Exploring the advantages of adhesive-free floor coverings, and the role flooring can play in reducing energy use and carbon emissions 05 | 2023 Key development areas within the healthcare estates and facilities sector INSIGHT In association with
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3 INSIGHT | Welcome to INSIGHT, the healthcare design and management special report. When it comes to specifying floor coverings for the healthcare sector, there are many factors to consider. For example, the floor must be able to withstand the day-to-day impact of heavy equipment, hospital beds, and foot traffic; be easy to clean and maintain; and contribute to the overall aesthetic of the space – all while being quick to install, minimising disruption. With this in mind, it is easy to see that it is not a straight-forward task, and, at Forbo, we completely understand this. That is why, throughout this issue, we introduce you to the benefits of adhesive-free floor coverings and answer the most-common questions we are asked about healthcare flooring specifications. INTRODUCTION INSIGHT Editor: Jo Makosinski Design: Sandra Cid Sales: [email protected] Daniel Wetzels Client Account Manager Forbo Flooring Systems from healthcare design & management magazine (hdm) Stable Publishing Limited SBC House, Restmor Way, Wallington SM6 7AH T. 020 8288 1080 www.stable-media.co.uk In association with
| INSIGHT 4 As such, when it comes to refurbishments and changing floor coverings, disruption and closures need to be kept to a minimum. And, while the flooring is only one aspect of healthcare design; it does play a fundamental role. With the correct specification, it can make environments feel less clinical, contributing to a more relaxing atmosphere and can improve a patient’s overall experience. Therefore, choosing stylish and functional flooring designs which meet the requirements outlined in Health Building Note 00-10, Part A: Flooring is important. However, that is not all. According to an iGOV survey, 95% of NHS trusts cited ‘speed of installation and minimising service disruption’ as a mid-to-high priority when considering a floor covering, highlighting the need for rapid refurbishments. Reducing downtime As such, opting for floor coverings that are traditionally glued down, a process which takes several days to install and fully cure, is sometimes not an option, as they result in long disruptions that hospitals and surgeries simply cannot afford. Luckily, there are solutions available on the market that can take the hassle out of healthcare flooring specification. Providing the existing subfloor is suitable, adhesive-free floor coverings can offer the most viable solution, as these products have been designed for projects where a quick turnaround and minimal downtime are essential. In fact, they are particularly ideal for areas where continuous access is required. Saving time and money Adhesive-free floor coverings have been designed to be laid straight down onto the subfloor, or even over an existing floor, with minimal preparation in many cases, avoiding the need for expensive and time-consuming removal of the previous floor. And this significantly reduces installation time by over 50% and means refurbishment work can be completed over the weekend, overnight, or even while the building is still in Hospital and healthcare facilities face many daily demands, as these public buildings are in constant use around the clock. adhesive-free flooring The benefits of choosing
5 INSIGHT | full operation – depending on the size of the installation area. Ready to use With adhesive-free installations, the room being fitted will only be out of action for a minimal amount of time and furniture can be moved about within the room itself, if necessary. Since installation is completely free of adhesives, no setting or drying time needs to be factored into the project and there is no need to wait for 48 hours before use. In fact, once the floor has been fitted, it is ready for use immediately, whether it is walked on or wheeled over. Furniture can also be put back in its original place and facilities can resume as normal. Improving health and wellbeing While polluted air is rarely visible to the naked eye, air quality does greatly influence the health and wellbeing of building occupants. Poor indoor air quality can even result in respiratory illnesses and other diseases, Adhesive-free floor coverings are attractive to the health sector as they are quick and easy to install, with minimal downtime caused by poor ventilation and the evaporation of volatile organic compounds (VOC emissions) from furniture and floors, cleaning detergents, and building materials. Flooring products, such as those that are adhesive free, which emit low VOCs or aromas during installation are, therefore, crucial. There will also be less dust and mess during installation as a result of minimal, or no, subfloor preparation. Remove, reuse, recycle When the time eventually comes to replace adhesive-free flooring, the products are easy to uplift and re-use, or remove and recycle, at the end of their service life as there is no adhesive residue left on the back of the material. Subfloors are then left clean and sound ready for a repeat installation. Savings on future renovations can also be made as there will be no costly subfloor preparation required on removal. The benefits of adhesive-free floor coverings clearly make it an attractive proposition for healthcare refurbishment projects, and the good news is there are a wealth of designs, formats, and colourways to choose from, depending on the requirements of each specific application area.
