When Trinity School in Dagenham was being refurbished, principal contractor Medifloor used more than 1,300m2 of Forbo Flooring Systems’ Surestep safety vinyl. Surestep delivered on both aesthetics and the strict safety standards required by the school, making Forbo the ideal choice for this project.
An all-through (meaning it serves children through all stages of schooling) special education needs and disabilities (SEND) school in Barking and Dagenham, Trinity School currently has over 310 students. With a vision to be a leading centre in complex SEND provision and ensure outstanding person-centric achievements, the school recently looked to upgrade its existing facilities.
James Gordon, Director at Medifloor, said: “With over 300 vulnerable students with various special educational needs and disabilities, safety was crucial. This was one of the reasons behind the specification of Forbo flooring, with the school actually reaching out to the manufacturer directly. Forbo’s Showroom Manager, Chris Crowley, recommended the Surestep Wood collection, with the Step range of safety vinyl providing a complete portfolio of non-slip floor coverings, designed for a range of applications.
“As well as providing a Health and Safety Executive (HSE)-compliant R10 rating and guaranteed lifetime slip resistance performance, the school desired a wood-effect design. The Shell Twine colourway was recommended, helping to create a linear pattern that flowed with the direction of travel through the corridors, as well as being reminiscent of a true wood flooring. When it came to the installation, I ensured that this continuous pattern was maintained, perfectly matching up each vinyl sheet to do so.”
Forbo’s Surestep safety vinyl was fitted across all of the school corridors, which presented its own challenges. James explained: “The school building is formed of two sections – one that was built in the 2000s and the other dating from the 1970s. We had to carefully consider this when it came to fitting the new floor, with the older section presenting more issues in terms of damp and damaged substrates, requiring damp proof membranes (DPMs) and additional preparation.
“Another challenge was the amount of material we were working with, with some of the corridors measuring up to 60 metres long. This meant we had to be careful when fitting the floor coverings to ensure we were matching up the linear patterns on each sheet. Through a combination of cross joining and carefully going over the top of the flooring to ensure it was completely straight, we were able to achieve this appearance.” www.forbo.com