FLOORS in Africa JNL 4'10

VOL 28.4 JUNE 2010 R38 incl. VAT

IN THIS ISSUE: The Performers • Health & Safety in Flooring • Sports Flooring

SANS10400 Building Regulations • Prestigious Projects • Decorative Concrete Preview

CONTRACTA SPEC

The Nouwens Contracta success story goes back as far as February 1992 and the secret of its success lies in the original wrap-spun, Antron 6.6 nylon base, which makes this heavy commercial carpet both a!ordable and unbelievably hardwearing.

This, together with the serviceable e!ect colours and stylish plush appearance, has made Contracta an all-round favourite. The only change over the years has been the way in which the colour e!ects have moved with the times…

Hundreds of thousands of square metres of this awesome product have been used in o"ces, shops, hotels, lodges as well as carpet tiles converted by Dyemension Dyenamics – many of which have been repeat orders from satis#ed users.

Contracta Spec also comes with all the possible peace-of-mind endorsements – the SABS mark of quality and a Five-Year Quality Guarantee.

The secret to the Nouwens Contracta success lies in the original wrap-spun, Antron 6.6 nylon base, which makes this heavy commercial carpet both affordable and unbelievably hardwearing.

CHENILLE RECOLOUR!

READ page 22 & 23.

opportunity

Madison Square

Twenty Ten

Kirman

Copenhagen

Colours

every Nouwens Commercial products forOffices • Executive Commercial • Churches • Shops • B&B’s

Visit our website at www.nouwens.co.za for further Nouwens Platinum Partner and Nouwens Appointed Dealer listings,

Hotels • Lodges • Boutiques • General Commercial • Airports

or contact Nouwens Carpets direct at the following numbers 011 796 5180, 021 447 2856 or 031 502 5730.

CONTRACTA SPEC

SABS GRADING Heavy CommercialSABS USE CLASS 5SABS FIRE RATING 3TYPE Cut pilePILE FIBRE 100% Antron NylonWIDTH 3.66 mAVAILABILITY Standard Range of 7 coloursENDS per 10 cm ±40STITCH RATE per 10cm ±46TUFTS per 100cm! ±1 840PILE FIBRE MASS grams per m! ±850TOTAL MASS grams per m! ±2 050PILE HEIGHT ±6 mmTOTAL HEIGHT ±7,5 mmPRIMARY BACKING Woven PolypropyleneSECONDARY BACKING ActionBac

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C O V E R S T O R YADHESIVES / COATINGSFloorworX p91

TAL (Norcros SA) p21

Zimbo’s Trading p5

CARPETSBelgotex Floorcoverings p4, p44 - 45

Nexus (Belgotex Floorcoverings) p18 - 19

Nouwens Carpets Inside Front Cover

Selborne Carpet Wholesalers p52

Van Dyck Carpets p6, p12-13

CERAMIC, PORCELAIN AND STONEFerreiras Decor World Inside Back Cover

Smartstone p41

Union Tiles p4

CLEANING & MAINTENANCEFloorworX p66Matco Marketing p68Numatic International p33Prestige Cleaning Services p69Sebo p53

Take a look at the stunning range ofconcretes marketed by Lafarge underthe brand name of Artevia Polish! Thisrange of concretes has the smoothsurface texture of polished marbleand is available in an extensive rangeof colours and aggregates, with thespecial concrete being ground andpolished to an elegant silky finish.

Full details on Page 7, 30-31 of thisissue. Don’t miss it!

SEEING IS BELIEVING!

To page 5

27 55 71VOLUME 28 .4 • JUNE • 2010

G U I D E

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WOOD, LAMINATES & BAMBOO

Barrow Flooring Back Cover

Bedson Flooring and Decor p37

Belgotex Floorcoverings p2

FloorworX p77

Rhoms Timberworld p22-23

Suntups Solid Wooden Flooring p87

Zimbo’s Trading p5

ACCESSORIES AND OTHER

Decorex p10

Frame Fibres p54

Genesis p14-15

Kirk Marketing p43

Pretoria Institute for Architecture p26

The Office Plant p96

Transiton Transport (Transportation) p88-89

Note: Editorials excluded, listed in alphabetical order

continued from page 3

INDUSTRIAL, RESIN & CONCRETE FLOORING

Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA) p35

Flowcrete SA p17, p75

Lafarge Concrete p95

Concrete by Design Front Cover, p7

Sika SA p42

RAISED ACCESS FLOORING

Bates Access Flooring p35

Lafarge Gypsum p39

RESILIENT FLOORING

Belgotex Floorcoverings p3

FloorworX P47

Transit Floor Tiles p16

Wonder Flooring p85

SEAMLESS FLOORING

Quartz Carpet p3, p11

G U I D E

S.A. WOOD & LAMINATEFLOORING ASSOCIATION

MEMBER

“TM”

CAPE TOWN +27 21 511-4693 | JOHANNESBURG +27 11 [email protected] | www.zimbostrading.co.za

WOOD SPECIFYINGat its best!

FLOORS is about ceramics,carpets, vinyls, wood,laminates, marble, granite,cement, stone ... any floor youcan think of. It is also aboutaccessories like rugs, adhe-sives and tools.Readers are welcome tocontact us for anyinformation. FLOORS is published sixweekly by Media in Africa (Pty)Ltd. The views expressed bycontributors are not necessar-ily thoseof the editor or publisher.We accept no responsibility forinformation published.PUBLISHER:Media in Africa (Pty) Ltd. Contact information:Tel (012) 347 7530Fax (012) 347 7523International: +27e-mail:[email protected] Box 25260,Monument Park, 0105;Republic of South AfricaUnit G, First Floor,Castle Walk Corporate Park,Cnr Nossob & Swakop Streets,Erasmuskloof Ext. 3,Pretoria, RSAFounder:Schalk BurgerEditor:Liezel van der MerweCell 082 7700 799Financial Director:Fanie VenterNews Editor:Dave Soons Tel 012 807 7012Business Unit Manager:Roxanne ManciniCell 082 779 5751Business Unit Co-ordinator:Madelein SmithSales Executive:Margaux Brink Cell 083 283 1116Design and Layout:Jakolien StrydomFinancial Manager: Sietske RossouwProofreader:Signa Evans & Hesca JoubertREPRO & PRINTING:Business Print Centre

Are you a good performer?What makes a product, company, system or service atop performer? Is it value for money? Low cost? Hightechnology? A Long service life? Low maintenance?Its “greenness” and sustainability? Or is it just a totallyunique idea?Find out more in our Performers feature and specify

with peace of mind on your next project.

Keeping it safe and healthyThe demands on the floorcovering industry to providefloors for people in all walks of life, that are both safeand healthy, are becoming increasingly important todecision makers.This has resulted in a myriad of different attributes thatare becoming increasingly required from the variousflooring materials. Depending on the application, thefloors can be required to be anti-allergenic, anti-micro-bial, anti-slip, anti-fatigue and without containing orexuding any harmful substances or odours.Make sure you stay updated with these strict require-

ments. Get the know-how from page 55.

Sports Flooring – a rapidly growing sectorBy popular demand, a feature on Sports Flooringmakes its appearance in FLOORS in Africa for the firsttime in this issue – indicating that this is a sector that isgrowing rapidly. Once again the flooring industry has met the chal-

lenge with a wide variety of innovations and improve-ments that cater for the various flooring requirementsof sports halls, gymnasia, fitness centres and trainingfacilities, not to mention the increasing use of simulat-ed grass ‘carpets’ used for school’s sports fields, traininggrounds and other applications.See page 71 for more information

We welcome news on phenomenal projects and youropinions, so keep writing to us!

Roxanne ManciniBUSINESS UNIT MANAGER

Liezel van der Merwe EDITOR

EDITORIAL COMMENT

12-13.

78.

Artevia is a range of decorative concretes ideal for outdoor and indoor use, offering durable design solutions with many advantages.

Artevia concretes are easily adaptable to complex shapes, easy to maintain and can be rapidly applied. Their resistance to wear and tear creates highly durable installations.This exciting range of decorative concrete is made up of:

Artevia Colour: A specially designed decorative concrete, which contains an integral UV stable colour pigment. The colour is mixed evenly throughout the concrete.Artevia Exposed: A decorative concrete, with aggregates being exposed during the finishing process.Artevia Polish: A decorative concrete which offers a smooth, flat and glossy yet slip-resistant finish.Artevia Print: A versatile and attractive product suited to prints simulating the appearance of brick, wood and stone.

Lafarge Industries South Africa (Pty) Ltd

Buildings 3&4 Country Club Estate,21 Woodlands Drive, Woodmead, 2191

Tel: (011) 257 3100Fax: (011) 257 3052

www.lafarge.co.za

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Artist Ge-Karel van der Sterren, who lives and works in Amsterdam, created the colourfulcanvas, measuring approximately eight by seven metres, which was then woven into

Axminster carpet by international carpet manufacturer Desso.“The artist’s concept was to create a dining table, complete with plates, cutlery and food,

even down to a spilled glass of wine with diners painted on the surrounding walls,” said Josvan Lanen, manager of special products for Desso. “This was a hugely challenging, but veryenjoyable, project for us, and demonstrates that, with the right design team, we can rendervirtually anything into carpet.”

Visitors to the exhibit were able to walk on the carpet, becoming participants in the TableDance, rather than simply spectators.

Carpet can be many things, but rarely is it contemporary art. But

that’s what a leading Dutch artist achieved with his installation Table

Dance, at the Museum Waterland, Purmerend, in The Netherlands.

Carp e t can b e many t h in gs, b u t r are l y is it con te mp or ary art . Bu t

ART DESSO!

Floors in Africa - FP_p.fhmx 5/7/10 11:06 AM Page 1


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Multichoice goes Quartz CarpetWhen Africa’s largest pay TV channel, DSTV Multichoice,

decided to build its brand new 1 400m! flagship customer

care centre in Johannesburg for its valued clients, Quartz

Carpet was the flooring of choice.

The look had to be modern, fun yet sophisticated, meet international

design standards and be incredibly dura-ble as they have thousands of clients who traffic through the centre each day. Other important criteria was that the floor need-

ed to be low maintenance, easy to clean

and meet sustainability requirements.

Multichoice has received overwhelming

attention from the design and architectur-

al world and also the media for its unique look and design. From a flooring perspec-tive the floor needed to be completely seamless, yet still have an extremely intri-cate concentric circular pattern within it in order to mirror the ceiling.

This was achieved by using thou-

sands of square metres of 6mm large

polystyrene cut-outs and screeding in

sections of two shades of grey. The result

was breathtaking!Jeremy Stewart of Quartz Carpet says:

“Not only did we shock the design world and the client, but even more so we shocked ourselves. Never before had we attempted a project so ambitious, but with two incredible designers in Farrah von Bratt and Sarene Lyon Nel from D12 Interiors giving us incredible support and confidence, we pulled it off without

a snag in under a month. Tiling the floor to that design would have taken 3 to 4 months, which would have delayed the project by three months!”

Interior designers Farrah and

Sarene say the process of creating

the floor was an awesome experi-

ence. They had worked with Quartz

Carpet before, and appreciated

their technical experience and

knowledge. The atmosphere was

great and everyone brought their

skills and attention to detail to the

party to make this floor the huge

success it is.

For further information, visit the

website www.quartzcarpet.co.za.Quartz CarpetTel: 086 178 2789Fax: 021 797 4743Website: www.quartzcarpet.co.za

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6 different patterns 8 standard coloursComplete Stair SystemEnhanced abrasion resistanceSuperior chemical resistanceJumbo Tiles – a ‘look-alike’ ceramic tileConductive floor tiles for electronically sensitive areas also available

Tel (011) 397 3330 • Fax (011) 397 3810 • e-mail: [email protected] • www.transittiles.com

Because they are PVC-based, Transit tiles do not absorb min-eral oil-based liquids and are impervious to most solvents and chemicals. They are warm to the feet and are ideal for use in change rooms and ablution blocks because they are not affected by water.

Transit Floor TilesTel: 011 397 3330Fax: 011 397 3810E-mail: [email protected]: www.transittiles.com

The Free State Stadium – also known as Vodacom Park, which is home to the Cheetahs Rugby Union and the Bloemfontein Celtic soccer

team – will host five first round matches, including France vs South Africa on 22 June, and a semi-final match in the competition.

The existing stadium was upgraded at a cost of R300 million for this event, with a second tier added to the main grandstand to increase the seating capacity to 48 000.

Ronda Transit tiles were used on this project in black and mist, and the same tiles and colours were used in the change rooms and passages of the Seis Ramabodu and the Botshabelo Stadiums that will be used as training grounds for the competing teams playing at the Free State Stadium.

Having submitted the successful tender, the flooring contractor for this project was Raadzaal Matlokaal of Bloemfontein, who installed the tiles using a two-part polyurethane adhesive, Pekay 663A.

These tiles have a base thickness of 2,20mm, a stud height of 0,80mm, a total thickness of 3mm and feature ten rows of 10 round studs of 25mm diameter.

The studs are more pronounced than other designs in the Transit Tile sales programme, thus providing the excellent non-slip characteristics of the Ronda range of tiles.

Almost 700m! of Transit PVC floor tiles have been

provided and installed for the hardwearing areas

in three stadiums in Mangaung (Bloemfontein)

that are all connected with the forthcoming FIFA

2010 Soccer World Cup.

On the ball with PVC floor tiles

P r o j e c t s

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One of the most exciting and

demanding projects ever under-

taken by Nexus (the commercial

division of Belgotex Floorcoverings)

is the upgrading and rede-

velopment of the Industrial

Development Corporation (IDC)

offices in Fredman Drive, Sandton,

where extensive use of both stan-

dard and custom designed carpets

has been made.

Meeting the needs of the IDCPhillip Button of Nexus said that this project created a number

of challenges such as the development of a product to suit the client’s corporate identity and budget.

“Keeping the stringent budget in mind, a suitable product had to be produced that could withstand traffic yet meet the cost requirements, and that was one of the biggest challenges,” he says. “However, what made the task easier was that we worked closely with a very dedicated professional team at SNOW Consultants Incorporated who knew exactly what the project required and, with close attention to detail, made the process of the combined team work so much easier.”

As a renowned practice incorporating architectural, urban plan-ning, interior design and project management expertise, SNOW Consultants Incorporated evolved from a successful company originally established in 1962 – since then the company has adapted its concepts, strategies and operations to impact posi-tively on the economic, social and environmental needs of its cli-ents. On this project, SNOW formed a key part of the consortium of consultants engaged for this major refurbishment process.

The project was primarily required to convert the IDC cellular offices into an open plan configuration involving two adjacent 3-storey buildings – the IDC Main Building which has five blocks (A to E) and the L-shaped Esterhuysen House. To date, three blocks have been completely refurbished, and the others are planned to be finished by October.

The key objective was to establish a design strategy which increased the building efficiencies and in particular its capacity with a view to providing a much improved functional, effective and sustainable office environment.

However, it was necessary for the project to be carried out with minimum disruption to business, at a reasonable cost, and taking into account time constraints. The impact that the open plan ini-tiative would have on the staff culture and comfort levels, and the

provision of flexible spaces and settings to support effective teamwork, also had to be accommodated.

For the carpeting required, Anton Siebrits of SNOW Consultants Incorporated worked closely with Nexus and the IDC’s marketing and brand management departments to produce the carpet designs and colour palette that best defined the corporate identity of the Corporation.

This involved special carpets being made for the main open office areas to meet this requirement whilst maintaining functionality, appearance retention, and accommodating the soiling and wear challenges of a heav-ily trafficked area.

Anton says: “We could have used other flooring materials on this project, but the expected performance – including high regard for the acoustic requirements of these areas – made carpeting a first choice. In addition, good quality carpets such as these will last for 15 years or more if properly maintained.”

“We specified polypropylene and nylon fibre carpets from Nexus, and the large quantities made it possible for us to design special carpet for the relevant applications.

“For the atrium areas, which experience considerable traffic given that they provide secondary access to the various office blocks, we developed a carpet design that incorporates a system of ‘pathways’ to provide a visu-

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ally pleasing anchor inspired by the corporate identity needs,” he continues. “Here the cut pile carpets from the Baltimore range fitted this requirement

perfectly, and a cobblestone design from Nexus was used for the pathways.”Both of these Nexus ranges are of tufted construction, manufactured from

100% Stainproof SDX (Solution Dyed Nylon) for use in Heavy Commercial applications.

The colour re-working of the standard carpets was achieved through the Nexus Custom X design service that enables clients to move beyond the stan-dard ranges and experiment with colour, texture and pattern to match floor-ing with the identity they wish to create.

“These atrium areas are designed to enable staff interaction, provides relief from the normal working environment with lounge areas, and can be used for internal exhibitions and other functions,” says Anton. “In this regard, they have already proved to be an enormous success.”

Special colours were also developed for the carpet tiles providing the transi-tion from the office areas to the atrium, to match the colour and design of the latter. For this, Custom X design provided the 500mm x 500mm Lynx tufted carpet tile that has a Nexbac backing. Carpet tiles from the Time Square Downtown tufted nylon range were also used in the passages.

Nexbac is a multi-layered, bitumen based backing system that combines superb dimensional stability with superior lay-flat characteristics, eliminating fraying, buckling and bending in tile installations, and has been used exten-sively in numerous corporate applications.

Anton Siebrits stated: “As this project nears completion, I would like to commend the client for the way this project was structured and handled. The open plan working committee, which included the brand management department, were of considerable value throughout the project and the lead-ership shown by the IDC executive is commendable. And we had an invalu-able contribution from Nexus.”

The total project, including broadloom and carpet tile, amounted to around 17 000m!, and the installation was carried out by Peter Bates Flooring work-ing under the direction of the main contractor, Trencon.

Phillip concludes: “We managed to develop the right products and colours within budget that were suitable for the application. From six various product applications required, four were specially developed for this project.”

“As the largest carpet manufacturer in the Southern Hemisphere – which is certified and compliant with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 – Belgotex Floorcoverings is appreciative of the trust we were given from both the pro-fessional team and the IDC to work closely with them on this project,” he says.

Nexus (division of Belgotex Floorcoverings)Tel: 033 897 7500Fax: 033 897 7700E-mail: [email protected]

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This is a major achievement for us and we are honoured for our company and products to be linked with such an

esteemed project,” says Marius Botha, inland sales manager at TAL.

Tiling started in August 2009, with TAL supplying the adhesive specifications for various tile installations. TAL products are being used exclusively for the fitting of the porcelain tiles on the floors and on the wooden columns in the mall walkways, as well as the porcelain tiles to walls and floors in the bathrooms. In addition, TAL supplied the repair, levelling and screeding com-pounds for remedial work to the substrate, prior to tiling.

Specialist good quality, high strength, rapid setting adhesives were compulsory as imported porcelain tiles are used through-out the shopping centre. Suspended mall areas require the use of a latex additive in the adhesive and grout to allow for build-ing movement.

“Our consultants are on site every night, including weekends, to monitor the tiling, which only starts after eight at night, once the shops have closed, to limit the disruption to shoppers,” says Botha.

The refurbishment to the mall walkways is approximately 80 000m! with a further 30 000m! of new mall area, which forms the extension to the mall. TAL will issue a 10-year warranty on the tile installations on completion of the tiling.

With a proven track record of over 35 years in the industry and over 280 million square metres of tiles successfully fixed with TAL adhesives, TAL is a market leader in quality, service and technology. “We are the key supplier to major tiling installations around the country and our products are readily accepted by architects, specifiers and contractors alike,” he says.

TAL offers an effective range of tiling products suitable for any tiling application. “If you have a serious adhesive problem, we are serious about solving it,” says Botha.

TAL (a division of Norcros SA)Gauteng: 011 316 3133Western Cape: 021 386 1810KwaZulu-Natal: 031 700 1535Technical Advice Centre: 0860 000 TAL(825)E-mail: [email protected]

TAL is proud to be associated with the

prestigious Sandton City refurbishment

project, which involves renovation of the

floors and walkways as well as extensions

to a new mall area.

Great adhesivesfor Sandton City refurbishment

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Tiling included fixing large sandstone slabs onto interior walls, porcelain tiles ontointerior walls and suspended slabs, intricate patterns of marble and quartzite mosaics

onto columns, and sandstone and porcelain tiles onto interior and exterior water featuresand fireplaces.

TAL products were used exclusively for all the tiling applications by Exquisite Tiling, whois a TAL registered tiling contractor, during the refurbishment on Level 6.

This was a fast track installation using imported tiles. Therefore it was critical that only

TAL is proud to reveal that its products were used for the

refurbishment of the public areas at the Sandton Sun Hotel. The

walkways and bar, restaurants – including a show kitchen – and

lounge areas all received a major facelift.

TAL – solutions through technology

good quality, specialised adhesives, such as thesemanufactured by TAL, were used for the varioustiling installations.

TAL Goldstar 6 was specified to install the sand-stone and porcelain tiles, and TAL Marblefix was

specified for the marble and quartzite mosaics. Both adhesives are based on high strength,

rapid setting technology making them ideal forfast track installations. TAL Marblefix is light incolour and designed for use with white or lightcoloured marble or natural stone tiles, where agrey adhesive may show through in the form of“staining”.

This section of tiling forms part of the SandtonCity refurbishment, and will also form part of the10-year warranty which TAL will issue on comple-tion of the project.

Certified to ISO 9001: 2000, TAL products aredesigned, manufactured and tested to the strict-est standards, thereby assuring customers thatproducts will perform to specification.

