turning onto terrazzo
Terrazzo flooring has never looked so good, with style combining with substance to deliver a
fantastic finish underfoot. Here Alan Dean, divisional director of Isocrete Commercial Flooring, explains how new technology has been introduced to develop seamless terrazzo floors which
create a truly individual look.

Seamless terrazzo is a fantastic product and its qualities make it particularly attractive for public areas. It is hardwearing, durable and easy to clean and maintain. Furthermore, with different grinding levels, slip resistance can be introduced – an important factor in public areas.
The fact that it is a seamless product makes it particularly appealing. In particular, with no joints and crevices present where dirt and germs can dwell, this type of terrazzo performs well where appearance and first impressions count.
Isocrete’s seamless terrazzo, Mondéco, was introduced to the market several years ago and brings a fresh take on this traditional floor finish.
Introducing vivid shades from bright primary colours through to neutral hues, this type of product means architects and designers have never had so much choice at their fingertips to make fashionable floors come to life. We are finding that more and more design professionals are recognising the characteristics of seamless terrazzo.
For many years, floors have been treated purely as functional surfaces, with little regard paid to their role in the overall design concept. However, in recent times, there has been a marked move away from this functional view. Now floors are seen as exciting places to create stunning visual effects.
It was this trend which saw Isocrete Commercial Flooring introduce its own designer label for the floor zone with Inspirations, that includes decorative smooth and quartz resins, the stone carpet flooring product Rustik, as well as Mondéco.
Before we launched Mondéco, we knew we needed to do something to terrazzo to make it really stand out, in order to attract the eye of designers and architects. That is where attractive colours and decorative effect came into play.

terrazzo techniques
Our technical team has used innovative techniques to deliver seamless terrazzo that not only comes in many different colours but also has greater depth and individuality.
This is created through the use of eye-catching aggregates and other products that are added to the floor finish to bring a unique feel underfoot.
We have introduced marble, glass, Mother of Pearl and even granite and flint to the terrazzo. This has really appealed to designers and architects who are looking more and more for designs on the floor that make a real style statement.
As well as eye-catching designs, we also knew the installation needed to be carefully considered. Isocrete Commercial Flooring has a licensed network of applicators who are trained and fully conversant in the latest techniques to ensure the highest levels of quality and service in the installation process and make sure the beauty of the product comes to life.
Since the launch, we have been amazed at how seamless terrazzo has taken off. Over the last few years, our system has been used extensively to fantastic effect at prestigious locations around the world.

interesting additives
At the Disney Store in Paris, a light purple terrazzo floor was installed, which really ties in with the design theme there. The finish is complemented with purple coloured glass, which gives the floor depth and real visual impact.
Coloured glass really adds to the floor. It can compare or contrast with the actual shade of the floor and can be used in conjunction with other aggregates for an attractive finish.
Closer to home, at Gordon Ramsay’s Boxwood Café, in London’s Berkeley Hotel, Mondéco looks superb. Installed in a rich cream colour with brown and black marble it really complements the decor of the venue.
The sharp contrast of black and white was used at Birmingham International Airport, where Mondéco was installed in the two shades, side by side for great impact. Again, this project demonstrates the ability to use the floor as a design tool and the style of the floor reflects the high-technology feel of the building.
Mondéco was installed on the platform of the £11million SkyRail automated people mover system, which links Birmingham International Airport to Birmingham International rail station.
The floor has the ability to stand up to the many travellers who use the facility each day and still looks superb.
Reflective properties were introduced into the finish to give depth and a rainbow-like look to simulate a CD-like format in the reception area of Panasonic Services International in London. This is a fantastic example of how a floor can form the focus of a design scheme to great effect.
Finally, the flexibility offered by Mondéco was demonstrated at BT Oswestry, where the product was installed in the new management centre, situated in the Shropshire town.
Mondéco was chosen in the natural Earth colour to fit in with the building’s existing colour scheme, on the ground, first and second floor reception areas. For added impact, treads and rises on the stairways were also completed in Mondéco.

