Commercial Flooring Report is a publication made available by LGM and Associates Technical Flooring Services; Floor Covering experts on Carpet, Laminate and Vinyl, Ceramic and Hardwood. These are monthly newsletters designed to help you and your team understand challenges typical to the flooring industry and provide prevention and resolution.

	Business is Picking Up
	Vol.44, No.1  1.28 MB  Uploaded: December 9th, 2011
	The world isn't ending after all. Business in many parts of the country is picking up. The Boston and Washington, DC markets are seeing steady increases in building as are many other large and small cities in the country. Conversations with clients around the country whether, architects, general contractors or flooring contractors have them seeing a return to where they were before the down turn or up significantly. One general contractor has hired over 100 people in the last year, another over 15 in the last six months, another architectural firm has hired 30 new people. Another general contractor is trying to hire people but can't find any that want to work, which is another dilemma. What's accounting for this and why?
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	What to Test For When You Don't Know What To Test For
	Vol.43, No.1  1.45 MB  Uploaded: November 10th, 2011
	Having problems with flooring materials, sundries and substrates is an everyday occurrence. Some problems are easy to determine but others may be more complex than a simple cursory observation will reveal. For almost every problem that exists, with any flooring material, there is a test which will determine if who's being exhibited is a defect in the product or caused by some other influence. Sometimes it may be that a test will reveal the wrong product was used for a particular application or that, believe it or not, a product was incorrectly pulled and shipped. How are you to know?
	Woven Carpet and Installation
	Vol.42, No.1  1.84 MB  Uploaded: October 26th, 2011
	In this article, when woven carpet is referred to, we are talking about Axminster and Wilton products. Woven Axminster and Wilton carpet is the Rolls Royce of the carpet industry. It is the oldest form of machine made broadloom carpet.
	The Hidden ADA Risks for Flooring Contractors in the Sport Floor Industry
	Vol.41, No.1  1.38 MB  Uploaded: September 26th, 2011
	Our guest contributor this month is Mr. Timothy Vander Heiden J.D. He is currently CEO of SafePath Products and Van Duerr Industries with over 16 years experience in the industry of marketing and manufacturing products for the ADA compliance and specializes in green technology for the architectural market place. The information shared in his article is likely not common knowledge to most of you. We appreciate the opportunity to bring this information to light for you.
	Flammability and Floor Covering
	Vol.40, No.1  1.87 MB  Uploaded: August 24th, 2011
	In light of past fire related tragedies nationwide, we believe flammability characteristics are extremely important and pertinent issues of discussion for floor covering materials. The lab we work with has seen or overseen about 100,000 flammability tests conducted over the last 22 years and makes us recognize and realize more every day, the importance of burn rates, smoke generation, and flame propagation of floor covering products. Flammability research identified two possible ways in which carpet might become involved in a fire situation. The first situation is where carpet is the first item ignited, and the possibility of propagating flame from a small igniting source; for example, where the flame from a dropped match would spread across the floor to ignite furniture, draperies, wall coverings, etc. As a result two tests are most important to carpet flammability testing, the pill test and the critical radiant flux test.
	Concrete Curing Additives and Topical Applications
	Vol.39, No.1  2.12 MB  Uploaded: July 5th, 2011
	Successfully installing any type of floor covering material or floor preparation treatments such as leveling and smoothing compounds is challenging enough without impeding their effectiveness with bond inhibiting compounds applied to the surface of the slab.
	Hollow Sounding Tiles May Signal Installation Problems
	Vol.38, No.1  1.86 MB  Uploaded: July 5th, 2011
	When ceramic tile or stone tile fails, it doesn’t matter whose fault it is, everyone ends up paying – either in money, time or reputation. Typically, ceramic tile and stone failures are a result of not one deficiency, but multiple issues. As an expert consultant I investigate ceramic tile and stone installation failures all over the country, and have for many years.
	The Flooring Experts Discuss What Is Greener?
	Vol.37, No.1  1.79 MB  Uploaded: April 25th, 2011
	This article is by Lee Phillips who is the lab manager for Professional Testing Laboratories, the largest and most technologically advanced independent flooring testing lab in the flooring industry. PTL not only tests every type of flooring material and ancillary products but also does the testing for vacuum cleaners, cleaning agents and cleaning systems as well as other products. Lee works with manufacturers and a variety of clients and deals with all types of issues from testing new technologies to addressing product performance concerns from the field.
	How Much Curl is Acceptable in Modular Carpet?
