The NEW generation of interior flooring hits the market
Eva-Last® is getting ready to launch a new generation of interior flooring products in South Africa. Tier Flooring, which is described as “fabulous and functional flooring” is the result of three years of research and development by the Eva-Last® team and is set to offer the built environment something completely different.
Eva-Last® traditionally specialised in exterior flooring, but their vast experience in extrusion composites has enabled them to manipulate their flooring technology for internal applications. Tier Flooring is based on a mixture of composite and vinyl flooring, which have been combined through Eva-last®’s patented continual extrusion process. The material characteristics have been engineered to be extremely suitable for internal flooring for a number of reasons
“Vinyl flooring, engineered flooring and solid wood flooring all have their own unique benefits and drawbacks. We’ve developed Tiered Flooring to address the drawbacks of each of the current market segments available,” says Wesley XXXXXXXX from Eva-Last®.
Structured wood, while beautiful, can be cost-prohibitive for certain projects or clients. Vinyl flooring, on the other hand, may require special installation techniques such as rigorous subfloor preparation and paying careful attention to expansion and contraction possibilities.
“Many contractors and flooring installers have complained that huge gaps may need to be accommodated for in vinyl flooring installations to allow the flooring to expand and contract. Another common complaint is that the flooring follows the exact shape of the
floor, so any imperfection in the subfloor shows up on the surface. We wanted to make a flooring product that would be a bit more forgiving, more cost-effective and quicker to install,” says Wesley.
Another potential weakness of some products that Tier Flooring set out to address was the absorption of water. Many vinyl and engineered floors are made with particle boards, which are essentially MBF boards with a few anti-scratch and other performance layers. These layers often consist of wood fibres that will absorb water if the liquid isn’t mopped up within a few minutes. The product that has been developed by the Eva-Last® team is waterproof and can be installed in kitchens, bathrooms, as well as on floors and walls.
“Another consideration with particle boards is the base. Some of the ingredients in these boards have been known to cause cancer, which has led to strict air quality regulations with product development of this type of flooring. Tier Flooring doesn’t have this challenge as it is a composite floor,” says Wesley.
The base layer of Tier Flooring is foam, which makes it soft underfoot. The core layer is soft and smooth, and it can be described as a synthetic porcelain that is similar to a porcelain tile, although it is a synthetic composite of vinyl. The rigidity of the structure of the floor means that it doesn’t telegraph underlying abnormalities in a floor, so less self-levelling screed is needed which in turn saves time and money
“Tier Flooring is also very simple to install. The cutting process is similar to tiles and you don’t need any special tools. You can use a utility knife or a tile cutter to cut the boards. Simply take a prepared surface and a tile cutter, make a mark on the surface and break it with your hand. The board will break along the line as if it were glass. We are very excited about this product and look forward to seeing it in leading residential and commercial flooring projects,” concludes Wesley.
For more information, contact Eva-Last on +27 (10) 593 9220 or via www.tierflooring.com
