LOOSE lay vinyl is a unique format of luxury vinyl tile (LVT) which boasts realistic designs of real wood and stone but with an easy-fit approach and enhanced acoustic properties, making this the preferred choice for specifiers looking for a quick installation or temporary flooring option.
Karndean LooseLay features a unique K-Wave friction grip backing and increased dimensional stability that holds the product in place without adhesive. Fitted tight to the walls and to each other, with an edging of tackifier where required at thresholds and openings, LooseLay planks create a strong secure installation using a combination of weight and friction.
The availability of loose lay flooring opens up new opportunities for specifiers who are looking for more flexibility when specifying for projects with challenging deadlines, where noise reduction is an important aspect, where a combination of LVT and carpet is a design feature or when flooring may need to be lifted and reused in the future.
Why specify loose lay
As well as offering a wide-ranging palette of wood designs such as traditional oaks and pines, exotic species and contemporary blends, there are also popular stone effects including concrete, slate and travertine.
Karndean LooseLay is the perfect option for specifiers looking for an alternative to traditional LVT floors for reduced installation times and costs. Additionally, extensive sub-floor preparation is rarely required, and loose lay can be installed over most hard, flat floors as long as they are dry, smooth, sound and dust-free.
Loose lay flooring can be laid in a number of patterns, including 45 degrees or herringbone, adding interest and a sense of flow to open spaces as well as highlighting the realistic wood or stone effect.
Karndean LooseLay is compatible with underfloor heating and ideal for raised floors where access to underfloor services is required. Planks and tiles can also be easily lifted for replacement or to be re-used in a separate area.
A highly versatile flooring option, loose lay can be used in many commercial applications including education, healthcare, office, retail, hospitality and leisure environments. Karndean LooseLay is 4.5mm thick with a 0.55mm wear layer making it ideal for heavy duty commercial installations.
Karndean LooseLay Longboard
Due to demand from the industry for an extra-large plank size, Karndean Designflooring offers a collection of LooseLay Longboard planks. Being 40 per cent larger than the original Karndean LooseLay, LooseLay Longboard features a new 1500 x 250mm plank size for extra impact in larger spaces such as open plan offices, retail and hospitality areas.
Acoustic benefits
Second only to poor air quality in terms of risk to health and wellbeing, managing noise pollution is key to ensuring a healthy outlook.
In busy and bustling environments increased ambient sound levels can be disruptive and have a significant impact on health and productivity. Long term stress caused by noise has been linked to anxiety, depression and cardiovascular disease. With health and wellbeing remaining high on the agenda as the business world returns to a new post-Covid normal it’s clear that noise reduction will remain important.
Products with incorporated acoustic layers like Karndean LooseLay can significantly reduce noise transfer and so protect health and wellbeing. In multi-level spaces where noise transfer can be an issue and is therefore an essential aspect to specification decisions, Karndean LooseLay is recommended to reduce noise transfer to rooms below by 13dB. It is quieter and softer underfoot than natural wood and stone, creating a calmer and more peaceful environment.
Easy installation
Like many sectors, student accommodation and other build-to-rent projects can be challenging for specifiers with demanding and fixed timescales. Specifying materials for durability and standardisation is key, ensuring that property management and repairs can be undertaken quickly and cost effectively.
Selecting product ranges that meet technical requirements as well as offer a wide contemporary design choice enables designers to create a sense of individuality between communal spaces and private accommodation units. Opting for Karndean LooseLay offers a stylish hard wearing design that will reduce installation time and allow specifiers to deliver a project within budget and deadlines.
Bricross Developments has recently constructed new student accommodation on a prestigious Nottingham canal waterfront. Designed to offer a luxurious contemporary interior, the communal living space features an industrial style with an airy grey colour scheme and oversized artwork that links the building to its locality.
Colorado from the Karndean LooseLay range introduces the look of a sealed concrete floor but with the comfort, acoustics and hygiene of luxury vinyl for a practical flooring that can effortlessly stand up to the demands of student life.
Interior designer Sharon Walker from Atomic Interiors explained: ‘The flooring had to complement and enhance the designer furniture but also be practical and easy to maintain. Consideration also had to be given to the ease of installation as the project had a pre-determined, non-negotiable hand over date.’
In such demanding environments, Karndean LooseLay is reassuringly quick and easy to repair. Individual damaged tiles can be simply lifted and replaced for hassle-free maintenance.
Health and safety
Understandably, hygiene and infection control are currently top of the agenda so a flooring that offers no hiding place for dirt, allergens or microbes can support a healthy environment and rigorous cleaning programme. Karndean’s K-Guard technology ensures that there is no need to apply an additional surface treatment following installation and provides a hygienic, easy to clean and durable finish.
For sectors such as healthcare and hospitality, specifying flooring such as Karndean LooseLay with its R10 slip resistance rating gives peace of mind when protecting the safety of users. Equally important, Karndean LooseLay, like all Karndean products, is waterproof and shrugs off spills and splashes without cracking or warping and so is suitable for all dry commercial areas.
A sustainable future
Karndean’s people centric approach to sustainable design understands the human need for nature and presents an integrated solution that balances resource consumption and environmental preservation.
Designed with cutting edge technology and produced to ISO 14001 Environmental standard and ISO 9001 Quality Standard, Karndean flooring not only offers the stunning aesthetics of natural materials and the practical benefits of luxury vinyl but also a healthy product that improves indoor environmental quality and contributes to a greener built environment.
Offering transparent and trustworthy product information, Type III Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) feature ‘cradle to grave’ data including raw material extraction and manufacturing processes as well as packaging, transportation and expected service life. Used in conjunction with technical specification documents, these allow designers to specify effectively when working with LEED and BREEAM projects.
Rigid core LVT
Providing a natural look of wood and stone as well as the practical benefits of LVT, Karndean’s rigid core products are increasingly popular in the UK marketplace. Thanks to an innovative K-Core technology and 5G click-locking mechanism, rigid core flooring can be quickly and easily installed over uneven floors, new floors that are still drying out or most existing hard surfaces, including laminate, ceramic tiles, parquet and floorboards, without the need for extensive subfloor preparation.
Bringing the ultimate flexibility to take the same design room to room over different subfloor conditions, Karndean’s multi-format Van Gogh range includes a contemporary collection of natural wood looks available in both gluedown and rigid core fixing types, including four herringbone designs.
A pre-attached acoustic layer reduces noise transfer by 21dB making rigid core an ideal option for upstairs rooms, co-living apartments or offices. Unlike many other rigid core products and click laminate, Karndean’s rigid core flooring can be simply scored and snapped for easy installation in the same way as established gluedown and loose lay ranges.
Karndean DesignFlooring
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