	Vol.36, No.1  2.06 MB  Uploaded: March 25th, 2011
	Essentially every manufacturer that participates in the commercial carpet market has at least one modular carpet -- also known as carpet tile - product in their offering. Each of these manufacturers has discovered (sometimes painfully) that modular carpet -- if it is to be successful - is not simply broadloom carpet cut into pieces but rather must be engineered literally from the floor up to be a modular product.
	Cracking in Concrete
	Vol.35, No.1  1.26 MB  Uploaded: March 10th, 2011
	Not to belabor the point but there's more information I want to share with you regarding substrate issues particularly the condition of concrete and especially cracking. Cracking in concrete is inevitable. It's been said that with every truck load of concrete four cracks arrive with it. Unless there is control joints that allow for concrete slab movement the cracks will occur in a random fashion.
	The Use of Solvent to Remove Old Flooring Adhesive
	Vol.34, No.1  1.61 MB  Uploaded: January 30th, 2011
	We've had several calls and emails over the last two months regarding the use of solvents to remove old adhesive, particularly the black asphaltic cut back type, used for old vinyl asbestos tiles. These tiles are present in many older buildings, many of them schools. When asbestos abatement initiatives are undertaken in these buildings, one of the materials removed and abated are the vinyl asbestos tiles and the cut back adhesive used to install them.
	Color Issues
	Vol.33, No.1  1.74 MB  Uploaded: January 6th, 2011
	Color is arguably the most important part of a carpet. It certainly is the most important factor a designer looks at when trying to assemble the interior furnishings of a commercial space. It’s also the first part of the carpet anyone sees when entering a space reflecting the first impression. So when something’s wrong that affects the color it will generate an immediate response.
	Carpet Recycling Efforts
	Vol.32, No.1  2.32 MB  Uploaded: December 5th, 2010
	Each year approximately 5 billion pounds of old carpet is removed from residential and commercial buildings and sent to landfills across the United States. This disposal of carpet contributes to the loss of landfill space, as well as the loss of valuable natural resources for ours and future generations.
	The Effects of Temperature and Humidity on Floor Covering
	Vol.31, No.1  2.10 MB  Uploaded: November 10th, 2010
	This subject may seem absurd to some people, it certainly has garnered responses of "you're nuts" when being brought up as a cause for flooring material and installation failures, but rest assured, it is a legitimate issue. It becomes a bigger issue when you consider the green movement and it's implications on start up of HVAC systems in new buildings. We've only seen the tip of the iceberg, in my opinion, on this issue.
	Resilient Flooring News
	Vol.30, No.1  1.99 MB  Uploaded: September 16th, 2010
	For this issue we've asked Dean Thompson, President of the Resilient Floor Covering Institute, to share with you the new Sustainability Standard for Resilient Flooring. The relevance of this issue to the "greening" of flooring products is something anyone involved in resilient flooring needs to know. Resilient flooring is one of the bright spots in the flooring industry. It is used extensively in hospitals, health care and schools which is still a lively market. We'll also share with you the EnviroStix installation system developed for resilient flooring and hard backed carpet tile products. The significance of this installation system is that it can eliminate the concerns for installing hard backed products on moisture sensitive floors that are failing at an epidemic rate.
	The Musings of a Tile Consultant
	Vol.29, No.1  1.99 MB  Uploaded: November 10th, 2010
	The last two issues of the Commercial Flooring Report (May and June 2010) dealt with floor covering failures relative to the products themselves, installation and specification. In this issue I've asked Dave Gobis, LGM's ceramic tile consultant and expert troubleshooter, to share with us some of the more specific issues dealing with ceramic flooring complaints, problems and failures. This is a category of flooring that very few know much about. I consider Dave the most knowledgeable guy in the business. You'll see by his credentials at the end of his article how true that is.
	Common Causes of Flooring Failures: Part 2
	Vol.28, No.1  2.05 MB  Uploaded: July 28th, 2010
	SUBSTRATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS WHICH AFFECT FAILURES In my opinion, substrate issues are one of the biggest bones of contention today. With installation after installation failing in all types of environments, the question is continually asked, “What’s different today than years ago when we never had these types of problems?” First and foremost - today we want instant gratification, and that means, “Get the job finished as fast as possible at all costs and we’ll worry about the consequences later!” Not only is this a crazy way to think and act, but it’s totally irresponsible in many ways. We’ll touch on why this is insane in a bit, but first let’s look at some of the types of problems we’re experiencing.
