Enhancing Design Excellence with Innovative Surface Solutions  

Interior wall and floor surfaces can be viewed as a design medium. In virtually every building, they are opportunities to create the overall look and feel of a space in concert with the surrounding areas and connections to the outdoors. The texture, color, materiality, and form of the surfaces benefit from the palette of choices used by the architect or interior designer to create a variety of results. Beyond the appearance, however, the performance of those surfaces initially and over time is usually critically important to the users and owners of the building. The ability to clean, maintain, and rely on the long-term use of the finished surfaces is important. Similarly, the coordination between individual materials and other building components and spaces is critical for proper performance. From a construction standpoint, the choice of floor and wall surface materials can make a notable difference in the overall time schedule and cost of a building project. Creating a successful project, therefore, depends on a proper understanding of both the design traits and performance characteristics of the products and materials used.

Interior Design

When discussing interior wall and floor surfaces, we are really talking about interior design whether carried out by a licensed architect or a certified interior designer or both. The Council for Interior Design Qualification, or CIDQ, is recognized as a leader in establishing standards of competence for interior design professionals. Accordingly, it asserts to “protect public health, safety, and welfare by identifying interior designers who have the knowledge and experience to create interior spaces that are not just aesthetically pleasing, but also functional and safe.” Hence it recognizes the two-fold role of interiors which we have categorized here as design and performance. The council also administers the rigorous NCIDQ Exam for interior designers who meet the eligibility requirements of education and experience. Those who pass the exam are assigned a unique NCIDQ Certification number that attests to their qualifications.

The CIDQ defines interior design as “a multifaceted profession in which creative and technical solutions are applied within a structure to achieve a built interior environment.” This means that solutions are sought that are functional, enhance the quality of life of the occupants, and are aesthetically attractive. The process of designing interiors typically follows a rather systematic approach based on coordination of the interiors with the overall project and building goals as well as the human and functional needs of the owners or users. Of course interior building designs must also adhere to code and regulatory requirements and increasingly embody principles of environmental sustainability and healthy indoor spaces. Products selected and specified for interiors can make significant contributions toward building and commercial interior projects, achieving green certifications through programs such as the LEED rating system and others. That means they can have positive impacts on the people in the buildings while minimizing any negative impacts on the natural environment.

Beyond certification qualifications, the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) is a preeminent association for commercial interior design professionals. Jessica Mann Amato, president-elect of the IIDA NY Chapter and senior project manager, NELSON, New York, N.Y., sums up her perspective on design this way: “Design is the expression of the envelope that surrounds you at work, at home, at play, everywhere. It's creating an experience, an emotion, or a story of your surroundings; helping life's functions to be pleasing to the senses while organizing you.” Based on this perspective, it is clear that the decisions that are made related to the design of interior spaces are interrelated to decisions made for the rest of the building, the people, and the environment too.

Design Considerations

As a practical matter, once a building space is defined in terms of size, volume, access, and flow, time is spent on selecting materials or products to finish the surfaces of those spaces. The range of choices can be staggering with regular updates by manufacturers on colors, styles, sizes, etc. Firms that can systematically access the most up-to-date information and stay abreast of the available products for different building types are most likely to be at the forefront of innovative and timely design solutions. Sometimes, that means being aware of new products or materials while other times that may mean using well-known materials in a different way. It may also mean paying attention to particular details of not only the finish material on the surface, but the underlying construction to assure or even enhance the intended use of a finish.

We will look at examples of these approaches to innovative interiors in three areas—wall surfaces, floor underlayment, and floor surfaces. In so doing, they will demonstrate some of the latest thinking and available types of products that can contribute to truly dynamic and sustainable interiors.

Wall Surfaces

The surface of a wall is clearly a very visible and influential element of any interior design. The wall can be smooth or textured, subdued in color or bold, natural in appearance or clearly processed. Selecting the most appropriate material from among all of the choices can help express design values about the building or touch on emotional and cultural triggers by the users. Accordingly, designers that can stay on top of the available options and choices are typically the ones that become the most creative in final solutions.

