May 8/15, 2017: Volume 31, Issue 24 By Lindsay Baillie When it comes to working with today’s advanced, high-performance, user-friendly adhesives, it’s critical that installers avoid the temptation of taking shortcuts. That’s according to expert floor layers and instructors who say improper installations due to misapplication of adhesives can cause a host of problems, including voided warranties, bad company reviews and even safety risks. FCNews rounded up several experts
Installation
April 24/May 1, 2017: Volume 31, Issue 23 By Ken Ryan Flooring installers and contractors know all too well that a project will only be as successful as the subfloor underneath. It’s also common knowledge they will face subfloor challenges on each jobsite. Fortunately, today’s suppliers of subfloor preparation materials—including self-leveling compounds—are developing systems designed to reduce installation costs and improve profitability for contractors. Ardex Ardex K 10 Reactivatable
April 10/17, 2017: Volume 31, Issue 22 By Nicole Murray Suppliers of installation accessories, adhesives and subfloor prep materials are not only developing new products that aim to ease installation; they are also seeking to improve the performance and longevity of the various flooring surfaces they support. Many of these installation products, which run the gamut from underlayments to self-leveling materials, are designed to address common installation challenges. Case
February 13/20, 2017: Volume 31, Number 18 By Lindsay Baillie Adhesives manufacturers are catering to the industry’s plethora of hard surface offerings by developing products that feature multi-use properties. These new high-performance adhesives, which are designed to handle everything from LVT to vinyl composition to carpet tile, aim to provide solutions for retailers and installers. Utilizing their own proprietary technologies, adhesives manufacturers are increasing moisture resistance, sound reduction and
January 30/February 6, 2017: Volume 31, Number 17 By Nicole Murray Las Vegas—Schönox announced the winners of its 3rd annual Schönox Worst Subfloor Contest at TISE 2017, reporting the highest number of entries received since the inception of the competition. First-place winner Carpets Direct of Walton, Ky., took on a 70-year-old building with an engineered hardwood floor that would be glued in place. The major challenge was the massive amount
January 16/23, 2017: Volume 31, Number 16 By Ken Ryan Various sectors of the industry are working closely to tackle the two-headed installation crisis—an aging workforce coupled with the challenge of finding the next generation. Leading the way is the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA), which believes installation-training programs should be created and funded at the industry level and executed at the local level. “My experience is installers will not
November 21/28, 2016: Volume 31, Number 12 By Lindsay Baillie Floor covering installers looking to tackle laminate flooring jobs without damaging surrounding walls—or floors—can turn to the Lam-Hammer. The innovative tool, developed about 10 years ago, is designed for installing interlocking laminate flooring and makes locking in the last board on a run, against a wall or under the cabinet toe kick easier, according to the manufacturer. “Everyone always thinks
October 24/31, 2016: Volume 31, Number 10 By K.J. Quinn Installers expect value, quality and innovation from the flooring adhesives they use every day. They want products that are easy to install and won’t delay any finishing work. And they expect these formulations to perform as advertised so there are no callbacks. “We’re more focused on the builder and commercial [markets], so when we’re doing a large scope of jobs
September 12/19, 2016: Volume 31, Number 7 By K.J. Quinn Choosing the right grout is a critical element of any ceramic tile and stone installation, experts say. Technological advances are triggering the development of products that last longer, enable faster installation and help ensure easy maintenance over the lifetime of the surface. “Today’s tiles are larger, grout joints are smaller and end users expect higher grout performance,” said Tony Pasquarelli,
Norwalk, Conn.–Metroflor Corp. has launched a comprehensive installation video for the new Engage Genesis Structural LVT brand on its YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/9sJVvm9KWpE The video provides detailed instruction for the Engage Genesis products with Isocore technology for all three collections: Engage Genesis 2000 series products, featuring the 5G method from Valinge; and Engage Genesis 1200 series and 800 series, which utilize the Uniclic technique. While installation procedures vary for each locking
FCICA Installments Hollow spots in hardwood installations By John Brown One of the most frequent consumer complaints about hardwood flooring installations is the common creaky, hollow-sounding floor that can develop once the job is complete. Noisy floors are annoying and a nuisance that many homeowners prefer to do without. These hollow or loose spots can even detract from the overall visual and essence of a hardwood floor. Most hollow spots
By Ken Ryan Robert Varden is best known as the vice president of the CFI division of the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA). However, for a good part of his career he ran successful, high-profit installation businesses. To some, high-profit and installation may seem like an oxymoron. After all, how can you make money from installation when home centers and other big boxes are offering “free” installation? During a recent
May 23/30, 2016; Volume 30, Number 24 By Reginald Tucker Charlotte, N.C.—Expert wood flooring craftsman and contractors from the U.S. and abroad were recognized for their creativity during the 2016 National Wood Flooring Association’s (NWFA) annual Floor of the Year competition held here. The Wood Floor of the Year awards program, now in its 26th year, was developed to encourage innovative installations. Since the program began in 1990, more than
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