Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

How Rubber Flooring Impacts Life-Cycle Costs

  • By Tasha Hughes
  • 06/01/18

The demands placed on flooring in educational facilities are significant. Steady foot traffic and heavy rolling loads can quickly compromise a floor’s original beauty and integrity. With increasing pressure to lower operational expenses, many learning institutions are turning to Life-Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) to determine which flooring material offers the greatest durability and resilience, and how that directly translates to value and cost savings. Rubber flooring has proven to be a leader in this category. Here’s why:

  • Installation
    Rubber flooring with a self-adhesive backing can be installed directly over an existing floor. It has fewer seams with less cutting and joint sealing, resulting in faster turn-times reducing your timeline by up to half.
  • Durability
    The extremely dense surface of rubber flooring can withstand the pressure of heavy loads and is highly resistant to liquid spills and harsh chemicals.
  • Maintenance
    Flooring maintenance can account for 75 to 90 percent of total cost over the product’s projected lifespan. Premium rubber flooring has a nonporous surface that inherently repels stains and can be cleaned with little more than water. Unlike other resilient flooring, rubber’s uncoated surface means the floor never needs to be stripped and resealed.
  • Sustainability
    Rubber flooring is naturally sourced and has a low-VOC rating, contributing to a healthier environment and improved indoor air quality (IAQ) for students and staff alike.

Premium rubber flooring has significant impact on total cost of ownership. Using LCCA during flooring specification helps schools lower expenses long-term while increasing the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff.

This article originally appeared in the School Planning & Management June 2018 issue of Spaces4Learning.

About the Author

Tasha Hughes is a marketing specialist, PR, for nora systems, Inc. (www.nora.com/us). She can be reached at [email protected] or 800-332/NORA.

Featured

  • Year-Round Schools Require Year-Round Indoor Air Quality Planning

    While many schools are out for the summer, year-round schools follow a more “balanced” schedule with shorter, more frequent breaks spaced throughout the school year. Even though this offers educational benefits, these facilities have less downtime for building maintenance. This can become an issue when facilities managers overlook the importance of routine HVAC maintenance and air duct cleaning services.

  • Johns Hopkins Starts Construction on New Residence Hall, Dining Facility

    The Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., recently began construction on a new residence hall and dining facility, according to university news. The work involves demolishing the existing Alumni Memorial Residence Hall I, which was built in 1923, to make room for the new facility.

  • St. John Fisher University

    Classroom Revitalization – Basil Hall Room 216

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. St. John Fisher University's Basil Hall Room 216 Classroom Revitalization has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of Spaces.

  • 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.