Floc
A new strong wool product designed for interior and acoustic applications.
About 90 percent of wool produced in New Zealand each year is classed as ‘strong’ with few applications available for it, other than floor coverings such as carpets and rugs. Now a company specialising in interior building and acoustic products has created a range of ceiling tiles and wall coverings made of strong wool. Created by Wellington based T&R Interior Systems and manufactured in Christchurch, the Floc range of products ticks many sustainability boxes - and is being enthusiastically welcomed by architects, interior designers and environmentally conscious consumers.
A long-time advocate of all things wool, Tom is a fourth-generation sheep farmer and now the business development manager behind the Floc range of wall coverings and acoustic products made from New Zealand grown strong wool. Formerly with Campaign for Wool, he says in comparison, petroleum-based polyester materials are not only non-biodegradable, but, in situ, are more toxic and less fire resistant.
“Climate-conscious consumers want to reduce their footprint in all aspects of their lives, including the materials they use in building and furnishing their homes and commercial spaces. Many are now helping to drive awareness of the numerous favourable properties of wool.”
He says the wool-based Floc range is eco-friendly, better at absorbing sound and regulating temperature and improving air quality too. “Added to these attributes, the natural fibres of wool offer health benefits that synthetic materials cannot match - including its ability to filter air pollutants, regulate humidity and resist bacteria. In all, wool makes for healthier indoor environments, be these a workplace, commercial and public areas or in our homes.”
As well as here in New Zealand where architects and interior decorators are among those seeking out the Floc range, there is growing international interest in natural, high-performance materials with New Zealand wool perfectly positioned, says Tom.
The Floc range comes in a variety of colours and includes teardrop-shaped acoustic baffles that are hung from the ceiling, wall paneling available in a range of widths and lengths and ceiling tiles.
There is also Floc Cloud, a wool-wrapped glasswool acoustic panel that can be installed on ceilings and walls. Increasingly, this is being favoured for spaces that are prone to higher noise levels such as cafes, restaurants and the like, as well as being popular in helping to absorb noise in places like boardrooms, offices and classrooms.
In the pipeline is a three-dimensional product where a range of designs are being developed to create a bespoke environment that is acoustically functional and aesthetically pleasing.
While using strong wool seemed an obvious interior design solution, T&R Interior Systems struck a significant challenge during the Floc design phase, that of being able to pass the building code’s strict fire regulations. Adding an environmentally hazardous chemical retardant was not an option for this all-natural product. In extensive testing a fully compostable biological additive was found with the result the Floc range has Group 1-S status, the highest fire rating, while remaining true to its all-natural proposition.
Currently, Floc ceiling tile and acoustic wall coverings are manufactured under contract by Wool Technologies, based in Burnside, Christchurch. Wool Technologies works with a range of companies processing thousands of bales of New Zealand grown wool each year into an array of wool products used in everything from clothing to bedding, yoga mats to pet mats, and furniture to the Floc range.
“Wool is simply magical stuff,” says Richard Beere, General Manager of Wool Technologies. “It’s created entirely by nature and outperforms anything created in a laboratory. Unlike synthetic fibres, wool fits into a sustainable, circular model of production that minimises waste and pollution.”
To help ensure its own operation is fully sustainable, Wool Technologies also collects up the waste wool resulting from its various manufacturing processes and turns it into Wool Mat, an organic weed mat that is 100 percent biodegradable and ideal for suppressing weeds, retaining moisture and combating erosion.