Aaron gives an overview of how Altro offers its training courses on how to fit Altro’s Ensemble LVT.
WITH LVT being one of the most popular floorcoverings available, flexibility and ease of installation are important to any job that contractors undertake.
Manufacturers are working all the time to make products easier and quicker for contractors to install. With the cost and time restraints found on almost every site, any little thing that can assist with these savings makes a difference. These installation advantages need to coincide with high-design options and functionality of the material once installed to give end-users the best possible product.
As with all flooring installations, correct preparation is critical. The number one issue with PVC flooring sheet or tile is moisture, and with LVTs being installed into many different areas in domestic and commercial settings, careful consideration of the correct materials and procedures must be used when any PVC flooring is installed.
Correct selection of preparation and installation products is critical to guaranteeing a successful installation. This is why Altro works with well-known smoothing compound and adhesive manufacturers in the industry to ensure products are suitable for the environments they’re being installed into and can be used with one another to give a professional and guaranteed finish to the flooring installation. Once full preparation has been completed, installation can commence. The importance of correct planning and setting out is vital to the overall finish of the install. Spending that extra amount of time to make sure start lines and cuts to edges of the rooms are straight, even, and aligned can make all the difference to the final finish so that complete satisfaction for the customer is achieved.
Altro’s LVT range, Altro Ensemble, has been designed and manufactured with all these factors and more in mind. The textile backing Altro Ensemble is manufactured with makes the product flexible, which makes cutting and placement during installation quicker and easier for the contractor compared to traditional hard-back LVT. The backing requires the installer to place the tiles or planks into the adhesive wet, similar to most high temperature installations. For hard-back LVTs, this can cause issues such as the material sliding around on the wet adhesive and the need for the start line of planks to slightly set before continuing with the install. Altro Ensemble’s textile backing directly soaks into the wet adhesive, grabbing it straight away and gripping it to the subfloor below, removing the sliding issue that hard-back LVTs face.
The Altro Ensemble backing has multiple features along with ease of installation. For example, the textile back produces a lighter product allowing an increased volume of material in the boxes. Altro Ensemble comes in units of 5sq m per box reducing total storage and carrying loads of traditional LVT boxes. Additionally, this backing gives the installation a 15dB impact sound reduction benefit as standard with the entire range.
The Altro Ensemble range has been newly refreshed with updated colours, designs and material sizes with four plank and two tile sizes spread across 34 colours available. All colours and sizes are the same 2.6mm thickness, allowing end-users and designers to create a complete custom designed finish using the entire range with an endless possibility of design options possible.
Altro has launched a training school focused on Altro Ensemble to help assist with installation training of LVTs and to demonstrate the advantages of using these products and the benefits they can have for installing contractors and end-users.
The two-day course is designed for installers who’re new to installing LVTs, but this does not limit more experienced installers to see and experience the additional benefits these products offer. Over the course of two days, the students gain comprehensive information on the products in a classroom environment, followed by detailed guidance on full installation of Altro Ensemble, including correct tools and cutting techniques for traditional installation and when using the unique backing the product offers.
Students learn four different design options for how Altro Ensemble can be installed. Each module is demonstrated with set out and installation techniques for best practice on each individual design. The course also highlights the more difficult and intricate cuts installers face and can struggle with that when fitting Altro Ensemble can be very easy and quickly achieved.
To find out more or to book onto an Altro Ensemble training course, call 01462 480480 or email enquiries@altro.com. The courses run every three months but with the increased popularity we’ve been seeing, they’ll likely run more often.
01462 480480
enquiries@altro.com
www.altro.com/uk
Aaron Bratt is the Altro training school manager