As an example of an innovative choice, let's look at architectural stone veneer used on an interior wall. Solid stone has been common in many historical buildings and exudes a sense of permanence and durability. Cost realities of current construction usually favor lighter-weight alternatives that employ manufactured products with a believable, authentic appearance that still elevates the sense of quality in design. Toward that end, manufacturers have refined their products to be cost-effective while still allowing them to look authentic, natural, and most of all, beautiful. They point out that their products can elevate any space, adding depth, dimension, and texture unlike any other finish.

Like other wall surface treatments, architectural stone veneer is available in an extensive range of products from individual manufactured stone veneers to brick veneers to panelized stacked stone veneer—each intended to complement a variety of architectural styles. They often use stylized brick or stone appearances that range from old-world to contemporary with the intent of providing an appropriate choice for everything from a traditional stone breezeway to a modern, sleek manufactured stone wall.

One of the most common design techniques in the product is the texture of the stone. This can be achieved by casting from a mold made from actual natural stone. To make the molds, craftsmen sort through stone piece by piece and select only the rocks that complement each other with just the right shape, texture, size, and detail. State-of-the-art mold manufacturing then allows manufacturers to capture textural details down to the smallest level. This creates dozens of profiles in terms of shape, size, and texture available on the market today.

Equally important, the color of the stone can be controlled to suit design needs. Some may be the color of the formed and manufactured products, but some of the most appealing are literally hand painted piece by piece by highly trained artisans. As a manufactured stone product, natural mineral oxides are commonly used to infuse the surface with rich, authentic tones. This produces depth and variation of colors such as hints of rust, mossy greens, russet browns, and golden umbers. At least one manufacturer offers an extensive line of stone and brick veneer with over 150 color palettes to choose from.

Floor Underlayment

Turning our attention from walls to floors, we begin by looking at a significant component that can influence design as much as performance. Regardless of what finish flooring material is used, that material needs to be installed over something else. Hence, the choice of a suitable substrate with an appropriate underlayment material deserves proper attention. In the case of hard surface flooring in particular, such as wood or tile, the use of a performance-enhancing underlayment can help with design issues related to acoustics.

Quality fibrous underlayment that addresses acoustical control can quiet sound from impacts, dampen ambient noise, and inhibit sound transfer from traveling to the room below. As explained by Duane Reimer, technical director of MP Global Products, “This can be especially important for the design of rental units, condos, and multifamily housing.” As one component of a complete floor/ceiling assembly, the underlayment can contribute to the tested values of the assembly. The commonly referred to Sound Transmission Class (STC) rating stated for an assembly is typically determined by testing standards set forth by ASTM International. STC is a single number rating system used to qualify the performance of a floor/ceiling assembly's ability to reduce airborne sound transfer—speaking, laughing, etc.—within established frequencies. Generally, the higher the STC rating, the better the floor assembly blocks noise from transmission through a wall or floor assembly.

The ASTM also has a test for Impact Insulation Class (IIC) values. IIC is also a single number rating but it tells how well a floor/ceiling assembly deadens or absorbs impact sounds such as footsteps. The IIC value of underlayment can often play the largest role in sound control between spaces in multistory buildings. As with the STC rating system, the higher the IIC number, the more sound that is deadened. Knowing what STC and IIC ratings are available, and what they stand for, is important when choosing the correct underlayment to go with a flooring system. Quality underlayment can also muffle the hollow sound and undesirable clicking noise that some engineered wood or laminated flooring can have when walked upon, thus enabling it to sound more solid. If the project owner or designer is specifically concerned with acoustic performance as part of the design, then check sound ratings of the underlayment. Manufacturers that test their products and get good results typically include them in company literature, on product packaging, and/or on the company website.

