MATERIAL: ALTERNATIVE
SENSO AND SENSIBILITY
Alex Dennis, a previous Chairman of The Resin Flooring Association (FeRFA) spills the beans on his own company, Senso, who produce emission-free flooring derived from plant oils.
Seamless flooring materials have evolved significantly from the development of resin technology pioneered in the late 1920s, and Senso are a company whose materials and installation methods reflect this progression faultlessly.
Senso have not one, but two approaches which can be easily coined as alternative. The first is the materials
Floors made with this latest generation of Senso biopolymer offer several key benefits.
• Emission-free (AgBB Certificated) – a major advantage for indoor air quality.
• A range of shore hardness, to allow maximum comfort and acoustic damping, whatever the use of the floor.
• Seamless and crack-free flooring, even over large areas, suitable for many substrates.
• Excellent colour range and UV stability.
• Low whole-life cost – with durability of 30+ years and minimal maintenance.
• No disposal – long term maintenance would be a re-seal or re-topping, neither of which involve removing the floor.
which they use. Conventional resin flooring materials like epoxy, acrylic or urethane are largely petro-chemically derived. As the global reserves of fossil fuels decrease, the focus of research goes towards the energy-efficient use of the available biomass on a worldwide scale.
Binders or polymers from plant oils are established in several flooring products already, (linseed oil – linoleum, palm oil – rubber) and their use in flooring applications continues to grow. Senso resin is derived from the humble Castor bean (Ricinus Communis) which makes a significant contribution to low- carbon flooring.
Castor oil is a non-food crop which is very tolerant to drought, salt and acid soil and can be grown on arid land deemed unsuitable for traditional crops. The beans have a very high oil content and some very interesting properties for polymer production. They are also a fully sustainable crop. Blending the plant oil with high-quality quartz, natural pigments, rubber and cork creates a tough-elastic flooring resin which offers seemingly limitless possibilities to the designer.
The second alternative to convention is the philosophy of great attention to detail and the use of highly trained in-house artisans for the installation of the product. Resin flooring is an inherently difficult product to install to a high standard as many things can negatively influence the installation whilst it is being made such as moisture, dust, temperature, humidity and the quality of the subfloor. Therefore the knowledge and experience of the craftsmen who install it is critical. All Senso
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