With a proven track record of over 35 years inthe industry and over 280 million square metresof tiles successfully fixed with TAL adhesives, TALis a market leader in quality, service and technology.

TAL (a division of Norcros SA)Gauteng: 011 316 3133Western Cape: 021 386 1810KwaZulu-Natal: 031 700 1535Technical Advice Centre: 0860 000 TAL(825)E-mail: [email protected]

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The aim of the project was to expand facilities at the centre tosupport its competitive footing in the conferencing industry and

sustain its delivery to international standards.Construction at the ICC included adding multi-functional exhibition

space, VIP facilities and a large outdoor deck within the natural bush.The VIP facilities will be completed as part of phase 2 of the project.

Other enhancements include dedicated storerooms for exhibi-tors and private bathrooms, lounges and offices for VIP’s and eventorganisers, and improvements in the accessibility for disabled usersthroughout the centre have also been addressed.

Mike Knoll and interior architect Nadia Franco of Bild Architects, thearchitects and principal agents for this project, said that the goal wasto produce a finished product that is upmarket and reflective of thestatus that the ICC holds.

“We endeavoured to link some of the classic qualities of the original1970’s building with the more contemporary aesthetic of the newextensions by subtly starting to contemporise tired or dated aspectsof the existing, while focusing on some of the more timeless designelements and finishes of the existing building and pulling themthrough into the new spaces.

“With an awareness of the need for a sustainable design approach,the green rating or eco-friendliness of finishes and fittings were takeninto account during the design process.

“Natural stone quartz tiles were selected as floor tiling to all publicand circulation areas for this reason and due to its aesthetic link withthe natural stone tile floors of the existing facility.

“Where extensions to the building saw existing quartz tiles lifted incertain areas, these tiles were cleaned and re-used as emphasis tilepatterns in the new quartz floor layouts. The use of both natural and

honed surface finishes creates additional interest.“The new exhibition hall and the facility’s administrative offices

required a carpeted floor finish suited to its commercial applicationand that would tie in with the new aesthetic, complement the exist-ing and fall within the budget.”

“For ease of maintenance and replacement of carpet when damageoccurs (heavy vehicles are regularly driven in and out of the exhibi-tion hall), Nexus Rubix Cube commercial carpet tiles were decidedupon, while in the exhibition area they provided ease of laying in ageometrical pattern that also defines set exhibition bay positions.With the focus on a “green” building approach, a locally manufacturedcarpet tile from Nexus Carpets (Commercial division of BelgotexFloorcoverings) with an eco-friendly status was specified.”

Construction work at the CSIR International

Convention Centre (CSIR ICC) has been completed,

and the centre is now fully operational with a con-

siderable demand from companies and organisa-

tions to hold events at the new facilities.

CSIR International Convention CentreCSICSICSICSIRR Internationa l Convention Centre Internationa l Convention Centre Internationa l Convention Centre Internationa l Convention Centre Internationa l Convention Centre Internationa l Convention Centre Internationa l Convention Centre Internationa l Convention Centre Internationa l Convention Centre Internationa l Convention Centre Internationa l Convention Centre Internationa l Convention Centre Internationa l Convention Centre Internationa l Convention Centre Internationa l Convention Centre Internationa l Convention Centre Internationa l Convention Centre Internationa l Convention Centre Internationa l Convention Centre Internationa l Convention Centre Internationa l Convention CentreExpansion of the

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“It should not go unnoticed that providing a ready carpeted exhibi-tion hall is a novelty in an industry which normally charges clients extra for carpeting. However, the CSIR ICC believes that this added value for clients will be well worth the investment.”

“A 550m! large banquet deck projects out at high level into the nat-ural landscape of the CSIR campus. The Zambezi Teak hardwood deck is constructed around the trunks of existing trees in an attempt to minimise the impact of the building on the surrounding vegetation.”

“The timber carries a certificate confirming it having been harvested from a plantation cultivated for harvesting purposes and is thus a certified renewable resource. The timber is treated and maintained with a penetrating oil sealer,” Ms Franco concludes. The decking was supplied and installed by Intex Timbercraft.

Working under the direction of the architect and the main contractor, Trencon Construction, the floorcovering industry has once again pulled out all the stops in helping to provide a truly prestigious centre.

The selected subcontractor for the tiling required was Ohlhorst Africa, who supplied and installed 280m! of Mazista natural stone tiles in Silver Grey quartz to provide a match with the flooring in the existing centre.

Quartzite is a sedimentary stone that is extremely dense and hard,

containing sparkling flecks which appear in bright light. These tiles are fireproof and naturally non-slip.

Peter Bates installed 1 300m! of Rubix Cube carpet tiles supplied by Nexus, the commercial division of Belgotex Floorcoverings, in Crossword, Sudoko and Jenga colours. These were used in the exhi-bition hall and administrative areas where they will enable ease of replacement in highly trafficked sections as it becomes necessary.

The Nexus Rubix Cube range is available in eight attractive colours,

using state-of-the-art equipment from Belgotex Floorcoverings to

produce a product most suitable for the required application. What

makes this product so unique, is the flexibility it lends towards the

various options of laying this commercial carpet tile.

This major expansion of the Convention centre has already enabled

the accommodation of a number of exhibitions and other functions

and is seen as a major addition to the promotions and conference

sector, both locally and internationally.

Belgotex Floorcoverings wishes to thank the professional team for

making use of a locally produced carpet tile, as this shows that locally

produced products compare exceptionally well with international

standards.

26

P r o j e c t s

F L O O R S J u n e 2 0 1 0

advert isement

This he hotel was accredited a 4-Leaves rating, which is the highest in Green Stay rat-ings. Cemcrete coloured cement finishes were supplied by prominent Cape Town

distributor, Cured Cement, and features in the bathrooms of the green wing. An interest-ing concept in each of the executive suites is the open-plan bathroom which leads seam-lessly into the sleeping area. This has been achieved effectively by using Cemcrete Colour Hardener for the floors and Cemcrete Satincrete for the walls, as well as inside the shower cubicles.

By selecting Cemcrete Satincrete – a waterproof and durable plaster application – a very natural finish is achieved which adds to the calm of the minimalist space. Satincrete is available in a variety of beautiful colour options and is very similar to the traditional Moroccan tadelakt finish.

A coloured cement screeded finish was decided upon for the floors, again to integrate with the natural and contemporary feel and design of the space, and polystyrene balls were used to insulate the floors. Cemcrete Colour Hardener floors subtly complete this calm yet interesting space. From an operational aspect – no harsh cleaning materials are being used on the Cemcrete surfaces, which also add to the environmental awareness of the space.

Cured Cement in Cape Town’s bustling De Waterkant area proudly showcases and distrib-utes the Cemcrete product range. A visit to Cured Cement is a true example of the excep-tional standard and quality of service they are striving to offer through this concept store.

Two inherent aspects of the range of products on offer must be mentioned. Firstly, the quality and life expectancy: Being complex in appearance, where a subtle mottled finish and superficial grazing adds to the beauty and charm of their appeal, Cemcrete finishes are actually very simplistic in these respects. On completion of the curing process – as with all cement products – the integrity of these products will provide the client with a finish, that age like no other.

Secondly, Cemcrete has been a market leader in manufacturing products with very low – and in some cases no – VOCs emissions. These emissions and the hazards surrounding them have created awareness in end-users, resulting in a move away from products that harm our environment, and Cured Cement is proud to say the products it markets comple-ment the environment, naturally.

Cured Cement, Cape Town Tel: 087 807 8236 Fax: 0866 920 909 Email: [email protected]

Hollow On The Square Hotel’s green wing, which opened recently,

is Cape Town’s first carbon-neutral hotel. The hotel boasts that

every possible green detail to save energy was thought of during

renovations of the 50-year-old building.

Cement finishes at carbon-neutral hotel

CemcreteTel: 011 474 2415Fax: 011 474 2416E-mail: [email protected]

PERFORMERSfeatureWhen we ran this feature last year – for

the first time in FLOORS in Africa – we had

no idea that it would be so popular, but it

seems that everyone wanted to know or

tell us what makes a product, company,

system or service a top performer and,

because there are so many innovations

brought to the industry each year, we are

running it again in this issue.

27

F e a t u r e : T h e P e r f o r m e r s

F L O O R S J u n e 2 0 1 0

28


F L O O R S J u n e 2 0 1 0

Are you a good performer?When we ran this feature last year – for the first time in FLOORS in Africa – we had no idea that it would be

so popular, but it seems that everyone wanted to know or tell us what makes a product, company, system

or service a top performer and, because there are so many innovations brought to the industry each year,

we are running it again in this issue.

So what does make a product, system, company or service a topperformer? Is it value for money? Low cost? High technology?

Long service life? Low maintenance? Its “greenness” and sustainabil-ity? Or is it just a totally unique idea?

To recap what happened last year, many manufacturers and suppli-ers thought that the performance of their products was exceptionalenough to promote them through our Performers feature.

These included high performance vinyl plank (wood look) flooring,high density polyurethane flooring, a new carpet collection producedfrom the combination of two proven and top performing ranges inthe company’s sales programme, a highly durable self-levelling floortopping, rubber flooring with a high wear resistance, a range of qual-ity carpets that exhibits great price, quality and value for money, highperformance adhesives, export quality sealers and exceptional qualitywood preservatives.

28F L O O R S J u n e 2 0 1 0

Price was high on the desired performance list, but many felt thatit is well worth paying a premium for peace of mind and a floor thatwill perform in the manner for which it was specified, which in turnwill represent excellent value for money, with the floor providing therequired aesthetic appeal or functionality for its entire lifespan.

However, it must be said that architects, designers, developers andcontractors have to make decisions on a regular basis to select theproducts that will ensure they get the performance needed from thefloors they specify, and for further insight into these aspects we solicitedthe views of prominent designer Leon Saven (Leon Saven Design,Cape Town), and Marshall Lee of SK Lee Architects, who are perform-ers in their own right.

Given that specifiers invariably look for high performance infloorcoverings that covers price, aesthetics, functionality, durability,availability, low maintenance and value for money, it is interesting

LAFA

BBRI

CA

29F L O O R S J u n e 2 0 1 0


to discover the individual preferences of our participants.

Leon Saven certainly looks for all these attributes in any floorcovering, but sustain-ability also features high on his list. In terms of favoured floorcoverings he has a preference for wood, because he says it is a natural mate-rial and the closest material to nature, and one which also presents a certain unpredictability and mood.

For example, Leon’s most recent use of natu-ral wood floors was for a house in Cape Town where the flooring was matched to the joinery throughout the project.

Although he is currently specifying epoxy flooring for a mixed use commercial project of showrooms and offices, Leon has a penchant for natural floorcoverings which includes Marmoleum, also selected for its natural and “green” ingredients.

According to Leon, Albert Carpets is the pre-ferred flooring contractor for timber floor, car-peting and Marmoleum installations.

The most favoured floorcoverings for Marshall Lee are heavy commercial grade carpet tiles, which he selects for their durability, and is cur-rently using for a municipal office project.

For the same attribute, Marshall also has a preference for full bodied porcelain tiles, and has recently used them for the change rooms of a municipal sports facility because of their performance in wet areas. On this project Marshall also used a 100mm wide tile laid at 45º as a skirting.

However, he says that full bodied porce-lain tiles in dark colours are difficult to find, although these are ideal for use in toilet areas divided by brick partitions.

From the projects and articles that have appeared in FLOORS in Africa during the past year, the most prominent aspect of current floor design still seems to favour natural materi-als or those that add something to the “green” aspects of any project, and polished concrete, together with other long-lasting seamless floors are also very popular.

However, this doesn’t denigrate the need for aesthetic appeal, value for money and hard-wearing durability which are still basic design requirements – neither does it reduce the pop-ularity of tried and tested products at the right price, but specifiers and developers should be aware that buying cheap flooring products is expensive in the long term.

Buy or specify the Performers and your peace of mind and that of your clients are assured.

OBJ

ECT

CARP

ET

30


F L O O R S J u n e 2 0 1 0

decorative concretesurfacesdecorati ve concretedecorati ve concretedecorati ve concretedecorati ve concretedecorati ve concretedecorati ve concretedecorati ve concretedecorati ve concrete

Superb

Artevia is a stunningly beautiful design material with all the advantages of concrete. It is not only hardwearing but also long lasting and available in an array of amazingly vibrant colours, patterns and

realistic textures. This highly durable decorative concrete is provided in four product applications: Artevia Colour – con-

crete with a highly stable UV pigment allowing a large variety of tones and textures; Artevia Print – con-crete suited to prints simulating the appearance of brick, wood and stone; Artevia Exposed – which displays the aggregates on the surface of the concrete in relief; and Artevia Polish – which offers a highly polished concrete floor finish.

Artevia Polish is a range of concretes that have the smooth surface texture of polished marble and is available in an extensive range of colours and aggregates, with the special concrete being ground and pol-ished to an elegant silky finish.

Ideally suitable for an extremely wide range of upmarket and highly trafficked applications, Artevia Polish can be for-mulated to meet most colour scheme requirements, and in giving a unique, customised look it exhibits wide scope for creativity. For example, any material that is hard enough to be polished, such as glass chips, aluminium, and many others can be

incorporated into the design.Another major advantage is that

the integral homogeneous colour will not fade or wear off, and it eliminates the need for expensive protective coatings in industrial applications.

Other attributes include its abra-sion resistance and hardwearing capabilities, and the fact that it is micro-fibre reinforced to minimise plastic shrinkage or cracking.

As Lafarge Concrete’s range of superior decorative concretes, Artevia offers architects, develop-ers, contractors and specifiers a wide scope for aesthetic, durable and cost-effective finishes, backed by the technical resources of the Lafarge Group and thus ensuring a high standard of quality and service.

As with any concrete work, the quality of the final product is strongly influenced by the quality and consistency of the application work, and to ensure satisfaction, Lafarge recommends that one of its Approved Application Network Contractors should be used to obtain the best results from the Artevia range. A list of national approved applicators is available on request.

Lafarge ConcreteTel: 011 257 3100Website www.lafarge.co.za

Lafarge – a recognised world leader in building materials – has a truly exciting

collection of decorative concretes for indoor and outdoor applications that

combine freedom of design with low maintenance and durability. Marketed

under the brand name of Artevia, this collection offers great aesthetic appeal

and outstanding performance.

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F L O O R S J u n e 2 0 1 0

In 1969 the company was launched in England and employedsix people in a little factory no bigger than a standard garage.

Dedication and groundbreaking ideas gave birth to the firstvacuum cleaner designs made from components such as suitcasehandles, oil drums, furniture castors and domestic washing upbowls. Even with these crude apparatus Numatic produced simpleyet reliable products for commercial and industrial use.

Dewald Botha, the general manager of Numatic, says: “Today,Numatic International is the poster child of excellence in the clean-ing industry, providing unmatched technologically advanced solu-tions on a global scale.”

Numatic South Africa is ideally positioned for growth. New part-nerships and fresh initiatives will ensure that the company main-tains its position as an industry leader both locally and abroad.

The most recent business development initiative is the partner-ship with 3M, which enables Numatic to build on its existing infra-structure and penetrate new markets.

“I am grateful to be part of this dynamic company. The partner-ship with 3M ensures that we continue to grow and unlock thewealth of opportunities available in South Africa,” says Botha.

Numatic South Africa confirmed its commitment to developingthe skills of students and learners in the South African hospitalityindustry. It sponsored the University of Johannesburg with a gener-ous donation of hospitality cleaning equipment to the value of R35000.

The company’s passion for floorcare and cleaning ensures thatit offers a high standard of service and best value for money toits customers. Providing holistic cleaning solutions of unmatchedquality will certainly see Numatic grow from strength to strength.

Numatic InternationalTel: 0861 numatic (686284)Website: www.numatic.co.za

A polished business poised phenomenal

Numatic South Africa is celebrating 16 years of

successful growth in the South African market.

The company comes from humble beginnings

and has developed into an international cleaning

phenomenon providing state-of-the-art cleaning

solutions to industries across the world.

Things have changed.

Our BBBEE rating has gone from level 4 to an even more impressive level 2.

For more information call 0861 686 284 or visit www.numatic.co.za.

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F L O O R S J u n e 2 0 1 0

Both are intended for developers, building professionals, architects, structural engi-neers and quantity surveyors and are based on SABS standards for the types of

materials used.They can be downloaded at no charge from the CMA’s website, www.cma.org.za.

Simply click on “Publications” and follow the prompts. Alternatively, printed versions are available from the CMA, also at no charge.

Originally conceived and developed as an alternative to in-situ cast concrete floor-ing for multi-storey buildings some 25 years ago, today hollow-core slabs are used in at least five other applications, namely security walling, reservoir walling and roofing, retaining walls and warehouse walling, and the first brochure expands on these applica-tions, citing examples.

It also gives information on how to fit down-lighting into hollow-core slabs and the correct method of attaching ceramic tiles to suspended flooring.

The second brochure acts as a good practice guide focusing on precast concrete slabs in combination with load-bearing masonry walls, and covers buildings types and asso-ciated economics, flooring and roofing applications, the types of slabs and associated walling, and design aspects. Construction methods, materials and jointing aspects are also covered here, as are SANS standards and references on precast concrete slab con-struction.

CMA director, Hamish Laing, says the hollow-core slab is a viable, and in many instances,

preferable alternative to more conventional build-ing materials. For instance, some of the advantages of erecting vertical walling using prestressed hol-low-core slabs include quicker construction and completion times, immediate installation upon delivery, no shuttering or on-site curing, and they have excellent durability.

Laing advises that when used as security walling, prestressed slabs are cast using a 50MPa concrete mix, making the walls highly resistant to breaking and entering. In addition, electric fencing or razor wire can be easily attached to the walls.

“Besides the obvious advantages of simpler, faster construction, not to mention a more durable end-product, the secret of applying hollow-core slabs successfully is in the pre-planning. Get one of our member companies involved at the concept stage and their advice and design input comes at no charge,” says Laing.

He adds that there is huge potential for growth in the use of hollow-core slabs in South Africa. “It is a concept which is still under-utilised locally in contrast to the EU and Russia, where it enjoys a much higher usage profile. We tend to be cautious in our approach to new construction techniques and there are still many engineers unfamiliar with the technology.”

“Nevertheless, there is considerable professional interest in the use of prestressed and reinforced precast concrete hollow-core slabs as an alternative flooring material, especially for multi-storey build-ings.”

“Last year over 370 engineers, architects and property developers attended three seminars staged by the CMA on the subject year. The semi-nars focused on hollow-core slab technology and demonstrated how in-situ columns and beams can be used in combination with precast hollow-core flooring to achieve monolithic, structurally sound buildings,” observes Laing.

The CMA has an extensive library of brochure and leaflet material across all six of its divisions covering its members’ products and their proper application. It can be downloaded at no charge from www.cma.org.za. For hard copy material contact Pam Zukor on (011) 805-6742 or on [email protected].

The Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA) has updated two brochures on precast concrete slabs, “Prestressed hollow-core concrete slabs” and ”Precast concrete slabs on load-bearing masonry”. CMA updates hollow-core concrete slab brochures

MORE THAN A FLOORING SYSTEM

Block D, Lone Creek, Waterfall Office Park, Bekker Road, Midrand

PO Box 168 Halfway House 1685

Tel +27 11 805 6742 • Fax +27 86 524 9216

e-mail: [email protected] • website: www.cma.org.za

SUPPORTING THE NATION

Look no further than the multi-purpose, cost-effective prestressed and reinforced hollow-core concrete slabs as your construction alternative.

In today’s world of innovation and fast-tracking, the hollow-core floor slab is a viable and preferable alternative to more conventional building materials.

PRECAST HOLLOW-CORE CONCRETE SLABS

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F L O O R S J u n e 2 0 1 0

Feel the quality; enjoy uncompromising

steps, barefoot freedom and romantic pur-

suit. This is the Bedson look, for comfort that

sets you apart, and when you buy a timber

floor from Bedson you also increase the

value of your home and your lifestyle.

In addition, you can choose what suits you best from a wide varietyof colours – from dark chocolate to brown to light colours in solid

wood; Bedson brings Mother Nature to you!!With its headquarters in Pretoria, South Africa, Bedson will be open-

ing a new showroom in June. In addition to this, it has regional officesand warehousing in Cape Town and Durban, and enjoys a salesprogramme that extends throughout Africa and the Indian Oceanislands.

Bedson takes pride in having one of the largest stocks of solid woodfloors in South Africa. Bedson also has its own manufacturing plantthat can adapt sizes to meet the personal needs of any customer.

This in itself sets the company apart and gives the end user 100%peace of mind in dealing with a reputable company. Also, Bedson cancater for different configurations and produce skirting that matchesthe selected floor colour, all carried out at its own premises.

With company-owned forests in Uruguay, Bedson provides theflexibility and reliability of having access to established strategicresources to consistently supply its markets. This investment formspart of a 300-year sustainable project, where the planting is done instrict accordance with FSC principles to preserve the bio-diversity andensure sustainability.

For further information on the Bedson Group and the products andservices it can provide, please visit the website www.bedson.co.za.

Bedson Flooring and DécorTel: 012 803 4376Fax: 012 803 1685E-mail: [email protected]: www.bedson.co.za

Solid wood floor par excellence!

GUAJIVIRA ANCHICO IPE

Our solid wood flooring is an investment. Its longevity and

desirability ensures that it is the best option to increase the

value of your house, extending far beyond that of engineered

floors. Because of its long endurance, our flooring could

very well outlive your children’s children. It can be re-sanded

and enjoyed several times over a 200 year period without

delaminating. Our flooring is produced by knowledgeable

people with an exact process behind the production, a

well-guarded secret built with love and passion.

