Frequently asked questions and the answers you need

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Top 10 Content Topics

  1. intelli-force magnetix™ and IOBAC, what is the history of this magnetic approach
  2. Safety, the Human Body Model aspects, and are IFM products safe around electronics and data systems
  3. Existing Conditions, installation information and product limitations
  4. The specific differences between Magnetx Floor and Wall systems
  5. Product Specifications and Technical Data links
  6. Addressing the A&D Design Community
  7. Warranty and Documentation
  8. Compare and contrast various magnetic and standard flooring systems in the marketplace today
  9. History and Case Studies
  10. Availability of Inventory and special order MOQs
  11. Where can’t you use MagnetX?
  1. intelli-force magnetix™ and IOBAC, what is the history of this magnetic approach?
  • intelli-force magnetix™ (IFM) has developed a line of magnetically receptive coatings and various other accessories for the installation of this magnetic flooring and wall systems program. IFM manufactures these accessories and markets them.
  • IOBAC headquartered in the UK, is the original patent holder and developer of these technologies. IOBAC developed these systems in conjunction with the 3M Company. IFM invented and shares patent rights on some of these products as well. IOBAC has been marketing this technology globally, bringing greater awareness of magnetic systems to the marketplace since 2012. IFM has been partnered with IOBAC since 2017.
  1. Safety, the Human Body Model aspects, and are IFM products safe around electronics and data systems
  • Are intelli-force magnetix products safe around people with medically implanted devises?
    • Yes! They are totally safe for all humans, including those with pacemakers. According to the American Heart Association, a magnetic field strength of less than 10 gauss at the site of the pacemaker or defibrillator does not have the potential to interact with the implantable device. An independent magnetic specialist performed a series of tests and found that the IFM magnetic flooring’s field strength is 50 times less than the max allotted value.
  • Does the magnetism affect data, phones, or computers?
    • No. It will not affect data, phones, or computers. The electromagnetic field emitted by magnetic flooring (200mG) is far less than common household appliances such as hair dryers (300mG) and electric can openers (600mG).
  1. Existing Conditions, installation information and product limitations
  • What flooring types can be installed magnetically?
    • LVT, wood, ceramic, carpet tile, rubber, ESD flooring
  • What floor prep is required for each of the floor coatings?
    • Please refer to the following installation documents for preparation information.
      • Kwikrez Colourz Polyaspartic Coating
      • Kwikrez AcryliKote Acrylic Coating
      • Power Force Prep
  • How high of RH is allowable for each coating?
    • Kwikrez Colourz Polyaspartic coating- 98%
    • Kwikrez AcryliKote Acrylic coating- 90%
  • Can I go over adhesives?
    • Kwikrez AcryliKote Acrylic and Power Force Prep can be installed over existing adhesive residue. Thick adhesive ridges should be razor scraped smooth and cleaned up prior to application
  • Can I go over existing flooring, asbestos? How is the existing prepped?
    • Kwikrez Colourz Polyaspartic can be used over sound asbestos flooring to isolate the asbestos. It is important to remove all dirt, wax or sealers prior to application
  • Can I go over sealed concrete?
    • Yes
  • How do I go over wood underlayment?
    • This may require two coats depending on the porosity of the wood substrate. A test spot should be applied to determine if the bond strength is to spec. with one coat. If not a second coat should be applied
  • Can I go over gypsum toppings, drywall?
    • Yes, with Kwikrez AcryliKote Acrylic, two coats may be required depending on surface porosity.  A test spot should be applied to determine if the bond strength is to spec. with one coat. If not a second coat should be applied. For Power Force Prep, gypsum floor toppings should be primed with one coat of Kwikrez AcryliKote Acrylic as a primer. Then install the Power Force Prep as required
  • Are there accessory products for wall repairs on drywall surfaces?
    • Power Force Prep is easily used to repair or skim coat drywall surfaces
  • How are intelli-force magnetix products installed on concrete block walls?
    • For new concrete block, two coats of Power Force Prep will be used as a skim coat. The resulting surface after two coats should have 100% coverage, be smooth and even, filling any mortar joints. The surface is now ready to accept intelli-force magnetix products
  • Does painting the walls affect the intelli-force magnetix bond for wallcoverings?
    • 1 to 2 coatings of paint will not affect the intelli-force magnetix bond for wallcoverings
  • What are the temperature or humidity constraints when installing the coatings?
    • Ambient air temperatures should be between 55°F and 90°F or 12°C to 32°C. Dew point should exceed more than seven degrees from the air temperature measured in the application area. Ambient air humidity levels should be less than 85% RH. Levels over 55% RH will affect drying, final curing times. Verify the product has fully cured before the application of any magnetic finishes.
  • Do the installation products smell or are they low VOC?
    • These coatings are low VOC products with minimal odor. Any odor dissipates quickly after installation
  1. Difference of floor & wall systems
  • Is there a method for sound attenuation on floors or walls?
    • Floors: We have developed a magnetically receptive, sound attenuating underlayment. This is a recycled rubber product that will exceed 51 IIC and 52 STC. When adding intelli-force magnetix products over the underlayment, the limits increase
    • Walls: We have developed magnetic acoustical panels for sound attenuation on walls. These are constructed from PET felt. 68% of the content is from recycled water bottles. This is a green product that enhances interior environments.
  1. Product specifications
  • How long does it take for floor or wall coatings to cure?
  1. Design community
  • Are there LEED points available?
    • Currently there haven’t been any LEED credits established for intelli-force magnetix products. This will be available in the future as these products are very green.
  • Can I set up presentations for the design community?
    • Yes! We have an accredited AIA presentation on intelli-force magnetix. This presentation is available to firms anywhere in the US. We have an inhouse approved AIA presenter for the intelli-force magnetix program locally in the Chicagoland area. She is also able to present our AIA accredited presentation virtually.  Please contact Ashley Lindberg ([email protected]) for more details.
  • Who do I contact if I want to set up an AIA?
    • We have an inhouse approved AIA presenter for the intelli-force magnetix program locally in the Chicagoland area. She is also able to present our AIA accredited presentation virtually. Please contact Ashley Lindberg ([email protected]) to make AIA arrangements.
  1. Warranty
  • How does the warranty work? Who covers intelli-force magnetix?
    • All intelli-force magnetix carry the standard intelli-force magnetix warranty. Accessories manufactured by intelli-force magnetix™ carry the IFM standard one year warranty for material replacement for manufacturing defects of lack of performance as advertised including:
      • Kwikrez AcryliKote Acrylic
      • Kwikrez Colourz Polyaspartic
      • Power Force Prep
  1. Compare and contrast systems
  • What is the difference between intelli-force magnetix and MagnaBuild?
    • intelli-force magnetix: Magnetically receptive resin subfloors with magnetic finished flooring
      • Resin subfloor system (receptive layer)
      • Finished flooring with directionally magnetized sheet heat pressed to underside (magnet)
      • intelli-force magnetix methods offer greater dimensional stability for commercial and higher traffic installations.
      • Remodeling projects, especially those that require moving walls are simple and easy with the intelli-force magnetix method. There are no loose laid sheets to pick up and discard as with the other methods. You can build directly over the existing magnetically receptive floor coating, damp mop the floor and reinstall intelli-force magnetix flooring in minutes. No new sheets to cut, fit and install.
      • Our magnetically receptive Kwikrez AcryliKote Acrylic coating can be applied directly to walls as simple as any paint primer. The MagnaBuild sheet system requires hanging heavy magnetic peel and stick sheets on the wall like wallpaper first. If you remove their sheet from the wall, you destroy the drywall surface beneath requiring expensive time consuming repairs. If you want to change our system back, just paint over it with standard wall paint. Quick, easy, no wall repairs required.
    • MagnaBuild: Magnetic sheet-based loose laid floating floor system
      • Magnetic underlayment (magnet)
      • Integrated ferrite film laminated to the bottom of select flooring (receptive layer)
      • Loose laid mat underlayment systems are not stable for moving point loads, wheeled traffic, etc.
      • Moisture can build up under the sheet system creating a health hazard from mildew or mold
      • There is no integrated sound attenuation system with the MagnaBuild sheet system. Their system requires two layers of sheet underlayment, one for sound, one for magnetic attraction. Our sound attenuation system is a one layer, one step installation
  • Why use magnetic flooring as opposed to standard methods?
    • Design & Flexibility- fastest method for updating, replacing, or reconfiguring space, with an unlimited design potential
    • Environmental- Green solution as flooring can be reused and there are no adhesives used.
    • Flooring replacements are quickly completed without the dust and noise associated with flooring demolition. There is no  added floor prep or costly adhesives required.
    • Existing conditions: can be used in high RH situations, over adhesives, and to isolate asbestos. intelli-force magnetix products can eliminate the need for moisture mitigation of concrete slab substrates.
    • Saving time during installation or replacement saves the end user labor costs as well as costs related to disruption of facilities shut down for flooring work to be completed
  1. History and Case studies
  • Are there references of jobs installed? Yes, many successful installations. In the US, twenty-two Walgreens stores have magnetic flooring installed.  Installations also include Walmart, Disney, Hilton, Heathrow Airport in London, many supermarket chains, office environments, data centers, cafeterias, conference rooms, churches, restaurants, manufacturing floors to name a few. How long? Many of these installations date back over seven years.

