Floor Covering Installer articles from March 2008

Floor Covering Installer archives from March 2008

"Green" building movement benefits installers.(Editorial)
March 1, 2008... These days, it's hard to pick up any publication and not be inundated with references to "green" products, services and companies. Indeed, "green" has become the main buzz word in the flooring industry, used everywhere from advertisements to...

The care and feeding of hook knives.(Carpet: A Carpet Installer's Notebook)
March 1, 2008... Before I get into hook knives, a short note on the ANSI Standards. In my last column I said there was supposed to be the first meeting before Christmas. It didn't happen. I will find out what is going on, and I will have an update for you in my...

Contractor responsibilities.
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A hot topic within the flooring contractor community is the issue of being responsible, frequently it seems, for just about everything that can go wrong. According to long-time FCICA member G. Fred Acton, of Acton...

Green is an evolution, not a revolution.
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] While it seems the 'in' thing is 'green', it isn't a recent development. The movement has actually been happening for over two decades, but it simply takes a bit of time to share the information. It was in the 1980s...

Controlling the dust: airborne wood dust is unnecessary health risk during sanding.
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] There are many benefits to your business when sanding with dust containment. With no bags to empty, no plastic to hang, no dust to clean up, and the ability to see your work better, dust-free sanding dramatically...

"Green" flooring: what does it mean to me?(Resilient: Let's Talk Resilient)
March 1, 2008... It's hard to go through a day without someone talking about "green" this or "green" that and it certainly applies to flooring as well. Now, in the interest of full disclosure I have to confess that I have been "green" myself since I was a...

The Grout Master.(Ceramic: CTEF Tile Talk)
March 1, 2008... Who is the Grout Master? Hopefully, it is you or someone in your company. Grout is one of the areas in ceramic tile installation that has remained unchanged for centuries until recently. Grout seems to be the second most hated word in the tile...

Major Las Vegas resort rises major from the Non-Dust.(Installation Innovations)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Evolving almost daily, the Las Vegas skyline might well be the most spectacular attraction in a town of crowd-pleasing acts and dramatic visual effects. With each new luxury hotel/casino that ascends from the desert...

Cracking in tile floors--part 3: dealing with cracks.
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In our first installment, we discussed the root causes of cracking in tile installations. Some of the items discussed in detail were cracks due to concrete shrinkage, slab deflection or settlement, and changes in, or...

Protecting your installations from cracks: membranes and mortars are key, but know when to use them.
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As a professional in the tile industry, doing things right the first time not only strengthens your reputation but it can help avoid customer call-backs for tile installation repairs. Repairs to work that has already...

Unique wood installations.
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With all the talk about the bottom falling out of the U.S. housing market, you might be interested in these statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau. For November 2007, there were 647,000 new privately owned...

Engineered Wood Flooring 101.(Wood: NOFMA Tip Sheet)
March 1, 2008... What is Engineered Flooring? In 2000 NOFMA included in the Official Flooring Grading Rules engineered flooring standards of manufacture and grading. The definition for engineered flooring in this document is: A product which is an assembly of...

Health concerns for installers.(INSTALLments: INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS & TRAINING ALLIANCE: FLOORCOVERING PROFESSIONALS)
March 1, 2008... When floor covering installer training is mentioned, invariably the association is made that the training involves hands-on skills. That's fair, because no matter what segment of the flooring industry you represent, everyone appreciates a...

Concrete joints.(Resilient Installation Corner)
March 1, 2008... One of the most perplexing segments of the commercial flooring installation is how to handle joints in a concrete slab. Flooring manufacturers insist that flooring contractors "honor" all joints that are active (moving) and to cover all dormant...

Installation in the spotlight at Surfaces 2008.(Industry News)
March 1, 2008... Surfaces 2008, the floor covering industry's leading tradeshow, was held in Las Vegas January 30-February 1, offering installers a chance to see the latest product introductions for all types of flooring as well as installation tools and...

TPFH names Bob Daniels to new industry director position, Scott Carothers to board of directors, and celebrates five years of industry partnership.(Industry News)
March 1, 2008... Tile Partners for Humanity, the partnership between the tile industry and Habitat for Humanity, announces the addition of Bob Daniels, Executive Director Emeritus of the Tile Council of North America, as the organization's first industry...