Experience the warmth of our solid, real wood, like the joy

you find when you have the privilege of possessing a real

family, wine, cognac, leather, olive oil and the many other

good things in life. Our flooring colours are the true colours

of the timber, as nature wanted them to be. It is not only the

quality of our floors that stand out; it is also the quality of our

brand. Our brand stands for luxury and tradition. Distributed

by connoisseurs. Enjoyed by you.

Lasting value

Luxury & tradition

www.bedson.co.za

c/o Axle & Battery St, Willows Business Park, Silverton Ext. 52, Pretoria

HEAD OFFICE T 012 803 4376 E [email protected]

VISIT OUR NEW SHOWROOM

SOLID HARDWOOD FLOORING

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F L O O R S J u n e 2 0 1 0

These products are extensively utilised in the South African market and exportedinto Africa, where they are favoured for the precision engineering of the modular

steel panels of either isotropic or linear domed design, which are structurally ridgedand cementitious filled.

Lafarge manufactures a variety of different access flooring solutions, each tailoredto suit specific criteria, including providing a robust, sturdy and quiet installationdesigned to manage the flexible hi-churn requirements of the modern office environ-ment.

All Lafarge Gypsum Access Floor systems are manufactured under the ISO2001:2008 certification requirements to ensure a sustainable, high quality standard ofmanufacture.

With over two million square metres already installed, these floors have time andtime again proved to be an exceptional and cost-effective solution for meeting anyclient’s requirement.

Lafarge Gypsum has formed an excellent working relationship with Bates AccessFlooring (Pty) Ltd for carrying out the installations, and both companies have beentremendously successful with Lafarge Access Floors, having been utilised in a vastmajority of the major construction projects over the past several years.

Prestigious projects where this service has excelled include the installation of 32000m! for Investec Bank, 48 000m! for Standard Bank, 56 000m! for Barclays ABSACapital and 32 000m! for Melrose Arch – to name just a few. Most recently LafargeAccess Floors are in the process of being installed at Bank City Block G – addinganother 16 000m! – and Nestle’s new Head Office totalling 8 300m!.

Anyone wishing to gain further information on these exemplary access flooringsystems should contact the telephone numbers shown below or visit the relevantwebsite.

Lafarge GypsumTel: 011 866 2233 Fax: 011 866 4180 Website: www.lafarge.com

Precision engineeredaccess flooringsystems

As one of the market leaders in Sub-Saharan Africa for the pro-

vision of raised access floor systems and system related acces-

sories, Lafarge Gypsum manufactures and imports high-quality

access floor systems designed to be used in the general office

environment, computer and equipment rooms, network and

patch rooms, casinos and call centres to name just a few of the

applications.

Bates Access FlooringTel: 011 608 4270 Fax: 011 608 4278 E-mail: [email protected]: www.batesaccessflooring.co.za

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F L O O R S J u n e 2 0 1 0

Their wide range of cobble paving, flagstone paving, tiles, cladding and landscap-ing products can be used to enhance any area of a home or commercial space

including, but not limited to, driveways, patios, walkways, pool surrounds, featurewalls and gardens.

Why buy cast stone?Cast stone products are made from a mixture of wet cement, oxides (colour pig-

ments) and aggregates that are cast in moulds to create the same natural beauty asreal stone. Cast stone products are powerfully cost-effective, easy to install and suit-able for big or small projects.

Why buy SmartStoneSmartStone is a first-class option when looking for cast stone product. As high-

quality performers in the industry, SmartStone has managed to outrun competition,remaining market leaders in South Africa for more than a quarter of a century.

Only top-quality natural materials are used to manufacture SmartStone’s productswhich come in a variety of natural colours, textures and designs.

SmartStone products are made to exacting standards and are dimensionally accu-rate. This makes it much easier than similar products to install, and results in a muchmore aesthetically pleasing project.

SmartStone products can be uniquely manufactured for specific projects and archi-tectural features – and their inherent beauty will outlive the trends of the day.

SmartStoneTel: 011 310 1176 E-mail: [email protected]: www.smartstone.co.za

Prestigious awards and recogni-tion received by SmartStone for outstanding work:

2002Premier Award:• Melrose Arch2004Vintage Award:• House SayerResidential Awards:• Braamfontein Urban Regeneration• House MontanariCommercial Award:• Blue Lagoon Hotel in Durban2006Residential Award:• House Potter• House SaundersCommercial Award:• Cabana Beach Hotel in Durban• Carlswald Shopping Centre in Midrand2008Premier Award:• House 42 Waterfall Equestrian EstateVintage Award:• The WestcliffCommercial Award:• Irene Village MallResidential Award:• House Maxwell

SmartStone is the original manufacturer of cast stone paving,

tiling, cladding and landscaping products in South Africa, and

has been the industry leader for more than a quarter of a cen-

tury. No surprise then that they are regarded as trendsetters in

the industry.

High-performance cast stone products


Building trust

for 30 years

What makes this laminate unique is the print that replicates the wording on vintagewine bottles and barrels. Ideal for domestic and commercial use, the product is par-

ticularly suited for the kitchen, dining room, pub, wine cellar, small restaurant or boutiquecafé. The vintage feel lends elegance to any area where it is fitted.

The range consists of a dark colour, Route des vins Fonce or Wine Route Dark and a lightercolour, Route des vins Clair or Wine Route Clear and has a grading of AC4 class 32. The grad-ing means it is extremely durable and has a high resistance to surface abrasion, whichmakes it suitable for general traffic areas in a commercial environment.

“Laminate flooring is extremely durable and can handle almost any stains, spills and dirt,making it the ideal flooring option for entertainment areas,” says Jose Dos Passos, manag-ing director at Floors Direct.

The company offers products that are beautiful, fashionable, cost-effective and afford-able. Kronotex laminates, manufactured in Germany, are available at Floors Direct and aresupplied with the Floors Direct domestic use lifetime guarantee.

Whether you are looking for a flooring solution for an upmarket kitchen or trendy winebar, the Route des vins laminate adds flair to any home or commercial area.

Floors Direct Tel nationwide: 0861 1 FLOORS Website www.floorsdirect.co.za

Vintage wine route laminatenow available

Floors Direct has a brand new and unique laminate flooring offer,

the Kronotex Route des vins or Wine Route range that has a classical,

yet sophisticated look.

South Africa - 0861 SMART 1 (0861 76278 1) | Namibia - 061 235 525 | www.smartstone.co.za

South Africa:BloemfonteinDurbanGeorgeJohannesburgNelspruitPort ElizabethPotchefstroomPretoriaNamibia: WindhoekJordan: Amman

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From its early days, Sika was involved in the construction of the

Gotthard railway tunnels in Europe. Sika-1 earned industry acclaim

and commercial success in 1918 when the first Gotthard railway tun-

nel needed waterproofing.

Today the new Gotthard Base Tunnel under construction in

Switzerland is once again a high profile project for Sika. With a

planned length of 57 kilometres, it will be the longest tunnel in the

world when it celebrates its breakthrough, although actual scheduled

train services are not likely to start before the end of 2017.

Sika is one of the main suppliers for this new tunnel. After extensive

testing, Sika together with Holcim won the contract for three of the five

sections. Although Sika-1 is still very much part of the product range

today, after 100 years of research and experience, Sika supplies many

more advanced products.

Some of these are the high-tech admixtures for concrete and the

tailored waterproofing systems necessary to guarantee the tunnel walls are waterproofed with a service life of 100 years.

Sika can be proud of a history that is marked by innovative products and construction systems as well as consistent service delivery towards customers and society.

In the future, principles of sustainable development will play a deci-sive role at Sika as these are the answer to today’s and tomorrow’s challenges. These challenges are driven by megatrends such as water handling, energy saving and climate protection, all of which will shape future economic conditions and growth.

Entrepreneurial success will depend on the intelligent solutions that are matched to these megatrends and Sika looks optimistically into the future, when their know-how, their service and their products will be needed more than ever.

For further information on Sika products and systems, visit www.sika.co.za.

In 2010 Sika celebrates its centenary. 100 years

ago Sika’s Swiss founder, Kaspar Winkler, first

invented a liquid waterproofing admixture called

Sika-1. Since then Sika has grown into a glob-

ally established manufacturer of innovative, high

quality construction products designed and

developed to fulfil certain basic human needs.

100 Years of innovation and consistency

GAUTENGTel: +27 11 444 1441 Fax: +27 11 444 1165

E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.kirk.co.za

CAPE TOWNTel: +27 21 949 2226 Fax: +27 21 949 4531

KWAZULU NATALTel: +27 31 564 1175 Fax: +27 31 564 1143

PORT ELIZABETH

Tel: 0860 547573 Fax: 086 688 4980

Brass round edgeStainless steel tile-in- corner protector

Aluminium U-channelPVC concave edge trim

Tile trims are used for the finishing of tilefloors and walls, with primary functions of

aesthetics (listello, corners, edge, etc.), functional(ramp, gap fillers, shapes, corners, stairs, etc.)and/or protection of tile edges.

Tile trims are available in mainly four differentmaterials – PVC, aluminium, brass and stain-less steel, but can also be manufactured in zinc,copper, mild steel, recycled materials and manymore, if required.

Brass is a heavy duty and resilient productthat can be used on floors and walls. Althoughtarnishing can occur in some corrosive environ-ments, this can be easily polished to revive theshine.PVC is not designed for floors, unless used in

stair nosing applications. All M.Trim PVC is UVstable and available in many colours to matchthe tiles.

Aluminium is a softer material than the othermetals, so when used on floors, quality productsare recommended. Aluminium can be anodisedand powder-coated in many different colours,giving the specifiers more options in design.

Stainless Steel is a tough and hardwearingproduct suitable for all conditions depending onthe grade used. Several grades and surface fin-ishes are available, and can be custom designedto requirements – making it a popular optionwith specifiers.

For your final tile trim solution, please contactthe M.Trim experts at one of the Kirk branches.

Kirk MarketingHead Office: 011 444 1441Cape Town: 021 949 2226Durban: 031 564 1175Port Elizabeth: 0860 547 573Email: [email protected]: www.kirk.co.za

M.TRIM is a South African brand that has been in existence for

over eight years and the range of products has grown to suit the

developing South African market.

Tile trims make finishes easier

Aluminium formable square edge

Aluminium wide retro-!t ramp

Stainless steel tile listello

GO FIGURE!

During February the World Trade Organisationannounced that global trade volumes have fallenby 12% – the most in 65 years.FLOORS in Africa – your trade magazine – has beenincreasing in size, number of advertisers, readership andgeneral interest in its content for several months now.

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F L O O R S J u n e 2 0 1 0

For the best performing floors in a

commercial or residential setting,

opt for Belgotex Floorcoverings’

Stainproof SDX carpet ranges that

deliver unparalleled performance in

the most demanding environments.

Representing the very latest stain-proof fibretechnology, ranges made from SDX yarn

combine world-class style and comfort withexcellent wear characteristics.

SDX – Solution Dyed Nylon for X-TremeConditions – has consistently outperformed con-ventional SDN products over the last ten years.With advanced trilobal filament construction, aunique Colourlock blend of UV and heat stabilis-ers and innovative hard twist technology, SDXranges are ideal for high traffic, high maintenanceenvironments and are guaranteed to last 15 yearswithout any fibre degradation.

The solution dyeing process injects colour pig-ment into the nylon polymer while still molten,making the colour a permanent part of themolecular structure.

The Cosmopolitan, Baltimore, Serengeti, Wall Street, Westminster and Nautical ranges of broad-loom carpets, as well as the Time Zone, Times Square and Baseline modular tiles from Nexus arebeing hailed by the commercial sector for theirstain-proof, UV- and bleach-resistant properties.

Various SDX ranges have been specified forseveral prestigious projects including OR TamboInternational Airport, Coca-Cola Ellis Park stadi-um, the IDC in Sandton and Old Mutual, MTN andABSA Head Offices, amongst others.

Suitable for heavy traffic areas that will be sub-jected to heavy soiling and wear, SDX carpets arecompletely stain-proof and easy to clean witheven the harshest of cleaning agents.

Dyed during the molten stage to produce asaturated colour of exceptional depth and clarity,the colour cannot wash out and withstands theharsh chemical cleaning agents often used in cor-porate environments.

The solution dyeing process further eliminates

SDX nylon – best performance

PAN

GRA

MPU

BLIS

HIN

G

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CUSTOM SDX

SDX PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS:• Stain-proof • Colourfast • UV-resistant• Fade-resistant• Bleach-resistant• 15 year limited warranty to retain 90% of pile fibre• Saturated colour of exceptional depth and clarity• Uniform colour throughout, no dye lot variations• Dry, water-wise manufacturing process = Environmental Choice • Excellent shape retention in cut-pile ranges

COMMERCIAL SDX RANGES • Cosmopolitan (broadloom)

• Nautical (broadloom) • Serengeti (broadloom) • Baltimore (broadloom) • Time Zone (modular)• Time Square (modular)• Baseline (modular)• Westminster (broadloom)

RESIDENTIAL SDX RANGES • Westminster • Royal Twist • Opulence • Georgian

any colour variations between dye lots, ensuring the precise colour uniformity required for large single colour installations.

SDX carpet ranges’ UV-resistance make them ideal for offices or homes with large expanses of glass, capable of withstanding years of indirect sun exposure and atmospheric contaminants without the threat of fading.

In addition to SDX’s all-important stain-proof qualities, the luxurious softness and shape retention proper-ties make SDX ranges such as Westminster, Royal Twist, Opulence and Georgian from Belgotex Carpets very popular choices in the residential sector.

And finally, all SDX products are manufactured using a dry production process, making SDX ranges from Belgotex Floorcoverings the Environmental Choice.

Belgotex FloorcoveringsTel: 033 897 7500Website: www.belgotexfloorcoverings.com


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ROYAL TWIST

WESTMINSTER

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Strategically the company’s infrastructural supplies division (FloorworX and Centurion Glass & Aluminium) and environmental

solutions division (Safic) work together to offer the public and private sectors not only individual products and services, but also innovative and cost-effective solutions.

FloorworX is the dominant player in the resilient flooring market and its reputation has assisted the company in becoming a household name in the construction industry.

The acquisition of Interior Wooden Floors in August 2008 has ensured that, apart from its current comprehensive vinyl and laminate flooring ranges, FloorworX is also now the leading supplier of engi-neered wooden flooring and a wide range of Bona waterborne coat-ings, UV-finishes and sanding equipment.

The successful launch of the Global 3 Marmoleum range during 2009 has seen renewed interest in this superior linoleum floorcover-ing which undoubtedly meets tomorrow’s needs of architects, designers, facility managers and anyone looking for modern stylish floorcovering solutions that are ecologically sound and economically advantageous.

One of the most significant ranges in the FloorworX sales pro-gramme is Norament 825 which is a rubber tile that possesses the abil-ity to stand up to enormous loads under the most varied conditions with resilient ease, making it ideal for use in any industrial application,

or heavy-traffic areas such as public buildings, gymnasiums and retail outlets.

Norament 825 is provided with a classic round pastille surface that exhibits outstanding wear resistance to chemicals, fire and cigarette burns; has excellent anti-slip properties – making it suitable for floors in wet or moist conditions; and is less susceptible to dirt adhesion due to its dense unbroken surface.

Considering the range of top-performing products, it’s no won-der the past year has seen FloorworX supplying floorcoverings to the majority of the soccer stadiums and hotels (such as the Hilton, Sandton) being built or refurbished in preparation for the 2010 World Cup.

FloorworX also includes the best in flooring adhesives in its sales programme to ensure that the correct adhesive is used for every installation that is using its products.

This is where Safic – manufacturer of industrial chemicals since 1981 and the first chemical company in Africa to receive ISO 9001:2000, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certification – identified an opportunity to expand its research and development capabilities. FloorworX now markets adhesives manufactured in-house by its sister company, Safic.

In addition, Safic and FloorworX also co-branded a range of chemi-cal products for the flooring industry.

Because the group is focused on selling real solutions that deliver

Perfectingstructures

Accéntuate is a group of world-class compa-

nies serving the construction and infrastruc-

tural development markets. It has a strong

presence in South Africa but also focuses on

the developing African markets.

What makes this company, with its systems and services, a Top Performer?

46F L O O R S J u n e 2 0 1 0

to their customers’ bottom line, you can now order floorcoverings, accessories, adhesives and floor maintenance products through FloorworX but also buy your cleaning equipment through Safic, as well as employing Safic as your preferred maintenance provider who, through the use of FloorworX Floorcare Products, will help to protect your flooring against staining, scuffing and scratching, thereby extending the life of the floor and thus protect-ing your investment.

The FloorworX philosophy is to view all buildings, old or new, as a business opportunity.

FloorworX Marketing DepartmentTel: 011 406 4146Safic Floorcare Range enquiriesTel: 011 406 4097

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For the eighth time, Nouwens Carpets made

its annual Appointed Dealer Awards, and this

article comprises part of the welcoming address

made by Luci Nouwens to the guests on behalf

of the Nouwens directors, sales managers and its

entire marketing team, as well as the Nouwens

Distribution partners.

Nouwens Appointed Dealer Awards

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his Nouwens marketing initiative is an exclusive event on our industry calendar. It

is an evening of recognition for the Nouwens Appointed Dealers and as our celebration of win-ners comes of age, tonight will be the first time we will be making awards to our specially quali-fied Nouwens Platinum Partners as well.

“Being seasonal nominees, all those present here this evening are simply the best of the best – dealers with and without access to direct factory supply – as well as the top performing sales representatives in the various areas. With the quality and commitment of people such as these, there really is a future for our carpet industry. We salute you!

“Nouwens will continue to support those who make a difference. Together we offer a brilliant


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“T

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product and service and we must stand out above the rest so that our consumers can experi-ence a quality deal and know where to find it.

“The Nouwens Advantage programme has become our unique way of showing appreciation to the people who are the core of our industry – last year alone, rewards totalling well over half a million rand were paid into member cards.

“The 2009 award winners are selected from the seasonal NAD nominees appoint-ed throughout the year, and we have also evaluated customer support and growth via the Nouwens Advantage Programme.

“So – to all our worthy winners – we thank you for supporting our brand, and the professional manner in which you do this. We are truly proud to be associated with you!”

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F L O O R S J u n e 2 0 1 0

JohannesburgNAD Representative of the Year winner: Derek Carstens

Runner-up: Rod Faulconbridge

NPP Representative of the Year winner: Pieter du Plessis

NAD of the Year Wholesale Award: Carpet Works

NAD of the Year winner: Canyon Carpet Care

Runner-up: Intercarpets

NPP of the Year winner: Stern Carpets Benoni

Cape TownNAD Representative of the Year winner: John David Freemantle

Runner-up: Braam Dippenaar

NPP Representative of the Year winner: Stephen Murphy

NAD of the Year Wholesale Award: Don Walton Carpets

NAD of the Year winner: S A Vloerweelde

Runner-up: Seapoint Florstore

NPP of the Year winner: Cardinal Flooring

Specialists, Bellville

DurbanNAD Representative of the Year winner: Merle McGuicken

Runner-up: Sally Meiring

NPP Representative of the Year winner: Annegret Waldeck

NAD of the Year Wholesale Award: Concept Carpets

NAD of the Year Winner: Price Flooring

Runner-up: Merle’s Carpet Services

NPP of the Year winner: Tile & Carpet Centre

Nomenclature:NAD = Nouwens Appointed DealerNPP = Nouwens Platinum Partner

Nouwens Appointed Dealer Awards 2009

for NouwensAt the recent Nouwens awards evenings, Luci Nouwens

announced that she intends to go into semi-retirement and thatPieter has moved into full-time management of Nouwens CustomWeave. In order to ensure smooth running of the business during thetransition period and beyond, they have decided to appoint a profes-sional management team to take over their executive functions atNouwens Carpets. Their newly appointed chairman, Oscar Grobler,accompanied Luci on her recent visits to the major centres.

Oscar has been appointed to the Nouwens board of directors fromMarch 2010, and will assist the new CEO and production managerin taking over their executive responsibilities in order to facilitate asmooth progression into a non-executive status for herself and PieterNouwens.

Oscar’s background is that of a corporate and investment bankerwho has worked within various divisions of the Absa Group forthe past 30 years. Having retired in June 2009, his last responsibil-ity was that of heading the National Commercial Product areas ofAbsa Corporate and Business Bank. Before that, he managed thefull Customer Relationship Portfolio for South Africa, where he firstbecame involved with Nouwens.

Prior to his banking career he worked in the furniture retail indus-try as well as the wholesale industry in KwaZulu-Natal. A charteredsecretary by profession, Oscar also holds an EMBA from Cape TownUniversity and a specialised Masters degree in Consulting andCoaching for Change from Insead/HEC Universities in France.

Oscar is married and has three children. Together with his wife, heenjoys travelling and mountain biking.

Luci stated: “As it is of primary concern for us to ensure the conti-nuity of the Nouwens brand and image, I will stay on in an execu-tive capacity to assist a smooth transition for our CEO, who will beappointed shortly.

“Pieter has been operating as a non-executive director since March2010 and is in the process of handing over his full responsibility toJohn Faul, our newly appointed production manager. Once this han-dover is complete, Pieter will be available on a consultancy basis toensure continuity where necessary.

“We would like to assure you that the above changes will not affectour relationships andhigh regard for Nouwensemployees and customers.It is in the interest of theNouwens Board to buildonto the sound base andreputation which NouwensCarpets has earned overthe past 48 years.

