"vinyl flooring"

In constructing the new STAR Hub facility, the specification of the flooring choice would be at the very top of the agenda to enable only the very best products to be used. The ultimate decision would fall onto specifying some 320 sq m of Taraflex® vinyl sports flooring from international flooring and interiors specialist Gerflor.

Pencoedtre High School is a large new build high school in Barry, Wales. When this busy school required a brand-new world class flooring surface for its main indoor sports hall, they simply wanted only the best! HLM Architects would specify 700m2 of Taraflex® vinyl sports flooring in ‘Maple’, from international flooring specialists Gerflor.

WED2B is one of the largest and most affordable bridal retailers in the UK and specialises in making sure every bride-to-be looks and feels amazing on their special day. As a nationwide business, WED2B are passionate about their business and core principals of quality, choice and service. The interior design of each of their stores is carefully planned and executed to the highest standards, so the choice of flooring is no exception. Tarkett was the natural choice for their luxury vinyl floor tiles.

The renovation of a vinyl sports floor represented a saving of around 50% against the cost of a new floor and was completed in just five days. Working through deep cleaning, wet sanding, removing the sanded slurry from the floor and then neutralising with clean water, the surface was ready for the first coat of Bona Pure Colour to the centre section. Two coats of each colour were applied, followed by sports lines and a final transparent coat to seal the surface. The Bona Floor Care Program renovates and totally transforms the floor with new colours and graphics.

Donabate Portrane Library, recently refurbished by the Fingal County Council, is now a warm and inviting community library as a result of products chosen from Forbo Flooring Systems. The Marmoleum and Tessera products were chosen for their practicality, cleanliness and variety of interesting designs. And Sarlon Topography from Forbo’s acoustic vinyl collection was a must providing a quiet reading or studying environment.

Taraflex Sport M Comfort from Gerflor was specified and their sports hall would need a total of some 600 sq m of this remarkable product. The existing old 2mm vinyl and lino floor that had been on the sports hall for some twenty years. Gerflor’s Taraflex Sport M Comfort went down over the old floor bringing it up immediately to the new European standards for shock absorption.

When an Academy school in Northamptonshire needed to replace their dated and dangerous Granwood sports hall floor with a spectacular new ‘fit for purpose’ indoor sports surface, they turned to international flooring specialist Gerflor to supply 400m2 of their world class Olympic standard Taraflex® Performance vinyl sports floor.At Rushden Academy, they recognise the importance of Physical Education (PE) and the role it has to play in promoting long term, healthy lifestyles and making apositive impact on physical, mental, and social health.Installing the new Gerflor flooring would need to be undertaken by a flooring company that could deliver an excellent finish worthy of both the school and the quality flooring specified.

Harlequin's expert technical team installed a fully-floating Harlequin Activity sprung floor system in all of the professional-standard studio performance spaces, topped with Harlequin Standfast, Harlequin Cascade and Harlequin Freestyle vinyl surfaces. Harlequin Mirrors and Harlequin Ballet Barres completed the installation. All floors were completed with fully welded seams and composite edge trims.

For thirty-one years Bradshaw Flooring have been installing all types of flooring, including hardwood, carpet and decorative vinyl designs, and in 2018 they took on a 750m² refurbishment project for Cotswolds Furniture Co, using a full system of ARDEX products.

In a recent refurbishment of their main sports hall the choice of the playing indoor surface underwent a rigorous specification process. The hugely important decision would demand that only the best products be used and the final specification would settle on some 610m2 of Taraflex® vinyl sports flooring in ‘Maple’ from international flooring specialist Gerflor. Anthony Mynett, Director, Carpet Services (Cardiff) Ltd commented, “we are the preferred flooring contractor at the college and chose Gerflor’s Taraflex sports flooring as it conformed perfectly to the college’s requirements.” Adding, “Taraflex Evolution is unique as it covers a Granwood floor surface.”

At Yealmpton Primary to the East of Plymouth in South Devon all children are encouraged to be more active during break and lunch times with sports and fitness at the forefront of that focus. When the school implemented a refurbishment programme for their multi-use hall and kitchen servery area, they turned to international flooring specialist Gerflor to supply their world class Taraflex® Multi-Use vinyl sports flooring and their Tarasafe Ultra safety flooring. An Isolsport underlay was also supplied by Gerflor, enabling the installer to lay the Taraflex® Multi Use directly over the existing Granwood floor.

