A Flocking Good Choice
Flotex in Ski Interiors
Sept 2020
With the winter ski season just around the corner and travel restrictions starting to be lifted, the coronavirus pandemic has forced the entire industry to rethink its operations to ensure that resorts are as clean and safe as possible. Here, Karen Wilding our Segment Marketing Manager for Leisure & Hospitality at Forbo, explains why flocked flooring is the ideal solution for creating safe, clean and healthy interiors within ski resorts, which also have the ‘wow’ factor.
While some resorts may increase sanitisation procedures, social distancing measures and perhaps even close après-ski bars, to abide by the local Government’s advice, the interior design of ski facilities should also be well-thought through, so that skiers can still enjoy their experience.
When it comes to the specification of floor coverings, there are a number of factors to consider. The choice of flooring should not only be hygienic and easy to clean and maintain, but products should also be comfortable, durable, waterproof and quick drying in areas of high foot traffic coming in from the snow. Aesthetics are also important in order to create attractive environments.
With all of this in mind, flocked floor coverings provide the perfect solution as they are well suited to areas where durability and cleanability are essential. Flocked floor coverings have seen a huge rise in popularity in recent years, thanks to the advances in technology that are challenging traditional perspectives. Neither a carpet, nor a resilient floor covering, electrostatically flocked flooring solutions offer the best of both worlds. Like resilient floor coverings, they are safe, durable and washable, but they also offer the appearance, comfort and sound-absorbing properties similar to a textile flooring.
Advanced digital printing techniques have extended the range of vibrant colours and patterns that flocked flooring can be manufactured in, giving rise to a host of new design opportunities. Providing the ultimate printing surface, specifiers can make a bold statement or muted complement, depending on the client’s requirements.
Choose from wood-like aesthetics and floral styles to linear outlines and geometric patterns in a range of tile, plank and sheet formats or even have bespoke designs printed and create standout, one-of-a-kind destinations for end users to enjoy.
Thanks to its precision-driven and unique manufacturing process, flocked floor coverings are truly different to any other type of flooring on the market in terms of performance. There are products available with a pile density of over 70 million fibres per sqm on an impermeable PVC backing; this makes the floor incredibly easy to clean and the tightly packed fibres reduce the potential for soiling deposits. The impermeable PVC layer is waterproof and ensures that nothing will seep through the product into the subfloor. Indeed, this makes it more hygienic and longer lasting than other textile floor coverings.
In terms of reducing maintenance downtime, which is vital in ski facilities, flocked floor coverings are also quick drying in comparison to other textile floor coverings. What’s more, specifiers should look for options that can provide low in-room impact noise performance (Class A) as well as good impact sound reduction, to create quiet relaxing environments for end users to wind down after a day on the slopes.
Photography: Eddy Thiemans, Buro Tiemwerk
Available in a wide range of colours and designs, all whilst being able to withstand extreme wear and high traffic, our Flotex flocked flooring offers a unique blend of qualities that will complement any ski resort interiors project.
Flotex is also the only textile floor covering to be awarded with the prestigious Allergy UK Seal of Approval™, as with the correct cleaning and maintenance regime it will not harbour dust mites – contributing to a better indoor environment for all.
Whether you’re working on a UK ski facilities project or specifying for ski resorts across the world, get in touch with your local Forbo Business Area Manager or our design team to see how we can help you to create comfortable, durable and functional interior spaces.