Reviews attributes of carpet, resilient flooring, and wood as school flooring, with particular attention to suitability, cost, and cleaning practices.

Quantifies the concentrations of cat (Felis domesticus I), dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus I, Dermatophagoides farinae I), and cockroach (Blatella germanica) allergens in carpeting in an elementary school kindergarten class and documents student group activities that are floorbased. One Florida elementary school classroom was identified as the study site. A total of eight reservoir dust samples were collected during the school year to be analyzed. The sampling reservoir was the carpeting used for group floor-based activities by the school children. Dust samples from the carpet were analyzed by The Johns Hopkins University Reference Laboratory for Dermatology, Allergy, and Clinical Immunology (DACI). Following discussions with the kindergarten teacher regarding curriculum and scheduled classroom activities, group floor activities were identified. The kindergarten class was observed periodically throughout a school year to document and quantify classroom activities that were floor-based. The information documented includes: occupancy of classroom, occupied floor area, occupant density, and time spent on carpeting. Based upon the DACI criteria, dust mite concentrations were moderate to high and cat concentrations were low to moderate. Kindergarten children spent approximately 38% of classroom time in floor-based activities. [author's abstract] 57p.

In education institutions, specialty spaces deserve special attention when it comes to flooring decisions. This looks at the performance benefits of rubber flooring for athletic facilities, science laboratories, computer labs, research centers, and cafeterias.

Interior designer Carla Remenschneider and architects Jeanne Jackson and Steven Shiver share their favorite low-cost techniques for brightening schools, including ideas for casework, colors, furnishings graphics, lighting, windows, flooring materials, and sustainable materials.

In early 2010, NSF International and the National School Supply and Equipment Association (NSSEA) came together to develop quality standards for products and equipment designed for use in schools across the United States. Discusses standards for furnishings, carpeting/flooring, and AV equipment.

Understanding key characteristics of carpeting and hard-surface flooring can lead facilities managers to products that perform well.

Advises on selecting and maintaining floors for safety, particularly tripping and slipping. Developing a decision matrix to choose the right flooring for a space, installation, and matting are addressed.

Acknowledges that carpet is rarely considered in discussions of recycling and green considerations. The author proposes substituting a "cradle to grave" approach to carpet selection with a "cradle to cradle" plan, which emphasizes planned obsolescence and uses carpeting intelligently designed for recycling.

Provides advice on choosing hard flooring options. Hard surfaces must address cleanability concerns, very strong durability and longevity, and ease of accommodating wheeled office equipment. Advantages can be found with rubber, linoleum, a linoleum and engineered porcelain tile (for LEED points), and vinyl. Terrazzo is reserved for lobbies and reception areas.

Advises on considering maintenance requirements when specifying a floor. Ten questions to ask are presented, covering cleaning agents and frequency, resistance to chemicals and spills, sanitation, installation, durability, and maintenance cost.

Advocates the use of carpet in schools to increase comfort, control noise, and reduce glare. Current techniques enable manufacturers to create carpet that is recyclable and consumes very few resources in production.

Discusses flooring for athletic facilities, noting issues of maintainability, performance, aesthetics, installation, and recyclability of various options.

Discusses flooring selection for schools, addressing safety, air quality, acoustics, maintenance, repair, and sustainability.

Discusses the advantages of rubber flooring as a sustainable product that has low VOC emissions, long live, low maintenance, comfort, and pleasing aesthetics.

Describes the typical construction of carpet pile and backing. The performance properties, noise reduction, comfort, and protection from liquid spills of polyurethane backing are emphasized.

Discusses typical varieties of school flooring, their cost, and installation and maintenance requirements.

Discusses the advantages and disadvantages of carpet, vinyl, linoleum, and epoxy flooring in dormitory halls and rooms. The strategy of leaving rooms as simple as possible to allow for student decorating is encouraged.

Advises on floor selection for schools. Criteria are discussed that assess durability, cleanliness, acoustics, effects on lighting and the environment, aesthetics, and appropriateness of different types of flooring to different spaces. A long list of flooring types, extending significantly beyond traditional selections of linoleum, vinyl, terrazzo, and carpet is included.

Advises on floor covering selection, offering four considerations when choosing a floor covering: 1)how the space will be used, 2)the importance of sustainability, 3)maintenance requirements, and 4)affordability.

Describes carpet’s benefits to the learning environment, including contributions to indoor air quality; thermal, visual and acoustical comfort, and safety.