Biënnale Interieur 2012 [ 6 ] - Decostyle

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project environment. But what about
the installation speed? “It is difficult
to make general statements about
carpets”, reacts Geert Vanden Bossche.
“The speed depends entirely on the
location, which is totally different every
time.” Tatiane Batache elaborates on
this: “We see this differently. Because
we organize installations ourselves,
good planning is essential. For a space
that has completely been cleared, we
would count on 100 m 2 per installer per
day. Our system of cast floors requires
three days of installation, during which
the floor cannot be used and during
which the space must be closed from
the outside world. The reason for this is
that the epoxy resin has to harden.”
Despite this inconvenience, it is clear
that epoxy resin floors are on their way
up. What makes this kind of floor so
popular? “A change in trend certainly
plays a part”, judges Tatiane Batache.
“In the past, people wanted to emphasize
the walls, but nowadays floors have
to be as white as possible. This is easier
with epoxy resin floors than with other
products. The product has been around
for a long time, but until recently it was
only used in the industrial sector. People
were not familiar with the product,
until more and more architects started
to recommend it. We notice a striking
change of mentality, in particular on
the project market. Polyurethane cast
floors are seamless, which makes them
interesting for the care sector. Moreover,
their maintenance is easy.”
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Fighting a lost battle
Maintenance, finally the big word is
out. How maintenance friendly are
‘soft’ floors? “When talking about
carpet, its biggest advantage is in
a sense its greatest disadvantage”,
Philippe Van Hecke admits. “Carpet
has the ability to join together loose
particles of dust, so that they do
not float in the air. The drawback is
that carpet requires maintenance. In
residential environments often the
necessary discipline is lacking and in
the project world most of the cleaning
companies are not capable of
maintaining carpet well.”
“I am regularly frustrated with those
companies as well”, says Tatiana
Batache. “Many of these companies
have too little time and too small a
budget and use the same product for
parquet floors, tiles and cast floors.
We regularly organize information
sessions about the maintenance of
our products, but often these sessions
don’t suffice.”
Christ Taveirne recognizes these
problems all too well. “We advise
against maintenance products and
soap, because they are often used in
doses that are too high. This leads
to remains of soap that hold the dirt.
Our design floors can best be washed
with pure water. The varnish layer
makes the floor resistant against the
creation of stripes. In large projects,
we usually discuss this with the facility
manager.” “Maintenance is a line
of business in its own right”, thinks
Tom De Rydt. “It may lead to major
problems if it is not done properly, especially
with wooden floors. In most
cases, it is included in the warranty
that the right products need to be
used during the maintenance.”
Middle segment under pressure
Which tendencies and trends do our
speakers see on the market? “Modular
floors are becoming more and more
popular”, states Philippe Van Hecke.
“There is an evolution towards a
smooth, silky look, also in residential
environments. The yarn technology
evolves continuously as well. Now, we
install about 100,000 m 2 per month.
One and a half year ago, we would
never have dared suspect this.”
“The middle segment is under pressure”,
comments Christian Ysenbaert.
“Customers more and more opt for
high quality, while the lower segment
remains considerably big. The market
is ever more polarized”, adds Tom De
Rydt. “I notice how LVT floors are on
their way up. All major manufacturers
produce it nowadays, which about
sums it up. In the past, LVT had a
negative connotation, but that has
improved considerably. Nowadays, LVT
meets even the highest standards. The
printing techniques have improved as
well, up to a point that even profes-
3 According to Geert Vanden Bossche, carpet is a relatively cheap way to create a different atmosphere inside a room (Image: Balta) 4 (Image: mFLOR)