Contract Flooring Journal articles from October 2005

Contract Flooring Journal archives from October 2005

Focus on price could kill you!(asbestos related lung cancer)(Editorial)
October 1, 2005... ASBESTOS was once hailed as a super construction material. It has excellent flame-retardant, thermal and acoustic insulation properties; it is strong and flexible, and relatively cheap. It is also an insidious killer. From the 1950s...

Centuries old wood floor sparkles again.(wooden floors)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... BUILT in the 16th century, Pelham House in Lewes, East Sussex, was used as a private house for many years, and more recently as municipal offices. The building was recently refurbished and transformed into the prestigious Pelham House...

How clean is clean?--it's no longer a matter of opinion: Judith West, chairman of the British Cleaning Council, introduces a new guide on getting best value for cleaning.(British Cleaning Council )
October 1, 2005... THERE is a misconception outside the cleaning industry that cleaning is easy to do, difficult to define and impossible to measure. Well, in order to prove that management of cleaning is paramount, British Institute of Cleaning Science...

Personal attack on Richard Wollerton condemned.(contract flooring association)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... A prominent figure in the trade writes: I HAVE been in the flooring industry for many years and I am appalled at the personal attack on Richard Wollerton, executive director of the CFA, in Contract Floors by the editor. Please allow me to...

CFA and FeRFA member to review contact with magazine.(Contract Floors association)(Resin Flooring Association)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Stuart Bint, public relations manager, Schluter-Systems, writes: WE, at Schluter--Systems, could nut believe the personal attack made against the executive director of the CFA, the CFA itself, and CFJ, in a recent comment column in...

Wood floor installers face 'Russian roulette': TRADA's flooring specialist Peter says much information and 'guidance' to floorlayers is less than helpful in practice.(monitoring of moisture)
October 1, 2005... I HAVE always been struck by the amount of emphasis on the need to install wood flooring at an equilibrium moisture content appropriate to a given end-use and the type of heating regime it will likely be subjected to. The wood flooring...

Carpets 'healthier' than laminates: David Whitefoot, technical director of the Carpet Foundation, makes the case for the 'health benefits' of carpets.(carpet has health benefits)
October 1, 2005... HAVING read the article entitled 'Have I got noise for you' (CFJ August 2005) I am disappointed to note that you refer to 'the health benefits of a non-carpeted floor'. This is a topic about which the Carpet Foundation is perhaps a little...

People in glass houses should not throw stone: Peter Harrison, deputy chairman, Stone Federation of Great Britain technical committee, says, failures of stone flooring installations are frequently down to the fitters' lack of training.(stone flooring installers tranning)
October 1, 2005... FITTERS who blame stone for 'not working' are often poorly trained and fail to follow British Standards requirements, and Stone Federation of Great Britain guidelines. But we're now moving to change that by introducing the first NVQs for stone...

"There's simply more to it" the added value of a brand: 5 reasons to become a Parador dealer in the UK.(market penetration )
October 1, 2005... Parador is the intellectual market leader and premium brand in a market where trade brands are becoming tarnished in margin reductions as they advocate a 'penny-pinching is good' mentality and a bargain offer mindset. Five years ago, Parador...

I may not be Sean Connery, but I am proud of what I do.(contract flooring association)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... GROWING up in Scotland, I always thought I would turn out to be the next Sean Connery. According to my granny I had the looks but for some strange reason the dream never quite panned out. Leaving my 007 dreams behind me, I looked around and...

Here's a way to get where the action is: join the CFA.(contract flooring association)
October 1, 2005... FEW of us bounce out of bed in the morning and decide that it's time we took a more active role in our own trade organisation. Certainly, not while we're in throws of building and developing our own careers. Yet this is exactly what we do if we...

Training directory.(Training)(Directory)
October 1, 2005... Flooring industry Training Association Intermediate carpet fitting Oct 3-7 (N); Carpet tile fitting Oct 6-7 (L); Ceramic fitting Oct 10-12 (N); Know your carpets Oct 10-11 (L); Estimating and planning Oct 12-13 (L); Subfloor preparation Oct...

Contractor training has a fun element.(Training)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... MORE than 100 contractors attended BonaKemi's recent ABC (Association of Bona Contractors) regional training seminars at venues across the UK. Fun sports activities were combined with serious training. Of particular interest was Alec...

Focus on training.(floor designing training program)
October 1, 2005... I HAVE been involved in training for some years now, since the CFA went into on-site assessment for NVQs in flooring. They wanted people to train as assessors. I volunteered. This led to the formation of FITA (the Flooring Industry Training...