One of the advantages of installing a sprung sports floor, such as the DYNAMIK Athen system finished with a solid sports wood effect vinyl, is its versatility in allowing the space to not only be used for sports but to be hired out for non-sporting events such as meetings, community groups and social occasions. In a community setting such as The Greenhouse Centre, the opportunities to maximise the space is made easier with the right floor. Old and new features can be combined to create a functional space.

Howe Green supplied nearly 70 floor access covers to Chase Farm Hospital in Enfield. The £200 million redeveloped hospital is the newest and most digitally advanced hospital in the NHS estate. The Visedge Series Flexible Floor Access Covers and 7500 Series Medium-Duty Aluminium Floor Access Covers were specified for the project by international architects IBI Group. The Visedge floor access covers were infilled with vinyl flooring. The floor finish for the 7500 Series varied depending upon the location of the access cover. The access covers enable safe and easy access to building services concealed under the flooring of the hospital.

Over 1,600m2 of Harlequin Activity™ sprung floor system and Harlequin Cascade vinyl was used to create four stunning performance spaces at the new £145 million Central Saint Martin’s College of Arts and Design at the King’s Cross Campus in London.

Sparsholt's continued growth over recent years meant that a new sports hall was required to enhance their sporting facilities. The new building included a four badminton court hall along with a modern Dance/Aerobic Studio and extensive Fitness Suite. The majority of the work was completed using the area elastic Komfort Plus sprung sports flooring system finished in Tarkett solid Sports Vinyl.

When the school decided to replace the existing flooring in the main sports hall the aspects of quality, performance and durability took centre stage. The new sports surface needed to be multi-purpose in order to be able to host exams and school functions, so therefore needed to withstand varied usage and heavy traffic. The College turned to international flooring specialist Gerflor to supply 590m2 of its world renowned Taraflex® Performance vinyl sports flooring to provide the high performing, multi-use solution it was seeking.

A former pub located in the heart of Taporley village, Cheshire, has been converted into a luxury health and welbeing centre, featuring a state-of-the-art-gym, treatment rooms and apartments for staff use. Instinct Gym and Wellbeing aims to help improve the health and mental wellbeing of the local community through new initiatives. When it came to selection the best floor coverings, having worked with JA Flooring on previous projects  Enigma Holdings Group, the owners of the building, called upon the flooring contractor once more. As aesthetics and durability were key objectives of the project, JA Flooring advised the use of an array of solutions from Forbo Flooring Systems’ portfolio including its Allura luxury vinyl tiles (LVT), which played a significant role in the renovation works.The natural wood and stone aesthetic, combined with the benefits of strong, comfortable vinyl tiles, meant that Allura was installed in the gym, treatment rooms, spin studios and circulation areas. In the treatment rooms where a more serene surrounding was required, Allura Wood in the Whitewash Elegant Oak colourway was used.In the entrance and reception area, a bespoke Coral Logo entrance flooring mat was produced to reinforce the Instinct Gym and Wellbeing branding – helping to create that all important first impression, whilst offering protection in extreme traffic conditions and maximum functional performance.Finally, Tessera Earthscape carpet tiles in Iceberg were installed in the apartments; and in the changing facilities and kitchens, the Surestep range in various neutral colourways helped to complement the overall sophisticated interior of the health and wellbeing centre.

After nearly 30 years without refurbishment, the Paediatrics department at Ormskirk District General Hospital required a new lease of life to be injected into the building. With hospitals in operation around the clock by patients, visitors and staff, it was vital that the new flooring solution offered a combination of optimal performance benefits, whilst being quick and easy to install to minimise both disruption and downtime. Looking for a time and cost saving solution, Southport and Ormskirk NHS Hospital Trust chose Forbo Flooring Systems’ Modul’up adhesive free sheet vinyl for the refurbishment. Easy and quick to install during out of hours, the ‘fast fit’ floor covering delivers outstanding dimensional stability and indentation resistance.

