Flooring

FLOORING

 

GAIACON flooring services are par to none, operating for over 40 years we have adopted the international ISO 9001 standard Quality Systems Model for quality assurance in design, development, production, installation and servicing as its standard for quality assurance.

GAIACON offers a comprehensive range of flooring products and services including:

Subfloor construction:

  • Floating floors
  • Raised floors
  • Sprung floors

Flooring types & materials:

  • Carpet
  • Various wooden floors
  • Vinyl flooring
  • Bamboo flooring
  • Laminated flooring
  • Tongue and groove (other)
  • Parquet flooring
  • Cork floors

Tiled Floors:

  • Ceramic tiles
  • Marble tiles
  • Quarry tiles
  • Porcelain tiles
  • Terracotta tiles
  • Slate tiles
  • Travertine tiles
  • Mosaic designs

Paved floors:

  • Cobble stone
  • Pavers
  • Exterior tiles

 

“GAIACON’s teams are committed to the delivery of quality products and services in full compliance with its contractual requirements. With GAIACON you are guaranteed the very best services and products the construction industry has to offer. GAIACON and its operating teams are committed to continuous improvement of its processes, systems and services to ensure "Right First Time" delivery.”

SUSTAINABLE FLOORING

Sustainable flooring is produced from sustainable materials (and by a sustainable process) that reduces demands on ecosystems during its life-cycle. This includes harvest, production, use and disposal. It is thought that sustainable flooring creates safer and healthier buildings and guarantees a future for traditional producers of renewable resources that many communities depend on.

 

Life cycle comparisons of flooring alternatives by research groups around the world consistently show bio-based flooring products to have lower environmental impacts than other types of flooring. The life cycle environmental impacts associated with producing and using flooring alternatives such as cork, linoleum, and solid wood are clearly lower than other alternatives. Wool carpeting and composite marble exhibit the greatest impacts, and impacts linked to typical carpeting used in residential structures are higher than those shown in the BEES system due to the use of a pad under the carpet layer.

WOODEN FLOORING

  • Wood is a unique and renewable material. Trees absorb carbon during their growing cycle, and this carbon remains stored in products like wood flooring during its service life, thus keeping it out of the atmosphere. At the end of its service life, wood can be reused (in which case the carbon continues to be stored in the wood) or used for fuel.
  • A life cycle assessment of flooring materials made of solid wood, linoleum and vinyl found that wood flooring had lower energy use and carbon dioxide emissions. It also performed better in environmental impact categories such as resource use, environmental toxin emissions, air pollution emissions and waste generation.
  • Solid wood products, particularly flooring, are often specified in environments where the occupants are known to have allergies to dust or other particulates. Wood itself is considered to be hypoallergenic; its smooth surfaces are easy to clean and prevent the buildup of particles that are common in soft finishes like carpet.
  • Thanks to technological advances many types of hardwood floors have become a lot easier to install. They can be ordered pre-finished so there is no need to finish or seal the floor before or after installation – they can be installed straight out of the box.
  • Reclaimed-wood is used for wood flooring, it is wood taken for re-use from many different sources including old warehouses, boxcars, coal mines and wine barrels, and wood recovered from rivers. Using reclaimed-wood can earn credits towards achieving LEED project certification. Because reclaimed-wood is considered recycled content, it meets the Materials & Resources criteria for LEED certification and because some reclaimed lumber products are FSC certified, they can qualify for LEED credits under the “certified wood” category.

BAMBOO FLOORING

  • Bamboo flooring is made from a fast growing renewable ‘timber’.
  • Bamboo (which is actually a grass) is a natural anti-bacterial, water-resistant and extremely durable timber.
  • DIY installation is easy, as bamboo flooring is available with tongue-and-groove technology familiar in hardwood/laminate alternatives.
  • Bamboo flooring is often more expensive than laminate, though it is generally cheaper than traditional hardwood flooring.
  • Some bamboo floors are less sustainable than others, as they contain the toxic substance formaldehyde (rather than natural-base adhesives).

