In 1968 we got a phonecall to come out and look at a large floor in Yarraville. The Textile Industry Union didn’t want the employees standing on hard concrete floors all day, and had the carpenters install Brushbox strip flooring throughout, to be softer underfoot. But they wanted us to sand and polish it all for them.
In recent times you will have seen much publicity and politics about timber harvesting, particularly related to WA and Victoria. As of 1 January this year, harvesting in Western Australian and Victorian state-controlled forests has been ceased, putting undue pressure on manufacturers and the industry more broadly. And it’s not over, activists are now targeting Tasmania and New South Wales.
This Q & A section continues as a new addition to the magazine and intended to answer those questions that ATFA members may have on coatings.
Please send in any questions you would like addressed to ATFA.
The question of sheen – what it is, and how to describe it – is a subject that comes up more and more during discussions with customers. It’s a difficult question with no easily defined answer.
It may seem a relatively simple process; however, it does call for a number of very strict production systems, and if it is done incorrectly… well, the pending problems – mostly with laying – are time consuming and costly
Non-payment is a frequent issue in the industry that has serious impacts for contractors.
Last year, Level Playing Field together with ATFA and other
trade associations put forward a parliamentary submission to the Victorian government.
Take your flooring expertise to the next level with ATFA’s cutting-edge 3D Virtual Training House.
Download full article View issue 55 Vinyl-based flooring – which has an ever-increasing range of products (such as Hybrid, LVT, LVP) – is known for
As with most new years the start of a new game of flooring can be interesting and may occasionally deliver a few unexpected or even expected surprises, which might possibly create a little uncertainty for any number of reasons – so why expect this year be any different?
No matter what your role in the flooring industry, you are influenced by the outcome of the QUOTATION process.
During the Shanghai Domotex visit of 2023, I was invited to Indonesia by Mr Mark Poole, of Klumpp Coatings Indonesia.
I would love to start an article in this series without there being a forest locked up with no scientific evidence to support the reason why.
A scenario that flooring professionals in Australia and New Zealand are experiencing more often is when a customer requests the installation of vinyl or plastic flooring or underlay over a timber subfloor. This can be a plastic moisture vapour barrier used in an underlay, or an LVT or Hybrid floor, which is more correctly known as an Expanded Polymer Core (EPC) or Solid Polymer Core (SPC) floating vinyl. Unfortunately. this brings several challenges and some rather serious consequences for the building
There is no doubt that staining can be one of the most challenging parts of the flooring biz, but when you have a win with a client who appreciates the effort and result it can be very rewarding. It can even be therapeutic as you watch the timber start to ‘pop’ as the stain first wets up the grain – and of course it’s always a proud moment when you look down at your masterpiece and think nailed it.
Domotex Shanghai, held in July 2023 is uniquely billed as the world’s largest flooring exhibition, with more than 1600 specialised flooring companies, product manufacturers, wholesalers, machinery manufacturers and new technology demonstrators exhibiting their products over a gigantic 200,000 meter squared, multiple level floorspace.
Belt Floor Sanders are the standard tool for a professional flooring contractor (for those still using drum sanders – once you try one, you’ll probably never go back!) Whether 8″ or 12″ (200 or 300mm) the choice is yours, depending on the situation and how much floor area you sand in each job-the larger machine is generally faster on the larger jobs.
This Q & A section continues as a new addition to the magazine and intended to answer those questions that ATFA members may have on coatings.
Please send in any questions you would like addressed to ATFA.
A fire in December 2021 left the flooring of the front foyer of Old Parliament House irretrievably damaged. Last sanded in 2011, the floor was a bespoke pattern of Jarrah parquet and Mountain Ash borders.
Many flooring professionals will come into contact with old Parquetry, or wood flooring that has been adhered with Bitumen (tar), or Bituminous Adhesives.
It is therefore important that we understand the dangers of working with this type of adhesive as it ages and becomes dust particles.
Bituminous Adhesives become brittle as they age. At some point, the adhesive ‘gives up’ and no longer holds the flooring down – creating a situation where the adhesive will over time become pulverised, becoming a dust beneath the flooring itself.
When exposed, the pulverised dust (adhesive particles) can become airborne.
