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Responsibly Sourced Hardwood Flooring by V4 Woodflooring
All of the hardwood flooring planks we construct use timber that has been responsibly sourced and is from legally managed forests. Sounds good, but what does it mean? Responsibly managed forests mean that trees are, perhaps ironically, still cut down. However this process is done with the minimal possible impact on the local environment. Managed forests are sustainable sources of wood, when individuals purchase responsibly sourced wooden flooring they can rest assured that they are helping to protect the world’s trees and forests. Why Choose Responsibly Sourced Flooring? The other benefits of selecting hardwood flooring planks which are manufactured using responsibly sourced timber include: Helping the survival of other species of plants, animals and insects by ensuring that their environment is responsibly managed. Locking carbon away in a product which has a long lifetime and can then be recycled. Enables customers to avoid the harmful chemicals and pollutants which can be released from non-responsibly sourced timber. By using timber from irresponsible sources, an individual is contributing to the deforestation of an area half the size of Great Britain every year. This deforestation occurs across the world, in the northe hemisphere, in the southe hemisphere, in temperate environments and in tropical environments. Half of the planetary landmass used to be covered in forests. Often they are irreplaceable once they have gone, having massive social, environmental and economic impacts. Innumerable species of animals and an uncountable number of human beings depend on forests for their very existence. Forests provide 1.6 billion of the world’s poorest people with a means of survival. Due to the catastrophic deforestation which continues to occur in Bo eo and Sumatra, the UN has said it is likely that the orangutan will be extinct by the 2020's. The indirect consequences of irresponsible deforestation are a major contributor to global warming. A Greenpeace report revealed that the deforestation and bu ing in Indonesia of forests and peat plants, were responsible for unleashing 1.8 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Greenpeace statistics just 0.1% of the global landmass is contributing 4% of all the emissions. Responsibly and sustainably sourced wood prevents the occurrence of these ecological atrocities. Due to this all the wood which we use for the manufacture of our wooden flooring panels use timber which conforms to the EU Timber Regulation. The Regulation prohibits the placing and use of illegally sourced timber in the EU market, this is regardless of whether the timber’s origin is domestic or imported. In addition, a number of our product ranges bear the FSC stamp; these include Urban Nature, Eiger Grande and Eiger Phoenix.
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The New Urban Nature Range From V4 Woodflooring
We have recently unveiled our latest range of hardwood flooring planks, the Urban Nature range. This new collection was inspired by the beauty of urban landscapes that have been reclaimed by nature. Due to this, the hardwood flooring planks in this range feature a muted spectrum of colours. The colours are complemented by the hand finished effects that are used. These effects make the planks look industrial and natural simultaneously, whilst providing a distressed, weathered and aged appearance. Perhaps the most dramatic site of nature’s triumph over an industrial landscape is the once prosperous industrial city of Detroit in the USA. Jou alists hailed it the “ghost city gradually reclaimed by nature”. In 1950 the city was one of America’s richest. The city successfully averted a potential nuclear disaster which could have been par with Che obyl in the 1960’s. The event occurred when the local nuclear power station overheated and part of the structure actually melted in 1966. Despite this, whole parts of the city now resemble a post-apocalyptic world where the plants have risen up to reclaim the concrete landscape. In many areas the city has become an urban prairie. Grass covers much of the city’s pavements, trees tower over fences no longer able to contain them and electrical lines compete with tree branches weaving an organic web across the sky of the once prosperous city. Numerous species of wild flowers can be found in the over grown car parks and tall trees stand watch over the city’s landscape from the top of skyscrapers. It is not just plants which have reclaimed the former industrial city, native animals have retu ed. Packs of stray dogs hunt through overgrown blocks for turkeys, racoons and pheasants. Pigeons roost in their hundreds in abandoned factories and feral cats are sustained by the city’s rat population. About The New Urban Nature Range It is this beauty which has inspired our Urban Nature range which includes six distinct hardwood flooring panels. The range of 14mm oak engineered floors features the following products: Oak Rustic Foundry Steel Oak Rustic Wharf Grey Oak Rustic Weathered Beam Oak Rustic Fired Brick Oak Rustic Tannery Brown Oak Rustic Limehouse White Each of these six hardwood floor panels in the Urban Nature range is hand finished, stained and UV oiled and can be obtained from a number of our approved dealers. Each of the products in this range is FSC certified, meaning that the timber used is sourced from responsibly managed forests.
