Why We Love Forbo Marmoleum
Marmoleum is one of our favorite floor coverings for all the right reasons. After all, who can resist the rainbow of beautiful colors, the soft natural feel on bare feet, and the sanitary surface?
We also respect and admire Forbo, the manufacturer of this stellar product, for their commitment to quality while maintaining sustainability, renewability, ecological value and environmental preservation.
Unlike many flooring products that come and go, Marmoleum has been around for 150 years! There must be some very compelling reasons why a product continues to last for a century and a half.
Although it may have been used by your great grandparents, Marmoleum’s beauty continues to inspire. It’s never boring. Due to the dedication and commitment of Forbo, it keeps evolving into new forms and colors year after year. No other floor covering comes in hundreds of colors that never wear off; from subtle to bold, in greens, blues, reds, browns, and grays. It’s a designer’s dream.
Marmoleum has earned its reputation as the “40-year linoleum.” Why? Its rugged surface and through-body color hold up to abuse in both commercial and residential settings for decades. This explains why it continues to be used in so many different places; from trains, buses, schools, hospitals, RVs, battleships and offices to kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, basements, playrooms, and more. Few products are this versatile.
But can it hold up to spills? Marmoleum sheet and tile have always been waterproof. Not only has the required adhesive become waterproof, but a new seam sealer called Marmoweld is also waterproof. In addition, the floating planks called Click Cinch Loc Seal are now waterproof, too (as of 2023). This means all of the Marmoleum floors can be installed indoors below, at or above grade.
What sets Forbo Marmoleum apart is its sustainability. The life cycle of Marmoleum is carbon dioxide (CO2) neutral from cradle to gate, without off-setting. That’s because the natural crops of jute, flax, and trees absorb as much carbon dioxide as is used in the extraction, production, and distribution of the material. On top of that Marmoleum is made from 97% natural raw materials, 70% of which are rapidly renewable, along with a 43% recycled content, that's THE definition of sustainable.
As a bio-based product made with all-natural renewable ingredients, Marmoleum is completely safe and biodegradable. Made of flax (linseed oil), limestone, tree rosins, natural mineral pigments, and jute, Marmoleum emits no hazardous air pollutants and promotes better indoor air quality. In addition, it is naturally antimicrobial and dust resistant. No synthetic biocides or fungicides here; just a natural surface that inhibits the growth of bacteria and dust. Check out this Health Product Declaration (HPD) for Marmoleum Sheet.
Forbo: Going Round, Moving Forward
Today most of the linoleum, now called Marmoleum, marmo (marble) and oleum (oil), is made by Forbo Holding AG, headquartered in Switzerland. They’re a public company with manufacturing facilities in The Netherlands, Switzerland, Scotland, France, Germany, and the UK.
Forbo was founded in 1928 as the Continentale Linoleum Union, that’s 90-plus years of perfecting their craft and product offering. Today Forbo is a leading producer of floor coverings, building and construction adhesives, as well as power transmission and conveyor belt solutions.
Forbo Says:‘Going Round, Moving Forward’, is the credo of our Flooring Systems’ sustainability campaign for all of our products, featuring the values of the Forbo brand with a clear determination to create the circular economy model for our business activity. We often think of progress as a leap forward; as a straight line to success. And from a certain perspective it’s true: You arrive at a better place than where you started. But sometimes the best thing is to arrive exactly where you started. To go round in order to move forward. To think in circularity. There is power in making the right flooring choices. At Forbo Flooring Systems, we believe it means considering the full, circular perspective. Three words are at the foundation of everything we do: transparency, circularity and renewability. By centering what we do around these values, we ensure that everything that comes from Forbo Flooring Systems delivers value to both people and the planet.
For a deeper dive into Forbo’s processes and philosophy, please review their sustainability report from 2022.
As a company Forbo backs up their talk with action and planning as well.
Preserving the environment and generating ecological value added are important factors in the decisions Forbo takes. They constantly strive to optimize the production processes in terms of water and energy usage, the reduction of emissions, the recycling of heat generated in the production process as well as the reduction and recycling of off-cuts in order to keep their carbon footprint as a manufacturer to a minimum.
As a responsible manufacturer and employer, Forbo also sets extremely high standards for health, safety, the environment, and quality. This is why innovative ideas and research and development are part and parcel of the forces driving their business.
- Beautiful, colorful, and fun
- Made with six natural and renewable raw materials (linseed oil, tree rosin, limestone, natural pigments, jute)
- Sustainably harvested and biodegradable (flax, tree rosin, jute) - 97% of renewable raw materials.
- Made with no hazardous chemicals (zero VOC and formaldehyde-free)
- C02 neutral (zero carbon footprint from cradle to gate)
- Waterproof
- Through-body color (that won’t wear off)
- Naturally antimicrobial (resists mold, mildew MRSA)
- Naturally antistatic (resists dust)
- Highly durable and long-lasting
- Easy to maintain
- Diverse Flooring Options: Click Cinch Loc Seal (our most popular DIY floor) and Glue-Down Tile and Glue-Down Sheet
- Forbo also makes Furniture Linoleum (for countertop and furniture applications), and Bulletin Board Pinboard Linoleum
- Transparent third-party certified: UL Green Guard Gold, Blue Angel, Nordic Swan, Smart Platinum, Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
- Socially, environmentally and economically responsible
- Meets the building standards of LEED, Breeam, and WELL building
by Green Building Supply's
Joel Hirshberg
© September 8, 2023