	Common Causes of Flooring Failures: Part 1
	Vol.27, No.1  2.39 MB  Uploaded: May 11th, 2010
	The primary business of LGM & Associates has to do with floor covering failures in the commercial market whether it is the product itself, the installation, substrate influences or some other factor. Another segment we serve has to do with lawsuits or legal actions involving floor covering issues in a variety of situations. No two cases relative to failures in any area serviced are ever exactly the same. It is for this reason that the following information is being provided to help prevent you from having to endure the pain of a floor covering failure.
	Information You Need To Know
	Vol.26, No.1  1.33 MB  Uploaded: March 25th, 2010
	The Question of Gross v. Net: The question of what is right, correct, or “industry standard” in charging for flooring products and installation just keeps coming up. As a former dealer and flooring contractor with retail, commercial, and government work experience over 22 years, I’d like to offer an answer ...
	When is Carpet Wall Covering and not Cove Base?
	Vol.25, No.1  1.56 MB  Uploaded: February 23rd, 2010
	When does the use of carpet on walls constitute wall covering or cove base? Why should it matter and what’s the difference in the two and how is it determined? These questions were asked of us by one of the industry’s largest commercial carpet manufacturers. If they don’t know the answers it was certain none of our readers did either. The questions actually were, “How far can carpet come up a wall before it is considered wall carpet and not cove base which would put it in a different flammability category? Does the Carpet and Rug Institute have a position on this or is there a standard?”
	Don't LEED Yourself Into Trouble
	Vol.24, No.1  1.29 MB  Uploaded: January 20th, 2010
	LEED which is the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design specifies what is necessary to comply with achieving a green building rating in new or renovation building projects. What we are beginning to see relative to this is disturbing as compliance to LEED protocols may lead to compromises in floor covering installation.
	Winter's Effects on Flooring Materials
	Vol.23, No.1  1.10 MB  Uploaded: December 15th, 2009
	Certainly not every section of the country suffers from the harsh effects of winter weather and related conditions on flooring materials but enough of you do business in those regions that you should know what the flooring will be subjected to.
	Concrete Testing - Doing It Right
	Vol.22, No.1  1.63 MB  Uploaded: November 5th, 2009
	At CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION's first Industry Trends Roundtable in June 2002, the hot topic was moisture coming out of concrete floors and delaminating vinyl flooring, tile, and coatings. During the CEO Forum that followed, recognition of this multimillion-dollar problem led American Society of Concrete Contractors' members to contribute $40,000 to a special fund to address floor moisture and pH.
	A Smart Guide to PVC Backed Modular Carpet
	Vol.21, No.1  1.50 MB  Uploaded: October 7th, 2009
	Modular Carpet also known as carpet tile – is probably the least difficult soft flooring product to actually handle and install. That being said, the chemistries involved in most of the modular carpet backing systems that are in general use today can create serious and occasionally catastrophic issues that WILL land squarely on the shoulders of the flooring contractor if the correct steps have not been taken.
	Hospital, Health Care and Educational Application of Sheet Vinyl Flooring
	Vol.20, No.1  1.53 MB  Uploaded: October 13th, 2009
	More and more hospitals, health care facilities and schools are using homogeneous sheet vinyl flooring with welded seams in areas requiring an aseptic or clean environment, such as operating rooms, emergency rooms and pharmacies. It is also used in corridors of schools or dialysis rooms of health care facilities. This product is used for its clean, uncluttered look and finish. In addition this homogeneous material lends itself to all kinds of creative design elements such as artistic insets, borders and free flowing patterns. Just like any other flooring material not understanding this product, the environmental conditions required for installing it, substrate conditions and how to install it properly with great emphasis on welding the seams can result in massive headaches, exorbitant costs and strained relationships, not to mention the failure of the installation.
	NeoCon 2009
	Vol.19, No.1  1.90 MB  Uploaded: October 13th, 2009
	It was evident, and no surprise, that Neocon’s attendance was adversely affected by the economy. My guess from roaming the halls for two days is that attendance was off nearly 40%, those I’ve spoken with felt the same. That having been said, we’ve seen this slowdown at all the flooring trades shows this year. Those who did attend were serious about doing business. An entire entourage was not to be seen but key people from firms were there, and business was in fact being done.
