EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES: MORE THAN JUST CLASSROOMS AND LIBRARIES
Think about a school. What do you see? Classrooms, libraries, gymnasiums? These high-profile areas of an educational facility are important, but behind-the-scenes spaces like bathrooms, shower rooms, and locker rooms, are just as consequential and their design is perhaps even more so when it comes to safety and hygiene. Neglecting these high-traffic rooms can put students at risk and also hurt your budget due to costly and inefficient maintenance.
Important Features and Key Considerations for Washrooms and Locker Rooms:
Surface Texture – Having a floor that offers maximum slip resistance on wet surfaces is vital to ensure your students and employees are safe. Furthermore, by minimizing these potential injuries, you reduce liabilities that may harm the institution.
High Tensile and Compressive Strength – Washrooms and locker room floors are exposed to heavy foot traffic five days a week. You need a floor that is formulated to be long lasting with the necessary properties to resist wear and impact. Choosing the right floor will save you from having to deal with broken or cracked substrates, leading to unattractive, unsafe floors that are much harder to clean.
Seamless – While tile is a common choice for these areas, it is important to recognize the shortcomings that come with it – the most important being, sanitation. Floors that are not seamless, such as ceramic tile, welcome bacteria by trapping dirt in joints and absorbing contaminated liquids in its grout bed. Seamless resin flooring solves this problem. Your maintenance staff will rejoice over the easy and speedy cleaning procedures and your students will enjoy attractive floors that offer the ultimate hygienic solution.
Chemical Resistant – Frequent, thorough cleaning procedures are a necessity for school bathrooms and locker rooms. Unfortunately, a byproduct is floor deterioration due to harsh chemicals found within most cleaning products. With a chemical-resistant flooring system, you’ll benefit from long-lasting resistance to harmful enzyme attacks. An investment in a chemical-resistant flooring system can offer you long-term savings and attractive floors for many years to come.
Decorative Blends & Custom Design – Just because washrooms and locker rooms are considered private areas, does not mean they should be overlooked in terms of design. Your educational facility should emulate a refined sense of style inside and out, from front to back. Did you know you can incorporate school colors or even your mascot logo into your locker room floor? It’s a fantastic way to celebrate school spirit and pump up your athletic teams.
Stonhard can help you select the best flooring system for your needs. Our Stonshield flooring systems offer formulations specific to school washrooms and locker rooms. Slip resistant, chemical resistant and easy to clean, Stonshield has with aesthetic appeal and design flexibility –an ideal floor for this application. To learn more about Stonhard’s seamless flooring systems for Educational facilities, click here.