Help and Advice
February 2012
Fitters are angry about plywood problems
The cold weather can leave you guessing
Builders ‘opt out’ when there are faults
Installing in wet areas: Don’t be wet!
This mobile workshop will be going places
Helping flooring contractors stay in front
Ignoring health & safety can land you in jail
January 2012
Plywood problems: ‘Supplier turns his back’
The key element is the floor preparation
‘Why I don’t lay in my conservatory in winter’
For comfort, try these ‘knee cushions’
Complaint after coming a cropper on concrete
Changing the look, but not the flooring
Health & Safety: Tips on not getting court
You can drive flooring up the wall
Put price first and the environment gets it!
Getting paid when your debtor is abroad
Stress: Can managers really cope?
December 2011
I’m always happy to help fitters keen to learn
Please Santa, help me keep my vinyl flat
Getting up to speed when time is tight
Hot tips on laying with brass monkeys
This saw is really cutting edge stuff
Hot tips on laying with brass monkeys
This saw is really cutting edge stuff
Flat-pack flooring! Ding dong it’s Christmas!
november 2011
‘Only ex-floorlayers can be real flooring experts’
Guidance on preparing the final finish
‘Leaving it to trust is asking for trouble!’
Why it’s essential to get rid of laitance
Brush up on cleaning advice to customers
Poor fitting is a cleaner’s headache
Trade secrets: ‘Staff must keep schtum!’
On your marks for Olympic opportunities
October 2011
Blame the kid!: Cowboy’s excuse for horrendous work
Asphalt subfloors: Questions to be asked
Can you afford to switch suppliers?
This may colour your view about wood
Installers: Why not expand your skills?
Profile tiles deserve a welcome return
Maternity leave: Tot up your holiday due
September 2011
UTH is getting hot, so handle with care
The T word you can’t say often enough
Cutting corners is like cutting your throat
Probe tests deeper, comes up trumps
Savvy customers asking more questions
New guide a step in the right direction
Paid holidays, the best thing about work?
Improving air quality from the floor up
Sustainability: The EU shows its teeth
Rubber: Basic points, but not stilleto heels
Caution when using calcium sulphates
Floating floors can make you sea-sick
August 2011
‘You’ll learn more in five days at FITA than years on the job’
Why our Roman invaders came hot foot
Out of sight out of mind can spell failure
Are you a fashion victim or a victim of fashion?
Trust this instrument like a good friend
It’s important to be nosey about nosings
Don’t UM or AH when your ER is at stake
What it takes to be a smooth operator
Playing the blame game is for losers!
July 2011
Training in flooring ‘opens new doors’
Bob missed the damp because he was wet behind the ears!
Bending over backwards to explain flexibility
Cove forming: Don’t go round in circles
Super adhesive! Will it get off the ground?
Damp in old buildings: You can bet on it!
When is a good time to sell your business?
Time to clear the air on replacing VOCs
Are lone workers left out in the cold?
Heavy penalties for employee deaths
June 2011
Why do bad fitters think they are good?
A sure way to reduce the risk of failure
Why engineered flooring is the future
Cutting edge advice about carpet joins
Surface preparation: Like it or lump it!
Conflicting results put damper on testing
Some ground rules on slip and polish
The nanny state meets daddy status
‘Management failure’ can be lethal
May 2011
Use glue and you won’t come unstuck
Wet! Wet! Wet! is the best place to test
Slippery tiles: The etch you can’t scratch
Subfloors: Become a weight watcher!
Basic tool kit should get most jobs done
Neglecting to prime as bad as a crime
Here is a how to spot the difference
Impact sound: EU drums up support
Bosses should ask: Who’s the daddy?
Liquidation fear after employee death
April 2011
UFH: Why you have to play it cool!
Isn’t it time to come clean on recycling?
This tool hits the nail right on the head
Regulation: What you CE is what EU get!
Fast food shop fall: A fright on the tiles
Floorlaying: ‘I’ve been through fire and water’
Don’t get stuck with the wrong adhesive
Work till you drop? A gray day for business
Facing a worker you fired: Get well briefed
March 2011
‘Expert’ report wiped the smile right off my face
Put your foot down over faulty screeds
Deep cut saw is quick off the mark
Poor carpet fitting can cause ‘ripples’
Shows have more go with a green theme
Questions that you will have to answer
R classification: Is it a slippery slope?
