"Flooring so good, I’ll put it in my own home," said Mico Branch Manager Matt Hassan about Strata Commercial Flooring.

This was his response after a refurbishment of the 100m² Mico Plumbing and Bathrooms showroom in Rangiora, North Canterbury earlier this year. The northeast-facing store required a robust floor to offset the new showroom for heating, bathroom and laundry displays. "I liked the look of the showroom floor, it was easy to clean and we could lay it ourselves which made it more affordable," said Matt.

Heavy-duty retail use along with high sun and ease of maintenance were key factors in the selection of the flooring for the showroom. In fact, Woodland Lifestyle Strata multi-layer planks have been specified for the refurbishment of numerous Mico stores nationwide.

Strata flooring features award-winning Isocore Technology which is an engineered closed-cell extruded vinyl core which is lightweight and strong. In fact, it is four times the strength of standard vinyl planking. The product, which replicates timber-look planks, is 100% waterproof — the multilayers are unaffected by excessive moisture experienced in wet areas*. An Ultra-Fresh treatment on the top layer controls the growth of unwanted microbes, keeping the flooring clean and odour free.

Installation was also a breeze. In fact, it was one of the best floors to lay, nice and straightforward according to the installation team that completed the job in one and a half days. Strata is laid as a ‘floating floor’ over underlay and the Droplock 100 end joins require no glues or screws. This saves considerable time, and the additional layer provides good noise insulation over large areas.

Noise transfer is an important consideration for staff working in showrooms where there is a constant flow of foot traffic, phone calls and consultations. The vinyl core is also more comfortable underfoot.

The superior dimensional stability of Isocore Technology means larger showrooms up to 150m² can be void of expansion gaps. The continuous flow is over the entire area and small perimeter gaps of 10mm only are required.

Matt is pleased with the aesthetic and function of his Strata Commercial floor. It has been laid in an open plan 60m² area which includes kitchen, living, dining room of his new build home. The couple wanted a durable floor that could handle pets and children as they have lots of visitors. They also wanted easy care when drying down the dog inside. The best part is, it is easy to clean, said Matt. We bought a microfibre mop with sprayer and it takes about five minutes to clean the entire area.

Matt engaged the professional installer to lend a hand, however, he and his partner acted as builder’s labourers, laying the underlay and cutting the planks. "It was easy," he said.

The 7mm Strata Commercial range includes three woodgrain colours and carries a Lifetime Warranty when laid in residential situations. The commercial warranty is seven years.