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of stairs with nothing more than a piece of paper, pencil and piece of laminate. With Academy training booths featuring windy and curved stairs, there will be no real-world staircase too difficult to tackle.


SELF-TAUGHT INSTALLERS CAN STRENGHTEN SKILLS AT THE ACADEMY


The Academy for Excellence in Flooring sees many self-taught flooring installers through its doors, all with one thing in common- a desire to improve their skills in the installation of wood, laminate and LVT floors.


The Academy’s courses are designed to help installers work smarter and faster and teach everything from accurate cutting of stairs to replacing individual boards once the installation is complete. Boosting confidence and making installations 20-30% faster, attending an Academy programme is well worth the investment.


OFFER SUPER-SLEEK AESTHETICS WITH URBANISTA


When it comes to sophisticated looks in wood and stone floors, look no further than Avenue’s brand-new 2020 cushion vinyl collection, Urbanista.


Featuring 15 attractive wood and stone effects, including the mineral of Padua; the rustic herringbone of Patagonia; and the sedimentary-like Stromboli, Urbanista is a collection that’s ready for style- hungry homeowners wanting to make a statement in their choice of flooring. And with the comfort, quiet and ease of Avenue cushion vinyl floors, these looks also come without compromise.


Stuart Reeves, National Sales Manager at Avenue, said: “Urbanista captures super- sleek aesthetics in a palette of achingly cool grey hues for a collection that is


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Lee Thompson, Technical Manager at The Academy for Excellence in Flooring, explained: “We often find self-taught installers will overprice complicated jobs or simply just avoid them altogether. At best, this is somewhat deflating for confidence and, at worst, it is actually damaging to business. Taking a course at the Academy is a way that they can gain skills and make sure they are ready for any challenge.”


Stairs are notoriously problematic for wood, laminate and LVT floors, and even measuring them accurately can cause problems. With tape measuring woefully inaccurate, and stair spiders only accurate on straight stairs; the Academy teaches a simple way to get perfect measurements on all sizes and shapes


clearly aimed at homes that have high aesthetic standards. Making the latest trends instantly available and far more accessible than the ‘real thing’, Urbanista is also packed with performance features thanks to a great specification.”


With Superguard PU for a floor that’s easier to clean and resists scuffs, Urbanista is a practical option for any room, while the special acoustic backing helps to make rooms quieter. With added slip-resistance it’s also a sensible choice for bathrooms and kitchens, where its water-resistant nature simply adds to the reasons to choose it.


The brand-new Urbanista collection will be readily available to Avenue retailers from March, featuring on Avenue stands across the country as the brand rolls out its 2020 merchandising update.


www.avenuefloors.co.uk Tomorrow’s Retail Floors | 31


In terms of fixing problems, the Academy also adopts a ‘worst case’ approach so that self-taught installers are ready to tackle any on-site problem with fresh-found knowledge and confidence. Teaching how to replace a single damaged panel- whether it be laminate, LVT or even nailed-down solid- rather than having to remove skirtings and lift the entire floor, is just one example.


“A damaged plank will often see installers break out in a sweat, but that really need not be the case.


“We’ve a record of seven-and-a-half minutes for taking out and replacing a nailed-down solid wood board - the worst kind of floor to have damaged during an installation. The principles are the same no matter what floor, so with the worst- case scenario in the bag, installers can tackle a similar situation with complete confidence,” Lee continued.


For self-taught installers, the Academy’s technical courses provide an opportunity to improve confidence and, most importantly, grow business.


www.quick-step-academy.co.uk


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