Warranties and what they do not cover.(on wood floors)(see the retailer)
October 1, 2005... Q: What use are warranties? If I complain to a manufacturer about a problem they always tell me it is 'not covered under the warranty!' A: We are talking prefinished warranties. The first thing I stress to any contractor or retailer or...

Specify wrongly and you could head for a fall.(on slips and trips)
October 1, 2005... SPECIFYING the right flooring is vital in these days of litigation and no-win-no fee solicitors. With slips and trips fast becoming a major cause of accidents, both for employees and for members of the public, choosing the wrong flooring...

Always think preparation. It really does pay.(on uneven subfloors)
October 1, 2005... IT can't be said often enough, but preparation really is the key to a successful flooring installation and the subfloor is no exception. Poor subfloor preparation can mean indentations and / or ridges left in the subfloor. These...

Exploding the myths on copyright.(on protecting your IP)
October 1, 2005... In the first of a series of articles on intellectual property rights exclusivbely for CFJ, Dids Macdonald, chief executive of ACID (Anti Copying In Design), tests your wits with IP myths-ACID's Top Ton IP HOWLERS. THE list was devised from...

Diary dates.(Help and advice)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
October 1, 2005... SEATRADE Convention & Exbn October 5-6 ExCel, London T: 01206 545 121 www.seatrade-global.com IDEAL HOME SHOW October 7-16 Earls Court, London T: 020 8515 2072 CONTEXT October 11-13 Earlis...

'Believe it or not--it can boost your business'.(Business success)
October 1, 2005... Dawn Gibbins MBE, chairman of Flowcrete Group plc, a qualified Feng Shui practitioner, is using this ancient Chinese philosophy to energise her company's workforce and to improve their wellbeing. In this new series exclusively for CFJ, Dawn...

The glues brothers.(Help and advice)(Cartoon)
October 1, 2005... THIS OFFER WILL BRING IN SO MUCH WORK YER'LL 'AVE TO CANCEL YER HOLIDAY.... BUT AS WE WON'T BE MAKIN' ANY MONEY IT'S FOR THE BEST.... YOU WOULDN'T 'AVE BEEN ABLE TO DAY FOR IT ANY'OW [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Stop unsolicited sales telephone calls.(Building briefing on compliant telemarketing)
October 1, 2005... TELEMARKETING is a powerful marketing tool. Its immediacy and personalisation in an increasingly high-tech world make it a great way of building lists, boosting customer loyalty and clinching sales. New research shows that business to...

Smart Alec.
October 1, 2005... ... brought to you by www.uktc.org OH NO, HE'S RUINED YOUR QUOTE! DON'T WORRY I WILL EMAIL YOU OVER A COPY OF THE QUOTE. YOU CAL ALSO CHECK OUT MY WEB SITE! LATER... WOW! WOULD YOU HAVE THROUGH IT, HE DID MRS JONES DOWN...

Carpet tiles are 'gaining ground over broadloom'.(BMW Associates)
October 1, 2005... CARPET tiles continue to outperform broadloom in growing marketshare and now constitute a 1bn [pounds sterling] plus global market, according to a new report. Compiled by BMW Associates, the report discloses that the UK and Ireland...

Carpet cleaners stage successful roadshow.(National Carpet Cleaners Association )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... THE National Carpet Cleaners Association held a well-attended pilot roadshow at Doweling & Plummer in Birmingham. NCCA associate companies Amtech UK, Chemspec Europe and Prochem Europe sponsored the buffet lunch. Speakers included Paul...

When the tables turned.(Business in brief)
October 1, 2005... A leading British carpet manufacturer is watching the clear-up operation in New Orleans with particular interest. The company narrowly lost a major casino contract in the city. Hurricane Katrina left the newly opened casino under several feet...

Interfloor sold for 84m [pounds sterling].(Business in brief)
October 1, 2005... Interfloor, Europe's largest manufacturer of underlay and flooring accessories, has been sold by owner Rutland to a group backed by European Acquisition Capital for 84.1m [pounds sterling]. Heading the management team will be Phil Reeder, a...

Edel & felenzo link in UK.(Business in brief)
October 1, 2005... Dutch carpet brands, Edel and Telenzo Carpets, have joined forces in the UK. Sales of both will be handled in Elland, West Yorkshire, under md John Hone, who has headed Telenzo UK for 27 years. The new strategy includes expansion into contract....

Championship bid.(Business in brief)
October 1, 2005... Flooringsupplies.co.uk of Norwich is in line to be the British Small Business Champion of 2005. The final is at Claridge's, London, on November 15. The prize is a tailor-made business trip to New York.

