BUILDINGS, MAINTENANCE & REFURBISHMENT
Making environmentally conscious flooring choices I
have written before in this column about the environmental impact of our choices when
designing new school buildings or refurbishing old ones. Most of us are familiar with the main causes of
global warming. Discussions concerning materials, energy for manufacture, transportation, disposal, and recycling are always near the top of the list. There is an increasing shift of attention towards
Comment by RICHARD AYLEN Technical Manager, Junckers Ltd
the materials and finishes used in the building. Looking at my own area of activity, flooring; whether you are concerned with a brief for a new-build school, an extension or just replacing old worn-out floor finishes your choices can have a significant effect upon global warming. Often the choice is one of damage limitation and finding the lesser of two evils. But it may surprise you to learn that using some materials such as timber, can actually reduce global warming. Finding a more efficient heating boiler is quite easy
but how do you differentiate between one type of floor and another? Where can you find reliable data? Building designers rely upon Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) but these are technical, data- heavy documents which are not very accessible for the layman, and I suspect for some architects too! Unfortunately, there is currently no quick and easy environmental rating system available to the general public, equivalent to the energy rating information that exists for electrical appliances. But there is a simpler solution that uses credible and verified data. In addition to publishing EPDs some flooring
manufacturers provide reliable but simpler environmental information for net zero carbon buildings, usually in the form of “carbon tools” which use EPD data to provide a basic comparison of
different materials. One example is Junckers’ Carbon Calculator which can be found here:
https://www.junckers.co.uk/carbon-calculator Tools like this provide a quick comparison of floor
types but it is important to check that the manufacturer’s data is taken from “real” EPDs - make sure they publish their sources to prove the data is independent and verifiable. What sort of information can you obtain from a
carbon tool? I show an example below using Junckers’ Carbon Calculator, which does indeed use independent data. Let’s take a floor replacement project in a typical
600 square metre sports hall and compare the global warming potential of a solid hardwood sports floor with a vinyl sports floor. The carbon tool gives us the following: 600m2 of vinyl flooring releases 8,800 kg of CO2e into the environment 600m2 of solid hardwood flooring absorbs 6,600kg CO2e from the environment (“e” means carbon equivalent which includes carbon dioxide plus any other substances that cause global warming) Therefore, if you change a specification for a vinyl
floor to one for solid hardwood the net reduction in global warming is 15,400 tonnes CO2e. The wooden floor removes carbon from the atmosphere, but the vinyl actually increases it. This is perhaps not surprising knowing vinyl is made from plastic derived from crude oil which would otherwise have remained below the earth and had no effect on global warming. Fortunately, it is getting easier for us all to make
informed choices, and clients are becoming better equipped to brief their designers.
Ahead of the game….Gerflor launch their new Taraflex® Multi-Use Exclusive Collection
I
nternational flooring specialist Gerflor has launched six
stunning new designs with their 2022 Taraflex® Multi-Use Exclusive Collection. It heralds the dawn of a new design era for their Olympic standard world- class vinyl sports flooring.. Gerflor took a long hard look at
the market to develop six new designs which would both excite and inspire designers and architects. The new designs are a real reflection of a modern way of living, together with mirroring key contemporary trends that are prominent in everyday living. The new exclusive Taraflex® Multi-
Use designs include Pure Concrete, Pure Concrete Lagoon, Pure Concrete Dark and Pure Concrete Blue. These spectacular new designs are also joined by Natural Herringbone and Golden Herringbone wood effect designs with added realism. Taraflex® Multi-Use protects users with excellent shock absorption and
impact protection of 25% to 35% (complies with EN Standard 14904). It’s also hard wearing enough to protect itself against non-sport demands often found in many demanding education environments, such as the movement of tables, chairs, and exercise equipment. This is due to improved indentation resistance and recovery through Gerflor’s new innovative CXP HD+ foam technology.
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www.education-today.co.uk Commenting on the new collection David Carter, National Sales Manager
– Sports Flooring, Gerflor said,” Being able to offer our customers a new exclusive collection of Taraflex Multi-Use designs has opened up even more possibilities for designers and architects. Creating six new wood and concrete designs will enhance any sports flooring project whether it is for renovation or a new build.”.
u03332 412901
ucontractuk@gerflor.com
uwww.gerflor.co.uk
November 2022
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