FLOORING NEW ALTRO FLEXIFLOWTM
Groundbreaking new Altro Flexiflow resin flooring is proving popular with players at the Welsh Rugby Union’s Vale Resort centre of excellence, by delivering a high level of warmth and comfort underfoot in a high-tech training environment.
O
pened in 2009, the £4 million Vale Resort boasts state-of-the-art facilities, including three full-size outdoor pitches, gyms and
hi-tech medical and training equipment. All Welsh international players selected to represent their country at any level train at the site.
The Vale Resort is one of the first sites in the UK to have Altro Flexiflow installed, and this has come about as a direct result of the WRU’s excellent relationship with GR & RG Finishers and Altro. Gary Lucas, from GR & RG Finishers, who installed the Altro Flexiflow flooring, explains the background. “I have worked with the WRU for many years and carried out a number of installations of Altro products on the site – including vinyl and resin flooring, Altro Whiterock wall cladding and ceilings. Altro has always been the WRU’s manufacturer of choice, specifically because of the success of these products.
“More recently, I knew there was an area of flooring that the club wanted to improve on – 65m2
in the Welsh players’ changing rooms just outside the cryotherapy chamber. It was hard, worn tiles, which were old and very cold and uncomfortable underfoot for the players. Not pleasant to walk on at all. “I knew about new Altro Flexiflow and I was confident that it would be a huge improvement, being much warmer and softer underfoot and less noisy as well. I spoke to Alan Phillips of the WRU and Gareth Skeet, the Buildings Development
12 IMPROVES
FOOTWORK AT WELSH RUGBY VALE RESORT
music rooms, libraries, school classrooms and assembly rooms.
Manager at the Vale Resort, and explained to them the benefits of the new product. They agreed to go ahead and we selected the Altro Flexiflow 6mm acoustic version to give maximum comfort levels underfoot.” Introduced as the ultimate in flexible
resin flooring, Altro Flexiflow boasts good indentation recovery and high impact resistance, which is ideal for protecting a wide range of environments.
Altro Flexiflow comes in three product options, giving customers, designers and specifiers a broad choice of solutions within a wide spectrum of environments. The standard version of Altro Flexiflow combines flexibility and toughness and is available in 2mm thickness. It is ideal for medium-duty industrial premises with rolling loads, for example corridors, workshops, production areas and mezzanine decks. Other suitable applications include pharmaceutical sites, mortuaries and clean rooms, craft design and technology areas, circulations areas, atria, high traffic display areas, exhibition halls, museums, markets and heavy commercial areas.
The Altro Flexiflow comfort version also offers robustness and flexibility, but with added comfort underfoot. Available in 2mm thickness, this product is great to walk and stand on and is perfect where people are on their feet all day.
Applications include light production areas and laboratories, mental health seclusion rooms and low stimulus rooms, aged care facilities, retail, museums, galleries, atria and operating theatres. Altro Flexiflow flooring also has an acoustic option – which was installed at the Vale Resort - available in 6mm thickness. This has good noise reduction properties and an enhanced level of comfort underfoot, reducing the fatigue caused by long periods of standing on hard floors in areas such as
PUBLIC SECTOR ESTATES MANAGEMENT • MAY 2014
Altro Flexiflow is available in 26 standard pastel, solid and bright colours, with the option of bespoke shades, giving complete design freedom. There is minimal requirement for joints, and the product is self-smoothing, which means a perfect, seamless and uniform finish with uninterrupted lines.
In addition, its matt surface is mark resistant, so it will stay looking good for longer. Altro Flexiflow features a PUR top coat for UV colour stability, durability and ease of cleaning. Gary Lucas continues: “This is a
trouble-free product to install. It will go easily over areas of flooring that other products wouldn’t be suitable for, it dries quickly, is self-levelling, seamless with no welds and its appearance is better than rubberised flooring – a lovely matt finish resin and spongy and comfortable underfoot. “It was so fast to put down – day one was grinding and priming, day two we installed the acoustic base layer, day three was the comfort layer followed by two coats of Altro Flexiflow top coat. It took two of us four days.
“Everyone was delighted with the result - players, coaches, estates team - and they loved the colour, too, which was Flint Grey. “Personally, I am hugely impressed with Altro Flexiflow – I have never seen anything
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40