Flooring for Safety

Is it possible to get students to stop running in halls? That’s not our expertise, but here is what we do know. It is possible to make floors safer in the event a student is rushing to class, running to catch up with friends or sprinting to the cafeteria on pizza day. Rubber flooring can help keep students safer and school environments healthier too.

How? Rubber flooring is slip-resistant and is available in sheet and tile, as well as stair treads for steps. The rubber surface is resilient and flexible so students and staff stay surefooted. Even when floors are wet from spills or snow and rain-soaked shoes and boots, they remain moisture resistant and very easy to clean. In some cases the profile is also available in an embossed round design for additional texture.

Safety isn’t just about slip resistance. When it comes to flooring there are hygiene and environmental health factors to consider. Many brands of rubber flooring are resistant to fungi and bacteria and are stain resistant; smoke and fire resistant, too. And this type of flooring can be a comprehensive healthy choice for materials in a facility because some rubber flooring is FloorScore certified, PVC free and has low VOC emissions. Finally, rubber flooring absorbs noise, providing excellent acoustical performance, critical in learning environments.

Slip-and-fall prevention, cleanliness, noise reduction and smart designs are all considerations facility planners and administrators must evaluate. Choosing flooring does not need to be complicated. Rubber flooring is available in a wide range of colors, patterns and profiles to deliver both performance and design for corridors, cafeterias, classrooms, science labs, stairwells and restrooms.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

About the Author

Kendall Speer Ellis is the Marketing manager for The Stonhard Group. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Myrtle Grove Elementary

    Phased Construction Keeps Students on Campus During Rebuild

    When Escambia County School District needed to replace most of Myrtle Grove Elementary School in Pensacola, Fla., it had three distinct challenges: honor the school's legacy in the community, bring state-of-the-art learning environments to the county, and be seamlessly built on the same site as the active school campus.

  • Spaces4Learning Announces 2026 Product Award Winners

    Spaces4Learning has just announced the winners of the 2026 Product Awards! The award program spotlights outstanding product development achievements of manufacturers and suppliers whose products or services are considered to be particularly noteworthy in their ability to enhance K–12 and higher-education learning environments.

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.

  • Girl Sitting at Library Desk, Using Laptop

    How Campus Design Shapes the Finals Week Experience

    Academic performance is not just about preparation. It is closely tied to how students manage stress, maintain their energy, and shift between work and recovery modes. Much of that is influenced, directly or indirectly, by design.