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Altro’s harmonious ranges strike the right chord

Altro has launched three new complimentary flooring ranges, developed to deliver harmonious design possibilities and meet the needs of diverse areas. Each room in a building has different challenges. Altro’s new flooring ranges draw from the same colour palette but offer different properties so you can mix and match to meet your needs, without compromising on style or performance.

Altro Operetta™ is a robust 2mm floor perfect for medium to high traffic areas such as corridors in hospitals, care homes or schools, patient rooms and retail environments. It has 25 attractive natural and contemporary colours and finishes to fit your interior design scheme.

Altro Orchestra™ is ideal for areas where comfort and sound reduction are important. Engineered to create the ideal environment to learn and live, this 2.85mm thick floor with 15db sound reduction offers comfort underfoot, making life easier on the feet of students, patients and hard-working staff. An even wider palette of 40 colours and designs varying from calming neutrals reflecting tones of nature to vibrant shades allow you to design the right atmosphere every time.

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Altro Serenade™ is an acoustic floor, ideal for playrooms, hotel rooms, care homes or offices – anywhere where silence is golden. Whether softening the sounds of little feet or maximising privacy at work or leisure, Altro Serenade is up to the task. At 3.9mm thick with 19dB sound reduction, it also offers a high level of comfort underfoot. With 15 colour and design options, Altro Serenade matches and coordinates with Altro Operetta and Altro Orchestra.

Altro’s new ranges are colourful, easy to clean and compatible with each other. They are perfect for internal areas with low potential for spills from water, and can be combined with Altro safety flooring for areas prone to spills that have a high slip risk.

All three ranges also harmonise perfectly with Altro Whiterock™ hygienic wall cladding and the Altro Fortis™ wall, door and corner protection system, allowing you to create the look and feel you want, throughout.

All have industry-leading guarantees and the performance you would expect from Altro.

For more information visit www.altro.co.uk.
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Altro’s first adhesive-free flooring for low slip risk areas is tough time-saving solution at Warrington Hospital

New Altro CantataTM, the company’s first adhesive-free flooring for areas with a low slip risk, is already demonstrating its capabilities at Warrington Hospital, providing a tough time and cost saving solution in a busy non-clinical corridor.

Lee Bushell, the hospital’s Acting Head of Capital Projects, says “The service corridor is an area that gets an enormous amount of traffic. It’s in constant use during the day.

“After many years of this treatment, the existing vinyl flooring was really showing the strain. It looked tired, scruffy and we needed to find a hard wearing, affordable long term solution that could be laid with minimal disruption in this busy area.

“We have a very good relationship with Altro, and their flooring is proving very successful elsewhere in the hospital, so we asked them to have a look at the corridor and give us some guidance.

“They suggested we use their new Altro Cantata flooring, because it could be laid straight down onto the existing flooring, without adhesive, which would mean a fast installation.

New Altro Cantata is a decorative, adhesive-free flooring that creates maximum impact with minimum downtime. Using Altro’s award-winning adhesive-free installation method, it can be welded and walked on the same day, and at the end of its life removed easily, allowing it to be reused or recycled. It can handle the traffic of busy areas and is a long-term solution that will look good for years to come.

It is ideal for busy public spaces where disruption needs to be minimal, such as hospitals, schools and general circulation areas, with the durability needed for medium to high traffic areas. Plus there are no associated adhesive odours. Altro Cantata’s 16 soft-look shades, which range from subtle naturals to beautifully vivid, allows you to create just the right colour scheme or tone.

Lee Bushell continues: “I must admit I was sceptical that Altro Cantata would be able to meet our needs, but I am very pleased that I have been proved wrong, and it has been perfect for us in so many ways.

“There was a very short window for installation, because the corridor is in use until 7pm, but the process went very smoothly and was completed in just one night. A flooring that needs adhesive would have taken 3 to 4 days to fit. Altro Cantata has delivered a massive saving in cost, and the corridor was back in full use the next morning.

When speaking of the floor handling foot and wheeled traffic, Lee said: “It’s is standing up to the demands well with no signs of movement, bubbling or rippling, which proves it truly is a long term solution and not just a temporary fix. Very impressive.

