Altro - Blog posts

Stop Hammertime

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:46:28 GMT

How tough is Altro Whiterock? The answer is really really tough!

And we thought the best way to prove it was to hit it with a hammer and then hit it again with a really really BIG hammer.

Dementia - The Difference Between Shiny And Wet

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:28:04 GMT

The Alzheimer's Society's recently published report — Low expectations: attitudes on choice, care and community for people with dementia in care homes highlights some of the problems Altro are trying to address with their 'dementia friendly' products.

Altro Handy Hint - Applying Adhesive For Altro Aquarius

Fri, 03 May 2013 14:12:49 GMT

Our latest Altro Handy Hint concerns our wet and dry, shoe and bare foot safety flooring, Altro Aquarius. It is important to use the right adhesive and trowel when installing Altro Aquarius and this video shows you all that you need to know.

The Altro Mood Video

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:40:52 GMT

When our customers visit us, they always comment on how we should "bottle up the Altro Experience" and send it out to everyone, and with this video we have tried, and hopefully managed, to do just that.

It's Getting Hot In Here

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 12:36:17 GMT

We're often asked if Altro Vinyl Flooring can be installed over underfloor heating systems. The straight answer is Yes, as long as the heating system is contained within a screed, concrete or wooden subfloor.

Relax, Take A Break & Let The Cleaner Work Its Magic

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 10:35:32 GMT

Working as part of Altro's Inbound Team, we're the first port of call should you phone for samples, installation help, general technical jargon and queries about cleaning. With that in mind I'd like to share some of Altro's cleaning secrets I've learnt over the past few years.

Catering For All

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 15:10:44 GMT

The following article has been taken from Building Hope - How companies in the construction industry are helping charity CRASH offer disadvantaged people a path out of homelessness.

As well as high-end schemes, homelessness projects around the UK are being fitted with visually appealing, quality flooring donated by CRASH supporter Altro

Altro Handy Hint - Applying Altromastic

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 12:04:10 GMT

We're starting the new year with a new Altro Handy Hint, and this one shows you where and how you would use the sealant Altromastic 100. We hope you find it useful.

My Coldest Journey

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 10:47:55 GMT

Two of our safety flooring products, Altro Stronghold and Altro Suprema II, have been selected for Sir Ranulph Fiennes latest expedition, The Coldest Journey.

The flooring will be used in the specially designed cabooses (sledge-mounted living quarters) which will also be used for storage and as a base for scientific work as part of The Coldest Journey, the first-ever trans-Antarctic winter expedition and I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to interview Sir Ranulph Fiennes and go on-board the ship.

Oh What A Night!! Manufacturing Excellence Awards

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 17:00:13 GMT

Walking through the front entrance of the Dorchester Hotel in London last week for the Manufacturing Excellence Awards was just amazing and very exciting!! The stunning Christmas decorations created just the right ambience for what was to be a very successful evening for us here at Altro and I was one of the lucky few to attend the ceremony.

Still Going Strong At 35

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 15:26:18 GMT

When the team at Altro Australia revisited a market-leading national chain of retail supermarkets in Doncaster, Victoria to view an Altro 2.5mm safety flooring installation that had been laid in a delicatessen area for 35 years, they had a very pleasant surprise.

Altro Handy Hint - Welding An Internal And External Mitre

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 09:36:25 GMT

Our last handy hint that showed you how to fit an internal and external mitre, and now we are showing you the next step, how to weld those mitres. It features a couple of little tips and tricks to make the process of welding our newer products easier.

The HSE's Flooring Selection Tool

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 14:16:10 GMT

Contractors have a duty of care to ensure the flooring they selects is safe and fit for purpose and it's part of our role here at Altro to help and ensure the right flooring is specified. However, not everyone will know if they are selecting the right floor, which is why the HSE have set up a new website which makes this task that much easier.

Altro Handy Hint - Fitting To An Internal And External Mitre

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 09:48:50 GMT

We recently brought you a handy hint that showed how to fit Altro C7 capping strip on an external mitre, and now we are showing you how to fit safety flooring to an internal and external mitre using an external make out piece. It features a couple of little tips and tricks to make the whole process easier.

Altro Handy Hint - Ensuring Altro XpressLay Tape Sticks

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 10:31:34 GMT

Altro XpressLay is a new type of safety flooring and there is still some confusion as to how it should be installed, and what we recommend if the Altro LooseLay double sided tape does not stick. This handy hint ensures you won't have any problems installing it.