Case Studies

Carpet tile over Asbestos
LVT over Asbestos
Recycled Rubber over Asbestos
Walgreens Case Study
High RH Case Study
  1. Availability of inventory and special order MOQ
  • What products are in stock for intelli-force magnetix?
    • Please call for live inventory updates.
  • Stocked accessories?
    • All accessories are stocked and generally available. Larger orders may require time to be produced. The general lead time for large produced orders is 10 working days from date of the purchase order. Then allow appropriate shipping time for delivery.
  • Where do the products ship from?
    • intelli-force magnetix LVT tile ships from Ohio, intelli-force magnetix produced accessories ship from St. Charles, IL, South Bend, IN, or Milwaukee, WI
  • What are special order MOQ?
    • For intelli-force magnetix LVT, 3 pallets. Lead times? 12 to 14 weeks
  1. Where can’t you use intelli-force magnetix?
  • The main place not to use intelli-force magnetix is in medical imaging rooms such as MRIs. We have tested magnetic flooing with forklift traffic turning the wheels in place without any movement. However for safety sake the conservative approach would be to glue the standard backed product under the bed areas with a strong adhesive (urethane or something compatible with LVT that is high bonding). Care needs to be taken with adhesive troweling to make a smooth transition between standard and mag backed products. The mag back is slightly thicker so that issue is somewhat handled by the difference in gauge.

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