Contract Flooring Journal articles from April 2004

Contract Flooring Journal archives from April 2004

Clash over working hours.(Editor's comment)
April 1, 2004... ONE of the most controversial issues this summer could be new stricter EC proposals on working hours which will impact on the UK construction industry, including flooring contractors. Britain negotiated an opt-out from the current Working...

Axminsters reflect tradition of The Palace.(Installation Of The Month)(luxury Palace Hotel )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... SITUATED on the English Riviera, the luxury Palace Hotel recently underwent a major refurbishment, including custom designed high grade woven carpets with borders where required for the refurbishment of the public areas. CARPETS OF...

Who are you calling a cowboy?(CFA)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... WE deeply resent the crass arrogance of Richard Wollerton in his article in CFJ (December 2003 edition of your magazine. The final sentence states 'CFA Membership has become a commercial necessity--one which clearly sets professionals apart...

CFA members have badge of professionals.(Points of view)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... MS Gregory is mistaken in her letter and has misunderstood my statement. Rest assured it was never my intention to cause offence to any professional organisation. I do not believe that all companies who are not CFA members are cowboys....

Sid replies to acclimatisation challenge.(Wood Flooring)(Sid Bourne)
April 1, 2004... I WOULD like to refer back to my column (CFJ November 2003) which Mr Molloy contests. Acclimatisation is a very controversial subject and everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I would like to take you up on several issues. I...

Diary dates.(Help and advice)(Calendar)
April 1, 2004... INTERBUILD April 25-29 NEC, Birmingham Contact: Emap Montgomery Tel: 020 7505 6827 SAFETY & HEALTH EXPO May 10-13 NEC Birmingham Contact: CMP Information Tel: 020 7921 8142 THE FACILITIES SHOW May...

The glues brothers.
April 1, 2004... MAURICE AND RONNIE LOOKING TO OPEN THEIR OWN SHOP? 'ERE'S FIRST ONE--VERY DESIRABLE RETAIL PROPERTY 1 MAKE THAT 5 BUILDING SOCIETIES, 4 CHARITY SHOPS 3 TAKEAWAYS, 2 BOOKIES AND A FIREWORK OUTLET OBVIOUSLY A RETAIL HOT SPOT JUST...

We must keep hammering on to get rid of retentions.(The President)(Construction Industry Training Board)(Retentions issue)
April 1, 2004... AS you read this spring will almost have sprung (particularly with this barmy weather!) and Easter will just be round the corner. I can't wait to get those dark nights behind me and look forward to the summer. If I look at the back copies...

Fitter championship was the highlight of Domotex.(The Director)(Domotex)(European Team Floorlaying Championship)
April 1, 2004... DOMOTEX again saw a wealth of new product and equipment launches. Delegates flocked from across the globe to visit this enormous exhibition but this year they got more than they bargained for and so did I. For near the CFA stand a...

Training directory.(Training)(Thomsit Training Centres)(Calendar)
April 1, 2004... FLOORING INDUSTRY TRAINING ASSOCIATION Apr 26-28 Ceramic fitting May 5-6 Floatingwood, laminate fitting May 10-13 Commercial vinyl fitting May 17-18 Sales personnel basic carpet fitting May 19 Ardex presentation day * ...

Beware of damp lurking below the surface.(Help and advice)(Floor coverings)
April 1, 2004... THIS is the first of an occasional series in which I will ask various leading manufacturers what they are doing to help beleaguered flooring contractors overcome different obstacles on-site. I recently visited GE Protimeter, a world leader...

Should you sand an engineered floor?(Sid Bourne on wood flooring)
April 1, 2004... In his regular column, SID BOURNE, training and technical manager of Floorboards, answers questions from CFJ readers and shares some of his 25 years of installation experience. As well as being an experienced and authoritative source of...

Removing the residue.(Martin Coles on tools)
April 1, 2004... Martin Coles of Laybond Products this month looks at removing old adhesive residue and surface contaminants during subfloor preparation. WHEN a floorcovering which has been fully bonded is uplifted existing adhesive residue and surface...