“We look forward toan exciting revitalisationof our company to thebenefit of all who chooseto go along with it,” sheconcluded.


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• Carpets (Broadloom & Tiles)• Vinyl cushion floors• Vinyl floor tiles• Underlays• Underfloor heating• Fitting accessories

SELBORNE CARPET WHOLESALERS cc

For excellent service

SELBORNE CARPET WHOLESALERS cc

JOHANNESBURG Tel (011) 493-6600

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DURBAN Tel (031) 569-3371/2/3

CAPE TOWN (021) 418-3128

Fax: (021) 418-3127 • Cell: 082 442 8795

FLOORS in Africa recently attended a conference hosted by the Pretoria Institute for Architecture (PIA) that was based on educating architects about Business Across Borders.

Presentations were given by Leon Botha of Murray & Roberts (the sponsors of the event), Abré Crafford of Crafford & Crafford and Dewar van Antwerpen of Boogertman & Partners. The following is a summary of the developed theme.

We live in a global economy with instant communication, online translations and the capability of live visual communication with people on the other side of the world. While this has made the world smaller in essence, it has also encouraged professionals worldwide to spread their wings and broaden their horizons.

While competition is clearly international, it remains a Western world when it comes to business. This comes with a truckload of difficulties, particularly as South African professionals are asked to manage foreign subordinates, work with foreign colleagues or serve foreign customers.

Dealing with projects abroad is expensive and comes with many chal-lenges, and architects and project managers working with or for foreign-ers learn through trial and error, but those who risk stepping across bor-ders open up brand new markets, unveil incredible opportunities and have the chance to undertake unusual and interesting projects.

PIA identified three leading architects who have taken the risk and reaped the rewards and they openly discussed their knowledge, struggles and pleasures of the experience at this conference.

The main reasons why South African professionals take their skills abroad include better opportunities, tough competition at home and a general perception of more work being available abroad.

Also, working on prestige projects abroad provides more exposure and better pay, and although their skills are comparable to interna-tional standards, there is a lack of opportunities locally. Also, South African professionals are considered to be less costly and hardworking.

However, there are a few common difficulties that must be faced when working overseas. Perhaps the first problem is that there is a widespread “flavour of the month” syndrome – where the style of a particular architect is liked for a couple of months only.

Also, long ”gestation” periods are the norm and this, coupled with the time differences, language barriers and religious differences make it an expensive exercise for the RSA-based company to fund.

Finally, the security of tenure, contractor capability, material avail-ability and the red tape involved (such as work permits) are all down-sides or pitfalls that the unsuspecting architect may well encounter.

Architects across borders

SEBO DUO DRY CARPETCLEANING SYSTEM

Tel 086 111 4250 • Fax 011 763 4033e-mail: [email protected]

www.sebo.co.za

APPROVED BY

Recommended and approved by:

Having been in the carpet maintenanceindustry since 1984, Sebo has gained a rep-utation as one of the most reliable systemsfor cleaning and maintaining carpets.

Sebo is claimed to be the world’s larg-est manufacturer of commercial uprightvacuum cleaners and dry carpet cleaningequipment and as they say: ”Although wemake less of a fuss than other manufactur-ers, we like to think we make more of acleaning system!”

This high quality, German-manufacturedcarpet cleaning equipment is renownedfor reliability, durability and outstandingresults, including the following ranges thatensure excellent carpet maintenance.

Sebo Upright Vacuum CleanersVacuuming is the most important routine

in caring for carpets. By vacuuming daily itprevents dust build-up and damage fromhard particles.

All Sebo vacuum cleaners have a vibratingbrush action to get rid of the finest dust par-ticles and they also carry the British AllergyFoundation Seal of Approval. These vacuumcleaners are user-friendly, light and versatileto use, so that even on the most delicate car-pet Sebo can be used with complete peaceof mind.

Sebo Dry Carpet Cleaning SystemThe Sebo system uses no soap, water or

shampoo for cleaning carpets. The Sebo Duo-P Carpet Cleaning System is totally dry – thatmeans no waiting for wet carpets to dry– in addition to which it has no unpleasantodours and does not cause any shrinkage,just excellent results.

With Sebo Duo-P carpets can be walkedon during and immediately after cleaning.The advantage of using Sebo Duo-P Systemis that it does not leave any sticky residue orover-wet carpets.

Sebo Duo-P Powder has been approvedby the International Wool Board and alsocarries the British Allergy Foundation Seal ofApproval. It is non-toxic and bio-degradable,so it’s safe to use around children and pets.

The Sebo Duo-P Powder is brushed into thecarpet by using the Sebo Duo-P Applicator.Contra-rotating brushes open up the carpetpile and allow the Duo-P carpet cleaningpowder deep into the carpet pile and aroundits fibres for optimum cleaning results. Thepowder absorbs dirt, grime, oil, and aftervacuuming leaves the carpet like new.

When you implement a regular mainte-nance programme using the Sebo Dry CarpetCleaning System, there is minimal deteriora-tion of the carpet and the appearance level ismaintained throughout the carpet’s life cycle.

Sebo also provides a maintenance cleaningprogramme by trained professionals with aguarantee for your peace of mind.

Sebo – outstanding carpet care!!

Vacuum carpets Sprinkle carpet cleaning powder

Va cuum ca rpets Work Sebo Depo powder into the dirty carpet

4 powder powder the dirty carpet

Vacuum for excellent results

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Thanks to expanded fire protection systems and applications,parquet and hardwood floors made from practically any type of

wood can continue to gain popularity with planners, architects, gen-eral contractors, builders and property owners. As a result, the firstfire protection system has now been expanded to include a new ver-sion with a colour-enhancing, oil-modified, high solid primer.

For varnished floors fire retardancy is achieved through the sand-wich method: starting with a primer – either Lobadur HS GlobaSealfor enhancing the warm colour of the floor, or Lobadur WS EasyPrimefor retaining the floor’s natural colour – followed by a coat of the fireretardant Lobadur WS Sealer FR and, on top, the well-proven parquetfloor varnish Lobadur WS 2K Duo.

Regardless of the primer chosen, these systems change the firebehaviour of parquet and hardwood floors, and both create a fireretardant surface as per DIN EN 13501-1.

In the case of fire these systems significantly retard the develop-ment of smoke, which can be treacherous and life-threatening forhumans, giving rescue workers more time to evacuate the affectedrooms and areas, and installers and builders can now meet therequirements for fire-retardant flooring with this certified system.

The extensive Loba product range (marketed in South Africa byZimbo’s) also includes floor oils and waxes, products for industrial use,and cleaning and maintenance products. Additional information canbe found on the website:www.loba.de.

Zimbo’s TradingJohannesburg: 011 794 1012 Cape Town: 021 511 4693E-mail: [email protected] www.zimbostrading.co.za

New products addedto fire protection line

Marketed in South Africa solely by Zimbo’s Trading,

Loba has introduced two innovations in the area of fire

protection, following demand for these products hav-

ing risen significantly since the market launch of the

first Loba fire protection system with the fire retardant

Lobadour WS Sealer FR – a development that made

Loba the first varnish manufacturer to develop a fire

protection system for parquet and hardwood floors.

F e a t u r e : H e a l t h & S a f e t y i n F l o o r i n g

55F L O O R S J u n e 2 0 1 0

featureThe demands on the floorcovering industry

to provide floors for people in all walks of life

that are both safe and healthy are becoming

increasingly important to the decision mak-

ers.

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HEALTH & SAFETY

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This has resulted in a myriad of different attributes that arebecoming increasingly required from the various floor-

ing materials. Depending on the application, the floors canbe required to be anti-allergenic, anti-microbial, anti-slip, anti-fatigue, and without containing or exuding any harmful sub-stances or odours.

Floors can also be asked to assist in reducing noise, perform inwet conditions, and are often a major component in the design ofbuildings or areas that must accommodate people with disabili-ties of all types.

Within the industry there has always been a conflict of ideasbetween soft and hard floorcoverings – each with their ownstrong arguments – but in truth the answer lies in the applica-tion. Set the parameters that need to be achieved and there is afloorcovering that will fill almost any requirement.

Carpets provide many of the desirable qualities for safe andhealthy usage. They are warm and comfortable underfoot andprovide a cushion if children or aged persons slip and fall, butthe area where the most research (and argument!) has been con-ducted is in the answering the questions of indoor air quality andallergens.

The carpet industry has gone to great lengths in providingindependent test reports to underline their performance in theseareas, proving that they do not cause or ‘trigger’ asthma, nor pro-mote common allergies.

The demands on the floorcovering industry to provide floors for people in all walks of life that are both safe and healthy are becoming increas-ingly important to the decision makers.

The manufacturers claim that indoor air quality is enhanced byinstalling a carpet – it will trap the allergens and prevent them fromentering the air circulation in the room until they can be removed byvacuuming or deep cleaning.

They point a finger at hard floorcoverings, saying that sweeping thefloor simply swirls the allergens back into the air, and they thus affectthe air quality in the room.

The fact remains that in either instance the health aspects of anyfloorcovering are totally dependent on proper cleaning. Regularsweeping and vacuuming of any floor is imperative, and for any hardflooring a cleaning programme should include thorough washing ormopping of the floor – with clean water.

However, in the applications where hygiene and cleanliness are ofparamount importance, hard floorcoverings certainly have a majorrole to play, and therefore are often preferred in hospitals, clinics, andeven the food and beverage industries because they can provide aseamless floor with the minimum of joints – making them easy toclean whilst having nowhere for the bacteria to hide and thrive.

Here the options are legion: the tried and tested vinyl and linoleumfloors are regularly favoured; polished concrete and the various epoxyand polyurethane formulations are highly durable and meet therequirements admirably; and many of the floorcoverings can includeantimicrobial and anti-slip treatments to ensure a completely safeand healthy performance in any application.

Industrial applicationsAny type of engineering or industrial application places the onus

on the specifiers to provide totally safe environments for the peopleworking in them.

Heavy industrial floors make regular use of industrial matting sys-tems to provide added safety combined with the benefit of fatigueprevention at the workplace. These are usually made of rubber or PVCand can include large floor mats, individual workplace matting andmodular mat systems.

These mats are often required to provide considerable impact resis-tance, and to perform well in wet or oily conditions, which wouldinclude spillages from machinery.

The floors themselves will range from high-quality concrete floors

Keeping it safe & healthy


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(often engineer-designed and reinforced for addition strength) toaccommodate the requirements of heavy machinery, to light engi-neering or electronic assembly plants where antistatic carpets orceramic/porcelain tiles and resilient floorcoverings are the order ofthe day.

Cleaning to prevent accidentsSouth Africa doesn’t seem to have the same preponderance of laws

and regulations regarding the safety aspects of floors in public spacesand the workplace environment as is the case both in the USA andthe UK.

Nor do we have the same penchant for getting into litigation for theslightest (or the most serious!) accidents at the drop of a hat, but it isworth taking heed of the advice they give to obviate such actions.

For example, the UK government has, under its Watch Your Stepcampaign, produced a full document Slips and trips; the importance of floor cleaning which is also available on the website: www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/web/slips02.pdf (to whom acknowledgement and thanks is given for information contained in this article).

This states that slips and trips are the most common cause of majorinjuries at work, of which around 90% are broken bones. The cost toindustry is substantial - over £500-million (R5,75-billion) per year atthe last count and, they say, floor cleaning is significant in causing slipand trip accidents, both to cleaning staff and others.

It is pointed out that legal actions following an injury can be

extremely damaging to any business, especially where the publicis involved, particularly as insurance often only covers a small partof the cost.

Slips and trips research has shown that cleaning processes areoften poorly thought through; and cleaners are rarely involved indeciding how things are done.

However, the most effective approach is to ensure that slips andtrips hazards are designed out of a building, and consulting withthe cleaners during refurbishment (for example) can provide valu-able information on the suitability of proposed flooring types andstorage facilities for the cleaning equipment.

Floor cleaning is key in controlling many accidents because floorsurface contamination (such as water, oil and dust) is often a causeof slip accidents, so regular cleaning to remove this can reduceaccidents.

Cleaning can present its own hazards to those entering thebuilding being cleaned, including the cleaners themselves. Forexample, smooth floors left damp by a mop are likely to beextremely slippery, and trailing wires from a vacuum or buffingmachine can present a trip hazard.

Cleaning, as with other areas of health and safety, requires agood management system to help to identify problem areas,decide what to do, act on the decisions and check that the stepshave been effective.

Remember, people rarely slip on a clean dry floor. There is con-pointed legal following

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F L O O R S J u n e 2 0 1 0

tamination involved in almost all slip accidents. It can be intro-duced by the work activity or in fact by the cleaning activity itself.

The best method is to prevent contamination of the dry floor. Spot cleaning is a useful technique to clean up spills as they hap-pen, especially between whole floor cleaning.

Safety for the disabledA lot of attention is given to safety at home and in the work-

place, but often this doesn’t apply to places that need to cater for literally thousands of people every year, such as shopping malls and even places of entertainment and hospitality.

Many of these venues sacrifice safety for aesthetic appeal, result-ing in slippery but shiny floors that constitute a hazard, particu-larly when wet, and especially for the aged and disabled.

On this latter point, one only needs to look at the recent news coverage of the wheelchair-bound person that wished to cel-

ebrate a personal event by taking friends and family on the Blue Train. He was assured this prestigious conveyance was wheelchair friendly, only to find it was not – and the trip had to be cancelled.

Even more topical is the fact that three of the new stadia built for the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup also cannot provide decent access or adequately accommodate wheelchairs.

Amanda Gibberd of Gauge has once again contributed to our annu-al feature, and an article on her findings on the new SANS1400 Part S requirements is included in this feature.

To obtain the background on those stadia that did consider the disabled fully, Guy Davis of Disability Solutions gave us the following critique.

Inclusive Design at Cape Town Stadium & Nelson Mandela Multipurpose Stadium

‘The FIFA Soccer World Cup gave South Africa the opportunity to build several new stadia in different parts of the country. Disability Solutions Ltd acted as the Universal Design/Accessibility Consultants to both Cape Town Stadium and the stadium in Port Elizabeth.

It was certainly a challenge, as Universal Design is still a very new concept in South Africa, which means that few of the other profes-sionals involved with the design and build of these stadia had any direct experience of Universal/Inclusive Design.

FIFA do have some (very broad) guidelines in terms of inclusion and accessibility, and we also clearly have our own pertinent legislation, but none of these actually explain the ethos behind inclusive design. We wanted to avoid facilities being built which just blindly tried to aim for mere compliance to regulations.

In order to achieve this, and to answer the issues where many of the other professionals had little experience of inclusive design, we start-ed our involvement with workshops, aimed at different specialities and we were able to educate people on the principles of Universal Design. We also researched so that we could incorporate any lessons learned from their design processes.

We had some difficulties in trying to impress upon the designers of the need to involve us from the concept stage. The typical view was that our input would have only come in at the end of the project, when the facility had been almost completely built.

Fortunately, we were engaged in an independent role, which meant that it was much easier to comment on different work directly to the specific consultants involved.

Another area of difficulty occurred with budgetary constraints. As with any project there was a very tight rein on costs but we regularly found that items had been left out of budgets through lack of aware-ness. Items like tactile signage were not included on any budget and yet clearly there is a requirement for this.

In applying the concepts of Universal Design, we needed to allow full accessibility to all areas. Unfortunately in both cases the lead architects were from Germany, and the approach to accessibility is quite different there.

In Germany, the trend is to provide segregated, separate facilities for people with disabilities. Such facilities should provide comparable access for people with disabilities as the rest of the facilities, and in that way they claim to be able to offer equality to all people.

South Africa takes a universal design approach, calling not only for equality, but for inclusion. This means that a person with a disability


59F L O O R S J u n e 2 0 1 0

can access any area of the facility, sit, move around with his particular group of family or friends, and not be separated at all.

The accessibility had to cover all areas, including the players areas, treatment rooms, and so forth (in the future we may host the Olympics and Paralympics, or the manager/coach or physiotherapist of any team could be a person with a disability).

It had to include all the VIP areas (the most famous living South African, Nelson Mandela, certainly qualifies as a person with a dis-ability). It also has to cover the areas behind the scenes (the offices, administration and support facilities), as the stadium would be an employer, and have to comply with the various responsibilities around the Employment Equity Act.

Emergency evacuation was the other challenge. People with dis-abilities need to be able to evacuate easily and effectively from the facility.

At the Nelson Mandela Stadium the design allowed for long wide ramps, which form part of the evacuation route, however the design at Cape Town meant that ramps were impossible, and vertical circula-tion is achieved by stairs and lifts.

It is important that the primary evacuation route enables any per-son to evacuate independently, so we would not allow the use of “Evac chairs” to be part of the primary route, (these have to rely on trained personnel always being available to assist people out of the stadium).

Instead, the vertical circulation is achieved using Fireman lifts (lifts with additional smoke/fire protection, independent power supplies, and communication systems). This also necessitated design changes

to allow for smoke/fire proof lobbies as places of refuge.Additionally the signage at Cape Town, specifically, has been

very carefully developed to assist all people within the facility. Pictograms are used throughout, and the signs are repeated at a lower level. These lower signs are also tactile, as are the full colour maps of the stadium and precinct.

The wheelchair seating provision is spread throughout the sta-dia, giving a wheelchair user a choice of seating, around the pitch, and on different levels. It is not always possible to reach each row of seating within the stadia, but there are specific wheelchair viewing places on each level that allow for an unrestricted view of the field of play.

In Cape Town and Port Elizabeth true inclusivity is achieved, with accessible entrance gates alongside the turnstiles. Other than the specific evacuation routes, there is no segregation. People with disabilities can access all areas, meeting the spirit and the practical application of universal design.’

However, it is interesting to note that some people really care!The design of the recently opened additions to the CSIR’s

International Conference Centre in Pretoria has gone into con-siderable detail to ensure the safety and access requirements of physically disabled persons throughout the entire building.

Even the auditorium stage area and others that were originally inaccessible have been provided with innovative architectural designs incorporating lifts and bespoke access points to these areas.

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In the USA, for example, a recent study has forecast that the65-plus population will increase by 56% – from 35 million

to 55 million – between 2000 and 2020. The same study alsoforecasts that today’s elderly population in the States is like todouble by 2040.

Even though, for many reasons, the situation may not be sodire in South Africa, the fact remains that healthcare facilitiesrequire specific qualities from the floorcoverings they use inorder to meet the required hygienic standards, and the follow-ing is mostly extracted from the November 2009 issue of Floor Focus (to which acknowledgement and thanks are given) asunderlining the qualities needed in healthcare flooring.

Acute care and long-term care each have distinct needsin floorcovering but there are a lot of similarities as well.Maintenance and durability are a major consideration in both,no matter what kind of floorcovering is used.

For example, both areas have to stand up to ‘wheel traffic’– everything from gurneys to wheelchairs – and, increasingly,assisted-living facilities have to deal with seniors who use moto-rised scooters to get around, which tend to be fairly heavy andcan loosen flooring and leave wheel marks and indentations,among other problems.

Both areas also have to contend with bodily fluids. In hos-pitals, that could mean everything from blood to urine, whileassisted-living facilities often have incontinent residents. Thatputs a premium on flooring that can be cleaned quickly andcompletely to keep bacteria from growing.

Perhaps not applicable throughout

the African Continent in general, most

Westernised countries are forecasting that

the life expectancy of people is likely to

increase, resulting in a considerably larger

elderly population.

The necessities of healthcare flooring

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Any carpet in a healthcare setting needs to havea moisture-barrier backing that’s non-permeableand broadloom is attractive because there arefewer seams and those can usually be heat-welded.However, carpet tile firms say their products areequally effective because tiles can be pulled up andcleaned or replaced.

Safety is also a top priority, and flooring has to beengineered to keep patients from slipping and fall-ing. In the USA, Medicare recently declared that itwouldn’t reimburse hospitals for injuries resultingfrom falls in healthcare facilities, putting them in thesame category as inexcusable errors like amputat-ing the wrong arm. So, healthcare facilities have aneven greater financial incentive to choose the rightflooring.

Creating slip-proof flooring is a fairly exacting pro-cess. It not only involves the components and thefinish, but the design itself. For example, a busy pat-tern or one with severe contrast in an assisted-livingfacility can cause disorientation.

Patterns that move visually are a problem,because things can become confusing and seniorsmight be stepping over things that aren’t there. Inliving settings, a carpet with loop-pile constructionhas less friction than a cut pile, so it tends to be bet-ter for seniors who shuffle when they walk.

Managing acoustics is also a major considerationin healthcare design, partly because there are a lotof conversations that need to remain private, anddesigners tackle this in different ways. One designermight use carpet or rubber to soften sound but oth-ers might use wall covering or ceiling tiles in con-junction with other kinds of flooring like sheet vinylor linoleum, which tends to be quieter than VCT.

“What kind of flooring is used in a healthcare set-

ting in any particular area isn’t necessarily cut and dried,” says designer Stan Spellmanof Spellman Brady & Co. of St. Louis. “There are a lot of competing interests, anddesigners have to take them into account. The nursing staff and the administration allhave opinions about it, and maintenance has huge opinions about it,” he says. “Somemaintenance people love carpet and some hate it. If they know how to work with it,they tend to like it, but if they have the wrong carpet, they’re going to hate it.”

The maintenance factor is one of the biggest headaches that hospitals and theirflooring suppliers face. For example, a high shine is often equated with clean or ster-ile, which isn’t necessarily the case.

