Education flooring in Coventry for learning success
Schools and colleges need to look great to attract students. Fantastic education flooring makes schools look modern, safe, and inspiring places for children to attend. E&M Services has been installing school floor products for decades. Yet, we maintain our flair for offering a little extra to help your school stand out.
Young children love bright colours, shapes, and designs on classroom floors. Senior schools want to look cutting edge and ‘grown up.’ Colleges need to look modern and professional. That’s why we offer a variety of products for all education spaces, including schools, universities, colleges, and nurseries.
Our school flooring Coventry service offers various floor coverings to transform your school. You can also benefit from our reception desk and refurbishment service to transform your reception area.
Why does flooring matter in schools?
- Durable – given the high traffic that these premises experience, floors must withstand wear and tear over a long period.
- Safety – slip-resistant and fire-resistant helps to reduce health and safety risks to students and staff.
- Comfort – feels comfortable underfoot as staff and students will be standing for long periods of time.
- Acoustics – some choices can help to reduce noise levels, creating more conducive learning spaces.
- Maintenance – a floor that is easy to clean and maintain reduces long-term costs and effort.
- Aesthetics – aesthetics enhance learning and create a welcoming space.
Why the right choice of flooring is important
Choosing the right flooring for schools is essential as it affects the learning space, safety, comfort, and students’ learning experience. There are several factors why the right choice is important:
Prevents accidents
Accidents can be a large risk in education settings, with some areas more prone to accidents. Your choice affects the risk of slips, trips, and falls. For example, opting for a slip-resistance option in a bathroom can prevent slips. Safety flooring can be an ideal choice in these rooms. This helps to create a much safer environment for students and staff alike. It’s also beneficial for classrooms where young children sit, crawl, or play on the floor.
Saves costs
A significant constraint for many education premises is cost. That’s why opting for long-term solutions that will withstand the daily hard wear and tear is vital. Aside from lasting longer, it also reduces the need for repairs and replacements, disruptions, and high costs.
Improves comfort
The right choice can also improve the comfort of learning spaces. Harder surfaces, like wood or tile, will be much less comfortable and will increase noise levels causing distractions to learning. In comparison, softer floors can be much more suitable for learning spaces. It helps to create a calming learning atmosphere and reduces noise levels and minimises distractions.
Provides an aesthetic learning environment
Aesthetics play a crucial role in the effectiveness of a learning environment. A classroom that is much more appealing will have much more positive effects on students. Students’ mood, engagement, and overall learning experience are improved. Choice plays a significant role in the overall aesthetics of a learning space. It creates a welcoming and inspiring environment that is conducive to learning, as well as:
- Improves focus and attention
- Encourages positive mood and behaviour
- Enhances creativity and inspiration
- Supports cognitive development
- Promotes a sense of belonging and ownership
Flooring options for schools
Carpet tiles
Carpet tiles for schools are among the most popular commercial options. You can benefit most from the durable properties of carpet tiles. Their durable nature helps them stand up against high traffic.
Carpet tiles come in pre-cut carpet squares, either slotted together or installed using an adhesive. This makes changing damaged tiles much easier than replacing the entire floor should damage occur.
Tiles of different sizes allow for greater flexible and bespoke design. There are several reasons why carpet tiles still hold up as an ideal choice for schools, including:
- Durable
- Versatile
- Cost-effective
- Easy maintenance and install
One of the leading carpet tile brands we install is Burmatex. Burmatex carpet tiles offer a range of unique and stylish designs. This makes them ideal for creating unique learning spaces to improve learning.
Discover more about Burmatex carpet tiles.
Vinyl flooring
Vinyl flooring is another option for schools. While it may be flexible and thin, it’s also slip-resistant and hard-wearing. This is because the process of making it involves several layers to provide high quality vinyl.
Layers include a backing, middle solid vinyl, design, and top protective layers. Another benefit is that it mimics the designs of natural options, such as wood. It’s also easy to maintain and keep clean.
Natural designs have positive mental effects, helping to reduce stress levels by up to 60%. Natural designs can also boost attention and improve mood. Various natural design choices and durable properties make vinyl ideal.
You can also choose luxury vinyl tiles (LVT). While LVT may look like vinyl, it provides some unique benefits that set it apart. Its soundproofing acoustic properties make it much quieter to walk on helps with sound reduction. Some brands also reduce noise levels by up to 80db.
Linoleum
Linoleum is another option for schools that is ideal for use in sports halls. Sports premises, such as gyms, use linoleum for its durable properties. Linoleum is suitable for various sports thanks to its multi-purpose nature.
Linoleum’s top selling point is its durable nature and long-term lifespan. It can last up to 50 years with proper care and maintenance. There’s also a wide range of colours, patterns, and styles to customise for your school needs.
Made from natural ingredients, linoleum is also slip-resistant. You can also choose a cushioned option for better sports performance and safety. This also helps to minimise the risk of injury from falls. Due to its softness, it also reduces noise levels making it ideal for sports.
