Lewis Cooper explains how adhesive-free floorcoverings can help minimise disruption, enabling contractors to meet project deadlines.
WHEN working on education projects, time is of the essence. As such, contractors need to be looking for flooring solutions that can be installed quickly to minimise disruption.
With schools in almost constant use throughout the week, any refurbishments that take place must be completed outside of school hours, over the weekend or during school holidays. Even then, this often isn’t enough time to complete a project using traditionally adhered floorcoverings. For this reason, contractors should consider the use of adhesive-free flooring solutions to help complete the projects on time.
Owing to the lack of adhesives required, adhesive-free flooring can be installed much faster than traditionally adhered floorcoverings, reducing downtime by as much as 50%. What’s more, thanks to their construction, in many cases subfloor preparation before installation of adhesive-free floorcoverings is minimised, or they can even be installed directly over existing flooring, further reducing the time spent onsite.
On top of this, adhesive-free flooring can be walked on as soon as it has been installed, as opposed to the 48-hour wait associated with traditional adhered installation methods. This can be beneficial for education spaces, where the flooring could be installed over weekends or towards the end of a wider refurbishment project over the school holidays, hours before students and teachers are re-entering the premises.
With the environmental impacts a key concern to many, adhesive-free floorcoverings can also help to reduce the carbon footprint of a project by cutting down on the materials used throughout a job. And when it comes to finding a solution at the end of their lives, owing to the lack of adhesive on the back of the flooring, used floorcoverings can be easily and quickly lifted, recycled and reused – aiding in the circularity of the flooring industry.
Additionally, with little or no subfloor preparation required, adhesive free flooring generates less noise and dust during installation. It also reduces lingering odours and the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), helping create healthier spaces, free of contaminants and pollutants.
As with all floorcoverings, there’s no one solution fits all, and so there are a range of adhesive free solutions available, suitable for various different applications – perfect for education buildings, as they comprise many different areas, all of which have their own unique flooring requirements.
For example, quiet circulation areas, which are subjected to heavy foot traffic need a floorcovering that isn’t only durable and easy to maintain but can also reduce impact sound. As such, an adhesive-free acoustic vinyl floorcovering would be ideal for this application.
Alternatively, for learning and working spaces, where students and staff need to feel comfortable and inspired, a solution combining underfoot comfort, with bright and colourful designs should be used, like carpet tiles which can be installed using tackifier for quick and easy installation. Finally, for some areas where safety is concerned, such as kitchens or wet-rooms, an adhesive-free slip-resistant flooring solution would be needed to maintain staff and student safety.
Each of these solutions are available in a wide range of colours and designs, ensuring all interior design requirements are met.
Forbo Flooring System’s Fast Flooring collection consists of adhesive-free products from across its wide portfolio of solutions. To find out more about Forbo’s Fast Flooring range visit www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/fastflooring or for further information about Forbo’s solutions suitable for the education sector visit www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/education
www.forbo-flooring.co.uk
Lewis Cooper, segment marketing manager for education from Forbo Flooring Systems
