Flooring Stands up to Harsh Conditions

hallway flooring

nora flooring has proven its ability to stand up to high traffic volume and harsh winters at Syracuse University.

Founded in 1870, Syracuse University in New York educates a student body of approximately 21,000 each year. With 70 percent of students living in the school’s 22 residence halls, the team overseeing housing has much to consider as they work to keep dormitories comfortable, safe and up-to-date.

Searching for a floor covering that could stand up to high-volume traffic and the brutal Syracuse winters, while offering a streamlined maintenance routine, the team selected nora rubber flooring to cover dorm entrance areas, corridors, common spaces and stairwells. Over the past seven years, the floor has outperformed expectations. “The versatility of nora lends itself to many different spaces,” says Robert J. Spagnoletti, manager of maintenance.

Spagnoletti offers an example of the transformation that has taken place in dorm stairwells. “The stairwells were previously concrete with a tread,” he says. “The way the nora all-in-one stair tread piece fits over the existing steps was just perfect. Installation was simple and easy, dealing with one piece. The stairs don’t look industrial any longer; they just look nice, and the rubber adds an element of safety.”

The floor’s easy maintenance regimen, which eliminates the use of coatings and wax, played a key role in the selection of rubber flooring. “That was a main driving factor,” says Spagnoletti. “We found a good product that we don’t have to wax and strip.” Since its installation, the nonporous rubber flooring has proven it can stand up to anything and deliver on performance.

“Our biggest challenge is the winters and dealing with the snow and salt, keeping the salt down outside, but minimizing the trailing effect inside,” Spagnoletti shares. The flooring has performed so efficiently that the maintenance team is using spare tiles of nora as walk-off pads for elevators during the winter.

“We’re getting strong support from all of our directors. They see the areas where nora has been installed and are happy with how it’s worked,” Spagnoletti says.

nora.com/us

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Image credit: O

    Strategic Campus Assessment: Moving Beyond Reactive Maintenance in Educational Facilities

    While campuses may appear stable on the surface, building systems naturally evolve over time, and proactive assessment can identify developing issues before they become expensive emergencies. The question isn't whether aging educational facilities need attention. It's how institutions can transition from costly reactive maintenance to strategic asset management in a way that protects both budgets and communities.

  • ClassVR headsets

    Avantis Education Revamps Hardware for ClassVR Solution

    Avantis Education recently announced the launch of two new headsets for its flagship educational VR/AR solution, ClassVR. According to a news release, the Xcelerate and Xplorer headsets expand the company’s offerings into higher education while continuing to meet the evolving needs of K–12 users.

  • Los Angeles City College Breaks Ground on New Administration, Workforce Building

    Los Angeles City College (LACC) in Los Angeles, Calif., recently broke ground on a new $72-million administrative facility, according to a news release. The Cesar Chavez Administration and Workforce Building will stand four stories, cover 67,230 square feet, and play home to a wide variety of the school’s educational and administrative services.

  • A university

    Breaking Higher Education's Billion-Dollar Backlog Problem

    Strategic mechanical system design can transform campus maintenance backlogs. Here's how.

Digital Edition