School Flooring Shouldn't be Boring!


Part I: School Carpeting

 

School flooring shouldn’t be boring, far from it – it should be both inspirational, uplifting and fit for purpose. The options for school flooring are surprisingly broad these days and a reputable contract-flooring company can walk you through the ABC’s of what might be best suited for your school.

 

The heart of the school is the classroom and the flooring choices that you make for this situation will depend largely on the age of the students and the activities that will take place in that space. Classroom floors must be safe, slip resistant, easy to clean and in some cases waterproof. Remember students are tough on floors, their shoes track in grit and dirt, things get spilled and desks and chairs are pushed and pulled around the room and rearranged. This all has an impact on the life of the floor, so durability is a major concern when considering classroom flooring.

 

Carpets and carpet tiles are an ideal choice for floors that need to be comfortable, especially with younger children where some periods of time might be spent sitting or playing on the floor. Carpeting is warm, slip proof and insulates the floor well. It is also softer underfoot which is a consideration if you have teachers who are on their feet all day. The softness of carpeting puts less stress on the joints and is consequently less tiring to walk on and more comfortable. It is an overall healthier choice for the teacher.

 

Carpet tiles are easy to install and can be laid in one colour or you could choose several colours to create a pattern or a define certain areas of the classroom… and if a carpet tile should happen to get damaged you could keep a few extra tiles to hand as they are easily replaceable. Some tiles are available in eye-catching patterns, which bring interest and can look striking in large spaces. 



School carpets can also be woven at request to incorporate a logo, or school crest or any other bespoke design, which can look really impressive in a hallway, entrance or school auditorium.

 

One of our key partners at Peter Green Commercial Contracts is Heckmondwike. They are one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of fibre-bonded carpets and carpets tiles which are extremely popular in schools because they are robust and able to stand up to the wear and tear of all those little feet. The Heckmondwike collection has a range of five different carpets which are suitable for schools, each with different qualities making them suitable for different situations.

 

Wellington Velour: Combines a soft velour texture with high-traffic performance.

Iron Duke: Allows for multi-directional cutting for the creation of shapes and patterns.

Hobnail: The cobbled texture makes it suitable for the toughest of school environments.

Broadrib: Has wider ribs and acoustic properties for superior noise reduction.

Supacord: The number one carpet solution for schools, also comes with acoustic backing.

 

Heckmondwike also make a range of entrance and transition area carpets and carpet tiles which are perfect for areas with high foot traffic, such as a school reception or corridor.

 

These long-lasting carpets have anti-ravel and anti-scuff properties and are cost-effective, making them perfect for most school situations. They are available in a wide range of of colours and can be mixed with areas of hard flooring which might be a practical solution in a multi functional classroom situation.

 

Although carpets and carpet tiles are perfect for many classroom situations it goes without saying that they are not a good choice for places such as a science lab setting where there is the potential for chemical spills or an art room where paints, clay and plaster might get spilt and trampled. We will cover flooring that is suitable for these situations in the following installations of ‘School Flooring Shouldn’t be Boring!’

 

Coming next…

Part 2:   LVT for schools

Part 3: Safety flooring for schools

Part 4: Eco flooring in schools

Part 5: Make the best colour choices for your classrooms

 

If you need to know more about school carpeting the Peter Green Commercial Contacts Team is always on standby to help.


7th June 2021

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