Not Slippery when Wet

James Croll discovers the benefi ts of fl ocked fl ooring, not just from a cost and design point of view but due to a range of factors including the ease at which it can be cleaned, its sustainability and impressive safety record

When key decisions were being made for the redevelopment of the Waves Fitness and Aquatic Centre in Baulkham Hills, the team involved were keen to ensure that they got one particular area absolutely right - the choice of flooring for its non-aquatic spaces.

The projected volume of footfall was substantial, and they knew flooring was absolutely key when it came to how the refurbished centre would be judged. They were concerned that their choice of flooring would satisfy a number of key factors, specifically its durability, aesthetics, comfort, slip resistance, sustainability, and ease of maintenance. After considerable research the team opted for Flotex, a unique textile, flocked floor covering designed by the global flooring provider Forbo Flooring Systems which had been gaining a strong reputation for combining ease of cleaning and durability features with benefits such as comfort, slip resistance and acoustic properties which were usually associated with textiles.

Forbo Flooring Textile Product Manager, Erin Sharrock explains “the Waves Fitness and Aquatic Centre’s decision to go with the Flotex product was an interesting one.

“Flotex is a unique flooring offer in that it is a hybrid product. It offers the resilience of a vinyl whilst having the aesthetic, acoustic and underfoot comfort benefits of a carpet. It’s versatile, safe, very cost effective and performs extremely well in heavy foot traffic environments that are open to the public. The product satisfied all the key requirements that the centre had.”

Flotex is a flocked flooring product made of nylon (polyamide) flock which is glued onto a fibreglass carrier using PVC glue. Either PVC or other compound products serve as backing and the flooring is generally supplied in roll-to-roll carpet or in the shape of carpet tiles making its installation easy and practical. This ease of installation was an influencing factor in the Waves decision, but it was the ease of cleaning that really drove the decision.

Sharrock advises “Flotex is exceptionally easy to clean without the need for excessive chemicals.

“It is also the fastest drying textile around and unlike most textiles, it can be easily maintained using standard cleaning equipment. The Flotex impervious backing also makes it suitable for wet cleaning and it is highly durable due to its dense surface pile. It can also be cleaned down to its base due to its upright nylon fibres and impermeable PVC backing.”

While there is a 10-year commercial warranty, the product has been known to surpass this time-period many times over which is testament to its durability. In addition, the product has a growing reputation for health and safety. It was recently awarded the prestigious Allergy UK Seal of Approval in the UK as it was proven to reduce allergens, which in turn improves indoor air quality.

A recent Cleaning Research International study also clearly demonstrated the superior cleanability of the flocked floor covering as opposed to a loop pile and a cut pile carpet. Identically sized samples of each type of floor covering were conditioned, weighed, and then dirtied using 10 grams of standard soil. They were then reconditioned and reweighed before being vacuumed with an upright vacuum cleaner fit with a brush, a spray extraction nozzle, and a contra-rotating brush cleaner. At each stage, the samples were dried, reconditioned, and weighed to determine how much soil had been removed. The results clearly demonstrated the superior cleanability of the flocked floor covering, showing that a 77.7% mean of soil was removed after the use of a contra-rotating brush cleaner. This meant it had the least amount of soil remaining after each cycle.

Simple cleaning methods can be used to maintain Flotex FR. Simple upright vacuuming is very effective whilst hot water spray extraction or three-in-one spray and brush machine methods are better for deep cleaning. Fresh spillages can be

spot cleaned, while water soluble stains, such as jam or red wine, can be scraped, rinsed with hot water, and brushed which agitates the pile allowing the removal of any excess liquid. Greasy stains may require the use of detergent, while stains such as permanent marker or shoe polish can be removed using a safe solvent.

The unique construction of the Flotex flocked product essentially allows the release of soil and other dirt like no other textile flooring. Unlike the looped and twisted fibres of a conventional carpet tile, the smooth straight fibres of Flotex do not trap particles of soil, allowing them to be removed without difficulty during cleaning. In fact, most spills can be cleaned with plain water.

This ease of cleaning has resulted in flocked flooring being a preferred choice across much of the cruise ship industry but with the leisure sector presenting many of the same challenges it is not surprising that an increasing number of leisure, recreation and entertainment centres are now opting for the product across Australasia.

Sharrock notes “while Flotex is waterproof we do not recommend it to be used in the area adjacent to a pool. The general areas of a leisure centre are typically where Flotex is best placed.

“In addition to the cleaning benefits, its slip safety rating is undeniable. It is the safest resilient flooring product on the Australian market. The pendulum slip test is a P5 and the ramp slip test is R12. These top safety ratings apply when the product is dry and when it is wet - hence our saying: ‘Not slippery when wet’.”

But it is the amount of time it takes for a floor covering to dry which is proving a major benefit to leisure venues as this has substantially minimised turnaround times as proven by a Cleaning Research International study. The study tested the drying characteristics of flocked floor coverings alongside six different carpet constructions.

Each floor covering was subjected to two passes using an industrial spray extraction machine and the remaining moisture content was measured after various periods of time to establish how long each took to dry. After just two hours, the flocked pile sample was substantially drier than all the other constructions of carpet, with only 0.57% of moisture remaining, and after five hours, the pile was almost completely dry. Other samples still retained significant amounts of moisture.

The faster drying times are significant when it comes to safety. The Flotex product for instance has a high slip resistant rating of R12/P5 whether the floor is dry or wet. The product is also ultra-low in emissions and is phthalate free which compliments its allergy approved rating.

Sharrock continues “sustainability has played a massive role in our research and development in recent years.

“At Forbo we believe a sustainable product is one that lasts, and Flotex most certainly passes the test of time with flying colours. We offer EPD’s (Environmental Product Declaration) on all of our products. Flotex is also Greentag certified and manufactured using 100% green energy.”

Essentially this has seen Forbo constantly striving to optimise their production processes in terms of water and energy usage, while reducing emissions, focussing on the recycling of heat generated in the production process, as well as the reduction and recycling of off-cuts in order to keep their footprint to a minimum. This has all been critical to their entire manufacturing process.

Aware of the increasing importance of safety and the environment, crucially manufacturers such as Forbo have not neglected design and aesthetics. The company have also been only too aware of supply chain issues in the industry which have been on the increase as a result of the pandemic.

Sharrock concludes “while Flotex has been manufactured by Forbo in the United Kingdom for over 70 years. We have ensured we have thousands of square metres in various patterns and colours kept here in Australia, so there is no lead time.

“We also have bespoke digital options for projects wanting a unique feature floor or connection to a brand or design. The product comes in two-metre-wide sheet, tiles, and planks. We have hundreds of colours and patterns available, and we also offer custom digital colours and patterns from as little as 60 metre².” James Croll is Partnerships Manager at Australasian Leisure Management.

Forbo also supply a range of fl oors suitable for fi tness, play and sport applications while the company provided its Surestep safety fl oor at Bunbury’s Dolphin Discovery Centre (below, top right).