“In terms of aesthetics, the flooring looks superb. There are some great colour choices with Altro Cantata. We selected a pale ice blue, which perfectly matches the colour scheme of the corridor.

“Cleaning is proving to be a revelation. The black scuffs and wheel marks from the trolleys were always tough to remove on the old flooring. Initially our cleaning team was doubtful they could get the marks off the new flooring, and nervous of using the scrubber and buffer because they thought they might do some damage.

“But we are delighted to report that the flooring comes up like new after every nightly cleaning regime, and even the stubborn black wheel marks are gone. Scrubbing machines and buffers are doing a wonderful job, with no damage.

“Sustainability is also an important factor for us. Because Altro Cantata is an adhesive-free flooring it means that in the future, if we need to make repairs, we can simply cut out a section and replace it, without having to re-lay the entire area. And the product is 100% recyclable as well.

“Overall, Altro Cantata is meeting all our needs in terms of cost saving, durability, looks and hygiene. This is vital at a time when the NHS is looking to make savings where possible, while also maintaining the highest standards.

“We are currently looking at using this product in another non-clinical area of the hospital, where there are similar issues with installation time. We think it will do a fantastic job there as well.”

Altro Cantata was installed at Warrington Hospital by Cheshire Contract Flooring Ltd. Director Dave Hunt says: “We specialise in installing flooring in healthcare environments, so we completely understand the pressures in terms of timing, cost and often sensitive environments.

“The beauty of Altro Cantata is that it can be laid straight down on to the subfloor, or existing flooring, with minimal preparation. There is no need to grind the floor, or put down a DPM, or prime, screed or use adhesive. This is a massive time and cost saver, a real fast track solution. Plus there is no need to wait for adhesive to dry and cure, so the flooring can be used and walked on immediately. It’s an ideal product for busy areas with heavy traffic where quick installation is paramount.”

Dave Hunt adds: “We laid the flooring in just one night, an area of 140m2, with two operatives. The process was quite straightforward. Firstly we made sure the existing flooring was clean, dry and dust free, then rolled out the sheet of product and cut it to size. Double-sided tape was then put around the perimeter, along the walls, one either side of the join.

“The tape was then peeled back and the flooring laid down and pressed into place. We finished by hot welding the joints, putting in a sit-on skirting, and steel threshold strips in the doorway. It was so fast: we could not have completed the work in this short timeframe with a traditional vinyl flooring.

“The work was carried on a very cold night in November, and we were afraid that the low temperature might cause the product to be brittle and buckle. But it settled very well, and we are delighted with how easy it was to work with and install. It looks great too.

“I was unsure that the flooring would stay in place with all the heavy trolleys turning on it every day, but it has been designed to do just that, and hasn’t moved or buckled in the slightest. We are very impressed with Altro Cantata and we’ll certainly be recommending it for our future projects.”

For more information please visit www.altro.co.uk.
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COMPAC’s technological marble specified for luxurious Jordon hotel

COMPAC’s technological marble has been specified for the luxurious St Regis Hotel set in Amman, the historic capital of Jordon.

This 5-star hotel which is due to be completed later this year, will feature over its 124,000 sq metres of floor space: 270 rooms including 91 suites, four restaurants, a café, destination bar, pool and pool bar, fitness centre, signature spa and more than 2800m² of meeting and event space, and a business centre.

COMPAC’s technological marble tiles in Crema Madani were specified for over 12,000 sq metres of public space flooring to provide a stunning, hardwearing surface in range of intricate designs.
This composite stone has the appearance of marble but with properties that eradicate many of the difficulties associated with it, making it ideally suited for projects that wish to replicate the luxurious look and feel of natural marble but without the high maintenance, longevity and performance issues associated with it.

COMPAC’s technological marble has a hardness that is similar to marble but its resistance to impact and breakage is much greater owing to its enhanced flexibility, it is also much lighter and easier to fabricate and install on site.

Easy to clean and maintain, COMPAC’s technological marble is ideally suited for use on kitchen and bathroom floors, walls, vanity tops, building façades, and staircases and on high footfall areas such as airports, shopping malls, hotel foyers and public buildings.