4m contractor video.(Business in brief)
October 1, 2005... Specialist contractor 4m flooring has created a technical film, covering both industrial and commercial sectors. Installations covered include RAF Cottesmore, Bentley Motors and Thorntons. The video can be seen on the company's website...

Cork saved from fire.(Business in brief)
October 1, 2005... Amorim is assuring customers that the August forest fires in Portugal had no impact upon the southern cork plantations. The cork forests are said to be very well managed and have no fuel material, like bush, that easily ignite and propagate the...

FITA centre opening is set for November 8.(Flooring Industry Training Association)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... THE new FITA training centre in Loughborough will be officially opened on Tuesday November 8. Visitors are welcome from 10am onwards. Refreshments will be provided. Loughborough is FITA's second dedicated floorlayer training centre. It was...

CFA member earns ISO 9001 award.(Contract Flooring Association.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... TOWN & COUNTRY FLOORING, a member of the CFA, has been awarded ISO 9001 certification following assessment by an independent body. This prestigious award for quality supported by the Government and recognised World-wide, is held by only 3%...

Antron fibre wins green recognition.(carpet fibre manufacturer to receive an Environmental Profile )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... INVISTA is reported to be the first carpet fibre manufacturer to receive an Environmental Profile from BRE Certification for Antron. The award of Environmental Profile ENP 337 confirms that Antron fibres and yarns demonstrate a...

Peter Evans in flats.(Business in brief)
October 1, 2005... Peter Evans Flooring of Mid Glamorgan installed all the floorcoverings in 140 luxury apartments at Century Wharf, Westbury Homes development in Cardiff Bay. www.peflooring.com T: 01446 700600

20th year celebrated.(Business in brief)
October 1, 2005... NE Fasteners of Halesowen, West Midlands, is celebrating its 20th year anniversary. The company supplies screws and fasteners to the diy/hardware, home improvement, flooring and furniture sectors, www.nefasteners.co.uk T: 0121 559 8866

Yorkshire retailer is 21.(Business in brief)
October 1, 2005... Pocklington Carpets is celebrating the 21st anniversary since the opening of its first store in Yorkshire. The retailer now has seven outlets across the region.

Parallel sponsorship.(Business in brief)
October 1, 2005... Parallel Flooring Accessories supplied full colour kits to Lindum and Louth cricket club in Lincolnshire for a charity match on August 26 for funds to support the club's two Sri Lanka professionals contracted for the 2005 season. The two...

Respol moves for Honda.(Business in brief)
October 1, 2005... Contractor Respol was involved in the refurbishment of 7,000 sq m floors in the engine plant of Honda in the UK. The application of EP550 primer was followed by trowel application of Reeflor ELOO2SF in grey with blue gangways and yellow lines,...

Honeywell sells to Shaw.(Business in brief)
October 1, 2005... Honeywell is selling its US nylon carpet fibre business to Shaw Industries. Honeywell will supply Shaw with caprolactam and nylon resin, two chemicals used in producing nylon fibers for carpet. www.honeywell.com

TV star aids skills drive.(News file)(Learning and Skills Council )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... TV star Craig Phillips has set up a new construction training centre near Liverpool with the support of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). More than 8,000 extra construction workers are needed in Liverpool to complete vital building...

Ardex praised for innovation.(recognised among the Top 100 companies for outstanding innovative performance)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... ARDEX has been recognised by the Vienna Economic Council among the Top 100 companies for outstanding innovative performance. The council evaluates companies in four areas of innovation management: Innovative processes and organisation;...

Karndean expands its delivery fleet.(Karndean International's new delivery vehicles)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... KARNDEAN has invested in a number of new delivery vehicles, marking significant growth in its transport network. The fleet of Mercedes Sprinters all carry Karndean's latest photography and are driven by a dedicated Karndean team of drivers,...

Slip resistance guide.(Slip Resistance Group's Product)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... The latest edition of the UK Slip Resistance Group guidelines for measuring floor slip resistance will be launched at a conference at BRE, Watford on October 27. The guide aims to help specifiers, cleaning contractors, flooring manufacturers,...

Have I got news for you.(Industry in brief)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Cracking Matters, the twice yearly journal of the Concrete Repair Association, recently featured on the BBC tv programme Have I got news for you, resulting in a spate of calls to the CRA from professionals including consultants, architects and...

