Ground control

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As the buildings in the region reach greater and greater heights, it is easy to forget that what is on the ground is equally as important.

And with developers trying to convince buyers that their projects are of the highest standard, laying an attractive floor is an integral part of the building process.

With the vast amount of new projects planned in the GCC, manufacturers of flooring products are trying to get this message across.

But tastes in flooring have seen huge changes in recent years.

Whereas in the past marble, granite or tiles were the preferred choice, now a variety of other materials are taking precedence.

And developers and contractors are responding to changes in the tastes of customers.

Floors made of chemical resin are gradually becoming a choice for new-builds in the GCC.

On the back of this trend, chemical company BASF has seen its sales of flooring grow substantially in recent years.

The company provides two main flooring products - a polyurethane resin floor topping called Mastertop 1300 and UCRETE, an industrial floor covering made from a synthetic concrete.

Both products are known for their hardness, elasticity, and resistance to shock, ageing, cracking and scratching.

Despite the high quality of the product, Ian Smith, product line manager for performace flooring, BASF, said there were challenges in convincing clients of the benefits of using the material.

He says: "Anyone involved in the construction industry is finding that it is a buoyant market at the moment, but the challenges facing us is persuading contractors that by cutting costs they will affect the end-user of their project.

"Some of them are drawing up budgets without realising that they have to think in the long-term.

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