By K.J. Quinn
Resilient remains a favorable choice in the commercial and residential sector, defying the downward trend of flooring sales last year by posting a double-digit increase, according to the Resilient Floor Covering Institute (RFCI). While the category is renown for combining fashionable designs with durability and ease of maintenance, environmental impacts are quickly becoming a major selling point.

“Environmental evaluation of a product is now given equal weighting with design, performance and cost in product selection,” reports Armstrong Floor Products’ Dominic Rice, product management, Commercial Resilient.

Historically, vinyl sheet and floor tile specs depended largely on market conditions and budget constraints. But the green building craze is emerging as an important factor, experts say, as architects and designers attempt to bring environmentally responsible, healthy and efficient products into commercial interiors. At the same time, recommendation of green products enables specifiers to meet LEED standards for resource-efficient and environmentally friendly commercial buildings established by the U.S. Green Building Council.

“As the green movement gains momentum and more of the population becomes aware of the importance of conservation and utilizing sustainable products, responsible manufacturers are making environmental objectives a priority,” said Diane Martel, vice president of marketing, Tarkett Commercial.

Greener floors reduce IAQ impact

Most of the latest R&D in resilient flooring—particularly on the commercial side—centers on meeting stringent indoor air quality (IAQ) standards and specs for green building materials. This includes incorporating more recycled content into vinyl flooring, switching to greener formulations and making prudent use of natural resources. These efforts appear to be paying off as suppliers report double-digit increases in demand for such floor coverings while, at the same time, reducing their facilities’ impact on the environment.

For example, Mannington’s new Jumpstart RE is positioned as the first residential sheet vinyl to have recycled content, while Relay RE, a commercial product, is comprised of 35% recycled content, the majority of which is post-consumer carpet. “We’re the only manufacturer who is doing this—recycling carpet into hard surface resilient flooring,” said Dave Kitts, vice president, environment. Hundreds of tons of manufacturing plant resilient waste is recycled and used in Mannington’s commercial tile products.

What the major resilient flooring makers say they are doing, collectively, is producing products that meet FloorScore guidelines, a program which tests and certifies hard surfaces for compliance with IAQ requirements and adopted in California. “A flooring product that bears the FloorScore seal has been independently certified by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) to comply with the VOC emissions criteria of the California Section 01350 program,” said Dean Thompson, RFCI president. The Institute, in conjunction with SCS, developed the voluntary program several years ago.

FloorScore-certified flooring materials are eligible for credits under the LEED rating system. “This demonstrates good indoor air quality characteristics, which is becoming increasingly important to homeowners,” Mannington’s Kitts said.

The IAQ issue transcends into installation products as well, as vendors focus on developing floors that require minimal or no adhesive to reduce VOC emissions. “This will ease future opportunities in reclamation of vinyl tile without all the difficulties that come with removing tile adhered directly to a subfloor,” noted Congoleum’s Dennis Jarosz, senior vice president of sales and marketing, adding that Congoleum created an underlayment that allows its Dura luxury vinyl tiles to be installed without adhering to the subfloor.

A major development in the past year was the first “lock and fold” LVT that combines the installation convenience of a waterproof floating floor with the high fashion and performance of wood plank and ceramic tile visuals. Metroflor’s Konecto is installed using a glueless system featuring a locking mechanism said to be different than other floating floor types. “It created a new category,” contends Michael Raskin, Metroflor president, noting the product was under development for more than three years. “It’s been an easy transition and seamless to quickly grow our business because of our distribution and vast experience in LVT.”

In sheet vinyl, one of the latest innovations is Armstrong’s StrataMax Hi-Performance Sheet Flooring, offering a loose-lay option which reduces the need—and expense— for installation materials since it does not require an underlayment. “It actually can save more materials than it consumes,” explained Allen Cubell, vice president, product management—residential resilient. “Since StrataMax can be loose laid directly over concrete, existing vinyl or 1/4-inch underlayment, in addition to OSB, it can be installed quickly and easily as a true floating floor without the need for adhesive or underlayment.” Over a standard 22-square-yard installation, Cubell estimates StrataMax saves about 4 cubic feet of wood underlayment and about a gallon of glue.

Getting the word out

While these and other developments are all well intentioned, it is creating some confusion within the A&D community. Although green building rating systems do exist, there is no universal definition to describe vague marketing terms such as “recyclable product” and “environmentally friendly,” observers say. The common denominator among green products is each either helps divert volume from landfill disposal, conserves natural resources, extends the product life cycle, reduces or eliminates problems associated with off-gassing.

The resilient flooring industry is being proactive in providing information on product sustainability. To meet this request, a new American National Standards Institute (ANSI) draft standard, NSF/ANSI 332 Sustainability Assessment for Resilient Floor Coverings, was introduced last year. “The standard will form the basis for third-party certification of resilient flooring products which meet the environmental requirements contained in the standard,” RFCI’s Thompson explained. “Although the final standard has not been approved, some resilient flooring manufacturers are already certifying their floors to the draft standard, providing an opportunity for building owners to review the environmental attributes of resilient flooring products.”

Vendors say they are working diligently to ensure their products are designed to meet such environmental requirements. “Unlike some standards in the marketplace,” Congoleum’s Jarosz said, “the NSF standard is being developed following the strict ANSI guidelines on consensus from all stakeholders.”

Suppliers are taking the initiative by investing in products that are environmentally responsible. For instance, Mannington reports the majority of its resilient floors utilize a fibrous felt backing or carrier layer known as felt, which is primarily limestone (as much as 50% to 70%). Armstrong’s new Migrations BioBased Tile is produced from limestone and a binder that uses BioStride polymer that includes rapidly renewable, U.S.-grown plant ingredients and reduces reliance on fossil fuel. “BioStride provides the same or better performance attributes as vinyl polymers,” noted Kent Clauson, Armstrong’s general manager of marketing. “We’ve created an affordable, sustainable product solution in the marketplace and eliminated any learning curve regarding its usage since it shares the installation and maintenance characteristics of traditional vinyl composition tile.”

Utilizing lean manufacturing processes and the latest polymer technology, Tarkett’s Emerge eco-resilient commercial tiles are made with recycled content and free of polypropylene, chlorine and phthalates, Martel explained. The product’s life cycle is more than 20 years, she added.

Indeed, life-cycle cost advantages of resilient place fewer burdens on the environment since it is more durable and longer-lasting than other flooring options. “This minimizes the number of times you may have to replace the floor, which saves energy, raw materials, etc.” Armstrong’s Clauson pointed out. Low maintenance coatings on resilient flooring means less chemicals and water is used over the installed life of the floor. This is especially important in commercial applications such as retail, education, offices and health care where both the benefit of reducing environmental impact created by maintenance, as well as the impact on low maintenance costs are critical.

Looking ahead, strategic marketing, public relations and advertising campaigns will play a key role in educating customers about the green benefits of resilient. Then, they need to rest assured that such products can perform. “Plus, aesthetics and cost point are huge deciding factors,” Tarkett’s Martel said. “Building strategies around these factors enhance the appeal of environmentally friendly resilient flooring.”