Hi..

I came across this website http://www.buyerbefair.org while doing some research on the net! The name struck a note.. While we, as consumers, certainly focus on the responsibility of the sellers (companies producing and selling various goods) we seem to miss the other side _ The responsibility of the consumers..

Well.. What about it? As most of you might be aware, the marketing departments of various companies are always looking for opportunities or ‘Gaps’ in the market place. A need, a desire of the consumers which can be profitably tapped to make money. There is nothing wrong in it! However, sometimes the greed overtakes the conscious even if the business organisation might know that the product created to fulfil the desire may do more harm than good.

So, here our responsibility as a consumer and specifires (Architects and Designers) steps in. Just think for a moment. How would it be like if people really took a little bit of time to find out how their consumption habits are impacting themselves and people they love? For example:

# Did you know that over 80% of the wood being harvested today for various uses (around the world) is illegal?

# Did you know that building & construction industry uses quiet a lot of it?

# Did you know how many ‘Football field sizes of forests are being destroyed’ every minute?

# Did you know the enormous amount of devastation it causes in the tropical rain forests around the world and how the lives of people directly dependent on these forests gets destroyed because of the demand by the consumers?

# Did you know how you and me and our children and our parents and our friends have to live in an ever increasing polluted, dirty and unsafe environment because of the above and many diseases, crimes are a direct result of such activities http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_logging?

I do not mean to be a preacher or sound clichéd or get you into fearbut the above is a fact and a big problem. My idea was to bring this up so as to raise awareness on the subject and it is a documented fact that when educated, most reasonable people would make the extra effort to do the right thing. We, the Span Floors team, at our end have committed ourselves to only sell products of cos. which use wood from certified forests. One of the most important certifications in this sector are FSC http://www.fsc.org/about-fsc.html and PEFChttp://www.pefc.org/resources/videos and all Span floors brands confirm to these certifications.

To sum up: # Support people or companies engaging in responsible business practices.

# Do not just go by claims. Observe and check for yourself. Advertisements and press releases sometimes are motivated and can be purchased.

# Take the time to find out and know more. Who knows what problem it may save you from in the future.

Until next time..

Satinder

Recently we have introduced a new product based on a very simple yet powerful idea.

It is called Elastilon!! The product comes from Eindhoven, Netherlands (the hometown of Phillips, the consumer electronics giant) from a veteran of wood flooring business. Mr. Fred Van Bers, The man behind the invention, has been in wood floors business since 1967.... he noticed the issues that would crop up in case their was too much moisture in the air or the sub floor where a wood floor was installed.

Namely the issues were, the gaps that would arise between planks and in some cases, warping of individual planks. He had the smartness to observe what was happening and most importantly took the time to figure out, why it was happening!!

And Voila! He had his breakthrough idea of Elastilon.

What he figured was that the prevalent installation methods tied the individual flooring plank to the floor by nailing it down or by gluing it but they were not mechanically connected to each other. So when the natural expansion and contraction happened, the planks moved individually and consequently gaps or warping could occur.

Now you may need to look at an actual demo of above or a video in order to fully understand the above. please do get in touch and we can then organize the above for you.

The product has been a hit internationally with sales around the globe rising by the day. Span floors now distributes this nationally and is training it's channel in it's use. The product is also available thru importers, dealers of other brands besides Span floors, who may buy from us and use it for their installations. If you are an Architect/ contractor or an end consumer and would like to use Elastilon, it is compatible with any solid, engineered or laminate floor. Please get in touch with directly or thru your specialist dealer! Sales enquiries are welcome, from all over India.

So long...

Satinder

This is a subject that demands attention!

I have been noticing the lack of adequate attention on this seeming trivial but extremely crucial aspect, sometimes, sadly even from professionals. The quality of the subfloor (the floor on which the wood/laminate floor will be installed) greatly determines how the floor will look and feel after installation.

The following are the common mistakes and their effects:

• Uneven subfloor – Can cause creaking sounds, will press down at various places, can cause joint deterioration
• Wet subfloor – Can lead to swelling/cupping/warping/bowing of flooring planks
• Uneven walls – Gaps will be visible between the wall and the skirting
Time taken to ensure proper subfloor preparation would go a long way in enhancing the satisfaction of all concerned and can save much time, money and heartburn later! Do get back to me if you need any further help on the subject..

So long!

Satinder Chawla

Recently come back from a visit to the Mecca of wood flooring ‘Western Europe’! Would have been a very cold one (it is always sub zero this time of the year) but for the warmth of the latest wood floor collections!

What I observed was a completely new trend emerging in terms of colours. Although I could see the same starting last year but it was more pronounced and established this year. Dark Wenges, browns seem now to be a part instead of being everywhere and a new wave of soothing pastels (browns, beiges, greys) seem to have caught fancy! What a refreshing change..

The craze about deep textured floors which give a realistic wood feel continues unabated. However, what really caught my fancy were the new introductions in the Kaindl two collection! The collection is now being introduced with a real oak veneer surface, brushed (deep textured) and digitally printed with amazing decors. All in all, 2010 seems to be quiet promising as was 2009!

First shipments are in the process of being ordered and soon you would have plenty of new stuff for your forth coming projects!!

Happy creating..

Satinder Chawla

This is the latest in the world of wood flooring!

You can now order and have personalized wood floors created, made exactly to your specifications. This revolutionary new technology enables manufacturing of wood floors (real wood and laminate both) with a design of customer's choice whatever that may be. Anything that can be photographed, painted or created on a computer, can be recreated on the floor.

Kaindl flooring, Austria, one of the frontrunners of this technology is printing on real wood (Yes, Real wood!!). The flooring plank core made of HDF (high density fibreboard) is covered with a 0.6mm wood veneer which in turn is printed with organic inks using giant printers. The surface is then covered with multiple coats of laquer using the latest nano technology making it suitable for flooring applications. Besides having the custom design option, Kaindl prints wood designs of rare woods that are either banned by authorities due to environmental reasons or are too expensive or are simply impractical in real wood for it's vast stock collection.

Span floors stocks the most fashionable decors from this collection. Please do take time to explore the kaindl two collection under the engineered floor section at our website. Alternatively drop in at our showroom (a prior intimation would be helpful) to view large installed floors for a hands on experience. We hope you would like what's on show.

Cheerfully yours!

Satinder Chawla