NTCA launches 'Five Star' member recognition program.(Industry News)
March 1, 2008... The National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) has announced a Five Star Program that recognizes NTCA members who demonstrate a commitment to training, service, quality, superior job performance and safety. Each qualifying participant...

Powernail USA.(People on the Move)
March 1, 2008... Powernail USA announces that Daniel Boone has joined the company to fill the newly created position of technical training director. Boone will help lead and develop Powernail training schools at the company headquarters in Lake Zurick, Ill. The...

Louisville Tile Distributors.(People on the Move)
March 1, 2008... Louisville Tile Distributors has named Don Kincaid to its newly created national sales manager position. His responsibilities include overseeing all sales of tile and related products for the company. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

GranitiFiandre.(People on the Move)
March 1, 2008... GranitiFiandre has promoted Joy Klein to director of national accounts. Klein is charged with all aspects of the company's national account program for the U.S. market. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Calendar of events.(Calendar)
March 1, 2008... Domotex Asia/China Floor 2008 Shanghai, China, March 11-13 + 61 2 9280 3400 www.domotexasiachinafloor.com NWFA Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., March 26-28 (800) 422-4556 www.woodfloors.org ExpoBuild China 2008 ...

In memorium: Thomas R. Peck, Sr.(Industry News)
March 1, 2008... Thomas R. Peck, Sr., founder of Custom Building Products, has passed away. He was 91. Born October 29, 1916 in upstate New York, Tom moved to southern California with his family in 1919. After graduating from Bell High School, he served his...

China's ceramic tile industry sets out welcome mat for upcoming expos.(Industry News)
March 1, 2008... Organizers of Expo Build China 2008 and its specialized exhibition within an exhibition--Ceramic, Tile and Sanitary Ware China 2008--are eager to meet the thousands of international community members arriving for the four-day event at the...

MIA webinars to focus on business-specific topics.(Industry News)
March 1, 2008... The Marble Institute of America (MIA) will soon broadcast the first of five educational webinars, presented by industry experts, designed to address the needs specific to the stone business. The line-up of 60-minute interactive training...

QEP takes preventative measures with lead-testing.(Industry News)
March 1, 2008... In response to the growing concern of lead-contamination in products coming from overseas, QEP says it recently took the initiative to test its own products. In September of 2007, QEP commissioned the work of a lead inspector to test more...

Coverings unveils new line-up, keynoters for 2008.
March 1, 2008... Organizers of Coverings 2008, set for April 29 to May 2, at Orlando's Orange County Convention Center, have decided to include six keynote speakers, rather than kicking off with a single headliner, as in years past. The speakers will address...

CTDA, TCNA certification collaboration underway.(Industry News)
March 1, 2008... The Ceramic Tile Distributors Association (CTDA) and the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) have launched the Porcelain Tile Certification Agency (PTCA) to certify porcelain tile. The initiative is motivated by installation problems,...

MAPEI breaks ground on Texas plant expansion.(Industry News)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MAPEI Corp. will soon double the size of its Garland, Texas, plant. The groundbreaking ceremony for the addition of 79,000 square feet that will be dedicated to warehousing and distribution, and will also allow for...

Install founding member to retire.(Industry News)
March 1, 2008... Tony Prince, president of Tony Prince Company of St. Louis, has retired from the International Labor-Management Committee for the Floor Covering Industry. Prince is a founding member of the Committee, where he served as management...

Laticrete donates materials to Turkish mosaic workshop.(Industry News)
March 1, 2008... Turkey's Glass Furnace international glass center recently received two gifts for its upcoming weeklong glass mosaic workshop: Sonia King, a mosaic artist, educator and author; and a shipment of LATICRETE thin-set mortar. King's workshop is...

Four different blade sizes with TURBO's Master TURBO Groover.(Products, Tools & Accessories)
March 1, 2008... 337 TURBO Heat Welding Tools TURBO'S MASTER TURBO GROOVER [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TURBO Heat Welding Tools says that their Master TURBO Groover is THE ONLY GROOVER IN THE WORLD that can groove all the way to the wall, groove...