DPMs – They’re A-MAZE-ING

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 10:51:21 GMT

How do damp-proof membranes (DPMs) work & where will the moisture go? Contrary to theories that liquid DPMs stop moisture vapour moving through the product altogether, they do actually allow vapour to travel through the product, but at much slower and more manageable rate.

A Slippery Subject

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 09:35:08 GMT

Testing how slip resistant a flooring is and understanding how this is done is a bit of a minefield!
Confused? – book a RIBA APPROVED CPD covering Slips and Trips or call us on 01462 489516 for further information...

Altro Handy Hint - Fitting C7 Capping Strip Around An External Corner

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 13:03:30 GMT

Have you ever had the issue of when you came to lay safety flooring around an external mitre that the capping strip had been pulled too tightly and you can't get the flooring up and under it? This handy shows you how to ensuring that when you do a wrap round of the Altro C7 capping strip on an external mitre you will always have enough space for the safety flooring to fit.

Graffiti In The Garden At Clerkenwell Design Week

Mon, 28 May 2012 14:16:46 GMT

I had so much fun helping out in our London Design Centre for Clerkenwell Design Week. The weather was amazing and the energy in the area was electric!

Free Pedicure Anyone?

Fri, 18 May 2012 14:36:47 GMT

I've made a mental note to check my socks and toenails before presentations in future after a product demonstration today to a large group of Occupational Therapists working for a Home Improvement Agency in the Midlands.

Altro Handy Hint - Installing An Overlapping Internal Mitre

Mon, 14 May 2012 13:39:50 GMT

This Altro Handy Hint shows you the best way to install coving in an internal mitre so that after installing safety flooring your welds won't fall through.

Sustainable Architecture, Innovation And Design In Letchworth

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:22:36 GMT

When Letchworth Garden City was built over 100 years architects were invited to enter a competition to design "cheap cottages". Each cottage was to cost no more than £150 and in those days cheap meant value for money and did not signify poor quality: innovation and good design, not cutting corners, would keep the costs down. This was leading edge design although the same can't be said for the way the houses were advertised with "vermin proof" being a key selling point!

Altro Handy Hint - Installing And Laying Safety Flooring On A Reduced Cove

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 09:27:35 GMT

This Altro Handy Hint shows you how to install coving where you come up to a doorway that has a very small architrave or no architrave at all, and then laying safety flooring over it.

Good Vibrations

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 11:16:55 GMT

I thought there was a bit of a rumbling at Altro and it must have been the vibrations from our very own recycling machine here at Letchworth. It has been munching its way through an abundance of waste safety and smooth vinyl flooring off cuts that we have taken back from across the country as part of our commitment to Recofloor – The Vinyl Take Back scheme.

Altro Handy Hint - Looking After Your Tools

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:48:56 GMT

This week's video give tips on looking after some of the tools you will use on a daily basis, helping you to get the job done quicker while maintaining a cleaner, neater finish when laying safety flooring.

New 'Handy Hints' Videos - Top Tips For Installers

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:08:29 GMT

Watch our practical, step-by-step video clips that show you the latest tricks of the trade for laying safety flooring.

Filmed specifically with contractors in mind, these short video clips aim to answer common installation questions on topics including material handling, tool skills, adhesives, fitting and welding.

Free NBS For Our Customers

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 14:21:09 GMT

While you can download all of the National Building Specifications for our products, sometimes if you have Project deadlines coming up you need to be concentrating on other things apart from your flooring and walling NBS, this is where we can help! Just call us and we'll do it for you.

Why Do I Need To Have Safety Flooring?

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 10:01:29 GMT

As a customer care advisor this is something I'm frequently asked. It's simple , the law requires that floors must not be slippery so they put people's safety at risk (The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992) and Altro safety flooring provides the ideal solution.

Mind That Sausage

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 10:18:25 GMT

A customer was telling me this week about someone who had slipped on a sausage which had been dropped in a corridor. The average person's reaction to this may well be to laugh as it sounds like something from a comedy sketch. Unfortunately those of us who work in the flooring industry realise this is anything but a laughing matter.

Designing For Dementia Sufferers

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:23:34 GMT

The Guardian's recent article entitled "Where are the growing population of dementia sufferers going to live?" raised a number of interesting questions about the care of dementia sufferers in the community.

A Hit With Occupational Therapists

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:01:16 GMT

My colleague Gemma and I were lucky enough to be invited to talk about Altro Aquarius to a group of people at Three Rivers District Council Offices. It was great to be talking to a room filled with Occupational Therapists, Grants Officer and other members of the council. These were exactly the people we had in mind when designing the product.