an architect’s view
Brett Stevens, of Lewis and Hickey Architects in Nottingham, has used seamless terrazzo on a number of projects. He said: ‘I’ve found it really speeds up the construction programme time because seamless terrazzo is both fast-drying and relatively fast to install. This is definitely the case when comparing products like Mondéco with traditional terrazzo.
‘It is very versatile and can be easily adapted to different areas, including ramps. Slip-resistance can be incorporated into the floor with different grinding levels.
‘Another plus for this type of flooring is the shapes and forms which can be created. You can set up your own profiles and introduce them into the floor area relatively easily. We also found that with products like Mondéco, the colours are great.’

floor for life
Seamless terrazzo creates a floor for life. The product looks better the more it is used. It can be sparkly, iridescent, coloured or plain, making it a floor with many coats which can be used to create any kind of style for any kind of environment.
It is one of the many floor finishes that are transforming today’s industry and making it an exciting time to be involved in their conception and development.
I feel we are entering a design renaissance, which is launching the flooring industry into a new era. As we’ve seen, the floor is moving away from the area of functionality and becoming a major focus of the design process. We cannot stand still and are constantly looking for new ways to create the right type of floors which appeal to design professionals.
Interesting times lay ahead to see how the industry will develop and just what the floors of the future will look like.
Isocrete Commercial Flooring / (0)1270 753753

Chemique make investment for the future
Chemique, the adhesives and sealants manufacturer based at Aldridge in the West Midlands, aims to secure its future, with a £500000 investment.
Since the company was founded in 1985 there has been consistent annual growth.
As part of its structuring, a new 5000m2 warehouse will provide the company with more storage space. Secondly, a new laboratory will help the company to build upon its reputation.
Managing director, Mick McMullen said:‘This development is a statement of commitment to our customers and the future. We are constantly studying new ways to improve our products and services. This will enable us to improve stock management and quality procedures, resulting in even higher levels of customer service.’

web: www.chemique.co.uk

Designed to perfection
Epitomising its ambitious and determined drive to remain one of the market leaders in the industry, award winning flooring manufacturer, Karndean International, has recently relocated to purpose built premises in Evesham, Worcestershire.
Continuing its investment in the growth and development of affordable design flooring, Karndean’s headquarters boasts a state of the art Training Facility and Design Showroom. Opening its doors to consumers, specifiers, retailers, and to anyone with an interest in the concept of design flooring, the manufacturer continues to honour its pledge to create individual floors to universal appeal.
The entire building is given over to the latest innovations in product and design and features over 500m2 of Karndean products, skilfully laid to illustrate the diversity and desirability of the ranges.
Designed to emphasise the colours and textures of the floor space, the building’s expanse of glass frontage creates an open and airy aspect to the facility. This is most notable in the Gallery, where customers can enjoy an aerial view of the showroom beneath while discussing colours, textures and the ideas of Karndean flooring over a coffee.
The Design Showroom is claimed to be one of the most exciting and comprehensive displays of design flooring in the UK. Computers with the latest in design and planning software illustrate individual design requirements. Impressive 6’ x 4’ display boards cover the length of one wall, displaying a plethora of bespoke designs. 10’ pillars, displaying pictures of past installations intersect the showroom and design features break up the enormity of the floor.
However, arguably the most impressive example of the versatility and beauty of Karndean flooring, and the centrepiece of the showroom itself, is the awesome spiral staircase leading to the gallery above.
The new Training Centre is equally impressive. With the first few courses already fully subscribed, Karndean has created Beginners and Advanced programmes. Having carefully structured these training programmes, the company believe that its courses will quickly become known as the best in the industry. Recognising the increasing demand for more comprehensive training in design, subfloor preparation, installation, and maintenance of the floor, these courses will take three days to complete.
If you ever wondered how Karndean International became such a success story, or imagined what its products and services could do for you, then take a trip to Vale Park, where the headquarters will provide an emphatic and impressive answer to your questions.

