Review Domotex asia/CHINAFLOOR

Floor Forum International N° 138, July 2024

i4F Patents & Technologies looks back at DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR

The reason why i4F Patents & Technologies takes a stand at a flooring fair like DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR? CEO John Rietveldt doesn't have to think about that for long: "For a company like ours, it makes sense to be present at places and exhibitions where flooring manufacturers are also present. After all, they are our main point of contact on the market." We had a chance to have coffee with John to reflect on this annual international B2B trade fair in Shanghai, which took place in 2024 from 28 to 30 May.

Special Herringbone without A and B

Floor Forum International N° 138, July 2024

"Herringbone: a distinctive feature of French decorative style

Our interviewee, Emmanuel Vautrin, makes no secret of his pride in perpetuating French prestige in decorative design. "We're the only Made in France producer that makes all three types of flooring - parquet, laminate and vinyl - in France," says Alsaflooring's Managing Director. This manufacturer is an international benchmark in laminate flooring and is scoring points with an innovation in herringbone flooring. It's tempting to dig deeper into the reasons behind this success...

Special Adjustable floor supports for wooden and bamboo terraces

Floor Forum International N° 138, July 2024

Adjustable floor support systems from Profilpas, flexibility trumps

To say that the adjustable floor support systems sector is an evolving industry is an understatement. There is increasing demand for equipment to support outdoor floors, and quite a few European companies are jumping on the bandwagon of floor support systems to meet that demand. One manufacturer that has been proactively working with floor support systems for decades is the Italian Profilpas, part of the Mapei Group since 2022. We have talked to Stefano Lorenzetto, a member of Profilpas' technical and R&D team. He took us into the world of the PP level DUO MAXI product, which impresses with its “fixed head ring” and numerous accessories, among other things.

Special Germany

Floor Forum International N° 137, May 2024

"Anyone who focuses on a single product is doing the wrong thing"

"Anyone who focuses on a single product is doing the wrong thing"Germany's Eurotec is a medium-sized company founded in 1999 and celebrating its 25thanniversary this year. Eurotec develops, produces and sells products for the constructionindustry, and supplies products for the fields of timber and modern masstimber construction,deck construction and concrete fastening. These products go to specialised dealers acrossEurope and even beyond, who are responsible for distributing them to professionals.

Special Style panels

Floor Forum International N° 137, May 2024

Chêne de l'Est, third generation with passion for parquet and style panels

Jean-Michel Bach cannot stress it enough: "Chêne de l'Est is a family business that has existed for three generations." Founded in 1965 by Joseph Bach, the sawmill has expanded in recent decades to offer a diverse range of wood products and parquet. Meanwhile, the third generation is on board the company that has a passion for wood, parquet and style panels. Jean-Michel himself has been active in the family business for more than 40 years, which has noticed a growing interest in superior quality style panels, including the Versailles motif. "The entry-level range market is now saturated and customers with higher budgets are looking for flooring that few others have."

Special Low-dust levelling

Floor Forum International N° 137, May 2024

In previous editions, we have talked about levelling compounds several times, both the quick-drying and the 'regular' ones. This time, we present our discussion partner at Bostik with a number of keywords, on the basis of which we try to determine what the ideal levelling compound is for which application.

Special Dust extraction and dust management

Floor Forum International N° 137, May 2024

"Respirable Crystalline Silica Dust exposure can have detrimental effects on a person’s health, it is much better to prevent than to cure. Concrete dust can contain up to 70% Respirable Crystalline Silica "

As will have become clear from the introduction, dust extraction and management is ubiquitous these days. Logical too, after all, who - especially - as a user of dust-causing machinery (power tools) wants to face various life-threatening diseases later in life? Because make no mistake, dust may seem harmless, but silica is the biggest risk to construction workers after asbestos.