For more information please visit www.compac.es.
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Shape and form with Forbo’s new Allura collection

Forbo has refreshed its popular Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) collection, Allura, in response to the growing trend for combining shapes, sizes and colours to create contemporary floor spaces,. By playing with scale, direction and combinations across the range, the manufacturer has introduced new shapes and sizes to the market, alongside innovative digital print options.

The Allura collection now includes new large scale 180 x 32cm giant oak planks and 1m x 1m tiles, as well as small 50 x 15cm planks. The new XXL plank sizes have been designed to help achieve the illusion of larger and lighter areas in buildings where space is limited, and can be used to create more spacious and social interiors whilst emulating the Scandinavian design trend for a neutral feel and finish. The smaller planks can be used creatively in smaller areas or within the body of more traditional floor designs. A new Hungarian Point plank, cut on a 45-degree angle allows realistic herringbone and chevron designs to be created with ease.

Part of Forbo’s largest wood offer to date, there are also exciting new contemporary solids and more planks than ever before, with in-register embossing to bring designs to life. For a fresh approach to stone, the new marble options bring a soft, natural angular flow to a timeless floor design.

“Allura is 100% phthalate free, REACH compliant and produced in Europe with low emission levels“, says Julie Dempster, Marketing Manager at Forbo. “The excellent dimensional stability ensures safe and hygienic floors, as dirt isn’t trapped in the seams; and the superior embossed lacquering system guarantees long lasting appearance retention and improves the resistance to stains and scratches. Our customers will also find natural stress-reducing designs and high LRVs in the collection. These are just some of the many ways in which Allura can help to create better indoor and outdoor environments.”

For more information please telephone 0844 822 3928, email info.flooring.uk@forbo.com or visit www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/allura.
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Bright and colourful learning on laminate

Bold and striking Rosso high pressure laminate from Abet Laminati is making a splash in a children’s washing and breakout area at St Helen’s Catholic School in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex.

As part of a beautifully-designed first floor extension by local architects SK Architects, six new classrooms, a studio and a central breakout area has been added in bold and bright colours more than doubling the school’s capacity.

Specialist furniture manufacturer Benchmark FF&E Solutions was employed to create the innovative scallop-shaped wash and utility stations which were cleverly moulded around yellow columns housing sunpipes. Abet’s bright red Rosso colour in a high gloss HR-LAQ finish was used to clad the sides of the stations while compact grade was placed on the top coupling high performance with an attractive appearance. The compact grade on the surface was carefully routered out to allow for under cabinet sinks and drainage lines to be created.

HR-LAQ is a high gloss finish available in 28 bold and bright colours. Its unique finish comes from a unique formula applied to the surface layer that can maintain the level of glossy shine while offering long life cycle performance in terms of durability, scratch and impact resistance; perfect for this kind of heavy use environment where children are playing.

Abet Laminati’s compact grade High Pressure Laminates is also popular for other types of heavy duty application, such as lockers, table tops, vanity units and cubicles. Their finish provides a tactile, hardwearing and attractive surface coupled with excellent resistance to impact, scratches and abrasion.

The compact grade’s solid core construction in 6mm, 10mm or 12mm thickness makes it a perfect choice for areas prone to high moisture and humidity, such as leisure centres, swimming pools and changing rooms, because there is no risk of peeling, cracking or delamination. The fully self-supporting boards are also easy to work with for cutting and fabrication.

As with all Abet Laminati Collections, the laminates meet or exceed all European and British performance standards for resistance to wear, heat, moisture, impact and scratching. In addition, they are widely used in situations where high quality performance and design can be carefully crafted together to create an attractive visual experience.

Samples and technical literature are available from Abet Ltd’s sample line on tel: 020 7473 6915 or visit http://uk.abetlaminati.com/. Benchmark can be found at www.benchmarkproducts.co.uk.
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Forbo launches new Flotex Plank collection

Forbo Flooring Systems has developed a new Flotex Plank collection, allowing users to create stunning, contemporary floor designs for areas where safety, hygiene and well-being are priorities.

Combining the comfort of carpet, the durability of a resilient floor covering and the design versatility of a plank format, the new design collection lends itself perfectly to contemporary workspaces, as well as high traffic areas such as hotels and transport hubs.

