Kuijper Modell und Formenbau GmbH is an SME that has produced customized product solutions for a variety of different companies, industries and trades since its foundation in 1989. When requested, Kuijper also actively participates in the development of these solutions.
The origin…
...of the idea to develop and promote a complete system solution for WPC terrace flooring:
The idea arose during the remodeling of a family home in 2010. A terrace was to be built that used either wood or WPC flooring. The question “wood or WPC” initiated an extensive research process that led to a wealth of insights and ideas.
Since different kinds of woods had been used for many years, their advantages and disadvantages were well known. To assess the advantages and disadvantages of WPC, we started inquiries at different wood dealerships, hardware stores and researched the topic on the internet but didn’t obtain any useful information. That’s why we selected and tested 25 samples from different WPC terrace companies in a special climate chamber. This test allowed us to simulate several years of environmental exposure (heat, cold, humidity, dryness and UV-radiation) within the relatively short span of several months.
The results were, almost without exception, disappointing. Only one flooring board passed a simulated 20-year stress test in the climate chamber whereas all others showed massive damage after a short time. In a next step, we analyzed the commercially available underlying structures and quickly came to the conclusion that no well-engineered and user-friendly system existed. One flaw was that most of the systems made it very difficult and burdensome to take out or replace a single flooring board. Another drawback was that the installation was very complicated and that the time investment for a layperson was very high. Because of the difficult process and the special tools required, the customer almost always had to rely on a skilled worker or installation professional to get a satisfactory result. The special knowledge required for the installation was more than could be expected from people who do home improvements as a hobby.
These insights led to the idea to develop a terrace system that does not have any of the weaknesses mentioned above. The main criteria that were to be integrated into a complete system solution were durability, a stable underlying construction that is easy to install and an easy assembly of the WPC floorboards. Additionally, only materials and components of the highest quality and longevity were to be used in the system – in short: we chose quality over quantity.