QEP introduces new tools for installation of porcelain and large-format tiles.(Products, Tools & Accessories)
March 1, 2008... QEP 334 QEP LASH SYSTEM [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] QEP recently debuted LASH system for spacing tile, the Black Widow series of porcelain-cutting blades, and the Brutus diamond drill bit and hole saw with water dispersion systems....

Doing heat welding has never been easier.(Products, Tools & Accessories)
March 1, 2008... 336 TURBO Heat Welding Tools TURBO'S AUTOMATIC CADDY [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Our automatic TURBO Caddy welds approximately 10- to 14-ft. per minute giving strong welds every time. It welds Linoleum/Marmoleum products with no mess...

Bond Products introduces new PBB Portable Bobbinless Binder.(Products, Tools & Accessories)
March 1, 2008... 333 Bond Products BOND PRODUCTS' PBB PORTABLE BOBBINLESS BINDER [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Bond Products has introduced its all-new Model PBB Portable Bobbinless Binder, a powerful, high-speed binding machine that does not require a...

TURBO's Super TURBO Nozzle packed with pre-heating jets.(Products, Tools & Accessories)
March 1, 2008... 335 TURBO Heat Welding Tools TURBO'S SUPER TURBO NOZZLE [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TURBO Heat Welding Tools' Super TURBO Nozzle welds approximately 10' per minute, three times faster than conventional speed tips, the company says....

Monocoat Natural Oil Finish offers one-coat finish.(Products, Tools & Accessories)
March 1, 2008... 332 Monocoat MONOCOAT NATURAL OIL FINISH [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Monocoat Natural Oil Finish produces a complete, extremely durable one-coat finish for wood floors. Containing neither volatile organic compounds nor water, it is...

Tramex's CMExpert suited for pre- and post-installation.(Products, Tools & Accessories)
March 1, 2008... 331 Tramex TRAMEX'S CMEXPERT [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tramex's has taken the wraps off its new multi-purpose moisture meter, CMExpert. The product combines nondestructive moisture and humidity measurement for concrete, gypsum and...

Single Disc Grind and Scrape presented by National Carpet.(Products, Tools & Accessories)
March 1, 2008... 330 NCE NCE SINGLE DISC GRIND AND SCRAPE [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] National Carpet Equipment, Inc.'s Single Disc Grind and Scrape removes mastics, thin coatings, epoxies, urethanes, thinset, high spots and textures slippery floor...

Multiple turnkey options available from The Master's Touch.(Products, Tools & Accessories)
March 1, 2008... 345 The Master's Touch THE MASTER'S TOUCH [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Master's Touch has developed its line of tools and power units for tile and grout restoration. The company's restoration tools can help end-users achieve the...

DensShield tile backer features water-resistant core.(Products, Tools & Accessories)
March 1, 2008... 342 Georgia Pacific Gypsum GEORGIA-PACIFIC'S DENSSHIELD [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With a built-in moisture barrier and highly water-resistant core DensShield tile backer from Georgia-Pacific Gypsum offers a moisture- and...

TEC brand enters wood adhesives market with WoodStrong adhesive.(Products, Tools & Accessories)
March 1, 2008... 327 TEC TEC'S WOODSTRONG WOOD ADHESIVE [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Specialty Construction Brands, Inc. announces the launch of WoodStrong from the TEC brand, a one-part moisture cure urethane wood flooring adhesive. WoodStrong's...

AcoustiCORK 'green' underlayment suitable for all floors.(Products, Tools & Accessories)
March 1, 2008... 341 Amorim Solutions AMORIM'S ACOUSTICORK [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Amorim's AcoustiCORK[TM] products have been designed to provide the thinnest profile, and the lowest total installed cost per sq. ft. in sound control underlayments...

New installation tool from Porta-Nails tightens, straightens.(Products, Tools & Accessories)
March 1, 2008... 338 Porta-Nails, Inc. PORTA-NAILS PORTAJACK-PRO [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The PortaJACK-PRO floor-tightening jack from Porta-Nails, Inc. is designed for professional installers of tongue-and-groove hardwood flooring. The...

New HighPro tool brings 'triple threat'.(Products, Tools & Accessories)
March 1, 2008... 340 HighPro Tools HIGHPRO TOOLS' TRIPLE THREAT [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Designed specifically for carpet flooring installers, HighPro Tools has unveiled the lightweight Triple Threat 3-in-1 hammer tacker. The heavy-duty tool...

