Biobased Fluid-Applied Resilient Flooring
This information reflects our best understanding of product composition in 2022.
Fluid-applied floors are applied on site in a liquid form and cure in place to create a seamless floor. They are commonly based on epoxy or polyurethane materials and result in a hard surface finish (see the
Fluid-applied floors are applied on site in a liquid form and cure in place to create a seamless floor. They are commonly based on epoxy or polyurethane materials and result in a hard surface finish (see the Fluid-Applied Flooring CP). Recently, flexible fluid-applied floors have been developed. This CP describes a fluid-applied resilient flooring product with some content being derived from plants, i.e. biobased. Biobased content may include vegetable oil, linseed oil, cork flour or granules, and a polymer with some bio-based content. These products typically consist of two parts that are mixed and reacted on site to generate the resilient flooring material. Pigments may also be added to color the flooring. In addition, they include a polyurethane finish which may be two-part or UV-cured. Biobased fluid-applied resilient flooring includes products called "liquid linoleum" which are similar to standard linoleum in terms of content, but include a significant portion of a secondary reactive binder based on isocyanates. This speeds up the cure time substantially compared to factory-produced linoleum. The manufacturers note that the floor can be walked on 24 hours after installation and is completely cured after 7 days. Priming and leveling of the subfloor is required. Accessory products used for these functions were outside the scope of this CP but may add additional hazards.