Combined flash cards final

BIFMA

Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association

creates safety, durability, and sustainability standards for commercial furniture

EPD and HPD

Environmental Products Declaration

Health Product Declaration

EPD focuses on the environmental impact of a product

HPD focuses on human health rather than environmental impact

FloorScore

tests flooring products for indoor air quality (VOC Emission)

FSC

Forest Stewardship Council

certifies that wood products are sourced from responsibly managed forests that meet environmental, social, and economic standards

Green Label Plus

ensures carpet products have low VOC emissions to protect indoor air quality

Green Seal

verifies that products meet strict environmental and human health standards

LEED

leadership in energy and environmental design

a green building rating system used to evaluate and certify the overall sustainability of buildings and interiors

Living Building Challenge

a performance-based certification that requires buildings to operate as regenerative systems, producing their own energy and water while eliminating toxic materials

Scientific Certification Systems

verifies environmental, health, and sustainability claims through testing, audits, and life-cycle assessments

UL Greengaurd

ensures that products have low chemical emissions to protect indoor air quality

WELL Building Standard

measures and improves how buildings support human health, comfort, and well-being

What are properties/advantages of plastic?

inexpensive

durable

scratch resistant

organic forms

weather resistant

What is plastic?

a synthetic polymeric material of the petrochemical, gas, and coal industries which can be molded into any desired shape when heat and pressure are applied

Where do all plastics come from?

the petroleum industry

How do plastic get its strength?

from binders

What are examples of binders?

glass, carbon, boron, and metal fibers

How does plastic get its elasticity?

from plasticisers which gives it its mold abilities

What are examples of Plasticisers?

low-melting solids, organic liquids, camphor, and castor oil

How does plastic get is durability?

from fillers

What are fillers?

small particles that make a plastic more resistant to fire, attack by heat, light, or chemicals, and abrasion

How does plastic get its color?

from pigments

What are pigments?

control hue, shade, and tone

What are the two basic types of plastics?

Thermoplastics and thermosets

What is thermoplastic?

can be reheated and shaped multiple times (recycled)

What is thermoset?

can be heated and shaped once (can’t be recycled)

What is a decorative laminate?

a durable thermoset flat sheeting material used in home and industrial furnishings

What is a popular brand name for decorative laminate?

Formica (FOR - in place of + MICA - mineral used as electrical insulation)

What is high pressure decorative laminate (HPDL)

Made of thin layers of resin-impregnated kraft paper and coated with a veneer of melamine (top layer - transparent film, second layer - decorative layer the color/pattern, bottom layer)

Steps of of making HPDL

impregnating, drying, thermosetting, finishing

Colors and Patterns in Plastic Laminate

multi-colored images and patterns can be silk-screened onto the top layer of paper which is them formed into a laminate sheet

Applications for plastic laminate

Decorative laminate is commonly used for interior millwork to surface kitchen counters tabletops, and cabinetry because of its resistance to stains, scratches, and heat.

It is NOT recommended for areas with high humidity or intense, continuous, direct sunlight

What is the substrate of plastic laminate made of?

plywood, fiberwood, MDF, or particleboard

What remains visible on plastic laminate?

The melamine core on the edge

How do you make translucent plastic laminate with desings?

translucent high-pressure laminate with 3D design coloration using translucent paper with melamine resin

What are the quality standards of plastic laminate?

specifications (European Standard EN438)

anti-bacterial (ISO 22196:2007)

anti-fungal (ASTM G21-09)

low chemical emissions (greenguard)

What is European Standard EN438?

It is the standard that most decorative laminates manufacturers selling to the worldwide market adhere to

What is Anti-Bacterial ISO 22196:2007?

it is important for decorative laminates because these laminates are used as kitchen tops and counter tops, cabinets and table tops that may be in constant contact with food materials and younger children

What is Anti-fungal ASTM G21-09

useful for certain medical applications

Low Chemical Emissions

One of the internationally-acknowledged “Green” certificates for decorative laminates is GREENGAURD.

The GREENGAURD marks are to certify that the products have low chemical emissions.

Chemicals tested include VOCs, formaldehydes and other harmful particles.

What is a solid surface?

a thermoplastic composite sheet material developed by DuPont

What are qualities of Solid Surface Materials?

non-porous

low maintenance

impact resistant

scratch resistant

stain resistant

seamless moldable

Where are solid surfaces used?

curved surfaces, food prep areas, bathrooms, bathroom fixtures, work surfaces, millwork

What are solid surfaces made of?

acrylic polymer, alumina trihydrate, and pigment

What is acrylic polymer?

the plastic component that is a binder that holds everything together and gives it flexibility

Petroleum-based which is why it is considered plastic

What is Alumina Trihydrate (ATH)

the filler which is the bulk of the material.

it gives the solid surface hardness, fire resistance, and a matte stone-like appearance

What are some Pros for solid surfaces?

Durable, recyclable, LEED approved

What is the standard size of solid surface panels?

4’x8’ with 1/4”, 1/2”, 3/4” thickness

What is Resilient Flooring?

functional flooring for spaces where easy maintenance, low cost, and durability are required.

It’s considered medium strength as its not as hard as stone or wood but not as soft as carpet.

What are different types of resilient flooring?

Vinyl, linoleum, cork, rubber, and composites

Where is resilient flooring used?

Areas that require heavy use, easy cleaning, and long service life like commercial and health care facilities

What is Vinyl?

A resilient floor covering composed of binders, fillers, and pigments.

The binder consists of vinyl chloride resins (very toxic for workers) and/or polymers, combined with plasticizers and stabilizers.

