Coverings for Access Floor Systems
A variety of modular floor coverings have traditionally been used in conjunction with access floors including carpet tiles, high pressure laminates, cork, wood, resilient materials of various kinds and speciality flooring for low static or sterile environments. As in other sectors of the construction industry, manufacturers are striving to improve the environmental performance of their products.
Synthetic Rubber
Synthetic rubber is now manufactured without PVC, and with an increased focus on economy and efficiency in the use of resources. This may include using secondary raw materials and the recapture and reuse of production and installation scraps in the manufacturing of new products. Leading manufacturers: Nora Rubber, Mondo America.
Terrazo
Natural marble, granite or quartz aggregate, or recycled glass is embedded in a flexible resin matrix and produced in 24 sq.in. tiles that are factory laminated on top of access floor panels. Leading manufacturers: Floorazzo for Tate Access Floors.
Carpet Tile
Carpet tile increasingly offers low emissions and recycled content, and allows for selective replacement during service life and good sound absorption. Tate Access Floors and Shaw carpets have teamed up to provide PosiTile®, a carpet tile engineered to match the area of one access floor panel thus minimizing waste during installation. Leading manufacturers: Shaw , Beaulieu, InterfaceFLOR, Tandus.
Linoleum
Linoleum is a hard-wearing product that is made from natural ingredients: solidified linseed oil [linoxyn], rosin [tapped from pine trees], wood flour, cork flour and limestone with a jute backing. Some products are also manufactured in tile form with a dimensionally stable fibreglass backing for use with access floors. Leading manufacturers: Forbo, Armstrong.
High Pressure Laminates
High Pressure Laminates are now being produced with a high paper content including residue from wood chips sourced from lumber manufacturing, and/or recycled from paper making and obtained from sustainably managed forest sources. Off-gassing is being reduced through the use of low or zero VOC adhesives. Increasingly, manufacturing waste including sander dust is being recycled. Some manufacturers have adopted procurement policies to reduce their use of non-renewable fossil fuels, or extended their environmental polices to include the use of recycled packaging. Leading manufacturers: Formica, Nevamar, VPI [specializes in conductive flooring for medical and other special uses.]
J. Lynn Fraser is a Toronto-based writer who specializes in design and construction subjects. .Print this article | Send by e-mail