois was formed in 1985 by François Augry, who still leads the company today. In those days, the company produced moulds and employed five people. Today, Sotrinbois is the French market leader in the field of finish accessories. The range includes skirting boards, decorative frames, panels, and work tops in solid wood and MDF. The company employs 140 people spread over three production plants and an import platform in Charente-Maritime. For a few years now, Sotrinbois has taken part in the main trade fairs in the sector. The products are on sale in Eastern and Western Europe, South Africa, and Madagascar. The star product is the white pre-painted skirting board, a simple and affordable product. In 2020, Sotrinbois achieved a turnover of 60 million euros. The company processes 15,000m³ of MDF and 25,000m³ of wood per annum. It produces 35 million running metres of decorative frames per annum and 200,000m² work tops. +33 (0)5 46 33 33 81 - communication@sotrinbois.fr - www.sotrinbois.com

REPEX FLOOR Repex Floor was founded in 1946, and since then develops a range of parquet Sanders. With the Raclex brand, the company has imposed his heavy Belt Sanders on the french market and in neighbouring European countries. It has also launched an Edger 'the original' which is still today the reference in its markets. In 2011, with as imperative the improvement of working conditions, for example to allow the workers sanding without being exposed to carcinogenic wood dusts, Repex Floor designs the "Cyclone", a Sander respecting standards relating to the emissions of dust (certified by the BG Bau in Germany). In 2017, the company is launching the "Repex 4 D", a powerful and heavy Sander (with additional weights Optional), perfectly versatile, to be used on the wood on concrete, marble floors , stone, etc... With this range, and its strong historical reputation of reliability and power, Repex Floor is now developing its sales in all the european markets. +33 (0)6 11 43 40 82 - philippe.ecran@repex.fr - www.repex.fr

Floor Forum International 116

CARDOTECH

INDUSTRIAL BRUSHES Cardotech is a French Industrial Brush manufacturer, located at SAINTE HELENE in France, at 130 km from north of Lyon and at 200 km from Geneva. The story of Company begins in 1886, five generations ago. CARDOTECH is ISO 9001 certified (2015 version). The company exports more than 25% of its products to Europe, America and Asia. CARDOTECH is specialized in Development and in Industrial brushes manufacturing according precise specifications, in different sectors. The Company’s turnover is 2,5 million Euros, an increase of 50% since 10 years. In Wood sector, CARDOTECH is one of European leaders of Industrial brush manufacturers, in structuring and finishing. CARDOTECH’s difference is its high service level (advice, faisability, delivery times, training,…) Recent innovations 2021 : specific brushes for strong wood structuring and for sanding. +33 (0)3 85 94 16 40 - contact@cardotech.com – www.cardotech.com

THE BLANCHON GROUP, A BENCHMARK OF QUALITY

Since 1832

The Blanchon Group is dedicated to the building and home sectors and provides reliable solutions for protection, decoration, maintenance and renovation. The group manufactures and markets a wide range of technical varnishes and innovative paints dedicated to European markets. We have presence in the wood floor, industrial, wood and materials trading and paint wholesalers’ markets, and DIY superstores. The complementarity of its business sectors allows it to provide its customers, professionals and individuals, with reliable, innovative, aesthetic and more responsible solutions. Blanchon endeavors to make its innovation policy part of the universal values of sustainable development. In 2021, the group continues to innovate and launches the first biobased range. +33 (0)4 72 89 06 06 - export@blanchon.com – www.blanchon.be / www.groupeblanchon.com

INTENSIV® LACQUER The favourite high traffic lacquer which keeps the natural colour of the wood ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

2K Water Based PU Lacquer Exceptional Resistance Odourless Natural finish gloss - satin - matt - invisible effect - ultra matt bare timber (unfinished look) www.blanchon.com

