Healthcare Floors Ease Installation And Upkeep

Retrofi tting Schools Achieves Better ute to a productive learning environment. Third, Low-hanging fruit Energy Effi ciency And Air Quality LEED certifi cation is in higher demand than ever There are some simple ways to help improve The issue of America’s aging schools and the before. conditions such as air quality and acoustics— potential impact that subpar conditions may It often is less expensive to build a new shown to affect students’ test scores—with have on students has been a popular topic of school than renovate an existing building. minimal investment and interruption. Due discussion in the past decade. During a teleBecause building codes, including the adoption of to lack of funding, many schools have been vised appeal for his Jobs Act in October 2011, more stringent rules regarding lead and asbestos forced to cut back on janitorial support. This President Barack Obama addressed the issue abatement, have changed so much over the past means floors are not cleaned as regularly, of the nation’s crumbling schools head on. few decades, anything beyond simple retrofi ts which can be a big issue, especially in envi“There’s no heat in the winter or air conditionmay require an expensive demolition (overseen ronments outfitted with carpet flooring. Dust, ing in the summer. In some of the schools, the by a certifi ed, licensed asbestos-abatement dirt, and carpet fibers travel through the air, ventilation is so poor it can make students clogging air filters and compromising the c sick,” he said. “How do we expect our kids to do their very best in a situation like Getting Involved quality of ventilation. Changing the air filters and moving away from high-mainq that? Every child deserves a great school.” According to many sources, the F or professionals looking to become involved in school improvements philanthropically, there are plenty of tenance carpeting can significantly help improve air quality. t average public school is more than 40 years opportunities. In the past decade, a number of organizations The lack of inadequate insulation—in old—a great concern, since structures built before about 1978 are most likely to have sprung up to work toward improving the state of public walls, around pipes, and in HVAC airhandling ducts—causes energy ineffi ciency w h contain potentially hazardous materials. schools across the country: and noise pollution, which are detrimental a Brightenalife.org, a non-profi t organization based in Scottsdale, AZ, and dedicated in • The Green Schoolhouse Series to learning. Many schools choose to forego insulation in these areas due to budgetary t part to improving learning environments www.greenschoolhouseseries.org constraints, but adding insulation to these c in underfunded communities, attributes • IAQ Design Tools for Schools ducts is a key component of any school d more than 10 million missed school days www.epa.gov/iaq/schooldesign/portables.html and remodel. It reinforces the purpose of the each year to environmental conditions, www.epa.gov/iaq/schooldesign/controlling.html structure: to provide a quiet, productive s which can include poor indoor-air quality, ventilation issues, and mold. Furthermore, • National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities place for students to learn. Re-insulating or simply adding more p the organization reports that energy www.ncef.org/green-schools insulation will save heating and cooling ineffi ciencies cost the average school about • Allergy Clean Environments costs for a return on investment in the long c $100,000 each year—money that could be allergyclean.com/news/freshairimprovestestscores.htm run and a better classroom environment. better spent on teachers and materials. The growing visibility of these • 21st Century School Fund Mold mitigation M problems has created a movement to www.21csf.org What can be done about other hazardous W achieve greater energy effi ciency and • Coalition for Better Buildings conditions, such as mold? If mold is identifi ed, c air quality in schools. In 2007, Hands On www.c4bb.org a professional must address the problem ima Schools, an organization through the Hands On Network, Atlanta, launched a • Brighten a Life mediately. Installing inexpensive hygrometers to monitor humidity levels, which should be t two-year program to renovate 100 schools brightenalife.org/areas.html kept below 50% by adequate HVAC systems, is k nationwide with a partnership with The • Hands On Network an effective way to prevent the development a Home Depot, Atlanta. In 2010, ABC’s www.handsonnetwork.org of mold. Another precautionary measure o “Extreme Makeover Home Edition” aired is to ensure the structure’s roof is properly two special episodes in which volunteers Those inspired to create a school renovation program or maintained, and to promptly make necessary renovated seven schools with serious volunteer to make a change in their own community might repairs. safety and sanitation concerns. consider attending The National Conference on Volunteering Another effective way to improve air