However, sometimes hospital personnel will think that their hospital satisfactionsurveys will drop if the floors don’t shine, and sometimes an unknowing maintenancestaff will try to polish flooring like linoleum as it would VCT, and end up ruining itsantibacterial properties.

Wax also can trap contaminants, and high glare can be disorienting for old people.The maintenance issues are often compounded in small facilities that tend to have ahigh turnover of staff in their maintenance departments.

There’s also been some interesting research into flooring in hospitals. Dr. DebraHarris of Rad Consultants, who has done some research for carpet tile maker InterfaceInc. and others, has found that a patient’s visitors tend to stay longer in a room thathas carpet in it instead of a hard surface, which is seen as helpful in patient recovery.

She has also taken a look at air quality in hospital rooms at bed level, and has foundthat the air in carpeted rooms is cleaner than over a hard floor surface.

The reason, she says, is that particulates get trapped in the carpet, while theytend to get kicked up when someone walks over a hard surface. Harris also notesthat healthy bacteria in carpet tends to keep other bacteria from proliferating.Nevertheless, nurses tend to think of carpet as less sanitary, she says.

www.floordaily.netwww.floord aily.net


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Section Comment Health & Safety Rationale

Signage• Indicates the specification of signage within flooring,

which assists people with partial sight and cognitive impairments.

• It makes way-finding and means of escape easer for all building users.

• Accessing and egressing building becomes quick-er and safer.

Parking• Provides the dimensions for the provision of a

transfer space alongside a parking bay, and the design and layout of the symbols on a parking bay.

• An accessible car parking bay can only be used if the transfer space is protected and not misused by the adjacent driver.

External and internal circulation

• At least one route throughout the building(s) and site should include people with disabilities.

• Circulation spaces and design of kerb cuts are pro-vided.

• Ensures that the main access and egress route is inclusive of people with disabilities.

• To ensure that the minimum space requirements of people with disabilities are included in the accessible route.

The New Regulation and Deemed to Satisfy Requirements

BackgroundThe National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications amended

the Building Regulations (1977) in 2008, and the changes took effect from October 2008. This included substantial amendments to Part S of the Regulations governing environmental access for people with disabilities.

However, no accompanying Deemed to Satisfy Requirements (or technical standards) were published.

The South African Bureau of Standards, which is responsible for the publication of these requirements/standards, has just issued a draft version for public comment (DSS). This article draws designers’ and specifiers’ attention to the relevant changes.

Manufacturers often find that they are in a position to draw the attention of architects and designers to changes in legislation of which they need to become aware.

ApproachIn 2007, South Africa signed the United Nations Convention on the

Rights of People with Disabilities. In doing so, government commit-ted itself to following a universal design approach to the inclusion of people with disabilities within the built environment.

The publication of regulations and standards by government bod-ies supports the rights of individuals with disabilities. However, due to the signing of the UN Convention, the approach that designers and specifiers should take is to ensure that they have accommodated everyone using each facility, including people with disabilities, rather than providing different facilities for people with or without disabili-ties.

Thus flooring specified to be slip-resistant and safe should meet the requirements of people with disabilities as well as other building users.

The new Regulations and Health and Safety on surfacesThe new Regulations Part S, legally binding since 2008, state that:

“Persons with disabilities shall be able to safely enter the building, use all the facilities, subject to the provisions of sub-regulation (3) within it and leave it. (S2.1(a)”

The draft version of the Deemed to Satisfy Requirements (Sub-regu-lation 3) covers the following sections, which will affect flooring and surfaces in the following ways. It is provided in table format for ease of reference:


63F L O O R S J u n e 2 0 1 0

Floor or groundsurfaces

• Floor and ground surfaces which form an integralpart of an accessible route shall be stable, firm andslip resistant.

• Carpet, carpet tiles or other floor finishes shall besecurely attached and level across all types of pile.Pile height of carpets shall not exceed 3 mm.

• Openings in the floor finish or ground surface shallnot exceed 13 mm in diameter and, where the open-ing is elongated, the long dimension shall be placedperpendicular to the dominant direction of travel.

• The vertical change in level between two floor sur-faces shall not exceed 5 mm.

• Where a surface is cambered for drainage purposes,the camber shall not exceed 1:50.

• Cobbles (whether fixed or loose), gravel sand andother raised or loose finishes shall not form part ofan accessible route.

These technical standards form the parameters ofproviding an accessible surface which will be safe,comfortable and convenient for people with disabili-ties to use.

Doorways and doors • Provides the space requirements for doors, includingsliding doors.

• Circulation around doors is a safety issue. Thespecified floor surfaces can increase or decreasethe momentum for movement through doorway.

Ramps • Provides the new maximum limits for gradients andthe surface type for use on ramps.

• Ensures that ramps are designed within safe limitsfor building users, not simply for trolley use.

Stairways • Draws out the requirement of an identifiable”nosing” on the riser and the tread.

• The step is easier to see, negotiate and does notcause a trip hazard.

Lifts • Draws attention to the need for the surface in thelift to be level with the surface of the floor on whichthey serve.

• Differences in surface level are an access and asafety hazard.

Toilet facilities • Provides the minimum dimensions and distancerequirements for wheelchair accessible WC’s.

• The distance to facilities and the requirements ofthe layout are an important health requirement ofpeople with disabilities.

Warning signals • Draws attention to colour contrast and lightinglevels.

• Selection of floor surfaces can enhance colourcontrast of adjacent surfaces.

• The specification of matt or shiny surfaces affectsthe perception of light and the safe use of a facil-ity.

Lighting

Section Comment Health & Safety Rationale

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Further inputAs a DSS, these standards are available for public comment. If any

designer or specifier is interested in contributing to the process, theycan contact Amanda Gibberd at Gauge by e-mail: [email protected] contact the SABS direct.

During the re-publication of SANS 10400, TC 59 established a work-ing group to review Part S. Two opposing views on the limits of rampswere put forward for discussion. Both parties were requested to sum-marise their arguments in support of their view.

Gauge supports the approach that the current limits for the gra-dients of ramps in South Africa are not in line with universal design.The current specifications are based on research and thinking that isexclusive and discriminatory.

Whilst acknowledging the need to provide technical standards thatare compatible with the nature of the construction industry in thecountry, there seems little point in putting forward specifications thatexclude people with disabilities, particularly people in wheelchairs.

More especially if these specifications are for ramps for a standardon environmental access. Ramps are fundamental to the movementof people in wheelchairs and therefore cannot be specified to excludethe majority of people using them.

The South African Constitution and Equality Act support equalityfor people with disabilities in the built environment. South Africabecame a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Peoplewith Disabilities in 2007 and has therefore committed itself to take auniversal design approach to environmental access.

The following experts from a variety of countries have been con-sulted in the preparation of this paper: Tom Rickert (Access Exchange International, USA); Louis Thibault (Access Board, USA); Kit Mitchell (Pedestrian Accessibility and Movement Environment Laboratory, University College, London, UK); Ann Frye (Technical Expert on Accessible Transport, UK); and Betty Dion, (Chairperson of the international body, GAATES).

Opposing views on the relationship of a ramp gradient relative toits length have come about largely since the publication of the UKBuilding Regulations 2004 and British Standard BS8300.

There has been little new research on this relationship in mostcountries, including in the United States of America (USA). Originalstandards were largely based on research from the USA in the wave of

reform that came about with the move towards civil rights for peoplewith disabilities.

A research project was undertaken with Vietnam War veterans who,coming back to life in the US in the 1960’s, found that they had noplace in society and were effectively prisoners in a country they hadfought for.

The research project that took place derived technical standardsthat have guided most of the Deemed to Satisfy parts of the BuildingRegulations throughout the world. Individual countries have simplymodified the findings to suit local circumstances.

By their nature, the sample used in the US research was male andabove average in height. The veterans used in the study had injuriesthat resulted in paraplegia. Thus assumptions were made about theavailability of the full use of their upper bodies and associated bal-ance capabilities.

During 2000 an expert panel from the international communityreviewed a selection of building standards used on environmentalaccess in a range of developed and developing countries throughoutthe world.

South Africa was one of the countries whose building standardswere reviewed. The limit of 12 metres that South Africa had chosento place on the vertical height of ramps was found to be the mostextreme, and was dismissed by the expert panel as far too great.

The panel also suggested that a gradient of 1:16 to 1:20 constitutedbest practice. No country in this review recommended a gradient ofover 1:10 for people in wheelchairs on main pedestrian routes. Mostrecommended a maximum limit of 1:12.

Ramps have to be used by people with disabilities who use wheel-chairs. They may be male or female, adult or child. They may propelthemselves in a manual or electric powered chair, or be pushed byan attendant. People in wheelchairs have a variety of conditions thatresult in their need to use a wheelchair. Only one of these is paraple-gia.

If no alternative route with steps that are easy to use is included,the ramp will also be used by people with ambulant disabilities. Theymay not find a ramp easy to use, particularly if steep over a restrictiveheight.

There are various factors that affect a person’s ability to use a ramp.One is the size of the wheelchair, another is their ability to use it, the thirdis their physical strength and the fourth is their balance capabilities.


65F L O O R S J u n e 2 0 1 0

The steepness of a gradient and the length of the ramp are interre-lated, as the steeper the ramp, the less strength one has to negotiatedistance. Descending a steep ramp over a long distance results inincreased speed and it is difficult to stop. It is also difficult for some-one pushing the wheelchair to control it.

During 1989, Leeds University carried out further work on gradients(GR Leake et al, Ergonomic Standards for disabled people in pedes-trian areas, TRRL Working Paper 275). This work supported the viewthat gradients for ramps that were inclusive of all people with disabili-ties, both men and women in wheelchairs with any type of disability,should be designed in accordance with the specifications below.

The research on which this is based is JL Flores and P Minaire Epidemiologie du handicap: etude fonctionnelle d’une population Laboratoire Ergonomie Sante Confort, INRETS, Arcueil, Paris, December 1986.

British Standard BS 8300 (2001 and 2009) and the British BuildingRegulations Part M, which works in a similar way to the South AfricanBuilding Regulations Part S, specifies the following limits on ramplengths and gradients, using the research described above:

Gradient Ramp length Change of height

1:12 2m 167mm

1:15 5m 333mm

1:20 10m 500mm

The British Regulations also limit the maximum vertical rise of aseries of ramps to 2 metres.

This position paper supports the use of this research. It is noted thatthere are maintenance problems with the provision of lifts in manyareas of South Africa, and therefore a slight modification has beenmade to allow for this. These extended limits are based on other stan-dards such as the Philippines, Mexico, Ireland and Australia.

The suggested wording reads as follows:Ramps shall normally comply with the following requirements

between landings:

Gradient Ramp length Change of height

Preferred Maximum Preferred Maximum

1:12 2m 5m 165mm

1:15 5m 10m 333mm 665mm

1:20 10m 15m 500mm 750mm

NOTE: Where the total rise contemplated for a ramp is greater than2 metres, consideration should be given to the installation of a plat-form lift.

ConclusionSouth Africa is a developing country with limited resources. The

built environment does not change often, as there are frequently noresources to modify it. Therefore any structure that is put in place,such as a ramp, is likely not to be altered once included.

A current court case suggests that it is not even possible to guaran-tee backing from the Human Rights Commission in this regard, with-out supporting legislation.

If a decision is taken to reject research that explicitly provides thelimits within which the majority of people with disabilities are able tofunction, this decision should be taken with the full acceptance of thepublic, especially people with disabilities, regardless of the type ofdisability, particularly people who use wheelchairs.

Amanda Gibberd (DipCOT GradDipl EA(AA)GaugeTel: 012 343 1941 E-mail: [email protected]

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Established for over 55 years, FloorworX is the only local manufacturer of semi-!exible tiles, fully !exible vinyl sheeting and tiles – all of which carry the SANS certi"cation for quality.

FloorworX also distributes Quick-Step wood laminates, Kährs wooden !oors and a comprehensive range of international resilient !oorcoverings, including safety !ooring, antistatic !ooring, luxury vinyl !ooring, static control tiles, linoleum, Novilon, rubber and sports !ooring, together with a wide range of !ooring adhesives, accessories and !oorcare materials.

The Flooring Solutions Company

National Call Centre 0860 346 679

www.!oorworx.co.za


Introducing Revolutionary Floorcare . . .

One of the most popular misconceptions regarding carpet is thatit is perceived as being a potential contributor to asthma and

allergy, but there is no scientific study linking the rise of allergy andasthma to the use of carpet.

Indeed, several studies actually disprove any correlation; for exam-ple, a 15-year Swedish study found no link between carpet usageand the incidence of allergy or asthma. In fact, when carpet usage inSweden decreased by 70%, allergy reactions in the general populationincreased by 30%.

Carpet may even be helpful to people with asthma: an 18-nationstudy of nearly 20,000 people found a statistical relationship between

Making the right decisions about carpet starts

with having the facts. That is why the Carpet and

Rug Institute (CRI) sponsors scientific research

and gathers data from independent sources to

help professionals and the public make educat-

ed flooring choices.

carpeted bedrooms and reduced asthma symptoms and bronchialresponsiveness.

A possible explanation for this is that carpet acts like a filter, trap-ping allergens away from the breathing zone so they can be removedthrough proper vacuuming and deep-cleaning extraction.

Other studies have measured the distribution of airborne dust asso-ciated with normal activities on smooth surfaces and carpeted floors.The findings show that walking on hard surfaces disturbs more par-ticles, which become airborne and enter the breathing zone.

In contrast, carpeted surfaces trap more particles so that walking dis-turbs fewer particles, resulting in fewer particles in the breathing zone.

People wishing to know more about these research studies shouldvisit the website www.carpet-rug.org – and don’t forget that the CRIhas organised a user-friendly web portal offering information aboutcarpet to the healthcare fraternity. (See FLOORS in Africa: Journal 2/10)

This website provides doctors and other healthcare workers withscience-based information that supports CRI’s position that there isno link between carpet use and an increase in asthma and allergysymptoms. Not always up and running, this can be found on http://www.carpet-health.org.

Carpet health

CAST

ELLO


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There are a number of potential hazards to be aware of when strip-ping, sealing and maintaining your floor.

The purpose of this article is to look at three primary hazards thatone should be aware of, namely: physical hazards, product toxicityand microbial hazards.

Physical HazardsThe most notable physical hazard is a slippery floor. Always ensure

that the sealant placed on the floor is non-slip such as FloorworXSealer.

Floors are also potentially slippery when in the process of beingstripped and sealed and/or maintained. The area should always beclearly demarcated with warning signs and the equipment usedshould always be a bright yellow colour so that it is easily visible.

The equipment itself should also be safe with no sharp corners orhard surfaces on which someone could be injured. Top-quality equip-ment such as the Rubbermaid range should be used, since the equip-ment is highly visible and is easy and safe to use.

ToxicityThe products used to strip the floor, seal and maintain it should

always be safe to use. Products containing chemicals such asammonia or formalin should be avoided because the fumes areunpleasant and largely unsafe to work with.

When dealing with floors in food preparation and eatingareas, it is essential to ensure that the products used aresafe for use near food. An easy way to verify this is todetermine whether the products are SABS 1828 or SABS1853 certified.

Products carrying these certifications can be usedsafely in a food and beverage environment. Safic hasdeveloped an entire Food & Beverage Range to meetthese strict requirements.

Microbial HazardsDamaged, cracked or scratched floors are potentially

hazardous because these scratches and cracks are idealareas for microbes to grow.

Regular and correct maintenance of the floor can go along way to mitigate these issues. If a floor is properly sealedusing a good product such as FloorworX Sealer and maintainedusing FloorworX Buff and FloorworX Maintain, cracks will be pre-vented and scratches will be removed.

It is essential to use a product with disinfectant properties on floorsin high-risk areas. Here you should ensure that the stripper you use is

a disinfectant such as FloorworX Bactro-Strip.

A maintenance product such as FloorworX Maintain is also a disin-

fectant with an excellent surfactant to clean and has other properties

to enhance the sheen on the floors while leaving a pleasant fragrance

on the surfaces.

Using the correct equipment when maintaining floors is imperative.

Traditional spaghetti mops are not very effective and can in fact fur-

ther spread microbiological contamination.

Colour-coded systems for specific areas prevent the potential spread

of microbiological contamination from one area to another area. Safic

can help you use the correct colour-coded systems for specific areas.

Rubbermaid mops are made using split microfibres which offer

54% faster cleaning than standard cotton mops. The split microfibres

penetrate microscopic crevices where cotton and non-split microfibre

cannot reach.

Through the careful identification of potential hazards and the effec-

tive implementation of preventative systems, and with the help of

established partners such as Safic and FloorworX, you can ensure that

your floors offer a safe and pleasant environment.

Safic Floorcare Range enquiries

Tel: 011 406 4001

hazardous?Is your productSafic and FloorworX, subsidiaries of Accéntuate

Ltd, have joined forces to ensure an effective and

efficient floor maintenance regime that eliminates

potential hazards while offering world-class solu-

tions.

67

eq uip

shouldas

fumes are

sealedmaint ained

be pre-

propert ieson floorsst ripper you use is

FloorcareRange of Products


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TILE SIZE – 460 x 460mmTHICKNESS – 18mm

APPLICATIONS• Any area in which wet conditions prevail

• Behind Bar Counters• Inside Fridges

• Workshops• Warehouses

MATCOmatting systems

Comfortable to stand on • Facilitates good drainageNon-Slip • Protective floor covering

Absorbs high impact • Constructed from PVCEasy to install • Inter-locking • Attractive

Matco Head Office

Tel: 011 452 7962 • Fax: 011 452 [email protected]@matcomats.co.za

www.matcomarketing.co.za

Safety DuckboardMatco Marketing is an importer and manufacturer of

custom-made commercial and industrial matting. In

addition to effective and attractive access matting, a

wide variety of safety matting is available for use at the

workface, including duckboards, anti-fatigue matting,

non-slip matting and matting designed for wet environ-

ments. By providing a suitable mat for the application,

productivity is increased, good health is maintained and

a smile is brought to the face of the operator.

There is no doubt that by using the Matco Safety Duckboard pro-ductivity is increased with the reduction of employee fatigue for

those that spend long periods on their feet.This high-quality safety product is supplied in 460mm x 460mm

tiles, 18mm thick, which interlock to provide an attractive, anti-slipsurface for any size of floor area, and it is particularly beneficial incontinuously wet underfoot conditions because the water simplyruns through or under the duckboard.

The Flexi-work Grease Mat also has superb slip resistance, excellentdrainage and is ideal for use in kitchens, restaurants or bar areas.In addition to these safety features, this mat also offers anti-fatiguesolutions.

For areas with prevailing wet conditions such as change rooms orbar areas, Matco has the Trapper Light Duty Mat (a non-slip flexiblevinyl for light traffic); and the Star Gripper Mat (an unbacked vinylmat) – both of which can be hosed down to keep them clean.

Matco safety mats used in food preparation areas, kitchens andbehind bar counters provide considerable benefits by reducing thefoot, knee and back strain problems associated with long standingperiods, and will help to drain liquid spills and provide safety trac-tion.

Anyone interested in obtaining a quotation, samples, or learningmore about this impressive range should contact Matco at the num-bers shown below or visit their website.

Matco MarketingTe: 011 452 7961Fax: 011 452 7965E-mail: [email protected] / [email protected]: www.matcomarketing.co.za

Safety matting protects the workforce


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Although South Africa is not as far advanced as Europe or Americawith regard to green cleaning, more and more companies and serviceproviders are realising and accepting the responsibilities we all haveon the environment.

One of the many challenges facing suppliers of chemicals in ourindustry providing a product that is still capable of performing thecleaning action without being detrimental to the environment andpeople. In the cleaning industry products traditionally range fromhighly acidic to highly alkaline. Many surfactants and synthetic deter-gent raw materials have already been banned in Europe.

Some chemical suppliers have come a long way in changing theirproduct composition and are looking at natural or plant derivedcomponents, solvents and surfactants that still provide a product toperform to expectations. Other products are available that containbacteria or organic enzymes and these products are usually used inneutral based formulations, ph 4-9. Many suppliers are also changing

As an industry leader, Prestige Cleaning Services

is actively involved with the implementation of

chemicals and systems which are aligned with

the Green Cleaning Concept and impact mini-

mally on the environment.

their entire operation to become more environmentally friendly.Prestige is also constantly looking at changing its methods of clean-

ing, moving away from using abrasives and pads and focusing oncleaning methods which utilise the minimum amount of water andchemicals. This includes focusing on dry dirt removal by vacuuming(even on hard floors) and the use of micro-fibre cloths and spot-mopping equipment which only releases a fine mist spray of water.Another development is the use of ionized water, where the use ofany chemical is unnecessary.

Prestige has also been using The Host System for carpet cleaningfor many years. It was the first dry carpet cleaner to be awarded TheGreen Seal in the USA. The system deep-cleans a carpet more effec-tively than other methods, using up to 97% less water than conven-tional methods. It has also been proven that it improves indoor airquality, reduces dust mites by 78%, cat allergen by 85% and mouldspores by 85%.

Prestige has always strived to contribute to a healthier environmentby encouraging the use of products and procedures which cause lesspollution and waste and conserve resources and the environmentas a whole. Prestige is also a proud member of The Green BuildingCouncil of South Africa.

Prestige Cleaning Services Cell: 082 566 6837 (Edwin van den Bergh)Fax: 086 511 8285E-mail: [email protected]: www.prestigecleaning.co.za

Cleaning and greening!

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Workplace health and safety are of high concern

in the USA, particularly in terms of the huge num-

ber of court cases that occur each year, and this

has given rise to the recent addition of a stringent

enforcement programme to the Occupational

Safety & Health Act (OSHA).

