Source: Gerflor USA
Continuing Tradition of Industry Leadership, Manufacturer Provides Product-Specific EPDs for Product Portfolio
CHICAGO (March 2017) – LEED v4 is here – and it’s changing how sport facility architects and designers consider and specify products. Specifically, environmental product declarations (EPDs) need a more critical eye than ever before. Gerflor USA, known for its high quality, high performing resilient sport and commercial flooring, is making it easier – while strengthening its legacy of industry leadership – with product-specific EPDs.
While most manufacturers continue to use industry EPDs, Gerflor is one of the first in commercial sports flooring to release product-specific EPDs for its product ranges, including Taraflex – the original resilient sports flooring and the world’s most widely specified sports surface.
Because of its safety and performance benefits, Taraflex is already a leader in indoor sports flooring for U.S. schools, installed in more than 70,000 gymnasiums worldwide. But now with a product-specific EPD, it will allow architects and designers to more quickly and efficiently earn a LEED v4 credit in the Materials & Resources category.
“Gerflor is committed to taking action to meet the most challenging requirements in terms of design, durability, easy installation, acoustics, comfort, and of course, sustainability,” said Benjamin Bachman, chief sales and marketing officer for Gerflor USA. “We are the original manufacturer for resilient sports flooring, and as a leader in our industry, we recognize the demand for architects and designers to know more about a product’s lifecycle. We took quick and decisive action to develop and publish product-specific EPDs, as they provide more specific and detailed sustainability information.”
Industry EPD vs. Product-Specific EPD
Both industry EPDs and product-specific EPDs offer third-party verification. However, product-specific EPDs provide increased transparency and credibility by examining specific products rather than the average product by companies. As the new LEED v4 sustainability standard continues to take hold, product-specific EPDs will be increasingly important; specifiers must use 20 different permanently installed products from five different manufacturers. Industry EPD products are valued as half a product, while product-specific EPD products are valued as one whole product.
As the U.S. Green Building Council shifts to LEED v4, designers, architects and specifiers must shift too – to lifecycle thinking. EPDs summarize the data collected in the Life Cycle Analysis and serve as “cliff notes” for industry professionals.
All of Gerflor USA’s products are 100 percent recyclable, REACH compliant, and FloorScore certified, meaning they have been independently third party certified to comply with strict volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions criteria.
Setting an industry example is nothing new for Gerflor, as the company has been an industry pioneer and innovator for more than 80 years. Gerflor is the original manufacturer of homogeneous resilient sheet flooring (Mipolam, 1937) and resilient sports flooring (Taraflex, 1947).
About Gerflor USA
Specifications have been built on Gerflor for over 80 years. As the original manufacturer of homogeneous sheet flooring (Mipolam, 1937) and resilient sports flooring (Taraflex, 1947), Gerflor continues to provide specialized resilient flooring solutions for designers, installers and facility managers who want on-trend, sustainable, durable flooring products. Taraflex floor, the world’s most widely specified sports surface, is a leader in indoor sports flooring for U.S. schools and installed in more than 70,000 gymnasiums worldwide. Gerflor is available in 100 countries around the globe with more than 3,000 employees. The company has a proven commitment to sustainability as one of the first manufacturer in the commercial resilient flooring industry to provide product-specific EPDs for its entire product portfolio. Its products are in full compliance with ISO 14001 standards and FloorScore™ certification. Find Gerflor USA on social media: Gerflor USA for Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. For more information, visit www.gerflorusa.com, call 877-437-3567 or email [email protected].
