Rubber tile can be beautiful, durable and green.
Rubber floor products have many advantages. They are by definition sustainable, since they are made from the sap of the rubber tree. The tree is not harmed by this process. Much in the way maple trees produce syrup for decades, a rubber tree can repeatedly contribute sap while remaining a healthy, carbon-sequestering asset to the environment. Rubber floors are antistatic, making them desirable in medical and manufacturing environments. They provide improved acoustics and are more comfortable for long periods of standing or walking than other smooth-surface flooring materials.
Mechanical and Chemical Characteristics of ASTM Compliant Rubber Floors
American Society for Testing and Materials publishes ASTM F1344 - 10 Standard Specification for Rubber Floor Tile, which defines how tiles must perform physically and chemically. Typically, architects and designers refer to ASTM specs when identifying materials that should be used to execute their building plans. ASTM F1344 specifies that rubber tiles must be sufficiently vulcanized to ensure the stability of polymers used in binders; that tiles should withstand repeated uses of neutral pH cleaning products; that colored tiles should be uniform in hue through the entire thickness of the tile; and that tiles undergo testing to demonstrate heat resistance, dimensional stability, abrasion resistance and colorfastness.
Design Specifications for Applying Rubber Flooring to Concrete
Especially in commercial and institutional settings, rubber floor tile is likely to be applied over concrete slab floors. In the case of slab-on-grade applications, proper construction and slab preparation techniques are essential to prevent water seepage through the slab that could loosen tiles. Such base floors must be prepared by application of a permanent, effective moisture retarder. This could either be applied to the surface of the slab as a coating or take the form of a vapor barrier placed under the slab before it is poured. Cracks, expansion joints and other surface defects should be completely filled and leveled using latex patching compound or underlayment.
Using Panel Floor Underlayment
Panel type floor underlayment includes wood-based products, fiber-cement compositions and fiber-gypsum materials. Floors with these types of underlayments may be governed by local building codes, so check those in addition to best-practices advice of the ASTM. Underlayment panels should fit snugly together, with staggered joints to avoid creating visible seam lines in the finished floor.
Rubber Flooring and LEED Certification
Depending on the exact chemical composition of the binder polymers, rubber floor tile can be used to make structures eligible for Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design, or LEED, certification. In addition to having a sustainable origin, some rubber flooring products are manufactured using recycled content, yielding additional LEED points. Check to see if flooring manufacturers have reclamation programs, which can make remodeling projects eligible for LEED points.
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