Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

How Rubber Flooring Impacts Costs

  • By Tasha Hughes
  • 06/01/18

From classrooms to hallways, steady foot traffic and heavy rolling loads can quickly compromise a floor’s original beauty and integrity. With pressure to lower operational expenses, many institutions are turning to lifecycle cost analysis (LCCA) to determine which flooring material offers the greatest durability and resilience over the lifetime of the product, 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. The cost of installation (including labor and materials) varies greatly between flooring products. 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 dense surface of rubber flooring can withstand the pressure of heavy loads, dragging desks and chairs, and is resistant to liquid spills and harsh chemicals. This level of ultra-durability is able to support a facility for decades.

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 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 institutions lower expenses long-term while increasing the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff.

This article originally appeared in the College 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

  • Architectural Power for the Modern Campus Landscape

    For generations, an outdoor classroom only required a textbook and a patch of grass. Today, not only has the laptop replaced the printed pages, the rise of agile learning has turned campuses into study halls with students listening to lectures and researching topics from quads, gardens, and plazas. The challenge for architects and facility managers is to provide connectivity without cluttering the landscape with visual eyesores or creating safety hazards with extension cords.

  • 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.

  • Sam Houston State University Completes Athletic Stadium Renovations

    Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, recently announced the reopening of Elliott T. Bowers Stadium after an extensive renovation project, according to a news release. The university partnered with Stantec and DLR Group for the project’s design.

  • Colorado School District Breaks Ground on Unified PK–12 Campus

    The Haxtun School District No. Re-2J in Haxtun, Colo., recently announced that ground has been broken on a renovation/addition project that will unite its two schools, Haxtun Elementary and Haxtun Jr/Sr High School, according to a news release.