Special

French companies focused on export

ALSAPAN Alsapan was formed in 1972 and since 1985 has produced kit furniture for big French retail groups, in particular ADEO and IKEA. They started to produce laminate in 1995 under the name EPI. When the founder’s granddaughter became head of the company in 2014, it changed its name to Alsapan. Flooring and kit furniture account for about 90% of turnover. In 2018, the company achieved a turnover of 240 million euros, 100 million of which for flooring. The company employs 840 people, 170 of them working in the flooring department. The annual capacity is six million kits, two million standard work tops, and 12 million square metres of floors. Since 1995, when the flooring factory in Alsace opened, production has gradually moved, especially since 2015, towards quality decorative products, especially herringbone laminate, small planks, various sizes of big planks, and surfaces with structure. Alsace has grown step-by-step into the French laminate capital, since it’s the only place in France to have made laminate for more than 10 years. Alsapan has also made vinyl floors since 2018 and added parquet after the takeover of Parqueterie Berrichonne in 2019. Alsapan launches its floors on the market in over 60 countries all over the world. +33 (0)3 88 49 43 00 - info@alsapan.fr – www.alsapan.com

CHÊNE DE L’EST® Chêne de l'est® manufactures parquet, solid wood floors, and ready-to-fit composite floors. Based in Lotharingen, the company looks after all phases of the parquet manufacturing process, from the tree to the end product inclusive, and the end product is ready for fitting. The factory was opened in 1960 by Joseph Bach, a carpenter by trade, and has remained a family business with its original values. Today, the company is in the hands of the founder’s children and grandchildren. They all share a love of well executed work, a passion for attractive things, and know how to appreciate the qualities of a beautiful oak floor. Thanks to their geographical location, they can sell their parquet floors both in France and abroad. The quality of their products has won over architects and decorators in France and beyond. They have all sorts of customers. The work ranges from renovation to the most luxurious projects, either for a private customer or a big group. Chêne de l'est® guarantees an ecologically responsible approach and uses wood which originates from the surrounding forests within 150km of their sites. Their wood is PEFC certified and comes from sustainably managed forests. Their floors are produced in accordance with French standards and perform as required. +33 (0)3 87 28 57 04 elisabeth.bach@chenedelest.com - www.chenedelest.com - www.quialeplusbeauparquet.com

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QUALI TY ER ST AS

D ’ S RE G I

BRUSH FACTORY

CERTIFICATION D’ENTREPRISES & DE PERSONNELS

ACCREDITATION

N°4-0003

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DINACHOC - THE EXPERT IN ACOUSTICS

EMFI

Dinachoc has been the specialist par excellence in acoustic insulation for over 10 years. The company sells technology systems which have been tested and approved by scores of customers. Apart from the acoustic comfort features which customers expect, Dinachoc also shows great ecological concern by opting for recycled materials. This is how Dinachoc takes account of the future of the planet. The best-seller is the acoustic subfloor Dinachoc S801 (100% rubber). The company employs nine people. This year, they are launching some brand-new technology with the ACOUSTIQUE high-performance subfloor. +33 (7) 83 02 03 14 - contact@dinachoc.com www.dinachoc.fr

Emfi was formed in 1965 and is based in Haguenau, Alsace (France). In 1988, it helped to create the company SAPO (Société Alsacienne de Polymères) and in 1999 opened a new production site in Niedermodern. Then, from 2004 onwards, Emfi concentrated mainly on the production of polymer, polyurethane, and hybrid adhesives. In 2008, Emfi was taken over by the 3M group. A spokesperson comments: ‘Our company specialises in producing adhesive and mastic. EMFI offers polyurethane mastic, silicone mastic, hybrid adhesives, vinyl adhesives, or water-based adhesives and application material: guns, spatulas, trowels, and many other products. Our research teams, who specialise in polyurethane, develop adhesives and sealants geared entirely to the needs of professionals in the industry, construction, and transport. Our most important product is Mastic polyurethane and in 2020 we achieved a turnover of 70 million euros. At present, the company employs about 250 people and we’re working on a new sealant which can be applied without a primer. In all this we target all countries, and it is worth knowing that 80% of our turnover comes from export.’ +33 (0)3 88 90 60 00 - emfi@emfi.com - www.emfi.com

DESIGN PARQUET

Custom-made

25 years ago, Design Parquet moved to Vitré and a few years later the brand installed to the TORCE’s site, « aux Porte de la Bretagne ». Design Parquet is a family business on a human scale with a workforce of 47 employees. Design Parquet has developed a range of innovative products and special parquet floors answering to a wide and varied demand. The company is specialized in the manufacture of solid and engineered floor parquet called « Loft » and « Loft Pro parquet » (semi-solid, birch plywood support), customized parquet and accessories. The woods used are mainly oak, hardwoods as well as exotic woods. (more than 30 types of wood and more than 30 possible finishes). The new 2021 finishes are « Haussmann », « Opéra », « Château ». Indeed, all countries interest us for our international development. +33 (0)2 99 49 66 66 - y.panaget@designparquet.fr www.designparquet.fr

