FLOORING SYSTEMS
refurbishment, the Paediatrics Department at Ormskirk District General Hospital required a new lease of life to be injected into the building. With hospitals in use around the clock by patients, visitors, and staff, it was vital that the new flooring solution could withstand the high levels of foot and wheeled traffic, as well as being quick and easy to install to minimise both disruption and downtime. William Svarfvar, Capital Project manager at Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust, said: “We have worked with Simon Turner at Forbo for many years on our flooring projects. When he first introduced us to the concept of Modul’up, my main concern was whether the product actually worked. After visiting St James’s University Hospital in Leeds, which had used Modul’up in the corridor areas, it was clear that the floors were faring well, and that there was no lasting damage from beds, foot, or wheeled traffic – I was really impressed.
“We then decided to trial the product on an eight ward refurbishment programme at our other hospital site, Southport & Formby District General Hospital, before bringing it to the Children’s A&E and Children’s Ward at Ormskirk following its success. For us, the biggest advantages of Modul’up are its cost and time-saving benefits. The fact that it could be installed over existing floors and they didn’t need to be stripped up meant that the fitters were able to complete the job quickly and easily, saving over 50% on installation time, and in turn contributing to our cost savings.”
Dimensional stability
Installed without the need for adhesives, tackifier, or double-sided tape, Modul’up – part of Forbo’s Fast Fit collection – is a unique adhesive-free sheet vinyl that offers excellent dimensional stability. Ideal for high traffic applications, it is easy to clean and provides outstanding indentation resistance. Thanks to the double structural stabilisation system, whereby two layers of fibreglass fleece are incorporated within the construction (compared with only one layer in standard vinyl), the sheet vinyl will not curl, ruck, or roll, once installed. The Modul’up installation at Ormskirk Hospital took place during the Accident & Emergency Department’s out-of-hours period, between midnight and 8 am. The usual constraints associated with adhesives were removed. For hospital settings where hygiene was of utmost importance, Modul’up was easily coved using a cove former and the same single- sided tape system. Floors were also ready for use immediately after installation, and the department could resume as normal when it reopened the following morning.
Forbo Flooring Systems says that in general circulation areas, waiting rooms, wards, and bedrooms, sheet vinyl ‘offers the ultimate solution’.
Completed overnight
Discussing the Modul’up installation at Ormskirk District General Hospital, Dominic Gillies, Account manager at Crown Flooring, said: “We completed the Modul’up installations overnight, Monday to Thursday, while the department was closed. The adhesive-free solution saved us a lot of time, as we didn’t need to prepare the sub-floor, and it was really easy to lay it over the existing vinyl. Due to the nature of hospitals, and particularly in the current climate, it’s important that tradespeople are able to get in and out as quickly as possible, and Modul’up enabled us to do that while still completing the job to an excellent standard. I would definitely recommend using it on further projects.” The Trust’s William Svarfvar continued: “In terms of the design, the Modul’up Compact collection hosts a wide array of finishes. The concrete and wooden plank effects offer a neutral alternative to the bright colours that are used throughout the Paediatrics department. Part of the Trust’s design strategy is to design dementia-friendly environments where possible throughout our hospitals, so for this reason we have installed the Polar and Dove colourways in a number of areas, as it offers the recommended difference in Light Reflectance Value (LRV) between the floors and walls.”
A ‘more contemporary’ design Modul’up Oak in Polar was installed in the A&E waiting areas, circulation spaces, and side rooms. The plank detailing, combined with the natural aesthetics of the oak shade, offer a more contemporary design. Meanwhile, the Dove colourway was chosen for the reception area and the Paediatrics staff and changing facilities. At the end of its service life, Modul’up is easy
to uplift and reuse, or remove and recycle, offering a truly sustainable solution. William Svarfar concluded: “Beds are normally the root cause of flooring damage in hospitals, as the shape of the wheels, and the rolling up and down corridors, can historically cause lasting impact on the floors. With Modul’up, the product provided outstanding indentation resistance, and I have not noticed any defects since its installation. I am really happy with the end-result, and we now use the product as standard across all of our projects. We have used it in several other areas of the hospital since the Children’s A&E and Children’s Ward.” Flooring in hospitals and other healthcare facilities presents challenges when it comes to refurbishments, and time is certainly of the essence. By working together with a reputable manufacturer, architects, specifiers, designers, and Estates and Facilities managers, can ensure that the products chosen are fit for purpose, while being able to minimise disruption and downtime.
References 1 ‘Build back better: £600 million to upgrade and refurbish NHS hospitals’. Department of Health & Social Care press release, 10 December 2020. [
https://tinyurl.com/bupk97y7].
2 Improving Facilities Across the Public Sector. Survey report 2019. iGov survey (with Survey Partner, Forbo Flooring Systems) [
https://tinyurl.com/23hy28ct].
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Chris Rand
Having joined Forbo Flooring Systems in 2018, Chris Rand is now the company’s Segment Marketing manager for Healthcare. He works closely with stakeholders to ensure that Forbo promotes products and initiatives that are relevant to the healthcare sector, and in line with trends and demands.
July 2021 Health Estate Journal 51
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