feature HEALTHCARE recovery time. Topical moisture can damage wood and laminate, but vinyl’s impervious nature provides protection against spills or stains.
When skin-deep is good enough
Flooring treated with an extra-dense coating, such as Evercare from Gerflor, is practically scratchproof and repels bacteria, making it ideal for surgical areas.
The Click System
L
uxury vinyl tile with a vertical click system provides easier installation, which is a
significant benefi t itself. However, it supplies
New bio-based, homogenous, sheet-vinyl flooring combined with newly developed flooring treatments, such as Evercare from Gerflor USA, Bensenville, IL, also provides designers and facility managers with unrivaled beauty and protection in flooring choices. The flooring features a micro-structured, cross-coat polymerized treatment that strengthens its durability. These hightech treatments reduce the need for cleaning by 55% and provide ultimate chemical and stain resistance. The treatment makes the vinyl-flooring surface extremely dense to virtually eliminate the risk of staining caused by chemicals such as Betadine or iodine, while also reducing the appearance of unsightly scratches or scuffs. The extremely dense surface also minimizes maintenance—an important factor in an environment for healing—since it is a truly polish-free solution. Hospital staff can concentrate on patient health instead of the state of the floors. Caustic polishes or waxes are unnecessary, and floor maintenance is as simple as using warm water and soap. “Sound R&D principles give way to great innovations, and a superior floor treatment is one innovation that provides architects, designers, facility managers, and contractors high-performing, sustainable, vinyl floors,” said Ken Chmura, general manager, Gerflor USA. “If a vinyl floor doesn’t need to be waxed or polished the benefit is twofold; first, costly maintenance programs become a thing of the past and second, daily life in commercial environments can go on unimpeded.”
a wide range of other features that appeal to
Tough-to-beat flooring
designers and facility managers:
• Thickness of 6 mm combined with a fiberglass grid
• Heavy-duty wearlayer and beveled edges for stability
• Reduces noise from foot traffic as much as 12 dB; very little reverberation from walking; better sound-abatement qualities than laminate
• Facilities can remain open during installation • Natural comfort and warmth underfoot • Absorption of as much as 1 mm of imperfection in the subfl oor
• Water and stain resistance • Available in an array of colors and designs.
10
COMMERCIAL BUILDING PRODUCTS
JAN/FEB 2012
Vinyl flooring has many characteristics that make it ideal for areas with heavy foot traffic. Certain characteristics rise to the top of the list for specifiers selecting a floor for a hospital or health facility: Durability. Vinyl floors are also known as resilient flooring, and for good reason. They can withstand extreme conditions. According to the American Hospital Association, Chicago, there are more than 1,500 hospitals in the U.S. with a hospital-bed capacity of 200 or more. Multiply these figures by the number of potential visitors and medical staff per patient, and you begin to see how much traffic a hospital receives. The strength of vinyl flooring makes it the most popular hard surface in the U.S. Style. Vinyl flooring offers an array of colors and styles to suit even the most discerning tastes within the A&D community. Healthcare designers, especially, must pay close attention to
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their designs, sometimes termed evidence-based design, in which colors and patterns can play a role in a patient’s recovery. The new surface treatment protects the color of the floor from fading or staining. Sustainability. Vinyl floors are continuously improved to be easy on the environment. Innovative protective coatings contribute to good indoor-air quality (IAQ) and save water by eliminating costly maintenance chemicals that can harm the planet. In addition, tests indicate that chemical and water use is reduced by 55%, compared with traditional maintenance programs. Affordability. Vinyl floors provide healthcare-facility managers with easier maintenance and longer floor lifecycles. The latest technology means that a floor’s lifespan can approach two decades. Versatility. For emergency rooms, nursing stations, patient rooms, or hallways, vinyl flooring is the preferred choice of the A&D community. The variety of patterns and colors and ease of maintenance is a win-win situation for designers, builders, contractors, installers, facility managers, and patients. Safety. Healthcare-facility managers choose resilient flooring over other materials because of its major sanitary advantages. According to the Resilient Floor Covering Institute, LaGrange, GA, the material is tested for slip resistance and designed for better IAQ.
Strength and beauty As important as all these considerations are, however, designers want flooring that also looks good. Vinyl flooring is available in vibrant colors and soothing neutrals that keep their sheen throughout the product’s lifecycle. Ensuring that a product remains colorful and brilliant equates to a better recuperative environment. Vinyl flooring can provide an at-home or spa-like feel to an environment, which can promote faster healing. In addition, color and pattern can provide a better sense of direction or wayfinding for hospitals, enabling patients and visitors to navigate more easily through hospital corridors and healthcare facilities. Resilient flooring provides a way for hospitals and healthcare facilities to rest assured that the investment they make in flooring surfaces literally stays true to form and function over its entire life. Catherine Del Vecchio is brand and marketing manager for Gerflor USA, Bensenville, IL
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