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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 .

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