Rubber flooring aces school standards for maintenance

by Katie Daniel | December 8, 2016 10:23 am

by Tasha Hughes
Selecting floor coverings for education facilities can be a difficult decision, due to the various demands placed on them and the multiple options available. Just as important in the decision-making process are the maintenance requirements of the chosen floor covering, especially when cleaning costs can account for as much as 80 to 90 percent of the cost of a floor over the lifetime of the product.

There are seemingly endless flooring options available, including:

• vinyl;
• rubber;
• hardwood;
• laminate;
• bamboo;
• tile;
• stone;
• terrazzo; and
• carpet.

What makes some floors easier to maintain than others? Much has to do with the surface of the floor. Floors with open pores and rough surfaces provide multiple opportunities for dirt and bacteria to collect. Some manufacturers provide protection from this in the form of a polymer coating, which may need to be renewed depending on how heavily the floor is used and how frequently it is cleaned. Replacing the polymer requires complete stripping and reapplication of the coating.

Rubber flooring, with its nonporous surface, provides an attractive alternative. This sustainable floor covering is made from both synthetic rubber and renewable, natural rubber extracted from the sap of the tropical rubber tree. Depending on the manufacturer, the product may also contain natural fillers to supplement the high-quality natural and industrial rubber. It may also include environmentally compatible color pigments free of lead and other heavy metals.

Rubber flooring repels dirt
Rubber flooring’s dense, homogenous surface helps repel dirt while resisting stains. As a result, the floor tends to stay clean longer and can be maintained with regular dust mopping. The floor’s natural density also allows it to stand up to water, chemical, and other liquid spills without absorbing them. In a busy education center, spills are bound to happen, whether in the form of cafeteria beverages, break room coffees, art class supplies, or science lab chemicals. These spills can be cleaned up quickly, minimizing the potential for slips.

When deeper cleaning is required, a mop and tap water are often sufficient. One manufacturer also offers a cost-effective and sustainable cleaning system combining water and scrubbing pads designed for all levels of maintenance needs, from the periodic cleaning of small spaces to more intense post-construction cleaning.

No-wax finish
Perhaps the best news for facility managers is rubber flooring never requires waxing, labor-intensive stripping, or the application of sealants. This saves a significant amount of time when it comes to maintaining the floors, minimizing not only cleaning time, but also the wait for irritating fumes to dissipate, and for wax to dry. Additionally, maintenance for this style of flooring is far less invasive than others, because groups of students do not need to be moved from areas for extended periods of time while floors are cleaned and waxes are applied and allowed to dry. Even emergency spills can be cleaned up quickly without needing to move students in fear of compromising the air they breathe.

Additionally, it becomes easier to schedule floor cleaning when rubber flooring is used, because these large areas do not need to be closed for long periods of time. Stripping and waxing of other resilient floor coverings is typically completed over summer months or during winter breaks when school is not in session. This requires the additional cost of running the HVAC system to regulate the facilities’ temperature in order to keep staff comfortable and meet the needs of the stripping and waxing protocol. This process also entails additional training and labor hours—either a large team getting the job done quickly or a few employees completing the task over a longer time span. Rubber flooring, on the other hand, can be cleaned while school is in session. Additionally, staff is free to tackle other jobs throughout a building or campus during these off times.

As hours and manpower are reduced, so are maintenance expenses. Rubber floor’s cleaning regimen does not require waxes, sealants, strippers, or harsh cleaning products—further reducing expenses. To put this in perspective, the cost of stripping and waxing supplies to coat a floor can range from $1.60 to $10.76 per m² ($0.15 to $1.00 per sf) or more depending on the condition of the floor. When annual coating costs exceed what is expected and the life of the floor is factored in, the seemingly cheaper initial cost per m² (sf) of a non-rubber floor skyrockets.

The absence of sealants and cleaning agents also supports sustainability goals by contributing to improved indoor air quality (IAQ). The often distracting and irritating scent of chemical cleaners is no longer a problem, allowing for a more pleasant working environment for students and staff.

Slip resistance enhances safety
Maintenance staff will also appreciate the slip-resistant properties of rubber, given they often work on wet floors. This will also be beneficial for students, teachers, and visitors walking down corridors and stairwells and through classrooms and cafeterias. Slip-resistant rubber floors exceed Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, greatly reducing likelihood of falls. Should one occur, the resilience of rubber flooring cushions it, reducing the chance of serious injury. This feature is most appealing to those working with young children, where falls are expected as children run down hallways and around corners.

Moving equipment and furniture across the floor without leaving scuff marks or indentations can be done quickly and easily. Rubber flooring’s low resistance to wheeled equipment also reduces the possibility of over-exertion.

