Today’s flooring professionals are being doubly challenged. Not only are they expected to install products that deliver on expected performance, but must take environmental concerns into consideration when specifying materials for a job.

Pregis Corp., a leader in manufacturing environmentally sound, performance-oriented products for a variety of markets and applications, is helping make it a little easier for flooring professionals to achieve both goals.

The company’s Absolute brand includes the EZ-Seam Renew flooring underlayment product, featuring Pregis’ patented lip and tape system. With a minimum of 25% post-industrial recycled content, it is the first polyethylene (PE)-based underlayment specifically engineered for environmentally driven installations.

“With more and more specifying decisions being driven by U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED certification criteria, we wanted the flooring industry to have an option that could help support environmentally driven objectives,” said Matt Heil, Pregis’s flooring product manager. “Our products help with LEED points under the Materials and Resources category.”

Absolute EZ-Seam Renew underlayment is ideally suited for contractors and homeowners desiring a more environmentally sound alternative without sacrificing any of the performance benefits offered by Pregis’ proven patented underlayment technology.

The underlayment line features a patented lip and tape system that creates a moisture-resistant seal. Installers simply remove the release liner and mate the edge with the adhesive to the non-adhesive lip. The aggressive adhesive enables efficient installation and creates a moisture-resistant seam without the need for additional materials or steps.

Constructed from a layer of PE foam laminated to a layer of PE film, the structure enhances the underlayment’s ability to resist moisture, making it ideal for laminate flooring installations that might be subjected to higher humidity.

EZ-Seam Renew underlayment is available in variable roll widths. Additionally, the product is expected to pass certification requirements for the newly-changed North American Laminate Flooring Association’s (NALFA) underlayment standard. To meet the moisture barrier parameters set by this standard, the underlayment moisture vapor transmission rate has to be equivalent to that delivered by a 6mil PE film.

Pregis’ Absolute underlayment line can only be purchased from these authorized distributors: Diversified Foam of Pennsauken, N.J.; MP Global Products of Norfolk, Neb.; Pak-Lite, of Atlanta, and Crown Hill Packaging of Toronto.

Please look for the authentic Absolute EZ-Seam brand on the tape to make sure you are using Pregis’ patented product and not a counterfeit.

For more information about Pregis, visit pregis.com/absolute.