Special "Staircase renovation"

Floor Forum International N° 126, November 2022

‘Strong points of PVC stand out more on a staircase.’
Some ten years ago, Mano Demmers, business director of the Dutch firm VICstairs, saw how PVC floors were conquering the market. And so, he thought, why not use that same PVC to make a stair cover. We bring out the strengths of PVC to the full, but not just on the floor, but also on the stairs.

Special "Air humidifiers for consumers: a necessity"

Floor Forum International N° 126, November 2022

‘Think beyond purely the wooden floor.’
In the air humidifier market, the originally German company Venta leads the international field, including with its Airwasher, which Venta launched in 1981. In a previous edition Hans van Beurden from Venta Benelux highlighted the importance of using an air humidifier with a wooden parquet floor, but this time he takes an even broader view. The reason for that lies partly in the revised legislation in the Netherlands at the start of this year. That new law stipulates that all new houses which are built from 1 January 2022 onwards must comply with various new regulations. The new law discourages the use of gas and obliges project managers to install either a heat pump or a heat recovery system, a so called WTW. Let that give air humidifiers extra wind in the sails.

Special "Top German companies focused on export"

Floor Forum International N° 125, September 2022

"Commitment to accelerated transition to sustainable production is bearing fruit"
If you talk about profiles among flooring professionals, there is a good chance that the first name that comes up is that of the German company Küberit. And that is not surprising. This company, founded 159 years ago and headquartered in Lüdenscheid, has been the market leader in profile solutions for floor and wall coverings for decades. In other words, it is a more than suitable discussion partner for what is currently going on in the German flooring market (and beyond).

Special "Subfloors"

Floor Forum International N° 125, September 2022

"The ideal underlay has to take a lot of factors into account”
Steico was founded in 1986 in Germany as a trading company for wood based products. The company went through numerous growth phases and developed into a manufacturer of a complete timber construction system. In 2011 Steico transformed from a German to a European stock company. Today it is the world market leader for ecological wood fibre insulation materials, complemented by its own integrated wood construction system.

Special "Producers of filling machines and the fillersl"

Floor Forum International N°125, September 2022

"The automation of the filling process has numerous advantages"
As a machinery and plant engineering group, the Austrian Wintersteiger AG acquired a global leading position in providing innovative solutions for customers in technically demanding niche markets. It does this in four divisions: Seedmech, Sports, Metals and Woodtech (et al.parquet, furniture and panels).

Special "Producers of distressing machines"

Floor Forum International N° 125, September 2022

“Market for ageing wood evolves every two to three years”
In the world of ageing machines for wood, the Italian companies Renzo Borgonovo Srl and FNT-Trabbatoni Stampi (the FNT as an abbreviation for Figli di Nando Trabattoni) have worldwide renown. Both companies are based close together in the north of Italy, in the vicinity of Milan, and have been working together since their inception more than 60 years ago. The first as a builder of the machines, the latter as the provider of the unique rollers that make the machines so state of the art.

Special "Be aware of the hazards of dust and provide maximum dust suction when sanding"

Floor Forum International N° 125, September 2022

"Aiming for efficient dust extraction today is a must"
When it comes to fight the dangers of dust in the workplace, German company FG Floortec, based in Bischofswerda (Saxony), is more and more a global reference. The company has a long history: for the origins of FG we have to go back to Berlin, more specifically to 1918, when the company was founded under the then name of Fritz Gross Elektromotorenwerk. This was a company specialising in the construction of electric motors.

Special "Colour oil and colour hard wax oil"

Floor Forum International N°125, September 2022

"Popularity of colour oils and colour hardwax oils is still on the rise"
How popular are colour oils and colour hardwax oils these days? That was our main question to Tassilo Hochstein, CEO/Managing Director of the German Heidelberg Coatings specialist Dr. Rentzsch GmbH. Mr Hochstein, who heads this company based in the town of the same name in the north-west of the German state of Baden-Württemberg, doesn't have to think for long: colour is on the rise, if possible even more so than before.

Special 'Isocyanate-free lacquers'

Floor Forum International N° 124, June 2022

‘We were already the pioneer in isocyanate-free work ten years ago!’
The rules for working without isocyanates are getting stricter each year and the floor covering industry has no exemption from those rules. The Italian company Tover realised more than ten years ago that a change was needed and in 2012 was a pioneer in the sector with the launch of Bella, its first isocyanate-free two-component lacquer. Marie-Claude Conversy, export manager, explains the policy of her company, which is specialised in wooden floor finish products:

Special "Adjustable floor support systems for terrace floors"

Floor Forum International N° 124, June 2022

"Striving for the highest level of technology at the right price in Europe”
Eurotec is a company founded in 1999 that develops, manufactures and markets products for the construction industry. It is active in the timber frame, deck construction and concrete fastening sectors, and in 23 years has built up a solid reputation among professionals in Europe.

Special "Providers of abrasive materials"

Floor Forum International N° 124, June 2022

“Our premium quality abrasives are ready to conquer both the Benelux and Europe”
When talking about premium quality abrasives, the name Smirdex is relatively new in the Benelux. However, the coming months and years, we can expect this Greek company to penetrate our – and the European – market a lot more. This should be no surprise, as this company from the north of Greece found a new partner in Belgium, Klaas Van Dyck, who is working the parquet market intensively with these high quality abrasives. What is Smirdex and what can we expect? We interviewed Smirdex CEO Katerina Topouzoglou and her Belgian business partner Klaas Van Dyck.

Review of the Carrefour International du Bois

Floor Forum International N° 124, June 2022

‘Carrefour du Bois was a great success and confirmed the attraction of wood.’
Vandecasteele Houtimport, based in Aalbeke – Belgium, sounds quite familiar to anyone who is involved in the wood industry. You can say the name has a ring of excellence to it.

Special "Who has levelling products which dry rapidly?"

Floor Forum International N° 124, June 2022

‘You always have to see high-speed drying in its context.’
Bostik specialises in adhesive systems and its products are used worldwide in several applications, from production and industrial assembly to hygienic disposables. The wide range also has solutions for the building industry, from new work to renovation, in both residential and commercial settings.

Special "Pre-colouring"

Floor Forum International N° 123, May 2022

“Eco-compatible pigment preparations for sustainable wood coatings”

When talking about colours, you almost invariably end up with the German Heubach Group. Heubach has been a household name in the creation of colours for more than 200 years and today is a global industry leader in the field of organic, inorganic, and anti-corrosive pigments, pigment preparations, dyes and specialty materials, with a specific emphasis on sustainability. Beginning of January of this year, Heubach announced the acquisition of Clariant’s Global Colorants Business. The combination of Heubach and Clariant Pigments creates a global colorants powerhouse committed to the highest standards in manufacturing, quality and service.

Special "Training and seminars for the floorfitters"

Floor Forum International N° 123, May 2022

‘The reflex is always: What do clients need and how do they benefit?’
In the professional world the players are paying more and more attention to education and training. That’s certainly the case at Ciranova, which is based in Roeselare in West Flanders (Belgium). Just before the start of the pandemic, the company was ready to open a giant Ciranova Academy. This Academy is housed in a brand new building designed more or less solely for education and training.