Admixture popularity.(Industry in brief)
October 1, 2005... Around 75% of all ready-mixed and precast concrete now contains an admixture, a 26% increase over the last five years, according to the Cement Admixture Association. T: 01564 776362

Waiting time cut.(Industry in brief)
October 1, 2005... Bardon Concrete has upgraded seven of its concrete plants across the Midlands so that collection customers wait the minimum amount of time for their concrete. T: 01335 372222

Katrina destroys carpet.(Industry in brief)
October 1, 2005... Hurricane Katrina destroyed over $1m (540,000 [pounds sterling]) worth of carpet in the ballroom of the Grand Hotel in Point Clear, Louisiana, it is reported.

Coming unstuck.(Industry in brief)
October 1, 2005... We wrongly described Mapei's Latexplan as an adhesive (CFJ September). It is, of course, a two-part levelling compound.

Vacuum not supplied.(Industry in brief)
October 1, 2005... Exakt Precision Tools points out that the National Floor Show preview (CFJ August 2005) implied that its saws come with a vacuum cleaner. Dust extraction hoses are supplied with all Exakt saws, but not vacuum cleaners. Apologies for the...

Yobs cost industry.(Industry in brief)
October 1, 2005... Vandalism, theft and arson on building sites, which escalates during the summer holidays, is costing the construction industry millions of pounds annually, it has been reported.

Asbestos claims.(Industry in brief)
October 1, 2005... Staff and customers were exposed to asbestos fibres during the refurbishment of a major store in Bideford, Devon, environmental health and safety officers working for Torridge District Council claim.

E-commerce avoided.(Industry in brief)
October 1, 2005... The construction industry 'culture' is hindering the development of e-commerce, according 83% of respondents in a new survey commissioned by the Construction Products Association.

Pay rises are rising.(Industry in brief)
October 1, 2005... Construction salaries rose by 4% in second quarter of 2005, says new incomes data. This compares with the national average of 3.2% and the 2.9% rate of inflation.

Cheating cowboys.(Industry in brief)
October 1, 2005... One in four people have fallen victim to bogus builders, with the UK shelling out millions every year to cowboy operators, according to research for Lloyds TSB.

Too much paperwork.(Industry in brief)
October 1, 2005... Despite improving safety performance of designers, many construction projects are still producing vast quantities of useless paperwork, according to the HSE.

429 firms go bust.(Industry in brief)
October 1, 2005... More than 35 companies went into liquidation every week during the first quarter of this year, according to DTI figures. A total of 429 firms crashed during the period.

Inflation-beating prices.(Industry in brief)
October 1, 2005... Construction tender prices are expected to rise well ahead of inflation over the next five years, according to the cost information service BCIS.

Single trader firms.(Industry in brief)
October 1, 2005... Over 70,000 self-employed construction workers without employees set up businesses last year, according to new data.

Antron fibres fit solicitor's brief.(textured carpet tile)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... ANTRON Excel SC solutinn dyed yarns provide a striking new look to the offices of Nottingham-based solicitors Roythorne & Co. Two contrasting textured carpet tile ranges from Tessera were chosen to create an original soft flooring appearance...

Mapei claims continuing success with adhesive.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... MAPEI says its Ultrabond P990 1K is impressing the market. Available in 15kg tubs, the solvent-free one-component adhesive is designed for installing all types of flooring over cementitious screeds, traditional timber substrates, chipboard...

Orders increasing.(Construction Orders)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... New construction orders in the year to July 2005 rose by 6% compared with the previous 12 months. During the same period public housing and housing association orders rose by 19%, public non-housing orders (excluding infrastructure) fell by 5%....

Ageism to be outlawed.(Industry in brief)
October 1, 2005... Age discrimination in the workplace will be banned on October 1, 2006, when new UK regulations come into force. Compulsory retirement under 65 will become illegal.

Waiting for deliveries.(Industry in brief)
October 1, 2005... Construction site workers waste 10% of the day collecting or waiting for delivery of materials, including flooring, according to a new CPA report on improving construction logistics. The problem costs the industry 3bn [pounds sterling] a year,...

14-year retention battle.(Industry in brief)
October 1, 2005... A Hampshire sub-contractor is reported to have been kept waiting 14 years for a 3% retention. The company is said to have carried out a 13,386 [pounds sterling] job in Bournemouth which it finished in 1991.

CSCS card offer.(Construction Skills Certification Scheme)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... The Construction Skills Certification Scheme is now offering temporary CSCS cards to trades people whose existing cards have expired; who hold City and Guilds Craft Certificates; or who are currently over 55. Cards will cost 20 [pounds...

Skills shortage fears.(Industry in brief)
October 1, 2005... Almost two thirds of contractors believe that the industry's workforce is not sufficiently skilled, says a survey by the Chartered Institute of Building. Over 90% of employers surveyed expect skills shortages to last beyond 2005.

