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| Linorette from Armstrong |
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By Emily Hooper
When it comes to green flooring, designers and architects are hard-pressed to find a material that is more recyclable, sustainable or renewable than linoleum. From the Latin words linumfor linseed-of which the oil is the main ingredient- and oleum for oil, linoleum is made primarily from the flax plant, a rapidly renewable material that produces linseed oil. Combined with cork or wood powders and ground limestone, the blend of natural materials is spread over a jute backing and cured for up to three weeks. All natural, all the way through.
From a visual stance, linoleum hits another home run. Originally, colors derivated from minerals and natural pigments, offering a richness in color that only nature could provide. Today, colors range from earth to jewel tones, metallic to matte. As an added bonus, color is blended into the composite mixture rendering the tones as deep as the flooring itself, all the way down to the natural backing. With the wear and tear of everyday use, the color remains consistent throughout and over time.
LINORETTE FROM ARMSTRONGColor reigns supreme here. Offering five linoleum product lines in 126 colors, designers can build a room around a floor as unique as the client, using the Continuum color system. It is a new, systematic approach that delivers colors in tonal steps that makes designing a floor quick and easy, similar to a paint deck, but for Armstrong linoleum.
HARMONIUM XF FROM JOHNSONITEHarmonium xf delivers valuable health, hygiene and welfare benefits, according to
Jeff Krejsa, vice president of marketing,
Johnsonite,
Tarkett North America. The proprietary xf surface treatment reduces the need for frequent cleaning and maintenance, reducing water, detergent and chemical consumption by 50% compared to other products, Krejsa added. Bacteriostatic properties, prevalent in most linoleum products, also support good hygiene and inhibit the growth of several types of bacteria, including MRSA, as tested by Industrial Microbiological Services. Additionally, Harmonium xf is FloorScore and CHPS certified for good indoor air quality.
MARMOLEUM FROM FORBOUsed widely in healthcare, retail and education applications, Marmoleum by Forbo offers a dynamic color palette with more than 100 years on the ground, said Scott Day, marketing communications manager. Striato (pictured), a modernized retro approach to the classic look of linoleum, highlights natural tones. Constructed of 100% bio-based content like gum resin, tall oil, linseed oil and limestone, Marmoleum is eligible for up to one point in LEED’s rapidly renewable materials: MR 6, and up to one point each in IEQ: low emitting material (flooring systems) 4.3, and low emitting material materials (adhesives & sealants) 4.1.
