The Commercial Flooring Report is a publication made available by LGM and Associates Technical Flooring Services: Floor Covering experts on Carpet, Laminate and Vinyl, Ceramic and Hardwood. Monthly newsletters designed to help you and your team understand challenges typical to the flooring industry and provide prevention and resolution.
Volume: 79 | Issue: 1 | Download
Before we can answer the question we have to know a bit about the project and the expectations of the flooring being anticipated. To start, its best to categorize the type of traffic the space is going to receive such as light, moderate, heavy or extra heavy. Next we'll want to know if the aesthetics are luxury, such as executive offices or super heavy duty such as a mall, for example. In addition we have to know if the flooring is going to be maintained regularly or almost not at all and if the maintenance is to be done by in house or contracted services on some type of routine basis.
Volume: 78 | Issue: 1 | Download
This article was written by Lee Phillips of Professional Testing Laboratory, the premier flooring testing lab in the country and an affiliate of LGM and Associates. It was instigated by the recent 60 Minutes expose on formaldehyde in laminate flooring.
Volume: 77 | Issue: 1 | Download
One who purchases, installs, sells and even produces flooring materials would and should expect them to remain stable and flat on the floor. This isn't always the case and the causes for that are often found in the material itself or in the way the product was installed. Unstable can mean; uneven, unsound, insecure and changeable. In fact this condition is becoming more prevalent and an issue with hard surface flooring materials in particular. Let's take a look at some hard surface flooring materials to reveal the problems that can occur and the causes and cures.
Volume: 76 | Issue: 1 | Download
In every flooring transaction and project every individual be it the manufacturer, sales person, architect, designer, specifier, flooring contractor or installer and anyone in between who impacts the project, has a responsibility.
Thousands of flooring problems, failures and claims occur every year because one or more of the parties involved in a transaction has failed to accept responsibility for some procedural function
Volume: 75 | Issue: 1 | Download
To successfully install commercial floor covering it is important to engage the services of a firm that specializes in this area of the market. Professional flooring contractors are not the same as flooring installers and this is a significant distinction when considering a commercial flooring installation. The more difficult and challenging the installation, logistically complex and demanding a project is, the more you need a professional flooring contractor.
Volume: 74 | Issue: 1 | Download
For the most part the economy is coming back for the flooring industry. Almost every flooring contractor, flooring dealer, installation firm or anyone having anything to do with flooring is telling us business is anywhere from good to them being, using the Southern expression, "covered up." That's a great sign but let us not forget there's another opportunity that exposes itself and that's positioning your business for growth while business improves. When businesses get busy everyone gets excited about it but not all businesses, regardless of what they are, understand that they have to capitalize on the upturn. Relative to the flooring business, this mean strengthening your position and it's not just for the people who put their hands on the products, this is also for designers, specifiers, architects, general contractors, building owners, managers and anyone else who has anything to do with flooring products.
Volume: 73 | Issue: 1 | Download
An interesting question was raised recently about how long a floor should last in a health care facility and if there was a guide or actuarial table for flooring life expectancy in a commercial application.
Volume: 72 | Issue: 1 | Download
As if there aren't enough substrate issues that can compromise the installation of floor covering materials we face one situation that is sure to give the flooring contractor, general contractor and building owner fits and that's the use of abatement chemistry used during the removal and containment of asbestos containing flooring materials and adhesives.
Volume: 71 | Issue: 1 | Download
This issue of the Commercial Flooring Report was written and contributed by Ray Thompson associate of LGM. Ray has over 3 decades of resilient flooring expertise having worked as a trainer/technical expert with both manufacturers and distributors. Ray also has expertise in substrate technology. Also contributing to this article is Tim McAdoo who is the Installation Specialist with J.J. Haines and Company. We are especially appreciative for Tim's photos of resilient discoloration issues.
Volume: 70 | Issue: 1 | Download
Multi-Family housing is described as buildings with more than four residential units. It is primarily residential rental property but also includes townhouses and condominiums. The market itself is fragmented with individuals who own multiple properties, local singleton properties held by one owner, and large complexes owned by larger corporations who also build and operate other commercial properties such as class A, B and C space. In addition companies who build developments of single family homes often own multi-family apartment complexes or townhouses both of which may be co-mingled in the same development. The flooring industry is broken into several segments and the Multi-Family housing market is one of them. The unique feature of this market is that it is serviced by three varying flooring groups; commercial flooring contractors who often have a division for this, retail dealers who participate in the segment, possibly with a Main Street Market (small business) division and true dedicated multi-family flooring contractors who often supply other services such as kitchens and bathrooms. In addition the manufacturers may be selling direct to the large projects.