Stopgap subfloor preparation products from F. Ball and Styccobond F44 acrylic adhesive have been used to create a laboratory-standard flooring finish at a new facility for international laboratories operator Tentamus Group, at Pride Park in Derbyshire.Flooring contractors used Stopgap Fill and Prime and Stopgap 1200 Pro levelling compound to prepare 1500m² of metal raised access panels over two floors before installing vinyl sheet safety flooring throughout. Once the primer had cured, Stopgap 1200 Pro levelling compound was applied to create a perfectly smooth base for the installation of floorcoverings. Contractors then used Styccobond F44 acrylic adhesive to install Polyflor Polysafe Standard PUR heavy-duty vinyl safety flooring. Finally, Quantum PVC capping and coving was installed at the junctions between the floorcoverings and walls to produce a neat finish and allow for easy cleaning. 

Capturing the traditional charm of the Tudor period, London-based design studio, Upcircle, designed Chester’s newest student accommodation by taking inspiration from the city’s history and architecture. With the help of Forbo Flooring Systems’ comprehensive portfolio, including its recently refreshed Allura Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) collection, a warm, striking and sophisticated interior was created.

Architect Hawkins\Brown specified Howe Green 7500 Series Medium Duty Stainless Steel Floor Access Covers for one of the office spaces within BT Sport located at Here East, the new digital quarter for East London. The covers were required to address the challenge of easily and safely accessing drainage junctions located beneath a raised floor system in the corridors of the building. The 7500 Series were specified with stainless steel Z profiles to provide additional support to the access cover within the raised floor. The access covers were initially covered with plywood and then infilled with a vinyl flooring finish.

Kingham Hill School was originally built by the Christian philanthropist Charles Edward Baring Young in 1886. Today, with just over 340 pupils, it caters for both girls and boys aged 11-18. When it was decided to replace and re-develop the main sports hall at Kingham Hill, the aspects of quality, performance, looks and durability would be pivotal in the final flooring specification. The school turned to international flooring specialist Gerflor to supply 770m2 of its world renowned Taraflex® Performance vinyl sports flooring in Blue and Pink to provide the high performing, multi-use solution it was seeking.

St Columba’s is one of Scotland’s highest achieving schools, and the need to replace the flooring within its Junior School’s multi-purpose hall and two corridors located within the school’s extension, has brought the refurbished areas into the 21st century. Gerflor’s Taraflex® Multi-Use was the flooring product most suitable for the hall renovation as it combined the aesthetic, hardwearing and safety characteristics wanted. Whereas Gerflor’s Mipolam Elegance vinyl sheet flooring with the best abrasion resistance group T rating and high stain resistance for heavy traffic use was ideal for the busy corridors.