Placing your joints.(Ian Knifton on tiles)
April 1, 2004... Last month IAN KNIFTON, technical manager at Schluter-Systems, looked at protecting tiled floors with movement joints. This month he takes it one stage further. Q: Do I need to place movement joints in the tile covering directly above any...

Ringfence retentions plea to government.(News file)(National Specialist Contractors Council)
April 1, 2004... A DELEGATION from the NSCC (National Specialist Contractors Council) led by president Michael Ryan held an 'extremely successful' meeting with Nigel Griffiths MP, minister for construction, recently. A former president of the CFA, Mr Ryan...

Bonar's bonny baby.(Business in brief)(Low and Bonar PLC)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The Low & Bonar floors division saw turnover rise from 56.1m [pounds sterling] to 75.3m [pounds sterling] in the year to November 30, 2003, according to its preliminary results. Notably, there was a rise in operating profit of 41% from 7.6m...

Uzin acquisition.(Business in brief)(aquires Unipro)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Uzin, of Germany, is in talks to take over Unipro, a company with bases in Holland and Belgium which sells flooring adhesives and synthetic resin flooring products.

Containers ordered.(Business in brief)(Domotex)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Interfloor reports receiving visitors at Domotex from 43 countries. One now customer is said to have ordered four 40ft containers of underlay. Tel: 01706 213131

HFS in administration.(Business in brief)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Hardwood Flooring Supplies of Woking is in administration after 'falling prices demanded by customers and an increase in capacity within the flooring market'.

Junckers taken over.(Business in brief)(Axcel acquires Junckers Industrier)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Junckers Industrier is being taken over by the Danish company, Axcel.

Rug firm bought.(Business in brief)(B Shenkin and Company has acquired W Forest Rugs and is now called Shenkin Rug Innovations)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... B Shenkin & Co is now trading as Shenkin Rug Innovations after acquiring W Forest Rugs.

Delivery boost.(Business in brief)(Texfelt )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Texfelt has a new delivery van to distribute underlays for carpet and wood floors and accessories. Tel: 01422 376791

Price rises in 2003.(Business in brief)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Construction prices around the UK rose by 4-6% last year although only by 3% in Greater London, according to Davis Langdon & Everest.

Aggregates down.(Business in brief)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Sales of sand and gravel aggregates fell 1% in the last quarter of 2003, according to the Quarry Products Association.

Quote.
April 1, 2004... 'It can be incredibly frustrating dealing with the DTI and overall government has not understood or grasped the importance of the construction and materials industry' --Stephen O'Brien, Tory shadow trade and industry secretary 'The...

Appeals to establish retentions taskforce.(News file)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... A MEETING to request government support for the setting up of a taskforce on payment issues in the construction industry, including retentions, was expected as this issue of CFJ was going to press. Rudi Klein, of the Specialist Engineering...

Sid sets up new service.(News file)(Sid Bourne)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... SID BOURNE, industry 'guru' and writer of a regular column in CFJ is sharing his 35 year's experience with the industry by launching an independent training and consultancy service. Operating from two fully equipped training centres or on...

These people shared in the 40,000 [pounds sterling] draw.(News file)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... LUCKY flooring contractors, distributors and specifiers are celebrating winning 2000 [pounds sterling] worth of holiday vouchers each in the free prize draw organised for the 20th birthday of Polyflor's Polysafe range of safety floors. The...

Carpet is back.(Industry in brief)(Mike Hardiman)(Carpet Foundation)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Carpet is fashionable again, says Mike Hardiman of the Carpet Foundation after promotions in 2003 generated 266 pieces of editorial coverage and reached 20 million of the population. www.carpetfoundation.com

Confidence rising.(Industry in brief)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... A significant increase in business confidence within the shopfittings and display industry is reported by the Shop and Display Equipment Association in its half-yearly trade survey. Tel: 01883 348911

CSCS disappointment.(Industry in brief)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... An audit of sub-contractors on Major Contractors Group sites in January found that only 57% hold the CSCS card. The figure for directly employed labour on site was 82%. Those without cards have to prove that they are in the process of getting...