Hard flooring surfaces can cause fatigue and negatively impact the performance of those standing for long periods of time, while softer, more cushioned rubber flooring helps prevent muscle fatigue and aching backs, legs, and feet. Its content and structure make rubber especially resilient, easing the stress of walking and standing.

Rubber supports learning environment
As rubber floor supports a simple maintenance regimen, it also helps create an environment conducive to learning. In addition to contributing comfort underfoot and slip resistance, rubber’s closed, dirt-resistant surface inhibits the growth of bacteria, making rubber flooring naturally bacteriostatic and fungistatic. This important feature helps promote health and safety in schools by preventing infection—especially important in elementary schools, where children tend to spend more time sitting on the floor.

Many rubber floors are free of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic and therefore also the risks associated with chemical leaching during its manufacture. Rubber flooring does not generate any hydrochloric acid, dioxins, or furans, or contain plasticizers (phthalate) or halogens (e.g. chlorine).

Some versions are even GreenGuard Gold Certified for low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions.

Rubber flooring also reduces sound associated with

• the hum of technology and mechanical systems;
• student conversations;
• hallway noise;
• opening or closing of doors;
• adjacent classrooms;
• activity centers;
• weather;
• traffic;
• construction; and
• maintenance activities.

This is important for teachers delivering lectures and students listening to instructors or concentrating on work.

The durability inherent in rubber flooring also contributes to the floor’s lifespan, which can be as long as 30 years. This represents a major long-term cost advantage for school districts, as they will not have to replace or discard worn materials for up to three decades.

Rubber flooring also provides an opportunity to incorporate wayfinding in hallways, as well as school mascots, logos, and educational tools.

Conclusion
Each of these properties reinforces the decision to incorporate rubber floor coverings in education facilities. However, none are as important as the maintenance benefits rubber offers throughout its long life cycle. Reduced labor, materials, and maintenance time—as well as other important performance properties—contribute to a safe, healthy, and attractive learning environment.

RUBBER FLOORING TACKLES MAINTENANCE CHALLENGES AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY

Located in the heart of New York State, Syracuse University is a private institution that traces its heritage to 1870. Dumping approximately 2540 mm (100 in.) of snow on the campus each year, the bitterly cold Syracuse winters give the university’s 21,000 students plenty of opportunities for skiing, snowboarding, and sledding on nearby mountains. However, these winters also challenge those responsible for maintaining the school’s 22 residence halls. “Our biggest challenge is the winters and dealing with the snow and salt—keeping the salt down outside, but minimizing the trailing effect inside,” says Robert J. Spagnoletti, manager of maintenance at the university. Charged with keeping dormitories comfortable, safe, and up-to-date, Spagnoletti and his team searched for a floor covering that could stand up not only to heavy foot traffic, but also to wet snow and salt residue. Just as importantly, the floor also needed to offer a simple maintenance regimen. The search led the school to rubber flooring. Seven years after installation, these floors are continuing to perform beyond expectations in the entryways, corridors, common areas, and stairwells of busy residence halls. “The versatility of the floor lends itself to many different spaces,” says Spagnoletti, “and it performs in all of them, functionally and aesthetically.” As an example, Spagnoletti points to the transformation of dormitory stairwells. “The stairwells were previously concrete with a tread,” he says. “The way the [rubber] all-in-one stair tread piece fit over the existing steps was just perfect. Installation was simple and easy, dealing with one piece. The stairs don’t look industrial any longer; they just look nice, and the rubber adds an element of safety.” Spagnoletti admits rubber flooring’s easy maintenance regimen, which eliminates the need for stripping and applying coatings and wax, played a key role in its selection. In fact, the floor has performed so efficiently in combatting snow and salt trailing, the maintenance team is using spare tiles as walk-off pads for elevators during the winter. Others are sharing Spagnoletti’s enthusiasm regarding the rubber flooring. “We’re getting strong support from our directors,” he reports. “They see the areas where [rubber] has been installed and are happy with how it has worked. That’s really cool for the entire facilities team, because the directors aren’t pressuring us to put down new product that requires us to go through the process of trying and testing products again.”

Tasha Hughes is a public relations and marketing specialist for nora systems, an international rubber flooring manufacturer dedicated to developing premium flooring solutions for a variety of commercial markets, including healthcare, education, industry, life science labs, and public buildings. She can be reached via e-mail at tasha.hughes@nora.com[1].

Source URL: https://www.constructionspecifier.com/rubber-flooring-aces-school-standards-for-maintenance/

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