FORBO’S MODUL’UP VINYL CREATES WELCOMING MATCH-DAY SPACE A unique hospitality space located in Cardiff’s iconic Principality Stadium, the Riverside Terrace is notable for its move away from the traditional match-day hospitality experience. To create a premium experience, Design and Build Specialists Benchmark Designs called upon Forbo’s adhesive-free sheet vinyl floor covering – Modul’up.  Situated on the banks of the River Taff, the Principality Stadium plays host to a range of events and is renowned as the home of Wales’ Rugby Union team. Working with PSE Wales and Levy UK, Benchmark Designs looked to create a distinctive interior space, capable of offering a premium match-day experience for general admission visitors. Combining a variety of furniture and surfaces with a diverse street food menu, the Riverside Terrace was designed with the city high street in mind, as Hannah Glazier, Interior Designer at Benchmark Designs, explains: “The brief we received for the Riverside Terrace was to take this space and transform it from a traditional food service and interior style, to something with a more up-market feel that had a broad appeal to customers.  “Cardiff’s high street has such a wide range of street food eateries and PSE Wales were keen to incorporate this heritage into the Riverside Terrace, with a different vendor selected to cater each match, along with live music. With such a dynamic environment, we needed products that would complement the usage of the space, providing a practical and refined finish. For this, texture was a really important design element and we wanted to make sure the surfaces we specified would complement and contrast with each other.” With this brief in mind, Hannah looked for flooring solutions that would deliver on the desired aesthetic and feel, stating: “The space itself had a very industrial design, with exposed fixings and a metal-studded bar front adding different textural dynamics. With texture and visual quality in mind, we needed a floor covering that came in neutral shades to match the other finishes, but that could also create a warm and welcoming environment. It was for this reason that we specified Forbo’s Modul’up, in its Concrete and Oak colourways combining the texture and tone of concrete with the warmth of timber.  “The realistic timber appearance of the Oak colourway was ideal for the zoned seating area, while we used the Concrete for the circulation areas, as it nicely matched the design scheme for the walls and bar tops. It was important that we used these complementary colours throughout the entire interior, from wall to floors, lighting to surface tops, helping to create a cohesive and well-rounded space, which feels welcoming yet distinctive.” However, it wasn’t just the aesthetic requirements that were key, but the functionality of the flooring too. Hannah explained: “With a capacity of over 74,000, the Principality Stadium is an extremely busy environment. As such, it was essential that the floor coverings used were able to keep up with the high footfall expected at the venue. This was another reason behind our specification of Modul’up. It has excellent indentation resistance, which was perfect for this space, being able withstand intense usage on match-days. It’s also able to be installed adhesive-free, which made it extremely easy to fit, saving valuable time during the installation phase of the refurbishment.”  She concluded: “Our intention was to create a fun and informal space that was suitable for all demographics to use. We feel we achieved this, with our use of versatile and flexible furniture, wall and floor materials contributing to a relaxed and casual hospitality experience.” Having opened in October 2022, the Riverside Terrace has been put to good use over the 2022 Autumn Nations Series, as well as the 2023 Six Nations, with a PSE spokesperson saying of the new space: “Forbo’s flooring has truly transformed the space, with its exceptional quality, versatile design and hard-wearing nature contributing to a modern and trendy atmosphere. The choice of flooring seamlessly merged functionality with style, making it an ideal option for entry-level hospitality settings. Overall, we’re delighted with the finished project and have enjoyed entertaining our customers in the new space.”  Benchmark Designs’ work on the Riverside Terrace saw the project achieve ‘Commended’ in the 2022/23 iteration of the Forbo Escapes competition. Find out more about Forbo’s Modul’up collection, here: https://www.forbo.com/flooring/en-uk/commercial-products/modul-up-adhesive-free-sheet-vinyl/cum7pa

Calming colours and patterns have helped to create a special environment for mothers and babies at Glan Clwyd Hospital. Forbo Flooring Systems’ Sphera Element vinyl collection was specified throughout the Mother and Baby Unit, due to its bright and fresh appearance, high-performance and durability. Easy to work with, the Sphera sheets were laid throughout the unit and hand cut to shape to create a beautiful butterfly designs.

The refurbishment of independent opticians and hearing specialists, Leightons, has used Forbo Flooring Systems’ Allura luxury vinyl tile planks alongside a host of other products to create a spacious looking interior that helps to minimise the spread of unwanted noise to the consultation rooms. Subsequently, the design won a Commended award in the Fly Forbo 2016/2017 competition.Leightons called on SKK Design for the design of their Reading store when it relocated from Oxford Road to the town centre, tasking them to give the branch a new lease of life and adapt the space into something that customers and staff would appreciate. The complete refurbishment saw new ceilings, lights, furniture and flooring throughout the main shop floor, staff areas and consultation rooms.

For the new Calderwood primary school, part of the Calderwood Master-plan development in West Lothian, JM architects was tasked with creating an open and collaborative space for teachers and students to enjoy for years to come. Thanks to Forbo Flooring Systems' large portfolio of solutions, JM architects specifies a variety of products throughout the school, with Marmoleum and vinyl at the forefront of this new development. The project went on to be the winner of the Forbo Escapes 2021/2022 competition.

Specifying and installing 650m2 of Gerflor’s world class Taraflex® Performance vinyl sports flooring in ‘Light Cherry’ would turn out to be a pivotal decision for Axminster Leisure Centre in East Devon. The refurbishment project to replace the existing flooring in their main sports hall would yield spectacular results for both the operators of the facility and the end users. The indoor sports surface solution that was specified would need to be of the utmost quality and readily available, considering how short the timescales were for the project and would need to be competitively priced for the funds available for this iconic renovation.

When the Tunstall Trade Park complex near Stoke-on-Trent had a requirement for over 700m2 of flooring they turned to international flooring specialist Gerflor to supply a mixture of Creation 55 Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT) and Gradus Lafite Connect Space carpet tiles to provide a stunning finish for the project.For permanent installations Creation 55 Dryback provides the perfect solution on prepared subfloors and is ideal for new projects. When an installation needs to be removable, then Creation 55 Looselay with its exclusive construction is the answer.Gradus Lafite Connect Space features a linear design and is available in both tile and plank format offering variety and the opportunity to produce unique floor schemes.