Offering six new designs: Triad, Box-cross, Lava, Seagrass, Concrete and Wood, in plank sizes of 100x25cm, the collection provides endless design possibilities, from colourful and complex layouts to minimal, sophisticated aesthetics, which use shape and pile direction to create a stimulating floor pattern.

Julie Dempster, Marketing Manager at Forbo, said: “With people now spending an estimated 80-90% of their time indoors, the industry is now recognising the impact creating healthy interiors can have on the well-being of a building’s occupants. This new collection combines the outstanding indoor air quality performance of Flotex with surprising designs and a modular format, so users don’t have to choose between functionality and high design.”

Flotex has been awarded the prestigious “Seal of Approval” from Allergy UK as, with the correct cleaning regime, it will not harbour dust mites. Thanks to the anti-microbial treatment Sanitized®, Flotex also offers constant protection against mould odours and bacteria, including MRSA and E-coli

Julie concludes: “At Forbo, it’s the company’s ambition to design and manufacture floor coverings that benefit every individual by helping to provide safe, hygienic and comfortable living and working environments. The Flotex Plank collection contains 67% recycled content (by weight) and is 100% waterproof, which means that only water and standard materials are required for an effective clean, using minimal hazardous chemicals that would have a detrimental effect on the building’s environment. “

For more information please telephone 0844 822 3928, email info.flooring.uk@forbo.com or visit www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/flotexplanks.
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Sikafloor provides durable, high-gloss surface fit for a Ferrari

Thanks to Sika, a vehicle workshop involved in the repair and maintenance of some of the world’s most expensive cars has been supplied with a durable, high-gloss floor to protect the high-powered, high-specification machines it services.

The Ferrari Garage in Greater Manchester contains a hive of engineering expertise. For the refurbishment of the workshop’s 700m2 floor, it was vital the new system contained hard-wearing, non-slip properties, whilst offering a smooth, seamless finish to benefit mechanics and exquisite motors alike. Sikafloor®-263 SL, a two-part, multipurpose binder system, proved ideal.

In preparation for the built-up floor system’s installation, IRL Group Ltd – the project’s contractors – ground and shot-blasted the existing surface. Sikafloor® Level-30, a polymer-modified, pumpable, self-levelling, fast-drying cementitious screed was initially applied to the substrate in areas of anticipated heavy traffic which required higher thickness.

Sikafloor® 161 primer was then applied to the whole floor, and when cured, Sikafloor®-263 SL was installed to a thickness of 2mm. Based on epoxy resin, the system offers excellent chemical and mechanical resistance for heavy-wearing concrete and cement screeds in areas such as assembly halls, workshops, garages and loading ramps.

The floor’s high-gloss, light-grey finish was supplied by Sikafloor®-264, a two-part epoxy roller and seal coat with high-slip resistance: essential traction provision for rear wheel drive cars such as Ferraris which need to journey on and off ramps during maintenance. The Greater Manchester workshop has space for the service of up to five vehicles at any one time, hence the need for a smooth floor which didn’t compromise on tyre-grip.

Mark Ollerenshaw, Managing Director at IRL Group Ltd, said: “For a floor upgrade in an environment involving big-wheeled vehicles, the surface we provided had to have proven, durable qualities. Sikafloor was absolutely ideal. Its high-gloss finish complimented its hard-wearing, high-slip resistance, resulting in the perfect floor system for a project involving prestigious cars and an abundance of highly-technical equipment.”

The garage remained closed whilst the floor refurbishment was carried out. It meant contractors had a strict seven-day deadline to complete the project and ensure the business reopened on the agreed date. Sikafloor’s easy application and reliable performance ensured the timeframe was met, leaving the workshop with a safe, smart, durable floor fit for a Ferrari.

For more information please call 01707 394444, or visit http://gbr.sika.com/en/solutions_products/sika-markets/industrial-and-commercial-flooring.html 
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Altro XpressLay brings fast turnaround and cost savings at 27 new build schools

The proven cost and time saving credentials of award-winning Altro LooselayTM technology has lead to Altro XpressLayTM safety flooring being selected for installation in 27 new schools being built in the North East of England.