Special Cladding with wood, bamboo or composite

Floor Forum International N° 137, May 2024

MOSO® Bamboo, application in cladding increasingly popular
In previous issues of Floor Forum International, we explored the rising popularity of bamboo. The sustainable material is increasingly the number one choice for applications such as indoor flooring and terrace flooring. In recent years, bamboo has also been increasingly used as cladding and as an alternative to tropical hardwood or synthetic materials. Edwin van Houten, Sales Manager and Bregina Broersma, Sales Support Benelux at MOSO® are excellently placed to tell more about how bamboo is also finding its way into facades and about the advantages the material offers as facade cladding. After all, MOSO® is the reference in the bamboo sector and a progressive player that is taking applications with bamboo to new heights. "Bamboo is a great choice for those who want a facade with a natural look," says Edwin.

Special Outdoor cladding with wood, bamboo or composite

Floor Forum International N° 137, May 2024

'Timber is the building material of the future’
If it's about wood, chances are it comes from Vandecasteele Houtimport. Based in Aalbeke,Vandecasteele Houtimport, founded in 1883 by Louis Vandecasteele and currently run by the fourthand fifth generations of the same family, Stefaan and Louis Vandecasteele, is an expert supplier of bothhardwoods and softwoods. It is also a reference in wood for cladding both at home and abroad.

Special Who has waterproof/resistant laminate, LVT, PVC or vinyl floors

Floor Forum International N° 136, March 2024

Egger is a resounding name in the flooring sector and the originally Austrian manufacturer has been positioning itself as the specialist in water-resistant laminate for years. Floor Forum had coffee with Robert Siewes, Sales Manager at Egger Benelux. He talks passionately about the internationally active company, its innovations in the field of water-resistance and he gives a hint about its future plans. "When we launched our first water-resistant laminate collection, the market looked rather strange. Meanwhile, with Egger, we have earned our stripes in this niche," Robert interjects.

Special Who has Ride on machines for removing old wooden floors, carpet, stone, etc.?

Floor Forum International N° 136, March 2024

Particularly complete range for 'surface and floor' surface and floor processing taken a closer look
When you talk about 'surfaces and floors', surface and floor processing, chances are extremely good that you will end up with Husqvarna Construction. After incorporating both HTC and Blastrac a few years ago, a total offering covering all parts of the market was created under the same umbrella. So also with the increasingly popular Ride On machines for the parquet installer.

Preview Carrefour International du Bois

Floor Forum International N°136, March 2024

“Everything we do, must be better, more cost-effective and highly sustainable”
Bjelin, a young part of the Pervanovo Invest AB Group, is returning to Nantes, where it will participate in the Carrefour du Bois. Two years ago, Bjelin - developing and manufacturing a wide range of flooring products, including traditional wooden floors and innovative floors from new materials - made its debut on this French fair.

Special Fast-drying levelling products

Floor Forum International N° 136, March 2024

That Dutch company Lecol is an authority on floor levelling has been made clear several times in our magazine. Lecol was also one of the first in the market to realise how important speed of work is on site, which is why, among other things, it has been working on fine-tuning a full range of quick-drying products. Of course, quick-drying levelling compounds come to mind in the first place, but there is much more than that...

Special Sports floors

Floor Forum International N° 136, March 2024

Tover leads the way for all kinds of finishing products: from lacquers and paint to maintenance
In the world of wooden sports floors, it seems like Italian Tover has been around forever. Appearances are deceptive, in this case. Not more than a little over a decade ago, this specialist in finishing products made its debut in the sports world, where it became a household name in very short order.

Special Terrace floors in bamboo – the benefits

Floor Forum International N° 136, March 2024

MOSO® Bamboo, increasingly first choice for decking

Durable and solid at the same time: these are two conditions that often come up when choosing a new indoor or patio floor. More and more installers, but also end customers, are looking for innovative alternatives and are increasingly considering the use of bamboo, a material that is gaining popularity. Anyone looking for flooring and wall cladding made of bamboo will soon come across MOSO®, an absolute reference and specialist in the bamboo sector for years. Together with Edwin van Houten, Sales Manager and Bregina Broersma, Sales Support Benelux at MOSO®, we take a look at the use of bamboo in decking. "Bamboo is increasingly casting itself as a sustainable yet high-performance alternative to tropical hardwood," the duo say in chorus.