FORBO Flooring Systems and flooring technology experts IOBAC UK are collaborating to highlight the crucial role that adhesive-free installation can play in supporting circularity in the interiors sector.
With research indicating the embodied carbon of buildings accounts for 11% of global annual emissions, the call for solutions that facilitate material reuse and waste reduction has never been stronger. Recognising this importance, Forbo Flooring Systems has approved IOBAC MagTabs as an adhesive-free method of installing its commercial Allura Flex luxury vinyl tile and Tessera carpet tile ranges.
Angus Fotheringhame, general manager, UK and Ireland, Forbo Flooring Systems explains: ‘As part of our mission to create better environments, we focus on advancing products and solutions whose life cycles comply with the circular economy model. Our Back to the Floor recycling program is an established installation waste take-back scheme, and Forbo is an active participant in the EU-funded Circular Flooring Project investigating recycling methods for post-consumer vinyl waste. IOBAC MagTabs are the perfect complement to our Fast Fit adhesive-free product range. These adhesive-free methods enable the floorcovering to be easily removable with no residue or contamination, making them ideal for reuse or ‘clean’ recycling.’
Says the company: ‘Magnetic on one side and dry-tack adhesive on the other, innovation award-winning MagTabs can be used to install a wide variety of floorcoverings adhesive-free to metal raised access floors and IOBAC’s magnetically receptive range of underlays and resins.
‘2-Dimensional Hold: These smart little tabs not only hold flooring tiles vertically to the subfloor, but also interlock them horizontally for unrivalled 2-dimensional hold.
‘Dual Grip technology: MT4+ MagTabs incorporate IOBAC’s patented Dual Grip technology which combines dry-tack adhesion with magnetism for phenomenal grab in the highest of footfall areas.
‘Yet when the time comes to uplift flooring, the floor tiles can be removed cleanly and easily for reuse or recycling, with the subfloor left contamination-free and ready for the next flooring installation straight away. Excessive subfloor remediation costs are eliminated.’
Ian Spreadborough, co-founder and director of IOBAC concludes: ‘The installation method sometimes gets missed in the conversation on flooring circularity, so we’re very pleased to be collaborating with global leader Forbo Flooring Systems to offer a holistic solution.
‘Specifying Forbo flooring products with IOBAC MagTabs represents a sustainable choice, that isn’t only beneficial to the environment, but that also offers design agility and operational cost benefits.
We’re seeing a marked increase in specifiers choosing adhesive-free as the better way to install flooring as a result.’
IOBAC has created an online ‘Adhesive-Free Flooring Specification Centre’ designed to make specification easy for architects, designers, and contractors. The resource contains whitepapers, case studies, technical data and a downloadable ‘Specifier’s Guide to Adhesive-free Flooring’ CPD, all accessed online.
www.iobac.com/adhesive-free-flooring
