Nevertheless, with so many materials available, it could be difficult to choose a new floor covering for the school. It is important to choose the right carpeting that could serve for many years. Check out below some tips for choosing the right school carpet.
- Consider where the carpet is going. There are different areas in the school with various traffic and would require certain performance qualities. For a classroom carpet, sound absorption is of utmost consideration. Research showed that poor acoustics could damage the learning abilities of students, thus it is worth choosing a carpet that has sound deadening attributes. For a library floor covering, consider zoning specific spots of the room, like ICT or reading areas to provide demarcation without having to build barriers.
- Take note of maintenance and cleaning recommendations. Regular cleaning and maintenance is important in all aspects of a school setting, particularly the flooring. If unmaintained, carpets could become damaged and could lose their performance attributes, which often require replacement. With carpet flooring, daily vacuuming is highly recommended and deep clean at least once a year to boost the lifespan of the material.
- Consider design and color options. Carpeting could be integrated into the brand and colors of the school. Customized logos integrated within the entrance spaces is popular with schools and colleges, particularly as carpet manufacturing advancements have made it easier to cut the material onsite with no risk of fraying or raveling. Design-inspired carpets create a good first impression and could really help reinforce the school's brand, especially if the theme is continued throughout the building. Using carpeting in contrasting hues could define routes between classrooms and corridors and could help younger kids to navigate their way around the institution since they may find it hard to read and follow signs.
- Help to minimize trips, slips and falls. Carpet is popular for providing a softer landing, preventing injury from incidents, like falls, slips and trips, which occur regularly in a school setting. Nonetheless, all floor coverings pose accident risks, particularly when conditions are icy or wet outside. That is why the carpet in the entrance area should be designed to act as interceptor of moisture, dirt and debris, which are the most common causes of accidents in the entrances and exits. There is a wide range of carpets that have anti-slip properties to choose from.
- Do careful research. Questioning the manufacturer’s credibility could help in specifying a product confidently. Determine the provider's experience in schools, check out references from other schools they have worked with, where the materials are manufactured and if there are quality standards. Moreover, before making a carpet purchase, it is necessary to determine the guarantees they offer on their floor covering products.