marmoleum
decibel

Within our linoleum flooring range, Marmoleum Decibel provides the highest impact sound reduction of 18dB.

This sustainable acoustic flooring consists of 2.5 mm Marmoleum laminated onto a 1 mm layer of polyolefin foam. Available in 27 colors selected from the Marmoleum Marbled and Solid collections.

The Marmoleum Decibel construction is also possible on request for other linoleum colors, explore the complete overview here.

Marmoleum Decibel

Turn Down the Volume

For schools, proper acoustic performance creates a quiet atmosphere (even if children are running in the corridors) to help children learn. In offices, it reduces stress and aggressiveness. And for hospitals and elderly homes, more peaceful environments help people recover – even if the medical staff is active and noisy. The best way to reduce sound is at the source. That’s why acoustic floors are key when it comes to reducing noise in buildings.

Forbo Flooring is a specialist in acoustic floors. We have more than 32 years’ experience and specific industry knowledge that allows us to deliver best-in-class acoustic flooring for every application.

We Take the Green Road

Natural Raw Materials
Marmoleum is a natural floor made from 97% natural raw materials, 70% of which are rapidly renewable, along with a 43% recycled content. The key raw materials used in its production include linseed oil, which comes from the flax plant seeds, wood flour as production waste from controlled forestry plantations and jute, a crop whose fibres provide the material for the membrane onto which the linoleum is calendared.

Natural Habitat
What makes Marmoleum special is that it is created entirely from raw materials obtained from their natural habitat right where they grow and renew, often in just 12 months time. Jute and flax are annual crops that can be harvested just like wheat or corn. Extracting rosin is a continuous process, while wood flour, a waste material from the timber industry, is derived from European production forests. Limestone is available in abundance.

Biodegrade
All this makes Marmoleum a natural floor covering, one that, after a long 30-plus year life cycle, can start all over again. Marmoleum can be scrapped, since it’s biodegrade. Alternatively, controlled incineration of Marmoleum delivers a higher caloric value and creates thermal energy that outweighs the energy used during production. This demonstrates the full life cycle circle from which nature ultimately benefits.

Floor Performance in the Real World

Topshield pro is a floor finish, developed by Forbo for linoleum. Topshield pro has been designed as a highly performing finish to create a ‘ready to use’ Marmoleum. A floor that requires no initial maintenance or polymer application and is even more resistant to dirt pick-up, less prone to wear and has improved resistance to scratches and stains. Please read everything on Topshield pro on our dedicated web page Go to Topshield pro information

Our Marmoleum floors are easy to clean and maintain thanks to their durable Topshield pro finish.There are generally three types of cleanings are performed on Marmoleum. The first is an initial cleaning. You would want to wait a minimum of five days following the installation before conducting initial cleaning or other wet cleaning procedures in order to allow the adhesive to dry and cure properly. The initial cleaning is done for new installations exposed to normal construction soil and traffic.

The second type of cleaning is a routine cleaning. The routine cleaning should be performed a minimum of once a day, depending on the application, type of traffic and hours of operation.

The third, and final, type of cleaning is an interim cleaning. The interim cleaning should be performed as needed, depending on the application, type of traffic and hours of operation.

Additional maintenance may be performed if necessary.

Forbo offers a full line of cleaning products including a Neutral pH Cleaner, Spray Buff, Mop on Restorer, Heavy Duty Cleaner, Matte Floor Finish (for commercial use), Gloss Floor Finish (for commercial use), Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner, Adhesive Remover, & a Residential Floor Finish.

Floor Care Guidelines

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Celebrating 150 Years of Linoleum

Frederick Walton
Frederick Walton discovered linoleum and patented its manufacturing process in 1863. It is quite remarkable that a product, discovered in the days of gas lights and horse-drawn carriages, is still used in applications for which it was originally designed, such as flooring in health care and educational facilities.

Impressive References
Over 100 years and more linoleum has found its way in an incredible large number of buildings all over the world; the dining hall flooring for the famous Alcatraz prison in San Francisco, CA, the elegant White House in Washington, DC, or Buckingham palace in London, the Kremlin in Moscow, the German Reichstag , the Sorbonne University in Paris and even Anne Frank's house in Amsterdam (1938) featured linoleum.

Also today many of the new public buildings world wide are installed with Marmoleum, from the new opera house in Olso or the latest tribal art museum from Jean Nouvelle in Paris. Marmoleum remains a classic that is loved by architects because of its authenticity and versatility.

Bauhaus Institute
One of the expressions of modernism in the arts, crafts and architecture was created through the German Bauhaus institute, which settled in Dessau in 1925. Bauhaus, for many, is the origin of modern architecture that spread from Europe to North America and all over the world. A Forbo Marmoleum classic - “Berlin red” - still can be seen in the restored Bauhaus.

Impact Sound Reduction

How Does It Work?

Sound is generated by almost all everyday activity. Impact sound is generated by traffic contacting the floor surface. It is therefore also the main area where a floor covering can influence acoustic performance.