Karndean International Ltd
Crabapple Way, Vale Park, Evesham
Worcestershire
WR11 1GP
T: 0138649902
W: www.karndean.com

Woods expansion
Tradewoods has announced the launch of a heavily distressed traditional oak plank.
The Antique Oak Plank is available in four colours; natural, olde english, brandy and double brandy and also features a traditional hand waxed finish.
Howard Bryan, md of Tradewoods, (pictured below) comments, ‘Our new Antique Oak Plank range gives you the look of a traditional reclaimed oak floor, but without the associated time consuming problems of de-nailing and re-machining and, of course, the plank is supplied at a guaranteed moisture content.’
Tradewoods Antique Oak Plank requires no sanding, can be secret nailed or surface fixed and is finished on site with just one coat of Tradewoods Antique Wax.
Also new from Tradewoods is the publication of its brand new full colour hardwood flooring brochure and net trade price list.
Included are the Ekowood and Ekoplank ranges, alongside the high specification Foresbec pre-finished solids range, the price list is a must for every hardwood flooring buyer and specifier.
Notably, the price list features several brand new Tradewoods solid oak products including a wide face 20mm pre-finished Siberian Oak strip, a 14mm pre-finished French Oak overlay strip and the range of 20mm Antique Oak Planks.
For a copy of the brochure and price list email
E: sales@tradewoods.com
W: www.tradewoods.com

Finer Art
A striking floor from Isocrete Commercial Flooring has been fitted at a new arts centre.
Based in Muirhouse, the centre supports the regeneration of the area and provides a 98 seat theatre. Glasgow architects Zoo chose a contemporary, hard wearing resin floor from the commercial flooring Inspiration range from Isocrete.
It was fitted in a yellow and grey shade and Isocrete’s Isowarm underfloor heating was also used, incorporating the fast-track Isocrete Gyvlon calcium sulfate screed.
Yellow was also chosen for the foyers, with grey in the bar area, gallery and fine art studio and education rooms. The colours link with the grey, white, yellow and black palette assigned for the project.
Alisdair Clements, project architect with Zoo, said Isocrete was chosen because of the company’s ability to deliver a whole flooring package - floor screed, underfloor heating and floor finish.
‘We felt it was better to have the floor and the underfloor heating system all installed by one organisation, for peace of mind. The finished floor offers a hard wearing finish with an attractive shine. In particular, the yellow colour looks very striking and has made the spaces work better.
Alan Dean, sales director of Isocrete, said, ‘Resin flooring is increasingly becoming the product of choice for commercial environments due to its ability to deliver superb colours and texture, coupled with durability and ease of maintenance.’
Tel:01270 753000
Web: www.isocrete.com

Workwear System
In fact, the company offers a whole ‘clothing system’ for floorlayers that is designed with one thing in mind. Working on your hands and knees. The system is a range of trousers, kneepads, shirts and accessories that can be combined for different jobs and environment.
As one would imagine, the trousers are a central part of the system and are designed to fit properly and provide freedom of movement. Rather than utilising a separate strapped knee pad, the trousers incorporate an external pocket that houses a lightweight Snickers Ergo Kneepad. These pads provide a contact surface area some 10 to 12 times greater than that of the knee, helping to reduce strain on this vital joint.
Three versions are available: 5452 Trade Trousers (£37.50) constructed from a cotton / polyamide mix; 5462 Trade Trousers (£40.95) that, along with polyamide and cotton, feature Cordura; and the range topping 5223 Floorlayer (£54.99) has a heavier weight cotton / polyamide mix and features both Cordura and for extreme robustness, Kevlar in its construction.
Fabrics are chosen to be quick drying and durable as well as comfortable and breathable. All garments can be washed and are colourfast.The trousers also feature external pockets on the thigh - handy for those bags of nails, and come in a range of colours.
Two types of kneepads are available; the 9114 Kneepad is designed for trousers 5452 and 5462 and retails at £6.50 per pair, while the 9117 Kneepad is a more robust construction and is designed to work with the 5223 trousers. It retails at £16.99 per pair.
The 100% 210g Cotton Polo shirt (£13.50) comes in sizes from extra small right up to extra extra large and in colours that include light blue, dark blue, red, green and black. Designed with comfort in mind, the shirts make an ideal platform for Snickers Workwear’s custom embroidery service. This can personalise garments, show company names, display logos and even provide instant imaging.
To keep you warm and dry in the next couple of months before the weather starts to get better, Snickers has just launched its Winter Parka.
The result of five years testing in the arctic climate, the jacket provides the clothes company’s usual high standards in quality and design with a quilt lining to the outer polyamide cordura fabric that is both windproof and waterproof.
The parka has a removable hood with a high padded collar to protect against wind and draughts, and with deep cut sleeves there’s plenty of freedom of movement as well as a host of pockets to hide those essential items.
Snickers Workwear / 01484 854788