Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1433288
ABPure Nfuse rubber flooring. Techtonic LVT polyurethane coating. D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1 | 41 Resilient Flooring P H OTO G R A P H Y CO U RT E S Y TA R K E T T CO M PA N Y; A M ER I C A N B I LT R I T E The wonderful and varied world of resilient flooring by LAURIE JONES T he offerings from manufacturers of resilient flooring products con- tinue to push boundaries in design and technology, to the delight of both designers and builders. The architectural firm of Lemaymichaud out of Montreal was charged with providing a small facelift to the already trendy hotel lobby. "The design team approached LSI Floors with the design criteria of providing them with very durable flooring that had a good colour selection in its pallet," says Rick Moffatt, LSI Floors creative director. "The Capri Flooring collection AND/OR rubber and cork tile was recommended for its tile size of 12-inch by 24-inch, with a unique blend of EPDM rubber and cork offered in 24 standard colours." Capri AND/OR is available in 3.2, 4, 6 and 8-millimetre thicknesses in 4-foot wide rolls, as well as 12-inch by 24-inch and 24-inch by 24-inch square edge tile. "Capri AND/OR was ideal for this application as it offers great slip resistance, good sound absorp- tion, can handle heavy rolling traffic and provides comfort under foot and more importantly dura- bility in winter conditions," explains Moffatt. It is Declare label Red List Free, FloorScore certified, and listed on mindful MATERIALS. "This flooring selec- tion provided the designer with the ability to create a very graphic pattern in the bold colours of Gold, Cloudburst, Raisin, and Skylight. The end result was not only bold but very much in keeping to the vogu- ish design style the hotel is known for." Interface, Inc. offers three products for 2021-2022 with the noraplan linee flooring option designed with healthcare environments in mind; Stargazing, a luxury vinyl tile (LV T) collection designed with the specific needs for school facilities; and Interlaced, Interface's first vinyl sheet collection within its port- folio of flooring products. "Considering the needs of healthcare environ- ments, noraplan linee collection features reduced forms, soothing colours, and directional patterns for subtle dimensions, while also offering slip resistance, superior sound absorption, and comfort underfoot," says Anna Webb, VP, marketing and product devel- opment. "The long-lasting performance is ideal for high traffic areas." Available in six neutrals [Fossil, Fieldstone, Flint, Sandstone, Quartzite, and Gravel] and four accent colours [Celadon, Bluestone, Jadeite, and Malachite] noraplan linee comes in both warm and cool tones for a softer atmosphere suited to today's patient-centred environments. In 2017, Altro Floors introduced Altro Orchestra, Altro Operetta, and Altro Serenade – three fit- for-purpose smooth ergonomic flooring ranges that offered varying levels of underfoot comfort and sound reduction. These ranges would share a co-ordinated colour palette to allow for cohesive designs that could address the specific needs of individual areas. "Fast forward to 2021, and we are thrilled to announce that Altro Orchestra, Altro Operetta, and Altro Serenade have been refreshed to include new woven, concrete, peppered, and terrazzo looks," says Richard Finnegan, marketing manager, Americas. "This expanded collection of greens, blues, greys and earth tones provides practical design options for a wide variety of applications." He adds promoting hygiene and maintaining looks well beyond installation have become top pri- orities for commercial interiors. "To ensure less dirt build-up and enhanced cleanability, both Altro Orchestra and Altro Serenade have been equipped with a new reduced emboss for truly thorough cleaning and disinfecting." For the 2021 to 2022 season, American Biltrite has introduced its UltraCeramic Contract, a 4mm rigid core resilient flooring with a 20-mil wear layer. "UltraCeramic Contract's design goal was to cre- ate a resilient flooring with the authentic look and feel of natural stone," says Catherine Del Vecchio, VP of marketing. "We applied the best-looking stone visual to a solid 4mm rigid core construction instead of the typical 2mm flexible LV T and created a patent-pending superior round edge on all sides and corners, which requires that the tiles be fully grouted. Compared to ceramic tiles, UltraCeramic can be installed up to three times faster as it does not require any downtime between steps and can be installed by any trade flooring installer, a great solu- tion when faced with industry labour shortages." For rubber flooring options, American Biltrite features their ABPure Nfuse, a unique, formulation of rubber flooring that is certified Declare & Red List Free. Extremely durable, it offers proven superior colour stability, ease of cleaning, and disinfection. It is the only rubber flooring to carry a 10-year colour- fastness warranty. "Backed by proven performance over decades of use in education and healthcare environments, ABPure Nfuse continues to be a solution of choice for many institutions throughout Canada, the U.S., and globally," says Jean-Pierre Benoit, corporate VP and general manager. He adds ABPure Nfuse is PVC/chlorine free, phthalate free, crystalline sil- ica free, and has no formaldehyde. "All our LV T and engineered stone flooring solutions are FloorScore certified for healthier indoor air quality, and part of the industry-wide EPD." Another option from American Biltrite is the Sonata Elements luxury vinyl tile collection that combines the hygienic benefits of LV T with the dimensional striated textile visual inspired by modular carpet tiles. The gradient colour pattern provides versatility like carpet tiles creating unlim- ited design patterns. STAND Your Ground