SMOOTHING UNDERLAYMENTS
SOUND CONTROL
Specifying a flooring system for an office environment is a difficult decision. Karen Kennedy, Director of Achtis Ltd, tells us how the company arrived at the right choice for their own office space.
When Achtis Ltd moved into their new premises earlier this year they had a huge decision to make regarding what floor to put down in their new offices. As the manufacturer of flooring materials they have a wide range of products and systems to choose from.
There were two main issues to be taken into consideration. The first was that the building was originally just a warehouse and the floor was not in the best shape. Where the new offices were planned the floor was covered in holes from bolts that had secured the racking used by the previous tenant. These holes needed to be filled before the floor could be laid.
The second, bigger issue was design based. “We’d decided on a large open plan area with a contemporary, clean and professional look for the offices,” explained Karen Kennedy, Director. “Lots of glass, block walls and hard floors usually lead to an area that can be difficult to work in. The sound of so many people working in such a space bounces around the hard surfaces. Using APU 40 as the underlayment solved this problem.”
APU 40 is a flexible polyurethane underlayment that encapsulates cork granules. These granules absorb the sound, decreasing ambient noise and
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creating a quieter atmosphere. Due to the cushioned effect they also make the surface more comfortable walk upon and further reduce noise levels.
The cork granules are already incorporated into Part A of the product so there is no need to weigh out the correct amount required, nor any special tools required to mix them in. The contractor just needs to mix Part A with Part B and apply with a notched trowel. APU 40’s self levelling properties then make it incredibly easy to achieve a totally smooth finish. The product is laid to a depth of between 3.5mm and 5mm which means variations in slab level within these tolerances can be overcome without the need to apply a self-levelling compound, leading to a considerable time and cost saving.
Alan Burns of Imperial Resin Coatings has over 20 years experience in laying resin flooring and said: “This is flooring made easy. I’ve never come across a product that self-levels so quickly and easily. The beginning of a run is already levelled before I’ve gotten to the end of it.” The whole office space, some 120m² was laid in a little over an hour.
Another feature of the cork in APU 40 is that it gives it a high deformability. “As a woman another issue I had to consider was the effect of my stiletto
heels on the floor. In general the sharp pointy heels are not very friendly to hard floors,” said Karen. “But APU 40’s characteristics mean that any indentation caused by my footwear or furniture just disappear as the flooring returns to its normal level finish.”
This high deformability means that APU 40 needs to be used in conjunction with a highly flexible polyurethane top coat and is why it is paired with APU 45 in Achtis’ Cushioned Flooring System.
APU 40 also has some nice eco-friendly credentials. Unlike other comfort underlayments cork comes from a renewable resource. It’s derived from the bark of the cork oak tree and is harvested every nine years, with no damage done to the tree itself. Unlike ground rubber, cork does not contain any harmful chemicals that may be out-gassed into the atmosphere. The polyurethane element is also based on new solvent-free technology making it more environmentally friendly.
“I’m delighted with the overall effect,” said Karen. “I have a beautiful, contemporary office with a seamless floor that looks superb and is really easy to maintain.”
See how easy it is to apply the APU 40 cork interlayer here.
www.achtisgroup.com www.tomorrowsflooring.com
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