it to the children’s A&E and children’s ward at Ormskirk following its success. “For us, the biggest advantages of Modul’up are its cost- and time-saving benefits. “The fact it could be installed over existing floors and they did not need to be stripped up meant the fitters were able to complete the job quickly and easily, saving over 50% on installation time and in turn contributing to our cost savings.” Modul'up in the Oak design was installed in the A&E waiting areas, circulation spaces, and side rooms; while a concrete design was chosen for the reception area and the paediatrics staff and changing facilities. At the end of its service life, Modul’up is easy to uplift and reuse, or remove and recycle, offering a truly-sustainable circular solution. Svarfvar concluded: “Beds are normally the root cause of flooring damage in hospitals as the shape of the wheels and the rolling up and down corridor can historically cause lasting impact on the floors. “With Modul’up, the product provided outstanding indentation resistance and I have not noticed any defects at all since its installation. “I am really happy with the end result and we now use the product as standard in all of our projects.” Easy and quick to install out of hours, the ‘fast fit’ floor covering delivers outstanding dimensional stability and indentation resistance. William Svarfvar, capital project manager at the trust said: “After visiting St James’s University Hospital in Leeds, which had used Modul’up in corridor areas, it was clear the floors were faring well and there was no lasting damage from beds, foot, or wheeled traffic. “We then decided to trial the product on an eight-ward refurbishment programme at our other hospital site, Southport & Formby District General Hospital, before then bringing Looking for a time- and cost-saving solution, Southport and Ormskirk NHS Hospital Trust chose Forbo Flooring Systems’ Modul’up adhesive-free sheet vinyl for the refurbishment of the children’s A&E department and children’s ward at Ormskirk District General Hospital. MODUL’UP SAVES TIME AND COST | INSIGHT 6 Choosing Modul'up reduced installation time by 50%
Q Q Q Q 7 INSIGHT | YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED Modul'up adhesive-free vinyl is hardwearing and perfect for high traffic areas such as corridors Q. What floor coverings should I install to help prevent dirt and moisture from being brought into the building? Ensuring that the outside is kept outside is important, as it not only helps to maintain the best first impression, but also improves health and safety and hygiene. One flooring solution that can help to mitigate the issue of walked in dirt and moisture is an entrance flooring system, such as Forbo’s Coral or Nuway solutions. As well as prolonging the life of interior floor coverings, entrance flooring systems can reduce the time spent cleaning interior floors by up to 65%, thus bringing maintenance and cleaning costs down. Q. When designing dementia-inclusive environments, what should I consider when it comes to choosing floor coverings? One of the most-important factors is tonal contrast between interior elements. Floor finishes should be tonally similar to prevent the perception of a change in level and so reduce the risk of falls. The Light Reflectance Values (LRVs) of the adjoining floors should ideally be within eight degrees of each other (less is better) and no more than 10 degrees. And designers should aim to develop one tonally-continuous flooring surface, as a sharp contrast may confuse and agitate people with dementia. When it comes to the design of floor coverings, colours, patterns, and finishes need to be carefully considered and striped or patterned effects or flooring that incorporates a logo should be avoided. Q. What type of flooring should I specify within healthcare settings? Within healthcare settings, there are many different areas within one building, each of which has its own unique requirements. In circulation areas you should look to install a hardwearing vinyl floor covering which can withstand heavy footfall and wheeled traffic. When a quick turnaround is required, with minimal disruption, Forbo’s Modul’up adhesive-free vinyl is the ideal solution. For canteens and restaurants, health and safety is vital. Therefore, specifying a safety flooring is recommended to reduce the risk of slips and trips, such as Forbo’s Surestep Fast Fit. And, for areas that house specialist equipment, a more-specialised type of flooring is required, such as one with electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection, like Forbo’s Colorex EC Plus. Q. Which flooring is best to help reduce hospital-acquired infections (HAIs)? One of the best solutions to reduce HAIs is Marmoleum, Forbo’s own brand of linoleum. Marmoleum inhibits the growth of bacteria due to the natural raw materials that go into its production, principally linseed oil – and as it is an inherent property of the floor covering, the anti-bacterial qualities do not diminish over time. What’s more, Marmoleum is easy to clean and maintain thanks to its unique advanced two-layer water-based surface finish, Topshield Pro.