OSHA gets toughon violations

In an effort to address urgent safety and health problems fac-ing Americans in the workplace, OSHA is implementing a new

Severe Violator Enforcement Programme and increasing civil penalty amounts.

An OSHA spokesman says that for many employers investing in job safety happens only when they have adequate incentives to comply with OSHA’s requirements. Higher penalties and more aggressive, targeted enforcement will provide a greater deterrent and further encourage these employers to furnish safe and healthy workplaces for their employees.

The new Severe Violator Enforcement Programme is intended to focus OSHA enforcement resources on recalcitrant employers who endanger workers by demonstrating indifference to their responsibili-ties under the law.

This supplemental enforcement tool includes increased OSHA

inspections in these worksites, including mandatory OSHA follow-up inspections and inspections of other worksites of the same employer where similar hazards and deficiencies may be present.

The SVEP will become effective during June this year and further information can be found on the website http://www.osha.gov/dep/svep-directive.pdf.

Last year, OSHA assembled a work group to evaluate its penalty policies and found currently assessed penalties are too low to have an adequate deterrent effect. Based on the group’s findings and recom-mendations, several administrative changes to the penalty calculation system, outlined in the agency’s Field Operations Manual, are being made.

These administrative enhancements will become effective in the next months and the penalty changes will increase the overall dollar amount of all penalties while maintaining OSHA’s policy of reducing penalties for small employers and those acting in good faith.

The current maximum penalty for a serious violation, one capable of causing death or serious physical harm, is only US $7 000 and the maximum penalty for a wilful violation is US $70 000. The average penalty for a serious violation will increase from about US $1 000 to an average US $3 000-$4 000.

Despite inflation, monetary penalties for violations of the OSH Act have been increased only once in 40 years. The Protecting America’s Workers Act would raise these penalties for the first time since 1990 to US $12 000 and US $250 000 respectively. Future penalty increases would also be tied to inflation. In the meantime, OSHA will focus on outreach in preparation of implementing this new penalty policy.

For more information on the penalty policy, visit http://www.osha.gov/dep/penalty-change-memo.pdf.

Information used in this article has been extracted from the US-based Facility Safety Management website www.fsmmag.com, to whom acknowledgement and thanks are given.

F e a t u r e : S p o r t s F l o o r i n g

71F L O O R S J u n e 2 0 1 0

featureA hot topic at the moment, sustainability has

become a major issue for the flooring indus-

try, with tender documents and architectural

briefs now regularly having requirements

to meet high levels of environmental pro-

tection, conservation of natural resources,

energy and water saving, responsible manu-

facturing processes, and recycling of old

product and factory waste.

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SPORT

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Once again the flooring industry is meeting its challenges witha wide variety of innovative products and systems that cater

for the extensive flooring requirements of sports halls, gymnasiums,fitness centres and training facilities, not to mention the increasinguse of simulated grass “carpets” in applications such as school sportsfields, training grounds and others.

For indoor applications the main requirements for sports floorscentre on providing a certain amount of shock absorption and reduc-tion of fatigue, reduced noise levels where possible, consistent ballbounce, high wear, abrasion and impact resistance, a minimum main-tenance and cleaning requirement and colour/line marking retention.

Depending on each individual application, this has given rise to theprovision of such varied products and systems as seamless polyure-thane flooring, sprung timber floors or “resilient” wood floors whichuse the selected hardwood in combination with an under-surfacesandwich construction such as a combination of polyurethane andrubber, and synthetic flooring of various types – including some witha multilayer construction of 100% pure vinyl with a reinforced fibre-

glass grid and a closed cell foam backing.The options are endless and the above examples are by no means

all that is available for sports floor applications. They simply highlightthe diversity and the vast spectrum of different floorcoverings thatare being used in sports floor applications.

Generally speaking, the traditional sports hall floors used a natural wood or parquet floor solidly fixed to a substrate, but modern designsincorporate a sprung floor to provide a better playing surface and“feel” for the athletes.

Hardwoods such as Maple have always been favoured in theseinstances, but modern developments have ensured that the useof Laminate and even Bamboo floors are making inroads into this market.

However, this is a specialised area for flooring installation, and what-ever material is selected it must be laid under the close direction ofan expert to ensure that the floor performs in the way it is intended.

In a multipurpose hall that is used for other community activities,many other types of floorcovering can be used, including heavy duty,

It may have been influenced by all the excitement around

the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup competition, but so many

people have asked us to run a feature on Sports Flooring

– indicating that this is a sector that is growing rapidly – that

it now makes its appearance in FLOORS in Africa for the first

time in this issue.

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flexible vinyl sheet designed to perform safely and effectively in multi-purpose indoor sports venues, and renowned for its resilience, minimum seams and ease of cleaning.

In some applications linoleum sheet or rub-ber and PVC tiles can be used, but in every instance where a resilient floorcovering is being considered, the specifier should liaise closely with the supplier/installer to ensure that the required end result is being achieved.

In wet areas such as around indoor swim-ming pools or shower/changeroom areas, ceramic or porcelain tiles are the favoured floorcovering, and these days there is a selection of surface treatments available that allow for rapid drainage and provide an anti-slip surface. Their ease of cleaning (even hosing down) means that these floors can be kept hygienically clean at all times.

The advent of health clubs and fitness centres has spawned competitive facilities in practically every city, town or suburb and this, in turn, has presented the flooring industry with some difficult challenges to adequately meet the wide variety of ser-vices that they offer.

For example, there are many different flooring requirements needed throughout most fitness centres. Studios or areas may be used for exercise, dancing, pilates, yoga, martial arts, weight machines, free weights, ball games, treadmills, jogging and so on, and they each have their own particular needs.

To find out what floorcoverings are used in this type of application, FLOORS in Africa visited Planet Fitness, one of the largest fit-ness organisations in the country.

Planet Fitness was launched in October 1995 and now has 24 clubs in the Western Cape and Gauteng, with plans going ahead to enter KwaZulu-Natal. Property director Willie Brase says these clubs exhibit a high degree of exciting layout and design, but the flooring has to be equally exceptional to cater for the wide range of activities offered, and there are preferred, proven floorcoverings for each specific area.

The original aesthetic for Planet Fitness was conceptualised by Design Base, the interior design division of MDS Architecture, which is one of the oldest architectural firms in South Africa.

Take the Bedfordview Planet Fitness


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Mega Club, which is described by MDS as being one of the first new interiors to reflect the evolution into a contemporary, upmarket and intimate interior.

Situated in the Bedford Square Shopping Centre, the double volume entrance of the gym leads off the shopping centre’s restaurant court. A full glass façade provides an abundance of natural light and allows passers-by to experience the energy of the gym. A running track over the reception counter and a pool to the left of the entrance ensure that there are always people creating movement in the space.

We asked Pete Briel of DMS Quantity Surveyors in Pretoria what the preferred floorcoverings are for each specific area, and he was kind enough to provide us with the following information.

Intimate spaces are a highlight and a major requirement of the design, and these are essential in the private training areas where individual training sessions are carried out with personal trainers. Likewise, one-on-one Pilates sessions are offered.

These areas and the fully equipped Feminique gym that is reserved for the exclusive use of women, with private access from the ladies change rooms, are fitted with plush carpeting supplied by Belgotex Floorcoverings and natural wood floors – both installed by Times Two Flooring to provide a comfortable, intimate space.

The group training and studio areas that accommodate activities such as aerobics have timber sprung floors and mirrors, and the previ-ously mentioned running track is mounted on high density foam (to reduce noise and provide a comfortable running surface) that has separate lanes to accommodate people of various fitness levels.

The floor for the cardio deck is Pergo Practique Laminate floor-ing from Barrow Flooring, which is also used in the reception area, together with ceramic tiles and the boxing studio has a natural wood floor.

This centre also has an extensive kids area, for which resilient floors can be selected from the preferred vinyl floorcoverings of Pedestra (from Tuff Floors) and Polaris Footwork (Sports Floor International).

Plastige from Rulo Tools is used in the free weights areas and Taralay (Commercial Flooring) is favoured for use in the spinning areas.

The change rooms include a steam room and drench showers where light coloured porcelain tiles supplied and installed by Rudolf & Van Vuuren are used for their suitability in wet areas and ease of regular cleaning, and to complement the upmarket design of these areas.

For the circulation and administrative/sales areas Belgotex Floorcoverings Berberpoint carpet is preferred, and the contract area – for subscriptions and data capture – employs a limited amount of access flooring (by Peter Bates) in the control room to accommodate the computer servers the centre uses. Also, a centre of this magni-tude obviously needs a large plant room, and for these areas epoxy screeded floors are preferred.

From the foregoing it can be seen that a large fitness centre is a microcosm of sports flooring. The types of floorcovering these centres use can be extrapolated to meet the requirements of gymnasiums, sports halls, multi-purpose indoor arenas or assembly halls, and other sporting applications, many of which are detailed and being promot-ed by participants in this feature.

Also, it is noticeable that no matter how complex the project may be, the flooring industry rises to the occasion and meets all the requirements, every time.74


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75F L O O R S J u n e 2 0 1 0www.flowcrete.com

FLOWSPORT - flexible sports flooring

General Public Areas Spectator Galleries Changing & WC Facilities

Specialist flooring solutions also available for...

Durban

176 Voortrekker Street

Jacobs

Tel: +27 (031) 461 3411

Fax: +27 (031) 461 3475

Johannesburg

47 Forge Road

Kempton Park

Tel: +27 (011) 394 1980

Fax: +27 (011) 394 3003

Cape Town

1A Gabriel Place

Plumstead

Tel: +27 (021) 797 0214

Fax: +27 (021) 761 6664

E-mail: [email protected]

Visit: www.flowcretesa.co.za

World leaders in the manufacture

of seamless resin flooring systems.

TRANSFORMING environments with seamless resin flooring

FlowSport is a composite surface product specially designed by

Flowcrete to provide a flexible flooring solution for use in sports

halls, gymnasia and leisure centres.

Court lines and area markings are applied in internationally

recognised colours on top of the finished surface.

Flowcrete’s extensive range of specialist resin flooring products can

be applied throughout the sporting complex in both a decorative

and functional capacity.

To find out more about FlowSport or other seamless flooring

solutions, please contact your local Flowcrete office and ask to

speak to one of our Technical Advisors.

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Kährs has signed a contract with FISAF (the Federation of International Sports Aerobics & Fitness Inc.) to be the exclusive offi-cial floor supplier for the upcoming World and European Aerobics Championships in 2011.

The kick-off for the cooperation agreement between Kährs and FISAF took place during the European Championships Sports Aerobics and Fitness Teams 2007, 10 to 12 May in Barcelona, Spain.

The floor was already in use for the FISAF Championships in Rotterdam 2004 and in Moscow 2005. Participants and spectators from all over the world experienced and witnessed the possibilities of the Kährs Activity Floor.

According to Riitta Hämäläinen-Bister, Secretary-General of FISAF, it is one of the key operations of FISAF to find partners who are ready to develop and offer valuable actions with united efforts in the enor-mous network of the Global Fitness industry.

FloorworX Marketing Department Tel: 011 406 4146Fax: 011 406 4205Website: www.floorworx.co.za

Marketed in South Africa exclusively by FloorworX,

Kährs Activity Floor is a preferred choice in the

fitness floor market – not only from a user’s

perspective but also from the floor installer’s point

of view.

There are two innovations that make the Kährs Activity Floor unique and outstanding: unlike ordinary wood or synthetic floors

for sports and other activities, the absorption material and reinforce-ment are already fitted to the back of the Kährs Activity Floor boards. The shock protection is excellent; you can do your training in a safe way without undue harm to your body.

The floor is also provided with the patented glueless Woodloc joint, just like the majority of Kährs floors. What makes Woodloc so special in this context is its great durability (the joint can take a weight of over 10 kN/m) and it is as easy to install as it is to take up again. The floor is suitable for applications in temporary areas for training, con-tests and different kinds of exhibitions and shows.

The Woodloc joint gives perfect joints between boards and the one-piece convenience means a 30-40% quicker installation time than most similar products, particularly as there is no glue involved and no nailing.

Kährs Activity Floor is suitable for all kinds of activities because it provides such a forgiving surface. It is also suitable for exhibitions and fairs where participants and exhibitors spend a long time on their feet and need a floor that is comfortable to walk on.

It has a total thickness of 30mm, is available in oak, beech and hard maple, and can be sanded several times. The floor satisfies the DIN testing by the Norwegian Building Research Institute in all categories, such as energy absorption, deformation, ball bounce, rolling load and friction.

Unique Activity Floor



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Established for over 55 years, FloorworX is the only local manufacturer of semi-!exible tiles, fully !exible vinyl sheeting and tiles – all of which carry the SANS certi"cation for quality.

FloorworX also distributes Quick-Step wood laminates, Kährs wooden !oors and a comprehensive range of international resilient !oorcoverings, including safety !ooring, antistatic !ooring, luxury vinyl !ooring, static control tiles, linoleum, Novilon, rubber and sports !ooring, together with a wide range of !ooring adhesives, accessories and !oorcare materials.


National Call Centre 0860 346 679

www.!oorworx.co.za

Real Wood LaminatesKährs genuine wooden !oors and Quick-Step laminate !oors brought to you by !ooring giant FloorworX. Heading up these product divisions is Peter Geyer, well-known wood and laminate guru.

For trusted advice and speci"cations contact Peter on 011 406-4291 or 083 380 6665.

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This is the main reason why the advent of artificial grass has madesuch an impact in these areas – saving time, money, and ensuring

that no fixtures or playing opportunities are missed.With 30 years of experience and expertise to call upon, TigerTurf is

one of the world’s leading manufacturers and developers of syntheticgrass, providing custom designed specifications for all types of sport,and in this country the TigerTurf International group has teamed upwith Van Dyck Carpets – one of South Africa’s leading and longestestablished carpet manufacturers – for the marketing of its products.

With production facilities on four continents – each enjoying ISO9001 certification – TigerTurf provides the highest level of quality thatcan be achieved and has thousands of sports people playing on itsunique surface in over 80 countries throughout the world.

The manufacture of TigerTurf follows the basic principles of carpetmanufacture, using only the finest materials. This includes a wide vari-ety of backings to meet the requirements of any sporting application

Throughout the world millions of sporting organ-

isations, schools, groundsmen, gardeners and

anyone connected with keeping natural grass in

prime condition for all types of sports and recre-

ational activities, have an ongoing battle to pro-

vide a pristine and acceptable playing surface. possibilities


79F L O O R S J u n e 2 0 1 0

and various yarn configurations to ensure that the playing surfacesare perfect.

Apart from working closely with raw material suppliers and recog-nised testing houses to support its own laboratories and test equip-ment, TigerTurf also liaises with the various sports governing bod-ies, and the sportsmen and women themselves to ensure that thesystems are developed to meet their needs – providing athletes ofall standards with the best surfaces that will enable them to excel intheir sport.

With ongoing research and development TigerTurf monitors materi-als used to find more efficient manufacturing and installation meth-ods, as well as being involved in research projects looking closely atrecycling old synthetic grass and developing 100% recyclable prod-ucts for the future.

Through the drive and experience of TigerTurf, its network ofnational sports contractors and its close association with the SouthAfrican Rugby Legends, TigerTurf has really taken off and caught theattention of various sporting organisations throughout SouthernAfrica.

Whether it is being used in residential or the most stringent sport-ing facility, TigerTurf provides considerable savings in eliminating theneed for cutting, fertilising, irrigating, weeding or spending hours ofhard work keeping it in good condition, and still enables its use in anysport at all times and in all weather conditions.

It works perfectly in areas where natural grass often cannot grow,such as in heavy shade or poor soil conditions, and it can even be laidover existing concrete areas to provide the visual effect of a well-keptlawn!

In sports applications for schools, TigerTurf believes that childrenshould have the opportunity to learn in fun environments, andTigerTurf Life has been designed specifically for primary school play-grounds, offering essential experiences for health, well-being anddevelopment.

Tennis, football, hockey and netball are all traditional sports asso-ciated with schools. TigerTurf Life uses multi-coloured markings todifferentiate the areas for each sport, making it easier for the teacherto deliver the lesson while increasing the enjoyment for the childrentaking part.

From this it will be seen that artificial turf puts no limit on creativepossibilities. Its versatile, low maintenance and all-weather character-istics are well-known in the sports world, and applications are nowbeing sought elsewhere.

Indoor and outdoor artificial grass solutions offer comfort and dura-bility whilst gardens, patios and decking can all be transformed withan artificial grass makeover.

Van Dyck Carpets assists TigerTurf in the marketing and selling oftheir Sports range in Southern Africa and stocks a comprehensiverange of Leisure turfs for all kind of landscaping applications.

For further information on TigerTurf and their range of Sports &Leisure products, contact either Van Dyck Carpets at the numbersshown below, or visit the website www.tigerturfworld.com.

Van Dyck CarpetsTel: 031 913 3800Fax: 031 912 1220Website: www.tigerturfworld.com or www.vandyckcarpets.com

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Set to be viewed by millions of people across the globe, the sta-dium takes centre stage as the venue for several of the key games

during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, including the opening and closingmatches.

Beating off stiff competition, Flowcrete secured the specificationfor 90 000m! of its flooring systems to be installed. Flowcrete SouthAfrica managing director, Ian Harrison, says: “This is a major milestonein our history and we are very proud to be associated with this land-mark project.”

In the largest ever project carried out by Flowcrete

South Africa to date, three of the company’s spe-

cialist flooring systems were installed at the iconic

Soccer City Stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg.

In t h e l arge st eve r p roj e ct carrie d ou t by Fl owcre te

Hat trickfor flooringat Soccer City


81F L O O R S J u n e 2 0 1 0

Flowcrete flooring references at similar stadium projects elsewhere in the world helped to land the deal. These include the Wembley and Emirates Stadiums in the UK, Zayed Sports City in UAE and Eden Park in New Zealand, the venue for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Symbolic design, extensive upgradeWorld-leading stadium architects Populous teamed with

Boogertman Urban Edge of South Africa to develop the unique Soccer City design, taking inspiration from the African calabash or cooking pot. The calabash design was chosen as the ultimate symbol of the melting pot of African cultures.

The refurbishment works were carried out by a consortium of con-tractors comprising Interbeton of The Netherlands and Grinaker LTA of South Africa. Phumelela Africa Professional Engineers acted as project managers.

The scope of work included the upgrading and extension of the original 80 000-seat First National Bank Stadium into a modern facil-ity with a capacity for 94 700 spectators. New offices and changing rooms have been built, as well as a new players’ tunnel and a base-ment.

The stadium façade is comprised of glass fibre reinforced concrete panels in eight different colour shades and two different textures, reflecting these of the calabash.

The upper roof is cantilevered from a vast triangular spatial ring truss and covered by a PTFE membrane similar in colour to that of the sand in Johannesburg’s old gold mines.

Flowcrete’s Deckshield polyurethane deck-coating system was selected for installation in the external walkways as well as the play-

ers’ tunnel. “Deckshield provides a durable and fully trafficable surface capable of withstanding the heavy foot and vehicular traffic expected at the stadium,” says Craig Blitenthall, sales & marketing director of Flowcrete South Africa. “The system is also waterproof and UV stable, providing protection against the elements.”

A high strength semi-cementitious screed known as Isocrete Self Level Plus was installed first to form a sound, smooth foundation for the Deckshield.

In the stairwells, and changing rooms, a third system known as Flowcoat Cascade was installed.

The three flooring systems were locally produced and supplied from Flowcrete South Africa’s manufacturing facilities to world class speci-fications. The entire installation was carried out by local firm Sealcon, Flowcrete South Africa’s licensed contractor.

“The deadline to have the stadium ready for the grand opening cer-emony in October 2009 plus the requirement to work in conjunction with a large number of suppliers and contractors on site generated significant challenges. Coordination of resources and materials was key, but the project was delivered on schedule,” adds Blitenthall.

Flowcrete South Africa has branches in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. For further information make contact with the numbers shown below, or visit the website www.flowcrete.com.

Flowcrete SA (Pty) LtdMarketing ServicesTel: 031 461 3411E-mail: [email protected]: www.flowcrete.com

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As official supplier to the London Olympics for 2012, Gerflor isconfident that the Teraflex range will become as sought after in

this country as it has in various stadiums and sport arenas throughoutEurope, the USA and Asia.

Teraflex sports flooring boasts four inherent patented unique fea-tures that elevate it above most other similar products namely:

Triple-Action Protecsol: An intelligent surface treatment which offersthe correct amount of “grip” or “slide” depending on the type of move-ment the player requires, i.e. the “grip” is firm when the sports personchooses to accelerate but will allow the foot to “slide” when the playerchooses to pivot.

It also features a “friction burn free” surface. All players regardless ofage, ability or whether diving or sliding can be assured that the heatgenerated between them and the floor will be extremely low andinsufficient to cause discomfort.

In addition, it is an ultra low maintenance floor. Unlike many othersurfaces, Taraflex floors do not require emulsion dressings or polish tokeep them in top class condition. This eliminates the need for costlyapplications and downtime making them an extremely economicinstallation.

CXP foam backing: The Cellular Xtreme process is a revolutionaryprocess that optimises the size and shape of the closed cell, doubledensity foam backing to improve user comfort underfoot and safetyfor the full lifetime of the product.

