Page 4 - 2018-04-CFR Volume 115 - Recycled Content in Flooring Material - April 2018

So why would you want to use this material anywhere April
near flooring material, especially those made with vi-
nyl and in adhesives that come in contact with vinyl
flooring? They can often compromise the integrity of
the product. Crumb rubber certainly isn’t green even
though thinking so because it is a recycled rubber tire
is being touted.
So what else is there on the plate today? How about
recycled needle punched carpet cushion? This is a
product made much like indoor outdoor carpet. It’s
been around for years. I sold tons of this stuff in my
early days in the industry. Typically it is a very good
and stable product. The carpet cushion is often
made from recycled material and goes through a me-
chanical process of blending and layering and a heat-
ing process to stabilize the material. If the fibers
used on both sides don’t have the same melt point
the material will distort or curl. Case in point is a nee-
dle punched fiber pad that has an inherent curl in it.
The curl is set in place so the cushion will never lay
flat and the raised edges are telegraphing through the
carpet glued to it. The installer is blamed for this be-
ing an installation problem but he has nothing to do
with the problem as the cushion itself is defective. I
have no bone to pick with any of these products or

with being a good steward of the earth by recycling. I
am in fact an avid recycler and hate waste but when
making flooring material one must not forget about
the chemistries of materials being combined and the
reaction that may be created. One must also under-
stand that recycled material is not a constant; each
load will be different and varied and maintaining uni-
formity is like trying to swat flies in an outhouse; very
elusive and inaccurate. Just understand and be
aware that of the massive amount of new hard sur-
face flooring products some of them are going to con-
tain recycled content which may react on the floor
causing everyone and everything to get blamed for
the problem but the material itself.

4 Commercial Flooring Report