Replacing PVC
A new polymer is changing the way facility managers think about resilient flooring.
By Brian Kraemer
Plastics, as the commercial claims, improve everyone’s life. Especially facility manager’s. In this column’s first year, plastics have changed the way carpeting and cooling towers are approached by facility managers. This month resilient flooring looks to become the most recent plastic success story with an eye toward reinventing facility management.
In the case of resilient flooring, PVC (polyvinyl chloride) has dominated the market. For a long time it has been the go to substance for carpeting and resilient flooring.
Along with limestone and plasticizers, which help to stabilize the materials, PVC has been the primary ingredient of Vinyl Composite Tile (VCT), which comprises the lions share of resilient flooring market because of its low price point. But with the movement toward more earth friendly buildings, both have fallen out of favor.
PVC used to be the only game in town. It consistently produces a relatively cheap, dependable product in whatever arena it was used.
But with the drive for environmentalism, PVC is losing its popularity with a growing number of architects and designers alike. Once it has been inserted into, say, a carpet, the end products days are limited. It can’t be recycled or reused. After the decision has been made to replace it, it will invariably end up in a landfill. In a world where LEED is preparing to add life cycle assessment to its credit criteria, this won’t fly.
PVC’s cohort, plasticizer, is just as guilty of doing harm to the environment. In the production of VCTs, plasticizers are a critical element. Why? Because PVC needs the stability that plasticizers provide. Plasticizers’ hands are just as dirty as PVC when it comes to pollution.
The final ingredient in the VCT stew is limestone. Because it is a naturally occurring resource and is abundant, I’ve got no qualms with it. Hardwearing and inexpensive, limestone tends to constitute 75% of the VCT make up. It gives products their durability and makes a solid attempt to bring some environmentalism to the market.
Trying to change the perception about resilient flooring, particularly at the lower price points where VCT is situatied, is John Kronemeyer, vice president of Toronto, ON-based Estrie Products International. “Stonescape is a resilient flooring tile. We’ve removed the PVC from it and replaced it with a polymer.”
This polymer does the job that used to be done by plasticizers and PVC. The effects of the new technology are abundant and readily apparent, but its subsequent naming, and official unveiling, will only take place after the patenting process is complete.
The drive for clean air has taken hold in most facilities. Good indoor air quality (IAQ) can have an affect on just about anything in the facility. Because of this, furniture systems, ceilings, and seating are all being manufactured with an eye toward eliminating volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
“Why not do the same with flooring?” asks Kronemeyer. “Carpet fibers will often trap harmful elements and release them into the air. With resilient flooring, this doesn’t happen, because it is a non porous material. There are no fibers to the surface, and it doesn’t trap anything bad.”
This is well and good for building occupants, but a truly environmental product takes into consideration the community where it resides. To this end, recycling is becoming an integral part of the purchasing process for facility managers. PVC based flooring cannot be recycled and will end up languishing away in a landfill. This new polymer, because it contains no PVC or plasticizers, can be recycled. However, because this technology is new, recycling programs are still a future goal.
“The flooring is recyclable because of the polymer. But no manufacturer—ourselves included—has yet been able to take the material back from a job site and reuse it.” Until that happens though, it is important to note that unlike PVC, Stonescape the product does contain a percentage of post manufacturing material, and won’t be detrimental to the earth if it ends up in a landfill because it doesn’t contain harmful components.
The new polymer technology incorporated in Stonescape also makes it more rugged than any other VTC. “Normal VCT has an indentation resistance of 300 pounds per square inch (PSI); this product has a resistance of 2000 PSI,” explains Kronemeyer. This makes it a good candidate for facilities where heavy equipment is regularly being moved.
In addition to being stronger, the polymer is hardwearing. This means it will stand up to the elements. “There is no absorption with this product,” Kronemeyer continues. “A facility manager can use a high amount of water to clean it, and it won’t sink in or damage the floor.” What about sunlight? No worries there, either. Direct sunlight on the floor won’t cause the color to change or fade.
Plastics invariably seem to end up on the list of items bought by facility managers. Typically, these products are less expensive, have better life cycle characteristics, and will last longer in a facility. Using a polymer based product may yield the flooring product which is best suited for the job.
Information for this article was obtained from an interview with Kronemeyer and through the Stonescape Web site. For more information, visit www.american-biltrite.com.
Do you know of a material revolution that is changing the way facility managers think? E-mail your comments to bkraemer@groupc.com.