What type of flooring is second to carpet in popularity?

Viynl

What is a pro to using viynl flooring?

It is very resilient and hides scratches and scuffs

What are the layers of vinyl floorng?

vinyl compound (core material)

print layer

plastic wear layer

What are examples of materials that vinyl can imitate?

terrazzo, wood grain (lower quality has repeated grain pattern), and woven

What is luxury vinyl tile?

A type of flexible,viynl floor tile and/or plank that has a printed design protected by a durable urethane wear layer.

They are generally more expensive than more common VCT

It’s considered luxury because it has more protective layers, printing quality is better, and backing quality better so it makes it more durable.

What are the different methods of VCT?

adhesive and peel and stick

What is linoleum?

it is composed of oxidized linseed oil, mixed with cork or wood flour, mineral filler and pigments and bonded to a jute or suitable backing.

What are pros to linoleum?

It’s Green

renewable, recyclable, sustainable, durable, hygienic, sanitary, bio-degradable, and flame-resistant

How is linoleum manufactured?

in tiles and sheets of similar dimensions to VCT

What is cork?

a rapidly renewable material that comes from bark that is harvested from oak trees

it is considered rapidly renewable because it is harvested every 9 years, is not cut down, and may live as long as 300 years

Cork flooring has what type of characteristics?

both resilient and solid flooring

What are key points about cork flooring?

it has to be finished and maintained over time

expands and contracts

has good insulation for sound and thermal

it is a green product

What are pros about cork flooring?

it is a natural ‘green’ product

non-rigid so excellent cushioning

insulator of both heat and sound

natural fire and insect repellent

What are cons about cork flooring?

expands with high humidity

fades under direct sunlight

susceptible to scratching so recommended to use for furniture pads

What is rubber flooring?

natural and synthetic rubber is an exceptionally durable flooring surface composed of natural organic elastomer harvested from tropical rubber trees.

can be expensive

comes from the sap of trees

renewable material

What is natural rubber?

rubber trees are ‘tapped’ every 2 days for their latex which is produced for up to 25 years on cultivated plantations

What is synthetic rubber?

It’s called latex that can also be synthetically by polymerization of petroleum extracts.

Neoprene was the first synthetic rubber.

What is the safety performance of rubber flooring?

it is slip resistant (raised textures and natural grip properties)

flame resistant

electrostatically dissipative

manufactured in tiles or roles

It is NOT recommended for kitchens or areas where oil and grease will degrade material

What is the durability of rubber flooring?

it is highly resilient and resistant to indentation, stain resistant, chemical resistant, waterproof, antibacterial, and long lasting

Where is rubber flooring commonly used?

play spaces for children and adults, laboratories, areas with high traffic

What are ESD considerations for rubber flooring?

Floor coverings can be made from a mixture of pre-consumer and postconsumer waste (recycled tires) in the manufacture of recycled rubber tiles

Synthetic rubber flooring will not likely meet environmental or sustainability criteria

Natural rubber flooring contains latex which is not completely hypoallergenic - many people are sensitive to latex products

What are subfloors for resilient flooring?

Flooring tiles and sheet products can be installed over a variety of surfaces: concrete, wood, terrazzo, and even existing vinyl tile

Subfloor must be smooth, clean, level, dry, and free of residual substances

What is screed?

used to level existing concrete or wood floors before installing tile, sheet or rolled surfaces, and carpet

What is a floating floor?

a flooring application that is used when the finished floor needs to be separated from the subfloor to allow for movement

What is a transition in flooring?

resilient flooring products are typically thinner than adjacent materials so consideration must be given to how transitions and edges will be handled (metal transition strips)

Which vinyl flooring type would you recommend for an application that is prone to moisture?

Sheets/rolls

Where would you NOT recommend using natural rubber as flooring?

kitchens and healthcare environments (okay for circulation and play spaces)

True or False: because plastic laminate sheets are thermoset they cannot be formed into curved surfaces.

False, they can be initially formed into curved surfaces but never again

What is this a sectional detail of?

a transition strip that separates vinyl tile from wood

What is tile made from?

clay, stone, concrete, glass, metal, composite

What are specification criteria for tile?

material, formation, surface quality, size, installation

What are the two main types of tile?

ceramic and porcelain

What are ceramic tiles made from?

China clay AKA kaolin and iron

How does clay get its color or orange or brown?

iron

What is the sequence for fabricating ceramic tiles?

batching, forming, drying, glazing, firing

What are the two different ways of forming cermaic?

plastic process of molding/extrusion or dust/dry pressed process

What is wet glaze?

it is applied to dried bisques through spray or screen print methods

What is dry glazing?

involves using powders, crushed frits (glass materials) that melt when fired

How do they add color to ceramic tiles?

pigments are added to wet clay mixture

color is uniformly mixed throughout

What are the two general categories of glazes?

gloss and matte

What are bright glazes?

they have a highly polished surface and reflect an image clearly

What is a satin glaze?

it is produced between the two extremes of reflective and non-reflective surfaces (eggshell, satiny, semi-lustrous sheen)

What is a matte glaze?

a glaze with no sheen

What are the different opacities in glazed surfaces?

clear

transparent

semi-transparent

semi-opaque

opaque

What are the different surface textures in glazed surfaces?

plain

textured

polychrome

mottled

stippled

What is porcelain?

a ceramic tile made of white clay

What is the European definition of porcelain?

they refer to any white or light-colored tile as porcelain, no matter the quality

What are the three different ceramic industries in the US?

ceramic tile

dishware/pottery

sanitary ware

What is the American definition of porcelain?

any high quality tile, regardless of the tile’s color