Student Health. Student Performance. Student Success.

How premium rubber flooring supports exceptional learning environments.
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Sponsored by Interface
By Layne Evans and Sandra Soraci, EDAC, LEED AP, NCIDQ, IIDA
This test is no longer available for credit

DURABLE FLOORS FOR DEMANDING SPACES

As discussed above, flooring in advanced learning environments has to stand up to more stress, accommodating multimedia, multipurpose spaces, moving furniture, and moving students. It should be resistant to scratches and other damage, and have a surface that does not require constant removal of scuffs and stains in order to provide a clean, appealing appearance.

Most of today’s school buildings, from neighborhood K-12 schools to community colleges to large university facilities, operate almost year-round. Regular classes might go into June and start back in August, with summer school in between. Schools are also increasingly used for community activities, extension classes, research and faculty training, even disaster response centers. People are in the buildings for many hours a day, most days of the year. Floors that require spaces to be closed for long periods of time for stripping, chemical cleaning, and waxing are becoming operationally inefficient, both in terms of cost and disruption. One of the key advantages of uncoated premium rubber flooring products is that they can be cleaned with little more than tap water. Buildings can remain open and functioning, with much less down time. But even more important, toxic chemicals and the associated fumes, disposal issues, and negative environmental impact are avoided.

The surface density of the flooring product in large part determines its maintenance profile, stain resistance, and durability, and there are significant differences among resilient flooring types. Many resilient floors require finishing due to their porous surface. If left unsealed, the factory-applied coating becomes scratched and dull, and the coating wears off due to daily foot and equipment traffic. Even some lower-quality rubber flooring products require finishes.

However, premium rubber products have extremely dense surfaces (see Figure 1). Their surfaces and dimensional stability are maintained without the need for additional coatings. In fact, premium rubber flooring has no factory-applied coating and never needs coating. It is an excellent choice for education, as it resists staining and wear caused by such factors as cleaning chemicals, mundane daily spills and liquids, high-traffic footfall and rolling equipment, and furniture and people moving due to changing room configurations.

Premium rubber flooring products are highly durable and should be selected after reviewing examples of facilities where the product has been installed in high-traffic educational settings and performed well over decades (for example, see the Grand Valley School Case Study).

The Resilient Floor Covering Institute (RFCI) EPDs state that premium rubber has a 35-year reference service life (RSL), an important component of a product’s overall sustainability and environmental impact. Wear-resistant rubber flooring provides a cost-efficient industrial flooring solution. Rubber flooring is reparable, also, so damage to a small part of the floor that would require complete replacement with other materials can be easily welded if gouged or scratched.

Maintenance & Operational Costs

Maintenance & Operational Costs graph

Do hard (premium rubber) floors fare better than soft (carpet) floors? The answer is yes! When cleaned, carpeting has a 4-hour downtime and a resilient product that has to be coated is 2 1/2 hours, while a resilient product without coating is only about 20 minutes—a significant savings from an operational standpoint.16 (See graphic above.)

Although cost savings in operational optimization and efficiency are always top of mind with administrators and school boards, as with all the issues discussed above, the most important costs to be considered are those borne by teachers and students when less-costly materials detract from a healthy learning environment.

WHAT’S AT STAKE

In summary, the 2017 Education Operations Health Index states, “The average life of school buildings, in higher education and K–12, is 40 years.” Architects, designers, and product manufacturers play a central role in helping client partners make informed decisions in performance characteristics, operational savings, and health and wellness, given facilities are faced with:

  • aging infrastructure issues,
  • increased pressure to reduce operational costs,
  • diminishing resources and available man-hours,
  • rising deferred maintenance programs, and
  • overdue capital need.

Since it is true that advances in educational thinking and in design make new demands on flooring (as with other materials), high-quality flooring is an essential component of today’s best possible learning environments. The quality of the flooring will have an impact on the space’s air quality and sustainability, and will stand up to the stress of multiple uses, quick turnover, changing furniture configurations, and constant movement. The right flooring supports the effective use of light, the creation of a quiet space that enhances communication and reduces the distraction of discomfort from glare and fatigue. Perhaps most important, flooring should be selected on the basis of safety from accidents and falls.

The physical environment of the classroom is working constantly, all day every day, either for or against the adults and children who spend their hours there. A big part of the difference is right under their feet.

END NOTES

12017 Infrastructure Report Card. American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). 2018. Web. 4 June 2018.

2Brown, Emma. "Long rated by test scores, schools may soon be judged on student absenteeism too." The Washington Post. 19 April 2017. Web. 4 June 2018.

3"A Study in K–12 Facility Design." Facility Design. June 2016. Web. 4 June 2018.

4Baker, Lindsay and Bernstein, Harvey. "The Impact of School Buildings on Student Health and Performance." McGraw-Hill Research Foundation and The Center for Green Schools. Web. 4 June 2018.

5"A Study in K–12 Facility Design." Facility Design. June 2016. Web. 4 June 2018.

6Kats, Gregory. "Greening America’s Schools: Costs and Benefits." A Capital E Report. October 2006. Web. 4 June 2018.

7"2016 State of Facilities in Higher Education." Sightlines, a Gordian Company. Web. 4 June 2018.

8"How Classroom Design Affects Engagement." Steelcase. June 2014. Web. 4 June 2018.

9"Schools for Health: Foundations for Student Success." Healthy Buildings Program, Center for Health and the Global Environment, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Web. 4 June 2018.

10Althen, Aline. "State of our Schools: America’s K–12 Facilities." Center for Green Schools. USGBC. 23 March 2016. Web. 4 June 2018.

11Baker, Lindsay and Bernstein, Harvey. "The Impact of School Buildings on Student Health and Performance." McGraw-Hill Research Foundation and The Center for Green Schools. Web. 4 June 2018.

12Classroom Acoustics.” Acoustical Society of America. web. 4 June 2018.

13Acoustics in Schools.” Ceilings and Interiors Systems Construction Association. November 2009. Web. 4 June 2018.

14“National Survey of Public School Teachers.” Beth Schapiro & Associates. March 2001. Web. 4 June 2018.

15Acoustical Society of America, 2010

16Barnes, Suzanne R. "How to Make Business Decisions for Facility Flooring.” Symposium on Healthcare Design. 18 September 1999.


Layne Evans is a writer specializing in architecture, construction, the building industry, energy, and the environment. She has created more than 50 print and multimedia continuing education courses.

Sandra Soraci, EDAC, LEED AP, NCIDQ, IIDA, Marketing Leader, Education Solutions, nora systems, Inc., is an education specialist who champions a market smart approach in support of informed decision-making for nora systems, Inc.’s client partners. Flooring is the foundation of the built-environment, through education, partnering, research and support, Soraci provides actionable, measurable, and sustainable results that drives operational optimization and promotes health, safety, and wellness.

Benjamin Moore Interface is a world-leading modular flooring company with a fully integrated collection of carpet tiles and resilient flooring. Our modular system helps customers create interior spaces while positively impacting the people who use them and our planet. nora is Interface’s commercial rubber flooring systems and solutions brand. Produced in Germany for more than 65 years, nora premium rubber works to improve operations, efficiencies, health, safety, and wellness with sustainable flooring that eases maintenance, absorbs noise, and provides added comfort underfoot.

 

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Originally published in Architectural Record
Originally published in June 2018


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