The recent end of the school year will have brought joy to many. Pupils will have been delighted to have six weeks of leisure to look forward to, parents will have been packing their suitcases, teachers will have embarked on a much-needed break and no doubt some will be pleased that the lack of a school run makes the morning commute easier.
Besides that, those whose job is to maintain schools and other educational premises will have a different opportunity. Whereas some might revel in the idea of six weeks of holiday, others will be delighted to have a few weeks when the corridors and classrooms are empty and some serious maintenance work can be undertaken.
A Unique Opportunity For Maintenance
It is not just that the walls will need a lick of paint, new furnishings may be needed and some rewiring could be required in places. There is also the matter of the flooring. The school holidays offer the perfect opportunity for replacements where this is wearing thin.
Over the course of the school year, floors will not just have a myriad of things spilt on them from food and drink to nosebleeds and paints (hopefully just in the art rooms), but will also have to withstand heavy footfall, day after day, often at very high volumes in the corridors.
It is obvious, therefore, that any old flooring will not do. The surfaces used in school need to be as durable and hard-wearing as it gets, able to handle any amount of foot traffic, impacts and spills. Moreover, they need to do this on a large scale, given the extensive floor space that will be walked on.
The flooring products we stock include lines that are designed especially with these demands in mind.
The Brilliance Of Heckmondwike
UK carpet manufacturer Heckmondwike designs carpet ranges specifically with the heavy demands of schools in mind. Whether in the classroom, the library or on the stairs, they offer robust performance while still providing style and colour to help create attractive, user-friendly environments, instead of the austere and foreboding settings previous generations endured.
A prime example of this combination comes from the Heckmondwike Array carpet tiles, which come in 500 x 500 mm size. Made from robust 85 per cent polypropylene and 8.5 mm thick, these fibre-bonded tiles provide a tough floor with a ten-year warranty.
The array of colours is very wide, including various red, green, blue, black and purple shades, enabling you to find a tone that matches the colour scheme of the room.
While tiles can be ideal for some rooms, in others carpet planks are just the thing and Heckmondwike’s Supacord Heavy Contract Planks are the ideal product for this. At 7.6 mm thick it does not quite need to handle the heavy loads of the tiles, but measuring 1000 x 250 mm each, the planks are suited for large floor spaces and come in 42 colour options.
If you prefer 500 x 500 tiles, the same type of carpet surface can be provided by the Supacord heavy contract tiles.
Ribs And Hobnails
Other products in the range include the Broadrib Heavy Contract Carpet Tile. Unlike the Supacord, it has a more defined ribbed surface. A key feature of this is its acoustic properties, as it helps to quell noise. This can be enhanced further with acoustic backing. Once more it is available in many colours, has a ten-year warranty and is 8mm thick.
Not all schools have carpeted stairs, but where they are in place they have to be hard-wearing. That is exactly how the 8mm thick Hobnail Heavy Contract Carpet Tile is designed, with its diamond-effect texture.
Among the notable features of the Heckmondwike range is their BREEAM A+ environmental ratings. Although they are made of plastics like polypropylene and polyester, there is a strong focus on the use of recycled material in the manufacture of these carpets.
Other Carpet Options
Heckmondwike is not the only great source of carpets we offer for educational settings. CVT Direct Value Carpet Tiles offer another hard-wearing option. With 500 x 500 mm tiles made from 100 per cent polypropylene, these come in a 5.2 mm thick low-level loop pile with a choice of four patterns: charcoal, dark grey, light grey, blue and two transition designs.
These are best designed for places with lower footfall, so a staff room would be ideal; a place to relax and not be overstimulated by bright colours.
With lots of discounts available and a few free weeks in which you can get new carpets laid down in libraries, classrooms, staff rooms or the stairs, now could be the perfect time to act and ensure that when September rolls around, it won’t just be the uniforms that look new and fresh.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to get in touch with the CVT Direct team via our Contact Us page or give us a ring on 0345 121 1234.
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