Drying time 'surprises' contractor.(Stopgap 100)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... THE drying speed and finish quality of F Ball and Co's new Stopgap 100 Ultra Fast Drying smoothing underlayment is reported to have astonished the director of KC Contract Flooring. The project was Karndean's new 350sq m training school at...

Cashback offer for flooring contractors.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... EVERYONE is a winner, says Polyflor, announcing its latest fruit machine themed flooring contractor promotion. For every full roll of new Polysafe Corona 2mm sheet vinyl safety flooring, Polyflor XL PU 2mm heavy duty sheet vinyl or Forest...

Ewe farts: breaking news.(vaccine claimed to solve the problem of sheep breaking wind)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Australian scientists have just invented a vaccine claimed to solve the problem of sheep breaking wind. A quarter of methane produced in the world is said to come from gasses emitted by sheep, cattle and pigs, through flatulence and belching....

Show me the way ...(That's laugh)
October 1, 2005... An Irish flooring contractor visiting the CFJ stand at the National Floor Show enquired about future trade exhibitions. He expressed interest in the London Floor Show and asked: 'And where is that to be held? Is it here in Harrogate?'

Screed contracts.(Contracts in brief)
October 1, 2005... PC Flooring (Southern) has won a 100,000 [pounds sterling] contract to install screed in the Hayley Conference Centre in Old Windsor, Hampshire. The company also won a 50,000 [pounds sterling] for floor screeds at the Milton Campus School,...

Warehouse job.(Contracts in brief)
October 1, 2005... Twintec Industrial Flooring has reportedly won a 1.4m [pounds sterling] contract for a warehouse complex in Hemel Hempstead.

Brazier Interiors.(Tony Waite's Services)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Two senior staff members at Brazier Interiors, a CFA member, each recently completed 25 years service with the company. TONY WAITE joined the Brazier's sales team in 1979. After several years in sales he moved to contract management, and was...

Joanne Cull joined Brazier in the payroll office in the days when many employees were paid in cash.(Brazier Interiors )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... JOANNE CULL joined Brazier in the payroll office in the days when many employees were paid in cash. Brazier Interiors became fully independent in 1994 and she was appointed financial manager in 1999. Two floorlayers soon to reach the 25 year...

Ryalux.(PEOPLE)
October 1, 2005... GARY SANDERSON, a quality inspector at Ryalux backing plant in Rochdale, is celebrating 20 years of service with the company. Gary invested his Ryalux monetary thank you in new golf clubs and a holiday to Es Cana in Ibiza.

Mark Jones has joined Ryalux as the north west sales representative.(PEOPLE)
October 1, 2005... MARK JONES has joined Ryalux as the north west sales representative. With over 21 years experience in the carpet industry, Mark began his career in Gaskell's creeling, weaving and picking department. He has also worked as sales representative...

PC Flooring (Southern).(Appointments)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... JOHN COCKLE and GORDON SMITH have joined PC Flooring (Southern) as contracts managers in the reorganised contracts department of the specialist floor screed company. Southampton based, John Cockle had a management role in the transport and...

Gaskell Mackay.(PEOPLE)
October 1, 2005... Gaskell Mackay has recruited two carpet tile specialists, MIKE SANDERS and CHRISTINE COLE, to its salesforce. Mike has previously worked for Interface, Lansdon Group, Modulus Flooring Systems and Tessera. Christine Cole has been employed by...

Jimpex, UK.(PEOPLE)
October 1, 2005... MARK HIGGINS, F.Inst SMM, has been appointed sales director of Jimpex, UK main distributor for Horning Parket solid hardwood flooring and Tilo natural flooring.

BHK (UK).(PEOPLE)
October 1, 2005... BHK (UK) has appointed TONY HALL as its new manager. Tony comes from fashion furniture and homewares importer and retailer Tumi Latin American Crafts where he specialised in warehouse and distribution management. He previously worked for a...

Milliken.(Claire Wood Appointed)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... CLAIRE WOOD has joined Milliken as its London based design advisor. Claire comes from Invista where she gained extensive knowledge through design consulting in the European flooring sector. Claire is now based permanently at Milliken...

Amtico.(Appointments in Amtico Flooring)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... KERRY WILDE has joined Amtico as European trade marketing manager, reporting to European commercial sales director, Oliver Kluge. Kerry will be supported by two new trade marketing executives, SIAN LEWIS and JOHN OAKES. She joins from Swish UK,...

PD Pattern Books.(PEOPLE)
October 1, 2005... JOHN BARLOW has been appointed as finance director of PD Pattern Books in Bradford. John joined the company in 2002 with previous textile industry experience having worked for Benson Turner for over 20 years as group accountant.