‘Green’ Floors for Schools!
When we talk about green floors for schools we are not talking about the colour – (although green, being one of the most restful of colours, is often a popular classroom choice) – we are in fact referring to natural, bio-based, sustainable flooring that is both good for the environment and good for your health. What a great choice that would be and good ‘lesson’ for our students! Nowadays, we are all aware of the necessity of instilling a sense of sensitivity and respect in our children of the planet’s needs and there is no better place to start than with the decisions we make when furnishing our classrooms.
Products made from naturally occurring materials are often innately hypoallergenic by nature and so work well in a school environment where there are bound to be allergy sufferers amongst the students. Wooden floors however are not really robust enough for a busy classroom setting and require regular maintenance in terms of cleaning, polishing and refinishing. Ceramics also are unsuitable as they are hard on the feet and quite dangerous if children should fall. There is however a marvelous product called Marmoleum that is on the market today, which is extremely suitable for the classroom setting. Marmoleum is a cousin of the old fashioned linoleum or ‘lino’, but with a new twist as it is made almost entirely of bio-based materials, many of which are renewable resources. Marmoleum is made from 97% natural raw materials, 43% of which are recycled and 70% being renewable!
The key raw materials used in its production include linseed oil, which comes from the seeds of the flax plant, ‘wood flour’ which is made from waste from the timber industry and grown in controlled forestry plantations and jute, a crop whose fibres provide the material for the membrane onto which the Marmoleum is bonded. Limestone is also used in the making of Marmoleum, a mineral that is available in abundance. Marmoleum is also low in emissions and free from plasticizers and synthetic additives. It is also biodegradable and so no need to worry when it is time for it to be replaced. Now, nothing can be more eco-friendly than that, surely?!
Marmoleum is considered to be a a CO2- neutral floor covering solution but at the same time it ticks all the boxes for classroom use. It is high performing and certainly tough enough for the busiest of classrooms. Its water-based finish requires no initial maintenance or polymer application. However it is water resistant, repels dust and dirt and is easy to clean, reducing exposure to allergens, while helping to inhibit the breeding of harmful organisms. On a comfort level it is easy on the feet, quiet and warm to the touch, which are all important qualities when considering flooring for a classroom setting. It can also come with an additional ‘Topsheild 2’ protection, which increases its resistants to dirt pick-up, wear, scratches and scuffs making it even suitable for some medical settings!
Marmoleum is available in both sheet form and as traditional tiles that can be laid in any design of your choice, to brighten the school setting or to define certain areas within the classroom. Marmoleum also comes in a range of click tiles, which as the name suggests are easy to fit and replace if they should become worn or damaged in specific areas. These tiles also come with a cork backing making them extra warm, comfortable, and quiet.
Perhaps the most exciting thing about Marmoleum is that it is available in a massive selection of colours… some 300 in total! So your only difficulty with this flooring solution is that you are spoilt for choice! Additionally there is a range of marbled Marmoleum tiles, which create the more natural look of stone and is more forgiving in areas where there is likely to be heavy tracking of dirt. Perhaps the feature we love the most about Marmoleum is the flexibility in style. Using special Waterjet techniques and laser engraving Marmoleum can be cut and styled to produce designs of great intricacy depicting flowers, geometric designs, maps and works of art of great complexity.
We just love Marmoleum and we think you will too!
- 23rd June 2021