ATLANTA—InterfaceFLOR Commercial introduces TacTiles, a new installation system designed to enhance the flexibility and efficiency of InterfaceFLOR modular carpet. TacTiles are patent-pending 3-by-3 inch adhesive squares made from a chemically inert polymer, the same polymer used to make soda bottles.
They are affixed to the backing of adjoining InterfaceFLOR carpet tiles, bonding the tiles to each other to create a “floating floor.” Because TacTiles contain no liquid components, their use virtually eliminates the issue of volatile organic compounds, so they can be installed almost anywhere at any time, even in an occupied space.
TacTiles allow installers to lay carpet tiles directly on top of most hard surfaces without permanently attaching the carpet to the substrate. TacTiles offer the stability and durability of a permanent installation without permanent adhesion, enabling greater modular flexibility in wall-to-wall installations as well as moveable, area rug applications.
“The hot trend is hard surfaces like hardwood floors or polished concrete in corridors and especially in guestrooms,” says Cindi Marshall Oakey, vice president Hospitality Segment for InterfaceFLOR Commercial. “TacTiles allow you to float an area rug of modules connected at each juncture over the floor. No need for adhesive to damage the surface. The weight of the modules connected together hugs the floor along with the dimensional stability built into each tile. The lifecycle of the rug is extended as stained or damaged tiles can be easily replaced.”
Reduced Environmental Impact, Time Saved
“Perhaps most significant is that Life Cycle Analysis shows that using TacTiles instead of traditional glue reduces environmental footprint by more than 90 percent,” says John Bradford, vice president of research and development for InterfaceFLOR Commercial. “The materials and methods used to create TacTiles were developed with waste reduction and environmental impact in mind. Use of TacTiles also reduces waste from the installation process by eliminating buckets of glue and the need for related supplies to be hauled to and from the job site. Instead of bringing rollers, fans, spray equipment and/or four-pound buckets of glue to the site, installers using TacTiles bring only two-pound boxes of TacTiles and a four-pound dispenser.”
The only byproducts resulting from a TacTiles installation are a three-inch-wide liner ribbon that can be recycled like a soda bottle, and a recyclable cardboard core. TacTiles represent further innovation toward InterfaceFLOR’s sustainability effort known as Mission Zero.
“Mission Zero gives voice to our commitment to consider the environmental impact of every creative, manufacturing and building decision we make as a company,” says David Hobbs, president of InterfaceFLOR Commercial. “Mission Zero is our promise to eliminate any negative impact our company may have on the environment by 2020, and TacTiles takes us further down that path by minimizing the environmental footprint of the installation process. That mission was a guiding force during the research and development stage of TacTiles. It was paramount that we created not just a different installation system, but one that was markedly superior in terms of sustainability.”
Go to InterfaceFLOR Commercial.
