LifeLine CS (blue flooring at left) with a non-porous surface was used in this installation at Mercy Hospital in Muskegon, Michigan because of its low emissions, durability, and ease of maintenance.
The Finnish company Upofloor’s PVC-free LifeLine CS commercial resilient sheet flooring uses a tough wear layer and low-emitting materials to create a durable surface. It is appropriate for healthcare, education, and other public spaces prone to consistent, heavy foot traffic.
Distributed in North America through Altro, LifeLine CS fills the void left behind by Stratica (see “A New Chlorine-Free Competitor to Vinyl Flooring,”
EBN Oct. 1998), which used a similar wear layer but was discontinued by Amtico International in April 2011 due to declining demand. Like Stratica, LifeLine CS has an “ionomer” wear layer comprised of an ethylene/methacrylic acid copolymer thermoplastic resin strengthened by ionically charged salts. The remainder of the material is approximately 60% calcium carbonate (limestone), small amounts of titanium dioxide, and 25% pre-consumer recycled LifeLine flooring from the trimming process that is melted back into the base. And though LifeLine CS is petroleum based, it provides several potential environmental advantages over other commercial flooring options.
LifeLine CS does not contain PVC, phthalates, plasticizers, halogens, or heavy metals, and it is FloorScore certified for low VOC emissions. But it is the ionomer wear layer that gives LifeLine CS its performance advantage. Similar to the Dupont Surlyn layer used in Stratica, this material is tough enough for use as a golf ball cover, according to Teemu Kesävaara, Upofloor’s export manager. It is non-porous and resists chemicals, stains, scratches, and dirt.
Vinyl, on the other hand, is porous and, on top of routine cleaning, needs to be stripped, waxed, and polished to maintain its wear layer and looks. This maintenance requires time, personnel, chemicals, and other raw materials, and introduces VOCs and other pollutants into the indoor environment. Since dirt can’t penetrate the surface of LifeLine CS, it doesn’t require maintenance beyond cleaning with a mild alkaline detergent.
Interior designer Laurie Placinski of Progressive AE in Grand Rapids, Michigan used LifeLine CS in the renovation of patient recovery areas at Mercy Health Partners Hackley Hospital in Muskegon, Michigan. Low emissions are important in these areas for the health of the patients and the staff, but ease of maintenance was also one of her team’s main priorities. “What is great about this flooring is it meets our needs from both health and performance perspectives,” she says. “This is a high-traffic area with equipment and beds wheeling across it 24/7.”
In heavy-use areas like this, resilient flooring often requires additional maintenance and is more prone to failure. Not only does this waste resources, but the area also has to be shut down while the floor is stripped or replaced—an inconvenient and expensive measure for 24/7 healthcare facilities. Placinski said she has specified both Stratica, a tile, and LifeLine CS, a sheet flooring, and prefers LifeLine CS because there are fewer seams to seal and fewer opportunities for those seams to fail. (In Europe, LifeLine is also available as a tile.) LifeLine CS has been in service for almost a year under continuous use and is holding up great so far, according to Placinski.
LifeLine CS is available in 48 colors, and at 0.08 inches (2.0 mm) thick it matches the profile of Upofloor’s other flooring options, so the products can be integrated. Placinski likes LifeLine CS’s “subtle sheen,” which doesn’t create glare (like glossy surfaces) or appear dull and dirty (like low-gloss surfaces), because it doesn’t call attention to imperfections in the slab underneath—an asset, particularly in renovation projects.
While Kesävaara claims LifeLine CS costs about the same as rubber or premium vinyl flooring, Placinski said it actually ends up costing more than most vinyl. The first cost was weighed by the hospital and the design team, and they deemed that the durability and low maintenance were worth it: “You spend more, but over time you recoup that money.”
With all the low-cost flooring and PVC-free flooring options available, LifeLine CS might not be appropriate for every application, but for those requiring a durable, low-emitting surface that can stand up to heavy use, it’s worth a closer look.
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