	HD 2009 Expo
	Vol.18, No.1  1.52 MB  Uploaded: October 4th, 2009
	THE HOSPITALITY DESIGN SHOW The Hospitality Design Show held in Las Vegas on May 12th through 15th is one of my favorite trade shows. In my opinion HD is one of the classiest exhibitions there is for floor covering and it’s a dress up event. It’s nice to see people dressed as professionals when they attend this event. It reflects the significance of the hospitality market and the position it occupies that of high fashion and cutting edge design. This is where you’ll see the most highly styled, eye popping high end floor covering products displayed by the sharpest manufacturers in the industry.
	Carpet CSI
	Vol.17, No.1  1.54 MB  Uploaded: October 4th, 2009
	PROFESSIONAL TESTING LABORATORY THE CSI LABORATORY FOR THE FLOOR COVERING INDUSTRY Professional Testing Laboratory, Inc., is the CSI Laboratory for floor covering. PTL does the day to day testing for manufacturers, the Federal Government, and large corporations but they also do investigative analysis to figure out mystery problems, defects and complaint and concern issues. Following are two interesting cases PTL solved.
	Double Stick Installation: What You Must Know
	Vol.16, No.1  1.60 MB  Uploaded: November 5th, 2009
	The most popular method of installing carpet in the hospitality market is the double stick method but it is also used extensively in all commercial environments. Double stick refers to installing a carpet cushion, whether it is slab rubber, densified polyurethane, needle punched synthetic fiber or rebond, by gluing it to the substrate and then gluing the carpet onto the cushion. This installation method can be compromised in a number of ways resulting in obscenely expensive monetary losses and business interruption which can be incalculable for a hotel or business.
	Challenges of 2008
	Vol.15, No.1  1.10 MB  Uploaded: October 4th, 2009
	The challenges of 2008 have not vanished with the passage into a new year and, in my opinion; the difficult times are going to be here for awhile. The commercial market is seeing a slow down right now with less work in the pipeline for 2009, from the latest figures on average 15 to 20%. With projects put on hold due to fear of releasing funds or tight credit, falling tax revenues and an overall slow down in business, everyone is affected. Even if a project is funded it may be shelved because of the psychological effects the economic conditions have on entities and individuals.
	THE MOST SUSTAINABLE CARPET FIBER - WOOL
	Vol.14, No.1  1.76 MB  Uploaded: October 4th, 2009
	In this issue we’ll cover a couple of subjects. Since sustainability is one of the hottest buzz words lately and being green the ultimate objective of every manufacturer for every product known to man, we’ll talk about the most sustainable carpet fiber. We’ll also take a look at the absurdity of bidding a commercial flooring installation without knowing the product specified and to be installed. How this can be an acceptable practice and why it’s done is, in my opinion, insane.
	Pooling, Watermarking, Pile Reversal and Shading
	Vol.13, No.1  1.78 MB  Uploaded: November 5th, 2009
	These issues - and the terms are somewhat synonymous in their meaning - continue to plague carpet manufacturers. Pooling, Watermarking, Pile Reversal and Shading are manifested in different ways but primarily give the appearance of water having been spilled on a carpet causing irregularly shaped light and dark areas in or out of the traffic lanes of carpet.
	The Front End of a Project can be the Greenest Part of the Equation
	Vol.12, No.1  1.59 MB  Uploaded: November 5th, 2009
	Problems with new floor covering products, whatever they may be, don’t necessarily mean the product has to be replaced. Carpet in particular can be made so it doesn’t get shipped with defects and, depending on what defects may be in it, it is often possible to make repairs. Color shade issues, surface irregularities from shearing, stop marks from tufting and minor flaws can very often be repaired in place. The most prudent move however is to make sure these problems don’t occur by being proactive rather than reactive – the former being much less expensive.
	Protecting You and the Client's Investment
	Vol.11, No.1  1.04 MB  Uploaded: November 5th, 2009
	In this issue of the Commercial Flooring Report we’ve got several guest articles. Part II of Jeff Bishops article on commercial carpet care and cleaning, an article on correcting side match shade variation by Mike Currin and another installment from Lance Wallach on your financial well being for commercial entrepreneurs. I’ve also written a small piece on walk off mats; their use and safety. All of this has to do with protecting the end users investments and you as a business person.
	Maintenance Issues
	Vol.10, No.1  1.11 MB  Uploaded: November 5th, 2009
	Cleaning and maintaining commercial flooring, especially carpet, is as important as selecting the right carpet construction, color and installation procedures. It is the one thing that will make the difference between a long healthy life for the flooring material or a short ugly one. For this issue we’ve asked Jeff Bishop, head of Clean Care Seminars whom I consider the Guru of the cleaning industry, to share information with you regarding commercial carpet cleaning. This is the first of two parts.
