WPP invest in the future of campus workspaces
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Ask the Expert: Loose lay luxury vinyl tiles in office design
Paul Pennington Marshall, Central London Specification Team Manager from Forbo Flooring Systems, talks to us about the benefits of using luxury vinyl tiles
14/01/2020
3 min read
Installed without the need for a permanent adhesive, loose lay luxury vinyl tiles offer a quick and easy installation and post-use removal
Due to the nature of commercial office buildings, demanding timescales are a pressing issue when it comes to renovations. Work will often need to be carried out outside of business hours or staff may need to be relocated or reorganised, causing disturbance to daily operations. However, when it comes to flooring, choosing to use loose lay luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) will not only reduce installation time and disruption but the wide array of new designs available will also allow designers to create authentic and striking office interiors.
Installed without the need for a permanent adhesive, loose lay luxury vinyl tiles offer a quick and easy installation and post-use removal. The versatile floor covering is also suitable for use over raised access floors, which are particularly common within the office environment, providing easy maintenance for the building. Indeed, the loose lay format opens up new opportunities for designers who are looking for more flexibility when delivering projects to challenging deadlines or are simply looking for a quicker fit.
Thanks to their ability to replicate the natural beauty of materials such as wood and stone, luxury vinyl tiles offer the look and feel of their genuine counterpart without the price tag. And the latest developments in this trend-sensitive market see the introduction of more design options than ever with collections featuring a natural colour variation and in-register embossing structures to emphasise the texture of the material for a truly authentic aesthetic. The special backing construction also offers extra comfort and improved sound reduction while proven technology, such as a PUR® wear layer, allows for easy cleaning.
This combination of convenience and style makes loose lay luxury vinyl tiles a comfortable, durable and easy to maintain flooring solution for the office environment. Boasting beautiful designs with an easy to fit approach, the flexible floor covering is perfect for areas such as circulation zones, breakout spaces, main offices, kitchens and tea points, meeting rooms and even reception areas to create an impactful first impression.
As we continue to see office design moving towards the creation of zones and connecting multiple areas within one space, loose lay luxury vinyl tiles can be installed alongside Tessera carpet tiles and Flotex flocked tiles, without the need for transition strips
What’s more, as we continue to see office design moving towards the creation of zones and connecting multiple areas within one space, loose lay luxury vinyl tiles can be installed alongside Tessera carpet tiles and Flotex flocked tiles, without the need for transition strips. This provides designers with more choice when defining individual areas, while creating truly integrated flooring schemes.
For example, Forbo’s revitalised Allura Flex collection comprises 65 designs in the most realistic wood and material designs and in a choice of sizes. Adhered with a tackifier, rather than a permanent adhesive, it has been specifically designed for quick and easy loose lay installation. The 1mm transparent wear layer option also ensures that Allura Flex stands up to the demands of even the toughest commercial office environments.
Another option that is perfect for offices is the new Allura Ease adhesive free LVT collection, which is installed without the need for an adhesive or tackifier and is available in planks and tiles with the advantages of being easy to remove, re-use and recycle. The superb dimensional stability and buildup of this floor covering and the specific production process makes sure that the tiles and planks remain flat no matter what.
While there are many luxury vinyl tiles on the market, there is no other LVT on the market today that can match Forbo’s Allura in terms of design, technology and sustainability. Designed in-house by Forbo’s team of passionate creators and manufactured by Forbo in Europe, the collection uses a variety of cutting edge production techniques and processes to deliver a diverse range of designs and ensures maximum dimensional stability so that the appearance of the floor remains as good as the day it was installed.
For more information on Forbo’s new Allura collections, please visit:
www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/allura