LOFT PRO

CHALET PARQUET Alpine style, used-looking Oak planks aspect. Engineered Oak Loft-Pro (Birch plywood base)

Thickness : 16 mm ; 2 Widths : 130 et 220 mm ; Lengths : 1000 to 2000 mm Structured, Colourless Oil or Natura Oil Square edges, round edge, Tongue and groove

www.designparquet.fr Floor Forum International 116

∂ Product news RENZO BORGONOVO AND FNT-TRABATTONI STAMPI Renzo Borgonovo and FNT-Trabattoni Stampi would like to highlight here the roller’s patterns FNT#101 and FNT#102/103 visible in the printed advertisement. Both are new 2021 patterns, the Rustic Wood is a splendid reproduction of an ancient, weather-aged plank: a wonderful design for a country-side atmosphere. The Wavy Wood pattern is, on the contrary, a well designed geometric pattern, which can fit in countless scenarios. Its fine and not excessive impact is elegant, and it well plays with dark and light spots. We would like to highlight a technical detail of the embossing roller: this first roller has been made subdivided into two sections: a section where the pattern is positioned horizontally, and a section where it is positioned vertically. This, despite reducing the overall width of the design, enables the customer to have two different patterns on the same roller. This concept could be well utilized for geometrical patterns, where a width variation is not important. For more info, make sure to contact us!

CHIPPS (B) LAUNCHES GOURMET WOODCHIPP AND GRILL WOODCHIPP Chipps, which has completely redesigned the OSB panel into a trendy, finished, and ready-for-use product for floors, walls, and ceilings, works constantly on the development of new collections and designs. Two recently added collections, Gourmet WoodChipp and Grill WoodChipp, respond to the growing demand for the look of real wood with a 3D effect. The earlier Tasty Wood Boards from Chipps were joined first of all by Gourmet WoodChipp. The Gourmet WoodChipp gives you the look of planks, with real elm wood scanned in 3D. After that, the images are processed onto each plank separately. This creates a natural end result. In turn, Grill WoodChipp responds to the growing popularity of special patterns, in this case the herringbone pattern.

MEISTER ANTIBACTERIAL AND WATER-RESISTANT LAMINATE FLOORS MEISTER is offering laminate floors which remain water-resistant for between 4 and 24 hours. This means that all MEISTER laminate floors with a minimum thickness of 8 mm are suitable for bathrooms. The MEISTER laminate floor AquaSafe system comprises several elements which protect the floor against moisture penetration: a watertight melamine surface, new AquaStop edge impregnation, a refined joint seal, and a swelling-enhanced base plate.

MEISTER LD 250 Light field oak 6843

Both the LL250 (S) and LD 250 collections are 10 mm thick and therefore have an exceptionally stable product structure and, according to the definition of the European and American laminate sectors, remain water-resistant for 24 hours. The LD150 stands out for its price-quality ratio. The excellent technical features, combined with splendid designs, mean that this 8 mm laminate floor with four V-grooves and a water-resistant character for four hours is absolutely ideal for the bathroom. Read more on www.floor-forum.com/en/news

Floor Forum International 116

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* 49 eureoars per y ues for 7 iss

Our magazine, that is distributed all over the world, targets professionals from the floor coverings sector and the wooden façade claddings. Floor Forum International, that from its start focussed on parquet floors both indoor and outdoor, every year aims at informing its readers about the newest trends and novelties. In it, among other things, you read all about trends and innovations for parquet floors, and this in all kind of wood species, vinyl, LVT, PVC, wooden façade claddings, glues, varnishes, subfloors, deckings,…

INTERNATIONAL trade journal f or impor t , expor t , dis tr ibu tion and lay ing of par que t , laminate, cor k f loor ing and r elated pr oduc t s

N° 107 Februar y 2020 - Price: €8 - Published 7 times a year - (Feb, March, May, July, Sept , Nov, Dec) Of fice of deliver y 9099 Ghent X , P911092, BC 31359 - Responsible Publisher: Filip De Ridder

Special: Poland

The concept of decking to clip

Review: Domotex Hannover (D)

Advertorial: Belgiqa (B) Special: Outdoor floors: wood & composite

For more than 11 years already, Floor Forum International is appreciated by all the major players in the sector, who help determine the contents of the magazine thanks to their novelties that are accompanied by the necessary explanation. In every edition, the magazine singles out one particular country. In doing this, the readers not only discover the sociopolitical history of that country, but at the same time are also informed about the economic potential for what wood is concerned.