Online tax system.(Industry in brief)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The CIS tax system for the construction industry will go exclusively online within two years amid fears that many contractors do not have the computer skills to cope with the changes.

Good returns.(Industry in brief)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Every 100 [pounds sterling] invested by flooring contractors returns an average of 8.25 [pounds sterling], compared with the overall UK industry average of 5.39 [pounds sterling], according to Plimsoll in its latest report. Tel: 01642 626400

Initiative earns branch of the year award.(News file; BHK (UK) )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... STAFF at laminate flooring specialist BHK (UK) in Sterling have won the BHK branch of the year award in competition against the company's 10 other stores across the UK. The award goes to the store showing most initiative within the...

Training advice.(Industry in brief)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Advisors from two Thomsit training centres will be on the CFJ stand at Interbuild (Stand C41 Hall 7) to give information on NVQ courses for floorlayers and how experienced workers can qualify for a CSCS card. (See pages 14 & 51)

Students numbers up.(Industry in brief)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Applications for building courses is up 16%, according to the University and Colleges Admissions Service. Architectural courses have seen a 25% rise and Civil Engineering is up 17.5%.

Fitter shortage.(Industry in brief)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Nearly 1,700 carpet fitters are needed by 'registered specialists' around the UK and this shortage will rise to 3,600 in three years, according to a recent survey by the Carpet Foundation.

Retailer courses.(Industry in brief; flooring)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Over 1,500 retail staff have registered for training by Interfloor this summer, with 500 having completed courses, according to training manager John Moodie. Underlay and accessories are a lucrative profit source for floorcovering retailers, he...

CITB supported.(Industry in brief)(Construction Industry Training Board)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Around 69% of employers believe that the CITB should keep the statutory training levy scheme, according to a poll by the organisation. This compares with 58% in a similar poll two years ago.

Cardless barred.(Industry in brief)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Main contractor Skansa has reportedly turned away more than 300 people from its sites this year for not having CSCS cards or not having made an effort to get one.

HQ sold for 6m [pounds sterling].(Industry in brief)(The Construction Confederation)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The Construction Confederation is reported to have sold its London HQ for 6m[pounds sterling].

Help to cut premiums.(SAFEcontractor)(Certification Scheme)
April 1, 2004... SAFE Contractor is a new scheme designed to provide third party health & safety accreditation scheme for flooring and other contractors. For the contractor the scheme helps to reduce the burden of completing numerous competency...

The shape of things to come in insurance.(News file)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... SCANTILY clad 'policewomen' will patrol the Commercial Vehicle Direct (CVD) stand at Interbuild. With a message headlined 'Arrest your rising premiums!' the company claims to save customers hundreds of pounds each year by reducing their...

Wood is good turn for Carpet Line Direct.(News file)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... CARPET LINE DIRECT reports soaring sales of its solid oak flooring, Natures Own. Launched last September, the company's first solid oak range is described as sophisticated flooring of high quality grade timber available immediately in...

Carpet campaign.(Industry in brief)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The spring media promotion in home interest magazines by the Carpet Foundation is expected to reach nearly 10 million readers. Advertising, advertorial and brochure panels are appearing in around 20 titles, www.carpetfoundation.com

Transatlantic links.(Industry in brief)
April 1, 2004... The European Producers of Laminate Flooring (EPLF) is talking to its US counterpart, the North American Laminate Flooring Association (NALFA) about a closer relationship.

Violence at work.(Industry in brief)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Some 849,000 workers experienced at least one incident of violence at work, according to the British Crime Survey. A third of offenders were under the influence of alcohol.

Wood floor slips.(Industry in brief)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Wood flooring caused 12,300 people to fall in 2002, according to the DTI. Five years earlier the figure was only 2,900. However, falls on carpets also increased in that time from 55,000 to 70,000.

