Kährs, primarily known for its innovative, eco-friendly, stylish wood flooring products, is demonstrating its manufacturing prowess in another product segment—resilient. Utilizing the knowledge gleaned from the production of its popular, high-performance Zero Sheet collection, the company now offers a modular LVT option.
Dubbed Zero Mod—a play on “Zero” (no PVCs or plasticizers) and “modular”—the new line was designed to eliminate the need for welded seams, allowing for quick, cost-effective, single-replacement tile when needed. “We listened to the market and our partners out in the design community—as well as our partners at the end-user level in healthcare and education—and they were asking for the same great performance, same vibrant colors and everything that goes along with our Zero Sheet line, but in a tile format,” said Michael Bristow, national sales manager, commercial, Kährs. “So we revamped an earlier line that we had and re-engineered the product to come out with a great LVT floor that performs extremely well in abusive environments.”
Healthcare and education are chief among those high-traffic environments where the line answers the call. It is engineered to deliver exceptional wear/chemical resistance while providing easy installation and maintenance over the life of the product—no dry buffing or waxing is necessary.
“This product gives us the opportunity to offer a sustainable solution to education and healthcare sectors,” Bristow stated. “These are very abusive areas that really are going to test the durability and longevity of a flooring product. While Zero Sheet has been extensively used in healthcare, every once in a while the education segment demands a tile format and a PVC-free product that can hold up to abuse, specifically K-12. With Zero Mod, we’re able to offer something that we know is going to perform for years.”
Based on Zero Sheet’s track record in the market, Kährs is confidently offering a 15-year warranty. “The good thing for us and for the market itself is we understand how this product is going to perform because we have a baseline for over 20 years with Zero Sheet,” Bristow stated. “Yes, there are a few small differences in the recipe, but we know what the baseline is.”
Looks good, too
Zero Mod was not only designed to hold its own in demanding environments, but also turn designers’ heads in the process. The initial rollout consists of 12 different colorways, including seven neutrals and five primary colors. “We wanted to make sure that we hit all the high notes with the neutral colors and the main colors, but also provide designers with some great vibrant primary colors that warm up environments and enhance the student learning experience,” Bristow explained. “The initial colors have been well received from the design community.”
So much so that Kährs has already secured several installations in educational institutions in the U.S. to move forward later this year. “As a matter of fact, we have our first school system in the Midwest that is going to be standardizing with Zero Mod, and the first install should be going in this fall,” Bristow said.
Another big plus for designers is they can—where necessary and/or feasible—specify a blend of Zero Sheet flooring in one area of a particular application and Zero Mod in another zone. Take healthcare applications, for example. Zero Sheet, due to its lack of seams across the floor, can be utilized effectively in patient rooms, operating rooms and the like. Meanwhile, Zero Mod can be installed in common areas such as nursing stations. And, if necessary, Zero Mod can be heat welded to create a seamless transition, especially in doorways.
“One of the great things about Zero Mod is it offers the same visual as Zero Sheet,” Bristow explained. “So if you have a clean room, you can install Zero Sheet product, flash cove it up the walls and heat weld it to create a seamless floor that’s going to help prevent bacterial infections. However, when you go out into the
common areas, like the corridors and some other areas like that, it might be more cost-effective to use a tile product. It’s also a little bit easier, from an installation schedule standpoint, to close off hallways and segments that use a tile product. But you’re still able to use these two products in conjunction with each other.”
Easy on the environment
The line also scores high marks on the environmental front, thanks in large part to its construction and easy maintenance. For example, it utilizes integrated post-production waste from Zero Sheet—meaning Kährs is able to take all the waste from its Zero Sheet production, grind it up and put it back into Zero Mod. And in doing, Kährs is able to extrude a 1mm layer and then melt a 1mm finish layer on top of it—all while maintaining a homogenous tile.
Likewise, the fact that the product does not require waxing or stripping onsite means fewer chemicals required to maintain its overall appearance. To that end, eliminating processes that are widely used with other products that go into the education segment keeps harmful toxins out of the water system.
“We pride ourselves on being a sustainable company, and we’re always looking at the bigger picture while producing quality products,” Bristow noted. “With Zero Mod there are no adhesives, no additives, no print films and no barriers or anything like that going into it—it’s all one product throughout. We not only solved a problem of figuring out what to do with some of our post-production waste, but from a cost standpoint it really helped us provide a true, PVC-free, homogenous tile to the market at a price point that, in my opinion, is one of the most aggressive price points for a PVC-free product in the market. With Zero Mod we’re really giving clients a product that’s going to perform, look good and maintain easily over time.”
In support of the launch, Kährs has created a comprehensive architectural binder that showcases all the colors and patterns in the line. In addition, specifiers can visit the Zero Mod landing page for additional information, including specifications, product ratings, data sheets, installation instructions and other essential information, which can be accessed online at https:// new.kahrs.com.