Galliford Try is building the new schools as part of the Priority School Building Programme (PSBP). Galliford Try has a longstanding Supply Chain Agreement with Altro, so when it came to specifying flooring for the PSBP schools, both companies worked closely together to select a high quality, cost-effective flooring that was also quick to install.

Roy Perry, Galliford Try Contracts Manager, said: “We chose to work with Altro on the PSBP scheme due to the strength of our supply chain relationship and their array of appropriate products for the schools.

“We selected Altro XpressLay because it’s a cost-competitive option that would also save us installation time on all the priority school schemes in this region. In many instances we require a quick turnaround, as Galliford Try is under pressure to deliver the schools within set timescales.

“We have been pleased with the service we have received from Altro and the flooring contractors, which has enabled us to complete the work to the customers’ satisfaction.”
Altro XpressLay is the world’s first ever adhesive-free safety flooring, and features Altro Looselay technology. Altro Looselay technology allows any subfloor moisture to escape. It has been designed to lie flat, without the need to be adhered. Altro Looselay doubled-sided, moisture-tolerant tape is used to secure the flooring in place while you weld. As there is no adhesive you get same-day welding and can walk on the floor straight away. Altro XpressLay can be easily removed post-installation, re-used elsewhere and then recycled at the end of its life.

The range boasts 42 colours, featuring bright and subtle, sparkle-free designs and decorative chipped options to choose from. The Altro XpressLay palette matches with Altro WalkwayTM 20 safety flooring, enabling both ranges to be combined to suit the application.

Altro XpressLay also features Altro Easyclean technology with superior chemical and stain resistance, to ensure it stays looking good for longer.

The flagship school for the PSBP scheme, and one of the first to be built, is the £18.6 million Hessle High School and Sixth Form College in East Yorkshire. Previously Hessle High was split over two sites, with 1,450 students, including 200 students in the sixth form.

The new build, designed by DLA Architecture Ltd in Leeds, has created a combined, fit-for-purpose school that operates from just one site, with new science labs, ICT and teaching areas and sports facilities for up to 1,550 pupils, including 230 students in the sixth form.

Phoenix Flooring Division installed 5,500m2 of Altro XpressLay throughout Hessle High School in four different shades; Waterfall on stairs and corridors; Blizzard in laboratories; Fog in wet areas; and Roof Garden in the stores.

The easy-to-fit capabilities of Altro XpressLay meant big savings in time and a trouble-free installation, as Phoenix Flooring MD Matt Brown explained.

“With Altro XpressLay there is no need to lay a dpm, and it can be fitted without adhesives,” said Matt. “This makes it very cost and time effective, and fitter friendly too. We know that every time we use this flooring we save a lot of time on a project, so for us it’s a great choice all round.

“Prior to fitting at the school, we prepared the substrate with a smoothing compound to create a true, flat surface. We then fitted Altro Looselay double-sided moisture tolerant adhesive tape to all perimeters and areas where the flooring would have joints. This helps the flooring to stay in place.

“Then it was simply a case of cutting the sheets of Altro XpressLay to fit, laying them into position, removing the backing from the adhesive tape, and rolling the flooring back into place. Joints were finally hot welded to finish off.

“We were on site for three months, with eight fitters working at the busiest period. We had excellent support from Altro throughout the entire project, but they always deliver a very high level of back-up.”

Mark Owen, Facilities Manager at Hessle High School is happy that Altro XpressLay is ticking all the right boxes. “We had a mixture of lino and tiles in the old school, which looked very old fashioned and was neither safe underfoot nor easy to maintain. This new flooring looks superb, colourful and modern, and it’s a proven safety flooring that can stand up to the rigours of busy school life.

“There has been no rucking or movement at all. It’s as firm and reliable as any flooring fitted with adhesive. So for a school it’s a great product, because we have the flexibility to repair or reuse the flooring in the future if required.

“Maintaining the flooring is proving easy as well, and it cleans up very nicely. We mop as and when required, and for areas which get the most traffic and dirt we use a walk-behind scrubber regularly. During school holidays we give everything a much more thorough going over with a circular scrubber, which brings the floors back to their very best.”