| INSIGHT 8 From the materials used to make flooring, to the installation and maintenance requirements, and eventual replacement and disposal; the potential carbon footprint of flooring products is significant. And manufacturers are increasingly developing new solutions, which are proving particularly attractive to the healthcare sector. Richard Burn, product manager at Altro, said: “In the UK, sustainability has often been viewed as a ‘nice to have’, rather than ‘must have’, client requirement, with choices often based on brand, aesthetic, performance, price, and habit. “I believe the NHS net-zero drive will lead to faster investment in carbonreducing alternatives such as adhesive-free technologies in the future, along with greater support to use local manufacturers that source quality materials from local suppliers.” Carbon neutral Mark Bauer, environment specialist at Forbo Flooring Systems, adds: “The NHS With flooring representing one of the largest surfaces within any building, it is an important focus when looking at ways to reduce energy use and carbon emissions. flooring for the future net-zero carbon drive highlights the fact that sustainability is no longer just for a select number of projects, and instead the sector will now be making better, moreenvironmentally-conscious product choices to help reduce the environmental impact of all healthcare buildings.” And flooring manufacturers have every reason to focus on sustainability as, in April this year, the National Health Executive mandated that NHS organisations require all suppliers with an anticipated contract value above £5m to publish a Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP) setting out their sustainability goals and targets. Burn said the increased uptake of adhesivefree flooring solutions will be key to this drive as they are designed to be laid straight onto the subfloor – or even over an existing floor – with minimal preparation, making them low maintenance and quick to install in busy health settings. They are also able to be walked on almost Going green - Marmoleum is Forbo's adhesive-free floor covering brand and is installed in hospitals across the country
9 INSIGHT | immediately, further reducing downtime, and they emit low volatile organic compounds, improving ventilation and reducing odours. Adhesive-free solutions Bauer said: “Our adhesive-free Fast Flooring range is designed to be installed without any adhesives or tackifiers, which makes the material easy to install, as well as easy to remove and reuse. “As such, by choosing to install adhesive-free products, there is an opportunity to increase circularity within the healthcare sector, as it eliminates a source of contaminant.” Recycling is also a key driver for R&D in the healthcare flooring industry. Altro has co-founded Recofloor, a collection and recycling service for commercial waste vinyl flooring across the UK, with many of its flooring ranges containing up to 10% postconsumer recycled content. The company also works with a local firm to reproduce long-life PVC products such as Altro adhesive-free floor coverings emit low volatile organic compounds, improving ventilation and reducing odours traffic cones and sign bases from its waste flooring materials. And all of Forbo’s products sold and manufactured in the UK are produced using 100% renewable electricity or, in the case of carpet tiles, 100% renewable energy. Bauer said: “Recycling is a vital part of protecting our planet, which is why it is important for everyone to play their part in maximising the amount of material that is reused and eliminate as much waste as possible. Back to the floor “At Forbo, we are committed to reducing the environmental impact of our products and manufacturing processes, which is why we have implemented several initiatives.” Through the company’s Back to the Floor scheme, it collects clean installation offcuts of Forbo products which are recycled free of charge. There is also the Save a Sample scheme,
| INSIGHT 10 which encourages customers to return samples to Forbo once they have served their purpose. Working on all fronts Another flooring company to embrace the drive for sustainability is Kingspan, which recently unveiled its lowest-ever embodied carbon raised access floor panel, Kingspan RMG600+. Developed by its Data & Flooring division, it has -3.04kg of CO2e (A1-A3) showing a 57% reduction in embodied carbon (A1-C) when compared to the standard range. Independently assessed by One Click LCA, this advancement can be attributed to several key factors, including the procurement of low-carbon steel, a focus on renewable energy, and the use of a minimum of 86% recycled material. Debra Smith, Kingspan Data and Flooring’s divisional head of sustainability, said: “At Kingspan we aim to contribute to a net-zero carbon built environment by minimising our climate-related impact across our value chain. “Embodied carbon in materials is, however, only part of the solution to dramatically reducing carbon in buildings. “This can only be achieved by developing products which not only save on the operational day-to-day carbon emissions of a building, but also save on carbon during manufacturing and offer options for recycling.” Replace and renew Further helping to drive emissions savings is Bona, an expert in resilient flooring renewal and replacement. Alec Stacey, technical manager, said: “The products developed for the resilient system allow an effective refurbishment of flooring that would have been deemed at the end of its life, removing the