An article explaining two patented SPC imitation tile technologies – Flintile and Unigrout

In the past ten years, the floor substrate has been diversified from wood to the main, not only the product performance has changed, but also the opportunity for the update and iteration of the locking technology, which further makes the new substrate stand out. The new locking technology not only simply locks the two floors together, but also increases the differentiated competitiveness when consumers buy floors.

In today’s market, stone-patterned resilient floors are becoming more and more popular. Therefore, Unilin Intellectual Property Department has developed two new technologies for imitating tiles, making the appearance and performance of SPC floors closer to those of ceramic tiles. The first is Flintile, an SPC solution technology with caulking, and the second, Unigrout, a chamfering technology that mimics caulking. The two technologies have their own strengths and are suitable for different occasions.

Flintile – closest to the real tile effect

The special feature of Flintile is that the buckle type of its SPC floor is specially designed for caulking, and the use of a special epoxy resin caulking agent can realize the complete waterproof function of the floor. The combination of strong horizontal lock and caulk gives this product an exceptional water resistance. The floor is not only comparable in appearance to tile or stone, but also achieves the same waterproof performance, plus has a more convenient locking function than tile.

The installation of Flintile is very simple, the first step is to install the lock. Compared with paving tiles, because the SPC board with locking buckle is lighter, it is more convenient and less time-consuming to install, and does not require glue or scraping cement, and it does not require long drying time.

After the floor is laid, it is caulking, which is a key step for Flintile to achieve complete waterproofing and make it comparable to ceramic tiles. The construction method is the same as the tile, but with a specially developed caulk. One of the great advantages of Flintile is that the latches are designed to ensure that the caulk grooves are always perfectly aligned. Therefore, there is no need to use the cross clips between the tiles. Once the caulk is complete, it only takes a few hours to dry, so the floor is walkable in less than a day.

Due to its excellent water resistance, Flintile is the perfect solution for bathrooms, kitchens and other wet areas. In addition to all the advantages of Flintile, the SPC board is lighter and the locks allow for perfect caulk alignment. Not only can it be directly suspended and installed on the old floor, but also can be installed completely glue-free, clean and dust-free. We believe that SPC floors with Flintile locking technology are the perfect alternative to traditional tiles, both fully waterproof and DIY.

Unigrout——Patented technology of caulking

However, not all consumers are willing to caulk the floor after the floor has been laid, but still want a caulk-like visual effect on the chamfer. Therefore, we have developed a new technology, Unigrout. Unigrout is a special chamfering technique for SPC floors, which is almost identical in appearance to filled seams, making it difficult to tell whether it is real or fake.

Unigrout’s innovative design ensures that there are no exposed joints between the floors. This special design makes the imitation tile effect more realistic. Even if the floor is separated or stretched due to thermal expansion and contraction, the upper notch of the Unigrout design can be completely hidden.

This unique caulking effect can be achieved by cutting the top of the lock directly within the slotted line without adding an additional PVC intermediate layer between the substrate and the color film, without increasing material costs. This special chamfer is smooth to the touch and can be painted in any colour not only for different designs, but also to protect the substrate from contamination such as oil splashes.

The Unigrout solution differs from the Flintile solution in that it has no additional waterproofing properties like ordinary latches and does not require caulking after the floor has been laid. Although Unigrout is not as waterproof as Flintile, it can still achieve realistic caulking.

An article explaining two patented SPC imitation tile technologies – Flintile and Unigrout

In the past ten years, the floor substrate has been diversified from wood to the main, not only the product performance has changed, but also the opportunity for the update and iteration of the locking technology, which further makes the new substrate stand out. The new locking technology not only simply locks the two floors together, but also increases the differentiated competitiveness when consumers buy floors.

In today’s market, stone-patterned resilient floors are becoming more and more popular. Therefore, Unilin Intellectual Property Department has developed two new technologies for imitating tiles, making the appearance and performance of SPC floors closer to those of ceramic tiles. The first is Flintile, an SPC solution technology with caulking, and the second, Unigrout, a chamfering technology that mimics caulking. The two technologies have their own strengths and are suitable for different occasions.

Flintile – closest to the real tile effect

The special feature of Flintile is that the buckle type of its SPC floor is specially designed for caulking, and the use of a special epoxy resin caulking agent can realize the complete waterproof function of the floor. The combination of strong horizontal lock and caulk gives this product an exceptional water resistance. The floor is not only comparable in appearance to tile or stone, but also achieves the same waterproof performance, plus has a more convenient locking function than tile.

The installation of Flintile is very simple, the first step is to install the lock. Compared with paving tiles, because the SPC board with locking buckle is lighter, it is more convenient and less time-consuming to install, and does not require glue or scraping cement, and it does not require long drying time.

After the floor is laid, it is caulking, which is a key step for Flintile to achieve complete waterproofing and make it comparable to ceramic tiles. The construction method is the same as the tile, but with a specially developed caulk. One of the great advantages of Flintile is that the latches are designed to ensure that the caulk grooves are always perfectly aligned. Therefore, there is no need to use the cross clips between the tiles. Once the caulk is complete, it only takes a few hours to dry, so the floor is walkable in less than a day.

Due to its excellent water resistance, Flintile is the perfect solution for bathrooms, kitchens and other wet areas. In addition to all the advantages of Flintile, the SPC board is lighter and the locks allow for perfect caulk alignment. Not only can it be directly suspended and installed on the old floor, but also can be installed completely glue-free, clean and dust-free. We believe that SPC floors with Flintile locking technology are the perfect alternative to traditional tiles, both fully waterproof and DIY.

Unigrout——Patented technology of caulking

However, not all consumers are willing to caulk the floor after the floor has been laid, but still want a caulk-like visual effect on the chamfer. Therefore, we have developed a new technology, Unigrout. Unigrout is a special chamfering technique for SPC floors, which is almost identical in appearance to filled seams, making it difficult to tell whether it is real or fake.

Unigrout’s innovative design ensures that there are no exposed joints between the floors. This special design makes the imitation tile effect more realistic. Even if the floor is separated or stretched due to thermal expansion and contraction, the upper notch of the Unigrout design can be completely hidden.

This unique caulking effect can be achieved by cutting the top of the lock directly within the slotted line without adding an additional PVC intermediate layer between the substrate and the color film, without increasing material costs. This special chamfer is smooth to the touch and can be painted in any colour not only for different designs, but also to protect the substrate from contamination such as oil splashes.

The Unigrout solution differs from the Flintile solution in that it has no additional waterproofing properties like ordinary latches and does not require caulking after the floor has been laid. Although Unigrout is not as waterproof as Flintile, it can still achieve realistic caulking.

Author: UNILIN Intellectual Property Department