How to Choose Flooring for School Settings

Every element of a school building is important for the well-being and comfort of the students and teachers spending the majority of their day in it. And the flooring is no different. Not every school has the budget to repair or replace the flooring every year, which is why investing in the right floors should be the priority from the start. However, choosing suitable flooring for a school can be a challenge since many factors are at play.

For one, the floors should be attractive to set an inspiring and motivating ambience. Also, the students should feel comfortable while walking around and the floor should be slip-resistant to prevent them from slipping and falling. Then, you need to consider the fact that the floors should be able to withstand a lot of traffic, chair and desk pulling, but also cleaning. And finally, you also want to pick a floor that’s soundproof to ensure a calming learning environment that promotes focus.

Floor Types That Are Best Suited for Classrooms

Vinyl Tiles

Vinyl is one of the best options for school floor tiles. It’s been used widely for decades. Vinyl flooring is one of the best choices because it’s easy to clean, antibacterial, waterproof and feels a bit softer underfoot than other flooring options and is shock-absorbent, which makes falling on it less painful.

The fact that it’s durable (with the right maintenance it can last up to twenty years) makes it perfect for areas with high traffic. Also, schools don’t often have the highest budgets, so vinyl can be a great cost-efficient solution. There are many types of vinyl floor coverings, but due to being available in all kinds of designs and being much easier to install, school floor tiles are the preferred choice.

Carpet Tiles

Carpet tiles are great for classrooms where the comfort and softness underfoot are much needed. This is why kindergarten and preschool classrooms often have carpet tiles. Young students can sit on the floor for a longer time, without feeling any discomfort. These tiles are also slip-resistant because they are installed directly on the subfloor. Carpet tiles are a great option for teachers as well; these people spend most of the day on their feet, and carpet tiles would make the long-standing more comfortable.

Laminate

This isn’t the most popular option nowadays as it was in the past. However, it’s inexpensive and resistant to damage, scratching and fading. Cleaning it is quite easy and doesn’t require any special care such as waxing. Not many schools choose it, but it’s still worth mentioning because it has more properties than disadvantages.

Flooring Considerations for the Other School Areas

Hallway

School hallways are places where children transit all day every day. The flooring must endure the thousands of steps, but also it should be water-resistant, as well as easy to clean at the end of the day. So, when it comes to hallway flooring, vinyl is the best choice. The flooring in such high traffic areas must be resilient and vinyl does a great job at that. Also, if you’re looking for a flooring material that can easily meet certain colour patterns that should please the school’s colours and aesthetic, then vinyl tiles will work an amazing job.

Cafeteria

School cafeterias are also exposed to high traffic, but also to the spilling of all kinds of liquids like water, milk, soda, juices and food. Here the floor should be stain-resistant and waterproof, easy to clean and should reduce the noise. That said, the best flooring for cafeterias are rubber tiles; Their soft surface and self-healing nature and sound absorbance are an excellent choice for a floor that more often than not will be exposed to spillages.

Gym

The gym requires flooring that will be able to meet the needs of numerous physical activities such as basketball, dance, weight machines, and so on. Vinyl is a suitable option for this school area as well. It’s affordable and comes in various colours and patterns (you can easily create a basketball or a tennis court with it). Any sports such as volleyball or basketball can be easily played on this floor. The shock-absorbent properties of this material will make any physical activity easy and comfortable. The fact that it can last up to two decades also makes it a pretty good option for the long run.

Bathrooms

These floors require frequent maintenance and are exposed to spillages and high traffic. A durable floor that won’t get damaged after a year or two should be the highest priority. Vinyl will save the day in this area as well. Its versatility and an endless amount of designs and patterns make this material a great option for bathrooms as well. It can resemble anything from stone, porcelain to marble and ceramic.
Vinyl doesn’t require polishing or extra effort for cleaning. It will not crack or damage even in the bathroom. In case it gets damaged, it is very easy to repair or replace (tile-by-tile).