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Vorwerk TEXtiles® - Textile innovations in carpet tiles for building with ecology in mind
Vorwerk Teppichwerke offers an innovative and ecological alternative to conventional bitumen and PVC products in a new generation of purely textile tiles.
Hamlin, January 2009 - In the contract business for textile floor coverings, carpet tiles are developing into a more and more popular, and frequently necessary, alternative to carpet from the roll. This is especially true in situations where flexibility through a capability for reinstallation is called for. Whereas products with a heavyweight bitumen or PVC backing had mainly been resorted to for application in this sector until now, Vorwerk is now offering an ecologically and economically sensible alternative with not one but two new carpet tiles. The first tiles of their kind to be equipped with a fully textile carpet backing, the innovative "TEXtiles® lightweight tile" and the new "TEXtiles® SL heavy-duty tile" refrain completely from the use of bitumen or PVCs and are fully recyclable. As a result, TEXtiles® carpet-tile products are ideally suited for projects in which particular value is being placed on sustainable building and furnishing.
Vorwerk TEXtiles® set standards ? ecologically and economically
Vorwerk TEXtiles® is the quality designation for lightweight tiles from Vorwerk which have been equipped with a purely textile secondary backing. The innovation thereby: the new synthetic backing material comprised of a strongly needled and calendered polyester liner is fully recyclable. What's more, despite a savings of 40 per cent less weight in comparison to bitumen tiles, Vorwerk TEXtiles® exhibit the best attribut
for laying and a high degree of stability. These new lightweight tiles reach a total weight of merely 2.5 to 2.9 kilogrammes per square metre, a weight which complies with the EU standard EN 1307, Appendix A for adhesive tiles.
The advantages of lightweight TEXtiles® carpet tiles are felt not only through their good walking comfort: the distinctly easier handling can be readily sensed. Their lower weight means that both energy consumption and CO2 emissions can be significantly reduced during transport. From an ecological or an economical standpoint, a substantial gain.
Vorwerk Teppichwerke has also developed an ecological alternative to conventional heavyweight carpet tiles through its second innovation, the "TEXtiles® SL" heavy-duty tile. Specially developed for Vorwerk, the heavy-duty coating on a polyolefin basis refrains completely from the use of bitumen or PVC components. That makes TEXtiles® SL the first fully recyclable heavy-duty carpet tile in the weight class ? 3.5 kg / m². As is usually the case with heavy-duty tiles, all that's needed to install TEXtiles® SL is a slip-resistant adhesive, yet they distinguish themselves through the best attributes for laying and a high degree of dimensional stability.
TEXtiles - a plus for the environment
Thanks to state-of-the-art production techniques, Vorwerk TEXtiles® are manufactured using methods that place less of a burden on resources and are compatible with the environment. A proportion of around 60 per cent recycled material is used for the innovative backing construction in order to work sparingly with raw materials. At Vorwerk, those recyclants are obtained directly from production. The "cradle to cradle" concept is the motto applied in manufacturing all TEXtiles®. That concept is backed up by the utilisation of nearly CO2-neutral energy, as well as the complete recyclability displayed by all TEXtiles®.
Keeping energy in mind, TEXtiles® carpet tiles also contribute towards improving a building's energy balance, even after installation. Alongside the energy-saving features which generally apply for wall-to-wall carpets, the strength of the new TEXtiles® backing construction comes particularly to bear when laid on top of floor heating. According to figures from experts, about 35 per cent of all commercially used floor-space construction is going to be equipped with floor heating in the future. When heavyweight tiles containing bitumen or PVCs were used in the past, the disadvantages that arose above all took the form of a high level of resistance to thermal transmissibility. But the expenditure in time and energy to heat rooms is high. Tests conducted at an independent testing laboratory have recently concluded that Vorwerk TEXtiles® exhibit a substantially lower resistance to thermal transmissibility thanks to their fully textile backing. In other words, the warmth generated by floor heating can reach the room faster while using less energy. In comparison to a conventional textile carpet tile coated with a PVC or bitumen layer, when Vorwerk TEXtiles® are used the flow temperature for floor heating can be kept 3 to 5 degrees lower. That means less energy consumption, a clear-cut cost savings and lower CO2 emissions for a better environment.
TEXtiles® - a win-win situation for health
Besides being a plus for the environment, TEXtiles® offer positive aspects for health, too. Vorwerk TEXtiles® carpet tiles have been awarded the seal "suitable for those suffering from allergies" by the German TÜV (a technical certification association), and are also recommended by DAAB, the German Association for Allergies and Asthma, due to their properties towards reducing the amount of fine dust particles. Both of these characteristics cannot be achieved using conventionally coated tiles! And when it comes to walking comfort, the new generation of tiles from Vorwerk is superior to conventional bitumen products, too. As a result of the clearly greater flexibility in the textile backing material, footsteps are cushioned substantially better, thus conveying a perfect carpet feel. Aspects like these go hand-in-hand with the new tiles' improved acoustical characteristics. TEXtiles® insulate against tread reverberation in rooms distinctly better than conventional tile products with a heavyweight backing. Not only that: They are particularly easy to install. All that has to be done before setting the carpet tiles is to spread an odour-free adhesive on the flooring surface that is suitable for the object involved, one from which the tiles can be removed and reinstalled easily and cleanly at any time.
Vorwerk TEXtiles technology links tiles and carpet from the roll
Yet another special feature of TEXtiles® carpet tiles: The tiles can be produced together with carpet from the roll "all in one". At Vorwerk, the special TEXtiles® backing system enables the manufacturing of both products in one process. In cases where a combination of tiles and carpet from the roll is desired, installation can take place without balancing out the height of the flooring surface underneath. Thanks to the versatile options for combining carpet from the roll with tiles, new dimensions in flooring design are opened up without having to make compromises in terms of maximum technical performance. As one example, this advantage is displayed wherever raised-access floors require that an ability to reinstall the flooring material must be guaranteed in certain parts of an area. A further example would be rooms with nooks and crannies. Using tiles is recommended here because less cutting waste during installation is incurred.
New TEXtiles® carpet tile collection
Starting now, Vorwerk Teppichwerke is offering a stock collection in a total of 13 different tiles in 90 colours as the basis for the new TEXtiles® carpet tile programme. A selection of successful carpets for the contract business sector such as TREMO, FRISEA, ARENA, VARIA, PRACTICA, TECNO and FORMA - several of which are also available as a solution-dyed product - are being supplemented in the collection through the addition of two new, attractive items: FRISCO, a monochrome frisé velours in 13 different colour schemes, and NOVELLA, a tricoloured loop in 10 pleasingly attractive hues.
At Vorwerk, flexibility towards customers' wishes and product design applies for the production of carpet tiles, too. The carpet manufacturer offers specialised consulting, as well as a custom order option. TEXtiles® carpet tiles can be produced according to a customer's individual wishes for colour and design starting at 600 m2.
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