This project highlights the DYNAMIK Sydney system finished in sports vinyl, DYNAMIK solid, perforated and fabric acoustic wall panels and DYNAMIK protective giant carpet tiles. The client installed their DYNAMIK internal wall panels themselves and were pleased with the overall service: “We love the place now… thanks for all your help and patience in selecting the right [wall] panels and flooring. It has really proven to be worth it in the end.”

When Bradford Academy needed a replacement for its sports hall floor they looked for guidance from Junckers. By going to the leading sports and dance floor systems manufacturer the academy knew that they would receive the right kind of advice and guidance to help them to steer their way through the overwhelming number of sports floor systems available on the market. Junckers worked in close partnership with the client, main contractor BAM and local Junckers’ Approved Contractor Harmony Contract Flooring to deliver the floor completed and on time. The client wanted a “sprung” floor which looked good and was easy to look after, and it needed to meet the performance standards for multi-purpose sports; EN 14904. The floor system selected meets category A4 standard, which means that the academy now has a floor which is recommended by Sport England and the Education and Skills Funding Agency (EFSA). The site constraints required a floor system with minimum construction height and Junckers’ EliteFlex 49 system, at only 49mm high was found to be ideal. The system is made from laminated foam-backed battens and 22mm timber deck with the 4mm vinyl layer bonded and welded on top. This provides a sports floor suitable for a range of activities from general education use through to elite levels of sport, dance and the like. Junckers was chosen as a supplier because over the many decades since it was founded the company has dedicated a significant amount of resource to developing the best “sprung” sports floor systems. This, and its “cradle to grave” technical and customer support and maintenance programmes sets it apart from other manufacturers, where the choice is often limited to a basic undercarriage system and various options for gluing a vinyl sheet to screed- an option which is no longer accepted by the ESFA as a suitable surface for sports. In the UK, Junckers has become a byword for high quality sports and activity floor systems, and for providing the technical and customer support needed to make every new Junckers floor one that the installer and client will be proud of. As part of continuous work to develop new products and constantly improve the ability to offer customers a broader choice of floor systems, Junckers has developed a range of vinyl sports and activity floors, based upon the established success of its undercarriage systems. One of Junckers’ main strengths is the variety of undercarriage systems it offers. Not only do these give different “sprung” performance characteristics with some suited to basketball, others for dance etc., thanks to experience and technical expertise Junckers is also able to take care of the less glamorous aspects of the installation, such as dealing with uneven sub-floors or those where there may be drying out problems. Junckers’ floors are all tested and certified to EN 14904, category A3, A4 or C3. In addition, Junckers own in-house testing and development centre assess the wider aspects of the floor’s performance such as point load bearing ability and lifespan issues such as fatigue testing. Junckers’ new vinyl floor systems are aimed at the education sector, sports halls, leisure centres and dance and fitness centres. When it comes to installation, vinyl floor customers have the same assurances that they currently have with Junckers solid hardwood floors because there is a network of fully trained Junckers Approved Installers on hand to make sure that the floor will be fitted properly.

Over 4700m2 of Gerflor high performance sports and safety floorings have been installed at Marr College, Scotland. The client required an Olympic pedigree sports floor for their main sports hall to serve a multitude of uses – Taraflex® was the chosen innovation. A trusted, high-quality safety flooring was also required to ensure the safety of pupils, staff, and on-site visitors. Tarasafe Ultra was the natural choice.Taraflex® is available in 17 colours and four wood-effect designs and has been used by the largest international sports federations for decades and has been present at the Summer Olympic Games since 1976.Tarasafe Ultra is a specialist slip-resistant vinyl safety flooring inlaid with mineral crystals particles, as opposed to carborundum giving a brighter appearance. It also comes with a tough PVC wearlayer and meets HSE guidelines.

