Like the University Hospital Center of Montreal, the General Hospital in Vendôme, France (pictured left and right), also used a Gerflor flooring system. Images provided by Gerflor.

The University Hospital Center of Montréal expansion includes new research facilities, laboratories and an additional 700 rooms in which 150,000 square feet of new space will be created. Architects are pegging this hospital as the “hospital of the future” because of the sustainable material being used in its construction and design.

The hospital expansion specifies Gerflor’s Taralay vinyl flooring and Tarafit Corner System to be used in clean rooms, emergency rooms, patient rooms and waiting areas throughout the hospital. The approximate area in which Gerflor floorcoverings will be installed reaches upwards of 100,000 square feet. In 2007, Gerflor’s Taralay and Tarafit were used in a model in the current hospital lobby to demonstrate what the new facility and its rooms would look like.

Taralay vinyl flooring and Tarafit use environmentally friendly raw materials and innovative production processes to greatly reduce environmental impact. During the production process of Taralay and Tarafit’s vinyl, Gerflor uses a closed-loop cooling system to substantially reduce water consumption, while production lines treat all emissions prior to release into the air. Gerflor’s vinyl products are 100 percent recyclable at the end of life cycle and include patented floor solutions to reduce the use of aggressive chemicals during maintenance. The latter helps conserve water and energy, assists with improved indoor air quality, and reduces maintenance/energy costs associated with the continuing application and removal of waxes and sealers.

Because of product durability, Taralay and Tarafit need not be replaced as frequently as some other types of flooring. This durability is an environmental benefit, as energy and other resources are used to make and install new flooring / flooring systems. In addition, the installation tool required to install Tarafit uses no electricity or gas, which further reduces energy costs and negative impacts on the environment. Gerflor’s flooring / Tarafit vinyl can be disposed of without posing special problems because it is an inert material that requires no special handling. The resilient floorings contain no carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic (CMR) components, heavy metals or formaldehyde. Moreover, the company’s installation systems also incorporate the use of adhesives that contain no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or ozone-depleting fluorocarbons.

Additionally, Taralay is used in hospitals and long-term healthcare facilities due to its anti-fungicidal and anti-bacterial treatment, Sanosol, and is available with optional acoustic Very-High-Density (VHD) closed-cell vinyl backings that provide ergonomic relief, comfort underfoot and acoustical impact sound absorption. These performance qualities are of special benefit within the healthcare community.

Representatives at Provenchor Roy Architects said Gerflor’s floor coverings are ideal for use at the University Hospital Center of Montréal where low maintenance and inhibiting the growth of germs are crucial. By choosing Gerflor, patients are provided a clean, healthy environment to hopefully enhance recuperation, while facility managers take comfort in the knowledge that a sustainable, environmentally friendly product is being used.

For more information on Gerflor resilient flooring, visit www.gerflor.com.

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