D-Max Multi-layer Surface: The new tough D-Max multilayer surfaceoffers a highly resilient and durable top layer to ensure even greater

The Gerflor Flooring Group – one of the leading con-

tract and sports flooring manufacturers in Europe

– are exclusively partnered with Wonder Flooring

for distribution in South Africa. One of the exciting

ranges that is available to the local market is Gerflor’s

renowned Taraflex Sports Flooring range.

The characteristics of an outstanding sports floor

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indentation resistance and shock absorption. Comprising several layers of calendared

and pressed PVC of different densities and combined with a reinforced, fibreglass grid, the new D-Max multilayer surface is another first for the Teraflex research and develop-ment team.

Sanosol Antibacterial and Fungicidal treat-ment: Factory applied, this essential treat-ment provides protection for the full life of the product.

Terraflex sports flooring also has a number of other additional features such as height-ened shock absorption. This is the ability of the floor to absorb the energy from any type of impact such as jogging, running, jumping and of course falling or diving.

However, this does not measure the comfort of the floor. The latter is related to the nature of the material and its ability to deform and compress around the point of impact. It is for this reason that, in general, point-elastic floors tend to be more comfort-able than area-elastic floors and why com-bined elastic floors are so popular.

It is also vital for a sports floor to have uniform friction across the whole surface to help reduce sprains and twisted ankles as well as to improve safety, playability and ball bounce. Essentially, the ball bounce

must fall between designated minimum and maximum parameters to achieve maximum playability.

However, another key feature is that the ball should bounce to the same height across the whole floor and there should not be any “dead spots”, which is what the ball bounce “playability” of Terraflex ensures.

Energy return is another invaluable feature of Terraflex floors. The energy return records the speed that a player’s foot, for example when running, springs forward for its next step.

If the energy return was low – for example in a sand pit, the runner would find it very difficult to “retrieve” his foot and take the next step, whereas if the energy return was high – for example on a trampoline, the runner would find it difficult to control his foot for the next step because it was returned at too great a speed. Terraflex floors are engineered to achieve a safe balance between these two extremes and to ensure optimum playability.

Lastly, Terraflex has enhanced resilience. This is the ability of the floor to withstand indentations and spring back to its original shape.

Considering all the above, it is no wonder that Gerflor’s Terraflex floors were specified for the Sydney Olympic Park and Athlete’s

Village in Australia as well as for courts for volleyball and table tennis tournaments dur-ing the last Olympic Games in Beijing. It is also the preferred sports floor supplier for the upcoming London Olympics in 2012.

In addition, Terraflex flooring graces count-less sports venues across the globe such as Arena Nova in Austria; Usine Renault in Le Mans, France; Sport Voswinkel in Bremen, Germany; Westside Sport Centre in Galway, Ireland; National Badminton Centre in Glasgow, Scotland and Milton Keyes in England; as well as sports facilities at the Universities of Frankfurt in Germany, Dublin in Ireland, Hasaa in Saudi Arabia, Rotterdam and Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Bergen in Norway, Cordoba in Spain and Kent and Essex in Colchester, England.

Wonder FlooringTel: 0860 298 080Fax: 011 298 8159E-mail: [email protected]: www.gerflor.com


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With its origins dating back to the 1960s, it is (and was, originally)most often used in arenas for sports that are normally played

on grass, but early experiences with professional soccer pitches in theUK were not successful.

Since then of course, they have been developed and improved tobecome acceptable in any outdoor sporting application and althoughEnglish football clubs are still rather reticent in its use, it is widelyapproved by EUFA – the European Football Association.

In fact, they have been known to recommend artificial turf to be laidover existing pitches as a temporary measure to enable games to beplayed on these affected by adverse weather conditions!

It is now being used increasingly on residential lawns and commer-cial applications as well, where the main reason for its popularity ismaintenance — artificial turf resists heavy use better and requires noirrigation, fertilisation, weeding, mowing or trimming.

Another benefit when installed permanently is that the field mark-ings never need renewing and, of course, cancelled games because ofmuddy or waterlogged pitches are a thing of the past.

It has really come into its own in South Africa for school sports fieldsand training areas because of the cost cutting it provides in terms oflabour, specialist ground staff, maintenance and longevity.

In areas such as townships, where dust and mud prevail in thecommunity playing ‘field’ areas, a proprietary artificial grass couldtransform these into aesthetically pleasing, fully functional playingsurfaces for any sport or activity – and with the added advantage of

being maintenance free.These pitches look, feel and play like normal grass, with the same

performance in terms of balls rolling and bouncing, sliding tackles,resilience to impact – in other words, meeting all the requirementsof the selected sport, which can include football or rugby pitches,hockey fields, baseball fields, lawn tennis courts, bowling greens, golfputting greens and more.

With an artificial grass there is hardly any maintenance require-ments. All that is necessary is to keep it clean, and in this respect theguidelines apply equally to a residential lawn as a major sports field.

Leaves on a synthetic lawn surface can be brushed off, or a leafblower/sucker used. When the artificial grass becomes dirty it can behosed down, although it can be left for the rain to clean it naturally.

However, most manufacturers recommend that in sports applica-tions the surface should be hosed down regularly to avoid sanitaryproblems. If the pile of the artificial grass becomes flattened, it can bebrushed upright or filled up with kiln-dried sand to solve the prob-lem.

As with most things in the flooring industry – if you want an artifi-cial grass surface for a sports field or a residential lawn, avoid the fly-by-nights and quick buck merchants.

You should establish the bona fides of both the manufacturer andthe installer by checking on the specification, manufacturing warran-ty and established references of each. Then compile a regular clean-ing programme for your grass to keep it in a pristine condition.

Nothing artificial about the performance!

The increasing interest in artificial grass or turf is yet

another area where the flooring industry is rapidly

expanding into a niche sports market. Artificial turf is

a surface manufactured from synthetic fibres made

to look like natural grass, and thus has become the

domain of many carpet manufacturers and reputable

flooring contractors.



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The Hevea floor is mostly used on squash courts or where only soft soled shoes are worn, and the Beech

is often required on basketball courts where other sports are played that need a harder floor – such as indoor roller hockey.

The 22mm thick floor with an off-centre tongue and groove creates an overall topface of 9mm, which enables the surface to provide many years of maintenance sanding and re-coating.

A basketball court that was recently provided by Suntups (installed on Elastilon 10mm Sport) in Labito, Angola, was installed in a record time of 3" days from the beginning to the end.

Some other projects where Suntups sports flooring has been used, include the gymnasium at the Saxon Hotel, Planet Fitness, Virgin Active and numerous squash courts over the years.

All Suntups sports flooring consists of a two-strip (side-by-side lamination) and finger-jointed mixed length boards all prepared to equal one overall set length. This set length ensures that the top and bottom short ends always sit on the centre of a batten as well as creating a more stable board.

The flooring is provided with tongue and groove on all four sides and it is interesting to note that a consider-able amount of sports floors are now being installed on Elastilon 10mm Sport.

Elastilon is a unique subfloor with a one-sided adhesive layer that ensures constant adhesion, and which com-pletely eliminates the use of screws, nails, glue or clips.

It also eliminates the need for battens and rubber as the Elastilon 10mm Sport serves the purpose of both, thus enabling a quicker and safer installation because it is a semi-floating floor. Further information on Elastilon can be obtained from the website www.elastilon.com.

All Suntups Super Engineered ranges – which are avail-able in many species – can also be used as sports floors such as aerobics floors and can be installed on Elastilon 10mm sport for extra cushioning.

The Super Engineered ranges are extremely stable so they are excellent for the prevention of shrinkage gaps in gymnasia where air-conditioning is running constantly.

Suntups Wooden FlooringTel: 011 610 1700E-mail: [email protected]: www.suntups.co.za

Wood makes a

There is no doubt that solid wood is a top choice

for the flooring of any sports facility and, having

been in the timber industry for three generations

and in the solid wooden flooring business for over

20 years, Suntups Wooden Flooring still provides a

traditional 22mm Solid Wooden Sports Floor using

two different species of wood for these applications

– Hevea and Beech.

perfect sports floor

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Transiton – on the Carpet!N e w s Transiton – on t heCarpet !

Recognised as being South Africa’s foremost specialists in the transportation of flooring materials,

Transiton Transport – with branches and depots in Johannesburg, Pietermaritzburg and Cape Town – is

able to provide an unparalleled delivery service to the flooring trade.

FLOORS in Africa spoke to Transiton’s

two biggest customers to get

their views on what they think of the

Transiton service – Frank Moffat, CEO

of Belgotex Floorcoverings and Luci

Nouwens of Nouwens Carpets.

Transiton – on the Carpet!

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Transiton – on the Carpet!

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TRANSPORTThis article is brought to you with the sponsorship of Transiton Transport – South Africa’s foremost specialists in the transportation of flooring materials to the trade.

How long have you been in business together?

Transiton has been our longhaul and distribution partnersince we first began carpet manu-facture in South Africa over 25years ago.

How important is Transiton to your business?We can’t function without them. They are our partners so, simply put,

they are vital to the success of our business.Do you think that Transiton is unique in what they offer, or could

any transporter do it?Transiton specialises in the transportation and handling of floor

covering material from rolls of carpet, cushion vinyl and artificial turfweighing upwards of 600kg per roll, to pallets of tiles, boxes of lami-nate flooring and delicate flooring accessories; they handle and deliverthese goods safely to every corner of Southern Africa.

How would you describe their service over the years?Our customers expect a high level of service and together we need to

meet these demands. Considering the massive growth in traffic volumeon our roads, coupled to the vast amount of road works that are takingplace, I believe sometimes they do indeed perform miracles in gettingmaterial from our distribution centres to our customers in a relativelyshort period of time.

What role does Transiton play in the carpet industry as a whole?Not only does Transiton transport material for the major South

African flooring manufacturers but they also transport flooring relatedgoods for various wholesalers and distributors. So the role they play,not only in the carpet industry, but in the overall flooring industry inSouth Africa, is vital.

How had their delivery times changed over the years?For the majority of our local customers, if they order goods from us

before 16h00 on Monday to Friday we will guarantee delivery before17h00 on the next working day. This service is exceptional and to myknowledge is not matched internationally.

What is their accuracy rate of delivering on time?In terms of the“delivery promise”to our customers as outlined above, the

OTIF (on time and in full) is 99,38% ytd. This is a wonderful achievement.What would you say has been their biggest contribution to your

business?A true partner – I know this may sound like a cliché, but they really

have been an asset to our business.Anything else you would care to add?On behalf of Belgotex Floorcoverings, I would like to personally

thank Johan van Vuuren, Sven Viljoen, Janus Barnard, Hannelie van derMerwe, Andries Pretorius, Leon de Wet and all the staff at Transiton fortheir dedicated work.

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How long have you been in busi-

ness together?

We have been working with Johan

van Vuuren for the best part of 20

years, and years with Johan Eloff

before that!

How important is Transiton to your business?

Nouwens is a carpet manufacturer and not a transport contractor – for

that we have appointed people who know their job.

Do you think that Transiton is unique in what they offer, or could any

transporter do it?

Eventually I guess any good contractor could transport carpets, but

Transiton is committed and comes with years of experience and valuable

relationships. Hard to beat!

How would you describe their service over the years?

The quality of our product and service are core to our business image.

As our trade sees Transiton as an extension of Nouwens rather than an

independent service provider, it is important that they understand and

uphold the Nouwens values, and I believe they try hard to live up to these

standards every day.

What role does Transiton play in the carpet industry as a whole?

The industry requires a specialised and organised infrastructure – and to

cover all points nationally for door-to-door deliveries takes some doing.

Over the years Transiton has built up this service as an asset to our industry.

How had their delivery times changed over the years?

Now you are asking me – when I first started in the industry, most con-

signments were sent by an SA Railways goods train which could take from

3 to 6 weeks to be delivered at the other end. Then came Express Goods,

guaranteeing 1 week to Johannesburg and Durban only. This was the

norm. Road transport in those days was out of the question and required

special permits which were very hard to come by. Today, we offer same

day dispatches which often reach customers within 24 hours from ordering!

What is their accuracy rate of delivering on time?

I can only gauge this by the number of complaints we receive and that

is minimal.

What would you say has been their biggest contribution to your business?

There are a few valued service providers who have been with us for

years and from that comes a good business understanding – Transiton is

one of these.

Anything else you would care to add?

We wish to thank Johan and his team for the service they have provided

over the past 20 years and wish them well for the next 20 years!!

FRANK MOFFAT

– BELGOTEX

FLOORCOVERINGS

LUCI NOUWENS

– NOUWENS

CARPETS

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Steven Suntup, vice-chairman of SAWLFA, wasrecently honoured by being invited to speak on wood-en flooring in Africa and the Southern African Wood &Laminate Flooring Association (SAWLFA), at the WoodFlooring Forum (WFF) in Shanghai.

The WFF was run in conjunction with DomotexAsia and opened by Christiane Grobe, product direc-tor for Deutsche Messe, the owners of the DomotexExhibition worldwide.

There was a formal dinner the night before to offi-cially open the WFF and in place of a red carpet therewas a laminate floor as the walkway into the recep-tion. They had a spectacular evening with traditionalChinese singers.

The next morning the WFF got underway and therewere specialist speakers from the wooden flooringtrade and associations from all over the world.

Some of the international speakers were MarcoAntonia Beirao from The Brazilian Flooring Association,Mark D Elwell representing the National Wood FlooringAssociation of the USA and Jurgen Fruchtenicht of theEuropean Federation of Parquet importers.

This was the first WFF and there were a few issues

that can be looked at to make it betterand more effective. The two main issuesthat Steven found was firstly that theWFF was on the same day as the open-ing of Domotex, which was a bit of aconflict – it would have been good tohave more Western participation in theaudience. Secondly there was no time for

Steven Suntup at Wood Flooring Forum

questions and answers for each speakeras there were too many issues to cover,which gave everyone limited time at thepodium.

Overall it was a very good idea to cre-ate the WFF and this can become a goodnetworking opportunity for the flooringtrade to speak to one another.

q uest ionsq uest ionsand for each speaker

Through process improvements and energy efficiencies, Interface,Inc. has reduced the energy used to manufacture carpet by 43% since1996, while greenhouse gas emissions are down 44% in absoluteterms, or 94% when factoring-in offsets.

During the same time period, InterfaceFLOR’s parent company saidit grew nett sales by 27%.

These energy statistics were released recently as part of the compa-ny’s yearlong look at progress to date and what it will take to succeedin what it calls Mission Zero, the company’s goal to eliminate any

negative environmentalfootprint by 2020.

“Given the growing scar-city of natural resourcesand the near-certaintythat the governmentwill come forward with acap-and-trade plan in theUS, reducing energy useand carbon intensity willcontinue to be an areaof focus for us,” said DanHendrix, CEO of Interface,Inc. “It just makes goodbusiness sense.”

Hendrix said that the

InterfaceFLOR progresses on sustainability goalscarpet manufacturing business has changed in many ways since1996, and that sustainability has paved the way to innovation.

“Process innovation like the reduction of – and in some cases theelimination of – wet printing through pattern tufting led the wayto product breakthroughs like the i2 collection from InterfaceFLOR,the company’s best-selling product collection that was inspired bybiomimicry but made possible through new tufting technology,”explained Hendrix.

“On the manufacturing floor, small changes like optimising linespeed and insulating equipment to minimise heat loss have made abig cumulative impact.”

Hundreds of other changes have allowed the company to reduce itsreliance on non-renewable energy sources like propane and naturalgas, while green electricity purchases, use of landfill gas and on-sitephotovoltaic arrays like the one at its Bentley Prince Street facility inIndustry, Ca. have boosted the use of renewable energy sources.

Looking ahead to the next 10 years, Hendrix said that further reduc-tions will likely come with collaboration from a growing audience ofstakeholders.

“The road ahead is more difficult and we’ll not only need more inno-vative technologies; we also need collaboration from every direction– from suppliers, customers and the governments where we do busi-ness,” said Hendrix.

Hendrix said the company plans a Full Sustainability Report that willmap out the next 10 years.

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Keep your genuine wooden floor looking beautiful

Established for over 55 years, FloorworX is also the only local importer of Bona water-borne "nishes and dust free sanding machines. Bona’s water-borne "nishes are a sound environmental choice for the coating of wooden !oors. Setting quickly, the complete range of NMP-free "nishes enable sanding to start sooner. Bona’s dust care system with HEPA "lters remove 99.9% of the sanding dust in a room, thus giving contractors a healthier working environment and our customers a cleaner home.


Tel: 011 406-4290/4295

www.!oorworx.co.za

On

Track for

Sustainab

i lity

Bona, marketed in South Africa by FloorworX, is phasing out solvent-based floorcareproducts in the EU. For decades Bona has been working as a responsible companyalways seeking new solutions to decrease the use of solvents in its products.

In 2007 and 2008 the company took the bold decision to phase out solvent-basedfinishes and adhesives in the EU. Now the company has taken new steps on its path tosustainability: to phase out solvent-based floorcare products within the EU by the endof 2010.

The Bona board decision to phase out solvent-based products within its Floor CareDivision during 2010 is in line with the company’s corporate platform concerning sus-tainability.

During 2010 Bona will gradually phase out products that are based on solvents – oneof the products that will be discontinued is Bona’s Carl’s Oil 25.

Unfortunately, Bona’s Carl’s Oil 25 is one thecompany’s most popular maintenance products.“FloorworX will continue to market Carl’s 25 dur-ing 2010, while at the same time offer Bona’snew waterborne maintenance product Bona Oilrefresher for oiled floors,” says Peter Geyer. “This isa completely new type of maintenance product foroiled floors that can be sprayed out or used withtraditional application methods.”

Bona Oil refresher was presented and demon-strated for the first time at Domotex in January, andis now available to the South African market.

Margaux Brink of FLOORS in Africa recently attended a breakfastlaunch held by Legrand, where a new product range – Arteor (Flowof Energies) – was launched.

Arteor is positioned as being the innovative answer to the increas-ingly complex requirements in the building business all over theworld, and focuses on three main areas – office, hotels and residen-tial. Arteor excels by its unique aesthetics and a rich choice of inno-vative designs and ergonomicoptions.

The range extends from wir-ing devices, through innovativeradio automation solutions,up to fully networked HomeAutomation systems based onBUS technology, which can alsobe integrated into Third Partysolutions.

of Energies launched

In the Vol.28.2 issue of FLOORSin Africa we attempted to cor-rect an error in a previous article,but attributed the informationto the wrong organisation.

The GBCSA has requested thatwe print a correction stating thatthe technical content of the “To

To put the record straight – again!put the green record straight”article was incorrectly creditedto Van Dyck Carpets; it was infact provided by the GreenBuilding Council of South Africa.

We sincerely apologise for anyinconvenience that may havebeen caused by this error.

Another step for sustainability

The tile sizes shown in the SanMarco advertorial published inthe March edition of FLOORS in Africa (p20) were incorrectly givenin millimetres and not centime-tres.

This concerned the new 4mmthick Slim/4 porcelain stoneware

Tile sizes wrong! tile range, and the paragraph inquestion should have read: “Easyto clean, Slim/4 needs no spe-cial maintenance requirements.These tiles are also available in11mm thickness, and both aremanufactured in 60cm x 60cmand 60cm x 120cm sizes.”

We apologise for any incon-venience that may have beencaused.

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Nano technology is the current buzzword and this innovation has hit the tile industry, creating tiles with an increased sheen and colour as well as a resistance to stains.

Tile Africa imports Nano tiles from overseas and the tiles are available to the public through their retail stores and to contractors through its con-tracts division, Tile Africa Contracts.

The following tiles are part of Tile Africa’s Nano tile offering: ‘Simplicity’, a 600x600mm double loaded porcelain tile; ‘Jenna’, ‘Layla’ and ‘Gabrielle’, all 600 x 600mm soluble salt tiles; ‘Nano White’ and ‘Nano Black’, 600 x 600mm polished porcelain tiles; and ‘Crystal Snow’, an 800 x 800mm fourth genera-tion porcelain tile.

“Nano technology in tiles involves a process that treats the tile’s surface to attain an increase of the sheen, an enhancement of the colour and improved protection against staining and marking,” says Craig Irvine, national contracts manager for Tile Africa Contracts.

This effect is achieved by applying the lightest and hardest organic Nano particles, similar to a type of wax, onto the surface of polished porcelain tiles. To enable Nano organic particles to polymerise evenly on the surface of the tiles, a unique coating technique called plating is applied.

After repetitive plating, applied through high pressure sanding and pol-ishing, the Nano organic particles combine with the tile substance to form an organic Nano film with a high density and stability, which attains the three main characteristics of Nano-treated tiles.

Nano technology tiles have a crystal clear effect with a lustre rating of 89-90º, which is close to the mirror effect and creates a much brighter result. They are also durable and anti-dirt, auto-clean and anti-bacteria, slip resis-tant and durable, have a superb hardness, and are green and environmen-tally friendly.

Tile Africa Contracts supplies and fits a wide range of tiles, including Nano, ceramic, natural stone and porcelain tiles, mosaics, borders and listellos.

The upmarket Moffett on Main Lifestyle Centre, located in a prime position on the corner of Main Road Walmer and the William Moffett Expressway, epitomises comfort, luxury and leisure, with exclusive boutiques, chic décor stores and distinctive restaurants all offering a whole new approach to lifestyle living.

This impressive 42 000m! establishment includes 26 000m! of retail space that was completed in 2007 with WHBO as the construction company under the direction of the architectural firm Studio d’Arc of the Western Cape. Italtile proudly sup-plied all the tiles for the inside floors and walls for this lifestyle centre, a total of 4 500m!.

