The Contract Flooring Association is the leading independent professional voice of the contract flooring industry and this year is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Members of the Association include specialist flooring contractors, manufacturers, distributors and consultants — both large and small, operating from locations throughout the UK. The CFA’s membership now accounts for a significant proportion of the UK’s commercial flooring market.
Most of the UK’s largest and most well-known companies from throughout the flooring sector supply chain are CFA members. With such a high level of commitment from so many companies and individuals, the CFA has a wealth of resources at its fingertips. It is this breadth and depth of information that makes it so much more than just a trade association.
The objectives of the CFA are to promote the highest standards of professionalism, safety and training while at the same time, providing essential services and expert information to ensure the quality and productivity of our members’ businesses.
The CFA produces the following industry-leading publications together with the Contract Flooring Journal, which is the official journal of the CFA, to ensure that the flooring industry has up-to-date information to hand:
- CFA Guide to Contract Flooring – this unique reference guide is updated every 5 years and gives the latest information and best practice for the installation of common floorcovering types. Latest edition is 2022.
- CFA Members’ Handbook – is a directory of CFA member companies and gives confidence that you are selecting professionals throughout the contract flooring supply chain (published annually in October). An online directory is available to search for CFA members by location or by flooring type at www.cfa.org.uk
- CFA Training Guide – offers the latest information and guidance about flooring training in the UK (published annually in March).
- CFA Guide to Sustainability – is the definitive source of the latest information about sustainability within the flooring industry (published annually in June).
In addition to providing up-to-date information for the industry through publications, all of which are available to view and download in our downloads website page, the CFA also has various committees such as the Manufacturing Committee working on a national basis for the benefit of the industry as a whole.
CHOOSE a CFA member – the difference between success and a flooring failure
Flooring is a major element in most contracts and, with more products to choose from than ever before, obtaining the right installer has never been so important. Flooring is diverse and technically demanding: each product type has its own challenges and options in terms of installation specification. A quality contractor will know the correct adhesive for the flooring product, or the right primer for the subfloor and so will help maximize your investment and minimise flooring failures.
Architects, specifiers and main contractors require the quality of service, installation and support that CFA members can provide. Consequently, many public and private organisations and an increasing number of local authorities are now specifying that CFA members must be used.
All our contractor members have passed the CFA membership vetting process and are annually audited to ensure that they continue to meet our membership criteria. They are all established quality companies offering high standards of installation. Through the CFA they all have access to up-to-date technical, environmental and quality Standards and all adhere to the Contractors’ Code of Conduct.
The CFA provides members with a wealth of knowledge to assist with both flooring installation and running a business, including:
• British Standard Institute (BSi) Codes of Practice
• Employment Law
• Health and Safety
• Technical support and advice including the CFA Guide to Contact Flooring
• Training
• Dispute resolution
- Winter Warning Toolkit – to ensure that correct heat conditions are available on site for the installation of flooring projects.
- And our newest support document Beyond Installation-Guidance on Underfloor Heating. This document is designed to provide advice and guidance within this changing context and addresses the impact of proposed new standards which are likely to dramatically change the landscape for UFH and therefore the installation of the main types of floor coverings included within this guidance: textile, resilient and timber-based floor coverings.
Specifying a CFA member for your next flooring project could mean the difference between success — or a flooring failure. Being a CFA member is a mark of quality. It will provide you with peace of mind and reassurance that you are dealing with a quality company.
The CFA is a leading trade association representing the Contract Flooring Industry. If you would like further information please contact the CFA offices on 0115 941 1126, email info@cfa.org.uk or view our website at www.cfa.org.uk.
