PUBLIC SECTOR
MAKING THE GRADE
When Trinity School in Dagenham was being refurbished, principal contractor Medifloor utilised over 1,300m2 of Forbo Flooring Systems’ Surestep safety vinyl.
An all-through (meaning it serves children through all stages of schooling) special education needs and disabilities (SEND) school in Barking and Dagenham, Trinity School currently has over 310 students. With a vision to be a leading centre in complex SEND provision and ensure outstanding person- centric achievements, the school recently looked to upgrade its existing facilities.
Medifloor was brought in to manage these upgrades and installed over 1,300m2 of Forbo flooring across the school’s core circulation areas. James Gordon, director at Medifloor, said: “With over 300 vulnerable students with various special educational needs and disabilities, safety was crucial. This was one of the reasons behind the specification of Forbo flooring, with the school actually reaching out to the manufacturer directly. Forbo’s showroom manager Chris Crowley recommended the Surestep Wood collection, with the Step range of safety vinyl providing a complete portfolio of non-slip floorcoverings, designed for a range of applications.
“As well as providing a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) compliant R10 rating and guaranteed lifetime slip resistance performance, the school desired a wood-effect design. The Shell Twine colourway was recommended, helping to create a linear pattern that flowed with the direction of travel through the corridors, as well as being reminiscent of a true wood flooring. When it came to the installation, I ensured that this continuous pattern was maintained, perfectly matching up each vinyl sheet to do so.”
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Forbo’s Surestep safety vinyl was installed across all of the school corridors, which presented its own challenges. James explained: “The school building is formed of two sections – one that was built in the 2000s and the other dating from the 1970s. We had to carefully consider this when it came to fitting the new floor, with the older section presenting more issues in terms of damp and damaged substrates, requiring damp proof membranes (DPMs) and additional preparation.
“Another challenge was the amount of material we were working with, with some of the corridors measuring up to 60 metres long. This meant we had to be careful when fitting the floorcoverings to ensure we were matching up the linear patterns on each sheet. Through a combination of cross joining and carefully going over the top of the flooring to ensure it was completely straight, we were able to achieve this appearance.”
With work beginning at the end of July and taking around five weeks to complete, the school is now back open and in full use. Jo Long, Headteacher at Trinity School, commented: “We’re really pleased with the work done by Medifloor – the flooring looks fantastic and adds an extra layer of safety for our students. Thanks also goes to Chris Crowley at Forbo who helped us pick out the flooring in the first place, with his knowledge and expertise proving invaluable throughout the whole process and indeed in achieving the finished product.”
www.forbo.com
www.tomorrowscontractfloors.co.uk
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