	ACAA Reply and Vinyl Issues
	Vol.9, No.1  1.07 MB  Uploaded: November 5th, 2009
	In the last issue of the Commercial Flooring Report I wrote an article about fly ash content in concrete and the issues this material presents relative to installation and in particular its relevance to gaining LEED credits for new buildings. The article prompted a response from David Goss the Executive Director of the American Coal Ash Association, which resulted in us pening a very fruitful dialogue. Following is a response from the American Coal Ash Association prompted by my article. At the end of the response I’ll provide you with the outcome of our conversations and phone conference meeting we had with several participants and the resultant benefits this new relationship will bring to the floor covering industry.
	Be Aware of Dangerous Situations!
	Vol.8, No.1  1.40 MB  Uploaded: November 5th, 2009
	The commercial flooring business is fraught with danger much of it perpetrated by ignorance. This is not to cast aspersions on those in the industry as being dumb but it is in reference to people not knowing or sometimes, dangerously, not caring or worse yet taking matters into their own hands when they think they know and really don’t.
	Interesting Facts and Information for 2007 / 2008
	Vol.7, No.1  804 KB  Uploaded: November 5th, 2009
	Carpet tile use is growing dramatically but at the expense of broadloom carpet. There is no question carpet tile is the fastest growing textile floor covering material on the market but its growth is coming at the expense of broadloom. The ease of installation, design capabilities, structural integrity, performance Bentley Prince Street – UPC Tile characteristics and versatility of carpet tile, along with new innovative backing systems, many of them the result of recycling efforts, make carpet tile the hot property that it is.
	Carpet Myths and Facts
	Vol.6, No.1  2.12 MB  Uploaded: November 5th, 2009
	There are a number of myths about carpet that many believe to be true when in fact they are not. The myths uncovered here are from Werner Braun, President of the Carpet and Rug Institute, from his presentation at the annual CRI Meeting held on November 13, 2007 and my subsequent interview of Werner. I’ve added my own commentary to these categories based on 37 years of experience. The carpet industry is one of the most responsible industry’s there is regarding addressing issues that are erroneous and putting forth information that benefits the consuming public.
	Beware of Imported Products
	Vol.5, No.1  775 KB  Uploaded: October 13th, 2009
	This has been a scare of late particularly with products imported from China and it relates to carpet in particular, especially with one case we have. This carpet was installed in a public venue and after a short period of time there was a question of wear. This instigated the end users and flooring contractors questioning of the carpet itself and its quality. Further examination of the carpet revealed that there were three different backings supplied with the product which raised even more concerns about how reliable this product and its manufacturing supplier were.
	Specifying Commercial Carpet for Senior Housing
	Vol.4, No.1  0.95 MB  Uploaded: October 13th, 2009
	Why should carpet specified and used in senior housing be any different from any other commercial carpet application and what makes it so unique?
	INSTALL – Everyone Talks Training UBC Delivers
	Vol.3, No.1  487 KB  Uploaded: October 13th, 2009
	Floor covering is an installed product and until it is installed and installed properly, it has no value to anyone; it’s simply ballast. Installation has been said to be the bane of the floor covering industry for years. Complaints about the installers’ attitude, skill level, training, pricing, reliability and professionalism have created rifts between manufacturers and flooring contractors for longer than anyone wants to admit. Installers and installation have often been viewed as a necessary evil – not exactly the best situation to have for any installed product.
	NeoCon 2007 and More
	Vol.2, No.1  942 KB  Uploaded: October 13th, 2009
	To say NEOCON was a rousing success would be an understatement. Of the carpet exhibitors we spoke to the traffic was voluminous. In the first day attendees far outpaced last years show, that is, there were as many people entering exhibit spaces on the first day as all three days of last year, 2006. Not only does this indicate an interest in flooring products it proves the contract market is still alive and well and booming.
	State of the Industry
	Vol.1, No.1  380 KB  Uploaded: October 13th, 2009
	There are significant advances in the commercial flooring market which impact everyone involved with the product. There have been so many changes in face fiber, backing materials styling, recycling and "Green Issues," that it's difficult for the most ardent observer to keep it all in order. This is a brief commentary and a simplistic representation of what's going on in each of the following categories and how it impacts the product.