Floor Surfaces

Selecting a flooring material for many commercial and industrial installations is often heavily dependent on performance but that doesn't mean that appearance and design have to suffer as a result. Quite the contrary, the flooring industry has developed many dynamic and attractive products that can be used quite creatively and innovatively with performance characteristics to suit a variety of light-, medium-, and heavy-duty installations. This is probably most evident in the use of the variety of commercial resilient flooring products that are available, from high design luxury vinyl tile (LVT) to technically focused resilient sheet products that can be made with 100 percent bio-based plasticizers. From a design standpoint, resilient flooring products are available with homogeneous makeup using non-directional designs and colors which can make more of a bold design statement than some common directional patterns. Manufacturers offer literally dozens of tone-on-tone non-directional colors to choose from.

These state-of-the-art resilient flooring products are also suitable for a variety of building types. Available as roll goods and ISO 22196 certified to inhibit the spread of bacteria, they can be ideal for healthcare and school environments. In these settings, products are also available that are FloorScore™ certified with low volatile organic compound (VOC) content, are 100 percent allergen-free, antimicrobial, and even compliant with the European REACH system for chemical safety. Advanced surface treatments on this type of flooring provide the best stain and chemical resistance in the industry as well as no wax properties for easy maintenance.

Benjamin Bachman, CEO of Gerflor USA, says, “We've seen a trend where 70 percent of our sales are from products developed within the last three years. Innovations in technical features have allowed a number of new resilient flooring products including one which is the only homogenous sheet flooring made with a 100 percent bio-based plasticizer, making it a sustainable choice.”

Performance Considerations

Moving on from our discussion of design characteristics, we turn our attention to the performance of surface finish materials. Here we are concerned with the way the materials or products resist the forces imposed on them from people or machinery and generally hold up over time. Essentially, this is a measure of durability that assumes that the appropriate product or material has been specified for a particular application.

Wall Performance

Vertical interior walls are generally regarded as needing less performance strength than horizontal surfaces. However, that will really depend on the type of building being designed. Architectural stone veneer creates a strong focal point on interior walls that may get viewed and scrutinized more than other surfaces since designers can use stone to bring nature inside and draw attention to elements of their design. Hence, the material needs to perform both from a technical and aesthetic point of view. The aesthetic performance is based on using flat pieces and corner pieces together to wrap walls and window surrounds, creating the look of full-depth stone. On the installation and quality side, the color depth, texture detail, and use of high-quality materials are important to withstand normal wear and tear and potential abrasive contact.

Part of the performance can be based on the surface characteristics of the architectural stone veneer. For example, fairly smooth veneer products emulating limestone in large panels on the order of 12 inches x 24 inches or similar will have fewer joint lines and a flatter texture that may be well suited for areas that are exposed to more activity. Similarly, brick patterned veneers with rugged textures and intentionally mixed colors may be appropriate for areas that need regular cleaning or more durability such as in kitchens or other higher-usage rooms. Yet, at just an inch thick, either of these veneers is thinner and significantly lighter than traditional brick or stone panels. That means that installation is simplified and if repairs are ever needed, those will be easier to handle as well.

Many of the attributes discussed of manufactured architectural stone veneer also reinforce the green and sustainable features of the product throughout its life cycle. Beginning with raw materials, manufactured stone is typically made from lightweight concrete meaning it reduces the amount of natural stone excavated around the United States and the world. With multiple manufacturing facilities, manufactured stone is generally available within 500 miles of the vast majority of the U.S. population. In addition, it is common to use only local sources for raw materials at each facility. Plus, at half the weight, it considerably reduces shipping weights and the associated impacts of transportation. Moving to manufacturing, certain manufacturing facilities incorporate pre-consumer recycled content into the stones. Most suppliers can provide a fact sheet for a local plant upon request while many continue to research higher percentages and expanded use of recycled content.

Once installed in a building, there are several green attributes to manufactured architectural stone veneer products. The thermal mass of the concrete can help moderate indoor temperature extremes and reduce energy usage for heating and cooling. There may also be some limited R-value improvements when applied to a wall assembly with appropriate support systems and materials. When it comes to indoor air quality, manufactured stone has been tested according to generally accepted test methods including GREENGUARD's Test Method P066, ASTM D 5116, ASTM D 6670, and the EPA's Environmental Technology Verification protocol. The tested stone has generally been found to be a low-emitting product. During its use in the building, manufactured stone made of lightweight concrete will not rot, rust, or burn. It is available with a 50-year warranty, making it one of the most durable surface finish options available. It also requires little to no maintenance for the life of the product, saving on time, energy, and expense compared to other conventional, less durable surface finishes. At the end of its life cycle, concrete is fully recyclable. Construction and demolition concrete waste can be ground up and reused in new projects. Overall, then, manufactured architectural stone veneer can contribute to a green and sustainable project in numerous ways.