Special: Who has handmachines for roughening up old tiles, scraping the screed,…

Special: Repairing substrates: who has the products for this purpose?

www.gradconcept.com

INTERNATIONAL trade journal f or impor t , expor t , dis tr ibu tion and lay ing of par que t , laminate, cor k f loor ing and r elated pr oduc t s

Are you an installer of parquet floors or a timber trader, an importer, a distributor, a wholesaler, a carpenter with employees, an agent, an interior architect, an interior designer, a decorator, a manager of a shop specializing in decoration, an entrepreneur in the world of construction or a manufacturer…? If this is the case, our magazine is an exceptionally good source of reference for you.

N° 109 May 2020 - Price: €8 - Published 7 times a year - (Feb, March, May, July, Sept , Nov, Dec) Of fice of deliver y 9099 Ghent X , P911092, BC 31359 - Responsible Publisher: Filip De Ridder

Special: Rwanda

Special: Producers of wooden/composite wall cladding

Advertorial: Q-Floor Parquet (B)

Special: Parquet oil

Advertorial: Dinachoc (F)

concept terrace to clip. invisible fixations. perfect finishes.

Special: Producers of style panels

WWW.GRADCONCEPT.COM

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Subscribe right away and become part of our family of professionals to stay informed about the trends and novelties in the sector of floor coverings and wood façades, deckings, finishing products,… Become part of the large family of the sector of the wooden floor coverings, vinyl and PVC and the wooden façade claddings, thanks to the most popular magazine in the sector in Europe. Take a subscription right away and enjoy our promotional price of 49 euros*. * 79 euros per year for dispatching outside Europe

THE MOST EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE UNDERLAY TODAY

DINACHOC S801 The insulation underlay Dinachoc® S801® offers a solution to neighbour noise and other noise which you might possibly cause. It absorbs both incoming and outgoing sounds and stops them spreading. Thanks to its composition of 100% rubber (from recycled used tyres), it provides insulation properties and an acoustic comfort which is unique in its sort. The S801 underlay is one of the few which can boast the classification A+, GEV EMICODE EC1, LEADERSHIP IN ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN LEED 4-1, and EUROFINS CERTIFIED PRODUCT INDOOR AIR COMFORT. In short, this is an underlay with very low emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), and that ensures ideal air quality in the interior. It ensures peace and quiet for your neighbours, a considerable improvement in the acoustics in your interior, and at the same time ideal ecology because the DINACHOC products form an integral part of a circular economy with use of materials which are recycled infinitely. Nor should we forget a price/quality ratio which puts paid to most other solutions on the market because it unites performance, stability, immutability, and convenient fitting. The Dinachoc experts advise you to fit the S801® underlay on your floors and walls. It absorbs the sound of footsteps and airborne noises (floors and walls), circumvents sound boxes and all impact sounds of low frequency (the most frequent disruptive sounds), and improves the acoustics of your rooms considerably.

ASK FOR OUR PRODUCT CATALOGUE

170 rue de la Roquette 75011 Paris - contact@dinachoc.com - www.dinachoc.fr - Contact : +33 7 83 02 03 14

FFI 116 May 2021

Articles inside

Product news

Special French companies focused on export

Special Oil for parquet

Industry news

Special Hungarian point and herringbone pattern in LVT, PVC, and vinyl

Special Problems with colouring the wood?

Advertorial La San Marco Profili (I

Special Pre-colouring

Inside news

Advertorial Ciranova (B

Special Producers and dealers provide training and schooling. Take advantage of this! They are worthwhile

Special Wooden wall cladding versus composite

Special Style panels

Special Sorts of hygrometers