FLOORING & FLOORCARE
I
t’s not often we see something that is genuinely new and exciting in
the flooring product category,
which makes the latest advances in magnetic wet adhesive free floor coverings from IOBAC really stand out from the crowd. Ever since I found out about this new technology I’ve wanted to try it and experience the benefits it has to offer over more traditional flooring products.
The basics We first covered IOBAC’s magnetic flooring concept back in September last year, when we discovered the Ezy-Install underlay system, incorporating a unique dual-grip technology that is said to enable faster, cleaner and easier flooring installations.
Ezy-Install is what IOBAC refers to as its ‘dry-laid magnetically receptive underlay’, which removes all of the messy, time-consuming issues that arise with more traditional ‘wet’ solutions. There’s minimal sub-floor preparation needed, you simply roll out the underlay and cut to size. This magnetic rubber underlay is waterproof, naturally anti-microbial, easy to clean, durable and manufactured using recycled rubber from old tyres. It’s perfect for reuse time and again and ticks many sustainability boxes. Combining
a metallised,
magnetically receptive base with a high-grab dry adhesive tack, it utilises dual grip strength for optimum hold between underlay and surface flooring. The underlay adhesive is plant-based, VOC-free resin, manufactured predominantly from renewable castor oil. The final step is to fix magnetically- backed tiles or flooring planks into place – much like attaching a fridge magnet – or attach a standard
backed tile using IOBAC’s self- adhesive MagTabs. MagTabs are simply little magnetic squares that transform ordinary floor coverings into magnetic ones. Magnetic on one side and self-adhesive on the other, they work by locking tiles tightly together in two dimensions – horizontally and to the Ezy-Install underlay vertically. As IOBAC’s flooring system is
wet adhesive free, surface tiles are uncontaminated when uplifted and can therefore be easily recycled or reused, unlike tiles fixed with adhesive, which are often difficult to take up and recycle.
Subfloor preparation I got to try laying IOBAC’s Ezy- Install flooring system as part of a bedroom redecoration project, for which we originally intended to use a regular laminate floor. However, after learning about the Ezy-Install magnetic system, I was intrigued to see just how easy it was to lay and better understand the benefits this sustainable and reusable system has to offer. The room had a regular carpet and underlay beforehand, which was removed to reveal a pretty clean and level chipboard subfloor, typical of a new-build suspended floor. The room is almost 3m square, which made life a little easier when calculating the amount of flooring required, the only slight stumbling blocks being a number of awkward door frames, thanks to built-in wardrobes, and a variable gap between the skirting board and subfloor which measures up to 12mm in places. This again is a typical and rather sloppy fitting by the builders which was easily covered by underlay and carpet, but a little more tricky to deal with when installing a hard floor. As it doesn’t require an expansion gap like a wooden or laminate floor, Ezy-Install flooring is designed to
be laid up to the skirting boards, saving the bother of removal and refitting, which saves a lot of time and additional expense. So in order to make up for the gap, I decided to lay an additional 5mm subfloor in the form of a compressed board laminate underlay. This also provided a nice clean base on which to roll out the Ezy-Install magnetic rubber underlay, which is around 2.5mm thick, before placing the final flooring planks on top which are 2mm, therefore almost bringing the flooring level up enough to cover the gap between the skirting board and floor. I planned to cover any gaps left anywhere with some flexible caulking, which actually worked out pretty well, but more on that later.
Getting laid As already mentioned, once I’d laid the underlay boards, the Ezy-Install magnetic rubber underlay could be rolled out, making sure the shiny magnetic side was face up. This goes down really easily without any fixing required and is then simply trimmed right to the edge. The underlay has some weight to it, which helps to keep it in place and remain nice and flat. As each roll is a metre wide, I was able to simply roll out three sections, with just trimming around the door and wardrobe frames hampering the installation slightly. Anyone who’s laid a carpet will understand how tricky this bit can be, but the Ezy- Install underlay can be trimmed with a knife and is a nice material to work with. I took my time on this part of the job as I wanted as neat a finish as possible around the door frames, but in reality it won’t be seen once the floor is on top, so any mistakes will be covered. The underlay has a protective plastic covering on the magnetic ‘sticky’ side, which I left in place while working, in order to reduce
The chipboard floorboards provided a solid base
First plank down and the floor is starting to take shape
the amount of dust and debris that could potentially stick to it. This can then be peeled back as you go, however
I did find that the
magnetic side isn’t really that sticky at all and any dirt and dust can be easily wiped off with a damp cloth prior to fixing the flooring.
Fitting the floor With the rubber underlay down, it was time to start laying the flooring planks. We went for a light grey colour, which features a slightly textured wood effect finish that adds a bright and modern feel to the room. As the planks have a
ON TEST: THE FUTURE OF FLOORING
This month we’ve been testing out IOBAC’s Ezy-Install magnetic flooring solution, which uses an innovative rubber underlay and planks with magnetic properties that allows for easy installation, removal and reuse, making it both a user- and environmentally-friendly option. DIY Week’s Editor, Neil Mead, gives it a try.
12 DIY WEEK JANUARY 2021
www.diyweek.net
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