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V4 Woodflooring At Ecobuild 2014
V4 Woodflooring will once again be exhibiting at the prestigious Ecobuild show. The show is held annually and showcases the latest and greatest in environmentally friendly and sustainable products in design, construction and the built environment. At V4 Woodflooring we are dedicated to the design and manufacture of hardwood flooring solutions that are environmentally friendly and manufactured using materials from sustainable sources. This has resulted in our products being awarded both the FSC and the PEFA certifications. Due to our ongoing commitment to eco-friendly solutions, it is an honour to once again be part of an event that matches our ethics. The three day event will be held from Tuesday 4th until Thursday 6th March 2014. During the event visitors will be able to attend seminars from globally leading authorities in topics ranging from Green Energy Solutions to discussions about reinventing British town centres. The prestigious 2014 BREEAM Awards will be hosted on the event’s opening day. These Awards are held each year and celebrate the previous year’s highest scoring building assessments. BREEAM use the world’s leading design and assessment method for the construction and implementation of sustainable building solutions. Due to this the Awards aim to recognise the achievements of individuals and companies who have performed exceptionally in the specification, design and construction of buildings according to BREEAM’s stringent assessment procedure. Individuals who have never attended Ecobuild can view an explanatory video by clicking here. Due to the popularity of the conference arena at last year's event, Ecobuild 2014 will feature a second conference arena. Throughout the event both of these arenas will provide visitors with access to cutting edge debates and discussions, surrounding the future of environmentally sustainable solutions. A number of working showcases will feature at the event, including Practical Installer, Solar City and The Wellbeing and the Future of Work Experiment. V4 teams up with Concreate After a successful link up with Concreate® at last years show V4 will be continuing the partnership to showcase the latest in quality, responsibly sourced hardwood flooring. Concreate the makers of the world's first engineered tongue and grooved concrete floor panels, will be unveiling their latest addition to the range in the form of Concreate Wall Panels which are an even more lightweight version of the amazing floor panels that can be installed on walls, and ceilings to create architectural features in any mode design. Find out more at concreateflooring.co.uk. New product launch The V4 team can't wait to meet the crowds of architects, interior designers and eco-house builders and find out more about the amazing projects planned for the this year. We are also looking forward to unveiling a new addition to the V4 Collection with the Urban Nature range of 15 mm multi-ply floors, all FSC® 100% certified. Inspired by urban landscapes reclaimed by the natural environment, the Urban Nature range comprises of 6 new colours designed to compliment the designers pallet. At just 15 mm thick the hand finished surfaces are backed on precision machine milled multi - ply making them ideal for low energy underfloor heating installations. Register for your FREE ticket to Ecobuild 2014 V4 Woodflooring is looking forward to exhibiting at one of the world’s largest environmentally motivated trade shows. The 2013 Ecobuild event attracted a total of 43,542 professionals from 121 different countries. If you would like to attend the show please email the team@v4dev.carciofinocds.co.uk and we will be happy to send you a Free ticket voucher with details on how to register. Make sure you come and say hello at stand S450, see you there!
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Skirting And Moulding: The Final Touches To A New Wooden Floor
When it comes to installing a new wooden floor surface, whether it be real wood or laminate, the finishing touches are incredibly important. It is not enough to select an aesthetically impressive species of wood, which provides a beautiful colour, an intricate grain and elaborate makings, in order to be truly successful, other touches need to be added in order to create the desired effect. Skirting and moulding are excellent final touches to complement any wooden floor. Whilst these features are commonly overlooked, they are actually as important as the selection of the floor itself. Without these final touches a new wooden floor, whether it be in a bedroom, living room or hallway, can look incomplete and tatty. What is skirting? Skirting, is specifically designed to cover the area between the flooring surface and the adjacent wall. Due to their wide usage, there are numerous styles of skirting available. These styles include solid, veneered and flexi-edged. When selecting a type of skirting, it is essential to ensure that the skirting matches the colour of the wooden flooring surface. Alte atively, skirting can be painted to match the existing aesthetics within the room. When painting skirting where the wooden floor has already been installed, it is important to take measures to protect the flooring surface from potential paint drips and stains. This can be done easily and effectively by laying down either cloths or a plastic surface. What is moulding? Whilst skirting performs a purely aesthetic role, moulding performs a much more practical function. Moulding serves to cover the gap between two separate floors, at the precise point where they meet, in order to create a seamless transition when occupants travel from one room to another. In addition to dramatically improving the aesthetic qualities within a property, the implementation of moulding prevents floors becoming a tripping hazard. This is because when moulding is utilised correctly it serves to cover any flooring edges and to create a level flooring surface. Like skirting, when selecting moulding it is important to select a wood which matches the colour of the flooring surface, in order to create a cohesive atmosphere within the room. As with skirting, moulding can be painted, in cases where the moulding is painted it is advisable to make use of the same colour which was used for the skirting. V4 Flooring specialise in the provision of high quality wooden flooring. Due to this position, we understand the aesthetic and practical intricacies of installing these surfaces. For further information regarding the selection or installation of moulding or skirting, or to enquire about wooden flooring solutions, a member of our expert customer service team can be contacted via email by clicking here.
