Choosing High Grade Floors For Your Educational Space

An educational establishment poses many challenges when it comes to flooring. After all, it is a mesh of areas meant for diverse purposes. Besides, each type of educational space – a nursery, high school or university has vastly varied flooring needs.

However, there are some general aspects to consider before you make your choice.

Safety

This goes without saying. As a space for children and young people, safety is a No. 1 priority in all educational institutes. Flooring therefore, should ideally sport anti-slip features, while being soft underfoot. Hard materials like real wood and tiles can lead to serious injuries in case of a fall.

Keeping in mind the overall health of the youngsters and teaching staff alike, consider floors that aren’t a potential breeding ground for mildew, bacteria and odours. These can cause allergic reactions and it would be wise to steer clear of options like carpet that can get notoriously mouldy if not maintained well.

Also remember to look for the right accessories. Stairs and doorways need to be covered with stair nosing and door profiles to minimise tripping.

If you are looking for a floor that locks in all the safety features, Luxury Vinyl (LV) is a clear winner. The slip resistance means kids can run around all they like without the fear of slipping. Even if the occasional slip does happen, LV floors are cushiony soft and springy thanks to the multi-layer construction. The best part is that it promotes good indoor air quality by minimising odours, dust and bacteria.

To summarise, look for:

·  Anti-slip

·  Anti-allergenic

Practicality

Every room in an educational establishment serves different practical purposes. And it’s important to address this before choosing flooring. For instance, a classroom will need to feel comfortable underfoot, especially for the teaching staff who will be on their feet for long hours. This space also needs a floor that is noise-absorbent, so that the students can concentrate without distractions. So is the case with a library, where a quiet and comfortable space encourages serious study.

In places like the cafeteria, washrooms and sink areas, it is imperative to have a floor that is 100% waterproof to counteract the mess of spills. Frequent exposure to water can cause lasting damage to some flooring covers like solid wood, engineered wood, carpet and laminate. Even tiles are not always the best choice since grime and dirt tend to accumulate in the grout areas over time.

In places like the hallways and entryways, you will need a floor that can withstand constant heavy traffic. In which case, a floor with a thicker wear layer and high impact-resistance is what you need to look for.

Pro-Tek™ stocks a wide collection of LV floors with a rigid core of SPC or WPC, offering 100% protection from moisture. Thanks to the many embedded layers, especially the superior IXPE underlayment, the floors feel soft underfoot. Besides, they are noise and impact-proof – which makes them such a great choice for educational facilities.

The floors are extremely durable and hard-wearing – a fact backed by the 30-year Commercial Warranty being offered.

To sum up, depending on the area, consider:

·  Underfoot comfort

·  100% waterproof core

·  Thick wear layer

·  Impact resistance

·  Durability

Comfort

Gone are the days when grades were the only thing that mattered. Today, educational institutes understand how important it is to make the space feel comfortable and motivating for students, teachers and parents alike. The right environment makes all the difference to a child’s well-being, impacting every aspect of their school or university life.

Always choose a floor that feels warm and soft underfoot.

Also, look for options that are compatible with underfloor heating systems so the space feels comfortable all year round. An energy-efficient solution can trap in the heat and actually help lower heating bills.

Comfort also includes ease of maintenance for your cleaning staff. Muddy boot prints, spills in the cafeteria or some other messy mishap shouldn’t mean heavy-duty cleaning.

Look for:

·  Compatibility with heating systems

·  Ease of cleaning 

Budget-friendly

In any commercial establishment, you would want to keep your budget in check. Choose flooring that is easy and quick to install and replace, is low-maintenance and comes with a wide choice of price points to fit every budget.

But being on a tight budget doesn’t mean a compromise on quality or looks. Pro-Tek™ offers stunning, premium quality precision-engineered LV flooring at highly competitive prices.

Pro-Tek™ floors can even be clicked into place over existing floors, so that you don’t waste time and money removing your sub-floor.

Look for:

·  Low installation cost

·  Low maintenance cost

Luxury vinyl – in a class of its own

While these are the top considerations when choosing floors for educational spaces, you would also be looking for options that are versatile and inspiring. Pro-Tek™ offers you the widest choice of LV flooring for every space. So you could keep it playful in a nursery with a mix of tile colours or go for the quiet dignity of longplanks in universities.

You can also rest assured that every product undergoes stringent quality tests and before you receive your Pro-Tek™ floor, it’s given one final check by an ISO-accredited laboratory.If you wish to adorn your educational space with a highly-awarded floor that combines aesthetics, performance, ergonomics and safety – give us a call.