New, Patented Subfloor Technology from Schönox – "Game Changer"

Subfloor Technology Called a Game Changer by the Flooring Industry

The goal was to create subfloor products that would offer strength and speed with minimal to no shrinkage of the material.

A few years ago, at a laboratory in Rosendahl, Germany, a group of Schönox product development researchers and technicians undertook an initiative to develop what the flooring industry had long since felt was impossible.

Their goal was to create subfloor products that would offer strength and speed with minimal to no shrinkage of the material. At first reading, this seemed a reasonable combination of qualities; however, the science of the available materials produced a barrier. Unfortunately, for decades, this barrier had become accepted as an industry standard.

A glimpse inside one of the Schönox labs used to develop Hybrid Active-Dry Technology.

Some background. Cement-based patches and self-leveling materials, long admired for their drying speed, can expeditiously be covered with flooring. Conversely, gypsum-based products found favor in challenging subfloor environments where the product's shrinkage was not an option, and versatility was necessary to cover various irregular subfloor conditions. That versatility, however, came at the cost of speed.

The Schönox team was optimistic. They developed and pioneered synthetic gypsum-based technology in previous years, creating a new category of patches and self-leveling products. Those products allowed many subfloors to be renovated rather than demolished, and with outstanding environmental and performance positives, thus diverting millions of tons of construction waste from landfills.

Another environmental positive, the products themselves, made in part from recycled content reclaimed from the process used to purify the emissions from coal-fired energy plants, provide minimal shrinkage.

Flooring installers raved about the minimal shrinkage of synthetic-gypsum subfloor products just as environmental voices heralded the positive impact of the products on the manufacturing, use, and impact sides of the equation. The positives were substantial, but the issue of speed remained.

The Schönox team, determined to develop a technology with all the positives and none of the cement and synthetic gypsum negatives, continued their plight. Months into the process, the researchers realized the answer would not be a variation of the existing subfloor products but rather a new technology altogether. Years of additional development work were poured into the effort with an underlying goal to revolutionize subfloor projects.

Much of the development process remains confidential and the methods used today to manufacture the resulting products are closely-guarded secrets. Schönox will say the development pathway moved the team to create a new binder used with cement and gypsum elements, combined with additives to control the overall product system. The result was Hybrid Active-Dry Technology and the award of a new patent for the proprietary creation.

Flooring professionals are excited by the performance characteristics of Hybrid Active-Dry Technology, including its safety attributes.

Once developed, Schönox moved quickly to use the new technology in a series of self-leveling compounds. Just two months ago, Hybrid Active-Dry Technology was incorporated into Schönox HS Sturdy, a repair and smoothing compound. Now, flooring installers and contractors can repair, patch, smooth, finish, and self-level using fully integrated products. Drying times slashed and the versatility of synthetic gypsum-based products retained, all with subfloor products with minimal shrinkage or expansion.

Flooring professionals are excited by the performance characteristics of Hybrid Active-Dry Technology, including its safety attributes. The Schönox research and development efforts yielded a product series with low pH, very low emissions, and special dust-reduced properties delivering on the industry-leading safety goals the company has in place.

The launch of Schönox HS Sturdy completes the development initiative begun so many years ago. In the short intervening time since the HS Sturdy launch, R&D's operational tempo at Schönox has not decreased. When asked what initiatives are underway now, Schönox R&D team members said many, smiled, and went back to work. ❚

Developing new technologies is an exhaustive process involving thousands of experiments, product tests, and formulation exercises.

The launch of Schönox HS Sturdy completes the development initiative begun so many years ago.

The new Schönox technology received a patent, advancing the possibilities with every subfloor project.

Take your business to a whole new level. Call 855.391.2649 or visit hpsubfloors.com to learn how your projects run smoother with Schönox Ön It.