Online stress forum.(Industry in brief)
April 1, 2004... The HSE has set up an online discussion forum for employers to tackle workplace stress. www.hse.gov.uk/stress/issues.html

Disability Act advice.(Industry in brief)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Ashland Resources, specialist in slip resistant and anti-skid engineered systems and devices, offers advice on compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act which comes into force in October. The company supplies nosings and stair treads...

CRA directory.(Industry in brief)(Concrete Repair Association published directory)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The Concrete Repair Association has published its free 2004 Members Directory for specifiers, consultants, surveyors, local authorities and clients, it contains details of its technical advisory service; its CSCS NVQ related training scheme and...

Record deal for CFA member.(News file)(Contract flooring association)(Peter Evans Flooring)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... SOUTH Wales based national flooring contractor, Peter Evans Flooring, a member of the CFA, has completed a refurbishment of one of the largest HMV stores at Oxford Circus, London. A total area of 1650sq m was revamped through the night over...

Warrior status for CFA contractor.(News file)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... THE CFA flooring contractor member Rudge Brothers & James has taken possession of four new silver Mitsubishi Warriors with personalised number plates RBJ. The vehicles have a sealed cab meaning the driver no longer suffers the risk of...

Grow! Grow! for the top companies.(News file)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... ALTRO and GRADUS are two of the companies singled out as top performers in a new report on the floorcoverings industry by Plimsoll. However, the report makes grim reading for the majority, stating that only 27 of the top 99 largest...

Disney's gum issue.(Industry in brief)(Euro Disneyland S.C.A.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Over 5,000sq m of flooring at Eurodisney was treated with DecapSolsGuard from Heritage Preservations to remove the problem of dropped chewing gum. This was followed by an application of ProtectGuard, a water based clear impregnating sealer to...

Wood awards support.(Industry in brief)
April 1, 2004... The American Hardwood Export Council is to support the Wood Awards 2004. The deadline for entries is May 21. www.woodawards.com

Axminster on the web.(Industry in brief)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The website address for the new Axminster Carpets contract division, unfortunately subject to a literal in the last issue of CFJ, is: www.axminster-contractcarpets.co.uk

Charity support.(Industry in brief)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... A raffle at the Midlands Area Floorcovering Association (MAFTA) dinner/dance recently raised 1,000[pounds sterling] for Cancer Research.

B&Q contract.(Industry in brief)(Twintec Industrial Flooring)(B and Q PLC)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Twintec Industrial Flooring has reportedly won a 650,000 [pounds sterling] contract for a new B&Q warehouse in Glasgow.

Office fit-out.(Industry in brief)(IBEX Construction)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Ibex has received a 3.4m [pounds sterling] contract for the fitting out of the Times Square development on Victoria Street in central London.

2bn [pounds sterling] PFI deal.(Industry in brief)(Partnerships for Inclusion deal)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... A consortium, including Sir Robert McAlpine has reportedly signed a 2bn [pounds sterling] PFI deal to redevelop Colchester Garrison in Essex.

Interest free finance.(Industry in brief)(United Kingdom Trades Confederation launches an interest free finance scheme)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The UK Trades Confederation has launched an interest free finance scheme for members. Customers of members of The UK Trades Confederation will receive a card that will enable them to spread the cost of purchases with no interest to pay and...

Tradewoods is sold on Siberian oak.(Siberian oak strip flooring to Tradewoods office)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... TRADEWOODS has installed its own Siberian oak strip flooring in the extension to its sales and admin offices. The new sales office was fitted out by Rathmill Hardwood Flooring and boasts Tradewoods own 160mm pre-finished solid Siberian oak...

Floor treatments focus on ecology.(News file)(Treatex introduces new products)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... TREATEX has been set up in the UK to supply its range of high quality. ecologically sensitive floor treatments to flooring contractors, installers and specifiers for the first time. Based in Oxford, the company is currently establishing a...

Floorboards makes splash in print and online.(News file)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... FLOORBOARDS has a new collection of corporate literature and a new website. 'We offer full sales support to our retailers, merchants and installers,' says Graham Oakley, Floorboards md. 'Equally, we offer increased support for our...

