Choosing an environmentally preferable product from Polyflor means zero compromise in the function of the product.
- Positive environmental credentials and benefits are built into our flooring
- Other elements, whether underfoot safety, hygiene, ease of maintenance, durability or aesthetics work hand in glove with the environmental performance of the product
The majority of Polyflor 2.0mm floorcoverings obtain the highest Use Area Classification of 23/34/43 to EN 685, making them suitable for heavy domestic, very heavy commercial and heavy-light industrial use. In comparison, a greater thickness is required for linoleum to achieve a similar recommendation, but even at 2.5mm thick it is not recommended for class 43 areas. Under the Agrément (UPEC) system only 3.2mm thick linoleum had the same wearability as most of the accredited Polyflor products.
Another of vinyl’s strengths is its much greater resistance to water, whereas many alternative materials are not suitable for use in areas where there can be the extensive contact with water. Vinyl is impervious and can be thermally welded with the joints actually fused together and is inherently more flexible and easily self coved. This flexibility also means that vinyl has much better recovery from indentation.
At Polyflor we are clear in our belief that there is no reason that our customers need to compromise on performance, choice or budget in order to use products with the lowest environmental impact.
We do not manufacture a specific range of environmental flooring, we manufacture vast ranges of the highest quality, BRE rated commercial flooring with a level of performance and benefits in use which also result in class leading environmental features. This philosophy carries on into all our new product developments, where the demands of the customer, the facility and environmental requirements are built into the product specification from day one.
- Designed with low maintenance features
- PUR reinforcement is cross-linked and UV cured for superior cleaning benefits, enhanced protection and optimum appearance retention
- Homogeneous PUR facilitates a lifelong polish free maintenance regime and consumption of energy, water and chemicals are significantly reduced, giving a 48% maintenance cost saving over a 20+ year life when compared to untreated homogeneous vinyl flooring
- Polysafe PUR and Supratec PUR achieve superior cleaning benefits and optimum appearance retention with a 60% maintenance cost saving over a 20+ year life when compared to untreated safety vinyl flooring
The in-use phase of the resilient flooring life cycle accounts for at least 80% of its environmental impact. Because of this we have focused our efforts on developing products which greatly reduce the need for energy intensive cleaning. The easier to clean PU and PUR ranges also ensure that use of polish, water, strippers and chemical cleansers is significantly reduced.
All new ranges are launched with the greatest maintenance and environmental benefits built in and existing ranges have had these benefits added. Continuously improving technologies enables us to raise the standard in terms of durability, maintenance and performance, sought by our customers. Furthermore, low maintenance flooring considerably improves eco audit results of a building throughout its entire life cycle.
For more information about maintenance and the potential cost savings, please take a look at our ‘Home of Low Maintenance’ brochure.
The VOC emissions on our range of floor products are all below the very strictly set accepted levels. Products have been tested by independent laboratories, with certificates available upon request.
- No negative contribution to indoor air quality
- Passed all the most stringent international VOC emissions tests, including AgBB, Indoor Air Comfort Gold and FloorScore®
Indoor air quality is a key consideration when selecting building products, and Polyflor vinyl flooring makes a significant contribution towards creating indoor environments with very low VOC (volatile organic compounds) emissions. All of our flooring ranges have already passed key international standards but we continuously look to reformulate our ranges to ensure their VOC emissions are kept to the lowest levels achievable. Independent and rigorous VOC tests Polyflor ranges have undergone include AgBB, Swedish B.P.D (FLEC test), Finland M1 test, GBCA Compliant (GreenTag approval) and FloorScore® (certification in accordance with SCSEC-10.2-2007 ‘Indoor Air Quality Performance’ through the Scientific Certification Systems Indoor Air Quality Programme, conforming to Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) criteria and California 01350 Specification. Certificates for these products are available on the SCS website,
www.scscertified.com).
The most recent test method is ‘Indoor Air Comfort Gold’. This new test by Eurofins is the most comprehensive and stringent on the market and tests for all known emissions. It also includes a ‘smell test’, of which our vinyl flooring performs well – better than some other types of flooring. That is to say there is a very low or unnoticeable odour which could otherwise affect the internal environment of a building and quality of life for the resident or employee.
Along with positive VOC test results, there is no evidence to suggest that vinyl flooring contributes to common allergies such as asthma or dust allergies and is favoured for its superior ‘cleanability’ over other flooring products and is used in the strictest of hygiene zones throughout hospitals. Furthermore it is non-shedding, whereby most allergies are caused by airborne dust. Clean room test certification for non-shedding is available on most ranges.
Dioxins are toxic chemicals which occur as an unwanted byproduct of some chemical reactions within manufacture (of any product using heating or thermal processing) and during incineration, for example. It is important to note that PVC is not a significant contributor of dioxin emissions - power stations and the steel industry are the biggest man made producers of dioxin emissions. The annual dioxin concentration of the UK PVC industry is less than 140mg per annum, whereas a single tug boat in the North Sea is 70mg per annum. Dioxins occur naturally in the environment, for instance with natural fires and wood biodegradation. Regarding Polyflor specifically, stringent audits are carried out on the manufacturing site to ensure that all emissions fall well under EU industry standards – this is particularly important to us as manufacturing is in operation within a residential area. Most waste vinyl is recycled – either into new flooring or other useful products, such as road traffic cones. It does not get incinerated – although incinerating our vinyl would not be detrimental or risky with properly managed, modern, quality incinerators which are very clean. If incinerated, vinyl waste has an appreciable calorific value, producing energy - this contributes to domestic heat in Sweden. Where in the past vinyl has gone to landfill, this has been a safe method of disposal as it does not breakdown and cause harmful gases in landfill site, but it is obviously not ideal.
Health & safety within the environment is an important factor to consider when selecting a floorcovering, particularly with key concerns surrounding slips and trips and also fire performance.
Slip Resistant
Polyflor flooring can be used in all internal use areas and this also includes areas where hazards are potentially much higher, for instance in kitchens and stairwells where slipping is likely and where the consequences of doing so are the most dangerous. Polysafe flooring complies with and exceeds the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidelines and is independently assessed by the British Board of Agrément and meets the European standard, EN 13845. Polysafe helps prevent accidents and injuries with its slip resistance properties, which are made up of a combination of aggregates including quartz, aluminium oxide, silicone carbide and recycled glass, along with the surface emboss which provides the required roughness to create the necessary friction.
Fire Performance
Vinyl is engineered to provide the best fire performance characteristics of all resilient flooring materials. Compared to other materials vinyl flooring is slow to ignite in a fire – the chlorine content makes it flame retardant. In fact, a fire which is large enough to ignite vinyl would have already produced fatal levels of carbon monoxide from other burning materials before any danger from burning vinyl flooring. Regarding fire safety classification, vinyl flooring typically outperforms linoleum, achieving class Bfl to EN 13501-1 (8kw/m or greater) with linoleum achieving class Cfl to EN 13501-1 (4.5kw/m or greater).