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Ecobuild 2014 Tues 4th - Thurs 6th March
Come and meet the V4 team at stand S450 at Ecobuild The team at V4 Woodflooring are gearing up for Ecobuild at London's Excel centre in Docklands. Ecobuild is billed the world’s leading event for sustainable design, construction, energy and the built environment and really lives up that billing. V4 teams up with Concreate After a successful link up with Concreate® at last years show V4 will be continuing the partnership to showcase the latest in quality, responsibly sourced hardwood flooring. Concreate the makers of the world's first engineered tongue and grooved concrete floor panels, will be unveiling their latest addition to the range in the form of Concreate Wall Panels which are an even more lightweight version of the amazing floor panels that can be installed on walls, and ceilings to create architectural features in any mode design. Find out more at concreate.net/uk. New product launch The V4 team can't wait to meet the crowds of Architects, interior designers and eco-house builders and find out more about the amazing projects planned for the this year. We are also looking forward to unveiling a new addition to the V4 Collection with the Urban Nature range of 15 mm multi-ply floors, all FSC® 100% certified. Inspired by urban landscapes reclaimed by the natural environment, the Urban Nature range comprises of 6 new colours designed to compliment the designers pallet. At just 15 mm thick the hand finished surfaces are backed on precision machine milled multi - ply making them ideal for low energy underfloor heating installations. Register for your FREE ticket to this years show. If you would like to attend the show please email the team@v4dev.carciofinocds.co.uk and we will be happy to send you a Free ticket voucher with details on how to register. Make sure you come and say hello at stand S450, see you there!.
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Lacquered Wooden Floor Maintenance & Cleaning Tips
When thinking about your lacquered wooden floor maintenance and cleaning for your new floor it is important to perform daily maintenance. This is because wood is a natural material, due to this aging will over time cause the colour and even appearance of the surface to change. This process is referred to as “maturing”. In order to maintain your floors natural beauty it is advisable to follow the basic steps provided below. Wooden Floor Maintenance and Cleaning Tips from V4 Flooring Take steps to ensure that grit and abrasive dust do not build up on your lacquered wooden floor. Both of these if left on the surface can cause the colour to become dull and also scratch the surface itself. Dust and grit can be easily removed from the floors surface by sweeping or vacuuming the floor on a regular basis. In addition, placing mats inside and outside of exte al doorways encourages visitors and family members to wipe their feet, drastically reducing the amount of dust and grit which is trod into the building. In order to prevent items of fu iture from scraping the surface of the flooring, pads should be placed on areas where these items touch the floor. Placing pads also prevents scratches to the surface when these items are moved. Any accidental spills of liquid which occur should be wiped from the floor as quickly as possible. In addition, water should not be left to stand on the lacquered floors surface. This is because wood absorbs water causing it to swill. This swilling can actually damage the flooring, reducing its stability. Stains which are caused by liquid should be removed whilst they are still wet. These stains can be removed by using a clean damp cloth. When cleaning your lacquer wooden floor avoid making use of detergents which are either wax or oil based. You should also avoid making use of household cleaning products. This is because these items can cause abrasion, damage, dulling of the surfaces colour and even leave a slippery film on the surface of the floor which can prove dangerous. If you decide to clean your floor surface with a mop and water, then ensure that you do not use too much water. Using too much water can cause damage to occur to the flooring through swelling. The best practice is to ensure that the mop is almost dry before using it. Cleaning Tips: When cleaning your lacquered flooring the first stage should be to either vacuum, sweep or dry mop the surface. If you decide to use a vacuum cleaner it is important to ensure that you make use of the soft brush attachment. If you decide to make use of a dry mop then it is important to ensure that any dust of grit is removed subsequently. Using a mop or a damp cloth rinse the floor surface. Once this has been done wring the mop or cloth dry before applying Wood Floor Cleaner. Apply Wood Floor Cleaner to the surface of the flooring, ensure you apply a mist to a 10cm x 15cm surface area of the flooring. Alte atively, apply Wood Floor Cleaner to the cleaning pad. Take a slightly damp, yet well wrung-out, floor cleaning pad and ensure the floor surface is thoroughly clean with your mop. Once you have finished on area, move onto the next area of the floor surface. If the cleaning pad becomes dirty, rinse it with water until clean.