However, the overwhelming number and Service, held in Chicago, June 18 to 20, 2012. quality is to cut down on off gassing. Using q of schools don’t benefi t from volunteer fi nishes and materials that are low in volatile support from grassroots organizations, organic compounds (VOCs) can reduce the o rescue teams, or the grant funds offered by major specialist), followed by a major remodel or number of toxins. legislation. Perhaps the most important step addition to ensure that new codes are met. Contractors wishing to bid on such school these schools can take is selecting contractors Of course, starting from scratch is not projects may fi nd it helpful to highlight LEED who are experienced in addressing their unique always a practical solution or even an option. In and other green certifi cations. In addition, needs. That’s where you come in. addition to the time requirements, there is the demonstrating depth of knowledge about issue of fi nding a temporary school location (if subsidies and rebate programs may offer a Dealing with the issues the existing structure is to be demolished) and competitive advantage and commitment to There are several integral considerations for this the commitment to tackling the entire project return on investment. type of project. First, recognize that there will be in one fell swoop, which requires resources cost limitations that may prohibit using the most upfront. In those cases, retrofi tting will allow the Richard Gebhart is technical cost-effective or fastest approach to the project. school to approach the improvement process manager for commercial-industrial Second, it’s function over form, as greater priority slowly to spread out costs and avoid displacing products at Owens Corning, is given to aspects of the structure that contribstudents during the renovation process. Toledo, OH.

Modern fl ooring’s color options and design versatility for healthcare settings belie the exceptional durability it offers.

Flooring in healthcare facilities is the Rubik’s Cube of challenges for designers and facility managers. Several factors have to line up. Flooring must be hygienic, easy to clean, stain-resistant, and able to withstand heavy foot traffi c and the transport of medical equipment. In addition, a good fl oor should help reduce noise, thereby improving patient sleep quality; be comfortable for staff who must stand and walk on it for extended periods of time; and offer vibrant patterns and colors to make an area cheerful and light, and even help patients’ (and employees’) states of mind. Until recently, however, aligning these qualities was virtually impossible. Recent innovations in the vinyl-fl ooring industry have made it possible to meet the challenges and are now providing healthcare facilities with some of the strongest, most hygienic, and aesthetically pleasing fl oors on the market. Products such as luxury vinyl tile (LVT), which create warmth and home-like environments, are in demand with vertical click-to-install systems, favored for their ease of installation. The specification of bio-based flooring is on the rise as healthcare designers look for ways to improve patient experiences and the environment. Perhaps the most compelling innovation in vinyl flooring for healthcare settings, however, is the development of new surface

Luxury vinyl tile and bio-based sheet-vinyl fl ooring provide designers and facility managers unrivaled beauty and durability.

Catherine Del Vecchio, Gerfl or USA

treatments that provide the ultimate protection against daily hospital foot traffic.

Growing popularity of LVT

LVT has become a designer favorite because it offers all of the benefi ts of a resilient fl oor, while providing an array of design options. The quality of wood and tile design reproduction makes it extremely realistic and allows creation of an environment that would be impossible with actual wood or ceramic. For example, pairing ceramic tile with existing wood fl ooring is challenging since the fl oors have different thicknesses and require different installation methods. LVT designs are more resistant than ceramic tiles, which can break, but also provide greater warmth and comfort underfoot than ceramic.

With LVT, designers can easily create unique environments by mixing wood u plank and tile designs to achieve a seamless p transition from waiting-room areas to t lobbies. They can create pathways by l mixing both products, which allows easy m wayfi nding through hospitals or other large w healthcare spaces. h

A big trend in LVT is the click system. While most LVT click systems are s designed for residential and semi-contract d applications, they are not recommended for a high-traffi c applications such as healthcare h environments. Always look for a system that e is built for high traffi c, contains a fi berglass i grid, and offers a vertical click system that is g 100% water-resistant.

LVT wood-plank design modularity is another advancement of which facility managers can take advantage. The modularity allows removal of individual planks in one area when repair is necessary, unlike laminate and traditional wood where it’s diffi cult to remove individual areas. LVT with a vertical click locking system can also be replaced much more easily because it fl oats on top of the subfl oor rather than being entirely glued. Lengthy replacement times interrupt daily operations in hospitals or long-term healthcare facilities and thus, quick fl ooring replacement is crucial.

LVT is also a nice alternative to laminate fl ooring because laminate can be very noisy. In healthcare environments, reduced noise levels are directly related to a patient’s comfort and