Demand for wood floors on the up in Europe

The European Federation of the Parquet Industry (FEP) has reported that sales of solid wood floors in Europe have increased slightly.

The FEP defines wood flooring as either solid wood or engineered wood flooring with a wear layer that exceeds 2.5mm thickness. The FEP met at the beginning of October to examine the trends for wood floors. Germany, the largest market for wood floors, had a growth in sales in the first six months of 2019 compared to the first half of 2018, as did Austria, France, Poland and Spain. Sales in the rest of Europe had a mixed picture with some markets slightly increasing and other countries slightly down compared to last year, with Norway and the Netherlands two of the nations to have seen a small decline.

The FEP said that luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) are the main competitor for wood floors. The trade wars between the US and China has affected the European market because of increases in tariffs that have made wood floors manufactured in China more expensive.

Wood floors are very popular in Chester. They look stylish and are very durable. They can be expensive to buy and install but they add to a home’s value. Engineered wood looks the same as solid wood flooring because it has a top layer of real wood. LVT tiles that have a realistic wood pattern are a less expensive alternative to wood and are more suitable for wet areas where wood floors could become water damaged.

Garden bin fees could increase demand for artificial grass

Many local authorities charge for plant waste collection, and it has been suggested this causes more people to use artificial grass.

The average cost for local authorities that charge for removing green waste is £31, but can be as high as £100. Chester does not charge for removing green plant waste unless residents need an extra bin. Some authorities in North Wales charge, and Wrexham is considering introducing a charge of around £25 a year from 2020.

According to Ilona Amos writing in The Scotsman, these charges could result in more people giving up gardening, getting rid of flower beds and installing artificial grass.

The environment spokesman for the Local Government Association, Martin Tett, justifies the charge for garden waste collection:

“Ultimately garden waste collection has to be paid for by someone. It’s only fair that those households which have gardens and generate the waste pay for the service.”

As an alternative, garden waste can be recycled into compost rather than being sent to landfill.

The small fee that some councils charge to remove plant waste is probably not the main reason why people install artificial grass in their gardens. More significantly, they want a lawn that requires minimal maintenance, looks good, can be used all year round, and is safe for children to play on in all weathers. If Chester and North Wales continue to have very hot and dry summers, artificial grass will not affected by hosepipe bans, as it does not need watering.

Waste carpets turned into ultra-pure polypropylene

Proctor & Gamble’s PureCycle Technologies has successfully created a process that can turn waste carpets into odourless and clear ultra-polypropylene (PP) resin.

Carpets made from polypropylene are hardwearing and easy to clean, but at the end of their life, they are often thrown away, which is not environmentally friendly.

Polypropylene can be recycled, but most councils do not accept carpets in their recycle bins. Carpet Recycling UK collects carpets for recycling and is making some impact on reducing carpet waste. At the PureCycle Ohio plant in the USA, the company has demonstrated that it can recycle polypropylene carpets on a large scale, and plans to process 119 million pounds of waste PP when the plant comes fully online in 2021.

High-quality recycled polypropylene is in demand for making a number of products. The PureCycle system removes odour, colour and impurities to produce a virgin-like resin. The firm is now planning to build PP recycling plants in Europe.

Kathy Fish of Proctor & Gamble says:

”This technology, which can remove virtually all contaminants and colours from used plastic, has the capacity to revolutionize the plastics recycling industry by enabling P&G and companies around the world to tap into sources of recycled plastics that deliver nearly identical performance and properties as virgin materials in a broad range of applications.”

Polypropylene carpets in Chester homes and businesses are popular for their low cost and durable qualities. At the end of its life, a carpet should be recycled wherever possible.

Artificial grass needed to protect Cornish attraction

Planning permission is being sought for artificial grass to be installed to protect areas of Cornwall’s historic St. Michael’s Mount.

MRDA Architects on behalf of St. Aubyn Estates, which manages the tourist attraction, has submitted plans to Cornwall Council to install artificial grass lawns to the north of the cafe on the island. The reasons for this is because of the damage caused by the high volume of visitors on the existing lawn.

To support the planning application, MRDA Architects, said:

"The impact of ever-increasing visitor numbers on the former drying lawn has been to destroy the grass and, in the wet, to reduce the bare soil to mud.”

Temporarily, 100 tonnes of topsoil was removed and replaced with hardcore and a top dressing of gravel. However, the gravel was a safety problem with minor injuries caused when children fell. The proposal is to lay artificial grass over geotex with a type 1 MOT granular sub-base and bordered by existing cobbles. This will resemble the original look of the area.

St. Aubyn Estates, in support of its application, said artificial grass has been successfully installed in sites managed the Royal Horticultural Society and the National Trust.

Many organisations have installed artificial grass in Chester. They may not have the number of people walking on their grass as St Michael’s Mount, but they find artificial grass a good-looking and safe covering for outside areas that can be enjoyed all year round, whatever the weather.

Take a fresh look at laminate flooring for North Wales rooms

People who are used to cheap laminate floor coverings should take a fresh look at modern laminates that will enhance North Wales rooms.

Living in North Wales

North Wales is a great place to live in with beautiful natural areas, fantastic restaurants and many attractions. There are many successful businesses in the area that provide employment. Welsh residents appreciate nature influenced design, which means like the look of natural wood in floors in homes and businesses and don’t like cheap looking décor.

However, it has to be of good quality. A poll by the homeware store Dunelm found that people disliked cheap laminate flooring only slightly less than they hated woodchip wallpaper. The respondents in the poll were likely influenced by the cheap laminates of the past, which were not very durable and often had patterns that didn’t resemble real wood.

Modern high-quality laminates, on the other hand, are a different ball game.

Modern laminates

Cheap laminates are thin so will not last as long as higher-quality thicker ones. For a durable floor covering, choose laminates where the bottom layer is at least 8mm thick.

Modern printing technology means that wood grain patterns on laminate planks look very realistic. The patterns can be embossed to add a real wood-like texture. Laminate flooring is a great alternative to natural wood, offering the look of wood at a less expensive cost.

Premium quality laminate planks have a polyurethane topcoat that protects the laminate from wear. The better the coating is, the longer the laminate floor will last. Most manufacturers provide a guarantee that the floor will last for a number of years. Good quality laminates are suitable for high-traffic areas in commercial premises.

Water resistant

You need a floor that will withstand the effects of the North Wales weather, especially in areas with an outside entrance. People coming in with umbrellas and wet clothes are bound to cause water to drip on the floor. Laminate floors are water resistant, which means that although they probably won’t survive prolonged immersion during a flood, as long as spills are mopped up promptly, a little water won’t damage the laminate floor.

Laminates need to be fitted correctly. Click-together locking systems join the planks in a way that means no water can penetrate to the subfloor.

Laminate flooring used to be unsuitable for high-moisture areas like bathrooms, but a new type of extra water-resistant laminates has been developed that is fine for wet areas.

Cost

This increase in quality means you can expect to pay a little more for quality laminate flooring these days, but because of the extra lifespan, the lifetime cost of premium laminates is very reasonable.

Additionally, laminates are generally cheaper than engineered wood or solid wood floors while providing a similar natural wood look. They are quick and easy to install too, keeping fitting costs low.

Buying laminate flooring

Take a fresh look by visiting a supplier and fitter of laminate flooring in North Wales, who will show you samples of modern laminate floors you’re sure to love.