When offices within Lancashire Business Park were in need of refurbishment, Wrennalls Group installed Forbo’s Tessera Contour and Tessera Teviot carpet tiles adhesive free, using IOBAC Tab-its to minimise waste and promote circularity.
Managed by Lancashire County Developments Ltd (LCDL) on behalf of Lancashire County Council, the offices at Lancashire Business Park have been in service for decades, with Wrennalls Group having helped to maintain the site for nearly 40 years.
Over the years, the flooring has regularly been replaced, due to the daily wear and tear. Helen Orson, Business Park Manager at LCDL, said: “We currently manage five different communal office spaces. Over time the flooring in these offices understandably becomes worn and needs replacing with a newer solution, something which Wrennalls Group facilitates for us.
“This can subsequently create a fair amount of textile waste at the end of the products life as recycling is often difficult due to the tackifier glue traditionally used to install carpet tiles, something which we and Lancashire County Council are keen to avoid as much as possible. As a result, it was suggested to us that we opt for an adhesive-free flooring solution instead.”
Shaun Bradbury, Managing Director at Wrennalls Group, expanded on this further: “Helen was very clear that LCDL and the County Council wanted to minimise waste as much as possible for this latest round of refurbishments. As such, I suggested that IOBAC Tab-Its could be used with Forbo’s Tessera carpet tiles. They were immediately very keen to explore this option and after presenting them with the IOBAC and Tessera products, we began refurbishing the spaces.
“Having helped Forbo with all the testing for the IOBAC products, I knew the value they could add to this project. Using a dry-tack adhesion method, each Tab-It is placed on the subfloor with the carpet tile then securely attached in the normal way. Not only does this mean the floor covering can be easily removed, ideal if individual tiles need to be replaced due to damage, but it also allows the flooring to be easily recycled as there’s no adhesive residue.”
Designed and made in the UK, from a Lancashire based factory, Forbo’s Tessera carpet tiles are not only renowned for their aesthetic styling, but also their outstanding performance even in the most demanding, high traffic environments. With a high recycled content (of up to 76%) and manufactured in a factory running off of 100% renewable energy (electricity and biogas), the collection also has strong sustainability credentials. In addition to this, they offer versatility in the ways in which they can be installed, being compatible with IOBAC’s range of Tab-Its and MagTabs, enabling adhesive free installs and promoting circularity – one of Forbo’s core sustainability principles.
Helen continued: “Forbo’s Tessera carpet tiles being compatible with IOBAC Tab-Its was particularly beneficial for us, as we want to look to reduce the amount of waste we send to landfill, preferring to recycle as much as we possibly can. The ability for each tile to be individually uplifted for replacement was particularly attractive to us too, as scuff marks or damage can be quite common, especially in the high-traffic areas of the offices.”
“So far, the refurbishments have gone very well, any issues have been quickly and easily resolved, and most tenants aren’t even aware the carpet tiles have been installed any differently. The absence of adhesive also means there are no lingering odours after installation.
The Tessera carpet tiles look really professional in the space and can stand up to the wear and tear expected within the office space. The benefits of opting for an adhesive-free installation will continue to be felt further down the line too, facilitating quicker refurbishments in the future and a more sustainable process, providing immense long-term benefits to ourselves and the council.”
All of Forbo’s Tessera carpet tiles can be installed using IOBAC products, both Tab-Its and MagTabs, allowing them to be fitted over metal raised access flooring or typical subfloors. This means that further down the line the flooring can be easily uplifted and recycled or reused through Forbo’s partnership with the Salvation Army’s ‘Take Back’ scheme.
Once installed, the carpet tiles are then maintained using the M2 Fusion Care system. Fusion Care operates with 95% less water than the normal system of cleaning, produces no waste product, uses non-hazardous and biodegradable cleaning solutions. Further supporting the sustainability of both LCDL and Forbo.