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Doormat Selection For Your New Wooden Flooring
Selecting A Doormat To Protect Wooden Flooring When choosing a new wooden flooring surface, the doormat selection process is unlikely to be the first or most important consideration. However in many ways it should be. Simply put, selecting the right doormat will go a long way to lengthen the longevity of the flooring surface. This is because a doormat is the most effective measure to protect the floor from the damage and abrasion which is caused by dust and dirt. A doormat is important because it removes the dust and dirt particles from the soles of people feet which accumulates naturally from walking about in both wet and dry conditions. If these particles are not removed, they can cause a tremendous amount of damage to the surface of the wooden flooring. Over time this repeated abrasion can result in an aesthetically displeasing track along the surface of the floor. In an ideal world doormats would be placed both outside of the door and inside the door. In addition, doormats should be placed in this way at every point of entry into the property. Taking these measures ensures that a large amount of dirt and debris is removed, increasing the longevity of the wooden flooring. Typically, doormats are either comprised of a brush like surface, rubber or even in some cases metal. It is important to ensure that a doormat selected for outside use will be able to stand up to both the temperature and moisture changes which it is likely to face. Indoor doormats tend to be softer than those used outside, in some ways this is actually more effective. To demonstrate, once inside after using the outside doormat, the majority of the dirt and debris will have been removed from the footwear, therefore once inside this footwear requires a gentle dust down to remove any remaining dirt and potentially a wipe. When selecting an indoor doormat, aesthetic appearance is equally as important as functionality, however neither of these considerations should compromise the other. In addition, it is vitally important to select an indoor doormat with a waterproof base, this option will prevent discolouration under the mat if it gets wet. When it comes to selecting the size of a doormat it is well worth opting for the doormat which accommodates the largest number of potential steps, however it should not overwhelm the hallway or interior area in which it is to be deployed. The longer that people are forced to walk on the mat for then the larger the amount of dirt and dust which will be removed from their footwear. Once doormats have been deployed it is important to clean them on a regular basis. Exterior doormats can be cleaned using a hose, whilst indoor doormats can be cleaned using a vacuum cleaner.
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Selecting A Wooden Floor: What's Right For You? V4 Flooring
When it comes to selecting a wooden floor for use within your property it can seem a daunting proposal. So many questions can arise seemingly out of nowhere. These questions can range from what wood type to select, what sheen will best complement the rooms existing décor and which surface will prove most durable over the years to come? V4 Flooring understand that selecting a wooden floor is not always straight forward, due to this we have created a four stage selection process which enables you to easily and effectively identify the wooden floor which matches your requirements and personal tastes. Selecting A Wooden Floor: Four Easy Steps 1. Choose the right floor for you: The first stage in selecting a wooden floor is to decide which material you wish to use. When selecting a floor type it is not only the aesthetic appearance which should be taken into account. There are a number of other effects which are equally if not more important, which need to be taken into account. To demonstrate it is important to know whether a particular flooring type is compatible with underfloor heating. Other factors which should be considered are whether the flooring can be resealed if necessary. This is an important factor, if for some reason the flooring needs to be brought up in order to address an unrelated plumbing or electrical problem, boards which can be resealed can be replaced once work is finished. Boards which cannot be resealed on the other hand cannot. 2. Select your preferred grading type: Once you have selected a flooring type, it is time to consider the type of grading which most appeals. At V4 Flooring we make use of 3 tasteful grading variations. These variations include: AB Select/Natural Grade: This grading can feature some light sapwood around the edges of the board. In addition, boards of this grade type may feature some small sound knots and smaller filled knots both of which greatly enhance the natural effect of the grade. ABC Mixed Grade: This grading is popular in a number of wood types, most notably Walnut. This grade features a higher variation of grain and wood colour. In addition this grade features a greater number of sound ad filled knots than found in the AB Select/Natural grade type. With this grade type, dark streaks and a number of small, filled cracks may be present. CD Rustic Grade: Using more economical timber types provides greater grain and colour variation within the flooring. Flooring of this grade type tends to feature large sound knots and a greater number of filled knots than on other grade types. 