Schools will be back in session shortly if they haven’t started already. Perhaps you’re considering changing some of the flooring in your school or maybe you’re building a new school.
Here’s our back-to-school flooring guide:
The main issues you face when choosing flooring for schools are budget, durability, safety, and cleanliness.
Budget
How much will the flooring cost? This is actually a complex calculation, because there is up-front cost vs. the cost over time. One flooring may cost twice as much as another flooring but it may last twice as long. Vinyl or luxury vinyl tile (LVT) is often more budget-friendly than other choices.
Durability
Is the floor going to show signs of wear? Can it be easily repaired? Floors that are laid in tiles are always easier to repair because it’s easy to replace one or two tiles.
Carpeting is much tougher than it used to be, now that we have Antron nylon fibers which are easy to clean. Plus, carpeting has an added benefit of sound dampening.
Safety
When you’re thinking about safety, there are several different facets to the issue. Safety can mean how much traction does the flooring offer, and how hard or soft is it to walk on. In general, the harder the floor—like ceramic tile—the lower the traction.
Safety can also mean does the flooring allow dirt or allergens to become airborne (like hard floors) or does it trap the pollutants until they are cleaned away (like in carpeting). Your choice of flooring can significantly impact the air quality.
What about volatile organic compounds (VOC’s)? Does the flooring or adhesive give off VOC’s? And how green do you want your flooring to be?
Cleanliness
The question of cleanliness refers to how easy is it to clean the floor. What time and equipment is required? For example, smooth floors are faster to clean than textured floors or carpeting which requires deep cleaning on a regular basis.
Schools are known for high traffic, and flooring needs to be tough. But if you are planning a flooring change in your school, let professionals, like us, help you with those decisions.
Often the best choice may be different flooring surfaces for different applications. For example, the office, the library, and the gym may benefit from totally different floors.
Also, be sure and let us know if you are eligible to purchase from a GSA schedule, as we are registered sellers under GSA Schedule 72.
We are experts at specifying the right product for your commercial flooring projects. @EagleMatFloors is family owned and operated, providing sales and installation of commercial flooring products to Property Managers and Commercial Building Owners in the Washington DC Metro area for over 35 years. Eagle Mat & Floor Products specializes in renovating facilities in the Corporate, Education, Government, Healthcare, Hospitality, Multi-Family and Public Spaces.
For more information please contact us at (301) 762-2000 or sales@eaglemat.net