Don’t get shafted by a shifting subfloor
Less than perfect is not good enough
Get fully briefed on unfair dismissal claims
February 2011
Rip off Bob the builder banged to rights
Anhydrite screeds: Handle with care
How reliable are manufacturers’ tests?
Demand heat on-site or land in hot water
Shiver me timbers as winter takes its toll
The gel-grip tape certainly measures up
Don’t go ape in brass monkey weather
EU tightens grip on UK flooring industry
January 2011
Other countries benefit from training
You can give moisture no place to hide
Different species need different finishes
FSP spells good news for contractors
Speeding up when time really counts
More risks taken during the recession
‘Now contractors can be fast and loose’
Pinching a picture can land you in trouble
Get tough when you talk to your bank!
December 2010
It’s not hard to give your bank the boot!
Finish can leave you flat (on your face)
An unofficial guide to making good
Why stress is bad for flooring materials
Doing repairs, you can be spot on
November 2010
CFA spearheads drive to reduce flooring waste
This cowboy fitter shocked even me!
Simple way to deal with subfloor moisture
Impact of environment will increase
Little black holes bring mighty big claims
Dimensional stability is vital in contract
Don’t be bamboozled by numbers!
Showing your true grit when sanding
October 2010
Come unstuck? It may be the underlay!
Fearing the bailiffs’ visit? Don’t panic!
Hear! Hear! for a sound installation
Mix’n Match may end up as a muddle
Concrete slips: You need a bit of rough!
The day I switched my favourite adhesive
How to give your floor the pwhoar factor
Treating wood that is cut, but not dry
When carpet cleaning is put in the shade
September 2010
Are you going to the wall? Don’t brick it!
Carpet: Much more than a touch better
Avoid all the argy bargy! Write it down!
Quick and accurate tool, it’s just the job
Cutting corners won’t help cut costs
Welding PVC floors: An ‘unofficial’ guide
The trouble with health & safety is...
Blowing the whistle on fouled subfloors
The psychometric chart in a nutshell
August 2010
‘I’ll be at your service for a small fee’
Baby oil fine for tots, not for safety floors
Here is a cutting tool that really cuts it!
I will level with you about equilibrium
Green the only way to go, take it as read
You need more than just elbow grease
When to sack someone with sticky fingers
Cost may colour your choice of shade
July 2010
Fast, accurate and easy’moisture measurement
Vinyl safety flooring complaint! Shock horror!
Emissions testing required for flooring
Caution: RH testing can be misleading
Insist on a specification from the client
Always stand your ground on building sites
Maintenance essential for stair nosings
Was your job applicant up to no good?
Getting stuck in? Check these hot tips
June 2010
Slip testing: More than meets the eye!
Caution before taking a shine to the floor
‘It’s not my problem!’ Why the bad attitude?
Subfloor prepation: Go that extra mile
Tolerance: This is the pattern for success
Moisture problems: They will not go away!
Are the ‘fit notes’ really fit for purpose?
New laws will decide if flooring is safe
This course can save you loads of money!
MRSA challenged by modern flooring
Water everywhere, don’t go down the sink!
May 2010
Apprenticeships the only future for flooring
Tools to have your work cut out for you
Estimates, guesstimates and making it up as you go along
All ready to rip it up? Just a moment!
An end to the confusion for specifiers?
Glass flooring: Now you can see the light
April 2010
Smoothing underlayments: Getting out of a scrape
Doing good when you are making good
Training courses that give you the most!
Competition: Finding the edge in Las Vegas
Heads up on avoiding slips and trips
Dickies trousers merit your hip, hip hooray!
R10: They’ve started, so let me finish
The slip alert before you show your metal
PTV, DIN or Tortus: Finding common ground
March 2010
A few clicks won’t find the real answer
Cork: You really should kneel before it
CFA consultants get new gold standard
February 2010
£8,000 damage: The cost of employing a cut-price ‘expert’ fitter
‘Cleaner’ products: Time to face reality
Passing the buck won’t let you off the hook
Just one slip and you can hit the deck
Keep talking if you don’t want to bite the dust
When the job gets out of hand, just call!
January 2010
You can give moisture no place to hide
Different species need different finishes
FSP spells good news for contractors
Speeding up when time really counts
More risks taken during the recession
‘Now contractors can be fast and loose’
Pinching a picture can land you in trouble
Get tough when you talk to your bank!