The architects wanted to create a design with a modern feel, yet rustic to complement the exterior of the building, which is why polished and glazed floor tiles were mixed together, using stainless steel edging.

The products used on this prestigious project were Himalayan Snow (60cm x 60cm and 30cm x 60cm), and the remainder all at 60cm x 60cm in Rushmore Black, Perugia Sand, Project Black and Yellow Stone Beige.

Italtile also supplied the sanitaryware, using Berlin WC’s from Cotto, and Trieste Basins.

ItaltileTel: 011 510 9050E-mail: [email protected]

Great floors at Moffett on Main

Nano technology hits the tile industry

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The company told investors that its Applied BioSciences unit sees sales of $200 million this year and $1 billion by 2015. The company had said in 2007 that it expected revenue from that unit to hit $800 million in 2010 and $2,3 billion in 2012.

The unit, which makes Sorona polymers for carpets and clothing, as well as biofuels and Omega-3 nutritional substitutes, was first formed in 2005.

The unit has several partnerships which it is hoping will help it to meet the 2015 target, including a carpeting supply agreement with Mohawk. DuPont is also seeing growth in the apparel market, especially for wrinkle-free clothing.

DuPont cuts forecast for Sorona carpet polymer

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The annual 2010 SAPOA Property Journalist Awards were held at a prestigious event inMay at Sun City where Walls & Roofs magazine was awarded the Best Property Publicationof the Year Award for its attractive layout, informative material and good content.

“It is wonderful to have this coveted award bestowed on us. To be named the SAPOAProperty publication 2010 is an honour and testament to our dedication to the propertyand construction industry. We have an amazing team that puts this publication togetherand they must also be praised for their hard work and tremendous commitment” saidMarlene E van Rooyen, Editor of Walls &Roofs

Walls & Roofs is a sister publication of Floors in Africa. The magazine is Africa’s leadingspecialist walling and roofing magazine that has become a valuable tool for architects,developers, specifiers and other professionals in the building industry.

Elma Kloppers, specialist property writer was announced as the Property News Journalist ofthe Year and was highly commended for her insightful and investigative reporting on prop-erty related issues, including controversial ones, as well as her distinctive, clear writing style.

Top honours were given to Kloppers for a number of publications, including Sake24 inBeeld, Die Burger, Volksblad and Rapport, at the awards.

The coveted Property Feature Journalist of the Year Award was presented to KarenEicker, features writer for Urban Green File, with judges’ comments citing Karen’s excellentattention to detail, innovative research and well written articles.

“Through these awards, we are able to recognise and pay tribute to outstanding jour-nalists who report on the South African property market,” said Neil Gopal, CEO of SAPOA.“As in previous years, the quality of the entries has been excellent, demonstrating thestature of the awards amongst media in the property sector.”

A number of journalists across the various award categories also received special men-tion. These include Thabang Mokopanele (Business Day), Ian Fife (Financial Mail), JoanMuller (Finweek), Monique Terrazas (Real Estate Investor magazine) and Bernadette Cook

2010 SAPOA Property Journalism Award winners

for her Carte Blanche story on Green Building inSA. Two publications – Shopping SA and UrbanGreen File – also received special commendation.

Gopal commented that the awards provide agood indication of the talent and skills of mediaspecialising in the property sector.“This year we hadeight new entries, and it’s the new entrants everyyear that show the growing interest in the recogni-tion that SAPOA provides. Ultimately this serves toboost property journalism,”concludes Gopal.

For more information, visit www.sapoa.org.za, to whom full thanks and acknowledgement are given.

Walls & Roofs in Africa: winner of the SAPOA Property

Publication 2010

Elma Kloppers was announced as the SAPOA

Property News Journalist 2010

Property Feature Journalist of the Year

Award: Karen Eicker

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During May, Van Dyck Carpets embarked on a three week promo-tional roadshow to the trade – visiting all the major South Africancities to launch two products that are made from recycled materials– the Oxygen carpet tile collection, and Vision synthetic turf.

Oxygen is claimed to be the first and only carpet tile manufacturedin South Africa that uses more than 50% recycled material, beingmade partly from post-consumer recycled bottles (polyester) andfrom virgin polyester polymers. It also has an Eco-back looselaybacking made from recycled rubber.

This unique tile range consists of three standard designs (Plateau,Cascade and Metallica) each with five colourways available off theshelf. The range has infinite design flexibility thanks to the high qual-ity overprints, most of which have a 3D look.

A further five colours of each design will be available on a made-to-order basis, and in this option Van Dyck can match almost anydesign and colour – made possible by using an environmentallyfriendly sublimation printing process.

The Oxygen tile range has great design versatility, excellent dimen-sional stability, and is very hardwearing and easy to maintain due toits unique construction. In addition, it has very good colourfastnessand cleanability, and provides an excellent fire rating.

For outdoor applications, Van Dyck also introduced Vision to thetrade, which is the world’s first and only synthetic turf made fromrecycled bottles – manufactured by its partner TigerTurf in the UKutilising groundbreaking patented technology.

Vision provides the perfect low maintenance outdoor green areafor almost any application, whilst reducing water, energy (carbon

footprint) and landfill usage.An interesting aspect of this product is that for every metre of

TigerTurf that is sold in South Africa, Van Dyck Carpets makes a dona-tion to the SA Rugby Legends Foundation, and a number of famousSouth African rugby players attended the various functions, namelyJoost van der Westhuizen in Pretoria; Mac Masina, John Allen, PieterAllan, Werner Swanepoel, and Hennie Le Roux (Johannesburg); JohnAllan and Pieter Muller (Durban); Andre Venter and Frederik Lombard(Bloemfontein); Steyn Swart (East London); Mark Wood, Barry Pinnockand Adri Geldenhuys (Port Elizabeth); Braam Van Straaten (George);and Rob Louw, Dale Sandton, Robbie Kempson, Jonathan Aitkin, Jo VD Berg and Pierre Ribbons in Cape Town.

The SA Rugby Legends is a group of ex-Springbok and provincialrugby players who have formed a charitable trust to raise funds for thedevelopment of rugby at grass roots and club rugby level, thus provid-ing a vehicle for the ex-players to put something back into the game.

This has grown into a full-blown social awareness charity usingsport as the catalyst to bring people together and then evolving theirsporting aspirations as well as educating them about health, wealthand social characteristics. Full details of this worthy cause can befound on the website www.sarugbylegends.com.

Commenting on the success of these roadshows, Bernd de Smedtof Van Dyck Carpets said: “These events were very well attended andreceived by the trade that will now undoubtedly seek applicationswhere these products can be used. However, I would also like tothank the rugby legends that came to our presentations for their sup-port and endorsement of the artificial turf products.”

Roadshow events were legendary

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All the new products introduced at this launch have received avery positive reaction from the trade. The new products are seen

as being fresh, exciting and great value for money because the prod-ucts are not only of great quality, but affordable.

The new additions included a range of solid high-quality bambooflooring available in two colours with complementary profiles thatincorporates a “tap and go” click installation system, making this floor-ing extremely easy to install and very competitively priced.

Fotakis Brothers feels this is an exciting product that meets theincreasing demand for innovative, eco-friendly floorcoverings, andthis has been endorsed by the trade which has shown considerableinterest in this high quality range.

New carpet ranges were also introduced – known as the NaturalCollection – which comprises eight different products available insisal and hemp, and sales of the wool collection under its PrivateCollection are also performing brilliantly well.

Carpets, of course, are the original core business of Fotakis Brothers,which now includes a beautiful collection in wool, with two rangesfor commercial applications and three ranges for residential carpets.In fact, Fotakis Brothers will be introducing a further affordable woolrange in June that will be branded London, together with other newflooring products that will follow later in the year. These are comple-mented by the Alloc, Tusk and Rhino laminate floorcoverings withinthe Fotakis Brothers sales programme.

The major launch that took place in February has set fire to thetrade, and all the products are now making serious contributions to

Earlier this year Fotakis Brothers held a very successful launch of a variety of new products that included interna-

tional ranges that are now being sold under its Private Collection label. (See Journal 2/10 of FLOORS in Africa.)

Product launch was a huge success!h u g e s u c c e ss !h u g e s u c c e ss !

the Fotakis Brothers sales programme in both the residential marketthat is doing very well, and with the commercial products that arestarting to move in the hospitality sector.

Over the 75 years of its existence Fotakis Brothers has establishedan enviable reputation as a true wholesaler, which means that thecompany never deals direct with the consumer, nor does it install anyfloorcoverings.

It is this dedicated approach to the trade as a wholesaler and dis-tributor that enables the company to specialise in the wholesale dis-tribution of broadloom carpets, natural fibre imported flooring, arearugs, solid wood, bamboo and laminate floorcoverings sourced frommany countries, together with all the accessories associated with theinstallation of flooring.

Fotakis Brothers says that its product basket has been expandedin line with the company’s philosophy of putting its clients in aposition where they can offer great products to encourage consum-ers to buy from them, as opposed to going to other outlets to buytheir floorcoverings. Clients are also provided with many alternativeoptions, which is all part of the brilliant client service the companyprovides.

Fotakis BrothersJohannesburg: 011 626 3000Cape Town: 021 933 2620Durban: 031 705 3331Website: www.fotakisbrothers.co.za

Peter and Alida Fotakis, Lynnette and George PrinslooPeter Mokgabudi, Stratis Fotakis, Marius Pretorius, Glenn

Bartlett and George Coconus

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y goal is to increase the total floorcovering market and to takethe industry to a new level of professionalism, and I will accom-

plish this through the use of worldwide accepted marketing tools inclose cooperation with importers, distributors, architects and interiordesigners,” he says.

He is experienced in the fields of mergers and acquisitions, qualityissues, expert witness testimony, purchasing and marketing strategiesand general business issues as they relate to floorcovering marketsand products.

Ruud Steenvoorden is the past Corporate Director of Purchasing atFetim BV an international company that buys, markets and distributeswood and laminate floorcovering and other construction materials toretailers, professionals and DIY chains across Europe. At Fetim he wasresponsible for strategic purchases as well as for managing the woodflooring business.

He is past vice-president of the European Federation of ParquetImporters (EFPI), a Brussels-based association of European importersof engineered and solid wood flooring.

Ruud was born in the Netherlands, speaks several languages, andhas over 30 years experience in the international wood and lami-nate flooring markets. He has recently been made an Affiliate of theFloorcovering Institute, a group of floorcovering experts that provideconsulting around the world.

Ruud’s initial introduction post can be found on the Floor CoveringInstitute Blog at http://blog.floorcoveringinstitute.com/2010/02/meet-ruud-steenvoorden-newest-floor.html and his personal pageon the Institute’s web page is onhttp://www.floorcoveringinstitute.com/Steenvoorden.html.

FLOORS in Africa is pleased to wel-come Steenvoorden Consultancy tothe local floorcovering market.

Steenvoorden ConsultancyTel: 021 851 0408Fax: 021 851 1282Cell: 076 036 6130E-mail: [email protected]

A high-profile flooring expert has recently moved

to South Africa and opened his own consultancy

based in Somerset West, which means that Ruud

Steenvoorden has been actively assisting the

floorcovering industry with particular focus on

laminate and wood flooring products. His exper-

tise ranges geographically from Southern Africa

to Europe and Asia.

Flooring expert opens new consultancy“M

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Do you need . . .A new brochure? Copywriting? A full service is available fromdesign to final print from Jacquerie.

We also undertake research and copywriting for pressreleases, articles or sales leaflets.

Whatever your needs, contact us for full details and rates.

In an innovative move to ensure that its customers have

peace of mind that its products are produced from a well-man-

aged source, Bedson Décor & Flooring is now growing its own

sustainable forests.

These forests are managed professionally, respecting bio-

diversity in an environmentally approved project. A pruning

operation is carried out so that the tree and its timber can grow

virtually free of knots, which means that customers get the

highest quality available.

In addition, the forests are grown solely for the purpose of

making flooring and decking – no other intermediate products

– which means cutting fewer trees!

This is particularly relevant, because the company will not

process more than 10 hectares per year out of the 2000 hect-

ares available, so that supply is secured forever, since the spe-

cies used will re-grow naturally.

Bedson Décor & Flooring is busy growing the forest for you so

that this relationship, like its floors, is a solid one.

Controlled –from tree to floor!

Dave Soons, Jacquerie Marketing cc

Tel: 012 807 7012; e-mail: [email protected]

Fax to e-mail: 086 601 7842

Two more leading Spanish architects will join the acclaimedFernando Menis as overseas mentors at the Cement & ConcreteInstitute’s 2010 International Masterclass for architects in Septemberthis year.

Anton Gabril and Debora Mesa Molina are both from the EnsembleStudio in Madrid.

Gabril, who founded the studio in 2000, has designed projectssuch as the award-winning Musical Studies Centre in Santiago deCompostela, the concert hall and music school in Medina del Campo,and the central office of Spain’s General Society of Authors andEditors, also in Santiago de Compostela.

Molina, who frequently teaches and collaborates creatively withGabril, is a partner in the Ensemble Studio which is currently engagedon projects such as the Cervantes Theatre in Mexico, Berklee Tower ofMusic in Valencia and Paraiso Theatre in Shanghai.

In addition, South Africa’s Andrew Makin and Peter Rich will also betutors at the Masterclass.

Makin is a partner in the Durban-based company Design Workshop.In 1997, the company entered an international competition and– from 35 countries and about 175 entries – won the right to co-design the New Constitutional Court Building of South Africa inJohannesburg.

Johannesburg’s Peter Rich lectures extensively worldwide andcounts among his many award-winning projects the CannanlandInner City Squatter Settlement in Johannesburg and MapungubweInterpretation Centre.

The Masterclass – the second to be presented by C&CI – forms partof the Institute’s ongoing initiative in continued architectural educa-tion in South Africa.

“The 2010 Masterclass will, as last year, incorporate site visits, lec-tures and design workshops utilising concrete as a medium of expres-sion while addressing issues around the natural environment fordesign inspiration,” C&CI architect, Daniel van der Merwe, stated.

The Masterclass, and public lecture by Fernando Menis, will formpart of the first national architecture festival in South Africa laterthis year. Called “ArchitectureZA.2010”, the festivalwill take place in Johannesburg from 21-25 September.

For further information aboutthe C&CI Masterclass and Menispublic lecture, visit www.cnci.org.za and the www.aza2010.org web-sites. Registration for attendance isopen.

More top architects for C&CI Masterclass

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“Architect ureZA. 2010”, t hefest ivalfrom

-is

Daniel van der Merwe, C&CI architect, who is organising

the C&CI International Masterclass for architects.

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WHAT IS A FLOATING FLOOR?This term is commonly used to describe the preferredmethod of installing natural wood or laminate flooring. Itmeans that the floor is not adhered to the substrate – it‘floats’ – usually being installed over a plastic moisturebarrier and a layer of foam to reduce noise and offer astable foundation.

A floating floor allows the floor to move with seasonalexpansion and contraction associated with changes in tem-perature and humidity.

The tongue-and-groove construction of the floor planksor tiles allows either glueing, or joining with a variety ofdifferent patented ‘click’ systems, and the perimeter of theroom is finished with a wall base or quarter-round ‘skirting’.

SHOULD I CLEAN MY CARPET MYSELF, OR CALL IN AN EXPERT?When your carpet becomes dirty – or damaged by a spill-age of some kind, there is often a great deal you can doyourself to try to clean it. But this must be attempted withcaution and in each case the situation must be examinedcarefully to see whether, in fact, you ought to call in thecarpet cleaning experts.

If your carpet has just become grubby, then the chancesare you can clean it yourself. There are several cleanersavailable in supermarkets, but it is recommended that youspeak to the original supplier of the carpet, or seek theadvice of experts in a carpet showroom.

If you are doing it yourself, you will need to know whattype of dirt you are dealing with, and what type of fibresthe carpet contains. Remember most of the products outthere are chemical-based and you must ensure you choosethe right one.

Wet carpet cleaners have to be used with caution as theycan cause shrinkage, especially if the carpet is made froma natural fibre. Some carpet cleaning products also containbleaches and solvents, which may damage the fibres ortake out the colour.

If the dirt is ingrained you should call in the experts. Seehow deeply the dirt penetrates by gently pulling the fibresapart; if the dirt has saturated the fibres and runs rightthrough the carpet, then you should take the decision tocall in professional cleaners right away before any furtherdamage is done.

Hot water extraction and cleaning should be done by acarpet care professional at least every two years to refreshthe texture and rejuvenate the fibres in the carpet; alter-natively one of the dry powder cleaning systems can beused. Jeremy Stewart

Screed, Resin, and Concrete Expert CEO

– Quartz Carpet, SA

DECORATIVE COLOURED CEMENTITIOUS SCREEDS

Managing client expectations and living by

the motto “The customer is always right” can

be a frustrating and painful experience in the

decorative coloured cementitious screed world,

because they are a magnet for scrutiny.

As an installer of designer cementitious finishes, you areheld to a much higher standard than those pouring plaingrey concrete. After all, you are dealing in colour, textureand tone – in other words, art. It just so happens that yourcanvas is concrete.

Unless you’re independently wealthy, the main reasonyou do this, of course, is to make money. The ability to useyour artistic talents to turn concrete into something colour-ful and unique is secondary.

With decorative cementitious screeds, the client receivesa value-added product while the installer receives a signifi-cantly higher paycheck. This is as it should be, consideringall the time, training, and risk required of the decorativeconcrete specialist. Doesn’t it make sense then to put evenmore thought into understanding, controlling and manag-ing the associated risks as best you can?

Manage your customer’s expectations upfront! Under-promise and over-perform with regard to application, anda vast majority of potential perceived problems go away.Don’t specify an elaborate ‘Mona Lisa’ when you can onlydo an early day impressionistic Monet.

With architectural coloured screeds, perceptions of colourand design can be subjective. What is common knowledgeto you and I, colours in concrete can vary, trowel marksshow undulations, coloured screeds show contrastingmovement, stains produce variegated colour tones, sealersrequire maintenance and all concrete cracks require in-depth explanation to architects, designers, general contrac-tors, and homeowners.

Showing realistic, reproducible samples, explaining theprocesses, outlining the product’s limita-tions in the contract, and making sureyour clients are comfortable with therequired maintenance are all factors inmanaging client expectations.

Jeremy StewartFlooring specialist and owner of Quartz Carpet

Q&A

Wood, Laminates and BambooOur annual feature is always informative, often controversial and

never dull, as we take a look at the latest developments in these virtu-ally dissimilar floorcoverings (except in appearance) that are all com-peting for the same type of market. And we will find the most recentand spectacular projects for each.

Cleaning & MaintenanceA sector that the floorcovering industry would look sick without

– there have been so many developments in these regimes that it’s

In the next issueHere’s a quick preview of what will be happening in the next issue of FLOORS in Africa.

a wonder that homeowners and facilities managers can keep up todate. We help them in this feature, as well as finding out how themain players deal with the new technologies in the flooring industry.

Entertainment & LeisureCasinos, cinemas, theatres, hotels, lodges, entertainment centres,

restaurants, guest houses – they all need floors that provide the cor-rect décor and ambience for their requirements, and yet they mustdeliver a long lifespan under heavy traffic conditions. We take an in-depth look at what’s available to the architects and designers.

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Cleaning & Maintenance

Wood, Laminates and Bamboo

Entertainment & Leisure

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Here we bring you the views and opinions

from speakers at contractworld.congress held

in conjunction with Domotex Hannover 2010

earlier this year.

WORKING ATMOSPHERES

From a particular size upwards, an office building is no longer a purely architectural problem andbecomes an urban project. An office complex for 2000 employees needs so many access rooms thatdesigning it unavoidably involves thinking in the same way as when a city is being planned.This mega-typology undoubtedly questions the ideal-typical western idea of continuous urbanspace and opens up the opportunity to overcome the leaden monofunctionality of usual officeparks by means of a programmatic variety of moods. Working is thus moved further back into anurban world of stimulating experience and is made more attractive on the whole.

THE SILENT MESSAGE OF SPACES

Congena provides advice to clients who construct office buildings, whereby one of the most impor-tant aspects is the definition of the building programme. Many requirements of today’s workingspaces can be effectively satisfied in terms of design if the client throws typological clichésoverboard.If the aim is to achieve a situation where work processes are made creative by the lively exchange ofideas among employees, the ten per cent of floor space that is dedicated to communication inconventional office buildings is simply too little.In a time when people no longer do a lot of their work in the office, our expectations of the socialrole of offices also changes radically.

WORK ENVIRONMENTS

For a long time I was fairly sure how a good office must be built. Axial dimensions, light conditions,access and acoustics – there were reliable experiential values and guidelines for everything.However, when I now recall the different premises in which our office has already resided, I find thatthe best way of working is, in fact, always in rooms that were never planned as offices.In view of this, the question suggests itself as to whether this positively felt tension between func-tion and space can be generated when a new office is built even if this would sorely test the accu-mulated typological wisdom regarding office buildings.

Inès LamunièreDevanthéry & Lamunière, Geneva, Switzerland

Prof. Meinhard von GerkanGmp – von Gerkan, Marg und Partner,

Hamburg

Wolfram FuchsCongena, München, Germany

FoundationFoundation

Our collections cover a wide range of expressions, feelings and styles — inspired by thetough demands and special needs of commercial high traffic areas.

We have floors and designs for all types of commercial areas, homes, moods and feelings. Whether you need the toughest laminate floor on the market, or want to choosefrom the widest selection of designs, you’ll find it in our collections.

NEWEXCITINGCOLLECTIONS

For more information, please call 0800 444 000 or visit www.pergo.com

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