CORK FLOORING

  • Cork flooring is made by removing the bark of the Cork Oak (Quercus Suber) without harming the tree (if harvested correctly); as such, it is a renewable and sustainable resource.
  • Cork flooring is naturally anti-microbial and has excellent insulation properties, ensuring minimal heat loss and comfortable warm walking surface.
  • Cork is resilient and 'springs back' preventing imprints due to heavy traffic and furniture, it also provides excellent noise insulation.
  • Cork is low in volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions; however it is important to check the finish applied.
  • Cork is not suitable for bathrooms, as it absorbs moisture.

LINOLEUM

  • Linoleum is made from dried and milled flax seeds mixed with other plant material (pine resins, wood flour, ground cork) with a jute backing, being all completely natural materials which come from renewable sources and are 100% biodegradable.
  • All by products and waste is milled and used.
  • Linoleum does not fade, as the pigments are embedded in the structure. It is anti-static, repelling dirt, dust and other small particles, making it hypoallergenic – for this reason it is often used by people with respiratory issues (asthma, allergies). It is also fire-resistant and does not require additional fire-retardants finish.

RUBBER FLOORING

  • Rubber flooring is made from a rubber tree, a 100% renewable resource. It is easy to install and maintain, is anti-static and provides effective sound insulation and vibration reduction.
  • Rubber flooring is also resistant to fading and cigarette burns. Some rubber flooring is made from synthetic-rubber; this is not a sustainable product.

NATURAL AND RECYCLED CARPET

  • There are carpets that are sustainable, using natural fibers such as cotton, sisal, wool, jute and coconut husk.
  • Handmade Citapore rugs include a wide range of sustainable flooring material as these rugs are generally made from cotton (both virgin and recycled), jute, rayon and cotton chenille. It is also possible to have carpet made completely from recycled polyethylene terephthalate used for food/drink containers.
  • Recycled nylon is also a common material used and the process takes carpet made with nylon 6 fibers and recycles it into brand new nylon carpet. This process can be repeated numerous times and in 2009 alone, Shaw's Evergreen facility recycled over 100 million pounds of carpet.
  • This is sustainable and it reduces material sent to landfill; further it uses dyeing methods that are less polluting and require less energy than other flooring. Natural and recycled carpet is sustainable when used alongside eco-friendly adhesive, as some products may have toxic finishes added (stain/fireproofing) that are not considered sustainable.

COCONUT TIMBER FLOORING

  • Coconut timber is a hardwood substitute from coconut palm trees.
  • Coconut palm wood flooring is cheaper than teak but the wood hardness is comparable to mahogany.
  • Coconut palm wood is made from matured (60 to 80 year old) coconut palm trees that no longer bear fruits. Coconut trees can grow quickly within 5 to 6 years.

 

 

ASSURED QUALITY

As a certified member of The National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC), GAIACON is required to meet regulated industry criteria for technical, construction and financial capabilities. In addition, the scope and mandate of the NHBRC is governed by The Housing Consumers Protection Measures Act (Act No. 95 of 1998). The Act states that the NHBRC and or any certified member’s role is to:

  • Represent the interests of housing consumers by providing warranty protection against defects in new homes
  • Provide protection to housing consumers in respect of the failure of bad workmanship.
  • To promote ethical and technical standards in the home building industry.
  • Improve structural quality in the industry.
  • To promote housing consumer rights and to provide housing consumer information.
  • Communicate with and to assist home builders to register in terms of the Act.
  • To achieve and maintain satisfactory technical standards of home building.

With this kind of assurance you can be 100% guaranteed that all of GAIACON’s flooring products and services are of an exceptionally high standard. GAIACON has been operating for over 40 years and has adopted the international ISO 9001 standard Quality Systems Model for quality assurance in design, development, production, installation and servicing as its standard for quality assurance.

 

For any questions regarding GAIACON’s flooring services and products please feel free to contact us, we will get back to you as soon as we can.

 

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