Sustainable Building Technical Manual - Etn-presco.net

Resilient FlooringsVinyl, rubber, linoleum, and cork floors have merit for their easy maintenance, and sometypes are very durable. Some materials are manufactured with renewable contents, andothers have recycled content. In terms of air quality, there are important distinctionsamong material types, installation methods, and maintenance products.❑ Resource-efficient options– True linoleum is made with many renewable materials (linseed oil, cork, wood dust,and jute), as are cork products. Linoleum is highly durable.– Recycled rubber tile and sheet goods made with waste tires are also available. Thesecan provide good, resource-efficient choices for heavy-traffic and utility areas.❑ Health and pollution issues– Resilient flooring products produce some air-pollutant emissions; as do the settingand maintenance products used with them. Some manufacturers provide emissionsdata to aid in the selection process. In some applications, interlocked rubber tilescan be laid without adhesive.– Maintenance products for resilient flooring can also be high pollution sources.Flooring with sealed “low-maintenance” surfaces reduces both maintenance costsand the use of cleaners and waxes.Carpets and UnderpadsGiven their high level of use and frequency of replacement over the life of a building,carpeting and underpads are important products to consider for resource-efficiency andpollution potential. Several products with recycled content, lower pollution potential,and lower maintenance requirements are now available.❑ Resource-efficient options– Polyester and nylon-blended carpets are available with recycled content from polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) soft-drink containers. The properties of these materialsare similar to those of other polyesters. Care should be taken in reviewing theseproducts for high performance and durability.– Commercial, high-density, low-pile wool carpet is also available. Wool-face fiber is arenewable material with inherent fire resistance and adequate durability for somecommercial uses.– Carpet tile and releasable roll carpet systems can possibly be switched from lowwearareas to high, to extend the life of the floor. They are also easily removed andreplaced during renovation. Carpet tile by design requires the lowest quantity ofmaterials over the building’s life, as replacement can occur in smaller installments.The lowest-maintenance carpets are typically the low-pile, dense-loop, andneedlepunch types, all of which capture little soil and show less wear.– One type of nylon fiber, Nylon 6, offers a high level of recyclability. Recycling is anindustry priority today because carpeting is sent in large quantities to landfills anddoes not easily decompose. The major obstacles are the recyclability of the facefiber, the added colorants, and separation of the different materials in the product.Carpets made from fewer materials require less separation for recycling.– Carpet pad is usually made from sponge plastics and rubber as well as woven andnon-woven textile fibers. Rubber pad made from recycled tire rubber, a resource-efficientchoice, is dense and durable with a long life expectancy. Fibrous pad madefrom recycled synthetic and natural fiber from textile mill waste is also available incommercial grades.❑ Health and pollution issues– The manner in which carpet is constructed affects the emissions it produces. Amajority of carpet is made by tufting the face fiber into a polypropylene mat, andgluing it in place with a synthetic latex resin. The synthetic latex is a source of airpollution, including 4 phenylcyclohexene (4PC), an irritant cited in several cases ofSick Building Syndrome. 12