Rapid and reusable, adhesive-free floorcoverings offer the ideal solution for any retail environment where a quick or temporary installation is required. Ellen Reith elaborates on ‘fast-fit’ floors.

WITH all retail stores now back to normal trading hours – with some even in operation 24 hours a day – perhaps one of the biggest challenges clients face when it comes to flooring refurbishments is finding a suitable time in the first instance. Indeed, they’ll not want to close during normal business hours, as after all, time is money, nor would they want works to take place that will cause disruption to staff and shoppers.

One solution proving increasingly popular in the retail industry is the use of adhesive-free floor coverings. These ‘fast-fit’ floorcoverings offer a quick and easy installation as products can often be fitted over existing floors, allowing work to be completed overnight or even while the store is still in use.

Owing to the fact the installation is completely free of adhesives, no setting or drying times need to be factored into the project, meaning the floor is ready to be walked on immediately after it is fitted.

Floorcoverings can also be removed with ease if a redesign or new layout is required owing to the fact there is no adhesive used. As subfloors are then left clean and sound for repeat installation, this could be most useful if stores want to change the floor colour or texture with the seasons or to support various promotions, for example.

On the other hand, the products themselves can be reused again elsewhere or recycled at the end of their service life making it a truly sustainable solution.

There’s no doubt creating the ultimate experience is key within retail design and there may be some misconception that choosing adhesive-free floorcoverings means products will compromise on aesthetics and performance.

With various materials, formats, and sizes available on the market to suit varying levels of traffic and applications, manufacturers are constantly innovating and developing solutions that are on-trend, while offering the same durability and quality, just with the added bonus of a quick and easy installation.

For example, luxury vinyl tiles with their wood and stone aesthetics remain prominent within the retail sector for their ability to replicate their natural counterpart, without the associated cost or maintenance requirements.

For large scale installations, there are adhesive-free solutions – such as those from Forbo’s Allura Puzzle collection – that can be seamlessly interlocked with each other on all sides simply by using a rubber mallet to ‘puzzle’ the pieces together. With no need for an adhesive and minimal subfloor preparation required, the large-scale tiles can be installed over existing floors, including ceramic ones, and walked on immediately after installation, reducing downtime and minimising impact on daily business.

This will also eliminate lingering odours usually associated with the use of adhesives, contributing to creating better indoor environments and improving the wellbeing of staff and customers alike.

But that’s not all. With the constant flow of customers visiting a store or shopping centre, entrance areas can take quite a pounding. This results in wet and dry soiling being trailed inside, which not only damages the interior floorcoverings but can also cause unnecessary slip hazards.

Starting at the front door, Coral Click is an exceptionally versatile modular entrance matting system that can be assembled onsite as the interlocking mechanism is simply ‘clicked’ together using a rubber hammer. Composing PVC tile with Coral textile inserts, it contains no metal components, making Coral Click particularly suitable for retail environments as they don’t interfere with electronic tagging systems.

When time is of the essence, Forbo Flooring Systems can provide a complete portfolio of ‘fast fit’ solutions that guarantee a quick and easy installation, without compromising on design and quality. www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/fastfit
www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/retail
Ellen Reith is segment marketing manager for retail at Forbo Flooring Systems