Floor Underlayment Performance

We have already seen how a properly performing fibrous underlayment can enhance acoustical design and performance in an interior space. In addition, protecting finished hardwood and laminated flooring from moisture can be critically important to the long-term durability of such flooring. Fibrous underlayment with an attached vapor barrier addresses this performance concern by helping to manage moisture and protect the finished floor. Duane Reimer, technical director of MP Global Products, noted, “Moisture management should address moisture that can come from either below or above the underlayment. Quality underlayment for laminate flooring should be able to absorb incidental moisture coming up from a concrete subfloor without swelling or deteriorating and should feature an attached vapor barrier on the top side that keeps harmful moisture away from the laminate floor.” This method of controlling the flow of moisture and protecting finished flooring can often make all the difference in the end user's satisfaction with the flooring.

In addition to moisture, the underlayment needs to be soft enough to absorb irregularities in the flatness of the subfloor including nail-heads and seams. On the other hand, it needs to be firm enough to keep a typical tongue-and-groove locking system from bending, and possibly breaking, if the seams are compressed under heavy load. Hence a properly selected underlayment can contribute to the overall integrity of the flooring on top of it.

Underlayments that are made from fibrous materials often feature recycled content from discarded fibers that are diverted from a landfill. The fibers can undergo a manufacturing process that results in randomly laid fibers in various directions and of differing length. This tends to give the fibers more tensile strength without creating holes as would be typical in a needle-punch process. Further, the randomly laid fibers enable the underlayment to wick in moisture, absorb, and then dissipate it.

Flooring Performance

Resilient flooring has similar performance issues as other flooring related to moisture control, particularly since it is commonly installed over newly poured concrete containing moisture. High moisture level in the concrete subfloor is the number one concern of flooring installers across the United States since it can create issues that cause installation delays and flooring failures. It is also the number one source of claims in the flooring industry. In terms of addressing this concern, some manufacturers offer a one-step moisture mitigation solution for their resilient flooring products. In effect, this is an integrated product that combines the flooring with a moisture wicking backing. When paired with innovative adhesives, it is possible to design a flooring solution using a one-step system to secure the flooring in place while mitigating any excess moisture in the floor slab, up to 98 percent relative humidity (RH). This type of flooring solution saves time and money since it follows the same subfloor and installation requirements as standard sheet flooring products. This unique solution allows time savings of a few weeks over newly poured concrete and cost savings of up to 70 percent when compared with other moisture solutions. Other systems, which may be expensive and time consuming, or use a “loose-lay ” installation, can cause shifting and curling under rolling loads very common in healthcare environments.

This type of integrated solution has been incorporated in a variety of building types including schools. Dennis Albanello, construction supervisor at the Rockwood, Illinois School District, said he chose to install this type of system “in 10 gyms that had high moisture issues. It saved us over $15,000 per school in additional mitigation costs—and the project was completed by the start of the school year.” The ongoing result is that the flooring does not suffer from issues that it would normally encounter from the excess moisture.

Conclusion

Wall and floor surfaces need to address both design and performance. Selecting and specifying products and materials that add color and texture to walls can enhance the space while being durable and easy to install. Flooring products of all types need to be appealing and can be used as design elements but also need proper means to control sound and moisture. This can be done with fibrous products under hard flooring or with integrated systems in resilient floors. Pulling it all together and creating interiors that are well designed and long lasting is the role of the design professional involved with the ultimate beneficiaries being the owners and users of the building.

Peter J. Arsenault, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP, is an architect and green building consultant who has authored over 100 continuing education and technical publications as part of a nationwide practice. www.linkedin.com/in/pjaarch