Jotun Paints launches a new superior range of flooring products purpose-designed for both light and heavy use. Jotun Paints of Norway is introducing a range of superior floor coatings into its existing portfolio of decorative, protective and marine products.

The company already has extensive experience of providing floor coating solutions to prestigious projects in many parts of the world using systems generally found in its protective product range, which includes the well-known brands Marathon, Chemflake, Penguard, Normafloor, Permadeck, Jotamastic and Jotacote.

''The technology and experience has now been harnessed under one brand name, Jotafloor,'' explains a spokesman for Jotun Paints UAE. ''The 10 new products combine to provide dedicated floor systems for the protection of concrete substrates.''

He continues: ''The initial launch consists of five main floor coating systems - Jotafloor Screed, Jotafloor SL Universal, Jotafloor Coating, Jotafloor Topcoat and Jotafloor Rapid Dry - that can be used in a number of commercial and industrial situations ranging from light to heavy use of the floor. Warehouses, factories, laboratories, kitchens, dairies, oil refineries, hospitals and showrooms are all likely locations for the application of the new range.''

Elaborating on their properties, he says: ''Jotafloor Screed is a high-performance solvent-free epoxy screed, incorporating a compressive strength in excess of 90 N/sq mm, and capable of offering protection to concrete floors in heavy industrial areas.

''Jotafloor SL Universal is a seamless, hygienic, self-smoothing, solvent-free epoxy system capable of being applied at a variety of thicknesses, usually between 2 and 5 mm. The finished system is aesthetically pleasing, easy to clean and offers excellent protection to the parent substrate.

''Jotafloor Coating is a solvent-free, hygienic self-smoothing epoxy system that can be applied from 300 microns to 500 microns dft (dry film thickness) in one coat. The single-coat application contributes to the attractive gloss finish and excellent protective qualities of the finished coating.

''Jotafloor Topcoat is a solvented multi-purpose epoxy offering excellent gloss characteristics and good abrasion resistance. This system is available in a wide variety of colours.

''Jotafloor Rapid Dry is a single component, simple-to-use, hard-wearing modified alkyd considered to be the fastest-drying specialised floor product on the market.''

A further launch during the early part of next year will include several exciting specialist hi-tech systems offering the client an even greater choice of Jotafloor products to protect concrete floors in particularly aggressive environments, he says.

Jotun, the spokesman says, has taken the fairly unusual step of having the new range tested by an independent laboratory. The suite of tests are said to prove each product or system is suitable for use in its chosen environment and results are printed in the product information literature supplied by the company.

''It has been recognised that floor coatings can fail if not properly applied to a carefully-prepared substrate and, to that end, Jotun has taken a number of steps to prevent this from happening with the new flooring range,'' the spokesman says. ''For a start, Jotun has appointed only a limited number of licensed applicators, which have experienced crews specifically trained to apply the Jotafloor range.

''Jotun is also actively promoting the use of dust-free captive blasting units to prepare concrete for the floor coating system. These extremely fast yet environmentally-friendly machines offer a perfect surface profile, in a dry, dust-free atmosphere allowing the immediate application of the Jotafloor system. Jotun has purchased its own unit for demonstration purposes and use by selected contractors. These units are widely used in Europe and North America and have many advantages over many of the surface preparation methods used in the region.

''Furthermore, it is the policy of the company as manufacturer of products, whether decorative, protective or marine, to periodically inspect certain jobs after surface preparation, during application and on completion. This philosophy will continue with regard to the application of the new flooring range. Contractors, consultants, clients, applicators and Jotun itself can then be fully confident that the chosen floor coating will perform.

''Finally, the Jotafloor range is being supplied in larger-than-normal cans, printed with precise mixing and application instructions. The new-style packaging is designed to be used as a mixing vessel which will help the applicator on site and stop the practice of 'part-mixing' components which can also be a recipe for disaster.''

''Early feedback from the market around the region suggests that the extra care and attention Jotun exhibits to flooring, added to the superior quality of the new range, is going to quickly make Jotafloor a household name throughout the industry,'' the spokesman adds.