Hot Tips (Rubber Flooring)

Simplify Maintenance with Rubber Flooring

• By Tasha Hughes
• December 1st, 2016

Maintaining floor coverings throughout educational facilities can be challenging. Floors in these buildings are subject to a variety of uses. Foot traffic is significant and opportunities for staining numerous. Rubber flooring offers a solution that simplifies maintenance. Here’s why:

• Rubber flooring is a sustainable material made from natural and synthetic rubber. The floor’s dense, homogeneous surface repels dirt while resisting staining. As a result, the floor stays clean longer and can be maintained with little more than water.
• The dense surface does not absorb water, chemicals and other liquid spills, which makes for easy cleanup, while minimizing the potential for slips.
• Rubber flooring never requires waxing, labor-intensive stripping or the application of sealants, saving valuable time and the costs of purchasing wax and sealants.
• Maintenance is far less intrusive, because groups of students do not need to be moved from areas for extended periods of time while floors are cleaned and waxes are stripped, re-applied and allowed to dry.
• Scheduling maintenance is easier because large areas do not need to be closed for lengthy periods of time. For the same reason, maintenance is not restricted to holiday and summer breaks.
• The resiliency of rubber flooring makes it easier to move equipment and furniture. It also ensures the comfort of housekeeping staff, protecting against muscle fatigue and aching backs, legs and feet.

In addition to these maintenance benefits, rubber flooring offers a variety of performance features and the durability that make it an attractive long-term investment for schools.

This article originally appeared in the December 2016 issue of School Planning & Management.