This week, we introduce you to the latest designer floors, as well as the gear you'll need to heat, repair, cover, edge and suspend them. Plus, all the up-to-the-minute industry news in Movers and Makers

Taking the floor at the Surface Design Show …

1 Illuminated tiles

Architectural Ceramics is set to launch a tiles that incorporates an LED. Called Terra LED, it is interspersed with the company's Terra Maestrict range of tiles. These are available in both riven and honed finishes to give the appearance of natural stone and are supplied as a 450 × 450 mm or a 600 × 600 mm tile.

The company has also launched a wall tile incorporating an LED called Linea LED.

Architectural Ceramics

www.building.co.uk/enquiries 301


Illuminated tiles

Illuminated tiles


2 Stone-effect, but warmer

German company Hamberger has launched a floor tile that it says looks like stone but is warmer underfoot and half the weight of a ceramic tile. Called Celenio, the tiles are moulded from a wood-based material called Harolith. This allows textures such as the riven surface of slate to be created. The tiles are laid in a similar way to ceramic tiles.

Hamberger
www.celenio.com
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 302


2 Stone-effect, but warmer

2 Stone-effect, but warmer


3 Aluminium honeycomb

Mykon has launched two floor tiles called Hi-Lite and Hi-Clear. They incorporate an aluminium honeycomb, sandwiched between two glass skins, that reflects the light and produces an interesting visual effect. The company says the aluminium makes the tiles lighter and stronger than an all-glass floor.

Mykon

www.building.co.uk/enquiries 303


3 Aluminium honeycomb

3 Aluminium honeycomb


Thin granite and marble slabs

Café Interiors has launched a range of ultra-thin natural stone floor tiles. The first is labelled the ultra-strong thin slab and is a laminated construction consisting of a 3 mm or 5 mm layer of marble or granite fixed to a 3 mm composite aluminium panel. The slab weighs 12 kg/m2. The second product is the microthin slab, which has a 2 mm layer of marble or granite attached to a ceramic tile base. Both products are available in a choice of colours and finishes.

Café Interiors

www.building.co.uk/enquiries 304

Modular carpet tiles

Interface Europe has added two styles to its Highlighting Your Floor modular range of carpet tiles. The first is called Orbit and includes randomly sized and positioned circles on each tile. The second, called Polestar, has a textured loop construction and a subtle grid pattern. The nylon yarn tiles measure 50 × 50 cm, are available in 12 colours and can be used with other tiles in the range.

Interface Europe

www.building.co.uk/enquiries 305

Repair mortar for concrete floors

Sealant and coating maker Tremco has brought out a system for repairing concrete floors in one day. The company's Treadfast Unispeed repair and pre-smoothing mortar is used to repair the damage prior to the application of the second product, Treadfast Fastrak Universal, which is used to damp-proof the damaged area.

Tremco

www.building.co.uk/enquiries 306

Restoring wooden laminate

Woodcare specialist Liberon has launched a suite of products to maintain wooden laminate flooring. Its Laminate Repair Sticks are intended for filling deep scratches and imperfect joints. A colour closest to the original flooring is selected and rubbed into the scratch. Once the wax-based filling has hardened, it can be buffed up with a cloth. The second product, the Laminate Floor Sealer, is intended to revive the protective surface of the floor by filling superficial scratches and hiding scuffs. A floor cleaner completes the range and will get rid of normal dirt and grease as well as rubber heelmarks.

Liberon

www.building.co.uk/enquiries 308

Lightweight underfloor pipes

John Guest, the maker of push-in plumbing fittings, has introduced a polybutylene-based version of its Speedfit plastic pipe. The company says it is particularly suitable for underfloor heating applications as it is lightweight and flexible, which makes it easy to install. The pipe has an inner barrier to prevent the ingress of air into the system, which could lead to corrosion.

John Guest

www.building.co.uk/enquiries 309

Ground level suspended flooring

Keskin Structural has developed a ground level suspended flooring system for homes that does away with the need for traditional reinforcement. Called Tencon, it uses synthetic fibres as reinforcement and incorporates insulation and a dampproof membrane. The company says the system can span up to 5 m. The slab is supported by the load-bearing wall at the perimeter of the building, and by structural cross walls. Insulation is laid on the ground followed by a polythene sheet, which in turn is followed by the special concrete fibre mix. The company offers a design service.

Keskin Structural

www.building.co.uk/enquiries 310

Bevelled-edge laminated strips

Kahrs has added a collection of single strip bevelled-edge laminate flooring to its Linnea range. The product is available in seven wood types including cherry, teak, Brazilian rosewood and walnut. The flooring is supplied pre-finished with a satin lacquer and has a special joint that enables the strips to be locked together.

Kahrs
www.kahrs.co.uk
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 307

Flooring