F. Ball products have been used to install vinyl and rubber flooring, as part of the refurbishment of the Wellington College fitness centre, in Berkshire. Flooring contractors were called to install luxury vinyl tiles and rubber flooring. After removing the existing floorcovering, contractors built up the raised platform with timber and plywood and applied Stopgap 1200 Pro smoothing underlayment over the raised platform and the screed subfloor. Styccobond F49 Hybrid PS temperature tolerant vinyl adhesive was then used to adhere the floorcoverings. The adhesive enabled contractors to successfully install luxury vinyl sheet, wood effect planks, plus the rubber flooring.

In July 2010, The University of South Wales (USW) in Treforest had the foresight to install 923 m2 of Taraflex® Performance vinyl sports flooring in ‘Maple’ and ‘Blue’ from international flooring specialist Gerflor. This high-quality installation was also partnered with a Gerflor Taraflex® Combisport system for a new building located at their Sports Park. It was a vision that would prove to yield fantastic results for the next eleven years.Taraflex® Performance is available in 17 colours and 3 wood-effect designs as standard with an addition of 110 solid colour options available. It offers a P2 category shock absorbency of 35% to 45%. and is also treated with the Triple Action Protecsol® surface treatment so that no polish is ever required for the lifetime of the floor. The Taraflex® Combisport system is ideal for installations requiring a low-profile floor for a vast range of new build and renovation projects.

Harlequin worked closely with the Royal Academy of Dance throughout the whole planning and development process. After working with Harlequin for After working with Harlequin for over 30 years, the RAD knew that they wanted Harlequin floors in their new studios. Harlequin supplied and installed over 1200m2 of Harlequin Activity sprung floor and Harlequin Cascade vinyl performance floor with BioCote antimic antimicrobial protection. Harlequin water cut the mirrors to fit the wall mounted ballet barres directly to the walls to create a seamless and neat finish. Along with the studios, RAD’s new home for dance has a 193-seat pe 193-seat performance space with Harlequin Activity and Harlequin Cascade to showcase the RAD’s dancing talent. 

F. Ball’s Stopgap Fill and Prime thixotropic primer and Stopgap 1200 Pro levelling compound have delivered a fast-track solution for installing floorcoverings in one of the largest small-animal referral hospitals in Europe.Flooring contractors installed vinyl safety flooring and luxury vinyl tiles throughout a total area of 1100m2 at Southfields Veterinary Centre, in Basildon, Essex.Requiring a timesaving solution for working over chipboard as an alternative to overboarding with plywood, the contractors contacted their regional F. Ball technical representative, who advised preparing subfloors with Stopgap Fill and Prime prior to the application of a suitable levelling compound.Stopgap Fill and Prime is a cement-based primer that is designed for use over raised-access panels and flooring grades of plywood, chipboard, MDF and oriented strand board (OSB 3). It has a thixotropic consistency, meaning that it flows freely when stirred but sets to a gel-like consistency on standing, enabling it to fill gaps between panels to prevent imperfections transferring to the finished installation.Stopgap 1200 Pro levelling compound was then applied in all areas to create a perfectly smooth base for floorcoverings. The product is fast-setting and fast-drying and can also be applied over old adhesive residues, in which case there is no need to prime subfloors beforehand.Polyflor vinyl safety flooring was installed in the treatment rooms using Styccobond F44 solvent-free acrylic emulsion adhesive, which is designed to give a strong initial tack, high bond strength and a long open time.In the canteen, Forbo Allura Flex Wood luxury vinyl tiles were adhered using Styccobond F46 pressure sensitive adhesive, which provides instant grab, preventing floorcoverings from sliding as tiles or planks are subsequently placed. The adhesive is designed to minimise the incidence of trowel serrations showing through thin vinyl flooring and potentially affecting the finished appearance of the installation. Styccobond F46 was also used to secure Polyflor vinyl safety flooring in the corridors connecting the treatment rooms.Capping and coving were installed in the corridors using Styccobond F60 contact adhesive. The formation of an instant bond makes it suitable for securing floor and wallcoverings on vertical surfaces.Commenting on the project, Ben Montgomery, head of projects at Veatu Flooring, said: “While we use a lot of F. Ball products and they’re our first choice because of their quality and availability, it’s the first time we’ve used the tech rep service. They came out and provided a tailored specification for the project we were working on, which ended up saving us a lot of time and expense.”Before any floor preparation work was carried out a moisture test was conducted, which determined that subfloor moisture levels were low enough that a moisture management solution was not needed.