Fall 2016
By Ken Ryan
In business for more than 120 years, HPS Schönox manufactures its products in Germany under ISO 9001 and 14001 — two of the most stringent quality and environmental management standards. Schönox’s research and development division works continuously on creating solutions that are innovative with regard to performance while being environmentally responsible and safe for installers.
Thomas Trissl, principal, said the company’s commitment to the environment is as unyielding as its subfloor materials. Its array of floor leveling products allows installers to leave subfloors in place rather than being sent to a landfill. Rough, dam- aged and uneven floors can be covered with Schönox products, resulting in smooth, sound subfloors ready for covering.
AIR QUALITY ISSUES
Schönox has invested heavily in air quality R&D for many years. Every Schönox primer, moisture mitigation product, self-leveling compound and adhesive qualifies for contribution to the Low-Emitting Materials LEED credits given their low or no VOC characteristics. Schönox products contribute to many LEED credits, including Material and Resource. “If you are specifying materials for a project to be LEED accredited or simply appreciate knowing your specs are strong environ- mental choices, we have the products for your needs,” Trissl said.
This concern for air quality extends to installers. Schönox has products in each of the floor leveling, patching and water- proofing categories with dust-reducing properties. The company’s Roll and Go and Multifix adhesives are applied from a standing position, and its iFix waterproofing system is also applied with rollers in a smooth, efficient manner. But perhaps the most significant contribution to the health and safety of installers is its series of products that allow teams to renovate rather than demolish subfloors — eliminating the dust and debris from that process and not disturbing the materials embedded in subfloors.
SYNTHETIC GYPSUM
Schönox has two self-leveling products and a patching compound manufactured using synthetic gypsum that is made from a by-product of the process used to purify emissions from power plants. Trissl said Schönox is proud of this environmental success story in which the by-product is enhanced and fortified in its conversion processes and used to make subfloor products that include up 52% pre-consumer material. The resulting Schönox products achieve durability with compressive strength of at least 5,800 PSI.
“There is no compromise between product performance and environmental stewardship with Schönox products,” Trissl said. “Our extensive research and development efforts have produced dual benefits in both areas, and we don’t have a separate set of green products. We stand behind the attributes of all our products.”
In particular, AP and APF are synthetic gypsum-based, fiber-reinforced, self-leveling compounds suitable for wood floors as well as other critical substrates designed for refurbishment work in interior areas.
