Recycled Glass Used to Create Custom Flooring

Onalaska, WA— Allied Floors, a commercial flooring contractor in Seattle, developed a process that mixes recycled glass in a custom-colored cement base, producing attractive, one-of-a-kind floor designs. The process is less expensive than terrazzo flooring and produces a floor that is available for use within 24 hours after application.

Allied Floors has worked to incorporate more recycled materials into their products and created Spectocular Floor™ to reach their goals. To create a custom Spectocular Floor™, Allied uses a concrete-based floor leveling material produced by Ardex, Inc., which can be installed quickly and easily, and dries within a few hours to a smooth, flat surface. The base material can be tinted to any color of the rainbow, and recycled glass pieces can be added to the base to create a customized design. After it dries, the floor is ground with a diamond grinder to reveal the distinctive glass and cement pattern. The floor can be further customized by adding cement stain and then finished with an acrylic or epoxy sealer. Spectocular Floors™ are suitable for commercial applications, such as in a retail store, restaurant, casino or mall, or for home use, as well.

"Creating a market for recycled glass, which is a priority material for our county, is the main goal," says Erv Sandlin, King County's LinkUp program manager. LinkUp encourages businesses and manufacturers to incorporate more recycled materials into their products.