For more information please visit www.altro.co.uk.
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Forbo brightens up new Urgent Care Centre at Chorley Hospital

The patients and staff of Chorley Hospital’s Urgent Care Centre can view the colourful life of the ocean’s coral beds, thanks to Forbo Flooring Systems’ digitally printed vinyls that allow designers and specifiers to create completely bespoke floor coverings without compromising on quality.

David Simmons, Interior Designer at Frank Whittle Partnership said: “We wanted to create a stimulating and vibrant environment for the patients and staff of the hospital, and one that they would be proud of. A range of Forbo’s floor coverings was specified for the project including Eternal and digitally printed vinyl, as the vibrant colours and the ability to create bespoke designs fitted the brief perfectly.”

For the children’s waiting area, an underwater scene of colourful tropical fish was digitally printed onto vinyl flooring to create a playful environment for the young patients to enjoy, and to distract them at what could be a traumatic or upsetting time.

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Throughout the corridors, reception and main waiting areas of the centre, David chose to use Eternal in Silver Chestnut, because of its heavy wear resistance and superior appearance retention – key requirements for a busy hospital environment. The natural wooden aesthetic of the floor covering acted as a backdrop for the contrasting bright and vibrant Eternal colourways installed in the wards and consulting rooms of the centre and at the reception desks. Shades such as Petrol Sparkle, an eye-catching blue, and Honey Sparkle, a mustard-like tone, were installed to brighten up the wards and create a very individual environment.

David continued: “We also interspersed blocks of bright Eternal colours throughout the waiting areas. These blocks matched colours used in rooms on the wards as well as the reception desks and other furniture.

“We are very pleased with the overall design of the hospital and we were very fortunate to have a forward-thinking client that was brave enough to embrace the colourful design scheme.”

Forbo’s Eternal range is coated with a PUR Pearl finish which makes floors easy to clean and ensures low lifecycle costs – ideal for hospitals where budgets are tight and where staff and patients require a hygienic environment in which to work and be treated.

For more information please call 0844 822 3928, email info.flooring.uk@forbo.com or visit www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/healthcare.
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Forbo ‘brings the outside in’ at The Kelpies Visitor Centre

Architects at Nicoll Russell Studios have worked closely with Forbo Flooring Systems to create an attractive and welcoming interior environment at The Kelpies Visitor Centre at Helix Park in Falkirk.

The centre provides an all-weather, all-year-round facility from which visitors can admire the magnificent 30m high Kelpies, the world’s largest equine sculptures. It also incorporates a cafe, exhibition space and a retail area.

Euan McCallum, Senior Associate at Nicoll Russell Studios, said: “When it came to specifying flooring for the centre, we initially contemplated having an exposed concrete finish, which would reflect the industrial heritage of The Kelpies. However, our client was concerned that the concrete may feel too hard beneath visitors’ feet and potentially be unwelcoming. So, we contacted Forbo for help as we were aware of the Allura Stone luxury vinyl tile range, which offers an appearance similar to polished concrete but without the associated costs and drawbacks.”

The main public areas of the centre have been fitted with Allura Stone LVT in three colourways – Grigio Concrete, Charcoal Concrete and Natural Concrete. The natural aesthetics and 50 x 50cm format were chosen to blend effectively with the granite paving of the plaza outside. The installation pattern not only reflects the exterior paving layout but also echoes the patterns of the stainless steel cladding panels on the Kelpies themselves.

Other Forbo products installed as part of the floor scheme include Nuway Grid entrance matting with Coral Anthracite inserts to complement the Allura Stone floor coverings, and Surestep safety flooring to help prevent slips and trips in back of house areas such as kitchens and staff rooms.

Euan concluded: “Throughout the entire project, Forbo were very helpful providing advice and all the samples we wanted. They not only assisted with the product selection, they also provided us with technical assistance and gave us a fully detailed specification for laying the materials on the substrate. Overall, we are all very pleased with the finished project and the help we received from the company.”

The innovative use of the floor coverings at The Kelpies Visitor Centre helped the project to win the 2016 Fly Forbo competition.

For more information please call 0844 822 3928, email info.flooring.uk@forbo.com or visit www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/allura.
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