'Against regulations'.(Industry in brief)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... A new organisation for plant operators, launched to campaign against what it sees as 'excessive skills regulations', has reportedly recruited over 550 members in the first three weeks.

CSCS for migrants.(Industry in brief)(Construction Skills Certification Scheme)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... George Brumwell, chairman of the Construction Skills Certification Scheme, is urging the government to make CSCS cards compulsory for foreign workers in construction to ensure employers comply with health and safety.

Efficiency targets.(Industry in brief)
April 1, 2004... Tough new targets have been proposed for a revision of the building regulations Part L (energy efficiency with a recommendation that carbon emissions are slashed by 25% on the 2002 levels..

Wood on the web.(Industry in brief)
April 1, 2004... Wood for Good has given its website a makeover with information on using timber in construction and building, www.woodforgood.com

Cement ban.(Industry in brief)(ban on high chromium cement)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... High-chromium cement could be banned from next January under proposals by the Health and Safety Commission.

Vehicle tracking.(Industry in brief)(vehicle management information system implemented)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Rainbow International, the carpet care and restoration specialist, has implemented a 100,000 [pounds sterling] vehicle management information system on its 350 vehicle fleet, significantly increasing efficiency. Tel: 01623 675100

Growth continues.(Industry in brief)(Travis Perkins PLC)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Builders merchant Travis Perkins has reported sales of 1.7bn [pounds sterling] in 2003, up from 1.4bn [pounds sterling] the previous year.

Pre-tax profits up.(Industry in brief)(Kingspan Access Floors PLC)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Materials company Kingspan is reported have seen pre-tax profits rising 3% to 44m [pounds sterling].

British wool awards honour top names.(News file)(Axminster Carpets)(Brintons Ltd)
April 1, 2004... BRINTONS and AXMINSTER CARPETS have won prizes in the British Wool International Quality Awards. Two overseas manufacturers--a Japanese and an American--were also successful. Devised to encourage and reward new product development made...

Nylon 'beats polypropylene for appearance retention'.(News file)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... AN INVISTA study on appearance change in contract carpet saw Antron (Nylon 6.6) achieving better results, in general, than polypropylene. The study, among an industry panel of facility managers and architects and designers, evaluated the...

Instarmac guide.(Products in brief)
April 1, 2004... Instarmac has published a Ultra Tile Adhesive and Grout Product Guide. It also describes how to create level floors (incorporating underfloor heating, if required) prior to the application of tiles, how to seal surfaces to make tile application...

New decors launches.(Products in brief)
April 1, 2004... Balterio has launched 32 new decors in laminate flooring, all available with an acoustic layer. Another new product, Confidence, is claimed to be the world's only fire-retardant laminate flooring featuring a special HDF-middle layer, Firax....

Bohemia Collection.(Products in brief)
April 1, 2004... Floorz.co.uk has introduced the Bohemia Collection, a range of Aged Oak flooring described as giving the appearance of a traditional reclaimed floor but with the advantages of a modern high performance floor.

Wood floor offer.(Products in brief)
April 1, 2004... Solid wood flooring is one of the items in the latest Screwfix Direct catalogue and at www.screwfix.com Tel: 0800 317004

Sale of tools.(Products in brief)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Northern Tool, the mail order company, is offering up to 40% off on its most popular products. Tel: 0800 169 2266

Tool catalogue.(Products in brief)
April 1, 2004... The new Silverline Tools catalogue has been published. www.silverlinetools.com Tel: 08000 727220

Cordek brochure.(Products in brief)
April 1, 2004... Expanded polystyrene products for construction are featured in a new brochure from Cordek. Tel: 01403 799600

Forbo-Flooring.(People)(Derek Byrne)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Forbo-Flooring has appointed DEREK BYRNE as md primarily responsible for the UK, Irish and Australian markets. Mr Byrne was previously md for both Forbo-Ireland and Forbo-Floorcoverings in Australia. Forbo-Flooring, part of the Forbo Group of...

Mike Mills.(People)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... It is reported that MIKE MILLS has left Ulster Carpet Mills.