4 reasons to go adhesive free
Adhesive-free floor coverings are becoming increasingly popular across many sectors, but why should you choose them for your next project? Here is our top 4 of reasons to go adhesive free.
FORBO STORIES
Across all sectors, there has been an increase in demand for flooring solutions that can be installed quickly, with minimal disruption and downtime. But why is this the case?
With hospitals, call centres and retail outlets offering 24-hour services, and education buildings and offices requiring refurbishments that need to be completed overnight, the very nature of commercial buildings is why time restrictions are becoming a pressing issue. However, time restrictions are not the only issue the industry is facing.
Challenging subfloor conditions, such as those created by permanently glued-down installations or damp and damaged subfloors, are also a general concern. As such, adhesive-free floor coverings are becoming the solution of choice for specifiers, end users and flooring contractors, as they can help to overcome these challenges.
So, what are today’s top 4 reasons to go adhesive free?
1. They save both time and money
Adhesive-free floor coverings have been designed to be laid straight down onto existing, damp or damaged subfloors, with minimal preparation in many cases.
This significantly reduces installation time by over 50% and means that refurbishment work can be completed over the weekend, overnight or even whilst the building is still in full operation, depending on the size of the installation area, saving both time and money.
2. Adhesive-free floors are ready to walk on immediately
Prolonged downtime is sometimes not an option for some buildings, such as those found within the healthcare and education sectors. With adhesive-free installations, the area being fitted will only be out of action for a minimal amount of time and furniture can be moved around within the area if necessary.
Due to the fact that installation is completely free of adhesives, no setting or drying time needs to be factored into the project and there is no need to wait for 48 hours before using with heavy traffic. Once the floor has been fitted, it is ready for use immediately, whether it is walked on or wheeled over. Furniture can also be put back in its original place and facilities can resume as normal.
3. Improved occupant health and wellbeing
While polluted air is rarely visible to the naked eye, air quality does greatly influence the health and wellbeing of building occupants. Poor indoor air quality can even result in respiratory illnesses and other diseases, which are caused by poor ventilation and the evaporation of volatile organic compounds (VOC emissions) from furniture and floors, cleaning detergents, and building materials such as adhesives. Flooring products, such as those that are adhesive-free, are therefore important.
What’s more, the elimination of the usual constraints associated with adhesives, such as lingering odours, will help to create better indoor environments and contribute to improving the wellbeing of all those that use the building. There will also be less dust and mess during installation as a result of minimal or no subfloor preparation.
4. Sustainability and Circularity – Remove, Reuse, Recycle
When the time eventually comes to replace an adhesive-free floor covering, they are easy to uplift and re-use, or remove and recycle, at the end of their service life as there is no adhesive residue left on the back of the material. Subfloors are then left clean and sound ready for a repeat installation.
Savings on future renovations can also be made as there will be no costly subfloor preparation required on removal.
So why choose Forbo’s Fast Flooring collection?
Our solutions are established worldwide, having been installed across thousands of projects. For maximum flexibility, we offer a number of installation options within our Fast Flooring collection, from interlocking tiles and planks, such as our Allura Puzzle, to sheet products, like our Modul’up range, that can be installed without any adhesives, but simply requires an innovative single-sided tape to facilitate the hot welding.
All of our Fast Flooring solutions are produced in Europe using 100% renewable electricity and in facilities that are certified to ISO14001. They are also all phthalate-free for healthier indoor environments, and many are available in natural stress-reducing designs and high LRVs (Light Reflectance Values).
If it sounds like Fast Flooring might be of interest to you, then simply visit our Fast Flooring web section for more information.