Rubber flooring
Rubber flooring is another option for play areas and sports halls. As these areas will experience a lot of high pressure from daily use, they require something that can withstand such daily usage.
Rubber is an ideal choice for these spaces, whether it’s heavy sporting equipment, children’s play toys, or sports. It’s durable, easy to clean, and has slip-resistant properties. Its chemical-resistant properties also make it ideal for school science labs to create a safe learning space.
Due to the waterproof properties and easiness of cleaning, rubber floors can also be used in kitchens and science rooms. As these areas are at high risk of spillages, rubber allows for easy cleaning without the worry of water damage.
The longer lifetime value and its sound-limiting properties also are top factors for choosing rubber for schools. In some cases, the floor can last for up to 20 years, making it a great choice for high-spill and high-usage areas.
Barrier mats
At E&M Services, we also offer a range of barrier mat solutions. While often overlooked, barrier mats are important in protecting your interior floors. Barrier mats also reduce dirt and moisture brought in underfoot from outside.
You can choose from a range of barrier mats, including fixed, throwdown, outdoor, and custom. Opting for barrier mats for your school offers several benefits, including:
- Improved safety.
- Reduced cleaning and easy to maintain.
- Durable.
- Cost-effective.
- Improve atmosphere and aesthetics.
Flooring suggestions for different areas
Classrooms and libraries
Best choice: Carpet tile or vinyl.
Factors: Comfort, aesthetics, and durable.
Science labs and workshops
Best choice: Rubber.
Factors: chemical resistance, durable, and ease of cleaning.
Sports halls and play areas
Best choice: linoleum or rubber.
Factors: shock absorbent, durable, and slip-resistant.
Hallways and student areas
Best choice: carpet tiles.
Factors: durable, versatile, and easy to clean and maintain.
Kitchens and canteens
Best choice: linoleum.
Factors: water-resistant, slip-resistant, hygienic, and easy to clean.
Top school flooring factors
With so many different options for schools, how can you decide on the right one for you? Here are some of the top factors when picking floors for your school premises:
Safety
- Impact absorption for sport and play areas to minimise injuries.
- Slip resistance to minimise the risk of accidents in spill-prone areas, such as canteens and toilets.
- Fire-resistant materials to enhance student and staff safety in the event of an emergency.
Durable
- High-foot traffic to withstand the excessive daily foot traffic without causing excessive wear and tear.
- Wear and tear resistance by choosing an option that doesn’t scratch, dent, or stain, to ensure the floor looks better and lasts longer.
Acoustics
- Noise reduction to minimise the noise levels in classrooms and study spaces, to create a conducive learning space.
Cleaning
- Ease of cleaning to ensure hygienic and healthy areas while lowering cleaning costs.
- Low maintenance that requires little upkeep in cost and cleaning.
Comfort
- Underfoot comfort for areas where students and staff will stand for long periods so that the cushioning reduces fatigue and discomfort.
Aesthetics
- Visual appeal to ensure classrooms and learning spaces enhance the school while making spaces inviting and engaging for learning.
- Design choice by opting for custom designs or a design tailored to your school/classroom needs.
Cost-effective
- Budget by opting for a choice that works with schools’ limited budget while providing long-term value. Important to balance quality with cost, factoring in the initial cost and long-term value.
- Lifecycle cost by factoring in the cost over its lifespan, including installation, maintenance, and repairs.
Eco-friendliness
- Indoor air quality by choosing an option with low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions.
- Sustainable by opting for materials that support reducing the school’s carbon footprint.
Why choose E&M Services?
With over 35 years of expertise, E&M Services has been a trusted provider of high-quality flooring for many commercial premises, including education. Established in 1988, our family-owned business has earned a strong reputation across the Midlands for delivering exceptional quality, alongside our reliable and professional work ethic.
Our extensive experience extends to schools, colleges, and universities throughout the Midlands, serving areas such as Coventry, Leicester, Wolverhampton, Rugby, Derby, and more. Visit our portfolio to explore examples of our work with educational clients.
As an independent contractor, we are committed to offering personalised service tailored to each of our client’s needs. We strive to meet the highest quality standards, adapting every project to fit your specific requirements. No matter your budget, we can help transform your educational environment.
We understand the importance of safety in education premises. That’s why we are insured and accredited by leading organisations, including CHAS, Constructionline, and SafeContractor. All our contractors also have up-to-date DBS checks.
Being an independently run business, we aim to exceed client expectations by delivering a top-quality service from the initial consultation to project completion. Our professional team ensures every detail is managed skillfully.
Our dedication to top-quality results at competitive prices makes us a preferred alternative to larger contractors. Coupled with our additional services, painting & decorating and reception desk refurbishments, E&M Services is your go-to choice for comprehensive interior solutions.
We have extensive experience providing flooring systems to education premises throughout Coventry & Warwickshire. Call us if your school, college, or nursery requires our services. We will be happy to give you advice.
