Gary was able to draw on years of experience as a fitter when he was tasked with developing a new two-day course around how to install Altro Ensemble LVTs.
Altro’s training schools provide industry-leading, hands-on workshops, delivered by the hugely experienced Altro technical services team. With three and a half years’ service, Gary Jaques is a relatively new face to the team, which includes industry legends such as David Gatfield, who celebrated 50 years’ service with Altro last year.
However, like his colleagues, Gary brings a wealth of real-world experiences to the role. ‘I was a floor layer and Altro Whiterock installer for 14 years,’ he says. ‘I ran my own business and worked with a lot of Altro products. When I saw a role come up with the Altro technical services team it felt like the perfect match!’
Gary and his colleague Roger Moore developed the content for the two-day Altro modular flooring (LVT) practical workshop. It is especially designed for fitters looking to add additional techniques to their LVT laying toolkit, working with Altro Ensemble. This highly flexible and adaptable modular flooring system is easier to cut thanks to its flexible structure, and is laid directly into wet adhesive, making it quicker and easier to install than standard LVTs.
The course covers subfloor preparation, adhesive selection, product features and benefits, straight lay plank installation, 45-degree plank installation, tile effect brick bond installation, and tile effect with design strips installation. ‘If you are new to working with LVTs then this course would be ideal for you, but also for more experienced layers who haven’t perhaps worked with Altro Ensemble before, as it is different to other LVTs on the market – it has so much flexibility and is textile-backed. Once you work with it, you don’t look back – the ease and speed of installation is impressive.’
If you haven’t been to the Altro floors training school for a while, you’ll find it has had a fantastic refurbishment, providing updated facilities and a lighter, brighter environment for training to take place. There are facilities for ‘hands-on’ training with a break-out area, lunch provided, and free on-site parking.
And of course, away from the training school, as you’d expect from Altro, there is a wealth of information and support available. The technical services team continue to provide support for contractors, including site visits and tailored support to build your knowledge, and there is also a wide range of technical documents online, ranging from practical installation guides to inspirational patterns and design ideas.
The next Altro modular flooring (LVT) training schools are at the end of April and end of June.
www.altro.co.uk/Support/Installation-training