3. Choose the right finish type: A number of finish types are available on wooden flooring. Each of these have their own maintenance requirements. The three finish types which V4 Flooring use include: Lacquer: Under this finishing method the top layer of the wooden surface is coated with five individual layers of primer coats. Added to this are at least two additional coats of a UV cured Treffert aluminium oxide lacquer. This method produces a surface which is both hard wearing and also low maintenance. Natural Oil: This finish is created with up to four coats of natural WOCA oil. This oil is applied with rollers, each successive layer is buffed into the top layer of the panel. This process not only permeates the grain of the plank but also adds a matt sheen which is then left to cure. The natural oil finish produces the most natural effect of the three finish types. UV Oil: The process to create this effect is similar to the one used to create the natural oil finish. Where it differs however is each coat is cured using a UV light. This process produces a slight satin sheen on the surface on the panels. 4. Finally choose the optimum surface: V4 Concrete make use of a number of different techniques, in order to provide a range of varied surface finishes. Each of these techniques produces a visually different aesthetic effect. The techniques include: Brushed: With this technique a steel brush is utilised in order to remove soft grain from the surface of the flooring. This technique greatly enhances the natural beauty of the woods natural grain. Hand Scraped: In order to be successful this technique must be undertaken by skilled and experienced craftsmen. The process involves using hand tools in order to scrape out the woods soft grain whilst following the natural contours of the wood. Distressed: To achieve this effect a number of techniques are used. These techniques give the wood an aged appearance. The skill of this technique is making the distressed effect look authentic and natural. Stained: In order to create this effect the wood panels are stained. The stain is applied with rollers, this is then buffed in order to enable the stain to penetrate the top level of the wood. The panel is then sealed with either oil or lacquer. Smoked: With this effect the timber is placed for three days in a drying room. The drying room is filled with ammonia vapour or ‚Äúsmoke‚Äù which causes the woods colour to darken. Carbonised: To achieve this effect the timber is baked in a kiln causing the soft grain to be consumed. This causes the wood to blacken and the grain texture becomes exposed.
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Find you nearest V4 Woodflooring Specialist
V4 Woodflooring installed in your home will last a lifetime and with this in mind we guarantee all our floors for 35 years. Once you've chosen the floor for your home it makes sense to find an experienced flooring specialist to install your floor. For a list of your nearest wood flooring specialists simply visit our Stockist page and enter you postcode. Your approved dealer will be able to show you a selection of larger samples and help you decide which V4 floor is right for your installation.
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Eiger Phoenix featured on Channel 4's Grand Designs
The Eiger Phoenix Collection's PH102 was used to great effect in this North London Grand Design. The Eiger Phoenix PH102 was installed by Source Wood floors to finish off this amazing North London build. [gallery ids=eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczpcL1wvd3d3LnY0d29vZGZsb29yaW5nLmNvLnVrXC93cC1jb250ZW50XC91cGxvYWRzXC8yMDEzXC8xMFwvRWlnZXJQaG9lbml4X1BIMTAyLmpwZyIsInRpdGxlIjoiRWlnZXJQaG9lbml4X1BIMTAyIiwiY2FwdGlvbiI6IiIsImFsdCI6IiIsImRlc2NyaXB0aW9uIjoiIn0=,eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczpcL1wvd3d3LnY0d29vZGZsb29yaW5nLmNvLnVrXC93cC1jb250ZW50XC91cGxvYWRzXC8yMDEzXC8xMFwvMDRmNTRkMzAtODMyZC00ZWUzLTk3YzYtY2M0ODEwMDU0NDY5LnBuZyIsInRpdGxlIjoiMDRmNTRkMzAtODMyZC00ZWUzLTk3YzYtY2M0ODEwMDU0NDY5IiwiY2FwdGlvbiI6IiIsImFsdCI6IiIsImRlc2NyaXB0aW9uIjoiIn0=] Order a free sample of the PH102 Oak Brushed & Grey Oiled today.
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Looking Forward To Grand Designs Live 2013
After the success of Grand Designs Live London earlier this year, V4 Woodflooring will once again by teaming up with Concreate Flooring at the show which runs from 4th - 6th October. The team are looking forward to meeting more of the Grand Designers who attend the show and demonstrating our latest floor finishes. We will be on stand L450 in the Interiors Hall so come and say hello. To find out more click here...
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Win VIP tickets to 100% Design London 2013
V4 is teaming up with Concreate at this years 100% Design show runs for three days from the 18th- 21st September and is open to members of the design industry To find out more about the show click here. The show has become a hub of all things design from graphic to interior and architectural design, attracting leading lights from all areas of the design industry and featuring talks by Richard Rogers and Tom Dyckhoff. It is a showcase for innovation with amazing new products on display as well as an opportunity to take some home at the Super Design Market. Win Free VIP Entry! If you would like to visit our stand and see the show simply come and join us on Twitter and Facebook and say hello and we will send you and a partner free VIP entry vouchers valid for each day of the show and give you access to the exclusive VIP lounge.
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