Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Low Maintenance Floors for Cleaner Air

  • 10/01/16
Low Maintenance Floors

The absence of fumes often associated with the application of flooring has positively impacted the well being of the maintenance staff, as well as students and teachers.

Christa McAuliffe Elementary School in Concord, N.H., is one of three new, futuristic elementary schools designed to meet the changing needs of 21st-century learning. Throughout the facility, norament grano rubber flooring supports a vision of open, collaborative, flexible and technology-integrated multi-use learning spaces.

“The facility is not only an elementary school, but also a community building that is heavily used before and after school for several town programs, such as the Boys & Girls Club,” says Matt Cashman, director of Facilities & Planning. “The durability and increased stain resistance — without the use of chemical cleaners or coatings — is a huge benefit realized by our district, when compared to our previous dealings with VCT.” The selection of nora flooring also helped the district meet Northeast-CHPS standards of sustainability.

“The elimination of coatings and chemicals has been a breath of fresh air, literally,” says Rusty Bonner, head custodian. The absence of fumes often associated with the application of these substances has positively impacted the well being of the maintenance staff, as well as students and teachers. “Just a few regular washes with little more than water erases any staining, allowing the floors to easily maintain their new appearance,” says Bonner. This is especially beneficial in spill-prone areas, including the cafeteria and art rooms. “It’s an easy-maintenance flooring,” says Bonner. “As a result, we can devote more time to cleaning alternate surfaces, such as glass.”

The rubber flooring also plays an important role where acoustics are concerned. Open project areas throughout the school, including an amphitheater, circular story room, reading nooks and spaces for small group work complemented by smartboards, benefit from the floor’s ability to attenuate unwanted ambient noise. Students and staff can better focus on listening and learning.

www.nora.com/us

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Texas District Breaks Ground on Second High School

    The Waller Independent School District in Waller, Texas, recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for what will become its second high school, according to a news release.

  • Northeastern University Breaks Ground on New Housing Community

    Northeastern University recently announced the groundbreaking of a new student housing community on its campus in Boston, Mass., according to a news release. The university is partnering with American Campus Communities (ACC) for development of the project, which will have the capacity for 1,200 students and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.

  • How a Portable Sink Helped an Art Classroom Run More Smoothly

    Classroom design decisions can have outsized effects on instructional time and safety at schools juggling mismatched infrastructure, strict budgets, and crowded schedules — particularly in the arts. Between spilled paint and dirty brushes, art classes run smoother with a sink in the studio. But many schools don’t have a sink in every art classroom.

  • Campus Safety Requires Using Every Resource Available

    Across the U.S., school and campus leaders are facing a security landscape that has changed dramatically over the past decade. Incidents on school property have increased in recent years, with several consecutive years setting record totals. According to analysis of data by CNN, dozens of shootings now occur on school grounds annually across K-12 and higher education environments.