Article Number : 1780 |
|
Article Detail |
|
 | |
| Date | 2/22/2007 8:57:18 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=1780 |
| Abstract | By Louis Iannaco Las Vegas—For much of the year, the subject of installation is confined to the corner room of industry concerns, cast aside in favor of new products, people in the news, companies making acquisitions and hot issues of the day, such as anything “green” or concrete moisture... |
| Article | By Louis Iannaco Las Vegas—For much of the year, the subject of installation is confined to the corner room of industry concerns, cast aside in favor of new products, people in the news, companies making acquisitions and hot issues of the day, such as anything “green” or concrete moisture. And when installation is brought up, it is usually with a negative connotation. At Surfaces however, the subject of installation becomes a star itself. From the Installation Showcase, to seminars to new products and services, professionals can take pride in the fact they are flooring installers. According to Jon Namba, executive director of the International Certified Floorcovering Instalers Association (CFI), “the Installation Showcase has been going great. We’ve had great attendance. The topics are issues that we see out there everyday. What we try to address at the Installation Showcase are problems we’re seeing. We come in with the attitude, let’s show the audience the proper installation techniques covering all flooring aspects. Every year it seems we get better attendance at each show.” A company seeking to get the message out on the correct way to install floors is Flooring-TV.com, which offers professionals and do-it-yourselfers training techniques on-line. “This is our fifth year at Surfaces but our first with a live video streaming of the do-it-yourselfer and contractor-related videos,” said Barry Cook, sales manager. “We’ve gotten a great response both on the ad side and from people who want their salespeople or installers to go to the site and pick up tips on how the job should be done. You can’t just sell marble, you have to sell a marble job. This allows the salesperson to learn the language of what their job is all about.” Dayton Superior, manufacturer of self-leveling underlayments, patches and primers, enjoyed a fine show. “We’ve gotten a lot of good leads,” said Robert Fastow, national program manager, flooring. “People are coming in looking for self-levelers that aren’t priced out of reach. We are fair and make a good product. People out there are looking for options. Dayton has been doing this for over 20 years and no one has known it because it’s been private-labeled. We are now working to change that.” Lam-Hammer, producer of a new tool developed for installing interlocking laminate flooring, created quite a buzz at the show with its product. “Glueless laminate flooring is a breeze to install, except for the last piece in every row,” said inventor Jeff Van Horne. “The Lam-Hammer makes these end pieces as easy to install as the rest of the floor. People have been coming in and telling us how much they like it. We haven’t had one negative response in two years. It’s been a true success.” (Editor’s note: Look for more detailed coverage on installation products from Surfaces 2007 in upcoming issues.) |