need for energyintensive and time-consuming replacement. “Our model of floor care is all about extending the life of the flooring by using clean, safe, and effective materials. “Following refurbishment, subsequent treatments are made to prevent deterioration of the surface, which are more effective and sustainable than the ‘strip and polish’ approach to resilient flooring.” A breakthrough Advising estates and facilities managers on the best approach to reducing the carbon footprint associated with flooring products, he adds: “Flooring should lend itself to effective maintenance and simple refurbishment. “Preventative maintenance methods, such as coating new flooring post installation, adds further protection to the surface, but also seals any joints, rendering the surface easier to clean. “Effective barrier matting is also vital in high-traffic scenarios which slows wear to the surface from abrasive particles of grit. “With correct maintenance the flooring can be preserved, avoiding the lengthy downtime and costs, along with the carbon and energy requirements of replacement.” Bona recently embarked on an ambitious project in collaboration with the IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute exploring the environmental effects of renovating rather than replacing flooring. And the findings reveal that renovation of both wooden and resilient floors is significantly more beneficial for the environment, when compared to the installation of new flooring. Renewing wood and resilient flooring surfaces creates a 78% and 92% reduction respectively in the carbon footprint versus replacing with a new material, the study found. On top of this, a minimum of 90% savings in resources can also be achieved. Bona has seen increased interest in its resilient flooring renewal and replacement system within the health sector as it can save time and money as well as reduce carbon emissions
“Modern scrubber driers, for example, are designed to optimise product use with minimum wastage.” Saving water Scrubber driers employ numerous techniques to reduce water consumption. Preparing solutions as they work avoids the need to prepare a full tank beforehand, which might be poured away if not completely used. These machines also ensure the amount of solution delivered to the scrubbing mechanism is matched to the machine’s speed. In addition to saving water and product, this makes it easier for the pick-up mechanism to remove dirty solution from the floor with no need for a second pass of the machine. Maximising efficiency Haslam said: “Floorcare often represents a significant part of building care, which means there is plenty of potential for sustainability enhancements. “Maximising efficiency and productivity with simpler processes, adopting alternative products and equipment, and improvements to staff training can all help to reduce costs and consumption of products, water, and energy. “Suppliers should be able to demonstrate the sustainability benefits of their products and systems, with modelling tools and calculators using real-world metrics and evidence.” It is not just the specification of flooring materials that can help to reduce the carbon intensity of healthcare buildings – how they are cleaned can also play a part. Gemma Haslam, floorcare portfolio marketing manager at Diversey, UK & Ireland, explains: “Making changes that help to reduce consumption of chemicals, water, and energy can all contribute to saving costs and making processes easier as part of the wider sustainability objective.” Firstly, she advises swapping to the same, or similar, cleaning product in a moreconcentrated format, which can offer benefits at many points, from initial manufacture to the final disposal of empty containers. Another approach which can often be achieved at the same time is to introduce products with a more-sustainable formulation. Haslam said: “Swapping to an alternative formulation can often be achieved with little, or no, changes to existing processes or equipment and that can help to minimise, or even avoid, the need for additional training and other implementation costs.” Scrubbing up well The choice of product, however, will depend on the type of flooring material, the application, the equipment being used, and the desired outcome. “Manufacturers should be able to advise on the right ones from their ranges to meet desired cleaning and business objectives,” Haslam said. CLEANING UP! 11 INSIGHT | Scrubber driers employ numerous techniques to reduce water consumption
creating better environments • Genuine ≥ 36 PTV safety flooring with guaranteed lifetime slip resistance • BREEAM A+ rated in the healthcare sector • No adhesive required = downtime reduced by over 50% • PUR pearl nish for lasting good looks and ease of maintenance • Sustainable – can be uplifted and reused • Can be adhered if preferred • Part of the Forbo Fast Flooring collection Surestep Fast Fit 618942 | natural oak Surestep Fast Fit is a genuine safety flooring suitable for an adhesive free installation. It’s ideal for heavy traffic healthcare environments where quick turnaround and minimal disruption to patients and staff are required. The lay flat, stay flat construction means it can be walked on immediately after installation and is suitable for areas where wheeled traffic is part of daily use. To order a sample book call 0800 731 2369 or email [email protected] www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/surestepfastfit Adhesive-free safety flooring
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