COREtec® Floors, designers of multilayer waterproof rigid flooring, are the first manufacturers to set up a take-back service, giving used flooring a new lease of life. We will shortly be launching a platform to supply these "nearly new COREtec®" floors. The Second Life floors will initially be offered to charitable bodies and youth organisations, but private individuals will also be welcome to take part. The flooring will be collected and cleaned using COREtec® biological products by a company employing people with complex barriers to work, giving the used floor a second lease of life, plus the difference in colour compared to new boards is virtually zero.
COREtec® Floors are the leading innovators in the flooring sector. Our Soundcore® technology includes a noise dampening core material which guarantees rigidity without any loss of flexibility. This technology means that our 8mm thick boards are softer than deluxe vinyl tiles with more effective noise reduction, and the wood/plastic composites material means that underlay is no longer required. The cork backing and the easy-to-use click system allows COREtec® flooring to be laid dry and using a floating installation system.
Re-use or recycling?
Recycling this multilayer, multicomponent material has a high energy cost, which means that a circular solution with re-use of the flooring is more appropriate. COREtec® Floors saw this as an opportunity to come up with an environmentally friendly solution: to set up a new business model: Second Life floors, based on infinite re-use, an approach which is unique in our sector. This methodology is highly practical: our floors are laid to dry and can therefore be dismantled without difficulty. The materials used are extremely durable so areas up to 400m² can be covered without any need for an expansion joint, and unlike laminate flooring there is no need for profiles at door openings.
Homeowners wishing to replace an existing COREtec® floor with a new one can simply phone the flooring specialist who will collect the old flooring free of charge, killing two birds with one stone: The customer saves on the costs of disposal and also benefits from a generous discount on their new COREtec® floor. And the Second Life platform will give the old floor a genuine second chance, so the customer will also be helping to create a more sustainable world.
No colour difference compared to new floorboards
The new Second Life service from COREtec® Floors also has a societal dimension, as the business we employ to clean the used flooring employs disabled people and those with complex barriers to work. They will use specially developed ecologically friendly COREtec® products to clean the dismantled flooring, making the old floorboards look as good as new and with no noticeable colour difference compared to new boards on the shelves in the store.
COREtec® Floors put this to the test during their recent relocation to new premises. The flooring in their original building was recovered and reinstalled, problem-free, along with new COREtec® flooring.
A lifelong guarantee on domestic flooring
With their unique and innovative Second Life business model, COREtec® Floors are making a significant contribution to the circular and social economy. And now the premier manufacturer of multilayer rigid flooring is showing that their lifelong guarantee for domestic flooring is more than just idle words.
*Second Life Floor pictured: Forest 50 LVP 806. Images taken at our new offices in Kruisem, Belgium, mixing a Second Life floor with new planks.