Impact sound made on the floor in 1 room is transmitted through the floor into rooms below. In order to measure the impact sound reduction achieved by a floor covering, impact noise is generated with a hammer machine directly onto the concrete floor slab in an emission room and the sound level (S1) is recorded in the reception room below. The floor covering is then laid onto the concrete slab, the same impact noise is made on the floor covering, and the new sound level (S2) is recorded. The impact sound reduction (EN ISO 717-2) is the difference, measured in decibels, between the 2 sound levels recorded.

The impact sound reduction of Forbo's acoustic project vinyl and linoleum floors ranges from 14 to 19dB.

In order to get a perfect floor it is important to prepare and to pay attention to a proper installation of the floor covering. Forbo offers an assortment of high quality installation products and tools, which helps you obtaining the desired result. Key factors for successful installation of a floor are:

Jobsite Conditions
Areas to receive material should be clean, fully enclosed and weather tight with the permanent HVAC in operation. A minimum temperature 68º F (20º C) should be established at least seven days prior to beginning the installation, maintained during the installation, and for at least seven days following the installation. The installation should not begin until the work of all other trades has been completed, especially overhead trades. Any areas to receive material should be adequately lighted to allow for proper inspection of the substrate, installation, seaming and for final inspection.

Subfloor Preparation
The installation of a floor starts with the subfloor, which must be sound, smooth, flat, clean, and permanently dry. In order to ensure that the moisture condition of concrete substrates is within acceptable limits, it is critical that moisture testing be conducted on ALL concrete substrates, regardless of age or grade level, including those where resilient flooring has already been installed. Moisture testing should not be conducted unless a stable, conditioned environment as described under the Jobsite Conditions section has been established. The 3 moisture testes that Forbo recommends conducting are as follows: a Calcium Chloride (Moisture Vapor Emission) Test, a Relative Humidity Test, and a pH Test. Performing adhesive bond tests is also highly recommended. Bond testing will aid in identifying both the working characteristics of the adhesive (open time and working time) for the site conditions, and also any potential bonding problems.

Material Storage and Handling
Areas where materials are to be stored should be a stable, conditioned environment as described under the Jobsite Conditions section. All materials and adhesives should be acclimated to these conditions for at least 48 hours prior to the installation. Material should be delivered to the job site in original, unopened packaging, with all labels intact. All rolls should be stored standing upright, labels up, to ensure that the color, roll and batch numbers can be easily read.

Scribing and Cutting
A good start makes all the difference: pay extra attention to the first sheet of floor covering! A set of professional installation tools contributes to a perfect result.

Adhering
A perfectly installed floor requires perfect adhesion. Forbo offers 3 high quality adhesives for Marmoleum sheet installations, L 885, Sustain 885m, & Sustain 1195. The flooring material must always be placed into wet adhesive and rolled immediately with a 100 pound roller. Check for adhesive transfer frequently. There must be a wet transfer of adhesive to the material backing in order to achieve a secure bond. Always carefully read and follow the instructions on the adhesive label regarding the use and application of the adhesive, and always review and follow safety and health warnings included on the label and MSDS. After installation, make sure that the room is ventilated, in order to allow the adhesive to dry. Heavy foot traffic and rolling loads are not recommended over a freshly installed floor, until the adhesive has set thoroughly, which in normal conditions takes about 72 hours.

Seaming
There are 2 options when it comes to seaming, the heat weld or the net fit seam.
Heat welding provides a watertight and hygienic seam. Forbo Marmoleum and linoleum products may be heat welded with either a matching solid or multi-colored welding rod or a contrasting colored welding rod, use only Forbo Marmoweld welding rod. All welding should only be done after the flooring adhesive has set up or approximately 24 hours after installation. The depth of the groove on 2.0 mm and 2.5 mm material should be down to the jute fibers but not through them. The material should be grooved to a 3.5 mm wide U-shape. It is recommended to practice on a scrap piece of material first to assure proper temperature and speed.

The net fit seam is when one side of the sheet is cut at an angle so that some adhesive can get up in between the 2 sheets when they are put together.

Installation Guide

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We take pride in creating Marmoleum

The craft of manufacturing linoleum has evolved over the last 150 years. Forbo has been driving this development through its Marmoleum brand. Making Marmoleum is an art, which is not learned at any trade - or craft school. In fact, only a handful of people know how to make Marmoleum. Determining the correct mixture of ingredients, allowing the right time for raw materials to settle, applying the correct temperature and pressure are all skills a Marmoleum Expert must master. We are proud of our experts, as they take pride in creating every piece of Marmoleum.

Technical Specifications

Forbo has a wide variety of promotional and technical documentation available for each of its products. The documents can be found by going to the product selection of your choice. You are then able to download the related documents. Download center

You can also immediately download the Marmoleum Decibel & Corkment and Marmoleum Decibel & Corkment Adhesive technical information here.

Marmoleum Decibel
Technical Data Sheet
MSDS

Corkment
Technical Data Sheet
MSDS

Wallbase & Install Accessories

To view our wallbase colors and accessories please download brochure below.

Wallbase

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References

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