Custom Building Products introduces EasyBoard ultra-lightweight backerboard.(Products, Tools & Accessories)
March 1, 2008... 329 Custom Building Products CUSTOM BUILDING PRODUCTS' EASYBOARD [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Custom Building Products introduces EasyBoard, a high performance, ultra-lightweight backerboard that is engineered for strength and backed by...

MAPEI rounds out surface prep line with Novoplan Easy underlayment.(Products, Tools & Accessories)
March 1, 2008... 328 MAPEI MAPEI'S NOVOPLAN EASY UNDERLAYMENT [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MAPEI has rounded out its line of surface preparation products with the addition of Novoplan Easy, an easy-preparation, self-leveling underlayment. Novoplan Easy...

Stauf Adhesives introduces SMP-960 wood flooring adhesive.(Products, Tools & Accessories)
March 1, 2008... 323 Stauf Adhesives STAUF ADHESIVES SMP-960 WOOD ADHESIVE [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Stauf Adhesives has introduced its new SMP960 wood flooring adhesive, a moisture cured adhesive that contains no water, no isocyanates, no solvents...

Mer-Krete launches virtually dust-free mortar.(Products, Tools & Accessories)
March 1, 2008... 339 Mer-Krete Systems MER-KRETE'S 7D10DUST-LESS THIN-SET [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mer-Krete Systems has launched 7d10 Dust-Less Thin-Set mortar, a new product that has been engineered to significantly reduce dust production....

USG offers new brochure detailing floor options for LEVELROCK underlayment.(Products, Tools & Accessories)
March 1, 2008... 324 USG USG LEVELROCK BROCHURE [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] USG and Valspar Flooring are offering a new four-page brochure that provides complete information about the finished flooring options available for selected LEVELROCK brand...

The art of hand-sewn seams.(CFI REPORT)
March 1, 2008... It's difficult for the installers of today to realize that before the 1920s, every seam was hand sewn. The carpet installation trade was considered a craft. Carpet installers were very proficient with needles and thread. Then, the seaming iron...

Crack isolation waterproof membrane for radiant heating under ceramic tile: Compotite.(Products & Literature on Display)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] COMPOSEAL GOLD Crack Isolation Waterproof Membrane has been used in ceramic tile and natural stone radiant heated flooring since 1992, protecting against cracking tile due to concrete shrinkage and against water...

"The Jackrabbit": Marizzaldi Manufacturing, Inc.(Products & Literature on Display)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Ultimate Weapon for Glue-Down Carpet Removal LIFETIME WARRANTY * Affordable * Light Weight * No Maintenance * 3/4" Drive Ratchet * Works On Unitary Backed Carpets * Removes 4 Foot...

Lam-Hammer introduces new installation tool: Lam-Hammer.(Products & Literature on Display)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Lam-Hammer introduces an installation tool for laminate or engineered floors. Retailers--thwart problems before they occur while reducing installation time by 25%! Provide your installers with the Lam-Hammer--it...

Thermosoft offers its radiant floor heating mat to installers: Thermosoft.(Products & Literature on Display)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The system has zero EMF and offers a lifetime warranty. Thermosoft's 1/8-inch, contractorgrade heating mats are designed to minimize floor height and lay flat for quick installation. Mats can be cut and turned to fit...

SQUEEZ-EZ: Wil-Gil.(Products & Literature on Display)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Imagine, never having to squeeze a sponge again, finishing your grouting job in just a few minutes with little to no haze. With SQUEEZ-EZ, you're letting the machine do most of the painful work for you! It is almost...

Tile backer with built-in moisture barrier hangs like drywall: Georgia-Pacific.(Products & Literature on Display)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With a built-in moisture barrier and highly water-resistant core DensShield[R] tile backer from Georgia-Pacific Gypsum is the superior moisture- and mold-resistant substrate for tile. And with a Type X core, it's...

Keys to being a professional installer.(FCICA)
March 1, 2008... As a manager of installation services for a large flooring contractor, here are four key things that define the professional installer and make my life easier: Can the installer do what he says he can do? Many times we are quick to jump into a...