ET-SEP22-PG36.qxp_Page 6 06/09/2022 14:47 Page 36


BUILDINGS, MAINTENANCE & REFURBISHMENT


How you can save money and the environment with a planned floor maintenance programme


B


uildings in the education sector provide a testing environment for floor finishes and


early replacement of floors has been regarded as both routine and inevitable. But I think this is changing. I speak every day with


Comment by RICHARD AYLEN Technical Manager, Junckers Ltd


architects and other building designers, and I can see a growing trend away from the “sacrificial” approach, where floors will be installed, worn out, and then disposed of, usually by incineration or landfill. The root of this change is sustainability. Many of the larger building companies involved with our school building programmes are actively seeking floor finishes that have an extended lifespan. They are also adopting policies that avoid landfill and incineration and reduce their use of raw materials and energy. Some flooring choices are better than others. For example, designers are reconsidering their habitual use of plastics-based floors. Many of these, such as sheet vinyl and LVT (luxury vinyl tiles) have a relatively short lifespan and cannot be surface-treated or refurbished. Ceramic tiles or terrazzo can have very long lifespan but often have a poor record for global warming. Floors made from natural materials can be better choices. Natural textiles such as jute and sisal are very sustainable materials though their lifespan is relatively short. Hardwood flooring has always been used in schools - historically for its durability, long lifespan, and ease of maintenance, but more recently it has come into its own because of its environmental credentials. A properly sourced solid (as opposed to an engineered) hardwood floor will not increase global warming at all, and older floors can be repurposed if they are taken up and have useful


life remaining. You will probably have areas of solid wood


flooring in your school; a floor type which is a perfect fit for designer’s sustainability targets. The potentially long lifespan (60 years and more for a 22mm thick solid wood floor) provides schools and local authorities with an opportunity to save money by ensuring the floor is not worn our prematurely. Most of what’s required is simple stuff - good barrier mats of sufficient size and regular cleaning and maintenance will reap benefits. You won’t need to lay carpet over your hardwood sports hall floor when you use it for exams or functions, the lacquer will be hard-wearing and will probably the same type of coating that is used in shops and restaurants. You just need to ensure you have rubber or felt pads on table and chair legs to avoid scratches. In the medium term you will reseal the floor every


few years depending upon traffic levels. This includes a cleaning process and applying a new coat of lacquer on top of the existing finish. This is well worth budgeting and planning for. Floor manufacturers will often have a network of maintenance experts who can advise you, usually on a free of charge basis. By keeping the floor properly sealed you will avoid


sanding and refurbishment for many years. Most wooden floors in schools will need re-sealing every 2 to 3 years, but this is the key to their longevity and low annual cost because you can re-seal a good quality solid hardwood floor many times during its life, thereby avoiding the more costly option of replacing it and then trying to work out the best environmental solution to dispose of it.


Using timber to achieve net-zero buildings


Comment byMARK BROWN, Consultant at TG Escapes Modular Eco-Buildingswho provide timber frame offsite building solutions to the education sector


Net-Zero in use or in construction? The term net-zero is becoming familiar to many, but it can mean different things to different people. In the context of the built environment, it is used to describe both buildings that are net-zero carbon in operation and those that are net-zero carbon in their construction. The starting point for a net-zero construction definition is: “When the amount of carbon emissions associated with a building’s product and construction stages up to practical completion is zero or negative, through the use of offsets or the net export of onsite renewable energy.” Likewise, the current definition for a building’s in-use energy is: “When the


amount of carbon emissions associated with the building’s operational energy on an annual basis is zero or negative.”


Using timber for schools As timber is a natural product that sequesters carbon as it grows, it is a highly suitable material for reducing carbon during the product stage. Each square metre of timber frame removes and stores over 12Kg of CO2 during the construction phases. While it is unlikely that the whole build could become negative in terms of carbon just by using a timber frame, it is an essential factor in achieving a calculated net-zero build. The government’s Net Zero Strategy, published in autumn 2021, acknowledges that wood “has the lowest embodied carbon of any


36 www.education-today.co.uk


mainstream building material” and promises to “promote the safe use of timber in construction”. However, timber has some considerable secondary benefits. It is a truly


sustainable product when sourced from forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification. It also has well-known biophilic properties which help enhance a learning environment. Timber classrooms have been proven to reduce stress among students versus traditional classrooms, as evidenced by a 2007 study, Schools without Stress, by Weitzer Parkett and proHolz of Austria. As well as reducing stress, biophilic design can enhance sensory and motor development by using elements from the living, natural environment which can help inspire curiosity, imagination and discovery in students. Furthermore, the use of natural materials can reduce fatigue, while cognitive ability and emotional wellbeing can be increased by the inclusion of nature in learning environments.


Conclusion Overall a timber construction will always be more carbon efficient than a traditional masonry build. At the moment, there is some small benefit from a cost perspective. However, as the cost of offsetting rises, the economic case for construction methods that require less offsetting improves. The use of a timber structure makes achieving net-zero easier and more economical, which is often the critical factor in the educational market.


TG Escapes u0800 917 7726 uinfo@tgescapes.co.uk uwww.tgescapes.co.uk


September 2022


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  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48