SETTING STANDARDS
When specifying flooring in educational settings, it’s important not to just scratch the surface when it comes to weighing up the vital properties of the chosen surface says Sika.
Good quality flooring plays a part in creating safe, comfortable learning environments for our children. Schools with well-designed interiors which excel in aesthetic and practical terms have a positive effect on every aspect of students’ schooling. This is why, when it comes to an educational establishment’s fixtures and fittings, it’s crucial to consider the make-up of individual flooring areas.
Having established the importance of correct floor specification in schools, it’s worth considering the risks in getting it wrong. Surfaces lacking in quality, durability and the like create the potential for falls and injury, which is costly to the affected student’s education and damaging to the establishment’s reputation. Flooring could also incur high maintenance costs if fitted poorly, whilst difficult-to-clean surfaces in a busy environment are a magnet for germs and microscopic mites.
Resin systems are perfect for applications where exceptional hygiene standards are vital. Its seamless flooring surface is easily cleaned and maintained, and as a floor and wall system, is a proven solution for food preparation areas - another important aspect of school and university life. After all, who wants to be queuing for seconds on a dirty, sticky floor?
THE DURABLE CHOICE It’s possible to specify a hardwearing cost-effective alternative to carpet, vinyl and timber, whilst helping educational establishments uphold the highest health and safety standards, when resin is selected over traditional flooring build-ups.
Considering the needs of the most demanding educational environment, a flooring manufacturer’s specification should provide a solution that looks at operational requirements, construction joints, floor-to-wall connections and surface design and installation details.
Resin flooring products, such as Sika‘s ComfortFloor range, offer an attractive alternative to traditional flooring. These easily-applied, hardwearing systems come in an expansive range of colours and meet a wealth of aesthetic requirements. This is a particularly useful property, bearing in mind how a learning environment’s appearance can have a positive and negative effect on student mood and behavior.
20 | EDUCATION
Resin systems can also be efficiently and easily regenerated with minimal downtime and loss of revenue, making it a cost-effective, as well as time-effective solution. Extending the service life of an existing flooring system through the resurfacing of a topcoat compatible with the original floor provides a brand-new surface and the option of changing the colour. Traditional flooring in high-traffic environments such as schools will last 10 years on average, while a Sika ComfortFloor system’s performance is guaranteed for 40 years. It is also possible to regenerate a thicker floor using diamond grinding pads which remove any existing surface damage and restore a floor to the same glossy surface of a new system.
HEALTHY GREEN Resin flooring products also have strong environmental credentials. Many products are now able to offer a lower Global Warming Potential (carbon footprint) and low or even zero Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) options to deliver health benefits for educational and other public and private sector buildings.
The design and functionality of our schools, colleges and universities is vital to student wellbeing and success. Every aspect of an establishment’s infrastructure should conform to the highest standards in order to create a safe, clean and comfortable environment in which students can thrive. Resin flooring gives education providers a solid and sustainable foundation to build upon.
www.sika.com
www.tomorrowscontractfloors.com
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