Innovative Flooring Concept Chosen as Top 10 Green Building Product

Sponsored content by KINETEX TEXTILE COMPOSITE FLOORING

  • 01/01/14

A one-of-a-kind flooring platform, Kinetex is so sustainable it was selected as a 2014 Top 10 Green Building Product by Environmental Building News and GreenSpec. It’s so innovative, it won a Best of NeoCon Innovation Award. J+J Flooring Group’s Kinetex combines the best of soft-surface and hard-surface flooring in a unique hybrid that outperforms both types of traditional flooring.

Alternative to Hard-surface Flooring

Created as an advanced textile composite flooring, Kinetex is a high-performance, aesthetically appealing alternative to hard-surface floorcovering in educational environments. Its highly engineered, patented construction is the key to its success. The state-of-the-art product fuses knitted polyester fabric with cushioned polyester felt backing under high heat and pressure. The resulting molded flooring with textilelike wear layer addresses human-centered needs such as acoustics, comfort, cleanliness and safety.

Better Acoustics than Carpet

Acoustics is one of the biggest challenges in learning environments today. Evidence shows that students in classrooms with sound-dampening qualities have higher levels of academic achievement and better attention and concentration.

Kinetex offers one of the highest Noise Reduction Coefficients (NRC) and Impact Insulation Classifications (IIC) of any commercial flooring product. Independent laboratory testing of Kinetex shows an NRC of .30 and an IIC of .64. The higher the score, the better the product’s acoustical value. High acoustical ratings promote greater voice recognition in the classroom, resulting in fewer mistakes, less vocal strain and enhanced learning.

Comfortable for Walking and Sitting

The combination of high-density backing and soft textile surface used in Kinetex creates exceptional anti-fatigue properties for teachers who stand on their feet much of the day. The textile composite flooring also absorbs energy, reducing repetitive foot stress injuries. In addition to underfoot comfort, the floor enables easy movement for rolling traffic.

Kinetex absorbs and retains ambient heat, allowing learning exercises to be extended to the floor. This comfortable, warm surface encourages conversation and sharing and serves as a spillover area where students can touch down and vet ideas with classmates. This adds flexibility to the classroom, providing an informal alternative to traditional seating that promotes creativity and collaboration.

Low Cost of Ownership

Kinetex has a significant cost advantage over hard-surface floors. Over a 10-year period, it costs around 40 percent less than LVT, 25 percent less than VCT and 22 percent less than rubber flooring. This offers substantial savings over the lifespan of the flooring installation.

Highly durable, Kinetex has been tested in real-life applications and proven to withstand over 5,000,000 foot traffics. That’s more people than have attended the Super Bowl since its beginnings in 1967. And Kinetex maintains its fresh appearance. It repels even the toughest of stains, such as hand sanitizers, urine, ketchup, ink and grease and can be cleaned and sanitized with bleach-based cleaners. Unlike hard surfaces, no waxing, buffing and stripping are needed. Unlike carpet, it retains less water and dries quickly.

Protects Health & Safety

Kinetex surpasses CAL 01350 for low-VOC. Stain resistance is derived from its unique construction and high-performance materials and is not dependent on additives that detract from indoor air quality. The textile-like wear layer delivers the added benefit of removing allergens, irritants and dust from the breathing zone and holding them until they are vacuumed out. The slip-resistant surface greatly reduces slips and falls and cushions against injury when they do occur.

Due to its lower mass, Kinetex has 50 percent lower environmental impact than other commercial floorcoverings. The NSF/ANSI 140 Platinum-certified product has a minimum of 50 percent recycled content and is 100-percent closed-loop recyclable at the end of its long life.

J+J Flooring Group harnessed its more than 50 years experience in flooring research, development and design to create Kinetex and its innovations in acoustics, comfort, durability and safety. For more information, visit www.jj-kinetex.com or call 800/241-4586.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

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