Going The Extra Mile – All 165 Of Them

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:26:42 GMT

I always knew that the Customer Care Team were dedicated to customer service but even I'm amazed at how far some of them will go to ensure an excellent customer experience.

The Buzz Has Started

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:50:16 GMT

There is definitely a buzz beginning to happen following the launch of our new flooring for wet and dry areas, Altro Aquarius, at the start of the week.

Samples are being requested left, right and centre...

This Is The Dawning Of The Age Of Aquarius

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 10:42:24 GMT

Altro Aquarius is a solution to an issue that has been increasing in importance in recent years. We have been asked by many customers to provide a product that performs in wet and dry areas for shoes and bare feet, not only soft soled shoes but also hard soled. This way specifiers of such floors won't have to compromise between patient or carer protection. One solution to two problems.

Do You Know The Latest Way To Lay Safety Flooring?

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:29:24 GMT

Altro offer a two-day flooring contractor training school which is ideal for fitters who have some experience of laying sheet flooring, run by two flooring installers, with over 60 years' experience collectively in flooring.

As well as flooring contractors, all Altro employees attend the course as part of our training. As someone who works in the Customer Care Centre in the 1st line technical department this training has been so beneficial for me.

Visions Of The Future At London Design Centre

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 14:23:57 GMT

Last week, around 40 guests from local businesses, architects and designers enjoyed an inspiring talk at our London Design Centre, highlighting innovative concepts and perceptions for the future of design.

Don’t Like Spinach? No Problem With AltroFix 19 Plus

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:23:02 GMT

In August this year, Altro launched new Altrofix 19 Plus Adhesive in a smaller sized, 1.5kg tub. This tub covers around 6 – 7 m² offering improved coverage per square metre, making it better value for money.

Samples Express

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:56:21 GMT

Not a lot of people know this but our samples department sends out on average 1000-1200 samples a week. Samples range from our safety flooring and resins to our walling products. Not only do we hold a range of all our flooring and Altro Whiterock material but accessories and literature can also be organised.

Flooring Contractors In Hard Times

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 10:52:12 GMT

Throughout this period of economic uncertainty flooring contractors are finding it a tough market to make any decent money in. The only winners seem to be the end users with prices being driven down.

Digi Design Dazzles And Delights

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:37:57 GMT

I have quite a few friends who work at Salisbury District Hospital in various rolls and each and every one of them has expressed their delight at what a great children's unit they now have thanks to Altro Whiterock Digiclad. This was acknowledge by the Building Better Healthcare (BBH) Awards last week when it won the Best Building Product in Healthcare Award

Altro Answers DIY SOS

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 09:51:24 GMT

Altro donated Altro Whiterock Chameleon to the Children in Need DIY SOS Special at the Norris Green Youth Centre in Liverpool. I was delighted to be invited to attend the Big Reveal site and to talk to some of the people who will be using the centre.

New Product Promotion - Still More To Do

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:09:37 GMT

No matter how much time, money or effort you spend in promoting new products there is always more to do!

Discussing Safety Flooring Over Sandwiches

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:33:20 GMT

I was at the Baileys trade show in Chepstow this week, which was a welcome day off the road and enjoyed a day meeting customers discussing our product range over sandwiches, coffee and biscuits.

Voice Of The Customer

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 11:16:16 GMT

We first started our “Voice of the Customer” (VOC) visits back in March 2008. Since that date I have personally had 31 companies visit us at Altro.

Altro Whiterock PVC Wall Cladding Continues To “Close The Gap”

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 11:53:56 GMT

Altro Whiterock Hygienic Wall Cladding sales continue to grow as the CFJ reports a decline in the UK ceramics market of over 50% between 2008 and 2010.

HSE Accident Figures In Bus & Coach Industry

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 14:31:35 GMT

The HSE have identified slips and trips as the single biggest cause of employee injuries throughout the bus and coach industries.

Altro Technical Demonstrations Are Key For Contractors And Fitters

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:38:56 GMT

Interest shown in Altro's Technical Demonstrations is always high with contractors and fitters keen to observe installation techniques, in particular the welding of Safety Flooring and the creation and finishing of internal and external mitres.

Avoiding Problems With Wall Cladding Systems

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 17:02:45 GMT

The Altro Whiterock White Paper has been written to provide recommendations based on many years of experience in cladding Walls around the world and in many different applications.